Here is a long story. Please read carefully before reply.
I have SM-G955N which is for South Korea. Also I have latest stock firmware that can be flashed with Odin. It has AP, BL, CP, CSC. With this firmware, I can recover from almost every problems(including bootloop) because these files have everything that my S8+ should have, even PIT file.
As you know, modifying stock firmware is very dangerous and you don't know what would happen if you delete/modify certain file.
You might think 'Hmm... I think it is completely not related to system or samsung so maybe I can delete this' but you can get bootlooped. I even got bootlooped by only deleting DioDict which is just dictionary app!
I think It would be much easier to recover from bootloop when I have flashable ZIP file that is pure stock firmware.
Maybe you can say 'Just use TWRP backup feature!' but I can't trust TWRP backup feature now.
When I flashed stock firmware with Odin and right after(after solving KG State thing), flashed TWRP. Then I should have pure, clean stock firmware because I didn't touch anything about system except recovery(TWRP), right? I backupped whole system except Cache because It has 0 MB size.
After I got bootloop while modifying system, I restored that backup but still got bootlooped. That's why I can't use TWRP backup as fallback plan. I can't trust it 100%.
There are few 'Kitchen' scripts but I think they only handle AP files. When I tried to use SuperR's Kitchen Free, I used stock firmware file(tar.md5) and didn't do any modification. After I made flashable ZIP file with it and flashed it with TWRP, I've got bootlooped because It didn't have critical CSC files that system needed.
I think the Kitchen can't handle CSC well even though It is critical. 'Donate' would be last resort.
I've found batch script that convert S9 stock firmware to flashable ZIP (at GItHub, 'harise100/S9-Stock-ROM-TWRP') but I don't think It can cover S8+ files. In the scripts, it requires some files that S8+ firmware don't have. Maybe I should play with that script to fit with S8+ but It will take a lot of time which I don't have much.
Any good idea or information about converting stock firmware to flashable ZIP file?
Related
If you have checked out, downloaded and flashed RaymanFX's latest CM13 Unofficial Nightly ROM for Note 4 N910C/H/U users here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/not...-cyanogenmod-13-semi-official-builds-t3259878 chances are you failed miserably at getting back to Samsung's Stock Firmware as you have encountered a series of unending bootloops. The bootloops exist because your downgrading from Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow (CM13 ROM) back to Android 5.1.1 Lollipop (Your previous Original Samsung Stock Firmware), however if you've received the Android Marshmallow Update for your Note 4 model number and region as an OTA Update from your device or Manually by downloading it from sammobile.com or any other external link and have flashed it before flashing CM13 no need to worry you won't need a backup of your Samsung firmware (Unless you want one) as you can perform a clean install of your Samsung Marshmallow Firmware via Odin v3.10.7 Here is where the fix lies; i have compiled a series of posts from 2 very helpful XDA Members from the community because from my experience i have managed to rescue my device using their methods which i will mention below.
Firstly if you have made an Efs partition backup from your previous Original Samsung Stock Firmware in the form of a .tar or .img file e.g "efs_backup_2015-06-01_02-37-16.tar" or "efs.img" respectively then you are good to go if not leave this thread.
Also you will need to download a Note 4 N910C/H/U Pit file corresponding to the region of your Samsung Firmware so here is a link to a selection of pit files. You will need to create an account at sammobile or simply sign if you have a current account to see the download links here: http://www.sammobile.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30022
Follow FR34K-B1B0's helpful post on getting back to stock here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=65414257&postcount=39 Skip the 1st Step since we are restoring our IMEI using our backed up Efs file and we will be using a different method to restore this backup.AND AFTER ODIN IS DONE FLASHING THE SAMSUNG FIRMWARE there is a chance that your phone will boot to the Stock Recovery and you will notice a message down there saying: "dm verification failed" so simply wipe data/factory reset and wipe cache and then reboot. Afterwards your phone should boot properly. Now close he's post and carry on down here.
After your phone boots up and you have set it you will notice that your mobile is not connected to your specific mobile carrier and you will see the Emergency calls only text on your lockscreen hence the Not registered on network error. Go to Settings--->About device--->Status and scroll down and you will search and find that your IMEI is literally not the one your phone has and that your Serial number is of an Android Serial number given to you from flashing CM13( Since it's a pure stock android software). If you want you can download the Phone INFO App from the Playstore to verify your device's information and if you do so you will notice that your Samsung Serial number is a bunch of 0's like this: 0000000000 or it's not even present hence wiped.
HERE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART FOR RECLAIMING YOUR MOBILE NETWORK CONNECTION, your IMEI is wiped and so you must restore it using your Efs backup file which i mentioned previously above. To do so you will need to root your device and the guaranteed way of rooting your device is using Chainfire's CF-Auto-Root Method.
Here are the links to the Odin flashable MD5 files based on your Note 4's Model Number that you must download ---> For SM-N910C: https://download.chainfire.eu/559/CF-Root/CF-Auto-Root/CF-Auto-Root-trelte-treltexx-smn910c.zip For SM-N910H: https://download.chainfire.eu/577/CF-Root/CF-Auto-Root/CF-Auto-Root-tre3g-tre3gxx-smn910h.zip For SM-N910U: https://download.chainfire.eu/557/CF-Root/CF-Auto-Root/CF-Auto-Root-trhplte-trhpltexx-smn910u.zip After downloading the file on to your computer simply load the file through Odin, power off your phone and boot it to download mode then connect your device to your computer and flash the md5 file. After it's done flashing your device will boot to a custom screen with a red android logo then it will boot.
Right now your device is rooted and you will see the Supersu app in your app drawer. Next if your Efs backup is stored on your computer and is of the format .tar simply open it with 7zip or Winrar you will find the .img present then extract it your desktop. In order to restore your IMEI with this .img file we will need an update package that we can flash from a custom recovery(CWM or TWRP). Here is the link to civato's awesome flashable update package: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2331853 and you'll find the package down in the attachment. After downloading the attached file, rename your Efs backup file from "efs.img" to "EFS.img" then extract the contents of the downloaded update package to a folder with the same name of the package, copy your EFS.img file to it and use 7zip or Winrar to add the files to an archive(.zip).
Last but not least copy the new repackaged flashable zip to your external or internal sd card. Run Odin and flash your desired Custom Recovery(CWM or TWRP). Boot to the custom recovery and flash the update package and finally reboot system. After booting your phone will have it's Efs partition restored; your IMEI and Samsung Serial number will be back and your mobile network will be back on again. :fingers-crossed:
Special thanks to FR34K-B1B0 for he's helpful post on getting back to stock firmware
And Many Many Thanks to civato for he's really useful Efs restoring update package! :victory:
And last but not least thank you Chainfire for your great CF-Auto-Root Method that helped root our device(s).
I am able to extract System.img from the 4.4.4 ODEN install and mount it in Ubunto. I can modify the folders and files to remove bloat, etc. I am able to repack back and use FlashFire to flash the 4.4.4 modified firmware.
My question is related to 5.0. I have tried the same method and after several modifled attempts, was able to extract and mount the System.img. After debloating, etc. I tried to repack it the same way but in FlashFire, it fails the MD5 check.
I tried another approach. Instead of repacking the full firmware package, I just created the System.img as a stand alone flash-able package. I then install 5.0 through ODEN, install Root and FlashFire.
When I try to flash my modified System.img through FlashFire, it passes the MD5 and installs successfully but it never boots. It never even makes it to the initial boot screen.
After that, I have to ODEN back again and start over. Any dev's out there that might know what I might be missing or can point me to some documentation on the process for 5.0?
I used SuperR's Kitchen to customize my Note 3's Lollipop, then Flashed via FlashFire.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/chef-central/android/kitchen-superrs-kitchen-t3202296
Looks like the kitchen will make it a lot easier. I checked one out a while back but the dev said it wasn't supported anymore. Thanks!
Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
I used the flashfire method of downloading firmware and extracting ap file and flashing system and boot.img. Does anyone know or has anyone tried taking the ap file and extracting system.img and boot.img and flashing those image files via twrp? Twrp I believe supports flashing image files and that should work in theory. Thanks
Also is it important to update csc or csc_home files? I am learning Samsung coming from always owning nexus devices which are quite a bit different.
flyinj54 said:
I used the flashfire method of downloading firmware and extracting ap file and flashing system and boot.img. Does anyone know or has anyone tried taking the ap file and extracting system.img and boot.img and flashing those image files via twrp? Twrp I believe supports flashing image files and that should work in theory. Thanks
Also is it important to update csc or csc_home files? I am learning Samsung coming from always owning nexus devices which are quite a bit different.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's a thread which explains updating rooted devices with flashfire without loosing data here
I have a J7 2017 (J730F) and it does not let me flinch by Odin but I do through TWRP and I would like to know if I can somehow convert the 4 files of the original stock ROM into a single file flashed by TWRP.
ismago said:
I have a J7 2017 (J730F) and it does not let me flinch by Odin but I do through TWRP and I would like to know if I can somehow convert the 4 files of the original stock ROM into a single file flashed by TWRP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only thing you could possibly flash with twrp, depending on its build, is boot, recovery, system and modem. It is possible to flash others via dd, but it's not a simple process.
It's not recommended though and Tbh honest you need to solve the issue as to why odin will not flash.
There will be a reason.
Odin is the only real way to unbrick a non functioning device, so you really need to solve the issue rather than circumvent it.
So ai bought an S10+ (lightly used) earlier his week and went hrough the grueling process of rooting itnand then installing tWRP and föashing a custom rom from TWRP.
The only firmware for my device and country (which was the recommended firmware to use to flash stock with Magisk patched onto it) on Sammobile was 3-branded. This included a 3-branded boot and shutdown animation tha tis ugly as sin.
No matter, I thought. The custom rom included a custom boot animation. However, once I'd flashed the custom romN the 3-branded boot and shutdown animations remained. I'd even had the custom rom set my CSC to NEE (generic Nordic countries), but it remained 3-branded.
I tried using a file explorer to replace the 3 relevamt qmg files on my phone with the custom animations. Nope, didn't work. I found out that my mistake was using the home_csc file to flash stock + magisk instead of the csc file.
So that got me wondering, where are CSC-specifoc files stored? And is there any quicker way to cjange CSC than having to reflash stock? Because even the HadesRom Aroma installer failed to switch my CSC for some reason.