[International / GSM] OTA updates vs. ClockworkMod and root

[scary alien]

.
Okay, here's the "TL;DR" (too long--didn't read) version:

Q: can I get/install an OTA if I have a custom recovery (ClockworkMod) installed?

A: nope (the OTA will actually download, but the installation will fail unless you have a stock recovery installed)

Q: can I then just re-flash the stock recovery and then get/install the OTA?

A: yep (works just fine)

Q: can I be rooted and get/install an OTA?

A: yep (you'll lose root afterwards, though)

Q: do I lose root access at that point?

A: yep (easy to get back)

Q: what do I do then?

A: invoke custom recovery and re-install the su.zip root package

Cheers!

Here's the particulars of my little testing session tonight:

=========================================================================

- initial phone state: VZW LTE/CDMA Samsung Galaxy Nexus running 4.0.2, rooted, with ClockworkMod installed

- flashed back to stock 4.0.1 (VZE/LTE/CDMA) [note: I did not lock/relock bootloader]

- powered back down

- rebooted in fastboot / bootloader mode

- flashed ClockworkMod custom recovery

- restarted phone

- got OTA notice; accepted and phone restarted,

- upon reboot, OTA install almost immediately failed (show little, green Android with red triangle and ! mark inside)

- flashed stock recovery back; rebooted; checked phone status (still 4.0.1);
checked for system updates--couldn't force update at this time (tested this again later on)

- flashed back to 4.0.1 stock; left stock recovery intact

- rebooted, waited for OTA prompts, accepted, rebooted, installed, was now 4.0.2

=========================================================================

- flashed back again to 4.0.1 stock

- flashed ClockworkMod again over-top of stock recovery

- rebooted

- downloaded and accepted OTA

- OTA install failed (again)

- flashed stock recovery

- rebooted; got another system update notification

- OTA installation successful; again back to 4.0.2

=========================================================================

- power down phone

- reboot into fastboot / bootloader mode

- reflash completely back to stock (4.0.1)

- soft-boot ClockworkMod and install su.zip root package

- reboot

- verified root access with Titanium Backup

- wait for OTA (system update) notification

- installation worked just fine

- rebooted

- checked system version, now back to 4.0.2

- check root access--root was "gone" (really, just inert)

- powered-down, flashed ClockworkMod, re-installed su.zip root

- rebooted, verified root access (yay!)

Fin.

 

[trophynuts]

Scary you have been putting in major work since this thing dropped. It is much appreciated.

 

[scary alien]

Scary you have been putting in major work since this thing dropped. It is much appreciated.

Thanks, Trophy, I appreciate that, sir!

I stupidly started that process above at about 11:00 PM last night...of course, it took me a couple of hours to do . Then, when I was all done, I still had to restore my Nandroid backup, too [I am a little bleary-eyed this morning, LOL ].

Its all good and you guys are all worth it .

Cheers everyone!

 

[litrekid]

Thank you sir

 

[tpdtopcop]

Really appreciate your effort on doing this..

 

[Granite1]

Man, you gots sum kahunes SA.
Accepting OTA's on the Sprint OG EVO with a custom recovery does all kinds of weird things. Seen hboots get updated but leave s-off. S-on with out updating hboot. Bad juju on my piece. I take it the GNex is a completely different beast?

 

[scary alien]

Thank you sir

You are most welcome!

Really appreciate your effort on doing this..

No problem...happy to help (but I paid for it today at work ).

Man, you gots sum kahunes SA.
Accepting OTA's on the Sprint OG EVO with a custom recovery does all kinds of weird things. Seen hboots get updated but leave s-off. S-on with out updating hboot. Bad juju on my piece. I take it the GNex is a completely different beast?

LOL, and thank you very much!

This stuff is exactly why I wanted this phone .

Well, this is my first Samsung device (I've got an HTC and two Motos), so I'm still learning about what issues / limits it might have (I was also careful to fully re-flash the radios, etc. when I reverted back to keep things in-sync).

I know about S-OFF from my Eris (rooted, flashed, and even modified Amon_RA's custom recovery for that one) and I know things are a bit different on the newer HTC devices, but I think as long as you don't flash a corrupted bootloader, you're pretty safe (that's my theory, anyway ).

Cheers!