Cougar

Or, "how I learned to stop worrying and love the root".

As discussed elsewhere, I've been a Galaxy owner since release day on O2 UK and have been following the forums here for a while. I've had all the usual problems (NPS being useless, etc) and found the forum to be invaluable, so thank you.

I wanted to update the firmware, but found there's almost too much information around. Lots of updated / contradictory information, and some of it requiring convoluted hacking of text files etc. I eventually took the plunge, and made notes as I went. Hopefully, this will be of help for other new users.

After reading, I decided there were two stages to this. First, back up the phone so if it all went west I could roll back. Second, get the firmware on it.

Booting in various modes:

With the phone off:

Fastboot mode - call + power
Recovery mode - vol-down + call + power (hold home + back to exit)
Download mode - vol-down + ok + power

To enable root and back up the phone: (update - this method appears to have been blocked as of firmware rev. II5, should still work for IH8 and earlier)

To enable root and back up the phone:

Get recovery image from http://www.megaupload.com/?d=8SAFKOIN (see http://forum.hdblog.it/showthread.php?t=3995 for details)

Get recovery flasher from Android Rooting in 1-click (limited time only… until it gets patched)

Copy recovery.img and rectools.tar.gz files to /sdcard
(tar.gz must be the root of /sdcard)

copy the recovery flasher .apk to /sdcard and install it

Run recovery flasher
Choose "backup recovery image" just in case

Enter sdcard/recovery.img as the path
Choose "install custom image"

Boot into recovery mode
Run a nandroid backup
Enable root if desired
Reboot

To flash the firmware:

Get Odin + H7 firmware from MEGAUPLOAD - The leading online storage and file delivery service

Get H8 firmware from RapidShare: 1-CLICK Web hosting - Easy Filehosting and unizp it to give you a .tar file. Alternatively, you can use the latest I5 firmware here, there's links to it elsewhere on the forum - I'm using H8 as an example as this was the latest when I wrote this.

Edit the .tar file with 7-zip to remove cache.img (to remove CSC branding) - 7-zip handles .tar files in a vaguely sensible manner, unlike things like WinRAR. 7-zip can be had from 7-Zip

Boot phone in Download mode
Run Odin
Follow instructions here The Chronicles of Cjeni a.k.a. Dejan Cencelj: Flash ROM Samsung I7500 Galaxy for dummies - essentially you're adding your freshly modified .tar as a one-file update, along with the orion.ops file supplied with Odin. The web page is nice and clear.

Ooh, new firmware.

Last edited by Cougar; September 25th, 2009 at 02:23 PM.

Rastaman-FB

wow, thanks for this im going to do it when i get home

Cougar

If it works, I accept payment in most major forms of alcohol. If it doesn't work, you ain't seen me guv, right?

Rastaman-FB

accepted

the disclaimer is good aswell

if it works ill just tell you it failed :P

bitxboi

just to made it clear, what is it 'root' for?

KlaymenDK

Awesome, I think you just sold me on the rooting thing.

Only, to grab those files I'd need to sign up at that Italian forum ... unless I could convince you to edit your post and attach the files you refer to? That way, it would really all be in one place!

Please pretty please with whipped cream and a cherry on top?

Edit: I7500XXII5 file available at:
MEGAUPLOAD - The leading online storage and file delivery service
and Send big files the easy way. Files too large for email attachments? No problem!

__________________

Last edited by KlaymenDK; September 25th, 2009 at 09:41 AM.

Rastaman-FB

so does this go back to normal if you reboot?

read this

Cougar

Sorted, sorry for any confusion.

The downloads on the Italian forum is a text file. The text file contains the megaupload download link, which I've reproduced here. I'm not quite sure why they've done it this way unless it's to increase membership, not much use to me as I don't speak Italian.

If this is a problem for anyone, I'll remove it. For completeness, the orginal page is here, all credit to them. UPDATE 28/08 - V3! - HOW TO - ROOT/RECOVERY IMAGE update, wipe, backup and restore! - HDblog - Forum

Cougar

Not that I've noticed. It does reset the recovery partition if you apply new firmware though, but you still have the flasher and .img on your phone so it's 30 seconds' work to reapply it.

coipu

it also worked for me by using fastboot flash recovery recovery.img in a command window opened from tools folder of android sdk, the flasher apk did not work on my phone for some reason.

pegasus21

You should add a disclaimer that this rooting method may break in the near future since google has already fixed this root exploit in their source. A better and long term rooting process is to either replace the recovery image in the tar files or use fastboot to flash recovery.

Cougar

Good point. And good to know. As and when that happens, I'll be throwing myself back at the mercy of the forum for help with that (-:

z0mbi3

Am I missing something here , i put the files from v3 in the root of my sd card, but the recovery flasher app won't recognize it. Just says invalid recovery image, where I'd expect to be able to click flash.

Last edited by z0mbi3; September 25th, 2009 at 12:47 PM.

pegasus21

By sd card, you mean the internal or external memory?
/sdcard refers to the internal memory
/sdcard/sd refers to the external memory card (ie your microsd card)

You should be copying them to the internal memory. If you copied them to your external memory, copy the files to the other drive that shows up on your computer.

z0mbi3

ah that might be it then. 2 secs....

z0mbi3

ok getting somewhere but still not perfect. If I enter the path I get "Backup to flash custom recovery image" but it's greyed out. Backup Recovery Images is pressable, but i get a "Backup failed" error.

This is on I5 by the way.

Cougar

I think something may have changed with I5. Mine no longer works with the new firmware either. Arse.

pegasus21

Then I guess Samsung compiled II5 with the exploit fixed. You'll have to use either fastboot or replacing the recovery from the tar file.

Update: Ok I've decided to write up about how you can use fastboot.

ADB and Fastboot Drivers
ADB & Fastboot Binaries Updated with dll
Recovery v3
Busybox

Note: Use adb driver from Odin instead of the ADB and Fastboot Drivers pack since that is for 1.6 which Samsung hasn't released for the Galaxy yet. Fastboot driver works fine with the pack.

The link above is for adb and fastboot interfaces required for flashing. Each time you connect your device and there isn't a driver yet, just point it there and it should find something. If it doesn't, it's probably the modem and diagnostic driver which you can from HERE.

1. Get all of the files above and put them into the same directory.
2. Put rectools.tar.gz on to your phone's internal memory not the microsd card.
3. Open up a command line interface and change directory to the place with the files.
4. Type "fastboot flash recovery recovery.img" and press enter
5. Off your phone and hold call + ok + power till the fastboot menu appears on your phone. Your command line should be able to upload the image if all goes well and reboot by itself after a while.
6. Once your phone has booted up in normal mode, off it and this time hold volume down + call + power till the recovery menu appears.
7. Select "Enable root su" from the menu and press home to confirm.

Stop here if you do not want to use busybox or think it's too much hassle (Your copy function in file browsers will not work without busybox)

8. Remount the mount points with read/write access by typing into the command line "adb remount"
9. Once successful, upload busybox "adb push busybox /system/bin/busybox"
10. Set busybox to executable with "adb shell chmod 4755 /system/bin/busybox"
11. Next remove the cp command "adb shell rm /system/bin/cp"
12. Relink cp to busybox "adb shell ln -s /system/bin/busybox /system/bin/cp"
13. Optional: Install the other commands in busybox. "adb shell /system/bin/busybox --install -s /system/bin"

That's it. You now have a working su (root), superuser app installed to manage access to su and busybox for those who go through with steps 8-12/13.

Last edited by pegasus21; September 30th, 2009 at 04:03 AM.

tisti

If you format the external SD card to have swap space will the H8 build use it? Last I read the build doesn't have swap support built into the kernel.

z0mbi3

Right Pegasus using your guide I've got my drivers installed, but fastboot just says "waiting for device" when I do the fastboot bit. Any ideas?

Last edited by z0mbi3; September 25th, 2009 at 04:54 PM.

Cougar

Good work, Pegasus.

I've been wrestling with that driver all night. I've been using the dev driver supplied with the latest Windows SDK (.16_r1) which of course doesn't support the Galaxy. I'd managed to hack the .inf to recognise the Galaxy's Debug Mode connection by pulling the IDs out of DevMan to write the missing code, but fastboot was eluding me. How did you obtain the VID/PID for it, can I ask?

With the fastboot driver, flashing the recovery image was a breeze. You just need to set it going before you start fastboot on the phone, the PC will wait for the phone forever but the phone only stays in fastboot mode for 15 seconds or so.

Nice one, impressed.

Rastaman-FB

i had this

download the 1.5 r3 sdk
point the the usb drivers and pick the Android test
boot into fastboot and while its in fast book as quick as you can link that driver in device manager to the android test found in the 1.5 r3 sdk

z0mbi3

Pegasus, your downloads for fastboot and adb are missing AdbWinApi.dll. I've tried copying the one from 1.5 r3, but it just sits at waiting for device.

pegasus21

I got the pid/vid from some post somewhere... i think it was receptor's blog but you can easily look up the info from the device manager. Under the device's properties (even for unknown devices) check the 3rd tab where there's the info on the hardware.

As for "waiting for device", I'm guessing it's got to do with the driver or windows not seeing the device.

These drivers are from 1.6r1 sdk. Not sure what's the diff compared to 1.5r3 but I decided why not just mod the inf for the latest sdk and both x86 as well as x64.

Rastaman-FB

do what i did as i had exactly the same problem. fastboot does not detect the drivers. use you have about 15 seconds to point it to the test drivers found in 1.5 r3

pegasus21

Oh my, I missed that dll? Ok I'll update the link later.

Updated with the dll now

Last edited by pegasus21; September 26th, 2009 at 01:09 AM.

z0mbi3

Yeah that's where I stumbled. I grabbed the missing DLL from the 1.5 R3 sdk which just doesn't work with Fastboot from 1.6 r1. All sorted now though.

Only thing I couldn't get working was adb, is this a DLL problem again do you reckon? I'm not really sure tbh.

Last edited by z0mbi3; September 26th, 2009 at 05:45 AM.

Rastaman-FB

Why are you using donut sdk when galaxy is on cupcake?

Cougar

Yeah, that's how I got the ADB info. I couldn't see it for fastboot though, all it came back with was "Android 1.0". Maybe just a timing issue?

I wasn't using the SDK, just installing it to extract the driver from it. I figured, latest SDK = latest driver set. The SDK version is irrelevant (and if you're really concerned, it contains dev tools for both 1.5 and 1.6 anyway).

Last edited by Cougar; September 26th, 2009 at 05:48 AM.

z0mbi3

Are you asking me or Pegasus? I'm just using what Pegasus provided in his zips. I think he decided to use them as they were more up to date and he was able to hack the drivers to work with it so why not?

I'm going to give adb from 1.5 r3 ago now.

Rastaman-FB

i was speaking to you sorry i should have been more specific zombi3
i dont think Pegasus is using x64 vista/window7. i could not get any of the drivers to work in 1.6 sdk. but you can just use the test drivers for x64/x86 in r3

the sdk is relevent as 1.6 does not have any android test drivers and the device does not get recognised by ADB i spent the best part of an 1hr messing around with all the drivers to work this out
i had this exact problem, you have about 10-15 seconds to link the android 1 device to the \android-sdk-windows-1.5_r3\usb_driver\amd64 or
\android-sdk-windows-1.5_r3\usb_driver\x86 and choose adb test

if you are running windows 7 you will need to choose browse for driver, all devices, have disk and then point it to it.

once i did this fastboot worked properly. it was doing my head in as there is no way to slow or pause the boot timer in fast boot

Last edited by Rastaman-FB; September 26th, 2009 at 06:11 AM.

z0mbi3

The drivers Pegasus included actually works fine with Fastboot though, he modified them. I just can'tget adb to play ball. Says "error: device not found".

I don't need busybox but I'd like to have it.

Cougar

I had the same problem. Getting it to pick up the debug connection was straight-forward, getting the fastboot to work was a sod. Once I'd got the correct IDs (courtesy of Pegasus), getting fastboot to work was a matter of removing the working adb bridge driver and reconnecting. If you've got the wrong settings in the .inf for fastboot and the bridge installs, it never retries the same driver. Once you've got the correct code in the .inf, if you then delete the bridge and reconnect the phone it works straight away.

I don't know about any 'test' drivers, I'm mostly making this up as I go along (-:

z0mbi3

So any ideas why adb isn't working for me?

Cougar

Phone in Debug mode?

pegasus21

You're right. The adb driver in 1.6r1 isn't capable of connecting to the phone. Use the one in odin for adb.

z0mbi3

Ok I've changed my adb driver to the one that comes with odin, but I'm still getting "error: device not found". Any other ideas?

Rastaman-FB

adb with odin?

if its adb? just use the test ones i mentioned before within the usb drivers for 1.5 r3

so go into device manager and uninstall the android device/interface driver, unplug and reconnect the device
point the device driver wizard to the location of the android_usb.inf depending on your os type and pick the adv test interface.
adb will now be able to talk to the device when device is turned on

i noticed that if i am in recovery mode i have to unplug and replug the usb in order for adb to take the status from offline to ready

Last edited by Rastaman-FB; September 26th, 2009 at 11:53 AM.

danimar

I got fed up of trying to install the fastboot driver in the 15 secs countdown (my pc must be getting old...) so I tried with the recovery flasher apk. Worked like a charm! Thank you so much for the procedure.

My only concern now is that as soon as I update to II5, where this way of rooting is no longer allowed, I don't know if I would be able to root. Could it possible to have the original firmware pre-rooted before flashing it with Odin?

z0mbi3

Ok so I uninstalled the drivers replugged in the device,went to manaually select the drivers , have disk and all that, but it says "the specified location does not contain information about your hardware".

I think I'm close but this is starting to annoy me now!

edit:

Just pointing it to the driver directory installs the regular composite adb drivers and these don't work when using adb from the command line.

edit: ok scratch that adb is working now! brb

edit: and I'm done, adb all installed . Thats for the help Raster.

Last edited by z0mbi3; September 26th, 2009 at 01:19 PM.

pegasus21

It is possible. Just find a way to rebuild the tar archive used in the odin flashing process and swap out recovery. While you're at it, you could also learn how to pre-root your kernel image. Not a straightforward process but you'll be able to do it for any new image that is released.

hippy

Thanks Cougar. It looks like I'm now running II5 thanks to your simplified instructions (and Dejan's blog).

Rastaman-FB

this thread should actually be stickied

justjimjpc

I have added Search Tags to the thread that will make it easy to find using the TAG Search feature on this site ....

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Running 2 G1's & a MT3G(dMd64), Vibrant(rooted) : 1.) Legit G1=1.6 DRC83 // 2.) Rooted G1=CM's 4.2.15.1 (03/08/10), Recovery =RA 1.5.2

Link for --> G1 Dream ROOT GUIDE ///// Link for --> UN-ROOT GUIDE
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danimar

Taking out the original recovery.img from the tar file and putting in the recovery.img from hdblog would be a very easy procedure. Too easy in fact, that's why I was wondering that maybe there's some kind of integrated data checksum or integrity checks during the flashing procedure that would prevent the flashing from being successful if I swap the recovery's. Anybody knows?

About the kernel pre-rooting thing... my linux knowledge is near zero, although I have a quite technical profile , so I would love to learn about it, any sources I can get informed from?

pegasus21

As far as I can tell, there isn't any checksum in recovery, kernel and system. There's one in the csc (cache). Both the recovery and kernel contains some code at the beginning of the image. The latter part is gz and cpio-ed. System is a yaffs2 image. Just unyaffs and mkbootimg to get it back.

nightcrow

Somehow I can't get adb remount (step 8) to run. I assume it has to be in recovery mode and the directory has to be the one that has all the downloaded files in them. However the command seems to do nothing. Any idea what I might be missing here?

In recovery mode I can see the list of options, enabled root su and made a backup with nandroid. So I believe all the earlier steps have been succesful.

pegasus21

Did you use the adb driver from odin?

Rastaman-FB

i noticed that when i did these steps it does not give confirmation of command being accepted
only reason i knew it was actually doing what i told it to is because when i got to 9. Once successful, upload busybox "adb push busybox /system/bin/busybox" it gave the amount of bites pushedi did this while in recovery mode and verified the files had been pushed to the device

it has however worked as im able to copy and paste files from protected locations to other locations on the device with no complaint from the system

Last edited by Rastaman-FB; September 30th, 2009 at 04:21 AM.

nightcrow

I used the drivers you posted with the manual as a download. Should I be using another one for these last steps?

When I restart the command prompt and try the command at step number 9 I don't get a reaction either. The cursor just jumps to the next line and keeps blinking there. Weirdest thing is that after using adb I can't shut off my Vista (32bit) PC the normal way by using the start menu. I have to reboot by pressing the on/off button. What could be the cause of this?