Root Flashing

[turboscrew]

I'm a noobie in all the smart phone business, but done little this and that with processor boards, so not quite a noobie with computers in general (and especially embedded programming).

Can anyone tell me:

1) How to find out about my phone (i9305) - which ROM-versions are for my phone? Which pieces of info I need to dig out of my phone to identify suitable ROM-versions?

2) What SW stuff do I need for flashing a ROM?
(backup, flashing. possible recovery if something goes wrong, ...)

3) How does the actual flashing happen? Pointers? How about recovery, if something goes wrong with flashing?

4) Easy way of rooting my phone?

 

[Rukbat]

I'm a noobie in all the smart phone business, but done little this and that with processor boards, so not quite a noobie with computers in general (and especially embedded programming).

Can anyone tell me:

1) How to find out about my phone (i9305) - which ROM-versions are for my phone?

Google.

Which pieces of info I need to dig out of my phone to identify suitable ROM-versions?

Basically the model number (i9305)

2) What SW stuff do I need for flashing a ROM?

Depends on the ROM.

(backup, flashing. possible recovery if something goes wrong, ...)

Same thing you'd do if you installed software on a computer and it failed to boot. Google for help. For the S3, Odin, adb ...

This assumes that you haven't accepted the 4.3 update yet. If you have it's all moot, since the phone is now welded shut like a tank.

3) How does the actual flashing happen? Pointers? How about recovery, if something goes wrong with flashing?

Anything from booting a file on the SD card to buying a new phone.

4) Easy way of rooting my phone?

Kingo

Which has nothing to do with flashing a ROM, except that any ROM you'd flash is rooted. Rooting is adding a file (plus a couple of auxiliary files) they deliberately leave out because if you get root status you can do anything you want to the phone - including destroying it. Rooting is, aside from voiding the warranty, cutting off ALL safeguards built into the phone. (Someone recently wrote up an experiment about basically entering a single small, but fatally bad [deliberately], command into a computer board that's similar to an Android phone. Result? He had to reinstall the entire system from scratch.) When an app (which includes the terminal you're using) has root status, there are very few command lines that will be rejected, or even questioned. "Delete all files and all subdirectories without asking" will work almost completely, and it will delete just about the entire operating system.

Never root unless you have a specific reason for doing so. (and if it's a temporary reson, like removing bloat or doing a full backup), unroot when you're done.

Installing a new ROM? Why, What, exactly, are you looking to do that you can't do with the stock ROM and a few apps?

 

[turboscrew]

Google.

Basically the model number (i9305)

Depends on the ROM.

Same thing you'd do if you installed software on a computer and it failed to boot. Google for help. For the S3, Odin, adb ...

Odin I've heard about, but I understand it's a bit unreliable?
Adb?

This assumes that you haven't accepted the 4.3 update yet. If you have it's all moot, since the phone is now welded shut like a tank.

That was pre-installed (you meant Android version?)

Anything from booting a file on the SD card to buying a new phone.

I was thinking about re-flashing the original image...

Kingo

Which has nothing to do with flashing a ROM, except that any ROM you'd flash is rooted. Rooting is adding a file (plus a couple of auxiliary files) they deliberately leave out because if you get root status you can do anything you want to the phone - including destroying it. Rooting is, aside from voiding the warranty, cutting off ALL safeguards built into the phone. (Someone recently wrote up an experiment about basically entering a single small, but fatally bad [deliberately], command into a computer board that's similar to an Android phone. Result? He had to reinstall the entire system from scratch.) When an app (which includes the terminal you're using) has root status, there are very few command lines that will be rejected, or even questioned. "Delete all files and all subdirectories without asking" will work almost completely, and it will delete just about the entire operating system.

Probably not more dangerous than Linux root?
So the "/" is mounted with no read rights for user, but all rights for root?
It has a normal flash file system, so root can also write?

Never root unless you have a specific reason for doing so. (and if it's a temporary reson, like removing bloat or doing a full backup), unroot when you're done.

Installing a new ROM? Why, What, exactly, are you looking to do that you can't do with the stock ROM and a few apps?

I plan to fool around and write some software. Maybe some drivers...

 

[DragonSlayer95]

This assumes that you haven't accepted the 4.3 update yet. If you have it's all moot, since the phone is now welded shut like a tank.

Not entirely as there are ways to disable knox

Installing a new ROM? Why, What, exactly, are you looking to do that you can't do with the stock ROM and a few apps?

Well not everyone likes a bone stock rom, myself included. I'll take aosp ty

Odin I've heard about, but I understand it's a bit unreliable?

Odin unreliable? I think not, odin has saved my galaxy s2 and s3 quite a few times.

Moved to the root forum.

Cheers

 

[turboscrew]

I'm so totally noobie, that I don't even know what to look for when they talk about country or carrier. I'm a Finn, it's a company phone, it's bought from one operator's shop and uses another operator's SIM.

So I guess it's not carrier-locked...

I found these from my phone:
Model: GT-I9035
Android version: 4.3
Baseband version: I9035XXUEMK1

AP: I9305XXUEMKC
CP: I9305XXUEMK1
CSC: I9305NEEEMK1

What's imortant there?
What tools/methods for rooting would you recommend?
Where could I find more info about ROMs (from programmers' P.O.V)?