Root [International] This shouldn't happen, but I'm glad it has.

[dynomot]

I'm running stock Vodafone rooted firmware with Philz touch custom recovery. Now conventional wisdom says because of a custom recovery I shouldn't get OTA updates, I can keep all my settings home screens and then re root and reinstall Philz I shall of course uninstall Super User before I update, but this has made my day :

 

[El Presidente]

You'll still receive notifications about OTA updates and they'll still download, but the recovery probably won't be able to install them.

Can you revert to the stock recovery before installing?

 

[dynomot]

Thanks El Presidente, Your the second member here to tell me the custom recovery will cause a problem. Indeed I suspected as much myself. It's there anywhere I can get the stock recovery only and flash it without the whole firmware, which would defeat the object.

 

[El Presidente]

I'm not too up to speed with Samsungs, let me call in some help.

 

[scary alien]

Hey guys, just thought I'd pop in here with a couple of thoughts / ideas...

Full disclosure and disclaimer: I'm not an Odin or Samsung or Note 3 guy...so, take the following with a large pinch of salt . I've no idea how to re-flash the stock recovery on your device.

1. The reason why non-stock recoveries can't install an OTA is because the OTA contains asserts that double-check various files, including the recovery, match what is expected to be patched by the OTA. So, the assert (apply_patch_check, in this case) fails and terminates the OTA installation when a non-matching recovery is encountered.

2. Many enterprising root folks will take an OTA and tweak the updater-script file to either remove or modify the edify commands that might cause the OTA to fail, thus allowing that OTA .zip file to be flashed / installed from the currently installed custom recovery (while retaining the custom recovery).

This would be useful and fairly easy to do if you were indeed stock but rooted and only have a few things (like the custom recovery references) to change or remove.

Should you take this route, remember that a Nandroid backup (or two ) are very much your friend .

3. I don't know which version of root you're coming from, but make sure you don't have a pre-4.3 root that might have been saved with OTA Root Keeper or SuperSU with root survival mode. When I install 4.4 KitKat on my N7, it crashed and burned big time because of the immutable files that it encountered in the /system filesystem (this is because there are set_perm_recursive commands for /system that cannot change a file set/saved with the immutable status).

Just wanted to give you a heads-up / warning re. this.

Hope that helps a bit!

 

[dynomot]

Thanks scary alien. At least I know and understand why it will fail. I've had a look for just the stock recovery, it doesn't seem to come on its own, just with stock firmware. In a way I'm not surprised, who would want to flash just a stock recovery?

However if they were 'extracted', it could be rather useful for the small section of us that like stock but rooted and tweaked firmware, be able to take OTA updates and not have to bother re setting up the phone apart from re rooting.

 

[scary alien]

Thanks scary alien. At least I know and understand why it will fail. I've had a look for just the stock recovery, it doesn't seem to come on its own, just with stock firmware. In a way I'm not surprised, who would want to flash just a stock recovery?

However if they were 'extracted', it could be rather useful for the small section of us that like stock but rooted and tweaked firmware, be able to take OTA updates and not have to bother re setting up the phone apart from re rooting.

Hey dynomot :wavey:!

If you were to provide details about your current setup (or know where the stock Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Android O/S images are), I think I could download that and extract the stock recovery for you.

Also, if you have the full name of the OTA that you've received (it'll be in the /cache filesystem on your device), I could find and download that and examine the SHA1 checksums to verify that we've properly identified and acquired the correct stock recovery for your device.

You'd still have to figure out a way to flash it, but at least you'd have the right file .

 

[dynomot]

And if I had the right file, and found away to flash it successfully (I think its possible) so would every SM-N9005 owner in Android forums. That would be some sort of epic (to quote my daughter).

There you are running a custom TW rooted ROM (with the CSC from your country obviously) with a custom recovery. Hey pesto an OTA alert. Take the convienently stored stock recovery, flash it in your custom recovery, reboot and take the update. Settings, made folders, home screens, Wi-Fi APs and email details all still there. Re root, re install your custom recovery of your choice - job done.

Scarey alien you will get PM!

 

[Xxmen]

And if I had the right file, and found away to flash it successfully (I think its possible) so would every SM-N9005 owner in Android forums. That would be some sort of epic (to quote my daughter).

There you are running a custom TW rooted ROM (with the CSC from your country obviously) with a custom recovery. Hey pesto an OTA alert. Take the convienently stored stock recovery, flash it in your custom recovery, reboot and take the update. Settings, made folders, home screens, Wi-Fi APs and email details all still there. Re root, re install your custom recovery of your choice - job done.

Scarey alien you will get PM!

So what is the story here? Don't leave us guessing.

Is it working?

 

[dynomot]

I came across a major flaw Xxmen. A huge, gaping hole in my plans.

While possible to extract the stock recovery, flash it and take the upgrade OTA. You wouldn't be able to reflash the custom recovery or root on the fly without a PC and Odin.

Another complete disaster is this one, your rooted on 4.4.2 firmware and what I thought would happen with rooted 4.3 is confirmed with rooted 4.4.2 :

 

[rswatsenbarg]

I had the same issue dynomot. I got around it by installing the Xposed Installer and Wanam Xposed, then using Wanam Xposed, "Security hacks", "Fake system status". This eliminated the "... has been modified ..." message and allowed an OTA update on my N9005.

 

[dynomot]

Worked a treat to download. Delaying installing the update to 4.4.3 until I don't need my phone if anything goes wrong. Thanks rswatsenbarg

 

[rswatsenbarg]

Glad I could be of service.

 

[dynomot]

I set SuperSU Survival mode checked on (actively attempts super user access, even across OTA updates.), then downloaded and attempted to install using my custom recovery (just installed the OTA from updates in settings, straight after it downloaded), no joy - the progress bar got stuck just over half way :



After waiting a good twenty minutes with my Note 3 in that state I long pressed the power button. I got all excited when it came back on with the "Android is updating" screen with the apps being updated - and then it rebooted to exactly the same state as before (always good after a failed experiment) with 4.4.2 still.


Completely off topic, just out of interest
The picture of my Note 3 trying to install was taken by my trusty Nokia N95 (should have cleaned the camera lens - but what a decent macro shot !)

Right going to see what happens with Kies 3 after locating the OTA update in my phone and deleting the package.