Small question about flashing ICS ROM

[nabril1569]

good morning
If you live in the NorthEast, I hope you and yours are safe.

After much deliberation, questions, and doubt, I want to leave GB, and try ICS. I will either go to FI27 stock rooted, or perhaps something from Cryogenmod (whatever it is called). Whatever I decide, I plan on using the FULL restore version that wipes out the data; I figure I might as well start 100% clean.

Being rooted in GB, I backed up and removed a lot of bloatware. I also removed a lot of apps that were deemed unneeded in a forum post. For example I use GO SMS messenger, so I removed the stock messaging app.
Before I jump to whatever ICS build I decide upon, do I need to restore all of those? Do I need to have my phone at "factory stock" GB before upgrading? Or does loading a new ICS rom wipe everything out and start fresh, and it doesnt care what you have/dont have on your phone?

Thank you

 

[patrao_n]

Unless you are doing an ota it doesn't matter whats there or isn't there. Just remember to wipe first before putting your new rom on. If you look for the format all zip from calkulin its really easy to wipe. You flash his format all( it will not format sdcard) then flash the rom. If you plan to use cyanogenmod then you need a copy of the gapps and flash that after the rom.

sent from MY BAD A$$ ET4G

 

[nabril1569]

as usual, the baby comes to the rescue...thank you man.
I didnt mention in my post that what I have on my phone is GB rooted WITHOUT CWM, and something tells me I need CWM to run format all.
If I don't need it, can you tell me how I run it? And what does it do? I'm in IT, so I get that it formats all, but what does it really do?

Thanks

 

[patrao_n]

The zip needs cwm to be installed. All it does is format your system partition, data, cache, and dalvik cache. Its just more convenient to do it this way than to go one by one and format them. Thats it. Its always best to start fresh with no possibility of conflicts from leftover parts from a rom. Which a factory reset will leave btw.

sent from MY BAD A$$ ET4G

 

[patrao_n]

Unless you are going to use a one click odin you need to have cwm installed as part of a custom recovery in order to flash anyways. Do not use rom manager either. I suggest actually just using the fi27 oneclick

sent from MY BAD A$$ ET4G

 

[nabril1569]

Ok, so i will install cwm somehow.
How do i run the zip file?

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Android Central Forums

 

[patrao_n]

You can use odin to flash the el26 kernel. Or since you are rooted you can use mobile odin. From your recovery menu go to "install from sdcard" now choose "internal sdcard" if its located internal. Or the "external sdcard" if its on your removable. From here find your format all zip. Once you find it click it. By the way in recovery scrolling is volume keys. Enter is home button. (If you are using the el26kernel which you should be) so once you have pushed enter while the highlight is on the format all, it will ask you if you are sure. Scroll to yes and click enter. Now it will run and when its fine it will bring your menu back. Flash your rom.

sent from MY BAD A$$ ET4G

 

[nabril1569]

got it. Now. You mention to flash the el26 kernel. Why would I want to do that if I am on EL29 (GB stock rooted)? Perhaps I am mixing things up, but I am just trying to learn. My phone shows EL29-CL852097 as the kernel version, so why would I go back to EL26? Is it because that is a safe, know, good starting point for flashing ROMS?

 

[patrao_n]

Ya. El26 by chris41g is the safest kernel repack possible. You mentioned you did not have recovery just root. Well recovery is in with the kernel. So you need a new kernel to have cwm to be able to flash.

sent from MY BAD A$$ ET4G

 

[nabril1569]

OK....MAJOR HELP (SORT OF)

I am trying to load CWM on my phone using e4gtauto, but no matter what I try, the batch file does not copy the files to the phone. I have USB debugging on, i reinstalled the Samsung drivers (just in case), but no copy to phone at all. I started another thread stating that I cannot copy files to/from my phone via USB, so I definitely have something going on with my phone. I tried a different cable, and I am connected to the back of my pc, the same pc I used to root my phone with GB.

Any thoughts? Do I need to download root and CWM for EL29 and flash it? Or, what else can I try?

Thanks


----I installed el26 kernel with CWM, and all is fine so far..i think

 

[DEF3NDER]

Woops nm
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Android Central Forums

 

[garwynn]

Unless you specifically need CWM I prefer to use Agat's repacks for ICS. Haven't had an issue with it yet.

 

[nabril1569]

Unless you specifically need CWM I prefer to use Agat's repacks for ICS. Haven't had an issue with it yet.

Why do you prefer it? Better results? How? Kindly elaborate.
Also, is this the link for it: [NEW][KERNEL][REPACK] FI27 repack 2 with AGAT tREC_v0.2.2 recovery 11/7/12 - xda-developers

 

[garwynn]

@Nabril,

A copy of my answer here:

Agat worked with Sfhub's notes to render his recovery safe... and when source was available, such as FI27, he also modified the kernel source to render it safe from triggering the bug. FWIW I'm willing to put my recommendation on them having looked at his source; I don't go back any farther than FI27 any longer. Can't speak for any others but you can probably check and see if they disabled the secure erase/trim function.

That link will work, there's another recovery with a kernel built from source. Think it's on 0.6.8 now. That's the one I recommend as recovery and kernel were rendered safe.