[Guide]Flashing recoveries through terminal emulator (very easy)

**LeslieAnn** · 04-26-2011, 05:44 PM

This is a very fast and easy method to flash a recovery from inside your phone. Probably one of the fastest easiest methods out there.

Note that you need to be rooted first.

Preparation:
You need to put the recovery onto the root of your Sdcard.
Optional but highly recommended, rename the recovery "a.img", minus the quotes of course. This is easier to do on your computer and means a less typing on the phone. If you don't rename it, you will have to type out the entire name in step 2. The same applies if you have it in a sub-directory.

1. Open your emulator

2. type in, pressing enter after each line:
su
flash_image recovery /sdcard/a.img

3. If you want to boot straight into recovery, type:
reboot recovery

**00_wrath_00** · 04-26-2011, 05:59 PM

Should be a STICKY!

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**Takenover83** · 04-26-2011, 06:18 PM

It needs added to the reference guide that mmarz put together. These commands can also be run in a adb shell of-course.

**00_wrath_00** · 04-26-2011, 06:20 PM

Originally Posted by Takenover83

It needs added to the reference guide that mmarz put together. These commands can also be run in a adb shell of-course.

I believe it is I thought I seen it there last nignt

Edit it is on mmarz guide.
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**LeslieAnn** · 04-26-2011, 06:53 PM

Originally Posted by 00_wrath_00

I believe it is I thought I seen it there last nignt

Edit it is on mmarz guide.
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He referenced a thread where it was told, not this tutorial.

**DroidXcon** · 04-26-2011, 06:56 PM

is this a optimus specific command or is it universal?

**00_wrath_00** · 04-26-2011, 07:00 PM

Originally Posted by LeslieAnn

He referenced a thread where it was told, not this tutorial.

My mistake LeslieAnn.

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**LeslieAnn** · 04-26-2011, 07:08 PM

Originally Posted by DroidXcon

is this a optimus specific command or is it universal?

This works on any Android to my knowledge, and it's certainly nothing new.

**picasticks** · 04-26-2011, 08:11 PM

Originally Posted by DroidXcon

is this a optimus specific command or is it universal?

The only thing it requires is that the binary program flash_image has been added to your phone. You probably added it when you rooted the phone (or it's part of your ROM).

However, if you get an error message that this command is not found, you can do this:

Code:

find / -name flash_image

And it will print the full pathname of flash_image. i.e. if it prints "/bin/flash_image" then you can just substitute that in the original command.

But if you don't have flash_image installed anywhere, you can download it from one of the threads here and put in on your phone. i.e. if you've copied it onto /sdcard and want to put it in /system/bin, do this:

Code:

mount -o rw,remount /dev/block/mtdblock5 /system  # remount /system rw
cp /sdcard/flash_image /system/bin/flash_image    # copy flash_image to /system/bin
chmod 755 /system/bin/flash_image                 # chmod flash_image executable
mount -o ro,remount /dev/block/mtdblock5 /system  # remount /system ro

**bigcat73** · 06-26-2011, 10:44 PM

Is it possible to put flash_image in system/bin with a file explorer app once you have root or is there something I'm missing? That seems like a pretty simple way of doing it.

**pbailey212** · 06-26-2011, 11:26 PM

That's funny, I was just thinking I need to copy the terminal emulator process to flash recovery, so I can just paste it when I need to explain it. I'm no genius like some of you, but that's one thing I can explain to people, and I like to do what I can to help

**JerryScript** · 06-26-2011, 11:59 PM

Originally Posted by bigcat73

Is it possible to put flash_image in system/bin with a file explorer app once you have root or is there something I'm missing? That seems like a pretty simple way of doing it.

You can move it that way, but you still need to use Terminal or adb to give the file the proper permissions:

adb:
adb shell chmod 755 /system/bin/flash_image

Terminal:
su
chmod 755 /system/bin/flash_image

**bigcat73** · 06-27-2011, 06:31 AM

Originally Posted by JerryScript

You can move it that way, but you still need to use Terminal or adb to give the file the proper permissions:

adb:
adb shell chmod 755 /system/bin/flash_image

Terminal:
su
chmod 755 /system/bin/flash_image

Awesome, thanks!

**dlaxtn2** · 10-09-2011, 05:13 PM

i tried the steps as listed and got this message???
usage: flash_image partition file.img
i tried that syntax and got error -1
what did i do wrong

**LeslieAnn** · 10-09-2011, 05:16 PM

Rename the rile to remove the space in the name.

**dlaxtn2** · 10-09-2011, 05:36 PM

now it says failed with error -1 and cant find partition after i renamed the file

**dlaxtn2** · 10-09-2011, 05:53 PM

what partition is it refeering too

**fenrix** · 10-09-2011, 06:22 PM

hmm, I do cat /proc/mtd
you should see "recovery"
I change file permissions in esexplorer too. I can long press in terminal to paste in windows.
if you need to reenter a command use control (vol-up[for me]) + w which is like pressing up to go through previous commands.

**fenrix** · 10-09-2011, 06:28 PM

error -1 you are not typing partition type correctly prolly. do not use quotes:
flash_image recovery /sdcard/yourfile.img

**fenrix** · 10-09-2011, 06:29 PM

backup via cat /dev/mtd/mtd2 > /sdcard/file.img

**LeslieAnn** · 10-09-2011, 06:32 PM

Originally Posted by fenrix

error -1 you are not typing partition type correctly prolly. do not use quotes:
flash_image recovery /sdcard/yourfile.img

oops, yeah I missed that.

**dlaxtn2** · 10-09-2011, 08:13 PM

I haven't used quotations and I still get that error

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**fenrix** · 10-09-2011, 08:29 PM

what do you see when you type cat /proc/mtd

**fenrix** · 10-09-2011, 08:32 PM

are you su?
you see #?

i.e.
sh-3.2$ export PATH=/data/local/bin:$PATH
sh-3.2$ flash_image recovery /sdcard/a.img
flashing recovery from /sdcard/a.img
failed with error: -1
sh-3.2$