Rooting GINGERBREAD.EK18

**firehak** · 01-09-2012, 02:48 PM

So we're able to remove install-recovery.sh from the update without worrying about any checksum issues? If we can modify an update.zip to add root to GB using CWM, I believe I can create the odin image. I'd have to revert to the older, ED23 stock recovery though if people didn't want CWM with their image.

**dmrlook** · 01-09-2012, 03:14 PM

Firehak...can you test and see if u can put cwm recovery via odin on your ek18? I'm at work and can not try now. Boot to recovery right after odin complets and verify it worked and post results. Then, reboot normally, shut down, and reboot recovery. I expect you will be back to stock. Let me know what happens. if all works, I think I can make an update.zip or at least odin tonight that is ef18 pre rooted.

**firehak** · 01-09-2012, 03:44 PM

Flashing CWM works if you are fast enough to boot into recovery before a normal boot, though it does disappear if you don't. I took a successful backup and gained root while in recovery. It is NOT permanent, but it's a start.

Ignore the info saying Prevail and such, this is Shabby's port of CWM originally done for his Prevail. This is just my proof of temp root on Gingerbread.

This should be enough to start pulling required files for ROM editing, right?

**GPOT** · 01-09-2012, 04:17 PM

I will post a modifies update.zip when I get home. U will need to follow dmrlook's instructions in an earlier post and u can permenantly install cwm

Sent from my SPH-M580 using Tapatalk

**GPOT** · 01-09-2012, 04:34 PM

How do you make an odin image? If I knew how then I would just post my modified rom for people to download. What downgrading does is it allows you to delete install-recovery.sh from your system. My modified update has install-recovery.sh to install-recovery.sh.bak so it cant execute but it also doesnt change the md5 sum so its still flashable from stock recovery. Then you can install CWM recovery. It is a longer process then what you describe, but it is permanant and it works.

**firehak** · 01-09-2012, 04:55 PM

I can explain it when I get home, I gotta look something up. It's bookmarked somewhere :P

**GPOT** · 01-09-2012, 05:28 PM

Can u send ur phone into a boot loop by rolling back without doin a factory reset?
I might have done so...
I will leave it alone for a while and see what happens. I am trying to replicate the success I had the first time and it seems to be failing.

Never mind I got it

**firehak** · 01-09-2012, 06:17 PM

I'm going to make a clean dump of gingerbread when I get home so we can begin editing. I have a backup, but it isn't a fresh install.

**dmrlook** · 01-09-2012, 06:46 PM

Hey Firehak - take a look at your boot.img from the CWM recovery. Mine is all FFs. No real data. The other files look good.

Also, to keep the CWM recovery, when you are in their recovery, mount /data and /system (submenues) and then find install-recovery.sh in one of those two dirs and rename it to something else. Then you keep the CWM recovery.

**firehak** · 01-09-2012, 07:03 PM

/system is the most important though, isn't it? I believe I know how to modify system and stick it back on the phone with odin, so if you could help me understand what needs to be done to obtain root, I can help you build the packages. I just need to dd a one of the /dev/something files as system.rfs and use a Linux VM to unpack it, modify the necessary things and pack it into an odin tar. Thanks for the tip about keeping CWM though. I think when I boot into CWM most partitions are already mounted. I should be heading home soon.

**GPOT** · 01-09-2012, 07:06 PM

It failed the second time... hope u guys got something. I managed to delete the install-recovery.sh from the update.zip, i resigned it and it failed. I think i might need to rewrite the update-script. If you have any breakthroughs let me know because I really dont want to edit the update script. Sprint has a reputation for making them long and confusing.

**firehak** · 01-09-2012, 07:13 PM

~~Sorry, I just found out it will be another while before I get back.. Every time I think I finally get to go home I get dragged somewhere else...~~ I've got some ideas too GPOT, I just need to be home for 5 minutes to try. :P

EDIT: I finally talked my mom out of dragging me along, so I'm about to test more stuff out.

**GPOT** · 01-09-2012, 07:43 PM

Alright. I know how u feel firehak. I need an odin to EK18 when u get a chance because my phone doesn't want to update again

so when u get a chance that'd be nice.

**GPOT** · 01-09-2012, 07:44 PM

It doesn't have to be rooted or come with CWM, though I would like that, I just want a plain stock image.

**firehak** · 01-09-2012, 07:48 PM

I'm in the process of installing Ubuntu right now so I can edit the images, and I'll be dumping a stock image soon. I'd like to remove everything like su/superuser, busybox, etc. from the stock image though. If we happen to get lucky, we'll get more than stock odin accomplished tonight.

**shrekdaklown** · 01-09-2012, 07:55 PM

hopefully we can get root soon i jus want root and some bloat removed like why would they put google books on this phone

**firehak** · 01-09-2012, 08:21 PM

Ugh. I'd have Ubuntu installed by now if my computer hadn't BSOD'd twice.. I'll be playing with this all night.

**dmrlook** · 01-09-2012, 08:21 PM

Folks - until we can change default,prop, we can not root this thing. What we can do it remove bloatware, and manually push new files to system (or write a script that runs when booted to recovery console and system is mounted) but all of it means squat since we still can't modify default,prop.

I am playing with updating install-recovery.sh to modify default,prop, but so far no luck. if anyone knows how to mount the boot parition while shelled in through recovery, that would be most useful at this time!

**shrekdaklown** · 01-09-2012, 08:22 PM

why is it blue screening?

**firehak** · 01-09-2012, 08:28 PM

Between BSOD's I managed to peek at my images. I also have all FF's for boot.img, but everything else seems fine. Sorry, I couldn't say why. I think I have hard drive damage.. I just re-installed Windows to solve this and it only stopped for a short while. I've defragged numerous times, let Windows run chkdsk, etc, and it keeps happening. If we can make due with looking at the ED23 boot.img to see what it does, maybe we could make our own.

**dmrlook** · 01-09-2012, 08:32 PM

Can use ed23 or ef27 - those are based on an older linux kernel. We need the latest since that has the correct kernel for GB.

**shrekdaklown** · 01-09-2012, 08:33 PM

you have a desktop or a laptop?

**shrekdaklown** · 01-09-2012, 08:35 PM

are tghe exploits for root phone specific or is there certain phones that are close in software that are rooted maybe we could try wat they did or it might help get root

**firehak** · 01-09-2012, 08:37 PM

Originally Posted by dmrlook

Can use ed23 or ef27 - those are based on an older linux kernel. We need the latest since that has the correct kernel for GB.

I don't mean to blindly copy paste it in, I just mean to see what boot.img contains, what functions it does to boot, and use it as a reference to try and re-create our own unless I can dd a better copy.