Verizon S3: Looking for rooted 4.3 flash?

[MrDoh]

For those of you who are rooted and have your bootloader unlocked, and haven't taken the 4.3 OTA yet (and gotten KNOX), there's a new rooted 4.3 flashable image over in xda-developers:

[ROM][TW 4.3]VRUCML1_Stock_Root_Deodex (12.31.13) - xda-developers

The matching modem .zip is also referenced in the OP there. The comments that I've seen in the full image and modem threads make this path sound reasonable.

The idea is to use TWRP or CWM recovery for the flashes, and not to take the ML1 bootloader, etc. Just flash the full functional, rooted phone software image, then flash the modem image.

I've downloaded the pieces to do this (the large ML1 .zip and the ML1 modem .zip) myself, but haven't decided if I'm going to do it this way, or wait for a debloated stock-ish 4.3 ROM and flash that. I can take the rooted full image and debloat that, and do all the greenify work that I've done over again (much faster the second time)...but CleanROM Seven and Greenify are working well together for me, so if I give my current configuration up, I want to do something that will work equally well for me. So it would be nice to start with a de-bloated ROM, but I could really go either way. Or stay where I am now *smile*. Decisions decisions.

Anyways, thought that I'd mention this in case anyone was shopping around for a good way to get stock 4.3 and stay rooted.

 

[GSDer]

Re: Looking for rooted 4.3 flash?

The idea is to use TWRP or CM recovery for the flashes

I haven't checked out the link yet, but is there some reason you can't flash using Odin?

in case anyone was shopping around for a good way to get stock 4.3 and stay rooted.

It was already possible to root the 4.3 OTA, but of course you'd be stuck with Knox and all that it entails.

Thanks for keeping us in the loop - think I'm going to give this a whack tonight if everything I read on XDA makes sense.

Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM -0.001 using Tapatalk Pro

 

[MrDoh]

Re: Looking for rooted 4.3 flash?

No, there's no reason that you can't use Odin, you just have to convert the .zip archive to Odin normal form (easy). I have an external card, so it is really the easiest way for me to install, I don't have to do odd combinations of button pushes to get into Odin mode, etc. I guess some people like to use Odin, I only use it when I have to.

 

[GSDer]

Re: Looking for rooted 4.3 flash?

Thanks. I just read through that whole thread and I get the impression that you have to have a custom Recovery installed. My bootloader is already unlocked, so rather than rooting my existing 4.1.2 MF1 setup (un-rooted) I was just going to use Odin to flash the ROM and modem and be done with it. But it sounds like I should root and install TWRP (a couple of people reported issues with CWM).

Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM -0.001 using Tapatalk Pro

 

[MrDoh]

Re: Looking for rooted 4.3 flash?

I flashed this tonight, after making a nandroid backup of my CleanROM Seven state, so that I can go back to that if I want. Do have TWRP recovery and an unlocked bootloader (of course), and flashing the ML1 "ROM" and modem with TWRP worked fine. After that, froze a whole load of stuff with Titanium Backup, set up Greenify with the xposed framework and so on, and things are looking good. I like the look of this one, but I can just flash another ROM if I want to. Made another nandroid backup when I had it all installed and mostly configured, just in case I made a subsequent mistake so that I wouldn't have to start over *smile*.

Never saw the queries about fixing recovery that they mention on boot, apparently that happens if you're using CWM recovery.

Looking good, interested to see if I see a difference in the radios from the ML1 modem flash.

 

[GSDer]

Re: Looking for rooted 4.3 flash?

with the xposed framework

In the XDA thread they made it seem like the xposed framework was available in the Google Play Store, but all I could find were what appeared to be a bunch of add-ons.

Never saw the queries about fixing recovery that they mention on boot, apparently that happens if you're using CWM recovery.

Yeah, I am also running TWRP and haven't seen that prompt.

I loaded 4-Way_Reboot_Menu_ML1.zip but haven't seen any difference; I guess that also requires the xposed framework?

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

 

[MrDoh]

Re: Looking for rooted 4.3 flash?

In the XDA thread they made it seem like the xposed framework was available in the Google Play Store, but all I could find were what appeared to be a bunch of add-ons.Yeah, I am also running TWRP and haven't seen that prompt.

I loaded 4-Way_Reboot_Menu_ML1.zip but haven't seen any difference; I guess that also requires the xposed framework?

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

Yes, I had to get the xposed framework from an xda-developers thread, it is not available in the Google Play Store as you saw. You'll need to turn on the "install apps from places other than the google play store" option in the "Security" section of "Settings" to get the downloaded xposed installer apk to install on the phone, then turn that option off again after installing the xposed installer app. You can get the xposed installer app apk here:

[FRAMEWORK ONLY!] Xposed - ROM modding without modifying APKs (2.4.1)(02.12.2013) - xda-developers

I'm not sure how many other apps in addition to greenifyuse an xposed module. You have to follow directions with this one. First, use the installer to install the xposed framework itself, then reboot the phone. Then you can activate modules, and after that you need to reboot again before you can use those modules. Those are two different entry points in the main menu in the app (install the framework and activate modules), but it's pretty obvious when you open the xposed installer app. For me, I've already got greenify and have paid for the donation version, so the module was already listed and ready to be activated. Note that if you just want to use greenify without using the experimental features, don't bother to get the donation version of greenify or install the xposed framework (unless you need it for something else). Since the experimental features include the ability to greenify system apps (without having to change them into user apps using something like Titanium Backup, which you can't do with some system apps you might want to greenify), I decided that was something that I wanted.

I was very reluctant to install the xposed framework at first, since it touches so much in the software, but it has worked 100% for me after I convinced myself to try it (after a nandroid backup, of course *smile*). Thank goodness for nandroid backups, they're really useful if you make a mistake or something weird happens *smile*.

 

[GSDer]

Re: Looking for rooted 4.3 flash?

Have you noticed any strange behavior with USB connections to your computer since installing this build? I'm using the same cable as usual, but my computer no longer recognises the phone (other than to charge it) and the phone doesn't show a USB connection.

Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM -0.001 using Tapatalk

 

[MrDoh]

Re: Looking for rooted 4.3 flash?

No USB problems yet, but I did have some problems this morning with very laggy turn-on. The reason turned out to be that my SD card had eaten it...it came up as a "blank card", and could not be mounted or formatted, etc. So after trying various tricky things to fix it (or my phone's view of it) *smile*, I took it out and the phone worked fine without it. Got a smaller replacement card locally, and was able to get some nandroid backups onto the replacement SD card via USB, and put the flashes back (the ROM and modem .zip archives), too, lots of USB usage. Luckily I'm pretty good about making sure that I save everything I put on my phone on my computer as well, and that's also backed up with Carbonite *smile*. Everything seems normal again, although I'm using slightly more battery than I was with CleanROM. Probably because I'm not using the Lean Kernel at the moment.

Actually, I'm shopping around for a lower battery usage kernel to replace the one that came with the "ROM". I gather that the kernel that's included had to be special to work with 4.3,and still be okay with 4.1.2 (MF1) firmware. So I need to be careful there.

I've also noticed that when I look at doing a nandroid backup now, it shows almost a GB. of just "data". I don't know what all that data is, used to be a lot less with earlier versions. Could just go with 4.3, or maybe I've collected a bunch of cruft somehow...I'm thinking of expanding the nandroid archive on my computer, and seeing if I can figure out what all that data is. I did do a data wipe (full wipe, actually) before flashing...

Anyways, no USB problems yet. Did you lose your MTP app maybe? I do remember that when I greenified the MTP app at one point, it stopped coming up when I plugged the phone into my computer's USB port, so the USB stopped working until I figured out what the problem was.

 

[Daryl Cunningham1]

Re: Looking for rooted 4.3 flash?

please help me root my s3 ..
and speed up my phone...
Thank You..

 

[Daryl Cunningham1]

Re: Looking for rooted 4.3 flash?

please help me improve my s3..
help me root my s3 also..
thank you.......

 

[MrDoh]

Re: Looking for rooted 4.3 flash?

please help me improve my s3..
help me root my s3 also..
thank you.......

What Android version are you on? Hopefully you haven't taken the Android 4.3 OTA update yet? If you're still on 4.l.2 or earlier, you have a shot at rooting and unlocking your bootloader. If you've taken the 4.3 OTA stock update, then you may be able to root, but you won't be unlocking your bootloader. That means that you can't flash a ROM, but if you can root your phone at least you can debloat it and get rid of ads, anyways.

 

[Daryl Cunningham1]

Re: Looking for rooted 4.3 flash?

My s3 is on 4.3.2 to answer your reply.. im trying to improve my phone and get rooted...thank you...

 

[MrDoh]

Re: Looking for rooted 4.3 flash?

4.3.2? You mean 4.3? If you're on the official stock 4.3, and want to root your phone:

[ROOT] Saferoot: Root for VRUEMJ7, MK2, and Android 4.3 - xda-developers

Be careful to follow these instructions exactly.

I'm a little puzzled by version 4.3.2, since stock is 4.3, and to get 4.3.2 you'd have to be on another ROM of that version, and to do that you must have had your phone rooted and bootloader unlocked at some point?

 

[MrDoh]

Re: Looking for rooted 4.3 flash?

There's now a beta version of Lean Kernel for this ROM. It is working well for me:

[kernel][TW][MF1 v3.2.1, 9/12/13] Leankernel: Minimalistic Kernel - Page 215 - Verizon Galaxy S III Development - RootzWiki

 

[MrDoh]

Re: Looking for rooted 4.3 flash?

Now there's a full release of Lean Kernel 4.0 for this ROM. Again, working well for me. Has cut my idle battery usage about in half, and have been able to undo some of the radical battery saving things that I did:

[kernel][TW][ML1 v4.0, 1/11/14] Leankernel: Minimalistic Kernel - Page 218 - Verizon Galaxy S III Development - RootzWiki

 

[GSDer]

Re: Looking for rooted 4.3 flash?

Now there's a full release of Lean Kernel 4.0 for this ROM.

I went ahead and installed this in Recovery, but when I look at Settings -> More -> About phone it doesn't reflect the correct version information.

Any ideas?

Also, other kernels that I've used in the past usually had a UI component that allowed you to tweak things like clocking (over/under), voltage, etc. Does this require a 3rd party app to do that?
Edit: guess it does - here's one that was mentioned Trickster MOD: http://market.android.com/details?id=com.bigeyes0x0.trickstermod

Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM -0.001 using Tapatalk Pro

 

[MrDoh]

Re: Looking for rooted 4.3 flash?

Yes, I got trickstermod to use with the original dkp kernel, and haven't decided if I'm going to do anything with it with the Lean Kernel. I undervolted and underclocked the dkp kernel, and changed governors as suggested elsewhere, but didn't make much difference as far as battery usage went. I understand that you can use the 192MHz. cpu freq. in place of the normal lowest at 384MHz. with LK, so that might be worth a try. But I'm pretty happy the way things are at the moment. With LK, my phone looks to idle at around 1% per hour of battery usage, and that with both mobile and wifi always on, and Google Services Framework unfrozen. In a effort to conserve battery with the dkp kernel, I was using only wifi, and turning on mobile data (and wifi off) when I needed mobile data and off when I didn't (a real pain). And I had both Google Services Framework and Google Play Services frozen. When I flashed the LK, battery usage at idle was about .7% per hour with all the stuff I had done for the dkp kernel, so I loosened things up a bit, leaving mobile and wifi data both on, and less stuff frozen. Still using greenify, though, seems to help with apps that want to run in the background all the time.

On my walk this morning, after listening to the "TuneIn" app for about an hour, my battery was at 81%. Last weekend, when I took a walk, my battery was down to about 62% after about an hour of "TuenIn" app...never seen it that bad, even with both Google Services apps that I mentioned above frozen. Even though the dkp kernel worked well, it used battery like I've never seen. So I'm pretty happy with things as they are at the moment. I may do more on the battery savings front if I get the inclination, but I feel like the low-hanging fruit has been harvested already *smile*.

Oh, on the kernel version number in "About Phone", I'm not sure how imoseyon versions his kernel, but I'm guessing that he uses the Linux Ubuntu kernel version that he starts with, as is common to do. So, even though it's 4.0 in his private kernel version sequence, it's still derived from a 3.0 Linux kernel. Anyways, that's my guess, and I'm sticking with it *smile*.

 

[MrDoh]

Re: Looking for rooted 4.3 flash?

Also, other kernels that I've used in the past usually had a UI component that allowed you to tweak things like clocking (over/under), voltage, etc. Does this require a 3rd party app to do that?
Edit: guess it does - here's one that was mentioned Trickster MOD: http://market.android.com/details?id=com.bigeyes0x0.trickstermod

Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM -0.001 using Tapatalk Pro

Just wondering if you've tried using the 192MHz. clock frequency? Has it saved you any battery? Has it caused any freezes? I would consider it if it didn't cause problems, since it half frequency, so might have an effect.

Kind of curious about it. Since I have trickster mod I could have the kernel use 192MHz., but wanted to check first. I suppose that trickster mod would have to run all the time, so the change would have to provide more than the amount of battery that the app itself uses.

Thanks.

 

[Heiral]

Re: Looking for rooted 4.3 flash?

Is there a guide for people that have a rooted GS3 on 4.1.2 and want to update it rooted to 4.3? I'm kinda new to all this stuff and don't want to lose my files on my phone.