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[REF][GUIDE] The Noob Helper - basic info about your sgs3 and flashing

Basic concepts, how-to'sThis thread is a work in progress. If you would like to contribute information or have ideas for what should be added please PM me.
Disclaimer "just because i am trying to be helpful does not make me responsible for anything that you do to your phone. playing with any of this stuff could destroy your phone"
I am not a dev, but I have been flashing on Samsung phones since the international S2 came out. I also spend a ton of time reading the forums and researching what I don't know. I would like to give back to the community in some way and I hope that this post can help the noobs not brick their devices, as well as keep them from being overly annoying to the members and developers here by posting in the wrong places and asking dumb questions.
Some basic rules if you are a noob and don't want to turn your phone into a brick.
1. be patient. don't be the first or even the tenth person to flash anything. wait until you see others using whatever Rom or kernel with success.
2. If you have any doubts about what you are doing, read more. don't flash.
3. make sure you are in the forum for your device, not some similar or related device.
Some basic rules for these forums
1. If you have a question, the first thing to do is look it up yourself. that means searching the forums first, then searching Google.
2. If after searching you can't find an answer, then post in the q&a forum
3. don't report bugs unless you are using an intact version of whatever Rom, if you have changed kernels, installed a ton of apps etc it probably isn't a bug, it's a bad combo or its you.
4. don't report bugs unless you are 150% sure that no one has reported it yet.
5. if you report a bug, make sure you can duplicate it first, then get a logcat of the problem so you can help (see below for logcat info)
Why flash?
by flashing your device you can make your phone act differently, look different, and enable new or disabled options. you could ,for example:
enable native tethering
enable call recording
change the look of your phone
add custom toggle buttons
overclock or undervolt
increase battery life
etc..
Kernel vs Rom vs Recovery vs Modem
Kernel is the layer between the phone hardware and the rom. it controls things like Wi-Fi power, touch sensitivity, possible range of screen brightness, phone logging, and processor max and min speed. kernel must be designed not only for your device but also for the type of rom you are using (Sammy rom or Aosp) some kernels support all roms, others are specific.
Rom is the operating system of your phone. there are three main categories of roms.
roms that are based off of the Samsung stock rom (Sammy rom)
roms that are based off of Android open source project aka AOSP (AOSP, AOKP)
roms based off of the miui project (these used to be a branch of AOSP but recently they have also used Sammy base for miui)
recovery is a partition that you can access at boot by holding down a combination of keys. (volume up and home button in the case of our sgs3) every phone has recovery stock but it doesn't do much. you can replace stock with clockwork mod recovery which is extremely useful for flashing all kinds of things and making backups before you do. There are other alternative recoveries besides clockwork but that seems to be the most common. TWRP is also gaining popularity these days, especially on the sgs3. You can easily switch between recoveries and or upgrade your current recovery. All that needs to happen is for a new image to be flashed onto the recovery partition. See the rooting guide for more info on how to flash a custom recovery.
modem is a file that controls the cell radio of the phone. helps determine what frequencies to use and settings for a particular network. It is important when flashing a radio that you flash a radio that is for the AT&T sgs3 as flashing the radio from another carrier has been known to cause problems with the IMEI
Methods for flashing files - Odin vs mobile Odin vs. clockworkmod(cwm) vs adb
Odin is the internal Samsung tool for flashing. I believe it only exists on Windows platform. This tool is mostly used to initially flash an insecure kernel or rooted kernel, OR to return to completely stock rom. This tool can effect your flash counter (see below). Files for flashing in odin generally should end in .tar or .tar.md5 although sometimes they come zipped and the tar is inside the zip. Read more about Odin before using it as it can easily break your phone. !!!as a general rule make sure you never check the "partition" checkbox EVER!!!
Mobile Odin is a phone based version of Odin made by the very talented developer Chainfire. It can be installed on a rooted phone and used to flash the same .tar based files as the desktop version. Mobile odin has a few advantages. 1 you can use it from your phone. 2 it does NOT effect the flash counter on your phone, 3 it can auto root a stock rom (nice if you want to try out a brand new update that has not been rooted yet)
clockworkmod(cwm) is recovery based tool that can make backups of your entire phone, flash new roms, kernels etc.., and do many other useful tasks. Once you have this on your phone my guess is that most of your flashing will be done through this tool. The files for flashing through clockworkmod are .zip files. Clockworkmod will NOT effect your flash counter.
ADB is the android develpment bridge. It allows for command line interface with your phone through it's debugging options. ADB can do most anything as I understand it. In my several years of flashing I have only had to use it once, and i could have waited for someone to come up with another solution. In general as a noob i recommend you stay away from ADB.
open source vs Samsung based roms vs miui
Open Source Roms such as AOSP/AOKP are built using Google's open source android code as a base. The developers then add functionality specific to the device. The advantages of these builds are that they often have tons of options built in to the rom that change the behavior and look of the phone. They usually allow you to change the toggles in your notification pull down, change the battery display, make all kinds of adjustments to sounds, vibration etc... Some people also prefer the "vanilla" android look and feel. These roms often provide "bleeding edge" concepts, design, and modifications. The Disadvantages of these roms is that some of the hardware coding is done closed source by the phone manufacturers, which means that things like bluetooth, camera, video recording, and MHL video out often don't work or take much longer to get working by the developers. Basically anything that relies on the Samsung framework will not work in an open source build. This means Svoice, Snote, and the Samsung camera app will not work.
Samsung based roms are taken from the Samsung original phone software and modified by the developer. Usually, these roms are modified in order to be faster and to make changes to some of the features. Expect to see changes to the stock rom like: debloated (ATT and samsung software removed), de-odexed (explained later), enable tethering, unlimited sms recipients, added notification toggles, etc. Most of these changes are made to: make the phone faster, improve battery life, make the phone easier to theme. The advantage of these roms is that they still use the Samsung framework so all the proprietary stuff like camera, bluetooth, MHL still work, the disadvantage is that they will never be as customisable as open source roms.
MIUI is a rom that focuses on theming. Official MIUI (Chinese) gets updated weekly on Friday and then there are lots of miui developers who adapt it to other languanges and make some tweaks to it. MIUI can be built from AOSP source or Samsung source and depending will have different features. The first MIUI rom for our phone just appeared in these forums and it is based off of AOSP. MIUI has a unique look and is also highly customizable through theming. There are tons of themes available for download through the rom itself and you can mix and match any part of any theme you want. This includes icons, lockscreen style, etc.. Some people criticize while others praise MIUI for being very "iphone like". This is because the icons look more iphone like and there is no app drawer in the MIUI launcher. However, you can still use any launcher you like within MIUI.
odexed vs de-odexed
odexed is how the phone comes stock from Samsung. Odexed means that system files and apps are split into two pieces and kept in different places on the phone. This is done to speed things up a bit. However, it makes it harder to theme the phone because the apps are split up. Most custom roms choose to de-odex (basically regroup the files back into one) so that custom themers can make themes more easily for the phone.
download mode and recovery mode how to access
(Copied from mskip and his toolkit thread here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1746665)
How to get into Download Mode (For Odin)
1. Unplug the USB cable.
2. Shut down the phone.
3. Hold down the 'HOME' + 'VOLUME DOWN' buttons and press the 'POWER' button for about 2 seconds until a WARNING! Screen appears. Press the 'VOLUME UP' button to enter Download Mode.
How to get into Recovery Mode
1. Unplug the USB cable.
2. Shut down the phone.
3. Hold down the 'HOME' + 'VOLUME UP' buttons and press the 'POWER' button for about 5 seconds to enter Recovery Mode.
STEP BY STEP how to flash your phone for the first time
A. get root
first off, you need to gain access to the root of your phone. there are several ways to do this (thanks to all the talented devs).
I recommend using mrRobinson's method as it will not trip the flash counter on your phone.
1. you will need to have odin from here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1722686 remember to hit the thanks button, download and install odin.​
2. Kies (on Windows, not on your phone), Samsung's sync program, can interfere with Odin. Either make sure Kies is closed and close it out of background processes using the task manager in windows...or better yet, uninstall it completely.​3. make sure you have the proper samsung drivers installed. you can get the USB drivers directly from Samsung here: http://www.samsung.com/us/support/owners/product/SGH-I747MBBATT​
4. you need to download the right image from mrRobinson's thread. to find out which one hit the menu key from your home screen, select system settings, select about phone at the bottom, and look for the build. it should be either UCALEM or UCALG1. Once you know, go to mrRobinson's thread here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1739426 download the matching image, and dont forget to thank him.​
STEPS 5-7 COPIED FROM mrRobinson's THREAD
5. Extract the .tar file from the .7z file you just downloaded from the thread in step 4​6. Put your phone into download mode (see how above)​
7. Start Odin, connect your phone to your PC, you should see the box under ID:COM change color to show your device is connected. click on PDA and select the .tar file you just extracted. Hit the start button and wait for the file to flash to your phone. When done your phone will reboot automatically. One word of warning about Odin: DO NOT TOUCH THE CHECKBOXES!!! WHATEVER YOU DO>>DONT TOUCH THE RE-PARTITION CHECKBOX!!!!​B. installing clockworkmod
the next step is to get a working clockworkmod recovery on your phone instead of the default recovery. Again, there are many ways to do this and there are several different versions of CWM recovery available. I recommend using the one from Rom Manager as it seems to be compatible with most roms. Note that currently most versions of CWM can only see your internal SD card and not your external if you have one.
1. Go to the Google play store and download Rom Manager (https://play.google.com/store/apps/...anager&feature=nav_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDNd)​2. Open Rom Manager app, flash clockworkmod recovery (first option), choose the appropriate phone..in this case galaxy s3 att, grant it superuser privileges, it should say install successful. ​NOTE: some users have reported not seeing the S3 ATT in the list of devices in Rom Manager...this is a bug and hopefully will be fixed. It may be that you need the purchased version instead of the free version for it to work? Not sure why this is but if it gives you trouble there are other ways to flash a recovery image. The next easiest way once rooted is to use the tool in this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1746665 from there you can flash both cwm or twrp whichever you prefer. Alternatively you could also use goo manager to flash TWRP link to goo here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.s0up.goomanager&hl=en
C. Test out your new recovery and make a backup of your phone
1. turn your phone off, then turn it back on while holding the Volume UP and home key. (more detailed instructions above) You should see Clockworkmod Recovery at the top.​2. Use your volume keys to navigate to the backup option and select backup, then wait for it to complete. You now have a backup of your phone you can restore to at any time.​
D. downloading and flashing a new rom
now its time to decide what rom to flash. when choosing a rom read the first post of the thread (the OP) carefully and take time to read through most if not all of the thread. At the very least go read the last 10 pages of the thread so you are familiar with any current issues people may be having. Once you have picked a rom:
1. Download the rom you want to try​2. Make sure that the rom ends up on your internal SD card and that you know where it is​3. Get into CWM recovery​4. As a general rule it's a good idea to wipe data/ factory reset from CWM recovery (this will wipe all your data on the phone except any photos/videos you may have taken)​5. It is also good practice to wipe cache from CWM recovery​6. Lastly, from the advanced menu in CWM choose to wipe Dalvik cache​7. now go back out to the main recovery screen and choose "install .zip from SD Card" option and navigate to your rom, select it and confirm​note that a new rom may take longer to boot the first time.
Flashing "dirty" vs flashing "clean"
Clean
Doing a clean install of a rom means erasing or formatting all the data from the previous rom before you flash the new one. This is the prefered way to flash a rom to ensure that it will run smoothly. It is necessary if you are switching from one rom type to another (CM to Samsung base). In order to do a clean flash you need to boot into recovery and select the following options: wipe user data (this wipes all apps and personal data, but not your photos/videos), wipe cache, advanced>wipe dalvik cache, storage/mounts>format system. This will ensure that no trace of the former rom is left on the phone. Beware that at this point your phone will not boot until you install a new rom. I suggest using titanium backup to backup apps and smsbackup+ for texts to make getting your new rom configured easy.
Dirty
Doing a dirty install means just flashing a new rom right over the top of the old one without wiping any data. The advantage to this is that you don't lose any apps or account info. The disadvantage is that you open up the possibility for problems. Generally you only want to flash this way if you are upgrading a rom (CM10 nightly to the next nightly, or from one samsung based rom to another). If you decide to flash over the top and have any issues, you should not report bugs, but try flashing clean first.
backing up IMEI
There have been some issues with people losing their imei number when flashing roms. *It appears to be limited to the old imei software version 2 but the evidence is not yet conclusive. *If you lose your imei, you will not be able to connect properly to the data network. *Luckily some devs have figured out how to re-inject an imei number into our phone and get it working again. *It is certainly a good idea to back up your imei info before flashing just to be on the safe side. *There seems to be two main threads dealing with backing up and restoring your imei. *you can check them out here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1801997
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1804117
huge thanks go out to these devs for figuring this out!! as always make sure you thank them.
I have yet to try either of these methods out myself so if one seems much easier or clearer please let me know.
tethering (for stock Samsung based rom)
you can use a mod to enable wifi tethering from your phone to up to ten other devices and share your data connection. If you are running a custom rom you probably already have this enabled and don't need it. It is already included in any AOSP roms also.
Make sure that you use the version of the mod that is for your software version number (UCLEM or UCLG1 see beginning of rooting guide to figure out which one you are on).
The original mod for UCLEM is here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1732262
The mod for UCLG1 is here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1768826
The Flash Counter
The flash counter is an internal counter that ticks every time you install a non-samsung firmware through Odin. This allows Samsung or AT&T to see if the phone has been flashed with custom roms. custom recoveries such as Clockworkmod and TWRP as well as the mobile version of Odin DO NOT change the counter. Only flashing non-Samsung files through the desktop version of Odin does. You can see your flash counter when you enter download mode on your phone. Luckily, Chainfire has developed an app that allows this counter to be reset, so there is really little concern anymore about having the counter trip. If you do need to send your phone in for repairs, you will want to reset the counter and then flash an unmodified stock rom through odin to get your phone back to factory state.
Link to Chainfire's app through this post here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1800878
Logcat
Logcat is a way to access the android system log for everything that is going on behind the scenes. This tool is used to help developers pinpoint problems in a rom. If you want to actually be helpful to a dev when reporting a bug, you should really learn to use this tool. I am no expert on logcat but you can find some good information in this post: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1726238
APN settings
This is the apn that comes on stock at&t phone. It allows you to connect to LTE as well as hspa+
Name: ATT PTA
APN: pta
MMSC: http://mmsc.mobile.att.net
MMS Proxy: proxy.mobile.att.net
MMS port: 80
MCC: 310
MNC: 410
Auth: none
APN type: default,mms,supl,hipri
NOTES BELOW ARE COMING SECTIONS. Feel free to pm me questions you would like to see answered or suggestions for other info:
theming
unlocking sim
returning to stock
What info is stored in each area: system, data, cache etc...

Looks good.
Stuck
FNM

I now know more about Android OS! Thanks for the info.

Good thread! In your step by step guide I suggest you add installing adb and adb basics. IMO, this is essential for anyone flashing, has bailed me out of trouble on more than one occasion.
Sent from my SGH-I747M using XDA Premium HD app

MORE ! MORE ! Very nice work thanks, this is shedding some lights on the terms we see floating around

excellent information, much appreciated, so what is de-odexed and odexed? thanks again!!

I got my s3 when it first shipped, and soft bricked it a month later. Even if you do everything right, it can still mess up. So waiting for a USB jig to come in the mail since my homebrew jig didnt work or I hard bricked my phone... Be warned...

Very helpful thread, thanks a lot!

Thanks for this guide!! Very helpful. Coming from a very different phone, everything about the S3 is foreign to me! Could you maybe talk about backing up nv stuff and imei?? I know there's another thread that explains it, but, this being the noob helper, I think it'd be good for anyone new to this phone.

Thanks
Thank you for making this! I'm sure this will help a lot of people out. I've flashed quite a few times and having a guide like this is definitely helpful.

I sure hope I had this guide when I flashed for the first time a few days ago, but at the time you only had part 1 done and the guide had not been completed yet. Glad to see it finished and it'll definitely help out others.

mods
Thanks for all the invaluable info on flashing ROMs. I've been a BB user for years so Android is still new to me. I'm looking into rooting and trying out some custom roms, but I had a question. When it comes to Mods can you just add those individually?
I want to use Team Sonic's FreeGS3 Rom mainly due to it's Sony Bravia engine Mod and the Awesome Beats Mod (or at least when they get it working on apps other than Google Music). However, they don't have a fully supported Rom for AT&T just yet.
Trying to have the best of both worlds....I may just need to try out something else and wait for the full ATT version.

This is a great thread you've created OP. However, I'm a tad confused. You mention in the guide that Kies interferes with Odin and you say to close and close it out of the backround, but you also mention "better yet, uninstall it completely." One of the reasons I'm rooting my new phone is to be able to delete this bloatware. Are you implying this is possible without first rooting the phone?
Thanks a lot in advance, this is very helpful.

jroyjohnson said:
Thanks for all the invaluable info on flashing ROMs. I've been a BB user for years so Android is still new to me. I'm looking into rooting and trying out some custom roms, but I had a question. When it comes to Mods can you just add those individually?
I want to use Team Sonic's FreeGS3 Rom mainly due to it's Sony Bravia engine Mod and the Awesome Beats Mod (or at least when they get it working on apps other than Google Music). However, they don't have a fully supported Rom for AT&T just yet.
Trying to have the best of both worlds....I may just need to try out something else and wait for the full ATT version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would wait to flash any ROM that isn't specifically for your device. However you may be able to flash the mods you want like the bravia mod on top of an att ROM. You need to find the original post for the mods you want, and do some research to see what they require and if anyone has used them successfully. Be extra careful of mods written for the international version of the phone.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

omi__ said:
This is a great thread you've created OP. However, I'm a tad confused. You mention in the guide that Kies interferes with Odin and you say to close and close it out of the backround, but you also mention "better yet, uninstall it completely." One of the reasons I'm rooting my new phone is to be able to delete this bloatware. Are you implying this is possible without first rooting the phone?
Thanks a lot in advance, this is very helpful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can see why you are confused. I am referring to kies on your windows PC. (If you installed it at some point) Not the version that runs on the phone.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

OP, are you sure you can install CWM through ROM Manager after rooting? I remember trying to do this on my SGS2 last year and my phone soft bricked. Tried it twice, and still soft bricked.
Why not just use Robinson's method?

ComradeNF said:
OP, are you sure you can install CWM through ROM Manager after rooting? I remember trying to do this on my SGS2 last year and my phone soft bricked. Tried it twice, and still soft bricked.
Why not just use Robinson's method?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tested it out myself and it works fine. I figured this was the easiest way to get it done and not have to get adb up and running. Also, the official cwm is supported by all the new roms like cm10 and some other recoveries have had issues flashing those roms.

Thanks for putting this together! Very Helpful!

One question, you say flash CWM , first in list choose Galaxy S3 ATT, when i open Rom Manager and choose Flash i don't have the S3 for a choice ?I have Galaxy Note, Skyrocket and T-Mobile Galaxy S2, no S3....

Cholerabob said:
One question, you say flash CWM , first in list choose Galaxy S3 ATT, when i open Rom Manager and choose Flash i don't have the S3 for a choice ?I have Galaxy Note, Skyrocket and T-Mobile Galaxy S2, no S3....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try scrolling down the list
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2

[Q] Some questions on rooting and flashing a new rom

OK, so my AT&T Note 2 is almost here (FedEx tried to deliver it ye3sterday when I was at work) so I want to make sure I am ready when it gets here. So some questions:
1 I downloaded Odin and understand how to root the phone but where do I get the file to use with Odin to do the rooting?
2 After rooting, what program do I use to flash a new rom?
3 Is there a sticky thread somewhere with this information that I could read?
4 Is there a good program to import all of my contacts from my old Windows phone? I'm not sure what format they are stored in so that is why I mention that it is a Windows phone.
5 (opinion) What is the best rom for an AT&T Note 2? I plan on adding lots of applications later and I really don't like re-installing things often so I'll probably stick with whichever rom I choose for quite a while.

rogerbacon50 said:
OK, so my AT&T Note 2 is almost here (FedEx tried to deliver it ye3sterday when I was at work) so I want to make sure I am ready when it gets here. So some questions:
1 I downloaded Odin and understand how to root the phone but where do I get the file to use with Odin to do the rooting?
2 After rooting, what program do I use to flash a new rom?
3 Is there a sticky thread somewhere with this information that I could read?
4 Is there a good program to import all of my contacts from my old Windows phone? I'm not sure what format they are stored in so that is why I mention that it is a Windows phone.
5 (opinion) What is the best rom for an AT&T Note 2? I plan on adding lots of applications later and I really don't like re-installing things often so I'll probably stick with whichever rom I choose for quite a while.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2050297 - Does not require Odin to root. Just save to your phone, make sure Unknown Sources is checked in your phone's settings, run the file to install, run the app, make sure the exploit boxes underneath the "root" section are unchecked, then select root.
2: Download GooManager from the Play Store and run it. In menu, select Install OpenRecoveryScript. Follow the prompts, and it will download and install TWRP (custom recovery) for you. It will ask to reboot.
3: Simply do a search at the top of the forum.
4: Try Samsung Kies first. It should transfer all your contacts from most devices. Do this before installing a new ROM. Then make sure the contacts are saved to GMail's contacts.
5: It depends on preference. Each one have their own features and functionality, and varies on the version of Android it's using. I would research each one and see what entices you if I were you. Some ROMs may even have features of certain apps that you like built-in, enhancing the phone's performance due to the fact that it doesn't require an extra app to do what you want it to do. Most ROMs won't require you to "reinstall" things with each update of the ROM if you're just doing an update.

BlackPhantomX said:
1: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2050297 - Does not require Odin to root. Just save to your phone, make sure Unknown Sources is checked in your phone's settings, run the file to install, run the app, make sure the exploit boxes underneath the "root" section are unchecked, then select root.
2: Download GooManager from the Play Store and run it. In menu, select Install OpenRecoveryScript. Follow the prompts, and it will download and install TWRP (custom recovery) for you. It will ask to reboot.
3: Simply do a search at the top of the forum.
4: Try Samsung Kies first. It should transfer all your contacts from most devices. Do this before installing a new ROM. Then make sure the contacts are saved to GMail's contacts.
5: It depends on preference. Each one have their own features and functionality, and varies on the version of Android it's using. I would research each one and see what entices you if I were you. Some ROMs may even have features of certain apps that you like built-in, enhancing the phone's performance due to the fact that it doesn't require an extra app to do what you want it to do. Most ROMs won't require you to "reinstall" things with each update of the ROM if you're just doing an update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks.
Maybe I'm making this harder than it needs to be. Looking at some of the roms I notice that some of them say "rooted". If I plan to flash a rooted rom do I have to root first? I assume no, but I thought I should ask.
But to install TWRP I think it has to be rooted and if I use TWRP to flash roms then I guess I'd have to be rooted first even if the rom being flashed is rooted. Now I've confused myself again. I really don't want to turn my $700 phone into a brick by screwing up.

rogerbacon50 said:
Thanks.
Maybe I'm making this harder than it needs to be. Looking at some of the roms I notice that some of them say "rooted". If I plan to flash a rooted rom do I have to root first? I assume no, but I thought I should ask.
But to install TWRP I think it has to be rooted and if I use TWRP to flash roms then I guess I'd have to be rooted first even if the rom being flashed is rooted. Now I've confused myself again. I really don't want to turn my $700 phone into a brick by screwing up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Custom ROMs always require root because it relies on a custom recovery such as TWRP and CWM. So, in short, unless you want to stay stock, you need to root.

This post should help to greatly simplify things for you. (4th post in the thread) Instructions are referring to the jedi rom but they will work for almost any other rom. I am on clean rom and have tried several others. Everything works great on clean rom. My advice would be to download all the ones you want to try, flash them and try each one for a day or two until you figure out which you like the best, then get your phone set up how you want on that rom. Once you get the one you like perfect, make a nandroid backup and then you can always flash any new roms you want to try and if they don't work for you, you can flash your backup and not have to worry about setting everything up on your phone all over again.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=35726061
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda app-developers app

Trust me, the phone is absolutely worth the wait and the money! Also like he said earlier, every ROM is different and my favorite won't necessarily be your favorite, but if you like the look of Stock, I use Jedix8 which has great battery life and performance and some cool extra features. CleanRom also has a great reputation and I'll probably give it a go soon just to see what it's like. PM me if you have other questions or anything at all

BlackPhantomX said:
Custom ROMs always require root because it relies on a custom recovery such as TWRP and CWM. So, in short, unless you want to stay stock, you need to root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
topshelf95 said:
This post should help to greatly simplify things for you. (4th post in the thread) Instructions are referring to the jedi rom but they will work for almost any other rom. I am on clean rom and have tried several others.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
badler6545 said:
I use Jedix8 which has great battery life and performance and some cool extra features. CleanRom also has a great reputation and I'll probably give it a go soon just to see what it's like. PM me if you have other questions or anything at all
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks all. I think I have it all figured out (and thanks to FedEx's stupid delivery policies I've had 3 extra days to think about it).
I have downloaded Odin and a rooted img file from http://galaxynote2root.com/galaxy-note-2-root/how-to-root-galaxy-note-2-easiest-method
It will root and install CWM (although I think I would prefer TWRP from what I've rad.
I've doanloaded both the CleanRom for AT&T and the Jedi roms and will try those out. I think once I get the phone rooted and with hte custom recovery on it the actual flashing of new roms will be comparatively easy.

Well, I got my phone last night and charged it. Today I was able to root it, install TWRP, and flass CleanRom all in under an hour. Thanks to all those who offered help. The only issue I had/have is a lack of internet wit hdefault WAP settings: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=37478407
I've gotten around it using the Cingular settings but download speed is only 1.9MB. That's OK for now as I consider my options: live with it or talk to AT&T and see is something can be done without losing my unlimited plan.
Overall , this was an easy process thanks to the large databse of information here and friendly helpful people. I would encourage anyone who is thinking of doing this to proceed. It is easy once you start.

[ROM] [N910PVPU1BOB7] [100% Stock, Root, Odexed/Deodexed, No KNOX/Itson] [3/20/2015]

I bring to you completely stock builds of Lollipop (N910PVPU1BOB7). Built from the official Samsung tar. The rom will self root upon flash and it has init.d/busybox support. Knox and Sprint Itson has been removed completely. There will be four versions of this base rom. The first two roms will be completely stock with all of the original factory installed apps included upon flash. They will be available as odexed and deodexed . The second two roms will be "Naked" and be stripped of all pre-installed Google/Sprint apps except for essential apps which I feel should be left in the rom. These two "Naked" roms will also come as odexed and deodexed. Also included in every rom in this thread is the BOB7 modem and HLOS patch to ensure you have the latest modem with this rom. (the HLOS patch is the factory Samsung modem patch and I simply added it in just like the official tar. I have no other details, it is official from Samsung and apparently has an important purpose.).
Other than the removal of Knox, itson and several pre-installed "bloat" apps (in the de-bloated versions), these roms are all stock in every other way. The roms are stock and will stay that way. Please don't ask for mods, changes, etc in this thread. These roms are intended for those people who want the stock roms in their original form with the addition of root and removal of Knox & itson as well as other members who need a good solid base for their rom project. I give permission for other dev's to use this rom as your base and I highly recommend that you do so because it is bug-free and built from the official Samsung .tar. However I do expect credit if you use this rom for any other project. If you like my work please press that Thanks button. Enjoy!
Important Note: Before flashing ANY Lollipop ROM. including this one, you MUST first have done one of the following: Taken the Lollipop ota update OR odin flashed the stock N910PVPU1BOB7_N910PSPT1BOB7_SPR rom tar. If you are still on KK based rom (including any KK AOSP/CM based roms) then you MUST first update to Lollipop by one of the two methods I mentioned BEFORE flashing this ROM.
Flashing instructions: ***Before beginning the flash/setup process MAKE SURE your battery has at least 50% charge and/or connected to the charger!!!***
1. Backup anything you don't want to lose off your internal storage to another location.
2. Download the rom using your pc. (downloading with your phone has a much higher risk of file corruption. Not recommended with large files).
3. VERIFY the md5!!! Once the download has finished, compare the AFH md5 using a md5 tool on your pc. (Google is your friend).
4. Put the downloaded rom onto your internal storage or external micro sd card.
5. With phone powered off, reboot into recovery by pressing and holding volume up, power and the home button until you see the samsusung logo then release all buttons.
6. Once in recovery choose the wipe button and do a factory reset three times. Optional but recommended is to do a "Data" wipe. This will wipe all of your internal storage so MAKE SURE you backed up first like i said in step #1 above! Then go to "advanced wipe" and select all of the partitions EXCEPT micro-sd card and internal storage. Internal storage is optional but recommended on first time flashing Lollipop.
7. Choose the "Install" option and select the rom "Stock_Rooted_NoKnox_N910PSPT1BOB7_xxx" from either your internal or external micro-sd card. It will flash the rom and give a confirmation once completed.
8. Press "Reboot" then "reboot system".
9. Initial rom setup will take several minutes and remain on the yellow Sprint Spark screen for at least 13 minutes (definately much longer than what you are used to). Let the phone setup/optimize for at least 15 minutes and the screen WILL eventually turn off once it finishes.
10. When you see the screen turn off, you can proceed with the setup wizard. Once finished with setup wizard wait a few moments and the phone will automatically install the sprint apps. You must either "accept" or "disagree" with each and every google prompt for these apps or else the installs pause untill you do so.. Also you will be prompted for the "connections optimizer". Quickly set it to what you want and close it. That's it! You're done!
flashing anything on your device is done at your own risk. There is no way myself or any other developer can guarantee that flashing this ROM or any other file will not brick your device or otherwise cause some other type of damage. This is just a standard warning. I am not responsible for anything that you do to your device.
Stock_Rooted_NoKnox_N910PSPT1BOB7_ODEXED​Stock_Rooted_NoKnox_N910PSPT1BOB7_DEODEXED​
"Naked" bloat-free roms will follow very soon.​

I am following you and ready to test, PM sent to you. I will follow-up with any issues ASAP. As always, thannk you so much for your hard work!

Not fair i was at work and i didn't see this. Allow me access... please..... ?

Deleted

Wow
Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

Ready for some testing

i can test. pm sent.

I am willing to test.

Sure I walk away for a couple hours to play with the kids and I may have missed out on a great beta test. If you need more testers let me know.
I stream video through Hulu and Netflix all the time at work. Also stream a lot of music through Sirius and Play Music as well as tune in Radio. Also do a lot of chromecast with my TV and do a lot of gaming with my phone (GTA, Bards Tale, Mage n Minions, Final Fantasy, Secret of Mana, you know real RPGs not dungeon crawlers). If you need input for those functions let me know, I will be more than happy to test those functions for a bit. However I work M-F so if you plan on releasing to everyone before then dont worry bout it.
I also tried BOB7 V2 but hit a couple bugs with how I use my phone, I posted what happened there a few comments above your post, so now I am using rooted stock lollipop waiting for an awesome rom like you build.
Thanx
Sent from my SM-N910P (Note 4)

Thank you for this tx. Any way from stopping those Samsung bloat apps from getting installed in the first place? Are any of them even useful? Serious question because that would prevent having to debloat the ROM afterwards since those are the first apps I usually freeze with Titanium.

Yea looking to get rid of those Bloat
---------- Post added at 08:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:05 PM ----------
Has anyone been able to download? Just want to see if anyone has gotten accepted

qubanaso said:
Yea looking to get rid of those Bloat
---------- Post added at 08:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:05 PM ----------
Has anyone been able to download? Just want to see if anyone has gotten accepted
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Isn't most of the bloat from Sprint uninstallable anyway?

Most of it, the rest can be disabled

nimaim said:
Thank you for this tx. Any way from stopping those Samsung bloat apps from getting installed in the first place? Are any of them even useful? Serious question because that would prevent having to debloat the ROM afterwards since those are the first apps I usually freeze with Titanium.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ten testers have been added to the test group and allowed access to the rom zip. I want people to understand that this is a 100% stock rom and it will not change. If you want a "debloated" stock rom then check out the other thread by Team DevDigitel which he has removed a bunch of bloat. This rom is meant to include everything. People now have a choice between a completely stock rom or the debloated rom in the other thread. So please don't bother mentioning the word "bloat" in this rom thread because the title clearly indicates what this rom is and always will be. It's for people who want it. Be patient while I work on my new Lollipop X-Series rom. It will be mostly debloated.
Anyways here's the list of testers. I added the first 10 people who contacted me as well as a few who i chose based on activity, donation, etc. So testing slots are now full. I feel confident there will be no issues and as soon as i good clean reports from testers i will allow public access. 48 hours would be a good estimate for public release if all goes well... which it should. Testers please report any issues as well as no issues after running the rom for 24 hours. Preferrably by pm. Thanks

tx_dbs_tx said:
Ten testers have been added to the test group and allowed access to the rom zip. I want people to understand that this is a 100% stock rom and it will not change. If you want a "debloated" stock rom then check out the other thread by Team DevDigitel which he has removed a bunch of bloat. This rom is meant to include everything. People now have a choice between a completely stock rom or the debloated rom in the other thread. So please don't bother mentioning the word "bloat" in this rom thread because the title clearly indicates what this rom is and always will be. It's for people who want it. Be patient while I work on my new Lollipop X-Series rom. It will be mostly debloated.
Anyways here's the list of testers. I added the first 10 people who contacted me as well as a few who i chose based on activity, donation, etc. So testing slots are now full. I feel confident there will be no issues and as soon as i good clean reports from testers i will allow public access. 48 hours would be a good estimate for public release if all goes well... which it should. Testers please report any issues as well as no issues after running the rom for 24 hours. Preferrably by pm. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damn it, i didn't make it in time..

no fair no fair! i was at work also, i want to test, please

Androidwarrior said:
Damn it, i didn't make it in time..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go ahead and download. I added you. Read the OP and make sure you have already took the Lollipop ota or the odin tar. Focus on testing bluetooth,wifi, and other wireless features. There's a bunch of things that i rarely use and hopefully you guys who do use these features can check them out and make sure everything works.
I may offer a fully debloated stock rom in a few days. Give me time to finish the theme I'm working on and i can debloat the rom in no time. It will be posted in it's own thread or in Team DevDigitel's thread.

Will have to give a test........thank you sir......

tx_dbs_tx said:
Go ahead and download. I added you. Read the OP and make sure you have already took the Lollipop ota or the odin tar. Focus on testing bluetooth,wifi, and other wireless features. There's a bunch of things that i rarely use and hopefully you guys who do use these features can check them out and make sure everything works.
I may offer a fully debloated stock rom in a few days. Give me time to finish the theme I'm working on and i can debloat the rom in no time. It will be posted in it's own thread or in Team DevDigitel's thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your still looking for tester, I'd be interested.

Cant find much info but what exactly is the HLOS patch?
Sent from my Nexus 9 using Tapatalk

Need Testers! (UPDATED 1-11-2017)

Note: This should go without saying since this is a very early beta build, but I'm not responsible for any direct, or indirect damage done to any phone or accessories from flashing/ using this rom.
Also please read the entire op before installing/posting.
Welcome to:
THE ARKO PROJECT
About the Rom:
I started this whole project when I had a G5, and development was still slow. I met someone who was kind enough to get me started, and give me the basic info I needed to start my journey in development. I had always wondered if I could, but never really knew where to start.
Seeing the lack of development for such a great device. I decided to take matters into my own hands (however inexperienced they may be). So far I've created basic tweaked stock roms for the G5 & G Stylo. I never released them however because I didn't make it too far. Because the devices ended up being damged (which is unusual for me).
Anyway that brings us to here & now. This rom is also very basic (for now). I plan however to add as many features as possible & plausible. While keeping it fast, smooth, and reliable. Rest assured I test every build for at least a couple of days before posting them here. Anyway onto the good stuff.
Source: Pulled from stock MM 6.0 30d
Boot img: Pulled from stock MM 6.0 30d (changed to insecured).
Android ver: MM 6.0 30D
Features:
Rooted (Sytem install)
Wifi, data, bluetooth etc. all working
Dpi set to 560
Debloated (More apps removed in future updates)
Busybox
All app multiwindow support enabled by default
Quick power on
Auto rotate in homescreen (tested with Nova Launcher)
Faster video streaming
Increased wifi scan interval
No ring delay
Enabled Adoptable storage
Jpeg quality 100% plus other media enhancements
Disabled error reporting
And some more I can't think of....
Planned features (feel free to suggest some):
4 way reboot
Volume button orientation mod
Possibly aroma installer
That's all I can think of off the top of my head but there is more.
I also plan to make a few color ui themes as well.
For example
Red & Black
Blue & Black
Green & black
Etc. Etc.
Feel free to request different colors as well (doesn't mean it will neccesarily happen, but you can ask
Install instructions:
*Make sure the version of TWRP you are using supports updater-scripts! This is very important! If it doesn't the rom will not flash! I'm using the latest version of multirom TWRP, and can confirm the rom flashes just fine.
1. Make a TWRP backup (optional, but heavily suggested)
2. Download and place zip on sd card
3. Do a full wipe
4. Install zip
5.Enjoy
Note: updates are disabled two minutes after booting the rom. No user action is required. The old method I had tried didn't actually work. Got the ota again a week later. However it is 100% fixed now.
New DL link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1bdSH2f5u2UMzdBUlkzcTFBMU0/view?usp=drivesdk

I don't know if this would work since I have not really put much research in to it, but could you make the folder where the update is downloaded to read-only?

BoredKender said:
I don't know if this would work since I have not really put much research in to it, but could you make the folder where the update is downloaded to read-only?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably not a good idea. Folder also has a few log files too. If all else fails then I'll give it a shot. I also had a thought that perhaps it isn't named anything like lgdmsclient.
After some sleep I've got a couple days off work so I'm gonna try to get multi rom working. (Haven't used it since kk early android L. That way I can just go down the list remove lg services apk's one by one and hope that either multirom or twrp could save me from a brick if anything goes wrong. Right now I have been using the delete update.zip/reboot. To keep the zip off my phone. Only problem is it takes a while for the system to realize an update is available after that. So It would be easier to remove an apk, build, flash, repeat until I find the culprit. MR will really help though as it'll save a lot of time between flashes. I really do appreciate the help/input though.
Also I've randomly found myself booted into twrp and the update try to install itself. Just luckily had zip verification on so it didn't flash.

Removed build.

Deleted

The Rom now has it's own thread in Tmo Android development located here:https://forum.xda-developers.com/tm...t/rom-arko-project-g3-edition-6-0-mm-t3555919
Moderater if you will please, close this thread. Thanks.

Thread Closed.

Need help with upgrade to Samsung SPH-L7100 phone. Opinions/comments welcome.

Forgive me, but I don't know where to start on this forum. I can't post to the Samsung area, because the policies prohibit me from doing so.
I have an old Galaxy S3 Sprint phone SPH-L710 that is running android 4.4.2 . I'd like to upgrade it to something more useful. The first thing I tried was to load an app called TEXTNOW but it requires at least android 5.0 . Apparently Sprint stopped upgrading android, as I can't find any android above 4.4.2 .
Can anyone point me to an android update to 5.0 or better? If not, can you suggest a custom rom that would be useful for this phone? Since it's an old clunker, I don't mind taking a chance that Odin might brick it. Right now, it pretty much sits on the shelf gathering dust. If I could get 5.0 or perhaps some custom rom, I might be able to load some useful apps.
Thank you in advance for your time and efforts in replying to this post.

BigZ1 said:
Forgive me, but I don't know where to start on this forum. I can't post to the Samsung area, because the policies prohibit me from doing so. I just found out that I had originally posted to the new development area, and so I am re-posting. Sorry!
I have an old Galaxy S3 Sprint phone SPH-L710 that is running android 4.4.2 . I'd like to upgrade it to something more useful. The first thing I tried was to load an app called TEXTNOW but it requires at least android 5.0 . Apparently Sprint stopped upgrading android, as I can't find any android above 4.4.2 .
Can anyone point me to an android update to 5.0 or better? If not, can you suggest a custom rom that would be useful for this phone? Since it's an old clunker, I don't mind taking a chance that Odin might brick it. Right now, it pretty much sits on the shelf gathering dust. If I could get 5.0 or perhaps some custom rom, I might be able to load some useful apps.
Thank you in advance for your time and efforts in replying to this post.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try looking through the ROMs in these two links, they are specifically for the Sprint S3. I don't know which ones are still available or not and I'm pretty sure they aren't maintained/supported anymore, but you might find something you like.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s3-sprint/development
https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s3-sprint/orig-development
First, you will have to download a TWRP.tar file for Sprint S3, then flash that TWRP file using Odin.
Then download your ROM zip of your choice and the appropriate Gapps package(Google apps) and place them on your external sdcard in the phone.
Then boot into the TWRP recovery that you flashed, create a nandroid backup using the Backup option in TWRP(the default backup settings should be fine, no need to select anything special) make sure the backup storage location is external sdcard not internal, this backup can be used later to restore your phone if something goes wrong.
Then go back to main screen in TWRP and select the Wipe option in TWRP, then select "advanced wipes", then choose ONLY:
system
data
cache
dalvik cache
then swipe the slider to wipe, then go back to main screen in TWRP and choose the Install option, then browse through the list to the folder where you stored your ROM.zip and your Gapps, then select the ROM zip, then choose "add more zips" , then select the Gapps file, then swipe the slider to flash them both at the same time, when it is finished, reboot to system.
Wait for it to complete the first boot(10-30 minutes or so).
If it gets stuck at boot logo for too long, or if you have any other issues, let me know. All know alot of the ins and outs when it comes to all of the d2 S3 series for the various carriers. Sprint S3's can be either d2spr or d2refreshspr.
By the way, you need to make sure whether you have the d2spr S3 or if you have the Tribrand d2refreshspr S3, this is VERY important, the d2refreshspr can't use d2spr ROMs(at least, not without issues) or d2spr TWRP(this can lead to a brick). Do not install anything until we establish exactly which version of the device you have and then I'll post more specific information for you to get everything flashed and working. Another possible issue is you may or may not have to do some flashing/tweaking/installing/modifying stuff to get your APNs working correctly.
I'll do what I can to help you through each step.
Sent from my SM-S767VL using Tapatalk

BigZ1 said:
Forgive me, but I don't know where to start on this forum. I can't post to the Samsung area, because the policies prohibit me from doing so.
I have an old Galaxy S3 Sprint phone SPH-L710 that is running android 4.4.2 . I'd like to upgrade it to something more useful. The first thing I tried was to load an app called TEXTNOW but it requires at least android 5.0 . Apparently Sprint stopped upgrading android, as I can't find any android above 4.4.2 .
Can anyone point me to an android update to 5.0 or better? If not, can you suggest a custom rom that would be useful for this phone? Since it's an old clunker, I don't mind taking a chance that Odin might brick it. Right now, it pretty much sits on the shelf gathering dust. If I could get 5.0 or perhaps some custom rom, I might be able to load some useful apps.
Thank you in advance for your time and efforts in replying to this post.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BigZ1 said:
Forgive me, but I don't know where to start on this forum. I can't post to the Samsung area, because the policies prohibit me from doing so.
I have an old Galaxy S3 Sprint phone SPH-L710 that is running android 4.4.2 . I'd like to upgrade it to something more useful. The first thing I tried was to load an app called TEXTNOW but it requires at least android 5.0 . Apparently Sprint stopped upgrading android, as I can't find any android above 4.4.2 .
Can anyone point me to an android update to 5.0 or better? If not, can you suggest a custom rom that would be useful for this phone? Since it's an old clunker, I don't mind taking a chance that Odin might brick it. Right now, it pretty much sits on the shelf gathering dust. If I could get 5.0 or perhaps some custom rom, I might be able to load some useful apps.
Thank you in advance for your time and efforts in replying to this post.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm in the same boat as you! Haven't been working on phones for a couple of years...I'm way outdated. Can anyone help? I need to update firmware, need custom recovery and a custom ROM if there arw any new enough to function with Google these days...

I think you should take a look at the forum and read the rules of posting here, whatever this is the last hop for you:
ROM New Unofficial Lineage 14.1 d2spr WhenICanlies 4-10-18
I have been working on the sister models of this phone also. Provide feedback. Let people know how it is working. I run the att model. I saw no one was building for this model anymore either so i used some time and energy to build it so that it...
forum.xda-developers.com