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Root Idea for how to gain root on "new" Reverbs (unable to get root)

T

tyler1998

Member
I've noticed people aren't being able to gain root on their pre-jellybean devices...I kind of ran into this problem and I found a fix for MY device, so any testers with the "new" device , fell free to test this method out...

1) Follow normal instructions here: http://androidforums.com/reverb-all...g-returning-ics-stock-forcing-ota-update.html or here: http://androidforums.com/reverb-all...llybean-credit-shabbypenguin-rush-forums.html

2) Go to http://androidforums.com/nexus-s-4g-all-things-root/722576-superuser-fails-gain-root-access.html -- and the very first comment By user: jhawkkw (all credit for this is given to him) is a link. download that.

3) Once downloaded you need to copy it all to SdCard and then flash the CMW-SuperSU-v.0.94.zip inside clockworkmod Recovery

4) Reboot, and try to update the SU binary

Remember This is JUST an Idea and all's I did was the Research, all credits go to the listed. Thanks and PLEASE get back to me with your results
 
Aren't the methods used for Victory and GS3 applicable for Reverb or a derivative of them? I wish I had a new Reverb to try. But my wife would kill me if I say I have unrooted her phone and she got stuck with the stock JB.
 
tyler1998 said:
i thought they could get the recovery, but couldn't get root access the way everyone else was?
Click to expand...


If I understood correctly, they can "successfully install*" a custom recovery but ootb jb reinstalls stock recovery on reboot, but I can't confirm cause mine came with ics.

*by that I mean Odin gives no fail message
 
Here is a possible solution for root. Please note this is not my work and I would suggest only trying if you are comfortable with editing your phone.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2403230

I can confirm that this will allow root, but I have not had a chance to test past that point. The software used is not in English. I have been trying to replace the installed SU app with an English version but have not had much luck yet.

Again be careful. As mentioned in the above there is not yet a working recovery for this phone so possible issues could arise.
 
sanjuro77 said:
If I understood correctly, they can "successfully install*" a custom recovery but ootb jb reinstalls stock recovery on reboot, but I can't confirm cause mine came with ics.

*by that I mean Odin gives no fail message
Click to expand...

Can't we just press power+volume-up on reboot to boot into the custom recovery? If we reboot once into the custom recovery jb shouldn't reinstall the stock recovery on the next boot. And while in the custom recovery superuser can be flashed. Am I missing something?
 
That will boot you into the stock recovery unless you've somehow managed to get cwm recovery to stick. If so, please share the method!
As of yet, no one here has been able to get it to work.
There is more information in the News flash sticky in the root forum
 
I have tried to open the custom recovery tar file with 7zip on Windows, reverb-cwm-test-8.tar, that we all use. It opened but with an error message: "There is no correct record at the end of archive". I thought this kind of an error could throw the Odin software off. Otherwise, I believe the same root method that is used for Victory and GS3 should work for Reverb as well.

I did a nandroid backup of my working custom recovery and the tar file on a Linux system. I use CWMT 6.0.3.0. This tar file does not give the error message above and it comes with CWMT 6.0.3. If you want to try with the Odin root method, here it is
http://www.mediafire.com/download/68rtv5sb7s5py3f/Reverb_CWMT_Recovery.tar

I would also try the later versions of Odin, e.g. 3.07, 3.09.

This is all I can think of. If I had a OOTB JB Reverb, I would have tried these but I can't.
 
mrg666 said:
I have tried to open the custom recovery tar file with 7zip on Windows, reverb-cwm-test-8.tar, that we all use. It opened but with an error message: "There is no correct record at the end of archive". I thought this kind of an error could throw the Odin software off. Otherwise, I believe the same root method that is used for Victory and GS3 should work for Reverb as well.

I did a nandroid backup of my working custom recovery and the tar file on a Linux system. I use CWMT 6.0.3.0. This tar file does not give the error message above and it comes with CWMT 6.0.3. If you want to try with the Odin root method, here it is
Reverb_CWMT_Recovery.tar

I would also try the later versions of Odin, e.g. 3.07, 3.09.

This is all I can think of. If I had a OOTB JB Reverb, I would have tried these but I can't.
Click to expand...

That'd be a big old negative. Tried, and got the same result as the 10th test build that was put out. (I forget his name, but he was the main dev here for a bit). Had to flash the 8th build to get the phone to start again.
 
dmillerw said:
That'd be a big old negative. Tried, and got the same result as the 10th test build that was put out. (I forget his name, but he was the main dev here for a bit). Had to flash the 8th build to get the phone to start again.
Click to expand...

What do you mean with big old negative? So, do you mean you have tried the tar in my post and didn't work?
 
mrg666 said:
What do you mean with big old negative? So, do you mean you have tried the tar in my post and didn't work?
Click to expand...

Er, yeah.

Same result as we (or at least I) kept getting with version 10. Quick flash of blue then a blank screen. Rebooting the device didn't re-install stock recovery, so I had to flash version 8 and then reboot, which restored stock.

Versions 8 and 10 being the ones released here.
 
dmillerw said:
Er, yeah.

Same result as we (or at least I) kept getting with version 10. Quick flash of blue then a blank screen. Rebooting the device didn't re-install stock recovery, so I had to flash version 8 and then reboot, which restored stock.

Versions 8 and 10 being the ones released here.
Click to expand...

This reminded me a past experience.

The new Reverbs that come with OOTB JB might have a different screen hardware. And the recoveries that we use with the earlier Reverbs don't have the proper drivers for the new screen. This could explain the screen problems. This had happened before with LG Optimus V. At some point after we already had the recoveries and kernels in place, VM started pushing new phones with different screens that came with a new ROM revision. Several/many users had soft bricks in their hands while trying to root.

We can reboot an OOTB JB phone and right after that pull a dmesg. Let's check which screen driver is activated and compare with an earlier phone with OOTB ICS. If somebody can post the dmesg with a newer phone, I can compare with the one I have.
 
mrg666 said:
This reminded me a past experience.

The new Reverbs that come with OOTB JB might have a different screen hardware. And the recoveries that we use with the earlier Reverbs don't have the proper drivers for the new screen. This could explain the screen problems. This had happened before with LG Optimus V. At some point after we already had the recoveries and kernels in place, VM started pushing new phones with different screens that came with a new ROM revision. Several/many users had soft bricks in their hands while trying to root.

We can reboot an OOTB JB phone and right after that pull a dmesg. Let's check which screen driver is activated and compare with an earlier phone with OOTB ICS. If somebody can post the dmesg with a newer phone, I can compare with the one I have.
Click to expand...

I brought this very idea up with intrrloper about a week ago... The screens were Hitachi and Novatek. He told me he thought it was a plausible idea. I myself have not seen anything on the internet about Samsung using multiple vendors for touchscreens, though.
 
soxtober05 said:
I brought this very idea up with intrrloper about a week ago... The screens were Hitachi and Novatek. He told me he thought it was a plausible idea. I myself have not seen anything on the internet about Samsung using multiple vendors for touchscreens, though.
Click to expand...

We just need a dmesg from one of the new Reverb's to compare with the older ones. If this is confirmed, the solution is just a matter of rebuilding the recovery with second screen driver enabled.

Can you point me to the source code of recovery?
 
Thanks for posting the dmesg. Here is what I have
<6>[ 0.367919] LCD lcdc_r69329_wvga selected <3>[ 0.367950] lcdc_nt35510_ - Pastebin.com

The screen initialization part is identical but there is only one difference. I get the following line which does not appear on your phone

[HIGH]update_panel_info : Lcd name is ICTLBOE[/HIGH]

I also see the following line at the very beginning of dmesg.

[HIGH]update_panel_info : Success to getlcd panel name(ICTLBOE) from bootloader[/HIGH]

Do you have the "panel_name" option in your Kernel command line? It should be shown at the top of dmesg. I do have it.
 
[HIGH]<5>[ 0.000000] Kernel command line: console=NULL androidboot.hardware=qcom panel_name=ICTL sec_log=0x80000@0x3d0000c sec_dbg=0x100000@0x3c00004 sec_subsys=0xd6c@0x3d8000c level=0x574f4c44 androidboot.debug_level=0x4f4c sec_debug.enable=0 sec_debug.enable_user=0 androidboot.emmc_checksum=3 cordon=bd57c01d3cf68327a70ef49c86748fb2 androidboot.bootloader=M950VPBMD6 androidboot.boot_recovery=0 power_on_cause=0x1 reboot_mode=0x77665501 androidboot.emmc=true androidboot.serialno=24d9d818 androidboot.baseband=msm[/HIGH]

Specifically, I'm seeing panel_name=ICTL
 
dmillerw said:
[HIGH]<5>[ 0.000000] Kernel command line: console=NULL androidboot.hardware=qcom panel_name=ICTL sec_log=0x80000@0x3d0000c sec_dbg=0x100000@0x3c00004 sec_subsys=0xd6c@0x3d8000c level=0x574f4c44 androidboot.debug_level=0x4f4c sec_debug.enable=0 sec_debug.enable_user=0 androidboot.emmc_checksum=3 cordon=bd57c01d3cf68327a70ef49c86748fb2 androidboot.bootloader=M950VPBMD6 androidboot.boot_recovery=0 power_on_cause=0x1 reboot_mode=0x77665501 androidboot.emmc=true androidboot.serialno=24d9d818 androidboot.baseband=msm[/HIGH]

Specifically, I'm seeing panel_name=ICTL
Click to expand...

Interesting!
My bootloader version is androidboot.bootloader=M950VPALH6 and yours is a newer version M950VPBMD6. I am not sure why I didn't get the bootloader updated with the OTA but the older bootloader I have reports the LCD type as seen in my previous post. Yours does not report it. I am not sure if this causes any problem but this is all the difference I can see right now. Do you know if we can downgrade the bootloader?

I will check the OTA to see if there is a bootloader included.
 
dmillerw said:
I don't know unfortunately, but I'm willing to try.
Click to expand...
No! Bootloader is not included in the OTA, as far as I can see. So let me check if I can make a copy of my bootloader.

I am afraid recovering from a bootloader failure is not that easy. You can easily hard brick your phone. Be sure before trying anything.
 
mrg666 said:
No! Bootloader is not included in the OTA, as far as I can see. So let me check if I can make a copy of my bootloader.

I am afraid recovering from a bootloader failure is not that easy. You can easily hard brick your phone. Be sure before trying anything.
Click to expand...

What should I do to be safe?
 
Here is the part of arch/arm/mach-msm/board_icon.c (the board definition file of Reverb in the kernel) that clearly checks the panel id from bootloader. Can you please double check your dmesg to find an error message like "Fail to get lcd panel name from bootloader".
[HIGH]static int __init update_panel_info(char *panel_name)
{
int i;
char *src = panel_name;
char panel[2][4] = { "ICTL", "BOE" };
char polarity[2] = { 7, 0 };
int panel_id[2] = { 1, 2 };
static int lcd_id = -1;

if (!strncmp(src, "GET", 3)) {
printk(KERN_INFO "%s : Lcd name is %s\n",
__func__, panel[lcd_id - 1]);
return lcd_id;
} else {
for (i = 0; i < sizeof(panel) / sizeof(panel[0]); i++) {
if (!strncmp(src, panel, sizeof(panel))) {
lcd_id = panel_id;
mdp_polarity("SET", polarity);
}
}

if (lcd_id == -1) {
printk(KERN_INFO "%s : Fail to get lcd panel name"
" from bootloader\n", __func__);
lcd_id = panel_id[1];
} else {
printk(KERN_INFO "%s : Success to get"
"lcd panel name(%s) from bootloader\n",
__func__, panel[lcd_id - 1]);
}
}

return 1;
}
[/HIGH]
 
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