All a sterile issue at this point with no data working, but instead of flashin to el26 or el29 recovery kernel, why not flash the recovery kernel only for the 4.3 ROM and then use its recovery? That would make it like most other custom ROMs in that you are flashing a specific kernel to use for its recovery to do the ROM flash.
Well that's what I was in the process of doing, I can't find a 4.3 recovery kernel, unles you know of a place to get one...if so can you link it, that'd be awsome and that's exactly the result I am after anyways
Just thought of somthing too, doesn't the kernel have to be for the epic 4g? IE; you can't use say a nexus kernel on the epic 4g touch...or can you??
Well I'm not much of a linux guru, so therefor I refrain from downloading programs to windows to use a kitchen or run commands, being as how I haven't the foggiest idea how to work in linux...I've tried, and it's well pretty pointless for me, so I decided to look around for other ways to
1: extract the zimage file from the boot.img file I have already
2: find a cm or twrp recovery that is 4.3 android (or better)
I've searched now for the last 4 hrs and have found nothing, everything I come to ends up in a dead end.
So unless someone has a cm or twrp recovery that is 4.3 android for this phone (SPH-D710) or a simplistic way of extracting the zimage file from the boot.img file I have, I'll have to resort in doing it the LONG way around for getting 4.4 kitkat on my phone.
The way I am currently doing it is as follows:
1: Flash el29 > reboot to recovery
2: install hood pope rom (or some other 4.3 android rom any will work because they all have the newer recovery baked into them...this is why I need the zimage file)
3: once I install the 4.3 rom, I reboot to recovery under advanced (not reboot system now)
4: once back in recovery I then proceed to wipde data/reset, clear cache, and clear dalvik
5: Flash 4.4 kitkat rom
6: flash gapps
Once that's all done I "restart system now" and load up 4.4 kitkat
That's my workaround unless anyone else cand find an easier way