Root [Sprint] Adventures of Victory (new device setup)

[CaptainBrowncoat]

I started this post in the "OTA Update L300VPBND4" thread, but decided to move it to it's own thread because I'd gotten so far off topic. The purpose was to set up a blank Victory with Sprintorious and the latest broadband modem update. I'm posting this so others who attempt to do the same in the future know what to expect when trying to deal with this situation where devs abruptly abandoned their (much appreciated) efforts to make this device useful (had I the time and a computer a bit younger than almost a decade, I'd look into picking up the mantle myself). Here's what I posted previously:

You must currently be on MC1 and have the stock apps installed for this update to work. I've remove the ro.secure check so rooted users can install this and I've removed the updater for the recovery partition so you don't lose your TWRP/ClockworkMod/etc install. If anyone needs a version with the stock apps check removed as well, let me know. If there's enough interest, I'll make one and post that as well.

https://www.mediafire.com/?p0h0g3wx7l7bq0w

Just tried installing this on a Sprint MC1 Victory I just put TWRP 2.7.01, root (SuperSU & BusyBox), and Sprintorious on - no other mods outside of having installed ES File explorer and Titanium Backup - and it failed. Would this be due to the aforementioned stock app check? According to TWRP, the Kernel has a problem - should I use a different one than the one Sprintorious includes?

Guess I should have installed this before Sprintorious. *sigh* Hindsight...

If it matters (I doubt it), the phone currently has no service - was prepping it for my wife to switch to from her current storage space-challenged Victory.


Output from TWRP (hand-typed, so pardon miskeys):

E:Unknown File System: 'datamedia'
Updating partition details...
Kernel does not have support for reading SELinux contexts.
Installing '/external_sd/USER_L300_SPR_MC1_to_ND4_Update_FWD.zip'...
Checking for MD5 file...
Skipping MD5 check: no MD5 file found.
Verifying current system...
"/system/app/GMS_Maps.apk" has unexpected contents.
E:Error executing updater binary in zip '/external_sd/USER_L300_SPR_MC1_to_ND4_Update_FWD.zip'
Error flashing zip '/external_sd/USER_L300_SPR_MC1_to_ND4_Update_FWD.zip'
Updating partition details...

EDIT: Since I used TWRP Backup to save System, Data, & Boot partitions, I restored them, installed this patch, rebooted, and then installed Sprintorious. Still having some problems. Swype crashes immediately so I can't even connect to my WiFi (can't enter password) to get anywhere. Restored System again, installed Hacker's Keyboard, set up WiFi, then installed Sprintorious. Still being prompted for a system update which reboots into Recovery, so I exit and it boots normally - strongly suspect I will be prompted again for the update after a while, though.

Camera button starts BOTH camera apps, causing conflicts and crashes - neither has defaults set, so that's not the problem. Don't remember how I got to view the defaults for both because now only one of the camera apps comes up in App Manager, so can't even address it that way. Installed App Quarantine to "freeze" the one listed, which apparently was the original program because now the camera button only brings up the new version. Now neither is listed in App Manager. Two Gallery apps are listed, but they both point to the new version apparently. Choosing to edit a photo in the new camera/gallery app (com.google.android.gallery3d) crashes.

Gonna see what I can accomplish with Titanium Backup since I backed up all system apps immediately after rooting and before doing anything else. Will edit this further if I get anywhere. Really need this working properly before giving this to my tech-incompetent wife (love ya, honey!).

 

[CaptainBrowncoat]

EDIT 2: Dunno if Samsung's modified UI has this or I've missed it on my other Android devices, but hitting the menu key in the app drawer brought up a whole bunch of interesting options including "Uninstall." Both camera and gallery apps were shown here, so I figured out which camera was the new one and uninstalled it - it took the second gallery app with it (presumably because they're one and the same). Now original app loads when pressing camera button and doesn't crash (at least not in my limited testing thus far). YAY! Progress...

Next oddity I've noticed is that while the Settings -> Storage app shows (what's left of) my external SD card's full 32GB size in place of my internal storage (which is really the only reason I cared about Sprintorious), the Settings -> Applications indicator at the bottom still seems to refer to the actual internal storage. Installed a large (1.3GB+) game that would've taken up most of the rest of the stated space and it only took about 29MB, although App Manager's details on the app said it took 55MB and the rest went into "USB Storage." Interesting accounting, but at least Sprintorious seems to be doing its job.

There are other places where the space accounting is screwed up as well: ES File Explorer only shows the SD Card's space - twice ("sdcard0" and "sdcard1"), while Titanium Backup only shows the internal - also twice "Internal + Media" and "Ext. CD card" both show the same under 2GB values, it so must be looking at the internal storage. Rhythm Software's "File Manager (Explorer)" seems to see the two storage locations as properly switched, but its "Storage Analysis" option comes up with some screwy results - I've apparently managed to store 190% of capacity on my "external_sd". Wish I knew how I managed that 'cause I'd be rolling in the dough for patenting that trick! (Reminds me of the good old days in the early '90s - running "Stacker" to "double" my disk space...)

So who knows what troubles I'll have down the line due to this odditity. I'll try to let you know...

 

[Madbat]

You have to have stock ROM and stock kernel to do the update. Then after you cannot go back to sprintorious rom or vaevictus kernel because they are for a different baseband (mc1)

 

[CaptainBrowncoat]

You have to have stock ROM and stock kernel to do the update. Then after you cannot go back to sprintorious rom or vaevictus kernel because they are for a different baseband (mc1)

Yeah, kinda noticed the stock requirement for the update (as mentioned, I did that already), but the only problem I've had with Sprintorious afterwards was the camera which I'm thinking was simply due to some sort of config conflict (that I haven't learned enough about Android/Linux to correct yet) from JerryScript leaving both camera programs in place when he created Sprintorious (thanks for your efforts nonetheless, JerryScript - sorry you had to go!).

So far I've not been prompted for an update again after the first instance (it may be a once in a while thing, I realize), and virtually everything else has been running okay other than the odd storage issue. Granted it's not yet an active phone so the baseband update hasn't really been put to the test yet, but I'm optimistic that it'll be fine.

On the other hand, I may never find out. I'm not liking the way the storage issue is going - not sure if it's a conflict between the baseband update and Sprintorious, but apps are still using the internal storage. Only the ones that are programmed to use USB Storage seem to load part of themselves into the larger SD card. I'm going to try reverting and using the Link2SD route instead to see if things work better that way. I really hate playing partition size guessing games (and the inevitable wasted space for one purpose or another), but if that's what works best then so be it.

The other option (which I'll leave as a backup for now) is to try reverting the baseband and installing Sprintorious to see if it eliminates the problems I've comes across. If it tries to update the baseband then probably it'll fail like it did in my current situation due to the "non-official" status and -- hopefully -- never bother me again (as it hasn't been currently).

One way or another, I'll try to find a good working solution to the storage problem.

Anyway, I really appreciate your reply, Madbat. I was just kind of turning this into a mini-blog in case someone else wants to try this in the future. Nonetheless any and all input is very welcome!

Thanks!

 

[Madbat]

With the extsd2intetnalsd memory swap in victorious, apps will still go on internal. The swap doesn't touch the part that apps go on. It only swaps internal and external SD storage. It makes it possible for large data and obb files that some apps have to go on ext SD. To have the apps themselves on your ext SD you need link2sd. So to do it all you need both extsd2internalsd thats in sprintorious and link2sd. But the paid version of link2sd now links app data!

 

[CaptainBrowncoat]

Ahh. I thought it was like just swapping the mount points so the card would be seen as internal. I tried using Link2SD with the phone as I now have it (updated baseband & Sprintorious installed) and -- after informing me it was going to use the "native app2sd method" -- it complained thusly:

Failure

App2SD is not supported by your
device. Because your device has a
primary external storage which is
emulated from the internal storage.
You can link the app in order to
move its files to your SD card.

I don't understand the "emulated" thing, nor do I understand that last sentence -- I thought that linking was the whole purpose of the app, but while that sentence says I can do so the program apparently won't do it for me. Only thing I can think of is that the difference between "soft" links and "hard" links (which can't span across different partitions) might have something to do with it, but it's not entirely clear. I'm a bit lost and haven't had time yet to research it. I was just gonna revert and try without Sprintorious, but if that's a waste of time then please let me know! Thanks again!

 

[CaptainBrowncoat]

SUCCESS!!!!!!

Just partitioned the existing SD card on my wife's working phone, which is rooted stock on MC1 baseband (the update failed, of course). Link2SD gave the same error message as above. I went to Settings -> Storage and it correctly shows the re-sized initial partition on the card, but the second partition didn't mount (and I did ensure it was a "Primary" partition). Researched. Apparently had to go into Link2SD's menu, choose More -> Recreate Mount Scripts and reboot. Then figured out that "Move to SD card" wouldn't work, but if I scrolled down the elusive "Create link" option was now available. BINGO!

Now I don't even have to move all her apps, settings, and the like over to the second phone!

Thanks for your help, Madbat! If you could point me towards an explanation of that "emulated" message, I'd still be interested in understanding that. My primary objective has been met, however, ad I really appreciate your willingness to jump in and help. Thanks once more!

 

[Madbat]

By primary external storage it means your internal SD. It is calling it a primary external, emulated from internal, but it means internal SD. But you've already figured out moving apps isn't supported, you have to link (which creates symbolic link then moves it). Glad you got it. 😀

 

[pfoneguy]

So If I am at MC1 and stock root this update won't cause issues with the device if I install it or it will just simply fail? When I updated the wife's Victory it updated 81 apps and I do have a bunch of apps I deleted and have frozen, what happens with those?
Any advice on how to approach this would be appreciated

 

[Madbat]

So If I am at MC1 and stock root this update won't cause issues with the device if I install it or it will just simply fail? When I updated the wife's Victory it updated 81 apps and I do have a bunch of apps I deleted and have frozen, what happens with those?
Any advice on how to approach this would be appreciated

It will fail unless you have stock recovery, system, and kernel. And it didn't update those apps, it just rebuilt the dalvik caches. It should have said optimizing apps not updating. If you open the update and edit the updater script to remove assert prop checks and make it flashable through twrp you can do it rooted, if you have all the stock system apps and stock kernel. You would just have to reinstall SuperSU and busybox in twrp.

 

[pfoneguy]

I should have never rooted this device with no support going forward, too bad, it is a decent little phone sans the in call volume issue, which I take it is not addressed with this update.

 

[Madbat]

Who knew there would be another update. (Figured we were forgotten) Lol. I don't think there is anything important in it anyways. Sprintorious won't work at all with the update anyways, it's built for mc1.

 

[pfoneguy]

Who knew there would be another update. (Figured we were forgotten) Lol. I don't think there is anything important in it anyways. Sprintorious won't work at all with the update anyways, it's built for mc1.

Well, we have poor data speeds and from my understanding Alcatel/Lucent were the ones contracted to upgrade our area here in CA., so my hope was that this update could possibly help with that situation.
Looking into it further seems to indicate the Legacy is Alactel/Lucent and NV is Samsung? I am not sure how I am supposed to read that, but if Samsung is performing NV, then this update wouldn't address my issues anyway??? It just so happens that the cell site is along the route I took to drop my son off at school and I seem to remember I saw Lucent trucks at the tower site as it was being retrofitted?
All I know is this NV roll out is pathetic and my service has been it the toilet for 15 months now and I don't see any light at the end of the tunnel.

As far as this device is concerned, Samsung does not seem interested in fixing the issue with the in call volume. So, imo the device is pretty worthless as far reselling it, at least on the Sprint side of things. Not sure if the ability to adjust in call volume is an issue with VM version or not?

Thanks for your input.