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Root [Sprint] [OUDHS] Modem backup tool

xInterlopeRx said:
Have you flashed a recovery for it yet? I can update TWRP with the new kernel code today. Can you join the IRC channel tonight sometime, or tomorrow for some pulling of the partitions and trespassing the inventions of security?
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Yup. Just know I'm not around a computer anymore.
 
NolenUmar said:
So I copied this to my SD, booted into TWRP, then installed and now my phone is infinitely rebooting and wont go past the Samsung logo. I tried to go back to TWRP to apply the backup it created but it's going straight to the odin downloading thing, and says "Could not do normal boot". I also remember it saying something about couldn't mount /modem or something. smh -_-
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First Post. I had a similar experience. I have a rooted Sprint Victory with stock JB / TWRP. Tried this modem swap in an effort to address the in-call volume problem which makes the phone worthless. Flashing the zip file I got from the OUDHS site looked like a success, but a reboot gave me a boot loop. The efsbackupflash.zip was created, though. When I tried flashing that, I can now not enter TWRP, but am in ODIN download mode. I would love to fix my phone as NolenUmar did, but am not exactly sure where to begin. ODIN has been pretty touchy. Thanks for any help. --cb
 
salsahead said:
First Post. I had a similar experience. I have a rooted Sprint Victory with stock JB / TWRP. Tried this modem swap in an effort to address the in-call volume problem which makes the phone worthless. Flashing the zip file I got from the OUDHS site looked like a success, but a reboot gave me a boot loop. The efsbackupflash.zip was created, though. When I tried flashing that, I can now not enter TWRP, but am in ODIN download mode. I would love to fix my phone as NolenUmar did, but am not exactly sure where to begin. ODIN has been pretty touchy. Thanks for any help. --cb
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Most likely this modem doesn't match your bootloader, which it must. These days I don't have all the modems. What firmware version were you on? What caused you to want to try this? Can any other readers provide the modems so I can make .tar recoverable files for people? If so, host them on Drive or Dropbox with a note about the firmware version and I'll get something out asap.

EDIT: PROTIP!: if the device goes straight to bootload, it's because something failed to flash in Odin/Heimdall and it's looking for a success code. If you flash ANYTHING in DL mode that succeeds, it will return to normal boot sequence.
 
Hi again. I made some .tar's with the files I did have on hand. I don't have a Sprint device to test them with however. They are here:
Official Unloved Device HitSquad

modem-x: I don't know the version number at all. I tried to find it with a hex editor, but no joy
modem-l9: from firmware version L300VPALJ9, but might be in the wrong format I just realized...maybe I can fix it over ssh into the file host though.

The files are still uploading:wait 30 minutes.
 
I am not sure of the firmware, but it is the latest available. The call volume problem seems confined to Sprint versions of the Victory. FAIK, the hardware is identical. I thought the modem might implicated....I don't understand how a bad modem could prevent a boot from proceeding, so I may have something else going on. I used TWRP to install the efsbu7z-victory.zip bundle, not ODIN. When I try to go into recovery (TWRP), that is when I get thrown into ODIN / download mode.

Given the state of my phone, does it make sense to try and flash a modem with ODIN? Or should I take advantage of what access I might have to go with a full recovery? I thought that I might begin with ICS, to see if an earlier ROM avoids the problem.

Many thanks for the help.
 
You can do as you like. If you flash a recovery tar, you'll be able to restore whatver backup you have, but it may still not boot. modem/bootloader mismatch does cause boot failure because the bootloader looks for specific files in other partitions, like tz (trust zone) and the sbl's too. If it doesn't find the right files, it will stop. So, you can flash the modem at this point, or better yet, flash the recovery and flash the backed up modem this process made. Restoring a backup won't restore the modem.
 
I took out the ext sd card. Made backups. There are two TWRP backups. (At first I thought that they were damaged because there is no creation date or anything much except the file names and size. This is with XP. Linux shows a bit more.) My phone is JZO54K.L300VPBMC1 and TWRP (2.6.3.0) has /boot, /data, /recovery, and /system components. /cache and /modem are not part of the backup. The TWRP recovery.log is instructive. There are few oddities. Among them is this for /modem:
/modem | /dev/block/mmcblk0p1 | Size: 63MB Used: 42MB Free: 21MB Backup Size: 42MB
Flags: Can_Be_Mounted Can_Be_Wiped IsPresent
Primary_Block_Device: /dev/block/mmcblk0p1
Display_Name: modem
Storage_Name: modem
Backup_Path: /modem
Backup_Name: modem
Backup_Display_Name: modem
Storage_Path: /modem
Current_File_System: vfat
Fstab_File_System: ext4
Backup_Method: files​
The mismatch of file system types is the same for both TWRP backups. This is the only partition with a mismatch of types.
Not sure what it means, but a search shows that it is not uncommon.

I believe that your recommendation is to take twrp_2.6.3.0.tar and use ODIN to set that back in place and hopefully be able to enter recovery. If that is successful, try to find efsbackupflash.zip and see if that can be used to put the modem back in place. Is this correct?

There now seem to be 4 modems for this device, the three you mention, and one now for L300VPBMC1
 
Yes a successful Odin attempt should reset the device and enable you to boot into recovery. Then, you can restore your backups, but you'll still need the right modem, which you should have on your device. That file should be accessible through TWRP file manger once you're in recovery. Copy it onto the sdcard, transfer it to your computer and send it to me with DB or Drive and I'll make a .tar and .zip so you can restore it either way.

Read the first post to find the location and name of the file. It's been a long time since I was in this forum and working on this device.
 
ODIN/TWRM success. I will send along the modem data shortly. When copying the efsbackupflash.zip to external sd, TWRM warns E: Unable to mount '/modem' and /modem is empty.
 
Thanks. I will let you know the firmware stamp so that you can rename the modem appropriately. I will next recover from twrp backup. Then I will attempt to go back to ICS for a full reset in hopes of getting rid of the call volume problem which plagues this phone, both Sprint and VM versions, apparently. If CM can stamp out that problem it will have an instant customer in me.
 
salsahead said:
Thanks. I will let you know the firmware stamp so that you can rename the modem appropriately. I will next recover from twrp backup. Then I will attempt to go back to ICS for a full reset in hopes of getting rid of the call volume problem which plagues this phone, both Sprint and VM versions, apparently. If CM can stamp out that problem it will have an instant customer in me.
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I used the Sprint device for a while and never realized there was a call volume problem. Can you describe it?
 
Sure, you can see the litany of pain here and here and here. There is an assumption in the first forum that this is a Sprint-only and not a VM problem, but there is at least one VM review of the phone blasting it for this unadjustable-volume problem.

Similar problems seem to persist across Android versions and vendors: in this summary you can see that this is a longstanding problem and the Victory is on the list. Visit the report attached to the end for more detail: the Victory at 4.1.2 as the last entry in the report, with the note that the usual workaround (crank volume to max and then back it down) does not work and that maybe some deeper evil is involved. But what? The issue for the Victory seem associated with something in the OTA update to 4.1.2 I don't know whether reverting to an earlier release might fix things.

As you know, I tried on the idea of changing out the modem since the problem for me did not occur when making calls over SIP. I am guessing that Skype also presents no problem, but I have not tested that out.

I think, though, that I started at the wrong end of the chain to address the problem. My guess, it is the stock phone app itself or something that sits between it and the the audio api of the phone.
 
Yes, the call volume problem is a royal pain- I've only had the phone a month or so, and it was always on the latest firmware so I have no idea if earlier versions of the OS didn't have it.

Pretty ballsy of you to flash the VM version's modem to try and fix it. As I understand it, the hardware is NOT identical 100% between Sprint and VM (not sure exactly what is different, but it appears that when they tried porting ROMs from one to the other there were problems).
 
xInterlopeRx said:
Official Unloved Device HitSquad

modem-y is yours salsahead. Once you tell me your firmware version I'll rename it. And you're right, the script was missing some elements. IDK what I was thinking but I know I tested it...I tested something anyway.
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OK, I'm back. Much thanks. Here are the version details:
Model number:SPH-L300

Android version: 4.1.2

Baseband version: L300VPBMC1

Kernel version: 3.0.31-1065336 se.infra@SEP-89 #1 SMP PREEMPT Mon Mar 18 21:18:12 KST 2013

Build number: JZO54K.L300VPBMC1

Hardware version: L300.05

​
 
My call volume problem has retreated into the background, for now. Call quality is really not very good, though. It is better (with adequate wifi) using a SIP phone app to make / receive phone calls than over cellular.

It is a bit of a mystery why the call volume problem has vanished, since I am newly recovered to the Nandroid I made of my 4.1.2 system and I have just put back in place the original modem (I am not sure why recoveries like CWM and TRWP do not include the modem in the backups). So, I think that the system is identical to before I started messing with the phone. Perhaps some cache wiping during recovery did the trick?

I did not try out VM modems; only Sprint, I believe. I am curious now about interchanging modems to see if different baseband radios perform differently. I am not sure if this is possible with the Victory like it is with other phones. xInterlopeRx mentions that bootloader/modem mismatch may give the soft brick experience I enjoyed, but perhaps if the modem is flashed correctly, then the bootloader is not surprised by what it finds. ( I note that the S3 has a long list of modems that folks have tried).

I am not so brave. There was not much to lose with this phone. Never confuse bravery with what can be explained by stupidity alone. :stupido2:
 
salsahead said:
My call volume problem has retreated into the background, for now.
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Well, that did not last long. Back to same-old same-old. All I think that I did was hook the phone up to USB and connect via adb. Watched logcat while entering the phone app and making a (very loud) call. I reflashed the modem and wiped cache/davlik and it made no difference. Restored from backup, as I did before: no difference. I am sure that I have overlooked something, but as far as I know, I have merely plugged the phone in to USB, searched through its file system with adb, and that was enough to break the call audio again. Very frustrating.
 
salsahead said:
Well, that did not last long. Back to same-old same-old. All I think that I did was hood the phone up to USB and connect via adb. Watched logcat while entering the phone app and making a (very loud) call. I reflashed the modem and wiped cache/davlik and it made no difference. Restored from backup, as I did before: no difference. I am sure that I have overlooked something, but as far as I know, I have merely plugged the phone in to USB, searched through its file system with adb, and that was enough to break the call audio again. Very frustrating.
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I think mine would start working after I turned on/off the noise reduction option in the dialer, then it would stop again.
 
That strategy does not work for me, except on rare occasion, and even then there is only a very slight reduction in volume and the telephone is still not usable. Suggestions on where to turn next?

I installed one of the several apps to regulate volume across the device. Interesting. I was able to crank down voice and set it in the app and then when I made a phone call, voila, I had some control of the call volume. I then tried immediately to make a 2nd call, and the problem recurred. Went back to the volume app and, sure enough, the volume level for calls (voice) was not just reset, it was gone. I went back to the app and locked the volume level...it will take some experimentation, but this seems to work.
 
salsahead said:
That strategy does not work for me, except on rare occasion, and even then there is only a very slight reduction in volume and the telephone is still not usable. Suggestions on where to turn next?

I installed one of the several apps to regulate volume across the device. Interesting. I was able to crank down voice and set it in the app and then when I made a phone call, voila, I had some control of the call volume. I then tried immediately to make a 2nd call, and the problem recurred. Went back to the volume app and, sure enough, the volume level for calls (voice) was not just reset, it was gone. I went back to the app and locked the volume level...it will take some experimentation, but this seems to work.
Click to expand...

Interesting. Do share more detail? What app? What does it do, exactly?

My solution has been using a headset, but for occasional phone calls the handset max volume isn't terrible once noise reduction is off. If it starts to annoy me, I tell them I'll call back from my headset.
 
dishe said:
Interesting. Do share more detail? What app? What does it do, exactly?

My solution has been using a headset, but for occasional phone calls the handset max volume isn't terrible once noise reduction is off. If it starts to annoy me, I tell them I'll call back from my headset.
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The topic has diverged a bit and is no longer about modems, but it seems appropriate to continue the thread of discussion here....

I tried the Persist volume control app. and when the Noise Reduction option was turned off, it allowed some control over in-call volume (and also the volume of Media, Ringer, etc.) The API for android from JB or perhaps ICS ties together in some clever way the audio channels and this app unbundles them. You can 'lock' a volume level so if I lock in the lowest possible call volume before making or receiving phone calls then the phone volume is quite loud but definitely softer than before. Curiously, if I use the app to unlock the call volume, then make a call /use external speaker, then it is back to the old nasty behavior. When I go back to Persist, the call volume is blank. The app is closed source so I don't really know what is happening, but it may be that call volume is getting set to an out of range value (is this possible?) or possibly zero. So, Persist says that the call volume is zero or below while the phone application volume is maximum or beyond. Locking seems to prevent that.

I rolled back to ICS stock with a hope that starting at the beginning might fix things. Nope. The ODIN tar wipes everything so I am not sure what badness that might have occurred along the way could survive, but the rollback had no effect. An OTA brought me to 4.1.2 and a JZ build (along with a $$ hit on my data charges).

Next up I am trying diverging from stock ROMS. First stop was JerryScript's Sprintorious. This is an overlay .zip and DATA is not wiped, and so my phone is still 4.1.2 but with the Sprintorious build. For some reason this ROM has brought some sanity. The Noise Reduction option for the phone app is not there. Call volume can be modified and at the lowest setting is still loud but I can actually have a conversation. Calls in or out seem to behave the same way. What is odd, though, is that the external speaker volume is now whacked, high and distorted, and not modifiable. I will try installing Persist again and seeing what effect that has.
 
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