Root System update

[ramjet73]

Don't you lose half of what was in the OTA by doing this (basically any updated apps)? I don't understand how you can install/restore a ROM and not lose the OTA changes.

I'm not discounting your experiences, I think maybe you're overlooking the fact that I don't want to start from scratch.

Most S-OFF users don't run the stock ROM but it can still be rooted as an alternative to restoring or flashing a custom ROM. It can also be backed up from recovery after the OTA updates for future use as an unrooted, stock, updated ROM which is something that I would recommend for anyone that makes the effort to flash the RUU and apply two OTA updates.

The relock/unlock process that S-ON users need to follow when flashing an RUU has caused problems for many users even though it seems straightforward. If you prefer to stay S-ON and deal with the extra steps, I certainly understand and respect that.

ramjet73

 

[remanifest]

Sorry, I don't understand your reply. I'm running a rooted stock ROM (because of the aforementioned bug). How do I keep the OTA *software* updates without starting over from scratch (even partially)? Clarification: I presume software updates delivered via the OTA are not in the Play store (at least some of them).

It's possible I can't (short of building my own ROM; unlikely since I'm running stock , it's just several replies seem to imply I can and I'm not sure how.

All of your account settings and such can be backed up with Titanium Backup -- I've never used MyBackup Pro, but it may have the same functionality. Run those backups, and they'll save to your SD Card.

After you've got those backups, the first thing to do would be to go into recovery and make a nandroid backup. Next, run the RUU. This will return you to a 100% stock state. From there, you can take the OTA updates, reinstall the superuser binaries, and restore your backups. If anything goes wrong, you've got a nandroid backup to revert to.

 

[Bigtuna00]

Personally, id flash the updated stock rooted rom on top of your stock rooted rom.

Make a nandroid first. Only wipe cache and dalvik cache.

You wont lose data

Ok, that's interesting and makes sense. But then I lose any changes I made to my stock ROM (which wasn't that many, just uninstalled some bloat apps).

Don't know why I never thought of that. So it would be something like (remember I'm S-ON):

• nandroid current ROM
• relock
• RUU
• Take November OTA
• Take March OTA
• unlock
• Install custom recovery
• nandroid backup of the now up-to-date stock ROM
• Restore current ROM
• Restore up-to-date stock ROM
• EDIT: wipe cache and dalvik

That look right?

 

[Rxpert83]

Whoa whoa.


I was talking about simply:
doing a nandroid
Wipe dalvik cache and cache
Flash updated stock rom.
Reboot


If you're multiple updates behind, thats probably not the way to go.

 

[ramjet73]

Personally, id flash the updated stock rooted rom on top of your stock rooted rom.

Make a nandroid first. Only wipe cache and dalvik cache.

You wont lose data

Which updated stock rooted ROM are you referencing?

I don't think there was ever a flashable updated stock ROM from the November OTA let alone one that incorporates the changes that were released in today's OTA.

Both OTA's involved patches and today's OTA also has replacements for system files but they are not complete updates to the ROM so someone would have to integrate both of them with the RUU version of the ROM then make a flashable zip file for that.

ramjet73

 

[wigginst]

Can we not just flash the Ramjet zip through the bootloader off the sd card? Or is all the talk of RUU'ing for people wanting to go back and get the full update instead of just what Ramjet pulled out?

 

[Rxpert83]

Which updated stock rooted ROM are you referencing?

I don't think there was ever a flashable updated stock ROM from the November OTA let alone one that incorporates the changes that were released in today's OTA.

Both OTA's involved patches and today's OTA also has replacements for system files but they are not complete updates to the ROM so someone would have to integrate both of them with the RUU version of the ROM then make a flashable zip file for that.

ramjet73

Yes, a dev can pull the stock rom and build a flashable one. Thats usually the first thing that happens after an ota update .

I guess i assumed you guys had that already.

 

[remanifest]

Can we not just flash the Ramjet zip through the bootloader off the sd card? Or is all the talk of RUU'ing for people wanting to go back and get the full update instead of just what Ramjet pulled out?

Yes you may, if you're S-OFF. Just rename it to PG86IMG.zip and throw it on your SD Card, or flash it with fastboot flash zip filename.zip from your computer (while in bootloader)

RUU talk is for people who want to take the OTA after rooting, who don't have S-OFF or who want to run the stock ROM.

 

[remanifest]

Yes, a dev can pull the stock rom and build a flashable one. Thats usually the first thing that happens after an ota update .

I guess i assumed you guys had that already.

In the works on page 1 I believe, unless they're working out those updates for their own builds.

 

[messedupguy]

I got and rooted the phone two weeks ago. I did the first OTA before I rooted my phone. I guess if I want this I have to unroot and start all over?

Another Question. I picked this phone up for my wife just a few days ago. I am going to activate it on Saturday. I want to root her phone and put Harmonia on it for her. Should I be putting this new OTA on her phone? I dont know if this new one breaks anything with root or flashing roms. Sorry, just trying to figure this out and not mess anything up.

 

[Bigtuna00]

The relock/unlock process that S-ON users need to follow when flashing an RUU has caused problems for many users even though it seems straightforward. If you prefer to stay S-ON and deal with the extra steps, I certainly understand and respect that.

That's fair, you definitely have more experience than I. I've not run into issues yet with this process. I did it once prior to the November update, and then again for the November update without issue. But 2 is not a large sample size

Thanks for trying to help. The more I think about it, the more I think I need to experiment with a pure stock experience. FWIW this is not my first customized Android device and I've tried 4 or 5 different ROMs on my EVO. I'm not running stock for lack of trying other things. But that one bug I mentioned is simply annoying enough for me to put up with the stock ROM. The battery life has been surprisingly good (that was my primary concern reverting to stock). The only thing I changed on this current stock ROM is to remove some carrier bloat (which admittedly it only takes one crappy app to kill your battery).

 

[Bigtuna00]

Whoa whoa.


I was talking about simply:
doing a nandroid
Wipe dalvik cache and cache
Flash updated stock rom.
Reboot


If you're multiple updates behind, thats probably not the way to go.

EDIT: never mind, you already answered this.

Ah no, that's not what I meant. How to I get "updated stock rom" to flash without the steps I described above? I think that's where we have a disconnect.

 

[Bigtuna00]

Or is all the talk of RUU'ing for people wanting to go back and get the full update instead of just what Ramjet pulled out?

Yes exactly. I'm running the stock ROM because of a bug in all the custom ROMs (or all the ones I have tried). I actually want the software updates too.

 

[ramjet73]

O
Don't know why I never thought of that. So it would be something like (remember I'm S-ON):

• nandroid current ROM
• relock
• RUU
• Take November OTA
• Take March OTA
• unlock
• Install custom recovery
• nandroid backup of the now up-to-date stock ROM
• Restore current ROM
• Restore up-to-date stock ROM
• EDIT: wipe cache and dalvik

That look right?

Sort of.

I'm not sure what you mean by "restore current ROM" and "restore up-to-date stock ROM" towards the end of your process but restoring a ROM nandroid will always replace everything from the previous ROM. If you have things you want to save from your current ROM you need to back them up somehow, then root the up-to-date stock ROM and restore them. Restoring the current ROM in the procedure above isn't necessary and and would be immediately undone by the restore of the updated ROM, so you can skip both those steps and restore whatever data you backed up before doing the updates.

ramjet73

 

[ramjet73]

Can we not just flash the Ramjet zip through the bootloader off the sd card? Or is all the talk of RUU'ing for people wanting to go back and get the full update instead of just what Ramjet pulled out?

Yes, f you are S-OFF and planning to run something other than stock you can just flash the firmware updates.

The current discussion is about getting the OTA updates while S-ON and running the updated stock ROM afterwards.

ramjet73

 

[Bigtuna00]

Sort of.

I'm not sure what you mean by "restore current ROM" and "restore up-to-date stock ROM" towards the end of your process but restoring a ROM nandroid will always replace everything from the previous ROM. If you have things you want to save from your current ROM you need to back them up somehow, then root the up-to-date stock ROM and restore them. Restoring the current ROM in the procedure above isn't necessary and and would be immediately undone by the restore of the updated ROM, so you can skip both those steps and restore whatever data you backed up before doing the updates.

ramjet73

I believe the point was that "data" would be preserved so I wouldn't need to reconfigure everything (or some significant subset of "everything"). Restoring a nandroid backup doesn't kill "user data" as far as I'm aware. This can, of course, be a REALLY BAD THING if you are switching ROMs. But I'm not switching ROMs. It's effectively like applying an update from a ROM dev without doing a full wipe.

I get that some of you are saying "just use a backup app". I have never successfully done that in a complete fashion. To be clear: I have never done a fresh ROM install, restored from a backup app, and been where I left off. There is always *something* missing or misconfigured.

 

[mrawesome22]

So would it take much effort to get this new stuff supported by an aftermarket kernel. Say... BT?

I tried flashing 16.3 and it also was a no go.

 

[remanifest]

I believe the point was that "data" would be preserved so I wouldn't need to reconfigure everything (or some significant subset of "everything"). Restoring a nandroid backup doesn't kill "user data" as far as I'm aware. This can, of course, be a REALLY BAD THING if you are switching ROMs. But I'm not switching ROMs. It's effectively like applying an update from a ROM dev without doing a full wipe.

I get that some of you are saying "just use a backup app". I have never successfully done that in a complete fashion. To be clear: I have never done a fresh ROM install, restored from a backup app, and been where I left off. There is always *something* missing or misconfigured.

What we're trying to say here is that if you restore a nandroid backup, you will undo all of the (software) updates from the OTA, which is what you were interested in.

When is the last time you tried Titanium Backup or MyBackup Pro? I successfully restore my account settings all the time. There should be no issue restoring these settings when you are coming from stock>stock.

 

[ramjet73]

Yes, a dev can pull the stock rom and build a flashable one. Thats usually the first thing that happens after an ota update .

I guess i assumed you guys had that already.

Do you know how to do that?

I've been looking for a way to turn the updated stock ROM into a flashable zip after applying the OTA updates and haven't found anything yet. The only stock ROM's currently available are rooted with busybox installed and now we need an unrooted stock ROM to run the JuopunutBear wire trick.

dsixda's Android Kitchen may be able to do that from a nandroid backup but I'm not clear on the process.

ramjet73

 

[Bigtuna00]

What we're trying to say here is that if you restore a nandroid backup, you will undo all of the (software) updates from the OTA, which is what you were interested in.

I don't think that's the case actually. If you reread my steps you'll see that's not the issue.

When is the last time you tried Titanium Backup or MyBackup Pro? I successfully restore my account settings all the time. There should be no issue restoring these settings when you are coming from stock>stock.

Good question. I have no idea. I've had so much trouble with it in the past I gave up. One question though: do you use 2-step verification from Google? That's probably the only part that I'm positive has broken in the past.

Thanks for your vote of confidence in this type of restore. It's certainly something for me to consider.

 

[wigginst]

Yes you may, if you're S-OFF. Just rename it to PG86IMG.zip and throw it on your SD Card, or flash it with fastboot flash zip filename.zip from your computer (while in bootloader)

RUU talk is for people who want to take the OTA after rooting, who don't have S-OFF or who want to run the stock ROM.

OK, that is what I thought as I have done that before. Just making sure. I am Soff and thought that was how I could do it but it got all RUU'y all of a sudden and I started to get confused

 

[wigginst]

So would it take much effort to get this new stuff supported by an aftermarket kernel. Say... BT?

I tried flashing 16.3 and it also was a no go.

Hmm, does this mean that roms like Neggablue that run other kernels (such as BT) will have issues if they do the update?

 

[ramjet73]

I believe the point was that "data" would be preserved so I wouldn't need to reconfigure everything (or some significant subset of "everything"). Restoring a nandroid backup doesn't kill "user data" as far as I'm aware. This can, of course, be a REALLY BAD THING if you are switching ROMs. But I'm not switching ROMs. It's effectively like applying an update from a ROM dev without doing a full wipe.

I get that some of you are saying "just use a backup app". I have never successfully done that in a complete fashion. To be clear: I have never done a fresh ROM install, restored from a backup app, and been where I left off. There is always *something* missing or misconfigured.

Who said the "data" would be preserved? I believe that was if there was a flashable stock ROM with all the updates applied so you wouldn't have to start with the RUU but AFAIK that doesn't exist at this point.

You could try doing an "advanced" backup of the data partition before doing the RUU and restoring that after the updates are complete but there is no guaranty that something changed in the OTA updates won't be affected by that. If you do a a backup right after the OTA updates are completed or immediately after rooting the updated ROM you could always fall back to that and restore individual items, so the data partition backup/restore might be worth a try.

ramjet73

 

[Bigtuna00]

Who said the "data" would be preserved? I believe that was if there was a flashable stock ROM with all the updates applied so you wouldn't have to start with the RUU but AFAIK that doesn't exist at this point.

You could try doing an "advanced" backup of the data partition before doing the RUU and restoring that after the updates are complete but there is no guaranty that something changed in the OTA updates won't be affected by that. If you do a a backup right after the OTA updates are completed or immediately after rooting the updated ROM you could always fall back to that and restore individual items, so the data partition backup/restore might be worth a try.

ramjet73

Duh...you're right. I'm sorry, Rxpert83 was talking about a flashable zip, not a nandroid restore. Sorry, brain fart on my part.

 

[remanifest]

I don't think that's the case actually. If you reread my steps you'll see that's not the issue.

When I read through your steps, they didn't make sense to me. A nandroid restore over a nandroid restore erases everything you had and replaces it with the new nandroid, such that if your settings were preserved in your initial backup, you'd simply overwrite them with your "new" backup.

The only way I know to accomplish what you're looking for is to use a backup app like the ones mentioned above. They're constantly updated, so if you had problems in the distant past, they're likely fixed by now. If you've purchased the apps, the developers are also likely to respond to your queries. I've been using Titanium Backup for at least a few years now (first generation license), and the developer is incredibly responsive.