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Root [Virgin Mobile] Firmware Update

K

kwknott

Android Expert
I woke this morning to my phone prompting me to install a new firmware update.

Didn't have time to mess with it cause I had to get to work. Just know it's version MC1 to MG5 and it says it includes "new enhancements".

Here it is if anyone wants to pull it apart.

http://db.tt/ZHVFfYrF

* I would avoid installing it if you are on custom recovery (Twrp or Cwm) until someone can look at it. I've seen updates in past brick phones when they were installed with custom recovery!
 
Yeah it won't if your running Victorious or have stock rom that you've removed any system apps or changed some system files. The updater script checks for system integrity and if anything in the system partition is changed from the way phone is shipped the update will error out. To install this will require going back to 100% stock rom and possibly stock recovery until it gets pulled apart and examined.

I briefly looked into it and see it's updating Google Hangouts and installing some other test app, new boot image, patched recovery and looks to be some radio firmware updates.
 
Well I will look into it. If I can get the LH9 and MC1 update zips, I can make a stock rom with this.
 
they updated tz and the sbls
i would be wary of flashing with those in it because maybe it'll lock bootloader...Im not really sure but...
 
files that need to be examined:
tz.mbn
sbl2.mbn
sbl3.mbn
rpm.mbn
aboot.mbn
(all bootloaders)
non-hlos.img
recovery/etc/install-recovery.sh
recovery/recovery-from-boot.p

most of this update is encrypted?
 
Wonder what the itson app is? It has a file called itson-bootstrapper.sh

It's under system/vendor


**edit.. itson is a company that appears to offer software that allows wireless customers to customize their wireless services.. I wonder if VM is trying to go the direction of ting and allow different service options for voice, text and data?
 
i saw something in system that showed boost mobile...maybe their releasing a sister phone? and its gonna have this software package so itson makes it compatible?
 
I messed with the itson crap and it looks like something for a new company called ZactMobile. Works like Tings plans
 
kwknott said:
I woke this morning to my phone prompting me to install a new firmware update.

Didn't have time to mess with it cause I had to get to work. Just know it's version MC1 to MG5 and it says it includes "new enhancements".

Here it is if anyone wants to pull it apart.

http://db.tt/ZHVFfYrF

* I would avoid installing it if you are on custom recovery (Twrp or Cwm) until someone can look at it. I've seen updates in past brick phones when they were installed with custom recovery!
Click to expand...
I knew it. ;)
http://androidforums.com/virgin-mob...ible-update-coming-dont-hold-your-breath.html

What we need to do is check out init.rc, see where we can keep root for now based on how the permission get changed during boot, and go from there. Something like Gordita-Root may work.
 
Just take out the line in updater-script about deleting root XD
forget all the extra work. lets just edit the ota a bit and release on forums
 
I still don't see the need to update the bootloader...
I'm a little worried about it getting locked...although we can always unlock it with Odin...
 
rbheromax said:
Just take out the line in updater-script about deleting root XD
forget all the extra work. lets just edit the ota a bit and release on forums
Click to expand...

Looks like we need to remove all the apply_patch_check lines in the updater, they check to be sure each system file matches an MD5/SHA1.

Possibly we should remove the patch for recovery.

Here's everything the updater-script removes:
Code: 
delete("/system/app/Hangouts.apk", "/system/app/ItsOnUID.apk",
       "/system/csc/contents.db", "/system/csc/customer.xml",
       "/system/csc/default_workspace.xml", "/system/csc/feature.xml",
       "/system/csc/language.xml", "/system/csc/others.xml",
       "/system/csc/sales_code.dat",
       "/system/etc/permissions/com.itsoninc.android.itsonservice.xml",
       "/system/lib/libAppDataSearch.so",
       "/system/lib/libgoggles_clientvision.so",
       "/system/lib/libgoogle_recognizer_jni_l.so", "/system/vendor/itson/",
       "/system/vendor/itson/itson-bootstrapper.sh",
       "/system/vendor/itson/itson_installer", "/system/vendor/itson/keys",
       "/system/vendor/itson/resources.zip", "/system/CSCVersion.txt",
       "/system/etc/security_profile.dat", "/system/lib/libbcc.so.sha1",
       "/system/app/LTESetting.apk", "/system/app/LTESetting.odex",
       "/system/app/LTETest.apk", "/system/app/LTETest.odex",
       "/system/app/Talk.apk", "/system/lib/libgoogle_endpointer_jni.so",
       "/system/lib/libgoogle_recognizer_jni.so",
       "/system/lib/libvideochat_stabilize.so",
       "/system/recovery.img");
Anything else is patched/overwritten.

I don't see anything removing root, so it may just be a matter of permissions being set in the updater-script! ;)
 
JerryScript said:
Looks like we need to remove all the apply_patch_check lines in the updater, they check to be sure each system file matches an MD5/SHA1.

Possibly we should remove the patch for recovery.

Here's everything the updater-script removes:
Code: 
delete("/system/app/Hangouts.apk", "/system/app/ItsOnUID.apk",
       "/system/csc/contents.db", "/system/csc/customer.xml",
       "/system/csc/default_workspace.xml", "/system/csc/feature.xml",
       "/system/csc/language.xml", "/system/csc/others.xml",
       "/system/csc/sales_code.dat",
       "/system/etc/permissions/com.itsoninc.android.itsonservice.xml",
       "/system/lib/libAppDataSearch.so",
       "/system/lib/libgoggles_clientvision.so",
       "/system/lib/libgoogle_recognizer_jni_l.so", "/system/vendor/itson/",
       "/system/vendor/itson/itson-bootstrapper.sh",
       "/system/vendor/itson/itson_installer", "/system/vendor/itson/keys",
       "/system/vendor/itson/resources.zip", "/system/CSCVersion.txt",
       "/system/etc/security_profile.dat", "/system/lib/libbcc.so.sha1",
       "/system/app/LTESetting.apk", "/system/app/LTESetting.odex",
       "/system/app/LTETest.apk", "/system/app/LTETest.odex",
       "/system/app/Talk.apk", "/system/lib/libgoogle_endpointer_jni.so",
       "/system/lib/libgoogle_recognizer_jni.so",
       "/system/lib/libvideochat_stabilize.so",
       "/system/recovery.img");
Anything else is patched/overwritten.

I don't see anything removing root, so it may just be a matter of permissions being set in the updater-script! ;)
Click to expand...


dont worry about the patching (it needs to run i think), so let the patching run, and set perm for busybox and su, and make it cwm/twrp compatible and call it a day. Im going to write a script too, we can compare and work from there.
 
JerryScript said:
Are you running Victorious? Doesn't show up for me yet either. Probably need to be stock, or perhaps the update is rolled out slowly for download balancing.
Click to expand...

I had been checking it every so often since you found the kernel and it always reported there wasn't an update. It downloaded itself lastnight and was there this morning. After I pulled it and put it on Dropbox I accidentally deleted it off my phone so I hit firmware update to get it back. It again reported no update avaliable , but just a bit ago it downloaded again automatically and started asking me to install.
 
The kernel upgrade was for KVM.

KVM can allow a single phone to use different phone numbers/carriers

Zact is now offering the Victory with their highly customizeable plans (see ads in these forums), perhaps using KVM as part of their process.

KVM will help our phones run a bit smoother with perhaps a bit better battery life, but it looks like the update is not targeted towards the VM Victory specifically.
 
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