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VS880 23A 5.1.1 Lollipop Root

L

Lance Spahr

Lurker
We've finally achieved root on 23A 5.1.1 Lollipop! Just follow the instructions below!

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Currently my VS880 is dead, as in DEAD. I'm no longer able to complete this root and signal fix, as I don't have a device to use it on. :( sorry guys.. Maybe if I can get my hands on a G Vista from somewhere I'll continue working on it, but currently not available to.. :/ Sorry for the disappointing news :(
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Prerequisites
  • You must be on 10B, 11B, or 12A
  • You must be rooted
  • You must have custom recovery (currently only CWM Philz)
  • You must have fastboot mode
Known Issues
  • Signal disconnects and reconnects randomly (**FIX COMING SOON**)

1) Download the files below (boot.bin, tz.bin, rpm.bin, modem-11b.bin, system.img, Sharpening Mod G3, latest SuperSU.zip)
  • Modem from 11B is the only one I've tested, feel free to try any other modem besides 23A, it's confirmed not working.....
2) Reboot into fastboot mode

3) Flash boot.bin, tz.bin, rpm.bin, and modem-11b.bin (e.g. fastboot flash boot boot.bin, fastboot flash modem modem-11b.bin, etc...)

4) Reboot into recovery

5) Flash system.img
Code: 
adb push system.img /sdcard/
adb shell
su
dd if=/sdcard/system.img of=/dev/block/platform/msm_sdcc.1/by-name/system

6) Flash Sharpening Mod
  • Select any Sharpening level, I selected 40 (Stock)
7) Flash SuperSU

8) Reboot and you now have rooted 23A 5.1.1 Lollipop!

DOWNLOADS:

boot.bin - (https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=24269982087013881)
tz.bin - (https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=24269982087013882)
rpm.bin - (https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=24269982087013883)
modem.bin - (https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=24269982087013874)
system.img - (https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=24269982087013880)
CWM Philz Recovery - (https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=24269982087013876)

Sharpening Mod - (http://forum.xda-developers.com/lg-g3/orig-development/fix-sharpening-mod-script-1-0-beta-t2957648)

SuperSU - (https://download.chainfire.eu/696/SuperSU/UPDATE-SuperSU-v2.46.zip)
 
Last edited:
Sweet. I can't wait to give this a shot!

I can't figure out why the modem from 23A isn't compatible. Unless it's just a placeholder and isn't flashed during OTA/KDZ upgrade.
 
Josh Levinson said:
What would it take to get the signal fix zip?
Click to expand...

currently, the fix is still... broken heh. my VS880 is currently out of service, perm-bricked/broken. I assumed I just needed to flash the aboot and modem from lollipop but it didn't seem to work... :/ so, you're honestly better off to go back to kitkat or put up with the signal issues.. I'm super sorry, if I can get my hands on another G Vista I'll resume work but currently I'm not able to do so..
 
Can you expound on the signal issues? What were you experiencing?
Also, I'm somewhat experienced with rom development...can you provide me with as much background/experience/details as you know of?
 
Josh Levinson said:
Can you expound on the signal issues? What were you experiencing?
Also, I'm somewhat experienced with rom development...can you provide me with as much background/experience/details as you know of?
Click to expand...
It connects, and then a little later it will disconnect from your signal and almost immediately reconnect, and it repeats every few minutes.. the fix I tried first was just flashing the lollipop (23A) modem.bin from an extracted kdz, which resulted in either no signal or a boot error (I can't clearly remember honestly), and then I tried flashing the modem from kk back and it worked (with signal issues). I tried flashing aboot.bin and modem.bin from 23A and it gave a secure boot error but then denied all root permissions (rendering fastboot useless although if you keep your laf partition intact, unlike me, you can reset back to kk and try again). I'm not totally sure what's going to work, but perhaps when a CM12/.1 build is ready, we need not worry about it :) or, maybe some point down the road one of the other devs that's been working diligently on this device will figure out the perfect combination to get root working on Lollipop with no strings attached :) any help you can input is greatly appreciated (as there's a lack of Vista devs/owners out there, as you can probably tell with a simple google search).

I do know that the vista does *NOT* have an unlocked bootloader, as per the LG usual (besides the G4 apparently), so all flashed img's have to be bumped (the sharpening mod linked above bumps boot.img files I believe). Custom Recovery and root is perfect on KK, up to 12A, and I forget in specific what all methods of root on Lollipop have been tested but the majority of them are from the G3 as they have similarities and the G3 has a great dev community. I believe there's a connection between aboot and modem that has to align in order for stable signal and secured boot to happen.
 
I'll upload them ASAP.. need to find a reliable place to host them from (androidforums won't let me upload the file).. I want to warn you, I'm not responsible if your device dies from this, I've tried it and worked fine, but to my knowledge that's it. Mine died shortly after due to either too many partition flashes or too many times shorting out pins to boot to different modes.. Hopefully you have better luck than I :) hopefully I'll be able to return to developing on this device, I really enjoyed it
 
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