which & how custom android OS rom version (7.1 to 12.1) virtually pre load/test adoptable storage

[kumaranil13k]

question which custom android OS stock rom version (6,7.1,8.1,9.1.10,11,12.1) and how to virtually (VM) pre load pre check test have adoptable storage format sd card as internal storage option

the mobile device i want to load custom rom is lyf water 7 as it have android 5.1.1 lolipop but it dont have option to move app to sd card either its locked ot not suitable or compatible for rom device but same company other models with android 5.1.1 have option to move app to sd card following custom roms is available for the same device i want to know which android version will have format external sd as internalal or move aap to sd option enable for my device

https://www.getdroidtips.com/custom-rom-lyf-water-7/

1. Android 10 Q stable
2. Android 9 Pie.
3. Android 8.1 OREO
4. Android 7.1 Nougat
5. Android 11
6. android 12.1 CyanogenMod

https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/cm_12-1-stable-ls-5504-_lyf_water-7.3595710/

I had shared the link of the modified custom roms not from manufacturer vendor but from xda or 3rd party sites don't know it authentic safe or chances to brick the mobile...how can I pre check pre test the custom rom before installing either it have adoptable storage (formatting micro sd card as internal) through pre loading running testing checking custom rom virtually in som virtual machine (VM) type apps so that phone device don't get hardware or software bricked too.

i want to root and install custom rom on my mobile and want to purchase new android mobile ( samsung m21 m31) i am searching that which android supports formatting external sd card as internal and have option to move apps to sd card or auto install apps to sd card kindly suggest the android OS version compatible for adaptable storage

 

[Hadron]

First thing: CM 12.1 is not Android 12, it's actually Android 5.1. CyanogenMod versions do not have the same numbering as Android versions, and that's true for many other custom ROMs (in fact there is no Android 12.1 yet, as 12.0 is still in beta). The ROMs that the first link in your post provided download links for were based on Android 5, 6 or 7.

Anyway, the answer is that adoptable storage was introduced in Android 6. But if you are looking for it in a custom ROM you need to check that that particular ROM supports it. Just the Android version alone does not guarantee that the feature is included (some manufacturers do not include it in their ROMs, for example). But if it is Android 6 or later it's possible it will have the feature, earlier than that and it won't.

The old-style "move to SD" is even more uncertain. That ceased to be part of the basic Android OS a long time ago, though many manufacturers continue to include it even now. So again, you need to look at the particular ROM and check what features it includes.

I can't advise you on loading Android in a VM to check whether the feature is there (i.e. emulating a device with a microSD slot) since I've never done that. But honestly looking at the ROM developer's description of the ROM to see what it includes will be less effort.

 

[kumaranil13k]

@Hadron bro thanx for reply and sharing your precious knowledge advice opinion and time.

looking for it in a custom ROM you need to check that that particular ROM supports it.

@Hadron bro how can we check technically any adb shell comand or any other bechmarking app or any configuration of mobile device ... way to check that device ROM supports or compatible for adaptable storage or not

The old-style "move to SD" is even more uncertain. That ceased to be part of the basic Android OS a long time ago, though many manufacturers continue to include it even now. So again, you need to look at the particular ROM and check what features it includes.

@Hadron bro I have a mobile of same company different model Lyf water 8 the manufacturer vendor on releaae had inbuild android 5.1.1 and of n a ertain after 5 years the vendor manufacturer relaaed and update upgrade for same mobile device update upgrade to android 6.0 marshemellow and the option of adaptable storage for atting external micro sd card is working it in and in android 5.1.1 lolipop move to sd was there so both option exist in the device but it changed with upgrade if android os...but the manufacturer vendor dint release update upgrade for Lyf water 7 so I am seeking for 3rd party custom rom upgrade to try as Lyf water 7 have android 5.1.1 lolipop but no move to sd even as its other model have same in 5.1.1.

I can't advise you on loading Android in a VM to check whether the feature is there (i.e. emulating a device with a microSD slot) since I've never done that. But honestly looking at the ROM developer's description of the ROM to see what it includes will be less effort.

@Hadron bro can u suggest any good VM virtual android os loader app through which I can test and pre check the custom ROMs before installing flashing on rom so that I can check it's compatibilty security features so that after installing flashing I don't get bricked risk or any type of problem with hardware

 

[ocnbrze]

if you root and install twrp, you can just make a nandroid backup which is a complete backup of your phone....data and all. you can then flash cm. if you do not like it for whatever reason, you can just restore the nandroid backup you just made, and it will be like you never left.

 

[mikedt]

@Hadron bro can u suggest any good VM virtual android os loader app through which I can test and pre check the custom ROMs before installing flashing on rom so that I can check it's compatibilty security features so that after installing flashing I don't get bricked risk or any type of problem with hardware

Never heard of such a thing, well not for phones anyway. And the really the only "virtual android" software I know of is what you might install on a computer, for example Bluestacks, which is a virtual Android system running on a host OS, like MacOS or Windows.

You need a custom ROM that's specifically built for your make and model of phone, if one exists for the Lyf Water 7.

 

[Hadron]

@Hadron bro how can we check technically any adb shell comand or any other bechmarking app or any configuration of mobile device ... way to check that device ROM supports or compatible for adaptable storage or not

I don't know, but honestly if you've installed the ROM already (and neither ADB nor an app will be able to tell you anything until you have done that) you can just go into its settings and find out. That would be the quickest and simplest way.

When installing a ROM you will first install a custom recovery (that's the thing you use to install the ROM). As @ocnbrze has said, you can use the recovery to make a backup of your previous ROM and all of its data, and you should always do this before making any change to system software, especially before installing a different ROM. So if the ROM doesn't do what you want, just go back into recovery and restore the backup and you are back to your previous ROM with all of your data intact. You can literally back up, install new ROM, check features, restore old ROM in a few minutes if you want to.

@Hadron bro I have a mobile of same company different model Lyf water 8 the manufacturer vendor on releaae had inbuild android 5.1.1 and of n a ertain after 5 years the vendor manufacturer relaaed and update upgrade for same mobile device update upgrade to android 6.0 marshemellow and the option of adaptable storage for atting external micro sd card is working it in and in android 5.1.1 lolipop move to sd was there so both option exist in the device but it changed with upgrade if android os...but the manufacturer vendor dint release update upgrade for Lyf water 7 so I am seeking for 3rd party custom rom upgrade to try as Lyf water 7 have android 5.1.1 lolipop but no move to sd even as its other model have same in 5.1.1.

Yeah, the thing is that the Lyf water 7 will be a different phone to the Lyf water 8, so the water 8's ROM won't work on the water 7. You still need to find a ROM built for the water 7, and what features it has will depend on what the developer included.

Most likely any Android 6 (or later) ROM for the device will have the features you want. My point was really just that the android version alone does not guarantee it (but less than 6 does guarantee that adoptable storage will not be available).

@Hadron bro can u suggest any good VM virtual android os loader app through which I can test and pre check the custom ROMs before installing flashing on rom so that I can check it's compatibilty security features so that after installing flashing I don't get bricked risk or any type of problem with hardware

No, I'm afraid I can't. I've never tried running Android on a virtual machine (only desktop operating systems).

But more importantly, a ROM has to be built for particular hardware, and so what you are asking is a VM that can verify that a particular ROM will run on particular hardware: so rather than a virtual Android machine for developing apps you are asking for a virtual Lyf Water 7, an exact emulation of that particular phone. I don't know whether such a thing exists at all, I certainly don't know where to find it if it does.

So this is why you have to find ROMs built for that specific model: if they aren't then they will not work, even if they were built for a similar phone. And it is also why you always take a backup of your current ROM before flashing a new custom ROM, because if the custom ROM is buggy or you make a mistake in the flashing then you can simply restore the backup and everything is fixed (a bad ROM flash will not stop you restoring a recovery backup, also known as a "nandroid" backup, it will just mess up the Android part of the phone's system, not the recovery or bootloader).

I personally prefer to know how to reflash a device completely to stock before I try to do any of this, but I've never actually had to do that. But a custom recovery is essential: even if some ROM developer had a recipe for installing a ROM without using one I would never do that. And if you have a recovery that was built for your particular phone model then problems with a bad ROM install or a buggy ROM can be easily fixed by restoring the backup that you made before installing the ROM (you always make a backup before flashing a ROM). Which means that the sort of ROM verification you are asking about here is not so important.

But note: just as ROMs have to be built for a particular model of phone, so do recoveries. Do not install a recovery that was built for a different model, even if it's from the same manufacturer and for a device running the same Android version. If you cannot find a custom recovery for your particular model that's it, there is nothing you can do. Installing the wrong recovery will cause worse problems than installing the wrong ROM (the best case is that the recovery just doesn't work, the worst case is that you can't boot into either recovery or Android), and you will almost certainly have to reflash completely with the manufacturer's original software in order to fix it - if you can find that.

 

[kumaranil13k]

@ocnbrze bro thanks for sharing your precious time knowledge opinion and avice to obliged grateful to you . Thanks a lot.

if you root and install twrp, you can just make a nandroid backup which is a complete backup of your phone....data and all. you can then flash cm. if you do not like it for whatever reason, you can just restore the nandroid backup you just made, and it will be like you never left.

if you root and install twrp, you can just make a nandroid backup which is a complete backup of your phone....data and all. you can then flash cm. if you do not like it for whatever reason, you can just restore the nandroid backup you just made, and it will be like you never left.

@ocnbrze bro yes I know about NANDROID backup and twrprecovery.img i took backup of my mobile phone through all 3 methods

1. adb pull /dev/block/mmcblk0p30 system.img

2. dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0p30 of=/sdcard/system.img bs=4096 conv=notrunc,noerror,sync

3. Fastboot recovery twrprecovery.img


But while recovery I had once tried with another old mobile 5 years before when I tried to flash (fastboot flash system system.img) the backup files of system.img taken it gave error of "parse file error" may be ext4 fat file system problem then I got only succeful with recovering writing back through dd if of comand.


My queries

1. Is it necessary to root and then install the mobile to install twrp recovery on mobile to recover back NANDROID backup as we can load in bootloader mode the twrp recovery file through command fastboot recovery twrprecovery.img and I took backup and I think restore it to.

2. Which of the above (adb pull, dd if, twrp) is safe way to backup NANDROID backup

3. Which backup compact (zip,gz) image we can restore best and less chances of corruption of backup image

4. which backup method (adb pull, dd if, twrp backup) system image we can generate non sparse file which can be flashed with fastboot flash system system.img

 

[Hadron]

But while recovery I had once tried with another old mobile 5 years before when I tried to flash (fastboot flash system system.img) the backup files of system.img taken it gave error of "parse file error" may be ext4 fat file system problem then I got only succeful with recovering writing back through dd if of comand.

No, if you created your "system.img" file the way you describe the reason would be that that file would not fit in the system partition, and it's probably a good thing that the system rejected it.

The syntax of the fastboot flash command is

fastboot flash <partition> <image>

So "fastboot flash system system.img" will attempt to flash the /system partition with the file "system.img". But if the file you called system.img was actually an image of the entire storage device that would include all partitions, not just /system, so flashing it to /system could not work. It's actually a good thing that the system recognised that the file was wrong and rejected it, because had it tried to flash it there is no telling what would have happened (it would have started by flashing the system partition with whatever was in the first part of the file - which probably wasn't the system image - and then proceeded to spill over into other partitions. There's a good chance that would have bricked the device beyond recovery).

My queries

1. Is it necessary to root and then install the mobile to install twrp recovery on mobile to recover back NANDROID backup as we can load in bootloader mode the twrp recovery file through command fastboot recovery twrprecovery.img and I took backup and I think restore it to.

To install TWRP you technically don't need to be rooted if your bootloader is unlocked (i.e. if your bootloader will allow you to fastboot flash unsigned images). With an unlocked bootloader you can fastboot flash recovery twrp.img (make sure that's a TWRP built for your device model).

For many phones you can install TWRP without the bootloader being unlocked if the phone is rooted (but not all: that doesn't work on HTC devices, for example, as they have an extra security flag you would need to disable as well). But once bootloader unlocking became possible I stopped using any other method (I've also not rooted for a few years now, so am not completely current in my information).

As for restoring a nandroid, yes, the term "nandroid" refers to a backup made using a custom recovery, and so you need a custom recovery to restore it (generally the same recovery is best, though there have been cases where 2 different recoveries make compatible backups).

2. Which of the above (adb pull, dd if, twrp) is safe way to backup NANDROID backup

The term "nandroid" refers to a recovery-made backup, so TWRP is the only one that makes a nandroid backup as the term is generally understood.

3. Which backup compact (zip,gz) image we can restore best and less chances of corruption of backup image

I don't understand the question. The nandroid backup will handle this, and I don't recommend messing with the file and changing the compression.

4. which backup method (adb pull, dd if, twrp backup) system image we can generate non sparse file which can be flashed with fastboot flash system system.img

You can only use that command to flash a backup of the system partition.
If a variant of one of those commands can produce an image of just the system partition you could try that, but personally I'd think that recovery would be simplest.
Note that flashing a custom ROM usually requires that you do a factory reset (if it changes the Android version it certainly will require this), so you are going to want to back up your user data separately from any image backup anyway. If you are already rooted then Titanium Backup was the tool of choice when I was last doing this type of thing (restoring an image of the user data won't help as that will also restore all of the incompatible settings from the previous OS. Image backups are good for when you want to completely undo a ROM flash and return to your previous state).[/QUOTE]

 

[kumaranil13k]

No, I'm afraid I can't. I've never tried running Android on a virtual machine (only desktop operating systems).

But more importantly, a ROM has to be built for particular hardware, and so what you are asking is a VM that can verify that a particular ROM will run on particular hardware: so rather than a virtual Android machine for developing apps you are asking for a virtual Lyf Water 7, an exact emulation of that particular phone. I don't know whether such a thing exists at all, I certainly don't know where to find it if it does.

@Hadron bro I have searched and googled and founded a query for loading in another forum question answer the custom rom virtually through multirom app the link and answer quoted bellow. Is mutirom safe and good app and can it install multiple custom rom all together or its used to install vritially

https://android.stackexchange.com/q...or-custom-rom-in-a-virtual-machine-on-android

.
Part 1: Using Multiple ROMs without flashing again and again

App required: MultiRom

Introduction:

• MultiRom powerful utility that installs itself into your Custom Recovery.
  
  
• First Step: "BACKUP" It is recomended to make a nandroid backup of your current ROM in case something goes wrong you can just restore it.
  

Procedure:

• Once you have installed MultiRom open up the app. MultiRom will ask for Root Access. After granting it, you should see Multirom and its current version, the recovery that is required to manage Multirom with, and the MultiRom Kernel (Kexec-hardboot patch)
  
  
• Just tick all 3 boxes to install Multirom, the recovery patch, and the kernel. Once it’s finished installing, MultiRom Manager should prompt you to reboot into Recovery to complete the installation. Once you’ve entered the Custom recovery, it should complete the installation and will soon reboot itself.
  
  
• A message will appear saying something similar like the device will boot into the internal rom in 5 seconds, unless you click cancel. You haven’t installed another Rom into MultiRom yet, so you should only see one option to boot into, and that should say Internal. Internal is pretty much your current Rom, or whatever you were using before installing Multirom. If you do not click cancel, your device will boot into the Internal Rom by default, so click cancel in the event you decide to boot into a different Rom.
  
  
• Now, in order for you to boot into a different Rom, first you have to download the different Custom Roms you want.
  

ONLY DOWNLOAD THE CUSTOM ROM THAT’S SUPPORTED BY YOUR DEVICE

• Note that once you install your Custom Rom, Google Apps and Services will not be installed on it, so you will have to download something called GAPPS (Google Apps) for the respective Android version. so now download the GAPPS zip file.
  
  
• Once you are back into your device’s Stock Rom, we will be using TWRP Recovery, as it is the default Custom recovery supported by MultiRom. Once you are in TWRP, click advanced. You should see a new option called MultiRom. Click that, and you can configure settings, as well as install your Custom Rom to boot from.
  
  
• Assuming you now have your Custom Rom downloaded on your device,click “Add Rom.” You will see many settings on the screen. For Choose ROM type, leave it by default, which is Android. Share Roms with Internal ROM, just leave that as don’t share. You can also see where the Custom Rom will be installed to. By default it will list your internal memory, but if you have an SD card, or even a USB Flash drive that is plugged into your device VIA OTG cable, it will be listed there as well. So just pick the destination of where you want your Custom Rom to be installed/saved on.
  
  
• Click next, and select your source of installing your custom Rom. 3 Options will appear, which include Zip File, Backup, and ADB Sideload. You should have downloaded your Custom Rom earlier in for form of a .zip file, so just select ZIP File. Next, you will navigate to the place where you downloaded your Custom Rom, which most likely will be located in your Downloads folder. So find that and select it. Once you have it selected, you will reach a page where it shows you to confirm flash. So swipe the bar to confirm the Flash, or installation of your Custom Rom, and let it install on its own. Once the installation has ended, do not be so quick as to click reboot.
  
  
• Click the back button on the bottom right hand side, and head over to the List Roms option from earlier. Then, click on the Rom that you just installed, and click Flash Zip, which will flash the Zip file for that individual Rom. Now, flash Google’s apps and services that you have downloaded now Reboot>system.
  
  
• You should be prompted with the same interface as earlier when you installed MultiRom where it asks you which Rom you want to boot into. Click Cancel, as we do not want to boot into our internal rom. Now you should see your brand new installed Custom Rom name listed in the Boot options. Click on that, and confirm you want to boot into it.
  
  
• Now the Custom Rom’s default boot animation should appear, so that indicates you’ve done everything right. Note that this simulates the process of a brand new fresh operating system being booted up for the first time, so the boot process should take a while longer, just wait a few minutes until you reach the device setup screen.
  
  
• In the case that you want to uninstall MultiRom, just boot back into your Internal rom and head over to the Multirom Manager app, and click on the big trash can at the top right corner, as this just means the removal and deletion of MultiRom. Click on confirm delete, and follow the on-screen instructions for uninstallation.
  

Step by Step Video Tutorial

 

[Hadron]

I've never used it, so I'm afraid I've no experience. It's been around a while, but I've always just stuck with installing one ROM and using that.

 

[kumaranil13k]

To install TWRP you technically don't need to be rooted if your bootloader is unlocked (i.e. if your bootloader will allow you to fastboot flash unsigned images). With an unlocked bootloader you can fastboot flash recovery twrp.img (make sure that's a TWRP built for your device model).

For many phones you can install TWRP without the bootloader being unlocked if the phone is rooted (but not all: that doesn't work on HTC devices, for example, as they have an extra security flag you would need to disable as well). But once bootloader unlocking became possible I stopped using any other method (I've also not rooted for a few years now, so am not completely current in my information).

As for restoring a nandroid, yes, the term "nandroid" refers to a backup made using a custom recovery, and so you need a custom recovery to restore it (generally the same recovery is best, though there have been cases where 2 different recoveries make

@Hadron bro I mean to ask that the twrp recovery image should be installed on mobile device permanently or it can work by loading virtually through fastboot recovery twrprecoveey.img . I have already took the backup from twrp backup menu after loading it through fastboot recovery twrprecovery.img and backup is done successfully I think hopefully the bootloader is not locked but still as backup is reading from rom and copying writing to a image file hopefully it don't need write permission but the recovery menu is a process of writing flashing to the rom and need writing permission privillages .. so for unlocking bootloader which command should be u
Fastboot OEM unlock
Fastboot flashing unlock

So the main question is can I recover write back to ROM back from the backup images taken by twrp backup menu through virtually loading (fastboot recovery twrprecvery.img) not installing or I would have to install the recovery image on to device itself permanentally

 

[Hadron]

@Hadron bro I mean to ask that the twrp recovery image should be installed on mobile device permanently or it can work by loading virtually through fastboot recovery twrprecoveey.img . I have already took the backup from twrp backup menu after loading it through fastboot recovery twrprecovery.img and backup is done successfully I think hopefully the bootloader is not locked but still as backup is reading from rom and copying writing to a image file hopefully it don't need write permission but the recovery menu is a process of writing flashing to the rom and need writing permission privillages .. so for unlocking bootloader which command should be u
Fastboot OEM unlock
Fastboot flashing unlock

So the main question is can I recover write back to ROM back from the backup images taken by twrp backup menu through virtually loading (fastboot recovery twrprecvery.img) not installing or I would have to install the recovery image on to device itself permanentally

I don't know a "fastboot recovery" command myself. There is "fastboot flash recovery <recovery image>" to flash the recovery image to the recovery partition, i.e. permanently install it, and "fastboot boot recovery <recovery image>" to boot the phone once into the recovery without installing it.

Anyway if you've managed to take the backup by just booting into recovery without installing it permanently there's no reason you can't restore it the same way. In fact not all phones allow you to boot into a recovery that hasn't been installed - I even once owned a phone where you could do that on the original firmware but a later update removed the option - but if that works then it should make no difference whether the recovery is permanently installed or not (other than needing a computer if it is not installed).

Bootloader unlocking is separate from recovery. If you can fastboot boot into a custom recovery then as long as you are using the recovery I don't think it will matter whether the bootloader is unlocked or not. But if you want to install a custom recovery via fastboot, or use fastboot to flash anything other than the manufacturer's signed firmware images, then you do need to unlock the bootloader.

Whether you use "fastboot oem unlock" or "fastboot flashing unlock" depends on what device you have. "fastboot flashing unlock" is newer, so if this device is on 5.1 my guess would be "oem unlock". Either way beware, as that will probably factory reset the phone, so make sure you have backups first (and files on the device do not count as backups).