Flash CWM if other tutorials fail

[aus9]

longer title =
Modify a CWM to your device specs and then flash it using Mobileuncle because you have a mediatek device-----When other tutorials or methods fail for you

TRY AT OWN RISK

Note does not use or need any Windows USB drivers or Linux drivers

Supported Chipsets
MT6516
MT65x3 (MT6513 and MT6573)
MT65x5 (MT6515 and MT6575)
MT6577
MT65x2 (MT6572 and MT6582)
MT6589
MT83xx (MT8377 and MT8389)

Summary of events
We modify a CWM ramdisk built for a different phone, using information from your device.
We add your kernel.
We create a new recovery image.
We flash new recovery to your device using Mobileuncle.

What are your goals?
Once you know you can get a CWM onto your device. You can try more recent versions. Please remember to check your byte size.

Credits
vampirefo for his hex2dec url and /dev/recovery type info and other great advice
maintainer of perl scripts = Bruno Martins
maintainer of mkbootimg = Android dev team
neken CWM ROM maintainer = the tester

Bruno Martins has given me approval to post here as long as I show his username and upstream support page
bgcngm @ x da -developers
[Only registered and activated users can see links Click here to register].x da-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1587411

Windows users pls read
I do not own Windows. To run Linux Perl on a Windows PC, you appear to need at least:
cygwin
with its package perl
with its package cpio
You may need busybox, not sure if its included as I can't test.

[Only registered and activated users can see links Click here to register]

A graphical guide to installing Perl is here
[Only registered and activated users can see links Click here to register]

With luck use that guide but search for cpio and I hope that is all you need.

In the Download area, you need to know that Github files often display (if text like) in your web browser. To do the download you need to click on the button called view raw.
--- mkbootimg should then offer a popup box for download
--- the 2 perl scripts won't as they are text related and will display in your web browser as .......text files.
-------Right hand click on the web page to save as.....and then choose your download pathway

If unsure what I mean, I have images in my Linux link. Or you can complain?

Linux howto
[Only registered and activated users can see links Click here to register]

Android research
1) I assume you have a rooted Android device. I do not assume you know how to use adb commands.

2) You need a terminal, if missing, go into playstore and install an Android terminal. As I need to increase fonts, and it also allows you to open a second window please consider using this app
[Only registered and activated users can see links Click here to register]&hl=en

3) You need busybox installed. If you are not sure just open your terminal and type and enter this command

Code:

busybox

If you don't see lots of output, then search playstore for it please.

4) Open Android terminal as a local user and run command as

Code:

mount > /sdcard/mount.txt

5) You need a root file manager. I use root browser but choose any that will do the job
[Only registered and activated users can see links Click here to register]&hl=en

6) Use your root file manager to copy the following files onto the top level of your SDcard.
/proc/dumchar_info
----we have already /sdcard/mount.txt using (4)
So I expect you to have
/sdcard/dumchar_info
/sdcard/mount.txt

Now if you Windows you may like to rename them on your PC to add the .txt extension.

7) Email them those files to yourself. Congratulations you have just used Cloud Mode. Then download the files onto your PC. This saves me doing a tutorial on adb.

8) If you have a known to work recovery image then copy that onto your PC. Otherwise grab the boot.img as we need your kernel.

9) Recovery images do not care about kernel modules or shared object files
---no wifi, no modem, no camera etc. But recovery must have a loopback network and a mount filesystem.

10) Perl app not found in playstore. But you could then move the unpack into your Android and do the text editting there. Then move it back to PC to do the repack? So for the moment you will need to use Perl on Windows PC or Linux PC

Backup your current recovery/device
If your recovery comes from needrom etc, ensure you have a copy on
you SDcard and PC....and cloud mode.

If free space on SDcard is an issue and you can not get a bigger SDcard
probably best not to proceed. Recovery images are around 6 Mb.

If your have a mediatek chipset please install Mobileuncle from
playstore. Use it to backup your IMEI.

See my other Linux tutorial if you need to make a backup of your existing recovery.

If you want to use Android you can do so but choose your recovery.image or boot.image depending on whether you feel unsafe at using the recovery kernel.

So in Android, make sure your device is rooted, and take care that you input the correct calculated from dumchar value, a decimal value into one of the following formulae.

I prefer you try recovery first, but the online converter link is in next post

Code:

su
dd if=/dev/recovery of=/sdcard/recovery.img  count=1 bs=VALUE1

or

dd if=/dev/bootimg  of=/sdcard/boot.img count=1 bs=VALUE2

For me VALUE1=2=6291456 ie hex of 0x0000000000600000

email yourself either this recovery or boot image.

[aus9]

Your mount
/sdcard/mount.txt or your download of that file will be used in the fixup area.
Here are snippets of mine as example. Two lines are split over 2 lines by me with the \\\

# /emmc@android /system ext4 rw,relatime,noauto_da_alloc,commit=1,data=ordered 0 0
/emmc@usrdata /data ext4 rw,nosuid,nodev,noatime,noauto_da_alloc,data=ordered 0 0
/emmc@cache /cache ext4 rw,nosuid,nodev,noatime,noauto_da_alloc,data=ordered 0 0
/dev/block/vold/179:97 /storage/sdcard0 vfat rw,dirsync,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime,uid=1000,\\\
gid=1015,fmask=0702,dmask=0702,allow_utime=0020,codepage=cp437,iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,utf8,errors=remount-ro 0 0
/dev/block/vold/179:8 /storage/sdcard1 vfat rw,dirsync,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime,uid=1000,\\\
gid=1015,fmask=0702,dmask=0702,allow_utime=0020,codepage=cp437,iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,utf8,errors=remount-ro 0 0
#######(THERE ARE MORE LINES THAT THESE BUT NOT RELEVANT)

Warning! if /system is not showing as rw your device is not truly rooted. Please read the various tutorials on how to
test for root or true root.

You need to know what is default for sdcard is 0 or 1. Most devices should be 0.
That means sdcard1 is my internal storage. sdcard0 is removeable.

Your dumchar-info
Open it to for 2 main reasons
--A.....we need to check what our maximum hex size for recovery is
--B.... we need to check what our /dev/X structure is for real.

Part_Name Size StartAddr Type MapTo
preloader 0x0000000000c00000 0x0000000000000000 2 /dev/misc-sd
mbr 0x0000000000080000 0x0000000000000000 2 /dev/block/mmcblk0
ebr1 0x0000000000080000 0x0000000000080000 2 /dev/block/mmcblk0p1
pro_info 0x0000000000300000 0x0000000000100000 2 /dev/block/mmcblk0
nvram 0x0000000000500000 0x0000000000400000 2 /dev/block/mmcblk0
protect_f 0x0000000000a00000 0x0000000000900000 2 /dev/block/mmcblk0p2
protect_s 0x0000000000a00000 0x0000000001300000 2 /dev/block/mmcblk0p3
seccfg 0x0000000000020000 0x0000000001d00000 2 /dev/block/mmcblk0
uboot 0x0000000000060000 0x0000000001d20000 2 /dev/block/mmcblk0
bootimg 0x0000000000600000 0x0000000001d80000 2 /dev/block/mmcblk0
recovery 0x0000000000600000 0x0000000002380000 2 /dev/block/mmcblk0
sec_ro 0x0000000000600000 0x0000000002980000 2 /dev/block/mmcblk0p4
misc 0x0000000000080000 0x0000000002f80000 2 /dev/block/mmcblk0
logo 0x0000000000300000 0x0000000003000000 2 /dev/block/mmcblk0
ebr2 0x0000000000080000 0x0000000003300000 2 /dev/block/mmcblk0
expdb 0x0000000000a00000 0x0000000003380000 2 /dev/block/mmcblk0
android 0x000000002bc00000 0x0000000003d80000 2 /dev/block/mmcblk0p5
cache 0x0000000007e00000 0x000000002f980000 2 /dev/block/mmcblk0p6
usrdata 0x0000000040000000 0x0000000037780000 2 /dev/block/mmcblk0p7
fat 0x0000000159380000 0x0000000077780000 2 /dev/block/mmcblk0p8
bmtpool 0x0000000001500000 0x00000000ff3f00a8 2 /dev/block/mmcblk0

For Reason A, we look at the recovery line, yours may differ and see 0x0000000000600000. We input YOUR string into converter
Online Converter
[Only registered and activated users can see links Click here to register]

The decimal means byte size. And we can not exceed your decimal value on repack or we risk a brick.

Some conversions ----------byte size
0x0000000000100000.........1048576
0x0000000000200000.........2097152
0x0000000000300000.........3145728
0x0000000000400000.........4194304
0x0000000000500000.........5242880
0x0000000000600000.........6291456
0x0000000000700000.........7340032
0x0000000000800000.........8388608
0x0000000000900000.........9437184
0x0000000000A00000........10485760

I have written 6291456 onto my cover to focus my mind of its importance.

dumchar "android" same as system
dumchar "usrdata" same as data
dumchar "fat" same as vfat system

Hidden /dev system
By hidden I mean hidden from your fstab, mount and dumchar outputs.
Back to Android terminal we need to confirm some more /dev structures.

Code:

su

for all the next commands please

If your next outputs are blank lines, the /dev structure does not exist and you must abort.

Check if recovery has its own dev

Code:

ls -al /dev/recovery

Check if bootimg has its own dev

Code:

ls -al /dev/bootimg

Check if misc has its own dev

Code:

ls -al /dev/misc

Normal boot is different init script to recovery boot but we check for these device blocks in any case

Code:

ls -al /dev/block/mmcblk1p1
ls -al    /dev/block/mmcblk1

Assuming no blank line hits we can continue.

Downloads
[Only registered and activated users can see links Click here to register]
[Only registered and activated users can see links Click here to register]
[Only registered and activated users can see links Click here to register]
[Only registered and activated users can see links Click here to register]
The NOTICE is the Apache license which protects the upstream maintainer
from legal suits.

I have unpacked and stripped a kernel off a CWM. The recovery did not include a license....IMHO it should have. Anyhow you will need my ramdisk

[Only registered and activated users can see links Click here to register]

when you click on dropbox download button it should offer to save the file

[aus9]

Unpack and folder stuff
Create a folder (= directory) I will call mine MOD

We downloaded a ramdisk compressed file. Its CWM version 5.5.0.4
Decompress it by

Code:

tar -zxvf ramdisk.tar.gz

Will give you a folder (=directory) called ramdisk

Copy the folder into MOD so you have already created a backup if needed?

The name of the folder in MOD is ramdisk. Now enter it using your file manager or text editor.

Make backup of the following file in case you make errors please.
/etc/recovery.fstab

Fix its /etc/recovery.fstab
Current contents are:

# mountpoint fstype device [device2]
/misc emmc /dev/misc
/data ext4 /dev/block/mmcblk0p7
/system ext4 /dev/block/mmcblk0p5
/cache ext4 /dev/block/mmcblk0p6
/boot emmc /dev/bootimg
/recovery emmc /dev/recovery
/emmc vfat /dev/block/mmcblk0p8
/sdcard vfat /dev/block/mmcblk1p1 /dev/block/mmcblk1
/sd-ext auto /dev/block/mmcblk1p2

fstab preamble comments
Now you may be lucky and don't need to edit any lines.

You are looking at both your mount file for the filesystem format (ext4 vfat) and
your dumchar file mainly for the /dev/something. Then we look at hidden dev for the rest.

Please note there are multiple entries in dumchar for /dev/block/mmcblk0
Therefore, we can't use it at all in our fstab. Risk of brick very high!

[device 2] means extra

In normal boot up your SDcard is a symbolic link to (normally) /storage/card0
In recovery we eliminate this sym link and so it goes directly to /sdcard

Your dumchar ( a normal boot mounted system) has dev structure
/dev/block/STRING

fat is filesystem format but Linux/Android recognises vfat as Windows fat32 (lba)
so fat = vfat in fstab

auto is a Linux/Android thing where it makes an attempt to mount a media in a
certain order. If we forced it to say ext4 but your external card was fat32
---you lose mount.

Now my edits and research
Based on mount, dumchar and hidden devs I arrive at this
# mount point fstype device [device2]
misc from hidden dev info, no change
data = dumchar usrdata, same dev, ext4 from mount is same, so no change
system = dumchar android, same dev, ext4 from mount is same, so no change
cache = dumchar cache, same dev, ext4 from mount is same, so no change
boot has duplicate dumchar dev so we are forced to use existing line, confirmed by hidden dev
misc has duplicate dumchar dev so we are forced to use existing line, confirmed by hidden dev
recovery has duplicate dumchar dev so we are forced to use existing line, confirmed by hidden dev
emmc = dumchar fat, =vfat, same dev, mount also says vfat, so no change
sdcard from hidden dev so no change
sd-ext (I don't have it but you might) so no change

GOSH after all that, I have no changes. Yours may differ. I just make tiny space correction to align the filesystem format and dev lines etc....do not use the TAB key. Forum truncates space so I am using a link to show you a neater version of my fstab

[Only registered and activated users can see links Click here to register]

I also make a backup of this in case I have to start again.

[aus9]

Grab your kernel image
Either unpack your existing recovery.img to grab your kernel image
or unpack your boot.img



But there is another way. You may be lucky to find an Official ROM at needrom that has instructions that say to use Flashtool. There is a good chance its a zip file that contains individual zip files including.....boot.img and recovery.img

Always use the recovery.img in preference to boot.img. Good luck. Now place that kernel image into MOD folder but name it kernel so we can use the formula below without any changes.

Repack command

Code:

./repack-MT65xx.pl -recovery kernel ramdisk/ recovery-new.img

Check its size

Code:

ls -al recovery-new.img

It should be a value around 5.2 Mb but its the actual byte size that you need. Now go back and check your byte size from dumchar info conversion (mine = 6291456) and ensure its less than that so I can try it.

If its larger for your size, YOU MUST ABORT.

Add it to your SDcard and test it
Use Mobileuncle to over-write your recovery then reboot into it
----If you do not have a mediatek chipset
------and can not use the forum guides to get a CWM onto your device
----------You can still flash using Linux as per my other tutorial

Cross your legs and hope it works



In above image the white line reads "reboot system"

[aus9]

New hand held camera images

Test 1
Do a backup


Test 2....if full ROM suitable for CWM available
wipe data
wipe cache
(may need to wipe dalvik cache depends on ROM builder)


install zip from sdcard......Yours will differ from mine

reboot into new ROM

reboot into recovery mode

Test 3
Do a restore.....must take you back prior to PREVIOUS ROM


FAQ
Why didn't I mod a more recent version then?

To keep the size as small as possible to maximise the chance it will fit into the most number of Android Devices.

Once you know the method works for you, you can select a more recent CWM version.

[aus9]

Note Well
Above instructions do not care about your USB ID or having the wrong build.prop info in your new recovery image.

This has only minor effects but note them well please.
A) You can not do anything with adb with this new recovery image
B) build.prop is useful for compiling but we did not compile. So to keep it simple I have not mentioned what to do with this file.

I am lucky, I already had 2 custom recoveries I could use on my device. But that also meant that I needed to note which recovery BACKUP was made with what version. To keep it simple, restore using the same version you backed up.

I had an error trying to restore an backup made with a more recent version on THIS recovery version.

So it looks like CWM is backwards compatible but not forwards compatible. If you don't know what that means.....always use the version of CWM for restore that you used for backup.

TO Do list
I have already shown how to get kernel from recovery image but not boot image

[aus9]

ok here is a deliberate un-editted WRONG CWM with wrong chipset for my device but whose size is less than my byte size-------- youtube movie with no sound.

To save you watching it.....mobileuncle flashed it, attempted reboot into it, borked
DID NOT BOOT LOOP
and rebooted into normal mode

DO NOT TRY THIS YOURSELF, I take more risks so bring you hope?



Again its a hand held web cam so sorry for quality

[superuser590]

does this tutorial work on all kinds of recovery including TWRP and Philz ?

[aus9]

superuser590
I have not tested on any other custom recovery. But I can't stop you from trying.

Size does matter. Pls pay attention to whatever you mod look at its byte size to what you get through the hex 2 decimal converter for the dumchar info.

As a rough guide for my device I notice the following (byte size not showing to give you a human easy read)
CWM v 5.5.0.4 = 5.2 Mb
CTR 5.5 Mb
CWM latest 5.8 (Yes the touch is smaller than the non-touch)

2) I notice you seem experienced at doing some tutorials. If interested, tell me if you are using a virtual machine on Wndows, Linux natively or cygwin on Windows.....I will gladly add you to the credits and expand the Windows section
----to help me and to help others


3) I have done more than one--flash a false recovery ( to my device test) thru mobileuncle so if you are going to mod.....can I suggest you flash using mobileuncle as it looks safer. The first time I did this test without any edit, I was frightened I would brick my device. But that was an excuse then to buy a better phone. THL springs to mind.

4) Have you used Linux before or are you planning on trying cygwin?

good luck

Feel free to offer suggestions.

[aus9]

Rough changelog

new images linked using new hand held camera

all mentions of build.prop and init.usb.rc removed to keep it simple

Improve images in Linux link page

provide ramdisk compressed file in preference to force users to download a CWM

Show Android commands in preference to suggest using my recovery.sh to extract your recovery.img

Reduce options to few as possible to reduce confusion?