proper backup & stock rom

[Guest ruigui]

I found this ROM @ http://www.podtwo.com/android/stock/ ZTE_P729CUV1.0.0B01_update_signed.zip

Is it any good to play with? I'm buying an Optimus San Francisco (Portuguese branded ZTE Blade).

Why do you use OUK_P729BV1.0.0B05-update-stock-blade-signed.zip to start tweaking? Isn't ZTE a cleaner one?

Also how can i do a proper backup of my phone?

From what i've read, i must do:

dd if=/dev/mtd/mtd0 of=/sdcard/boot_dump.img bs=4096

dd if=/dev/mtd/mtd2 of=/sdcard/recovery_dump.img bs=4096

and

cd /system

tar zcvpf /sdcard/system_dump.tar.gz *

Why not do

dd if=/dev/mtd/mtd1 of=/sdcard/system_dump.img bs=4096

Is the above command the same as

adb shell cp /dev/block/mtdblock1 /sdcard/system_dump.img

Edited November 13, 2010 by ruigui

[Guest Sebastian404]

I found this ROM @ http://www.podtwo.com/android/stock/ ZTE_P729CUV1.0.0B01_update_signed.zip

Is it any good to play with? I'm buying an Optimus San Francisco (Portuguese branded ZTE Blade).

Why do you use OUK_P729BV1.0.0B05-update-stock-blade-signed.zip to start tweaking? Isn't ZTE a cleaner one?

Also how can i do a proper backup of my phone?

From what i've read, i must do:

dd if=/dev/mtd/mtd0 of=/sdcard/boot_dump.img bs=4096

dd if=/dev/mtd/mtd2 of=/sdcard/recovery_dump.img bs=4096

and

cd /system

tar zcvpf /sdcard/system_dump.tar.gz *

Why not do

dd if=/dev/mtd/mtd1 of=/sdcard/system_dump.img bs=4096

Is the above command the same as

adb shell cp /dev/block/mtdblock1 /sdcard/system_dump.img

The ZTE rom is actually from a development device, if you install it, a lot features wont work on your device, its assumed the hardware on the dev phone is different to the production device.

none of those commands are quite right... You need to look at /proc/mtd to ensure you are backing up the right partitions, but so far all the SF devices we've seen have been simular..

mtd0 is recovery

mtd1 is boot

mtd5 is system

there is no real easy easy to extract files out of a whole dump of the system partition, and if the aim is to make a recovery zip its the best way, the tar preserves the ownership/permissions and other attributes..

When you get the phone, please let me know the more ROMS we have the better :rolleyes:

Edited November 13, 2010 by Sebastian404

[Guest Arr Too]

I found this ROM @ http://www.podtwo.com/android/stock/ ZTE_P729CUV1.0.0B01_update_signed.zip

Is it any good to play with? I'm buying an Optimus San Francisco (Portuguese branded ZTE Blade).

Why do you use OUK_P729BV1.0.0B05-update-stock-blade-signed.zip to start tweaking? Isn't ZTE a cleaner one?

As stated above, the ZTE one is actually Android 2.2, whereas the others are 2.1. But it's a development version of 2.2, and more importantly it's all in Chinese! Now if you know Chinese or you can feel your way around in the dark, you might be able to change the language to English (or your own), but then you'll have all those incompatibilities to deal with.

There are more usable versions of 2.2 available in these forums -- see here and various threads in the forum.

[Guest ruigui]

I copied those numbers from another topic, but already knew how to check them before backup :rolleyes:

So i must use dd to backup boot and recovery, and tar to backup system.

Do i need to root my phone to make a proper backup?

If so, how can i root it the manual way? With the minimal intrusion possible. I was thinking in using adb to do it manually.

Do i need su, superuser.apk and busybox? Or can i skip any of these?

Sorry for all the questions, but i just want to make a proper backup.

EDIT: Arr Too thank you for that link. But my idea is to make my own custom rom. I'm already studying those roms, and learning a lot from them. Great work you guys do!

Edited November 13, 2010 by ruigui

[Guest Arr Too]

Perhaps the easiest way to do a "proper" backup is to install ClockwordMod and use that to backup your current setup to SD card. Then you can swap ROMs and play as much as you like, knowing you can use ClockworkMod to restore your backup and go back to exactly where you were before you started playing.

[Guest Sebastian404]

Perhaps the easiest way to do a "proper" backup is to install ClockwordMod and use that to backup your current setup to SD card. Then you can swap ROMs and play as much as you like, knowing you can use ClockworkMod to restore your backup and go back to exactly where you were before you started playing.

Actually that is a good point, you can use dd to backup the recovery partition, then use fastboot to install clockwork mod and backup the phone,,, thats probably the easiest way :rolleyes:

[Guest Sebastian404]

Do i need to root my phone to make a proper backup?

If so, how can i root it the manual way? With the minimal intrusion possible. I was thinking in using adb to do it manually.

Do i need su, superuser.apk and busybox? Or can i skip any of these?

the simple answer is more than likely going to be yes, but before you install them ,check there is no su or busybox in the /system/xbin directory (assuming there is an xbin directory).

then when it comes time to make the recovery zip, you just remove those files..

[Guest ruigui]

1- To root, i understand i need su and busybox. Superuser.apk is still required, or do i have access to root without it? (just to backup, after that i should install it to manage root access)

2- To install files to /system/bin or /system/xbin, i need to remount /system with r/w permissions.

This is the part i don't really get. How can i do it without root?

3- My idea is to boot phone without sim, skip account creation, turn on usb debugging, and root. (can it be done, or do i need sim and google account?)

Then backup boot and recovery. (is root really need to backup these two? or can i use dd without root?)

After that, backup /system with tar, or use clockwork (should do the same)

Once again, sorry for these newbie questions. But i have read a lot by now, and still don't get it.

I also don't have my android phone (yet), neither have ever used an android device....

But i love using debian testing (minimal install), so these roms i'm studying are very familiar. It's all linux.

EDIT:

I've unpacked universalandroot and saw an exploid.c. So i need an exploit to temporarily gain access to root, to remount partitions and install su/busybox.

Can this be done manually, without installing an apk? I want to keep my backup the cleanest possible.

EDIT2:

@ Sebastian: I see that you remove custom apps, and replace them with original ones in your roms. I like that way :rolleyes:

But where can i get original apk? Still didn't manage to understand this. Is it from market, from some official android repository?

Thanks for any help, and again sorry for so many doubts. Once i understand this basic stuff, i'll be able to work on my own

EDIT3:

Can i use rageagainstthecage to root?

Edited November 14, 2010 by ruigui

[Guest Sebastian404]

Sorry not to get back sooner, and I'm typing this in an airport, so I cant double check myself... still, that said:

I should say you can also use cat inplace of dd...

cat /dev/mtd/mtd0 > /sdcard.img

etc..

1- To root, i understand i need su and busybox. Superuser.apk is still required, or do i have access to root without it? (just to backup, after that i should install it to manage root access)

The OUK ROM did not come with an xbin directory at all, so the SuperUser.apk may not not work too well. What you can do is an 'adb install SuperUser.apk' that puts the app into the /data/app/ directory that lives on the userdata partition and thus wont end up in the backup of /system

2- To install files to /system/bin or /system/xbin, i need to remount /system with r/w permissions.

This is the part i don't really get. How can i do it without root?

From memory you can make a /data/bin directory, then put su and busybox into that directory set the permissions and run them from there, infact thats probably the best way to do it.

Then you can use something like

/data/bin/su

/data/bin/busybox dd if=/dev/mtd/mtd0 of=/sdcard/boot.img bs=4096

/data/bin/busybox dd if=/dev/mtd/mtd1 of=/sdcard/recovery.img bs=4096

cd /system

/data/bin/busybox tar cvf /sdcard/system.tar[/code]



3- My idea is to boot phone without sim, skip account creation, turn on usb debugging, and root. (can it be done, or do i need sim and google account?)

Then backup boot and recovery. (is root really need to backup these two? or can i use dd without root?)

After that, backup /system with tar, or use clockwork (should do the same)


Keep in mine in 'normal' operation the /system partition is ReadOnly, so you cant 'break' it by installing apps or changing settings, all that stuff ends up in /data that can be wiped.. its only when you root the phone that /system is changed


I do think you need to be root to do the DD, but I'm not 100% sure... try the method above putting su/busybox into /data/bin and see what happens..

[Guest ruigui]

Sebastian that's great info. Thanks a lot.

Now i just need to get the phone. By the end of this week i should have it. Then i'll upload portuguese rom and let you know.