[TOOLS] Useful tools for tinkerers

[Guest SifJar]

I'm starting this thread as a "one stop" location for various tools (and guides) useful for tinkerers and modders.

 

WARNING: Some of the tools included in this thread have potential to be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. Read before using blindly.

 

Tools

 

RKTools 1.7 - Windows utility for flashing ROMs. Download

OSFMount - Windows utility for mounting IMG files (found within ROMs). Download

Ext2 IFS for Windows - Windows ext2/3 driver, allows navigating and modifying IMGs mounted using OSFMount. Download Compatibility note: Not officially compatible with Windows 7/8. Run installer in compatibility mode for Vista to make it work.

imgRePackerRk - Windows & Linux tool for extracting Rockchip firmware IMGs (i.e. ROMs) into individual IMGs (e.g. system.img, recovery.img etc.), and repacking back into firmware IMG. Download

rkflashtool - Tool for flashing & dumping individual partition IMGs (e.g. system.img, recovery.img etc.) Download: (32-bit Linux) (64-bit Linux)

apktool - Tool for unpacking and repacking APKs (Android app packages), useful for modifying apps. Download

 

Guides

 

How to unpack a firmware IMG (Windows)

 

1. Obtain firmware IMG [e.g. stock ROM courtesy of PaulOBrien] and imgRePackerRk [above]

2. Extract imgRePackerRk

3. Open command prompt in directory containing imgRePackerRk.exe [hold shift, right click > "open command window here"]

4. Type "imgRePackerRk.exe {IMG_name}.img" [e.g. "imgRePackerRk.exe hudl.20130923.020558.stock.img"]

5. A new directory called "{IMG_name}.img.dump" [e.g. "hudl.20130923.020558.stock.img.dump"] will be created, containing individual IMGs

 

How to repack a firmware IMG (Windows) [Assuming you have followed above to unpack]

 

1. Open command window in directory containing imgRePackerRk.exe and *.dump directory

2. Type "imgRePackerRk.exe {dump_name}.dump" [e.g. "imgRePackerRk.exe hudl.20130923.020558.stock.img.dump"]

3. New firmware IMG will be created [name will be name of .dump directory without .dump extension]

 

How to modify individual IMGs (Windows)

 

1. Unpack a firmware IMG to obtain individual IMGs [see above]

2. Ensure you have Ext2 IFS for Windows and OSFMount installed

3. Open OSFMount and click "Mount new..."

4. Select IMG you wish to edit, making sure to untick "Read Only" option

5. IMG will be mounted as a virtual "hard drive" on your PC, you can browse and edit files via Windows Explorer ("My Computer")

6. Once you're done, go back to OSFMount and right click the drive in the list

7. Choose "Save to image file" and save your modified IMG

8. Unmount the image and close OSFMount

 

Hopefully this info is useful to some, and I'll try to add some more tools and links etc. over time. If you have any suggestions of things that should be included, please suggest. Note that I am not going to add custom ROMs or specific device modifications here. This thread is purely for tools for tinkerers & modders, not general stuff for average users.

Edited November 6, 2013 by SifJar

[Guest Lister Of Smeg]

Hi SifJar,

Wow, this is awesome work... Well done for pointing these useful tools out, and well written and clear guide of usage...

Thanks, Lister

[Guest]

Hiya Sifjar are you going to add the linux tools as well i.e. rkflastool just for completeness? As someone has already asked about this on another thread.

[Guest SifJar]

Hiya Sifjar are you going to add the linux tools as well i.e. rkflastool just for completeness? As someone has already asked about this on another thread.

Yes, when I was making this thread I was doing so in a bit of a hurry and haven't had a chance to update it yet, but I'll certainly be adding rkflashtool at some stage in the next day or two.

[Guest jonoathome]

Yes, when I was making this thread I was doing so in a bit of a hurry and haven't had a chance to update it yet, but I'll certainly be adding rkflashtool at some stage in the next day or two.

 

Can we have a 32 bit version as well as a 64 bit version if possible please..

 

it appears the only ones I have come across so far are 64bit only :(

 

Thanks in advance..

 

 

I'm quite upto speed with Android..  these rk devices however don't make things easy...

[Guest glossywhite]

Can we have a 32 bit version as well as a 64 bit version if possible please..

 

it appears the only ones I have come across so far are 64bit only :(

 

Thanks in advance..

 

 

I'm quite upto speed with Android..  these rk devices however don't make things easy...

I've found both, and put them here: http://www.modaco.com/topic/366265-rkflashtool-windows-binaries-32-and-64-bit-download/

[Guest SifJar]

I've found both, and put them here: http://www.modaco.com/topic/366265-rkflashtool-windows-binaries-32-and-64-bit-download/

That's Windows, he was asking for a 32-bit Linux binary (which I do not personally have, and won't be able to link to unless I can find a copy somewhere online). Plus, according to your thread, the binaries you posted don't work for the Hudl, and thus will not be included in this thread until such a time as they do work with the Hudl.

[Guest]

Starting to have a play with these - thanks, appreciated  :ninja:

[Guest SifJar]

Updated first post with rkflashtool (64-bit version from Paul's rooting thread, mirrored without the system.img [11KB download vs 485MB], 32-bit version linked to glossywhite's thread; both untested by me personally) and also apktool, which can come in handy when messing with Android things.

[Guest TurboPask]

Hi,

look at: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2326604

it is a graphic interface to use apktool

[Guest SifJar]

Hi,

look at: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2326604

it is a graphic interface to use apktool

The are multiple GUIs out there for apktool, I'm not going to include them all or try them all and select the best. The only way I can be sure of having every feature of apktool is use the standard, command line version. Command line tools should not be an issue to the people who are doing this sort of thing, most of the other tools featured in this thread are command line tools. Thank you for your suggestion, but it shall not be included in my post.

[Guest]

It would be nice if we could get this thread 'pinned' somehow......

[Guest]

SifJar - programs OSFMount and Ext2 IFS for Windows don't appear to have valid links - please update your original post?

 

Don't think it's my network security denying me, but could be wrong.......

 

 

 

For anyone like me: -

 

OSFMount can be got from here.

 

Ext2 IFS for Windows can be got from here.

 

(These are original supplier links.)

Edited November 20, 2013 by Guest

[Guest SifJar]

SifJar - programs OSFMount and Ext2 IFS for Windows don't appear to have valid links - please update your original post?

 

Don't think it's my network security denying me, but could be wrong.......

 

 

 

For anyone like me: -

 

OSFMount can be got from here.

 

Ext2 IFS for Windows can be got from here.

 

(These are original supplier links.)

As far as I can see, those are the same links as in my post. I'm fairly sure I made sure to find the original source websites for each tool for the links, but I could be wrong (maybe an admin edited them in or something...)

 

Anyway, I apologise for letting this thread kinda die, I didn't get a Hudl in the end and therefore lost interest.