[Galaxy Note GT-N7000 Android Development] Chainfire:
Installation intructions

The Samsung Galaxy Note keeps track of the kind of kernel you are running (stock or custom) and how often you have flashed kernels. This is probably for warranty purposes. There is currently no known way to reset this counter on the SGN.

So, what we want to do is get root, busybox, and CWM, all without getting that ugly yellow triangle or updating the flash counter on our device. Luckily, CF-Root allows for all these things. The new CWM Manager even allows you to flash new firmwares and apply root to them while flashing.

We need to get rid of ODIN pretty much completely, and we can! The difficult part is getting root the first time, after that, it should be happy camping forever.

--- Chapter 1: Initial application of root ---

DO NOT USE ODIN TO FLASH THE KERNEL !

This is the annoying part. There are three different methods:

1.1. If you are already rooted

- Download the attached "InitialRootFlasher.zip" and extract it somewhere

- Download one of the CF-Root kernels, and extract it (repeat) until you end up with a zImage file

- Place the zImage file from the CF-Root kernel in the zImage folder from InitialRootFlasher

- Start "already-rooted.bat" and follow the instructions

For those needing to do this manually (Linux boxes and such), this is the important command. Place the zImage file on your phone (example: /data/local/zImage) and execute this command in a rooted shell:

dd if=/data/local/zImage of=/dev/block/mmcblk0p5 bs=4096

1.2. If you are not rooted yet: Using the zergRush exploit

This method no longer works on KL* and newer firmwares!

(while it still works on our firmwares, this exploit will probably be fixed soon! Known to work on KJ1 and KJ4 firmwares)

- Download the attached "InitialRootFlasher.zip" and extract it somewhere

- Download one of the CF-Root kernels, and extract it (repeat) until you end up with a zImage file

- Place the zImage file from the CF-Root kernel in the zImage folder from InitialRootFlasher

- Start "not-rooted-yet.bat" and follow the instructions

1.3. If you are not rooted yet: Flash a modified FACTORYFS

I am providing this method just this once, for the KJ1 firmware. This is the /system part of the KJ1 firmware, modified so at first boot it will flash the KJ1 CF-Root and reboot, without getting you the yellow triangle or increasing the flash counter.

Using a newer firmware? Do this operation first, then flash the newer firmware back using CWM Manager. This is explained in Chapter 3 below.

Download: http://www.multiupload.com/YB9EL8D8O3

- Optional: flash the full KJ1 firmware first

- Unzip the file, you should get "SGN_XX_OXA_KJ1_FACTORYFS.tar"

- Make sure your SGN is NOT connected to your computer

- Reboot your SGN into "download mode" (see below)

- Start ODIN

- Click the PDA button, and select the "SGN_XX_OXA_KJ1_FACTORYFS.tar" file

- Connect the SGN to your computer

- Make sure "repartition" is NOT checked

- Click the START button

- Wait for the phone to reboot TWICE

- Done

If you do not know how to get into download mode:

- Turn off the device

- Count to 10

- Hold the "home" (the big physical button in the middle) and "volume down" buttons

- Press and release the power button (keep holding "home" and "volume down" !) to turn the device on

- You should get a download mode screen

- If it tells you to press a button to continue, do so

--- Chapter 2: Getting rid of ODIN ---

This is easy. Find ODIN, and delete it. In the future you should only need it to flash bootloaders, which probably will only really be needed one time: when upgrading from Gingerbread to Ice Cream Sandwich.

--- Chapter 3: Upgrading your firmware ---

My CWM Manager application has a full-fledged firmware flasher built in. Using the flasher from CWM Manager does NOT give you the yellow triangle or increase the flash counter.

3.1. Flashing a new kernel

This is easy. CWM Manager can flash zImage files (on any rooted kernel), zImage files inside a .tar file (only on a CF-Root kernel), and zImage files inside a .tar.zip (only on a CF-Root kernel). Note that zImage must be the ONLY file in an archive, if is is inside a tar or zipped tar.

- Put the zImage (or tar, or zip) file on your SD card

- Open the CWM Manager app

- Select "Flash kernel"

- Select the file you just put on your device

- CWM Manager will flash the kernel and reboot

If you flash a non-CF-Root kernel, you will lose a lot of functionality from CWM Manager. However, the app will (likely) still allow you to flash kernels.

3.2. Flashing a new firmware

Important: This works ONLY on a CF-Root kernel !

CWM Manager has the ability to flash firmware parts either from separate files (zImage, factoryfs.img, etc) or from .tar / .tar.md5 files that they usually come packaged in.

- Download the firmware you want to flash

- If you have a ZIP or RAR file, extract it until you have seperate files, or .tar / .tar.md5 files

- Create a folder named 'firmware' on your external SD card

- Copy the files you want to flash to this folder ( /sdcard/external_sd/firmware ). factoryfs ("system") is mandatory part at the moment.

- TIP: If you are flashing a new firmware that already has a CF-Root kernel available, put it in the 'firmware' folder as well in zImage or .tar form (NOT .zip). Select it when asked which kernel to use, then use the "Flash normally" option later on.

- Open the CWM Manager app

- Select "Flash stock firmware"

- At this point, CWM Manager will tell you about the firmware parts it has found, and which ones it will flash. It will also give you warnings about bootloaders and PIT files if those were found. If some firmware parts are present multiple times, it will ask you which file to use as source.

- If what you are flashing includes both kernel and system parts, CWM Manager will warn you about this as you are about to lose root. It will provide you with three options:

1: Keep CF-Root kernel

Keeps the current CF-Root kernel, only flash the other parts. You will not lose root or CWM Recovery. You can flash a newer CF-Root kernel later (or maybe you have already done so), see 3.1 above.

2: Pre-root system

Flashes both kernel and system parts, but roots system during the flash. You will lose CWM Recovery, but you will keep root (if all goes well). The CWM Manager application will also remain, and allow you to flash the correct CF-Root kernel at a different time (if you have not done so before), see 3.1 above.

3: Flash normally

Doesn't do anything specific. If the kernel you are flashing is not a CF-Root (or similar) kernel, you will lose root, and CWM Recovery.

- CWM Manager will reboot into CWM Recovery, and will flash the firmware, rebooting afterwards.