yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] crang4:
2 quick questions:

1. My understanding is that the "NO Data" version of this package does not delete user data (including programs, settings, contacts, pics etc.). Is this correct?

2. I also understand that it is good to backup important things before attempting just to be safe. What program is good for doing this? I searched android market and found titanium backup to be well-rated, but I cannot use it until my phone is rooted, which is what i'm trying to do. Suggestions?

Thanks in advance.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] s9amme:
1. yes, that's correct

2. what I did was copy my pictures/videos to an external SD card or on the computer. For contacts, if you press the menu button when viewing contacts, it allows you to export them. Just save it somewhere. For text messages, I used SMS backup & restore app from the market (free). Just export them to an SD card. Or if you don't have an SD card, you can also back things up using dropbox as well.

For other programs, you can always sync them before you flash anything. For example, I use astrid task/to-do list. I didn't need to back up my list since I could just sync them. If I have to do a full wipe on my phone, I just download the astrid app again and sync everything back.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] sfhub:
Yes, NoData won't touch the apps you installed or your user data. If you made changes to your ROM, like removing camera sounds or getting rid of bloat, then those would be affected by the new ROM.

Did your phone ship with EL29? If it came with EG30 or EK02, you can use the Auto Root thread in the sticky section (and my signature) to root your existing ROM.

After rooting, I would use Auto Root - Option C - to install CWM. Then make a CWM/Nandroid backup (which is a full image of your existing system, except the modem). This is similar to a Norton Ghost image for PCs.

Next I make a Titanium backup or your apps. The difference between Titanium and CWM is the former is an application level backup which lets you restore individual apps. The latter is more of an exact image of your system for a complete restore. I'm simplifying and the lines have blurred with advanced features, but that is a rough guideline.

Also store your backups off your phone, just in case.

As you get more experienced, you can optimize your actions, but for now, best to go through the full routine. It is good practice.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] crang4:
Thanks for the responses.

sfhub:

My phone did not ship with EL29, but within the first few days of me having it, an EL29 update popped up and my finger slipped and accepted without me really being able to think or choose before it already happened. I was bummed cuz I had wanted to use your autoroot program, but I guess this way is just as effective...just a few extra steps right?

Appreciate your explanation of titanium backup vs CWM as well, totally makes sense. Thanks for all your personal help and all the help that you provide to the whole community.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] Archon810:
@sfhub, you're the man, one of the best posters on xda. I just successfully restored stock and flashed CWM using this and the original threads. Everything works exactly as described.

Praised your methods here: https://plus.google.com/103876278794381402383/posts/7Ra5aFGZDU8
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] waltcoleman:
Works great...rooted w/ EL29 & CWM. Many thanks sfhub! Your help here is greatly appreciated! If there's someplace I can donate, let me know. You deserve it.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] leaderbuilder:
sfhub, I've just sent about 10 people your quick explanation of CWM and Titanium. Seems people can understand better if they hear it and see it again from someone else. :) Thanks for all the work.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] caspersfi:
Hey guys, let me first say thanks to sfhub. In doing all my searches I have been coming across sfhub almost constantly so thanks.

Alright I am coming from an HTC Thunderbolt where I was somewhat of a flashaholic with roms, kernels, themes and so on. I just picked up my Epic 4g yesterday and this phone is really sweet. Now when it comes to Odin...... well last night in searching it was the first time I've heard of it. So to say I'm a noob to Odin is a huge understatement. I've been doing alot of reading and searching so hopefully I'm ready to root this badboy.

So here is a couple of hopefully not to idiotic questions. My phone came with the El29 which I've read is the latest OTA. I've got Odin 1.85 downloaded the drivers downloaded and installed. I downloaded and extracted the rooted EL29(the one that resets your phone) and then opened Odin.Then I double clicked the rooted El29 again. Now when it was extracting I noticed It was 553mb's......is that correct?

I have the pda box checked.... in reading and watching some youtube vids they always say to check that box. What I assumed would happen is after double clicking the rooted file again and having Odin open that the file would then appear in the pda space but it did'nt. Am I missing something?

So this is where I am at at the moment. Again I'm assuming that these are probaby some pretty dumb questions to everyone here with Odin experience. Hopefully I won't get flamed to bad.:)

Looking forward to flashing some roms......been looking thru these forums and you guys have some pretty nice looking stuff here!

Thanks in advance to anyone that can help me out.........you can also pm me as well if these questions are bad enough where I'm clogging up the thread.

Thanks

Edit] Alright I think I'm starting to figure it out. I've got the correct Odin window open now.......E4GT-EL29 RESTORE-ROOTED.

I then dbl clicked on the file but nothing appeared in Odin.....I would love to just try it now but I'm not sure of a good out should I proceed and something goes wrong.........

Alright......looks like I'm good........got a Pass! and SU is in my app drawer.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] sfhub:
ODIN is basically like fastboot on HTC. You can flash the phone at a very basic level w/o need to have working recovery or android. It is basically flashing from the bootloader.

You can run ODIN in one of 2 ways

1) as an ODIN One-Click where everything is bundled together (ODIN+tar.md5) into a self-executable and you don't need to obtain ODIN separately. This is the way I package the Full and NoData packages in the first post. All the options are preselected so all you have to do is press Start. This is very close to an RUU on HTC.

2) as a standalone program where you provide it a tar.md5 or .tar file (tar.md5 basically adds a md5 checksum to make sure you download wasn't bad). This is the ODIN v1.85 you refer to. This is what I provide in the 2nd post. You provide the tar or tar.md5 file, select the file, select the options, press start.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] Bohn101:
sfhub I wish I could give you a hug, but I can't so I'll say, "Thanks!" It worked magically. Good instructions.

I had tried to disable updates with "pm disable com.samsung" and keep it on EK02 or whatever, but the update still came through. I'm all good again! Thanks!
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] caspersfi:
Thank you sir. I'm good now. Just installed Titanium Backup.....about to make a backup in CWM here in a minute of this stock setup. Now I'm gonna have to go read up on kernels for this Samsung.

If I could ask a couple things........Is CWM the only recovery available for this device? The HTC TBolt had a few different ones to choose from. Also I'm about to go check out some roms......I honestly didn't pay close enough attention to the installed kernel before and after the Odin flash.......will I need to change kernels before I flash a rom?

Again, I appreciate the great write up you have here. Very easy to follow and learn from.

Thanks!
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] sfhub:
There are a couple of different variants of CWM.

CWM, CWM-Rogue, CWM-ACS.

The only CWM that has been repacked with an EL29 kernel is CWM-Rogue. For all previous versions (EG30, EG31, EK02, EL13, EL26) we had CWM, CWM-Rogue, and CWM-ACS.

Unlike other platforms, recovery on this phone is not a separate partition. It needs to repacked into the kernel's initramfs. So if you get a new CWM, you get a new kernel (the kernel might be the same version you had before, but you have to flash the kernel because CWM is contained in the kernel's initramfs) That same kernel is used for Recovery and for Android.

There actually is a separate partition (recovery.bin), but it isn't used, so don't get confused by that.

Somebody might port Amon-Ra or other recoveries at some point. I remember reading some stuff about TWRP progress.

CWM gets the job done (backup/restore/install ROMs) so that's what most people care about.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] caspersfi:
Thanks for the response. I'm downloading Calkulin's E4GT and BLEND_EL29_v2.6.1 now. Team Win does have a nice touch screen recovery but CWM has never let me down. I've got some reading up to do but happy to be back in an active Dev. community again. Just one more question and I'll leave you alone. Any word on Sense being ported over to the Epic 4g?
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] sfhub:
Ask in the Q&A section. I don't really follow sense ports.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] rugalfury:
Help

Ok, for the oc odin im getting a pass on that. But for the EL Restore rooted its just hanging? Any suggestions?
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] sfhub:
Could you be more specific which you are referring to?

EL Restore rooted, is that the individual rooted ROM? or is it also one of the ODIN One-Clicks in the first post?
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] mephime:
Didn't see it talked about here, but I'm sure I saw a thread here that says, if you have a stock unrooted el29 you can use the one click to get cwm, than use a mod ota update that has root and no data wipe, I looked for it in the stickies but could not find it, can any verify that works
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] sfhub:
You use the pre-rooted EL29 ODIN One-Click to get stock + root. There is a version that resets your data and another the preserves your data.

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1433101

If you want CWM, use the Auto Root package (sticky or in my sig) Option C to install EL29+CWM-Rogue

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1342728

If you want to do OTA style EL29 upgrade (requires your EK02 ROM to be exactly stock, no modified files, no deleted files) use this thread:

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1474023
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] coiledwire:
Hey sfhub, could you tell me if there's an issue with getting cwm via rom manager either of these ways;

(a) rooted, stock kernel, install cwm via rom manager

(b) rooted, kernel packed with cwm, install different version of cwm via rom manager

I have experience with being able to flash stand-alone (htc) recoveries, so having kernels packed with the recovery is new to me. I just want your insight to packaged kernels versus recoveries via rom manager. TIA.

Sent via EM waves.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] oscarthegrouch:
It doesn't work via ROM manager the last I checked. Hell, it was't working with the epic 4g either a week our so ago.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] sfhub:
I don't believe ROM manager has the ability to flash recovery on E4GT right now. It'll tell you it is flashing, but I don't believe the install will work.

With the ClockworkMod Touch, it also did something similar, where it would install but wouldn't be persistent. At least it would work until you rebooted. Someone over here would need to repack the recoveries with kernels to make the installs persistent.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] sfhub:
BTW courtesy of oscarthegrouch the NoData EL29 One-Click now has a torrent as well.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] oscarthegrouch:
Just a little update. Its been ten days since we've added the torrent download option. I personally have uploaded an 18+ ratio on the EL29 full Odin. I just checked tonight and, since the tracker last updated, 108 people have downloaded the EL29 full and 11 people were seeding. I just added the nodata version to a torrent an hour or so ago. Yes it isn't the fastest option but you can resume anytime you want and don't have to wait for a timer or Captcha mumbo jumbo. I think it was/is an overall success.

Help seed once you finished downloading it. Even if its just for 24 hours, many people will appreciate your chipping in with some bandwidth. My machine is seeding about 99% of the time.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] Masterface7:
I think a torrent is a great idea and i will seed for a while but it really should have multiple public trackers
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] runner77:
My buddy here at work wants to root his updated EL26 phone but doesn't want to lose ANYTHING. He is afraid if I run this script on his phone it will put him back to stock look and he'll have to re-setup his launcher, email, etc.

I just want to verify that if I run the NODATA method it will boot with everything intact, correct? Just like how it was pre-root, right?
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] mkeyslehman:
*EDIT* Visual voicemail question resolved; was an issue with latest GoSMS release. I can't understand how these guys can consistently have issues with VVM 9016 messages.....
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] sfhub:
What you are downloading here is not a script. It is a pre-rooted EL29 ODIN One-Click flash.

If you use the NoData version, then it will not touch the /data partition. It will however flash over the /system (ie ROM) partition. The /data partition contains things like launcher, email, etc. If the stuff your friend cares about is in the /data partition, then this won't touch it. However I do not know what changes you made for or your friend made and where they are contained. For example if your friend removed bloat that is in the ROM, then that is contained in /system (ie the ROM) and could reappear. A rule of thumb is this, if you needed Root or CWM to make the change, then it will probably get reset. If you didn't need Root or CWM to make the change then it will stay.

You might be better off using the rooted EL29 OTA update in my signature. This will not flash a brand new ROM and instead will "patch" your existing ROM. There is a step where you run an integrity check, make sure you do that before running the rooted OTA.

There are 2 versions of the rooted EL29 OTA, one with root and one with root+cwm. The latter includes EL29+CWM-Rogue. Due to Rogue supporting custom boot animations, the default boot animation will be the Android logo instead of the Sprint 4G. If you care about that, there is are instructions in FAQ #E13 of the Auto Root package on how to reconfigure the custom boot animation to use the original Sprint 4G animation. If you don't install CWM then the bootanimation will stay the default.

The link to the rooted EL29 OTA is here:

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1474023

The link to the Auto Root package is here:

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1342728

I am being more "complete" with my answer than probably needs to be. Most likely what your friend considers his "customizations" are all contained in /data and either method would work just fine. It just wasn't clear from your description what changes he was worried about so I gave you the longer answer.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] sfhub:
I was about to get to your question and suggest you look at any messaging apps you might have installed, but you figured it out already.

VVM uses special SMS messages as a low impact way to signal you have VVM. The stock messaging app knows these are not meant for it and they get passed to the VVM app. When you install a new messaging app it isn't configured the same. Sometimes you can configure it the same way as the stock messaging app.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] TonyTurboII:
Should I have ended up with a yellow triangle after flashing this through ODIN?
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] runner77:
sfhub,

Thank you VERY MUCH for taking the time to explain in detail how the different processes work. I very much appreciate your help.

I screwed up on my original post/question by stating that my friends Epic is on EL26. He's actually running the OTA EL29 right now but said that since he took the update, his battery life has been horrid. I suggested that he roots, add CWM, and then put chris' EL26 repack kernel on his phone. It seems to be the best in terms of battery life for me and many others on XDA.

I was planning on using your tool from the op (NODATA) and then running the auto root (Option C) to get CWM. I've done this with of my wife's and my phone but we didn't care about saving any data or settings. My friend does so I wasn't sure how the NODATA file worked since I've used FULL in the past.

Since he is already on OTA EL29, do you think my rooting plan is the best option? To be safe, I've already backed up his data using the non-rooted My Backup Pro app.

Again, thank you very much for your help!
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] sfhub:
The yellow triangle indicating kernel not signed by Samsung? No you shouldn't see that and if you had it before, it should have been cleared and back to normal.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] sfhub:
I suggest you either flash the pre-rooted EL26 NoData or EK02 NoData version in my signature. Might as well get the ROM, kernel, and modem. If you want to switch stuff out, start out with a base that matches, then venture out from there.

For the pre-rooted EL26 NoData, you'll be rooted when it is done. Use Option C in the Auto Root package if you want CWM. For the EK02 package, you won't be rooted, but Auto Root works, so use Option A in the Auto Root package to root and Option C if you want CWM.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] nibrwr:
Just used this to get my E4GT working again. Thanks sfhub!
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] Imaginos:
Thanks for putting this thread together! I'm a recent convert from WinMo on various HTC phones and have been reading plenty to get up to speed on Android.

Enjoying this EL29 bump and scratching my head a little on some conflicting things I have been reading about wifi/usb tethering. I'm rooted and followed the Odex ACS hotspot mod to use the stock sprint app. That fails and smacks me down with a msg about data plan failure. Ditto when I try the USB cable tethering.

Any advice on getting past these failures? Considering a jump to Caulkin's EL29 as a fix-all.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] oscarthegrouch:
Cool, it's proving useful.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] lunchboxVA:
broken mirror link?

hello

can somewun please check the rom+root link in section b...for some reason the link to multi was working yesturday but today it doesnt work at all and as to the mirror link it takes you to deposit files and after you wait the 60sec and enter the captcha it takes you to an access denied page with a link that takes you back to deposit files...

i dont kno if it just me and my computer but if someone can double check would be greatly appreciated...if it is an actual problem please fix...

thanks again
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] theleetbeagle:
Worked 100% perfectly. Thanks. Installed Roam Control, Ad Block & Titanium Backup, all successfully working with root. Thanks, again!

If Sprint releases something newer than EL29 OTA, will it successfully install or will this root have broken that?

---------- Post added at 10:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:39 PM ----------

Download the .torrent. Or, if sfhub wants, I can mirror on a few sites.

==============================

sfhub,
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] biggnaa20:
I just wanted to say this worked wonderfully for me.

In case anyone esle had the same problem I had while trying to download the file. My new copy of Windows 7 home edition wouldn't allow me to save the file as a part of my download. If this happens, it ISN'T the fault of the mirror or download site. You can change the settings to allow that, or just save the file with another device (I used my HP Touchpad) and copy it over. It worked fine after that.

Thanks to those who put this up!

Naa
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] sfhub:
If Sprint releases a newer OTA, it will install if all you did was root and not change anything in the ROM using your root powers.

With what you listed, Roam Control and Titanium Backup would NOT have changed anything in the ROM. Ad Block might or might not change something the OTA cares about, I'm not sure as I don't use it. Note, I'm not saying Ad Block will break OTA. I'm saying it is something to look at if you care about it.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] sfhub:
The MultiUpload link doesn't seem to be responding. w/r/t the mirror at depositfiles, you might have some cookie, privacy, firewall, or other setting preventing you from downloading or there was a temporary issue. I just downloaded this minute from the depostfiles mirror link. I will add some more links later today.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] theleetbeagle:
Oron, hotfile and rapidshare all support remote uploading if you have it on a 3rd party FTP site/other URL.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] EvoYas:
Hi, I have rooted successfully using the Odin method, but for some reason I do not have CWM on my phone yet, so I downloaded the Rom Manager from the market to install CWM throught that and it said it installed but when I rebooted my phone into recovery, it just showed me the lil Android.

How can I get CWM on my phone, and what do it I do? Can someone please help me on this.

Thank You
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] sfhub:
This ODIN One-Click only includes root. It doesn't include CWM. It would have been trivial for me to include CWM, but it would trigger the yellow triangle and increase the ODIN flash count. Those can be reset with USB jig, but not everyone owns or wants to get one.

To get CWM, use Option C of the Auto Root package in the sticky of the development forum. It is also in my signature.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] sfhub:
mavd5831 generously donated hosting.

There are new Mirror1 links for the Individual files in the 2nd post. I will add more links as things get uploaded.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] LilWeech:
Same here ,sending a BIG donation your way.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] EvoYas:
Ok, so I followed the steps to get CWM, but when I'm going through the steps in CMD, it keeps saying DEVICE not found, even thou I have the drivers installed. Any suggestions? I also checked, and I am rooted correctly.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] sfhub:
I'm not sure where you are referring to but if it is waiting for device to be connected, look over FAQ #E3.

http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=19443755&postcount=142
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] EvoYas:
Thank you sfhub, I have got it to work with you help, thanks alot.
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] AVAH0LIC:
I'm not to sure why I'm having this problem, as 7Zip has worked fine in the past and it's still working on other files

I just downloaded today and now, every time I try to open to extract, 7zip pops up saying "Cannot open file "..." as archive."

Any suggestions?

EDIT* Sorry, assuming that because I have such a crappy connection where I'm at that the download failed. I restarted and noticed its 271mb. Mine said it was complete and then I looked at file size and its only 60mb. I'm just going to download it through Sprint Hotspot since my WiFi is so lame here.

Thanks, I'll repost when everything works :)
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] AVAH0LIC:
Helped me out big time. No more yellow error and my original problem is gone. Thank you so much for your hard work and this extremely easy fix!

Epic 4G Touch perfected by Tiff and Calk!
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] :
Ok I got some problems i have tried to rooot an Unroot my phone but wont do either when I try to go into Recovery i get a message""""Firmware upgrade encountered an issue.Please select recovery mode in Kies & an try again..........Thats what I get when i press power botton an volume Up...Now when I try to go back to stock/unroot the phone the blue progress bar either goes half way then just doesnt go any farther..Same thing when I try an root the phone...I really need some help........Basically I cant do crap with the phone...Now the very first time I tried to root the phone today I followed all the steps the blue progress bar went half way then froze...Since then no luck....:confused::confused::confused::confused::confused::confused::confused::confused::confused::confused::confused::confused:
[Samsung Epic 4G Touch] sfhub:
Have you tried a different USB cable?

Have you tried a different computer?

My first guess would be you have some connection reliability issue.