yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet] jichuan89:
Exploit: Modify System Files w/o Flashing Boot Partition​

Background

One of the serious inconveniences of the stock Nook Tablet firmware is the inability to copy & paste in text fields. I hacked together a solution (see this thread) that requires replacing the file /system/framework/framework.jar. However, when I did replaced that file, my tablet no longer boots.

It turns out that there are two files in the ramdisk that specify (what I assume to be) checksums of system files: /manifest00 and /manifest01. B&N has added a "feature" to the /init process that checks if system files on disk match the checksums in /manifest00 and /manifest01, and will crash the system if it finds a discrepancy, resulting in a boot loop.

/manifest00 and /manifest01 cover essentially all of the system files that one would be interested to modify, including my /system/framework/framework.jar. It is possible to get around this by using a ramdisk that has an empty /manifest00 and /manifest01, because /init only checks files with a checksum listed in /manifest00 and /manifest01, and will happily ignore everything else. But this would require me to flash a new boot partition, and since the NT has a locked bootloader, I would have to use bauwks's 2nduboot or Cyanoboot.

In essence, B & N is quite clever:

1. To modify system files (/system), you need to modify the boot partition (/manifest00 and /manifest01).

2. To modify the boot partition, you need to modify the boot loader.

3. The bootloader is locked.

Of course, with bauwks's 2nduboot hack, 3 is no longer an obstacle, but I would still rather not flash and damage my boot partition, having almost bricked my tablet once by doing so.

Exploit

I studied the /manifest00 and /manifest01 in the 1.4.2 ROM on my NT 8GB and compared them with /init.rc and /init.omap4430.rc, and discovered that /init.omap4430.rc starts /system/bin/uim-sysfs with root permissions at boot, but /system/bin/uim-sysfs does not actually exist. In addition, /system/bin/uim-sysfs is not in /manifest00 or /manifest01, and is thus not verified by /init.

Upon further testing, /system/bin/uim-sysfs is run after /init checks the checksums of system files, which means that /system/bin/uim-sysfs can modify /system as it wishes, with the caveat that it must restore its modifications before a reboot lest /init catches it at it.

So I placed a shell script at /system/bin/uim-sysfs that replaces /system/framework/framework.jar with my custom build, restarts the zygote process, and restores the stock /system/framework/framework.jar. I'm now able to use copy & paste on my Nook Tablet :p

If anyone's interested, you can check out the uim-sysfs script I'm using for the copy & paste hack in the linked file in this thread.
[Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet] lavero.burgos:
Interesting and very useful for stock users. Well done!

~ Veronica
[Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet] fattire:
Stop it, BN. Stop it.

Interesting find. What is BN thinking with this manifest checking stuff. BN, just stop it. Seriously. Stop it.

Stop it, BN.

FWIW, uim-sysfs is the no-longer-used userspace side of the "shared transport" wireless daemon stuff (the other side is called "kim" in the kernel) that's used for bluetooth, FM, and gps on the 1271... it's used in CM7/CM9 (backported from 2.6.35 to 2.6.32) for nookcolor to make bluetooth work.

BN likely just modified TI's stock init.omap3.rc and left lines like the uim service as-is. Running this non-existent file as root is kinda a "security" hole, IMO, assuming the manifest verification was supposed to be some kind of security. Remove this, there will doubtlessly be other examples of the same thing.

All that said, is this script, which is replacing system files on-the-fly any more "safe" than just replacing the boot partition in the first place? Add CyanoBoot, shift current boot.img contents 512 bytes. Done. :)

Nice discovery tho.
[Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet] jichuan89:
Well, the only real difference for me is what happens when you screw something up. When I screwed up /system, I could always use the "8 failed reboots" method to go back to stock /system. When I screwed up my boot partition, I almost bricked my tablet and there was no way of getting back to the factory restore interface.

In addition, it's also really, really easy for development because we'd be working with simple files, not images. For my copy & paste hack, I was editing /system/bin/uim-sysfs directly on the tablet using a text editor. Boot images are much harder to work with.

The last advantage is that it's a lot less intrusive. There's no scary flashing going on here; just drop a file in /system/bin/ and you're set.
[Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet] MikeCh:
care to share the files?

would be nice if you can share some files:)
[Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet] jichuan89:
If you're interested in copy & paste, I've now posted instructions at http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1534757
[Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet] fattire:
Well, "bricking" in the classic sense of creating a permanently damaged system is a bit difficult-- you can always boot from SD card and reflash from CWM, right?

do you mean for the developer or end user?

but aren't you still moving framework files around "on the fly"?

Well, in any event it was a good observation that can be used for all kinds of purposes-- rooting, running background processes, etc. You could even drop a cwm recovery binary in there to instantly turn stock into cwm I bet...
[Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet] jichuan89:
True.

I guess that's personal preference more than anything else. Please disregard.

Yes - but the process is automated by the script in uim-sysfs. From the user's perspective it's just copying a file to /system/bin say using ES File Explorer, rather than burning an image to an SD card and booting from it which appears to scare/confuse a lot of people. Also they wouldn't need a computer or a card reader or a spare SD card or a USB cable or any special software on their computer.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S II SGH-T989] stephen31686:
Got this phone two days after my laptop finally **** the bed. Im sorry if this has been asked but is there a method to root using terminal emulator or something? Love the phone, hate the bloat. Thanks
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S II SGH-T989] Towle:
Nope, you will need a PC.
[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S II SGH-T989] Joy2DaWurld:
There are already multiple thread for this, but yeah you'll NEED a PC.

I thought it'd be a really cool idea to do all this without one, but realistically you'd run into some huge trouble if your device was bricked in the process of an app sending files to your /root
[General Questions and Answers] Chinespa:
Is there a way to install Windows CE, mobile or phone on this phone? The phone is a ZTE Score (Cricket) and runs Android 2.3. I have another phone I use mostly and I do not care if I lose the ability to make phone calls. I just wanted the GPS and WiFi, I bought this for $29.99 and it would not be too much of a loss if I bricked it although I would prefer not to. I mostly want a plain Windows OS. Can someone help me out?
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Sage:
Hi all,

It's probably a long shot though i thought id ask.

I have a Witstech A81G 7" Android Tablet that i have been trying to make a custom ROM for to no avail i have tried a number of tutorials though i guess its just beyond me though every time i try i simply get boot looping.

Is anyone able to make a stock Android 2.3 ROM for this device for me?

Link to current ROM is here: (2 part .RAR)

http://bbs.witstech.com.cn/viewFile.asp?BoardID=10&ID=1066

http://bbs.witstech.com.cn/viewFile.asp?BoardID=10&ID=1067

Sendspace Mirror:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/zikqcm

No mods needed just want to run 2.3 instead of 2.2.

If anyone has an easy tutorial to follow id love to keep trying. Though it maybe easier for someone to assist.

Thanking you in advance.
[T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide] Drzfr3shboialex:
Can it?

sent from my Virtuous Unity :D
[T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide] Coug76:
Nope.

Hastily spouted for your befuddlement.
[T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide] yellowjacket1981:
No, but we do have tv out. You can get a cable that goes from your headphone jack to rca cables, you know the red, white and yellow ones? It works great, and is compatible with most tvs old and new. I am using it right now.
[T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide] Drzfr3shboialex:
Thanks

sent from my Virtuous Unity :D
[T-Mobile myTouch 4G Slide] Blue6IX:
Depends on what you mean by HDMI.

It is, technically an HDMI output - and also if you try to use the music enhancements while on TV-out you can't because those options "are not available over HDMI connections.

I have since isolated all of the code in the kernel around it, and it is registered as an HDMI connection in that code.

I posted something about it months ago when I found out, but I have no clue what thread that was in now.

HDMI is a type of signal, and you can pass it over many types of cables or none at all. You don't need a physical HDMI cable to output an HDMI signal, in fact, you don't even need a cable at all and can transmit it wirelessly.

You can definitely use HDMI without an HDMI cable, but buying a cable with a more optimum pin-out for HDMI does not allow a device to use the HDMI compression method unless it already could.
[General Questions and Answers] Bobby.Tables:
So, I'm new to the world of android phones. I and others like me would like to know: what are the pros and cons of buying a phone unlocked at full price versus buying a phone subsidized? Feel free to use all the technical jargon at your disposal, oh wise people of xda. Thanks in advance.
[General Questions and Answers] superbeak:
Buying unlocked will save you a heap of trouble when it comes to flashing a phone to another carrier. It saves the risk of getting odd service. (This occurs when using a donor meid for another phone)
[General Questions and Answers] superbeak:
Oh and I forgot to mention. Paying some Guy to flash to another carrier can cost in the $70 range.
[General Questions and Answers] PakAttack1994:
To be honest, I don't know anyone that would buy a phone full price from a carrier just to get it sim unlocked. Most people get a subsidized phone since its cheaper up front but then you're stuck on a contract, as opposed to buying a phone retail or craigslist where you can just use prepaid service and you're not tied down to a lengthy contract. Keep in mind, you can always pay a couple bucks to get your phone sim unlocked if you choose not to get a phone directly from your carrier. Yes it would be free from your carrier but its not worth it in the long run when you can just check ebay, some third party websites or maybe even unlock it yourself.
[General Questions and Answers] phander:
I wonder, given the OP's self-confessed newness to phones, he/she is mixing up 'unlocked to any network' with the constant talk of 'unlocking bootloaders' and the like?
[General Questions and Answers] PakAttack1994:
I figured sim unlocking since bootloader unlocking wouldnt matter if it was bought at full price or subsidized...I dont think anyways.
[General Questions and Answers] Kropolis:
The obvious benefits are flashing rims and not being locked to a specific carrier.
[HD2 Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting and Genera] paulroyland:
i just installed this on my htc hd2

[01-03-12][ROM] IceCreamTosti v0.9 [AOKP27/4.0.3][MULTILANGUAGE][LITE][K:TYT_ICS_r1]

and it worked great through magldr v1.13

but i had no memory so i went to ad recover, and wiped partition cache and partitioned my sd card but i also deleted everything off the sd card, and now wen i install the same rom that did work, it doesnt work anymore gets to the go go go and gets stuck, can anyone see what ive done wrong

apart from not having a clue what im doing anyway
[HD2 Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting and Genera] jsmccabe78:
I believe magldr puts stuff on your sdcard which you may have deleted. I would reflash magldr and go from there.
[Eee Pad Transformer Themes and Apps] Dreamboxuser:
For those of you who are interested in Cornerstone I took the liberty of putting a little theme together. Keep in mind this is a work in progress and i would appreciate any suggestions or tips.

Before you do anything back up your CSPanel.apk file

Rename to CSPanel.apk

Close Cornerstone

Go to system /app

delete CSPanel.apk (or copy elsewhere and rename)

Copy Modded file to /system/app

Install app

restart Cornerstone

Oh ya this is totally unauthorized so none of the brilliant developers (cyanogen(mod) or Team Eos) should be held responsible if your tab blows up or takes over the world. I as well will take no responsibility if anything happens to your device.

Just incase i'm putting the original CSPanel up as well.

Both Versions have simmilar changes.

Cornerstone Logo replaced

Ugly blue window active bar replaced.
[Eee Pad Transformer Themes and Apps] Dreamboxuser:
Screens

Team Eos-Cornerstone:

ricardopvz CM9- Cornerstone :

Plans for the future:

In order

1. Effects when button presses (this weekend probably)

2. Change the fonts on the window app name thing (this weekend probably)

3. all the icons

4. Make the divider bar between the windows smaller or transparent (as soon as i figure out how)

5. Make the whole thing blend a little better into the system and not just a giant black box with apps in it (as soon as i figure out how)

(pretty much everything else)

Started checking this out on Saturday so i'm still learning. First theme so please be gentle.
[Eee Pad Transformer Themes and Apps] crashdau:
Followed the instructions and even took the extra step of updating the permissions and it told me the app wasn't installed. So, I installed it and everything is running fine.

Nice job. Looks great. Just wanted to share my experience in case others run into the same thing.
[Eee Pad Transformer Themes and Apps] mrevankyle:
good to see another themer here. Just a hint it might be easier to just use villan theme installer rather than replacing apk's as then you do not have the issue of apk corruption or people complaining about loosing the app when they have done something wrong
[Eee Pad Transformer Themes and Apps] Dreamboxuser:
Thanks updated the OP

K cool i will check it out.. Thanks (That is gonna take some time to wrap my head around i'll give it a try this weekend)
[Eee Pad Transformer Themes and Apps] Dreamboxuser:
Updated to include CM9 version and original just in case.

Any ideas on how to make this really cool?

Plus I did check out Villain themer... seems from what I read if you flash the from the changes go away. This may be good for the future but since for each release of the Team EOS and CM9 you have to reflash the rom so it may not work.
[Eee Pad Transformer Themes and Apps] jager13:
anyway to make this work on the NOTE gingerbread 2.3.6?
[Eee Pad Transformer Themes and Apps] Dreamboxuser:
check out this link

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1425631&page=161

.
[Xperia Arc Themes and Apps] ShyamSasi:
Hello there!

I found the new Google Market. Google Play Store. It will replace the old version.

Download

Thanks to ro6666lt
[Xperia Arc Themes and Apps] LuckyStriker33:
What a terrible thing to do, anyway, anyone having stuck with 2 icons (market and "play store)? I cant delete the old icon.

Did I mention how terrible this move is? Such a silly name, with a silly icon and who knows which new silly policies includes.
[Xperia Arc Themes and Apps] vr5411:
Mine updated by itself. It first delete old icon by itself.

All working fine.
[Xperia Arc Themes and Apps] Lord Takyon:
Mine was knackered after the update. Old Market stopped working but no new icon.

Cleared cache, etc. Ended up having to put the apk in place manually.

Sent from my Arc via transwarp beacon.
[Xperia Arc Themes and Apps] worf_1977:
To interested....

Ehat the hell were you thinking about to replace our beloved market icon with a doll house icon?

Tell me what were your drug!!! (to not try it never, never, never) :D
[Kindle Fire General] CodenameDeadpool:
Say I like the icons on one CM9 ROM and want to use them on another, any way I could locate them and save them to the SD? If so where are they located? I've been looking through my root files, and haven't found them. Thanks.
[Kindle Fire General] daggy1985:
One way to retrieve the icon, is to pull the apk for which ever program icon you want and using 7-Zip (or zip program of your choice, to open apk in another zip program you must rename from .apk to .zip. 7-zip automatically recognizes apk files as an archive, which is nice. :D) , open the apk and look in /res/drawable-mdpi and find the icon and copy it to your device.
[Kindle Fire General] CodenameDeadpool:
Thank you very much.
[Acer Iconia A500] dincdoes.me:
Anything changed besides the name?
[Acer Iconia A500] Drewwilliams2011:
I flashed Civato's R6 Flexreaper, it still has Market as of right now, but it wants me to update to 'Google Play Music' from Google Music, so I think it's a new gimmick to make the old android/google apps sound new and fresh, following the decrease in Google Music users.
[Acer Iconia A500] dincdoes.me:
Ahh well as soon as u update there is no more market just google play lol it just was odd didn't read anything abouth this..
[Acer Iconia A500] Euclid's Brother:
Stupid name, google play. Is this only a game/music device now?
[Acer Iconia A500] peterchannewyork:
Seems a little faster opening the app though. old market took forever for me. yes, stupid name.
[Acer Iconia A500] dincdoes.me:
I hate the new name and icon.. doesn't fit I miss Android market with its green little shopping bag lol the new one reminds me of something that Sony would do
[Acer Iconia A500] viteq:
With the name change it is going to unification all services (market, videos, music etc.) in one. It's hard to say it, but it is.... like itunes.

I live in Poland. Services like google music aren't avaliable in here right now. So for me it is just market with new name. Another oportunity to buy some apps cheaper.
[Acer Iconia A500] Locklear308:
The minute I read about this in the news. I was outraged. What the hell google?

First you kill the Menu button...now you change the name of the Android Market to GOOGLE PLAY? It's like they are trying to make me leave Android. :/

Come on google, get your head on straight!
[Acer Iconia A500] gjtoth:
I'd sure like to use it! :( When I open it, it crashes immediately. Tried clearing the data and reinstalling it. No joy. Any suggestions?
[Acer Iconia A500] dynospectrum:
Google is just trying to keep things fresh. Not a big deal, same thing, different name. If that's enough to upset someone, they most likely have some other underlying psychological issues that haven't been dealt with. :rolleyes: Be thankful!
[Acer Iconia A500] tazer4:
What a gay name, Android Market 4 Life! ****ING LOOSERS!!!
[Acer Iconia A500] Pazzu510:
What is really happening is that google is trying to gain terrain over the other companies; and thus, google is reinventing itself to get rid of the bad reputation it had from the mainstreem customer it is traying to attract because they are the ones that buy everything(apps, movies, books, devices and other things). If you want an example of the bad reputation just get an old device with 2.1 or 1.6 and dont flash it; i bet even a blackberry would kick ass agains that(even x8 is terrible with the factory´s rom, and it is not that old)

Srry bros, but people like us that like everything free even if it is a bit more difficult to use, or flash, or do it ourselfs is not what google is targeting to.

Brace yourselfs, google mainstreem is coming

*only if it succeds to transform the company and attract new customers with new style(ics), new services(google play), and other stuff, which i think it is doing pretty well with.
[General Questions and Answers] mike80439:
I'm coding an HTML5 app for as wide an audience as possible (Android, iPhone, etc.) It has to be a web app because Apple probably won't allow this in the AppStore.

The app requires the HTML5 storage functions. In an ideal world, all browsers would have IndexedDB implemented, but, to date, only Chrome mobile has it (and ICS only). W3C has deprecated SQLite in the browser (FF doesn't have Web SQL). I need to save lists of objects, so the key/value local storage isn't going to work.

I'll also be using geolocation, notifications, and web services.

Can someone recommend which browsers I should be coding to? Is there a solution to this problem?

Thanks,
[Xoom Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] dboftlp:
I've got the Google Videos app installed that shipped w/ the TeamEOS v1 ROM & can watch movies rented from the Market, but if I update to Google Play Movies, when it starts up I get the "Bad rooted device! Dats a bad kitteh!" error. Was the version that shipped with the ROM enabled to play rentals, even though we're rooted? or is it just dumb luck? I reverted back to the old version via TiBu & alls well. Also wondering this, if there was a change to the ver that this ROM shipped with, is the latest version of the app going to be updated as well.

TIA,

dboftlp
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] Mcoupe:
Wow, ICS has barely been out.

I know that there has been threads about Jelly Bean, but I am not sure if I had read that ASUS confirmed that it would be Jelly Bean.

Does this mean Google and Asus maybe working on a Nexus tablet, since asus has made this announcement?

Hopefully with the new wave of tablets from Asus we can still use the TF201 dock with them. If so I wouldnt mind sticking with Asus tabs...especially if they ever make one that works as advertised....lol

http://www.t3.com/news/android-5-0-jelly-bean-name-confirmed-by-asus

Sorry guys if this is old news, and just let the thread die.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] opentoe:
I think lots of people could care less about Jelly Bean since their tablets haven't been working since Honeycomb!
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] Mcoupe:
I couldnt agree more.

Hard to be excited about anything until they get ICS on the Prime right.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] dilligaf:
I think lots of people will be watching as their primes work fine!

Maybe you have not read the polls.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] wynand32:
Android 5 will be released about a year after Android 4, which was released about a year after Android 2.3. Honeycomb was an interim release. I'm not sure why everyone is so bent out of shape about this--things are moving along pretty much according to schedule.

Just because someone confirmed Jelly Bean as the name for Android 5 doesn't mean it's coming out anytime soon... I'd say, it'll be October at the earliest, although like ICS it might be previewed over the summer.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] rits06:
XD

I think the same mabe we can saw JB the nex midle year, right now ICS have long road
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] xGary:
When you said JB the first thing I thought of was Justin Bieber. FML
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] oddbin:
Couldn't.

And jelly bean could be better than ics.
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] rdalev:
Maybe you have not read this !

"On the official company blog, ASUS has come out and said that due to an overwhelming amount of customers “dissatisfied with the performance of the GPS module” in the Prime TF201, consumers in the UK will be able to return their tablet for a full refund, or should they decide to keep it, enroll in a 12 to 18 month extended warranty plan."

http://androidandme.com/2012/01/dev...u-an-extended-warranty-if-you-live-in-the-uk/
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] moeinyoho:
Exactly
[Asus  Eee Pad Transformer Prime] rits06:
Lol, well Im his Fan......................

Joke:D
[General Questions and Answers] MaRz0o:
Hey everyone, I have a rooted LG Optimus V and I just recently installed the ICS Final Rom I downloaded from this site.

This rom has the ability to let me take a screenshot of my phone. I have used it countless times for taking a picture of my home screen or whenever I'm in the web browser. But when I use apps like DrawSomething or Cartoon Wars, whenever I take a screenshot, the screen goes black.

Is there any way to bypass this?