[Galaxy S III Original Android Development] Chainfire:
I am no longer supporting this version of CF-Root. I have personally moved away from permanent custom recoveries. I will still be providing roots by way of CF-Auto-Root (click). The downloads in this thread will remain available, I just won't be updating them.

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If you just want to get your device rooted ASAP, see this thread instead: CF-Root. It includes this recovery in it's installation, and automatically installs root. This thread is for the recovery

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Check your device model ! Settings -> About device -> Model number. This stuff is made for the GT-I9300 and GT-I9300T, if your model number has a suffix, it may not work, or if it is a totally different model, it will not work (may even brick) !

Not compatible with ROM Manager ! Use the CWM Manager provided instead.

Here's my port of CWM 5.5.0.4 to the SGS3. There's a second version number in the thread title, as I think there will be multiple versions.

As is the case with every SGS release (it happened with the SGS1 and the SGS2, and now again with the SGS3), CWM source isn't built to correctly deal with our setup (internal storage vs sdcard). I had to make a number of changes to the source to get it working correctly. From my tests, it all seems to work, but it's quite possible I missed something (report issues).

(I have tested backup/restore to both internal and external storage, wipes, installing zips from both internal and external, etc, all works as I expect it to)

Aside from the base fixes, there is currently nothing fancy about this build of CWM. I'm not sure if the SGS3 suffers from the brick bug (that SGS2 and Note have), but I patched out the relevant code to be sure (I think). Backups are rather big, system alone is about a GB.

I'll do more some other day!

Instructions - Short

Extract the attached CF-SGS3-CWM-vX.X-vY.Y zip file, to get the tar file you can flash in Odin as PDA.

Instructions - Long

- Follow these instructions to the letter. Do not touch any buttons or checkboxes that are not listed below to touch!

- Unzip the attached Odin3-vX.X.zip file

- Unzip the attached CF-SGS3-CWM-vX.X-vY.Y.zip file

- If you end up with a recovery.img file, you've extracted twice. You need to end up with a .tar file - don't extract that one

- (USB) Disconnect your phone from your computer

- Start Odin3-vX.X.exe

- Click the PDA button, and select CF-SGS3-CWM-vX.X-vY.Y.tar

- Put your phone in download mode (turn off phone, then hold volume-down + home + power to boot - if it asks you to press a button to continue, press the listed button)

- (USB) Connect the phone to your computer

- Make sure Repartition is NOT checked

- Click the Start button

- Wait for the phone to reboot

- Done (if it took you more than 30 seconds, you need practise!)

New to Samsung? Unfamiliar with Odin? Think all the above is a hassle? Get used to it. It's very simple, and us Samsung folk use Odin (or Mobile ODIN ;)) for everything! It's so very very convenient once you get used to it.

Navigation

In recovery, use the volume buttons to move up/down, power or home button to select, and back to go back.

Manually rooting

Note: if you're just flashing CWM to root, it is easiest to follow this thread instead: CF-Root. It includes this recovery in it's installation, and automatically installs root.

Applying root once you have this recovery installed is easy.

- Go to the SuperSU thread and download the CWM-SuperSU-...zip file attached to the first post

- Put the zip file on your sdcard (either internal storage or external sdcard will do)

- Put your phone in recovery mode (turn off phone, then hold volume-up + home + power to boot - release power after one second) - Alternatively, use the "adb reboot recovery" command

- Select "install zip from sdcard"

- Select "choose zip from sdcard" or "choose zip from internal sdcard" (depending on where you put the zip)

- Select the CWM-SuperSU-...zip file

- Done !

Root in ADB

If you root through recovery and are not running a custom kernel, chances are that ADB does not have root when Android is booted. You can enable root in ADB even on stock kernels by using the adbd Insecure app. This does require the device to be rooted!

When flashing a new firmware ...

... you probably want to keep recovery. Most stock firmwares include the stock recovery, so if you flash those with Odin this recovery will be overwritten. Alternatively, if you are using Mobile ODIN to flash, first open the firmware files you want to flash using the "Open file ..." entry (sometimes several times), then select the "Recovery" entry and press the "Clear" button in the popup. This way, recovery will not be overwritten.

CWM Manager

Also attached is CWM Manager, a tool I wrote to manage my CWM kernels and recoveries. Download the APK to your device and open it to install. You may need to go to Settings -> Security -> Device Administration first and enable Unknown sources.

Note that v1.1 or newer of my CWM build is required to use CWM Manager.

Flash counter

To reset the flash counter to 0, see the Triangle Away thread.

OTA's

Since v1.5, flashing OTA updates is supported directly using this recovery. You should however be aware that said OTA will most likely re-install stock recovery and remove this one. Furthermore, it may keep doing so every time you boot. CF-Root v6.3 (and newer) will try to disable this, it is advised you flash that. Just reflashing this CWM recovery will likely not help.

Downloads

CF-SGS3-CWM-v5.5-v1.5.zip

CWMManager-SGS3-v3.60.apk