[Galaxy S III Original Android Development] Chainfire:
Installation

(note that the actual downloads are in the next posts)

How to install using: (desktop) ODIN

Short

: unpack the ZIP download, you will end up with a TAR, flash this in ODIN as PDA, and optionally install and run Triangle Away afterwards to reset the flash counter. Beware that this should boot your device into recovery mode (for a few seconds to install SuperSU and CWM Manager) after flashing. Sometimes it doesn't, just flash it again in that case.

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

- Download and unzip the CF-Root-SGS3-vX.X.zip file (see posts below this one)

- If you end up with a recovery.img and cache.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-Root-SGS3-vX.X.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, or run adb reboot download command)

- (USB) Connect the phone to your computer

- Make sure Repartition is NOT checked

- Click the Start button

- Wait for Android to boot

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

- NOTE: Sometimes the device does *not* boot into recovery mode and root your device. Just do the entire procedure again if this happens. If it still will not install root and such, make sure that in Odin "Auto Reboot" is not checked. Then after flashing, pull the battery, and boot with VolUp+Home+Power button to boot into recovery manually. This will start the install process.

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. Notice the 30 second comment above? For experienced users, the entire process indeed takes only 30 seconds!

You may now optionally want to install and run Triangle Away to reset the flash counter.

How to install using: Mobile ODIN

(You already need to be rooted for this)

- Download and unzip the CF-Root-SGS3-vX.X.zip file (see posts below this one)

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

- Put CF-Root-SGS3-vX.X.tar on your internal SD card

- In Mobile ODIN, use the Open file... option and select the CF-Root-SGS3-vX.X.tar file

- If you are running the Pro version, make sure EverRoot is not enabled

- Flash!

Note that if you are flashing this together with a stock Samsung firmware, you must open the CF-Root tar file last, and this will prevent the firmware's CSC to install (which doesn't bother me, but some people care about this). Alternatively, flash the entire firmware first (with EverRoot enabled), then flash only the CF-Root tar after it has booted up.

How to install using: Heimdall (Linux)

This is hearsay, I have not tried it myself. But extract the ZIP, then extract the TAR, so you end up with recovery.img and cache.img files. If you have heimdall setup right, this should do it:

sudo heimdall flash --recovery recovery.img --cache cache.img

How to upgrade with: custom ROM

If you are flashing a custom ROM, chances are it will include root and/or recovery, and there's no manual action to take.

How to upgrade with: Samsung ROM

If you are flashing a stock Samsung ROM, you will probably lose SuperSU (root), CWM (recovery) and the CWM Manager app. Just follow the entire installation procedure again - I recommend the Mobile ODIN option here.

How to uninstall

This is by no means an extensive guide for unrooting, but if you want to sell or warranty your device, I advise the following procedure:

- Use Triangle Away to reset the flash counters, and pull the battery immediately after rebooting starts

- Boot into recovery and perform a wipe, and pull the battery immediately after rebooting starts

- Go to SamMobile and get the stock firmware for your region

- Flash that stock firmware on your device

- Let Android boot, go through device setup (without doing any logins) until Android is fully usable again

- Reboot

- Wait at least 10 minutes

- Check Settings->About device->Status and make sure Device status is not "Modified"

- Perform another factory reset

- Boot into download mode and make sure the flash counter and system status are all set to official

Some of these steps may require further info, if you can't figure it out, do some more searching, or ask people who aren't me ;)

OTA updates

CF-Root v6.3 supports OTA updates to be flashed by the system, but when you flash an OTA, that OTA will probably replace recovery (and keep trying to do so at every boot). You need to re-flash CF-Root after applying an OTA. Just re-flashing CWM will not work and stock recovery will keep coming back.