[Galaxy S III Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] d4fseeker:
(unfinished!)

Gobbledygook and what it means

ROM

A package including the operating system (Android) and pre-installed apps and configuration. There are 3 types of ROM's:

Original:

The ones released by Samsung. They can be downloaded on http://samfirmware.com and are flashed through Odin.

Sammy-based:

ROM's that have been altered, tweaked, enhanced, modified but are based on an Original Rom.

A list of Sammy-based ROM's can be found here: http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=26583587&postcount=1

AOSP-based:

These ROM's have been built from the official Google Android sources without any carrier-interference. Cyanogenmod is among these.

Here's a list of those: http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=27583422&postcount=2

FD / Fast Dormancy

Fast Dormance. usually shortened FD or depending on the technology NCFD for network controlled fast dormancy, is a protocol between your phone and the network which basically allows it to suspend the data connection when it's not used to save battery and resources.

Here's a description: http://galaxy551.wordpress.com/2011/09/05/fast-dormancy-and-battery/

Modem or Radio

The modem, also called radio or baseband processor, is the system within your phone which is responsible for all cellular activity, be it data transfer, calls, ... and their corresponding low-level parts. It has it's completely own operating system (firmware), which is usually called 'modem' for short. Depending on the carrier and locations, different modems have a better stability and/or data throughput than others. The best ones are often not the one destined for your region.

Modems for the S3 are not compatible with all ROM's, a list of modems and some hints can be found here

Root

Rooting is the procedure of gaining root (=privileged, "admin") access to your phone. Pure rooting consists of only minor changes to the original ROM and neither causes data loss nor is it risky when following step-by-step instructions. It allows to control your device's behaviour in all regards. Rooting is considered to void warranty (although that may not be entirely correct)

EFS

EFS is a partition on your phone which contains the ONLY data that will cause your phone to be unusuable if lost or corrupted.

It includes your MAC addresses (Machine adress code) which is a unique identifier for all Bluetooth and (W)Lan devices aswell as your IMEI (basically the same as MAC but for mobile networks). Loosing/corrupting your IMEI causes the device to no longer be accepted by your operator . There is no known successful way to restore the IMEI other than sending it in for (paid) repair through Samsung customer service.

A backup is highly recommended if your device is rooted. Refer to "How do I backup my EFS" below.

CWM

ClockWorkMod (CWM) is an aftermarket recovery with extended functionality and the ability to flash non-Samsung Update files.

It's usually used for Nandroid backups, updating custom ROM's and flashing tweaks/features to a Rom.

However it also includes an ADB console to recover from issues and run commands on the system.

Most custom kernels include a copy of CWM.

Odin/Heimdall

Odin (Windows-only) and Heimdall (Windows, Mac, Linux) are tools which allow you to use the factory ROM-flashing system to update and replace the firmware or parts of your phone. It can also be used to recover the phone from bad flashes if it does not go to Recovery mode again.

ADB

Android Debug Bridge is a tool allowing you to execute commands and send/receive files of an USB-attached Android phone from your computer. It requires "USB Debugging" to be enabled in the Settings->'Developer options' of your phone.

It's usually used to test apps or send commands to the phone's command line.

A copy of ADB is attached to the post. To install it, copy the contents of adb.zip into C:\Windows and open a Dos Promt (cmd). Then type 'adb shell' to gain command-line access to your phone.

About upgrades and Updates

When will I get an update?

Official OTA updates are often delayed or not released at all for certain countries, regions. Additionally, carrier-branded ROM's are usually

further delayed by the carrier himself. See "How can I manually update"

Is the update Jellybean?

No. Jellybean is'nt out for probably a couple of months. However that doesn't mean you shouldn't install the upgrade since they often contain important bugfixes and tweaks.

How can I manually update?

You want that new ROM but it's (not yet) released for your country or region? No worry! Head over to http://samfirmware.com and get the ROM of your choice (within the Samsung Galaxy S3 i9300 range of course). Then flash it through Odin. It will not cause data loss and upgrading (newer Version) should always go painlessly, downgrading may need a factory-reset (=data loss).

About flashing in general

How do I access download / recovery mode?

Recovery mode

Make sure your phone is powered off and not plugged in

Press and hold Volume-Up and Home button.

Press Power-button until the Logo appears

Release Power-button but keep the other 2 pressed.

Repeat if it does not work. If it still does not work, remove the battery for 1-2 minutes and try again.

Download mode

Same steps as 'recovery mode' but replace 'Volume-Up' with 'Volume-Down'.

What is a JIG

A jig is a little (and very cheap, +- 2$) electronic component in form of a microUSB-plug helping you to access download-mode when it either turns on but does not go to Download/ Recovery mode or does not react at all. Upon plug-in the phone will start in download mode, allowing it to be fixed.

Do I need a backup

If you ask, you probably don't have any. Neither Titanium Backup, nor CWM. It's highly recommended since, according to Murphy's law, "what can go wrong, will go wrong". Don't blame other users if you don't have any ready and you lost everything you stored on the phone!

It's probably a good idea to always store backups on the external SD card (if any is present).

See "How can I make a backup" for further info.

How can I make a backup

There are 2 possibilities:

Full-backups (aka Nandroid)

These are capable of restoring your entire phone including the ROM, configuration, apps, data, ... exactly as it was at the time of the backup.

Nandroid backups can be created and restored through the 'Backup & Restore' menu in CWM.

Partial backups (for ROM migration or experimentation)

+ Use Titanium Backup to backup and restore non-system apps including their data (all apps that are not colored red).

+ Make sure you enabled "Sync contacts" in Settings->Accounts&Sync->[Your account] and let it sync

+ Use Sms Backup+ to backup your SMS and call-logs to your GMail account.

How do I backup my EFS

Use this tool: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1308546

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