[Sprint Samsung Galaxy S III] Screen Ack:
I was trying to install the CyanogenMod[1] Firmware (CM) for my Samsung SPH L710 (Sprint) using these instructions[2]. I was using Mac OS X / Heimdall command line binary, downloaded here[3], version 1.4.0. The CM instructions for my phone recommended 1.4RC1 but this package had me using a non-standard library location on my computer whose path wasn't in my standard PATH. Regardless, the Heimdall binary I'm using works as expected.

I installed ClockworkMod (CWM) recovery image using Heimdall. The CM page recommends I use 6.0.3.1 which I installed without unexpected results. I rebooted my phone into "recovery" mode (Vol Up, Home Power) where I followed the step to backup my phone; which I did. Next, I did the "wipe/factory reset" an unnerving step, given how I've customized my phone. Next I proceeded to install CM itself. I tried installing two versions: cm-10.2.0-d2spr.zip[4] and cm-10.1.3-d2spr.zip[5] I downloaded both zip files using the Android File Transfer utility on Mac. The location, from the boot's perspective, is /scard/0/cm-10.1.3-d2spr.zip. The CWM Recovery / zip installer failed to both, throwing an assert error. I followed the instructions here[6], essentially stripping out the assert (first line). Nevertheless, the installer still failed.

I wanted to restore my backup and give up on the venture. However, I was unable to do so. I was getting the MD5 checksum error when trying to restore my backup via CWM. My restore directory was missing a "nandroid.md5" file, so using the "adb shell" I restored[7] it using these instructions. Now I could run my backup, but, my data configuration fails to restore. (I believe there's system, data, and two other categories) It seems the backup is corrupt? Over on this[8] CWM page they recommend 6.0.4.5, not the 6.0.3.1 version, which I flashed my phone with. Afterwards, after booting to recovery mode, CWM shows an odd message "root access is missing. Root device? This can not be undone" My impulse is "NO" since rooting is simply adding complexity to this already out of control problem. I click "No"

This is when the phone is now stuck on "Samsung" at boot.

I restored 6.0.3.1, to no avail. Yes, I can still adb into my phone, access the boot downloader screen and recovery screen, but I can not get past "Samsung" Reverting to 6.0.3.1 leaves me with a backup I can not restore.

I profoundly appreciate any ideas or help on this matter.

Update: my current (broken) system info:

adb shell getprop ro.build.version.release
4.3.1

adb shell cat /proc/version
Linux version 3.4.66-cyanogenmod-g34da3e6 (hudson@koushik-lion)(gcc version 4.7 (GCC) ) #1 SMP PREEMPT Wed Nov 27 13:54:11 PST 2013

Obfuscated links to the above references (replace '-' with '.' in the domains)

1: wiki-cyanogenmod-org

2: wiki-cyanogenmod-org/w/Install_CM_for_d2spr

3: bitbucket-org/benjamin_dobell/heimdall/downloads

4: download-cyanogenmod-org/get/jenkins/49849/cm-10.2.0-d2spr.zip

5: download-cyanogenmod-org/get/jenkins/42488/cm-10.1.3-d2spr.zip

6: youtube-com/watch?v=QW1znjDLe-k

7: geekyzz-blogspot-com/2013/02/how-to-fix-nandroid-md5-mismatch-in_23.html

8: clockworkmod-com/rommanager