[Galaxy S III Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] postergeist:
This problem has been encountered by tons of people and there are tons of threads, which I think I have read all of, but I still can't solve the problem. My problem started when I decided I want to put CM10.2 (cyanogenmod for those who don't know) on my Galaxy S3 (i9300 intl version). I use a mac and so I looked up how to root from a mac. I found this site and followed the instructions. After finishing, my phone was not rooted and for some strange reason, my camera stopped working. I decided to ignore that since I figured once I rooted it and put CM on it, it would solve itself. Note: I didn't make a backup. I know, stupid stupid stupid. Once I got CM on there however, the problem persisted. I have now spent 3 days and untold number of hours on this and I can't solve it.

The following is a log of everything I have done from the very beginning:

1. Tried to root using method from this site. It tells you to download a zip file which contains: heimdall suite 1.3.2 (mac) and CWM-SuperSU-v0.87.zip which further contains an apk called Superuser.apk and also su command for xbin. It also contains a file called s3pit.pit which you flash via heimdall first. Result of this was camera on original stock rom not working and not rooted.

2. I rooted my s3 using the proper method which involved using my PC using Odin3 v1.85 to flash CF-Auto-Root-m0-m0xx-gti9300.tar.md5. This worked fine.

3. Flashed clockworkmod recovery using Odin3 v.3.07 and file recovery-cwmtouch-6.0.3.2-GTI9300.tar

4. Installed CM 10.2 without any issues. Tried camera, no go.

5. I am in spain and bought my phone here unlocked. I did the best I could to find out what my original stock rom was. Using This thread as a guide I restored GT-I9300XXEMG4_KOR_MULTI_FACTORY which included new pit, modem and bootloader. Still no dice.

6. I read multiple posts in which people were able to fix the problem by simply putting the correct camera firmware .bin file into the /data/cfw folder. I downloaded every .bin I could find and put them in there but... no dice.

7. Using the dialer, I enter *#34971539# to find out what firmware and camera I have but nothing comes up. It just says "Standard Firmware"

8. I flashed an updated stock firmware: PHE-I9300XXUGMK6-20131228140138. Everything great... except for the camera :(

9. Opened up ADB and started looking for clues in the log. Here's the log I got under this ROM:

E/SecCameraHardware( 1919): camFW =

E/SecCameraHardware( 1919): FimcV4l2 init: error -1, VIDIOC_S_INPUT

E/SecCameraHardware( 1919): initCamera X: error, /dev/video0

V/SecCameraHardware( 1919): FimcV4l2 deinit EX

E/SecCameraHardware( 1919): createInstance: error, camera cannot be initialiezed

E/SecCameraHardware( 1919): Instance is not created

E/SecCameraCoreManager( 1919): Could not open camera 0: -38

D/SecCameraCoreManager( 1919): SecCameraCoreManager destroyed: pid=1919

I/SecCameraCoreManager( 1919): Destroying camera 0

E/CameraEngine(20826): service cannot connect. critical exception occured.

"destroying camera" (and soul)

I'm not convinced the fw files I placed in the /data/cfw folder are being recognized or used because where it says in the log "camFW=", the value is null. Other users' log files for this problem usually have a value in there for the firmware.

10. I decided to hell with this, I need my phone back to at least usable state so I reflashed my nandroid backup of CM10.2 (still no camera) but had a look at the log to see if it was different and it is. I guess because of exynos:

--------- beginning of /dev/log/main

D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_number_of_cameras()

D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_camera_info(0, 0x41255c18)

D/exynos_camera( 1911): Selected camera: S5C73M3

D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_camera_info(1, 0x41738c18)

D/exynos_camera( 1911): Selected camera: S5K6A3

--------- beginning of /dev/log/system

D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_camera_info(0, 0x41902c18)

D/exynos_camera( 1911): Selected camera: S5C73M3

D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_camera_info(1, 0xbeed47d0)

D/exynos_camera( 1911): Selected camera: S5K6A3

V/CameraHolder( 6705): open camera 0

D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_camera_info(0, 0x41738bb0)

D/exynos_camera( 1911): Selected camera: S5C73M3

D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_camera_info(0, 0x41738ba0)

D/exynos_camera( 1911): Selected camera: S5C73M3

D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_open(0x40dca004, 0, 0x40d8e8dc)

E/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_start: Unable to set inputs

E/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_open: Unable to start camera

E/CameraHolder( 6705): fail to connect Camera

E/CameraHolder( 6705): java.lang.RuntimeException: Fail to connect to camera service

E/CameraHolder( 6705):	at android.hardware.Camera.native_setup(Native Method)

E/CameraHolder( 6705):	at android.hardware.Camera.<init>(Camera.java:366)

E/CameraHolder( 6705):	at android.hardware.Camera.open(Camera.java:322)

E/CameraHolder( 6705):	at com.android.camera.CameraManager.cameraOpen(CameraManager.java:304)

E/CameraHolder( 6705):	at com.android.camera.CameraHolder.open(CameraHolder.java:210)

E/CameraHolder( 6705):	at com.android.camera.Util.openCamera(Util.java:457)

E/CameraHolder( 6705):	at com.android.camera.PhotoModule$CameraStartUpThread.run(PhotoModule.java:311)

D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_camera_info(0, 0x41902c18)

D/exynos_camera( 1911): Selected camera: S5C73M3

D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_camera_info(1, 0xbeed47d0)

D/exynos_camera( 1911): Selected camera: S5K6A3

V/CameraHolder( 6705): open camera 0

D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_camera_info(0, 0x41902bb0)

D/exynos_camera( 1911): Selected camera: S5C73M3

D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_camera_info(0, 0x41902ba0)

D/exynos_camera( 1911): Selected camera: S5C73M3

D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_open(0x40dca004, 0, 0x41efbc44)

E/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_start: Unable to set inputs

E/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_open: Unable to start camera

E/CameraHolder( 6705): fail to connect Camera

E/CameraHolder( 6705): java.lang.RuntimeException: Fail to connect to camera service

E/CameraHolder( 6705):	at android.hardware.Camera.native_setup(Native Method)

E/CameraHolder( 6705):	at android.hardware.Camera.<init>(Camera.java:366)

E/CameraHolder( 6705):	at android.hardware.Camera.open(Camera.java:322)

E/CameraHolder( 6705):	at com.android.camera.CameraManager.cameraOpen(CameraManager.java:304)

E/CameraHolder( 6705):	at com.android.camera.CameraHolder.open(CameraHolder.java:210)

E/CameraHolder( 6705):	at com.android.camera.Util.openCamera(Util.java:457)

E/CameraHolder( 6705):	at com.android.camera.PhotoModule$CameraStartUpThread.run(PhotoModule.java:311)

D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_camera_info(0, 0x41902c18)

D/exynos_camera( 1911): Selected camera: S5C73M3

D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_camera_info(1, 0xbeed47d0)

D/exynos_camera( 1911): Selected camera: S5K6A3

V/CameraHolder(12444): open camera 0

D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_camera_info(0, 0x41738bb0)

D/exynos_camera( 1911): Selected camera: S5C73M3

D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_camera_info(0, 0x41738ba0)

D/exynos_camera( 1911): Selected camera: S5C73M3

D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_open(0x40dca004, 0, 0x40d9b6cc)

E/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_start: Unable to set inputs

E/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_open: Unable to start camera

E/CameraHolder(12444): fail to connect Camera

E/CameraHolder(12444): java.lang.RuntimeException: Fail to connect to camera service

E/CameraHolder(12444):	at android.hardware.Camera.native_setup(Native Method)

E/CameraHolder(12444):	at android.hardware.Camera.<init>(Camera.java:366)

E/CameraHolder(12444):	at android.hardware.Camera.open(Camera.java:322)

E/CameraHolder(12444):	at com.android.camera.CameraManager.cameraOpen(CameraManager.java:304)

E/CameraHolder(12444):	at com.android.camera.CameraHolder.open(CameraHolder.java:210)

E/CameraHolder(12444):	at com.android.camera.Util.openCamera(Util.java:457)

E/CameraHolder(12444):	at com.android.camera.PhotoModule$CameraStartUpThread.run(PhotoModule.java:311)

To my knowledge, there is only one thing I have not tried yet which I read in another thread which is that in addition to putting the .bin FW files into /data/cfw, you also need to place them into /system/cameradata. For some reason, even with root access I cannot copy files into that folder. I get a permission denied if I try to do it with ES File explorer app and via ADB I cannot do an mv command between the data folder and that system folder. I'm not a very experienced linux user.

I really don't know where to go from here. I have a feeling it all went to sh*t with the original s3pit.pit file but I really do not have the expertise to know what could have happened there. I know very vaguely that a pit file allocates the partitions but I wouldnt know what the implications of changing it are. Yeah... shoulda done a full nandroid backup first. DOH!!!!:mad: