[Galaxy S III General] immortalcat:
This post is about the failure to install gapps after flashing ROM and the troubleshooting that ensues.

Posting here, in case somebody might find this helpful. All the best!

I read an article in ibtimes about flashing SuperNexus 4.0 kitkat into Galaxy s3 and I was bored :silly:

I decided to flash SuperNexus 4.0 into my phone, replacing its stock 4.3 Jelly Bean ROM

I rooted the phone first, using Odin 3.0.7 and the CF root that comes with it. It works without hiccups

I downloaded a copy of CWM 6.0.4.6 and flashed it, but it did not work. Failed at Odin. Odin just freezes without failure indication. It took me a couple of hours to finally detach the USB cable and restart the phone out of download mode. It was my first time, of course, I was scared.

I downloaded a copy of CWM 6.0.3.2 and flashed it, it works.

But I decided to download a copy of CWM 6.0.4.5 instead, the one that the ibtimes tutorial links to, and flashed it, it works

However, I can't format /data. I can't mount /data and /system. I can't format Dalvik Cache. I don't have any experience yet, ibtimes seems to indicate that this should not be the behavior, but I moved forward anyway.

I flashed SuperNexus anyway, It works. (flashing SuperNexus is tricky too, I have to edit the updater-script within the zip file to remove asserts. the asserts are causing failure since assert does not match exactly the model number and ROM target)

I tried to flash gapps, but it can't. Reason being that it can't set /system folder during installation setting, probably since CWM can't mount it.

I assumed that the partition is corrupted. I assumed that something messed with the partition since it can't mount it. I assumed that the hiccup while attempting to flash CWM 6.0.4.6 is the culprit

So I mucked around, collecting information on how to do re-partition. However, I ensured that I understand fully about re-partitioning. Since It sounds like it may really brick the phone if I messed it up.

Gathering information about partitioning is a hit miss since the community is filled with reverse engineers. So there are no definitive guide, just guess works.

While following various leads, I tried looking at GPT fdisk since running fdisk shows that /dev/block/mmcblk0 contains only /dev/block/mmcblk0pt1, which leads me to believe that the phone needs gdisk to check the partition (I read this in La Grande partition table reference in xda). I tried to follow this lead, but I have trouble finding gdisk that was compiled for android. When I do find one, I have trouble executing it. I can't seem to be able to chmod it to 764. I dropped this lead.

I flashed Cyanogenmod 10.3, thus reverting back to Jelly Bean 4.3 because SuperNexus 4.0 is not stable yet. Ironic yes? (Removed assert too)

Cyanogenmod works well, in fact, altough I failed to install gapps, the phone is working perfectly. This niggles me into doubting that there is any fault with the partition or the phone.

I tried to sideload gapps. To sideload gapps, I need to run adb alongside CWM in sideload mode. CWM in sideload mode causes the PC to not recognize the phone. It shows the phone as GT-I9305 unknown device.

I failed at finding the driver that could recognize that. Reading off the internet leads me to assume that Windows 8 does not support the USB driver.

I also have this niggling feeling that maybe it is the CWM that is causing the driver problem in sideload mode, since it should be the CWM that communicates with adb.

I re-flashed CWM 6.0.3.2 in hopes that it is more stable.

I now I can connect sideload on adb, but I can't sideload it, because of error, but it looks better since there is actual communication between the phone and abd. Furthermore, device manager identifies the phone as Samsung USB device. I'm feeling optimistic here. Since communicating with adb means the CWM is better than the latest 6.0.4.5. I hope that this CWM can mount /data and /system!

I tried to mount /data and /system on the CWM, lo and behold, it mounted those folders!

I tried to install gapps, the latest one. It soft bricked my phone into boot looping Cyanogenmod, (well at least I believed so since the load takes a longer time than usual) and I did not wait to finish it.

I boot into CWM and format /data /system to reset Cyanogenmod, It works, and loads Cyanogenmod upon reboot

I downloaded the correct gapps version that corresponds to Cyanogenmod 10.3, then booted into CWM and installs the gapps, it works!

I booted into Cyanogenmod and the gapps is finally there!

I opened Google Play, it asks me for my google account. I filled it and all other gapps picks it up, showing contacts, mail and other syncs.

The real culprit? my curiosity? No, CWM 6.0.4.5! Lesson learned: In the world of flashing ROM, the latest might not be the greatest...