yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Dell Venue] hharte:
Root for Dell Venue 3840 (Merrifield) Tablet

NOTE: You must have the latest Android 4.4.4 OTA Update (Build YTP802A128630) installed before following this guide.

I would to thank Dell, Inc. for providing the tools necessary to unlock the bootloader on these devices. I would also like to thank social-design-concepts for his ongoing work with the Dell Venue 8 series of tablets and for sharing his knowledge with the community.

Disclaimer: This information is intended to promote development on the Dell Venue 8 3840-series tablets in particular, and to aid Intel-based Android device development in general. While Dell does provide an “Unbricking” process, please also note that if you perform this procedure, your WARRANTY WILL BE VOID. Please proceed at your own risk!

This rooting process is intended for developers... after following this guide, you will have root access through the ADB shell. This guide does not install SuperUser.apk! Please make sure to back up any data you have on your device. While this rooting process does not in and of itself erase your userdata, if you have to go through the unbricking process, you will definitely lose your data.

Please read Dell’s document, Dell Tablet Flash notes Version 1.0, August 06, 2014[1]

in its entirety before continuing with the root process. You will need a Windows machine (Windows 8.1 works) to run the XFSTK utility to flash the unlocked bootloader to your device.

The rooted boot.img below will work on the Dell Venue 8 3840 (A150) Wi-Fi model only.

In order to root the device, you need to:

Read and follow the instructions in Dell’s document from pages 1 through 4, and stop just before the part where it says, “Rooting and bootloader unlocking process using OTA package.”

Skip to page 6, and start at the step, “Flash boot.img and droidboot.img,” following steps 1 through 7, making the following change:

Instead of flashing “fastboot flash boot boot.img” with the boot.img that Dell provided, do the following, using the rooted 4.4.4 boot.img from the download link below:

fastboot flash boot Dell_Venue_8_3840_rooted_4.4.4_boot.img

Note on XFSTK: if you have trouble getting XFSTK to download properly, try:

Turn off the device (hold power button for 10 seconds.)

Press the Start Download button in XFSTK.

With USB cable connected, turn tablet on with Power + Volume Up.

Rooted Android 4.4.4 boot.img

Dell_Venue_8_3840_rooted_4.4.4_boot.img 9.4MB md5sum: 2bfefbaa81e78e90d78a5869987ee82f

Stock Build YTP802A128630 Images

Note, unless you are doing development, you won’t need to download the following file. For Developers, here are the stock Android 4.4.4 (not rooted) boot.img, recovery.img, system.img.gz:

Dell_venue8_3840_4.4.4_Stock_Images.zip 822.1MB md5sum: 995db36a2daa6bd9955e75fa5a14a519

Unbricking

If you mess up and need to return to stock, follow Dell's instructions for "Unbricking" found on page 8 of the Dell document. After returning to stock, your device will be back at Android 4.4.2. It will be able to OTA update to 4.4.4.

References

[1]http://opensource.dell.com/releases/Venue_8_3840_Merrifield/developer-edition/Doc/OSS_A150&A195.pdf
[Dell Venue] hharte:
Reserve this page for future updates.
[Dell Venue] vampirefo:
Hi, how are you packing and unpacking the boot.img and recovery. Img? system I already unpacked, I am interested in porting 4.4.4 to 3830.

4.4.2 is all that we have for 3830. I doubt Dell is going to update 3830 to 4.4.4.

Best Regards

Vampirefo

sent from my kingSing T1 via taptalk
[Dell Venue] hharte:
Getting the updated boot.img for 3840 was a bit of a pain. The way I did it was to take the boot.img from the unbrick package, and use applypatch to patch the 4.4.4 boot.img.p from the OTA update. I've also forked the dell-venue-boot-tools on github and have been making changes, but it is a work in progress. I can unpack, but repacking doesn't seem to work properly:

https://github.com/hharte/dell-venue-boot-tools

It does work for repacking on 3830 though, I tried it.

For 3840, I used a modified version of the script in the Dell 3840 kernel package to pack the boot.img. it didn't seem to work for recovery though.

mkbootfs ramdisk | minigzip > 3840_boot.cpio.gz
truncate --size %4096 3840_boot.cpio.gz
../stitch.py --kernel-cmdline cmdline.txt --bootstub bootstub --kernel kernel --ramdisk 3840_boot.cpio.gz --output 3840_boot.unsigned
../gen_os --input 3840_boot.unsigned --output 3840_boot.img --xml MOS_OTA.XML --sign-with xfstk_no_xml

You will probably need to use the 4.4.2 PVR drivers from 3830, the 3840 has a different GPU. Also, something in the 4.4.4 framework depends on something called ASF, this was not in 4.4.2. So you will need to include the init.asf.rc and whatever it depends on in your image.
[Dell Venue] vampirefo:
I haven't had time to test yet, I just need to unpack stock 4.4.4 boot.img and recovery.img.

Packing I don't need as I don't have this device.

I really just need both stock 4.4.4 boot.img and recovery.img ramdisk.

So your github just compile and it will unpack stock 4.4.4 boot.img and recovery.img?

sent from my kingSing T1 via taptalk
[Dell Venue] hharte:
I put archives of the extracted images up on AndroidFileHost.

All the files from boot.img and ramdisk.img, including kernel binary, bootstub, ramdisk (extracted) and kernel commandline:

Dell_venue8_3840_boot_recovery_files.tgz 40.7MB md5sum: 28f732c844d3276b6df9c3a4342aae06

All the files from the /system partition:

Dell_Venue8_3840_4.4.4_System_Files.tgz 724.5MB md5sum: 7d6d54827a5a632cb8d02545aacada06

I hope that helps.
[Dell Venue] Jedis:
Will this allow you to remove some of the Dell pre-installed garbage to free up the space?

I don't have the 3840, but my brother is asking how to free up some of the memory.
[Dell Venue] eoterm:
I don't feel rooted. I installed it but I am assuming that I have to use the rooted boot image and then flash with YTP802A115130-f-2014-06-23-30_OSS downloaded from the dell website? isn't there a way to install CWM, and CM11 or something? I downloaded one of those root verifying tools and it says I have no root ?
[Dell Venue] Haxxa:
Will this prevent me getting future OTA's?
[Dell Venue] social-design-concepts:
The myKIT_BATCH tethered cwm method has been reported working on the 3740 so should work on the 3840
[Dell Venue] Haxxa:
So I have tried everything to return to stock, the stock images you have provided refuse to flash with fastboot outputing error 121, It is a big image and gets half way through downloading system.img when this error occurs, I have tired unbricking but it will not detect my device when pressing download button and have tried about every driver available. I tried using CWM temp boot to flash the system.img put inside a update.zip but it did not work and now I am prepared to return tablet as it will not restore :(

Any ideas left to help here?

Here's the error when using fastboot-

[IMG="Error"]http://i.imgur.com/rzeGOOm.png[/IMG]

& The xFSTK Flasher gives no error as I can't no matter what I do get it to detect.

I have now spent 20 Hours trying to fix this - I have run through the guide 3 times and used 3 different computers I have no idea what to do?
[Dell Venue] social-design-concepts:
I actually got to redownload these my self but use 7zip to compress the system.img into a gz compressed archive and flash as fastboot flash system system.img.gz
[Dell Venue] AlienSexGod:
Does this rom actually work?

Is there anything that fixes the incredible slowness of the standard rom?

For those with a 3830 tablet wishing for 4.4.4 update forget it .... it's terrible on 3840.

This is my review of the 3840:

This is, hands-down, the worst tablet I have ever owned, and that's including cheap stuff like the HiSense I was buying this as a replacement for. Shockingly bad, considering how nice the Venue 8 Pro Windows version is. Other than the excellent screen and high resolution, it has absolutely nothing going for it. Apps hang and crash constantly, the keyboard disappears randomly or just won't show up

I am an IT Consultant and just spent hours with Dell Support training them ... he keeps asking me to install Flash and Internet Explorer on an Android tablet! :confused:
[Dell Venue] mike5335:
Unbricking successful but ....

(snip)

Unbricking

If you mess up and need to return to stock, follow Dell's instructions for "Unbricking" found on page 8 of the Dell document. After returning to stock, your device will be back at Android 4.4.2. It will be able to OTA update to 4.4.4.

References

[1]http://opensource.dell.com/releases/Venue_8_3840_Merrifield/developer-edition/Doc/OSS_A150&A195.pdf[/QUOTE]

<snip>

I made the attempt to install the rooted image after I successfully unlocked my Dell Venue 8 3840 Wi-Fi only. But I managed to brick it. However, the unbricking instructions worked fine. EXCEPT that, dumb me, I managed to unbrick it with the Venue 3840 LTE version. When I released my error, I went back to get the TAR files to do the proper unbrick but it seems to 7-zip that the TAR files within the TGZ files (YPT802A119500-2014-07-16-22..tgz) are damaged and won't extract properly. http://opensource.dell.com/releases/Venue_8_3840_Merrifield/developer-edition/A195/Unbrick/

The tgz file is also much smaller than the equivalent LTE version. So, right now I have a working 3840 Wi-Fi tablet (running 4.4.2) with the software for the LTE version. Not a show stopper but I'd like to know what I'm doing wrong in uncompressing these files.

Thanks for any insights. And thanks for all the good information here.
[Dell Venue] vampirefo:
Are you extracting on Linux computer or windows computer?
[Dell Venue] mike5335:
Thanks for your quick reply. I should have included that information. Windows 8.1 64 bit. 7-zip version 9.17.
[Dell Venue] vampirefo:
I am download YTP802A119500-2014-07-16-22.tgz to see what the problem is.

Ok system.img is corrupt, the rest of files extract ok.

28-Aug-2014 12:38	128M

system.img is 13 GB, so no way this archive is correct.

Downloading YTD802A519500-2014-07-16-16.tgz 28-Aug-2014 12:39	821M this size of archive would seem more correct 821MB while other one shows 128MB.

YTD802A519500-2014-07-16-16.tgz 28-Aug-2014 12:39	821M

extracts correctly.
[Dell Venue] mike5335:
Thanks for checking that out.

I'm wondering if there is a way to get the correct YTP802A119500-2014-07-16-22.tgz? Any suggestions?

Thanks again!
[Dell Venue] vampirefo:
You can extract everything but system.img so you would need someone with stock system to do a backup of their system and upload it.
[Dell Venue] social-design-concepts:
Sorry I stand correct I thought you were referring to the stock files in the op not the Dev Edition Conversion you really need only the ifwi and dnx to unlock your device no real reason to use the Dev edition boot and system images.
[Dell Venue] vampirefo:
He has the wrong files on his tablet, and wants to put the correct files on his tablet.

system, recovery, boot and so on.

sent from my kingSing T1 via taptalk
[Dell Venue] social-design-concepts:
I converted the system.img in the op back to ext4 so I'll gz the image and upload I imagine that the 3840 , could have the same issue flashing large or sparse system.img as the 3x30 does. The ones linked in the op are the factory WiFi version.

Also are the recovery installable Dev Conversion corrupt too it looks like Dell has both fastboot and recovery flashable packages on the opensource download page.
[Dell Venue] mike5335:
Thanks for all the responses, folks. I've learned through this process even though the Venue 3840 still "thinks" it is an LTE model when it is not. The tablet actually works well and really does what I want it to do.

Not being very Android schooled (my other tablet is a rooted ASUS Transformer 300 but that was much easier), I do have a couple questions the answers of which probably should have been clear to me in the responses above but are not.

Question 1: My version of 7-zip can't even rescue part of the YTP*.tgz file. But others have been able to confirm that only the system image inside it is corrupt. Should I be using a different program besides 7-zip on my windows PC?

Question 2: Without getting someone to actually fix the YTP*.tgz file, is there a way that a bumbler like me get the proper files back on the Venue?

Question 3: (I know I only said a couple questions) Should I just unlock again, and attempt to go through the rooting process again, hoping this time I won't screw up?

Thanks a bunch!
[Dell Venue] vampirefo:
[MENTION=4600282]mike5335[/MENTION]

I use Linux no ideal about windows or what tools you need to use to extract an archive.

In Linux I open the archive and extract one file at a time, this allows me to determine which files in an archive are good and which are corrupt.

The archive needs to be fixed by Dell, as for what you can do, only you know what you are able to do.

Perhaps for you leave well enough alone, and use your tablet as is, or contact the op and see if he is willing to provide you more instructions on this tablet.
[Dell Venue] graphdarnell:
Quick question: If I unlock the bootloader following Dell's instructions, would that "unlocked" state be preserved if I hypothetically (unlocking supposedly preventing any OTAs) flash the 444 OTA subsequently? If not, does the OP process here unlock the bootloader at all? Not that we have a lot to go on with an unlocked bootloader at this point, but I'm curious nevertheless. Thanks.
[Dell Venue] wolfballz:
I have followed everything I can see so far but I can't get the flashtool to see my device. Installed all the drivers and everything. Any help or ideas?

I can get fastboot working fine but before I did any of this the tablet updated to something else but was still on 4.4.4. I tried fastboot flashing the rooted 4.4.4 boot img from op and now it just sits in recovery with the android guy laying down. Does anyone have the latest build boot.img? like I said it updated prior to do any of this so it isn't the same version as in OP.

So I booted into stock recovery and flashed update via external card and am able to boot the tablet but its back to 4.4.2. Tried going to settings/about device/system update and nothing shows up for 4.4.4 OTA. Anyone have the 4.4.4 update?
[Dell Venue] hamzilla:
Hi guys,

I have followed the instructions provided here and it turned out that my tablet is bricked for some reason. Now I got this message ""shell@venue8:/"" show on the top left corner of my screen.

Would anybody know how to fix this besides following the Unbricking Process from Dell. I just wanted to have my tablet rooted.

Thanks!
[Dell Venue] vampirefo:
You should have tried tethered cwm recovery first, there is two version Linux and Windows.

SDC has the windows version, I posted Linux version.

Either should have rooted this device, no ideal how to fix the problem you have gotten yourself into.

sent from my kingSing T1 via taptalk
[Dell Venue] justlovejoy:
fastboot flash boot.img from the stock files in OP

ok now you should be able to boot.

root via flashing latest SuperSU via temp recovery mentioned above me!

Trigger 3
[Dell Venue] justlovejoy:
Any clues as to why dell took down those files for the wifi only tablet version of 3840?
[Dell Venue] social-design-concepts:
I think they are in the process of updating everything
[Dell Venue] justlovejoy:
I think that'd be very sweet. check pm pls

Edit:

After investigating a little. They've removed the if LTE or Wi-Fi only separated files and rounded it up into the same folder. Specs on what's what is in the new PDF. If no one beats me to it, I'll post it here for those who followed the breadcrumbs. Still not compiling the kernel yet either, it exits terminal right before turning boot.unsigned into boot.img for me.

EDIT:

LINK 2 NEW PDF: HERE

MAIN_PAGE:Venue_8_3840_Merrifield
[Dell Venue] coolbeans2016:
Ordered this tablet because of price and specs before reading up. Does this root method here work for the 3840 wifi only?
[Dell Venue] vampirefo:
Can you return it? You can root via any of the tethered recoveries

Walmart is selling a tablet for $78 that will blow this dell out of the water, and yes I did own the 3840 for a few days.
[Dell Venue] social-design-concepts:
You know me and my love for inspecting every Intel firmware I can get my hands on care to share the dumps.

I looked at this but after the Clovertrail Plus Venue 7 I couldn't bring myself to drop to a gig of ram and now I have the lenovo I know I'll never be as to get a tab with out HD display and front facing speakers again.
[Dell Venue] vampirefo:
I just got done use TWRP to backup /system, data, boot

I pulled fastboot, recovery, boot, esp, system already just wanted to make sure recovery would make a backup, and it does very well.

Funny 10 minutes after I got home I messed up data partition trying to root, tablet was forced encrypted, (this is such garbage), anyway used twrp file manager to copy boot.img, recovery.img, fastboot.img to micro sdcard, disabled encryption, unpacked/repacked boot.img flashed modified boot.img, factory reset tablet and then back in business.

that twrp file manager is handy, got me out of a jam, I had no adb, plus couldn't get back into desktop mode, cause data was corrupt, I did factory reset, but then tablet had to encrypt data before I would be allowed back into desktop mode, after I was able to get boot.img, and modify it, I was able to disable encryption, so tablet then just booted as normal cause nothing required encryption plus tablet runs faster this way also. anyway will uploading files now, this system is 2 GB.

https://mega.co.nz/#!Q1wkSAAQ!wtUssBH9zycmmYt5FrxwNWjPjA2ui16WHBnUWKJ4a0M
[Dell Venue] social-design-concepts:
Just wait until Google forces encryption and verified boot and system. When that happens the only way to root will be either on a unlocked device or a live root exploit.
[Dell Venue] coolbeans2016:
should be okay if root works

​

What exactly does tethered recovery mean? I have rooted my HTC Once sv using this site. I was/am a newbie, used HTCDev site to unlock, rooted with TWRP 2.8.5..0 & Chainfire's Supersu, s-offed/rumrunner. Modified the fstab with help on here to get a useable storage area for apps to 6.85/1.15 with the 8gb sd. Have some understanding, if can get this device rooted believe it would be great for my girl, her laptop is about to become the stationary part of our network in the office.

Why I ask, is this working for the Dell Venue 8 (2014) Moorifield 2.1GHz Intel Atom Z3480 processor? I'm sure it will be fine once rooted, bloatware removed for just using office, watching Netflix, facebook like she does.

Zach

ps have all the downloads from Dell as well as the rooted boot.img
[Dell Venue] vampirefo:
You don't need any dell files to root, seeing you are new unlikely you use Linux, so I will post link to sdc windows version, I have Linux versions but you won't need them.

http://xdaforums.com/android/development/intel-android-devices-root-temp-cwm-t2975096

Any problems post in that thread, other windows users can help you.
[Dell Venue] coolbeans2016:
recovery

Is there a TWRP recovery for the Dell Venue 8 (2014) 3840 after unlocking bootloader?

Zach
[Dell Venue] coolbeans2016:
before I begin question

Dell's guide as well as this state builds, and they are stating build numbers, mine is YTP802As153030 , took it out of the box June 10th, 2015 and it has 4.4.4 and this build # already. Do I need to “Flash A195 image to the tablet” to get the listed build #, or is mine okay?

zach
[Dell Venue] coolbeans2016:
R-E-T-U-R-N-E-D :)

Will never, ever, purchase anything before reading the reviews again! Definitely returned this one! Got an Asus Memo 8 IPS HD 16GB with gps for $149. No bad reviews on it and for an entry level its about the best I could find. I want a dell, next year, with dual sims (ext_sd & LTE), after they iron out all the wrinkles and my $$ is right!

Thanks vampirefo.....

zach
[Dell Venue] rbgCODE:
I just got one of these dell's and trying to follow this rooting guide was tough since all the links were broken. If you would like to download all the latest tools from dell to complete this you should check out http://opensource.dell.com/releases/Venue_8_3840_Merrifield/ . OP you may want to update your links as well.
[Dell Venue] rbgCODE:
Is there anyone that can help me with this? I have it updated to the latest 4.4.4 I open xFSTK and choose the files causing it to go into recovery mode with the options

Reboot Droidboot

Reboot

Recovery

Power Off

I flash the new img i downloaded from the front page and droidboot but each time I reboot it just keeps going back to tht screen. How do I get it to boot normally once i have flashed the new rooted

fastboot flash boot Dell_Venue_8_3840_rooted_4.4.4_boot.img

Any help would be greatly appreciated. If i can get this working I would also like to make an automated script to handle all of this since you can open xFST or whatever with command line arguments.
[Dell Venue] vampirefo:
Just use tethered recovery method to root, sdc has windows version, I have Linux version.
[Dell Venue] khanhlee:
after rooted, my 3840 works fine, i reboot and now it won't boot, i tried to unbrick using dell opensource many times, but it won't boot, always black screen after dell logo appeared.

i.imgur.com/iOybuX9.jpg

i.imgur.com/PqXKFix.jpg

My English not good, so sorry
[Dell Venue] shanx_verma:
Hello, my stock build is YTP801a1 as it shows in the recovery. Can I anyhow use this? I'm not sure if my Venue 8 is 3830 or 3840, as it doesn't boot. :)

Also, in recovery, It just says -

can't mount /system (Invalid arguement)

can't mount /cache (Invalid arguement)

can't mount /data (Invalid arguement)

can't mount /sdcard (Invalid arguement)

E:Can't mount/cache/recovery/last_log

.

Can someone please help. :)
[XDA Assist] nkohli06:
I have a att galaxy s3 I747, and i recently rooted, and am trying to uninstall knox by downloading Titanium Backup. However, I cannot do this as neither google.com or the playstore are working. It gives me a connection error no matter what network I am on, and when i try to go on google.com on my browser, it says the site is not verified. Please help?
[XDA Assist] prboy1969:
A quick search came up with the links below. Best of luck :) .

Google play store server error

[FIX] [SOLVED!] Play Store No Connection Error Fix!
[T-Mobile Galaxy Note 4 Themes and Apps] jimmydene84:
ALRIGHT, here will be a repository of files RID of QMG, ASTC, WEBP file formats....I will be adding more as time permits, if you do some, post em....i will add them to the OP so we have a working list of apps ready to be themed....

THESE ARE JUST IMAGES!!!! NOT FULL APKS

If you know what to do with those....awesome, get to work :p If you have to ask what they are for ....probably not for you :eek:

First up: SystemUI.apk -------> https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=95784891001602219

2nd FW-res ----------> https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=95784891001602486

should be enough now to get at least some themes going on :)

ENJOY

Much thanks to [MENTION=334644]sorg[/MENTION] for his awesome scripts http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?p=56242026
[T-Mobile Galaxy Note 4 Themes and Apps] cerj:
Awesome.. This will help.. [emoji4]
[T-Mobile Galaxy Note 4 Themes and Apps] VeNuMuS:
And they said it couldn't be done. Awesome broe
[T-Mobile Galaxy Note 4 Themes and Apps] jimmydene84:
I've got a few more done..fw is proving to be a pita!

Sent from my SM-N910T using Xparent ICS Tapatalk 2
[T-Mobile Galaxy Note 4 Themes and Apps] bigmase23:
Uh oh!!!! Unleash the beast!!
[T-Mobile Galaxy Note 4 Themes and Apps] manufan721:
Thanks for this...you just saved me a ton of time man...nocturnal hooligan in the works....lol
[T-Mobile Galaxy Note 4 Themes and Apps] inphamous36:
While you're at it can you do the Samsung keyboard as well?
[T-Mobile Galaxy Note 4 Themes and Apps] deeznutz1977:
Here you go in the zip is the original res folder and the output (converted )

https://www.dropbox.com/s/aq34zexutajdvzf/SamsungIme.zip?dl=0

And here's the MultiWindowTray. https://www.dropbox.com/s/s9ieik05jlheitb/MultiWindowTrayService.zip?dl=0