[Android General] Tzul:
It's not flaky at all, it works just the way it is supposed to. Just not the way you expected. As explained here, the SPFT can only communicate with the tablet at one specific moment, namely the beginning of the boot process (when the preloader is running). I agree that the first post in this thread could use an overhaul, but the current instructions aren't wrong, they work when you follow them properly.

Sort of. It's "better" to get root by installing SuperSU from a custom recovery. But first you need to get that custom recovery onto the tablet. This is done via SPFT (or Fastboot, if it works).

If you install TWRP, you're overwriting the stock recovery. So, how will you get a backup of the stock recovery? You can make one with the SPFT before you install TWRP, that's how.

Whenever I get a new MediaTek-based Android device, the first thing I do is search online for a scatter file (they usually are available), and then use that with the SPFT to make a complete backup of the Android device before I even boot it up for the first time. That way, I have a backup of a truly untouched system.

You don't have to do that. I'm just pointing out that you can.

I was talking about Android devices in general. TWRP doesn't exist for all of them. Someone first needs to build or port TWRP to each new device. Depending on the device's popularity, than can happen sooner or later, or maybe never. This tablet didn't have a working TWRP either before lion567 and I made them.

Yes, it is type 0. OTA updates are zip files. Just open them, there should be a file "type.txt" inside, with the content "0" or "1". ;)

Correct. Except that there is no new tool.

OTA updates and other zip files intended to be installed via recovery always contain the files "update-binary" and "updater-script" in META-INF/com/google/android. The former is usually a binary program (but can also be a shell script) which executes the instructions given by the "updater-script" file. I did some simple and minor adjustments to those instructions to make the latest OTA update work on modified system partitions.

15 recovery options? Do you mean partitions? Pretty much all partitions are needed for the operation of the tablet.

But to go "full stock" you normally just need to flash the stock system partition, and the stock recovery. And maybe the boot partition, if that was changed.

Because what exactly do you change on the tablet in everyday use? Mainly the userdata partition (app settings, media files). That's allowed and intended. If you "restore" a previous userdata partition, you will lose your current settings and files!

You also indirectly change the cache partition. But that's not important and can be ignored.

Then there's the system partition... normally, you cannot change anything there. It is read-only. But installing SuperSU (or any other root manager), does change files on the system partition. Also, if you run TWRP, it'll ask you whether or not you want to allow the system partition to be modified. If you answer that positively, then TWRP will rename a file on the system partition, so that it doesn't get automatically replaced by the stock recovery. This minor change alone is enough to break type 0 updates already, because the stock recovery performs a "root check" (which doesn't check for root, but rather if the system partition is untouched).