[Galaxy S6 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] torbengb:
Hi! I'm exasperated so I turn to the experts: you! I hope this is right (or should I have continued this megathread?)

TLDR: Want to root international S6 running branded 5.1.1; but using Linux and having trouble getting things to work. Have tried lots already; details below.

1. bootloader status = I think it's unlocked but not sure how to determine this.

2. Rom name with complete baseband/date/version = "Austrian 3/Hutchinson" branded, PDA Version G920FXXU3COI9, CSC Version G920FDRE3COJ1, PHONE Version G920FXXU3QOJ1.

3. Kernel name = uh, stock Samsung 5.1.1?

4. Mods = none

5. Custom Rom = none

6. Guides =

7. Root status = unrooted.

8. Your exact problem = Want to root, having trouble doing so.

9. Any method you tried that failed = see details below.

10.Any other detail you think would be necessary = my phone's ODIN screen lists this information:

PRODUCT NAME: SM-G920F

CURRENT BINARY: Samsung Official

SYSTEM STATUS: Official

REACTIVATION LOCK: OFF

Secure Download: Enabled

KNOX WARRANTY VOID: 0 (0x0000)

RP SWREV: B:3 K:2 S:2

I've tried rooting my S6 using Linux, using a virtual WInXP hosted on Linux, and using an old real WinXP computer. None of the methods worked, but let me describe what I've tried on each -- I'd be happy if I can get either one of the methods across the finish line!

1) Virtual WinXP computer on Linux host

created a brand-new virtual WinXP installation to make sure nothing would interfere.

Installed Samsung drivers.

Installed Odin 3.06 - this is the newest version I could find that didn't show the error "The procedure entry point DecodePointer could not be located in the dynamic link library KERNEL32.dll."

In the settings for the virtual machine, set up rules to ensure all Samsung USB devices (USB vendor ID 04e8, any product ID) would be routed directly to the virtual machine.

Rebooted for good measure.

Connected phone in rear USB port, directly on motherboard (no hubs).

Neither Windows nor Odin sees the phone - neither in its normal operating mode nor in its "Odin" download mode.

Give up.

2) Physical Ubuntu computer, using JOdin

Installed Heimdall (latest version = 1.4.0-0).

Downloaded JOdin (latest version = v1035).

Installed Oracle Java 8 (8u67).

Rebooted for good measure.

Connected phone in rear USB port, directly on motherboard (no hubs).

JOdin says: "We could not obtain the pit file. We tried, but it didn't work." It seems that this is not really JOdin's fault but rather Heimdall (which JOdin relies on) because running just Heimdall from the CLI gives the same problem, as seen from this log (verbose version).

I dare not download a "random" PIT file from the Internet; this would satisfy JOdin but the risk of choosing the wrong one is too high. Other sites also mention ways to use the adb shell but ironically these require root - so I can't use them.

3) Physical WinXP computer

I did all of the above Linux trickery because I don't own a computer with Windows. By sheer chance, a friend came by with an old WinXP machine that I could commandeer for this purpose.

Installed Samsung drivers.

Installed Odin 3.06 - this is the newest version I could find that didn't show the error "The procedure entry point DecodePointer could not be located in the dynamic link library KERNEL32.dll."

Rebooted for good measure.

Connected phone in rear USB port, directly on motherboard (no hubs).

Odin sees my phone in download mode (first success!) and I can do the steps to start the root.

Odin works it way through the file and goes to "NAND write start" and then "Complete(Write) operation failed". I've tried this using the CF-Auto-Root and also separately using the unibase kernel for 5.1.1, with identical results.

I feel that I'm so close and yet success is not yet in reach. What more can I do? Thank you for your help and kind assistance!