[Verizon Galaxy S 5 General] painiac:
Android Versions

First, a brief introduction of the Android versions available on this phone. You find your version number by opening "Settings" and scrolling down to "About Phone" The version numbers look like (for example) "G900VVRU1ANCG", and only the last three or four digits are what we refer to. In this example, we would abbreviate this as "ANCG" or "NCG". You'll note that the version numbers are roughly alphabetical.

KitKat 4.4.2 versions (root with TowelRoot, more on this later)

ANCG = 4.4.2

ANE9 = 4.4.2

KitKat 4.4.4 versions (downgrade kernel to root with TowelRoot, more on this later)

ANHA = 4.4.4

ANI2 = 4.4.4

ANK2 = 4.4.4

ANK7 = 4.4.4 (incremental update to prepare for 5.0; it is not available for download, nor is it necessary to do so)

Lollipop 5.0 versions (root with KingRoot, more on this later)

BOA8 = 5.0

BOC4 = 5.0

BOD5 = 5.0 (last version of the bootloader that can be downgraded)

BOE1 = 5.0 (prevents downgrading the bootloader)

BOG5 = 5.0 (prevents downgrading the bootloader)

BOK3 = 5.0 (prevents downgrading the bootloader)

BPB1 = 5.0 (security update. prevents downgrading the bootloader))

Marshmallow 6.0.1 versions (not rootable yet)

DPD1 = 6.0.1

DPF4 = 6.0.1 (minor bugfix)

Updates and Flashable Stock Files

If you accept an OTA (Over-the-Air) update from Verizon, it updates everything. The same thing happens when you manually flash a "firmware" or "factory restore image" file. Note: If you are still on BOD5 or earlier, do not accept an OTA update.

You can also selectively update certain components by flashing only those files. Most files are flashed with Odin, but some can be flashed in a custom Recovery if they were so prepared.

CAUTION: If you are on BOE1, BOG5, BOK3, or PB1, do not under any circumstances attempt to flash any older versions, or you will brick.

Firmware: Collectively refers to the Operating System and Applications that allow the phone to function. A "Retail" firmware file also contains all the components listed below, so be sure you know what you intend to accomplish by flashing one. You should stick with the latest safe firmwares provided by jrkruse.

CAUTION: If you have BOE1, BOG5, BOK3, or PB1, do not under any circumstances flash an older firmware file unless it specifically says it it is either "for BOE1 or later" or that it does not include a bootloader.

Bootloader: Performs basic checks and then instructs the kernel and the other essential software to boot. On this phone, the bootloader is locked: if it doesn't find the correct (TouchWiz-based) kernel, it will not allow the phone to boot. As of the BOE1 update, a hardware "qfuse" is tripped permanently, which prevents downgrading. In order for a 5.0 ROM to boot, you need a 5.0 bootloader: If you have not previously accepted an update to BOE1, BOG5, BOK3, or PB1, then the best thing to do is update the bootloader to BOD5, which is the last bootloader that can be downgraded later.

CAUTION: If you have BOE1, BOG5, BOK3, or PB1, do not under any circumstances flash an older firmware file unless it specifically says it it is either for BOE1 or later or that it does not include a bootloader.

Note that on the special "Developer Edition" S5, the bootloader is not locked, but the price is unreasonably high.

CAUTION: If you do have a "Developer Edition" phone, do not under any circumstances flash any file that has a retail bootloader, or your phone will have a permanently locked bootloader and will, practically speaking, no longer be a "Dev Edition" phone.

Kernel: Basically the layer that allows the operating system (Android) and the hardware to communicate with each other. You can flash a different kernel version independently, but the operating system will not actually be able to start with an incompatible version of the kernel and it will hang forever on the splash screen. Downgrading the kernel temporarily is necessary for obtaining root on later builds, because the root exploits always get patched in later versions. Simply flashing the compatible kernel will allow the phone to again boot normally. You should stick with the latest safe kernels provided by jrkruse.

CAUTION: Do not attempt to flash a custom (non TouchWiz-based) kernel, or you will brick.

Baseband: This is the Modem, sometimes called a Radio. This is what allows the phone to communicate with the cellular network. Modems can be flashed independently and without regard to the firmware version you're running. You can experiment with which modem gives your particular phone the best reception in your area (which may or may not be the most recent one). You can find flashable modems here.

Non-HLOS: This contains other radios such as Wifi and Bluetooth.

PIT file: Re-partitions the internal storage. You do not normally need to do this, but it can correct specific problems.