[Verizon Galaxy S 5 General] BigBird9906:
--- edited to update from a "Should I do this?" post to "This is what I did" -------

There are some nice How To guides here, but it's tough at times to roll in years late to a model and decipher what has been updated, what is now moot, and what newer break-throughs or pitfalls have and haven't percolated back into the threads. That makes sense with the phone no longer being a big focus of effort. I, like the S5, am past my peak. It took me a lot of reading and trying to connect the dots to figure out where to go and how to get there. I've laid it out below FYI.

This worked for me in Aug 2016, on one phone and one only. Probably my first and last s5, I'll move up to the s7 when the 9 or 10 comes out and try to burn through 3 or 4 year old threads to find that ground truth. So no promises, certainly no support from me, no plans for me to maintain this thread. I'm just a knucklehead who nugged his way through, and figured I'd post my cheat sheet rather than just throw it away. I did update it a bit as I went along.

What I had --

Newly refurb'd Verizon S5 phone with 4.4.2 NCG

eMMC is 15

Target -- (I think appropriate for my modest needs)

Root & update to 5.0 PB1 with OD5 bootloader

Method overview --

root 4.4.2 using Towelroot

install SuperSUme from Play store and update binaries

use Flashfire to make backups of original system

use Flashfire to update ROM, kernel, most other software (except bootloader) to PB1

use Odin to update bootloader to OD5 (5.0 but last downgradeable)

use Titanium Backup to debloat & freeze, and to restore my user apps & data from old phone

Wondering whether I have the target right -- PB1 w/ OD5 bootloader?

Marshmallow is initially referred to as unrootable, but there's a recent way to get there . However, it seems a bit more involved - requires unlocking the bootloader and can only be done with eMMC 15, don't try with an 11. I don't know if the juice is worth the squeeze for a lower end user like me. I didn't try.

There are lots of custom ROMs, none that I know of that leap out as something I should focus on rather than just a little update and debloat, given my modest skills and enthusiasm.

I probably don't need to be able to downgrade my bootloader in the future, so I could go full PB1. But the directions I found had the OD5 bootloader baked in already, so I'll run with that.

My "For Me & Other Dummies" guide follows

(not complete yet, I'll round it out before I dummy my way through, and revise here for other dummies after I test drive it)

Good references

Paniac's guide, great overview. NOOB READ THIS!!!

Franzie's How To

muniz_ri's How To Update to G900V_xxx and Keep Root -- this one has a bit of complexity in its life cycle. It is linked to from Paniac's guide as a how to update to PB1, but the thread's original post has since been updated to run all the way up to PF4. PF4 seems to be a bit more hit & miss. However, post #777 (et al?) quotes the original post so the details are preserved there for getting to PB1.

How to migrate stuff from old phone, see the last method with TB

Steps

Charge up the new phone.

Install latest Samsung USB drivers on computer.

Start running Titanium Backup on old phone to update user apps and data, it will take a while.

Turn on the new phone. Don't bother with SIM yet. Connect to your WiFi.

Sign in to Google account and get the Play store working.

Install from Play store: eMMC brick bug checker and Astro File Manager

Run eMMC brick bug checker. If it checks out (15) then good. If it doesn't (11) then don't follow these steps, the bootloader update part will cause you pain.

Prep phone

1.	Enable developer options (settings > about phone > click on build 7 times)

2.	Enable usb debugging (settings > developer options)

3.	Go to settings >security and allow apps from unknown sources​

Root with towelroot. See Franzie's How To post #2. Do the SuperSUme steps, too. Some highlights, but read the original post and the screens as they go by.

1.	Go to towelroot.com, Click on the lambda to download the file

2.	Use Astro to navigate to the download

3.	Click on the .apk and use package installer

4.	Run towelroot and Make it Rain

5.	Install SuperSU from play store

6.	Update binaries with Normal

7.	Choose to disable Knox

8.	Allow reboot

9.	Install Root Checker from Play store and run to verify root​

Install Flashfire (see here) from Play store.

Install the PB1 ROM. Use Flashfire.....see post #777, be sure to check all downloads using MD5 checksum, see Paniac's Guide post #3

Install the OD5 bootloader. Use Odin.....again, see post #777, and info in Paniac's guide post #3 on Odin

Now you’ll be on Lollipop, 5.0, PB1 but with a bootloader that is downgradeable in the future. It will be a clean install so you’ll have to reinstall things you just put in, e.g. Flashfire and Astro, but SuperSU is in there.

Use Flashfire to create a backup of your new configuration. See here. Put the files somewhere sage to be able to do a fresh install at this point in the future. See also Odin back to stock

Now customize and move in.

1.	This is a handy way to start with debloating

2.	See also here for things to Freeze (OTA and security notification) and apps to debloat (though some were
​

16.	Install Titanium Backup Pro from Play Store (buy it). It will probably warn about “mount namespace separation” setting. Consider going to SuperSU settings and disabling. Reboot.

Use TB to get your user apps and data in from old phone.

Activate the phone on Verizon -- move their SIM over. See FAQ here (item 1) and begin here

Once all is settled, go to settings >security and unallow apps from unknown sources