[Galaxy S III Original Android Development] curiousrom:
S3 LineageOS Super Clean Install & Samsung Firmware

LineageOS Super Clean Install

1- Charge the S3 to at least 80% & to avoid errors it is better to connect S3 i9300 phone directly to the computer and not via a USB hub when using Odin.

If your cellular data & MMS is working good on your current firmware and SIM: go to Settings & write down the APN settings for your current cellular network provider. After installing LineageOS if cellular data & MMS are not automatically setup & working properly with your SIM inserted then you could use the info you copied in LineageOS's > Settings > Wireless & networks > More > Cellular networks > Access Point Names > APNs.

2- If you use the phone to download these files, move them from the internal storage Download folder to the root of the external SD card as a following step will erase the internal memory or use a computer and copy them to your external Micro SD card:

The S3 i9300 is not supported anymore by LineageOS. :crying:

You can find the last 2 official LineageOS 14.1 for S3 i9300 builds in this archive: https://files.moskvich.xyz/LineageOS/14.1/i9300/

Most recent unofficial LineageOS 14.1 for S3 i9300 compiled from untouched official LineageOS Repo + some light modifications as described here by @Sly Fox007 which include recent security patches: https://github.com/Mibo5354/i9300_builds/releases

Build 2020-11-01 unofficial LineageOS 14.1 for S3 i9300 compiled from untouched official LineageOS Repo by @orgert which include Android security patches 2020-10: https://androidfilehost.com/?w=files&flid=309663&sort_by=date&sort_dir=DESC

If you wish Open Gapps for S3 ARM 7.1 (for LineageOS 14.1) (I prefer the smaller Pico variant because of the S3 limited RAM and you can always download extra apps in Play Store Open Gapps Package Comparison (Variant) and optional Lineage super user 14.1 arm for S3 i9300 for ROOT¹ (currently named addonsu-14.1-arm-signed.zip). See S3 i9300 LineageOS Passing SafetyNet Check? for other super user & custom kernel options if you want to use a Banking app for example while having ROOT enabled.

I have ben using stock LineageOS with it's stock kernel trouble-free for the past 6 months & use a browser for banking purposes.

3- Download the most recent (@ the present) Odin3 v3.14.1: https://dl2018.sammobile.com/Odin3-v3.14.1.zip

Unzip or unpack the .zip file & copy the Odin3-v3.14.1 folder to the root of C drive.

On the computer download the most recent TWRP Recovery TWRP for i9300 .img.tar variant (currently only the twrp-3.2.3-0-i9300.img.tar and twrp-3.5.1_9-0-i9300.img.tar works! twrp-3.5.0_9-0-i9300 is failing!) and copy it to your Odin3 folder.

Note: If you have TWRP 2.8.4 or higher already installed on the S3 or CWM recovery you can download the most recent TWRP.....img instead (currently twrp-3.2.3-0-i9300.img) & copy to sdcard, reboot in Recovery > Install > Install Image > Select Partition to Flash Image: Recovery > Swipe to confirm Flash. Reboot to Recovery to confirm the updated version top left.

The most recent TWRP Recovery for S3 is required for the built-in OTA LineageOS Updater to work properly. No more OTA updates because the S3 i9300 is not officially supported by LineageOS anymore.

4- On the computer Right-click Odin and run as Administrator. Click on the AP button and navigate to the TWRP for i9300.img.tar file.

Turn off the phone & boot in Download Mode (press and hold Home + Power + Volume Down buttons and confirm with Volume up to Continue) then connect to the computer and in Odin > Options do not select Auto Reboot and keep only the F. Reset Time option selected and nothing else! Click Start.

When Odin has finished the TWRP Recovery installation you will see a blue bar on the S3 screen and All threads completed. (succeed 1 / failed 0) in the Odin Log window. Disconnect the phone & reboot in TWRP Recovery Mode: (volume up + Home + Power buttons) and release the buttons as soon as you see the Samsung Galaxy S III logo otherwise by default the stock Samsung firmware will revert to the stock recovery.

This is a one time thing, afterwards booting in Recovery will always be in TWRP as it will rename the stock one. Screenshots

By the way you can copy/paste the text in the Odin Log window for troubleshooting purpose or future reference.

5- While in TWRP recovery > Backup the very important EFS partition: S3 How to do a EFS Partition Backup - No Service Fix. Better safe than sorry!

6- In TWRP Format Data & Advanced wipe of Cache, Dalvik / Art Cache & System exactly as described in this guide (including reboot in Recovery before installing any OS).

From this TWRP FAQ page:

As you can read in the guide: "Warning! Format Data will format your internal Storage! Make sure you have made a backup of important data! This can't be undone!" See also the red warning in the TWRP screenshot below. You can backup the content of your Internal Storage (/sdcard/) to your to your external Micro SD card and/or a computer.

Make sure all your contacts, SMS, etc. are properly backed up to your Google account if you have one and/or use an app like Super Backup & Restore for example to backup your contacts, SMS, etc. to the external SD card.

7- In TWRP > Install in this exact order and do not reboot in between: LineageOS then Open Gapps then super user¹ if you wish and reboot to System only after all 3 are installed. Or before rebooting: back to Home > Advanced > Copy Log for troubleshooting or future reference.

Note: in TWRP Zip signature verification must be unchecked (off) because the LineageOS downloads do not support that feature.

You can install only LineageOS then Open Gapps, reboot to system and later install a super user via TWRP if you decide to root your phone.

The first boot process may take up to 10-15 minutes so be patient.

8- Test the phone to see if all is OK and go here: LineageOS 14.1 for i9300 Known Bugs & workarounds.

¹ To enable Root if you installed the Lineage super user 14.1 arm for S3 i9300 add-on:

Settings > About phone > click on Build number until a pop up saying "Developer options enabled" appears.

Back to > Settings > Developer options > Root access > enable Apps and ADB.

Done. Reboot the phone for good measure.

Optional - For better performance & longer battery life as the default LineageOS 14.1 settings are not optimal for the older S3 i9300: S3 LineageOS Battery Optimization.

Thanks @karpacha for reporting back about his S3 Lineage clean install experience and providing pointers that made this tutorial better.

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Stock Samsung Firmware 4.3 for S3 i9300 Installation & Fixing TWRP Partition & Other Errors

Installing an official Samsung firmware 4.3 for S3 i9300 is a last resort troubleshooting step when all else fails when using a custom firmware or to make sure that a problem is not hardware related, to fix a No Service/No SIM problem if you don't have a EFS Partition backup, etc as the stock Samsung firmware it is the most stable for a given device because Samsung had paid staff working for years on it to fix the problems reported by thousands of users & warranty claims.

It's the most stable but not the fastest, nor the most recent & clean like LineageOS 14.1 for S3 IMO. I would never go back to stock Samsung 4.3.

1- Charge the S3 to at least 80% & to avoid errors it is better to connect S3 i9300 phone directly to the computer and not via a USB hub when using Odin. Also better to have Odin, Samsung Firmware & TWRP on C drive & not on external drives.

2- Download the most recent (@ the present) Odin3 v3.14.1: https://dl2018.sammobile.com/Odin3-v3.14.1.zip

Unzip or unpack the .zip file & copy the Odin3-v3.14.1 folder to the root of C drive.

3- If you don't already have one, download for your country or the most recent Samsung stock Firmware for S3 GT-i9300:

Most trusted, don't be fooled by fake Download ad buttons: https://updato.com/firmware-archive-select-model?q=GT-I9300&rpp=15&order=date&dir=desc&exact=1

http://samsung-updates.com/device/?id=GT-I9300

Shows country flags but not dates of firmware creation: https://samsung-firmware.org/model/GT-I9300/

Requires to register (slow) or pay (fast): https://www.sammobile.com/firmwares/galaxy-s-/GT-I9300/

Unzip or unpack the .zip file & copy or move the I9300......tar.md5 to the Odin3-v3.14.1 folder on C drive or somewhere else on C drive. For example: I9300XXUGPE1_I9300AMNGPF1_I9300BVUGNB2_HOME.tar.md5

4- Odin3-v3.14.1 folder > Right-click and run as Administrator > Odin3 v3.14.1.exe.

5- If in TWRP > Reboot the S3 phone in Download Mode or if phone is turned off: press and hold Home + Power + Volume Down buttons and confirm with Volume up to Continue. Connect S3 to computer & the box above ID:COM should turn blue-green and the Log will show Added!!

6- Click AP button & navigate to I9300.....tar.md5 and wait for Odin to complete the MD5 check. In Options select ONLY Auto Reboot & F. Reset Time. It should look like this screenshot:

7- Click Start & after the green PASS! button appears the phone will reboot. I prefer to disconnect it as soon as the S3 screen turns black to prevent Windows to interfere with the first boot process which may take up to 10-15 minutes so be patient.

8- You can select the text in Odin's Log panel & save it somewhere as a Odin_Samsung_Firmware.txt file for example. Could you attach to your reply please?

9- Test the phone to see if all is OK.

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Boot Loop, TWRP Error & Recovery Log

Thanks for the additional troubleshooting info. You did not reply to my question about if you are on Windows PC so I presume yes. Because you cannot boot your S3 to System some special steps are suggested.

Your most important point is #6: TWRP Recovery showing E: Unable to mount '/preload' after trying to flash LineageOS. The context of that error is important & you can copy the Recovery log that TWRP creates and also take some screenshots in TWRP besides taking a photo of your phone & the error with an other camera. It may be a corrupted partition as I see in my Recovery logs: /preload | /dev/block/mmcblk0p10 (it's the partition labeled HIDDEN on the S3).

Please do me this favor before we proceed to try to fix your problem:

A- Boot in TWRP Recovery (volume up + Home + Power buttons) > Home > Backup > Select Storage > Micro SD card then back to Home.

B- Install LineageOS. Capture a screenshot of the error(s) with press and hold Volume down and tap on Power button. You will see a flash. Screenshot will be saved in: /external_sd/Pictures/Screenshots.

C- Back to Home > Advanced > Copy Log Copying file /tmp/recovery.log to /external_sd/recovery.log

D- Home > Advanced > File Manager > navigate to external_sd > select recovery.log > Rename File > revovery_log_error.txt > blue button with checkmark > Swipe to Confirm. Later, please attach your revovery_log_error.txt to your reply & some screenshots if you can.

E- Do not reboot to System so not to go in boot loop again. If you did not backup your personal files in internal storage you can connect to PC because MTP & ADB is enabled in TWRP and do it.

BTW removing the battery to get out of a boot loop is like being in a car @ 50km/h and turning off the engine. Not too good & some users reported file corruptions & other problems in this thread after doing that. It's better to press the Power button for about 8-10 seconds until the screen turns black & release it immediately to prevent the phone from rebooting. That hard reboot method is good also if the S3 is frozen but in that case release when the bootloader Samsung GT-I9300 logo appears.

You can also copy the LineageOS & other files listed below to Micro SD card via TWRP MTP or ADB CMD or > Reboot > Power Off > and use a card reader on the PC.

You could also use TWRP's File Manager to copy/backup Internal Storage to external_sd (Micro SD card).

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Gosh it took me much more time to type this than to do it a couple of times! :eek: A few Thanks :good: is below minimum wage... :silly:

As usual: please report back if it worked for you or not. :cool:

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