[T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S II SGH-T989] Gouda8201:
Hi all,

First post, new member at this site. Thanks for all of your hard efforts and kind sharing of knowledge. I'm a US Navy sailor, and my rooted S5 (GP900) just bit the dust. I'm seeing if I can get this old dog (SGH-T989) going.

So far, I have bombed out on installing any ROM. I find myself without a stock T989UVMC6 file, as many file servers (in 2017) have understandably stopped serving this old image. I have the T-Mobile SGH-T989 (gen 1) phone. Clean IMEI.

Background: This phone was on stock firmware 2.3.x at the beginning of this ROM voyage, and had no service to do an OTA Jelly Bean push. This phone is in immaculate condition, gifted to me by my grandfather two weeks ago, after he finally upgraded. Known to work (just not in my hands).

Tools I have at my disposal (Windoze 7 machine):

Odin 3.10.7

PITmagic 1.3.10

T-Mobile_t989_GSII_ADB_Drivers (Samsung_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones_v1_3_2200_0)

Tools I have at my disposal between my 5 linux machines:

Terminal

XTerm

Terminator

(terminal emulators, which is all Linux really needs ;))

MicroUSB 5-pin Cables I have tried

Anker Powerline Micro-USB

**** I like this one a lot ****

Samsung OEM Micro-USB

Samsung OEM Tab 3 Micro-USB

Generic Micro-USB

ROMS and Zips I have tried pushing through TWRP 3.0.2, TWRP 2.8.4, and TWRP 3.1.0:

1)

Validus

(specifically Validus-LP-v8.0-2015-06-06-validus_hercules, a 2015 image, Android 5.1 Lollipop) + open_gapps-arm-5.1-stock-20170513

2)

CyanogenMod 14.1

(specifically cm-14.1-20161031-UNOFFICIAL-celox, a 2016 image, Android 7.1 Nougat) + open_gapps-arm-7.1-stock-20170513

3)

CyanogenMod 13.0

(specifically cm-13.0-20160327-UNOFFICIAL-celox, a 2016 image, Android 6.0 Marshmallow) + open_gapps-arm-6.0-aroma-20170513

4)

LineageOS 14.1

(specifically lineage-14.1-20170314-UNOFFICIAL-celox, a 2017 image, Android 7.0 Nougat) + open_gapps-arm-7.1-stock-20170513

5)

ParanoidAndroid 5.1

(specifically pa_hercules-5.1-20151011-vp, a 2015 image, Android 5.1 Lollipop + open_gapps-arm-5.1-stock-20170513

I have tried several versions of Odin (3.9.2 on), I have tried several versions of TWRP (2.8.4 on), I have tried flashing both modified and unmodified SGH-T989 PITs via both Odin and PITmagic. So far, I have been unsuccessful in all attempts of getting a stable OS on this thing, I have followed these old posts here at XDA to the 'T', and simply cannot for the life of me figure out why only Validus seems to do "anything" (as in optimize apps at bootup and then freeze at 64/105). Disheartening, but I'm an IT by trade, and a Linux fan by hobby, so I'm used to suffering for my art. I should also mention that I have used DARKSIDE.SUPER.WIPE / DARKSIDE.CACHE.WIPE by thederekjay and really feel this might be a PEBKAC (Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair) error.

Speaking of errors... what am I getting? Okay, so to answer on that: mostly it's Error 7, sometimes it's no error at all (as in a bootup screen that timelessly animates for a whole night, etc), other times it's an Encryption Unsuccessful. Depends on the ROM, depends on the GAPPS, and the stars and the moon on what error I get. -_-

However, I've been at this now for 2 weeks, off-and-on, and am now turning to you great minds to help this tired fellow out. I promise I will not be snarky (as other posters have been), and I greatly appreciate your pearls of wisdom in getting this SGSII up and running again.

:good::eek:

-Gouda