[Galaxy S I9000 General] Darkstriker:
Dear xda'er from the USA: To the disappointment of some in this forum, the xda-team has decided to split the sections on the Samsung Galaxy S i9000 and its US-counterparts into SEPARATE sections! You will be able to get some help here but you will likely be better helped/supported/suited in the forums that belong to your specific device!

Note: Many of the FAQs may still apply to you and you are welcome to make use of our setup. However, if you have open questions I suggest directing them to the above mentioned forums.

IP-Notice: You are welcome to use the information in this thread! If you do, please link the original source.

I try to give credit where due. If you feel I am using your content without your authorization or proper credits, please contact me!

General Note: There are now four official models of the Samsung Galaxy S outside the US: the GT-I9000 (International), GT-I9000M (Canada), GT-I9000B (Brazil), GT-I9000T (Mexico). All information in this FAQ is based on the GT-I9000 International version. Most of them also apply to the other models. The I9000M and I9000T are virtually identical to the I9000 and are mostly compatible with I9000 software. The I9000B has an added digital television receiver and is generally not as compatible. Please check carefully before starting to mess with the firmware on your device, check for possible compatibility issues beforehand and ALWAYS make sure you have three button recovery (see FAQ#A12)

Note: The I9000B has a separate FAQ

Note2: For the Korean Galaxy S SHW-M110S, please see this separate FAQ

Disclaimer: This FAQ is provided as-is without any warranties to completeness/correctness. I will take no responsibility if you break/brick/damage your phone.

Contents:

Post#1: Frequently Asked Questions

Post#2: HOWTO Section

Post#3: ADB Tutorial

Post#4: Tutorials and Fixes

Post#5: Tips & Tricks

Post#6: Firmware Selection Guide

FAQ Sections:

A. General

B. Firmware

C. Modding

D. Applications

E. Recovery

(A) General:

1.How can I reset my phone?

2.I have flashed a new firmware and now my phone won't connect to 3G. What's wrong?

3.Can I disable 2G broadband like on the Desire/N1?

4.I flashed a new firmware and now I cannot download protected apps and Market-enabler doesn't work. How can I still install protected apps?

5.My phone takes forever to get a GPS-fix? Is there a solution to this problem?

6.I am experiencing long loading times when opening apps/intermittent lags when switching screens. What is the problem?

7.My G-sensor seems to be off. How can I calibrate it?

8.I have a SIM-Locked phone. Is there anything I need to look out for?

9.When will Ice Cream Sandwich be released for my shiny new phone?

10.I'm running Linux. Can I still flash my firmware? Do I need to install Windows?

11.Most phones have a bunch of codes that can be entered in the dialer for special functions. What are they on the SGS?

12.My phone cannot enter download mode or recovery mode using the buttons combos. What can I do?

13.I live in Canada/Mexico (The Americas in general). Can I get my phone to use the 850Mhz bands with I9000 Modems?

1.How can I reset my phone?

On the Galaxy S the soft-reset is achieved by pressing and holding the power button. A hard-reset can executed by pressing and holding VolumeUP+Home+Power. There you will find the options "reboot", "apply sdcard:update.zip", "wipe data/factory reset" and "wipe cache partition". (Note: The list of options can vary considerably after installing modified firmware/kernels)

The "wipe data/factory reset" option will restore your phone to the original configuration of the firmware YOU LAST INSTALLED (including any updates made via update.zip). This will NOT bring your phone back to the firmware installed when you originally bought it unless you haven't flashed your phone.

You can navigate the recovery screen using VolumeUp & VolumeDown and use the Home button to select.

2.I have flashed a new firmware and now my phone won't connect to 3G. What's wrong?

The CSC you used is most likely not intended for your area. This means that the broadband provider settings are not included and need to be configured manually. To do this, go to Settings->Wireless and Networks->Mobile Networks->Access Point Names, press the settings-button and select "New APN". You will then need to enter the respective data as provided by you mobile operator. APN settings can usually be found on the operators website.

3.Can I disable 2G broadband like on the Desire/N1?

As of firmware XWJM1 (July 2010), this function is available in the wireless settings. All current firmwares now have this feature.

4.I flashed a new firmware and now I cannot download protected apps and Market-enabler doesn't work. How can I still install protected apps?

This is done by google to protect commercial applications from piracy. This usually only happens on internal beta firmwares. Use Eris Market Fix from the Market or the tutorial in P#4,T#1. Both fixes require root privileges (See FAQ#C1)

5.My phone takes forever to get a GPS-fix? Is there a solution to this problem?

It appears that the XWJM1 and XWJM2 firmwares have mostly fixed the major GPS issues and the general consensus is that these firmwares deliver consistently better GPS results than previous firmwares. The usability, however, still varies per location and sometimes the software gets no fix despite seeing plenty of satellites.

To date, there appear to be no better fixes available. There are still many reports that GPS is flaky and it appears as if Samsung is no longer working on improvements in this area.

6.I am experiencing long loading times when opening apps/intermittent lags when switching screens. What is the problem?

The Samsung Galaxy S uses the internal SD to store cache data by default. This storage uses the severely outdated RFS (FAT-related) filesystem. Next the to poor performance in a good state, RFS appears to rapidly manifest massive amounts of filesystem errors which cause the experience on the SGS to degrade over time.

Currently almost all custom kernels fix the problem by replacing the RFS filesystem with ext4 on (virtually) all partitions (some do not touch the /efs partition). Original credit for the discovery that the filesystem was the problem belongs to mimocan and the fix has since been refined by RyanZA, z4ziggy, sztupy and most notably supercurio.

7.My G-sensor seems to be off. How can I calibrate it?

The G-sensor calibration appears to be off in a lot of shipped devices. Current firmwares can calibrate the accelerometer in the Display menu.

8.I have a SIM-Locked phone. Is there anything I need to look out for?

As of now there are several reports of successfully flashed SIM-locked phones and no reports of any (related) problems.

This means that as of now (there seem) to be no specific restrictions for SIM-locked phone except the lock itself. However, the lock on the Galaxy S can be easily removed. Please refer to T&T#20 for unlocking your phone.

9.When will Ice Cream Sandwich be released for my shiny new phone?

At the moment, there are no indications that Samsung will release a fully featured Android 4.0 firmware for the Galaxy S. They are, however, porting several ICS features to Android 2.3. While this is very disappointing, there are several ICS ports based (in part) on the sources for the Nexus S available already which will probably result in a relatively stable build in the long term.

10.I'm running Linux/OSX. Can I still flash my firmware? Do I need to install windows?

If you are running Linux or OSX you do not need to install Windows. You can either run Odin in a virtual machine or alternatively use Heimdall by Benjamin Dobell. Heimdall runs natively on Linux and OSX and has reached a well tested release state.

11.Most phones have a bunch of codes that can be entered in the dialer for special functions. What are they on the SGS?

There is a list of "secret codes" here. There are also several apps in the market with these features in the market.

12.My phone cannot enter download mode or recovery mode using the buttons combos. What can I do?

Some batches in various countries seem to not have this feature. However, Samsung Canada has released a fix via Kies (for the I9000M) and it has been adopted to suit a larger audience (I9000 and I9000M). Instructions on how to update your phone to get the three-button-combo can be found here or here. Note: Follow the instructions in that post CAREFULLY and read it completely BEFORE attempting to do anything on your phone. If done improperly, this can still brick your device!!!

13.I live in Canada/Mexico (The Americas in general). Can I get my phone to use the 850Mhz bands with I9000 Modems?

Users in the Americas will find that the I9000 modems use the 900Mhz band which is not used in the Americas. However, since the I9000 is virtually hardware-identical to the I9000M and others which do use the 850Mhz band, the band can enabled on the I9000 modems. There is a guide here.

(B) Firmware:

1.What is a ROM/firmware?

2.Can I update my firmware?

3.Why are there sometimes multiple files in the firmware archive/folder?/Why do I get three different versions when using *#1234#?

4.Can I mix PDA/Modem/CSC files from different firmwares without bricking my phone?

5.My phones software version says I9000XXJF3/XXJF5/xxxxx. What does this mean?

6.I want to install new firmware but I want to have a backup of my original firmware to go back to in case I need to go back for warranty reasons. Can I backup my original firmware somehow?

7.Can I flash an Asian ROM on my European device or vice versa?

8.What is the .pit file? Why are there different versions?

9.I flashed a new firmware using Odin (or Kies) and now my phone is acting weird (force closes etc)? Also, my settings are also still there.

1.What is a ROM/firmware?

The firmware/ROM is the software that runs on the phone. In case of the Galaxy S this is (currently) Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread. The Galaxy S was initially released with Android 2.1 Eclair and will most likely not receive any major firmware upgrades anymore. Samsung is porting several features from newer Android versions but has refused to bring a fully-featured Android 4.0 release on the grounds that the TouchWiz UI together with ICS would be to big for the normal system partition.

2.Can I update my firmware?

Most likely: Yes. You can update your firmware through Samsungs official application (Kies) and with firmwares that have been leaked or otherwise been obtained for installation without using the Samsung Kies software. You can find firmwares made by Samsung for phones all over the world, here. You will also find a guide to the installation in HOWTO#1 in the second post of this thread.

Note: Please also keep in mind that not all firmwares that come with phones are available. Reflashing to stock may not be possible because the specific firmware isn't available!

3.Why are there sometimes multiple files in the firmware archive/folder?/Why do I get three different versions when using *#1234#?

Galaxy S firmware updates come in three parts (which are sometimes packaged as one file):

-The CODE itself (called PDA). This is android and all the applications that come with it. (The archives/folders will be named after the version of this file)

-The MODEM (called Phone). This is the firmware of the wireless chipset of the device and will operate you WiFi, Blutooth and 3G/2G/GSM connections. (ie Radio ROM)

-The CSC (short for Customer Specific Customization). This includes connection data for the broadband networks as well as apps that are only available in certain languages/intended for a specific area.

If we ask for your firmware, we want to know all three!

Since not all of these require updates simultaneously, often then CSC and MODEM files will have lower version numbers.

(Also when packaged in one file the repartition option should NEVER be checked in Odin because it will mess up your partition layout and will require a reflash with three-part firmware!)

Most firmwares that are currently available are no longer split up into the three parts and instead delivered as one which can be flashed by entering it as the PDA/CODE in Odin.

4.Can I mix PDA/Modem/CSC files from different firmwares without bricking my phone?

Yes. Most Modem/CSC files will work with any PDA. However, there may be compatibility issues which may force you to reflash your phone. Note also that newer CSCs usually include newer versions of the software that comes with them (Some of which may not be upgradable via the market or other means).

5.My phones software version says I9000XXJF3/XXJF5/xxxxx. What does this mean?

The first two letters describe the country while the third gives the year, the fourth gives the month and the last number/letter is the version of the firmware (from that specific month. Numbering starts at 1-9 and then uses letters from A-Z). For an extensive list of the country codes, see this thread.

Note: To better distinguish the firmware releases based on a new Android version (2.1 vs 2.2 vs 2.3 etc), Samsung has shifted the use of the third and forth letter and these are now no longer coherent with the year and month according to Samsung's old system.

6.I want to install new firmware but I want to have a backup of my original firmware to go back to in case I need to go back for warranty reasons. Can I backup my original firmware somehow?

You can backup most of your firmware through Clockwork Recovery, however, since this already requires root it is not suitable for a warranty return. Nevertheless virtually all firmwares that are currently being shipped with the phone are available and thus a restoration is almost always possible.

7.Can I flash an Asian ROM on my European device or vice versa?

Flashing firmwares between several areas is easily possible. Please make sure you have the correct model before flashing. The international SGS has the model I9000. The Korean version and the US variants have significantly different model numbers and firmwares for those phones should NEVER be flashed on the I9000 or vice versa.

8.What is the .pit file? Why are there different versions?

There are now three different versions of the .pit file. 513.pit, 512.pit and 803.pit. Most firmwares since the end of 2010 do not require a .pit file to be selected. Generally only the 512 version is used. The .pit file is only necessary if you intend to repartition the phone. If you do, you inadvertently wipe all your data (not the internal SDcard). Since the partitioning of the device has not changed for more than a year, repartitioning is almost never necessary unless you used a custom firmware like cyanogenmod, which changes the partition sizes.

The .pit file maps partitions on the NAND storage.

9.I flashed a new firmware using Odin (or Kies) and now my phone is acting weird (force closes etc)? Also, my settings are also still there.

Some firmwares that can be flashed via Odin and the firmwares that are flashed using Kies, do not touch your settings and they do not empty your cache and appdata partitions. As a results, there is data there from previous firmwares which may lead to unforseen complications. Especially so, if your previous firmware was based on a different android version (i.e. flashing from XWJM6(android 2.1) to XXJPC(android 2.2)). You can attempt to overcome this by wiping the cache. Usually, to resolve this, you have to do a factory reset according to FAQ#A1

(C) Modding:

1.What is root/rooting?

2.What are customROMs? How do I get them?

1.What is root/rooting?

root is the user account in Linux with all privileges. The root user can edit anything on the system. For safety reasons, users do not have all those privileges. When you root your phone, you will gain write access to areas of the phone you couldn't previously access and are allowed to run more commands in the terminal. Because applications do not get a lot of priviledges, some of them require you to root the device in order for them to function properly (or fully). There is a tutorial for rooting in the Post #2 and there is a Chainfire Root that works most firmwares. CF-Root essentially is a kernel that is flashed over the original kernel.

If all of this means nothing to you then you are probably wise to NOT root your phone. Mistakes using root can break your phone very easily. (Usually, but

not always

, these can be solved with a reflash)

2.What are customROMs? How do I get them?

Custom ROMs are modified versions of the Samsung firmware or complete rewrites of the Android OS for the Galaxy S such as Cyanogenmod (and the derivative MIUI). Almost all current custom ROMs are based on Android 2.3 with some now being based Android 4. They can be found in the Android Development Subforum.

(D) Applications:

1.I tried using Allshare/DLNA but it will not recognize my device/play any files?

2.Can I change the default homescreen of the Touchwiz Launcher?

1.I tried using Allshare/DLNA but it will not recognize my device/play any files?

As of now a lot of DLNA certified devices/software do not work with Allshare. However, Samsung TVs should work and Windows Media Player 12 as well as Samsung's PC Share Manager work in most cases.

2.Can I change the default homescreen of the Touchwiz Launcher?

You cannot change the default Homescreen in the settings. However, if you are rooted, there is a way to change the default homescreen. See T&T#5 for more info.

(E) Recovery:

1.WHAAAA! I think I bricked my phone. My flash was unsuccessful/My device boots to a black screen/similar scenarios. Can I still save my device?

1.WHAAAA! I think I bricked my phone. My flash was unsuccessful/My device boots to a black screen/similar scenarios. Can I still save my device?

Most likely: YES! In almost any case, you should still be able to turn off the device (if necessary by removing the battery) and start into download-mode (VolumeDown+Home+Power) or recovery-mode (VolumeUp+Home+Power). After (for example) an unsuccessful flash, you can retry the flash in download-mode (same steps as when flashing a functioning device). If a flash to a functioning f/w (without applying any update.zip) doesn't help or you cannot get your PC to flash at all, you can ask for help here.

If you see a symbol asking you to connect to the PC, depending on how you arrived at this point, it may be sufficient to connect to the PC and run Odin (i.e. press "start" when the phone is recognized)

without

adding any files. This may, however, leave some residual issues if (for example) had an incorrect/incomplete flash so you may want to do a normal flash after this!

If you do not have download mode and for some ludicrous reason felt the need to go ahead and modify your firmware regardless of this lacking, there is now a guide on creating a home-made JIG which will force your device into download mode without the actual button combo here. Also pre-fabricated JIG dongles can be purchased on ebay for a couple of EUR/USD.

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Changelog:

[12th July] FAQ created.

[12th July] Added Flash HOWTOs in Post#2

[13th July] Added list of CustomROMs in FAQ#10

[16th July] Added notification for US phone users

[18th July] Added rooting to HOWTOs

[18th July] Added ADB tutorial in Post#2

[19th July] Moved ADB tutorial to Post#3

[19th July] Added Tutorial/Fix section in Post#4

[19th July] Added "Protected Apps Market Fix" in Post#4, Tutorial#1

[24th July] Removed SIM-Unlocked as a requirement from flash HOWTO (Post#2, HOWTO#1).

[24th July] Added Tags for categorizing the FAQ

[26th July] Added Tip&Tricks section in Post#5

[20th August] Added a ROM-Selection Guide in Post#6

[30th August] Major Rework of the FAQ section

[8th October] Added "Installing any official firmware using Kies" in Post#4, Tutorial#2

[17th October '10] Added "Extracting Samsung Phone Drivers from Kies Installer" in Post#4, Tutorial#3

[2nd March '11] Began Major Update

[5th November '11] Updated to recent release of Android 2.3 and other changes

[7th January '12] Some updates to reflect recent changes regarding software and Android 4.

[6th April '12] More updates regarding Android 4.0 and some other updates.