Make Part to ROM - Urgent

[Khurram]

Please please reply it.

I want to make my application part of ROM my three PDAs. ( I have XDA2i, PDA2K and K-Jam), so machine will have application after hard reset. (i don’t want to write FLASH Memory \Storage\1257 etc i think any one can delete that)

Q1) is there any installer available which deploy to ROM and make desired application part of ROM.

Q2) to upgrade any ROM , is it must to have base ROM ?

I really thankful for your feedbacks
Khurram

[levenum]

Hi Khurram!

There are no installers that can put apps in to device ROM. If you want to add to the ROM you need to do the following:

1)Extract ROM image (or get one for your device from somewhere).
2)Decrypt the image (nbf file) and extract all files.
3)Add your app
4)Repackage and encrypt the image.
5)Reflash your device with the new image.

The tools to do it are on this site (check out ROM kitchen), but this is a complicated process, and there is a good chance you will wind up with a useless device which won't boot.
So you should read up on ROM cooking and be very careful when altering ROM images.

Good luck!

[Khurram]

Hello levenum,

Great reply , thanks a lot . you are the only person who replied me now and in past as well.

in past, you suggested the "file store".

Problem: it is not a secure way , any person can remove it from the device.

does any one have idea about Extended ROM or any other secure and risk free way ?

Thanks
[/list]

[levenum]

Hi Khurram!

When you first posted you didn't specify your program was sensitive, and you didn't want people deleting it.

If it's really important Extended ROM is not good ether since it can be unlocked and manipulated just like the File store. There are unlocking tools in this forum.

If your program is some kind of anti-theft app. (in case your phone gets stolen) the only way to ensure no one messes with it is to put it in ROM.

Of course even then someone could re-flash the device with an original ROM,
so nothing is 100% secure.

[Khurram]

Great , really impressed in way you picked my point.

i am working on such a application , actually 3 months ago I lost my newly purchased XDA2i , luckily i got that back with the help of mobile operator but I want to developed such a application which will lock the machine totally and will not allow re-flashing as well.

Q: stop to re-flash is possible?
Q: any existing tools for anti-theft ( i saw something at ROM Kitchen but it is for specific versions only)

any further help will be appreciated.

Thanks Again.

[levenum]

Yes, there are projects like this here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=46174
Although, I don't remember anyone trying to put the app in ROM.

As for preventing device from re-flashing:
It is possible theoretically, but would require serious programming skills, and good knowledge of hardware.

There is a special program, called bootloader, which is responsible for loading the OS or writing a ROM update to the device. The only way to prevent re-flashing would be to write one of your own, and even then getting it on the device would be tricky.

Any way, that kind of knowledge is way beyond me.

But I do have one question you should consider:
Does your program need to save data, like SIM details for authorized SIMs or changing password?
Since this data cannot be written to ROM dynamiccaly, you would have to compile your program for each user\device specifically, and the password would have to be hard coded.

[Khurram]

yes my application will be extention of existing security tools with more control of device :) something confidentional :twisted: .

the only problem is prevent from deletion so thats why i am worried about it

[levenum]

I didn't mean for you to tell me what your program saves.
I just wanted to point out that while preventing a program from being deleted is possible (I don't think many thieves would bother re-flashing a device, specially if your program would make it look as if the device is malfunctioning and not locked, only the user will know what to do)
its impossible to save settings so they will not be deleted.
If you are making this program only for your self, than fixed password, or SIM info is not a problem, but if you intend this for other people you will have to come up with some solution to store the settings securely.
At leas for this you may have to use the File store.