[APP] Flash Image GUI

Credits:
birbeck for the usual random java guidance, slushpupie for his previous java guidance, dodgejcr for extreme amounts of testing, and one_love_420 and shift for some great graphics!
testers: JT-, couga6442, happytweak and many others I might have forgot in the last three days of late nights and no sleep plus full day of work!
Thanks to SDX !!

Requires:
Unlocked bootloader and root access!

Background:
flash_image (bmlwrite) is an extremely useful utility for flashing custom kernels, boot logos and recoveries. This binary has made it possible to easily flash all these items and is used almost everywhere behind the scenes (i.e. in custom recoveries, packaged into kernel /sbin, etc).

Description:
This android application, FlashImageGUI, is basically a GUI interface for the linux binary, flash_image provided by google in AOSP for loading custom kernels and recovery images onto the phone. No recovery or adb needed! Flash a custom kernel, boot logo (some devices) and custom recovery all from android w/o rebooting into recovery mode!
The application displays current kernel version information!

Current Device Support:
Full Kernel (Anykernel and boot.img) Flashing and Recovery (zip file or image) flashing: Sprint Galaxy S4, International HTC One, T-Mobile HTC One, Sprint HTC One, HTC EVO 4G LTE, HTC One S, HTC EVO 3D CDMA and GSM, HTC One XL, HTC Droid DNA, HTC Amaze, HTC Vivid/Holiday, HTC EVO 4G, HTC EVO Shift, Google Nexus 4, Google Nexus 10, Google Nexus 7, Samsung Google Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S/Nexus S 4G & LG Optimus
Full Kernel, Logo and Recovery flashing: Samsung Moment, Transform, Intercept and Acclaim - the s3c6410 series of devices
Full Kernel (zImage) Flashing: Samsung Epic
Check application version for updates

Future Support:
The current phone support limitation is due to hardware manufacturer differences and their software implementations. This process can be very dangerous and I'm being very caution by thoroughly testing before releasing. I've started with the phones I am most familiar and hope to cover all those who request it!
I have a personal list of features I am going to be adding over the coming days and weeks in addition to support for other phones. Please feel free to leave feedback here and requests for phone support. If you have any information on flash_image or bmlwrite for your phone, that'll help get me started researching on your phone support request. Thanks!

Install Directions:
Install process is the same as any other .apk. Download to computer and adb push or mount sdcard on computer and copy over. Use any file manager, adb, connectbot/terminal emulator to install.
My preferred method, maybe a bit technical: adb install c:\downloads\FlashImageGUI.apk

Download Locations
Market (99 cents!): Flash Image GUI
Release versions (free from my personal hosting): Flash Image GUI

Contact:
Any questions, comments, concerns, or issues, please post in this thread or send me an email! Thanks for all the help and support!
http://twitter.com/joeykrim
http://joeykrim.com

Screenshots:






Feedback:
Please post any helpful feedback. I'm always looking to improve the application!

Users Guide for flashing ONLY a Kernel (zip file):
1) Ensure the bootloader is unlocked and root access is properly setup
2) Make sure the selected Kernel is compatible with the currently loaded ROM. If not, this will result in a lot of frustration!!! See troubleshooting steps below.
3) Download kernel zip file to /sdcard.
4) Open Flash Image GUI, browse and select kernel zip file, downloaded/loaded to sdcard in previous step.
5) Flash Image GUI will validate the kernel zip file is contains the minimum required files
6) Select the Flash Image button and Flash Image GUI will load the kernel and the kernel modules from the source kernel zip file.
7) Reboot

Troubleshooting after Rebooting:

First step, when experiencing issues flashing is to RE FLASH the files again. Many times, re flashing again will clear up any issues. If not, see the issues/solutions below.

Issue #1: If the device hangs or reboots while on the splash screen, the kernel itself or the ramdisk packaged in the kernel is NOT compatible with your device!!!
Solution for #1: Have to boot into fastboot (or directly into the custom recovery) and load the custom recovery to flash a known good kernel or restore a previously known good nandroid backup. Command: fastboot boot c:\downloads\cwm-recovery.img
Issue #2: If the device hangs or reboots while on the boot animation, the ROM is likely NOT compatible with the kernel!!!
Solution for #2: Have to boot into fastboot and load the custom recovery to flash a known good ROM/kernel combination either from a zip file or restore from a nandroid backup.

jdyates said:

Im curious, why does this only work on certain phones? I need a way to flash a recovery to my Tmobile Comet (Huawei Ideos U8150). Thanks

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great question. I've updated the OP to answer this better.
essentially each hardware manufacturer is able to use their own type of drivers in dealing with the phones internal memory and in formatting the phones internal file system.
this allows for many different variations. the specific phones I support are the ones I was able to obtain a flash_image binary for (hence the name flash_image) and was able to extensively test.
if you any information to the flash_image binary for your phone, i'd be more than happy to research it and adding support to the app!
i've worked day/night the last three days to put this app together and had a ton of testing. i do hope to continue to add support for more phones! thanks for the feedback and phone support suggestion! i will definitely look into it and any help you can provide would be great!

dancer_69 said:

Here is the flash_image binary for Tattoo,
please add it to supported devices, thanks.

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Click to collapse

perfect! recovery image support should be simple.
kernel flashing methods seem to vary quite a bit between devices. could you post links up to two/three popular kernels so i can see the format they're using?

mattallica76 said:

How soon before the Epic 4G gets some love?

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great question! i hope to get this supported within the next week as ill be on my honeymoon the next 5 days w/o internet...i know, tough but worth it
if you have the information handy, could you post links to two/three top kernels so I can examine their format?

lovleshgarg said:

Samsung galaxy spica gt-i5700 also use same s3c6410 chip. Will this work on it??

Sent from my GT-I5700 using Tapatalk

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yes, i had thought about this but didn't know anybody with the phone. supporting this phone should be very simple as it uses that same chip set. could you post a link to a pastebin of this command:
adb shell ls -l /
to double check, flash_image on the spica also does zImage (kernel), logo.png (boot logo) and recovery.rfs (recovery) right?
thanks!

austontatious said:

I have a viewsonic gtab and I HATE the splash screen - would love to see it supported. My 2c... great tool! Thanks!

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Click to collapse

great, this seems to be popular. i have been looking into this and will keep you updated! i hope to get support added for this soon!

mattallica76 said:

Here are some links to some popular kernels on the Epic-

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=961614

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=976197

Congrats and have fun on your Honeymoon.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

released an update - version 1.0.3 - supports kernel flashing on Samsung Epic!
tested recovery flashing on the Samsung Epic but it seems too unstable to support
thanks to DRockstar, skeeterslint and MeatMcBadass for testing and feedback!
links in OP updated with new version!

Released version 1.0.5 - Fixing a few minor bugs
** Updated boot logo flashing support on S3C6410 series devices (moment, transform, intercept and acclaim)
** Cleaned up code on the back end for efficiency
** Clarified wording in the prompts

Links in OP have updated versions! Thanks for all the support!

WDeamz said:

Hey I could really use some help, I rooted my Samsung Moment yesterday using the Z4Root program yesterday, but when I try to use Flash Image_GUI I get the following error:

"Root Access Denied

This device has not granted root access to this application. Please root this device to allow this application root access. This application can not run without root access. Sorry!"

Can anyone please help me? I did root the phone accurately, I have the SU icon, but this app (flash image) won't open for me...

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

After reading through the z4root thread,
http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=833953 , it appears they install the superuser.apk after rooting.

After you run z4root, and it is a permanent root, I would reboot the device to make sure the SuperUser apk appears in the app draw/tray.
After you can confirm z4root gave you permanent root and installed the superuser apk, then install my app. When you first open my app, the SuperUser app should ask whether or not you want to grant my app root access.
If you've already said no, you can open the SuperUser app from the app draw/tray and change your preference. My application will require root access to run properly.

If you don't see the superuser app in your app draw/tray it would seem z4root did not work properly.

Hope this helps!