Flashing a Kernel via Recovery vs ADB

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Silicon Knight

Silicon Knight

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Mar 9, 2011
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I was curious as to any difference between flashing a Kernel via ADB using a boot.img or flashing it as a .zip via recovery. Is there a benefit of one over the other. I've always done it via ADB, but I recently tried via a zip file through TWRP but didn't notice any difference, but wasn't sure if I was just being oblivious or not lol

I heard someone mention that when flashing it via ADB you don't get the Modules that come with the Kernel. Which I don't know if that was BS or not, cause as I stated, after trying it both ways, I didn't notice any features taken away i.e. flashed bricked kernel via ADB and then restored stock kernel and then flashed bricked via TWRP, and I was able to activate DT2W/S2W regardless of the method of flashing, as well as OC capabilities, Fast Charge, etc etc.

Just been curious about this for awhile, and there doesn't seem to be much discussion about it, so was unable to find an answer. Dev's always seem to give you the option to download a boot.img or .zip file, and wasn't sure if htat was just due to giving peopel the choice of preferred flashing method, or because of inherit benefits between the two.
 
Chromium

Chromium

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Oct 5, 2012
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Its simply 2 different options of installation. The final result is the same: a boot.img gets extracted and written onto the appropriate partition of your device.

When you use fastboot to flash the img. the executable on your computer does this directly.
When you use a recovery to flash the zip (which also contains the boot.img), the edify script within the zip gives instructions to the recovery on how and where to write the image to.

There isnt really any advantage to doing one over the other.
 
BirchBarlow

BirchBarlow

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Oct 6, 2013
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Philadelphia
Silicon Knight said:
I was curious as to any difference between flashing a Kernel via ADB using a boot.img or flashing it as a .zip via recovery. Is there a benefit of one over the other. I've always done it via ADB, but I recently tried via a zip file through TWRP but didn't notice any difference, but wasn't sure if I was just being oblivious or not lol

I heard someone mention that when flashing it via ADB you don't get the Modules that come with the Kernel. Which I don't know if that was BS or not, cause as I stated, after trying it both ways, I didn't notice any features taken away i.e. flashed bricked kernel via ADB and then restored stock kernel and then flashed bricked via TWRP, and I was able to activate DT2W/S2W regardless of the method of flashing, as well as OC capabilities, Fast Charge, etc etc.

Just been curious about this for awhile, and there doesn't seem to be much discussion about it, so was unable to find an answer. Dev's always seem to give you the option to download a boot.img or .zip file, and wasn't sure if htat was just due to giving peopel the choice of preferred flashing method, or because of inherit benefits between the two.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Fastboot is the tool to which you are referring to, not ADB. You use fastboot to flash image files to partitions directly through the bootloader. That being said, there's no difference which method you use, the end result is the same. Using fastboot requires an unlocked bootloader, flashing through the recovery does not. When you flash a zip through the recovery, the proper destination partition is automatically overwritten whereas when you flash an image in fastboot, you have to specify the proper partition. That's the only real difference.
 
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Silicon Knight

Silicon Knight

Senior Member
Mar 9, 2011
362
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Seattle, WA
Excuse me, Fastboot is what I meant yes. My bad lol.

Thanks for the info, I figured as much. Im experienced with both methods and understand how they work. Just wasn't sure if there was a benefit over one or the other when it comes to flashing custom kernels. Thanks bro I appreciate the help. I will stick to flashing via fastboot then. I just prefer to do it that way.

I also use flashify sometimes as well. Seems to work pretty good.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
 
4Freedom

4Freedom

Senior Member
Jul 9, 2013
1,367
537
Chromium_ said:
Its simply 2 different options of installation. The final result is the same: a boot.img gets extracted and written onto the appropriate partition of your device.

When you use fastboot to flash the img. the executable on your computer does this directly.
When you use a recovery to flash the zip (which also contains the boot.img), the edify script within the zip gives instructions to the recovery on how and where to write the image to.

There isnt really any advantage to doing one over the other.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

i have a locked bootloader but i have root, can i "flash" throught root explorer overwriting boot.img file?
and reboot?
 
jball

jball

Senior Member
Jan 7, 2012
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Unlock your device and just use the a custom recovery.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
 
praveenkumarkm8

praveenkumarkm8

Member
Jun 14, 2012
36
0
can we change kernel alone

i am using SENSONIC with stock kernel can i change kernel alone.

I want to change to franco kernel . Is it enough installing zip using recovery or i have to do fresh install of the ROM.........

Thanks in advance.
 
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    BirchBarlow
    BirchBarlow
    Silicon Knight said:
    I was curious as to any difference between flashing a Kernel via ADB using a boot.img or flashing it as a .zip via recovery. Is there a benefit of one over the other. I've always done it via ADB, but I recently tried via a zip file through TWRP but didn't notice any difference, but wasn't sure if I was just being oblivious or not lol

    I heard someone mention that when flashing it via ADB you don't get the Modules that come with the Kernel. Which I don't know if that was BS or not, cause as I stated, after trying it both ways, I didn't notice any features taken away i.e. flashed bricked kernel via ADB and then restored stock kernel and then flashed bricked via TWRP, and I was able to activate DT2W/S2W regardless of the method of flashing, as well as OC capabilities, Fast Charge, etc etc.

    Just been curious about this for awhile, and there doesn't seem to be much discussion about it, so was unable to find an answer. Dev's always seem to give you the option to download a boot.img or .zip file, and wasn't sure if htat was just due to giving peopel the choice of preferred flashing method, or because of inherit benefits between the two.
    Click to expand...
    Click to collapse

    Fastboot is the tool to which you are referring to, not ADB. You use fastboot to flash image files to partitions directly through the bootloader. That being said, there's no difference which method you use, the end result is the same. Using fastboot requires an unlocked bootloader, flashing through the recovery does not. When you flash a zip through the recovery, the proper destination partition is automatically overwritten whereas when you flash an image in fastboot, you have to specify the proper partition. That's the only real difference.
    View

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