Knox: rooting, custom ROMs and kernels

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fabecoool

Senior Member
Feb 23, 2011
66
23
*** AS I SAID EARLIER I WILL UPDATE THIS OP (Original Post) IN ORDER TO REFLECT ANY INFORMATION THAT COULD BE OF INTEREST ON THE SUBJECT ***

Hi there!

I have bought my device a couple week ago and since I did not know about knox, I just allowed Samsung to install the 4.3 update that was pushed to my device.
I have since decided I want a custom ROM on my phone, and when I started researching, I found out pretty quickly that knox may cause issues.
I don't really care about voiding my warranty, because I have now tested the device and made sure it is works, and I'm usually careful about what I flash.

The thing is, I have read so many things about knox that I don't know what's true and what's not. Unfortunately I don't have all the links to everything I've read, but i'll update this OP with the links later (some posts were worth reading and very interesting)
So, what I've read about once you've got knox:
- You cannot get rid of it (everyone pretty much agree on this)
- There are ways to root without tripping knox to 0x1, so you keep your warranty, but what about unrooting? Or do you just flash a stock rom not rooted? I guess you keep the bootloader as it is?
- even flashing stock 4.3 will trip knox (really? always)
- if you have knox, you cannot flash anything below 4.3, even custom ROMs, or you'll have issues with wifi, etc. (this is what I've read somewhere, what seems to be a fact is that if you try to downgrade the bootloaer to anything smaller then you may break wifi and other features)
- and it gets better: once you've got knox, if you flash a 4.4 ROM (custom, of course, since there is no 4.4 stock for our device yet), there's no going back to anything smaller (not even 4.3)

Some of the above statements are clearly facts at the present time, until knox is cracked, if it is ever, but some of it sounds like BS, or at least i hope it is, because otherwise I'm not about to flash anything :-/

And this is just the beginning, I'll keep updating this post, and I'll try to separate fiction from facts. anyway, feel free to comment on these and give me answers if you know things for a fact (no guesses please).

Now I gotta go, sorry!

Cheers,
fa

Edit:

You will find a lot of threads on knox especially in the Galaxy S4 and Note 3 forums. But I guess most of the info on how knox works is valid for our device as well (I9305).
A lot of people seem to place a lot of hope in one of the greatest Android devs: Chainfire.
Here are a few links with info on knox, for those who like to read:
http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2447832
http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2597774
http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2569349
http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2447832 <== This is actually a thread you want to follow. Very interesting, but there's a lot to read. If a solution comes to get rid of knox, that's probably one of the first places on XDA where they'll talk about it.

It would be great to know if there is hope to see a knox removal tool.

Meanwhile, I see the following different scenarios. Could you share your experience and tell me how it works for you? As answers trickle in, I'll update this post with the answers themselves or links to the posts where the answer is provided:

1) You don't have knox: lucky you, enjoy and DO NOT UPDATE TO 4.3 or flash a 4.3 ROM with knox bootloader, or you will one day regret it!
2) You have knox. So if I got it right, there is no way to change your bootloader, but there are various scenarios:
a) you don't care because you're happy with stock and no root (then keep moving, nothing to see here, I wonder why you are even reading this...)
b) you want to keep your stock ROM and default kernel, but you want to root. I have read many threads where it is said to be possible. WHAT'S THE BEST WAY FOR THIS?
c) you want to keep your stock ROM but you want another kernel: IS THIS POSSIBLE, and if so, WHAT KERNEL WORKS/DOESN'T WORK?
d) you want to get rid of the whole Samsung ROM, so you want to flash a custom recovery (CWM or TWRP) and a custom ROM/Kernel. So what works, and what does knox prevent you to do in that case?

Cheers,
Fa

Sent from my Transformer TF101 using xda app-developers app
 
Last edited:

viktorak

Senior Member
May 28, 2010
124
35
BCN
Hi there,

I have bought my device a couple week ago and since I did not know about knox, I just allowed Samsung to install the 4.3 update that was pushed to my device.
I have since decided I want a custom ROM on my phone, and when I started researching, I found out pretty quickly that knox may cause issues.
I don't really care about voiding my warranty, because I have now tested the device and made sure it is works, and I'm usually careful about what I flash.

The thing is, I have read so many things about knox that I don't know what's true and what's not. Unfortunately I don't have all the links to everything I've read, but i'll update this OP with the links later (some posts were worth reading and very interesting)
So, what I've read about once you've got knox:
- You cannot get rid of it (everyone pretty much agree on this)
- There are ways to root without tripping knox to 0x1, so you keep your warranty, but what about unrooting? Or do you just flash a stock rom not rooted? I guess you keep the bootloader as it is?
- even flashing stock 4.3 will trip knox (really? always)
- if you have knox, you cannot flash anything below 4.3, even custom ROMs, or you'll have issues with wifi, etc. (this is what I've read somewhere, what seems to be a fact is that if you try to downgrade the bootloaer to anything smaller then you may break wifi and other features)
- and it gets better: once you've got knox, if you flash a 4.4 ROM (custom, of course, since there is no 4.4 stock for our device yet), there's no going back to anything smaller (not even 4.3)

Some of the above statements are clearly facts at the present time, until knox is cracked, if it is ever, but some of it sounds like BS, or at least i hope it is, because otherwise I'm not about to flash anything :-/

And this is just the beginning, I'll keep updating this post, and I'll try to separate fiction from facts. anyway, feel free to comment on these and give me answers if you know things for a fact (no guesses please).

Now I gotta go, sorry!

Cheers,
fa

Sent from my Transformer TF101 using xda app-developers app
This is an idea, fabecoool.There would be nothing wrong if someone is responsible for making a guide/tutorial/ to our terminals in version 4.3 Stock with all this questions.There are many people who are lost right now and this would be helpful.
Many people do not know that really brings the version 4.3 and this will help them not to get into trouble.:eek:
 

d_ce

Senior Member
Jan 6, 2014
89
2
I installed miui rom yesterday that has android 4.1 and it actually work very well
I was running cyanogenmod 11 and flash it successfully

Sent from my GT-I9305 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
 

hayabusa08

Senior Member
Jan 9, 2011
484
70
Singapore
Flashing stock wont trip knox. Once ur on official 4.4 with new bootloader u wont be able to downgrade no matter where u come from. Knox or no knox. Official 4.4 will have a new bootloader which prevents u from downgrading. Sounds like apple doesnt it. Lol

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk
 

fabecoool

Senior Member
Feb 23, 2011
66
23
I installed miui rom yesterday that has android 4.1 and it actually work very well
I was running cyanogenmod 11 and flash it successfully

Sent from my GT-I9305 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Thanks for the info, but does your phone have knox, or have you flashed from an earlier version to 4.3?

Fa
 

fabecoool

Senior Member
Feb 23, 2011
66
23
Flashing stock wont trip knox. Once ur on official 4.4 with new bootloader u wont be able to downgrade no matter where u come from. Knox or no knox. Official 4.4 will have a new bootloader which prevents u from downgrading. Sounds like apple doesnt it. Lol

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk

Thanks hayabusa08,

Do you mean that you won't be able to downgrade to a stock ROM smaller than 4.4, or to a ROM (included custom ROMs) smaller than 4.4.
Anyway, it does sound like Apple indeed.

Fa
 

bpay14

Member
Jan 26, 2011
25
2
1) You don't have knox: lucky you, enjoy and DO NOT UPDATE TO 4.3 or flash a 4.3 ROM with knox bootloader, or you will one day regret it!

Waohh!! So I'm lucky now??
I'm thinking to flash stock rom 4.3 on my S3 LTE but the kies did not detect any new update...
i came and find out.. and discovered this new term 'Knox"...
what is this...??? @@
is this coming with the new Android 4.3 official stock rom by samsung??:confused::confused:
 

fabecoool

Senior Member
Feb 23, 2011
66
23
Waohh!! So I'm lucky now??
I'm thinking to flash stock rom 4.3 on my S3 LTE but the kies did not detect any new update...
i came and find out.. and discovered this new term 'Knox"...
what is this...??? @@
is this coming with the new Android 4.3 official stock rom by samsung??:confused::confused:

Well yes, you're lucky. Especially if you care about custom roms, if you do, don't flash official stock 4.3. Even if you like the Samsung UI (touchwiz), I would recommand you find a 4.3 stock without Knox. Just look for it in the forum.

Hit the Thanks button if I helped ;)

Cheers!
Fa

Sent from my GT-I9305 using xda app-developers app
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1Ishara and bpay14

dany547

Senior Member
Feb 8, 2008
1,386
939
Iași
www.geekchronicles.ro
hi there guys, i had my galaxy i9305 updated to 4.3 and im trying to install a custom rom. When i go to download mode to flash a recovery, the device doesnt show up in Odin nor in Windows Device Manager(as unknown or as modem) anything.

OS: Windows 8.1
Stock USB cablu,
OS on the phone: 4.3 stock
 

LUIS_CORREIO

Member
Nov 3, 2012
6
0
s3 4g

Hello
Someone can tell me the difference between firmware I9305XXUEMKC and I9305XXUEML8, both are 4.3, already searched but found nothing.
Which is the best? ...
thank you
 

fzeta

Member
Greetings!
There is a lot of paranoia theme Knox, from my point of view the only problem is the warranty for ODIN and flash an earlier version, I do not see another problem. However, those who want to return to a previous version do through recovery, I've done it many times and have not had any problems (have a look at my signature) those ZIP'S I've modified to share. Try!
 

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    *** AS I SAID EARLIER I WILL UPDATE THIS OP (Original Post) IN ORDER TO REFLECT ANY INFORMATION THAT COULD BE OF INTEREST ON THE SUBJECT ***

    Hi there!

    I have bought my device a couple week ago and since I did not know about knox, I just allowed Samsung to install the 4.3 update that was pushed to my device.
    I have since decided I want a custom ROM on my phone, and when I started researching, I found out pretty quickly that knox may cause issues.
    I don't really care about voiding my warranty, because I have now tested the device and made sure it is works, and I'm usually careful about what I flash.

    The thing is, I have read so many things about knox that I don't know what's true and what's not. Unfortunately I don't have all the links to everything I've read, but i'll update this OP with the links later (some posts were worth reading and very interesting)
    So, what I've read about once you've got knox:
    - You cannot get rid of it (everyone pretty much agree on this)
    - There are ways to root without tripping knox to 0x1, so you keep your warranty, but what about unrooting? Or do you just flash a stock rom not rooted? I guess you keep the bootloader as it is?
    - even flashing stock 4.3 will trip knox (really? always)
    - if you have knox, you cannot flash anything below 4.3, even custom ROMs, or you'll have issues with wifi, etc. (this is what I've read somewhere, what seems to be a fact is that if you try to downgrade the bootloaer to anything smaller then you may break wifi and other features)
    - and it gets better: once you've got knox, if you flash a 4.4 ROM (custom, of course, since there is no 4.4 stock for our device yet), there's no going back to anything smaller (not even 4.3)

    Some of the above statements are clearly facts at the present time, until knox is cracked, if it is ever, but some of it sounds like BS, or at least i hope it is, because otherwise I'm not about to flash anything :-/

    And this is just the beginning, I'll keep updating this post, and I'll try to separate fiction from facts. anyway, feel free to comment on these and give me answers if you know things for a fact (no guesses please).

    Now I gotta go, sorry!

    Cheers,
    fa

    Edit:

    You will find a lot of threads on knox especially in the Galaxy S4 and Note 3 forums. But I guess most of the info on how knox works is valid for our device as well (I9305).
    A lot of people seem to place a lot of hope in one of the greatest Android devs: Chainfire.
    Here are a few links with info on knox, for those who like to read:
    http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2447832
    http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2597774
    http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2569349
    http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2447832 <== This is actually a thread you want to follow. Very interesting, but there's a lot to read. If a solution comes to get rid of knox, that's probably one of the first places on XDA where they'll talk about it.

    It would be great to know if there is hope to see a knox removal tool.

    Meanwhile, I see the following different scenarios. Could you share your experience and tell me how it works for you? As answers trickle in, I'll update this post with the answers themselves or links to the posts where the answer is provided:

    1) You don't have knox: lucky you, enjoy and DO NOT UPDATE TO 4.3 or flash a 4.3 ROM with knox bootloader, or you will one day regret it!
    2) You have knox. So if I got it right, there is no way to change your bootloader, but there are various scenarios:
    a) you don't care because you're happy with stock and no root (then keep moving, nothing to see here, I wonder why you are even reading this...)
    b) you want to keep your stock ROM and default kernel, but you want to root. I have read many threads where it is said to be possible. WHAT'S THE BEST WAY FOR THIS?
    c) you want to keep your stock ROM but you want another kernel: IS THIS POSSIBLE, and if so, WHAT KERNEL WORKS/DOESN'T WORK?
    d) you want to get rid of the whole Samsung ROM, so you want to flash a custom recovery (CWM or TWRP) and a custom ROM/Kernel. So what works, and what does knox prevent you to do in that case?

    Cheers,
    Fa

    Sent from my Transformer TF101 using xda app-developers app
    2
    Waohh!! So I'm lucky now??
    I'm thinking to flash stock rom 4.3 on my S3 LTE but the kies did not detect any new update...
    i came and find out.. and discovered this new term 'Knox"...
    what is this...??? @@
    is this coming with the new Android 4.3 official stock rom by samsung??:confused::confused:

    Well yes, you're lucky. Especially if you care about custom roms, if you do, don't flash official stock 4.3. Even if you like the Samsung UI (touchwiz), I would recommand you find a 4.3 stock without Knox. Just look for it in the forum.

    Hit the Thanks button if I helped ;)

    Cheers!
    Fa

    Sent from my GT-I9305 using xda app-developers app