@AdamOutler your second idea can be easily achieved.

1. Rename the init binary to something else, and make it a script instead
Make it grep dmesg for a key press, and if a key is pressed, copy the normal init.rc and other files and then exec /realinit.
^Quick and easy to do

2. Move the recovery one step down, and present a boot menu instead of recovery, with options to boot into android, boot to recovery, reboot and power off - and p do accordingly.
^Complicated but better

Sent from my GT-P1000

Originally Posted by cdesai

2. Move the recovery one step down, and present a boot menu ...

With a default timeout to Android! Say five seconds? This is how i set things up on the Windows PC 's in our network.

If my post here is inappropriate, i understand if a mod deletes it...

Originally Posted by appye

With a default timeout to Android! Say five seconds? This is how i set things up on the Windows PC 's in our network.

If my post here is inappropriate, i understand if a mod deletes it...

That would be a good idea.

Only thing is the current root method to get to this could be easily patched via an OTA right? I mean it's still building off the inital root method found by inviblek right? I heard that would be easy to fix and Verizon was already planning an OTA to address just that. Unless this newer root method is more difficult to block.

Moot point. We block OTAs

I've started to modify the boot menu we used on the X to accomplish this.. although I'm not that far and I'm sure someone could do it far better than I.

The idea being boot from recovery partition -> custom kernel -> led flashes blue
-> User hits the volume down key -> custom menu shows w/ option to reboot or recovery
-> User hits nothing, rom boots as normal.

The only problem that I would see (and this might already be solved) is that the users will have to choose to boot from recovery from cold boot

Originally Posted by NegativeOne

Moot point. We block OTAs

Alot of people, including me, will probably buy the phone after an OTA.

Just saying what all of you are suggesting we do with this whole boot process thing has been done already if I am not mistaken. The KEXEC boot-hijack does what all of you are saying. And its automated too instead of selecting.

my 2 cents, delete if what I said isnt related.

Originally Posted by tonu42

Just saying what all of you are suggesting we do with this whole boot process thing has been done already if I am not mistaken. The KEXEC boot-hijack does what all of you are saying. And its automated too instead of selecting.

my 2 cents, delete if what I said isnt related.

Kexec boots the device then reboots into another kernel. We are talking about a single kernel with a recovery built in, just like the Galaxy S series has had in the past. No kexec hacks. We aren't extending boot times. This method will work better than kexec.

Originally Posted by AdamOutler

Kexec boots the device then reboots into another kernel. We are talking about a single kernel with a recovery built in, just like the Galaxy S series has had in the past. No kexec hacks. We aren't extending boot times. This method will work better than kexec.

Won't this require a full reflash for a new (or different from rom) kernel?

Maybe I have been spoiled with my DINC1 and on the fly flashing / unbricking my phone. :-\

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

Originally Posted by flamus

Won't this require a full reflash for a new (or different from rom) kernel?

Maybe I have been spoiled with my DINC1 and on the fly flashing / unbricking my phone. :-\

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

Yes/No

you have to flash the new rom as is however rom's are installed via an installer script (in CWM). there's no reason the zip couldn't contain both images w/ instructions to flash them to the recovery partition.

and updating the kernel would be as easy as a dd into the recovery partition.

If the initrd was configured to point to the system drive or sdcard or another location as well there is no reason you couldn't just update the kernel w/out having to update the recovery/boot


The only downside I see is getting the device to always boot into recovery w/out having to hold down keys to do so... but that might just be the trade off for custom roms of this sort