[Q] How can I mount /system as writeable in adb shell?

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CelticWebSolutions

Senior Member
May 25, 2011
855
2,012
I thought I'd bricked my NT but it would appear that it is actually alive because it turns up with adb and I can get shell and then issue command su, but what I can't do is replace the old build.prop because file system is not writable. How do I remount it to be writeable from a shell please?

Thanks!
 

hwong96

Senior Member
Oct 3, 2011
759
251
Chicago
I thought I'd bricked my NT but it would appear that it is actually alive because it turns up with adb and I can get shell and then issue command su, but what I can't do is replace the old build.prop because file system is not writable. How do I remount it to be writeable from a shell please?

Thanks!
mount -o rw,remount -t ext4 /dev/block/mmcblk0p8 /system

Type mount to verify rw, make your changes

mount -o ro,remount -t ext4 /dev/block/mmcblk0p8 /system

Type mount to verify ro
 

Jack_Rover

Member
Feb 17, 2014
19
5
mount -o rw,remount -t ext4 /dev/block/mmcblk0p8 /system

Type mount to verify rw, make your changes .....

I don't have this tablet but a phone with similar problem.

this does not work for me, although I have ROOTED phone MTK6572, android 4.2.2 ;
"/ root" gets RW, but "/system" stays RO.

I get this message:

error
"the item "system" is read only"

I have tried many apps in phone (remount system RW, FX file expl. ....), and mtkdroid-tools and ADB shell in PC.
I have tried many similar version of that command, too, inc. busybox remount. non of those work.
any ideas, what to try next?
what file or thing or item and where I need to change to get this remounting system to RW done?
it is ext4, and remountable.

I have SuperSU in phone but can't update its binaries: /system stays RO, what ever I try...
I can't change audios, anything in /system.

very annoying... :(
 
Last edited:

hwong96

Senior Member
Oct 3, 2011
759
251
Chicago
I don't have this tablet but a phone with similar problem.

this does not work for me, although I have ROOTED phone MTK6572, android 4.2.2 ;
"/ root" gets RW, but "/system" stays RO.

I get this message:

error
"the item "system" is read only"

I have tried many apps in phone (remount system RW, FX file expl. ....), and mtkdroid-tools and ADB shell in PC.
I have tried many similar version of that command, too, inc. busybox remount. non of those work.
any ideas, what to try next?
what file or thing or item and where I need to change to get this remounting system to RW done?
it is ext4, and remountable.

I have SuperSU in phone but can't update its binaries: /system stays RO, what ever I try...
I can't change audios, anything in /system.

very annoying... :(
I understand your frustration, however, you should try to post your question to the MTK6572 or Samsung S4 thread. Anyway, since you have asked I'll answer. The mount point for /system is different on each phone model. There is no one standard /system mount point. On the Nook Tablet and Nook Color it is mmcblk0p8. On your device it is different, so the command you tried will not work.
You need to find out what the /system mount point is for your phone.
Open terminal from phone and type su.
Press enter.
At the # prompt type cat /proc/mtd
Press enter.
Look at the output on the screen and see what the mount point is for /system.
A the the # prompt type mount -o rw,remount -t ext4 /dev/block/enteryoursystemmountpointhere /system
Note: replace enteryourmountpointhere with your mount point from the previous step.

Change /system to ro when done. Hope this works for you.

Also download root checker app to ensure you rooted properly.
 
Last edited:

Jack_Rover

Member
Feb 17, 2014
19
5
I understand your frustration, however, you should try to post your question to the MTK6572 or Samsung S4 thread. ......
thanks for your responce.

with that "cat ..." I got : "no such file or dir"...

I know already that my mnt point is (did try already these earlier):
mount -o rw,remount /dev/block/mmcblk0p4 system
mount -o remount,rw -t ext4 /emmc@android /system

but no success, " system read only" stays, and no change.
 

hwong96

Senior Member
Oct 3, 2011
759
251
Chicago
thanks for your responce.

with that "cat ..." I got : "no such file or dir"...

I know already that my mnt point is (did try already these earlier):
mount -o rw,remount /dev/block/mmcblk0p4 system
mount -o remount,rw -t ext4 /emmc@android /system

but no success, " system read only" stays, and no change.

Did you use the root checker app to verify for proper root?
 

Jack_Rover

Member
Feb 17, 2014
19
5
Did you use the root checker app to verify for proper root?

yes.

I have many apps (e.g. FX, ATools, TitaniumBup, busybox, ES, mount /system rw, SD maid, root expl., adbd insec., rootAppDel, a.s.o.) that use root rights, and phone's superSU gives the rights to them.
AT:s terminal has # prompt, so it must be root. (?)
adbd insecure's current status = binary: insecure; usb debugging: enabled.

I have earlier version SU's binaries working ok, but updating SU made this binary-update-issue: " binary update failure" and so SU-app won't open (it closes after failing binary update), though otherwise it works ok (and worked earlier until I did let G-play to update it, silly me!).

somehow my /system has been "open" i.e. RW earlier, since busybox and superSU has been installed, but now it is "stuck" to that RO-status. "/" opens, but "/system" not.

MTK Droid Root & Tools v2.5.3 (from here xdadevs) gets root shell ok, but fails when trying to install SU, busybox a.s.o. ("read-only system") - and it "crashes".

maybe kernel related? or boot loader, or .... what?

-----
btw, my apologises, that I wrote this issue to this thread, but I found my "problem" here with the search, and after posting I realized that this is "tablet area..."
so this part can be moved to better place by those who know best where to - though not to trash, anyway.... :eek:
 
Last edited:

hwong96

Senior Member
Oct 3, 2011
759
251
Chicago
yes.

I have many apps (e.g. FX, ATools, TitaniumBup, busybox, ES, mount /system rw, SD maid, root expl., adbd insec., rootAppDel, a.s.o.) that use root rights, and phone's superSU gives the rights to them.
AT:s terminal has # prompt, so it must be root. (?)
adbd insecure's current status = binary: insecure; usb debugging: enabled.

I have earlier version SU's binaries working ok, but updating SU made this binary-update-issue: " binary update failure" and so SU-app won't open (it closes after failing binary update), though otherwise it works ok (and worked earlier until I did let G-play to update it, silly me!).

somehow my /system has been "open" i.e. RW earlier, since busybox and superSU has been installed, but now it is "stuck" to that RO-status. "/" opens, but "/system" not.

MTK Droid Root & Tools v2.5.3 (from here xdadevs) gets root shell ok, but fails when trying to install SU, busybox a.s.o. ("read-only system") - and it "crashes".

maybe kernel related? or boot loader, or .... what?

-----
btw, my apologises, that I wrote this issue to this thread, but I found my "problem" here with the search, and after posting I realized that this is "tablet area..."
so this part can be moved to better place by those who know best where to - though not to trash, anyway.... :eek:
Don't know what else to suggest, except maybe contact Chainfire on G+.
 

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    I thought I'd bricked my NT but it would appear that it is actually alive because it turns up with adb and I can get shell and then issue command su, but what I can't do is replace the old build.prop because file system is not writable. How do I remount it to be writeable from a shell please?

    Thanks!
    mount -o rw,remount -t ext4 /dev/block/mmcblk0p8 /system

    Type mount to verify rw, make your changes

    mount -o ro,remount -t ext4 /dev/block/mmcblk0p8 /system

    Type mount to verify ro