Stock TouchWiz 4.4 KitKat ND8 myth busters

-32767Q. Is there a Knox-free bootloader for ND8 like there was for MK3 (for Sprint)/MK5 (for Virgin Mobile and Boost)?
-32767A. You can not use TouchWiz 4.4.2 for the SPH-L710 without the ND8 Knoxed bootloader. @CNexus and others worked on trying to do just that, but the ND8 ROM will not boot without the factory ND8 bootloader.

-32766Q. Do I need to ODIN/flash back to completely stock unrooted MD4 (4.1.2) or MK3/MK5 (4.3) before ODINing ND8 (4.4.2)?
-32766A. No. You do not need to ODIN or do anything else besides back up your stuff you want to keep including anything from the internal "SD" before ODINing ND8.

0Q. Will my cat die?
0A. Probably, someday. Unless your name is Schrödinger. Hmmm...Schrödinger, SchrODINger...coincidence?

1Q. Will ODINing the original ND8 tar brick my SPH-L710 because of random reason x, y or z?
1A. No.

2Q. Is it safe to ODIN any other Stock or other ROM like MK3, MD4, etc besides ND8 after I have already ODINed the original ND8 tar?
2A. NO. You'll hard brick your SPH-L710 if you do this.

3Q. If I ODINed the original ND8 tar can I ever flash or nandroid random ROM "Zombie Donuts" (any AOSP or stock based off any Android version), etc just like I could before?
3A. Yes, just like you always could before. I said YES. Yes, without exceptions, no trick answer. No doubt necessary. I promise. Really. I mean it. Anybody want a peanut?

4Q. Where's the ND8 standalone modem to download?
4A. For now, the only way you're going to get the ND8 modem is by flashing the original ND8 tar. The reason is that way too many people including at least two very well respected developers for our phones have hard bricked their SPH-L710 by flashing it while being on the official stock MK3 bootloader. Those who had taken the MK3 OTA before or had ODINed the original MK3 tar will be on the MK3 bootloader, which includes KNOX and somehow flashing the ND8 modem while being on any other KNOX bootloader before ND8 hard bricks the phone. Those of us who had never ODINed the original MK3 tar or taken the OTA were safe flashing the modem but even with warnings people were still hard bricking their phones with it. Don't ask for it, don't PM me or anyone else about.

5Q. I heard there was another way of getting and flashing the modem, which included the ND8 bootloader so it was thought safe. Where is it?
5A. Apparently it wasn't necessarily safe for everyone. Again, don't ask for it.

6Q. When will _____________ (fill in blank) mod be made for ND8?
6A. When someone makes it, you'll find out about it. Etiquette here is not to ask if random mod #23 will be updated to work with ND8. Pestering the developers who have made them in the past won't increase the probability that they'll update their mods. They'll either do it or they won't. Be happy with all they've given you, donate if you can and they accept donations, and just wait patiently and you may be surprised one day and some mod you've been hoping will be updated, has.

7Q. Can I flash this on (anything but an SPH-L710)?
7A. No!

8Q. Would someone port thIs to some other phone?
8A. Not unless you're going to port it yourself, if it's even possible.

9Q. Why won't hardly any app write to the internal and external SD cards in KitKat?
9A. http://www.androidcentral.com/kitkat-sdcard-changes

10Q. (courtesy of @erikalin) I'm on any deodexed stock MK3 (Android 4.3) ROM and I don't even have this phone activated any more, but I get a persistent notification about being ready to install the OTA? (courtesy of @wxfreak) Can I delete the OTA 4.4 source file? Where would I find it?
10A. (courtesy of @CNexus) On a deodexed stock MK3 ROM, "Let it flash and it'll fail (it checks the hashes of certain .odex files), and you won't get the OTA notification anymore either."

rocket321 said:

I believe the OTA downloads to the /cache folder. If you are rooted, open a root browser, go to the /cache folder and delete the update zip file. Otherwise from stock or custom recovery you should have an option to wipe /cache. By the way, the file you are deleting should be: 96601bec350a62b3083a86270fcdfc7a359fbe72.USER_L710_SPR_MK3_to_ND8_Update_FWD.zip

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

bilgerryan said:

Yes, that is correct, however this will only take it off for it to be downloaded again, the build.prop edits need to be done to keep it from repeatedly downloading it every time you delete it.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

11Q. I use my SPH-L710 on Virgin Mobile or Boost. Can I ODIN ND8?
11A. Yes, might need some adjustments after - I'm not the authority on that and it's answered elsewhere.

12Q. (courtesy of @crazymonkey05) Can ND8 be rooted?
12A. (Thanks @phaseL for answering him) Yes.

13Q. (courtesy of @crazymonkey05) Will rooting ND8 trip Knox?
13A. (Thanks @phaseL for answering him) If you flash a custom recovery or kernel then it will trip Knox.

14Q. (courtesy of @AarSyl) Does the new KNOX boot loader reset the counter if you tripped KNOX for the 4.3 update?
14.A. No, nothing will ever reset the warranty counter once tripped. It's an eFuse.

15Q. What recovery will work for BOTH backing up and restoring ND8?
15A. At least one person has reported that ClockWork Mod v6.0.4.5 did NOT correctly restore his nandroid. It has been reported that Philz Recovery has definitely worked. We don't have the results on TWRP v2.7.0.0 yet.

16Q. (suggested by @marcran75) Once I put ND8 on my SPH-L710 can I "downgrade" just the modem to MK3/MK5 or earlier?
16A. @jdsingle76 here.

This is for everyone. I'm always willing to take a dive, and tried it because so many have asked about it. Here's what I know: I was on ND8 with modem, flashed MK5(I'm on Boost), but the results will must likely be the same regardless, and it broke radio. No phone signal, no data, just the red "x" that @CNexus was experiencing early on when creating the zips for this, as well as making baseband version "unknown." Additionally, one would assume that flashing a working MK5 nandroid would fix the issue and reflash the modem, right? Wrong. No dice. It's broken. Only fix will be for me to reflash the stock tar and start again. My advice(that and a dollar will get you a cup of coffee,lol) is to NOT flash an MK3 or any MK3 or any other modem if you have the 4.4 bootloader.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

Sent from my Sprint Samsung Galaxy SIII with M.O.A.R. v9.0, dkp kernel dated 3/20/2014 and TWRP v2.7.0.0.

Anyone and everyone can redirect all repeated questions about ND8 to here, saving yours and everyone's sanity, if you've still retained it up until now.

Full Questions and Answers in post #2.

Summary of questions:
-32767Q. Is there a Knox-free bootloader for ND8 like there was for MK3 (for Sprint)/MK5 (for Virgin Mobile and Boost)?
-32766Q. Do I need to ODIN/flash back to completely stock unrooted MD4 (4.1.2) or MK3/MK5 (4.3) before ODINing ND8 (4.4.2)?
1Q. Will ODINing the original ND8 tar brick my SPH-L710 because of random reason x, y or z?
2Q. Is it safe to ODIN any other Stock or other ROM like MK3, MD4, etc besides ND8 after I have already ODINed the original ND8 tar?
3Q. If I ODINed the original ND8 tar can I ever flash or nandroid random ROM "Zombie Donuts" (any AOSP or stock based off any Android version), etc just like I could before?
4Q. Where's the ND8 standalone modem to download?
5Q. I heard there was another way of getting and flashing the modem, which included the ND8 bootloader so it was thought safe. Where is it?
6Q. When will _____________ (fill in blank) mod be made for ND8?
7Q. Can I flash this on (anything but an SPH-L710)?
8Q. Would someone port thIs to some other phone?
9Q. Why won't hardly any app write to the internal and external SD cards in KitKat?
10Q. (courtesy of @erikalin) I'm on any deodexed stock MK3 (Android 4.3) ROM and I don't even have this phone activated any more, but I get a persistent notification about being ready to install the OTA? (courtesy of @wxfreak) Can I delete the OTA 4.4 source file? Where would I find it?
11Q. I use my SPH-L710 on Virgin Mobile or Boost. Can I ODIN ND8?
12Q. (courtesy of @crazymonkey05) Can ND8 be rooted?
13Q. (courtesy of @crazymonkey05) Will rooting ND8 trip Knox?
14Q. (courtesy of @AarSyl) Does the new KNOX boot loader reset the counter if you tripped KNOX for the 4.3 update?
15Q. What recovery will work for BOTH backing up and restoring ND8?
16Q. (suggested by @marcran75) Once I put ND8 on my SPH-L710 can I "downgrade" just the modem to MK3/MK5 or earlier?

Full Questions and Answers in post #2.

Sent from my Sprint Samsung Galaxy SIII with M.O.A.R. v9.0, dkp kernel dated 3/20/2014 and TWRP v2.7.0.0.

My cat is really gonna die!? Damn..
Seriously though, great idea. Love this! :thumbup:

Sent from my SM-G900P using XDA Free mobile app

I'll be referring ppl here definitely. It's crazy seeing all the misinformation going on about this. I'm seeing ppl who obviously don't know what they're talking about giving bad advice on numerous threads. Craziness!!!

Sent from my VM GS3 running Sprint 4.4.2 (ND8)

@erikalin

You're deodexed right? If so, let it flash and it'll fail (it checks the hashes of certain .odex files), and you won't get the OTA notification anymore either