[03.07.2012] CF-Root 6.4 - SuperSU+CWM5.5+CWMManager

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I am no longer supporting this version of CF-Root. I have personally moved away from permanent custom recoveries. I will still be providing roots by way of CF-Auto-Root (click). The downloads in this thread will remain available, I just won't be updating them.

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Check your device model ! Settings -> About device -> Model number. This stuff is made for the GT-I9300 and GT-I9300T, if your model number has a suffix, it may not work, or if it is a totally different model, it will not work (may even brick) !

CF-Root is the root for "rooting beginners" and those who want to keep as close to stock as possible. CF-Root is meant to be used in combination with stock Samsung firmwares, and be the quickest and easiest way for your first root.

Donate
CF-Root has been available for many device (Galaxy S1, Galaxy Tab 7", Galaxy S2, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Nexus) and has clocked over 4 million downloads. This is not even counting custom ROMs that already include it. Don't be a leech, buy me a beer (and use the "Thanks" button!). Imagine if every CF-Root user has donated me $1...

Coming from a different device ?
If you are using to CF-Root on other devices, please do still read this entire post, because this CF-Root is different than CF-Root for other devices!

What's installed
- Root: SuperSU
- Recovery: ClockWorkMod
- Util: CWM Manager

(See the next post for installation instructions)

Kernel
Unlike CF-Root for some other devices, this iteration of CF-Root does not include a custom kernel. Your kernel remains the stock kernel, and thus goodies like insecure adbd (ro.secure=0), custom boot scripts, and custom boot animations are not supported by CF-Root. You can of course flash a custom kernel that supports these.

At the same time, this also means that there will not be a different CF-Root for every firmware revision. You can just use the latest CF-Root on any firmware version!

Root - SuperSU
The root permission management app installed by CF-Root is SuperSU. This will allow your apps to gain root (superuser) access.

Recovery - ClockWorkMod (CWM)
A custom CWM 5.5 build is included in CF-Root, taken from this thread. This provides for the ability to install custom ROMs, and do nandroid (full device) backups and restores. Now also support OTA updates, but an OTA update itself will probably remove CWM, so you need re-flash CF-Root after OTA.

Not compatible with ROM Manager ! Use the CWM Manager provided instead (installed by CF-Root automatically)

Util - CWM Manager
My management application for CWM is also installed, see the recovery thread linked above for further details. It allows you to command CWM (install a ROM, make/restore backups, etc) from normally booted Android.

Not included (yet) - Busybox
Busybox is currently not automatically installed. I will probably be adding busybox installation in the near future, but I want to test / adjust it some more before going there. (No idea what this about ? Don't worry about it !)

Not included - Triangle Away
Triangle Away can be used to reset the flash counter after installing CF-Root. The flash counter keeps track of how many custom firmwares you have flashed, as this voids warranty. (No idea what this about ? Read up on it, you will want to use this !)

Not included - adbd Insecure
As this CF-Root does not include a custom kernel, adb shell does not have root access by default (you can still get it by typing su inside the shell), nor is adb remount supported, nor will adb push and adb pull work on system files. adbd Insecure can be used to remedy this situation. (No idea what this is about ? Don't worry about it !)

Installation

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(note that the actual downloads are in the next posts)

How to install using: (desktop) ODIN

Short: unpack the ZIP download, you will end up with a TAR, flash this in ODIN as PDA, and optionally install and run Triangle Away afterwards to reset the flash counter. Beware that this should boot your device into recovery mode (for a few seconds to install SuperSU and CWM Manager) after flashing. Sometimes it doesn't, just flash it again in that case.

Long:

- Follow these instructions to the letter. Do not touch any buttons or checkboxes that are not listed below to touch!
- Unzip the attached Odin3-vX.X.zip file
- Download and unzip the CF-Root-SGS3-vX.X.zip file (see posts below this one)
- If you end up with a recovery.img and cache.img file, you've extracted twice. You need to end up with a .tar file - don't extract that one
- (USB) Disconnect your phone from your computer
- Start Odin3-vX.X.exe
- Click the PDA button, and select CF-Root-SGS3-vX.X.tar
- Put your phone in download mode (turn off phone, then hold volume-down + home + power to boot - if it asks you to press a button to continue, press the listed button, or run adb reboot download command)
- (USB) Connect the phone to your computer
- Make sure Repartition is NOT checked
- Click the Start button
- Wait for Android to boot
- Done (if it took you more than 30 seconds, you need practise!)

- NOTE: Sometimes the device does *not* boot into recovery mode and root your device. Just do the entire procedure again if this happens. If it still will not install root and such, make sure that in Odin "Auto Reboot" is not checked. Then after flashing, pull the battery, and boot with VolUp+Home+Power button to boot into recovery manually. This will start the install process.

New to Samsung? Unfamiliar with Odin? Think all the above is a hassle? Get used to it. It's very simple, and us Samsung folk use Odin (or Mobile ODIN ) for everything! It's so very very convenient once you get used to it. Notice the 30 second comment above? For experienced users, the entire process indeed takes only 30 seconds!

You may now optionally want to install and run Triangle Away to reset the flash counter.

How to install using: Mobile ODIN

(You already need to be rooted for this)

- Download and unzip the CF-Root-SGS3-vX.X.zip file (see posts below this one)
- If you end up with a recovery.img and cache.img file, you've extracted twice. You need to end up with a .tar file - don't extract that one
- Put CF-Root-SGS3-vX.X.tar on your internal SD card
- In Mobile ODIN, use the Open file... option and select the CF-Root-SGS3-vX.X.tar file
- If you are running the Pro version, make sure EverRoot is not enabled
- Flash!

Note that if you are flashing this together with a stock Samsung firmware, you must open the CF-Root tar file last, and this will prevent the firmware's CSC to install (which doesn't bother me, but some people care about this). Alternatively, flash the entire firmware first (with EverRoot enabled), then flash only the CF-Root tar after it has booted up.

How to install using: Heimdall (Linux)

This is hearsay, I have not tried it myself. But extract the ZIP, then extract the TAR, so you end up with recovery.img and cache.img files. If you have heimdall setup right, this should do it:

sudo heimdall flash --recovery recovery.img --cache cache.img

How to upgrade with: custom ROM
If you are flashing a custom ROM, chances are it will include root and/or recovery, and there's no manual action to take.

How to upgrade with: Samsung ROM
If you are flashing a stock Samsung ROM, you will probably lose SuperSU (root), CWM (recovery) and the CWM Manager app. Just follow the entire installation procedure again - I recommend the Mobile ODIN option here.

How to uninstall
This is by no means an extensive guide for unrooting, but if you want to sell or warranty your device, I advise the following procedure:

- Use Triangle Away to reset the flash counters, and pull the battery immediately after rebooting starts
- Boot into recovery and perform a wipe, and pull the battery immediately after rebooting starts
- Go to SamMobile and get the stock firmware for your region
- Flash that stock firmware on your device
- Let Android boot, go through device setup (without doing any logins) until Android is fully usable again
- Reboot
- Wait at least 10 minutes
- Check Settings->About device->Status and make sure Device status is not "Modified"
- Perform another factory reset
- Boot into download mode and make sure the flash counter and system status are all set to official

Some of these steps may require further info, if you can't figure it out, do some more searching, or ask people who aren't me

OTA updates

CF-Root v6.3 supports OTA updates to be flashed by the system, but when you flash an OTA, that OTA will probably replace recovery (and keep trying to do so at every boot). You need to re-flash CF-Root after applying an OTA. Just re-flashing CWM will not work and stock recovery will keep coming back.

Download

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CF-Root for SGS3 v6.4:

Root: SuperSU v0.93
Recovery: CWM v5.5 :: CF-v1.5
Util: CWM Manager v3.60

CF-Root-SGS3-v6.4.zip

(Changes: important SuperSU update, better chance of install-on-flash working)

-------- OLDER VERSIONS --------

CF-Root for SGS3 v6.3:

Root: SuperSU v0.91
Recovery: CWM v5.5 :: CF-v1.5
Util: CWM Manager v3.60

CF-Root-SGS3-v6.3.zip

(Changes: massive SuperSU update, CWM can now flash OTA's, CF-Root script will try to fix stock recovery coming back after flashing CWM)

CF-Root for SGS3 v6.2:

Root: SuperSU v0.90
Recovery: CWM v5.5 :: CF-v1.4
Util: CWM Manager v3.60

CF-Root-SGS3-v6.2.zip

(Changes: recommended SuperSU update, CWM has larger text, CWM Manager should now work with GT-I9300T)

CF-Root for SGS3 v6.1:

Root: SuperSU v0.89
Recovery: CWM v5.5 :: CF-v1.3
Util: CWM Manager v3.55

CF-Root-SGS3-v6.1.zip

(Changes: external storage fixes in CWM, minor bugfix in CWM Manager)

CF-Root for SGS3 v6.0:

Root: SuperSU v0.89
Recovery: CWM v5.5 :: CF-v1.2
Util: CWM Manager v3.50

CF-Root-SGS3-v6.0.zip

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Thx a lot!

Now this is what I'm talking about! This is pure Epicness!

Originally Posted by Chainfire

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Quite a reputation you have, 13 thanks for a post that's being written But great work CF!! Receiving mine today and good to know CF-root is immediately available!

Charismatic Chainfire

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The Most Impressive and Constructive as always.

Such an incredible asset to the android community, thanks a bunch man...

Hell Yeah! My reserve comment.... eh!