[Q] Help with pimpim out friends MetroPCS Plz! :) (Solved!)

Hey all. So im usually not in these threads, i own a sprint note3 myself. But my friend has a metropcs s4( SGH-M919N, jfltetmo). And he wants to root but dosent know much about rooting, roms ,and such. I would say im pretty good with these things, ive had a lot of experaince, just not with the s4. So basically i did some research and im putting a mini guide below of my understanding of how to pimp out this phone! If anyone could correct, add-to; and answer some of the questions I had. Thanks Folks!

General Questions
First off. My understanding is T-mobile and metropcs software is NEARLY identical.
1.What is the current version/ name of the latest T-mobile s4 software.
2.What is the current version/ name of the latest metro pcs s4 software.
3.Are they identical, or compatible. Meaning could i odin the latest stock tmobile s4.tar software on metropcs phone, and have everything work properly. (In case i were softbricked)
4. If not could someone please link me to where i could find the official stock metro-pcs..Tars (flashable with odin)

Rooting methods:
1.)This is Chainfires Auto-Root for t-mobile S4 which some have said worked well for them. Thou I have read of issues (loss of wifi- Fails)
http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2294005
is this the best most current rooting method for metropcs phone? Again any success or issues?
OR..
2.) Injecting twrp then flashing Update-Supersu
This is the most used rooting method for note3 and it seems fairly universal. Would this likely work for Metropcs S4?
Step 1: Place "UPDATE-SuperSU-v1.94.zip" on sd card. This is Chainfires flashable root (http://download.chainfire.eu/396/SuperSU/)
Step 2: Odin twrp-2.7.1.0.tar for tmobile s4 (http://teamw.in/project/twrp2/179)
Step 3: immediately boot into twrp. Flash UPDATE-SuperSU-v1.94.zip.
Reboot: Done
Theoretically this should easily root phone and instal twrp recovery, without changing stock software...thus, no issues. YES?

Unrooting
Again could someone please point me to the correct stock software .tar that I could odin to unroot, un-soft brick the metropcs s4

Custom roms:
I hear that the custom roms for Tmboile and Metropcs are very interchagnale
Obviously the AOSP unified custom roms should be safe to flash without issues. (jflte roms)
(Cm s4 unified nightlies: http://download.cyanogenmod.org/?device=jflte&type=nightly)
BUT:
what about touchwiz based roms. Are there any specifc toucwiz metropcs custom roms to flash. Or can any of the t-mobile toucwiz custom roms be flashed to metropcs phone.

so again. If anyone could give me their thoughts/ideas, and clear up some of the questions i had and point me to best/safest way of working with the metropcs s4. Thanks in advance, sorry i know its a lot of reading: :good:
:cyclops:

Kriptik210 said:

4.3 or 4.4.2? I have a Metro Gs4 and I used saferoot on 4.3 with no complications at all. And any TW ROM will work.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

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thanks for the reply.. but ya i was asking what is the latest official software for the metropcs s4, and what is it called. I havent been able to take a look at the phone yet, so im having to look everything up.
My understanding is that the metro pcs was only upgraded to 4.3 with the name of mk5.
was there a kit-kat update released for metro s4?

Kriptik210 said:

From what I am told the s4 for Metro is still coming our with 4.3 JB. But once the phone is activated you have to opt out of the update when it asks. I have been treating MK5 just as if it was MK2 and I have not had any issues.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

---------- Post added at 02:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:40 PM ----------

http://true-android.blogspot.com/2013/12/install-uvuemk5-android-43-jb-firmware.html?m=1

Here is a link with the stock MK5 firmware

Sent from my SGH-M919 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

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Thank you so much for the Stock firmware! :good:
I'm a bit overwhelmed by all the *seemingly* conflicting responses.
So i got a chance to look at the phone. It is 4.3 Mk5, What is MK2?
So, so far your "saferoot" root method seems to be the safest most compatible root method from what ive read.

thou as far as installing custom recoveries Twrp seems to be the best, but ive read that 4.3 Is now a locked bootloader!???
http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2544503
that sounds ridiculous. I dont believe its locked. and i should be able to odin the latest version of twrp to the device, right? I know knox has been implemented in 4.3+ but thats no big deal

also about roms:
I know that the actual tmobile S4 did get a kit-kat update (called NB4) the metropcs variant definitely did not
you said that any touchwiz rom would work, as did @serio22 above.
But it seems that they only stock custom roms in these threads are tmobile touchwiz kit-kat roms.
but according to @serio22 above: I should not "interchange firmwares"
So if that is true what touchwiz roms can you flash? they are all tmobile roms

My understanding was I could root, odin twrp. And flash roms. Aosp roms are golden but, i would think that since metropcs even uses tmobile network now, you should be able to flash any tmobile custom rom (even if its kitkat) and have everything functioning... True??

thank you both very much @serio22 and @Kriptik210
and im sorry to be a pain im just genuinely confused, and i really need clarification, i said id have this guys phone figured out by Monday!

serio22 said:

Firmware is not the same as ROM, that's why I suggest you flash ROM instead of firmware, any ROM will be ok. Bootloader is not locked I'm sure, Knox bootloader does not mean locked bootloader as many people think. Just Odin twrp and flash your ROM as I said earlier, rooting would be an extra step.

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ah that makes sense. Well id still want to root, just to titanium backup his things first, and have a secure stock rooted nandroid backup. Though then just a couple more questions remain :highfive:
So say i were to flash any toucwiz t-mobile kitkat rom Such as.
Insane Kit-kat v9
http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2683507
or
Warpdrive
http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2682608
The OS would be kit-kat. Would i need to then odin flash a kitkat baseband (modem) as well for working signal. If so how?

Also does the kitkat rom change the bootloader already on phone.
reason being. For the note3 once you update it from JB to kitkat. The bootlaoder is changed. Meaning you CANNOT downgrade even odin flashing the previous version .tar will BRICK
is this the same case? If i flash a tmobile rom (thus upgrading), would i not be able to odin the metropcs 4.3 MK5 stock.tar
OR
would i not be able to simply restore the nandroid stock rooted MK5 backup i made.
Thanks again :highfive:

serio22 said:

Bootloader will not update and its not needed because kernels are modified to bypass this "restriction" only thing you need to update is the modem to NB4.. There is a thread already with instructions, just follow it and you'll be good.. And yes you can still flash back to 4.3 stock and restore nandroid because bootloader will not change

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Thanks a millions times over good sir! I should now be able to put together the pimpest of phones haha
Its a good feeling when things all come together. Like completing a puzzle!
:laugh: