[12/29] Restore for MJ5 --Doesn't trip Knox and optionally provides root--

[evilpotatoman]

Update:
After repeatedly, and unsuccessfully, attempting to take total ownership of my phone, I've switched to T-Mobile and will no longer maintain this thread. Thanks to those great many donors who've contributed to support this device and my effort, and best of luck to those who still have the drive to support this device.

A Special Thanks to the Following Donors:
@acdcflame
@lilhacker
@JAKISTER
@royal1262

---UPDATE---
If this is your first time recovering to MJ5, please follow all steps.

If you've already ran through this method successfully once, you can start at step 5

**Thanks to:
147aaron - OTA update
Designgears - RDLV
A.S._id - MJ5 Firmware
drakeymcmb - kn0x0ut support / mirror

1) Download and install Heimdall from here for windows. You'll need this and this to avoid missing .dll file errors

2) Download the following files;

MI9_fix.img.ext4
https://mega.co.nz/#F!icMTnSQY!bMBNFmUnn2_K8olSTYpwIA (mirror provided by drakeymcmb)
sec_csc.zip
rldv.zip
2400258.zip
​

Put everything except for the system.img on your external SD card

3) Download and install the MJ5 partions. Use Odin to flash these files (match the file names with the different upload slots)

AP_N900AUCUBMJ5.zip​

BL_N900AUCUBMJ5.zip​

CP_N900AUCUBMJ5.zip​

HLTE_USA_ATT_32G.pit​

4) Now is the time to use Heimdall.

Reboot into Download Mode once Odin finishes.
Install the vcredist packages downloaded from step 1.
unzip the heimdall .zip file to c:/
go to c:/Heimdall Suite/Drivers and click on zadig.exe
click the middle menu button to select "Show All Devices"

from the dropdown, select MSM8960

click the "install driver" button.

you should see a success message

5) Navigate on your computer to c:/Heimdall Suite/ and open heimdall-frontend.exe.

IMPORTANT -- Go to the Utilities tab and click the "Detect" button
Go to the Flash tab on Heimdall, click Browse and select the HLTE_USA_ATT_32G.pit file downloaded from step 3
Click the 'add' button, then next to 'partition name' select system from the dropdown.

click the Browse button underneath the dropdown, and select the MI9_fix.img.ext4 image you downloaded from step 2.

6) Click Start. ***I usually check the 'No Reboot' box to prepare for booting into recovery

7) Heimdall and your Note will report a bad flash at around 95% -- but don't worry -- your system.img got uploaded Reboot directly into recovery mode.

8) Once in recovery, select "Choose update from external" in the recovery, and select the sec_csc.zip you downloaded earlier (did you remember to put that file on your external SD card?). This will install the CSC files and run the preload checkin so you don't FC all over the place

9) IMPORTANT--After flashing the sec_csc, the Note will reboot.
Try to catch it in time to reboot BACK into recovery
Once in recovery, select "Choose update from external" in the recovery, and select the 2400258.zip you downloaded earlier.

This will give you a stock MJ5 system. You can choose to stop here if you don't want to root.

10) Extract rldv.zip to the root of your internal sdcard (NOTE **my script removes Knox apps). Reboot, then once SuperSu installs, Reboot again.

This leaves you with a rooted MJ5 device.



If this helped, please hit thanks or donate

I'm finishing up a custom rom image for us. We'll be able to flash it without the inventive, but dirty, kn0x0ut script.

 

[drakeymcmb]

Thanks alot. Now people shouldnt be scared to try out my rom flashing thread. I have good news for you, if you go to my thread, i think i found a fix for all the problems people were having with the international roms. Its the last post in my thread.

Keep up the good work,this is useful

If your already on mj5 and you softbrick, does this still work?

 

[evilpotatoman]

If your already on mj5 and you softbrick, does this still work?

It does indeed. I was softbricked but recovered using this method.

 

[gordec]

So the only thing that an unlocked bootloader allows at this point is custom kernel and peace of mine right.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

 

[drakeymcmb]

Yes. And not having to use a computer when you want to change roms.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using xda app-developers app

 

[KingRedHot]

So the only thing that an unlocked bootloader allows at this point is custom kernel and peace of mine right.

Unlocking the bootloader would also allow us to use custom recovery, and the custom kernels would also allow us to run AOSP based roms

---------- Post added at 04:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:26 PM ----------

Now on another note, I'm on MJ5 and I see where you say we can stop after flashing non-rooted MI9. Theoretically, wouldn't I be able to continue to root and then be able to use the kn0x0ut script to flash a custom rom?

 

[evilpotatoman]

Unlocking the bootloader would also allow us to use custom recovery, and the custom kernels would also allow us to run AOSP based roms

---------- Post added at 04:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:26 PM ----------

Now on another note, I'm on MJ5 and I see where you say we can stop after flashing non-rooted MI9. Theoretically, wouldn't I be able to continue to root and then be able to use the kn0x0ut script to flash a custom rom?

You are correct. At that point you can either upgrade to mj5 or run kn0x0ut.

 

[drakeymcmb]

Wow this is awesome. You are a genius

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

 

[wetard@gmail.com]

I seem to be stuck on step 9.

I'm not sure how to get to the root filesystem with my phone not yet rooted. Much less have the permissions to write files there i.e. copy and/or extract the rdlv to /system/

I can initiate an adb shell session in userland as "shell" but not as root. Can you clarify this step please? I seem to recall when I first rooted my phone with MI9 that I had full access to the filesystem (even just using explorer.exe) after using the designgears oneclick utility.

update:

well my impatience got the better of me and i went to the darkside and rooted with kingo. installing wanam now and everything appears to be ok. If there's an obvious assumption i'm missing that didn't allow me to complete step 9 i would like to know though since the more elegant solution is the preferred one

 

[Fidelio_o]

Download and install the MJ5 partions, using Odin, from here.

Im stuck on this step what files am i downloading? theres 5 files on the link.

---------- Post added at 01:36 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:35 AM ----------

Download and install the MJ5 partions, using Odin, from here.

Im stuck on this step what files am i downloading? theres 5 files on the link.

 

[evilpotatoman]

I seem to be stuck on step 9.

I'm not sure how to get to the root filesystem with my phone not yet rooted. Much less have the permissions to write files there i.e. copy and/or extract the rdlv to /system/

I can initiate an adb shell session in userland as "shell" but not as root. Can you clarify this step please? I seem to recall when I first rooted my phone with MI9 that I had full access to the filesystem (even just using explorer.exe) after using the designgears oneclick utility.

update:

well my impatience got the better of me and i went to the darkside and rooted with kingo. installing wanam now and everything appears to be ok. If there's an obvious assumption i'm missing that didn't allow me to complete step 9 i would like to know though since the more elegant solution is the preferred one

No problems. Kingo works fine. But, to answer your question-you should always have write access to your internal sdcard -- hook your phone up to your comp and it's the folder called "phone" that pops up. I apologize if that wasn't clear.

 

[acdcflame]

Can someone make a video of this? I would need help with Step 2 and Step 9 specifically.

 

[evilpotatoman]

Download and install the MJ5 partions, using Odin, from here.

Im stuck on this step what files am i downloading? theres 5 files on the link.

---------- Post added at 01:36 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:35 AM ----------

Download and install the MJ5 partions, using Odin, from here.

Im stuck on this step what files am i downloading? theres 5 files on the link.

All of them you may want to review the context of that post as well as reading through the OP of that thread. Using Odin, it should be clear as to where each of those files are intended to be flashed.

I would like to remind everyone that flashing anything on a phone as (expensive) locked down as our phone is, is dangerous. It may be why we are all here reading this post, but, if one of the steps includes something you've never heard of, please take the time to read more about it. You may learn about other things that will help the community achieve full control of our device! We need everyone at this point. I'm drafting an army of the willing

 

[wetard@gmail.com]

No problems. Kingo works fine. But, to answer your question-you should always have write access to your internal sdcard -- hook your phone up to your comp and it's the folder called "phone" that pops up. I apologize if that wasn't clear.

Aha, i guess for some reason i was under the impression that the shell script and the rdlv directory needed to be written to the /system/ (owned by root with 755) directory. Not sure why when i was looking at the "phone" mount point it didn't look to me like the root directory of a nix filesystem. Regardless, i really appreciate you putting this together / figuring it out. My phone has been FCing for about 3 weeks now . Hopefully other folks have similar success stories.

 

[rooted_1]

I haven't tried any of this as of yet, but plan to later today when I have some time. This might just be the best early Christmas present I've ever received. I was on the verge of buying a TMO Note 3 later today just to be able to load a custom ROM... this appears to make that unnecessary. If so, maybe I'll take some of the price difference between my subsidized ATT Note 3 and the TMO Note 3 and add it to the bootloader unlocking bounty.

 

[drakeymcmb]

I haven't tried any of this as of yet, but plan to later today when I have some time. This might just be the best early Christmas present I've ever received. I was on the verge of buying a TMO Note 3 later today just to be able to load a custom ROM... this appears to make that unnecessary. If so, maybe I'll take some of the price difference between my subsidized ATT Note 3 and the TMO Note 3 and add it to the bootloader unlocking bounty.

the links are down

 

[Papas_Con_Chile]

Could you be more specific in your instructions? You are missing so many things, there you change the name of many options, its so confusing that way

 

[rooted_1]

the links are down

If we need space and bandwidth for hosting the files, someone please PM me. I'll be glad to get something set up between later this evening and tomorrow (it will probably be tomorrow). I'm happy to help the effort if I can.

 

[Musgrove99]

Can someone make a video?

 

[drakeymcmb]

Can somebody who downloaded this make a mirror. The links for dropbox are down.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app