[INDEX] Samsung Galaxy Express GT-I8730

[aureljared]

Recoveries

• TWRP 3.1.1 (UNOFFICIAL): Download
• TWRP 3.0.2+ (OFFICIAL): twrp.me
• TWRP 3.0.1-0: Download
• TWRP 2.8.7.0 (f2fs): Download
• TWRP 3.0.0-0: Download
• TWRP 2.8.7.0 without F2FS support: Download
• TWRP 2.8.6.0: Download
• Stock 3e recovery: Link

CyanogenMod / Lineage

• Lineage 14.1 (Android 7.1.x) by @kotzir: Thread
• CM 13.0 (Android 6.0.x) by @kotzir: Thread (EOL)
• CM 12.1 (Android 5.1.x) by @kotzir: Thread (EOL)
• CM 12.0 (Android 5.0.x) by @kotzir and @jek20: Thread (EOL)
• CM 11.0 (Android 4.4.x) by @kotzir and @jek20: Latest Build (10/20/2015) (EOL)
• CM 10.1 (Android 4.2.x) by @szezso: Thread Post (EOL)

GApps
Beans GApps (recommended)
OpenGApps

Other

• Q&A: use the Q&A tab above
• Prerooted TouchWiz ROMs: Thread
• Baseband downloads: Thread
• Root method: Download
• Alternative root method: Framaroot (Gandalf method)

 

[aureljared]

Tutorial for Motochopper:
1. Download the ZIP file. Extract somewhere.
2. Install Samsung USB Driver for Mobile Phones. Download here.
3. Connect your phone, make sure USB debugging is ON.
4. Rightclick run.bat, run as admin.
5. Follow the instructions on the command prompt, press enter when prompted to reboot.

EDIT 10/06
Framaroot has been reported to work with gandalf method. Link to thread (thanks to @alephzain)

You should now have root.

Sent from my GT-I8730 using xda app-developers app

 

[aureljared]

Installing recoveries directly on your phone

Installing a recovery without a PC can be annoying and sometimes confusing. Here's how to do it anyway (make sure you do know what you're doing):

Both ways require you to download a recovery and put it in your sdcard.

The n00b-Friendly Easy Way
1. Install Flashify from Play Store, open it, and grant Superuser permissions.
2. Wait for it to finish reading recovery info.
3. Select Recovery image, browse to your recovery image, and press Yup!
4. Flashify will now install your recovery. It will prompt you afterwards. You can either reboot to recovery or choose to flash more stuff (or exit the app).

The Geeky Dangerous Way
CAUTION! Using a terminal is extremely dangerous and you might just brick your phone if you enter a bad command.

Note: I will be referring to my recovery image as /sdcard/recovery.img.

1. Install Terminal Emulator from Play Store, open it.
2. Type su, press Enter, and grant Superuser permissions.
3. Type

dd if=/sdcard/recovery.img of=/dev/block/mmcblk0p18

YOU MUST TYPE THE COMMAND EXACTLY AS SHOWN. You have been warned.
The last word in the command is mmcblk (zero) p (eighteen)

The command varies with every phone, but the command above is what works with ours.

4. You can either type "reboot recovery" or exit the app.

 

[aureljared]

How to restore to a Stock ROM:

1) Reboot to STOCK recovery (Vol Up + Home + Power). TAKE NOTE OF YOUR 3-CHARACTER SALES CODE, LOCATED AT THE BOTTOM OF RECOVERY IN YELLOW TEXT. You will need the code later on. Wipe data three times and reboot to download (Vol Down + Home + Power, press Vol Up when prompted)

2) Download your stock ROM from SamMobile. Find the firmware that matches your sales code.

3) Download Odin 3.07 and install. Also install Samsung Drivers if you haven't already. Connect phone to PC. Make sure Kies.exe or KiesTrayAgent.exe is not running (check in Task Manager)

4) A blue box should appear in Odin. Click PDA, browse for your .tar.md5 file you downloaded from SamMobile, and wait. Odin will freeze. This is normal. DO NOT CLOSE ODIN IN ANY WAY. When Odin unfreezes, uncheck Auto Reboot, and click Start.

5) Odin will commence flashing. When it finishes, disconnect phone from PC, press and hold Power, and go thru Initial Setup.

Sent from my GT-I8730 using Tapatalk

 

[aureljared]

Reserved

 

[pc boy]

Any touch recoveries for i8730 yet?!

 

[caine0001]

Since there is no dedicated thread for this phone, I decided to start one.

Q&A: link
Recovery thread for the AT&T version: link
Biggest thread ever on the AT&T version: link
Root method: download
CPU frequencies: Screenshot
General tech info: Screenshot
Display info: Screenshot

If you were looking for the CWM image, it doesn't work, so I removed the post.

Just a heads-up for interested developers out there! :good: :victory:

If you want a custom recovery with all the options of CWM then get shabbypenguin's OUDHS-based version found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2240989 . But to get it to remain as your recovery instead of it reverting back to stock every time you reboot just follow my instructions found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2240989&page=4

If you do this you will have all the options of CWM at your disposal. I have read it is compatible with the i8730 but that you just couldn't get it to be permanent. Follow what I have written here and ENJOY!

 

[aureljared]

If you want a custom recovery with all the options of CWM then get shabbypenguin's OUDHS-based version found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2240989 . But to get it to remain as your recovery instead of it reverting back to stock every time you reboot just follow my instructions found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2240989&page=4

If you do this you will have all the options of CWM at your disposal. I have read it is compatible with the i8730 but that you just couldn't get it to be permanent. Follow what I have written here and ENJOY!

I tried Shabbypenguin's recovery back in early May, but I was stuck at the "RECOVERY BOOTING..." screen. I left it like that for like 15 minutes and nothing happened. Also there is no "install-recovery.sh" file.
Is that supposed to happen?

Sent from my GT-I8730 using Tapatalk 4

 

[caine0001]

I tried Shabbypenguin's recovery back in early May, but I was stuck at the "RECOVERY BOOTING..." screen. I left it like that for like 15 minutes and nothing happened. Also there is no "install-recovery.sh" file.
Is that supposed to happen?

Sent from my GT-I8730 using Tapatalk 4

You are rooted and did use a quality app for your filesystem explorer, right? If any of this isn't true you won't be able to find the file. If it isn't there, then it is like the newer i437s and isn't like mine which allows you to just rename a file to allow a custom recovery to be permanent and name it back to get back to the stock recovery. Also, when I installed shabbypenguin's custom recovery version 1.0.3.3 I couldn't do it with the .exe file. I had to do it thru ODIN.

 

[aureljared]

You are rooted and did use a quality app for your filesystem explorer, right? If any of this isn't true you won't be able to find the file. If it isn't there, then it is like the newer i437s and isn't like mine which allows you to just rename a file to allow a custom recovery to be permanent and name it back to get back to the stock recovery. Also, when I installed shabbypenguin's custom recovery version 1.0.3.3 I couldn't do it with the .exe file. I had to do it thru ODIN.

If X-plore, ES File Explorer, and Root Explorer count as quality apps, then yes. I am rooted, I can su from the terminal, I can remount partitions as rw or ro, so that's another yes.

You mean I need to use the .tar.md5 file and not the odin oneclick?

Sent from my GT-I8730 using Tapatalk 4

 

[aureljared]

Any touch recoveries for i8730 yet?!

No touch recoveries yet, but traditional CWM is now available.

Sent from my GT-I8730 using Tapatalk 4

 

[caine0001]

If X-plore, ES File Explorer, and Root Explorer count as quality apps, then yes. I am rooted, I can su from the terminal, I can remount partitions as rw or ro, so that's another yes.

You mean I need to use the .tar.md5 file and not the odin oneclick?

Sent from my GT-I8730 using Tapatalk 4

It was worth checking. I am sorry you don't have the files. They make working with custom recoveries and then reverting back to the stock one so much easier.

---------- Post added at 06:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:43 AM ----------

If X-plore, ES File Explorer, and Root Explorer count as quality apps, then yes. I am rooted, I can su from the terminal, I can remount partitions as rw or ro, so that's another yes.

You mean I need to use the .tar.md5 file and not the odin oneclick?

Sent from my GT-I8730 using Tapatalk 4

All I can tell you is that the oneclick didn't work for my phone. It just locked up or went dead or something just like it. I had to use ODIN with this file "Express-OUDHS-CWM.tar". It is a .tar file not a .md5 file. You can get that file here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2240989

It is the first file shabbypenguin posts there. Use it with ODIN 3.04 which is posted right below it. But you must make sure that your drivers are properly installed first. You can check it by attaching the phone and after a few moments go to My Computer or File Explorer and see if it is listed as a drive.

 

[aureljared]

It was worth checking. I am sorry you don't have the files. They make working with custom recoveries and then reverting back to the stock one so much easier.

No worries. I much prefer using dd on the terminal anyways.

So umm. Do you think I should try again or wait for the mysterious CWM that was made by @jt1134?

Sent from my GT-I8730 using Tapatalk 4

 

[caine0001]

No worries. I much prefer using dd on the terminal anyways.

So umm. Do you think I should try again or wait for the mysterious CWM that was made by @jt1134?

Sent from my GT-I8730 using Tapatalk 4

What would it hurt to try again? Just verify that you can see the phone on My Computer first when it is hooked up to the USB cable before you try going into Download mode. I don't see much reason to wait. Shabbypenguin's version does everything the regular CWM does. It just has a few tweaks to get it to work with the Express. But if you want to wait so that your phone says 6.0.3.3 then I guess you might want to wait for jt1134. I do not know what it would have that shabbypenguin's doesn't but its up to you.

 

[aureljared]

What would it hurt to try again? Just verify that you can see the phone on My Computer first when it is hooked up to the USB cable before you try going into Download mode. I don't see much reason to wait. Shabbypenguin's version does everything the regular CWM does. It just has a few tweaks to get it to work with the Express. But if you want to wait so that your phone says 6.0.3.3 then I guess you might want to wait for jt1134. I do not know what it would have that shabbypenguin's doesn't but its up to you.

Thanks so much. Anyways either version is fine. I just need to make a nandroid.
You know how it feels to have the latest version of something.

Sent from my GT-I8730 using Tapatalk 4

 

[caine0001]

Thanks so much. Anyways either version is fine. I just need to make a nandroid.
You know how it feels to have the latest version of something.

Sent from my GT-I8730 using Tapatalk 4

I have spent thousands of dollars just because I always want the latest and greatest, even if it hasn't got any improvements over the old. So yes, I understand. Don't worry, the shabbypenguin version has all the bells and whistles and you can make your nandroid. That was the first thing I did.

 

[aureljared]

I have spent thousands of dollars just because I always want the latest and greatest, even if it hasn't got any improvements over the old. So yes, I understand. Don't worry, the shabbypenguin version has all the bells and whistles and you can make your nandroid. That was the first thing I did.

Thank you, will try when I get my hands on a PC.

Sent from my GT-I8730 using Tapatalk 4

 

[pc boy]

No touch recoveries yet, but traditional CWM is now available.

Sent from my GT-I8730 using Tapatalk 4

Thanks for the reply!
Where can I find it?

 

[Everhez]

Any Custom rom????

Enviado desde mi SAMSUNG-SGH-I437 usando Tapatalk 2

 

[caine0001]

Any Custom rom????

Enviado desde mi SAMSUNG-SGH-I437 usando Tapatalk 2

All evidence points to no....