[S4 Active]Flash CWM zips without custom recovery

thatbigmoose · Jul 12, 2013

DO NOT TRY TO USE THIS TO FLASH CUSTOM ROMS/RECOVERIES/KERNELS. THIS IS ONLY TO INSTALL TWEAKS THAT COME IN THE FORMAT OF A FLASHABLE .ZIP! READ THIS AND THE DEVELOPER'S THREAD BEFORE YOU PROCEED WITH THIS! I'M NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR BRICKS!

I thought all S4 active users should be aware of this -- you CAN flash CWM/TWRP .zip files WITHOUT a custom recovery. Albeit the app is a proof-of-concept/beta. It still does work and people with locked-down xperia phones use it to flash .zips

If you're on a regular S4 you'd be better off using CWM or TWRP so stop reading this.

You also cannot flash custom ROMs with this. Certain system files are critical to maintaining stability and if they are overwritten while the device is powered on it'll crash and you'll have a bricked franken-ROM phone. Don't try to flash kernels or recoveries with this either. You're just asking for trouble.

By clicking "Show" below you agree that I'm not responsible for your phone exploding or bricking when you do this. You could easily end up in a boot-loop and have to restore with odin. As a matter of fact, even if you do everything correctly you could still end up with a bricked phone. It won't be my fault. There is no way to do nandroids as of now so you will have to restore to out-of-box state with odin and start from square one.

Confirmed working:
Acid Audio Mod - Use the one here - V7 will bootloop you or cause a glitch where your device is "Upgrading applications" every boot

Going to try more later -- post a picture of your favorite mod/tweak running and I'll add it to this OP!

scott14719 · Jul 4, 2013 at 11:56 PM

Thank you for posting this. I am sure it will help many Active users, but I wonder how long it will be before people ignore your warnings and try to flash a kernel or ROM or custom recovery with this?

Please people READ and READ some more so you don't mess up your phones. I don't know if it will do any good but maybe putting that part at the top in Red letters might help.

Again. thanks.

thatbigmoose · Jul 5, 2013 at 12:01 AM

scott14719 said:
Thank you for posting this. I am sure it will help many Active users, but I wonder how long it will be before people ignore your warnings and try to flash a kernel or ROM or custom recovery with this?

Please people READ and READ some more so you don't mess up your phones. I don't know if it will do any good but maybe putting that part at the top in Red letters might help.

Again. thanks.

Thanks and done.

joshuadjohnson22 · Jul 5, 2013

I am tempted to see if the following mod will work... http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2320427

NVM the mod I would really love to see is this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2335635 anyone willing to try it out

thatbigmoose · Jul 5, 2013 at 1:12 AM

joshuadjohnson22 said:
I am tempted to see if the following mod will work... http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2320427

NVM the mod I would really love to see is this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2335635 anyone willing to try it out

I don't see why it wouldn't work. Just try it

joshuadjohnson22 · Jul 5, 2013 at 1:14 AM

thatbigmoose said:
I don't see why it wouldn't work. Just try it

Lol i really want to but I don't feel like re-setting up my phone if it messes up lol.

I have already rooted my parent's S4 Active and regular S4 and I did a lot of mods for them... Just tired of re-setting up my phone. Are you not interested in CM10.1 MMS? It rocks... one of the only stock messaging apps I would like to use all the time

thatbigmoose · Jul 5, 2013 at 1:24 AM

joshuadjohnson22 said:
Lol i really want to but I don't feel like re-setting up my phone if it messes up lol.

I have already rooted my parent's S4 Active and regular S4 and I did a lot of mods for them... Just tired of re-setting up my phone. Are you not interested in CM10.1 MMS? It rocks... one of the only stock messaging apps I would like to use all the time

I did 3 Odin flashes today from messing with flash Gordon and trying to install acid audio

thatbigmoose · Jul 5, 2013 at 3:02 AM

I made a bloat killer based off the one found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2250403

Kills all S-Apps including note, memo, browser, sync services, ATT updater, flipboard, facebook, Samsung stock file explorer, "Simple" launcher, Swype

Leaves allshare play and all the stuff with wifi-direct, all google apps, group play, mobile hotspot, Samsung stock video app, TW launcher, ChatON because that ****er is invincible, Samsung keyboard, all of the apps that looked vital that I couldn't be bothered toying around with

Use this at your own discretion, I could've ****ed up and deleted a bad file, but my system is running great. As usual I'm not responsible for bricks.

Here's a list of ALL the apps it takes care of:

Code:

delete("/system/app/wssyncmldm.apk");
delete("/system/app/wssyncmldm.odex");
delete("/system/app/YPMobile_ATT.apk");
delete("/system/app/YahoostockPhone2013.odex");
delete("/system/app/YahoostockPhone2013.apk");
delete("/system/app/YahoonewsPhone2013.odex");
delete("/system/app/YahoonewsPhone2013.apk");
delete("/system/app/wssyncmlnps.odex");
delete("/system/app/wssyncmlnps.apk");
delete("/system/app/wssyncmlds.odex");
delete("/system/app/wssyncmlds.apk");
delete("/system/app/wssyncmldm.odex");
delete("/system/app/WlanTest.odex");
delete("/system/app/WlanTest.apk");
delete("/system/app/TripAdvisor.apk");
delete("/system/app/TravelWidget.apk");
delete("/system/app/TravelService.odex");
delete("/system/app/TravelService.apk");
delete("/system/app/Telenav_ATT.apk");
delete("/system/app/Swype.apk");
delete("/system/app/S-Voice_Android_phone_J.apk");
delete("/system/app/StoryAlbumWidget.odex");
delete("/system/app/StoryAlbumWidget.apk");
delete("/system/app/SPlannerAppWidget_NAmerica.odex");
delete("/system/app/SPlannerAppWidget_NAmerica.apk");
delete("/system/app/SNoteProvider.odex");
delete("/system/app/SNoteProvider.apk");
delete("/system/app/SMemo2.odex");
delete("/system/app/SMemo2.apk");
delete("/system/app/SmartWifi_vpl_ATT.apk");
delete("/system/app/SHealth2.apk");
delete("/system/app/SecNoteMyFiles.apk");
delete("/system/app/sCloudSyncSNote.apk");
delete("/system/app/sCloudSyncSBrowserTabs.apk");
delete("/system/app/sCloudSyncSBrowserBookmark.apk");
delete("/system/app/sCloudSyncContacts.apk");
delete("/system/app/sCloudSyncCalendar.apk");
delete("/system/app/sCloudQuotaApp.apk");
delete("/system/app/sCloudDataSync.apk");
delete("/system/app/sCloudDataRelay.apk");
delete("/system/app/SBrowser.odex");
delete("/system/app/SBrowser.apk");
delete("/system/app/SamsungWidget_ProgramMonitor.odex");
delete("/system/app/SamsungWidget_ProgramMonitor.apk");
delete("/system/app/SamsungTTS.apk");
delete("/system/app/SamsungMusic.apk");
delete("/system/app/SamsungHubUpdater.apk");
delete("/system/app/SamsungHub.apk");
delete("/system/app/SamsungGames.apk");
delete("/system/app/S_Translator_CSLi.odex");
delete("/system/app/S_Translator_CSLi.apk");
delete("/system/app/PolarisOffice5.apk");
delete("/system/app/PageBuddyNotiSvc2.odex");
delete("/system/app/PageBuddyNotiSvc2.apk");
delete("/system/app/myATT_ATT.apk");
delete("/system/app/MusicPlayerWT.apk");
delete("/system/app/MobilePrintSvc_Samsung.apk");
delete("/system/app/MobilePrintSvc_HP.apk");
delete("/system/app/MobilePrintSvc_CUPS_Backend.apk");
delete("/system/app/MobilePrintSvc_CUPS.apk");
delete("/system/app/MobilePrint2.odex");
delete("/system/app/MobilePrint2.apk");
delete("/system/app/MMAppFramework.odex");
delete("/system/app/MMAppFramework.apk");
delete("/system/app/Match3VS.apk");
delete("/system/app/LiveTv_vpl_ATT.apk");
delete("/system/app/KNOXAgent.odex");
delete("/system/app/KNOXAgent.apk");
delete("/system/app/kieswifi.odex");
delete("/system/app/kieswifi.apk");
delete("/system/app/FamilyMap_vpl_ATT.apk");
delete("/system/app/EasyLauncher.odex");
delete("/system/app/EasyLauncher.apk");
delete("/system/app/EarCare.apk");
delete("/system/app/DriveMode_ATT.apk");
delete("/system/app/digitalLocker_ATT.apk");
delete("/system/app/Com2usPoker_ASGC.apk");
delete("/system/app/attMessages_vpl_ATT.apk");
delete("/system/app/AccuweatherPhone2013.apk");
delete("/system/app/AccuweatherPhone2013.odex");
delete("/system/app/ChatON_feature.apk");
delete("/system/app/Samsungservice.apk");
delete("/system/app/SecCalendar_NAmerica_SPen.apk");
delete("/system/app/SecCalendar_NAmerica_SPen.odex");
delete("/system/app/DioDict3Service.apk");
delete("/system/app/HealthContentProvider.apk");
delete("/system/app/CHS_J_Device_only.apk");
delete("/system/app/SamsungApps_J_Only.apk");
delete("/system/app/SamsungBooks.apk");
delete("/system/app/Flipboard.apk");
delete("/system/app/MusicLiveShare.apk");

echonc · Jul 5, 2013 at 4:09 AM

This is sweet, big props to the developer on this one. Gonna play with this more tomorrow.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using xda app-developers app

tisaznpimp · Jul 5, 2013 at 6:15 AM

joshuadjohnson22 said:
I am tempted to see if the following mod will work... http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2320427

NVM the mod I would really love to see is this http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2335635 anyone willing to try it out

It doesnt even let me flash it. It keep saying "the package is not a flashable zip"

thatbigmoose · Jul 5, 2013 at 12:11 PM

tisaznpimp said:
It doesnt even let me flash it. It keep saying "the package is not a flashable zip"

Try installing busybox?
Just search "busybox" on the market.

tisaznpimp · Jul 5, 2013 at 6:20 PM

thatbigmoose said:
Try installing busybox?
Just search "busybox" on the market.

Also doesnt work, says the same error.

rhkean · Feb 17, 2010 53 6 0

just to be sure... you did run the busybox installer after you installed it, correct? Both BusyBox apps are just installers. You have to run them and tell them to perform the actual install.

aturbs · Jul 5, 2013 at 11:05 PM

I just tried flashing CM 10.1 with this and now my phone's bricked. Wtf man

scott14719 · Jul 5, 2013 at 11:50 PM

aturbs said:
I just tried flashing CM 10.1 with this and now my phone's bricked. Wtf man

You have to be trolling. If so, I hope you get banned.

joshuadjohnson22 · Jul 6, 2013 at 3:11 AM

aturbs said:
I just tried flashing CM 10.1 with this and now my phone's bricked. Wtf man

Yeah at the very most you softbricked your phone. Which probably means you flashed the wrong zip for the mms. Just odin your phone back...

Solange82200 · Jul 6, 2013 at 3:38 AM

How can we edit this to keep any apps we want? Thanks !

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app

tisaznpimp · Jun 15, 2009 14 12 0

rhkean said:
just to be sure... you did run the busybox installer after you installed it, correct? Both BusyBox apps are just installers. You have to run them and tell them to perform the actual install.

awesome, thanks for the info. I successfully flash it. Thank you so much. =))

joshuadjohnson22 · Jul 6, 2013 at 2:52 PM

tisaznpimp said:
awesome, thanks for the info. I successfully flash it. Thank you so much. =))

Did you install cm10.1 mms? If so which zip files did you install? Is everything working?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

tisaznpimp · Jul 6, 2013 at 4:29 PM

joshuadjohnson22 said:
Did you install cm10.1 mms? If so which zip files did you install? Is everything working?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

I flashed the one from here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2335635
Make sure you use the 'Pre-MEA_AOSP_MMS_CPA-Poke-v2.zip'. Reboot phone and go to system/app with root explorer and rename KeyguardWidget.apk to KeyguardWidget.apk.bak. Done.
Everything, including both sms/mms works perfectly. You can even theme the conversation list and messages with custom background and different test color. I included screenshot to show you what I meant. =)
attached:

[S4 Active]Flash CWM zips without custom recovery

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