28 replies to this topic

[rickw]

well guys,my S4 just received a software update this morning

[prstorero]

Don't update if you haven't already.

[rickw]

Hey, I didn't and don't plan to, it keeps asking me to update now or later and I just back out of screen, I think it would fail anyway since I'm on rage rom

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

[prstorero]

Hey, I didn't and don't plan to, it keeps asking me to update now or later and I just back out of screen, I think it would fail anyway since I'm on rage rom

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

I think you can change the permissions to one of the folders it uses and it won't work anymore

[rickw]

Since the rom removed bloat won't the update just fail anyway

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

[prstorero]

Since the rom removed bloat won't the update just fail anyway

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Oh ya probably lol

[rickw]

thanks,just froze them and update disapeared

[rickw]

d/l still not working on op

[sargentmajord]

Ahhh I love my unlocked S4 no pesky updates to worry about

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk 2

[livinginkaos]

I'm not worried, I'm blocked up....

[rickw]

me too,lol

[rickw]

they sent the ota to my phone,but sure didn't install it

[SpyderMan]

To stop the OTA just freeze these apps:SDM.apkFWupgrade.apkKeychain.apkThis will kill the OTA process :)sent from my Raged S4 using Tapa 4 beta

BDH, good info on how to stop OTAs…

but, I've been a strictly moto user & don't know how to root, mod, or do custom recovery on Sammy phones

I've been looking seriously at S4, b/c BestBuy has it free on a Black Friday upgrade special, & my upgrade will be ready just b4 then, & I also heard that if one has their bootloader unlocked then OTA wouldn't be a problem with new updates killing root, b/c one could just flash SuperSU & they'd be rooted again; is that true?

If so, which recovery would you recommend? I want to be rooted & try diff roms (S4 Rage!) & also have the safety-net of being able to use a Sammy-based fastboot util to be able to get back to Stock if needed ( I get creative w/my phone…) but have no clue as to what to use to make nand backups, etc.

I'd normally do a lot of searching in the forums here, & maybe xda (have done some), but Black Friday is fast approaching & I would want to be able to make an informed decision & part of that decision would be also taking the Note3 into consideration, but that costs bigger $ & there are reports on XDA that the popular root method for after the OS update fm Sammy has issues (xda won't allow links to Kingo) & I most definitely want root going into the future, & a custom recovery, & the ability to use a util to fastboot back to Stock in a pinch.

BTW, since I've been a long-time moto guy, I don't know the general history of how / if 3d party devs regularly make updates for the Sammy phones, i.e. ICS->JB, or 4.12 to 4.2, 4.3, 4.4 etc, so we can bypass the OTA in general, & benefit fm the great work the 3d party devs do to flash update the latest update versions esp if unlocking BL is not possible - the dev version of S4 or Note3 are expen$ive & I'm not a wealthy hobbyist by any means!

I'm not looking for you to do 'everything' for me; just please give me an idea of how things usually go in the world of modding for Samsung & which root method, custom recovery, & fastboot utils can / should be used b/c I've read that Smsung is trying to stop us fm rooting, or fastbooting back w/their native Samsung utils…

& that upcoming update is enticing me to take the leap to a new h/w platform & that entails new modding methods that I don't know & I don't want to make a wrong choice or lose out on upcoming deals.

So please help me make an informed decision & thanks in advance!

[Memnoch73]

Ummm.. You realize BDH has been banned for 6+ months right?? You may want to start a new thread with your questions as there are a few S4 users here.

[SpyderMan]

memnoch, er, um, no- I didn't realize… but upon closer examination…

Will ask in new thread topic.

[jayrod]

Just glancing through your post but if you are planning on purchasing a S4 now..chances are you will get one on ME7+..which means you will have to run Safestrap...and will be confined to TW ROMs only as there isn't a kexec alternative at this time. If you are on a firmware past ME7,you may have more issues with SS. The only alternatives are Getting one on MDK( Loki exploit allows for custom recovery..almost unlocked) or on a carrier that didn't require a bootloader lock Get a DEV..but there have been no OTA updates for it. You'll have a completely unlocked BL Or a GPE..Google handles the updates and are generally shortly after Nexus updates....but aren't going to work on VZW. Sent from my Platyraptor extreme ultra maxxxx 4gLTE/GSM/ABC/123 Nick Knack Pattywack Ermegherd GED, MD,RNA,DNA,YMCA Edition S4! Via the 4th dimension....NOW RUNNING CARBON

[SpyderMan]

Jayrod, tnx for your reply; but in terms of Sammy stuff, I'm all but a noob: so what is the significance of the phone's firmware version of ME7+ , & is that the previous or current version? I would be getting it free fm BestBuy, as a special upgrade deal deal for Black Friday, & it'd be their signature Blue model of VZW GS4, & might be old stock that BB didn't move… how come non TW roms would not work w/safestrap?

What is MDK & how would I get an MDK phone (I'm totally new to Sammy phones so I only speak Moto……) & how is the Loki exploit related to MDK & what does Loki exploit give? root, or other mod capabilities like some form of recovery, ability to do nand backup & restore, flashing zips like the backup version of TiBu that gets stored on the SD card so you can restore your apps w/out having to download TiBu fm the playstore

What is a GPE?

If I got an unlocked BL, what would I do to root, or recovery for that matter & how'd I get back to unlocked Stock if there were any probs like soft bricking?

Is there any part of Samsung's website that allows you to unlock the BL, - I heard that at one point they had such an on-site util, along w/a warning that you'd be voiding your warranty doing that.

If I got a dev version of the S4, or Note 3, how would I root & what would I use for recovery?

thanks in advance,

[jayrod]

When the S4 was shipped it came with blahblah MDK. Prior to it's release a leaked image of this as well as the kernel was released and DanR tore it apart and created a bootloader exploit he named Loki..and a root exploit was made. Because Sammy locked the bootloader, the exploit allows for a custom recovery like TWRP or CWM to be used ...best alternative to a full unlocked bootloader available for the S4.
The first OTA (ME7) patched the Loki exploit and Hashcode made a SS for it. There have been 2 more OTAs that have clamped even more down and made the S4 almost as locked down as the Omaps were.
There is no downgrading from any previous firmware so if you are lucky enough to get MDK...as long as you don't OTA you're good. The best you can hope for is an ME7 as that is the one most compatible with SS...but you will be locked down to Touchwiz ROMs only.

GPE is the Google play experience S4. It shipped with a "special" AOSP build on top of TW but now is as close to stock as a Nexus. It won't work with VZW.
The dev edition will work on VZW but can only be purchased directly from Sammy.

As far as the Note stuff...I'm thinking the 3 is in the same boat as the S4. Samsung is trying to get more enterprise customers and in doing so are trying to secure their devices as much as possible. This sucks for those of us who like choices in what ROMs we want..but I think ( don't quote me) that Tmo is the only carrier that sells unlocked S4s.

Sent from my Platyraptor extreme ultra maxxxx 4gLTE/GSM/ABC/123 Nick Knack Pattywack Ermegherd GED, MD,RNA,DNA,YMCA Edition S4! Via the 4th dimension....NOW RUNNING CARBON