Cube iWork 10 Ultimate i15-TCL Android help needed

[brainvision]

Hi guys hi girls..

this post will be maybe a little long, so I decided to put my few questions in the second part; first I need to explain as quickly as I can, my situation.. I own a Cube iWork 10 i15-TCL (Type C variant) with Android kernel of May 2016.

I used Windows since I bought this tablet because I have other smartphone and tablets all with Android, but then I decided it was time to root this unit, too. I read the few post available (few but very useful!!) and I started to work on it.

First thing I noticed was that my bootloader was already unlocked! It may be that I unlocked it when I received the tablet, but I should remember it, at least; but I have to be honest with you: it could be I forgot it! 😀 As you may know to root this unit you need to manually edit the boot.img file (that is and image file of the original partition), so I had to extract it from my tablet. Searching Google I found a lot of HOW-To and I read a few of them.. One in particular seemed to be easiest than the others, so I followed those steps.. The point is that I needed to use the <u>adb shell</u> to enter the tablet with a shell (command prompt if you are familiar with Windows only); the how-to also stated that I need root to extract the partition I needed, so I tried to launch the su command; I was typing SU into my keyboard but in the same time I was thinking to search for another how-to because I still did not have root available into the tablet, but then… the SU command just worked!! I know for sure because I had the # character at the start of the shell line, while normal user have $.. well, I thought, maybe I already rooted this unit and I completely messed up myself forgetting about it?

I rebooted Android without making any other modification and after immediately closing the shell.. I installed a root checker application, I launched it and the result was: su AVAILABLE, but I had no supersu and no root helper (the applications like SuperSU or SuperUser). Bah… weird.

So, once extracted the boot.img file partition launching the dd command dd if=/dev/block/*******0p3 of=/sdcard/boot.img from adb shell I extract it, unzip the ramdisk and started to edit the 2 files I needed to edit following the @Laura big thread of how-to; the prop file still had the insecure boot to 1 (I needed to put this to 0) while the init.rc file already was edited as Laura stats it need to be (user root instead of user media into the media section)!!

Then I saved the file, rezip the ramdisk and started to repack the whole boot.img file; here I had trouble because the command did not work for hours; I don’t know why, it did not give errors like file not found but it only gave the standard Linux result when you launch a shell command without any argument, that is it gave me the standard help usage (same results, I mean as when you launch mkbootimg –help.. I searched Google and read tons of example of this command, I tried by also putting into the command the –pagesize, –ramdisk_offset and all the info I had from the output when extracting the original boot.img file.. well no luck at all!

So I thought: I already have SU available into the system partion; I already have one the mods I need (the one from init.rc), I could try to flash the mod recovery and SuperSU directly.. And that’s what I did.. I then rebooted the device to Android but it did not boot: it stays for 15 minutes to the Chinese cube logo.. 🙁

Meanwhile I finally managed to obtain the modified boot.img file – don’t know exatly how – I only know the I used the command this way:

./mkbootimg –kernel boot.img-zImage –ramdisk newradisk.cpio.gz –cmdline “PUT IN THOSE BRACKETS THE CONTENT OF THE -cmdline FILE, LEAVE THE DOUBLE BRACKETS ALSO” -o here.img

That way I was finally able to obtain my modified boot.img partition! YAHOOO! But I soon noticed it was much more smaller than the original! The boot.img file I extracted with dd from the tablet is 30 MB big, once I edit it I got a new one of 11 MB (slightly less than 11). This is weird, too, I thought.. So I check the dimensions of the @Laura and @jetfin boot.img file and they were of the same dimension! No problem, so, I thought..

At this point I have to say that the those modified boot.img (the ones from Laura and jetfin) could not be used into a TCL variant unit because the kernel is different. There is also on xda a boot.img from @popcorn24 who edited its own on a TCL unit. But he stated that his kernel is from April 2016 or something like that, while mine was from May 2016 (May 2, I think), so I had to modify my boot.img partition image file by myself. But the boot.img from popcorn has the same identical dimension than mine; I also check the MD% of the file, maybe they were completely the same (but, different info in the kernel, different kernel, different file so different MD5), but it seems they are not identical, even if the size is 10.2 MB for both..

But, I flashed my boot.img file with bootloader flash boot here.img – than I reflash the custom recovery, gave permissions to edit the system partition, mounted the system partition, installed SuperSU, rebooted and… nothing, still hanged on cube logo!! 🙁 grrrrrrrrr I tired a bunch of times, I also tried the popcorn boot.img, I try to boot again with the original boot file, I lock and unlocked the bootlloader.. I did a lot of things, maybe too much, because I noticed after an hour of this flash, reboot, bootloader, recovery, flash etc etc that my data partition was… CORRUPTED!! :! double GRRRRRRRRRR! I tried to format it, to wipe, to bla bla but nothing happened. I did not make any backup of this so I was… literally a little bit upset! I also tried to use the e2fschk to try to restore the blocks partition without any results.

So I wrote to popcorn on xda and I’m awaiting for his reply, in the meantime I download a stock ROM for the T variant (from here http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/development/rom-stock-cube-iwork-10-flagship-i15-t-t3372281), went to recovery, backed up the original partitions I had (no data because it gave errors) and finally flashed this T ROM; then I opened the recovery terminal and:

# mke2fs /dev/block/mmc***0p9

then I rebooted once more and after 2 minutes I got the Android again!! 😀 Well, it was not my original ROM, not for my device but hey, I’m totally sure that those ROM are identical, it only change the kernel (not the kernel version itself but only the date when they compiled it) and the build.prop file!

Well, Android was working again, but still no root.. 🙁

I went again to recovery and I tried to restore my previous backup without touching the /data partition.. still no boot 🙁 But after that it was very late in the night and I decided to go to bad..

 

So now I got my questions, if you please.. If you can help it will be great, also if you don’t know hot to heck some of my questions, please ask and I’ll give you info..

1. For whom who have the TCL (so, Type C) variant, could you please:

• after checking if there are new OTA update of the system, check the exact kernel info in Settings/About section (better if you did not rooted yet)?
• If you never unlock your bootloader and root your tablet, could you please reboot into the bootloader and check there if you have those: SECURE BOOT – disabled / LOCK STATE – unlocked (to enter bootloader, simply shot down the tablet, after a few seconds it is off, put it ON again, at the OS choosing windows tap Android, tap OK and immediately AFTER tap and keep tapped the Vol – button until you see the bootloader itself)
• would you mind extracting a few system partitions so that we can all have a backup in case s***t happens? We do not need any partition where Android stores personal data, only system ones, where are stored just the files Android needs to boot up and the system apps, no personal data (once more 😉 )

For whom who is a little bit experienced, what do you guys think I should do? I mean, it seems I can boot a ROM of the T version and have no apparent issue (or so it seems, I just used it for few minutes before trying other things); I will also be able to root at that time (if not flashing directly a rooted ROM from the @jetfin thread on xda) because my kernel will be the same as T version; once rooted I could change the build.prop model info and I will not be able to see any difference with my original build.. But, still I would like to be able to have my original one, so.. what do you guys suggest?

Also, I don’t understand why the original untouched boot.img file is 30 MB big while all the modified boot.img I found here and on xda are only 11 MB! Mine to is that size! Maybe it is due to the mkbootimg tool compression?

Why if I flash back the original boot.img file my system still do NOT boot Android? I use bootloader flash boot boot.img to flash it, but maybe I should use dd as when I extracted it originally, shouldn’t I? I’m trying o do that btw..

Well, I think it’s enough now.. I really hope that someone will reply me, I noticed that this section of this forum is not as active as in the past months, don’t know if most of the people sell this tablet or they simply do not have interest into following threads, so I’m not sure about the results.. 🙁

Thanks a lot for paying attention, I’m so sorry because of the length of the thread but if you read it you’ll know I need to explain in details what I did so that someone who wants to help will have all the necessary info to suggest me solutions and tips.. Hope to hear you soon, have a nice day – or whatever in your country 😉

[Tom]

preparing a bootable linux usb @ work so I can make backups of boot.img and other partitions tonight (maybe 😉

which partitions are you interested for? Yesterday I was investigating in windows and installed ODIN (open disk imager in nutshell) and you can make backups of all partitions (15 or 16) but seems  that this is not like “dd” in linux ’cause tried to unpack the 3rd partition and it don’t work (this programs makes some modification to the .img file).

I have the i15-tcl > as I remember kernel is from 2.nd may 2016 (OTA say’s no update)!? – will check later for sure. and yes, will check bootloader status

[Tom]

I’ve just compared two folder with android installations (winmerge), one for i15-TC( 26052016) and the other i15-TD(16042016),

Results>> all files the same(binary identical) except: boot.img, bootloader, installer.efi, loader.efi, recovery.img and system.img.

When I will make backups of my partitions will compare with these…

[Tom]

boot.img that I dumped from my device is already modified!? just the default.prop is not edited (ro.secure=1), no need to edit init.rc!?

how is this possible? My bootlader was also unlocked when I first started fastboot!? when I go to adb shell and hit “SU” it changes from “#” to “$”

kernel version:

3.14.37-x86_64-L1-R517

softteam@pdd-build #1

Sat May 7 17:02:18 CST 2016

Build number: i15-TCL_V1.0_20160507

[brainvision]

hi tom!

 

trhanks for replying and thanks for your interest into helping me, I really appreciate it! Also a big big thank you fro the files you sent me, I’m gonna downlaod it as soon as possible!

So, the only way you could hae unlocked your bootloader is by launching the command

fasboot oem unlock

from the bootloader, no other way. If you want to check if yours is locked or unlocked you just need to go to bootloader and see if there are two lines in red where it says BOOTLOADER UNLOCKED or something like, very neat, btw.. Sorry if I’m telling you this but I don’t understand if your last post about your bootloader is a question, so I’m replying even if I’m not sure if you really need it 😀

I have also to say that I did not remember I unlocked my bootloader but maybe I could have done the first days I used the tablets because I did not want to lost all my Android inb the uture (unlocking reset the Android OS to the first boot state).

Also, about the kernel.. My assumption was right, so the only modified boot.img for the TCL version (by @popcorn) is already too old for us; I failed into modifyng mine, don’t why because it seems to me that I followed all the steps in the how-to. The only fear I have about that is that I pick somehow the wrong partition (that should be the *p03) because after the dd ends I got a file of 30 MB while the boot.img I find here and on xda are less than 11 MB! 🙁

Now I’ll check your files and see if the boot.img is also present..

TO be honest at the moment I don’t know if I want to go back to the original TCL stock Android, because I finally managed to have root, TWRP, a working Link2SD and I’m sure we’ll never see any other OTA here, but at the same time I feel I want to the original rooted stock and not the one of the i15-T 😀

 

Last but not least, I want to build a custom dock for the tablet and I would like to everyone here if someone knows something about pogo pins: I know that pogo pins are able to charge but I’m not sure that the keyboard of this tablet (I did not buy it) are also able to charge, and this is the first question; also I would like to have hints about which king of pins I could buy to build my dock..

Again, thanks a lot @Tom for your help, I thought my thread would never had any reply! 😉

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