[RECOVERY][K200] OFFICIAL TWRP 2.8.5.1 touch recovery [06.03.2015]

[Bazmamfoo]

Hey Abdul,

I tried installing this on my MXiii 1/8GB using the TWRP manager (tried both 2.8.5.0 and 2.8.5.1) but both were unsuccessful.

Now when I tried to boot to recovery, I just see a series of vertical coloured lines across the screen, so it seems I've botched the stock recovery too! The issue now is that all the other methods of flashing recovery involve already having a recovery in place.

Any ideas how I can resolve, even to get back to stock? I want to try out custom ROMs but need a custom recovery first to make a nandroid. Any help is much appreciated.

[abdul_pt]

Hey Abdul,

I tried installing this on my MXiii 1/8GB using the TWRP manager (tried both 2.8.5.0 and 2.8.5.1) but both were unsuccessful.

Now when I tried to boot to recovery, I just see a series of vertical coloured lines across the screen, so it seems I've botched the stock recovery too! The issue now is that all the other methods of flashing recovery involve already having a recovery in place.

Any ideas how I can resolve, even to get back to stock? I want to try out custom ROMs but need a custom recovery first to make a nandroid. Any help is much appreciated.

Before i submit the change upstream, i would like to hear from you.

All seems to work as it should. Sometimes when booting to recovery you may get that screen or similar, just wait around 3 seconds that the TWRP curtain will show.

www.freak-tab.de/abdul_pt/aml/k200.img

They still didn't update the image, use this one.
Rename to recovery.img, place on root of SDcard and boot while pressing the reset button.
If you are happy with it and want to install to emmc select install, image button and select the file.

[Bazmamfoo]

They still didn't update the image, use this one.
Rename to recovery.img, place on root of SDcard and boot while pressing the reset button.
If you are happy with it and want to install to emmc select install, image button and select the file.

Thanks. I'll test when I'm home this evening. So that method will work even though I currently have no recovery?

Also, internal or external SD?

[abdul_pt]

This method will always work as long your bootloader is ok.

External SD.

[superskid]

When I hold down the reset button with recovery.img on my SD card my device just boots up shows the google TV logo with grey back ground and keeps looping to that. When I let go of reset it boots into Android. What am I doing wrong?

[Bazmamfoo]

They still didn't update the image, use this one.
Rename to recovery.img, place on root of SDcard and boot while pressing the reset button.
If you are happy with it and want to install to emmc select install, image button and select the file.

Thanks mate.

Managed to boot into recovery using the second img file. However, for some reason I can't mount ext SD (is this because the recovery.img is on ext SD?) so I can't flash recovery permanently.

I also tried running a nandroid backup, but right at the end got an error:
"Backing up Boot...
E: Backup file size for '/data...........//boot.emmc.win' is 0 bytes. (I have removed much of the filepath here with ........)
Backup Failed."

Any idea what might be causing that issue? Can't really flash anything without a nandroid.


UPDATE: Just managed to completed a backup by not including Boot in the backup so looks like the problem is with this. Any advice is appreciated

[abdul_pt]

When I hold down the reset button with recovery.img on my SD card my device just boots up shows the google TV logo with grey back ground and keeps looping to that. When I let go of reset it boots into Android. What am I doing wrong?

First thing that you are doing wrong is not providing enough information to receive any help.

[abdul_pt]

Thanks mate.

Managed to boot into recovery using the second img file. However, for some reason I can't mount ext SD (is this because the recovery.img is on ext SD?) so I can't flash recovery permanently.

I also tried running a nandroid backup, but right at the end got an error:
"Backing up Boot...
E: Backup file size for '/data...........//boot.emmc.win' is 0 bytes. (I have removed much of the filepath here with ........)
Backup Failed."

Any idea what might be causing that issue? Can't really flash anything without a nandroid.


UPDATE: Just managed to completed a backup by not including Boot in the backup so looks like the problem is with this. Any advice is appreciated

Since i don't have a MXIII i would need recovery.log to check it what's wrong.

[Bazmamfoo]

Since i don't have a MXIII i would need recovery.log to check it what's wrong.

PM Sent

[silvanet]

Great forum & great info. Glad to have found it. Some basic questions, though.

I'm having problems with all these Amlogic boxes - M8, MQ, and MXIII. I hate their pre-installed Android KitKat & all the bloatware installed in them. All I want is an efficient, stable, simple OS to run XBMC/Kodi.

So, been looking into custom ROMS or firmware updates. Too many of the boxes I configure on occasion crash. Some without an easy fix, leaving a black screen of death.

I tried flashing TWRP and not a single attempt using Android recovery mode or the updates APP worked. I keep getting unable to mount SD card errors.

I tried putting the zip in the root of the internal SD card and that fails with same recovery message & the update APP does not even see it.

Finally just downloaded the TWRP manager from Play Store, but that proved pretty useless.

I followed abdul_pt's links to TWRP website where they say it should work on MXIII, but it doesn't.

So, I'd appreciate a step by step to follow one last time.

Also, after some reading, I decided to try Finless's latest ROM 2.1 - from here: http://www.preupload.com/2014/12/new...tronsmart.html

Followed instructions carefully, step by step. Tried every option listed in the README FIRST file.

Since reading turned up problems with KitKat and external SD cards, I tried putting the files in both the external, and then the internal SD.

Not one single option worked, always giving me the "can't mount /sdcard/s82_m8_s89_finless21.zip" message after repeated attempts and error messages "mount /dev/block/mmcblk0p1 on /sdcard failed...(Invalid argument), now try read-only to mount again..." Installation aborted.

I've downloaded official stock and unofficial firmware for the Amlogic MXIII S802 Quad Core TV box and NEVER been able to flash any of it.

If it were possible, I'd like to completely wipe out the entire Android system and try installing an OpenElec, simple, pure Linux OS to run Kodi. Is that even possible, or should I just move on to some box that can do that?

I've been considering the Raspberry pi, Banana pi, and Odroids.

Of over 50 boxes tested, the ONLY ones that have not given a single problem are a Banana pi board (not even boxed) and an old PC both running Ubuntu.

I would appreciate any advice, help, or direction.

[Ichijoe]

Great forum & great info. Glad to have found it. Some basic questions, though.

I'm having problems with all these Amlogic boxes - M8, MQ, and MXIII. I hate their pre-installed Android KitKat & all the bloatware installed in them. All I want is an efficient, stable, simple OS to run XBMC/Kodi.

So, been looking into custom ROMS or firmware updates. Too many of the boxes I configure on occasion crash. Some without an easy fix, leaving a black screen of death.

I tried flashing TWRP and not a single attempt using Android recovery mode or the updates APP worked. I keep getting unable to mount SD card errors.

I tried putting the zip in the root of the internal SD card and that fails with same recovery message & the update APP does not even see it.

Finally just downloaded the TWRP manager from Play Store, but that proved pretty useless.

I followed abdul_pt's links to TWRP website where they say it should work on MXIII, but it doesn't.

So, I'd appreciate a step by step to follow one last time.

Also, after some reading, I decided to try Finless's latest ROM 2.1 - from here: http://www.preupload.com/2014/12/new...tronsmart.html

Followed instructions carefully, step by step. Tried every option listed in the README FIRST file.

Since reading turned up problems with KitKat and external SD cards, I tried putting the files in both the external, and then the internal SD.

Not one single option worked, always giving me the "can't mount /sdcard/s82_m8_s89_finless21.zip" message after repeated attempts and error messages "mount /dev/block/mmcblk0p1 on /sdcard failed...(Invalid argument), now try read-only to mount again..." Installation aborted.

I've downloaded official stock and unofficial firmware for the Amlogic MXIII S802 Quad Core TV box and NEVER been able to flash any of it.

If it were possible, I'd like to completely wipe out the entire Android system and try installing an OpenElec, simple, pure Linux OS to run Kodi. Is that even possible, or should I just move on to some box that can do that?

I've been considering the Raspberry pi, Banana pi, and Odroids.

Of over 50 boxes tested, the ONLY ones that have not given a single problem are a Banana pi board (not even boxed) and an old PC both running Ubuntu.

I would appreciate any advice, help, or direction.

As someone with an MXIII -- IT DOES WORK!
You need to just rename the file from k200.img to recovery.img first. I don't believe that this File should even be zipped to start with, as its already a compressed *.img File. that you then place on a MicroSD Card (FAT32 Formatted!) outside of any Directory (i.e. Folder) e.g. At root.

I don't know much about the MXQ other then the fact that it has an S805 SoC, and, is therefore NOT going to work since the k200 Build is for the S802 SoC ONLY! As to your MXIII is it the 1G, or 2G (Of RAM), Version? if its the 2G Version, you may want to try the S82 Version instead.

[silvanet]

As someone with an MXIII -- IT DOES WORK!
You need to just rename the file from k200.img to recovery.img first. I don't believe that this File should even be zipped to start with, as its already a compressed *.img File. that you then place on a MicroSD Card (FAT32 Formatted!) outside of any Directory (i.e. Folder) e.g. At root.

I don't know much about the MXQ other then the fact that it has an S805 SoC, and, is therefore NOT going to work since the k200 Build is for the S802 SoC ONLY! As to your MXIII is it the 1G, or 2G (Of RAM), Version? if its the 2G Version, you may want to try the S82 Version instead.

What OS does your box have? Is it KitKat 4.4.2? Mine does not allow writing to external SD card and there is nothing anywhere in the OS settings to change those permissions. I did rename the file to recovery.img and even placed it on the root of the internal SD card.

And I don't know what file you are talking about (k200.img). If you look at my link, you'll see Finless' latest ROM is 2.1 and the zip is not named what you say. I'd be glad to try whatever file it is that you think works if you'll give me the download link.

[Ichijoe]

What OS does your box have? Is it KitKat 4.4.2? Mine does not allow writing to external SD card and there is nothing anywhere in the OS settings to change those permissions. I did rename the file to recovery.img and even placed it on the root of the internal SD card.

And I don't know what file you are talking about (k200.img). If you look at my link, you'll see Finless' latest ROM is 2.1 and the zip is not named what you say. I'd be glad to try whatever file it is that you think works if you'll give me the download link.

Yes my 1G MXIII is also stuck at 4.4.2 & Kernel 3.10.33. I'm not sure what the problem is with your ExternalSD (i.e. MicroSD), as I'm able to write to it just fine.

BTW: Are you even in the correct Thread? This is the TWRP Thread, and not the Finnless One, and the k200.img -> recovery.img is the File you need to download, and rename if you want to get the TWRP Recovery to work on the MXIII. That or the TRWP version for the S82 (2G ONLY!)

[systemoff]

Hello, can i flash the img file with the app flashify to install the recovery? Thx

[abdul_pt]

http://freaktab.com/forum/tv-player-support/amlogic-based-tv-players/16228-twrp-for-amlogic-devices#post16228