Possible Soft-Brick Fix for my Galaxy S4

Question

So, prior to my stupidity, I made a system.img dump via dd

However, after my stupidity (tried flashing some lib files....), I am now stuck with only stock recovery mode, or download mode.

How can I flash back my system.img? I tried in download mode with heimdall... but it fails with

root@o7thDev:/media/MediaTwo/MyRom# heimdall flash --verbose --no-reboot --SYSTEM system.img
Heimdall v1.4.0

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Initialising connection...
Detecting device...
  Manufacturer: "Sasmsung"
       Product: "MSM8960"

        length: 18
  device class: 2
           S/N: 0
       VID:PID: 04E8:685D
     bcdDevice: 0100
   iMan:iProd:iSer: 1:2:0
      nb confs: 1

interface[0].altsetting[0]: num endpoints = 1
Class.SubClass.Protocol: 02.02.01
   endpoint[0].address: 82
       max packet size: 0010
      polling interval: 09

interface[1].altsetting[0]: num endpoints = 2
Class.SubClass.Protocol: 0A.00.00
   endpoint[0].address: 81
       max packet size: 0200
      polling interval: 00
   endpoint[1].address: 01
       max packet size: 0200
      polling interval: 00
Claiming interface...
Attempt failed. Detaching driver...
Claiming interface again...
Setting up interface...

Initialising protocol...
WARNING: Control transfer #1 failed. Result: -9
WARNING: Control transfer #2 failed. Result: -9
WARNING: Control transfer #3 failed. Result: -9
WARNING: Control transfer #4 failed. Result: -9
WARNING: Control transfer #5 failed. Result: -9
WARNING: Control transfer #6 failed. Result: -9
ERROR: Failed to receive handshake response. Retrying...
Protocol initialisation successful.

Beginning session...

Some devices may take up to 2 minutes to respond.
Please be patient!

Session begun.

Downloading device's PIT file...
PIT file download successful.

Uploading SYSTEM
0%
1%
ERROR: Failed to unpack received packet.

ERROR: Failed to confirm end of file transfer sequence!
ERROR: SYSTEM upload failed!

Ending session...
Releasing device interface...
Re-attaching kernel driver...

so I tried creating an update.zip that I could sideload flash in stock recovery, but that fails as well with

E: footer is wrong
E: signature verification failed

If I could get into adb shell, I'd be set... all I'd have to do is dd the system.img back (been there done that in SafeStrap), but when I try adb shell in stock recovery I just get "error: device not found", and in sideload mode, I get

error: closed

Please help? :crying:

Answer 1

Try disabling verification, via safestrap, and try both methods + Sideload again.

I should ask, why heimdall and safestrap? Use Clockworkmod recovery instead of safestrap and ODIN over heimdall. Yes, they require you to get your stuff online beforehand, but clockworkmod has got me out of a lot of soft-bricks

If I was boring, everyone I know would not bother with me :(