FlashFire v0.29 released
Posted on 2016-03-22, 12 comments, 361 +1's, imported from Google+/Chainfire

NOTICE: This content was originally posted to Google+, then imported here. Some formatting may be lost, links may be dead, and images may be missing.

Today's update of FlashFire is mostly a compatibility update. A bug in Android N itself that prevented OTAs from flashing has been worked around (you may still see incorrect size listings of 2048 MiB in some places, though), and there have been quite a few modifications to partition detection and external storage handling (portable and adopted sd cards, as well as USB).

Both the app's startup time as well as the time it takes to switch from Android to flashing mode have been reduced. The latter will be even faster when combined with the soon-to-be-released SuperSU v2.71.

Feature wise, an option to format /cache has been added to the Wipe action, to fix /cache partitions that are the wrong size and prevent OTAs from flashing. Additionally, the internal storage can now also be backed up, though it will skip FlashFire and TWRP backup files.

Last but not least, a setting has been added to allow primary and secondary bootloader partitions to be flashed (on devices where this is possible, such as most Nexus devices). This is extremely dangerous - any failure may hard-brick your device - don't touch it if you don't know what you are doing.

Download

Google Play's awkward BETA program opt-in: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/eu.chainfire.flash

Direct APK download: http://download.chainfire.eu/931/FlashFire/FlashFire-v0.29-20160322212736.apk

Discussion, bug reports, feature requests, etc

XDA thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/general/paid-software/flashfire-t3075433

Changelogs

  • Fix some compatibility issues with N Preview

  • Fix app_process causing a reboot during startup

  • Fix bug which could cause flashing /system to freeze

  • Improve partition detection size accuracy

  • Reduce app startup time

  • Reduce time taken to switch to flash mode

  • Add option to format /cache (wipe action)

  • Improve external sdcard compatibility

  • Improve adopted storage compatibility

  • Improve USB drive compatibility

  • Add additional OTA paths for NVidia

  • Improve partition platform detection

  • Add support for backing up internal storage (excludes FlashFire, TWRP and CWM backups)

  • Fix error when opening bootloader image not wrapped in an archive

  • Add setting to enable flashing primary and secondary bootloaders (automatically disabled)

  • EverRoot: "Enable ADB" no longer enabled by default

Sign in - Google Accounts

+1361
Henny Roggy commented on 2016-03-22 at 21:07:

+Chainfire​ I am really new to your app FlashFire. But I would like to know if I can use it with TWRP as well? I think it says "stock recovery" in the app itself. But maybe it also works with TWRP?

Chainfire commented on 2016-03-22 at 21:19:

+Total Security FlashFire is completely unrelated to TWRP. You can have and use both. FlashFire is not flashed to the recovery partition like TWRP is.

However, if you use FlashFire to flash an OTA, the OTA itself may check for the recovery being stock. This is why FlashFire (by default) attempts to restore the stock recovery (and thus removes TWRP) before flashing an OTA. That attempt generally only works when you are using systemless SuperSU over a stock boot image, though.

So when flashing OTAs, you may lose TWRP. That is easily fixed by adding an action that flashes TWRP back to the recovery partition after flashing the OTA.

If you're not doing any OTA flashing and never explicitly tell FlashFire to overwrite the recovery partition, TWRP and FlashFire are completely unaware of eachother's existence.

Zaki Manzanza commented on 2016-03-22 at 21:54:

+Chainfire​ I don't wanna turn this into a Q&A post but I read that once you're rooted - I've got a Nexus 6p - you can't flash OTA. So can you confirm that if I've got a stock boot image and rooted with systemless I could use your app to flash an OTA zip?

Jimmy G commented on 2016-03-23 at 01:06:

+Zaki Manzanza yes, thats one of the general purposes for FlashFire.

From the XDA Thread: - On systemless SuperSU roots, if you have not modified /system, FlashFire can often install the OTA update directly, and EverRoot after. Let your device download the update, but don't install it - instead, just open FlashFire, it should detect the OTA. (Tested on several Nexus devices)

Jeremy Waugh commented on 2016-03-23 at 01:08:

+Zaki Manzanza​ I just got the 6P, and rooted it. As I understand it, you won't be offered an OTA update, but you can still flash them manually.The caveat being you may have to reflash custom recovery and/or root

prakash kandel commented on 2016-03-23 at 04:23:

I faced a problem in my Cf auto rooted Galaxy E7 SM-E700H Android 5.1.1, When I tried to backup & restore it says "waiting for internal Storage" & "no backup found" But in same case on android 4.4.4 everything works why?

Henny Roggy commented on 2016-03-23 at 07:17:

+Jeremy Waugh You will even get the OTA update ;)

You just have to flash it via FlashFire :)

Catalin Cristescu commented on 2016-03-23 at 12:15:

This means now I can flash a full image without being stuck because the img file it's bigger than the detected partition size (2048MiB)?

Zaki Manzanza commented on 2016-03-24 at 20:00:

+Jeremy Waugh that I know thank you. The thing is, with TWRP, you can't flash an OTA zip when you're rooted. Thank you +Jim G​, you've answered my question

K-D Fredrick commented on 2016-03-25 at 20:11:

Good stuff, finally!

Sebastijan Kocman commented on 2016-03-29 at 01:27:

is possible update s6 whitout lose root?

Chainfire commented on 2016-03-31 at 12:21:

Continued here: https://plus.google.com/+Chainfire/posts/QKwaPwbdrHd

This post is over a month old, commenting has been disabled.