FlashFire v0.32: Fastboot flashable backups
Posted on 2016-04-20, 58 comments, 493 +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.

The major new feature of today's FlashFire update is the ability to create backups that can be flashed back to the device with fastboot. This will allow you to restore your phone from your computer without booting Android or even a custom recovery. This is a new and experimental feature, and as such there are a number of ifs, buts, snags, and caveats.

Only the main Android-related partitions are able to be backed up: boot, recovery, system, vendor, oem, userdata (including internal storage), and cache. Radio/modem partitions need some further investigation and testing, while bootloader (and other not mentioned) partitions will probably never be supported.

As the userdata partition generally contains both /data and internal storage, you should be aware that if you choose not to backup internal storage, restoring the userdata partition through fastboot will leave you with an empty internal storage.

As with backing up the internal storage normally in FlashFire, backups and other files from FlashFire, TWRP, CWM and MultiROM are skipped.

The backup of userdata is currently always in unencrypted ext4 format (even if you are currently running encrypted f2fs). If you restore it, you will end up with an unencrypted ext4 device - a pro for some, a con for others. You need to be aware that stock Marshmallow+ kernels may refuse to work with an unencrypted userdata partition. A SuperSU-patched boot image should work fine though, and chances are, that is included in your backup. Both encryption and f2fs support are under investigation for future versions.

Fastboot backups are truly meant to be restored from your PC using fastboot. While you can 'install' the backup ZIP file using the 'Flash firmware package' option, that currently does not support flashing the userdata partition, which is usually the most important partition to backup/restore. There may be support for this in the future, though.

The backup itself is a ZIP file containing partition chunks (similar to Motorola's sparsechunk format) and a flash-all.bat file to perform the restore. The commands in that batch file should also work on Linux and OSX, but regardless of platform, the fastboot command needs to be on the PATH, and support the -u switch (which all recent Android SDK versions do). Obviously, your bootloader also needs to be unlocked for the flash to work.

Last but not least, this feature has only been tested with a handful of devices, while there are a great many devices out there that support fastboot. It might not work well or at all for your device.

Other noteworthy changes

When flashing a ZIP or OTA, there is now the option to 'Preserve recovery'. This will backup your current recovery image before starting the action, and restore it afterwards. This option is automatically enabled if FlashFire detects you have TWRP or another custom recovery installed. With this feature enabled, you can have TWRP survive an OTA flash, even if FlashFire restores the stock boot and recovery to let that OTA succeed.

A pretty severe issue with SurfaceFlinger has been identified and worked around. This issue could cause FlashFire to black screen indefinitely rather than performing the flash or rebooting. This might not fix all black screen issues, but it will fix some.

I've also finally gotten round to implementing the Credits listing, which details the used libraries and binaries and their authors and licenses. I'll cower behind the BETA tag for not taking care of this sooner.

Download

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

Direct APK download: https://download.chainfire.eu/957/FlashFire/FlashFire-v0.32-20160420152035.apk

Discussion, bug reports, feature requests, etc

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

Changelog

  • Exclude multirom folder from internal storage backup as well

  • Ability to create fastboot flashable backups

  • Use proper ioctls for partition and block size detection

  • Added option to backup recovery before installing ZIP/OTA and restoring it afterwards (automatically enabled when a custom recovery is detected)

  • Added a watchdog to detect SurfaceFlinger crashes, fixes some black screen issues

  • Prevent repeating OTA flash suggestion on rotate

  • Added credits listing


Download

+1493
Owen Edwards commented on 2016-04-20 at 15:20:

I'm not currently using this tool, but I've used many of your others and I felt compelled to say that your awesome work is always very much appreciated out in Android userland!

xiang cheng commented on 2016-04-20 at 16:13:

Thank you,chainfire bro?

Lawrence Hults II commented on 2016-04-20 at 16:25:

wow, excellent additions! Kudos and thanks for the hard work!

Bob Peterson commented on 2016-04-20 at 16:33:

If only this gave us a way to root verizon s7

Anees Bakrain commented on 2016-04-20 at 17:32:

If I create a backup using flashfire, could I restore it by TWRP and vise versa?

rached saadani commented on 2016-04-20 at 21:02:

Merci maître vous êtes un grand monsieur

rached saadani commented on 2016-04-20 at 21:05:

Une grande réussite pour G930f

José Silva commented on 2016-04-20 at 21:20:

Thank you dude, for you work.

Caroline Zarzecki commented on 2016-04-20 at 21:59:

oh my god it's so pretty!!!!!!! 

Lawrence Hults II commented on 2016-04-20 at 22:51:

Yes, there is a super tool that largely automates the root, and there is

SlimromLP or cm 12.1

Wayne Reid commented on 2016-04-21 at 00:52:

Nice!!, will just do a backup and transfer the zip to my desktop, can be handy in an emergency.

John L Galt commented on 2016-04-21 at 01:08:

Very, very nice, dude. This thing is pure awesomeness at its finest.

Since I never had / use MO / MOP, can't wait for the paid link for this to support your work again. Until that happens, thanks!

ATUL AGARWAL commented on 2016-04-21 at 05:05:

What would be the face of android without you..you are god among android users.

David S commented on 2016-04-21 at 21:21:

+Tommaso Movis What error are you getting once installed?

Juan E Vargas Rodríguez commented on 2016-04-21 at 22:15:

Saludos desde España!

Melquis Cáceres commented on 2016-04-22 at 00:11:

Amigo para que sirve el FlashFire ?

پژمان صادقی commented on 2016-04-22 at 03:41:

God

Hajji Abdelilah commented on 2016-04-22 at 18:02:

Salut j'ai un problème de l'installation de Su j'ai téléphoné oppo new 7 a33f

پژمان صادقی commented on 2016-04-22 at 18:03:

Nice

Hajji Abdelilah commented on 2016-04-22 at 18:05:

J'ai changé tout les langues même problème de l'installation merci

William Cameron commented on 2016-04-25 at 03:32:

???Keep up the good work. It is very much appreciated.

Rafael Palleros commented on 2016-04-25 at 12:30:

no sentience eso

Amine commented on 2016-04-25 at 15:19:

Hallo

Melquis Cáceres commented on 2016-04-25 at 15:26:

Please write in spanish

Melquis Cáceres commented on 2016-04-25 at 15:26:

Don't understand

s jobin commented on 2016-04-26 at 05:08:

Hello sir I want to Samsung galaxy s5 g900h new root file because old root file not working my mobile. So please help me. My rom model is G900HODD1BOL1 or G900HXXS1BPC8

Melquis Cáceres commented on 2016-04-26 at 11:25:

Hola intente flashear el firmware stock de i9500 con flashfire y no funciono !

Yollie Sutzko commented on 2016-04-26 at 13:06:

Keep up the awesome work! Amazing peoduct as always, I prefer flash fire over anything else when flashing.

Melquis Cáceres commented on 2016-04-26 at 14:05:

to me it did not help me to install the firmware stock of my i9500

Melquis Cáceres commented on 2016-04-26 at 14:08:

g900h friend installs the root flashing cf-root Chainfire

jooshh ramos commented on 2016-04-27 at 02:59:

Hola! Es seguro usar flashfire en un Sony Xperia c5 ultra???

A F commented on 2016-04-28 at 20:33:

Cfa root for galaxy s5 g900f would be great. 6.0.1 :D

jooshh ramos commented on 2016-04-29 at 02:17:

Funcionando perfecto en Sony Xperia c5 ultra

Guellaz Houcine commented on 2016-04-29 at 13:42:

Nn

CruseRX commented on 2016-05-02 at 15:14:

THANK YOU so much,you helped me so if it wasn't for you I would never have received supersu. Ps i do not know much English so wrote through a translator.

Carlos Estable Ciumara commented on 2016-05-02 at 17:39:

Kd vcs

Damion Adams commented on 2016-05-02 at 19:39:

Thanks for the root

Que Onda commented on 2016-05-03 at 18:39:

+Chainfire Thank you! I been trying to use your app and I noticed when you do Wipe, then ROM then GAPPS it would fail. It seems not to put the steps in the order as I added them. When I moved the Wipe to the beginning then it worked fine. I used on my FIre 7" tablet and hopefully tonight I'll Try on my Note 3.

Dinesh Makawana commented on 2016-05-04 at 10:50:

I like it

Shine Stones commented on 2016-05-05 at 20:17:

I have japan galaxy s3 with firmware JSS15J.SC03EOMUBOG5 it is not rootable by your current cf auto root for sc-03e so please help me and make cf auto root for this version. I need urgent rooting. Please help

Shyrem HD commented on 2016-05-05 at 22:51:

Top

Nay Noy commented on 2016-05-06 at 07:04:

Can't

Andrea Borgia commented on 2016-05-07 at 10:42:

Latest two monthly security fixes installed nicely on my rooted N5, bought the Pro to thank you :)

T H commented on 2016-05-08 at 04:34:

Any chance of getting Flashfire to make Odin flashable backups?

David el crack el mero crack commented on 2016-05-09 at 13:36:

Oye como comfiguro el super su ?

Jason Lagarde commented on 2016-05-09 at 15:27:

For some reason I can't flash a rom on to my kindle

David el crack el mero crack commented on 2016-05-09 at 15:28:

Ok

wahyu di commented on 2016-05-09 at 23:55:

njssu

叶轩 commented on 2016-05-10 at 06:28:

Is it possible to flash Android N with flashfire?

پژمان صادقی commented on 2016-05-10 at 21:01:

عالی

David el crack el mero crack commented on 2016-05-11 at 01:20:

Como salen en facebook ahh ?

پژمان صادقی commented on 2016-05-11 at 03:58:

Ok

Vincent Gilbert commented on 2016-05-13 at 14:56:

Great info here. At this point, I've used Flashfire to update my Nexus 6P. I do know how to use ADB and fastboot.

Can I simply flash the new radio, or must I do both the bootloader AND the radio at the same time?

Also, will flashing the bootloader image unroot or lock my phone? I'm a bit unclear on the effects of flashing the updated bootloader after using Flashfire. I just want to have all the most up-to-date images.

Thanks

Alassane Kabore commented on 2016-06-01 at 03:30:

Cest propre

ali reisi commented on 2016-07-03 at 00:27:

He

ali reisi commented on 2016-07-03 at 00:27:

Sd

Bernd Texter commented on 2016-08-24 at 12:00:

Spielfilm TV. Regestriern

حالد ايت امغار commented on 2016-10-27 at 15:10:

Tchakn

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