[gDrive]

Originally Posted by Inali No offense, but you still didn't answer my question >_< The point of service mode is to be able to downgrade firmware, right? So if service mode lets us downgrade, and you need to be on 3.55 to get OUT of service mode, why cant we just use Service mode to downgrade to 3.55 and then leave it? Why would we need a hardware flasher for Service mode? I dont get it...

Paragraph 2 in my last post answers your question regarding post-3.55 firmware downgrading - as for 3.55-to-3.41 downgrading though, that CAN be done via Service Mode, but the whole point of Service Mode is to unbrick, and where possible, downgrade to a lower firmware version, which you can't do on any post-3.55 firmware version via Factory Service Mode ALONE - why do you think hardware flasher-based downgrading tutorials for post-3.55-installed PS3s are here for in the first place? Having said that though, you WILL need to enter into FSM with a development board (NOT to be confused with a hardware flasher and hardware flashers are NOT used for Service Mode purposes - they are used to flash a byte-reversed/downgrade-modded flash dump, in which it is needed to downgrade a console from a post-3.55 firmware to version 3.55) once you have modified your dump to make it downgrade-friendly, and you have flashed it back to the system, as stated here: http://www.ps3hax.net/showthread.php?t=39766

Also, you don't want a big fat red box in the bottom right-hand corner in XMB, and service mode is only used/designed for recovery/unbricking/downgrading (see above paragraph) purposes and not for anything else.

[sintetix]

Those, who don't have android phone with ported psfMod/psfServiceMod/PSFreedom, shouldn’t' loose their hopes yet (maybe later)!

I have ported it to my Huawei U8500, but wasn't able to test it yet. Right now I'm in the search of NAND flasher. Without it no tests could be made. At least [PSFreedom settings]->[Put PS3 in Service Mode] doesn't raise any error messages. To enter menu use green key, not central button. Pressing on joystick would switch screen off, but don't worry - just press power button to turn display on.

I wouldn't be able to make this image without sources from AlexTac, Slax and creators of CyanogenMod and ClockWorkMod.

I'm not an experienced android developer, so I can't give any assumptions about safety of this recovery image. I didn't even try to open any menu item not related with PS3.

Good news are: you don't need to flash anything to launch it! After reboot everything will be as before (let's hope so).

So this is the steps to try it on U8500:

1. find any other tested ClockWorkMod
2. goto fastboot mode (use Google)
3. run fastboot boot yourClockWorkMod.img (don't ask me how to get fastboot and another copy of ClockWorkMod - use Google)
4. perform nandroid backup
5. reboot to android and make a copy of just made backup to another device (your computer for example). It is better to make backup of any other data from sdcard or just eject it.
6. go to fastboot again
7. run fastboot boot recovery.img - "recovery.img" here is from U8500_psfMod_recovery_0.01.rar
8. try to enter your PS3 in service mode! (Only if you have FW 3.55 or lower!)

I can try to make ports for other devices, which have ClockWorkMod (or even doesn't) or publish steps I made to compile my recovery image (I have already written it, only in Russian).
All compilations were made inside VMware VM, so I will try to publish it too. I just need to fill with zeroes free space on virtual HDD to compress it better. My experience with Linux is very limited, so it will take some time.

In case if somebody is interested in porting to other devices, I need sources of your kernel with according .config file for it (I could extract it from your nandroid backup's boot.img or recovery.img) and result of cat /proc/mtd. The last one could be received through adb if phone is rooted or if adb is working in recovery mode.

I any case, I can't promise to port it to any device, especially on Samsungs, which use initramfs.

[sintetix]

Attached manual was written by me after finishing making boot image from my previous post. It was intended for myself in case if after some time I would need to repeat those steps.

That is why originally it was written in my native language - Russian, and only troublesome steps was documented. But after finding this thread, I decided to make this manual more complete and create English translation.

Translation is made by translate.google.com and with my hand made fixes.

This text is still full of grammar mistakes, so it would be great if someone with better English skills would correct it.
Also, only Huawei U8500 is covered - this is the only android device I have. That means some steps (especially for kernel compiling and patching) will be different for other models. It would be really great if more experienced android programmer would help to make this manual more generic.

It should be mentioned, that psfMod is not the only option to run PSFreedom.ko.
Anothers are (not covered in attached manual):
1) patching of kernel in boot partition and launching PSFreedom.ko from main android boot (most dangerous option).
2) taking someone else's recovery (could be even original) with working adb (mandatory here), patching it's kernel (main kernel and kernel for recovery are stored separately). This option is a little easier to implement, but less convenient to use.