Let the hacking BEGIN! (Filesystem access achieved!)

With HUGE thanks to cambys007 and the others who volunteered to poke around, we now have a reliable method to write to the Xenon/GR500's internal filesystem!

This allows such things as:
1. Replacing the Java security policy file (rogers.pol, att.pol, etc) to allow unsigned Java applications access to phone functions.
2. Some future hacks/mods, like we've seen for the Vu.

But first, A WARNING:
Messing around in your phone's internal filesystem is NOT for the faint of heart.  You CAN screw things up pretty badly if you don't know what you're doing or you aren't careful.  You could definitely render your phone inoperable, unbootable or worse.  And your carrier or vendor will be UNLIKELY to help you, if they know the problem is caused by you messing around in the system.

ALWAYS back up important data before doing anything, and always back up the original versions of any files you change or replace.

Since this involves ejecting/inserting the MicroSD card a lot, you should back up your MicroSD card content before proceeding - or better, use a the smallest/cheapest MicroSD card you have when doing this.  There is a possibility your MicroSD card may get corrupt/unreadable/damaged!

What YOU do with YOUR phone is entirely YOUR responsibility.  By following the instructions, you must agree to be responsible for your own actions (there's far too little of this these days).

That said... ON TO THE FILESYSTEM!

This method has been confirmed to work on:

• AT&T-branded GR500/Xenon, firmware 1.0o

Please report back with your phone's model and firmware if you have success or failure.

1. First, check to make sure this is likely to work.

• Format an SD card for use in the phone
• Insert the card into the phone.  Make sure the "Memory card is inserted. Default storage location is changed from device to memory card." message appears.
• Tap OK.
• Check the Set Default Storage >Bluetooth setting to verify it is set to Memory Card.
• Eject the card from the phone.  Make sure the "Memory card is ejected.  Default storage location is changed from memory card to device." message appears.
• Tap OK.

2. If the steps above failed, STOP NOW, this probably won't work on your phone.  Otherwise continue.

3. Now we need to create the files on the card to block the phone from relocating what we upload.

• If you use the phone as a MicroSD reader, set the phone's USB Connection to Mass Storage mode then connect it to the computer via USB.  Otherwise insert the MicroSD card into your MicroSD card reader.
• Create a Hidden, Read-Only file named Others on the MicroSD card root
  
• Create a Hidden, Read-Only file named Other Files on the MicroSD card root
  
• Safely Remove the MicroSD card and disconnect the phone USB if necessary.

4. Pair the phone to your computer via Bluetooth.

• Establish a Bluetooth FTP connection to the phone.
  Note that we are exploiting a security loophole in the phone, so this may not work with all Bluetooth FTP clients.
  For Windows, the only known program that works is IVT BlueSoleil v2.7 or older.
  For Linux, use obexftp.
• Navigate to ..\Media
  You should see a filesystem there.  If not, STOP - your Bluetooth FTP program doesn't support navigating "up and out" of the root or the phone's loophole has been closed.
• Insert the MicroSD card in your phone.
• Upload a test file to ..\Media
• When the transfer is complete, eject the MicroSD card
• Refresh the directory listing of ..\Media
  If you see your test file, you succeeded.

5. Going forward, the process you need to follow to upload files to the phone's filesystem via Bluetooth FTP is as follows:

• Browse to directory you want to upload your file(s) to.
• Insert the MicroSD card into your phone.
• Upload the file(s).
• Eject the MicroSD card from your phone.
• If you have more files to upload, repeat the process.
• Remember: The MicroSD card needs to be ejected while you navigate the phone's filesystem (otherwise you'll get the card's filesystem), but inserted when you upload files.

Known Limitations and Warnings

• You can always delete files/folders, but there's no guarantee you'll be able to recreate those same files/folders.  
• Replacing a file via Bluetooth FTP requires deleting the file, then uploading the replacement.  Sometimes you can simply overwrite and it'll work, but the overwrite process really deletes the file, then uploads its replacement.
• SO ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOU CAN UPLOAD NEW FILES TO A LOCATION BEFORE YOU TRY TO DELETE OR REPLACE EXISTING FILES!
• You can't browse more than 4 folders deep.
  For example, you can't get to \..\Media\Java\cert where the Java security policy files are.
• You can get two folders deeper for folders under \Media by remembering that the "root" directory is really \Media.  So if you want to replace your Java security policy file in \..\Media\Java\cert browse to \Java\cert instead.
• You may also be able to get deeper by alternating forward- and back-slashes in the folder path.  However, always test uploading a NEW file first to be sure you will be able to replace files.
• BlueSoleil on Windows has a tendency to drop the connection or get confused if you go too far or deep in the directory tree.  Take things slowly, and close and restart BlueSoleil if it gets confused.  You might also need to reboot your phone from time to time.

Ehhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!! Finally

Sorry I've been away for a while (I wasn't doing much to begin with), but now that I'm back, this was a very warm welcome, to say the least. I'll be sure to drop by to grab any updates that I can, and fiddle with it as soon as I can buy a Bluetooth dongle for my PC

Thanks, everyone, for all your hard work. We, everyone that didn't work on the technical aspects of the project, really appreciate all that you guys have done. Especially you, bhiga, for all your hard work and determination

I'm surprised no one else has replied to this thread. This is news this whole community has been anxious to hear for a looooongggg time. Either people are disinterested now, or there are gonna be some very happy posts coming our way when they finally check everything.

Bhiga, I'm sure you can send a mass message to all the members right? If so, you might as well, just let everyone know that there's something new in the forums and that they should come check it out. Inject some energy back into these forums so they're bustling like before. At least that way the people who worked on the Vu and other phones to do exactly what you guys have accomplished with the Xenon, can come and help us out a bit more now that we can actually use their experience and expertise.

Awesome!!! Ive been waiting for a reason to keep this phone around!

I'm sticking around mainly because my wife has a Xenon.

Just curious to know as I just saw a friends LG shine touch and the menu system/firmware looks pretty much the same as my xenon except with alot of updates that i would love to have on my xenon, anyone think its possible to use the shine touch firmware on the xenon.... keeping in mind my phone is already unlocked.

@blkcrowe:
It seems most/all of the non-WinMo/Android LG phones use the same interface file types for the interfaces on their phones.  However, I have no clue whether those files are just interpreted stuff or actual binary files.

If they are binary files, then they may be hardware-specific, as the different phones run on different core platforms - for example, the Xenon is a Sony Ericsson platform, whereas the Vu is a different platform, even though they both use PAF and PMF files.

So, long story short, I don't know.  Maybe ask on the Vu forum, someone there likely knows whether the files are executable code or just interpreted stuff.

You mention using obexftp, As in

for example; I'd like to fetch and read my policy before overwriting it (not cure if the syntax is right or not)
I tried to get into the Media\Java folders but am stopped short (from root? ".") 

It could be that I'm just "doing it wrong" in which case I'm an idiot and I'll be happy with that; but it would be nice for someone to clarify.

/in this example I'm just trying to get into "Media"

also:
Wouldn't obextool allow for browsing as well, (in a gui no less), I'm not near my (usable) machine at the moment, but one would think this would be a little easier.

Update:
Got a little farther @ home


Missing some folders is seems?



GR500FR (fido)