However, there are some Geniuses out there who wrote a multi-platform piece of software called, Heimdall. Unfortunately, like many, I've had problems with this piece of software and I wrote it off as yet-another-piece-of-multi-platform-software-that-doesn't-actually-work.
Specifically, the issue I was having was:
$ heimdall flash –kernel zImage Heimdall v1.3.1, Copyright © 2010-2011, Benjamin Dobell, Glass Echidna http://www.glassechidna.com.au This software is provided free of charge. Copying and redistribution is encouraged. If you appreciate this software and you would like to support future development please consider donating: http:/www.glassechidna.com.au/donate Initialising connection... Detecting device... Claiming interface... ERROR: Claiming interface failed! $
Frustrating.
One day, however, I'd had enough. I was determined to get to the bottom of the problem and get it working. Luckily, it wasn't that hard.
As a Samsung device owner I had, of course, installed their awful piece of software, Kies. This useless software is the cause of the problem. More accurately, the Kernel Extensions that they load:
$ kextstat | grep -v apple Index Refs Address Size Wired Name (Version) 55 0 0x574aa000 0x5000 0x4000 com.roxio.BluRaySupport (1.1.6) <54 53 52 51 49 17 12 11 10 7 6 5 4 3 1> 70 0 0x57574000 0x3000 0x2000 com.devguru.driver.SamsungComposite (1.2.4) <33 4 3> 72 0 0x57831000 0x7000 0x6000 com.devguru.driver.SamsungACMData (1.2.4) <71 33 5 4 3> 94 0 0x57674000 0x3000 0x2000 com.devguru.driver.SamsungACMControl (1.2.4) <33 4 3> 132 0 0x580ac000 0xd2000 0xd1000 com.vmware.kext.vmx86 (3.1.2) <11 5 4 3 1> 133 0 0x5779f000 0xc000 0xb000 com.vmware.kext.vmci (3.1.2) <5 4 3 1> 134 0 0x577ab000 0x6000 0x5000 com.vmware.kext.vmioplug (3.1.2) <33 29 5 4 3 1> 135 0 0x57745000 0xa000 0x9000 com.vmware.kext.vmnet (3.1.2) <5 4 3 1> 137 3 0x6c30e000 0x29000 0x28000 org.virtualbox.kext.VBoxDrv (4.0.8) <7 5 4 3 1> 138 0 0x5804d000 0x7000 0x6000 org.virtualbox.kext.VBoxUSB (4.0.8) <137 44 33 7 5 4 3 1> 139 0 0x5791d000 0x4000 0x3000 org.virtualbox.kext.VBoxNetFlt (4.0.8) <137 7 5 4 3 1> 141 0 0x57825000 0x3000 0x2000 org.virtualbox.kext.VBoxNetAdp (4.0.8) <137 5 4 1>
I've highlighted the offending extensions. These need to be unloaded to get Heimdall to work correctly.
So, let's unload them:
$ sudo kextunload -b com.devguru.driver.SamsungComposite $ sudo kextunload -b com.devguru.driver.SamsungACMData $ sudo kextunload -b com.devguru.driver.SamsungACMControl
... and that's it. Heimdall should now work as advertised. At this point I recommended uninstalling Kies and eradicating all evidence of its existence.
Have fun with your rooted and newly flashed Samsung device!
