Novatek Firmware info (NTKFWinfo)

Python script for working with Novatek firmware update files from manufacturers (like FWA***.bin). Show full FW info, allow extract, add, delete, replace, uncompress and compress partitions back, fix CRC for modded partitions and whole firmware file. Useful tool for building custom firmwares. Use Linux environment or WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux) for properly work with UBI and SPARSE partitions.

Novatek FW info is available under the terms of the GNU Public License version 3.

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Installation:

First of all install:

sudo apt-get install python3
sudo apt-get install python3-pip
sudo apt-get install mtd-utils
sudo apt-get install liblzo2-dev
sudo apt-get install pypy3

Additionaly install this python modules:

sudo pip3 install python-lzo
sudo pip3 install ubi_reader

For SPARSE partitions support install:

sudo apt-get install android-sdk-libsparse-utils

For FDT(DTB) partitions support install:

sudo apt-get install device-tree-compiler

Basic usage:

Show firmware partitions info:

python3 ./NTKFWinfo.py -i FWA229A.bin

Uncompress partition by ID to a file(for BCL1) or folder(for UBI or SPARSE):

python3 ./NTKFWinfo.py -i FWA229A.bin -u 6

Compress partition back to firmware binary file from uncompressed file(for BCL1) or folder(for UBI or SPARSE) and fix all CRC:

python3 ./NTKFWinfo.py -i FWA229A.bin -c 6

Additional(expert) commands:

Extract partition by ID number and skip n start bytes(optionally):

(as example extract data from CKSM partition and skip first 64 CKSM-header bytes)

python3 ./NTKFWinfo.py -i FWA229A.bin -x 6 64

Add a new partition with new ID=6 using file FWA229A.bin-partitionID6 (filename is optionally, if not defined will be used input filename appended with '-partitionID6'):

python3 ./NTKFWinfo.py -i FWA229A.bin -add 6 ./FWA229A.bin-partitionID6

Take a note that partition name, memory offset and size for a new partition ID will be used from fdt partition (if it is exist in FW). If it is not presented in fdt - new partition can't be flash to memory. You need to modify fdt partition manually in that case.

Delete existing partition with ID=6 from input file:

python3 ./NTKFWinfo.py -i FWA229A.bin -delete 6

Replace partition with ID=6 and start offset = 64 (CKSM-header size) using file img-726660551.ubi:

python3 ./NTKFWinfo.py -i FWA229A.bin -r 6 64 ./img-726660551.ubi

Fix CRC for all known partitions(uboot, MODELEXT, BCL1, CKSM) and whole firmware file:

python3 ./NTKFWinfo.py -i FWA229A.bin -fixCRC

Use custom directory for input/output partitions files:

python3 ./NTKFWinfo.py -i FWA229A.bin -u 6 -o tempdir
python3 ./NTKFWinfo.py -i FWA229A.bin -c 6 -o tempdir

Speed-up compress BCL1 LZ partitions:

I suggest use pypy3 VS python3 to decrease compression time for BCL1 LZ partitions:

pypy3 ./NTKFWinfo.py -i GIT3FWv2.3.bin -c 0