[Q] Root Question: No OTA updates done; Best ROM and method? - EVO 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi--I am a generally technically adept Evo owner who would like to root to a Froyo custom ROM, but I've never had to root anything before. I've read threads meant to act as guides (like those linked in the sticky thread), but there seems like so much I don't understand. I know these are simple questions, but my searching didn't really help. I'd be really grateful if anyone had any helpful answers.
Question 1: Does anyone have any recommendations for the best custom ROM that will have these features?:
Froyo (of course)
SenseUI (I prefer it, but have nothing against stock Android)
Ability to restore my apps (via Titanium Backup, I assume)
Unlocked wifi tethering (via app or Froyo's in-built capability)
Unlocked FPS (I have a Novatec panel)
Same or better camera/video capabilities as stock SenseUI (i.e., nothing broken at least)
My current software: Stock Evo, no OTA updates applied, with Superuser Unrevoked permissions.
(That is, I have not applied any OTA updates since I bought it, June 11th. I'm running 2.1-update1, version 1.32.651.6. I did the Unrevoked 1-click "root" that in fact only gave me Superuser permissions (the Unrevoked that was first released, not the Unrevoked2 or 3 updates). I.e., I can use the wifi tether and Titanium Backup, and I've backed up my apps/settings with it.)
Question 2: Can anyone tell me in a simplest method to safely root and install the custom ROM, considering I have no OTA updates and unrevoked superuser permissions?
Specifically, I've read guides that list 3 steps (gaining root permissions, unlocking NAND, gaining "full" root), but I still have a lot of questions:
What does it mean to "flash a recovery"?
[*]When do I have to manually install radio updates, and how do I know which ones I need?
[*]If I decide I'd rather go back to stock, ever, can I do that?
[*]What is the likelihood of a brick, and can I repair a brick?
[*]Can Titanium Backup really restore all my apps after I do a full wipe and root? (just to calm my anxiety, please...)
The best guide I've seen is the "IDIOT-PROOF" root guide, at thread 701004 (sorry, new user restriction, can't post links), but I don't know if it's still current. That also seems more complex than SimpleRoot (also don't know if it's current).
I think I'm looking for the simplest root method with the least possibility of screwing everything up. (It pains me to say it, but a brainless iPhone-like "slide-to-jailbreak" method would be great.)
Sorry for the newbie questions. If anyone has any advice/answers, I'd be glad to hear them!

Well best bet for you is probably going to be either the one click simpleroot, you can go to simpleroot.com its there for download. Of course it depends on exactly what software version you are on. As far as your rom choice there is no rom that offers all of those things, probably closest will be stock rooted 2.2, then you can either live with the 30fps restriction or flash a custome kernel and live with 3mp camera .... you're choice. the recovery is a program that the phone boots into that has nothing to do with the rom at all, with this you can select several operation to make on the rom. You need recovery because you cant modify the rom when you are booted in the rom. Anyway this is all a very basic explanation. My recommendation would be to follow toasts part 1 then part 2 to root and unlock nand. (unlocking nand allows writing and writing to the system area of the rom while booted into the rom) then you will be all set to flash any rom you like. feel free to pm if you need more info As far as knowing what you need I would recommend starting with netarchy's stock rooted 2.2 odexed version. In his post he will tell you flash rom then radio then wimax, all of these files are included there in the post. Then as you learn you can switch between roms to explore what each one can do for you and decide which you like best. Yes Titanium backuop will work with this.

For me and I have flashed every rom lol. Daily driver would have to be the fastest and stabliest rom which is in my opinion Caulkins v1.02 froyo. Use simple root for 1.32. Then use the flash recovery and pick ra recovery.

ifly4vamerica said:
As far as your rom choice there is no rom that offers all of those things, probably closest will be stock rooted 2.2, then you can either live with the 30fps restriction or flash a custome kernel and live with 3mp camera .... you're choice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? How about a ROM with, say, just 2.2 + SenseUI, with all the standard features, and wifi tether enabled?
Thanks for the advice, by the way, both of you.

ScaryBugThing said:
Hi--I am a generally technically adept Evo owner who would like to root to a Froyo custom ROM, but I've never had to root anything before. I've read threads meant to act as guides (like those linked in the sticky thread), but there seems like so much I don't understand. I know these are simple questions, but my searching didn't really help. I'd be really grateful if anyone had any helpful answers.
Question 1: Does anyone have any recommendations for the best custom ROM that will have these features?:
Froyo (of course)
SenseUI (I prefer it, but have nothing against stock Android)
Ability to restore my apps (via Titanium Backup, I assume)
Unlocked wifi tethering (via app or Froyo's in-built capability)
Unlocked FPS (I have a Novatec panel)
Same or better camera/video capabilities as stock SenseUI (i.e., nothing broken at least)
My current software: Stock Evo, no OTA updates applied, with Superuser Unrevoked permissions.
(That is, I have not applied any OTA updates since I bought it, June 11th. I'm running 2.1-update1, version 1.32.651.6. I did the Unrevoked 1-click "root" that in fact only gave me Superuser permissions (the Unrevoked that was first released, not the Unrevoked2 or 3 updates). I.e., I can use the wifi tether and Titanium Backup, and I've backed up my apps/settings with it.)
Question 2: Can anyone tell me in a simplest method to safely root and install the custom ROM, considering I have no OTA updates and unrevoked superuser permissions?
Specifically, I've read guides that list 3 steps (gaining root permissions, unlocking NAND, gaining "full" root), but I still have a lot of questions:
What does it mean to "flash a recovery"?
[*]When do I have to manually install radio updates, and how do I know which ones I need?
[*]If I decide I'd rather go back to stock, ever, can I do that?
[*]What is the likelihood of a brick, and can I repair a brick?
[*]Can Titanium Backup really restore all my apps after I do a full wipe and root? (just to calm my anxiety, please...)
The best guide I've seen is the "IDIOT-PROOF" root guide, at thread 701004 (sorry, new user restriction, can't post links), but I don't know if it's still current. That also seems more complex than SimpleRoot (also don't know if it's current).
I think I'm looking for the simplest root method with the least possibility of screwing everything up. (It pains me to say it, but a brainless iPhone-like "slide-to-jailbreak" method would be great.)
Sorry for the newbie questions. If anyone has any advice/answers, I'd be glad to hear them!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd like to suggest something before you actually move forward. I usually back up with MyBackup and with Titanium backup. I am completely rooted and nand unlocked but something i've seen Titanium for some reason after i grant it superuser tell me my phone isn't rooted on different roms, also i have seen Mybackup crash the sense and try to reboot it over and over in a loop. Luckily I did a Nandroid restore to a more stable setup. Some of the other forum members here are more likely than not less new to the process than myself, but I thought i had covered everything and when i did simple root, I was on 1.47, with the factory reset and everything lost my data... luckily it wasn't a lot or important. I just thought i'd let you know that it is not a bad thing to have a zipped backup of all of your apks+data, and your contacts with both programs before you go ahead. Hope that possibly can steer you out of trouble if one of them fails to perform as it should. Best of luck.

Exohart said:
I'd like to suggest something before you actually move forward. I usually back up with MyBackup and with Titanium backup. ... Hope that possibly can steer you out of trouble if one of them fails to perform as it should. Best of luck.
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Click to collapse
Cool, thanks for the tip.

You can get a rooted stock 2.2 ROM, odexed or deodexed. Then you can install a wifi tether app. Personally, I use Fresh 3.1.0.1, I don't notice any differences in general to stock, but you should probably just try different ROMs out and see which one you like. It's easy to switch around.
See this for ROMs.
As for rooting, You can use Simple Root, but I highly suggest doing it yourself using toast's or TheBiles' guides. You learn a lot and it's the same thing as using Simple Root, but you can deal with problems better (although I didn't have any issues when I did mine).
See here for guides.
There is a lot of info on how to get around any issues you have, so be sure to search if you do run into trouble.
And if you need the files for rooting, check here.

Awesome response, SilverZero, thanks! I'm starting to feel comfortable with the rooting procedure.
I think the difficulty I have in choosing a ROM is that many ROM threads don't list conclusively whether a feature works or not. So, for instance, I presume that the Fresh ROM has a fully working camera (8MP/720P with all settings), but I've read other ROM threads that talk about downgraded camera bugs, so I am not sure if I should assume things work fine. Conversely, I think wifi tethering doesn't work, since it *seems* to suggest it isn't working, but doesn't flat-out say so...
I don't suppose some source exists somewhere that lists/compares all of these ROMs' features in a table format, listing whether they work or not, or are downgraded? Having something like that in a central, often-updated location would be incredibly useful...

I used toast's method for rooting, and havent had any problems whatsoever. All I had to do after that, was install the new RA recovery image ( was more current ).
Is this the simplest way? probably not. But, i perfer doing the method with the most manual work. Automated processes tend to scare me, 'oh, our mod does steps 1 through 19 all at once'... well, thats fine, but what happens when it fails half way through? Toast's method, while a bit involved, is pretty simple, and if something happens, you can go "hey, when i do this command <whatever>, it does this, helps?!".
as for your 'questions 2s'
1: Are you sure you dont mean, flash from recovery? recovery is where you do all of your flashing, do your nandroid backups, and wiping. theres 3 ways to get there ( once your rooted/nand unlocked ).. volume -, and power while the phone is off, hold it til you get the menu. use quickboot ( a feature of damagecontrol mod ), or use adb using a command prompt on windows ( adb reboot recovery ).
2: Most people install radio updates when they go to change to new roms. The reason being, 2.2 'code' is based around having a certain radio version, and for things like 4g, and good 3g signal, you need to match.
personally, every time i go to install a new rom, i verify what the most recent radio version is out there, and install it ( same with wimax )
3: Once you are fully rooted, there are walktrhoughs for 'starting over / going back to stock'.. but I would just use one of the rooted stock images, as it gives you the ability to change your mind. for instance, right now 2.2 isnt rootable, so if you changed your mind after switching back to it, your kind of screwed. I'm not sure if the engineering image you install for root would go away if you reverted to stock/root though, as have never tried.
4: as long as you have the phone rooted, any 'bricking' that i have caused ( boot loops, power turning off on boot, etc ), were easily recoverable by just booting into recovery and reflashing. the only way I could see bricking in a totally bad way, would be if you somehow messed up the rooting process and corrupted the bootloader in such a way it couldnt recover. Otherwise, i have yet to see a rom that will flash / change your bootloader or recovery image, so it shouldnt be an issue.
5: It can, but i've seen issues where backing up stuff from a 2.1 rom, and installing a 2.2, causes weird issues. its safer to just redownload them if you are using a 2.2 rom. Another benefit of 2.2, is now google backs up your app selection you had installed, so when you wipe / flash a new rom, it auto-reinstalls all your apps you had from before ( it doesnt backup your settings though, just the applications themselves ).

ScaryBugThing said:
Awesome response, SilverZero, thanks! I'm starting to feel comfortable with the rooting procedure.
I think the difficulty I have in choosing a ROM is that many ROM threads don't list conclusively whether a feature works or not. So, for instance, I presume that the Fresh ROM has a fully working camera (8MP/720P with all settings), but I've read other ROM threads that talk about downgraded camera bugs, so I am not sure if I should assume things work fine. Conversely, I think wifi tethering doesn't work, since it *seems* to suggest it isn't working, but doesn't flat-out say so...
I don't suppose some source exists somewhere that lists/compares all of these ROMs' features in a table format, listing whether they work or not, or are downgraded? Having something like that in a central, often-updated location would be incredibly useful...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here's a project that one user is putting together comparing different ROMs.
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Aguc0npJCrWxdEFyU2NRNG1jNnRkY2trdXBsYlJLdWc&hl=en#gid=0

imiddlet said:
I used toast's method for rooting, ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, thank you for taking the time--you really answered all of my questions.
SilverZero said:
Here's a project that one user is putting together comparing different ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Greeeeat. Exactly what I was looking for.
You guys are awesome--I think I know what I need to know now, and in the next few days I will probably try rooting and installing Fresh Evo or BakedSnack. I'll update once I know how it went!

Urg...Well, I did the manual root method. Everything went fine through the initial root (using the classic method by toastcfh), and through the manual recovery mode where I made a nandroid backup.
Then, in recovery mode, I attempted to flash the latest Fresh Evo 3.1.0.1. It gave me no error messages, and I rebooted.
Now, it is stuck on an infinite reboot at the Fresh Evo ("FRESH!!!") bootup animation. It just keeps running that animation, never loading up. I've let that animation run about 15 times before I had to pull the battery to make it stop. Any time I try to boot the phone, I am stuck at that infinite reboot/load sequence.
The only thing I could do was hold Vol- while powering up to get into the bootloader and redo my stock root. I redid the Fresh Evo install, and it still just keeps rebooting for 10 minutes, before I pull the battery. I'll try Baked Snack next, but I don't want to press my luck with too many flashes... Any ideas anyone?

ScaryBugThing said:
Urg...Well, I did the manual root method. Everything went fine through the initial root (using the classic method by toastcfh), and through the manual recovery mode where I made a nandroid backup.
Then, in recovery mode, I attempted to flash the latest Fresh Evo 3.1.0.1. It gave me no error messages, and I rebooted.
Now, it is stuck on an infinite reboot at the Fresh Evo ("FRESH!!!") bootup animation. It just keeps running that animation, never loading up. I've let that animation run about 15 times before I had to pull the battery to make it stop. Any time I try to boot the phone, I am stuck at that infinite reboot/load sequence.
Anyone have any advice? Am I screwed?
The only thing I think I can do is hold Vol- while powering up to get into the bootloader and have it check PC36IMG, after which it gives me the same normal root Step 1 option to "Start Update" (Vol+ for yes, Vol- for no). Will this just restore to "stock" root? I'd like to get FreshEvo working somehow...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try doing a full wipe, Data, Dalvik Cache, everything except the SD card. Then try reflashing the ROM. That was how I had to fix mine when it did the same thing.
Also don't forget to update your Radio, WiMax and Recovery if you havent already.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=715485
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=6877247&postcount=98
As far as the best ROM is concerned I've been using SteelH's deodexed stock ROM with the netarchy-toastmod kernel and it's been running great. FPS are unlocked, its quick as hell and my battery life is excellent.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=743781
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=719763

xHausx said:
Try doing a full wipe, Data, Dalvik Cache, everything except the SD card. Then try reflashing the ROM. That was how I had to fix mine when it did the same thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the suggestions. Unfortunately, I did a double-wipe (cache, dalvik cache, and data/factory reset x2) before each of the 3 times I tried to install Fresh Evo. Same infinite reboot loop always.
Then I installed Baked Snack just now. I was able to actually boot (54 fps looks great!) but ROM Manager was giving me an error message about flashing the Recovery replacement, Wifi Tether force closed every time I opened it, and every time I plugged in the USB cable, it would disconnect about 2 seconds later, rendering the phone essentially useless since it wouldn't recharge or accept files in that two seconds.
So now I'm flashing back the stock root image, PC36IMG.zip.
I guess this isn't going very well. If anyone has any advice about these problems I'm having, I'm still in the depths of rooting hell. I appreciate the SteelH suggestions. Maybe I'll try that next. But it's definitely worrying me that every ROM I try has some major problems.

ScaryBugThing said:
Thanks for the suggestions. Unfortunately, I did a double-wipe (cache, dalvik cache, and data/factory reset x2) before each of the 3 times I tried to install Fresh Evo. Same infinite reboot loop always.
Then I installed Baked Snack just now. I was able to actually boot (54 fps looks great!) but ROM Manager was giving me an error message about flashing the Recovery replacement, Wifi Tether forced close every time I opened it, and every time I plugged in the USB cable, it would disconnect about 2 seconds later, rendering the phone essentially useless since it wouldn't recharge or accept files in that two seconds.
So now I'm flashing back the stock root image, PC36IMG.zip.
I guess this isn't going very well. If anyone has any advice about these problems I'm having, I'm still in the depths of rooting hell. I appreciate the SteelH suggestions. Maybe I'll try that next. But it's definitely worrying me that every ROM I try has some major problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you're using clockwork try switching to Amon-RA. That may be whats doing it

xHausx said:
if you're using clockwork try switching to Amon-RA. That may be whats doing it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the suggestion and the very fast responses. I'll give Amon-RA a shot, if I can install it. (note: I didn't use Rom Manager to install any actual ROMs here--it was just what I was about to begin using.)
Sorry if I have so many questions, but: What is the best method to flash Amon-RA recovery? Rom Manager seemed easy because you could simply download the program, run it, and choose an option in the settings menu to replace the stock Recovery.
For Amon-RA, there are two options--fastboot, and adb. I only have a vague idea of what these are and how to make them work.
As an UPDATE: I installed SteelH's ROM, and it booted, but it definitely didn't have 54 fps on mine (clearly 30 fps, Novatec panel FWIW), and I had the same problem with the USB cable disconnecting 2 seconds after plugging it in. I of course wiped everything before installing.
So I'm trying to figure out if I did something wrong in my original root--though it seemed to work fine. Could a locked NAND be causing these problems?

ScaryBugThing said:
Thanks for the suggestion and the very fast responses. I'll give Amon-RA a shot, if I can install it. (note: I didn't use Rom Manager to install any actual ROMs here--it was just what I was about to begin using.)
Sorry if I have so many questions, but: What is the best method to flash Amon-RA recovery? Rom Manager seemed easy because you could simply download the program, run it, and choose an option in the settings menu to replace the stock Recovery.
For Amon-RA, there are two options--fastboot, and adb. I only have a vague idea of what these are and how to make them work.
As an UPDATE: I installed SteelH's ROM, and it booted, but it definitely didn't have 54 fps on mine (clearly 30 fps, Novatec panel FWIW), and I had the same problem with the USB cable disconnecting 2 seconds after plugging it in. I of course wiped everything before installing.
So I'm trying to figure out if I did something wrong in my original root--though it seemed to work fine. Could a locked NAND be causing these problems?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used the fastboot method earlier and it was a piece of cake. Just move the recovery to the Tools folder for the SDK, put your phone in fastboot mode and copy paste the two lines in a cmd prompt to install it. I was bored reading through the recovery thread I linked to earlier and apparently clockwork is not wiping properly, others were also having problems with Fresh because of it.
For the FPS fix that is done in the kernel so you would need to flash a custom one.

xHausx said:
I used the fastboot method earlier and it was a piece of cake. Just move the recovery to the Tools folder for the SDK, put your phone in fastboot mode and copy paste the two lines in a cmd prompt to install it. I was bored reading through the recovery thread I linked to earlier and apparently clockwork is not wiping properly, others were also having problems with Fresh because of it.
For the FPS fix that is done in the kernel so you would need to flash a custom one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried to do as instructed. I rebooted into Fastboot mode on my phone, verified the device was seen by fastboot on my PC, then entered:
C:\android-sdk-windows\tools>fastboot flash recovery recovery-RA-evo-v1.7.0.1.img
sending 'recovery' (5032 KB)... OKAY [ 1.406s]
writing 'recovery'... INFOsignature checking...
FAILED (remote: signature verify fail)
finished. total time: 2.094s
I tried to redownload the file, but the same result occurred.
EDIT: I was able to flash the Amon-RA recovery, going back to toast's instructions. I don't know why it wasn't flashed before...
I'm also not sure that my wiping the data is the problem--I wiped factory settings/cache/dalvik cache each time using only the stock recovery. I think my mentioning Rom Manager might have suggested I used that program to wipe my data, but I haven't done so...
Anyway, I appreciate the help. This is tough for me--I can't seem to get anything to work.
EDIT2: Problems solved! Indeed, I had not properly unlocked NAND. I redid the toast NAND unlock steps, and Fresh Evo installed on the first try!
My only remaining question: how do I flash a kernel? I simply flash a ROM and then the kernel? I think Fresh Evo is great, but fps2d is still showing me locked at 30 fps.
EDIT3: I think I found the answer. Flash it like any other ROM from zip. (Doing it with Netarchy's Kernel 4.0.3: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=719763 )
(Probably looks silly reading me answer my own questions, but I thought it was better to look stupid if it might help a future beginner like me.)

Just my oppinion simpleroot never really worked for me and ive read bad things about unrevoked so just follow toasts method to rooting it is very simple and straight forward, as for rom i prefer baked snack themed version it is by far the most sexy rom i have seen it uses manups theme and u can enhance it even more, its very stable and has no fps cap on it, as well as both cameras work and video recording works, im not sure if blue tooth has been fixed yet and am not sure if 4g works because i dont have it where i live try it out and tell me what u think.

So...Everything works! A couple of final notes in case it ever helps anyone in the future:
Note 1: The call part of the phone was not working well at all. I could send and receive calls, and hear the other party, but the audio was very noisy and the other party didn't hear my voice when I talk.
I tried to update PRL and Profile, but I got an error code 1012: "The profile update could not be completed. Please try again later. If the problem persists, you may need to contact customer service. Error code:1012"
I thought the problem might be me overwriting some system files with Titanium Backup (though I was careful). But when I tried wiping factory settings/cache/dalvik cache, and rebooted, still the same problems. Ultimately, it turned out simply that Sprint's servers were down, so I couldn't update my profile/PRL. I finally was able to update the Profile and PRL (now 60669) when they came back up, and everything seems to be working.
Note 2: I realized too late that I lost all of my visual voicemails. I don't think there's a way to restore them, and I don't know if there's any way to back them up. But something to think about if you've racked up a fair amount of downloaded visual voicemails.
Thanks everyone for your help.

Related

just some basic questions about the flashing process

Okay, basically I'm coming over from the windows mobile flashing world and I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around some of the concepts I'm running into with android on the EVO here.
Let me just start off by saying that I've read a lot of threads in here, and I think there's even a better than 50% chance that I'm successfully rooted with NAND and with recovery all done. Probably multiple times. Also, I've set my wife up with a nice android 1.6 warm donut HTC Touch (vogue) and it's working great for her. That said, if someone could address my questions here, it'd go a LONG way to getting me on my way.
Thanks.
1. I appear to have successfully rooted my phone SEVERAL times, via TOAST's method and via the super sweet simpleroot deal ... but if that's the case, how come I've *never* been able to just install the android wifi tether and have it run without jumping through any other hoops? Yes, I can run unrevoked and then it asks me for SU permissions and everything is all good but I can't ever do it without unrevoked. I've even been able to install titanium backup and it'll complain that it doesn't have busybox... which I then install and then it SEEMS like it's cool and that it thinks it's rooted BUT WHY CAN"T I GET TETHER TO WORK WITHOUT DOING *EXTRA* ROOTING???
Also, rom manager will install and start but won't reboot into recovery for me or anything fancy. Which makes me really wonder what's going on.
Okay, onto the next one.
2. Okay, I can get the new recovery on there but I'm a little unclear on how to actually flash a rom from there. I'll throw a zip of a rom on the SD card and then I'll get into the recovery which I *believe* I do with the reboot and hold down volume, right? Either way, I know I've been in the black and green recovery screen and picked some menu option that seemed related to loading a rom from a zip or something but then nothing of note happened. It appeared to be installing SOMETHING but then when I start up my different rom, it appears to just be the same rom.
I'm sorry for these total newbie questions but it seemed more straightforward on windows mobile, even though this seems like this has TONS more potential. Any help someone could point me to, even in just listing out the work flow for a normal flashing of a rom would be SUPER helpful. I just don't know what to think of 'recovery' and NAND and all that as as it pertains to actually getting root and new roms onto my device.
Thanks a ton to anyone that bothers to clear this up for me.
Once you are rooted, you don't want to flash the stock unrooted ROM, I think. I would get joeyrkim's stock rooted ROM or something similar.
You also don't need unrEVOked. When you root, you should have an app called Superuser Permissions that will prompt you whenever an app asks for su (admin) permissions.
Right after you root, you probably have toast's dev ROM (not sure what it is called exactly, it is the ROM contained within the PC36IMG.zip if I understand correctly) on your phone. I don't think that one is supposed to be used, but I think it is supposed to be flashed over right after. If you just want a stock experience with root, I think you should snag joeyrkim's stock ROM here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=699847
Make sure you update your radio too:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=696462
I dunno if joeyrkim's ROM comes with the superuser app, which is kinda essential so flash this after flashing everything:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=682828 "su-2.1-cd-signed.zip"
Try rooting again (I recommend manually, not using the scripts). I don't like Clockwork recovery altogether too much, so I flashed Amon_Ra recovery (I think) and left it at that. The root process should give you a custom recovery though (Part 2).
To flash a ROM:
Go into recovery using a method you have.
From there you should go to Backup/Restore and do a Nand backup, just in case.
Then go to wipe and wipe data, cache, and dalvik cache. The one I use wipes data and cache together.
Then go to Flash ZIP from SD or something similar and select the zip you want to flash.
If you keep having problems, I think you should root the manual way. It is more involved and time consuming, but IMO it will give you a greater understanding of the process and stop the smaller glitches the automated root has, if it has any.
I currently have WiFi tether running perfectly. I don't use ROM Manager, though.
I hope this helps... And anyone correct me if I am wrong. I am pretty new to the scene myself.
This was actually SUPER helpful, I didn't realize that 'rooting' itself doesn't really get you root, it just gets you the ability to get a rooted rom on there. I think that, combined with the other things you told me should allow me to FINALLY move forward on my EVO. Thanks!

[Resolved] Boot Loop Issue -- please help if you can!

I'll give my question first, then the history. I tried to search the EVO 4G subforums and couldn't seem to find it. If there's a post on this please kindly point me in the right direction.
Regardless of which ROM I install on my EVO except for what I understand is the engineering ROM or possibly the stock ROM, I go into a boot loop.
History:
- Did not install any updates or use unrevoked after receiving my EVO
- Did the root method known as "part 1" before NAND unlocking was available, never did any system updates. It seemed I had root because I was able to use the sudo "allow" or "deny" and use Wifi Tether in AP mode successfully (the open source APK)
- Was having some random reboot issues so I decided I needed to finally get an updated, custom ROM on my phone
- Yesterday spent many hours trying to get SimpleRoot to root my phone. However, ROM Manager keeps complaining it can't do privileged commands
- I was able to get Clockwork Recovery onto my phone finally using Unrevoked 3 just to get it on there (with what I know as the engineering ROM)
- Used clockwork to try and install Fresh 1.0.1, DamageControl v3.1.2 or seemingly anything other than that same engineering ROM (that has the HTC logo and sound) puts it into a boot loop. Also Clockwork (the APK) complains it still can't run privileged commands on that ROM from SimpleRoot.
I've been flashing a Kaiser/Tilt since forever but still pretty newb on Android but trying to learn fast. Love my EVO!
If there is any more information I can provide to help someone help me please let me know and hopefully this can help others not go astray as I have...
EDIT: Oh, yes and I read some of the troubleshooting information for different ROMs and one said to reformat sd-ext but my SD card is just formatted how it comes from the factory. I would really like to keep it that way unless it is a must for installing custom ROMs on the EVO. Clockwork did not seem to be able to do the partitioning for me.
EDIT: Now resolved after following thoroughly the directions listed here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=721055
Thanks for helping me out!
aikeru said:
I'll give my question first, then the history. I tried to search the EVO 4G subforums and couldn't seem to find it. If there's a post on this please kindly point me in the right direction.
Regardless of which ROM I install on my EVO except for what I understand is the engineering ROM or possibly the stock ROM, I go into a boot loop.
History:
- Did not install any updates or use unrevoked after receiving my EVO
- Did the root method known as "part 1" before NAND unlocking was available, never did any system updates. It seemed I had root because I was able to use the sudo "allow" or "deny" and use Wifi Tether in AP mode successfully (the open source APK)
- Was having some random reboot issues so I decided I needed to finally get an updated, custom ROM on my phone
- Yesterday spent many hours trying to get SimpleRoot to root my phone. However, ROM Manager keeps complaining it can't do privileged commands
- I was able to get Clockwork Recovery onto my phone finally using Unrevoked 3 just to get it on there (with what I know as the engineering ROM)
- Used clockwork to try and install Fresh 1.0.1, DamageControl v3.1.2 or seemingly anything other than that same engineering ROM (that has the HTC logo and sound) puts it into a boot loop. Also Clockwork (the APK) complains it still can't run privileged commands on that ROM from SimpleRoot.
I've been flashing a Kaiser/Tilt since forever but still pretty newb on Android but trying to learn fast. Love my EVO!
If there is any more information I can provide to help someone help me please let me know and hopefully this can help others not go astray as I have...
EDIT: Oh, yes and I read some of the troubleshooting information for different ROMs and one said to reformat sd-ext but my SD card is just formatted how it comes from the factory. I would really like to keep it that way unless it is a must for installing custom ROMs on the EVO. Clockwork did not seem to be able to do the partitioning for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i had a similar issue, and so did a few people. i wrote out a post some time ago, i don't know if you read it...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=7204861&postcount=4
try that out. let me know how it goes.
EDIT: it also sounds like you don't have nand unlocked.
Thank you for your quick reply! I will try it and report back what I did, what works/didn't.
As a side note...
Since I have Clockwork on the recovery (I can boot to recovery all day long just using volume up and clockwork is there) doesn't that mean NAND is unlocked? Anyway, thank you again.
aikeru said:
Thank you for your quick reply! I will try it and report back what I did, what works/didn't.
As a side note...
Since I have Clockwork on the recovery (I can boot to recovery all day long just using volume up and clockwork is there) doesn't that mean NAND is unlocked? Anyway, thank you again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
having a boot recovery program doesn't necessarily mean you have nand unlocked. the ability to flash custom roms does though. good luck! i know it's frustrating, but keep at it.
silly question but are you wiping correctly ?
I had to ask...
elegantai said:
silly question but are you wiping correctly ?
I had to ask...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i almost spilled my drink LOL
elegantai said:
silly question but are you wiping correctly ?
I had to ask...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol XD nice ... any comeback I can think of just goes way too far
Well, I've downloaded the files so sometime this evening/tonight I should have results. That post links to what appears to be a very, very thorough set of instructions
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=721055
So I'll go through the whole thing there and of course report back
aikeru said:
lol XD nice ... any comeback I can think of just goes way too far
Well, I've downloaded the files so sometime this evening/tonight I should have results. That post links to what appears to be a very, very thorough set of instructions
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=721055
So I'll go through the whole thing there and of course report back
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol good luck buddy. it's a relatively easy walkthrough if you follow it closely. post up any questions you have.

[Q] What to do after rooting?

So..I'm pretty noobish at all this, after doing my research I've finally rooted my phone wanting to mess with setCPU, flashing roms, and getting custom themes and boot animations, unfortunately i spent all my time figuring out how to simply root and nothing beyond..
i'd be grateful if anyone could post threads or just help in general with the above topics
Become a flashaholic like the rest of us. BTW once start you can't stop.
Best advice I can give is to read, read, read and then read some more. Trust me the answers to your questions are in the 1000000s of pages.
Myn's ROM is very good. But I like Caulkins ROM the best with netarchy's 4.2.1 kernel. You don't want to use setCPU with 4.2.1 its not needed.
Just my 2 cents.
And then for some real fun start playing with the CM 6.1 RC1. That's were the fun really begins.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
R1pTheJacka said:
So..I'm pretty noobish at all this, after doing my research I've finally rooted my phone wanting to mess with setCPU, flashing roms, and getting custom themes and boot animations, unfortunately i spent all my time figuring out how to simply root and nothing beyond..
i'd be grateful if anyone could post threads or just help in general with the above topics
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The first thing I did was to start flashing custom ROMS. In the early EVO days, there weren't many choices. Now, there are tons of good options out there, so get to flashin'! You'll also get lots of good ideas hanging out in the themes and mods forum. Stroll around in the "post your screens" thread and you'll be blown away by what some folks have accomplished.
Just my thoughts, of course, I suspect you'll get lots of other suggestions.
yea unfortunately lots of these terms are like a foreign langauge to me =\
after looking up the process of installing roms i see lots of people are saying do a nandroid back up and then copying the rom, radio/WIMAX/PRI/NV updates and kernel
the definitions/translations for that?
Different parts of your phone have their own embedded software that can and doses get upgraded. For example, when you get a major update from Sprint, either OTA (over the air) or donwloaded to your PC and run from there, it not only updates your operating system (Android) and all the other little apps, but frequently your cell receiver/transmitter (radio or baseband), 4G receiver/transmitter (WiMAX) get their own software updates as well. Custom ROM creators frequently exclude these from their packages, so you have to update them separately.
Nandroid is a backup functionality you have once the phone is rooted. It is available through RECOVERY. So if you boot your phone into the BOOTLOADER by holding down the VOL DOWN and powering up, you should be able to choose RECOVERY by using VOL UP and VOL DOWN keyes as arrows, and POWER button as SELECT (or ENTER). Once in RECOVERY mode, there are several options, including backup/restore. The backup IS the nandroid backup everyone mentions. It creates an image of your phone's current setup. If you mess things up later on and the phone system is damages, you can recover by restoring this image to your phone.
Hope this helps.
R1pTheJacka said:
So..I'm pretty noobish at all this, after doing my research I've finally rooted my phone wanting to mess with setCPU, flashing roms, and getting custom themes and boot animations, unfortunately i spent all my time figuring out how to simply root and nothing beyond..
i'd be grateful if anyone could post threads or just help in general with the above topics
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is my first time quoting and I am pretty noobish myself...I don't know these terms either even though I spent all that time trying to root...I still haven't found out how to use a custom rom or boot, I'm a little clueless even after reading for quite awhile. :/
Sent from HTC EVO 4G via xda app
jacoballen22 said:
This is my first time quoting and I am pretty noobish myself...I don't know these terms either even though I spent all that time trying to root...I still haven't found out how to use a custom rom or boot, I'm a little clueless even after reading for quite awhile. :/
Sent from HTC EVO 4G via xda app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Using a custom ROM (or kernel) or boot animation is done through "flashing." Flashing is done via Recovery which can be accessed by the steps listed in a post above. I use the Amon Ra recovery and there are directions how to isntall this elsewhere on the site. I copy the ROM (or kernel or boot anim) to the root of my SD Card, boot into recovery, nandroid backup, wipe caches, wipe data, then I can specify an option to boot from zip on sdcard. (don't remember if it's high-level menu item or not) Anyway, find a Recovery you like (Clockwork or Amon Ra) and there will be specific directions on everything you can do on that Recovery's thread.
This is really a condensed version and there's way better and more thorough advice in Development and Q & A forums in stickies. I highly recommend reading those.
Did you know that you can change the whole look of the phone just by changing the system font? And it's real easy too
Sent from my blah blah blah blah
I know how to get to recovery but I don't know which one I have..and wiping data and cache does what exactly (I've wiped my battery stats before because someone said it helps your battery life)
Sent from HTC EVO 4G via xda app
jacoballen22 said:
I know how to get to recovery but I don't know which one I have..and wiping data and cache does what exactly (I've wiped my battery stats before because someone said it helps your battery life)
Sent from HTC EVO 4G via xda app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're using rom manager, it will tell you at the top what recovery is currently installed.
Hopefully you didn't "just" wipe battery stats - there's a process;
It should be done as follows (copied/summarized from the cyanogen wiki found here);
Battery recalibration
1. Charge the phone to full battery; let it keep charging until the battery says it is fully charged. Do not just wait until the light is green, it isn't always fully charged, causing a lot of inaccuracies. (You can check by going to: Settings -> About Phone -> Status -> Battery Level = Full.)
2. Wipe battery stats with Amon_Ra or ClockworkMod recoveries.
NOTE: To have the most accurate of battery stats, reboot the phone immediately after wiping the battery stats and wait for it to boot completely to the desktop. Once your entire boot is done and you have full access to the phone, go ahead and pull the charger and continue with this troubleshooter.
1. Do not charge the phone until after draining the battery completely, resulting in it automatically shutting off.
2. Recharge the phone completely and then use as you normally would.
I am surprised that no one has posted this yet.
Keep in mind, this is reference to the HTC Dream/G1 which is one of, if not the first offered Android Phone. This article explains what root is, how it was established and definition of terms. I hope this helps.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=513061
This is the informative link, which can answer a lot of questions. Just keep in mind the commands/button combos and such are different on the EVO, but in all respects is the same animal.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=543081
And then finally, the wiki with all of the answers for the HTC Subsonic/EVO
http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/index.php?title=HTC_Supersonic&useskin=vector
6uPMAH said:
Different parts of your phone have their own embedded software that can and doses get upgraded. For example, when you get a major update from Sprint, either OTA (over the air) or donwloaded to your PC and run from there, it not only updates your operating system (Android) and all the other little apps, but frequently your cell receiver/transmitter (radio or baseband), 4G receiver/transmitter (WiMAX) get their own software updates as well. Custom ROM creators frequently exclude these from their packages, so you have to update them separately.
Nandroid is a backup functionality you have once the phone is rooted. It is available through RECOVERY. So if you boot your phone into the BOOTLOADER by holding down the VOL DOWN and powering up, you should be able to choose RECOVERY by using VOL UP and VOL DOWN keyes as arrows, and POWER button as SELECT (or ENTER). Once in RECOVERY mode, there are several options, including backup/restore. The backup IS the nandroid backup everyone mentions. It creates an image of your phone's current setup. If you mess things up later on and the phone system is damages, you can recover by restoring this image to your phone.
Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so the primary point of the nandroid backup is to have the ability to go back to the stock ROM if i choose or even if something screw up while installing a new ROM?
Brutal-Force said:
I am surprised that no one has posted this yet.
Keep in mind, this is reference to the HTC Dream/G1 which is one of, if not the first offered Android Phone. This article explains what root is, how it was established and definition of terms. I hope this helps.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=513061
This is the informative link, which can answer a lot of questions. Just keep in mind the commands/button combos and such are different on the EVO, but in all respects is the same animal.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=543081
And then finally, the wiki with all of the answers for the HTC Subsonic/EVO
http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/index.php?title=HTC_Supersonic&useskin=vector
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
good looks! the terms are IMO the most important thing to get a hold of
R1pTheJacka said:
so the primary point of the nandroid backup is to have the ability to go back to the stock ROM if i choose or even if something screw up while installing a new ROM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is Nandroid back up the same that Titanium pro back up does?
fachadick said:
Did you know that you can change the whole look of the phone just by changing the system font? And it's real easy too
Sent from my blah blah blah blah
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do you do this?
fachadick said:
If you're using rom manager, it will tell you at the top what recovery is currently installed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have 2.5.0.1. Is this the recovery that you would have to reboot in if something goes wrong and what does the numbers mean?
TIA!
phillip623 said:
Is Nandroid back up the same that Titanium pro back up does?
How do you do this?
I have 2.5.0.1. Is this the recovery that you would have to reboot in if something goes wrong and what does the numbers mean?
TIA!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nandroid isn't the same thing as titanium, think of nandroid as an image, sort of like a disk image or a windows restore point. Once restored, it will take you back to exactly where you were at the time of the backup.
The numbers that you see in Rom Manager represent the recovery version. You currently have clockworkmod version 2.5.0.1 installed.
It's been spelled out above, and elsewhere through the forums, but I'm bored and I want to clean up this post anyway (I tried that new 8whatever keyboard again - still hate it. And before I cleaned it up, this post was three paragraphs of broken english), so here are some basic steps spelled out on what to do immediately after rooting, along with some terms.
The first thing you want to do once rooted is go into rom manager, and towards the bottom, hit the option that says "Flash Alternate Recovery". Once you do this, you'll notice at the top where it used to say Current Recovery: ClockworkMod 2.5.0.1 it will now say Current Recovery: Ra Recovery 1.8.0.
Now close out Rom Manager, and turn off the phone. Turn it back on while pressing down on the volume. The screen with the skateboarding Andy's will show up - this is the hboot screen. Among other things, this screen will tell you the version of hboot you're running, and whether you're S-ON or S-OFF. There may be a few different options listed here, but we're only interested in the one that says Recovery.
Select Recovery. The phone will reboot, and you should end up on a screen with green text. At the top it will say Android System Recovery, and all the way at the bottom, it will say Build : RA-evo-v1.8.0 From here select Backup/Restore. There are a few options, but note the two important ones - Nand backup, and Nand restore. Select Nand backup. It will ask if you're sure, so say yes. It will take awhile and the bottom of the screen will fill with dots. When it's done select Return then Reboot System Now. Congratulations, You just performed your first Nand Backup using Amon Ra recovery.
When you can, mount your phone as a drive, and go into folder inside the nandroid folder on your sdcard. You'll see a folder with today's date. Copy it somewhere safe on your computer. If you're interested, you can look in that folder and note the wimax.img file - this is where you're backing up the infamous RSA Keys (I'm not explaining what that is here, just know that you REALLY want to have this backed up, and kept somewhere safe). once the copying is done, unmount as a drive, and disconnect from your computer. Congratulations, now it's playtime.
Use either Titaniaum Backup or MyBackup Pro to back up all of your apps and data. Mybackup Pro will also backup call logs and text messages and things like that - I'm pretty sure Titanium does also, but I'm not sure. Your contacts should be backed up to google for easy restoration later.
Head over to the dev section and find a ROM that appeals to you. You can go with completely stock rooted if you want (which is essentially where you are now, but stock rooted would have the latest OTA updates when they come out), or stock with some tweaks to Sense, or non Sense at all (the most popular of these is CM, which rebuilds Froyo from the ground up.) Sense refers the stock launcher called Rosie, as well as some buried functionality in the phone - for example the mail, calendar, and dialer apps look and act different between Fresh and CM roms. Sense is a UI developed by HTC to go over what is commonly referred to as vanilla android/AOSP. AOSP stands for Android Open Source Project and is what google released on the n1, CM is an AOSP rom. Also, you're looking for a Deodexed rom (as opposed to odexed) so you can theme it later if you want.
Once you find a rom you like, download it to the root of your sd card (you may want to download it on your computer and move it to your sdcard). Refer to the above to get back into recovery, but this time instead of selecting Backup/Restore, select Wipe. Select Wipe data/factory Reset and let it do its things, then select Wipe cache, and let it do it's thing, then select Wipe Dalvic-cache, and let it do it's thing. What you've just done is erased all of the personal and superfluous data that was in the phone - you want to make sure that when you load the new rom, you're loading it on an empty slate, and that there's nothing of your old data left that could possibly corrupt something in the new rom. Some people say to wipe all of those options 2 or even 3 times each - I don't buy that though. Also, don't worry about the other wipe options you had there. Not needed now.
So once you've wiped, hit return, and select Flash zip from sdcard. It will pull up a list of .zip files found on the root of your sdcard. select the rom you just downloaded, and let it install. This may take a while. Don't freak. Once it's done, select Reboot system now. This will take a while too, maybe even a few minutes. Don't freak. Once it eventually boots up, restore all of your stuff with either Titanium or MyBackup Pro. Congratulations, You just flashed your first rom.
Now head over to the themes and apps section. Find a theme that interests you. Make sure its compatible with your rom (either sense or cm) and download it. Flash this the same way you flashed your rom, but you may or may not need to wipe first. Always refer to the op of those threads for specific instructions.
Finally and most importantly - head over to the thread in my sig and find a new font you like. All the cool kids are doing it. When you find one you like, copy it to your sdcard and flash it the same way you've been flashing everything else. You don't need to wipe anything for those though.
Tips;
1: never forget to wipe. As a rule, when flashing roms, you'll be wiping what people refer to as all three - that means wipe data/factory reset, wipe cache, and wipe dalvic cache. When flashing kernels or themes, you'll generally just be wiping cache and dalvic cache. Again though, always refer to the instructions in the op in which you found whatever it is your flashing.
2: if you'll be flashing both themes and roms, and possibly kernels, never flash in the same recovery session. So rom first, full reboot, then kernel, full reboot, then theme, full reboot. In that order, wiping and rewiping as needed.
3: give you're rom at least a few days before you give up on it, most need time to settle into your phone so to speak, and need a few battery cycles to get to peak performance, which brings up to
4: You should wipe your battery stats whenever you flash a new rom. Remember you saw that option under Wipe back in recovery? Well now you get to use it. I posed the link and process above in the thread.
5: At this point most people use Amon Ra instead of clockworkmod because there seems to be uncertainty as to weather or not clockworkmod correctly wipes. ONLY Amon Ra backs up the wimax.img, clockwork does not.
6: rom manager is a graphical front end for clockworkmod. A lot of people still use it to flash, becasue it's so easy to use, it can be used to download roms directly in the app, and doesn't require the zip file to be on the root of the sdcard - it van be anywhere on the card. Don't forget though, you can download the rom through the app if you want, but still switch to amon ra to flash it.
7: you cannot restore a nand backup you make with amon ra with clockwork, and you cannot restore a nand backup you make with clockwork with amonra.
8: on the off chance you need to change your hboot version for any reason, you can only restore nand backups with the same hboot version that they were backed up with. NOTE, were talking about hboot here, not recovery.
Damn, that was a lot of of text. Sorry about that.
i would recommend reading this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=790427
i have only been in the android world for about 3 months now, and was able to root and flash custom roms with ease within a few weeks of getting my evo. its really not hard at all once you understand the process.
as far as what rom to flash, that depends on the user. different rom have different features. if i were you, i would recommend reading the specs on each rom before flashing. some may have features missing, such as 4G, full camera support and such. And usually all that info is provided in the thread along with the rom. so, pay attention to that.
as for me, the goal for rooting was to do certain things that was only possible with root. such as, Nandroid backup, ShootMe, Wifi Tether and to disable some of the Sprint apps. so, i am using a stocked rooted rom. it is what it says. the same stock rom as the factory but rooted.
a lot of ppl use various custom roms to get better battery life. battery life on stock roms have improved quiet a bit lately. at least in the past 3 months, i have noticed a big improvement. hope this helps answer some questions.
and remember to always do a nandroid backup. i also use My Backup Pro to backup my Call Logs, SMS & MMS.
few questions about flashing ROMs..
1. i still have to backup all my contacts,apps,etc, i have titanium backup pro and if i back them all up how do i get them back once the new ROM is flashed?
2. I know im supposed to do a nandroid backup but do i need those special recovery images first? (AmonRA/Clockwork)
3. What's the purpose of ROM M...anager in all of this?
ok, so titanium pro will backup everything, even how your homescreen is set up.
the nandroid is for if there is a problem, or if you want to go back. ALWAYS HAVE AT LEAST ONE BACKUP MADE WITH AMON AT ALL TIMES OR YOU COULD PERMANENTLY LOSE 4G (FOREVER, NO FIX EVER)
rom manager can control clockwork recovery while booted up in a touch screen interface. it removes the need to use the annoying volume keys. doesnt work with amon.
i would highly reccomend amon to you. it is just that much better, but doesnt work with rom manager. volume keys arent that hard anyways. use amon.
ONCE AGAIN, ALWAYS HAVE AT LEAST ONE AMON BAKCUP AT ALL TIMES, AND ALWAYS BACKUP BEFORE DOING ANYTHING EVEN SLIGHTLY CONSIDERED MODDING. SERIOUSLY, TAKE 4 MINUTES OUT OF YOUR DAY TO WATCH DOTS APPEAR, AND SAVE YOURSELF 200 DOLLARS OR HOURS OF SETTING STUFF BACK UP. SERIOUSLY. DO IT.
Thanks for the detailed and informative post! This should be in the question and answer thread. I'm finally able to change my font and onto ROMS. I'll reply back once I'm on a normal keyboard.
R1pTheJacka said:
few questions about flashing ROMs..
1. i still have to backup all my contacts,apps,etc, i have titanium backup pro and if i back them all up how do i get them back once the new ROM is flashed?
2. I know im supposed to do a nandroid backup but do i need those special recovery images first? (AmonRA/Clockwork)
3. What's the purpose of ROM M...anager in all of this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. all your contacts are backup-ed on your google account. when you sign on to the google account after you flash a new rom, the contacts will be automatically downloaded to the phone. so, no further work needed to be done there. i use My Backup Pro to backup my SMS/MMS and Call logs. I think it is very similar to Titanium. Basically you use the program to backup the stuff you need onto your SD Card. Then, once you have flashed your new rom, you install Titanium or the My Backup Pro and use the Restore feature to restore what you need. As far as Apps go, I found that it was better to use App Brain, since that keeps a log of all the apps install on the phone, its usually a breeze to re-install all of them through that.
2. Amon RA & Clockwork perform the same function. you use either to flash custom roms, perform nandroid backups, etc. so, once you root your phone, you will need to install one of these.
3. ROM Manager.. does what the name says it does. you can change the rom on your phone using that utility app. But i think the Amon Ra/Clockwork Recovery method is the preferred way of changing out roms.

[Q] Opinions and Advice for first time EVO root.

Hi all!
I have recently joined the forums because I have heard that you guys are the best when it comes to smart phones including rooting and what not. I have scoured the forums looking for direct answers on how to root my EVO 4G and what I need to use for the best and easiest root. I work as a Network Administrator so I am familiar different technologies and different O/S's including many variations of Linux.
So, moving forward, I want to root my EVO. I have installed all of the latest updates released by both Sprint and HTC. But I have seem so many different ways to do this most notably using Unrevoked. But I've read in the forums that Unrevoked may not work well with the Kernel or Software I have?
I found the leaked Gingerbread and Sense 3.0 image (I believe it was an image) on the forums here and thought about using that one but with so many different ways to "root" an EVO I have no idea on where to begin. I know that many have posted about this before and I hate to be "that guy" whom posts it again but I truly need some expert advice here.
First off, which root method should I use? Secondly, which custom ROM should I use or should I use a custom ROM? I backup my data and apps with myBackup Pro by the way.
And here are the exact specs for my phone:
Software Information:
Android Version:
2.2 (Froyo of course)
Baseband Version:
2.15.00.11.19
Kernel Version:
2.6.32.17-gee557fd
htc-kernel"ampersand"and18-2 #15
Build Number:
3.70.651.1
Browser Version:
WebKit 3.1
PRI Version
1.90_003
PRL Version:
60677
If I'm posting in the wrong forum please do not hesitate to move my thread, I will not be offended like some people are. Lol!
Thanks guys!
Use unrevoked, it should root all versions of the Evo. There were compatibility issues at one point, but I believe that has all been fixed.
You will need to uninstall HTC Sync if you have it installed. If you haven't installed it, do so & then uninstall it. You will also need to install the modified hboot drivers if you're using Windows. You can get those from the unrevoked site. Make sure you have usb debugging turned on before you start the root process & that you've uninstalled anything that syncs with your phone - Doubletwist for one example. If you have problems, disable your antivirus as well.
If unrevoked works for you, I would make sure to do a nandroid backup via recovery before you do anything else. Unrevoked flashes Clockworkmod Recovery. I prefer Amon Ra, but whichever you use is up to you. You can switch recoveries through Rom Manager.
Also make sure you've backed up your RSA keys. Clockwork does this automatically with each backup. You can choose to include/exclude with AR, or do a separate backup of only your wimax keys.
The new GingerSense roms, while neat, are probably not a good idea for a first rom... or even a daily driver. They're going to be really buggy.
If you need anything else or another method to root, I'll be around. Good luck & have fun!
Sweet!
Thanks a ton PlainJane!
I won't be able to try this until tomorrow but rest assured I will try and most likely succeed with your advice. Speaking of Nandroid, I haven't been able to find it on the Android Market, unless I'm over looking it. So if you were doing it, which recovery/backup method would you use and where can you find it if not in the Android Market?
Again, thank you so much and I will probably wait until I get Nandroid or one of the others before I proceed. Hopefully that will be tomorrow.
Regards!
PAinguIN
Nandroid is just the name for the backup made in recovery. If I remember right, ClockworkMod doesn't call it that, nor does Rom Manager (the dev that made Clockwork made Rom Manager to go with it). Recovery is where you'll be doing all of your flashing & backing up. Titanium Backup (or MyBackup) will be needed to back up your apps + data so you can restore them after flashing a new Rom. Doing a nandroid backup is needed in case anything goes wrong or you just want to go back to the ROM/setup you had before. Nandroid backups take an image of your phone at that given time. When you restore a nandroid, it looks exactly as it did when you made the backup. Your rom/kernel are restored as well as your homescreens, apps, everything. They really come in handy. I'd suggest keeping at least one, along with your RSA keys if they're done separately, on your computer just in case. You cannot restore backups made with Amon Ra with Clockwork or vice versa, so I would go ahead and decide which recovery you want to use to avoid having to switch around later.
To get to recovery, you need to power down the phone. Hold the volume down button & the power button at the same time until you see a white screen - that's the bootloader. At the top in should say Supersonic something something ship S-off. The s-off means that you're nand unlocked, fully rooted. Use the volume buttons to move up & down through the menu. Hit the volume down button to highlight "recovery" then the power button to select it. You'll see the white Evo splashscreen & then you'll be in recovery. I'm not sure how Clockwork is laid out because I haven't used it in a while, but there should be a backup/restore option in the recovery menu. Choose that & the rest is pretty self-explanatory. In Amon Ra, choose backup/restore then nandroid backup. You'll be given options what to backup (only in AR, not CWM). Leave the first three checked and do your backup. If you want to include wimax keys, just use the volume down button to highlight it & power to select it. You'll see the box next to it checked. I would suggest doing a separate backup of only your wimax keys after doing a full backup. Just uncheck the first three and then check only wimax.
Remember, before flashing a new ROM, wipe everything in recovery but the SD card. When flashing anything else that goes with the rom - kernels, themes, add-ons, etc - just wipe cache & dalvik cache. In Clockworkmod, I think dalvik is under advanced.
Let me know how it goes!
EDIT: I'm not sure of what wipe options are in Clockwork, and I don't want you to accidentally wipe something on your SD or something else that you shouldn't. So if you use CWM, just wipe data, dalvik, and cache. Or you can use a format all zip (King's format all will work with Clockwork) to do it. In Amon Ra, it's safe to do what I said before, even though data & dalvik/cache should be all that's necessary.
plainjane said:
Nandroid is just the name for the backup made in recovery. If I remember right, ClockworkMod doesn't call it that, nor does Rom Manager (the dev that made Clockwork made Rom Manager to go with it). Recovery is where you'll be doing all of your flashing & backing up. Titanium Backup (or MyBackup) will be needed to back up your apps + data so you can restore them after flashing a new Rom. Doing a nandroid backup is needed in case anything goes wrong or you just want to go back to the ROM/setup you had before. Nandroid backups take an image of your phone at that given time. When you restore a nandroid, it looks exactly as it did when you made the backup. Your rom/kernel are restored as well as your homescreens, apps, everything. They really come in handy. I'd suggest keeping at least one, along with your RSA keys if they're done separately, on your computer just in case. You cannot restore backups made with Amon Ra with Clockwork or vice versa, so I would go ahead and decide which recovery you want to use to avoid having to switch around later.
To get to recovery, you need to power down the phone. Hold the volume down button & the power button at the same time until you see a white screen - that's the bootloader. At the top in should say Supersonic something something ship S-off. The s-off means that you're nand unlocked, fully rooted. Use the volume buttons to move up & down through the menu. Hit the volume down button to highlight "recovery" then the power button to select it. You'll see the white Evo splashscreen & then you'll be in recovery. I'm not sure how Clockwork is laid out because I haven't used it in a while, but there should be a backup/restore option in the recovery menu. Choose that & the rest is pretty self-explanatory. In Amon Ra, choose backup/restore then nandroid backup. You'll be given options what to backup (only in AR, not CWM). Leave the first three checked and do your backup. If you want to include wimax keys, just use the volume down button to highlight it & power to select it. You'll see the box next to it checked. I would suggest doing a separate backup of only your wimax keys after doing a full backup. Just uncheck the first three and then check only wimax.
Remember, before flashing a new ROM, wipe everything in recovery but the SD card. When flashing anything else that goes with the rom - kernels, themes, add-ons, etc - just wipe cache & dalvik cache. In Clockworkmod, I think dalvik is under advanced.
Let me know how it goes!
EDIT: I'm not sure of what wipe options are in Clockwork, and I don't want you to accidentally wipe something on your SD or something else that you shouldn't. So if you use CWM, just wipe data, dalvik, and cache. Or you can use a format all zip (King's format all will work with Clockwork) to do it. In Amon Ra, it's safe to do what I said before, even though data & dalvik/cache should be all that's necessary.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
PlainJane,
Thank you again for your advice. So from what I understand this is what I need to do. First, I need to "root" my device using Unrevoked. Once rooted I then boot my phone up in "Recovery Mode" and at that point I will be able to make my Nandroid image via the recovery method I choose. Correct?
But, where and when do I install these mods? For instance, just for an example, if I wanted to use ClockworkMod would it already show up in Recovery since my phone is now rooted or do I have to install it separately?
This gets more and more confusing as time goes by. I would certainly want to make my Nandroid backup before I would root the phone I would imagine but doing so is not possible unless the device is already rooted correct?
I'm going to give this a shot right now starting with the first set of instructions you gave me.
I hope all goes well.
Thanks and please feel free to respond with any additional information I may need or if it sounds like I have confused myself, which I believe I have.... Lol!
PAinguIN
PAinguINx said:
PlainJane,
Thank you again for your advice. So from what I understand this is what I need to do. First, I need to "root" my device using Unrevoked. Once rooted I then boot my phone up in "Recovery Mode" and at that point I will be able to make my Nandroid image via the recovery method I choose. Correct?
But, where and when do I install these mods? For instance, just for an example, if I wanted to use ClockworkMod would it already show up in Recovery since my phone is now rooted or do I have to install it separately?
This gets more and more confusing as time goes by. I would certainly want to make my Nandroid backup before I would root the phone I would imagine but doing so is not possible unless the device is already rooted correct?
I'm going to give this a shot right now starting with the first set of instructions you gave me.
I hope all goes well.
Thanks and please feel free to respond with any additional information I may need or if it sounds like I have confused myself, which I believe I have.... Lol!
PAinguIN
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unrevoked automatically installs ClockworkMod Recovery, so no need to do that. If you want to use Amon Ra - I think it is the more popular, easy to use option - you will have to flash it over CWM. You can do this easily by downloading Rom Manager from the market & choosing "flash alternate recovery". Other functions of Rom Manager won't work without Clockwork, but trust me, learning to do everything manually will really help you out.
Since it seems that you're a little confused on this point - you only have one recovery at a time. For the Evo, there's ClockworkMod & Amon Ra. You have to have one or the other to boot into recovery, otherwise you'll get a black screen with a red triangle in the corner.
If for some reason flashing AR doesn't work from Rom Manager, let me know & I'll walk you through the manual installation. If you just want to learn that method, I'm all for that too. I just don't want to confuse you with that information unless you need it.
You cannot do a nandroid backup until you root the phone. It's just one more limitation of not being rooted. You have to have a custom recovery installed, and I don't think this is possible without being rooted. You can go ahead & do the backup once you've rooted, just be sure to switch recoveries first if that's something you plan on doing. I'm not saying Clockwork is bad, I just recommend AR for multiple reasons... one of them being that Amon Ra supports both edify & amend scripting. With newer versions of ClockworkMod, you can only flash edify scripted zips, older versions are amend only. If you flash enough you'll run into a problem with this one-or-the-other way of doing things.
Any other questions, don't hesitate to ask. I found that watching videos on YouTube helped me feel more at ease before my first time rooting and my first time flashing. Once I saw how easy it was, I felt more comfortable doing it. Read the stickies and any kind of guides you can find in the Evo forums. I've learned a lot just by reading the Evo Q&A section.
If you want to pm me with any more questions, go ahead. You can ask them in the thread too, if you want... either way.
I'd like to hear how everything goes for you. Most people are happy with how easy unrevoked is, but a few do have problems. Anyway, good luck!
PlainJane,
Well, I've installed the modified HBOOT drivers successfully. I have ran UnrEVOked3 and am now in the process of creating my first NANDROID backup. I just stuck with ClockWorkMod because once I actually ran UnrEVOked3 and it finished it reboot my EVO into recovery mode. So rather than rebooting my phone again and flashing Amon Ra (and possibly running into any problems) I just stuck with CWM. I may regret this later but at this point I am just glad that my phone hasn't been "bricked". Lol!
It's still running the NANDROID backup right now. Now I need to clarify what needs to be done when that has finished. I guess I need to flash a custom ROM of my choosing right? Will I do this using ROMmanager or do I need to d/l one from the net somewhere first?
Also, you mention something about wiping the data on my phone aside from the SD Card. I only need to do this just before I flash a "New ROM" correct? Or should I go ahead and do this now?
Anyway, it looks like "so far so good" in my case. Thanks to you that is! ; ) And the backup has completed, I'm going to see if I can boot into my phone now.
Oh, and this is what I am seeing in CWM:
ClockworkMod Recovery v2.6.0.1
- reboot system now
- apply sdcard:update.zip
- wipe data/factory reset
- wipe cache partition
- install zip from sdcard
- backup and restore
- mounts and storage
- advanced
- +++++Go Back+++++
So that's what you see with ClockWorkMod these days.
Now, back to what I was saying. Do I choose a custom ROM now or am I good with what I have? Also, about wiping, that's only done when I flash a new ROM?
Thanks yet again PlainJane!
PAinguIN
I created the attached document for myself when I was learning how to root and what all steps that need to be taken. Its not perfect, but when i root a phone for my friends, i still reference this and make changes when needed.
/*** Follow these steps at your own risk. Like is said, these are the steps that I use and this is NOT an "official" guide.
/*** I take no responsibility for "bricking" during this process
I have to put some sort of disclaimer in here, lol
fikusunc said:
I created the attached document for myself when I was learning how to root and what all steps that need to be taken. Its not perfect, but when i root a phone for my friends, i still reference this and make changes when needed.
/*** Follow these steps at your own risk. Like is said, these are the steps that I use and this is NOT an "official" guide.
/*** I take no responsibility for "bricking" during this process
I have to put some sort of disclaimer in here, lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks!
So what ROM/Kernel is the best or coolest to have these days? I already tried to uninstall some factory installed apps with no luck. I also tried to use the "Root" features in JuiceDefender and when I allowed the app to scan to see if my Kernel/Rom supported CPU controlling it said that it was not supported. So I certainly need to get a new ROM/Kernel.
Perhaps you guide will hold the secret!
Thanks guy!
PAinguIN
yw, check out this site. This person put together a page that makes looking for roms very easy. http://evo4g.roms-db.com/
As far as what is the "best" or "coolest", that just depends on what you want. I basically wanted a rom that that was stable and had hotspot and tethering enabled and working. I think that I have had almost every rom that is on above link and I finally decided on sticking with the Eternal Prophecy rom. I kept going back to it so now im sticking with it until I get more knowledge to build my own.
I dont know enough about Kernals to flash one or make modifications, yet.
to uninstall some apps that come default on a rom, I use "root explorer".
just check out the section of the file called:
######## TO REMOVE BLOATING HTC / SPRINT APPS, FOLLOW THE STEPS HERE OR KEEP READING ########
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I downloaded the Eternal Prophecy v5.7 ROM. Do I place this in the root of my SD card? Also, can I flash this rom using ROM Manager or do I have to do it through ClockWorkMod recovery? Do I have to wipe my phone beforehand if I use ROM Manager?
One other question, how do I choose a Kernel and what is the benefit of using a different Kernel. For instance, if I use this Kernel "Netarchy 4.3.4 CFS HAVS SBC More Aggressive" what will it do for me? And do I have to have a custom kernel for a custom rom?
Thanks!
By the way, your guide was helpful. I like what has been done in the Eternal Prophecy Rom, I haven't installed it yet but based on the change notes I've read it sounds great. Although I don't see why someone would want to remove Adobe Reader. I have to work with PDF files a great deal and I also read e-books in PDF format as well. I guess I'll just install it after I flash the ROM.
Thanks again,
PAinguIN
Wow, I missed a lot overnight apparently, hah.
First off, don't wipe data unless you're about to flash! Otherwise you won't have any data. Sorry for the confusion.
I'm not familiar with the Rom you chose, but I'm sure it'll be fine. The most popular roms are usually on the first couple of pages of the Evo Development forums, but popularity shouldn't be the deciding factor. Run through the thread for the rom & just make sure it's stable & people aren't having a lot of problems. It's usually best to choose a rom that's up to date, but I stuck with CM6 until CM7 nightly 20-something was out because I liked how stable it was & didn't feel the need to jump on the Gingerbread bandwagon.
Okay, since you downloaded the ROM externally, you can't flash through Rom Manager... I think. I've never used it so I'm not sure. But for learning purposes, go ahead and do it manually. Read the thread for the rom - at least the first few posts, not the whole thing - and make sure there isn't anything else that's required before flashing. If you don't need anything else, you can go ahead and flash the rom by itself. You can flash kernels, etc later. Now I'm not exactly sure where things are in Clockwork (thanks for showing me the first level, it sounds odd compared to what I'm used to), but you need to wipe cache, dalvik cache & data. I have heard that dalvik is under advanced, but I don't remember if the rest is under wipe data/factory reset or not.
After you've wiped, choose install zip from sd card. All of the zip files are at the bottom, so it's easiest to hit the volume up button to take you to the bottom unstead of going down from the top. If I remember right, Clockwork makes you choose yes in the middle of a bunch of noes. I think that's what I miss the least about CWM, lol. When it finishes flashing just choose to reboot, and hopefully you'll be done with that ugly boot animation & sound from Sprint :]
Okay, on to kernels. Most likely all you need is a CFS kernel. BFS kernels give you better quadrant scores, but quadrant scores are just a competition for teenage boys. You can use them for testing purposes, but take them with a grain of salt. There's a great kernel starter guide. I have it saved, but just search for kernel starter guide & you should be able to find it. With a havs kernel, you can't change your cpu speed without interfering with the kernel. Havs kernels do a good job of undervolting to save battery when the phone isn't in use, eliminating the need for SetCPU or anything similar. You will still be able to use the app, but doing so will kind of fight the kernel. Make sure you choose an AOSP kernel for AOSP & Sense for Sense. Also take into account if you're on 2.2 or 2.3, but this mostly matters for AOSP right now. You do not need a custom kernel, every rom comes with one. You can choose a different one to suit your needs.
I'm sure I missed something, so if I think of anything else, I'll let you know
Ok, well, I've already bought SetCPU and I've purchase Rom Manager Pro and Bloat Freezer. Problem though, I was going to try and d/l and flash a rom using Rom Manager but when I press download ROM it tells me this: "You must have ClockworkMod Recovery installed before continuing! Install the recovery through ROM Manager first."
But I already have ClockworkMod installed because Unrevoked did it for me. If I click on Reboot into Recovery it works fine. But why does it tell me I need to install ClockworkMod recovery when it's already installed? It gives me the choice to install it but I don't want to reinstall it and cause any problems you know?
What should I do? Should I use Rom Manager at all now or should I just work manually?
Thanks!
PAinguINx said:
Ok, well, I've already bought SetCPU and I've purchase Rom Manager Pro and Bloat Freezer. Problem though, I was going to try and d/l and flash a rom using Rom Manager but when I press download ROM it tells me this: "You must have ClockworkMod Recovery installed before continuing! Install the recovery through ROM Manager first."
But I already have ClockworkMod installed because Unrevoked did it for me. If I click on Reboot into Recovery it works fine. But why does it tell me I need to install ClockworkMod recovery when it's already installed? It gives me the choice to install it but I don't want to reinstall it and cause any problems you know?
What should I do? Should I use Rom Manager at all now or should I just work manually?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This was more of a curiosity question to be honest with you. I have copied the ROM and Calkulin's combo update to the root of my SD card and am performing my NANDROID right now. I decided to try out "Myn’s Warm TwoPointTwo" ROM instead of Eternal Prophecy. I will probably flash a Cyanogen ROM later and perform a NANDROID of that as well so I can switch back and forth.
I really appreciate all of your help PlainJane, oh, and Fikusunc too!
This is truly the best forum for Android/Linux development and modifications. I'll spread the word about XDA to my friends for sure. ; )
Still curious about that Rom Manager thing though...strange....
I bought the Pro key too when I first rooted. I used it to download one ROM that I never flashed and I haven't touched it since. I learned to do everything manually from the get-go... I think I just didn't trust Rom Manager to do its job. As for the error, I got that too with the premium version. I think I downgraded to a previous version & it worked for me. You can also try reflashing the recovery through Rom Manager, that may help. If not, go to settings and clear cache/data for Rom Manager & then try again. I really think you'd benefit from learning to do it manually... it's not hard at all, and if you're in a pinch where your phone won't boot, it'll help to know your way around the recovery. If you can get Rom Manager working and want to use it, go ahead, there's nothing wrong with using it. You've already paid for it.
I think you'll really enjoy Myn's, especially coming from stock. It took me some time to flash a custom rom after I rooted, but once I did I was amazed to see what I'd been missing.
Let me know how you like Myn's, though. I've pretty much settled between CM & MIUI, but I feel it's time for something new. I haven't used Sense in what feels like forever, so I may give it a shot.
Wow! Quick learner! It took me some time to wrap my head around all this stuff! You had good coaches also. Good luck and have fun with your "new" Evo!
New EVO user as well and I'm eager to get rooted and get CM7 flashed. I've read that WiMax isn't working with most custom ROMs. I'm wondering, if I decide to restore back to stock ROM, would WiMax work again? (assuming of course I back up my RSA keys) or am I SOL after flashing a new ROM?
Thanks all! Just upgraded from an HTC Rhodium 400 and am still new to this whole thing.
BTW - thanks for the thread, It's been useful
gm87 said:
New EVO user as well and I'm eager to get rooted and get CM7 flashed. I've read that WiMax isn't working with most custom ROMs. I'm wondering, if I decide to restore back to stock ROM, would WiMax work again? (assuming of course I back up my RSA keys) or am I SOL after flashing a new ROM?
Thanks all! Just upgraded from an HTC Rhodium 400 and am still new to this whole thing.
BTW - thanks for the thread, It's been useful
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this is actually not correct. wimax works with most roms. EVEN CM7 NOW! it took 4 months for 2 guys to reverse engineer closed-source wimax drivers to the evo. so now you have 'MOAR GEES' as we call it, on cm7. even if you flash a rom w/o 4g, you'l still have it when you come back to one that does.
btw, SAVE YOUR RSA KEYS! have at least one nandroid bakcup wiht wimax.img so that if you keys (the way into sprint's 4g network) gets corrupted, you aren't sol.
plainjane said:
I bought the Pro key too when I first rooted. I used it to download one ROM that I never flashed and I haven't touched it since. I learned to do everything manually from the get-go... I think I just didn't trust Rom Manager to do its job. As for the error, I got that too with the premium version. I think I downgraded to a previous version & it worked for me. You can also try reflashing the recovery through Rom Manager, that may help. If not, go to settings and clear cache/data for Rom Manager & then try again. I really think you'd benefit from learning to do it manually... it's not hard at all, and if you're in a pinch where your phone won't boot, it'll help to know your way around the recovery. If you can get Rom Manager working and want to use it, go ahead, there's nothing wrong with using it. You've already paid for it.
I think you'll really enjoy Myn's, especially coming from stock. It took me some time to flash a custom rom after I rooted, but once I did I was amazed to see what I'd been missing.
Let me know how you like Myn's, though. I've pretty much settled between CM & MIUI, but I feel it's time for something new. I haven't used Sense in what feels like forever, so I may give it a shot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Painjane,
Actually I think I'm going to stick with your advice and handle everything manually from now own. While I could probably reflash recovery through ROM Manager and get it working properly recovery does work. So as they say, if it's not broken don't fix it right? Lol!
I'll keep ROM Manager though, since I've paid for it, and possibly try to use it when I flash my next ROM. Just to see what happens.
One of the guys posted in the thread something about how fast I caught on and that I had a good coach. Thanks! I think I did catch on pretty quickly, and yes I had a very good coach. Lol!
I've actually owned my EVO since its day of release. I pre-ordered that device once I heard of it and did my research. I originally wanted the Nexus One but settled on the EVO as the NEXUS One was only available through T-Mobile or something. Nothing against T-Mobile, they just don't offer good service in my area.
Anyway, it took me this long to buildup the courage to finally root my phone. The last thing I wanted was a $600 paper weight you know? Lol! But as smooth as this process went I would recommend this process to anyone.
And PlainJane, Myn's is working great! It has an amazing interface and is just plain (no pun intended) sweet!. Here's something for everyone else out there which I did differently.
Instead of wiping ALL of the data on my phone I only wiped the dalvik and cache instead of doing a complete wipe. This way everything was still setup exactly the way I had it before the flash. i.e. E-Mail, Contacts, SMS logs, music, photos, etc. Moreover, wireless tether works great, Wimaxx still turns on but we don't have 4G around here so I've never been able to use it. Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS work just fine too.
In fact, there is nothing that doesn't work the way it should. So, in my opinion, wiping your device of all of it's data is not necessary but I did not develop the ROMS so check with the devs before doing anything out of the norm.
; )
PAinguIN

Revolutionary on new wildfire problem (or extreme muppetry)

Hello everyone.
I enjoyed the noob video and also look forward to being pasted no doubt.
I have a wildfire running 2.2 android which I understand means I am running the latest firmware, which I also understand is going to make it difficult for me to root easily.
Never the less not being one to be beaten I have tried with EVO3, which no matter what I tried would not work, constantly asking if my firmware was too new. I even wiped it but no luck.
So I struck upon revolutionary, which yes I understand is beta.
This is perhaps where my lack of understanding comes in. Would I be right in thinking that custom roms require a specificly rooted device?
The thing is I have apparently been successfull with revolutionary. I can boot into it and I was able to instaly cryongena rom which worked OK until I installed google apps where by it constantaly showed the spinning blue arrow, round and round, rebooting and rebooting.
Thing is all other roms I have tried, everyone, has failed, with either script being old 'error 6' etc etc.
I found I needed a different kind of rom, which a few were offering however these also failed with error 6 which apparent was something to do with not being pure unix or something.
Sorry I am not up on the language, but I think I have tried all the popular ones, puzzle etc and none will install.
When I start up with the volume button pressed it shows the screen then says something about failing to load image, but goes away to quick to read pc4diag.img or something.
Is it possible I have not loaded revolutionary correctly, and have I gained 'root'
Thanks for reading, and please feel free to tear me a new one.
- Yes, I am sure you have Revolutionary installed correctly. You got a bootloop while installing GApps, in which case I would recommend performing a full wipe in Clockworkmod and try to install again. (Install the CM ROM first, then the GAPps Zip. Also, I hope you are using a filename called gapps-gb-2011xxxx.zip)
- If you want to install other ROMs, Sense and Android 2.2.1 ROMs require Clockworkmod 2.x. Attempting to flash them in Clockworkmod 3.x/4.x will give you the "Scripting not supported" error. The workaround to this is to download this attachment:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=662193&d=1311319218
Flash this in your new Clockworkmod Version, which will give you temporary 2.5, then proceed as normal.
- When you boot into the HBoot Mode, it will automatically perform a search for the files PC49IMG.diag and .nbh. It's normal, and theres nothing to worry about. After the search is over, and, it has not found the files, you can navigate properly again.
Oh, and I think you are being too paranoid about the video and everyone here trying to tear you a new one.
Good Luck
Thanks very much for your answer.
Honestly I spent 2 hours on google last night trying to get my head around it.
To be honest all I want is a quick phone, and I am not getting that with stock software on my wildfire, I get very frustrated when trying to scroll but it reads it as me tapping an app icon, and there are loads of them I don't want in here, footsteps and tweets and the likes, I am simply not interested and neither am I allowed to remove them. The cynogenmod looked amazing, but I can see even more processor intensive than the stock software.
I will have a look at what you have suggested and thanks for your help!
In that case, I think you might want to stick with the Stock ROM, and, get an app like 'Root Uninstaller' or 'Titanium Backup' which allows you to uninstall (Or, to be more correct - 'freeze') any apps you wish - Including System Apps.
Not trying to advertise Cyanogenmod here, since I understand ROM preference is a personal thing, but, I would recommend giving it one more try, after a full wipe. Also, go with the latest nightlies rather than the Stables. I have been using it since it was released back in January, and, honestly, I am never going back to Stock / Sense based ROMs.
Don't get me wrong it looks awesome. But the boot up time was just shy of 4 minutes (although I now understand it may have been because of first boot) and two attempts at install failed.
I shall look at how to fully wipe, but to be honest, being very new to hacking my phone I am quite happy having the back up there to revert too.
Well I tried to install anything but nothing works so I shall revert to my original back up and see about these tools for removing unwanted apps.
Thanks for the help, but something is not right. All roms either get as far as the twinkly noise on the HTC screen then do it again and again, and cynogen gets to the rotating arrow, then eventually an android zips across the screen and back to the arrow
Well I don't think I have root on this device. I tried to install busybox and titanium and both tell me my phone is not rooted.
Sigh.
If you are on the Stock ROM, you will have to flash this additionally:
http://bit.ly/su2361ef
This will install Superuser, which is what will give you "root". If you are on Custom ROMs, flashing this additional file is not required, since, they include the Superuser Binary already,. So, flash that, and then try installing Busybox / Ti Backup. (make sure you get a "superuser" icon in your app drawer after flashing that zip)
EDIT:
- Are you on Clockworkmod 3.0.0.6 incidentally? That version has caused bootloops for many users when installing ROM's.
- First boot time is extremely long (Upto 7-8 mins), and its normal.
Hello thanks for the info.
I am not confident I know what mod I am on, I just went to the revolutionary website and downloaded the latest beta.
When you say it can take 7-8mins to load up would this include the boot loops though? Thats all I get on all of them
I shall install the super user bit see if that helps.
No, not including bootloops. BTW, I am referring to the Clockworkmod Version, not Revolutionary,
When you enter the Recovery to flash something, at the bottom, you will "Clockworkmod Version x.x.x.x". It is that version I was asking.
Sadly I am not getting anywhere here, every single rom just goes round in circles in one way or another.
The version say revolutionary CWM v4.0.1.4
I was unable to get the standard revoked installed as I am runnning the latest android firmware and it just kept failing.
Something I am getting rather used to!
I cannot see a clockwork mod number anywhere, although it must be there as I have clockwork folder on the SD card.
Sorry, I am being a muppet here.

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