Elaboration on "how to root"

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forumsid987

Senior Member
May 10, 2010
145
4
I think this thread can eventually turn into a sticky. I am going to ask all the common / newbie questions relating to the post by toast that is quoted below. Please contribute clear answers in the thread and I'll include them here at the top:

Q: What does RUU stand for?
A: ROM Upgrade Utility. It is used when a new ROM is available by your carrier. Don't use this since it will nullify your root.

Q: Where can I find photos of the root process?
A: Right Here, thanks to pingpongboss

Q: Where can I find the details and download locations of the custom roms available?
A: ???

Q: What is a custom recovery?
A: ???

Q: What is a recovery partition?
A: ????

Q: What things are we not able to do since we don't have the ability to
Write to system or recovery while in android
- Flash a custom recovery that can be booted into by holding vol down and powering on
A:
1) You cannot remove unwanted applications inside of android that couldn't normally be removed. You must remove them prior to boot.
2) ???

Q: What are all those code snipbits?

A: ??

Q: What is the point of the "recovery instructions"?
A: ??


HOW TO ROOT YOUR HTC EVO

DO NOT USE A RUU FROM SPRINT IF U WANNA MAINTAIN ROOT. WAIT FOR ME OR SOMEONE HERE TO MAKE A ROOT UPDATE.ZIP.

Major thanx for those who helped:

keishou (for the rooted build. without it none of this would be possible)
maejrep (for testing and modding a recovery for the EVO)
Flipz (for hosting the files)
Paul (for his recovery work on the desire and legend)
Amon_RA (for his recovery source on github)

WHAT THIS ROOT METHOD WILL DO:

- wipe all of your data so brace for that. backup or what not
- Allow you to flash custom roms
- Boot into a custom recovery
- Write to system, boot and recovery partitions through recovery

WHAT THIS ROOT METHOD SADLY WONT ENABLE YOU TO DO:

- Write to system or recovery while in android
- Flash a custom recovery that can be booted into by holding vol down and powering on

THINGS YOU WILL NEED:

download files below:

- PC36IMG.zip

- evorecovery

INSTUCTIONS FOR ROOTING:

- Put the PC36IMG.zip on the root of your sdcard

Code:
adb push PC36IMG.zip /sdcard

- Power off the phone
- Hold volume down while powering the phone on. continue to hold volume down until you see the WHITE bootloader screen.
- After a few seconds it will begin to checking for files, and find PC36IMG.zip. while its doing this it will show a blue progress bar while its checking. (this takes 30 - 60 seconds to finish)
- It will then list all the images in the zip and ask you if want to flash. SAY YES
- When its finished it will ask you if you would like to reboot. AGAIN... SAY YES
- At this point it will boot into a rooted rom.
- YOU ARE NOW ROOT!!!
- rename the PC36IMG.zip on your sdcard:
- plug your phone into a usb port on your desktop and do:

Code:
adb shell mv /sdcard/PC36IMG.zip /sdcard/root-PC36IMG.zip

RECOVERY INSTRUCTIONS:

- Extract the evorecovery.zip to your desktop
- plug your phone into a usb port on your desktop
- In a shell:

Code:
adb reboot recovery

- this will reboot your EVO into recovery mode. at this point turn your attention to the directory u extracted the evorecovery.zip to.

Code:
For Windows XP ~~>  Run recovery-windows.bat
For Vista and Windows 7 do it as Admin

- in a shell do:

Code:
For Linux ~~> ./recovery-linux.sh

- at this point turn your attention to the phone and navigate to create a Nandriod Backup. you can now flash custom roms, write, and make changes to system.

- to flash a custom rom put the rom on the root of your sdcard. wipe data, dalvic cache and chose the option to flash update.zip from sdcard.

RECOVERY NAVIGATION:

-
Code:
Volume up/down moves through the list and Power selects.

RECOVERY SOURCE:

- http://github.com/jhansche/amonra_bootable_recovery/tree/supersonic

Code:
git clone git://github.com/jhansche/amonra_bootable_recovery.git
git checkout supersonic
 
Last edited:

flipzmode

Retired Recognized Developer
Jan 21, 2009
1,325
905
geekfor.me
Q: Where can I find the details and download locations of the custom roms available?
A: ???

Q: What is a custom recovery?
A: ???

Q: What is a recovery partition?
A: ????

Q: What things are we not able to do since we don't have the ability to
A:
1) You cannot remove unwanted applications inside of android that couldn't normally be removed. You must remove them prior to boot.
2) ???

Q: What are all those code snipbits?

A: ??

Q: What is the point of the "recovery instructions"?
A: ??

In order top to bottom:

As they become available you will find them in this forum. I will release a fresh rom for evo once I can test on my own device. It will be posted here, as well as at http://geekfor.me like always.

The green and black screen that you see that lets you flash a custom rom and create a nandroid backup, that is a custom recovery. The problem is because of NAND protection we can't currently flash that recovery and have it stick. That's why you have to run the bat/sh script each time, to load it manually.

It's the partition that the recovery resides on (the part of the internal storage memory).

Aside from not writing to system while booted (which was answered already) all that means is that instead of being able to boot directly in to the custom recovery view power button + home button or volume down, you need to run that script to get in to recovery. That's the only thing not being able to load the custom recovery means.

Code snipbits?

Um, because how else would you know how to get in to recovery so that you can flash a rom / create a backup / etc?? :)
 

TheBiles

Senior Member
Jan 27, 2010
3,573
176
34
North Carolina
www.flickr.com
Is there any chance of fixing that recovery issue? Having to run the script to access it each time is going to get old fast.

-------------------------------------
Sent via the XDA Tapatalk App
 

MrDSL

Senior Member
Nov 17, 2006
7,456
2,598
In the rooting instructions it keeps mentioning just plug phone into usb port on a pc and in shell do this.

I am on windows 7..what shell?
 

joeykrim

Inactive Recognized Developer
Jan 9, 2009
1,978
1,311
maybe change the thread title to FAQ on how to root rather than elaboration, might attract more attention.
i was going to answer the questions which haven't been answered but flipzmode did a great job and the 1st post hasn't been updated. once the 1st post has been updated i'll check back and add more detailed if there is anything left to help with!

In the rooting instructions it keeps mentioning just plug phone into usb port on a pc and in shell do this.
I am on windows 7..what shell?
good question, this would be good to add to the guide above.

the shell on windows 7 means the command prompt. never used win 7 but on win xp and vista, start->run->cmd
and it pops open the command prompt, navigate to where you extracted the zip file contents to, cd c:\evo-root\ . then run the .bat file by typing recovery-windows.bat .

on linux the terminal interface is called a shell because it actually brings up a shell binary, /bin/sh or /bin/bash . google these binaries for more detailed information. on windows the shell, is basically the command line which is now emulated in windows, where back in the days of DOS it was the actual system with windows loaded on top as a GUI...
sorry prob too much information!
 

joeykrim

Inactive Recognized Developer
Jan 9, 2009
1,978
1,311
Is there an alternative to reboot recovery that does not require ADB?
an alternative way to reboot into recovery without using adb?
boot into the bootloader and select recovery? use the quick boot GUI to reboot directly into recovery? use connectbot and connect localhost, type reboot recovery?
you'll be needing ADB for a good chunk of the custom recovery process in order to load this Froyo ROM.
adb isnt too bad, just dive in and we're all here to help!
 

a5ehren

Senior Member
Jul 25, 2008
167
22
In the rooting instructions it keeps mentioning just plug phone into usb port on a pc and in shell do this.

I am on windows 7..what shell?

Start -> Accessories -> Right-Click on "Command Prompt" -> select "Run as Administrator".

If you don't need to run as admin, you can do
Start -> type cmd -> Enter
and it'll come up.
 

nicholasbithell

Senior Member
May 12, 2009
97
0
Anyone have some solid "Adb on Mac" instructions? LIke how to get it going on a mac... Just switched from PC... Thanks
 

PlankLongBeard

Senior Member
May 24, 2010
1,173
64
On The Moon!
I believe Start -> type cmd -> Shift+Enter will run as admin also.

Simply put im on a mac and a windows at the same time.. I cannot get the bat to run correctly I see it run but it looks like a fc and then it closes.. On the mac I get asked for this..

sudo: ./adb-mac: command not found
sudo: ./adb-mac: command not found

new-host:~ GodDriven$ sudo: ./adb-mac: command not found

Please help?