Let me start off by saying I have been reading these forums for a couple days and I am just getting more confused.
Currently I have root, S-On, and no other mods or ROMs. I am getting the popup notification to update literally every time I turn on the screen. I can select defer and set a date about a week in the future from whatever day it is, but the popup comes back within the hour. A few times it even began downloading on its own (while on 4G as well, ~100 mb of data used up every time).
All I would like to do is somehow get my phone to be as if I were complete stock and accepted the OTA, keep root, and not have to wipe any data (or be able to restore a full nandroid). I am getting very frustrated with everything and once I think I understand it, someone throws out something new to me.
If anyone is willing to take some time to help me with this I would gladly make a donation, either to them or another party of their choosing
Spaded21 said:
Let me start off by saying I have been reading these forums for a couple days and I am just getting more confused.
Currently I have root, S-On, and no other mods or ROMs. I am getting the popup notification to update literally every time I turn on the screen. I can select defer and set a date about a week in the future from whatever day it is, but the popup comes back within the hour. A few times it even began downloading on its own (while on 4G as well, ~100 mb of data used up every time).
All I would like to do is somehow get my phone to be as if I were complete stock and accepted the OTA, keep root, and not have to wipe any data (or be able to restore a full nandroid). I am getting very frustrated with everything and once I think I understand it, someone throws out something new to me.
If anyone is willing to take some time to help me with this I would gladly make a donation, either to them or another party of their choosing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can simply flash a stock rom that has the update & flash the newer stock kernel that goes with it but you wont be able to update the radios. You wont lose any info this way unless something goes wrong.(always backup everything just in case something goes wrong).
As for backup, you will only be able to backup aps & data with titanium backup or some sort of program like that because If you do a nandroid backup and then restore after applying the update, you would be restoring your old rom basically over the new one and lose most update enhancements.
You should just follow the thread here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2155069 and go S-Off. I know you will have to restore everything because you will wipe your phone when you do this but its only gonna make things easier for you in the future.
Do a nan backup and save it in case you want to use it in the future and go back to what you had. Once you have S-Off, you can flash kernals, radios, & roms and put in any version you want.
Thanks for your response Jrocker,
So it looks like the best way to do this would be to backup my apps with Titanium, get S-off, install a stock ROM with the update, flash the kernel and radio, then restore from Titanium.
Step 1. Make nandroid
Step 2. Backup apps with Titanium, copy backup along with pics and video to PC
Step 3. Get S-off
Step 4. Flash Stock ROM - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2149095
Step 5. While still in recovery, flash stock kernel http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2149951
Step 6. Flash stock radio http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2155915
Step 7. Restore apps and pics.
Does that look correct? Do I have to worry about flashing a boot.img or modules(don't know what those are)?
Spaded21 said:
Thanks for your response Jrocker,
So it looks like the best way to do this would be to backup my apps with Titanium, get S-off, install a stock ROM with the update, flash the kernel and radio, then restore from Titanium.
Step 1. Make nandroid
Step 2. Backup apps with Titanium, copy backup along with pics and video to PC
Step 3. Get S-off
Step 4. Flash Stock ROM - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2149095
Step 5. While still in recovery, flash stock kernel http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2149951
Step 6. Flash stock radio http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2155915
Step 7. Restore apps and pics.
Does that look correct? Do I have to worry about flashing a boot.img or modules(don't know what those are)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you unlocked the bootloader? (this step is usually done in connection with rooting the phone at the htcdev.com website). If you have an ulocked bootloader, then you can flash an alternate recovery (eithe cwr or twrp) and do a nandroid backup.
Then follow the steps to get s-off. Note: the step where you have your data wiped is unlocking the bootloader, not obtaining s-off. If you already have an alternate recovery, and root, then s-off generally will not wipe your phone. But do an nandroid backup in cwr or twrp just in case Although a nandroid won't backup pictures etc.
Once you have s-off, flash the stock (but rooted) rom you linked to in step 4. This step SHOULD flash the stock kernel if the .zip file was prepared properly. If you boot into the rom and have flickering or wifi issues, then you will need to flash the stock 2.04 kernel (in fastboot). You can also verify if the new kernel was installed when the rom is booted by looking at the Settings:About:Software Information:More (baseband, kernel etc). You should see there kernel version 3.4.10. The baseband (radio) should be 1.01.01.0110 once you have updated the radio (see the step below). The kernel file is the boot.img file you were asking about. The modules will already be built into the stock rom.
While in fastboot (not recovery) you can flash the updated radio files (that will make the baseband referred to above be 1.01.01.0110.
The time when you need to worry about flashing a kernel (boot.img) and modules is if you are s-on, or if you are s-off and the zip file was prepared as you were s-on. When you flash a "kernel", it consists of a boot.img file, along with some extraneous files (the module). When you are s-off, these can both be flashed together while in recovery. When you are s-on, the boot.img file must be flashed from fastboot (or else an alternate method using an app like Flash Image GUI). Because until recently, most DNA's were s-on, the kernel developers prepared their files for s-on devices, with instructions for s-on devices.
When you flash a rom that uses a different kernel than the one you are using, if the .zip file is prepared for a s-off device, then there are no additional steps necessary.
You may want to do a factory reset when you flash the updated 2.04 rom. I think it would be wise. As I said earlier, you shouldn't lose your /sdcard partition UNLESS you haven't already unlocked your bootloader. s-off doesn't reset your device.
Wow, all I can say is thank you so much! That was an awesome, detailed answer. It makes so much more sense when someone fully explains everything all at once, instead of me trying to piece everything together myself from various threads.
Yes my bootloader is unlocked. So you are saying once the bootloader is unlocked wiping data won't touch the SD card partition, just as if I had an actual SD card? When I rooted my Thunderbolt and did subsequent factory resets on that, it never touched the SD card. When I rooted my DNA it wiped everything. Either way I will always make backups and copy those to my PC.
I will be trying this later today and I will report back with the results. Seriously, thank you so much.
Spaded21 said:
Wow, all I can say is thank you so much! That was an awesome, detailed answer. It makes so much more sense when someone fully explains everything all at once, instead of me trying to piece everything together myself from various threads.
Yes my bootloader is unlocked. So you are saying once the bootloader is unlocked wiping data won't touch the SD card partition, just as if I had an actual SD card? When I rooted my Thunderbolt and did subsequent factory resets on that, it never touched the SD card. When I rooted my DNA it wiped everything. Either way I will always make backups and copy those to my PC.
I will be trying this later today and I will report back with the results. Seriously, thank you so much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was looking for this exact solution as well. This was before we had s-off. For a while my solution was to freeze a couple apps in TB so the OTA pop up would stop popping up. I think it was HTC DM 1.0.2219251543..... and HtcDm 1.0.221982913.... Looks the same but they are different.
I like stock but I eventually flashed ViperDNA. It looks like stock but you are able to customize the $h!!t out of it. Its an awesome ROM that I highly recommend. Although you might want to wait until he comes out with 1.2 (the new version with the latest firmware) becuase you have to wipe data. Data wiping isn't a big deal if you use TB.
Ether way you go - Stock ROM or ViperDNA - The recommended way to wipe your device is this way:
(I'm using TWRP but CR should be similar, might be in different menus)
Backup everything using TB
Backup Pics and other docs on internal SD card (JUST IN CASE)
Make Nandroid Backup in Recovery
Wipe Menu-> Wipe Dalvik Cache (some like to wipe 3 times others think its just a waste of time)
Wipe Menu-> Wipe Cache (Factory Reset wipes cache but I like to wipe cache anyway just for completeness )
Wipe Menu-> Factory Reset
Wipe Menu-> System
Don't Format Data and Don't wipe Internal Storage. You will loose SD card contents.
Once you install your ROMS, flash your kernals, flash radios...whatever you want to do...You can restore apps and data from TB
As always, follow the ROMS instructions on their page for more information.
Only Restore User Apps and Data
Never restore any system apps in RED. May not be compatible with new ROM
You can however restore system Data that is in Yellow or Green (DATA ONLY)
Thanks devilsaces
Once I get everything updated and get a good nadroid of the newest firmware with all my apps I will definitely give ViperDNA a shot. I tried a few custom ROMs on my Thunderbolt, and while they were great to customize, they weren't always stable. Like I said I use my phone for work all day so I really need something dependable, and so far stock hasn't let me down.
Thanks again everyone, a lot of great info in this thread. Hopefully this will be useful to others as well.
Spaded21 said:
Thanks devilsaces
Once I get everything updated and get a good nadroid of the newest firmware with all my apps I will definitely give ViperDNA a shot. I tried a few custom ROMs on my Thunderbolt, and while they were great to customize, they weren't always stable. Like I said I use my phone for work all day so I really need something dependable, and so far stock hasn't let me down.
Thanks again everyone, a lot of great info in this thread. Hopefully this will be useful to others as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I had the same problem on the Thunderbolt, nothing stable. Viper however feels great. I would definitely freeze the HTC apps in Titanium Backup to get rid of the annoying pop ups. I noticed Viper has them uninstalled.
About to start, few more questions. The stock ROM I linked to (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2149095) says it doesn't have the new firmware, is that different from kernel or anything else? Do I need to flash that as well?
Spaded21 said:
About to start, few more questions. The stock ROM I linked to (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2149095) says it doesn't have the new firmware, is that different from kernel or anything else? Do I need to flash that as well?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm actually running that rom right now.
You don't need to flash the radio if you don't want. If you are happy with your cell reception, and battery life, as well as wifi, then you can stay on the original radio.
Or if you'd like to try the new radio, you can flash that (once you have s-off) with this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=38197525
I'm not sure if there is a radio flash prepared to go back to the original radio. Generally speaking, once to are s-off, you can change radios at will.
From what I understand, if you flash the rom you linked to, and the radio above, then you will have everything from the update, except the updated hboot. I haven't bothered changing my hboot. changing hboot won't affect the day to day operation of the phone, but it can change the fast boot commands that are available. Until I see a good reason, I am not going to worry about my hboot.
FYI: about changing radios, from what I understand, the radio file is the code that tells the phone how to communicate with the towers. It tells the phone how to adjust the power output of the radio according to the strength of signal from the cell. This can be very aggressive, leading to better signal, at the expense of battery life (increasing power output of the phone radio takes more power from the battery), or it can be conservative, with a little lower quality signal, but conserving battery life.
It seems that the engineers at the carriers are constantly tweaking the radio code to find a sweet spot between signal quality and battery life. Different carriers may tweak the radio for the same phone with a different priority. Sprint may prioritize signal, while verizon prioritizes battery. So each carrier may have a different radio file for phone that is in the same phone family. And then each carrier may have multiple radios. On the thunderbolt there were about 6 or 7 I think, but it is generally believed that newer radios work better than older ones.
Some people on xda will often experiment to see which radio file works best for them, depending on where they live and work.
I always try to be careful to only flash redid that others have reported to work with my device, rather than experimenting personally. I would think that you can brick your phone flashing the wrong radio file.
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk 2
Is that ROM deodexed? Or would I be better off using this one? http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2080200
Spaded21 said:
About to start, few more questions. The stock ROM I linked to (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2149095) says it doesn't have the new firmware, is that different from kernel or anything else? Do I need to flash that as well?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Firmware is the Android system. The Droid DNA is on on 4.1.1 (Jelly Bean). That version has not changed in the new OTA update so I don't know why that ROM even mentioned it.
The Kernal is the interface that alows the software to access the hardware. A more detailed explanation can be found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/index.php?title=ROM-VS-Kernel
HBOOT is 'kinda' like your BIOS in windows. It is the bootloader. It is the first thing that is loaded on your phone. This too I believe has not changed with the latest OTA update.
This is the change log for the 2.04.605.2 710RD update
Bluetooth connectivity and volume level for specific models have been improved
Enhanced reliability and stability of the Contacts List have been made
Enhanced Recent Apps functionality has been improved
Incoming messages display with the correct timestamp
Improvements to Hotspot connectivity have been made
Improvements to Audio Quality for wired headsets and earpieces have been made
Improvements to default browser for zooming capability have been made
User can load videos on HuluPlus
Wi-Fi Connectivity has been improved
As you can see it is mostly stuff related to your radio so the radio is the main part you would want. I personally just updated my radio and din't worry about anything else.
---------- Post added at 12:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:56 AM ----------
Spaded21 said:
Is that ROM deodexed? Or would I be better off using this one? http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2080200
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think it is deodexed otherwise it would tell you. I think deodexed is good if you want to theme.
I'm using the first one, which isn't deodexed. But I'm keeping my rom close to stock this week
Next week, when the Viper rom has been updated to 2.04, I'll be flashing that, and probably a theme.
You indicated that you aren't currently running any mods or themes. Unless you are looking to change, I would suggest you flash the first rom you linked, which is stock, except for the root capability being added to it.
The de-odexed rom you asked about will have been modified, deleting the .odex files so that the rom can further be customized by themes etc. When a phone boots a rom that is missing the .odex files, it will take longer to boot because it will essentially create the missing .odex files on the fly while booting. But when you are modding your rom, adding themes etc., existing .odex files get in the way, so that is why developers remove the .odex files, even though the rom will take longer to boot. Once the phone is booted, whether the rom was odexed or not becomes irrelevant.
For now, if you are looking to be on the latest radio and HTC rom, I suggest you get s-off, then flash the basic 2.04 rom (the one you linked to first), and the updated radios. Hopefully HTC will soon release the updated source files for the 2.04 kernel, and then we will have more customization.
If you are looking to customize now, I would get s-off, then flash the updated radios, but stay with a rom based on the original released rom and source (like Viper). The latest Viper rom (with updates to 1.1.3) has modifications so that you won't have to worry about getting bugged to update your ROM for 2.04. If you decided to go with Viper, it is a little confusing when viper is updating from 1.1 to 1.1.1 to 1.1.2 to 1.1.3, because it uses an over-the-air (OTA) update process similar to the stock OTA update. So you may see notices for updates - but the updates would be for Viper. Once you have gotten your phone s-off, you don't need to worry about updates causing problems.
Spaded21 said:
Is that ROM deodexed? Or would I be better off using this one? http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2080200
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok so I have done everything, S-off, deodexed stock ROM, 3.4.10 kernel (it flashed with the ROM), and updated radio. I'm able to boot up but I don't have wifi.
Edit: Flashed the boot.img from the zip and it's working now.
Spaded21 said:
Ok so I have done everything, S-off, deodexed stock ROM, 3.4.10 kernel (it flashed with the ROM), and updated radio. I'm able to boot up but I don't have wifi.
Edit: Flashed the boot.img from the zip and it's working now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Congrats!
I think that rom you used wasn't set up properly to flash the boot.img from recovery, so that is why you had to do it manually. As time goes on (and there are more users with s-off), I think most new roms will be set up properly, so you shouldn't run into that again.
The whole process wasn't that hard, and using TiB made it really easy to get everything back.
So how do I go about removing bloatware now that I have S-Off and I am deodexed?
Although there are several ways to start removing bloatware, one of the easiest ways is to go into TiBu, and freeze apps. Make a nandroid backup first, and start slow.
Some apps have dependencies, you freeze one, and another might not work, like contacts and dialer.
After you have frozen an app, and are confident that it isn't necessary, you can delete it if you want.
Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk 2
Spaded21 said:
Let me start off by saying I have been reading these forums for a couple days and I am just getting more confused.
Currently I have root, S-On, and no other mods or ROMs. I am getting the popup notification to update literally every time I turn on the screen. I can select defer and set a date about a week in the future from whatever day it is, but the popup comes back within the hour. A few times it even began downloading on its own (while on 4G as well, ~100 mb of data used up every time).
All I would like to do is somehow get my phone to be as if I were complete stock and accepted the OTA, keep root, and not have to wipe any data (or be able to restore a full nandroid). I am getting very frustrated with everything and once I think I understand it, someone throws out something new to me.
If anyone is willing to take some time to help me with this I would gladly make a donation, either to them or another party of their choosing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would highly recommend using the OTA blocking zip to kill the update messages. I'm not very handy with posting zips yet but search the threads for the disable OTA. I am on the Viper DNA rom also but I put the OTA blocking on just in case. If I were on my PC instead of my phone I could have posted the zip file for you. I'm sure with each rom the developer has added a file to make sure the OTA is killed but you can never be too sure.
Easiest way to get 2.04 OTA for rooted DNA phones
Hat-tip .Torrented from our discussion here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2152993&page=12
Get Facepalm S-Off: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2155069
Download stock recovery from: http://goo.im/devs/Flyhalf205/DNA/dlx_recovery_signed.img
Flash the stock recovery using:
fastboot flash recovery dlx_recovery_signed.img
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once you are on stock recovery, and assuming you're on stock kernel, it allows you to take the OTA update!
After you take the ota just flash the custom recovery of your choice again. CWM Touch is a good option: http://www.clockworkmod.com/rommanager
Flash the superuser-busybox.zip to root.
This gives you a completely clean "factory" upgrade to 2.04, without losing any of your data (YMMV - so pls always take a backup before you do this).
It worked for me - yippee!!!
Software number: 2.04.605.2 710RD
Kernel version: 3.4.10-ga02d2c6
Baseband version: 1.01.01.0110
Whole procedure took less than 15 minutes
zanyguy said:
Hat-tip .Torrented from our discussion here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2152993&page=12
Get Facepalm S-Off: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2155069
Download stock recovery from: http://goo.im/devs/Flyhalf205/DNA/dlx_recovery_signed.img
Flash the stock recovery using:
Once you are on stock recovery, and assuming you're on stock kernel, it allows you to take the OTA update!
After you take the ota just flash the custom recovery of your choice again. CWM Touch is a good option: http://www.clockworkmod.com/rommanager
Flash the superuser-busybox.zip to root.
This gives you a completely clean "factory" up to 2.04, without losing any of your data (YMMV - so pls always take a backup before you do this).
It worked for me - yippee!!!
Software number: 2.04.605.2 710RD
Kernel version: 3.4.10-ga02d2c6
Baseband version: 1.01.01.0110
Whole procedure took less than 15 minutes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks zanyguy for the procedure and process outline. I have a question regarding my current format and was wondering if going to a stock rooted version would work for me. Since every end user is different then there are different things they want of course. For me the process is very simple. I like a very lean system. I also like to try and achieve many things to look as close to AOSP as I can get and keep functionality. My current setup has the phone unlocked, rooted, s-off and running Viper 1.1.3. My radio is the OTA update radio of 1.01.01.0110 and my kernel is the same 3.4.10-ga02d2c6. What I wonder is this. Should I even bother trying to flash the stock Rom? Is there any benefits to doing so? And if I do give it a spin should I just restore the Viper DNA rom or re flash anew?
Thanks
I've been trying to understand all the steps necessary to replace the OEM ROM in my HTC Amaze 4G phone, but I can only find a disjointed set of pieces about the various steps and not one overarching document that covers all the stages of custom ROM flashing. A lot of the docs are aimed at the "insiders" of the Android developer community and few to people like me who would just like to try something better than what that ICS update did to my phone.
Having dabbled at one time with Linux from version .98 to 2.6 and being software developer most of my working life, I figure this should be easy for me. Yet, I find the documentation frustrating. I only imagine what it must be for others with less computer experience than me.
Since Android is based on Linux, I don't understand the big fuss about rooting. In Linux having the rooting privilege simply meant having a root password. Why is Android so much more complicated than that? Also, loading a new Linux kernel used to be a fairly simple process if one used compiled modules. The installation script pretty much took care of it. Android totally obscures this process and the disjointed documentation doesn't seem to help much. A lot of it assumes certain knowledge by the reader as if he/she was also an "insider" in that circle.
On my part I would like to so the following steps documented:
1.) How to save user installed content and the factory ROM image before wiping it out so it could be eventually restored if needed.
2.) How to prepare the phone for installing a new ROM
3.) What new and stable ROM images will work with given phone and how to obtain them and in what form? Zip, rar, or what?
4.) In what SD Card directory or in USB-connected PC directory the new ROM should be.
5.) How the flashing process would look like? Expected phases and length?
6.) Do I need to lock the new ROM's root just as the factory ROM was? How would I do that?
7.) Any special issues when booting the new ROM for the first time?
8.) How would I restore the original factory ROM saved in step 1?
Some of you might think I ask too much from guys who do the dev work as a hobby but I always thought that if one does something, might as well do it right, regardless of pay.
Well, that's my 2 cents worth for the day.
Howdy. I'll try to answer some of the questions you asked.
I would also recommend talking with @ravike14 who can easily guide you through the back up and routing and s-off process. It's not that difficult really. The most bizarre thing for me was sticking a piece of wire into a hole in the back of the phone to short out a process to achieve s-off.
With the right recovery image installed, it won't matter where you place the Rom.zip. which may be named just about anything. But it will always be a zip file.
The important one is the PH85img.zip must be placed in the root of your external sdcard. That file is loaded when you boot into the bootloader. And is for updating firmware.
Once you have root, and have made a nandroid backup, flashing is easy.
If you download viper, it is vipera1.7.2.1.zip. you can have it anywhere on you internal or external sdcard.
If you use 4ext recovery, you can select install and it will take you to a directory that you can browse to the place where the Rom, whatever name it is, is stored.
Click the Rom zip file and you will be guided thru the install process, if it has an aroma installer, or it will just install otherwise.
Then reboot and go thru the set up as if it was a brand new phone.
If you don't do the s-off thing, 4ext offers a smart flash option. If you aren't s-off you can't just flash a Rom if it contains a kernel. So smart flash will be required.
There are a few guides in the dev section and the general section on how most of this process works.
Again, talk with ravike and he'll be glad to help. Plus the more people we can keep here and happy, the longer we will be creating roms and fun stuff to play with.
Regards,
Chevy
Sent from my HTC_Amaze_4G using xda app-developers app
Is there a good documentation for all ROM flash steps?
Thanks, Cowboy, for the helpful reply, though I don't see any HELP button to push that the end of your post refers to.
I think at this point I'd like to figure out on my own how to install a custom ROM, though I must say that your S-OFF reference is one of the things that confuses me because the HTC dev site itself spells out that it is not necessary to change S-On to S-Off. Go, figure ...
Also, I think I like what I've read about the Revolution ROM, so that's the one I'd like to install if that is working with T-Mo branded Amaze 4G phones, though mine is no longer locked to T-Mo.
Your welcome!
NWsoccerfan said:
Thanks, Cowboy, for the helpful reply, though I don't see any HELP button to push that the end of your post refers to.
I think at this point I'd like to figure out on my own how to install a custom ROM, though I must say that your S-OFF reference is one of the things that confuses me because the HTC dev site itself spells out that it is not necessary to change S-On to S-Off. Go, figure ...
Also, I think I like what I've read about the Revolution ROM, so that's the one I'd like to install if that is working with T-Mo branded Amaze 4G phones, though mine is no longer locked to T-Mo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're using the web to look at xda, there is a thanks button on the lower left side of the screen before the very end of the post line.
If you're using the XDA app, you have to tap on my post, and it should have a thanks selection in the options that come up.
A few more suggestions.
1.) How to save user installed content and the factory ROM image before wiping it out so it could be eventually restored if needed.
A) one you are rooted you should be able to back up all of your user data through a nandroid which is available in TWRP or 4EXT recoveries. This will back up everything to be able to restore exactly like it was before you change roms.
(NRG is my ICS preference, and Afnan has a good modified stock rom. ARHD (revolution) is also a good one without too many frills.
2.) How to prepare the phone for installing a new ROM
B) again, Root - s-off (really a good idea and not too hard to do) - dev unlock - and Super CID
3.) What new and stable ROM images will work with given phone and how to obtain them and in what form? Zip, rar, or what?
C) any roms listed in the dev section in the Amaze forum works. And, they should all be Zip fles. You can restore somone elses nandroid back up, but not adviseable.
4.) In what SD Card directory or in USB-connected PC directory the new ROM should be.
D) anywhere (except the PH85IMG.zip MUST be on the root of your EXTERNAL sdcard)
5.) How the flashing process would look like? Expected phases and length?
E) There are two types of rom flashes, standard and Aroma (thanks @amarullz)
1) Standard just does it's thing and when it's done, it returns you to the recovery menu to reboot.
2) Aroma is a highly configurable installation (preferred for selections of different kernels and adding or removing apps, keyboards, cpu freq's and much more) after it's done, most often it can reboot directly from the installer. ARHD has this type of installer, also NRG roms, and mine!
6.) Do I need to lock the new ROM's root just as the factory ROM was? How would I do that?
F) all of the "Custom" rom's (even thought some may be stock) should be rooted. A rooted rom containd the busybox and super user bianaries and apps (IE chanfireSU or SuperSU)
7.) Any special issues when booting the new ROM for the first time?
G) You shouldn't have any issues when booting a new rom for the first time. Some do require a little bit of behind the scenes set up time. Most users see just the boot animation reach the end, or it may seem like it's not doing anything, but it's doing an unbelievable amount of background processing, dexopting, and some comminucation with the carrier for data and validation set up. Some may take five to ten minutes to complete depending on the amount of apps and goodies that are in the rom.
H) if you see the HTC logo for an extended amount of time, more than five minutes, and you dont see the boot animation (which varies by rom) then you are stuck in a preload loop. This happens when you flash a carrier specific rom without being "Super CID", or you may not have flashed the kernel (if you are S-Off this won't be a problem) because you didn't select smartflash from the recovery settings.
** I had issues trying to install ARHD at first because there is a firmware update, a requirement to be Super CID (probably the easiest of things to do), and some roms specify that you should be using TWRP recovery instead of 4EXT, or vise versa.
8.) How would I restore the original factory ROM saved in step 1?
I) nandroid restore There is also a rooted stock rom based off of the latest OTA ICS Update. It is just like the rom that comes preloaded, or updated to on stock non-rooted phones. If you go that route, flash the "Stock ICS" rooted rom and do an advanced nandroid restore and only restore your data. That will (should) get you back to where you started from but keeping root, S-Off, Dev unlock, and Super CID.
I rewrote some of what I noted befor so maybe other's can benifit from this knowledge. And I wanted to expand on a few items. All good questions!
There's a lot of things that happen in the background that people need to see sometime (pull a logcat) to see the crazy lines of code flying by on a terminal screen.
If more poeple took the time to understand all of this it would reduce the amount of errors while flashing and poeple would be more happy.
And in doing so I think people will learn more about what they are doing, and the more you do it, the better you get at doing it.
Enjoy!
Chevy
chevycowboyusa said:
If you're using the web to look at xda, there is a thanks button on the lower left side of the screen before the very end of the post line.
If you're using the XDA app, you have to tap on my post, and it should have a thanks selection in the options that come up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use the web for this and the only thing I see on the lower left side is a DONATE button. That's what you mean?
chevycowboyusa said:
A few more suggestions.
1.) How to save user installed content and the factory ROM image before wiping it out so it could be eventually restored if needed.
A) one you are rooted you should be able to back up all of your user data through a nandroid which is available in TWRP or 4EXT recoveries. This will back up everything to be able to restore exactly like it was before you change roms.
(NRG is my ICS preference, and Afnan has a good modified stock rom. ARHD (revolution) is also a good one without too many frills.
2.) How to prepare the phone for installing a new ROM
B) again, Root - s-off (really a good idea and not too hard to do) - dev unlock - and Super CID
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can I still use my phone after it is rooted but before the new ROM is installed? How would the phone behavior change on a rooted phone?
You did not comment on why the htcdev site recommends against the S-Off as not being necessary for installing a custom ROM.
chevycowboyusa said:
3.) What new and stable ROM images will work with given phone and how to obtain them and in what form? Zip, rar, or what?
C) any roms listed in the dev section in the Amaze forum works. And, they should all be Zip fles. You can restore somone elses nandroid back up, but not adviseable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, I've got that. Does this Nandroid backup the entire image of the phone's content sector-by-sector, or as individual files? To the external SD card or to the PC connected by USB cable? BTW, why are all flashing procedures requiring loading of the HTC USB drivers when such drivers must be on the phone already? Otherwise we could not link the phone to PC in the first place.
chevycowboyusa said:
4.) In what SD Card directory or in USB-connected PC directory the new ROM should be.
D) anywhere (except the PH85IMG.zip MUST be on the root of your EXTERNAL sdcard)
5.) How the flashing process would look like? Expected phases and length?
E) There are two types of rom flashes, standard and Aroma (thanks @amarullz)
1) Standard just does it's thing and when it's done, it returns you to the recovery menu to reboot.
2) Aroma is a highly configurable installation (preferred for selections of different kernels and adding or removing apps, keyboards, cpu freq's and much more) after it's done, most often it can reboot directly from the installer. ARHD has this type of installer, also NRG roms, and mine!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aroma? That doesn't smell too good to me.
chevycowboyusa said:
6.) Do I need to lock the new ROM's root just as the factory ROM was? How would I do that?
F) all of the "Custom" rom's (even thought some may be stock) should be rooted. A rooted rom containd the busybox and super user bianaries and apps (IE chanfireSU or SuperSU)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, so this might answer my earlier question about how a rooted phone might behave. Essentially a user might not even know the difference, right? So, I could also do this process in two stages: First just root the factory ROM and use the phone that way till I am ready to actually flash the new ROM in the second stage, right?
chevycowboyusa said:
7.) Any special issues when booting the new ROM for the first time?
G) You shouldn't have any issues when booting a new rom for the first time. Some do require a little bit of behind the scenes set up time. Most users see just the boot animation reach the end, or it may seem like it's not doing anything, but it's doing an unbelievable amount of background processing, dexopting, and some comminucation with the carrier for data and validation set up. Some may take five to ten minutes to complete depending on the amount of apps and goodies that are in the rom.
H) if you see the HTC logo for an extended amount of time, more than five minutes, and you dont see the boot animation (which varies by rom) then you are stuck in a preload loop. This happens when you flash a carrier specific rom without being "Super CID", or you may not have flashed the kernel (if you are S-Off this won't be a problem) because you didn't select smartflash from the recovery settings.
** I had issues trying to install ARHD at first because there is a firmware update, a requirement to be Super CID (probably the easiest of things to do), and some roms specify that you should be using TWRP recovery instead of 4EXT, or vise versa.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've got this.
chevycowboyusa said:
8.) How would I restore the original factory ROM saved in step 1?
I) nandroid restore There is also a rooted stock rom based off of the latest OTA ICS Update. It is just like the rom that comes preloaded, or updated to on stock non-rooted phones. If you go that route, flash the "Stock ICS" rooted rom and do an advanced nandroid restore and only restore your data. That will (should) get you back to where you started from but keeping root, S-Off, Dev unlock, and Super CID.
I rewrote some of what I noted befor so maybe other's can benifit from this knowledge. And I wanted to expand on a few items. All good questions!
There's a lot of things that happen in the background that people need to see sometime (pull a logcat) to see the crazy lines of code flying by on a terminal screen.
If more poeple took the time to understand all of this it would reduce the amount of errors while flashing and poeple would be more happy.
And in doing so I think people will learn more about what they are doing, and the more you do it, the better you get at doing it.
Enjoy!
Chevy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I like your attitude about this.
When you get time stop by
XDA University.
I learned tons here its a great place to start and much better than trying to Google everything
http://forum.xda-developers.com/general/xda-university
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
been busy
NWsoccerfan said:
I use the web for this and the only thing I see on the lower left side is a DONATE button. That's what you mean?
Can I still use my phone after it is rooted but before the new ROM is installed? How would the phone behavior change on a rooted phone?
You did not comment on why the htcdev site recommends against the S-Off as not being necessary for installing a custom ROM.
OK, I've got that. Does this Nandroid backup the entire image of the phone's content sector-by-sector, or as individual files? To the external SD card or to the PC connected by USB cable? BTW, why are all flashing procedures requiring loading of the HTC USB drivers when such drivers must be on the phone already? Otherwise we could not link the phone to PC in the first place.
Aroma? That doesn't smell too good to me.
Oh, so this might answer my earlier question about how a rooted phone might behave. Essentially a user might not even know the difference, right? So, I could also do this process in two stages: First just root the factory ROM and use the phone that way till I am ready to actually flash the new ROM in the second stage, right?
I've got this.
Thanks. I like your attitude about this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you're welcome! I wish everyone would try to learn this
and the university is also very helpfull as freakboy noted above,
I've been busy working at bringing the comunity the next greatest romz!