Root Universal Eris Root for Dummies!

[erisuser1]

Ok, I rooted my phone with the new version that came out a week ago. For the leakers. I can't get the boot loader engineering thing to work. the "S" is still on. Now am I rooted, or should I do this to finish and get the "S" off. So much info and so many places to find it, I got lost in the process.

This process does not (presently) touch either the "misc" partition or the bootloader ("hboot"). It produces the same result as what you used last week - the only real difference is this is set up so that there is no need to use a PC (either "adb" or "fastboot").

I am pretty sure that the "Main Version" overwrite (misc partition) method that jcase put together can be packaged up so that it can be installed using the Amon_RA recovery, as if it were a ROM overlay or "update.zip" type of install. I hope to get to that early next week, assuming that jcase doesn't beat me to it.

Once that happens, the process would be:

- make a Nandroid backup
- install the "misc/MainVersion" partition hack using Amon_RA recovery
- reboot into HBOOT with the ROOT PB00IMG.ZIP on the SD card, and install the ROOT ROM (overwriting the whole phone)
- re-perform this method (if you please, there are other ways too) on the "root ROM" install to re-install the Amon_RA recovery,
- boot into Amon_RA recovery, and restore your Nandroid backup.

That would give you a fully rooted phone (bootloader AND recovery), and with the same ROM you started with.

Once we have the "update.zip"-type install for the misc partition hack, the whole process can be achieved without using a PC at all.


Hope that helps

eu1

 

[T2noob]

I like the details in this and so simple to do Good Job!

 

[jerrmy]

can anyone help me? i got stuck on a boot loop it keeps looping the "htc quietly brilliant" image

 

[Frisco]

can anyone help me? i got stuck on a boot loop it keeps looping the "htc quietly brilliant" image

You'll get input on that, I just thought it was interesting seeing that post after dealing with the same thing on a co-worker's phone a few hours ago.

She recharged the battery in a wall socket to 100% and then everything went fine.

She was running the 2.1 OTA before rooting with this method.

 

[jerrmy]

ohh ok, thanks! i'm running on leak3 at the moment, with a boot loop goin on right next to me haha

 

[Frisco]

Loops are funny because there are so many causes.... well, not funny to the user watching it going on.

Anyway, how about starting over? It's a pretty straightforward process.. make sure there is enough battery.. I'd charge it all the way up before starting.

I found that after a few false starts on rooting the very first time, it was best to just go real REAL slowly through the steps in a "dry run" prior to actually getting going on it.. patience.

 

[jerrmy]

so, should i just start from the recovery, or is there a way to reboot everything from scratch?

 

[erisuser1]

so, should i just start from the recovery, since i dont think i can get back to the beginning?

So far you haven't really said what you did. Did you use this method? If so, what ROM did you try and load? Can you still get the recovery boot menu to show up?

The instructions tell you to make note of the battery charge state prior to running part2 - did you do that? What was the % value?

Note that if your phone will not boot, but the Amon_RA recovery boot comes up, you can still copy files to your phone by choosing the (Amon_RA) menu item

"USB-MS toggle".

You would do this if you thought something was wrong with your ROM, or you wanted to copy a different ROM onto your SD card from the PC.

All the normal precautions of copying files to the SD card need to be observed - for instance, always, always, always use the "Safely Eject Hardware" control on the (Windows) PC, waiting for it to tell you that it is "safe to remove hardware" before you dismount the SD card from the phone menu (in this case "USB-MS toggle")

Worst case, if you followed the instructions, you have a Nandroid backup - just charge your phone to 100%, reflash the Leak-V3 ROM (using the PB00IMG.ZIP method), and start over with the rooting procedure.

eu1

 

[jerrmy]

Thank you very much, i tried this method with 50% battery life, maybe that was it. still waiting on charging it, and i am still able to get to the recovery menu. just playing the waiting game right now i guess

edit: trying to load the aloysius rom

 

[tereg]

This is an incredible write-up with incredible effort (as has been stated before). Absolutely well-written and written well for the intended audience. Awesome job.

 

[kobel1up]

I will wait for the zip file to be made for the "s" thing and boot loader. I can't get the engineering bootloader thing to work. I can't get past the custom.img to register in my cmd prompt. thanks for all the great work you guys are doing.

 

[jerrmy]

Got it working, now rooted and running kaos froyo

 

[Almac]

Just wondering how to do this? "Pick ROM of your choice downloaded onto your SD card in the root folder"" Do you just use your phone browser and download? How do u put it on your SD card in the root folder?

Thanks,
Big Dummy

 

[erisuser1]

Just wondering how to do this? "Pick ROM of your choice downloaded onto your SD card in the root folder"" Do you just use your phone browser and download? How do u put it on your SD card in the root folder?

Thanks,
Big Dummy

If you download a ROM with the phone, it will end up in the

/sdcard/download

folder. But that's OK, because the above tutorial shows you exactly how to move a file from /sdcard/download to the "root" folder /sdcard. (Don't unzip the ROM file though!).

Because the ROMs are large (~ 70-100 MB), it takes a while to download a ROM to the phone - I suggest you plug the phone in to a charger, and set the option

Settings -> Applications -> Development -> Stay awake

so that the phone won't fall asleep while you are downloading. (If you are using WiFi, you might also want to set Settings -> Wireless & networks -> WiFi Settings -> (Menu -> Advanced) -> WiFi sleep policy -> Never while plugged in).


You can also copy it from a PC by connecting the phone to the PC via USB - but I'm not going to cover that, because this thread is about rooting without using a PC.

As far as picking a ROM, go do some reading at XDA Droid Eris Android Development. You might want to spend some time at this before you make a decision - some of the ROMs are quite similar to the "stock" OS and pretty rock-solid, and some of them require several workarounds to get certain features to work correctly.

What I would suggest you do is look carefully at the posts by the devs that release the ROMs - but not only for the information about the ROM. Look beyond that, and it will become evident to you which devs are thorough, and which ones rush to push things out without testing. Sloppy posts, weak details, no changelogs, no MD5 signatures - all hint that lack of attention to detail probably also happens while putting the ROM together.


eu1

 

[kamots]

Arrggghfh so freakin close! I followed all the steps, i got through step 1 no problem. Step 2 no problem. Even said i was rooted. Turned off phone. Turned it back on with vol up and end key got screen with recov like in example. Went to use scroll down with track ball,and the screenwouldnr move. Could not scroll with track ball. Only option was to re starr the the phone track ball click works but cant scroll to nand back up. also said I was rooted after I did 2nd script, however when I checked bootloader I was still on 1.49 with s still on . What the French? Toast?! Am I rooted ? If not can I just go back and tap on the two scripts to re run them? I thought the post said I could, I jusr wanted to confirm before I fry my phoone cause that's the luck I have had with root.

 

[ticklemedaly]

So i can go from the official OTA 2.1 with this? Or do I still need to go back to 1.5?

RyRy

edit: I see on post 18 that you did test on 2.1. My phone was just updated OTA with the July update. So this procedure works with this OTA OS? and I am able to do Kaosfroyo-v23 with this too? This is my first time ever doing a root to any phone and dont want to fudge it up.

 

[rick311]

So i can go from the official OTA 2.1 with this? Or do I still need to go back to 1.5?

RyRy

edit: I see on post 18 that you did test on 2.1. My phone was just updated OTA with the July update. So this procedure works with this OTA OS? and I am able to do Kaosfroyo-v23 with this too? This is my first time ever doing a root to any phone and dont want to fudge it up.

yes! i had the OTA and got this working! first time too, i thought i was going to mess it up, but i got a custom rom on there now.

 

[erisuser1]

So i can go from the official OTA 2.1 with this? Or do I still need to go back to 1.5?

RyRy

edit: I see on post 18 that you did test on 2.1. My phone was just updated OTA with the July update. So this procedure works with this OTA OS? and I am able to do Kaosfroyo-v23 with this too? This is my first time ever doing a root to any phone and dont want to fudge it up.

Works with any official or leaked VZW/HTC release, so yes.

There is nothing about this method that specifically prevents or allows any given ROM; you could load ar stable one or a buggy one.

I'm a bit surprised that some folks that are brand new to this are choosing a FroYo ROM as their first plunge into rooting. While they are getting better all the time, they have been the least trouble free of all the ROMs - because they use a code base which is as far away from stock as you can possibly get.

But, I haven't been keeping up with them lately - perhaps I should have another look.

eu1

PS: You will always have your "stock" ROM to return to, should you decide you don't like your root experience, so long as you make a nandroid backup (making backups of your SD card to your PC is a good idea too - so you have a backup of your backup)

 

[erisuser1]

Arrggghfh so freakin close! I followed all the steps, i got through step 1 no problem. Step 2 no problem. Even said i was rooted. Turned off phone. Turned it back on with vol up and end key got screen with recov like in example. Went to use scroll down with track ball,and the screenwouldnr move. Could not scroll with track ball. Only option was to re starr the the phone track ball click works but cant scroll to nand back up. also said I was rooted after I did 2nd script, however when I checked bootloader I was still on 1.49 with s still on . What the French? Toast?! Am I rooted ? If not can I just go back and tap on the two scripts to re run them? I thought the post said I could, I jusr wanted to confirm before I fry my phoone cause that's the luck I have had with root.

Rats! I thought I answered this last night, and I get up in the morning, and my post is gone. Probably hit the preview button... I was dead tired last night.

A small number of people have reported trackball issues with the Amon_RA custom recovery. If I recall correctly, it happened to me once - but I pulled the battery, and never had the problem since.

The problem - whatever it is - must be something about the way the Amon_RA kernel interacts with the trackball; it doesn't have anything to do with this particular method of rooting, as the same thing has been occasionally reported using other rooting methods.

As for a fix, you might try completely powering off the device, removing the battery, and operating the trackball to eliminate any static charge when the device is first booted. Or, see if you observe any difference with the device with/without power applied through the USB. Or, just reboot a couple times and see if that makes any difference.

good luck,

eu1

 

[kamots]

ok, so I tapped on part 1 and part 2 again hoping that the situation would change. it didnt. still frozen on fig 31 and track ball not moving . shut phone down after part 2 completed and said congratulations! you have root

edit nice i just now saw your post eu1 I will try this please tell me that i didnt screw my phone bu tapping parts 1 and two again? turned off phone and pulled bat. will leave like this for a few minutes and then see what happens. hopefully I will have good news. I appreciate all of your help

 

[erisuser1]

ok, so I tapped on part 1 and part 2 again hoping that the situation would change. it didnt. still frozen on fig 31 and track ball not moving . shut phone down after part 2 completed and said congratulations! you have root

edit nice i just now saw your post eu1 I will try this please tell me that i didnt screw my phone bu tapping parts 1 and two again? turned off phone and pulled bat. will leave like this for a few minutes and then see what happens. hopefully I will have good news. I appreciate all of your help

No, you didn't screw up your phone. The fact that you are seeing the Amon_RA menu means my part of things are working. Repeating the install is unlikely to help, other than the effects that rebooting might have.

 

[kamots]

no joy. trackball still not working. will begin search for fix

 

[ackeefe]

so is there any benefit of rooting with the manual method over this method?

do you get the same results with either method?

 

[ticklemedaly]

so is there any benefit of rooting with the manual method over this method?

do you get the same results with either method?

likewise. Also, approx how much time does this take? Im about to head out on a trip for the weekend and my time is very limited. Dont want to not have a phone if something gets screwed on my end due to myself screwing it up.

And, do I need to have the same SD card in at all times afterwords? I have my stock 8GB one that I'm not using, and like my PSP that I hacked years ago, I had a second SD card for doing the dirty work, while keeping my good one for normal everyday use.

 

[Almac]

Help I followed your directions to a T and I got to the last one to flash a new rom and I can't find the rom I downloaded All I have is gscript.zip and pb00img.zip any ideas? Thanks