Root For SLCD owners

[Mahalo]

Hey, if you have received an SLCD phone either newly purchased or as a replacement, please be aware that although rooting and flashing a new ROM may work well for you there is a severe threat that should you then attempt a nandroid backup or restore you may find your phone unusable.

There are fixes for this out there which I've read about but haven't tested. I've rooted again, but haven't applied Clockwork yet. At this point I'm holding off on burning new ROMs into the phone because I'm out of my 2 replacements from insurance. I spent 3-5 hours today reading various forum and finding a LOT of reports of this which were often replied to with replies atypical of the Android rooting community ranging from 'you should have researched because it is well known' to 'there are fixes' to an even less helpful, 'thats what you get for not knowing and why are you whining.'

Not one of these posts cited a link to a post describing the issue or providing a fix. At least none I could find on this forum or xda. I was really shocked. At almost every turn when I have run into a problem I could not resolve either on my own or by searching the interwebs I've been able to ask whats up in here... androidforums, and I've been met with compassionate and helpful advice.

After reading the consistent berating I finally found a link to this. I've rooted and applied this patch but won't go further till I see some results so I'm stuck with a stock, but rooted phone. I miss my ROMs! I miss being able to swap them out a few times a week and sometimes a few times a day! I miss my nandroid! I've sent an email to rommanager to see if they have any ifo and will post here when I get a reply.

If anyone has experience with this please post it and if you can find good refs please link them! Not only in this thread but from now on!

Thanks!

 

[doug piston]

Um, I wrote that post as I have an Slcd. I backup and restore just fine many times a day. I have just about every rom backed up as I switch through them looking to try to help others out. Please explain your issues that you are having.

 

[Mahalo]

Hey Doug, thank you for making that post! I found it only after rooting and then trying to restore an old ROM from a backup sdhc card only to find myself in a scenario with black screen (no white lines.) It is in a box right now to be sent back to VZ and I've got the replacement rooted and I've run the file you were kind enough to link to. Before I found your post I spent hours looking for info on what I may have done wrong. The vast majority of posts I found referring to this situation were people being berating and rude to the original posters; yours was the first and only one I found that was helpful! Thank you!

At this point I don't have any problems... I am just afraid to download rom manager and start getting my roms built back up and doing nandroid backups/restores as I am afraid of trashing yet another phone.

 

[Gink]

Hey Mahalo.

I posted to you yesterday that I too have an slcd screen with the same issues you describe.

I rooted and had to use DougPiston's alternative back-up image that you posted the link too. It works flawlessly.

The reason that some are having problems with certain ROMS is because the kernal that's included with them doesn't play nice with the slcd screens. Something about drivers. You can flash nearly any ROM you want when you use a known good kernal. I also explained yesterday that I've been very successful flashing ROMS because I found Koush's test kernal. You can find it pretty easy using Google. Secondly, I have also posted about this issue several times on the MIUI thread on XDA. Have actually helped quite a few people over there with the same problem. Not sure why you couldn't find anything about it.

If you can find Koush's test kernal (which I've posted on the MIUI thread on XDA, it's also included in ROM Manager) then you should be able to flash nearly every ROM for this device. Just flash the ROM first, then immediately flash the kernal, then you'll be good to go! ROM Manager works perfectly as well.

 

[Gink]

Don't have any links for the information I posted above. I can only speak from my experience. Everything works beautifully for me on my slcd screen.

 

[Mahalo]

Thanks Gink. So, to make sure I have this straight, I can put any ROM on, and then use the kernel you mentioned (Which will be asy to find) and I'm OK to back that ROM up using nandroid and move on to the next. I searched XDA, google and bing. Perhaps my search terms were insufficient but I did find and read through about 10 forum topics full of haters... I really miss my Jager and Virtuous ROMs...

 

[Gink]

Thanks Gink. So, to make sure I have this straight, I can put any ROM on, and then use the kernel you mentioned (Which will be asy to find) and I'm OK to back that ROM up using nandroid and move on to the next. I searched XDA, google and bing. Perhaps my search terms were insufficient but I did find and read through about 10 forum topics full of haters... I really miss my Jager and Virtuous ROMs...

It has worked for me so far with all the ROMs I've tried - yes. I was new to kernals and didn't know much about them (still don't) but I just downloaded Koush's test kernal 2 and put it on the root of the SD card. I manually go into recovery, flash the ROM > flash the kernal > boot up and I'm good to go! Then you can nandroid in ROM Manager.

The only thing that doesn't work is flashing the new ROM using ROM manager because RM wants to reboot the phone right after it's done flashing the ROM. That's why I do the flashing manually in recovery so I can do the kernal right after.

Does that make sense the way I explained it? LOL....

 

[Gink]

[ROM] MIUI 0.11.5.1 | Stock | Deodexed | UPDATED 11/9/2010 - Page 149 - xda-developers

Post #1846

I am KacieB on XDA.

 

[Gink]

Index of /htc/inc

inc-test2 is the one you want.

 

[v8dreaming]

Make sure you are using a compatible kernel for the rom you are running. If it is an aosp rom, you need an aosp kernel. Sense rom needs a sense compatible kernel.

Link to kings kernels
KingxKlick Forums • View topic - [KERNEL] [AOSP/CM] [2.6.32.24] [HAVS][BFS] KiNgxKernel #2/#2

Another helpful link for kernels
Kernels & More - The Incredible List

Adrynalyne aosp kernels
Index of /files/kernels/cm6_ruby

Hydra kernels
Hydra Kernels - Overclocked Kernels

Ziggy aosp and sense kernels
Downloads

Those are the only links to kernels that I have. I really wish somebody would make a kernel thead with links and explinations etc.

Oh, and just because it the kernel works for somebody else with the same phone, doesn't always mean it will work with yours. I found that out the other day. haha

 

[Gink]

Good point V8, thanks for mentioning that. I hate sense so I haven't run any sense-based roms thus, the test kernal works for me!

 

[Mahalo]

Thanks guys. I love this forum. I've done a lot of flashing of roms and kernels, so I'm comfortable with all of that. I'm just flash shy after hosing my phone. I'll check with Weasol to see if he can put up an SLCD section on theincrediblelist.com too. You all rock!

 

[Mahalo]

This is a HUGE issue for new buyers and replacement receivers.

 

[Mahalo]

Still no word from RomManager. Plus Market and/or AppBrain doesn't see my purchase. I see a lot of problems popping up and I think that an SLCD sticky (not this one) would be helpful.

 

[WormDoes]

This is one of the main reason why I haven't rooted yet. The only thing I want to do with root is remove bloat and use setCPU so the risk/reward isn't great enough for me personally. This phone is crazy fast as is and I'm very happy with sense UI and have no interest in using a custom ROM. If there is ever a sure fire "guarantee" for SLCD users then maybe I'll root. Plus, after the recent OTA update, I heard unrEVOked's 1 click root isn't working anyway and I would only use that method to root.

This is a good thread for new users! I was talking to my buddy the other day who just got his first android phone. He was talking about rooting and how he couldn't wait to do it, yet, he had absolutely NO IDEA what rooting actually was, what the risks were (didn't know that not all Inc's have the same screen) or what he would gain from it. I feel like a lot of new android users think rooting is a "must do" and don't REALLY know what they're doing/gettting themselves involed in. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against rooting at all. In fact, before I got my Inc, I had a rooted Eris so I'm not hating. I just think that for 90% of people rooting has become trendy and just something cool to do

 

[Mahalo]

WormDoes is right... until this SLCD I was swapping kernels and ROMs like I used to swap girls in college.

I am not a novice rooter and I work in I.T. maintaining and providing administration for, literally, thousands of servers running a variety of operating systems so I'm not a dolt when it comes to doing the basic RTFM.

I RTFM's and I finally took the jump tonight and applied Adrenalyn's IMG file referenced here, all worked well. I backed up my stock (but rooted) phone using Rom Manager nandroid and flashed Jager again. Now when I go into ROM Manager and try to restore my backups I'm again getting the message that I need to have ClockworkMod installed. This is where I ****ed (please pardon my expression) my last phone. I used ClockworkMOD to try and restore a backup and bricked my phone. I'm simply not willing to do it again without a clear and repeatedly demonstrated success. I don't need a video of the process...I just need a comfort zone.

I really appreciate the advice I've received but I am gonna wait for Kousch <sp?> to release a Clockwork that he says works with my damn phone. Speaking of ROManager, I paid for the pro version and can't get it back now even with resetting my phone to use the same gmail account. I sent an email asking how to get the full version back and got no reply. I'm not sayin that it is a bad piece of art, but it just doesn't work on a LOT of Incredibles and needs some WARNINGS. If one update is needed it would be a FAIL. If it is an SLCD phone there should be a STOP action that forces you to accept the risk like "IF YOU HAVE AN SLCD INCREDIBLE THIS MAY CAUSE SEVERE PROBLEMS. SEVERE ENOUGH TO RUIN YOUR ABILITY TO USE YOUR PHONE!" or "THIS IS NOT MADE FOR SLCD PHONES! WE ARE WORKING ON THAT BUT DONT USE IT YET!"

People, I am NOT ragging or raging on anyone. I am only reporting my experiences. I completely appreciate all of the hard work we have seen to get us this far and I also know that nobody expected Samsung to stop supplying HTC with the AMOLEDs. I appreciated it enough to buy ROM Manager even though I can't reinstall the paid version.

The ONE good thing is that I am "stuck" with the ROM I like the most.

I do not trust the advice that my situation is kernel related. I'll live with Jager till I get a new phone or till I see a genuine "FIX."

 

[Mahalo]

It occurs to me that maybe ROM Manger is my weak link. This is all I remember...I know I rooted and flasjed prior to rm but I have been spoiled. I will look into more options like applying the ruu from the card but not at risk of losing my job.

 

[doug piston]

Nothing with the Slcd is un-fixable(That I have seen). Its is extremely hard to brick these phones. There was one time I came close but with unrevoked's help we got it back. But this was way back with a .92 hboot and a .29 kernel.


Honestly I think you are lil over exaggerating. I understand you think you bricked the phone but it is not as scary as you make it seem. I have an slcd and backup and restore many times a day without issue.

 

[Mahalo]

I'm no drama queen, Doug. I kid you not. I break bones skateboarding at least 3 times a year and don't bother going to the doctor. I AM worried about my job, though. It relies on my phone.

 

[doug piston]

I'm no drama queen, Doug. I kid you not. I break bones skateboarding at least 3 times a year and don't bother going to the doctor. I AM worried about my job, though. It relies on my phone.

I understand. If it involves your job, don't do anything until you are comfortable with it.

It seems all your issues involve using Rom Manager, I would just stop using it. Its not need to flash roms. Its more of a convience then anything else. Flashing through recovery manually is the only way I flash or update roms. Its very simple and seems more effective IMHO.

 

[Mahalo]

I did better than that... I had VZ ship me an AMOLED.

I explained that, because my glasses are polarized, any LCD screen becomes BLACK when rotated to landscape!

I'm once again in possession of a fine piece of AMOLED work and free to flash ROMs as my heart desires.