Root Thinking About Rooting...

[DNick]

So, I'm thinking about rooting. Now, I'm able to use a computer just fine. I can do more on a computer than most everyday people. But when it comes to the knitty gritty of computers, code and stuff, I get a little lost. The majority of the time when reading about rooting I don't know what the hell they are talking about. They will give instructions, and I won't know how to do it. With my level of knowledge, should I even be considering rooting? I'm afraid. Very afraid. If I brick my phone, I can't afford a new one. At all.

Also, I'm on USCC, is their anything different with rooting since I'm cdma?

 

[SUroot]

have you read my rooting faq yet? it will answer most questions (hopefully)

Have a read of it and come back to us.

CDMA rooting process is the same, but unrevoked (rooting tool) s-offs cdma desires (providing the radio is supported).

The main thing with cdma is flashing roms and radios. only some roms support cdma and I think ALL radio's are GSM. DO NOT flash a GSM radio, you'll brick your phone probably.

 

[DNick]

Yeah I've read your FAQ, but like I kinda said, some of it, even when explained doesn't really make sense. Prob because I don't no some of the language even though I know it is. Like what is "flashing"? I've prob done it with out know that it was considered flashing.

Who knows...maybe it's just one of those, you'll understand when you do it, type of thing. Which has happened when reading my helm's manual, then actually working on my car.

 

[DNick]

CDMA rooting process is the same, but unrevoked (rooting tool) s-offs cdma desires (providing the radio is supported).

Can you explain that a little further.

 

[SUroot]

Did you read the faq?

Edit didn't see the post above.

Flashing is the process of installing something into flash memory.

What did you want explained further?

 

[DNick]

Yes I have (a few times), but in it you don't always explain what something is. For example, you said hboot is a bootloader, but I don't know what a bootloader is.

I'm sorry for my ignorance, you're probably going to have to have a lot of patience with me if I'm ever going to get the confidence to do this

EDIT: Also are there USCC specific step by step guides to rooting. Or is the initial rooting process the same as the gsm desires?

DOUBLE EDIT!!!!: I guess all the parenthesis mess the flow of that sentence enough where my tired mind didn't understand it. Are you saying that unrevoked gives cmda desires s-off (which I'll need to review). And I still don't get the radio thing.

 

[SUroot]

Ok.

I don't mind answering questions you don't quite understand.


The line where it says hboot is the Bootloader is just so you know they are the same thing. I don't go into detail here as I had already explained earlier on in the faq what the Bootloader is.

For reference, the Bootloader is responsible for booting the phone into either android or recovery.

The rooting process for cdma from your perspective is exactly the same as gsm. CDMA has the added bonus of being s-off'd. That will either work or not. There's nothing you can do either way.

I'm still not sure what you don't understand about the radio.

All you need to know is don't try to install one. They're not for cdma

 

[Hadron]

The radio refers to the firmware module which controls the radio interfaces (cellular, bluetooth, gps, wifi) as well as some other hardware (camera). In CDMA the nand security (S-ON/S-OFF) is controlled by a flag in the radio firmware. Unrevoked can change that from S-ON to S-OFF, but not for all radio firmware versions.

Edit: to emphasise SUroot's point: you can find radio firmware updates on the web, but all the ones I've ever seen are for GSM. As GSM and CDMA phones have different hardware, these are not compatible with your phone, and flashing one is likely to brick your phone irrecoverably.

 

[SUroot]

Of course all that is in the faq

 

[Hadron]

True!

 

[DNick]

I gotta to tell you, just this little bit, has helped a lot.

MORE QUESTIONS!!

So, obviously I'm going to want a2sd+ Does it matter if I create the ext partition before or after I root.

EDIT: Oh and is the sd card that came with phone fast enough to use a2sd+

 

[SUroot]

The best way to create it requires use of a custom recovery, for which you will need to be rooted. So you can't create it before rooting (well you can but its not ideal so don't )

You will need to create it before flashing an a2sd Rom however as it likely will not boot without the partition

Edit. It's a class 2. I haven't used it for a2sd, but should be ok.

 

[DNick]

I'm starting to get the feeling that rooting is the easy part, and all the extra roms and stuff is where it can get a little bit tricky. That you're inspiring confidence in me.

 

[LECTER]

Follow the link in my sig for partitioning, watch it as many times as needed before trying it out!

 

[SUroot]

I'm starting to get the feeling that rooting is the easy part, and all the extra roms and stuff is where it can get a little bit tricky. That you're inspiring confidence in me.

Flashing a Rom gets easier with time. It is nerve racking the first time

It's just about wiping and following the steps.

Stay calm, give it time and everything.will be fine. Any issues caused by flashing a Rom are usually easy to recover from. I've never seen or heard of anyone who has bricked their phone flashing a custom Rom

 

[DNick]

Alright, fact check on my understanding of gold cards. To my understanding, I don't need to create one, because the USCC has an official 2.2 RUU released, which is what I upgraded with the other day. Am I right that it WAS an RUU that was realesed, and because of that I don't need to create a gold card?

 

[SUroot]

Gold card gives the option to use other ruus in case of problems. If there are no other cdma ruus its pointless but if there are, you should

 

[andyknights]

DNick - this is not a technical part of the thread - but I wanted to just let you know of my experience. I am (as you've said about yourself) generally seen as technical in the domain of most everyday people (e.g. the most technical I get (probably) is writing a few macros in Excel VBA (which is a relatively easy language to code in) but all of this rooting and flashing was very new (and scary) for me too. In fact, it all sounds a bit sexual...! In the domain of AndroidForums however, I'm a complete novice/newbie/noob, etc...

Anyways, once I plucked up the courage to finally root (main reason was to get more space on my internal memory, improve battery, and generally have more control if/when I needed it), SURoot, Rastaman and Lecter (one of his linked 'how-to' vids) helped me out when things went a bit pear-shaped, because it didn't quite work out as easy as originally hoped.

Generally speaking, I've not seen many stories at all about phones being bricked because of rooting - as SURoot says - if you are careful and follow instructions *and it sounds like you will do just that out of pure fear...* then you'll be fine.

I've now flashed in GingerVillain and have more space, better battery, better performance, and am generaly much happier and able to do more stuff with my phone - which is what I was after in the first place. Job Done.

So, go for it - and there's no such thing as a stupid question - if you don't get it, you can bet your bottom dollar that there are others that don't get it either. Remember also that googling various phrases and questions can also help up your knowledge of the terminology quite rapidly!

Best of luck, but I'm sure you'll be fine.

So, I'm thinking about rooting. Now, I'm able to use a computer just fine. I can do more on a computer than most everyday people. But when it comes to the knitty gritty of computers, code and stuff, I get a little lost. The majority of the time when reading about rooting I don't know what the hell they are talking about. They will give instructions, and I won't know how to do it. With my level of knowledge, should I even be considering rooting? I'm afraid. Very afraid. If I brick my phone, I can't afford a new one. At all.

Also, I'm on USCC, is their anything different with rooting since I'm cdma?

 

[DNick]

DNick - this is not a technical part of the thread - but I wanted to just let you know of my experience. I am (as you've said about yourself) generally seen as technical in the domain of most everyday people (e.g. the most technical I get (probably) is writing a few macros in Excel VBA (which is a relatively easy language to code in) but all of this rooting and flashing was very new (and scary) for me too. In fact, it all sounds a bit sexual...! In the domain of AndroidForums however, I'm a complete novice/newbie/noob, etc...

Anyways, once I plucked up the courage to finally root (main reason was to get more space on my internal memory, improve battery, and generally have more control if/when I needed it), SURoot, Rastaman and Lecter (one of his linked 'how-to' vids) helped me out when things went a bit pear-shaped, because it didn't quite work out as easy as originally hoped.

Generally speaking, I've not seen many stories at all about phones being bricked because of rooting - as SURoot says - if you are careful and follow instructions *and it sounds like you will do just that out of pure fear...* then you'll be fine.

I've now flashed in GingerVillain and have more space, better battery, better performance, and am generaly much happier and able to do more stuff with my phone - which is what I was after in the first place. Job Done.

So, go for it - and there's no such thing as a stupid question - if you don't get it, you can bet your bottom dollar that there are others that don't get it either. Remember also that googling various phrases and questions can also help up your knowledge of the terminology quite rapidly!

Best of luck, but I'm sure you'll be fine.

Thanks man, I appreciate the words of encouragement. The fact you were in a similar boat gives me more confidence. I going to do it. Just need to find the time.....damn school. Hopefully I get it done by next weekend.

 

[LECTER]

Thanks man, I appreciate the words of encouragement. The fact you were in a similar boat gives me more confidence. I going to do it. Just need to find the time.....damn school. Hopefully I get it done by next weekend.

​

We will be here!

 

[DNick]

Okay, so is there a checklist of things you need to know about your phone before rooting. From. what I can tell i need to if I have pvt4. is there anything else? Also am I correct to say that rooting itself doesn't clear your data. So I need to root, then start backing up my data.

 

[SUroot]

Need to know erase size if pvt4 and what software build you have currently. You need to have downloaded the matching run to that build. Have a gold card if you're branded

 

[DNick]

Okay I saw that I need to check the erase size if pvt4, I saw how to do that, but must have missed how to check if I have pvt4.

 

[SUroot]

It says on the hboot screen. Hold vol down when turning on the phone

 

[DNick]

Okay so here is what it said the screen that came up.

BRAVOC DVT2 SHIP S-ON
HOOT-1.06.0000

Plus a coupke other lines, but I dont think that they are relevant to what we're talking about.

So does that mean i dont have pvt4, but dvt4?