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Optimus S Rooting, ROMs, Themes, & Unbrick Methods

Fyi...TR 1.8 for the new ZVD LG update is now available. As far as I know, Sprint has not begun pushing this update yet. If you do want to root or think you may want to in the future, use the LG Updater tool and do it through your computer. Full details and instructions can be found over at Android Central. I updated to ZVD and am running TR 1.8 and it is fantastic! :D
 
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Well - with the firmware push this morning which killed my quick settings / hotspot ability, I guess I am going to have to attempt a phone root.

I see so many different options and so many different ways people say "this is best, that is best" and I also see things like "if you have this, don't do that" and I"m unsure what I am suppose to do next.

And, with the rapid changes, is any of the rooting stuff effective if I already got hit with this firmware update ?
 
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I find myself in the same situation as pmcnamara. I updated my phone without thinking of the repercussions the other night. A long day of traveling caught me off guard and I accepted the update to LS670ZVD and lost my hotspot ability.

I've been looking at the possibility of rooting my phone for a couple of months and have been apprehensive about the process.

This is my first smartphone and my first Droid. Not really sure what my next steps should be to root the phone without making any major changes in its appearance and without loosing any data.

I will continue to read from this sight and attempt to educate myself, but would really appreciate some professional advice.
 
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Well - with the firmware push this morning which killed my quick settings / hotspot ability, I guess I am going to have to attempt a phone root.

I see so many different options and so many different ways people say "this is best, that is best" and I also see things like "if you have this, don't do that" and I"m unsure what I am suppose to do next.

And, with the rapid changes, is any of the rooting stuff effective if I already got hit with this firmware update ?

Ok, I was in your shoes about a week ago, and spent countless hours reading and jumping from link to link. I will do my best to tell you what worked for me (on two different phones). Although I started out with the ZVC (not the VD like you), but from what I understand the process is the same. I am still very new at this, but I have learned a ton over the past several days.

Be sure to follow instructions exactly! Read through everything completely before beginning. Ask questions if you are unsure. Make sure you have important stuff backed up before you start.

1) You need to force flash V9 by following the instructions HERE. This needs to be done because you accepted the OTA update on your phone. From now on, never accept the OTA update! Be sure to read the warnings to see if any of them apply to you. When you install the LG Mobile Support Tool, be sure to install it using windows XP compatability (right click > properties > compatability) if you are running Windows 7.

2) You need to root your phone. I did this by using an app called z4root which can be downloaded HERE. Just download the app, email it to yourself (or find some other way like dropbox to get it onto your phone), and install the app. Run the app and choose to do a permanent root. In order for z4root to work you need to have USB debugging enabled (Menu > Settings > Applications > Development > check mark "USB debugging").

3) Now that you have a rooted Optimus with V9, follow the instructions HERE to get the VD update.

Follow the instructions in part 1. Starting with step 5 (of part 1) you need to install a custom recovery. Install "drellisdee's Custom Recovery" where it gives you the choice (only because that is what I did, and the instructions that I am giving you assume that you do it this way too). To do this, first you need to download Android Terminal Emulator from the Market.

Then, download the file "flash_image.zip" at the bottom of the post HERE.

Put the "flash_image.zip" file on the root of your SD card (the main folder with all of your other sub-folders on your sd card).

Note: I got the following idea to use the terminal emulator from HERE (I used a different method, but they do the same thing, and this way is easier). Now, Open android terminal emulator you downloaded above and type su [press enter] You should now have a popup asking you to grant the terminal superuser permission, select "always allow" (After granting permission you may now have a spacing issue in the emulator so please close it by doing Menu > Reset Term.) If that closes Android Emulator Terminal, open it back up. You should now see the # sign. Type the following (you will not have to type the # because the emulator does that for you. Know that you DO need to put a space after the #, then proceed to type. When you get to the end of each line, press ENTER on your keyboard to move to the next line. Make sure you type it EXACTLY how it appears here and included the spaces) :

# mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock5 /system

# cat /sdcard/flash_image > /system/bin/flash_image

# chmod 755 /system/bin/flash_image

# mv /system/etc/install-recovery.sh /system/etc/install-recovery.sh.bak

# mount -o remount,ro -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock5 /system

# flash_image recovery /sdcard/recovery-RA-GNM-thunderc-s-1.1.0.img

# reboot recovery

I believe when you get to this point, you need to select "Reboot System Now." Use the MENU button (the one just to the right of the home button) to select, and the volume Up/Down keys to go up and down the list.

After installing drellisdee's Custom Recovery proceed to step 6 (of part 1) and update to LS670ZVD using LG Mobile Support Tool (plug in your phone, make sure USB debugging is turned on, run the LG Mobile Support Tool, wait until it is completely finished and your phone is turned back on).

At this point scroll down to part 8. Download the "FlashRootVD-signed.zip" file that is at the bottom of the post. Skip step 1 (of part 8) and do this instead (it is easier to explain to you and does the same thing): Turn your phone completely off. hold down the home button, volume up button and power button (all three buttons) all at the same time. Keep holding them until your screen looks like THIS (this is called "booting into recovery mode"). Then follow the rest of the instructions in part 8, beginning with step 2. On step 3, it says to create a new folder, but instead, just put the file "FlashRootVD-signed.zip" that you downloaded on the root of your SD card (the main folder with all of your other sub-folders on your sd card). Remember to use the MENU button (the one just to the right of the home button) to select, and the volume Up/Down keys to go up and down the list.


Once you finish, you now have a completely updated, rooted Optimus, that can act as a Hotspot. I would recommend flashing one of the ROMs that are linked in the first post of this thread. I am using Lego ROM, but there are other choices too. You get way better performance, and much more space for all kinds of apps. Let me know if you have questions. I know exactly how you feel, because I was so confused when I began. As I said, this worked for me, and it should work for you, but I can't make any guarantees.
 
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A big thanks to Maximus and Shinedown for taking the time to consolidate and post this information. But I'm not an Android/Linux-OS guy (even though I'm a pretty technical BSEE who has developed hardware and software), so I've found most of these rooting how-to's difficult to understand (and scary to try) because the authors (including Maximus) generally throw around Android-OS-tech terms like "V9", "VC", "root", "custom recovery", "ROM", & "Kernel" as though everybody knows that lingo. I also felt very uncomfortable just blindly following a list of 20 steps and hoping it worked at the end, so I wanted to understand the stages and steps.

Maximus consolidated a lot of great information, but it's perhaps overwhelming for beginners (like me). So after reading a bunch of the stuff above, I'd suggest that people really only need to read the following 2-3 guides in order to understand the terminology & process, and to implement the options.

1) Dishe's Idiots' Guide to Rooting and Custom Roms, Optimus S Edition, explains the rooting and flashing process and terminology in plain English. As soon as I read that, I understood the process and felt confident enough to try rooting and flashing.

2) Next, I think it's worthwhile to read DrewWalton's Guide to rooting the Optimus S with software version LS670ZVD, and note the top line where he links to the easy, one-click Gingersnap method of rooting.

3) Lastly check out KSmithInNY's excellent guide containing the latest ROMs, custom recoveries, etc. I'd probably go with the Reborn ROM.

Note that the links above are to AndroidCentral.com, so you'll need to sign up for a free account there (if you don't already have one) in order to access their links.

Also note that the authors of those guides have posted (in the signatures sections of their posts) links to the procedure for returning your phone to its original, stock condition.

Following the guides above should take away the scariness of rooting, get your Hotspot capability back, improve performance, and get you some other nice features contained in the these ROMs. Hope this helps.
 
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A big thanks to shinedown87 and RazzMaTazz for breaking this down. I've been reading the information the two of you have posted links to for the past couple of days. At this point what it all boils down to is whether or not I can grow a pair large enough to give this a try.

Wish I had a spare phone to attempt this on first. Nevertheless, I really appreciate the time, effort and consideration everyone has taken here to share this information.

I'll let you all know of my progress.

Thanks again
 
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A big thanks to shinedown87 and RazzMaTazz for breaking this down. I've been reading the information the two of you have posted links to for the past couple of days. At this point what it all boils down to is whether or not I can grow a pair large enough to give this a try.

Wish I had a spare phone to attempt this on first. Nevertheless, I really appreciate the time, effort and consideration everyone has taken here to share this information.

I'll let you all know of my progress.

Thanks again

I believe the fact that you aren't just jumping in without doing any research is a good sign. Read everything and then re-read it and take your time. I also found it handy to print out instructions (especially if there are links within threads) and put them in order so I could follow them easily. Good luck and let us know how it goes!
 
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First off, a big shout out to CarrieK, shinedown87 and Maxximus. I feel like I already know you three from somewhere (odd, huh? :p)

Maxximus, you should probably update the OP to link to the ZVD information as well. Oh, and there's a new beta1.1 of OSCC 2.0 (previously known as LG Optimus S Control Center).

I know you... ;) Props to you too!
 
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Hey. This is a great post. Im kind of confused which V to use with my base band. I think I have VD but Im not sure. Is there no root for VD? :( Im running 2.2.2 by the way.

If you updated to zvd over-the-air (OTA) or if your phone came with zvd on it, you will have to revert back to version zv9. Also, be aware that if you do revert and have a newer phone you most likely have the newer lcd drivers which are not compatible with zv9. This means you will have a blank screen until you update your phone back to zvd using the LG Updater tool. To be able to see what is on your screen you will have to use Android Screencast. Take a look at Android Central in the LG Optimus S Rooting, Roms, and Hacks section and you will find several threads and stickys devoted to this.
 
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Wow, what a great thread. Thanks a lot for putting it all together. I have not rooted my Optimus S, but I really want/need to. I am sick and tired of constantly running out of storage space on my phone. I feel so limited by the amount of apps I can install (maybe the ones that I am using are just very large...I don't know). If I understand correctly rooting would be the only way to get rid of preinstalled apps that take up space.

Thanks again!


The Optimus comes installed with Froyo. You can move apps to external storage without a root.
 
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First off, a big shout out to CarrieK, shinedown87 and Maxximus. I feel like I already know you three from somewhere (odd, huh? :p)

Maxximus, you should probably update the OP to link to the ZVD information as well. Oh, and there's a new beta1.1 of OSCC 2.0 (previously known as LG Optimus S Control Center).


Hey Drew, I know I need to get this cleaned up. I've gad some other stuff going on, so I've been a bit lax here. I'll try and get the everything updated to reflect VD radio and obsolete ROMs soon.
 
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I've been studying rooting my phone for four days jumping and reading everything everywhere. I just learned/found more from this thread in the last two hours than everywhere else over the last three and half days, can't say I wish I would have found this link three days ago because I wouldn't have learned about the sdk and adb (which I almost used to root but at that time I didn't understand about zvd which was on the phone when I bought it so that would have probably went bad. Guess it was a good thing the sdk couldn't update due to having to use easy tether free version on my phone to get internet on my laptop which won't allow https connection) and everything I've picked up in the last few days but maximus your idea got this thread and the thread deserve gold medals/trophies and great appreciation that goes for you as well carriek for your input into the thread.

So I'm about to crash now but when I awake I'm going to get back to rooting...........i haven't checked the links at the top yet but after reading carries last post and bluemustang's im believing I should use the gingerbreak.apk? I've got an ls670 optimus s, android 2.2.2, baseband LS670MVD_60401001, kernel 2.6.32.9 lge@android-build#2, build number ZVD.41B2924E, SW versoin LS670ZVD. So is gingerbreak.apk my best bet? A gain props on this thread
 
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Ok, so I cant get my phone to root :( Ive tried contacting RyanZa of z4root and worked with someone who worked with him and he cant help me. If anyone is willing to to one-on-one help me via skype or email, please let me know and I will send you my specs to my phone.

z4root will not work with the Optimus S unless you are running software version zv9. You will have to use one of the various methods listed above in this thread. If you are on zvd (which is current and what you most likely have if your phone is new) then you can try this:

[How-To] Rooting LS670ZVD with GingerBreak (no reverting and OTA works too!) - Android Forums

Hope this helps!
 
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Phone let me download the gingerbreak.apk says content not supported

Hi and welcome! I recommend you post questions on the gingerbreak thread on Android Central. If you post details about what you've done and what errors you are receiving they will help you. They are a great bunch of people and I've been seen them help many a person out of a jam.
 
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I used the gingerbreak apk on my lg optimus s yesterday and another friends lg optimus v and they all worked perfect.

***HOW TO DO IT***
just make sure you have usb debugging turned on, gingerbreak.apk installed on the phone not the sd card, and be ready to use Xionia CWMA v1.2518.6 to create a nandroid backup once you have the device rooted.

Questions? PM me
 
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