Root Guide to Rooting 2.2 for Windows and Linux

[OMJ]

You can now root without rsd lite using adb. The adb method is easier and has less room for error so I would suggest using it. Click me for the thread


9/9/2010 I strongly suggest using the method linked above instead of the one in this thread. In a few days I will no longer have a Droid which will make supporting this thread much more difficult.

This will also work for going from stock 2.1 to Rooted 2.2


I do not know of a way to flash sbf files on a mac. To use this guide you will need either a Windows or Linux computer

The Linux method has been redone today(8/23) and is a much better method with lss chance of issues arising. If you have access to a Linux computer I would strongly suggest it over using windows.

How to Root 2.2 from Windows

[Hide]Wiping data is not required

Please read the entire guide and before starting the process.
Windows Instructions:
1.) Download 2.1 SP Recovery sbf to your C: root directory (C:\)
2.) Download md5sum
3.) Place md5sum in c:\windows\system32
4.) Download in install RSDLite 4.6 for this file you may need an un-zip tool like WIN RAR
5.) Download and install the correct motorola drivers for your windows machine (32 for XP, 32 or 64 for Vista depending on Vista version)
Current Motorola Drivers
6.) Run command prompt (Start->Run then type "cmd" and hit enter)
7.) Change directories to your C:\ root directory (cd c:\)
8.) Type in "md5sum SPRecovery_ESE81.sbf"
9) Make sure the sum of the image is EXACTLY 9b6a336cd8f067d4487935468c758d89
10.) Connect phone via USB and reboot, while rebooting hold UP on the dpad
11.) Run RSD Lite 4.6
Windows 7 64 Bit Users See Hidden Instructions
[Hide]1.) Navigate to the install folder which is usually C:\Program Files\Motorola\RSD Lite
2.) Right click on SDL.exe
3.) Click run as administrator

Also this post has great info on getting rsd lite to work [/Hide]
12.) Select the SPRecovery 2.1 SBF file
13.) Click Start and wait for RSD Lite to flash the SPRecovery image onto phone and then wait on phone to reboot.
16.) Your phone will boot now boot up and tell you that your battery is dead. Just pull the battery out.
17.) Put the battery back in and hold X while powering on your droid.
18.) Download a rom check the roms forum for roms. If you use one of the following roms you can skip steps 24 and 25 FRG01B FRG22D thanks to Pete
19.) Back on the phone go to mount options. (Note you can use the volume rocker to navigate and the camera button to select.)
20. Then press Enable USB Mass storage
21.) Place the file in the root of your sdcard.(Not in any folder just on the sd card.)
22.) Rename the rom to update.zip. Be sure that you are only naming it update.zip. Windows often does not show file extensions and you will end up with files named update.zip.zip.
23.) Then Disable USB Mass Storage
24.) Wipe data/factory reset
25.) Wipe Cache Partition
26.) Click on install
27.) Press allow update.zip Installation
28.) Press Install /sdcard/update.zip (deprecated)
29.) When the install is complete use the power button to go back to the main menu
30.) Reboot[/Hide]


How to Root 2.2 from Linux

[Hide]Wiping data is not required

Step Numbers highlighted in blue should be done on the computer, step numbers highlighted in pink should be preformed on the phone and step numbers in yellow involve both the computer and the phone.

Please read the entire guide and before starting the process.
Linux Instructions (Please note I have Ubuntu 10.04 this should work on other Linux distros but I have not tested it.)
1.) Download 2.1 SP Recovery sbf
2.) Go here and download sbf_flash
3.) Download this update.zip and place it in the root of your sdcard(Not in any folder just on the sdcard).
4.) Run Terminal and cd to the directory with sbf_flash and the .sbf file
5.) Type in md5sum SPRecovery_ESE81.sbf
6.) Make sure the sum of the image is EXACTLY 9b6a336cd8f067d4487935468c758d89
7.) Connect phone via USB and reboot, while rebooting hold UP on the dpad
8.) In Terminal type

 

[Grid]

Is this a guide for those with a non-rooted OTA updated 2.2?

 

[Grid]

I get a message
E:update.zip install blocked
Installation aborted on the first update.zip

any help?

[EDIT] Never mind... I hit it a couple of times and it finally updated it

 

[deadpoolkilla]

Is this a guide for those with a non-rooted OTA updated 2.2?

My question as well..

 

[Gemedet]

This did not work for me. Not entirely. Checking the md5sum thing didn't work and I've never done it before, so I didn't push into it too much. After running RSDlite and having SPRecovery installed, I got the dead battery thing, but it wouldn't go away. Pulled battery, went into SPR and rebooted, still nothing. Wipe data and cache and still nothing. Eventually, I don't know why, but I left the battery out for about 10 minutes and then came back and the dead battery thing was gone, but it seemed like the whole OS was fried. Kept getting a force close on "system". I started to get worried and then tried an old nandroid backup i had before I had unrooted my phone and that seems to have fixed that. I don't know what went wrong, but I thought I'd put it out there that using RSDlite on a Droid that has the official froyo update is kind of scary. At least I assume that's what is going on.

Edit: Not to put down OMJ, 'cause his guide is pretty rock solid in terms of instructions, but I would suggest reverting back to 2.0.1 if possible if you're trying to root your phone.

Edit 2: Also for those rooting for the first time, whenever I put a different ROM on my phone, it seems to be a little buggy at first. Normally after flashing a new ROM I'll reboot the phone two or three times and that tends to clean it out. K, I'm done now.

 

[OMJ]

This did not work for me. Not entirely. Checking the md5sum thing didn't work and I've never done it before, so I didn't push into it too much. After running RSDlite and having SPRecovery installed, I got the dead battery thing, but it wouldn't go away. Pulled battery, went into SPR and rebooted, still nothing. Wipe data and cache and still nothing. Eventually, I don't know why, but I left the battery out for about 10 minutes and then came back and the dead battery thing was gone, but it seemed like the whole OS was fried. Kept getting a force close on "system". I started to get worried and then tried an old nandroid backup i had before I had unrooted my phone and that seems to have fixed that. I don't know what went wrong, but I thought I'd put it out there that using RSDlite on a Droid that has the official froyo update is kind of scary. At least I assume that's what is going on.

Edit: Not to put down OMJ, 'cause his guide is pretty rock solid in terms of instructions, but I would suggest reverting back to 2.0.1 if possible if you're trying to root your phone.

Edit 2: Also for those rooting for the first time, whenever I put a different ROM on my phone, it seems to be a little buggy at first. Normally after flashing a new ROM I'll reboot the phone two or three times and that tends to clean it out. K, I'm done now.

This works I did it myself. From reading your post you did not flash the kernel update.zip which is why you had the dead battery issue

 

[OMJ]

Is this a guide for those with a non-rooted OTA updated 2.2?

yes if you did the 2.2 OTA this is how you get root

 

[OMJ]

but it seemed like the whole OS was fried. Kept getting a force close on "system".

I tried this again and I am getting the force close on system this time. I did not happen the first time I did this. But there is still no reason to revert to 2.0.1 because you can just load a custom rom since you have SPRecovery. There is a guide on how to load custom roms in this post http://androidforums.com/all-things-root-droid/136508-guide-all-things-root-related.html

I am trying to figure out what is causing the system force closes now

 

[trav473]

OMJ, I followed your guide before you pulled it, I was getting the force close issues and was having a hard time with, but. I found that if you download all the update files needed, and go through the process totally within SPRecovery, IE mounting the sd card, transfering the "update" files and flashing one at a time (flash Kernal, the flash SU update), I finally rebooted without the system force close issue. Just a thought for ya. hope this helps.

Of course after all that, I flashed Pete's FRG01B untouched and rooted.

OH, and didn't wipe a thing!!!!!!!!

 

[OMJ]

OMJ, I followed your guide before you pulled it, I was getting the force close issues and was having a hard time with, but. I found that if you download all the update files needed, and go through the process totally within SPRecovery, IE mounting the sd card, transfering the "update" files and flashing one at a time (flash Kernal, the flash SU update), I finally rebooted without the system force close issue. Just a thought for ya. hope this helps.

Of course after all that, I flashed Pete's FRG01B untouched and rooted.

OH, and didn't wipe a thing!!!!!!!!

Im still playing around with it but the kernel is whats causing the system force closes. I have tried just about every kernel out there and they all cause it. I was able to get it to work with the stock kernel but that is not flashed with an easy update.zip.

Good point about not wiping if you are going to rooted FRG01. I will have to give it a shot. Thanks

 

[asphalt cowboy]

Ok so it looks like there's an issue trying it as mentioned above. So how do I revert back to 2.1 update 1 so I can root the other way?

 

[bmkindoll]

I would also like to revert back to 2.1. Im sure I wont be able to do it however seeing as that I am running a Mac.

Brandon

 

[OMJ]

Ok so it looks like there's an issue trying it as mentioned above. So how do I revert back to 2.1 update 1 so I can root the other way?

The issues were taken care of the and the guide was changed. Its good to go now.

I would also like to revert back to 2.1. Im sure I wont be able to do it however seeing as that I am running a Mac.

Brandon

Not sure how to root from a mac as I dont have one. I have heard some people have used VMWare to emulate windows and run rsd lite but you would be better off finding someone with a windows pc that you can use

 

[yournamepenor]

how do we do the m5sum thing exactly cuz i cant

 

[OMJ]

how do we do the m5sum thing exactly cuz i cant

what part of it is giving you problems?

 

[whiterabbitorg]

I think I might know what the problem is. Normally, there is a script in the boot partition that checks to see if the root partition is corrupted. If sprecovery is installed, the boot partition will wipe sprecovery away on the first boot. To prevent that, sprecovery.sbf overwrites your recovery, but also your boot partition. It uses a boot partition from 2.1, which might not be compatible with 2.2.

Update: Then again, the custom roms might fix the boot partition.

 

[yournamepenor]

well i really dont know what to do on that part.

 

[OMJ]

I think I might know what the problem is. Normally, there is a script in the boot partition that checks to see if the root partition is corrupted. If sprecovery is installed, the boot partition will wipe sprecovery away on the first boot. To prevent that, sprecovery.sbf overwrites your recovery, but also your boot partition. It uses a boot partition from 2.1, which might not be compatible with 2.2.

Update: Then again, the custom roms might fix the boot partition.

Yea originally I had people flashing a 2.2 kernel before booting up but that was causing force closes of system. I was able to get it to work by flashing the boot.img from the stock 2.2 update but that wasnt a good solution for a guide that is already too long. The custom roms take care of the issues though

 

[OMJ]

well i really dont know what to do on that part.

is there a specific step number that is confusing you. Im not really sure how to explain it other than whats there

 

[BillEkid]

Is there a way to download rooted 2.2 after I already dl'd unrooted version directly from my phone? thanks

 

[trav473]

OMJ, I was just posting a reference to this thread in another, and just had a though, you could change the thread title to reflect the fact that following this guide from either 2.2 stock OR 2.1 stock will result in 2.2 Rooted. might help a few others trying to skip the stock OTA and go straight to a plain rooted OTA. like I said, just a thought..

 

[OMJ]

Is there a way to download rooted 2.2 after I already dl'd unrooted version directly from my phone? thanks

The Guide in this thread will take you from Stock 2.2 to rooted 2.2

 

[BillEkid]

okay, but am I able to do this directly on my phone as opposed to going through windows? I don't have a usb cable with me at work to connect to my computer...

 

[trav473]

okay, but am I able to do this directly on my phone as opposed to going through windows? I don't have a usb cable with me at work to connect to my computer...

got to have a Windows PC do root with this method,

oh yeah, and the cable.......

 

[OMJ]

OMJ, I was just posting a reference to this thread in another, and just had a though, you could change the thread title to reflect the fact that following this guide from either 2.2 stock OR 2.1 stock will result in 2.2 Rooted. might help a few others trying to skip the stock OTA and go straight to a plain rooted OTA. like I said, just a thought..

my only concern with that is I am not sure if it will work without wiping coming from 2.1 It should but I havent personally tried it. I may give it a shot this evening or tomorrow morning to ensure it works. If it does I will ad it.