Root Noob about to root!

[lordskonk]

Hey, had my Desire for a few months now, and feel it's time to root. Been scouring the internet for various guides, etc. and the best I've seen is SUroot's guide. All I need to know is if my phone will be ok to root? Here's the specs...

bravo pvt4 ship s-on
hboot-0.93.0001
microp-051d
touch panel-synt0101
radio-5.11.05.27
aug 10 2010, 17:52:18

current system firmware: 2.14.207.3 CL274424 release-keys

Android version
2.2

Baseband Version
32.49.00.32U_5.11.05.27

Kernal Version
2.6.32.15-gd96f2c0
htc-kernel@and18-2#1

Build Number
2.14.207.3 CL274424 release-keys

Software Number
2.14.207.3

Browser Version
Webkit 3.1

Erase size is 20000


As soon as I find out if it's good to go, I'm rooting it! Any suggestion on what ROM to choose? I know there are lots of threads, and I've had a quick look, but wanted to ask people's opinions.

Thanks

 

[InfernalByte]

If your sure your erase reduction was good, then your good to go. Your using Alpharev I take it?

 

[Hadron]

Alpharev? You mean Unrevoked for rooting.

Alpharev can wait a little longer

 

[InfernalByte]

Alpharev? You mean Unrevoked for rooting.

Alpharev can wait a little longer

Doh!

 

[lordskonk]

I didn't have to do anything for the erase. When I installed the terminal app, checked it, and it was 20000. Is that ideal or not? Sorry to be a pain, but I just want to make I got all bases covered before I do it.

Is Alpharev to sort out S 0n/Off? I've read somewhere it doesn't matter if it's on or off, but some sites say it is important. I'm not after debranding the phone, just rooting it.

 

[SUroot]

You dont need s-off unless youidentify a need for it. Infernalbyte just said the wrong word

20,000 is fine. Read the rooting guide (and faq) by following the red link in my signature. It covers all bases.

 

[InfernalByte]

I didn't have to do anything for the erase. When I installed the terminal app, checked it, and it was 20000. Is that ideal or not? Sorry to be a pain, but I just want to make I got all bases covered before I do it.

Is Alpharev to sort out S 0n/Off? I've read somewhere it doesn't matter if it's on or off, but some sites say it is important. I'm not after debranding the phone, just rooting it.

I meant to say "Unrevoked." This is a little confusing as we have two threads on the same issue. You can root with S-On. If your erase is 20,000 then your good to go.

 

[lordskonk]

Good stuff! Shall do it this week, one day after work. I bet any money after it I'll be wondering what all the fuss and worry about rooting was about! Cheers guys for the swift response.

 

[lordskonk]

Update:

Wow! Didn't realise how easy that was! No errors, everything went smoothly, and now rooted! Made a goldcard as well. I'm so new to rooting, so just wondering if I have to grab a RUU or does the goldcard hold all that info?

 

[SUroot]

Grab an RUU.

 

[lordskonk]

Do I have to get one that matches my phone specs?

 

[Hadron]

It depends whether your handset was network-branded or not, and what you need the RUU for.

If you have an unbranded handset then the World Wide English RUU from the dropbox (see my sig, or SUroot's, or IB's, or Rastaman's...) is perfect. But I think yours is O2 branded from the software version you quote. Your goldcard should still let you use that RUU, so if you just need it to recover from some really bad mess it should be fine. But if you want to return the phone to your provider (e.g. for a warranty replacment or repair) it would be better to have one with your provider's branding.

Hopefully it's just an insurance policy anyway, so there's no harm in downloading both.

 

[lordskonk]

Yeah, it's o2. Thanks for the reply. I just want to grab whatever I need in case of a return, or as you say, a bad mess! Is there a link where I can download it from? I'm just in the process of setting the sd card, all going well so far.

 

[Hadron]

You can grab the unbranded RUU from the dropbox thread.

For branded ones the common source is shipped-roms. Looking at the index there there is an O2 Froyo RUU, but it's a slightly older version: 2.14.207.1. Best I can see though, and it would put you back to unrooted O2 firmware. Not sure whether this would require some extra fiddling because it's strictly a "downgrade", but if so there are ways, and people here who can advise.

 

[SUroot]

If.you Google the o2 build number, I know theres one on multiupload somewhere.

 

[lordskonk]

Right, I now have a problem. I followed the guide for GPartED, and my desire isn't finding the SD card, neither is the pc. When I go into recovery, I went to backup, and selected "backup", and it backed up to the primary partition, so it is there, just the phone isn't finding it. Any solution?

 

[SUroot]

Backup and format both partitions in gparted

 

[lordskonk]

No joy, and now the phone just sits on the o2 welcome screen. Tried to backup in recovery mode and I get this message...

No /sdcard/.android_secure found. Skipping backup of applications on external storage.
Backing up cache..
E:Can't mount /dev/block/mmcblk0p2
(file exists)
Could not mount sd-ext. sd-ext backup may not be supported on this device. Skipping backup of sd-ext.
Generating md5 sum...

Backup complete

Proper stumped now and don't want to mess with anything in case I break it for good.

edit:Also, in recovery, when I go to mount sd-ext, it says

Error mounting SDEXT:!

Edit 2:I think I've knackered my phone up. Just reboots to the Fastboot screen every time I try to reboot. I can get into recovery. Even tried to put the gold card back in, to see if that helped, no joy there. Looks like the whole SD card formatting has done my phone in.

Hope someone can help me out here. When I check the SD card on the pc, it shows 2 partitions, both say Primary and Healthy. The card is labelled F: on the pc. Looks like the phone isn't recognising the sd-ext.

 

[SUroot]

You're ext is just dodgy. Boot recovery, "mount usb mass storage" and format in gparted.

What file system did you format the 2nd partition in?

 

[lordskonk]

I followed the guide and formatted the second partition as Logical and ext 3. I have to keep on rebooting the pc to use GPartED. Will it pick the phone up as I'm using a card reader to do the formatting.

I'm just worried the phone isn't booting at all. I put Insertcoin rom on the card today, and it all said installed ok, but a system reboot hung on the welcome screen. Is this because the ext on the sd is dodgy? Is that stopping it from booting?

 

[SUroot]

It can do if the a2sd script requeires the EXT to be present on boot, if its corrupt.

Pretty sure it needs to be primary partition

 

[lordskonk]

Should I format the sd card and set both partitions to primary, with the second as ext2,3 or 4?

 

[SUroot]

Yes. 3 probably best

 

[lordskonk]

Success!!! The problem lay in the way it was described to use GPartED to set the sd card up. In the instructions, it said to set 1st partition as Primary with Fat32, then set 2nd as Logical and ext 3. Now, using GPartED, it didn't say you had to make the 2nd partition an extended partition THEN right click and make Logical. That's how I had it set up.

I loaded up GPartED again, and, as you said, made both partitions, primary, and the 2nd ext 3. Put F1 Gingerbread on the sd card, and started the phone in recovery. Installed, and rebooted system, then it hung on the 02 splash welcome screen. Was about to admit defeat, then the screen changed to android, and now I have it running with the sd card recognised!

SURoot, and everyone else, I can thank you enough, and really, really appreciate the time you have taken to help me out with this. It could've been a disaster, and luckily I'm confident to flash devices, and stuck with it.

I can't remember what guide I read from a link about using GPartED, but I think this bit of info, regarding making the partitions both primary, would be helpful to noobs like myself in avoiding the problems I had.

Now to go enjoy my phone!!

Cheers guys!!!