Root [CDMA] Scotty58 Universal Rooting Guide

[DonB]

This is a Universal Rooting Guide created by Scotty58, it will help us help members and not have to repeat the process in the forums constantly.


scotty85
Senior Member

Thread Author (OP)





♡ Scotty58 Universal Rooting Guide ™ ♡​

i sometimes refer folks to my rezound guide in other forums,so i decided to make a slightly more "universal" version that i could replicate in other forums,so everyone has a dedicated guide,and there are not accidents with accidental application of rezound specific details or files. devices i am familiar with i will try and tweak and add device specific recovery downloads/info. whatever device youre working on,please feel free to post in this thread,i will be happy to assist you

before we get started,however,be aware that htcdev does have its limitations. it can be used if you only wish to add root access to delete bloat and run a few root requiring apps,but IMO it is best used as a "steppig stone" to get root for downgrade,or for other exploits to run. if s-off is availble on any "downgradeable to" firmware,i do highly recomend to try and achieve that goal if you wish to activly flash roms. im happy to help with this,as well,if needed.

the basic steps will be:
1)unlock with htcdev
2)temporarily or permanently flash a recovery
3)flash root files

before you start,go ahead and download these files:
-mini-adb.zip: mini-adb.zip
-the latest custom recovery image of your choice, for your device( for cdma(sprint or virgin mobile use this: PG86IMG-recovery_ext_4.zip )
-superuser files: for froyo use superuser 3.07 (found on revolutionary public wiki). for GB or ICS,use the latest superSU from this thread on xda (the download link is where is says: CWM installable ZIP: CWM-SuperSU-v0.96.zip )
-go to HTCdev - Unlock Bootloader and register an account



1)unlock with htcdev

Spoiler

first thing you need is drivers for adb to see your phone. if you have htc sync installed,you should allready have drivers. if not,you can install htc sync,or install these modified htc drivers from revolutionary

most guides simply say "follow the directions to unlock with htcdev" but im gonna go thru it with ya the mini-adb.zip file is all the files that htcdev is telling you to download and put into a folder,so allready this should be a lil easier

1)prepair ADB
-unzip your mini-adb.zip file. this is native funtionality in windows 7. you otherwise may need a utility such as "7-zip" to extract,or unzip it. place the unzipped folder onto the root of your C drive on your PC(sorry, you mac guys will need to develop this for yourself,i dont have a mac). root means the top level,not inside any folders. so just copy and paste,or drag and drop the folder onto C with everything else that is there. you may want to rename it to "mini-adb_devicename" since youll be putting some device specific files in here. (directions from here forward will assume this folder to be named "mini-adb_vigor",as an example)
-open a command window. on windows 7,click the start bubble in the lower left and type "command" in the search box. xp i believe is similar or the same. doing this should open a small black command window.
-change to your mini-adb_vigor directory. type the following at the prompt in your cmd window:

cd c:\mini-adb_vigor

your command promt should change to "c:mini-adb_vigor>" provided you: 1)unzipped the miniadb zip 2)put the folder on your c drive 3)entered the name of the folder correctly ("mini-adb_vigor" in this case)

-now make sure usb debugging is checked in settings/apps/development,and plug your phone into your PC with a usb cable
-make sure your phone is being recognized- type:

adb devices

if your drivers are installed correctly,this should return your phones serial number. you should hear the "found device" noises when you plug your phone in. if it starts installing drivers,wait for it to finish before typing the adb devices command.

2)unlock using htcdev
-go to HTCdev - Unlock Bootloader and sign in to your account. chose your device from the "select your device bar"(or "other supported devices" if its not listed) and click the green "begin unlock bootloader" button underneath.
-click yes to procede,then read the warnings before checking the boxes and clicking yes to continue,as they are basically explaining that your warranty is now void,and any repairs that your phone needs that may have been a result of unlocking your bootloader and messing with your phones operating system may no longer be covered under mfgr warranty

*check your hboot screen. if you allready have an htc compatible hboot, then skip ahead to the next step,you dont need this.if you have a pink **locked** at the top of the hboot screen,then it is compatible with htcdev. if you dont have a compatible hboot,then download the RUU for the new hboot. right click it,and run as administrator. plug in your phone when prompted to. it will ugrade your hboot to the htcdev unlock compatible version.

-steps 1-4 are describing how to get your phone into bootloader mode and connect it to your PC,wich we have done above. ignore these steps and simply type in your cmd window:

adb reboot bootloader

it may take several seconds,but this command should boot your phone into the "fastboot" screen wich is white with a bunch of colored writing. once this happens,make sure your phone is still being seen in fastboot. type:

fastboot devices

again,this should return your phones serial number.

-click the green procede to step 5 bubble.
-steps 5-7 are telling you how to find the files and utilities inside your mini-adb folder. you have them,so ignore steps 5-7.
-click the green procede to step 8 bubble.
-heres where steps are important,steps 8-10 are telling you how to get your unlock token,and send it to htc. its phone specific(so they prolly know your serial number,meid,etc) so no,you cant use your buddys unlock token and not have htc know that youve unlocked your bootloader. copy this line either from below,or from step 8,and paste it into the prompt in your cmd window. you have to right click to paste in cmd,you cannot control/v :

fastboot oem get_identifier_token

-after yuo hit enter,you will get a bunch of letters that are your identifier token. not much i can say,other than follow the directions in steps 9 and 10 to copy and submit your identifier token to HTC. make sure you get the characters as shown in the pic,with no extra lines or letters. note that you can also hit the "enter" key on your PC to copy,as well as right clicking.
-click the green submit button. wait patiently for an email containing your unlock code. (dont worry,it should come pretty fast )
-save the unlock_code.bin that htc sends you directly to your mini-adb folder(if your PC automatically downloads somewhere else,no biggie. just move the unlock code to mini-adb folder)
-click the link in your email to get the rest of the unlock instructions
-step 12 is where them magic happens copy from below,or from htc dev:

fastboot flash unlocktoken Unlock_code.bin

-youll see the purdy screen pictured in step 13. use the vol rocker to chose "yes unlock bootloader" and select it with the power button. your phone will reboot,performaing a factory data reset in the process. your data is gone,sorry this boot may take a bit longer than they normally do,dont freak out this is normal

as you can see,once the adb files are put in one place to download,its not hard to use,and the commands are pretty simple. below is what you will see in your command window,the red are my inputs.

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.

C:UsersScott>[COLOR="Red"]cd c:\mini-adb_vigor[/COLOR]


c:mini-adb_vigor>[COLOR="red"]adb devices[/COLOR]
List of devices attached
HTxxxxxxxxxx    device


c:mini-adb_vigor>[COLOR="red"]adb reboot bootloader[/COLOR]

c:mini-adb_vigor>[COLOR="red"]fastboot devices[/COLOR]
HTxxxxxxxxxx    fastboot

c:mini-adb_vigor>[COLOR="red"]fastboot oem get_identifier_token[/COLOR]
                              ... INFO
INFO< Please cut following message >
INFO<<<< Identifier Token Start >>>>
INFO2ADC7C0C0F1BAF92074BAE9B0035CB6A
INFO021839BFA7465CD0788664688DCCFDEA
INFO33A2FD2C96C7308DD3C57A517DBA8E14
INFO8048F98A9FEA06B8F2AD05D4D3497CFE
INFO6FCCC1DC4E31E0C6F54CEA18D9A80C82
INFO27C33E209D472E6C11753E9D7BCBCE6D
INFO90D9F226E827B6C26165A029B6F7DFF2
INFO63E382B4C82F9F6D866C01B9823ED1BC
INFO0EEFA859327E6B5AC4C24533C9DFA7AF
INFODBD70D55E4666B4B41828B76FFBD010C
INFO1B916E350EFF199EA5B096FF3337FE19
INFO40E6CA9E7F1DD5B33D8D4780DD775289
INFO953404686AEC4C3CB6F1BBB9DC69BA13
INFO8738C00DAFF280ECF02D0C7A66E13855
INFO1D756616732FF47915EAD551A6933E08
INFO10C541C7RD02C14991E83CC49FCA4B92
INFO<<<<< Identifier Token End >>>>>
OKAY [  0.069s]
finished. total time: 0.070s

c:mini-adb_vigor>[COLOR="red"]fastboot flash unlocktoken Unlock_code.bin[/COLOR]
  sending 'unlocktoken' (0 KB)... OKAY [  0.143s]
         writing 'unlocktoken'... INFOunlock token check successfully
OKAY [  0.011s]
finished. total time: 0.156s

c:mini-adb_vigor>

2)flash a recovery

Spoiler

if you want to run stock,do not permanently install your recovery. keeping the stock recovery on the phone will ensure that you recieve OTAs without a hitch,wich i know is important to alot of users. YES,the OTA will break root. its no big deal. one good thing about htcdev is that you will always be able to reroot after,simply by following steps 2 and 3 again to launch recovery,flash superser.

once youve either skipped past all the setup,or have re-set up and are ready to root,chose either of the following options to either permantly or termporarily install a recovery:

1)temporary recovery:

Spoiler

-move the recovery image file you downloaded above and place it into the mini-adb folder.
-put the superuser zip file onto your phones sd card
-enable usb debugging once again,as above. open a cmd window,if its not still open from unlocking.
-if you had to re-open a cmd window,dont forget to change back to your mini-adb directory:

cd c:\mini-adb_vigor

-make sure youre connected by typing:

adb devices

-should return serial number
-check the md5 of your recovery image:

md5sums <recoveryname>.img

**make sure the resulting md5 matches the one that is listed for the image that you downloaded. ** (if no md5 is listed,post in the thread,i can download and compare my md5 to yours.this is not as good as getting an md5 from the one who linked the file,but its better than nothing)

-boot to bootloader:

adb reboot bootloader

-check for connectivity:

fastboot devices

-should return serial number
-temporarily launch your recovery to phone memory:

fastboot boot <recoveryname>.img

-youll see a (really fast) green status bar on the top right as your PC sends the recovery to your phone. youll then see the HTC splash screen,then your recovery.

in your command window you will see(red are my inputs):

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.

C:UsersScott>[COLOR="Red"]cd c:\mini-adb_vigor[/COLOR]

c:mini-adb_vigor>[COLOR="Red"]adb devices[/COLOR]
List of devices attached
HTxxxxxxxxxx    device


c:mini-adb_vigor>[COLOR="red"]md5sums recovery-ra-vigor-3.14-gnm.img[/COLOR]

MD5sums 1.2 freeware for Win9x/ME/NT/2000/XP+
Copyright (C) 2001-2005 Jem Berkes - http://www.pc-tools.net/
Type md5sums -h for help

[Path] / filename                              MD5 sum
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[c:mini-adb_vigor]
recovery-ra-vigor-3.14-gnm.img                 915d5e3cb662076f36f3d6e54759e951

c:mini-adb_vigor>[COLOR="red"]adb reboot bootloader[/COLOR]

c:mini-adb_vigor>[COLOR="red"]fastboot devices[/COLOR]
HTxxxxxxxxxx    fastboot

c:mini-adb_vigor>[COLOR="red"]fastboot boot recovery-ra-vigor-3.14-gnm.img[/COLOR]
        downloading 'boot.img'... OKAY [  1.518s]
                       booting... OKAY [  0.005s]
finished. total time: 1.523s

2)permanently install your recovery

Spoiler

-move the image file you downloaded above and place it into the mini-adb folder.
-enable usb debugging once again,as above. open a cmd window,if its not still open from unlocking.
-if you had to re-open a cmd window,dont forget to change back to your mini-adb directory:

cd c:\mini-adb_vigor

-make sure youre connected by typing:

adb devices

-should return serial number
-check the md5 of your recovery image:

md5sums <recoveryname>.img

**make sure the resulting md5 matches the one that is listed for the image that you downloaded. ** (if no md5 is listed,post in the thread,i can download and compare my md5 to yours.this is not as good as getting an md5 from the one who linked the file,but its better than nothing)

-boot to bootloader:

adb reboot bootloader

-check for connectivity:

fastboot devices

-should return serial number
-permanently flash your recovery to phones recovery partition:

fastboot flash recovery <recoveryname>.img

-youll see a (really fast) green status bar on the top right as your PC sends the recovery to your phone,then a (really,really fast) red bar as it flashes it. amon ra is now permanently on your phone when you need it. be aware that you can no longer accept OTAs,unless you reinstall the stock recovery at some point before the next OTAs are pushed.
-to get to recovery,push the power button to select hboot. once in hboot wait for the green writing to flash and disapear,then select recovery.

*note that you can still launch recovery by using the command from scenario 1 above.
-youll then see the HTC splash screen,then your recovery.

and the code(again,red my inputs):

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.

C:UsersScott>[COLOR="red"]cd c:\mini-adb_vigor[/COLOR]

c:mini-adb_vigor>[COLOR="red"]adb devices[/COLOR]
List of devices attached
HTxxxxxxxxxx    device


c:mini-adb_vigor>[COLOR="red"]md5sums recovery-ra-vigor-3.14-gnm.img[/COLOR]

MD5sums 1.2 freeware for Win9x/ME/NT/2000/XP+
Copyright (C) 2001-2005 Jem Berkes - http://www.pc-tools.net/
Type md5sums -h for help

[Path] / filename                              MD5 sum
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[c:mini-adb_vigor]
recovery-ra-vigor-3.14-gnm.img                 915d5e3cb662076f36f3d6e54759e951

c:mini-adb_vigor>[COLOR="red"]adb reboot bootloader[/COLOR]

c:mini-adb_vigor>[COLOR="red"]fastboot devices[/COLOR]
HTxxxxxxxxxx    fastboot

c:mini-adb_vigor>[COLOR="red"]fastboot flash recovery recovery-ra-vigor-3.14-gnm.img[/COLOR]
  sending 'recovery' (7074 KB)... OKAY [  1.659s]
            writing 'recovery'... OKAY [  5.179s]
finished. total time: 6.840s

3)flash superuser root files*

Spoiler

there is not much to explain with this one. if booted to recovery from above,use the recovery menu on your phone to:
-make a backup of your stock,unrooted rom. completely optional,but a very good idea,IMO.
-wipe cache
-wipe dalvik cache
-install zip from sd card(chose your superuser file)
-reboot

*congratulations,youre rooted

you can now run the juopunut bear tool to achieve s-off: Unlimited.IO

after acheiving s-off,make sure you read this: http://androidforums.com/rezound-all-things-root/538377-dont-unlock-after-s-off.html

if youre considering leaving htcdev unlock,read this if you want to flash roms: http://androidforums.com/rezound-all-things-root/587430-s-want-flash-roms-read.html

s-off is better,and worth whatever extra efforts to achieve if available.

*hope it helps,holler if you have questions

donate to my device fund

 

[DonB]

s-off FAQ

Spoiler

some frequently asked questions and general info about s-off

*what exactly IS s-off?
the simple answer is "security-off" on the normal checks that the phone does before it allows you to change different partitions,or revert to an older software/firmware combination.

more specifically,what the s-off procedure gives the rezound is a "radio s-off" by changing a setting in the radio NVRAM called the "secure flag" to "off". this method of s-off is ideal,as it is below the radio level of the phone,and will remain no matter what other changes are made. radios,hboots,etc. can all be changed and the radio secure flag will remain off.

ruus can be run,OTAs accepted,etc. and the s-off will stay,until it is purposely changed.

other devices use a "patched" hboot,wich is basically an hboot,that does not listen to the radio secure flag. the radio secure flag is still s-on,the patched hboot simply ignores it. these hboots can be further patched to prevent themselves from being overwritten,so the s-off is not lost during an ruu or OTA. with older phones,this works fine until a new hboot is required for an OS upgrade.

with the rezound and other new devices,this type of s-off is not possible(or we would have had it a long time ago) due to the complex checks that the phone makes when it boots. if the s-on radio checks hboot and finds it to be unsigned,the phone is put into a "do not boot" mode that is only reversible by htc,becoming effectively a hard brick.

"why not patch the radio just like we patched the hboot??" partially because its easier said than done,partially because other checks are going on,and if the radio is found to be unsigned,again, "no boot mode". basically there are just too many checks going on to patch them all. since it all starts with the radio secure flag,its the only practical way to gain complete access to the phone.

*isnt my unlocked via htcdev bootloader the same as s-off? i thot thats what unlocked means?
sorry,no. its not the same. the key difference is that htcdev unlock only allows access to boot/system/recovery. the phone is still s-on,and still doing plently of checks that prevent you from:
-changing firmware
-changing your splash screen
-going backwards in software/firmware build version numbers.

it also does not allow you to write the boot image from the recovery partition,as we all know that have flashed roms on s-on phones. since the kernel lives in the boot image,the kernel can only be changed by:
1)flashing it seperately via hboot or fastboot
or
2)launching your recovery from fastboot.

a permanently installed recovery cannot install kernels with htcdev unlock

*so what does s-off do for me??
-first and foremost,it makes rom flashing and nandroid restoring ALOT easier by allowing the permanently installed recovery to write the boot image,making the PC no longer a required part of the flash/restore equAtion you can now download a rom right to your phone,move it to the root of your sd with a file manager,and boot to a recovery and flash it,without a PC anywhere in sight.(note that i do not download roms to my phone,i prefer to download to pc,then transfer. a personal preference)
-second,it alows changing of firmware,so you can run a "patched" or engnieering hboot,the advantages of will be discussed later
-it lets you upgrade your radio and related firmware wihtout running a huge,signed,full RUU
-it lets you go backwards in build numbers. this is handy becasue you can,without fear,flash the latest leak,and if its bad,revert back to older software/firmware without issue.
-you can change your splash screen,wich is not important functionally,but fun. anything from carman electra, to your cat,to your grandkids can replace the htc splash screen.
-last and not least,the ability to add a patched or engineering hboot,combined with the ability to run any RUU that exists,gives a much greater opportunity to revive a "soft bricked" phone.
-one last big plus is that the procedure will change your unlocked or relocked status back to locked wich,visiually,is good for warranty purposes

*can i get back to 100% s-on stock??
yes,you can. because the process changes you back to locked,you just need to run a signed RUU and turn the secure flag back on. directions in the following post.

*what is an engineering hboot?
an "eng" or "engineering" hboot is simply a bootloader that allows for extra fastboot commands. for most folks,99% of these commands will never be used. the main commands that users of an eng hboot will use,over a stock hboot are:
fastboot flash wich is used to flash recoveries,boot images,splash images,hboots,et.
and
fastboot boot wich is used to boot(launch) an image directly into phones memory. most common use of this is recovery. you can use it to get recovery running,without having to permantly flash it,thus leaving the stock one installed. this is good for users that want to recieve OTAs,and dont use recovery much.


*what is a patched hboot?
a "patched" hboot is simply an hboot that has been patched to provide some or all of the same commands as a real engineering hboot. they can be considered safer than a real eng hboot,since they are generally made of newer,more reliable hboot versions. eng hboots have generally been around since prior to the phones release. a patched hboot also can block itself from being overwritten by other hboots,wich can be a huge advantage on phones where the radio secure flag is actually "on" as the s-off hboot will always remain,even if OTAs are taken,or RUUs run.

the thunderbolts revolutionary patched hboot is a prime example of a ship hboot patched for eng commands,and preventing itself from being over written.

*how do install or change recovery now that im s-off,but locked?
there are a couple ways to skin this cat:
1)simply allow juopunutbear to install its patched hboot. this will let you use fastboot flash and fastboot boot if you are used to these commands.
2)as a PH98IMG file. splash images,recoveries,hboots,or any other firmware can be changed by packing up the images,along with an android info text document, into a zip file,that is then renamed PG58IMG,placed on the sd card,and updated in hboot.

donate to my device fund

DISCLAIMER:

i feel all the new rooters need to see this:

Spoiler

please be careful!

after s-off,you can now have complete control of your phone. you can change whatever you want since its not doing ANY security checks at all. as such you have a much greater responsibility to know what your flashing and why,and that your files are 100% unmolested and uncorrupt.

please be aware that a bad bootloader or radio flash can and will brick your phone,possibly beyond recovery.

you do not any longer have the s-on safety net of htcdev.

on the other forums,im seeing alot of flip-flopping bootloaders around,and most folks dont even know why they want the eng hboot.please think about this.its risky- flashing a a new bootloader is prolly THE biggest risk you can take on your device,as without a bootloader NOTHING will load. i.e.,you have a brick. if your current bootloader suits your needs(ie boots youre phone and supports the fastboot commands you regularly use) then why are you changing it?

s-off is awsome,i know but again,i just want everyone that has been asking various question to realize the the seriousness that having this privelege is. have fun flashing roms and slpash screens,but be extremely cautious/careful with the important parts of your device.

-make sure you know what your flashing,and why
-make sure you have an md5 summer and use it.
-if you just asked "whats an md5??" then learn it
-make sure you are comepletely comfortable with all procedures for things you do.

last and not least,please ask any questions BEFORE your phone makes a short lil buzz,shuts off,and wont come back on

im not trying to scare anyone into staying s-on,i just want everyone to use caution and have safe,happy flashing

 

[DonB]

*please note that this is only intended for warranty purposes. there are NO benefits of s-on,whatsoever. you can recieve OTAs,you can unroot,etc. while -off. staying s-off also offers greater flexibility for recovering soft bricked devices(even devices that may have been hard bricked with s-on),and it also ensures youll be able to easliy re-root in the future,despite exploit patches.

if youre doing it to sell the device,dont. 9 out of 10 uses wont even realize its there. it wont hurt phone function,and the 1 out of 10 that know what s-off means,will prolly be really excited to find it

WARNING!!!
DO NOT turn your secureflag on unless on a stock,signed hboot.

s-on with an eng signed or patched hboot will hard brick your device immediately.(read: permanently bricked,unrecoverable)

in other words,ONLY use the writesecureflag 3 command AFTER running an RUU. never before.

im sure were mostly to excited to want to go back to s on just yet,since we just got s-off but its a matter of time before this comes up,so here ya go:

1)donwload and run an RUU for the most current build
2)open a cmd window. plug in phone,charge only mode,usb debugging on.
3)run the following:

cd c:\mini-adb (or whatever folder you keep adb/fastboot)

adb devices

adb reboot bootloader

fastboot devices

fastboot oem writesecureflag 3

fastboot reboot-bootloader

*verify you are locked s-on

fastboot reboot

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.

C:\Users\Scott>[COLOR="Red"]cd c:\mini-adb_vigor[/COLOR]

c:\mini-adb_vigor>[COLOR="red"]adb devices[/COLOR]
List of devices attached
HTxxxxxxxxxx    device


c:\mini-adb_vigor>[COLOR="Red"]adb reboot bootloader[/COLOR]

c:\mini-adb_vigor>[COLOR="red"]fastboot devices[/COLOR]
HTxxxxxxxxxx    fastboot

c:\mini-adb_vigor>[COLOR="red"]fastboot oem writesecureflag 3[/COLOR]
                              ... OKAY [  0.051s]
finished. total time: 0.051s

c:\mini-adb_vigor>[COLOR="red"]fastboot reboot-bootloader[/COLOR]
     rebooting into bootloader... OKAY [  0.177s]
finished. total time: 0.177s

c:\mini-adb_vigor>[COLOR="red"]fastboot reboot[/COLOR]
                     rebooting...
finished. total time: 0.168s

c:\mini-adb_vigor>

*verified working if you need it for warranty.

 

[scotty85]

after typing this out more times than i can count,i have decided to make up a thread for it. hopefully this will end some of the confusion about fastboot booting recovery,why its better,and what you have to do if you opt not to take advantage of its benefits.

if you have not rooted yet, consider using the guide here,as ive tried to eliminate some of the confusion from htcdev's page,and using it will give you some basic knowledge and tools that you will use in happily modding your s-on device. youll also potentially have an understanding of fastboot booting your recovery into phone memory,as it is the same thing as what the guide instructions are for a "temporary recovery".

http://androidforums.com/evo-3d-all-things-root/636832-scotty58-universal-rooting-guide.html

most folks that have come from other devices are used to the following sequence of events:
1)root phone
2)install a custom recovery(generally clockwork mod,or Amon_Ra)
3)booting to that recovery to make and restore backups,flash roms,etc. since the root method generally gave access to all the phones different memory partitions,many of wich are modifiable via the custom recovery.

even worse,are folks who have come from different devices and used an app called "rom manager" to manipulate things from within the booted operating system. i am not a fan of rom manager period,even on phones that it works on.

unfortunately,the above is a recipe for disaster on any s-on,high end htc device.

to begin,
a few words about htcdev
htcdev is htc's answer to the publics cry for unlocked bootloaders,and the ability to modify and install custom operating systems on their htc devices.

basically,you send information to htc,and they provide an unlock token that is reusable,but unique to your device. this changes the locked lettering at the top of your hboot screen to unlocked,and gives you access to the /boot,/system,and /recovery partitions only of your phone. it is not s-off by any means,and there are still alot of checks being done by the phone,wich lead to disadvantages. most notably,you cannot change any other partitions. hboot,radios,and splash screens are protected and off limits. you also cannot roll backwards in software build numbers and firmware if you flash a leaked rom and dont like it.

there are a couple of advantages.

1)unlike the underground exploits used in the past,htcdev will always work. you dont need to worry about unrooting and not being able to root again. if you need to relock your bootloader and flash factory firmware,you will always be able to re-unlock with your original unlock token.

this makes it convenient for users that only want root access so that they can run a few root apps(titanium backup,wifi tether) and delete some bloatware. the folks that like to run stock,and recieve OTA updates can easily do so by keeping the STOCK recovery on the phone.

as long as the stock recovery is in place,you are not in danger of an OTA messing up your phone.

3vo user: but,wait! wont accepting an OTA break my root?!
scotty: yes,but thats not a big deal. after the OTA has finished,you can quite easily relaunch your temporary recovery,and re-flash your root files,just as you did when you first rooted. re-rooting is easily accomplished,and therefore nothing to be concerned with.

2)the other big advantage of an htcdev unlocked s-on bootloader,is that since the bootloader is protecting itself,and the radios,it is nearly impossible to hard-brick(i.e.,unrecoverable) device with software flashes. any damaged to the phones filesystem are almost always fixed by RELOCKING the bootloader,and running an RUU(factory signed software package)

modding your s-on,unlocked device
first and foremost,remember this:

**an htcdev unlocked phone CANNOT write to the /boot partition FROM its /recovery partition.**

what this means is that,unlike your s-off evo 4g,thunderbolt,inc 1,or just about any other htc device you may have messed with,the rom that you flash from a recovery that is permantly installed on your phone cannot install the boot image. since the boot image houses the kernel, the roms kernel is not being installed along with the rest of the rom.

this means that if your rom requires a different kernel than what is on your phone,it will not boot. it will hang indefinately at the splash screen.

there are a couple options to work around this handicap with s-on phones:

1)use juopunut bear's tool to s-off your phone. doing this makes your phone and recovery act like you are used to(recovery can[/ write to /boot) but does not come without consequence. see this post for more info: http://androidforums.com/evo-3d-all...ty58-universal-rooting-guide.html#post5113887

2)flash the kernel manually. it can be done with the command fastboot flash boot or it can be done by placing the boot image inside a PH98IMG file and flashing it in hboot.

PH98IMG flashing is a PITA on an s-on phone,in my honest opinion. the information on the "android info" text document inside the file must contain the correct info or the phone will not let the file flash. this leads to much aggravation,confusion,and an overall very bad rom flashing experience

therefore,the better way to flash kernels,IF you want to do it manually,is to use the fastboot flash boot command. more info on that here: http://androidforums.com/rezound-all-things-root/499172-how-manually-flash-roms.html#post3933400

and now the best for last:
3) fastboot boot your recovery into phone memory

this involves,basically,placing your recovery image inside the folder that contains adb and fastboot,booting the phone to fastboot,and the launching recovery into phone memory by entering the command:
fastboot boot recoveryname.img

do not confuse this with the fastboot flash command.

fastboot boot is taking an image,and booting it right up on the phone.

fastboot flash is permantly installing an image into the phones filesystem.

*if you use fastboot boot to launch your recovery into phone memory,then recovery CAN write to the boot partition,making rom flashing on your s-on device just like rom flashing on an s-off device.

i.e.,launching recovery from fastboot lets the rom install the kernel,and requires no seperate kernel flashing. this means that when you are following a rom developers install instructions,you can follow the set for s-off devices.

why does this work?!

well,an oversimplified explanation is this:
-fastboot is part of the bootloader,wich can write to the /boot partition
-launching recovery from bootloader,makes the recoverys operations work thru the bootloader.
-hence,launched recovery can write boot image. hooray! :smokingsomb:

all the above applies to bakcups as well. you canot restore a backup from the permenent recovery if it contains a different kernel. just like flashing a rom. all the above info in this post applies to restoring a rom as well.

last and not least,
some more detailed instructions

if you rooted with my guide,then you have seen this before. its basically the directions to "temporarily flash recovery"

for those that have rooted via other means,you can modify these directions to fit whatever folder you have adb/fastboot in,or you just use these directions:

download these files:
-mini-adb.zip: mini-adb.zip
-Ext 4 recovery image: PG86IMG-recovery_ext_4.zip

first thing you need is drivers for adb to see your phone. if you have htc sync installed,you should allready have drivers. if not,you can install htc sync,or install these modified htc drivers from revolutionary (i recomand revolutionary drivers)

1)prepair ADB
-unzip your mini-adb.zip file. this is native funtionality in windows 7. you otherwise may need a utility such as "7-zip" to extract,or unzip it. place the unzipped folder onto the root of your C\ drive on your PC(sorry, you mac guys will need to develop this for yourself,i dont have a mac). root means the top level,not inside any folders. so just copy and paste,or drag and drop the folder onto C with everything else that is there. rename it to "mini-adb_shooter" since youll be putting some 3vo(shooter) specific files in here. you actually can call it whatver you want,but directions from here forward will assume this folder to be named "mini-adb_shooter"
-open a command window. on windows 7,click the start bubble in the lower left and type "command" in the search box. xp i believe is similar or the same. doing this should open a small black command window.
-change to your mini-adb_vigor directory. type the following at the prompt in your cmd window:

cd c:\mini-adb_shooter


2)launch a temporary recovery:
-move the image file from your downloaded zip file, and place it into the mini-adb_shooter folder.

-type in your cmd window,or copy/paste the commands that are in bold

-check the md5 of your recovery image:

md5sums <recoveryname>.img

i.e.,if youre using an image named shooter_recovery_ext_4,then your command will be:
md5sums shooter_recovery_ext_4.img

**make sure the resulting md5 matches any available listed md5 sums. **
(for the ext 4 recovery linked,the image md5 will be: aff934a272f6ba66cc19e8e4325506a8 )

-enable usb debugging on your phone and plug it in,charge only mode.

-check for connectivity:

adb devices

-it should reply with your serial number. if so,then:

adb reboot bootloader

-this will boot your phone into "fastboot" wich is a white screen with coloered letters.

-check for connectivity:

fastboot devices

-should return serial number

-temporarily launch your recovery to phone memory:

fastboot boot <recoveryname>.img

again,if youre using an image named as above:
fastboot boot shooter_recovery_ext_4.img

-youll see a (really fast) green status bar on the top right as your PC sends the recovery to your phone. youll then see the HTC splash screen,then your recovery.

now that youre recovery is running,you have lots of options. you can mount usb storage to move things on and off the sd card if you need to. you can also flash the main version tool if you need to: main version tool.

note that once recovery is running,you can unplug from the PC if you want to flash your rom from the couch,ktichen table,or wherever

you can now restore a backup,or flash a rom.

last and not least,a couple notes:
-to paste into the cmd window,you must right click/paste. you cannot control/v
-to copy from the cmd window,right click. click mark. highlight everything to copy in white. now hit enter,or right click again.

holler if you have more questions