Root Flashing ICS/CM9 & CWM Recovery

[Pondering]

I have successfully rooted my phone and flashed the Backside ROM per Whyzor's howto guide. I'm comfortable with backing up and restoring various builds of Backside, finally settling on the 01312012 build.

Now its playtime....

I want to try ICS/CM9 and am working through the various posts here. However, I am a bit confused...when it comes time to actually flashing CM9 do I just boot into my existing recovery, clear the various caches and then flash CM9? Or start from scratch?

Currently, I have CWM-based Recovery v4.0.1.5 installed.

There is a method to my madness: I want a CM9 backup on my SD card so I can activate an OV after it is rooted (thanks to whoever posted this idea)....if this works I'll probably get my kid an OV, root it, send it to her with ICS then walk her thru restoring it back to Backside once she activates and ports her number to the OV....does this sound like a viable plan?

 

[fmkilo]

what is your phone model and carrier?

 

[Pondering]

LG-VM670 Virgin Mobile

 

[AndyOpie150]

I want to try ICS/CM9 and am working through the various posts here. However, I am a bit confused...when it comes time to actually flashing CM9 do I just boot into my existing recovery, clear the various caches and then flash CM9? Or start from scratch?

Currently, I have CWM-based Recovery v4.0.1.5 installed.

There is a method to my madness: I want a CM9 backup on my SD card so I can activate an OV after it is rooted (thanks to whoever posted this idea)....if this works I'll probably get my kid an OV, root it, send it to her with ICS then walk her thru restoring it back to Backside once she activates and ports her number to the OV....does this sound like a viable plan?

For a clear understanding of flashing a ROM go here: http://androidforums.com/optimus-v-...ry-reset-your-rooted-phone-3.html#post3263770

Unless something has changed that I missed out on: You can only activate from the stock ROM or a Froyo ROM as these are the only ROM's with the activate app). It would be best if you make a backup of the stock ROM right after installing the custom recovery. Never delete this backup. Sometimes the network totally drops out on some phones and the only way to get it back is with the activate app that is supplied (unless you would rather go thru all the extra work of flashing and backing up a Froyo ROM).

Something else to think about: When you give the phone to your daughter make sure you explain to her to never, ever use the factory reset in the phones menu with the stock ROM or Froyo ROM (all Gingerbread ROMs have this feature deleted). She will only be able to use that option in the custom recovery.

If she uses it it will brick the phone. With that said: You need to go to the MSL code and AAA code stickies and write down the codes from the phone to a safe place it case this should ever happen. This way you can restore all the service to phone when unbricking, in case it was a hard brick and you had to use a bin file to recover it (the last resort, because it will zero out all the codes including the most important and impossible to get back once lost , the AAA code). No AAA code, no 3G.

 

[Pondering]

Ah. Got it. So all I really need to do is root, backup stock, flash backside and tweak it, backup backside, restore stock then send her the phone for activation and number port. Thanks!