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Root Help Root my 2.1

MSUgEEk

MSUgEEk

Android Expert
I have been reading all of these root threads and I don't understand all of the terminology everybody is using. I have a brand new Motorola Droid with the 2.1 update that was pushed out by Verizon. I have seen where it appears some people have had to roll back to 2.0 and then do the manual root process to gain root acess and then I have seen something relatively new that allows root or something without downgrading from 2.1. What do I need to do to my phone? I want full root access with the ability to run the popular ROMs and I still want all of my functionality that my droid currently has (turn by turn google nav, etc...) Can someone please help a noob out? I have a good bit of computer experience with up to advanced C++, assembly programming, and some Java...I just don't know the terminology everybody has been using around with all these release version codes and what I can do with my phone and what I can't do with it with one method of rooting vs other methods.

Thanks in advance
 
OK, first thing you need to do is read this thread -- http://androidforums.com/all-things-root-droid/63010-how-install-sprecovery-unrooted-2-1-ota.html -- and do what it says. Basically your using a windows application called RSD Lite to flash a 2.1 SBF file on your Droid BUT with a modified Recovery which will allow you to flash a custom ROM. After your done doing that part you can just go in the market and download ROM Manager to get CyanogenMOD ROM for free OR buy the premium version to get a ton of other ROM's. It will also install a different Recovery then the one you will have after flashing the 2.1 SBF file but that is ok. If you prefer to do it the manual way without paying then check out AllDroid and go to the Droid Releases section to find ROM's (they are in sub forums for each developer). I recommend trying Bugless Beast by Pete first as it is a super fast and stable ROM, once you get comfortable with this stuff you can try different ROM's like Cyanogen.

I have to go, hopefully this helps you get going. If not I'm sure someone else will be able to help you out.
 
So, if I understand this process correctly...I do the following:

1.) Download 2.1 SP Recovery sbf
2.) Download md5sum (I'm on a windows machine)
3.) Place md5sum in c:\windows\system32
4.) Run md5sum SPRecovery_ESE81.sbf from command prompt in the folder I downloaded SPRecovery to?
5.) Download in install RSDLite 4.6
6.) Download and install motorola 32 bit drivers for my windows machine.
7.) Connect phone via USB and reboot, while rebooting hold UP on the dpad
8.) Run RSD Lite 4.6 as administrator
9.) Select the SPRecovery 2.1 SBF file
10.) Click Start and wait for RSD Lite to flash the SPRecovery image onto phone and then wait on phone to reboot.

Then after that I'm done and should be able to either root via adb commands OR install a ROM with superuser access rights and I will have a rooted 2.1 phone? Correct?
 
Thanks! I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything before I gave it a whirl. Hopefully tonight will be the night!
 
svt_gEEk...Try these two links as well. They're basically the same thing (installing SPRecovery to a stock 2.1 Droid, then loading a custom ROM to get root access), but they include a video guide. I used it this past weekend and I was rooted within 30 minutes. Don't use the link for one of the custom ROMs that the second video includes, however. They appear to be invalid files. Just find the .zip file for a ROM that you want (I recommend the new Bugless Beast V1.0 or NexBeast which is based upon the new Bugless). Here are the links.

Video: Flashing SPRecovery SBF to Stock 2.1 | Droid Life: A Motorola Droid Blog

Video: Installing a Custom ROM Using SPRecovery | Droid Life: A Motorola Droid Blog

Hope this helps. Welcome to rooting!
 
Thanks for all of the helpful info guys! I have successfully rooted and installed Bugless Beast. So far so good, but how do you install themes?? I have unsucessfully tried installing 2 different themes with MetaMorph.
 
Install the same way you installed the ROM.

So, if you're using SPRecovery, rename to update.zip and install it. No need to wipe anything.
 
Ok. Simple enough. So I assume if I want to run another kernel of his...say 1GHz, I do the same? Download the kernel and rename to update.zip, reboot with sprecovery and install?
 
svt_gEEk said:
Ok. Simple enough. So I assume if I want to run another kernel of his...say 1GHz, I do the same? Download the kernel and rename to update.zip, reboot with sprecovery and install?
Click to expand...

Yep, that's exactly what you would do..


  1. Download the kernel you want (1Ghz in your example)
  2. Rename downloaded file to update.zip (make sure you're showing file extensions in XP; if using Vista or Win7, just rename it to update as Vista/Win7 will have the .zip at the end of the file already and you'll accidentally rename the file to update.zip.zip which won't work!)
  3. Place the update.zip file on your SD Card (meaning, don't put it in any folders)
  4. Flash to SPRecovery, then (i) allow the update.zip installation and (ii) install the update.zip
  5. Reboot once complete (just backout out in SPRecovery to that option on the main menu)
  6. Use SetCPU (if not already installed from market) to overclock to your desired processor speed and set additional usage profiles (recommended!)
 
Thanks! Are there threads out there already that have things like this in plain english or am I just missing them?? I'm fairly tech savvy, but never messed with android or linux much for that matter. I can do most anything with Windows and alot with a Mac, but this is a totally new ballgame for me and I can't follow much of the lingo and it seems like the information is really scattered between multiple threads and even multiple sites on how to do certain things...especially since different ROMs require different methods of installation of themes and such. I'm catching on, but the learning curve for the android OS is pretty steep when you get into modding/rooting.
 
svt_gEEk - Yes, there are actually. The "All Things Root" section of this forum is full of stickys containing walkthroughs for practically everything. Granted, once you've done it once (let's say flash a ROM), you end up seeing the same steps for other activities.

Like you, I was fairly new to the Android/Linux world, but have learned a great deal from this site as well as a few others. I'm sure you'll end up doing the same.
 
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