Root How Do I flash a radio?

[InfernalByte]

How do I flash a radio, and why would I need to do it? Leedroid has a new radio on the mini site and I'm wondering how and why I'd need to update.

 

[SUroot]

You flash it from recovery, unless you have S-off?

Its the software that runs the radio hardware. The transmitter / receiver that gives you voice and data connection.

Sometimes the new radio's are more efficient. It depends on your personal circumstances. You'd have to try it to see if you get better signal or battery life out of it.

 

[speedback84]

Couldn't find any other thread related to radios, so I'm posting here after going through rooting & flashing FAQs

I'm planning to install CM7.1, about to root my HTC Desire using Unrevoked 3.32.
My question is when during the process should I update the radio (CM7.1 requires this)
Should it be done before S-OFF with AlphaRev or after? (Since S-OFF basically removes a security flag from the radio)

I'd also like to know the safest way to update the radio, I'm scared of this bit as it could brick the phone. Would it be advisable to take Nandroid backups before and after updating the radio?

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Hadron]

I assume you have a GSM phone (i.e. have a SIM card). Otherwise be very careful, since all radios I know are for GSM and would brick a CDMA handset.

If you already have 2.2 then you do not need to update the radio. Any Froyo radio will work with a Gingerbread ROM. So I'd suggest leaving the radio update unless you find a problem.

The safest way to update a radio is via fastboot, which you can only do after you are S-Off. Always check the md5 sum before flashing, to make sure you do not have a corrupt image. Instructions are in the fastboot FAQ.

S-Off sets a flag in the radio of a CDMA phone, but on GSM it works by replacing the bootloader with one that ignores the security flag. It is confusing that there are 2 different types with the same name, but important to know when searching for information.

Nandroid does not back up the radio, so cannot fix or revert the radio if it goes wrong.

 

[saltire]

Unless you're on a really old radio you shouldn't need to change it - and best advice is don't unless you get problems with CM. Notice you've said Unrevoked 3.32 - presume you checked using guides and have the ARA software build? If not 3.21 is recommended.

If you do need to update radio, imho safest way is using fastboot (see SU's ADB and Fastboot guide, you can skip the ADB bit). There are other ways but if you have a problem with a radio flash there's no way back from a radio brick.

But you need to be S-OFF to use fastboot to flash radio (as well as hboots, recovery etc) - so run AlphaRev first to gain S-OFF.

Radio is completely separate firmware from everything else and does not get backed up or restore via nandroid.

edit : not an echo, just too slow - also keep forgetting about CDMA but Hadron didn't

 

[handy5876]

The safest way to update a radio is via fastboot, which you can only do after you are S-Off.

+1
Don't feel comfortable flashing hboot or radio in recovery.

 

[speedback84]

Thanks for the replies

Unless you're on a really old radio you shouldn't need to change it - and best advice is don't unless you get problems with CM. Notice you've said Unrevoked 3.32 - presume you checked using guides and have the ARA software build? If not 3.21 is recommended.

I am using an unlocked GSM Desire running 2.2. Will use 3.21 since I don't have the ARA build
I'm on a pretty old radio (5.09.05.30_2), and I see the latest is 5.17.05.23, so I thought it would be advisable to update as CM7's wiki page advises to do so?

If you do need to update radio, imho safest way is using fastboot (see SU's ADB and Fastboot guide, you can skip the ADB bit). There are other ways but if you have a problem with a radio flash there's no way back from a radio brick.

But you need to be S-OFF to use fastboot to flash radio (as well as hboots, recovery etc) - so run AlphaRev first to gain S-OFF.

After much checking, I realised that S-OFF is not completely necessary unless I want to reclaim some of the memory that CM7 would use. I'm on HBOOT 0.93.001, so I don't really want to risk S-OFF or using Revolutionary. (I'll just increase the memory allocated to the fat32 on the SD card during Gparted partition.)

Since Hadron recommends only using fastboot to update the radio (which is only with S-OFF), is there any other safe way to flash the radio with S-ON (apart from via Recovery)

It's my first time rooting & flashing any phone, so I'm a bit chicken about the whole thing (esp. radio!)

 

[Hadron]

edit : not an echo, just too slow

Well that's usually me, so it makes a change

 

[Hadron]

You can download a radio as a flashable zip and flash from recovery. If you are S-On that should be ok. Check md5 of the zip, and don't interrupt the process - it will reboot itself a couple of times when you boot after flashing, so don't panic, that is normal.

But I really would install the ROM first, and then see whether a radio update is really needed. They may recommend the latest radio, but I do not think it is essential.

 

[speedback84]

You can download a radio as a flashable zip and flash from recovery. If you are S-On that should be ok. Check md5 of the zip, and don't interrupt the process - it will reboot itself a couple of times when you boot after flashing, so don't panic, that is normal.

But I really would install the ROM first, and then see whether a radio update is really needed. They may recommend the latest radio, but I do not think it is essential.

I was just thinking, what if I flashed one of the latest WWE RUUs after taking a Nandroid backup (i.e root, unrevoked, backup, flash a RUU with one of the latest radios)?

Granted, this will be tedious as I'll have to do the whole root, unrevoked process again. But maybe it's worth doing so and going through the extra pain

I did check the CM forums again, some folks have flashed CM7 without upgrading the radio, but the difference is their radio versions were still higher (think 5.11) than my current (5.09)

Anyway, will keep my toes crossed, and let my fingers getting on with original advice for the installation. Will come back in tears if I screw something up

 

[rajbal]

+1
Don't feel comfortable flashing hboot or radio in recovery.

I also feel the same...not yet comfortable doing that....yet.
I found to install something very simple which does not require me to flash any new Hboot or New radio...

@Speed, if you are looking for only more space then probably you could use Icoin or Supernova ROMs... I am using little older one, Gingerburst (working so far)
You can use them on Stock HBoot itself.
(Exp users, pls correct me if I am wrong)

 

[SUroot]

I also feel the same...not yet comfortable doing that....yet.

Just dont.