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Root Universal Eris Root for Dummies!
- Thread starter erisuser1
- Start date
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- Tags
- htc droid eris
Thank you, that's everything I need to know. I'm not sure how I didn't notice that my personal data would be lost, but live and learn. This is also why I did my wife's Eris before my XThanks again!
I don't think that "all is lost" if you want to put a little more effort in to it.
What was the error that occurred when you tried restoring the original Nandroid backup?
As doogald pointed out, by making backups and restoring, it is possible to cherry pick things from an older ROM install by first making a (Nandroid) backup of whatever you are currently using, restoring that older ROM via a Nandroid restore, adding some market apps that make backups (contacts, text messages, Emails, Bookmarks, etc) to the SD card, and then restoring the "new" ROM from a (Nandroid) backup, installing those same market apps, and "restoring" the data (off the SD card) to the new ROM.
I've done that in the past when I forgot to do something (like backup the keyboard user dictionary), or when I had temporary troubles with the Google Market, and wanted to grab an app (.apk file) from a prior backup.
If you have troubles with a given Nandroid backup, all is not lost. Check this out:
A "Nandroid" backup on the Eris creates 4 files for each backup, and puts these into a (uniquely named) folder; those files are:
boot.img
data.img
system.img
nandroid.md5
The last of these ("nandroid.md5") is just an ordinary text file containing three lines that have the "md5sum" and file name for boot.img, data.img, and system.img, respectively.
So, why am I telling you this?
Because the Nandroid Backup can be manually fixed up!
Suppose there was a problem with "boot.img" or "system.img" in your Nandroid backup that prevented a Nandroid restore from successfully happening. If that scenario happened, you could
Re-install the same (factory) ROM, make a Nandroid backup of that, and patch the "data.img" backup file from the first Nandroid restore into the newer Nandroid backup.
The only steps required to do this would be to drop the "data.img" file from the old Nandroid backup into the newer Nandroid backup, and then edit the "nandroid.md5" file, so that the line for "data.img" has the correct value - which can either be found by computing the MD5 signature, or just snatching the line from the old backup's "nandroid.md5" file.
This whole thing could be accomplished on the phone itself with a file manager.
Note that you can not mix-and-match any "data.img" file with ANY ROM Nandroid backup - the "data.img" backup needs to come from either the identical ROM or very, very similar ROM.
In short, your data is not lost - yet. If you give up it is, though.
eu1
[ Edit ] Note that in the Amon_RA recovery, there is a menu item under the sub-menu "Other" titled
Move "recovery.log" to SD
If you have an error trying to do a Nandroid restore, that log file will diagnose exactly what happened. Move it to your SD before you exit Amon_RA, and then post that up (if you have an error), and we'll help out figuring out what went wrong.
Note that the most common (and simplest to fix) problem is that the Nandroid restore operation will refuse to do so when the battery has less than a 40% charge. The error you had might be as simple as that.
eu1,
I'm working on making my final tweaks to my app...but here's a sneak preview of the app that I plan on publishing in the Market:
View attachment AFV_Android_File_Verifier.apk (MD5 sum: 7db5d464c11c477feb46f659f8e61991)
I'm mentioning this here since I've added a Nandroid backup verifier function to the AFV app. Just navigate to your Nandroid backup directory, long-press the nandroid.md5 file and the app will re-calculate the checksums the files listed in the .md5 file and compare them (basically an "md5sum -c nandroid.md5" function).
It really isn't Nandroid-specific since it is really driven by the contents of the selected .md5 file, so it should work for ClockworkMod Nandroid backups too. I have added some Nandroid backup-specific name audits (checks for special characters (like spaces and ampersands) and mis-matched serial number in the directory name).
I think I've done everything that you mentioned previously, excepting the 'openssl pkcs7' feature that you requested that I still need more guidance on. Hope to publish this on the Market soon, just have some minor, cosmetic things to do.
Thanks and let me know if you have questions or comments.
I'm working on making my final tweaks to my app...but here's a sneak preview of the app that I plan on publishing in the Market:
View attachment AFV_Android_File_Verifier.apk (MD5 sum: 7db5d464c11c477feb46f659f8e61991)
I'm mentioning this here since I've added a Nandroid backup verifier function to the AFV app. Just navigate to your Nandroid backup directory, long-press the nandroid.md5 file and the app will re-calculate the checksums the files listed in the .md5 file and compare them (basically an "md5sum -c nandroid.md5" function).
It really isn't Nandroid-specific since it is really driven by the contents of the selected .md5 file, so it should work for ClockworkMod Nandroid backups too. I have added some Nandroid backup-specific name audits (checks for special characters (like spaces and ampersands) and mis-matched serial number in the directory name).
I think I've done everything that you mentioned previously, excepting the 'openssl pkcs7' feature that you requested that I still need more guidance on. Hope to publish this on the Market soon, just have some minor, cosmetic things to do.
Thanks and let me know if you have questions or comments.
Everything was going smoothly with the instructions given. But, I must have missed the part of where I move the new ROM to the root of the sd. It's still in the download folder. I just moved the gscript.zip. I've done the wipe and everything and can not access the new ROM on the SD card. Any fix?
Did you do a Nandroid backup first? You could Nandroid restore and then go through the steps again.
hotdoses,
Glad things worked out for you, but it's pretty obvious you did your homework - most people don't discover the usefulness of the USB-MS mode of Amon_RA straight away.
For anyone else reading this: The "Wipe data/factory reset" functionality of Amon_RA does NOT wipe off the system software, only the user data and settings. (Deletion of the system software happens at the beginning of the ROM installation ... after a ROM has already passed through a validation check.)
So, if it should happen that you have already done a "Wipe", and then find out that you can't locate your ROM .zip file on the SD card (or it turns out to be corrupted), the phone is still bootable with the prior O/S software still on it - it just will just be in the uncustomized state.
eu1
I just gave it a test drive - I think it is ready for prime time. (No doubt it will improve with time, but the best way to improve it is to get it into people's hands and let them offer feedback/suggestions).
Check your PM
eu1
schmelanie
Lurker
I'm stuck way back on extracting the gscript.zip file. I'm following the instructions and it tells me that the extract is done, but when I refresh the folder list the gscript folder isn't there.
If you think there is something wrong with the way that EStrongs File Manager refreshes file lists (I doubt that), you can certainly exit that app by repeatedly pressing the "back" softkey until the app exits, and then restart Estrongs File Manager.
EStrongs File Manager also has a search function: tap the magnifying glass icon, select "search any file by Name", and type in "gscript" (without the quotes, of course). In the search results (if any are found, you can long-press each icon and scroll down to "Properties" to find out where the file/folder was found.
Based on what you reported, there are only a few possibilities:
(1) you didn't move gscript.zip from /sdcard/download to /sdcard, and so when you unpacked it, you put it in the wrong place, or
(2) the unpacking operation failed but mysteriously reported that it succeeded.
#2 seems unlikely, but check the size of the "gscript.zip" file to make sure that it is the correct size.
To start with, if you download it directly to your phone it will be at
/sdcard/download/gscript.zip 3,915,189 bytes; MD5 : 92796a8c6e61e8f1ee36e315c0acae7d
the first part of the instructions tell you to move it to
/sdcard/gscript.zip
and then unpack it so that you end up with a folder named
/sdcard/gscript
I don't know how to explain that in any simpler terms.
eu1
Sounds to me as if you forgot to reboot in between part1 and part2... either that or you skipped part1.
Either that, or you accidentally set up the part1 script as "Needs root" in contravention to the instructions; that would also cause it to fail.
Re-read the instructions and repeat carefully; it really is a pretty simple procedure
- part1
- reboot
- part2
Lanmonster
Lurker
My trackball keeps freezing up at the recovery page. I have tried every method in the forum to try and fix it and nothing worked. Can someone help, please?My track
Lanmonster,
Sorry to hear that...unfortunately, these type of things appear to be hardware-related with no real, lasting solution (as you've come to find out).
If you really (really) want, I can point you to a post / thread that discusses how to wipe and flash things without using the trackball--but I must warn you, its not for the faint of heart since it involves usnig the Android SDK, using adb to communicate with your phone while its in recovery. Plus, there are timing-related tasks and very precise instructions. Its doable, but its not really meant for a casual user, if you will...plus, its not a thing that you can get answers from very many people if you get into trouble and/or have questions.
Lanmonster
Lurker
Thanks for the answer. What would you suggest?
Lol! Well, I can point you to the thread / post and let you see if you might be able to do what is demonstrated in there
.Here is the thread: http://androidforums.com/eris-all-things-root/163423-flashing-rom-trackball-not-working.html
If you do decide to persue this, I would read it very carefully (twice
) and make sure that you understand what is going on before attempting it.I am, by the way, actively trying to learn how to recompile and modify Amon_RA's custom recovery so that it is not reliant on the trackball for navigation or confirmation. I am making progress (just today I got some emails that I hope are helpful in making additional progress). This is not guaranteed or imminent, though, just something that I'm working on towards trying to help folks out...
Lanmonster
Lurker
How do I get all my stuff back?
???
???Not sure what you lost or what you are asking about...can you provide more detail?
Have a good one! If its a vacation, you certainly deserve it!
[also, nice/very cool/interesting recent threads on XDA---kudos, as always, to you!].Cheers!
I've seen a couple of posts/threads that indicate that it probably doesn't matter... However, if you root early and have trouble activating it and need to take your phone into a VZW store to have them look at it, will they notice that its rooted?
[something to think about 
]Lanmonster
Lurker
Sorry. I am running planeJane and all my pictures, apps, music, etc. Is gone! 
Sorry. I am running planeJane and all my pictures, apps, music, etc. Is gone!
Well, your apps will come back first time you launch the Market and select "Downloads" from the menu (don't exit out of the Market until you've downloaded all of your previous apps--he'll remember which ones you had on the first launch). After that, the Market will only remember your paid ones.
Your music and pictures should still be on your /sdcard...
The pictures will be in the /sdcard/DCIM directory. I think/thought that the Gallery app would scan your /sdcard for you and present all that he found...Not sure about the music--I've got my .mp3 files in a directory I created myself...and I think the stock music app also found my .mp3 files just the pictures.
You didn't format your /sdcard did you?
Also, you did take a Nandroid backup, right? (the Nandroid backup doesn't backup your /sdcard--it actually is kept on the /sdcard).