[Q] Nervous about root - EVO 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

The Evo is my first smartphone so naturally the thought of rooting then bricking my baby is daunting. I thought it would be a good idea to post here first before I make any attempts.
I found this guide but I had a few questions about it.
forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=690762
(had to butcher the link since I am a "new member")
My first question is if I am running sock software number 3.29.651.5 is this guide still helpful? I noticed it was written in May and there have been many updates since then.
My second question is about ROMs. I have narrowed it down to CyanogenMod-6 or Myn’s. My two goals after root are to wireless tether 4g internet access and to have a speedy/responsive phone for playing emulators. Which ROM would be best for my needs?
Thanks!

The one you pointed to is outdated - it's for the Eclair version of Android (2.1). http://www.unrevoked.com/recovery/ will be the easiest way to root your phone. For more information, search for tutorials on using unrevoked 3.21. I used regaw_leinad's guide to rooting 2.2 but I don't know if that's still valid with this latest OTA.
If you want 4G, that eliminates CM-6 because it doesn't have 4G. Myn is nice. Lots of people swear by Fresh. I like Burnt Droid and Vaelpak roms. All of these have 4G.
Before doing anything read, read, read and read some more. Before flashing new roms (and you won't stop at just one rom), back up and nand (this is creating a backup image of your phone on the sd card). I use MyBackupPro to back up apps but lots of people use Titanium Backup.
I've read that totally bricking the Evo is hard although I was successful . What I did was pull the battery during an OTA update - so now you know what NOT to do.
Good luck!

If you're nervous about rooting, check out the "misconceptions" sticky first, and read that entire thread - it's a great jump-off point for new users. There's a ton of great info there, but the best is a series of questions that anyone about to root should be able to answer. Once you've done enough reading to answer those questions, you'll be ready to handle anything that comes up in the root process.
Good luck!
Sent from my blah blah blah blah

I wanna root my phone also but I am new to this android stuff and I don't know which link or video to go by? I wanna get the wireless tethering also and check out a few ROM's myself. Can someone please point me in the right direction i wanna root my phone with unrevoked 3. Please help a newbie out.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

I had the same feeling and then a few days ago I just did it...i used unrevoked and it couldn't have been easier
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Do it its not hard and its way worth it I have cyanogenmod and vanilla is so sexy plus no sense but I would research before anything
Sent from my overclocked Cyanogenmod htc evolution 4g sucka

Related

Two Quick Questions...

Hey.. Long time HTC Vouge tweaker here... just got the evo and i love it.
I have three quick questions.
Can somone point me to a good thread that gives the lowdown on the basics of rooting and other stuff for the evo?
Second, I (stupidly) installed ota 2.2. I realize this is not rootable atm, but is there anyway to install a FPS fixed and or free WIFI kernel without rooting it?
If not is there anyway to do those things at all on a 2.2 OTA?
Thank
PS, what is the best backup utility out there now?
taidan said:
Hey.. Long time HTC Vouge tweaker here... just got the evo and i love it.
I have three quick questions.
Can somone point me to a good thread that gives the lowdown on the basics of rooting and other stuff for the evo?
Second, I (stupidly) installed ota 2.2. I realize this is not rootable atm, but is there anyway to install a FPS fixed and or free WIFI kernel without rooting it?
If not is there anyway to do those things at all on a 2.2 OTA?
Thank
PS, what is the best backup utility out there now?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those things all require root in order to do. The best backup utility is Titanium Backup, but it also requires root. As to a guide on rooting, they are specific to the software you are running. I would keep an eye out for the "Simple Root" which is an automated process. Once a 2.2 root is found they will create a program for it. It's only a matter of time before one of the devs have an ah ha moment.
Sent from my PC36100
You can't do any of those things without root. You can USB tether with programs like pdanet or easytether both found in the market.
Cool thanks for your help(s).
ILLEGAL PROCEDURE!!! The offence lined up in a 2 question formation but ran a 3 question play...LOL!!! Sorry but I could not resist...my bads.
hahaa I lold.

I'm Rooted, now what?

So, a Huge thanks to all those who worked on the method to get 2.2 rooted. I followed the directions and I am here, rooted. I used the Amon_Ra for my recovery back to 2.2. Now, this might be a stupid question, but What now? My phone looks the same, and I still can't remove sprint stuff. What are the next steps, I know i can install a custom "higher speed ROM", but can i just work from where i am now? I have the Superuser icon, but when i open it, i get "no apps in list" ? what do i need to install to start taking advantage of all that rooting has to offer?
Thanks for your replies!!
monetmonet said:
So, a Huge thanks to all those who worked on the method to get 2.2 rooted. I followed the directions and I am here, rooted. I used the Amon_Ra for my recovery back to 2.2. Now, this might be a stupid question, but What now? My phone looks the same, and I still can't remove sprint stuff. What are the next steps, I know i can install a custom "higher speed ROM", but can i just work from where i am now? how do i get that little superadministrator icon on my phone? what do i need to install to start taking advantage of all that rooting has to offer?
Thanks for your replies!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Choose a new fancy ROM, download it to your SD card and use Amon to flash it. Easy as pie.
They are many great ROMs from many great developers here. Everyone has their preferences, mine is Fresh. I've never been dissapointed.
Agreed.....I can tell a big difference in speed and battery life but now what? I also can't delete any of the Sprint bloatware and I am on Baked Sense 1.6.
I don't understand: Why would you root your phone if you don't even know what it does? Not trying to be a ****; I'm just saying.
Firstly, if you rooted, all you did was revert your phone back to 2.1 so you no longer have Froyo. (edit: nevermind.....I see you want back to 2.2; I'm guessing you flashed a 2.2 stock rooted rom to your phone). The superuser app is empty because it hasn't given superuser permission to any apps that require it. If you want to see your superuser app in action, download ShootMe or screenshot from the market, and you will see the app asks for superuser permission.
I rooted my phone because I thought it was ridiculous to pay Sprint $30 a month to use the wireless tether option that was built into the Evo by HTC and which I already paid for when I purchased the phone. Now I use my root privileges to do a lot more, but my point is that I had a reason to root my phone to begin with. Download wireless tether and try it.
If you want to uninstall apps, download Titanium Back up (that's what I use anyway) and go to town removing stuff. I am not sure if the free version removes apps or not because I got the paid one from the beginning, but now that you are rooted, it is well worth the price for the premium license. You can use this app to move stuff to your SD card and free up your phone's internal memory, too. You can also back up all your apps and system data which is handy when you flash from one rom to another and you have to do a full wipe of your phone.
ddublu said:
Agreed.....I can tell a big difference in speed and battery life but now what? I also can't delete any of the Sprint bloatware and I am on Baked Sense 1.6.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some of the ROMs have all that stuff removed for you, such as Fresh.
First thing to do: Head over to the developer forum and flash Netarchy's kernel, which will uncap your FPS. Do it ASAP, DO IT NAO!!!!1!!1!1!eleven. Then come back here and tell us how amazing it is.
thanks for the input
Thanks for all the replies! Rugedraw - i especially appreciate your indepth answer despite the fact that you are clearly somewhat annoyed by the question.
Here's the thing. The android revolution is ongoing and picking up steam. and i could talk about that all day long. Opensource, kick blackberry in the berry, and send apple back to where it was after its huge popularity boom in the 90s - struggling to overcome its fatal closed system flaw. Beyond that, I bought my Evo for 2 reasons. My 16 month son threw my blackberry into the toilet (nice work - i now appreciate it), and my tech guy at work has been raving about his rooted Droid x2. as of 10 days ago it didn't seem possible to root the 2.2 froyo, but he told be to be on the lookout. I figured this is a little like an arms race and that the sooner i rooted my phone when the method was avail. the better. (tech guy is in italy with his fiancee right now, or i would be asking him all these questions)
Soooo, it seemed to me, that in the spirit of owning an opensource device and joining the android revolution, that i should root my phone and unlock all the magic.
I'm no computer programming whiz, i dont write code, and i learned all of the terminology on this board in the last 2 days. So lost, but learning fast.
I did not root my phone for no reason. I clearly understand the utility of having superuser status (besides, most guys are wired to want that kinda thing regardless) - deleting annoying sprint apps that chew power, "re-tuning" the device to run more efficiently, and of course, free wifi tethering.
But, after completing the most excellent root method described in this forum, i found myself staring at a rooted 2.2 and wondering what the next step was. There are NO google results for "i've rooted my evo 4, now what?" so thats why i started this thread, figuring that I was not the only one in my situation
THAT enormously long winded explanation complete, I would love to aggregate the appropriate options in this thread. Method to wipe, list of Flash Roms for a rooted 2.2 EVO.
Again, thanks for all the replies,
btw what does "uncap your FPS" mean?
If you did unrevoked then I would flash the latest Amon-RA recovery image. No offense to clockworkmod, amon is just my preference.
Poke around the recovery console and learn how it works.
NAND FIRST!! haha, develop that habit before you flash anything (roms, kernels, etc.), just in case
-Flash a rom that suits your needs. Read their OP's and threads to learn what they are about and what the people that use them think. I would suggest you just flash the stock rooted 2.2, play with it for a week or two to see how root works and explore what you can do with it. Also look into backup methods so you are familiar with how to preserve your stuff when you flash a different rom.
FPS = frames per second. There are kernels that will lift the 30fps cap.
Read about kernels and how to take advantage of them.
I know I've been pretty general, just pick a trail and start walking, when you have questions ask em
I like your logic of titling the thread exactly what you searched for, usin yer brains to make this thread more beneficial to the next guy (imagine a thumbs-up smiley here)
zeuzinn said:
First thing to do: Head over to the developer forum and flash Netarchy's kernel, which will uncap your FPS. Do it ASAP, DO IT NAO!!!!1!!1!1!eleven. Then come back here and tell us how amazing it is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is highly recommended that you do what he says! You'll see a major improvement in lots of areas. In case you're curious here is my setup: STOCK 2.2 w/ Netarchy kernal. I chose the stock 2.2 so that I may do with it what I like. It's very fast and very stable.
monetmonet said:
So, a Huge thanks to all those who worked on the method to get 2.2 rooted. I followed the directions and I am here, rooted. I used the Amon_Ra for my recovery back to 2.2. Now, this might be a stupid question, but What now? My phone looks the same, and I still can't remove sprint stuff. What are the next steps, I know i can install a custom "higher speed ROM", but can i just work from where i am now? I have the Superuser icon, but when i open it, i get "no apps in list" ? what do i need to install to start taking advantage of all that rooting has to offer?
Thanks for your replies!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can remove Sprint stuff, just have to spend some time and learn to use ADB. Rooting an EVO is not the same as rooting an iPhone, you can pretty much do everything you can from rooting an iPhone without even rooting Android so the difference is not that great.
Most of what you gain from rooting Android is being able to do things the carrier doesn't wan't you to do such as install free wifi tethering, remove their apps etc... You can also install others roms where they have already done this stuff for you but from what I have seen on the EVO and 2.2 battery life suffers greatly on pretty much any rom other than stock rooted so there is a lot to be gained from learning adb and just working with the stock rooted rom to remove the apps you wan't to.
I'm in the same boat. I got my new EVO on Tuesday, it was rooted an hour later. Why? Because that's how we do things! First thing for me it was important to have tethering. Work blocks damned near everything. As I learn more about the Android system I'll get more use out of root.
I was carefully paying attention to the thread and particularly bluehaze's answer. I'd like to learn more about using adb to remove sprint crap. That amazon app is always restarting itself. If there an ADB for newbs guide around here anywhere? I looked but didn't see.
There are a few things that I use which make root a necessity.
- custom ROMs provide a setup more tailored to what you are personally looking for
- using wireless tethering without being artificially limited to Sprint's commercial offering
- backups! I can boot into recovery and make a backup image of my setup at any point. That way no matter what settings I change or what ROMs I test out, I can always go right back to my stable daily driver in 5 minutes if needed.
- custom recovery and superuser allow you to install things, uninstall things, theme things, etc. Nothing worse than not being able to change something on my own device
- speed, battery, etc. via tweaked kernels. I'm using Baked Snack's ROM and kernel now and it's way faster and nicer on battery than stock
nOObs need love too
monetmonet said:
...There are NO google results for "i've rooted my evo 4, now what?" ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now there is...thanks. My Google search on those words led me here. I've been lurking on these boards since I got my EVO a while ago, but I haven't had the guts to root until right now, 2nite, it's happening... I'll be back soon with my *new and improved* phone.
Whoo! Good Luck!
Indeed, you'll be a flash addict in no time. You may want to check out the link in my sig - it points to my post in a more recent version of this thread, with more current and relevant information throughout. Good luck!
Sent from my blah blah blah blah
I searched the exact same thing in google 'cept im on an x10, this thread looks like a good place to start
New guy...
Same here, I just rooted my Evo today and everything seems to be working great. But I'm clueless on how to put a rom on to my sd card so I can flash it to my evo.
Can any one send me a link to a basic how to..
Thanks
Rich

Want to Root But Afraid

Hello all. I'm not new to Android or rooting. I had a Hero for a year and have flashed many roms and numerous other customizations. Also not being a noob to XDA I've been doing my research on rooting my new toy the Evo. I was confident about rooting my Hero because it seemed damn near impossible to brick. However, it seems as though this isn't the case with the Evo, or at least not with 4g. I want to root in the worst way but am fearful of permanently loosing 4g, which brings me to a few questions. But before I get there here's what I've learned through much research.
First, Amon Ra 1.80 backs up wimax.img but it's also necessary to double check that it's done properly as some have had problems with faulty md5sums. Things such as the MAC info can be restored and is available on the box or behind the battery. It's also essential to make sure that nandroid back-ups, or, at least the one containing a wimax.img is stored in multiple secure locations (I always do this with nandroids anyway). Second, if you don't have your original wimax.img which contains your RSA keys you're screwed and have to get a new Evo, which brings me to some questions.
I just upgraded to the Evo a few days ago and have all of the newest updates so is it safe to say that if I root I don't have to worry about messing with the radio/wimax for some time and can just flash roms? Are the radio and wimax radio two different things and if so how can I flash upgrades without worrying about loosing my RSA keys? What is the safest way to upgrade anything other than the roms? In other words if a new radio comes out is it best to un-root and officially upgrade everything and then re-root? Finally, because I can't seem to establish an exact answer to this:is there a such thing as totally un-rooting the Evo? By this I mean, if I follow the steps listed in some of the threads on here for un-rooting does that make everything 100% factory.
I'm paranoid about rooting also because I've switched to Best Buy's service plan which has its pluses and minuses. If I were to root and loose 4g somehow and had to take it back, I'm not sure of how much of a pain in the ass they are in comparison to Sprint. My understanding with the Hero was that it could be totally restored to factory condition by running an official RUU but I can't tell if it's the same with the Evo.
Lol, if you've managed to read all of this, you're probably thinking that I'm so paranoid that I shouldn't root and maybe you're right. However, I liked all of the root abilities I had with my Hero but didn't have the same potential consequences. Can the same be said of the Evo? Should I just wait until there's more development in solving RSA key problems?
Just go for it. Those people who are having RSA key issues have updated their radios through flashing. (I used the same tequnique but never lost my keys...no one knows what's going on yet). Go for it. You will never regret it =).
it's very simple. also squaretrade is the best deal for warranties
unrevoked + unrevoked forever, then you don't have to worry about messing up with 4g as it only flashes recovery and sets S-OFF, no changes to the stock rom or 4g.
Dont be afraid
I root evo's all the time. Some for friends, some for friends of friends who pay me a little $. The point is, I have rooted dozens of EVO's using the latest Unrevoked method. I use a MAC so I don't need to install any drivers (makes it easier).
You WONT have any problems as long as you have not flashed anything crazy to your phone (radio, wimax, etc)>
The worst that will happen is the unrevoked program will say "sorry, we did not get root, but thats normal, please try again."
Sometimes it takes 3 times and then bang you have root.
Also, I have unrooted my phone and its easy as pie.
Don't stress.
If you want some help, I can G-chat you through the whole process or help if you get stuck.
Just PM me if you want help.
To be honest all u have to do is read up on it. Google jonamerica.com(how to root)Trust me I jus rooted less than a week ago so I guess I am considered as a newbie. All in all I have my Evo running like Kentucky Derby Pro. Just gotta look past the fear that u have. If you follow those instructions correctly everything should go great. Check out other forums about rooting to confirm the steps in the link I posted for you. More than likely using unrevoked 3 nothing could go wrong. Ounce the phone is finally rooted, that's where all precaution comes into play. But there's nothing that a (nandroid backup) can't fix. Read up on that also. GOOD LUCK!!!
r0cky.Da.3v0.SU
You seem like a cautious person ... I am as well. There are lots of really bright people developing for the Evo, occasionally they push the envelope. That's ok with me, because their creativity is what makes all the good stuff available. With that said, the Sprint/HTC stock offering isn't too bad, but if you're like most of us ... it quickly won't be enough for you.
Go ahead and root ... just use good sense, and don't assume that everything that gets posted is ok ... sometimes, it takes a little time for things to shake out. For instance, I still haven't jumped to the new PRI and Wimax radio. Some have had great results ... some have been not so good. I expect to update ... but in the meantime, still enjoying all the benefits of some great custom work. Go for it ... you'll be ok.
And by the way u don't lose 4g ounce rooted. Certain ROMs that u flash don't have a 4g fix. So jus make sure u know what ur flashing.
r0cky.Da.3v0.SU
Thanks all!!
Wow! I wasn't expecting so many responses. Rather than multi-quote everyone who posted I just want to say thanks to all of you!!! I haven't rooted yet but will get there. I'm still doing a little more research before I take the plunge.
Hypothetically, if a new Wimax radio comes out how can it be installed safely, is it best to unroot and officially upgrade then re-root? What have you guys been doing when upgrading the radios, since it seems best to not just flash them.
In the past, I've always just flashed the new radio over the rom. With the new radio that has had some problems ... it's not the process ... it's that it's not the official release. With this kind of stuff, patience is a virtue.
I was teribbly afraid too. I put 2 weeks of research before rooting. The first time I did it I messed up, but then the second time it worked. You will not lose 4g unless you are using CM6.
Get a radio that's very compatible with your rom. It will be safe to flash jus hip cache and dalvik cache and u should be fine. Male sure to nandroid backup before doing so.
r0cky.Da.3v0.SU
aerajan said:
Wow! I wasn't expecting so many responses. Rather than multi-quote everyone who posted I just want to say thanks to all of you!!! I haven't rooted yet but will get there. I'm still doing a little more research before I take the plunge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm with you. I just purchased my new Evo on Oct 1st and it came preinstalled with OS v2.2.
I rooted my previous Hero just days after the first exploit was found and it was quite easy. The Evo rooting and rom installing process looks much different however and I'll need to continue researching this one a bit longer.
I'm not a fan of one-click root methods and would much rather stick with good ol' adb commands, so I think I'm going to wait until a new command line method comes out that works specifically with 2.2. I read about the one method so far that works with 2.2, but I'd rather not downgrade anything.
Current phone info:
OS 2.2
Build 3.26.651.6
PRI 1.71_003
PRL 60671
I have a feeling that you'll search and research for a good long while, then, like a kid on Christmas eve who just can't wait and has to shake the presents, you'll root. Then... Happiness!
Sent from my Virus Infected Evo using the XDA app.
OP - I'm in the same boat as you. I really only want to root for WiFi tethering, but then I found out that PDAnet and EasyTether allow cable tethering, with PDAnet also offering tethering over Bluetooth. So as of right now I'm still a bit undecided, but am still trying to read up on all the available options.
My advice to you (as I was burned by a bad Unrevoked patch), is wait a few days to apply things that mess with your radio. This will sort out the bugs and whatnot.
The Unrevoked team didn't test a patch properly and they killed 4g for a lot of people.

Noob root questions

Hey everyone,
I am a super noob....wondering a few things....
1. Is it possible to root my evo without a PC? I do not own one and my phone is my only source of internet.
2. If so how? And is their any detailed how to's for such a thing...step by step.....possibly even noob proof
3. Assuming I can and I get it rooted what would you recommend next? I can maybe use someones comp from work so this question is essential
Sorry if this has been posted before, but forums can be such a chore when on a mobile
Look forward to your help and incite....cptcave
Sent from my HTC Evo using XDA App
Hmmm....as far as I know you would need a computer to root fje phone, I haven't seen a way to do it without it. Of course I could be wrong here.
If you could borrow a friends computer you should be fine. Just search the forum and you'll find some great threads on how to root. I did mine after it first came out so im not too familiar with the newer simpler versions on how to do it.
Hope this was of some help.
Sent from my EVO (CM 6.1.1) using XDA App
Yes,J asonK75 is right. As far as I know, you do need a computer to fully root & unlock Nand.
Loads of threads for step by step instructions.
The advantages of rooting are basically that you can install certail apps (Wifi tether, Titanium Backup) which require root access to work. Furthermore, rooting gives you ability to install custom roms and theme your phone.
Hope this answeres all your questions.
Agreed. I could not imagine being on the stock Sense ROM anymore. I love CM ROMs and I like the fact that I can try others like MIUI and Liquid too. Themes are worth it right there, not to mention custom kernals and different transitions. Plus we might have GB before the official release of it!
Sent from my EVO (CM 6.1.1) using XDA App

[Q] Rookie rooter looking for best way to root Evo for the first time.

Hi I am going to finally try to root my Evo 4g but I really don't want to brick phone. I have read where rooting is easier than ever and I also would like to install custom rom. Could someone with exp. rooting evo recently give me a short tutorial or just point me to a link on easiest way to root with all steps from very first step needed? Should I use Unrevoked or other tool? I know that there is several threads but thats the problem don't know which to use. Thanks or any help rooting and installing custom rom for the first time on my Android phone!
Yea use unrevoked its the easiest and best way to go. Then I would flash cyanogenmod7.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App
i second that
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App
youtube unrevoked, and search for the video made by user named greedy........ most of my friends who have evos have watched it and say its very clear on what you need to do, it will be easier than having use trying to explain this to you with words
savannahmick said:
Hi I am going to finally try to root my Evo 4g but I really don't want to brick phone. I have read where rooting is easier than ever and I also would like to install custom rom. Could someone with exp. rooting evo recently give me a short tutorial or just point me to a link on easiest way to root with all steps from very first step needed? Should I use Unrevoked or other tool? I know that there is several threads but thats the problem don't know which to use. Thanks or any help rooting and installing custom rom for the first time on my Android phone!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Search unrevoked,lots of written and video tuts out there,and a little mikfroyo 4.5,or 4.6,Gingersense,mikz.........and a netarchy kernel(Read alil about custom kernels and you're good)
Quick and easy is ok, but I recommend the below root method:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=829045&highlight=root
You will learn a little about your device, and basic understanding of what you are actually doing to obtain root user access.
After this, most general tasks like backing up, flashing ROMs, and simple hacks will be a cake walk.
Have fun, and good luck either way.
I used the unrevoked method as well. SOOOO easy. make sure you uninstall HTC sync. Now if I could just figure out how to upload cyanogen7. ( I'm a noob too)

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