So You've Rooted. Now What? (Or, a N00b's Guide to Post Root.)

[furbearingmammal]

This guide is intended for the Droid 1 (Motorola Droid). If you have a Droid X, Droid 2, Devour, LG Ally, Samsung Fascinate, Droid/HTC Incredible, Droid/HTC Eris, or any other phone, I will do my best to answer your questions, but this guide will not be of any use to you past the tethering section. Please skip to the bottom to ask any questions you may have.

If you rooted via Easy Root, make sure you install Busybox before attempting anything else! See third post for reason why.

Also -- the SBF to install SPRecovery on 2.2 without having to flash your phone back to 2.0.1 or 2.1 is live! Thanks MotoCache1!

So you just finished rooting. Now what?

Well, in short, anything. You want to theme your Droid from scratch? There's an app for that! You want a total conversion ROM? There's an app for that! You want to overclock? There's an app for that! You want to tether? There's an app for that! Hell, there's two! Better backup tools? Got you covered! Total control of your Droid? Well, you got that now.

So... Now what?

Well, let's first start by asking, why on earth did you want to void your warranty and risk bricking your phone? Think about it for a minute.

I'll be here.

Still here.

Okay, you're with me now? Good! So, what did you decide?

1: Tethering.

This one's simple. Now that you're rooted you can do what Verizon refuses to give you -- WiFi tethering. Rooting your Droid is currently (and probably for ever more) the only way to get WifI tethering on your Droid. It's the main reason Verizon doesn't want you to root and it's the easiest thing in the world to accomplish once you've rooted. So, either download the apps from the market (available in free and donation flavors) and see which one works better for you or get it right from the source at Google's repository.

android-wifi-tether - Project Hosting on Google Code

If you're goals are a bit more basic, USB tethering (which has the added benefit of charging the battery at the same time), is available in almost every current custom ROM, but it's rather simplistic. If you want a feature-rich program that's clean, stable, and free, there's one on Google's repository.

android-wired-tether - Project Hosting on Google Code


Disclaimer: The following could potentially damage your phone. I, and DroidForums.net, make no warranty as to anything about the following information. It's for educational purposes only and if you do this you're acknowledging that you understand this warning and are doing anything at your own risk, etc. If the jargon is unfamiliar to you, you may find this post helpful.

http://www.droidforums.net/forum/hac...igy-lingo.html

Moving on:

You WILL have to flash in an alternate recovery image (SPRecovery or ClockworkMod Recovery) to install any kernel, complete theme, or ROM. This step is mandatory for the following procedures. The only exception is themeing with Metamorph, but if you want to do that you're on your own as I have no experience or desire to learn how to use the program myself.

We now have a plain SBF file for flashing SPRecovery onto your phone safely under 2.2! The instructions and file is located here:

Root Droid 1 - regardless of OS version

Thanks Motocache1 for making it and Christim for bringing it to my attention!

IMPORTANT!

Make sure your battery is charged to at least 60%, preferably 70-80%, and/or plugged into a power source before attempting any flash. Even if it's plugged in, make sure the battery is at least 40%. Verizon recommends 20% when plugged in before flashing an OTA update, but at that point you are majorly risking the flash failing and/or a boot loop. Since you probably don't want that, please charge your phone for at least half an hour before continuing.

2: Overclocking, hopefully with less melting than Dali.

This one's a bit trickier. First you'll have to flash in a different kernel, then you'll have to install SetCPU from the market. It's a paid app, but well worth it. If you didn't root by flashing in SPRecovery, you'll need to either flash it in using RSDLite and the instructions here and the video here or you'll need to install ROM Manager from the market so you can get it to install ClockworkMOD Recovery. ROM Manager will prompt you to install ClockworkMOD Recovery and give you specific instruction on what to do next, as well giving you access to all the ROMs and kernels, etc., that devs have allowed to be posted within the app. Personally I prefer using SPRecovery because of the added control it gives me, but that's personal preference. If you rooted via Easy Root or DMUpdater, you may be more comfortable with ROM Manager. The only caveat to using ROM Manager is you might have to flash the recovery image a few times to make sure it works. Unfortunately ROM Manager doesn't seem to play well with FroYo at the moment, and it might turn out to be a liability to some users. Your mileage may vary, but be warned that even ROM Manager has some risks to using it. If at any time you find the instructions I'm giving don't gel with what you're reading in ROM Manager/ClockworkMOD Recovery, follow those instructions instead. And one last note -- a Nandroid Backup, or nandroid, is a snapshot of your system's current state; installed apps, homescreen setup, settings, etc. I believe ClockworkMOD Recovery calls them a Clockwork Recovery instead. While the name is different, they are essentially the same; just don't try to use one to restore your system in the other.

2a: Picking the kernel.

Picking the kernel is either incredibly simple or incredibly frustrating. It depends on your phone. Mine runs ChevyNo1's 1.2Ghz Ultra-Low Voltage kernel, but it gets too hot and will reboot if I run it that fast, so I pulled back to the 1.1Ghz ULV kernel. Some people will have phones that won't run reliably above 600Mhz, and some will be able to push it to 1.3/1.25Ghz. Voltage, minimum/maximum speeds all have to be considered. Also, if a kernel from one dev doesn't work, it's possible another at the same speed will. Every Droid is different. So is every kernel -- P3Droid has FroYo kernels that clock back to the original 125Mhz, for example. Figure out what you want before you try it; you'll be less frustrated that way. Some things to consider; Android 2.1 had issues running at 125Mhz, FroYo seems to have fixed this issue, but most Devs don't put 125Mhz in as a speed slot. The higher the voltage, the more juice is being sucked from your battery. Most importantly, the faster you're pushing your processor, the more juice you're sucking out of your battery as well. The net result is you have to decide which is more important -- battery life or clock speed. Using a lower-voltage kernel will help offset this a certain amount, but you risk lower stability as well. Choose wisely, my young padawan.

There are far, far more than just those two developers pushing out kernels, but you'll need to look for them yourself.

Make absolutely sure you're installing a kernel appropriate for your version of Android. Do NOT install a FroYo kernel in Eclair or vice versa. It simply will not work.

2c: Flashing the kernel (except in Texas where it's 1-3 for indecent exposure).

So you've decided what you want for a kernel and have it downloaded either to the phone via ROM Manager or have transferred it to your phone after downloading it onto your computer. ROM Manager will walk you through the next steps, so follow it very carefully, however, read 2b below before you flash the kernel in. If you're using SPRecovery you'll need to make sure it's saved as an update.zip (and double-check to make sure it's not a .zip.zip), then boot into recovery. Power your phone off, hold down the x key, and then power the phone back on while holding the x key until SPRecovery boots.

2b: Making a nandroid backup. (No, I did not mess this up, I have it set up this way for a reason.)

If you're using ROM Manager/ClockworkMOD Recovery, follow the instruction provided to make a nandroid backup post haste. I'm not kidding. Continue reading for why.

Now that you're in SPRecovery, you'll want to make a nandroid backup in case anything goes wrong with the flash and you get stuck in a bootloop or your performance goes to pot. How do you do that? Well, either using the D-pad on the keyboard or the volume buttons for navigation, go to "backup/restore", then either hit the center of the D-pad or the camera button to select it. Now navigate to "simple nandroid backup" and select it. Wait for it to finish and you've made a nandroid backup, possibly the most useful and best reason to have installed a custom recovery image in the first place.

2c revisited: Flashing the kernel part 2.

Okay, now that we have the backup made we can flash in the kernel. How do we do that? Well, ROM Manager/ClockworkMOD Recovery should talk you through that. If you're using SPRecovery, read on.

Back out of the backup/restore menu by either hitting the Del key on the keyboard or the power button until you're on the main menu. Move down to "install" and select it. Now move to "allow update.zip" and select it. Make sure you've done this or the install will fail. Go to "install update.zip (deprecated)" and select it. Your install will begin immediately. Once it's done, back out to the main menu and select reboot. Your phone should boot to the desktop. If it does, congratulations, you now have a different kernel! If you get stuck in a boot loop, pull the battery, reboot into recovery, and restore that nandroid backup.

Now, aren't you really glad you made it?

If you had to restore your nandroid backup, don't despair, merely try another kernel. Try lowering the maximum speed, or move to a higher-voltage kernel if you tried a low- or ultra-low-voltage kernel. If none of the kernels by that Dev work, try another. You should find one that works eventually.

A video on installing update.zip files in SPRecovery can be found here. It's geared towards ROMs, but the procedure (other than the wiping, which you shouldn't have to do just to flash in a kernel this early in the game), is outlined in this video.

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

Be sure if you are now installing SPRecovery on a stock 2.2 phone you use the SBF from this link!

http://bit.ly/RO_SPR_SBF

DO NOT WIPE FOR A KERNEL FLASH OVER A STOCK KERNEL. You will lose all your settings and data and have to set your phone back up again.

2d: SetCPU.

Download from the market, install, and run. It talks you through the procedure. Setting up the profiles is up to you, but you should have an overheating profile at the bare minimum, as far as I'm concerned, and one that clocks the phone down when the screen is off. The reasons for this are simple -- if the phone isn't in use, why have it running full-bore, and if the phone is overheating, why risk physically damaging it by running it at maximum speed? It's up to you, but that's some friendly advice.

Experiment to find out what works for you. If you need more advanced settings, read http://www.droidforums.net/forum/hac...ing-101-a.html and pay attention to which version of Android Skull One is referring to -- the settings for FroYo are different from Eclair. Don't get them confused.

Congratulations, you're now running an overclocked Droid. Just keep an eye over the next few days on the heat and the battery life to see if what you're running is good. Otherwise you'll need to change settings and possibly flash in another kernel. Remember to make your nandroid backup!

On that note, I'm heading off here because it's pretty late. I'll update this post as soon as my schedule allows. I hope this was helpful!

[furbearingmammal]

Okay, we now have an overclocked Droid. The need for speed has given way to satisfaction and shorter battery life, but mostly satisfaction.

But it's not enough, you say? Alright, what more would you like? You want eye candy, don't you? Something shiny, and pretty. A little bling to pimp out your supercharged Droid...

I'm talking about themes, baby! Themes! Chrome and gold leaf and big-ass rims that look stupid on anything, a wing on the back so large it makes a jumbo jet go "that thing's overcompensating for something"...

Err, sorry, I got carried away. Where was I?

Oh, yes, themes.

3: Themes

Themes are the eye candy you've been looking for to spruce up the overall drab appearance of "vanilla" android. Essentially they are a package of modified files that replace the stock ones, including the very APKs (applications) themselves. For this reason you want to be absolutely certain you trust the dev who makes them, and read up on what they're doing. If you're not careful you could flash in a theme and have it either duplicate apps or have your spanking-new apps replaced with older versions. Prettier, maybe, but older.

3a: Picking a theme.

Picking a theme is harder than you might think and for a couple of reasons. First, there are a lot. Some are ROM-specific, others (like 928Droid's excellent Black Glass) are available for just about everything imaginable. Another thing that sets Black Glass apart is the inclusion of a "back to stock" update.zip. What that means is there's a chance you won't have to roll back to either a clean install or the nandroid backup you made prior to installing the theme if you get bored with it or have some issue with it not mentioned.

3b: Installing the theme.

This is one area where ROMManager has has no real edge in ease of use and installation will be virtually identical to the SPRecovery method -- a basic update.zip install. If you're using Metamorph, good for you. If you need help, sorry, I can't offer it.

Following the directions in 928Droid's post will give you the general instructions for installing your theme. Basically, it's the same as the method for flashing the kernel -- isn't that nice? Download the file, copy it to the root of your SD card, and rename it update.zip. Now boot your phone into recovery mode, make a nandroid backup, and install the theme like any other update.zip.

3c: The wait.

Now comes the tricky part. The wait. It's possible that the phone will bootloop. If it does, pull the battery and try again. If it bootloops again, pull the battery and reboot into recovery, flashing back your nandroid backup. What went wrong? It could be any number of things, but all of them devolve into one of three things -- user error, incomplete/corrupted download, or Dev error. Eliminate the first two and if all you have left is number three, contact them and ask for help. There may be something very specific you haven't done/need to do, or there may be an issue.

Assuming all went well your phone will boot to the desktop and look awesome! Eventually. The first boot will take some time as everything is remastered by the phone. Be patient. However, if the phone is locked at the boot animation for more than 15 minutes, there may be an issue. See above.

Congratulations! You now have a themed phone that will be the envy of all your friends who haven't rooted yet.

3d: Bad movie gimmick. Err, de-theming.

Okay, you've grown bored or you want to try out some other theme. Why? Because this one's pink! Pink is so yesterday! Purple is the new pink!

Okay, sir, calm down.

So, how does one de-theme? Well, that's a tricky question. The best way will remove all your apps and stored data. If you're lucky, there's a back-to-stock update.zip install... but even that risks breaking something that will call for a wipe anyway. You could try flashing one theme over another, but since no two themes have themed everything the same (with the possible exception of ROM-specific themes made by the same Dev), you might get some weirdness, like a pink background on an otherwise black-themed app, or stability issues. As such, it's not recommended. So, unless you're willing to risk it, your best bet is to wipe system data and cache within SPRecovery or ClockworkMOD 2-3 times EACH before flashing in the new theme. The upside is you shouldn't have problems with doing it this way, and the theme will be hitting virgin turf. The downside is you lose all your stored data and apps and will have to reinstall them.

So, we download the update.zip file for the new theme we want and copy it to the root of our SD card (sound familiar?), making sure it either replaces the one that's already there or deleting the previous one before we transfer it. Now boot into recovery and, following the video posted above for flashing in a new ROM (Remember that one? We used it to flash in a new kernel for overclocking.), wipe the system and data cache at least twice, and preferably three times. The reason why we do it multiple times is to make sure every last bit of previous code is removed so it doesn't gunk things up. This has happened, it will happen again, and it might happen to you if you're not careful! The rest of the procedure is the same. Select update, allow update.zip install, install update.zip (deprecated), and reboot. Now we wait again.

Or, well, you can wait. I'll be over there, flirting with the random hot chick that just walked in.

Well, we've themed, de-themed, and re-themed. I think that's enough for the night. Next up, ROMs! I hope this has been helpful!

[furbearingmammal]

Tonight's planned update has been changed, and the rest of the post will be forthcoming. First I have to make two points, and while this post is mostly geared towards people on the fence, it does apply to newly-rooted Droiders as well.

Point the first -- Easy Root has proven to be troublesome. If you used that app, please be aware that your root may not be as successful as previously thought. Point the second, I've found further information to indicate my earlier comments about ripping someone off were incorrect. My information was based on a misunderstanding regarding the code release, and everyone involved has reached an amicable conclusion. I apologize to everyone who reads this and to the creator of the app for my saying so. I was wrong. Easy Root is a legitimate way to root your Droid, working with a known exploit for something in every Android-based cellphone made today.

Droid Mod News Flash Inside Tip From A droid MoD Dev

What this means for you is actually good news. As outlined in the thread above, in case you didn't go and read it, DroidMod will be releasing DMUpdater very soon. Not only will it root 2.2, but the DroidMod team will offer support in using it (You still will take the risk of damaging your phone, but DroidMod will not release something that they feel has any potential to do so.) but, best of all, it will be free.

Point the second, what are your options now to root? Well, you could pay for Easy Root, wait for DMUpdater, I think there's a method with ADB, or you could do it the old-fashioned way outlined by the video in the first post; using RSDLite to push SPRecovery onto your phone, and then using SPRecovery to install a rooted ROM.

This is the preferred method of rooting for a variety of reasons. While it's somewhat risky, it actually seems to have a lower percentage of screwed up roots/phones than ROM Manager is doing at the moment. Hopefully it'll be updated soon to fix the issues with FroYo, but I've heard reports from the Rescue Squad that ROM Manager has been losing backups, seen way too many requests for help after RM failed to flash recovery images properly, and in general issues that just seem to make the whole thing not worth it compared to just downloading an update.zip from the Dev in question and manually doing the work via SPRecovery or ClockworkMOD Recovery yourself.

There is nothing wrong with ClockworkMOD Recovery, so if you're using that, you're still fine. No need to panic and flash SPRecovery over it. I personally like SPRecovery, but that's a matter of personal preference.



Now who let them in here? Ah well, at least they're amusing to look at.

So, the final point. If you use Easy Root, install Busybox ASAP. In fact, go to the market and download the Busybox installer. Not only will this keep your version of Busybox up to date, it'll also be a good test to see if Easy Root has rooted your phone successfully. If it won't install, your root attempt failed. Try again. Make sure Busybox is installed and running before you proceed. Most of the rooted apps require Busybox, so this isn't some proof-of-concept test.

If you have no desire to install Busybox, the next best test is to install a terminal emulator from the market, open it, and then type SU using the sliding keyboard. If after you hit enter you get a # prompt, you're rooted. Congratulations. You may now continue.

[furbearingmammal]

As promised...

Welcome to the Dark Side.

We have cookies.

[missrachel]

Thank you so much Steve! Bookmarked... you're the best!

[furbearingmammal]

Thank you so much Steve! Bookmarked... you're the best!

You're welcome. I plan on covering flashing in ROMs (like I said) and doing a brief piece on Nandroid backups and titanium backup/astro backups. I should also include flashing in the latest baseband update for people that don't have it. If there are any questions on what I've covered or requests for things that I haven't, you or anyone else viewing this thread (hint hint) should ask.

I don't plan on going into too much detail about much beyond those in the first four posts, but I'll try to answer questions. My plan for this was a basic, get-you-started thread for the most common this-is-why-I-rooted-but-how-do-I-do-it? issues, with an example or two of each to ease the transition. Hopefully after those major issues are taken care of an open discussion will be carried out to help people do a bit more once they're comfortable with the whole procedure.

[bkopsick1]

ok so ive rooted my droid1 using easy root and i am running 2.2 frg01b. i would like to try using some of the awesome custom mods that are available but i want to do a backup in case i screw something up. i am searching and reading alot of threads but cant seem to get a sure answer on how to get SPRecovery for 2.2 and make a backup. Im a newb to rooting(obviously) and am trying to get custom themes and be able to block apps from running in the background and enjoy all of the coolness of have a rooted phone.

[furbearingmammal]

ok so ive rooted my droid1 using easy root and i am running 2.2 frg01b. i would like to try using some of the awesome custom mods that are available but i want to do a backup in case i screw something up. i am searching and reading alot of threads but cant seem to get a sure answer on how to get SPRecovery for 2.2 and make a backup. Im a newb to rooting(obviously) and am trying to get custom themes and be able to block apps from running in the background and enjoy all of the coolness of have a rooted phone.

The SPRecovery I installed so I could root my stock Eclair (2.1) build is still working under FroYo, so I'm assuming you could just flash it in using RSDLite. Failing that, you could install ClockworkMOD from the market and use it to flash in Clockwork Recovery. There should be instructions within the app on how to boot into recovery and make the backup. I'm not a Clockwork user (quite happy with SPRecovery), but I'd imagine the method for making the backup is similar.

Keep in mind, though, that if you try both out that the nandroid backups from SPRecovery will not work in Clockwork Recovery and vice versa.

Of the two I'd suggest SPRecovery because people seem to have fewer problems with it, but Clockwork is handled mostly within-app and doesn't require hooking your phone up to the computer to flash the alternate recovery image. Most people who use Clockwork have loved it, however, so it's a case of whichever you'd prefer to do.

[tdelfie03]

how can you tell if your motorolla droid is rooted?

[furbearingmammal]

how can you tell if your motorolla droid is rooted?

If you got it new and someone didn't root it for you/you didn't root it yourself, it's not rooted. If you got it secondhand and it's running something other than ESE81 or FRG01B, it's rooted -- if not, it probably isn't.

If you're still unsure, then probably the best way to check it out is to download a root-only app from the market and try to run it. If it works, you're rooted. Titanium Backup is a very good choice.