Gingerbread on Droid Pro with Unlocked Froyo Radio

[ngtwolf]

I originally posted this on xda (Gingerbread on Droid Pro with Unlocked Froyo Radio - xda-developers) a few months back (with various edits throughout the months), but wanted to post it here as well since this site has more of the droid pro development work:

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So, as people know, the newest builds of CM7 or CM9 by JackpotClavin require it to be placed on top of a fully updated Gingerbread Droid Pro. However, those of us with a US Band unlocked radio can't do that without losing our unlocked radio since there is no unlocker for the gingerbread radio. Based on what Axl did for the Droid 2 Global, I've created a gingerbread kernel based on the Droid Pro to allow us to install gingerbread roms while maintaining our unlocked radios. I've also created a clockworkmod backup that can be used as is, or as a base for installing another gingerbread rom such as CM7. Thanks to JohnS and dettofatto, the kernels and clockworkmod backups were updated to 4.7.3. Below are the Resources and the Process.

Resources:
1) RDS Lite (xda-developers - View Single Post - RSD Lite 5.6)
2) SBF 2.26 (http://db.tt/5gKwCQwF)
3) TBH Radio Unlocker (TBH US GSM Band Unlock for Droid 2 Global and Pro Update.zip Public Release - MyDroidWorld - TBH_Band_Unlock_v2.0.zip)
4) Root (Pete's Motorola Root Tools)
5) Droid 2 bootstrap (Droid 2 Recovery Bootstrap v1.0.0.5.apk)
6) Kernel (US http://www.mediafire.com/?swv4bl7wa47mpxg or EU http://www.mediafire.com/?w6963rmkvdqmro1)
7) ClockworkMod Backup (Verizon US http://www.mediafire.com/?yhr4b768qbnyote or European http://www.mediafire.com/?wn3pyy5fw3i1nr2)
8) Optional Roms - CM7 for Droid Pro ([ROM] [NEW] Cyanogenmod 7 for the Gingerbread Kernel) or Apex for Droid Pro ([ROM] *Updated*[PORT] ApeX 2.0 Release Candidate (RC4) (10/11/2011))

Process:
1) Boot to Recovery & Wipe Data (R+M+Power)
2) Boot to Bootloader (Up+Down+Power) & SBF to 2.26 (Using RSD Lite & SBF file) - Usually I have to copy SBF File to root of Hard Drive & name it 2026.sbf or it may fail (ymmv)
3) Skip Activation (Bypass activation on your Android device | Android Central)
4) Settings->Applications, Set Unknown Sources and USB Debugging (in development)
5) Root
6) Install Bootstrap apk, open, press 'bootstrap recover'. then 'reboot recovery' to boot to recovery mode.
7) While in recovery mode, and without rebooting at all:
...a) Wipe Data
...b) Install Radio Unlock
...c) Install Kernel
...d) Restore Clockworkmod backup (you should have extracted the clockworkmod zip so the folder is located on your sdcard at [clockworkmod\backup\...] folder (with the system.img and other images under that folder))
8) Optional - Install cm7, apex or other rom you download
9) Reboot

Notes:
1) You can build your own Clockworkmod recovery file by following the JackpotClavin link below and then just backing up your build. It won't have signal while you're doing it (because of the locked radio), but after you restore it later using the above steps, it'll be fine.
2) Your SIM needs to be unlocked from verizon (i used sim-unlock.net) to work.
3) Info on an argentinian 2.3.6 rom here

Credits:
JackpotClavin - CM7 for Droid Pro ([ROM] [NEW] Cyanogenmod 7 for the Gingerbread Kernel)
Axl - Created the Droid2 Kernel which allowed me to use the same method for the Droid Pro ([D2G] Gingerbread Hack For Us Band Unlockers - RootzWiki)
dettofatto - Clockworkmod backup and kernel for European 4.7.3
JohnS - Clockworkmod backup and kernel for Verizon US 4.7.3

Good Luck!

 

[dettofatto]

Thank You!
I've seen your tutorial on xda, and my phone now is unlocked... But I live in Italy and i think that is not so useful, but I like your tutorial and my phone full unlocked!
What is the best radio? What do you think?

 

[ngtwolf]

Thank You!
I've seen your tutorial on xda, and my phone now is unlocked... But I live in Italy and i think that is not so useful, but I like your tutorial and my phone full unlocked!
What is the best radio? What do you think?

Sorry, someone else who uses GSM outside of the states will have to answer this since I can only use the one radio. Of course, it's unlikely that many people outside the states are reading this thread since its only purpose is for those of us on AT&T/T-Mobile to be able to use the gingerbread roms. If you're on another gsm carrier then you already can use whatever radio/rom you want.

 

[JohnS]

1) You can build your own Clockworkmod recovery file by following the JackpotClavin link below and then just backing up your build.

I have two Verizon Droid Pro's. One used to be my wifes. Mine has the band unlock and I use a GSM signal.

I want to upgrade to GB but so far all my attempts have failed. I am not a tech dummy, but I am new to Android.

You appear to have succeeded, but links to files do not work for me and I have been unable to follow the instructions successfully. Could you post step by step instructions how you made the kernal file? It would be greatly appreciated if you did.

Thanks,
John

 

[ngtwolf]

I have two Verizon Droid Pro's. One used to be my wifes. Mine has the band unlock and I use a GSM signal.

I want to upgrade to GB but so far all my attempts have failed. I am not a tech dummy, but I am new to Android.

You appear to have succeeded, but links to files do not work for me and I have been unable to follow the instructions successfully. Could you post step by step instructions how you made the kernal file? It would be greatly appreciated if you did.

Thanks,
John

Unfortunately I'm not a developer either, and did this back in november. Basically, I read axl's thread and in post #69 ([D2G] Gingerbread Hack For Us Band Unlockers - RootzWiki - Page 7) he posted the files that needed to be created. He mentioned to 'dd' the files. So, I basically googled that and read up on how to dd the files into the three files needed and then used his zip file and replaced the 3 .img files. I don't remember step by step, so I can only give you the process I followed to figure it out. I'd have to go google around also for a few hours to figure this out again, and i'm not really that inclined. Sorry. I will say though, if the files don't work for you and I've used them multiple times along with other people, that I doubt there is a problem with the kernel file.

In case there was something with that file, I've uploaded another copy that I just used about 2 weeks ago, maybe give that a try...

1-PRO-468-kernel.zip

 

[gsu_golfer]

Adding this to the resources thread.

 

[Astaroth]

So, are you saying that, since updating to Gingerbread, all those people that had unlocked their phones officially by Verizon, no longer have unlocked phones? I'm not sure I understand what the issue is. Just to clarify, by "unlocking" you mean enabling the use of third party SIM cards, yes?

 

[ngtwolf]

So, are you saying that, since updating to Gingerbread, all those people that had unlocked their phones officially by Verizon, no longer have unlocked phones? I'm not sure I understand what the issue is. Just to clarify, by "unlocking" you mean enabling the use of third party SIM cards, yes?

No, this is for 'Band Unlocked' phones, not Sim Unlocked phones. Sim unlock means you can use any sim, that doesn't go away no matter what rom is on the phone. However, sim unlock does not allow you to use AT&T or T-Mobile (basically US GSM), those are still locked in the radio (since verizon's point of the world phone is to allow the use of GSM outside the US, not on competing carriers in the US). The band unlock will remove that limitation and allow AT&T and T-Mobile sims to work. Refer to the link in the original post for the TBH Band Unlock for more info. TBH was only able to unlock it on the froyo radio's, they were never able to figure out how to unlock the gingerbread radios, so this tutorial shows how to use the gingerbread roms while keeping the froyo radio that was previously band unlocked. fyi - a phone has to be sim unlocked first, or this won't work (obviously).

 

[Astaroth]

No, this is for 'Band Unlocked' phones, not Sim Unlocked phones. Sim unlock means you can use any sim, that doesn't go away no matter what rom is on the phone. However, sim unlock does not allow you to use AT&T or T-Mobile (basically US GSM), those are still locked in the radio (since verizon's point of the world phone is to allow the use of GSM outside the US, not on competing carriers in the US). The band unlock will remove that limitation and allow AT&T and T-Mobile sims to work. Refer to the link in the original post for the TBH Band Unlock for more info. TBH was only able to unlock it on the froyo radio's, they were never able to figure out how to unlock the gingerbread radios, so this tutorial shows how to use the gingerbread roms while keeping the froyo radio that was previously band unlocked. fyi - a phone has to be sim unlocked first, or this won't work (obviously).

Thanks, that clears things up!

 

[nnaveaa]

Update

Is it possible to upgrade to stock 4.7.3 while maintaining the band unlock?

 

[ngtwolf]

Is it possible to upgrade to stock 4.7.3 while maintaining the band unlock?

Out of boredom I tried to do the update a few weeks back but it would never take on mine, but I think it's because I removed a couple of the default apps which then make it so the update doesn't work (from what i've read) or it's because I'm on AT&T. I think it should work normally though considering the update is only about 20-40 megs so I don't think it includes a new radio

If not, I -think- you can just do a full install to 4.7.3, backup using clockworkmod, then sbf back to froyo and do the full hack and (as per the initial instructions) and restore the 4.7.3 clockwork mod you made instead of the one you download in the original post. Although, I saw some references about not being able to sbf back to froyo after installing 4.7.3, but that doesn't make any sense to me how that would break.

I've thought about doing it myself, but since CM9 is pretty far along I just figure i'll wait for that.

 

[nnaveaa]

Out of boredom I tried to do the update a few weeks back but it would never take on mine, but I think it's because I removed a couple of the default apps which then make it so the update doesn't work (from what i've read) or it's because I'm on AT&T. I think it should work normally though considering the update is only about 20-40 megs so I don't think it includes a new radio

If not, I -think- you can just do a full install to 4.7.3, backup using clockworkmod, then sbf back to froyo and do the full hack and (as per the initial instructions) and restore the 4.7.3 clockwork mod you made instead of the one you download in the original post. Although, I saw some references about not being able to sbf back to froyo after installing 4.7.3, but that doesn't make any sense to me how that would break.

I've thought about doing it myself, but since CM9 is pretty far along I just figure i'll wait for that.

Yeah, I haven't had time to figure it out. Since this is my only working phone at the moment, it would be very bad if I got locked on 4.7.3 and could not use the band unlock again. I guess the 4.7.3 version offers battery life improvements over 4.6.8, so that would be very nice to have. I was hoping to find out if someone had success updating before attempting it.

On another note, thanks for posting the guides on the process. I really appreciate the guides, I'm pretty good at following directions, but it's compiling all of the steps I struggle with.

 

[ngtwolf]

Yeah, I haven't had time to figure it out. Since this is my only working phone at the moment, it would be very bad if I got locked on 4.7.3 and could not use the band unlock again. I guess the 4.7.3 version offers battery life improvements over 4.6.8, so that would be very nice to have. I was hoping to find out if someone had success updating before attempting it.

Yeah, I'm in the same boat here. I do have an old blackberry sitting at work that the SIM came from, but I'm not about to resort to that. That's why I only do testing (like with the new ICS) on the weekends, since I need my phone working during the week. I'm thinking about getting a new phone anyway, so if I do than i'll be more inclined to do more aggressive testing. I really wanted the physical portrait keyboard android phone, but the locked bootloader combined with the lack of devs, the increasing amount of new apps that don't work on it and the poor screen/camera have made me decide to start looking again.

 

[dettofatto]

I've done, but I had a lot of wifi issues...! My wifi died.... I've done a nandroid backup with new buid and then applied all patch with the modified kernel...

 

[JohnS]

Is it possible to upgrade to stock 4.7.3 while maintaining the band unlock?

I am currently working on it. I have been able to get the update 4.7.3 running using the (now old) kernel file in this thread.

The unlock still works but quite a few other things do not. Wifi being one of them. It is possible it will work once there is a new
updated Kernel file. This is what is holding me up. I have spent countless hours looking for the information how to create the
Kernel update file. The OP got me started in the right direction but wasn't much help after that :biggrin:

This is what I have learned so far:

Commands to create the image files needed are:

dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk1p10 of=/sdcard/logo.img
dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk1p15 of=/sdcard/boot.img
dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk1p12 of=/sdcard/devtree.img

These commands need to be run via ADB as Superuser, which creates new image files.
So far I have verified that this works (creates the files) but the next step will have to wait
until tomorrow.

Using the original kernel.ZIP file, replace the image files with the newly created ones.

The whole process is complicated further by the latest OTA update removing root capability.
I have successfully rooted the latest OTA by using OTA Rootkeeper prior to running the update.

I am beginning to wonder if these phones are worth all of this trouble. I will post later and report
my success or failure.