Database Users

a complicated rooting/resetting situation

i bought an htc dream/g1 from ebay new. the catch is that it's in chinese (didn't know this when i bought it). i've set it to english, but the market place, among some other system dialogues are still in chinese. i've managed to log into my google account by guessing, but i'm getting error messages i can't read, and the whole market interface is in chinese.
so i CAN'T use the android market to download a file manager, or download anything at all (which seems to be required in order to root it). i can mount the sd card and access it in windows.
what i really want to do is just delete everything on there, os and all, and start from scratch (the same way i could with an iphone). the most important thing is that it be in english. secondly that it run smoothly. after that it would be nice if it could be a sense ui rom, but that is not required, i guess.
please, any help at all would be appreciated! i'm new to android and i can't figure all these issues out at once and in mandarin.

I would suggest downgrading to RC29 or RC7, but those are US and UK firmwares. What firmware version is it? it would be useful for us to have all the information in Settings > About. If it's on 1.5 you should be able to use the 'flashrec' method, but I guess that will ake some trial and error.

HELP ! ROM Update to Android 2.0 / 2.1

Hey Guys at first sorry for my english i'm not good in it. And I'm a Android newbie I just gained a bit exerience with my Touch Diamond but it's broken now..okay but that's not the probleme....
If got a question:
After about 2 days of searching for an android 2.0 or 2.1 ROM I was a little bit confused of the diffrent news everybody was talking about. I'm root on my Hero. That was the first an last thing I made with my device.
1. Everybody is gonna talk about MoDaCo 3.0 but when I was trying to download his ROM my browser never got a request. Is the site down, where that ROM is hosted ?? Could someone give me a working link with this ROM ??
2. Is there a ROM with Android 2.0 or 2.1 outside or even not ??? And if yes are they working well ???
Would be nice if someone can help me =) thanks a lot.
Please answer soon if you know something about that =)
Greetz BassdoxXx

you can get modaco's roms at his website, www.modaco.com.
in the android development section there are some 2.0/1 roms, none of them works flawless, see for yourself if it fits your needs.

Thanks a lot for your fast answer. =)
The problem that i couldn't open the modaco page was my isp -.- i downloaded it at school

BassdoxXx said:
Thanks a lot for your fast answer. =)
The problem that i couldn't open the modaco page was my isp -.- i downloaded it at school
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What? Does ISP's block that site? Lol, would never happened in Norway

there is a few 2.0+ roms out there for the hero.
most seem to be very usable now.
best sense ui would be lox/behnaam community release on 1.6.
http://htcpedia.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1448
there are two aosp roms worth looking at.
lox aosp ( im using that on a daily basis)
http://htcpedia.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1416
jnwhiteh aosp
http://htcpedia.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1528

Hello all,
I am having very specific request when it comes to choosing a proper rom for install on to my hero.
I am blind. Stock roms are only running Android 1.5. More robust accessibility features are available starting with Android 1.6 and improving even more with Android 2.0.
So for sure I am forced to upgrade my hand set.
There are various roms, some of their authors have even disable google specific features so I know I can't install such a rom.
All the accessibility efforts are being lead by the google developers.
Most likely these accessibility tools won't be usefull to most of you but please can anyone recommend me a rom where market is working and where the following applications can be installed and used?
- eyesfree suite of applications,
- talkback - the google screen reader for android,
- tts service.
All possible help is already appreciated.

sorry for the double posting. I've accidentally posted twice and I am unable to remove the post.
Hope anybody can help me please.

pvdeejay said:
Hello all,
I am having very specific request when it comes to choosing a proper rom for install on to my hero.
I am blind. Stock roms are only running Android 1.5. More robust accessibility features are available starting with Android 1.6 and improving even more with Android 2.0.
So for sure I am forced to upgrade my hand set.
There are various roms, some of their authors have even disable google specific features so I know I can't install such a rom.
All the accessibility efforts are being lead by the google developers.
Most likely these accessibility tools won't be usefull to most of you but please can anyone recommend me a rom where market is working and where the following applications can be installed and used?
- eyesfree suite of applications,
- talkback - the google screen reader for android,
- tts service.
All possible help is already appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i am on mcr3.0, i looked in the market, i can find 8 apps for eyesfree, tts is one of these. i didn't try to install one of these, but usually it works. the search for talkback returned nothing.
not that i want to be rude, but wouldn't you be better off with another phone if you are blind? i can not imagine a touchscreen only phone would be suitable for someone who is not able to see... especially because there are great devices out there that have a full qwerty keyboard, and come with android 2.0 out of the box... imho this would be a better solution.
again, the last thing i want to be is rude, but maybe this was your mistake: you posted in the htc hero section of this forum, the hero is a touch screen only device, including a virtual keyboard on the screen. it has only six buttons and a trackball, and two rocker buttons for the volume. just to make clear we are talking about the same device
if you are still up for the hero you could try the 2.1 rom from here: http://htcpedia.com/forum/showthread.php?p=30418&posted=1#post30418
best you try for yourself, it has some drawbacks, but maybe in areas you don't need (afaik syncing with exchange does not work for example, which wouldn't be a problem for me...). otherwise it might be worth to wait another week or two, we all are waiting unpatiently for the official eclair release from htc
keep asking if you need to know more, but maybe open a new thread, since your problems are very specific, and might drown between all the newbies question about "how to root my phone".

Hello,
Thanks for your reply and a great attitude.
Yes it may sound strange I have really got HTC Hero here. I know I'll be having problems with virtual keyboard but also I am afraid accessibility features of Android phones are not really such mastered one can use it daily. For example reading emails and content from the web browser is not yet possible. I just want to try how things work and I would also like to touch the virtual keyboard. If I can memorize computer keyboard and use it daily, typewriter keyboard, nokia mobile phone keyboard, then perhaps I might be able to make some use of this too.
I am sory but here are some more questions:
I haven't yet verified with some sighted friends but... is it possible my hero is running even older version of android like Android 1.5? I've based the assumption that it's most likelly running 1.5 because majority of the devices I was reading on the net are running it.
You've been triyng to locate eyes-free applications on the market but you were unable to find talkback. Are you sure you are running newer version of Android than 1.5?
Talkback is supposed to be installed with Android 1.6 andd 2.0 by default and you should be able to find it in the accessibility menu of your phone. I am not sure how well this applies to the custom roms.
Talkback requires google's accessibility api which is reported to be available on Android 1.6 upwards.
To tell you the full story first I've asked on the eyes-free google group whether some accessibility experts from there can help me but no one knowledgeable enough has replied to my query, so I'm trying my luck here then.
Oh I am really excited since I've got really well formed informative reply.
Thanks again
Edit:
Also, I've seen somewhere in the forums here this leaked HTC rom does not support the market. Has this been rectified already? You know if market does not work then most likelly I won't be able to install these applications I am tallking about.
Also you are mentioning possibility to wait a few weeks until HTC guys role out the official update for Hero. Wouldn't that break chances I will be able to root my device later?
Edit2:
Ooops, I should read better next time. Market works on this rom. The problem is paid apps can't be installed which is hopefully not a big issue for me since most of the accessibility enabled applications are free.
Which of the downloads from Hero 21 do I need?
63.18.55.06JU_6.35.09.26) or No Wipe Download. I will need a wipe I am sure but since this link says nowipe I am ehmmm. confused.

pvdeejay,
Unfortunately there is not an 'official' update for Android 1.6, 2.0 or 2.1 as of yet. There are rumours of one coming out soon, but nothing cast-iron yet.
You are correct in that the Hero runs 1.5. It does say it under Settings | About Phone (bottom item on list)| Firmware Version (bottom on list again), although without a working screen reader, there is probably little use in knowing how to find that.
If you did want to upgrade, I'm sure plenty of people could help find a ROM that would suit. The only issue with that is that you would need a rooted phone with a custom recovery image installed. Unfortunately, a lot of the procedures would not be easy for you, as the software that you might need to use to go through the procedure is probably not designed that well for accessibility tools. I don't know what kind of software you are using, but some of the instructions for making goldcards are quite complex, and involve editing some numbers in a 'table' which could be quite difficult for you, I would imagine.
I'm sure a friend would be able to help you out with making a goldcard/rooting if you did want to install a custom ROM (you'll probably be waiting a while otherwise ). They could even root their phone while doing yours (just share the goldcard between the devices).
Nonetheless, there is probably a ROM out there with little removed from it. I'll have a look just now, but you would need to have your phone rooted to do anything just now.

When it comes to rooting and installing custom recovery image. Do you thing the following instructions might work for me?
These instructions don't require a gold card:
- How to Root HTC Hero and Install Amon Ra Recovery Image
- How to install a custom rom on a HTC Hero

Hello,
Here are some numbers I've asked my friend to read from system -> about screen. The phone interface is in czech so I am unable to get some names translated to english, but I believe some of the geeks will understand these identifiers and might be able to help me what is best:
Code:
firmware: 1,5
63.118.55.O6U|6.35.04.25
2.6.27-a5504199
Build number: 1.76.405.6 146733 CL# 47214 release-keys
Software version: 1.0.0.A6288

pvdeejay,
to sum it up:
the hero definitly runs on android 1.5. there are no roms for older android versions, and a few homebrewn for newer versions, as we said already.
i searched for talkbalk on my 1.5 rom, so it is obvious that i couldn't find it...
about rooting of newer roms: it is just a matter of time, sooner or later there will be always methods of rooting a rom. what i meant by waiting is: wait until the official update is out, then wait a few more hours until the first rooted and customized rom is out

@pvdeejay,
I would have to agree with kendong2 that waiting for the official ROM is probably the best idea for you at the moment. There are no guarantees that an unofficial ROM would help, and it would be another user interface to try and learn.
@kendon,
I noticed he has the original, easily rooted version of the hero. IIRC, that is what I had on my G2 (and had the security unlocked bootloader out the box). If that's the case, would pvdeejay be able to 'fastboot boot' a full system img file for the purposes of testing it out to see if it meets the requirements.
The reason I ask is that I've only ever fastbooted my AmonRA recovery (I didn't flash it, because I never felt any need to). I'm guessing you could fastboot a full img, but I'm not sure about the practical issues of where it would be stored in memory...

Sorry guys originally I believed I am slowly getting into the matter and am begining to understand how flashing / rooting / upgrading home brew firmwares works on these phones.
After these 2 posts I feel like a total noob again.
Now again some very concrete questions:
What about these 2 guides I've posted links to?
Can I somehow got [Recovery] [13-Dec-2009] RA-hero-v1.5.2 installed so I will be able to do nandroid backup and then possibly flash some new roms?
Can I really brick my phone by trying to install amon ra?
Originally I thought the process works as follows:
1) get the custom recovery image installed (that's the amon ra in this case),
2) do a nandroid backup which will dump everything usefull on to the memory card,
3) backup and reformat the card,
4) download a rom, rename it to update.zip, put it onto the root folder of the cart, reboot the hero in recovery mode, do the wipe of the data partition, and run update,
5) reboot again and believe it's good.
Also some very significant bit is the thing you are all calling the radio. I am afraid I've not identified this bit thus it's missing in this summary.
Which files will I need to download if I decide to try Android 2.1 community edition 1.8? Are these files I've copied links to a few posts earlier both needed?
Can you please check this list, identify the things I am missing, and make suggestions and corrections why this may not work on my device based off of those number I tried to put down here?
Even if I won't be able to do this right now I'd be happy to get corrections as I can learn something new.
Of course I won't be doing all this on my own. I will ask my bro to read all the stuff to me and we'll do it according to your advices.
To give some bits about me and my computer skills, I believe I am a Windows power user, Basically I do also understand unix, I know what's bash how the files are arranged in a file system, can use command-line tools, telnet, ssh. I am working as a network administrator here so some background is there really.

Hi pvdeejay,
Answers to your questions here.
You can actually use fastboot to 'temporarily' load up the AmonRA recovery image into memory and run it from there. I do that on my phone, for the simple reason that I can't be bothered ) ) to flash the recovery. Once you get AmonRA running, the first thing you should do is make a Nandroid backup. It will be saved to your SD card, so then get the nandroid directory of your card and save it to your PC (just in case!)
So, here's how you'd go about this.
(Make sure you have the android sdk installed, and that adb and fastboot commands are working). USB cable should be plugged in throughout.
Before you begin, put the ROM you want (ie. Android 2.1 community edition 1.8) into the root of the microSD card (a .zip file).
Code:
adb devices
Should list your phone's serial number
Now turn off the phone, and turn it on with the back key held down (the one at the very bottom right of the device).
You should enter fastboot mode. Now type
Code:
fastboot devices
and you should see the serial number again.
Now type
Code:
fastboot boot AmonRA.img
where AmonRA.img is a file in your present working directory that is the filename of the latest custom recovery image. This does NOT flash your phone, it merely runs the image (pretty much as close as you get to risk free, other than sitting there with a tinfoil hat on )
See screenshot of the recovery image here:
http://www.sizzledcore.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/RA-hero-recovery-image-500x375.jpg
Make the Nandroid backup by choosing 'Nandroid Vx.x Backup' and waiting a while.
If your ROM needs a wipe first (most new ones do), select Wipe data/factory reset. You will lose all your user data on the device (but you've got a nandroid backup just in case)
You're now good to go. So choose "Apply sdcard:choose zip"
Now select the custom ROM zip file you downloaded. It doesn't even need to be called update.zip! Choose it from the list and push trackball.
Wait for the update.zip to go in. Do NOT turn off the device or pull the battery. First boot can take a very long time (upto 30 minutes). Just keep it plugged in via USB and wait...
As for radios, see http://android.modaco.com/content/h...-24-11-hero-roms-radios-in-update-zip-format/ and look at the section titled radios. The latest one is in bold. It is a .zip file as well, that you use these exact same instructions for to install (don't do the wipe or anything like that. Just install the .zip file)

anon2122 said:
@kendon,
I noticed he has the original, easily rooted version of the hero. IIRC, that is what I had on my G2 (and had the security unlocked bootloader out the box). If that's the case, would pvdeejay be able to 'fastboot boot' a full system img file for the purposes of testing it out to see if it meets the requirements.
The reason I ask is that I've only ever fastbooted my AmonRA recovery (I didn't flash it, because I never felt any need to). I'm guessing you could fastboot a full img, but I'm not sure about the practical issues of where it would be stored in memory...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this is correct so far, i did the same, except i installed the recovery. i play a lot with my phone, the installed recovery image with the nandroid backup is the best i have ever seen for a phone...
@pvdeejay
you always write so much...
i try to answer everything:
the two guides you posted are good for your situation. i never tried flashrec, but from what i read it is safe to use. i installed my recovery image through fastboot, the guide is here: http://android.modaco.com/content/h...ng-the-patched-recovery-image-on-your-device/
i have no idea how this works out for you, but my honest suggestion would be that you have someone seeing assisting you, you CAN brick your phone, though it is not likely if you follow the instructions precisely. the process is not very time consuming at all, so you don't need to bother anyone for days of their time.
edit: and now i read your post to the end and saw that your brother will be helping you, so you are on the right track
once you have the recovery installed you can make nandroid backups, and i would suggest that you do this first thing after installing the recovery, better make a backup too much than one too less...
the 5 steps you described are correct, except there is no need to rename the zipfile anymore, you can select any .zip from your sdcard.
the radio part is the number that begins with 63.18.55.06, then comes two letters and then more numbers. as by now the version can be identified by the letters, with JU being the up-to-date one. in general you can say the newer the better, but you have to try for yourself. start with the newest one, if you have problems go back.

thanks this seems to be pretty doable plus I will easily be able to restore the current data backed using nandroid backup.
Which android SDK do I need the latest one?
The commands I need to type are supposed to be typed on the PC or on the phone? I assume on the PC but I just would like to ensure.
Hero21 1.8 community edition has a recommended radio listed in the first post. Is it necessary to install that one as well? What should I install first the actual rom or the radio? Do I need installing radio at all? Should i do the same with radio i.e. renaming it to update.zip and using amonra to install it?
Also will I be able to use this method even if I install another rom (running amonra without actually flashing it)?
Edit:
sorry guys did not realize renaming to update.zip is no longer needed.
Edit2:
is there an easy way on how to access sd card from windows? I can't just remove the card from phone and insert it into my laptop because I don't have the proper adapter. Previously my boss was using the hero and perhaps it would be nice to backup the sd card first.
Edit3:
uhmmm, installing android sdk is perhaps not as simple as it sounds.
I have just seen this article.
I am on a limited gprs internet connection, can you please suggest sdk features I won't need to save some download bandwith?

- you need only the adb binary (thats adb.exe for windows) from the sdk, the rest is not needed for this.
- install the radio from the 2.1community-rom-thread, it is the newest. install the radio first. DO NOT PULL THE BATTERY until the phone has rebooted completely. if you pull the battery during radio upgrade your phone will be dead. it takes a few minutes, do not panic!
- you can copy the contents of the sdcard via the usb-cable, plug it into your pc and pull down the notification bar...

Do I need to run SDK Setup.exe when I have downloaded android sdk for windows?
Or can I simply run that binary from the command-line without the installation?
Do I need any USB drivers so my phone can be recognized?

Unlocking sim on ht-03a?

Been trying to unlock this phone for days now, bought in japan(ntt docomo)
Have the unlock code and all, but unable to get to the point where i enter the code. Also read that I had to flash the sd card or something, but just keep getting the message "not allow" at some point. If anyone have some tips it would be highly appreciated.
edit; and ive tried rebooting it with new sim
Any help for a guy who has basically no clue of programming?
Yours,
Stefan!
oh, and its one of those 0006 models ^_^

1.5 or 1.6?
Are you running 1.5 or 1.6? If you are running 1.6, you are in for a bit of fun.
Some Japanese guys have used this site to unlock BEFORE the 1.6 OTA because the generated code only works on Docomo's 1.5 firmware.
NOTE: Remote unlock by IMEI is not supported on the newest DoCoMo firmware update. User must downgrade the ROM to the old version or flash a custom ROM without DoCoMo branding on the device prior to unlock it. We do not provide instructions on how to flash a different ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The OTA to 1.6 hit me on 10/27/2009 and rolled out over the course of a week. If you phone was in use in Japan after this time, then it's probably running 1.6.

Apparently can unlock ht-03a v 1.6... for about $100US
Just ran into a site that seems quite shady but nonetheless claims to be able to unlock 1.6 in 3 days for 10,000 yen eek. Their regular price is 8,000 yen (which is still too expensive) if you are still running 1.5. This could just be classic bad web design still common in Japan that makes the site look shady.
Basically, they are saying no functions will change by unlocking and not to upgrade beyond 1.6 after unlocking (assuming 2.x ever is pushed by docomo). And that if your phone is version 1.5, they will return it to you unlocked and running version 1.6.
Purely for my amusement, I paste the machine translation of their site (provided by them "hear")
Release charge;VERSION 1.6 of \8,000 and HT-03A is \2,000UP.
- Details of release
There is no change in a portable function etc. after it releases it.
Release days
- HT-03A is SOFTWEAR [bajon] 1.5 is the first.
It takes VERSION 1.6 about three days. (\2,000UP)
- It takes HT1100 about three days.
Request trivia; After it releases it when VERSION of HT-03A is 1.5, VERSION UP is done to 1.6.
I will pass it. (When networking if you do not do The demand of VERSION UP is usual [deru]. )
The problem is not in VERSION UP after it releases it.
Without doing VERSION UP when VERSION of VERSION 1.6 or more (1.6 is OK) goes out
Please give to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
PS - "release" = unlock

its 1.6 yes, and thats just too expensive
thx though!

Agreed - stupidly expensive, so your only other option is to root and flash a ROM other than Docomo's 1.6

Mind telling me how to do that? been trying for ages. Does it mean doing something to an sd card? is there a guide i should follow? tried yesterday, but just got the "not allow" message

Haha, sorry but I can't be cause I don't know how - which is why I originally said something about your going to be in for some fun if you have 1.6. The information is here. There are wikis, but I haven't had a need to do it, so I am not up on what needs to be done. I know that it was much easier with 1.5 (one click) but not impossible with 1.6. Dig around this board and hopefully you'll get tossed in the correct direction.
If you are using this phone in Japan on docomo's network and you do succeed in flashing a new ROM, be careful with the APN setting for data transmissions because you can end up with a very high data bill if you connect to the wrong one.
Good luck and hopefully someone might chime in with links appropriate to the ht-03a.

if u trying to unlock the phone to use any sim card in it and u already have the code, u need to put the sim card of the new network u r trying to use, when the magic boots up, it will ask for the code, u enter it and thats it, u r unlocked

Doesnt work, already tried that :F

achillies400 said:
if u trying to unlock the phone to use any sim card in it and u already have the code, u need to put the sim card of the new network u r trying to use, when the magic boots up, it will ask for the code, u enter it and thats it, u r unlocked
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That does not work with the firmware provided by Docomo.

stefan2612 said:
Mind telling me how to do that? been trying for ages. Does it mean doing something to an sd card? is there a guide i should follow? tried yesterday, but just got the "not allow" message
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you see this?
http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=HTC_Sapphire_Hacking
Also, here seems to be full instructions on how to move down to 1.5. I have no idea how, if at all, these instructions would be different for Docomo's ROM on the HT-03a.
http://theunlockr.com/2009/10/15/how-to-root-a-donut-phone-android-1-6/
Good luck. If you learn anything, let me know

Thanks, ill see if i can get this to work! If not i guess ill be forced to check out some cable guy, or someone with a clue

Didnt work, thought id try the htc sync one aswell, but it never recognized my phone, even if i installed drivers, reinstalled them, updated, everything. And yes, i did fix the debug settings etc on phone.

I guess you are using windows, not something unix-like (linux or mac), right?
Towards the end of this thread, the discussion moves towards getting Win 7 to recognize phones for using ADB. Maybe something here could help.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=502010

have mac and windows, but htc sync wasnt for mac so ^^

Wait a minute... Like I said, I've never tried this, but I don't believe you need to use HTC sync. I could be wrong. I think you need to use ADB, which is part of the SDK. ADB allows you push files to handset, as well as get an interactive shell. Basically, it gives you command line access to your phone from your computer.
If you have ever used the terminal app on a mac, that is where you would use ADB.
Once you have ADB up and working, you can type stuff like ADB devices to get a list of connected phones or ADB shell to get an interactive shell.

yeah ive tried that too, only got msgs saying not allow

stefan2612 said:
yeah ive tried that too, only got msgs saying not allow
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you give me more information, then I may (or may not) be able to help.
What exactly was not allowed? Does ADB work at all?
What step in what howto did you make it to?
Are you able to get ADB to detect your device?
Are you using ADB on win or mac? win 7? mac os 10.6?
Did you get a permission denied (or something that) error when you tried to push a file with ADB?

For the docomo HT-03A sim unlock, you need to have a rooted phone first...No way around it that i have found... hell its a twofer... basic rom isn't any fun anyway...
I have gotten 7 Sim unlock codes from swiftunlocks at gmail.com, email him and ask...
I first found him on ebay... so he is probly still there...
My bigger question is how to get around the IMEI filitering done by Docomo's bizhodai APN... I WANT A NEXUS, but if I can't have unlimted Data it could be the death of my bank account...

thisoneguy said:
For the docomo HT-03A sim unlock, you need to have a rooted phone first...No way around it that i have found... hell its a twofer... basic rom isn't any fun anyway...
I have gotten 7 Sim unlock codes from swiftunlocks at gmail.com, email him and ask...
I first found him on ebay... so he is probly still there...
My bigger question is how to get around the IMEI filitering done by Docomo's bizhodai APN... I WANT A NEXUS, but if I can't have unlimted Data it could be the death of my bank account...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only if you are running Docomo's 1.6 ROM, which he is (which is why his unlock code doesn't work). The 1.5 ROM would accept IMEI-generated unlock codes and was rootable in one click.
But I can't really help this guy as I have not tried to root my HT-03a, which is also on 1.6.
Quick question: So it is NOT rumor that docomo is filtering the biz-hodai APN by IMEI number? People commenting on my blog say that docomo refuses to register the IMEI of a phone if it is not from docomo.
Sucks.
Can you point this guy in the right direction for rooting specific to the HT-03a?
Also, check the link to a Japanese site I posted at the beginning of this thread. If it is worth 10,000 yen, sounds like they can do it. 10,000 yen is too much, though.

[Q] root/unroot

Hello
Let me start with admitting that I'm a newbie, a green one, whatever you want. I've bought my WF, my first smartphone, one week ago, and after a day a was confronted with my first limitation: I can't make access to the cisco vpn that my university uses.
I've started looking on the internet, and my only hope is a program called VPN connection, which needs root access to work. Not only the fact that I couldn't install that specific application, but also the disappointment of a discovery that the open-source OS was in fact closed, made me want to root my phone.
So I again started to do research on the internet, mostly by night, which makes me sit like a zombie in lessons, but I've learned a lot. However, there are still a few questions, which I just can't find the answer for.. So I'm hoping one of you would be so kind to help me out a bit!
- I've come to find out that rooting te WF just changes the read/write access of the root directory. So rooting an sich will not change any of the files or settings, nor the language (Dutch). Is that right, or is there an install of a complete "customized" (English) ROM which make the cellphone look brand new?
- I've done some research on how to unroot the WF (I'm having a 2 year waranty..). I know you can download the original ROMs here (shipped-roms.com/shipped/Buzz/) but first of all, I don't know which one to pick, and second, will there be a Dutch one there? Because I'm not sure that they will accept the statement that my phone is suddenly turned English.
Those are in fact the only two questions I have (for now ). Thanks in advance to help me entering a whole new world!
Erwin

The Android OS is a linux. And for such OS, there is a user account with UID 0, thats the "root" account, who got all privileges on the system.
If you root your phone, you will give your "user", thats the user that runs the android OS, the ability to gain root privileges. Those are necessary to do administrative changes to the OS, same as on a usual linux OS.
So the root user is able to mount devices in read/write and do other stuff.
Most official Updates are multilanguage and they are official updates from HTC so even on warranty issues there should be no problem with it.

Warlord711,
Thank you very much for giving me this explanation! But when you talk about "root your phone", I still have a question. If I root my phone, it will be by the method of Unrevoked (Unrevoked 3.21). I understand that the user now has root privileges, but how is that being accomplished? Do they flash the phone with a new ROM, who has "build-in" extended privileges, or do they really change the privileges of some maps on the ROM that originally came with the phone?
In extend I want to make sure about something: so if I install an original UK ROM from shipped-roms.com, I can just install it with the clockworkmod on my device and do an official update, witch will make my phone dutch again?
Thanks in advance!
Erwin

No ferther explanation? A pitty..

they replace recovery system, but how they do it, thats a question

I came across this thread hoping for reassurance about not losing warranty in case of unrooting, and I'm joining just to say that Erwin's questions are really accurate, well written and most probably helpful for any other android newbies like me.. so let's answer him/us please!
cignu

ErwinP said:
Hello
- I've come to find out that rooting te WF just changes the read/write access of the root directory. So rooting an sich will not change any of the files or settings, nor the language (Dutch). Is that right, or is there an install of a complete "customized" (English) ROM which make the cellphone look brand new?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will not change any of the settings, I myself had it in dutch too. It will be the same as you shut it down, only thing that has changed is the recovery mode (entered by holding the volume down and press the boot key)
ErwinP said:
- I've done some research on how to unroot the WF (I'm having a 2 year waranty..). I know you can download the original ROMs here (shipped-roms.com/shipped/Buzz/) but first of all, I don't know which one to pick, and second, will there be a Dutch one there? Because I'm not sure that they will accept the statement that my phone is suddenly turned English.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont know either which one to pick, but I _DO_ know that if I pick the right one, it will include dutch, together with several others including English.

HTC Hero GSM - Cyanogen 7.2

Cyanogen has released the 7.2 version OS for HTC Hero GSM. I've seen a lot of people talk over the CDMA version, but none on the GSM one. Has anyone tried it out? I wanna hear the bad and good remarks that you have to say about it , by "you" I mean those who have tried it.
To be sure, this is the tipe of HTC Hero I'm referring to: spinei.hotnews.ro/wp-uploads/2009/10/htc_hero.jpg

I runned it for a week or two. As for stability it's the same as CM7, CM7.2 just has some ICS backports, nothing bad

What do you mean by ruining it?
People who own the CDMA version claim that on their phone it's a performance improvement from 7.0 to 7.2.
I have 2.1 official version on it. It's stable and somewhat ok in terms of flow in the menus. Will 7.2 be an improvement over the the official 2.1 version on my phone?
P.S. I didn't test any other version of Android, it never used anything except the stock version.

cata3092 said:
What do you mean by ruining it?
People who own the CDMA version claim that on their phone it's a performance improvement from 7.0 to 7.2.
I have 2.1 official version on it. It's stable and somewhat ok in terms of flow in the menus. Will 7.2 be an improvement over the the official 2.1 version on my phone?
P.S. I didn't test any other version of Android, it never used anything except the stock version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It;'s not ruined, I had it on my device for a week or two. I thing it will beat your 2.1 official. It will not have HTC Sense. You get 2.3 version of android some ICS goodies. I didnt run official 2.1 on hero so i dont know how it is

What does HTC Sense has and cyanogen 7.2 doesn't have as equivallent?
From what I saw in youtube videos, cyanogen pretty much has something almost equal to HTC Sense as GUI. Are you referring to the HTC specific apps and widgets?
P.S. I misread "runned" for "ruined" )

Yup that fancy weather widget and all that stuff, but you wont miss it trust me, that raw android look is way better

One more question.
How functional are these:
- WIFI
- Bluetooth
- Camera
- basic phone functions(calling, messages)
- sound
? Did you have any problems with these in terms of errors or functionality(loss or low of signal, automuted, etc.)? And did you had any random restarts issues?

Nope they all work awsome, it's a stable release, those releases dont have problems with that. And you shouldnt be too scared to flash your device. So far I had 4-5 android devices that are rooted and flashed a million times without any losses, you may encounter a soft brick sometimes but you can fix that easily. You cant know how good is a ROM until you test it. So stop being a girl and flash it . No offence If you dont like it, there is a lot more ROM's on this forum, you dont have to choose CM7.2....

First time to install Cyanogenmod was not entirely easy
Hey all,
I just created an account to be able to post my experience with CGM 7.2 on the HTC Hero GSM. Everything I checked so far works fine, however there's a slight jaggedness in scrolling.
For me as a complete newbie it took about 6 hours to get it to run, mainly because I had to get straight what I actually have to do. There is no paucity of TO-DOs, just no individual one worked for me - I got it sorted out only by combining all kinds of posts from everywhere. That's why I want to share my viewpoint on this - without all kinds of different people airing their piece of the puzzle I would surely have given up!
The specs were as follows; starting with the "fastboot-info":
HERO CVT SHIP S-ON
HBOOT-1.76.0007 (HERO10000)
MICROP-010f
TOUCH PANEL-SYN0104
RADIO-6.35.15.11
Aug 4 2009,19:43:30
And software-information:
Firmware-Version 2.1-update1
Baseband-Version 63.18.55.06PU_6.35.15.11
Kernel-Version 2.6.29-7527f009 [email protected] #1
Build-Nummer 3.36.405.1 CL199109 release-keys
Software-Nummer 3.36.405.1
Browser-Version WebKit 3.1
So here's what I did:
0) I wrongly assumed that I need to unlock my bootloader directly, i.e. using the software from HTCDev. As I am using Ubuntu Linux, this meant quite a hassle in itself, and I did not manage it after all. The reason was due to an error when trying to get the Identifier Token needed by HTC to send you some clearance-file to unlock the bootloader:
Code:
fastboot oem get_identifier_token
...
(bootloader) [ERR] Command error !!!
OKAY [ 0.007s]
finished. total time: 0.007s
I found no solution to this problem, but tried to up- or downgrade my HBOOT-version. Luckily that wasn't necessary after all. A side-effect of it was that I installed adb and fastboot, which I happened to use later on (but are not necessary either).
Let me assure you: Unlocking the bootloader directly (in the HTC-way) is NOT necessary!
1) Getting root access:
I used UniversalAndroot-1.6.2-beta5.apk to do that, and conveniently installed it using
Code:
adb push, adb install
though if you don't want to install this nice utility, you can just install a File Browser and then install the package.
Now here's a quirk that cost me about an hour: Using the default settings, UniversalAndroot only claimed to successfully get root-access, but left everything unchanged! Only after finding a comment on some website did I try to check both check-boxes (log and temporary install) - this time it worked (it installs yet another app called SuperUser)! (I then ran it again without the temporary setting enabled, which at least did not revoke the SuperUser-Account). Anyways, adb is handy in this case again because you can just log in with
Code:
adb shell
and check if
Code:
su
gives you root access or says "Permission denied".
2) Deleting /system/etc/install-recovery.sh I got that idea from androidforums.com, and will probably never know whether it was really necessary. That just shows how desperate I became after 3 hours of poking around in the dark.
3) Installing ROM Manager from Google Market There's probably a quicker way to install recovery images, which does not involve a damn Google account! Or maybe it is not even neccesary.
4) Downloading and installing ClockWorkMod Recovery I did this using the ROM Manager. Again, there might be a more direct way. In any case, I was paranoid enough to install it twice, as it was recommended that way somewhere.
5) Downloading cm-7.2.0-hero.zip and putting it on /sdcard/ Again, I just used
Code:
adb push cm-7.2.0-hero.zip /sdcard/
to accomplish this, but my guess is you can just as well do it via USB.
6) Format cache, /data/factory, /boot and /system By that, I mean do this in ClockWorkMod (you get there by booting up with HOME+POWER). The last two locations to reformat are "hidden" in the menu partitions. This step is very important because without it, Cyanogenmod did only loop infinitely (for more than 10min) in its loading screen! I got this idea from the more detailed description at droidforums.
7) Install Cyanogenmod using ClockWorkMod That's straight forward; just select the image from sdcard and you're done!
Hope I didn't forget a vital step, and maybe it is helpful to somebody; at the very least my future ME will maybe find it useful again .