ROM Installation Handbook

[ragnarokx]

This guide is for anyone who wants to install a custom ROM, no matter what your skill level or what state your phone is in. Just follow these steps in the correct order and you will be up and running in no time!

Note: the following is for installing RFS (non-EXT4) ROMs only. If you want to install a ROM with EXT4 support, see this thread.

All Eclair ROMs are RFS based. Newer Froyo ROMs have dual compatibility with RFS and EXT4, so you get to choose which filesystem (slower or faster, respectively) you use. The only exception to this are ROMs that require ClockworkMod Recovery v3.0.0.X, which are EXT4 only.

Section I
Part A
Step 1) Is your phone currently rooted? If no, go to Section II. If yes, go to Section III.

Section II
Part A
Step 1) What type of ROM do you want to install? If Eclair (Android 2.1) based, go to Step 2. If Froyo (Android 2.2) based, go to Section III, Part A, Step 4.

Step 2) Follow this link for instructions on how to root your phone. Once done, proceed to Step 3.

Step 3) Which method did you use to root your phone in this guide? If you used Procedure 1, go to Step 4. If you used Procedure 2, go to Part B.

Step 4) Install ClockworkMod Recovery using this guide. Once done, proceed to Part B.

Part B
1) Download the ROM you would like to install, leave it in it's ".zip" format, and place it on your phone's SD card. Turn off your phone. Now hold volume down + camera button + power button simultaneously until you see this screen (ClockworkMod Recovery):

Credit for picture goes to Ahmgsk

(Note: if instead of this screen you get a similar screen but with blue text, go to the apply update.zip option at the top and select it. This should take you into the screen you see above.)

(To navigate in Clockwork, use the volume up and volume down keys. To select options, use the camera button.)

Once you are in Clockwork, proceed to Step 2.

Step 2) Make a backup of your current system using Clockwork (this is a safety precaution - NOT DO skip this step). Go to the 6th option of the Clockwork main screen, "backup and restore", and select it. Then select "backup". Once Clockwork finishes backing up your system, go to Step 3.

Step 3) Before flashing your ROM you need to clear data in order to avoid clashes. Go to the 3rd option in the Clockwork main screen, "wipe data/factory reset", select it, and then select "yes". Once done, proceed to Step 4.

Step 4) Go to the 5th option on the main Clockwork screen, "install zip from SD card", and select it. Go to the 2nd option on the next screen, "choose zip from sdcard", and select it. Now navigate to the zip file of your ROM, select your zip file, and then select "yes". Once done, reboot, and you now have a custom ROM installed on your phone. You're all done!

Section III
Part A
Step 1) What type of ROM do you want to install? If Eclair (Android 2.1) based, go to Step 2. If Froyo (Android 2.2) based, go to Step 3.

Step 2) Do you already have ClockworkMod Recovery installed? If no, go to Section II, Part A, Step 4. If yes, go to Section II, Part B, Step 1.

Step 3) What version of Android is installed on your phone? If Eclair (DI18), go to Step 4. If Froyo (DK28), go to Step 5.

Step 4) Follow the link in this thread to get a pre-rooted version of Froyo installed, which also includes Clockwork (note: this will completely wipe your phone of all data). Once done, go to Section II, Part B, Step 1.

Step 5) Do you already have ClockworkMod Recovery installed? If no, go back one step to Step 4. If yes, go to Section II, Part B, Step 1.

 

[freality]

Awesome.

 

[jbuggydroid]

Awesome job man. U beat me to it.

 

[drewjohn]

I've been looking for some instructions like this for days!!!! I updated to dk28 and didn't know what i could and couldn't do from there. Every time i try to figure it out they're always talking about "modems" and "Odin" Which just seems like and pain. No one ever says where to get the modem or if i you get it automatically when you update to stock Froyo.

 

[ragnarokx]

Thanks I was going to wait until after official Froyo was released so I could leave out the Eclair part, but as I'm still getting many questions from people about installing ROMs I figured their questions could be answered faster with a guide. That and I thought official Froyo would be here by now, so who knows when the actual release date will be.

 

[Paul627g]

Great thread Ragnarokx! Just getting ready to dive into rooting and now I'm very confident I will have little or no trouble if I follow your thread.

 

[Paul627g]

Question,

Now that I'm rooted, I did a backup with Clockwork and now I'm ready to check out a custom ROM. After I do that and say I want to go back to simply stock Eclair/rooted do I just apply the backup from Clockwork to achieve this?

 

[ragnarokx]

Yes, but you need to install the Eclair kernel first or you'll run into problems.

Flash this kernel with Clockwork (stock kernel w/ROM Manager support), then do the restore.

 

[Paul627g]

Yes, but you need to install the Eclair kernel first or you'll run into problems.

Flash this kernel with Clockwork (stock kernel w/ROM Manager support), then do the restore.

Yes I just found that out the hard way! I wiped & did a restore of my Eclair/rooted backup and then it rebooted to the Samsung screen and lockup. Bricked it, I guess.

Thank god for Odin and the Factory Restore because I'm back up and running again..

So next time before I do the restore, Flash the kernal and then do the restore and all should be okay?

BTW, This trial and error and a few screwed ups gets you up to speed real quick on the in's and out's of rooting your phone! I like it!

 

[ragnarokx]

Yup, trial by fire is how I learned as well.

And yes, flashing the Eclair kernel should allow you to boot up next time you try that. Glad you're up and running

 

[Paul627g]

Cool thanks Ragnarokx. I figured I would screw something up but I wasn't too worried with Odin and the factory restore in my back pocket.

Well that sums up a busy day.... Rooted using procedure #2 without any trouble, backed up, flashed BakedSnack, restored improperly, bricked the phone, restored to factory with Odin and thats about it for me today! Maybe later I will return to stock/rooted and hang out there for a while till I decide my next move... haha

Have to charge the battery and I'm sure I will find more trouble to get into.. Thanks again!

 

[ragnarokx]

After I do that and say I want to go back to simply stock Eclair/rooted do I just apply the backup from Clockwork to achieve this?

Ah I think I misunderstood you - I thought you were on Froyo, and wanted to go back to Eclair. That is what my advice was intended for.

If you are on an Eclair ROM and want to go back to stock Eclair, I would flash the stock ROM using ROM Manager, then restore your backup. If you want the stock kernel also I believe you'll need to flash that as well.

 

[Paul627g]

Yes I was on Eclair, rooted. I loaded up Baked Snack 1.6 and played around for awhile then just to start understanding the processes I tried to return to my Stock Eclair/Rooted backup using Clockwork restore. This ended up in bricking the phone I guess because it wouldn't restart past the Samsung screen. Factory restore took care of getting me out of trouble.

Now I'm on the leaked Froyo DK28 build/rooted. Gonna go try out some ROMs and hang out on Froyo and wait for the official release like everyone else..

Got this rooting down real good now... No worries.. Now just to start understanding how to switch around ROMs without getting in trouble again.. Time to start reading more of your threads..

 

[ragnarokx]

A sure fire way to never run into problems: always wipe before installing a new ROM, and try not to restore a backup unless you have to. Froyo has actually made this easier as you can backup your settings and app history with Google, so if you flash a new ROM that has the Android Setup Wizard enabled, it will restore all your settings and re-download/reinstall all your Market apps automatically. Pretty cool.

 

[murso74]

i got a question. i rooted and flashed the epic experience rom a while ago... i have no idea what kernal i'm on. how do i find out?

 

[ragnarokx]

Settings>About phone>Kernel version

 

[murso74]

Settings>About phone>Kernel version

mine says 2.6.29 is that stock?

 

[ragnarokx]

Yes it is. IIRC schizopunk does not package kernels with his ROMs - you'll need to install a stand-alone kernel if you want one.

 

[murso74]

actually i was thinking of goign back to stock for a while. question.. if the kernal stays stock can i upgrade to the froyo rom when it becomes official? or will i have to go back to a stock rom first

 

[ragnarokx]

http://forum.androidcentral.com/epic-4g-roms-hacks/48056-can-i-still-get-ota-updates-after-modifying-my-phone.html