[HOW-TO] Simplified Root + Recovery + Custom ROM

[Whyzor]

Hey Whyzor - I am a noob, but I can read. I am in emulator, but for the command > /system/bin/flash_image, I get "invalid length". What am I doing wrong so I can move on to the next step? Thanks for any help!

Use the flash image GUI app in step 5, there's no need to type anything in terminal emulator.

 

[nthehle]

As I said, I am a noob. But for some reason, it booted up in the correct recovery mode the next time around. It wasn't giving me the same recovery menu that you were talking about, but now, everything is now correct! This new OS is Sweet! Whyzor - again, THANK YOU

 

[stevek28]

This is a simplified guide for those new to rooting & flashing a custom ROM on the Optimus V. No need to type complex commands that are hard to follow and prone to mistakes. Basically there are 3 main steps: Root, Install custom recovery, & flash custom ROM.

Windows Drivers for the Optimus V (Optional, but suggested):
http://www.lg-phones.org/wp-content/uploads/LG-Optimus-V.zip

Rooting

Rooting is the process of gaining administrative rights to the phone so one can do customizations that aren't normally allowed. Root by itself doesn't do anything interesting, unless there's an app that needs it. The fancy stuff comes from custom ROMs. Just remember Virgin Mobile Activation only works on Froyo ROMs, so do it before going to Gingerbread. The easiest way to root nowadays is to use GingerBreak. It can be found here:

Can I use flashimage gui to flash a new rom instead of using clockworkmod ( I have iho recovery installed anyway)
If so, do I need to also flash the gapps to get the android market?

I am a learning newbie

[26.04.2011][v1.2] GingerBreak APK (root for GingerBread) - xda-developers

Instruction Steps:

1. Turn on USB Debugging (Settings - Applications - Development)
2. Copy the GingerBreak.apk to a /sdcard dir, then using a 'file manager' app (search for one in Android Market) install it like a regular app.
3. It can take up to 10 minutes, and will reboot automatically when complete (rooted), if attempt fails, reboot manually & run it again.


Install custom recovery image

The recovery image is an alternative bootup instead of normal Android Operating System. It allows low-level operations such as backup/restore a ROM, wipe partitions, and flash ROMs.

4. Download and copy the recovery image VM670NH_recovery.img (works with new & old OV screens) onto your /sdcard.
5. Install the Flash Image GUI app (save the .apk to a /sdcard directory, then open it with file manager). Run the app & select 'Recovery Image' option with the file above.


Flash Custom ROM

http://forums.androidcentral.com/op...inferior-human-organs-unofficial-cm7-1-a.html (Gingerbread)

6. Copy the unextracted ROM .zip that you wish to install to the /sdcard dir. Also if installing a CyanogenMod Gingerbread ROM, the unextracted gapps.zip also needs to be placed in the same dir to flash right after the ROM .zip.
7. Boot into Clockworkmod recovery mode (From powered off state, hold vol-down, home, and power button until the LG logo appears).
8. FIRST, BACKUP ORIGINAL ROM! Don't continue until this is successful. use vol-up/down, camera, & back keys to navigate in recovery.
9. Wipe Data/Factory Reset, wipe cache partition & dalvik-cache. Then under Advanced Settings, format all partitions EXCEPT /sdcard.
10. Flash the custom ROM.zip from sdcard and gapps.zip too if going to a CyanogenMod ROM
11. Reboot and enjoy the new ROM, the first boot takes longer than usual, also some problems may disappear after rebooting.

NOTES:

- NEVER use the Android Settings 'Factory Reset' from now on, only do factory reset & wipes from within recovery mode. Most ROMs should have this option removed from the Android settings.

- Some newer Optimus V screens hardware changed, see link: http://forums.androidcentral.com/op...black-screen-custom-recovery-custom-roms.html (BobZHome's IHO recovery from the Wiki binary -> recovery page also works with newer screens.)

- If restoring a backed up ROM in CWM recovery gives 'MD5 mismatch' error (likely caused by renaming a ROM backup). Try this fix:
# cd /sdcard/clockworkmod/backup/<name_of_backup>
# rm nandroid.md5
# md5sum *img > nandroid.md5

- If you ever want to restore to original stock ROM (ONLY on OV's with older screens), with original recovery and UNrooted:
How to restore your Optimus V to almost original condition - Prepaid Android

Donate

 

[badams2]

Thanks for the great walkthrough, this is my first flash/rom install, and it went well. However, I now realized I forgot to format all partitions (except /sd). Should I go back and do this, are just leave it? Everything is working, I only realized this well after I set up my phone with the IMO with the MIUI look. Thanks for the advice

 

[Whyzor]

Thanks for the great walkthrough, this is my first flash/rom install, and it went well. However, I now realized I forgot to format all partitions (except /sd). Should I go back and do this, are just leave it? Everything is working, I only realized this well after I set up my phone with the IMO with the MIUI look. Thanks for the advice

Nope, if everything's working fine then no need to format, that's just a precaution step.

 

[druggie218]

Can anyone help me figure out why I can not get wifi to work.

It worked before hack and now it just toggles between scanning connecting disconnecting??

Everything else appears to work great!

 

[Whyzor]

Can anyone help me figure out why I can not get wifi to work.

It worked before hack and now it just toggles between scanning connecting disconnecting??

Everything else appears to work great!

Try:

1) forgetting the SSID and reconnecting
2) reboot router
3) reboot phone
4) wipe dalvik-cache in recovery mode & reflash ROM. make sure md5sum matches & it's not a corrupted download.

 

[druggie218]

I tried everything you suggested but could you further explain:

"make sure md5sum matches & it's not a corrupted download. "

 

[Whyzor]

If you open up a terminal emulator app on the phone, or 'adb shell' from a PC connected to phone, type md5sum <downloaded_zip_file> it'll give you a checksum, it should match the one posted by the uploader of the ROM, if it doesn't match there was corrruption somewhere in the download/copying process, so try a different way of getting the file. the most reliable is download on computer, then plug in phone & copying over.

 

[jt89and]

I have the LG Optimus V (bough about a month ago) and went through the modifications described on page 1 of this thread to flash to CM7.1. Seemed to work okay, except for some browser problems requiring force stop.

I thought I would try the whole process again, so I used gingerbreak to root again. It just went on and on and did nothing. So I restarted the phone and did an un-root. That worked. Then I tried rooting again and it just kept going on for over 15 minutes. I tried rebooting several times and repeated the process but could not root. Once I left it on for about 45 minutes (still nothing except for the "rooting..Running exploit.." animation). Switched off phone and took out the battery for about a minute. Then started phone again, but still the rooting process seems stuck in a loop.

Any suggestions on how to root at this stage (only root option is now available in gingerbreak, not un-root)?

 

[stu310]

I can't get the step 4. Download and copy the recovery image VM670NH_recovery.img to download.
Everytime I try it says "Your download is starting " but it just sits there. Any suggestions?

 

[tobarger]

The link in step 4 downloads a file named
VM670NH_recovery.TXT
not VM670NH_recovery.IMG
???No one has noticed this before???
!!!This thread is 5 months old!!!
stu310 - you might need a file manager installed on the phone in order to download files, maybe someone can confirm this.

 

[jabak3]

The link in step 4 downloads a file named
VM670NH_recovery.TXT
not VM670NH_recovery.IMG
???No one has noticed this before???
!!!This thread is 5 months old!!!
stu310 - you might need a file manager installed on the phone in order to download files, maybe someone can confirm this.

Um actually it might be no one noticed because...
1. Step 4 on first page says .img not. Txt
2. The link page for download also says .img not .txt
3. Not sure on actual file name but if you were not going to flash an image... How exactly would you flash a .txt file???

You should re read that. Have you rooted your phone. If so then how does anyone else have problems. See you don't even have to be able to read lol.

Sorry tobarger I am just giving you crap. But yes the file is .img not .txt

Edit* I just looked up the file on my phone and confirmed it is also
.img

Sent from my VM670 using Tapatalk

 

[Tstreet662]

I cant even get started. When I run Gingerbreak it looks like it doing something then a error comes up saying it could not extract assets. Could anybody tell me what i maybe did wrong?

 

[jabak3]

Keep trying. It took 45 min and did nothing twice for me. Make sure you start it and if it is not done in 10 min or less pull the battery and reboot the phone.
Each try you have to turn the phone off and on. Best with pulling battery then no changes can f up the phone.

On my 3rd try it worked but I removed a lot of apps to free space and it worked. So try writing apps down and uninstall them. Only ones you can reinstall after you reboot not system ones.

After you free up space try again. Mine on 3rd try worked due to this and under 6 minutes but worst case might be a max of 10 to 15 you should wait before pulling the battery.

I think it should be noted to have a certain amount of free mem and space. This way it doesn't stress during the root

Also tobarger and 310 - Search market for file manager download one. I use super manager but its more than a file manager. You just need the file manager for now.

When you click the link wait for the prepare download to be done and click download.
Then it will put the file in downloads or different as you can specify like a pc where to put it.
File manager can help you locate the file after but you will be using the flash img gui to flash the image not the file manager. Though I do believe file manager might be needed in other steps.

Hope this helps. I over text so someone correct me if wrong or hard to understand. I never edit anything since school lol

Sent from my VM670 using Tapatalk

 

[Tstreet662]

Ok i use gingerbreak 2.0 now im at the recovery screen and im kinda stuck at step 9. I dont see advanced settings and have no idea how to flash a Rom?? Please help

 

[Tstreet662]

I wiped the data and cache partition am i correct. I hope i did the right thing lol

 

[Tstreet662]

After reading some posts and watching a couple youtube videos I found out that there can be two different recovery screens. One yellow and one blue. I have the blue one. I dont have the necessary commands on my screens to create a backup so I can install a rom. Is there a way I can create a back up and still install roms??

 

[tobarger]

Yes, step 4 SAYS .IMG
And the link page SAYS .IMG
But when I download the file it IS a .TXT file
I have downloaded four times and it is a 4.01MB TXT file every time.
Can anyone confirm this.

 

[thewraith420]

Try this one

http://www.mediafire.com/?vzc5k8taj9smmll

Downloads as a .Img file for me

IHO Unofficial CM7. 2
BACKside IHO 12212011