NOOB at Rooting!!!

[Prince_Basil]

Okay, so I have a few questions if you guys don't mind helping me.

I have a Samsung Epic, and its currently running stock. I have the Evo YouTube app & I use Launcher Pro. That's about as much customization as I've done. So I really want to try out this rooting & putting a different rom & all that. Problem is, idk what the heck I'm doing. I came from webOS on my Palm Pre, I know a lot about that as far as theming, overclocking, and adding apps that aren't 100% approved. But I just switched over to this phone & its, obviously, running Android 2.1.

Sooooo!!! I was wondering if maybe someone could give me the best links I could use to root my Epic. Also, if you could help me choose the best rom & what not. Originally I was going to go with AOSP Magic Rom, but I'm looking at the Epic Experience, I believe its called, & its looking good as well... If someone could help me choose the right rom or the one that seems to work the best, how to root, how to back up the current state my phone is in, I would really appreciate it. Thanks!!!

 

[caliskimmer]

Well, I decided to make a how to root thread. I simply cannot have a newbie rooter not be able to root and enjoy the Epic the way it was supposed to be enjoyed.

Here's the link http://forum.androidcentral.com/epic-4g-roms-hacks/40103-how-root-one-click-simple-v2-2-9-a.html

 

[ragnarokx]

If someone could help me choose the right rom or the one that seems to work the best, how to root, how to back up the current state my phone is in, I would really appreciate it. Thanks!!!

After rooting you can check this thread out for backing up and how to install a ROM/kernel. I suggest the Baked Snack ROM, it's the best I've run so far. It's not on the XDA website - you can go to bakedsnackshack.com for a d/l link.

 

[dnathan13]

I just started rooting and everything a month ago when I got my epic and really it is not hard at all if you follow the forums. Just read before you ask a ton of questions because most questions have already been addressed. I use XDA for all my rooting, recovery, flashing, and rom needs.

 

[Prince_Basil]

Awesome... Thanks for all your help. I appreciate it!!! I will give it a try as soon as I can.

 

[Prince_Basil]

I'm following the instructions on that thread but I'm stuck at this part:

2.3.2 – The rooted kernel and recovery method method – DO SECOND

I do recommend that you use this method. This gives you true, permanent root.

There are a couple of ways to do this. I actually suggest you follow both guides, too. This will help prevent you ever getting to Samsung's stock recovery, which is worthless for your purpose.

The first is noobnl's recovery method, and definitely the one you should do first. You can find it here. Download the .zip file and extract its contents to your desktop. There is an issue with this .bat file, so you're going to have to do some extra steps. With adb (go to the section about the Android SDK and adb further in the guide if you do not know what this is) and type:

Code:
adb shell su remount rw exit exit
(the two 'exits' is not a typo)

After running those commands, open your extracted folder and run the run.bat file. Should be smooth sailing.



I'm not sure what I'm not understanding but I just don't know what to do right now...

 

[Prince_Basil]

So... umm... help? Please? I did the first step, but now I don't understand those directions. My phone says its rooted & I have Superuser but idk what else...?

 

[caliskimmer]

So... umm... help? Please? I did the first step, but now I don't understand those directions. My phone says its rooted & I have Superuser but idk what else...?

Well, does your phone stay rooted after rebooting? If so, you're done!

If you want a custom recovery like Clockworkmod then please explain where you are in the process, so we can help you further.

 

[Prince_Basil]

How do I check. I was using antivirus and that's how I figured out I was rooted because it said I was... but I clicked ignore so now it doesn't show it...and I'm also having problems with downloading apps from the marketplace... one is stuck and its preventing anything else from downloading.

 

[caliskimmer]

How do I check. I was using antivirus and that's how I figured out I was rooted because it said I was... but I clicked ignore so now it doesn't show it...and I'm also having problems with downloading apps from the marketplace... one is stuck and its preventing anything else from downloading.

Very strange, but I don't think that is root related. When you know something is wrong is when you click on the app and it tells you that there's no root access.

 

[Prince_Basil]

Well... I guess I'm still rooted... I'm not sure how to check. Or what to check. So now that its rooted, how do I add roms? Do I just download and rename them update.zip and install from recovery?

 

[ragnarokx]

Well... I guess I'm still rooted... I'm not sure how to check. Or what to check. So now that its rooted, how do I add roms? Do I just download and rename them update.zip and install from recovery?

To check if you have root access, download and run Titanium Backup. When you try and run it, they will tell you if you have root access or not.

It's not necessary to rename the zip to update.zip now that you have ClockworkMod Recovery. Just put the zip (named whatever) of the ROM in the root of your SD card, and you can browse to it and install using Clockwork. But make sure you backup your phone using Clockwork first!

 

[Prince_Basil]

Okay, so I do have root access... I have ROM manager. And Superuser asked me for permission for something so I think I have rooted. Now where do I find clockwork?

 

[ragnarokx]

If you've already installed Clockwork, you just turn off your phone then hold the camera + vol down + power until you see a screen with green text.

If you haven't installed Clockwork yet, this thread will walk you through it.

 

[Prince_Basil]

Okay... so I guess I have Clockwork already. Now I downloaded the rom from http://bakedsnackshack.com & I used ROM Manager to try to install it but everytime it loads into recovery it says the update's signature is invalid or something like that... Any suggstions?

 

[ragnarokx]

Okay... so I guess I have Clockwork already. Now I downloaded the rom from BakedSnackShack.com & I used ROM Manager to try to install it but everytime it loads into recovery it says the update's signature is invalid or something like that... Any suggstions?

You need a custom kernel for most of ROM Manager's features to work. Just manually boot into Clockwork by using the procedure in my last post, and install the zip from there.

 

[Prince_Basil]

I keep trying that running the first one and then the last one but nothing goes. It keeps saying device not found. But then on my epic it like acts weird. Idk. Maybe rooting isn't for me. This sucks... :-/

 

[shaunpeezy]

ok it makes absolutely no sense that it says device not found...? are you trying to do this all through a command prompt?

you said you have rom manager. on rom manager when you first open it, the top says "flash clockwork recovery" make sure you click that to install clockwork recovery.
Once that is flashed and you have your rom downloaded and on the root of your sd card (not in a folder) you go into clockwork recovery by holding the down volume + camera button while you power on your phone.

This will take you into built in android recovery (text will be blue). after that click on apply sd card update.zip. this should take you into clockwork recovery (text should be green). after this go down to "apply zip from sd card" and then scroll down to the rom's zip file and it should flash it.

let me know if you have any more problems.

 

[Prince_Basil]

Here is my step by step process:

1. Open ROM Manager
2. Click Flash ClockworkMod Recovery
3. Click on Samsung Epic
a. Pop-up says Successfully flashed ClockworkMod.
b. Current Version says: ClockworkMod: 2.5.1.0
4. Turned phone off & rebooted with volume button down & camera button.
5. Selected to update from sd card.
6. Get the following message:
--Install from package...
Finding update package...
Opening update package...
Verifying update package...
E: failed to verify whole-file signature
E: signature verification failed
Installation aborted

Soooo... am I doing something wrong. I even paid for ROM Manager thinking that's what it was... I'm just sooo confused now...

 

[shaunpeezy]

hmm did you try installing clockwork using the one click method?

[RECOVERY] ClockworkMod Recovery for the Epic 4g! Permament Method! FINAL! FIXED! - xda-developers

try the top version. the one with the run.bat.
i actually think this is a necessary step, im pretty sure i ran this when i was first trying to root too. i know how it is, its really frustrating. i just landed on android when the epic came out

once you click on update.zip it should take you into clockwork. the clockworkmod basically is a signed zip file that takes you into clockwork mod so you can flash a "non" signed file. signed is basically approved software

what happens if you "install rom from sd card" inside rom manager? probably get the same thing huh?
are you using a mac os or windows?