Rooting EI22 Gingerbread Instructions

[Dronak]

I got ROM Manager recently since it's apparently officially supporting the Epic with the new release of CWM 5, and when I tried to reboot into recovery from there, it didn't work. It looked like the phone tried to flash back the stock recovery, then reboot. But CWM was still installed; I powered down to get into recovery and checked. With some looking, I found out that the kernel installed in the first step here has been updated to provide ROM Manager support (see Epic GB kernel sources! (11/22/11 EI22 keyfix kernel) - xda-developers). So if I want to install this, or any other kernel for that matter, how do I do it? Is it still done just like the first set of instructions here? Will updating the kernel affect anything else, like will I lose root and have to do that over again? Being new to this, I'm not familiar with how updating things like this after rooting works. Thanks for your help.

 

[Paul627g]

I got ROM Manager recently since it's apparently officially supporting the Epic with the new release of CWM 5, and when I tried to reboot into recovery from there, it didn't work. It looked like the phone tried to flash back the stock recovery, then reboot. But CWM was still installed; I powered down to get into recovery and checked. With some looking, I found out that the kernel installed in the first step here has been updated to provide ROM Manager support (see Epic GB kernel sources! (11/22/11 EI22 keyfix kernel) - xda-developers). So if I want to install this, or any other kernel for that matter, how do I do it? Is it still done just like the first set of instructions here? Will updating the kernel affect anything else, like will I lose root and have to do that over again? Being new to this, I'm not familiar with how updating things like this after rooting works. Thanks for your help.

To install/flash a kernel just boot into CWM.

Select Install Zip from SDCARD

follow the prompts..


Bottom line its flashed just like you do a ROM except kernels you normally don't have to do a wipe.

 

[Dronak]

To install/flash a kernel just boot into CWM.

Select Install Zip from SDCARD

Cool, thanks. That's pretty easy, especially since wiping isn't required. So, would I want the file named kernel-GB-3a.tar.md5 that's there now? And will that flash OK even though it's not called a .zip file? Thanks!

 

[Paul627g]

Cool, thanks. That's pretty easy, especially since wiping isn't required. So, would I want the file named kernel-GB-3a.tar.md5 that's there now? And will that flash OK even though it's not called a .zip file? Thanks!

If its a tar file then that has to be flashed in Odin....

Place it in the PDA Slot, select Auto Reboot only and let her rip...

FYI, this won't erase anything on your device. Your only flashing a new kernel...

 

[Dronak]

Thanks for the info. I just followed the same directions as in the first post, since it also involved using Odin with a tar.gz file to put the kernel on the phone. It was quick and seemed to work without any problems -- ROM Manager's option to reboot into recovery from the app worked when I tried it just now. Thanks again.

 

[featherheads cousin]

New to this rooting stuff. Previously tried a couple of methods to get rooted on Froyo without success. Then allowed OTA update to Gingerbread. Followed instructions on this thread and successfully rooted. Then flashed (???) the Legendary most recent ROM update with success again. This is fun!!! Wish I really knew what I was doing, but following instructions will have to do for now.

Some time during rooting operations (I think during second Odin use), I could not get into download mode. Phone kept trying to boot instead. Had to remove battery, hold down appropriate buttons, and then install battery to get into download. It worked.

Thanks for the instructions.

Carl

 

[vree13]

Hey folks! I had been thinking about rooting my Epic for a while and finally decided to pull the trigger. Having some trouble with Odin and hoping someone has some advice.

I've tried it on two different Windows machines. First attempt on my laptop running Windows 7 64 bit. Have the Samsung 64 bit drivers loaded, tried doing the step by step instructions and also tried going through the troubleshooting. Odin detects the phone, phone boots to download, but when I press the "start" button it immediately crashes and says "Odin communicator has stopped working"

On my desktop machine with Windows XP 32 bit I tried doing the step by step instructions and also through the troubleshooting. Odin detects the phone, phone boots to download, but when I press the "start" button the Odin window just... disappears.

Any thoughts or ideas?

 

[GrooveRite]

Hey folks! I had been thinking about rooting my Epic for a while and finally decided to pull the trigger. Having some trouble with Odin and hoping someone has some advice.

I've tried it on two different Windows machines. First attempt on my laptop running Windows 7 64 bit. Have the Samsung 64 bit drivers loaded, tried doing the step by step instructions and also tried going through the troubleshooting. Odin detects the phone, phone boots to download, but when I press the "start" button it immediately crashes and says "Odin communicator has stopped working"

On my desktop machine with Windows XP 32 bit I tried doing the step by step instructions and also through the troubleshooting. Odin detects the phone, phone boots to download, but when I press the "start" button the Odin window just... disappears.

Any thoughts or ideas?

I'm on a windows 7 64 bit comp and I was having similar problems at first with my comp not recognizing my device and Odin not picking anything up. I realized that my sd card was so messed up that I had to reformat it and everything went smooth after that. Try doing that perhaps and if you are still having problems after that, I'm sure someone else may be of better help. Good luck!

 

[boocephus]

The damned dog woke me up at 630, so I decided that I could get some time on the computer without interruption.

One thing that is unclear in the instructions is how Odin doesn't seem to like to stay connected when you reboot. At some point I think i should have pulled the USB cable when the phone rebooted the first time. When it came back up, Odin failed to transfer the second file. The phone was unhappy, too. I pulled the usb cable then and it was essentially bricked. The yellow area regarding pulling the battery did fix everything, but I assume that step would be unnecessary if I understood when to have pulled the USB cable after the kernel update.

Regardless, I about sh it when the screen came up with a walkie-talkie connected to the trs80 with the exclamation point in the middle. Very happy that pulling the battery out fixed that.

I never could get windows to recognize my phone just through the "mass storage" usb connection. Luckily, crap cable or not, the phone does connect in download mode. I ended up taking out the sd card and putting it into the adapter and putting the su...zip file on the card that way.

One question. In the bug thread, Rando said:

download the other files in the video: the superuser app zip file (the root), the Custom Recovery file tar file, the clean kernel zip file (you must install this first to prevent you from losing root on your next reboot -- one other good thing about this kernel flash is that it also fixes skipping keyboard letters when you text too fast), and the GPS_fix.zip.

So, after going through the process in this thread, have I collaterally fixed the GPS issue? I am able to get a lock on 3 satellites here in my kitchen and I am sure it was zero before. I was wondering if the lock would be persistent longer then the 15 minutes I was getting before.

Even if it doesn't I feel like the exercise was worth it. I appreciate the guidance. I may go as far as trying out some of the ROMs to see if I can get the stability I need without having the screw around with this phone every weekend.

Thanks again.

 

[boocephus]

To answer my question: You still need to apply the gps fix. Now I can get 7 out of 10 satellites locked in the kitchen.

GPS FIX for Gingerbread leak - xda-developers

Copy the gps fix.zip file to the sd card. Turn phone off. Do the 3-finger salute to boot to the "recovery console" and install from zip. Keep in mind that the camera button is select instead of the home key.

 

[boocephus]

One thing that is unclear in the instructions is how Odin doesn't seem to like to stay connected when you reboot. At some point I think i should have pulled the USB cable when the phone rebooted the first time. When it came back up, Odin failed to transfer the second file. The phone was unhappy, too. I pulled the usb cable then and it was essentially bricked. The yellow area regarding pulling the battery did fix everything, but I assume that step would be unnecessary if I understood when to have pulled the USB cable after the kernel update.

This might have come off as ungrateful. I didn't mean it to be. I posthumously thought that pulling the cable might have prevented the failure for ODIN to reconnect after reboot. My pulling the cable after that was what caused my walkie talkie TRS80 error.

 

[blewispunk]

I am not having luck getting this to work. On the first step, while flashing kernel-GB-3a.tar.md5 I am getting the following:

<ID:0/003> Added!!
<OSM> Enter CS for MD5..
<OSM> Check MD5.. Do not unplug the cable..
<OSM> Please wait..
<OSM> kernel-GB-3a.tar.md5 is valid.
<OSM> Checking MD5 finished Sucessfully..
<OSM> Leave CS..
<ID:0/003> Odin v.3 engine (ID:3)..
<ID:0/003> File analysis..
<ID:0/003> SetupConnection..
<ID:0/003> Complete(Write) operation failed.
<OSM> All threads completed. (succeed 0 / failed 1)

I re-installed my epic drivers on my computer and tried two different USB cables. Any other thoughts?

I pulled the battery to get out of download mode and luckily that seemed to work OK an I'm back into "stock" gingerbread.

 

[TxAg97]

Thanks again for these instructions. Just rooted my wife's Epic too!

 

[TxAg97]

I am not having luck getting this to work. On the first step, while flashing kernel-GB-3a.tar.md5 I am getting the following:

I re-installed my epic drivers on my computer and tried two different USB cables. Any other thoughts?

I pulled the battery to get out of download mode and luckily that seemed to work OK an I'm back into "stock" gingerbread.

I had similar problems until I completely deleted all USB drivers from my CPU and plugged in my stock Epic and cancelled installation of any additional USB drivers that Windows 7 tried to install. I can now connect flawlessly and was able to root my wife's phone without having to remove the battery as I did with mine. Mine wouldn't even allow ODIN to read it until I removed some of the USB drivers.

 

[blewispunk]

Thank you TxAg97. I uninstalled and reinstalled the Samsung drivers and it worked great.

 

[Paul627g]

Windows 7 is the root of all evil when it comes to rooting and using Odin or ADB... Windows has just become to "clean" and doesn't like to work with anything outside of the box sorta speak....

 

[dbillman]

I just tried to root my epic for the first time ever. My first time rooting anything. I downloaded all the files and opened oden. Selected the kernel-GB-3a.tar file, made sure only auto reboot was checked and hit start. It was doing nothing for over five minutes so i pulled the battery and tried again. Nothing. I unpulled everything because the trouble shooting page didnt give any more help. Now when i try to start up the phone i get a small phone icon and a computer icon. How do I fix this? This is the exact reason I never tried to root this thing. UHHHH. Someone please help

 

[dbillman]

The phone wont show up in oden now either. The computer says it doesn't recognize the device. This is so frustrating!!

 

[dbillman]

Ok so after fooling around and trying a handful of solutions I found on the web, NOTHING WORKS. I can get to the screen where I can reboot the phone, select from the SD card, factory reset the phone and so on. Is there a file i can put on the SD card to restore the phone to normal? If not im going to take the phone back to sprint. I have insurance on it but will that be void because i tried to root it?

 

[Paul627g]

Ok so after fooling around and trying a handful of solutions I found on the web, NOTHING WORKS. I can get to the screen where I can reboot the phone, select from the SD card, factory reset the phone and so on. Is there a file i can put on the SD card to restore the phone to normal? If not im going to take the phone back to sprint. I have insurance on it but will that be void because i tried to root it?

You could attempt to throw on the update.zip method on your sdcard for official GB and see if it flashes in stock recovery...

Worst case is it fails and your back to either recovery or a non booting phone... Either way I would doubt Sprint's techs will look to far into things and know it was rooted....

Do you have stock recovery (blue screen/white print) or is it CWM (ClockWorkMod)? If its stock recovery then they will have no way of telling you rooted it, especially if it won't boot so it will get replaced as defective......