The one-click root method inspired quite a few Android device owners to root their phone. Sadly, not all root functions are as easy to implement as the one-click method. Some of the hacks and features that interested me required careful reading and researching multiple guides to find out the proper way to do certain things. Rooting your phone definitely requires you to become a more focused user.
Here are a few plain-English language tips and explanations on how to perform certain tasks with root access. This guide is intended only to help newbies get the ball rolling, not hold their hands through all things root. These are just tips/starting points. I am also a newbie and not an expert on this by any means. Nothing I can tell you will be as effective or useful as reading up on each aspect of rooting directly from the source. This is just to help you have a better understanding of what to do once you have rooted your phone.
Before we go any further, you will need to root your phone for these features to work. For the 1,000th time, THIS IS RISKY, CAN DESTROY YOUR PHONE, AND MAY VOID THE WARRANTY. Androinica.com accepts absolutely no responsibility if problems arise from rooting your phone; you root at your own risk. If you need instructions on how to root, AndroidAndMe has an excellent explanation.
ROOTING TIPS/TUTORIALS
Understanding Android root terms and procedures
Terms and concepts that MUST be understood before you try anything. This includes:
- Understanding ROM’s and builds
- Where to Download ROM’s
- Using Recovery image and Nandroid back-ups
- Understanding Hero ROM’s, SPL and Radio
- Installing Apps on an SD Card
How to create a second partition to install apps on an SD card
Go app crazy and gain more space by installing apps on an SD card. Most ROM’s have this feature automatically built-in, so all you have to do is create a partition on your SD card. This tutorial shows you how to do it directly from your G1/Dream.
How to install themes on a rooted Android phone (using recovery mode)
Change the look, performance, and features with user-optimized versions of Android. This tutorial is both written and video based. Each provides some examples of how you can download full-scale themes and apply them to your Android phone.
How to Update your Cyanogen Mod Android phone
Say goodbye to the days of waiting 6 months for a couple of features to be added to your phone. Cyanogen updates frequently and with the CM updater app, it’s ridiculously easy.
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September 9th, 2009 at 1:04 am
The huge downside of 'rooting made easy' is that – it's really not. The phone isn't designed for having new OSs thrown on it weekly, nor is the software, plus as more and more android phones with different mboards start hitting the market, more problems will arise. I think most users that root their phones push newbies into thinking their world will switch to colour and they're idiots for not doing it. For example, apps2sd is truly *pointless* unless you have one of the earlier phones that really didn't ship with enough memory. It's not only pointless, but ends up causing more hassles than solving, all in the elusive name of having 'more memory'. This article is great in that it disseminates information, but phone owners shouldn't feel that not rooting their phone is for fools. It's not. However, if you're prepared to get into it as a hobby, you're willing to spend a fair bit of time researching and are prepared to not be able to rely on your provider for support, then go for it.
September 9th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Well said….
September 10th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Clever discussion, interesting points.
As a future Hero owner I'm following many chats about rooting and indeed it looks like this is not for all, and is not needed by everybody.
I for one want to play a fair amount of time with a "virgin" Hero to see if it need some hacking, or it's suited for my use just as it ships.
Thanks to all for the cool informations.
September 10th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
I can definitely understand your point. A lot of people really wont benefit from rooting their phone. But many of them have done it over the past few weeks and been very confused about what to do. We've gotten a lot of comments and questions on Twitter from people expressing interest/questions. This is geared towards the people who have already done it and need some info on what to do next. <div style="margin: 6px 0pt 0pt; display: block;"><a class="a2a_dd" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save"><img style="border-width: 0pt;" src="http://static.addtoany.com/buttons/share_save_171_16.png" alt="Share/Save/Bookmark" width="171" border="0" height="16">
September 14th, 2009 at 8:28 pm
that is very cool article…I am a newbie at this so after rooting what ROM should I install so that I can get HERO theme and CM MOD?
November 4th, 2009 at 9:31 pm
Guys as you are all clued up how and where can I install Android market to my phone, somehow I have purchased a phone without this on it already. Basically if this can be done I will keep the phone, otherwise I guess I have to send it back, but I don' t really want to do this…
Please let me know
November 4th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
I'm not aware of anyone being able to download the actual Market app. The only thing I can think of is to flash a new ROM that includes the Market.
What country and carrier is your phone tied to? If you aren't rooted, you can try bringing it to the store and see if they can help.
November 4th, 2009 at 9:52 pm
Where can I get this ROM program from, how would I install it exactly?
Which store you mean, that I could bring it to, to see if they can help?
I bought the phone on the Web, but have discovered that the company imports them from Malaysia . Therefore my phone has the not very good Slide program with no applications to download.
thanks for the help.
November 4th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
That's why I asked. Phones in the Mid East and SE Asia don't have the Android Market. Your only option would be to either root the phone (a risky process that voids your warranty and could destroy it) and load a ROM [read the tutorial links on this page for more info].
Or you could take the phone to your carrier (T-Mobile/Sprint/Vodafone etc.) and see if they can help you get the official updates from them. I'd recommend this because most rooting stuff is designed for phones released in the US, so you could run into a lot of problems potentially.