[HTC Incredible S] madmaxx82:
I thought it might be useful to put all the info into one thread.

I hope it's completely needless to say that I don't take any credit, since I haven't contributed anything to make that possible ;)

This guide is for rooting your CURRENTLY installed firmware, flashing custom roms, or if you want to upgrade to Gingerbread

If you are NOT S-OFF yet, you either need to get / use an XTC Clip, or use a software exploit / hack (AlpharevX).

The basic differences between both approaches are the following:

AlpharevX:

"Software" S-OFF using an exploit

Bootloader S-OFF

It will flash a hacked HBOOT that sets your device S-OFF.

If you flash an unmodified RUU, or anything that replaces this HBOOT, you will lose S-OFF

-> Not a problem if you stay with custom roms!

Completely free and great solution!

XTC Clip:

Complete "hardware" S-OFF

All locks removed including sim and cid lock.

Permanent solution (radio S-OFF)

-> You can flash anything and won't lose S-OFF

Costs money, or you need to find someone that owns a Clip to do this for you

UPDATE:

Hawkysoft posted about a rare occurrence that has been reported after using AlpharevX:

If you get a security warning in hboot, you will need an XTC Clip to get you running again!

Of course you might also send your phone to repair, but you'll most likely need to pay for that.

So if you experience this problem, either get someone with an XTC Clip to help you out, or buy an "XTC Clip Pay as you go", which is a very cheap variant that comes only with one use (rechargeable) and costs around 30USD.
​

See the following tutorial to set your device S-OFF with AlpharevX: GUIDE -> S-OFF

And pause at the point where you should install CWMR (ClockworkMod Recovery) to consider the following options:

Do you want to switch to a custom rom after S-OFF?

-> continue with the guide above installing CWMR

Do you want to keep your official firmware and replace your official recovery with CWMR?

--> continue with the guide above installing CWMR,

but before you install a custom rom, make a backup of your current firmware in CWMR!

Do you want to keep your orig firmware AND the official recovery?

--> don't continue with the guide above and follow this guide instead

​

Be it Froyo or Gingerbread doesn't matter.

If you insist you only want to root your Froyo rom and not upgrade to Gingerbread immediately, please scroll further down.

A rooted Froyo rom is NOT necessary for flashing and afterwards rooting Gingerbread!

If you need further details about flashing custom roms just scroll down.

If you haven't done so already (you didn't get an OTA or you didn't do it manually yet) and you want to upgrade to Gingerbread, here's a short guide on how to flash it first..

How to install the Gingerbread update
​

download one of the Gingerbread Roms

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1033922

This link is for the Incredible S only of course, but the following works also for the Desire S, but then please use a rom for your phone ;)

ATTENTION: If you are NOT S-OFF yet and you are planning to using AlpharevX, you MUST use an ruu compatible with AlpharevX! Check that first!

start the RUU installer

[*]go into your tmp folder to get rom.zip from the extracted files of the RUU installer:

Access the tmp folder by clicking on start/run and put %tmp% into the textbox. Or for windows 7 put this into this search textbox in the "start menu"

Look for the most recent folder (sort by date). In that folder look for rom.zip or simply do a search.

After acquiring rom.zip from your tmp folder you can exit the RUU installer

[*]Put rom.zip onto your sdcard and name it PG32IMG.zip.

boot into the bootloader.. (press and hold vol.down + press power) it will automatically start to install it and ask you if you want to proceed.

After a reboot remove PG32IMG.zip from your sdcard (otherwise it would ask you to reinstall the update each time you boot into the bootloader)

use morelocales2 from the market if you need additional languages

finished. Now follow the steps below for rooting the fw

Guide below partly out of date!

It works, but there are easier methods available now.Work in progress​

What you need if you want to root your Gingerbread rom

:​

an incredible S / Desire S that is S-OFF

Gingerbreak OR SuperOneClick newest version

Busybox

UPDATE:

Some users reported that they weren't able to root using SuperOneClick or Gingerbreak.apk no matter what they tried.

After I reflashed my IS I also run into problems. Although it's not unusual that it doesn't work the 1st time, I decided to do it manually.

I have attached a zip with all the files needed and a script that you could try which does everything for you.

It doesn't do any magic or different than SuperOneClick, but if you do it this way you get to see what's actually happening and if it fails and where / why.

When using this you also don't need to reboot between the tries, reinserting / remounting your sdcard is sufficient.

Please report any bugs.

How to use

:​

make sure usb debugging is enabled

make a backup of your sdcard's content or use another fat32 formatted sdcard where you don't care to possibly lose its content.

download the zip file: View attachment 596033

extract the zip and open a shell/command prompt and change into that directoy

on Linux start runexploit.sh, on Windows start runexploit.cmd

if Gingerbreak doesn't finish and you ONLY get to see lots of "sendmsg() failed?" without any other messages in between, you should try any of the following options:​

hit ctrl + c to abort, unmount / remount your sdcard and start over. It could take a few tries

Doublecheese reported it took him 8-9x​

WHILE Gingerbreak is running and printing "sendmsg() failed?" forever, pull and take out your SDcard completely and reinsert it

this worked well for vontdeux, jkolner and me​

Thanks to Vontdeux, Doublecheese, jkolner and everyone else afterwards for the feedback!
​

now, after you see '#', you can hit ctrl + c or close the shell

run root.sh on Linux or root.cmd on Windows from the same directory. This will install su, SuperUser.apk and busybox

when it's finished you're done and have root

then it's very recommended to get "rom manager" from the market, open it and install clockworkmod recovery for installing custom roms, backing up your system et.c.

Files:

Big thanks to Chainfire for GingerBreak and CLShortFuse for SuperOneClick!​

SuperOneClick: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=803682

OR Gingerbreak: get the latest version here: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1044765

Busybox installer: https://market.android.com/details?id=stericson.busybox

Steps

:​

make sure usb debugging is enabled

make a backup of your sdcard's content or use another fat32 formatted sdcard where you don't care to possibly lose its content.

use the latest SuperOneClick which might be easier.

start the application and select "GingerBreak" as exploit.

But respect the info and warning of the creator of the Gingerbreak.apk:

click root check Chainfire's post if you run into problems (also with SuperOneClick because it uses his exploit): http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?p=13086954#post13086954

after it's finished your phone will reboot and you're essentially done.

Alternatively, don't use SuperOneClick but follow the guide of Chainfire from the beginning to install Gingerbreak on your device and root your phone: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?p=13086954#post13086954​

(optional) get the busybox installer mentioned above, start the application and install/update your busybox installation.

(optional, but highly recommended) Now for the ultimate pleasure ;) get Rom Manager from the market and use it to install a "custom recovery": ClockWorkMod Recovery

What you need if you want to root your Froyo rom

:​

an Incredible S / Desire S that is S-OFF

SuperOneClick newest version

(optional, but highly recommended) Busybox installer app

Files:

Update: apparently the current SuperUser app is crashing for some users.

If you experience these problems see the next section

Big thanks to CLShortFuse for SuperOneClick!​

SuperOneClick:: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=803682

Busybox installer: https://market.android.com/details?id=stericson.busybox

Steps

:​

use the latest SuperOneClick

start the application and select "psneuter" as exploit.

click root

after it's finished you might need to reboot for getting Superuser app to pop up when needed.

(optional) get the busybox installer mentioned above, start the application and install/update your busybox installation.

(optional, but highly recommended) Now for the ultimate pleasure ;) get Rom Manager from the market and use it to install a "custom recovery": ClockWorkMod Recovery

So how to flash custom roms?

:

it's extremely easy ;)​

put your favorite custom rom onto your sdcard

install rom manager if you haven't done so already

open rom manager and click "install ClockworkMod Recovery

next click "install rom from sdcard"

select your custom rom you put on your sdcard

select to backup your currently installed rom just in case you want to revert back

Most of the time you also need to check wipe cache and data (follow the instructions of the creator of that custom rom to find out if you need to do that or not. If you wipe your data, all your current settings will be lost however so make a backup!)

wiping Dalvik Cache is always a good idea and won't harm your settings

after pressing ok, Rom manager will boot into Recovery, backup your current rom (if you told it to), wipe (if you told it to), install the custom rom and reboot

Solution for SuperUser crashing

:

All thanks go to rmk40 who patched SuperUser for us running newer versions of Sense:

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=886999

How to install the patched version

Update 5/14: Fixed a serious bug in the replace_su script that made it pretty much useless :o ​

If you didn't root your phone yet

You might want to patch SuperOneClick before using it the first time.

Either download the patched su and SuperUser.apk, or just use the already patched version of SuperOneClick attached to this post. View attachment 591017

If you already rooted your phone:

Usually the first app requesting root access does work with the unpatched version, so you can use this to gain root access on the shell to replace SuperUser and su with the patched versions. If SuperUser doesn't pop up, open Superuser and remove all apps you already whitelisted for su access and try again

To keep it simple, I have attached an archive with a script to do this for you: View attachment 595753
​

make sure USB Debugging is enabled (in settings/apps/development)

extract replace_su.zip on your windows or linux pc

open a terminal and change into that directory

on windows run replace_su.cmd, on linux run replace_su.sh

the script needs root access so you need to press allow when SuperUser pops up on the phone

If you already installed a custom recovery and want to do it that way:​

Just download rmk40's flashable zip: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=886999

put it onto your sdcard

reboot into recovery by starting rom manager and selecting reboot into recovery

if this doesn't work because SuperUser fc, shutdown your phone completely (fast boot disabled in settings/power). Press and hold vol-down and press power. From the bootloader menu: select "recovery"​

use ClockworkMod to flash the zip. "install/flash zip from sdcard.."

you can also just replace those files (SuperUser.apk and su) in your SuperOneClick directory and then re-run SuperOneClick.

Here's the "patched" SuperOneClick View attachment 591017​

Update 5/14: Fixed an error in the replace_su script.

Update 5/10: updated because of a request to re-add the Froyo rooting info

Update 5/09: updated because of SuperUser crashing issue

Update 4/27: updated due to new version of SuperOneClick now supporting Gingerbreak

Update 4/26: updated because of Gingerbreak, which makes this much shorter and easier. Thanks very much Chainfire for all the hard work!

Update 4/24: thanks very much to Hawkysoft for pointing out that psneuter doesn't work for Gingerbread and further instructions)

So if you are already gingerbreaded, please scroll down ;)

Update 4/23: OFFICIAL CLOCKWORKMOD RECOVERY NOW AVAILABLE!!

Big thanks to Koush and Hawkysoft!

Please check the post by Hawkysoft!

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1046759