[Verizon Droid Charge] chadness:
I thought I'd collect together instructions from a few threads to help people get from stock EE4 to a rooted version. While the instructions will be consolidated, I will be linking back to the original threads for software downloads, so that people will always be getting the latest versions from those threads.

Assumptions

You are running stock EE4 (I'll address getting to this state in another post if I need to, but the only reason for this is that we're flashing the ROM via Clockwork Mod, which I don't think will update the baseband radio for you if it's not already at EE4).

You are on a Windows system (because that's the drivers and software I'll be pointing you to - the basic concepts will be the same for other operating systems.

Preliminary

Download the Droid Charge Windows drivers here and install them.

Download Odin on to your computer from here or here.

Download the version of Clockwork Mod (CWM) Recovery you want to load and put it somewhere on your computer you can remember. Check nitsuj17's post here for the current choices, but as of June 13th, 2011, imnuts's version here was the only choice for a bug free EE4 experience.

Download the rooted kernel you would like to use to get you root access, and put it somewhere on your phone's SD card. Check nitsuj17's post here for the current choices, but as of June 13th, 2011, imnuts's PeanutButta Jelly Time kernel seems to work without requiring an SD card fix. This recommendation is only slightly influenced by the fact I'm eating honey chipotle peanuts while writing this. Choose either a Voodoo lagfix or non-lagfix version. The Voodoo lagfix should be faster, but will require you to convert back if you want to go back to stock. Here's an explanation of what the Voodoo lagfix is. (though this isn't a Galaxy S phone, it's the same concept).

{Optional} Download the ROM you would like to use (if you want to load one) and put it on your phone's SD card (as well as any other fixed files the ROM author posted). Do this if 1) you want a deodexed ROM that can load custom system-wide themes (as opposed to Launcher themes), and/or 2) you would like a ROM that has the bloatware removed already, and/or 3) you would like whatever other improvements the ROM authors added. Again, check nitsuj17's post here for the current choices, but as of June 13th, 2011, the best options for EE4 are either the stock ROM that has been deodexed, GummyCHARGED 1.5, or imnut's EE4 Debloated 4.2.1 ROM. [These are all ROMs installed with CWM, so the instructions below will apply to that scenario, but you may run across a ROM that is installed via Odin. Just install those the same way you are being instructed to install CWM.]

Potentially, you could install a pre-rooted ROM and be able to skip the kernel instead.

As a safety precaution, download the file in this thread and save to your phone in case you have problems with your SD Card because of your new kernel.

Installing CWM using Odin

Shut down your phone and make sure it is unplugged from your computer.

Pull the battery out of your phone.

Make sure all applications are shut down and Antivirus is disabled, and run Odin on your computer.

Plug your phone in to your computer.

Hold the Down volume button until the large yellow triangle downloading screen appears. The first thin rectangle in the upper left of the ODIN applicate should also turn yellow and identify a com port. You can now release the volume key.

Uncheck the box in Odin that says "Auto Reboot".

*For this next part, make sure you are using the PDA button, NOT the Phone button, or you'll hurt your phone* Check the box next to PDA in Odin, and click the PDA button.

Navigate to the .tar.md5 file for CWM you downloaded (probably something like New_CWM_Recovery.tar.md5) and Open it.

Now you should be showing your phone connected to a Com port, Auto Reboot is unchecked, and you have selected the CWM file you want to load, so click the Start button.

In Odin, it should show the download progress, briefly flash a blue "Restart", then show a green "Pass". If it doesn't, try again, and if it repeatedly fails, try the following:

Mine was seeming to lose power and shut off halfway through, and here's how I fixed it. After Odin was loaded on the PC and the phone was in download mode, but before I started the flash, I inserted the battery. This kept the phone on through the process and it succeeded.

Try a different USB port (some people claim the back USB port works better for them, but that's very computer dependent).

If you're on a laptop, make sure it is plugged in. Try a desktop if it continues to fail.

Try a different USB cable.

Make sure Odin is the only software running, and antivirus is disabled!

Redownload the Odin package, it may be corrupt.

Redownload the ROM/kernel/recovery, it may be corrupt.

Shutdown your phone by disconnecting it (and removing the battery if you had to install it for troubleshooting).

If you need visual instructions for running Odin, there are excellent ones here, just make sure to uncheck the auto-reboot box.

At this point, you should have CWM installed, so now let's install your rooted kernel.

Installing kernel through CWM

Boot in to recovery by holding down the Home key, the Up volume key, and the power button. After you see "SAMSUNG" you can let go of the power button, but continue to hold the home key and up volume until you are in recovery.

In CWM, navigate up and down using the volume keys, select using the power key, and go back a menu using the back key.

Select "install zip from sdcard".

Select "choose zip from sdcard".

Find and select your kernel's .zip file

Repeat the above steps, but this time choose the SD Card fix file you downloaded.

Install your ROM

If you decided to install a new ROM as well, you have a couple of extra steps.

Select "wipe data/factory reset".

Select "Yes -- delete all user data".

Go back using the back key.

Select "install zip from sdcard".

Select "choose zip from sdcard".

Find and select your ROM's .zip file.

If needed, install any other fixes the ROM author posted (for instance, Gummy comes with an Exchange Email fix you need to load).

At this point, reboot and you should be all set. If you chose a lagfix kernel, it will take a while to reboot while it converts your file system. You will hear an electronic female voice detailing what is going on while this is happening.

If you are having problems accessing your SDCard with a custom kernel, please follow the instructions in this post.

Thanks to nitsuj17 for maintaining a list of dev work for the Charge, to imnuts, kejar31, and jt1134 for awesome dev work, and to DroidXcon for dev work and the awesome Odin instructions.