[Samsung Mesmerize] richaoj:
After bdemartino wrote his AWESOME thread for the Mesmerize it seemed only fitting that the Showcase get their very own... And since his Thread was Flawless, with his permission I'm mostly copy/pasting word for word. as I am copying most of this from elijablake . . . so thanks this thread needs some editing, and I will be working on that in the future . . . . specifically the CWM / ROM manager which will not work. I could use some assistance in rewriting that part. TY!

BEST. ADVICE. EVER. #samsung-mesmerize on irc.freenode.net

<3<3<3<3<3

Also, read the Glossary for definitions and such. I was not the sharpest tool in the shed and it took me a while to find this . . .

Disclaimers

CSOUTH IS RELEASEING 2.2 UPDATE THIS WEEK (6/26). You may just want to wait for that to be released. This thread will be updated when the release occurs as how to flash recovery that you can flash roms with etc.

Keep in mind there are many variations to each step, this is what worked for me the easiest. READ ALOT BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH ANYTHING!!

There is always the disclaimer that attempting any of this can and will make your phone dysfunctional and or possibly bricked beyond repair (but most likely just dysfunctional which is a pain in the arse to deal with) if you do not follow steps completely (and of a trustworthy source such as xda - ehm and in the appropriate forum ).

Steps to get to 2.2 (EB11) on your phone:

**Please note that the links were removed by CSouth for copyright (COPY WRONG *****ES) reasons. So if you can find the files somewhere (ahem . . . ) then you can follow these steps. THIS GUIDE IS PURELY FOR EDUCATIONAL VALUE, I DO NOT ADVOCATE BREAKING COPYRIGHT LAW.

I highly recommend using Heimdall rather than Odin. Don't ask me why . . . maybe because it has a command line utility and it is cross platform. So my instructions will be for using Heimdall.

After you have the downloaded files (from wherever you might have gotten them, you bad bad person) unzip and look for the following files:

-factoryfs.rfs

-modem.bin

-recovery.bin

-zImage

1) Put your phone in download mode by powering down your device, removing the battery, connecting the USB to your computer, and holding the volume down button. It shouldn't take long. You should see a little Android with a shovel.

2) In Heimdall, if using the GUI, put all of the files in their obviously appropriate spots. Don't worry if not everything is filled, just use the files that you have. (You should be using the repartition with the .pit file, the zImage with the Kernel, the recovery, and the modem)

If using the command line utility, cd to the directory where you unzipped the files and

heimdall flash --repartition --pit atlas_v2.2.1.pit --factoryfs factoryfs.rfs --kernel zImage --modem modem.bin --recovery recovery.bin

Wait for the process to finish, your phone will reboot at the end.

3. That is all, now your phone is updated to 2.2.1. Put the battery back in and boot your new shiny toy!

DO NOT DISCONNECT USB DURING THIS PROCESS AS IT COULD BE POTENTIALLY DISASTROUS!!! DON'T EVEN TOUCH IT AS I HAVE FOUND THE USB CONNECTION TO BE A BIT FLAKY!

Also, it is ok if it takes your phone what seems like forever to boot. This happens whenever you install a new kernel, just be patient.

If you have gotten the most updated batch of files, you should have the proper recovery to begin flashing. If not, well seek help . . . You should have RED RECOVERY!

See here for more information about CWM or go on irc.

To access recovery, you can use the three finger method. (Hold down the volume up and down keys and the power button all at the same time when you're turning your phone on) Once you see the Samsung splash screen you can remove your finger from the power button, but keep holding down both volume keys.

You should then go here to check out themes and mods.

Steps For Rooting either 2.1 or 2.2.1

Basically all this means is gaining the ability to give programs/apps and yourself SuperUser access (equivalent of being admin in windows) and also the ability to flash roms via recovery, detailed below.

**NOTE: most custom roms come rooted, so if you are installing a custom rom in 2.2.1, you most likely don't have to go through these steps. Just flash to the ROM you want . . . ***

The easiest way to root is through the z4root.apk. (an application that will run right on your phone)

Download Here

After download, put z4root.apk on your SD card root directory

Then make sure in Settings->Applications that the "Unknown sources" box is checked.

If you don't have a file manager, download a free one from the market, using the file manager navigate to the z4root.apk and select to install it.

Note: If you need help at this step, no offense I would suggest getting someone with more experience to help you continue on. I'm serious here

Reboot your phone

After it boots, open the z4root app and press root. At this point it is going to hang, give it 2 minutes and pull the battery. Count to 10, put it back in and turn it on. - This is normal

After your phone boots open z4root again and click root, this time it will run no problems and phone will reboot.

NOTE

**IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH z4root: "give Super One Click a try. It's a package you have to download to your computer, but you get to see more of what's actually going on so you know where it's at in the process. I have only used up to version 1.5.5, and I know that version is very capable for the Showcase. It is located here."-This Information provided by phidelt82**

Once you are rooted (you will see the superuser icon in your apps, it will show apps you've given that permission to... eventually) you will need to make sure you have a file manager that can request root permissions (read/write) before you will be able to complete the next step. Search the market for "root file manager" and pick one to download and install.

I use Root Explorer

It's a few bucks, but there's hardly a day that goes by when I don't use it.. (Well worth the money)

THE ECLAIR SECTION IS REMOVED AS CSOUTH IS RELEASING UPDATE THIS WEEK (6/27)