[Epic 4G Android Development] Dante of the Inferno:
Running ROM's If You're Coming From A Stock EI22 Epic

Except that there is currently no way to One-Click Root if you're already on Gingerbread :mad:

If you're coming straight from a completely stock Epic right out of the box, then you're going to need a few items. Grab a snack.

First things first, download Samsung Epic 4G drivers, in either 32-bit or 64-bit flavors (yes, this is for Windows). Unzip the file using any kind of unzip program (my favorite is 7-Zip). From there, just install the drivers. On your phone, go to Settings -> Applications -> Development and click on USB Debugging.

Now, if you already have apps that you downloaded to the phone or anything else that you want to keep (call logs, settings, text messages, etc), then you should also check the Unknown Sources box in Applications. Then, download Titanium Backup (and Pro - believe me, it's worth the money) from Market. Open Titanium Backup, click Backup/Restore, click on the options button (the list icon from the bottom row OF THE PHONE), click Batch, and RUN "Backup all user apps + system data." Let it finish (it will tell you when it's done), and exit out.

NOTE: IT IS BEST TO (FOR SOME REASON) USE A DIFFERENT USB CABLE THAN THE ONE THAT COMES WITH THE PHONE. DOING OTHERWISE CARRIES A FAIRLY HIGH RISK OF FAILURE. USE A DIFFERENT USB CABLE.

Go ahead and plug in the phone to your computer. If everything works, then you should see a window pop up on the phone asking you if you want to copy items to the computer. Follow the instructions. From there, the auto-run on Windows should work fine.

Assuming everything worked out so far, here's the most efficient way to work from now on:

1.) Download the Odin 3 V1.85 program, the EI22 ROM + EC05 Modem Tarball, the ACS Recovery 1.0.0.5, EC05 to EI22 Modem, and ACS ICS V4.0 to your computer.

2.) Copy over the ACS Recovery, EC05 to EI22 Modem, and ACS ICS V4.0 zip files (MAKE SURE NOT TO UNZIP THEM) to the SD Card in your phone (if you have the phone still connected to your computer, just copy them over that way).

3.) Unmount the phone from the computer and disconnect it. Power down the phone. Open up the keyboard, and hold down the "1" key and the Power button until you see an icon of Android with a shovel. This is Download Mode.

4.) On the computer, unzip the Odin file, and open the Odin program. Connect the phone to the computer. A yellow box should now display on the left side of the program. In the Options section, make sure that ONLY the "Auto Reboot" box is checked. Click the PDA button, and select the EI22 ROM + EC05 Modem Tarball from wherever you downloaded it you on your computer. Press Start, let the program run, and AFTER THE PHONE HAS REBOOTED, disconnect the phone.

5.) If you don't see your icons, apps, etc, don't freak out. Even though the Odin program has wiped your phone back to "modified" stock memory, all of your stuff is backed up directly to the SD card (all thanks to Titanium Backup). Power down the phone. Once the phone is COMPLETELY off (try pressing keyboard buttons. If nothing lights up, the phone is off). Next, hold down the Volume Down, Camera, and Power buttons at the same time (this will from now on be referred to as the 3-Finger Grip). Continue to hold down on the buttons until the bottom row of icons lights up on the phone. This will take you to the Clockwork Recovery menu (should be in Purple). In this environment, you navigate up and down using the Volume buttons, select using the Camera button, and go back using the Back icon on the bottom icon row.

6.) Navigate to and select "install zip from sdcard." Select "choose zip from sdcard." From here, navigate to wherever you put the ACS Recovery zip file (if you were smart, you just copied it to the top of the SD Card without placing it in a subfolder). Select it, navigate to "Yes", and let the install run (should only be a couple seconds). After it's done, press the Back button until you reach the Main Menu once again. Select "reboot system now." Hurry and use the 3-Finger Grip. If you were fast enough, this will lead you to the ACS Recovery menu (should be in Blue). If not, then the phone will reboot as normal. In which case, simply power down the phone again, and use the 3-Finger Grip.

7.) In this new environment (the controls are the same as before), navigate to and select "install zip from sdcard." Select "choose zip from sdcard." Navigate to and select the EC05 to EI22 Modem zip. Choose Yes, and let the install run. Next, select "pre-rom install wipe." This will clear out the Data, Cache, and Dalvik Cache that deals with everything relevant on your phone. Then, select "choose zip from sdcard." Navigate to and select the ACS ICS V4 (EI22) zip, and install it. This can take a couple minutes. Once complete, use the Back button to return to the Main Menu. Select, "reboot system now."

8.) It's probably going to take a couple minutes for the phone to boot properly. let it be. Once the phone is ready to use (and the media scans are complete), go to the Apps menu, and click on Market. It will ask you to sign in (do so), and agree to the terms and conditions (do so). From here, you can re-download the Titanium Backup app (DO NOT re-download the Pro version. That is only a license key that Google remembers.). Open Titanium Backup, and it should revert to the Pro version. You may have to allow Superuser to access the program (click Allow and Remember my choice). Again, use the list icon from the bottom row of the device to reveal the Batch option. Click it, and under the Restore section, RUN "Restore missing apps + all system data."

With that, you should have a fully restored Epic that can load and run custom ROMS in under a minute flat.