[Gen9 Android Development] Shano56:
NEW GUIDE SEE HERE: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1653566

Hi everyone! The following guide I put together is a simple, easy to follow guide, for all G9 users. If you own an ARCHOS G8, this guide will not work for you. This guide will help you easily root your tablet. If you have found anything helpful, please click "thanks" on my post, and visit the original threads of our amazing developers and leave thanks there too! Before you go on, please BACKUP ALL IMPORTANT FILES YOU DO NOT WANT TO LOSE TO A SAFE LOCATION.

If you have rooted other android devices before..rooting your Archos G9 may be a little difference. Instead of rooting stock firmware, we first temp root, then enable SDE (special developer edition) menu. Once SDE menu is enabled, it adds an option in recovery to install developer firmware. This is when we install a modified firmware that has busybox and super user included. We do this because the exploit in the temp root causes some issues that doesn't make sense to keep in the long term. Hence the name "temp" root. This guide is very safe to follow. Chances are most problems you run into are very easy to recovery. Please view the FAQ at the bottom of this post if you have questions or run into problems. Because we don't have to flash recoveries or mess with the bootloader like some Android devices require, and because all methods are universal to G9s, this rooting process is very safe and easy to follow.

Please if you have any issues following this guide, reply with the stock firmware you have (be it honeycomb, ICS, firmware 4.0.6 etc) and the G9 model (flash or HDD 250gb). Board version and processor (OMAP 4430 and 4460 should not be a problem with anything, so probably don't include this when you ask your problem.)

STEP 1: Pre-root/Temp-root

1. Install the ADB drivers, using Quinny's thread here (WINDOWS ONLY)

2. Make sure you have the Android SDK installed and have access to adb

3. Open up a command window (Windows key + R, type cmd and hit enter)

4. Type, with your tablet plugged in:

adb devices

Your device should appear. If not, repeat steps 1-4 until it does. You may need to restart your computer

5. Download root_hack and extract. Note: Don't open these links in a browser, not tapatalk or the xda app

Download them to your desktop (or wherever your ADB installation is if you cannot access ADB from your desktop)

6. Double click rootdevice.cmd to open, press any key after reading the prompt.

(Note: Device will reboot a couple times)

7. Restart your tablet (important do not skip this step)

THANKS TO PAUL FROM MoDaCo for this root

THANKS TO QUINNY and LETAMA for the original guide

STEP 2: Enable SDE

1. Make sure you have done the temp root method. Please turn off your tablet. Your tablet should now be off.

2. Download this zip and extract to your desktop

3. Turn on your tablet. Once your tablet is on, plug it into your computer via usb cable.

4. double click enable_sde.bat

5. Once that is finished, type the following: (press enter after each line)

adb shell
rm /data/local.prop

6. (If the above code doesn't work or doesn't do anything, it is okay, move on with the rest of the guide). SDE should now be enabled, make sure buy turning off your device, then once it's off:

7. Hold power + volume down until the archos logo appears and a recovery menu appears

8. Use Volume Up + Down and power to select Recovery Menu > Developer Edition menu

9. If you can get to Developer Edition menu, you have correctly enabled SDE.

STEP 3: (optional, but recommended from honeycomb). Format your device, and then install/re-install ICS. No worries: You will not lose SDE menu doing this.

It is recommended to do a full device format when upgrading to ICS. If your device is acting up or feels "laggy" after updating to ICS, this usually helps. Before you begin, please note: You will lose all apps, media files, pictures, etc. Please backup any important files. Consider Titanium Backup (root users only to backup any apps with personal data you want to keep (game scores, etc).

AGAIN: YOU WILL LOSE *ANYTHING* NOT BACKED UP!

Note: You WILL need a PC connected to the internet, and the USB cable that came with your device. Before you being, please download Archos 80/101 G9 OS v 4.0.6 (190668Kb, for 80/101 G9 devices only) to your PC, copy to your desktop or wherever you will remember, then do the following:

Step 1: Power off your device

Step 2: Boot into recovery by holding the volume rocker down and pressing the power button simultaneously

Step 3: Once in recovery, select "Format System", then "Reformat Device..." (use the volume up/down to change selection, power button to select)

Step 4: Once formatted, return to recovery using the same method above, this time select "Update Firmware"

Step 5: Plug your device into your computer using the USB cable that came with your device

Step 6: A new drive should appear in "My Computer", copy firmware_archos_it4.aos to this device

Step 7: Ensure the transfer is completed, then press the power button on your device, keep it plugged in while it is updating

Step 8: Your device should boot, and be updated to the latest firmware 4.0.6

STEP 4: Install rooted firmware. YES! This will work after installing the official ICS OTA update or official AOS.

Before you begin, you will need SDE enabled. Please follow steps 1 & 2 in my first post. If you have SDE enabled, you can continue. Any downloaded applications and personal media should remain untouched. You have some options for which ROM you want. Please download files to your PC hard drive.

For stock ROM w/ root (busybox and superuser), download and extract the following:

4_0_6_update.zip

kernel_update.zip

For custom ROM ICS@BLUE_V02, download and extract the following:

https://hotfile.com/dl/154778665/e6b99ad/ics_blue_update.zip.html

http://www.2shared.com/file/triOUMDR/ics_blue_kernel.html

BE SURE to extract, Archos recovery does not recognize zip files

Step 1: Power your device on

Step 2: Once your device is on, and your home screen is visible, plug your device into your PC

Step 3: Open a command prompt on your PC and type

adb devices

Step 4: Ensure your device shows up so you know it's connected properly and adb is active

Step 5: Type

cd desktop

This is to change the directory to where you download the two files

Step 6: If you have flash NAND model (8gb or 16gb): Type

adb push archos.ext4.update /data/media

If you have HDD model (250gb): Type

adb push archos.ext4.update /mnt/storage

Give it some time to transfer, it is a large file and will take several minutes, you will be presented with transfer info once the transfer is complete

Step 7: Power off your device

Step 8: Boot into recovery by holding the volume rocker down and pressing the power button simultaneously

Step 9: You should now be in Recovery mode with the following options "No" "Reboot" "Update Firmware" "Repair System" "Format System" "Developer Edition Menu". Select "Developer Edition Menu"

Step 10: Select "Remove Android Kernel" (if the option is present, if not, skip)

Step 11: Select Flash Kernel and Initramfs

Step 12: Copy zImage and initramfs.cpio.lzo to the drive that appears

Step 13: Reboot your device. Your device should now be rooted.

Frequently Asked Questions! (FAQ)

Will this guide work for my Archos 80 G9? For my 101 G9? I have Archos 101 G9 OMAP 4430. I have 250GB hdd model! I have turbo edition!

Yes this guide will work for ALL Archos G9 users. This includes 80 G9s and 101 G9s. This includes all 8gb G9s and 16gb G9s and 250GB G9s and 1.0 GHz G9s and 1.2 GHz G9s and 1.5 GHz G9s and OMAP 4430 G9s and OMAP 4460 G9s and board version V5 etc etc. ALL G9s!

Can I just drag the .zip file to the RAMDISK that appears when I flash zImage and initramfs?

No! Archos recovery cannot read ZIP files. You must first EXTRACT, then copy the contents of the extracted folder. NOT the folder itself. This means you will have two files on the RAMDISK, and no additional folders. If you don't know what a RAMDISK is, try Google or Wikipedia. If you get stuck in a boot loop because you forgot to extract archos.update.ext4 or drive.zip, you must follow the instructions below.

Help! I am stuck in a bootloop! Archos splash screen appears and keeps rebooting. I messed up when I was rooting, and now android will not boot! I accidentally formatted my device, and now I cannot boot into android.

This is a simple mistake and in 99% of cases it is easy to fix. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Download official Archos G9 firmware for ALL G9 tablets (aos file) HERE

Step 2: Boot into recovery turning your device off and then holding volume down + power at the same time

Step 3: Choose "Update Firmware"

Step 4: Connect USB cable to computer and tablet

Step 5: A removable device should appear (RAMDISK), copy the file you just download straight to that drive

Step 6: Press the power button once the file is done copying. DO NOT UNPLUG your device until it has finished updating and has booted back into android.

If you did not format your tablet or delete any personal media, your files should be uneffected.

Will I lose SDE menu if I update my tablet with official AOS or OTA update

As of the latest update (4.0.6) no official update from Archos has removed SDE menu. You should be fine, and your SDE menu should remain untouched.