[Samsung Galaxy S II Plus] konradsmuts:
How I did my installation

Hi Guys

Firstly thanks to andixlm and all contributors for this excellent ROM!!!

I thought I'd share my experience of installing CM12, by adding a few tips to the installation guide (as found in this thread's post #2) in the hope of helping my fellow n00bs.

I'm no expert / YMMV / no guarantee implied / disclaimers / brick your phone? you're on your own / Lost data? Sucks to be you / etc.

I started out with a bone stock SII Plus (GT-I9105P) and the instructions in post #2, plus the XDA thread [HOW TO ROOT] Samsung Galaxy SII Plus and (external link) TWRP for Samsung Galaxy S2 Plus.

The biggest difference is that I used TWRP rather than ClockWorkMod. No doubt there is nothing wrong with CWM, but I had trouble downloading the package via the d-h.st link found on the HOW TO ROOT thread. First I got an .exe file and then BitDefender went crazy when I tried to run it... I ended up choosing TWRP because it supports the S2 Plus and I could actually download the file. The fact that TWRP looks nicer and supports touch screen functionality is simply a bonus.

It took me quite a bit of reading to understand that I first needed to install a custom recovery AND overwrite the stock recovery (to avoid it restoring itself) before installing the ROM. I'm still not quite sure when exactly I "rooted" my device...?

Sometimes I'm ashamed of my n00bfulness :o

I found some useful insights/inspiration watching the following two youtube videos:

How to ROOT S2 Plus (I9105P) !!

How to Install Custom ROM using TWRP Recovery! [FAILPROOF METHOD]

OK, so here goes.... :rolleyes:

Make a backup! [I didn't and came close to regretting it]

If you were on CM 10.1 or a stock ROM prior to 4.2, upgrade to 4.2. [I did a factory reset/update to Android version 4.2.2]

Install ClockworkMod recovery with SELinux support. Older CWM will result in a "status 7" error. [This presented the biggest challenge. I gave up on CWM and used TWRP, installed via the "Odin method"]

TIP: From here on out I basically followed the process as described on [HOW TO ROOT] Samsung Galaxy SII Plus using TWRP instead of CWM.

TIP: I failed to copy the ROM and GApps to my SD card before starting and had to use a second phone to copy to the card afterwards. Don't make this mistake! :eek:

Reboot into recovery [With volume UP, power and home - see ROOT instructions. When prompted to patch/overwrite stock recovery - DO IT!]

Wipe data if coming from stock or another non-CM ROM (You may get a "status 7" error if you fail to wipe.)

TIP: Make sure you wipe as much as possible! Factory wipe wasn't enough for me. Advanced wipe with as much boxes ticked as possible. I was unable to wipe "boot" and "external card" (due to having ROM on it)

Install the ROM [The latest version cm-12-20150330-UNOFFICIAL-i9105p.zip just hung for me, another returned an error, cm-12-20141219-UNOFFICIAL-i9105p.zip -

the most-downloaded version

- proved the charm!]

TIP: Download more than one version of the ROM to your SD card, making sure to include the most downloaded cm-12-20141219-UNOFFICIAL-i9105p.zip

TIP: If the process hangs, take the battery out, and reboot into recovery. I only needed to hold all three buttons until the stock splash appeared and TWRP would load eventually

TIP: A successful flash should not take more than a few seconds. If you've passed a couple of minutes, it isn't happening anymore :crying:

Optionally install the Google Apps Addon [Again this needs to be on the SD card if you wish to install. I did this on a second recovery boot without a hitch]

TIP: On my first boot attempt I got the Cyanogenmod splash, which endlessly repeated. After 10 minutes I got really sad, then restarted and everything was fine.

The ROM works as described, i.e

PERFECTLY

without any trace of a glitch so far. I deeply appreciate being able to give my old phone a new lease of life. It is fast and responsive and looks and feels better than ever :good:

Good luck!!! :fingers-crossed: