[HTC Droid DNA] WEA88:
A Thanksgiving Day Project

Disclaimer: I did not develop any of this. I am not responsible for hosting any of these files. I am not responsible for maintaining any of these links. I can't even post links because I'm too new. And you are also responsible for whatever happens to your own device.

I will more or less try to point you in the right direction of where/what to google just in case you want to do something similar.

Original Device

Locked, S-on, CID=VZW_001, Firmware Version-4.4.2 KitKat, HTC6435LVW

Updated Device

Cyanogen Mod 12.1-20160822-NIGHTLY-dlx, 5.1.1 Lolipop, Linux Kernel 3.4.10-CM

Look up most recent version (web archive org/web/20161224231920/((download cyanogenmod org/?device=dlx)))​

Try to download correct version here (archive org/download/cmarchive_nighlies)​

Also snapshots if you needed it (archive org/download/cmarchive_snapshots)​

Choose Your own level of google-ness (opengapps org)

Also, for reasons, you can pick older versions to try to get 12.6.85 version of google play services (github com/opengapps/arm/releases?after=20180525)​

Root/Unlock Bootloader - Sunshine (theroot ninja/[/url])

Recovery - TWRP 3.2.3-0 (I don't know where I got it from, but it works)

Root Manager - (MagiskManager)

General Things

Enable Developer options: About Phone>something> tap build # 7 times

Enable ADB from under Developer Options

Boot into Bootloader: Power off, Hold power + Volume Down even after the "DROID" animation until the menu pops up. Or use the relevant ADB command.

Put relevant files where they need to be

Recovery image in/near ADB and Fastboot on the computer​

Rom, gapps, and root manager somewhere you can find them with your recovery manager on the phone​

I think the CM12.1 rom comes with SU but don't quote me on this​

Follow any of the other relevant guides on how to unlock bootloader/root/recovery

​

Make a backup, then wipe​

Things I did not test

Data, hotspot, cellular network, messaging ... At least wifi, location services, and the camera work.

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Personal Notes: you do not need to keep reading, just a summary of what and why.

Rooting: I did try many of the other methods mentioned in the forum, but they were literally all from 2014 or earlier and some of them require server-side assistance. Also, the donor device's firmware was too new for most. And it turns out some? of the original devs developed sunshine so, take my money, y'all deserved my $25; Thanks.

Recovery and Root manager: It's just personal preference.

Things for other reasons: Magisk hide will not work because the linux kernel is too old, and I am not going to backport the patch because it is too much work for a Thanksgiving day project. That means to pass safetynet, will need to unroot (mainly just uninstalling magisk). If you needed to move apps to system apps, you can do it through a file manager while you still had the root, or through the Recovery manager while off root

Yea, this is not going to be my daily driver, hence why I didn't test out all the features. But it could work as a backup. It has wireless charging, a headphone jack, and possibly google pay. It seems really snappy with this rom too.

Credit where credit is due: All the real devs that made all these things possible, and this Droid DNA XDA community.

Have fun and have a happy US Thanksgiving.