[Hero, G2 Touch Android Development] Dayzee:
NOOB GUIDE to installing MODACO ROM with A2SD

A GUIDE FOR TOTAL NOOBS to using SDK + Rooting of HERO using MODACO Custom ROMs (1.x and 2.0)

Includes lots of wonderful goodies like Apps to SD and tethering program.

See this thread http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=552591

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Right - a nice clear NOOB guide based on my other rooting one - I'll asume no previous SDK experience and XP throughout. Also, this method does NOT install the recovery image permanantly on your device - there is a thread here that tells you how to do that. http://android.modaco.com/content/h...ed-recovery-image-on-your-device-permanently/

NOTE ALSO I AM NOT AN EXPERT AND MERELY COLLECTING THE INFORMATION IN ONE EASY GUIDE!! Thanks to the real experts for the info contained here. XXX Dayz XXX

You will need

SDK - http://developer.android.com/index.html

Recovery Image - http://rapidshare.com/files/26262114...covery.img.zip

MoDaCo 1.1 Rom - http://content.modaco.net/hero/update-hero...-1.1-signed.zip

For Apps 2 SD - you need an SD card with two partitions on it - EXT3 between 300 and 1000MB and FAT32 for the rest of the space.

You might want - Latest radio from here http://android.modaco.com/content/h.../26-08-hero-roms-radios-in-update-zip-format/ (Currently, the latest is the one ending in 5-15 I think) - You don't NEED a newer Radio, but Paul recommends it :)

1 GETTING THE SDK and INSTALLING IT

Firstly you need to download the Android SDK (Software Developers Kit if you were wondering) from http://developer.android.com/index.html

They tell you to install it but really, what you need to do is just make sure the unzipped folder with everything in is placed in the root of your main drive (Usually c) so that its easier to point at it I guess. When unzipped, this folder is named something longwinded - I renamed mine to sdk and i'll use that in the following instructions.

2 INSTALLING SDK USB DRIVERS and USB DEBUGGING

Firstly on your device, go to Settings - Applications -Development - USB Debugging and make sure it has a green tick

Now you need to install the USB Drivers - Plug your fone in using the USB and it should come up Unknown device and ask you to install drivers - choose the Specific location option and then browse to the USB Driver folder in sdk - for XP choose the x86 folder - if you have a different OS you probably know which one to choose more than me. The drivers should install and the phone is now recognised when you plug it in (Remember if you plug it in a different USB port it may not recognise it again - stick to the same one if you have more than one USB port)

Additional - in my case, when I got to the adb section (Step6), my device wasn't recognised again. I had to do the exact same process above for adb functions. If you get a second pop up later on when starting the adb process, then navigate to the same folder. I had to specifically browse to the x86 folder. Checking USB debugging first should stop this but if not you are forewarned.

3 CHECKING ON SDK TOOLS

Firstly have a look in the sdk folder to find the tools folder and make sure you have fastboot.exe and adb.exe in there. If yes then cool and groovy.

3A - PARTITION THE SD CARD - Optional - only if you want Apps 2 SD - you need to format your SD card so that it has 2 partitions - One with EXT3 and One with FAT32 - EXT3 is a Linux format, so if you are on linux that's easy. On XP I had to use a program called Paragon Partition Manager which I had anyway. If you have other ways to partition for EXT3 post them on the thread and I'll add them to this guide. The EXT3 partition should be around 512MB (But can be from say 300MB to 1GB) and the rest of the space FAT32 as normal. Once you have your card partitioned pop it back in the Hero and move to the next bit.

Here are a few threads about ways to partition your sdcard - not tested by me but seem successful and free!!

http://androidandme.com/2009/08/news/how-to-manually-partition-your-sd-card-for-android-apps2sd/

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=543985

(thanks to freddykr and Winkelpaleis for those links )

James says those two methods WIPE YOUR SD CARD and has a way to do it without -

"I followed an alternative guide posted on the board. It worked perfectly, and didn't wipe the SD card. Firstly, you create an ext2 partion:

http://xdaforums.com/show...&postcount=101

Secondly, you upgrade it from ext2 to ext 3:

http://xdaforums.com/show...7&postcount=12

(note, I think you can just type upgradefs at the end of the first process to upgrade it straightaway.)

Hope this helps someone who doesn't want their SD card wiped before addding an A2SP partition!

Cheers,

James"

4 CHECKING IF FASTBOOT or ADB SEES YOUR HERO.

Shutdown the phone and restart by pressing and holding power and the Back Button - you should be in bootloader - plug in your device to the USB BUT DON'T MOUNT IT!! should now say Fastboot USB on your hero. If you get prompted for drivers or device not recognised on plugging in the USB, follow step 2 again - just to be safe.

Open a comand Prompt Window - in XP its in Accessories/system from programs - I dragged the shortcut to my desktop, just so it was easier. You can also get to a command prompt by going to "RUN" and typing cmd (Ta Republik)

Double click and you'll see a line pointing to C drive probably Docs and settings, and your user name. You need to cd (change directory) into the tools folder so type (if you changed the name of the SDK folder to sdk like me)

"cd C:\sdk\tools" (and press enter)

should look like this now C:\sdk\tools>_

Next type in "fastboot devices" and press enter -

You should see something recognised - if nothing happens you need a different driver or more help. It might be worth going through step 2 again by unplugging from the PC then replugging in to force the driver request. (If that fails, ask on XDA for help)

If your device is listed, then you're set to start the next bit.

5 - INSTALLING UPDATE.ZIP FILES - DOWNLOAD and RENAME the ROM file here - http://content.modaco.net/hero/update-hero...-1.1-signed.zip

and then put the .zip onto the root of your SD card (ie not inside any folders) Then rename the file to update.zip. Steps 5 6 and 7 are the same for installing the Radio if you choose to do it, and other ROMS in future. I recommend renaming ON THE SD CARD so that the file on your PC still has the file name to avoid confusion with other updates :) Once its on the SD card (either via a card reader or USB Mount) you are ready to go to the next bit.

5 BOOTING INTO RECOVERY IMAGE

Now you need to get the recovery image that will allow you to Backup and install Update.Zip files from here

http://rapidshare.com/files/26262114...covery.img.zip

Once downloaded, unzip and place the file cm-hero-recovery.img INTO YOUR TOOLS FOLDER IN SDK (Don't forget to Unzip the zip file like I did. LOL You need the .img file in the root of the tools folder)

Now restart your fone into bootloader as mentioned above (HOLDing Back and Power) then plug into the USB and cd into the tools folder (You may already be there if you didn't unplug from before when you checked if the device was seen in part 4 above )

In the command window on your PC type "fastboot boot cm-hero-recovery.img" and press enter. Your fone should boot into a recovery console.

AT THIS POINT YOU SHOULD CONSIDER DOING A NANDROID BACKUP OF YOUR PRE ROOTED HERO ROM - scroll down to the nandroid backup option and press the scrollwheel. Once the Backup is finished, carry on with the next step - the backup will be on your SD Card and if anything goes wrong, can be restored by getting into this recovery console again

6 WIPE - Optional but advised for better chance of success - WIPE!! Scroll down to the option for factory reset/data wipe and wipe. This is especially important if you want to make the most of A2SD, as A2SD in this ROM won't MOVE stuff already on device, only install them to SD from now on. Once you get the message that the wipe is done, you're at the next step.

7 FLASH THE UPDATE.ZIP - scroll to the option to install Update.zip from SD card and select - Off it goes, it will take a bit, but once done, you can then choose reboot at the top. If the update process fails here, nothing will be changed, you can redo the previous steps after checking the update.zip etc (First try I did, I had a dodgy download of the ROM and had to redownload)

Now your fone will boot up as it is out the box - register etc again, and check the Device memory - mine was around 158MB.

The device memory WILL get less as you install stuff, because some bits of progs will install to folders on the device, but it'll probably only be around a tenth or less of the space they would take without A2SD. I currently have around 40 aps installed including big stuff like CoPilot and Docs To Go and my device memory is at 145MB compared to around 80MB before I put the new ROM with Aps to SD on.

Hope that helps those who like a WalkThrough...

NOTE - I'm just a translator of the excellent work from Paul at ModaCO and guys like Cyanogen who do the real work. I will help when I can, but I'm no Techy programmer so always ask on the forums too.

Dayzee