[Gen8 General] chrulri:
Hello community

First of all, thanks to dogmaphobia for his initial work (click for fw 2.0.71)

Don't forget: I'm not responsible for anything ;)

Installing SDE or rooting your Archos device in any way may or definitly will void your warranty. You can find more information about it on the Archos website: link

Now here we go, you need four things:

An Archos Gen8 device (e.g. A101IT)

Archos Firmware

- 2.1.02: [Archos server]

- 2.1.03: [Archos server, Mirror #1]

- 2.1.04: [Archos server, Mirror #1]

- 2.1.08: [Archos server]

- 2.3.20: [Archos server]

- 2.3.26: [Archos server]

- 2.3.81: [Archos server]

- 2.4.19: [Archos server]

- 2.4.65: [Archos server]

- 2.4.80: [Archos server]

- 2.4.81: [Archos server]

- 2.4.82: [Archos server]

- 2.4.83: [Archos server]

Archos SDE

- [Archos server], [Mirror #1]

Rooted initramfs + kernel

- [fw 2.0.71 +rw]

- [fw 2.1.02]

- [fw 2.1.02 +rw]

- [fw 2.1.03]

- [fw 2.1.03 +rw]

- [fw 2.1.04]

- [fw 2.1.04 +rw]

- [fw 2.1.08]

- [fw 2.1.08 +rw]

- [fw 2.3.20]

- [fw 2.3.20 +rw]

- [fw 2.3.26]

- [fw 2.3.26 +rw]

- [fw 2.3.81]

- [fw 2.3.81 +rw]

- [fw 2.4.19]

- [fw 2.4.19 +rw]

- [fw 2.4.65]

- [fw 2.4.65 +rw]

- [fw 2.4.80]

- [fw 2.4.80 +rw]

- [fw 2.4.81]

- [fw 2.4.81 +rw]

- [fw 2.4.82]

- [fw 2.4.82 +rw]

- [fw 2.4.83]

- [fw 2.4.83 +rw]

*: +rw = permanent root, changes to filesystem will be stored in /dev/mmcblk0p2. it has ~30 megabytes free, this should be sufficient for most changes and scripts.

BE CAREFULLY: if you delete or corrupt important system files and aren't able to boot anymore, you have to flash the "non-rw" root kernel+initramfs, go to /mnt/system/unionfs and remove the changes.

Then you have to the following:

Install SDE (you only have to do this only once, it will even survive a full reformat)

reboot Archos device and hold down "Vol-" button after screen went black

choose "Update Firmware"

connect your Archos device by USB to your computer

upload the SDE firmware file to your device

safely disconnect the USB connection

press ok on Archos device

reboot

Install android firmware

reboot Archos device and hold down "Vol-" button after screen went black

choose "Update Firmware"

connect your Archos device by usb to your computer

upload the Android firmware file to your device

safely disconnect the USB connection

press ok on Archos device

reboot

Install the custom kernel + initramfs

reboot Archos device and hold down "Vol-" button after screen went black

Go to "Recovery Menu" and then "Developer Edition Menu"

choose "Flash Kernel and Initramfs"

connect your Archos device by USB to your computer

upload zImage and initramfs.cpio.gz to your device

safely disconnect the USB connection

press ok on Archos device

reboot and hold down "Vol-" button after screen went black

choose "Developer Edition"

now you have temporary root (you always have to boot "Developer Edition" to get root again)

(optional!) permanent root

thus it will boot always the custom kernel (to revert, reinstall Android firmware)

reboot Archos device and hold down "Vol-" button after screen went black

Go to "Recovery Menu" and then "Developer Edition Menu"

choose "Remove Android Kernel"

reboot

For Updates:

Just go like this:

Have fun! :D ;)

Big thanks to jfmcbrayer for helping me out!

Links for developers:

[DEV] Thread

Project site at code.google.com