[Defy Android Development] neuralboy:
If you purchased your phone in the last three weeks and from this date onwards (Feb 8), you have the latest 6.39 US rom preinstalled. (Currently being rolled out for older devices through the OTA).

This means that you have a high likelihood of bricking your device if you attempt to flash a non US rom – or probably any rom.

This is my experience so I decided to post this thread in this section (despite grumblings) as a caution.

After a heroic 24 hour effort last week, I gave up on trying to unbrick my last device and this time (last night) decided to take the safer road and see if the updated rom could at least still be rooted….

As mentioned elsewhere, it still can be rooted using superoneclick (run from the pc – instructions in other threads)

I’ve attached the file that worked for me below, and will briefly describe the route I’ve followed this morning to get to a smoothly running, rooted Defy that still runs 2.1 but cleanly bypasses blur and looks and feels good:

•	Root using the file below or find it in other threads – there are a few versions to choose from.

•	Install Tenfar’s recovery (big thanks!), found elsewhere or attached below. (Again there are a few versions to choose from including a newer version from tenfar but the one attached below worked for me)

•	Make a backup using recovery – remembering that it always has to be run from the recovery app and can’t be booted into from a switched off state or battery pull – (power on volume down) This is at the core of the locked boot loader issue - correct me someone if I’m wrong.

Once backed up you can set about downloading app remover/freezers, overclock apps (setcpu) and an alternate launcher – ADW. (Aside from a bunch of other apps that require root and are lotsa fun!)

My approach to the bloatware:

I first tried freezing apps one by one (deleting/removing them will affect your ability to get future OTAs smoothly without restoring the original backup so instead unfreeze them later)

…but froze one too many – bluraccount app and got froze out of the phone interface (Blank screen - not having any way to run the functions/apps or change settings, and a factory wipe/restore or using the stock recovery didn’t fix this by the way) and four hours later found a backdoor to reinstalling recovery and restoring the backup – sweaty work believe me.

(How to: By multi tapping the home button it opened up the internet app – then navigated to a link to the online “appbrain” app and clicked a link there to download directly from the market. This then automatically opened up the market app on the phone which was otherwise unavailable by any other means. Once the market app was opened, I downloaded, installed and immediately clicked to open linda file manager then used it to navigate to the SD card to find the recovery app mentioned above, clicked to reinstall which opened the install dialogue, I then chose to open it because it was already installed and chose to boot into recovery from where I restored the earlier backup - voila! All better)

I decided then to only remove non moto/blur related apps and install ADW free and basically take the blur interface out of the equation while getting a visual upgrade.

While this approach leaves the blur account sync and other blur related apps intact, if you have the updated rom, you’ll know that it’s fast and smooth anyway, making this a workable compromise because the blur interface/launcher is basically the other half of their annoying equation.

I chose not to permanently overclock to protect the phone long term and also preserve battery life, but it does give it an immediate kick!

Once ADW and some free themes are downloaded from the market, it’s accessed by going into any area or menu of the phone, say settings, then clicking the home soft key.

This opens a dialogue asking how you’d like to execute this command, ADW or Home (blur) - click the box saying remember choice (make default) – note the instructions on how to undo this choice later and say goodbye to blur baby!

To access ADW settings – because you’re now looking at a different desktop/home screen (for want of a better term) – click the menu soft key (bottom, far left) and choose ADW settings.

From here you can change all manner of launcher (phone interface) settings:

How many icons around the app drawer button, how fast it opens, making it 3D and transparent (sorry you’re going to have to figure this out for yourself – OK, ADW settings, drawer settings, zoom effect speed 100 – background color – move the alpha slider to the far left then click in the middle of the color wheel) themes, how many rows of apps, auto hiding the task bar, and on and on.

Basically a smooth running visual overhaul to add to the rooted, free to do whatever you want device.

And for those of you who are concerned about still running éclair (2.1) – I’d say that once you’ve basically achieved a 2.3 (gingerbread) visual experience with ADW, have disappeared blur for all intents and purposes, have a device that runs smoothly (and let’s face it it’s a defy) you basically won’t miss the little extra’s that come with froyo and if you really do – just hang in there for the upgrade.

It’s gotta come sometime.

Peace out