How to install Eclair 2.1 on HTC Hero

Hi everybody,

I was wondering if I have to wait for HTC official firmware update for Hero or install a custom ROM in order to use the new Eclair Android System and I choose to install a new custom ROM, the AOSP Eclair 2.1.

What is AOSP Eclair 2.1?

The Android Open Source Project (AOSP) is the public, open-source repository used by Google and phone carriers and manufacturer’s to power their phones. It lags significantly behind the ‘private’ repository used by those companies, but the updates do come eventually.  (source Modaco)

In this post I would like to give you a step by step guide to install AOSP Eclair 2.1 on a ‘virgin’ HTC Hero no brand. I’m not responsible for any damage or malfunction on your device, go ahead  is only your choice.

1. Backup all your data

First of all you need to backup all your data, on Android Market there are a lot of applications, I like and I used MyBackup Pro. Use the QR Code to install it.

2. Install SDK on your PC

Go to Android Developers web site and download the latest Android SDK. On Windows system create a new folder android-sdk under the root C:\ and unzip the archive in that folder.

3. Root your Hero

Now you have to obtain root access on your device.

1. Go to Settings->Application->Development and enable USB debugging option.
2. Check your current rom version Settings->About Phone if your build number is lower than 2.73 go to step 15.
3. Go to Settings->Application and make sure Unknown source is checked ON.
4. On your phone, goto Settings, SD card and phone storage, and click Unmount SD card.
5. Click Format SD card (it should automatically remount after this).
6. Plug the phone into the compuer via USB, then pull down the notification bar and click on the SD card notification. Then click mount.
7. Download this APK and recovery image and save it to your computer:
   flashrec-1.1.2-20090909.apk
   Cyanogen’s / Modaco Hero Recovery Image
8. Extract the cm-hero-recovery.img out of the MoDaCoPatchedRecovery-1.0.zip and put it somewhere on your computer.
9. Save both the cm-hero-recovery.img and the flashrec-1.1.2-20090909.apk to your computer, then copy them both to your SD card (do NOT put them inside any folders on the SD card, just put them in the root of the SD card itself).
10. Unplug the phone from the computer once they are downloaded to the SD card.
11. Goto the Market and download any file manager program if you do not already have one. These are some Astro, IO Filemanager, Linda File Manager.
12. Open the file manager and goto SDCard and then find the flashrec-1.1.2-20090909.apk file and click on it.
    If asked, tell it to use Package Installer to open it. It should automatically install the apk.
13. Open the FlashRec program and click on Backup Recovery Image and wait for it to finish.
14. Once done, click on the empty text box in the FlashRec program and type:
    sdcard/cm-hero-recovery.img
    Then click on the Flash Custom Recovery Image button and wait for it to finish. Be sure to have typed the right command.
15. Restart into bootloader (switch on holding the back button)
16. Extract the latest GSM Hero recovery IMG into your android SDK/tools folder (C:\android-sdk\tools).
17. Download Superuser.zip and extract the contents to your SDK/tools folder (C:\android-sdk\tools).
18. Plug in USB
19. (Skip this step if your build number is greater or equal than 2.73 ) Open a command prompt from the tools directory and type the following command:
    c:\android-sdk\tools> fastboot boot recovery-RA-hero-v1.5.2.img
20. Perform a Nanodroid Backup (recomended) from the recovery menu, once complete, continue.
21. Then type the following commands in CMD exactly as they are here, hitting enter for a new line.
    c:\android-sdk\tools> adb shell mount /system
c:\android-sdk\tools> adb push su /system/bin/
c:\android-sdk\tools> adb shell chmod 4755 /system/bin/su
c:\android-sdk\tools> adb push Superuser.apk /system/app/
c:\android-sdk\tools> adb shell reboot
22. Now you have rooted your Hero.

4. Install the new ROM

In this step you can install whatever custom ROM you like, I will describe how to install AOSP Eclair 2.1

1. Download the latest AOSP Eclair custom ROM from AOSP Eclair 2.1 r2 for GSM Hero. Currently aosp-2.1-jnwhiteh-r3.zip is available.
2. Rename it in update.zip
3. Put the zip on the root of your SDCard
4. Ensure that you have a backup of your SDCard
5. Reboot your phone  (switch on holding the home button until a black console screen appears)
6. I prefer to do a wipe even the ROM’s author does not require it, so from menù select ALT-W
7. Then install the new custom ROM, from menu choose flash. It could take some minutes.
8. Reboot you device, the first boot is a little bit slow.
9. Here we are this is you new Eclair Rom on Hero

5. Install GoogleBits

The last step is to install GoogleBits, it includes all of the relevant applications, many of them being the latest from the Nexus One.

1. Download GoogleBits-sdk7-v1.7-signed.zip (RapidShare, Megaupload, DepositFile, HotFile)
2. Unzip it in c:\sdk-android\tools\GoogleBits\
3. Connect USB to your PC
4. Type the following commands:
   cd c:\android-sdk\tools\
adb remount
adb push GoogleBits\system\framework /system/framework
adb push GoogleBits\system\lib /system/lib
adb push GoogleBits\system\app /system/app
adb reboot
5. Configure your applications
6. You have finished

A video of the new ROM on my device will be available soon

Hope this could help any of you.

Resources:

• Rooting the HTC Hero/G2..(success)
• [HOWTO] If you flashed the original RUU_Hero_HTC_WWE_2.73.* and got the new hboot
• AOSP Eclair 2.1 r2 for GSM Hero

Related post

• Android 2.1 for HTC Hero will be released in February (0)
• HTC Hero Android 2.1 official update on March? (1)
• Update Amon RA’s Recovery Image for HTC Hero (0)

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