User Guides HTC Legend: Guide to rooting and installing Froyo ROM

Disclaimer: Please note that rooting should be done at your own risk and that I will not be responsible for any issues that come up due to rooting, though I can surely help to fix the issues

What is rooting:

Rooting is a method to gain super user access (root) in your phone. tasks like modding the firmware, installing a different ROM etc. can be accomplished after gaining super user access. Some might ask why we need to take risk and load custom ROM? Android was supposed to be open platform, giving users some freedom but thanks to the madness among manufacturers to customize the UI (senseUI, touchwiz, motoblur), the end users suffer huge delays in getting OS updates. best example would be SE Xperia phones. X10 is still stuck on 1.6 and users are desperate to get newer version which is lot more faster and they are at the mercy of SE. Same is the case with other manufacturers. While Froyo was release couple of months ago, there is no sign of updates for most of the current gen phones. Thanks to the rooting methods, we will be able to load and use ROMs that are having all the latest-and-greatest updates (cooked by independent developers). Sometimes, these custom ROMs run faster than factory UI and are lighter too.

State of the Legend:
HTC Legend currently runs Android 2.1 (Éclair). While HTC said that it will push Froyo updates for legend, nobody knows when that will be done. I personally felt that, though SenseUI is awesome and makes lot of tasks easier, it eats lot of resources and sometimes gets in the way. The custom ROM that I am going to use (Cyanogen 6, Azure) is lighter, faster and without SenseUI. This ROM also allows you to move the apps to SD card which is a huge plus, given the number of apps available for download and the limited internal memory size. Here is a list of great features that are available in Azure ROM:
Based on Froyo, which means its faster and lighter on resources.
no Sense UI, takes less space and better battery life.
rooted, super-user access and terminal emulator available.
Google Voice.
Live Wallpapers
options to install custom boot loader
allows installation of hundreds of apps that can be run only on rooted phones.
The latest ROM (2.05 or 2.1) does not allow rooting and the only way to root the phone is to downgrade the firmware to 1.3x and then root the phone. The process to follow is:
  • Create a goldcard
  • downgrade legend to 1.31
  • root the firmware
  • install ROM Manager
  • install Froyo ROM with Google apps.

Required:

  • A formatted micro SD card
  • Fully charged phone
  • Linux PC if possible else a windows PC (better stick to 32-bit OS for now)
  • Android SDK
  • Backup tools to backup existing data on your Android phone.

Things to do before rooting:
Before you do the rooting and Froyo install process, Please use the backup tools to backup all your data (sms, contacts, application list, bookmarks and other data). Installing new ROM removes erases user data.

Create GoldCard:
The first step in this process is to create a goldcard. A goldcard turns your device into a generic device, thereby allowing modifications like installing another firmware possible. There are different methods to create a gold and the following, I felt, is the easiest of all. Please use a secondary or unused SD card for this purpose.

A formatted SD card is necessary for this. A gold card is nothing but a formatted SD card with modified CID. Insert the SD card in the phone and format the card (Settings -> SD Card & Phone Storage -> Unmount SD Card -> Format SD Card).
Download klutsch's goldcard creation tool from here. Run this tool as administrator. (this tool is windows only)
Enable USB Debugging mode in your phone (Settings -> Applications -> Development -> USB Debugging) and connect the phone to your windows PC.
Click on "Get CID" Tab and copy the cid that is generated. In case you get any error, select MMC0.
Open the link "http://psas.revskills.de/?q=goldcard", enter your email id and the CID. You will then get the goldcard image to the mentioned email id.
Download the goldcard image to PC, from the goldcard creation tool, click on 'load GoldCard.img', select the image that you just downloaded and click on "Patch MMC".
Voila, you now have your goldcard. Please do not use this card for any other purpose till the rooting process is over and it's time to downgrade the OS.
Remove the goldcard and use the primary card till the goldcard is needed
Downgrade the OS:
Download the following packages before starting this process:

Android SDK (copy the SDK to C:, add c:\androidSDK\Tools to your windows path)
hack4legendv5.zip : Multiupload.com - upload your files to multiple file hosting sites!
RUU 1.31 for Legend : http://shipped-roms.com/shipped/Legend/RUU_Legend_HTC_WWE_1.31.405.5_R_Radio_47.26.35.04
Connect your phone to Linux host now in 'charge only' mode. copy the contents of hack4legendv5.zip to androidSDK/tools directory and then run the script 'crackin.sh'. Run crackin.bat if you do not have a Linux box and are using windows pc. The phone will reboot couple of times and there will be lot of errors shown in the terminal. In the end look for the line showing permissions for the file /dev/mtd/mtd0. It should look like this:

crwxrwxrwx 1 1001 2002 90, 0 Jul 19 16:19 /dev/mtd/mtd0This means that your phone is ready for OS downgrade. For the next step, you do need a winodws host.

now, connect your phone to windows phone in 'charge-only' mode and execute the file RUU_Legend_HTC_WWE_1.31.405.5_R_Radio_47.26.35.04_ 7.05.35.26L_release_126592_signed.exe and just follow the instructions and the phone will reboot to 1.31 version of firmware. And it's time for Legend to get rooted.

Root the Legend:
Time to use the goldcard. insert the goldcard and connect the phone to pc in 'charge only' mode.

Download the file r4-legend-root.zip from here. Unzip the file to a directory and cd to the directory.

Switch off your Legend, switch it back on in 'fast boot' mode (keep the back button pressed while switching the phone ON). When you see that the phone has booted into fast boot screen.

connect the phone to Linux or windows pc (preferably Linux) and run './step1-linux.sh' (linux) or step1-windows.sh (windows).

You can now remove or format the goldcard. I would keep the goldcard for now as if there is any issue the above step need to be run again with goldcard.

Now Select RECOVERY option. Fastboot screen –> Boot loader -> recovery. You need to use phone's volume rocker to move up/down the menu and power button to select the option. The phone screen should now show a phone with red caution sign.

From the terminal window, run './step2-linux.sh' (linux) or step2-windows.sh (windows). Once this step is completed, the phone will be back in recovery mode. From the options, select 'wipe data' and then select the option to update the ROM, select the file 'rootedupdate.zip' from SD card. The rooting process will now start and after few minutes, the phone will boot with rooted firmware.

Now, the easy way to install custom ROM is by using ROM Manager. You can backup/restore existing ROM.

Install Azure ROM with Google apps:
Download the files Azure ROM (http://derhofbauer.at/android/downloads/roms/azure-1.0.1) and Google Apps (http://derhofbauer.at/android/downloads/addons/gapps-az-20100816-1.0) from your PC and copy them to the SD Card. Start ROM Manager and first use 'Backup Current ROM' to backup existing ROM. Once the backup is completed, select "Install ROM from SD Card" and select Azure first, followed by Google Apps patch. You will see option to clear used data. select the option and start Azure install. Few minutes later, the phone will boot into CyanogenMod 6 Froyo ROM and you are done.
Thanks a ton to the folks at XDA and Modaco for releasing the patches and hacks to downgrade Legend and root it.

Bugs that I encountered:

1. FM Radio app not present
2. phone not able to connect to my office's wifi network
3. phone doesn't ring or vibrate sometimes (even when volume is set to high). Most of the times, the vibration is extremely weak and I miss phone calls when the phone is in my pocket.
4. sometimes muting the call on Legend may not mute the voice.

Source links:

downgrade legend : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=725430
make goldcard: klutsch's tool (best way) Goldcard - Root Your HTC Hero
install Azure : [ROM] Azure; CyanogenMod 6 - xda-developers
roting your legend: [HOWTO] Rooting your Legend! Guide from MoDaCo! - xda-developers
 
Click to expand...
Great guide but I'm still giving it a month or two before I try any of this. Some sources said that Froyo for the Legend was coming out this month but it still isn't here. Now that I've waited this long, I think I'll hold out for a little longer. I can't do without Sense UI :(
 
I've got a question. If I root and install this ROM, will I be able to go back to the official HTC Froyo if and when it comes out?
 
ashr said:
I've got a question. If I root and install this ROM, will I be able to go back to the official HTC Froyo if and when it comes out?
Click to expand...
yes. you can unroot the phone and install stock firmware.

Here's the guide: How To: Unroot the HTC Legend | TheUnlockr

do remember to download 1.3x firmware and not 2.x as rooting again with 2.x is a big headache and a long process.

PS: Once you move to cutom ROMs, it's very difficult to move to HTC's firmware. :)
 
I am trying to do this as we speak. Its so difficult. I am trying to downgrade the OS. so many problems :O

I guess I have turned in to a noob.
 
SharekhaN said:
I am trying to do this as we speak. Its so difficult. I am trying to downgrade the OS. so many problems :O

I guess I have turned in to a noob.
Click to expand...
let me what the issues are that you facing. And yes, compared to other phones, it's a big headache.
 
I am unable to run the RUU in charge only mode. It disconnects when I have on disk mode. It did install the bootloader tho in disk mode then quit. Any idea why?

Edit 1: I turned on usb debug mode and set to charge only. It started the downgrade process, only to quit midway. It has happened twice now. I get an error 171 USB connection error.

I have to restart the phone by removing the battery and it boots up to the normal 2.1 OS.

As far as I know, crackin.bat has worked and the gold card is created fine.

--- Updated Post - Automerged ---

4.5 hrs later:

Just managed to root my phone. This has been a most tiring journey. All props to the OP for the guide, but I think, for someone who may be less informed than I, this may lead to some problems. Lots of details are absent here.

My advise to people who want to install custom roms is this: Read this guide, as well as other to get a better understanding and ONLY then do try it.

After 30 mins from previous edit:

Installed the Azure Cyanogen mod. This is one badass rom! It beats the sense UI like crazy. That was such a peice of bloatware, one comes to realize it once when you have switched to something as light as this. Seriously for all Legend users, this one is a must have!
 
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