Rooting a HTC Desire (Bravo)

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Discussion

james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,329 posts

203 months

Monday 24th November 2014
quotequote all
Ok - I know it's an old-old phone, but it still works and I want to put Android 4 on it.

I've looked around for instructions and some are bad, some are good - So far, I think I've rooted the phone, but the lack of menu in the recovery screen (which just shows a red exclamation mark) is annoying.

Anyway, I tried the CM method: http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Install_CM_for_bravo - But that stalls as revolutionary can't get to the internet for some reason. If I try to re-root, it says it is already and doesn't work.

I then tried another way using unrevoked - but all the links to the files are dead. Something like this - http://myhtcdesire.com/tag/unrevoked

So, in short (!), can someone advise as to a reliable way to root this bloody phone and put CM7 or a version of Android 4 on it please?

Thanks

James

JimbobVFR

2,725 posts

150 months

Monday 24th November 2014
quotequote all
Just an F.Y.I. but CM7 is actually Gingerbread or 2.3

Unrevoked is definitely the way forward but its been a long since I've touched a Desire. Was the method you used anything like this one?

http://theunlockr.com/2010/09/20/how-to-root-the-h...

Where did it fail?

Funk

26,528 posts

215 months

Monday 24th November 2014
quotequote all
I haven't checked the links but does my guide here help at all? I had some issues getting mine rooted (first time I'd done it) but managed to muddle through in the end! It's a few posts down on this page:

http://www.pistonheads.com/Gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

It was quite important to partition the SD card properly on the Desire as it had properly stingy internal memory.

It's a bit dated and there may be better, more recent ways of doing it now...

Edited by Funk on Monday 24th November 01:10

james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,329 posts

203 months

Monday 24th November 2014
quotequote all
I've managed to get a proper recovery partition on it now so I can actually navigate recovery properly.

That being said, it's now working... And you're right, it's 2.3.7 and not 4. 2 and a half hours and I'm only slightly forward. Arse biscuits!

At least I have a recovery ROM on it that I can now use.

Now. Android 4. And I didn't know about the partitioning side. Urgh.

james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,329 posts

203 months

Monday 24th November 2014
quotequote all
Only thing I have to do now is find Android 4 for the Desire which isn't a dodgy "file downloader utility". Joy.

james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,329 posts

203 months

Monday 24th November 2014
quotequote all
I've got it working! Sortof.

I've got an OS on it, but WiFi won't work so I'll try a different OS - However, I'm confused as to how to partition the 4Gb SD card - any tips as I need to make sure apps go on the SD card not the internal memory.

Also, any links to a reliable OS would be appreciated smile

trashbat

6,008 posts

159 months

Monday 24th November 2014
quotequote all
I have a Desire that I don't use any more.

Have you found anyone who has successfully done what you're trying to do? I don't imagine Android 4 will work at all well - or possibly at all - on a Desire. Lack of memory in particular and the all-round age of the thing.

Funk

26,528 posts

215 months

Monday 24th November 2014
quotequote all
james_tigerwoods said:
I've got it working! Sortof.

I've got an OS on it, but WiFi won't work so I'll try a different OS - However, I'm confused as to how to partition the 4Gb SD card - any tips as I need to make sure apps go on the SD card not the internal memory.

Also, any links to a reliable OS would be appreciated smile
Follow the instructions in my guide and use Gparted to create FAT32 and EXT4 partitions on the card. You'll need a ROM set up to take advantage of the extra 'internal' memory this tricks the phone into thinking it has available.

However, as per trashbat's comments I can't see Android 4 working very well on a Desire, I don't think the hardware is up to it. You'd be better off sticking with an older version of Android, it'll work better.

trashbat

6,008 posts

159 months

Monday 24th November 2014
quotequote all
I should add that I used the last stable CyanogenMod on mine, 2.3.something, after repartitioning and deleting stuff I didn't need, and it was good for what it was.

You can get phones capable of 4 for so little though, even what was high end stuff like an old S3 (which is what I have now) that it's only worth so much messing around with.

Funk

26,528 posts

215 months

Monday 24th November 2014
quotequote all
Agreed; something like the Moto G for £120 is a no-brainer.

http://www.tesco.com/direct/tesco-mobile-motorola-...

Will stripe the Desire and I believe is also in line to receive Lollipop when it comes out.

james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,329 posts

203 months

Monday 24th November 2014
quotequote all
I've got it mostly working using this thread:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2...

However, WiFi won't turn on - it looks like it's just not going to work.

It boots and works and looks very much like how it should - Worst case I could just leave it without the internet enabled and sideload what I need - it's for a 6 year old after all and only for her to play games on it so she's not bugging me to use my phone...

james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,329 posts

203 months

Monday 24th November 2014
quotequote all
Just to add - A friend suggested something that surprised me. Remove the SD card. Which I did. And now WiFi works.

Very, very odd.

Except that the OS won't see the "correctly" partitioned SD card - and neither will the recovery ROM.

I shall keep going as I WILL make this work dammit!

james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,329 posts

203 months

Monday 24th November 2014
quotequote all
Sorry to bore you about this, but I now, sortof, have Android 4.4.4 working on my HTC Desire (Bravo) - I tried my 32gb microsd card in the Desire and it works fine. There must be something up with the 4Gb card. God only knows what though...

The 4Gb card has always worked in that phone - still does when I've been installing the custom ROM. And it works fine in my HTC One. Curiouser and curiouser...

Funk

26,528 posts

215 months

Monday 24th November 2014
quotequote all
Quite neat that you got it working with 4.4.4 - how does it run with that installed?

james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,329 posts

203 months

Monday 24th November 2014
quotequote all
It runs rather nicely - not jerky like you might think.

The real problem is the application installs - they still seem to be checking for local space but the install seems to be going to the SD card at least. You can run some ADB commands to force SD install, but it doesn't seem to work - even when trying to force install from a Windows command prompt.


Silver940

3,961 posts

233 months

Wednesday 26th November 2014
quotequote all
Running through this now as I seem to be stuck with the Desire for a few weeks and can't survive on 147mb..

Silver940

3,961 posts

233 months

Wednesday 26th November 2014
quotequote all
Done as well.

It seems to need space to install the app initially then it moves it. I seem to remember a better version of the apps 2 sd that worked a bit differently and allowed more apps. I'll carry on looking at it.

james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,329 posts

203 months

Wednesday 26th November 2014
quotequote all
Silver940 said:
Done as well.

It seems to need space to install the app initially then it moves it. I seem to remember a better version of the apps 2 sd that worked a bit differently and allowed more apps. I'll carry on looking at it.
If you figure that out, let me know as now I've got apps on, it won't let me install any more.

Have you got an ext4 partition? Does 4.4.4 see it?

Silver940

3,961 posts

233 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
quotequote all
Partition info doesn't tell me anything but I think it's one of those things that happens behind the scenes.

I have selected move app data to sd-ext in mounts2sd and rebooted too. I think it maybe running a bit slower but has now let me add an app it wouldn't before and shows only a tiny bit of space being used in internal memory.


james_tigerwoods

Original Poster:

16,329 posts

203 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
quotequote all
Silver940 said:
Partition info doesn't tell me anything but I think it's one of those things that happens behind the scenes.

I have selected move app data to sd-ext in mounts2sd and rebooted too. I think it maybe running a bit slower but has now let me add an app it wouldn't before and shows only a tiny bit of space being used in internal memory.
I'll have another look tonight....