[How-to] Root and install Android 2.1 on your T-Mobile G1[Update - Cyanogen 5.0.8]

We have moved this discussion from the blog over the forums in order to help you be able to follow the threads easier:

After Google’s I/O event in May, Google put the nail in the G1 coffin. The G1 is not going to be upgraded past Android 1.6. The hardware doesn’t support the direction that Google is going with Android 2.0 and beyond. Live wallpapers, 3D gallery, more robust, processor and RAM intensive system. Oh and let us not forget the storage capacity. The G1 has so little its kind of ridiculous. You know what though? Hackers don’t care what limitations are on any hardware. Like we see with Linux on PC’s, like we have always seen with command line hacks on Windows, or hackintosh netbooks, hackers get what they want by forcing their software will on incompatible hardware. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Today folks, we have a case that works. It works quite well. Last night I spent an hour and a half rooting a G1 from scratch and using Cyanogen mod to install Android 2.1 on the G1. Well…. it works! And it works surprisingly well. Performance seems to be pretty good, Android 2.1 apps now work on the older G1 device and life is good. So lets get into it.
Here is what you will need.

First lets go through all the downloads so we have it all. Here are a list of files you will need to have on your PC/Mac that will all eventually be transfered to your G1. Download links are all available here:

*Warning* – This could potentially brick your phone, if you follow every step you shouldn’t have any issues, however we are not responsible for any problems/issues you have with your G1. Please follow each step carefully, slowly, and if you need there are video guides for most of it at theunlockr to get you through the first half. They are very helpful.

*Before you begin any of the sections, make sure you have a proper android backup via the recovery screen. Here is a video and written guide on how to Backup/Restore your phone. Please watch and read it carefully before beginning. It is pretty simple and there is a video showing you how to: http://theunlockr.com/2010/02/06/how-to-backup-and-restore-your-android-phone/

ALSO
1. Check if you have a PVT or DVT board
a. Power off your phone and enter bootloader (Camera + Power)
b. Check look at the top and see if it says PVT of DVT
2. If you have a DVT board YOU CANNOT CONTINUE BECUASE THIS WILL BRICK YOUR PHONE!
3. If you have PVT you can do everything just fine. You can now turn your phone off and back on to its normal state
If you already have your G1 ROOTED and have a Custom Recovery Image similar to Amon Ra’s, then go ahead and skip steps 1-34 (but make sure you do steps 22-24). Make sure you have downloads 8-12 and you rename them accordingly.

Downloads:
1. Original DreamIMG here
2. Cupcake Update.zip here
3. FlashRec.epk here
4. Amon_Ra’s Recovery Img here
5. G1 Radio here
6. G1 HardSPL Here
7. Generic G1 Root w/root here
——————————-

All files previous to this dotted line are for users who do NOT have a rooted G1 already. Those files are needed only to Root and install a stock rooted ROM for the first time. The rest of these downloads are for the Cyanogen Radio, SPL, and ROM that will put Android 2.1. If you do not have a Rooted G1 you WILL need every file I have put up.
8. Cyanogen Mod 5.0.7 here
9. Google Apps for CyanMod here <- Update – Added a new download link. Should work now.
10. OTA Radio update here
11. Danger SPL here
12. CyanogenMod Update here <- Update – This is a newer update released on 6/19/2010. This is version 5.0.8 and has a ton of new features/fixes. Download this newer version here -> download
If you have already followed this process before and just want the latest update, all you have to do is download #12, add it to you SD card, and flash it the same way you flashed the older update before. You do NOT need a wipe in order to upgrade. However you DO need do a backup before doing so. If anything goes wrong you can just go back to your previous backup. Make sure you have read every step in the guide carefully before doing so if you feel unsure.
———————————————
Now that you have downloaded everything. Lets make sure we don’t mix anything up.
Rename download number 10 (Radio update) to Radio.zip (if your compute does not display .zip after the name even if it is a Zip file, then just rename it to Radio. Zip is already there but it is hidden)
Rename download number 11 (Danger SPL) to SPL.zip. (again if your OS does not display .zip after the name of a Zip file, then just rename it to SPL and .zip will be there but will be hidden)
Rename download number 8 (Cyanogen MOD 5.0.7 Test 1) to ROM.zip (same procedure as before. Don’t name it .Zip if your PC never shows .Zip after the name of a Zip file.)
Now that you have all the downloads and they are all proper names. Make sure you copy and paste or back up everythign on your SD card to your computer because you will have to erase the SD card more than once. Also backup your applications so you can re-download them later. (Linda manager does this pretty well but it does not save App data) Okay so here goes, please read carefully.
Part 1 -Video for steps 1 through 21 can be found here
1. Plug your phone into your computer via USB. Pull down the notification tray and select (Mount SD CarD).
2. Now transfer downloads 1 and 2 (Original Dream IMG and Cupcake.Zip) to your G1. Do NOT put it in a folder. Just place it directly on the SD card.
3. Unmount the G1 from your PC and then turn off you G1.
4. Now turn on the phone by pressing AND holding the Camera key and the End call key until the boot loader screen pops up
5. Once the boot loader screen is up, press the ‘end call’ key on your G1 to begin the update. Let it finish.
6. Once the update is done installing, it will tell you to press the trackball to finish or restart the phone. Go ahead and press the track ball. At this step my phone did restart on its own. So I waited about 60 seconds and I just pulled the battery and turned the phone back on myself.
7. Make sure your phone turns on properly. Then turn the phone right back off. Now turn the phone back on by pressing ‘Home’ and ‘Power’ buttons on your G1 until you get to recovery mode (you’ll see the screen with the exclamation point !.)
8. Now that you are in recovery mode, slide out your G1′s keyboard and press ALT + L to bring up the menu, then press Alt + S to install the update.
9. Once the phone finishes installing the update and reboots, go ahead and go through the android setup process to get back to the home screen.
10. Now you are going to be Flashing the recovery image. On the phone go to Settings>Applications and make sure you DO allow installation of applications from Unknown Sources. There should be a check mark next to ‘Allow Unknown Sources’.
11. Now go to Settings>SD Card and Phone Storage. Click ‘Unmount SD Card’
12. Then click ‘Format SD card’ then it will ask ‘Erase Everything’ Click that button as well. (This will erase everything on your SD card so make sure you backed up your photos, music, and anything else on your SD card to your computer) The SD card should automatically Re-Mount after it finishes formating.
13. After it finishes, plug your phone back into your computer Via USB, bring down the notification tray and choose ‘Mount USB for file transfer’.
14. Now drag files #3 (Flashrec.apk) and #4 (Amon_Ra’s Recovery Image) from your computer to your phones SD card. Do not put it inside any folders. Just drag and drop it directly to the SD card.
15. Now go to the Android market on your phone, search ‘Linda’. Download the app called ‘Linda File Manager’
16. Unplug your phone from the computer. Open the Linda File manager application and go to where it says ‘SD Card’
17. Find the Flashrec.APK file and click it. If it asks, tell it to use Package Installer to open it. It should automatically just install the APK.
18. Now open the Flashrec program on your phone, and click the ‘Backup Recovery Image’ and wait for it to finish.
19. Once it is finished, click on the empty text box, with your keyboard type: /sdcard/recovery.img
20. Click on the Flash Custom Recovery Image button and wait for it to finish.
21. Now turn off the phone. Then turn the phone back on by pressing and holding the ‘Home’ and ‘Power’ buttons until the Recovery screen comes back. It should be black with some yellow text. If you are on this screen. Then you have done everything correctly so far. GREAT JOB! We still have work to do though so let us continue on.
Part 2 – Video for steps 22-34 can be found here
22. Now from this recovery screen you were left on. You can control it by using the trackball and make selections by press down on the trackball. You need to use the trackball and scroll to the option called ‘Partition SD Card’. Then choose ‘Partition SD card’. Press ‘home’ to comfirm. This will again erase everything from your SD card. When it asks, where it says ‘swap’ use the trackball to change the number and make it ’96 MB’. Then press ‘Home’ to confirm’.
23. Now where it says Ext 2-Size, make sure that number says 512MB. Then press the ‘Home’ button to confirm. It will automatically fill in fat32 for remainder. Then press the ‘Home’ button again to finish.
24. Once it’s finished partitioning the memory card, click on Partition SD card > Then choose SD: Ext2 to Ext3 and press ‘Home’ to confirm. Once that is finished you can press ‘Back’ to go back to the recovery screen.
25. Now from this recovery screeen. Use the trackball to scroll down to USB-MS Toggle and press down on the trackball.
26. Plug your phone into your computer via USB cable and you should now be able to put files to and from your G1 and your computer.
27. Once it is plugged in, drag items #5 (G1 Radio), #6 (G1 Hard SPL), and #7 (Generic G1 W/ Root) from your computer to the SD card of your phone.
28. Once they finish updating, unplug your phone from the computer. Then press the ‘Home’ button on your phone to disable USB-MS Toggle
29. When the Recovery home screen comes back up, scroll down to ‘Flash Zip from SD card’. You NEED to flash the radio FIRST! Do not do this out of order. So once you are in this screen scroll to to the G1 Radio that you put on the phone and press down on the trackball.
30. Follow the steps on the screen, once it finishes the Radio it will ask you to reboot the phone by pressing a combination of the ‘Home and ‘Back’ buttons on your phone. Go ahead and do this and let the phone reboot.
31. Once the phone is finished rebooting, go ahead and scroll back down to ‘Flash Zip From SD card’. This time select ‘G1 Hard SPL’. This will should ask your to confirm and then will install similar to the Radio. Once it is finished it will ask your to press ‘Home and Back’ buttons to reboot the phone. Do is it says and reboot.
32. Now you will be back on the Recovery screen. This time, scroll down to where it says ‘Wipe’ and choose Wipe data/Factory reset and wait for it to finish.
33. Once the wipe finishes, go back to the main recovery screen, scroll down to ‘Flash Zip from SD Card’. This time you are going to scroll down and choose the ‘Generic G1 w/ Root. Let it install, it should take a bit longer than the Radio and SPL.
34. Once it finishes, go ahead and click the ‘Reboot System now’ option from the top of the recovery screen.
The root and flashing of your first ROM is now DONE! You now have a rooted version of Android 1.6 and are ready to move on to the next few steps. If you do not want Android 2.1 from Cyanogen on your phone, you can just use this version which will allow you to use Root applications. If you want to use Android 2.1, please continue on with the steps.
Before continuing on, please do a Nandroid backup from the recovery screen. It will save the state your phone is currently in which should be a working phone with Android 1.6 rooted.
—————————-
From here on is where the most potential for a brick is possible. According to the folks at XDA, when you change the SPL to the ‘Danger SPL’ that we have downloaed, it could brick your phone. It worked fine for me and a friend of mine. So make sure you did not skip any steps previously and make sure you do not skip any steps now. Just as a reminder:
CHECK
1. Check if you have a PVT or DVT board. To do this:
a. Power off your phone and enter boot loader by holding (Camera + Power)
b. Check look at the top and see if it says PVT of DVT
2. If you have a DVT board YOU CANNOT CONTINUE BECUASE THIS WILL BRICK YOUR PHONE!
3. If you have PVT you can do everything just fine. You can now turn your phone off and back on to its normal state
If you have PVT then lets continue:
‘Backup! Before you begin with this portion, please make sure you have backed up your phone via Nandroid backup in the recovery screen before moving on.’
35. Plug your phone into a computer and choose to ‘Mount SD card’ so you can transfer files to and from the computer.
36. Put download files #8 (Cyanogen Mod 5.0.7 Test 1), #9 (Google Apps for CyanMod), #10 (OTA Radio update), and #11 (Danger SPL) onto your SD card from your computer. Now remember, you renamed some of these files earlier. The only 1 not renamed is Google apps, the others should be called #8 ROM.zip, #10 Radio.zip, and #11 SPL.zip. (Do not add .zip if your PC doesn’t normally show .zip for Zip files)
37. Unplug your phone from the PC and turn it off. Then turn the phone back on in Recovery mode by pressing and holding the ‘Home’ and ‘Power’ buttons.
38. Once in recovery mode, scroll down with the trackball to where it says ‘Flash Zip from SD Card’. Press down on the trackball to select this option. Then scroll choose ‘Radio.zip’. You might need to press ‘Home’ to confirm if it asks. Once it is finished installing it will ask for you to reboot. You do this by pressing a combination of the ‘Home’ and ‘Back’ buttons.
39. Once the phone reboots back into recovery mode, you will again go to the option ‘Flash Zip from SD card’. This time you will choose the SPL.Zip. It might ask you to confirm by pressing the ‘Home’ button. Go ahead and do so. Once it is finished it will ask you to reboot the phone again by pressing ‘Home’ and ‘Back’. Go ahead and do so.
40. It might ‘NOT’ reboot back into recovery after this, if it is stuck on the G1 logo, go ahead and reboot the phone by pressing Talk + Menu + Power and then hold the ‘Home’ button to get back into recovery.
41. Once you are back in the Recovery screen, go down to ‘Wipe’. It will ask if you want to do a factory data reset, go ahead and do this.
42. Once the Wipe is complete, go back to the main recovery screen and scroll down to ‘Flash Zip from SD Card’. This time you will choose ROM.Zip. It might ask you to press ‘Home’ to confirm. Go ahead and do so. It will then either automatically reboot or ask you to reboot by pressing ‘Home’ and ‘Back’. go ahead and do so.
43. Once the phone turns on, go ahead and go through the Android set-up until you are back at the home screen. The phone might take an extremely long time to load during this first boot. It could take up to 15 minutes so do not panic if it is on the loading screen for a long time. It will now be Android 2.1 but you still have 1 more step. Cyanogen put out an update to this ROM that makes it more stable and work much better.
44. Go ahead and Mount the phone to your computer so you can transfer files. Drag and drop download #12. (CyanogenMod Update). This file should have a long name and at the end say ‘Test 7′. You don’t need to rename this. Go ahead and put it on your SD card (not inside any folders) then turn the phone off.
45. Turn the phone on in recovery mode by pressing the ‘Home’ and ‘Power’ buttons. Scroll down to and select ‘Flash Zip from SD Card’.
46. Choose the Google apps Zip that you put on the phone earlier. (Download #9). It might ask you to press the ‘Home button to confirm’ Go ahead and do so. If it asks for a reboot, go ahead and do so by pressing the ‘Home’ and ‘Back’ button. If not then you should press ‘back’ to get to the main recovery screen.
47. Once you are back to the recovery screen, go back to ‘Flash Zip from SD card’ one last time. This time choose the most recent Cyanogen update that you put on your SD. (Download #12). If it asks, press the ‘Home’ button to confirm. Let it install, then if it asks for a reboot go ahead and press ‘Home and ‘back’ buttons to do so. If it does not ask you to reboot, and takes you back to the recovery screen. Choose ‘Reboot phone’ from the recovery screen.
And thats it! You are all done! 45 easy steps! None of it is really that hard, but it can be confusing if you do not follow along step by step.
If you have any questions, please ask me @Blayze04 on twitter. I will be happy to help if I can.