How to Install CM7 on the MyTouch 3G Slide (Aka, HTC Expresso)
I recently had to install CyanogenMod 7 on my Grandma's phone, the HTC Expresso slider.
Why would I do such a silly thing? Why does she even have a smartphone?
Well, the stock OS that can only be considered the result of an unholy union between HTC and T-Mobile is horrible. Buggy as heck, and basic features like Messaging and Contacts are a pain to work with due to missing features, gaudy theming, and all-around bad code...
Grandma has a smartphone for two reasons:
A. Texting. We are a texting household, mostly due to the fact my Dad is Deaf, but also due to the fact that texting is more convenient. You may be thinking, "Why would you need a smartphone for texting?" And you'd be right. But I'm sure you've noticed how IM-style chat conversations can be easier to follow than the crummy pop-ups you'd get on a 'dumbphone.'
B. Wifi calling. We live in a valley surrounded by trees that gets almost no cell-service whatsoever. Drive two minutes up the street, and you're good to go! But in the house? Tough-luck bro. Fortunately, T-Mobile, in their wisdom, decided to try something revolutionary - Wifi Calling. No signal? No problem. Have Router, Will Text. Very few of their non-smartphones offer this feature, so it was necessary.
On to business, says I.
Lucky me, I had had the exact phone almost two years ago(which I had since passed along to Mom), and rooting it wasn't too bad. This should be a breeze, right? Things should be even easier with things like SuperOneClick around! Right?
Wrong. So, so wrong.
After over ten hours of searching (and watching far too much MacGyver on my second monitor during that time) and researching, and testing, and soft-bricking the phone, I was starting to get annoyed. There are other things I needed to do, but Gramma came first because, well, she's Gramma ^_^
/Endrant
These are the threads that I followed to successfully root the phone. It is by far the worst root method I have had to use out of the ten or so Android devices I have had to root. Sadly, it's necessary if your phone received, or came with, the 2.2.1 OTA update from T-Mobile(Use Settings > About Phone to check)
If it's an older version, use this instead.
Disclaimer. This is not for the weak-hearted. As with any howto, follow the steps exactly if you want it to work. Also, this howto is for your benefit. Under no circumstances do I accept any responsibility for damage caused to you, your phone, any other device, your cat, your guinea pig, or your bacon as a result of you reading or following anything on any of this content or the content linked below. Have issues? Google your error. That's what I do.
Part 1: Create a Gold Card.
http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/wiki/Howto:_Create_a_Goldcard
Part 2: Rooting the Thing.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1025336
Part 3: Don't Enable WiFi-Calling Before This Step!
Download the Zip file here, then install it like you did Cyanogenmod. Choose the zip, install it from SD Card.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=923878
Thanks and more ranting:
Thanks to everyone who made the articles linked here. Without you guys, our phones would all be garbage.
To the carriers and manufacturers: We want vanilla Android. Don't make us 'fix' your products ever again.
HTC, your 'open bootloader' process didn't help at all. Recommendation? Give testing phones to the CyanogenMod team BEFORE they are released. Pay them, then use the ROM they create rather than your junk. Unmodified.
