Motorola Xoom Notes
Contents
Rooting and Custom ROM Installation
PC pre-reqs
- Install Xoom USB drivers
- Install Android SDK
Xoom pre-reqs
- Have a MicoSD card installed with some free space
- Put this file somewhere in the Xoom's internal memory that is easy to find (DCIM, for instance)
Activate USB debugging on Xoom
One of these two methods will apply:
- Settings> Applications> Development> "Tick/Check" USB Debugging
- Settings> Developer Options> "Tick/Check" USB Debugging
Unlock bootloader
Note, this process wipes the Xoom internal memory. The SD card is safe.
Execute the following commands. adb and fastboot should be installed with the Android SDK, in either the tools or platform-tools directory.
First, check the connection to the device with the following. You should see one result.
adb devices
Now, send it to the bootloader screen.
adb reboot bootloader
You will see "Starting Fastboot protocol support." in the top left, with the Motorola logo in the middle. Now, unlock the bootloader:
fastboot oem unlock
Follow the steps on the screen of the Xoom. The unlock process will take a minute, and the device will reboot automatically, and ask you to set things up again.
Activate USB debugging on Xoom
Yes, this is here twice. You need to turn it back on after unlocking.
One of these two methods will apply:
- Settings> Applications> Development> "Tick/Check" USB Debugging
- Settings> Developer Options> "Tick/Check" USB Debugging
Install recovery image to Xoom
Run this to reboot into fastboot mode
adb reboot bootloader
Once the Xoom is booted into fastboot (you will see the Motorola logo in the middle, and a note about fastboot being active in the top left) run this (on the connected PC):
fastboot flash recovery {path to recovery image here}
Enter recovery
After the Xoom says that this has been flashed correctly:
- Reboot your device by holding Volume Up + Power.
- Then 3 seconds after you see the "Motorola logo", hit Volume Down.
- If you were too fast, you will see "fastboot support" in the top left - reboot (Volume Up + Power) and try again. Count more slowly this time...
- If you were just right, you will see "--> Android Recovery" - continue to the next step.
- If you were too slow, the device will boot, and you may need to repeat the installation of the recovery image - reboot and try it.
- Press volume up to enter recovery
You should now be in the Recovery Menu. Use volume up/down buttons to move the selection. Use the power button to select options.
Backup Existing Image
While in the Recovery Menu:
- Select "backup and restore"
- Select "backup"
This will copy the current boot, recovery, system, and data images to the SD card as a ZIP file. It will automatically name the files.
Root Stock Image
Use this to apply root. It works for ICS (v4.0.4), I have not tested others.
- You should have already downloaded the above link to the internal storage of the Xoom
- You should already be in recovery mode, at the main menu.
- Select "install zip from sdcard"
- Select "choose zip from sdcard"
- Select "reboot now"
Now the Xoom is rooted.
Additional note on flashing
You can use the same process to flash whole images and apply updates. If this were a completely new image (which it is NOT, so DON'T DO THIS for the root update), would have needed to clear everything, like this:
- Select "wipe data/factory reset", select yes
- Select "wipe cache partition", select yes
- Select "Advanced", "Wipe Dalvik Cache", select yes
- Go back to the main menu
Install GooManager
- Install GooManager from the app store
- Open GooManager
- Click the "Flash ROMs" button
- Follow the steps to download and install a proper recovery image
- Get new ROMs, and have general fun
Transfer App data from device-to-device
This process does not require root, and should work on all devices. So long as you only move app data, and not system settings or system app data, this should be a completely safe process. Do not try to move system apps or system data between devices or you will be very sad... You can use this same process to back things up for a factory reset.
- Source device
- The Android device that has the app data you want to save
- Target device
- The Android device where you want to have the app data copied to
- Get this app on the source device
- Run the app, put a check next to each app that has data you want to save
- Go through the steps, it will create a "BACKUP.bat" file
- Move the file somewhere that is easy to get to from the PC via USB using something like ASTRO File Manager
- Get the bat file onto the PC in the same directory as adb. If you look in it, you will see that it is going to call adb backup, and back up each of your apps
- Make sure USB debugging is enabled on the source device
- Run the BACKUP.bat script
- Follow the steps on the source device screen to complete backup
- Disconnect the source device from the PC
- Install all the apps on the target device
- Enable USB debugging on the target device
- Connect the target device to the PC via USB
- Open a command prompt in the directory that holds adb
- Run the following command to restore all app data from the new backup that was just created. Note that the name of the backup is "BACKUP.dat" - no, that is not a typo ".dat". Follow the steps on the target device screen.
adb restore BACKUP.dat
Adobe Flash
- Download the latest available listed APK from here
- Check this page to see if it works
- Should work with latest Firefox from app store (v19.0 - you may need to click to activate it, or look under settings to enable by default) and Android Browser.
- Will not work in Chrome (doesn't support plugins) or latest Dolphin (which has disabled Flash integration).
Where to get things
Xoom USB Drivers
ClockworkMod Recovery Images
Make sure you pick the right one for your device... see the model list here
Xoom Jelly Bean ROM from Team EOS
Get it here. Don't forget to get the Google apps package as well, and flash that directly after flashing the image. (Flash is really not the right word to use here, since it is effectively an update script, but oh well...)
Android SDK
Needed for ADB (Android Debug Bridge)
