Rooting and Installing CyanogenMod on Samsung Galaxy S2 i9100/i9100T

I'm going to outline the process I went through to root then install CyanogenMod (CM) on my Samsung Galaxy S2 i9100T, which was running Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean). In addition, I'll mention a few things I've learnt along the way. I make no promises that the following is the most efficient or best method. Also, I make no guarantee that what I say is even accurate; especially given that the community seems to mainly operate in forums (information is all over the place) and not always necessarily easy to understand or accurate.

However, I can say that the following worked for me, and will probably work for you as well. There is always a risk involved in flashing a phone, therefore I recommend only those willing to take the (rather small) risk to continue reading on.

There are a few reasons why I decided to root and make the move from Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) to CM:

• Samsung S2s are no longer getting Android updates.
• Performance was often sluggish.
• Battery was draining quickly. Lucky to last a day with moderate use.
• Remove Bloatware.
• Greater flexibility with my device.

Prerequisites (Step 0)

• Charge your phone to at least 50%. Your phone will need some charge during the short periods it needs to be unplugged.
• Backup any important data on your phone. Be prepared for the worst.
• Download Odin v1.85 or v3.xx. I downloaded Odin v3.07 from here.
• If you are just rooting, download Siyahv6.0beta5.
• If you are planning to install CM10.1+:
• • Download Dorimanx v9.43 (not v8.43!); it should be named Kernel_Dorimanx-V9.43-[12-16]-[24-10]-TAR-FOR-ODIN.tar in the download mirrors (#1 or #2).
  • Download CM10.1.3 (stable version) from here. 
  • Download Gapps for CM10.1 from here. If you use Google apps such as the Play Store, Gmail, etc, then you will need this.
  • Copy both CM10.1.3 (stable version) and Gapps file you have downloaded anywhere you like on your phone's internal memory or your micro SD card (if you have one). The root directory is usually the easiest.

Additional Notes (Not a necessary read!)

• Siyah's website is here.
• Dorimanx's website is here. 
• Siyah is no longer in active development; the latest version is v6.0beta5. 
• Dorimanx is in active development; the latest versions are v8.43 and v9.43.
• I only managed to get Siyahv6.0beta5 working fine with stock Jelly Bean (4.1.2). I was not able to get Dorimanx v8.43 working when I tried. I assumed that this meant Dorimanx doesn't have stock Jelly Bean support. When I installed Dorimanx v8.43, I was able to boot my phone but it would repeatedly reboot after ~30 seconds of boot time. So, if you want to just root your phone I suggest you use Siyahv6.0beta5.
• The Dorimanx mirrors mentions specifically that v9.43 supports CM versions that are Jelly Bean, and possibly only Jelly Bean 4.2.x (I'm not 100% sure to be honest). Therefore, CM10.1.3 (stable), which is Jelly Bean 4.2.2, is supported. In contrast, Siyah specifically mentions that v6.0beta5 doesn't support CM10.1, although the developer was able to boot into CM10.1 fine. So, if you are confident feel free to install CM10.1.3 from Siyahv6.0beta5 as the process will be no different to using Dorimanx. Also note, ultimately it doesn't matter which kernel you install CM from (assuming you are successful). This is because the kernel will be replaced by CM's kernel after installation; don't worry, you will still be rooted. The point is I only used Dorimanx as a gateway to install CM.
• Although, I haven't installed past CM10.1.3 yet, that doesn't mean you can't. I just wanted to stand on the side of safety and definitive stability so downloaded this "stable type". You do have quite a bit of choice in terms of what versions you can install. However, before being adventurous I still suggest you still install CM10.1.3 first and move on from there. This is because you can upgrade from within CM after it is installed on your phone and because Dorimanx is only compatible with CM versions that are Jelly Bean (and perhaps specifically 4.2.x).

Rooting Your Phone

Step 1

Turn off your phone. Press and hold the "volume down" + "menu button" + "power button" at the same time to enter download mode. Once in download mode, connect your micro USB cable to the phone and computer. Press volume up to continue.

Step 2

Now open up Odin and select "PDA". Find the kernel you downloaded and press "Open". Check your window looks something like the following picture. Unlike the image below, you should have an "ID: COM" box coloured blue with a COM port number; this indicates your phone is connected properly. 

Step 3

Click Start and give it a few moments to flash your new custom kernel. 

Step 4

Once complete, the phone will automatically be restarted. You will notice a yellow triangle and a new boot up screen. If you installed Siyah, you can double check you are rooted by going to "Settings->About phone" and looking at the "Kernel version". Otherwise, just shutdown your phone to install CM. Note, your phone may not boot into Android at this stage with Dorimanx v9.43 installed; this is not an issue.

Backup & Restore

If anything goes wrong during the installation of CM you will want to be able to revert back to the state your phone is in currently.

The process to back up is as follows:

1. Shutdown your phone if it is on.
2. Hold "volume up" + "menu button" + "power button". This should put you into CWM-based recovery, with the Dorimanx logo clearly shown. 
3. Scroll down and enter into "backup and restore" then click on "backup". 
4. Now wait a few moments until this completes. Do not exit CWM-based recovery as you now are ready to install CM.

Should you need to restore, do the following:

1. Use steps 1 and 2 from the backup process above.
2. Scroll and enter into "backup and restore", click on "restore" and then choose the backup image you created previously.
3. Now wait a few moments until this completes. You should be back to where you started.

If you would like to abort and go back to stock standard, or how things were before reading this guide, then this guide may be worth looking at. Or, you may change your mind about going to CM for some reason but want to leave your phone rooted. In this case, go through the "Rooting your Phone" section again and install Siyahv6.0beta5 instead this time.

Installing CyanogenMod

Step 1

Go to "install zip" from the main menu of CWM-based recovery. Then select "choose zip from internal sdcard" or "choose zip from sdcard" depending on whether you put the installation files in the internal phone memory or the external micro SD card. Then find and select the CM installer you downloaded. Now, wait a few moments for CM to install.

Step 2

Once the installation is complete, you need to "wipe data/factory reset", "wipe cache partition" and "advanced->wipe dalvik cache". These are all required to be done otherwise you may end up in a situation where you don't get past the CM start screen.

Step 3

Reboot your phone and you should be able to boot into CM!

Installing Gapps

If you use Google products on your phone heavily then you will need Gapps. Because of licensing reasons, Google products like Gmail, Google Store, etc, are not already packaged in CM. Therefore, you have to do it yourself.

Step 1

Shutdown and boot your device into CWM-based recovery ("volume up" + "menu button" + "power button").

Step 2

Go to "install zip" from the main menu of CWM-based recovery. Then select "choose zip from internal sdcard" or "choose zip from sdcard" depending on whether you put the installation files in the internal phone memory or the external micro SD card. Then navigate and select the Gapps file you downloaded earlier. 

Step 3

Wait a few moments till the installation completes. Reboot your phone and you should now be spammed with Google setup menus!

Upgrade CyanogenMod Further...

NOTE: I personally have not upgraded beyond CM10.1.3 (stable version). You are venturing into territory I have not explored in this section. In saying that, I have heard people who have run CM11 without problems. Consider yourself warned!

Your options are:

1. In CyanogenMod, go to "Settings->About phone->Updates". Change "Update type" to your preference. Then, choose a newer "Available update" from the list to upgrade to.
2. Another more familiar option is to download the CM you want to upgrade to from here. Copy your download onto your phone's internal memory or micro SD card. Then repeat the steps in "Installing CyanogenMod" above again.

With both options you may need to go through "Installing Gapps" steps again.

Final Words

If you've reached this point, hopefully you have successfully rooted and/ or installed CM. I can, if I choose, now upgrade my phone up to the latest version of Android. I no longer have any bloatware. My device is now more flexible and I have access to things like overclocking, for instance. Finally and most importantly, I've noticed improvements in my performance and battery life. You should see these gains as well!

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