HTC One S: Installing AOKP-based Android 4.0.3 ICS custom ROM named JollyRancher

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The HTC One S, one of the newest phones in the industry, is one of the head-turners in the market today.  With a stunning and thin design–one of the thinnest phones in the industry–and a spectacular camera that can get every detail of the subject even in low light, the HTC One S is a great phone to own.
For those who are not so eager about HTC’s stock UI, though, you’ll be glad to know that a new AOKP-based custom ROM has been recently made available for the HTC One S.
Known as the JollyRancher, this custom ROM is not only based on the Android Open Kang Project but also includes the following major highlights:

• Android 4.0.3 build ITL41F
• Galaxy S3 theme
• unsecured, prerooted kernel
• performance hacks
• numerous customization options
• memory adjustments and optimizations
• GApps (Google Apps) built in

Check this guide out how to install the AOKP-based JollyRancher custom ROM on your HTC One S.

Warning

• The instructions in this guide are intended for use with the HTC One S. Applying these instructions on another device or model may produce undesired outcomes.
• The information in this guide is provided for instructional and educational purposes only. There is no guarantee that these instructions will work under your specific and unique circumstances.
• Use these instructions at your own risk. We shall not hold any responsibility or liability for whatever happens to you or your device arising from your use of the info in this guide.
• Read and understand the whole guide first before actually performing the instructions.

Requirements

• An HTC One S with unlocked bootloader and ClockworkMod Recovery installed.
  • Check our guide for unlocking the phone’s bootloader and flashing ClockworkMod Recovery.
• A Windows PC
• Download JollyRancher ROM (JollyRancher Build 37.zip, 160 MB) to your computer.
• Install HTC Sync to your computer. This will install the USB drivers for the HTC One S to your computer. Make sure to close HTC Sync before following the procedures below.
• Close all system tools such as anti-virus software, firewall programs, and HTC Sync to avoid any interruptions during the flashing procedure.
• Download the Fastboot package (Fastboot.zip, 404.46 kB) to your computer
• WinRAR, 7-Zip, or any file extraction software installed on your computer.
• Backup all personal data on your phone to make sure you have a copy of your personal data (e.g., contacts, SMS, MMS, Internet settings, Wi-Fi passwords, and the like) in case the procedure in this guide erases such data.
  • For backup tips, check our guides on how to sync your data to the cloud and how to create local backups of your mobile data.
• Maintain a battery charge of 70% or more to make sure that you have sufficient power for the entire procedure.

Instructions

1. Extract boot.img from JollyRancher Build 37.zip to your computer.
2. Copy JollyRancher Build 37.zip to your HTC One S’s SD card.
3. Extract fastboot.zip to the C:\ drive on your PC. You will get the folder Fastboot with 4 files inside it.
4. Copy the boot.img file to the Fastboot folder on C:\ drive. You should have 5 files inside it.
5. Switch off your HTC One S.
6. Press the Volume Down key and Power button simultaneously to reboot your phone into Bootloader Mode.
   • NOTE: Once in Bootloader Mode, you will be using the Volume keys to navigate and the Power button to select an option.
7. Select Fastboot from the Bootloader menu.
8. Connect your HTC One S to the computer using your USB Cable. The bootloader screen should say “FASTBOOT USB.”
9. Open a command prompt on your computer and navigate to where the Fastboot program is located.
   • For Windows 7 users, you can easily open a command prompt from a specific folder. From the selected folder, press Shift and right mouse button in any vacant part in the folder. A menu will appear. Select Open Command Window Here and a command window will appear with the location of the selected folder.
10. Type the command fastboot devices to see if your phone has successfully connected to the computer. Your phone’s serial number will appear on the command window.
11. Enter the command fastboot flash boot boot.img to flash the kernel on your phone.
12. After the kernel has been flashed, you will get a “finished/OKAY” message on the command prompt window. Disconnect your phone from PC.
13. Select HBOOT on your phone to return to the bootloader menu. Select “Recovery” to boot into Recovery Mode.
14. Perform a full wipe by doing the following:
    • Select Wipe Data/Factory Reset and confirm the action on the next screen.
    • Select Wipe Cache Partition and confirm the action on the next screen.
    • Go to the main menu and select Advance. From there, select Wipe Dalvik Cache and confirm the action on the next screen.
15. Go back to the main menu and select Install ZIP From SD Card.
16. Select Choose ZIP From SD Card and locate the JollyRancher Build 37.zip. Confirm the action on the next screen to flash the ROM to your phone.
17. After installation is complete, go back to the main menu and select Reboot System Now to reboot your phone into JollyRancher ROM.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed the JollyRancher custom ROM on your HTC One S.