Script to automatically check for T-mobile G1 cupcake OTA update URL

T-mobile USA is rolling out the latest update progressively. The update will “come when it comes” and on some phones that will be as late as June.

This game is one we have come accustomed to playing, and one that is annoying each time we have to play it. The phones download the update from a URL on a google server, and once we know that URL, we can download the update manually and apply it from the SD Card  - or pass it off to the modding community to build a new and better version of it.

There are two parameters passed into the update service that are unique to each device, the IMEI and the device serial number. With the help of a few other people (most notably, Saurik for doing the legwork last update go-round and getting the initial work done)

Here’s theT-mobile USA OTA update polling script

To use it, download it and run it like this:

sh ota-check.sh -sn YOUR_SN_HERE -imei YOUR_IMEI_HERE -sleep NUMBER_OF_SECONDS_TO_SLEEP


If you already got the update, it would be particularly interesting for you to try to run this script with your SN and IMEI. In theory, you should get the URL again – although this hasn’t been the case in the past for some reason (maybe once you checkin on the new version they disable you getting the update again? who knows why and how they work their craziness)

You can get your IMEI from your phone:

• “About the Phone” in the settings menus.

You can get your SN from the phone terminal:

• getprop | grep serial (in the terminal emulator or from adb shell)
• adb devices (I think this shows the SN of the phone, please verify)

If you get a URL, please post it in the comments. I’ll see to it gets passed on quickly.

Tags: Android, script, update checker