The latest Android OS for smartphones, Android 2.3 Gingerbread has been released last December 2010. However, if you are using HTC Desire phone, you might need to wait for some time for the official release by HTC. The good news is that now you can get the latest Android OS albeit unofficially.

Known as the “Oxygen v2.0-RC7 custom ROM”, it is now available for download and install to your HTC Desire. The following are some basic steps to install Android 2.3 to your HTC Desire.

1. The first step before you can install the latest Android OS, you need to boot your device into the recovery mode, on your desire, first enter fast boot by pressing power and back buttons from boot up. Next press power then with power to select and volume to go up/down, navigate to where it says RECOVERY. (Note that your device should be rooted and should be an unlocked device so as to proceed for further steps)
2. If you do wish to install this custom ROM onto your HTC Desire, you will require ClockworkMod recovery to flash the ROM. You can download the ROM Manager app from Android Apps Market.
3. Click on the ROM Manager and then select the Flash Clockwork mod Recovery option. This will install the recovery image and backup the current ROM on your HTC Desire. For precaution, you can create a whole backup of the current ROM which you can restore back anytime if you have any problems with the custom ROM.
4. Download the “Oxygen v2.0-RC7 custom ROM” from the web, and copy it onto your SD Card in your HTC Desire.
5. Open the ROM Manager app again, and then you need to select the install ROM from SD Card option and select the Android 2.3 Gingerbread ROM which you copied and then click on install it. Make sure to select the Wipe Data and Cache options before you install it.
6. ROM Manager will install the Android 2.3 Gingerbread on your HTC Desire within few minutes of time. During this time your device will flicker or restart automatically.
7. If you face any problems in a rare case then with the help of ROM Manager on your HTC Desire, just boot your rooted HTC Desire into recovery mode and then install the ROM via recovery directly, or you may go back to your previous ROM via “Manage and Restore Backups”.

Congratulations!. You now have Android 2.3 Gingerbread running on your HTC Desire. Fore any queries or information, you can consult the official XDA thread.