elsarticle.cls: How to change the symbol used in \fnref

Question

\fnref is automatically labeled by a number, how can I change it to a symbol instead like #?

    \documentclass{elsarticle}
    \begin{document}
    \begin{frontmatter}
    \title{This is a title}
    \author[address1]{M. Author1 \fnref{fn1}}
    \author[address1]{M. Author2 \fnref{fn1}}
    \fntext[fn1]{This author contributed equally to this work.}
    \address[address1]{some addresses.}
    \end{frontmatter}
    \section{Paper Material}
    Some Text.
    \end{document}

Answer 1

\thefootnote in macro \fntext is incorrecty defined as \c@fnote, which results in an error for non-arabic counters. This is now modified to \thefnote.

\documentclass{elsarticle}
\AtBeginDocument{%
  \def\thefnote{\myfnsymbol{fnote}}}
\makeatletter
\def\myfnsymbol#1{\expandafter@myfnsymbol\csname c@#1\endcsname}
\def@myfnsymbol#1{\ifcase #1\or $#$\or $##$\else @ctrerr\fi}
\def\fntext[#1]#2{\g@addto@macro@fnotes{%
   \refstepcounter{fnote}\elsLabel{#1}%
   \def\thefootnote{\thefnote}% <-- corrected
   \global\setcounter{footnote}{\c@fnote}%
   \footnotetext{#2}}}
\makeatother
\begin{document}
\begin{frontmatter}
  \title{This is a title}
  \author[address1]{M. Author1 \corref{ca1}\fnref{fn1}}
  \cortext[ca1]{Corresponding author}
  \author[address1]{M. Author2 \fnref{fn1}}
  \fntext[fn1]{This author contributed equally to this work.}
  \address[address1]{some addresses.}
\end{frontmatter}
\section{Paper Material}
Some Text.
\end{document}