Database Users

HELP ! ROM Update to Android 2.0 / 2.1

Hey Guys at first sorry for my english i'm not good in it. And I'm a Android newbie I just gained a bit exerience with my Touch Diamond but it's broken now..okay but that's not the probleme....
If got a question:
After about 2 days of searching for an android 2.0 or 2.1 ROM I was a little bit confused of the diffrent news everybody was talking about. I'm root on my Hero. That was the first an last thing I made with my device.
1. Everybody is gonna talk about MoDaCo 3.0 but when I was trying to download his ROM my browser never got a request. Is the site down, where that ROM is hosted ?? Could someone give me a working link with this ROM ??
2. Is there a ROM with Android 2.0 or 2.1 outside or even not ??? And if yes are they working well ???
Would be nice if someone can help me =) thanks a lot.
Please answer soon if you know something about that =)
Greetz BassdoxXx

you can get modaco's roms at his website, www.modaco.com.
in the android development section there are some 2.0/1 roms, none of them works flawless, see for yourself if it fits your needs.

Thanks a lot for your fast answer. =)
The problem that i couldn't open the modaco page was my isp -.- i downloaded it at school

BassdoxXx said:
Thanks a lot for your fast answer. =)
The problem that i couldn't open the modaco page was my isp -.- i downloaded it at school
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What? Does ISP's block that site? Lol, would never happened in Norway

there is a few 2.0+ roms out there for the hero.
most seem to be very usable now.
best sense ui would be lox/behnaam community release on 1.6.
http://htcpedia.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1448
there are two aosp roms worth looking at.
lox aosp ( im using that on a daily basis)
http://htcpedia.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1416
jnwhiteh aosp
http://htcpedia.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1528

Hello all,
I am having very specific request when it comes to choosing a proper rom for install on to my hero.
I am blind. Stock roms are only running Android 1.5. More robust accessibility features are available starting with Android 1.6 and improving even more with Android 2.0.
So for sure I am forced to upgrade my hand set.
There are various roms, some of their authors have even disable google specific features so I know I can't install such a rom.
All the accessibility efforts are being lead by the google developers.
Most likely these accessibility tools won't be usefull to most of you but please can anyone recommend me a rom where market is working and where the following applications can be installed and used?
- eyesfree suite of applications,
- talkback - the google screen reader for android,
- tts service.
All possible help is already appreciated.

sorry for the double posting. I've accidentally posted twice and I am unable to remove the post.
Hope anybody can help me please.

pvdeejay said:
Hello all,
I am having very specific request when it comes to choosing a proper rom for install on to my hero.
I am blind. Stock roms are only running Android 1.5. More robust accessibility features are available starting with Android 1.6 and improving even more with Android 2.0.
So for sure I am forced to upgrade my hand set.
There are various roms, some of their authors have even disable google specific features so I know I can't install such a rom.
All the accessibility efforts are being lead by the google developers.
Most likely these accessibility tools won't be usefull to most of you but please can anyone recommend me a rom where market is working and where the following applications can be installed and used?
- eyesfree suite of applications,
- talkback - the google screen reader for android,
- tts service.
All possible help is already appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i am on mcr3.0, i looked in the market, i can find 8 apps for eyesfree, tts is one of these. i didn't try to install one of these, but usually it works. the search for talkback returned nothing.
not that i want to be rude, but wouldn't you be better off with another phone if you are blind? i can not imagine a touchscreen only phone would be suitable for someone who is not able to see... especially because there are great devices out there that have a full qwerty keyboard, and come with android 2.0 out of the box... imho this would be a better solution.
again, the last thing i want to be is rude, but maybe this was your mistake: you posted in the htc hero section of this forum, the hero is a touch screen only device, including a virtual keyboard on the screen. it has only six buttons and a trackball, and two rocker buttons for the volume. just to make clear we are talking about the same device
if you are still up for the hero you could try the 2.1 rom from here: http://htcpedia.com/forum/showthread.php?p=30418&posted=1#post30418
best you try for yourself, it has some drawbacks, but maybe in areas you don't need (afaik syncing with exchange does not work for example, which wouldn't be a problem for me...). otherwise it might be worth to wait another week or two, we all are waiting unpatiently for the official eclair release from htc
keep asking if you need to know more, but maybe open a new thread, since your problems are very specific, and might drown between all the newbies question about "how to root my phone".

Hello,
Thanks for your reply and a great attitude.
Yes it may sound strange I have really got HTC Hero here. I know I'll be having problems with virtual keyboard but also I am afraid accessibility features of Android phones are not really such mastered one can use it daily. For example reading emails and content from the web browser is not yet possible. I just want to try how things work and I would also like to touch the virtual keyboard. If I can memorize computer keyboard and use it daily, typewriter keyboard, nokia mobile phone keyboard, then perhaps I might be able to make some use of this too.
I am sory but here are some more questions:
I haven't yet verified with some sighted friends but... is it possible my hero is running even older version of android like Android 1.5? I've based the assumption that it's most likelly running 1.5 because majority of the devices I was reading on the net are running it.
You've been triyng to locate eyes-free applications on the market but you were unable to find talkback. Are you sure you are running newer version of Android than 1.5?
Talkback is supposed to be installed with Android 1.6 andd 2.0 by default and you should be able to find it in the accessibility menu of your phone. I am not sure how well this applies to the custom roms.
Talkback requires google's accessibility api which is reported to be available on Android 1.6 upwards.
To tell you the full story first I've asked on the eyes-free google group whether some accessibility experts from there can help me but no one knowledgeable enough has replied to my query, so I'm trying my luck here then.
Oh I am really excited since I've got really well formed informative reply.
Thanks again
Edit:
Also, I've seen somewhere in the forums here this leaked HTC rom does not support the market. Has this been rectified already? You know if market does not work then most likelly I won't be able to install these applications I am tallking about.
Also you are mentioning possibility to wait a few weeks until HTC guys role out the official update for Hero. Wouldn't that break chances I will be able to root my device later?
Edit2:
Ooops, I should read better next time. Market works on this rom. The problem is paid apps can't be installed which is hopefully not a big issue for me since most of the accessibility enabled applications are free.
Which of the downloads from Hero 21 do I need?
63.18.55.06JU_6.35.09.26) or No Wipe Download. I will need a wipe I am sure but since this link says nowipe I am ehmmm. confused.

pvdeejay,
Unfortunately there is not an 'official' update for Android 1.6, 2.0 or 2.1 as of yet. There are rumours of one coming out soon, but nothing cast-iron yet.
You are correct in that the Hero runs 1.5. It does say it under Settings | About Phone (bottom item on list)| Firmware Version (bottom on list again), although without a working screen reader, there is probably little use in knowing how to find that.
If you did want to upgrade, I'm sure plenty of people could help find a ROM that would suit. The only issue with that is that you would need a rooted phone with a custom recovery image installed. Unfortunately, a lot of the procedures would not be easy for you, as the software that you might need to use to go through the procedure is probably not designed that well for accessibility tools. I don't know what kind of software you are using, but some of the instructions for making goldcards are quite complex, and involve editing some numbers in a 'table' which could be quite difficult for you, I would imagine.
I'm sure a friend would be able to help you out with making a goldcard/rooting if you did want to install a custom ROM (you'll probably be waiting a while otherwise ). They could even root their phone while doing yours (just share the goldcard between the devices).
Nonetheless, there is probably a ROM out there with little removed from it. I'll have a look just now, but you would need to have your phone rooted to do anything just now.

When it comes to rooting and installing custom recovery image. Do you thing the following instructions might work for me?
These instructions don't require a gold card:
- How to Root HTC Hero and Install Amon Ra Recovery Image
- How to install a custom rom on a HTC Hero

Hello,
Here are some numbers I've asked my friend to read from system -> about screen. The phone interface is in czech so I am unable to get some names translated to english, but I believe some of the geeks will understand these identifiers and might be able to help me what is best:
Code:
firmware: 1,5
63.118.55.O6U|6.35.04.25
2.6.27-a5504199
Build number: 1.76.405.6 146733 CL# 47214 release-keys
Software version: 1.0.0.A6288

pvdeejay,
to sum it up:
the hero definitly runs on android 1.5. there are no roms for older android versions, and a few homebrewn for newer versions, as we said already.
i searched for talkbalk on my 1.5 rom, so it is obvious that i couldn't find it...
about rooting of newer roms: it is just a matter of time, sooner or later there will be always methods of rooting a rom. what i meant by waiting is: wait until the official update is out, then wait a few more hours until the first rooted and customized rom is out

@pvdeejay,
I would have to agree with kendong2 that waiting for the official ROM is probably the best idea for you at the moment. There are no guarantees that an unofficial ROM would help, and it would be another user interface to try and learn.
@kendon,
I noticed he has the original, easily rooted version of the hero. IIRC, that is what I had on my G2 (and had the security unlocked bootloader out the box). If that's the case, would pvdeejay be able to 'fastboot boot' a full system img file for the purposes of testing it out to see if it meets the requirements.
The reason I ask is that I've only ever fastbooted my AmonRA recovery (I didn't flash it, because I never felt any need to). I'm guessing you could fastboot a full img, but I'm not sure about the practical issues of where it would be stored in memory...

Sorry guys originally I believed I am slowly getting into the matter and am begining to understand how flashing / rooting / upgrading home brew firmwares works on these phones.
After these 2 posts I feel like a total noob again.
Now again some very concrete questions:
What about these 2 guides I've posted links to?
Can I somehow got [Recovery] [13-Dec-2009] RA-hero-v1.5.2 installed so I will be able to do nandroid backup and then possibly flash some new roms?
Can I really brick my phone by trying to install amon ra?
Originally I thought the process works as follows:
1) get the custom recovery image installed (that's the amon ra in this case),
2) do a nandroid backup which will dump everything usefull on to the memory card,
3) backup and reformat the card,
4) download a rom, rename it to update.zip, put it onto the root folder of the cart, reboot the hero in recovery mode, do the wipe of the data partition, and run update,
5) reboot again and believe it's good.
Also some very significant bit is the thing you are all calling the radio. I am afraid I've not identified this bit thus it's missing in this summary.
Which files will I need to download if I decide to try Android 2.1 community edition 1.8? Are these files I've copied links to a few posts earlier both needed?
Can you please check this list, identify the things I am missing, and make suggestions and corrections why this may not work on my device based off of those number I tried to put down here?
Even if I won't be able to do this right now I'd be happy to get corrections as I can learn something new.
Of course I won't be doing all this on my own. I will ask my bro to read all the stuff to me and we'll do it according to your advices.
To give some bits about me and my computer skills, I believe I am a Windows power user, Basically I do also understand unix, I know what's bash how the files are arranged in a file system, can use command-line tools, telnet, ssh. I am working as a network administrator here so some background is there really.

Hi pvdeejay,
Answers to your questions here.
You can actually use fastboot to 'temporarily' load up the AmonRA recovery image into memory and run it from there. I do that on my phone, for the simple reason that I can't be bothered ) ) to flash the recovery. Once you get AmonRA running, the first thing you should do is make a Nandroid backup. It will be saved to your SD card, so then get the nandroid directory of your card and save it to your PC (just in case!)
So, here's how you'd go about this.
(Make sure you have the android sdk installed, and that adb and fastboot commands are working). USB cable should be plugged in throughout.
Before you begin, put the ROM you want (ie. Android 2.1 community edition 1.8) into the root of the microSD card (a .zip file).
Code:
adb devices
Should list your phone's serial number
Now turn off the phone, and turn it on with the back key held down (the one at the very bottom right of the device).
You should enter fastboot mode. Now type
Code:
fastboot devices
and you should see the serial number again.
Now type
Code:
fastboot boot AmonRA.img
where AmonRA.img is a file in your present working directory that is the filename of the latest custom recovery image. This does NOT flash your phone, it merely runs the image (pretty much as close as you get to risk free, other than sitting there with a tinfoil hat on )
See screenshot of the recovery image here:
http://www.sizzledcore.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/RA-hero-recovery-image-500x375.jpg
Make the Nandroid backup by choosing 'Nandroid Vx.x Backup' and waiting a while.
If your ROM needs a wipe first (most new ones do), select Wipe data/factory reset. You will lose all your user data on the device (but you've got a nandroid backup just in case)
You're now good to go. So choose "Apply sdcard:choose zip"
Now select the custom ROM zip file you downloaded. It doesn't even need to be called update.zip! Choose it from the list and push trackball.
Wait for the update.zip to go in. Do NOT turn off the device or pull the battery. First boot can take a very long time (upto 30 minutes). Just keep it plugged in via USB and wait...
As for radios, see http://android.modaco.com/content/h...-24-11-hero-roms-radios-in-update-zip-format/ and look at the section titled radios. The latest one is in bold. It is a .zip file as well, that you use these exact same instructions for to install (don't do the wipe or anything like that. Just install the .zip file)

anon2122 said:
@kendon,
I noticed he has the original, easily rooted version of the hero. IIRC, that is what I had on my G2 (and had the security unlocked bootloader out the box). If that's the case, would pvdeejay be able to 'fastboot boot' a full system img file for the purposes of testing it out to see if it meets the requirements.
The reason I ask is that I've only ever fastbooted my AmonRA recovery (I didn't flash it, because I never felt any need to). I'm guessing you could fastboot a full img, but I'm not sure about the practical issues of where it would be stored in memory...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this is correct so far, i did the same, except i installed the recovery. i play a lot with my phone, the installed recovery image with the nandroid backup is the best i have ever seen for a phone...
@pvdeejay
you always write so much...
i try to answer everything:
the two guides you posted are good for your situation. i never tried flashrec, but from what i read it is safe to use. i installed my recovery image through fastboot, the guide is here: http://android.modaco.com/content/h...ng-the-patched-recovery-image-on-your-device/
i have no idea how this works out for you, but my honest suggestion would be that you have someone seeing assisting you, you CAN brick your phone, though it is not likely if you follow the instructions precisely. the process is not very time consuming at all, so you don't need to bother anyone for days of their time.
edit: and now i read your post to the end and saw that your brother will be helping you, so you are on the right track
once you have the recovery installed you can make nandroid backups, and i would suggest that you do this first thing after installing the recovery, better make a backup too much than one too less...
the 5 steps you described are correct, except there is no need to rename the zipfile anymore, you can select any .zip from your sdcard.
the radio part is the number that begins with 63.18.55.06, then comes two letters and then more numbers. as by now the version can be identified by the letters, with JU being the up-to-date one. in general you can say the newer the better, but you have to try for yourself. start with the newest one, if you have problems go back.

thanks this seems to be pretty doable plus I will easily be able to restore the current data backed using nandroid backup.
Which android SDK do I need the latest one?
The commands I need to type are supposed to be typed on the PC or on the phone? I assume on the PC but I just would like to ensure.
Hero21 1.8 community edition has a recommended radio listed in the first post. Is it necessary to install that one as well? What should I install first the actual rom or the radio? Do I need installing radio at all? Should i do the same with radio i.e. renaming it to update.zip and using amonra to install it?
Also will I be able to use this method even if I install another rom (running amonra without actually flashing it)?
Edit:
sorry guys did not realize renaming to update.zip is no longer needed.
Edit2:
is there an easy way on how to access sd card from windows? I can't just remove the card from phone and insert it into my laptop because I don't have the proper adapter. Previously my boss was using the hero and perhaps it would be nice to backup the sd card first.
Edit3:
uhmmm, installing android sdk is perhaps not as simple as it sounds.
I have just seen this article.
I am on a limited gprs internet connection, can you please suggest sdk features I won't need to save some download bandwith?

- you need only the adb binary (thats adb.exe for windows) from the sdk, the rest is not needed for this.
- install the radio from the 2.1community-rom-thread, it is the newest. install the radio first. DO NOT PULL THE BATTERY until the phone has rebooted completely. if you pull the battery during radio upgrade your phone will be dead. it takes a few minutes, do not panic!
- you can copy the contents of the sdcard via the usb-cable, plug it into your pc and pull down the notification bar...

Do I need to run SDK Setup.exe when I have downloaded android sdk for windows?
Or can I simply run that binary from the command-line without the installation?
Do I need any USB drivers so my phone can be recognized?

[2011 DISCONTINUED] Android Theming & Tweaking [NEW PROJECT WANTED]

DISCONTINUED DUE TO GINGERBREAD RELEASE AND NO TIME TO REWRITE ENTIRE SCRIPT
WILLING TO START NEW PROJECT WITH SOMEONE ELSE
INBOX ME IF YOU WANT MY HELP FOR A PROJECT
This application will allow you to:
Do everything to theme froyo
And More!!!
Android Theming & Tweaking v2 Alpha
Download below
2.0 Development - Enhancements Finished:
Work Directory can be placed anywhere
Work Directory Move & Update
Animated Splash Screen
Phone tools by Che123 & Me

using windows 7, it is not working for me! I click on 'click me' file and nothing happen
Edit: Click me.bat doesn't open menu.bat automatically, after I click 'click me.bat' I had to click 'menu.bat' to get the options to appear.

works like a charm~

good to see you're porting this over
i'll include the windows version in the original thread and have every OS in one place
all thanks for the windows version go to you
i'll also try and fix any bugs as i know better what the scripts are doing

blackfox888 said:
using windows 7, it is not working for me! I click on 'click me' file and nothing happen
Edit: Click me.bat doesn't open menu.bat automatically, after I click 'click me.bat' I had to click 'menu.bat' to get the options to appear.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for that, I'll have a look tomorrow and see what's wrong
I'll post a new update with lots of fixes tomorrow
(Strict parents - spent so long on computer they nagged me to turn it off, I'm 16 and they still boss me around lol)
I'll make sure all menus work (including click me) and most of scripts work properly
//edit
The only reason I know of for it not working is because you have a space in your username for Windows. Fix will be up today
//edit
The reason I didn't post it in yours because its too buggy to display in your thread, I wanted to keep a high standard in your thread. Once its finished I'll post it in yours
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App

shoey-n said:
The reason I didn't post it in yours because its too buggy to display in your thread, I wanted to keep a high standard in your thread. Once its finished I'll post it in yours
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would greatly appreciate that
Thanks again for your porting work
Regards

Alpha 2 Released!
Fixed all visible bugs, all menus (including CLICK-ME) should now all work
Most scripts should work properly
Report all bugs to thread (either post up error shown or name of script)
Any suggestions for extra features are welcome as well (I'll tell cgrec92 about them for his version as well)

shoey-n said:
Alpha 2 Released!
Fixed all visible bugs, all menus (including CLICK-ME) should now all work
Most scripts should work properly
Report all bugs to thread (either post up error shown or name of script)
Any suggestions for extra features are welcome as well (I'll tell cgrec92 about them for his version as well)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the click-me still not working for me on windows 7 x64

To get the patch work in windows 7 all you need to do
is place the "ThemePro" folder on you desktop!!
mine wasn't working either until i did that

nope still not working

then also try to enter the
"properties" of both the '.bat' files in the directory and play with the "compatibility" options.

hmmm, I don't see why it doesn't work, I'll do some research about x64 because it works fine x32
Can you post up the path to your desktop please (if you don't want to show username, replace with ** but if there's a space in your username include it clearly)

Found a better way of calling the other files, it will work with everyone
(sorry for issues VeeDubZ)
You will be able to run Theme-Pro from anywhere you want, no need to place on Desktop
The Work Directory will still be placed to Desktop by default, I'm adding an option to let you specify the directory you wish to put it
(e.g Where would you like to place your Work Directory?: C:\Users\shoey-n\My Documents)
The update will be up today, and I hope to merge most of Theme-Pro 3.0 features by tomorrow

Hi shoey-n,
Why do you use this command line in CLICK-ME.bat :
call "%homedrive%%homepath%\Desktop\ThemePro\menu.bat"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
instead of this one :
call "menu.bat"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
?
I had the same issue than VeeDubZ with the original click-me.bat and by using this command line, it solved it.
Cheers

Thanks for the suggestion, I just noticed that when I was testing out my new way of doing it. That way will be much easier. I'm updating it with that now
New version should be up tonight
//edit
Sorry guys, I've updated the script but haven't had time to upload ( internet is really slow, so it'll take about 15 minutes )
So I'll do a major update for the release tomorrow, just for you lot

thanks for the fix, no worries about the problems with it, i started using the linux version for now, your version will just save me rebooting to use that one.
my path is the standard path that a user would use without any spaces C:\Users\vaughn\
Thanks for the progress update, looking forward to the release.
V.

Alpha 3 is out, few changes and enhancements to this version
Been tested outside of ThemePro but not inside. Hopefully new method works (hopefully uploaded right one )
Added transparent notification drawer mod (uploading for themepro 3.1 Mac/Linux in 5mins, compiling it and adding to scripts right now)
Changelog is up on first post

alpha 3 broke it all for me... none of the options work, Cmd spits out an error about "er" not being a system variable, and not being able to find the directory...

That means I made a typo somewhere, the way I done it means I only have to check 2 files so should be easy to fix, thanks for reporting the bug, fix will be up in the morning
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App

Beaverman20 said:
alpha 3 broke it all for me... none of the options work, Cmd spits out an error about "er" not being a system variable, and not being able to find the directory...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your bug reporting, it's all fixed now
I've tested it and can confirm working

[Q] Is there a newbie's guide for this phone?

I understand there's a tips and tricks thread that explains things in more detail but how does somebody go from just getting the phone to installing, or even understanding, things like obsidian, onyx, morphing and learning what the basic functions of such programs are.
The question I currently have is concerning flashing custom roms. In the tips & tricks thread, it talks of froyo builds (ex: bionix & frankin-twiz). What is it exactly? From what I understand, it sounds like a mini os that you install onto your device which helps in applying different functions to it, which makes custom roms possible.
I'm currently trying to get http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=845530 to work on my vibrant. Can anybody help a newbie out?

VibrantUser1 said:
I understand there's a tips and tricks thread that explains things in more detail but how does somebody go from just getting the phone to installing, or even understanding, things like obsidian, onyx, morphing and learning what the basic functions of such programs are.
The question I currently have is concerning flashing custom roms. In the tips & tricks thread, it talks of froyo builds (ex: bionix & frankin-twiz). What is it exactly? From what I understand, it sounds like a mini os that you install onto your device which helps in applying different functions to it, which makes custom roms possible.
I'm currently trying to get http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=845530 to work on my vibrant. Can anybody help a newbie out?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the link you posted is just to a theme.
to get the theme to work you'll need to be running obsidian first.
so lets see, the easiest way to explain the different versions 2.2, 2.1 1.6, 1.5 and so forth is this...
its pretty much like going from windows 95 to 98 to 2000 to xp to vista and so forth.
our vibrants come with android 2.1, 2.2 is the next version of the os to come out (basicaly like moving from vista to windows 7)
the different roms like obsidian and Macnut and such are just names that the developers gave their roms.
what happens is a developer starts out with a version of android (in the case of Macnut and Obsidian this is 2.2)
and then they add their own modified tweaks and such to it.
and so in the end they get Obsidian which is a modified 2.2
or Macnut which is also a modified 2.2
they differ a bit though as Obsidian is based almost totaly on a leaked version of 2.2 for the US vibrant, where Macnut is based alot on the 19000 version of 2.2 for the european phones.
so when choosing a rom just choose the base you want first: 2.1 or 2.2
then look through the tweaks on a few roms and read some of the thread for that rom untill you get a feel for what makes it unique
you can also just experiment by flashing a rom for a day or so and then switching to a new one untill you find one you like.
Morphing is a way to apply a theme to a rom, this does not generaly change functionality at all, it only changes apearance.
alot of themes are either morphs (you install them using metamorph, which is an app from the market)
or they also come in zip format (which are installed by flashing from recovery)
for the theme you posted you will need to flash obsidian, and then flash the zip for the theme afterwards.
have you rooted your device yet?
thats the place to start, if you need help just pm me or repost here and I'll do what I can.

also, there is a "newbie's guide":
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=732458

nearblack said:
also, there is a "newbie's guide":
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=732458
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol true true

Before you even want to start with anything, you have to learn what 'rooting' your phone means.
Without root, you won't be able to do any of the above. You might be able to download the programs necessary, but you won't be able to use them.
For ex. Titanium Backup, ROM Manager, etc.
We use ROM Manager to install different ROMs on our phones.
Much to read, my young grasshopper.

OP, I made the Tips/Tricks sticky... would you PM be exactly what you think it lacks? I want to make sure it is applicable to everyone... I thought it was straight-forward, perhaps not.

my phone is rooted. So how do I go about flashing obsidian?
I thought roms were the same as themes? What's the difference?
And just to clarify I understand the tips and tricks thread is sort of the newbies guide but even then theres a lot of terminology that a new user wouldn't understand. I just wanted some basic information that would allow me to transition into the tips and tricks thread more easily.
I appreciate the responses so far

Have you download Rom Manager from the Market? If not, do so.
Then follow the instructions (in the sticky) to flash the recovery (it's the top of the list when you open Rom Manager).
Assuming you did that, you can reboot into recovery, make a backup of your system.. something you can always come back to (a timestamp of your system at that moment).
Download the ROM you want, put it on your internal memory (sdcard/....) NOT in a folder.
Go to Clockwork recovery, choose to insall a zip from sd card... select the name of the ROM and then click Yes to install it.
It will run it's course, then you can just reboot when done.
The first bootup will take a long time (10 minutes probably)... let it boot.... leave your phone alone for like 10 or so minutes after bootup (suggested by Team Whiskey, I never really do this).
It's that easy.
Think of a ROM as an OS... the developers take Froyo (2.2) or Eclair (2.1) and make a lot of tweaks, remove things, add things... basically anything to enhance the user experience.
THEMES are something you flash over a custom ROM... it can change the icons, graphics, notification bar, etc... they are cosmetic. You see in my signature I have Axura 2.0.3 (amazing rom and there is a newer version out) and then I have BlackFroyo (which is the theme) on top of the ROM to change the look of things. Axura has a steel looking notification bar, I much prefer black (hence the theme I chose).
The ONE thing that can be confusing... if you make a backup right now (you have stock eclair), if you flash a froyo rom... you would need to flash either the stock eclair kernel (the download link is also in the sticky) to restore your nandoid backup.... OR, you could just flash another ROM that has a kernel (most do) and you would be good to go too.

And addition to this is to make sure your phone is NOT hardware locked.
To test it:
1) Take out battery from the phone and put it back in again
2) The USB cable plugged into the computer (not in the phone yet)
3) Push and hold down both of the Volume buttons at the same time
4) Plug in USB cable and it should take you into the Download mode.
If it does you are good to go. Just read some about Odin and Stock Android
If it isn't you need to make sure to flash JI6 to your phone (also Stock) onto your phone using Stock Manager. That should fix your hardware locked. Go over the above steps to make sure that is the case.

At this point, I have rooted my device and downloaded rom manager.I believe I have backed up everything after following the directions and I do have the blackfroyo.zip on my sd card and for some reason it won't "go" (although I'm sure there's a step I am missing here, something with obsidian) so that wasn't much of a surprise.
Edit: I noticed I tried to use a theme on there and not the obsidian "OS" (idiot) when I tried the backup thing with rom manager. Where can I download the most recent version of obsidian and/or is axura an acceptable alternative?

VibrantUser1 said:
Edit: I noticed I tried to use a theme on there and not the obsidian "OS" (idiot) when I tried the backup thing with rom manager. Where can I download the most recent version of obsidian and/or is axura an acceptable alternative?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Been working on updating the wiki. Please check out http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/index.php?title=Samsung_Galaxy_S_SGH-T959#ROMs for the different ROMs currently available.

^^ both are solid. I prefer Auxura *no touchwiz*.... download it from the development section. Place in on the internal (sdcard/ ) and flash it, reboot... I would let the phone chill for awhile then reboot again.... THEN if you want, start messing with the theme. You can see from my signature you and I are similar.
to the OP, I started a noob friendly guide in the Q&A section. Please let me know exactly what you want in there.

Here is a video guide, its kinda old but the principles are the same.
http://theunlockr.com/2010/08/02/how-to-load-a-custom-rom-on-the-samsung-captivate-vibrant/

I have been browsing around and reading on XDA since I got my G1 on release day. I have since upgraded to the MYT3G and now to the Vibrant. I have always used XDA as a source of information for rooting, etc. I don't post very often, but, I would like to throw props out to all the individuals in the thread, this is one of the few threads I have read on XDA that no one got flamed for being a "noob" and asking basic info, the information given was clear, accurate and very helpful. No one pointed to using the search function, everyone just gave good answers. AWESOME
I hope to see more threads like this in the future. Bravo and well done to all.

So I tried installing obsidian 5 and this is what happened. I first put the zip file on my sd card, I did all the necessary prerequisites (I think) using rom manager, flash recovery > vibrant yada yada yada and then pressed install rom from sd card and chose the obsidian zip file. Then the phone starts backing itself up and it finally reaches a point where it says (E: Can't open/sdcard/sd/obsidian_v5_beta.zip (no such file or directory) Installation aborted.
I then try to navigate to the file from the menu but whenever I click the sd file, it just exits, I think it says that no zip file is found or something but when I boot it up normally afterwards, the file is still there.
But the file is within the sd file . . . what am I doing wrong? I tried to fix permissions thinking it was that but no luck.

You probably need to move to the rom to the internal sd card. I thought you're able to add it to the external with the recent update but perhaps not
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

bellrb19 said:
You probably need to move to the rom to the internal sd card. I thought you're able to add it to the external with the recent update but perhaps not
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the rom IS on the sd card, unless you mean the memory on the actual phone itself

ROMs go on the root of the internal memory (no folder)... drop it in sdcard/
Also, this was mentioned in Post 8, and in team whiskeys install guide. Please pay attention to details.

oh okay, this whole time I've been thinkin the sd card folder was the root folder. Well I have finally put obsidian with success and now I'm having a difficult time implementing http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=845530. I have downloaded the zip file but I don't understand what "flash it through clockwork recovery" means. It kinda sounds like I should use something in rom manager but I'm not sure, I have tried to reboot into recovery through rom manager with no luck.
I've also tried using metamorph but when i choose the blackfroyo.zip file, it says that the file is invalid and that the theme control file could be missing. Am I doing something wrong here as well?
Thanks for all your help so far, I really appreciate you taking time out of your busy life to help an individual with (what may be to you) simple problems

VibrantUser1 said:
oh okay, this whole time I've been thinkin the sd card folder was the root folder. Well I have finally put obsidian with success and now I'm having a difficult time implementing http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=845530. I have downloaded the zip file but I don't understand what "flash it through clockwork recovery" means. It kinda sounds like I should use something in rom manager but I'm not sure, I have tried to reboot into recovery through rom manager with no luck.
I've also tried using metamorph but when i choose the blackfroyo.zip file, it says that the file is invalid and that the theme control file could be missing. Am I doing something wrong here as well?
Thanks for all your help so far, I really appreciate you taking time out of your busy life to help an individual with (what may be to you) simple problems
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From where you are now. Make sure the zip file is in the internal sd card, Open rom manager go to install rom from sd card then choose the that file then click ok and CW will do its thing. Also this is only for Obsidian v4.2 and Auxura 2.05. Good luck! Also you should make a nandroid back up first just in case.

Rooting the SCH i400 - Step by Step Instructions for Newbies

I just managed to root my SCH i400 (first ever rooting of any Android device for me).
I am very surprised by how smoothly it went, despite reports & warnings everywhere about complications (like this one - which should be totally ignored if you're using SuperOneClick v2.1.1 or higher).
For the benefit of n00bs like me who may be confused by multiple sources, resources, versions and problem reports, I am posting a step by step procedure that is confirmed (by me, on Windows XP SP3) to be working smoothly, without a single hitch of complications:
Phone: Make sure setting > applications > unknown sources is checked.
Phone: Make sure phone is in debugging mode.
Phone: Make sure SD card is unmounted!
PC: Make sure Windows USB driver for this phone installed and works
PC: Make sure .NET 3.51 SP1 is installed.
PC: Unzip SuperOneClickv2.1.1-ShortFuse.zip ==> C:\Program Files\SuperOneClickv2.1.1-ShortFuse
PC: Double-click SuperOneClick.exe
PC (in SuperOneClick): Make sure you're on the Universal tab (the only other tab is Samsung Captivate, which isn't the i400).
PC (in SuperOneClick): Now click the root button and wait for the process to complete.
PC (in SuperOneClick): "BusyBox not found. Would you like to install it?" Yes!
PC (in SuperOneClick): "Root install has completed! Would you like to run a test?" Yes!
PC (in SuperOneClick): "Your device has been rooted! Would you like to donate now?"
Exit SuperOneClick, unplug phone from USB, power down phone, power on phone. -- this step might not be mandatory, I just did it to be on the safe side.
Enjoy!

Great job on this tut.
Sent from my SCH-I400 using xda premium

Nice...
I may have to sneak my wife away from her for a bit....
Sent from my DROID using XDA App

Froyo is so nice... Here's how...
Hey guys... new poster here.
Just got a (Gently used) Samsung Continuum for free from Verizon after the power button on my G Droid 1 broke.
Anyways, after rcving it and realizing that it would only support Android 2.1 - I was slightly upset.
My D1 was rooted and modded to the max many times over with just about every ROM you can get.
So after reading up about IMNUTS leaking the Froyo download for the Continuum, my hopes were raised.
It is now debinged, debloated, lightening quick and amazing!
There may not be ROMS out there yet - but I truly hope some of you geniuses decide to make a few.
Just wanted to say thanks and encourage you to do some research before rooting it.
Here's what worked for me.
Odin 1.3
Continuum PIT.pit file
froyo_modem.tar.md5
cwm_recovery_test4_adryn.tar
cyan Clockwork Mod Recovery (BLUE, not yellow) (update.zip file, which is placed on the root of your SD card - renamed to update.zip)
stock_deodexed_ec03.zip (ROM)
(Place all of these files on your Desktop for easy access)
How to do it...
1. Connect your phone to your computer and Mount it.
2. Place the cyan CWM Recovery zip file to your SD card. (rename it to update.zip & do not put it in any folders. Just drag the file to your SD card - whatever drive it is listed as. Mine is my Removeable F
3. Make a new folder on your SD card. Name it whatever you want. (Mine is named "Froyo") Place the stock_deodexed_ec03.zip file in the folder on your SD card.
4. Open Odin 1.3 on your PC.
5. While your phone is off... hold the down volume button and connect it to your computer via USB. The yellow triangle will appear and it will say "Downloading". (Some people say to take the battery out, but my Odin program would not recognize my phone without the battery. Whichever works for you is fine.)
6. In Odin - Click the PIT file button. Load the Continuum.Pit.pit file into the file field. (Just double click it once you find the file from your Desktop.)
7. In Odin - Click the PDA button. Load the froyo_modem.tar.md5 file into the file field. (same as #6. Just double click it once you find the file from your Desktop.)
8. Click Start in Odin.
It should think for a minute, then say resetting, then say PASS
Then your phone will probably turn back on - turn it off again and reconnect it to your PC in download mode as stated in #5 above.
9. In Odin - Click the PDA button again. Load the cwm_recovery_test4_adryn.tar file as you did in #'s 6 and 7 above.
10. Click Start again in Odin... same as before. (thinking, resetting and PASS)
Your phone will turn on again.
11. Disconnect your phone from the computer & turn it off.
12. Hold both Volume buttons and turn it on. It will boot into the Samsung Recovery mode.
13. Use your Volume buttons to go down to highlight "apply update.zip" Then find the place where your normal Menu softkey would be and push it. The phone should then reboot into Clockwork Mod Recovery. It will be orangish.
14. In CWM, use the Volume buttons to highlight Backup/ Restore. Use the Power Button to choose it. Then at the next field, highlight Backup and make a backup.
15. After is makes the backup, press where the softkey Back button should be to go back to the original screen. From there, do a Wipe Data/ Factory reset. Do not forget to do this part.
16. Once it does the Data Wipe - go back to the main menu and and highlight & select the "zip from SD card" choice. Find your "Froyo" folder (of whatever you named it) and apply the stock_deodexed_ec03.zip file.
17. After that, go back to the main menu again and reboot your phone.
It may take a while, but your phone should restart in Froyo.
Of course, you have to re-sign in to your Google network...
Thanks so much guys for all the posts. Without them, is nowhere near as cool.

Hanging at Step #5, Now what?
Thank you for sharing. Wish I could say it went as smoothly for me with my SCH-I400 Continuum... I'm still working on it! I followed recommendations of several different developers/rooters. I've installed .Net Framework 4.0 and the SDK developers kit (who knows, maybe I'll start a new hobby...), and now when I run Superoneclick it hangs at step #5 with this message:
link_image[1728]: 3252 could not load needed library 'libdiskconfig.so' for './zergRush' (load_library[1058]: Library 'libdiskconfig.so' not found)CANNOT LINK EXECUTABLE
I have rebooted the computer and the phone, unmounted the SD card, settings to allow unknown sources, and turned on USB debugging. I'm not sure why the config file can't be found, and I don't know where to get it...
Do I need to reinstall the SDK? Or install the additional Java developers software? Or am I over-complicating this whole thing?
Any ideas will be greatly appreciated...
-James

Perhaps the easiest way is to flash a rooted ROM through Odin (or Heimdall)... Especially if you don't use Windows. This is how I did it:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1203597

Two topics in one thread?
Hmmm... seems we have 2 things happening hear. 1: Rooting a Samsung Continuum, and 2: Flashing a ROM...
My concern is the "hang" at step five for Rooting my Continuum SCH-I400... Cant use a ROM until the dang thing is rooted, and can't seem to figure out the hang.
Tried Z4 root from the phone rather than through the PC and it hung indefinitely... Maybe there's a related issue, and I don't care if it's Superoneclick or Z4 that gets the job done.
Has anyone gotten past the same issue?
-James

bighigmt said:
Hmmm... seems we have 2 things happening hear. 1: Rooting a Samsung Continuum, and 2: Flashing a ROM...
My concern is the "hang" at step five for Rooting my Continuum SCH-I400... Cant use a ROM until the dang thing is rooted, and can't seem to figure out the hang.
Tried Z4 root from the phone rather than through the PC and it hung indefinitely... Maybe there's a related issue, and I don't care if it's Superoneclick or Z4 that gets the job done.
Has anyone gotten past the same issue?
-James
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's where you are over complicating. You don't actually have to root BEFORE you flash a new rom, if the rom is 'prerooted'. I've never rooted this thing via s1c or z4. I simply flashed the kernels via odin and flashed the rom in cwm.
Either let me fly or give me death. Let my soul rest, or take my breath. - DMX

Txwolf1980 said:
That's where you are over complicating. You don't actually have to root BEFORE you flash a new rom, if the rom is 'prerooted'. I've never rooted this thing via s1c or z4. I simply flashed the kernels via odin and flashed the rom in cwm.
Either let me fly or give me death. Let my soul rest, or take my breath. - DMX
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's fine Txwolf, but still doesn't address the issue... Or the original reason for this thread - Rooting - which is is essential for the programs I am going to run, and that is what I have been asking about...

bighigmt said:
That's fine Txwolf, but still doesn't address the issue... Or the original reason for this thread - Rooting - which is is essential for the programs I am going to run, and that is what I have been asking about...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The issue seems to be that you just have to use that little search box a little better via xda or your web browser and find more information the root program your trying to use.
When you give up on that you can take txwolf1980 's advice
PS hang on step 5 in OP? Or in 3rd post? That would be getting into dl mode lol
Sent from my SCH-I400 using xda premium

Come on now...
ciscogee said:
The issue seems to be that you just have to use that little search box a little better via xda or your web browser and find more information the root program your trying to use.
When you give up on that you can take txwolf1980 's advice
PS hang on step 5 in OP? Or in 3rd post? That would be getting into dl mode lol
Sent from my SCH-I400 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I spent 6 hours last night troubleshooting, researching, digging deep, and "using that little search box." Seems to me You guys need to "just read the thread." It's about rooting your phone, period. If a forum is out there, I've probably read it. I'm using superoneclick to do it. SDK is installed. Net framework is installed. My error message frome SOC is above. When I am finally rooted, THEN I will install several programs - starting with a wifi tether.
I see you have the same phone as I do. Is it rooted with a one-click method? I also tried Z4root and didn't like it.

bighigmt said:
...Seems to me You guys need to "just read the thread."...
I see you have the same phone as I do. Is it rooted with a one-click method? I also tried Z4root and didn't like it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well i did read the thread...
ive been out of town for a week and finally back on my pc... i would love to help you yet more info is needed.
you are running dl17 stock 2.1 correct?
what OS is your pc running?
and yes i have same phone as you. i have used superone click on ec03 build once.
just for root. but then flashed a deodexed rom to use custom mods and apps.
and since have been flashing rooted kernels, imnuts and adrynalynne have released most all of them.
there are a few ways to root the device, best bet is, as always is go to IRC.
clarity and patience are key, we all got to practice both

I rooted EC09 with soc no problem. If I send someone the EC09 could they extract the apks and send them to me? I deleted some sys apps for the ticker and rss feeds and need them back now to use it.
Sent from my SCH-I400 using xda premium

Unzip factory.rfs of ec09 to grab missing apks and put them on sdcard and install from there.
Sent from my SPH-M580BST using Tapatalk 2

verizonless said:
[*]PC (in SuperOneClick): Make sure you're on the Universal tab (the only other tab is Samsung Captivate, which isn't the i400).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FYI, my Windows Defender threat scanner just reported this SuperOneClickv2.1.1-ShortFuse.zip file as Exploit:AndroidOS/CVE-2011-1823, more specifically pointing at a file named Exploits/GingerBreak in that ZIP file.
I am going to delete this ZIP file as I no longer need it, but I got curious: Any idea what this means?

verizonless said:
FYI, my Windows Defender threat scanner just reported this SuperOneClickv2.1.1-ShortFuse.zip file as Exploit:AndroidOS/CVE-2011-1823, more specifically pointing at a file named Exploits/GingerBreak in that ZIP file.
I am going to delete this ZIP file as I no longer need it, but I got curious: Any idea what this means?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It means it'll root your phone. Some applications could try to do this without permission and do shady things with your phone. Nothing to worry about if your doing it on purpose.

trailblazer101 said:
It means it'll root your phone. Some applications could try to do this without permission and do shady things with your phone. Nothing to worry about if your doing it on purpose.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im assuming by now everyone is on EG04 Gingerbread?

[TOOL][WINDOWS] ADB X5- The New ADB GUI

Hello fellow XDA members!
Some of you will know my work with ADB GUI from before.
Well I am please to announce my new and improved ADB GUI!
Most options are complete, I am still adding a TON more options to it as well.
Download here: Click here to Download
More change logs and other information is on my site: http://urgero.org
The new version is Metro Themed, With a light footprint. it includes ADB built in (Some functions require you to download an add-on pack that I will build very soon)
Works with Windows XP and up (Needs .NET 4 or 4.5 FULL not Client Profile version)
Download link is above, first 100 people to download get the beta until the next version is released!
More information is on my site for you guys!
Enjoy!

Reserved for Change logs / bug fixes

ADB X5 updated to version 5.0.2.12
Includes new Android 4.0+ backup system!

Stable version officially released EARLY!!!! Get it while it's hot! So to speak.

Latest build fixes bugs with live backup AND restore using adb backup and restore functions!
Also fixes the application manager as well!
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Great tool, and I'm glad you're creating a site just for your programming projects. However, both the report a bug and contact pages don't include a submit button (or other functionality to send the completed form) and no other contact method is provided, leaving this as the only option. So here's one really annoying bug I've found in ADB X5.
When starting a backup, the ADB windows ('select a backup option', and the main one) cannot be minimized or closed until the backup is complete. Attempting to do so prompts a windows "ADBGUIX5 is not responding" message. Furthermore, they're set to stay on top of all other apps. I've got a screenshot I can send, if you'd like.

dstarfire said:
Great tool, and I'm glad you're creating a site just for your programming projects. However, both the report a bug and contact pages don't include a submit button (or other functionality to send the completed form) and no other contact method is provided, leaving this as the only option. So here's one really annoying bug I've found in ADB X5.
When starting a backup, the ADB windows ('select a backup option', and the main one) cannot be minimized or closed until the backup is complete. Attempting to do so prompts a windows "ADBGUIX5 is not responding" message. Furthermore, they're set to stay on top of all other apps. I've got a screenshot I can send, if you'd like.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for letting me know! I will get to work on these issues ASAP.

Where is a valid download link?

DE SEXIEST said:
Where is a valid download link?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello,
This version of the product has been discontinued.
There is a nodejs version on my GitHub:
https://github.com/mitchellurgero/ADBWUI
Sent from my Moto G4 Play using XDA Labs