Quick Question: Is there a need to root? - Epic 4G General

Hey guys,
I'm coming from the G1 forum and have lots of experience loading and tweaking ROMs on the G1. Unfortunately my beloved G1 took a header off the roof of my SUV while doing about 70MPH on I-95, so alas, it is history!
Just ordered an Epic 4G to replace the G1. My question is, the main reason I rooted my G1 and got so involved in loading, testing and tweaking ROMs is that I wanted a seven-screen launcher and needed Apps2ext in order to load about 45 apps from the Android Market. It looks like the stock Epic launcher supports seven screens out of the box, I just don't know the internal memory capacity (how many apps it can typically hold).
Can anyone comment on the number of apps that the stock Epic 4G can handle? If I can load 40-50 apps then I may just skip the whole rooting thing and stick with the stock Android OS.
Thanks!
Chris R.

i can't personally answer how many apps, but reading and learning, I have seen many, many with over that number listed.
I personally have 24 with using 99.63 mb of available 498mb. And sd card untouched, so I have had no problem.
FYI, I am not a wiz, but have hacked Windows, Palm, the Hero, and have always considered it a challenge. But I have always needed to.
I did root, using One Click method, only because I wanted Wireless Tether. This phone is so customizable, that I am leaving along, waiting for Froyo. And I actually like TouchWiz, the colors, and the animations.
Its also nice doing no maintenance!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey thanks! Those numbers are exactly the info I was looking for! If you've got 498Mb avaialble on the data partition then I should be able to load a ton of apps without having to worry about a low memory condition! On the G1 you _had_ to root to get Apps2ext in order to be able to load, say, more than 20 apps, there just wasn't enough space.. and yes, no one will be happier than my wife if I have a phone that I don't have to root and spend hours and hours tweaking ROMs and settings trying to get the device to support 7 screens loaded with widgets and my 45 apps! I'm just as happy to have something that just gets OTA updates if the performace is good with the stock ROM.
Thanks again for your reply!
Chris R.

nmoreman said:
i can't personally answer how many apps, but reading and learning, I have seen many, many with over that number listed.
I personally have 24 with using 99.63 mb of available 498mb. And sd card untouched, so I have had no problem.
FYI, I am not a wiz, but have hacked Windows, Palm, the Hero, and have always considered it a challenge. But I have always needed to.
I did root, using One Click method, only because I wanted Wireless Tether. This phone is so customizable, that I am leaving along, waiting for Froyo. And I actually like TouchWiz, the colors, and the animations.
Its also nice doing no maintenance!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How were you able to set up wireless tether after root?

Iilex said:
How were you able to set up wireless tether after root?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once you're rooted, download "Wireless Tether" from the market.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

I have over 100 apps installed with plenty of free space (about 120MB-ish)
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

You don't honest *have* to root the Epic, but I considered it necessary because I hate even LOOKING at bloatware apps. Knowing they couldn't be removed without root was what made me root it the 2nd day!
The Asphalt demo was the worst because it takes up a decent amount of memory, and ITS ONLY A 5 MINUTE DEMO. :\ Also, I never once had any inclination to open or use the Sprint sports and Nascar apps so I didn't want to have them sitting around taking up precious space.
Currently on my Epic i have about 120 apps installed on it, and quite a few of them are larger games and apps! Pretty good if you ask me! You couldn't get that many on there without rooting but the allotted amount is still very decent!

Related

Just bought a Samsung Vibrant questions.

Well, I don't have it yet bought it off Tmo online because I was offered the $165 deal. I am new to the whole android thing and never owned an android phone before. Been browsing this site for over an hour and had to make an account there is so much to learn.
I learned a lot and the tips and tricks told me a lot.
Though I would like to hear from you guys.
I don't plan on rooting it just yet but I don't like touchwiz so I will be using Launcher Pro.
What apps and tips do you recommend for me? I am very excited and cannot wait for my new phone. Will be hanging out here a lot!
So thanks in advance and awesome forum you guys have here.
~George
Congratulations, you will love it.
As soon as you get it, I'd recommend going to the market and browsing through all of the most popular applications. Remember that you can always uninstall apps you don't like. Even if you buy one, you have a significant window of time to uninstall it for a refund.
Chalup said:
Congratulations, you will love it.
As soon as you get it, I'd recommend going to the market and browsing through all of the most popular applications. Remember that you can always uninstall apps you don't like. Even if you buy one, you have a significant window of time to uninstall it for a refund.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In addition to what I bolded above. The phone comes pre-installed with a lot of "bloatware" applications such as Kindle, MobiTV and all these other things. They cannot be uninstalled so technically you can't "uninstall apps that you don't like." The workaround is to root the phone and search the forum for removing stock apps and it'll be in there.
I would suggest trying out ADW Launcher rather than already deciding with Launcher Pro. Both has its advantages and its a matter of preference, both are great. I prefer ADW Launcher for more customization but it really depends on the user.
I would also lower the brightness all the way to the left simply because the phone is bright enough and it isn't necessary. This is a good way to have more hours on your battery. It might also be a good idea for when you get the phone, don't start off charging it right away. Let the battery drain to 0%.. keep turning the phone on until its unable to turn on, THEN start charging.. this way it will maximize the amount of hours on your battery. You might have to do this a couple of times to get the hand of it. The battery isn't a problem though, its pretty good compared to my previous phone, G1.
Chalup said:
Congratulations, you will love it.
As soon as you get it, I'd recommend going to the market and browsing through all of the most popular applications. Remember that you can always uninstall apps you don't like. Even if you buy one, you have a significant window of time to uninstall it for a refund.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome I am planning on using the GPS but all the GPS problems I am seeing is making me reluctant a bit. Let's hope I do not regret it.
Secondly refunds and apps sounds awesome *curses*Apple app store*curses*
Also when you buy an app does it charge your bill or a credit card?
I am a bit of a music freak and love having my music organized and I was told a program called "doubletwist" works great for android devices. I am looking for an alternative to itunes and zune software which have been great to me in organizing my music on my device.
zephiK said:
In addition to what I bolded above. The phone comes pre-installed with a lot of "bloatware" applications such as Kindle, MobiTV and all these other things. They cannot be uninstalled so technically you can't "uninstall apps that you don't like." The workaround is to root the phone and search the forum for removing stock apps and it'll be in there.
I would suggest trying out ADW Launcher rather than already deciding with Launcher Pro. Both has its advantages and its a matter of preference, both are great. I prefer ADW Launcher for more customization but it really depends on the user.
I would also lower the brightness all the way to the left simply because the phone is bright enough and it isn't necessary. This is a good way to have more hours on your battery. It might also be a good idea for when you get the phone, don't start off charging it right away. Let the battery drain to 0%.. keep turning the phone on until its unable to turn on, THEN start charging.. this way it will maximize the amount of hours on your battery. You might have to do this a couple of times to get the hand of it. The battery isn't a problem though, its pretty good compared to my previous phone, G1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yah, I forgot to ask about that. I was wondering if I could remove the mobi tv app I will never use it. (avatar I want to see, I will definitely be using kindle and sims 3 is pretty cool I don't mind it at all)
Thanks for the suggestion about ADW Launcher I did already check it out and it's pretty awesome but I like the look of LP a bit more. I will certainly try both out though.
I will eventually root the phone however if samsung does not continue giving us support.
I did play with the phone for some time at the Tmobile store and I have to say I am super impressed with it. Hopefully it all works out for me.
PathogenX said:
Yah, I forgot to ask about that. I was wondering if I could remove the mobi tv app I will never use it. (avatar I want to see, I will definitely be using kindle and sims 3 is pretty cool I don't mind it at all)
Thanks for the suggestion about ADW Launcher I did already check it out and it's pretty awesome but I like the look of LP a bit more. I will certainly try both out though.
I will eventually root the phone however if samsung does not continue giving us support.
I did play with the phone for some time at the Tmobile store and I have to say I am super impressed with it. Hopefully it all works out for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can ONLY remove it when you root your phone, basically the stock apps cannot be removed because they're located in /system/apps/ and you'll get Permission Denied. The root process takes less than a minute and theres a "One click" root floating around the dev forum. On the stickied thread theres instructions on how to un-root, which is fairly simple as well.
I'm pretty sure Samsung will continue supporting the phone, its one of their significant releases. I prefer having custom ROMs since they add more features to the phone that wouldn't normally come along with the stock ROM.
zephiK said:
You can ONLY remove it when you root your phone, basically the stock apps cannot be removed because they're located in /system/apps/ and you'll get Permission Denied. The root process takes less than a minute and theres a "One click" root floating around the dev forum. On the stickied thread theres instructions on how to un-root, which is fairly simple as well.
I'm pretty sure Samsung will continue supporting the phone, its one of their significant releases. I prefer having custom ROMs since they add more features to the phone that wouldn't normally come along with the stock ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not going to bull**** anyone but I have no knowledge of rooting and have only been browsing this site for a 2 hours and I am kinda weary about it. But that one click makes it sound easy and harmless. Maybe you can guide me.
Also I went ahead and downloaded Double twist and fell in love with it. It uses AmazonMP3 which is something I have invested some money into and it has the appstore right there. I know for a fact that I will DEFINITELY enjoy my time with android now.
I am liking this more and more.Also thanks for the help I appreciate it! ^_^
PathogenX said:
I am not going to bull**** anyone but I have no knowledge of rooting and have only been browsing this site for a 2 hours and I am kinda weary about it. But that one click makes it sound easy and harmless. Maybe you can guide me.
Also I went ahead and downloaded Double twist and fell in love with it. It uses AmazonMP3 which is something I have invested some money into and it has the appstore right there. I know for a fact that I will DEFINITELY enjoy my time with android now.
I am liking this more and more.Also thanks for the help I appreciate it! ^_^
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought you read the stickied post? http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=732458 its all there rooting is like one of the first things discussed in that thread.
zephiK said:
I thought you read the stickied post? its all there rooting is like one of the first things discussed in that thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't read it in detail I just browsed through it but now I am
I will certainly post once I get the phone in and express my first impressions.

[Q] low ram or is it normal??

Okay so when I first got the phone I usually had around 100mb of ram avalible and now I am floating in the 40s and even that seems really low to me I have two widgets beautiful widgets and a to do list and I don't have many apps on the phone overall my question is having 40mb of ram really low or is it normal??
Not sure what is norm mine is. Mine very seldom drop below 155 and rebuild fast. Have 3 Windows of widget close 200apps. Rooted and romed using Darkslide v4
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App
so idk what could be wrong...like im always in the 40's
rayne58 said:
so idk what could be wrong...like im always in the 40's
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
check the programs that are always updating such as wx.msg.news. and so on.
The Android pretty much controls the available memory so don't run on and add on a "Task Killer".
I didn't catch what Rom your running but VZW crapware is a memory leach.
Time to start snooping around and get that phone working for you.
Best to ya...
yeah im not rooted or anything so I am running stock just using launcher pro
I recommended root the phone with Z4root app and install Autokiller. Preset it at Extreme or Ultimate. Note: Auto Killer is NOT same as Task Killer. Is similar but they are not same app. If you have low RAM, it tends to delay or freeze the phone. Auto Killer will definately help. Odds are you have too many apps running simultaneously.
I want to root but tbh im a little scared to if someone could answer these questions haha I will most likely do it lol
around how long does it take?
when a new update comes like do I have to wait for an updated root to be released?? or does it just update like normal
im not afraid to brick my phone cuz that isn't too common it seems but what does Verizon do if they know that you are rooted??
once I am rooted then what?? I know about roms and stuff but what about root only apps?? is there a seperate market or something??
do I have to re do all the apps and settings that I have or can I restore my old stuff once I am rooted
my main concern though is with the updates and with Verizon im not sure what happens with both of them?
It's normal. I'm completely stock and I hover in the 40s as well.
just bumpin so hopefully someone could be so kind and answer my questions
rayne58 said:
I want to root but tbh im a little scared to if someone could answer these questions haha I will most likely do it lol
around how long does it take?
when a new update comes like do I have to wait for an updated root to be released?? or does it just update like normal
im not afraid to brick my phone cuz that isn't too common it seems but what does Verizon do if they know that you are rooted??
once I am rooted then what?? I know about roms and stuff but what about root only apps?? is there a seperate market or something??
do I have to re do all the apps and settings that I have or can I restore my old stuff once I am rooted
my main concern though is with the updates and with Verizon im not sure what happens with both of them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting start to finish can be under 10-15 minutes pretty easily.
When new updates come, usually you must un-root (at least I did to get this last update with Madden, etc), get the update, then re-root again. It's fairly simple.
Once you're rooted you can do additional things you couldn't do previously, remove bloatware (VZN crapware), do things like WIFI tether, and also install themes, remove ads from free/trial apps, etc. I am rooted and only did it for WIFI tethering and honestly use LauncherPro so don't have a need for themes yet. I may actually re-root only because I'm not taking full advantage anyway. The nice thing here is it is ALL at your discretion. Once rooted, you would continue to use the Market as you did previously, nothing changes there to get apps and such.
Rooting is not the same as "flashing" a ROM if you came from Windows. All it does is unlock it somewhat to allow for additional SuperUser permissions. None of your apps will change unless you change ROMs.
Go for it, just make sure you read lots before doing it. If all else fails, remember you can reverse what you did!
rayne58 said:
I want to root but tbh im a little scared to if someone could answer these questions haha I will most likely do it lol
around how long does it take?
when a new update comes like do I have to wait for an updated root to be released?? or does it just update like normal
im not afraid to brick my phone cuz that isn't too common it seems but what does Verizon do if they know that you are rooted??
once I am rooted then what?? I know about roms and stuff but what about root only apps?? is there a seperate market or something??
do I have to re do all the apps and settings that I have or can I restore my old stuff once I am rooted
my main concern though is with the updates and with Verizon im not sure what happens with both of them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting is VERY easy and allows you root level access to the system. You can install apps, ROMs, themes, etc that you wouldn't have been able to otherwise.
Shoot me a PM. I'm always glad to lend a hand.
How is the phone running? If its running fine, i'd say just let it be.
I've seen it in a few posts around the forums, "free memory is wasted memory" the Android OS should make room for itself. In some aspects you are better off having the apps you use the most running, meaning you don't have to wait for them to load.
I'd say if you are having some performance issues, then look to rooting/removing apps, otherwise, let the ram do what its supposed to do and hold data.

[Q] just ordered my first android phone

switched from my bb8900 that finally crapped out on me today. so being as this is my first android phone...what do you guys suggest i do first with it?
best apps to download?
probably not going to root. guess i can be considered a n00b. im good with computers but not programming good. ive read a lot but i dont want to brick my first android. maybe if i get a new one later on down the road i can practice on an old one.
best suggestions for increasing battery life?
games? etc etc.
also i have a question about gps. i downgraded to the 200mb plan through tmobile. i wasnt using nearly enough to keep unlimited. the majority of my use i can use wifi or randomly i'll use the gps when im driving. i know you use data when using gps but how much is it? i have a friend with a droid thru verizon and he looked up directions with google gps. and while we were driving he completely lost service for probably 30+ minutes going through some moutain heavily forested area. but it kept navigating. is this because google had already mapped out the directions? is it possible to just lookup where you are going and then turn off your service to avoid using lost of data?
sorry for being a noob.
thanks in advance.
kevin
Please post questions in Q&A section.
sorry about that
Hi Big Fancy,
I got on Android back in November of 2008 just after the G1 was released. Even though I'm a geek by profession, I wasn't planning on rooting my phone. That changed pretty quickly thereafter.
I was given a free CliqXT at the beginning of 2010 and I didn't root that (I haven't looked, but I'm not even sure if anyone even tried to gain root access on that device). I was hanging on and drooling over the Desire HD and then the HTC Glacier (myTouch 4G) hit the market - it was a no brainer.
I didn't plan on rooting this device either, as I didn't want to "break" my new, pristine baby. Philosophically speaking, one should have root access, but I'm also conservative enough to know when I don't need to play with fire.
What I'm getting at is, once I saw how easy it was to do...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=834225
...it just became another no brainer.
Ok, so most of the apps I would recommend, are going to require root access.
Titanium Backup for Root Users - This is a must have. Whether it's for restoring data or reverting back to a previous version of an app, this is one of those apps I think is a must-have. It's also the first app I purchased and I've been on Android since 2008. I've been quite happy with the free apps on the market, but I loved this app and had to support the dev.
ClockworkMod Recovery - This is also a must have. Essentially, this is like imaging a hard drive or cloning your system. In a way, this trumps Titanium, since you can backup your entire "image." If something breaks though or if there's an issue with the ROM itself, then Titanium is your lifesaver.
AdFree - This just updates your hosts file and nullifies, if you will, any known 'ad' IPs/host names. Basically, you don't see ads in ad-driven apps like Angry Birds or Watchdog Lite.
Watchdog Lite - You really want to avoid task killer apps, to a degree. The developer of Watchdog has a succinct explanation of it on his site - http://www.zomut.com/watchdog/froyo.
SetCPU - Sure, you can overclock your CPU with this, but you can also create nice profiles which will pull the CPU back a bit and help conserve battery life.
LogMeIn Ignition - Those who know a little more might just use RDP or VNC. I've been using RDP to remote-in to my home PCs and any Windows Servers I managed since I got on Android. LogMeIn is great though and for those that aren't familiar with port forwarding, et al, LogMeIn is a dead-simple way to access your computer from the road. It's also a secure connection, so that makes it a winner in my book. I use TeamViewer to support my clients and we're upgrading our license at the beginning of 2011, now that TeamViewer for Android is in beta.
Speed Test - It's nice to be able to show off your speeds, but it's also nice to check your speeds wherever you're at. A log is kept, so you can spot trends if you're experiencing speed/bandwidth issues.
Here's a handful more apps/games I find to be useful...
- Adobe Reader
- Adobe Flash
- Amazon Kindle
- Angry Birds + Angry Birds Seasons
- Barcode Scanner
- Bonsai Blast
- Chrome to Phone
- ES File Explorer
- Gmote
- gStrings (chromatic guitar tuner)
- HootSuite
- IMDb
- Movies (by Flixster)
- My Piano
- OI Notepad, OI Shopping List, OI Safe and OI File Manager (particularly Notepad and Shopping List - I use those daily)
- Paper Toss
- Photoshop Express
- Quadrant
- Reversi Free
- Shazam
- Skype
- Torrent-fu
- Uninstaller Pro
- UPS Mobile
- WordPress
- XDA
- Yelp
Welcome, good luck and I hope this helps!
thank u so much for that very in depth info! i really appreciate it!
Well I got it and this thing is so much more bada$$ than I could have hoped for. Just gotta get used to touchscreen typing. Trying swype. Wish me luck!
big fancy said:
Well I got it and this thing is so much more bada$$ than I could have hoped for. Just gotta get used to touchscreen typing. Trying swype. Wish me luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I loved swype but now I've got the gingerbread keyboard app from the market, (by Steven Lin) and it's AMAZING. The auto complete feature is SO MUCH MORE convenient than swyping, especially while driving.
It is a must have for one handed operation and it works fine on the MT4G.
Give it a try, it's on the market.
Just search Gingerbread Keyboard and look for the one by Steven Lin.
You'll love it!
nguyendqh said:
I loved swype but now I've got the gingerbread keyboard app from the market, (by Steven Lin) and it's AMAZING. The auto complete feature is SO MUCH MORE convenient than swyping, especially while driving.
It is a must have for one handed operation and it works fine on the MT4G.
Give it a try, it's on the market.
Just search Gingerbread Keyboard and look for the one by Steven Lin.
You'll love it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll give it a shot! Swype is just fantastic, but I'll check it out and see which feels better.
Not sure I want to encourage myself or others to text and drive though.
[[[Ice Glacier beats Rock ~ via XDA App]]]
shlongwoodian said:
I'll give it a shot! Swype is just fantastic, but I'll check it out and see which feels better.
Not sure I want to encourage myself or others to text and drive though.
[[[Ice Glacier beats Rock ~ via XDA App]]]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I wasn't promoting driving and texting either..but if you had too. lol.
shlongwoodian, that was a great write up. I've been on and off with Android ever I got my G1 back in Oct in 08 when my contract was up, and ever since then it was either iOS or Android, and now I'm back with Android after using it for a year in 09 and then this whole year with an iPhone. Missed it, got the G2 first with the contract and then this MT4G, and I'm loving it. Rooted this (I won't use a phone if it's not jailbroken or rooted, just a personal thing, I want to be able to control my phone), and it's been great. I don't think I can go back to a BB or iPhone. Even though I really want to give Windows Phone 7 a shot.
nguyendqh said:
I loved swype but now I've got the gingerbread keyboard app from the market, (by Steven Lin) and it's AMAZING. The auto complete feature is SO MUCH MORE convenient than swyping, especially while driving.
It is a must have for one handed operation and it works fine on the MT4G.
Give it a try, it's on the market.
Just search Gingerbread Keyboard and look for the one by Steven Lin.
You'll love it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info. I tried to install the Fabulous Gingerbread. zip posted on Android Spin and it put my phone into a boot loop. Downloaded this and it is just fine. I do like it a lot. I had been a Swype lover but now I am really torn between the two and am leaning toward the GB keyboard.
tenbeau said:
Thanks for the info. I tried to install the Fabulous Gingerbread. zip posted on Android Spin and it put my phone into a boot loop. Downloaded this and it is just fine. I do like it a lot. I had been a Swype lover but now I am really torn between the two and am leaning toward the GB keyboard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome. Glad you like it. I'm a big fan now too.
Still nice that the option to swype is there, if you switch back. But yeah. =P
So I did it. Finally got tired of the lag with my stock mt4g. Fully rooted with s off and loaded iced glacier. This runs so much better now. No lag. Totally smooth. Faster quadrant benchmarks. Hopefully the battery lasts longer like I've heard from some here on the board.
Sent from my HTC Glacier using XDA App

Cm6 pros and cons?

I'm new, my evo is rooted tho but now I wanna install a rom. Isn't Cm6 probably the best? I want one that's not much different just smoother.. can someone give me some pros and cons and also a link to maybe a tutorial of how to download and install roms.
Does it delete anything to install a rom?
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
There are a lot of opinions about this subject. There are some real pro's to CM6. The tricky thing for most people to understand is that Cyanogenmod is built from the ground up. So when you say you want something that isn't too different, this is going to probably be more unique than you were expecting.
Some great things about CM6 are hidden all throughout the settings, menus, and functions. For example, CM6 is alot cleaner. There aren't any processes that run in the background that you never installed. Whenever you use a stock rom, HTC and Sprint have a number of pre-installed items running. The result is that it is faster.
One huge advantage for me is that CM6 fixes the bluetooth in the phone. Which means that you can connect a Wiimote. This isn't possible with anything that is a variation of the stock rom. Which means only CM6 or other AOSP roms will be capable of supporting the Wiimote on the Evo.
The Cyanogen team has put more focus into things like the way the audio is processed. They use DSP managers to fine tune your audio.
There are some unique settings you can use as well. For example, by holding the back button, you kill whatever app is in the foreground. This eliminates the need for task killers, and lets you truly close an app when you want to.
The biggest pro for most people is that it is substantially faster. This makes games, and other resource heavy apps run smoother. If you use something like PSX4DROID (a playstation emulator), I would recommend this rom because you can use the Wii Controller, and the games will run smoother.
Overall, it's an engineering marvel, because it's built completely by open source developers. These are guys that all have day jobs and do this as a hobby, and in many ways, they do a better job than Google and HTC who have armies of full time developers. That's why they get so much support. Is because it's truly astounding what they do with their resources.
So this might be the blind leading the blind, but I'm a noob as well when it comes to ROM flashing stuff.. From what little you have mentioned CM6 isn't what you want. CM6 is very good but it is not SenseUI, by default it does not have swype, it does not do 4g, hdmi is not there and I'm sure there are other things... That being said, from what I have read, CM is very good for what it is...
If you want to stay relatively stock but with some tweaks, you likely want to look at Fresh or Myn.. do a search in the XDA evo-->android dev forum (actually usually the main thread for those 2 are on page 1 or 2)..
I have settled on Fresh because it uses the latest Sprint rom as its basis so you get most of the new stuff out of the box ie. swype.
Myn has a beta out there using the new rom, but I don't know where it is to download and I am not a good beta tester so I will just wait..
From a process perspective, I downloaded Rom manager from the Marketplace, flashed the latest Clockwork recovery and used the rom manager to download fresh and let it install it for me.. Be sure to check mark the clean everything checkbox in rom manager when it asks..
Hope that helps...
jc8081 said:
I'm new, my evo is rooted tho but now I wanna install a rom. Isn't Cm6 probably the best? I want one that's not much different just smoother.. can someone give me some pros and cons and also a link to maybe a tutorial of how to download and install roms.
Does it delete anything to install a rom?
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I'm gonna go with Cm6 just bc it seems like they have plenty of features. But what do u mean not hdmi? Like not even pictures and videos?
Also can someone give me a link to how to install them.. Thanks
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
bradleyw801 already did a good job of the Pros, so I'll list the Cons of CM6 (there aren't many):
1. It's the hardest of the ROMs to flash. Reads laughable but to someone who is really new to this whole thing, it's true. Most ROMs you can just flash and tryout. CM6 you need to flash twice: once for CM itself and once for the Google Apps (it's pretty useless without the gapps). ROM Manager makes this pretty painless with a simple checkbox, so follow above advice, but still be aware you need GAPPS.
2. No 4G Support. Yet. That's the keyword, as there are a few devs on this very forum who are runningCM with 4G .... it's just in alpha stages.
3. No HDMI Support. Yet. Again keyword ... but less so. HDMI out is one of those things you hear about every so often but nothing ever surfaces from it. It's like Duke Nukem Forever.
4. For all the Sense bashing that some will do, HTC had some very nice widgets that most people miss when they go to CM. Most notable is the big clock widget. Now there are market apps that emulate it, but the only ones that do a good job of it cost money (beautiful widgets and fancy widgets pro). Be ready to look for apps to replace what came shipped with your EVO if there are some things you like and would rather not be without.
Hope that helps.
Ok now Cm6 doesn't sound great. I actually use my hdmi, are there any roms easy to flash.. i just want one that makes my phone smoother and also so unneeded apps don't run in the background?
Bc mine now is getting slow like when I open my messeges and are going from person to person it takes forever. Thanks again
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
jc8081 said:
I'm new, my evo is rooted tho but now I wanna install a rom. Isn't Cm6 probably the best? I want one that's not much different just smoother.. can someone give me some pros and cons and also a link to maybe a tutorial of how to download and install roms.
Does it delete anything to install a rom?
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, now that you are rooted it would be a perfect time to get used to making backups and flashing.
You could try making a nand bacckup and flashing CM6(.1.2) and seeing how well it suits you. Like any (or most) ROMs there are themes and you can mess around with different things to make it more to your liking. CM6 is as stock Android as you can get. I don't necessarily dislike Sense, and some of the Sense widgets are really cool (and are for the most part replaceable) but in the end I like the feeling of just plain Android.
The lack of 4G and HDMI out is more of a personal user thing. I haven't missed my 4G and I've been using CM6 for my Evo for almost the whole damn time, since it was first released that is. HDMI never really interested me before, but full UI out is something else entirely. Before it was just hype to me.
CyanogenMod just feels right on the Evo. Best way to decide is to take the plunge and maybe set it up for a day. Restoring a backup is super simple. Take the necessary steps to flash successfully and check it out.
And as for things being deleted off the SD card; not sure if you mean everything or specific things. Things like SMS, call logs etc are not backed up but YOU can back them up in various manners. Some SMS backup apps or what have you which I've never tried. Call log I assume as well. Email and things like that, which are tied to your Google Account are backed up by "The Cloud" or whatever you want to say, and same goes for contacts if you've obviously synced them with your google account. Like, contacts under phone can be synced with google account that way the phone contacts aren't deleted, unless I have that last part wrong.
You can wipe the SD card completely, but that doesn't really happen when you wipe data, cache and dalvik. Just the important stuff so the ROM takes. Check it!
edit: didn't hit submit right away, late post as it seems your not really feeling it. you can remove bloat apps that you don't see fit in ROMs, things that someone might have not removed themselves (even then removed apps are usually available at your discretion) but not all apps can be removed. There are lists about that have "safe to remove apps" and the like.
try it for yourself, if it doesn't do what you need it to, flash another ROM. pretty much any AOSP based ROM has issues with wimax and HDMI but there are many strong ROM's to run, you will probably change it up from time to time and the hardest thing you will find is trying not to flash
You really should try out roms for yourself instead of listening to others. Some people like some things and others like others. I've run CM on 2 phones now (MyTouch Slide and G2) and it's been extremely stable, fast and just fantastic. If it had wimax and hdmi working i'd have it right now (I like watching hulu on my big screen while I eat ).
If you want something that has everything working, myn's warm twopointtwo rom works if you have the older Evo hardware (pre-0004). It's very nice and still runs sense or mikfroyo, which also has sense, but it supports the new evos.
If you want vanilla android and can wait for the wimax and hdmi, get CM, there's just no alternatives. If you can't wait, go to the dev section and look for the threads that start with [rom] and see if any of them suit you better.
Fwiw...I'm a total noob to the android scene. I'm fairly tech savvy, good in general with pc's, hacking tivo's, etc..nonetheless I was very hesitant to root and flash my evo. But, I took three plunge last night, first rooting, then performing a nand backup. I then uninstalled all the sprint apps successfully. I was fairly happy at this point.but I have been experiencing random reboots and sense crashes prior to rooting. So I took the plunge and flashed cm6.1 and gapps last night.
I have to say I wish I had to done this months ago, I love the look, feel,and performance of cm / stock android. I struggled with battery life before flashing, but there is a significant improvement in batt life since ive flashed. I also installed swype beta,as I had received an invite just prior to sprint including swype. Im bummed about the lack of 4g, but 4g is hit and miss in the south bay so I cant complain too much. Oh ya, wifi tether is an added bonus.
I say go for it. ;-)
Well the biggest con is that you can't use 4g or hdmi, which defeats the purpose of buying the evo and paying $10 fee for 4g. Not to mention the fact that stock android looks like a 3rd rate Linux distro from early 2000s.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
so me running cm6 defeats the purpose of me owning my phone????
I dont live in a 4g area......4g is only really advantage when tethering to a laptop
Ok guys thanks for everything but i really need a link so i can figure out how to backup and flash and rom...
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
jc8081 said:
Ok guys thanks for everything but i really need a link so i can figure out how to backup and flash and rom...
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure. First sticky at the top of the forum: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=881747
The stickies are pretty comprehensive for the EVO. Pretty much anything you'll want to know will be there.
As for CM6. It's super fast. I love it. I don't mind being without 4G (at least when I'm not testing ) and HDMI (I use Twonky Media Server to stream pics and vids to my Xbox over wifi).
Both of these features are coming soon so if you decide to go with another ROM, just keep following CM for updates on these features. When they are done I don't see why you wouldn't use CM.
As for alternative roms... I know Myns is very popular.
Also, I'll note, you can always flash CM6 and play with it for a bit and then wipe and flash any other rom.
tl;dr - Read the sticky, try myns and follow CM progress.
You might want to take a look at MIUI. It's well designed (unlike Sense), is pretty fast (faster than Sense), and has a ton of extra features (like Sense). While it doesn't have WiMax right now the CM guys are close to getting it working; and since both are based on AOSP, it will be relatively easy to port to MIUI. I prefer CM but if I didn't have a iPhone (since MIUI tends to feel like a copy of it) I'd probably use MIUI.
If you can live without 4g then go for it. The battery life is great. I flashed a sense rom today and with in an hour I was flashing back to cm6.
Sent from CM6 using XDA App
Ok thanks now one last question I think... when I do nandroid backup does it save my apps? Bc i was watching a video it said u have to nandroid backup and apps with titanium I think...
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
bottom line: try a few ROMs, each for a day, and stick with what you like. no substitute for trying it out yourself.
fine print: i'm a vintage user. I was running android on my Vogue before there was an android phone, when GPS would always place you in san fransisco (someone will know what that's all about - thanks dzo). anyways, having a rooted phone is about many things, but one of them is the ability to flash and try what you want.
if you've got a deal breaker, like 4g or HDMI out, sure that limits you now, but as posted before keep reading and trying new things as they come out. if you're lucky, you may yet become a flash-aholic.
i'm a sense guy; not for the launcher (off and on i'm running adw, lp, and sense home, depends on the month), but for the sense apps. I love the sense messaging app, that's the program I use most on my phone. I ran vanilla for a long time on my vogue, and I tried out CM6 for a day. it's just not me. and I never use 4G or HDMI. you won't know what fits you until you try, though.
to each their own. use what you like.
I use to be a die hard CM fan but now Im using MIUI. Both have a lot of nice features.
Titanium Backup will allow you to backup apps selectively and then reinstall them later. (you can do many other things as well) This is very useful, especially for apps that you can not easily obtain. (ie. not available in the app store) An example is any game from GameLoft or a beta that you may have. (like Swype before it was deployed) So after you switch to CM6 or whichever ROM you can then load these apps on to the new ROM.

Rooting as a whole

Seems after getting the Note 4 I have found my self wondering how I was ever with out root. Its crazy I cant stand this phone with out root. Its maddening to know I have Ads and apps I don't need. If Verizon didn't offer this phone at Christmas for 150.00 I would have never got it. #1 Reason no root was out yet but I took a chance. I know now or always have that you DEVS work hard to get stuff done. This was just a big ....
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK!
Root will be out soon. I had no patience and switched to the Dev edition. I HATE ads and clustered samsung status bar with passion...
WhiteReign said:
Seems after getting the Note 4 I have found my self wondering how I was ever with out root. Its crazy I cant stand this phone with out root. Its maddening to know I have Ads and apps I don't need. If Verizon didn't offer this phone at Christmas for 150.00 I would have never got it. #1 Reason no root was out yet but I took a chance. I know now or always have that you DEVS work hard to get stuff done. This was just a big ....
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Articulated very nicely. I too long for Root and full control of my phone restored in my hands.
Op is the one who has joined XDA since 2011 and more than 400+ thanks (out of 500+ posts ) Posted this in the wrong forum accidentally or didn't know this is development forum
This is exactly why I sold my Verizon n4 and got a nexus 6. I have never had a phone without root. It was driving me nuts as well. I love the phone but couldn't deal with no root. I check back periodically to see if root has been achieved. Maybe one day I will have a n4 again.
Meh... You can disable the bloat with the stock app manager... Yeah, not 100%, but I am not gonna obsess about 4 or 5 tiny apps or services running in the background that I don't see or notice anyway... I am not that much of a control freak... It's a phone, not the center of my universe that I feel compelled to bend 100% to my will.. hehe
Root would be nice I guess, but on these newer phones, the appeal is less and less. I can skin it however I want with dozens of launchers, and debloating a few extra apps with root won't make it any faster...
By the time root comes out, the devs will have moved on to newer phones so the ROM support will suck anyway...
It's unfortunate. I would love to have root access on this phone for various reasons . My next phone will have it, even if I have to leave Verizon.
Sadly, the Verizon Note 4 is never going to see it...at least not before the next round of Note flagships
First post, just got a note 4. Had a rooted lg g2 before it. I'm loving the note so far (only had it about a week), but I use limelight to play computer games on my phone and it doesn't support mouse input very well without root access. . . As has been said I've disabled most of the bloat, but it would be nice to be able to just get rid of it. Also Sixaxis controller requires root to pair a ps3 or 4 controller to my phone... I hope root comes soon, maybe I should become a developer to help the cause. I too thank you for all your work.
SquireSCA said:
Meh... You can disable the bloat with the stock app manager... Yeah, not 100%, but I am not gonna obsess about 4 or 5 tiny apps or services running in the background that I don't see or notice anyway... I am not that much of a control freak... It's a phone, not the center of my universe that I feel compelled to bend 100% to my will.. hehe
Root would be nice I guess, but on these newer phones, the appeal is less and less. I can skin it however I want with dozens of launchers, and debloating a few extra apps with root won't make it any faster...
By the time root comes out, the devs will have moved on to newer phones so the ROM support will suck anyway...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can disable any app you want using adb shell.
This issue around root has been interesting for me. For awhile, I was like you, OP and many others who feel they must have root. However, after about 5 weeks of use now, I find myself perfectly happy with the Note 4 just the way it is and I wonder if I'll even take root-ability into consideration when making my next phone purchase.
mlin said:
You can disable any app you want using adb shell.
This issue around root has been interesting for me. For awhile, I was like you, OP and many others who feel they must have root. However, after about 5 weeks of use now, I find myself perfectly happy with the Note 4 just the way it is and I wonder if I'll even take root-ability into consideration when making my next phone purchase.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am with you. Root used to be mandatory IMHO, as phone makers just didn't seem to be able to get the phone's to work properly out of the box... slow, clunky, missing things, instability, outdated software, etc...
Nowadays, I just don't see that. Typically it is the ROMs that are unstable, miss features, etc... I see thread after thread of this great new ROM! But the camera is flunky, doesn't have data, or the IR blaster doesn't work, etc...
I had an LG G2 and the ROMs didn't impress me much. Went to a GS5 and was even less impressed. None of the ones that I tried were measurably faster than stock, none were 100% functional, or if they were, they were just tweaked stock ROMs and so what's the point? Risk warranty issues or bricking it, or not able to get OTA's, for what? Just to be able to brag to my nerd friends that I had a transparent status bar because a regular one bothers me SOOOO SOOOO much? LOL
The Note 4, is amazing. Debloat it with ADB or with the app manager, install your favorite launcher and icon pack to get the look and feel that you want, and know that it will work 100%, it's fast, stable and no warranty issues, no being left out when Lollipop drops and you want it but it breaks root again so you have to stick with the old software, etc...
I'm with you guys. I come from a Nexus4 and still have a Nexus7. I miss root for Titanium backup and that's about it. Sure I'm going to once it drops but the note is a very capable device able to stand on its own.
SquireSCA said:
Meh... You can disable the bloat with the stock app manager... Yeah, not 100%, but I am not gonna obsess about 4 or 5 tiny apps or services running in the background that I don't see or notice anyway... I am not that much of a control freak... It's a phone, not the center of my universe that I feel compelled to bend 100% to my will.. hehe
Root would be nice I guess, but on these newer phones, the appeal is less and less. I can skin it however I want with dozens of launchers, and debloating a few extra apps with root won't make it any faster...
By the time root comes out, the devs will have moved on to newer phones so the ROM support will suck anyway...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
4 or 5 apps? You must be oblivious to the hundreds of services and dozens of apps that are running on your phone. Don't forget about hundreds of intents that must all be doing something in your favor.
Big Red just wants your phone to run smooth and they want your battery life to be even more fabulous.
xdadevnube said:
4 or 5 apps? You must be oblivious to the hundreds of services and dozens of apps that are running on your phone. Don't forget about hundreds of intents that must all be doing something in your favor.
Big Red just wants your phone to run smooth and they want your battery life to be even more fabulous.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can disable any app on the phone with this.
xdadevnube said:
4 or 5 apps? You must be oblivious to the hundreds of services and dozens of apps that are running on your phone. Don't forget about hundreds of intents that must all be doing something in your favor.
Big Red just wants your phone to run smooth and they want your battery life to be even more fabulous.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can disable most of the things in the app manager. There are only a few that you can't, but then you can do that with ADB. Either way, you can debloat the phone, without root, and without risk of messing up your warranty or the ability to get the Lollipop OTA in a few weeks.
Also, a lot of reviews have shown that disabling everything under the sun to free up RAM, can actually slow your phone down, not speed it up.
Getting the true crap disabled, is the biggest thing and anyone can do that without root today.
It doesn't have to be the center of someone's Universe for them to enjoy changing it and making it their own, people do this will all types of things. Some would call it a "hobby" or an interest. Lots of people enjoy spending hours on Facebook or playing video games, others enjoy tinkering with their devices.
I went for a while with a retail Note 4 and ended up getting a DE. There are too many things that I missed, here are some of them:
Add WiFi HotSpot Toggle and Bypass Subscription Check
Add Flashlight Toggle
AdAway
Titanium Backup
Viper4Android
Root Explorer
Xposed Framework with the following modules:
-Youtube AdAway
-Play Store Link In App Info
-Wanam
-Swype Keyboard Tweaks
-Notify Clean (Clean notification area)
-No Map Tips (Disable Google Play Maps location accuracy tips)
-Google Play Music Listen Later (Change the default Google Play Music pane and tabs)
-Disable Clear Defaults Dialog
Chrome Pie (Add Pie control to Chrome)
SquireSCA said:
Meh... You can disable the bloat with the stock app manager... Yeah, not 100%, but I am not gonna obsess about 4 or 5 tiny apps or services running in the background that I don't see or notice anyway... I am not that much of a control freak... It's a phone, not the center of my universe that I feel compelled to bend 100% to my will.. hehe
Root would be nice I guess, but on these newer phones, the appeal is less and less. I can skin it however I want with dozens of launchers, and debloating a few extra apps with root won't make it any faster...
By the time root comes out, the devs will have moved on to newer phones so the ROM support will suck anyway...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And whats even better you can block every single possible app with adb !
Until we get root its live able without it.
Sent from my SM-N910V using XDA Free mobile app
SquireSCA said:
You can disable most of the things in the app manager. There are only a few that you can't, but then you can do that with ADB. Either way, you can debloat the phone, without root, and without risk of messing up your warranty or the ability to get the Lollipop OTA in a few weeks.
Also, a lot of reviews have shown that disabling everything under the sun to free up RAM, can actually slow your phone down, not speed it up.
Getting the true crap disabled, is the biggest thing and anyone can do that without root today.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
like I said, oblivious
The Note 4 is so sick the way it is! Do I wish we had root? Check. Do I wish we had unlocked bootloader? Check. Am I gonna give up on THE best phone out right now because I don't have those things? Hell NO! The phone is a beast! And I'll keep waiting, maybe for nothing....... but if it is for nothing, I'll live. Love the Note 4! And sticking with it no matter what.
zounduser said:
The Note 4 is so sick the way it is! Do I wish we had root? Check. Do I wish we had unlocked bootloader? Check. Am I gonna give up on THE best phone out right now because I don't have those things? Hell NO! The phone is a beast! And I'll keep waiting, maybe for nothing....... but if it is for nothing, I'll live. Love the Note 4! And sticking with it no matter what.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Phone sucks without root. Seems like you don't need your xda account anymore
Sent from my SM-N900V using XDA Free mobile app
---------- Post added at 11:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:20 PM ----------
I can't use a phone without pie controls. Comes in handywhen laying in the bed
Sent from my SM-N900V using XDA Free mobile app
I miss being able to use better battery stats to follow wakelocks. I haven't had any real issues with wakelocks so far, but it really is just a matter of time.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

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