Database Users

Description requests

Hi guys,
I've been reading this forum for almost a month now (since I got my Epic), and I still haven't seen any description for a lot of the software you're using. I'm not an idiot here, I made a joeykrim exploit uninstaller of my own shortly after noobnl posted the one click exploit. Still, I'm not a mind reader. How do you guys even keep up with this?
ClockworkMod - The website describes it as, "An open source recovery image used by many phones". Not very helpful. There's a post on their forums asking what it does, with no response.
Andromeda - Apparently a ROM Manager with built in root. Not very helpful. Starting from the top, why would I need a ROM manager? Does this run on the phone? Why would I want a ROM manager on my phone? Doesn't this serve the same function as ClockworkMod?
AOSP Magic and Tha Boss ROM - Neither of these have any instructions. Tha Boss ROM actually includes a download link, while AOSP Magic eschews the link in favor of a video review. The video review is nice, as it contains the first instructions I've seen so far, brief as they may be.
A few lines of description on your releases would really help the new people. Really, you'd have to be a fool to download these programs and flash/fry your phone without description or instruction! You're pushing away the more cautious people who might otherwise join in.

Netop said:
Hi guys,
I've been reading this forum for almost a month now (since I got my Epic), and I still haven't seen any description for a lot of the software you're using. I'm not an idiot here, I made a joeykrim exploit uninstaller of my own shortly after noobnl posted the one click exploit. Still, I'm not a mind reader. How do you guys even keep up with this?
ClockworkMod - The website describes it as, "An open source recovery image used by many phones". Not very helpful. There's a post on their forums asking what it does, with no response.
Andromeda - Apparently a ROM Manager with built in root. Not very helpful. Starting from the top, why would I need a ROM manager? Does this run on the phone? Why would I want a ROM manager on my phone? Doesn't this serve the same function as ClockworkMod?
AOSP Magic and Tha Boss ROM - Neither of these have any instructions. Tha Boss ROM actually includes a download link, while AOSP Magic eschews the link in favor of a video review. The video review is nice, as it contains the first instructions I've seen so far, brief as they may be.
A few lines of description on your releases would really help the new people. Really, you'd have to be a fool to download these programs and flash/fry your phone without description or instruction! You're pushing away the more cautious people who might otherwise join in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
clockwork rom manager is an app on your phone that requires root access, allows you to flash roms under the android OS and is nice and GUI (graphic user interface)
clockwork recovery is at the boot level, before the android OS loads, it's used as a minimal menu to do lower level functions such as flashing roms to your phone, clockwork rom manager uses this as it's backend for flashing roms.
androidmedia, boss rom and aosp magic are all roms (entire custom android OS packages) flashable though clockwork recovery
everything listed as a kernel is only a chunk of the OS that controls the hardware and such... they can overclock the device and improve battery etc. applications and favorites and other user data stuff is uneffected.
the weird names are just what the developers are naming their software. What you should be paying attention to are key terms like
ROM, KERNEL, RECOVERY those are the different parts that are being modified...
That being said.... for someone that researched for over a month, you don't seem to be quite getting it, also this doesn't need to be in developer forum, and all this is in the hundreds of WIKI's posted on other android devices.. also a quick google search would answer most of your questions you're having

Netop said:
ClockworkMod -
Andromeda -
AOSP Magic and Tha Boss ROM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ClockworkMod - makes a custom recovery, along with many other programs and apps, that makes flashing custom rom's and kernels much easier. Add Clockwork Recovery to your phone and you can load any custom rom or kernel you want by simply booting into recovery. Instructions to install it on your phone are in the OP (original post) of the clockwork recovery thread.
Andromeda - It is a group of custom programs noobnl has made. He made a custom kernel (this overclocks (makes faster) your cpu and undervolts (adds battery life)). His kernel also installs rom manager and super user to make make rooting more functional. Noobnl also has an andromeda rom that modifies touchwiz to be a little different with some different features. In both cases read the OP of the two threads and you will find easy installation instructions (using clockworkmod recovery) and a description of what they both do.
Aosp Magic and Tha Boss - These are both custom roms that in some way change how your phone looks and functions. Custom roms are all just ways to personalize your phone. For the most part they all install easily with clockwork recovery. Read the OP of any rom and it tells what they have done, what they do with each update, and how to install it.
Not trying to be mean or anything, but reading the OP pretty much always explains everything. I have only been doing this since they epic came out and have just learned by trying things out. It is very difficult to fully brick your phone. Most the time if you can't get your phone to work you can use Odin (see the thread for more info) to flash back to stock and start over.

Just my two cents but people who are pushed away isn't a bad thing. If they don't know what they are doing they don't need to be doing this. There are several terminology threads on this site...pushing them away means a lot less clutter in the dev threads and else where. Not that I'm saying they shouldn't be here at all, but read read read read....read....and then read some more. And if all else fails bash it with a hammer and turn it in on insurance.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

See, its hard to really complain on this because some people are doing some cool stuff on their own effort and time, but I will agree with the OP on this. I agree that only a few lines of descriptions would not only help new users but cut a LOT of threads and posts from people interested but unsure of what do or what something is. And in fairness, it sounds pretty bad when u say that if people aren't that familiar with stuff they shouldn't try it. We don't all know everything and sometimes a little info goes a long way. But that's just my opinion.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

Unfortunately if you can't search, read, and understand all the info that is posted you'll have only one option to customize your phone...Sprint ID(which will cost you $$). I've found that none of the processes, such as rooting or flashing kernels, are difficult to perform. In fact sometimes the amount of information already provided becomes confusing to some. I understand the issue devs have with the clutter in this section of the forum. Maybe mods can help by moving topics to the general section and maybe preserving the cleanliness of this section. On the other hand, why all the rage against people asking questions? If I'm not mistaken everyone isn't magically born with all the knowledge required to customize their phone. That's why there are forums like these to provide a community where people seeking knowledge can find it. Personally I find the forums for any piece of hardware from my Directv box to my Epic to be absolutely the most valuable "manual" I can have. Its nice to rely on actual intelligent users for information and not a low paid csr with a script on the other end of the phone.

zetterwing said:
Unfortunately if you can't search, read, and understand all the info that is posted you'll have only one option to customize your phone...Sprint ID(which will cost you $$). I've found that none of the processes, such as rooting or flashing kernels, are difficult to perform. In fact sometimes the amount of information already provided becomes confusing to some. I understand the issue devs have with the clutter in this section of the forum. Maybe mods can help by moving topics to the general section and maybe preserving the cleanliness of this section. On the other hand, why all the rage against people asking questions? If I'm not mistaken everyone isn't magically born with all the knowledge required to customize their phone. That's why there are forums like these to provide a community where people seeking knowledge can find it. Personally I find the forums for any piece of hardware from my Directv box to my Epic to be absolutely the most valuable "manual" I can have. Its nice to rely on actual intelligent users for information and not a low paid csr with a script on the other end of the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no problem with the questions, it's just where it's being asked is the problem. People don't think their question will be answered if asked in the general section, or the thread that relates to their problem and decides... I'll just post in the dev section.. there's smart people in that forum!
I've seen it more than once, people don't want to search, or research... or read.. they want to ask a question and have someone answer it directly without having to dig back through posts that don't relate to the question they're asking. Like I said I seen it more than once and the mentality is easy to pick up on.

Don't worry I'm on your side. I've just seen some pretty rough treatment of someone asking a question...in this forum actually(not this thread). They were posting in the wrong place but there's a better way to direct someone to the right place than to berate them. That being said go to the Search and type in "root my phone" without quotes and THIS thread shows up higher in the list than one-click-root. Tends to throw people off the search function. I know it's a faulty way of searching but it's the way people do things. Many forums have problems with their search though. A google search for root Epic 4g has similar problems...the top results link to outdated information and the one click is halfway down the page.
People don't always read the rules of a forum either...it's just human nature. At least the people that make it here are finding the smartest people to answer their questions

Thread moved to General. Please stop flaming the OP.

Donation allocation

I have RARELY posted anything here on XDA, but have quietly enjoyed the benefits of this site. I started off with the HTC Touch Pro2, then moved to the SGS Vibrant. I have been through hours and hours, soft brick after hard brick...then success, of downloading then accomplishment. I have always felt a little guilty of donations to one specific DEV because as I understand, EVERYTHING is somewhat "leaked, or used" from something else. But, I would like to contribute some way to compensate the DEV's for their time and hard work. If it is possible, is there anyway the moderators could create a "standard pool" for donations, then electronically divide them according to file downloads by the user. I know this may be next to impossible with all the linking and such, but maybe a DEV can lock a thread just for DL that allows no copy/paste for threads. I may be reaching here, just a concept that I think would be great for users to help positively motivate the DEV's XDA has. Seems as of late, DEV's are bailing because of unrecognized work, stupid bickering, usage of ROM info with no credit...ect. I personally,absolutely and greatly appreciate the information available here at XDA. Just wish there was a better way to contribute other than singular donations. Thanks

There are too many (obvious) problems with this idea that it's not even worth discussing. This thread is going to turn into a bickering bucket of trolls lol

As the idea is great and well mereted. The issue will turn into well he stole my work and recolored it. We have seen that already here. It would be nice to see something like that thou. since there is so many devs and I may change from week to week on what I use. Thou the line is getting small since they have moved to there own websites and all the other issues.
Faldiin

That's unfortunately not something we would likely want to get involved in. Donations are made from a user to another user, as a token of gratitude. If it becomes based on downloads, what about the rooting guide I wrote, which didn't have any downloads? (just as an example).
What about the guy who compiles the Q&A thread with ten posts full of answers, none including a download?
I still feel it's best to reward individuals, whereby you choose to donate a small sum of money to someone who has helped you.
Just my view on this.

How do I get more involved?

My apologies if this thread already exists but I searched a bit and didn't find too much exactly on topic and there are so many threads archived that it's almost impossible to read them all. I'm new here but I've been extremely pleased with the general atmosphere and the attitude of posters. Following guides and using other peoples' images is fun but it would be really cool to get more involved in the development process. Does anyone have some advice for a beginner? I'm fairly experienced in c/c++ and in using linux but nothing close to kernel hacking. I think that once I have a deeper understanding of what's going on that I could contribute but I'm not sure how to get there. If there's a resource on this then I would be grateful to be pointed towards it. Alternatively, I would be happy to do some next to trivially simple but time consuming programming for someone if it means that I'll learn about what's going on.
Thanks,
foobster

Yeah, this is my plan for the summer.
Anywho, learn how to grab stuff from the repo, branch stuff, and whatever else you want to learn. Good starts here:
http://nookdevs.com/
http://git-scm.com/
http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/index.php?title=Compile_CyanogenMod_for_Encore
Check out the changelog here, and see if you can follow along:
http://cm-nightlies.appspot.com/?device=encore

[WiP] A complete reference guide on boot images

Dear friends and fellow XDA members​
XDA's motto is, and has always been, "By developers, for developers". I think this post (click), even if old, represents perfectly what I'm trying to say.
What kyphur wrote back in 2008 still holds some truth in 2015 -- many people roam this Forum without really diving into the background of the tweaks, ROMs, or custom kernels they're using. Some that do try and investigate though, reach a dead end when the answer they are looking for is so complex and hard to find that even some developers find hard to answer in a concise private message. Some of these people, individuals with promising potential, give up because of this.
What I've set out to do is to compile a database regarding Z3C boot images and everything that has anything to do with them into one single wiki, creating a reference guide for newbies and experienced tweakers and developers alike.
The information available right now about this device's boot images is mainly centered towards older devices, or devices on a different architecture altogether. My point being that data is, for the most part, scattered and hard to find. The project will aim to rectify this issue and bring all the information under one roof
Everyone is very welcome to contribute and see for themselves, and I thank everyone who shares this project in advance. If we are to ever see this project to the end, publicity and community cooperation is important.
Should the project grow big enough, if may be expanded to cover more of Sony's lineup, or even other manufacturers' devices, along with information on system parts other than the boot image alone.
For now, the few wiki pages I have created can be found on http://bit.ly/z3c_wiki. I apologize for any mistakes I might have made, as this idea is new and the current available pages semi-rushed.
Thanks to everyone for reading!

[DEVS] - Please Read - [Request]

Hi Developers,
You folks all do a great job of trying to sort out install issues and confusion regarding vendor images for our devices and whatnot and we less inclined to develop really do appreciate all you put into it for the rest of us.
That being said, one thing that I personally think should be included in the ROM's initial posting is a link to the **LINK---> FACTORY IMAGES<---KNIL** for our device.
I know that you all have the link memorized and every flavor imaginable already downloaded, but when a normal person flashes something and it doesnt work its a pain in the joint to try to remember where the list of imperatives is in the forum. The first place most look is to the thread where they were coming from.
It's ok if you flame me for this and I understand. Personally I'm usually all over it myself, but when I see questions in all of the ROM threads asking where someone got a vendor image and then they say they found it in the marlin thread it's just not right, if you know what I mean.
Anyway, thanks for considering it.
Regards,
Dtrud0h

If users don't know where the factory images page is they really shouldn't be unlocking their bootloader.
Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

dtrud0h said:
Hi Developers,
You folks all do a great job of trying to sort out install issues and confusion regarding vendor images for our devices and whatnot and we less inclined to develop really do appreciate all you put into it for the rest of us.
That being said, one thing that I personally think should be included in the ROM's initial posting is a link to the **LINK---> FACTORY IMAGES<---KNIL** for our device.
I know that you all have the link memorized and every flavor imaginable already downloaded, but when a normal person flashes something and it doesnt work its a pain in the joint to try to remember where the list of imperatives is in the forum. The first place most look is to the thread where they were coming from.
It's ok if you flame me for this and I understand. Personally I'm usually all over it myself, but when I see questions in all of the ROM threads asking where someone got a vendor image and then they say they found it in the marlin thread it's just not right, if you know what I mean.
Anyway, thanks for considering it.
Regards,
Dtrud0h
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I always just do a GOOGLE Search - "Factory Images Pixel Sailfish" and it comes up as the first or second link every time. Easy Peasy. I think you have to remember, it is not the Developers place to make life easy for anyone. They already did all the work by creating the rom in the first place. Everyone flashing a rom takes on a major responsibility to know what they need to do if something doesn't go right. if they can't figure this out by searching - or at the very least by TRYING to search first, they should never try in the first place. Of course if they do try on their own to figure something out and still need help - I am sure they will find it by asking.
Too many people have gotten to the point of EXPECTING the developers to hold their hand while they flash roms - why is it the developers place to do that? They didn't hold a gun to the persons head when they flashed - and frankly, I believe they expect each of us to at least try to find things out on our own first - they already put a huge amount of work into creating the rom and then chose to allow us to use it as well. I think they have done enough -
Just my two cents.

joetheshmo said:
If users don't know where the factory images page is they really shouldn't be unlocking their bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very true, but it seems a lot of people are doing so. I dont recall a new phone that had so many noobs to flashing. Not complaining, I help them out a lot. Just an observation.
And no, not the devs responsibility to help them. And if they posted links for flashing stock they would get inundated with requests to help with that.

Some phone forums on XDA are more user-friendly than others for flashing ROMs. It used to be so easy and I was (I thought) a pro - I helped others a lot. This phone confuses me more. You learn by doing, but people also don't want to risk $800 phones for the sake of learning.
I personally think it would be nice to include all crucial links as well, but most people on this forum are more inclined to believe you should just find it yourself, haha. I got a "let me Google that for you" response to a question this month, I recall.
When I was back in the Galaxy S3 or HTC One M8 forums, things were a little more noob-friendly but this place is full of nice people who help. It's just harder to do it yourself (without research or asking) because the threads are written at a more advanced level, in my opinion, and the steps are more complex than they used to be.

I agree, some forums are much more friendly than others. It is also easy for the ones that get in on the ground floor than it is for the ones that get in later. People sometimes answer questions in a more complex manner than is needed and probably without realizing it. Throw that in with someone that maybe hasn't had an unlocked bootloader in years and you have some uneasy and nervous people. Yet these guys have a right to get in there, get their feet wet, and eventually contribute. Imagine how clean a Dev's thread would be if not only a link to the firmware was given but if only a vendor image was needed, then that was provided as well. There would fewer questions about the little things and people going back and forth with one another about how stupid or lazy people are on one hand, and how unhelpful or rude people are on the other. I'm not a Dev though.

I agree with you all. lol. It is not the devs responsibility to make sure that your grass is covered, it's usually the first thing in all the threads, **Your Own Risk** I think are the key words. I haven't built any roms but I can get around the platform tools pretty well. But for the sake of keeping the rom threads clean and informative, especially with all the new variables related to most notably the Pixel, but android flashing in general supplying the correct files would probably cut thread clutter down by 40% and with uniform installs bug tracking would be a bit easier.
Anyway, thanks for looking and thinking about it, I appreciate all the points of view expressed.

I'm not complaining about anything, but I originally posted this in the Development Forum and it got moved to Guides and News...Whatever.
Starting to get a stiff neck from shaking my head at the posts in the rom threads, one right after the other asking where to find files, among other things that the user should know.
Just sayin'