[BUG, WORKAROUND 10/24/2011] Issue with GPS drivers in AOSP ROMs - G2 and Desire Z General

I have noticed that there has been an ongoing issue with GPS in a number of stock ROMs deriving their driver code from the main Google branch (rather than HTC's stock drivers); I'll summarise the issue I've found in particular, and hopefully folks can come to a resolution of sorts.
Firstly, a bit of backgrounder--Android actually uses two different methods of reading GPS data and passing it along from satellites to applications. Some apps (notably, Google Navigation) can have "raw" data passed along via an API introduced in Gingerbread; others (including a lot of third-party GPS tools) read via "NMEA sentences", an open standard for GPS-enabled devices to receive and pass along data. (If a third-party GPS tool has been ported to multiple operating systems, it's almost a guarantee it uses NMEA sentences for its GPS data.)
An NMEA sentence starts with the time (in UTC), the satellite number, and then a string beginning with $GP<foo>, a mess of comma-delimited numbers and letters after, and then ending with a number or letter, an asterisk, and another number. This gobbeldygook basycally states "Hey, here's the sat, here's the ephemerides tables so we know where other sats are, here's where I am in the sky" and some other technical data. (If people want the gory details, including what NMEA sentences should look like, http://www.gpsinformation.org/dale/nmea.htm has info and examples.)
Normal stock ROMs (including rooted and de-odexed stock ROMs) WILL show these NMEA sentences with an appropriately intelligent GPS tool; there are two good and free apps on the Android Market that show this (Turbo GPS, ad-supported but free: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.turboirc.tgps.v2 and u-center GPS which is completely free: https://market.android.com/details?id=com.ublox.ucenter); the latter is explicitly designed as a GPS testing tool.
What I discovered with a number of third-party ROMs (that either have issues with some programs picking up a GPS sync at all, or which have issues with wildly varying GPS locks in the range of 10-50m) is that these particular third-party ROMs are NOT passing along NMEA sentences. The one issue these ROMs do have in common is that they are Gingerbread v2.3.5 ROMs apparently using Google's stock driver code.
These cause a number of symptoms including slow lock or failure to lock (occasionally Google Maps fails to lock or locks very slowly, CoPilot Live v8 typically never gets a lock or only does so very slowly, other apps may not get a solid lock and have wildly varying GPS fixes). Troubleshooting with u-center GPS shows no NMEA data is being passed; typically EFS wipe does NOT fix the issue, nor does download of AGPS data (with the Chartcross GPS Test or GPS Status tools).
Another tool (Aspara) along with some weirdness in Turbo GPS (lots and lots of blank NMEA messages) and logcat.txt with CyanogenMod ROMs indicate what's really going on--it is passing along NMEA sentences, but with all the important bits (all the stuff from $GP<foo> onward) redacted--so all GPS programs on Android have to work with is the UTC date and the GPS's own numerical identification. Sometimes they can work with this...sometimes, not so much.
At any rate, something's broken.
I have investigated the issue in the following ROMs (with the use of SuperWipe between ROMs, which wipes system/data/EFS) with the latest radio known to behave reliably on T-Mobile US (Vision_Radio_12.56.60.25_26.10.04.03). Here's what's known to have the issue and what's behaving right...unfortunately, from what I can tell, all v2.3.5 ROMs at the moment are hosed save possibly for Sense-based ROMs...
ROMs KNOWN TO BE AFFECTED:
CYANOGENMOD AND VARIANTS:
CyanogenMod nightlies since at least v.118 and possibly since v.43
XBoarderMod v3.0.0 (AOSP/CyanogenMod hybrid, apparently uses the problematic driver)
ILWT CM7, all known versions (CyanogenMod base with a few customisations, uses the problematic driver)
MeXDroid GhostChili (all versions)
CyanogenMod v7.1.0-RC1 (ROM has known GPS issues in general; as similar issues have been reported this has been reported to the CyanogenMod bug tracker)
Very likely all ROMs based on a release-candidate or nightly build of Cyanogenmod
MIUI AND VARIANTS:
MIUI Bulletproof v1.9.9 (v.2.3.5, apparently uses the problematic driver)
Possibly all versions of MIUI if they use the same driver
ROMS KNOWN NOT TO BE AFFECTED:
Stock T-Mobile G2 ROMs, de-odexed and rooted (all ROMs explicitly "stock" known to work, including G2-Bliss)
Virtuous G-Lite (v2.3.3 ROM, does receive NMEA sentences normally)
Stock HTC-WWE Sense-based ROMs (v.2.3.3 and up, do receive NMEA sentences normally--it's largely the Sense-based ROMs that are the basis for the gps.vision.so swap fix)
ROMS LIKELY UNAFFECTED:
Sense-based ROMs in general that have been customised, unless they use substantial bits of AOSP radio drivers (most are pretty much Sense tweaked for HTC Desire Z; would appreciate reports from people using custom Sense ROMs based on Sense 3.0 or 3.5).
This appears to be a general GPS driver bug with ALL Gingerbread AOSP roms at this point that extends all the way back to the earliest Gingerbread-based builds of CyanogenMod and MIUI; PLEASE star up issue 15500 on the main Android tracker (http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=15500) and issue 3346 on the CyanogenMod tracker (http://code.google.com/p/cyanogenmod/issues/detail?id=3346) so that the bug fix is prioritised.
People may also wish to lobby HTC to share their fix with the community (which they're technically SUPPOSED to be doing under GPL; it's fairly obvious they patched the bug with NMEA sentences in their Gingerbread versions).
At least one person on the Cyanogenmod forums has reported the issue is fixed with a replacement of /system/lib/hw/gps.vision.so with the stock library file (available at http://www.multiupload.com/O6ZFH4YR5F and attached below) from the T-Mobile G2 OTA update (http://forum.cyanogenmod.com/topic/...obscure-gps-driver-bug-in-at-least-nightlies/) which STRONGLY indicates a bug in gps.vision.so.
Recommended radios to use this fix with are as follows:
KNOWN WORKING COMBOS:
26.10.04.03 (latest international ROM, is known to work, use 10.04.03 gps.vision.so)
26.10.04.12 (Latest available radio for the Vision from Bell Mobility Canada, this DOES work with 10.04.03 gps.vision.so)
26.13.04.19 (Latest available radio for T-Mobile G2, is known to work, use either 10.04.03 gps.vision.so or (upcoming) 13.04.19 gps.vision.so (already available with ILWT CM7 nightlies))
POSSIBLY WORKING (mostly older radios):
Very likely most HTC-WWE ROMs with internal version 2.42.xx (Sense ROMs)
26.08.04.30 with 10.04.03 gps.vision.so (Multiple reports now this is working; if this fails, try 26.13.04.19 radio which is newer.)
VARIED REPORTS (not recommended at this time):
26.08.04.30 with its own gps.vision.so (some reports this works, others report this breaks GPS particularly if matched with its gps.vision.so; this is an older radio and may not be so compatible with v2.3.5; due to release of a new radio from T-Mobile users of this radio are recommended to use the new 26.13.04.19 radio if this gives issues)
KNOWN NOT WORKING/NOT RECOMMENDED:
26.03.02.06 (this is the old Froyo G2 radio, but is used by quite a lot of folks using the G2 in T-Mobile US territory with CyanogenMod and stock GPS; does not work with either Gingerbread gps.vision.so in CM7 builds and is likely an incompatible radio for modern gps.vision.so/AOSP ROM combos)
ACTIVELY SEEKING REPORTS:
There have been some reports from posters that the newest T-Mobile radio (26.13.04.19) combined with stock CM7 nightlies may have fully functional GPS. I haven't yet tried this, but if folks are willing to do so before applying the "GPS libraries patch" and who are or will be using the new T-Mobile radio--if you could report the following:
a) Which particular CM7 nightly you are using.
b) Results on whether NMEA is being passed with Turbo GPS or u-center Evaluation (both available for free in the Android Market)
If it turns out the latest nightlies + new radio don't need the fix, this would be awesome and win, but again, this is an area where volunteers are needed.
INSTRUCTIONS (REVISED 24 OCTOBER 2011):
Special note to ILWT CM7 ROM users: If you are using a version of ILWT CM7 v212b and up, you can now select the option to use the appropriate gps.vision.so instead of stock CM7 gps.vision.so by adding/uncommenting the option "gpslib=htc" in ILWT.txt (the install script will automatch the appropriate gps.vision.so to each radio). If you are changing radios or libs, be sure to EFS wipe first. Thanks to tsubus for being the first to implement this in a third-party ROM.
Support for the new T-Mobile radio (26.13.04.19) begins with ILWT CM7 only from version v238 and up, but (personal verification) works flawlessly. If you're using an older version of ILWT CM7, you'll want to follow the procedure below if you use the new T-Mobile radio or upgrade ILWT CM7.
For non-ILWT CM7 ROM users, the procedure is now less painful.
Of note, following these instructions will be much easier with the new 4EXT recovery but can be done with CWM recovery--it's just easier to do the necessary steps without repetitively rebooting.
a) If you have not done so already, flash a known working radio to your phone using the usual instructions for flashing a new radio. (I recommend one of the three above radios UNLESS you are experimenting with a new radio/gps.vision.so combo and reporting the results.)
b) Reboot, rename pc10img.zip, copy one of the update files below AND the Vision EFS Wipe tool (and optionally, the latest RIL automatcher zip) to the root of your SD card, then reboot into recovery.
c) Select "Install from zip", select the Vision EFS Wipe tool, let it run.
d) Do the same thing, only with the updater file you selected.
e) (OPTIONAL) Mount /system if you're running CM7, then select "install from zip", select the RIL automatcher, let it run. (RIL matching is NOT essential with this; I've run with and without, and wouldn't recommend matching JUST to install an alternate gps.vision.so--only if you're having general radio performance issues.)
f) Select "Install from zip", select the Vision EFS Wipe Tool, let it run (probably only REALLY necessary if you're matching RILs at the same time).
g) Reboot. Use your favourite GPS tool (I personally like the free Chartcross GPS Test tool on the Market) to get an initial fix. This will take approximately 45-60 seconds indoors, faster if you're outside and it's sunny.
IF THINGS GO SIDEWAYS AND THIS BREAKS YOUR GPS:
a) Don't panic.
b) Copy the gps.vision.CM7-fallback.zip to your SD card root. Follow the steps from b)-g) in that first section, and that should restore GPS functionality.
c) So we can know which ROM/gps.vision.so/kernel/radio combos are no-go, please submit to this thread the following info:
1) The fact it went sideways.
2) The particular third-party ROM you are using (CM7 nightlies, MIUI.us, etc.).
3) The particular radio you are using (08.04.30, 12.04.03, etc.)
4) If you are NOT using the stock kernel, which kernel you're using (Pershoot, ILWT/Umaro/etc.).
(Yes, kernels CAN cause differences in performance in drivers. For example, most third-party kernels in pure stock ROMs tend to break WIFI because there's JUST enough difference in how the drivers talk to the kernel that things hiccup. There's a non-negligible chance that different radio/gps.vision.so combos may work better for particular third-party kernels.)
Also, if you're using a radio/gps.vision.so combo I've NOT listed here (particularly if you are using a radio from a pre-Gingerbread ROM), let folks know what works and what doesn't.

I have been meaning to make a post on this. I am currently running CM nightly 8/29 with Tmobile's latest radio. I have no issues getting an immidiate lock but about 10 to 15 min into my drive I will suddenly lose the GPS signal with a clear sky and no obstructions. I never had this problem with the original rom and was hoping someone on here had a fix for this or reason. This has one of the major problems I have had with CM7 so far everything else is minor.

kusuriurikun said:
...Android actually uses two different methods of reading GPS data and passing it along to satellites.
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I think you mean passing data FROM satellites

burtcom said:
I think you mean passing data FROM satellites
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I did, and I'll correct this. (This is what happens when one is typing when semiconscious. )

Excellent bit of detective-work I hope its not too long till the various ROMs can fix this.

burtcom said:
Excellent bit of detective-work I hope its not too long till the various ROMs can fix this.
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OK, so my original complaint on this (http://code.google.com/p/cyanogenmod/issues/detail?id=4282) has now been merged into the "mothership" thread (http://code.google.com/p/cyanogenmod/issues/detail?id=3346)--even the creator of GPS Status and Toolbox has apparently reported this.
There is a related issue 15500 (http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=15500) that indicates this is a general AOSP bug; issue 7321 is similar (http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=7321)
(Of note, this has been a very longstanding issue--since the very first release candidates of CM7, and probably affecting ANY Gingerbread build that isn't using drivers from an OEM manufacturer like HTC. HTC has OBVIOUSLY done their own tweaks, but isn't sharing (isn't that technically a GPL violation?)...so a fix is known, just not being shared )
I strongly encourage people to "star" the issue at 3346 AND at 15500 and 7321 to get this moved up in priority so that the folks behind CyanogenMod and the main Google AOSP code know this is an issue.
(And yes, that even goes for you MIUI users--the issue affects you as well, and the fix could be incorporated into MIUI builds.)
I just hope the info dump I gave 'em helps narrow down the issue...

Just starred them. Everybody get on this!
Sent from my T-mobile G2 using Tapatalk

Good post! I'm running XBoarderMod and noticed this a lot, I always wondered exactly what it was, though I get ranges far worse than 50m. I'll have days where it identifies me as being 5-6 blocks away, closer to 250m.

Thanks for this, starring complete
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using Tapatalk

Don't know if it may help or not, but you may check this thread.

Thanks for explaining that, it was very informative. Ive been running Virtuous G-Lite v2.3.3 ROM, and have been more or less satisfied. About 25-120m off in buildings but great when on the road.(also the fact the country of residence only has edge, i'm sure that's a factor)
Just starred issues as well.
-cheers

Well this makes perfect sense. I love CM7's features and stock look/feel with extra goodies, but GPS is garbage therefore I can't run CM7. I've noticed zero GPS issues running both G-Lite and ROMS based off the official OTA Gingerbread update. I recently switched to MIUI Bulletproof and REALLY like it... but just yesterday discovered GPS has the exact same problems as I does with CM7-based ROMS. It's just getting really really frustrating that all I can run on my G2 is no-frills stock ROMS if I want GPS to function at all. Seems like the only advantage I have over unrooted users is the ability to get rid of bloatware and a little overclocking on G-Lite ROMS. Its something, I know, but I wish a fix would surface so we can all enjoy the ultra-fast flashy ROMS and still have fully functioning phones.

My stats are in my signature and I have never had issues with GPS. I get an immediate lock and have taken 100 mile trips with no loss of GPS signal. I'm currently locked on with a 10 meter error, but I am stationary, it gets more accurate once I start moving.
---------- Post added at 06:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:06 PM ----------
Though, I will add that I did have GPS issues with my old G2. It did have CM on it at some point. I got an Asurion replacement and loaded MIUI on to it right out of the gate, no GPS issues.

Well I believe you. Some people are just lucky like that. I've tried all the known fixes from wiping the efs to clearing caches to uninstalling/reinstalling Google maps, etc. These fixes work great for some G2 owners while some others yet never even have any GPS problems with any ROM. And some G2 users could care less about GPS. I can get a lock with not much problems. My issue with any CM7 or MIUI based ROM is the GPS will lose signal during the trip. This does not happen at all with stock based ROMs. Funny how ambiguous these problems can be....

killswitch11 said:
Well I believe you. Some people are just lucky like that. I've tried all the known fixes from wiping the efs to clearing caches to uninstalling/reinstalling Google maps, etc. These fixes work great for some G2 owners while some others yet never even have any GPS problems with any ROM. And some G2 users could care less about GPS. I can get a lock with not much problems. My issue with any CM7 or MIUI based ROM is the GPS will lose signal during the trip. This does not happen at all with stock based ROMs. Funny how ambiguous these problems can be....
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Try my set up?
Download MIUI.us 1.9.16, Umaro 1.06, rmk's RIL matcher, and flash radio 10.04.03. When you go to update the ROM, reboot in to recovery. Go to the mounts and storage menu. format cache/data/system/dalvik cache. Flash the MIUI ROM, then Umaro kernel. go back to the mounts and storage menu, and mount /system, and then flash the RIL matcher zip.

luppolone said:
Don't know if it may help or not, but you may check this thread.
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That may be interesting to try, actually--if I'm reading the thread right, it's a corrected version of the libraries that are closer to HTC stock but which may be compatible with AOSP.
I will likely experiment with this and report back....
EDIT: Tried, nope, still not sending NMEA data. Still sends blank NMEA messages, which indicates the issue is deeper than libgps.so. (It does help to narrow down what may be going unwell, though--I'm now suspecting a bug in where AOSP ROMs may be getting info from the driver itself.)

OK, bumping my post again:
I've had secondhand confirmation on the Cyanogenmod forums that the bug lies in gps.vision.so (which is the specific hardware driver library for the HTC Vision); reportedly a user has replaced this (by hand) with the stock gps.vision.so from the T-Mobile G2 Gingerbread update and gotten fully functional GPS.
I will be experimenting with this, and if this does work, we're far closer to knowing what needs fixed
EDIT: CONFIRMED THAT THE STOCK gps.vision.so DOES FIX THIS. I WILL BE AMENDING FIRST POST TO INSTRUCT ON HOW TO FIX THIS

OK -- just tried the fix, My regular GPS progs are working fine. Will find something to see what the actual strings I'm getting look like.

burtcom said:
OK -- just tried the fix, My regular GPS progs are working fine. Will find something to see what the actual strings I'm getting look like.
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The two apps I've been primarily using to test NMEA functionality are Turbo GPS and "u-center", both of which are free apps on the Android Market (just do searches for each); u-center's NMEA stuff is the easiest to find (just swipe AFTER the Google Maps window showing the fix--five swipes left from the opening window gets you there) whilst Turbo GPS's is in a submenu (open Turbo GPS, press "Menu", select "Views", select "NMEA Strings"--if it works right, it'll show a mess of stuff starting with "$GP").

ive never had an issue with gps but this thread convinced me to double check. i downloaded turbo gps, i get a lock within 5 seconds, error of 3m within my house, and the nmea strings show a bunch of envelopes..is that right?
seems to look ok to me i guess, running cm7 nightly 204, latest bell radio with htc 098HM rils. is this an issue pertaining to G2's and not DZ's??
cheers for the great effort!
edit: forgot to add im on a DZ
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium

Related

Two Major Problems w/ TW Roms

Hello,
I've been flashing for a long time and currently I'm running Bionix 1.2. I've got 2 major problems and I have a workaround for each; however I thought the community might know better than me.
The first one is about the signal bars and dropped calls. I live in an area (Maine) where you never experience a dropped call since there aren't many people living. At least with my old MyTouch and stock Vibrant, I never had one. So almost once a day I drop call and see the all the signals gone. Sometimes, I see signals but there is no data or GSM connection since I cannot login to GTalk and other services (FB, twitter, etc.). I read in the development section that turning flight mode on/off can help. Well for me, it sometimes helps, sometimes doesn't. I find myself rebooting to solve the problem at least. I am a little concerned since I might need my cell in case of an emergency and I definitely would not want to wait for a reboot to call 911.
The second one is about the GPS. If I open navigation and ask for turn-by-turn directions, almost every time, it gets stuck searching for GPS. The workaround for me is to launch Maps, wait a few minutes to locate my location; then ask for directions. Although, this might not work from time to time. Again, in the middle of nowhere, you are driving and need a quick and dirty turn-by-turn directions and your smart Vibrant makes you go thru a lot of hassle to accomplish your task.
Any advice from our community?
Thank you!
Flash to stock, call t mobile and tell them your gps is non functional even after the froyo update, and get an exchange. My gps works INSTANTLY. Cold. I type my destination in Navigation and when I press enter my navigation is already talking. No maps, no 10 minutes, no downloads, we all know these are often placebos and we are still waiting and waiting for a signal which can still go off road randomly, etc. none of that with a new phone.
I did not try the physical gps fix in the forums but that could work too. Your gps still not be fixed by software, its a hardware problem. It seems phones manufactured after October (?) do not have the gps issue. Worth the hassle for me, at no cost if you do it for the gps issues and there is no physical damage to your phone. Just make sure you flash back to stock before you call because they will ask you to go through your system information on the line. Back up EVERYTHING and put it on a computer, get your exchange and flash back to your favorite rom and enjoy your now fully functional Vibrant that works in every way you bought it to work. And make sure you not only factory reset before you send the old one in, but also delete anything incriminating on your internal sd because a factory reset won't do it.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Don't blame the rom...Your hardware sucks.
Been running TW roms since the Bionix 1.0 days and NEVER had any issues.
Those problems are not inherent to TW roms, it's a problem with the phone.
@TheSneakerWhore, @deadpass:
OK - it might the hardware, but how do you explain no dropping calls on stock 2.1? I've used on stock for at least couple months and never had to reboot my phone because it did not have signals (or had signals but no connection).
I also flash Axura roms and never have a similar issue but they are too customized for me.
PS: I am not trying to blame the TW roms specifically nor am I defending another rom. Actually, if you open the latest Development thread, you will see my post thanking those guys because of an excellent job they've done. I am just not happy with the data and GPS - which I never had an issue before starting flashing TW and thinking others might be experiencing the same.
Strangely my GPS and cell signals seem stronger on TW ROMs than most others... It might be just slightly different hardware (not all units are created 100% equal after all) reacting differently to the software?
Have you perhaps tried Trigger v1.5? I thought the theming was very tasteful, you may like it, and it seemed pretty solid on GPS and signals.
Thanks, @Oxirane. I will give it a try.
I would try out different modems. For instance jl5 and kb1 great with gps in my case. jfd, ji6, ka5-7 all were teh suck when it came to gps. It all depends on your phone and location too. So flash away and find whats right for you.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=868774
I lol'd @ this "I live in an area (Maine) where you never experience a dropped call since there aren't many people living."
I'm with the OP on the drop call and inconsistent data issue. By all means, I have flashed almost every ROM out there. Every single ROM on here is awesome and all respects to the devs. I'm currently on Bionix 1.2 now for the third time and what I have and still noticed is the inconsistent data drop 2-3 times a day. No biggie since I managed to turn airplane off and back on and everything's back to normal. At first I thought it was KB1 that's causing this so I decided to try out different modems/kernals. After playing around a bit, I decided to stay with KA6 for a few days and noticed data improvement but still inconsistent (loss data connection). I also flashed the ROMs (Axura and Einherjar) and I don't have the data loss. I also flashed all the way back to Nero 5 just to check it out. I do not have any data problems with Nero 5. Anyways, I don't really mind every now and then switching air plane mode off/on. However, the issue as mentioned by OP does exist on some phones.
I'm running Bionix V 1.2, and the last 4 ROM's before this were all also TW ROMs.
I have not experienced a single one of your issues. My phone is fast, smooth, and have excellent signal and data everywhere around my area.
I doubt it is the ROM, but I'm no expert and cant say that for a definite.
But if myself along as many others , including a few buddies of mine, don't see those issues it just seems unlikely to be the ROM.
But who knows....
Well im guessing its the change of modems that's causing your issues... im sure it has nothing to do with the rom espeically since you never had issues supposedly when using Axura (since axura is based on bionix). Almost all the roms on here are based on TW roms, just change modems, theme, add a few random options, from what i've seen in the code. Like other suggested tryin flashing different modems and find the one that works best for your area. I've been running Bionix V 1.2 since day one and have not experienced any of the issues you have describbed...
2sh0rt said:
Well im guessing its the change of modems that's causing your issues... im sure it has nothing to do with the rom espeically since you never had issues supposedly when using Axura (since axura is based on bionix). Almost all the roms on here are based on TW roms, just change modems, theme, add a few random options, from what i've seen in the code. Like other suggested tryin flashing different modems and find the one that works best for your area. I've been running Bionix V 1.2 since day one and have not experienced any of the issues you have describbed...
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I know your not trying to act up or anything, but thats kind of just mean.
I mean these devs are helping us by giving us more options.
Most of them aren't based on TW.
some are, most aren't.
but your saying "almost all the rom on here are based on TW Roms, just change modems, theme, add a few random options"
I'd like to see YOU edit the modem and theme and add a few random options and make a ROM. go ahead.
I can say that TW is also just editing a few codes and theming on a ROM that Samsung made, and that they aren't developers.
TW set a standard, a precedent, and people will follow it, but they aren't copying it.
not complaining at all to any ROMs. just throwing out my input to let the OP knows that he's not alone in this world. To me, if there's a way around the problem, the problem is minor. Besides, I flashed and used different ROMs like changing diapers. LOL. I like to keep my Vibrant looked different every 2-3 wks. Pretty soon, we'll see a flow of new ROMs and I be all over every single one of them like "flies on sh!t". Dang, haven't used that expression in a long time. LOL
xriderx66 said:
I know your not trying to act up or anything, but thats kind of just mean.
I mean these devs are helping us by giving us more options.
Most of them aren't based on TW.
some are, most aren't.
but your saying "almost all the rom on here are based on TW Roms, just change modems, theme, add a few random options"
I'd like to see YOU edit the modem and theme and add a few random options and make a ROM. go ahead.
I can say that TW is also just editing a few codes and theming on a ROM that Samsung made, and that they aren't developers.
TW set a standard, a precedent, and people will follow it, but they aren't copying it.
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Click to collapse
there is not "editing of modems" its changing modems... and theming is nothing more then changing pngs and .9s and edit xmls... its not very difficult... time consuming but not difficult. as far as what TW does to their roms in decompiling smalis and editing the Java, i've personally only seen a handful tru developers here actually doing it to what samsung has leaked. MOST of these so called roms have taken the edits that TW has done and just dropped their own changes on top of them. This has been proven time and time again! but regardless you are entitled to youre own opinions.
My point is that Axura IS based on TW's edit so if the issues persist in TW rom but not in Axura, one of the causes would most likely be due to the modem cuz im 99% sure that several Axura roms use different modems.... that is all i was trying to say.
One thing I have not seen in any of the posts that are having the issue is what modem you are using.
I will say it now, KB1 modem sucks monkey balls. I haven't had any dropped calls on it, but have stale connections all the time. What I mean by that is, my phone is sending data packets, but isn't receiving any for a good 30 seconds.
So, try a different modem. KA5 seems to be the best modem for signal and battery life.
krylon360 said:
One thing I have not seen in any of the posts that are having the issue is what modem you are using.
I will say it now, KB1 modem sucks monkey balls. I haven't had any dropped calls on it, but have stale connections all the time. What I mean by that is, my phone is sending data packets, but isn't receiving any for a good 30 seconds.
So, try a different modem. KA5 seems to be the best modem for signal and battery life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
THX Krylon360. To be perfectly honest, I tried different ROMs and modems and noticed some significant improvements. I totally agree that KA5 and KA6 are better for me in terms of signal hence KA6 is what I stick with as mentioned in my previous response.
surprisingly, these problems can come up from odd combos of apps or some configuration that is unique........ Lucky you
I had some phone disconnects on my phone when it was on a TW and Eugene kernel, but it was a custom mms I installed that caused the issue..... so you might look at what you got on your phone as well. Remember, some of the app developers did not or do not update their apps and this may cause an issue especially running a 2.2 platform (especially a ported 2.2 platform) if they are older apps. Food for thought
I was having the same issues with 1.2. dropped calls, no data, constantly switching from edge to 3g, etc. had no issues with nero. As everyone said, try a different modem. Worked for me.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Thanks everyone! krylon360, I should have mentioned the modem I've been using: KA5. So, it's weird how you and some others find KA5 and KA6 to work best and I had all these problems with it. Maybe it really is a unique combination of apps, configuration etc.
Last night I flashed KB1 and will give it a try for a few days. I tried GPS on my way to home; opened Navigation and entered directions, and I got instant lock. I see that as an improvement. Will follow closely. Thanks again!
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
There's nothing wrong with the roms i been flashing since i got my vibrant once flashing do you wait the initial 10 mins and then reboot before you start using your phone? if not you may want to try that. TW roms are pretty much flawless.

Mobile network didn't work for me on (Texas)Ice Cream Sandwich

I don't have any Mobile network on Rebuild of Evervolv-Perdo-2.1.0p2-passion
But I don't have enough posts to ask on this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1366897
Anyone have the same problem like me ???Need some help
You have to search for network twice. It will fail first time .. it will also complain 2nd time with "No network found" error but you'll see the network status icon on the notification bar.
you may have ongoing problems with this until 3.0 kernel is out
I have issues with every build and sometimes takes numerous tries and sometimes doesn't work. This is well documented in thread--
mori90 said:
I don't have any Mobile network on Rebuild of Evervolv-Perdo-2.1.0p2-passion
But I don't have enough posts to ask on this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1366897
Anyone have the same problem like me ???Need some help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Install the latest ROM (p3) from this thread, it solved the mobile network issue. Auto connects on reboot. I'm enjoying it
I tried a couple of the ICS roms (they are pretty much identical) but did find many features lacking, app support and hardware support are the biggest issues so far. The 3.0 Kernel will fix a lot of those when drivers have support. I tried the supposed fixed version but my phone network wouldn't connect at all even trying automatic selection. Then again I wasn't exactly impressed with ICS either mostly the UI changes that just don't seem to fit in with phones. ICS looks like a bad port of a tablet OS and I guess that's what it is.
indiangeek said:
Install the latest ROM (p3) from this thread, it solved the mobile network issue. Auto connects on reboot. I'm enjoying it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had all kinds of issues with the p3 build (miniskirt). Overall slow performance, market and gtalk missing, people app not logging in, stuck notifications, broken a2sd etc.
I am sticking with p2 for awhile.
I keep getting a prompt requesting a reboot because the sim card was added. If I press the back key, it just works anyway.
shahrier said:
I had all kinds of issues with the p3 build (miniskirt). Overall slow performance, market and gtalk missing, people app not logging in, stuck notifications, broken a2sd etc.
I am sticking with p2 for awhile.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@shahrier: guess the miniskirt version doesn't include gtalk, market etc. Also I was not using miniskirt versions (was on custom blackrose since quite some weeks).
Anyway, let's hope for a p4 or p5 build with working camera
Well, rapmv78 has already given us N1 geeks the perfect New Years gift. ICS on the NexusOne is now effectively feature complete with proof-of-concept camera. As of now, running the p4 build with the camera hack (in TexasIce's thread). Yes, lots of crashes and freezes but its a small price to pay to live on the bleeding edge!
Mobile network autoconnect works, but I'm experiencing soft-reboots periodically, and then a prompt to reboot due to SIM reinsertion or something, which I can surprisingly ignore by hitting the back button. This could be because I didn't wipe my data partition while upgrading from p3. Or the camera hack.
Anyone else experience this? Possible solutions?
EDIT: Fix for mobile network on p2 (atleast for 5.08.004 radio) - While selecting network, hit 'Select Automatically'. It will show an error prompt. Do not touch anything. Within ten seconds, your network should connect automatically. Hit the back button and start making calls and sending texts!
The full p3 (as well as p4) build is much better it seems like compared to miniskirt version. So yeah go with one of those builds if you want auto network connectivity. Oh and camera kind of works now with the work that rampv78 did. Follow these steps to get camera working on p3/p4 build:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=20897640&postcount=1074
Also, if u haven't been following, there are some solutions to try for soft reboot problems - disable lock screen, move dalvik to internal, remove ext partition). Strangely one solution works for one person.
Looks like moving dalvik to internal, fixed the reboot issues for me (no reboot since 10 hours)

GPS not working on any ROM...only stock+stock kernel

Hello all,
I've finally decided to take this problem to the entire forum.
I am a rom-crack addict and have successfully installed dozens of roms on all my devices. But i'm having trouble with the GPS on both of my TF101's.
Every rom i've tried works perfectly except for the GPS.
I can only get GPS working with a stock install + stock kernel (9.2.1.24 & 27).
I've got my TF101 installed on my car dash and really need GPS.
I've tried EVERY rom available and tried all types of fixes. here's what i've tried:
- tried these roms: CM9, CM10, EOS2, EOS3, megatron, revolver, AOSP, AOKP, Revolution HD, etc.
- tried Clockworkmod & TWRP....format system, wipe system, wipe cache, wipe dalvik prior to every rom install.
- used the kernel that comes with the roms.
- installed .24 or .27 kernel's over the roms (no gps unless i revert from rom to stock with these kernels)
- tried Guvenors kernels (all versions),
- installed AGPS flash fix (mount system, install) (even modified build.prop with GPS settings...although i didn't see any of the modified code lines that AGPS was supposed to install in build.prop.)
- let the rom settle for 1 hour each time i install
- tried the regional reset app available on the market
- tried to get satellite fix indoors and outdoors
I haven't tried these:
- snort salt and throw the lime over my left shoulder (can't find limes b/c out of season)
- trade up for a Galaxy Tab
Logically, if none of the roms work on my tf101, then there's something wrong with my tf101.
but i have 2 tf101's. no luck on both.
and i can get great GPS on stock 9.1.2.24 & 27.
thinking of getting an external bluetooth gps receiver, but don't want to spend another $100.
not having a rom on my tf101 sucks almost as bad as having an ipad.
can anyone dig deep and help me solve this problem?
thank you, thank you.
I have the exact same problem. I haven't resorted to stock, but I have tried many, many roms. No GPS love for me, either.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using xda premium
I have heard this before from some peoples, no GPS with any custom ROM. GPS work for me on all ROM I've tried. Currently on Megatron with Guevors v21.5. The kernel that's been modified by ricardopvz.
Have toy tried the app "Faster Sat Fixes"?
I had good GPS on stock, OK on ARHD and Revolver ( faster fix helped with these ) and nothing no matter what I do with my ASOP JB ROM I'm currently on.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk 2
baseballfanz said:
I have heard this before from some peoples, no GPS with any custom ROM. GPS work for me on all ROM I've tried. Currently on Megatron with Guevors v21.5. The kernel that's been modified by ricardopvz.
Have toy tried the app "Faster Sat Fixes"?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, i've tried faster sat fixes. believe that just speeds up the satellite aquisition. i've left my tf101 searching for sats for 24 hours inside and 4 hours outside on my deck. both with fast fix and without.
since stock works perfectly on both of my tf101's, it must be the rom or kernel.
i've literally made a variables matrix of my attempts...it's 3 pages long. i've tried every combination of installation proceedures, rom types, kernal types, app fixes, build.prop modifications, etc. IE: a+b, a+c, a+d, a+e, a+f - b+c, b+d, b+e, b+f - c+d, c+e, etc.
there must be some coding variable that is missing or not correct in all the tf101 roms. something variable that some pads like and some don't.
I used "1-Click Transformer Root_1.1" (says it uses the Niloj TF300 Exploit) to root my tf101's.
could that introduce a variable that the rom's/kernel's don't like?
Had the same problem with all custom roms I tried so far, till an hour ago. I am using latest eos with kat 1.0.1 and no matter what I tried i couldn't make it to fix position. With gps essential it could see 4 to 5 sats but no fix. I tried gpsfix and fastfix as well with no luck. Then I accidentally left the tablet at my balcony with gpsfix left opened and left the house. I when I came back after an hour I think, I had a fix with 6 sats. From that time I had rebooted several times, turn on/off gps several times and I always get a fix within seconds with a-gps turned off. I also got the tablet to another location (where I'm right now). Turned on the tab, and in 10 secs I got a fix. I hope it's solved. So my suggestion, give it some time for the first fix.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk 2
thanks, ark...i'll give it a try in a few hours...busy now.
if you'd have told me to hold the tf101 in my left hand and throw a dead cat over my right shoulder...i would have tried it.
will let you know.
thanks for the effort.
nope...no joy.
it is certainly recognizing more satellites, but i've only achieved lock briefly a few times. no where close to being "useable".
Unfortunately I'll have to agree.it's unusable. I tried it in the car and it couldn't keep the fix.
Sent from my XT910 using Tapatalk 2
Success!!! Yes, yes!
although it took another hunderd dollars, but i acheive full lock (hehe..) in seconds.
i bought the Universal Bluetooth GPS receiver by Dual, followed the instructions, paired it with my tf101, allowed 'mock locations' in system settings, downloaded "Bluetooth GPS" app from store, made 2 app setting changes, and.....voila!...GPS lock instantaneously.
Tried this on ICS Megatron & Revolver - JellyBean TeamEOS nightlies. all works fine!
yea, it's another $100, but it now makes my $1000 tablet useful.
hope this helps others.
Well, my situation improved. I used the ARHD superwipe-full script, then formatted each partition a second time for good measure. I flashed CM9.1.0 just to check CM's progress. I can at least see satellites now (nothing before), but it would be pointless to try and navigate this way since it doesn't lock very long. GPS-Status shows 5-6 satellites, locking on and off after 20-30 seconds of searching, and sometimes dropping out. When I was on stock HC and stock ICS, it would lock startlingly fast, with 10-12 satellites within 5-10 seconds.
Sent from my Transformer using xda premium
53l3c7a said:
Well, my situation improved. I used the ARHD superwipe-full script, then formatted each partition a second time for good measure. I flashed CM9.1.0 just to check CM's progress. I can at least see satellites now (nothing before), but it would be pointless to try and navigate this way since it doesn't lock very long. GPS-Status shows 5-6 satellites, locking on and off after 20-30 seconds of searching, and sometimes dropping out. When I was on stock HC and stock ICS, it would lock startlingly fast, with 10-12 satellites within 5-10 seconds.
Sent from my Transformer using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I followed what you did and got the same results.
i would really like to return the external bluetooth gps receiver and use the one i paid for in the tf101.
I am at a loss as to what to try next. i have tried everything.
hopefully someone will stumble across this thread and post a solution.
Buehler?
Buehler?
Not much chatter on the CM threads about it either. I just set mine up in my car too and I really need that GPS too. Hopefully a fix can be found soon!
The only time I get any kind of location lock is when I'm connected to WiFi. Not good enough.
I'm a pain in the ass and I don't want to go back to stock because everything else in CM10 is working so nicely!
sullivan1985 said:
Not much chatter on the CM threads about it either. I just set mine up in my car too and I really need that GPS too. Hopefully a fix can be found soon!
The only time I get any kind of location lock is when I'm connected to WiFi. Not good enough.
I'm a pain in the ass and I don't want to go back to stock because everything else in CM10 is working so nicely!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
try the external bluetooth gps receiver made by Dual. it works with my tf101 perfectly...locks in 1-2 seconds. USB powered for your car.
it's $100 but chances are you've spent quite a bit installing it to this point...what's another hunday?
with all the developers do when they write these roms, you'd think someone could solve this in 10minutes.
maybe someone will think of something or devote some time to solving.
Same problem.- wish there was a fix.
chumboy said:
Hello all,
I've finally decided to take this problem to the entire forum.
I am a rom-crack addict and have successfully installed dozens of roms on all my devices. But i'm having trouble with the GPS on both of my TF101's.
Every rom i've tried works perfectly except for the GPS.
I can only get GPS working with a stock install + stock kernel (9.2.1.24 & 27).
I've got my TF101 installed on my car dash and really need GPS.
I've tried EVERY rom available and tried all types of fixes. here's what i've tried:.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wish there was a fix. Must stick to ARHD or Revolver or no gps.
rbird2 said:
I wish there was a fix. Must stick to ARHD or Revolver or no gps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The trick for me, whether on stock iCS or custom ICS, JB, has been to take a stock ROM, extract it to directory, blobunpack it, if necessary, and do the same with whatever custom ROM you want to use. You have to get to the ramdisk, where you can change the gps related settings in init.ventana.rc to match the same user and group and permissions as in the stock ROM. On JB, I compared to the TF300T JB firmware and made a merge of the settings there with the stock ICS settings. Also, use the /etc/gps.conf from stock ICS, where there is only 1 line setting an NTP server. Asus seems to have gotten the gps right on stock firmware. Works like a charm for me. After the changes, you just repack the kernel and ramdisk, blobpack it back to a blob and recompress it with the 2 original folders and reflash and you will have working gps, barring broken hardware, of course. If you are on a stock based ICS ROM, you should be able to flash one of appropriate stock ICS kernels I have posted elsewhere in the development forum and achieve the same thing, although you will still have to manually make /etc/gps.conf match the stock setting.
I did this process earlier with K900's Jelly Bean AOKP ROM and now gps is working like a charm. It worked somewhat before, just very slowly and couldn't hold a fix very well. The first time takes a few minutes, but after that, I see 8 to 10 sats and get a fix in seconds, sometimes fixed to 8 at a time.
sidneyk said:
The trick for me, whether on stock iCS or custom ICS, JB, has been to take a stock ROM, extract it to directory, blobunpack it, if necessary, and do the same with whatever custom ROM you want to use. You have to get to the ramdisk, where you can change the gps related settings in init.ventana.rc to match the same user and group and permissions as in the stock ROM. On JB, I compared to the TF300T JB firmware and made a merge of the settings there with the stock ICS settings. Also, use the /etc/gps.conf from stock ICS, where there is only 1 line setting an NTP server. Asus seems to have gotten the gps right on stock firmware. Works like a charm for me. After the changes, you just repack the kernel and ramdisk, blobpack it back to a blob and recompress it with the 2 original folders and reflash and you will have working gps, barring broken hardware, of course. If you are on a stock based ICS ROM, you should be able to flash one of appropriate stock ICS kernels I have posted elsewhere in the development forum and achieve the same thing, although you will still have to manually make /etc/gps.conf match the stock setting.
I did this process earlier with K900's Jelly Bean AOKP ROM and now gps is working like a charm. It worked somewhat before, just very slowly and couldn't hold a fix very well. The first time takes a few minutes, but after that, I see 8 to 10 sats and get a fix in seconds, sometimes fixed to 8 at a time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SidneyK,
many thanks for your input!!! so there may be a chance?!
I'm a dedicated crackflasher, but have never compiled, blobunpacked, etc.
I know it's alot to ask, but could you possibly post a detailed process? what apps to use, exactly what steps, etc.
I've had many, many PM's from members who are suffering this.
No rush, we're patient for news like this.
tell me how to buy you a beer and it's done!
many thanks in advance.
chumboy said:
SidneyK,
many thanks for your input!!! so there may be a chance?!
I'm a dedicated crackflasher, but have never compiled, blobunpacked, etc.
I know it's alot to ask, but could you possibly post a detailed process? what apps to use, exactly what steps, etc.
I've had many, many PM's from members who are suffering this.
No rush, we're patient for news like this.
tell me how to buy you a beer and it's done!
many thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I don't use PayPal, so don't worry about the beer. My wife had a PayPal account she hadn't used for years and it got hacked, so I don't trust them. When I get time, I'll try to put something together with the relevant links to threads with the supporting tools and a run through. It's kind of convoluted since everything isn't all in one place, but once you understand how the different pieces go together, then it makes sense. Mostly just remembering to do each part in the right order. Once you have the tools though, you'll see that you can make other changes like this or even further customize any ROM yourself the way you want it or to experiment with things.
sidneyk said:
Well, I don't use PayPal, so don't worry about the beer. My wife had a PayPal account she hadn't used for years and it got hacked, so I don't trust them. When I get time, I'll try to put something together with the relevant links to threads with the supporting tools and a run through. It's kind of convoluted since everything isn't all in one place, but once you understand how the different pieces go together, then it makes sense. Mostly just remembering to do each part in the right order. Once you have the tools though, you'll see that you can make other changes like this or even further customize any ROM yourself the way you want it or to experiment with things.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very much apprecieated.
just by your brief overview, it seemed logical. but i'm sure there are many nuances that go with it.
i'm also a cracktinkerer and can't wait to really see how rom's tick.
whenever you can post it, you'll gain even more fans.
thanks again.

Inaccuarte/not working location/GPS features

EDIT- Issue has been solved with the official stock OTA sprint/G900P release (currently on OT6 deoxed)! Happy to have working GPS again!
Hello!
Ever since upgrading to 5.0 (Cyanogenmod 5.0 clean flash, and then upgrade to teamub latest build 1/11) my location has not been functional. I have the sprint version galaxy S5. With the latest teamub builds, my gps has finally been 'working' when I press the location button in maps, but it thinks that im located 50 miles away from where I am. The position has changed several times to very different area's. At first it would not find the location at all, regardless of data/LTE enabled and GPS set to on with high accuracy mode enabled on MAPS settings.
I would like to clarify that this issue persisted before the dirty flash to teamub, so I do not think its a question of a clean flash. Also, I have tried clearing the data for the maps app in settings and restarting it, which did not resolve the issue.
This is a frustrating one, as I absolutely love these rom's and LP, but the GPS is one of those deal breakers for me, it must be functional.
Any advice on troubleshooting is very welcome and thank you.
Iriez said:
Hello!
Ever since upgrading to 5.0 (Cyanogenmod 5.0 clean flash, and then upgrade to teamub latest build 1/11) my location has not been functional. I have the sprint version galaxy S5. With the latest teamub builds, my gps has finally been 'working' when I press the location button in maps, but it thinks that im located 50 miles away from where I am. The position has changed several times to very different area's. At first it would not find the location at all, regardless of data/LTE enabled and GPS set to on with high accuracy mode enabled on MAPS settings.
I would like to clarify that this issue persisted before the dirty flash to teamub, so I do not think its a question of a clean flash. Also, I have tried clearing the data for the maps app in settings and restarting it, which did not resolve the issue.
This is a frustrating one, as I absolutely love these rom's and LP, but the GPS is one of those deal breakers for me, it must be functional.
Any advice on troubleshooting is very welcome and thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I experience this exact same issue with the latest CM12 build.
If switching the setting to Device-only location (GPS) it doesn't work at all. Waze says No GPS.
On Google Maps High Accuracy location mode seem to use only Wifi and Mobile Network calculations to determine locations. GPS is broken.
Someone told me to try TopNTP to fix it, but it didn't solve the problem.
I also tried searching and found someone on OS 4.4 saying to enter the service menu with *#0011# but that doesn't work either.
Edit for clarity: I have clean flashed new CM12 builds as they become available and have had this problem with every ROM since I switched from factory TW (6 or so diff ROM's)
*build is cm-12-20150120-UNOFFICIAL-klteusc
aktiv8d said:
I experience this exact same issue with the latest CM12 build.
If switching the setting to Device-only location (GPS) it doesn't work at all. Waze says No GPS.
On Google Maps High Accuracy location mode seem to use only Wifi and Mobile Network calculations to determine locations. GPS is broken.
Someone told me to try TopNTP to fix it, but it didn't solve the problem.
I also tried searching and found someone on OS 4.4 saying to enter the service menu with *#0011# but that doesn't work either.
Edit for clarity: I have clean flashed new CM12 builds as they become available and have had this problem with every ROM since I switched from factory TW (6 or so diff ROM's)
*build is cm-12-20150120-UNOFFICIAL-klteusc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I concur that GPS is indeed broken in CM12 as well. Even though I get the GPS icon in the corner, it appears that no applications communicate with the GPS hardware to determine location. I also have found that only high accuracy mode using WIFI + Data works.
However, since you are the only person to respond with this issue, I must assume it is working for many others.
Thanks for the info and hopefully there is a solution in the near future.
For reference, what is your hardware model # ?
Iriez said:
I concur that GPS is indeed broken in CM12 as well. Even though I get the GPS icon in the corner, it appears that no applications communicate with the GPS hardware to determine location. I also have found that only high accuracy mode using WIFI + Data works.
However, since you are the only person to respond with this issue, I must assume it is working for many others.
Thanks for the info and hopefully there is a solution in the near future.
For reference, what is your hardware model # ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, hopefully we get someone with the same problem that found a fix or a dev that can look into the problem. Anyone else, please speak up.
Model: SM-G900R4
Baseband: G900R4VXU1ANG3
Just bumping this thread because no resolution has been found.
Can anyone confirm GPS device only mode works on their S5? This is a frustrating problem because sometimes I really need GPS only accuracy. If I go on a hike and there's no service/data around sometimes GPS is the only difference between me wandering in the dark at night and actually finding my camp site.
Thanks
Update:
OTA stock released for my G900P!!! Fixed my gps issue
Iriez said:
Update:
OTA stock released for my G900P!!! Fixed my gps issue
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the update. Are you saying that you Odin'd back to stock Touchwiz and then did an OTA update?
aktiv8d said:
Thanks for the update. Are you saying that you Odin'd back to stock Touchwiz and then did an OTA update?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I grabbed the full stock .tar released 2 days ago (from OTA) and odin'd the phone (after wipe) to full stock. That solved the problem (running stock official) and then flashed to deoxeded to make things snappy.

Unusual GPS issues and troubleshooting help

Alright, got a used n900v off eBay. Rooted, bricked, flashed back to factory, Rooted, bootloader unlocked, two installed, dirty unicorns installed, Xposed framework installed, backed up. Went to play Pokemon GO and the GPS acted strangely, switched to "device" mode lost GPS completely. GPS test app shows 0 satellites while outside, GPS status and toolbox shows a check to GPS under sensor test. I've tried various fixes including MANY GPS.conf fixes and tightening the screws behind the battery cover. I see a lot of fixes for the att note 3 and a lot of people saying the same issue is shared by the Verizon version, but no fixes for Verizon models. Any help would be greatly appreciated, including just further methods of troubleshooting.
Did you test it before switching from a stock ROM? (In other words - because the handset is used - whether the hardware is good as a starting point?)
I'm not convinced that there are any custom ROMs that exhibit rock-solid GPS behavior as rooted-stock or stock-derived (e.g. Jasmine).
I suspect that a lot of the breathless "I got GPS to work!" reports are from folks that went from no lock ever to occasionally locking sometimes... not rock solid service. (You'll note that in exactly zero of those reports do folks indicate what they used as test criteria to declare "working")
I'd be back on CM13 in a hot minute if GPS was like 3 nines reliable (99.9% availability) as it is on rooted stock.
On my phone my experience is that GPS will lock in both cases (stock/non-stock) in about the same amount of time from a cold-start+airplane mode configuration (outdoors, can take 6 or 7 minutes due to no use of aGPS) - the difference seems to be that when aGPS is in use, the non-stock ROMs will suddenly lose lock spontaneously and remain in that no-lock state for tens of minutes at a time.
It's almost as if aGPS service *interferes* with prior lock acquisition on the custom ROMs. I fooled with gps.conf too, but to no avail. I tried a variety of things including reverting to the gpsone servers instead of google, altering the lock threshold, etc but drew a blank.
There are kernel tracing methods but they require a debug kernel to be built. I started down that route but things got busy IRL and I haven't had time to pursue it.
It seems like the process of identifying a candidate fault mechanism might have to use comparisons of trace logs from both a working configuration and non working configuration... imo it's not going to be a trivial effort to resolve.
I did not test it when I first got it, however after a backup and wipe, I flashed this modded stock ROM:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/ver...ral/rom-stock-n900vvrueof1-t3371779?nocache=1
and after updating all the apps GPS/Pokemon GO work perfectly. I'm going to read up on the GPS system in android and see if I can pin this down.
Nerdreaper said:
I'm going to read up on the GPS system in android and see if I can pin this down.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you. \oo/
FYI,
@mightysween reported that Temasek CM13 formerly was quite stable when it came to GPS functionality, but it fell apart sometime in April. Specifically he mentions a Temasek CM13 ROM (v6.1-20160407) built for hltespr that he made small mods (e.g. build.prop) to to get services running on VZW carrier phones.
I tried it on two ~40mi road trips today and indeed it seems quite solid. So I guess it can't be said that (Temasek) CM13 GPS was always broken - something happened sometime in April which broke GPS on that ROM.

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