Related
as the title suggests, what is ROM flashing?
Does it make the device run smooth? or any gud?
i am newbie here i looked around the forum and everone is talking about flashing ROM this and that.
i sound noob but yes i am about this whole flashing things.
lately i found my hd2 very laggy and slow, i have to reboot it every now and then.
can anyone help? please. thanks
In brief
the 'rom' is the whole system. Windows mobile, the pre installed programs, all the settings and tweaks that your operator includes, all of that is rolled up into one big file, and that file can be 'flashed' to your device. The first time it boots after a flash, the rom will automatically install itself onto the device, and it will be like the first time you started your phone. (Just like a hard reset would now you are already running)
Chefs can take all the various components and 'cook' their own roms, maybe leaving out some of the unused stuff (like co-pilot), maybe adding things that aren't in the original rom, plus tweaking the registry and the like for speed, stability, looks etcetera.
So, different roms give different results, some are super stable, some dont have sense, some are based on windows mobile 6.5.5, some 6.5.3, and others 6.5. There is pretty much a limitless ammount of differences, so don't bother asking ''whats the best rom?'' try some and pick what works for you.
Most rom threads have screenshots and descriptions to give you some idea what they are about, and you should ALWAYS read ALL the first post (and usually 2,d and 3rd too) in any rom thread before you flash.
EDIT - Once you flash a new rom, whenever you jard reset you will still get the new rom. Your original tmo instal is GONE.(However you can download it and flash it back, just like any other rom, so no worries)
Start reading HERE
I understand there's a tips and tricks thread that explains things in more detail but how does somebody go from just getting the phone to installing, or even understanding, things like obsidian, onyx, morphing and learning what the basic functions of such programs are.
The question I currently have is concerning flashing custom roms. In the tips & tricks thread, it talks of froyo builds (ex: bionix & frankin-twiz). What is it exactly? From what I understand, it sounds like a mini os that you install onto your device which helps in applying different functions to it, which makes custom roms possible.
I'm currently trying to get http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=845530 to work on my vibrant. Can anybody help a newbie out?
VibrantUser1 said:
I understand there's a tips and tricks thread that explains things in more detail but how does somebody go from just getting the phone to installing, or even understanding, things like obsidian, onyx, morphing and learning what the basic functions of such programs are.
The question I currently have is concerning flashing custom roms. In the tips & tricks thread, it talks of froyo builds (ex: bionix & frankin-twiz). What is it exactly? From what I understand, it sounds like a mini os that you install onto your device which helps in applying different functions to it, which makes custom roms possible.
I'm currently trying to get http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=845530 to work on my vibrant. Can anybody help a newbie out?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the link you posted is just to a theme.
to get the theme to work you'll need to be running obsidian first.
so lets see, the easiest way to explain the different versions 2.2, 2.1 1.6, 1.5 and so forth is this...
its pretty much like going from windows 95 to 98 to 2000 to xp to vista and so forth.
our vibrants come with android 2.1, 2.2 is the next version of the os to come out (basicaly like moving from vista to windows 7)
the different roms like obsidian and Macnut and such are just names that the developers gave their roms.
what happens is a developer starts out with a version of android (in the case of Macnut and Obsidian this is 2.2)
and then they add their own modified tweaks and such to it.
and so in the end they get Obsidian which is a modified 2.2
or Macnut which is also a modified 2.2
they differ a bit though as Obsidian is based almost totaly on a leaked version of 2.2 for the US vibrant, where Macnut is based alot on the 19000 version of 2.2 for the european phones.
so when choosing a rom just choose the base you want first: 2.1 or 2.2
then look through the tweaks on a few roms and read some of the thread for that rom untill you get a feel for what makes it unique
you can also just experiment by flashing a rom for a day or so and then switching to a new one untill you find one you like.
Morphing is a way to apply a theme to a rom, this does not generaly change functionality at all, it only changes apearance.
alot of themes are either morphs (you install them using metamorph, which is an app from the market)
or they also come in zip format (which are installed by flashing from recovery)
for the theme you posted you will need to flash obsidian, and then flash the zip for the theme afterwards.
have you rooted your device yet?
thats the place to start, if you need help just pm me or repost here and I'll do what I can.
also, there is a "newbie's guide":
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=732458
nearblack said:
also, there is a "newbie's guide":
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=732458
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol true true
Before you even want to start with anything, you have to learn what 'rooting' your phone means.
Without root, you won't be able to do any of the above. You might be able to download the programs necessary, but you won't be able to use them.
For ex. Titanium Backup, ROM Manager, etc.
We use ROM Manager to install different ROMs on our phones.
Much to read, my young grasshopper.
OP, I made the Tips/Tricks sticky... would you PM be exactly what you think it lacks? I want to make sure it is applicable to everyone... I thought it was straight-forward, perhaps not.
my phone is rooted. So how do I go about flashing obsidian?
I thought roms were the same as themes? What's the difference?
And just to clarify I understand the tips and tricks thread is sort of the newbies guide but even then theres a lot of terminology that a new user wouldn't understand. I just wanted some basic information that would allow me to transition into the tips and tricks thread more easily.
I appreciate the responses so far
Have you download Rom Manager from the Market? If not, do so.
Then follow the instructions (in the sticky) to flash the recovery (it's the top of the list when you open Rom Manager).
Assuming you did that, you can reboot into recovery, make a backup of your system.. something you can always come back to (a timestamp of your system at that moment).
Download the ROM you want, put it on your internal memory (sdcard/....) NOT in a folder.
Go to Clockwork recovery, choose to insall a zip from sd card... select the name of the ROM and then click Yes to install it.
It will run it's course, then you can just reboot when done.
The first bootup will take a long time (10 minutes probably)... let it boot.... leave your phone alone for like 10 or so minutes after bootup (suggested by Team Whiskey, I never really do this).
It's that easy.
Think of a ROM as an OS... the developers take Froyo (2.2) or Eclair (2.1) and make a lot of tweaks, remove things, add things... basically anything to enhance the user experience.
THEMES are something you flash over a custom ROM... it can change the icons, graphics, notification bar, etc... they are cosmetic. You see in my signature I have Axura 2.0.3 (amazing rom and there is a newer version out) and then I have BlackFroyo (which is the theme) on top of the ROM to change the look of things. Axura has a steel looking notification bar, I much prefer black (hence the theme I chose).
The ONE thing that can be confusing... if you make a backup right now (you have stock eclair), if you flash a froyo rom... you would need to flash either the stock eclair kernel (the download link is also in the sticky) to restore your nandoid backup.... OR, you could just flash another ROM that has a kernel (most do) and you would be good to go too.
And addition to this is to make sure your phone is NOT hardware locked.
To test it:
1) Take out battery from the phone and put it back in again
2) The USB cable plugged into the computer (not in the phone yet)
3) Push and hold down both of the Volume buttons at the same time
4) Plug in USB cable and it should take you into the Download mode.
If it does you are good to go. Just read some about Odin and Stock Android
If it isn't you need to make sure to flash JI6 to your phone (also Stock) onto your phone using Stock Manager. That should fix your hardware locked. Go over the above steps to make sure that is the case.
At this point, I have rooted my device and downloaded rom manager.I believe I have backed up everything after following the directions and I do have the blackfroyo.zip on my sd card and for some reason it won't "go" (although I'm sure there's a step I am missing here, something with obsidian) so that wasn't much of a surprise.
Edit: I noticed I tried to use a theme on there and not the obsidian "OS" (idiot) when I tried the backup thing with rom manager. Where can I download the most recent version of obsidian and/or is axura an acceptable alternative?
VibrantUser1 said:
Edit: I noticed I tried to use a theme on there and not the obsidian "OS" (idiot) when I tried the backup thing with rom manager. Where can I download the most recent version of obsidian and/or is axura an acceptable alternative?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Been working on updating the wiki. Please check out http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/index.php?title=Samsung_Galaxy_S_SGH-T959#ROMs for the different ROMs currently available.
^^ both are solid. I prefer Auxura *no touchwiz*.... download it from the development section. Place in on the internal (sdcard/ ) and flash it, reboot... I would let the phone chill for awhile then reboot again.... THEN if you want, start messing with the theme. You can see from my signature you and I are similar.
to the OP, I started a noob friendly guide in the Q&A section. Please let me know exactly what you want in there.
Here is a video guide, its kinda old but the principles are the same.
http://theunlockr.com/2010/08/02/how-to-load-a-custom-rom-on-the-samsung-captivate-vibrant/
I have been browsing around and reading on XDA since I got my G1 on release day. I have since upgraded to the MYT3G and now to the Vibrant. I have always used XDA as a source of information for rooting, etc. I don't post very often, but, I would like to throw props out to all the individuals in the thread, this is one of the few threads I have read on XDA that no one got flamed for being a "noob" and asking basic info, the information given was clear, accurate and very helpful. No one pointed to using the search function, everyone just gave good answers. AWESOME
I hope to see more threads like this in the future. Bravo and well done to all.
So I tried installing obsidian 5 and this is what happened. I first put the zip file on my sd card, I did all the necessary prerequisites (I think) using rom manager, flash recovery > vibrant yada yada yada and then pressed install rom from sd card and chose the obsidian zip file. Then the phone starts backing itself up and it finally reaches a point where it says (E: Can't open/sdcard/sd/obsidian_v5_beta.zip (no such file or directory) Installation aborted.
I then try to navigate to the file from the menu but whenever I click the sd file, it just exits, I think it says that no zip file is found or something but when I boot it up normally afterwards, the file is still there.
But the file is within the sd file . . . what am I doing wrong? I tried to fix permissions thinking it was that but no luck.
You probably need to move to the rom to the internal sd card. I thought you're able to add it to the external with the recent update but perhaps not
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
bellrb19 said:
You probably need to move to the rom to the internal sd card. I thought you're able to add it to the external with the recent update but perhaps not
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the rom IS on the sd card, unless you mean the memory on the actual phone itself
ROMs go on the root of the internal memory (no folder)... drop it in sdcard/
Also, this was mentioned in Post 8, and in team whiskeys install guide. Please pay attention to details.
oh okay, this whole time I've been thinkin the sd card folder was the root folder. Well I have finally put obsidian with success and now I'm having a difficult time implementing http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=845530. I have downloaded the zip file but I don't understand what "flash it through clockwork recovery" means. It kinda sounds like I should use something in rom manager but I'm not sure, I have tried to reboot into recovery through rom manager with no luck.
I've also tried using metamorph but when i choose the blackfroyo.zip file, it says that the file is invalid and that the theme control file could be missing. Am I doing something wrong here as well?
Thanks for all your help so far, I really appreciate you taking time out of your busy life to help an individual with (what may be to you) simple problems
VibrantUser1 said:
oh okay, this whole time I've been thinkin the sd card folder was the root folder. Well I have finally put obsidian with success and now I'm having a difficult time implementing http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=845530. I have downloaded the zip file but I don't understand what "flash it through clockwork recovery" means. It kinda sounds like I should use something in rom manager but I'm not sure, I have tried to reboot into recovery through rom manager with no luck.
I've also tried using metamorph but when i choose the blackfroyo.zip file, it says that the file is invalid and that the theme control file could be missing. Am I doing something wrong here as well?
Thanks for all your help so far, I really appreciate you taking time out of your busy life to help an individual with (what may be to you) simple problems
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From where you are now. Make sure the zip file is in the internal sd card, Open rom manager go to install rom from sd card then choose the that file then click ok and CW will do its thing. Also this is only for Obsidian v4.2 and Auxura 2.05. Good luck! Also you should make a nandroid back up first just in case.
Hey Guys,
Being a PC overclocker I felt like a fish out of water when it comes to overclocking a phone
I recently got a HTC Wildfire and found out how to root it and flashed my own ROM, Kenral etc. (with some difficulties)
So I downloaded SetCPU and started OC'ing. Being a PC overclocker I followed the logic of set speed and run stability test.
So I slowly started upping the max speed and then stress testing for 20 min odd. I just kept on upping the speed until I got to the limit of SetCPU (768Mhz). Where to from now?
I have not changed the minimum speed because I have read that it can make your phone rather unresponsive.
Is it possible to go above 768Mhz or will I damage the phone or have to up voltage?
I ran linpak and at 768Mhz I got just under 3 MFLOPS. Is that good or bad or what?
Thanks in advance guys
Mikrouwel
768 is the safe limit, you'll need to make a kernal that will allow the processor to go further, 3mflops is good on a sense ROM but on an AOSP ROM you will get over 5 easily. Why do you want to go over 768 anyway?
What is the difference between sense and AOSP ROM? If it is just the sense feture then I dont mind changing ROMS. (Dont use sensce)
Also what is Cyanogenmod 7 RC1? Is it the same os CM7? Seem alot of people talking but dont now what it is?
Thanks
Mikrouwel
AOSP -> Android Open Source Project. It is vanilla Android, without Sense. So Yes, your assessment is correct. It is just the Sense feature.
Cyanogenmod 7 = CM7. Just a short way of writing it.
Hi There
Is Cyanogenmod 7 a ROM?
Also is Android Open Source Project ROM too or a app?
Sorry kinda confussed
Also what is Clockworkmod Recovery? Does it have something to do with ROM Manager?
Thanks
Mikrouwel
1: Yes, CM7 is a ROM
2: AOSP Official Page: http://source.android.com/
3: Recovery Images are found whenever you boot into Recovery. Example: All that you see like Clear Cache, Install ZIP from SDC etc. are part of a recovery. ROM Manager is a standalone app and is not related to Recovery, although, it can help update the recovery since the developer of Clockworkmod Recovery and ROM Manager are the same.
Technical Definition of Recovery: (Sourced from Turkeys Ultimate Guide Glossary)
The recovery partition is a boot-mode for your phone that allows you to wipe your settings from the #data partition of the phone (a hard wipe), or perform an update using an update.zip file on the root of the microSD card. It is common (although not necessary) to flash a patched Recovery image, such as Amon RA's one. This allows you to run Nandroid backup from the device, and flash modifications, such as update.zip files to the device, essentially becoming a means to install sotware to the device. Recovery mode is separate from 'normal' mode, and can be entered by holding down home whilst turning the phone on.
Oh, you should probably go through Turkeys guide and glossary yourself. It should help a lot.Thread : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=824396
Glossary : http://bit.ly/9HtICk
Many thanks Guys,
ATM I am using this ROM with this kernal. Were can I download CM& and will the notiable differences be between the one im using and CM7?
Also what is New Nightly? (You have #13 next to yours?)
Thanks alot guys
Mikrouwel
CM7 can be found here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=918072
Or, the latest, i.e. RC2 can be found here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=957140
Nightlies are automated builds created by the Build bot. If you check the first link I posted, in that post's download link, you will find new nightlies everyday. Nightlies implement minor code changes, and, are experimental releases. They may add new features (eg: Nightly #11 implemented Android 2.3.3, #13 implemented FM Radio etc.), but may also add new bugs sometime.
As for differences, one cant say for sure, since ROM preference is a personal choice. Try it, if it suits you, use it, else, switch back.
Hi There,
I am going to try CM7.
IS the RC2 stable and if so is it more or less stable than RC1?
Also if I just go into recovery and flash will I have to flash nightlys or not?
If I am not mistaken it runs 2.3 and I thought that there were many features that didnt work on 2.3? (Gingerbread)
Also what kernal do you recommend I should use on CM7 that will let me got 768+?
Many many thanks guys for all the help
Oh yes and what app do I use if I want to keep all my apps and contacts and stuff like that? I used titanium backup last time and only got like half the stuff back?
Thanks Guys
Mikrouwel
* RC2 is stable for me. No issues so far, although camera sound bug is still there - If you take some pics using flash, phone loses all sound and you have to reboot.
* After RC2, it is upto you whether you want to flash nightlies or not. There is no compulsion.
* Can you list some features that dont work on 2.3? Personally, I cant find anything amiss over 2.1 / 2.2
* CM7 comes by default with an overclocked kernel, which will allow OC to 768. Overclocking beyond 768 is not possible since that is the safe limit for the Wildfire's CPU. Because it is overclocked by default, if you get a bootloop, flash HCDR.Kernel v4.1 after flashing CM7. This will restore stock clocks, but, still allowing OC using an app like SetCPU
* Apps can be backed up using Ti backup / Mybackup Pro etc. Contacts can be backed up by going to Contacts > Export > To SD Card. Then, after flashing, again going to Contacts > Import > From SD Card, and select the VCF File. SMS'es can be backed up by using the free SMS Backup App from the market.
Hello guys, i have been running Android on my hd2 for a few months now off the sd card and am becoming interested in flashing and also testing out windows phone 7. I do not want to attempt flashing though until i have a backup of my current windows mobile rom. How do i create a backup?
p.s.
i use gnu/linux; but can use a windows 7 virtual machine if i need windows.
SPB backup is my recomendation for good backups on WM, up to 6.5.x builds it has not let me down yet.
Make sure you have current ROM image to flash back to so you can install the backup you make back to it.
Good idea to use another sd card for WP7 or copy of it as WP7 does some odd stuff to SD cards Lol ...
As for your workstation OS not sure how successful W7 virtual machine will be, either resaerch further or wait for more replies.
Hi, thanks for your reply Mr B, i can't see why the virtual machine wouldn't be able to handle it; worse case scenario, i can use my girlfriends mac which has windows 7 on another partition. My data isn't real important to me as there's not much on there that's to hard to get back easily. I didn't explain my self well enough as i'm new to phone hacking and not quite up there with the jargon yet. After you're reply, i have caught on a tad more, and what i meant to ask was, how do i make a rom image?
In the sense you are thinking I think the answer is you can not.
It is possible to dump ROM using tools like romdump but this is just the raw ROM & not all your personal settings, apps ect ect.
Your best bet & closest I believe you will get to achieving your goal is finding & keeping installer for current used ROM & Radio & full SPB backup file, with these files you could return current device to this previous ROM & personal setup 100%.
If your current ROM is not easily available you could romdump & rebuild the dump to nbh installer file but that is not without some hassle unless you have some experience in this field.
Some ROMs come UC (user customization) tools pre-installed to configure your set-up for you at first boot, as long as you have used the tools to backup your setup, you can re-flash your ROM, let the UC run, and have everything set up 99% just as it was when backed up.
There's a bit of a learning curve to the UC way though, xml editing knowledge is a big plus with it, but once you get it figured out and all set up, UC is the most complete backup method available for WinMo.
Energy ROMs have UC already installed, alls you have to do is set it all up before flashing a new ROM. There's a few other UC ROMs, but Energy is the one that comes to mind, since it's the WM ROM I used before I switched to NAND Android
Thanks for your help guys, especially for even going through the effort of posting me a link, mr b. I just want to backup my rom though, how do i do this? i look at a overly complicated tutorial that covered several topics, and i also just tried finding the stock rom for my device but i just can't. So o can i just backup my current/stock rom
backing up current ROm by dumping ROm & then rebuilding is not that easy so best option is finding your current stock ROM & use SPB backup to image current setup of that ROM.
Post device model type & ROM you are looking for someone might have it or a link for it.
Hello;
Model No:
HTC HD2 T9193
ROM version:
1.72.841.0 (82124) WWE
I checked out them links you posted in my other thread i'd created, and one didn't work, and the other i'd found previously and there download link doesn't work.
I'm abandoning that thread as this one pretty much covers the exact same thing.
http://www.filesonic.com/file/19420...CRC_Signed_15.32.50.07U_2.07.51.22_2_Ship.exe
Thanks mate. Ok so now i'm all set and satisfied to get flashing. Just a quick question; what kind of stuff does win phone 7 do to the sd card? that you mentioned earlier. Nothing a reformat can't fix?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=918170
WP7 in general has some quite stupid concepts & the handling of the SD card could only of only been considered a good idea by team Redmond.
(Guide) (Beginners) You have rooted your phone, now what can you doNote – I will keep updating this guide as much as I can
Note - Please ask as many questions as you need, there is no question to basic to ask, it would be better being asked here instead of starting a new thread.
Note – Please don’t swear in this thread fu**ing is still swearing, using this - ** - still means you are swearing. Also please don’t call anyone a Noob after all this is a guide for beginners.
Final note – Can all beginners please thank people if they give you an answer to your question.
So welcome to the world of being rooted, you now have a nice shiny new rooted Android phone, but what can you do now. Well I have decided to start this thread to tell you what you can now do. This guide is for beginners and should be treated as it is intended, keeping it simple and just going over the basics. This guide will be broken down into main sections –
Post 1
• Super User
• Clockwork Mod Recovery (CWM)
• Apps
• Roms
Post 2
Further reading, it’s time to get you geek on
Post 3
More usefull apps that you might like
Super User
When you have a rooted phone you will need this little app called super user that has a massive job. When you rooted your phone it will have more than likely come with this app, if not then you can download it here. The basic idea behind super user is to control the root access to you phone. Your phone must have this app before you continue with the rest of this guide. Using Super User is easy when you open an app that needs root access a prompt will come up asking if you want to allow this app super user access, giving you two options deny or allow.
Clockwork Mod Recovery (CWM)
Once you have rooted your phone one of first thing you need to do is make sure you have Clockwork Mod Recovery. All phones have a recovery mode that can be accessed when turning on your phone or some root access apps allow you to access recovery mode through them. What CWM recovery does is modifies this recovery mode to make it better, allowing you to flash nearly anything you want or need, such as roms, themes and kernels. Also through CWM Recovery you can create a nandroid backup, which is a backup of your whole current rom, you can also carry factory data wipes and more advance features.
So how do you get CWM, well the first thing to do is check, depending what root method you used you might have it all ready (power off your phone and then hold the power, home and volume up buttons together until you enter recovery mode). You will know if you have CWM Recovery by looking at the top of the screen is should say “Clockworkmod Recovery”; if it doesn’t then you need to get it. The easy way to get CWM is by downloading the app Rom Manager (talked about below), open Rom Manager and there is an option to flash Clockwork Mod recovery, select that select which phone you have and it will do the rest for you.
Controls for CWM Recovery – Then volume buttons allow you to move and the power button is used to select.
Apps
Right there are a number of apps that will take advantage of you root access, and I am going to cover what I believe are the basics.
Remember when using any app that uses the root access of your phone it can come with risks.
Rom Manager – So Rom Manager and CWM sort of go hand in hand, being that Rom Manager is the nice user friendly app, giving you control of CWM from your phone home screen. Just like in CWM you can backup and restore your rom, flash new roms, fix permitions and partition SD card. As said above you can use Rom manager to flash CWM for you straight from the app, you can download this app here.
BusyBox – Trting to keep this simple, when you have a rooted phone there are sets of commands that you do not have, installing BusyBox will give these. This is required to run some apps that require root access. I think that was simple enough, oh and before I forget you can get it here.
Titanium Backup Root – Titanium Backup is an enormously useful app. Not only can it backup apps, but it can backup apps and all their data, and it can delete apps—even system apps or bloatware (bloatware are apps that come with your phone that you normally can’t remove like Games hub), making regular backups of all your apps and their data. You can download Titanium Backup here, also if you would like to know more about how to backup and restore most things when changing roms (more about roms just below) you can use my other guide here.
These are the very basic apps that you will need to see you of into the future of a android custom android experience, I will include other cool apps that use root access in post 3.
Roms
So the best part about having a rooted phone well for me anyway is the massive list of roms out there. If you don’t know what a rom is then here we go. When you get your android phone and turn it on, you’re faced with this impressive software that allows you access to apps throught the market, make phone call, txt, maps, voice commands, email and the list is never ending. This is all done through the software known as the Rom, the rom you get when have your phone is known as a Stock Rom. Now it this stock rom that we can change to improve our Android mobile experience known as a Custom Rom, and there are lots of custom roms out there. Some are made to give you a better battery, better custimization, improved features, so to provide a vanilla experience and some try to make a balance of them all, but the main idea is to make android better. So roms are broken down into different categories, here is a breakdown of them for you.
Stock Rom – As talked about before stock roms are the software that comes with the phone, some people prefer the stock experience but I don’t. The main problem with stock roms is that manufactures will place an extra layer of software on top of the rom known as a user interface (UI), such as Samsung wither their touchwiz UI and HTC with HTC Sense UI. The problem I have with these UI are they are power hungry and well not to sound mean but touchwiz is not very well made.
AOSP – Android open Source Project is the android rom in its basic form, so it has no bloatware or power hungry UI’s. This is where you will get most of your custom roms from, there are devs within the android community most found right here on XDA, that will use AOSP and make their own custom roms with this adding to and improving it to make the best rom they can. Just as a note there is no best rom and you will never get an answer as to which is the best. Each rom is to their own and suit different people with different needs, but as a starter rom to get use to the idea of flashing roms and learning everything that is needed then I would recommend a Cyanogen Mod Rom, as this is the most popular and you will get the most advice from the community is it is the most used. You can find the Cyanogen Mod website here. The best way to find roms is to look through the forum and look in the Development and Original Development threads.
INDEX - Android Development [29 March] - Here is a Rom list from the Android Development Fourm, the list includes both ICS and GB roms, thanks to daniel_costa_rj
There is a lot more to roms that just this basic overview and I will be adding more in the future as this will take just as long as writing this whole thread, so keep an eyeout for more updates, including AOKP.
EFS Folder (Important)
Ok this is more of a you must do and not a what you can now do. So the efs folder is a very important folder within your android system that contains infomation like your IMEI number, and just well important infomation trust me it's important. When people start to mod their phone such as flashing roms, kernels e.t.c, this folder can become corrupt, making you phone usless. So backing up this folder is important and their is an easy way in which you can do this, a more user friendly way using a great app by hellcatdroid. You can get this app from google play here, and it will give you all the tools to back up the folder. I will also include a guide on further reading for you to have a look over, so please backup your efs folder.
Well that’s it for now, this is my first draft and I will be making a lot on adding and changing over the next week.
Thanks for reading and I hope this guide helps even a handful of people.
Further reading, it’s time to get you geek on
[Guide] Back up your data before moving to a new rom
[REF] Guide to the Galaxy S II and Android (04/10/11)
[GUIDE] Fix an unflashable or soft bricked GSII
[REF][TWEAKS] Kernel Governors, Modules, I/O Schedulers, CPU Tweaks, AIO App Configs
Android Terms,Slang & Definitions
Forum & Marketplace Rules
[REF] Backup /efs folder. IMPORTANT.
More usefull apps that you might like
Root Browser Lite - Root Browser is for both non-root and rooted users. If you are rooted then this app will give you access to ALL of Android's file system. With a beautiful interface, tons of features and a cheap price Root Browser is a must have!#
ROM Toolbox - ROM Toolbox is the MUST HAVE app for any rooted user.
ROM Toolbox combines all the great root apps all tied up into one monster app with a beautiful and user-friendly interface. It also adds many more unseen features!, Check out the link for the full feature list
SGS2 Dual-Boot Setup (LolBoot) - Dual-Boot your Galaxy S2!
/!\ Requires root /!\
/!\ This is for the Galaxy S2 *ONLY* /!\
When the dual-boot is set up, you can (re)boot between two different, independent ROMs.
Just powering on boots into the primary ROM (duh!).
Using the recovery button combo (VOL-UP+HOME+POWER) will boot into the second ROM instead of recovery!
Pluggin in a USB cable or AC charger when the phone is powered off will make the phone boot into recovery.
AdFree Android - THIS APP IS FOR ROOTED PHONES ONLY!
AdFree removes most ads in the browser and other apps. It does this by nullifying requests to known host names in the system hosts file.
If you have problems with this app, or you know of additional host names not being filtered, please comment in xda-developers.com forum so it can be fixed!
kTool - Tool for a few functions after rooting. Kernel dump/flash, EFS backup/restore...
/!\ Requires Root /!\
/!\ Works on the >Galaxy S2< and >Galaxy Note< *ONLY* /!\
(i) the "lock pattern bug" is currently being investigated and worked on!
kTool is a small tool originally bundled with Hellcat's Root-Kernel for the Galaxy S2.
It offers a few functions usefull after rooting the device:
- Dump current kernel to /sdcard/zImage
- Flash kernel from /sdcard/zImage
- Backup the phone's EFS (sensitive storage are holding the IMEI and other vital data) as a raw .IMG dump and a .tar archive
- Restoring EFS from the raw .IMG or the .tar backup
- Format EFS (create fresh filesystem for cases where you want to restore seperate files or a .tar backup, but the filesystem is stuck/locked in read-only due to corruption)
- Reboot (normal, directely to recovery or directely to downlaod mode)
EFS Pro - EFS Pro - For Samsung Android Devices
Advanced Backup and Restore of your Device's '/efs' folder!
Features:
Supports Backup and Restore of Partition Image (*.img) and Compressed TAR Archive (*.tar) formats.
Automatically detects saved EFS Backups on Device and PC for hassle free restoring.
Re-Scan option to refresh Backup list for restoring Backups.
Automatically Re-Mounts '/efs' folder with Read/Write permissions during restore for users 'stuck' with Read Only permissions.
Automatic detection and prompting of Mass Storage Mode.
Automatic detection and termination of SAMSUNG Kies application on startup.
Supports Multiple Backup handling.
Option to Format '/efs' partition before restoring an EFS Backup.
Displays Device, ROM and BusyBox information on startup.
(NEW!) Attempt NV Recovery - Restores NV Data from '*.bak' files if they exist to fix corrupt or incorrect IMEI number.
(NEW!) Repair NV Data - Repairs NV Data file ownership to fix 'Unknown Baseband' and 'No Network / Signal'.
Introduction to Kernels
What is a kernel
So to keep this simple their 3 parts of your device the hardware, Software (rom) and your kernel. The kernel is the communication link between hardware and Software, although some of the seen as more important things are battery life, touch, wifi and more. You can also use a kernel to give you greater controll of your phone with such things (each kernel has its own conrtoll features).
You can swap your kernel just like you can swap your rom, although you need to check that the kernel you are going to flash with work with the rom you are using. some kernels will work woth all rom types such as SiyahKernel, others are made to be used on certain roms only such as Stock Roms, AOSP roms, AOKP Roms, and some even more specific such as CM9, MIUI and diffrent versions such as GB and ICS. So you will need to check the thread for that kernel and see what the features are and what Roms it will work on.
Their are many kernels on XDA Develpoers and the idea is for you to try a few out and see which suits your needs best, as their is no best kernel, the same as their is no best rom. So here is a list of a few kernels to get you started, and remember to check that the kernel you are about to flash will work on your device.
[KERNEL][ICS][ExTweaks][All-in-1kernel][DualBoot] SiyahKernel v3.2b6
[KERNEL][05.05][APP/PRO/OTA][AOSP&SAMMY] N.E.A.K. ICS - Designed by Nature (v2.0.4x)
[KERNEL] SpeedMod SGS2 ICS [K3-16 CIFS ROOT / NO-ROOT CWM5]
[KERNEL] SpeedMod SGS2 [K2-21 CWM5 CIFS ROOT]
[KERNEL] XPLOD 3.0.24 opensource kernel
Learn more about kernels
I will be adding more reading on kernels soon
reserved for later
My very own rom
Ok so here it is my very own rom go to the link to see more
[Rom][4.0.3][Vertumus][Apex & Galaxy 3 TW Launcher] Dark Angel
Gonna try Adsfree. My best improvement with my custom rom (resurrection remix 1.1) is that now i can tether. And overall is much better than the stock one.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA
Great guide
u said that u can flash new roms now that your phone is rooted but my question is dont you have to unlock bootloader to do that
i'm still new so i'll ask alot of questions
If you install ClockworkMod Recovery, it will allow you to flash roms as it will unlock bootloader for you
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA
ok then nevr heard of that but i'm still new to everything
would clockwork mod unlock the bootloader of xperia play r800i i recently rooted it(last night to be exact)
i know this may not be the xperia play section but i was searching and stumbled upon this thread
RealMcoy said:
ok then nevr heard of that but i'm still new to everything
would clockwork mod unlock the bootloader of xperia play r800i i recently rooted it(last night to be exact)
i know this may not be the xperia play section but i was searching and stumbled upon this thread
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not sure you would have to look in the relevent thread for you device, i wouldent want to give you advice on a device i have never worked with.
Updating thread
I have started to add more to the thread -
Extra reading and more i have add some apps, their is a lot more to come.
fantastic post
I spent 10mins to go through the whole post and very helpful for me. As a newbie, I have learned a lot from you. Thanks for your work and keep updates.
AOKP sms related
I have rooted my phoen and installed custom ROM with AOKP sms, can some one please help me that how can i send sms to multiple ppl @same time, i mean how can i add contact group in AOKP sms, i tried a lot but not able to find it..
Did you install an aokp Rom or a custom AOSP rom and install the SMS.apk from AOKP source
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA
Update to thread
I have updated the thread a little with more guides for you to geek up on, and i have added a link to a rom list................ Enjoy
Just a thought mate, how about linking up a thread on how to back up your efs folder after root, last few months been lots of threads about efs being messed up, there is also a guide to re-storing ya efs if ya screw it up. Nice thread btw
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
E_Goldstein said:
Just a thought mate, how about linking up a thread on how to back up your efs folder after root, last few months been lots of threads about efs being messed up, there is also a guide to re-storing ya efs if ya screw it up. Nice thread btw
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will make an edit to the 1st post and include a guide on efs backup, not that many people now how important efs folder is so thanks for the idea.
Great Guide
This is very helpful indeed.