Database Users

newbee question

what is rootin and what is the biggest reason for it?
also the ota update does that stop the rebootin problem i want to get this phone it will be my first smart phone n dont want to many problems
thanks in advance

clamman said:
what is rootin and what is the biggest reason for it?
also the ota update does that stop the rebootin problem i want to get this phone it will be my first smart phone n dont want to many problems
thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rooting means getting full permissions to the Android system. If you don't know what Linux permissions are, don't worry about rooting; it won't have any effect on you. People generally do it to modify their phones like replacing certain software or enabling features that aren't officially supported.
No one really knows what all the OTA update covers. It's suspected it adds two features, but that's about all we know. Nonetheless, I can highly recommend the G2, even as your first smartphone. Keep in mind that most people on these forums are overstating problems, so don't listen to everything that's said here. I think short of the iPhone4, the G2 is the best phone you can buy right now. T-Mobile is definitely better than AT&T, so get the G2!

I had the same question, actually. Coming from a long line of WinMo phones myself (TP2 was my last phone, R.I.P) I get that Hard-SLP unlocking and shopping for custom roms is par the course since it's pretty much essential for the optimal WM experience, but coming over to Android and seeing how everyone is really bummed out that this phone can't Root..or at least, doesn't have one that stick, is really confusing, especially since the added "benefits" I've at least read about isn't all 'that' great...
Please excuse my ignorance on the matter, but coming from a mobile platform where modding/hacking is pretty much called for if you even plan to use the darn thing makes everything I'm experiencing from the stock Android a dream compared to its alternative.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

ryushe said:
I had the same question, actually. Coming from a long line of WinMo phones myself (TP2 was my last phone, R.I.P) I get that Hard-SLP unlocking and shopping for custom roms is par the course since it's pretty much essential for the optimal WM experience, but coming over to Android and seeing how everyone is really bummed out that this phone can't Root..or at least, doesn't have one that stick, is really confusing, especially since the added "benefits" I've at least read about isn't all 'that' great...
Please excuse my ignorance on the matter, but coming from a mobile platform where modding/hacking is pretty much called for if you even plan to use the darn thing makes everything I'm experiencing from the stock Android a dream compared to its alternative.
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What you have to remember is people will hack anything and everything, even if there's no real benefit to it. Back in the days, when G1 first came out, rooting was a big deal because it provided access to such things as apps on sd card, themes, auto-rotation, multi-touch, etc. At this point - you can get it all on stock android. Of course, there's overclocking (unnecessary on this phone), wi-fi tether (if you need it) and some further mods but it is not as critical as it used to be.
With that said... the moment permanent root is found - I'm going for it with the sole reason is because I can! Well... and because I want black notification bar

Temp root has a nice little perk.. you can restart it and it puts it back to factory if you need to have it fixed or replaced.

One ROM One Source with Many tweaks

Hi everyone please before anyone throw curses at me, it is only a request to make things more organize at least for noobs like me
i have entered the world of andorid not so much as a month ago with galaxy S2 i was amazed with the possibilities of this software and how much customization can go with it but all this come with cost which is mess, lost and confusion
i mean there is like 10 or more roms for S2 alone as we can see and it just been a month only what will happen after plus we are always asking which is the best rom what is the best theme etc
that is why i suggest the following:
one custom rom which belong to XDA to name as please or XDA rom since XDA the biggest android forum and all developers can work on it to tweak it as they please and submit to the ppl in charge of it and update frequently (example villin rom with its tweaks app which need some work in organizing, i thank him for his work)
in this rom there will be apps like that but will be all in the offical app for tweaks( like cydia in the iphone OS) inside it everything from themes to addons
i know i might not clear but what am saying lets try to have One rom and in it all the tweaks possible since in the end of what am seeing all ROMs have minor difference(someone can shot me down if am wrong and i say sorry)
waiting for your thoughs follow XDA members

A few quick thoughts here. You can never please everyone because people want different things out of a rom and the result can be that as things go forward you end up pleasing no one by trying to be all things to all people. Also right now the roms are fairly similar because the phone is so new but that will change going down the road as things settle in and they will become more divergent. While it seems chaotic now this is not a bad thing in that you likely will find a chef who does work that you will prefer. Once CM comes to fruition you will see in some respects what you are talking about as many people will theme directly for it and so also with mods.

There are so many more devices, roms and people. Some roms make the whole operating system look completely different. (miui)
You want everything easily in one place. I actually don't. If you want one rom, pick one and stay with it. Simple right?
I like to compare different roms, certain ones have better features but a long with that it brings worse battery life. So I like weighing the differences.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy SII with XDA Premium

Stick to the stock ROM for now, it's pretty balanced, till a few more months and Dev's get the hang of this new Phone.

Problem with the original only one rom . Who do you choose for the one rom do you ban the other devs .Ban Chainfire ban others like him who have developed individual bits that come together to make a whole .
No Android is independent custom at will rather than the dictate of one person (Hi Steve ).
Noobs need to accept that its a learning curve they have to learn how to read first follow instructions second browse the posts third and search fourth .
Simply put one rom defeats the whole point of XDA and Open Source .
jje

well thanks guys about the reply but i guess the idea far from coming to android or maybe because i am new, i cannot see the picture you guys are seeing since i came from iphone which used to have one version(jailbreak firmware) with cydia(the home of all great thing for iphone) and thought it is possible in android but it seems not so i just have to do what most have said stick to one rom and be updated with it
in the end i just wanted to share my thoughts and it has been nice reading your thoughts on the matter
stay alive

MoeBD said:
well thanks guys about the reply but i guess the idea far from coming to android or maybe because i am new, i cannot see the picture you guys are seeing since i came from iphone which used to have one version(jailbreak firmware) with cydia(the home of all great thing for iphone) and thought it is possible in android but it seems not so i just have to do what most have said stick to one rom and be updated with it
in the end i just wanted to share my thoughts and it has been nice reading your thoughts on the matter
stay alive
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But thats the whole difference ONE = IPhone
What you want = Android .
What if that one rom is far behind rather than advanced = no choice .
If i had to go down the IPhone one rom walled garden do as you are told path i would not even contemplate a Smartphone .I want choice simple as that .
One rom might as well stick with the basic Google rom .
jje

Ok, in general these are the roms out here or yet to come:
- Android with Touchwhizz
- Stock android
- MIUI
- Cyanogenmod
- Stock android with Cyanogenmod tweaks etc
- Possibly a Sense rom.
These are 6 different android variants already. How can you put them in one rom? That is not possible. I like the stock android, you like touchwhizz etc.
The main advantage is that you can switch roms easily and flash the rom that suits you.
I agree that in the beginning you can't see the whole picture, but you will in time. Like JJEgan says it's a learning curve, although a lot of new people don't seem to realize that.

Nexus 4 turned us into the "First time Andriod Users"

As the title suggests, I have just turned into an Andriod user...i.e.: this is my first ever andriod device. If it was not for Nexus 4's cutting-edge hardware+software combined with its PRICING (the major part), I wouldnt have bought an andriod phone.
Just want to know who else is on the same boat. There are a lot of questions running in my mind.. rooting.. kernel.. ROMs.. what not! May be by the passage of time I will learn all this and enjoy the journey of Andriod-world.

Welcome. You couldn't have picked a better android device to start off with.
If you have any questions regarding rooting or anything android in general feel free to PM me.
Good luck!
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

@ mackster248.
Thank you mate. I am obliged. Will surely contact if I plan on rooting.

Feel free to contact me as well if you need to! Also don't be afraid to ask questions, just be sure to use the search function
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

Tip is since you're new. Don't use the toolkit, spend the time and learn about it to manually unlock the bootloader if you decide on flashing anything (custom rom, kernel, root). It's very simple to do and will help you in the long run. Check the forum sticky threads and there are tutorials on how to approach this.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

the previous one, galaxy nexus, was my first one. i couldn't see myself using gingerbread before, it was too ugly. when they got matias duarte and it started to look like something i made the jump and never looked back. i'd say use your nexus for a while. you can always root it easily, that wont be a problem, but why not enjoying stock android while its new and fresh for you. i mean, im all for rooting it but honestly, the time when a new android comes out and we don't have sources yet but we can't wait so we jump to I/O leaks or factory images, that is always the nicest.
although, yeah, i forgot about nex4's washed out colors........... maybe it makes sense to root it right away for that purpose since its gonna look ten times better when its calibrated.

Welcome!
As zephiK said, try doing it all manually. Don't just find the automation scripts and use them. I started with the HTC Dream/G1, haven't looked back since. I must say android has changed a lot since the early days, but one thing has stayed the same, the knowledge I gained from having to do it manually from the get go, can roughly be applied to any android device. It largely helps you gain a better understanding of how the device works and what methods can be used to manipulate the software to do what you need, and want.

Oh yeah! How could I forget. Unlock your bootloader manually DAY ONE, even if you don't decide to root.
Why? When you unlock your bootloader, it will wipe your phone's internals and data. So you might as well do it right away so if u do decide to tinker with your phone, you can always back up everything and make your transition very easy to do.

Hey there,
I got my Nexus just before Christmas and
I'm pretty happy with it! that's my first android device. Previously I've had an iPhone 4. For me screen might be even bigger but it's pretty much OK
I decided to try root a week ago and flashed AOKP three days ago. It is all fantastic! Compared with my nexus iPhone is like a piece of ****^^
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

I too am a first time Android User and a proud owner of the Nexus 4.
It was quite a transition from Symbian to Android. Well, not really.
Now to figure out why I rooted my device last night.

My first android was the one and only T-Mobile G1 (HTC Dream). Loved it to death. But I lost it while on trip to California in 2009. I was pissed about it for almost a year :crying:
Currently have the HTC Vision (G2). Wanting to get my hands on a N4 badly. I almost want to pull the trigger and buy an overpriced one on Amazon or eBay. I'm checking the Play Store everyday for it. Let's see if I can hold out.
BTW, just got a N7 yesterday. Rooted it the moment I got it.

Android can do so much even on stock devices... I'd suggest trying it all out for a month or so before flashing kernels, etc. Just because there is so much to customize and try (and break... a bit) even without rooting.

Well nexus4 is my first Android phone i bought myself, i have used before android. But owned only Nokia. After 2 weeks I am very happy and i think i won't regret chosing this over L920
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

me too!
hi all,
the nex4 has also pulled me from the grasp of Apple. Only had mine for about 3 hours so still learning it all, and its great!

Root Process
I am new to android and need to know the step by step process of root. Like unlocking boot loader is the first step, second step ?? and so on.. Please give the step by step flow from scratch.

Nexus 4 is also my first Android device, got it last 16th of December. The best Christmas gift I had for myself after awhile. Since then, I'm lovin it!

Sandeep_AV said:
I am new to android and need to know the step by step process of root. Like unlocking boot loader is the first step, second step ?? and so on.. Please give the step by step flow from scratch.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You want this which has links to loads of info: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2010338
And this looks like it will be helpful for getting help from people: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=2031989&postcount=45
I think it's really worth looking at all the different Nexus 4 subforums and reading the main threads, pretty much everything is covered. And if you don't understand something, if you post in the correct thread people will help you out with what you need.
Nexus 4 is my first android, coming after 4+ years of iPhone. I am blown away so far! And this forum is an amazing resource too :good:

I am flabbergasted to see the amount of people who have started their Andriod journey with N4.
joshnichols189 said:
Feel free to contact me as well if you need to! Also don't be afraid to ask questions, just be sure to use the search function
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you all who r willing to help. And TBO, I loved the way how nicely you expressed your gesture of helping. Rarely we get to see that on XDA.
I do not plan to root the device as honestly I dont know the ABC of rooting ATM. So I will read read and read when i get time and if stuck somewhere, i will ask someone to help and then move on.
zephiK said:
Oh yeah! How could I forget. Unlock your bootloader manually DAY ONE, even if you don't decide to root.
Why? When you unlock your bootloader, it will wipe your phone's internals and data. So you might as well do it right away so if u do decide to tinker with your phone, you can always back up everything and make your transition very easy to do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Buddy, by wiping the phone's internals & data, you mean it will free up some more space for us to use.. right?

s2046 said:
You want this which has links to loads of info: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2010338
And this looks like it will be helpful for getting help from people: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=2031989&postcount=45
I think it's really worth looking at all the different Nexus 4 subforums and reading the main threads, pretty much everything is covered. And if you don't understand something, if you post in the correct thread people will help you out with what you need.
Nexus 4 is my first android, coming after 4+ years of iPhone. I am blown away so far! And this forum is an amazing resource too :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was just checking these links.. Very very useful. Thanks.

im also a little surprised about how many nexus 4 owners are new to android. i mean all of us android veterans know that its the best android phone right now, most people just coming in to android opt for easier to come by androids like the one x or the gs3, mainly because they dont know what to look for. for those just getting into android, you made the right choice!
my advice to you from hundreds of times flashing, wiping, restoring, and resetting my phones on various roms: go crazy now. try all of the different customizations, launchers, browsers, and all that. remember what you like and what seems to slow the phone down, drain the battery, or save battery and speed it up. once you have figured all this out, wipe it and start fresh, maybe try a custom rom and kernel if you want. put back the stuff you like. after you get bored, do it again! at this point, ive pretty much realized the best thing for me is to just keep my phone as vanilla as possible, no 3rd party launchers, keyboards, dialers, etc, but ive tried them all! its just easier to set up that way, and ends up with a fast and seamless experience. everybodies different though, and thats the wonder of android

Ive been Really Loving my Nexus 10 but Im really need help on a couple of things

So my Grandmother wanted to give me a good present for Christmas this Year and She asked if I wanted a Ipad (I really didnt want anything, I was already pretty content overall) but she wouldnt let up about it so I figured that I didnt want to be like all the other drones in my School using only apple (nothing against apple but their hasnt been Change in their products in 5 years). I saw many adds for the Nexus 10 and its popularity so I thought I would give it a shot and if I was dissapointed I could return it to Amazon and once I did get it I was IN Love. The Nexus 10 seemed like my kind of thing and then I started reading these forums, which are FANTASTIC , but anyway i started to see many problems with the Tablet overall (Im running Stock, this forum scared me away from the update). 1st being that the light bleed is pretty bad and there are random artifacts flashing on the screen sometimes but that isnt too noticeable, 2nd being that Ive been having extreme wifi connection drops and problems connecting to my schools network and 3rd I find it really laggy sometimes especially when using it as a notetaker with my bluetooth keyboard. 4th the Microusb sucks I had to fiddle with it just to get a charge but I just took out plyers and fixed it and I am soon getting my godd*mb Pogo Pins that shouldve been there day 1.
Lately Ive been very Intrested in the Idea of rooting it and all of the other Jazz but the problem is, Im a bit of a noob when it comes to this, I really dont understand what cynagon mod does and what to download and the other things like 'Manta, Rasberry and all those other names in relationship to the tablet and rooting'. So overall I really Just want a better understanding and help on how i should procceed because I really dont want to screw this up. Help me out by making a guide or something to really show me which steps to take.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using xda app-developers app

A good place to start would be to read through the sticky threads in both developer sections. Read, and then read some more. It is way more beneficial to do that and start to figure it out on your own than to have someone tell you how to do it. We were all noobs at some point in time, but between reading, doing, asking questions, and failing, it all starts to come together. Nearly everyone here will help, but don't jump in the lake before you can swim.
That being said:
Nearly all the issues you have described can be helped, or eliminated, through flashing different roms and/or kernels. This is really a great device once you get to know it.
Happy reading, ask the right questions, and enjoy your Christmas present.
Oh yah, don't forget to read some more.
Good luck.

OH can you also explain the relationship between a unlocked bootloader and rooting and flashing a thingy mo bobber
Sent from my Nexus 10 using xda app-developers app

"Rooting" allows you to use certain programs which access the "root" of your file system, like Titanium Backup to backup your apps.
"Unlocking your bootloader" allows you to replace the stock OS (ROM) with any custom ROM you download (like cyanogenmod) which is "flashing"
As Trickster suggested, I would start by reading thru some of the posts in this sticky.

Manta = Mantaray, which is Google's developement name for the Nexus 10.
Rasbean jelly = a version of a Rom. You can see the names of roms, kernels, etc. In the name of the thread.
Cyanogen Mod = a "brand" of Rom, based off of aosp, with there own tweaks included, which make it different from stock. This one Rom is then ported to work with many different devices, in a nutshell.

Okay finnally finished the rooting process with wugs but what now
I just need to figure out the things and roms i need to download after the root

[Q] Looking for advice on S4 ROM

Hi all,
I once more turn to XDA gurus for some advice and also questions. Let me start with saying that I have very basic experience with android phones: my main phone is an iPhone but I love to play with Android devices to fill in the iOS blanks. I own a Samsung Infuse (with a custom ROM but very unstable) and briefly had an HTC One but returned it.
Anyway, I bought an AT&T S4; it's unlocked and works great. However I'm in Canada on Rogers and couldn't care less about the bloatware installed on it. Here come the questions:
- Does anyone know of a way to install the stock Rogers ROM on this phone (more like where to get it)?
- Alternately, would you recommend to install another ROM?
Here's the thing: a week after I bought mine, Google announced the Google editions; would have known I would have waited to get that.
- Would it be recommendable to flash the Google ROM on my phone?
- Would there be a way to install some of the Samsung SPKs on such a ROM (I could never seem to do it on my Infuse)?
I know how to flash a ROM, and it's well documented in the Forums. I'm more after opinions; my experience with flashing ROMs on my Infuse has been spotty at best. Seems like no matter what I did, the phone would become unusably unstable after a while. This scares me because it seems like the Infuse is one of the most modded phones out there... The S4 is very impressive and I don't want to hinder it's performance in any way.
If none of this is doable/recommendable, then I might sell this one and pay the extra $100 and get the Google edition.
I appreciate any input!
Thanks

Well, I know it's not polite to bump your own post, but I would really appreciate some feedback.
And actually I'll add a bit more to it: let's say I either try the Google ROM or decide to buy a Google Edition, there are some pretty cool apps included with the Samsung version (such as multi window and air gestures). Is it possible to have those available on the Google Edition/ROM?
Thanks and sorry again for my lack of knowledge in the area...

technosinner said:
Well, I know it's not polite to bump your own post, but I would really appreciate some feedback.
And actually I'll add a bit more to it: let's say I either try the Google ROM or decide to buy a Google Edition, there are some pretty cool apps included with the Samsung version (such as multi window and air gestures). Is it possible to have those available on the Google Edition/ROM?
Thanks and sorry again for my lack of knowledge in the area...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Consensus with the GE ROMs for the S4 are that they're WAY too stripped down in comparison to other AOSP options (of which GE is NOT, it's actually TW disguised as AOSP). I, personally, would avoid using GE and instead opt for something like AOKP if you want that same feel. I just flashed FoxHound and really like the hybrid aspect of it in the fact that you keep all the gimmicky TW features (the hover and voice stuff as well as multi-window), the menu structures are similar, but it brings all the bonuses that having an AOSP ROM does. There are some extra steps involved which @Axman has taken his time to explain (you have to manually input your APN), but the end result is worth it.
Good luck and read around.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

well spoken my friend. Thanks

Thank you very much for the clarification. I was actually in the process of reading Axman's posts. To be honest I'm totally overwhelmed. I didn't imagine it to be so complicated; I'm really torn between ROM and keeping stock because of the TW cool stuff... I will keep reading around as all good n00b should.
Thanks!

technosinner said:
Thank you very much for the clarification. I was actually in the process of reading Axman's posts. To be honest I'm totally overwhelmed. I didn't imagine it to be so complicated; I'm really torn between ROM and keeping stock because of the TW cool stuff... I will keep reading around as all good n00b should.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's much less complicated than it seems, but you do need to follow the steps as outlined or you could end up with anything from a borked flash to a bricked phone depending on what you're trying to do. I recommend playing with a i337m ROM that is TW-based for your first, just to get the hang of things as it'll provide the least steep learning curve. Go for these steps at first:
1. Enable Developer Options (go to Settings/About/tap on build until it says they're enabled)
2. Run one click root/recovery from Adam Outler
3. Transfer and flash ROM of your choice
Just know that people flash for different reasons ranging from wanting less bloat to more battery life to a morbid case of flashaholism (such as myself and @TheAxman). There's nothing saying you have to go balls to the wall here and you may find yourself completely happy with the stock ROM and a better kernel. Just read up and it'll make perfect sense.
Last word of advice: have Odin and the stock ROM on hand so you can flash back to stock if necessary. Some ROMs don't play well when flashed on top of others, even if you do a full wipe.
Sent from my SGH-I337 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

I was actually in the exact same situation as you.
However, I decided to flash a TW based ROM to keep all the cool Samsung features.
I'd recommend any of the Stock Based ones here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2312444
Just do your research and look for the features you need.

Thanks a lot guys! I'll be doing some reading but at least I know where to look.
One last thing: I keep seeing this loki thing around. Since I'm on an att version I got that I need it, but what exactly is it and where can I get it? I see a lot of references to it, but I can't seem to find a download link or a tutorial on it...
Thanks again!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium

Don' t take the loki thing and run with it..if you are rooted and have recovery installed, flash the rom of choice and use a att kernel that already has been loki'ed.
Simple. That way you will never go wrong.
The Ax says this is my method of choice. Could care less about loki.

I recommend cm10.1 . It is aosp based, tins of features, fast, and just nice to use. I use it on my att sgs4 right now. It is nightly release but it is VERY STABLE. Ge is just tw with an aosp fanboy shirt on .lol.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app