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Hi, I am a recent iPhone convert thanks to the Nexus 4. So obviously I am new to rooting, custom ROMS, and custom kernels. I am currently rooted and am running a recent CM 10.1 nightly. However, battery life isn't all that great.
A friend of mine told me that a custom kernel can drastically improve battery life without hurting performance. So here I am hoping that someone can help me. Can anyone recommend a good kernel that will improve battery life without hurting speed?
Also, what are the steps for installing a custom kernel? What about going back to stock in case I have to send my phone in for an RMA or something like that? Is that easy to do?
Thanks in advance for the help!
Try Franco or Harsh or trinity .
Custom kernels are more about under clocking a few things here and there to get best balance between performance and battery life thats and some tweaks which are generally inbuilt .
But tbh not all phone's are same what works for me and few others might not fetch u the same results, i've experienced this over my previous nexus device .
Some combo of ROM/kernel might work for u and not so well for other's i would say try out all the main stream kernels and some more if your'e feeling epxerimental give each kernel 2 to 5 days and see which u like the best.
Personally i've had good results with harsh kernel and franco and trinity .
berz said:
Try Franco or Harsh or trinity .
Custom kernels are more about under clocking a few things here and there to get best balance between performance and battery life thats and some tweaks which are generally inbuilt .
But tbh not all phone's are same what works for me and few others might not fetch u the same results, i've experienced this over my previous nexus device .
Some combo of ROM/kernel might work for u and not so well for other's i would say try out all the main stream kernels and some more if your'e feeling epxerimental give each kernel 2 to 5 days and see which u like the best.
Personally i've had good results with harsh kernel and franco and trinity .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have one that you would suggest for a first time newbie? Also, what is the process for installing it and potentially uninstalling it back to stock?
Everything is easy to do. AS LONG AS YOU READ FIRST before doing anything You can start by reading the guides found here in the Nexus 4 General thread.
So far, the best for both performance and battery for me is Trinity kernel.
By the way, to install a custom kernel:
1. Install proper drivers for nexus 4 in your pc.
2. Unlock your bootloader.
3. Install custom recovery like CWM or TWRP Recovery
4. Start flashing your choice of kernels!
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
wtfshouldidonow said:
Everything is easy to do. AS LONG AS YOU READ FIRST before doing anything You can start by reading the guides found here in the Nexus 4 General thread.
So far, the best for both performance and battery for me is Trinity kernel.
By the way, to install a custom kernel:
1. Install proper drivers for nexus 4 in your pc.
2. Unlock your bootloader.
3. Install custom recovery like CWM or TWRP Recovery
4. Start flashing your choice of kernels!
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the advice! I am currently using CWM and have an unlocked boot loader. Is it as simple as downloading a zip, going into recovery, and installing the zip from "sd card"? If so, where can I find the zip for trinity? And how can I go back to stock in case something goes wrong?
There are post on xda and you could Google it. Just download it on your nexus and flash it
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app
strausd said:
Thanks for the advice! I am currently using CWM and have an unlocked boot loader. Is it as simple as downloading a zip, going into recovery, and installing the zip from "sd card"? If so, where can I find the zip for trinity? And how can I go back to stock in case something goes wrong?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want to be always safe and sure, then BEFORE flashing anything, go to CWM, choose backup and restore, then choose backup. That is called a nandroid backup. It might take a long time depending on how much apps you have. After the nandroid backup takes place, then you're free to flash the zip for trinity that you've downloaded.
I also suggest that you do backups often and delete old ones (you can delete old backups in the "backups and restore" part of CWM). So that incase anything goes wrong when you flash something, just go back to recovery mode, then restore your latest backup and you can undo your wrongs
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
wtfshouldidonow said:
If you want to be always safe and sure, then BEFORE flashing anything, go to CWM, choose backup and restore, then choose backup. That is called a nandroid backup. It might take a long time depending on how much apps you have. After the nandroid backup takes place, then you're free to flash the zip for trinity that you've downloaded.
I also suggest that you do backups often and delete old ones (you can delete old backups in the "backups and restore" part of CWM). So that incase anything goes wrong when you flash something, just go back to recovery mode, then restore your latest backup and you can undo your wrongs
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
So nandroid backups also backup the kernel?
strausd said:
So nandroid backups also backup the kernel?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bump. i also need to know the answer to this question.
EDIT: nvm found my answer, it backups the kernel too.
admins can delete this
imeem said:
bump. i also need to know the answer to this question.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nandroid backs up everything. it basically takes a snapshot of the state your device is in when you back it up, then restored your phone to exactly how it was before the backup.
Coming from HTC One S (and a whole lot of HTC family before that) and not having to deal with S-Off dilemma is a whole new free world for me (you can say i am institutionalized).
If I want to flash a rom and not the kernel included in it, can I just remove the boot.img file from the rom's zip and flash it? Or is that not a good idea?
justthefacts said:
Coming from HTC One S (and a whole lot of HTC family before that) and not having to deal with S-Off dilemma is a whole new free world for me (you can say i am institutionalized).
If I want to flash a rom and not the kernel included in it, can I just remove the boot.img file from the rom's zip and flash it? Or is that not a good idea?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no. you need to flash the whole zip. without a kernel, your device is an expensive brick. the kernel control pretty much everything and connects the hardware to the software. you can always flash another kernel after flashing the rom zip.
simms22 said:
no. you need to flash the whole zip. without a kernel, your device is an expensive brick. the kernel control pretty much everything and connects the hardware to the software. you can always flash another kernel after flashing the rom zip.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply.
Are all kernels pretty much compatible with all roms?
justthefacts said:
Thanks for the reply.
Are all kernels pretty much compatible with all roms?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
all nexus 4 kernels are compatible with all nexus 4 roms. if you flash a non nexus 4 kernel onto your nexus, you will most likely brick it.
Sounds great. This will be my first Nexus experience. Love this forum already. A very mature crowd.
Hello everybody.
A few days back I managed to brick my Nexus 4 after using it for 1 day!!!! I realize that this all is a very moronic situation and there isn't a fix for my brick because a used a *Toolkit*. Well, I'm already receiving my replacement and it will be here in an hour.
I know how everyone here feels about Google paying for our mistakes but I'm so lucky they're so kind. The advice that I need is on how to NEVER be in this same position. If I were to have set up fastboot instead of a toolkit would all of this have been avoidable? Btw, CM 10.1 is how I bricked my phone....I never have had any luck with that rom.
Thanks everyone for your advice.
Almost all errors are caused by, you guessed it, users. I am skeptical when people claim the toolkit bricked their phone. Also, if cm 10.1 has been troublesome for you, why keep using it? Its the very definition of insanity: keep doing the same thing over and over and expecting different result.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
Sooooo, in your professional opinion....would my brick have been less severe if I used fastboot?
Maybe you flashed the wrong cm 10.1 ROM. Perhaps, from another device?
Sent from my Nexus 4
blitzzz3434 said:
Maybe you flashed the wrong cm 10.1 ROM. Perhaps, from another device?
Sent from my Nexus 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well what happened was when I tried to flash it the first time I got a boot loop. So I restored from a backup. Then I redownloaded and when I was in my custom recovery I did a factory reset, a cache wipe and a factory wipe. Then I installed CM.
No after like 3 minutes of booting, I got to my homescreen. I think what happened was I wanted to get off CM because it wasn't working right so I tried to boot into recovery so I held down power and volume keys. I got a yellow light then a red light and now bootloader. After deliberation I figured that when I reset factory settings I got rid of the bootloader some how so I googled it. I found smirkit and tried to install a bootloader. After I did that from my phone I powered down my phone and tried to get to the bootloader but I found that I was bricked.
My excuse for all of this stupidity is that it was 6am and I hadn't slept yet. Nothing good happens for me without sleep lol. btw, thats as accurate as I remember.
Alpha-Wat3rloo said:
After deliberation I figured that when I reset factory settings I got rid of the bootloader some how so I googled it. I found smirkit and tried to install a bootloader. After I did that from my phone I powered down my phone and tried to get to the bootloader but I found that I was bricked.
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Click to collapse
What is smirkit? The only hits I could find on it were for the Kindle Fire. It sounds to me like you flashed a bootloader for another device, that would certainly give you a hard brick.
Sent from my Nexus 4
As I suspected, user error.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
I don't think you needed to suspect anything. I am admitting that I bricked it and it wasn't a toolkit.... What I needed you to tell me is would it have been recoverable if I used fastboot and not a toolkit. I would appreciate it if you would answer that question instead of needlessly placing blame.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Thank you you've actually helped Mr to figure out why it happened. It was super late/early. Serves me right flashing anything without proper rest.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
If you had flashed the wrong bootloader or kernel (one meant for a different device) via fastboot then you would still have a hard brick.
Using fastboot instead of a toolkit does mean you have more control over what your are doing, but you still need to make sure you are still flashing the right things.
Sent from my Nexus 4
Alpha-Wat3rloo said:
I don't think you needed to suspect anything. I am admitting that I bricked it and it wasn't a toolkit.... What I needed you to tell me is would it have been recoverable if I used fastboot and not a toolkit. I would appreciate it if you would answer that question instead of needlessly placing blame.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your original post made it sound like you used one of the toolkits made specifically for the Nexus 4 and that is what had bricked your phone. It wasn't till half way down the thread you mention you used a tookit for another device. Toolkits are not free from user error even when you use the correct one as you still have to download the correct files and place them in the correct folders. There have been a lot of newbies bricking phones because they have downloaded the incorrect files and then blame it on the developers and or phone for being defective. So this is why people are skeptical when they read these threads.
Alpha-Wat3rloo said:
I don't think you needed to suspect anything. I am admitting that I bricked it and it wasn't a toolkit.... What I needed you to tell me is would it have been recoverable if I used fastboot and not a toolkit. I would appreciate it if you would answer that question instead of needlessly placing blame.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And that`s what happens when your SMARTphone is Smarter than you.....
Anyone else a tad nervous about flashing a recovery.
I really want titanium backup.
But
My main problem is I want to have a play with different sound mods, but the device is sooo new im scared about voiding the warranty.
Any thoughts
???
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda app-developers app
You'll be able to go back to stock and reset the flash counter with triangle away should you need to send your phone back for service. That is, unless you do something very wrong so just make sure you read and understand everything before flashing.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda app-developers app
fstorm said:
You'll be able to go back to stock and reset the flash counter with triangle away should you need to send your phone back for service. That is, unless you do something very wrong so just make sure you read and understand everything before flashing.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Duuuuudddddeeeee
Your a legend
All I have wondered this whole time
Custom recovery here I come. Any suggestions
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda app-developers app
jcurran.jc said:
Duuuuudddddeeeee
Your a legend
All I have wondered this whole time
Custom recovery here I come. Any suggestions
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TWRP
Please press thanks if I helped you!
TWRP is buggy and pretty awkward to use. The UI is horrible.
I'd recommend Philz Cwm recovery, it's awesome!
Sent from my GT-I9505 using XDA Premium HD app
jcurran.jc said:
Anyone else a tad nervous about flashing a recovery.
I really want titanium backup.
But
My main problem is I want to have a play with different sound mods, but the device is sooo new im scared about voiding the warranty.
Any thoughts
???
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't b scared.
Don't be scared, and read the forums here
Make sure you understand what you are doing, and there are some awesome guides here for beginners, read them. DO NOT forget to create a backup before you proceed. Download the official firmware for your model too, just in case something goes wrong. And be confident, hopefully nothing will go wrong if you follow the steps word by word.
Sent using GT-I9505!
Obagleyfreer said:
TWRP is buggy and pretty awkward to use. The UI is horrible.
I'd recommend Philz Cwm recovery, it's awesome!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, like Jccurran.jc, I am a new comer to the Android world and delighted to have a S4. Having rooted my phone, I am starting to explore what custom ROMs have to offer. In this staged process, I am now keen to get Recovery on my phone but despite my readings still have a number queries that I would be grateful for someone to help me understand. All of these are based on the premise that you must have custom recovery on your phone before moving to installing a custom ROM on it. The specific questions I have are:
Am I correct in understanding that "custom recovery" is merely the means of installing a ROM to return to should the installation of a custom ROM go wrong?
If this is the case, why can't your Stock ROM achieve this fall-back role?
There seem to be several ways of installing a custom Recovery whether it be via TWRP, ClockWorkMod and Philz CWM. These all seem to achieve the same objective but use different custom recovery file formats whether they be zip, taz or image files. However, is the method of choice largely a personal one and once the custom recovery file is in place, it doesn't make any difference when you move on to installing a custom ROM or are you now locked into a set way of installing a Custom ROM?
All guides to undertaking installation of a custom recovery stress the importance of backing up your phone (which is a little confusing to a new comer as I have Titanium Backup Pro but can't backup my ROM until I have Recovery in place?). I have done what I can but note that some sites recommend using EFS Prossional to backup my phone's EFS settings folder that contains very critical phone specific information that include IMEI (encrypted in the nv_data.bin), wireless MAC addresses and product code. While I can't be certain that this doesn't happen with Apps like My Backup Pro or Helium, it seems very sensible to help avoid bricking my phone but the program itself requires BusyBox v1.20.2, not the current version in Google Play Store which is more recent but as the developer states is less stable than the older version (and with which EFS Professional wont work). Despite my best attempts to locate the older version as a APK file I haven't been able to as most links point to crap or seem to be for inclusion in custom ROMs (but this may reflect my lack of understanding of the Android system). Can anyone help me understand this and point me to a site where I can obtain the necessary version of BusyBox to enable me to run EFS Professional?
Some sites, including one of the responders to this thread, point out the importance of staying with your phone's offical firmware so that the modem and other hardware components of your phone continue working properly. I have purchased an unlocked international GT-I9595 phone via an internet store that has the baseband version I9505ZHUAME1. Should I my custom recovery file be the same (or its more recent release) or can I use an international LTE variant file such as "CF-Auto-Root-jflte-jfltexx-gti9505.zip"? Obviously, living in Australia, I am not wedded to the Hong Kong based ROM that is native to my phone.
If the answer to the previous question is to stay with the phone's native ROM, then this may force me away from TWRP as it doesn't believe there is any Recovery files available for my phone. Does this fit with other people's experience?
Many thanks in advance for any responses as I totally agree with another responders to this thread (FlOYD') advice: "Make sure you understand what you are doing!".
Basically the first step to customising your Android device is rooting, second step is backing up EFS and third is installing a custom recovery.
The stock recovery doesn't give you an option to install anything or make backups this is why you need custom.
The first thing I do after flashing a custom recovery (usually a .tar.md5 file in PDA section of Odin) is back up my current state.
You can choose any recovery you like, like firmware, some are built better than others. CWM is the original and probably the most used, followed by TWRP. They both have advantages and disadvantages.
I prefer Philz version of CWM personally as I don't flash CM based ROMs and tend to stick with Touchwiz ROMs.
You can also flash custom kernels using a custom recovery this is basically the 'bridge' between your phone's hardware and software. You can change LOTS of things with a custom kernel, I won't go into that.
Once you've backed up your EFS and current state you can flash a new Rom, try it out, if you don't like it then just restore back to your old back up
Before making any changes to themes, or installing zips you should make a backup, that why if anything goes wrong you can just restore it again. And believe me it happens often!
Read through threads, read again and when using Odin double check everything is in the right place and DO NOT TICK REPARTITION!
I'm sure you'll be fine, you seem like a responsible guy lol
Have fun with your new toy!
Sent from my GT-I9505 using XDA Premium HD app
Ok so I got my AT&T S4 successfully rooted using the guide I found on here that uses the Motochopper tool. Root Checker verified I am indeed rooted. But that's it. I'm only rooted to the stock ROM. Nothing custom. Now how to I go about getting a CWM recovery thing on my phone, while still maintaining the stock ROM?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4 Beta
On the play store, download goo manager (for twrp) or rom manager (for cwm) to install a custom recovery. Don't use either app to do anything but just install the recovery. Once it's installed, boot into recovery and make a backup, even if you're planning on staying stock. Cheers
Step 1. Go to the development forum and read about how to do it.
Step 2. Know how to do it.
Step 3. Do it.
I need more basic. I mean I know CWM means ClockWorkMod, but I don't know what that means. I also know that CWM is more popular than TWRP (I don't know what TWRP stands for) because the rom manager app has tons more downloads in the play store than the goo one does. What is a recovery mode and why do you need one? I mean if I screw up I can just use Odin to flash the AT&T stock ROM back. I wish someone would post a link to a ROMS for Dummies page.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4 Beta
If I were you I'd be happy that your rooted and now find out what that means to you and what you want to do with a rooted phone. You don't need a custom recovery if all you're interested in is being rooted. And if you mess up, Odin back to stock may not be an option. You may permanently hard brick your phone. So really decide what you want to do with the phone before you proceed any further.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using xda app-developers app
feetr2c said:
I need more basic. I mean I know CWM means ClockWorkMod, but I don't know what that means. I also know that CWM is more popular than TWRP (I don't know what TWRP stands for) because the rom manager app has tons more downloads in the play store than the goo one does. What is a recovery mode and why do you need one? I mean if I screw up I can just use Odin to flash the AT&T stock ROM back. I wish someone would post a link to a ROMS for Dummies page.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you really should have read and understood this first: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2301762
These guys are correct and trying to help you avoid a brick. If you are not aware of the basics start reading. Even if you are experienced at flashing on another device.
I had extensive experience on HTC phones and feel like a noob here, but getting better. But I have read over a thousand posts, at least, and dozens of how to videos since early may. And only feel comfortable now to flash a custom rom. Not ready yet as phone stock is pretty good for me atm. And would prefer an unlocked bootloader first. I only rooted and flashed a recovery about a week ago. May be a little slower than some, but never got into a problem I couldn't get out of on my HTC phones using the same learning process.
If you come back with specific questions where they know you have researched things they will gladly help. Googling some of the terminology is a good idea too. Had to do that when I first started flashing roms. A different language for sure.
Good luck and enjoy the phone and the rooted world.
In my experience with the S4 CWM does not work as well as TWRP. I had many issues installing a few custom ROMS with CWM, but as soon as i loaded TWRP those ROMS which wouldn't install would install properly. TWRP also was able to read my ext SD when it was formatted in exFat.
Hello people I have returned back to this faithful site and I am rocking a Nexus 6p since November but after sticking with stock which I partially don't mind I'm just butthurt about one thing and one thing only. There is no specific app out there or even adb backup that does the job like nandroid does.
No my questions are...
Before you could boot into custom recovery without actually flashing the .IMG file is it the same with 6.0 with the locked bootloader?
Second is does unlocking the bootloader wipe the device?
Thanks in advance guys
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA-Developers mobile app
Aamir.Badat said:
Hello people I have returned back to this faithful site and I am rocking a Nexus 6p since November but after sticking with stock which I partially don't mind I'm just butthurt about one thing and one thing only. There is no specific app out there or even adb backup that does the job like nandroid does.
No my questions are...
Before you could boot into custom recovery without actually flashing the .IMG file is it the same with 6.0 with the locked bootloader?
Second is does unlocking the bootloader wipe the device?
Thanks in advance guys
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA-Developers mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to unlock the bootloader for custom recovery and it will erase the device.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-6p/general/guides-how-to-guides-beginners-t3206928