Database Users

Android noob needs help and sure others do too!

Hi guys,
Im new to the Android scene, and thats because of the N1 got my nexus on order and should arrive shorty in the following week. Been reading the threads here over the last week or so, but alot of things aren't quite clear to me. Especially because im a Android noobie (previous WinMo )
Anyways reading about the Unlocking bootloader and Rooting the device seems pretty straight forward. I understand the consequences of each part and thus appears to be pretty easily done.
The things that i am unclear about are the addon packs and the things it comes bundled with?
- What are the current benefits from flashing these "addon" packs?
- They aren't ROM's just kind of expansion packs right? so no lost data after?
- Wtf is adb? lol i keep seeing it but no idea what it is, thus confusing for noobies like me.
- In cyanogens thread here it says backup using Nandroid, and when i find Nandroid in google i get this. But it says for G1? will it still work fine?
Thankyou for any answers as I believe you will help me to NOT mess up my new phone. I'm sure alot of other people would be thankful for your answers.
Thankyou again!

Hello,
First off welcome to Android, second, get the fire suit on for the "wrong forum" flames.
What are the current benefits from flashing these "addon" packs?
Not a *ton* but there is Tether and other goodies that you can start using.​
- They aren't ROM's just kind of expansion packs right? so no lost data after?
Yes to 1st, and there will be lost data when you unlock the bootloader.. if you unocked the bootloader, and then used the phone for a week or so, THEN flashed this addon pack, then no data loss.​- Wtf is adb? lol i keep seeing it but no idea what it is, thus confusing for noobies like me.
Android Debug Bridge... its used for debugging. lol....​- In cyanogens thread here it says backup using Nandroid, and when i find Nandroid in google i get this. But it says for G1? will it still work fine?
No, the Nandroid backup will be an option AFTER you unlock the BL and install Amon_RA's Recovery image..​
Good luck man!!

thanks for the reply.
I'm trying to gather as much as i can before i get the phone in my hands. Maybe because i want to start right away when i get hold of the phone lol You have enlightened me on many points.
I was just wondering also,
I've read about apps such as Nexus Torch and SetCPU which require rooting. Are these apps aquired simply after I unlock + root from the market place? because i read about reinstall su and similar.
Sorry for the noobiness, as i've mentioned im a android beginner and not too familiar with the terms used.
I just want to install some cool apps and convert those iphone users......(my gf )

No they're not required. Rooting is really only for the hardcore phone nerd (which is probably why you're on this site!) I personally am holding off on rooting my N1 until it's fully understood on if it can be re-locked etc. If this is your first Android phone I would recommend doing some reading around on the G1 forum and understand the full capabilities of rooting your device and some neat apps.
**edit
mis-read what you said. Those apps can be obtained from the "Makin Bacon" add on somewhere on this forum. Cyanogen posted it up.

SystmDcln said:
No they're not required. Rooting is really only for the hardcore phone nerd (which is probably why you're on this site!) I personally am holding off on rooting my N1 until it's fully understood on if it can be re-locked etc. If this is your first Android phone I would recommend doing some reading around on the G1 forum and understand the full capabilities of rooting your device and some neat apps.
**edit
mis-read what you said. Those apps can be obtained from the "Makin Bacon" add on somewhere on this forum. Cyanogen posted it up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm doing the same thing as this guy. I'm super hardcore about customization so I have no doubt that I'll root my phone eventually but not quite yet. Things are still a bit too new and right now there really aren't that many reasons to root (outside of tethering support IMO). If you can live without tethering for a month, then you should wait to root.

welcome
addon packs do a few things to your phone. the biggest things, i think, are the busybox and the dropbear installations, and the tethering apps. some modders also like to "optimize" android too. whether or not it actually works, i can't personally tell, but i take their word for it.
busybox will allow you to run some common linux commands on your android (with a terminal app i guess...) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BusyBox
dropbear is an ssh server so that you can access the command line (and push files to your android) from your computer
tethering means share your cell connection with a computer to give your computer internet. i've used it in many airports, and it's sweet.
like the other dude said, the initial root will require a data wipe, but not the addons. i'm not sure if it's true for EVERY rom (i think it is) but when you first install a whole rom a wipe is required, but when upgrading to a newer version of the same rom no wipe is required. if you like to keep your sms and mms's then it's good to have some of these linux tools so you can move and replace the sms and mms databases manually.
adb is android debugging bridge. it's a part of the android sdk (software development kit) that google gives out for free and is meant to develop apps. with it you can plug your phone into your comp via USB and run all sorts of commands on it from your computer. droidexplorer is basically a GUI for the adb commands, so with ADB you can do all that droidexplorer can do. http://de.codeplex.com/
nandroid is kind of like "system restore" for android. you need to root the phone, then flash Amon_RA's recovery thingy (in one of the threads). once you're in recovery, you can create a nandroid backup (kind of like an image of your current android phone) that you can restore later. then restoring it is as simple as going back into recovery and clicking "restore".
m00moo said:
Hi guys,
Im new to the Android scene, and thats because of the N1 got my nexus on order and should arrive shorty in the following week. Been reading the threads here over the last week or so, but alot of things aren't quite clear to me. Especially because im a Android noobie (previous WinMo )
Anyways reading about the Unlocking bootloader and Rooting the device seems pretty straight forward. I understand the consequences of each part and thus appears to be pretty easily done.
The things that i am unclear about are the addon packs and the things it comes bundled with?
- What are the current benefits from flashing these "addon" packs?
- They aren't ROM's just kind of expansion packs right? so no lost data after?
- Wtf is adb? lol i keep seeing it but no idea what it is, thus confusing for noobies like me.
- In cyanogens thread here it says backup using Nandroid, and when i find Nandroid in google i get this. But it says for G1? will it still work fine?
Thankyou for any answers as I believe you will help me to NOT mess up my new phone. I'm sure alot of other people would be thankful for your answers.
Thankyou again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

wow thanks vmuch for the kind replies!
i feel like i understand the previous things i've read around in the forum alot more now!
So the question to root or not root, rooting the device would prob be the option for me as:
1) dont really want to do a wipe after a week or two
2) want cool apps such as SetCUP/Nexus Torch
One thing im wondering is whats this about paid apps and rooted devices in the market? After rooting some people cannot see paid apps or something?
Once again thankyou for the kind kind replies and i hope some other noobies like me are learning

If I buy an app (I'm thinking of the Exchange Calendar sync app) and then end up rooting and installing another ROM (say the EU ROM if it has multitouch) will I be able to get my purchased apps working again - or do you have to rebuy them?

If you buy an app it'll always show as purchased on the marketplace so you can redownload it - all the ones I bought on my G1 were still available when I setup the N1 for example.

m00moo said:
wow thanks vmuch for the kind replies!
i feel like i understand the previous things i've read around in the forum alot more now!
So the question to root or not root, rooting the device would prob be the option for me as:
1) dont really want to do a wipe after a week or two
2) want cool apps such as SetCUP/Nexus Torch
One thing im wondering is whats this about paid apps and rooted devices in the market? After rooting some people cannot see paid apps or something?
Once again thankyou for the kind kind replies and i hope some other noobies like me are learning
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait to root. Right now it's still too unknown on the "ins and outs" of this phone. When I first started rooting on my G1 and MyTouch I wiped a lot while learning things about it. Research while you wait. An OTA is supposed to come out to fix some bugs, and nobody has released any ROMs anyways. And on paid apps, Google Checkout keeps a record of what you purchase, no matter how many times you wipe Market will always have them listed in the "Downloads" Tab as "Purchased" to re-download at no charge.

m00moo said:
wow thanks vmuch for the kind replies!
i feel like i understand the previous things i've read around in the forum alot more now!
So the question to root or not root, rooting the device would prob be the option for me as:
1) dont really want to do a wipe after a week or two
2) want cool apps such as SetCUP/Nexus Torch
One thing im wondering is whats this about paid apps and rooted devices in the market? After rooting some people cannot see paid apps or something?
Once again thankyou for the kind kind replies and i hope some other noobies like me are learning
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that happened to me. i think it has to do with the fact that i rooted and turned on my phone before i even put my simcard in. i opened the market and couldn't see "top paid apps" (though i could still search for apps and paid ones would show up). after i turned it off, then put my sim card in and turned it back on, no dice, still no top paid apps.
i reflashed nexusone-superboot-1.1.img with my sim card in this time (can't remember if i wiped. i think it required a wipe) and i turned it on with my sim and voila. paid apps. so it's definitely fixable if you run into that problem.

thanks again for the replies
Im pretty up for rooting upon recieving my handset which should be by wednesday the latest (no engraving), as i ordered on friday 8th. But being the first time im quite scared to do so lol especially on a brand new phone.
But as SystmDcIn said theres too much we don't know as of yet and slowly things are becoming more and more developed as we speak.
The main issue for me is using the phone 2 weeks in and then wiping it clean hopefully somebody will make some cool ROMS soon which include the "addons and goodies" so the process is made way more simple.
Thanks again guys! Well appreciated!

I would also agree with waiting to root. I dont see the benefits of SetCPU for the N1, cuz its already at 1ghz, if it was underclocked i would understand.

Orangeandblue302 said:
I would also agree with waiting to root. I dont see the benefits of SetCPU for the N1, cuz its already at 1ghz, if it was underclocked i would understand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use SetCPU to underclock the device in sleep mode.
I also underclock when I am not going to be using it for long periods.
Saves battery life.

true true, didnt think of it like that. most people want to overclock, i shouldnt assume. you know what happens when you assume lol.

It is a bit of a travesty to do it to this device. Its like putting a Beetle engine in a Porsche.
I can't always be near a charger, and until I can get a bigger battery that will give me more than seven hours, this is the solution.

this being my first android device i have spent hours on end on theses boards and on wiki's learning as much as i can about the phone and the platform... many of these basic questions that he asked i also had not 24 hours ago haha...
that being said, i think a lot of people are moving over to android so what if a thread got started that would answer basic questions that typically ever new user is going to have? ive yet to find a straight forward answer for half of the crap i have tried to find out and having it all in 1 place would be quite beneficial for people switching over... this could be moderated highly to keep it clean and in order?
a nice, straightforward, helpful community would be a nice touch to overtake some iphone shares

I see that you're from Hong Kong also- has your device shipped yet? I ordered mine on the 8th as well and it still shows not yet shipped. Was just wondering whether that's normal as most people state that the device shipped a day after ordering.

yamanote said:
I see that you're from Hong Kong also- has your device shipped yet? I ordered mine on the 8th as well and it still shows not yet shipped. Was just wondering whether that's normal as most people state that the device shipped a day after ordering.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry I am not really from Hong Kong lol I'm in fact from UK and Chinese. My Phone will be arriving early next week so whilst waiting, I am trying to learn as much as possible in case i damage my phone being a noob. lol
I agree with JHaste, i think due to the N1 and the upcoming HTC andoird devices. Alot of people will be moving over to Android in the coming 2-3 months. The questions i asked will be asked over and over and some kind of wiki,faq or android bible will be great. If anybody had the time and knowledge of basic rooting, unlocking and flashing could do such a thing it will be greatly appreciated

m00moo said:
thanks again for the replies
Im pretty up for rooting upon recieving my handset which should be by wednesday the latest (no engraving), as i ordered on friday 8th. But being the first time im quite scared to do so lol especially on a brand new phone.
But as SystmDcIn said theres too much we don't know as of yet and slowly things are becoming more and more developed as we speak.
The main issue for me is using the phone 2 weeks in and then wiping it clean hopefully somebody will make some cool ROMS soon which include the "addons and goodies" so the process is made way more simple.
Thanks again guys! Well appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i think cyanogen's mod includes a backup app (titanium backup or somethin)...you'd be able to save all your data before you wiped it clean (but then you'd need the same backup app to restore it)

[Q] whats the best order to do things?

BACKGROUND: im pretty new to the android scene. as soon as i was starting to get the hang of WM 6 i decided to see what the android hype was all about. i read several reviews comparing the Dx and DInc and decided imo the Dx was better and my first choice. well 3wks ago i got a great deal on DInc that was already rooted and running 2.2. I played around with it a little while and havent had much time to research it. 2 days ago i got a good deal on a Dx, which was my first choice anyway. its unrooted and running 2.1 (unsure of updates). for the last 2 days ive spent several hours reading up on rooting and 2.2. so far ive found the droid x guide pdf (posted here a few days ago) to be the most informative and best at giving sequential step by step instructions but it hasnt quite answered everything for me....
THE QUESTIONS:
1. probably a dumb question. I havent activated my X yet, is it possible to root or upgrade to 2.2 while the device isnt activated? i havent seen anyone even touch on this subject but im assuming its not possible since i cant even get past the activate screen to change usb modes, activate debugging, or toggle bt/wifi.
2. does it matter if i update to froyo or root first? is it easier if i do one or the other first or would it get the same results? in the mentioned Dx guide it says one click rooting "for 2.2" so my assumption this time is that id have to update to 2.2, and then root.
3. you can ignore this question if youd like cuz i havent even checked into yet but do any of have any suggestions on which ROM/2.2 version/kernals (unsure of real definitions and terminology) would be best for a regular person just looking for stability and to get a little performance boost and remove some bloatware? i know its personal prefrence and probably in 5000 threads already but thought id go ahead and ask since ive already asked the other questions and it would save me lots of time researching. Thanks!
i know i probably answered my own questions but id like to be sure before i start the process. this is my first post and im pretty sure im gonna be bashed for being a noob and will probably be told to use the search function or google it but i have lol. im on several forums and know how the process works. thanks to all of you brainiacs on here for all the help you provide to us not so well educated guys ;-)
Thanks in advance,
Dan

trkin said:
BACKGROUND: im pretty new to the android scene. as soon as i was starting to get the hang of WM 6 i decided to see what the android hype was all about. i read several reviews comparing the Dx and DInc and decided imo the Dx was better and my first choice. well 3wks ago i got a great deal on DInc that was already rooted and running 2.2. I played around with it a little while and havent had much time to research it. 2 days ago i got a good deal on a Dx, which was my first choice anyway. its unrooted and running 2.1 (unsure of updates). for the last 2 days ive spent several hours reading up on rooting and 2.2. so far ive found the droid x guide pdf (posted here a few days ago) to be the most informative and best at giving sequential step by step instructions but it hasnt quite answered everything for me....
THE QUESTIONS:
1. probably a dumb question. I havent activated my X yet, is it possible to root or upgrade to 2.2 while the device isnt activated? i havent seen anyone even touch on this subject but im assuming its not possible since i cant even get past the activate screen to change usb modes, activate debugging, or toggle bt/wifi.
2. does it matter if i update to froyo or root first? is it easier if i do one or the other first or would it get the same results? in the mentioned Dx guide it says one click rooting "for 2.2" so my assumption this time is that id have to update to 2.2, and then root.
3. you can ignore this question if youd like cuz i havent even checked into yet but do any of have any suggestions on which ROM/2.2 version/kernals (unsure of real definitions and terminology) would be best for a regular person just looking for stability and to get a little performance boost and remove some bloatware? i know its personal prefrence and probably in 5000 threads already but thought id go ahead and ask since ive already asked the other questions and it would save me lots of time researching. Thanks!
i know i probably answered my own questions but id like to be sure before i start the process. this is my first post and im pretty sure im gonna be bashed for being a noob and will probably be told to use the search function or google it but i have lol. im on several forums and know how the process works. thanks to all of you brainiacs on here for all the help you provide to us not so well educated guys ;-)
Thanks in advance,
Dan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. If you want to get past the first screen touch the 4 corners of the screen in succession starting with top left, top right, bottom right, bottom left (so I have read). If you wanted 2.2 you could use the freshly leaked 2.2 SBF and a program called RSDLite 4.8 (i think is the latest version). I have never performed the SBF before- so I can't say - some say it is a breeze, for others it was a nightmare.
you would search for...
VRZ_MB810_2.3.15_1FF_01
that is the 2.2 SBF
2. If you do want to update and sbf is the only way (once you get the phone activated you would not need to use this rsdlite sbf method. You can just download the update through the system) then root it after you get 2.2
3. As far as roms go- I love rubix1! Awesome. No problems (for me). only thing I had to do was "patch up" the camera to use 8mp. Not hard though. It is a radical departure from the normal x though. you may not like it. If you just want fast and stable stay with the stock set up. People that complain about blur are crazy heads- a lot of useful stuff in blur.
And of coarse - if you do any of this and totally screw up your phone - sorry. Don't take my word for it. Read around and get some confirmation b4 you do anything.

Hey thanks for the tips, advice, and opinions. That's exactly what I was hoping for although I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "if sbf is the only way..... I won't have to use rsdlite sbf..." . I guess ill go ahead and activate tomorrow, try updating through system, and root last. I was just trying to avoid possibly losing my ability to tether temporarily if rooting didn't go as planned because I have no other source for internet. Which reminds me, do I have to get a different tether app afterwards or is it safe using the preinstalled WiFi hotspot or similar preexisting app?
I've read several places that its important to copy a certain file first encase it gets stuck in boot loop. Which file and what directory Is it in? Will I need to get a file explorer app first to get to it? I'm uses to winmo devices that already have a file manager but I know with my Dinc the first thing I was told to do is get astro.

Rooting won't be a problem. Just activate and take whatever updates come your way. Check into the Koush recovery and ROM manager for backups before you play with any ROMs or themes, if you decide to go that way. Titanium Backup and Root Explorer are also essentials in my book.
Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

Awesome! I activated that next day, updated to official 2.2 and Rooting is simple. Now im wondering why everyone made it sound like brain surgery lol. The hardest and most time consuming step for me was figuring out how to switch usb mode to mass storage. In windows mobile its in settings, android hid it pretty good and hid it right out in the open lol.
After some searching online to find out how to switch usb modes I found the universal super1click method and the page had a link to a youtube video. After watching that video I felt stupid. Before hand I felt like a bomb technician diffusing his first bomb. Even being a noob I rooted my DX within 6-7min after watching it. And most of that time was spent waiting for my laptop to boot up and then download the file. To all you noobs worried about rooting, have confidence, do a search for android super one click root. I think the download was here on xda but I don't think that the page with the video link was on here. From what I understand it work for most android phones. If you are familiar with unzipping a zip file this is a breeze. I am in no way associated with the creators, unfortunately I don't remember their names to give them any credit,this was just my experience.
Now that I've completed the rooting can someone fill me in on tethering? All I need to know is if I can use the tethering and hot spot apps that came on my DX Or do I have to download a different 1? Which 1 are you using And why?
Thanks again for those of you Who contributed to this thread. Next of it looking into those backup methods. If any first timers would like me to walk you through the process I used then shoot me a pm. I'll be happy to help you just like everybody was happy to help me.
OH YEAH! does anybody know of an app or hack to make my screen dimmer? I've got it set as dim as it gets. I work nights mostly in dark places and my screen is so bright it really messes with my night vision.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

As far as the tethering goes im not sure but I believe you can use the one on the phone ....for the screen dimmer you have a power contol widget built in the phone or you can download an app called power control plus ...the app let's you place a widget for each individual control you like whereas the one that comes stock on the phone you are forced to use the whole control panel ..also you may want to look into beautiful widgets its in the market and has a ton of widgets ...hope this helps you!

now that you are rooted (simple wasnt it!) you can use barnicle (available in the market) or "code.google.com/p/android-wifi-tether/downloads/detail?name=wireless_tether_2_0_5-pre11.apk&can=2&q=" (remove the quotes) -wireless_tether_2_0_5-pre11.apk - I use both and both are hit an miss with devices.. for example, another handheld device wont see it, but my laptop which runs Intel proset wireless sees it..
I am in the same boat as you.. rooting was simple, now I am trying to understand backup's and custom roms.. with blackberry it was easy - with droid there is so much more that can be done, but there is more to learn.
good luck
jim

Gmenfan83, I found a decent screen dimmer in the market right after I made that post.I don't know why I hadnt checked the market before. I guess I had assumed that nobody in their right mind would want their screen even darker thant the manufacturers lowest setting lol. I've already been using the power control widget on the phone but I've found out its only lets you go as low as 15 percent and need it to get way lower. At the same time I really don't want all of the clutter from the advanced widgets with all the options since power control works fine for everything else. I was just looking for something very basic. I did learn something from reading about all of them though. If you use an app to set lower than the systems predetermined lowest setting of 15 percent it will go back to 15 percent when you close the app. So in order to maintain the setting you must leave the dimmer program running in the background. Dimmer, the app I am using now Is almost perfect. You make a shortcut for it and when you click the light bulb it auto dims to ten percent. when you click it again it goes right back to your previous setting even if its set to automatic. The only way it could be improved for my needs would be if you could adjust the value because 10 percent is still too bright. I need it at about 3 percent lmao.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

Awesome app. I tried barnicle yesterday and only had one instance in 3hrs where my connection slowed and stopped. I just stopped and started tether again and it was fine.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

I got titanium backup pro and wow its really useful! I had forgotten to do a factory reset after froyo and rooting and wasexperiencing a few fc, errors and stalled sometimes. I used titanium to back up all my apps sys files and settings. After I did the reset and restored, I used titanium to freeze bloatware. It seems smoother now but got another error last night. 1 other thing, a few of my settings didn't stick when i restored and im wondering if maybe I havent corrected them all because now I have a new sync-like sys icon that is always on my taskbar and it wasn't there before. It doesn't ever do the spin animation and it wont go away. Other threads have said that means background networking enabled but I've changed it and the icons still there. What else could it be?
What should I learn about next? Lol.
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

Can anyone shed a little light on launchers? what are the differences, pros and cons, of adw and launcher pro?
Sent from my DROIDX using XDA App

Samsung Captivate ROM Flashing *VIDEO* How-To

All links pulled due to XDA Request after an XDA member complained I was only out for profits to a moderator on a few products I have. Due to the fact I link to a product or two and a few other things in many videos, I was asked to pull any content relating to this.
I will still be offering all this great material at my website. Just go to google and search for MobileTechVideos.

Great work!

I'm sure a lot of users will appreciate the time you put into this. I thank you for them ;-)

Good idea, but allow some constructive criticism. Too long of a video, people don't really need to know how the file structuring works, too long of a demonstration is just going to cause them to get impatient and step ahead of you, possibly bricking or causing their device to malfunction. That's all fine and good, but you forgot to emphasize that new Captivate's don't have 3-button.
It's important, because if they end up bricking it, the only way to recover is to make a usb jig to force the phone into download mode. I would say that to protect yourself, give people the proper precautions to flash. If i were to buy a captivate right now, and try to flash Cog or something with Odin and botched it up, I wouldn't be able to boot it into Download or Recovery, and would most likely have to do a warranty claim.
Long post short, I think you should definitely edit video one and make a notion of the importance of the 3-button fix. Good video over-all, and I always thought it would be a great idea to have a visible tutorial video as some people learn better from videos than they do from text or audibles, but way too much information, being well informed is best case scenario for any scene, as it would lessen the clutter of idiotic searchless support we suffer on here, but 3 parts is too much. Another thing I'd like to mention is if people need to be instructed on how to manage their screen real estate, they probably won't understand any of the video.

geokhentix said:
Good idea, but allow some constructive criticism. Too long of a video, people don't really need to know how the file structuring works, too long of a demonstration is just going to cause them to get impatient and step ahead of you, possibly bricking or causing their device to malfunction. That's all fine and good, but you forgot to emphasize that new Captivate's don't have 3-button.
It's important, because if they end up bricking it, the only way to recover is to make a usb jig to force the phone into download mode. I would say that to protect yourself, give people the proper precautions to flash. If i were to buy a captivate right now, and try to flash Cog or something with Odin and botched it up, I wouldn't be able to boot it into Download or Recovery, and would most likely have to do a warranty claim.
Long post short, I think you should definitely edit video one and make a notion of the importance of the 3-button fix. Good video over-all, and I always thought it would be a great idea to have a visible tutorial video as some people learn better from videos than they do from text or audibles, but way too much information, being well informed is best case scenario for any scene, as it would lessen the clutter of idiotic searchless support we suffer on here, but 3 parts is too much. Another thing I'd like to mention is if people need to be instructed on how to manage their screen real estate, they probably won't understand any of the video.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot for the comment. I know it is LONG, but the intent was to give users a Real-Time analysis and be with them step by step. I mentioned the importance of watching the video BEFORE flashing as well a few times. I included a large disclaimer as well in the beginning. This was really a shot to all the "I have no clue how to ROM" folks so I made it as newbie-proof as possible. Try to keep a, I have no clue how to do this and I'm not an IT pro type of mentality when watching as that is the TARGET audience. I'll definitely consider making a shorter version however with time-lapsed instances.

Well, great job, it's something that should definitely be worked on and stickied. If at all possible I would still recommend at most a pause and a text overlay alerting the noobs in question of the 3 button. I work at AT&T, and I deal with captivates every day, and I get a lot of people who come back in with bricked phones that don't have the 3-button fix. I would say, before they try flashing anything, make sure 3-button is present, and if it's not, stress how important it is, and stress how important it is that they follow your directions to the T if it is indeed absent, as it's the only user-friendly way to recover from a brick. I only say this because the fickle community known as the internet might take it out on you if they follow your video and end up with a doorstop.
Nice job dude, should definitely be a stickied topic, you've done a service to all of the XDA members; we won't have to answer as many questions now!

geokhentix said:
Well, great job, it's something that should definitely be worked on and stickied. If at all possible I would still recommend at most a pause and a text overlay alerting the noobs in question of the 3 button. I work at AT&T, and I deal with captivates every day, and I get a lot of people who come back in with bricked phones that don't have the 3-button fix. I would say, before they try flashing anything, make sure 3-button is present, and if it's not, stress how important it is, and stress how important it is that they follow your directions to the T if it is indeed absent, as it's the only user-friendly way to recover from a brick. I only say this because the fickle community known as the internet might take it out on you if they follow your video and end up with a doorstop.
Nice job dude, should definitely be a stickied topic, you've done a service to all of the XDA members; we won't have to answer as many questions now!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To truly make sure I'm on the same page as you, are you referring to the 3 button download mode sequence? I teach the step using the 2 button plus USB cable sequence instead. Just making sure.

connexion2005 said:
To truly make sure I'm on the same page as you, are you referring to the 3 button download mode sequence? I teach the step using the 2 button plus USB cable sequence instead. Just making sure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lots of phones don't have any button combination that works, even if you are just holding the vol buttons and inserting the USB. I think he is just talking in general for people to know if their phones are cable of entering download mode via any way possible before flashing, as it is always a topic of "I bricked my phone help me" status.

flashman2002 said:
Lots of phones don't have any button combination that works, even if you are just holding the vol buttons and inserting the USB. I think he is just talking in general for people to know if their phones are cable of entering download mode via any way possible before flashing, as it is always a topic of "I bricked my phone help me" status.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see. Nothing leading up to entering download mode will brick the phone. So basically if you are unable to enter download mode during this video, literally all you have done is backed up your applications. At this time I assume a post or comment would be made and other methods may be mentioned. See what I mean? Basically if you can't complete the step at the point of the download mode step, you won't risk getting stuck.

these are very nice videos, gret for begginers!
realy sorts things up!
one thing i am missing here...
the id restore, in all my installes i always backup the 2.1 original device id, and i had to implement it int the cog roms or any other using android id changer.
i tried it on 3 different captivates, with different rom versions of cog, all with the same results. maybe you shuld mention it in a comment or something.
my 2 cents.
Yossi

Death_Keeper said:
these are very nice videos, gret for begginers!
realy sorts things up!
one thing i am missing here...
the id restore, in all my installes i always backup the 2.1 original device id, and i had to implement it int the cog roms or any other using android id changer.
i tried it on 3 different captivates, with different rom versions of cog, all with the same results. maybe you shuld mention it in a comment or something.
my 2 cents.
Yossi
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent point. I did forget about the ID Changer app and that the COG roms and many others were momentarily not reflashing SSID info. I'll try and cook that into the first video.

nice video bro BTW, do you necessarily have to flash back to stock rom using odin or can you just use clockwork and rom manager to do a direct flash?

geokhentix said:
but you forgot to emphasize that new Captivate's don't have 3-button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have build 1009 (newer than the problematic 1008), and my 3 button works just dandy.

xterminater07 said:
nice video bro BTW, do you necessarily have to flash back to stock rom using odin or can you just use clockwork and rom manager to do a direct flash?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can but nobody really recommends it. Flashing back to stock is just the easiest way to ensure Vodoo or other lagfix options don't get in the way of the way the ROM was natively intended to install. I wanted to do a full wiping flash. The master clear really is going above and beyond but hey I was being an over achiever...

I think this is really nice, but it seems like there is a gap between the end of video one and the beginning of video two. You explain how to boot into download mode, but then you never actually show the flashing back to stock process, and instead skip right to re-rooting the newly flashed phone.

plus_M said:
I think this is really nice, but it seems like there is a gap between the end of video one and the beginning of video two. You explain how to boot into download mode, but then you never actually show the flashing back to stock process, and instead skip right to re-rooting the newly flashed phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't believe I missed that. I recorded all of that footage and have it in the single bulk file but apparently missed it when cropping the file for multi-part uploading. I'll fix it tonight and thank you for pointing that out.
EDIT: I actually didn't miss that. My video project shows I cropped correctly but after producing the software unexplainably cropped incorrectly. I'm patching with the latest update and then hoping I can correctly produce that clip. I'll reupload soon. I just didn't have 30 mins available at the end to full watch the clips.
OK CLIP 2 SYNC ISSUES RESOLVED. ALL CLIPS ARE NOW INLINE...

I'm new to Android but I have some decent enough tech skills from a career in IT and tinkering. However I was absolutely terrified to do this just because of the harsh reality that bricking my phone is possible. This guide was immensely helpful and I'll probably attempt to flash to 2.2 soon. Thanks for all your work!

Should be sticky! v

I've just found your videos and while I haven't watched them yet (it's too late, tomorrow.....) I have one comment - please don't edit out info about file structure, etc. I need that kind of info! I'm hoping to learn enough to get brave and take the plunge

MikeyMike01 said:
I have build 1009 (newer than the problematic 1008), and my 3 button works just dandy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Me too - purchased at the beginning of October
My phone has been through a lot and seems un-brickable or at least I can always get back into download mode
Sent from Cyanogen... or something similar

Custom ROMs

Who's attention do we need to get to start getting some love for custom roms on the bravo? I'm wondering if it would be relatively easy to accomplish given the hardware inside is pretty similar to the droid 2 and droid x. I believe it's identical minus clock speeds. Anyway, I would like some stock froyo or gingerbread on this baby to see it really shine. Not to mention 1-1.2GHz.

Yes please. That would be awesome.

Yea....
You know, guys, you cant just sit here and ask for custom ROMs and just hope it pops up somewhere. You have to help too! Make a system dumb of your Bravo and upload it to Mega Upload or something to start off helping...then go around to people and ask someone, for intense on the Defy form because the phones are similar, if they'll take your dump (yea sounds bad LOL) and make some sort of custom recovery out of it. WE NEED PEOPLES HELP if we plan to make this phone AWESOME .

Well, I have no idea how to go about doing that, but would be more than willing to work with people to get the info they need to help them. I'll do some searching on how to get the dump unless you have a link that outlines that sort of thing.
From what I'm seeing people just grab the /system/ directory? I'm in droid explorer but it doesn't seem to allow me to copy it. hmmmm

Ditto, would love to help get some roms for this thing, just need to get me to the right path and I am all over it. Not much of a coder but willing to try.
Have already installed android sdk and Eclipse on my system, total noob to Android.
Have you found out anything on system dump? Probably good palce to start.

YEP!
That is why it's called a system dump! So yea I know I've had that problem too, where it won't let you copy the /system. I recommend the DroidExplorer program.
www.de.codeplex.com/releases/view/50997
Works great for me, IDK if it'l work with the Bravo as good as my Flipout (busted my Bravo, but it's fixable with an SBF or a .ZIP) So anyways please let me know if that works so someone can start developing!

Link gave me server error will try it again later on.
Here's what I have found out so far;
Using Eclipse/ADT I can see my whole system from Eclipse Explorer and watch it as it's running. From here I can push and pull (adb) from here. I have would attach a screen shot but need to wait till I have such privileges.
I could start to actually make system changes from here, but that would be suicidal since I am still new at this.
What I would like to do is download, copy, maybe dd from terminal, not sure how to, my current device rom to an emulator so I can experiment with it (rather trash the emulator than my phone).
If anyone an help with this (haven't figured this out yet) would be of great help.
Also have not investigated yet but Motorola Clig, Shadow, XT800, Kobe (Bravo), Milestone, Droid 2, Droid Pro, and Defy are all OMAP 36XX processors so I am thinking roms from these could/maybe (use at own risk I AM NO EXPERT) work on the Bravo.
As soon as I figure out all the above I am still ignorant in (don't want to brick this phone) I will start experimenting with the roms.
Any help in these areas would be greatly appreciated as it would also be a major time saver, googling for what I have so (which isn't much far) has taken weeks.

Also have not investigated yet but Motorola Clig, Shadow, XT800, Kobe (Bravo), Milestone, Droid 2, Droid Pro, and Defy are all OMAP 36XX processors so I am thinking roms from these could/maybe (use at own risk I AM NO EXPERT) work on the Bravo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Closer look Xt800 and Milestone are the closest w/the XT being the one which would appear to be be best choice. So later this evening will head over to XT posts and see what I can dig up, right now need to go sell some cookies with my daughter.

MCFarmfresh said:
Yes please. That would be awesome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would too, Im getting phone tomorrow and have a few rooting progams and droid explorer (wich I dont know how to use)

Maybe sum luck here
This phone will get 2.2 soon, trust me on this! Once it does, someone will grab an SBF (a stock 2.2 Bravo SBF) for this. I think a main reason for this phone not being developed on is because none of these files necessary exist. Hopefully when 2.2 is released some one WILL get a hold of it, an update.zip, an SBF...I think the'll all work. So yea, just some good news. Oh, and don't ask how I know, I KNOW.

someone might already have their hands on the 2.2 update.zip.

I found in the market an app called "android dump". Does anyone know if that will do what we need it to do? And what is the steps we need to follow to get some support for this device? Just upload to media fire? I will go ahead and do that when I get a chance and post back gere when I have done so. anyone with additional instructions ios greatly appreciated.

Already done!
Just uploaded system dump to mediafire. In case you want to know how, just run adb and do the command pull /system.
Oh, btw, heres the link!
http://www.mediafire.com/?7z1onzpuh90zuqn
BTW i already got jboogie (dev working on defy) and asked him if he had any chance of porting it to the Bravo by just making some minor changes. Look here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=877058&page=92

without clockworkmod or something we cant even use roms, good thing i just saw this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=955075
this guy is porting koush's work to the bravo!
he needs an sbf though, can we help him?!?!?!
also 2.2 is far imo, its not even on motorola's update roadmap.

It's in testing right now. 2.2 that is.

Grape Drank said:
It's in testing right now. 2.2 that is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the man is correct. almost had my hands on it.

If you guys are that close to it then surely you can get an SBF of 2.1??? pretty please?
I am porting Clockworkmod using Koush's bootstrap recovery and am close to a working test but am not willing to test it on my gf's unit without an SBF at this point, she just got it and she bought it on ebay so i am not sure if she will have warranty issues with at&t (probably)
so without and sbf i am looking for someone who has perhaps cracked their screen and is getting an insurance replacement, you can test my work and if it bricks your phone then no one is out anything, it will be sbf'ed at the factory anyways. even a warranty replacement is fine, but there is a little risk but i have never had problems with that. they just sbf the things. not boot them up and look for root lol. plus you already voided your warranty if you want to be techincal when you rooted

bandroidx said:
If you guys are that close to it then surely you can get an SBF of 2.1??? pretty please?
I am porting Clockworkmod using Koush's bootstrap recovery and am close to a working test but am not willing to test it on my gf's unit without an SBF at this point, she just got it and she bought it on ebay so i am not sure if she will have warranty issues with at&t (probably)
so without and sbf i am looking for someone who has perhaps cracked their screen and is getting an insurance replacement, you can test my work and if it bricks your phone then no one is out anything, it will be sbf'ed at the factory anyways. even a warranty replacement is fine, but there is a little risk but i have never had problems with that. they just sbf the things. not boot them up and look for root lol. plus you already voided your warranty if you want to be techincal when you rooted
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I work at att. The bravo is less then a year old so your gf is covered even if it was purchased from ebay. If you brick it just do the exchange by mail safer then in store.

What does the exchange cost because I got mine free as an upgrade phone and unless you have insurance it's my understanding that once the thirty day warranty is over it's all on you.
Sent from my MB520 using XDA Premium App

silvagroup said:
What does the exchange cost because I got mine free as an upgrade phone and unless you have insurance it's my understanding that once the thirty day warranty is over it's all on you.
Sent from my MB520 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It has a one year manufacture's warranty on it which will protect against manufacture defects which would cover software failure if they did not find out device is rooted.

That heart-stopping moment

I'm new to this root/flash etc and it has been fairly difficult getting my head around what it all means. Guides such as Intratech's http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1671969 are extremely helpful and much appreciated but still aren't really for noob's like me who don';t know all the acronyms or processes. (and where is the THANKS button - I see the thanks scores in the side bar but be buggered if I can find the way to thank someone)
As an example of what I mean, a guide such as siberian tiger's http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1674286 clearly contains valuable info but I have no idea which ROM to choose or why there are so many different ones.
Also, where do you download them from?
I got often sidetracked while trying to find out things, and nowhere did I find a set-out process that didn't require considerable research to work out what was being said. But I eventually got to where, when my new SGS3 arrived, I was ready to try stuff on it.
First I rooted it. There was confusion here because it wasn't clear that CF Root was a part of a larger process that included CWM, but I found it in Chainfire's http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1695238
Then my phone found an update - it's German market from Kogan so I went from i9300XXLEF to i9300XXLG8. I started in on removing the German stuff not vaild here but then realised I would be better doing what I originally wanted which was installing a stock Aussie ROM. First I tried out TriangleAway (with trepidation considering the rather dire warnings about bricks ) and it worked just fine, resetting my counter.
I then used CWM to run a backup of the system to my external SD.
So, using Odin I VERY carefully followed the process in Chainfire's guide.
All went well for a while...
Then the phone booted up and I got a message about Contacts not starting and then android.process.acore 'stopping'.
The heart missed a beat. I clicked OK, thinking (rather desperately ) 'it's OK, probably just a part of the set up process.'
Many clicks later, with the new system appearing in brief flashes in between 'acore' messages the gaps between heart beats became extremely long.
I forced it down (holding power for 10 secs) and started it again. 'It's better! It's going past the start up! it's...' BUGGER! there it is again!!!'
Searching frantically I found Faryaab's http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1646610 thread with a lovely Youtube clip by TotallyDubbedHD (found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8Tga_yKywc&feature=player_embedded
In it he mentions wiping the data, cache and dalvik cache. So I followed the clip and wiped them all, then ran the Odin process again.
Same result. Looking for paddles for heart-starting machine at this point.
AND I couldn't seem to boot into download mode any more. AND the Recovery mode was different now, with far fewer options. I tried using Recovery to Restore my backup - it found it, started to run it, then failed.
I'm not sure what the issue was with the Download option for start up, maybe in my distraught state I wasn't holding the buttons down properly or something, but after using the truncated version of recovery to wipe data and cache again, I finally got back into the Download... I went back to Odin and ran the latest German ROM - my reasoning was (not good at this point ) that maybe the phone needed the German stuff, even though I'd seen nothing about such problems in my 4 days of research on XDA. I also wondered if the Aussie ROM was corrupted...
The German one installed and started, but after about 1 minute I got the 'acore' msg again. Wondering how I was going to tell the missus I had broken my phone after less than 12 hours, and getting increasingly concerned about the lateness of the hour (as a PC support person I learned early never to do anything major after 10PM :lol I used the now restored Recovery mode to wipe data, wipe cache, wipe dalvik, then, with a prayer to the gods I don't believe in, I ran the Aussie ROM onto it again.
10 minutes later it started, sweet and fast, no errors, and no German-only icons.
I have a brand new, Aussie phone! I did some downloading of Apps to get it al back how I had it and went to bed.
I can't seem to do Thanks in threads (or even post in some of them yet) but I wish to thank wholeheartedly all those who spend so much time trying to document all the confusing issues involved for those of us learning a new language. It's been a bit of a slog but I'm getting there...
(I got to bed and told the wife, rather proudly, 'I broke my phone, AND I fixed it...'

I didnt root my phone, but i got the acore message too. Got shot of tthat & still my stock messages are still screwed. 100% agree that for a newbie nothing is crystal clear. "Search for this" "download that" not ideal wthen you are fretting on wether u just your phone up. Resisted the root, route until i see something that makes perfect sense.
The frustrating thing though, nobody believes you followed it to the letter, no matter how many times you explain it, simple stock flash (hence why i did it), even the wife cooda done that, but still had problems...still Think the 3 network was the culprit.

Get used to that feeling.....
I've been flashing phones since my x8 (had a Samsung galaxy 5, galaxy S1, nexus s, galaxy nexus and now the S3)
I've had plenty "I've definitely f*cked it now" moments.
To be honest those moments are half the fun of flashing stuff to phones.
Crackflashing is an addiction and those moments and when you sort them are like a really good hit.
Best way to learn is to make mistakes.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

I made a few mistakes and bricked my previous phone, an Xperia Pro MK16i, and learnt in the process. Haven't had a heart stopping moment on my S3 yet *touches wood*
Having said that, it is thanks to the tireless community at XDA that has ebbed me on to take the (minor) risks in order to reap the (humongous) benefits of tinkering with my phone. So thank you all.:thumbup:
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda app-developers app

You reminded me the first time i tried to root my Galaxy S .
It was a disaster
The phone had stuck in the root screen(z4 root some will remember)
for over 20 minutes and i didn't know what to do.
I was searching the xda for an answer but nada.
I thought that's it you just spend 600e for a brand new phone and you destroyed it
I plugged the battery out went to bed and the other day with more clear mind i read all the guides for rooting from the start and voila i did rooted it my heart came again in the place where belongs
Don't hesitate to post in my thread your questions.I'll try to help as much as i can
Regards
Tiger
Sent from my GT-I9100

This is for those who has acore issue.
A little patience is require but basically you still can navigate around in the phone but very slowly as you can only navigate after you dismiss the force close message.
Go to your System Settings->Applications Manager
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Select the All tab.
Look for Contacts
Click on Clear Data.
Restart the phone.
This help me last time when I had this issue.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

My first trail with flashing and rooting was on my mum's galaxy tab, it was a horrific experience since i might brick it at that time but it went without a problem.
After that i started flashing phones s1, s2 , s3 . But to be honest, without the help from the guys in this form i would have deff bricked many phones.

I had a few of these moments on my LG GT540 what worried me was I had no replacement phone, you will get used to them and learn how to solve them in no time.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

Happy flashing there mate!
Anything you need ask or pm me,i like helping!
First android phone i ever flashed was my Galaxy S1...(btw i absolutely loved this phone!)
I remember i had bricked mine and it stayed in SAMSUNG logo,we had issues with the 3 button combo back then!
The bootloader wouldn't let me go to download mode to use ODIN!
I was sooooo sc***ed! xD
It was the most expensive phone i had ever bought and i freaked out!
Thank god we built a homemade jig with my informatics proffesor back then and we revived the damn thing!
Great guy..
Point is if it's a software error it's 99% fixable,even imei can be fixed!
(happened with mine... thank god i had a backup!)
The worst thing as an effect would be...losing your apps/settings?
So don't worry...

Don't worry everyone has had their ups and downs and for me that's a part of the beauty of modding (rooting/unlocking/...)
I still remember the bootloader unlocking of my HTC legend.
You needed burn an iso CD and set your BIOS of your PC to boot from CD then run that cd and connect your phone.
Before the process begun it stated (about 10times) that you should NOT disconnect your phone in any case. The fact they mentioned it so much made me kida worried.
But I took a deep breath and continued. You had to follow some steps answer some y/n questions and then you needed to boot your phone in fastboot
And time it so that you hit enter on your PC about 2sec after it booted into fastboot...
which I did..... but the script was still stuck on waiting... And the warning message was still there visible in the top of the script.
I started hitting enter again and again but that obviously didn't help.
After 30 min I realized there was nothing else I could do then unplugging the USB and pulling the battery. At that point I was convinced I just bricked my €450 phone.
You can't imagine how happy I was when I found out it still booted. So I rebooted my PC did some more research and tried again. And finaly after 2days and 10 attempts I got my unlocked bootloader. That victory feeling was o so great!
I must say things are getting easier for the end user and because of that it's partly losing it's charm. But it's nice too read your stories and see that some of you still experience that victory feeling!

that heart stopping moment is the best part of this crazy debranding flashing rooting customizing "thing" we so love to do and my experience wouldn't be complete without it. been at it since windows phones came out and i really think i wouldn't stop hahaha!
btw bricked a couple but jtag is always there to save us ass
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

bonzai1888 said:
I didnt root my phone, but i got the acore message too. Got shot of tthat & still my stock messages are still screwed. 100% agree that for a newbie nothing is crystal clear. "Search for this" "download that" not ideal wthen you are fretting on wether u just your phone up. Resisted the root, route until i see something that makes perfect sense.
The frustrating thing though, nobody believes you followed it to the letter, no matter how many times you explain it, simple stock flash (hence why i did it), even the wife cooda done that, but still had problems...still Think the 3 network was the culprit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, the difference between what I saw on the youtube and what was in the guide I used seems to have been the parts about (in Recovery) wiping the data and deleting cache and dalvik cache. I might be wrong and one of the gurus here could clear things up...
But deleting or changing Contacts was clearfly, in my case, not going to be a solution - Touchwiz was the first error and there were a couple of others.
Some history... I have been doing User Support and Desktop Help as well as Sysadmin since 1987. I am a noob to Android but definitely not to computers nor effing around with system partitions.I LIKED DOS and I can think my way through software issues with an aplomb that users have called for. In other words, I am not a nuff-nuff.
But the confusion generated by ST's Guide where I can just run CF-Root-SGS3-v6.4 or CF-SGS3-CWM-v5.5-v1.5 (forgive me if I am quoting the wrong poster for the thread) and then find threads telling me to install Android SDK so I can access ADB to root my phone is nothing short of awesome.
I rooted my phone. I tried to run the approved Aussie ROM on it, and then had to recover things so it would work. Did I miss a step? Was it that even though my PC recognised and allowed Odin access to my phone I should have first run Samsung USB drivers? Should I have found out what an 'Insecure kernel' is and installed one? WTF is an insecure kernel and what programs give you one if you DON'T want to run a DOS window and do command line commands?
In all the hundreds of ROMs, Kernels. and other installations presented here on site, what, as a Noob, should I be looking for? The version numbers don't mean much to me. I prefer to stay with an Aussie version but if there's a JB out there that makes my phone run better, longer, faster, I could give a flying eff when Telstra decides to update my phone... but apart from a thread offering 'buttery smooth' menu motions, none of the ROM's seem to have descriptions of WHY I should install them.
I have bought Titanium Backup and System Panel on recommendations of a thread about battery life that seems to have nothing to do with battery life but has some fascinating stuff in it anyway (see http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=471521&page=4 and I am backing up every time I make changes that I like, but some of these programs seem to duplicate what others do - e.g. there's a File Explorer download that offers rooting, kernel and ROM installs AND lots of file-type options, but given I have CF Root, CWM, Super SU, Titanium etc. why would I need another?
I am happy to learn. I don't mind paying for the work others have done. As the OP documents, I am willing to take a risk with my hardware to try things out.
But...
is there anywhere on here where anyone has done an Intro to Android systems?
Is there a Glossary somewhere to explain all the acronyms?
Has anyone done a step-by-step of what you replace and why to get a fully functional and fast phone?
Is there a location somewhere on site where the ROM's can be downloaded? (what I have seen is mostly references to ROM's with no links to how to find the MD5 file)
Is there somewhere on site where the features of particular ROM's is listed?
If I am rooted, what else do I need to be able to flash (say) the buttery smooth JB?

a good poem.
OP that was a good poem
you should commission a new book, 50 shades of rooting
nice read

I touch wood never hard bricked my phones. Toyed around with N900, installed android on maemo got in bit of a mess but thanks to maemo community got out of it.
Jailbroke both my iphone 4 and wife's 4S. Flashed few fws on Optimus 3D. Been installing custom FW on S3 since I got it in late May, thanks to indie who helped make the first custom rom for S3 and even not having S3 himself as world wide launch happened in June.
Anyway my worst moment came when i plugged my external 500 WD drive to S3 via OTG cable and drive was detected for little time but then disappeared. I plugged it in the pc to check it and it showed unrecognized usb device. I still thought it wasn't big deal and tried it on my NB and still same. After it didn't show up in any of my media players (a have a few) i got panicky. It had 2 years worth of data/movies/music/backups and was full to the brim.
I searched and searched on the net and the only solution some said was that the port might have got damaged and needs to be changed. Then found on youtube how to take it out of its casing and thought if i could just hook it to my pc with sata cable it will hopefully work.
I took it out and to my shock WD had soldiered some weird connector on it and it could only connect through it and the standard sata port wasn't there.
I had all but given hope and posted it on one website about this issue and found one nice old (self proclaimed) gentleman posted that i should try to put it in freezer overnight as i have nothing to lose. I thought what a joke but did put it in the freezer wrapped in thick plastic bag.
Next day i took it out and thought just might give it a try and plugged the drive in the pc and to my amazement and relief it came up with message of options of opening the device. WOW i must admit after 20+ years in IT, handling components biz, trading /selling of components, building PCs for others and myself I never heard about this tip. I can't thank that man enough and i did recover another drive by doing the same. Both are after 1+ months working fine

joshua3_ph said:
that heart stopping moment is the best part of this crazy debranding flashing rooting customizing "thing" we so love to do and my experience wouldn't be complete without it. been at it since windows phones came out and i really think i wouldn't stop hahaha!
btw bricked a couple but jtag is always there to save us ass
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The heart-stopper is not the best thing - getting past it and fixing things is the best part. It may be that we wouldn';t enjoy the fixing as much without the previous heart-stopper but that 'oh, f**k' moment is still nothing to wish for...
@spaco22 - in 19876 I bought an XT PC so I could write my SciFi Novel. The pc took over my life and to this date I haven't done much more nthan occasional spurts of creativity in the writing field - did do some poetry though. :lol:
@Sak500 - the freezer trick has rescued a number of drives over my years. Including ones making the dreaded 'tick...tick...' noise. You were lucky - as a drive dies you get about 15 minutes to get the data off before it goes to god. And the freezer trick doesn't usually work twice... AND you need to put it in a sealed plastic bag... unlike a client of mine who sat it in their chest freezer and complained to me it didn't help and when I got there, there was still a small puddle of melt under the drive. :silly:
Mind you the best was a Manager who brought me his almost new laptop and told me it was warranty because it 'just stopped working' and when I took it out of the bag, and checked for physical case stress damage, found a car tyre track across the back of the case. Like Lenovo would warranty for running over the thing in a Territory... :lol:
In spite of my intro to all this, I am looking forward to the journey. Y'all could help by giving me reasons for my missus letting me flash her beloved GNote from United Emirates... *innocent look*

I've got a super pro tip: Backup the EFS partition!!!
Almost every other issue is solvable with a bit of digging on this forum. An EFS partition format would need the assistance of Samsung Service Centre personnel, and a good explanation as to how it came to be.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=18524176 works for me. This is the first thing I did after rooting using CF-ROOT. Also, CF-ROOT is the safest "first thing" as it only flashes a new recovery image and no kernel nor any ROM.

Guides can only be made so noob friendly, so I'm afraid some acronyms and finger crossing are inevitable. My advice would be to read, read and read some more before attempting any actions that may brick your phone. Remember nandroid is your friend and as long as you read the threads and follow the instructions help will always be there.
Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Erahgon said:
I've got a super pro tip: Backup the EFS partition!!!
Almost every other issue is solvable with a bit of digging on this forum. An EFS partition format would need the assistance of Samsung Service Centre personnel, and a good explanation as to how it came to be.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=18524176 works for me. This is the first thing I did after rooting using CF-ROOT. Also, CF-ROOT is the safest "first thing" as it only flashes a new recovery image and no kernel nor any ROM.
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Click to collapse
Great tip and one I'd like to follow up on but the server hosting it seems not to be available.(see screenshot below) I'll check back and maybe look on google-play as well. Thanks.
@ghostofcain - been doing that. Check the screen shot of my Chrome window :lol: But there comes a time when one must try some of the things one has been reading about and I'm enough of a sysadmin that I follow system instructions very precisely - had to rebuild a server once, unpaid, over the weekend, because I skipped a line in an upgrade process.
So when strange things happen, and you're trying to think without that reassuring 'thud-THUD' pulse that you don't miss until it isn't there, it isn't all that reassuring to know you've done all the right things, there's just a mad moment of internal panic when you second guess and try to blame and desperately, after long training in PC's, try NOT to touch ANYTHING until you understand what just happened. :lol:
Another question - can someone point me to the download area? It has been mentioned in a few threads and I have a PM telling me that is where ROM's etc can be found, but I can't seem to find a link to that page or server. Feel free to tell me I'm being dumb...
And weirdly, I found the thanks button in posts and I swear I looked there before and it wasn't there. Maybe you can't thank until you've posted or something?
I've often told my customers, 'if computers/windows behaved as they are meant to I wouldn't have had a job for the past 25 years...'
Hm... image doesn't show in preview... it's attached as well.
Trying HTML...
HTML:
<img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8442/7890771458_f79f6a6635_z.jpg" width="640" height="357" alt="My Chrome Desk">
Nope, looks like attach is it...

Once you learn all the Voodoo tricks to fixing half of your problems with Roms and Kernels.. or soft bricked devices, you'll be smooth flashing..till then you must go thru a few bricks, a few data wipes, a few crashes, and a few replacements

YoungAceAtlanta said:
Once you learn all the Voodoo tricks to fixing half of your problems with Roms and Kernels.. or soft bricked devices, you'll be smooth flashing..till then you must go thru a few bricks, a few data wipes, a few crashes, and a few replacements
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL... I can live with most of that - bricking and replacements I am trying to avoid. The missus will not look kindly on having to buy a new phone...:fingers-crossed: