I've been reading through the forums here and I think I have a little bit of info on custom roms and kernels etc. but I've never put one on my phone. The most I've ever done was root which was enough for me for a while but I've recently started getting a little sick of lag and 4g/gps issues for some reason I can't tether, and the hard keyboard skipping is annoying. I was eagerly waiting for froyo to help with these issues but it doesn't seem to have helped in some cases which make me nervous to go to Froyo before the bugs are worked out.
My question is this...is there a rom out that anyone could suggest thats easy to put on the epic for a noob but can also take care of the issues I'm having and be fairly stable? Or should I wait for Sprint/Sammy to fix the Froyo issues if they're doing that? Or just wait for the EB13 roms to be fully tested and worked out before I do anything? :/
Sorry if this is a pretty vague question, I was leaning towards the newest version of midNIGHT since people seem to have good feedback on that and the dev seems pretty responsive to the public but bonsai and viper both seem like pretty good prospects as well...any info would be immensely appreciated.
Thanks
I don't think any of the roms will help with hard keyboard skipping. If you're a fast texter its always going to be present, at least it has for me.
What 4G problem are you having? As for GPS, some people can't get theirs to work regardless of what they try. Others (myself included), have gotten it fixed with almost instant locks by using some of the available roms or doing the master reset in one of the threads here, that's what fixed it for me.
I say dive in and try something out so you get a feel for what's available. Try out a DK28 rom, they all run pretty good and EB13 introduced some new bugs. If you can read and follow directions, you'll be just fine
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
If you don't really know what you are doing and you're still on 2.1, I would say to stick with a 2.1 based rom. There are plenty of souped up roms available. If you want a 2.2 based rom and you're not confident in what you're doing, I would say use Odin to flash the dk28 based froyo. Then, flash midnight or bonsai. People seem to clamor for those 2 for stability and debloat. There are others that are great, but have more things installed.
xxmastermindxx said:
I don't think any of the roms will help with hard keyboard skipping. If you're a fast texter its always going to be present, at least it has for me.
What 4G problem are you having? As for GPS, some people can't get theirs to work regardless of what they try. Others (myself included), have gotten it fixed with almost instant locks by using some of the available roms or doing the master reset in one of the threads here, that's what fixed it for me.
I say dive in and try something out so you get a feel for what's available. Try out a DK28 rom, they all run pretty good and EB13 introduced some new bugs. If you can read and follow directions, you'll be just fine
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the insight and I was thinking about just diving in myself :/ I just get nervous I'm going to screw up my phone or lose some data or something but I think I'll try a DK28 Rom really soon, just not sure which one yet. Would you say they all run fairly better than stock Eclair?
As for the 4G issue it never stays connected. My GF has an evo shift and in the same room she connects and stays connected with good speeds and everything and mine always disconnects right away. GPS isn't that bad on my phone right now however theres the occasional times when it can't lock which is very annoying.
Thanks for the help though!
running_the_dream said:
If you don't really know what you are doing and you're still on 2.1, I would say to stick with a 2.1 based rom. There are plenty of souped up roms available. If you want a 2.2 based rom and you're not confident in what you're doing, I would say use Odin to flash the dk28 based froyo. Then, flash midnight or bonsai. People seem to clamor for those 2 for stability and debloat. There are others that are great, but have more things installed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, thats most likely what I'll do. Those were definitely my top choices from reading through the forums and seeing what each had to offer. I'll have to wait for the EB13 builds to become a little bit more stable before I flash to any of those. I definitely need to just stick with what works right now and not testing, since I'm such a noob :/
Thanks for the feedback though, I'm starting to get rom fever as we speak How long does it take to flash to the dk28 then to midnight? I wanna know when I'll have the time to Also, you think you could point me in either direction of the odin flash for dk28 and/or the midnight version for that build?
Thanks again
You may want to try this for the 4G issue:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=925898
As far as Roms, I definitely agree that Midnight and Bonsai are great roms. You may want to search for the Genocide kernel under the development section too to help with lag. Once you get started flashing roms, it might become an addiction! Good luck!
caspertodd said:
You may want to try this for the 4G issue:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=925898
As far as Roms, I definitely agree that Midnight and Bonsai are great roms. You may want to search for the Genocide kernel under the development section too to help with lag. Once you get started flashing roms, it might become an addiction! Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome! Thanks guys for all the feedback, I'll definitely be using all of this because I've really been looking to maximize my usage on the phone and the lag and 4g issues havent been helping. I'll definitely have to look up some more info on the Genocide kernel for sure.
Am I weird that I actually kind of hope it does become an addiction? haha
So i have the att version of this phone, and I found the Diet ICS rom: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1732195
and found the Root with no flash counter: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1739426
But don't know wehre to start?? Which roms are the best?? Diet? What other roms are available that are "good"? I've checked the roms that I've found, however I dont really understand the differences between all these roms. Nor do I understnad what steps I need to take and what exactly I need to do? I've read the "everything att s3..." thread, but it doesn't make sense to me on what I need to do to load a new rom.
Do I need to follow the root without flash counter thread?? Do I just follow a new rom thread?
What kernel/rom would be best to load for better battery life?
thanks!
Have you read the step by step guide for rooting? If not then start there.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
I did check it...but in the guide I don't see where it says to load your custom rom at. I'm reading the rom guide that doesnt add the flash counter.
Also, which rom/kernel is better for more battery life? Or should I wait for CM9?
you don't need to be doing anything to your phone at this point. READ, READ, READ, before you eff up your phone!
ReggieTee said:
you don't need to be doing anything to your phone at this point. READ, READ, READ, before you eff up your phone!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely true. The place to start is always with reading, not with posting more random clutter to the forums. All of the information is out there, and forums come equipped with a search.
+1 Go slow, read once you have root you can do a lot of things without the need to flash a custom rom right away. You gain ability to block ads with Adfree from the market. Also you can use titanium backup to backup your phone. Remember back Up! back up! back up! IT will save your butt.
Ballgum
All the above is Gospel! You need to read and then read some more. Rooting gives you freedom and the ability to choice a rom if u want. Roms are a choice u make. Everyone has different likes and dislikes so no one can say use this rom over that rom. YOUR choice. As far a things like battery life again each rom can give each person a different experience based on usage apps etc. Everyone above has given u good advice read read read. I have seen to many peeps who rush into things and find they have an expensive paper weight. After u have read more try rooting and then a rom or two.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium
well, i'm not a complete newb. I had a Note that I completely tore down and reloaded numerous times with different roms, odin, etc etc...
I guess my question shouldve been is there any specific rom or kernel that is battery optimized? And also any idea when CM9 comes out? I could just optimize battery and wait for CM9 if its coming out soon.
I'm not going to just go hurry and load a rom. But once I know WHICH rom/kernel I need to load then I can go from there on how best to do that
Idk, when i read about each individual rom its not clear to me what the differences are between the different roms if that makes sense? Like they all kinda say the same thing "de-bloated, optimized, etc etc". I just want a bug free, clean rom that works well for battery really and i dont see that criteria listed on the rom descriptions
I realize theres an amount I need to learn to to get this thing loaded, my question more is whats a "popular" "less buggy" rom that works well with battery life and is CM9 supposed to be the bees knees or what?? haha
actually looks like not many roms available yet. i may wait until there's more to choose from and for now just battery optimize and remove att crap
There are no good roms for this phone so I would root and wait hopefully they start coming out soon but it maybe a few months or longer or never since the international version is getting all the developer love only. I want MIUI or CM9/10 then we can talk.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium
sabre31 said:
There are no good roms for this phone so I would root and wait hopefully they start coming out soon but it maybe a few months or longer or never since the international version is getting all the developer love only. I want MIUI or CM9/10 then we can talk.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using xda premium
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Click to collapse
ok thanks man, thats exactly what i was looking for. i guess i'll wait until something good comes out.
but i did find the "cpu sleeper" script to conserve battery, so I may root for that. depending on how much it saves?
Hello again. I have been flirting with the idea of flashing a custom ROM, but never could bring myself to do it, mostly because, up until now, I didn't have a mainstream phone (Milestone X with nTelos). Now that I have a Nexus 4, I know that it's completely feasible. But, I have several questions before I do. Most of them are about comparisons, but some are about topics that I just don't understand. I know that probably every question has been answered on here somewhere, but the problem with finding the answers lies in sifting through hundreds of pages of threads and topics, where people are talking about a hundred different things. It's quite the overwhelming task to even know where to start. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to ask those questions here.
1. What are the 3-4 major, stable custom ROMs available for the N4?
2. What are the benefits, or highlights of each ROM when compared to the others?
3. As long as I have a current Nandroid backup, I really have nothing to fear, correct? I could always go back?
4. What are the really technical things I see people talking about (radios, baseband versions, I think), and do those apply to flashing a custom ROM? Will I have to know anything about them?
5. Will any app downloaded from the Play store work on any custom ROM? The two I'm most concerned with are GV and Messaging + GV.
6. Will my phone operate just as it does now, or will I have to input a lot of settings to get it to work with my carrier?
What I'm really looking for in a custom ROM isn't completely the ability to customize every last detail and setting. Rather, I'm mostly interested in something that just 'pops'.. something that looks and feels awesome compared to a stock ROM. Beauty, speed, responsiveness and most of all, battery life, are what I'm after.
Speaking of responsiveness, I've learned that this community is A+ when it comes to assisting those of us that seek more Android knowledge, so, allow me to say 'thanks' ahead of time!
Btw, obviously, I'm running stock 4.2.2, am unlocked and rooted, and have TWRP recovery.
Regards.
wvcadle said:
Hello again. I have been flirting with the idea of flashing a custom ROM, but never could bring myself to do it, mostly because, up until now, I didn't have a mainstream phone (Milestone X with nTelos). Now that I have a Nexus 4, I know that it's completely feasible. But, I have several questions before I do. Most of them are about comparisons, but some are about topics that I just don't understand. I know that probably every question has been answered on here somewhere, but the problem with finding the answers lies in sifting through hundreds of pages of threads and topics, where people are talking about a hundred different things. It's quite the overwhelming task to even know where to start. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to ask those questions here.
1. What are the 3-4 major, stable custom ROMs available for the N4?
2. What are the benefits, or highlights of each ROM when compared to the others?
3. As long as I have a current Nandroid backup, I really have nothing to fear, correct? I could always go back?
4. What are the really technical things I see people talking about (radios, baseband versions, I think), and do those apply to flashing a custom ROM? Will I have to know anything about them?
5. Will any app downloaded from the Play store work on any custom ROM? The two I'm most concerned with are GV and Messaging + GV.
6. Will my phone operate just as it does now, or will I have to input a lot of settings to get it to work with my carrier?
What I'm really looking for in a custom ROM isn't completely the ability to customize every last detail and setting. Rather, I'm mostly interested in something that just 'pops'.. something that looks and feels awesome compared to a stock ROM. Beauty, speed, responsiveness and most of all, battery life, are what I'm after.
Speaking of responsiveness, I've learned that this community is A+ when it comes to assisting those of us that seek more Android knowledge, so, allow me to say 'thanks' ahead of time!
Btw, obviously, I'm running stock 4.2.2, am unlocked and rooted, and have TWRP recovery.
Regards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. No
2. No
3. Lots to fear. Can go back though.
4. Search, read, & learn a bit before you start flashing. You need to know EVERYTHING about everything ahead of flashing.
5. Apps are OS version / phone / country dependent.
6. Yes
You have a bit of searching but l o a d s of reading ahead of you.
Good luck!
Vangelis13 said:
1. No
2. No
3. Lots to fear. Can go back though.
4. Search, read, & learn a bit before you start flashing. You need to know EVERYTHING about everything ahead of flashing.
5. Apps are OS version / phone / country dependent.
6. Yes
You have a bit of searching but l o a d s of reading ahead of you.
Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess I'm not understanding your answers to numbers 1 and 2. Are you saying you can't answer those questions, or that you won't.
As for the rest, thanks, really. But although I generally always appreciate brevity, it doesn't really help me here. I have done a lot of reading on the topic, but the problem is that everyone that's talking about this custom ROM or that one already knows quite a bit, and is discussing some quite technical (like flashing this radio or that one). Another main problem I have is that I'm not sure which ROM I'd like to flash. If I could narrow it down by features, pros and cons, then I could narrow my attention to that particular ROM, and save myself a lot of trouble.
wvcadle said:
1. What are the 3-4 major, stable custom ROMs available for the N4?
2. What are the benefits, or highlights of each ROM when compared to the others?
3. As long as I have a current Nandroid backup, I really have nothing to fear, correct? I could always go back?
4. What are the really technical things I see people talking about (radios, baseband versions, I think), and do those apply to flashing a custom ROM? Will I have to know anything about them?
5. Will any app downloaded from the Play store work on any custom ROM? The two I'm most concerned with are GV and Messaging + GV.
6. Will my phone operate just as it does now, or will I have to input a lot of settings to get it to work with my carrier?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Google have yet to release their Binaries to AOSP so many of the AOSP based ROMs are still unstable / nightly
2. This CNET article is a good starting point (here)
3. Maybe ADB backup is better to backup your app APKs and data, and an ADB sdcard pull is better to backup your sdcard. Nandroid is good if your restoring a ROM back to an earlier snapshot, but can become messy going from, say, CM10.1 back to stock
4. search and read, read, read
thats all I got. Good luck.
wvcadle said:
I guess I'm not understanding your answers to numbers 1 and 2. Are you saying you can't answer those questions, or that you won't.
As for the rest, thanks, really. But although I generally always appreciate brevity, it doesn't really help me here. I have done a lot of reading on the topic, but the problem is that everyone that's talking about this custom ROM or that one already knows quite a bit, and is discussing some quite technical (like flashing this radio or that one). Another main problem I have is that I'm not sure which ROM I'd like to flash. If I could narrow it down by features, pros and cons, then I could narrow my attention to that particular ROM, and save myself a lot of trouble.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only you can answer them.
Start with a simple rom, with few modifications so you don't get overwhelmed.
____________________________
I was reading for a week before I rooted and flashed a rom on my n1, can guarantee you many if not most in here started like that.
You want to have it all answered in a thread & spooned to you?
I'm sorry to say but you're starting wrong.
Vangelis13 said:
Only you can answer them.
Start with a simple rom, with few modifications so you don't get overwhelmed.
____________________________
I was reading for a week before I rooted and flashed a rom on my n1, can guarantee you many if not most in here started like that.
You want to have it all answered in a thread & spooned to you?
I'm sorry to say but you're starting wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Believe me, I'm not asking for anything to be spooned to me. I mean, if I could at least get some help in figuring out which ROM I'd like to flash, that would be appreciated. I could certainly do the leg work if I could just get help deciding on which ROM. I stated in my OP the type of things I'd like to have in a custom ROM. Didn't what I posted put one or two in your head? If so, may I ask which ones? Even with your opening sentence of this reply, you said to start with a simple rom. Any examples?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2009561
At least he has an op that explains a fair bit.
Roastgoat said:
1. Google have yet to release their Binaries to AOSP so many of the AOSP based ROMs are still unstable / nightly
2. This CNET article is a good starting point (here)
3. Maybe ADB backup is better to backup your app APKs and data, and an ADB sdcard pull is better to backup your sdcard. Nandroid is good if your restoring a ROM back to an earlier snapshot, but can become messy going from, say, CM10.1 back to stock
4. search and read, read, read
thats all I got. Good luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They are more stable than you think, i wouldnt call some of the better ones unstable or nightlies. i've been running aokp for a few months now and it's very stable no major bugs over stock rom for me.
wvcadle - It's hard to say what the best roms are since that's mostly personal taste but some of the more popular roms are ParanoidAndroid, AOKP, Xylon and slimbean. There is a questions section that has lots of threads comparing roms.
neotekz said:
They are more stable than you think, i wouldnt call some of the better ones unstable or nightlies. i've been running aokp for a few months now and it's very stable no major bugs over stock rom for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have tried PA and CM10.1, both of which I liked but some minor issues have me back to stock and waiting for stable releases. I think personally I would go CM10.1 once stable.
Test several ROMs, then decide which one better fits your expectations. Nobody can tell which is the best.
I have tested 3 or 4, then I went back to stock and just added some tweeks to it. But hey, that's me!
JanusDC said:
Test several ROMs, then decide which one better fits your expectations. Nobody can tell which is the best.
I have tested 3 or 4, then I went back to stock and just added some tweeks to it. But hey, that's me!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I'm going to try Modaco's ROM first. Do you know what Kernel it uses? Is it the stock kernel? I'd like to flash Franco's kernel, as I hear it has improved battery life.
wvcadle said:
I think I'm going to try Modaco's ROM first. Do you know what Kernel it uses? Is it the stock kernel? I'd like to flash Franco's kernel, as I hear it has improved battery life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't jump into kernel flashing so fast. I'd try a couple of ROMs first.
irishman103 said:
I wouldn't jump into kernel flashing so fast. I'd try a couple of ROMs first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I just flashed my first Custom ROM. I'm pretty stoked! Even though it's one of the simpler ROMs, it's still pretty cool. Hopefully I don't get hooked!
So, is flashing a custom kernel more dangerous than ROMs? I heard Franco has an app he created to flash his kernels.
I wouldn't say its dangerous. There's just more things to tweak and mess with. Voltages, gamma, CPU speed, etc. I'd just get comfortable with flashing ROMs and finding what you want first. And yes, flashing is an addiction. You will now flash hundreds of times only to find you want to flash a hundred more.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
irishman103 said:
I wouldn't say its dangerous. There's just more things to tweak and mess with. Voltages, gamma, CPU speed, etc. I'd just get comfortable with flashing ROMs and finding what you want first. And yes, flashing is an addiction. You will now flash hundreds of times only to find you want to flash a hundred more.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will the other ROMs not work right out of the box, or would I need to tweak all of those settings to get them to work?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
All the ROMs will work out the box. Developers will not turn over incomplete ROMs to the end users. Like now I'm using Paranoid Android...works beautifully, but there are tons of settings built in to mess with. Other ROMs don't have some of its features and vise versa. With kernels, I use the stock kernel with it. I've flashed other kernels but in MY opinion, I like the stock one. So read up on some ROMs, back up and flash some to see what you will like
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
TBH it will take you some time to learn everything. All the questions you need answered will come in time with you learning Android. Its best to learn by LOTS of reading but you also need some trial and error. You will learn what Roms work best for you and which dont. You will see that you dont always need a custom kernel, and perhaps your screen only needs to 2 more clicks of saturation to have 2.2 gamma while others need to tweak across the board. Once again you gain that knowledge over time. You will get in trouble from time to time, not have help and possibly brick badly, but you learn to fix and work it out, and THAT is really where you learn lots. When you hit a roadblock READ and you will have your answer and in the process gain the knowledge you need.
Good luck and enjoy the hobby!
irishman103 said:
All the ROMs will work out the box. Developers will not turn over incomplete ROMs to the end users. Like now I'm using Paranoid Android...works beautifully, but there are tons of settings built in to mess with. Other ROMs don't have some of its features and vise versa. With kernels, I use the stock kernel with it. I've flashed other kernels but in MY opinion, I like the stock one. So read up on some ROMs, back up and flash some to see what you will like
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You've been a great help. Really. And I appreciate it. I just realized there was a 'Thanks' button on this forum, so you've got my first one.
One last question, and I'll leave you be... promise (I think!): The three things I'm most concerned with in a ROM deal with power consumption, speed, and, yes, beauty. I can safely say I will never try to overclock my phone, or change any really deep settings. Do those three items bring any specific ROM or two to mind that you can point me in the direction towards?
Thanks again!
wvcadle said:
You've been a great help. Really. And I appreciate it. I just realized there was a 'Thanks' button on this forum, so you've got my first one.
One last question, and I'll leave you be... promise (I think!): The three things I'm most concerned with in a ROM deal with power consumption, speed, and, yes, beauty. I can safely say I will never try to overclock my phone, or change any really deep settings. Do those three items bring any specific ROM or two to mind that you can point me in the direction towards?
Thanks again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem. Glad I could help.
And your last question is the ultimate question...lol. It's all about how you use your phone. One ROM might be more efficient for you than it would be for me. You might watch a lot of videos and don't have good reception. That could drain your battery. I'd go with ROMs that have a good thread. Read and read about the ROM before you flash it. Read the first pages and the last. I personally like Paranoid Android and AOKP ROMs. Look in the original development section and read up on Liquid Smooth, AOKP, and Paranoid Android. They are really great out the box and no overclocking or "deep settings" needed. If you have any questions about the two I like I'll be more than happy to answer any questions. Just PM or email me.
Ok, MoDaCo on my N4 and PA 3.0 on my N7!
Yes, flashing custom roms is becoming a hobby!