Database Info

Why custom?

Hi,
Firstly, I have read many of the threads on here, so I've done my searching but want a bit of advice:
Can anybody give any real reasons why I'd want to go custom? From what I can see there is no advantage at the moment (Considering that all new features, eg, Cupcake) will be released officially at some point. Also worth considering is that if something good on the custom scene arrives in the future by then I'm sure many devs/hackers will know how to root the phone again.
For the moment, is there any advantage for a casual user to make the switch to custom?
My new G1 arrives soon, and after taking part in the PSP custom scene I'm keen to see any reasons why I should go custom on the G1... I don't want to do it for the sake of it (If it offers little to no advantage, but risk) but likewise I want to make sure I'm not misunderstood and perhaps there really is some reason?
Thanks.

Big reason I went with a custom image was to allow tethering on my phone using iptables.
That and the fact I get a little glow deep down knowing my phone is free!

Thanks for the reply.
With those in mind, any other reasons I should grab custom rather than the OTA update?
Cheers.

freedom, plain and simple. There is a lot of stuff that cannot be done without a modded system. For example, the themes. If you are happy with what you have, there is no problem in keeping it.

I wouldn't customize my new phone right away. It's always a good idea to wait it out and get familiar with the phone and all it's capable of doing first. Perhaps later you can get into customizing it and all the other mods.

Imyman said:
I wouldn't customize my new phone right away. It's always a good idea to wait it out and get familiar with the phone and all it's capable of doing first. Perhaps later you can get into customizing it and all the other mods.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would - who knows when T-Mobile will issue an OTA update to block downgrading?

didnt think about that...
thats true, I'll bet dimes to dollars the next update stops downgrading
if history is a predictor of the future, the Tmob will not allow the this fun to continue unchecked.
I say do it while you can, it wont last forever.
They said an update would come out "after the american holidays" and I say the downgrading will stop then, look how fast the lockdown came, the first update(RC28) was slow to come out, but once the exploit was in the wild, RC30 was out in a few days...
look on the brightside it may just get us an update sooner
bhang

...and since both tmo and google know the keys that the "rooters" around here are using, what's to stop them from sending out separate, test-key-signed OTAs to stop what's already been going on?
I wouldn't expect it from Google (if they did, I'd call Android "tango uniform") but from tmo, I'd expect anything.

Ok rooting gives you freedom. To do what you want with your property??

beartard said:
...and since both tmo and google know the keys that the "rooters" around here are using, what's to stop them from sending out separate, test-key-signed OTAs to stop what's already been going on?
I wouldn't expect it from Google (if they did, I'd call Android "tango uniform") but from tmo, I'd expect anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
your a negative person i feel. I dont think Tmo can force an update on my phone when the keys are renamed as told????

beartard said:
...and since both tmo and google know the keys that the "rooters" around here are using, what's to stop them from sending out separate, test-key-signed OTAs to stop what's already been going on?
I wouldn't expect it from Google (if they did, I'd call Android "tango uniform") but from tmo, I'd expect anything.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the lack of otacerts.zip prevents it. no otacerts.zip -> no ota will pass sig check.
note: the ADP1 version still has otacerts.zip. it contains the test-key. I didn't delete it from ADP1 because it might still be useful to receive OTAs from google for the ADP1.

JesusFreke said:
the lack of otacerts.zip prevents it. no otacerts.zip -> no ota will pass sig check.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hence once android source is completely public you wont need you could in theory have JFoid but that would be a lot of work. I could sit on rc30 with overlay mods until someone beside google by tmobiles hand forces what we want on our Devices. Contract or not they are ours to do with what we want. especially if you paid full price for your device...

Thanks for so many replies.
I'm sorry if I'm being stupid here, but alot of people say to go custom just because I should be able to have full access to my own device. Sounds great and I can understand that viewpoint... I'm just curious though - Say I "have" full access... At this time what exactly does that let me do? This is the thing, I'm surely not understanding everything correctly for all that I can see (Mainly) that it allows you to do is put your own firmware on, add a new boot image and tether. I can see people are fond of doing this "because they can do" but to the average user is there anything that I cannot do with the original that custom can do?
Cheers!

Installing themes for one thing. That seems to be quite popular with average users

You can also use droidsans to get the autorotate feature. And soon, who knows what will happen in a mo or 2.

802.1X support via wpa_supplicant is one reason to get root. Some of us are on university campuses where the only wifi is WPA Enterprise. Though G1 hardware supports this, there is no UI for it and root is needed.

My favorites so far (and I've only had root for a day)...
1. Tethering.
2. Installing the new autorotate browser, if you don't feel like waiting for an update.
3. Busybox (thanks to Jesus Freke.)
4. You might want to theme it, I like it the way it is though with the Ibex background to match my computer.

RC31 question

I am new to the Dream, I just got mine on Friday. I have now got root access. I want to know when the RC31 comes out, if I update via t-mobile will it kill root access, or will I need to hold off until a modded FW comes from JesusFreke.
Thanks
Tim

Yes,if you update via t-mobile,it will remove root. Its best if you wait for a modded FW if you want root.

Thats what I figured. thanks for the info.

otto888 said:
Yes,if you update via t-mobile,it will remove root. Its best if you wait for a modded FW if you want root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
While I agree that it would probably be best to not upgrade right away, we don't know anything about RC31 yet. The only thing I think that has been officially announce is that it would contain elements of cupcake. I'm not even sure how official that was either. Let's try not to speculate.

Echoing what's been said above, being that we know NOTHING about the next OTA update, it will likely (at the very least) remove root access from a JF RC30 device. It might even prevent you from backflashing to RC29 to get back to the modified JF RC30. So whatever you do, DON'T let your phone update until the new version is examined and tested by others, or you might find yourself with a permanently locked down G1.

If you're running any JF version of the firmware, you will not receive OTA updates. So, you have nothing to worry about unless you actually flash back to RC29 manually.

Iceucold said:
If you're running any JF version of the firmware, you will not receive OTA updates. So, you have nothing to worry about unless you actually flash back to RC29 manually.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct, or the update will fail, can't remember which one.

So I guess it would be safe to say....
STAY TUNED!!! Same XDA time, Same XDA channel

Iceucold said:
If you're running any JF version of the firmware, you will not receive OTA updates. So, you have nothing to worry about unless you actually flash back to RC29 manually.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love when modders do that, keeps me from doing something stupid

Iceucold said:
If you're running any JF version of the firmware, you will not receive OTA updates. So, you have nothing to worry about unless you actually flash back to RC29 manually.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not entirely convinced of this.
I had a chat with a co-worker about this and he said "well no, between the engineering bootloader and the test keys, there is no way the modded rc30 can be OTA'd".
I tossed this at him.
What if tmo decided to setup something like this...
check what you are running.
check what keys you are running.
send an update that does something along the lines of...
if your image is equal to or less than rc30 and your keys are either ota or test then update.
There is nothing that keeps them from pushing a testkey signed rc31 and replacing everything on your phone; including the testkeys back to ota keys.
I imagine that anyone with ADP1 or ADP1.1 will be left alone as it would be a bad move to screw with your developer audience; but I could be wrong. They could go after anyone who doesn't have an official ADP image (non JF kernel)...
I have no idea what they are really planning but it does seem that this could be a "check mate" pivotal move if they wanted to play that card this early in the game.
Of course, it could be as simple as "let's leave everyone where they are and only focus on security moving forward" which is most likely going to be the case....

deprecate said:
There is nothing that keeps them from pushing a testkey signed rc31 and replacing everything on your phone; including the testkeys back to ota keys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The running theory is that T-Mo will not do this because all devices with the standard ota-keys installed will also get the "targeted" test-key rc31, reboot, and then freak out because the update is signed with a mismatched key.
The way the update service works is the device periodically sends its Android build fingerprint to Google servers. If the fingerprint is of a supported device (in this case Dream) and the build number is lower than the most recent, then the server may push an update back to the device. Since JF modified builds report an official fingerprint, there is no way for the server to distinguish between a modified and unmodified RC30.
However, i've seen enough in information technology to know that very little is truly "impossible". Based on what is currently known though, it is highly unlikely that Google/T-Mo/HTC could forcibly reroot a modified RC30 G1 at this time.

I really don't see T-mobile doing this. Why would they? At this point people with root don't have any real advantage over normal phones other than techie stuff. We are not pirating software or getting free minutes. Unless it becomes an issue I think T-mobile will leave us alone.

speoples20 said:
I really don't see T-mobile doing this. Why would they? At this point people with root don't have any real advantage over normal phones other than techie stuff. We are not pirating software or getting free minutes. Unless it becomes an issue I think T-mobile will leave us alone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no piracy because apps are free. Once support for paid apps arrives, piracy will start. (Someone in this forum started a thread wondering how to do that). It happens in all software platforms, and it's going to happen with Android also. Note that I don't endorse piracy (for some weird reason people think that developers are the only guys who should work for free), less in these environments where there are lots of applications than are made by individuals, not big companies, but this won't prevent piracy to come to Android.
Anyway, if I were TMob I would try to remove root from as many devices as I can (which obviusly does NOT include ADP1, as it has nothing to do with TMob),
not just for the piracy, but to keep users from breaking their devices due to doing stupid thing with a rooted phone.

T-Mobile motivation to wipe devices using test keys
T-Mobile could have a motivation to wipe devices by providing an update using test keys. Tethering is against the terms of service and can only be done if you have root. They could take the *IAA approach and say that any one who has root wants to be able to tether and break their TOS (since tethering is the biggest advantage to root right now). If enough people tethered it could cause a problem as they may not have the bandwidth to accommodate what people want to do when tethered. BTW, for all who tether use this addon for firefox and change your user string to match the android's browser (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/59) so they can not tell.
Is there a way to make new keys that are different from the dev keys, or is google the only ones who can do that?

Doing an update using test-keys sounds a bit desperate to me.
Moreover, as jashsu said, it seems that there is no way that currently TMob could know if you were using a G1 with an stock R30 or JF's one, so if they offered the update with testing keys, stock R30 phones would reject it.
They could try some tricks as offering the update with test keys for a while, then switch to another with official keys, then came back to test keys, etc...
But as I said, this sounds desperate and sloppy.
Mi bet is that they would try to fix the downgrade issue, and will use the official keys, so anyone with JF will be safe.
Anyway (I have an ADP1, so I've not receive any update from now), I though that, when an update was available, the user was asked whether to update or not.

clarke.hackworth said:
If enough people tethered it could cause a problem as they may not have the bandwidth to accommodate what people want to do when tethered.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is not a problem. They will simply throttle you down to EDGE if they consider you are using up too much bandwidth (tethering or otherwise).
Is there a way to make new keys that are different from the dev keys, or is google the only ones who can do that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anyone can create signing keys. Not sure what you're getting at though.

clarke.hackworth said:
Tethering is against the terms of service and can only be done if you have root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is? Where? Last I remember I saw the CEO say it wasn't and it is allowed. And that they wouldn't stop it or prevent it in anyway.

deprecate said:
I tossed this at him.
What if tmo decided to setup something like this...
check what you are running.
check what keys you are running.
send an update that does something along the lines of...
if your image is equal to or less than rc30 and your keys are either ota or test then update.
There is nothing that keeps them from pushing a testkey signed rc31 and replacing everything on your phone; including the testkeys back to ota keys.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It still wouldn't apply the update, even if they sent out an OTA signed with test keys. The OTAs are verified against the certificate present in /system/etc/security/otacerts.zip.
Since that file has been deleted, it wouldn't be able to verify the OTA, no matter how it was signed.

JesusFreke said:
It still wouldn't apply the update, even if they sent out an OTA signed with test keys. The OTAs are verified against the certificate present in /system/etc/security/otacerts.zip.
Since that file has been deleted, it wouldn't be able to verify the OTA, no matter how it was signed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good point. That completely escaped me. But wouldn't it be entertaining to see an official rc31 sent out with your certs as the target

deprecate said:
Good point. That completely escaped me. But wouldn't it be entertaining to see an official rc31 sent out with your certs as the target
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very entertaining

G Tablet coming tomorrow...would like to get some things set straight. Thanks.

Hey all,
I'm getting my G Tablet tomorrow and I'd just like to get some things clarified.
I know, the first thing some will say is USE SEARCH! Well, I did - and that's actually why I just want to get some things straight before I go down the path of modifying the device software. See, reading it all has managed to confuse me more than help me get a definitive instruction set for forging ahead.
I'm seeing the update "****s on CWM" according to a user...and then a 'fix' for that. Than I see that Gapps causes FCs for some, while it works for others. So...yeah, a little back and forth on what to do and who's instructions to follow.
Alright, so first thing's first....Should I flash the Clockwork Mod that I'm seeing available - 0.8? or is there something else I should consider or that I've missed? or maybe wait for a newer version? Should I even flash CWM if I get the newest (and I WILL be getting the newest) S/W version? Are there any downsides at all to flashing CWM on there in terms of messing with OTA updates, etc?
I read this:
"All the ROMS use a standard firmware updater that can be used by non-technical users. Here is an explanation on how it works:...."
Sooo, does that mean I can live without CWM? If an update doesn't work for some reason, will I be able to fix it or overwrite it somehow if I can't get into the tablet at all from the tablet itself? I read something about going into APX mode and putting things on through Windows, is this an infallible method?
Second of all, I read the FAQ thoroughly (I think and hope) but I'm still not 100% on what Gapps to DL or how to put a working Android Market on there especially with this new S/W update. I've seen how to 'fix' the Market to see missing apps, but not how to actually install it on the G Tablet. I may have missed that post somewhere on here.
I'm also unclear if I should get Gapps or not at all, as I've read that some have FCs on there while others do not - so what's the general consensus in light of this update that was just released as of Dec. 21, 2010?
Ultimately, here is what I'd like from my GTab:
I'd like to run the new official Tapn'Tap released recently first and foremost.
I'd like to have the official/unofficial (w/e) Google Market.
I'd like to run Google Apps (Gtalk, Gmail, etc.).
IF I don't like Tapn'Tap, and this is a worse case scenario situation, as in if I HATE TnT - I'd like to have the option to slap something else on there and I'd like to make sure I don't brick my Tablet. Whether that means storing an original official TnT ROM or whatever.
Point me in the right direction please, especially considering things may have changed as of the new S/W update.
Thanks much and sorry for all the questions. I assure you I used search and I attempted to put it together on my own. It's been a long time since I've modded (G1 was the last time) and I don't do it often. Also, apologies if I posted this in the wrong section....I considered posting it in Dev. section but this one seemed better suited.
Thanks again, XDA rocks.

Neoprimal said:
Hey all,
I'm getting my G Tablet tomorrow and I'd just like to get some things clarified.
I know, the first thing some will say is USE SEARCH! Well, I did - and that's actually why I just want to get some things straight before I go down the path of modifying the device software. See, reading it all has managed to confuse me more than help me get a definitive instruction set for forging ahead.
I'm seeing the update "****s on CWM" according to a user...and then a 'fix' for that. Than I see that Gapps causes FCs for some, while it works for others. So...yeah, a little back and forth on what to do and who's instructions to follow.
Alright, so first thing's first....Should I flash the Clockwork Mod that I'm seeing available - 0.8? or is there something else I should consider or that I've missed? or maybe wait for a newer version? Should I even flash CWM if I get the newest (and I WILL be getting the newest) S/W version? Are there any downsides at all to flashing CWM on there in terms of messing with OTA updates, etc?
I read this:
"All the ROMS use a standard firmware updater that can be used by non-technical users. Here is an explanation on how it works:...."
Sooo, does that mean I can live without CWM? If an update doesn't work for some reason, will I be able to fix it or overwrite it somehow if I can't get into the tablet at all from the tablet itself? I read something about going into APX mode and putting things on through Windows, is this an infallible method?
Second of all, I read the FAQ thoroughly (I think and hope) but I'm still not 100% on what Gapps to DL or how to put a working Android Market on there especially with this new S/W update. I've seen how to 'fix' the Market to see missing apps, but not how to actually install it on the G Tablet. I may have missed that post somewhere on here.
I'm also unclear if I should get Gapps or not at all, as I've read that some have FCs on there while others do not - so what's the general consensus in light of this update that was just released as of Dec. 21, 2010?
Ultimately, here is what I'd like from my GTab:
I'd like to run the new official Tapn'Tap released recently first and foremost.
I'd like to have the official/unofficial (w/e) Google Market.
I'd like to run Google Apps (Gtalk, Gmail, etc.).
IF I don't like Tapn'Tap, and this is a worse case scenario situation, as in if I HATE TnT - I'd like to have the option to slap something else on there and I'd like to make sure I don't brick my Tablet. Whether that means storing an original official TnT ROM or whatever.
Point me in the right direction please, especially considering things may have changed as of the new S/W update.
Thanks much and sorry for all the questions. I assure you I used search and I attempted to put it together on my own. It's been a long time since I've modded (G1 was the last time) and I don't do it often. Also, apologies if I posted this in the wrong section....I considered posting it in Dev. section but this one seemed better suited.
Thanks again, XDA rocks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know how much direction pointing I can do but here goes..
Clockwork mod in my opinion is a necessity. Version 0.8 is the best one for most people because of how it deals with the memory locations. Yes, you can do things without it. The update process is as simple as putting an update.zip file, and a recovery folder with a command file in it on an sdcard and holding the vol + button while hitting power. It is easy. Clockwork has a lot of little features though that make life easier. You can make a complete system backup with it. You can install updates, and new firmware with it. You can completely lock up your tablet and using clockwork and your backup be back in business in about 3-4 minutes. You can load new roms and if you hate them you can go back to your old working stuff in minutes. Yes, there are ways to make one of these tablets work again when they get stuck. I don't think anyone has actually bricked one. Some may think they have, but I doubt it.
Unless you are dead set on wanting the stock TnT interface the easiest way to get what you want is to load one of the roms. Yes, there are ways to get most of it without loading a new rom. Most everyone that has gone the I have to stay stock but want all the mods has eventually just loaded a rom. TnT3.0 is based on the latest stock stuff. It has the market, flash, etc. already in it. VegaN is what I use mostly but they are both stable and fast.
Before you flash something brand new that just came out I would read about it and see what others have to say about issues. It usually only takes about 30 minutes until you can tell if it is going to be good or not.
All of the roms for this tablet have there own little quirks. The stock has gotten better with each update but it still is not as good as the ones I named.
Finally.. This tablet is very easy to play with. It is pretty much unbrickable. Anything you can possibly break one of us has probably already broken before and fixed. There are some people that seem to have problems doing every little thing. Most don't. So I wouldn't let any of it scare you off because none of it is that hard.
With a little bit of searching almost everything you may want it to do can be done. I really love mine, and when I got it almost 2 months ago I hated it...

"Finally.. This tablet is very easy to play with. It is pretty much unbrickable. Anything you can possibly break one of us has probably already broken before and fixed. There are some people that seem to have problems doing every little thing. Most don't. So I wouldn't let any of it scare you off because none of it is that hard."
"Sigh" of relief. Then I'm not too worried. As I said I've dabbled in modifying my G1 and it is mostly cake. But I've just been seeing conflicting posts on whether cwm works with the newest official tnt release or not so I wasn't sure what to do.
Thanks for your advice. And when I said pointers, I meant like this as well as pointing me to any posts I may have missed on how to do whatever. Though I THINK I found most of them.

Neoprimal said:
"Finally.. This tablet is very easy to play with. It is pretty much unbrickable. Anything you can possibly break one of us has probably already broken before and fixed. There are some people that seem to have problems doing every little thing. Most don't. So I wouldn't let any of it scare you off because none of it is that hard."
"Sigh" of relief. Then I'm not too worried. As I said I've dabbled in modifying my G1 and it is mostly cake. But I've just been seeing conflicting posts on whether cwm works with the newest official tnt release or not so I wasn't sure what to do.
Thanks for your advice. And when I said pointers, I meant like this as well as pointing me to any posts I may have missed on how to do whatever. Though I THINK I found most of them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The new release overwrites clockwork. But it is not hard to put back. Always a good idea to copy the clockwork backups folder to your pc, or somewhere they won't be lost. The custom roms typically leave the recovery image alone and can be installed with or without clockwork by either extracting the zip contents for stock recovery, or installing it as is in clockwork.

Sprdtyf350 said:
Finally.. This tablet is very easy to play with. It is pretty much unbrickable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can vouch for that. Erased system, boot, data and cache in preparation for a new ROM. Accidentally rebooted and couldn't get into recovery. Booted it into APX mode, flashed stock and was on my way.

I would just run ZRoot, then upload the TnTLite 3.0 recovery and update.zip and then do the recovery mode process. You should have a microsd handy just in case it doesn't work, but so far I haven't needed that.
This tablet is much easier to work with and very forgiving since VS never took the time to lock down the bootloader etc like Motorola did with my Droid X. You really shouldn't fear changing files out etc, provided you're getting a ROM from one of the people providing them here. If you can press and hold two buttons at once, you can make your gTab an awesome little tablet. It benchmarks about 1000 points higher than my Droid X on quadrant. Can't wait to see what these guys can do with Gingerbread.

Sprdtyf350 said:
The new release overwrites clockwork. But it is not hard to put back. Always a good idea to copy the clockwork backups folder to your pc, or somewhere they won't be lost. The custom roms typically leave the recovery image alone and can be installed with or without clockwork by either extracting the zip contents for stock recovery, or installing it as is in clockwork.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is also not hard to alter the update so that it does not overwrite clockwork.
Open update.zip
Find updater-script, Open in notepad++
Remove the line that references recovery.img
Flash update

hogasswild said:
I would just run ZRoot, then upload the TnTLite 3.0 recovery and update.zip and then do the recovery mode process. You should have a microsd handy just in case it doesn't work, but so far I haven't needed that.
This tablet is much easier to work with and very forgiving since VS never took the time to lock down the bootloader etc like Motorola did with my Droid X. You really shouldn't fear changing files out etc, provided you're getting a ROM from one of the people providing them here. If you can press and hold two buttons at once, you can make your gTab an awesome little tablet. It benchmarks about 1000 points higher than my Droid X on quadrant. Can't wait to see what these guys can do with Gingerbread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
with the new update however does the z4root still work? i heard it may not anymore. just curious also since im hopefully getting mine on sat for xmas

rothnic said:
It is also not hard to alter the update so that it does not overwrite clockwork.
Open update.zip
Find updater-script, Open in notepad++
Remove the line that references recovery.img
Flash update
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info Rothnic! I had already flashed it before I figured out it removed Clockwork. Learning new stuff every day is good... Thanks..

dragonfly1113 said:
with the new update however does the z4root still work? i heard it may not anymore. just curious also since im hopefully getting mine on sat for xmas
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The very first time I rooted, I used ZRoot and installed 2.4.0. I didn't change anything and used the exact same process of simply copying over the 3.0.0 files over to the root directory of the internal memory and did the recovery procedure (vol+ and pwr keys). It worked like a charm.

hogasswild said:
The very first time I rooted, I used ZRoot and installed 2.4.0. I didn't change anything and used the exact same process of simply copying over the 3.0.0 files over to the root directory of the internal memory and did the recovery procedure (vol+ and pwr keys). It worked like a charm.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok cool, thanks cant wait for my g tablet hopefully sat morning

I think you'll like it a lot. I also own an iPad. While they are similar they are also a little different. Merry Christmas!

hogasswild said:
I think you'll like it a lot. I also own an iPad. While they are similar they are also a little different. Merry Christmas!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
my mom has an ipad and my dad could only buy it while i was on my honeymoon bc he knew i wouldnt approve of an apple device in the house haha.

rothnic said:
It is also not hard to alter the update so that it does not overwrite clockwork.
Open update.zip
Find updater-script, Open in notepad++
Remove the line that references recovery.img
Flash update
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My device hasn't come yet (damn you FedEx!) but I'm eagerly awaiting it.
My plan:
Unbox, start it....do a factory reset from the getgo if it has enough juice.
Set it back up. Charge it to full. If whatever comes on it is as unbearable as I've seen in on Youtube - start modifications.
Will CWM install on it AFTER I do the update if it's available to me? I've seen that the update messes with it if it's already there - but noone's mentioned putting it on there after the fact. I may just go that route for simplicity sake.
Thanks for this!, and thank you all for chiming in with your experience. I feel much better about just getting my hands dirty in it all. I had wrote something to someone yesterday about jumping in and just doing it, but when it comes to dealing with it yourself it can be a daunting task - especially when it still has that new smell, lol. Anyway, thanks again. You guys really rock.
Will stop back later on after I've done my thing

I think they are both nice devices. There are trade off for both of them. I think the screen on the iPad is wonderful, where the gTab's is okay. But the gTab has a forward facing camera, you can print from it, and you can modify it fairly easily too.

Sprdtyf350 said:
Finally.. This tablet is very easy to play with. It is pretty much unbrickable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...famous last words...
Seriously though...trust the directions from the great devs like roebeet. Follow their instructions word for word. You can switch ROMs and then flash back if you want. No worries...

Off topic!
Well...disappointment! Fedex had my package out for delivery at 8am and at 8pm, they're not here. This is why I like UPS, they show up at my door on the day of delivery, no exceptions - they have shown up at almost 9pm before. The Archos 101 I got was sent out at 8am as well but got here at 1:30pm - I suppose that was before the holiday rush.
Checking the details of my tracking I'm seeing a "delivery exception" at 7:30pm (I guess it was time to get back to the facility so they can clock out by 8pm?) and upon calling them I get a somewhat stumbling but polite CS who tells me the delivery went out "late" - upon which I asked if 8am was considered late, especially from a distribution facility WITHIN the same zip code as I am, and all he could say was "Very sorry about this".
Aaaanyway....I guess it will be tomorrow before I can report my adventures.
Think I'll be able to get my $3.99 back from Amazon? I have Prime and with that the package would have come tomorrow anyway. Basically my $3.99 is wasted. Imagine if I didn't have Prime though? Whew.

ima_UNC_fan said:
...famous last words...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you can figure out how to brick it you will probably get an award.. It won't be a good award but probably one of those top ten dumb things people do awards. So far unless you plug the motherboard into a wall socket no one has bricked one. May think they have, but like I said before I doubt it..
And your right.. If it can be done, someone eventually will figure out how. And then we will all laugh at them.. At least I will

I finally got the G tablet tonight and...alright, don't flame me for this - but I don't see what all the complaints about the screen being horrendous or the device being molasses slow are about?
I don't know how people are trying to view it...but when looking at it or setting it on a stand to watch media, I'm not seeing any problem with the viewing angles. It's about the same as my laptop so I watch it the same way.
It's not even a 1/4 as slow as the stuff I've seen on Youtube or in some of the review videos I've seen around the net. I haven't gotten a single FC. Granted, I haven't put in a SD Card yet so maybe problems will start then?
I guess I should note, the very first thing I did was did a factory reset. Then I hooked it up to Wifi and got the 3053 update. I'm one of those who will be waiting for the 'official' update on the 24th.
I set up the time and date, restarted and everything works. I haven't installed flash yet (don't need it that much) and stuff that I DO want on there right now works fine (skype, pandora, fring, dropbox, evernote). I'm slowly figuring out a list of what I want/need from my Mytouch 4G to port to the VS GTab. Figure I don't really NEED Gtalk, Gmail on there because I have these on my phone AND PC - do I really want them making noises all around my home on 3 devices? I was concerned about getting the Google Apps on but now I'm finding I really don't need them. So it seems to me this will be a matter of learning to separate what I need on a tablet vs. my phone - I was of the mentality that I should just get whatever's on my phone on the tablet, this is something others apparently do as they seem to want everything that's on their phone, on their tablets as well.
I personally don't see the point in that. Had I had the Google Market, that would have escaped me as I'd have used Appbrain to just get my motherload of apps from the MT4G to the GTab. Not having it has slowed me, and now I get to re-evaluate before I do grab apps for it.
Now I just have to merge/convert my HTPC into a NAS device as well and find an app that will allow me to DLNA stream media from it and I'll be in mobile heaven.
I haven't had my wifi drop at all anywhere in my home and I've marched all over with it (I use full Wifi N, no G compat. so maybe my range is wider?). Tried email, etc. to replicate crashes and force closes but haven't so far. No surfing issues. I DID find that one app got 'stuck' being downloaded and I had to delete the file before the 'downloading' icon would go away, even after restart.
Maybe the trick to getting a workable GTab in the first place is to factory reset it before first use? Iunno. Things may change and issues may pop up the more I use it and as time passes - but so far, so good!
Again, I can't thank XDA enough for the advice and info. I've found and been given.

Sprdtyf350 said:
If you can figure out how to brick it you will probably get an award.. It won't be a good award but probably one of those top ten dumb things people do awards. So far unless you plug the motherboard into a wall socket no one has bricked one. May think they have, but like I said before I doubt it..
And your right.. If it can be done, someone eventually will figure out how. And then we will all laugh at them.. At least I will
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I figured it out. Accidentally hit one of the devkit nvflash .cabs and boom

Adding rooted features without rooting.

Side loading
Apparently there is an update that has to be pushed to your phone from AT&T, but hardly anyone has received it yet. People in this thread are working on adding this feature without the update. This method will allow you to install non android market apps, but so far it disables your mms capability.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1111278
Free tethering/wifi hotspot
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=980591
By changing a few settings, you can have tethering/use wifi hotspot without adding a tethering plan from AT&T.
Maybe we could add future developments to this thread as they become available. I like the idea of leaving my phone stock so that it will automatically update.

Are you talking about the "silent" OTA that enables side-loading?
If so, and if by hardly anyone, you mean "hardly anyone here on XDA," it may be because they are rooted or otherwise running a custom ROM that will prevent them from getting OTA updates.
If you mean hardly anyone here on XDA that is bone stock, well, that might be true. And it also might be true that the recently discovered method of enabling sideloading will help some people, who don't mind their mms broken until some workaround fixes it.
Or they can root, and be done with it. There's nothing that will ever be OTA that I would want to get OTA anyway -- it will be available here shortly after.
The only excuse people have to not root is that it *appears* to be difficult. It really isn't. You can enjoy the same exact phone with a stock ROM, but with the added perks that rooting brings. Yes, that includes sideloading. And SIM unlock. And no more bloatware.
However, if this sideloading trick can be perfected, and it will keep people who otherwise don't have the patience to root their phones and as a result would just screw them up, causing them to further not spend the time to read and search, instead firing off 1000's of redundant "Halp Me!" posts, then that's a good thing.

ehh I would just rather use adb.... (if I was stock)

mudknot2005 said:
ehh I would just rather use adb.... (if I was stock)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or that. My friggin' rant post from hell was long winded enough for me to forgo mentioning much more.

mudknot2005 said:
ehh I would just rather use adb.... (if I was stock)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, OP, you should definitely include a link to the adb method, or the Sideload Wonder Machine method.
I used SWM to install Swype weeks before I got the AT&T non market option (which was a week before I rooted).

ST3ALTHPSYCH0 said:
Yeah, OP, you should definitely include a link to the adb method, or the Sideload Wonder Machine method.
I used SWM to install Swype weeks before I got the AT&T non market option (which was a week before I rooted).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The adb method for sideloading an app is already discussed in mudknot's stickied guide.

Supposedly there is still an update floating around for unknown sources. If I happen to get my hands on it I will post it.
That's the only reason I haven't updated the side loading part of the guide. If the update gets pushed to every phone with in the month then it would be obsolete quick. I might add it just to have the most information possible... Though I will not put this method on there, because there is no reason you should have to give something up to gain something (captivate anyone?)..

Still stock here, without the non-market update.
No issues at all using the SWM. I didn't like that whole stupid "dropbox" method mentioned. It's easier and faster to just to use "disk drive" mode to copy the apk files onto the PC.

mudknot2005 said:
Supposedly there is still an update floating around for unknown sources. If I happen to get my hands on it I will post it.
That's the only reason I haven't updated the side loading part of the guide. If the update gets pushed to every phone with in the month then it would be obsolete quick. I might add it just to have the most information possible... Though I will not put this method on there, because there is no reason you should have to give something up to gain something (captivate anyone?)..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Absolutely agreed. Your guide should be reserved for known methods that provide the desired result without sacrificing other functionality.
I really don't see what all the excitement is about, regarding this new method. I mean, side loading has been a non-issue for rooted devices from the start, now it's *officially* a non-issue, even for bone stock devices.
This new method might have been a useful workaround for stock phones before ATT changed course on sideloading, now not so much.

[Q] I need help.

Today, I acquired a infuse 4g, off contract. I wanted to mess around with android, as my current phone is an iphone, and maybe switch over.
One of the first things I tried to do was tether my iphone to my infuse using mywi. I soon discovered android doesn't work with ad hoc networks. I googled a couple fixes, and decided to try my hand. I have never touched android before. I found this thing that said I could. So I went for it. After reading a few guides, I decided the first step was to root it using superoneclick. That went fine. Then, I read the instructions and it told me to 'flash the zip file using a recovery rom' which was total gibberish to me. So I did some more googling and found a modified 3e recovery thing for the infuse. I used some file system app to put that where it was supposed to be, but then saw that I needed clockworkmod to be able to flash things. By this point I realized I was far, far over my head, but stupidly pressed on. At about the same time, I also extracted the zip file from exop.pro, and replaced the wpa file that existed already in system/bin with the one from the zip. I also booted into recovery mode, and tried to install clockwork mod, which failed even though as far as I can see. Now, when I turn my phone on, everything is ok except that it can't scan for wifi. I assume this is because I ****ed with the wifi file. I've basically decided to give up at this point, so please, just tell me how to made it work again and I'll promise to not **** with it anymore. Also, I neglected to make a backup. Stupid, but I didn't know how and didn't want to go through another huge thing.
tl;dr
I tried to make it so I could connect to ad hoc networks on my infuse 4g and ended up destroying my wda_supplicant file in system/bin (i think) and

Google the original file you replaced, ' wpa supplicant file download for infuse 4g'. Next time save a copy or backup of whatever your doing.

Thanks, but I really have no idea what is what. Could you link me the right one? I'm sorry that I'm so useless.

Itaer said:
Thanks, but I really have no idea what is what. Could you link me the right one? I'm sorry that I'm so useless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this was your problem the first time... you need to read and study before you just start flashing things to your phone man. haha... us linking you somewhere will not help you figure that part out... and its an important part of tinkering with these phones in the way you are trying to.
rid yourself of the apple mentality where everything is spoon fed.
moving on, however, do what the guy previous to me said... find that file you downloaded. and do some reading, watch some instructional videos, focus on just rooting the phone properly for now. do that, then read, watch, ask questions like you are doing when you need to, then proceed.
read comments and stuff in forums about the ROMs you are flashing, what kind of problems do they have, what recovery is recommended for that particular ROM, stuff like that. just READ everything and anything you can about what you are doing....
the company that made your newly found OS has a nice little search engine called google... and it works pretty well if you know how to use it i'll keep an eye on this thread for you as others are probably doing so we can provide you with whatever answers you might need. good luck!
a good rule of thumb when flashing hax0red software to these phones is when something ****s up, 9/10 times it's just a little tiny thing you missed or did during the install yourself... so back to square one, and pay close attention to detail. these phones can be a little touchy when flashing ROMs if you are not doing it exactly they way it is recommended.
perfect example of this: when i had my samsung moment... when i converted from 2.1 OS to 2.2... for some odd reason i would ALWAYS have to flash a little script zip to wipe the 2.1 data from the device before flashing the 2.2 zipped ROM to the phone... the 2.2 ROM was supposed to do this and take care of it completely for me, but even though it did, the only way it would work properly every time i was going from 2.1 to 2.2 was to flash that zip beforehand...
hope that long rant provided some useful insight

Thanks.
But I have read the instructions on the stuff I'm trying to do, several times, and like I said, I'm more confused that I was at first.
I'm just not willing to break it any further.
So basically what I'm wondering now is, how do I put everything back to how it should be. Is there a way? Like, is there a way to load the original software back? I don't think restoring it to factory settings would fix what I did, but tell me if I'm wrong.
I just want everything back to normal.
Please.
Edit: I know it seems like I'm not doing anything to help myself, but I have a lot on my plate in life right now, and I also have absolutely no idea where to even start. Half of the terms you use mean nothing to me, and I'm just so overwhelmed.
I just want to know if there is some way to put it back to how it came out of the box.

Turns out that once the new wda_supplicant thing is ACTUALLY GRANTED PERMISSION TO EXECUTE, that everything works fine. Thanks guys

see... Knew you would figure it out man
Sent from my EVO3D using XDA App