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.

Rooting Telus' Milestone

Has anyone had any luck with rooting this phone yet? I've scoured the net and so far the only rooting instructions I've found are for the European and South American variants of the Milestone.
Running custom roms isn't a big deal for me; at least not unless or until someone manages to port CyanogenMod to the Milestone But it sure would be nice to be able to run Market Enabler so that I can access paid apps without having to buy an unlock code and a U.S. sim. It would also be nice to be able to run MetaMorph too.
Anyway, I thought I'd get a thread started here so that people could post attempts and/or suggestions.

Charrion said:
Has anyone had any luck with rooting this phone yet? I've scoured the net and so far the only rooting instructions I've found are for the European and South American variants of the Milestone.
Running custom roms isn't a big deal for me; at least not unless or until someone manages to port CyanogenMod to the Milestone But it sure would be nice to be able to run Market Enabler so that I can access paid apps without having to buy an unlock code and a U.S. sim. It would also be nice to be able to run MetaMorph too.
Anyway, I thought I'd get a thread started here so that people could post attempts and/or suggestions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really hope they can root our milestone, I'm already having a huge problem with app space, I installed a few 3d games and i'm out of space... pathetic.
Otherwise I love the phone, even getting used to the keyboard. nice upgrade from the dream.

mkurzum said:
I really hope they can root our milestone, I'm already having a huge problem with app space, I installed a few 3d games and i'm out of space... pathetic.
Otherwise I love the phone, even getting used to the keyboard. nice upgrade from the dream.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I'm not 100% sold on the keyboard compared to the dream yet. But the screen is so nice even the virtual keyboard works nice. I've still got 45MB free on the phone but it would be nice to have a little more room just in case.

I wish someone would root it. The one thing that's making me hold out from buying one is the fact that you can't buy paid apps in Canada. I'm actually considering *shudder* the iPhone...

i have European milestone with root but i dont think its easy to do apps2sd with root alone as the native kernel doesnt support ext3 partition and we cant change the kernel.
how idiotic Motorola is to lock down the android handsets except Droid. i am feeling alienated having used to custom ROMs. such an idiotic company with stupid rules.

This does not work for you?
http://www.sigridschrijft.be/index.php/root-your-motorola-milestone-2-0-1/
As for the software you want, there is http://droidappz.org/forum.php
P.S. I get Milestone tommorow But already made sure i can root it lol.
P.P.S. Sry Didint know Telus has different ROM, gues rly no root for you...

I would really like to do this too. I had the luck to get a pre released telus milestone. I have been trying to root it for the las month with no success. Apparently it all depends what build # you have. My build is: SHOLS_U2_03.04.0

rgdutriz said:
I would really like to do this too. I had the luck to get a pre released telus milestone. I have been trying to root it for the las month with no success. Apparently it all depends what build # you have. My build is: SHOLS_U2_03.04.0
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Slight difference from release ver, I've got SHOLS_U2_03.06.0

Damn so what does this mean? Are we screwed? We need a smartphone guru to get a telus milestone so he roots it?

rgdutriz said:
Damn so what does this mean? Are we screwed? We need a smartphone guru to get a telus milestone so he roots it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that's pretty much it, except I can't afford to send Haykuro a Milestone just to get it rooted

Actually, looking at the simplicity of the patch (it just installs su and superuser.apk), I have a feeling that what's hanging us up is the signing of the .zip itself.
Unfortunately, I have no idea how to remedy the problem. If only we could get some help from the folks who managed to root the european Milestones...

Charrion said:
Actually, looking at the simplicity of the patch (it just installs su and superuser.apk), I have a feeling that what's hanging us up is the signing of the .zip itself.
Unfortunately, I have no idea how to remedy the problem. If only we could get some help from the folks who managed to root the european Milestones...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
charrion we will prob have more luck here then HF, no one seems to be doing anything to help there.
i dont know much about getting into things like this so i can only hope someone else comes up with something. i dont care about paid apps or anything cause i dont have a CC anyways. i just want my root so i can O/C and change the stupid white bar in the top. my top 2 reasons for root.
theres gotta be a way around it...
oh ya and i found a bug with the milestone
if you have launcher2 installed and try and use the mototorch widget it just reboots your phone.
so im back with original laucher :\

looks like we are getting 2.1 upgrade in Q2 2010, not sure what months are Q2 though...
https://supportforums.motorola.com/community/manager/softwareupgrades
perhaps there will be something changed so we can root after 2.1, would be nice!

EkostonS said:
looks like we are getting 2.1 upgrade in Q2 2010, not sure what months are Q2 though...
https://supportforums.motorola.com/community/manager/softwareupgrades
perhaps there will be something changed so we can root after 2.1, would be nice!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Q2 is Apr. May Jun.
We can always hope there will be something exploitable

i rooted a UK milestone a few weeks ago. the trick to root it was a modified update zip - that was changed in a very special way. it was built form two zip files attached. the first was the original update that was signed by the correct keys and the other was a "superuser.apk + su" update. keep looking for a hack like that and i hope you can find one soon.

oba1 said:
i rooted a UK milestone a few weeks ago. the trick to root it was a modified update zip - that was changed in a very special way. it was built form two zip files attached. the first was the original update that was signed by the correct keys and the other was a "superuser.apk + su" update. keep looking for a hack like that and i hope you can find one soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that's the big problem. There have been no updates issued for the Telus Milestone since it was released with 2.0.1. We'll have to wait for the 2.1 update unless someone figures out another way around the signature lockout.

Charrion
where did you get your class 6 16gb card and how much?
i noticed the milestones came with 16gb and i was stoked, took it out and its a class 2....

EkostonS said:
Charrion
where did you get your class 6 16gb card and how much?
i noticed the milestones came with 16gb and i was stoked, took it out and its a class 2....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got it at http://www.ncix.com, can't remember quite what I paid but the price was pretty decent.

back ontopic
has anyone heard anything about any progress on rooting this thing??

One of the thing holding me from experimenting more is the lack of a Telus SBF.
It could be possible to root by flashing a LATAM sbf and then rooting it. Latin America Rom uses the 850 frequency for 3G as well so we should retain the band.
One thing I saw in this thread is that there's two build version of this phone: SHOLS_U2_03.06.0 and SHOLS_U2_03.04.0, I wonder what's the difference.
Maybe it would be worth the try to contact TELUS and try to get a 3.04 "upgraded" to 3.06 then we might get our hand on a TELUS sbf which would be very usefull for many people with Milestone in North America and would be a nice safety to start playing with our phone.
That's just a thought, not very optimistic!

Gingerbread Test Build? Real or Fake?

Some people might have seen that there is a thread on the motorola support forums about a test build of gingerbread on the d2g. I was wondering if anyone thinks it is fake. I don't know much about android, but I do know that the linux kernel changes and that the phone can easily be made to show any android version desired. In the picture the linux kernel is 2.6.32.9 with some random strings after which I don't know how to decipher. This kernel is the same as my phone for those initial numbers, and a quick google search tells me that android 2.3.4 the most recent gingerbread uses kernel 2.6.35 not 32, so is it safe to assume that this picture and likely the whole thread and information are fake? I'm just curious.
EDIT: Here's the forum link with pic, I forgot to add it
https://supportforums.motorola.com/message/374933

EVery other Moto phone seems to be getting Gingerbread so I'm sure it is real especially considering if it was fake Moto probably would have squashed the post.
CellZealot has confirmed that the D2G Gingerbread is currently in development at Moto and the TBH guys have always been reliable and in the know.
It will get to us in time so yes we will have Gingerbread.
Will anyone bother to figure out how to root it is the question because the developers have all seemed to shy away from developing for the D2G.

I hope z4 root still works when it gets Gingerbread or else I rather just stay on 2.2

Judging by what happened with Droid X updates - you can kiss root goodbye at least for now. Not that it matters since there is no update at all released.

I thought I read somewhere GB is prerooted? Could be mistaken though.
Sent from a black angel d2g

Gingerbread eh?
I always thought that d2g would be stuck in froyo
It's good to hear the news (assuming that it's true)
But like the other guys said, if it cannot be rooted, I'd rather stay in froyo
Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using XDA App

Official releases are never "pre rooted" and the new GB releases will likely be more difficult and may block established exploits...BUT, we will almost certainly be able to root the new build despite whatever blocks are in place. They may require loading a rooted system image from an already rooted device as we have done with other GB leaks but there will be a way to run this build on rooted phones until a new stand alone exploit is developed.

DroidSquared said:
Gingerbread eh?
I always thought that d2g would be stuck in froyo
It's good to hear the news (assuming that it's true)
But like the other guys said, if it cannot be rooted, I'd rather stay in froyo
Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. I'm OK with what I've got. What's the big deal about this push? My position is to" ...leave well enough alone..." I really like the phone I have created (nothing special, D2G: root, bootstrap, Fission 2.4.3, etc.) I'm afeared that we'll be jacked-up by something from moto or verizon so this device is fk'd. "Open-source" my ass... it's all about $. Look at what is happening to the HTC group... I'm sure they "got a talkin' to..." by Amazon, Blockbuster, etc. and they succumbed. Whatever, Google/Android is sucking "the Man's" wang. We're hosed though; the "alternative" is a monster (crapple) much like Google/Android is becoming. Fk it.
D2G

cellzealot said:
Official releases are never "pre rooted" and the new GB releases will likely be more difficult and may block established exploits...BUT, we will almost certainly be able to root the new build despite whatever blocks are in place. They may require loading a rooted system image from an already rooted device as we have done with other GB leaks but there will be a way to run this build on rooted phones until a new stand alone exploit is developed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yay for XDA developers! lol

60lpsdf250 said:
Agreed. I'm OK with what I've got. What's the big deal about this push? My position is to" ...leave well enough alone..." I really like the phone I have created (nothing special, D2G: root, bootstrap, Fission 2.4.3, etc.) I'm afeared that we'll be jacked-up by something from moto or verizon so this device is fk'd. "Open-source" my ass... it's all about $. Look at what is happening to the HTC group... I'm sure they "got a talkin' to..." by Amazon, Blockbuster, etc. and they succumbed. Whatever, Google/Android is sucking "the Man's" wang. We're hosed though; the "alternative" is a monster (crapple) much like Google/Android is becoming. Fk it.
D2G
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
android is still open source, but your misinterpreting the actions of the manufacturers as being androids fault. google makes android, when they make it they release the source, so its open source, so developers do what they want to it, that IS open source, although the android market isnt open source so anything market related is directly controlled by google. the manufacturers take this android open source project, and they add their own junk to it, then they put it on a machine with a locked bootloader. so even though the OS is still open source, the manufacturers lock it down their own way and have every right to for now, but google is looking to change that with ice cream.

iirc, Motorola has already announced that their new phones will have their bootloaders unlocked (except for Verizon stuff, or, rather, all models for the US market).
And last I heard Milestone 3 will be unlocked.

Gasai Yuno said:
iirc, Motorola has already announced that their new phones will have their bootloaders unlocked (except for Verizon stuff, or, rather, all models for the US market).
And last I heard Milestone 3 will be unlocked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They did? I thought it was just that they were considering the idea of making their phones more open and unlocked, but no guarantees that they will, and even if they make the non US phones unlocked, they still said they will take the Carriers into consideration, so Verizon could just as easily demand full and complete lockdown and keep that going for a while, unless/until enough people complain to them too.

I mentioned that Verizon models won't be unlocked in the post you quoted.
Also, to be honest, I don't really care about VZW exclusive models as long as Milestone 3 comes out and is the same as Droid 3 (save for being GSM instead of CDMA).
I can't really remember the exact source for “no lock on new non-US models”, though. I guess I can just ask them via certain channels.

Gasai Yuno said:
I mentioned that Verizon models won't be unlocked in the post you quoted.
Also, to be honest, I don't really care about VZW exclusive models as long as Milestone 3 comes out and is the same as Droid 3 (save for being GSM instead of CDMA).
I can't really remember the exact source for “no lock on new non-US models”, though. I guess I can just ask them via certain channels.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I guess I had a brain fart there.

Just got this phone via Craigslist trade, help/sugjestions?

Wondering if someone wanted to help me out by posting an easy way to root the phone, and maybe get off this terrible 2.2 OS, best rom around? I like AOSP if thats available. maybe cm9/10?
Any other sugjestions of stuff I should do with it.
Also, can this phone be unlocked free? It's for tmobile and im AT&T, i think i found a thread somewhere on google but I lost it.
Thanks guys!

http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy_S_4G

edgex said:
Wondering if someone wanted to help me out by posting an easy way to root the phone, and maybe get off this terrible 2.2 OS, best rom around? I like AOSP if thats available. maybe cm9/10?
Any other sugjestions of stuff I should do with it.
Also, can this phone be unlocked free? It's for tmobile and im AT&T, i think i found a thread somewhere on google but I lost it.
Thanks guys!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i am on gummy http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1745472 , i like aokp, or go with cm9. any of these you can't go wrong with.
this might help you, i have never done it http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=980157 :fingers-crossed:

In serious need of insight

So I'm not a phone savy guy. Nor network. But due to the recent events that seem to be unfolding on my previous phone and now, apparently, my f2 pro, I've been trying to learn as much as possible, in hopes of attaining some basic to better than average knowledge of things so I can determine if I'm just turning into a paranoid schizophrenic or if my assumptions and instincts are correct.
Geez, that was a long first sentence.
Can someone tell me how many apps (both system and user) are preinstalled on a f2 pro that's running on android 11. Because I swear someone's hacked me phone or Google account or and most probably both.

HeWhoIam said:
So I'm not a phone savy guy. Nor network. But due to the recent events that seem to be unfolding on my previous phone and now, apparently, my f2 pro, I've been trying to learn as much as possible, in hopes of attaining some basic to better than average knowledge of things so I can determine if I'm just turning into a paranoid schizophrenic or if my assumptions and instincts are correct.
Geez, that was a long first sentence.
Can someone tell me how many apps (both system and user) are preinstalled on a f2 pro that's running on android 11. Because I swear someone's hacked me phone or Google account or and most probably both.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Defo para schizo bro...
Now...it varies by region.... How manyapps are installed...if youare worried unlock bootloader and flash away whatever suits.... It will be clean and clear.

HeWhoIam said:
So I'm not a phone savy guy. Nor network. But due to the recent events that seem to be unfolding on my previous phone and now, apparently, my f2 pro, I've been trying to learn as much as possible, in hopes of attaining some basic to better than average knowledge of things so I can determine if I'm just turning into a paranoid schizophrenic or if my assumptions and instincts are correct.
Geez, that was a long first sentence.
Can someone tell me how many apps (both system and user) are preinstalled on a f2 pro that's running on android 11. Because I swear someone's hacked me phone or Google account or and most probably both.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On stock rom approximately 50 apps and 270 system applications.
And you may have accepted the advertisement during the initial setup.
Change the password of Xiaomi and google accounts.

Thanks for the insight.
I haven't done a count yet, HOWEVER i did manage to figure out how to unlock my boot loader. I have yet to have rooted my phone but I know that's what I want to do to remove all this CRAP that's preloaded, if not for any other reason.
I've researched and read and everything else but I'm still unsure of what the proper procedure is or how to do it for that matter. I can't afford to brick my phone but I'm willing to take the risk at this point. Any body wanna help a brutha out?

HeWhoIam said:
Thanks for the insight.
I haven't done a count yet, HOWEVER i did manage to figure out how to unlock my boot loader. I have yet to have rooted my phone but I know that's what I want to do to remove all this CRAP that's preloaded, if not for any other reason.
I've researched and read and everything else but I'm still unsure of what the proper procedure is or how to do it for that matter. I can't afford to brick my phone but I'm willing to take the risk at this point. Any body wanna help a brutha out?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Without root and risks.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/...30-pro-zoom-poco-f2-pro.4114423/post-84629707

NOSS8 said:
Without root and risks.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/t/...30-pro-zoom-poco-f2-pro.4114423/post-84629707
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks slot! I uh-pre-she-8 cha!

HeWhoIam said:
Thanks slot! I uh-pre-she-8 cha!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I apologize for being the dumb new guy (joe dirt..."im new,...i dont know what ta do!") Im not sure how this thing works and im hopingvto throw out my line and see if i get s bite.
Im hoping to root my phone soon! I obviously don't think im ready, personally, to do this on my own because i still lack the knowledge of all the proceedures and in what order to initiate them. With that said, would owning/using rooted a phone be a bad idea for the average joe if they dontveven know how to root themselves? Also if i do root im considering using one click or dr.fone! Are these sites legitamite?

HeWhoIam said:
I apologize for being the dumb new guy (joe dirt..."im new,...i dont know what ta do!") Im not sure how this thing works and im hopingvto throw out my line and see if i get s bite.
Im hoping to root my phone soon! I obviously don't think im ready, personally, to do this on my own because i still lack the knowledge of all the proceedures and in what order to initiate them. With that said, would owning/using rooted a phone be a bad idea for the average joe if they dontveven know how to root themselves? Also if i do root im considering using one click or dr.fone! Are these sites legitamite?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AOSP roms(not all) requires root to have the certified play store and safetynet pass.
EU rom no need.
Why root?
Use magisk for root only.