First smartphone - help me get gingerbread! - Droid 2 Global General

Note: I'm hoping this is the correct place for this thread, hopefully others with this same phone would benefit from it, as this sub-forum seems barren of any guides on what I am looking for
After Christmas, I decided to get my first smart phone, the D2G. I ordered it through Newegg and had it linked to a family account on Verizon.
So what I currently have now is Android 2.2, System Version 2.4.330.A956.Verizon.en.us, and tons of Verizon branded bloat.
My goal is that I would like to install a vanilla version of gingerbread. Being my first smartphone, and my first time on these forums, I'm greatly lacking in knowledge of these phones and how to get from where I am at to where I want to be. What I do have, however, is an understanding of operating system architecture, UNIX experience and good technical knowledge of PCs. I understand what rooting means, what apps are, what a bootstrap does, however I know nothing of how to get or use these things on this phone, nor any idea where to look for this information. Because this phone is on contract (and thus only paid $150 for it), I'm hoping to minimize the risk of bricking it, or otherwise costing me more money.
What I am looking for: any information/guides/links that will help me to get me from Android 2.2 to a vanilla version of gingerbread on the D2G. From what I have gathered from other threads is that I need to root it (by installing z4root I read), boot in recovery mode, then install ROMs. None of those things I know how to do right now. I suppose helping me learn how to do those would be a great start.
tl;dr I need a layman's guide to get gingerbread on D2G
Thanks in advance for any help

To begin you won't be able to get Gingerbread until Motorola releases an update. The Droid 2 (and D2 Global) have a locked bootloader which means the kernel can't be changed except by Motorola. Without a kernel upgrade Gingerbread will remain out of reach.
You can, however, grab some things that have been backported from Gingerbread like the keyboard and theme. As time goes by more and more external things from Gingerbread will become available for non-GB users, but certain things that rely on the GB kernel will be elusive.
Now as for FroYo, there currently isn't a completely working AOSP (Android Open Source Project) ROM yet. Fission and GummyJAR strip away as much Blur as possible and work towards AOSP. Unleashed, Ultimate Droid, and Tanzanite are all AOSP ROMs in development but are lacking full functionality at the moment. Basically you've got to pick your poison: AOSP-like that works or AOSP that's not quite done.
Given that you have a D2 Global I'd personally hold off on changing ROMs at the moment. The D2G SBF (System Boot File) hasn't been leaked yet so if anything were to go wrong while changing ROMs your phone would be bricked until the SBF is released. A SBF allows you to revert your phone back to its out-of-the-box state should anything go wrong; your phone can be in a boot loop but you can turn it on in a way that will allow you to get things back to square one at least. Without the SBF you're really taking a gamble.

Alright, so I take it I just got too new of a phone then ~_~
thanks

Don't be too upset that your phone is too new yet...
Just be very careful with what you try for now.
It is just over a year since I got my first Droid and while there were plenty of hacks and roms for that back then, few were really STABLE. It didn't take long before not only were stable roms available, they were far better and included features that were not supposed to be on the phone.
Including overclocking it to twice the stock speed.
The D2G is in a similar place right now but the whole "eFuse" thing makes hacking a lot trickier. Its much easier to brick a D2/DX than an original Droid.
BUt progress is being made and there is little doubt in my mind that all the devs out there will make this phone what it should be just like they did with the Droid.
Gingerbread will get to us eventually, but for now Fission rom has already improved my D2G 100% over stock.

rogerdugans said:
Gingerbread will get to us eventually, but for now Fission rom has already improved my D2G 100% over stock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interested in Fission, but as I have previously stated, I'm quite clueless for the time being
Is this something that is safe?

Kenshin- said:
Interested in Fission, but as I have previously stated, I'm quite clueless for the time being
Is this something that is safe?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want 100% safe- leave your phone exactly as you received it.
Seriously.
There is risk in doing this stuff, even when we are simply taking advantage of the very risky work done by devs to figure out HOW to modify our phones.
Generally speaking, the longer you wait the less risky it is, but the fact is that there is never ZERO danger to it. Even if all the mods and hacks you use are time tested and there has not been a single bug found by anyone- flashing a rom can go wrong and leave a device bricked.
Even flashing a manufacturer provided BIOS on a computer has risk.
All of that said, if you want to minimize risk, wait just a little while for the bugs to be worked out more thoroughly.
I just saw that there is now an SBF for the D2G last night- that helps provide a buffer for accidents (disaster recovery!) but I don't know how well tested it is. We should know fairly soon- quite a few folks with bricked phones have been waiting for it!
I would say that right now the D2G has risk in the "moderate" range- new phone, not that much dev time, etc.
The only other phone I have personal experience with is the original Droid- risk on that is "minimal." Hard to kill those things.
All that said, I have accepted the risk and did so before the sbf was out. I have had no problems at all so far.
IF you choose to do so, I highly recommend following instructions exactly and making sure you know what you are doing and why.
I don't mean to talk you or anyone else out of improving their smart phone, but I do believe that realistic risk assessment is a wise thing to do before starting.

I used the SBF to flash my phone 2 days ago, with no issues.

rogerdugans said:
Generally speaking, the longer you wait the less risky it is, but the fact is that there is never ZERO danger to it.
...
All of that said, if you want to minimize risk, wait just a little while for the bugs to be worked out more thoroughly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a D2 and I got it pretty new a few months ago it was my first Android phone but I watched the forums and learned as things became available how to do it all. I watched as the device everyone thought wasn't even going to get root access got it, then the ROMs came; it wasn't easy and they aren't like the ROMs that came for previous devices because of the locks Moto put on the phone. But, we were happy with it and I've been pleasantly surprised at what the devs have come up with and have been running custom ROMs so long I don't remember what stock was even like. I just know it wasn't as cool as the custom stuff I'm running.
So hang in there and read all you can about your device or similar devices (D2, DX, DPro) so that when something comes along that you want to try you know what to do to make it work and what to do if it doesn't go as planned.

Related

Dear ROM Devs...

Thank you for all of your hard work on the D2. With the X, the competition is stiff, and it seems/feels like there are more of us that "ended up" with a D2 out of a warranty replacement than actually made the decision to buy one.
With that said, I am formally starting a bandwagon for an actual "stock" Android OS ROM. None of this color changing, applications because i like them, better home screen, etc., etc., stuff. I want to see an "actual" Android vanilla ROM for the D2.
I can't be the minority in this request.
I appreciate all of the work that you guys do, I really do. If I had the time to invest in this, I'd build the damn thing myself, but I dont, so I have to rely on you guys.
Thanks.
I'm on the bandwagon.
I believe doing this would require cracking m-shield/efuse in order to get a custom kernel in place, which to my knowledge hasn't been done, nor am I even sure if anyone is actively working on it.
psionicalpha said:
I believe doing this would require cracking m-shield/efuse in order to get a custom kernel in place, which to my knowledge hasn't been done, nor am I even sure if anyone is actively working on it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i'm not asking for a kernel. i'm asking the ROM developers to go stock with their approach as opposed to customizing. That's why i used quotes on "OS". I want a clean ROM that reflects as much as the actual Android OS as possible.
640k said:
i'm not asking for a kernel. i'm asking the ROM developers to go stock with their approach as opposed to customizing. That's why i used quotes on "OS". I want a clean ROM that reflects as much as the actual Android OS as possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you root your device you can clean out the stock rom yourself. Follow the remove bloatware guide. Once you clean it out you can install launcherpro which IMO is the best home replacement out there. I believe it will be some time before there is a vanilla rom for the d2. We will always need the dialer and a few other apps that are tied into other blur apps.
MotoBoy said:
If you root your device you can clean out the stock rom yourself. Follow the remove bloatware guide. Once you clean it out you can install launcherpro which IMO is the best home replacement out there. I believe it will be some time before there is a vanilla rom for the d2. We will always need the dialer and a few other apps that are tied into other blur apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
removing "bloat" doesn't cut it for me. i'm already running launcherpro without root and it gets me by. the ROM devs are working hard to bring things back to normal and they're doing a good job. i just don't want to have to pick between a broken phone icon and a black notification bar.
i'm not asking for miracles. i recognize that most of blur is limiting this activity. that's why i'm asking for just a clean ROM. as apks become available and more of blur can be replaced, the ROM will get better.
640k said:
i'm not asking for a kernel. i'm asking the ROM developers to go stock with their approach as opposed to customizing. That's why i used quotes on "OS". I want a clean ROM that reflects as much as the actual Android OS as possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is harder than you think. Moto modified many services that build with dependencies on the kernel. If we had access to Motos kernel source, then we could just build the vanilla rom directly with google source and be done. Since this is not currently an option, you need to have services that happen to be compatible with the kernal and Motos current structure which is also difficult. Its easy for simple apps that can be switched out like mail and such. But not everything is that easy to swap out. Pull and replace some services on your phone and your phone won't start, because an alternative will not work because the blur service is expressly called, or expected to function in a very "Moto way".
I don't think people are avoiding the stock approach because they don't want stock, I think it hasn't happened (yet) because Moto has made it difficult. Right now its like a Jenga tower. We keep pulling blocks to see which one won't cause the tower to fall. Pull the wrong one...oops we won't pull that one next time. If we could rebuild it from scratch, it would be much easier, because you could build it in the image you wanted opposed to doing surgery to mimic what you want.
facelessuser said:
It is harder than you think. Moto modified many services that build with dependencies on the kernel. If we had access to Motos kernel source, then we could just build the vanilla rom directly with google source and be done. Since this is not currently an option, you need to have services that happen to be compatible with the kernal and Motos current structure which is also difficult. Its easy for simple apps that can be switched out like mail and such. But not everything is that easy to swap out. Pull and replace some services on your phone and your phone won't start, because an alternative will not work because the blur service is expressly called, or expected to function in a very "Moto way".
I don't think people are avoiding the stock approach because they don't want stock, I think it hasn't happened (yet) because Moto has made it difficult. Right now its like a Jenga tower. We keep pulling blocks to see which one won't cause the tower to fall. Pull the wrong one...oops we won't pull that one next time. If we could rebuild it from scratch, it would be much easier, because you could build it in the image you wanted opposed to doing surgery to mimic what you want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this i get, and recognize. but if you read through current ROMs (all two of them), there ARE tweaks that i just don't want/agree with.
i dealt with this alot with WinMo and i've avoided putting ANY ROM on my D1. blur is so terrible, all i want is my D1 one back.. but in my D2's body.
I think these ROM developers simply have no choice but to do the tweaks they've done because Moto services can't just be taken out, they have to be replaced instead of the original so the phone would still work.
We just have to wait, time solves everything, even Moto
facelessuser said:
It is harder than you think. Moto modified many services that build with dependencies on the kernel. If we had access to Motos kernel source, then we could just build the vanilla rom directly with google source and be done. Since this is not currently an option, you need to have services that happen to be compatible with the kernal and Motos current structure which is also difficult. Its easy for simple apps that can be switched out like mail and such. But not everything is that easy to swap out. Pull and replace some services on your phone and your phone won't start, because an alternative will not work because the blur service is expressly called, or expected to function in a very "Moto way".
I don't think people are avoiding the stock approach because they don't want stock, I think it hasn't happened (yet) because Moto has made it difficult. Right now its like a Jenga tower. We keep pulling blocks to see which one won't cause the tower to fall. Pull the wrong one...oops we won't pull that one next time. If we could rebuild it from scratch, it would be much easier, because you could build it in the image you wanted opposed to doing surgery to mimic what you want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
640k said:
this i get, and recognize. but if you read through current ROMs (all two of them), there ARE tweaks that i just don't want/agree with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apparently you don't get it. As stated, stock Android will require the kernel source, which we don't have.
As a former Ion and Nexus One owner who flashed probably a hundred ROMs, I can honestly say Froyo and root is enough to make me happy. Many of the tweaks custom ROMs offered are now built in (they came from AOSP to begin with) and the hardware has advanced to the point that swapper and overclocking aren't necessary. Frankly I'm not sure what more you could want that isn't possible without root and launcher replacements.
640k said:
this i get, and recognize. but if you read through current ROMs (all two of them), there ARE tweaks that i just don't want/agree with.
i dealt with this alot with WinMo and i've avoided putting ANY ROM on my D1. blur is so terrible, all i want is my D1 one back.. but in my D2's body.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am like you. On my D1 I only used OEM ROMs that I modifed myself. I did the same to my D2 and it runs just like my D1. Their are only two differences. Backup assistant services is still running in the backgroud and I still have the messaging app. I removed all blur widgets and all the bloatware I don't need. If I can get rid of the backup assistant I would be very close to plain ROM. Once you remove everything you can safely you are not too far away from a vanilla ROM.
karnovaran said:
Apparently you don't get it. As stated, stock Android will require the kernel source, which we don't have and likely never will.
As a former Ion and Nexus One owner who flashed probably a hundred ROMs, I can honestly say Froyo and root is enough to make me happy. Many of the tweaks custom ROMs offered are now built in (they came from AOSP to begin with) and the hardware has advanced to the point that swapper and overclocking aren't necessary. Frankly I'm not sure what more you could want that isn't possible without root and launcher replacements.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well said. This is not my first android phone either. I have also used Cyanogen and others. Root is more than enough for me.
Back in the day, the custom Roms were pushing us into new territories, giving us features we didn't already have; that was why I wanted them. Now I have everything I need with stock and root. There are so many replacement launchers, lockscreens, etc. Going vanilla is just icing on the the cake; if it ever happens at all.
All of blur's UI flaws and app quirks hardly bug me much at all; I can happily live with them if I have to. Overall, the Droid 2 is a great phone as it is ( with root of course ).
I think i might get my head bitten off for this but id be happy with a stock deoxed rom with the stupid bloat apps removed.
I've come to like the blur widgets and features, well except for the contacts sync issue with facebook.
jerseyh22accord said:
I think i might get my head bitten off for this but id be happy with a stock deoxed rom with the stupid bloat apps removed.
I've come to like the blur widgets and features, well except for the contacts sync issue with facebook.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you goto droidforums.net and in the Xeudoxus ROM section you will see the xultimate thread which is what you need to deodex a rom yourself. If you have the android sdk installed already it is not much work to do. Just follow the instructions and read through the thread for problems that may pop up.
karnovaran said:
Apparently you don't get it. As stated, stock Android will require the kernel source, which we don't have.
As a former Ion and Nexus One owner who flashed probably a hundred ROMs, I can honestly say Froyo and root is enough to make me happy. Many of the tweaks custom ROMs offered are now built in (they came from AOSP to begin with) and the hardware has advanced to the point that swapper and overclocking aren't necessary. Frankly I'm not sure what more you could want that isn't possible without root and launcher replacements.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
apparently you don't get it.
you're not reading what i'm asking. there are ROM devs out now, doing the work. they can debloat and use as many stock apps as possible (or as available). i'm not asking for miracles. i'm asking devs not to customize what they're doing.
i'm asking for standard looks, not black themes. i'm asking for stock apps, where possible. i'm asking for it to work.
don't come in here and thread crap because you don't understand what i'm saying/asking.
MotoBoy said:
If you goto droidforums.net and in the Xeudoxus ROM section you will see the xultimate thread which is what you need to deodex a rom yourself. If you have the android sdk installed already it is not much work to do. Just follow the instructions and read through the thread for problems that may pop up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know, i did it before i ran 928droid's theme and epic's rom to change the text to white in the notification bar. Lost it when i restored my nandroid of stock but i could do it again. Just saying if i flash a rom i want it deoxed
I am working on this. Please just wait.
Newbie here. I have rooted my D2, but I haven't yet installed a new ROM. Is there any way that I can use a D1 ROM in my D2?
Sent from my DROID2 using XDA App
640k said:
apparently you don't get it.
you're not reading what i'm asking. there are ROM devs out now, doing the work. they can debloat and use as many stock apps as possible (or as available). i'm not asking for miracles. i'm asking devs not to customize what they're doing.
i'm asking for standard looks, not black themes. i'm asking for stock apps, where possible. i'm asking for it to work.
don't come in here and thread crap because you don't understand what i'm saying/asking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe I (and others) misinterpreted, but you said stock and vanilla multiple times.
Sorry, but I just don't take well to people starting threads like this. Either do the work yourself, contact a developer directly to inquire about their intentions, or sit tight and wait. It's this kind of "gimme" attitude in forums that scares away talented people.
What the hell? Do it yourself. Are you really acting like this because you don't like black notification bars? If it upsets you so much, learn how to change it. Requests are fine. Acting indignant because you don't know what "I want a vanilla ROM" means is rude.

[Warning] Don't Flash Kernels for Other Hardware!!..

I know it may be tempting to flash Fascinate or Showcase (or Vibrant, or i9000, etc) ROMs and Kernels especially since the Fascinate is starting to get some Froyo alpha builds. It is also probably a bit confusing as to why (since we PRETTY MUCH have the same hardware) it wouldn't work. [Unless you can confidently recover from a soft brick without breaking a sweat on your palms and are willing to risk the small chance of a hard brick] Don't.
.
I would like to clarify a few things. It takes a perfect combination of Kernel, Ramdisk, and ROM etc. to get a properly booting system. Usually, swapping one or two of these for software from another device will cause your phone to stop booting, but won't cause any irreparable damage. Sometimes the device may even boot or seem to function properly. Or -- you might get a lovely brick. Even with a seemingly functional phone, you will most likely have carrier specific settings and other carrier or device (or radio or filesystem) dependent crap in the ROM that will prevent your phone from functioning 100%.
Let me also say this, what works for someone else may not necessarily work for you. What did the last sentence say? When you flash a kernel you don't format the entire device. The device may retain some old configurations or files; the master boot record is left untouched, etc. Flashing a ROM usually wipes your entire system directory. The point is, the way most of these update packages work, you can get different results simply by changing the order in which you flash things or by starting from a different image (what software was previously on your device). I have found this device to be rather finicky. Sometimes, things don't even work for me when I go through the exact same steps or the seemingly "proper" steps. Sometimes things only work after an Odin restore to stock. Regardless, my interactions have caused surprisingly unpredictable results.
I am sending this message because I have seen a few users recently put themselves in frustrating situations after flashing software for the Fascinate. First, I hope you NEVER flash software for another device altogether (Vibrant, Nesux S, i9000, Droid..). With the Fascinate, there is a little more breathing room because there are strong similarities between the devices, but if you don't know what you are doing, I still strongly advise against it. Even the same hardware can have a different partitioning system, master boot record, configuration scripts, etc!
I would like to let you know, WE ARE WORKING ON PORTING OVER the AWESOME FROYO WORK that has been done on the FASCINATE. I am relatively new to the Android scene so it's taking longer than I would like or than I expected (I've also been rather unlucky and encountered some stupid error or silly mistake almost every step of the way). I know you all are getting antsy, but don't worry, be patient, we are working on it. AND, if worse comes to worse and we can't get an alpha build out to you all, I have no doubt we will get at least a beta and a final Homebrew Froyo out there for you all.
Best,
dcow
Listen to the wise man, for those who are patient get to enjoy the spoils of these great developers work, with the least amount of headaches (not to mention the headaches and time saved from dev's not having to help those who make those bad decisions to begin with).
I wish us showcase guys could get our own section
den0ts said:
I wish us showcase guys could get our own section
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But until then you have to sit in our sandbox and play with us.

[Q] Wondering why D2G is ignored by modding community

I went from a Motorola Milestone to a Droid 2 Global. And as much as I am enjoying the Fission ROM from Team DeFuse, I am wondering why there seems to be such low interest in the Droid 2 Global compared to the original Droid 2? Can anyone give me some info as to why this is the case? I realize that with the Droid 2 globals additional radios that that transcribes to more work to get those operational in a custom ROM, I just dont understand why this powerful phone is ignored and left to sit on the curb. Thank you to all in advance.
1. The Global is hard to dev for. There aren't many Global devices to go off of, so the radios are hard to get 100% working on custom roms
2. It was launched silently. No one really knows it exists, so it just didn't receive the initial dev bump that phones usually get when they're first released
3. It didn't sell very well. I can't speak for the whole sales numbers, but my friend who works for Verizon Corporate (or something like that) said the numbers weren't fantastic in New York.
4. Three devices is a lot. Any devs willing to work on the Global probably already work on the Droid X and Droid 2. Adding a third device to the list is just too much for people who do this as a hobby.
That's the best explanation I can give... sorry for how negative it was, lol.
To be fair, the D2G is receiving more support this last month or so. Look on droidforums.net, some good work being done on there (3 or 4 roms available).
I will keep an eye out on droidforums. I was also thinking that with the possibility of 2.3 coming out for it most devs dont (myself included) see a point in making a ROM on froyo when 2.3 is around the corner. Thank you for your input. Its much appreciated
Most of the correct answers were already stated...
Just wated to point out that only people who truly needed global support would buy the D2G.
Droid Pro got play merely because it was targeted at the Crackberry crowd conversion which really didn't work.
Those are the only two GLOBAL phone I know of. Doesn't make sense to make many more with the 4G revolution under way.
Business have bought into the form factor but the Devs they all look at the performance specs and the EASE of development regarding the model.
The biggest issue though is the locked bootloader! Since the boot loader is locked you can not run custom Kernels so any development that could be made is limited to the stock kernel.
All of the Motorola development you see regarding phone with lockd bootloaders are really nothing more than a bunch of stock and AOSP apps and system files that change the look and the startup sequence but the base code that runs the phone pretty much stays the same!
I would love to see more people making ROMs for the unit but what I really want to see is the unlocking of that boot loader.
If we managed to do that then none of us would be worrying how many roms were available or which one updates next.
We would probably all be running Cyanogen at this point and merely wait for the next release of stable! And also be looking for the next great Kernel update to make it even better!
Asphyx said:
Most of the correct answers were already stated...
Just wated to point out that only people who truly needed global support would buy the D2G.
Droid Pro got play merely because it was targeted at the Crackberry crowd conversion which really didn't work.
Those are the only two GLOBAL phone I know of. Doesn't make sense to make many more with the 4G revolution under way.
Business have bought into the form factor but the Devs they all look at the performance specs and the EASE of development regarding the model.
The biggest issue though is the locked bootloader! Since the boot loader is locked you can not run custom Kernels so any development that could be made is limited to the stock kernel.
All of the Motorola development you see regarding phone with lockd bootloaders are really nothing more than a bunch of stock and AOSP apps and system files that change the look and the startup sequence but the base code that runs the phone pretty much stays the same!
I would love to see more people making ROMs for the unit but what I really want to see is the unlocking of that boot loader.
If we managed to do that then none of us would be worrying how many roms were available or which one updates next.
We would probably all be running Cyanogen at this point and merely wait for the next release of stable! And also be looking for the next great Kernel update to make it even better!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Won't anyone who wants a keyboard on verizon also get the D2G? I mean it's the only half decent phone with a physical qwerty keyboard on verizon, and the droid 2 itself was phased out months ago, 4 months ago when I got my D2G you couldn't get a new Droid 2 at verizon, though I think Best Buy might have still had them, though they were just clearing out stock.
Also I thought fact that everything has to be signed is the problem with the phone. When you don't know how to sign the kernel and other things the phone has hardware to autobrick which is why no one can get around it. Tons of phones out there have locked bootloaders that are gotten around well before or within a few days of the phone being released. If it was just the locked bootloader then I'd say motorola has found the holy grail of security, because everything else out there has been hacked through.
The problem isn't that the bootloader is signed, its that its encrypted. Newer htc phones have bootloaders that require signed kernels and people have found ways around them already, the encryption prevents us from loading custom software on it.
Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using XDA App

Stock vs Infused ROM

Can anyone tell the important and practical advantages of rooting and installing Infused ROM? I Am just looking for a useful reason to waste my time
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using XDA App
Read the change logs in the very first post, if nothing there appeals to you than don't bother, if nothing makes SENSE to you, read more like I did before diving in lol.
Short answer is, because its fun, addicting, customizing, unlocks features, removes bloatware.....makes it YOUR PHONE, not AT&T's (assuming you don't have Rogers.) Things like Wi-Fi tethering and GPS lock on times are fixed or improved. Stuff like that, plus the whole process can be somewhat addicting. Lol
Infused
Hehe..... So, no usefulness in rooting I guess.... Can you post the link by the way...
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using XDA App
Not sure how, on my phone. Lol, but if you go to the infuse developers section, you CANT miss it. Big huge title says something along the lines of, [Infused, V2.#.# (gingerbread) blah blah blah] haha.
But ATM the download portion is down because the Canadian release doesn't use 4g, so he's fixing a little quirk with it right now, than it'll be back up I'm sure, gtg is pretty quick.
Also, rooting is different than flashing a Tom, rooting gives you complete control over your phone, gets rid of market branding (I think), and allows 3rd party apps (be carefully)
Flashing a ROM is replacing the current operating system with the SAME one but streamlined and bareboned, or a better one that's streamlined and bareboned. (Or at least that's how I think of it.) Usually involving better apps, updates, and unlocked features.
So yes there is a benifit I guess lol.
Infused
So, what is infused ROM? I suppose it is custom ROM... Right?... So, what the hell is CWM then?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using XDA App
All of this info is readily available, when I first got my android I was a little confused to, hell, I still am =P
But here is the skinny,
Root simply means you are granting the phone or yourself super user access. What does that mean you ask... well, it pretty much gives you ultimate admin rights. From here, you can theme, mod, install roms, alter/move/delete system files etc.
Roms are the creations of enhanced versions of the stock os all ready available, and sometimes not available ie gtg's gingerbread rom. The benefits to these"aftermarket" roms vary from rom to rom. You will need to research each one specifically to see what fits your desires.
Although your question seems simple, it its infact a big question that is far to vague, simply put, custom roms made by experienced developers will 99.9% always be superior to stock, but for different reasons. So please research and you will see that there are varying types of directions... Unless you want gb on infuse, kinds only one direction for that at the moment.
Infused with gingerbread **** thanks GTG465X
Thanks, you articulated my thoughts better lol.
CWM is ClockWorkMod, used commonly for its rom manager feature, it helps make flashing the rom's easier, and can install a clockwork recovery mode that replaces the stock 3e recovery the phone comes with, and is far more useful.
Infused
You need root. Normally I'd suggest going with a ROM, but right now the only ROM actively being developed is Infused. However, this is the first ROM where I have gotten very bad response from those who develop the ROM, as well as backlash for the community when I bring up bugs on the releases. Any other phone has developer communities that are helpful and very nice, and receptive to constructive criticism, but it's like Apple sent their goons over for Infused, and both the developers and the fanboys of the developers act like it's some gift from god. Everything released from the Infused team has had some fairly significant bugs, right now the bug is poor data speeds (kinda silly since we bought the phone for it's "4G" being the primary function), but as always, enter at your own risk.
Seriously bella? the only issues I have seen with this community has been antagonized by you. Hell, out of curiosity I check done of your post history... Surprise surprise, most of the post are you complaining. This thread case in point, seriously had to drag your bull **** to another thread, grow the hell up.
just get your sg2 already and take your negativity to another forum. All you ever do is ***** like a whiny baby. Good luck and good riddance, we won't miss you.
Infused with gingerbread **** thanks GTG465X
Krant, don't let Bella's bs confuse you, this phone has to notch devs, with fantastic roms and kernels. Apparently if the devs can't part the seas and build a rom that get 100 hours of staight heavy use batt life then they don't deserve to give us free development
Infused with gingerbread **** thanks GTG465X
Krant, welcome to the forums.
I disagree with Bella - we have an excellent community here, the only problem is that we have an unusual number of people who post in the ROM threads in development when it is clear they have not even read the first post of the thread. We also have people who complain about a ROM without any evidence to back up their complaint, and get hostile when a dev asks them to run a specific test.
On the positive side, the level of coordination we have between developers is FAR better than most other devices. That's why right now you don't really see any junky "hey look I can deodex too!" ROMs.
So far you're off to a good start, you didn't post in the dev forum and you're making an effort to learn. I suggest you take some time to do some research and Googling.
Another thing adding to the confusion here is that with Android, there are two portions of the system that can be separately customized. The kernel is the base operating system, with hardware drivers and such. The ROM is actually what us kernel hackers call "userland" - the stuff layered on top of a kernel to produce a nice usable system.
Most ROMs include a custom kernel, but in many cases you can flash other kernels over it.
Never flash a ROM/kernel intended for another device. (An exception to this rule may eventually come for userland ROMs, but for now that's the rule.)
CWM is a low-level "recovery" tool that allows new files to be flashed to your device that often can't be flashed to a running system. It's most often used for flashing new ROMs, but can sometimes be used for flashing tweaks to a ROM.
And things like that will only scare people away from these forums, i sincerely feel like there are an alarming number of negative, rude people on XDA, and those who AREN'T, are usually Dev's or working with them, Hence my post from like, a month ago in an ENTIRELY different subject lol. And also why i try so hard to be informative, even with what little knowledge i have. please dont go because of a few bad apples, ive seen it ruin peoples experience with there phones.
Hellion_zk said:
Ive cruised these forums for about 8 months now, and i have to say, out of all the forus ive ever been apart of, (PC, Truck, Motorcycle, you name it) this is filled with the worst ratio of rude, abrasive people ive ever seen on a forum, and am surprised that the mods make no attempt to instill respectful comments to one another.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And it got Thanked,... twice... and it wasnt even by the people getting chewed out, (Although for a valid reason. DONT post nonsense in a Dev thread....oh my GOD they take that seriously here lol)
theraffman said:
All of this info is readily available, when I first got my android I was a little confused to, hell, I still am =P
But here is the skinny,
Root simply means you are granting the phone or yourself super user access. What does that mean you ask... well, it pretty much gives you ultimate admin rights. From here, you can theme, mod, install roms, alter/move/delete system files etc.
Roms are the creations of enhanced versions of the stock os all ready available, and sometimes not available ie gtg's gingerbread rom. The benefits to these"aftermarket" roms vary from rom to rom. You will need to research each one specifically to see what fits your desires.
Although your question seems simple, it its infact a big question that is far to vague, simply put, custom roms made by experienced developers will 99.9% always be superior to stock, but for different reasons. So please research and you will see that there are varying types of directions... Unless you want gb on infuse, kinds only one direction for that at the moment.
Infused with gingerbread **** thanks GTG465X
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the raffman explained root acces well indeed. I heard another explain it as gaining root access to your phone is the same as logging in to your computer with admin rights; you can make all sorts of changes. However, not having root access to your phone is like logging in to your computer as guest; you can change very little.
I rooted my phone a few days out of the box. Don't get me wrong; I was impressed with its performance. Since then I've flashed roms, kernels, bricked my phone, brought it back to life with odin3 many times. It is exciting and wicked fun to push this phone to its limits. Props to all the devs that enable my habit. Root and flash and I am sure you will never look back.
Root and flash and I am sure you will never look back.[/QUOTE said:
And make sure you do tons of research on how to unbrick it, and know what NOT to do.
Infused
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Entropy512 said:
Another thing adding to the confusion here is that with Android, there are two portions of the system that can be separately customized. The kernel is the base operating system, with hardware drivers and such. The ROM is actually what us kernel hackers call "userland" - the stuff layered on top of a kernel to produce a nice usable system.
Most ROMs include a custom kernel, but in many cases you can flash other kernels over it.
Never flash a ROM/kernel intended for another device. (An exception to this rule may eventually come for userland ROMs, but for now that's the rule.)
CWM is a low-level "recovery" tool that allows new files to be flashed to your device that often can't be flashed to a running system. It's most often used for flashing new ROMs, but can sometimes be used for flashing tweaks to a ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Entrophy512,
I've had my superInfuse for over a month now, I have it rooted, flashed Infused 1.53, 2.0Beta1,2,3,stable2.00, 2.01, 2.02 and used CWM, SGS Kernal Flasher, etc. I thought I understood this all pretty well but you summed it up excellently!!! Thanks so much for that!

[Q] How To Either Un-Root Or Mod Further?

I will do my best to keep this short and also hope it hasn't already been answered for the sanity of the fantastic developers on this site. I know you guys hate repetition.
I've recently gone through a breakup with my now-ex, and we are not on speaking terms because of his inability to maintain sanity in some situations. My problem here is that he enjoyed continuously staying updated with the most recent updates and mods for my Charge. I have no clue how to do any of this modding, and since we are not on speaking terms, I don't know what to do about my laggy, hasn't-been-modded-in-months phone.
Before I ended communication, he spoke of a possible ICS update for my Charge. He told me it was solely open-ended developer stuff, no official update or anything, but that it was surprisingly stable. Even with him not in contact with me at this time, I would still like to see if I could do this 'update' myself. Is it possible for a complete noob like myself to do it? Or should I just leave it alone and find someone entirely more experienced to help me through it? If it's going to brick my phone with the slightest mistake, I'd rather not even try. But, like I said, you guys are the experts.
I would enjoy any kind of assistance, if possible, to install this pseudo-ICS; unless I can wait another however long the official update is for Verizon, un-root back to stock, and have the official ICS.
I guess my basic questions are:
When will the official ICS become available for my Charge through Verizon? I know it's available stock with the Galaxy Nexus (which I want quite badly) already.
Could a complete noob like myself do this with the help of you guys giving me links and step-by-step instructions (if you would be so kind)?
How easy is it to mess up without clear instructions?
I really appreciate any kind of input. MANY thanks for reading!
-Megan
No ics. No word on official update for ics. If I were you I would go back completely stock. Links are in dev section
mmassacurr said:
I will do my best to keep this short and also hope it hasn't already been answered for the sanity of the fantastic developers on this site. I know you guys hate repetition.
I've recently gone through a breakup with my now-ex, and we are not on speaking terms because of his inability to maintain sanity in some situations. My problem here is that he enjoyed continuously staying updated with the most recent updates and mods for my Charge. I have no clue how to do any of this modding, and since we are not on speaking terms, I don't know what to do about my laggy, hasn't-been-modded-in-months phone.
Before I ended communication, he spoke of a possible ICS update for my Charge. He told me it was solely open-ended developer stuff, no official update or anything, but that it was surprisingly stable. Even with him not in contact with me at this time, I would still like to see if I could do this 'update' myself. Is it possible for a complete noob like myself to do it? Or should I just leave it alone and find someone entirely more experienced to help me through it? If it's going to brick my phone with the slightest mistake, I'd rather not even try. But, like I said, you guys are the experts.
I would enjoy any kind of assistance, if possible, to install this pseudo-ICS; unless I can wait another however long the official update is for Verizon, un-root back to stock, and have the official ICS.
I guess my basic questions are:
When will the official ICS become available for my Charge through Verizon? I know it's available stock with the Galaxy Nexus (which I want quite badly) already.
Could a complete noob like myself do this with the help of you guys giving me links and step-by-step instructions (if you would be so kind)?
How easy is it to mess up without clear instructions?
I really appreciate any kind of input. MANY thanks for reading!
-Megan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA App
Girls?! On the internet?!
If you're not comfortable with any of this stuff then just go back to stock. There isn't any ICS, and there probably won't be, at least for a long time. best you can do is flash a theme or something.
Sent from my SCH-I510 using xda premium
My vote? Just learn how to mod the phone! It's really not that hard. Here's a post to get you familiar: http://rootzwiki.com/topic/4847-guide-new-users-guide-everything-how-to-root-rom-kernels-radios-cwm/
Don't flash the Froyo or Gingerbread links at the bottom tho, they'd a bit dated. Just check that post out to get familiar with the terms and process. While you're there, download and install ODIN (there's a link in that post).
***Before we move on...do you have Titanium Backup in your app drawer? If not, spend the $7. It's so worth it because you can save the vast majority of your data. It's worth the $7 (you may have it already because the exbf may have bought it/installed it). Get it and Google how to use it--make a full backup of system apps, users apps, and data before doing anything else.**
So, once you've read that post on RootzWiki, have downloaded ODIN, and made a backup with Titanium Backup, come back here and flash THIS file (follow the link in the 2nd paragraph for detailed instructions): http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1380430
OK. At this point you will be unrooted and have the latest Verizon updates on your phone. You can... choose to quit... or choose to mod more. Keep in mind, if you've figured out how to flash to stock, you know how to flash mods and can continue to mod.
If I were you, I'd check out TweakStock at this point. Flash the version WITHOUT the customized kernel. Probably your best bet. Themes should be coming out for TweakStock soon, so maybe you'll find something you like.
And yeah, regarding Ice Cream Sandwich... Not happening, at least for awhile. Don't worry about it--only the Galaxy Nexus has it right now anyway.
Thank you! This was very helpful. I'm glad you pointed it out; yes, I do have Titanium. He had the paid version, signed in my phone with his Google account, and DL'd it onto my apps.
But here is another problem I have thought of-- I don't know what kind of ROM or Kernal I have...at all. No clue. Like I said, he was the expert. He always tried to show me how to do stuff, but it always went in one ear and out the other. I'm a girl who needs to be shown something from the beginning, by trial and error, and he would simply show me something 'cool' if he came across it and show me how to install it. Haha. Not saying that was ever a bad thing, I'm extremely interested in learning, but we never really had the time, and I don't want to be alone if I screw up.
go to settings> about phone and look at your firmware version. If it's 2.3.x you're on gingerbread. (you should be, if not your bf was a noob)
If you go to Settings and you see TSM Parts you're on Infinity.
If you see poop brown as a main color theme you're stock rooted.
If you go to your lock screen and it says TweakStock in the upper right hand corner you're on TweakStock.
GummyCharged and Humble are hard to distinguish. But chances are if you're not on any of the above, you're running Humble.
For kernel: if you run a program called Voodoo Control and it says status: ext4 active near the bottom, you're running imoseyon's repacked kernel. Anything else, you're either on stock or imnuts' repack.
Sent from my SCH-I510 using xda premium
kvswim said:
go to settings> about phone and look at your firmware version. If it's 2.3.x you're on gingerbread. (you should be, if not your bf was a noob)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that made my morning! LOL
I agree, that made me LOL as well as the 'poop brown' color reference for stock root.
Well, I took a look and it turns out I have 2.3.4. Model number is GummyCharged GBE 2.0. Of course, I have no idea what this means at all. I'm just letting you guys be in the know in case you still feel like helping me. Haha.
mmassacurr said:
I agree, that made me LOL as well as the 'poop brown' color reference for stock root.
Well, I took a look and it turns out I have 2.3.4. Model number is GummyCharged GBE 2.0. Of course, I have no idea what this means at all. I'm just letting you guys be in the know in case you still feel like helping me. Haha.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, the name of the ROM you're running is GummyCharged GBE (Gingerbread Edition) 2.0. It's very outdated now. Have you ran the batch backup for everything in Titanium yet?
mmassacurr said:
I will do my best to keep this short and also hope it hasn't already been answered for the sanity of the fantastic developers on this site. I know you guys hate repetition.
I've recently gone through a breakup with my now-ex, and we are not on speaking terms because of his inability to maintain sanity in some situations. My problem here is that he enjoyed continuously staying updated with the most recent updates and mods for my Charge. I have no clue how to do any of this modding, and since we are not on speaking terms, I don't know what to do about my laggy, hasn't-been-modded-in-months phone.
Before I ended communication, he spoke of a possible ICS update for my Charge. He told me it was solely open-ended developer stuff, no official update or anything, but that it was surprisingly stable. Even with him not in contact with me at this time, I would still like to see if I could do this 'update' myself. Is it possible for a complete noob like myself to do it? Or should I just leave it alone and find someone entirely more experienced to help me through it? If it's going to brick my phone with the slightest mistake, I'd rather not even try. But, like I said, you guys are the experts.
I would enjoy any kind of assistance, if possible, to install this pseudo-ICS; unless I can wait another however long the official update is for Verizon, un-root back to stock, and have the official ICS.
I guess my basic questions are:
When will the official ICS become available for my Charge through Verizon? I know it's available stock with the Galaxy Nexus (which I want quite badly) already.
Could a complete noob like myself do this with the help of you guys giving me links and step-by-step instructions (if you would be so kind)?
How easy is it to mess up without clear instructions?
I really appreciate any kind of input. MANY thanks for reading!
-Megan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Megan... I love you...and I am sorry... I'm not sure if you were hoping i'd find your thread.
But heres the info needed incase.
It's the most recent rootzwiki gummycharged, it's outdated, but it's at least bloatfree. Stock leaked kernel from way back, but it was for sure 2.3. I don't play with ancient software.
When I said upadte, Verizon had finally gotten an Official 2.3, over the leaked, which I urged you to update to for stability, even with bloat, since most roms will now be based off the OTA. When I spoke of ICS, I meant on my phone, and I guess it's hard to exactly explain what open source is, roms, and ota's. But given a Dev and the right sources from Sammy and Google, it can run it. This phone just seems to lack the strong community it did with imnuts, like the fascinate.
Enjoy Inifinty. I'll be a better person someday in the long run, but right now, i've got a lot more to work on with myself rather than phones (which is why my ICS is kinda not a big deal to me as).
GL.
Windst said:
Megan... I love you...and I am sorry... I'm not sure if you were hoping i'd find your thread.
But heres the info needed incase.
It's the most recent rootzwiki gummycharged, it's outdated, but it's at least bloatfree. Stock leaked kernel from way back, but it was for sure 2.3. I don't play with ancient software.
When I said upadte, Verizon had finally gotten an Official 2.3, over the leaked, which I urged you to update to for stability, even with bloat, since most roms will now be based off the OTA. When I spoke of ICS, I meant on my phone, and I guess it's hard to exactly explain what open source is, roms, and ota's. But given a Dev and the right sources from Sammy and Google, it can run it. This phone just seems to lack the strong community it did with imnuts, like the fascinate.
Enjoy Inifinty. I'll be a better person someday in the long run, but right now, i've got a lot more to work on with myself rather than phones (which is why my ICS is kinda not a big deal to me as).
GL.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LMAO! Best.Post.Ever.
Sent from my SCH-I510 using xda premium
Well, ****. This is awkward. ABANDON THREAD!
Sent from my SCH-I510 using xda premium
Charge Insufficient Memory On Device
I rooted a Droid Charge for my boss using the altered beast method, and now no matter what I do. When I try to download from the market, it tells me there is insufficient space on the device. When there is plenty of room on the sd card, and internal. Can someone please help me, I've tried a reset, and clearing the cache, and download history in the market. Any help someone could offer would be much appreciated.

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