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CM7 vs stock android - benefits?

I've had my NS for over 2 months now - love it. Since I bought it, I've been running completely stock android 2.3.3
Like most on this forum, I like to tweak settings and make improvements.
I just want to know if that if I were to root and load CM7 rom on the NS would it improve the speed/battery? (they are the most important factors to me)

Yes it would improve your battery life. Especially when you flash a custom kernel. With this combination, I currently get 24 hours+ with maybe ~30% remaining.
http://www.cyanogenmod.com/about/features are some of the highlights of the features.
Some benefits on top of my head:
Flashing custom kernel (I suggest you do, its easy)
- Voodoo Sound (Better sound quality, you'd be amazed)
- Voodoo Color (Don't like 2.3.3 colors? Change it back to <2.3.3)
- Overclock (If you're into that) or Underclock
- CFS or BFS
Kernel.. i'd go with Netarchy's 1.2.8 CFS
CM7 Benefits
- Widget Folders (When you add a widget, no more 5 widgets showing Beautiful Widgets.. instead its in a folder; better organization)
- Power Widgets (Notification Pulldown)
- If you use your NS as a music player, it adds a lot of features such as lock screen controls. Using volume rocker to adjust volume while phone screen not on.
- Custom Boot Screens
- Sync with Facebook
Rest are here: http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/index.php?title=CyanogenMod_Settings

Thanks for your tips. Before I had my NS I had modded my Hero beyond belief!
Would it be easy to send the phone back to a stock ROM and stock kernel? Lets say I had to send the phone back to Samsung to get warranty repaired.
Following on to that question, which is the best way to root?

How's the stability of CM7 on the NS. I just upgraded from my G1 to the NS yesterday, and I was thinking of just running stock until CM7 goes final.

JTopaz said:
Thanks for your tips. Before I had my NS I had modded my Hero beyond belief!
Would it be easy to send the phone back to a stock ROM and stock kernel? Lets say I had to send the phone back to Samsung to get warranty repaired.
Following on to that question, which is the best way to root?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes all you have to do is download a nandroid backup of 2.3.3 or whatever that is stock unrooted. And thats it.
Root: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=895545
@Apre: It's stable. The latest nightly (#19) is more stable than RC2 itself. And dang G1 lol, I upgraded from a G1 last year in Juneish. Looking back on that phone now, the screens so small.

I have CM7 RC2 and i find that my battery drains faster. How do I flash Netarchy kernel?
Put it in SD and update it? or do I do it the ADB way by putting the kernel in the tools folder and with command prompt?

I ran stock for quite awhile after buying this phone because I didn't see any need for custom ROMs with vanilla Android. But I finally decided to give it a shot, and I'd never go back. Vanilla is great, but CM7 and all the other Custom Roms for the Nexus S (Axura, Modaco, etc) all bring more great features and customizations. If nothing else, however, I'd at least root and flash a custom kernel with stock - so you can have some overclock goodness
Edit: In specific reference to your post's questions, I run Axura, and I get both better battery life AND what seems to be a snappier phone (Axura has Netarchy 1.2.5 kernel baked right in). On CM7 I didn't notice much of a speed boost, and I think my battery life might have actually been a little worse, but CM7 packs in a lot of extra features. So it all comes down to preference.

apreichner said:
How's the stability of CM7 on the NS. I just upgraded from my G1 to the NS yesterday, and I was thinking of just running stock until CM7 goes final.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CM7 will never go final, until its time for CM8. its always being inproved.

cyberdentist said:
I have CM7 RC2 and i find that my battery drains faster. How do I flash Netarchy kernel?
Put it in SD and update it? or do I do it the ADB way by putting the kernel in the tools folder and with command prompt?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes. put it in SD, boot into CWR
flash .zip
and you're done.. its the same as flashing a ROM
and as far as battery life.. make sure you disabled latitude (automatic and that other feature) in CM7.. not sure if its still working even though if latitude is disabled, id disable it anyway

apreichner said:
How's the stability of CM7 on the NS. I just upgraded from my G1 to the NS yesterday, and I was thinking of just running stock until CM7 goes final.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was so happy with my stock NS that I'd not bothered with CM (my ROM of choice on Nexus 1) until just two days ago. In the first 24 hours I had two issues that I've not had, or at least not seen in a very long time.
First issue - I was at 84% battery after about 4 hours. Put the phone to the side of my desk and 3 hours later it was 100% drained to 0 battery juice. Status graph showed nothing unusual, not long wakelocks, no time without cell signal, screen on only 1.5 hours.
Second issue - 24 hours after install, while listening to a podcast with my long time app for those that's not given crash issues, the playback goes into a constant stutter loop for about 30 seconds, then the phone rebooted.
EDIT: a third issue, happening right as I type this. I'm happily tethered away on my laptop via the NS with CM7, but I just went to check something on the screen and the phone is locked up...won't respond to power button. Screen is black, menu buttons are lit. Still tethering me, though.
Seems there are still some slight issues. I did full wipe/format before installing and am on the stock CM7 kernel still.
cyberdentist said:
I have CM7 RC2 and i find that my battery drains faster. How do I flash Netarchy kernel?
Put it in SD and update it? or do I do it the ADB way by putting the kernel in the tools folder and with command prompt?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's an update.zip file you flash from CW recovery. I agree CM7 appears to be harder on the battery.
simms22 said:
CM7 will never go final, until its time for CM8. its always being inproved.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suppose that you're technically correct that CM mods never go final because they're always improved, but all prior iterations of CM at least got out of BETA/ReleaseCandidate status at some point.
I fully expect that CM7 will eventually see a version that doesn't have a beta, nightly or RC tacked on to the end of it. Then we'll see all the .x releases with their betas/rc, etc.
I was going to hold off on CM7 until it was past RC stage because I feared it would have some issues, despite all the glowing reports, and it does, but not enough for me to go back to stock. Probably time to flash netarchy on top of this.

zephiK said:
yes. put it in SD, boot into CWR
flash .zip
and you're done.. its the same as flashing a ROM
and as far as battery life.. make sure you disabled latitude (automatic and that other feature) in CM7.. not sure if its still working even though if latitude is disabled, id disable it anyway
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't even activated latitude . I don't have background data enabled either. Not sure what is killing the battery life in CM7 ..

Also, if you're interested. Check out frank707's "NS Collab" ROM. It's basically CM7 without ADW launcher, which is good if you like using CM7 but miss the stock launcher or just frankly don't like ADW.

cyberdentist said:
I haven't even activated latitude . I don't have background data enabled either. Not sure what is killing the battery life in CM7 ..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hence why i said.. not sure if its still working even though if latitude is disabled, id disable it anyway

I have tried CM7 and felt that its bugs and constant state of upgrading and updating to fix things caused me too many issues for daily use.
I do think that CM7 does perform a bit better than the other ROMS due to it being AOSP based but i feel thats why there are also some of these bugs.
I have been using AXURA by Master and its been flawless for me, the one issue I had with a reboot was due to testing a new overclock, but now I keep it at 1200 max ondemand and it hasn't gave me any issues, The lack of full easy theme support like CM7 is a con but the performance is up there with CM7 and the stability is sooo much better for me, I feel this is because its the Stock 2.3.3 ROM that has been decomplied and tweaked and then compiled again.
Its worth looking at some of the other options as well.

Updating kernel to Netarchy

I've owned my Nexus for a few months and have noticed that if I were to update my Kernel to Netarchy I could potentially overclock to 1.2 Ghz.
I'm interested in doing this but would like to know if anybody could answer these questions before I get stuck in.
1. Does my phone need to be rooted?
2. Will the Kernel work in the UK with T-mobile?
3. Will overclocking reduce battery performance?
4. Do I need to be running a custom ROM to use the new kernel?
Thanks in advance

JTopaz said:
I've owned my Nexus for a few months and have noticed that if I were to update my Kernel to Netarchy I could potentially overclock to 1.2 Ghz.
I'm interested in doing this but would like to know if anybody could answer these questions before I get stuck in.
1. Does my phone need to be rooted?
2. Will the Kernel work in the UK with T-mobile?
3. Will overclocking reduce battery performance?
4. Do I need to be running a custom ROM to use the new kernel?
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. You just need Clockwork Recovery, but at that point.. you might as well get root.
2. Kernels work with any carrier. Carrier is not a factor, it just depends on what ROM you use.
3. possibly (not sure about this)
4. No but since you have to unlock your bootloader to put this kernel on, your settings will be wiped. So you might as well try a custom ROM.
You can't get dirty down with kernels and not try ROMs. You have to fully get dirty. What you're saying is like putting one hand in a muddy pool, you just have to put both hands in the muddy pool

Cheers for the tips!
I'm going to get so stuck in that pool of mud I might never make it out!
Just another question (the dreaded noob question) whats the easiest way to root?

JTopaz said:
Cheers for the tips!
I'm going to get so stuck in that pool of mud I might never make it out!
Just another question (the dreaded noob question) whats the easiest way to root?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's only one way to root lol. The Nexus S is one of the few phones that are the easiest to unlock unless you count lazy one clicks.
Here are some guides to help you get started:
I9020/I9020T: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=895545
I9020A/I9023: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1007782
^^ You can find out what model you have by going to Settings -> About Phone -> Baseband Version
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1031760 is also another good thread to figure out what version of the NS you have.
E.G. mines is I9020XXKB3
If you get stuck, you can message me or whatever and I'd be more than happy to assist you.
You also have to go through each and every ROM to see which offers the most functionality for you based on added features. I have to say though, Netarchy's kernel (as you mentioned in OP) is a necessity. It's more stable than the stock kernel (surprisingly!) and offers a lot of goodies!

@zephiK: I have already taken a look over the Netarchy's kernel info/changelog, but could you please note the important differences between stock and Netarchy CFS ? Just the important ones, don't go into detail if you don't want/have time. Because, even if I have read the info, I still don't see some major differences (I don't count the Voodoo configs). Maybe I'm blind, lol. Please enlighten me.

I've just rooted and applied Cyanogen CM7 to my Nexus S.
I was wondering if anybody knows how to get the stock app drawer back? I dislike ADW launcher.

lambda30 said:
@zephiK: I have already taken a look over the Netarchy's kernel info/changelog, but could you please note the important differences between stock and Netarchy CFS ? Just the important ones, don't go into detail if you don't want/have time. Because, even if I have read the info, I still don't see some major differences (I don't count the Voodoo configs). Maybe I'm blind, lol. Please enlighten me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Voodoo configs are enough to make you switch to be honest. Voodoo Sound is simply amazing, it can't be explained. Go use it for yourself and you'll notice the difference. Voodoo Color makes the color much better. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1002090 for the best Color settings.
All the features of Netarchy's kernel are in his thread. I don't have to restate what Netarchy said in his OP post.
But the main highlights are the EXT4 performance boost. This was missing from the stock kernel which significantly increases your phone's speed.
Raised default read-ahead value from 128 to 2048 (read: sd speed tweak built-in, scripts not necessary)
BLN: Want your LED notifications back? BLN is your solution.
OC/UV: Playing with Undervolts causes better battery life.
but overall.. experience with netarchy is faster and better battery life (without even modifying UV)
@JTopaz: You can either get ADW Launcher or LauncherPro from the market. The ADW from CM7 is different from the market one.
If you really want stock launcher, download: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=933517

So, essentially, it's faster with EXT4 and, at the same time, has better battery life than stock kernel ? What exactly improves battery life ?
Also, about ADW launcher. Does the one from CM7 come with a 3D launcher ?
Yea, I know these may be dumb questions, but there are question like these that don't actually have an answer lying around. Or at least I didn't find it. Yes, like I said, I have read netarchy's posts. But I was reaching for a more elaborate explanation; like: EXT4 improves performance in aplications where rendering bla bla bla bla, because it uses more available resources that bla bla bla. So that I could understand where that performance boost comes from and where it should be available, if I would actually need it, or whatever. Same applies to battery life. Why does it have better battery life ? It under-clocks in certain moments, etc. etc. ?

lambda30 said:
So, essentially, it's faster with EXT4 and, at the same time, has better battery life than stock kernel ? What exactly improves battery life ?
Also, about ADW launcher. Does the one from CM7 come with a 3D launcher ?
Yea, I know these may be dumb questions, but there are question like these that don't actually have an answer lying around. Or at least I didn't find it. Yes, like I said, I have read netarchy's posts. But I was reaching for a more elaborate explanation; like: EXT4 improves performance in aplications where rendering bla bla bla bla, because it uses more available resources that bla bla bla. So that I could understand where that performance boost comes from and where it should be available, if I would actually need it, or whatever. Same applies to battery life. Why does it have better battery life ? It under-clocks in certain moments, etc. etc. ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone is already using EXT4 but its missing a optimization thing. I don't want to go full in details about it. If you want to know whats it about, search for it on the forums. I believe it was supercurio that found it.
What improves battery life is the tweaks. Just use it, if you don't like it you can revert back to stock. I'm not apart of the Netarchy marketing department. I'm telling you to use it, if you dont want to use it im not going to try and persuade u to do so. It's your choice, I'm just saying do it.. im not going to beg you to do it.
As about ADW.. I don't know, the ADW included with CM7 is different from the ADW on the market. The ADW on the market does have 3D launcher, I use ADW EX (paid version of ADW which includes new features).
Edit: Here is the post about EXT4 found by supercurio. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=876069
It also includes a tweak that increases your SDcard I/O speed. And it's real, not the fake quadrant hack [this tweak is not EXT4.. its something else]
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1023664
^
I even said im not a marketer but im just going to lay these right here. If this doesn't convince you then I don't know what would.
Ending story: Make a nandroid backup, flash Netarchy's 1.3.0.6 kernel.
Try it... don't like it? do a nandroid restore
Like it? well..... you just gave another +10 to loving your phone much more.

I tried flashing my kernel to netarchy however when I rebooted my NS it just displayed a Google logo with the unlocked padlock. The rom I was using at the time was CM7.
I left it a few minutes but it was frozen on that screen. Restored a Nandroid backup and now up and running again.
What did I do wrong? I'm rooted with an unlocked bootloader. I really like the look of the stock rom so can I just update my kernel and then overclock?

JTopaz said:
I tried flashing my kernel to netarchy however when I rebooted my NS it just displayed a Google logo with the unlocked padlock. The rom I was using at the time was CM7.
I left it a few minutes but it was frozen on that screen. Restored a Nandroid backup and now up and running again.
What did I do wrong? I'm rooted with an unlocked bootloader. I really like the look of the stock rom so can I just update my kernel and then overclock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you download the CFS CM7 version? There are four versions of the kernel. And yes you can use stock + netarchy. You just have to download the one for stock ROMs.

zephiK, I think you got me wrong. I'm not opposed to netarchy's kernel, or any kernel in particular. I am a more technical kind of person, that's why I put these kind of detailed questions, not because I want to find something wrong with those kernels, just for the sake of it. And yes, I know you don't advertise his kernel, or, again, any other kernel. I know that. I was just doing what I always do, trying to find out as much as I can about the update/modification that I'm going to perform on my phone, so that I won't break it and then come crying here for help like an idiot.
So thanks a lot for the info, I really appreciate that you took the time to write me back.
I have, in the meantime, applied the CM7 ROM with it's ADW launcher. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a 3D launcher, but the whole ROM has lots and lots of features that really make it better than stock. If netarchy's (or other) kernel has the same outstanding difference than stock, then yes, I would be stunned. Anyway, I will look more into it, then I'll see what I'm going to do. Thanks a lot again !

Kernels

Can anyone explain to me what kernels are what is their function? I noticed that the update did not change my kernel. Is that a bad thing that they did not include a new one in the update? Also I am voinv to be installing xboarxers stock. Rom first to root the phone and I want know if I should chance the kernal and what effect it will have. I am taking small steps because want to understand what I am doing. Thank for any help you guys can give me.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App

The kernel is the lowest point in the system. It controls how the software communicates with the hardware: how the CPU behaves, how the buttons behave, how the screen functions, etc.
The main use of custom kernels is to Overclock and Undervolt. OC means pushing your CPU to be faster than it was ever intended to be; you get better performance but if overclocked too long, it will be damaged. Worst case scenario, you will literally melt your motherboard. But this is only a danger if you leave it overclocked 24/7 and constantly push the CPU to its limits (playing 3d games for instance)
Faux's kernel can OC to 1.5 GHz and Morfic's can OC to 1.1.
The next common use is Undervolting, which means giving your CPU less electricity than it would like. This again is extremely dangerous if not done properly, but yields noticeably better battery life. Morfic's is the best for UV IMO, though you cannot change the undervolting, he has it locked into what he has found to be the best. And this isn't necessarily a bad thing, as too much UVing will cause potentially serious stability issues with the device. It's not nearly as dangerous as improper OCing (it won't permanently ruin the hardware) but it is a danger. Faux's lets you UV to your heart's content.
Faux's is better if you want performance, because it has higher OC. Morfic's is better if you want battery life, because it has better UV and the CPU clock speeds themselves are better tuned for lower speeds than higher ones.

I absolutely love my faux kernel. its at 1.4 and amazing battery life. The screen sensitivity is awesome. Honestly its all prefrence.... I won't go away from cm7w/ faux
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA Premium App

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kernel_%28computing%29
I'd start here. Or just google info on the linux kernel (since that's what android runs on top of.)

Can you flash faux kernel on top of bionix 2
Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using XDA App

When you flash a kernel, you just need to know what the base of it is to pick the proper one. There are really only 3 bases at the moment:
1. Stock 2.2 That'd be faux's .5, and I know morfic has some older 2.2 based kernels in his thread.
2. Stock 2.3 (Which faux is working on now, there are a couple floating around)
3. CM7 Faux and morfic both have kernels that work here. (2.3.4 and 2.3.5 based roms use this, miui, and of course cm7 )
Bionix is based on 2.2 (Which I haven't actually checked, but I'm sure it's in the first post.)
For most of them, just read the first post, or even the title. It'll say what it's based on, and then you can flash whatever you want. Just always do a nandroid backup before, you never know if you might for whatever reason have to flash back. If you don't, you need to reinstall your rom (or manually change the kernel and modules, of course) to get back to what the rom came with.
Happy flashing.

If i am running stock rooted GB OTA, can I flash faux's latest Kernel 006 with ext4?? Or do you have to have an ext4 rom to be able to flash ext4 kernels?
Thanks.

Thanks a lot that shed some light on. The subject
So it appears that the dev will tell you which mernels arw compatible with their rom in the thread for that particilar rom. If I want to use eglesblood which is 2.3.4 or.5 xan I use tbe stock kernel? Also what is the difference between the .3 .4 and .5 in the gingerbread make is that carrier specific or moel specific like the blackbwrry 8520 is for tmo and 8530 is for sprint?
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App

2.3.4 and 2.3.5 are based on cm7 code, so you'd use the cm7 based kernel. (LG hasn't given us 2.3.4 or 2.3.5).
As far as ext4, it's a different file system is all. Faux's kernels mount the data and system partitions as ext4, but don't actually convert them. Morfic's do a full convert. Ext3/4 support is in the kernel, not the rom, so as long as the kernel supports it you can do it. (Which every custom kernel I've seen supports ext4)
If you want more information, google is your friend. Here is a pretty simplistic explanation of the ext2,3,and 4.
http://www.thegeekstuff.com/2011/05/ext2-ext3-ext4/
As for the differences, 2.3.3 to 2.3.4 had some major framework changes. 2.3.4 to 2.3.5 seems to be only minor bugfixes. If you want full changelogs, I'd google them.

So if I want to use eglesblood then I have to change the kernel too? Do I have to do it separately or is it included in the rom?
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App

You never *need* to change kernels. Using the kernel that comes with the roms works just fine. Only time you need to change kernels is if you want to overclock, (never really saw the point in it, and quadrant benchmarks are useless.) want tun or cifs support, undervolting, ext4, etc.
If you don't need any of those things, or don't know what they are, just stick with the kernel that comes with the rom.

Okay that's cool so all I have to do is put EB on my SD card and flash away I am thinking about starting simple first with either xboarders stock or tweeked
.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App

[Q] What rom and Kernal for G2x

Tonight i moved to cm7, if im not mistaken it is the latest nightly thats been release.
Specs as followed: Mod Verision: CynaogenMod-7-08312011-NIGHTLY-G2x
Build Number: GRJ90
CPU Info: ARMv7 Processor rev 0 (v71)
Kernel Version: 2.6.32.45-cyanogenmod
Android Version: 2.3.5
Please give me inputs and thoughts as to which kernal and rom combo would get me the biggest improvments I'm really looking to be wowed as much as i was when i upgraded from my G2 to the amazing G2x now i want more. Sorry for all the run on and this not being short.
Please leave personal information/reviews of your suggestions if you can. i know there will be a few different options and I've been loading the roms and setting everything up and backing up and trying new ones that way i can "Hot Swap" Rom if i want to change on the fly.
Thanks Again,
Jon

The first i have ever tried was the CM7 Nightly Build124 and had running with Faux123v0.4.1 Kernel. Great ROM and wicked fast and ok battery life. Then i moved onto Weapon G2X v2.5 but noticed it wasn't quite as fast as CM7 so i decided i wanted to try a different ROM but with a CM7 base. So i tried Eagleblood 1.9. Fast but wasn't stable and battery life sucked. Then i thought i'd give MIUI a try. After first boot up, i really wasn't feeling the whole iPhone feel...but as i got to play around with the different themes ande theme edits, i thought to myself: this is it. It's the perfect blend of iPhone functionality and simplicity along with Android endless customizations and amazing speed. Now my G2X feels like the best phone out there.
But it's really a personal preference. It's your phone and you want it enjoy it the way you want to.
Oh and its always good to have other ROMS and kernels as backup on your SD card.

yea id definately like to stay away from iphone anything, i really like android , bought my first android when the g1 first came to tmob, and been a fan ever since (tried windows mob 6 and despised how laggy it was) , ive played with iphones and do not like the lay out, i love the simplicity and customization of android roms and all, so id like to stick to something similar just looking for different internals to increase performance and battery life, all the features are fine pretty much , i wish it was as easy as computers just upgrading the ram inside the phone but i highly doubt we can upgrade from 512 mb of ram to 1 gb or more but can miui be swapped away from the iphone look/feel? i tried running cm7 with faux kernal but everytime i attempt to load the kernal zip from rebooting into recovery and loading zip from sd card, i get tossed into a boot loop (lg boot image, then switches to lg boot image with a blue and black loading bar, just keeps swapping back and forth between the two) so i end up recoverying to either my gb stable or a cm7 with stock kernal .

Yes ofcourse. With MIUI you can always run a different Launcher...like Go Launcher Pro or ADW. But the MIUI launcher is what sets it apart from all others...its very easy to customize. Here's the MIUI themes thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1183979
Oh and to avoid bootloop...whenever you flash a new kernel always wipe cache and wipe dalvik cache. sometimes it helps if you fix permissions as well.

Ill check it out, are you running the faux kernal on the miui rom?
Thanks ill try whiping the dalvic and cache before flashing. And ill check out the miui thread you posted. Is there a faster kernal out there besides faux

The best performance and battery life combo I've experienced so far is CM7 with faux's kernel.
I've tried various different roms so far and my experience has been that anything based on stock LGE roms (such as EB and Weapon), although a big improvement over stock, is still plagued with incompatibilities and instability.
For example gtalk video doesn't work on anything based on stock, and netflix still doesn't work despite the most recent update providing compatibility with all froyo and gingerbread devices. Also because of LG's buggy bluetooth stack, you cant use wii or sixaxis controllers... pretty sillly on a fast phone capable of emulating N64 and PSX without lag and supports HDMI out.
That said CM7 is the best bet as long as you don't mind not being able to use a2dp... as far as I'm concerned its a small price to pay for all the extra functionality, battery life and speed CM7 brings to my phone.
I've also tried some CM7 based roms, but have never seen a big enough improvement to stray away from official CM7 or a kang such as fitsnugly's.
Right now I am using fitsnugly's kang.
As far as kernels go, I've experienced at least a 30% increase in battery life on faux's CM7 kernel maybe more. He has two versions, I recommend the one with the CM battery driver because the DS driver will make you want to pull your hair out.
Also I would recommend getting the July 15th baseband via the lg updater tool. It improves battery life and makes GPS lock instantly.

based on your last post of you bringing up that lge buggy blue tooth driver, i just purchased a new headset, Jawbone Icon, it syncs and connects with my phone just fine but when i attempt to make calls or answer calls no audio can be heard by bluetooth device, and unknown if my speech is heard on the other end. is this a conflict related to the bluetooth stack provided by lge

Jon_Mull said:
Ill check it out, are you running the faux kernal on the miui rom?
Thanks ill try whiping the dalvic and cache before flashing. And ill check out the miui thread you posted. Is there a faster kernal out there besides faux
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yur welcome. As far as the fastest kernel, Trinity15 is quite fast too but i always seemed to prefer Faux for some reasons.

so i wiped the davlic and cache, reinstalled the cm7 rom , it loaded right, restarted a second time and went back into recovery , and attempted to load the faux kernal i have loaded on my sd card, i again cleared dalvick and cache, and ran fix permissions, it appears it was going to do boot loop after i restarted but instead got to the s/w ugrading screen, but it sat there for approximately 5 minutes before i decided to restore back to previous settings

Weren't you already running CM7?
Did you flash a newer nightly or something?
Also, make sure the faux kernel you downloaded was the right one. One is intended for CM7 and one is for stock GB, they have separate threads.
If you are sure you flashed the one intended for CM7 and it was the undervolted one, try the standard voltage.
Also based on your post I'm not sure what order you did things in but after wiping cache and dalvik, flash the kernel then fix permissions.
Good luck.

Best, Stable ROM?

So frustrated with this stupid phone. My daughter has been using it and it's slow, crashes a lot and always running out of internal storage.
Is there a STABLE ROM that has all working features that would help with the issues I'm having? I'd like something where everything (i.e. camera, wifi calling, rotation, decent battery life, etc.) is working as it should. Don't necessarily need the newest version of android, just something that will alleviate the problems I'm having without breaking anything.
Do the custom ROMs fix the problem of the extremely limited internal storage on this phone?
Thanks in advance.

Look for AntonX's Barebones in the Dev section. If you have any curiosity regarding the ROM - read through the ROM thread.

I'll second that.

Like lumin said, barebones is your best bet if you want every feature working.

The most stable ROM out there is stock. Other than that Barebones.

Good advice. I actually wound up going that way before I saw these replies.
I installed Basic with a Twist kernel, which then gave me CWM and then installed Barebones.
Went smoothly, no need at all for a data wipe. It freed some extra internal storage. Seems to be a lot smoother now, but that's really just my initial observation.
I came from stock/rooted KJ6. What's the details behind it actually running smoother with the new kernel and ROM? What exactly makes it faster if anything?

I agree, I'm running Barebones with the basic with a twist kernel. Excellent in terms of functionality and stability. Just throw on a nice launcher and enjoy! Also been on the battery for 13 hours, with moderate use. (Light Facebook and texting, app downloading) and barely at 45% battery life.
I believe the custom Kernel that antonx designed is the reason for the speed/smoothness.

These threads usually get axed by a moderator, because the best rom is the one you like.
It's a preference.
I still like gb valhalla black by RaverX3X with my Blastoff v2.5 kernel. But that's what I like. Then, of course I use a different launcher, and tweak the rom to my liking, by the time I'm done making the rom perfect, I blow it away with another cm9-aries build that is still broken.... :sigh:
The problem with these threads is someone will say that a rom someone else likes sucks and the trolls feed on this negativity and multiply in numbers until someone finally gives in and reports the thread. (usually me)

bhundven said:
These threads usually get axed by a moderator, because the best rom is the one you like.
It's a preference.
I still like gb valhalla black by RaverX3X with my Blastoff v2.5 kernel. But that's what I like. Then, of course I use a different launcher, and tweak the rom to my liking, by the time I'm done making the rom perfect, I blow it away with another cm9-aries build that is still broken.... :sigh:
The problem with these threads is someone will say that a rom someone else likes sucks and the trolls feed on this negativity and multiply in numbers until someone finally gives in and reports the thread. (usually me)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand. I did give my definition of what a "best" ROM is so I'd expect that people would make suggestions geared to that, not necessarily what they like. From reading some of the threads, it seems like my needs would eliminate any ICS ROM.
I did have one random reboot with the basic with a twist/barebones combo, so that's something I have to keep an eye on.
This is my daughter's phone. I really have no interest in constantly tweaking this or getting too far away from stock. All I wanted was a to have something that wasn't as slow/laggy and to free up some system space.
Right now, I'm good with what I have. I'm still curious as to why either the kernel or the ROM would reduce lag/improve speed?
Which of these features contributes most to that and why when comparing to pure stock? ext4 file system? jhash3? build.prop/init.d tweaks? I really have no idea.
Thanks again to everyone.
Kernel
Features
initramfs from TeamAcid, including CWM5, SuperSU, forced ext4, etc.
Usual CIFS, TUN. I didn't include FUSE, if anybody needs it let me know.
BLN. Use BLN Control app from market to activate.
Voodoo Sound so paid app is not needed. Voodoo Sound app from market is required. Once installed, enable Smart Amplifier, it's the best thing you can do to improve music listening experience with our phone.
jhash3 for faster hash calculations. Used widely across the kernel, especially in networking.
OC/UV support with extended frequency table. Added 600Mhz, 900Mhz, 1.1Ghz, 1.2 Ghz, 1.3 Ghz, 1.4 Ghz. Use SetCPU or Xan's Voltage Control to enable and control frequency and voltages. Tegrak can be used only with no-OC/UV version.
ondemandX and smartassV2 governors. One of these should probably be preferred over stock ondemand. Change with SetCPU or similar.
TinyRCU. More lightweight version, it fits better our single CPU system.
Swap support, although I don't recommend using it.
SIO and BFQ I/O schedulers in addition to noop, deadline, and cfq that we already have.
ROM
Features
Will not wipe your programs or data, /data is preserved upon install
Heavily debloated. Most essentials apps are still there (like WiFi Calling)
No extra programs added, you need to add your own
ODEXed to save space in /data
CarrierIQ is completely removed
Extended Power Menu (including Screenshot)
Extended Quick Panel (10 buttons, including Data toggle)
1% battery (horizontal)
CRT-Off
Time zone version 2012b
/etc/hosts to cut ads out of the box (keep up to date with AdAway or similar)
Few conservative presets in build.prop and init.d
Basic with a Twist 1.1.3 kernel included

Hey man, from what u said bout the storage, I recommend u buy a 16/32 GB class 4-10, format it w 1-4 GB ext4 and use the app2sd or link2sd script then u dont have to worry bout those internal low storage
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daothanhduy1996 said:
Hey man, from what u said bout the storage, I recommend u buy a 16/32 GB class 4-10, format it w 1-4 GB ext4 and use the app2sd or link2sd script then u dont have to worry bout those internal low storage
Sent from my SGH-T959V using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have an SD card, I have app2sd and link2sd, but there's only so much I can move over. I'm still down to 110MB of internal storage.
I'm not sure what you mean by formatting part of the sd card as ext4. Is that some additional trick that allows me to move more things to it? Is there a thread for that somewhere?

Take a look at fota fix in the play store (market). It frees up some room. At this point, Samsung probably won't send us an update.

champ1919 said:
Take a look at fota fix in the play store (market). It frees up some room. At this point, Samsung probably won't send us an update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That bumped me up to about 177MB. I guess that'll hold me over for a bit.

Titanium backup has a couple cool features. Integrate updates into Rom and integrate dalvik cache into Rom. That should free up some more room.

Vote for cm9.1 unofficial w/ LZ kernel and never look back.
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Can't wait for jellybean
If I helped out, hit the thanks button.

For me i've found AntonX's Barebones to be the most stable.

I can relate, my 14yr old daughter's phone is also the SGS4g, actually my buddy Krylon's old phone, so you know it's got some miles on it, lol. (Sorry shameless name dropping, I know)
For her we went with AOKP from Team Acid and Team Kang. Phenomenal battery for a custom ROM, thanks to a great kernel and a little diligence to make sure the phone hits deep sleep. The ROM has been rock solid and has a ton of fun features for her to play with.
I was very worried about the battery draining fast during the day and the phone being dead when she might need it most. Any custom ROM would be a bit of a risk. To state the obvious here, cell phones are a critical line between child and parent these days and this phone and ROM have not let us down at all. I was very concerned for reliability and chose this phone and ROM over my old Vibrant. The Vibrant has far more options and development behind it, but so many times I would pick it up and have a problem.. for me it was big fun, but for my daughter we needed a more stable platform. Certainly nothing to take lightly.

I had the same problem with mine being slow and having a lack of internal storage. I installed remics with the hefe kernel and before I started installing apps I had 324 mb of internal storage free and my phone runs much faster and much more stable then when I was on stock or Gingerbread roms. My phone was running so badly before doing this that most games wouldn't even work and now all games that I have tried work well and I'm not running out of internal storage anymore.
PS. Switch to Nova Launcher which runs much better then the default launcher.

Best battery life: stock or stock based ROMs
Best stability: stock
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