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Hi, I am a relative newbie to ROM flashing and the like. Additionally I dont have a very deep computer knowledge base. I have rooted my Samsung Captivate and have flashed a ROM (which flashed properly, but didn't quite work). I have three questions about ROM usage and such:
1. I know kernels basically add aspects to the ROM you are running, but when should you flash these? How do you flash them (same process as with ROMs? do you just do it over-top of the Rom you currently have loaded? etc...)
2. If a newer version of the ROM you have running comes out, do you have to start over and completely wipe the device over again and do the whole process from start, or can you load a newer version of your current ROM over the one you have?
3. I have been hearing/reading about some problems with the Android Market disappearing on certain ROMs when the market updates, how can i avoid this/fix this?
Thanks. Sorry the basic/stupid questions.
1. Yes
2. There are WIPE versions and NO WIPE version. Usually you can use the NO WIPE version and keep everything. But sometimes if the roms are too different you get problems and errors, then it is recommended to flash a WIPE version.
3. Hm did not experience this yet, but there are fixes somewhere .
Whats up... No question is a stupid one buddy.... (Sometimes )
To answer your first question about kernels. Flashing kernels aren't a must. You don't have to flash them really, unless there is a need. Kernels for the most part can often change the way Android handles stuff like memory management, battery resources and even multitasking. They change (tweak) the way the Android OS itself interacts with the phones hardware. That's all a kernel is really. So read up on them before flashing them because each has their advantages and disadvantages. For example, the kernel I use gives me a good RAM boost and much better battery life but it suffers on the multitasking side and I have to do other stuff to compensate for that. That's how it is. As far as flashing them is concerned. That depends. Usually, you just flash them through recovery (Like a ROM) but I would suggest you follow the instructions they give you (if it exists).
Your second question is simple. Just follow the instructions they give you for installation. Some ROMS require a full wipe and others don't. It just depends on the ROM. When in doubt, follow the instructions (again if it exists).
Your third question is a weird one, I've never heard about that really. BUT.... Some ROMS may or may not include the GAPPS applications (Google Apps).
If the ROM you flash doesn't have Google Apps built in, it would literally be missing. You would have to flash it separately. Usually in those cases though, at the download location for that ROM, they would also provide links for GAPPS zip files to flash separately so you can have the option to go with Android Market, Gmail and such OR you can use an alternative. Short of that..... never heard of that issue before..... If the issue is happening after the Market app updates, in that case it might be some type of ROM issue, you'll probably have to somehow get the updated Vending.apk (Android Market) remove/backup the original and reinstall it manually (the way you would a regular apk). I'm guessing though....
Don't you just love research........
Thanks. And now, inevitably, answers lead to more questions.
With regards to kernels, how do I know which one's do what, are compatible with which ROMs etc. I feel like its the kinda thing that needs a giant database for them, but i know there isn't.
Also, is the process for flashing other .zip files the same (though either Rom manager or a built in Recovery option). For example, a bootanimation.zip?
Ultimately I hate the idea of asking overly simply questions, but I just don't know what I dont know, nor what is supposedly implied. Thanks.
Don't sweat it...... I'm in the same boat so I have no hangups....
I think I know what you mean when it comes to kernels. Ultimately, learning about kernels requires a lot of reading in many forums (Just like this one)... Why?.... Because in many instances the persons posting the kernels might not always give you an exact breakdown on exactly what it does..... so I understand. Your best bet would be scanning XDA. I've found all sorts of really excellent kernels lying around and the devs here love documentation so there is a good chance you'll know what it does...
You could also try DroidBasement: http://droidbasement.com/db-blog/
They actually have just what you wanted, a database....kind of. They have a very large variety of kernels for different devices so its a good place to start as well.
They also tend to do a breakdown of what each kernel is capable of, the device it should be used on and so on.
About flashing zip files. Generally speaking, most zip files are flashed through recovery but its not written in stone. Following the instructions concerning said zip files are always very important. Always look for instructions before you do so at least at first. In the case of bootanimation.zip.... They are not always flashable. But if it is flashable, you can flash it through recovery which would be the best method....
If you want though, you can replace the original bootanimation.zip file with the new one manually, once you have root and some type of root explorer (for example RootExplorer for Android).
Generally, the boot animation directory is usually, /System/Media so you can check to see if its there and if it is, just backup the original and replace it with the new one.... That should work... Always nandroid before doing so though.... before doing anything really....
Thanks. I actually had a question about nandroid but forgot. Basically, what is it. I realize contextually that it's a backup program and apparently works through the recovery menus. I read a ROM flashing step-by-step that mentioned it but couldnt figure out where to get it (not in the market unlike Ti-bu which i use currently).
Nandroid is a backup program that basically creates a flash image of your phone... If you've ever heard of "Ghosting" or "Imaging" a Hard Drive, its exactly the same thing.
Its really as good as it gets as far as data backup is concerned. Its also a low level backup, so even file structures would be recorded.. In other words, you can completely screw up your phone (file partitions everything!!!!) but once you can boot to recovery, your phone can be restored. That's why its so important because its your safety net....
Its not something that you can install like an apk, so its not in the market.
You would have to flash a custom recovery. If you have one already, it should be located in one of the menus (It changes depending on the type (brand) of recovery).
If you don't see the option in your recovery then its probably not custom and you're going to have to do some digging on these forums and maybe a bit of googling for instructions on exactly how to do so. Because it could change from device to device.
Nandroid also allows you to backup your sd-ext partition as well, so if you switch cards, you can restore to another card.... Its really incredibly handy and I wouldn't suggest you do anything until you can create nandroid backups....
Now, I'm having an interesting problem I posted this same thing in general Captivate forums but maybe someone who is looking at this/answering me knows. here's what i posted there:
have a Captivate that I recently flashed Di11i's 7.1.1 to, before that I had flashed my first ROM which was Serendipity 6.2. Both times I have found that I don't get incoming calls. People calling me get 2-3 rings, and then a traditional "busy signal" sound. On my end, either the phone vibrates once but the screen doesnt change from whatever screen I'm on. Or, The screen goes black like its going to the incoming call screen, but the black screens only flashes and goes away, as does a force close message box that goes away quickly without me clicking it.
Everything else on my phone works as far as I can tell, I've been running my current ROM for about 5 days without issues other than this one. This same exact problem also happened when I flashed Serendipity 6.2 (which I only kept for like a day because of this problem)
Ok....I currently use a G1 and most of my experience has been on HTC Devices. I'm not sure of how to reply to this as I have never really modded Samsung devices before. So I'm not really familiar with software and hardware differences (Like Bootloader, Recoveries, Radios and such). But based on what you're describing.... It sounds like a ROM or maybe a radio issue. Maybe its an issue with the phone app itself. If the app is somehow buggy then thats exactly what would happen. When the phone rings the phone app would try to run but then force close....
I'm guessing here, but it could also be a radio issue because you're getting a busy tone as well which is not good. Maybe the ROM requires a specific Radio version BEFORE its flashed.... Check the source of the download and determine if it requires a specific Radio version.
In my experience though, if the correct radio version isn't used for a ROM that requires it, the phone just won't boot..... but then again, I don't know what would happen on a Samsung Captivate.... Not sure if I can help on this one because I don't have any info on that type of hardware. I don't own one you see.....
What about if you found out a new kernel isn't as good as the old kernel, how would you go on to take away the new kernel to replace it with the old kernel? Is it the same process or even harder?
vlen22 said:
What about if you found out a new kernel isn't as good as the old kernel, how would you go on to take away the new kernel to replace it with the old kernel? Is it the same process or even harder?
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Click to collapse
NOW THIS IS ANNOYING..
u have to flash ur rom again..
but fortunately u dont need to do and wiping data or partitioning sd card.. jus flash rom..
Its not something that you can install like an apk, so its not in the market.
zeemar007 said:
NOW THIS IS ANNOYING..
u have to flash ur rom again..
but fortunately u dont need to do and wiping data or partitioning sd card.. jus flash rom..
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Click to collapse
The rom kernel that I downloaded, or flashing clockwork recovery mod? Like adrenylyne's kernel for the thunderbolt.
EDIT: Never mind, I found out. I didn't mean any harm if MY POST was annoying.
If you have two kernels, in a flashable zip, you can just flash them over each other to exchange them (turn off any modification the kernel did befor though, like lagfix).
New question, I had an app (quick office) that came on my captivate. Now that I've flashed di11i's 7.1 I don't have it anymore. This is particularly peculiar because all the other native apps are still here:samsungs media player from example. How do I go about getting this missing app back on my phone. I have all the backup files on my computer so I should have the .apk (although I'm not entirely sure how to install those properly) thanks
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Well whaddaya know, the HTC Desire has taken on a new amazing feat; it can now dual boot ROMs. While I sit here in jealousy I must ask, how is this possible? I mean is it device specific? I'd love to dual boot on myTouch, I have 3 SD Cards just laying around chilling, and they would be really useful for this.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1173309
We're always missing out on some, this is on many htc devices I've noticed, including things like the Cwm4 recovery. I wish I could help get those things on our phones.
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What is dual boot?
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Google: What is dual boot? ANSWER: A dual boot system is a computer system in which two operating systems are installed on the same hard drive, allowing either operating system to be loaded and given control. When you turn the computer on, a boot manager program displays a menu, allowing you to choose the operating system you wish to use.
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In our case it would be the device your using is partitioned for two seperate areas in which two independent Roms are installed, when you first power on the device you get a boot manager that gives you a choice to boot into one or the other.
The issue with doing this with a phone is the two Roms you choose would have to be able to run on the same Kernel. So if your running a Sense Rom and you decided to install an AOSP requiring a different kernel on the other partition you would run into some real issues.
This is completely doable on our device, the question is how important is it for anyone to have and would you mind giving up battery time for the feature, YES this will cause you to drink up some power which is something most Devs work hard on to keep consumption down.
EDIT: You can follow the same instructions here but there maybe a few things you need to do in C for this to work properly I didn't look to far into it, Also I would upgrade the SD Card as your going to have to have 3 partitions so an 8gb will get real crowded quick if you try to do this. The least I would try this with is a 16gb considering all of the files you may have already on your sd card that apps need for cache, pics, storage, ect.
I'll see what I can do with it after I pick up a 32gb sd card but it shouldn't be too hard.
Orical said:
In our case it would be the device your using is partitioned for two seperate areas in which two independent Roms are installed, when you first power on the device you get a boot manager that gives you a choice to boot into one or the other.
The issue with doing this with a phone is the two Roms you choose would have to be able to run on the same Kernel. So if your running a Sense Rom and you decided to install an AOSP requiring a different kernel on the other partition you would run into some real issues.
This is completely doable on our device, the question is how important is it for anyone to have and would you mind giving up battery time for the feature, YES this will cause you to drink up some power which is something most Devs work hard on to keep consumption down.
EDIT: You can follow the same instructions here but there maybe a few things you need to do in C for this to work properly I didn't look to far into it, Also I would upgrade the SD Card as your going to have to have 3 partitions so an 8gb will get real crowded quick if you try to do this. The least I would try this with is a 16gb considering all of the files you may have already on your sd card that apps need for cache, pics, storage, ect.
I'll see what I can do with it after I pick up a 32gb sd card but it shouldn't be too hard.
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Click to collapse
That was mentioned in the Desire HD thread. They say if you want to use a Sense and an AOSP ROM, you're going to have to use the Sense kernel and deal with the problems that may occur, like no bluetooth. Additionally, it seems to break Wifi for almost everyone who use it. Nevertheless its freaking awesome, and something I'd love to do.
There's not much to this and it can be implemented easily. I did it a different way, but the way the guy on that desire HD thread works much more elegant than my way did (although my way allowed for two different kernels).
To understand how this works, you first have to understand the boot process. When you turn on the phone, the bios starts the radio and then the radio starts the SPL which contains the information for partitioning, location of boot on nand, etc.
Unless you interrupt normal spl boot (which would take you to the other two boot options, spl and recovery), the spl looks for the "init" program in the specified boot partition.
This init program can be anything. From a basic linux perspective, it could be a simple script to set-up devices and then just toss user control to a command line (for basic linux usage) or, in Android's case, it runs the init scripts (device.init.rc and init.rc) and has the kernel run the whole Android stack.
What this guy did was make his own init program (I haven't looked at the thing since I'm at work) which, from what I read, is just a small binary, which possibly relies on two different init scripts to boot either from nand (mmcblk0p25) or sdcard (mmcblk1pX [depending on your partitioning]).
The disadvantage to this is that, as he stated, you can only use one kernel, since boot is still starting as normal and the spl is booting to the boot partition which only contains one kernel (you can toss in more, but only one will be started by the spl) and then his init program takes care of the rest of the bring-up.
The way I did it was having two boot images for two different builds, my regular nand rom (which would boot when booting normally) and my SD build (which would boot instead of recovery). All this requires is flashing a boot.img to recovery and then modifying the init.rc to boot from SD (mmcblk1pX) instead of nand. The clear disadvantage, ofcourse, is the loss of recovery, but by using this guy's method, I could have a menu on the SD boot to boot either the SD build or a recovery (means a modified recovery rather than a regular boot.img).
Both options are easily doable on any rooted device. The one thing lacking currently is a recovery that will allow to update.zip install to sdcard (I'd suggest using partitions 4 for system and 5 for data, since 2 and 3 are historically been used for sd-ext and swap).
So you guys can just find a recovery dev, point him to this thread, and show him my post to see if he can make such a recovery (should be easy) and it could become mainstream feature of rooted androids.
Bump. This would be amazing to port over. This would be donation worthy.
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im trying to get madmaxx to compile the mt4g into that amazing 4ext recovery he made. It's like amon_ra recovery but better!
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You can dual boot on the MT4G with Boot Manager,available in the Android Market, though it cost 2.99 but it does allow you to run two separate ROMs.
I got BootManager but i need to set everything manually and i dont know them can someone help me with these?
What is your sdcard block?
What is your system's size in mb?
What is your data's size in mb?
What is your cache's size in mb?
I have MIUI DemonSpeed 1.29 and the 8gb sdcard that comes with the mytouch
harei84 said:
You can dual boot on the MT4G with Boot Manager,available in the Android Market, though it cost 2.99 but it does allow you to run two separate ROMs.
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Click to collapse
is it officially supported? I have a fear of it writing to the wrong partition and fμck up the device.
GazaIan said:
is it officially supported? I have a fear of it writing to the wrong partition and fμck up the device.
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Click to collapse
its not supported it asks the questions i posted in the first page <
I really know nothing about the app just saw a feature about it on Lifehacker.com
It works on myTouch 4G. It is supported, but support is weird. Im beta testing one that works and for the most part everything works as it should, but the app recognizes the phone on Virtuous Unity and doesn't recognize it in MIUI. I'm triple booted at the moment (I can install 2 more ROMs, but I don't want to) and MIUI is on the SD Card and doesn't recognize my phone.
Bottom line is, it works, try it. It's definitely worth the $2.99.
Doesnt work
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I take that back it does running VI 1.31 double shot and miui
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Hi,
I am new this this whole Samsung Galaxy S3 customization. Yesterday, I took the big risk of getting my phone bricked and successfully rooted my phone. Now, I am interested in installing some interesting ROMs and uninstall some uninteresting bloatware. However, I do not know where and how to start.
Just a quick note. I have followed [GUIDE] Root for Jelly Bean 4.1.1 or 4.1.2 OTA ***UPDATED 3/5*** to customize my phone, using ClockworkMod Touch Recovery 6.0.2.3 and MD5: 8C3DA18BD5DEF7E38E03DD147A0E10A1 for VRBMB1 (Jelly Bean 4.1.2). My phone's Model Number is SCH-I535, Android Version 4.1.2.
The first thing I want to do is to reformat my phone. By that, I mean improving the battery life, speed, and practically everything else related to those two things I just said. I have read somewhere that custom ROMs can improve battery life, as well as make everything in the phone move faster and smoother. A few ROMs have caught my attention, but I am unsure of which ROM to use. I have also noticed that you can change the battery preferences without the need of a ROM, but nevertheless, a custom ROM couldn't hurt. Plus, I really want to change the theme of my phone, specifically replacing them with [OMG][THEME] 03.21 - Ultimate OMG Theme - 35 Choices - Aroma - CleanROM/Stock.
So the first question is, which is the most preferred ROM to use for my phone? (Or better yet, do I even need a custom ROM?) So far, my main goal is to improve the speed and battery life. But I have noticed that you must factory reset your phone. That is a little discouraging as there are many personal things in my phone that I would love to keep. I do have Titanium Backup, however, I am unsure of how to use it. Is there a guide on how to use Titanium Backup? I am also concerned that a factory reset can and will clear everything in Titanium Backup as well. The next thing is, I am using Next Launcher by Go Developers. I really enjoy the launcher and would like to continue using it. Will I still be able to use the launcher in custom ROMs?
Thank you for your help!
Zarotu said:
Hi,
I am new this this whole Samsung Galaxy S3 customization. Yesterday, I took the big risk of getting my phone bricked and successfully rooted my phone. Now, I am interested in installing some interesting ROMs and uninstall some uninteresting bloatware. However, I do not know where and how to start.
Just a quick note. I have followed [GUIDE] Root for Jelly Bean 4.1.1 or 4.1.2 OTA ***UPDATED 3/5*** to customize my phone, using ClockworkMod Touch Recovery 6.0.2.3 and MD5: 8C3DA18BD5DEF7E38E03DD147A0E10A1 for VRBMB1 (Jelly Bean 4.1.2). My phone's Model Number is SCH-I535, Android Version 4.1.2.
The first thing I want to do is to reformat my phone. By that, I mean improving the battery life, speed, and practically everything else related to those two things I just said. I have read somewhere that custom ROMs can improve battery life, as well as make everything in the phone move faster and smoother. A few ROMs have caught my attention, but I am unsure of which ROM to use. I have also noticed that you can change the battery preferences without the need of a ROM, but nevertheless, a custom ROM couldn't hurt. Plus, I really want to change the theme of my phone, specifically replacing them with [OMG][THEME] 03.21 - Ultimate OMG Theme - 35 Choices - Aroma - CleanROM/Stock.
So the first question is, which is the most preferred ROM to use for my phone? (Or better yet, do I even need a custom ROM?) So far, my main goal is to improve the speed and battery life. But I have noticed that you must factory reset your phone. That is a little discouraging as there are many personal things in my phone that I would love to keep. I do have Titanium Backup, however, I am unsure of how to use it. Is there a guide on how to use Titanium Backup? I am also concerned that a factory reset can and will clear everything in Titanium Backup as well. The next thing is, I am using Next Launcher by Go Developers. I really enjoy the launcher and would like to continue using it. Will I still be able to use the launcher in custom ROMs?
Thank you for your help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't have to flash a custom ROM to improve battery just a custom kernel. There are a lot of custom tweaks that the developers put in their ROMs to further improve the ROM some you can put yourself. As for the themes the stock ROM has to be deodexed in order for the themes to work. Lastly Next launcher is an app and the last time I checked all launcher apps work on rooted phones.
jmxc23 said:
You don't have to flash a custom ROM to improve battery just a custom kernel. There are a lot of custom tweaks that the developers put in their ROMs to further improve the ROM some you can put yourself. As for the themes the stock ROM has to be deodexed in order for the themes to work. Lastly Next launcher is an app and the last time I checked all launcher apps work on rooted phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the reply. Seeing how it is, where can I find custom kernels and/or a guide on how to install and use a custom kernel on my phone? I do not quite understand what you mean when "the stock ROM has to be deodexed in order for the themes to work." Lets say I am interested in one of those custom theme, does that mean I have to personally deodex the ROMs or can I just follow the instructions stated in the main thread? So far I do not have a custom ROM after rooting my phone. Everything is still the same since I did the last step, which was to flash the Jelly Bean Bootchain.
Edit: Is there a thread I can look at find to get more information on how to prepare my phone for theming and modding? Information such as deodexing my phone, and other preparation information. I can't seem to find a good thread.
Zarotu said:
Thank you for the reply. Seeing how it is, where can I find custom kernels and/or a guide on how to install and use a custom kernel on my phone? I do not quite understand what you mean when "the stock ROM has to be deodexed in order for the themes to work." Lets say I am interested in one of those custom theme, does that mean I have to personally deodex the ROMs or can I just follow the instructions stated in the main thread? So far I do not have a custom ROM after rooting my phone. Everything is still the same since I did the last step, which was to flash the Jelly Bean Bootchain.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the original android development is where you will find the kernels. Most of the kernel threads will provide links and the information you need. If you are planning on flashing KT747 kernel here is some additional information: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2144004
Whoa, hold up on the custom kernels and custom rom stuff.
1. You need to make a back up with either twrp or cwm. Next put your important files on your external sd including your efi. Idk if titanium backup allows you to store app back ups on the external sd or not but I assume it does (I use a diff app). You don't have to format your internal sd to flash a custom rom, you have to format the system partition.
Take a minute to make sure you have the prerequisites before moding your phone more. You cannot possibly want to be doing all this so soon especially if you just got into this yesterday.
2. Your still on a stock rom, which is odexed. If you want to customize your rom you need to be on a deodexed rom most of the time. This is a the simple abbreviated difference between odexed and deodexed.
3. Luke took on Vader, even though he was a new rookie padawan. He didnt have a good grip on what he was doing, and karma took his hand and slapped him in the face with irony for it. You might find yourself falling a deep hole of problems if you don't read up more on what you're doing. Do yourself a favor and stay on the god damn dagobah system awhile.
One final thing I have to say is do some research it will help you a lot.
Well, if you want the pure AOSP feel with a CM base, yet uber customization and tweakability I would go with paranoidkangdroid. It mixes CM as a base, with AOKP and ParanoidAndroid. This is what I use and I love it. Cleanrom is a touchwiz rom and I personally feel that while TW roms are stable and usually butter, they are all missing some aspects of customization. Link to the rom: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2186838. However that's my opinion. I prefer the clean stock google experience, others may not. Happy flashing
EDIT: before you go flash anything make sure you do the following: (in this order)
1. Root device
2. Unlock the bootloader
3. Install TWRP (or CWM, I like TWRP)
4. Make a backup of the current stock rom
5. Take all the things you want to save (pictures) and back them up to your computer.
6. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES TRY TO INSTALL A ROM MADE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL, AT&T, NOTE2, etc. You will brick your phone. Stick to the Verizon variant thread and you should be fine. If getting the rom from another website, make sure it is made for SCH-I535 or D2VZW.
nrock2256 said:
Well, if you want the pure AOSP feel with a CM base, yet uber customization and tweakability I would go with paranoidkangdroid. It mixes CM as a base, with AOKP and ParanoidAndroid. This is what I use and I love it. Cleanrom is a touchwiz rom and I personally feel that while TW roms are stable and usually butter, they are all missing some aspects of customization. Link to the rom: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2186838. However that's my opinion. I prefer the clean stock google experience, others may not. Happy flashing
EDIT: before you go flash anything make sure you do the following: (in this order)
1. Root device
2. Unlock the bootloader
3. Install TWRP (or CWM, I like TWRP)
4. Make a backup of the current stock rom
5. Take all the things you want to save (pictures) and back them up to your computer.
6. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES TRY TO INSTALL A ROM MADE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL, AT&T, NOTE2, etc. You will brick your phone. Stick to the Verizon variant thread and you should be fine. If getting the rom from another website, make sure it is made for SCH-I535 or D2VZW.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok he is a newbie in this so pretty much AOSP especially those are a little bit advance for him.
jmxc23 said:
Ok he is a newbie in this so pretty much AOSP especially those are a little bit advance for him.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha! Seeing how there is so much to know before I can get started on anything, I believe I will be needing to do more research. So first thing's first. If all I did was root my phone, using the clockwork recovery mod, what should be my next move? Where do I go from here? I have been searching, but have not yet found a guide. How do I backup my stuff in clockwork recovery mod? What do I do if I do not have an external SD card? Haha, I didn't think customizing your phone would be this difficult.
Thank you.
Zarotu said:
Haha! Seeing how there is so much to know before I can get started on anything, I believe I will be needing to do more research. So first thing's first. If all I did was root my phone, using the clockwork recovery mod, what should be my next move? Where do I go from here? I have been searching, but have not yet found a guide. How do I backup my stuff in clockwork recovery mod? What do I do if I do not have an external SD card? Haha, I didn't think customizing your phone would be this difficult.
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is more confusing than it is difficult.
Essentially your next move is preparing yourself incase you fail flashing a rom. You need to do the following:
1. Get a micro sdcard, atleast 16gb
2. Make a back up on the external sd you acquired in step 1 above. This can be done from cwm by selecting "Back up and restore" from the menu, followed by selecting the back up option that says back up to external sd.
3. Now download the rom you want on to your external sd card. Find out if the rom requires gapps or any other supplemental downloads and put them on the external sd as well.
4. Next, report back here for further instructions.
(I havent used cwm for a while so the instructions I gave there are from memory, double check on that)
Surge1223
Surge1223 said:
Essentially your next move is preparing yourself incase you fail flashing a rom. You need to do the following:
1. Get a micro sdcard, atleast 16gb
2. Make a back up on the external sd you acquired in step 1 above. This can be done from cwm by selecting "Back up and restore" from the menu, followed by selecting the back up option that says back up to external sd.
3. Now download the rom you want on to your external sd card. Find out if the rom requires gapps or any other supplemental downloads and put them on the external sd as well.
4. Next, report back here for further instructions.
(I havent used cwm for a while so the instructions I gave there are from memory, double check on that)
Surge1223
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay what if the person doesn't have the money as of now to purchase an sd card? Are there other ways to back up their data?
Sure you can back it up on your internal sd card, but generally you would only do that if you were very familiar with how your recovery works and know exactly what you were doing. Most of the time that means you've had previous experience with the rom your flashing and/or arent too woried about your stuff getting deleted. Usually its a good idea to keep a flashable zip of a deodexed stock rom, radio, recovery, bootchain, etc. In the internal if your doing that but since he's just starting out I wouldn't do that and I usually dont anyways. Its risky and not worth losing your stuff when you could just spend a couple bucks and get a external micro sd.
Surge1223
Surge1223 said:
Sure you can back it up on your internal sd card, but generally you would only do that if you were very familiar with how your recovery works and know exactly what you were doing. Most of the time that means you've had previous experience with the rom your flashing and/or arent too woried about your stuff getting deleted. Usually its a good idea to keep a flashable zip of a deodexed stock rom, radio, recovery, bootchain, etc. In the internal if your doing that but since he's just starting out I wouldn't do that and I usually dont anyways. Its risky and not worth losing your stuff when you could just spend a couple bucks and get a external micro sd.
Surge1223
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Micro SD price range from $5-$100 retail when not on sale and the retail price depends on the storage size. So if the person is hard on cash or has more important things to spend their money she/he might not be able to buy the micro sd with the couple of bucks that you said it cost. The reason I asked those questions is that not everyone has a couple of dollars to spare on a micro sd card so all possible ways to back up data should be mentioned not just what you or I think is the best thing to do. For instance I have my data backed up on my computer via external hard drive as well as Google drive, box and Dropbox. I also use Carbon instead of the titanium backup app that everyone suggests to use. So they can use their computer, cloud storage service, external hard drive, micro sd cards and apps to backup their data.
Its not a matter of whether its possible or not, I mean yeah you can also make a system image of your pc using DVD's instead of a portable hdd or flash drive. I can understand people may be short on cash, but if you have enough time and money to root your phone, pay for a data plan, subscribe to the internet, you can budget 5 dollars. Hell, you could even start using bing rewards to get yourself a 5$ Amazon credit.
All I am saying mainly is that there are more ways to back up your data besides micro sd cards and that all people new to rooting should know more then one way as something can go wrong your micro sd card so your data should be backed up in other ways to insure that you can restore your data.
I hear ya, I guess I just think because I learned my own how to use other methods I assumed that as people got more familiar with flashing roms, etc, that they'd learn eventually too. But hey to each his own. IMO, the external sd is the easiest, fastest, and most reliable way so in this case, I think we should leave well enough alone.
Surge1223
Hi all,
Background:
I bought an android phone from Chinavasion. It is described as
Wholesale Waterproof Android Phone - Mini Android Phone From China
I cannot identify its device type which is why I am posting here. The play store identifies the phone as
Alps Ratech72_wet_rlk_lca
The phone has a MT6572 Dual Core 1GHz CPU and runs Android version 4.2.2.
I want to increase the ram of the phone. It is 256MB. I want to use virtual memory. I have a 2GB sdcard in the phone. I am planning to give it 512MB. Can I do this without rooting? If I have to root it, then how do I do so? I would prefer not to use an exploit.
Anyone any suggestions?
Pranav
Hiya,
I went around looking for some hints on this phone as well but didn't come up with anything.
I got my device yesterday and I understand your issue. I have no sollution for you but I do have a solid work-around to get some more app space which, I'm afraid, involves rooting.
Activate USB debugging, connect your device to a PC. Download and run Kingo Android Root and follow the instructions.
After that I "adb'ed" to make the phone choose the SD-Card as the default installing path. Run th following command with adb.
Code:
# adb shell pm set-install-location 2
For the apps that wouldn't move to the SD-Card, due to su issues, I moved manually with the app called Move app to SD card.
Grant the app root access to sort out the apps not willing to move by themselves.
With this sorted I now have 500 mb of apps installed on the SD-Card. I am running low on memory now due to some parts of the app still installs on the phone memory.
Not a real app2sd script but it certanly will get you some more apps installed!
Another hint: When I ordered the phone they said it supported 16 GB SD-Cards only but I'm running flawless with a 64 GB card!
I'd love to see a costum recovery (since I don't know chinese) and CM for this device, but since it's not a western phone I guess we'll have to settle with stock.
Hope this helps.
A few hours has gone by and without doing any backups I replaced some system apps and now I can bearly work the phone! Haha.. Thou shall not do this sort of thing after 2 h sleep.
Anyway, don't be afraid of doing what I wrote in the previous post, it worked just fine! I'm hoping you'll do it, it's the only way I can think of to get the system files back. :-S
Since there seem to be no one but you and me who have bought there phones..
edit: Sorted out my problem, got it running again! However, if you are going to root it, please do share the stock files! :-S
PranavLal said:
Hi all,
Background:
I bought an android phone from Chinavasion. It is described as
Wholesale Waterproof Android Phone - Mini Android Phone From China
I cannot identify its device type which is why I am posting here. The play store identifies the phone as
Alps Ratech72_wet_rlk_lca
The phone has a MT6572 Dual Core 1GHz CPU and runs Android version 4.2.2.
I want to increase the ram of the phone. It is 256MB. I want to use virtual memory. I have a 2GB sdcard in the phone. I am planning to give it 512MB. Can I do this without rooting? If I have to root it, then how do I do so? I would prefer not to use an exploit.
Anyone any suggestions?
Pranav
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
to use virtual memory you would have to root it and plus you cant get that much more ram with virtual memory, 256mb of ram on a 4.2.2 phone? i hope you got a good deal for it because 256mb will get you nowhere with nowadays google play apps updates hogging all the ram.
Some more info. Appearently the phone is also called "Nanex" and/or Z18 Mini Smartphone.. Maybe it's called different things in different regions?
Move to SD card SUCCESSFUL!
Im so glad there was this thread, it seems like nobody else knows about this awesome little phone!
I followed the instructions that "pingaan" posted and it worked! now i can install as many apps to SD card as i want, awesome!
I'm glad I could help.
I've been using this device for about a week now and I have to say that the stock rom is horrible! There are many flaws and no updates incoming, as far as I know.
Another disappinting thing is that the screen material is >VERY< easily scratched so DO NOT order this phone without screen protection.
I am going to order a new one cause I love that it's so small! It's even smaller than my old "dumbphone", but I don't see myself using stock rom. I'd rather not use the phone at all.
I'm going to try to compile a custom recovery and port a suitable CM11 rom to this device for proper usage.
Don't expect it any time soon, cause my days are normally filled up with family, house and work.
Regards.
pingaan said:
I've been using this device for about a week now and I have to say that the stock rom is horrible! There are many flaws and no updates incoming, as far as I know.
Another disappinting thing is that the screen material is >VERY< easily scratched so DO NOT order this phone without screen protection.
I am going to order a new one cause I love that it's so small! It's even smaller than my old "dumbphone", but I don't see myself using stock rom. I'd rather not use the phone at all.
I'm going to try to compile a custom recovery and port a suitable CM11 rom to this device for proper usage.
Don't expect it any time soon, cause my days are normally filled up with family, house and work.
Regards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
everything about this phone is pretty good for the size, except the ram is so ridiculously small, i've tried to add virtual ram with link2sd and partitioned sd card, but apparently link2sd won't work without hacing the bootloader unlocked first, but i can't unlock the bootloader as it seems like there doesn't seem to be proper drivers for this phone.
if you are planning to do a custom rom on there, please let us know how when and how you managed to get the bootloader unlocked plz! :fingers-crossed:
Since I noticed the screen being easily scratched I ordered a new device from a different retailer, along with a plastic screen protection.
There is an interesting thing about this. The bootanimations are different and there's also a reboot option in the powermenu on the new.
Maybe the bootloader already is open? I mean, if you can change the power menu you need to alter the framework, right? The bootanimation is quite easy to change with root access however.
Have you checked the built-in recovery? There is actually an option for installing "update.zip"..
Do you have a proper app2sd script that I can try out on my old device?
Cheers...
Anyone have a backup of the ROM for ratech72_wet_rlk_lca ?? I plugged in a MTK Tool and I seem to have corrupted the system ;-( ... Didn't even get a chance to backup!
Help would be appreciated!
z18 ROM
regardtv said:
Anyone have a backup of the ROM for ratech72_wet_rlk_lca ?? I plugged in a MTK Tool and I seem to have corrupted the system ;-( ... Didn't even get a chance to backup!
Help would be appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anyone find a copy of the ROM I need it also?
Hello,
I'd like to have a dualboot option on my galaxy s7, with totally different roms and kernel (one of them is a N7 port). I know this is possible on some devices, but I'd like to know if this is possible on the S7.
Currently I'm just backing up my phone and restoring the other rom each time I want to switch ... It cost time, battery, storage... Not a good solution !
Is it possible to have, let's say, two partitions on my internal storage with each OS (let's call them OS instead of ROM, because they are totally different in my case), and a third tiiiiny one with just an OS selector. When the phone boots, it loads the selector, and then I choose my OS and it mounts the right partition in the right place (I don't know anything about that ^^") and then it boots the OS I chose ?
Thank you for helping, and sorry for my noobish question and especially, sorry for my English, it is not my native language ^^"