Database Info

New Users -- New to Android??!

New Users and folks New to Android:
First let me say, "Been there. Still working on it!" But on to some practical suggestions and comments:
1. If you are new to all this, don't try to move too fast. Read these forums and you will find many messages saying "I don't know what I am doing, but I just finished doing it all and my tablet looks dead! Help?!" If you are new to all this, read these forums for a good while and make sure you understand before you leap. Definition: A "good while" is not minutes to an an hours -- how about a day for experienced Android people and a bunch more for the rest of us.
2. Learn the factory setup first. I can understand some of the early adopters moving too fast because the early gtabs had a mess for software and some of it worked really poorly. But whatever you buy now should flash to OTA (Over the Air Update) 3389 fairly quickly, and it is usable. You can use it to find out where all the settings, bells and whistles are to get what you want done.
3. Go a step at a time. When building computers or working with software, it is always better to work with and prove something before introducing complications. If you are burning a ROM (say CWM -- ClockWorkMod -- for example), don't just install it and move on. When you get it installed, learn it and test the functions and see what is there to be used -- before moving on. If it's not working right or you don't undestand it, don't move ahead -- look for answers or fixes.
4. Read the manual. Learn what you can from the paper and online manuals. There is a Vega site -- I have a thread posted in "Development Forum" which tells where the manual for the Vega tablet it and it does a fair job of introducing the Vegan ROM look and stock features. Viewsonic's G-Tablet site also has this kind of info. And the devs here have put together countless FAQs, guidelines, etc........
5. When things don't go right, take a breath and don't panic. I have had G-tabs for over a month now and I don't honestly know of any that were totally bricked. (I know many have been given up on and sold or returned or ???). I would say that by now most all the iterations of G-Tab failures that can happened have turned up in these Forums. Search and find answers. Ask questions about what you don't understand about the fixes. Then fix it.
6. REMEMBER WHAT THIS PLACE IS!!!! I have read any number of folks who have come here, messed up their tablet and then gotten angry with someone (or all of us) here about it. Remember that this is a place where private individuals are developing alternatives that are on the bleeding edge and sometimes even beyond!! If you are using anything except stock here, you have to assume the risk that all of us assume in trying to do something neat!
Don't fuss. Ask for help.
This post probably has been too long. But I have been developing hardware and software (not Android) since 1979 and I know a bunch about making mistakes!!! Also about preventing mistakes.
I hope the principles I suggest above will help you keep it together and accomplish something great!
Rev

Have you been spying on me?
This describes my situation exactly and I appreciate your input and advice.
I've never used Android, don't even own a smart phone. I'm in the situation of not knowing what I don't know, if that makes sense.
I managed to accidentally add some icons to the home screen and it took me a day and a half to figure out how to remove them.
I've been hesitant to try to make any changes but I realized that I've only been using the tablet to play Angry Birds and do some light surfing. The gtab has so much potential and I have barely scratched the surface.
I will be taking the plunge this weekend with some of the mods that are available, but as you've suggested I need to keep reading. Lots of reading.
Thanks again for the tips,
Neudle

Another thing I would emphasize is when doing something like flashing recovery or loading a new ROM make sure you follow all the instructions. I've had more than one friend come to me asking for help with their phone because they skipped a few steps when flashing a ROM ("Oh, well that didn't seem important so I didn't do it"). I can so far say that with my Nexus One and my Gtab I have never had an issue when I followed the exact steps for flashing/installing.
Also, if something does go wrong, don't go into full out panic, quite often there is a way to recover and a bit of searching or asking nicely for help will have you back up and running. Don't forget, backups are your friend. Before doing anything substantial I always back up my apps and data with Titanium Backup then boot into recovery and do a Nandroid backup.

Different people move at different speeds.
I am brand new to android, brand new to tablets.
Have had this a week.
Days 1-3 "yea ok this 3389 update works"
DAYS 4-5 "LOVE this peformance pack and fixed market"
DAY 6 "lets try vegan 5.1" followed by "I bricked it into a boot loop and none of the fixes worked. Can i take it back" followed by "nv flash is AWESOME, i can recover my gtab from ANY screw up!!!!!
DAY 7 VEGAN 5.1 INSTALLED (and invented my own modified way of flashing/recovery that is not exactly the same as the totorial why identifying which of the steps CANT BE skipped/Altered (WHAT i refer to as the "7-10"))
DAY 8 WHY wont vegan 5.1 acknowledge my new micro sdcard i bought today and do i need to format this or something?
By the way feel free to answer my day 8 issue before i start a new thread.

#8 MicroSd Card
The GTab calls internal storage sdcard and any microsd/microsdhc cards you install sdcard2. Look in your file directory under /sdcard2 or /mnt/sdcard2 and you will see your microsd card. You don't need to format the card first.

[INFO] IMPORTANT!!! Clockworkmod and TNT Lite 5

This is going to be long, but I have a lot to say.
There's been a LOT of heated debate about TNT Lite 5, lately. This build is based on the vendor's 3991 UAT build. This build is a "1.2" build which means it's a major update from Viewsonic, and it replaces the bootloader. Not only that but the new kernel REQUIRES the new bootloader. We are not certain yet, but Viewsonic is likely to be moving into this direction.
Now, many forum members use clockworkmod. What I have recently learned is that clockworkmod does NOT update the bootloader. In the case of stock 3991 (and TNT Lite 5.0.0) that means that clockworkmod cannot be used as an upgrade tool - IT DOES NOT WORK and, in this case, will actually break your device.
With that in mind it's my opinion that, since clockworkmod has this caveat, then it is a risk and the user community should be made aware of this. If you are willing to take this risk, be aware of the caveat and that, if needed, that you will need to use the nvflash tool to fix your device.
Some of us have been dancing around the issue saying that nvflash is not for non-technical users, and thus TNT Lite 5.0.0 should be pulled completely given the problems with upgrading with clockworkmod. My rebuttal is a simple one -- imo, if a forum user decides to take the risk of using clockworkmod, then they should also understand how to use nvflash as a backout - they go hand in hand and should be a requirement, not an option.
I have heard many complaints about TNT Lite 5 upgrades, but the two most common ones are these:
1. Backing out to stock 3588 breaks recovery (originally clockworkmod).
2. Upgrading to TNT Lite 5.00 by using clockworkmod, by mistake.
Imo, most of the issues we've seen have been clockworkmod related - that's not to say that there have not been other issues, but I believe that the vast majority of them were related to clockworkmod.
I am still under pressure to pull TNT Lite because of the increase in user issues - I think this is the wrong thing to do and I am getting some flak because of my stubbornness. If VS sticks with their new bootloader, this is something that every modder here is going to have to deal with, eventually. But if they backpedal, then I made the wrong choice and we'd need to undo TNTL 5. We just don't know yet.

I think you are right that it maybe something that needs to dealt with sooner or latter as this update could be in anticipation of a even bigger upgrade to 2.3 or 3.0?
It seems from reading threads that not everyone is familiar with reflashing or I hate to say but reading and understanding the steps. The very worse comment I read was "I'll just return my tab and blame insert a cause " What horse hockey.
If they don't know or care to take the time and proceed with caution and then not take responsible for it then they should leave well enough alone.

I actually would like to hear replies (for and against) because maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way. I am stubborn, but if someone gives me a good enough argument I could change my way of thinking. One valid argument is that Viewsonic hasn't even released 1.2 yet, which is a good point. They have to do something very soon (due to Flash) so hopefully by the EO this month we will know what happens.
One of my theories on why they updated the bootloader in this last release was to consolidate development between the GTablet and their newer devices. I don't know if I'm even close to the mark here, it's just a guess. Their kernel is back to an svn #1, so maybe they are using a new development branch.

I vote you not pull it. Like you've said here and in the TNT Lite 5 thread, if someone decides to use a rom they should read the instructions (several times if necessary) before they embark on trying this or any other rom.
If people are throwing caution to the winds and jumping in before they have an understanding of what they are about to do then I say the fault is on their part not yours. You can only do so much hand-holding but in the end the people that use this site and are interested enough to try different roms should know better. Personally, I think you're being more diplomatic than most people about this.
Who knows, since our gTabs have proven to be almost unbrickable maybe people have lost their usual caution?

Vote Don't Pull -- NVFlash Not That Bad...
I vote to keep 5.0.x up.
I have two tablets and had not had to flash one after several months.
But having had to learn nvflash and subsequently doing what I could to help
others -- it's just simply not that bad (at least for the Windows version since
that's what I use.)
Now that a number of us have made sure USB, nvflash and .img files are
available -- and that there are several posts with instructions out there -- I
don't think the nvflash process is any harder than learning the normal
"recovery" process.
If we -- any of us -- are going to play.....then we need to man up
(or woman up, sorry ladies!) and do it right and not complain about it.
Honestly, many times when folks have trouble, it is their own fault.
"Laissez le bon temps roulez" they say during the Mardi Gras celebrations down
here. "Let the good times roll."
Rev

Don't Pull It! Keep it up! We will support you
I have not and will not be flashing your rom at least until it is found out that there is a permanent change coming and the new bootloader is part of that change. I have tried just about every rom I have found for the gtab except tnt 5.0 but that is not because I don't want to screw up flashing it, I am sure with nvflash I would get it back on track, but it is because I have not found the previous releases my preference and I doubt 5.0 would make that change.
By the way no offence to you roebeet, your work and developing here have been beyond superb and are much appreciated. I unfortunately just don't prefer tnt on my tablet. But don't let anyone tell you that you need to remove your work. Your work is not the one borking their tablets they are.
Thanks for all your work Roebeet, even the work you do that I may not use myself

I had zero issues with the upgrade to 5. I thought the instructions for it were clear and concise . I used nvflash to fix my GTab after I noobishly tried to update from Rom Manager when I first started testing the different roms, so nvflash is my friend.
My GTab is running great on 5.0.1 right now, so I hope you will continue to to work on it and not pull it.
Thanks for all your hard work
Jeffrey

Keep it up. at least we have NVflash and its not a real brick. I remember having to update to Danger SPL on my G1, and people were getting real bricks.
IMHO if people are flashing ROMs they need to take a little time to learn what they're doing.

You can't pull it because of ignorance on our part... that defeats the whole point of hacking. Heck, it was the first full rom i installed and guess what? I followed one of the howto threads ignoring your instructions and got to learn all about nvflash. Pull the inaccurate howtos or get their ops to update them.... that'll definitely cut down the failure rate.
I'm glad I bricked my gtab after a whole hour of ownership. I now have a very nice Nvidia Tegra system post bitmap instead of the 10 year old viewsonic birds as a result of it!
The new viewsonic recovery does sd updating if I recall correctly... People can offer kernels and other updates in multiple formats.... They're going to have to if viewsonic goes GA with it.
Keep up the good work!
Sent from my Gingerbread VEGAn-TAB using Tapatalk

I agree with what seems to be the majority so far. Don't pull it.
I have been on this site for quite a while through at least 5 phones (all of them winmo). I do not count myself as an expert and rely heavly on others to develop what have turned out to be excellent ROMs and software and the means by which we can load them on our phones and tablets and other devices.
I have read and read and read and read some more. I have asked questions too. Most of the time becasue the knowledge is too technical for my small mind.
Too many people here expect hand holding and rather than reading, expect, or worse, demand, help when they haven't read the instructions.
To pull your ROM because people can't be bothered to read is to let them win and, in my opinion, dumb down this site.
There are warnings posted everywhere advising of the risks of modding our devices, including bricking the devices. In fact, the people most at risk of bricking are the developers, like you. If you are willing to risk bricking in the name of development, why can't others take responsibility for their actions?
No one points a gun at members' heads and tells them to flash. They join here of their own free will and perform upgrades to their devices in the hopes of making them better. If you are flashing a device, then you are aware that you could brick, or bork, your device.
Moreover, there are countless people here who are more than willing to help unbrick a device. So after bricking, people are forced to learn and read.
Here is a novel idea: Let's take responsibility for our own actions. Not just here, but everywhere.
Keep putting out your ROMs and mods and we can, as adults and willing participants, decide whether to use them or not.
I am now stepping down off the soapbox.

Just saying,
From what I have seen as a daily follower of this forum. It seems more and more users are just getting bolder knowing if something goes wrong, they have nvflash to rescue them from thier "Inevitable" - "User Error".
Heck, I've foolishly done it myself and I had to learn nvflash.
The risks of flashing Custom ROMs is clearly present. You (Roebeet) as Dev should not have to brunt the burden of an inexperienced user when something bad happens. After all, we were all inexperienced at some point or another. And the GTAB makes for a great learning device considering all the tools and support available here to backstep when something does go wrong.
I suggest you don't pull the ROM, but considering the extra complications involved with flashing 5, I could only suggest users clearly have an understanding
of said steps for a successful flash.
Best of Luck dude, and thank you for all your hard work.
It does not go unappreciated here!
T!

I think you should leave it up i myself accidently locked up my tab but i was able to find a resolution and get back up and running there are always issues with new things people just have to relax and go with the flow.

Thanks to everyone, so far! This was how I felt, as well - seems that it's not an easy path, but it's worth it in the end.
I just hope to FSM that Viewsonic doesn't beckpedal on me, because TNT Lite 6 will be as much fun as TNT Lite 5. /sarcasm

I don't see how anyone can complain. Rooting and installing software that is NOT from the manufacturer is at your own risk. I took that risk when I rooted and installed TNT 2.4 and then 4.2.5.
So keep it up and continue with 5.0.1 Let the reader decide if they wish to install the ROM.
With my history, I'll wait till TNT 6.2 before upgrading.

you've been given how to do/don't instructions, you're not to blame. Thank you for your hard work Roebeet;

Ok I am a total noob. .....a danger to mess anything up. ....I was spooked. Because I got this tab to mod and before I received it I studied here and YouTube on how to flash using cwm. .I thought. I was ready then came 5.0 and changed the game I then studied your tutorial and asked questions, alot of them until I felt comfortable I flashed to 5.0 without a hitch but I had nvflash ready to go...my point is that I knew I could Bork this up it was my risk I took it, roebeet has gone way far and above to give us this and help everyone out. Keep 5 up until a major change has to be done if not we know you will be on top of it...Thank you for your efforts!!!!
Signed,
Noob

I don't see any reason to pull it. The instructions and warnings are perfect.. And if you happen to be one of the ones that doesn't read the big giant print first then I suppose you deserve the lesson in learning NVflash. Might actually have a positive outcome by teaching people to read first...
One question I have though has to do with TnT 5 and Calkulins rom. They are both based off of 3991 yet Calkulins rom does not require a special clockwork, or need to be installed from 3588.. How come TnT 5 does? Calkulins rom is very fast, and from my impressions looks almost the same as TnT 5..
Just curious....

I vote to leave it up. I think those having issues are not reading /understanding correctly. I think some of the fear of nvflash is there are several conflicting sets of instructions also slightly vague instructions. Maybe one updated very detailed set of instructions (sticky) will eliminate fear and questions.

F*ck the haters, leave it up. I'm on 5.1 now, read everything and had no issues.

Keep it up, that's my vote. You are taking a calculated risk and that is valid in order to go forward. If VS takes another direction, so be it. The alternative is wait and do nothing and I don’t think you want to do that, but it's your call. We support you one hundred percent.
Thanks for your work I can say so because I'm a v5.∅.! User.

ATTENTION: New G-Tablet Modders

I just read a post by roebeet (well known dev who put together the TNT Lite ROMS) and something he said made enough sense to me that I thing everyone needs to hear it.
If you are going to flash and try everything you find on this site -- you run a real risk have having problems. Everything you flash adds, changes and deletes stuff from your tablet and some of that gets carried over from ROM to ROM to program.
Just because you partition/erase/delete/overwrite does not mean your tablet content is destroyed. There are a bunch of partitions on your tablet (12?) and some are preserved and some are modified depending on what you do.
So am I saying "Don't mod you G-Tablet" or "Don't try out new stuff." NO.
1. Make real sure you know what you are doing. Too many people just rush ahead and wind up with real problems.
2. Read directions and read all the posts about others who have done the same thing you want to do.
3. When you are making changes, do them one at a time and make sure it's working right before moving on. When you change a bunch of stuff it's hard to tell what the problem/problems is and where it came from.
4. IMHO, too many people see the modding as a game and then they get mad at the dev or people who are trying to help them -- when all the time it was their own fault!
I think it would even be a good idea if someone knowledgeable could help us see if we could put together a flash which would actually delete/erase what's on a
troubled tab so it could be rebuilt. Sorry, but I don't talk enough Android yet to do that.
Think about it.
Rev

butchconner said:
I think it would even be a good idea if someone knowledgeable could help us see if we could put together a flash which would actually delete/erase what's on a
troubled tab so it could be rebuilt.
Rev
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would recommend running a format zip before any reloading on a Gtab whether a new rom or the stock. Just like all the computers I work on for people the first thing I do is run a program to erase the hard drive to make sure nothing old can interfere with a new reload of the operating system
Calkulin has this format zip from his rom thread or you could use the other one from here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=974422
Start fresh don't just overwrite!
ale

Calkulin's Format all is awesome
Exactly. Calkulin's format all is a life saver. It is much cleaner and faster way than to do three or four steps to clean stuff out (Invariably one forgets one of the steps which causes all the problems).

I have used this file to solve many problems going from rom to rom... Good stuff.

[Q] Should I step back and use the format zip?
notsob2002 said:
I would recommend running a format zip before any reloading on a Gtab whether a new rom or the stock. Just like all the computers I work on for people the first thing I do is run a program to erase the hard drive to make sure nothing old can interfere with a new reload of the operating system
Calkulin has this format zip from his rom thread or you could use the other one from here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=974422
Start fresh don't just overwrite!
ale
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Two days ago I reset my gtab to stock. I have the 3389 zip saved and installed that using clockwork. I also used clockwork and did the data wipe/factory reset right before actually applying the rom.
Loading the stock VS rom removes clockwork and after reboot it pulled the OTA update and currently running the 3588 version.
I did this in anticipation of the upcoming VS update. The tablet seems to be running fine and as I said it's able to find and apply OTA updates.
Would you still recommend running this format zip, and then re-apply the 3389 I have saved?
Thanks,
Neudle
** Would like to point out there is a comment in the referenced post concerning using this format zip..."So this is a "detox" program for our gtablet that we can choose to run prior to NVflash process. And this process should not be done unless absolutely necessary, right?" "Yes, exactly..."

Neudle,
If you were at 3389 and did 3588 via OTA, I would try my recovery. If it does not
come up with your old CWM, then it should be stock recovery and you should be
good to go.
If needed, you always have the option of manually loading recovery and the 3588 update.zip into /sdcard and flashing stock again.
Rev

butchconner said:
Neudle,
If you were at 3389 and did 3588 via OTA, I would try my recovery. If it does not
come up with your old CWM, then it should be stock recovery and you should be
good to go.
If needed, you always have the option of manually loading recovery and the 3588 update.zip into /sdcard and flashing stock again.
Rev
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the response.
Actually I think my tablet is fine. Unless I'm really confused (which is certainly possible) 3389 was the update from late december/early january. The 3588 is the update that came up in like febuary. Isn't 3588 the most recent?
This isn't the first time I've reloaded the stock rom and it seems it always over-writes/removes the clockworkmod.
I was simply more curious if you folks do feel it's always best to use the format.zip when swapping roms?
As I said, I'm simply prepping and anticipating the upcoming update from Viewsonic and not worried about clockworkmod for the time being. From what I've seen the update includes a recovery that looks similar.
Thanks again,
Neudle

I think the OP makes an excellent point for all us weekend tinkerers. The G-Tab is my first experience with an android device and although I have experience with rooting and flashing roms and kernals on another platform (WEBOS on my Palm pre), I have spent my first few weeks with this device just reading as much as I can on these forums before trying anything myself.
I was fortunate enough to get a great deal on this tab second hand from somebody who had already flashed it with Vegantab ( I believe 5.1.1). As it stands, it pretty much does everything I need it to do and there is no reason to break what alreday works...... except that I am a weekend tinkerer...... and I am thinking that I would like to try Calkulin's rom.
At the moment, I am not sure that it represent's an upgrade over what I have and I may wait for something gingerbread or honeycomb based that people report to have a signifigant benefit over Vegan 5.1.1...although I am sure I will convince myself differently at some point.
I know that I have CWM installed and that I can use this to clear up caches and personal info before flashing another ROM. Does Calkulin's format erase this? If so, does it need to be re-installed before putting on a new ROM? I am reading posts about people flashing back to stock and receiving updates before flashing a new rom. This completely confuses me as I don't understand the benefit unless, as the OP seems to indicate, there are bits that are left over from the old ROM when a new one is flashed. Is this desirable?
Sorry if I am asking so many questions in this thread. I know that there are bits and pieces of info scattered among many threads but some of it seems contradictory and some I am sure is outdated.
Can someone either outline or point me in the right direction to a step by step that outlines the most current and least likely way to brick upgrade from Vegan to Calkulin's ROM?
Thanks

butchconner said:
2. Read directions and read all the posts about others who have done the same thing you want to do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here's my problem. Where is the step by step, this is how you take a GTab you just bought, to ROM "XYZ" the correct way? There are lots of "how to"s scattered all over this forum, but no one sticky at the top that says "Here's a step by step". Right now, I'm reading through everything again, before I try and mod my tablet, and it's a mess. It would be nice is someone+moderator made a nice, straight forward LOCKED thread that is stuck, that explains it all. The FAQ isn't quite the information necessary (in my eyes).
I'm pretty technical (engineer by trade) and if it takes me a bit to figure out how to do something, the general n00b is going to screw something up.
Just my thoughts.

h3llphyre said:
Here's my problem. Where is the step by step, this is how you take a GTab you just bought, to ROM "XYZ" the correct way? There are lots of "how to"s scattered all over this forum, but no one sticky at the top that says "Here's a step by step". Right now, I'm reading through everything again, before I try and mod my tablet, and it's a mess. It would be nice is someone+moderator made a nice, straight forward LOCKED thread that is stuck, that explains it all. The FAQ isn't quite the information necessary (in my eyes).
I'm pretty technical (engineer by trade) and if it takes me a bit to figure out how to do something, the general n00b is going to screw something up.
Just my thoughts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't found that to be the case at all. In fact, I've seen nothing but repetitive reinforcement of proper procedures from every knowledgeable source. If the ROM Creator says use clockworkmod to install then wipe data... well do it. If he/she says use standard recovery... well... This isn't rocket science. I've installed and tested every ROM listed here with no failures by following the included instructions. I can't believe that is an anomaly.
If you want to be truly successful, learn what each of these tools (clockworkmod, nvflash, etc.) does and more importantly what they do not do. When you educate yourself to their proper use you won't be finding yourself using a hammer when you need a screwdriver.

hotfire!,
I think that's one of the points I hoped to make in this thread.
I appreciate the "format" tips -- but I have not used it and none of the folks whose opinion I watch for have put their stamp of approval on it -- so my opinion of it is still
in the making. I will use it only cautiously until I have confidence it is good.
But as you have said, we do have a hodgepodge of stuff here. People try to do
too much too fast -- and others suggest stuff that doesn't need to be done.
For example -- if somethings crashes on my G-Tablet, I go back to a basic CWM/ROM combo that I know is good so I have a solid place to start and then rebuild. Takes a little longer, but I think it save me a lot of anquish.
So like a lot of others, I just help where I can. But I do try to be conservative and consistent making suggestions the will not "snow" the new or offend those who think
they know what they are doing.
And to everyone I suggest the wrong thing, OOOOPs, and apologies. To those who
help me an give others good help -- thank you.
Rev

K J Rad said:
I haven't found that to be the case at all. In fact, I've seen nothing but repetitive reinforcement of proper procedures from every knowledgeable source. If the ROM Creator says use clockworkmod to install then wipe data... well do it. If he/she says use standard recovery... well... This isn't rocket science. I've installed and tested every ROM listed here with no failures by following the included instructions. I can't believe that is an anomaly.
If you want to be truly successful, learn what each of these tools (clockworkmod, nvflash, etc.) does and more importantly what they do not do. When you educate yourself to their proper use you won't be finding yourself using a hammer when you need a screwdriver.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But therein lies the problem. There *is* a great thread on installing CWM and then ROMs using that. Step by step, it's fantastic. Installing a new kernel *is* found in some of the threads, but I wish that great thread with the CWM and ROM installation also had Kernel info.
Regardless of if you know how these tools work, it's nice to have a step by step to follow, just to ensure you're doing everything in order. I do it at work when I'm working with a new system (I write it myself) just to make sure I follow the same procedure every time. It helps when problems arise.
I'm just saying, for the n00bs, it would be nice to have a "one size fits all" thread. I was able to successfully install CWM and Vegan without a single problem, as I've been reading this forum for MONTHS, but I'm not a normal person (nor are most of the regulars here).
One thing I try to do, is demystify technology. Make it easy, explain it in simple ways while still being effective as describing what is going on, and then you don't get "stupid questions" later. Essentially, trying to run in the opposite direction that most Linux forums tend to be. Threads buried 2 years back have the info, everyone screams at the n00bs saying "USE THE SEARCH".
Love this forum, the people here are REALLY helpful, but there is room for improvement. That's all I'm saying.

h3llphyre said:
But therein lies the problem. There *is* a great thread on installing CWM and then ROMs using that. Step by step, it's fantastic. Installing a new kernel *is* found in some of the threads, but I wish that great thread with the CWM and ROM installation also had Kernel info.
Regardless of if you know how these tools work, it's nice to have a step by step to follow, just to ensure you're doing everything in order. I do it at work when I'm working with a new system (I write it myself) just to make sure I follow the same procedure every time. It helps when problems arise.
I'm just saying, for the n00bs, it would be nice to have a "one size fits all" thread. I was able to successfully install CWM and Vegan without a single problem, as I've been reading this forum for MONTHS, but I'm not a normal person (nor are most of the regulars here).
One thing I try to do, is demystify technology. Make it easy, explain it in simple ways while still being effective as describing what is going on, and then you don't get "stupid questions" later. Essentially, trying to run in the opposite direction that most Linux forums tend to be. Threads buried 2 years back have the info, everyone screams at the n00bs saying "USE THE SEARCH".
Love this forum, the people here are REALLY helpful, but there is room for improvement. That's all I'm saying.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Short answer: Great idea! When will you have it ready? ;-)
Long answer...
I understand what you're saying. What I'm saying is that there isn't a one size fits all answer to this "problem" (certainly not since the addition of TwoTapsX). The step by step instructions for installing ROMs, kernels, other hacks, etc. exist in the threads that contain the product (and most of those are stickied) because they aren't always identical. One "Superpost" meant to encompass all of those instructions would grow to be much too large and include far too many logical branches to be effective when you take into account the individual caveats for each. However, the methods for installing many of the products is similar in most cases even if the tools are not identical. Understanding which tool to use and how it works is the key to a successful experience.
For example are the recent cases of problems with TwoTapsX (formerly TnTLite 5.0.x). The instructions in the thread clearly stated that the users should start from a clean Viewsonic ROM without CWM (very different from other ROMs). It even stated an nvflash might be necessary if you had any problems with the install (also not usually necessary with other ROMs). Still, the overwhelming majority of users that had problems had failed to follow the instructions correctly and were unprepared to do an nvflash. These were generally not people that were new to the process, either. In cases where they were, a simple search for the error message they were getting or the condition they were experiencing turned up an answer within the first two or threes responses and virtually all of them were addressed in the original instruction thread or another recent thread with a similar title.
Another example, I still see threads daily about someone recently installing VEGAnTab 5.11 and all of a sudden their media disappears from their sdcard. This is a well known and very well documented problem with a long used successful work around. It isn't a case where their particular installation went awry, it's a known issue with the ROM. How many of those issues would need to be addressed in the "Superpost" in order to be effective and yet not be cumbersome?
To complicate things further, we now have indications that the next official release may change recovery to be incompatible with previous methods. It's possible we'll see further forking of these processes based on the developers preference of recovery which would reinforce the need to customize instructions for a particular product.
Room for improvement? Sure. I just think education is better than hand holding. I always encouraged my engineers to learn more and develop their own processes because they might actually be better, cheaper, more efficient, than whatever we currently had. I understood that MY answer might not always be the best one and I preferred to empower my associates.
All that being said... I'm all for anything that improves the community and more importantly helps its members. If you feel that it would be helpful then feel free to put something together or team with a few others to produce a document to address the issues you've identified. I'll be more than happy to link people to it if it fills a need for them just as I have to others in previous threads ;-)

Modding
You know normally I just read and lurk around here, but I can't keep my mouth shut any longer.
**WARNING** Not that I expect anyone to notice because apparently half of you can't read or don't comprehend what you do read, but anything past this point is probably not contributing to the conversation in a constructive way and should be considered as me ranting.
I have had my tab since December and have flashed every single Rom found on this forum at one time or another and the problems I see people have just amaze me. It's amazing because 9 out of 10 times it's because they didn't bother to read/comprehend the darn instructions or they are to lazy to search/read/comprehend on how to fix it or start over.
I am by no means a rocket scientist/programmer/developer/modder myself but I can read something 3-4 times first to make sure I comprehend before I go off deliberately voiding the warranty on a $400 device. And if I break it? Guess What?? There are instructions for that to if people would bother to look. Granted the information can be scattered around but if you can't be bothered to search/read then you should probably not be using a android device.
Last thing and I'll shut up. The entitlement I see coming from alot of people really makes my blood boil. You are an early adopter of bleeding edge technology, there are going to be problems and alot of them! If you didn't do research on the tab before you bought it you have no right to complain. The devs are not paid except by an occasional donation. They do this on their own time with their own equipment for the community. THEY DO NOT OWE YOU A THING, AND YOU SHOULD WORSHIP THEM SINCE WE ALL GET TO BENEFIT FROM THEIR HARD WORK!!!

Be Contented....
After tried two ROMs (TnT and NI) and finally sticked to NI, am well contented and satisfied. I think being contented may less your problem...

K J Rad said:
Short answer: Great idea! When will you have it ready? ;-)
<Plus lots of other stuff you said>
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As you can see from my post count, I'm historically a lurker. I've literally read every single thread in the GTab section since December. The problem for me, mostly came down to once I bought the device (I research stuff to death before I pull the trigger) and was ready to try a new ROM, it was information overload. There *is* a good thread about ROMs and CWM as I said, so I followed that, after reading it 6 times to ensure there were no gotchas.
I want to try out Pershoot's kernel, but I don't feel like I've read the procedure enough times to feel confident I'll be able to do it without having to fix something I broke. So, I'll read it a few dozen times, research the tools used, and finally get to it.
End of the day, I'll probably ask the person who did the ROM thread if they wouldn't mind added text that I've put together for the Kernels (as a supplement to what he did). I do want to give back to the community.
Also, you'll hopefully be seeing some hardware mods coming soon from me, fully documented. My true love is hardware, so I'll leave the ROMs and Kernels to the software guys, and focus on improvements on the physical side of things.
Thanks for keeping the conversation friendly. Always great to hear other people's opinions on matters.

Hardware mods would be VERY cool. Just remember to put something in the thread about how to talk your wife into letting you replace the smoldering mess on the kitchen table so I'll be covered... ;-)

h3llphyre said:
Also, you'll hopefully be seeing some hardware mods coming soon from me, fully documented. My true love is hardware, so I'll leave the ROMs and Kernels to the software guys, and focus on improvements on the physical side of things.
Thanks for keeping the conversation friendly. Always great to hear other people's opinions on matters.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I speak for everyone here when I say "Bring them on!"

2 cents to add
I have worked in various areas of IT for over 30 years. Unfortunately android has not been one of them but the basic ideas are always the same. As one reader noted (with a little bit of steam coming from his ears) no one owes you anything here. You aren't paying and you're pretty lucky to have so many talented people making their efforts available to you. I, for one, am very appreciative. I do see the point however about documentation. I have been slowly (and painfully) coming up to speed on the various facets of this g-tab experience. What I find most frustrating is not the lack of directions (there are plenty if you look) or even responses (Clemsyn responded to my request for kernel updating info) but the lack of basic information. I recognize a linux type structure when I snoop around the file system. What is the relation of the ROMS to that? What exactly does clockwork do and where does it live? When you "clear caches" what exactly are you clearing? etc. I'm not expecting answers to these questions here but I think that is the problem a lot of us "caught in the middle guys" have. Sure, we can follow directions and usually everything works just the way it is supposed to but we don't know WHY. If you just blindly follow directions that makes you a "user" not an "admin" and who wants to be a user???? ha-ha What I really want to know is how/where do the more experienced people here (including devs) get their base information to know how to tinker with kernels, ROMS, etc? Where is the G-Tab Development for Dummies book hiding????

enigmas 0456,
You will find that lack of documentation is the hallmark of Android -- not just
here but everywhere. Probably more info here than most places.
Rev

Noobs: Rooting -- No Big Deal

I'm not into the cell phone scene, so I don't know about "rooting" there -- but with the G-Tablet it's no big deal.
First, with the G-Tablet all you have to do is D/L (from a market or sideload) the
program "z4root". After installing z4root you touch on button to root the tablet
permanently. Done.
Second, if you do go on and mod your tablet using the ROMs put out by our devs, you will find most of them come with "root" installed.
And....the main thing I have observed root does for you when getting started
with the G-Tablet is that it lets you run "Root Explorer", a good file management program -- and "Titanium Backup", a good backup too. (Others many prefer other tools besides these. I just mention them because lots of folks use them here.)
I've read comments from several folks fretting over rooting and just thought I should say it's no big deal.
Rev

Seems like the G-tab is much easier to Root compared to HTC G2 which needed ADB and other tweaks to get it to work. Even then it took me 2 hours to get root access, Load CM 7 nightly build, Customize device with apps and tinker. So i would imagine the G-tab will take 1hr-1.5hr to do everything including customizing and downloading apps and such. It is nice to see members with experience putting up new threads and such with information on how to root and load roms. I think if someone has some good links and guides that would help the community a-lot and have a safe starting point for all instead of having 10,000 new bricked G-tabs added to the community.

Is it just me or does every thread here get closed "before it gets out of hand" ?
I have been on this forum for years, along with hundreds of other and I have never seen a thread where the mods are this controlling and close threads like it is going out of style.

faiz23,
Thanks for the post. It confirms that a phone root is what I thought it would be!
I am happy to help folks, but I have to tell you I will be among the contingent telling
new folks to move slow, be cautious, read and study until you understand, ask
questions, and make good decisions. Did I mention read and study and understand?
I don't know of anyone who has absolutely bricked their G-Tab (there may be one or two, but I don't know anything about them). But I sure know of a pile of people who
have sweated blood and wanted to pound their head with bricks after messing one up
and having to look at their $400 useless technology for a while.
IMHO, too many people move too fast -- and if enough people mess up it makes it
really hard for the "helper" folks on the forum to keep everyone up.
Good luck. Oh, and did I mention read and research and study until you understand?!
Rev

darkrift,
Just read the forums and you will see why things are a little tight.
One of our devs, roebeet, brought out a new ROM based on what we call UAT 3991 (an update that hasn't been published). It has a new generation of software in it (not
Honeycomb) that changes some of the key software. IF YOU DON'T READ AND UNDERSTAND AND DO THE INSTALL RIGHT, IT WILL SEMI-BRICK YOUR G-TABLET AND
REQUIRE ADVANCED MEASURES TO RECOVER.
A lot of people tried the new update and a pile of folks semi-bricked the tablets. I am reasonably experienced and in spite of doing everything "right" my test tablet started
boot looping and I had to do an advanced recovery. All the ROMS, software, mods, etc. you do "can" have a cumulative effect on future mods -- so the more you play the
more it increases the risk.
Lot of the folks semi-bricked because they didn't do it right, and it has really made it hard to get everyone fixed and keep everybody running.
So I think everyone that cares about the G-Tablet here on the forums is making an effort to upgrade docs, keep things from getting too complicated, encourage folks to
be cautious -- and in general provide better stuff to work with.
We all want to play and have fun. It's keeping it from NOT being fun that's the problem. Read and read and read and you will understand.
My opinion, anyhow.
Rev
P. S. -- Sorry if it sounds like I'm lecturing you. Didn't mean to -- it just
goes with my vocation. With your experience I know you will understand.

if you are doing a wipe and the roms are packaged properly, there should be no cumulative effect. are the devs building partial roms that stack on top of the current roms instead of releasing full self contained images? something doesnt sound right about that, but regardless.... rom flashing is risky, to the flasher. if they cant take the risk, that is their problem. doesnt mean we need to be closing threads where users are talking calmly because we are scared they might e-riot at any time.

darkrift,
I don't think it's the devs fault. Their ROMs are good.
The best way I know to say it is that when you format, erase/delete, recover, etc. you cannot count on everything being blanked. There are 12 partitions in the G-Tablet and they don't all get changed all the time -- say loading a ROM.
I NVFlashed once to fix a problem and loaded and update afterward and still wound up with files in memory left over from the pre-problem setup!
Only in the last couple of weeks have a couple of folks been addressing the "format" issue (from the standpoint of a clean wipe) and while I'm reading and learning, I haven't had time thorougly follow what they are doing yet.
As for closing, I understand what you are saying, but I also understand where the moderators are coming from too.
Rev

Darkrift said:
if you are doing a wipe and the roms are packaged properly, there should be no cumulative effect. are the devs building partial roms that stack on top of the current roms instead of releasing full self contained images? something doesnt sound right about that, but regardless.... rom flashing is risky, to the flasher. if they cant take the risk, that is their problem. doesnt mean we need to be closing threads where users are talking calmly because we are scared they might e-riot at any time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The term "cumulative effect" may be a bit misleading. However, some of us have experienced issues with the partitioning of the internal sdcard that we believe may be related to heavy modding. Over time we'll start to get unexplained errors reading and writing to user spaces that should be relatively untouched by the flashing process. Repartitioning usually resolves the issues. We've also seen situations where experienced modders have followed directions precisely and still ended up with unexpected results. Subsequent attempts result may result in success or failure in what seems to be random selection. This is usually seen on devices that have been previously modded but it's difficult to say to what degree since no one has really been able to collect enough data to be useful but it is certainly in large enough numbers to have been a concern for some.

How to flash a rom with s on????

I wanted to root my htc one s so i could put a custom rom on it. I unlocked the bootloader and then I flashed a custom recovery. So i rebooted into twrp recovery and wipe data, cache and dalvik and then proceeded to install cm 10. It installed and then i installed the gaaps which also installed sucesfully. So i rebooted and now all it does it just goes to a white screen with the htc logo. I did have s on but does that make a diffrence. I also tried making s off but it doesnt work since i have no rom.
Help!! My phone is basically useless now!!!

genardas said:
I wanted to root my htc one s so i could put a custom rom on it. I unlocked the bootloader and then I flashed a custom recovery. So i rebooted into twrp recovery and wipe data, cache and dalvik and then proceeded to install cm 10. It installed and then i installed the gaaps which also installed sucesfully. So i rebooted and now all it does it just goes to a white screen with the htc logo. I did have s on but does that make a diffrence. I also tried making s off but it doesnt work since i have no rom.
Help!! My phone is basically useless now!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You obviously didn't read/followed the install instructions. Read it again.
Then please tell me what you missed.
Verstuurd van mijn One S met Tapatalk

Seems you didn't flash the boot.img separately...
Sent from my HTC One S using xda app-developers app

Ah, now he doesn't have to look troby--:laugh: jk

I just downloaded someone else backup and restored to it all is well!
Sent from my SGH-T999

That's the easy way--you cheated--
If you don't learn not only how to do it correctly, but why, you will always have trouble and have to rely on nice guys like troby86 for help. They won't always be there. Most of us spent dozens, if not more hours, learning all this stuff. And continue to learn. Since you invested a lot of money in the phone, you should spend some time learning how to flash stuff safely/correctly.
Sorry for preaching, but just trying to prevent you from having more and maybe unrecoverable phone issues--

rugmankc said:
That's the easy way--you cheated--
If you don't learn not only how to do it correctly, but why, you will always have trouble and have to rely on nice guys like troby86 for help. They won't always be there. Most of us spent dozens, if not more hours, learning all this stuff. And continue to learn. Since you invested a lot of money in the phone, you should spend some time learning how to flash stuff safely/correctly.
Sorry for preaching, but just trying to prevent you from having more and maybe unrecoverable phone issues--
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Care to explain/show us what you mean?

I don't know anyone's skill level by just reading posts like on this thread. You may know more than me on Android. And, the info is not, and never has been in one place in Forum or Web.
Here is a link in our Forum with a tutorial on rooting.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2140967
You may already know all that.
A lot can be gleaned from tutorials and videos on web like youtube.
I used all those sources and bookmarked dozens of links till I started to piece it together and have it make sense.
I had to Google Android terms just to find out what rom/nandroid/flash etc even meant. At least as far as Android was concerned. I was familiar with terms like those from engineering classes 40 years ago. But, take on new meaning here.
Anyway, I believe all should download and install Android SDK and become familiar with adb/fastboot. Most experienced users will agree it is best and safest way to flash boots/radios etc. You can also push and pull files from and to phone. Some restrictions apply to those things like flashing radios which depends on your phones hboot on our One S. I was lucky with an early phone and low hboot and can do almost anything with or without adb/fastboot. But, being able to use it can help getting things to phone when other means won't work. Getting in trouble is easy but "understanding" how to get out of it is essential.
My second piece of advice would be to skim threads and find ones that offer this info from others asking these questions.
I would always have a nandroid and a recent sdcard bu on your pc.
Read the threads OP page completely and first and last 20 pages, at least, of the thread. Even after doing this for years, I have done this and have read posts that alerted me not to flash the latest, listed rom version or some other file on OP. Some threads, I believe, still don't state if rom is for s3 or s4. Maybe listed kernel had some issues not found on OP, but 10 pages back into thread.
Also, when flashing new rom or update with framework or major changes always wipe all including System 3X. Once or three times is up for debate. But, I do this and rarely have ever had flashing issues on any phone/rom.
Flash Image GUI is an app from Market that lets you flash boots independent of hboot. Never used it. But, many swear by it. Still think when you are in real trouble, adb/fastboot experience can be a life saver.
This is all pretty basic so don't know if I wasted time typing this. And not sure what exactly you wanted. No one will write a book on how to do all this flashing stuff. So, like mentioned you have to gather it from a lot of different places. We have become a society of "give it too me now and I don't want to know how you didi it".
But, maybe someone just starting will have some of this help in some way.

Believe me I looked up guides and guides and couldn't find what was wrong. Still don't know how to do it right but it's fine since I just sold the phone. On the s3 it's so much simpler u root it via some program by picking a file. Then just flash roms through recovery. This phone I thought you just unlock the bootloader and then just install super user and that's it. Just flash roms through recovery. But then some stuff came up with s on and s off and I tried figuring that out but I just got lost at hex editor. Anyways it doesn't matter just know to not get HTC phones.
Sent from my SGH-T999

HTC has made it harder than some other phones. I did have a Nexus One before the One S. Google, but still HTC. Still, I think is important to understand a lot of this. Since, you can get in trouble on any phone.
The procedures you are describing are what was/is called one-click rooting. Became popular on Nexus One. But, some found rooting by that method restricted them on doing certain things they wanted to do and troubleshooting and getting out of soft bricks. I think they could not use either adb or fastboot and needed that to restore phone.
Anyway, good luck on new phone--

rugmankc said:
I don't know anyone's skill level by just reading posts like on this thread. You may know more than me on Android. And, the info is not, and never has been in one place in Forum or Web.
Here is a link in our Forum with a tutorial on rooting.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2140967
You may already know all that.
A lot can be gleaned from tutorials and videos on web like youtube.
I used all those sources and bookmarked dozens of links till I started to piece it together and have it make sense.
I had to Google Android terms just to find out what rom/nandroid/flash etc even meant. At least as far as Android was concerned. I was familiar with terms like those from engineering classes 40 years ago. But, take on new meaning here.
Anyway, I believe all should download and install Android SDK and become familiar with adb/fastboot. Most experienced users will agree it is best and safest way to flash boots/radios etc. You can also push and pull files from and to phone. Some restrictions apply to those things like flashing radios which depends on your phones hboot on our One S. I was lucky with an early phone and low hboot and can do almost anything with or without adb/fastboot. But, being able to use it can help getting things to phone when other means won't work. Getting in trouble is easy but "understanding" how to get out of it is essential.
My second piece of advice would be to skim threads and find ones that offer this info from others asking these questions.
I would always have a nandroid and a recent sdcard bu on your pc.
Read the threads OP page completely and first and last 20 pages, at least, of the thread. Even after doing this for years, I have done this and have read posts that alerted me not to flash the latest, listed rom version or some other file on OP. Some threads, I believe, still don't state if rom is for s3 or s4. Maybe listed kernel had some issues not found on OP, but 10 pages back into thread.
Also, when flashing new rom or update with framework or major changes always wipe all including System 3X. Once or three times is up for debate. But, I do this and rarely have ever had flashing issues on any phone/rom.
Flash Image GUI is an app from Market that lets you flash boots independent of hboot. Never used it. But, many swear by it. Still think when you are in real trouble, adb/fastboot experience can be a life saver.
This is all pretty basic so don't know if I wasted time typing this. And not sure what exactly you wanted. No one will write a book on how to do all this flashing stuff. So, like mentioned you have to gather it from a lot of different places. We have become a society of "give it too me now and I don't want to know how you didi it".
But, maybe someone just starting will have some of this help in some way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1000
The first time I tried to flash a ROM on my phone I softbricked it since I didn't follow directions. I searched the web for at least a couple of hours trying to figure out 1) what happened to my phone and 2) How to fix it. I eventually found a thread on here and a separate thread on another Forum with the solution to my problem. I learned UNIX in school so I had some knowledge with the commands to help me. I'm not a big fan of the All-in-One tools because as the poster above me said you don't learn and are bound to make the same mistake as a result. The knowledge also transfers across whatever Android device you're using so I think it's quite relevant to learn as much as you can

IntelligentAj said:
+1000
The first time I tried to flash a ROM on my phone I softbricked it since I didn't follow directions. I searched the web for at least a couple of hours trying to figure out 1) what happened to my phone and 2) How to fix it. I eventually found a thread on here and a separate thread on another Forum with the solution to my problem. I learned UNIX in school so I had some knowledge with the commands to help me. I'm not a big fan of the All-in-One tools because as the poster above me said you don't learn and are bound to make the same mistake as a result. The knowledge also transfers across whatever Android device you're using so I think it's quite relevant to learn as much as you can
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't understand what there is to learn. Could you enlighten me as to what I am supposed to learn. From what I gather, all you are supposed to do when flashing a rom is flash the boot.img, factory reset and wipe data/cache a few times, install the rom and then wipe cache again. Isn't it all done then?

Well, I guess you got it figured out and I wasted my time on a lengthy post--

eLiTeOneS said:
... factory reset and wipe data/cache a few times, install the rom and then wipe cache again. Isn't it all done then?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using Android on several phones and tablets for a while, but there's one thing i still don't understand. Why should i wipe more than once before installing a rom? I often read that, never did that and never had a problem. And: ain't factory reset and wipe data/cache the same?
Sent from my HTC One S using xda app-developers app

That is topic of discussion and disagreement for many. Most devs will recommend multi wipes. I have had on occasion issues with one wipe. Never with multi. If you don't wipe System, some remnants of previous rom can be left behind. Same for only one wipe for data. Caches I normally only do once or twice. All this is very quick to do. My analogy is doing a quick fomat as opposed to a full format on a disk. It is my opinion that one wipe does not get it all. Others can have a different opinion. But, I will continue to wipe all multi times. After 3 years and hundreds of successful flashes, I don't plan to change. If i have an issue I can't fix, normally an sdcard reformat works. Some files there are tied to the phone also and if become bad/corrupted can still cause issues even with multi wipes. I have read many posts where someone with problems got sorted after multi wipes and/or an sdcard reformat.
All imho--
You may continue to have no issues and great. My problem with the other poster is that after asking for advice and reading my post still thinks all you do is wipe data/caches, flash boot then rom and nothing else to know. My point is you need to read, read, read before flashing theses roms. You have an investment to protect. You also should know why you are doing things and there consequences and how to get out of trouble. I see many posts by people you just did what the other member mentioned, never read OP or any part of thread and wound up soft bricked, bootlooped etc. Not even paying attn to whether the rom was for an S3 or S4.
Again, I have no idea of anyones expertise here. And most know more than me. That is why I am cautious and respect tips/advice from more knowledgeable users. It took me a long time to force myself to learn adb/fastboot. Even with a lot of prodding by a much more learned member. Glad I finally did.
What I hate to see is someone asking a question answered one page back or "hey, just got phone. can someone give me a step by step on rooting/flashing. no I haven't read anything yet"
Anyway my 2 cents--
Sorry for rant, must be bored today--

rugmankc said:
That is topic of discussion and disagreement for many. Most devs will recommend multi wipes. I have had on occasion issues with one wipe. Never with multi. If you don't wipe System, some remnants of previous rom can be left behind. Same for only one wipe for data. Caches I normally only do once or twice. All this is very quick to do. My analogy is doing a quick fomat as opposed to a full format on a disk. It is my opinion that one wipe does not get it all. Others can have a different opinion. But, I will continue to wipe all multi times. After 3 years and hundreds of successful flashes, I don't plan to change. If i have an issue I can't fix, normally an sdcard reformat works. Some files there are tied to the phone also and if become bad/corrupted can still cause issues even with multi wipes. I have read many posts where someone with problems got sorted after multi wipes and/or an sdcard reformat.
All imho--
You may continue to have no issues and great. My problem with the other poster is that after asking for advice and reading my post still thinks all you do is wipe data/caches, flash boot then rom and nothing else to know. My point is you need to read, read, read before flashing theses roms. You have an investment to protect. You also should know why you are doing things and there consequences and how to get out of trouble. I see many posts by people you just did what the other member mentioned, never read OP or any part of thread and wound up soft bricked, bootlooped etc. Not even paying attn to whether the rom was for an S3 or S4.
Again, I have no idea of anyones expertise here. And most know more than me. That is why I am cautious and respect tips/advice from more knowledgeable users. It took me a long time to force myself to learn adb/fastboot. Even with a lot of prodding by a much more learned member. Glad I finally did.
What I hate to see is someone asking a question answered one page back or "hey, just got phone. can someone give me a step by step on rooting/flashing. no I haven't read anything yet"
Anyway my 2 cents--
Sorry for rant, must be bored today--
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm actually glad you told me all this. I've been through many bootloops, but I don't really see how learning A LOT about all of this is required. Don't you just need to fullwipe/cache after booting into recovery and then just recover your device? Sorry if I come across as arrogant or something, I'm really not trying to be. I have read around about this, but none of the sites/tutorials I went to discussed ANYTHING about spending a long time researching the matter. I thought it was as simple as following the instructions from Developers.

No problem. The actual steps are relatively simple. But, not all Dev's give all needed steps. Some leave out wiping System, as an example. My only point is not only know the steps but why you are doing them and what to do if you get into trouble. The threads are sprinkled with folks just doing the steps and getting into trouble and not knowing how to get out of it. Then they want the easy step by step to get out of trouble and still don't want to understand the why's of what they are doing.
As I mentioned, you may not be one of them. It is hard to ascertain someone's skill level or true meaning just by the post itself. So, my comments are just general fyi.
Since XDA is a development forum, there won't be extensive how to's. But the wiki's and stickies do contain a lot of info. And, scanning certain threads that have subject matter you are interested in can give a lot of insight also. Lots of You Tube videos too.
Good Luck--

rugmankc said:
No problem. The actual steps are relatively simple. But, not all Dev's give all needed steps. Some leave out wiping System, as an example. My only point is not only know the steps but why you are doing them and what to do if you get into trouble. The threads are sprinkled with folks just doing the steps and getting into trouble and not knowing how to get out of it. Then they want the easy step by step to get out of trouble and still don't want to understand the why's of what they are doing.
As I mentioned, you may not be one of them. It is hard to ascertain someone's skill level or true meaning just by the post itself. So, my comments are just general fyi.
Since XDA is a development forum, there won't be extensive how to's. But the wiki's and stickies do contain a lot of info. And, scanning certain threads that have subject matter you are interested in can give a lot of insight also. Lots of You Tube videos too.
Good Luck--
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, it's just the way you put it unnerved me quite a lot. I mean, I don't see how there is a LOT of skill required to do this, isn't most of it common sense? I mean, that's how I approach many things; by figuring them out. But if I'm doing everything right, then there's no problem

Cool--
Sounds like you got it all figured. Didn't mean to upset. But, it is hard to read btwn lines on posts. Mine included So, sometimes things are not taken correctly.
In time you will see more of the posts that make some of us scratch our heads and wonder why the question was even asked.
For now have fun and Nandroid--and backup sdcard to PC. Those are very important things I still see some not doing--

rugmankc said:
Cool--
Sounds like you got it all figured. Didn't mean to upset. But, it is hard to read btwn lines on posts. Mine included So, sometimes things are not taken correctly.
In time you will see more of the posts that make some of us scratch our heads and wonder why the question was even asked.
For now have fun and Nandroid--and backup sdcard to PC. Those are very important things I still see some not doing--
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I did one of them, but that was a silly mistake on my behalf. Anyway, if you were to backup your SD Card on your PC, what good would that do?