[Q] ATTN Devs & PRO Users: Good Place To Start Learning?

[Q] ATTN Devs & PRO Users: Good Place To Start Learning? - HTC Inspire 4G

So check this out. Who's gonna help me get a leg up and start learning the real stuff now that I have the basics down pat. I have been flashing these great themes and Marvelous Roms and just started to get down correlations between bases and ports etc... Although I still don't know in depth about these matters - I have learned if you don't port - you come up short.
I am working on figuring out how to replace my boot animation in the HoneyHD theme, and how to take that and take out the Sense Parts that aren't available in NoSensi, and finally merging that into NoSensi so that instead of flashing four times - or relying on a recovery, I can make an assembled and flashable Rom package that is perfect from the first flash. Guess I should have asked Victoryo (NoSensi OP), but these aren't even really any of my works, and I am sure a Dev has plenty other stuff to take care of. I know that there is so much more to this than I realize, but every step I learn makes that much clearer how the processes from bootloader to splash to boot to Themed Awesomness and Ultimately Rom Superiority actually work and integrate together. I start school in a month, with a declared major in computer programming, and until a few months ago didn't know diddly about Roms, Kernels, Rooting, or even Android for that matter... So where do I start learning? Or rather, what would be the best way to expand on the knowledge I gain here everyday at XDA, and please be mindful that until my school money is in, I am computerless...
Everything is Inspire Acquired, and Edited, Flashed and Composed from.... Thanks to all the kickarse peeps who remember asking themselves "Where in the world do I begin?"
-MyPocketWizard-

Here are some guides to start you off. Good luck.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=916814
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=674604
http://www.romhacking.net/start/
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/htc-apache/1904-how-build-your-own-custom-rom.html

Thank You Wolf for everything today. Hope the Universe throws some awesome Karmic Kindness your way sir.
-MyPocketWizard-

Related

[PLEA] I'm so confused about all the similar ROMs now!

I've been a regular reader of these forums since researching my first Android purchase. Over this time I have seem many new ROM projects born. I would like to argue that many of these projects are so similar that they are pointless.
I'm calling out anyone whoever made a new Hero/HTC-Sense ROM. Seriously. When you saw the 10 other Hero guys out there, what made you think it was better to release your own flavour instead trying to participate in an existing project?
I've taken a look, and as far as I can tell, there should only be 3 non-factory ROM projects:
- CyanogenMod, because of the effort Steve goes to stay 100% legal and teeter on the bleeding edge of Google's source code
- 1 Hero/Sense UI ROM, because we actually only need 1, why don't you guys work together, sheesh
- 1 Blur rip-off ROM, because goodness knows there are going to be people who actually think it's a great idea
Just because Android is based on Linux, doesn't mean we have to make all the same mistakes that has dogged and doomed Linux from the beginning. We don't need to splinter into a billion different distributions, at least not yet. Looking at the feature lists for many of these similar ROMs, the only thing that is different is additional locales or small bug fixes, hardly worth the effort of repackaging. /sigh
*end nerd rage*

i doubt they end. its their project, they build it how they like it and they share it. people do not have to download it. there are many reasons why they release their own, they have more freedom to do what they want. in past rom devs work together then they split up due to differences. working together is all fine and good but this isnt a utopian world haha, people have different opinions on how to move forward with a project.
just because you dont want to download and try different builds dont mean they should stop

jokeyrhyme said:
I've been a regular reader of these forums since researching my first Android purchase. Over this time I have seem many new ROM projects born. I would like to argue that many of these projects are so similar that they are pointless.
I'm calling out anyone whoever made a new Hero/HTC-Sense ROM. Seriously. When you saw the 10 other Hero guys out there, what made you think it was better to release your own flavour instead trying to participate in an existing project?
I've taken a look, and as far as I can tell, there should only be 3 non-factory ROM projects:
- CyanogenMod, because of the effort Steve goes to stay 100% legal and teeter on the bleeding edge of Google's source code
- 1 Hero/Sense UI ROM, because we actually only need 1, why don't you guys work together, sheesh
- 1 Blur rip-off ROM, because goodness knows there are going to be people who actually think it's a great idea
Just because Android is based on Linux, doesn't mean we have to make all the same mistakes that has dogged and doomed Linux from the beginning. We don't need to splinter into a billion different distributions, at least not yet. Looking at the feature lists for many of these similar ROMs, the only thing that is different is additional locales or small bug fixes, hardly worth the effort of repackaging. /sigh
*end nerd rage*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As a regular reader you should know that there are about 5 different versions of Hero floating around to base off of. There are 2 different versions of blur. There is also pulse, donut, cupcake, and variations on them.
Hero includes: Tattoo (a specialized mix of donut and sense), the sense ui merged with magic, the official release Hero, the non-official beta Hero, and the Sprint Hero. (And if you ever read the threads, we do all work together) There are also multiple opinions on BFS and a2sd, which allows for variations.
Blur has both a Hero and a Cyanogen based version, depending on which way they decided to go to get the supporting files for the main system.
The rest are obvious, and I don't feel like going into that much detail.
If we all followed your beleif, updates would take twice as long and not have nearly as many features. Rather than Drizzy, JustAnotherCrowd, Cyrowski, and myself all waiting for the one day we all have 2 hours to meet on google talk, share files, and build an update... JAC relelases an update, Cyrowski writes a new boot image, I restructure the way a2sd operates, and Drizzy comes along and adds in some new apps he restructured to work on that build. Some people choose to stop somewhere along the path and stick to that ROM, others go all the way down the road. If there were only one update, most Devs would spend half the day just telling people how to disable, remove, or add the feature they integrated.
I just dont see how less is more in this case. If you don't like all the updates, do what I do. I have the ones I actually read followed, and I only ever take a quick glance at the first page of posts before checking those. If I miss anything important, it is only ever by a day. If it's that important, it inevitably gets bumped to the first page long before it becomes so old that I surely learned it somewhere else.
*end informed response*

twistedumbrella said:
*end informed response*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hehe.
Okay, I get that there's a matrix of every possible version of Android against every different sort of UI (ie Hero+Donut, Blur+Cupcake, etc). My shortlist is obviously too short. But it's difficult to pick out, for example, the best Hero ROM. And I can see the same thing happening with Blur as it becomes more and more in vogue.
Watching 3 different Hero versions, you might decide that ROM A almost perfectly suits your needs except for the bug that only got fixed in ROM B. And ROM C has both the features and the bug fix, but has an ugly custom UI somewhere. So then you think to yourself "why don't I just make package D?". The only way you'll know anything for sure is to spend time trying out however many different ROMs knowing very well that there's a chance you'll be forced to compromise. The only differences between many of these ROMs seems to be the Android version, pre-installed applications and custom kernels.
I know I came off fairly irate and impetuous in my original post. But when you can see all these talented developers producing so many different forks and reproducing so much effort, it can be very frustrating for an enthusiastic end user.

twistedumbrella said:
As a regular reader you should know that there are about 5 different versions of Hero floating around to base off of. There are 2 different versions of blur. There is also pulse, donut, cupcake, and variations on them.
Hero includes: Tattoo (a specialized mix of donut and sense), the sense ui merged with magic, the official release Hero, the non-official beta Hero, and the Sprint Hero. (And if you ever read the threads, we do all work together) There are also multiple opinions on BFS and a2sd, which allows for variations.
Blur has both a Hero and a Cyanogen based version, depending on which way they decided to go to get the supporting files for the main system.
The rest are obvious, and I don't feel like going into that much detail.
If we all followed your beleif, updates would take twice as long and not have nearly as many features. Rather than Drizzy, JustAnotherCrowd, Cyrowski, and myself all waiting for the one day we all have 2 hours to meet on google talk, share files, and build an update... JAC relelases an update, Cyrowski writes a new boot image, I restructure the way a2sd operates, and Drizzy comes along and adds in some new apps he restructured to work on that build. Some people choose to stop somewhere along the path and stick to that ROM, others go all the way down the road. If there were only one update, most Devs would spend half the day just telling people how to disable, remove, or add the feature they integrated.
I just dont see how less is more in this case. If you don't like all the updates, do what I do. I have the ones I actually read followed, and I only ever take a quick glance at the first page of posts before checking those. If I miss anything important, it is only ever by a day. If it's that important, it inevitably gets bumped to the first page long before it becomes so old that I surely learned it somewhere else.
*end informed response*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
twisted your roms are always the most polished and daily functionable
i appreciate your input on these forums as well as drizzys and jac's
im glad there are multiple possibilities so i can see which one runs the best for my intended uses
party a may use their phone for internet texting and facebook
when party b may use their phone for calls email and business
party A is using XXXHerorom that runs his needed functions the quickest and most efficient way possible
party b is using XXXherorom that runs his needed functions the quickest and most efficient way possible

Unfortunately each Rom runs differently on each phone. My friend has the blurry screen problem while I dont. He can only run a few selected roms some of which doesn't do what he wants to do. I have gone though about 30 different roms before settling on one and quite frankly I think its pretty fun. I am on the bleeding edge of. techology.
I wish I would make a Rom. I have so many ideas for one.

The concern about multiple builds makes sense, but other folks have mentioned that different builds fix different things.
I've tried many of the Hero flavors, but sadly (unless I simply missed it) none of them have fully gotten bluetooth to work. I prefer using bluetooth for calling, and so far only Cyanogenmod's roms seemed to be able to nail this on the head. It's what I've been using for quite some time, and has proven to be the quickest and most stable.
It would be great if they all worked on just one version of the Hero rom, but it won't happen. Just imagine how many more are going to pop up when the official SenseUI shows up for the Saphire.
Eh

I completely disagree with the OP. Everyones needs are different and having a build thats just right for you is a luxury that you wouldn't get on most other types of phones. I really don't see an issue with having multiple builds even if they are fairly similar. Its not like we are wasting development time, there is no downside. Some may argue it makes it harder for users to find a good rom, but the bottom line is anyone who is flashing their android phone has an interest in technology and is going to enjoy trying out different builds. And once you've tried a few builds you get a pretty good idea of what your looking for in your ideal build making it much easier to choose. Using your Linux example, between work and home I use 3 different distributions everyday, the reason being each has strengths that make it ideal for specific applications, its not a problem or a mistake, its simply not everyones needs are the same.

Even for the novice like me it is not too hard to make sense out of what is available. I never liked when people do not read full thread before posting a question. Is it a problem of impatient generation or just a simple laziness? IDK.
Also, it has been a exiting jorney for me to learn everything about my phone and tremendous possibilities. Fear of bricking and yet the desire to try new stuff.
There are useful bits and pieces in almost every thread except yours, sorry to say that. There is nothing that can replace user's feedback and their own disoveries that are not necessarily coming from devs or people remotely in the field of android development.

Cease the proliferation of similar ROMs!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also disagree with this thread. More choice is better for everyone!
Also if there are 2 similar roms, as a user rather than a dev you can still take the bits you like from both and make it your own.

jokeyrhyme really? have you made any roms or customized anything for your personal use? if so did you like it? if not, how come you didnt make one custom rom? is it because you dont know how or just rely on others to do it for you? there are soooooo many ppl with different "styles, perceptions and ideals" that one extra rom might be their next rom of choice!! whats wrong with a larger amount of variety? who gives you the right to try and call everyone out when they are the ones spending the time to learn, make and fix all the bugs for everyone when it started off for them selves?!?!? this thread is a joke and is taking up space in development. request for it to be moved to the trash or general. which ever is easiest.

WTF?
Ok at this point i'm kinda getting sick of this whole android forum. Way to much fighting, ignorance, complaints like damn who gives a **** (sorry just vex) who does what or doesnt do what or makes what or doesnt make what. If you dont like something...move onto the next. I mean those who alert the devs/cookers (whatever you choose to call them ) to issues with the rom only for the betterment of the rom are in the right. But when i see dumb **** like "this person's rom does this and that" i get pissed..just reflash that rom sit down shut up and think about that little life of yours that obviously is worthless since you can spend time downing people's work and yet you can make a rom or troubleshoot a rom on your own. Y'all need to relax yourselves find **** that works for you and stick wit hit. If it aint what you want..move on silently. dont fault the creator just move the hell on. Dont post dumb threads like this and most off DONT SAY ****!!! it's these very same forums dedicated to development of our devices that make our devices that much more amazing so dont flood the forum with dumb ****!!!. Show respect to our developers, give em props for taking time out of their lives to make our android experience benificial and super amazing.

I also disagree with OP's sentiment. I'd rather there be as many ROMs as possible than to have my choice restricted to a handful.
And daeshawn you're right, some people are so rude and unappreciative. I just ignore the douchebags and try to contribute as positively as I can.

I completely understand what you're saying. These forums can be really overwhelming at first. But honestly, I enjoy switching between different builds of Android just to see what they're like. Some people want APPS2SD, some don't. Some people want to split FAT32/EXT3/Swap, some don't. There are simply too many combinations for a small set of ROMs to handle.

sigh..... guess well never find the middle of the tootie pop

If a middle ground were to exist it could go something like this:
Everyone can do whatever they want as far as their ROMs go. Perhaps, for new people who might otherwise be overwhelmed with choices, the Q&A (if it doesn't already) could link to a few long-running, stable ROMs that typically accomplish the very basics. And once people get a chance to try those, figuring out what you want becomes a little simpler and the tons of threads start making some coherent sense.
It's like "which is better, Cyanogen's rendition or Enom's" and the answer, for a lot of people, is that it depends. There might be similarities and both ROMs ultimately accomplish a lot of the same things (root, A2SD, compcache, linux swap, etc.) but preferences remain. I like one, you like another. There's no reason both developers, each of whom presumably likes their own, can't go on making what they want to make and offering it out there. More over, the experienced users are already aware of the alternatives.
It's really newbies that might find the choices overwhelming.
As for reinventing the wheel with every ROM, many threads already provide credit to a variety of developers, so clearly the work gets around. Just because they all do it at their own leisure and in the order of their choosing doesn't mean the developers are living in closed bubbles. Maybe the colab work that needs to be done is already being done even if it's not obvious. More over, even if two ROM cookers decide to both implement similar changes apart from each other, the choice to do so is totally in their court. Their time and their money and their brains.
There is kind of, for me, a question of stability. I have a fair confidence, for example, that Cyanogen is not going to drop Android development entirely any time soon and his ROMs will continue to exist with updates and bug fixes. Other developers share this sense of stability, but it's not an all around type of thing. There are ROMs out there now that are interesting because they are cool and new, but will they still be maintained a year from now is another question entirely. And I think that's a legitimate concern and reason for wanting at least a few long-lasting ROMs. Because, essentially, if 5 devs work on something and one gets bored, there's still 4 left. Conversely, if there's only one dev and he/she decides they're done, now what?
Just my $.02

I've no issue with the number of roms.
however, what is missing is a simple resource that lists them and a summary of features.
trying to wade through all the post to see what does what is a total ball ache. I think this is more the problem than the number of roms.
An up to date one pager that showed the current status of what was available would be perfect.

Well, I totally deserve all the hate this thread has brought my way.
*bows head in shame*
I agree that if there was ever a place to test out dozens of difference features, then this is that place. So it's totally appropriate to have as many different ROMs as there are demands for different features and such.
I do think more could be done to draw new users towards stable and long-term projects, as has been suggested by sleepykit and moa77. Maybe that's really the solution I was after. An update to the listing or something perhaps?
Sorry about being a poohead, I'll be good now.
*hugs all round*
PS. I changed the topic title to be less evil and more open.

What Ive Never Understood...

This may be irrelevant and this thread will probably be closed, but Ive had a few while Im looking for a new rom and it lead me to a question.
WHY DONT ALL THE DEVELOPERS WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE THE ULTIMATE ROM?
Im sure on of the ultimate answers would be based off of preference etc. but if we would all unite towards one specific goal, not only would we have more solid builds... but we would have more versions (lite, etc) but more themes, faster updates, etc.
I mean ive used this site for a couple years with different phones and we all seem to want the same thing. Speed, reliability, better battery life, etc. So why dont we conference, put our individual talents to use, create specific focuses and put together something Google themselves need to compete with.
I know a lot of the devs here already work together and I have no problems with the way things are... nor am I trying to disrepect any of the hard work you all have contributed. I was just thinking out loud.
Comments?

There is a similiar Thread already:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=572788

this is not a development topic. this belongs in q&a

We ARE working together, but we want to create ROMs for different purposes.

'ultimate' is pretty subjective.
it's easy to see all the different, seemingly random threads about different roms and mods and assume there's no teamwork involved, but really, it's just different people trying different things and when one works well most others adapt it. otherwise, everyone has a different 'ideal rom' anyways.
it's a fairly darwinian approach, but it works pretty well. you COULD try to get everyone to organize and work on one idea, but i think we can save that for companies like htc, motorola, huawei, samsung, google, etc.
besides, anyone who follows this or other android dev sites for more than a couple weeks knows which devs to kep an eye on.

what i feel is the ultimate rom, you don't think is the ultimate rom...

the ultimate ROM for me is feature lite, and fast.

despisedIcon said:
the ultimate ROM for me is feature lite, and fast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And I like fast and feature heavy. Best of everything. :-D

All of your responses is exactly what I mean... Lets say for example, the devs focused on the fastest, most stable and lightest rom as a base. then moved on a way to easily create or modify a theme.
from there, we could move on to different versions... like a hero or blur, etc.
ultimately, every user is going to pick there favorite programs, so maybe we develop a way to easily choose which programs you want included before you flash the rom and voila...
i mean, im sure im making this sound easier than it might be, but with clear and open communication/ exchanging ideas and coming to a reasonable base... the possibilities are endless.
users could focus on the aesthetics like icons, themes, widgets, etc.
ALL WE NEED IS A SOLID BASE...
sure, there are some talented individuals accomplishing this on their own and thats all fine and understandable. I just know that with the power of many over one... a lot more could be accomplished easier, more deliberately and effectively.
Each dev could have a specialty that they focus on...
1. Themes
2. Troubleshooting
3. Speed/ Framework
4. Battery Life
5. The list goes on...
Create an FTP for everyone to access and we could show Google exactly what theyve been hoping for... which is developers alike coming together for the greater good... again, this is just my opinion, but im glad ppl are leaving their input

and with the choosing of apps example... my idea is, if there were a lite version and an ftp or somewhere to host a list of signed apks that you could choose via checkmark, click download and it would automatically save them to a special folder on the sd card. then, the lite version could have a script that auto runs during the initial boot to install directly from this folder on the sd card.
I guess im just trying to create simplicity for the newbs and the devs or veterans that have been on the site and are tired of flaming or answering the same question.
I say, we streamline this process, create simplicity through orginization and leave more room for progress...
Ok, well thats all i have for now... I mean, I have a lot more ideas, but we'll see where this goes...

It's HTC / Google's fault for releasing different models of the same phone, as most blog publishers are oblivious to the difference and post news under the *insert adverb here* title 'htc magic donut'

Well michael this thread did prove one very important thing. That even if your a senior member on this website you dont know jack. First cyan knows the nines and round here noone can really improve his stuff but him. Hence the reason he wont do his own hero rom. They lag no matter what. Sure you can take out all the widgets cut some fat off rosie. Well hell at that point just theme a donut rom. Running the heros and blurs r fun on g1 and mytouch. But if u ever actually pick up a hero phone or blur phone and test them.... u would see a huuuuuuuuuuuuge dif in performance. So basicly the guys know their crap. All of them. and they do work together. Read a drizzy post. Or other dev post. They always thank whoever for help. And if you want your ultimate rom follow cyan he will make it eventually.

Michaelr219 said:
This may be irrelevant and this thread will probably be closed, but Ive had a few while Im looking for a new rom and it lead me to a question.
WHY DONT ALL THE DEVELOPERS WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE THE ULTIMATE ROM?
Im sure on of the ultimate answers would be based off of preference etc. but if we would all unite towards one specific goal, not only would we have more solid builds... but we would have more versions (lite, etc) but more themes, faster updates, etc.
I mean ive used this site for a couple years with different phones and we all seem to want the same thing. Speed, reliability, better battery life, etc. So why dont we conference, put our individual talents to use, create specific focuses and put together something Google themselves need to compete with.
I know a lot of the devs here already work together and I have no problems with the way things are... nor am I trying to disrepect any of the hard work you all have contributed. I was just thinking out loud.
Comments?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You my friend are a pure genius, the problem is users ignorant and ROM makers naturally have low self-esteem. You see, take a guy like Haykuro he built the foundation for the first ROMs on the sapphire. Now he's fizzled out. BUT in the beginning he was the ****... Sure in every ROM maker's thread you will find credits etc. but that's all just ass kissing... You see, NO ROM MAKER DON'T MAKE ****! The only thing they get is an EGO BOOST! Who doesn't like an Ego boost? Developers at Google, HTC etc. Because they make $90,000+ a year doing what they do and they have normal lives with a wife and kids ideally... As for ROM makers on XDA they are either A) former workers at Google, HTC etc. who have grudges against their former employers OR B) they never got a real job working for a high end corporation like Google, HTC, etc. and ended up bumming it on XDA hoping one of their "fans" will buy they a lap dance... OR C) They are rich as **** and just love doin this **** for the hell of it because they like making ROMS, getting credit and most importantly, recognition and they ASS kissed constantly by people they don't even know... So there you have it in a nutshell with this kind of mix of developers, the ULTIMATE ROM is simply not possible... I certainly doubt I will never see it in my day or if we all go in 2012... If anyone does come up with something even slightly close to the ULTIMATE ROM I bet it will be Cyanogen or my man Dwang. Eugene was on the right track but he lost it when he turned out to be a SNiTcH AKA BIATCH of all ROM makers! But for real I love all ROM makers on XDA regardless of their motives or intentions, they spice up my life and hook my phone up and that makes them the ****. All of their work is appreciated obviously...

Wolfyy7 said:
You my friend are a pure genius, the problem is users ignorant and ROM makers naturally have low self-esteem. You see, take a guy like Haykuro he built the foundation for the first ROMs on the sapphire. Now he's fizzled out. BUT in the beginning he was the ****... Sure in every ROM maker's thread you will find credits etc. but that's all just ass kissing... You see, NO ROM MAKER DON'T MAKE ****! The only thing they get is an EGO BOOST! Who doesn't like an Ego boost? Developers at Google, HTC etc. Because they make $90,000+ a year doing what they do and they have normal lives with a wife and kids ideally... As for ROM makers on XDA they are either A) former workers at Google, HTC etc. who have grudges against their former employers OR B) they never got a real job working for a high end corporation like Google, HTC, etc. and ended up bumming it on XDA hoping one of their "fans" will buy they a lap dance... OR C) They are rich as **** and just love doin this **** for the hell of it because they like making ROMS, getting credit and most importantly, recognition and they ASS kissed constantly by people they don't even know... So there you have it in a nutshell with this kind of mix of developers, the ULTIMATE ROM is simply not possible... I certainly doubt I will never see it in my day or if we all go in 2012... If anyone does come up with something even slightly close to the ULTIMATE ROM I bet it will be Cyanogen or my man Dwang. Eugene was on the right track but he lost it when he turned out to be a SNiTcH AKA BIATCH of all ROM makers! But for real I love all ROM makers on XDA regardless of their motives or intentions, they spice up my life and hook my phone up and that makes them the ****. All of their work is appreciated obviously...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL... thank God for the internet. Id read some of the debates youve had in other threads and they got me laughing. Im on the fence, because Im not one to take sides, but not only are you funny... but I actually agree with you on this. I mean, just one thread above me I have some guy telling me that I dont know what Im talking about. For one, Im not claiming to know all there is to know about these phones... or Id be working for Google making the big bucks... and two, he only reiterated things Id already disclaimed.
I didnt start this thread to get flamed, but opinions are like a**holes, everyone has one.
I realize that most of my ideas wont see the light of day, because without the cash or proper credit, people wont work together unless they "get theirs"
A lot of these devs work their @$$es off and receive "tips" or donations purely because they love what they do and I respect that sincerely.
However, the idea that working "together" to create the ULTIMATE rom is possible. Devs asking for tips, help, or using work that one already accomplished isnt what im referring to. It would take moderators, coordinators, infrastructure, hierarchy, etc... To those that see the light of what im talking about, thank you... to the rest, thanks anyway

rossmoore81 said:
Well michael this thread did prove one very important thing. That even if your a senior member on this website you dont know jack. First cyan knows the nines and round here noone can really improve his stuff but him. Hence the reason he wont do his own hero rom. They lag no matter what. Sure you can take out all the widgets cut some fat off rosie. Well hell at that point just theme a donut rom. Running the heros and blurs r fun on g1 and mytouch. But if u ever actually pick up a hero phone or blur phone and test them.... u would see a huuuuuuuuuuuuge dif in performance. So basicly the guys know their crap. All of them. and they do work together. Read a drizzy post. Or other dev post. They always thank whoever for help. And if you want your ultimate rom follow cyan he will make it eventually.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read my words carefully... I am aware of what has gone on here on this site. I acknowledged that a lot of developers work well together. Unlike you, im not giving specific credit to any one or two individuals. We all know who has hit the brick and mortar with the foundations that have been set. A lot of those individuals communicate regularly.
I was nearly drawing into the fact that with technology, they could all (those who are willing, of course) conference regularly, establish agendas, specific tasks, and create a template. One that has been re-worked inside and out by each of their hands till there isnt any input that one individually could produce. From there, the focus objective could be the bigger picture like compatible themes, updates, easier installs, more features, etc.
I know im repeating myself to a degree, but I want to make sure the image is clear. There are a lot of devs doing the same thing, for some of the same reasons. But us users all come here for the SAME reason. To take our toy/ pride and joy/ project/ whatever you wanna call it... to the next level. To make it better than it was out of the box, to see the realms that it is truely capable of.
So rather than seeing some devs running into similar problems with their roms individually or simultaneously... One of two things would happen, either A: Solve it immediately once and for all or B: Catch the bug before it was even released. Hopefully my words inspire some of you. If not, keep up the great work.

Lol - cracking read

How do I become a developer?

I've been a member of XDA Forums since about October (when I got my vibrant). And I wad wondering how to become a developer. I feel like I should help contribute to this community instead of just being someone downloading and flashing. Im planning on majoring in computer science in college and I know it will help me with this type of stuff but I cant wait another year (Junior in high school)... I would really appreciate it if you guys would point me in the right direction or take me under your wing so I could pursue this interest.

dcaples002 said:
I've been a member of XDA Forums since about October (when I got my vibrant). And I wad wondering how to become a developer. I feel like I should help contribute to this community instead of just being someone downloading and flashing. Im planning on majoring in computer science in college and I know it will help me with this type of stuff but I cant wait another year (Junior in high school)... I would really appreciate it if you guys would point me in the right direction or take me under your wing so I could pursue this interest.
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I'm doing computer science also to become a dev, I'm a senior! I have no idea, but I would love to dev also, I know it takes a lot of work though.

Step 1 - cut a hole in the box
step 2 - put your junk in the box
step 3 - make her open the box
step 4 - and that's how you do it (its my d$#* in a box)
haha naw i'm jk, I would like a clear way on how to dev specifically for the vibrant, I've seen a bunch of different ideas and tutorials on how to do it, but their specific for that phone, and its hard to comprehend on how to put the knowledge to the vibrant

Yea I know its alot of hard work but it will all pay off in the end.
I think it would be nice if one of the vibrant developers put up a video of how to become a developer and a video of him/her cooking up a rom. Im sure alot of people would take intrest to that. It would also give us enough knowledge to maybe be able to develop other phones or programs.

Learn your way around a linux box as it's pretty much necessary to compile source and what not. If you're wanting to develop programs for Android, learn some Java...
there's a few good e-books on amazon for android developing if you can learn from books.

I think you should start out with themes....so you know exactly which apks control what...which XMLs control what...then get some Linux knowledge so you can know how to tweak for speed....then start to learn some Java and Smali code....and do a sh*t load of research....i tried to create my own ROM based from official Vibrant source....MAJOR FAIL ...i think my phone went into shock ....but find someone who is willing to teach you...but make sure you're patient enough to learn.

Due to the nature of vibrant roms anyone can be a developer! That's a good and bad thing. Anyways... best way to learn is to learn Java. Android is built on it. It may not loom like it on the surface but it helps (ask whitehawk). Mr apocalypse's advice is probably the best.
Also a video is a horrible idea(no offense). It will empower people who have no business making roms to make them. Do you want people who don't know how to make a flashable zip making roms for your phone? It could potentially lead to bad things...
I was where you were a couple years ago (not that I'm much further ahead). Learn you some Linux. Learn you some theming and try and make a simple app for android.
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Making Roms....

This maybe premature but I figured I would throw it out there; is there any devs who could tell me about the skill level or difficulty level of making new roms or tweaking existing roms? I'm learning about java programming and using j creator and eclipse. I'm still new but I'm a fast learner. I want to help out the charge community by keeping an active dev. I'm still a time away from that but want more insight..... Please no sarcastic remarks.... Thanks.
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I'm attempting to start teaching myself this as well. The advice I've gotten is to start ofs theming. That way you can break open the apks and see what's inside, get a feel for how to change things and reassemble packages without doing any major work, and then expand from there. I'm in the process of changing jobs and cities, but I'm going to start playing around with things after I get settled.

a lot depends on what you want to do
developing for oem skin (touchwiz roms in this case) is a lot different than aosp
aosp requires a lot of java knowledge, and depending on the phone can be somewhat easy (nexus phones source will boot without changes) to nearly impossible (this phone)
touchwiz roms require some basic tools (7zip, smali/backsmali, apktool, rom kitchens or terminal knowledge) as well as some smali knowledge and countless hours of just figuring stuff out
many of us got our start as themers, from which you (over time) gain knowledge on rom layouts, where things are located, xml/smali editing, making update.zips and updater-scripts, and the like
you dont *need* to necessarily use linux to work on tw roms, but it certainly helps imo...although most of the tools out there work in windows too
my suggestion?: download a stock rom and download a heavily modded one of the same build (infiniti/gummycharged) and compare them with kdiff and decompile the apks to get an idea of what was changed
its a good starting point

Sweet, thanks for the advice. I am learning java pretty quick but realistically it would probably be a year before I'm proficient. I also just added computer programming as a minor. I would like another phone, the nexus obviously, but I need to chill on buying phones. I love aosp- if that was possible that would be great, but getting started anywhere is good. Thanks for your help fellas.... I'll keep you all posted here on my progress...
I know that the java language will help-but comparing will help me get acquainted with android. So far I've learned everything from forums so this is a new direction...
Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA App

For those following who may want this information. I had a response from imnuts in RootzWiki where I posted this same question. Here's what he said as well. He complemented the answers already given- I also followed up on a list of software to help get started.
http://rootzwiki.com/topic/11184-new-roms/

Thx for starting up this thread. I'm actually lookin into rom dev as well and this thread has some great starting blocks in it +1 for u dude

What's The Best Way to Learn Android.

I really want to learn how Android works. I want to be able to build Android from source, and compile Roms. The goodies. But anytime I try, it's end up horribly. I just want to know where to start! Should I make a stock based Rom, and learn how to tweak it out? Should I buy a certain book, or read some threads! I don't know Xo I really want to become a Dev. Android is my life, and I want to be able to do what Strapped, XMC, and Tbalden do. Any tips are good tips.

I sure do wish you all the luck in the world Agent. And you certainly want to fashion yourself after three mighty fine developers too. I've had some of those same desires myself after seeing what someone that knows their stuff can do. I had so much trouble with HS Spanish and a few AutoCad Lisp routines that I can't even imagine biting off C++ or some of the other programming languages!
My youngest son though.....now that's a completely different story. :good:

WeekendsR2Short said:
I sure do wish you all the luck in the world Agent. And you certainly want to fashion yourself after three mighty fine developers too. I've had some of those same desires myself after seeing what someone that knows their stuff can do. I had so much trouble with HS Spanish and a few AutoCad Lisp routines that I can't even imagine biting off C++ or some of the other programming languages!
My youngest son though.....now that's a completely different story. :good:
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I wanna learn while I'm still young, I'm out of school for the time being. I really want to take advantage of these couple Months before life is all about business, and how to properly Manage/Own a T-Mobile.
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NOW is the time my friend before life gets in the way of your youth and ambitions. It WILL distract you and before you know it spare time will seem like it never comes often enough. I admire ALL of you that persue what interests you and learn while that mind is still fresh. KWIM?

WeekendsR2Short said:
NOW is the time my friend before life gets in the way of your youth and ambitions. It WILL distract you and before you know it spare time will seem like it never comes often enough. I admire ALL of you that persue what interests you and learn while that mind is still fresh. KWIM?
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Hell Yeah, I'm considering taking classes at the local community college for Java. Apparently it's useful for learning Android. I go to a strictly business college. So I can't learn anything related to Android.
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OK, so I have an Idea. I want to do what CM said, and learn the basic. I'm going to use Undeads Sense 3.0 Port as a base, and theme it to Sense 4.0. Remove the Bulletproof settings, and push over another tweak app. I want to make it as fast as possible, and have great battery. I always felt Sense 3.0 was the smoothest Sense rom we ever got. Zero Hickups, and No Lag. I'm going to at least do it on a personal level. Try to get a hold of Undead (he's IP Banned on XDA & Rootz), but it may be hard. Maybe even try and get the Amaze Camera Mod working. Just simple, basic things. Once I get used to the waters, I'll try something bigger. Like Paranoid Android.

I just found an Interesting guide about porting any Sense rom, to any Sense Phone. Pssshh, could you image Sense 2.1 on our phone. That would be sweet. The guide is boosted to be made for the most simplest of minds. So I feel I can take extreme advantage of it.
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Keep on plugging - I admire your determination. And please keep letting us know how you're getting on - the start of a journey.
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Alright agent since I can't quote your last post, I was on the inc2 forums and they have a wifi issue that's solved by turning the always on data off
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Where is Blue when you need him?
::Respect::

Hey guys!
I would say that making a post or thread like this is really the first step - knowledge can be gained, but the passion, that drive to work through all the tedious testing, retesting, writing and re-writing is not something that can be taught.
So start small.
We all have grand designs, plans and ideas - heck there's so much this device is capable of that I want it to do, starting everything at once just leads to unfinished projects and fragmented learning.
If you bring that excitement, that hunger for knowledge, then the rest falls into place but it takes time.
"I never let school interfere with my education"
...is such a fantastic quote. It's up to you to choose to take the time to sit down and read a technical document, white-paper or tutorial while your friends are out wasting time.
Definitely make time to walk away and socialize with real people, but remember that learning how to do this stuff takes a lot of time, effort and tons of frustration and dead ends.
I've been playing with software code for near 20 years now, and I still consider myself not much past amatuer status.
...and status means literally nothing. The only two things that matter are what you know, and what you don't.
So don't lie to yourself. Don't pretend to know something just because you are afraid of what people will think if they find out you don't. It's okay to say "I don't know"
In fact, it's essential to be able to say that not only to yourself, but to be able to admit that to the community, your friends, whomever.
If you don't, then you have no place to start learning. Pretending to know something just prevents you from actually being able to start learning how to do it.
So, after you are comfortable with a truthful assessment of what you can and can't do, the next step is to figure out how to go about learning what you don't know.
The biggest mistake everyone makes is taking on a huge project because that's what the end goal is.
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"
...another good one!
I'm sure we've all heard it before, but haven't pondered it so deeply. Another way to say it might be:
"The making of an awesome ROM begins with changing a single icon"
Break down the project you want to do into the smallest possible steps.
Can you decompile an app?
If not, definitely learn how to do that.
Once you have it decompiled, browse all the code. Especially what you don't understand or makes no sense. Don't try to understand it all, just absorb it and get to know what it looks like.
Now do that with every app on your device (play with all the stock apps first - they all came from the same place and reflect a certain coding style)
Now that you've browsed through all the code of all your stock apps, do it again. ...and again ...and again ... and again.
Sick of it yet? It's been a few weeks now and you've learned nothing you can directly use.
This part always separates the people serious about doing it from the ones turned off by all the tedious work with nothing concrete to show for it.
I mean, you've spent a couple of weeks just looking at code with no idea what you are looking at.
What you don't immediately notice is that you start to get a sense of the pattern, the layout, and what things are the same, similar, and completely different.
Now you start looking at tutorials you've read in the past and go 'wow, I know kinda what that means, I saw something like that in the code here!'
Ah - now it begins!
When it gets to be too much, do something you can handle from start to finish.
Change an icon, tweak the color of a font, something simple, but that you can feel the pride of success and accomplishment in.
Can you compile an app?
Decompile a working app - change nothing - then recompile it. Install it on your device.
Does it still work? Probably not.
Why?
Ah - the question that drives us.
9 times out of 10 someone releasing something cool is not because they wanted to make it, but because they wanted to learn how to make it.
One thing people forget all the time is that the stock software on the device is built by teams of people with delegated tasks and diverse talents that TOGETHER contribute to the success of the final product.
You? You're alone. You have to do it all. Graphics, sound, coding, planning, research, testing - you are taking a project that requires untold hours of dedication from a team of people ... Maybe just on the graphics alone. A whole other team is working on sound, another team is working on code, there is management to structure goals and delegate tasks.
Managers who may have no technical ability but a good handle on how to keep everyone moving and workikng cohesively. Other management that is keeping the teams on point with each other.
...and it still takes them lots of time to get things done. Not because it's some bloated over-staffed group with too much red tape (though that does happen) - but more because there is simply so much to do.
The next time I spend 40+ hours behind the keyboard with maybe not even a bathroom break won't be the first nor the last. I've sat down to do something on Friday and had someone stop by on Sunday night and I'm still in my work clothes from my day shift Friday, didn't even realize Saturday came and gone.
Does it all require that level of dedication - no, but, you get lost in it and that can happen. Never force myself to do it, just get caught up in learning it all.
Don't expect too much from yourself. You absolutely have the community behind you and so much knowledge here, tons of people willing to help, but in the end it's up to you.
You to do graphics.
You to do sound.
You to write the code.
You to compile it all.
You to figure out why it doesn't work ( and it rarely does).
For every success, you have many, many failures to get there. Especially starting out. Expect to get it wrong. Expect it to be broke just because you touched it. If it isn't, honestly, you're doing it wrong.
We learn so much less from success then we do from failure. If you aren't failing you aren't learning. If it always works the first time, then you are just doing the same tired stuff you always have.
You wanna learn how to code for Android?
Read everything you can, absorb the forums, go download source and browse it. Decompile all your apps and browse them. Start looking up what you don't know.
For every one thing you do learn, you realize there are ten new things you never knew you didn't know.
Now go learn about them, because each one of them will lead you to something else, or many something elses that you didn't even realize you didn't know.
...and did I mention put lots of time into ignoring what you want to do, and learning how to do it one tiny little piece ata time?
Patience is most important.
The patience to only change one variable, recompile, test, test, and test some more. Then, when you are satisfied with the result of one minor little change, make one more tiny change and repeat the process.
Learn the scientific method, and follow it rigorously. If you don't, might as well not bother getting into this stuff because all you will do is get frustrated.
You have to work slowly, patiently, one small step at a time. Try to predict the result of the tiny change you made, and then see if it was what you thought or a surprise. Why was it a surprise?
The question of why is the only thing that matters. Every one of those you answer is one more weapon at your disposal for the battle, one more tool in your box, one more pencil on your desk.
If you have little to no coding experience and expect to sit down and whip out a ROM, you are only setting yourself up for failure. But one day you can, with hard work, lots and lots of time, uncountable failures and hours of frustration and coding something just to have it not even compile, let alone work.
Have you taken the time to map the device?
When you got it stock, you should have put a file browser on it ( root explorer - just buy it already, you need it) and browsed the entire device.
Take a notebook and write out a full device tree on paper, everything you can see. Every folder, every file or folder in them, sizes, permissions, any detail you can see.
Why? Because it already works. You are lookoing at how a working ROM is structured.
I mean, how can you make something if you don't know what it is, looks like, how it acts?
Learned ADB and fastboot yet? Why not? You wonNt be successful if you don't.
This is a pretty long list already - and we've barely scratched the surface. A ROM is not a Sunday afternoon project - a ROM is a dedicated months and months long never ending project that eats up more time then you have every day.
So I'll leave you with one last thing before I go make a thread that people aren't gonna want to see - but I'm not leaving you guys, far from it.
Learn algebra, learn it well, or don't bother attempting to write code. (Or work in any construction trades/build anything professionally.)
Algebra is the single most important learned skill one can pick up across just about anything you can ever do with your life, and absolutely vital in computing.
There really is no "go here, learn this" method - you need to aquire the skills necessary to succeed in your project.
So go break something (minor - don't brick your phone) and then learn how to fix it. ...and pay attention in math class.
Sent from a digital distance.

Blue6IX said:
Huge Epic Post.
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It's like your a warlock and when I typed your name, POOF! :victory:
This post covers every aspect you could ask for, I'm sure Agent isn't the only one who will gain knowledge from this post, thanks Blue!:highfive:

CoNsPiRiSiZe said:
It's like your a warlock and when I typed your name, POOF! :victory:
This post covers every aspect you could ask for, I'm sure Agent isn't the only one who will gain knowledge from this post, thanks Blue!:highfive:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hell. Yeah. I'm just going to start theming. I want to make the ICS messaging Icon blue, and a blacked out UI.
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I just got ubuntu on my computer, spent an hour trying to install java lol. Now to figure out why adb doesn't work the way it does in windows haha.
edit: finally got adb working. i have no idea what i did, but after installing a bunch of different libs, time to start exploring haha =D

ekoee said:
I just got ubuntu on my computer, spent an hour trying to install java lol. Now to figure out why adb doesn't work the way it does in windows haha.
edit: finally got adb working. i have no idea what i did, but after installing a bunch of different libs, time to start exploring haha =D
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Java was a b***h when I installed an unsupported version for compiling. This is helpful though it will guide you through installing and it can even switch java versions if you don't like your current one

AgentCherryColla said:
Hell. Yeah. I'm just going to start theming. I want to make the ICS messaging Icon blue, and a blacked out UI.
Sent from my HTC MyTouch 4G Slide using Tapatalk 2
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I saw this done on AOKP website as a mod, i think this plus built in messaging pop up like an MIUI thing would b beast
::Respect::

ekoee said:
I just got ubuntu on my computer, spent an hour trying to install java lol. Now to figure out why adb doesn't work the way it does in windows haha.
edit: finally got adb working. i have no idea what i did, but after installing a bunch of different libs, time to start exploring haha =D
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Man, i'll tell ya - if you had to pick the one thing someone would do to take a step into learning to bend android to your will, installing linux is the best reply possible.
Windows is great to get your feet wet, and can manage some things more easily - frilly stuff, eye candy type details.
If you want to talk about experiencing the thrilling joys of success all that invested effort brings - doing so on a linux box is so much more rewarding then on a windows box.
Definitely see about getting a second monitor if you can swing it. Working with two display panels more then doubles your productivity. You can have a tutorial on one screen and be following along on the other.
That aside, one reason the linux box is so much more rewarding is because of the range of things you can mess with.
You can't work with a kernel in windows. Already right there the most important part of the ROM is off limits to you in a windows box. (as I sit here typing this on windows - mind you.)
Another reason linux is so sweet to work on for coding android is that they speak the same language. Writing code is quicker and easier, connecting the device happens more seamlessly and swiftly.
All these little things add up to save you time.
...and time is your greatest hindrance. It slips by all too quickly and then you are obligated to walk away and do something else. So being able to squeeze more work into less time is the consistent refinement of what you know.
Rarely do you learn how to do something the most efficient way on your own, and really that is the heart of open source. You can see how someone else did something, and learn from how they got there.
I've communicated with people I couldn't speak the language of through code, sending changes back and forth without any written correspondence.
To be able to explain the various joys and experiences learning computer coding has brought me would be impossible. There is so much intangible awesomeness that comes from investing time into learning all of this.
Especially since cell phones are so popular and mobile computing is so easy any more. Being able to bend the device in your hand precisely to your will is ever becoming a more important skill to have.
For those wanting to invest that time into what brings us all here collectively, the rewards really are beyond what you would think starting out.

As much as I wanna delv into this as ACC, I simply have no time haha. However, learning this now will probably help me in the future, so why not.
At the very least I'll finally know what you guys are talking about in the dev section lol.

Blue6IX said:
Another reason linux is so sweet to work on for coding android is that they speak the same language. Writing code is quicker and easier, connecting the device happens more seamlessly and swiftly.
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Click to collapse
This. Install Linux, learn to love it, and learn to customize it. A big part of setting linux up the way you want involves working in a command line, troubleshooting when errors come up, building, and compiling. The time you spend troubleshooting and customizing everything on your linux box will familiarize you with all the commands, shortcuts, quirks, and understanding of why this does that in a linux environment, and will help you to no end.

I'm going to get a new Laptop before school starts up again. Then I can finally get cracking

Database Info

welcome