Understanding Android platform in a nutshell (in layman's terms)

Understanding Android platform in a nutshell (in layman's terms) - Android General

System.out.println("Hello peoples");
==>The purpose of this guide is to help people who don't know anything about programming,aren't modders,guys with knowledge about technology.
==>Initially I loved computers and their capabilities and have a little knowledge on the C and Java languages and just how computers (think).
You have to understand that computing tries to emulate human behaviors on how to solve problems.This is where programming kicks in.
So what is Android?
===================
1)Android in general is an operating system that was meant to run on mobile devices e.g. cell phones
and has expanded to tablets and notebooks.Android is divided into three language groups:
a)the system's framework and apps are written in java.
b)the Android's core [kernel] is pure C -language.
c)the Android's libraries are written in C++.
App libraries are called by apps that need more functionality that java can't provide.These are usually plugins like
decoders e.g. ffmpeg libraries that are used in video decoding,flash-players e.t.c. Here,java native methods are used and the android NDK platform
is used to enable the java apps call these libraries during execution.(Please read further on Android SDK,NDK and Jni).
So what happens when you have just flashed that new Rom.
====================================================================
First you have to understand that cell phones have their own embedded firmware not including the recovery and you will see why.
a)the recovery partition can be flashed to install aftermarket recovery roms.So even if you mess your recovery,you can still install again.(This varies with different phones).
b)their is that system chip which you cannot touch and there is a reason for it.Think of this partition like a PC BIOS.If you mess with your bios
your system is toast aka Bricking the system.Since phones are classed as embedded systems,manufactures don't want people messing with it as it would result into
cryptic errors and system vulnerability.
when the on button is pressed something simple yet complicated happens:
1==>The kernel which is compressed to save space usually in a (zImage) format is deflated or expanded.Since your NAND chips are partitioned,the kernel is given a very
special chunk in which is protected from user data.
2==>The kernel finds which base address it needs to start executing e.g.(0x00200000) and mostly when you put a wrong kernel base
address your phone enters into a boot-loop because arguments are being passed to invalid locations.It is important to know where your kernel base address
starts.You can try looking it up in your kernel sources(try searching for the mach msm folder and into the makefile) or just goggle it up or use Xda-Kitchen.
3==>with the correct kernel base address,execution starts.Usually the (init.rc) file in the (ramdisk folder) gives symlinks and creates structures i.e. folders that will house
modules and sets the correct paths to android files and framework.
4==>After arguments have successfully been passed,the handles are now passed to Android.Basically Android checks for (init.d) scripts that are available
this is true to GingerBread and Cyanogenmod 7.After that audio checks are done followed by camera services and then arguments are passed to (core.jar),a
critical framework file which is huge around 50Mb in size in CyanogenMod 7.
5==>Here the DalvikVM (Dalvik virtual machine) is called and the process of optimizing your system files starts.The framework get optimized first as this contains critical
code needed to run your device.Then your flingers and renderers and called.This are engines used by android e.g. (pixelflnger) which is used in touchscreen.
Your system's sensors are usually started around this point (your compass,light sensors e.t.c)your phone apps e.g. contacts,calendar get optimized around this point
and depending on the number of apps your manufacturer installed,it will take some time.
6==>your network get's activated around this point and is probably the time the capacitive buttons and lights on your gadget light up.This is usually a good indication
that your system has loaded.When your bootanimation ends the handles are passed to activate your home launcher.There is usually still a lot of activity going
on to fully ready your system and this is why if you try to use it immediately especially on low-end phones,your system lags or get (not responding) errors.
common misconceptions
=====================
1==>There is are reason why goggle gave minimum specifications needed to run Android because this is a full operating system(OS) unlike the past relic
phones that ran on 50MHz processors.
2==>please don't complain that some of your Ram is not the same as specified on the phones catalog(e.g. you have 256Mb of Ram but in the task manager it indicates you have 179Mb).
There is a reason to it.There are core processes that eat a chunk of your Ram and are hidden so that you don't try silly stuff like trying to kill them in thinking that your are trying to get more memory.
Think of it like this,it's like trying to kill (services.exe or svchost.exe) processes in Windows.You will just be trying to get system hangs,bluescreens
or just a system crash.
Will Add more info later.Please feel free to correct anything i might have not addressed properly or share your views.
Happy modding.
Kernel topic
============
In simple terms,the kernel is the core of any operating system e.g. windows, Mac,or any Linux distro like Ubuntu and Android.Android kernels come mostly
in the form of a compressed kernel (zImage).The kernel is written in pure C-language,which gives it direct access to memory and registers unlike java
which has to pass through the java VM(virtual machine).This makes code written in C-language to be very fast and robust but also dangerous.
==>Many Androids in the eclair regime ran on kernel 2.6.29. This was not a complete kernel and as by my experience there was alot of code missing from it.
2.6.29
======
==>a lot of androids did not have adb functionality due to the framework being embedded to allow USB mounting to PC.This was a very rigid method
of doing it(also a very old method).
==>In the case of other devices, when viewing the internal task manager,many processes were viewed as (0.00) byte files.In essence you could not determine
the amount of RAM your app was taking.This is true in the case of huawei u8120.
==>In the case of shutting down the phone,even in some cases under load,it did so very fast.It killed threads and handles mercilessly. Many people misunderstood
this concept and thought their phones ran faster as compared to 2.6.32 kernel.
2.6.32.9
========
Here there was a ton of improvements as developers and modders became more aware of support and tweaks.
==>Fixed issues like the internal task managers.It was now possible to accurately know how much RAM your apps were taking.
==>Resolved how the android system shutdown.Instead of merciless killing of handles and threads still running,it killed them appropriately.This is why
when shutting down your system takes a while.You can use adb to see these events.
==>Usb mounting to pc was also made somewhat generic and flexible across many devices.
==>It did change some methods on how the camera is being accessed mostly in eclair,donout and earlier versions of android phones.This issue made
cameras not function.
==>wifi methods were also changed and developers and modders had to re-write their code to allow compatibility.
==>This was also the year of many froyo phones and overclocking was a common thing.
extra notes
===========
During eclair era,many developers were in such a hurry to produce new android phones every few months that they never even thought of long-term support
to newer versions of android that would come much later.This is where i have to praise Iphones for standardisation of its OS across all of its devices.
==>If you try to copy paste code from 2.6.32.9 and paste it into 2.6.29 and expect it to work then expect tons of errors when compiling.The (g_android)
module was properly coded into 2.6.32.9 so if you try enabling it an older kernel,expect errors.
==>If you are a modder and looking to buy a new phone,please see if it has a fan base of coders or support.Avoid buying phones where you will not get
any support from the manufacturers or other devs e.g Huawei Technologies.This company sucks alot.After they produce a phone they forget about you the customer
so you will have to handle the upgrades all by yourself.
Do not use this command (make -i)when compiling kernels.It will skip errors and you may smile after it's finished but the end is just a tragedy.your kernel is bound
not to function properly or even function at all.
Happy modding.

Related

[Info] For Newbie What It Is It Mean? Your Answare Are Here (Updated 24th January)

Newbie Quick Start
UPDATES
[Info] For Newbie What It Is It Mean? All Your Answare Are Here Part I
[Info] For Newbie What It Is It Mean? All Your Answare Are Here Part II - 29th December 2011, 07:54 PM
[Info] What Is Odex And Deodex In Android - 24th January 2012, 03:07 PM
[Info] What Is Zipalign In Android And How To Make Apps Zipaligned - 24th January 2012, 03:18 PM
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USER REVIEW'S ABOUT THIS THREAD IN JUST SOME MINUTES
m.kochan10
Really good idea! IT should be sticky!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
rajanprash
Hi Sbxlive,
Thanks for all the info on the Galaxy R.
I am getting the device today.
I wanted to know if thr GR has NFC and MHL. As far as I know no review states that these features are present on the Galaxy R.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
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I Created This New Thread Because Of When I Entered In XDA With My Galaxy R ,I Really Don't Know About Above This Things And I Thought Daily New Members Are Coming In XDA With Their Devices And Facing Thats Problems Also So I Help This Buddies As I Do. So Lets Go On The Worlds
ITS SIMPLE BASIC BUT IMP MY FRIENDS SO PLEASE READ IS CAREFULLY YOUR DEVICE IS YOUR PART OF YOUR LIFE I THINK SO
OTG USB On-The-Go
USB On-The-Go, often abbreviated USB OTG, is a specification that allows USB devices such as digital audio players or mobile phones to act as a host allowing a USB flash drive, mouse, or keyboard to be attached.
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NFC
Near field communication (NFC) is a set of standards for smartphones and similar devices to establish radio communication with each other by touching them together or bringing them into close proximity, usually no more than a few centimetres. Present and anticipated applications include contactless transactions, data exchange, and simplified setup of more complex communications such as Wi-Fi.Communication is also possible between an NFC device and an unpowered NFC chip
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OC
Over Clock (more clock cycles per second)
Disadvantages
Many of the disadvantages of overclocking can be mitigated or reduced in severity by skilled overclockers. However, novice overclockers may make mistakes while overclocking which can introduce avoidable drawbacks and which are more likely to damage the overclocked components (as well as other components they might affect).
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ROOT
Rooting is a process that allows you to access the workings of your phone that the phone provider does not want you to. It allows you to changed settings, functions, whole operating systems, make upgrades etc......
You can leave the "Stock" OS behind and get the most out of a phone. IT DOES VOID YOUR WARRANTY.
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KERNEL
In computing, the kernel is the main component of most computer operating systems; it is a bridge between applications and the actual data processing done at the hardware level. The kernel's responsibilities include managing the system's resources (the communication between hardware and software components). Usually as a basic component of an operating system, a kernel can provide the lowest-level abstraction layer for the resources (especially processors and I/O devices) that application software must control to perform its function. It typically makes these facilities available to application processes through inter-process communication mechanisms and system calls.
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MHL
Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL) is a proposed industry standard for a mobile audio/video interface for directly connecting mobile phones and other portable consumer electronics (CE) devices to high-definition televisions (HDTVs) and displays. The MHL standard features a single cable with a low pin-count interface able to support up to 1080p high-definition (HD) video and digital audio while simultaneously charging the connected device.
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CWM
ClockWorkMod - A utility for Android used to flash zip files containing Android ROM distributions on an Android mobile phone. It also allows the user to create or restore backup files containing a whole installation of a ROM, including system, application and user files.
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ROM
Technical Definition of ROM
ROM stands for Read-Only Memory and technically speaking, it refers to the internal storage of a device, which is supposed to contain the operating system instructions that needn’t be modified at all during the device’s normal operation. For this reason, such instructions are stored in read-only memory – much like on a non-rewriteable CD or DVD – to make sure no changes are made to them that could possibly make the device malfunction. This is in contrast with hard disk drives, solid state drives or regular flash storage devices used by personal computers that allow full read/write access even to the storage area that contains the operating system files.
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What is Firmware
The read-only operating systems that we just discussed above are also called ‘firmware’, as they stay firmly in place without modification access to the users of the device. Modification of firmware is still however possible, just not under normal usage. Many devices require specialized hardware to be used for the purpose while other devices have the storage set as read-only through software protection only, which can be removed or overridden without the need for any specialized hardware, just by using software written for the purpose, often but not always requiring connection to a computer.
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Thus, the terms ‘operating system’ and ‘firmware’ both refer to the same thing and can be used interchangeably when applied to such devices.
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Flashing
The ROM memory used in smartphones and tablets etc. is often same as flash memory found in SD cards and USB flash drives, simply optimized for better speed and performance while running the operating system. As explained above, it is read-only under normal usage and requires a special procedure for any modifications to be made to its contents. The procedure of modifying or replacing the contents of such flash memory is known as flashing. Thus, in layman’s terms, flashing is essentially the same as installing or modifying the firmware of a device that is stored on its protected flash memory.
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ROM as the Operating System
When it comes to smartphones and tablets, the term ROM is used to refer to the firmware stored in the internal memory of the device, rather than the internal memory itself. It can also refer to a file prepared for the purpose of replacing this firmware with another version of using a special method.
Thus, when you are told by someone to download a ROM, they are referring to the file that contains the firmware in a format ready to be installed to your phone to replace it’s existing firmware. Similarly, when asked what ROM is your phone running or when told by someone their phone is running a particular ROM, they are again talking about the particular variant of the firmware.
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Types of ROMs
Unlike most desktop operating systems, mobile operating systems can be found in installable format in multiple forms, which can be categorized as follows.
Truly Stock ROMs / firmware:
This is the operating system in its default form, without any modifications made to it except for any device-specific support required to run it on the particular device. Truly stock firmware provides the standard user experience of the operating system without any cosmetic or functional changes made. These days, truly stock firmware is primarily found in cases where both the device and the operating system is built by the same company. Amongst modern mobile devices, examples of truly stock firmware can be found on Apple’s iOS devices, Palm’s WebOS devices and some Android devices shipped without any modifications made to the operating system by their manufacturers.
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Manufacturer or Carrier branded Stock ROM / Firmware:
This type of firmware has had enhancements added over the default operating system by the device manufacturer or the mobile service carrier. This often includes interface enhancements, proprietary applications and in most cases, restrictions intended to limit the use of the device with a specific carrier or region. There are often further restrictions preventing installation of firmware not released by the carrier or manufacturer.
Most Android and Symbian devices fall under this category, and so do most Windows Phone 7 devices but in their case, the changes made from the truly stock firmware are minimal and limited to the inclusion of additional apps only.
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Custom ROM / firmware:
Almost all devices ship with either of the above two categories of firmware, though things don’t end there. Independent developers who like to customize their devices beyond the standard options provided often tend to release the fruits of their labor for the rest to enjoy, in form of custom ROMs. The more open the platform, the more independent development it attracts, a good example of which is the independent custom ROM development for Android.
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In case of proprietary firmware such as iOS and Windows Phone 7, there is often little or no room for customization of the operating system itself but regardless of that, developers still tend to release custom ROMs bundled with useful tools and hacks applied to provide functionality beyond the stock features. In fact custom ROM development for the otherwise proprietary and closed-source Windows Mobile platform lead to the formation of the largest independent mobile development community – the XDA-Developers forum.
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Stock Vs. Custom ROMs
Both stock and custom ROMs have their merits and demerits and choosing between the two requires careful consideration. In this section, we are going to make a comparison between the two types of ROMs to help you make the right choice. Let us begin by taking a look at their advantages and disadvantages.
Do note that this section is written with primarily Android (and now obsolete Windows Mobile) devices in mind. However, the many of these concepts will also apply to other smartphone platforms.
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Advantages & Disadvantages of Stock ROMs
Stock firmware is the result of a lot of research and testing done by the operating system vendor, the device manufacturer and/or the mobile service carrier. Therefore, it carries several advantages:
It is usually quite stable upon release.
Almost all bugs are patched during the extensive beta testing before release.
It carries the official support by the firmware vendor, device manufacturer and the mobile service carrier.
Updates are pushed automatically to the device by the carrier.
Along with its advantages, stock firmware also carries its disadvantages and these include:
Updates aren’t frequent, as development is done mostly by corporations who have to follow a scheduled release cycle.
Providing feedback to the manufacturer in case of any issues is either impossible, unwelcome (often with Apple devices), or a long, tedious process.
Similarly, getting official support can be a hassle as well, involving a tedious process.
If the device manufacturer and operating system developer are different (as is the case with Android and Windows Phone 7), any updates released by the operating system vendor need to be edited by the device manufacturer or mobile carrier to add compatibility and additional software before release. Hence, some devices get updates delayed by months.
Updates are often released first in the United States, leaving the rest of the world waiting. (A world does happen to exist beyond the United States, we’ve confirmed it ourselves!)
Worse still, when manufacturers choose to no longer release official updates for their older devices in favor of newer ones, their users are essentially stuck with old versions of the operating system. This case is evident with many Android devices barely a year and a half old.
Several OS developers, device manufacturers or mobile service carriers add
restrictions in the stock firmware ranging from locking the use of the device with one network/region to disabling sideloading of apps (we’re talking about you, AT&T) not available in the official app market, to advanced restrictions removing any chance of getting root access, just to name a few.
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Advantages & Disadvantages of Custom ROMs
Custom ROMs are as good or as bad as the effort put into them by their developers. Key advantages of custom ROMs are:
First and foremost, choice! There are thousands of custom ROMs out there for a range of devices, each offering a diverse set of features not found in the stock ROM.
Update frequency – custom ROMs are often under active development and newer releases of the core operating system are incorporated in them way before updated official ROMs are released. This is particularly true in case of Android devices, where developers start porting newer versions of Android to several devices as soon as they are released.
Providing feedback is as easy as leaving a message on the development forum for the ROM in question, resulting in highly efficient bug reporting.
Getting support with your issues at the forums is similarly easy, as not only the main developers themselves but also other experienced users of the ROM from the community are glad to help you with your issues and in the process, improve the ROM for everyone.
Custom ROMs usually have all the extra restrictions removed, enabling users to sideload apps, tether their mobile data connection to their computer without paying extra for it, gain root access, use their device in any region etc. without any need for circumventing the protection themselves.
Performance enhancements and optimizations found in many custom ROMs can make them much faster than stock ROMs, enabling users to get the most out of their devices.
Overclocking options are built into some custom ROMs, further speeding up the devices.
Undervolting options found in some ROMs on the other hand result in improved battery life.
Old phones with little internal memory can benefit most from custom ROMs that allow them to use the external SD card memory for the apps exactly the way they would use the internal memory.
So with all these advantages, there should be no reason to stick with the stock ROM, right? Not necessarily! Like all things in life, custom ROMs come with their disadvantages as well:
Due to the lack of extensive testing prior to release, many custom ROMs can be buggy in the beginning and installing a ROM with missing or corrupt critical files can even brick your phone.
Several custom ROMs that are ports of ROMs from other phones can have missing functionality that hasn’t been made to work on your phone with the ROM yet.
Installing a custom ROM usually involves wiping your phone to factory settings, so you lose your data and start from scratch. Fortunately, Android’s built-in contact syncing along with apps offering message, call log and app backup/restore make this process easier, letting you retain your data.
The installation process itself can be cumbersome and may require you to root your phone and often circumvent its security features to allow for custom ROM installation in the first place.
Installing a custom ROM will in most cases void your phone’s warranty, though often the process is reversible, meaning you can turn your phone back to stock as long as it isn’t bricked.
Installing a ROM to your phone requires you to root it first in most cases. While rooting most phones is easy, some phones require a complicated procedure to be followed before you can install a ROM to it and often, such procedures involve a risk of bricking your device if things go wrong.
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------------------------------------------------
I THINK THIS THREAD HELPED YOU MUCH MORE AS YOU KNOW IT WILL KEEP UPDATING WITH NEW WORDS SO KEEP IN TOUCH AND DONT FORGET TO SAY THANKS OR REPLY
IF YOU HAVE SOME SUGGESTIONS OR ANY QUERY"S PM ME OF REPLY
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DONT FORGET TO CLICK ON THANKS

Really good idea! IT should be sticky!

Thanks for the Info.
Hi Sbxlive,
Thanks for all the info on the Galaxy R.
I am getting the device today.
I wanted to know if thr GR has NFC and MHL. As far as I know no review states that these features are present on the Galaxy R.
Thanks.

m.kochan10 said:
really good idea! It should be sticky!
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t-t i can not understand my english very poor

Thank you.It makes a huge contribution to new users to understand Android.

No problem mys199156 Sticky thread means in this context "fixed", it remains always on the top, no matter if a new post has come or not.

great! post, sticky now!!

Thanks. This should be sticky !!
PS : ClockWorkMod should be CWM....Not CMW.
Cheers !

s4sixty said:
Thanks. This should be sticky !!
PS : ClockWorkMod should be CWM....Not CMW.
Cheers !
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sry my mistek
somthing wrong here wait i will again edit this topic from first line coc i dare to edit this topic on my mobile thats why it happen sorry for that
Sent from my GT-I9103 using XDA App

[Info] For Newbie What It Is It Mean? All Your Answare Are Here Part II
BFQ - Budget Fair Queueing
BFQ (Budget Fair Queueing) is a Proportional Share, or equivalently Fair Queueing, disk scheduler that allows each process/thread to be assigned a fraction of the disk throughput. It has the following characteristics.
It distributes the disk throughput to disk-bound proceses as desired, even if it fluctuates, independently of the disk parameters and with any workload. Providing this sector-domain fairness to processes issuing random requests would easily cause the disk throughput to drop on one hand, and cause other processes to experience very high latencies on the other hand. To face this problem, for processes issuing random requests, BFQ switches to time-domain fairness, in which it is the disk time to be fairly distributed (basically the scheme of CFQ).
According to our results, BFQ achieves up to 30% higher aggregate disk throughput than CFQ with most of the workloads considered, or the same throughput with the others.
BFQ guarantees to each disk request a tight delay with respect to the completion time that the requests would enjoy in an ideal (unfeasible) perfectly-fair system.
BFQ exports a low_latency tunable. If enabled (currently the default), BFQ executes a special heuristics that automatically gives to interactive and soft real-time applications more than their fair share of the disk throughput, to reduce their latency. According to our results, for desktop or handheld usage, the system becomes virtually as responsive as if the disk was idle, whatever the actual disk load is. Soft real-time applications enjoy up to 3-time lower latencies than under CFQ.
Low-latency guarantees are preserved also in presence of NCQ.
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USB JIG
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
This jig will allow you to get your phone into download mode when your phone is 3 button combo disabled or soft bricked. As long as there is something on the screen, the jig should work for you.
This JIG also works to RESET THE FLASHING COUNTER. You can flash custom ROMS and put the flash counter back to 0.
***WORKS ONLY AS RESETTER FOR ANDROID 2.3.4 AND EARLIER***
For More Info : http://usbjig.com/
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SbXLivE said:
BFQ - Budget Fair Queueing
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You should always update this article

Very good explanation of basics!
Would be nice to have similar intro explaining slightly more complex things seen during flashing a new firmware or somehow else modding a phone. Not everyone understands what is kernel, boot, recovery, system and data partitions.

Very interesting! You resolve some doubts, thank you!
Sent from my GT-I9103 using xda premium

SbXLivE said:
sry my mistek
somthing wrong here wait i will again edit this topic from first line coc i dare to edit this topic on my mobile thats why it happen sorry for that
Sent from my GT-I9103 using XDA App
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what I've said is wrong. I always say CMW

Nice post for android beginners.

much useful info. thanks!

What Is Odex And Deodex In Android
What Is Odex And Deodex In Android
WHAT IS AN ODEX FILE?
In Android file system, applications come in packages with the extension .apk. These application packages, or APKs contain certain .odex files whose supposed function is to save space. These ‘odex’ files are actually collections of parts of an application that are optimized before booting. Doing so speeds up the boot process, as it preloads part of an application. On the other hand, it also makes hacking those applications difficult because a part of the coding has already been extracted to another location before execution.
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THEN COMES DEODEX
Deodexing is basically repackaging of these APKs in a certain way, such that they are reassembled into classes.dex files. By doing that, all pieces of an application package are put together back in one place, thus eliminating the worry of a modified APK conflicting with some separate odexed parts.
In summary, Deodexed ROMs (or APKs) have all their application packages put back together in one place, allowing for easy modification such as theming. Since no pieces of code are coming from any external location, custom ROMs or APKs are always deodexed to ensure integrity.
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HOW THIS WORK
For the more geeky amongst us, Android OS uses a Java-based virtual machine for running applications, called the Dalvik Virtual Machine. A deodexed, or .dex file contains the cache used by this virtual machine (referred to as Dalvik-cache) for a program, and it is stored inside the APK. An .odex file, on the other hand, is an optimized version of this same .dex file that is stored next to the APK as opposed to inside it. Android applies this technique by default to all the system applications.
Now, when an Android-based system is booting, the davlik cache for the Davlik VM is built using these .odex files, allowing the OS to learn in advance what applications will be loaded, and thus speeds up the booting process.
By deodexing these APKs, a developer actually puts the .odex files back inside their respective APK packages. Since all code is now contained within the APK itself, it becomes possible to modify any application package without conflicting with the operating system’s execution environment.
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ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES
The advantage of deodexing is in modification possibilities. This is most widely used in custom ROMs and themes. A developer building a custom ROM would almost always choose to deodex the ROM package first, since that would not only allow him to modify various APKs, but also leave room for post-install theming.
On the other hand, since the .odex files were supposed to quickly build the dalvik cache, removing them would mean longer initial boot times. However, this is true only for the first ever boot after deodexing, since the cache would still get built over time as applications are used. Longer boot times may only be seen again if the dalvik cache is wiped for some reason.
For a casual user, the main implication is in theming possibilities. Themes for android come in APKs too, and if you want to modify any of those, you should always choose a dedoexed custom ROM.
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What Is Zipalign In Android And How To Make Apps Zipaligned
What Is Zipalign In Android And How To Make Apps Zipaligned
WHAT IS ZIPALIGN?
zipalign is an archive alignment tool introduced first time with 1.6 Android SDK (software development kit). It optimizes the way an Android application package (APK) is packaged. Doing so enables the Android operating system to interact with the application more efficiently, and hence has the potential to make the application and overall the whole system much faster. Execution time is minimized for zipaligned applications, resulting is lesser amount of RAM consumption when running the APK.
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SO HOW DOES IT EXACTLY WORK?
In an Android operating environment, data files stored in each application package are accessed by multiple processes, for example, the installer will read the data manifest to determine the associated permissions; the system server can read these resources for multiple reasons, like displaying notifications; the Home application, for example, will read resources to get the application’s name and icon. Since Android is based on a a true multi-tasking operating infrastructure, these files are continually and repeatedly accessed. Finally, but not least, the application itself reads the manifest data.
As Android is Linux-based, memory-mapping plays a key role in efficient handling of processes. Essentially, the optimal alignment for the Android OS’ resource-handling code is 4-byte boundaries. What this means is that, if APKs are memory-mapped to 4-byte boundaries, and aligned accordingly, the OS will not need to ‘read through’ the whole application package to get to the desired data manifest. Every system process will know in advance where to look for it’s desired resources, and hence will execute much smoother and faster.
Summing it up, zipaligning an APK results in all uncompressed data within the package to be aligned on 4-byte boundaries, allowing all portions to be accessed directly with the memory-map. RAM consumption is lowered while execution because the querying code doesn’t have to read through the entire application package.
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DISADVANTAGES OF UNALIGNED APKs
Quite understandably, situation would be reserved for unaligned application packages. Resource reading would be slow and memory usage would be on the higher end of the spectrum. It would also depend on how many unaligned applications are present. For example, if less number of applications with an unaligned home application, you’d see slower application launch times. This is the best case scenario. For a worst case scenario, having a number of unaligned applications will result in the system repeatedly starting and killing processes, struggling with lags and huge battery drain.
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HOW DO YOU DO IT, THEN?
As mentioned earlier, the zipalign tool became a part of Android SDK from 1.6 onwards. It can be found under the ‘tools’ folder of the SDK. To use it, simply run the command:
Code:
zipalign [-f] [-v] <alignment> infile.apk outfile.apk
where infile.apk is the source file, and outfile.apk is the output file.
Furthermore, you can also verify the alignment of an APK file using the following command:
Code:
zipalign -c -v <alignment> existing.apk
where existing.apk can be any application package that you need to get verified. Also, the <alignment> tag in both the commands needs to be an integral value (otherwise the command will return invalid). This value, although can be any integer, MUST always be 4, which would provide 32-bit alignment. Any other value and it will effectively do nothing.
Finally, for the flags used in these commands,
-f : overwrites existing outfile.zip
-v : will give verbose output
-c : will confirm the alignment of a given file
WORD OF CAUTION: zipalign operation must only be performed after you have signed the APK file with your private key. If zipaligned before signing, the signing procedure will disturb the alignment. Same holds true for any other alteration, addition or removal to the APK file. Any change after running zipalign will undo the alignment.
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thanx dude, i am translating to my own language and will use at a forum with your permission?

Android Users.. must read!Important Knowledge !

Android Terminology Guide
Hit thanks if i helped u !!
ADK: Android Development Kit, What people use to develop anything for the Android such as ROM's
The ADK (Android development kit) is divided into 3 parts
1. Android SDK (Software development Kit): used to make easy programs which only require touch & some sensors , e.g. Games
2. Android NDK ( Native Development Kit): this is used to Create apps which require Hardware or Use the native binaries & libraries of Android , eg. Camera , CyanogenMod Settings, Oxygen Settings , etc.
3. Android PDK ( Platform Development Kit): As the name suggests this is the main kit which allows to make all ".mk" files (eg. Android.mk , etc) & most of the files found on github
Basically Dev's like FXP , Z , Achotjan , kxhawkins , etc. Use the PDK to make AOSP/CM7 ROMs from source
& Also use NDK to edit the system apk's etc.. to make it stable
adb: Android Debug Bridge, a command-line debugging application included with the SDK. It provides tools to browse the device, copy tools on the device, & forward ports for debugging. If you are developing in Eclipse using the ADT Plugin, adb is integrated into your development environment.
AOSP: Android Open System Project, usually you will see this term when referring to a program or ROM. This will mean that the program or ROM was taken from Google & does not contain any modifications done by the phone Manufacturer or the phone service provider. This is Android the way Google intended.
Baseband or Radio: In communications & signal processing, the baseband describes signals & systems whose range of the frequencies measured from close to 0 hertz to a cut-off frequency, a maximum bandwidth or highest signal frequency; it is sometimes used to describe frequencies starting close to zero
Boot Loader/SPL: In literal terms, boot loader is code that is executed before any Operating System starts to run. The concept of boot loaders is universal to virtually all Operating systems that includes operating systems on your PC, laptop, Smartphone, & other such devices. Boot loaders basically package the instructions to boot operating system kernel & most of them also have their own debugging or modification environment. As the boot loader kicks off before any piece of software on your device, it makes it extremely processor specific & every motherboard has its own boot loader.
Boot Loader/SPL (Unlocked): A locked or unlocked boot loader is what gives you access to “root.” “Root” is another big word in the Android community. If you “root” a device, it means you have “super user” access or “administrator” access to the operating system that runs on your phone. Root access of your Android device gives you the ability to flash ROMs.
One of the most popular ROMs was created by a team called the CyanogenMod(CM), & their current rom is CM7, which is built on Android 2.3 Gingerbread. What this means is that if you have a phone that has an unlocked boot loader & root access, you can flash the CM7 ROM to your phone with a couple more steps. This also means that you can get access to most of the features in the latest version of Android that is commercially available, without having to wait for your manufacturer or carrier to give you an official update.
Boot Loop: Simply means something is preventing the phone from completing it's boot cycle & is stuck between the boot animation & the unlock screen, creating a looped animation. This is often fixed by either reloading a NAndroid, or Reflashing a ROM from the xRecovery/ClockworkMod Recovery/Flashtool.
Brick or Bricked: Jargon for a completely unrecoverable device, (no more than a brick or paperweight)
Note: It is my understanding that radio will boot first, followed by other systems. So it is IMPORTANT that your radio image/version will work with your SPL image/version. This is the one & only reason for phones being bricked. You cannot brick your phone by flashing a ROM or Boot image or recovery image. Once you flash the wrong radio for the SPL, the only known method of recovery is to send the phone back into SE for repair.
How do I know the phone is hard-bricked? A hard-bricked phone cannot boot into boot loader, recovery, or into normal operation modes. You cannot connect to a hard-bricked phone via adb or fastboot. You can only see one screen on the phone & it will be the first splash screen.
Bug or Software Bug: An Error or flaw in software that produces a failure or unexpected/unwanted result. Typically created from incorrect code, this is why some ROMs are better & smoother running than others because developers have taken the time to input "perfect" code (read put in a lot of hours & hard work)
Busybox: A single multicall binary that packages the functionality of most widely used standard Unix tools, BusyBox provides a fairly complete environment for any small or embedded system.
COMPCACHE: (compressed caching) is, in short, virtual swap, setting aside a certain percentage (usually 25%) of your RAM as 'compressed' swap. Compcache compresses the data that would normally go to swap, then moves it back into RAM, and reverses the process when moving it out of the 'compressed' swap. However, this is a classic space-time tradeoff. You effectively get more RAM from the compression, but it is slower than 'normal' RAM due to the CPU time required to compress and decompress the swapped pages.
ClockworkMod: A recovery program that is often used to apply updates, ROMs, or create a back up or restore a backup file
Dalvik: An open source, register-based virtual machine (VM) that’s part of the Android OS. The Dalvik VM executes files in the Dalvik Executable (.dex) format & relies on the Linux kernel for additional functionality like threading & low-level memory management. The virtual machine is register-based, and it can run classes compiled by a Java language compiler that have been transformed into its native format using the included "dx" tool.
Dalvik Cache: A program cache area for the program Dalvik. Dalvik is a java based virtual machine that is the basis for running your programs (the ones that have the .apk extension). In order to make access times faster (because there's not JIT (just in time) compiler installed by default), the dalvik-cache is the result of dalvik doing a optimization of the running program. It's similar to the prefetch files in Windows.
DDMS: Dalvik Debug Monitor Service, a GUI debugging application included with the SDK. It provides screen capture, log dump, and process examination capabilities. If you are developing in Eclipse using the ADT Plugin, DDMS is integrated into your development environment.
Deep Sleep: A state when the CPU is off, display dark, device is waiting for external input.
De-odex: Apk files have respective odexes that devs use to supposedly save space. Deodexing means you convert it back to a .dex file & put it back inside the apk. This allows you to easily replace files (not having to worry about odexes), but the main point was to deodex services.jar so that you can change all text to different colors (such as the clock color to white) & to deodex services.jar, you need to deodex everything.
Dev. or Developer: An individual that creates, or alters a file in such a manner as to advance the program
Drawable: A compiled visual resource that can be used as a background, title, or other part of the screen. A drawable is typically loaded into another UI element, for example as a background image. A drawable is not able to receive events, but does assign various other properties such as "state" and scheduling, to enable subclasses such as animation objects or image libraries. Many drawable objects are loaded from drawable resource files — xml or bitmap files that describe the image. Drawable resources are compiled into subclasses of android.graphics.drawable. For more information about drawables and other resources.
Fastboot: Protocol used to update the flash file system in Android devices from a host over USB. It allows flashing of unsigned partition images.
Flash: Rewrite the software/firmware on your phone using a computer to "flash" or completely rewrite the memory (ROM) of your phone. This is done using ODIN.
Flash Memory: a program technology that can be electrically erased & reprogrammed
Kernel: The main component of Android operating system.
It is a bridge between applications & the actual data processing done at the hardware level.
The kernel's responsibilities include managing the system's resources (the communication between hardware & software components).
[Usually as a basic component of an operating system, a kernel can provide the lowest-level abstraction layer for the resources
(especially processors & I/O devices) that application software must control to perform its function.
It typically makes these facilities available to application processes through inter-process communication mechanisms & system calls.
Operating system tasks are done differently by different kernels, depending on their design & implementation.]
Manifest File: An XML file that each application must define, to describe the application's package name, version, components (activities, intent filters, services), imported libraries, and describes the various activities, and so on. See The AndroidManifest.xml File for complete information.
Nine-patch / 9-patch / Ninepatch image
A re-sizeable bitmap resource that can be used for backgrounds or other images on the device.
Nandroid or Nandroid Backup: A file typically created in the custom recovery program, such as xRecovery, that is a carbon copy of whatever state your phone is in before a drastic change is made. The file then can be moved onto or off of the SD card for later use in case something should go wrong in the ROM or Update, or a Boot Loop occurs
ODIN: It is the program you can use to flash phones.
e.g. : 'Odin Multi-Downloader v3.95' is used to flash the Samsung Galaxy. It's usually included in firmware packs.
OEM: Original Equipment Manufacturer, the people who actually put together electronic hardware. Also refers to any equipment original to the phone, or produced by the company for the phone
OpenGL ES: Android provides OpenGL ES libraries that you can use for fast, complex 3D images. It is harder to use than a Canvas object, but better for 3D objects. The android.opengl and javax.microedition.khronos.opengles packages expose OpenGL ES functionality.
OS: Operating system, I.E. Windows Vista, LINUX or MAC or Android
OTA: Over-the-Air; method T-Mobile, & some other phone companies, uses to update Android phones. The new versions of Android are developed by Google & then released to OEM's, Sony Ericsson in our case. The OEM then writes drivers that enable the new software to work on the phone's hardware. They also develop any specialized UI (user interface), like Timescape & Mediascape, or other software they want to include. Once this is complete, they turn it over to the cell phone company, (e.g.)Tmobile, who then have to do the final checks to make sure the update works, & then distributes it over there data network using their cell transmitters.
Overclocking (OC): Speeding up the CPU past the factory presets to achieve a faster & more responsive device (prolonged run can be injurious to your device, so be careful.)
ROM: Read Only Memory, a program used to make changes to anything from the look of the home screen to icons to custom boot animation
Root: Common word associated with giving a user "super user" access to their phones programming & other various aspects that would normally not be possible, also known as "Jailbroken" for iPhone's, "Administrator Rights" in Windows OS.
Shell or SSH: The shell is the layer of programming that understands & executes the commands a user enters. In some systems, the shell is called a command interpreter. A shell usually implies an interface with a command syntax (think of the DOS operating system & its "C:>" prompts & user commands such as "dir" & "edit"). secure shell or ssh is a network protocol that allows data to be exchanged using a secure channel between two networked devices
SQLite: An embedded relational database management system contained in a relatively small (~275 kB) C programming library. It is multitasking concerning reads. Writes can be done only one-at-a-time. It is a popular choice for local/client storage on web browsers. It has many bindings to programming languages. It is arguably the most widely used database engine, as it is used today by several widespread browsers, operating systems, embedded systems among others
Stock: Simply means an unaltered state, such as when you first purchase your phone fromVerizon/Your Service Provider or when you repair your phone using PC Companion or SE Update Service(SEUS)
SU: "Super user", or root permissions
SWAP: is, in short, virtual RAM. With swap, a small portion of the hard drive is set aside and used like RAM. The computer will attempt to keep as much information as possible in RAM until the RAM is full. At that point, the computer will begin moving inactive blocks of memory (called pages) to the hard disk, freeing up RAM for active processes. If one of the pages on the hard disk needs to be accessed again, it will be moved back into RAM, and a different inactive page in RAM will be moved onto the hard disk ('swapped'). The trade off is disks and SD cards are considerably slower than physical RAM, so when something needs to be swapped, there is a noticeable performance hit.
Unlike traditional swap, Android's Memory Manager kills inactive processes to free up memory. Android signals to the process, then the process will usually write out a small bit of specific information about its state (for example, Google Maps may write out the map view coordinates; Browser might write the URL of the page being viewed) and then the process exits. When you next access that application, it is restarted: the application is loaded from storage, and retrieves the state information that it saved when it last closed. In some applications, this makes it seem as if the application never closed at all. This is not much different from traditional swap, except that Android apps are specially programed to write out very specific information, making Android's Memory Manager more efficient that swap.
Theme: A set of icons, backgrounds & app trays that change the aesthetics of the overall look of the Android & its applications. It has a set of properties (text size, background color, and so on) bundled together to define various default display settings. Android provides a few standard themes, listed in R.style (starting with "Theme_").
TUN/TAP: Refers to a network TUNnel, operates within layer 3 packets, or ip packets. Packets sent by a system via a TUN/TAP device are delivered to a user-space program that attaches itself to the device. A user space program may also pass packets into a TUN/TAP device. In this case TUN/TAP device delivers (or "injects") these packets to the operating system's network stack thus emulating their reception from an external source.
Underclocking(UC): Slowing down the CPU mainly to limit battery usage
Undervolting(UV): Basically keeping the clock speed same (or overclocking it) & reduce the voltage at each cpu cycle.
xRecovery: A recovery program based on the ClockworkMod Recovery sources used to apply updates, ROMs, or create a back up or restore a backup file
File Types:
.dex: Compiled Android application code file. Android programs are compiled into .dex (Dalvik Executable) files, which are in turn zipped into a single .apk file on the device. .dex files can be created by automatically translating compiled applications written in the Java programming language.
.sbf: Summation Briefcase File
.apk or APK's: An .apk file extension denotes an Android Package (APK) file, an .apk file can be opened & inspected using common archive tools. Each Android application is compiled and packaged in a single file that includes all of the application's code (.dex files), resources, assets, and manifest file. The application package file can have any name but must use the .apk extension. For example: myExampleAppname.apk. For convenience, an application package file is often referred to as an ".apk".
.tar: Similar to a zip file(derived from tape archive), a tar file archives multiple files into one file
.tgz: TGZ files (gnu-zipped .tar file) are commonly used as install packages for Slackware Linux.
pheeeeww!!This took sometime!!
Well this is all I can think of off the top of my head but as I think of more I will edit them in here & I encourage the mods to put things that I either forgot or just simply am not aware of. Also I request fellow user to suggest any terms frequently used & not added or any discrepancies found, kindly PM me!!
Thank you & happy hacking/flashing!!
_____________________________________
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Core Clock Speed: -
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It is the actual clock speed that the CPU is running at. "Not the multiplied speed."
It's good to remember a CPU's performance is also effected by its memory's speed.
Similar rules exist for the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit).

Good beginning, I think. In a few days I will start to translate in german, maybe we can attach this translation as a pdf?

excellent work dude keep it up

U rock dude keep it up..much helpful infrmtn esp for those who just flash roms without knowledge(like me)

Can u explain what is "set 777 permission" and 766, 755
Sent from my GT-S5670L using xda premium

Deshabilitado said:
Can u explain what is "set 777 permission" and 766, 755
Sent from my GT-S5670L using xda premium
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Those digits represents the permissions for all users 1st digit for user 2nd for group 3rd for other..1 denotes execute,2 denotes write and 4 denotes read so if u add 1+2+4=7..hope u got it...

Try this link to understand file permissions..
http://www.tuxfiles.org/linuxhelp/filepermissions.html

asdfglkjhg said:
excellent work dude keep it up
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martin_s5670 said:
Good beginning, I think. In a few days I will start to translate in german, maybe we can attach this translation as a pdf?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
vijayanandssj4 said:
U rock dude keep it up..much helpful infrmtn esp for those who just flash roms without knowledge(like me)
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yes we can do tht , will start the translation!
and thnx hope the knowledge helped u !!

udit.kumar said:
yes we can do tht , will start the translation!
and thnx hope the knowledge helped u !!
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Now I found a good FAQ in german with more or less the same content, I will give the link (post2), better than a translation from me.
http://www.android-hilfe.de/samsung...4-unbedingt-lesen-die-faq-fuer-unser-ace.html

Thanks a lot for this useful info ...
Also the Fix Permissions Guide helped a lot to understand ...

It helps me to understand the various terms. Thank you!

Gr8 n very useful stuff

suhs_20 said:
Thanks a lot for this useful info ...
Also the Fix Permissions Guide helped a lot to understand ...
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glad to knw

adissan said:
It helps me to understand the various terms. Thank you!
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you are welcome
PS - Hit thanks!

Thank you. Its very useful information

Android terms and definitions

This isnt my work and this is the hardwork of Diablo67 and i thought that this would be useful in our forum. All thanks to Diablo67
I figured i would post this thread to help all of the new members and experienced understand the Android slang,there are actually a few i did'nt know the meaning of until i made this thread.I have compiled most of the terms,definitions and slang i could dig up,if theres anything i missed,let me know and i will add it to the thread,otherwise i will update this thread as new slang,terms and definitions are presented to me.
Apps2SD:A method of storing applications and cache on the device's microSD card.
ADB:Android Debug Bridge (adb) is a versatile command line tool that lets you communicate with an emulator instance or connected Android-powered device. It is a client-server program that includes three components:
•A client, which runs on your development machine. You can invoke a client from a shell by issuing an adb command. Other Android tools such as the ADT plugin and DDMS also create adb clients.
•A server, which runs as a background process on your development machine. The server manages communication between the client and the adb daemon running on an emulator or device.
•A daemon, which runs as a background process on each emulator or device instance.
Android:A Linux-based operating system for mobile devices such as HTC EVO.Versions are alphabetically codenamed after snacks: Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Donut.
AMOLED:Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode. Basically, a very colorful, bright, display found in some smartphones.
APK:Android application package file. Each Android application is compiled and packaged in a single file that includes all of the application's code (.dex files), resources, assets, and manifest file. The application package file can have any name but must use the .apk extension. For example: myExampleAppname.apk. For convenience, an application package file is often referred to as an ".apk".
Alpha:The alpha phase of the release life cycle is the first phase to begin software testing (alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, used as the number 1). In this phase, developers generally test the software using white box techniques. Additional validation is then performed using black box or gray box techniques, by another testing team. Moving to black box testing inside the organization is known as alpha release.[1]
Alpha software can be unstable and could cause crashes or data loss. The exception to this is when the alpha is available publicly (such as a pre-order bonus), in which developers normally push for stability so that their testers can test properly. External availability of alpha software is uncommon in proprietary software. However, open source software, in particular, often have publicly available alpha versions, often distributed as the raw source code of the software.
The alpha phase usually ends with a feature freeze, indicating that no more features will be added to the software. At this time, the software is said to be a feature complete.
Boot Animation:Boot animation is a term for a graphical representation of the boot process of the operating system.
Boot animation can be a simple visualisation of the scrolling boot messages in the console, but it can also present graphics or some combinations of both.
Unlike splash screens, boot screen or boot animation is not necessarily designed for marketing purposes, but can be to enhance the experience of the user as eye candy, or provide the user with messages (with an added advantage of color coding facility) to diagnose the state of the system.
Bootloader:This small program's only job is to load other data and programs which are then executed from RAM.Often, multiple-stage boot loaders are used, during which several programs of increasing complexity load one after the other in a process of chain loading.
Bootloop:When your system recycles over and over without entering the main OS.
Beta: is the software development phase following alpha. It generally begins when the software is feature complete. Software in the beta phase will generally have many more bugs in it than completed software, as well as speed/performance issues. The focus of beta testing is reducing impacts to users, often incorporating usability testing. The process of delivering a beta version to the users is called beta release and this is typically the first time that the software is available outside of the organization that developed it.
The users of a beta version are called beta testers. They are usually customers or prospective customers of the organization that develops the software, willing to test the software without charge, often receiving the final software free of charge or for a reduced price.
Beta version software is often useful for demonstrations and previews within an organization and to prospective customers. Some developers refer to this stage as a preview, prototype, technical preview (TP), or early access.
Some software is kept in perpetual beta—where new features and functionality is continually added to the software without establishing a firm "final" release.
CPU:It stands for Central Processing Unit and handles all the complex mathematical formulas necessary to do everyday things like surfing the Internet.
Custom:Independent developers who like to customize their devices beyond the standard options provided often tend to release the fruits of their labor for the rest to enjoy, in form of custom ROMs.
Cache:A component that transparently stores data so that future requests for that data can be served faster. The data that is stored within a cache might be values that have been computed earlier or duplicates of original values that are stored elsewhere. If requested data is contained in the cache (cache hit), this request can be served by simply reading the cache, which is comparatively faster. Otherwise (cache miss), the data has to be recomputed or fetched from its original storage location, which is comparatively slower. Hence, the greater the number of requests that can be served from the cache, the faster the overall system performance becomes.
CDMA:Mobile phone standards called cdmaOne, CDMA2000 (the 3G evolution of cdmaOne) and WCDMA (the 3G standard used by GSM carriers), which are often referred to as simply CDMA, and use CDMA as an underlying channel access method.
CIQ:Carrier IQ. A piece of preinstalled software that runs with elevated access in the background of portable devices by default and records everything. Potentially can be exploited to steal information.
Dual Core:A dual core processor is a central processing unit (CPU) that has two separate cores on the same die, each with its own cache. It essentially is two microprocessors in one. This type of CPU is widely available from many manufacturers. Other types of multi-core processors also have been developed, including quad-core processors with four cores each, hexa-core processors with six, octa-core processors with eight and many-core processors with an even larger number of cores.
Dalvik:The Android platform's virtual machine. The Dalvik VM is an interpreter-only virtual machine that executes files in the Dalvik Executable (.dex) format, a format that is optimized for efficient storage and memory-mappable execution.
Dalvik Cache:Writable cache that contains the optimized bytecode of all apk files (apps) on your Android device. Having the information in it's own cache makes applications load faster and perform better.
EXT2:The ext2 or second extended filesystem is a file system for the Linux kernel. It was initially designed by Rémy Card as a replacement for the extended file system (ext).
ext2 was the default filesystem in several Linux distributions, including Debian and Red Hat Linux, until supplanted more recently by ext3, which is almost completely compatible with ext2 and is a journaling file system. ext2 is still the filesystem of choice for flash-based storage media (such as SD cards, and USB flash drives) since its lack of a journal minimizes the number of writes and flash devices have only a limited number of write cycles. Recent kernels, however, support a journal-less mode of ext4, which would offer the same benefit along with a number of ext4-specific benefits.
EXT3:Third extended filesystem, is a journaled file system that is commonly used by the Linux kernel. It is the default file system for many popular Linux distributions, including Debian. Stephen Tweedie first revealed that he was working on extending ext2 in Journaling the Linux ext2fs Filesystem in a 1998 paper and later in a February 1999 kernel mailing list posting, and the filesystem was merged with the mainline Linux kernel in November 2001 from 2.4.15 onward.Its main advantage over ext2 is journaling, which improves reliability and eliminates the need to check the file system after an unclean shutdown. Its successor is ext4.
EXT4:It was born as a series of backward compatible extensions to ext3, many of them originally developed by Cluster File Systems for the Lustre file system between 2003 and 2006, meant to extend storage limits and add other performance improvements.However, other Linux kernel developers opposed accepting extensions to ext3 for stability reasons,and proposed to fork the source code of ext3, rename it as ext4, and do all the development there, without affecting the current ext3 users. This proposal was accepted, and on 28 June 2006, Theodore Ts'o, the ext3 maintainer, announced the new plan of development for ext4.
FC/FC's:Short for "force close," meaning an app that has crashed.
Fastboot:A diagnostic protocol used primarily to modify the flash filesystem in Android smartphones from another computer over a USB connection. It is part of the Android Debug Bridge library.
Utilizing the Fastboot protocol requires that the device be started in a boot loader or Second Program Loader mode in which only the most basic hardware initialization is performed. After enabling the protocol on the device itself it will accept any command sent to it over USB via a command line. Some of most commonly used fastboot commands include:
•flash - Overwrites a partition in flash with a binary image stored on the host computer.
•erase - Erases a partition in flash.
•reboot - Reboots the device into the either the main operating system or the system recovery partition.
•devices - Displays a list of all devices (with Serial #) connected to the host computer.
Flashing:The ROM memory used in smartphones and tablets etc. is often same as flash memory found in SD cards and USB flash drives, simply optimized for better speed and performance while running the operating system.
Hotspot:A spot that offers Internet access over a wireless local area network through the use of a router connected to a link to an Internet service provider. Hotspots typically use Wi-Fi technology.You can connect wifi campatible devices to it.
HDMI:High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a compact audio/video interface for transmitting encrypted uncompressed digital data.It is a digital alternative to consumer analog standards, such as radio frequency (RF) coaxial cable, composite video, S-Video, SCART, component video, D-Terminal, or VGA (also called D-sub or DE-15F). HDMI connects digital audio/video sources (such as set-top boxes, DVD players, HD DVD players, Blu-ray Disc players, AVCHD camcorders, personal computers (PCs), video game consoles (such as the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360), AV receivers, tablet computers, and mobile phones) to compatible digital audio devices, computer monitors, video projectors, and digital televisions.
Hboot:It’s mainly responsible for checking and initializing the hardware and starting the phone’s software. It can also be used for flashing official software releases, as well as a few other things. HBoot can be compared to the BIOS on a computer.
HAVS:a control system that dynamically adjusts the voltage based on CPU load. This has proven to be a battery saver, but it can actually have the opposite effect when multiple control systems are operating (like setCPU).
JIT:The Just-in-Time Compiler. Released with Android 2.2, it's a method of greatly speeding up apps in Android on the software side.
Kang:Someone writes a code,someone else modifies the code to make their own release,its concidered a kang release.
Kernel:A kernel is a layer of code that allows the OS and applications to interface with your phone's hardware. The degree in which you can access your phone's hardware features depends on the quality of code in the kernel. The homebrew (rooting) community for HTC has made several kernel code improvements that give us additional features from our hardware that the stock kernel does not. When you flash a custom ROM, you automatically get a kernel. But you can also flash a standalone kernel ROM on top of the existing one, effectively overwriting it. These days, the difference in custom kernels is less about new features and more about alternate configurations. Choosing a custom kernel is basically choosing one that works best with your ROM.
Launcher:Collectively, the part of the Android user interface on home screens that lets you launch apps, make phone calls, etc. Is built in to Android, or can be purchased in the Android Market.
LCD Densityixel density is a measurement of the resolution of devices in various contexts; typically computer displays, image scanners, and digital camera image sensors.
First of all you need to understand that the Android User Interface uses something called a "display independent pixel" or a "dip" (yes, it's confusing because the density settings are in "dots per inch" or "dpi" which are considered the same as "ppi" or "pixels per inch" as well).
The default LCD Density setting on Android is 160 dpi. As far as the operating system is concerned 1 dip @ 160 dpi = 1 screen pixel. It doesn't mean that's actually true, but you've gotta start somewhere. In my opinion it would have been a lot nicer if they'd chosen 100 dpi because then it would be an easy percentage thing, but they didn't so we're stuck with this formula.
Mod:The act of modifying a piece of hardware or software or anything else for that matter, to perform a function not originally conceived or intended by the designer.
Nandroid:To backup the current running rom.
Nightly:A build that is performed at the end of each day of development. If you use a continuous integration server, it will generally be configured to build the code and run the unit tests on every check in. At the end of each day you may want to run more extensive tests, regression test and integration tests for example, which take too long to run on each check in and these would be triggered after the nightly build. If you have a full continuously delivery pipeline the nightly build may also be used to deploy the built code to environments for user testing.
Open GL:An open source 3D graphics library used in many devices, including Android devices.
Open & Closed Betaevelopers release either a closed beta or an open beta; closed beta versions are released to a select group of individuals for a user test and are invitation only, while open betas are from a larger group to the general public and anyone interested. The testers report any bugs that they find, and sometimes suggest additional features they think should be available in the final version.
Overclock:To increase the speed of your CPU.
Partition:The phone's internal memory (not the SD card) is solid-state (flash) memory, AKA NAND. It can be partitioned much like a normal hard drive can be partitioned. The bootloader exists in its own partition. Recovery is another partition; radio, system, cache, etc are all partitions.
Here are the standard partitions on an Android phone:
/misc - not sure what this is for.
/boot - bootloader, kernel
/recovery - holds the recovery program (either clockworkmod or RA recovery for a rooted Evo)
/system - operating system goes here: Android, Sense, boot animation, Sprint crapware, busybox, etc
/cache - cached data from OS usage
/data - user applications, data, settings, etc.
The below partitions are not android-specific. They are tied to the hardware of the phone, but the kernel may have code allowing Android to interact with said hardware.
/radio - the phone's radio firmware, controls cellular, data, GPS, bluetooth.
/wimax - firmware for Sprint's flavor of 4G, WiMax.
PRL:The Preferred Roaming List, basically a way of telling your phone which towers to connect to first.
RUU:a complete software package released by HTC, it can contain many things they are trying to update. Radio, ROM, bootloader, etc... Installing an ruu is like installing an image on a hard drive it wipes the phone and installs the image. It will wipe everything data and all so if you install one be prepared.
Recovery Mode:A small separate operating mode you can boot your device into, used for device administration. Two popular custom recovery modes are Amon Ra and Clockwork.
Rom/Firmware:Read-Only Memory and technically speaking, it refers to the internal storage of a device, which is supposed to contain the operating system instructions that needn’t be modified at all during the device’s normal operation.
Radios:On the HTC side of things,the radios persist of:
•WiFi, which operates at 2.4-5ghz depending on what channel it's running
•Cellular/3G, which carries voice and data
•4G/WiMAX, which only carries data
•GPS, which is receive-only
•Bluetooth, which talks to WiiMotes and headsets
Flashing a radio means updating the code that controls the phones way of sending and recieving a signal.
RamRandom Access Memory) A group of memory chips, typically of the dynamic RAM (DRAM) type, which function as the computer's primary workspace. When personal computers first came on the market in the late 1970s, 64KB (64 kilobytes) of RAM was the upper limit. Today, 64MB (64 megabytes) of SDRAM is entry level for a desktop computer, a thousand times as much (see SDRAM).
The "random" in RAM means that the contents of each byte of storage in the chip can be directly accessed without regard to the bytes before or after it. This is also true of other types of memory chips, including ROMs and PROMs. However, unlike ROMs and PROMs, RAM chips require power to maintain their content, which is why you must save your data onto disk before you turn the computer off. To learn about the types of RAM chips and how to upgrade your memory, see memory module. To learn how memory is used to process data, see computer or memory. See also dynamic RAM and static RAM.
Recovery:RecoverySystem contains methods for interacting with the Android recovery system (the separate partition that can be used to install system updates,wipe user data,etc).
Root:The first level of a folder.
Rooting:A process allowing users of mobile phones, tablet PCs, and other devices running the Android operating system to attain privileged control (known as "root access") within Android's subsystem. Rooting is often performed with the goal of overcoming limitations that carriers and hardware manufacturers put on some devices, resulting in the ability to alter or replace system applications and settings, run specialized apps that require administrator-level permissions, or perform other operations that are otherwise inaccessible to a normal Android user. Rooting is analogous to jailbreaking devices running the Apple iOS operating system or the Sony PlayStation 3. On Android, rooting can also facilitate the complete removal and replacement of the device's operating system.
SBCthe ability to charge your battery beyond the default safe limit). The concept is similar to overclocking a processor: you're overriding the safety limits established to achieve additional performance. The benefit here is that you may gain more use of your battery per charge. The drawback is that you can damage the battery and significantly reduce its longevity. Some kernels claim they are using a safe technique to prevent battery damage. Just be aware of the potential risks.
Sideloading:It means installing applications without using the official Android Market.
Splash Screen:A splash screen is an image that appears while android is loading.Splash screens cover the entire screen or simply a rectangle near the center of the screen. The splash screens of operating systems and some applications that expect to be run full-screen usually cover the entire screen.
Superuser/SU:On many computer operating systems, the superuser is a special user account used for system administration. Depending on the operating system, the actual name of this account might be: root, administrator or supervisor.
Normal work on such a system is done using ordinary user accounts, and because these do not have the ability to make system-wide changes any viruses and other malware - or simple user errors - do not have the ability to adversly affect a whole system. In organizations, administrative privileges are often reserved for authorized experienced individuals.
Script:The Scripting Layer for Android (abridged as SL4A, and previously named Android Scripting Environment or ASE) is a library that allows the creation and running of scripts written in various scripting languages directly on Android devices. SL4A is designed for developers and is still alpha quality software.
These scripts have access to many of the APIs available to normal Java Android applications, but with a simplified interface. Scripts can be run interactively in a terminal, in the background, or via Locale.
SDKSDK or "devkit") is typically a set of software development tools that allows for the creation of applications for a certain software package, software framework, hardware platform, computer system, video game console, operating system, or similar platform.
Stock:This is the operating system in its default form, without any modifications made to it except for any device-specific support required to run it on the particular device.
S-On:Security on,means no acces to the phones operating system.
S-Off:Security was exploited,now have access to the operating system.
Tethering:Means sharing the Internet connection of an Internet-capable mobile phone with other devices. This sharing can be offered over a wireless LAN (Wi-Fi), Bluetooth, or by physical connection using a cable. In the case of tethering over wireless LAN, the feature may be branded as a mobile hotspot.The Internet-connected mobile phone acts as a portable router when providing tethering services to others.
Userspace(Governor):This governor, exceptionally rare for the world of mobile devices, allows any program executed by the user to set the CPU's operating frequency. This governor is more common amongst servers or desktop PCs where an application (like a power profile app) needs privileges to set the CPU clockspeed.
Underclock:To reduce the speed of your CPU.
Undervolt:Undervolting means taking some of the voltage from the CPU which in return gives a longer battery life and lower temperature during intensive use of the CPU.
USB:Stands for Universal Serial Bus. Is a method of connecting devices to a computer. Most smartphones now use microUSB cables to charge and sync.
Updater Script:When Android devices install updates via 'update.zip' files using recovery mode they have to perform a wide range of functions on files and permissions. Instead of using a minimal shell such as {b,d,c}sh the Android designers decided to create a small functional language that can be extended by device manufacturers if necessary. Since the Android "Donut" release (v1.6) the scripting language is called Edify and is defined primarily in the bootable/recovery/{edify,edifyscripting,updater} directories of the Android source-code tree.
Wireless N:Wireless N technology increases wireless internet connection. Wireless 'N' routers also work with Wireless 'G' and 'B' wireless adapters.
WiiMaxWorldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is a communication technology for wirelessly delivering high-speed Internet service to large geographical areas.
YAFFS:Yaffs1 is the first version of this file system and works on NAND chips that have 512 byte pages + 16 byte spare (OOB;Out-Of-Band) areas.[clarification needed] These older chips also generally allow 2 or 3 write cycles per page,which YAFFS takes advantage of - i.e. dirty pages are marked by writing to a specific spare area byte.
Newer NAND flash chips have larger pages, 2048 bytes + 64 bytes spare areas, and stricter write requirements.Each page within an erase block (128 kilobytes) must be written to in sequential order, and each page must be written only once.YAFFS2 was designed to accommodate these newer chips.YAFFS2 is based on the YAFFS1 source code,with the major difference being that internal structures are not fixed to assume 512 byte sizing,and a block sequence number is placed on each written page. In this way older pages can be logically overwritten without violating the "write once" rule.[clarification needed]
YAFFS is a robust log-structured file system that holds data integrity as a high priority.A secondary YAFFS goal is high performance.YAFFS will typically outperform most alternatives.It is also designed to be portable and has been used on Linux, WinCE, pSOS, eCos,ThreadX and various special-purpose OSes.A variant 'YAFFS/Direct' is used in situations where there is no OS, embedded OSes and bootloaders: it has the same core filesystem but simpler interfacing to the OS and NAND flash hardware.
Zipalign: An archive alignment tool introduced first time with 1.6 Android SDK (software development kit). It optimizes the way an Android application package (APK) is packaged. Doing so enables the Android operating system to interact with the application more efficiently, and hence has the potential to make the application and overall the whole system much faster. Execution time is minimized for zipaligned applications, resulting is lesser amount of RAM consumption when running the APK.
original thread - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1466228

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1510729

[FAQ] Android related terms and abbreviations

I'm making this "DICTIONARY" for android abbreviations & terminology and also about Moto G
use this if Moto G is your first android,if you are new at XDA or if you have any doubt
Thanks to @kloud_ and @appdroid for making other guides that i gonna merge and adapt with this one
Ctrl+F is your new best friend,use it
ANDROID REFERENCE LIST
ADK: Android Development Kit, What people use to develop anything for the Android such as APPs and ROM's
adb: Android Debug Bridge, a command-line debugging application included with the SDK. It provides tools to browse the device, copy tools on the device, & forward ports for debugging. If you are developing in Eclipse using the ADT Plugin, adb is integrated into your development environment.
Android Unveiled on 5 November 2007, Android is a mobile operating system running on the Linux kernel developed by Google.
AOSP: Android Open System Project, usually you will see this term when referring to a program or ROM. This will mean that the program or ROM was taken from Google & does not contain any modifications done by the phone Manufacturer or the phone service provider. This is Android the way Google intended.
ART - successor of Dalvik, a virtual machine (VM) that’s part of the Android OS. ART is faster than Dalvik and saves more energy
Baseband or Radio: In communications & signal processing, the baseband describes signals & systems whose range of the frequencies measured from close to 0 hertz to a cut-off frequency, a maximum bandwidth or highest signal frequency; it is sometimes used to describe frequencies starting close to zero
Binary - (sometimes called bin's) a group of executable files.
Bloatware:unnecessary features that are not used by end users and come with the phone (like Samsung touchwiz or other APPs) (luckly Moto G is almost a pure/stock android)
BootLoader: In literal terms, boot loader is code that is executed before any Operating System starts to run. The concept of boot loaders is universal to virtually all Operating systems that includes operating systems on your PC, laptop, Smartphone, & other such devices. Boot loaders basically package the instructions to boot operating system kernel & most of them also have their own debugging or modification environment. As the boot-loader kicks off before any piece of software on your device, it makes it extremely processor specific & every motherboard has its own bootloader.
Boot Loader(Unlocked): A locked or unlocked boot loader is what gives you access to “root.” “Root” is another big word in the Android community. If you “root” a device, it means you have “super user” access or “administrator” access to the operating system that runs on your phone. Root access of your Android device gives you the ability to flash ROMs. Alert:unlocking your Moto G boot-loader will void your warranty
Boot Loop: Simply means something is preventing the phone from completing it's boot cycle & is stuck between the boot animation & the unlock screen, creating a looped animation. This is often fixed by either reloading a NAndroid, or Reflashing a ROM from the xRecovery/ClockworkMod Recovery/Flashtool.
Brick or Bricked: Jargon for a completely unrecoverable device, (no more than a brick or paperweight)
Bug or Software Bug: An Error or flaw in software that produces a failure or unexpected/unwanted result. Typically created from incorrect code, this is why some ROMs are better & smoother running than others because developers have taken the time to input "perfect" code (read put in a lot of hours & hard work)
Busybox: A single multicall binary that packages the functionality of most widely used standard Unix tools, BusyBox provides a fairly complete environment for any small or embedded system.
CDMA/GSM - A type of network communication between phones and carriers. GSM phones normally are included with SIM Cards that authorize them onto the network. CDMA have this authorization built in and do not need a sim card.
COMPCACHE: (compressed caching) is, in short, virtual swap, setting aside a certain percentage (usually 25%) of your RAM as 'compressed' swap. Compcache compresses the data that would normally go to swap, then moves it back into RAM, and reverses the process when moving it out of the 'compressed' swap. However, this is a classic space-time tradeoff. You effectively get more RAM from the compression, but it is slower than 'normal' RAM due to the CPU time required to compress and decompress the swapped pages.
ClockworkMod - CWR - CWM: A recovery program that is often used to apply updates, ROMs, or create a back up or restore a backup file
Dalvik: An open source, register-based virtual machine (VM) that’s part of the Android OS. The Dalvik VM executes files in the Dalvik Executable (.dex) format & relies on the Linux kernel for additional functionality like threading & low-level memory management. The virtual machine is register-based, and it can run classes compiled by a Java language compiler that have been transformed into its native format using the included "dx" tool.
Dalvik Cache: A program cache area for the program Dalvik. Dalvik is a java based virtual machine that is the basis for running your programs (the ones that have the .apk extension). In order to make access times faster (because there's not JIT (just in time) compiler installed by default), the dalvik-cache is the result of dalvik doing a optimization of the running program. It's similar to the prefetch files in Windows.
DDMS: Dalvik Debug Monitor Service, a GUI debugging application included with the SDK. It provides screen capture, log dump, and process examination capabilities. If you are developing in Eclipse using the ADT Plugin, DDMS is integrated into your development environment.
Deep Sleep: A state when the CPU is off, display dark, device is waiting for external input.
De-odex: Apk files have respective odexes that devs use to supposedly save space. Deodexing means you convert it back to a .dex file & put it back inside the apk. This allows you to easily replace files (not having to worry about odexes), but the main point was to deodex services.jar so that you can change all text to different colors (such as the clock color to white) & to deodex services.jar, you need to deodex everything.
Dev. or Developer: An individual that creates, or alters a file in such a manner as to advance the program
Drawable: A compiled visual resource that can be used as a background, title, or other part of the screen. A drawable is typically loaded into another UI element, for example as a background image. A drawable is not able to receive events, but does assign various other properties such as "state" and scheduling, to enable subclasses such as animation objects or image libraries. Many drawable objects are loaded from drawable resource files — xml or bitmap files that describe the image. Drawable resources are compiled into subclasses of android.graphics.drawable. For more information about drawables and other resources.
Execute - To "run" or "start" a binary
Fastboot: Protocol used to update the flash file system in Android devices from a host over USB. It allows flashing of unsigned partition images.
Flash - Flashing : The process of applying a firmware image (or ROM) to a device. It generally entails a very specific order of steps. Failing to complete any one of these steps properly may result in soft/hard) bricking
Flash Memory: a program technology that can be electrically erased & reprogrammed
FOTA - "Firmware over the air" this normally refers to ROM's but can refer to radio firmware (see OTA)
Kernel: The main component of Android operating system.
It is a bridge between applications & the actual data processing done at the hardware level.
The kernel's responsibilities include managing the system's resources (the communication between hardware & software components).
[Usually as a basic component of an operating system, a kernel can provide the lowest-level abstraction layer for the resources
(especially processors & I/O devices) that application software must control to perform its function.
It typically makes these facilities available to application processes through inter-process communication mechanisms & system calls.
Operating system tasks are done differently by different kernels, depending on their design & implementation.]
Governor - A system embedded into the kernel to automatically change the current working CPU frequency depending on the workload. It would only go up to what it is overclocked (or underclocked) to, this is called the maximum frequency. It would not drop bellow the (just as easily configurable) minimum frequency.
Jelly Bean - JB - Android from 4.1 to 4.3
JDK - "Java Development Kit" an SDK for the java platform. It is needed to run the Android SDK.
JRE - "Java Runtime Environment" a collection of binarys and files to allow java software to execute.
KANG - The process of creating a code based of someone else's code.
Kit Kat - KK - Android 4.4 the newest android available (supported by Moto G)
Library's/Libs - a set of instructions for applications to use to function. A functioning camera lib would allow the camera to be used.
Logcat :A debugging tool built into Android devices that displays system logs as they occur. See Logcat.
Manifest File: An XML file that each application must define, to describe the application's package name, version, components (activities, intent filters, services), imported libraries, and describes the various activities, and so on. See The AndroidManifest.xml File for complete information.
Nine-patch / 9-patch / Ninepatch image
A re-sizeable bitmap resource that can be used for backgrounds or other images on the device.
Nandroid or Nandroid Backup: A file typically created in the custom recovery program, such as xRecovery, that is a carbon copy of whatever state your phone is in before a drastic change is made. The file then can be moved onto or off of the SD card for later use in case something should go wrong in the ROM or Update, or a Boot Loop occurs
OEM: Original Equipment Manufacturer, the people who actually put together electronic hardware. Also refers to any equipment original to the phone, or produced by the company for the phone
OpenGL ES: Android provides OpenGL ES libraries that you can use for fast, complex 3D images. It is harder to use than a Canvas object, but better for 3D objects. The android.opengl and javax.microedition.khronos.opengles packages expose OpenGL ES functionality.
Open-Source - (not to be confused with free) A piece of software that is free to edit, use, distribute and share with no charge.
OS: Operating system, I.E. Windows Vista, LINUX or MAC or Android
OTA: Over-the-Air; method T-Mobile, & some other phone companies, uses to update Android phones. The new versions of Android are developed by Google & then released to OEM's, Sony Ericsson in our case. The OEM then writes drivers that enable the new software to work on the phone's hardware. They also develop any specialized UI (user interface), like Timescape & Mediascape, or other software they want to include. Once this is complete, they turn it over to the cell phone company, (e.g.)Tmobile, who then have to do the final checks to make sure the update works, & then distributes it over there data network using their cell transmitters.
Overclocking (OC): Speeding up the CPU past the factory presets to achieve a faster & more responsive device (prolonged run can be injurious to your device, so be careful.)
RAM- Could be one of three meanings: 1. Memory for the CPU to process processes. 2. Random Access Memory, a place where information can be used, executed from, modified, or deleted
Recovery - Its a dedicated Android partition, that has Recovery console installed. This is invisible during normal operation of the android device.
ROM: Read Only Memory, a program used to make changes to anything from the look of the home screen to icons to custom boot animation
Root: Common word associated with giving a user "super user" access to their phones programming & other various aspects that would normally not be possible, also known as "Jailbroken" for iPhone's, "Administrator Rights" in Windows OS.
Shell or SSH: The shell is the layer of programming that understands & executes the commands a user enters. In some systems, the shell is called a command interpreter. A shell usually implies an interface with a command syntax (think of the DOS operating system & its "C:>" prompts & user commands such as "dir" & "edit"). secure shell or ssh is a network protocol that allows data to be exchanged using a secure channel between two networked devices
SQLite: An embedded relational database management system contained in a relatively small (~275 kB) C programming library. It is multitasking concerning reads. Writes can be done only one-at-a-time. It is a popular choice for local/client storage on web browsers. It has many bindings to programming languages. It is arguably the most widely used database engine, as it is used today by several widespread browsers, operating systems, embedded systems among others
Stock Android : Simply means an unaltered state, such as when you first purchase your phone fromVerizon/Your Service Provider or when you repair your phone using PC Companion or SE Update Service(SEUS)
SU: "Super user", or root permissions
Superuser: A program, which gives unlimited access privileges to perform any or all operations on the operating system.
SWAP: is, in short, virtual RAM. With swap, a small portion of the hard drive is set aside and used like RAM. The computer will attempt to keep as much information as possible in RAM until the RAM is full. At that point, the computer will begin moving inactive blocks of memory (called pages) to the hard disk, freeing up RAM for active processes. If one of the pages on the hard disk needs to be accessed again, it will be moved back into RAM, and a different inactive page in RAM will be moved onto the hard disk ('swapped'). The trade off is disks and SD cards are considerably slower than physical RAM, so when something needs to be swapped, there is a noticeable performance hit.
Unlike traditional swap, Android's Memory Manager kills inactive processes to free up memory. Android signals to the process, then the process will usually write out a small bit of specific information about its state (for example, Google Maps may write out the map view coordinates; Browser might write the URL of the page being viewed) and then the process exits. When you next access that application, it is restarted: the application is loaded from storage, and retrieves the state information that it saved when it last closed. In some applications, this makes it seem as if the application never closed at all. This is not much different from traditional swap, except that Android apps are specially programed to write out very specific information, making Android's Memory Manager more efficient that swap.
Theme: A set of icons, backgrounds & app trays that change the aesthetics of the overall look of the Android & its applications. It has a set of properties (text size, background color, and so on) bundled together to define various default display settings. Android provides a few standard themes, listed in R.style (starting with "Theme_").
TUN/TAP: Refers to a network TUNnel, operates within layer 3 packets, or ip packets. Packets sent by a system via a TUN/TAP device are delivered to a user-space program that attaches itself to the device. A user space program may also pass packets into a TUN/TAP device. In this case TUN/TAP device delivers (or "injects") these packets to the operating system's network stack thus emulating their reception from an external source.
Underclocking(UC): Slowing down the CPU mainly to limit battery usage
Undervolting(UV): Basically keeping the clock speed same (or overclocking it) & reduce the voltage at each cpu cycle.
xRecovery: A recovery program based on the ClockworkMod Recovery sources used to apply updates, ROMs, or create a back up or restore a backup file
Wipe - to clean your device memory,recommended before flashing
File Types:
.dex: Compiled Android application code file. Android programs are compiled into .dex (Dalvik Executable) files, which are in turn zipped into a single .apk file on the device. .dex files can be created by automatically translating compiled applications written in the Java programming language.
.sbf: Summation Briefcase File
.apk or APK's: An .apk file extension denotes an Android Package (APK) file, an .apk file can be opened & inspected using common archive tools. Each Android application is compiled and packaged in a single file that includes all of the application's code (.dex files), resources, assets, and manifest file. The application package file can have any name but must use the .apk extension. For example: myExampleAppname.apk. For convenience, an application package file is often referred to as an ".apk".
.tar: Similar to a zip file(derived from tape archive), a tar file archives multiple files into one file
.tgz: TGZ files (gnu-zipped .tar file) are commonly used as install packages for Slackware Linux.
######
Will add latter some MOTOROLA MOTO G especific terms here
######
If you doubt is not about general android,but about Moto G,
--Check this FAQ made by @matmutant
Frequently Asked Questions -Motorola Moto G
--Also check this Resource Guide made by @Perseus71
Welcome to your Motorola Moto G
#####
Help improving this topic,quote me and give your suggestion
thanks for a still unknown ADM for sticking this thread
if i helped you with this post,just hit the thanks button,

This thread looks nice and useful, but make sure not to duplicate things from my FAQ or @Perseus71 guide that would be useless and confusing

@matmutant
Yes sir, I'm taking this care and wanna make this thread useful
if you know any thread that i should include in this topic or have any tip,just let me know

My Thread has a list of terms similarly in the first post. But this list seems more specific to Moto G.
Either way there seems to be some terms that are missing here but are present in mine.
Would you be kind enough to merge the differences so I will link to yours and get rid of mine ?

@Perseus71 Just realized I missed some terms, thanks for noticing, will merge them and also include new terms such as "ART" "KK "JB" "google now"

That would be a nice idea, and then rename this thread to something like "Android related terms and abbreviations" because it's neither a FAQ, nor a Guide

72off said:
@Perseus71 Just realized I missed some terms, thanks for noticing, will merge them and also include new terms such as "ART" "KK "JB" "google now"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
matmutant said:
That would be a nice idea, and then rename this thread to something like "Android related terms and abbreviations" because it's neither a FAQ, nor a Guide
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 all round.
@72off please let me know when you are done.

@Perseus71 @matmutant
Updates on 15/01 = new terms added
Binary - (sometimes called bin's) a group of executable files.
CDMA/GSM - A type of network communication between phones and carriers. GSM phones normally are included with SIM Cards that authorize them onto the network. CDMA have this authorization built in and do not need a sim card.
Execute - To "run" or "start" a binary
FOTA - "Firmware over the air" this normally refers to ROM's but can refer to radio firmware (see OTA)
Governor - A system embedded into the kernel to automatically change the current working CPU frequency depending on the workload. It would only go up to what it is overclocked (or underclocked) to, this is called the maximum frequency. It would not drop bellow the (just as easily configurable) minimum frequency.
JDK - "Java Development Kit" an SDK for the java platform. It is needed to run the Android SDK.
JRE - "Java Runtime Environment" a collection of binarys and files to allow java software to execute.
KANG - The process of creating a code based of someone else's code.
Library's/Libs - a set of instructions for applications to use to function. A functioning camera lib would allow the camera to be used.
Open-Source - (not to be confused with free) A piece of software that is free to edit, use, distribute and share with no charge.
RAM - Could be one of three meanings: 1. Memory for the CPU to process processes. 2. Random Access Memory, a place where information can be used, executed from, modified, or deleted
Recovery - Its a dedicated Android partition, that has Recovery console installed. This is invisible during normal operation of the android device.
Wipe - to clean your device memory,recommended before flashing
Jelly Bean - JB - Android from 4.1 to 4.3
Kit Kat - KK - Android 4.4 the newest android available (supported by Moto G)
ART - successor of Dalvik, a virtual machine (VM) that’s part of the Android OS. ART is faster than Dalvik and saves more energy
Right now 18/01 ordering by alphabetic order [completed]

Reference Links
It might be nice to add in some reference links for many of the terms to the official android pages.
ART - http://source.android.com/devices/tech/dalvik/art.html
.DEX - http://source.android.com/devices/tech/dalvik/dex-format.html
Dalvaik - http://source.android.com/devices/tech/dalvik/index.html
ADB - http://developer.android.com/tools/help/adb.html
Logcat - http://developer.android.com/tools/help/logcat.html
Other suggestions
At the end of the Dalvaik section you might add a sentence that says "see ART".
Maybe a mention about XPosed framework since it is very prevalent now.
In the definition of ROM it might be nice to explain a ROM image.
This is something I cannot find: What exactly does AOSPA(+) mean? Alternative?
Kernel is alphabetically in the wrong position in the list.
Explanation for the term MOD / Modification.
Add cool Android KitKat and Jelly Bean history link http://www.android.com/kitkat/
:good: Thanks for the nice list.

OTG missing?

AS this thread is always under development,i'm glad for the suggestions to make this a better thread
DigitalSnow said:
It might be nice to add in some reference links for many of the terms to the official android pages.
ART - http://source.android.com/devices/tech/dalvik/art.html
.DEX - http://source.android.com/devices/tech/dalvik/dex-format.html
Dalvaik - http://source.android.com/devices/tech/dalvik/index.html
ADB - http://developer.android.com/tools/help/adb.html
Logcat - http://developer.android.com/tools/help/logcat.html
[ ^ Perfect]
Other suggestions
At the end of the Dalvaik section you might add a sentence that says "see ART" [good idea]
Maybe a mention about XPosed framewor http://cdn3.xda-developers.com/images/editor/color.gifk since it is very prevalent now. [will be done]
In the definition of ROM it might be nice toexplain a ROM image [ok]
This is something I cannot find: What exactly does AOSPA(+) mean? Alternative? [ I thinck so since it's mostly related do paranoid android rom]
Kernel is alphabetically in the wrong position in the list.[Yeah,kernel is drunk,gonna slap him on the face and move to his place]
Explanation for the term MOD / Modification.
Add cool Android KitKat and Jelly Bean history link http://www.android.com/kitkat/ [wrong link]
:good: Thanks for the nice list.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@Fedroid
OTG missing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how could i forget? will be added. thanks

Nice info.I will add it into my bookmark. :good:

Great post thank you.
I suggest, the add of GPE definition : "Google Play Edition". Especially in the case of Moto G
Was not so obvious to me until I google it.

Another term that might be good to add is AWS since it is a unique factor between Moto G models.
AWS: Advanced Wireless Services in terms of the Moto G is the 3G UHF Frequency of 1700 MHz - 2100 MHz "T-Mobile"

ROM and kernel flashing guide for beginners

XDA Kernel and ROM flashing beginners guide.
If you are reading this, you’ve found your way to the famous XDA Forums. The place where developers and users contribute to the spirit of open source Android development.
If you already have TWRP setup and running and just look for the next ROM to flash, this guide isn’t for you. If you wonder what this TWRP thingy is or what exactly the three letters, R O M mean, that float around these forums all the time, then read on.
This paragraph is about the basic geek terminology, used by developers. ROM stands for read only memory, which basically is the system partition of your device, which can only be read, not written. In everyday usage scenarios, where you browse the web, download some apps, or chat und Telegram, you will never get in the situation, where you have to write on your /system partition. If you plan to get your hands on one of those amazing custom ROMs, that add battery life, performance and beauty of use to your OS experience, the ROM is the smartest way of accomplishing this goal.
What a custom recovery is used for:
This is where the recovery comes into play. The recovery partition is pre installed by the manufacturer of your device. It is used for OEM software updates, wiping your cache and dalvic or performing a factory reset. Enough functionality for the average Joe, but this is XDA developers. Things get interesting, once you unlock the full potential of your device. To do so, you’ll need a custom recovery. Team Win Recovery Project (TWRP) is most common these days. It is fully optimized for touch screen input and offers various features, that even come in handy, if you don’t want to modify your phones software. Nandroids for example.
This is where things start to become really interesting. There are various recognized XDA Developers like Francisco Franco or Flar2 who focus their efforts on bringing custom Kernels to their supported devices. What is a kernel? Do I even need it and why should I bother changing it?
To say this clearly, the kernel is the heart of your software. You might use your phone with a broken Bluetooth driver, without caring to much, without a kernel installed your device won’t be able to boot. So what does the kernel do, if it is so essential for a proper working phone? We can describe it as the bridge between hardware and software. That latest processor and the wickedly fast RAM won’t do anything without something telling it how to unleash it ‘s potential.
That’s where the kernel comes into play. You can imagine the kernel as a moderator between the hardware and the software of your system. An example: You touch the screen to launch your favorite game on your Droid. This game is really challenging your hardware, so the processor has to run on a high clock frequency, otherwise the game would take ages to load. The kernel detects your input and ramps up the frequency by it’s in input boost driver. This is often a pre configured value, that is used as soon as some (touch) input is detected, that’s why it is often called touchboost. OEMs choose a middle frequency offering a good balance between power consumption and performance.
For our gaming scenario this isn’t enough, we need the full potential of the CPU and the GPU should get busy rendering all those pixels as soon as possible. This task is accomplished by the kernel. It is balancing the system frequency based on the load of the system, but that’s just an easy to explain example of what a kernel does. The kernel is doing a lot more things on your device. How should the phone know, how much RAM it can give to that messaging application you open every each five minutes? Simple answer, it doesn’t the hardware of your phone is just silicon ready to do your work. You can compare it to a young guy doing an internship at a company. The guy has some potential, but he gets lost in a moment, if there is nobody showing him what to do. This is where the kernel comes into play again. It calculates which task requires which amount of memory and decides, which task should be kicked out of your recent access and memory and, which is there to stay. The messaging application I just mentioned a few lines back for example should remain in memory. You use it all the time, so it doesn’t make any sense to generate some unnecessary CPU load, which eats up your battery in the long run.
As you can see the kernel is more than a boring piece of code. It basically drives your phone, so you really want a stable kernel.
Which different kernel development approaches exist?
There are various recognized developers who focus on UX features. This means they take the official stock kernel (be it a OEM or let’s say the one made by Lineage) and they add their features on top. For example a fading notification LED or a backlight dimmer, that allows to lower the minimum screen brightness further than the stock kernel allows.
These features focus on adding userspace features on top, which don’t touch the core functionality of the kernel, like CPU scaling or RAM management. These kernels are chosen by users who want additional kernel functionality without leaving the stability of the stock ROM in favor of a custom ROM.
On the other hand their are developers and users who want bleeding edge functionality, which brings new stuff to the table, but is to new and not deemed stable enough to be used in the mainline OEM kernel. A good example for such a feature is f2fs support. F2fs is a file system developed by Samsung. It’s main focus is to suite flash storage (like the SD cards in our smartphones), in terms of write speeds it is significantly faster, than the established and rock stable standard ext4. But it comes with certain downsides for example a ROM won’t boot with a data partition formatted to f2fs if the kernel doesn’t have the required f2fs commits. A year back their also were some major issues with root, which made a lot of users switch back to the stable ext4. However if you want to squeeze the last bit of performance out of your phone, the kernel is the way to go.
Kernel tweaking: A custom kernel allows you to modify certain parameters, which aren’t accessible for the using an official kernel. Some developers ship with their own app, which is optimized to tweak their own kernel. This ensures maximum compatibility, one of the reasons why those kernels are so successful across all XDA sub forums. You don’t have to use a kernel managing app to modify your kernel configuration, you could also use an init.d script, but this requires further knowledge. No matter how advanced your knowledge is, it doesn’t get any easier than using an application to set up the configuration of your choice.
Kernel tweaking fills another guide and their is already a really good one, that you should check it out. Further links will be put at the end of this guide.
To root or not to root?
Another controversial topic is rooting. While a lot of OEMs try to prevent you from doing so by locking the bootloader, a lot of enthusiast swear on the power root access unleashes. Often android root is compared to administrator privileges under Windows. This is an illustrative explanation, but isn’t accurate. Root goes far beyond what Windows Admin rights allow. The main difference that jumps right into your eye: Microsoft allows Administrator access out of the box. Root is blocked by all OEMs, you have to enable it manually (by flashing a root solution of your choice. More about popular root solutions and their main advantages and disadvantages down below.
So what does root do? It gives you full control over your device. One of the main advantages is to gain write access to your system partition, which normally is read only. The power of root is defined by the knowledge of the user, the more you know, the more you can make out of it. For beginnners root apps like Titanium Backup, Adaway, Better Battery Stats or SD Maid are interesting. They utilize the potential of root for you without having to dig to deep into the topic. However root isn’t enabled by default for a reason. Most big custom ROMs, don’t ship with root out of the box anymore these days. Back in the day root basically just gave you more control, without any major disadvantages. This however changed with the introduction of Safety net by Google.
The company developing the OS we all love, is trying to make Android safer and they are pushing this approach forward these days. If you just flash SuperSu, Safetynet gets triggered which results in being unable to use apps which use Safetynet to verify the integrity of your system. Mainly banking apps, but also Snapchat for example or that stupid game, that generated all the hype in summer 2016. You got curious about root or came to this forum, to figure out how to root your phone? Then the next paragraph deserves your attention.
Most XDA users used SuperSU developed by XDA legend Chainfire during the last years. A while ago Magisk by XDA Recognized Developer and contributor Topjonwu. It became very popular, when Safetynet started to break certain Apps. It allows to hide root from safetynet, but it includes much more. One of the key features is mounting modules systemlessly to your boot partition, that way your /system stays untouched and removing a certain module, doesn’t require more than disabling it and rebooting. What about the disadvantages of magisk? It isn’t as compatible as SuperSU, since that root solution was the standard for years. All the developer arranged their work around SuperSU, but most famous root apps, have already adopted to Magisk, so you won’t run into issues unless you are using really outdated apps, which is never a good idea.
Which one to choose is a decision you can make. Both work flawless and it really comes down to personal preference.
Since nobody is willing to read through 50 pages, I’ll just thank you for your attention. This Guide is on going WIP, so if there is anything you’d like to see being added, feel free to let me know, but make sure to tag me, otherwise I might miss your message in the storm of ongoing notifications. Have a great day and keep flashing.

Database Info

welcome