Related
(I've spent a long time reading and I don't want to waste your time, so if the answers to this have been posted before please just tell me to keep searching.)
New G tablet arrives in 3 days. I have very little tech knowledge, but I enjoy the journey. Would someone mind please putting the following in the CORRECT order for me?
1. Fully charge G tab and turn it on
2. Install Titanium Backup on G tab (is this done like I would install an app on an iphone, or do I download to my PC and move it to the g tab?)
3. Backup stuff (everything)? To where? My PC?
4. Install clockwork as per instructions here (I think I'll use G tab's internal SD card)
5. Use clockwork to repartition internal SD card (2048 and 0)
6. Use clockwork to delete data and cache
7. Install Vegan 5.1 as per instructions here.
8. Install Flah and Market capability as per instructions here.
9. Install ADW launcher (not sure what this is, but it looks good on youtube). How do I install it? Is it like an iphone app installation, or...?
10. Some of the posts I've read mention a need for a file browser. Do they mean on my PC, or on the G tab? How do you get one on the G tab? Through Market?
11. Calibrate touch screen as per instructions here.
12. Anything I've forgotten?
Thanks for your help and understanding for a complete novice.
This has all been posted before as you thought.
I would not worry about backing up when you first get it as there will be nothing really on it but the stock rom.
if you goal is to load a Rom like TNT or Vegan from day one.
Root
Clockwork Mod
load Rom
and away you go.
There are directions all over the place to the above.
Once you get the rom loaded and all setup then get titanium backup installed and do a backup. Save yourself hours and pay for the pro version, it will allow you to run batch backup/restores and not touch your tablet while it runs.
Hope that helps now go read and search while you await your Gtab and have FUN! that is what it is all about.
Chances are you wont even have to root first.
Install Clockwork
Partition
Install Vegan
thebadfrog said:
Chances are you wont even have to root first.
Install Clockwork
Partition
Install Vegan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks guys. I like the sound of these 3 simple steps, but what do you mean "chances are..."? Is it a random thing?
goog64 said:
Thanks guys. I like the sound of these 3 simple steps, but what do you mean "chances are..."? Is it a random thing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is my first Android device but I'm good with PC's.
Anyway, I fired it up from new installed clockwork, did the partition 2048,0 as suggested and for me installed tnt-lite and all is good. It was probably stock for about 10 minutes of its life.
Thanks Stuggy. That's what I'll try (except with Vegan, I think).
goog64 said:
Thanks guys. I like the sound of these 3 simple steps, but what do you mean "chances are..."? Is it a random thing?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For some reason I had to root first when I installed the update after the 3389 update. I think it was just me but it was just another step. Installed z4root, got root, and moved on
Thanks badfrog.
Just to give you an idea where I'm at.....I had no idea what 3389 is so I searched for it. Many pages came up, but they all assume a certain level of background knowledge that I don't have. Please tell me, is 3389 the ROM that comes with the G tab?
If so, why would you be updating that if you had a different ROM already installed (Vegan, TNTlite, etc)?
Other pages I've seen have said that installing Vegan or TnTlite IS rooting, whilst still other pages have said that installing clockwork mod is rooting? Is this correct?
I can't find out what rooting actually means because every page I find assumes the reader already knows what rooting is. I will keep searching for a site for android dummies (and stop wasting your time).
rooting a device is basically changing system permissions so that you have full access to read, write and manipulate all files on the device. In Linux if you are root you have total control over the system. I believe that I read somewhere that the GTab is already set so that you have total control. Other devices you would use an app like z4root and it would change the security settings so that you had root access.
hmmm....the plot thickens. Thanks Sm0k3d 0ut, I'm looking forward to confirmation of that to clear up my confusion!
Hello - New user here and planning to do the same. My tablet arrives today but my SD arrives next week.
Can I use an 128MB micro SD to do the Clock mod before the larger card arrives?
Thanks.
bevbeng said:
Hello - New user here and planning to do the same. My tablet arrives today but my SD arrives next week.
Can I use an 128MB micro SD to do the Clock mod before the larger card arrives?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check this thread on clockwork
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=865245
goog64 said:
Thanks Stuggy. That's what I'll try (except with Vegan, I think).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try them both, they are both great roms and you will become more comfortable the more roms you flash.
Most important tools are this site and titanium backup "PRO"
copc said:
Try them both, they are both great roms and you will become more comfortable the more roms you flash.
Most important tools are this site and titanium backup "PRO"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks copc. I also read somewhere that backing up can be done with Clockwork. Is that true? If so, does a novice like me really need titanium backup?
Also, one more question: in case I ever want to restore to the stock ROM that the G tab comes with, do I need to do anything special BEFORE I install Clockwork and the new ROM? Or can I just change back to original no matter what I do now?
(G tab arrives tomorrow. Can't wait!)
goog64 said:
I also read somewhere that backing up can be done with Clockwork. Is that true? If so, does a novice like me really need titanium backup?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I still haven't received my Zpad yet, so can't talk from experience. But from what I have read it seems that titanium backup backs up the apps (and maybe data?) and clockwork makes a ROM image of you Tablet (or something similar to that). So I think they are different types of backups and you should probably do both.
But I could be horribly wrong.
SnakeManJayd said:
I still haven't received my Zpad yet, so can't talk from experience. But from what I have read it seems that titanium backup backs up the apps (and maybe data?) and clockwork makes a ROM image of you Tablet (or something similar to that). So I think they are different types of backups and you should probably do both.
But I could be horribly wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are spot on, Titanium Backup allows you to back up and restore individual apps and data (you can also use it to sideload apps you have already installed on another Android device). CW will make a backup of your entire system (internal SDCard) so you can restore if something goes awry.
goog64 said:
(I've spent a long time reading and I don't want to waste your time, so if the answers to this have been posted before please just tell me to keep searching.)
New G tablet arrives in 3 days. I have very little tech knowledge, but I enjoy the journey. Would someone mind please putting the following in the CORRECT order for me?
1. Fully charge G tab and turn it on
2. Install Titanium Backup on G tab (is this done like I would install an app on an iphone, or do I download to my PC and move it to the g tab?)
3. Backup stuff (everything)? To where? My PC?
4. Install clockwork as per instructions here (I think I'll use G tab's internal SD card)
5. Use clockwork to repartition internal SD card (2048 and 0)
6. Use clockwork to delete data and cache
7. Install Vegan 5.1 as per instructions here.
8. Install Flah and Market capability as per instructions here.
9. Install ADW launcher (not sure what this is, but it looks good on youtube). How do I install it? Is it like an iphone app installation, or...?
10. Some of the posts I've read mention a need for a file browser. Do they mean on my PC, or on the G tab? How do you get one on the G tab? Through Market?
11. Calibrate touch screen as per instructions here.
12. Anything I've forgotten?
Thanks for your help and understanding for a complete novice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1,4,5,7,8, and 11 in that order will get you in business. Titanium Backup should be installed after you get Vegan installed, as there is really nothing to back up in stock. Data and cache will be deleted as part of the partitioning process (that's how I've understood it), and a file browser is already installed with the Vegan image. #9 is just fluff, ADW is a great launcher, but is not necessary to get up and running. If I recall correctly, it will install like an app - you should be able to find it in the Market.
#12 - Though it is not necessary, Root Explorer is a real handy app to have if you are going to tear around with Android's inner workings. Less than $5 on the market, but I found it worth every penny so far.
You will find many different thoughts on the process laid out above, this is just worked for me when I was starting out. The most important thing is Clockwork. Do. That. First.
bevbeng said:
Hello - New user here and planning to do the same. My tablet arrives today but my SD arrives next week.
Can I use an 128MB micro SD to do the Clock mod before the larger card arrives?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did mine (CW .8 and TNTLite) from a 256MB card, and there was still plenty of room - a 128MB card should do you fine. In fact, if you are doing it from a PC (I can't confirm for Mac as I don't have one), you can install CW off of the card, use CW to partition the tablet storage, connect the tablet to your PC, and then use CW to mount the tablet as USB storage so you can copy over the ROM image to the tablet and install.
As far as CW, use the .8 version. I have heard of problems from others using newer versions, and it seems that .8 is what the devs recommend. You can find a link to it in here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=865245
BigJohn
Thanks BigJohn. I REALLY appreciate the time you took with that answer, and you explained it very clearly. My tablet arrives today (I hope), and you have given me a lot of confidence.
goog64 said:
Thanks BigJohn. I REALLY appreciate the time you took with that answer, and you explained it very clearly. My tablet arrives today (I hope), and you have given me a lot of confidence.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Welcome to MOD-dom, it's awesome.
Hi there,
I have a few questions and after trying the search function, I decided to start a new thread!
I am used to using Acronis True Image or Ghost on my PC, to backup entire Operating Systems. Is there anything like that for Android?
I would like to be able to backup a ROM, install another ROM, and then, if i want to, switch between them...
After installing a stock ROM again, I was surprised to see that it wasn't that bad at all...it was actually relatively quick. Why shouldn't I just remove all the crap of a stock ROM and use that instead of using a custom ROM?!
thanks,
Georgios
Yes inside of cwm there is a backup mode you can use. It does exactly what you mentioned just have to make sure your not hopping from a rom that's incompatible with another rom/partition etc,and you'll be fine. Other than that its your choice on how you like your phone. Me personally I would not of kept this phone without our devs on here I love their Roms and kernels. Imo
.......infuse.....Infused....infusion.........
Backing up ROMs
Don't know about backing up the ROM, but you really should wipe your phone before installing a new ROM unless you KNOW otherwise. Afterall, each ROM will re-write parts of your phone's operating system. Wiping before each install will ensure you start out clean. There is a program called "Odin" that will make this an easy process. There are different versions of Odin and each one can perform different tasks, so read up on using it BEFORE you jump in head first. Odin can be used to install individual files, like kernals, or master clear your phone or it can take your phone back to stock. Most ROM devs will include in their instructions what you need to do to install ROM. Although I believe it's hard to brick the Infuse (unless you jump in head first), IT CAN HAPPEN!
Read Read Read!
Regarding restoring your programs to make it easier, Titanium Backup is probably the best at backing up your programs. Afterall, restoring ALL your programs can cost you alot of time if you don't have a program like the ones you use on your PC.
Note that you must pay for the Pro Titanium Backup to be able to use the "Batch" feature. The batch feature will allow you to reinstall selcted programs automatically without any interaction. Without "Batch", you will have to keep pushing the install button for every program you want to reinstall THE PRO VERSION IS WELL WORTH THE SMALL AMOUNT YOU PAY!
For me, installing ROMs is kind of an addiction. Installing the ROMs are fun. Granted they take a little time, but..........
Sorry to be long winded as I didn't know whether you were asking as a newbie to the ROM world
tyshemi said:
Yes inside of cwm there is a backup mode you can use. It does exactly what you mentioned just have to make sure your not hopping from a rom that's incompatible with another rom/partition etc,and you'll be fine. Other than that its your choice on how you like your phone. Me personally I would not of kept this phone without our devs on here I love their Roms and kernels. Imo
.......infuse.....Infused....infusion.........
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the fast reply! I actually tried to create a backup/restore with cwm. it worked fine. However, I didn't try to bring back another ROM yet. I wonder if the current backup is going to be deleted if you install with cwm another ROM?! With Acronis/Ghost you install Windows, create an Image to another partition or hidden partition. You can then install another version of windows and do the same thing, create the Image, store it on another partition and you can then bring back which one you like!
G
MaverickCoast said:
Don't know about backing up the ROM, but you really should wipe your phone before installing a new ROM unless you KNOW otherwise. Afterall, each ROM will re-write parts of your phone's operating system. Wiping before each install will ensure you start out clean.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats what I thought. It makes sense, I do the same thing when installing windows...
There is a program called "Odin" that will make this an easy process. There are different versions of Odin and each one can perform different tasks, so read up on using it BEFORE you jump in head first. Odin can be used to install individual files, like kernals, or master clear your phone or it can take your phone back to stock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am gonna give it a try...
Most ROM devs will include in their instructions what you need to do to install ROM. Although I believe it's hard to brick the Infuse (unless you jump in head first), IT CAN HAPPEN!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope not!!!
Read Read Read!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doing it right now
Regarding restoring your programs to make it easier, Titanium Backup is probably the best at backing up your programs. Afterall, restoring ALL your programs can cost you alot of time if you don't have a program like the ones you use on your PC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gonna give this one a try as well...
Note that you must pay for the Pro Titanium Backup to be able to use the "Batch" feature. The batch feature will allow you to reinstall selected programs automatically without any interaction. Without "Batch", you will have to keep pushing the install button for every program you want to reinstall THE PRO VERSION IS WELL WORTH THE SMALL AMOUNT YOU PAY!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK...
For me, installing ROMs is kind of an addiction. Installing the ROMs are fun. Granted they take a little time, but..........
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am the same way...but now I have twin boys and plenty of sleepless nights! I don't need the extra "work"...
Sorry to be long winded as I didn't know whether you were asking as a newbie to the ROM world
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its all good! Thanks!
...one more thing: I believe CWM is storing the backup on the local sd card, right?! If there would be a way to change the path to the external sd card, it would be perfect...
thanks,
G
MaverickCoast said:
Don't know about backing up the ROM, but you really should wipe your phone before installing a new ROM unless you KNOW otherwise. Afterall, each ROM will re-write parts of your phone's operating system. Wiping before each install will ensure you start out clean.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BTW, what is the best for wiping the phone clean? doing through CWM???
thanks,
G
neavissa said:
BTW, what is the best for wiping the phone clean? doing through CWM???
thanks,
G
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes cwm is best for wiping the phone, and you should be able to change the path to.save if not just move it with an app like root explorer.
.......infuse.....Infused....infusion.........
Wiping phone
neavissa said:
BTW, what is the best for wiping the phone clean? doing through CWM???
thanks,
G
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To get back to stock, I've used GTG's Ultimate Unbrick/Return to stock, found here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1116251
I just prefer using Odin. CWM is an internal program. Odin is an external program.
Just my preference
neavissa said:
...one more thing: I believe CWM is storing the backup on the local sd card, right?! If there would be a way to change the path to the external sd card, it would be perfect...
thanks,
G
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that would be difficult for most users, im sure you'd have to get into the recovery image and edit it a bit. you may just be able to copy the backup to the external card manually.
im a fan of stock-ish roms as well but im also a flash junkie, seems deodexed roms run a little choppier at times, i cant verify this but stock phones in the store never seem too laggy despite all the memory mods and "lag-fixes" we use around here. i think it may also have to do with the build environment for the custom kernels, some just work better than others despite similarities in the feature set and shared sources among the community. i reember a while back when i got my captivate a developer had a thread discussing toolchains and there effect on wakeup lag which was an issue early on in i9000 development.
Hi young grasshoppers
I'm an aging PC hacker (down to disassembling viruses with Softice and the works, I'm THAT old!) with a splendid TF101 and I could use an upgrade to my brain and my TF101. I looked for a thorough FAQ to get a clue, but clue I didn't get.
Long story short, one year ago I rooted my TF101 in a rush with success, but didn't have enough time to do the homework and RTFM as I am used to (damn crisis!).
Presently the TF101 has Prime! 1.4 (Android 3.1), Kernel 2.6.36.3-00001-gf377a2b, CWM Recovery 3.1.0.1 Solarnz-R3-230511
My goals are two:
1. trying the new 4.x roms on my TF101;
2. get a clue;
My mental framework comes from PC: mobo holds flashable ROMs and BIOS, hd holds Operating System(s), Apps and Bootloader. As I don't know how the TF101 and Android's structureI'm a little bit lost and I don't want to brick it or upgrading without understanding how to restore it to its present state.
As far as I understood, the TF101 has: Internal SD (holding apps and kernel ? ), external SD aka MicroSD holding media and apps movable to SD, some flashable memory for ROM (?).
As I was cosidering trying Android Revolution HD 3.5.1, I noticed that it requires: CWM v3.2.0.1 and a Super Wipe Full which scared the hell out of me...what is it going to Wipe??? ...and rooting made by RazorClaw
What I would like to understand is:
1. How do I backup the present Kernel and Apps and eventually restore it ? Under CWM 3.1.0.1 I just did a (I believe it's called) Nandroid System Backup that was stored to the MicroSD (external SD) ... what did I just back up ? Kernel,apps,both?
1.1 CWM also offers the Factory Wipe/ Reset function: what does it do? Does it restore the OLD (original as bought) Rom and wipes the Kernelt (and deletes the apps) so that it basically reverts to my original unrooted TF101 as-bought?
1.2 Upgrading the CMW would need: copying the new CWM zip into the external SD card, launcing CWM and using the upgrade procedure?
2. As apparently I need to root throught RazorClaw, I think the present rooting might interfere w/ ARevolution installation. So what would the correct unrootin procedure would be, considered my situation? I'm aware that some apps are able to unroot, but not being sure I'd rather ask.
Finally, I would absolutely love to know if there's a post generally addressing my doubts, giving me an overview of a. what's get modded by rooting b. and where c. and what ROM, Kernel, Bootloaders are in a TF101 or (more generally) in the Android world.
Thanks a lot for your help and for giving me some clues! :laugh:
Ill try to answer your questions as best i can
1.0 Nandroid backs up your rom, apps and appdata not the kernel
1.1 Factory reset wipes apps, data and internal sd it does not change your rom or kernel
1.2 Yup just copy over the new cwm (rouge or twrp are my favorites) and navigate to the file in cwm and hit install
2. If you already on prime you are already rooted so thats not a problem
Rooting just allows you elevated privileges like read/write in the system and things like that. Its like su is essentially sudo
All rooting is is putting the su.sh and busybox.sh into the system using an exploit
You really should not restore a kernel from android 3.1 on anything but 3.1 or your going to have a bad time
Before you update make sure to back up your apps. Titanium Backup is a good choice
Most the roms that are currently active are Jelly bean betas which are a little unstable so i would go with a nice stable ICS rom like megatron or revolver
There is a lot of info in the android general form that you might want to read through but a most development seems to be device specific
elpapacito said:
Hi young grasshoppers
I'm an aging PC hacker (down to disassembling viruses with Softice and the works, I'm THAT old!) with a splendid TF101 and I could use an upgrade to my brain and my TF101. I looked for a thorough FAQ to get a clue, but clue I didn't get.
Long story short, one year ago I rooted my TF101 in a rush with success, but didn't have enough time to do the homework and RTFM as I am used to (damn crisis!).
Presently the TF101 has Prime! 1.4 (Android 3.1), Kernel 2.6.36.3-00001-gf377a2b, CWM Recovery 3.1.0.1 Solarnz-R3-230511
My goals are two:
1. trying the new 4.x roms on my TF101;
2. get a clue;
My mental framework comes from PC: mobo holds flashable ROMs and BIOS, hd holds Operating System(s), Apps and Bootloader. As I don't know how the TF101 and Android's structureI'm a little bit lost and I don't want to brick it or upgrading without understanding how to restore it to its present state.
As far as I understood, the TF101 has: Internal SD (holding apps and kernel ? ), external SD aka MicroSD holding media and apps movable to SD, some flashable memory for ROM (?).
As I was cosidering trying Android Revolution HD 3.5.1, I noticed that it requires: CWM v3.2.0.1 and a Super Wipe Full which scared the hell out of me...what is it going to Wipe??? ...and rooting made by RazorClaw
What I would like to understand is:
1. How do I backup the present Kernel and Apps and eventually restore it ? Under CWM 3.1.0.1 I just did a (I believe it's called) Nandroid System Backup that was stored to the MicroSD (external SD) ... what did I just back up ? Kernel,apps,both?
1.1 CWM also offers the Factory Wipe/ Reset function: what does it do? Does it restore the OLD (original as bought) Rom and wipes the Kernelt (and deletes the apps) so that it basically reverts to my original unrooted TF101 as-bought?
1.2 Upgrading the CMW would need: copying the new CWM zip into the external SD card, launcing CWM and using the upgrade procedure?
2. As apparently I need to root throught RazorClaw, I think the present rooting might interfere w/ ARevolution installation. So what would the correct unrootin procedure would be, considered my situation? I'm aware that some apps are able to unroot, but not being sure I'd rather ask.
Finally, I would absolutely love to know if there's a post generally addressing my doubts, giving me an overview of a. what's get modded by rooting b. and where c. and what ROM, Kernel, Bootloaders are in a TF101 or (more generally) in the Android world.
Thanks a lot for your help and for giving me some clues! :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK here goes:
You have a custom recovery (CWM) which will allow you to flash whatever you like. There are other versions of recoveries out there CWM, rougue, etc. They all do the similar things, but some have more features than others. The nice part is that you can use one recovery to flash another. My personal preference is for the simpler versions.
1) The nandroid backup backs up system and data, but not the kernel (aka boot.img). This is typical for TFs- I think it's because the kernel is usually flashed through the staging partition and not directly in recovery, like many other android devices. The issue with not having a kernel backup when you restore a backup to "go back" but you have an incompatible kernel. This could happen if you flash a jelly bean rom and then decide to restore a backup to go back to prime (honeycomb). You'll get boot loops and hangs, but you will be able to go back to recovery and flash a compatible kernel.
1.1) Factory wipe will wipe the data partition, which is where all your info is kept. Other roms, this is called userspace. The system partition is untouched, so it will still boot, but you will have to reconfigure wifi, email, bookmarks, etc.
1.2) Essentially, yes. If you can get a CWM flashable version of a recovery, you can flash it in CWM or any other custom recovery. It will be a zip file. Be warned, some versions of recovery don't see or use the external SD card, so be sure your files are somewhere you can get to them. If only I had a $1 for every time someone flashed CWM 5.x and then did a superwipe- it uses the internal SD card and the superwipe erases all the roms and backups they had.
2) You are already rooted because you have Prime 1.4. You can use CWM to flash any rom you like, including stock, as long as you don't overwrite the recovery.
Most android users are obsessed with wiping and super-wiping. It's usually only necessary when going from a custom (a la ASUS) rom to an AOSP rom or vice-versa, and even then it will probably be fine.
---------- Post added at 08:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:13 PM ----------
As far as rooting goes, it's usually an exploit that allows root level access to the file system.
I think technically, all that is needed is the su binary installed in the system folder so that it is persistent and executable. Of course, the system folder on stock roms is usually read only, which makes the exploit necessary. On custom roms, su is usually pre-installed in system/bin or system/xbin.
Follow these steps... download TWRP (its a recovery), download either ICS jelly bean ROM... place both of them in your SD card ( internal and external). Place it both because I don't know what version of CWM you are using... now restart you tablet into recovery ( press both power and volume down buttons together and as soon as tablet turns on press volume up button)... now go to the folder where you placed your recovery (TWRP.ZIP) flash/install it and reboot into recovery... now wipe (factory data, cache wipe, dalvik wipe, system, internal memory)... after these steps install the required kernel and flash the ROM... wipe dalvik cache and cache again and restart... you are good to go...
If you want to back up your old OS.. select backup and recovery option in recovery and do a backup..
Link for twrp
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=28454456
Link to kernel
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=29010487
Link to jelly bean ROM
AOSP ROM
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=28915296
Team eos ROM
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=28992514
Coming to your questions
Root access..... it gives you administrator access called superuser by which you can remove/modify/change system apps or configurations. Since you already have cwm access i assume you have superuser/root privileges. So don't worry about it... all you need to do is download the latest recovery from above link and install it through recovery. To install choose "install from SD card" and not "update from SD card"
I wouldn't advice you to back up anything because there is no use and sometimes backed apps with data give problems like random restarts/force close etc... if you still want then you can backup from recovery but it won't back up the kernel... it backs up all your system but not kernel.
Your tablet is already rooted because you have recovery access. So don't worry about rooting... if you want to unroot anytime then search for easy flash/nvflash method..
Ask questions if you have more doubts
GOOD LUCK
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using xda app-developers app
udupa82 said:
Follow these steps... [...]. now wipe (factory data, cache wipe, dalvik wipe, system, internal memory)... [...]
If you want to back up your old OS.. select backup and recovery option in recovery and do a backup..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First socks, then shoes!
WOW thank guys, many answers and many very detailed options! You rock!
Gee One: oh I see, so Superwise indeed does delete and format, so bye bye to any Titanium Backup on the internal SD.
Brilliant, so I guess I have to move the backup directory to the external (microsd).
Two more fast questions : what's the difference (roughly) between a "custom (a la ASUS)" ROM and an AOSP rom?
And the second one: you state that "You can use CWM to flash any rom you like, including stock, as long as
you don't overwrite the recovery." Oh wow, makes sense..without recovery it's pretty darn difficult to flash anything...but
where does Recovery reside? On the internal SD? I wouldn't like to accidentaly Wipe it out the machine.
Udupa82: wow thanks for the very detailed instructions. For the time being, I guess I'll go with Ice Cream
as I gather that Jelly Beans are still not stable...unfortunately I can't really afford the luxury of having TF101 misbehaving or
behaving weirdly (that's why I staid one year with a stable rom, I already have enough issues to address in work life, so I have
to have the Transformer running and upgraded within the week..so that if problems arises, I still have time to fix it).
Anyhow I succesfully installed CWM v3.2.0.1 - but your detailed indications made me wonder one thing: is it safer to
always place the ROM/other zip packages ALSO in the root of the internal SD (assuming having SU privileges allows me to write
in the root dir of the internal SD) ?
I also gather that restoring an Apps Backup may not be the brightest idea when doing such a jump from a 3.1 to 4.0.3 or higher,
so I guess the Titanium Backup at this point may generate more problems than It would solve.
All: as for the Kernel, I figured by the very few modded kernels (fewer people know how to mess with it properly) I've found
on XDA and by their description that kernels indeed manage the core functions of the machine, which had me wondering if any
of you guys had issues with Kernel 2.6.36.3-00001-gf377a2b in combination with some ICS or Jelly Bean Rom.
Thanks a lot for your precious directions!
elpapacito said:
Gee One: oh I see, so Superwise indeed does delete and format, so bye bye to any Titanium Backup on the internal SD.
Brilliant, so I guess I have to move the backup directory to the external (microsd).
Two more fast questions : what's the difference (roughly) between a "custom (a la ASUS)" ROM and an AOSP rom?
And the second one: you state that "You can use CWM to flash any rom you like, including stock, as long as
you don't overwrite the recovery." Oh wow, makes sense..without recovery it's pretty darn difficult to flash anything...but
where does Recovery reside? On the internal SD? I wouldn't like to accidentaly Wipe it out the machine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The ASUS rom is just the stock firmware that comes with the TF. It has whatever bloatware they ASUS decided to put on there. The AOSP is built from the google code and usually contains little or no bloatware. The AOSP roms are usually cooked up by devs here on XDA. CyanogenMod is a AOSP based rom, for example.
The recovery is located on the SOS partition. I don't think you can erase it by wiping or even super wiping. Wheelie or nvflash (which is the nvidia bootloader) can wipe the partition.
elpapacito said:
WOW thank guys, many answers and many very detailed options! You rock!
Gee One: oh I see, so Superwise indeed does delete and format, so bye bye to any Titanium Backup on the internal SD.
Brilliant, so I guess I have to move the backup directory to the external (microsd).
Two more fast questions : what's the difference (roughly) between a "custom (a la ASUS)" ROM and an AOSP rom?
And the second one: you state that "You can use CWM to flash any rom you like, including stock, as long as
you don't overwrite the recovery." Oh wow, makes sense..without recovery it's pretty darn difficult to flash anything...but
where does Recovery reside? On the internal SD? I wouldn't like to accidentaly Wipe it out the machine.
Udupa82: wow thanks for the very detailed instructions. For the time being, I guess I'll go with Ice Cream
as I gather that Jelly Beans are still not stable...unfortunately I can't really afford the luxury of having TF101 misbehaving or
behaving weirdly (that's why I staid one year with a stable rom, I already have enough issues to address in work life, so I have
to have the Transformer running and upgraded within the week..so that if problems arises, I still have time to fix it).
Anyhow I succesfully installed CWM v3.2.0.1 - but your detailed indications made me wonder one thing: is it safer to
always place the ROM/other zip packages ALSO in the root of the internal SD (assuming having SU privileges allows me to write
in the root dir of the internal SD) ?
I also gather that restoring an Apps Backup may not be the brightest idea when doing such a jump from a 3.1 to 4.0.3 or higher,
so I guess the Titanium Backup at this point may generate more problems than It would solve.
All: as for the Kernel, I figured by the very few modded kernels (fewer people know how to mess with it properly) I've found
on XDA and by their description that kernels indeed manage the core functions of the machine, which had me wondering if any
of you guys had issues with Kernel 2.6.36.3-00001-gf377a2b in combination with some ICS or Jelly Bean Rom.
Thanks a lot for your precious directions!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as I remember CWM 3.2.0.1 will give you access to external SD card so no need to place the zip file in internal memory... but creating a copy in internal is always better... remember CWM 5.x.x.x version doesn't allow external SD access so never install it...
Do not use restore apps from backup as I always faced problem of force closing. If you still want to then back up any app which is important to you using titanium backup..
Asus stock ROM= its the ROM from Asus with some added softwares from Asus..
AOSP= Android Open Source Project is a OS usually written from scratch using Google's / android's source codes as android is a open software, it comes without any added software(plus point) and more setting/ tweak options(plus point)
There are some good and stable ROMs... but if you don't want much issues then I advice to go for rooted/detoxed stock ROMs because they dont need any custom kernels
Revolver ICS
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=23000467
Android Revolution HD
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=17202357
Good luck
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using xda app-developers app
Android Revolution HD
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=17202357
Good luck
Thanks guys, the upgrade was succesfull! Indeed there's a world of a difference in speed from 3.1 to ARevolution HD..smooth as silk so far Thanks a lot for the help!
I apologize in advance for asking the following noob questions. I have been an iPhone user for 3 years and wanted to take advantage of the GS3, which I am loving even without it being rooted. I am fairly tech-savy and believe I'll have no problem rooting my phone. There are just a few things I want to thoroughly understand. I've been sold on the fact that I want to root my phone to gain control of it, remove the bloatware, and extend it's battery life, etc. If there is a thread or posting or website somewhere that explains what I need to know very well, please direct me!!
I was looking for some major tips on the best way to achieve my goal of rooting and flashing to a new ROM...If someone could, PLEASE answer EVERY question. I'd like to fully understand how to get to my goal of rooting and flashing to a desired ROM without bricking it. If this gets desires attention, it could be a great sticky posts for other newbies!
1. First and foremost...What is a kernal? I see things about CM9/CM10 kernals. Is it something like a ROM? How is it related/different?
2. What is the CMW, what is a Touch Wiz?
3. What is the overall best way for a newbie to root their phone and install a desired ROM? Odin or???
4. As I understand thus far, there is rooting, then there is ROM flashing, and then there is something to do with unlocking the bootloader... I'd like to fully understand all of these.
Here's my goal and what I'm seeking help on... I think I want to use the Synergy ROM. What is the first step I must do? Do I somehow root my phone and then use Odin to flash to the Synergy ROM? Or is the first step simply opening Odin, connecting phone, and flashing to Synergy ROM? Do I not even use Odin to flash to Synergy? I'm confused here based on the install info in Synergys FAQ - do I use Odin at all??? Do I need to back anything up? Do I need to download or use some app to block Verizon OTA updates permanently??
In the Q&A of the Synergy ROM thread, it states:
You should have an unlocked bootloader if you wish to take full advantage of this ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Must I unlock the bootloader seperately via this thread here, or do ROMs or other kernals (or whatever) have the unlocked bootloader built-in?? Do I install the bootloader before I root or after I root? What's the best way to unlock the bootloader(mmmeff's EZ-Unlock App, Terminal Emulator, or Adam Outler's Casual for Rooting/Cwm/Unlocking Bootloader)? Also, how do I keep the bootloader from being updated OTA, to keep from having problems????
I think that answers most/all of my questions. I'd hugely appreciate a response and answers to clarify all this, or links to some post or site I'm missing that explain all this to me. My goal to to root my phone, likely install a ROM, and do all this without bricking it, and hopefully without voiding any warranties (though not a big deal).
Thanks a bunch in advance!!
All the answers you seek can be found in droidstyle's guide. It's a sticky in the development section.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
Introduction to Rooting:
This is meant as a very basic disccussion for people completely new to rooting and Android. As a result, it will omit many details and simplify others. If there is a blatant mistake, please let me know and I'll correct it, but if there's something that's just not QUITE right, chances are it's simplified on purpose. Also, it's not meant to be a rooting guide (as there are excellent ones out there already) so much as an explanation of concepts most of us take for granted, but noobies don't.
DISCLAIMER: I, nor anyone else referenced (or not) in this thread, am not responsible for what you do with your phone. Rooting and otherwise altering your phone has the potential to brick your device, void your warranty, and many other horrible horrible things. Perform these actions at your own risk.
What is root/rooting?
In Unix-style operating systems, "root" is the name of the user who has all permissions and is therefore able to run/modify/change/delete just about anything. If you're familiar with Windows, this account is called Administrator. The default account (that's you!) on an Android phone does NOT have these privileges. Rooting is the process of obtaining them (i.e. obtaining root access). Once you root, you can "flash" new software onto your phone without restriction. This is great because you now have control over what programs are on your phone, what your UI looks like, how your phone handles resources, what kernels you run, and more!
Once your phone is rooted, you don't always wield all of that power. You control your access to all these new abilities with a program called SuperUser (available on the market and baked into ROMS). This program can grant these special rights to any other program that requests them. So let's say a program wants to write data to a place it's not allowed. It will ask SuperUser to up its privileges and then BAM! it can write where it wants to. You yourself can gain SuperUser privileges in a shell by typing su. Then YOU can read, write, and execute to your hearts desire.
Before you root:
Before rooting, there are some basic things you should know. A lot of people rush into it without bothering to learn everything they should. Sometimes it goes well, and sometimes it doesn't.
Phone partitions: Your phone has a number of partitions. The important ones to know at first are:
1. System - this partition is essentially what you think of when you think of the operating system, the Android UI, and preinstalled
apps. When people talk about flashing ROMs (e.g. CyanogenMod, Synergy, etc), they are talking about flashing a new system
partition.
2. Boot - this is the kernel and ramdisk. The kernel is responsible for managing the interactions between the phones software (including the ROM) and the
hardware. Altering the kernel can increase/decrease performance, battery life, and more because it manages applications and system resources. When
you flash a new kernel, it flashes to the boot partition. You may not notice a big difference like you do when changing ROMS, but behind the scenes, your
phone's performance can be drastically altered. A *LOOSE* analogy is that the ROM is like the body and interior of your car (including exterior color, AC,
stereo, heated seats, TV in headrests, etc.) and the kernel is like the engine. You may not see it, but you'll know it's there if it's awesome or it sucks.
3. Aboot - this was largely unimportant for newbies until the bootloader lock/unlock situation. The short story is that aboot contains functions which
authenticate the boot partition (that's the kernel, remember?). It checks to see if your boot partition is Verizon legal and if not, it aborts the boot process
and politely tells you to contact Verizon. This authentication is what is referred to as a "locked" bootloader. It prevents you from completely booting the
phone with a custom kernel. The bootloader is "unlocked" by replacing the stock aboot partition with one that does NOT check up on the boot partition.
This is important because it allows us to run whatever kernel we want.
4. Data - this contains user installed apps, settings, contacts, bookmarks, etc, etc, etc. You can wipe this partition (as opposed to the above partitions) and
still boot into the operating system. You will have just lost all your setting and apps. This is called a factory/data reset.
5. Cache - this is stuff that you frequently use so it's kept available for better performance. You can wipe it without much consequence.
6. Recovery - this partition contains a separate operating system that allows you to recover from a corrupted/absent/otherwise jacked up operating system. It
has other functions as well. The big ones are to backup your device and restore said backups, to wipe certain partitions, and to flash things to your
phone (i.e. install new ROMs, recoveries, or other programs). The stock recovery is limited so you will definitely want a custom recovery, created by the
fine devs in the community, on your device.
What is a ROM and what is a kernel? I touched on this above. A ROM is what goes on the system partition. It contains what you think of as the Android OS including the UI and preinstalled apps. It controls how programs interact with you, the user. A kernel controls how those programs interact with the phones hardware. You need both a ROM and a kernel to have a functional phone.
How do I get started rooting and flashing?
There is an excellent guide stickied in the development thread here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1762709. However, many of us
forget what it's like to be a COMPLETE newbie and to someone who has no idea about anything, even fantastic guides like that can be a little intimidating.
You can follow the steps, but may not understand what you're doing. The steps to take to start out with are:
1. Make sure you understand what I've written above. Make sure you are comfortable with the possibility of bricking your phone.
2. Root your device. As I said above, this is simply gaining root/Admin/whatever you want to call it access on your phone. In and of itself, it does NOT alter
the ROM or kernel or much of anything else. However, there are many different ways to obtain root and some of them DO alter these things. The easiest
and safest way to root (IMO) is to use Noxious Ninjas excellent tool. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1792342. If you like it, I
encourage you to donate or at least "Thanks" him. It works by taking advantage of debugfs permissions to get su (remember this from above??) onto
your phone with permissions set so you can run it. It therefore doesn't change ROMs or anything else. You won't lose data, apps, or anything else. It just
sneaks su right onto your current setup.
3. Install a custom recovery. This will allow you to do all the fun stuff I talked about above. I recommend installing EZ-recovery from the market and flashing
CWM 6.0.1.0.
1. Install EZ-recovery
2. Under the "Recovery" heading, click the Recovery radio button and select CWM 6.0.1.0 next to it.
3. Click flash
4. Backup everything as if your life depended on it. This means backing up your IMEI as shown here
http://rootzwiki.com/topic/32397-tutorial-imeibackup-nv-with-qpst-us-variants/ and making a nandroid. A nandroid is an image of your phone
including your ROM, your data, and your kernel(depending on what phone you have). You can restore a nandroid backup and you'll be right back where
you were before flashing or changing things around. The steps to making a nandroid are:
1. Turn off your phone.
2. Hold down volume up, home, and power until recovery appears.
3. Use the volume rocker to go to "backup and restore" and hit the power button
4. Select backup and then select the external (default) or internal (labeled "internal") SD card
You can restore a nandroid in a similar fashion (although you should wipe data/cache first - see below).
5. Unlock the bootloader. You must do this seperately from flashing ROMs and kernels. Refer to this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1839791 and give appropriate thanks! A warning...if you mess up your aboot partition, there's really nothing (that I know of) you can do to revive your phone besides send it to someone with JTAG or back to Verizon.
You're now ready to start flashing ROMs.
As a precursor, there are ROMS that are based on TouchWiz modified Android from Verizon/Samsung and there are ROMS based on AOSP (e.g. CyanogenMod). TW roms need a TW kernel and AOSP roms need an AOSP kernel. Until you get comfortable with everything, I would stick with TW. Also, some roms come with kernels and will flash the kernel to your boot partition as well as the ROM to your system partition. Some ROMs don't come with kernels. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS read the OP of a rom you want to flash to find out kernel information as well as how to install the rom and anything else you may need to know. The general steps to flashing a ROM are (remember to read the OP for specifics):
1. Backup apps, data, call log, contacts, messages, etc. My program of choice for much of this is Titanium Backup available on the market. Buy it as you'll
use it a billion times.
2. Download the ROM you want and check the MD5
3. Place the ROM on the root of your SD card. Do NOT unzip it.
4. Reboot into recovery and make a nandroid backup
5. Wipe data/factory reset and wipe cache. Wipe it more than once if paranoid.
6. Go to "install zip from sdcard" and select the ROM you want
7. If you want/need to flash a kernel, install that zip from the sdcard too with the same command
8. Reboot and restore all that you backed up
Remember:
- ALWAYS backup before doing anything
- verify MD5
- wipe data and cache (unless told not to by the ROM dev)
- NEVER accept an OTA (having a custom recovery should block OTAs anyway)
PS. The techniques, tools, roms, etc in this post are not mine and arte the products of hours of hard work by multiple devs. Please thank them accordingly.
Bleelas said:
Introduction to Rooting:
This is meant as a very basic disccussion for people completely new to rooting and Android. As a result, it will omit many details and simplify others. If there is a blatant mistake, please let me know and I'll correct it, but if there's something that's just not QUITE right, chances are it's simplified on purpose. Also, it's not meant to be a rooting guide (as there are excellent ones out there already) so much as an explanation of concepts most of us take for granted, but noobies don't.
DISCLAIMER: I, nor anyone else referenced (or not) in this thread, am not responsible for what you do with your phone. Rooting and otherwise altering your phone has the potential to brick your device, void your warranty, and many other horrible horrible things. Perform these actions at your own risk.
What is root/rooting?
In Unix-style operating systems, "root" is the name of the user who has all permissions and is therefore able to run/modify/change/delete just about anything. If you're familiar with Windows, this account is called Administrator. The default account (that's you!) on an Android phone does NOT have these privileges. Rooting is the process of obtaining them (i.e. obtaining root access). Once you root, you can "flash" new software onto your phone without restriction. This is great because you now have control over what programs are on your phone, what your UI looks like, how your phone handles resources, what kernels you run, and more!
Once your phone is rooted, you don't always wield all of that power. You control your access to all these new abilities with a program called SuperUser (available on the market and baked into ROMS). This program can grant these special rights to any other program that requests them. So let's say a program wants to write data to a place it's not allowed. It will ask SuperUser to up its privileges and then BAM! it can write where it wants to. You yourself can gain SuperUser privileges in a shell by typing su. Then YOU can read, write, and execute to your hearts desire.
Before you root:
Before rooting, there are some basic things you should know. A lot of people rush into it without bothering to learn everything they should. Sometimes it goes well, and sometimes it doesn't.
Phone partitions: Your phone has a number of partitions. The important ones to know at first are:
1. System - this partition is essentially what you think of when you think of the operating system, the Android UI, and preinstalled
apps. When people talk about flashing ROMs (e.g. CyanogenMod, Synergy, etc), they are talking about flashing a new system
partition.
2. Boot - this is the kernel and ramdisk. The kernel is responsible for managing the interactions between the phones software (including the ROM) and the
hardware. Altering the kernel can increase/decrease performance, battery life, and more because it manages applications and system resources. When
you flash a new kernel, it flashes to the boot partition. You may not notice a big difference like you do when changing ROMS, but behind the scenes, your
phone's performance can be drastically altered. A *LOOSE* analogy is that the ROM is like the body and interior of your car (including exterior color, AC,
stereo, heated seats, TV in headrests, etc.) and the kernel is like the engine. You may not see it, but you'll know it's there if it's awesome or it sucks.
3. Aboot - this was largely unimportant for newbies until the bootloader lock/unlock situation. The short story is that aboot contains functions which
authenticate the boot partition (that's the kernel, remember?). It checks to see if your boot partition is Verizon legal and if not, it aborts the boot process
and politely tells you to contact Verizon. This authentication is what is referred to as a "locked" bootloader. It prevents you from completely booting the
phone with a custom kernel. The bootloader is "unlocked" by replacing the stock aboot partition with one that does NOT check up on the boot partition.
This is important because it allows us to run whatever kernel we want.
4. Data - this contains user installed apps, settings, contacts, bookmarks, etc, etc, etc. You can wipe this partition (as opposed to the above partitions) and
still boot into the operating system. You will have just lost all your setting and apps. This is called a factory/data reset.
5. Cache - this is stuff that you frequently use so it's kept available for better performance. You can wipe it without much consequence.
6. Recovery - this partition contains a separate operating system that allows you to recover from a corrupted/absent/otherwise jacked up operating system. It
has other functions as well. The big ones are to backup your device and restore said backups, to wipe certain partitions, and to flash things to your
phone (i.e. install new ROMs, recoveries, or other programs). The stock recovery is limited so you will definitely want a custom recovery, created by the
fine devs in the community, on your device.
What is a ROM and what is a kernel? I touched on this above. A ROM is what goes on the system partition. It contains what you think of as the Android OS including the UI and preinstalled apps. It controls how programs interact with you, the user. A kernel controls how those programs interact with the phones hardware. You need both a ROM and a kernel to have a functional phone.
How do I get started rooting and flashing?
There is an excellent guide stickied in the development thread here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1762709. However, many of us
forget what it's like to be a COMPLETE newbie and to someone who has no idea about anything, even fantastic guides like that can be a little intimidating.
You can follow the steps, but may not understand what you're doing. The steps to take to start out with are:
1. Make sure you understand what I've written above. Make sure you are comfortable with the possibility of bricking your phone.
2. Root your device. As I said above, this is simply gaining root/Admin/whatever you want to call it access on your phone. In and of itself, it does NOT alter
the ROM or kernel or much of anything else. However, there are many different ways to obtain root and some of them DO alter these things. The easiest
and safest way to root (IMO) is to use Noxious Ninjas excellent tool. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1792342. If you like it, I
encourage you to donate or at least "Thanks" him. It works by taking advantage of debugfs permissions to get su (remember this from above??) onto
your phone with permissions set so you can run it. It therefore doesn't change ROMs or anything else. You won't lose data, apps, or anything else. It just
sneaks su right onto your current setup.
3. Install a custom recovery. This will allow you to do all the fun stuff I talked about above. I recommend installing EZ-recovery from the market and flashing
CWM 6.0.1.0.
1. Install EZ-recovery
2. Under the "Recovery" heading, click the Recovery radio button and select CWM 6.0.1.0 next to it.
3. Click flash
4. Backup everything as if your life depended on it. This means backing up your IMEI as shown here
http://rootzwiki.com/topic/32397-tutorial-imeibackup-nv-with-qpst-us-variants/ and making a nandroid. A nandroid is an image of your phone
including your ROM, your data, and your kernel(depending on what phone you have). You can restore a nandroid backup and you'll be right back where
you were before flashing or changing things around. The steps to making a nandroid are:
1. Turn off your phone.
2. Hold down volume up, home, and power until recovery appears.
3. Use the volume rocker to go to "backup and restore" and hit the power button
4. Select backup and then select the external (default) or internal (labeled "internal") SD card
You can restore a nandroid in a similar fashion (although you should wipe data/cache first - see below).
5. Unlock the bootloader. You must do this seperately from flashing ROMs and kernels. Refer to this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1839791 and give appropriate thanks! A warning...if you mess up your aboot partition, there's really nothing (that I know of) you can do to revive your phone besides send it to someone with JTAG or back to Verizon.
You're now ready to start flashing ROMs.
As a precursor, there are ROMS that are based on TouchWiz modified Android from Verizon/Samsung and there are ROMS based on AOSP (e.g. CyanogenMod). TW roms need a TW kernel and AOSP roms need an AOSP kernel. Until you get comfortable with everything, I would stick with TW. Also, some roms come with kernels and will flash the kernel to your boot partition as well as the ROM to your system partition. Some ROMs don't come with kernels. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS read the OP of a rom you want to flash to find out kernel information as well as how to install the rom and anything else you may need to know. The general steps to flashing a ROM are (remember to read the OP for specifics):
1. Backup apps, data, call log, contacts, messages, etc. My program of choice for much of this is Titanium Backup available on the market. Buy it as you'll
use it a billion times.
2. Download the ROM you want and check the MD5
3. Place the ROM on the root of your SD card. Do NOT unzip it.
4. Reboot into recovery and make a nandroid backup
5. Wipe data/factory reset and wipe cache. Wipe it more than once if paranoid.
6. Go to "install zip from sdcard" and select the ROM you want
7. If you want/need to flash a kernel, install that zip from the sdcard too with the same command
8. Reboot and restore all that you backed up
Remember:
- ALWAYS backup before doing anything
- verify MD5
- wipe data and cache (unless told not to by the ROM dev)
- NEVER accept an OTA (having a custom recovery should block OTAs anyway)
PS. The techniques, tools, roms, etc in this post are not mine and arte the products of hours of hard work by multiple devs. Please thank them accordingly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
THANK YOU!!!!! Very helpful! I had no idea I needed EZ-Recovery to flash CWM as the primary recovery tool - that saved me big time as I was about to unlock the bootloader later today.
After posting this last night, and awaiting responses, I was browsing and trying to take in as much as I could. I finally realized that each section in the linked guide is a different way to either root or install a ROM. After I figured this out, and read about Odin being best for newbies, I decided to take the risk and wing it, even though I wasn't 110% sure.
So, now I'm rooted and have ROM manager/CWM installed, TiBu, and ES File Explorer installed. Now I'm just trying to figure out what I can/cannot remove as far as bloatware. A few items I'm sure I'd like to keep (working), so I don't want to mess with anything that might be used in another app/widget....Which brings me to my next question...
What's the best way to remove bloatware? I found an excel spreadsheet online that shows what's safe/unsafe to remove but I'm confused as to what I should do to get rid of items I NEVER want, and how to turn off items I MAY want in the future. If I freeze these items, do they stay frozen upon reboot, and until I unfreeze, or otherwise? What's the difference between a .APK package and a single process, etc?
Thanks in advance! I feel like I entered Android Elementary last night and already graduated to Android Junior High!
P.S. The captchas on this site to post ARE THE WORST CAPTAS IVE SEEN IN MY ENTIRE FRIGGIN LIFE, MY GOD!!!! I must refresh it 20x til something is RELATIVELY clear. Seriously????
ike034 said:
1...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Me too..... But the post are suppose to me helpful and or contribute in some way....
But at least we can thank all over the place......
Weioo said:
THANK YOU!!!!! Very helpful! I had no idea I needed EZ-Recovery to flash CWM as the primary recovery tool - that saved me big time as I was about to unlock the bootloader later today.
After posting this last night, and awaiting responses, I was browsing and trying to take in as much as I could. I finally realized that each section in the linked guide is a different way to either root or install a ROM. After I figured this out, and read about Odin being best for newbies, I decided to take the risk and wing it, even though I wasn't 110% sure.
So, now I'm rooted and have ROM manager/CWM installed, TiBu, and ES File Explorer installed. Now I'm just trying to figure out what I can/cannot remove as far as bloatware. A few items I'm sure I'd like to keep (working), so I don't want to mess with anything that might be used in another app/widget....Which brings me to my next question...
What's the best way to remove bloatware? I found an excel spreadsheet online that shows what's safe/unsafe to remove but I'm confused as to what I should do to get rid of items I NEVER want, and how to turn off items I MAY want in the future. If I freeze these items, do they stay frozen upon reboot, and until I unfreeze, or otherwise? What's the difference between a .APK package and a single process, etc?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to hear you're rooted and learning a lot! Now you're opening another HUGE can of worms, namely how Android organizes the application framework, what are services, processes, activities, tasks etc. You may have already found the information you're looking for, but a montrously dumbed down version is that the APK is a package containing the compiled program and all the extraneous files it needs to run while a process is an actively running application. In order to debloat, you can either freeze an application with another program like TiBu, or you can manually freeze it by changing the app extension, or you can delete the APK, or you can remove it from the rom you want BEFORE you even flash it. What you choose depends on your goals...why you want to debloat.
Weioo said:
THANK YOU!!!!! Very helpful! I had no idea I needed EZ-Recovery to flash CWM as the primary recovery tool - that saved me big time as I was about to unlock the bootloader later today.
After posting this last night, and awaiting responses, I was browsing and trying to take in as much as I could. I finally realized that each section in the linked guide is a different way to either root or install a ROM. After I figured this out, and read about Odin being best for newbies, I decided to take the risk and wing it, even though I wasn't 110% sure.
So, now I'm rooted and have ROM manager/CWM installed, TiBu, and ES File Explorer installed. Now I'm just trying to figure out what I can/cannot remove as far as bloatware. A few items I'm sure I'd like to keep (working), so I don't want to mess with anything that might be used in another app/widget....Which brings me to my next question...
What's the best way to remove bloatware? I found an excel spreadsheet online that shows what's safe/unsafe to remove but I'm confused as to what I should do to get rid of items I NEVER want, and how to turn off items I MAY want in the future. If I freeze these items, do they stay frozen upon reboot, and until I unfreeze, or otherwise? What's the difference between a .APK package and a single process, etc?
Thanks in advance! I feel like I entered Android Elementary last night and already graduated to Android Junior High!
P.S. The captchas on this site to post ARE THE WORST CAPTAS IVE SEEN IN MY ENTIRE FRIGGIN LIFE, MY GOD!!!! I must refresh it 20x til something is RELATIVELY clear. Seriously????
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you decided on a ROM you want to use yet? Personally I think that takes a lot of the decisions about de-bloating out of the equation. Pick a ROM, flash it, and see what you got? I first did the de-bloated root method and didn't have the stock e-mail app! While it is easy to download an e-mail app from the play store I was still shocked that it was considered bloat by the builder of the particular de-bloated version I chose.
Currently I am on Synergy 1.7 r23 with Darkhorse theme. I also like the Color in HD theme but can't decided between the two.
Bleelas said:
Glad to hear you're rooted and learning a lot! Now you're opening another HUGE can of worms, namely how Android organizes the application framework, what are services, processes, activities, tasks etc. You may have already found the information you're looking for, but a montrously dumbed down version is that the APK is a package containing the compiled program and all the extraneous files it needs to run while a process is an actively running application. In order to debloat, you can either freeze an application with another program like TiBu, or you can manually freeze it by changing the app extension, or you can delete the APK, or you can remove it from the rom you want BEFORE you even flash it. What you choose depends on your goals...why you want to debloat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome, the explanation of what a .APK is helped a TON! Thank you!
dan_joegibbsfan said:
Have you decided on a ROM you want to use yet? Personally I think that takes a lot of the decisions about de-bloating out of the equation. Pick a ROM, flash it, and see what you got? I first did the de-bloated root method and didn't have the stock e-mail app! While it is easy to download an e-mail app from the play store I was still shocked that it was considered bloat by the builder of the particular de-bloated version I chose.
Currently I am on Synergy 1.7 r23 with Darkhorse theme. I also like the Color in HD theme but can't decided between the two.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know you've been helping me in my other thread. Thanks again for everything! I believe you know now, I am on Synergy r46, running quite stable so far but I haven't done much to the phone since flashing.
I've got a noob question... is there any way to back up your IMEI and install the samsung drivers from a Mac besides running Parallels or VMware? I rooted using Adam Outler's Casual and would like to start flashing ROM's but don't want to risk it without backing up my IMEI first.
See the note in this thread that backing up IMEI is obsolete. Nowadays you use the method linked from that thread, which does not involve making a backup first.
Weioo, I'd like to thank you for your intelligent questions, willingness to read, and attitude in this forum. It's good to see someone posting in the correct place, educating theirself, and not coming into the forum saying something like "plz help my phone wont boot and i didnt read enouf". So, respect. :good:
Anyway, to add something to this thread. What version of Clockwork Recovery are you using? If you're using version 6+, let me say a little how to manage your backups. The new CWR stores its backups in /sdcard/clockworkmod/backup/, which will only be about 20mb in size - this is normal. The backup file is just sort of an index, and the other couple hundred megabytes meat of the backup is stored as a ton of tiny files in /sdcard/clockworkmod/blobs/. If you ever need to clean up space on your phone's storage, always delete the backup file and do not touch the blobs directory. When you make your next backup, CWR will clean up the space freed from deleting that backup file.
What's actually going on is that instead of making one big file as a copy of a phone's complete image (as CWR did in previous versions), it saves space by backing up each file individually. If you have two backups with the exact same file (having the same hash), CWR deduplicates that by only backing it up once. The blobs folder has each fine, with the hash as its filename, and the backup file includes which hashes (filenames) it needs to function. When very few things change in between backups, the new backup only has to add new blobs for the things that changed (and thus have a different hash). You don't delete the blobs directly because it's not obvious which ones are used and which aren't. When CWR cleans up space, it reads the backup files and deletes blobs that aren't associated with any existing backups.
rednukleus said:
See the note in this thread that backing up IMEI is obsolete. Nowadays you use the method linked from that thread, which does not involve making a backup first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay thanks, but if I do flash something and lose my IMEI, to do that process I'd need to be running Parallels or VMware on my Mac. Basically I'm trying to figure out if there is another way to do this using a mac or would I need to buy one of those programs if I lose my IMEI?
Great beginner post
lazarus2405 said:
Weioo, I'd like to thank you for your intelligent questions, willingness to read, and attitude in this forum. It's good to see someone posting in the correct place, educating theirself, and not coming into the forum saying something like "plz help my phone wont boot and i didnt read enouf". So, respect. :good:
Anyway, to add something to this thread. What version of Clockwork Recovery are you using? If you're using version 6+, let me say a little how to manage your backups. The new CWR stores its backups in /sdcard/clockworkmod/backup/, which will only be about 20mb in size - this is normal. The backup file is just sort of an index, and the other couple hundred megabytes meat of the backup is stored as a ton of tiny files in /sdcard/clockworkmod/blobs/. If you ever need to clean up space on your phone's storage, always delete the backup file and do not touch the blobs directory. When you make your next backup, CWR will clean up the space freed from deleting that backup file.
What's actually going on is that instead of making one big file as a copy of a phone's complete image (as CWR did in previous versions), it saves space by backing up each file individually. If you have two backups with the exact same file (having the same hash), CWR deduplicates that by only backing it up once. The blobs folder has each fine, with the hash as its filename, and the backup file includes which hashes (filenames) it needs to function. When very few things change in between backups, the new backup only has to add new blobs for the things that changed (and thus have a different hash). You don't delete the blobs directly because it's not obvious which ones are used and which aren't. When CWR cleans up space, it reads the backup files and deletes blobs that aren't associated with any existing backups.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This should be stickied!!
My apologies for the newb questions, but last night I modded my phone to Eclipse 2.1 version 10-20-12 with the latest GAPPS 10-21-12 ( http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1934572 ). This latest GAPPS seems to be missing a bunch of applications including GMAIL registration (to access the Play store successfully) as well Google Now and many other Google based apps (Google Maps, Google Voice, etc etc). I don't believe the ROM was installed incorrectly - I went through the prerequisite Wipe Cache/Wipe Partition/Wipe Dvalik Cache and even Fix Permissions. Also the Voice Search application is missing, but maybe that's tied in with the Google suite of apps not running correctly.
Being that I'm a newb on this site I can't post the question over on the Eclipse page (not allowed access with less then 10 posts) but I find it impossible to properly register/access Google Play as well as using any of the Google Apps. I went ahead and downloaded Google Now separately and installed the APKs but this just resulted in the program crashing when the GPS is enabled (keeping it disabled keeps Google Now at the "Initializing" screen).
Thanks for any support that can be provided.
ResolveD
Disregard the previous post - used GAPPS from 10-12-12 (w/o Dvalik cache wipe) and Google Now, Voice Search, G-mail register, Google Play all work fine now. The only issue I see is presently with the Google Now browser not scrolling through links, but you can always use the magnifying glass (which shows you previews of the webpages it finds).
Anyways HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ROM!!! Eclipse 10-20 build (4.1.2) w/10-12 GAPPS. Easily the best ROM out there so far :laugh:
Deleting System apps
Now that I have finally rooted my VZW GS3, and installed Titanium Backup Pro, am I able to delete system apps from there without damaging anything? I have not installed a custom ROM, all I have done is root, unlock bootloader and install CWM. I want to get rid of bloatware (e.g. Polaris Viewer) can I use TI BU Pro?
levilib said:
Now that I have finally rooted my VZW GS3, and installed Titanium Backup Pro, am I able to delete system apps from there without damaging anything? I have not installed a custom ROM, all I have done is root, unlock bootloader and install CWM. I want to get rid of bloatware (e.g. Polaris Viewer) can I use TI BU Pro?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
levilib said:
Now that I have finally rooted my VZW GS3, and installed Titanium Backup Pro, am I able to delete system apps from there without damaging anything? I have not installed a custom ROM, all I have done is root, unlock bootloader and install CWM. I want to get rid of bloatware (e.g. Polaris Viewer) can I use TI BU Pro?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just wanted to add that it may be better to just freeze the apps, or at least run a nandroid backup so you can revert to stock. Without all system apps intact an OTA update would fail.
apacseven said:
Just wanted to add that it may be better to just freeze the apps, or at least run a nandroid backup so you can revert to stock. Without all system apps intact an OTA update would fail.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not worried about an OTA update, and I made a nandroid, I just want to make sure I'm not going to delete anything important. are there any apps you can think of that I would want to delete but it would cause problems?
Hello Everyone!
I've bought my new Samsung Galaxy S Relay yesterday, so i'm typing from my new QWERTY keyboard. I decided that i'll need some external space for my phone and bought a 16GB San Disk SD card. On my old Samsung Galaxy Mini there was a function in App Manager to "Move to SD" but here there's no such function. So how can i move them to SD. I've checked in the internet and i found that people were usually complaining about the phone not allowing them to move and the solution was to root the phone, but here i don't even have that function. Please, can someone help me to move my apps to my SD? All the answers are appreciated....
I also read in the internet that your android device automatically installs games on SD if it sees that you are running out of memory.If that's right please tell me cause i didn't fully load my phone memory.
My android version is 4.1.2(i guess that"s JellyBean)
P.S.:I know that the rooting could be the answer,but i am really against it because i bricked one of my phones by rooting so i don't want that to happen.
HaykKarapetyan said:
Hello Everyone!
I've bought my new Samsung Galaxy S Relay yesterday, so i'm typing from my new QWERTY keyboard. I decided that i'll need some external space for my phone and bought a 16GB San Disk SD card. On my old Samsung Galaxy Mini there was a function in App Manager to "Move to SD" but here there's no such function. So how can i move them to SD. I've checked in the internet and i found that people were usually complaining about the phone not allowing them to move and the solution was to root the phone, but here i don't even have that function. Please, can someone help me to move my apps to my SD? All the answers are appreciated....
I also read in the internet that your android device automatically installs games on SD if it sees that you are running out of memory.If that's right please tell me cause i didn't fully load my phone memory.
My android version is 4.1.2(i guess that"s JellyBean)
P.S.:I know that the rooting could be the answer,but i am really against it because i bricked one of my phones by rooting so i don't want that to happen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look up FolderMount in the Play Store. That's the best solution for your issues.
As for the risks of rooting: nothing ventured, nothing gained.
orange808 said:
Look up FolderMount in the Play Store. That's the best solution for your issues.
As for the risks of rooting: nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your respond dear orange808. I tried the FolderMount app and it requires root. So i guess the only thing i could do is rooting, but i still don't want to root my phone so i'll deal with my 5 GB internal storage...Thanks anyway, this could be useful for others
OK guys i decided to root my phone cause i can't just sit and stay calm knowing that i could be playing Asphalt8 or Real Racing3(maybe). So after rooting(i didnt root it yet) what apps should i use to move my apps or will "Move to SD" function be available after rooting?
Ok, so i see nobody wants to help, so i did all by myself. I succesfully rooted my phone then downloaded the app called root external 2 internal sd.So everything is fine now, i have a lot of memory. Also Titanium Backup is a good app to delete some crap on the phone(I'm sure most of you are familliar with this app, but just in case somebody doesnt know). So I hope this was useful.
I can help you
HaykKarapetyan said:
OK guys i decided to root my phone cause i can't just sit and stay calm knowing that i could be playing Asphalt8 or Real Racing3(maybe). So after rooting(i didnt root it yet) what apps should i use to move my apps or will "Move to SD" function be available after rooting?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can help, since I was sorta reluctant like you. Here are a few things you could do:
1) Link2SD is proven to work-it does on my SGH-T699. But you need not only root access, but a second partition on your extSDcard. By the way, the "Move to SD" command does not exist in the Relay's hardware or software. But with Link2SD, you can create symbolic links instead via the second partition. That can be done by using Mini Tool Partition wizard (free but some functions are limited)
2)You need a microSD full size adapter.
3)A media reader, internal or USB will do.
For root:
You need Odin. Odin allows you to flash recoveries (Like CWM- the latest version for apexqtmo is 6.0.3.8) and entire ROMs. Search around XDA and I'm sure you will find the links required to do all this. This is my second post, so I'm unfamiliar with citing other threads.
If you need more help, I'll be happy to.
furboom1240 said:
I can help, since I was sorta reluctant like you. Here are a few things you could do:
1) Link2SD is proven to work-it does on my SGH-T699. But you need not only root access, but a second partition on your extSDcard. By the way, the "Move to SD" command does not exist in the Relay's hardware or software. But with Link2SD, you can create symbolic links instead via the second partition. That can be done by using Mini Tool Partition wizard (free but some functions are limited)
2)You need a microSD full size adapter.
3)A media reader, internal or USB will do.
For root:
You need Odin. Odin allows you to flash recoveries (Like CWM- the latest version for apexqtmo is 6.0.3.8) and entire ROMs. Search around XDA and I'm sure you will find the links required to do all this. This is my second post, so I'm unfamiliar with citing other threads.
If you need more help, I'll be happy to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use foldermount and have no issues with Real Racing 3 and other huge games, it works nicely.
Link2SD does something similar, but does FolderMount require root access? The Relay does not support native Apps2SD, so since Link2SD worked so well for me, I suggested it. Good suggestion, though.
Maybe I was too long winded.
Sent from my SGH-T699 using xda app-developers app
furboom1240 said:
I can help, since I was sorta reluctant like you. Here are a few things you could do:
1) Link2SD is proven to work-it does on my SGH-T699. But you need not only root access, but a second partition on your extSDcard. By the way, the "Move to SD" command does not exist in the Relay's hardware or software. But with Link2SD, you can create symbolic links instead via the second partition. That can be done by using Mini Tool Partition wizard (free but some functions are limited)
2)You need a microSD full size adapter.
3)A media reader, internal or USB will do.
For root:
You need Odin. Odin allows you to flash recoveries (Like CWM- the latest version for apexqtmo is 6.0.3.8) and entire ROMs. Search around XDA and I'm sure you will find the links required to do all this. This is my second post, so I'm unfamiliar with citing other threads.
If you need more help, I'll be happy to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for answering and good advices. I find the "Root External 2 Internal" app great too, you just have to learn how to use it(you can google it and im sure you will find the instructions).
I dont know much about android working stuff, so the rooting for me was a big risk and i dont think if theres any risk of bricking my phone whileflashing recoveries i would prefer not to do that.
I wish everyone Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Great Holidays!!!
rad30n said:
I use foldermount and have no issues with Real Racing 3 and other huge games, it works nicely.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By the way about Real Racing 3. The game works and plays perfect on my phone, but the stupid Google Play says its incompatible(i hope i spelled it right) with my phone. So i went to download it from other sources. Its not just the RR3, the GTA SA works perfectly, GTA VC, GTA 3, and there are a lot more games i dont remember, anyways, the question is if theres any app that can change it by root access(make it compatible) or something like that?
Thanks in advance.
Have you tried forcing a link via Titanium Backup? If you enjoy tinkering with apps at that level, then I would even buy the $5.99 USD key. This unlocks more features to come. This app (and its key) is available via Google Play. Search "titanium backup" and those will be the top two results.
Good luck.
Sent from my SGH-T699 using xda app-developers app
HaykKarapetyan said:
By the way about Real Racing 3. The game works and plays perfect on my phone, but the stupid Google Play says its incompatible(i hope i spelled it right) with my phone. So i went to download it from other sources. Its not just the RR3, the GTA SA works perfectly, GTA VC, GTA 3, and there are a lot more games i dont remember, anyways, the question is if theres any app that can change it by root access(make it compatible) or something like that?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah... I dunno why. I installed RR3 from play on my Xperia Pro, then backed up the apk, and then moved to the Glide, and now to the Relay and I have the same question. Why the hell is it "not compatible"?
rad30n said:
Yeah... I dunno why. I installed RR3 from play on my Xperia Pro, then backed up the apk, and then moved to the Glide, and now to the Relay and I have the same question. Why the hell is it "not compatible"?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess the phone is too old for them to care about it. But i found an app called BLACKMART ALPHA which a) allows you to download paid apps for free(not all apps from play store are included but most of them are) b)doesnt care if your phone is compatible or not with the app (Like it allows me to download rr3 or gta sa) c)if theres an update in the playstore it appears in it so you can easy update apps from there.
I couldnt find the app from google play (maybe because i wasnt looking for it carefully) but you can easily find it by google search.
Hope this will work for everyone.
furboom1240 said:
I can help, since I was sorta reluctant like you. Here are a few things you could do:
1) Link2SD is proven to work-it does on my SGH-T699. But you need not only root access, but a second partition on your extSDcard. By the way, the "Move to SD" command does not exist in the Relay's hardware or software. But with Link2SD, you can create symbolic links instead via the second partition. That can be done by using Mini Tool Partition wizard (free but some functions are limited)
2)You need a microSD full size adapter.
3)A media reader, internal or USB will do.
For root:
You need Odin. Odin allows you to flash recoveries (Like CWM- the latest version for apexqtmo is 6.0.3.8) and entire ROMs. Search around XDA and I'm sure you will find the links required to do all this. This is my second post, so I'm unfamiliar with citing other threads.
If you need more help, I'll be happy to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're partitioning your SDCard in this instance, can you partition it evenly? Like say if you have a 64GB SDCard, and partition it into two 32GB isolated sectors? I know the Relay can only see up to 32GB (there's a thread that tells you ways around it, though), but in this instance, would it see two 32GB sectors? Or, would you have to take a regular 32GB SDcard and divide it into two 16GB sectors?
You can determine the size yourself. It entirely depends on how much you want to allocate. If you've followed the instructions quoted, any size is possible. Just leave enough for your other needs that aren't related to link2sd. If my advice helps you and others hit "thanks" please. Good luck, I'll keep checking in periodically.
Sent from my SGH-T699 using xda app-developers app
The relay supports 64 GB SD Cards. Works fine with mine formated to ext4. I've filled it to capacity several times.
I know. I was just saying that he can put aside any of that 64 GB for use with apps2sd symbolic links.
EpicMike, I'd be interested as to how you fare in this process. It would educate me for sure. I currently use Link2SD for my symbolic links, but every ROM update temporarily disconnects these links. They are easily re-established by recreating the mount scripts within the app. Just thought you should know.
Sent from my SGH-T699 using xda app-developers app
HaykKarapetyan said:
Hello Everyone!
I've bought my new Samsung Galaxy S Relay yesterday, so i'm typing from my new QWERTY keyboard. I decided that i'll need some external space for my phone and bought a 16GB San Disk SD card. On my old Samsung Galaxy Mini there was a function in App Manager to "Move to SD" but here there's no such function. So how can i move them to SD. I've checked in the internet and i found that people were usually complaining about the phone not allowing them to move and the solution was to root the phone, but here i don't even have that function. Please, can someone help me to move my apps to my SD? All the answers are appreciated....
I also read in the internet that your android device automatically installs games on SD if it sees that you are running out of memory.If that's right please tell me cause i didn't fully load my phone memory.
My android version is 4.1.2(i guess that"s JellyBean)
P.S.:I know that the rooting could be the answer,but i am really against it because i bricked one of my phones by rooting so i don't want that to happen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know i might get out of topic in this but anyways. Ive just accidentally uninstalled my CLOCK(that sounds too stupid,so iam stupid i guess). so could anyone back it up and send me the .apk file to [email protected] ...or if theres a function to attach it here(im not sure about it) pllease do so, cause i really need it.
Thanks everyone in advance.
There is a clock package elsewhere on xda. Just Google 'ported clock package jb' and click the first xda link visible. It should look like [PORT] at the beginning of the link. Follow all instructions and warnings on the thread. Click the correct links for your OS version, then you could use your recovery to flash the zip file. Or you could go to the play store and check out the clocks there. Should've said THAT first.
Good luck.
Sent from my SGH-T699 using xda app-developers app