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Hi, I am new to the world of smart phones and would like to learn more about them. I've been reading threads about people changing their ROMs and how it can affect future software updates.
I've done some searching w/ "what is a rom" and "stock rom" but the results are in techno-wiz-lingo that's right over my head.
I have two (pretty basic) questions regarding ROMs.
1. What is a rom?
and
2. If I use Titanium Backup (and install its corresponding busybox), does this change my ROM?
Sorry for the 4th-grader-noob questions. Thanks in advance!
Cheers,
John
We all were there sometime in past, so no problem.
1. A ROM is a part of a non-volatile non-"erasable" memory in phone that hold the operating system and main applications; you can compare it to a premade install of an operating system in a Desktop computer (for example: windows 7 and what manufacturer applications has installed), the difference is that you can't modifiy a ROM directly from inside the phone.
Now, smartphones comes also with premade install os the OS, that's called 'stock ROM', a ROM that come from the phone manufacturer; some people are able to extract ROMs from certain models and modify (kitchen) it, fixing bugs, adding new features, even upgrading main OS version, in short improving what came from the manufacturer that's called 'custom ROM' and that's what xda-developers is all about, in the several forums you will see sections where they talk about improving phone usability.
2. I have no much experience with Android but it seems that titanium backup can backup all your user data, so you can flash a custom ROM to your phone then restore you user data back to your phone, so you won't need to readd everything back at hand (usually when you flash a new ROM to your phone, everything is wiped out and the phone is left blank).
Hope that helps.
Thanks Drakh, that helps a lot! I did some more reading on wikipedia. Looks like I have a bit more to learn.
Thank you also Drakh. I have a lot to learn also.
Hi Fellow old and New Devs,
The title suggests it all. I have four questions that I think ALL newbies want to understand. I would try and explain them, but as I am just coming out of the newbie stage, I'm sure people would prefer an answer from a experianced Dev.
When answering a question please put the Question Number. Feel free to answer only one or two of the questions, I'm sure other people will cover your missing fields of knowledge.
Here they are:
1. What is rooting? Can I root my device (HTC Buzz Wildfire) and keep the stock interface? Will I loose my data?
2. What do all these Dev's mean by Recovery? What are they, why are they needed?
3. What is a ROM? Do I need to be rooted for a custom ROM? How can you trust them? Will I loose my data when installing a custom ROM?
4. What is a Kernal? How are they Different to ROM's? Should I change from the stock Kernal?
I know this is a tall order and you could write a book on the topic, but please could you write a short (a couple of sentaces will do) paragraph on each question you choose to do.
When we get enough understandable answers I will edit this post publish the Final answers for other newbies in the future.
Also feel free to enter the poll! As this is a Dev site I presume one of the options will have the most votes but we will see....
Cheers for any contribution in advanced.
th3ant
th3ant said:
Hi Fellow old and New Devs,
The title suggests it all. I have four questions that I think ALL newbies want to understand. I would try and explain them, but as I am just coming out of the newbie stage, I'm sure people would prefer an answer from a experianced Dev.
When answering a question please put the Question Number. Feel free to answer only one or two of the questions, I'm sure other people will cover your missing fields of knowledge.
Here they are:
1. What is rooting? Can I root my device (HTC Buzz Wildfire) and keep the stock interface? Will I loose my data?
2. What do all these Dev's mean by Recovery? What are they, why are they needed?
3. What is a ROM? Do I need to be rooted for a custom ROM? How can you trust them? Will I loose my data when installing a custom ROM?
4. What is a Kernal? How are they Different to ROM's? Should I change from the stock Kernal?
I know this is a tall order and you could write a book on the topic, but please could you write a short (a couple of sentaces will do) paragraph on each question you choose to do.
When we get enough understandable answers I will edit this post publish the Final answers for other newbies in the future.
Also feel free to enter the poll! As this is a Dev site I presume one of the options will have the most votes but we will see....
Cheers for any contribution in advanced.
th3ant
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, from the best of my understanding, here we go:
1: Rooting. To understand this, we must consider a computer, running linux, windows, or mac. In windows, the "Administrator" account is similar to the root account in linux and mac. Basically if you have root privileges in a system, you can modify every part of the filesystem, as well as perform any tasks the system is equipped to handle. Basically achieving root on an android device means that you can unlock the ability to flash roms, mod, and otherwise hack your device any which way you like. Nearly every model of android device has been rooted, so in most cases, yes you can root XXXXX phone. Also, since you're just gaining privileges, you can root without losing any data, apps, or settings.
2: Recovery. This is a long standing concept in SoC/Embedded device hacking. Basically it is a minimal operating system that performs some very basic, but very important tasks. The reason for it is so that you can write to the necessary areas on the NAND, which would be "busy" while android is booted. This offers a way to access the necessary partitions and write data to them while the data is not being accessed. It's also useful for backing up your NAND. Hence the name "nandroid."
3: ROM. By definition, it means "Read Only Memory." This is a chip on the board. ROM has evolved over the years. It started out as a chip that was sensitive to UV light. The earliest ROMs were "flashed" to a device by stenciling out the pathways and exposing the chip to UV radiation. Nowadays, we have fancy EEPROMs instead, which stands for Electronically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory. This means that you can "flash" the chip by means of software, namely via Recovery mode in our case. Different ROMs have different features. They are all variations on source code made available by AOSP, or the android open source project. Some projects have their own code tracking, such as CyanogenMod. In most devices, you must be rooted to be able to install a ROM, however it is not explicitly necessary. A bit vague, I suppose. Specifically the tablet I own, the WITS a81e, you can flash a ROM to it just by putting the correct files on the TF card. This is not very common with phones, however. Flashing any rom that is not just a newer version of your current ROM will require a full format. For instance, if you have cyanogenmod and switch to a Sense or Blur ROM, you must format, but if you update from CM6 to CM6.1 you will not need to wipe. How can you trust ROM's? Well the best way to know is to either roll your own, or go with CyanogenMod, as their source is freely and easily available for scrutiny and improvement, along with a nice changelog tracker.
4. Kernels. A kernel is basically the most low level part of an operating system. It interfaces directly with the processor and provides all instruction for operation. Linux is technically not an operating system, it's a Kernel. The different distributions have the Linux kernel, and use their own different User Interfaces. Different kernels in android devices can allow you to overclock. There are many choices in kernels, and the features they offer. Some features are BFS/CFS which is the priority scheduling of processes. Some kernels allow you to charge your battery differently and conserve life. These are often called battery kernels. Also, some kernels unlock extra multitouch points in certain devices. There are different versions of the linux kernel, with many improvements with each iteration. Currently, the latest kernel available that I know of for android devices is 2.6.37. The froyo default kernel was a 2.6.32. I wish I knew a bit more about kernels, however this is about all I know. Perhaps someone could help us out and expand on this a bit?
Brilliant answer not too complicated... let's see what others say....
Sent from my HTC Wildfire using XDA App
What he said...
Pyroboy1080 well said...
That pretty much covers it.
thx for the infos..
Agreed. Thanks for using the poll!
nothing to add on that, as we used to say "merci beaucoup"
Can't ROM
Gotta be something stupid......
Can't install 2.2 or 2.3. Tried two different ODIN flashers. When I do the reset I do not get the triangel with downloading in the center. I'm rooted, Have ROM Manager, Superuser, Root Explorer, Super Manager, I'm unlocked.
I have Android SDK, Congnitive 4.1, NPS, Samsung Kies,SGH I897 USB Drivers, What else? I think I have it covered. In any case I never get the download . Even if I do a "ROM Manager Install fron SD Card, the result is a screen, blue at top and yellow at bottom with the last line saying "Installing Multi- CSC. I can let it run all night, no change in ROM. Does the Captivate sold by ATT have some kind of block or filter keeping me from updating?
Current firmware is 2.1 update 1, baseband I897UCJH7, Kernel 2.6.29 [email protected] #2, Build ECLAIR.UCJH7
Thanks
To better answer your question, I first need to know what type of device you're using...
fxstsb said:
Gotta be something stupid......
Can't install 2.2 or 2.3. Tried two different ODIN flashers. When I do the reset I do not get the triangel with downloading in the center. I'm rooted, Have ROM Manager, Superuser, Root Explorer, Super Manager, I'm unlocked.
I have Android SDK, Congnitive 4.1, NPS, Samsung Kies,SGH I897 USB Drivers, What else? I think I have it covered. In any case I never get the download . Even if I do a "ROM Manager Install fron SD Card, the result is a screen, blue at top and yellow at bottom with the last line saying "Installing Multi- CSC. I can let it run all night, no change in ROM. Does the Captivate sold by ATT have some kind of block or filter keeping me from updating?
Current firmware is 2.1 update 1, baseband I897UCJH7, Kernel 2.6.29 [email protected] #2, Build ECLAIR.UCJH7
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
didn't know where to ask this?
hello, everyone..
i have some questions, i'm hoping some of you can anwser.
I used unrevoked to root my htc desire. after that, I used alpharev to gain s-off.
everything went fine, i got the joker, the white screen that lets me pick different options..
now Í tried all those options, nothing works.
I've been searching all night for a solution, and it seems my recovery boot and rom are missing? and what I came across is installing ANDROID SDK tools, and then run fastboot to recover an image. So I installed SDK tools, but fastboot doesn't run, it says some .dll driver is missing. in the platform-tools map is that .dll driver, should i move it?
Can someone get me a step by step tutorial on how to make my desire work again? Im kind of a noob, all I needed was to make a screenshot..
Thanks in advance, it would be appreciated so much..
Pyroboy, I'm using a Samsung Captivate. In another thread someone lead me to "All in One Toolbox". The other stuff is just stuff. That allowed me to install my ROM.
Hi, I am a relative newbie to ROM flashing and the like. Additionally I dont have a very deep computer knowledge base. I have rooted my Samsung Captivate and have flashed a ROM (which flashed properly, but didn't quite work). I have three questions about ROM usage and such:
1. I know kernels basically add aspects to the ROM you are running, but when should you flash these? How do you flash them (same process as with ROMs? do you just do it over-top of the Rom you currently have loaded? etc...)
2. If a newer version of the ROM you have running comes out, do you have to start over and completely wipe the device over again and do the whole process from start, or can you load a newer version of your current ROM over the one you have?
3. I have been hearing/reading about some problems with the Android Market disappearing on certain ROMs when the market updates, how can i avoid this/fix this?
Thanks. Sorry the basic/stupid questions.
1. Yes
2. There are WIPE versions and NO WIPE version. Usually you can use the NO WIPE version and keep everything. But sometimes if the roms are too different you get problems and errors, then it is recommended to flash a WIPE version.
3. Hm did not experience this yet, but there are fixes somewhere .
Whats up... No question is a stupid one buddy.... (Sometimes )
To answer your first question about kernels. Flashing kernels aren't a must. You don't have to flash them really, unless there is a need. Kernels for the most part can often change the way Android handles stuff like memory management, battery resources and even multitasking. They change (tweak) the way the Android OS itself interacts with the phones hardware. That's all a kernel is really. So read up on them before flashing them because each has their advantages and disadvantages. For example, the kernel I use gives me a good RAM boost and much better battery life but it suffers on the multitasking side and I have to do other stuff to compensate for that. That's how it is. As far as flashing them is concerned. That depends. Usually, you just flash them through recovery (Like a ROM) but I would suggest you follow the instructions they give you (if it exists).
Your second question is simple. Just follow the instructions they give you for installation. Some ROMS require a full wipe and others don't. It just depends on the ROM. When in doubt, follow the instructions (again if it exists).
Your third question is a weird one, I've never heard about that really. BUT.... Some ROMS may or may not include the GAPPS applications (Google Apps).
If the ROM you flash doesn't have Google Apps built in, it would literally be missing. You would have to flash it separately. Usually in those cases though, at the download location for that ROM, they would also provide links for GAPPS zip files to flash separately so you can have the option to go with Android Market, Gmail and such OR you can use an alternative. Short of that..... never heard of that issue before..... If the issue is happening after the Market app updates, in that case it might be some type of ROM issue, you'll probably have to somehow get the updated Vending.apk (Android Market) remove/backup the original and reinstall it manually (the way you would a regular apk). I'm guessing though....
Don't you just love research........
Thanks. And now, inevitably, answers lead to more questions.
With regards to kernels, how do I know which one's do what, are compatible with which ROMs etc. I feel like its the kinda thing that needs a giant database for them, but i know there isn't.
Also, is the process for flashing other .zip files the same (though either Rom manager or a built in Recovery option). For example, a bootanimation.zip?
Ultimately I hate the idea of asking overly simply questions, but I just don't know what I dont know, nor what is supposedly implied. Thanks.
Don't sweat it...... I'm in the same boat so I have no hangups....
I think I know what you mean when it comes to kernels. Ultimately, learning about kernels requires a lot of reading in many forums (Just like this one)... Why?.... Because in many instances the persons posting the kernels might not always give you an exact breakdown on exactly what it does..... so I understand. Your best bet would be scanning XDA. I've found all sorts of really excellent kernels lying around and the devs here love documentation so there is a good chance you'll know what it does...
You could also try DroidBasement: http://droidbasement.com/db-blog/
They actually have just what you wanted, a database....kind of. They have a very large variety of kernels for different devices so its a good place to start as well.
They also tend to do a breakdown of what each kernel is capable of, the device it should be used on and so on.
About flashing zip files. Generally speaking, most zip files are flashed through recovery but its not written in stone. Following the instructions concerning said zip files are always very important. Always look for instructions before you do so at least at first. In the case of bootanimation.zip.... They are not always flashable. But if it is flashable, you can flash it through recovery which would be the best method....
If you want though, you can replace the original bootanimation.zip file with the new one manually, once you have root and some type of root explorer (for example RootExplorer for Android).
Generally, the boot animation directory is usually, /System/Media so you can check to see if its there and if it is, just backup the original and replace it with the new one.... That should work... Always nandroid before doing so though.... before doing anything really....
Thanks. I actually had a question about nandroid but forgot. Basically, what is it. I realize contextually that it's a backup program and apparently works through the recovery menus. I read a ROM flashing step-by-step that mentioned it but couldnt figure out where to get it (not in the market unlike Ti-bu which i use currently).
Nandroid is a backup program that basically creates a flash image of your phone... If you've ever heard of "Ghosting" or "Imaging" a Hard Drive, its exactly the same thing.
Its really as good as it gets as far as data backup is concerned. Its also a low level backup, so even file structures would be recorded.. In other words, you can completely screw up your phone (file partitions everything!!!!) but once you can boot to recovery, your phone can be restored. That's why its so important because its your safety net....
Its not something that you can install like an apk, so its not in the market.
You would have to flash a custom recovery. If you have one already, it should be located in one of the menus (It changes depending on the type (brand) of recovery).
If you don't see the option in your recovery then its probably not custom and you're going to have to do some digging on these forums and maybe a bit of googling for instructions on exactly how to do so. Because it could change from device to device.
Nandroid also allows you to backup your sd-ext partition as well, so if you switch cards, you can restore to another card.... Its really incredibly handy and I wouldn't suggest you do anything until you can create nandroid backups....
Now, I'm having an interesting problem I posted this same thing in general Captivate forums but maybe someone who is looking at this/answering me knows. here's what i posted there:
have a Captivate that I recently flashed Di11i's 7.1.1 to, before that I had flashed my first ROM which was Serendipity 6.2. Both times I have found that I don't get incoming calls. People calling me get 2-3 rings, and then a traditional "busy signal" sound. On my end, either the phone vibrates once but the screen doesnt change from whatever screen I'm on. Or, The screen goes black like its going to the incoming call screen, but the black screens only flashes and goes away, as does a force close message box that goes away quickly without me clicking it.
Everything else on my phone works as far as I can tell, I've been running my current ROM for about 5 days without issues other than this one. This same exact problem also happened when I flashed Serendipity 6.2 (which I only kept for like a day because of this problem)
Ok....I currently use a G1 and most of my experience has been on HTC Devices. I'm not sure of how to reply to this as I have never really modded Samsung devices before. So I'm not really familiar with software and hardware differences (Like Bootloader, Recoveries, Radios and such). But based on what you're describing.... It sounds like a ROM or maybe a radio issue. Maybe its an issue with the phone app itself. If the app is somehow buggy then thats exactly what would happen. When the phone rings the phone app would try to run but then force close....
I'm guessing here, but it could also be a radio issue because you're getting a busy tone as well which is not good. Maybe the ROM requires a specific Radio version BEFORE its flashed.... Check the source of the download and determine if it requires a specific Radio version.
In my experience though, if the correct radio version isn't used for a ROM that requires it, the phone just won't boot..... but then again, I don't know what would happen on a Samsung Captivate.... Not sure if I can help on this one because I don't have any info on that type of hardware. I don't own one you see.....
What about if you found out a new kernel isn't as good as the old kernel, how would you go on to take away the new kernel to replace it with the old kernel? Is it the same process or even harder?
vlen22 said:
What about if you found out a new kernel isn't as good as the old kernel, how would you go on to take away the new kernel to replace it with the old kernel? Is it the same process or even harder?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NOW THIS IS ANNOYING..
u have to flash ur rom again..
but fortunately u dont need to do and wiping data or partitioning sd card.. jus flash rom..
Its not something that you can install like an apk, so its not in the market.
zeemar007 said:
NOW THIS IS ANNOYING..
u have to flash ur rom again..
but fortunately u dont need to do and wiping data or partitioning sd card.. jus flash rom..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The rom kernel that I downloaded, or flashing clockwork recovery mod? Like adrenylyne's kernel for the thunderbolt.
EDIT: Never mind, I found out. I didn't mean any harm if MY POST was annoying.
If you have two kernels, in a flashable zip, you can just flash them over each other to exchange them (turn off any modification the kernel did befor though, like lagfix).
New question, I had an app (quick office) that came on my captivate. Now that I've flashed di11i's 7.1 I don't have it anymore. This is particularly peculiar because all the other native apps are still here:samsungs media player from example. How do I go about getting this missing app back on my phone. I have all the backup files on my computer so I should have the .apk (although I'm not entirely sure how to install those properly) thanks
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Hello there are rom custom for my sm-g350 pls ?
Izuna30 said:
Hello there are rom custom for my sm-g350 pls ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1st this is i8260/i8262 section not sm g350
2nd this is dev section not Q&A
ngoralph said:
1st this is i8260/i8262 section not sm g350
2nd this is dev section not Q&A
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pretty sure this is q&a
Sent from my GT-I8262 using XDA Free mobile app
frost245 said:
Pretty sure this is q&a
Sent from my GT-I8262 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
afaik it was moved as i have reported it
Gotta get this working!
Hello everyone, I'm new to this forum, although I have spend a big amount of time here (before registering), reading through posts about customizing ROMs, etc.
First things first:
- I have a Samsung Galaxy Core Plus G350 (or G3500 whatever suites you), and I would like to customize it's stock ROM, no rooting involved. I did manage to customize, or I should say minimize, my stock ROM for my Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2 (S7710), rooted it, changed lot's of things, just to get rid off unwanted apps, services and maximize performance. And that worked out pretty well .
Being I'm a guy who likes things to be neat (I'll get to that in a sec ), and pretty much as close to factory build as it can be, I'm not trying to do anything flashy with my G350, just want to remove stupid apps and that's it.
When I said neat, I meant Odin flashing ROM neat. I prefer it to CWM Rom installing technique (although this is clean as well, one would have to have a memory card, memory card reader (or working USB drivers if one has to transfer files directly to the phone), CWM Recovery Firmware (no support for G350), and compatible Custom ROM...you get the picture, not much of a trouble, but a hassle if some of the components are missing....Odin flashing... clean and easy, anyone can use it.
My problem is:
After completing all modification, my system.img file appears with a lock, when I compile it. I'm not sure about the memory allocation, I did calculated it correctly ( i hope ) but that shouldn't be a problem, my main problem is the stupid lock on system.img file icon, before I compress everything to tar and checksum it. Ofc the flashing fails and my best guess its because of that lock in the icon, and Odin stops on system.img file. Does anyone know why is this happening, I didn't have any issues with Xcover's ROM packing, every time I finish with the modification in Xcover system.img file, unmount the file, and everything is fine. Even the flashing part.
I'm packing everything in Ubuntu 14.04 ...I am familiar with linux base systems but I ain't a wiz and flashing in Win 7.
Does anyone know the solution to this, I'm doing something wrong for sure, or I'm overlooking something, any help is very welcome.
Sorry for this extensive text and bad English (not my native language), I figured someone would appreciate some info.
Best regards.
AlexInHell said:
Hello everyone, I'm new to this forum, although I have spend a big amount of time here (before registering), reading through posts about customizing ROMs, etc.
First things first:
- I have a Samsung Galaxy Core Plus G350 (or G3500 whatever suites you), and I would like to customize it's stock ROM, no rooting involved. I did manage to customize, or I should say minimize, my stock ROM for my Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2 (S7710), rooted it, changed lot's of things, just to get rid off unwanted apps, services and maximize performance. And that worked out pretty well .
Being I'm a guy who likes things to be neat (I'll get to that in a sec ), and pretty much as close to factory build as it can be, I'm not trying to do anything flashy with my G350, just want to remove stupid apps and that's it.
When I said neat, I meant Odin flashing ROM neat. I prefer it to CWM Rom installing technique (although this is clean as well, one would have to have a memory card, memory card reader (or working USB drivers if one has to transfer files directly to the phone), CWM Recovery Firmware (no support for G350), and compatible Custom ROM...you get the picture, not much of a trouble, but a hassle if some of the components are missing....Odin flashing... clean and easy, anyone can use it.
My problem is:
After completing all modification, my system.img file appears with a lock, when I compile it. I'm not sure about the memory allocation, I did calculated it correctly ( i hope ) but that shouldn't be a problem, my main problem is the stupid lock on system.img file icon, before I compress everything to tar and checksum it. Ofc the flashing fails and my best guess its because of that lock in the icon, and Odin stops on system.img file. Does anyone know why is this happening, I didn't have any issues with Xcover's ROM packing, every time I finish with the modification in Xcover system.img file, unmount the file, and everything is fine. Even the flashing part.
I'm packing everything in Ubuntu 14.04 ...I am familiar with linux base systems but I ain't a wiz and flashing in Win 7.
Does anyone know the solution to this, I'm doing something wrong for sure, or I'm overlooking something, any help is very welcome.
Sorry for this extensive text and bad English (not my native language), I figured someone would appreciate some info.
Best regards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as I know, the lock shows, that you don't have the write permission on this file
Sent from my SM-G350 using XDA-Developers mobile app
Dear community, i would like to update the firmware of my stock tablet 3 8.0.
I would like to install a recent android version. I use tablet for reading, watching tv via official apps, surfing, twitch, youtube gmail and similiar.. is a very standard usage.
I ve found plenty of not updated topic, forums and guides.
Since is an old device, there are a lot of missing informations, links, and much more.
I would like to find someone that could suggest me the better rom (usage, performance etch) and helps me in the entire procedure.
We could start from this ?
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2525630
1. Make sure you have backed up everything you care about from the device before you begin.
2. Charge your device to 75% or more before you start.
3. Install the proper drivers before you start. Usually, installation of Kies will take care of this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
for example, how to backup the entire "image" of tablet?
Which driver and where to find them?
Hope to find someone
Thanks friend