Questions about ROMs and Porting - General Questions and Answers

So, Since the Cyanogenmod source is so big (I heard that it has 19GB), people like us who have gay as slow internet have no chance of even trying to cook a ROM for our unsupported devices.
Since I can't download the whole CM source and I see awesome ROM's out there, I Ported one ROM called Cyanfox (which was made for Samsung S2 i9100) to Samsung Infuse 4G using Beanstalk ROM as a base. I followed a guide which asks me to replace some folders and edit some files. It was walking fine. Then came an update to both the ROMs, Thinking that cince it is a update, it will have the updated apps and source, I tried porting them again but this time Beanstalk updated ROM as a base cause a bootloop while the Beanstalk old ROM works fine as a Base ROM.
Now what I don't get is, why is Beanstalk new ROM not working as a base? (Since the new Beanstalk ROM will have updated Source, I want to use that ROM as my base.)
And the second question is, what files does actually matter when you are Porting or cooking an Android ROM? (I mean like windows works on all kind of PC's all it needs is the drivers right? The drivers actually matter on windows)
And the 3rd question is can I update the source files somehow without downloading the whole 19GB CM source and if possible how?
The 4rth is, I heard from somewhere that boot.img is the file which separates the phones? Then why can't we just port ROM's by replacing boot.img since these two phone's are from the same vendor and it has likely specs. (Which is not possible I think)
I am really really a newbie to this thingies, I just wanted to clear out these things. Sorry for my noobness.
Thanks!

Related

[Q] Porting Rom for Nexus S to T959

Basically, I'm trying to port this rom to the Samsung Vibrant. I am using the latest Cyanogen Mod nightly as the base rom and following the tutorials for porting roms to other devices. I just want to make sure that I have properly checked everything, since I'd rather not test the rom on my device without community help. I've checked to make sure that the resolutions are similar, etc. My question is, is there anything I'm missing or anything that I should fix?

Question about custom roms vs CM12S/Oxygen

Hey guys,
Just a quick question that I'm hoping someone can clear up for me. I have been flashing phones since the Vibrant and I seem to recall back then (and other phones I've had after such as the Sensation) devs would use the source of the firmware released from the manufacturer to create more stable roms and until that source was released there would be the possibility of the bugs.
I am coming from a Nexus 5 which I just used the stock rom since I wanted the OTA updates so it's been a while since I've flashed custom roms.
My question is, is the OPO the same way in the sense that in order to have more stable roms the source has to be released by CM in order to be more stable or is this a whole different beast where that isn't a necessity?
Thanks.
CM11S/CM12S is derived from the CM11/CM12 nightlies, all current ROMs are based on those CM sources, so all current ROMs are up to date. If you're flashing CM12 nightlies there's nothing extra that you need to do because firmware and modem is built in, but if you're flashing another custom ROM you need to flash the appropriate firmware and modem before flashing the ROM.
Oxygen is the exception to the above information, in the sense that it isn't based on CM. Flashing Oxygen will automatically flash the appropriate firmware, but if you want to revert back you need to flash the correct firmware/modem first.
Transmitted via Bacon
timmaaa said:
CM11S/CM12S is derived from the CM11/CM12 nightlies, all current ROMs are based on those CM sources, so all current ROMs are up to date. If you're flashing CM12 nightlies there's nothing extra that you need to do because firmware and modem is built in, but if you're flashing another custom ROM you need to flash the appropriate firmware and modem before flashing the ROM.
Oxygen is the exception to the above information, in the sense that it isn't based on CM. Flashing Oxygen will automatically flash the appropriate firmware, but if you want to revert back you need to flash the correct firmware/modem first.
Transmitted via Bacon
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Thanks, I did not know that but it does clear some other things up.
One other question, when a Samsung (for example Galaxy S5) rom is leaked, developers will use the latest leak to update their roms but typically a rom won't be "stable" until it is based on the source that is released.
Is the OPO like that as well where the custom roms need to have a source released in order to do that (is this the google android source or CM source?), I guess I'm trying to find out the stability of the roms versus a stock rom and whether there will be more bugs in one or the other.
sahil04 said:
Thanks, I did not know that but it does clear some other things up.
One other question, when a Samsung (for example Galaxy S5) rom is leaked, developers will use the latest leak to update their roms but typically a rom won't be "stable" until it is based on the source that is released.
Is the OPO like that as well where the custom roms need to have a source released in order to do that (is this the google android source or CM source?), I guess I'm trying to find out the stability of the roms versus a stock rom and whether there will be more bugs in one or the other.
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Click to collapse
That's what I answered in my last reply. The CM nightlies are the source, all ROMs are built based on those nightlies (except for a couple). This phone is nothing like a Samsung or an HTC where the stock ROMs are different from the aosp ROMs or CM based ROMs. The stock ROM for this phone is the CM ROM. The stock source is always released, every single day.
Transmitted via Bacon
timmaaa said:
That's what I answered in my last reply. The CM nightlies are the source, all ROMs are built based on those nightlies (except for a couple). This phone is nothing like a Samsung or an HTC where the stock ROMs are different from the aosp ROMs or CM based ROMs. The stock ROM for this phone is the CM ROM. The stock source is always released, every single day.
Transmitted via Bacon
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Got it! Thank you!!
timmaaa said:
That's what I answered in my last reply. The CM nightlies are the source, all ROMs are built based on those nightlies (except for a couple). This phone is nothing like a Samsung or an HTC where the stock ROMs are different from the aosp ROMs or CM based ROMs. The stock ROM for this phone is the CM ROM. The stock source is always released, every single day.
Transmitted via Bacon
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Not exactly true. CM is AOSP BASED, but modified - sometimes quite a bit. In the case of CM12S - this is a ROM specific to the OnePlus One. It isn't the same as CM12. It is only for this specific phone, and has some features in it that are specific to this phone.
I'm not sure why anyone would want to install Oxygen OS, unless they have just been brainwashed by OP that CM is now bad. Well that and the fact that CM still hasn't released 12S, nor am I convinced that they ever will. They seem to be pretty terrible when it comes to keeping up with the commercial side of things... Very amateurish.
mhannigan said:
Not exactly true. CM is AOSP BASED, but modified - sometimes quite a bit. In the case of CM12S - this is a ROM specific to the OnePlus One. It isn't the same as CM12. It is only for this specific phone, and has some features in it that are specific to this phone.
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Click to collapse
I know that CM is essentially aosp, and CM11S/CM12S is 99% CM11/CM12, with just a couple of fancy apps thrown in on top to make it seem a bit different. It really is just like a milestone release of the main CM branch, a stable release.
Not Exactly.
Heisenberg said:
I know that CM is essentially aosp, and CM11S/CM12S is 99% CM11/CM12, with just a couple of fancy apps thrown in on top to make it seem a bit different. It really is just like a milestone release of the main CM branch, a stable release.
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Not really. There are no apps of which I am aware that that put in the "S" release. But there are features specific to the needs of that device and to that user community that add value.
mhannigan said:
Not really. There are no apps of which I am aware that that put in the "S" release. But there are features specific to the needs of that device and to that user community that add value.
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CameraNext, the custom lockscreen. Both apps that are unique to Cyanogen OS. I'm sure there are more but I don't run that ROM so I can't check. You can believe it or not, but Cyanogen OS is just CM with a few extra apps/features. Your lack of belief in it doesn't stop it from being true.

Several Noob questions about custom ROMs?

Hi guys,
I always read in the Xda forum but never wrote or asked a question...usually someone already asked them.
so I have the Mi 5S PLUS...but I hate the miui UI. can't get used to it. And yesterday I finally found that there are custom ROM for this device.
So I got few questions.
1. As far as i know, the source code hasnt been released but should be released soon. should I wait for a ROM that uses the source code?
2. I see that the most popular costum ROMs for this device are - Lineage and resurrection remix. In terms of battery life, stability and bug free rom. which one is the best?
3. I see there is one ROM with the tag [OFFICIAL]....does this mean it uses the source code? if not, what does it mean?
thanks a lot to those that answer
eliko2000 said:
Hi guys,
I always read in the Xda forum but never wrote or asked a question...usually someone already asked them.
so I have the Mi 5S PLUS...but I hate the miui UI. can't get used to it. And yesterday I finally found that there are custom ROM for this device.
So I got few questions.
1. As far as i know, the source code hasnt been released but should be released soon. should I wait for a ROM that uses the source code?
2. I see that the most popular costum ROMs for this device are - Lineage and resurrection remix. In terms of battery life, stability and bug free rom. which one is the best?
3. I see there is one ROM with the tag [OFFICIAL]....does this mean it uses the source code? if not, what does it mean?
thanks a lot to those that answer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Source code is released but rom based on source code are not released yet .You can use them but their are some bugs,
2.You can check yourself
3. Official means official rom from lineage team or other maintainers just like Global MIUI rom from xiaomi is official while xiaomi.eu is unofficial .
You can check for source in rom page for more info about what device tree and source code it uses
ashish289 said:
1. Source code is released but rom based on source code are not released yet .You can use them but their are some bugs,
2.You can check yourself
3. Official means official rom from lineage team or other maintainers just like Global MIUI rom from xiaomi is official while xiaomi.eu is unofficial .
You can check for source in rom page for more info about what device tree and source code it uses
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the answers. But I asked because I prefer to install one and that's it. and if someone used the both ..why not to hear opinions.
I recomend RR
eliko2000 said:
Thanks for the answers. But I asked because I prefer to install one and that's it. and if someone used the both ..why not to hear opinions.
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The reason that people don't recommend one over the other is because YMMV. I know I came from a cyanogen ROM with my previous phone and dirty unicorns on the phoen before that (along with a whole set of custom ROMs). In the end though, I found them all to be "similar". Yes, some do some things differently like some offer a lot of CPU governors, while others keep the list pretty tight. Some default with swap space on, some don't use swap space at all (this phone shouldn't need swap space). Sometimes the difference between two ROMs is just the launcher.
For me, I don't really like the MIUI launcher. It feels a lot like an iphone. This isn't a bad thing. Some people like it. I just install Apex (from the play store) and my issues with the ROM were mostly resolved. The only remaining problem is MASS STORAGE. But, based on my experience with mly previous phone, I doubt I'll find a ROM that natively supports it. But I know how to hack my way in and get that going (just need root... which requires an unlocked bootloader... and if I am reading things correctly, you need to wipe everything which I currently not willing to do... but may have found a workaround... going to test it out tomorrow).
bmg002 said:
The reason that people don't recommend one over the other is because YMMV. I know I came from a cyanogen ROM with my previous phone and dirty unicorns on the phoen before that (along with a whole set of custom ROMs). In the end though, I found them all to be "similar". Yes, some do some things differently like some offer a lot of CPU governors, while others keep the list pretty tight. Some default with swap space on, some don't use swap space at all (this phone shouldn't need swap space). Sometimes the difference between two ROMs is just the launcher.
For me, I don't really like the MIUI launcher. It feels a lot like an iphone. This isn't a bad thing. Some people like it. I just install Apex (from the play store) and my issues with the ROM were mostly resolved. The only remaining problem is MASS STORAGE. But, based on my experience with mly previous phone, I doubt I'll find a ROM that natively supports it. But I know how to hack my way in and get that going (just need root... which requires an unlocked bootloader... and if I am reading things correctly, you need to wipe everything which I currently not willing to do... but may have found a workaround... going to test it out tomorrow).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wipe everything is very simple connect the phone via USB cable to PC and via twrp wipe everything then past a Rom on the phone and flash it, that's it
venezolano69 said:
Wipe everything is very simple connect the phone via USB cable to PC and via twrp wipe everything then past a Rom on the phone and flash it, that's it
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Click to collapse
Wiping everything is easy, yes, but I want to avoid wiping if I don't have to.
Got the phone rooted without needing to wipe it (yay), but getting mass storage enabled failed on me. I can't seem to write to the file I need to which confuses me... but that is off topic so I'll refrain from boring you with details on that.
Back on topic, if you are switching to a custom ROM you will need to wipe things. I personally would wait for a custom kernel to come out before you start playing with custom ROMs unless the custom ROM has a feature you REALLY want. With my previous phones, the one that had a custom Kernel as well as custom ROMs was a lot more stable and had a lot fewer bugs. The one that had only factory kernel, the custom ROMs were flaky. They mostly worked, but they did have bugs. If I got a phone call or called somebody and they hung up first, it would crash the dialer and the dialer would fail to start again until I rebooted. Now a custom kernel may not have helped that, but since the kernel was based on a previous version of Android, it was unstable.
The current custom ROMs (that I have seen) are all based off of the stock kernel and not newer ones so I personally do not expect to see much benefit in changing ROMs except having different bloat and a different launcher. Well, at lest for the things I use my phone for. But YMMV.

Unofficial ROMs vs original ROM maker

Hi all,
I see sometimes that there are unofficial ROMs made of official ROMs such as Paranoid Android, that support devices such as our own before the original ROM creator does.
Now I know nothing about making ROMs, I'm guessing there of course is specific firmware and drivers for our phone as one example, unique to us.
Is it a support question, as in the official makers could support another phone (easily?!), but don't, because they don't have the device to confirm it works fine or may carry a brick risk etc?
How hard is it to make an "unofficial" ROM that supports specific devices features/hardware? Is it a case of merging differnt device firmware with another kernel and testing? (I'm sure some will be mad at my naivety)
Sorry for the newb question.

Would there be any hope for getting Android Jellybean or KitKat on this old Samsung from 2012? (Samsung Galaxy Discover)

I have a Samsung Galaxy Discover, it's my old childhood phone and for the memories, I want to make it as usable as I can now, however I basically can't do anything internet related with it as it runs Android Ice Cream Sandwich (which I will be shortening to ICS for the rest of this post), ICS has certificate issues which you can't do anything about, to use anything internet related you need Jellybean (also has certificate issues but not as bad as ICS and they can be updated unlike ICS) or KitKat (has all modern certificates), however the Discover only has ICS ROMs, there was a Jellybean ROM at one point however the link is dead and I can't find an archive of it. I know it's possible to get Jellybean and KitKat on the Discover because the Galaxy Ace Plus has both Jellybean and KitKat ROMs, and the Ace Plus and Discover are basically the same phone, and I did spend a bit of time trying to port a CyanogenMod 10 ROM for the Ace Plus to the Discover, but I'm just too inexperienced with ROM porting and making ROMs and I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, so after I ran into an issue I couldn't find any details about on Google, I just gave up and went back to ICS.
If anyone could explain how to make a ROM (whether it be making my own ROM from scratch or porting an already existing ROM like CyanogenMod) for the Discover or even make a ROM for me, I'd be super thankful, preferably I want Jellybean as this is a super cheap phone and I don't think KitKat will run very well on it, however if KitKat is easier to get running I'll do KitKat. The exact model number of the phone is SGH-S730M. I have access to computers running macOS, Windows and Linux. (figured that'll be helpful to know if I need to make a ROM)
How do I create a custom rom?
Hey! So I was so happy with my phone, a Huawei mate 20 lite, that has been obsolete cuz it's old. I unlocked it's bootloader, and I will install TWRP for it, but there's no custom roms like pixel experience or Lineageos for it, so I decided to...
forum.xda-developers.com
jwoegerbauer said:
How do I create a custom rom?
Hey! So I was so happy with my phone, a Huawei mate 20 lite, that has been obsolete cuz it's old. I unlocked it's bootloader, and I will install TWRP for it, but there's no custom roms like pixel experience or Lineageos for it, so I decided to...
forum.xda-developers.com
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Click to collapse
That page doesn't help. The first guide linked there requires you getting the device tree, vendor, and kernel from GitHub, and since the Discover is an obscure device, I highly doubt any of that stuff is on GitHub, I'd have to pull it from a pre-existing ICS ROM or something (but idk how to do that), and on the second page linked there I don't see any sort of guide.

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