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I have been following the Threads since I got my G1 for about 3 weeks now. Two days after receiving it I got the OTA update from T-Mobile before I knew it I was on RC30. After DREAMIMG.nbh and very careful reading I was able to downgrade to RC29, Root - Telnetd, and install RC30 Mod JFv1.2 then JFv1.3. Finally I installed Bootloader and got the skateboarding androids.
After a couple days of reading, I took the plunge. Let me be the first to say that as a Windows XP user, alot of this information is very confusing as I am used to a Dos type system, and all of these commands made it seem a bit more confusing than it really is.
Now that I have root and bootloader I would like to start to change the boot screen and try my hand at some Linux based stuff?
Being that I use Windows XP, it is my understanding that I can run Linux using Slax? I am very computer literate, but haven't tried my hand at programming since the days of Dos and Paschal. Are their any online tutorials that somone would recommend as a starter or is the Android Software so different that it may be better to start from scratch?
Willing to learn any pointers would be appreciated.
I may be misunderstanding you but if your looking to make any modifications to the operating system itself (which is definitely needed), I would suggest having a look at the Android source code at http://android.git.kernel.org. The back-end of the platform (kernel, etc) is all written in C. The userland stuff is written in Google's implementation of Java called Dalvik. Now that you have the dev bootloader, all you really have to do is clone the official android repository, make your changes, build and flash to the device using fastboot.
Thanx Datruesurfer
After all the reading it seemed alot of work was being done in Linux but I don't know anything about that so, I could be completely off base.
At your suggestion I looked at android.git.kernal and it seems they do a good job at explaining some things, but it still makes many references to Linux and Unix.
Would programming of Git be done in linux. I see that Git is gotten using .tar files which is Linux compressed files? So is it best to try to do programming using slax or ubuntu?
Also, are things like the boot screen modified using Linux based .png or can that be done in Windows?
Let me say sorry in advanced, as I am doing this for the first time, please say stop if I am being too n00bish.
Also...I noticed ....
that the commands given in the Git User's Manual look very familiar like the commands that were given while I was reverting my RC30 back to RC29 using the Pterminal/Telnet. Can this programming with Git be done off of the G1 Phone itself?
You're in over your head dude. If you haven't programmed in these object oriented based programming methods and you know nothing of linux, then recompiling the android source like the above poster suggested is too much.
I don't mean to dissapoint or negatively comment, but really save yourself the trouble.
If you really want to though, figure out the basics of C and java programming and start reading the source.
Brutal-Force said:
After all the reading it seemed alot of work was being done in Linux but I don't know anything about that so, I could be completely off base.
At your suggestion I looked at android.git.kernal and it seems they do a good job at explaining some things, but it still makes many references to Linux and Unix.
Would programming of Git be done in linux. I see that Git is gotten using .tar files which is Linux compressed files? So is it best to try to do programming using slax or ubuntu?
Also, are things like the boot screen modified using Linux based .png or can that be done in Windows?
Let me say sorry in advanced, as I am doing this for the first time, please say stop if I am being too n00bish.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A Few things...
1. Android and Git are two completely different products. Git is the revision control system used by Android. Whenever one of the developers at Google makes a change to the source code they will upload it to the repository. Then people can go revision by revision to see where modifications have been made and suggest their own if they wish.
2. The part where a Linux box would be handy is actually downloading all of the files in the repository and compiling your own build. As dirr said, you probably should hold off on this until you have a better understanding of the platform itself.
3 As far as the boot image goes, the bootloader will only accept files that have been formatted specifically for it. Once you have the image formatted, you can flash it in the SPL via fastboot (the screen with the skating androids) I believe this can all be done via windows now.
4. I think I better understand where your coming from as far as modification. You should look at http://code.google.com/android to learn about how to code in Dalvik, as that will help you out much more then learning C. Once you have a good understanding of that, you can try to build from source
Hope that helps...
Thanx for the advice.
After reading about the above suggestions, it does seem that to do something simple would only be simple for someone who has all the background programming information of different platforms. This is probably why most tutorials/procedures are written so vaguely here. I appreciate the input and I will hold off and just read up on things other "more experienced" people write about here. I have a basic understanding of what is happening, but the "language" is so complex. Maybe in baby steps I will learn, since it appears that on this forum "Android" is fairly new. And while I am watching what is happening here, I will get java for dummies or bone up on Dalvik and start reading and practicing. Thanx for the help guys, and thans JF, Koush and all the other senior members for the RC30 Mod. At least I have the skateboarding Androis
I'm Linux & BSD literate, and used to administering servers, compiling programs and kernels from source. I've also managed to root and flash my Magic, following advice found here. What I'd like to do is gather up some info on how to build ROMs for the Sapphire platform.
I'm already poking around the Android Wiki FAQ and the Dream dev forum on this site. There's quite a bit of info there but some of it is out of date and I've not found much that's Sapphire-specific. I also plan to take apart the .zip files released by Haykuro and others and compare/diff configs to get a feel for things.
My intent is to put together enough info to allow anyone to pull apart a released ROM and replace the dialler, add some language support or some extra apps, maybe make some other simple changes.
What I need is any pointers on:
1. Sapphire-specific info.
2. Any danger of bricking my Magic by messing around with home-made ROMs.
3. Anything else that might be useful.
Hopefully I'll be able to put together a rudimentary HowTo for the wiki, which others can add some fine-tuning and extra info to.
Thanks for any input.
I think this is a very good idea!
It would simplify things if everybody would understand how exactly custom ROMs are created.
1 - Be aware that there are different Magic HW versions...
2 - I don't think you can brick your magic as long as you make backups via nandroid.
3 - A few things I think should be in the wiki :
- how to completely setup a linux environment and which applications you need to be able to build custom ROMs.
- Explain how the android OS is working, explain what boot, hboot, recovery, system is, how the partitions work, etc..
- What are test-keys, what is the difference with and release-keys.
- How to sign.
- How to dump the recovery.img, boot.img without having root access.
- What to change into the recovery.img and boot.img to get root.
- How create an update.zip
- How to make backups with nandroid and how to restore them..
Agreed think this would be a fantastic idea, unfortunately it seems like the people in the know are not willing to share any of their knowledge =o(
Do keep us up to date as to what you find by dissecting the ROMs, had a look the other day briefly but didn't have time to play yet,
Also waiting for info/confirmation that as long as you just flash bad roms its not possible to brick your phone only if you play with SPL's and such
fxn said:
Agreed think this would be a fantastic idea, unfortunately it seems like the people in the know are not willing to share any of their knowledge =o(
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, I'm sure the knowledge is scattered around the place - sharing is one thing, bothering to document is quite another!
The only thing I don't expect to find openly shared is traceable leaked material, and frankly I can live without that.
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.
My Nexus has problems connecting over bluetooth to my Car (BMW). I've found a lot of references to similair problems, and also a hint which suggests a change that could solve the problem. The hint can be found on the cyanogem forum in posting 77834, "bluetooth-connection-drops-kar-kit-bmw" (I cannot post links here).
I am running stock KitKat, and for the moment want to keep it that way. So, I decided to try the same patch on KitKat. I've managed to setup a development image in a VM, but keep running into problems compiling - my machine lacks resources (diskspace) to complete a complete build. I do not need a complete build; I need just 1 file, bluetooth.default.so, compiled. My development skills are VERY rusty, and I cannot find out how to build only this file.
I've applied the patch to external/bluetooth/bluedroid/bta/ag/bta_ag_sdp.c, run a make on the Makefile here etc - but, still no luck. The most frustrating bit is that I'm sure this is trivial, but it has been such a long time since I did any development work that I cannot seem to find a way to compile.
Can someone help me out here with hints on how to build the .so? I need bluetoot.default.so, build from the files in the external/.../ag directory, to be situated in system/lib/hw on the android system.
You put a Q in the title yet still posted in the wrong place. Please be more careful about where you post. General is not for questions. Q&A is for questions
Hello all,
Updating android-x86 variant could be accomplished via OTA updates, and/or
another bootable installer, however wouldn't having the ability to 'flash'
customizations via a GRUB like interface be beneficial as well?
I feel for testing purposes that this could be beneficial. Having the
ability to rework the source without having to do a clean install every
time could provide a more accurate method for testing. This would also be
good for devs, who want to modify their actual system rather than a virtual
one.
I have little knowledge of android building, however I am vaguely familiar
with C and java. I have the source downloaded and I am reviewing it, in the
case that people will find this worthwhile, I will (hopefully) be able to
contribute to the cause.
Again, if I am completely off base here, please inform me. I am just trying
to help the cause!
Thanks all for future inputs. :good:
korg bootable recovery ( may be useful) : http://sourceforge.net/p/android-x86/korg_bootable_recovery/ci/master/tree/
Source thread : http://grokbase.com/t/gg/android-x86/143w3yx749/grub-based-recovery-similar-to-cwm
bump
no idea?