Database Info

SuderMods - a Wooters Tale (formerly Tail)

I receive my GT in a day or so an plan to go to work on it immediately. I will post my steps and experiences here . sort of my own personal wiki. It will be part historical notes to myself....part useful info for y-all...part ***** session.
I will start with my Shipping experiences:
Ordered on the 23rd (like all wooters) around 4:30 pm Pacific
Got my Tracking number yesterday, 29th, around 12:30. Clearly part of the 2nd or 3rd tranche.
FedEx first showed info around 10pm last night.
Mar 29, 2011 2:27 AM - Left FedEx origin facility - Austin.
I've seen others where it goes from Austin to Huchins ... hope mine doesn't have that extra stop..unless that's a plane .
I've done some reading in here on ROMs and bootloaders and recovery...sounds like an AA meeting.
The Tools
NVFlash : utility written by NVidia to facilitate changing the partitions in the memory structure.
ADB : a generic utility used to facility communication between a computer (your PC) and an Android device (your GT).
Apparently, getting ADB running for the GT is a little different than for our phones.
Here is an ADB Guide for windows users I found that has stuff for W7 x86 and x64.
Here is an NVFlash guide for window users...also has x64 stuff.
on Recovery
I've read a couple different posts relating to recovery...to Clock or not to Clock? I've read many posts on how to install Clockwork, other posts that say do NOT install Clockwork. The issue seems to revolve around the fact that Clockwork does NOT modify the bootloader, while the Stock Recovery can. However, Clockwork allows you to clear user data but Stock does not. I think that gAdam ROM has both.
From what I can gather....the bootloader is sort of like the BIOS of your computer. It sort of sets up your GT tab for whatever you're running on it. Some ROMs use different memory partitions in different ways, and the bootloader needs to match it.
roeBeet's post on Recovery has great info.
The recovery issue is confusing. The second post in the above thread indicates to not install the Clockworkmod app...only install bekit's .8 recovery...of which there are two versions...read the post. I've read it 4 times and am still confused.
Firmware
3389 - first batch of woo-Tabs
3588 - most common version
3991 - potential next step from Viewsonic
What do these number represent? I think it's firmware version...which is different than bootloader. I haven't got a good sense of it yet .
I read in the Shipping receiving thread that someone got 3588. Maybe the second batch is different. That would be good...almost worth the wai.....naw....
The first "version" post for the wooters was This one.
"shipped with version 1.1-3389"
On page 2 of that thread roeBeet writes :
"It's not a requirement, but I think it's a good idea to flash to 3588 first. The reason is that you'll get the latest bootloader and recovery, which ROMs like VEGAn don't touch.
Recovery is the one that concerns me, as 3588 recovery seems to be a kind of "gateway" recovery that might (and I stress "might") be needed to get you to a future firmware level. So, imo, I would flash to 3588 first, THEN start using ROMs if you want. It's a safer bet, again imo."
Update: I saw this post in the Shipping Thread:
"Just got mine! Not sure what firmware i started with, but as I turned on wifi I was prompted to update to 3588."
So, it looks like you will be updated to 3588 as soon as you enable wifi....RoeBeet says this is the best starting point...so I guess everything should work out as we need it.
On ROMs & Kernels
Here's a sticky post with links to Video Reviews of All ROMs.
Personally, I will try some other ROMs....but Culkulin had the most stable stuff back in the TouchPro2 days. and I've read great reports on his v1.1 ROM. I will give that one a run early.
Kernsls are different than ROMs. Honestly I don't have a complete grasp on it all ....but I'm pretty sure the ROM runs on top of the Kernel. You can run different Kernels on the same ROM and it will run differently. I think the kernel may control the I/O between the ROM and the hardware.
What I've Done
Initial steps
Well it finally came yesterday.
1. Hooked up to Wifi
2. OTA Update immediately loaded...I obliged
I mistakenly turned on the TNT desktop...what a mistake...i just didn't like it.
So now I'll just load clockwork. But wait we said we weren't suppose to. I honestly didn't see any way around it. I needed to load a ROM but couldn't get the thing into the standard recovery mode. I was short on time and really needed to get a ROM in there fast.
I used the Stick Post as a guide. I had some issues at first. I could see recovery being installed, but I could never get CWM to come up. 5 times I pressed Power- Volume+ and it would just boot. Then I started looking at the folders and files and figured it out.
The instructions are to pick internal or external memory install type and download the proper file. I picked external and dropped it on SDCard. duh.
There are two SDCard folders!
SDCard is the internal ROM
SDCard2 is my card.
Once I figured that out, everything's been jake.
CWM is working I loaded a ROM and am rockin the house!
I'm running Culkulin's 1.1 and love it. I know this guy's roms from the TouchPro2 days. I always built very solid kitchens and I would always use his ROMs. So I'm doing it again. Thanks Cullie!
Tablet's need HC
However, it won't be good enough. I've run Honeycomb on my Nook Color and love it. I will put up with a little performance hit to have that great interface. I just like always have some navigation ON THE BOTTOM. Seriously, if you haven't seen HC, check it out.
So now I'm going to try to find an HC ROM and compare it with Cully's ROM.
I will also try CM7.
However, all this will have to wait. I have a big Boy's Ski Weekend in Tahoe this weekend....I'll be back next week.!
Ginger requires some getting used to : (Updated 4/6/2011)
I loaded up a CM7 build and got lost at first....maybe it's just the recovery I'm using..
Froyo ROMs like Culkulkin, have the memory in the device as SDCard....the external card is SDCard2
Gingerbread ROMs like CM7, have the memory in the device as emmc...the external card is SDCard.
Now, switch between these can be interesting, because, all the browsers put downloaded files....like kernals or gapps, in the download folder on SDCard. Recovery, also looks to SDCard when you want to "apply a zip".
So, If you were on Froyo, everything is great...download from apps in the device and recovery all look at the same place.
BUT in Gingerbread, you have to move the zip file, from SDCard -> emmc....before you go into recovery....so that recovery will see it.
This is probably because of the version of recovery I'm using. But to me, it's a small price to pay.
I haven't tried going back to Froyo from GB, so I'm not sure how it will work....

Useful Links - I'll try to keep this updated.
Apps
New App List Site to share your apps and experiences
XDA Thread on working apps
ROMs
Culkulin : v1.1 | beta link removed..it was for the ROM listed
Vanilla AOSP Gingerbread
Corwin : Tweaked CM7 RC4 | Using this now....like the full time status bar of the CM7 builds.

Cool Stuff You Can Do
NAV System
I have an old bluetooth GPS receiver that i hadn't used in like 3 years....I read some posts about how you can use them...see below.
Well I'm happy to report that it works GREAT!
Install Bluetooth GPS Provider on your GT,
Set up -> Applications -> Development : Allow Mock Locations
You should be good.
It worked great for me in Google Maps.
4x4 Backcountry Nav System
I haven't tried this yet...don't have my GT yet....but THIS looks useful
Use your external bluetooth GPS device on your GT. BlueGPS4Droid
You need Mobile Atlas Creator to create your offline Maps
Along with TrekBuddy... Or Orux .. you got yourself a nice 4x4 nav system.
Accessories
I'm probably going to be picking up this keyboard case from Amazon for $28
Here's some nice picks and review from Android Central forums

ROM Reviews
Here I will discuss my ROM and Kernal changes and what I found.
Speed : Quad scores along with general feel
Solidness : force closes and stuff
Useability : what apps install and work, also how it is moving around in it.
1. Stock 3288?
Sucked...sucked hard....lasted about 30 minutes before I ran to my nearest Recovery.
2. Culkulin v1.1 : (3/30)
This ROM was very very solid and FAST. like 2600+ QuadScore fast. Clemsyn's v9 helped even more with this...WOW, this rom is fast.
Hulu : When I first loaded it Hulu worked. Then i did something and it stopped working.
Market : market was pretty limited. even the "build.prop" fix, didn't seem to help much.
ChromeMarks complained I wasn't using stock launcher so I couldn't drop shortcuts to the desktop.
Speed : 8.5
Solidness : 8
Useability : 6
3. Corwin's Tweaked CM7 RC4 : (4/5)
Not as fast : Quadscore at 1800. I loaded Clemsyn's v9 and it bumped it up to around 2000...so do that for sure.
Hulu : no workie here....I'll try to custom Flash and see if that helps...it does...hulu is up now. to clarify...I set the default browser to Agent: ie6.
Market : everything under the sun...it's what you want. just about everything shows up .... just about everything installs and works..
ChromeMarks let me drop shortcuts to the desktop.
I really like the full time, bottom status bar on this rom...makes it so easy to move around apps and stuff...really really useful.
Speed : 7
Solidness : 8
Useability : 9
4. VeganTab 5.1 : (4/6)
I was a bit scared loading this ROM coming from Corwin's Tweaked. But someone asked me to do it....so I did.
The vegan thread says it will completely erase my emmc internal memory. We shall see....looks like it just renamed it back to sdcard
Hate the giant keyboard. This is a slate right? why the huge keyboard?
This does NOT have the fulltime status bar like Corwin's has...isn't just a restyled top bar
Market set up OK...did not show Dolphin browser, similar to Culkulin...so I assume it's similarly hampered.
Good Quadrant scores : 2200 - 2400
Speed : 8
Solidness : 8
Useability : 5
Back on Corwin now...easy transition....just couldn't get into the Vegan.

lol, is this a joke? 4 threads reserve to mod a gtab?

You know, there is so much information on this forum already...if someone is looking for a certain 'how to' all they need to do is search. Don't really need a step by step when there are already stickies on the majority of the mods/issues.
Each to his own though...

i think hes too accustomed to his droid 2 forum where the people who create roms post this way, however, that information isnt stored in 20 other threads so its a little more needed, this is like someone thinking them modding their device was so important it needed its "own personal wiki" rofl

The purpose here is to consolidate knowledge to a useable form for others. Even if it's just a narrative. The info is VERY scattered...and it constantly changes...Thanks for you helpful comments!

I think this is a very good idea. Thanks for taking the initiative. I appriciate any kind of action forward in this forum, naysaying gets us nowhere. Suggestion, maybe make an unboxing video and a video showing steps to find release version. I think it would add to the complete experience your trying to capture for all of us here. Or you could link good YouTube vids. Keep it up! Can't wait to see more from you. Oh and it wouldn't hurt to link the nvflash thread in development forum

Mantara said:
Oh and it wouldn't hurt to link the nvflash thread in development forum
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Done...keep the suggestions coming!

sudermatt said:
The purpose here is to consolidate knowledge to a useable form for others. Even if it's just a narrative. The info is VERY scattered...and it constantly changes...Thanks for you helpful comments!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree that a consolidated and **up to date** source of installation / modding
info would be great - but it's a huge job.
Last night I was bitten by rom manager - led to the dreaded "magic number
mismatch" semi-brick. Turned out this was a "known issue" as I found
out *after*. I did not think to search for "magic number" prior to the
incident for some reason ... go figure

albright said:
I agree that a consolidated and **up to date** source of installation / modding
info would be great - but it's a huge job.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm just sharing my experiences...and what I find during my wRooting journey.
albright said:
Last night I was bitten by rom manager - led to the dreaded "magic number
mismatch" semi-brick. Turned out this was a "known issue" as I found
out *after*. I did not think to search for "magic number" prior to the
incident for some reason ... go figure
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry to here that.
are you a wRooter? can you tell us :
1. Where you were (device state) when you started.
2. What you were trying to accomplish.
3. Steps you took.
4. issues that arose.
5. What you've done to back out / resolve?
Thanks,

I read the title for this thread, and am still waiting to hear his story about how he came to have a tail...

sudermatt said:
1. Where you were (device state) when you started.
2. What you were trying to accomplish.
3. Steps you took.
4. issues that arose.
5. What you've done to back out / resolve?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No - I bought mine from tigerdirect.ca.
I had installed google earth and got it working a few days ago; but
then thought I'd upgrade to a clemsyn kernel. I had already
installed tnt lite 4.2.5. That worked, but when
I tried to start google earth I got a crash and reboot. System then
would not start (stuck at android splash screen).
I should have wiped out everything before the upgrade I think.
I then tried to restore a backup using rom manager + clockworkmod.
Turns out that's a bad idea (rom manager problem - some post here
I found out later warns about this) and when I rebooted to the
restored tablet I got a "magic number mismatch" error.
Then it was time for nvflash.
That worked and I now have everything back to working.
Except I cannot get google earth to work anymore. Don't know
why.

Updated the OP
"Ginger requires some getting used to : (Updated 4/6/2011)
I loaded up a CM7 build and got lost at first....maybe it's just the recovery I'm using.."
Also updated Cool Things Post
NAV System
I have an old bluetooth GPS receiver that i hadn't used in like 3 years....

Added the following section to page one.
ROM Reviews
Here I will discuss my ROM and Kernal changes and what I found.
Speed : Quad scores along with general feel
Solidness : force closes and stuff
Useability : what apps install and work, also how it is moving around in it.

@suddermat
I think you did a good job. Thank you for your post. I would like to see your review on the Vegan 5.1 and TnT roms, with and with out different kernls. Keep up the good work. Thanks.

Check first page for new review
4. VeganTab 5.1 : (4/6)
I was a bit scared loading this ROM coming from Corwin's Tweaked. But someone asked me to do it....so I did.

albright said:
I then tried to restore a backup using rom manager + clockworkmod.
Turns out that's a bad idea (rom manager problem - some post here
I found out later warns about this) and when I rebooted to the
restored tablet I got a "magic number mismatch" error.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I ran into this same problem myself but was able to resolve it with a different approach. First off a reboot and flash the proper friendly version of cwm. Then repartition the drive to wipe everything out. Went to the mounts and storage to mount the ext usb and plugged into the desktop. Drop the update.zip onto the now empty drive, disconnect the desktop and unmount. From the main menu go factory reset, apply update.zip, and another factory reset. Then you should be able to reboot and be in business.

Nice, reads like a good review. keeps others from having to do some of the same experimenting.
You might consider these if you want a more honeycomb like experience:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1002000
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1007455
Also, the VTL-Launcher:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1017451

Nextbook Next7 and Next6 Custom ROM's

I am hoping to get a custom ROM made for both the Next6 and Next7, so if anyone would like to help here are the factory ROM's.
http://www.multiupload.com/6BY8BVS5BJ---Next7's Factory ROM
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=7V8MNSFI---Next6's Factory ROM

Right now my friend and I are working on making the Next6 have a full read/write partition with permanent root access.

I'm interested. The Next6 is on sale at Big Lots for $149...
I'm looking to pick one up. Please keep m posted!

TinkerToyTommy said:
I'm interested. The Next6 is on sale at Big Lots for $149...
I'm looking to pick one up. Please keep m posted!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here...

subscribed

I just got mine yesterday and subscribed to this thread. Please keep us informed.

Li'm currently counting down the minutes till biglots opens. in a rush to cash my check, and grab my new cheapo tablet, to be home in time to go to my kids dr appointment.
anyone got a full list of specs on the next6?
EDIT: z4root works perfectly. Now I'm waiting on this ota firmware update to download.
It feels sluggish compared to my hd2 but I expected that. But it does render HD video quite nicely. Rooting was a breeze, and if you pick it up at biglots, be sure to splurge 15 extra for an 8gb SD card.

I spoke to the company today because my OTA has been trying to download for 2 days.
Apparently the OTA only changes the Boarder Books to a different carries since Boarders is closed. IT DOES NOT UPGRADE THE FIRMWARE OR OS.
Please let us know of any ROMS available on this device that would be very helpful.

nathonix said:
Li'm currently counting down the minutes till biglots opens. in a rush to cash my check, and grab my new cheapo tablet, to be home in time to go to my kids dr appointment.
anyone got a full list of specs on the next6?
EDIT: z4root works perfectly. Now I'm waiting on this ota firmware update to download.
It feels sluggish compared to my hd2 but I expected that. But it does render HD video quite nicely. Rooting was a breeze, and if you pick it up at biglots, be sure to splurge 15 extra for an 8gb SD card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Were you able to get a perminent root with z4root? I could only get a temporary root to work. What tools to use for a perminent solution
Got my next6 a day ago. Thanks all for the BigLots tip.

i think the way the image is stored on the tablet you'll have to flash a rom that is already rooted. Im not very familiar with cooking roms but i know you'll have to use afptool to unpack the image make the changes recreate the crc for the image and repack it.

From what I've been able to glean from frantic web searching, the system partition is cramfs and is read only. Temporary root only.
Also, its possible to access the recovery menu using adb reboot recovery, but its not of much use since the thing only has two dpad buttons.
Sent from my HD2

Next 6
I am very interested in this also ; I have tried to run some of the next 2 & 3 roms on this device (and they boot) but they don't really work right (IE: the touch screen doesn't work)
hopefully we can get this going!

i've got the rom dumped, just having a spot of bother mounting a cramfs file under ubuntu.
since i've last posted i found out a bit more about the hardware involved, and how its more or less a generic 7 inch rockchip tablet, minus a few buttons, which means a good majority of the work has already been done.
Required Reading for those interested;
http://wiki.archosfans.com/index.php?title=Dump_your_Home_Tablet_rom_and_create_a_custom_rom
bit of difference is the rkupdater program doesn't work unless you can get the tab into a flasher mode of some sort. However, if you just drop the update.img in the sdcard root and insert the card while the tab is running, it seems to kick into the updater properly.

hold down the right hand arrow
with the Pad turned off hold the right hand arrow to put the tablet into update mode ; then you can use the RKAndroidBatchUpgrade.exe..... (you do need the USB driver - found on the first page of the next2 next3 thread)

orignialpost said:
kentisevil said:
with the Pad turned off hold the right hand arrow to put the tablet into update mode ; then you can use the RKAndroidBatchUpgrade.exe..... (you do need the USB driver - found on the first page of the next2 next3 thread)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks. figured out through trial and error if i held both facebuttons and hit the reset while it was plugged up, it'd get into update mode.
your way needs less buttons. still at a loss because while i can dump the update.img and extract it, i cant seem to open up the system.img inside of it.
any suggestions? i pulled it using rkdump.
EDIT: nvm got it, had to pull the system.img from the device separately and add it back to update.img
long story short, i've got market, will be working on root next.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
here ya go, (Next6)regular rom + market, still haven't got root worked out quite yet.

is this for the next6 or 7?
Oh I see now this is a rom for a next6

Next6 Base rom for editing
heres a stock copy of update.img with an editable system.img if you feel like adding your own apps or customizing it a bit further.
happy modding

I got one of these bad boys today and its a pretty decent little fellow.
I think with a root and well made custom rom it can really shine.
EDIT, does anyone know a way to change the icons they used? I dont really care for them because they look warped and garrish. I did manage to replace the launcher with launcherPro, "adw would crash and default to a debug launcher".
Also does anyone know how one could update SAM? Can I just reinstall the apk and it replace teh factory installed one? Also is there any better marketplaces than SAM? It seems kinda limited and lacking.

I was wondering if it's possible to upgrade the next6 from 2.1 to 2.2/3~
I'm not requesting it or anything as I personally don't know anything about android or how the next6's rom works.
Thanks

I believe it has to be rooted before you can upgrade the firmware to another version.
Also I have noticed a issue with the custom rom above. I cannot download any apps on the marketplace for some reason. Anyone know how I could clear its cache or reset this device?
EDIT: If I do a "factory reset" though the privacy section in settings, it seems to fix the market. Of course this completely wipes the device, also the market seems to break the same way again, extremely easily.
Basically you can download a few apps, go to the homescreen, then come back to find that you magically cannot download ANY applications. Ive tried killing the market app using the advance task manager, ive tried clearing the markets cache, and even restarting the device. The only thing that works is completely restoring the device. I am hoping that you will be able to fix it, or tell me how to fix it. XD
I installed the following applications. Not sure if this matters, but it seems like market breaks when I make ADW the default launcher.
ADW Launcher
Nook
Also I have a SD card in the unit.
EDIT:
I have rooted out the cause of the problem, changing the default homescreen/launcher seems to screw with market. So while you can install and use another launcher, you CANNOT set it as the default without it screwing up the android market.
EDIT:
Humm, well color me confused, because last night I managed to switch the home launcher without it interfearing with market. But this morning when I booted up the device I could not download any applications. Could it be possible that it is deleting key files when I restart the device?

GooPhone Y5/Thunderbird 4s

Hey everyone,
Recently purchased a thunderbird 4s and have had great joy rooting and flashing the phone with various ROMS from across various forums and youtube sites(mayiandjay).
I thought I would start this start this thread due to the lack of English information regarding this fantastic iphone 4s clone and ROM information around the globe. Most is in chinese along with a russian forum but there is little else in english.
I have flashed them all and this is a guide for English users to participate in and add feedback and hints/tips to various newer ROMS.
I have ascertained via china- phone forum russia (in russian) that goophone release newer ROM'S every month or so.
The latest ROM titled GOOPHONE-Y5-1001-F-002 is the best for this phone and includes importantly the proximity sensor re calibrator under settings/general/accessibility/display. Importantly, whenever you flash the ROM'S via clockwork recovery and boot into the ilauncher screen you must always recalibrate this proximity sensor otherwise when you take/make a call the phone goes blank screen and is basically stuffed.
I have tried many roms including:
- 0805(which was very very good my reference for me but lacked newer functionality including camera operation via lockscreen and many other newer functions),
- mayiandjay,(has bugs including proximity failure in display)
- tician and gstyle (also has the same bug as mayiandjay)
If you have bought a new thunderbird 4s (and yes the screen is much brighter exactly the same as iphone 4s i saw in apple store) then you must do the following to get it up to full potential but be **WARNED** there are risks attached with this including having to open up the unit requiring a pentalobe screwdriver and sliding the cover off to de-solder red/black battery terminal wires if your flash goes wrong. This is the only way to get back in to CWM if a flash goes wrong.
1. Follow the guide here -->http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1729056 (thnx you mylove299 you are genius for posting that thread)
2. Once flashed from post 3 download the newest ROM for Y5 here --->http://www.mediafire.com/?mn2w39f5ocfdpxk and once downloaded use usb to transfer the zip to your root sd card
3. Now get into reboot recovery mode.
4. To do this turn off phone
5. Then hold power and - button together and wait to feel the vibration. Once felt quickly take your fingers off - button and power button.
6. You should now see bottom left corner of screen recovery mode
7. Follow the guide in chinese on how to flash your zip. There is a guide for CWM called IOS_recovery_2.0.1_(chinese).pdf and is available here: ---> http://www.dkmdesign.dk/?page_id=9
8. Basically, using this chinese-> english guide for CWM you follow this order a) clear the cache partition; b)clear data restore factory settings; c) apply zip from sd card; d) scroll one down and hit eneter you should be in root of your sd card where you put the zip before; e) apply update and that's it
9. Once the flash is done which take about 30 or so seconds the new ROM is now ready and all you have to do is go down to bottom hit back key until the start screen and you should be highlighting the first option in CWM and hit enter and bingo reboot
Once the reboot is done you will boot-up into the new rom. This new rom is fantastic gives you the camera option on lockscreen and also has a round home button which gives you quick access to 3G /wifi and other shortcuts. You can place this little icon anywhere on your homepage.
Once this is all done then you have to obtain g-apps from here: -->http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1729056 and Extract Go_app.zip then run installG_Apps.bat, G-app will be install then run install_App.bat to install other apps, your phone will reboot. (Thnx mylove299)
and then that's it your done you will see the new apps for play and other things on your homescreen which you can modify if in chinese just hold the icon with your finger until it starts shaking and then press the icon once and you should see options to change title/icon etc I basically changed the chinese titles to english.
In this new ROM the compass now work (0805 ROM had bugs) auto-rotate work also and functionality is awesome. There is also a nifty chinese icon program in this rom which monitors your 3G usage and i can explain how to set this up if you have a monthly allowance but I will leave that to later. Also, I have an iphonewallper.apk which i modified and I will explain how to port that across to system/app using root explorer and this way you can modify your homescreen wallpaper to newer images along with your home screen.
For now, that's it but do post/update it if you have bugs/issues or anything else to add. Remember this is the Thunderbird 4s and is exactly the same as goophone Y5 expect better screen hehehe . I will be hardware modifying the battery soon (thnx mayandjay for guide on youtube to iphone 4s 1430mah version) along with a future mod on the camera and will install an iphone 4s camera to see if it improves it which I think it will, cause the one in there now is very poor but ok)
Hope you enjoy this post and I thought I would give something back to all the hard work of programmers/engineers across the world.
:good:

Ok can add some further feedback...
* you need to set the screen to lcd density 326 to maximize the quality of imaging as this is a retina screen. To do this once you have installed google play go into market and download excellent free app called lcd resolution. Once installed set density to 326 exactly as this is correct density for this retina screen. You can also tick apply on reboot so you can it have it permanently done in the build.prop file.
*** May want to scratch the above** found 320 is the best and lock screen swipe was a little out of wack but this is now fixed with 320 dpi.
* You may want to uninstall an app which has a swirl arrow on it. This app installs a usage meter and also a dialer and sms app which is in chinese and confilcts with original apps. Definitely recommend to uninstall.
* You can add various apps via other ROM's go into system/apps of these zips copy apk files onto your sd card and install them via root explorer

Ok some further updates..
* Found a nifty tip... if you want flash on phone to work momentarily in darkness...hit the home button front screen will light up and hold either + or - button for a second or too and rear flash will light up...very kewl..
* I have also disabled the notifications pop up. I prefer to turn my Thunderbird 4s on and see on screen what I have missed. Previously with notifications on it interferes with various functionality of the phone.
* if your GPS is slow or does not work remove backcover, and re-solder the red and black battery wires to main-board. Also move these wires away from the main-board as this has helped me get a lock within 15sec of turning on my various gps app's.
* I have also installed adw launcher with apex ICS theme... between them I can launch the ICS theme and ilauncher(default) and people are amazed..
My intention is to go into Apple store and say I bought this and look no itunes work but everything else works..record on youtube and then upload heheheheh will be funny...

thx for your hints! Just one more question:
I can flash the rom, but when restarting it gives me two flickering lines on the bottom of the screen. I can load roms up to 0912. But even the modded rom from mayiandjay shows this behavior. Any idea?
the facebook app is not working for me. It just states "loading" on the main screen, also when loading profiles or certain pages. Notifications and messages work though...same for you?
thx for sharing your ideas,
jo

jodo01 said:
thx for your hints! Just one more question:
I can flash the rom, but when restarting it gives me two flickering lines on the bottom of the screen. I can load roms up to 0912. But even the modded rom from mayiandjay shows this behavior. Any idea?
the facebook app is not working for me. It just states "loading" on the main screen, also when loading profiles or certain pages. Notifications and messages work though...same for you?
thx for sharing your ideas,
jo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes the flickering is quite normal and I did not see it on ROM 0805 goophone Y5 version.
It seems the mayiandjay rom and above have this weird flickering made worst when putting the phone into landscape mode. Seems to only do it with web-scrolling and youtube. I am thinking they don't use the hardware correctly....not sure..
Unless you mean something else completely different to what I described above?
I don't use the facebook app so can't really comment. I am curious though can someone post a link to goophone ROM versions all of them and the current release versions. That would be awesome..

Just an update ROM 1013 has been released for a while now.
Will be upgrading to it soon. I have found the links to the latest ROMS for goophone Y5/Thunderbird 4s.
Stay tuned

Thanks for your answer. The flickering starts for me right from the white apple logo at boot, even within recovery.Only one or two lines. They disappear when rolling back to 0912. What I did: I've taken 1013, unzipped and copied the system folder to the unzipped 0913. Then zipping again, et voilá - features from 1013 w/o flickering
Concerning facebook: I think that is due to missing AOSP browser, but I'm not sure. I was not able to install it via root explorer or even adb.

jodo01 said:
Thanks for your answer. The flickering starts for me right from the white apple logo at boot, even within recovery.Only one or two lines. They disappear when rolling back to 0912. What I did: I've taken 1013, unzipped and copied the system folder to the unzipped 0913. Then zipping again, et voilá - features from 1013 w/o flickering
Concerning facebook: I think that is due to missing AOSP browser, but I'm not sure. I was not able to install it via root explorer or even adb.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting... thank You for your feedback..
I have discovered another issue that the SMS app sometimes the sms's will continue to beep unless I open the folder.
Seems to lag when it starts to get full....
Time to flash ROM and test your feedback ..

Ok trying your method brought back issues of no auto-rotate on screen same issue as in 0912 ROM.
Will now use 1013 ROM and provide feedback.
Update feedback..
1013 all working well. No issues to report auto rotate works and phone is much more faster/zippier.
For now 1013 is the latest and greatest...

The 1013 ROM has improved the following:
* Battery life is much improved
* reception is more stable
* voice quality on call is very clear and crisp
* audio quality via music player is outstanding even better than my samsung galaxy s
* Menu speed and free memory with ilauncher is much better now ( is zippier now than before)
* no more lag with SMS
* There is still some minor flicker but hardly noticeable and much much less than before with 1001 ROM
* Camera is improved colours are more natural and correct
* If anyone has issues with GPS you may need to resolder the red and black cables back to mainboard. Mine was poor only use 3 satellites when it can see 12. Now after resolder(careful it is very thin wire) the GPS gets lock in 15~20sec and I use 9/12 satellites.
The 1013 ROM is simply fantastic. ENjoy

Hi Guys,
i also own a goophone y5 since 2 days now and i am very interested to find a ROM thats imitates iphone as well as possibel.
i currently tried these roms:
- GOOPHONE-Y5-0711-f-001
- GOOPHONE-Y5-0815-01-GF-F-IL-002
- GOOPHONE-Y5-1001-F-002
- REX_V3
i found REX_V3 + (a sortet amount of) G_apps as the best combination of functionality, stability and look+feel. i'm close to start cooking my own rom, because all roms have an issues that are nogo! i'll post a review of these roms a soon as possible for you all here and will share my experience with them. meanwhile i'm trying to combine a rom out of them all that fullfills the following points:
- stability
- functionality
- look+feel (as close as possible to iphone)
---------- Post added at 07:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:52 PM ----------
where can i get 1013 ROM from? i would realy like to test and compare this one, too.

I got the 1013 ROM from goophone.hk website. I can assure you I don't speak Cantonese/Mandarine but I managed to get on there and find the ROM.
The 1013 is very stable and eveything I said in my previous post. Will stay with it for a long time. Battery life is amazing now...and yes I also used many ROM's. The g-apps is essential along with this rom. I tried to get 1021 ROM but I need password....no go 4 now..

Hi xlr8me,
dunno how you managed to get it from that site. i'm trying to find anything on that site using google website translation, but with no success
may you have a direkt link for me? that would realy be useful. Thank you.
Hint: try "goophone.hk" as password. i've read it on several sites that they use this one.

here for everybody (i finaly made it) direct links to the last two ROMs:
ROM 1013:
http://115.239.249.24/down/Y5-zn-f-...hk=14e5086d14f219c82b23772cb64bb18f-174000334
ROM 1022:
http://115.239.249.27/down/Y5新摄像头10...hk=3df4a2c1345c210a7fefe29c493a16ef-174027862
happy downloading & flashing

ROM 1022 contains another .zip file inside which is version 1021. this version requires a password. "goophone.hk" (and some more password i tried) doesn't work as password
even so, i tried to use GPS with 1013 and many versions before, but it doesn't work. did anybody get GPS working on goophone y5? if so, how did you do that?
location via Edge or 3G doesn't work as well.
does anybody know how to modify a rom to change thwe language? it would even be nice to know how to change the language of apps.
i think it's quiet easy to do. it's only .zip file content and .apk file which can be modified with a java editor.

sp1ke81 said:
ROM 1022 contains another .zip file inside which is version 1021. this version requires a password. "goophone.hk" (and some more password i tried) doesn't work as password
even so, i tried to use GPS with 1013 and many versions before, but it doesn't work. did anybody get GPS working on goophone y5? if so, how did you do that?
location via Edge or 3G doesn't work as well.
does anybody know how to modify a rom to change thwe language? it would even be nice to know how to change the language of apps.
i think it's quiet easy to do. it's only .zip file content and .apk file which can be modified with a java editor.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes GPS works. Make sure you have GPS satellites and A-GPS ticked with google (NOT nokia) inside of A-GPS settings.
It works but not as super fast as perhaps other phones. Just be patient.
The language is changed inside the settings. Changing the language of apps is a challenge so don't expect anything easy there.
Not sure whether to test 1022. Anyone know what's new with this ROM?
Anyone got a link to the above files especially 1022? It says error...

Thank you for your tips. But i already tried/checks all this
Here's where i found the files. Dunno why the direct links don't work anymore. Try this side instead: http://www.400gb.com/u/582581/1627896
1. klick the rom you like from the list
2. enter the shown number into the text field and press the big, fat, green button below
3. on the next site there's a short description of the rom and below there's a table of links. 2 rows, 3 links in a row. choose the first link in the second row
4. you can download the file
1022 has got a password in it that i don't know.
1013 has no password and can be installed in the odenary way.

Thnx dude..
Yeah just as I thought password protected...
Just a tip for anyone get a bumper preferably silicone for your thunderbird/goophone Y5.
It has tremendously improved the GPS reception as I was using it naked before.
Also forget using GPS with Aluminium case it won't work...it reduced GPS by about -6~-12dB and no good.

Guys, just a quick question.
My Safari(boat mini browser) won't save the far zoom for page settings. Any ideas how to fix this?
It keeps resorting back to medium zoom.

New fw out
Y5-12-11-20（老机）解决红屏IOS6.0.1.zip
Any ideas what it does? I am downloading it now

MESUIT i6P iPhone Case [Runs Android]

Hello there,
I just received my Mesuit i6P case from China and am keen to do a bit of fiddling with it!
I've had a few problems getting it setup so far and while things are heading in the right direction - the whole case seems a bit quirky so far. I suspect there is likely firmware updates out there since the UI for some folks looks newer than it does for me but I haven't been able to figure that out yet and not being able to read Chinese isn't helping!
I have managed to finally make some meaningful progress on this:
- Version 1.0.1 automatically installed eventually - this fixed the issue of the case only being able to be used once before not working again on iOS10. The workaround for this is to go to Settings -> Reset -> Reset Location & Privacy on the iPhone. This also resets the associated USB devices. Once you have done this, reconnect the case physically and you should see all of the prompts to accept again. Once done, the case will work again. You may need to do this multiple times before the case downloads version 1.0.1 of its firmware. Once that's done - your case will work perfectly from then on without this reset nonsense.
- I finally managed to root the device by enabling Developer Options menu, going to Settings -> Developer Options -> OEM Unlocking and enable that. Then download iRoot from: http://www.iroot.com/download/irootm on your android device. Once that is downloaded, it may offer an update, if so - accept! Once that's done, select "Root" or whatever the option says and wait a while (about 3mins or so.) This should successfully root the device. I did try this with various other apps but *all* of them failed. Only iRoot finally succeeded. (yay!!)
- Next up... Play Store. I'll follow-up on this once I have got this installed properly.

To follow up on this - I have found a couple of things out:
- Strangely - while I wasn't able to *force* an Android update, one happened in the form of Mesuit OS 1.0.1. Once this was completed - my issues with iOS 10 and the Mesuit case were resolved. Woop!
- I am trying to root the device now and have so far tried:
- Kingo Root
- "New" King Root
So far neither of these methods have worked but since the case is running Android 5.1 I can't see it being massively difficult to root it. That having been said - I may well be wrong!
I'll provide further updates on any progress I make with this thing!
Update: It turns out that I'm going to need to find a way to unlock the bootloader in order to root this thing... hm... this is getting trickier. I figured that would be unlocked from stock on a device like this - guess not. Really not too sure how to proceed but I'll keep fiddling and see if I find anything else out.

Bro can you please pleaseee tell me How you bought the case
Btw I am from India and the jijia website says it ships only to China

Pokman said:
Bro can you please pleaseee tell me How you bought the case
Btw I am from India and the jijia website says it ships only to China
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi there!
I had the same problem and the service I used in the end was Tiptrans at http://www.tiptrans.com/
I have them do two things:
1.) Assisted Purchase - I told them what item I wanted and the spec I wanted and they actually made the purchase for me. This was great since I don't read nor speak Chinese. I paid the equivalent value in USD and that was that! This did cost $5 for the purchase - you can make it yourself if you can find a way but for that amount of money it wasn't worth the hassle for me.
2.) I had them ship the item directly to me in the UK using "Sweden Post" which was the cheapest option since I wasn't in a rush. It took a couple of weeks to arrive (though faster methods are available if you want to pay the additional cost.)
All in all I'm very happy with their service - there may be other similar services out there but this seemed to be the most cost efficient and helpful (certainly in terms of them making the actual purchase on my behalf - very cool!)
Hope that helps!

Mesuit
Yeah the tiptrans website is cool but the only problem is that I am unable to use my credit card it's only asking me to pay through PayPal

Pokman said:
Yeah the tiptrans website is cool but the only problem is that I am unable to use my credit card it's only asking me to pay through PayPal
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can guest checkout on PayPal using your credit card. Shouldn't be a problem.
Frankly I'd rather give PayPal my card details than an China based company anyway - far more secure.

Hey chrisaw
How is the case and any updates?
Were you able to root that thing?
Is it having any heating issues ?
Is it having any issues with the sim card?
Are you able to use the SIM in the case to turn on data and use it for your iOS?
How are the speakers are they better than the ones on the iPhone or worse?
How much time does it take to charge the case and the phone combined?
How much battery life is being added to your phone after u put on the case ?
Is the phone too bulky after you add the case I mean is it bulkier than iPhone 4 or 3g?
And I am sorry for asking too many questions and irritating you, its because I am super anxious

Pokman said:
Hey chrisaw
How is the case and any updates?
Were you able to root that thing?
Is it having any heating issues ?
Is it having any issues with the sim card?
Are you able to use the SIM in the case to turn on data and use it for your iOS?
How are the speakers are they better than the ones on the iPhone or worse?
How much time does it take to charge the case and the phone combined?
How much battery life is being added to your phone after u put on the case ?
Is the phone too bulky after you add the case I mean is it bulkier than iPhone 4 or 3g?
And I am sorry for asking too many questions and irritating you, its because I am super anxious
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The case is great and the only update is 1.0.1
I have *just* been able to root it a few minutes ago! Post to follow how I did it in a couple of mins.
No overheating issues
No issues at all with my SIM Card (Vodafone UK)
You are able to use the SIM in the case to turn on data but *not* to use it for your iPhone as well. What I would recommend here is to instead use the SIM card in either device and enable internet tethering between the two. Personally I have two SIMs anyway so it's a non issue for me.
The case takes a couple of hours to charge with the phone too. Not long at all - I don't really notice the difference.
You can just about double the phone battery on an iPhone 6 Plus I think. Not too sure - haven't looked in to it much as I'm not too concerned about that personally.
The phone is a little bulkier than stock (of course) At it's thickiest point it's about the same thickness as the iPhone itself. In all honesty though while it's not the prettiest case - it is very cool, turns a lot of heads (in the right way) and all in all it's a great device!
Hope this answers some of your questions.

chrisaw said:
The case is great and the only update is 1.0.1
I have *just* been able to root it a few minutes ago! Post to follow how I did it in a couple of mins.
No overheating issues
No issues at all with my SIM Card (Vodafone UK)
You are able to use the SIM in the case to turn on data but *not* to use it for your iPhone as well. What I would recommend here is to instead use the SIM card in either device and enable internet tethering between the two. Personally I have two SIMs anyway so it's a non issue for me.
The case takes a couple of hours to charge with the phone too. Not long at all - I don't really notice the difference.
You can just about double the phone battery on an iPhone 6 Plus I think. Not too sure - haven't looked in to it much as I'm not too concerned about that personally.
The phone is a little bulkier than stock (of course) At it's thickiest point it's about the same thickness as the iPhone itself. In all honesty though while it's not the prettiest case - it is very cool, turns a lot of heads (in the right way) and all in all it's a great device!
Hope this answers some of your questions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey chrisaw
I know this is too much to ask but if possible would post an how to root mesuit through photo steps( i.e steps which include photos )

Hey chrisaw I know this is a lame idea but just give it a try
There's is an app named share it right, it can be transferred to an android phone to android phone through Bluetooth then you can send any app from your android device to another android device

Hello I was able to install gapps sucessfully on my mesuit i6p case and here is how :
1- First , mesuit case is a Mediatek basedhardware model MT6753 . It require a specific low level flash tools that you can find here with tutorials :
http://spflashtool.com/
To be able to flash the device you need a file called MT6753_Android_scatter.txt that contained all the partitions detail to flash correctly the system.img, boot.img, recovery ...
2- hopefully someone upload mesuit i6 room and his MT6753_Android_scatter.txt (wich is the same than i6p)
here http://www.needrom.com/download/haima-mesuit-i6/
3- you are now with this file able to backup you hole device , Do it. ( you will see on flash software tutorial that you do that, the phone power off)
4- once you backup system.img on your computer you are able to open it with a mounting ext4 read & write software (NB: if you unpack/repack you can't change the partition size !!! its important for reflashing on the device with the exact same size) . To open the partition I used Ex2fs https://sourceforge.net/projects/ext2fsd/ + OSF Mount http://www.osforensics.com/tools/mount-disk-images.html
5 - now you can read you system partition on Windows in read & write ! you can just drag and drop all gapps needed (arm64 , android 5.1 -> http://opengapps.org/) : the "core" folder of the zip is enough
6 - flash the device with your updated system.img
Tadaa ....full Gapps case ! (remember also to install google play services app ,and google app after configuring your google account if you choose the pico gapps )
NB - you can also update your boot.img to enable wireless adb (was not able to have usb adb enabled, don't know yet why) by adding on the ramdisk sector some properties on the default.prop file explained here more or less : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2335799

chrisaw can you help me please
I have a mesuit i6p could you give me a step by step guide to rooting it and installing gapps
TIA
Andi

Access from any Android 5.0+ to Iphone without mesuit
Greetings,
I would like to know, it's possible access to iPhone without this mesuit case with any Android 5.0+ and USB host.
I extracted system.img and I didn't find apk or libs for connection with iPhone mesuit app. Debugging iPhone app is not possible for listening ports from mesuit app.
I cannot flash Mesuit ROM to another device, because it's specific for MTK6753 (https://www.needrom.com/download/haima-mesuit-i6/)

Few questions regarding Note 20 Ultra ( please help )

Hey guys, Im fairly new to this Note 20 Ultra and Android in general so I decided to ask this here but wasn't sure if I should make a separate topic for each anyways here we go I hope you can help me out:
1. How can I make it so when I receive text messages, notifications, etc... the phone screen turn on like iPhones?
2. I'm using Google Maps for navigation but it seems to be running at a very low FPS and it's not smooth at all, is there a way to make it run smoother/higher frame rate?
3. Whats the best way to fully format and reinstall the firmware on my Note 20 Ultra ( I have the unlocked US version purchased directly from Samsung )/ for reference I know I can do a reset from the settings but I wanna know if there is a way to hook it up to PC and have the phone completely wiped and install a fresh OS like I used be able to do on iPhone.

I-Siamak-I said:
Hey guys, Im fairly new to this Note 20 Ultra and Android in general so I decided to ask this here but wasn't sure if I should make a separate topic for each anyways here we go I hope you can help me out:
1. How can I make it so when I receive text messages, notifications, etc... the phone screen turn on like iPhones?
2. I'm using Google Maps for navigation but it seems to be running at a very low FPS and it's not smooth at all, is there a way to make it run smoother/higher frame rate?
3. Whats the best way to fully format and reinstall the firmware on my Note 20 Ultra ( I have the unlocked US version purchased directly from Samsung )/ for reference I know I can do a reset from the settings but I wanna know if there is a way to hook it up to PC and have the phone completely wiped and install a fresh OS like I used be able to do on iPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1: look into option within settings for edge lighting.
2: download maps locally to speed things up.
3: don't bother.
4: research the xda forums.

Limeybastard said:
1: look into option within settings for edge lighting.
2: download maps locally to speed things up.
3: don't bother.
4: research the xda forums.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for taking the time to reply at least but:
1. Already have edge lightning which is not what i was asking: ( Turn the screen on when receiving txt messages )
2. done that as well, doesn't fix the low sub 30 fps issue. looking for any hidden settings/mods to get higher fps in Maps
3. honestly that was not helpful, I'm simply asking what's the best way to go about it, not bothering is simply wasn't what I was looking for.
4. again thanks for taking the time none the less.

1. For this I use a third party app as the Note 20 does not have anymore the notification LED. This app is called aodNotify (from Play Store) and it has option to wake up the screen when a notification arives.
The phone itself does not have such an option, it has something else called "lift to wake" that will wake the screen if you pick it up from where it was standing....but that's regardless if you get a notification or not
2. Dunno what to say here, Maps works fine for me. Maybe reinstall the app, wipe its cache, things like this. But I presume you already tried these
3. Download your official firmware either from Sammobile site or using a tool like Frija, Samfirm (is deprecated) and such, then write the firmware on your phone using Odin. This will ensure you won't trigger Knox and that you'll have official firmware written as new
Sent from nowhere over the air...

I-Siamak-I said:
Hey guys, Im fairly new to this Note 20 Ultra and Android in general so I decided to ask this here but wasn't sure if I should make a separate topic for each anyways here we go I hope you can help me out:
1. How can I make it so when I receive text messages, notifications, etc... the phone screen turn on like iPhones?
2. I'm using Google Maps for navigation but it seems to be running at a very low FPS and it's not smooth at all, is there a way to make it run smoother/higher frame rate?
3. Whats the best way to fully format and reinstall the firmware on my Note 20 Ultra ( I have the unlocked US version purchased directly from Samsung )/ for reference I know I can do a reset from the settings but I wanna know if there is a way to hook it up to PC and have the phone completely wiped and install a fresh OS like I used be able to do on iPhone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Welcome to the forums, welcome to Android, and welcome to the Note family!!
To start off with, there's going to be hiccups switching platforms. Apple and Android do the same things, but for different people. Apple just works, but it's the same experience across every device. Android requires some tinkering and customization, but the beauty is you CAN do that.
And some people just can't make the switch, and that's cool. I left Android for Apple years ago, but after months of trying to make it like my Android, I realized that was stupid and switched back to Android and never looked back. Then there's some people who switch platforms and love it. Then there's others who carry and Apple in one pocket, and an Android in the other, because they appreciate the differences.
1. I second AOD notify. I love that app and have used it on my Note 10, my Note 20, and plan to see if it works on the Z Fold 2 when it arrives next week. It can mimic the LED notification light, wake your screen, etc. Also, remember you have an Always On Display that will show all notifications without turning on the screen. I know that's not what you asked, but OPTIONS.
2. Do you have the adaptive refresh rate on? My Google Maps has never been choppy. My work phone used to be an Apple, but I don't remember it having smoother navigation than my Android. I wish I could see your two phones side by side to see what you mean.
3. We don't have iTunes, so you have to do a little more research and work, but we do have an equivalent for reinstalling the factory firmware. For Pixels it's a few command line commands. For Samsung, it's using a Windows application called ODIN.
I say this not to be lazy, but because it will genuinely help you way more...but use the search bar and do some research here. Also check out the the other Galaxy forums (S series, Note 10, even Note 9 and 8). You'll find many tutorials on how to flash the firmware with ODIN. More in depth than I could ever type here. I think I even wrote a guide back in the Note 8 days and posted it here.
But honestly, 99.9% of the time, flashing the firmware isn't necessary and is a waste of time. But, if you want to do it, you can!
The learning this new platform will be fun if you really dive in and start reading and learning. We were all new to Android one time as well. Some of us old farts, like me, came Blackberry and have been doing this for a while. Some people tend to forget they were new once too.
Search, read, then ask questions, and you'll be fine. Welcome!!