Develop Bugs

Modifying the ROM

I've been reading the forum, and based on the information and the tools there I have been able to modify my extended ROM, which is great. Now of course I'd like to modify the main ROM as well, but despite the many hours I've spent searching the forum, I can't find the necessary information to do it. There's always something essential missing, something which probably is obvious to a programmer, but not to a normal user. As I've been able to modify the extended ROM, I guess I should be able to modify the main ROM too. Who can point me in the right direction?

from what i understand it's not even 100% possible with xda1 since people cant seem to make the extracted files back to a nbf file
and there are no tools that i know of that even extract the main rom from a xda2

As I understand it, when you upgrade the operating system, you're actually modifying the ROM. Some people here like to call it to "flash", I think, and there are a lot of messages about it in here. I just haven't found the information necessary to do it. I want to modify the ROM on my XDAII.

no the operating system is the rom which is in a eeprom in the device
when you flash the rom you replace the operating system with the new one
when you say modifying it mean more in the way of exchanging different files inside the rom
but if you just mean flashing the rom with a newer then here is a guide
http://wiki.xda-developers.com/wiki/HimalayaRomFlashing

What does EEP stand for? How many ROMs are there?
I've seen a ROM created here for the XDAI, containing more programs than what the devices normally come with. I would like to have a ROM on my XDAII containing the programs I use, so that I don't need to reinstall them every time the device is hard reset. Isn't this possible?

What does EEP stand for?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
huh what does EEP have to do with this ?
suppose it could stand for
Executive Excellence Publishing
or
European Environmental Press
how many roms there are i think there are 1.5 1.6 1.66 and 1.72
about extra programs then they are not! in the rom they are in the extended rom any CAB file you copy to the extented will install after automatic after a hardreset

you should take a look at the romkitchens ( specifically for xda1, but can be made for xda2 as well ).
and mkrom, and the other romtools
EEPROM stands for "electrically erasable programmable read only memory".
this is sort of the predecessor of flash memory.

"electrically erasable programmable read only memory" sounds like a contradiction, but thanks for that, it makes more sense than EEPROM.
What about all of us users who don't have a Unix machine? I suppose we're stuck with the original ROM then, and have to install our programs over and over again for every hard reset. Of course you can put a few of them in the extended ROM, but it becomes full too quickly and you're left with installing the rest of them manually.

well you can upgrade to a newer rom as they come out
like i have 1.66 but if i wanted 1.72 i could upgrade
about contradiction heh yeah suppose so but then if it was 100% always READ ONLY then it would be random was what in it as how the transistors randomly set when it was produced

A newer ROM wouldn't contain the programs I want.

no :/ but it could contain bug fixes for ms and radiostack and such
i suspect that extented rom was made so it would be easier for the phonecompanys' and other 3th party resellers to get programs preinstalled fast without having to mess around too much in the rom
this is at the cost of memory though
but then some programs dident like to be in the rom i believe here i mean if setting files were places in the rom aswell and the program could not write to the setting file

mkrom also works on cygwin under windows.
( now I also wrote this in the wiki page )

Isn't that just for XDA I?

it works for windows ce in general.
that doesn't mean that there is no work involved in getting it to work, but it is possible to make it work for the xda2. I use it to build custom roms for the devices we sell, that is why I wrote it in the first place.

What's cygwin?
How much space is there in the ROM to add extra programs? In the ROM that this forum developed for XDA I they added quite many programs from what I could see.

http://www.google.dk/search?hl=da&ie=UTF-8&q=cygwin&btnG=Google-søgning

Thanks for that, Rudegar.
To Itsme: I don't mind the work, but it looks like its written for programmers and that if you're not a fairly skilled programmer, you wouldn't be able to do it.

Modular, GUI, Easily Updatable Kitchen

Hey, I was wondering, is there anyone else who would like to see a GUI Kitchen with support for multiple devices as modules( compatibility packs if you want to call 'em that ), and that would fetch packages from a central repository?
It would allow you to create a new project, choose from several target devices, if it's not on the list it would fetch a list from the server allowing you to download the module, some modules could have a 'supported devices list' on its description files.
The packages would work the same way, fetch the list, download package.
Auto-update for everything including the kitchen itself.
IMHO it's a great idea, there's currently lots of file duplication/scattering, it would also be great because chefs would only need to create packages, base roms, developers would create the device modules, I mean, it's simpler.
Users would have the choice of picking a base rom, selecting the packages from the menu and create their own rom configurations, thousands and thousands of them, no more complaining about softwareXXX being or not included on the final rom and creating a rom with updated software would be as simple as "Update>Packages" "Project>Rebuild".
Even if the final product has a price( :X ) I think it is worth it.

You bet I would.

we're the only ones though

ME 2
Apoc said:
we're the only ones though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dnt Forget me...i am trying using command type..but iwished of GUI
although its aawailable by Xpload for BA only..i want for Himalaya

This is a nice ROM tool but if there were only more detailed instructions...

This is a nice ROM tool but if there were only more detailed instructions...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=324682

cash365 said:
This is a nice ROM tool but if there were only more detailed instructions...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=324682
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, that's a nice set of tools and batch files.
There's also a multi-device version here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=324680
It isn't hard to use, and it's quite complete in terms of functionality, plus, the method he used to make it multi-device is nice, you only need to change one line and it's done, all the parameters for a specific device are on a separate conditional batch file.(tho I tested it and it didn't work, previous CORE kitchens worked nice)
But the ideal would be something like this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=304461
To be available to public and have all the functionality of the CORE kitchens.
btw, I don't think this is a noob vs pro issue, the kitchen I try to describe in the 1st post would centralize all packages, and IMHO is something the whole xda-devs needs.

up up and away

Apoc said:
Yeah, that's a nice set of tools and batch files.
There's also a multi-device version here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=324680
It isn't hard to use, and it's quite complete in terms of functionality, plus, the method he used to make it multi-device is nice, you only need to change one line and it's done, all the parameters for a specific device are on a separate conditional batch file.(tho I tested it and it didn't work, previous CORE kitchens worked nice)
But the ideal would be something like this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=304461
To be available to public and have all the functionality of the CORE kitchens.
btw, I don't think this is a noob vs pro issue, the kitchen I try to describe in the 1st post would centralize all packages, and IMHO is something the whole xda-devs needs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It may be multidevice but it doesn't cover the hx4700.
Is there a kitchen for the trusty ipaq?

[Q]What is The Difference Between MARY and AX3L ROMS

and Who is The BEST ROM ?

There is no such thing as a "best ROM" - it's all up to personal preference
Hi -
There is no one right ROM for Trinity. Here's a quick explanation for what a ROM really is. There are many people on this board who know more about ROMs than I do, so if anyone sees any errors in what I've written, please let me know.
A ROM is a collection of software packaged together that when flashed to your phone installs the software. ROM packages generally consist of four categories of software:
1.) An operating system (some flavor of Windows Mobile, 5 or 6)
2.) Radio software (Radio ROM)
3.) Phone software (Dialer, Task Manager, Multimedia, SMS/MMS software, contact list)
4.) All other software (Adobe Reader, TomTom, etc.)
People create new ROM packages by gathering an operating system, a radio, and a collection of software, and "cooking" them into a single distribution file, usually in the form of a CAB compression file.
The differences between AXL and Mary are in the OS, radio and other software they have mixed together. You have to look at the contents of each ROM yourself and compare to see the exact differences. Although it would be nice, I'm not aware of anyone listing out the differences between the software choices made by each of the main ROM cookers, so you have to do it yourself.
Some important notes on ROM packages:
1.) Any software that is "cooked" into the ROM can't be removed or updated, it's in there permanently until you change your ROM. This is something to consider if you want to be able to upgrade to future versions, and is the reaosn many ROM cookers also make a "lite" version of their ROM.
2.) I'm pretty weak on this, but from what I understand in addition to the normal physical ROM memory, there is a section of physical ROM called "hidden" or "extended" ROM, and the cookers have figured out how to make that ROM available for use. This is why some ROMs show 70+ megs of ROM/RAM available. I think this extended ROM can also be used to store software.
3.) The operating systems (OS's) do continue to change. People get new phones from their telecom operator, and when they dissassemble the phone's ROM, they can extract the new OS's and check the version numbers. There is no way I know of currently to update the OS without flashing a completely new ROM. Different ROMs include different versions of the operating system, although many of the ROM cookers are quick to re-release their ROMs when a new OS comes out.
4.) Any software that can be installed manually can be installed in a ROM. This includes "trial" or "unregistered" versions. For that software, it may be installed on your phone when you install the ROM, but it is a limited-use version and you will need to purchase the software and get a registration code to unlock the full software. If the software is "cooked" into your ROM and you decide not to use it, YOU CAN'T UNINSTALL IT without reflashing to a new ROM. It won't do any harm, but it will use up memory that could be put to better use.
5.) A suggestion on other software: If you flash your OS often, it makes things easier to keep copies of the CAB files for your favorite other cab installations on your SD card, so you can easily reinstall them when you reflash the OS.
6.) Most of the ROMs use the same installer software,which works well and can recover from some errors (just follow the instructions or if no instructions retry the flash procedure). However, some telecom operators install something called a Service Provider Lock (SPL) to prevent people from installing "unapproved" software on their phone. Removing or otherwise getting around this SPL is a process called "unlocking" - if you try to reflash your phone's ROM, and something goes wrong, this SPL could prevent you from being able to fix your phone, making it useless (or "bricked"). There are software packages that should be able to fix a bricked phone (search the board to find), but it is easier to remove the SPL first, so you never have to worry about crashing your phone.
7.) If you remove your SPL, you have technically violated the terms of your contract with your service provider!!!! In daily use, it really doesn't affect them, so they probably won't make a stink about it, and probably can't tell you've done so. But, if you bring it in for service, send it in under warranty, call their service line to get support, the technician will probably see you have removed your SPL, and can refuse to provide service or warranty support. However, the techs are people and depending on the issue may or may not make a big deal about it, but it's certainly within their right to refuse to service for free.
8.) There are differences in telecom providers!!! This is particularly important with respect to Radio ROMs. If you think about it, your phone has to send the right signals to your service provider's radio tower to make a call. The specific information it has to send and the manner in which it sends it are determined by the radio protocol, which is built into the radio software. As a result, some radio software will not work with some providers, and some will work better than others. This difference willbe regional, so consider where you will be using the phone (Asia, Europe, SA, Africa, NA). Some radios could even be configured to specific providers (but I don't know for sure).
9.) Latest vs. most stable - sometimes, the latest versions introduce new bugsor are less stable than others, so consider this as well.
10.) Most of the differences between the ROMs seem to revolve aroudn the cooker's choices for phone software - the dialers, the contact managers, etc. These primarily change the "look and feel" of the phone rather than the raw performance or capabilites. Since look and feel is the big difference, it's impossible to say which look and feel everyone will like - it's a matter of taste / personal preference.
11.) Don't bug the cookers!!!! The people cooking ROMs for us are doing it in their spare time. They're not getting paid to do it, they're just trying to help each other out. While they seem to be interested in hearing about bugs so they can fix their ROMs, pestering them with requests to make some piddly change just for you is rude. Don't pester them with change requests and customizations, and then throw a hissy fit when they don't want to do it your way. If you don't like their ROM, then cook your own.
So, to pick the ROM that works for you, you're probably going to have to try a few out. The combination of OS and Radio will likely be regional (some will not be able to use the latest radio, for example), and form there on in you have to choose which has the dialer/contact manager you like the most, and includes the software you want to have (or go with a lite version).
Good luck!
Mike

to Mike (landshark),
thank you and congratulations on your excellent explanation. I wish I read this when I bought my device, would make things much easier.

Great post!!!!
Good work!!!!
will be very usefull!
Thank you!

Wonderful post!!!!
Beautiful work!!!!
will be bloody usefull!
Orz

Sticky pls !

Thanks! Very useful for a noob like me

Question about SSPL
landshark said:
Hi -
There is no one right ROM for Trinity. Here's a quick explanation for what a ROM really is. There are many people on this board who know more about ROMs than I do, so if anyone sees any errors in what I've written, please let me know.
A ROM is a collection of software packaged together that when flashed to your phone installs the software. ROM packages generally consist of four categories of software:
1.) An operating system (some flavor of Windows Mobile, 5 or 6)
2.) Radio software (Radio ROM)
3.) Phone software (Dialer, Task Manager, Multimedia, SMS/MMS software, contact list)
4.) All other software (Adobe Reader, TomTom, etc.)
People create new ROM packages by gathering an operating system, a radio, and a collection of software, and "cooking" them into a single distribution file, usually in the form of a CAB compression file.
The differences between AXL and Mary are in the OS, radio and other software they have mixed together. You have to look at the contents of each ROM yourself and compare to see the exact differences. Although it would be nice, I'm not aware of anyone listing out the differences between the software choices made by each of the main ROM cookers, so you have to do it yourself.
Some important notes on ROM packages:
1.) Any software that is "cooked" into the ROM can't be removed or updated, it's in there permanently until you change your ROM. This is something to consider if you want to be able to upgrade to future versions, and is the reaosn many ROM cookers also make a "lite" version of their ROM.
2.) I'm pretty weak on this, but from what I understand in addition to the normal physical ROM memory, there is a section of physical ROM called "hidden" or "extended" ROM, and the cookers have figured out how to make that ROM available for use. This is why some ROMs show 70+ megs of ROM/RAM available. I think this extended ROM can also be used to store software.
3.) The operating systems (OS's) do continue to change. People get new phones from their telecom operator, and when they dissassemble the phone's ROM, they can extract the new OS's and check the version numbers. There is no way I know of currently to update the OS without flashing a completely new ROM. Different ROMs include different versions of the operating system, although many of the ROM cookers are quick to re-release their ROMs when a new OS comes out.
4.) Any software that can be installed manually can be installed in a ROM. This includes "trial" or "unregistered" versions. For that software, it may be installed on your phone when you install the ROM, but it is a limited-use version and you will need to purchase the software and get a registration code to unlock the full software. If the software is "cooked" into your ROM and you decide not to use it, YOU CAN'T UNINSTALL IT without reflashing to a new ROM. It won't do any harm, but it will use up memory that could be put to better use.
5.) A suggestion on other software: If you flash your OS often, it makes things easier to keep copies of the CAB files for your favorite other cab installations on your SD card, so you can easily reinstall them when you reflash the OS.
6.) Most of the ROMs use the same installer software,which works well and can recover from some errors (just follow the instructions or if no instructions retry the flash procedure). However, some telecom operators install something called a Service Provider Lock (SPL) to prevent people from installing "unapproved" software on their phone. Removing or otherwise getting around this SPL is a process called "unlocking" - if you try to reflash your phone's ROM, and something goes wrong, this SPL could prevent you from being able to fix your phone, making it useless (or "bricked"). There are software packages that should be able to fix a bricked phone (search the board to find), but it is easier to remove the SPL first, so you never have to worry about crashing your phone.
7.) If you remove your SPL, you have technically violated the terms of your contract with your service provider!!!! In daily use, it really doesn't affect them, so they probably won't make a stink about it, and probably can't tell you've done so. But, if you bring it in for service, send it in under warranty, call their service line to get support, the technician will probably see you have removed your SPL, and can refuse to provide service or warranty support. However, the techs are people and depending on the issue may or may not make a big deal about it, but it's certainly within their right to refuse to service for free.
8.) There are differences in telecom providers!!! This is particularly important with respect to Radio ROMs. If you think about it, your phone has to send the right signals to your service provider's radio tower to make a call. The specific information it has to send and the manner in which it sends it are determined by the radio protocol, which is built into the radio software. As a result, some radio software will not work with some providers, and some will work better than others. This difference willbe regional, so consider where you will be using the phone (Asia, Europe, SA, Africa, NA). Some radios could even be configured to specific providers (but I don't know for sure).
9.) Latest vs. most stable - sometimes, the latest versions introduce new bugsor are less stable than others, so consider this as well.
10.) Most of the differences between the ROMs seem to revolve aroudn the cooker's choices for phone software - the dialers, the contact managers, etc. These primarily change the "look and feel" of the phone rather than the raw performance or capabilites. Since look and feel is the big difference, it's impossible to say which look and feel everyone will like - it's a matter of taste / personal preference.
11.) Don't bug the cookers!!!! The people cooking ROMs for us are doing it in their spare time. They're not getting paid to do it, they're just trying to help each other out. While they seem to be interested in hearing about bugs so they can fix their ROMs, pestering them with requests to make some piddly change just for you is rude. Don't pester them with change requests and customizations, and then throw a hissy fit when they don't want to do it your way. If you don't like their ROM, then cook your own.
So, to pick the ROM that works for you, you're probably going to have to try a few out. The combination of OS and Radio will likely be regional (some will not be able to use the latest radio, for example), and form there on in you have to choose which has the dialer/contact manager you like the most, and includes the software you want to have (or go with a lite version).
Good luck!
Mike
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sow basicly if I use Soft SPL and install a rom that has no radio and something goes wrong I can return to my original ROM. Is that right?

Thread renamed: added [Q] tag.
Please read the Announcements in the forums regarding posting rules!

Update file

for all releaser...
i wanna learn something that is Why dont you release an update file instead of a new rom file ?, do you have to release as a new rom file ? i am bored about new rom install issue...tell me why..
thanks in advance...

The reason chefs don't release update files is because the programs designed to create ImageUpdate files are still in development. There is currently no way for us to use the ImageUpdate system at this time, and that's the only true update mechanism that would work with ROMs.
I suggest that until the XDA ImageUpdate project is online and running (could be awhile), you should learn to automate the installation of all your .cabs, personal info, email accounts, etc. with XDA User Customization (provided your ROM supports this). I have almost nothing to install or configure after a ROM flash because I've automated everything on my device with XDA User Customization.

i mean that the publishers would make a cab to update our rom. i didnt mean a nbh file. is it logical ?
thanks in advance...

DaveTheTytnIIGuy said:
The reason chefs don't release update files is because the programs designed to create ImageUpdate files are still in development. There is currently no way for us to use the ImageUpdate system at this time, and that's the only true update mechanism that would work with ROMs.
I suggest that until the XDA ImageUpdate project is online and running (could be awhile), you should learn to automate the installation of all your .cabs, personal info, email accounts, etc. with XDA User Customization (provided your ROM supports this). I have almost nothing to install or configure after a ROM flash because I've automated everything on my device with XDA User Customization.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They've been developed...the problem is that no current roms support image update and that the program has evolved into a something a bit bigger and has slowed in development.

CABs won't work, because some files are "cooked" into the ROM (read only memory) and cannot be changed.
The "Image Update" been discussed is the solution to this - if you want to know how / why, see here.
Until it's developed, theres not much you can do.
Hope this helps.
Dave

thanks for all your answers..

Cooked Security

Firstly I want to stress that I am not making any accusations or (as far as I know) experienced anything like this, it's just a thought I had.
So my question is what's to stop an unscrupulous cook from adding something to a ROM that would steal account passwords? Sorry if this is a dumb question but I'm not a cook.
Thanks.

Very little, I guess.
I doubt anyone else goes to these lengths, but I always check the entire list of apps and their permissions (in Android) on install of a ROM.
But that's not foolproof, and takes ages, so often I do a diff of the file system to see if any dodgy apks are there.
Droidwall in whitelist mode will help against a malicious app, but a kernel based exploit would get through all of this
So personally I stick with modaco Rom, and tek kernel, as Paul & tek are trusted and have a good track record and history here and on modaco forums. So I guess just stick to major trusted chefs or wait for official. And be wary of new ROMs and chefs, not that we should distrust them, but just be wary till they build up a good reputation.

Thanks for your reply- you mentioned some things I had not considered doing.
I am currently using the Modaco 3.0 ROM and have been using it since 2.6 and have had no issues with it, I suppose the ultimate way forward would be to cook your own ROM but I'm from WinMo and wouldn't know where to start not to mention finding the time to learn all this stuff.

RetroFlux said:
Thanks for your reply- you mentioned some things I had not considered doing.
I am currently using the Modaco 3.0 ROM and have been using it since 2.6 and have had no issues with it, I suppose the ultimate way forward would be to cook your own ROM but I'm from WinMo and wouldn't know where to start not to mention finding the time to learn all this stuff.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're in luck, we are in the same boat.. I made an easy kitchen for new Android cooks:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=633246
Regarding security, yeah I would go by reputation... but the best thing would be to cook your own ROM once you know what you want in a ROM, after trying out custom ROMs made by others.

Sweet! I'll check it out, thanks.

Yeah. Cooking your own seems the best bet.
One idea I did have. How about a thread where a trusted user or admin puts in the MD5/CRC hashes of the stock apk files, and makes an MD5 file. Then, users could check any suspect apps to see what (if anything) isn't stock. ie. a non-stock SMS app might be a bit suspect etc.
Although this would have a load of false positives for anyone who just edited a picture or icon within an apk.
Similarly, a catalogue of boot.img MD5 sums (the part that contains the kernel ramdisk) would allow users to check their boot.img looks legit before flashing.
The biggest issue here though is how to make sure that it's kept up to date, and that it's verified in some way so a malicious user couldn't add their own MD5 for their malicious app/kernel to the list, thus giving it trust.
Maybe better just learning to cook a rom... It's pretty easy once you get the hang of it. Just stay away from SPL and Radio until you know what to do.

Yeah I thought about getting cooks to hash their stuff but I don't think there would be much take up and like you say the false positives would be an issue.

anon2122 said:
Very little, I guess.
I doubt anyone else goes to these lengths, but I always check the entire list of apps and their permissions (in Android) on install of a ROM.
But that's not foolproof, and takes ages, so often I do a diff of the file system to see if any dodgy apks are there.
Droidwall in whitelist mode will help against a malicious app, but a kernel based exploit would get through all of this
So personally I stick with modaco Rom, and tek kernel, as Paul & tek are trusted and have a good track record and history here and on modaco forums. So I guess just stick to major trusted chefs or wait for official. And be wary of new ROMs and chefs, not that we should distrust them, but just be wary till they build up a good reputation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You might come in for a surprise if you think checking apks is safe.
A simple keylogger (there's one which will compile and work for android - DON'T PM me about the name, I won't tell you) added to initrc, zipped log file of key catches and a simple ftp of the file once every 6h will do just fine.
For additional privacy concerns, you can always catch the entire screen (but that'll slow the system too much), or even zip and ftp the /data/data ...
Possibilities exist.
For the real adventurous, you might always add the code/function to one of the programs which are compiled while aosp'ing, for example, busybox, dropbear, whatver... Share that in a rom, and there you go.
Checking apk perms, scripts or whaever won't do you any good in this case.
This is why you try new roms from "amateur" chefs at your own risk. Believe me, bricking is the least of your concerns when trying new roms from unknown "devs"

I think this just further renforces the 'cook your own ROM' route. Don't worry I won't PM you about it as I'm not looking to steal people's passwords just looking to try and protect myself, I'm getting paranoid now and thinking about going back to a stock ROM :O