Develop Bugs

Theme on Stock rom?

I was just wondering if you could apply a theme to the stock rom which I have.
I haven't rooted or done anything like that because I honestly am such an amateur at that kind of stuff.
So back to my main question, can you have a theme on the stock rom?

Not on stock as it will be odexed, meaning that the service framework is packaged for a specific device and this also blocks any attempts at theming it.
However, if you root and flash a custom rom that is de-odexed, then you will be able to make changes to the framework and apply themes.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App

MasDroid said:
Not on stock as it will be odexed, meaning that the service framework is packaged for a specific device and this also blocks any attempts at theming it.
However, if you root and flash a custom rom that is de-odexed, then you will be able to make changes to the framework and apply themes.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok thanks, just wanted to be clear on it.
I'm guessing that you have rooted [it's in your signature] so I was wondering is it an easy quick process on rooting?
Because i see no videos on youtube of people rooting the HTC Desire to the new Froyo so i don't know if it.s easy or not or how you check what bootloader you have ETC.
I want to root but i'm just scared of doing something wrong and messing up my phone.
I bought it from amazon unbranded and unlocked, if that helps.

UltraLinx said:
Ok thanks, just wanted to be clear on it.
I'm guessing that you have rooted [it's in your signature] so I was wondering is it an easy quick process on rooting?
Because i see no videos on youtube of people rooting the HTC Desire to the new Froyo so i don't know if it.s easy or not or how you check what bootloader you have ETC.
I want to root but i'm just scared of doing something wrong and messing up my phone.
I bought it from amazon unbranded and unlocked, if that helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, rooting itself is not too difficult and it will not take long at all. What takes up most of the time is the actual flash as you have to wait until it completes - takes roughly 10 mins.
I would like you to check what Bootloader version you are running. To do so, switch off the device. Turn it on by holding the ‘back’ key. You should be able to see the text ‘HBOOT’, and a version number beside it. This number is the bootloader version. It will either read 0.75.0000 or 0.80.0000.
When you finished rebooting your phone, next check your software version: press Menu > Settings > Scroll down the screen, and then tap About phone > Software Information > Build number.
Also, could you tell me what OS you are currently running?

MasDroid said:
Yes, rooting itself is not too difficult and it will not take long at all. What takes up most of the time is the actual flash as you have to wait until it completes - takes roughly 10 mins.
I would like you to check what Bootloader version you are running. To do so, switch off the device. Turn it on by holding the ‘back’ key. You should be able to see the text ‘HBOOT’, and a version number beside it. This number is the bootloader version. It will either read 0.75.0000 or 0.80.0000.
When you finished rebooting your phone, next check your software version: press Menu > Settings > Scroll down the screen, and then tap About phone > Software Information > Build number.
Also, could you tell me what OS you are currently running?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm running 0.80.0000 bootloader.
Build Number: 1.21.405.2 CL174215 release-keys
I'm running windows 7.
Thank you for the help by the way and sorry I've taken quite a while to reply, been busy

UltraLinx said:
I'm running 0.80.0000 bootloader.
Build Number: 1.21.405.2 CL174215 release-keys
I'm running windows 7.
Thank you for the help by the way and sorry I've taken quite a while to reply, been busy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, thank you for that information, no problem whatsoever with the late reply
Follow this guide - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=696189 - it explains absolutely everything you will need to know in order to root, flash a custom rom, etc onto your Desire. Just go to the relevant sections, you will not need to create a Gold Card so you can skip that step. The guide itself is pretty straightforward and if you have any further concerns or related questions, just post back here and either myself or another XDA member will gladly help you out.
Before you attempt rooting, also ensure that you have HTC Sync installed to avoid any driver issues.
EDIT: if you are wanting to flash a Froyo rom, then this is done slightly differently. You follow the same principles - you must full wipe your device and then flash the rom. But if you want to install additional extra's, such as Apps2SD, then you need to play around a little with the Android SDK and ADB - you will notice this while you read the install instructions for Froyo based roms.
Regards,
Mas.

MasDroid said:
Ok, thank you for that information, no problem whatsoever with the late reply
Follow this guide - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=696189 - it explains absolutely everything you will need to know in order to root, flash a custom rom, etc onto your Desire. Just go to the relevant sections, you will not need to create a Gold Card so you can skip that step. The guide itself is pretty straightforward and if you have any further concerns or related questions, just post back here and either myself or another XDA member will gladly help you out.
Before you attempt rooting, also ensure that you have HTC Sync installed to avoid any driver issues.
Regards,
Mas.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very much Mas, nice to know there are people who are actually willing to help on this forum.
Few other things I would like to know about are,
Roms, how do they work and which ones are the good ones?
Radio's, what exactly are they?
Kernals, don't have a clue about what they are either?
AND one last thing, can you apply any theme over any rom?
Thank you again

Theme as in what? I use LauncherPro instead of Sense and I can customize it any way I want. Icons, widgets.. you name it!

UltraLinx said:
Thank you very much Mas, nice to know there are people who are actually willing to help on this forum.
Few other things I would like to know about are,
Roms, how do they work and which ones are the good ones?
Radio's, what exactly are they?
Kernals, don't have a clue about what they are either?
AND one last thing, can you apply any theme over any rom?
Thank you again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Custom ROMs are basically image files that contain different versions of firmware that you can flash onto your device. You can flash generic roms or custom roms which allow you to have an operating system that fits your likes and needs. In many cases, custom ROMs strip out non essential pre-installed software as well as apply various performance tweaks. In my experience, using a custom ROM is much better than the stock ROM simply because of performance and it unlocks the device to use it at it's full potential.
Radio's are also ROM images that come in different versions. You can either downgrade or upgrade to a diferent radio version by flashing it via Recovery Mode, just like you would do with custom ROMs. The radio ROM provides improvements on the GSM radio stack and this has effect on the GSM signal, AT command interface, GSM data modem (3G, GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, etc...) functionality that is controlled by the Radio Interface Layer (RIL). Depending on the radio version you flash, they can also improve Wi-Fi signal issues and things like battery life. Many roms cana also come with a radio rom included or you can install them separately:
Link here -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=687464
The kernel is the central component of most computer operating systems; it is a bridge between applications and the actual data processing done at the hardware level. The kernel's responsibilities include managing the system's resources (the communication between hardware and software components)
You would have seen that there are modified kernel's available to flash on the forums, these can provide some enhancements and extra features for your handset.
You can apply a theme over a custom rom that has been de-odexed, allowing you to make changes to the framework. You will be able to tell which roms have been de-odexed by simply reading the Changelog notes of each rom.
Note: i did not mention this before but regarding flashing, you can also use the safer methods by an app like ROM Manager (needs root access to use), read more about it here:
http://androidforums.com/applicatio...r-easiest-way-install-roms-must-have-app.html

@ArtieQ i presume he means actual themes that you can apply, custom lockscreens, custom bootscreens, custom icons, etc.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App

MasDroid said:
@ArtieQ i presume he means actual themes that you can apply, custom lockscreens, custom bootscreens, custom icons, etc.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ye right. I use Lock 2.0 with iPhone theme and a modified slider, way better than stock sense

Yes, the stock lock screen is very, very boring
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App

Ok well i have successfully rooted and applied a rom.
Using the MaDaCo r20 ROM for HTC Desire.
But back to my very first question, how do i apply a theme i want to it?

Check the Desire Themes And Apps section of the forum many premade themes and customisations that you can make to your phone will be found there.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App

[Q] root or not root... I can't choose, help :P

Oke, quick question guys.
I have an unbranded HTC Desire UNROOTED, haven't rooted it yet...
It came with 2.2 and fully working etc..
My following question, is it worth it to root my phone and get a ROM?
What are the benefits of using a ROM on HTC Desire...
Because I've been reading comments on different ROMs for ages now and I just can't figure out which is best and has everything working.
I want a clean ROM which I then can flash a theme on, so it probably should not be odexed. Sorry for so many questions I just want to be sure.
So basically my question is root or not root, and if root, which ROM.
Share your experiences please, thanks !

Same here, what are the disadvantages to ROMs and rooting over a stock ROM??? Just problems with changing SD cards? Stability? Bugs??

a2sd+ and ****load of space for apps is no. 1 for me.

Every rom is stable enough for heavy everyday usage, unless they are marked as experimental, beta or something along those lines.
Youll be able to install as many apps you want with a2sd+ which is better than stock FroYo a2sd as all of the apps actually go onto the sd card.
Speed is massively improved on vanilla and sense roms, which is always lovely.
Endless mods too. Youll be able to pick themes for your roms, and even make your own if youre up to it.
Hopefully that will convert you
Sent from my HTC Desire

GANJDROID said:
Every rom is stable enough for heavy everyday usage, unless they are marked as experimental, beta or something along those lines.
Youll be able to install as many apps you want with a2sd+ which is better than stock FroYo a2sd as all of the apps actually go onto the sd card.
Speed is massively improved on vanilla and sense roms, which is always lovely.
Endless mods too. Youll be able to pick themes for your roms, and even make your own if youre up to it.
Hopefully that will convert you
Sent from my HTC Desire
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...but, if you're happy with the performance and features of the stock ROM then there's probably no need. Most of us here do it just cos we can....
Oh, and just a warning, if you do root your device and start flashing different ROMS you may not be able to stop. Has been known to cause many problems, typically with wives and girlfriends.

I have hboot version greater than 0.75 (0.93 I think) and stock UK 2.2 ROM with latest update, can I still root and flash?

i also want to root, but im waiting for unrevoked v3.2.1, however im not sure if it works with hboot 0.93 (which im also on) can someone clarify that it works or doesn't??
Thanks

cr1960 said:
...but, if you're happy with the performance and features of the stock ROM then there's probably no need. Most of us here do it just cos we can....
Oh, and just a warning, if you do root your device and start flashing different ROMS you may not be able to stop. Has been known to cause many problems, typically with wives and girlfriends.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats very true, but rooting basically unlocks everything, except system access, but thats nearly done
Haha, yeah, they do get quite peeved when you pay more attention on your phone than them
As for the hboot people, I think all hboots have been rooted, you just need to search the development forum.
Sent from my HTC Desire

I have rooted my phone and I'm happy I did it.
Just like the feeling of it that it can do more now and not be limited.

the new unrEVOked can root HBOOT 0.93 as I did it before going back to stock

I downgraded first, shouldn't make a different on how the ROM runs.

So downgrade hboot and then root and flash.

Right, but rooting messes up the OTA updates...

Rooting only affects otas if your not on an official rom.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App

cr1960 said:
...but, if you're happy with the performance and features of the stock ROM then there's probably no need. Most of us here do it just cos we can....
Oh, and just a warning, if you do root your device and start flashing different ROMS you may not be able to stop. Has been known to cause many problems, typically with wives and girlfriends.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So true.. thats why I havent rooted.... yet...

chichoko said:
So true.. thats why I havent rooted.... yet...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOLOL...
That´s so true, my girlfriend hates my phone...
Had it rooted for a few weeks installed 2 or 3 rom´s, a few theme mod´s....
get it back to unroot status, why?
first of all the new radio gives u less battery drains, u still have froyo with stock rom, fast and stable and most important issue of all, WARRANTY...
i already bricked on Magic 32A

MrUsta said:
Right, but rooting messes up the OTA updates...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
U can use OTA updates with root, but you need to use fake flash to enter custom recovery, if u flash the custom recovery, removing the original one, u get an error when trying to update via OTA

And why finally decided to root my phone?
1. Because I love modifying gadgets.
2. More options, more space by extension.
3. You can always go back to unroot.
4. Theme Sense or Non-Sense.
5. Backup whole ROM.
Etc..
Those are the advantages I was looking for.
And I'm happy with it and had no trouble!
The updates will be on a ROM too anyways.

Don't ROOT
If i knew it was so hard to UNROOT i wouldn't have ROOTED in the first place...!

Why do you need to unroot so badly and what is preventing you?
So any other advantages of rooting apart from increasing internal memory? For stability and productivity, what ROMs are recommend? Is class two Sandisk ok for app2sd+? Can the ext3 partition be backed up or copied to another card?
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App

EVO Rom question.

So I don't have an EVO, but I have a friend that does and will pay me to jailbreak it for him, so I was wondering:
Is there a ROM for the EVO that will keep all the stock OS components exactly the same and look and feel exactly the same, but will increase battery life and maybe tweak some speed and internet properties?
Thanks in advance.

Sophrosyne said:
So I don't have an EVO, but I have a friend that does and will pay me to jailbreak it for him, so I was wondering:
Is there a ROM for the EVO that will keep all the stock OS components exactly the same and look and feel exactly the same, but will increase battery life and maybe tweak some speed and internet properties?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look into Sprint Lover's Rom....it is the same as stock except with some enhancements. All stock stuff is included. Never used it so don't know about speed but can find info in the development thread.
Otherwise, you could just root it and keep it as is afterwards. Would be exactly the same as stock except rooted and then the user could tweak it over time.
Honestly, all Sense based roms can be made to look exactly like stock but with extra enhancements and speed. A lot of developers will even provide a directory of stock apps taken out so they can be re-installed if someone wants to use them.

Yeah, but even I am new to ROMs and wouldn't have a clue where to begin with that level of custimization.

I think your best bet is to root (obviously) then flash a well-known Sense ROM, like Sprint Lover's. A lot of even the Sense ROMs are starting to customize and theme right out of the box, so it's harder to find a well-supported ROM that still looks stock, but I think Sprint Lover's is the one to beat right now.
After that, you may want to look into a kernel upgrade (a kernel comes as a zip that flashes in recovery just like a ROM, just make sure it's a Sense-compatible kernel). Probably Netarchy's 4.1.9.1 or something like that. I really suggest you read up on the debate over SBC kernels before you decide to use one of those, if you were ever thinking along those lines.
After you root, the first thing you should do (and before every flash) is to make a NANDROID BACKUP!!! Either ClockworkMod or Amon-RA will let you do that easily.

What's a Kernel upgrade? If Sprint Lover's really is the same look and feel with some tweaks to speed and battery, will I even need it?

Sophrosyne said:
What's a Kernel upgrade? If Sprint Lover's really is the same look and feel with some tweaks to speed and battery, will I even need it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Kernels are what happens behind the scenes in a rom. Calculations, battery compensation, CPU governors etc etc.
stock roms have kernels from HTC, which are actually known here to have pretty good battery life.
In addition to flashing a custom rom, adding a custom kernel may give more of an edge to what your friend needs.
Kernels here will range from great stability, great performance, or great battery life.
A good rule of thumb is that a good rom will only offer two out of the three, those that claim all generally are just assuming.
That being said there is no definite, uniform "best" combination as hardware/conditions will always be different. Flash a combo and see which works best for your buddy. If he spends a lot of time at the office and at home, performance is best. If he's on the road a lot, perhaps battery fixations will be better.
If he doesn't need much but needs to be able to make that call or text in a clinch regardless of conditions, he'll need stability.
The process seems intimidating coming from iPhone modification, but it can be fun and at times addicting to see what combo best suits you.
If you need something stock with upgraded tweaks, I recommend mikfroyo *4.2* or sprint lovers. As for a kernel, you're looking for Ziggy work. Netarchy is arguably one of the best, but you'll have to sift through a lot of version numbers to get one right, some are potentially dangerous to your specific device so I suggest you read up before downloading.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

Is that so? So are there Kernels that can be applied to the stock ROM? That'd be the best case-scenario. He doesn't want his phone to look any different, but he'd favor battery life and performance over stability. Any Kernels come to mind, then?

Sophrosyne said:
Is that so? So are there Kernels that can be applied to the stock ROM? That'd be the best case-scenario. He doesn't want his phone to look any different, but he'd favor battery life and performance over stability. Any Kernels come to mind, then?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are going to have to flash a custom ROM before trying kernels anyway.
Start HERE.
It is on a different forum but it is instruction from this forum with pictures.
It includes an installation of sprint lovers, which is faster, and your friend will have more control over the system, such as removing bloatware, or wireless tether. Then he can easily try flashing kernels after that.

Fazulka said:
You are going to have to flash a custom ROM before trying kernels anyway.
Start HERE.
It is on a different forum but it is instruction from this forum with pictures.
It includes an installation of sprint lovers, which is faster, and your friend will have more control over the system, such as removing bloatware, or wireless tether. Then he can easily try flashing kernels after that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please be aware that this process although the easiest and straightforward, it involves the process of flashing radios...
Under NO circumstances are you to turn off the phone or remove the battery during the img flash or your phone will brick.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

That's seriously the easiest way to get Sprint Lover's? Looks incredibly complicated. All I had to do on my Droid X was install z4root, bootstrap recovery. Root my phone, make a backup, and install the rom from zip on SD card. Can't do that with the EVO?

it is not complicated.
<http://htcevorooting.x10.mx/wiki/index.php?title=How_to_root_your_current_EVO_4G_with_Unrevoked3>
Used unrEVOked3 software to root and unlock NAND (s-off). It is one of the cleanest and easiest rooting programs you could imagine.
Before you do this you will need to install HTC sync software from HTC's website, then uninstall ONLY the sync software portion, and leave the driver portion alone. You also need to install a modified hboot driver as well, as outlined in the link above.
After that, to flash a different ROM all you need to do is put it on your SD card and boot to recovery by turning the phone off, and then turning it back on while holding the volume down button. You can easily find the command to flash a new zip file within recovery.
And if you want to make things even easier, download (and I recommend purchasing) Rom Manager from the market, after you root.
Also, here is a ROM that might interest you. Called stock turbo.
<http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=864501>

I must make something clear about that ROM. The second post in that thread says that you should use a different recovery software than what is used with unrEVOked3. Although, I have successfully loaded this rom with clockworkmod in the past.

That ROM looks like exactly what I need. I have a couple questions, though:
What do I need to do before installing that ROM? I know I need to root the EVO. Is that as easy as getting z4root on the SDcard and installing?
Also, the dude recommends using Amon Ra 1.8 to back the phone up. How do I get that? SDcard install or something more complicated?

[Q] rooting, I really...

Hi, I have the desire, and well I'm board with it, I want to mess around with different roms like miui, gingerbread extra. But I don't understand, please could someone help me with some of my questions? Thank :
1) What are the chances of breaking it through rooting, and what could happen, and would should you do it it does happen?
2) what does bricked mean, and is there away of unbricking?
1) what do you do if a bad rom breaks?
1.5) what are the chances of things going wrong?
2) Can you have more than one rom installed at a time, and switch between them, a bit like you can with launchers, and uses the same apps and data on those roms?
2.5) Is unrevoked the best way to root?
3) I you can have more than one rom, can you have a gingerbread rom, side loaded with a froyo from?
4) How do you switch between the roms?
5)Does rooting affect battery life?
6) Using unrevoked, is there anyway to unroot?
7) where do you find roms, and does the rom manager in the market allow you to install them without flashing?
8)Is there a good htc sense hd or gingerbread rom that works well?
9) With different roms increase the speed of the device, like the n1 is faster than the desire, yet they have the same hardware?
I know that a lot of questions but i am really nervousness about this and I can't seem to find todate answerers to these questions. If someone could help me with these questions I would be very great full, as I want to get more our of my device. Thanks ( I know there are a lot of rooting threads, but I really need to find out as much as i can before I undergo this, I love my desire too much to allow it to break when there was something that i could have done)

There is a remote chance (0.00000001%) of anything going wrong as long as you follow the steps to the rooting process and S-Off. If you become bricked then there is a topic on how to unbrick.
Easiest and best way to root is to using unrevoked 3.32. Make sure you download the HBoot drivers from their website. After rooting, it is also good to make your device S-Off'd. Your able to flash HBoot templates to change partition sizes and also change the splash and remove system apps and so on.
You can only have 1 rom installed at a time. You have to flash roms as well, that's how you install them and other zip files through the recovery. If a rom breaks, you can just flash it again. Installing a rom takes 5 mins, if that really.
You find roms in the Android Dev section. You can use Rom Manager but you have to pay or something.
You can have a fast rom or a "slower" rom. It depends on how it's been built and stuff but also the kernel can help to speed things up. (Speed isn't always the answer). There is no best or crappiest rom either. It's best to test many out for yourself.
Battery life again depends on the rom and the kernel.
Things To Download
To root a device
To S-Off your device
Roms and alsort of other nice things
Hope this helps you out.

Thanks very much , but do you need to install "S-Off" as I don't quite understand what it does, and which one to download and how to install it. Thanks

You don't need to install S-Off after a root. S-Off just allows you to do more things like uninstall system apps, change the splash screen, change the HBoot (not quite sure what else). If your not going to be doing them sort of things then stay away from it.
When you root, the unrevoked utility roots it and changes the recovery to ClockworkMod 2.5.1.8. That recovery allows you to boot into it and install roms through it. It has a menu and you use your optical tracker to navigate through them. That is how you install different roms.
With the roms, you need to see which one you like. I've been through almost all of them and I have one I stick to now. I can't say which is the best, that's for you to decide. The Gingerbread roms are Android 2.3 and I THINK, emphasis on the THINK, that the rest of the roms are Android 2.2.
I think at first your like, oh what if I mess things up and stuff but you won't if you follow instructions. When I first did it, I completely messed up and couldn't even boot into a rom at all and was wondering how to sort it out. I got there in the end but still. I also forgot to mention, if you want the stock rom back, you can install one of the RUU's. It will wipe everything and you will have to root again, but you will have stock.

Thanks very much , when change roms will you lose all of your apps, and data?

Yes. When your changing roms, you have to erase all data. It is a must and everything will go, apps, user data including texts and contacts, EVERYTHING!!!.

Thanks so much for all your help, i'm going to do it now, and use cyanogen mod 7 or 6.x. Thanks again

No worries. If you get stuck, just message me or something.

Completely IGNORE S-OFF if you're a n00b, it shouldn't be recommended to anyone who:
1. Doesn't know what it is
2. Doesn't actually need it
Concentrate on rooting and running a custom ROM first

Not actually true. When I S-Off'd my Desire, I didn't have a bloody clue, other than it disables all security, what it was. You eventually learn things like I did and read a little more. S-Off is a great tool to have on your phone because it gives you all the more freedom to do what ever you want with your device. I will say for all the "n00bs" out there that if you are S-Off'ing then please read it all carefully, unlike me because I could have messed it all up.

You were lucky - better to learn first, do second

I saw recently a wiped imei which made me cautious
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App

Thanks for all you help, I have rooted and now have a custom rom (cm 6.1). Thanks

EddyOS said:
Completely IGNORE S-OFF if you're a n00b
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would add that if you're a n00b, don't even try to get your device rooted!

Lothaen said:
I saw recently a wiped imei which made me cautious
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would ask if that's even possbile. Apparently it is.

Delete the efs storage without a backup... doh
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App

I had a stock Desire and wouldn't move from it. Then the niggles in the current build just annoyed me enough to actually go down the root route (see what I did there? )
So I rooted and after a few mishaps along the way (make backups of everything, phone and SD card, especially if you partition it!) I am very happy with my Ginger Villain ROM. A few things still niggle (Me avatar in texts blank, phone reboots randomly to name a few), but its not as bad as it used to be. I can live without Sense as well surprisingly enough.
I also did the same for a friend, and stuck them on LeeDroid 2.3d and as they are technically challenged, it works for them sweet as.

stringent said:
I had a stock Desire and wouldn't move from it. Then the niggles in the current build just annoyed me enough to actually go down the root route (see what I did there? )
So I rooted and after a few mishaps along the way (make backups of everything, phone and SD card, especially if you partition it!) I am very happy with my Ginger Villain ROM. A few things still niggle (Me avatar in texts blank, phone reboots randomly to name a few), but its not as bad as it used to be. I can live without Sense as well surprisingly enough.
I also did the same for a friend, and stuck them on LeeDroid 2.3d and as they are technically challenged, it works for them sweet as.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha that made me laugh. As for your contact icon of yourself, you need to add yourself. Your own number and name and then you can add a picture. Yes it is annoying a little because Android natively doesn't have like a "contact card" for yourself.
Rooting and S-Off is the best thing I did by far

GoogleJelly said:
Haha that made me laugh. As for your contact icon of yourself, you need to add yourself. Your own number and name and then you can add a picture. Yes it is annoying a little because Android natively doesn't have like a "contact card" for yourself.
Rooting and S-Off is the best thing I did by far
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bump creates a contact card for yourself...
right at the top of the phonebook called 'My Contact Card'

Lothaen said:
bump creates a contact card for yourself...
right at the top of the phonebook called 'My Contact Card'
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Odd, I don't have that, I had it in the Sense UI, not on the stock Ginger Villain ROM, unless I am missing something ...

[Q] Phone is rooted, but how do I know what it has (what ROM, etc)? I

I followed instructions to root it and its rooted, but have never been able to get Cyanogenmod to Install (I always get the same error everyone else does), and when I try to check out different ROMS, no one even posts many pics to show what the difference will be to use that ROM.
My phone looks the same as before and I'm just using ADW launcher to set it up the way I want it to look.
So how can I tell exactly what point of rooting my phone has reached? Do I actually have a different ROM, etc? I don't know much about this stuff and I'm not bricking my phone messing around with it until I know exactly where to start.

What custom recovery and bootloader are currently loaded on the phone?

kmodek said:
So how can I tell exactly what point of rooting my phone has reached? Do I actually have a different ROM, etc?
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Hi!
Go to your phone's System Settings --> About phone.
In there, you should be able to figure out which Android version is currently installed on your phone; if you have a custom ROM, most of the time ROMs developers will also add an additional line somewhere on that screen to tell exactly what revision of their ROM is installed. If not, you may be able to grab some more information by checking your build number or your kernel revision.

If you tap a few times on where it says Android Version, under Settings>More>About Device , it usually does a little animation of the rom version. Im trying to decide on a rom so mine is kit kat 4.2.2 at the moment and dislpays an Android logo in the Kit Kat logo style.

Since the bootloader version is not displayed on the About Phone page, you will need to determine that with another method. A simple way would be with the Samsung Info app from the PlayStore, the one posted by vndnguyen.
I personally use Terminal Emulator commands to determine phone info.
Code:
getprop ro.bootloader
getprop | grep version.baseband

I got the app from the Play store and it shows I'm on 4.4.2, but that the Knox has been tripped (I know it's rooted because I have an app that verifies root), but other than that, I can't tell any difference from how it was originally.
Guess I just thought rooting it would make it look a lot different and after reading through all of the forums, there seems to be 100 steps just to try out one new ROM and I don't even know what you do if you get it and decide you don't even like it. I just don't want to brick my phone.

kmodek said:
Guess I just thought rooting it would make it look a lot different and after reading through all of the forums, there seems to be 100 steps just to try out one new ROM and I don't even know what you do if you get it and decide you don't even like it. I just don't want to brick my phone.
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i was watching youtube videos of reviews of the different custom ROMs gave a good idea on the features and layout of each rom. I as well am having difficulty deciding on a ROM to flash as this is my first smart phone and am new to it. ive been reading and watching a bunch of tutorials but finding information on whats currently stable for our particular phone can be somewhat dated. i know moderators want to avoid a "best roms" thread but for those of us just starting out with a rooted phone it sure would be handy to have opinions on what ppl use for the SGH-I747 and why, so its easier to decide on one.
is it reccommended to upgrade or downgrade? in order to compare ROMs its watching a video for 15 min to see what features it had at the time the vid was made and reading the developer forums on each mod to see what bugs are present in the current release but its not all compiled anywhere. its that or randomly flash ROMs on there to test them out and risk making mistakes. its usually always better to have advice from those with expertise and perhaps avoid making commonly made mistakes. ive read a bunch of helpful and handy guides on here but doesnt seem any way to easily compare roms or get feedback on what users have decided on sticking with or anything additional specific to this phone that should be considered before flashing certain ROMs.

kmodek said:
I got the app from the Play store and it shows I'm on 4.4.2, but that the Knox has been tripped (I know it's rooted because I have an app that verifies root), but other than that, I can't tell any difference from how it was originally.
Guess I just thought rooting it would make it look a lot different and after reading through all of the forums, there seems to be 100 steps just to try out one new ROM and I don't even know what you do if you get it and decide you don't even like it. I just don't want to brick my phone.
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this thread may help to explain some badic things.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2343223
my advice , for what its worth ...
1) READ READ READ
2) make a backup of your current setup so you have it to fall back on.
3) NEVER downgrade your bootloader , flash any ROM/kernel not meant for your device (sure way to brick it).
theres always risk when flashing anything , but the risks can be minimized by understanding what your doing , or rather the process.
as far as flashing roms , its pretty simple once you understand it (as with most things. lol). reading thru a ROMs thread will give a general idea of any features , issues that the users have. the OP , first post ; will tell you alot about the ROM/features.
good luck and happy flashing.!
"all i can really do , is stay out of my own way and let the will of heaven be done"

kmodek said:
.... (I know it's rooted because I have an app that verifies root), but other than that, I can't tell any difference from how it was originally.
Guess I just thought rooting it would make it look a lot different and after reading through all of the forums, there seems to be 100 steps just to try out one new ROM and I don't even know what you do if you get it and decide you don't even like it. I just don't want to brick my phone.
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The act of rooting does not outwardly change the look and feel of a ROM in any way. It's what you do after rooting that makes the difference.
Some like the Stock Rom of a device and/or do not want to lose some of its unique features. These people will root but not flash a custom ROM.
I've had two android phones and one tablet. Initially I root a new device but leave it on the stock ROM. At that time I will use an app that requires root to freeze any of the pre-installed apps that I don't use (My definition of bloat.) I don't remove/delete them at the beginning. If freezing them breaks some other functionality I want that app still on the device so that I can unfreeze it and make everything work again. Both of my phones have been Samsungs, a SGS Captivate and a SGS3. After a while on rooted stock I have changed to custom ROMs on each. The Captivate went from stock to CyanogenMod to a CM derived ROM. The SGS3 went from stock to a re-themed, custom ROM based on stock but with much removed (carrier bloat) and some other functions added. I expect to soon change to a later version of the same ROM with even more removed. Others want to have a ROM with every bell and whistle possible to have present. It's all individual preference.
havok6669 said:
i was watching youtube videos of reviews of the different custom ROMs gave a good idea on the features and layout of each rom. I as well am having difficulty deciding on a ROM to flash as this is my first smart phone and am new to it. ive been reading and watching a bunch of tutorials but finding information on whats currently stable for our particular phone can be somewhat dated. i know moderators want to avoid a "best roms" thread but for those of us just starting out with a rooted phone it sure would be handy to have opinions on what ppl use for the SGH-I747 and why, so its easier to decide on one.
is it reccommended to upgrade or downgrade? in order to compare ROMs its watching a video for 15 min to see what features it had at the time the vid was made and reading the developer forums on each mod to see what bugs are present in the current release but its not all compiled anywhere. its that or randomly flash ROMs on there to test them out and risk making mistakes. its usually always better to have advice from those with expertise and perhaps avoid making commonly made mistakes. ive read a bunch of helpful and handy guides on here but doesnt seem any way to easily compare roms or get feedback on what users have decided on sticking with or anything additional specific to this phone that should be considered before flashing certain ROMs.
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There are so many variations on what is possible that a compilation thread to cover all situations would seem as huge as wikipedia. Your approach, reviewing videos and checking rom OPs, has merit but it also has limitations. Unfortunately some of the devs give you almost no information about the features and customizations of their ROMs. Others will simply state that they have made a change or two to some base, expecting you to be familiar with the base. Which means a lot of more reading/reviewing for a person new to customizing their phone.
To advise any one questioner on what can be installed on their phone a responder must first know what bootloader and modem is on the device, are you already rooted, do you have a custom recovery installed yet, are you willing to risk breaking your warranty; the list goes on. Then the hard part comes - they have to recommend something that is in the realm of what you are expecting, even if you do not know what you are expecting.

dawgdoc said:
To advise any one questioner on what can be installed on their phone a responder must first know what bootloader and modem is on the device, are you already rooted, do you have a custom recovery installed yet, are you willing to risk breaking your warranty; the list goes on. Then the hard part comes - they have to recommend something that is in the realm of what you are expecting, even if you do not know what you are expecting.
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well i made sure i learned a bunch before even attempting to ask a question so i got as much as possible prepared i'll try to provide the best information i can. my phone is rooted with superuser su2.0 i have cwm 6.0.1.2 installed, ive done a cwm nandroid backup which i copied to my pc as well as a backup of my efs folder and done a titanium backup as well. i have odin 3.07 on my pc and am currently running kitkat 4.4.2 on my sgh-i747m (sasktel version) currently trying to figure out how to determine the modem and bootloader versions . i followed the galaxys3root.com guide galaxys3root.com/galaxy-s3-root/how-to-root-galaxy-s3-on-android-4-34-4-2-new and the highonandroid youtube vid in order to root my phone and made sure i read re read and was very cautious to follow instructions to the letter also read some worst case scenario information first like how to cause a phone to become bricked and how to fix it should it happen etc so before ive done anything else ive made sure to back everything up and ask a few more questions befor ei take the final plunge :] as for what ROM would tickle my tailfeathers was liking how carbon looked but it seems it hasnt been maintained :[ something good on battery life that runs fast n stable and is has a bunch of customization features is what i was hoping for. the main reason i decided to root my phone was to learn more about it and customize my os away from the stock look and feel and unlock some of the potential it has that a stock rom would otherwise neglect. the more i learn the sooner i can help by giving back to the community :]

havok6669 said:
....
my phone is rooted with superuser su2.0 i have cwm 6.0.1.2 installed, ive done a cwm nandroid backup which i copied to my pc as well as a backup of my efs folder
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CWM 6.0.1.2 is a bit dated, their latest version is 6.0.4.7 and even it is a bit dated. You may find that to flash a current ROM you will need to update CWM. For some of the newer ROMs even 6.0.4.7 is not current enough. You will need to change to Philz Recovery, based on CWM, or TWRP. Bear in mind that if you change to TWRP you will not be able to use your CWM nandroid. I don't know if the same applies to Philz Recovery.
https://www.clockworkmod.com/rommanager
https://goo.im/devs/philz_touch/CWM_Advanced_Edition/d2lte/ (page is down at the moment)
http://teamw.in/devices/samsunggalaxys3canada.html (d2can TWRP, though I think you can use d2att, check before using d2att)
There is definitely a newer version of SuperSu (by Chainfire) available. It went through a lot of development to handle issues related to Knox that came out with Touchwiz 4.3. SuperSu is now up to 2.49 and I would recommend upgrading it no matter what ROM you should end up choosing. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1538053 There is a zip you can flash from you current CWM there.
It's not a bad idea to have several fallbacks for imei/nvdata. Give this tread a look: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1852255&highlight=synergy+nvbackup I used the reboot nvbackup from there and EFS Backup developed by wanam
... am currently running kitkat 4.4.2 on my sgh-i747m (sasktel version) currently trying to figure out how to determine the modem and bootloader versions .
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Sasktel has released 4 versions of Android 4.4.2, each with a different bootloader and modem. Any should be fine no matter what ROM you choose, even a Lollipop based ROM. But to check you can get Phone Info - Samsung by vndnguyen from the Playstore. Or you could use a pair of commands in Terminal Emulator
Code:
getprop ro.bootloader
getprop | grep version.baseband
... as for what ROM would tickle my tailfeathers was liking how carbon looked but it seems it hasnt been maintained :[ something good on battery life that runs fast n stable and is has a bunch of customization features is what i was hoping for. the main reason i decided to root my phone was to learn more about it and customize my os away from the stock look and feel and unlock some of the potential it has that a stock rom would otherwise neglect. the more i learn the sooner i can help by giving back to the community :]
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You could either go straight a Lollipop based ROM or start with a KitKat ROM. The KK ROM would probably be a bit more stable, although some of the nightly 5.1.1 LP ROMs are looking good according to many of the people installing the nightly versions. If you want something already customized with options for your choosing look to CM and its derivatives or one of the AOSP roms that are already tricked out. The other direction would be to install the most barebones AOSP ROM you could find and use XPosed with the GravityBox or Wanam module to tweak just about everything, but not both at the same time.

wow thanks that all helps a ton ill work on locating and updating all of that :]