I'm an Android novice, never had an Android phone before. I like Motorola Defy but have some concerns, before considering buying it, as follows.
First thing: Getting rid of MotoBlur
MotoBlur software is cumbersome and unnecessary (fixed by flashing stock MB525 firmware)
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Second: dealing with locked bootloader (maybe a huge problem)
Locked bootloader means there wont be any custom ROMs for the phone until someone is able to get past it without bricking theirs.
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Click to collapse
However, I've seen custom ROMs here, such as Defy: How to install Custom ROM, BlueGinger 2.3 UI ROM for Defy, etc.
The bootloader is what loads up the operating system in very simple terms. By locking or signing it, it means that we need to present Motorola's certificate every time we want to load a custom ROM/kernel.
Though what he says is true, you can still root the phone, install pseudo-custom ROMs (they are all right here in the forums) and do tons of other things.
This is still a great great phone though and probably the best in the market in my opinion.
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A friend wrote me this:
As I can see, it has MIUI, CM7, etc, the most important ROMs are already there, if it gets more popular, more ROMs will be available. Once you unlock bootloader, be careful not to lock it again, i.e. do not use the official update. I never had Defy, but I think it should be done relatively easily, maybe not easy as with HTC Desire, for instance.
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I found this on the forum:
Locked Bootloader means that you can't boot an unsigned Kernel.
All the Custom rom you can find for the Defy are made from official and signed ROM, no Kernel mods etc . (These are just mod of actual rom, non "new ROM" from AOSP i.e.)
That's why you can't have a full custom ROM with Custom Kernel (unless Motorola release a ROM with this Kernel signed)
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And this:
So what are the ways can we improve overall performance on the kernel level?
As of today you can't
Sorry. I don't like being the one that delivers bad news, but unfortunately for users due moto's locked bootloader policy, they have essentially locked us all out of the most valuable component of the computer technology we purchased. MOTO FAIL!
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Does it change something?
Correct me if I'm wrong, these custom ROMs are not really custom, since kernel part can not be changed. Does that affect speed & other customizations -- really do not know. Am I wrong?
Thank you for reading this. If you think Defy is too complicated you may suggest another phone in that price range (GSM, not CDMA, unlocked).
Is there a way to bypass dootloader?
owim said:
Is there a way to bypass dootloader?
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according to my habits it doesn't bother me to see moto logo every time , but living in android world (2.1) before getting the second update for a long time it's nasty.
so i think in case u wanna buy something real cool try to check htc daulboot which never has loader problem.
that's my personal opinion but comparing it's features (defy) to other similar releases (sony ericsson) or etc it's really cool , plus all add the reality of power of combining the processor requirement . 800 mhz to 1.2 ghz
so enjoy whith moto logo.
reply
these are some really good questions. I am in the same boat as the OP. Any replies to his questions would be great
moto says they are going to unlock the bootloader by year's end... hope they keep their promise.
Will they unlock all models or just the new ones? I am afraid i already know the answer to that question - "we dont know yet" .
I guess the answer is that customizing Defy everything would be more complicated than HTC Desire or Samsung Galaxy S.
I don't wanna spend days in playing with the phone, trying to get off Motoblur and put nice custom ROM.
So, I would move to Desire or Galaxy... even though I don't want to. Would you agree?
I'm on CM7, it's fast and stable, with good battery life, themes and much more.
As soon as camera gets completely fixed i will be able not to care at all about a locked bootloader!
owim said:
I guess the answer is that customizing Defy everything would be more complicated than HTC Desire or Samsung Galaxy S.
I don't wanna spend days in playing with the phone, trying to get off Motoblur and put nice custom ROM.
So, I would move to Desire or Galaxy... even though I don't want to. Would you agree?
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well..if you think customizing Defy is complicated so galaxy s will also be.
Desire has more stable roms an it is the right choose for who is interested in hard modding and for sure you will spend a whole day too
Mikis89 said:
I'm on CM7, it's fast and stable, with good battery life, themes and much more.
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So, you did find a way to bypass locked bootloader and all other stuff I don't really get, and have CM7 is up and running? Is it complicated? Is there a downside?
As soon as camera gets completely fixed i will be able not to care at all about a locked bootloader!
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What's wrong with camera?
menonino said:
well..if you think customizing Defy is complicated so galaxy s will also be.
Desire has more stable roms an it is the right choose for who is interested in hard modding and for sure you will spend a whole day too
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But Galaxy S does not have locked bootloader. I'm a total novice. Defy with CM7 sounds great, but how to get from standard Defy with Motoblur to CM7? As s novice? I am sure you can understand my perspective.
My final choice would be one of these: Defy, Desire or Galaxy S. I like Defy since is smaller and rigged. Knowing all that, care to share an advice? I'm a novice, never used Android before.
owim said:
So, you did find a way to bypass locked bootloader and all other stuff I don't really get, and have CM7 is up and running? Is it complicated? Is there a downside?
What's wrong with camera?
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Bootloader is still locked, but take a look here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1033654
I made it without problems, but i see many reports of bootloops etc...
Camera preview doesn't always match with the picture taken, at least in widescreen mode.
Just tried to use the "defy camera hack":
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1064124
Lost widescreen mode but pictures look much better.
Beside this no problems at all, it's stable, fast and battery last more than a single day with average use.
well the thing is for our phones *motorola* our boot loaders are locked but we are using pseudo roms. so mostly we have partial roms. no change in the kernel which have extra functions. all our roms are based on a leak or some official release from motorola. boot loops are mostly due to incorrect versions flashed on non down gradable versions or just a simple thing like a step over looked * most of our roms require a wipe, so dalvik and a factory restore is needed as some apps are incompatible when you flash*
reaperzero said:
well the thing is for our phones *motorola* our boot loaders are locked but we are using pseudo roms. so mostly we have partial roms. no change in the kernel which have extra functions. all our roms are based on a leak or some official release from motorola. boot loops are mostly due to incorrect versions flashed on non down gradable versions or just a simple thing like a step over looked * most of our roms require a wipe, so dalvik and a factory restore is needed as some apps are incompatible when you flash*
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So what exactly "extra functions" does having an unlocked bootloader give you? from what I've seen I can't tell the difference
gladius999 said:
So what exactly "extra functions" does having an unlocked bootloader give you? from what I've seen I can't tell the difference
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what i meant was that we dont get the extra functions. what we get is more or less cosmetic changes and some mods
My advice: Buy Defy and enjoy it! (trust me, you will enjoy it)
Keep it stock for few days to make sure that everything is ok with it and to reach max battery potential (3-4 times 0-100% & 100-0%) and after go for any ROM you want, they all are great (I am using barebones and i can tell you that this is 120% working)
stefa_vr6 said:
My advice: Buy Defy and enjoy it! (trust me, you will enjoy it)
Keep it stock for few days to make sure that everything is ok with it and to reach max battery potential (3-4 times 0-100% & 100-0%) and after go for any ROM you want, they all are great (I am using barebones and i can tell you that this is 120% working)
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well said. also barebones is really bare. so have fun customizing and installing your apps to your preference
reaperzero said:
what i meant was that we dont get the extra functions. what we get is more or less cosmetic changes and some mods
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lol what i meant to ask was what cool functions do we miss out on which unlocked bootloaders have?
Related
Is there a reason for me to root? Everyone is talking greek to me I am a complete noob when it comes to this. I have tethered my phone with no problems, I'm not really interested in overclocking. So is there any reason at all I would want to go through the headache of trying to figure all this stuff out and root my phone?
One of the major reasons I root is so I can use custom roms, edited versions of the stock os, that are modified to include different features and improve the speed of the device, others love rooting for the ability to customize anything you want to.
Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk
None
While all those are valid, none of those exist; and even the current Root is not NAND write enabled.
After seeing all the problems in rooting combined with threads regarding phones REALLY acting up after, I would say ... don't root unless and until you see a custom ROM you like.
Personally, anything Rooting would get me, FroYo will get me too; and while a faster custom FroYo would get my attention; Verizon WILL release Froyo in 2010 at some point. I'll be waiting.
jdmba said:
Personally, anything Rooting would get me, FroYo will get me too; and while a faster custom FroYo would get my attention; Verizon WILL release Froyo in 2010 at some point. I'll be waiting.
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Just don't hold your breath! On the WinMo side, at least, they're a few quarters behind the OS update schedule, mainly thanks to HTC's Sense(less)UI. Since we have a layer of HTC stuff on top of Android, you can expect to wait just as long for 2.2.
aaronjb said:
Just don't hold your breath! On the WinMo side, at least, they're a few quarters behind the OS update schedule, mainly thanks to HTC's Sense(less)UI. Since we have a layer of HTC stuff on top of Android, you can expect to wait just as long for 2.2.
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I'd bet we'll have a FroYo port waaay before VZ pushes it out over the air. I think (!) HTC's Software Quality Assurance is more thorough (and slower than) Google's Quality Assurance, or at least Google would rather push an update out with fewer features whereas HTC will wait for all features to work. AFAIK, VZ has very little to add or subtract to the mix -- how long does it take to recompile against a new framework and kernel?
superflysmith said:
Is there a reason for me to root? Everyone is talking greek to me I am a complete noob when it comes to this. I have tethered my phone with no problems, I'm not really interested in overclocking. So is there any reason at all I would want to go through the headache of trying to figure all this stuff out and root my phone?
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If you have to ask, then you truly shouldn't be rooting your phone.
seanmcd72 said:
If you have to ask, then you truly shouldn't be rooting your phone.
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I haven't been trying. Just trying to see if it's even worth trying to figure out. At this point I see nothing that would make me want to anyhow.
seanmcd72 said:
If you have to ask, then you truly shouldn't be rooting your phone.
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Shoot first, call Verizon Warrant Department is my motto
Why, indeed! What else is there to do but constantly trying to break your phone with new mods?
rynosaur said:
Shoot first, call Verizon Warrant Department is my motto
Why, indeed! What else is there to do but constantly trying to break your phone with new mods?
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I miss messing with stuff... i came from a G1 were i was running a different rom every 3 days it seemed like.. i was constantly messing with things with it just for ****s and giggles
I do feel really locked down with the incredible in knowing that i cant really mess with anything, the only thing ive been able to change is the boot screen and put the nexus animation on that instead of the stupid verizon symbol.
Too be honest though nothings even wrong with my phone whatsoever... the OS is perfectly fine and does everything i want it too, i cant really complain about anything with the software on it now... its just that want to customize thats driving my desire to root.. moreso then any actual need as everything works fine
The WiFi tether and lamppu was good enough for me now until we get custom roms
An even better title for this thread would be
"Why is this in 'Development' and not in 'General'?"
kentoe said:
The WiFi tether and lamppu was good enough for me now until we get custom roms
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I'm with you there, those dual LED's are serious.
KB Smoka said:
I'm with you there, those dual LED's are serious.
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Omfg I know, right? I flashed them in my eyes accidentally and I was like holy crap, blinded me for about a minute.
m1k3- said:
An even better title for this thread would be
"Why is this in 'Development' and not in 'General'?"
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That would be a great title, you're right!!!
I got a froyo port going!
jdmba said:
While all those are valid, none of those exist; and even the current Root is not NAND write enabled.
After seeing all the problems in rooting combined with threads regarding phones REALLY acting up after, I would say ... don't root unless and until you see a custom ROM you like.
Personally, anything Rooting would get me, FroYo will get me too; and while a faster custom FroYo would get my attention; Verizon WILL release Froyo in 2010 at some point. I'll be waiting.
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Click to collapse
I have released a froyo port method over at the "anyone want froyo" thread on the 8th page. I hope it helps anyone!
Joe92T said:
Too be honest though nothings even wrong with my phone whatsoever... the OS is perfectly fine and does everything i want it too, i cant really complain about anything with the software on it now... its just that want to customize thats driving my desire to root.. moreso then any actual need as everything works fine
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+1. There is not much that comes to mind with regard to things I'd like to improve with the DI. For example, the phone has more app storage than I could ever use, so there is no need for A2SD. And the processing speed is satisfying, so gaining OC'd kernel isn't a big priority. However, I simply miss being able to **** around with and compare various ROM's and mods, even if they are unneccessary on this device.
I have no real reason to root just yet, well then again I'm totally new to android, so I'm not exactly sure what rooting entails. All I want is stock 2.2 froyo, the day that is ported over to our phone is the day I will be rooted.
Can't wait..
kentoe said:
The WiFi tether and lamppu was good enough for me now until we get custom roms
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i agree, the wifi tether is what made me root now rather than later.
HELP..Will my 16gb card work?
if i go buy a 2gb card to root my phone can i use my 16gb when im done rooting or am i stuck with the 2gb?
langebart13 said:
if i go buy a 2gb card to root my phone can i use my 16gb when im done rooting or am i stuck with the 2gb?
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Absolutely....just need the POS 2GB to get ADB going.
How big is the chance that we will one day have an unlocked bootloader to make flashing easier? According to urandroid Motorola is actually thinking about a more modder-friendly version. Well if that is true let's hope they will one day release it.
it would be good. Im not sure what they say is actually true but rather a pr stunt trying to fix what a motorola person said on a you tube comment however it would be good. I doubt mororola would back track on unlocking it.
However the milestone's bootloader is cracked now so its not impossible and maby only a matter of time befor the defy gets a version of that exploit!
add.thebad said:
However the milestone's bootloader is cracked now so its not impossible and maby only a matter of time befor the defy gets a version of that exploit!
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You sure about this?
The Androinc.net Project suggests that the Milestone isn't cracked yet. I'm donating some of my cpu cycles to the project. Hopefully a Milestone solution will carry benefits for the DEFY.
komakaze said:
The Androinc.net Project suggests that the Milestone isn't cracked yet. I'm donating some of my cpu cycles to the project. Hopefully a Milestone solution will carry benefits for the DEFY.
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I was under the impression the project had folded but it seems not.
Downloaded and installed the project, happy to let my PC contribute while it's not in use.
http://www.xda-developers.com/android/motorola-milestone-joins-the-gingerbread-gang/
if the milestone bootloader isnt cracked , can somebody explain how this is possible
Presumably through the same method they did Froyo ROMs before the official Froyo kernel leaked - my understanding was that it was just Froyo with the Eclair kernel.
I imagine this is Gingerbread with a Froyo kernel?
I don't expect DEFY's bootloader to be unlocked any time soon, and I don't believe for a second that Motorola will give access to it as they claimed after the initial PR disaster of their employee who said they won't unlock it and if you want custom roms "you should buy elsewhere". That employee probably said the truth, just not in a PR friendly manner and their PR department had to do damage control after it. The incident is described here for those who don't know it yet.
shajumohamed said:
http://www.xda-developers.com/android/motorola-milestone-joins-the-gingerbread-gang/
if the milestone bootloader isnt cracked , can somebody explain how this is possible
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I don't understand this fully either, maybe someone can clarify? We all know that the bootloader is locked down, unlike other manufacturers. However we are still having custom roms being developed for Defy. I thought the whole point of an unlocked bootloader would allow flashing of custom roms, but we seem to be able to do this anyway. How is this possible with a locked bootloader? What advantage would unlocking the bootloader give us?
Locked Bootloader means that you can't boot an unsigned Kernel.
All the Custom rom you can find for the Defy are made from official and signed ROM, no Kernel mods etc . (These are just mod of actual rom, non "new ROM" from AOSP i.e.)
That's why you can't have a full custom ROM with Custom Kernel (unless Motorola release a ROM with this Kernel signed)
ccav2000 said:
I don't expect DEFY's bootloader to be unlocked any time soon, and I don't believe for a second that Motorola will give access to it as they claimed after the initial PR disaster of their employee who said they won't unlock it and if you want custom roms "you should buy elsewhere". That employee probably said the truth, just not in a PR friendly manner and their PR department had to do damage control after it. The incident is described here for those who don't know it yet.
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Everything gets cracked these days no matter how complicated, everything! I am just hoping that the Defy gets popular enough for someone to start a similar project as for the Milestone where we can crack the bootloader with bruteforce calculations. I wish I had enough knowledge about software, source code and such because for sure I would have dedicated my freetime to set this up!
AgentSmith said:
Everything gets cracked these days no matter how complicated, everything! I am just hoping that the Defy gets popular enough for someone to start a similar project as for the Milestone where we can crack the bootloader with bruteforce calculations.
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I wouldn't hold out hope for the brute force method. The Milestone crew over at androinc_net is having a hard time maintaining funding and is teetering on failure already.
Plus the best estimate for running all of the possible keys at their current rate is 4x10^12 years. In other words the second coming of the dinosaurs may occur before they crack that.
AgentSmith said:
Everything gets cracked these days no matter how complicated, everything!
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Not everything...
Some encryption are to strong to be forced. Today you just cant break some 256bit encryption just like that, it requiers to much computing power.
You may expect some master key leak (like for the HDCP, the BluRay, etc), but a brut force crack is really really hard to do (not impossible, but is it worth to play?).
What will be the result if the bootloader is cracked?
Sent from my MB525 using XDA App
yalouf said:
What will be the result if the bootloader is cracked?
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Genuine custom ROMs.
Gingerbread without having to wait for a leaked Motorola signed ROM.
Step666 said:
Genuine custom ROMs.
Gingerbread without having to wait for a leaked Motorola signed ROM.
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Click to collapse
that's cool, that means...
Better 3d performance? higher I/O Reads, Better CPU Performance, better camera compression...etc?
And the famous 1.4-1.5Ghz Overclock?
Android 2.2 VS 2.3, make's any sense in performance terms?
There are a group of guys trying to break the bootloader.
http://twitter.com/aliasxerog
http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-x-hacks/93955-getting-custom-kernels-running-droid-x-28.html
Sent from my MB525 using XDA App
Motorola announced more information to come on the bootloaders yesterday via getsatisfaction.
Would realy great if it will be!
Maybe moto give us the sign key, so we can sign oure Roms for us with own kernel!
T
I really don't think Moto will open the bootloader easily. Controlling the roms is important for them.
They can lock everything (Defy hardware) and impose the use of their apps (collecting informations).
Losing this is certainly not viewed as great by marketing.
ello guys.
going from my 2 year old htc desire to this....
so...what are the first things to do with this galaxy nexus?
Vital apps needed?
specific things to do in the settings to make it run better?
it would be nice to make a guide to follow.
first thing ive done so far is buy a TPU S line case, and Expertshield screen protector.
If the battery life is rubbish i'll have to get the extension pack....but hardly anyone in the UK seems to sell them...lots of korea sales for genuine ones on ebay.
would a non-genuine thing still be as good?
heard of this dodgy issue with a 'yellowy' tint screen - what to do there? have to root the phone?
etc.etc...
Fast boot OEM unlock
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
Unlock the phone a root it first because unlocking it will wipe the phone clean of EVERYTHING. So get that done first and the rest is up to you stay stock or flash a rom.
Sent From My Sprint Galaxy Nexus via XDA Premium
Here are my favorite apps on my Galaxy Nexus
-Chrome Beta
-Boid (Twitter)
-Tasks (Google Tasks)
-Weather Flow
-Intsagram
-Wolfram Alpha
-Icy Time (Timer and Stopwatch)
-Wallbase (Wallpapers)
Now that you have Android 4.0 you'll most likely fall in love with the Holo design guidelines. A list of some of the apps that use these guidelines can be found here and some good looking apps in general can here.
If you plan on rooting your phone or think you might want to in the future Unlock the bootloader, if you don't you will regret it, trust me. As for the battery life, I can get through the whole day with no problems while others complain that the battery life is bad, I suggest that you use the phone for a week before you get an extended battery.
There's a forum about the yellow screen issue here if you experience this at all then send it back as soon as possible despite the desire to play with your brand new toy.
If you have more questions just ask.
Sign for it
Take it out the box
Charge it
Press power
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
If you like miui and don't want to root. Miui launcher is now available as an apk. That's one of the first things I installed when I got mine. The stock launcher is pretty good too.
Mi Launcher
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1623026
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA
try ur phone with everything stock for a few days, see if everything works, no reboots, overheating etc etc (might want to check if u got an OTA update though, coz there's a big difference for example between 4.0.1 and 4.0.4 in terms of stability)... if u're satisfied with stock , there is no need to root then , if u want to play around a lil u'll figure what to do urself.
p.s. i also owned a desire, but went through some devices in the middle before the gnex, nways, the desire can't be even mentioned in the same sentence with what u're getting now. welcome aboard
First things to do:
1) Unlock your bootloader, even if you never plan on rooting or flashing a custom ROM. Do this even before booting Android for the first time.
2) Check to see if you are running yakju or takju. If you are running a build other than those two (for GSM devices), flash one of them (by following the link in my signature). Run one of those two builds for a while, so that you get a feel for what a stock ROM is.
3) Everything else.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Keep it stock for at least a week, get to know the phone. Saves having to post about problems you're having on a custom rom just to find out its not the roms fault. This will also allow you to give real feedback when comparing roms as a opposed to these douches who flashed on day one n insist that rom x is better than stock
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
i will definitely run stock for a few weeks and get used to it all.
however i am one to fiddle, but im totally new to this phone world in terms of rooting, custom ROMS etc, never bothered before.
put it this way though......i dont own any apple products
can anyone point me to the best guide for rooting, and installing custom Roms?
also can anyone link me to a list of custom roms for the gnex, that are either finished or in development?
im just asking for the links because im very sure the question 'how do you root' has been asked a hundred times - i could google it - but i presume you guys will immediately know a link to the best and safest guide.
having a read through, it seems people have already tweaked the gnex for better things - better kernels? to get better battery life? etc.etc...
is that part of the firmware? is that what you get with custom roms?
i need to understand the basics first.
(im buying the phone sim free unlocked)
Everything you need is in the q&a and development sub forums where you found this one
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
schueyisking said:
i will definitely run stock for a few weeks and get used to it all.
however i am one to fiddle, but im totally new to this phone world in terms of rooting, custom ROMS etc, never bothered before.
put it this way though......i dont own any apple products
can anyone point me to the best guide for rooting, and installing custom Roms?
also can anyone link me to a list of custom roms for the gnex, that are either finished or in development?
im just asking for the links because im very sure the question 'how do you root' has been asked a hundred times - i could google it - but i presume you guys will immediately know a link to the best and safest guide.
having a read through, it seems people have already tweaked the gnex for better things - better kernels? to get better battery life? etc.etc...
is that part of the firmware? is that what you get with custom roms?
i need to understand the basics first.
(im buying the phone sim free unlocked)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HERE you go
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=23229558
Galaxy Nexus AOKP m5 Franco kernel m3
doesnt rooting or installing a new kernel void the warranty?
schueyisking said:
doesnt rooting or installing a new kernel void the warranty?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can always flash back to stock.
No warranty problems.
Backup your /efs partition... =o)
a week of stock? i don't last more than 3 hours, and that's if i'm trying to really be patient. within an hour of getting mine i had flashed the radios, bootloader, rom, and the kernel.
tspderek said:
a week of stock? i don't last more than 3 hours, and that's if i'm trying to really be patient. within an hour of getting mine i had flashed the radios, bootloader, rom, and the kernel.
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Click to collapse
How do you even know what stock ICS is if you only use it for 3 hours?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
I just got my GN directly from Google and didn't do any unlocking of any sort. Just turned it on and added some apps I plan on using. Changed my homescreen and other screens/settings to fit my personal use and etc.
The phone is amazing without the need of unlocking.
Not really sure... the phone is already unlocked -.- (SIM wise)
pinoyplaya4life said:
[snip]
The phone is amazing without the need of unlocking.
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Click to collapse
Do you understand what unlocking means? We are talking about unlocking the bootloader. Unlocking the bootloader does NOT mean that you are changing anything related to the ROM. I does NOT mean that you are "rooting", and it does not mean you are planning to use a custom ROM.
All it means is that it gives you the ability to use fastboot commands. With this ability, you may be able to save some data off your device in case something happens and your devices' OS crashes. There have been a few reports on these forums of users who kept their bootloaders locked, then something happened and they couldn't boot their device. If their bootloaders had been unlocked, they could have at least saved their personal files (photos, music, etc) from the /sdcard directory. But, because their bootloaders were locked, too bad so sad, photos gone (they were not auto-backup to the cloud).
+1
Definitely unlock the bootloader - I learned the hard way on my N1 that getting an 'unlocked phone' is different from having a phone with an unlocked bootloader. (hunting down a bootloader locked root method so I can Titanium Backup 2 years of apps and data is a PIA).
Unlocking the bootloader on a brand new phone will not outwardly do anything to your phone other than add a little unlocked padlock to the bottom of your startup screen (the one with Google written on it).
I did 2 weeks ago what you're talking about doing now. It's super easy with the Galaxy Nexus Toolkit that mskip has created.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1392310
[EDIT] P.S. - don't worry about losing warranty when unlocking the bootloader - the above GNex Toolkit can get your phone back to stock and then re-lock the bootloader for you if you ever need to use the warranty.
efrant said:
First things to do:
1) Unlock your bootloader, even if you never plan on rooting or flashing a custom ROM. Do this even before booting Android for the first time.
2) Check to see if you are running yakju or takju. If you are running a build other than those two (for GSM devices), flash one of them (by following the link in my signature). Run one of those two builds for a while, so that you get a feel for what a stock ROM is.
3) Everything else.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
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I'm upgrading from an old Gingerbread phone (ZTE Skate), on a budget of about 200€. The Nexus 4 unfortunately isn't an option, as it isn't available here and re-sellers are asking way too much for it.
Is the One X still a good option at that price?
omegavesko said:
I'm upgrading from an old Gingerbread phone (ZTE Skate), on a budget of about 200€. The Nexus 4 unfortunately isn't an option, as it isn't available here and re-sellers are asking way too much for it.
Is the One X still a good option at that price?
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I'd say that was a fair price, I paid £185 (about 220 euro) for my second hox 6 months ago and it is still an excellent phone
Thanks! I'm really just worried about UI performance at this point. I'm aware of the issues with some games due to the Tegra chipset, but I'm not a big mobile gamer (maybe just Temple Run, some emulators etc.) so no problem there. On a custom ROM (or even stock), do you ever get lag or stutters in the UI? Things like scrolling through apps, pulling down the notification bar, and such.
you're always gonna get lag to a certain degree on any phone, I also use a nexus 7, an htc one and, dare I say it, an iphone 5s. I get a little lag on all of them sometimes and my hox is no better or worse than the others. as for roms, again, they all have the ups and downs. the best way is to try them or read the threads before you try and decide for yourself.
Sounds good to me. Thanks for the help. I'm fine with UI stutters if they're just an occasional thing like pretty much all other phones.
With sense5 the hox has became really competitive. The camera isn't as good as the sensation but for the price you get one of the best display out there. For 200€ definitively worth the money
Sent from my HTC One X using xda app-developers app
I am satisfied with my hox performance is very good.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
i think it's still a wonderful phone... and with custom rom it's better
Thanks for the replies! I guess I'm on the right track, then.
Oh, also, what's the situation with CID, HBOOT, locked bootloaders etc.? I haven't used an HTC phone before, so could some combination of those prevent me from flashing a ROM for some reason? I know you can only run a RUU if the CID matches, is that all?
omegavesko said:
Thanks for the replies! I guess I'm on the right track, then.
Oh, also, what's the situation with CID, HBOOT, locked bootloaders etc.? I haven't used an HTC phone before, so could some combination of those prevent me from flashing a ROM for some reason? I know you can only run a RUU if the CID matches, is that all?
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cid and main version also. and you can only run an ruu that matches or is higher than your main version. but you can flash a nandroid backup that is older, then ota up to the latest. if you are gonna try anything, first make sure you are on the highest possible version for your cid then make a nandroid backup in recovery and copy it to your pc when it's done.
Thanks! That's pretty much what I do with my devices anyway. There's no way I would do something major to my phone without making a nandroid first.
I'm just worried about getting a phone that's not hackable, incompatible with ROMs etc. for some reason. Is that something that can happen?
omegavesko said:
Thanks! That's pretty much what I do with my devices anyway. There's no way I would do something major to my phone without making a nandroid first.
I'm just worried about getting a phone that's not hackable, incompatible with ROMs etc. for some reason. Is that something that can happen?
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well, it's not so difficult to install custom roms on HOX and there are many roms (in each thread you will find the instructions for flashing)
omegavesko said:
Thanks! That's pretty much what I do with my devices anyway. There's no way I would do something major to my phone without making a nandroid first.
I'm just worried about getting a phone that's not hackable, incompatible with ROMs etc. for some reason. Is that something that can happen?
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Click to collapse
the hox, because it is s-on, is pretty near impossible to brick provided you are using stuff from the right forum, IE: this one. and there is an abundance of help available if you get stuck.
Oh, I get that. I'm just asking if there's something about a device that can make it completely incompatible with ROMs, due to an incompabitle HBOOT or whatever. Mainly because I see a lot of ROMs are only compatible with certain HBOOT values.
omegavesko said:
Oh, I get that. I'm just asking if there's something about a device that can make it completely incompatible with ROMs, due to an incompabitle HBOOT or whatever. Mainly because I see a lot of ROMs are only compatible with certain HBOOT values.
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at the minute hboot 1.72 is causing some people problems, but only because they don't read and search properly. it causes a problem with touch but the simple solution is to flash a compatible recovery like the newest or repacked twrp or philz touch recovery, and cm10.2 needs a line edited or deleted to make it compatible with the hboot. so if you get one take note of that. apart from that everything else runs as you would expect. simple rule is read, read again and read a third time just in case you missed something. have fun
Great, thanks for all the help. Looks like I'll be joining you guys as soon as I manage to sell my current phone.
omegavesko said:
Great, thanks for all the help. Looks like I'll be joining you guys as soon as I manage to sell my current phone.
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:highfive:
I've been running stock for the few months I've had this phone but keep wondering if flashing a custom rom is worth the effort? Is there one that's the best?
acheney1990 said:
I've been running stock for the few months I've had this phone but keep wondering if flashing a custom rom is worth the effort? Is there one that's the best?
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Yes it is and no there's not. It's all down to personal preference and only you know what you like best.
It depends on your preference. Ever since safetynet, custom roms have been a nightmare with security issues or being up to date with making it pass.
Also, having a Google device, you'll be giving up running the latest software updates as you would have to wait for when the developer has the time to integrate it.
Android has matured much since it's induction and the use of EZ Root for a one-click root as it now has ways to customize it in a functional matter in ways that you needed a custom rom for.
If you enjoy changing colors or themes and are willing to sacrifice security and some functionality, then you have your answer.
To me honestly, it's no longer worth it. Having to scour the forums every time there's a bug, troubleshooting issues, or for updates takes way too much time that I no longer have. I just want a phone that does eveything I need to simplify my everyday life, not make it complicated. Don't care for red, blue, green status bars or settings app, or having a custom boot animation for a device that never needs a reset. Function over form for me.
acheney1990 said:
I've been running stock for the few months I've had this phone but keep wondering if flashing a custom rom is worth the effort? Is there one that's the best?
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I've flashed most all of the popular ones, and while I like most of the features they offer, I have settled on plain ol stock + root with some substratum themes to darken things up. I don't think it's particularly difficult to flash a custom rom now that I've pretty much got the A/B partition thing figured out, but I like to update my device the day a new factory image comes out, then just flash twrp and root again, and I'm up to date in about 20 minutes time with no data loss. But it's like P70shooter said...it's really up to your personal preference, and what your looking for :good:
I haven't flashed any ROMS recently, but it's because of the reasons mentioned before. They don't offer enough benefit over stock + rooted to be worth losing GPay and monthly updates. Root access basically let's you tweak any part of the phone to your liking anyway.
I think ROM developers realize this and it's contributing to a scarcity of quality ROMs anyway.
I've thought about this also. But Stock is so good on this Phone. That just Rooting to use Edge Sense to change squeeze actions and TWRP, black Bootmation. I'm good. Plus installing custom ROMS isnt easy with the A B partion stuff. Stock + Root:good:
G
p70shooter said:
Yes it is and no there's not. It's all down to personal preference and only you know what you like best.
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P70shooter, are u the maker of the screwd ROM on angler?
AquariOS had been Rock solid for me, and I know @Badger50 would agree. I get his position about the updates process though so your best bet in my opinion is to try one and see what your own opinion is. The squeeze thing is missing from custom roms, so if you dig that you might miss it. I'm still on Feb. Update and might just hang here for the summer unless I get bored. Lol again I would at least try one before you decide...
shooterlgk said:
P70shooter, are u the maker of the screwd ROM on angler?
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That's not me I'm afraid. I use to be the maintainer for Candy on angler but now I'm just a tester and thread bouncer for AquariOS.
I've tried most the ROMs available and I find stock with gravity box is the perfect combo for me
rickysidhu_ said:
I've tried most the ROMs available and I find stock with gravity box is the perfect combo for me
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Absolutely agree
I like Stock rooted and Custom Roms! Now if only we had Dual boot... A=Stock B=Custom
galaxys said:
I like Stock rooted and Custom Roms! Now if only we had Dual boot... A=Stock B=Custom
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That my friend would be the "Bees Knees" :good:
Not worth it anymore. Haven't unlocked bootloader or did anything since the first pixel release.
I've tried most of the custom roms as well. Most of them have some nice touches that I use. However, the one thing missing for the last several months on all custom roms is verizon wifi calling. You should try them out yourself and decide.
I used to run Gravity Box when I had xposed installed on a previous device, but from what I understand, it's not possible to use xposed and pass safety net....is that still true?
skaforey said:
I used to run Gravity Box when I had xposed installed on a previous device, but from what I understand, it's not possible to use xposed and pass safety net....is that still true?
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That's right
I've been a big time custom ROM user, flashed them as often as I could on previous phones. Stock+root+xposed does every single thing I need on the p2xl though.
has anyone noticed that display quality seems better on custom roms?
specifically Carbon rom vs Stock for me.
screen looks more bright and clear.
It really depends on your usage. I used to flash custom roms on all of my devices, primarily for themes and debloating. Up until the Nexus 6, it was well worth it. However, with Google's monthly security patches, maintaining a custom ROM is a lot more work. If you use custom themes, expect to have to disable themes every time there are app or rom updates, then reapply. With a busy work schedule, it simply became too much of a hassle and to be honest, stock ROMs have gotten a lot smoother.