[Q] Noob here - Asking for your opinions on starting ROM's. - G2 and Desire Z Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I just downgraded my G2 to 2.2, so im ready to start flashing some ROM's. I'm pretty new to all of this so its all pretty exciting. What ROM's would you guys suggest I start out with as being my first experience? Definitely would appreciate a much smoother performance, links would be awesome if it isn't too much trouble.
Im sure that many people have asked this, and I apologize if that's the case. I looked through a good amount of threads, and couldn't find anything that helped me.

If you are a fan of sense then one of the virtuous ROMs may be for you
http://www.virtuousrom.com/
or if you are wanting smooth,not as resource hungry
CM 7 which is also popular and is an open source project(AOSP)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1297574
http://forum.cyanogenmod.com/forum/150-htc-desire-z-g2/

In addition to those above:
Virtuous G-Lite is a stock AOSP rom that is VERY quick and stable. Very good on battery as well.
MIUI is based on AOSP and is usually updated every 2 weeks with tweaks and fixes. Has a UI that is very much like the iOS crowd but is extremely customizable to your tastes.
Check them out!

Athrun88 said:
Virtuous G-Lite is a stock AOSP rom that is VERY quick and stable. Very good on battery as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just recently started playing with ROM's and I have to agree that Virtuous G-Lite is very nice.
I tried CM7 but it had issues with google apps, however I am sure these issues will be ironed out in the future. I'm generally not a fan of any platform that doesn't make serious attempts to be as compatible as possible with stock software, which is why I ultimately chose G-Lite.
Another reason why I chose G-Lite was because of the simplicity of the install. It auto-wipes everything that needs to be wiped, is very light-weight, very familiar, and is highly compatible with all of my favorite stock apps, in addition to my post-stock apps. I highly recommend it as a first-timer try.
Only problem I had up front was no Swype, but it was an incredibly easy fix. I'll provide the link to the G-Lite forum post that I started regarding configurations and tweaks to optimize G-Lite to perfection.\
Link to download G-Lite:
http://www.virtuousrom.com/p/g-lite.html
Swype Fix Link:
http://forums.virtuousrom.com/index.php/topic,395.0.html
If you thought this was helpful, give me a "thanks" click.

Related

[REQUEST] A Fully (or as close as possible) Functional GB stock rom for INC.

R2's rom is great but I think I speak for many users that are frustrated with the lack of updates with OMGB. Maybe it would be possible for someone to get R2's rom and update it with some CM7 fixes and other things. Is this to daunting of a task or why hasn't someone else taken up this Rom???
What's wrong w/ CM7 itself? I don't think there's anything major left not working on the recent (>= 28) builds.
He's done with omgb he's gonna make omfgb next. It works well enough for most people. There isn't really much that can be improved.
Sent from my Incredible using XDA App
Cm7 is the bombass. Why would you want anything else?
Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk
What's not working on OMGB? Camcorder at 720p?
bradatz said:
R2's rom is great but I think I speak for many users that are frustrated with the lack of updates with OMGB. Maybe it would be possible for someone to get R2's rom and update it with some CM7 fixes and other things. Is this to daunting of a task or why hasn't someone else taken up this Rom???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i am beyond confused. have you even tried CM7 before posting your request???? Everything there works now and its stock (no theming) with a few enhancements (because thankfully slayher, cyanogen and team are very smart). This is probably beyond insulting to all the devs working extremely hard on developing GB for our incs. If you believe it is easy for devs to whip out roms, please either contribute to the process or contribute donations.
I hate to be traffic police (because most people who do so are pompous numnuts IMHO) but this thread does not belong in dev section by any stretch of the imagination. Its just a request, nothing more.
compare cm7 vs. OMGB
There are so many fixes on there that aren't applied to OMGB.
I don't like cm7 because it feels like a could use a vanilla 2.2 rom add a custom launcher and it would be pretty similar. Just not a fan of customizations.
bradatz said:
compare cm7 vs. OMGB
There are so many fixes on there that aren't applied to OMGB.
I don't like cm7 because it feels like a could use a vanilla 2.2 rom add a custom launcher and it would be pretty similar. Just not a fan of customizations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
brad, please test out the functionality and speed of CM7. GB does add significant things. I am a tinkerer so I know why I cant go back to 2.2 anymore. There are enough functionality enhancements. And I dont understand, what customizations??? I have flashed 11 CM7 builds - trust me until you are a crackflasher, you will never delve deep enough to really use the power of GB.
I understand where the OP is coming from. My guess is you would have to wait for OMGB to develop and catch up with CM7 in terms of bug fixing.
I too wanted a "stock" GB rom.. but CM7 brought it close for me after I installed stock gingerbread launcher that someone ripped and posted on the market.
What kind of "bugs" are you referring to?

Best rom/kernel for the wife?

Hey guys my wife has an htc droid incredible that she wants better performance out of. As of yet she is always complaining about how it sucks and its slow and boring. I'm sure she will want something she can use a theme on, and something extremely stable..the last thing I need is to hear her freaking out that it is messing up on her.
Also I have no idea if there is a way to create a nandroid backup on the dinc like I do with the fascinate with clockwork, hopefully there is because whatever I end up doing I need to be able to go back without a hitch...
Any and all thoughts/suggestions are greatly appreciated guys! Thanks!
SCH-I500 - Vanilla Froyo AOSP .8/Voodoo5/NexTheme
Sense or non-sense?
Its the wife..of course nonsense. Lol really though I'm sure sense but as long as i am able to revert no problem we can try non-sense. If she ends up not liking any of it I need to be able to restore to like it never happened and she can go on with all her stuff there lol
SCH-I500 - Vanilla Froyo AOSP .8/Voodoo5/NexTheme
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=883380
Try that or maybe Incredibly Re-Engineered, and maybe update to Lou's #9 for a kernel.
Awesome. What are the general steps to backing up and then flashing the above? (or anything else on the dinc for that matter) the most I have done is unrevoked and that's just as easy as super one click root lol
SCH-I500 - Vanilla Froyo AOSP .8/Voodoo5/NexTheme
I'm not sure if i'm allowed to post links to another site since i'm new to this forum but i'll pm you a link to a tutorial.
Awesome. Thanks brother!
SCH-I500 - Vanilla Froyo AOSP .8/Voodoo5/NexTheme
Not sure if it sent or not so i sent it again. Anytime.
Lol I got it both times thanks I was actually in the middle of reading up on some of the stickies when you sent that
SCH-I500 - Vanilla Froyo AOSP .8/Voodoo5/NexTheme
Lou's #9 and Myn's twopointtwo
I recommend the Incredibly Re-Engineered rom. It is sense based and has been very stable and very good with both battery and performance. I am using v2.3.1 and the incredikernel kernel.
Also, I did not see if anyone responded to your question about the backup with clockwork. Clockwork backup does work with the incredible. I have had to use it a few times myself
edit: Oh by the way this is my first post. Hello to everyone here at XDA!
For "non" Sense I'd definitely go with CyanogenMod 7 RC1. It's fast, stable, and GINGERBREAD!!!
DroidIncredible said:
edit: Oh by the way this is my first post. Hello to everyone here at XDA!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi.....welcome
As for the OP: After you figure out the nandroid backup stuff (which isn't too hard, esp since you have experience with your device)....
I stuck with Virtuous for a while which was basically an improved stock ROM...probably not what your wife wants if she wants it different and finds stock "boring" (but still a great rom). Unfortunately, not much development there anymore.
Skyraider sense was my next move. Loved it! Still sense, very stable, but lots of modifications and customizations available (ie: themes). A major upset was the fact that ihtfp69 stopped working on it for the time being.
However, I'm currently running CM7 (build #2) and it's great. Not a final version yet, so may not yet be as stable as she is looking for (though, I've only had 1 random reboot in 5 days of running different CM7 roms, otherwise, absolutely no other issues for me). But if you install it and set it up for her, and point her towards all the themes available, I'm sure she'd be happy.
So there's my experience, hope it provides some insight into the options for the Incredible I'm sure everyone else has their pros and cons, but I have honestly not been disappointed with any of the ROMs I've installed. These developers do a GREAT job!
Good luck
CM7: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=916881
Virtuous: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=765447
Skyraider: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=764787
UOTE=Graydon1;11513780]I'm not sure if i'm allowed to post links to another site since i'm new to this forum but i'll pm you a link to a tutorial.[/QUOTE]
I have the same exact situation as the other guy. My wife wants me to work on her incredible. Could you send me that link as well. Thanks in advance!!!!!
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App
I put IncROM on my wife's Incredible as her first ROM - it was good looking, stable, quite fast, and had insane battery life w/ the stock HTC kernel.
She's since migrated to UlitmateDroid with me, as it has a whole different look/feel, and tons of options, as do many AOSP ROMs. Give AOSP a look for something different.
If not AOSP, some of the Z ROMs are pretty cool too.
That's part of the fun of being rooted; getting to try on different stuff, see what fits you best.
Happy modding!
Let me dig up the links again for ya.
Being someone who has tried a lot of ROM's and Kernels..
Sense kernels run the best for incredibles. I haven't found a non-sense (aka AOSP) that will run without a few significant bugs.
One of the quickest, most stable and clean sense ROM's would be
- Sky Raider's 3.5:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=764787
An excellent Kernel that majorly helped improve my battery life
- Chad's Incredikernel :
http://chad0989.dyndns.org/2.6.32.27-incredikernel-12232010-plus25v.zip
You will need clockwork installed to create nandroid backups and also to flash new ROM's and Kernels, and additionally rooting your phone can be found below:
http://unrevoked.com/#inc
>> Everyone has their preference and I highly respect every developer on here, but there was just a few things in Lou's Kernel that bugged me.
I'm sure you will try a few ROM's before sticking with one, the above are just my suggestions. When running Chad's kernel, do not use setCPU or anything like it because it already has (a better) one built in that helps extend battery life with screen off, and performance/battery with screen on
Thanks everyone! And welcome to the forums brother
SCH-I500 - Vanilla Froyo AOSP 0.8.1/Voodoo5/NexTheme
Just a thought but if stock Sense is boring to her, she may eventually want to try an AOSP ROM. In that case, I would recommend MIUI with Invisiblek #28 and, by that time, I'm sure Cyanogenmod 7 will have a stable release. Its bad a** and gingerbread based. Also, if she decides to stay with Sense and simply wants more options for it, Virtuous is another stable Sense ROM.
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
Try out 'Launcher Pro' (maybe PRO if you like it). It has really cool transition effects that your wife would probably love (I love 'em)
It's what I use instead of the regular sense UI.
Check this vid out for a better idea:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIK9yBlWYt4
You can get this from the droid market for free. PRO gets you the widgets I think, not much else.
You can also adjust the speed of transition that will make your phone seem much faster. I know the stock incredible homescreens are pretty laggy.

[Q] new to desire - whats the best rom?

hey guys,
i just bought a desire, moving from a htc hero. i am a bit confused with all the different roms available, so i would be very gratefull if someone could recommend a rom for me. i am looking for a rom with the following features:
1. as stable as the stock rom
2. has all the funcionallity of the stock roms (i noticed that for the hero some roms had problems with the camera for example, yet the camera is important to me, the same goes for gps)
3. is fast
4. has long battery life
5. sense is optional, i quite liked sense, especially the camera app and the dialer, yet i can live without it if i can find good replacements for the mentioned apps
6. gingerbread is optional - i am not quite sure how important the gingerbread improvements are and whether they come at the cost of speed and stability
thanks a lot in advance
imo the best rom was InsertCoin 1.0.5 with sense 2.1 and 3.0 parts..the new 1.0.8 with more stuff of 1.0.3 is beautiful but slowly respect the older 1.0.5
RcMixS v2.0 if you want GB with Sense 2.1 + 3.0.
Oxygen 2.1.4 / CM7 if you want pure (much faster than Sense) AOSP GB ROM.
MIUI if you want something completly different (iPhone like) with great battery life.
Also wrong forum section, this should go to Q&A...
HTC Desire --- Desire Android Development... does this look like a QnA section?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmvCpR45LKA
I hate to say this but given your criteria stick to stock, and don't bother reading this section, or making irrelevant posts in the DEV section
I can recomend GingerVillain (with dialer one as alternative to sene's dialer) or MIUI-XJ, both are without sense and super fast. Also have good batery life (ofc it depends on how u use your phone).
Fully customized GingerVillain - Super fast and lot of options.
Thanks
Thanks guys for your answers, as for the fact that i have posted in the wrong section, i have asked the thread to be moved to q&a. Peace
hmongo said:
Thanks guys for your answers, as for the fact that i have posted in the wrong section, i have asked the thread to be moved to q&a. Peace
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I highly recommend the InsertCoin series.
I'm currently using the InsertCoin Nightly ROM, although I am on V45 (latest is V50) as I feel it offers me the best experience and reliability.
Give it a try, you will not be disappointed.
ziggy1001 said:
I hate to say this but given your criteria stick to stock, and don't bother reading this section, or making irrelevant posts in the DEV section
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So what would be the problem with the non-stock roms?
Non apart from aosp not having sense, and some being a bit unstable, but most is very decent.
You need to decide if you want:
1. sense
2. aosp
3. miui
Try them out(just make a nandroid) and go between them till you find one you are comfortable with. Then choose a rom from either of the categories:
For sense roms, they are quite similar(all gb and sense 2.1+3.0 stuff). For aosp i personally prefer the clean oxygen, but some might consider the more configurable cm. For miui there are pretty much just the one choice
mortenmhp said:
Non apart from aosp not having sense, and some being a bit unstable, but most is very decent.
You need to decide if you want:
1. sense
2. aosp
3. miui
Try them out(just make a nandroid) and go between them till you find one you are comfortable with. Then choose a rom from either of the categories:
For sense roms, they are quite similar(all gb and sense 2.1+3.0 stuff). For aosp i personally prefer the clean oxygen, but some might consider the more configurable cm. For miui there are pretty much just the one choice
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And if it is sense that your after, I would highly recommend the Insertcoin Sense 2.1+3.0 (3D) combination rom.. it feels advanced, very stable, everything works, the 3D animations are sensational (no pun intended Lol).
BTW, you might want to sort out your medical expenses as you'll soon become addicted to flashing like the rest of us!
If you are looking for stable and fast sense rom with good battery life then nothing can bit
RCMix S v2.0 Evolutionary Sense(2.1+3.0) by robocik imo.
i also tried leedroid,InsertCoin,CrystalKingdom,Cool Kingdom roms but not satisfied with performance,those who hasn't try it yet give it a shot,best sense rom i am using so far
Insertcoin Nightly is very nice, fast and reliable , and even if there's a problem it's fixed very fast as Baadnwz releases updates every 1-2 days
Has got to be MIUI-XJ for me . I tried , and liked RC Mix v2.0 but once i switched to miui -xj i found what i had been looking for.
Well basically its between sense and aosp. I dont need sense for its flashiness, advantages would be the camera and dialer apps.
On the hero I was using cyanogenmod, I was quite happy with it, with the only drawbacks that the cammera was more sluggish than on the stock-sense-rom and that the gps would crash the phone now and then.
So if there is an aosp rom that has the camera working well, I would go for that and if there was a sense-rom thats not super heavy on the cpu and the battery, that would be cool too...
Hi.
Absolutely satisfied with [ROM][Sense 2.1+3.0mix][02 June]RCMix S v2.0 Evolutionary Sense.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=988570&highlight=update
Ive tried almost every ROM, but this suites for me. Quick, not battery draining, everything I need and never had any any problem with it.
The developer deserve a 1st price. At least from me.
Ayax
LeeDroid 3.0.8.2 for me
I've used LeeDroid since before version 2.
No problems with the Froyo builds he's done - all features I need work correctly, including video capture, PPTP VPN, and no force close errors!
I'm currently trialling his GB stuff - version 3.0.8.2 is still a little buggy for me.
Search one from my sig, it's stable, fast and has good battery life
hope it helps

[Q] Does flashing a custom Desire Rom always involve hassle?

Can one expect a hassle free experience when flashing a Desire ROM?
Apologies if this question covers old ground, but as somebody who used to happily flash their Trinity every other day without fear or problems, I am struggling to find the same experience with Desire.
I've done all the prep work (rooted, S Off, etc) but can't seem to find one custom ROM that does not have specific individual pre-flashing requirements (e.g. ext2 partition as opposed to ext3 or ext4), or post-flashing fixes for problems that can often only be found by wading through pages of thread (e.g. camera won't work unless you...., sms notification won't work unless you......).
Maybe I am being over cautious as the Desire Stock Rom does seem a pretty good ROM already.
What I'm hoping is that people will leave proactive feedback to help people liek me who are concerned that flashing a custom ROM on the Desire is going to bring sleepless nights and hassle in trying to find fixes.
I thank you in advance for any feedback and advice.
Mattster.
Mattster_spv said:
Can one expect a hassle free experience when flashing a Desire ROM?
Apologies if this question covers old ground, but as somebody who used to happily flash their Trinity every other day without fear or problems, I am struggling to find the same experience with Desire.
I've done all the prep work (rooted, S Off, etc) but can't seem to find one custom ROM that does not have specific individual pre-flashing requirements (e.g. ext2 partition as opposed to ext3 or ext4), or post-flashing fixes for problems that can often only be found by wading through pages of thread (e.g. camera won't work unless you...., sms notification won't work unless you......).
Maybe I am being over cautious as the Desire Stock Rom does seem a pretty good ROM already.
What I'm hoping is that people will leave proactive feedback to help people liek me who are concerned that flashing a custom ROM on the Desire is going to bring sleepless nights and hassle in trying to find fixes.
I thank you in advance for any feedback and advice.
Mattster.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IT completely depends on which ROM you are flashing.. if you want hassle free ROM then flash stable ones.. They may have little bugs but won't bother you....
A good ROM will boost your desire performance Also...
Happy Flashing
DONT FORGET TO HIT THANKS BUTTON AT BOTTOM RIGHT OF THE POST IF THIS HELPS YOU
my experience is mostly positive 10ish roms todate
An ext partition is pretty much standard on most rom's My advice would be to make a 1gb ext4 partition as this is what I've had from the start and never had to re-partition it.
Pick an established rom that has got good feedback in the thread and you'll have no issues.
Some rom's have a few bugs, but some of the better one's are completely bug free.
And once you start flashing and skipping from rom to rom you won't want to stop
zedmarcus said:
An ext partition is pretty much standard on most rom's My advice would be to make a 1gb ext4 partition as this is what I've had from the start and never had to re-partition it.
Pick an established rom that has got good feedback in the thread and you'll have no issues.
Some rom's have a few bugs, but some of the better one's are completely bug free.
And once you start flashing and skipping from rom to rom you won't want to stop
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Zedmarcus (and everybody else) for the comments. I've done a 1gb and ext4 partition so I'm glad you said that.
Maybe I should go for the Rom in your signature then... I was expecting people to start listing stable roms but I appreciate a lot of it is down to personal choice.
That said, if you want to mention say 3 roms you've had good experiences with that would be good too!
Mattster.
Like you said, most of it comes down to personal choice. And before this turns into another "which rom is best?" "it's all down to personal choice" threads, I'll give you a quick rundown on some of the rom's that I've tried (and/or read about) and my own "personal" views on them.
Basically, there are two main types of rom's:
The first is Sense rom's, which are the stock or modded versions of the standard HTC rom's. Some people swear by them, saying that they have all the stuff you mostly need already on them, and that they have all of the bells and whistles on them to make them look flashy. Other people argue that they are full and bloated with stuff you will probably never need, and this leads to slowdown, lags and generally a less "free" android experience.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1315961
This is the Sense rom of the moment right now. Originally developed as a personal rom by Sebastiaan15, it's now one of the most posted about rom's. It's a 3.5 Sense rom (the most recent, apart from the newly announced ICS 4.0) that Seb is constantly (ie pretty much every day) updating. From personally trying it I'd say it's a good rom that has a lot of good things going for it, but there are still issues that are being found with it and Seb is constantly fixing and changing things. If you want the latest flashy Sense rom then maybe try it.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1318370
michaelm_007's 3.5 rom
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1250815
coolexe's 3.5 rom
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1016940
This is a very stable Sense 2.1+3.0 rom that has lots of users and good reviews. Being a mixed Sense rom it has the stability of a 2.1 rom with some of the bonus bits from 3.0 Unfortunately the developer baadnewz has stopped development on this rom and so what you get is what you get as there are going to be no new versions.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1045824
If you are an app addict you might want to try this rom. Droidzone has developed a 1.9 Sense rom that has Data2sd which means that you can dictate the amount of app storage you want. Although not the latest version of Sense, it is stable and fast and Droidzone offers good support.
(Look out for Sense rom's by Alex-V, michaelm_007, coolexe, Droidzone, tamirda, and Leedroid (who is also not developing for the Desire anymore) as these are experienced developers with great rom's available here on XDA).
The second types of rom's are the aosp (Android Open Source Project) rom's. These are non-Sense rom's that run the purest form of the Android operating system without the "bloat" of any HTC Sense over them. Whilst many would argue that they are not so pretty as Sense rom's, a lot of people would say that because they are back to basics (so to speak) rom's, they don't suffer any of the lag caused by the Sense programming. By adding a launcher (such as Go Launcher Ex) from the market they can be just as flashy as a Sense rom. Also aosp rom's are generally better on battery life due to not being as "heavy" as Sense rom's. These are my rom's of choice.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=957291
miui-xj is a "different" type of aosp rom, that in my opinion borrows a lot form the Apple school of interface. If you are looking for something a little "different" it might be worth a try. I've tried this myself and didn't particularly like the design, but a lot of people like the visual aspect of this rom, along with the themeing side of it. Updated weekly, it is a well supported rom.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=880465
GingerVillain 3.3 is a great aosp rom that the developer (Richard Trip) is very active in the development of (his girlfriend has a Desire so he'd better be ). Offering a fast, stable rom that has added goodies courtesy of Cyanogenmod, I would wholeheartedly recommend trying this rom.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1229003
Although ihlades has now stopped development of this rom, I would say this is a very fast and stable rom that has no known bugs. This is also one of my favourite rom's and the one I am currently using (don't always believe my sig).
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1227419
dGB is an extremely "light" aosp rom that has been developed by rootSU (a very active member of this community). Although not to everyone's taste as it is so very light, I found this to be an extremely fast and stable rom (thanks rootSU, I tried it last week and was very impressed, Redux2 dragged me back though ).
Mention must also go to Oxygen (not available here on XDA, but google it), and Cyanogenmod7.
As always (always!) it depends on personal preference.
The views expressed in this post are my own and I don't need to be flamed for putting them here. If I missed any rom's or developers I apologise, this does not mean they are not quality, it just means either I haven't used them or I forgot about them. Any mistakes I'm sure will be pointed out.
I would always recommend reading threads and researching for yourself. Also, experiment, try different rom's and see what works best for you.
I'm sure other users will offer differing opinions, but these are mine.
Hope it helps.
Fantastic help Zedmarcus... thanks very much.
You've given me the confidence to get the most out of my Desire, and hopefully any other new Desire users who read this post.
Looking forward to working through your much appreciated suggestions.
Mattster.
Loving the experience of a ROM with no Sense:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1229003
So much more responsive (especially compared to the custom Sense roms I have now tried) and some of the graphics are wonderful, e.g Keyboard, Caller screen, Messaging. Glad I asked. Hope others are persuaded by this post to take the plunge. Interested in all feedback from new flashers too.
Mattster.

[GUIDE] Noob's Guide #2: Choosing the Right ROM

So, you just rooted your super awesome Android phone, thanks to Rivera82falcon and his awesome guide? You saw my awesome guide for flashing ROMS, and wanted to try it, but didn't know where to begin? Well, you're in the right place.
Also, don't blame me if your phone explodes into a million pieces and one gets stuck in your eye. Nothing you do is my fault. Well, here we go.
STEP ONE: AOSP or Sense?
You probably know what Sense is, but you might not know what AOSP is. It stands for Android Open Source Project. Basically, you are getting a base of stock gingerbread. Now let's talk about the advantages and disadvantages.
AOSP is far faster than most Sense ROMs, and offers more customization as far as themes and kernels. Keep in mind, you can't just install AOSP and put the sense launcher on it. It won't work. With AOSP, you can get Gingerbread, Froyo, or even Ice Cream Sandwich looks for your phone.
Sense, on the other hand, is usually slower, and sometimes offers limited customization when compared to the Theme engines for AOSP. Sense can feel sluggish sometimes, but can be very fast if the ROM is well built. It is not as streamlined as AOSP. On the other hand, you get all the awesome sense apps, like weather, clock, and calendar.
Personally, I switch back and forth between Sense an AOSP. They both have their advantages and disadvantages.
STEP TWO: How Much Is Working?
Many people see an awesome looking ROM and it says ALPHA or BETA, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything to people. They flash it and wonder why their radio doesn't work, or why WiFi won't connect. ALPHA ROMs are ROMs that are in the early testing phase and may have key functions broken or missing. Don't go on a vacation with an ALPHA ROM on your phone. Never flash one if you depend on your phone for your job. A BETA ROM is a ROM that is nearing the end of testing. It may still have broken features, but the core functions such as Radio, Data, WiFi, and SMS are often working. Don't flash this ROM if you are expecting a finished product, you will be disappointed. These ROMs are usually fairly slow as well. A vX.x.x ROM (ex: v1.0.1) is released to the public but probably still has some bugs like Bluetooth, MMS, or some other random issues. This ROM still might not be the fastest, but is still easily able to function. Anybody can flash these ROMs. RLSX (ex: RLS1) ROMs are released and are nearly finished. They may have some small bugs or not be fully optimized, but they are nearly perfect. Final ROMs are complete, and you can expect no further changes, usually.
STEP THREE: What Features/Look Does It Have?
Not all Sense and AOSP ROMs are created equal. Many look very different from each other and have very different features. For example, a Sense 2.1 and Sense 3.5 ROM are very different, and CM7 is very different from PoolParty. Read the entire OP and look at any screenshots provided. Make sure you like the look, so you don't waste time flashing it if you hate the look. That said, there is nothing wrong with flashing a ROM just to try it out.
STEP FOUR: Choosing Your Favorite (My Recommendations)
Sense
-Incredible 2 HD by newtoroot
*Great Battery Life
*Nearly Bugless
*Sense 3.5/Android 2.3.5
Download Link
-Skyraider Zeus
*Sense 2.1/3.0 Mix
*Very fast for a Sense ROM
*Great battery life
Download Link
AOSP
-CyanogenMod 7
*Lots of customization
*Very fast
*Updated very often
*Android 2.3.7
***IF YOU USE THE NIGHTLIES, THERE MAY BE BUGS***
Download Link
-TSM PoolParty
*Android 2.3.7
*Lots of theming
*Very fast
Download Link
SUGGESTIONS FROM OTHER USERS
-MIUI (knipp21)
*Fast AOSP ROM
*Lots of theme options
*Very customizable
*Looks good with GO Launcher and Launcher Pro
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1162835
-Liquid Smooth 3.x (i'manoob)
*Also very fast
*Lots of customization
http://liquidsmoothroms.com/
I hope that this was helpful to people. The next guide will be a noob dictionary.
Very nice writeup man. Kudos.
Sent from my Incredible 2 HD using XDA App
I can vouch for Virtuous Roms. All their work is bug free and visually appealing and user friendly.
Nice write up AC.
collinjames said:
I can vouch for Virtuous Roms. All their work is bug free and visually appealing and user friendly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree Collinjames, the new Affinity ROM is very nice, battery life is insanely good, and it's nearly bug free. My softkeys stopped lighting up so I went back to 2HD RLS1.1
What about including custom kernals AOSP and Sense?
Skyraider Zeus rom is worthy of the incredible, Incredible 2. No bugs which is the most important thing, has never crashed ever on me, that is incredibly important. I don't ever actually use sense exept for the great camera, lockscreen, and weather. But this rom is a no brainer really.
It gives you every option you could think of and has no downside.
I wish this nice little article was up when I was wasting my time trying out buggy roms.
I just feel puzzle about which rom to choose at that moment, thanks a lot for your guide.
liquid 3.x is a good aosp rom as well
Thanks for the post, I like how you broke down the advantages of each.. this has proven to be very helpful.
While i agree with you aosp choices..i think everyone should at least try miui...most customizable rom I've ever used...and looks great with go launcher or launcher pro.
Sent from my Incredible 2 using xda premium
I will add an "other people's recommendations section" soon. Just because I dont necessarily agree with all of these *cough*MIUI*cough*, but I want people to get all the input they can.
Thanks for posting this. As someone who is new to rooting phones this information is very useful.
---------- Post added at 08:35 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:30 AM ----------
AgalychnisCallidryas said:
I will add an "other people's recommendations section" soon. Just because I dont necessarily agree with all of these *cough*MIUI*cough*, but I want people to get all the input they can.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I tried MIUI for a few days. Although I like how customizable it is with all the themes available I found it too buggy. I kept getting lockups and reboots. I hoped the 11.18 release would have helped but it actually made it worse. Also, the lack of an app drawer was very hard to get used to. I'm still not sure I like that concept. I guess it's too iPhone-ish for me.
valorian13 said:
Thanks for posting this. As someone who is new to rooting phones this information is very useful.
---------- Post added at 08:35 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:30 AM ----------
Yeah, I tried MIUI for a few days. Although I like how customizable it is with all the themes available I found it too buggy. I kept getting lockups and reboots. I hoped the 11.18 release would have helped but it actually made it worse. Also, the lack of an app drawer was very hard to get used to. I'm still not sure I like that concept. I guess it's too iPhone-ish for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine never locks up, what kernel? And use go launcher or launcher pro.
Sent from my Incredible 2 using xda premium
knipp21 said:
Mine never locks up, what kernel?
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Click to collapse
Sorry but I'm not sure. I would say what ever 11.18 has. I'm still learning all there is to know about rooting so I never paid attention to kernel versions.
valorian13 said:
Sorry but I'm not sure. I would say what ever 11.18 has. I'm still learning all there is to know about rooting so I never paid attention to kernel versions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm running MIUI 1.11.18 right now along with the aerovan .7 bfs kernel. I haven't had a single lockup. Running buttery smooth.
Sent from my Incredible 2 using XDA App
I also run MIUI 1.11.18 an never had any problems I also use areoevan .07bsf kernel. This rom an skyraider are the two most stable roms I have run.
AgalychnisCallidryas said:
I will add an "other people's recommendations section" soon. Just because I dont necessarily agree with all of these *cough*MIUI*cough*, but I want people to get all the input they can.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you try it with a traditional launcher you will love it lol
Sent from my Incredible 2 using xda premium
ok, so since I'm still learning here, when you flash a ROM does the kernel get changed too? Or is this something you have to flash in addition to the ROM?
yes it will change it to which ever kernel the rom
is supplied with. You can find the custom kernel you wish to use an then just flash it after the rom just make sure it's for aosp or sense which ever you choose to run.
RRF12 said:
yes it will change it to which ever kernel the rom
is supplied with. You can find the custom kernel you wish to use an then just flash it after the rom just make sure it's for aosp or sense which ever you choose to run.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the explanation. That helps.

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