[Q] TNZ Blend any good/ need some hand holding... - Samsung Epic 4G Touch

Hello All,
New to XDA, been rocking the E4GT from release and love it. Rooted and kernel'd my last phone, looking to amp it up now.
What do folks think about TNZ Blend? Any comparing/contrasting of 1.5 vs. 2.0 and themes, etc... What's the fastest stable rom you have used???
Now that the good stuff's taken care of, I need some hand holding...
Done as much searching and FAQ's as I can stand and I have a good grasp of each process just need confirmation on the order.
Here's what I'm planning, please advise me on any changes or pitfalls I may encounter:
-Autoroot: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1342728
-Titanium Backup
-ACS recovery: http://chris41g.devphone.org/index.php?dir=EpicTouch/Stock+Repack/EK02/ACSRecovery5/
(or should i use this: http://forums.acsyndicate.net/showthread.php?2973-[ACS][ROM][Odin]%20Stock%20EK02%20rooted%20tar%20%28No%20modem,%20system%20and%20kernel%20only%29)
-Nandriod backup
-*(should i wait a day here?)*
-Flash TNZ blend 1.4, then 1.5 or 2.0, per their instructions.
-(definitely planning to go a couple days on this)
-Speed test, Flash EL26, Speed test
Does that sound right? If i flash straight to the acs rooted stock ek-02 kernel will I be good to go? Any more risky than what I listed above?
With each new kernel or rom will i get a different recovery or will the ACS stick? When a rom says EL13 does that mean I HAVE to be on that modem??
That's all I can think of, thanks a bunch for the help!!!!
Rob

Any help? Is the order close????

penderperson said:
Hello All,
New to XDA, been rocking the E4GT from release and love it. Rooted and kernel'd my last phone, looking to amp it up now.
What do folks think about TNZ Blend? Any comparing/contrasting of 1.5 vs. 2.0 and themes, etc... What's the fastest stable rom you have used???
Now that the good stuff's taken care of, I need some hand holding...
Done as much searching and FAQ's as I can stand and I have a good grasp of each process just need confirmation on the order.
Here's what I'm planning, please advise me on any changes or pitfalls I may encounter:
-Autoroot: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1342728
-Titanium Backup
-ACS recovery: http://chris41g.devphone.org/index.php?dir=EpicTouch/Stock+Repack/EK02/ACSRecovery5/
(or should i use this: http://forums.acsyndicate.net/showthread.php?2973-[ACS][ROM][Odin]%20Stock%20EK02%20rooted%20tar%20%28No%20modem,%20system%20and%20kernel%20only%29)
-Nandriod backup
-*(should i wait a day here?)*
-Flash TNZ blend 1.4, then 1.5 or 2.0, per their instructions.
-(definitely planning to go a couple days on this)
-Speed test, Flash EL26, Speed test
Does that sound right? If i flash straight to the acs rooted stock ek-02 kernel will I be good to go? Any more risky than what I listed above?
With each new kernel or rom will i get a different recovery or will the ACS stick? When a rom says EL13 does that mean I HAVE to be on that modem??
That's all I can think of, thanks a bunch for the help!!!!
Rob
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your post is a little all over the place, but I'll see if I can figure it out and give you some advise/confirmation.
First, Autoroot, I personally don't believe you can do better than Autoroot for the E4GT. Best root method I have ever used on any Android device (and I have used plenty.) So start with Autoroot to get yourself where you want to be, rooted. Now personally, at that point I would advise going straight into Option C. That's going to net you a custom recovery. At this point, it really doesn't matter which one you choose. They all have merits and you can easily get from one to another and try various setups. I would probably do EG30+CWM or EL26+CWM, but that's just me.
After that, it all comes down to personal choice. I personally haven't used TNZ ROM or ACS recovery. I am so satisfied with Calk's ROM that I probably won't jump ship until I am ready to go back to MIUI, but again this is all a matter of personal choice. Likewise, I know that people like the ACS recovery, but for me, I hope I never have to use a recovery other than Rogue again for the rest of my Android days. It's simply too perfect. Your opinion/needs will vary.
Once you find the ROM and kernel you want to run, let it settle. You DO NOT have to flash ROM>Kernel>Modem in any sort of pattern. The versions (EG30, EG31, EK02, EL13, EL26, etc.) DO NOT need to match, though personally since EK02, I have felt an improvement in function and stability when all three components are from the same release (could be placebo, who knows.)
I wouldn't bother with Titanium Backup until you have decided on a setup you want to run. And then, I would strongly advise running whatever setup you get to for at least a little while before restoring anything from TB. Several hours would be best, but even 15 minutes will give the ROM-Kernel-Modem time to settle. I would do the nandroid before Titanium. If you like the setup and there are no issues, you can do another one after Titanium.
As far as kernels, they will be packaged with a recovery. Which recovery depends on who made the kernel. If you flash kernels from the same dev, the recovery will most likely be the same or an updated version. If you flash kernels from different devs, there is a good chance the recovery will be different. Additionally, ROMs will be packaged with kernels, so if your favorite kernel is not packaged with the ROM you want to run, you'll need to flash the kernel separately.
That should cover it, you can add mods, themes etc. from there with specific help in the forums. You can also check out the Toolkit in my signature and Barnacles' wiki page.
Good luck.

Auto root, acs rooted EK02 kernel, nandroid, flash MODDED wipe zip, flash your choice of Blend 2.0.
Things needed for flashing the rom is the modded wipe zip and Blend 2.0.
If your doing this tonight, just get it rooted with a custom recovery and PM me and ill walk you through it.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App

So I was curious after responding to you and tried out the latest TNZ. This thing is hot! Very well put together. Clean and so far very fast and reliable. I may have to run this for a bit. Still can't go wrong with Calkulin's stuff, but this is a nice change up.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium

Just_s said:
So I was curious after responding to you and tried out the latest TNZ. This thing is hot! Very well put together. Clean and so far very fast and reliable. I may have to run this for a bit. Still can't go wrong with Calkulin's stuff, but this is a nice change up.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sweet man, that's what I've heard from all of their threads...planning to run the desparado kernel and el26 with it in a couple days and see what kind of crazy speeds it'll get.
Today's the day, but my wife's car wouldn't start this morning, so needs over wants, hopefully that won't take long and I'll be a happy andrioder soon!

Alright folks, looks like I'm doing pretty well, got a couple questions.
Autoroot, ACS recovery, NAND, titanium backups, full wipe, flashed Blend 1.4, modded wipe zip, Flashed blend 2.6.
Now, do i want to restore my (stock-rom)NAND or do i create a NAND backup from this point? Same question with titanium, can i restore my apps from when i backed them up stock?
Any feedback on EL 13 vs. 26 vs. 29?
Thanks for the input,
Rob

Related

*NEWBIE* Just Rooted My Epic 4G Touch, Have a few questions?

Yes i just rooted my epic 4g touch yesterday. Looking for where I should go from here. I did only root it so Im going to go home and do the option "c" on the automated script tool so i can flash it with EK02+CWM so I have the CWM to flash roms. My questions are: I am currently on android 2.3.6 on EK02 Kernel. Should I stay on that kernel or should I do something different? Something newer or better? Also Once I have the kernel with CWM installed, can someone give me proper EASY instructions how to flash a rom? or theme? Also is there any recommended combination of a kernel/ROM/Modem i should install? I don't want something that has several bugs. The least, the better! ;-) Please any information would help. I'm a Newbie lol
Any Rom you flash will have a kernel built in. For the sake of you being new to this, I would just use the kernel the Rom comes with right now and worry about playing with kernels later.
The Modem will not flash with the ROM and needs to be flashed separately. Again, you might want to just stay with what you have right now. Any combination of the ROM, Kernel, and Modem will work. There is no science to what combo works best and is all a matter of personal opinion and experiences.
Once you install CWM, you can flash a ROM. Just download the ROM and add put it on your internal SD Card that phone has. Then boot into CWM. An easy way to do this is to download quick boot from the market and you can boot into CWM.
When in there wipe all system data (will remove all you apps from your phone.), cache, and dalvik cache (in advnaced).
Then go to install file from sd card. Choose internal, then go to the zip file that is the ROM. Click on it and install. After it is done, reboot the phone from CWM and you will now have a custom ROM.
Most of the ROMs you would want to install are on the 1st page of the Dev section. I currently running UnNamed ROM as it is extremely stable and has been giving me good battery life. I am on EL29 Modem and running the kernel the ROM came with.
There are other ROMS that offer more theming if you would like but sometime do not offer the same stability as some other ROMS.
For themes, make sure they are compatible with whatever ROM you are running. To flash a theme, you would do it the same way as a ROM except no need to clear system data. Just wipe Cache and Dalvik so you do not lose your info and then flash the zip. Also, if the ROM you are using is updated you usually do not need to clear system data either but if you jump to a totally different ROM you will need to clear everything.
A good app to get is Titanium Backup. I totally recommend purchasing the Pro version but you can get away with the free one. You can backup the apps you have on your phone and then reload them on the new Rom. Make sure to only put back the apps you downloaded and not apps from the system. You can a batch save and restore instead of doing each one individually. Click the settings menu, then batch.
Hope this helps you get started. Sorry, if any of this is confusing as sometimes I just ramble on as I type...Any more questions just ask away...We have a good group of people here.
If you like the color blue you should install Strongsteve's odexed ROM. If you don't like the color blue you should still install his ROM. Not only is it a beautiful to look at set up, it's also very stable and fast. Constant improvements are always being made as well. And you will soon be a fan of all things blue
There are other ROMS on the developers page. Some are tweaked for long battery life, some are themed but all are worthy of a look. It just comes down to personal preference.
As for the modem you will need to flash that separately. Try a few different ones and see which gives you the best performance.
Ok cool. Thanks guys. So if i want to stay on this modem I am on now. I could basically just flash the rom I want and this modem will stay on my phone right? I don't need to re flash it?
Yes.....you are correct. Now that you're rooted let the fun begin!
powerstroke said:
Ok cool. Thanks guys. So if i want to stay on this modem I am on now. I could basically just flash the rom I want and this modem will stay on my phone right? I don't need to re flash it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
correct.
I don't think any ROMS flash with modems except for the EK02 sprint official Over-The-Air update.
Awesome. One last thing lol, sorry for all the questions. I am currently on EK02. I am going to flash Strongsteve's odexed ROM. After I flash that rom, will I need to then flash again the EK02 Modem or is flashing the ROM all I need to do?
My advice stay on EK02 at least for couple days so you can compare with other setup. EK02 and EL13 have good results for me, everything else gives me bad battery life.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA Premium App
lol i would like to stay on it and that's fine. I'm just wondering if after i flash this rom, my modem will stay on there? Or do i need to re flash the EK02 modem?
Your modem will stay
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium

Flashing Nandroid between GB/ICS ROMS

So last night I finally decided to try out an ICS ROM floating around the Dev section and turns out I prefer the ICS themed GB. ICS was TOO ICS'D FOR ME..(wtf?)
Anyways, I restored a nandroid of my GB ROM but my question is do I need to flash any modems/kernals? When I installed the ICS ROM, I also installed the F07 Modem. Does restoring a nandroid take care of any modems for me or do I need to do something else?
the modem is flashed separately. if you nandroid back, it should restore the kernal you were using when you made the backup. Modems are not backed up in a nandroid.
Oh cool. Thanks. Any idea if the FC07 Modem will give me any problems on an EL29 Rom? My phone feels warmer (over wifi) than usual but I'm not sure if thats due to the nandroid I ran or the modem.
as far as I can tell modems are independent of what rom you use, so flash them all and decide which works best for you. I'm currently running the FC24 modem on Calk's 3.0 rom which is EL29 based without any problems. Phones feeling warmer doesn't really mean much to me. It's all perception in my mind. As long as it's not burning a hole through my case, I'm ok with it. Usually a reboot will get rid of the warming. Could be alot of background syncing trying to play catch up with your data on the phone.
mikebel3 said:
Oh cool. Thanks. Any idea if the FC07 Modem will give me any problems on an EL29 Rom? My phone feels warmer (over wifi) than usual but I'm not sure if thats due to the nandroid I ran or the modem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Modems can be interchangeable, flash them all till you find one you like. Its just a radio and not married to any specific rom base

Is the Epic a fail when custom Rom installed? Questions? also can ICS be rooted?

Well new company gave me 20% Sprint discount and have become sick of my Tmobiles poor coverage. However I fear wimax might be sucky too here in Seattle. Anyway, long time member here and have been involved in the HTC Sensation and One forums. Both with very very stable roms and kernals.
I was excited to pick up a couple Sprint Galaxy epics and the guy at Sprint had his all rooted and claimed it was smoking fast.
However I came to this forum and see all kinds of complaints of loss of stability just from simple Root of the Epic? Also have not read any stable ICS roms and I have read all of the threads. Plus read this phone is very easy to brick under clockwork. With sensation we use Aroma and it rocks!
So before I move on, I am not looking to break rules on asking ROM questions. I simply would like some input on what ICS rom is stable and supported still as I see many devs have moved on the the sg3 here.
What kernal and radio or what you call modem is stable and how do you find what is for your phone match?
Lastly, what is safest way to ROOT and flash ROMS for this phone?
I did read the stickies but am still confused.
I may be just happy at first to simply ROOT and install the fix for Hot Spot Wi fi and go from there.
Thanks so much.
Not even sure if phones will arrive with stock ICS tomorrow or GB...
Ice
The SAFEST way to flash stock ROMs in case of emergency is using Odin.I've found both stock ROMs (GB & ICS) very stable, however I reboot my phone everyother day (windows habit).
This thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1525495 was my starting point.
rovar said:
The SAFEST way to flash stock ROMs in case of emergency is using Odin.I've found both stock ROMs (GB & ICS) very stable, however I reboot my phone everyother day (windows habit).
This thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1525495 was my starting point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First off thank you for your reply. Interesting, I have read ODIn maybe responsible for bricking many of these phones is that incorrect? Lots of what I found seeing the people are very unstable with the custom roms so far for ICS for this phone of course stock ICS will be here soon.is there the ability to just root the phone and leave the stock ics ROM and just run the sprint hot spot mod.
Sent from my Sensation 4G using xda premium
iceshark said:
First off thank you for your reply. Interesting, I have read ODIn maybe responsible for bricking many of these phones is that incorrect? Lots of what I found seeing the people are very unstable with the custom roms so far for ICS for this phone of course stock ICS will be here soon.is there the ability to just root the phone and leave the stock ics ROM and just run the sprint hot spot mod.
Sent from my Sensation 4G using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Odin never causes any bricks as long as the process is not interrupted. Most of the instability is caused by user error. From my experience, all fresh (by fresh I mean wipe data/cache and format system) custom ROM installs have been rock solid stable. Also, most network issues are fixed by updating profile/prl. Official ICS is already out, it is build FF18. Stock ICS will not normally have the hotspot mod. You will have to use a hack to install it yourself. If you want a stock ICS experience, use this odin package (reset user data) to odin your phone to pre-rooted FF18:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1721229
And here is your hotspot hack:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1760712
Nonetheless, I see no reason why you wouldn't just save yourself the time and flash a custom ICS ROM.
Imho, there isn't any ics custom rom as of yet that is 100% stable, glitch-free, and reliable. I would wait it out until more polished versions come out. If there is a pretty good one to try, i'd say the blu kuban.
revamper said:
Odin never causes any bricks as long as the process is not interrupted. Most of the instability is caused by user error. From my experience, all fresh (by fresh I mean wipe data/cache and format system) custom ROM installs have been rock solid stable. Also, most network issues are fixed by updating profile/prl. Official ICS is already out, it is build FF18. Stock ICS will not normally have the hotspot mod. You will have to use a hack to install it yourself. If you want a stock ICS experience, use this odin package (reset user data) to odin your phone to pre-rooted FF18:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1721229
And here is your hotspot hack:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1760712
Nonetheless, I see no reason why you wouldn't just save yourself the time and flash a custom ICS ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I think we are on the same page with this!
So I just loaded the FF18 Full Restore and Samsung drivers as indicated in this thread,
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1670110
I also tested after unzipping to a folder and the ODEN program comes up waiting for me to hook up phone I dont have yet till tomorrow.
I also watched this video and it seems very easy to do if this is correct process,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IL21F8Gfbs
Still some clarifying questions,
1. If my new phone comes with ICS already pushed to it. Do I simply still install FF18 to get root for the ICS rom?
2. If phone does not come with ICS will this install ICS and Root?
3. Do I need to use this or Caulkins to wipe data first before I do this process on phone out of the box new?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1670110
Also I am little nervous reading this post from SFHUB<, Is he saying not to do the above process thru the built in Odin recovery in the phone if it comes with stock ICS in it? What does this mean???
The Epic 4g Touch has a bug in it's emmc controller that can cause the /data partition to become inaccessible/unrecoverable sometimes thanks to the wipe process when flashing from ICS recoveries... DO NOT FLASH FROM ICS RECOVERIES!!!!
7/11/12 edit: In the FF18 source Garwynn has confirmed the presence of the offending code that triggers the emmc bug (http://forum.xda-developers.com/show...1&postcount=32) meaning that it will eventually be safe to flash from ICS as long as the offending code is removed by the dev of the kernel/rom...
- Please see this (http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1525495) thread by xST4T1K which details how NOT to brick your device... It is slightly out of date but still very relevant... if you want a more technical understanding of what this emmc bug is and why this is happening you can see Sfhub's thread in general related to it (http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1644364 ). The OP contains all of the information that our users have been able to figure out about this bug... Be sure to thank these people, as their hard work has made it exponentially safer for all of us to flash ICS roms on our phones...
-Every ICS rom will have a flashing guide in it's dev thread, its HIGHLY suggested you read and reread the guide for the rom you want to flash and follow it EXACTLY, taking the extra time upfront to fully understand what you're about to do will save you alot of trouble going forward.
-Put simply though you will always want to ODIN or Mobile ODIN (mobile Odin is an app made by the dev chainfire, available in the play store, that allows you to preform Odin flashes from your phone without using a PC) the el26 Gingerbread kernel/recovery and flash any ICS roms from that. NEVER FLASH FROM AN ICS RECOVERY, THAT IS HOW BRICKS ARE MADE!!!! Also do NOT use Rom Manager or Touch recovery!!!!
- Currently there are some ICS recoveries that are thought to be safe to flash from thanks to the work done on the emmc bug. If one of these is included in your rom it will be noted by the dev in the rom thread, however the safest way is still just to Odin back to el26 in order to avoid any chance of bricking!
Next, once I do this FF!8 and have root and ICS. If I want to dabble in custom roms. I am guessing they are installed by CWM from file downloaded to root of SD card like normal. I do not find CWM touch for this phone anywhere. I am sure I am missing it. It seems from reading the exploit in ICS kernal is causing the bricks. So I am guessing to use SF hubs or Claukins data wipe before loading custom roms. Are we beating to the same drum here?
Will correct radio or modem be installed automtic with FF18 or custom roms? I see many threads just on modems.
Thanks and thanks for the hot spot mod.
optimummind said:
Imho, there isn't any ics custom rom as of yet that is 100% stable, glitch-free, and reliable. I would wait it out until more polished versions come out. If there is a pretty good one to try, i'd say the blu kuban.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats what it seems from hours reading each ROM thread. Reminds me of the Sensation when GB and or ICS first leaked. Will most likely just root stock and go from there.
CWM is in the kernel. Current kernels such as chris41g's or AGAT's kernels have patched up recoveries that avoid the emmc bug, so they are completely safe. You should use calkulins format all before flashing a rom in CWM.
For odin, it wouldn't hurt to odin sfhubs wipe data/cache, but it's not necessary. As long as you use the reset user data odin package for FF18, it will take you to stock rooted FF18. Regardless of what rom your phone comes with, run that odin package. You don't need to worry about the modem either because it will install the latest one. Be sure to update your profile/prl in settings>about>system updates after.
If you want to try a custom rom, use odin to flash a kernel with cwm (agat's or chris41g's). Once you have a recovery, flash calkulins format all, and then the ROM of your choice. Modems are not installed through CWM rom zips. You'll have to flash a modem zip in recovery or odin a modem tar.
revamper said:
CWM is in the kernel. Current kernels such as chris41g's or AGAT's kernels have patched up recoveries that avoid the emmc bug, so they are completely safe. You should use calkulins format all before flashing a rom in CWM.
For odin, it wouldn't hurt to odin sfhubs wipe data/cache, but it's not necessary. As long as you use the reset user data odin package for FF18, it will take you to stock rooted FF18. Regardless of what rom your phone comes with, run that odin package. You don't need to worry about the modem either because it will install the latest one. Be sure to update your profile/prl in settings>about>system updates after.
If you want to try a custom rom, use odin to flash a kernel with cwm (agat's or chris41g's). Once you have a recovery, flash calkulins format all, and then the ROM of your choice. Modems are not installed through CWM rom zips. You'll have to flash a modem zip in recovery or odin a modem tar.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was studying Sfhugs FF18 thread and it says I can do the one click root and then install option D and that puts in the FF18, with agats CWM. So is this more simple then flashing FF18 and then doing a flash for either chris or agat kernal with cwm?
Should I use Calkulins format before flashing FF18 from stock?
So when you guys flash new custom roms you have to flash current modem each time? or only if you want to have a more current one? Coming from HTC you only have to flash radio when its required to match a new base leaked. So little confused there too.
Thanks your help has been great!
iceshark said:
I was studying Sfhugs FF18 thread and it says I can do the one click root and then install option D and that puts in the FF18, with agats CWM. So is this more simple then flashing FF18 and then doing a flash for either chris or agat kernal with cwm?
Should I use Calkulins format before flashing FF18 from stock?
So when you guys flash new custom roms you have to flash current modem each time? or only if you want to have a more current one? Coming from HTC you only have to flash radio when its required to match a new base leaked. So little confused there too.
Thanks your help has been great!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know I personally use Mijjahz's "GOODNESS" ROM and it runs smooth. Many mods and add ons with more added daily. I flashed agat's 2.2 kernel because I don't like the 2.3 that version 16.6.1 comes with.
I also flashed FF18 over my EL26 modem. Modems don't change between flashing I believe. Those you update yourself. A lot of folks stay on EL29 or find something that works perfectly in their area.
Sent from Konnor the E4GT.
optimummind said:
Imho, there isn't any ics custom rom as of yet that is 100% stable, glitch-free, and reliable. I would wait it out until more polished versions come out. If there is a pretty good one to try, i'd say the blu kuban.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not sure what you expect from a mobile os but I couldn't disagree more.... my experance on mijjahs goodness has been better and more stable than stock in every way, hell even cm9 and aokp are extremely reliable as well if you can live without dialer codes and prl/profile updates.... no software is ever going to be 100%.... I say flash away, you won't be dissapointed
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app
cp320703 said:
not sure what you expect from a mobile os but I couldn't disagree more.... my experance on mijjahs goodness has been better and more stable than stock in every way, hell even cm9 and aokp are extremely reliable as well if you can live without dialer codes and prl/profile updates.... no software is ever going to be 100%.... I say flash away, you won't be dissapointed
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
QFT.
ICS ROMs are very stable at this point.
iceshark said:
Thanks, I think we are on the same page with this!
So I just loaded the FF18 Full Restore and Samsung drivers as indicated in this thread,
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1670110
I also tested after unzipping to a folder and the ODEN program comes up waiting for me to hook up phone I dont have yet till tomorrow.
I also watched this video and it seems very easy to do if this is correct process,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IL21F8Gfbs
Still some clarifying questions,
1. If my new phone comes with ICS already pushed to it. Do I simply still install FF18 to get root for the ICS rom?
2. If phone does not come with ICS will this install ICS and Root?
3. Do I need to use this or Caulkins to wipe data first before I do this process on phone out of the box new?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1670110
Also I am little nervous reading this post from SFHUB<, Is he saying not to do the above process thru the built in Odin recovery in the phone if it comes with stock ICS in it? What does this mean???
The Epic 4g Touch has a bug in it's emmc controller that can cause the /data partition to become inaccessible/unrecoverable sometimes thanks to the wipe process when flashing from ICS recoveries... DO NOT FLASH FROM ICS RECOVERIES!!!!
7/11/12 edit: In the FF18 source Garwynn has confirmed the presence of the offending code that triggers the emmc bug (http://forum.xda-developers.com/show...1&postcount=32) meaning that it will eventually be safe to flash from ICS as long as the offending code is removed by the dev of the kernel/rom...
- Please see this (http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1525495) thread by xST4T1K which details how NOT to brick your device... It is slightly out of date but still very relevant... if you want a more technical understanding of what this emmc bug is and why this is happening you can see Sfhub's thread in general related to it (http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1644364 ). The OP contains all of the information that our users have been able to figure out about this bug... Be sure to thank these people, as their hard work has made it exponentially safer for all of us to flash ICS roms on our phones...
-Every ICS rom will have a flashing guide in it's dev thread, its HIGHLY suggested you read and reread the guide for the rom you want to flash and follow it EXACTLY, taking the extra time upfront to fully understand what you're about to do will save you alot of trouble going forward.
-Put simply though you will always want to ODIN or Mobile ODIN (mobile Odin is an app made by the dev chainfire, available in the play store, that allows you to preform Odin flashes from your phone without using a PC) the el26 Gingerbread kernel/recovery and flash any ICS roms from that. NEVER FLASH FROM AN ICS RECOVERY, THAT IS HOW BRICKS ARE MADE!!!! Also do NOT use Rom Manager or Touch recovery!!!!
- Currently there are some ICS recoveries that are thought to be safe to flash from thanks to the work done on the emmc bug. If one of these is included in your rom it will be noted by the dev in the rom thread, however the safest way is still just to Odin back to el26 in order to avoid any chance of bricking!
Next, once I do this FF!8 and have root and ICS. If I want to dabble in custom roms. I am guessing they are installed by CWM from file downloaded to root of SD card like normal. I do not find CWM touch for this phone anywhere. I am sure I am missing it. It seems from reading the exploit in ICS kernal is causing the bricks. So I am guessing to use SF hubs or Claukins data wipe before loading custom roms. Are we beating to the same drum here?
Will correct radio or modem be installed automtic with FF18 or custom roms? I see many threads just on modems.
Thanks and thanks for the hot spot mod.
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you're quoting some of my new user guide here, and i haven't updated it since the OTA came out so it somewhat overstates the danger of bricking (not a bad thing really, made you read, didn't it!?) which was much easir to do before we got kernel source, since then agat63 and chris41g have been killin it in kernel development since they got ICS source... their ICS kernels are safe to flash from and can be found in the dev section, if you're on the stock FF18 rooted with stock kernel i would personally ODIN (mobile or desktop) back to EL26, and from there flash whatever custom ICS rom you like, as far as I'm aware all of the roms come with a safe kernel these days but do be sure to double check and flash one if it does not... at that point going forward should you wish to flash something else you can just do it via cwm as per usual without having to odin back to gingerbread....do note however that you can't use touchwiz kernels with AOSP roms, there asr safe AOSP kernels as well however...
edit: oops, just noticed revamper addressed most of this on the last page, to answer another one of your questions though you can try as many modems as you like and decide which one works best for you, its varies phone to phone and area to area... the modem is not at all required to match the build number of the rom, (example: may people still use the el29 modem with ICS) you can use ANY modem with ANY rom
Ive flashed this phone hundreds of times. Put your rom and any other zips you have on external card. Then to do a full clean wipe go to privacy. then factory data reset then check usb storage. You can skip this step, but this is how to get it factory fresh. Download the el26 cwm kenal. Its posted everywhere. Next open Odin go to pda and select EL26 cwm kernal. Uncheck auto reboot. Have battery cover off! Flash kernal pop battery out when it starts to boot. or says pass. then use the vol up and power combo hold them down until boot screen pops up then let off. Next flash calkulins wipe all or wipe no data. . Never brick never fail. Then flash your rom and tweaks and be happy. Ive done this driving down the road its that easy. Laptop sitting in passenger seat with odin up lol. Plus i drive a 5sp full size truck. Flashing is easy. Follow directions. There is nothing wrong with this phone just read directions if your a noob. I,ll be making multi scenario flashing youtube movies soon. Like mobile tech videos does.
Flashing is easy. Follow directions. There is nothing wrong with this phone just read directions if your a noob.
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That's all there is to say.

flashing from ROM to ROM

I've only had Blazer ROM on my phone only because it was so stable and got great battery life that I never had an itch to flash anything else. I had his GB ROM and now I'm on his ICS rom. My wife's E4GT had Calk's ROM and just stuck with it too. Now i'm thinking about trying out other ROMs to experience the differences. How do you guys usually flash from one ROM to the next? Maybe more experienced folks can give me some tips or prevent me from doing redundant steps. I don't use much apps that need backing up, since most of my stuff is in the cloud. I would like to keep agat's kernel/recovery though, i've had the best battery life so far with it and its presumably safe for doing wipes/nandroids/ect. So here's my plan:
Current setup = Blazer ICS v0.1.3 (FF18) with agat's v0.2.3 kernel
1.) NANDROID current set up
2.) flash Calk's format all zip (should be safe with agat's kernel)
3.) flash a different ICS ROM (TouchWiz-based of course)
4.) flash agats kernel on top of the new ICS ROM
5.) reboot phone
- check out the new ROM -
Repeat steps #2 thru #5 for the next ROM... and so on.
If I don't find a ROM that I like, I'll restore my nandroid backup from step #1. I don't need to flash Calk's format all do I? I just restore my nandroid from agat's recovery and that's it?
That's as simple and efficient as I can think of. Am I missing anything else?
s9amme said:
I've only had Blazer ROM on my phone only because it was so stable and got great battery life that I never had an itch to flash anything else. I had his GB ROM and now I'm on his ICS rom. My wife's E4GT had Calk's ROM and just stuck with it too. Now i'm thinking about trying out other ROMs to experience the differences. How do you guys usually flash from one ROM to the next? Maybe more experienced folks can give me some tips or prevent me from doing redundant steps. I don't use much apps that need backing up, since most of my stuff is in the cloud. I would like to keep agat's kernel/recovery though, i've had the best battery life so far with it and its presumably safe for doing wipes/nandroids/ect. So here's my plan:
Current setup = Blazer ICS v0.1.3 (FF18) with agat's v0.2.3 kernel
1.) NANDROID current set up
2.) flash Calk's format all zip (should be safe with agat's kernel)
3.) flash a different ICS ROM (TouchWiz-based of course)
4.) flash agats kernel on top of the new ICS ROM
5.) reboot phone
- check out the new ROM -
Repeat steps #2 thru #5 for the next ROM... and so on.
If I don't find a ROM that I like, I'll restore my nandroid backup from step #1. I don't need to flash Calk's format all do I? I just restore my nandroid from agat's recovery and that's it?
That's as simple and efficient as I can think of. Am I missing anything else?
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That sounds like exactly what I do.
Only thing I add is that I boot back into the system then always check the md5sum of my nandoids on my phone (via AndroidFileVerifier https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=sa.afv&hl=en ] AND copy it to my PC.
[I'm an image freak so you may not care about that kind of redundant safety]
Then copy over new ROM files, boot to recovery wipe and flash away
I've done this dozens of times using Agat's kernel(s) and so far (knock on wood) it been a breeze.
leaderbuilder said:
That sounds like exactly what I do.
Only thing I add is that I boot back into the system then always check the md5sum of my nandoids on my phone (via AndroidFileVerifier https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=sa.afv&hl=en ] AND copy it to my PC.
[I'm an image freak so you may not care about that kind of redundant safety]
Then copy over new ROM files, boot to recovery wipe and flash away
I've done this dozens of times using Agat's kernel(s) and so far (knock on wood) it been a breeze.
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That's a good idea! I'm no image freak, but I can be a back up freak. I'll probably back up my nandroid on my phone, computer, and dropbox.. lol. but verifying backups is a practical step to take and probably often overlooked. I've heard that sometimes people can get md5 checksum errors when restoring old nandroids.
Heh I was about to post about this very same thing, I'm on the same boat as OP, except I've been using rooted stock since day1, but the search for more battery life continues!
Ya I too back up to cloud also - both my nand images and my Titanium.
As for battery life I'm not sure what stuff other people are getting and why but I get very acceptable battery life. I'm using Agat's 2.3 kernel and PhaKEr's UNIV-PlaceboFGXII fixes (they do a lot -3G,4G speed, sleep/battery etc.) on Blazer ICS ROM (currently) or Agat's tFF18 as my daily drivers. I do live in a 4G area and get it a lot while driving and still get decent battery - got almost 5 straight hours on 4G while in the city last weekend. So that's not too bad for me. And I regularly get a whole day (11+hours) out of my phone with normal usage.
I've been flashing ICS ROMs since they came out and they have only gotten better - WAY better. I have used sfhub's one-clicks to give me a fresh starting point every time. Then added CWM and gone from there.
Though I do switch out and mess with the other cool ROMs here; there are some really great devs and some people will prefer different things.
Oh, my battery is great as is (pretty much stock debloated manually) but its being able to squeeze a bit more out of it is always welcome.

Switching to AOSP from stock JB

Hey guys, just got my E4GT yesterday. I installed the rooted GB27 via the one click method. Then installed kernel/recovery through mobile Odin and the tar from here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=40549220
I am coming the Nexus S 4G (got the epic via a warranty swap) and a Nexus 7, so things here are WAY more complicated. I have been reading like crazy to get a grasp of the flow of how to do things with this device, but I keep getting what seems like either conflicting information or gaps in knowledge.
So what I want to do is switch to an AOSP ROM like PAC or CM, as TW UX is so not jiving with my nexus sensibilities. So since I am currently on all JB partition images I am to understand that I need to switch to a ICS modem. Now this might be a seemingly stupid question, but is there a perfered version of it? I see quite a few ICS modem and don't know to choose and nothing seems to give advice in this regard (at least that I can find). My only guess would be the largest number would be final ICS modem and thus should be the most stable/best available. Thoughts?
Then recovery, I see that the recovery I have installed is for only TW jellybean Roms. So I would have to flash another kernel/recovery prior to flashing my aosp ROM of choice. The GB - EL26 seems to be recommend from many sources, and I want to avoid the whole emmc brick mess. So is that the preferred recovery to flash from? And just so I understand, once I flash a ROM it will then inject its own kernel/recovery images correct?
So every time I want to flash a new ROM, I would start with installing that gingerbread recovery, then reboot recovery into that recovery, full wipe (factory reset,wipe cache/dalvik cache), flash ROM+gapps, and reboot. What about nandroid? Since I am switching recoveries so often are nandroid good across different recoveries? Or not? I am used to being able to have a few backups handy to always be able to get back to a working ROM.
Anyway, thanks in advance for any advice you have to offer. I hated having to ask these questions, but better to ask than end up with a paperwieght.
Your reading has paid off, looks like you got it down. FL24 is the newest ICS modem. EL29 directboot kernel is pretty easy to use, only problem is that it can't flash modems. But you can do that after you get AOSP booted up.
Nandroids are only good on the recovery that they are made on, but all the AOSP ROMs use the same recovery. If you use garwynn's v0.4.1 GB27 kernel it uses that same recovery as well, that's how I go about it. You'll catch on quick don't worry.
Search for Mobile Odin it will save you a lot of time.
bilgerryan said:
Your reading has paid off, looks like you got it down. FL24 is the newest ICS modem. EL29 directboot kernel is pretty easy to use, only problem is that it can't flash modems. But you can do that after you get AOSP booted up.
Nandroids are only good on the recovery that they are made on, but all the AOSP ROMs use the same recovery. If you use garwynn's v0.4.1 GB27 kernel it uses that same recovery as well, that's how I go about it. You'll catch on quick don't worry.
Search for Mobile Odin it will save you a lot of time.
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I got it working, and am running rootbox. Being back on aosp feels like home, I hate TW!!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
hlxanthus said:
I got it working, and am running rootbox. Being back on aosp feels like home, I hate TW!!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
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I like things about both, mostly just the music on TW. But yeah, I usually stick with AOSP. I've got 8 AOSP ROMs in the Android Development section when you get around to it. Welcome to the madhouse btw.

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