[Q] Rooting and Rom For A Beginner - Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Hey guys I am a serious beginner to the android world. I just upgraded to the Nexus from a Blackberry. I am looking to root and add a rom to get the best performance from my phone. I have looked at a lot of threads and websites but because of my newness to this world, some of the instructions are not clear to me. I have a Mac and just want some step by step instructions that I can understand so I won't do anything wrong. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

mrmajor247 said:
Hey guys I am a serious beginner to the android world. I just upgraded to the Nexus from a Blackberry. I am looking to root and add a rom to get the best performance from my phone. I have looked at a lot of threads and websites but because of my newness to this world, some of the instructions are not clear to me. I have a Mac and just want some step by step instructions that I can understand so I won't do anything wrong. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will offer my opinion and you can do with it what you will.
First off I have no information about how, specifically, you root with a Mac.
Secondly, my advice is think hard about why you want root. I started rooting back with my HTC EVO and it was pretty cool - until the problems started. When I say problems, I should probably say bugs. I tried several roms and most were pretty good but all had their shortcomings, random reboots, force closes, etc. I finally ended up with Cyanogenmod (arguably the best rom out there) but even then I had problems. No autofocus in in video, no HDMI out and something else I can't put my finger on now - but really annoyed me.
In short, rooting is kind of a give and take between fun stuff and more bugs - IF you are using custom roms which most everyone does. The factory roms are written by the guys who make the phones and the custom roms are written by guys who are reverse-engineering the hardware/software so expect some problems. (Cyanogenmod even had a list of things that didn't work on their webpage). The Nexus is stock AOSP so the roms may be better but there is still the issue of custom kernels, radios, etc. If you don't get it JUST RIGHT you can have compatibility and stability problems.
My Nexus is still stock and is waiting for the official 4.0.4 OTA (over the air) update. It runs much more stable than my EVO with Cyanogenmod (or any other rom). If you want the best performance and don't NEED any of the functionality of root I'd personally just keep it stock. I've thought about rooting again, but ultimately I don't really need it. My friend switched from iOS to Android and rooted but kept having reboot issues on a couple roms and ultimately restored to stock and was fine. Same story with another friend who is currently (read: STILL) using a gen1 Droid.
Don't get me wrong, rooting is great - if you will really use it. But I wouldn't root just for the hell of it unless you don't mind the hassles.
YMMV
Good luck!

chjade84 said:
I will offer my opinion and you can do with it what you will.
First off I have no information about how, specifically, you root with a Mac.
Secondly, my advice is think hard about why you want root. I started rooting back with my HTC EVO and it was pretty cool - until the problems started. When I say problems, I should probably say bugs. I tried several roms and most were pretty good but all had their shortcomings, random reboots, force closes, etc. I finally ended up with Cyanogenmod (arguably the best rom out there) but even then I had problems. No autofocus in in video, no HDMI out and something else I can't put my finger on now - but really annoyed me.
In short, rooting is kind of a give and take between fun stuff and more bugs - IF you are using custom roms which most everyone does. The factory roms are written by the guys who make the phones and the custom roms are written by guys who are reverse-engineering the hardware/software so expect some problems. (Cyanogenmod even had a list of things that didn't work on their webpage). The Nexus is stock AOSP so the roms may be better but there is still the issue of custom kernels, radios, etc. If you don't get it JUST RIGHT you can have compatibility and stability problems.
My Nexus is still stock and is waiting for the official 4.0.4 OTA (over the air) update. It runs much more stable than my EVO with Cyanogenmod (or any other rom). If you want the best performance and don't NEED any of the functionality of root I'd personally just keep it stock. I've thought about rooting again, but ultimately I don't really need it. My friend switched from iOS to Android and rooted but kept having reboot issues on a couple roms and ultimately restored to stock and was fine. Same story with another friend who is currently (read: STILL) using a gen1 Droid.
Don't get me wrong, rooting is great - if you will really use it. But I wouldn't root just for the hell of it unless you don't mind the hassles.
YMMV
Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is good info but... There are other reasons to root a device other than just running custom ROMS such as the ability to use Titanium Backup (for backing up your apps / device), AD Free (for getting rid of ad's in free apps) along with other great apps that you can only use when your device is rooted.
I am running a custom ROM and you are correct, I have / had some bugs with it so in this case for a NOOB the OP may be best to stay stock for the time being but there are other reasons to root.
OP - All I can say is READ, READ, READ and the READ SOMEMORE... Good luck and welcome to ANDROID!!!

As a fellow noob/semi noob I can highly recommend using youtube instead of text guides if available. There are a surprising amount of video guides that are alot easier to follow..
For me the posibility to do full and partial backups of my phone is the main reason i rooted.

yiannisthegreek said:
This is good info but... There are other reasons to root a device other than just running custom ROMS such as the ability to use Titanium Backup (for backing up your apps / device), AD Free (for getting rid of ad's in free apps) along with other great apps that you can only use when your device is rooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right. He mentioned rooting for performance so I assumed he meant he wanted to use a custom rom/kernel/radio. I rooted mostly for roms (HTC Sense, sigh) and tethering but titanium backup was awesome (although less useful if you don't switch roms every week lol). Adfree was alright but I don't notice much of a difference. Overclocking was fun, too - but except for benchmark scores I didn't notice much of a difference either.
If I root again it will be stock ASOP and only for tethering --- but only if I can find a 100% stock rom with just the carrier-tethering-tracker file removed.
Klippetop said:
As a fellow noob/semi noob I can highly recommend using youtube instead of text guides if available. There are a surprising amount of video guides that are alot easier to follow..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1!
Youtube videos are much nicer than written guides. Just watch and follow along step-by-step seeing how everything is supposed to go.

I actually made a how to video for the nexus s 4g on a Mac. And did it the same way on my galaxy nexus. Only thing u would have to do different is make sure u type in the right clockwormod recovery image but here's the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6m3ypr4J5Gc&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

You couldn't really pick an easier phone to root, I would do a lot of reading before having at it though. I was able to find a guide fairly quickly by doing a google search. I would link it but apparently I'm still a noob myself.

root causes random reboots?
LOL

I found this method to be the easiest, at least for me.
I was in the same situation a couple weeks ago, didn't know a thing about rooting but now I'm flashing custom roms and testing kernels
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1352413
good luck and have fun

Firstly, just use the device. Get used to Android before trying everything else. For all you know it might do exactly what you want it to without rooting.
If, after a week or 2 of using it, you want to explore rooting then read the rooting guides available online or in the Dev forum. Then give some ROMs a try! Better to find out for yourself which work for you than asking for a recommendation as what works for one user might be **** for another.
Also, learn how to use adb and fastboot as they'll come in handy in future (not enough people have any idea what to do). Try and do things manually as opposed to using one-click tools so you have the confidence to know what you're doing

Related

[Q] Rooting EVO - Newbie Questions

Hello, new here. Great forums and awesome knowledge base for our awesome phones.
Now... I'm wanting to go ahead and root my EVO and I was going to use Simple Root OTA to do it and most likely go with the CyanogenCM6 Rom as it appears to be stable, fast and have all the bells and whistles.
Now my main question is whether using the Simple Root download method is still viable. I've found a great vid and also they have tutorial on the site however I want to make sure that the method is still viable (since unrevoked3 is still being worked on at this time).
Secondly, is there an easy or good method to work on the actual performance of the phone via an app and/or the superuser permissions. Basically I'd like to ensure the phone is running great to maximize what it can do.
Anyway, thanks for the time and as I'm aware there are quite a few different threads on this normally, I apologize in advance for the redundancy.
1st off Welcome, this site has provided me alot of information and shall you.
2nd, there is a search button at the top that I do suggest you use and don't just skim the first 2 pages, really look though those puppies along with google,if you can't find it in here then try google and see where you would have to go.
Now as for your 1st question. Yes SimpleOTA is good and can be used to achieve the desired affect of which you speak.
SN: To switch ROM's the best manager is ROM Manager in the Market Place.
As for your second question: No one knows....That's the beauty of the EVO. There is something new that your phone can do everyday. By enabling and disabling things only to find how somethings work better, It depends on the user. So your 2nd question can be answered by my second statement.
kho3000 said:
Hello, new here. Great forums and awesome knowledge base for our awesome phones.
Now... I'm wanting to go ahead and root my EVO and I was going to use Simple Root OTA to do it and most likely go with the CyanogenCM6 Rom as it appears to be stable, fast and have all the bells and whistles.
Now my main question is whether using the Simple Root download method is still viable. I've found a great vid and also they have tutorial on the site however I want to make sure that the method is still viable (since unrevoked3 is still being worked on at this time).
Secondly, is there an easy or good method to work on the actual performance of the phone via an app and/or the superuser permissions. Basically I'd like to ensure the phone is running great to maximize what it can do.
Anyway, thanks for the time and as I'm aware there are quite a few different threads on this normally, I apologize in advance for the redundancy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would seriously look at Fresh's 3.2 rom, as CM6 still has a way to go. At stock speeds Fresh (using quadrant) is every bit as fast and for me, much much smoother than cm6. Fresh also uses Sense camera, which is much nicer than cm6 camera (touch to focus, better color reproduction). The biggest advantage for me (may not be for you depending on where you live) is that Fresh has 4g working, whereas cm6 does not.
Either way, this is a great community...enjoy your root!

[Q] Just un-rooted my EVO to apply 3.29 update... WHY ROOT NOW?

I feel bad but I just un-rooted my regaw_leinad rooted EVO using djR3Z method so I could apply the new update. I know there were other ways of doing it but it just seemed the more sensible way for a noob. I really wanted to root to get rid of that FPS cap anyways. I didn't do one single thing to my EVO while rooted besides download a screengrabber app that I didn't even use... I am still learning all about what is possible with root on Android, and until I find something totally mind blowing I think I'll keep stock.
Can anyone give me any reasons why I should have root besides custom roms??? I love the idea but not the headaches it gives me...
And, if custom roms are the big idea, what benefits will that give? Don't they run a little finicky anyways? Not all features are enabled, e.g. 4g?
Please list here.
********update12/26/10******
Just rooted again with unrEVOked 3.22 on Ubuntu 10.10.
***************************
generalExpert said:
I feel bad but I just un-rooted my regaw_leinad rooted EVO using djR3Z method so I could apply the new update. I know there were other ways of doing it but it just seemed the more sensible way for a noob. I really wanted to root to get rid of that FPS cap anyways. I didn't do one single thing to my EVO while rooted besides download a screengrabber app that I didn't even use... I am still learning all about what is possible with root on Android, and until I find something totally mind blowing I think I'll keep stock.
Can anyone give me any reasons why I should have root besides custom roms??? I love the idea but not the headaches it gives me...
And, if custom roms are the big idea, what benefits will that give? Don't they run a little finicky anyways? Not all features are enabled, e.g. 4g?
Please list here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Custom ROMs are usually faster and have more features and customizations than the stock ROM. There are also tons of root-required apps that let you do crazy things to your phone like get free wireless hotspot, backup all of your apps with data and Market links, and change the apparent density of your display.
I'm somewhat of a noob and just made the switch.
WiFi tether
Remove some sprint apps
Custom boot animations
Like the above said, custom roms show a performance increase
Love the Quick Boot app
There are a bunch of threads around with more root apps you will most likely like.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
General, the benefit is freedom. if you waited a litttle bit you would already be able to flash the exact same rom rooted which is readily available. http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=653
Good luck though.
Also, rooting takes like 2 seconds now that unrEVOked Forever is out.
A rooted phone nets you more options. There's no drawback to it. Why not?
generalExpert said:
I feel bad but I just un-rooted my regaw_leinad rooted EVO using djR3Z method so I could apply the new update. I know there were other ways of doing it but it just seemed the more sensible way for a noob. I really wanted to root to get rid of that FPS cap anyways. I didn't do one single thing to my EVO while rooted besides download a screengrabber app that I didn't even use... I am still learning all about what is possible with root on Android, and until I find something totally mind blowing I think I'll keep stock.
Can anyone give me any reasons why I should have root besides custom roms??? I love the idea but not the headaches it gives me...
And, if custom roms are the big idea, what benefits will that give? Don't they run a little finicky anyways? Not all features are enabled, e.g. 4g?
Please list here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not everyone roots their phone - just the people here So, if you feel no need to root your phone, then don't.
I'm not a power user or speed freak so uncapping the fps isn't a big issue for me. I originally rooted my phone so I could use wireless tether. I'm staying rooted because I can play around with my phone a little more - change the boot animation (and turn off the sound), remove the Sprint apps that I don't use but that turn off automatically, and back up my apps and data and monitor my battery usage.
The custom roms are a quick way for me to accomplish my needs. I don't really like the Sense UI (which surprised me because I always though it was great-looking), so the roms give alternative ways to set up my phone.
Help with OTA
Hey guys. Okay I saw there is a update on xda. I'm using unrevoked3. Do I need to delete Unrevoked or just download the zip file that was released. I'm talking about about the deodexed and rooted.Im still lost on how where to put the updated file at? Please if anyone is in my boat and have had good results please tell me,im a noob,beginner,novice.
There is got to be someone who can explain in plain english lol..
Thanks everyone
Yes, I do feel crappy about it... I wish I was still rooted. I know the rooted update was available, but just thought that the OG update would run a bit better..?.. I guess I wanted to unroot to learn how among other things too. Believe it or not, doing that taught me a lot about hboot and recovery. At least I know I can always root again.
And YES, I HATE SENSE!!! But, I was reading on Cyanogen that CM6 had problems with the 4g and had a few bugs. But that vanilla android look is what I want!
Also, when non-rooted, is there no recovery? I clicked back into it just to check and it gave me a red exclamation mark over a phone...
TheBiles said:
Custom ROMs are usually faster and have more features and customizations than the stock ROM. There are also tons of root-required apps that let you do crazy things to your phone like get free wireless hotspot, backup all of your apps with data and Market links, and change the apparent density of your display.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, thanks for the info... But along with all of the "Customness" and features aren't there also, bugs that go along with it? Like random reboots, and battery issues, and some other stuff?
Yes I love hacking stuff and know that this is all part of the fun, but I think I just need to research a little more. If you can't tell already I'm kind of paranoid about screwing things up. I rooted and really wanted to flash CM6 but didn't have the balls to. Maybe in a month or so i'll redo it.
generalExpert said:
Hey, thanks for the info... But along with all of the "Customness" and features aren't there also, bugs that go along with it? Like random reboots, and battery issues, and some other stuff?
Yes I love hacking stuff and know that this is all part of the fun, but I think I just need to research a little more. If you can't tell already I'm kind of paranoid about screwing things up. I rooted and really wanted to flash CM6 but didn't have the balls to. Maybe in a month or so i'll redo it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most of the custom ROMs are very stable and have better battery life than the stock ROM. As long as you make a nandroid backup there is ZERO risk to flashing a new ROM (assuming you don't like pull the battery out while flashing or something), so you can try one out for a few hours, and if you don't like it you can instantly go back to what you had before. Simple as pie. Give the major ones a whirl and see what you like. I know that there are some HTC ROMs themed to look like CM6 that have working 4G.
I also avoid cm6 because of the lack of 4g. Instead I use Vaelpak because it has minimal sense but enough so I can have my 4g. I'm thinking of trying Virus' mostly senseless rom.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
generalExpert said:
But that vanilla android look is what I want!
Also, when non-rooted, is there no recovery? I clicked back into it just to check and it gave me a red exclamation mark over a phone...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you mention the vanilla android look, what exactly are you referring to?
Is it the Vanilla theme and icons? -De-Odex roms would allow for custom themes that give the vanilla android look i.e. MrPuffin's Vanilla AOSP and Vanilla theme for Sense UI
Is it the android launcher? -Launcher Pro and ADW launcher are quite nice replacements to the Sense launcher
I'd think that if you didn't like the HTC Sense look, you would have kept root and just themed your phone to look Vanilla. Then again, it all comes down to what you believe provides the best user experience.
And regarding recovery, I believe Clockwork and Amon Ra require root.
mizzos4 said:
When you mention the vanilla android look, what exactly are you referring to?
Is it the Vanilla theme and icons? -De-Odex roms would allow for custom themes that give the vanilla android look i.e. MrPuffin's Vanilla AOSP and Vanilla theme for Sense UI
Is it the android launcher? -Launcher Pro and ADW launcher are quite nice replacements to the Sense launcher
I'd think that if you didn't like the HTC Sense look, you would have kept root and just themed your phone to look Vanilla. Then again, it all comes down to what you believe provides the best user experience.
And regarding recovery, I believe Clockwork and Amon Ra require root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, by Vanilla Android i'm talkin Nexus One. Those themes look pretty good though. I'm already jonsen for root again and it's only been a half day.
Launcher Pro? Doesn't that just overlay Sense and therefore cause a bit of a slow down, use more memory, and possibly more battery. (probably not noticeable though..)
Yes, Clockwork and Amon_Ra require root. I was just wondering if there was a recovery in NON-ROOTED. When I'm in a non-rooted EVO at hboot, and select Recovery I get that red Exclamation mark over the phone and have to pull the battery.
Thanks for all your help!
Whoa thr new kernel allows up to 53 fps but std is 8+... on netarchys' kernel it was about 54 - 56 with a std of 4... at least that is how it behaves on mine.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
halorin said:
A rooted phone nets you more options. There's no drawback to it. Why not?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there may be security drawbacks to those that are not cautious with the apps they install.
generalExpert said:
I feel bad but I just un-rooted my <EvO>.
I really wanted to root to get rid of that FPS cap anyways.
I didn't do one single thing to my EVO while rooted besides download a screengrabber app that I didn't even use
Can anyone give me any reasons why I should have root besides custom roms??? I love the idea but not the headaches it gives me...
And, if custom roms are the big idea, what benefits will that give? Don't they run a little finicky anyways? Not all features are enabled, e.g. 4g?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- why feel bad?
- if the next statement is true, then the FPS cap must not have been an issue; else you would have done a google search on the issue and corrected it.
- if this statement is true, why feel bad?
- i dont find the need for so many custom ROMs (not like back when i was running on WinMo6). once you have 'root', adding/removing apps is straightforward and most of the ROMs are just a "here is my theme and apps, it's built on someone else who did the low level tweaking". custom ROM just makes it easier to get closer to what YOU want for an applist and themelayout. i like cm6 and dont' like theme's so life is easy for me.
- CM6 is AOSP. this means they will not use propriarty code (like Sense). for the EVO it also means the 4G radio software has to be written from scratch since there is no opensource 4G stuff to use yet. if you pick a Sense based rom (ie: anythign that doesn't refer to itself as CM6 or AOSP based).
Note: AOSP Like means that it is a Sense based ROM but it's been made to look/act similar to the CM6 or AOSP ROMs. 4G and Radio and such should work normally.
enjoy the free time associated with being Root-less.
Well, I'm re-rooted. Used the unrEVOked method. It was just so easy, there was no reason not to. Really want to get on cyanogen but waiting for the 4g.
sent from my bad-ass EVO!

Why Root

I have one question....
Why root a phone? I had my phone rooted and honestly it was a complete waste of time. NONE of the Roms I downloaded ever worked properly, the apps never worked, and it was nothing but trouble for me. My phone always "force close" my apps too. No offense to the developers I just didn't see a benefit.
Am I wrong?
With root you can
1. Run custom ROMs to make your phone your own
2. Remove bloat
3. Tether for free .99
4. Install custom kernels & voltages to increase your batter life or speed up your phone
That's just a few I can think of off the top. Don't think that magic will happen just because you root your phone...your phone can be rooted and still behave exactly how it did prior to root.
Root makes it possible to customize your phone to your liking. You can change the look and feel of just about everything. Root is also great for making battery life better or making your phone snappier by installing custom kernels and root only aps. I agree with you that a lot of roms are buggy and can be a pain, but some people like the trouble shooting aspect of figuring something out and making it work. I my self usually stick to the stock or mostly stock roms, and then remove, change, add features that i want. Without root your stuck with what htc and verizon gives you. Its all about freedom and choice and the ability to make your phone look how you want, and do the things you want it to do.
I am relatively new to rooting (this past summer), but what it gave me was a vastly superior phone to what I used to use. I have flashed about 5 ROMS - two Cyanogen Mod and three Sense based ROMS - out of the 5, I only had big problems with one. The other 4 made my phone faster, smoother, and gave me access to some apps (Titanium Backup, Font Changer) that have allowed me to customize my phone to my liking. It's made me change when I was hoping to get a new phone (now I don't care that much - yet) and I literally feel like I've had new phones every time I flash another ROM.
Doing it successfully also required that I read A LOT about phones, hardware, software, etc. - geeky stuff - that I didn't know. (I'm still learning a lot.)
So, maybe you're just not that into your phone and the geeky stuff?
epescina said:
I had my phone rooted and honestly it was a complete waste of time. NONE of the Roms I downloaded ever worked properly, the apps never worked, and it was nothing but trouble for me. My phone always "force close" my apps too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It sounds like your phone is afflicted with the common PEBKAC bug.
Given that, I think you are making the right decision by not rooting in the future.
For those genuinely wondering about the benefits of root, you can check the various stickies throughout this forum or the hundreds of articles that have been written about it. Alternatively, you could do a market search for "root only" to see all the unique apps. Or you could read about what custom roms offer. Or custom kernels. Or a host of other things.
If you don't know why you want to root, you probably shouldn't be rooting.
byrong said:
It sounds like your phone is afflicted with the common PEBKAC bug.
Given that, I think you are making the right decision by not rooting in the future.
For those genuinely wondering about the benefits of root, you can check the various stickies throughout this forum or the hundreds of articles that have been written about it. Alternatively, you could do a market search for "root only" to see all the unique apps. Or you could read about what custom roms offer. Or custom kernels. Or a host of other things.
If you don't know why you want to root, you probably shouldn't be rooting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
PEBKAC bug? I'm assuming thats stands for something smart lol.
Edit: Haha nevermind i figured it out.
ummm, cuz its awesome...i feel like i escaped from alcatraz
Thanks for all of the great post guys! They were all very informative!
I guess it's true, I must educate myself more about rooting. I always assumed my phone would work better, allow me to use custom roms (that actually worked), and apps that were root only.
I jailbroke my ipod and other devices and they were easy to do and use and not to mention stable. I guess I was expecting the same outcome here.
Why wouldn't you root your phone? All it does is give you full access to your own device. If you don't follow directions and/or load a buggy rom it has nothing to do with rooting.
If you're having that kind of trouble with ROMs, you're doing something wrong (unless you're using AOSP, then you're ALWAYS going to have issues.) I simply won't use a ROM that isn't stable. I probably won't stick with one long even if it is stable and patched together like some Frankenstein chocked full of scripts and patches to make it work. Reliability is the top priority for me. There used to be devs on this device that valued that more than they seem to now, with a few exceptions. Most of them, from using them, are buggy, unstable projects that probably shouldn't have ever been released as anything but experimental betas. Some of them, like WildStang's, are VERY reliable. Just gotta do your research. This is a totally different world than Apple, and a LOT more powerful.
loonatik78 said:
If you're having that kind of trouble with ROMs, you're doing something wrong (unless you're using AOSP, then you're ALWAYS going to have issues.) I simply won't use a ROM that isn't stable. I probably won't stick with one long even if it is stable and patched together like some Frankenstein chocked full of scripts and patches to make it work. Reliability is the top priority for me. There used to be devs on this device that valued that more than they seem to now, with a few exceptions. Most of them, from using them, are buggy, unstable projects that probably shouldn't have ever been released as anything but experimental betas. Some of them, like WildStang's, are VERY reliable. Just gotta do your research. This is a totally different world than Apple, and a LOT more powerful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have to say that I have had zero issues with cm7 and most aosp ROMs out for this phone. sounds like you're doing something wrong.
cm7 gives you so many opportunities for customization and runs so flawlessly I will not be running sense again. Galaxy nexus here I come barring some glaring issue with it, i'm done with HTC for awhile.
Sounds to me like the OP hasn't properly wiped all data before flashing his roms.
br125 said:
I have to say that I have had zero issues with cm7 and most aosp ROMs out for this phone. sounds like you're doing something wrong.
cm7 gives you so many opportunities for customization and runs so flawlessly I will not be running sense again. Galaxy nexus here I come barring some glaring issue with it, i'm done with HTC for awhile.
Sounds to me like the OP hasn't properly wiped all data before flashing his roms.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've flashed at about a dozen different versions of CM on that phone. Of those 3 or so didn't even boot. Of the ones that did, they had some kind of issue that couldn't be remedied like quirky screen brightness, reboots and FC's right off the bat. Of the couple of versions that made it past the first day, only one lasted more than a couple weeks before getting REALLY weird. A friend with an identical phone had a very similar experience. What's more, CM hasn't proven to be any more reliable on the EVOs I've flashed it on. In fact, about half the versions don't even boot. I've been doing this long enough to know I'm not doing it wrong. CM just sucks if reliability is a required trait.
loonatik78 said:
I've flashed at about a dozen different versions of CM on that phone. Of those 3 or so didn't even boot. Of the ones that did, they had some kind of issue that couldn't be remedied like quirky screen brightness, reboots and FC's right off the bat. Of the couple of versions that made it past the first day, only one lasted more than a couple weeks before getting REALLY weird. A friend with an identical phone had a very similar experience. What's more, CM hasn't proven to be any more reliable on the EVOs I've flashed it on. In fact, about half the versions don't even boot. I've been doing this long enough to know I'm not doing it wrong. CM just sucks if reliability is a required trait.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that is the furthest from the truth of anything I've ever read. Go to the cm thread and write that. I've been on cm for a looong time without any FC's, reboots, or anything quirky. Stop spewing false opinions as fact, you're not helping anything.
Also, how could such an unreliable, buggy ROM be the most popular over a plethora of devices? Think about it.
Sounds like that nasty PEBKAC bug. I'm on CM 7.1 and it's been heaven. Almost everything works BETTER than stock.
For example, my car (Cruze 2011) can't utilize my phones contacts over Bluetooth on my stock sense rom. If I allow the car access to my phonebook, my Bluetooth will drop in and out and not work properly. So I have to tap "don't allow" and even though I checkmark the "remember my decision" box, it comes up every time I get in my car unless I grant it access. Annoying? Lets just say I'm thankful for the cyanogen team. Works absolutely flawless.
I adore the new lockscreen in 7.1. It's like a reverse sense 3.0 style where instead of dragging the apps to the ring, you drag the ring to the app. I still overall prefer the sense 3.0 lockscreen, but to get that I have to sacrifice a lot of stability. There are lists upon lists of features that make CM7 the rom to be on.
The one thing I will concede about CM7 is the auto brightness is a bit wonky. There are auto brightness tweaks you can mess with but something like that should work out of the box, so to speak. Another could-be annoyance is the heavy emphasis on customization, since CM comes pretty bare. CM9, however, will be feature rich per ICS.
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
screenshot
For one thing, you can't even take a screen shot without rooting. If you want a stable phone that is mostly stock, you can root, install ShootMe, and call it a day. Of course, it looks like they're finally fixing that fatal flaw with ICS (which this phone will never see from HTC).
loonatik78 said:
If you're having that kind of trouble with ROMs, you're doing something wrong (unless you're using AOSP, then you're ALWAYS going to have issues.) I simply won't use a ROM that isn't stable. I probably won't stick with one long even if it is stable and patched together like some Frankenstein chocked full of scripts and patches to make it work. Reliability is the top priority for me. There used to be devs on this device that valued that more than they seem to now, with a few exceptions. Most of them, from using them, are buggy, unstable projects that probably shouldn't have ever been released as anything but experimental betas. Some of them, like WildStang's, are VERY reliable. Just gotta do your research. This is a totally different world than Apple, and a LOT more powerful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, you seem to be the first to admit that most ROMS are unstable and buggy which is what really turned me away from most roms! I researched over and over and couldn't find stable roms, they all claim they are stable but that was never the case.
br125 said:
I have to say that I have had zero issues with cm7 and most aosp ROMs out for this phone. sounds like you're doing something wrong.
cm7 gives you so many opportunities for customization and runs so flawlessly I will not be running sense again. Galaxy nexus here I come barring some glaring issue with it, i'm done with HTC for awhile.
Sounds to me like the OP hasn't properly wiped all data before flashing his roms.
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So what is the proper way to wipe all data before flashing? I thought all you had to do was select the two flash boxes and run it!
epescina said:
So what is the proper way to wipe all data before flashing? I thought all you had to do was select the two flash boxes and run it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's your problem, you're using ROM Manager to flash/install ROMs. You need to boot your phone into ClockworkMod Recovery and install it from there. Once in CWM Recovery, do:
1. Go into Recovery
2. Clear data: Wipe user data/factory reset
Mounts and Storage - format /system, format /boot, format /data, format /cache
Advanced - Wipe Dalvik, Wipe Battery Stats
3. Select Install zip file from SD Card, browse to the ROM zip file, select it with touch pad to install
epescina said:
So what is the proper way to wipe all data before flashing? I thought all you had to do was select the two flash boxes and run it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't use Rom manager. Boot into recovery and factory reset/wipe all user data, then flash the Rom. It also doesn't hurt to wipe dalvik cache and format the system if you are still having issues.
If you post in the thread of the Rom you're trying to flash, the users may have some more 'rom specific' instructions.
Sorry for getting off topic before, but I can't stand someone spreading false information about a very good Rom that may cause someone like you to not try it, when in all reality you may enjoy it, as very many droid incredible users do.
Edit: Try what he said above me too. That is almost an overkill amount of wiping, but it can almost guarantee that you won't have issues with the flash.
br125 said:
Don't use Rom manager. Boot into recovery and factory reset/wipe all user data, then flash the Rom. It also doesn't hurt to wipe dalvik cache and format the system if you are still having issues.
If you post in the thread of the Rom you're trying to flash, the users may have some more 'rom specific' instructions.
Sorry for getting off topic before, but I can't stand someone spreading false information about a very good Rom that may cause someone like you to not try it, when in all reality you may enjoy it, as very many droid incredible users do.
Edit: Try what he said above me too. That is almost an overkill amount of wiping, but it can almost guarantee that you won't have issues with the flash.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is true, probably overkill, but doesn't take long at all to do, and haven't had any issues yet installing any ROM. Battery Stats is an optional wipe.

[Q] Hi! T-mobile GS III Question

i am a super omega ultimate noob lv. -99. i am wondering how to check on the latest status of the GSIII stable roms. i would like to know if/when CM will get the roms first or if xda gets them first. i like stable roms because i am a noob. my noobness knows no bounds. please help. i do dontate. thank you.
Right now, CM10 nightly 25 is working great
26 has exhibited a few irritating bugs but I haven't had any problems with nightly 25
Give it a run, it's phenomenal IMO
o-k said:
i am a super omega ultimate noob lv. -99. i am wondering how to check on the latest status of the GSIII stable roms. i would like to know if/when CM will get the roms first or if xda gets them first. i like stable roms because i am a noob. my noobness knows no bounds. please help. i do dontate. thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Xda is just an outlet where people choose to post roms.
To check on the latest status of roms, you need to open the threads and read the OP. You also need to spend at least ten minutes reading each thread, That will tell you how stable each rom is and what kind of results people are having.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
Is there a place for specific roms that we can see a list of all known bugs? I've been trying to check on, for example, CM10, paranoid android, and AOKP in particular and havent been able to find any bug trackers at all. Without knowing what bugs there are and what will/wont affect me, I'm too hesitant to try any of the roms and have been suffering through t-mobile's dual "update ready" and "update needed" constant un-clearable notifications. I cant even apply the stock updates because I debloated and applying the update fails because I dont have the apps that the update is attempting to update. Updating would involve doing a full factory reset back to stock and THEN updating, which means i'm probably better off simply waiting for samsung's official JB update to roll out in the first place
shrimants said:
Is there a place for specific roms that we can see a list of all known bugs? I've been trying to check on, for example, CM10, paranoid android, and AOKP in particular and havent been able to find any bug trackers at all. Without knowing what bugs there are and what will/wont affect me, I'm too hesitant to try any of the roms and have been suffering through t-mobile's dual "update ready" and "update needed" constant un-clearable notifications. I cant even apply the stock updates because I debloated and applying the update fails because I dont have the apps that the update is attempting to update. Updating would involve doing a full factory reset back to stock and THEN updating, which means i'm probably better off simply waiting for samsung's official JB update to roll out in the first place
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually that would be a great idea. It would help out the entire community.
Right now the way things exist, you pretty much have to read through an entire rom thread to determine the benefits/bugs of any given rom.
You could, for example, start a list for any particular rom.. read the entire thread, then make your own thread detailing current known bugs and post it in the same forum. Then the OP of the rom thread could post your link in the first post making it easy for everyone to find.
That would serve two purposes - you would learn the information you're seeking and also become an instantly appreciated contributor to the site.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
I'm surprised the rom developers dont already have a system in place, though. The scope of the projects are presumably gargantuan collaborative works. i kind of assumed that they must have some sort of a bug tracking thing that they use between them. That bug tracking thing is what i've been venturing to find. There are a ton of user-specific bugs that I have no problem digging through the forums and figuring out myself, but what i'd love to see with roms is a list of "this is what we know isnt working yet. dont talk to us about this. we are working on it." or at the very least, "when you flash this rom, if you would like to help, run this command and upload the output HERE so we can fix some bugs we know about".
I'm coming from a linux world and it is very disconcerting to me to flash a rom, encounter a bug/error, and not be able to look at any sort of an error message or do anything to fix the problem except reboot/wipe/reflash and hope for the best. thats a very windows-y mentality to the whole thing, and i feel like if we're running linux on the phones we should be able to get a bit more involved in fixing our own problems a bit better too.
I guess what i'm trying to say is, i'd like to help and i have no clue where to even begin. with archlinux theres a beginners guide but with these roms its more of a "watch this youtube video and follow this tutorial but god help you if anyone thinks you are complaining about what people are doing for you for FREE".
EDIT: I found CM10's issue tracker, but there isnt anything specific for the GS3 there. The flicker and picasa sync issues arent even mentioned. Obviously Paranoid Android and Kang will have the same bugs as CM10, but im assuming that they'll have their own bugs introduced after they add in their own features and such.
ok.
ingenious247 said:
Right now, CM10 nightly 25 is working great
26 has exhibited a few irritating bugs but I haven't had any problems with nightly 25
Give it a run, it's phenomenal IMO
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks! will it be on the CM website or here?
o-k said:
thanks! will it be on the CM website or here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Two things - one, if you're going to do a lot of flashing, and especially with CM10, you will want to install ROM Manager from the Google Play Store. It will make managing your updates/downloads easier
Two, there is a dedicated thread to CM10 in the "T-Mobile Galaxy S III Original Android Development" forum here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1778217
Read a lot first - before you do anything.. unless you are a very experienced user.
If you have specific questions I will be happy to help
i have a question
ingenious247 said:
Two things - one, if you're going to do a lot of flashing, and especially with CM10, you will want to install ROM Manager from the Google Play Store. It will make managing your updates/downloads easier
Two, there is a dedicated thread to CM10 in the "T-Mobile Galaxy S III Original Android Development" forum here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1778217
Read a lot first - before you do anything.. unless you are a very experienced user.
If you have specific questions I will be happy to help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i've downloaded the CWM pro and the TB pro. i was wondering what exact ROMS i can use. There is also the difficulty of understanding which rom is exactly which. Is there a way to view the Change log? i'm a super noob. i'm really sorry.
Changelogs won't do you much good.
I recommend flashing everything through CWM (make sure you have 6.0.1.2 Touch - in my signature if not). I wouldn't use ROM Manager at all. Having automated tools is great, but learning how to do it yourself is even better. Plus, if you break something, knowning what you are doing makes it easier to fix. Automated tools hurt more than they help.
As for roms, your options pretty much are as follows:
CyanogenMod: AOSP, the closest thing we have to the stock Google firmware.
AOKP: Pretty much CyanogenMod with some extra options. Nothing extraordinary about those extra options, just some nice things like center clock, swagger toggles, and unicorns.
MIUI: iPhone look for Android.
ParanoidAndroid: Scalable - for tablets (imo).
Then you have the neverending amount of customized stock (TouchWiz) roms.
They are all under constant development. If you want "stable", stay on your stock firmware. All of the roms listed above are stable enough to use as a daily driver. They all have threads in the two Dev forums. But if you don't know what to pick, use CyanogenMod.
I still think ROM Manager is a great tool, it's how I started years ago and I still managed to learn what I needed to over time flashing manually
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium

[Q] Custom ROM questions?

I've had my LG G2 for a few months now, and lately have noticed it going slowly at times. I actually just bought a second one so that I could mess around with Custom ROM's (something I've never done before) and see if any of them might make sense to use. Otherwise, I'm thinking of at least rooting the phone so I have more control over it. A few questions though:
1) Is there any good Custom ROM that someone can recommend for me? I don't need tons of bells and whistles (although a few would be nice , but my main priorities are battery life, performance, and stabililty.
2) Are the custom ROM's based on AOSP? If so, do I lose out on all of the Google Play services and features on them? It seems like from what I've read, Google is taking a lot of functionality away from AOSP. However, maybe the developers of these custom ROM's hacked Google Play and its functionality back on? I wasn't sure, so I figured I'd ask.
3) If I just end up rooting, I'm assuming I can do plenty with that.
a) If I root, will it wipe my current set-up, or can I root and not lose anything?
b) What is the best method of rooting right now? My phone is up-to-date as far as software updates, etc.
c) Can someone point me in the right direction to get wifi tethering/hotspot working after root?
Thanks so much!

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