Custom Rom help - Defy General

Hey All
I'm in need of some help. For some reason this whole SBF thing is completely confused me
My Defy
System Version: Moto_Version.34.30.3601.MB525.Vodacome.en.GB
Firmware Version: 2.2.2
Baseband Version: EPU93_U_00.59.02
Build number: JEM_3.4.3-36-1
(Unsure if these will help)
Anyway, I'm wanting to put CM7 or another custom rom onto my phone, but they all seem to be version 2.3 or so, but I want to be able to drop down to my original rom in case I need to return the phone for something
I did the official update to 2.2.2 from 2.1, which was lucky as with my 2.1 stock rom Clockworkmod couldn't read my memory card, seemed to be a common glitch with the SBF version it had, but it seems fine now
I read somewhere to use a Nordic nandroid backup for some reason, cant remember, just found it in my download folder from attempting to get clockworkmod to work on 2.1, restored the image onto my phone, which worked fine, but that seemed to be a no risk flash
So now I'm confused on how to proceed to putting on a custom rom, I fear that I'm going to **** up something, or going to run into issues if I try change to different custom roms
I'm possibly just over thinking what is meant to be done, and it is way simpler than it seems at the moment
anyone have some advice?

Using nordic as a base is old, custom runs like cm7 work on any base.
As long as you don't flash full sbf of gingerbread builds via rsdlite you can always go back to your original 2.2 by flashing full sbf through rsdlite.
Okay coming to installation of custom roms, first thing is to root it. You can use super one click for that. Then install defy 2ndinit after that boot menu and recovery.then you are all set to install custom roms.
For cm7, down load the zip and install through cwm.
Restart phone and as soon you see blue led press volume down, this would put you into boot menu.then select custom/stable recovery. Select wipe user data/factory reset.then go to advanced and select wipe dalvik cache. Come back and select install from zip and give cm7 zip, after finished reboot. It will now boot with cm7, first boot will take few minutes 2-3. It is generally cm7 first boot is in loop, if you are stuck just remove battery and put back and restart.
You can go through cm7 installation thread for better clarity.
Enjoy flashing!
Sent from my MB526 using XDA App

Thanks for the reply
So basicly I just flash the rom straight in clock work mod, no need for fixed SBF's or anything?
Do I need to back up/make full SBF of my stock SBF or something?
Is CM7 7.1 based on Froyo, and you'd just flash it straight from the memory card in Clockwork mod?
Or have I missed the point and meant to flash a fixed SBF to allow for gingerbread or any roms and then reflash 2.2 back on when I want to retore stock again?

Well I went ahead and installed Motogamer, which I downloaded last night and its working fine, but it seems to be based on the froyo kernal
I'm still a little confused as CM7.1 looks like its gingerbread, unsure of the downgradeability to my froyo stock rom, but this rom had no issue when I used my nandroid backup to restore to my stock rom
Thanks for the help

CM7.1 stable is android 2.3.7 with froyo kernel. And there is CM7.2 nightlies with both froyo and gingerbread kernels. I use the defy+ CM7.2 with gingerbread kernel from Quarx (this gives me better battery life) http://quarx2k.ru/, since i have redlens defy.
You dont have worry about the downgradability as long as you dont flash full sbf of gingerbread using rsdlite. All the dev custom roms have no problem in downgrading back to your original stock froyo. Look at if there is any WARNING IN RED regarding downgradability when you download any rom.
There are good number of ROMs to try, whenever you change ROM remember to do full wipe (factory reset and wipe dalvik cache), back up your apps and other information before you do this. If you are upgrading to night revision of same ROM, for example next nightly of CM7.2 we dont have do to full wipe, just cache and dalvik cache wipe would be fine.
If you like Stock ROM, try MS2ginger3.0 which gives awesome battery life and with full blur functionality if you like.

Awesome, thanks
I'm really keen to try more custom roms out, really happy so far with this new one at the moment, but will probably try CM7 soon
Thanks for the advice, not sure I'll go back to stock rom for a long time, just feared that I'd **** something up and not be able to return to stock if needed to
Really keen to start seeing what android really has to offer now

Related

just rooted need help/advice

So i just did the 3 step root and im at the clockwork mod recovery screen
There is different stuff to choose and i have no clue what to select?
Can someone please direct me to what to do next this is my first android phone and i have no idea how to load a rom or what i should be doing next
thanks in advance
Well are you hoping to flash a custom ROM? If so, you'll need to download the ROM and copy it to the root of your SD card. Then when you boot to recovery, choose the options to wipe data, wipe cache, and then install a zip from SD. If you want to back up your phone, choose the Nandroid option.
You got pretty far without knowing how to complete your journey.
so if i click nandroid that will back up what my phone is set at now?
what is a good custom rom to use ?
I would like to have wifi tether but do not have 4g and probly wouldnt use it very often, i read something that there was a stock rooted rom? I also do not want to lose my camera?
Start here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/index.php?title=HTC_Evo_ROMs
Then just read up on the dev pages/threads for the popular ROMs. I use Fresh 1.0.1 with the netarchy 3.7.3c Fresh-compatible kernel (haven't switched to the new one that just came out today). Camera works great, wifi tether app is built-in. If you want that, download both (just search here), put them on your SD card, reboot to recovery, and flash the ROM, then the kernel. You don't have to flash a new kernel or even radio if you don't want to, but everything is installed the same. Usually reading a couple of pages for each ROM will tell you if there are an problems. Other options are the stock rooted ROM, DamageControl, Baked snack, or there are a couple of new ones for Froyo as well, but they have some features left out (like 4G, wifi, MMS . . . depends on the ROM).
Nandroid (or, inside Android, ROM Manager) will make a system image for you, saving everything exactly as it is. To restore, boot to recovery and choose the correct options for that. Should be pretty self-explanatory.
Always wipe data and cache before flashing, and it's a good idea to search Google for Cyanogen's recommendations for recalibrating your battery (it's on his wiki). Just don't flash a stock, non-rooted ROM or any OTA updates that Sprint tries to push on you. Always get something that the devs here say is safe for rooted phones.
Hope that clears some things up for you.

Problems after Evervolv ?

Anyone out there have problems flashing back to Froyo ROM after using Evervolv gingerbread?
I can flash back to a Nandroid of Evervolv, but cant:
1. Fresh install Froyo Rom
2. Re-install Nandroid
This is of course all after wipe of everything.
Using Ra for wipe of dalvik, cache, battery, sd ext , factory reset.
ANY ADVICE.
when I try and flash any froyo rom or nandroid of a froyo rom I just get the white HTC evo 4g screen which stays (ive left it for an hour) until reset and flash back to evervolv.
So.......im stuck using ONLY evervolv and im kinda over the rom not working well yet. Its improving, but still too much not working consistently and reliably.
Does RA recovery need to be updated.......would that potentially fix the problem ??? or did something else cause the gingerbread only problem.
Sounds like you updated your radio and pri and are trying to flash to a rom still running the older HTC #17 kernel.
Download and flash one of the new roms based on the new ota 3.70 with the htc#15 kernel.
If it boots up there's the issue
sent from my evo.

Installing Roms

Hi i just wanted to know the easiest way to install a new rom on my defy. I have cm7 currently installed. Let me get this straight everytime you want to install a new rom you have to use rsd lite you cant just install zip from sd card through recovery? seems like a long process not really worth going through just to test a few roms? is this right or is there an easier way? thanks
If the base OS required is the same (meaning the new ROM works on the same kernel) then you can simply switch ROM's via Custom Recovery (CWM), but you have to wipe data and cache to avoid bootloops or other unexpected errors. If anything goes wrong and you mess up the bootmenu or the CWM module then you must flash the SBF again. I've successfully switched between CM7 and MIUI without flashing again the Froyo CEE.
Thanks that clears up a little bit, but how do i know if a rom uses the same kernel?
Sent from my motorola defy using Tapatalk
You welcome! Generally the ROM dev's mentions which base ROM should be used, if not you always can ask or read others comments, if any.
Ok cool thanks im with it now. Do u know which rom cm7 rc 1 is based on?
Sent from my MB525 using Tapatalk
If I'm not wrong the latest nightly builds are based on Froyo CEE or SEA. If you install RC1v2 or one nightly with BOOTXXX on it then it will upgrade also your kernel so you don't have to worry. See more details on CM7 topic.

Firmware Issues

Howdy!
I am in the UK on Vodafone, and was running CM7. This was installed over the UK Froyo update supplied via the Motorola Update tool.
All was well, until my phone randomly went off. When I turned it on there was nothing but fleeting glimpses of the CM7 loading screen (as if the screen was flickering on and off).
The only way that I could get the phone working again was to follow this procedure found in Zephyrot's Defy Beginner's Guide:
Installed full Gingerbread SBF and can’t go back to another rom: aha! We have a issue here!, latest Stock Gingerbread full SBFs comes with a Version 5 of the CG, meaning until not long ago you were pretty much screwed. But wait, there is hope! A one kind Éclair has been found in China Defys that comes with Version 5 CG!.
How to fix it:
Download this SBF and Flash it
Root your Phone
Download 2nd Init and Install ClockworkMod Recovery
Download and install this Nandroid Backup
Enter Recovery, Wipe Data/Cache
After wiping, turn off your phone
Turn it on and get immediately into Bootloader mode
Flash this Fixed SBF
Delete Data/Cache again and reboot.
You WONT be able to install full SBFs of any Éclair or Froyo since these Androids have lower CG Versions.
This leaves me with a working version of Froyo. I did not install a full Gingerbread.sbf previously, and the backup that I made before installing CM7 leaves me without anything happening also.
What I would like to know is how to get back on to CM7 if possible? If I try and flash any .sbf the phone goes dead and I have to start again with the process above. If I install 2nd Init/clockworkmod on the Froyo that I can get to work as a result of the above process the phone goes into a boot loop and I can't get into stock recovery or anything, so end up having to go back through the process again. Does anyone have any ideas, or am I stuck forever now?
Edit - just finished restoring it for the 50th time and wanted to add that the version that I can get to work is
Moto_Version34.179.2.MB525.Retail.en.CEE
Firmware Version: 2.2.2
Build Number JOREM_U3_3.4.2_179-2
You need to go into stock recovery (power + down I think) next press both volume keys. Wipe cache and data. Next reboot into motorola flash tools and install a fixed sbf of a froyo ROM. Next install CM7 if you want. You can find/make the fixed sbf in the beginners guide.
If you install CM first wipe everything in custom recovery.
Sent from my MB525
I've done that and no luck, sometimes the phone has booted up and frozen on the red M, other times it has been totally unresponsive. The only Froyo ROM that I can get to respond is the fixed one linked in the guide, which won't let me install custom recovery. I'll try again with some different fixed ROMS tonight. Thanks
when does this happen? When you install froyo or CM7
Sent from my MB525
It seems like you can't downgrade that easy. The fixed sbf removes the system files. You need to install a nand backup first. But you can't install cwm to install a nand without root access. Check the page of the ginger you installed. I think it can by now. Also check CM7 page as a member seemed to can use stock recovery.
Sentrestore from my MB525
I'll do some more searching when I get to my laptop with everything on. Essentially the only version of Froyo that I can install won't let me run CWM (it installs with no problems, I can root the phone without any issues). It just gets stuck in a boot loop as soon as I try to restart the phone. I can't get into stock or custom recovery at this point to wipe data/cache.
I tried with a nand backup and fixed sbf, but will try some different combinations. I still have my initial nand backup from before I started flashing anything. I'll do some more rooting around later on. I suppose I have a working phone for now, just not how I would like it!
Thanks

still new to this

Okay I do apologize in advance about the noob-ness of this thread.
Alright i have my defy, it's rooted. That was easy. Now i'm on to more complicated things, Cyanogen Mod. I have read Quarx and Zephyrot's thread on the matter. However, to me it seems fairly easy you just need to know what to download. That's the thing i'm not quite sure on that part. If there was some way i could have somebody tell me what I need for that would be very much appriciated. If there is anything you need to know about the phone just ask.
I haven't done anything to the phone except update to 2.2.1 and root it.
Again I do apologize for the noob-ness and any information is greatly apprciated.
okay
Okay I was able to get cm7 up and running giving me 2.3.4 however i didnt include the gapps file so i couldn't get the market. looking over quarx's thread i thought i could just do it again just with the added gapps pack on the sd card. however i just realized that i didnt have cwm or 2nd init installed on my phone since the flash. i had already done the wipes for the flash when i finally realized it. i think im now stuck on a boot loop. if someone could help me get back to the stock froyo that would be so much help.
Installing Quarx's cm7 does NOT remove 2nd init, in fact it is included in the zip you flashed. Wiping data/cache will not remove 2nd init. Only flashing a sbf or uninstalling it will remove it! You are in a bootloop because (probably) you wiped in stock recovery? In which case you should still have 2nd init. If you wiped in custom recovery then this shows that you did have CWM because you were in it when you wiped. If you were in it then you should have wiped, flash cm7, then flash gapps all in one session. Only wipe in stock recovery if you plan on flashing a sbf otherwise always use custom recovery. To go back to stock rom wipe in stock recovery then boot into bootlader and flash stock sbf with RSD. I have always been under the impression that even wiping from stock recovery will not remove 2nd init! Someone please correct me if I'm wrong
right now i just want my phone to work. so since i had 2.3.4 (i think thats what it was) because of cm7 what sbf do i need. or could i just use 2.2.1.
Yes you can easily downgrade from cm7 using your stock 2.2 sbf or any 2.2 sbf for that matter (There may be an exception to this rule so read carefully the sbf you are going to flash) Only flashing a full 2.3.4 sbf will prevent a downgrade But in general you should be able to flash ANY 2.2 sbf coming from cm7

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