Related
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE WIKI
I have decided to open a Questions and Answers thread on this section of the forum. This is a good way to keep the number of new threads with questions down to a minimum, which will make new threads essentially for people that are contributing to the Samsung Epic 4G. This includes, but is not limited to, people that are providing the following:
- Roms & Kitchens
- Programs & Apps
- Fixes & Tweaks
- Skins & Themes
- Tips & Tricks
I would like to request the help from other members to keep the thread in order and in check. This will have the added side effect of creating an ever self updating knowledge base that will far extend the content of the Wiki. This will in turn save us from having to answer the same question a billion times...
Please refer to the Wiki first before asking any questions though! It can be located here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/index.php?title=Samsung_Galaxy_S/SPH-D700
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE WIKI
Any idea when the OTA push for2.2 will start?
jg187211 said:
Any idea when the OTA push for2.2 will start?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, we don't have anyone in the community who has inside access to that information. Some of our members are affiliated with Sprint, and so have slightly more reliable rumors, but even their sources have thus far been wrong if they quoted a specific date...
So I hope you understand that I'm not being a jerk when I say, we won't know until it actually happens (and this will probably always be the case)
That being said, this most recent leak (DK28) seems stable so far IMO, so it could potentially become our official update
ok im a total noob to all this stuff. i followed the guide to update my epic to 2.2. the problem is, that the camera, gallery, and a couple other apps dont work. Can someone help me? Should i go back to 2.1, if so, how do i do that?
EDIT: Angry rant removed, thanks to the mods for a quick response (and to the member who's post was removed: no hard feelings, I hope you understand)
Just remember to read before posting, to make sure your post will be relevant and not redundant
jayzn210 said:
ok im a total noob to all this stuff. i followed the guide to update my epic to 2.2. the problem is, that the camera, gallery, and a couple other apps dont work. Can someone help me? Should i go back to 2.1, if so, how do i do that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whenever flashing a ROM using either recovery, it's always a good idea to wipe the phone (as in factory reset - I'm not referring to wiping the cache or the dalvik cache, although both steps are also usually recommended)
If you used the odin method described in this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=861213
then you might have flashed the wrong tar - DK05 and DK17 both had the camera problem, make sure you have the DK28 file.
If you have the right tar, then you could have an incomplete download... I doubt that though, when that happened to me, my phone wouldn't boot at all. But you might want to redownload the tar just to be sure (double check the filesize after it finishes and before you flash, if it seems too small then it messed up again)
That's the best general advice I can offer, but if you'd like to provide more details about the method you used (especially a link to the guide you used, if it isn't the one I provided), someone here might be able to identify where you're going wrong
i followed the instructions from http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=861213. i didnt use odin, i just used the .zip method. it took me a lot of tries cause i kept getting errors. the second mirror link worked for me, but like i said, my camera, gps, gallery and some other apps dont work.
oh and everytime i try to flash again, i get the error.
It sounds like you're either starting from the wrong rom or not wiping the phone before flashing the zip. All of the zip updates I have seen require you to start from DI18 stock (root an clockwork seem to be okay in my experience, all other mods must be removed) - if you have installed any custom roms, your best bet is to follow the odin method using the stock DI18 tar - so you may as well just skip the zip methodand odin to the stock DK28 tar
And you absolutely must wipe the phone (again, factory reset - I suspect many people are just wiping the cache and/or the dalvik cache).
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
Odin flashing
I've got a quick question. I'm looking to move to a build using the DK28 information release and it requires that I update the pit and modem files on my phone using Odin. Do I need to flash a 2.2 rom right away or am I safe to boot into my current rom first?
KaiXXV said:
I've got a quick question. I'm looking to move to a build using the DK28 information release and it requires that I update the pit and modem files on my phone using Odin. Do I need to flash a 2.2 rom right away or am I safe to boot into my current rom first?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you doing the strictly odin method (full froyo in a tar file)? Or an update.zip?
The odin method *should* include the modem and everything (and you use the updated pit in the same process) - you'll have to read the particular thread that you got the download link from, but I haven't noticed any odin tar files that required the modem separately
For the update.zip method, I don't know if it matters whether you flash the modem before or after applying the zip through recovery - I don't think either one overwrites the other, but that's a part of the process I can only guess about. But regardless of when you odin flash the modem, that's when you'll use the new pit file (the same as the odin-only method above).
As far as I know, the primary difference is that the update.zip doesn't inherently overwrite user data (but you'll probably have broken programs that FC all the time, which means a wipe is necessary, making this somewhat null). I prefer the odin method because it is a fresh flash of the entire system (I usually let it repartition as well - no one else has posted about that feature so I have no idea if it's a fluke that it hasn't given me problems)
Hope that helps
which is the best
so i have updated to dk28 froyo 2.2 i like battery life and performance can anyone offer info on which is the best rom for me or just some insight on which rom is the best overall
How do I stop running applications from starting every time I restart my phone?? I have the start up auditor but for some reason everytime I restart my phone the apps I have disabled keep restarting themselves and I have to go into the running programs and disable them manually. WTH?? Doesnt programs constantly running in the background kill the battery life?? How do I disable apps from starting?
youngpro83 said:
How do I stop running applications from starting every time I restart my phone?? I have the start up auditor but for some reason everytime I restart my phone the apps I have disabled keep restarting themselves and I have to go into the running programs and disable them manually. WTH?? Doesnt programs constantly running in the background kill the battery life?? How do I disable apps from starting?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How I understand it, especially with Froyo, you shouldn't have to kill programs in the background, if said 'background' process or service is working normal or efficiently. I still kill the DRM process when I reboot my phone, and not sure if it's still causing drain issues.
Also (someone else confirm this), I believe that constantly 'killing' certain background processes actually uses MORE battery, since it has to constantly restart itself. I've had a much more stable device *not* using auto killers, and just sniping one here and there that I know to cause drain.
Some reading material on GC, tho, in regards to memory management
Ignore me!
devo52 said:
so i have updated to dk28 froyo 2.2 i like battery life and performance can anyone offer info on which is the best rom for me or just some insight on which rom is the best overall
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A lot of it is personal preference - this early in the game, the primary differences between the roms are going to be mostly cosmetic. So for now, the best advice I can offer is to try each of them and decide which theme you like. Regardless of how you upgraded, you had to use odin, so you have succeeded at the most difficult step of the process - and odin can bring your phone back to life if something goes wrong, so it's an invaluable skill to have.
In the meantime, keep watching the threads (quietly, unless you have a question that hasn't been asked already - we're working on cleaning up the forum to make it easier for everyone to find answers... but I digress...)
It's too early to be sure of any of the fixes out there - we have at least three separate fixes for the GPS issues; some people find success with one, others with another, and a lucky few don't need the fixes at all... so in summary, we can't say which is better or worse just yet, stay tuned and decide whether you want to experiment on the bleeding edge, or wait for these things to be stable and thoroughly tested.
And if you have any doubts, just stick with the stock DK28 for now
tl;dr, questions in BOLD.
Okay, after spending the entire night scouring the internet/this forum and starting from absolutely zero-knowledge about the Android OS, I managed to update my Epic to 2.2, and root the phone. Now, I'm kinda stuck as far as customization goes. I see all these cool skins and battery life mods and stuff, but they don't exactly offer any steps as to how to install them. Since I don't exactly know what file-types do what, I'm kinda shooting blindly at trying to update/install something "custom" onto the phone. So, my question(s) is/are:
What does the ROM do?
What does the ROOT do?
I know the root basically "unlocks" your phone, but that's all I know. The process of customizing the phone still remains a mystery. (that's the problem with following step-by-step instructions, rather than actually knowing what you're doing.)
I also don't understand the purpose of flashing a phone. Flashing, in my experience is to update something, like say a BIOS. But that sets the system back to square 1 as far as all settings go, in this particular example.
If I flash, with say Odin, after having updated to DK28 and "rooting," won't this make all the "customization" that I've done prior basically 'null' because I've just flashed the phone into a blank-state?
Sorry if these are questions easily answered by searching, but I just spent my entire sleep-cycle trying to find the answers to these questions, and managed to only get so far. I look forward to the answers On another note, I am now EXTREEEEMELY pleased with my phone. Before this evening, I was just the regular, old run-of-the-mill enduser. I liked the cool built-in customizations and all the apps and what not, but never dreamed of being able to customize my phone to THIS EXTENT. So, now it's something I'm very interested in doing..it makes my phone truly mine.
zdavidi said:
What does the ROM do?
What does the ROOT do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you see the link to the Wiki in the original post of this thread? That's where I started when I first got here, it helped me understand the basics.
zdavidi said:
If I flash, with say Odin, after having updated to DK28 and "rooting," won't this make all the "customization" that I've done prior basically 'null' because I've just flashed the phone into a blank-state?.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends on what you flashed with Odin. If you only flash a modem file, then your customizations and apps are untouched. If you flash an entire ROM in "tarball" form then not only does it re-write the modem but it also overwrites all user data. Think of the latter as resetting the phone to stock and works even if you cannot boot up.
When can we expect a custom Kernel with netfilters for wifi tethering?
n00b question.
If an SDK version is released (say, like, Gingerbread today), does that mean chefs could take it and cook up a ROM for ANY phone (say, like, the Epic)? Or do they need something else to do that?
Remove Touchwiz Launcher (consequences?)
Hey-- I'm using Quantum 2.0.0 ROM, and I never use the touchwiz launcher. Does anyone know if it's safe to just remove the apk? (TouchWiz30Launcher.apk) or is there other functionality tied to it?
I use LauncherPro, fyi.
Please forgive my ignorance... I've searched the forums, looked at the wiki...
I use titanium backup and am now running the DK27 froyo build by noobnl. My question... How do I restore my e-mail accounts to the phone everytime without having to re-type them in? I've been flashing a rom every other day on average since I got the phone and it's getting REALLY old.
You've probably heard about the Carrier IQ fuster cluck by now and, if you're like me, are up in arms and want it gone if you have it on your phone. I would suggest that you don't use the removal tool yet...
I am rooted using the "stock" method here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1342728 and just downloaded the tool from http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=17612559&postcount=110 to check for CIQ on my phone (it was there) and purchased the license to remove it, which I also did. I then rebooted the phone as instructed but can't get past the SGS2 splash screen.
Can someone please help me... if I have to flash a new rom, fine - I can accept that. I should have been thinking before I did anything but I had only rooted up to this point and didn't have any Nandroid backups or anything and that's my fault. However, I used the internal phone storage or SD as my primary file location and need to access it to grab my files. Is there any way to do this if my phone isn't booting up?
I read another thread (can't seem to find it now I was on my mobile device), where another person did the same exact thing as you and had to ODIN to stock and start from scratch. The phone isn't bricked, but it's not going to boot now.
I'm disappointed because according to Caulkin's ROM CIQ is removed, but I used the tool you are speaking about as well and it states that CIQ still exists. I was going to pay the .99 and have it removed since that tool supposedly works for Samsung devices, but after reading that other thread and now yours - I'll pass.
I'd recommend re-ODIN'ing your phone, not from experience with the issue but just from what I read from the other thread - you aren't going to have much of another option.
EDIT: Here's the link to the thread with your exact questions pretty much and the answers you can expect - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1360988
Ugh. Thanks for the reply... this is so annoying. If I go that route, it's going to wipe all of my internal SD memory, too? I've already lost access to the items on my external card because I had that encrypted... but I used my internal for primary storage and have a LOT of items on there of great importance...
Starting from scratch I can deal with - losing all my files I can't.
What package are you on? It works on EG30, but not on EK02. Framework is different.
Worked find on my EG30. Waiting for it to be updated to the EK02 package. Should be around soon.
Not trying to nitpick, but you should always have at least two backups of your internal and external memory. That's at least what I do, usually I backup all my files once a week and do a NANDroid once a week. Saves the headaches from ever happening.
You could try three-fingering to see if you can get into recovery and see what you can do from there, but I don't think you are really going to be able to do much. This method has been tried and proven to soft-brick your phone.
I was going to attempt this method this morning and then did a simple search on XDA and found it had soft-bricked that guys phone I linked you too. That's all it would have taken...
Good luck.
I have some backups, as well as Titanium Media Sync running and Google+ uploading photos, but there are always gaps. Unfortunately I haven't done a 'hard' full drag and drop back up for a couple of weeks, and you can generate a lot of data in that time.
To tell you the truth I'm a little unsure about how or what it takes to have the ability to do a Nandroid backup. I've done plenty of them in the past but what I mean is that since I just did the stock root method I don't know if I needed to install CWM or something like that to get the ability to do a Nandroid. I just haven't had the time to research that fully so I hadn't done one yet.
For what it's worth, the ****storm about the CIQ thing just really exploded in the last 24 hours or less so I didn't think there was anything to look up about the removal tool. I guess I was so distracted about the BS that is Carrier IQ and just wanted it gone, so I ran the tool without thinking there was a database of information on it already. It was my bad.
In the automated rooting thread, you could choose Option C and select a kernel+CWM to install EG30+CWM and EG31+CWM are provided.
update: Fixed. Whew. Thanks for the suggestions, especially, sfhub. Did as you said over in the other thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1342728&page=26 ... will post followups there but basically flashed the stock rom in odin and phone booted back up like nothing ever happened. Well, the only difference really was the media scanner took a considerable time longer than usual on that first clean boot. Thank you so much, again, and see you over in the other thread w/ a few more questions...
dbaybay said:
I read another thread (can't seem to find it now I was on my mobile device), where another person did the same exact thing as you and had to ODIN to stock and start from scratch. The phone isn't bricked, but it's not going to boot now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, that was probably me. I freaked out too but just Odin the stock tar and all is well.....other than now being on E31 and now can't get any ek02 goodness.
Sent from my SGSIIE4GTuvwxyz....should I touch my nose or walk a straight line now?
so i have the bell pay as you go edition of the gio
and when i got it, i just uninstalled as much crap as i could
one of those happen to be 'Talk', which i now discovered is google talk (thought the app was called gtalk)
uninstalling it makes it disappear forever and you cannot find it in the market
in addition to that, i uninstalled whatever app/service needed to run live wallpapers
so if someone could rip/backup those apps and upload it here, many thanks
(i tried installing the talk apk on it's own, and the talk service apks, it does not like me install for some reason)
last question is,
any 5660m users got adobe flash running, i tried the stand alone armv6 apk, installed it, and does nothing
the other flash apk with loading the lib files into the root dir, i have not tried, if i can get the standalone apk working, i'd rather do that
any other tips for the 5660m would be great
thanks
edit - see post #9 (need help with stock browser)
Promise you'll back things up the next time?
Look at my stock rooted ROM for the files you shouldn't have deleted. You should be able to read (not write, at least not in a way the phone can handle) the RFS partitions with MagicISO among others. (Basically any program capable of handling FAT partition images.)
ADB push back the files into place, make sure their permissions are correct.
Can't help you for Flash, I've never tried it myself and my Gio is out of order for the time being.
For flash you need root and push LIB files to /data/data/com.adobeflash***/lib ant set permissions
Sent from my GT-S5660 using Tapatalk
Darkshado said:
Promise you'll back things up the next time?
Look at my stock rooted ROM for the files you shouldn't have deleted. You should be able to read (not write, at least not in a way the phone can handle) the RFS partitions with MagicISO among others. (Basically any program capable of handling FAT partition images.)
ADB push back the files into place, make sure their permissions are correct.
Can't help you for Flash, I've never tried it myself and my Gio is out of order for the time being.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so this is something i cant just grab someone's titaniumbackup files and install?
That too, if you have another rooted Gio at your disposal. I answered based the info I got.
ya, sorry, that's sorta what i meant in the first post,
i was actually asking for someone's to backup the gtalk/talk service/app and the live wallpaper service/app with titanium backup and upload it
if someone could do that for me, much appreciated
Try this and let me know if it works.
View attachment TitaniumBackup.rar
thanks, that did the trick
additionally i want to ask:
is the reason 5660m incompatible with most of the custom roms is the slight difference in hardware?
if i were to change microsd card, is a drag and drop to the new card sufficient or are there hidden/protected files that cannot be copied
lastly,
if i were to update the rom/install custom rom, is there any way to back up settings and apps or would i have to do stuff all over again?
gonna bump this again,
I need the stock browser this time, if someone would kindly back up from titanium backup
i'm just testing some compatibilities on certain websites
anonxlg said:
gonna bump this again,
I need the stock browser this time, if someone would kindly back up from titanium backup
i'm just testing some compatibilities on certain websites
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Enjoy.
FusiveR said:
Enjoy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
finally got around, i tried installing it, doesnt work
it starts installing, then resets and browser does not appear in app list
tried both app and app+data
anonxlg said:
thanks, that did the trick
additionally i want to ask:
is the reason 5660m incompatible with most of the custom roms is the slight difference in hardware?
if i were to change microsd card, is a drag and drop to the new card sufficient or are there hidden/protected files that cannot be copied
lastly,
if i were to update the rom/install custom rom, is there any way to back up settings and apps or would i have to do stuff all over again?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only the roms flashed from Odin usually aren't compatible with our phone anything else such as CM7.1, CM7.2, CM9, and all the other roms able to be flashed from
Recovery mode are mostly compatible with our version of gio hope I helped
Sent from my GT-S5660M using xda premium
What isn't compatible are the baseband and the bootloaders.
As long as an Odin-flashable ROM contains only system and boot.img you're in the clear. This is mostly a problem with early Europe/Asia 5660 ROMs.
Drag and dropping your files to the new SD card should do the trick. Hidden files and folders for Android (and Linux) have a dot at the beginning of their name, e.g.: /.android_secure/ and by default there shouldn't be any files with the FAT32 "hidden" attribute set on the SD card. The settings of your Windows Explorer will influence whether or not the latter copy over or not.
Backing up your applications and their settings can be done by applications like Titanium Backup. Most should transfer well from one ROM "family" to another. (As in: from stock to CM7, or CM7 to CM9, or CM9 to stock...) Your mileage will vary if you try to transfer system apps, or system settings.
so why do you (have to?) use odin, i thought there is CWM for gio, isnt that better than odin?
and still looking for a titanium backup of stock browser
maybe i should just install the ics rc
anonxlg said:
thanks, that did the trick
additionally i want to ask:
is the reason 5660m incompatible with most of the custom roms is the slight difference in hardware?
if i were to change microsd card, is a drag and drop to the new card sufficient or are there hidden/protected files that cannot be copied
lastly,
if i were to update the rom/install custom rom, is there any way to back up settings and apps or would i have to do stuff all over again?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dunno what you are talking about, My canadian Gt-S5660M runs all custom firmwares, kernels, scripts etc just fine.
Odin and CWM are different and each serves their purpose.
Odin works with the lower level Download Mode, and can recover from situations CWM can't. It is also the usual way to install CWM in the first place. (You could also do it with a clever dd command on a rooted phone.) It is however cloakware, undocumented, difficult to install, buggy at times and just quirky overall.
CWM is more stable, doesn't require a computer to run, and is generally much safer to use.
AlwaysDroid: If you look at very early posts about the 5660M, many users encountered major issues after flashing European 5660 ROMs. Screen brightness all over the place and no network connection.
The problem was that those ROMs were Odin flashable "One Package" files that contained bootloaders and radio images as well. Those files were required for users upgrading from Froyo to Gingerbread, as stock Gio 5660s were also sold with 2.2 unlike the 5660M.
Basic concepts, how-to'sThis thread is a work in progress. If you would like to contribute information or have ideas for what should be added please PM me.
Disclaimer "just because i am trying to be helpful does not make me responsible for anything that you do to your phone. playing with any of this stuff could destroy your phone"
I am not a dev, but I have been flashing on Samsung phones since the international S2 came out. I also spend a ton of time reading the forums and researching what I don't know. I would like to give back to the community in some way and I hope that this post can help the noobs not brick their devices, as well as keep them from being overly annoying to the members and developers here by posting in the wrong places and asking dumb questions.
Some basic rules if you are a noob and don't want to turn your phone into a brick.
1. be patient. don't be the first or even the tenth person to flash anything. wait until you see others using whatever Rom or kernel with success.
2. If you have any doubts about what you are doing, read more. don't flash.
3. make sure you are in the forum for your device, not some similar or related device.
Some basic rules for these forums
1. If you have a question, the first thing to do is look it up yourself. that means searching the forums first, then searching Google.
2. If after searching you can't find an answer, then post in the q&a forum
3. don't report bugs unless you are using an intact version of whatever Rom, if you have changed kernels, installed a ton of apps etc it probably isn't a bug, it's a bad combo or its you.
4. don't report bugs unless you are 150% sure that no one has reported it yet.
5. if you report a bug, make sure you can duplicate it first, then get a logcat of the problem so you can help (see below for logcat info)
Why flash?
by flashing your device you can make your phone act differently, look different, and enable new or disabled options. you could ,for example:
enable native tethering
enable call recording
change the look of your phone
add custom toggle buttons
overclock or undervolt
increase battery life
etc..
Kernel vs Rom vs Recovery vs Modem
Kernel is the layer between the phone hardware and the rom. it controls things like Wi-Fi power, touch sensitivity, possible range of screen brightness, phone logging, and processor max and min speed. kernel must be designed not only for your device but also for the type of rom you are using (Sammy rom or Aosp) some kernels support all roms, others are specific.
Rom is the operating system of your phone. there are three main categories of roms.
roms that are based off of the Samsung stock rom (Sammy rom)
roms that are based off of Android open source project aka AOSP (AOSP, AOKP)
roms based off of the miui project (these used to be a branch of AOSP but recently they have also used Sammy base for miui)
recovery is a partition that you can access at boot by holding down a combination of keys. (volume up and home button in the case of our sgs3) every phone has recovery stock but it doesn't do much. you can replace stock with clockwork mod recovery which is extremely useful for flashing all kinds of things and making backups before you do. There are other alternative recoveries besides clockwork but that seems to be the most common. TWRP is also gaining popularity these days, especially on the sgs3. You can easily switch between recoveries and or upgrade your current recovery. All that needs to happen is for a new image to be flashed onto the recovery partition. See the rooting guide for more info on how to flash a custom recovery.
modem is a file that controls the cell radio of the phone. helps determine what frequencies to use and settings for a particular network. It is important when flashing a radio that you flash a radio that is for the AT&T sgs3 as flashing the radio from another carrier has been known to cause problems with the IMEI
Methods for flashing files - Odin vs mobile Odin vs. clockworkmod(cwm) vs adb
Odin is the internal Samsung tool for flashing. I believe it only exists on Windows platform. This tool is mostly used to initially flash an insecure kernel or rooted kernel, OR to return to completely stock rom. This tool can effect your flash counter (see below). Files for flashing in odin generally should end in .tar or .tar.md5 although sometimes they come zipped and the tar is inside the zip. Read more about Odin before using it as it can easily break your phone. !!!as a general rule make sure you never check the "partition" checkbox EVER!!!
Mobile Odin is a phone based version of Odin made by the very talented developer Chainfire. It can be installed on a rooted phone and used to flash the same .tar based files as the desktop version. Mobile odin has a few advantages. 1 you can use it from your phone. 2 it does NOT effect the flash counter on your phone, 3 it can auto root a stock rom (nice if you want to try out a brand new update that has not been rooted yet)
clockworkmod(cwm) is recovery based tool that can make backups of your entire phone, flash new roms, kernels etc.., and do many other useful tasks. Once you have this on your phone my guess is that most of your flashing will be done through this tool. The files for flashing through clockworkmod are .zip files. Clockworkmod will NOT effect your flash counter.
ADB is the android develpment bridge. It allows for command line interface with your phone through it's debugging options. ADB can do most anything as I understand it. In my several years of flashing I have only had to use it once, and i could have waited for someone to come up with another solution. In general as a noob i recommend you stay away from ADB.
open source vs Samsung based roms vs miui
Open Source Roms such as AOSP/AOKP are built using Google's open source android code as a base. The developers then add functionality specific to the device. The advantages of these builds are that they often have tons of options built in to the rom that change the behavior and look of the phone. They usually allow you to change the toggles in your notification pull down, change the battery display, make all kinds of adjustments to sounds, vibration etc... Some people also prefer the "vanilla" android look and feel. These roms often provide "bleeding edge" concepts, design, and modifications. The Disadvantages of these roms is that some of the hardware coding is done closed source by the phone manufacturers, which means that things like bluetooth, camera, video recording, and MHL video out often don't work or take much longer to get working by the developers. Basically anything that relies on the Samsung framework will not work in an open source build. This means Svoice, Snote, and the Samsung camera app will not work.
Samsung based roms are taken from the Samsung original phone software and modified by the developer. Usually, these roms are modified in order to be faster and to make changes to some of the features. Expect to see changes to the stock rom like: debloated (ATT and samsung software removed), de-odexed (explained later), enable tethering, unlimited sms recipients, added notification toggles, etc. Most of these changes are made to: make the phone faster, improve battery life, make the phone easier to theme. The advantage of these roms is that they still use the Samsung framework so all the proprietary stuff like camera, bluetooth, MHL still work, the disadvantage is that they will never be as customisable as open source roms.
MIUI is a rom that focuses on theming. Official MIUI (Chinese) gets updated weekly on Friday and then there are lots of miui developers who adapt it to other languanges and make some tweaks to it. MIUI can be built from AOSP source or Samsung source and depending will have different features. The first MIUI rom for our phone just appeared in these forums and it is based off of AOSP. MIUI has a unique look and is also highly customizable through theming. There are tons of themes available for download through the rom itself and you can mix and match any part of any theme you want. This includes icons, lockscreen style, etc.. Some people criticize while others praise MIUI for being very "iphone like". This is because the icons look more iphone like and there is no app drawer in the MIUI launcher. However, you can still use any launcher you like within MIUI.
odexed vs de-odexed
odexed is how the phone comes stock from Samsung. Odexed means that system files and apps are split into two pieces and kept in different places on the phone. This is done to speed things up a bit. However, it makes it harder to theme the phone because the apps are split up. Most custom roms choose to de-odex (basically regroup the files back into one) so that custom themers can make themes more easily for the phone.
download mode and recovery mode how to access
(Copied from mskip and his toolkit thread here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1746665)
How to get into Download Mode (For Odin)
1. Unplug the USB cable.
2. Shut down the phone.
3. Hold down the 'HOME' + 'VOLUME DOWN' buttons and press the 'POWER' button for about 2 seconds until a WARNING! Screen appears. Press the 'VOLUME UP' button to enter Download Mode.
How to get into Recovery Mode
1. Unplug the USB cable.
2. Shut down the phone.
3. Hold down the 'HOME' + 'VOLUME UP' buttons and press the 'POWER' button for about 5 seconds to enter Recovery Mode.
STEP BY STEP how to flash your phone for the first time
A. get root
first off, you need to gain access to the root of your phone. there are several ways to do this (thanks to all the talented devs).
I recommend using mrRobinson's method as it will not trip the flash counter on your phone.
1. you will need to have odin from here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1722686 remember to hit the thanks button, download and install odin.
2. Kies (on Windows, not on your phone), Samsung's sync program, can interfere with Odin. Either make sure Kies is closed and close it out of background processes using the task manager in windows...or better yet, uninstall it completely.3. make sure you have the proper samsung drivers installed. you can get the USB drivers directly from Samsung here: http://www.samsung.com/us/support/owners/product/SGH-I747MBBATT
4. you need to download the right image from mrRobinson's thread. to find out which one hit the menu key from your home screen, select system settings, select about phone at the bottom, and look for the build. it should be either UCALEM or UCALG1. Once you know, go to mrRobinson's thread here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1739426 download the matching image, and dont forget to thank him.
STEPS 5-7 COPIED FROM mrRobinson's THREAD
5. Extract the .tar file from the .7z file you just downloaded from the thread in step 46. Put your phone into download mode (see how above)
7. Start Odin, connect your phone to your PC, you should see the box under ID:COM change color to show your device is connected. click on PDA and select the .tar file you just extracted. Hit the start button and wait for the file to flash to your phone. When done your phone will reboot automatically. One word of warning about Odin: DO NOT TOUCH THE CHECKBOXES!!! WHATEVER YOU DO>>DONT TOUCH THE RE-PARTITION CHECKBOX!!!!B. installing clockworkmod
the next step is to get a working clockworkmod recovery on your phone instead of the default recovery. Again, there are many ways to do this and there are several different versions of CWM recovery available. I recommend using the one from Rom Manager as it seems to be compatible with most roms. Note that currently most versions of CWM can only see your internal SD card and not your external if you have one.
1. Go to the Google play store and download Rom Manager (https://play.google.com/store/apps/...anager&feature=nav_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDNd)2. Open Rom Manager app, flash clockworkmod recovery (first option), choose the appropriate phone..in this case galaxy s3 att, grant it superuser privileges, it should say install successful. NOTE: some users have reported not seeing the S3 ATT in the list of devices in Rom Manager...this is a bug and hopefully will be fixed. It may be that you need the purchased version instead of the free version for it to work? Not sure why this is but if it gives you trouble there are other ways to flash a recovery image. The next easiest way once rooted is to use the tool in this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1746665 from there you can flash both cwm or twrp whichever you prefer. Alternatively you could also use goo manager to flash TWRP link to goo here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.s0up.goomanager&hl=en
C. Test out your new recovery and make a backup of your phone
1. turn your phone off, then turn it back on while holding the Volume UP and home key. (more detailed instructions above) You should see Clockworkmod Recovery at the top.2. Use your volume keys to navigate to the backup option and select backup, then wait for it to complete. You now have a backup of your phone you can restore to at any time.
D. downloading and flashing a new rom
now its time to decide what rom to flash. when choosing a rom read the first post of the thread (the OP) carefully and take time to read through most if not all of the thread. At the very least go read the last 10 pages of the thread so you are familiar with any current issues people may be having. Once you have picked a rom:
1. Download the rom you want to try2. Make sure that the rom ends up on your internal SD card and that you know where it is3. Get into CWM recovery4. As a general rule it's a good idea to wipe data/ factory reset from CWM recovery (this will wipe all your data on the phone except any photos/videos you may have taken)5. It is also good practice to wipe cache from CWM recovery6. Lastly, from the advanced menu in CWM choose to wipe Dalvik cache7. now go back out to the main recovery screen and choose "install .zip from SD Card" option and navigate to your rom, select it and confirmnote that a new rom may take longer to boot the first time.
Flashing "dirty" vs flashing "clean"
Clean
Doing a clean install of a rom means erasing or formatting all the data from the previous rom before you flash the new one. This is the prefered way to flash a rom to ensure that it will run smoothly. It is necessary if you are switching from one rom type to another (CM to Samsung base). In order to do a clean flash you need to boot into recovery and select the following options: wipe user data (this wipes all apps and personal data, but not your photos/videos), wipe cache, advanced>wipe dalvik cache, storage/mounts>format system. This will ensure that no trace of the former rom is left on the phone. Beware that at this point your phone will not boot until you install a new rom. I suggest using titanium backup to backup apps and smsbackup+ for texts to make getting your new rom configured easy.
Dirty
Doing a dirty install means just flashing a new rom right over the top of the old one without wiping any data. The advantage to this is that you don't lose any apps or account info. The disadvantage is that you open up the possibility for problems. Generally you only want to flash this way if you are upgrading a rom (CM10 nightly to the next nightly, or from one samsung based rom to another). If you decide to flash over the top and have any issues, you should not report bugs, but try flashing clean first.
backing up IMEI
There have been some issues with people losing their imei number when flashing roms. *It appears to be limited to the old imei software version 2 but the evidence is not yet conclusive. *If you lose your imei, you will not be able to connect properly to the data network. *Luckily some devs have figured out how to re-inject an imei number into our phone and get it working again. *It is certainly a good idea to back up your imei info before flashing just to be on the safe side. *There seems to be two main threads dealing with backing up and restoring your imei. *you can check them out here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1801997
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1804117
huge thanks go out to these devs for figuring this out!! as always make sure you thank them.
I have yet to try either of these methods out myself so if one seems much easier or clearer please let me know.
tethering (for stock Samsung based rom)
you can use a mod to enable wifi tethering from your phone to up to ten other devices and share your data connection. If you are running a custom rom you probably already have this enabled and don't need it. It is already included in any AOSP roms also.
Make sure that you use the version of the mod that is for your software version number (UCLEM or UCLG1 see beginning of rooting guide to figure out which one you are on).
The original mod for UCLEM is here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1732262
The mod for UCLG1 is here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1768826
The Flash Counter
The flash counter is an internal counter that ticks every time you install a non-samsung firmware through Odin. This allows Samsung or AT&T to see if the phone has been flashed with custom roms. custom recoveries such as Clockworkmod and TWRP as well as the mobile version of Odin DO NOT change the counter. Only flashing non-Samsung files through the desktop version of Odin does. You can see your flash counter when you enter download mode on your phone. Luckily, Chainfire has developed an app that allows this counter to be reset, so there is really little concern anymore about having the counter trip. If you do need to send your phone in for repairs, you will want to reset the counter and then flash an unmodified stock rom through odin to get your phone back to factory state.
Link to Chainfire's app through this post here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1800878
Logcat
Logcat is a way to access the android system log for everything that is going on behind the scenes. This tool is used to help developers pinpoint problems in a rom. If you want to actually be helpful to a dev when reporting a bug, you should really learn to use this tool. I am no expert on logcat but you can find some good information in this post: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1726238
APN settings
This is the apn that comes on stock at&t phone. It allows you to connect to LTE as well as hspa+
Name: ATT PTA
APN: pta
MMSC: http://mmsc.mobile.att.net
MMS Proxy: proxy.mobile.att.net
MMS port: 80
MCC: 310
MNC: 410
Auth: none
APN type: default,mms,supl,hipri
NOTES BELOW ARE COMING SECTIONS. Feel free to pm me questions you would like to see answered or suggestions for other info:
theming
unlocking sim
returning to stock
What info is stored in each area: system, data, cache etc...
Looks good.
Stuck
FNM
I now know more about Android OS! Thanks for the info.
Good thread! In your step by step guide I suggest you add installing adb and adb basics. IMO, this is essential for anyone flashing, has bailed me out of trouble on more than one occasion.
Sent from my SGH-I747M using XDA Premium HD app
MORE ! MORE ! Very nice work thanks, this is shedding some lights on the terms we see floating around
excellent information, much appreciated, so what is de-odexed and odexed? thanks again!!
I got my s3 when it first shipped, and soft bricked it a month later. Even if you do everything right, it can still mess up. So waiting for a USB jig to come in the mail since my homebrew jig didnt work or I hard bricked my phone... Be warned...
Very helpful thread, thanks a lot!
Thanks for this guide!! Very helpful. Coming from a very different phone, everything about the S3 is foreign to me! Could you maybe talk about backing up nv stuff and imei?? I know there's another thread that explains it, but, this being the noob helper, I think it'd be good for anyone new to this phone.
Thanks
Thank you for making this! I'm sure this will help a lot of people out. I've flashed quite a few times and having a guide like this is definitely helpful.
I sure hope I had this guide when I flashed for the first time a few days ago, but at the time you only had part 1 done and the guide had not been completed yet. Glad to see it finished and it'll definitely help out others.
mods
Thanks for all the invaluable info on flashing ROMs. I've been a BB user for years so Android is still new to me. I'm looking into rooting and trying out some custom roms, but I had a question. When it comes to Mods can you just add those individually?
I want to use Team Sonic's FreeGS3 Rom mainly due to it's Sony Bravia engine Mod and the Awesome Beats Mod (or at least when they get it working on apps other than Google Music). However, they don't have a fully supported Rom for AT&T just yet.
Trying to have the best of both worlds....I may just need to try out something else and wait for the full ATT version.
This is a great thread you've created OP. However, I'm a tad confused. You mention in the guide that Kies interferes with Odin and you say to close and close it out of the backround, but you also mention "better yet, uninstall it completely." One of the reasons I'm rooting my new phone is to be able to delete this bloatware. Are you implying this is possible without first rooting the phone?
Thanks a lot in advance, this is very helpful.
jroyjohnson said:
Thanks for all the invaluable info on flashing ROMs. I've been a BB user for years so Android is still new to me. I'm looking into rooting and trying out some custom roms, but I had a question. When it comes to Mods can you just add those individually?
I want to use Team Sonic's FreeGS3 Rom mainly due to it's Sony Bravia engine Mod and the Awesome Beats Mod (or at least when they get it working on apps other than Google Music). However, they don't have a fully supported Rom for AT&T just yet.
Trying to have the best of both worlds....I may just need to try out something else and wait for the full ATT version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would wait to flash any ROM that isn't specifically for your device. However you may be able to flash the mods you want like the bravia mod on top of an att ROM. You need to find the original post for the mods you want, and do some research to see what they require and if anyone has used them successfully. Be extra careful of mods written for the international version of the phone.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
omi__ said:
This is a great thread you've created OP. However, I'm a tad confused. You mention in the guide that Kies interferes with Odin and you say to close and close it out of the backround, but you also mention "better yet, uninstall it completely." One of the reasons I'm rooting my new phone is to be able to delete this bloatware. Are you implying this is possible without first rooting the phone?
Thanks a lot in advance, this is very helpful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can see why you are confused. I am referring to kies on your windows PC. (If you installed it at some point) Not the version that runs on the phone.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
OP, are you sure you can install CWM through ROM Manager after rooting? I remember trying to do this on my SGS2 last year and my phone soft bricked. Tried it twice, and still soft bricked.
Why not just use Robinson's method?
ComradeNF said:
OP, are you sure you can install CWM through ROM Manager after rooting? I remember trying to do this on my SGS2 last year and my phone soft bricked. Tried it twice, and still soft bricked.
Why not just use Robinson's method?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tested it out myself and it works fine. I figured this was the easiest way to get it done and not have to get adb up and running. Also, the official cwm is supported by all the new roms like cm10 and some other recoveries have had issues flashing those roms.
Thanks for putting this together! Very Helpful!
One question, you say flash CWM , first in list choose Galaxy S3 ATT, when i open Rom Manager and choose Flash i don't have the S3 for a choice ?I have Galaxy Note, Skyrocket and T-Mobile Galaxy S2, no S3....
Cholerabob said:
One question, you say flash CWM , first in list choose Galaxy S3 ATT, when i open Rom Manager and choose Flash i don't have the S3 for a choice ?I have Galaxy Note, Skyrocket and T-Mobile Galaxy S2, no S3....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try scrolling down the list
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
Hi i have a t999 samsung s3 (not rooted). I am quite new to this whole rooting/development scene. I really want to try out 4.2.2.
Some questions i have are:
- After i root my phone and put a custom rom does it wipe my phone or does it leave all the data on (apps, personal settings and what not)? If yes, is there a way to backup everything and restore it after i have put on a custom rom so that everything i had is back to normal?
- Also which rom has good battery life? I have heard some roms are really good on the battery life compared to the stock version.
Thanks a lot for the help
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seifer699 said:
Hi i have a t999 samsung s3 (not rooted). I am quite new to this whole rooting/development scene. I really want to try out 4.2.2.
Some questions i have are:
- After i root my phone and put a custom rom does it wipe my phone or does it leave all the data on (apps, personal settings and what not)? If yes, is there a way to backup everything and restore it after i have put on a custom rom so that everything i had is back to normal?
- Also which rom has good battery life? I have heard some roms are really good on the battery life compared to the stock version.
Thanks a lot for the help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
your data will be deleted. you can backup apps with AppMonster Free or Titanium Backup from Play Store.
a good and stable 4.2.2 rom is http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2176988
pluginre said:
your data will be deleted. you can backup apps with AppMonster Free or Titanium Backup from Play Store.
a good and stable 4.2.2 rom is http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2176988
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^This^
To add to that, battery.... Depends... On several factors including, but not limited to ROM, kernal, use, temp, this that, your pretty neighbor who's running out side. So, your best bet is to and see what will work better for you.
However, since you're new to this, there's somethings I want to say before you start:
-Make sure you have a T-Mobile phone before rooting and flashing using methods and ROMs here.
-Beware of possible lost IMEI when flashing. It's completely random. Go ahead and make a backup of your IMEI: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1801997
- If you go from a 4.2 ROM back to a 4.1, you could randomly break your GPS. If that happens: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2211690
So just wanted to add a couple of things more concise.
Yes you will lose your data when you originally root your phone, however there are benefits to rooting and data in the long run. I highly recommend purchasing titanium backup pro. This will allow you to always have backups of your apps and data stored on the phone. It also allows for cloud storage so lets say your sd card and phone suddenly get fried, no worries once you get your new phone and root it install titanium from the play store and then restore your data from cloud storage.
As far as battery life goes this is dependent on what ROM you choose and what kernel. If you aren't familiar with kernels the less techie way to describe them is they kind of dictate what speeds your phone will run at (this is a very one sided description). Some kernels are designed to be overclocked, so what that means is your going to get faster speeds, the downside to that is faster speeds mean more heat generating of your processor because it needs more energy. More energy means more battery usage, which means a faster dying battery. Some kernels on the other hand are designed to actually be underclocked, which means longer battery. Then there are even kernels that underclock when the phone is asleep and know to overclock when its running a game or something. Long story short on battery, it really depends.
And as far as you rooting your phone, take the time to learn about the process first. Watch multiple you tube videos from different methods. At this point the phone has been out long enough everything is scripted basically so you just pick the right choice and your phone gets rooted, but it is still imperative you familiarize yourself with the process. Words such as adb, recovery, terminal emulator, odin, your going to want to know. Finally if you have any questions ask. Some people will be like www.google.com, but most of us all remember we were there once and needed help also.
I rooted my s3 last weekend. Quite easy, first time I ever rooted. Currently running Wicked 9.1 absolutely love it
Once rooted, download Rom manager and titanium backup. Titanium saves all your data when you flash new Roms
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
thank you all for the insight
i ended up rooting my t999. but when i go into recovery i still see stock recovery not clockworkmod. does anyone know why this happens?
also in titanium backup which backup do i need to do so everything will be exactly the same when i restore after i flash custom rom?
I had that issue.
Download ROM manager from the playstore. Then download clockworkmod from it. Then from the app go into clockworkmod.
Once there, if I'm not mistaken, reboot. It'll ask you something and hit yes. Basically what's happening is when you try to activate CWM the phone isn't letting it register but this option will override that and you'll be good to go.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
---------- Post added at 03:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:40 PM ----------
For titanium, I back up all user apps and data. When you flash a new rom, only recover apps you've downloaded. Select one by one just to make sure you don't download any system apps.
System apps with a custom rom can brick your device.
When you download a new rom, always read the opening posts for instructions and make sure it's a rom meant for your device.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
seifer699 said:
thank you all for the insight
i ended up rooting my t999. but when i go into recovery i still see stock recovery not clockworkmod. does anyone know why this happens?
also in titanium backup which backup do i need to do so everything will be exactly the same when i restore after i flash custom rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A couple of quick questions.
1. What rooting method did you use. I ask this because I would refrain from using CWM. CWM used to be the standard, in fact I have always used it until rooting my s3 last week. A lot of the developers are now using TWM recovery. I don't know the reasons behind it or if it will matter but it seems like twm may be more friendly with the s3. One huge benefit of twm recovery is that it is touch screen by default which is a lot easier to use. To get the touchscreen version of CWM you either have to pay for it, or no how to flash it manually usinig adb (this will probably be somewhat confusing for you but there are step by step instructions for it).
2. As far as titanium back up goes. Ill give you a quick run down of how it functions. For starters the basic and simplest way to make a backup is press the menu sofkey, batch options, then under backup just click on 'run' to the left of backup all user apps. From here the defualt is all apps will be selected. if you want all your apps backuped just hit the green check mark at the top right. If there is an app you don't want just uncheck it then hit the check mark in the top right.
As far as recovery of apps goes do the same thing (menu, batch options) but this time go down to restore and restore all aps with data (or missing apps with data depending which option you need).
Now for system apps, I do not recommend you using the batch operations for saving system apps. The truth is you never really want to restore system apps onto a new ROM. There are certain system apps that usually can be restored onto a different ROM or os version such as bluetooth pairings, your sms messages, and wifi passwords. Even restoring these can cause problems so what you want to do is restore them individually, restart the phone, and then make sure everything is working as it should be. Send me a private message if you want and Ill go into detail how to go about doing this.