Develop Bugs

[Q] Some ROM advice would be appreciated

I bought my first Android device - a HTC Desire Z - about 2 months ago in China and it came with a goapk ROM. I believe it included HTC Sense 2.x functionality, but I didn't want the Chinese customisations and I also wanted root access. So after a couple of weeks I rooted it using the gfree procedure and I ended up with CM7.0.
However there is some functionality missing from CM7.0 that HTC Sense provided.
• The camera app doesn't allow manual subject selection for focussing or half press and hold of shutter button to freeze light settings. A red eye reduction flash mode would also be useful.
• I can't find a map app that provides offline map viewing.
• The default music player doesn't support wma files – but I've since resolved this issue with PowerAMP.
• I’m not sure what it was, but the keyboard that came with the goapk was pretty nice and also had Chinese character OCR.
So, I'm thinking that I'd like to try an HTC ROM with Sense but still retain root access. So I have a few general questions.
What version of HTC Sense does the latest Gingerbread ROMs on shipped-roms.com use? (I’ve just downloaded RUU_Vision_Gingerbread_S_HTC_WWE_2.42.405.2_Radio_12.56.60.25_26.10.04.03_M_release_199043_signed ) Has HTC updated the shipped Desire Z ROM to Sense 3.x, or do I need to use a Virtuous Unity ROM?
Could someone briefly tell me what functional differences there are between the WWE (World Wide English), Asia and TW ROMs available at shipped-roms.com?
After having used CM7.x, is the installation procedure for an HTC shipped ROM straight forward? Anything I need to be careful about, like pre-installing a HTC bootloader or the Desire Z HBoot for example?
Can custom ROMs like Virtuous Unity be used with the HTC Sync PC application?
Thanks. Any further advice would be appreciated.

CM7 is quite buggy, I got tired of issues with GPS, wifi-calling, etc. and finally switched over to Virtuous ROMs and all of the glitches went away, they have a good sense ROM and also a good stock ROM with mild overclocking and bloatware removed called G-lite 1.03
I won't let a CM-based ROM anywhere near my phone, and most ROM's are CM7 based
and yes, all Virtuous ROMs work fine with HTC-Sync and PC communications

WTF? said:
CM7 is quite buggy, I got tired of issues with GPS, wifi-calling, etc. and finally switched over to Virtuous ROMs and all of the glitches went away, they have a good sense ROM and also a good stock ROM with mild overclocking and bloatware removed called G-lite 1.03
I won't let a CM-based ROM anywhere near my phone, and most ROM's are CM7 based
and yes, all Virtuous ROMs work fine with HTC-Sync and PC communications
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You just gonna bash CM7 in every thread?
OP, I'd never recommend against a ROM. I'd just advocate more for one or the other. I think if you want Sense, you're one of those people who just want Sense, and there are good options out there as far as Virtuous (and others) go. You can always try others and make ROM manager backups to switch between them too.
- As far as the Camera, that's a gripe people have (i'm not a huge camera user). Try MIUI camera, its got a big set of new features and is just an .apk you can add to AOSP ROMs.
- Google Maps lets you cache map data in a certain area. Long press on an area and you can select to download a 10mi radius of the current point. You can do this as many times as you want to cache a whole state if you'd like (it'll just take up a lot of storage room).
- I'm not sure about int'l keyboards... you'll have to look into that one. You'll probably have to install a language pack.
DON'T install a RUU or shipped ROM. that will unroot your device. You need to install a custom pre-rooted ROM, most people who want Sense like to use Virtuous. I'd also look at a few of the other options. Like I said above, you can switch around till you find what you want.

You just gonna bash CM7 in every thread?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, buggy ROMs get on my nerves, this isn't 2 weeks after the G2 was released to the public, it's more like a year or more, and a ROM ought to be mature by then, and at least do the basics without glitches. (camera, wifi calling, GPS, reception, etc.)
I am very appreciative of great work, but just like with cell phones themselves, I have no tolerance for crappy quality control (this is why I own HTC phones and not some Motorola POS)
No one ever accused me of being politically correct

WTF? said:
Yes, buggy ROMs get on my nerves, this isn't 2 weeks after the G2 was released to the public, it's more like a year or more, and a ROM ought to be mature by then, and at least do the basics without glitches. (camera, wifi calling, GPS, reception, etc.)
I am very appreciative of great work, but just like with cell phones themselves, I have no tolerance for crappy quality control (this is why I own HTC phones and not some Motorola POS)
No one ever accused me of being politically correct
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are fixes for the "problems" that you seem to find in cm7. Changing your radio will fix ur gps, improve your signal and battery life (I get about 24 hours on a single charge). Wifi calling works fine for me, has since cm7rc1 was out. My camera is amazing, I use it to capture important moments with my children everyday (stock, miui, paper, 360, funpro... these cameras all work flawlessly for me).
I guess the problems you have are with your setup, and since your defeatist attitude has you at a brick wall, it's obvious you'll never get anywhere in the android community. If cm7 was SO buggy, why would me, my wife, my brother, my mom, 3 of my co-workers, and thousands of people around the world (all on g2/dz's) be so satisfied?
Maybe I'm biased cuz I've loved cyanogen since cm4.0.4 on the g1. I learned a lot with it back then, and I apply that knowledge when rooting/flashing/optimizing mine or anyone else's phone today. I bet you'd have complained to no end that you couldn't get a2sd working on cm4.0.4. You just need to ask politely and not troll. The answers are there.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

Thank you martonikaj,
I'll give Virtuous Unity a try.
I've also now found the modified Google Maps apps that enables caching to SD card have been posted by brut.all here and stan230 here. Any recommendation as to which of these is the best?
I'll also give the MIUI camera app a try, or possibly buy Camera ZOOM FX.
Most helpful, thank you.

hope2u said:
Thank you martonikaj,
I'll give Virtuous Unity a try.
I've also now found the modified Google Maps apps that enables caching to SD card have been posted by brut.all here and stan230 here. Any recommendation as to which of these is the best?
I'll also give the MIUI camera app a try, or possibly buy Camera ZOOM FX.
Most helpful, thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wasn't aware you needed a modified Google Maps app? The stock one allows me to cache map data to my SDcard... I'm working on the latest GAPPS package , and I think Google Maps has been OTA updated probably once or twice since then.

hope2u said:
I've also now found the modified Google Maps apps that enables caching to SD card
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't need a modded Google Maps to cache to SD. Its a standard feature of Maps. In Maps, just go to Menu>More>Labs, and activate "Pre-cache map area". Then when you long press on the map, the address will popup, click on the address, and you will see the option to cache the map area.

Try using the rom ILWT cm7 it has a built in oc daemin so it saves battery and you have the latest features since he updates every important nightlie
So you should give it a try!
Stewie just said that!

GPS software with maps on card
If you are serious about GPS navigation, and you want to carry full maps and have lots of memory card space to spare, you can buy an app like Sygic GPS ( http://www.sygic.com/en/android ). Then you can use whatever roms you want.
There are other apps out there that do the same thing, but this is what I used to run, and I had no issues with it.

[Q] HTC One X Official JB Update VS CyanogenMod

I have had my HTC One X for a while after I ditched my Sony Xperia Acro S.
I currently love the phone but is it worth it to upgrade to CyanogenMod (10)?
Or should I just wait for the official JB Update.
The reason why I am asking this question is because I have heard that when you root your phone and install a custom ROM, HTC would refuse to give OTA to those certain phones that were rooted/flashed. Is this true? or can I just root/flash without worry?
Just wanted to hear some thoughts.
Foot Note:
I know the JB update isn't out yet so we can't review it and the leaked ones aren't official but I'm just curious if its worth upgrading the CM 10.

OTA is a patch, so it can't be applied to a different ROM.
If you restore your original ROM, you will be able to receive updates. If you restore original recovery, you can install the update.

BenPope said:
OTA is a patch, so it can't be applied to a different ROM.
If you restore your original ROM, you will be able to receive updates. If you restore original recovery, you can install the update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your reply. That was a typo error. I meant to say phones that were formerly rooted or flashed were not allowed to receive OTAs anymore for the stock rom but anyway, thank you.

Ooshi said:
I currently love the phone but is it worth it to upgrade to CyanogenMod (10)?
Or should I just wait for the official JB Update
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends really just on you. But if you are unlocked already. You can try it out and revert back as Ben said.
If you hate Sense as me, and like CM, CM10 can be your choice.
I have only few issues with CM10 but wont switch back to Stock despite them.
The issues I am still facing is:
1. flickering, despite different kernels, stock rom has this figured out better
2. WiFi also stock ROM much better, on CM it wont switch in my network to a better AP no matter what I do....
But thats about it it has many benefits for me. Some of them, that come to top of my head.
1. DPI Change to 240 and I wont have tweak the notification bar (also it has the nice color change on connect to google + percentage)
2. Updates, I love nightlies
3. Fast but so fast... no unnecessary crap
4. Multitasking much better as on Stock where its non existing

I love CM/AOKP (and all the builds based upon), but due to HTC's laziness and closed nature, the 'best & latest' drivers for the One X will always be with Sense. That is in respect to the latest kernel, camera framework, beats & audio drivers. Yeah sure HTC release their kernel sources eventually, but usually by the time they have a new kernel from them is out. I dread to think about when the community will get the 3.1 sources.
The camera is the biggest loss for me, the Sense camera, especially with the JB camera build is just far better than any CM/AOKP camera or Play Store app I've tried. To even come close we really need someone to take the camera out of CM/AOKP (or create a new app) and modify/update it solely for the One X.
When running Sense I really miss proper density settings (Sense crashes on density lower than 300), and with most ROMs I have to spend time de-bloating.
With all the hardware issues I've had with my One X at the start, HTC's retarded bootloader warranty policy, and other general unhappiness, I'm going with a Google phone next time - Best community support and openness. 3rd parties seem to only care about pushing their own software, most of which is just bad compared to AOSP. Then don't get me started on contract branded handsets, I don't know how people on here can handle getting updates soo late.

I prefer cyanogenmod ben it is true that SENSE bring many interesting feature ! :good:

I like the AOSP/CM10 look of Android, but there are issues that annoyed me and forced me to go back to sense roms. Flickering, Wifi, Battery and the most important one was Camera.
Now usually I get a sense rom and de-sense it.

Ooshi said:
Thanks for your reply. That was a typo error. I meant to say phones that were formerly rooted or flashed were not allowed to receive OTAs anymore for the stock rom but anyway, thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HTC Wouldn't do that! They provided the ways to get root, so in a sort of way they support it.

Cyan Delta App
As an aside, if you switch to Cyanogenmod 10 you can use the Cyan Delta app from the Play Store. This is brilliant if you like the nightlies as it only downloads the actual changes and not the full rom.
This app really makes life easy if you like flashing a rom daily. Saves repeatedly loading all your apps and settings, etc.
Just a thought!!
Regarding your question, I was going to wait for the official OTA Jelly Bean update, but got sick of waiting. For what it's worth, my highest benchmark on Antutu with CM10 is 12686 though when you go to submit it says 12706. (I'm unsure why Antutu gives you one score then adds a bit on?). Highest score on ICS stock Rom 12486 preliminary and 12518 final.
Cheers,
Dave

[Q] Some questions about romming T-Mobile/Samsung Galaxy S3

Hi all,
I've tried several passes at Google searching and haven't found these answers. I'm sure this community can help.
I've already rooted my Kindle Fire and put the stock JB ROM on there, good experience and it gave my KF new life.
So I am thinking about rooting and romming my T-Mobile Galaxy S3, but I have a few concerns and questions.
- What TMobile and Samsung features will I lose if I rom? Obviously for the most part none of their apps matter. But I heard that I would lose the ability to call/text over my Wifi connection, which would be a deal breaker considering the cellular connection quality in my house. Is that true? Are there any other features I might care about, that I'd lose?
- Will the face buttons on the S3 still work as they do now?
- Is the "Google Experience" ROM the same as the "stock" ROM? I heard about the "Google Experience ROM" on a podcast but cannot find this ROM in the forums.
- Anything else to consider? This is my first time rooting a phone - S3 was my first smart phone.
Thanks!
Dave

Just because you rooted, won't make you loose any of these features you do actually use. On the contrary you get to remove crap you don't care for. Without Root, your were previously prevented from removing some of the pre-installed apps.
Here's a good link for you to see what can be safely removed.
Now if you chose to install custom Rom, you stand to potentially loose Fabled Wi-Fi Calling. Face Unlock will still be there on other Roms.
Something else you need to know. There are 2 types of Roms. One that Samsung provides is called Touchwiz or TW Rom based on the framework of the same name. The others as you referred to as "Google Experience" Roms. These are commonly called as AOSP Roms. These roms don't have the Touchwiz framwork so won't support features such as Wi-Fi calling, since those only work on Touchwiz. There are other Non-Samsung Touchwiz roms. You will see a list of those and the AOSP Roms in my second link bellow for the Bible.
Since this is your First time on a Smart phone, here's few links you can read.
Welcome to your S3
Galaxy S3 Resource Bible
Hope this helps.

Please read ALL our sticky threads before doing anything to your device!
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk

Thanks for the info. OK from your comments and the links you provided, I gather that any ROM that is a TouchWiz based ROM will still contain WiFi calling. Is that correct? So theoretically I could load one of these ROMs and still be good to go. I have a couple more questions though.
- I've seen a few references to "stock" ROMs. Does the term stock refer to the base Android build (so there is only one of these per release of Android), or does it refer to the software that came with each phone (so there is one per phone)? If it is the latter then would I be able to load the TMobile stock ROM if I did not like the custom ROM I chose?
- Also curious about TouchWiz in terms of Android architecture, which I am still learning about. I was under the impression this is some kind of loader or launcher specific to Samsung. I did not realize it would inherently contain Wifi calling. Does this layer also provide for the face buttons of the S3? What is TouchWiz specifically - a layer that sits on top of base Android? Trying to understand how this layer fits into the grand scheme, and are there comparable layers created by other manufacturers?
In any case, I guess I'm not getting AOSP or CM anytime soon. The TouchWiz ROMs are less-known so I am less inclined to chance it. At the very least I could root and get rid of some of these apps.
Thanks!

STOCK = base Android build from that Device's Manufacturer. So there's only one per Android Release.
Yes you can revert back to T-Mo Version if you don't like custom Roms.
(Small verbiage correction. We call Flashing a Rom not "Loading" a rom. This is to distinguish from system firmware such as Bootloader and Recovery.)
Touchwiz is a framework, that's specific to Samsung. Read here for more on Touchwiz and rest of your questions. It doesn't contain Wi-Fi calling but T-mo's feature of Wi-Fi calling needs to have this framework on your phone to work. There are other T-mo features such as Caller Name ID that needs this framework as well. What do you mean by Face buttons ? Face recognition ?

I had a question to tack on to OP's question, since it seems relevant here.
Ive noticed through looking at the "bible" stickied post that there seem to be 3 major types of roms: CM-based roms (roms that took CM10 code for the GS3 and used it to achieve AOSP compatibility, then rolled their own features), Rootbox based roms (dont know what this is or what it does), and Stock based roms.
Right now, I wanted to try out a Stock rom, as from my understanding, a Stock rom is one in which the developer starts with a stock firmware image from samsung, does things such as root, deodex, zipalign, debloat, etc, and then releases. The advantage of the stock rom, from my understanding, is that it is incredibly stable (assuming no kernel tweaks and similar) compared to the bugs we may experience on roms that are CM based.
I'm experiencing issues with CM roms that are not deal breakers by any means, but definitely make me want to look for greener (less buggy) pastures.
Is there a more up-to date version of the stock rom list? Is there a good way to search for stock-based roms?

shrimants said:
I had a question to tack on to OP's question, since it seems relevant here.
Ive noticed through looking at the "bible" stickied post that there seem to be 3 major types of roms: CM-based roms (roms that took CM10 code for the GS3 and used it to achieve AOSP compatibility, then rolled their own features), Rootbox based roms (dont know what this is or what it does), and Stock based roms.
Right now, I wanted to try out a Stock rom, as from my understanding, a Stock rom is one in which the developer starts with a stock firmware image from samsung, does things such as root, deodex, zipalign, debloat, etc, and then releases. The advantage of the stock rom, from my understanding, is that it is incredibly stable (assuming no kernel tweaks and similar) compared to the bugs we may experience on roms that are CM based.
I'm experiencing issues with CM roms that are not deal breakers by any means, but definitely make me want to look for greener (less buggy) pastures.
Is there a more up-to date version of the stock rom list? Is there a good way to search for stock-based roms?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All of the stock Touchwiz based roms are in Android Development, so start there. A dead giveaway is if a build number is in the title. For example if you see UVDMD5, or just MD5 in the title, it is based on the latest official release. Anything older is buried by now. We do have a couple of 4.3 leaked builds. UVUEMJ4 and UVUEMJC. MJC is the newest. Anyway, there is almost always a clue in the title. But if you are not sure, just open and look over the OP and screenshots.
Ill try to PM the OP of the list to see if he plans on updating it. I would not expect him to until after our next official release though, which is right around the corner. TBH, aside from a few roms, it should be pretty well up to date.

No I meant the lower left and lower right buttons on the face of the phone, the ones that light up on either side of the Home button.
OK so a custom TouchWiz ROM then may or may not contain the T-Mobile feature of Wifi Calling, since it is again a layer on top of TouchWiz? Just trying to make sure, because that is the single feature I am worried about retaining.
Thanks for the help!
Perseus71 said:
What do you mean by Face buttons ? Face recognition ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

squiddog said:
No I meant the lower left and lower right buttons on the face of the phone, the ones that light up on either side of the Home button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What is your specific question regarding those lighted buttons? Do you want to remap them to make them do something other than what is intended or do you simply want to know if they work as advertised.
squiddog said:
OK so a custom TouchWiz ROM then may or may not contain the T-Mobile feature of Wifi Calling, since it is again a layer on top of TouchWiz? Just trying to make sure, because that is the single feature I am worried about retaining.
Thanks for the help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Think of TWiz along the same lines as your KF. The Kindle (and Nook for that matter) uses Android as its base. Then it is skinned with features that Amazon (or B&N) think that you would like, overlay their own launchers, custom applications, locked bootloader ... Touchwiz is the very same thing. It is Samsung's version of what you have on your KF. An Android base with manufacturer's preferential skin and extra "goodies". Sense (HTC) and the now defunct Blur (Motorola) are other examples of this.
If you want Wifi Calling, then you should have no problem with any of the Touchwiz ROMs that are out there. Please note that Wifi Calling is not and will never be working on any AOSP ROMs.
***************
What I suggest is that your Root your phone, install a custom recovery, make sure that you back up your IMEI if you plan on going to and fro TWiz and AOSP. Before you flash anything, boot into your custom recovery and make a Nandroid backup of your ROM as it is right here and now. Then copy* that off your phone and put a copy on your PC. I say copy because you will want to leave one on your phone and one on your PC as a last resort backup (I still have mine from the ICS days). Then flash a ROM. Check it out for a few days. Not your cup of tea? Flash another. If something goes horribly wrong or you don't like some of the features of X ROM, then just restore your Nandroid that you made and you are right back where you started.

Yes I just noticed that the S3 had these buttons and many other phones do not. Therefore there is probably a TouchWiz requirement to get these buttons to work as advertised. The question is sort of moot now anyway - as I want a TouchWiz ROM.
Woody said:
What is your specific question regarding those lighted buttons? Do you want to remap them to make them do something other than what is intended or do you simply want to know if they work as advertised.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

squiddog said:
Yes I just noticed that the S3 had these buttons and many other phones do not. Therefore there is probably a TouchWiz requirement to get these buttons to work as advertised. The question is sort of moot now anyway - as I want a TouchWiz ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I am aware you have decided to stick with Touchwiz roms. Just so you know, these two buttons work just fine in AOSP as well. In fact, on AOSP you have an option of assigning additional actions to Long Pressing of these two.

[Q] Going from nexus to M8 can of worms!

Sorry to ask all these questions, but I can't seem to have become very confused by getting an HTC One M8, being so used to the Nexus purity and ease of unlocking- I have done various searches but people always seem quite convoluted in answers :s Sorry!
Q1: Is it possible to get back to HTC Factory settings to the original, OEM locked state, with Sense 6 and with no evidence it was ever unlocked and rooted? I was a touch freaked out by the 'Tampered with" writing on the HBoot screen.
Q2: Is the red writing dealt with here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=53899551 Standard for EVERYONE who unlocks their HTC? It's not anything to worry about?
Q3: Does Xposed work on Stock sense?
Q4: The only thing I think I might be missing from Sense is the battery saving modes, which seem to be very well calibrated for the phone. is there anything similar and downloadable out there? (Both normal battery saving and extreme)- sometheing that intelligently dials down theprocessor and brightness but doesn't just disable mobile data, for example. I also love the camera app, and Sense Gallery app- but I care less because they don't affect my phone getting me through the day.
Q5: (Subjective perhaps): would you say Sense 6 is worse on battery life substantially? Ie, If I'm on CM11 it should be better battery life than sense anyway right? So those battery saver modes are less important for me?
Q6: Where can I find information about 'default' settings for stock, locked HTC (on sense and/or playstore edition):
-Governors
-Mpdescision on or off?
-Clock speeds
Q7:Another reason I got confused. I thought things like swipe to wake were built in to the ROM or Kernel, so when I put Carbon rom on my phone I was expecting it to not be on by default, because that was the case with my N4. But they are on so does that mean that the Carbon Rom devs have purposefully built it in to keep similar to HTCs stock functionality or is there somehow a 'deeper' HTC level that none can touch?
Q8: The play store apps from HTC that don't work on my M8 (like Gallery)- is it because HTC puts a root checker in their app code? If so is that one of the sacrifices of rooting my M8?
Q9: Sorry to be 'one of those people' but I'm so familiar with Nexus Roms, all of the M8 ones are utterly new territory, not least because there's a Play store M8's and Sense M8s- is there somewhere I can go and compare M8 Roms? Is there a reason the big ones (CM, Carbon, PA) don't seem to get much of a mention when googling 'best m8 rom' or is it purely because people prefer Sense based roms over standard?
Sorry, and thanks SO much in advance if you have time to even answer a few of these! I'll buy you a coffee if you answer all of them

tmorterlaing said:
Sorry to ask all these questions, but I can't seem to have become very confused by getting an HTC One M8, being so used to the Nexus purity and ease of unlocking- I have done various searches but people always seem quite convoluted in answers :s Sorry!
Q1: Is it possible to get back to HTC Factory settings to the original, OEM locked state, with Sense 6 and with no evidence it was ever unlocked and rooted? I was a touch freaked out by the 'Tampered with" writing on the HBoot screen.
Q2: Is the red writing dealt with here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=53899551 Standard for EVERYONE who unlocks their HTC? It's not anything to worry about?
Q3: Does Xposed work on Stock sense?
Q4: The only thing I think I might be missing from Sense is the battery saving modes, which seem to be very well calibrated for the phone. is there anything similar and downloadable out there? (Both normal battery saving and extreme)- sometheing that intelligently dials down theprocessor and brightness but doesn't just disable mobile data, for example. I also love the camera app, and Sense Gallery app- but I care less because they don't affect my phone getting me through the day.
Q5: (Subjective perhaps): would you say Sense 6 is worse on battery life substantially? Ie, If I'm on CM11 it should be better battery life than sense anyway right? So those battery saver modes are less important for me?
Q6: Where can I find information about 'default' settings for stock, locked HTC (on sense and/or playstore edition):
-Governors
-Mpdescision on or off?
-Clock speeds
Q7:Another reason I got confused. I thought things like swipe to wake were built in to the ROM or Kernel, so when I put Carbon rom on my phone I was expecting it to not be on by default, because that was the case with my N4. But they are on so does that mean that the Carbon Rom devs have purposefully built it in to keep similar to HTCs stock functionality or is there somehow a 'deeper' HTC level that none can touch?
Q8: The play store apps from HTC that don't work on my M8 (like Gallery)- is it because HTC puts a root checker in their app code? If so is that one of the sacrifices of rooting my M8?
Sorry, and thanks SO much in advance if you have time to even answer a few of these! I'll buy you a coffee if you answer all of them
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Yes, but you'll need S-OFF to do so (which is easy thanks to Sunshine and TowelRoot!!)
2. Nothing to worry about
3. Yes, but not everything as some are for stock Android only
4. Not that I'm aware of
5. No, but that's my take on it
6. Don't know, I don't root my phones any more
7. HTC bake it into their ROM as standard but I couldn't tell you if it's reliant on kernel, ROM or both
8. So long as you're on Sense it should work fine

Which custom rom for VZW (not a n00b)?

Ok, here's my situation. I have a Verizon M8, S-OFF, unlocked, rooted, custom firmware... but running the stock VZW Lollipop+Stagefright OTA. Everything patched up to date.
I'm ready to take the plunge and try something more custom (which I've done repeatedly on other phones, so I'm not ignorant here).
The catch? I kind of like Sense. More specifically I kind of like tap-to-wake and motion gestures.
Additionally - and I know I'll catch some flak for this - I really like the Verizon Messages+ for SMS. I know I can install that on any ROM but it uses integrated services that I'm not sure what the requirements are.
So ... which ROM to try? I've been limiting my search to Sense based ROMs, but what do I lose without Sense? I don't much care about blinkfeed, TBH.
Skydragon looks really good, and seems to support VZW. S.Rom seemed nice but apparently VZW support is dead.
Who else should I consider? No matter what my priorities are battery life, audio quality (with an EQ, dear god please...) and not having to endlessly troubleshoot force closes or hangs.
Thanks in advance!

Watch out for SkyDragon. The VZW support can be flaky. I found that no matter what firmware i was on, Data would start out working, then disconnect at some point, and i could never get it working again (reboot didn't fix it)
I'm on LeeDroid with Quantum Kernel and its pretty good. Battery and speed are both fantastic.
If you're willing to try leaving Sense, try a CM rom like Resurrection.

Tap to wake is present in pretty much every ROM. The only thing you really loose for that is camera open in landscape with vol+ pressed and that is even in some aosp ROMs.
Sent from my m8wl

Thanks, guys. I'll check out LeeDroid. I am a little ... disappointed, I guess ... that the VZW support for a lot of these roms is pretty sketchy. *sigh*