[Q&A] Noob -Friendly Q&A Help Thread - Ask Your Questions Here! - Google Pixel XL Questions & Answers

[SIZE=+2]This thread has been created
for
Questions & Answers/Troubleshooting[/SIZE]​[SIZE=+2]Specific to[/SIZE]
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Google Pixel XL​
Please feel free to share issues, questions and offer help. Noob questions are welcomed.
It is always best to use the Thanks button , in lieu of simply posting "Thank you".
Please keep discussion focused, on questions pertaining to Google Pixel XL
List of supporters...
...
...
...​To those seeking help: Please don't bombard the supporters with PMs asking for help. Instead, ask your question here in the thread so others can benefit from the solution to your problem as well. If you want to be sure someone particular gets notified of your question, put his / her username directly after an @.
If you have ROM related questions, post in the relevant ROM Q&A thread (if there is one) or directly in the ROM development thread. Thank you!
Supporters: If you want to be put on or off the list, just make a request here in the thread!
Before posting anything, I strongly advise you to read
Forum Rules
[GUIDE] - XDA New User Guide - Getting started on XDA
XDA Tour
Google Pixel XL Index Thread
Please look for a similar thread when visiting another device forum.
If you would like to create a [Help Thread] please Click Here.
​

Reserved 1

I have an A2DP dongle (like this) in my car to play music via the AUX input on my radio. This dongle has worked fine with all my previous phones, including my most recent phone, the Nexus 6p.
When I got my Pixel I set it up and noticed that I have been having a ton of skipping and lagging on the audio when it is playing from my phone to the dongle. Spotify is exempt from battery optimization (it was stopping playback when in the background or with the screen off), so I don't think it's the Spotify app particularly. Another thing I tried which seemed to help somewhat was turning WIFI off. With my Nexus 6p I used Tasker to only turn on WIFI when I was at home (based on location) or when I was at work (based on Google Calendar entries). I decided to leave WIFI on at all times with my Pixel to use the Google WIFI Assistant.
This morning on my drive to work the WIFI being OFF (toggled off with Tasker when my phone connected to the BT dongle) music streamed flawlessly for about 20 minutes before it started skipping and popping, but not nearly as much as it was previously. I am leaving work in a little bit and will see if the results are the same with the WIFI off on the way home.
I am curious what else could be causing the BT interference, or if it could be the BT stream fighting the more aggressive Doze features in Android 7.1? I was driving last night with WIFI on and plugged the phone into the charger in an attempt to see if it would be any batter when not running on battery and hopefully not using battery optimization, but it wasn't any better.

Hi
I have 2 questionbs regarding pixel xl
1: On home screen pixel launcher on top i can see google icon on left and date on right (widget)
Im looking to change date with forecast. How do i can to do it?
2: There is fast charging, i want to change it for normal charging (not fast) is it possible? If yes where?
Thx

You need to enable the weather on your google tab. Something about location. Can't recall right now. Mess around with it
There's just charging. No fast or slow option.

ok. sorry where is google tab? in settings - google?

I have a fair question and I am legitimately looking for community opinion. It's unfortunate that, as a noob, I have to ask this, but does being a developer give someone the right to be a douche? I see lots of threads started by developers based on their hard work. I see lots of people benefiting from their work, and I'm sure the compensation is minimal. However, I also understand that, for the majority of developers, this is a hobby, which implies that they enjoy this. Does this give them the right to be a douche to anyone who asks them a question?

when trying to install factoy img it tells me not enough space...??? 2

artframe said:
I have a fair question and I am legitimately looking for community opinion. It's unfortunate that, as a noob, I have to ask this, but does being a developer give someone the right to be a douche? I see lots of threads started by developers based on their hard work. I see lots of people benefiting from their work, and I'm sure the compensation is minimal. However, I also understand that, for the majority of developers, this is a hobby, which implies that they enjoy this. Does this give them the right to be a douche to anyone who asks them a question?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If they reacted a certain way it's because you asked a question that is clearly covered in the OP or can be found with a little searching. Or it has nothing to do with the purpose of the thread. Them being a "douche" is the result of many people expecting to be spoon fed information. This is not a forum where you can just ask whatever, wherever. You need to do the leg work and read, read ,read. And then read some more. If you do decide to ask a question make sure it's relevant to the thread you are posting in. Just because you are running a certain ROM doesn't mean that every issue you have from there on out needs to be posted in that thread. Anything to do with installed apps or themes for example is not a ROM issue. Just be sure to find the relevant threads for your questions and make sure it has not been covered. These forums get clogged up with repeat questions over and over and it is incredibly frustrating. Especially when they continuously tell people this and then literally 2 posts later someone does the same thing when they could have read the last page of posts and got their answer. Or even done a forum search and found all threads with a relevant answers. Everything you could possibly ask here has probably been covered somewhere. But not always. Anyways just give the impression you tried to figure it out first rather than just posting without making any sort of effort.
---------- Post added at 02:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:50 PM ----------
Colomonster said:
when trying to install factoy img it tells me not enough space...??? 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's trying to unzip the file on your PC before sending it. You don't have enough room on your drive. Free up space or move it to a bigger drive.

@artframe
A majority of developers usually expect users to search for answers that may already been posted in the OP or somewhere else. While this isn't some rule that needs to be followed, this usually removes the duplication of posts that have already been resolved (this doesn't mean that questions are needless, as this is what the Q&A sections are for). There are however plenty of developers who do actively help out their users, and I am sure that they have lives separate from development. If you do ever encounter an issue with another user, just let one of the moderators know and they will be able to sort things out.
Saber

If I want to flash the stock boot image, do I just download the whole factory image and extract it from there, wondering in case I want to unroot

cwalker0906 said:
If I want to flash the stock boot image, do I just download the whole factory image and extract it from there, wondering in case I want to unroot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes that would be the way to go.

Gizmoe said:
If they reacted a certain way it's because you asked a question that is clearly covered in the OP or can be found with a little searching. Or it has nothing to do with the purpose of the thread. Them being a "douche" is the result of many people expecting to be spoon fed information. This is not a forum where you can just ask whatever, wherever. You need to do the leg work and read, read ,read. And then read some more. If you do decide to ask a question make sure it's relevant to the thread you are posting in. Just because you are running a certain ROM doesn't mean that every issue you have from there on out needs to be posted in that thread. Anything to do with installed apps or themes for example is not a ROM issue. Just be sure to find the relevant threads for your questions and make sure it has not been covered. These forums get clogged up with repeat questions over and over and it is incredibly frustrating. Especially when they continuously tell people this and then literally 2 posts later someone does the same thing when they could have read the last page of posts and got their answer. Or even done a forum search and found all threads with a relevant answers. Everything you could possibly ask here has probably been covered somewhere. But not always. Anyways just give the impression you tried to figure it out first rather than just posting without making any sort of effort.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your response... I like to think that the majority of people on these forums are here as a result of a mutual interest in development, to either share their work with the community or learn from those who share. I understand the frustration from those who answer the same questions over and over again. It just seems to me that the snarky responses and name calling I've seen from developers and senior contributors in response to questions that are viewed as trivial or repetitive is counterproductive to that end.

artframe said:
Thank you for your response... I like to think that the majority of people on these forums are here as a result of a mutual interest in development, to either share their work with the community or learn from those who share. I understand the frustration from those who answer the same questions over and over again. It just seems to me that the snarky responses and name calling I've seen from developers and senior contributors in response to questions that are viewed as trivial or repetitive is counterproductive to that end.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are right. Sometimes it's appropriate to be the better person and not respond if the response is going to be inflammatory or disrespectful. I can agree that some devs really are just dicks. But a lot of them are very nice too. Just try not to let the people on these forums get under your skin. People get very passionate about their phones or their work. It gets very personal sometimes. I've found myself in situations where I should have walked away or just not responded. It's hard sometimes. Best thing to do is just report it to a moderator if you feel you are being flamed or disrespected. You can also report devs no matter how big their thank count or Ego may be. All members of these forums, noobs or novice, are expected to treat each other with respect. The Internet is a funny thing. People will do and say things they would never do or say to your face. So don't take it too personally. They probably just need a hug in real life LOL.

I need some help getting my phone back to stock Verizon (to get rid of the elementalX kernel) and then re-lock the bootloader. I was told that I could just flash the factory system image to get rid of the kernel, and then just run the "fastboot oem lock" command to relock the bootloader, but I just was hoping for a little clarification. I confirmed the checksum for the file I downloaded from Google for the NDE63P image, and the picture shows the contents of the folder. What is the correct way to carry out this process? The folder is in my "ADB" folder so If I have to drag the contents up a level, I can easily do that.

cthorson910 said:
I need some help getting my phone back to stock Verizon (to get rid of the elementalX kernel) and then re-lock the bootloader. I was told that I could just flash the factory system image to get rid of the kernel, and then just run the "fastboot oem lock" command to relock the bootloader, but I just was hoping for a little clarification. I confirmed the checksum for the file I downloaded from Google for the NDE63P image, and the picture shows the contents of the folder. What is the correct way to carry out this process? The folder is in my "ADB" folder so If I have to drag the contents up a level, I can easily do that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Navigate to the marlin-nde63P folder and then execute the flash script by typing "flash-all.bat". When it's done it will reboot automatically. To stop this hold down volume down right when it reboots. It does this after it flashes the user data.img. You will end up back in bootloader. Then just execute the lock command and you are good to go. If the flash all script errors out you need the updated fastboot from SDK platform-tools 25.

Gizmoe said:
Navigate to the marlin-nde63P folder and then execute the flash script by typing "flash-all.bat". When it's done it will reboot automatically. To stop this hold down volume down right when it reboots. It does this after it flashes the user data.img. You will end up back in bootloader. Then just execute the lock command and you are good to go. If the flash all script errors out you need the updated fastboot from SDK platform-tools 25.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just following, so the command would be fastboot flash all.bat ??

cwalker0906 said:
Just following, so the command would be fastboot flash all.bat ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. Batch files run by themselves. It's not a fastboot command. Typing "whateverfile.bat" executes a DOS batch command. This runs whatever script associated. So all you type is "flash-all.bat" and the rest is automated.

I have an unlocked bootloader, rooted, and running ElementalX kernal on my Pixel XL. On my phone this morning, I noticed there is an Android system update for my Pixel XL. It's 45.6mb and I am debating about whether or not to install it. I searched and haven't seen anyone post anything about this update and thought I would ask here.
Anyone else receiving notification of a Pixel XL system update? Thoughts on installing it? TIA!

Hi.
I would like to know whether Pixel XL is coming in an international version or google releasing only one version of it?
Thanks in advance.

Related

"Report post" function sucks...

...to put it bluntly. I've only had 2-3 occasions recently to use it since it was changed, in all cases, I think, to suggest a thread be moved to a more appropriate forum. Now, I have to remember to copy the URL before, click the 'report post' link, click "I need a thread moved...", click the link for the list of mods, have a Google Doc open, and then try and locate the forum. When I do find the name of the mod, I have to memorize it (remember, I have the URL already copied to the clipboard) and then go through the normal steps for sending a PM.
Really ? Sure makes it seem like you don't want people using that function !!
I do know of a shorter method, but many may not. They're likely to (try and) use the standard vBulletin route. If they're like me, many will probably say "screw this !".
Also, what if that mod isn't around for a while ? Granted, the issue likely isn't urgent, I understand, but as I understand with the old functionality, per vB design, reported post messages go into a queue and ANY mod can see it and act on it.
To some extent I appreciate what you say. However, all the Mods are volunteers and much of the copying of thread links and working out what forum a thread should be moved to etc had to be done by them.
The enormous membership that we now have meant that the volume of reports being directed to a central location was just too high to cope with. We felt that reports should be directly sent to the Moderator who will act on it. What you say about reports in the old system being acted on by any available Mod is untrue. A report for a forum was always meant to be acted on by that forum's Moderator. However, due to the volume of reports going into an enormous list of reports meant it was difficult for Mods to pick out what was for them and what was not.
This s a community, we need to share the load and yes it will require the effort of knowing who the Mod for your forum is!! It will mean you need to prioritize what is reported and maybe you'll have to copy a link. This is about sharing the load, but spare a thought fo the Moderators who give their time entirely for free. You might say, why don't you just add more Moderators? Well, we already have around 100 and of course adding more requires more administration, bureaucracy and continual monitoring. All that has to be done by a couple of part time Administrators. If anybody feels that due to our size we must be a wealthy site who could employ more paid staff; think again, Forums are notoriously poor at generating advert clicks for banner adverts!
So, I agree the changes we made, do require some additional effort on behalf of the Members for some of the less urgent tasks. You may need to find out who your forum Mod is, and copy a link or two. We appreciate you taking the time and effort to do that. The Mods and Admins, spend the day copying links and doing other similar things, so we know what it is like - in fact we really really know what it's like!!
MikeChannon
Forum Admin
Sorry, but this new method is truly awful.
You have taken a useful reporting system and completely made it useless!
I don't get how PM'ing a mod a link to the thread is better than the report system?
With the report system it automatically notifies the mods of the exact post you're reporting.
I have gone from reporting posts almost daily on the old system, to literally never reporting posts now because it's a giant pain in the ass.
Seriously;
Old method:
1) Click report button on offending post
2) Select reason, type in an explanation if necessary
3) Click submit
4) Mod gets report, clicks link directly to the post in question, and deals with it.
New method:
1) Click report button on offending post
2) Click a link with the reason you're reporting
3) Get taken to a message about having to PM a mod
4) Click the back button twice to get back to the thread you were in
5) Copy thread URL
6) Try and figure out who the hell the forum mods are
7) Navigate to your PM box and create a new message to the mod
8) Paste in the thread URL, then try and explain what is going on and who is breaking the rules
9) Send PM
10) Then the mod has to read through the thread and try and disect out exactly which posts the person making the report was talking about, and deal with it.
In what backwards world do you live in that the new method is better?
The new reporting system is a detriment to XDA and the community as a whole.
I'm going to have to agree with the others who've said this new approach is a major step backwards. In fact, the last time I reported something, it went something like this:
Click report post button
Use the list of mods to figure out which one I needed to PM (not even a link to their profile to make it a bit less work)
Explain what was going on in a PM with links and all that fun stuff
Get a PM back from the mod later telling me to report such posts in the future
I replied that I wasn't anymore thrilled than they were that I had to PM them but the reporting feature no longer works and we're now required to do it this way
They were nice enough to apologize and say they must have forgot about that.
Sure sounds to me like he was in favor of the new process
I agree with the OP that the new method is truly a PITA! I use to report with the old method regulary, but now I'm not reporting at all!
It is far easier to send a PM directly to the Moderator of a forum than it is to try and use the 'Report' tool... I don't wish to use the Report tool that often, but the steps required just make me not want to report anything.... I hope Management here believes we are trying to help them make a better/cleaner forum via Reporting.
I love the forum, but this function is broken.
Guys, I can appreciate it may take a *little* more work, but is it really so difficult to have a look at the bottom of the particular forum page where the problem is to find the forum mods:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Then all you have to do is send a PM to those mods. heck you can even click on their name to go to their profile, which you can then PM them from....
the_scotsman said:
Guys, I can appreciate it may take a *little* more work, but is it really so difficult to have a look at the bottom of the particular forum page where the problem is to find the forum mods...
Then all you have to do is send a PM to those mods. heck you can even click on their name to go to their profile, which you can then PM them from....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, the tone of your post and the lack of understanding for how this affects members are more frustrating than the issue itself. Maybe we came across as whiny but that was not my intention in the least. I personally just wanted to give some feedback on the change. What I gather from MikeChannon's post is that a change was needed due to the large size of this master, unsorted list of reported posts where the mods had to find what was relevant to their forums. I understand the importance of the mods, appreciate that they've volunteered, and know their time is valuable which is exactly why making it easy for all members to easily report issues to them is essential. This change feels like a poorly thought out and convoluted "fix" that will discourage the reporting of posts by new and previously committed members.
I would bet money that there have been far fewer posts reported under this new structure and it wouldn't be because the rules are suddenly being followed. In fact, I would say the number of belligerent/rude/demanding/junk posts is only increasing and needs to be cleaned up which will require a post reporting system that works smoothly for both mods and members and is agreeable to everyone.
As you say, the forum mods are listed at the bottom of the forum's thread list...but it doesn't do me much good when inside a thread and wanting to report a post. Since they are known/listed for each forum though, why can't they be listed on the report post screen? Or better yet, automatically fill in a PM with the appropriate forum mods as the recipients and a link to the post that we want to report since that is easily known as it is done with quoting.
I'm interested in what the forum mods themselves think about all of this since they are the ones actually getting the PMs. Do they find it to be less work/easier than before? Do they get a proper post link and a decent explanation? Sorry for the long post.
Oh... there is actually a topic on this. I will be blunt:
- overcomplicated, overengineered, confusing like hell and plain sucks goat's nuts. People get lost in the options, and some of those redundant options sending people to check Google docs for a list of moderators is just a WTH. Why on earth Google Docs, why is it not a plain HTML here on the site and why should anyone check manually for a moderator when the forum DB already has that information available to assign the moderation rights?
If you felt the need to add code to stock vBulletin since the bundled moderating functionality was not fitting your complex needs, either code it properly and completely, or do not code it at all. Do not send me to GDocs to look up a moderator.
Grrrrh.
The enormous membership that we now have meant that the volume of reports being directed to a central location was just too high to cope with. We felt that reports should be directly sent to the Moderator who will act on it. What you say about reports in the old system being acted on by any available Mod is untrue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To add something constructive here, all it takes is a freaking improved DB select hacked into the vB report post functionality. Like, where forum is X and offense type is Y and ... blah (whatever criteria you need), then take the post's $URL (which you already have in stock functionality since someone clicked on the ! in the post) and send it to the appropriate moderator via PM.
the_scotsman said:
Guys, I can appreciate it may take a *little* more work, but is it really so difficult to have a look at the bottom of the particular forum page where the problem is to find the forum mods:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to clarify, when I said this
I do know of a shorter method, but many may not. They're likely to (try and) use the standard vBulletin route. If they're like me, many will probably say "screw this !".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that's what I was referring to. It isn't ideal though...
In total agreement here
I'm sorry, but saying it's just a 'little bit of work' to report a post is a gross understatement.
I am a moderator on several forums (one is very large, like this one, and chatty, with a varied, opinionated membership, just like this one), and I know, for a fact, how difficult it is to deal with reports. However, they are the key to keeping things civil on a forum. Is your membership large? Absolutely. Then bring on more staff. That is the only way to handle this, it isn't by crippling the report system. Now, with this new system, making a member jump through hoops to report things means they won't - if that's your goal, then you have succeeded marvelously. Really? Is that really what you want? I can't believe that, but from the tone of the answers from moderators here it would seem to be the goal.....
reinbeau said:
I'm sorry, but saying it's just a 'little bit of work' to report a post is a gross understatement.
I am a moderator on several forums (one is very large, like this one, and chatty, with a varied, opinionated membership, just like this one), and I know, for a fact, how difficult it is to deal with reports. However, they are the key to keeping things civil on a forum. Is your membership large? Absolutely. Then bring on more staff. That is the only way to handle this, it isn't by crippling the report system. Now, with this new system, making a member jump through hoops to report things means they won't - if that's your goal, then you have succeeded marvelously. Really? Is that really what you want? I can't believe that, but from the tone of the answers from moderators here it would seem to be the goal.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I would like to elaborate on this. We had a working workflow and procedure. Now, we have manual hack at best, which makes the process annoying to the point that people simply will not bother. Let me explain what I mean.
Say - you are a vendor and write some nifty application. Since you want your users to report bugs to improve it, you include a function that produces a pop-up when the application encounters fatal error/crashes. In there, you let users fill in (optional) comment and their email contact, and then you submit the crashdump automatically to [email protected]
Now, the application becomes immensely popular and [email protected] email becomes a mess. What to do?
Well, what you should do is to improve the crash reporting code so that it gets smarter. Say, you let your users fill in a survey letting them select from multiple-choice list of options about what they were doing when the crash occured etc., maybe do some intelligent automated parsing of the crash log and - according to their answers and the analysis - you send the crashdump only to the people resposible for that part of the code that is involved.
What you absolutely should NOT do: Abandon the nice automated crash reporting and tell users something like: "Oooooh, I crashed. Never mind we already have the info related, we are getting too many reports, so in case you want to report this so that it would eventually get fixed, go, move your lazy ass, dig up the crash dump, find a relevant part of it pertinent to the crash, then go to our website, download a DOC with a list of developers, find the one responsible for the part of the code involved and report it to him via email."
Generally noone will bother since it is way too much work to do. Additionally, the few reports that you still get will miss vital info (such as the crash dump), will get mis-sent since people suck at searching for relevant developer. That is NOT an improvement, that is actually a huge step back.
An eloquent enhancement to my point, doktornotor. Thank you.
Just wondering if this is a dead issue as far as the mods are concerned. I'd at least like to hear an actual response/explanation for the issues raised here. Both responses so far have avoided the real problems. It worries me about the future of XDA if this change really was thought to be the best solution to the "reported issue" master list being large and unsorted. Also, telling us it's now on us to do a *little* more work and play secretary for the forum is a cop out and will result in people to not report anything and allow the increasing flame wars to become much more prominent.
MongooseHelix said:
...and will result in people to not report anything and allow the increasing flame wars to become much more prominent.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suspect this is the case. I haven't went through the steps to "report" a post since this change. As I mentioned above, I started to 2 or 3 times and then gave up. Call me "lazy", but it's too much effort....
I will say that I frequently used the function, mainly to get non-development questions/threads moved to the appropriate forum. Not any more...
hallstevenson said:
I suspect this is the case. I haven't went through the steps to "report" a post since this change. As I mentioned above, I started to 2 or 3 times and then gave up. Call me "lazy", but it's too much effort....
I will say that I frequently used the function, mainly to get non-development questions/threads moved to the appropriate forum. Not any more...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This frustrates and saddens me for the reasons you and others have outlined. Unfortunately running a forum means dealing with all of these issues on the admin/mod side - this really seems as though they've just decided it's too much work. Rather than just throw their hands up in the air, they need to bring on staff. Also, come up with an infraction system (automated), with points assigned to each infraction, once a threshold is reached, a ban is put into place that lasts for a specified period of time. We're doing this right now on Backyard Chickens (don't laugh, it's a huge forum with 95,000 members, chicken people can be quite unruly ). If any mod or admin wants the notes on our system I'd be happy to share them, we're hopeful it will cut down on our work there.
Reports are a pain, but it's the only way you can keep your finger on what's going on, if users find it too difficult to do, they won't.
MongooseHelix said:
Just wondering if this is a dead issue as far as the mods are concerned. I'd at least like to hear an actual response/explanation for the issues raised here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 on this
(And ROTFLMAO @ unruly Backyard Chickens )
MongooseHelix said:
Just wondering if this is a dead issue as far as the mods are concerned. I'd at least like to hear an actual response/explanation for the issues raised here. Both responses so far have avoided the real problems. It worries me about the future of XDA if this change really was thought to be the best solution to the "reported issue" master list being large and unsorted. Also, telling us it's now on us to do a *little* more work and play secretary for the forum is a cop out and will result in people to not report anything and allow the increasing flame wars to become much more prominent.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The new RP system was designed to make it easier for our mods to action on the most important issues by reducing the noise and sheer number of RPs, while secondarily sharing a bit of the work with the membership. This is a community, certainly, and we all take part in the efforts to keep it moving smoothly. Each and every mod is a volunteer who moderate out of a true passion for the site and for mobile development, they do the best they can.
Now, we're also flexible and willing to change should anyone have a specific suggestion that would still achieve the goals above while making RPs less cumbersome for members. We can't let members *easily* report anything, anytime, because guess what happens...hundreds of RPs flow through, and the important ones get lost because of this. In our previous system, all it took was a simple click and a post was reported. That got taken advantage of.
But you don't address the fact that now people aren't going to bother. There were pictures in the Post Your Home Screen thread I tried to report, but I gave up - and I'm not a stupid user - that's obviously the way you guys want it now. Sad, I guess the concerns raised here are falling on deaf ears.
You say you tried, but gave up? What did you try? What made you give up? Just curious...

[GUIDE] - XDA New User Guide - Getting started on XDA

This guide is intended to be a starting point for noobs New Users to teach you how to
start out on XDA and have a good experience and be good XDA community members.
XDA is a great place where you can learn a lot about how to make your phone better, have fun talking to
other smart people about your phone and the Android OS or Windows Phone OS, and maybe be
recognized for your efforts. But first there are a few things you need to know about XDA.
I suggest bookmarking any of the links below which might seem helpful since chances are in the future
it will be helpful to you or to someone else and you will have it bookmarked.
~~~Getting Started~~~
First, please start here by registering.
This enables you to post questions and helpful replies to other people's questions and get thanks.
~~~The Rules~~~
Like anything in life, there are rules here.
Here is the short version. Please:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Here is the full version. XDA Forum Rules
Moderators (mods) enforce the rules when necessary. Getting a Moderators help
If you are having problems with XDA or need assistance from an admin for things like name changes,
please check here: XDA Contacts & Help
[Guideline] Behaviour on XDA
~~~Reading~~~
The best way to start is not by posting, it is by reading. Read, search, read, search.
If you read an answer that looks helpful or answers a question you might have, bookmark it, and
when you see someone else ask that question you will have the answer for them plus a supporting link.
"Always read lots post little" - mo976
I strongly encourage reading ALL of the stickied notes and guides in the About xda-developers.com subforum,
as well as the stickied guides in your device forums.
The stickied guides are pinned to the top of the subforum, you can see a little thumbtack icon to the left.
They are always at the top of the subforum view, even if other threads have newer posts in them.
You might be thinking "What, that's too much!?" or TLDR (too long, didn't read).
It is a lot, true...a lot of very valuable information, questions answered, problems solved,
collected and organized and right there for you to read and learn without having to work to search for it.
Many people have put in countless hours of their personal time to enter in this knowledge
for you to learn it and apply it successfully to your XDA experience and phone, and the mods
have put them at the top of the subforum pages so you don't have to work to find them.
Please don't waste their time or yours.
I know a lot of you are just using the XDA app or Tapatalk or Forum Runner and are not on the website.
This might help: [HOW TO]Make The Most Of The XDA App
~~~Searching~~~
When you have a question you don't know the answer to, don't post a new thread when you could post a
question in a relevant open thread, and don't post a question when a few minutes reading and searching
will not only give you an answer, but a feeling of accomplishment that you were able to find it yourself,
and the confidence to remember and repeat the answer with the link to the thread or post with that
answer when you see someone else post that question you didn't have to.
Consider the question you are going to post, pick out the keywords and type them into the search box.
Try a few different searches with slightly different words.
New Members Guide-Get the most out of XDA!!
Search guide video
Help Your Threads Get More Search Hits with Better Titles and Tags! (and improve the XDA search functionality for free!)
Thread naming guide
You can also search XDA with Google. Just add this to your search terms.
site:xda-developers.com
If you aren't sure what a term or acronym means, check this excellent Glossary by benjamingwynn or
stempox's very helpful guide Terms Android.
If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed and wondering if you are in over your head, this excellent guide by iElvis
can help you decide. So You Want to Root and Mod Your HTC One X/XL
I highly recommend it for all new users as the content is not specific to the One X/XL despite the title.
[GUIDE] - XDA New User Guide - Getting started on XDA - Part 2
[GUIDE] - XDA New User Guide - Getting started on XDA - Part 2
~~~Giving Thanks~~~
Giving thanks is important. It lets people know that their work or answer is appreciated. It is a faster
method of feedback than posting a reply like "Thanks for your answer!" You must have one post to
give thanks, so here is a good place you can do that: The "Say Hi" thread.
You can go do that now and come back and finish here please.
You get 8 thanks per day, and they renew after 24 hours or so. Each thanks is independent of the others,
so if you give someone a thanks at 3, and then another at 4, those will renew at 3 and 4 the next day.
If you run out of thanks, then save that page in a new tab and give thanks later when you have one available.
If you use them all every day you are doing it correctly.
~~~Getting Thanks~~~
You will see that everyone here has a Thanks Meter above their avatar.
Here are the counts needed to get to the next bar.
1st bar - 26
2nd bar - 51
3rd bar - 101
4th bar - 201
bug here, never gets to 5 bars, probably 501 if fixed.
6th bar - 1001
7th bar - 2001
8th bar - 5001
9th bar - 8001
Maxed! - 10000
Not that thanks are an indication of a user's status or stature on XDA. Thanks don't really count for
anything other than as a potentially wildly inaccurate measure of a member's ability to answer your
question correctly. Some of the most important people here have a lot fewer thanks than you might guess.
~~~User Titles~~~
As you go around XDA and encounter people, you may notice that they have different titles
under their avatar. Speaking of which, click here to upload an avatar picture.
Here are the user titles explained by one of our mods.
0 to 29 posts - Junior Member
30 to 99 posts - Member
100 + posts - Senior Member
Originally Posted by juzz86
I'll sum it up for you (or try, anyway!)
There are Junior Members, Members, Senior Members first. These make up the vast majority of XDAs userbase.
Recognised Contributors are nominated by other users and/or Mods/Developers. They are recognised for their contributions which are not specifically Development, such as detailed guides, one-click utilities and other tools/mods.
Recognised Themers are also nominated by users/Mods/Developers, for their work themeing custom ROMs and providing standalone themes for flashing.
Recognised Developers are nominated and approved by the Developer Committee, for their work in Development whether it be ROMs, Root methods, bootloader unlocks etc.
Elite Recognised Developers are again assessed by the Developer Committee, and are deemed to have gone above-and-beyond in providing knowledge/hacks/tools/apps/ROMs for the XDA community.
Forum Moderators are appointed by the Moderator Committee, after submitting an application (see the 'sticky' at the top of this forum - currently applications are not open). They are the first-line of keeping the forums tidy, friendly and orderly.
Senior Moderators are the next step up the ladder, providing site-wide support for Forum Mods and looking after the nitty-gritty issues, as well as areas of XDA not policed by FSMs, such as the Marketplace.
Administrators are next. There are several Admins - each look after a specific part of XDA such as the Portal, the Members and the User Experience of XDA as a whole.
At the top is Mike Channon, who is overall Forum Administrator.
Other titles you may come across:
Moderator Committee - sits on the Mod Committee
Developer Committee - as above, but for Developer Committee
XDA Newswriter - publishes articles for the Portal (front page)
Retired xxxx - have since officially 'left' their XDA position
Hopefully that clears most of them up for you
Contrary to what a lot of people expect, the thanks-meter does not figure at all in determining a users tag.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
[GUIDE] - XDA New User Guide - Getting started on XDA - Part 3
[GUIDE] - XDA New User Guide - Getting started on XDA - Part 3
~~~Posting Questions~~~
There are some restrictions on your posting ability when you first start here. For your first 7 posts, there is
a captcha prompt and a time limit in between posts. This is mostly to stop spammers from posting garbage
throughout every thread. There is a 2 minute limit between posting and editing your posts. This stops at
30 posts when you go from Junior Member to Member, so read twice, post once.
OK, you got through all that and you have a question that you need that answer to. You have searched,
and searched again, and searched again with different keywords, but you can't find the answer.
The question is, where do you post it?
The first and best place is to check your device's Q&A forum for a thread posted there,
either a general question thread, or a thread already posted there with a similar question.
When you post into a thread, that thread is then listed at the top of the forum it is in and the title turns
Bolded for everyone else so they know there is a new post. Someone else may see that thread
and know the answer and post it. If you need to open a new thread check here first for helpful advice.
Always remember advice from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Don't Panic!
Please post ALL relevant information. What ROM/Kernel, What you were doing when the problem surfaced,
What is the actual problem (not my phone won't boot, help!!), Were the planets aligned,...
Simple information can go along way to diagnose the problem/issue and it also prevents the reciprocal
post of "Need more info".
And we have all been there in Panic Mode where you freak out and just want to get some help. Noobs don't
look at these devices as phones or tablets, but rather as investment because well that is what they are at
$500-$800 a throw. I respect my device but that is because I know how to use and recovery it. Noobs don't.
They see a bootloop and it is strikingly similar to the toilet swirling their money down the drain.
That is when Panic Mode sets in.
Don't Panic. Don't be a noob. Be a New User who is smart and reads a lot and knows where things are and
how to find useful and timely information.
Remember, give it some time before reposting. XDA members live around the world and are not going to be
on your time zone and schedule. Wait a day and see if you get a response. If you want a notification of
someone else posting into that thread, click on the Thread Tools button at the top of the thread and choose
Subscribe, or click the Subscribe button at the top of the page.
Please do not simply "bump" the thread up. Add some more information as to additional things you have
tried to resolve the problem since your last post.
~~~Why can't I post in the Dev thread I want to?~~~
Fallen Spartan said:
The 10 post rule was put in place to make new users think, and hopefully contribute and help others by
making useful posts rather than the usual crap like "thanks", "kewl" etc or ask questions which have
been asked countless times before. They still have access to dev forums, just cannot post in them.
Its not a massive restriction and to provide 10 useful/helpful posts is not hard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fallen Spartan - Moderator Committee
Almost all of XDA is open to you right from the start. You can post into your devices General, Q&A,
Accessories, and Themes and Apps forums. You can learn a lot and help other new users with answers
you have found previously by reading the stickied guides in your device forum and in the
XDA General Discussion forums.
Please feel free to thank the dev several times instead of posting "Thanks for a great ROM".
Rate the dev's thread with 5 stars using the rate dropdown button at the top of every page of the thread.
If you feel that is not sufficient, most devs have a donate button with Paypal.
I promise you that they will remember you and appreciate you far more for donating even a couple of
dollars versus some post, however gushingly approving, on their ROM thread.
Please do not send private messages to the devs saying "Thanks for a great ROM"
instead of posting "Thanks for a great ROM". See above.
If you have read up to this point and still feel it is unfair that you cannot post into a dev forum thread,
please consider it from this perspective:
Is it so much to ask that you read for a bit first, pick up some knowledge and experience, help a few people
in the 90+% of XDA which is completely open to you, to participate with quality posts instead of BS posts,
in return for being able to post into any of the ROM threads from any dev on this site?
What XDA is all about
Also keep in mind that the mods are out there reading your posts, and if they believe you are posting junk
simply to get to 10 posts to post some non-dev comment in a dev thread, you could find all your posts
missing and your account temporarily disabled.
For more tips on how to reach 10 posts in a community acceptable way, please check here:
Postcount limit in developmental fora
Want To Post In Development?
[GUIDE] - XDA New User Guide - Getting started on XDA - Part 4
[GUIDE] - XDA New User Guide - The Visual Guide (WIP)
A picture is worth a thousand words...so here are a few pictures to ponder.
1. Portal
2. Forum Home
3. Device Home
4. Device Forum
5. User Control Panel
6. Advanced Search
For the text version of this guide and to register here on XDA, please go here:
[GUIDE] - XDA New User Guide - Getting started on XDA
1. Many people start out with the XDA Portal.
------------------------------------------
++++++++++++++++++++++++
------------------------------------------​
2. But most continue on to the forums...this is a longie but a goodie.
------------------------------------------
++++++++++++++++++++++++
------------------------------------------​
3. Once you find your device home forum, many people stay for a while.
------------------------------------------
++++++++++++++++++++++++
------------------------------------------​
4. There is a lot of information just by glancing at the device's Q&A forum page.
------------------------------------------
++++++++++++++++++++++++
------------------------------------------​
5. You can change your preferences and more through the User Control Panel.
------------------------------------------
++++++++++++++++++++++++
------------------------------------------​
6. If you know how to use the Advanced Search, you are a power user indeed.
------------------------------------------
++++++++++++++++++++++++
------------------------------------------​
For the text version of this guide and to register here on XDA, please go here:
[GUIDE] - XDA New User Guide - Getting started on XDA
Welcome to XDA!
[GUIDE] - XDA New User Guide - Getting started on XDA - Part 4
~~~Getting Flamed or Trolled~~~
When you post something here, many people will see it and possibly post a reply that might be perceived as
funny but not extremely helpful, or trolling. This is mostly due to questions that have been asked and
answered a thousand times, threads/posts being in the wrong forum/thread, or not providing enough info.
This is usually meant as good-natured kidding, so please don't take it wrongly and snap off a reply that
escalates the situation into something you might regret later.
At some point, you are going to get "flamed" by someone who feels that your post is stupid, off-topic,
irrelevant, noobish, whatever, and they are going to post something like "You are an XXXXX who doesn't
know something simple like YYYYY. Don't post here anymore." It is going to happen at some time here,
but the important part is not to respond in kind.
It will not help the situation, or make your e-peen any bigger, or make you any tougher. It might make
you feel better temporarily, but what usually happens is that the forum mod (or a senior mod) will come
in and delete those comments and you might end up on the infraction list, or temporarily disabled,
or banned. Just don't reply to it.
First, consider the question or post you wrote from a different angle. There is no excuse for flaming
someone, but in a multi-cultural environment things may be perceived very differently than you intended.
Try ignoring it.
Second, if the flame is really over the line, don't reply to it. Click on the little triangle in the upper right corner
of the post to report it. Type in a short explanation, choose "Abusive or threatening post" and let the mods handle it.
~~~Reporting Posts~~~
XDA Needs You! to help keep things organized. Please press the little orange triangle button and report
when you see threads that are in the wrong forums. If you see a [Q] thread posted in your device's General
or Development forums, please take a minute to report it and put in "Please move to X device Q&A forum"
as an example reason. Then choose "Thread/Post moving or maintenance" in the drop down box,then Send Report.
This will notify all the mods of that forum and one of them will move the thread to the correct forum.
You can also use this to report spam posts. Since XDA has a lot of members, we are a target for spammers.
If you see threads posted with titles like [WATCH ONLINE NOW][LIVE]Some sports event[LIVE], please
use the report button to let us mods know that we need to delete it.
~~~Signature~~~
Making a signature is a very important thing to do since it can help to describe your phone, it's current software,
and any modifications you have installed.
A signature should inform others about your phone when you post a question to avoid follow up questions.
A good signature will include information helpful to others beyond the direct target of the question/reply.
A great signature will inform the community with important information and potentially answer
questions which have not been asked yet, avoiding repetitive posts.
[GUIDE][Noob Friendly]How to make a good signature[Noob Friendly][GUIDE]
Please click here to make a signature (5-8 posts minimum)
It's cool and you will get more help and respect from us.
If you need some ideas for a signature or are willing to share yours, please check here: Share your sig code please.
Please respect other XDA members and avoid using really huge pictures that are several inches tall
with stacked pictures and text, or multi-megabyte videos.
Also, if you copy a picture from someone that you like, please rehost it either in a gallery here on XDA
or on Dropbox or photobucket or whatever service you like.
Don't just copy their image link and paste it into your signature. That is stealing and could also be
turned off at any time if they change or delete the picture, or if the additional bandwidth used goes
over the limits, and you will lose the image completely.
Please remember that signatures are supposed to be that, signatures. Not obnoxious billboards.
~~~Donations~~~
Making a donation is neither expected or required, but are always gratefully received and appreciated.
There are "Donate to me" icons above people's avatar, or in their signatures.
You can also donate to XDA by clicking HERE.
When you donate 10 EUROS to XDA,you get rewarded with a STAR which is displayed below your avatar.
If you buy 10 STARS ,you will be rewarded with a
.
Remember, always be respectful of other members here and considerate. Most people here are doing
this for nothing more than the feeling of helping people as we have been helped by other people previously,
and sometimes the occasional press of the thanks button. We aren't making money here and this isn't
a job, so please don't tell people what to do or demand things of people such as mods or custom ROM
configs to suit you and you will do just fine here.
~~~Other Helpful Links~~~
Get an extra 5GB at copy.com!
[HOW TO] make a good THREAD, POST, QUESTION and POLL
Help Your Threads Get More Search Hits with Better Titles and Thread Tags!
[Tutorial] How To Logcat
[GUIDE] How to give constructive feedback to developers
[ADB/FB/APX Driver] Universal Naked Driver 0.7
Chef Central
Android Application Development Videos
[Ultimate Guide]Android App Development - From Scratch
How to Apply for Recognized Developer
XDA Recognized Developer Program Expansion - Do you contribute enough work to be a Recognized Contributor or Recognized Themer?
xda-developers: The History -Part One-
xda-developers: The-History-Part Two/
XDA Through the Years: A Visual History
I am leaving this open for now, but please, in the spirit of what I have written above, please only post
suggestions you feel will improve this guide. I hope this guide helps you and makes your experience
on XDA a better one. I appreciate your thanks, but I will appreciate you even more if you take this guide
to heart and really do it while you are here. Thank you for reading.
I cannot stress this more to the Noobs New Users, if you want your experience on XDA to be fruitful and learn to unleash the true potential of your device, please look at and adhere to the above. It makes things so much more productive and that way we can all help each other in an orderly and constructive fashion.
I mean, isn't that why you came to XDA anyways? I'm sure any Google search definitely pulls up links to one thread or another from XDA, so why not register and join and become productive part of the community.
Nice guide. Think n00bs will read it? That is kind of the downside of n00bs, not reading or searching first. So they never find this.
Crtl+F
"n00bs"
Replace all
"New Users"
Dblfstr said:
Nice guide. Think n00bs will read it? That is kind of the downside of n00bs, not reading or searching first. So they never find this.
Crtl+F
"n00bs"
Replace all
"New Users"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope they will, I know what you mean about searching, unfortunately that is not just new people nowadays... I have requested that this thread be stickied, might be tough in this forum however as there are a lot of stickies already, I hate to bump threads up so we will see.
Dblfstr said:
Nice guide. Think n00bs will read it? That is kind of the downside of n00bs, not reading or searching first. So they never find this.
Crtl+F
"n00bs"
Replace all
"New Users"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally understand what you are saying my friend, but also in response to it. That is just more of a reason for us as RC's an well as other respectable committed XDA members to make sure to share this as much as we can by re posting it in our respective device forums and other non device specific forums. So if you see a chance to post it in a thread to help answer a question covered in the OP of this thread please do. Vote this thread to be presented on the a Portal, add tags to the thread to help people find it. I personally am going now to add it to my sig along with the ew member guide that is linked in the op and has been linked in my sig ever since the new member guide was created. I also highly recommend every RC link this thread in there sig as well. I mean the more it is linked the higher the chance is that noobs will find the thread.
I totally agree that post. I'm a new junior member, but I don't want to be a noob. I suggest that everyone new member should be forced to read and agree this post before registration.
Sent from my GT-S5360 using xda premium
mf2112 said:
Getting Started
First, please start here by registering.
This enables you to download the files which are attached to posts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just so you know, you don't need to be a member to download attachments
the_scotsman said:
Just so you know, you don't need to be a member to download attachments
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for letting me know, I am sure I read that somewhere but I will change it now.
mf2112 said:
Thanks for letting me know, I am sure I read that somewhere but I will change it now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At the early times,xda allowed downloading from attachment only after registration but as the number of members increased,xda noticed that many people just registered to download the attachment they required and never showed up again.Hence,xda allowed downloading attachments without registering so that the number of guys who are not here to stay(something like that) would be reduced.Read this sometime before.
I have added this to my sticky here, lets hope they use this.
Nice guide, I've actually stuck it to this thread
Little tip - No need to spam every forum with the same guide . All other threads removed
Fallen Spartan said:
Nice guide, I've actually stuck it to this thread
Little tip - No need to spam every forum with the same guide . All other threads removed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes sir, I understand after talking to pg101 last night. A number of us RC's just felt that a number of users go directly to their phones forum and tend to stay there, not to this forum and would thus miss it, so we didn't feel it counted as spam in that regard. But we understand and respect your decision. Thank you for stickying it.
mf2112 said:
Yes sir, I understand after talking to pg101 last night. A number of us RC's just felt that a number of users go directly to their phones forum and tend to stay there, not to this forum and would thus miss it, so we didn't feel it counted as spam in that regard. But we understand and respect your decision. Thank you for stickying it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True, I understand your point, but if we have it in one location, we can direct all new users to the same place and it also helps you if you only have to update one thread, rather than countless others
...........................
You can lead a fool to wisdom but you can't make him think! XDA, mobile wisdom, not a n00b feeding ground!!
Noob to noobs
Been a reader/member of xda over a year, but haven't made my first post until today. My advice is follow the guides, use the searc and read the forum thread.
By doing this I have successfully rooted and flashed the Captivate and the Galaxy S II. Even got the latter out of a CWM boot loop.
Slow down, think about your problem and then read some more.
The answer is most likely out there, or you have read it before and just need to remember.
Okay here is my 2 cents for say. This is just plan confusing to me, I can not lie. Ever sense I first joined XDA I have read post of members *****ing about this problem. I have also seen other members get flamed pretty bad over this problem. Now that there is a actual organized effort to subvert this issue some, it is put to a stop???? Just illogical to me.
Now if you see multiple post as spamming the boards, I do apologize for that. But one thread in one location is not enough if the proper steps are not taken. If the one thread method is what is wanted then I suggest this.
One make this a mandatory read for all new members, not just a stickie thread.
Two make this a mandatory subscribed thread for all new members and existing members. Also make it a non removable subscribed thread at least for a year if not never.
Now as time goes by I could probably think of some more to add to this but this is just my initial thoughts. I highly respect all mods and admins but this sort of action toward something that is an effort to help XDA is just not understandable to me.
T-Macgnolia said:
Okay here is my 2 cents for say. This is just plan confusing to me, I can not lie. Ever sense I first joined XDA I have read post of members *****ing about this problem. I have also seen other members get flamed pretty bad over this problem. Now that there is a actual organized effort to subvert this issue some, it is put to a stop???? Just illogical to me.
Now if you see multiple post as spamming the boards, I do apologize for that. But one thread in one location is not enough if the proper steps are not taken. If the one thread method is what is wanted then I suggest this.
One make this a mandatory read for all new members, not just a stickie thread.
Two make this a mandatory subscribed thread for all new members and existing members. Also make it a non removable subscribed thread at least for a year if not never.
Now as time goes by I could probably think of some more to add to this but this is just my initial thoughts. I highly respect all mods and admins but this sort of action toward something that is an effort to help XDA is just not understandable to me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tbh, I liked some of your ideas, especially the subscribing new users to specifc threads. I've passed this onto admin/mods for discussion

[GUIDE] All-In-One Thread for New Members and also Senior Members

Hello guys. My RC friend, mf2112 has made an awesome guide and asked RC to share to other forum. So decided to share it here. I hope that this guide can help new members to attach to our friendly XDA community. Be a good member in XDA and further to contribute to the community.
mf2112 said:
To all new users, XDA is a great place where you can learn a lot about how to make your phone better, have fun talking to other smart people about your phone and the Android OS, and maybe be recognized for your efforts. But first there are few things you need to know about XDA to be a good netizen. I suggest bookmarking any of the links below which might seem helpful since chances are in the future it will be helpful to you or to someone else and you will have it bookmarked.
Getting Started
First, please start here by registering. This enables you to post questions and helpful replies to other people's questions and get thanks.
The Rules
Like anything in life, there are rules here. There are also moderators (mods) who enforce the rules when necessary.
Here is the short version. Please:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Here is the longer version. XDA Rules
Searching
When you have a question you don't know the answer to, don't post a new thread when you could post a question in a relevant open thread, and don't post a question when a few minutes reading and searching will not only give you an answer, but a feeling of accomplishment that you were able to find it yourself, and the confidence to remember and repeat the answer with the link to the thread or post with that answer when you see someone else post that question.
Consider the question you are going to post, pick out the keywords and type them into the search box. Try a few different searches with slightly different words.
New Members Guide-Get the most out of XDA!!
Search guide video
If you aren't sure what a term or acronym means, check this Excellent term definition Glossary by benjamingwynn.
Giving Thanks
Giving thanks is important. It lets people know that their work or answer is appreciated. It is a faster method of feedback than posting a reply like "Thanks for your answer!" You must have one post to give thanks, so here is a good place you can do that without running afoul of the mods for posting no content posts.
The "Say Hi" thread.
You get 8 thanks per day, and they renew after 24 hours or so. Each thanks is independent of the others, so if you give someone a thanks at 3, and then another at 4, those will renew at 3 and 4 the next day. If you run out of thanks, then bookmark that page or open it in a new tab and give thanks later when you have one available.
If you use them all every day you are doing it correctly.
Getting Thanks
You will see that everyone here has a Thanks Meter above their avatar. Here are the thanks counts needed to get to the next bar.
1st bar - 26
2nd bar - 51
3rd bar - 101
4th bar - 201
bug here, never gets to 5 bars, probably 501 if fixed.
6th bar - 1001
7th bar - 2001
8th bar - 5001
9th bar - 8001
Maxed! - 10000
Not that thanks are an indication of a user's status or stature on XDA. Some of the most important people here have a lot fewer thanks than you might guess.
User Titles
As you go around XDA and encounter people, you may notice that they have different titles under their avatar. Speaking of which, click here to upload a picture.
Here are the user titles explained by one of our mods.
0 to 29 posts - Junior Member
30 to 99 posts - Member
100 + posts - Senior Member
Posting
Posting is something you may do a lot of here, but it is always important to remember to make your posts good ones. Don't post just to drive up your count, there is no special reward for the poster with the highest total and you won't catch the long timers here anyways.
You will find that there are some restrictions on your posting ability when you first start here. For starters, for your first 5 posts, there is a captcha prompt and a time limit in between posts. While this may seem burdensome, it does an excellent job of keeping spammers from posting garbage throughout every thread. There is a 2 minute limit between posting and editing your posts. This stops at 30 posts when you go from Junior Member to Member.
Always remember advice from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
Don't Panic!
Please post ALL relevant information. What ROM/Kernel, What you were doing when the problem surfaced, What is the actual problem (not my phone won't boot, help!!), Were the planets aligned,...
Simple information can go along way to diagnose the problem/issue and it also prevents the reciprocal post of "Need more info".
And we have all been there in Panic Mode where you freak out and just want to get some help. Noobs don't look at these devices as phones or tablets, but rather as investment because well that is what they are are $500-$800 a throw. I respect my device but that is because I know how to use and recovery it. Noobs don't. They see a bootloop and it is strikingly similar to the toilet swirling their money down the drain. That is when Panic Mode sets in.
Don't Panic. Don't be a noob. Be a New User who is smart and reads a lot and knows where things are and how to find useful and timely information.
Why can't I post in the Dev thread I want to?
It seems like everyone wants to be able to post in the Dev threads since it is the cool place to hang out or more likely, just because the message comes up and says you can't post here. However, those forums are locked down and new users who joined after Mar 11, 2012 with less than 10 posts will not be able to post there. If you see someone with less than 10 posts in a dev thread, look at their join date and you will see why they were able to post.
This restriction is not meant to be cruel or mean to you, but to prevent inexperienced people from posting in forums which are meant for Development work. Posting "Thanks for a great ROM" might make you feel good, but consider what it adds to the conversation from a Development perspective. If the answer is Nothing, then please don't post it in a Dev thread. If it adds another post to an already long thread with zero value, please don't post it on a Dev thread or anywhere on XDA for that matter.
Also keep in mind that the mods are out there reading your posts, and if they believe you are posting simply to get to 10 posts to post some non-dev comment in a dev thread, you could find all your posts missing and your account temporarily disabled.
Please feel free to thank the dev several times instead of posting "Thanks for a great ROM". Rate the dev's thread with 5 stars using the rate dropdown button at the top of every page of the thread. If you feel that is not sufficient, most devs have a donate button with Paypal. I promise you that they will remember you and appreciate you far more for donating even a couple of dollars versus some post, however gushingly approving, on their dev thread.
Please do not send private messages to the devs saying "Thanks for a great ROM" instead of posting "Thanks for a great ROM". See above.
The best way to start is not by posting, it is by reading. Read, search, read, search. If you read an answer that looks helpful or answers a question you might have, bookmark it, and when you see someone else ask that question you will have the answer for them plus a supporting link.
You might be thinking, is there a place for new users? The answer is no, because the only non-noob areas are the Dev subforums. You can post into your devices General, Q&A, Accessories, and Themes and Apps subforums.
10 post count rule for Dev threads AKA Stop PM'ing me please
Posting Questions
OK, you got through all that and you have a question that you need that answer to. You have searched, and searched again, and searched again with different keywords, but you can't find the answer. The question is, where do you post it? The first and best place is to check your device's Q&A subforum for a thread posted there, either a general question thread, or a thread already posted there with a similar question. When you post into a thread, that thread is then listed at the top of the subforum it is in and the title turns Bolded for everyone else. Someone else may see that thread and know the answer and post it.
Remember, give it some time before reposting. XDA members live around the world and are not going to be on your time zone and schedule. Wait a day and see if you get a response. If you want a notification of someone else posting into that thread, click on the Thread Tools button at the top of the thread and choose Subscribe.
Getting Flamed
At some point, you are going to get "flamed" by someone who feels that your post is stupid, off-topic, irrelevant, noobish, whatever, and they are going to post something like "You are an XXXXX who doesn't know something simple like YYYYY. Don't post here anymore." It is going to happen at some time here, but the important part is not to respond in kind. It will not help the situation, or make your e-peen any bigger, or make you any tougher. It might make you feel better temporarily, but what invariably happens is that the forum mod (or a senior mod) will come in and delete those comments and you might end up on the infraction list, or temporarily disabled, or banned. Just don't reply to it. First, consider the question or post you wrote from a different angle. There is no excuse for flaming someone, but in a multi-cultural environment things may be perceived very differently than what you intended. Second, if the flame is really over the line, click on the little triangle in the upper right hand corner of the post and type in a short explanation and let the mods handle it.
Signature
Making a signature is a very important thing to do since it can help to describe your phone, it's current software, and any modifications you have installed.
A signature should inform others about your phone when you post a question.
A good signature will include information helpful to others beyond the direct target of the question/reply.
A great signature will inform the community with important information and potentially answer questions which have not been asked yet, avoiding repetitive posts.
Please click here to make a signature (5-8 posts minimum) It's cool and you will get more help and respect from us.
Remember, always be respectful of other members here and considerate. Most people here are doing this for nothing more than the feeling of helping people as we have been helped by other people previously, and sometimes the occasional press of the thanks button. We aren't making money here and this isn't a job, so please don't tell people what to do or demand things of people such as mods or custom ROM configs to suit you and you will do just fine here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeowwwai said:
Furthermore, the stars under people's profile mean that the user has donated to XDA. 10 Euros = 1 star.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The XDA community needs our members' help to be better. Respecting others has never hurts people.
*Go to #2 for more!
This was sent from my Galaxy Ace, but who cares?
Getting understand to the "XDA words"
So well. This is made to help new members to understand what does XXXX mean? What does XXXX represent?
Dev - See developer.
Developer - A man or woman who has created (developed) software. Eg, Acro68
ROM - 1. A modified version of the Android operating system operating system. 2. Read Only Memory, a place where information is stored and can not be destroyed, modified or written to.
AOSP - "Android open source project" a project by Google Inc. to give android to developers and manufactures for free (see open-source)
Open-source - (not to be confussed with free) A peice of software that is free to edit, use, distribute and share with no charge.
CM - See cyanogenmod
Cyanogenmod - A free open-source project based on the AOSP. It is a modded (see modded) version of the Android firmware
Firmware - see ROM (1)
Stock - An unchanged version of something. Example: I just flashed stock Samsung firmware.
OTA - "Over the air" a term used to indicate software that was sent to phones directly through the internet to their phones.
FOTA - "Firmware over the air" this normally refers to ROM's but can refer to radio firmware (see OTA)
Firmware - a piece of software to make hardware function correctly. This can refer to Radio Firmware, but is normally used as another name for ROM (1)
Radio - (not to be confused with Radio Firmware) A piece of hardware that allows communication. There are 3 main radios in your phone. Bluetooth, WiFi and GSM/CDMA.
Radio Firmware - (see firmware) a type of software that allows correct communication with the radio and the operating system. A newer firmware would normally improve battery life and call quality. The radio firmware only applies to the CDMA/GSM radio.
CDMA/GSM - A type of network communication between phones and carriers. GSM phones normally are included with SIM Cards that authorize them onto the network. CDMA have this authorization built in and do not need a sim card.
Kernel - An important part of all operating systems that handles the CPU and other vital components. A modded kernel may be used for overclocking.
Overclock - (not to be confused with underclock) to exced the default maximum CPU speed. This could make a phone more powerful but may cause damage. Although no damaged has been reported so far it could still drain battery life.
Underclock - to change your phones maximum frequency to LOWER than the default to attempt to extend the phones lifespan and battery.
Mod - A modification to a part of the phones software. It is also POSSIBLE to mod the phones hardware but is not recommended.
Modding - To perform a mod
Modded - to have included mods
Modification - see mod
Governor - a system embedded into the kernel to automatically change the current working CPU frequency depending on the workload. It would only go up to what it is overclocked (or underclocked) to, this is called the maximum frequency. It would not drop bellow the (just as eaisly configurable) minimum frequency.
Library's/Libs - a set of instructions for applications to use to function. A functioning camera lib would allow the camera to be used.
Logcat - A logging system built into the ADB
ADB - "Android Debug Bridge" a system that can be accessed using a computer where you can manage the device from. You need the Android SDK to use it.
SDK - "Software Development Kit" a set of tools used for software development.
WIP - "Work In Progress"
JDK - "Java Development Kit" an SDK for the java platform. It is needed to run the Android SDK.
JRE - "Java Runtime Environment" a collection of binarys and files to allow java software to execute.
Execute - To "run" or "start" a binary
Binarys - (sometimes called bin's) a group of executable files.
RAM - Could be one of three meanings: 1. Memory for the CPU to process processes. 2. Random Access Memory, a place where information can be used, executed from, modified, or deleted. 3. A type of sheep.
SD - Short term for MicroSD
GB - Could mean one of two things. 1. Gingerbread or 2. Great Britain
Gingerbread - Android 2.3
Froyo - Android 2.2
Honeycomb - Android 3.x. it was never released or ported to the Galaxy W because it was built for tablets.
Ice cream sandwich/ICS - Android 4.0. The latest version of Android.
CM9 - Cyanogenmod 9. A modified version of ICS. (see cm)
Kies - Update utilities, used to backup and update firmware.
Odin - A tool for updating firmware.
Custom recovery - An unofficial version of the recovery to install unoffical ROMs.
AFAIK - "As far as I know"n Android application
KANG - The process of creating a code based of someone else's code.
Zipalligned - This is something that makes a ROM faster. If you can improve this please contact me!
Deodexed - Where ODEX files are moved into the actual applications
APK - "Android Package" an Android application, Eg XDAFree.apk
This was sent from my Galaxy Ace, but who cares?
Reserved for future.
This was sent from my Galaxy Ace, but who cares?
Same as the post above.
This was sent from my Galaxy Ace, but who cares?
More is coming...
This was sent from my Galaxy Ace, but who cares?
Thanks...
This is such a great thread!
Help me a lot!
thanks, this answered my question on why i had to use the captcha everytime lol. My eyes are not that great and i swear there must be a trick to reading them i have to refresh it about 20 times just to semi read one correctly.
CallMeLewis said:
Ice cream sandwich/ICS - Android 4.0. The latest version of Android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
JB latest
what is MIUI?
Sent from my SGW with MIUI
CallMeLewis said:
GB - Could mean one of two things. 1. Gingerbread or 2. Great Britain
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What about adding 'GigaByte'
Thanks
Sent from my GT-I8150 using xda premium
Great guide, will keep them in mind! (I hope...)
Cool. But shouldn't this be in OT or General, not in the Galaxy W section? .-.
LewisGauss said:
Hello guys. My RC friend, mf2112 has made an awesome guide and asked RC to share to other forum. So decided to share it here. I hope that this guide can help new members to attach to our friendly XDA community. Be a good member in XDA and further to contribute to the community.
The XDA community needs our members' help to be better. Respecting others has never hurts people.
*Go to #2 for more!
This was sent from my Galaxy Ace, but who cares?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thnx
Hello Team,
My device Micromax Canvas Spark 3 Q385 is not in list of devices in xda. Kindly add my device for better understanding and development of specific model.
Thanks is advance
Regards
AddyroxxzZ

XDA DevDB FAQ / Feedback / Bug Reports

This is relating to the announcement of DevDB: http://www.xda-developers.com/announcements/introducing-the-xda-devdb/
Please use this thread to report bugs, request features, and offer feedback. :highfive:
==============================================================
The main DevDB Access url is here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/devdb/
This is @bitpushr here, I'm hijacking @svetius's thread to put a bit more information and a quick FAQ on the DevDB for people.
The overall goal of DevDB is to give structure to the development projects on XDA. Most obviously this is for ROMs, but also kernels and other tools and projects that you wonderful people come up with. I've been getting a lot of PMs about DevDB so I thought I'd compile them into a little FAQ:
1. How Do I Add Projects to DevDB?
You can visit the main DevDB url, and if you have access to add a project or import an existing thread, you will see the following links:
Adding a project will allow you to enter a new project from scratch and automatically create a thread for you.
Importing an existing thread will allow you to "enhance" the thread by adding it to the DevDB database and let you add more detailed information about your project.
2. Why should I add my project to DevDB?
For developers, it adds crucial metadata to your project that will allows us to show your project in more locations on the site. Threads that are "DevDB-ized" show up in the device page ROM listings, for example. We also add some cool features like a new large-file download system, reviews, a bug reporter/feature requester, and more.
For end-users, it allows us to present the ROMs and other projects on the site in a friendlier format. Rather than scouring forums and threads for new ROMs, we want to give them a place to see these projects and the unique features each one has.
We have some other cool ideas 'in the pipeline' so we thoroughly encourage devs to add their projects to DevDB.
3. Who can add projects?
Right now Recognized Developers and some other beta users are able to add projects to the system. If you wish to be added to the best-tester list, please pm @bitpushr.
Eventually we'll open this up to all "Senior Members" after we get all of the bugs out.
This is really cool.
Thanks a lot. :good:
That's why this is my favorite forum.
Some characters aren't showing correctly in FF 22.0. They show up fine under Chromium. I'm using Linux.
The characters are located:
Just before the device's name;
Near each of the table's columns' titles;
The stars also seem hidden (didn't check if those were ASCII characters or images, tho);
There's a weird "fi" showing in the search bar. It's in black when using the normal theme, so it may be less visible than on my dark theme.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Also, the bottom bar ("Total Results: X") has white text on a white background using the default theme (on both browsers).
Awesome idea!
GermainZ said:
Some characters aren't showing correctly in FF 22.0. They show up fine under Chromium. I'm using Linux.
The characters are located:
Just before the device's name;
Near each of the table's columns' titles;
The stars also seem hidden (didn't check if those were ASCII characters or images, tho);
There's a weird "fi" showing in the search bar. It's in black when using the normal theme, so it may be less visible than on my dark theme.
Also, the bottom bar ("Total Results: X") has white text on a white background using the default theme (on both browsers).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that's a weird binary character. It's actually a hexadecimal representation of a character which is not present in the font you are using.
I have a few issues to address. What about tools which can be used for all devices? The CASUAL project just started a new IDE called CASCADE. It will eventually allow for users to create their own CASUALs easily via guided use of the CASUAL language. Also, there's plenty of CASUAL scripts which will work on all, many, some or one device. Is it possible to link these tools cross-forum?
This is frigging awesome.
Feature requests:
1) Can/will this be enabled for [APP] threads, too? Has anyone SEEN the Nova Launcher thread lately?! But, not just for clutter--the feature request, Q&A, etc. will be very useful, too.
2) Can a FAQ tab be added? Not essential, but may keep 1st post of ROM threads from overflowing with paragraphs and paragraphs of text. Also, related to idea 6, below.
3) In bug reports, can we enter our hardware somewhere so we don't have to re-type it every time? Also, can multiple devices be selected, a la Google Play website app installing?
4) In bug reports, can we have a separate, but REQUIRED TO FILL OUT, text box for steps to reproduce?
5) Can bug reports be edited? Many times we think we know the issue, but then another user discovers the actual regression, and then instead of two bug reports, one can be made?
6) The biggest one is the last, hehe. Can we somehow have user-editable FAQs for threads? I seriously think XDA needs to implement Wiki's IN THREADS. People check threads (nobody, IMO, sees or even knows that XDA has a Wiki) and there are a handful of users who are nearly as knowledgeable as the developer who post. Maybe only OP-approved people can edit. But, seriously, you guys can make XDA legitimately 100x better if you implemented Wiki-style FAQs for these special threads.
Many people know the answer, but don't want to retype it 500 times. Now, let them put their answer in a very EASY TO FIND place in the FAQ. You seriously harness the power of this extremely knowledgeable community. If you don't, then you leave smart people upset at multiple people posting the same question.
Question:
1) Are
My two cents
Hopefully this isn't looked on as the ultimate sin or put me on any list hahaha BUT I have a question for any admin/moderator that's directly involved in this project....
How is this helping the developer?
I see a lot of things that users would love and want because they see this site more of a ROM shop then a development site but I don't see how this helps the developers, the ones doing the actual development.
I mean, judging from threads like the NOVA thread which ikjadoon pointed out above....users don't read or even search before posting which in turn causes developers to take more time away from the development process to answer questions that have been asked and answered about 100000 times if not more.
They also ignore warnings in OPs unless they're in BIG RED letters. They post in the wrong sections time after time even though there are stickies and is written in the XDA rules. The list goes on and on and on, how users repeatedly prove that they can't read 2-3 paragraphs if not less of information that will help them and/or follow simple instructions.
I'm not on any high horse here but if you ask anybody that's willing to be truthful if this is true or not, they will answer HELL YES.
With that said, by encouraging users to be even more lazy and giving them tabs is not only making it more difficult for the developer(s) by having him or her fill out these tabs BUT is not in my opinion going to fix the clutter/searching before posting issue.
This will also (in my opinion) send a wave of users harassing developers if they chose NOT to take part in the whole tabs project.
I don't have all the answers nor do I expect any of the admins/moderators that are directly involved in this project to have them BUT I believe this would be a step in the wrong direction if organizing the forums is the ultimate goal here.
ONCE again, this is my opinion. At the end of the day, is your site and you will do as you want. I'm just a member throwing my two cents in...don't shoot! :good:
svetius said:
This is relating to the announcement of DevDB: http://www.xda-developers.com/announcements/introducing-the-xda-devdb/
Please use this thread to report bugs, request features, and offer feedback. :highfive:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How about a field in the DevDB that indicates if the ROM passes Google's CTS (Compatibility Test Suite)? Some people may not want to install something that deviates too far from what Google intended Android to be like (or if something fundamental got broken), if you know what I mean.
Just my humble $0.02
ref: http://source.android.com/faqs.html#compatibility-test-suite
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
@Mazda
Some of your points are EXACTLY the reason I think each of these threads needs a user-editable (aka wiki-style) FAQ.
The developer, here, does NOT need to create and edit the FAQ themselves. Many knowledgeable users can do that and the developer is free to simply curate it.
If the FAQ is readily available in a tab, I think you will see a significant decrease in thread noise.
ikjadoon said:
@Mazda
Some of your points are EXACTLY the reason I think each of these threads needs a user-editable (aka wiki-style) FAQ.
The developer, here, does NOT need to create and edit the FAQ themselves. Many knowledgeable users can do that and the developer is free to simply curate it.
If the FAQ is readily available in a tab, I think you will see a significant decrease in thread noise.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe they tried that with the WIKI's and it didn't turn out that well....
Some wikis did well and some were ghost towns.........the clutter remained none the less
OH and I would like to say that I'm not here to piss on the idea of this project or just say "none of this will work", I'm simply stating my opinion based on what I've seen as a member since I've joined.
I would LOVE to see XDA live up to it's potential and maybe remove some of the clutter and trolls BUT I just see it going a different direction at this moment in time...
Exactly! They were ghost towns because nobody knew about them and, if you did, why take the time and energy to edit something that like 10 people would see?
Thus, place them as a tab on the OP like the others are now.
Same...XDA has ridiculous potential!
This is a great idea and one I've wanted to see in XDA or any other forum for a long time. Since I own a Note 2 N7100, I contributed my part by using Google docs and forms to provide much of the same information in the DevDB for the Note 2. I would say now much of my work is obsoleted, but I agree it is a good thing for XDA.
However for improved granularity, instead of just 1 ranking rating, can DevDB also include 1 other rating for Screen On Time as an indicator for battery life?
My sig links to the thread where I made the index, you can see what I've done.
Good feedback, guys. Keep it coming :highfive:
Well, more of the same, haha:
Threads are great for a few users having a semi-cohesive discussion. With many users, many important issues are somewhere within hundreds of pages.
A user-editable FAQ would fix that. I'd like to also stress the importance of having the FAQ as a tab and NOT a link, as otherwise we'd have fewer users editing and fewer users reading.
It doesn't have to use the exact wiki format. But, maybe, a community-editable post that is otherwise normal.
Some threads that could've used it:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1727052
Galaxy SIII Annoyances Megathread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1984126
The AT&T Jelly Bean Release Thread (4.1.1 released; Kies and OTA)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1739426
[HOWTO] [ROOT] No Tripping Flash Counter - [ATT / Bell / Telus / Rogers / Sasktel]
Mention @ tags don't work with DevDB.. Rest it ok needs improvement though
Not the s3? wow.
AdamOutler said:
that's a weird binary character. It's actually a hexadecimal representation of a character which is not present in the font you are using.
I have a few issues to address. What about tools which can be used for all devices? The CASUAL project just started a new IDE called CASCADE. It will eventually allow for users to create their own CASUALs easily via guided use of the CASUAL language. Also, there's plenty of CASUAL scripts which will work on all, many, some or one device. Is it possible to link these tools cross-forum?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually we are considering this as some tools are multi or pan-device. Working on a way to show this correctly across multiple devices without getting confusing. Honestly we wanted to make sure that this system works in the first place, find out where we need to expand it, and then do it. @AdamOutler don't know if you noticed but one of the download options (if you have edit capabilities on a download file) is to set it as a CASUAL file. You can also set a specific board for the download. Our API will allow you to ask XDA to "send me all CASUAL package files for 'mako'" and then allow you to download those directly. More TBA.
Mazda said:
Hopefully this isn't looked on as the ultimate sin or put me on any list hahaha BUT I have a question for any admin/moderator that's directly involved in this project....
How is this helping the developer?
I see a lot of things that users would love and want because they see this site more of a ROM shop then a development site but I don't see how this helps the developers, the ones doing the actual development.
I mean, judging from threads like the NOVA thread which ikjadoon pointed out above....users don't read or even search before posting which in turn causes developers to take more time away from the development process to answer questions that have been asked and answered about 100000 times if not more.
They also ignore warnings in OPs unless they're in BIG RED letters. They post in the wrong sections time after time even though there are stickies and is written in the XDA rules. The list goes on and on and on, how users repeatedly prove that they can't read 2-3 paragraphs if not less of information that will help them and/or follow simple instructions.
I'm not on any high horse here but if you ask anybody that's willing to be truthful if this is true or not, they will answer HELL YES.
With that said, by encouraging users to be even more lazy and giving them tabs is not only making it more difficult for the developer(s) by having him or her fill out these tabs BUT is not in my opinion going to fix the clutter/searching before posting issue.
This will also (in my opinion) send a wave of users harassing developers if they chose NOT to take part in the whole tabs project.
I don't have all the answers nor do I expect any of the admins/moderators that are directly involved in this project to have them BUT I believe this would be a step in the wrong direction if organizing the forums is the ultimate goal here.
ONCE again, this is my opinion. At the end of the day, is your site and you will do as you want. I'm just a member throwing my two cents in...don't shoot! :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey @Mazda, this is ddrager from Twitter.
Well these are all good points. We did a lot of thinking about what XDA does, what we stand for, and what we provide for developers. For a developer, we are oftentimes not only for discussion but also a platform both for distribution and for feedback on ROMs and other applications for mobile devices. In this regard, DevDB is a platform for users to find the right ROMs and applications for their devices, which hopefully keeps them off of the threads with questions about downloads and whatnot. Sure, we can complain all we want that n00bs don't read, don't search etc... but complaining about it doesn't fix the issue. We wanted to present a way that is easier to follow for those looking for new ROMs and how to modify their devices. A sort of 'device central' where you can get all the information on your device for everyone from those new to Android to those who are veterans at flashing ROMs.
For developers, not much has changed. You still have the development forums, and this is totally optional. DevDB adds some features like built-in reviews, bug reports, a torrent tracker/download system etc. This is mainly for those devs who wish to have additional promotion of their projects, and to make it easier for end-users to find and interact with those projects.
Regarding the issue of users not reading, this isn't a problem unique to XDA. You can point people to search as much as you want but there are 10 people behind them asking the same questions. We've all been guilty of this to some extent at one time . What we can do as a site is make the important information as easy to see and find as possible to help reduce the amount of extraneous questions sent to developers, that have already been answered.
XDA is a site full of information overload, and the best thing we can do is make that information categorized and easy to read.
ikjadoon said:
@Mazda
Some of your points are EXACTLY the reason I think each of these threads needs a user-editable (aka wiki-style) FAQ.
The developer, here, does NOT need to create and edit the FAQ themselves. Many knowledgeable users can do that and the developer is free to simply curate it.
If the FAQ is readily available in a tab, I think you will see a significant decrease in thread noise.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This has been brought up a few times. I think what it comes down to is that we currently have a wiki, and nobody really uses it for something like that (that I know of). You can create a page on there and link it to the thread as it is right now.
Great feedback all, keep em coming! :highfive:
awesome feature. when can we expect it to be available on other forums
not asking for an eta although
Just wanted to say this is AWESOME!
I browsed around a bit in the "db-test-areas" and I really like it! The benefits are clearly visible:
Better overview
makes it easy finding stuff for your device
no need to browse pages and pages of devices sections when you are searching for something specific
I'd love to find it in the whole forums!! Keep it on!

why need 10 question?

Need to spam 10 questions to be able to ask in developers forum?
matheszabi said:
Need to spam 10 questions to be able to ask in developers forum?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The very opposite of what you are thinking mate. Basically this is a community, so those who want to join are first told to
1) Use the search , instead of asking a question, as it is and has been asked by someone else and already answered . Do not spam
2) Read, research and learn by looking in the right direction, Do not spam
3) When reading the threads, you may come across, some interesting things and there you can make your own suggestions and or your findings, Do not spam
4) Specific Q&A threads are available for most phones, where you can ask questions, seek advice from others using similar phone like yours. Do not spam.
5) How do you find these threads? use the search, a few available on each forum . Do not Spam.
6) There are even OT threads ( off topic) meant for members to have some fun, but not meant for beginners as you should at least have made 10 posts that had increased your knowledge or increased others by giving advice. This community wants you to learn and walk the walk that all member's had to go through, just like citizens of a country have to undergo certain criteria to be a citizen of that country.
So, there you have it, its not about you learning to spam but about you learning and achieving the status of an XDA member
Again, if you learnt to spam, you may be penalized so avoid it at all cost making ten useful posts will only take a short time for anyone wishing to learn as well as teach others. try involving in a discussion thread, it will be over within hours
So Do not Spam
view this
&
Check this out! You , YES! you are an " Android ". Not your phone but U.
You Must watch this documentary concerning your privacy Terms & Conditions we had agreed to, by using a PC or Smartphone
How to say Thank you? If you find any post helpful on XDA, click on their Thanks button
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
If you are using XDA App or Tapatalk, long press on the post and select :good: Thanks
Its easier to give "Feedback" in this manner than make an additional post.​
xsenman said:
The very opposite of what you are thinking mate. Basically this is a community, so those who want to join are first told to
1) Use the search , instead of asking a question, as it is and has been asked by someone else and already answered . Do not spam
2) Read, research and learn by looking in the right direction, Do not spam
3) When reading the threads, you may come across, some interesting things and there you can make your own suggestions and or your findings, Do not spam
4) Specific Q&A threads are available for most phones, where you can ask questions, seek advice from others using similar phone like yours. Do not spam.
5) How do you find these threads? use the search, a few available on each forum . Do not Spam.
6) There are even OT threads ( off topic) meant for members to have some fun, but not meant for beginners as you should at least have made 10 posts that had increased your knowledge or increased others by giving advice. This community wants you to learn and walk the walk that all member's had to go through, just like citizens of a country have to undergo certain criteria to be a citizen of that country.
So, there you have it, its not about you learning to spam but about you learning and achieving the status of an XDA member
Again, if you learnt to spam, you may be penalized so avoid it at all cost making ten useful posts will only take a short time for anyone wishing to learn as well as teach others. try involving in a discussion thread, it will be over within hours
So Do not Spam
view this
&
Check this out! You , YES! you are an " Android ". Not your phone but U.
You Must watch this documentary concerning your privacy Terms & Conditions we had agreed to, by using a PC or Smartphone
How to say Thank you? If you find any post helpful on XDA, click on their Thanks button
If you are using XDA App or Tapatalk, long press on the post and select :good: Thanks
Its easier to give "Feedback" in this manner than make an additional post.​
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you,
I have searched like 8 days. From developer forum I would like to ask somebody how / where he saved his imei, but I am blocked by rules.
Also I am wondering why need a captcha here, once I am logged in.
matheszabi said:
Thank you,
I have searched like 8 days. From developer forum I would like to ask somebody how / where he saved his imei, but I am blocked by rules.
Also I am wondering why need a captcha here, once I am logged in.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well, you don't need to ask such a question in the developers forum, there are phone specific forums, which you should and can use. Click the WIKI button on top of any forum and you can locate your phone's WIKI page or your can use the general forum for such questions, either you will get an answer by a Member or the Moderator will move your post to the specific Phone forum. So you must subscribe to your post, such that you will know where it has been moved to.
let me give you an idea on
general forums A, or B
Q & A Forums A, or B,
Now if you look at Q&A, forums there are sticky threads for practically any question or phone by noobs
Mind you, above are only for people who cannot locate their phone model in the search . So when there is a specific forum for your phone , there is also a Q&A thread in that forum.
Now to answer your question about IMEI, just look here and here
Most of all, when you seek help, always inform your phone brand and model and its current ROM and whatever you did .
Not sure what captcha you are getting but it may not be an XDA issue
Check this out! You , YES! you are an " Android ". Not your phone but U.
You Must watch this documentary concerning your privacy Terms & Conditions we had agreed to, by using a PC or Smartphone
How to say Thank you? If you find any post helpful on XDA, click on their Thanks button
If you are using XDA App or Tapatalk, long press on the post and select :good: Thanks
Its easier to give "Feedback" in this manner than make an additional post.​
Thanks for tring to help me with rules. I use Google day by day many hours...
My Phone is THL W8S.
Because I have clicked the Format in SP Flash tool and I have flashed all, what is in the Official rom I lost IMEI, Serial number + MAC address.
Recovering a Samsung phone differs from this. Samsung phone are more popular and has more posts.
I have found a non working MKT Tools which can set IMEI , tryed but can't.
It seems it happens with others too: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2403718
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=45771101&postcount=2 here is asking who has installed. I wanted to share my opinion and can't again, because those 10 post rule...
matheszabi said:
My Phone is THL W8S. .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just typed THL W8S in the XDA search and I get all these threads
Basically IMEI editing/switching is an issue that is considered illegal in most countries and the scope of discussion will be limited in XDA, you should try to solve it by flashing the Oldest, Earliest stock ROM, that your phone was shipped with, not by using a custom ROM. That is the only way you can recover it by software solution.
By trying to use a ported ROM, you will fail to achieve it, is my experience and knowledge concerning IMEI, as explained in the links I gave you earlier.
Now If I were you, I would search the above threads and identify the ROM, your phone was shipped with , that would be the solution to recover your IMEI.
Anyway, just a few more posts and you can post in the thread of your choice but if you must post now, you can just PM me the question and I will post for you on any thread you want:victory: so long as its not an illegal issue
Check this out! You , YES! you are an " Android ". Not your phone but U.
You Must watch this documentary concerning your privacy Terms & Conditions we had agreed to, by using a PC or Smartphone
How to say Thank you? If you find any post helpful on XDA, click on their Thanks button
If you are using XDA App or Tapatalk, long press on the post and select :good: Thanks
Its easier to give "Feedback" in this manner than make an additional post.​
I have the invoice and I have the original box which has the IMEI + SN.
Also under my battery is the IMEI + SN. Those I want back, not anything else. Like I told I have searched the forum, also I know for UK is illegal to alter IMEI. In my country I don't know, but I don't want different than the original. I want exactly that what I have on my phone printed.
From those forums I got the engineering mode, where I could set the IMEI, but after factory reset it is lost again.
Somewhere in NVRAM is stored, but I don't know where, how.
Thinking as how it would set it as a Manufacturer: first time need to set all software parts, than I would add the identify parts => those are independent from software.
At booting, recovery is already available, should be, than it should be stored, loaded before that. With boot.img, but separated, because:
If they make a ROM avaialble and if has a hardcoded IMEI, than everybody would have the same IMIEI, who flash it.
The folder structure of original ROM looks like this:
When I have flashed with Flash tool I have flashed with all option checked, so flashed the Radio part too. Was noob enough to not make a backup, so I can't recover from backup, but If you want I can make a photo from by phone backside and see the original IMEI + SN and from phone screenshot to see those.
matheszabi said:
I have the invoice and I have the original box which has the IMEI + SN.
Also under my battery is the IMEI + SN. Those I want back, not anything else. .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No one is doubting its your phone and you made a mistake by not taking a efs backup before flashing. And I have encountered numerous persons having this issue in the XDA forums as well as through Personal Messaging. Its a very difficult issue for some and even Mobile Technicians have problem identifying whether its a software or hardware issue. As unknown baseband or baseband failure will also cause this problem.
I personally know ( have discussed with them) maybe some 50 or more persons who had spent weeks and months trying to get it resolved on their units and nothing worked . Not trying to discourage you but its the reality of this issue. Some Chinese sites do host MTK tools that they claim worked for them but for XDA it will be an illegal issue. I know for Samsung units Riffbox like Z3X, octupus box & SPT box can fix it but do not have any idea about your phone.
I doubt anyone in XDA can help as MOD's have specific guidelines to STOP such discussions.
Check this out! You , YES! you are an " Android ". Not your phone but U.
You Must watch this documentary concerning your privacy Terms & Conditions we had agreed to, by using a PC or Smartphone
How to say Thank you? If you find any post helpful on XDA, click on their Thanks button
If you are using XDA App or Tapatalk, long press on the post and select :good: Thanks
Its easier to give "Feedback" in this manner than make an additional post.​
On this screen I have pressed the Format button.
Than I have loaded the scatter file from the ROM provided in previous screen.
Than I have pressed the Download with all fields checked: prom Preloader to whatever is the last item - very similar as how it shows in this screen.
Like I told I have lost all NVRAM related stuff. Or at Format or at full download step. I haven't made backup.
at MKT droid tools this button doesn't working for me:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qVvpBNhEL...AAArU/HQ1IoWSZMTY/s320/20130326141209294.jpeg
He need to get Root on his GUI and that doesn't working.
The IMEI setting is working like presented here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZEVDwcCVzY but that is not permanent> After a factory reset is lost again. Also it is not solve the SN + MAC address issues
Also I have checked this too: http://chinaphonearena.com/forum/Thread-Need-restore-IMEI-but-MTK-Droid-Tools-dont-works?page=3
There i got the solution presented on youtube. But that is a temp solution, like I told.
I can't believe.... who started this min 10 post thing?!
This site was first or they one with this cazzy rule?
matheszabi said:
I can't believe.... who started this min 10 post thing?!
This site was first or they one with this cazzy rule?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well, finally, you have reached the correct destination, here in this gsm forum, you can find some technicians guide to solving it or they will tell you which Riff box will solve it and which one you should buy and provide support for it too. Normally I direct all those who had the IMEI problem to this destination and I know a particular XD from china who bought a box to solve his IMEI problem and now doing business with it in china.
But don't complain about rules, you would be surprised in some sites you need to answer questions in their mother tongue every-time you had to post for the initial ten posts. Even though they are simple questions, like how many fingers in your hand, imagine how difficult it can be when you don't speak that language.
Have been there and done that too, so get over it and solve your problem :laugh:
Check this out! You , YES! you are an " Android ". Not your phone but U.
You Must watch this documentary concerning your privacy Terms & Conditions we had agreed to, by using a PC or Smartphone
How to say Thank you? If you find any post helpful on XDA, click on their Thanks button
If you are using XDA App or Tapatalk, long press on the post and select :good: Thanks
Its easier to give "Feedback" in this manner than make an additional post.​
it seems flashing a new ROM will change the serial number:
it happens with other too
Need to know more about flashing ROM process.
Maybe there is a smart update script, which save the original serial number and doesn't override, maybe it will override always.
matheszabi said:
it seems flashing a new ROM will change the serial number:
it happens with other too
Need to know more about flashing ROM process.
Maybe there is a smart update script, which save the original serial number and doesn't override, maybe it will override always.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's why I advised you to search for the version of ROM, your device shipped with, so that it will read the IMEI embedded in your chip and register it correctly. Also what my first post about IMEI conveys, so if you use a custom ROM or ported ROM, you will get into this mess, when you have failed to backup your efs folder before flashing
The reason being it was not meant for your phone but for a different phone by a different manufacturer , not only that some ROM's can change your combo keys to.
Check this out! You , YES! you are an " Android ". Not your phone but U.
You Must watch this documentary concerning your privacy Terms & Conditions we had agreed to, by using a PC or Smartphone
How to say Thank you? If you find any post helpful on XDA, click on their Thanks button
If you are using XDA App or Tapatalk, long press on the post and select :good: Thanks
Its easier to give "Feedback" in this manner than make an additional post.​
Yeah why 10 questions are needed?
Sent from my LegoIce™Galaxy_S4 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
You need to post at least 10 post to prove to xda that you will note post junk or spam on xda . And other members of the community can some how benefit from your posts .
Sent from my X10S using xda app-developers app
Thread closed
This topic has been discussed and debated in numerous threads throughout the XDA forums. There have been some good responses here, but the thread has since been derailed and it's even less appropriate now. If you feel you have anything else meaningful to say on the matter, please find an existing thread for it.

Categories

Resources