Database Develop

Want to root, have some questions

Since everything I need to know is scattered across various threads and there is no specific information regarding my question AFAIK so I decided to post a new thread. Forgive a newb for being worried.
I've decided to root my N1 and am running the EPF24B European build. I just had some questions and concerns:
1. What ROM do you think is best? I think the majority of people like Cyanogen.
2. If I root my phone now and flash on Cyanogen, when Cyanogen releases a Froyo ROM how will I update? Does that happen through a dedicated app? OTA?
3. How do I keep all my current programs and settings? I've heard of Nandroid but have no idea what it does. I presume it has something to do with the NAND memory?
4. btw how stable is a rooted phone?
5. I've seen a number of guides here, but don't know whether or not they are the latest versions. Can anyone point me to a proper guide? Or are they all the same?
Thanks if anyone can answer this.
-------------------------------------
Sent from my Nexus One

hackm0d said:
Since everything I need to know is scattered across various threads and there is no specific information regarding my question AFAIK so I decided to post a new thread. Forgive a newb for being worried.
I've decided to root my N1 and am running the EPF24B European build. I just had some questions and concerns:
1. What ROM do you think is best? I think the majority of people like Cyanogen.
2. If I root my phone now and flash on Cyanogen, when Cyanogen releases a Froyo ROM how will I update? Does that happen through a dedicated app? OTA?
3. How do I keep all my current programs and settings? I've heard of Nandroid but have no idea what it does. I presume it has something to do with the NAND memory?
4. btw how stable is a rooted phone?
5. I've seen a number of guides here, but don't know whether or not they are the latest versions. Can anyone point me to a proper guide? Or are they all the same?
Thanks if anyone can answer this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you might get flamed for this or get this thread closed but i will try to help u.
1)while cyanogen is the best rom in my opinion, froyo is the ****. no matter what. and when cyanogen finally puts his touches on it, it will be even better.
3)no you cant keep them. u would have to be ROOTED first and then you can use titanium backup to make a backup or all your settings and freeze apps. til then, nope u have to completely wipe and start over again. i know when i switch from rom to rom, google automatically downloads the apps that i have had installed before i switch roms if that helps you any.
4)rooted phones are VERY stable and even faster than stock. more memory, runs smoother. the only one that might not run as smooth is the Desire Rom because of sense ui but i love sense ui and have it on my G1 but yes rooted phones are stable.
5)i have followed the instructions of this guide that was for macs tho. u have to be a bit specific if your on mac or pc

I'm using a PC.
And thanks for your input.
btw you didn't answer question 2. If I update to CM now, will I be able to update OTA when a Froyo version comes out?

G1 what should I flash on it?

Hi everyone.
I'm sort of a beginner in this but still already flash some phones (g2, gravity, cliq, ...)
The hardest part for me now is to update this G1 that I have. It's a 32b devices
I've rooted, installed a new radio, dangerspl, spl-signed everything was a little bit confusing there for a while.
I've got Cyanogenmod 6 running on it. But I find it slow not so "stable" (it's working just feels very lagy with some fc). I'm guessing there's something missing.
What do you guys recommend for me to do so I can get a faster, updated rom on that phone?
Need some with at least android 2.1 on it
what partitions on sdcard? ext2 or ext3? pls advice
& have some patience with my request

gottijr said:
Hi everyone.
I'm sort of a beginner in this but still already flash some phones (g2, gravity, cliq, ...)
The hardest part for me now is to update this G1 that I have. It's a 32b devices
I've rooted, installed a new radio, dangerspl, spl-signed everything was a little bit confusing there for a while.
I've got Cyanogenmod 6 running on it. But I find it slow not so "stable" (it's working just feels very lagy with some fc). I'm guessing there's something missing.
What do you guys recommend for me to do so I can get a faster, updated rom on that phone?
Need some with at least android 2.1 on it
what partitions on sdcard? ext2 or ext3? pls advice
& have some patience with my request
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you using setcpu to overlock your phone? If you're running a cyanogen rom or cyanogen based rom the overclock kernel is included, you just need setcpu from the market, or you can get it for free here on xda. It will allow you to overclock. If you are already overclocking, and you need a 2.1+ rom, I suppose you could try SuperE or SuperFly, they are fairly fast.
Sent from my T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide

gottijr said:
Hi everyone.
I'm sort of a beginner in this but still already flash some phones (g2, gravity, cliq, ...)
The hardest part for me now is to update this G1 that I have. It's a 32b devices
I've rooted, installed a new radio, dangerspl, spl-signed everything was a little bit confusing there for a while.
I've got Cyanogenmod 6 running on it. But I find it slow not so "stable" (it's working just feels very lagy with some fc). I'm guessing there's something missing.
What do you guys recommend for me to do so I can get a faster, updated rom on that phone?
Need some with at least android 2.1 on it
what partitions on sdcard? ext2 or ext3? pls advice
& have some patience with my request
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Personally I'd steer clear of Cyan roms until your more comfortable with setting things up, personally I don't use cyans but thats my choice.
I'd go with either EZterry's asop or the new enom 'official' that is out and has a few more configurable options. All the fun of the fair without the bloatware cm roms have and will ease you into the world of flashing

Relevant post, Gottijr, and thanks for responders. I got a G1 (with DMD64, 1.6 official tmob US latest upgrade) from fleabay for my daughter recently. I'm an experienced Winmo ROM modder/uploader/tweaker for years, but after many many hours of reading over the last few days I'm still a bit confused about what's really appropriate for this phone.
I've rooted so far, but can't seem to get a modified recovery image working ( likely due to dmd64 build?). Mainly curious what I should strive for in that I want primarily stability and app to SD since the internal memory is so limited. Not sure the Cyanogen mod is the right choice since I don't want daily use to require any tweaking. What would the experts recommend?
I don't want to hijack the thread here, but seems like a similar predicament.

Wipe?
With the newer CyanogenMod stuff I have found that wiping and reflashing the same ROM in recovery seems to help substantially on the FCs and lagginess.
I'm not sure why the full wipe / reflash works, but I suppose it has something to do with the inability to do a complete wipe. I haven't tried the new uber wipe that just came out, but I would be curious to see if that had better results as a starting point for a ROM install.
Also, I found I was happier on CyanogenMod with LauncherPlus over the included ADW Launcher. Though that was on the beta of 6.1 and I know the 6.1 stable has a newer version of ADW which might have addressed some of its annoyances.
I recommend setting up Titanium Backup for apps or using Droid Explorer to pull a backup of your ideal application environment. This will make swapping out ROMs quick for testing out what works for you.

mn3kgtvr4 said:
Relevant post, Gottijr, and thanks for responders. I got a G1 (with DMD64, 1.6 official tmob US latest upgrade) from fleabay for my daughter recently. I'm an experienced Winmo ROM modder/uploader/tweaker for years, but after many many hours of reading over the last few days I'm still a bit confused about what's really appropriate for this phone.
I've rooted so far, but can't seem to get a modified recovery image working ( likely due to dmd64 build?). Mainly curious what I should strive for in that I want primarily stability and app to SD since the internal memory is so limited. Not sure the Cyanogen mod is the right choice since I don't want daily use to require any tweaking. What would the experts recommend?
I don't want to hijack the thread here, but seems like a similar predicament.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For speed and stability its difficult to beat the SuperD 1.11 rom ....essentially a donut (1.6) rom stripped and then filled with 2.1 (eclair) goodness. Sweet.

[Q] What is the best rom for captivate..

Hi all Thanks to all.... Newbie here with flashing and all so i just want to get started on the right track... being doing alot of reading just wanted to know what is the safest rom right now for the captivate....
also ive downloaded bay_wolfs AIO captivate tool ...if i use this tool i dont have to go through the the whole process of installing rom manager..zip files etc..do i if i read correctly..well thanks all in advance for the responses.....

It depends on What you want. For a really bare bones rom, use precision. For a close to stock rom, use cognition. For a well themed and polished rom, use serendipity or ultimate. Cognition is the only captivate based one though.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk

yeesh - sorry but most of these get locked in 10 posts or less as these become "My ROM is better than Your ROM" epeen arguments.
With that being said.. if a ROM is posted in the Dev forum and as long as it doesn't say Cyanogen Beta or Gingerbread alpha AOSP in it? It is pretty much safe to flash.
Most of these ROM's use either a Rogers, Captivate, or i9000 Source and don't deviate other than tweaks to apps/kernels/modems/lagfixes/themes.
If you want to be safe - I would go with Cognition as a first ROM flash then go from there. It is basically "stock".

Thanks guys for the quick posts....Just a little worried about doing it for the first time i have read, watched videos, this is why im asking before taking the plunge...
i really like Bay_wolfs tool seems great for newbies has anyone used it...i think i may go with cognition is there a better version than the 3.4 what i mean is the newest version seem best or and older one...

I also flashed my first ROM the other week after lots of reading and studying. I went with Andromeda 1.0 at and have since gone to 1.1. I didn't use the tool that you're wondering about, but have downloaded it for future use. So if you do use it, let me know how it goes for you. I went with the installation instrustions on Andromeda's website, and that worked flawlessly. Once you do decide on a ROM, I'm sure that you'll be extremely happy as the performance is way better than stock. Happy flashing and good luck!

Like the other posters said, it's all about what you want and then personal preference. Once you have flashed a few you will start realizing what you do and don't like about the ROMs and what you really want in them. (My first ROM I had no idea, I was like, lets just flash because it's cool and custom and I feel like it. Then I started noticing the differences between my first ROM and stock, realizing what they can actually do with it and what they cannot. From there I figured out what I was really looking for by going custom, and starting browsing the released ROMs to find it)
In short, your first ROM is just that, the first. It wont stay there long so it doesn't really matter which one you choose. Cognition, like stated above, is a good start because it's pretty close to stock. If you want to just straight into a very custom one and screw the baby steps, try something a little more feature rich. Eventually you will get into trying different ROMs with different kernels and test out over-clocking, etc...
I would recommend for your first that you don't go with an OC ROM though, save that for when you feel more comfortable with your ability to flash and tweak things.
I have never used the tool you are talking about because I feel more comfortable doing all the .zip stuff and seeing what is actually being done to my phone, not trusting something else to do it. The tools I do use are Odin3 and One Click Root/Unroot. If you want to try flashing without that tool but aren't sure of the exact steps or why they are necessary you can PM me and I'll help you out.
Welcome to the addiction of ROM flashing! (It's harder to shake then cigarettes once you start)

You guys are great here thanks for all the tips...tonight i will be flashing my first Rom hope all goes well if i have any questions i will ask...once again thanks...

joeygutz said:
You guys are great here thanks for all the tips...tonight i will be flashing my first Rom hope all goes well if i have any questions i will ask...once again thanks...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Was bored, sent you a PM

Jeordy thanks for all info on the Pm ... that was fantastic i sent you a pm let me know what you think.....

I've tried several. So far, out of all of them, I like Andromeda 1.2 with the Speedmod kernel. It seems to be the most functional.

best rom in March
Hi everyone,
I flashed the Cognition ROM on captivate in Jan. I do not know at this moment which one is the best since gingerbread is also here now. Can someone please help.

ask_j said:
Hi everyone,
I flashed the Cognition ROM on captivate in Jan. I do not know at this moment which one is the best since gingerbread is also here now. Can someone please help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do not flash any of the Gingerbread ROMs unless you really know what you are doing. They are still unstable and you risk bricking your phone. As for stable ROMs, there's a wide variety of them, and they're all based on Android 2.2, which is really fast. There is no best ROM, and it all depends on your personal preferences. Try visiting a few of the ROM threads to check them out, and hopefully that will help you decide which one to flash.

psai said:
Do not flash any of the Gingerbread ROMs unless you really know what you are doing. They are still unstable and you risk bricking your phone. As for stable ROMs, there's a wide variety of them, and they're all based on Android 2.2, which is really fast. There is no best ROM, and it all depends on your personal preferences. Try visiting a few of the ROM threads to check them out, and hopefully that will help you decide which one to flash.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A bit of an overstatement, but I concur on there is no best, find what works best for you
CM7

Ok well not 10 or less this time but close.
There is no best rom just best for you. I could say Rom X is the best and does everything I need it to and when you run it, you dont like it or doesnt work well with your set up.
Thread Closed

[Q] AT&T ROM w/o bloatware

Seems like now a days there isn't that many people making ROMs like there was back in the Windows Mobile days. Anyways, I'm looking for a AT&T 2.1 ROM w/o the AT&T bloatware. Is there anything out there? I know there are some ROMs that people have cooked up, but I'm looking for something more specific. Such as mentioned above.
If there isn't, is there any way you could assist me in making my own clean ROM, or just point me in the right direction? It seems that there isn't much documentation about how to go about making your own ROM.
Any help would be great.

mbudden said:
Seems like now a days there isn't that many people making ROMs like there was back in the Windows Mobile days. Anyways, I'm looking for a AT&T 2.1 ROM w/o the AT&T bloatware. Is there anything out there? I know there are some ROMs that people have cooked up, but I'm looking for something more specific. Such as mentioned above.
If there isn't, is there any way you could assist me in making my own clean ROM, or just point me in the right direction? It seems that there isn't much documentation about how to go about making your own ROM.
Any help would be great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to be clear......you are looking for a 2.1 rom?

Cognition would be closest to stock, Continuum also offer an unthemed version which looks like the stock version. If you want to make your own ROM check it out here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=928955

Jemack said:
Just to be clear......you are looking for a 2.1 rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This. 2.2 is officially out for the Captivate.

Jemack said:
Just to be clear......you are looking for a 2.1 rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct. I'd rather not build off of the Stock 2.2 ROM since from reading everyone's thoughts about it. It's crap.
low99 said:
Cognition would be closest to stock, Continuum also offer an unthemed version which looks like the stock version. If you want to make your own ROM check it out here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=928955
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I've looked at that ROM. But it looks like he's added things to it... I might tear his down and remove the things that aren't wanted... Making ROMs seemed to be much easier back in the WM days. Made a couple stripped down carrier ones for myself.
curti.nogg said:
This. 2.2 is officially out for the Captivate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct. Like I posted above, head into the Captivate General sub-forum and see how many were complaining it wasn't actually a "upgrade".

There are tut all over the place about removing the bloat from the stock roms. As for 2.2 being worse, I cant say much as all stock rom's are pretty bad. 2.2 brought some much needed features to the captivate. Don't take peoples thoughts on it, try it yourself and make up your own mind.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA Premium App

zelendel said:
There are tut all over the place about removing the bloat from the stock roms. As for 2.2 being worse, I cant say much as all stock rom's are pretty bad. 2.2 brought some much needed features to the captivate. Don't take peoples thoughts on it, try it yourself and make up your own mind.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doing a search didn't really land me up with much. But I did find the stock I897UCJF6 files. I thought I could find them in Odin3 but they are hiding in the .exe file. Now time to remove things and test things out. I'd try 2.2 out myself, but if everyone is saying they are crap. No need to test it out myself lol.
Wondering if I'm able to replace the stock kernel with one of the OC'd kernels... Hmm...

mbudden said:
Doing a search didn't really land me up with much. But I did find the stock I897UCJF6 files. I thought I could find them in Odin3 but they are hiding in the .exe file. Now time to remove things and test things out. I'd try 2.2 out myself, but if everyone is saying they are crap. No need to test it out myself lol.
Wondering if I'm able to replace the stock kernel with one of the OC'd kernels... Hmm...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will say this for the 2.2 update as I did run it for the better part of a day before I went back to a 2.2.1 based rom. It was better then the 2.1 that came stock on it. Most people that were complaining about it were expecting the stock rom to run like a custom rom or for it to fix all the issues they had with it. While I admit it is a BS rom, if you are going stock then it is better then the 2.1. But like I said it is up to you.
I am sure there is a kernel for it but you may have to look in older posts as most of the custom kernels for a stock rom are based of the KB1 2.2 update, not sure if any are compatible with 2.1 any longer.

zelendel said:
I will say this for the 2.2 update as I did run it for the better part of a day before I went back to a 2.2.1 based rom. It was better then the 2.1 that came stock on it. Most people that were complaining about it were expecting the stock rom to run like a custom rom or for it to fix all the issues they had with it. While I admit it is a BS rom, if you are going stock then it is better then the 2.1. But like I said it is up to you.
I am sure there is a kernel for it but you may have to look in older posts as most of the custom kernels for a stock rom are based of the KB1 2.2 update, not sure if any are compatible with 2.1 any longer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doing a quick look around, it does seem that most of the kernels are for the 2.2 and 2.2.1 ROMs. For example SpeedMod kernel.
So I may need to find the stock 2.2 files and go from there. It doesn't seem as hard as I thought it was going to be, but that's just from doing some quick searching. Do you happen to know the Baseband Version of the latest firmware? If not, then I'll end up finding it and hopefully be able to find it's files online.

mbudden,
The official froyo release is kb1. Cognition is basically stock kb1 with a lagfix injected kernel and much of the "bloat" removed. The 2.2.1 roms such as js5, js7 are noticeably smoother and I often used them without a lagfix enabled.
If you are looking to build a base Rom yourself and don't want to start from scratch, check out doc's kitchen.

newter55 said:
mbudden,
The official froyo release is kb1. Cognition is basically stock kb1 with a lagfix injected kernel and much of the "bloat" removed. The 2.2.1 roms such as js5, js7 are noticeably smoother and I often used them without a lagfix enabled.
If you are looking to build a base Rom yourself and don't want to start from scratch, check out doc's kitchen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I found the I897UCKB1 .tar file and was taking a peak inside. But interesting. I was looking to remove some of the other things that was added in the Continuum ROM, but the darn .apk's aren't all obviously named. I'll give a look at the Cognition though. Not really into the whole themes and this and that. I like stream lined ROM's. Nothing fancy.
Thanks for that thread though, maybe I should have taken a gander at the I9000 subforums too. lol. Now to figure out how to zip everything back into a .tar file.

Rather than cook up a whole ROM,
upgrade to 2.2 (it is better, ignore the disapointed whiners)
install a kernal of your choice (if you want)
use titanium backup to uninstall the bloat
now you have a stock rom, with a good kernal and no bloat.
P.S. some folks think that just because their lives rovolve arround android, that android pays attention to what they want. People always cry when upgrades arrive because no one at android paid any attention to them.

joshua43214 said:
Rather than cook up a whole ROM,
upgrade to 2.2 (it is better, ignore the disapointed whiners)
install a kernal of your choice (if you want)
use titanium backup to uninstall the bloat
now you have a stock rom, with a good kernal and no bloat.
P.S. some folks think that just because their lives rovolve arround android, that android pays attention to what they want. People always cry when upgrades arrive because no one at android paid any attention to them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The thing is, I just installed Continuum. I just don't like it. I do admit that it is fast. I like the stock icons and I like the stock the stock look and feel. Not to mention, some of the installed stuff I didn't care for. Also I don't need extra lock screens, or colored menus.
But anyways, got the factoryfs.rfs file apart. So basically that's the system folder like it would be in a custom ROM. Now to find out how to Deodex these .apk/.odex files.

Honestly, if you're just looking for the AT&T standard rom without the bloatware, you'd find it a lot easier to just flash back to whatever came with the phone & strip it of bloatware via titanium backup.

snapplefish said:
Honestly, if you're just looking for the AT&T standard rom without the bloatware, you'd find it a lot easier to just flash back to whatever came with the phone & strip it of bloatware via titanium backup.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's wrong with learning the hard way? That's the easy way out.
Doing it my way will help me understand Android.
Like I said, I used to build my own custom Windows Mobile ROMs for myself. Why not learn how to build my own custom Android ROMs?
If any ROM makers want to share some advice, do so.

Mikey has a good basic tutorial stickied here in development. There is also a guide on deodexing put up recently. Other than that it is pretty much just de/recompiling the apk and jar files to edit. Mikeymike and chancem (serendipity) have an irc and seem willing to provide advice. Sorry for no links but on the phone atm.
Hope you're enjoying the phone btw.

newter55 said:
Mikey has a good basic tutorial stickied here in development. There is also a guide on deodexing put up recently. Other than that it is pretty much just de/recompiling the apk and jar files to edit. Mikeymike and chancem (serendipity) have an irc and seem willing to provide advice. Sorry for no links but on the phone atm.
Hope you're enjoying the phone btw.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
His tutorial is what I'm following as we speak. A lot of the stuff he mentions isn't clearly defined though. So Google has been helpful with that. For example, he doesn't talk about how to deodex the apk/jar/odex files. But that's alright, nothing a little Googling won't fix. Will be also throwing the fixes that have been made in. A lot of reading lol.
But I am, such a great device. Battery life isn't as great as my Blackberry. But hey, it's not that much of a hassle.

Alright, I got most if it down. But when I go to load it via clockwork recovery. I get this "E:can't symlink /system/bin/cat" Any assistance?

I guess I took the "easy" way out.
I have AT&T 2.2 (WAY better than 2.1)
Root
removed unwanted bloat with TiBackup
installed SuperCurio's KB1 + Voodoo KB1 Kernel
This let me have some of the features of a custom ROM that I wanted without having to backup and restore all my apps/etc.

By no means do I have anything against that. It's just I'd rather learn things myself. So if it came time for me to build my own ROM to my liking. I have the know how.

[i9000] Complete Android Noob.

Right, ive had a i9000 for 5 months or so, and ever since i got it, ive found it to be slow, at times laggy. And hate alot of the crap samsung put on it.Which ive not even used.
I reckon its about time i start to make the most of my phone, but dont really know where to start, with these custom roms and rooting and what not.
I basically want it to run smoothly and possibly add a tweaks/features to it which could possibly improve it. However i remember reading somewhere, that ill lose the camera features if i install a custom rom. :l (i could be talking from my arse here)
Also i read that android 4.0 is coming or has come out. Would i be able to upgrade my phone to it ? and should i ?? If not what is the best rom to flash which will make my phone faster and smoother.
Is there anything at all to make it significantly faster, or is it limited by hardware :/
Im currently on:
kernal version 2.6.29
firmware 2.1 -update1
Which i havnt messed with since i got the phone.
Thanks, and sorry for the daft questions.

Oh dear! did you wrote 2.1? Please read basic root steps and install custom rom. I recommend you to start with Cf-root
go here :- http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=788108
As far as 4.0, please wait.

innovat0r said:
Oh dear! did you wrote 2.1? Please read basic root steps and install custom rom. I recommend you to start with Cf-root
go here :- http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=788108
As far as 4.0, please wait.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol Is 2.1 bad ? hahaha
Sorry for sounding dim, but what have you pointed me to ?? rooting ? installing a rom ? updating kernal ?
And what is the difference between these ? are all 3 needed to get the phone working as i want it to ?
Im totally new to everything andriod so can you please be as clear as possible.
Thank you for your reply.
And sorry again for all the questions.

skweezer said:
Lol Is 2.1 bad ? hahaha
Sorry for sounding dim, but what have you pointed me to ?? rooting ? installing a rom ? updating kernal ?
And what is the difference between these ? are all 3 needed to get the phone working as i want it to ?
Im totally new to everything andriod so can you please be as clear as possible.
Thank you for your reply.
And sorry again for all the questions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, here we go...
1. First of all you need to root your device to install a custom rom or kernel. So first root your device with the above thread (cf-root).
2. Choose any rom from so many roms available all over xda. Choose only from the topic which is under your device's category, not from other device's rom,lol.
To do this you need Odin(use search)
3. Once done you will have custom rom and also custom kernel if you wish.
After these you can go for lagfix, like changing from rfs to ext4.
Best of luck.

Thanks, so after ive rooted with cf-root. do i have to install a custom rom and custom kernel, both ?
And which is considered the best rom and kernel ?
thanks
regards

Hey Skweezer,
Recommend you start with these threads:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=939752
and:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=723596
They will tell you about how to connect your phone to your PC (Samsung USB drivers + adb), 3 button mode (how to avoid bricking your phone), backing up important/unrecoverable data (like your EFS block!), and what (in general) needs to be done to flash custom firmware.
After that, you should be able to pretty much recover from any error (like unplugging your phone mid flash). Now you can go ahead and root your phone and start exploring the wonderful word of custom roms! As for which one is the best, that's like asking "how long is a piece of string?" Some people prefer speed and cutting edge, others value battery life and stability, some aim for the middle of the road.
Personally I've tried tegrak kernel and was really impressed with the speed improvement! However, the limited app space finally turned me back to other kernels. I found the rest to be pretty much six in one, half dozen in the other (ie all about the same)... so pick one you like and just go for it... use it for a while and if it's not to your liking, flash again
Just a quick rundown on android for you... firmware 2.1 = Eclair, 2.2 = Frozen Yoghurt, 2.3 = Gingerbread, 3.0 = Honeycomb (tablet only version of android) and 4.0 = Ice Cream Sandwich (unify android for phone/tablet/tv again). There is a HUGE performance increase from going stock 2.1 to 2.3! so even if you just upgrade to Samsung's Gingerbread release (2.3.3 I believe?) you will notice better performance. Doing lagfix, kernel tweaks, etc is just icing on top of the cake. However, you'll find once you start tweaking, you won't go back to stock

Well, easiest way of starting is installing KIES and letting it update your phone. That's the official way and you won't have to bother with details like kernels, roms, bootloaders, etc and won't void your warranty (if that's the case).
You'll probably be left with with some 2.3.x version. Might as well make a backup from your stuff before upgrading, kies sucks in a general way, but may help you with that.
From that point on, if you still want to press further into customization goodness, there are PLENTY to chose from.
There are mainly 2 kinds of roms:
- Samsung based (someone picks up a sock samsung rom and modifies it with scripts, kernels, themes, apps, etc). These are most of the ones you'll find in the development section of this forum.
- not samsung based (like Cyanogen e MIUI). These are built from Google's sources directly and totally skip samsung. Therefore, samsung apps most likely won't work here. Everything else does.
Personally i'd recommend Cyanogen 7.1 stable as your next rom. It's an extremely optimized and wildly popular rom, with plenty of options that you won't find in any stock rom. They have their own forum i recommend you to look up if you're going their way.
Whatever you do, GET AWAY FROM THAT 2.1

Cheers for alll the replies guys. Im first going to just update via kies. To an official 2.3
If im not happy with that then ill try a custom rom and rooting.
If only it was as simple as jailbreaking and iphone. lool

Right, ust updated to latest version via kies. And instantly alot better, smoother. Has some of those things bulit into the system which i always though were missing.
Ill try it for a week, and see if theres anything i need, or think is missing. Then i might go custom. But right now im happy with it on the latest official version.
Thank you guys, i think you've made me sort of like android a bit more.