Database Develop

Custom Rom Options?

Hey everyone. I'm posting here because I have a friend with a Captivate and I'm trying to get him to root his phone.
I sent him the link to the 1 click root but I don't know what rom to have him flash. I have an EVO and in the EVO forums we have a sticky with all the custom roms listed so it's easy to see what's there. Is there anything like that for you guys?
He's basically looking for a stable 2.2 rom.

ViViDboarder said:
Hey everyone. I'm posting here because I have a friend with a Captivate and I'm trying to get him to root his phone.
I sent him the link to the 1 click root but I don't know what rom to have him flash. I have an EVO and in the EVO forums we have a sticky with all the custom roms listed so it's easy to see what's there. Is there anything like that for you guys?
He's basically looking for a stable 2.2 rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Captivate DEV scene isn't too large right now, (most of them are in the Vibrant section) We have few custom roms, but the ones you can find, along with mods can be found in the Development section of Captivate.

Bowsa2511 said:
The Captivate DEV scene isn't too large right now, (most of them are in the Vibrant section) We have few custom roms, but the ones you can find, along with mods can be found in the Development section of Captivate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is very true. Most went to vibrant because they were ex-G1 users. However the good news is the most of the coding will be the same so they are relatively easy to port. I have a feeling the captivate will not be getting as much dev action, and most people are switching from windows mobile or iPhone and have no android dev experience. But it will eventually speed up

Don't have him flash a custom ROM just to flash a custom ROM. Right now there are a limited number of ROMs, and he can read up on them in the dev to see if there is anything changes in the newer firmwares that would make it worth his time to flash. AFAIK, there are no fully functional, stable 2.2 ROMs (although the leaked build for the i9000/international version does mostly work, I think). There are also a few leaked updates to the 2.1 firmware.

mesasone said:
Don't have him flash a custom ROM just to flash a custom ROM. Right now there are a limited number of ROMs, and he can read up on them in the dev to see if there is anything changes in the newer firmwares that would make it worth his time to flash. AFAIK, there are no fully functional, stable 2.2 ROMs (although the leaked build for the i9000/international version does mostly work, I think). There are also a few leaked updates to the 2.1 firmware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, that's why I am asking if there are any stable 2.2 roms yet. But as I gather there aren't. I'll just tell him to keep his eyes open here.

I've been using Cognition 2.2b6 for about 4 months now with no problems. Seems to be the most stable rom out there for the captivate.

I've been using Cognition 2.3b3 for several weeks and it's working great, the only issue for me is the android email process crashes on startup, I use the gmail app anyway, so its a non issue for me... It took 3 or 4 days to get the correct order of opperations, it seems not everything you find on XDA works for every Captivate, I guess AT&T keeps disabling settings and crapware crippling the phone... But the order that worked for me was:
STOCK AT&T 2.2 FROYO:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=797282
ROOT:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=803682
JI6 KERNEL:
I did not root with the link in this post (was already rooted when I found it)
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=804226
COGNITION:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=786532
SIDELOAD:
Option two worked for me, option one did not.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=738376
Now that I've done all this I could NEVER go back to stock, it's like having a completely different phone... Unbelievable upgrade. F-U AT&T.

Hands down Cognition to start. When he's ready to move on Cognadian Bacon!
Swyping...please read slowly!

Cool. Thanks for all the replies. I just flashed the latest Cognition beta for him yesterday actually. He's so much happier. Haha.
Sent from my EVO 4G using the XDA App.

ViViDboarder said:
Cool. Thanks for all the replies. I just flashed the latest Cognition beta for him yesterday actually. He's so much happier. Haha.
Sent from my EVO 4G using the XDA App.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Make sure he reads up on disabling la fix before he flashes another rom
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

I was gonna say perseption. Its really the most captivate friendly of the ports for other galaxy s phones. You get the reorient kernel with overclock undervoult, universal lagfix, clockwork mod instead of 2e recovery, and you get working bluetooth audio, normal batery life, multiple fonts, password/pin number/pattern security, other things i forgot.
Axura looks amazing but noone will answer my questios about bugs. And there is no known issues listing.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897

Dani897 said:
I was gonna say perseption. Its really the most captivate friendly of the ports for other galaxy s phones. You get the reorient kernel with overclock undervoult, universal lagfix, clockwork mod instead of 2e recovery, and you get working bluetooth audio, normal batery life, multiple fonts, password/pin number/pattern security, other things i forgot.
Axura looks amazing but noone will answer my questios about bugs. And there is no known issues listing.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Axuara us a vibrant rom, you will not get vms notifications unless you use google voice
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

[Q] Best ROM for captivate!?

Alright guys, getting a little bored with the stock ROM! What is the best ROM floating out there? Are all the ROM's just easily done with a update.zip file, or do you usually have to use Odin?

Depends on what you're looking for... official Captivate firmwares other than JF6 are all internal test builds ATM. As far as ROMs go there's a decent variety of options to choose from, but they all depend on your personal preference.
However you've come in at sort of a transitional period, we've got lag fix kernels, we've got OC kernels, and we've got kernels that make I9000 ROMS work properly on the Captivate, but all of those things aren't yet merged.
I recommend you keep on reading, check out the different threads, figure out what suits you, and if you don't find what you're looking for- wait a week, I'm sure someone will come up with it

Zilch25 said:
Depends on what you're looking for... official Captivate firmwares other than JF6 are all internal test builds ATM. As far as ROMs go there's a decent variety of options to choose from, but they all depend on your personal preference.
However you've come in at sort of a transitional period, we've got lag fix kernels, we've got OC kernels, and we've got kernels that make I9000 ROMS work properly on the Captivate, but all of those things aren't yet merged.
I recommend you keep on reading, check out the different threads, figure out what suits you, and if you don't find what you're looking for- wait a week, I'm sure someone will come up with it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
/agree 100%!!

Really appreciate the replies guys!! I'll keep an eye out! What exactly is so special about the I9000 rom's?
Sent From My Captivate

jbcap43 said:
Really appreciate the replies guys!! I'll keep an eye out! What exactly is so special about the I9000 rom's?
Sent From My Captivate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the i9000 ROMs are generally cleaner (less bloat, a little more streamlined). they're also more recent for the most part. they have other features that really comes down to user preference though. I enjoyed the i9000 ROM I ran much more than the stock captivate one.
I suggest trying it and comparing it to how you used JF6 and go with whichever feels better to you. Each ROM has it's own bugs. Last time I ran an i9000 ROM was JM5 and it refused to clear message/e-mail alerts unless you manually backed all the way out, can't say if it's fixed yet with later releases.

jbcap43 said:
Really appreciate the replies guys!! I'll keep an eye out! What exactly is so special about the I9000 rom's?
Sent From My Captivate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They're a bit more mature development-wise. The I9000 has been on the market longer is and is ATM Samsungs "baby" so they're getting all the newest updates. In addition their firmwares don't include any of the bloat that the Captivate has since international carriers don't care about stupid crap like "AT&T Navigator"- they also don't care if people can sideload.
Don't get me wrong, cross pollinating I9000 ROMS can have their own little annoyances, like flaky haptic feedback and scuh, but the reorient kernel takes care of the really big issues.
One thing you should REALLY look into before you start flashing ANYTHING is whether or not your phone is capable of using button combinations to get into recovery and download mode. Some of the newer handsets arent. A good starting point would be to turn off your phone... let it shut down completely, then hold both volume buttons and power on. If you get into the recovery menu, GREAT.
Next step (Assuming you passed the first), power off your phone, hold both volume buttons, and plug in USB, if you get the android guy with the shovel that means you're good to go, you'll have to yank battery to reset from this point, but this verifies you can achieve download mode, which means game on for careless flashing!

Zilch25 said:
One thing you should REALLY look into before you start flashing ANYTHING is whether or not your phone is capable of using button combinations to get into recovery and download mode. Some of the newer handsets arent. A good starting point would be to turn off your phone... let it shut down completely, then hold both volume buttons and power on. If you get into the recovery menu, GREAT.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've seen mention of people being unable to achieve that. I presumed they were just getting the timing wrong.
So if you fail that, does it mean you are unable to change ROM?

no,it just means that you will have to be more careful, and that you may not be able to fix your phone if anything goes wrong.

my 2 cents
Well for what it is worth. this is my daily driver as of now.
I went into odin and flashed back to stock.
Flashed the i9000 JM8 rom( the Phone CODE file from JM8 and the CSC from JM5)
Then flashed the stock captivate kernal and the .512 pit file
once that is done i flashed Unhelpfuls kernal over to OC
Then i flashed the Tatumia(sp) rom over it.
Ran the OCLF app from the market and changed my scheduler to deadline.
It is by far the best for real world performance and my quadrants are in the 2200-2300 range(like it matters).
Enjoy
P.s. i have flashed i am sure every other combination of roms and kernals and stuff. Voodoo kernal is freaking awesome but i cant get Clockwork to work with it and that is just not okay with me!

I just found the long thread about this topic here. Haven't read through it all yet. Won't bother unless I find I end up with a phone with that problem.

okay, so what's so special about this ROM the cyanogen mod? When will this be available...?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

jbcap43 said:
okay, so what's so special about this ROM the cyanogen mod? When will this be available...?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nobody knows when it will be available since it is only getting Vibrant support to start. Cyanogen mod is probably the most popular ROM for Android, I don't know much about it though. They have a wiki page and a website for information.

jbcap43 said:
okay, so what's so special about this ROM the cyanogen mod? When will this be available...?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
cyanogenmod is a HUGELY supported ROM based on AOSP (android open source project) with various tweaks to improve usability. as for release, well the only rule about cyanogenmod is that you don't ask for release dates
officially, the Captivate isn't even supported, only the Vibrant is. But as shown, moving things over from Vibrant to Captivate isn't terribly difficult, but still takes time and we'll need someone to maintain it (cyanogen does not release/support devices it doesn't expect to work properly on). support for the vibrant is slated for 6.1 (which will probably be November, it's hard to say)

let me pop in and say there is no "Best Rom" just best for you. We all look for different things in the roms we use so it really is a trial and error. Just make sure to read, read and read some more to make sure you have everything set up right and dont end up with a big brick.
I am closing this.
good luck with your rom search

New to captivate

I just got a captivate last night and i have unlocked and and rooted it
it has a firmware of 2.1 - update 1
idk if thats the most recent update
i was told i can not update the phone with a t-mobile sim card in it so can anyone post a thread on updated versions and what do you all think is the best rom?
THANKS

There is no "best" rom. It's what's "best" for you. Read the forums and learn to flash 2.2 roms first.
I must warn you, flashing becomes very addictive.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

Yea i know i have a sidekick 4g and ive tried about every rom on it
thanks for the info though

Tyler0309 said:
Yea i know i have a sidekick 4g and ive tried about every rom on it
thanks for the info though
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I recommend trying MIUI, the customization is what puts it over the top!
Here are a few different versions of MIUI:
Galnet**What I prefer**
http://www.galnetmiui.co.uk/twooey/v3/Twooey-V3-i897.zip
Prototypes release
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1066885
MIUI.us
http://roms.miui.us/1.8.12/MIUI.us_captivatemtd_1.8.12_Eng_Deo_ZipA_Signed.zip

Ok ill give it a try..do i have to update to a different version> im running 2.1 right now

Tyler0309 said:
Ok ill give it a try..do i have to update to a different version> im running 2.1 right now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've not been on 2.1 since phone came out. I would use odin one click to goto 2.2 stock. Root it then install cwm and then follow this guide if your going to try Galnet's MIUI.
http://www.galnetmiui.co.uk/content/forum/guides/(guide)-i897-galaxy-s-captivate-gb-bootloaders/
Then just pop the MIUI.zip on root of sdcard and install from CWM.

Tyler0309 said:
I just got a captivate last night and i have unlocked and and rooted it
it has a firmware of 2.1 - update 1
idk if thats the most recent update
i was told i can not update the phone with a t-mobile sim card in it so can anyone post a thread on updated versions and what do you all think is the best rom?
THANKS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow... so... You should probably READ a lot more before flashing anything, but I'll give you a few hints to get you going:
1) Make sure you understand what a "PBL", "SBL", "Kernel", and "Modem" are and how they are placed/installed in your phone.
2) Learn how to correctly and safely use ODIN (and/or Heimdall).
3) Learn about the various methods of recovery for "soft bricks", and if necessary for your hardware revision, possibly invest in a jig (also learn what a jig is)
4) There are 2 different types/branches of ROMs for the Captivate:
-- Samsung Branch
-- AOSP Branch
Within the "Samsung" types you have:
- i9000 ROMs (like JVP, JVR, JP8, etc)
- i897 ROMs (like JF6, KF1, etc)
Within the "AOSP" types you have:
- CM7
- MIUI
- Other AOSP-based ROMs
Which is "better" is relative. CM7 and MIUI have features that aren't present in the Samsung ROMs, and both offer a bit more customization than the Samsung ROMs. However, only the Samsung ROMs offer GPU accelerated video playback, and they tend to have significantly better battery life than the AOSP-type ROMs. Also the Samsung-type ROMs used to be much more stable than the AOSP branches, but recently, the tide may have turned in the other direction. Some of the low-level radio settings are also unavailable in any of the AOSP builds. And finally, some of the Samsung stock camera features are unavailable in CM7/MIUI.
It really all depends what you want... Do you want closer to stock "open source" Android? Or do you want Samsung's vision of what they think Android should be?
Also, the whole kernel/modem part is dependent on what branch of ROM you plan on running. When using a i9000-Samsung ROM, you pretty much have to use an i9000 kernel and modem. When using a i897-Samsung ROM, you pretty much have to use an i897 kernel and modem. The rules for CM7/MIUI are a bit more vague, but at the very least you'll need to use a CM7/MIUI (most AOSP-type kernels are interchangeable) compatible kernel.
The best advice is really to try them all out and see what you like the most. If you're currently on stock 2.1 (which it sounds like you are), at the very least you should upgrade to some variant of Gingerbread (2.3.4 preferably). You will definitely notice a big difference in terms of speed and functionality. From there, well, it's all really up to you...
OR alternatively, just start throwing stuff on your phone and see what happens. Just PLEASE don't come crying back in the Captivate General forum with a "OMG I bricked my phone!!! Plz help!!!" thread. Fair warning...

Just a suggestion, but become familiar with Odin one click. Make sure your captivate has 3 button recovery, and read, re- read, and read again the directions of every rom before you flash it. Always make a nandroid back up if possible, and read the threads.if you have questions, so did someone else and the answer is probably already out there .use search. Some People will rip your head off if you don't. as far as miui goes .....i was a flashaholic when I got phone. After switching to miui, It is very unlikely that I will ever leave. Best rom ever imho. And it updates every Friday so that satisfied the flashing urge. Usually it gets better with each release. The last couple have been a little rough though. Might want to spend the 8 bucks and have a download jig on standby. Can get it from mobiltech videos. Its worth it though
Sent from my I897 using XDA Premium App

Shammyh said:
Wow... so... You should probably READ a lot more before flashing anything, but I'll give you a few hints to get you going:
1) Make sure you understand what a "PBL", "SBL", "Kernel", and "Modem" are and how the are placed/installed in your phone.
2) Learn how to correctly and safely use ODIN (and/or Heimdall).
3) Learn about the various methods of recovery for "soft bricks", and if necessary for your hardware revision, possibly invest in a jig (also learn what a jig is)
4) There are 2 different types/branches of ROMs for the Captivate:
-- Samsung Branch
-- AOSP Branch
Within the "Samsung" types you have:
- i9000 ROMs (like JVP, JVR, JP8, etc)
- i897 ROMs (like JF6, KF1, etc)
Within the "AOSP" types you have:
- CM7
- MIUI
- Other AOSP-based ROMs
Which is "better" is relative. CM7 and MIUI have features that aren't present in the Samsung ROMs, and both offer a bit more customization than the Samsung ROMs. However, only the Samsung ROMs offer GPU accelerated video playback, and they tend to have significantly better battery life than the AOSP-type ROMs. Also the Samsung-type ROMs used to be much more stable than the AOSP branches, but recently, the tide may have turned in the other direction. Some of the low-level radio settings are also unavailable in any of the AOSP builds. And finally, some of the Samsung stock camera features are unavailable in CM7/MIUI.
It really all depends what you want... Do you want closer to stock "open source" Android? Or do you want Samsung's vision of what they think Android should be?
Also, the whole kernel/modem part is dependent on what branch of ROM you plan on running. When using a i9000-Samsung ROM, you pretty much have to use an i9000 kernel and modem. When using a i897-Samsung ROM, you pretty much have to use an i897 kernel and modem. The rules for CM7/MIUI are a bit more vague, but at the very least you'll need to use a CM7/MIUI (most AOSP-type kernels are interchangeable) compatible kernel.
The best advice is really to try them all out and see what you like the most. If you're currently on stock 2.1 (which it sounds like you are), at the very least you should upgrade to some variant of Gingerbread (2.3.4 preferably). You will definitely notice a big difference in terms of speed and functionality. From there, well, it's all really up to you...
OR alternatively, just start throwing stuff on your phone and see what happens. Just PLEASE don't come crying back in the Captivate General forum with a "OMG I bricked my phone!!! Plz help!!!" thread. Fair warning...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well said.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA Premium App

Tyler0309 said:
I just got a captivate last night and i have unlocked and and rooted it
it has a firmware of 2.1 - update 1
idk if thats the most recent update
i was told i can not update the phone with a t-mobile sim card in it so can anyone post a thread on updated versions and what do you all think is the best rom?
THANKS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
a very simple and easy way to start with...
2.1 is eclair..
2.2 froyo
2.3 gingerbread..
means 2.1 is oldest and 2.3 is latest in case of official roms..
so obviously new version will hav more features and faster in speed...
so now u can take baby step and install 2.2 ..and use it for few days..and get the feel of it..then again after sometime u can install 2.3...
or else u can directly jump to 2.3....which is gingerbread....u can install stock kf1 on ur phone..its leaked official gb...if u search a bit..u will get it..
then u can use it for a lil while and get the feel of gb stock rom..in the meanwhile u can read xda abt available custom roms..and then install any of them...
coz every memeber here in xda will suggest the custom rom they r using..coz they r lovin the rom then only they r using....like for me..since the time i started flashin..i always used APEX ROM..so i will say its the best....
but again thats just me..
so decision is always urs...

[Q] Flashing XT862

I just purchased a Motorola Droid 3 XT862. It came loaded with a whole lot of Verizon stuff, and assumes I'm living in the USA. I'm living in Australia and would really prefer to have a choice of locale, and just get all of the pre-installed stuff off there because I'm not gonna use most it. From what I can tell, my only option is to flash the phone with a different firmware.
While I'm aware of the additional features of a couple of the mods such as Cyanogen, because this is my very first Android phone and I'd just like to play around with the stock OS before making any decisions regarding mods, I'd prefer to just stick with vanilla Gingerbread.
So my question is, for someone who has no idea what they're doing, how do I go about putting the stock Android OS on my phone?

Honestly CM is as close for Gingerbread you will get. There are some good stripped down ROMs based off of stock.
Sent from my XT862 using XDA

You should try Ice Cream Sandwich.
Sent from my XT862 using XDA

I'm not quite ready to try Ice Cream Sandwich just yet.
Do you think it simply isn't possible to get a stock version of Android for my phone?

I use Mavrom myself http://www.droidforums.net/forum/maverick-rom-d3/200510-maverick-rom-v3-5-droid-3-a.html
use it with a different launcher to get rid of the blur launcher, and the rom is pretty close to stock android. You can choose google mucisc and stock messaging too.
No verizon-crap either.
If you don't want mavrom i heard liberty is close to stock too, but never tried it myself and not sure if's being updated still

I'm not sure what the launcher is, sorry. I literally have no idea what I'm doing.

djmattyg007 said:
I'm not sure what the launcher is, sorry. I literally have no idea what I'm doing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, motorola uses blur launcher.. which is basically the way your homescreen looks (=desktop) and your app drawer. So if you don't want blur use something like go launcher, or stick with blur if you don't care.
You can use morelocale2 (app) to choose your locale.
You could also just root and use the de-bloat script (stickied) to remove all the bloat-ware

You should root your phone and install CyanogenMod 7. It's not ICS and it's quite stable. It's an AOSP (Android Open Source Project) ROM so all those useless apps (bloatware) will be removed.
The link to the thread is here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1308924
I'm not sure if Australia is GSM, but here's the link for the patch if it is. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1357350
I have not tested the patch as I live in the US

djmattyg007 said:
I'm not sure what the launcher is, sorry. I literally have no idea what I'm doing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll give a counter point to all those saying "root your phone" or flash this ROM or that ROM. Since you say, " I literally have no idea what I'm doing" and elsewhere you say this is your first Android my recommendation would be to just stick with stock for a while and learn how things work before diving into rooting, custom ROM's etc.
In the meantime, one pretty harmless thing you can do is to try different launchers. These give you a somewhat different look and feel to the "desktop" but since they are really an app, you can easily get back to stock by just uninstalling it. That would be much more of a pain free way to go while you try things out and learn. I would ignore those telling you to root at this point.

The only reason I would root is because the battery life is better when you make some tweaks that are only available on root. Even if you just tweak the stock ROM with a couple things it can be worth it.
Sent from my DROID3 using XDA

ratman6161 said:
I'll give a counter point to all those saying "root your phone" or flash this ROM or that ROM. Since you say, " I literally have no idea what I'm doing" and elsewhere you say this is your first Android my recommendation would be to just stick with stock for a while and learn how things work before diving into rooting, custom ROM's etc.
In the meantime, one pretty harmless thing you can do is to try different launchers. These give you a somewhat different look and feel to the "desktop" but since they are really an app, you can easily get back to stock by just uninstalling it. That would be much more of a pain free way to go while you try things out and learn. I would ignore those telling you to root at this point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This was my first android phone and the first thing I did was root it. With pete's tool it couldn't be easier

so is there still no way to flash back to stock if you do the stage upgrade to 906?

Not the average ROM question

My buddy has a cappy and the poor soul is still running 2.1. Now that he no longer has a warranty on it, he wants to root and upgrade it.
My question isn't what's the best ROM because I understand that is highly subjective, but rather, what is the most stable ROM?
ICS on the HTC Inspire only recently hit mile stone release status and, while fairly stable prior to this, still had it's bugs. This was fine for me, but I don't want to bring my friend into this awesome world with a ****ty experience right off the bat plagued with random reboots, bootloops, or non working functions.
So what ROMs are rock solid stable and are good for daily drivers?
And like I said, I'm not looking for "I like this ROM" and I'm not trying to ask what is the best ROM. Only asking about stability.
Thanks guys

Still subjective...but my 2 cents --
Stability wise I would suggest that he upgrade to the Gingerbread 2.3.5 i897ucKK4 release, get Root and then Debloat it completely. Let him run that for a while. He will be pleasantly surprised i think, especially compared to eclair 2.1 that he has been running. Afterwards if he wants to move on to a Developer's Rom, then there are plenty of KK4 based Roms to choose from. He will just have to do some diggin in the Dev forum.
The other Roms ICS, JB, AOSP, CM, MIUI and those similar are very good...but still subjective to each individual user as to what is stable and fit for a daily driver, etc.
Sent from my SGH-I897 using xda premium

Sounds good. I appreciate the reply.
I do have one last question though. As far as doing this, it looks like I just need to get him updated via the Samsung website updates and then use SuperOneClick for root. Is this correct?
I ask because holy crap are there a lot of traps to accidentally fall in to...

He could do the mini kies route to froyo then gb Or he/u could use the kk4 one click odin or heimdall with bootloaders and then get Root through the [Utility] KK4 Easy Root by Red_81 --- both of these u can find in my signature link below.
Sent from my SGH-I897 using xda premium

The Heimdall followed by Easy Root seems the best way to go then (less steps). Thanks so much. I appreciate it.
Now to find that page with the drivers again.... lol (no need to post the link, I'll find it haha)

Here ya go, it was close by... http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=33577757
Sent from my SGH-I897 using xda premium

That's not the page I was looking at before. lol
I was looking here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=858765 That and, of course, installing the SDK on his computer.
But after reading the Heimdall page and that post you pointed me to, it seems I was looking in the wrong direction. I know the SDK won't hurt anything though, so that is still getting put on there, if for no other reason than ADB. (I'm a fan of ADB. It's gotten me out of more than a few binds before.)

4-2ndtwin said:
Still subjective...but my 2 cents --
Stability wise I would suggest that he upgrade to the Gingerbread 2.3.5 i897ucKK4 release, get Root and then Debloat it completely. Let him run that for a while. He will be pleasantly surprised i think, especially compared to eclair 2.1 that he has been running. Afterwards if he wants to move on to a Developer's Rom, then there are plenty of KK4 based Roms to choose from. He will just have to do some diggin in the Dev forum.
The other Roms ICS, JB, AOSP, CM, MIUI and those similar are very good...but still subjective to each individual user as to what is stable and fit for a daily driver, etc.
Sent from my SGH-I897 using xda premium
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Completely agree with this. Your buddy will need to experience and learn a lot of stuff through this transition, therefor, making the jump to JB from Eclair could make a mess.
Although, once he reaches that point, I have to say that I've been very pleased with AOKP (now on milestone). I was quite hesitant to use it as my daily ROM cause I was so used to stability over tweaks with ROMs made by The Family and The Collective. I've been on it since JB was ported to our cappy and I'm seriously loving it! Can't imagine flashing anything else as my daily ROM unless it's as stable and that coming from a flash addict!
Anyway, hope the transition goes well!

Me too. We were gonna do it yesterday, but after the mayhem of my truck (took 4 hours to rotate TWO tires....), we decided that luck was not with us and decided against it lol. Hopefully I can get him to man up about it today.
Thanks for the help guys! Now to produce another convert... muahahahaha!

I would simply use the stable version of CM10.

eksasol said:
I would simply use the stable version of CM10.
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I believe CM10 is on nightly builds atm, therefor, bugs are meant to happen. Might not be the best idea for a first step into JB

BWolf56 said:
I believe CM10 is on nightly builds atm, therefor, bugs are meant to happen. Might not be the best idea for a first step into JB
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http://get.cm/?device=captivatemtd&type=stable

eksasol said:
http://get.cm/?device=captivatemtd&type=stable
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Well then, I stand corrected.