[Q] Which ROM is right for me? - Captivate Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

There are a ton of ROMS out there for the Captivate and I've tried quite a few of them. However, I'm not sure what the differences are or which one is right for me.
I've heard of:
Cognition, Perception (by Designgears)
FireFly, Phoenix (seems like these are by the same person)
Serendipity
I haven't tried Serendipity or Perception, but I've tried the others I listed. Various ROMS say they are based off of KB1 and JP6 (I probably have these wrong) as well as various other 3-letter names. I'm not really sure what these mean, but I think they relate to the ROM being based off of Android v2.1 or Android v2.2.
Here are a couple of things I'm looking for in a ROM:
Battery life is important to me. Most roms so far have been very good at this so long as I change the Wifi sleep policy to "Only when plugged in". If WIFI is on permanently, my battery life is crap.
I prefer a good theme. FireFly's theme is pretty good. It looks great and has nice window animations.
Must be at least Android v2.2. Gingerbread would be awesome but not a requirement.
Stability. Specifically, all phone/hardware features need to work and there should be minimal bugs. For example, using CM7 for Captivate at this point would be out of the question since it's still so young and I've heard it is unstable/buggy.
Based on what I've tried and my requirements, Cognition probably isn't going to be an option. The last time I used Cognition (when it was v3), it wasn't themed and was just an optimized version of stock.
Firefly, Phoenix and Serendipity all seem to be the same thing but with a slightly varied theme. I'm most confused by this. What are the differences here? If there are technical differences, I'd like to know those too. I think each are based off of different firmwares, right?
Thanks in advance for any guidance.

I am sorry but you really need to try them and seed what works best for you
Sent from my Captivate using XDA Premium App

mcord11758 said:
I am sorry but you really need to try them and seed what works best for you
Sent from my Captivate using XDA Premium App
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Click to collapse
This is not helpful at all. This is what I've been doing.
I need someone to go over the technical differences between my choices, since I don't fully understand them myself. I have yet to find a guide somewhere that talks about the technical differences between all of them.
Can someone else provide some helpful input?

void.pointer said:
This is not helpful at all. This is what I've been doing.
I need someone to go over the technical differences between my choices, since I don't fully understand them myself. I have yet to find a guide somewhere that talks about the technical differences between all of them.
Can someone else provide some helpful input?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The best place to find any info abt any ROM/kernel would its OP. Try looking there.
Plus there won't be so much use of anyone compiling the differences 'cos a new version would be out every now n then. This is one of the reasons why there is no such thing.
Rather than asking for something generic like this, u could ask more specific questions like say. That way u wud get ur answers sooner.
mcord11758 said:
I am sorry but you really need to try them and seed what works best for you
Sent from my Captivate using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am with this. Cos a kernel that works on mine might not give the same results on urs.
void.pointer said:
Here are a couple of things I'm looking for in a ROM:
Battery life is important to me. Most roms so far have been very good at this so long as I change the Wifi sleep policy to "Only when plugged in". If WIFI is on permanently, my battery life is crap.
I prefer a good theme. FireFly's theme is pretty good. It looks great and has nice window animations.
Must be at least Android v2.2. Gingerbread would be awesome but not a requirement.
Stability. Specifically, all phone/hardware features need to work and there should be minimal bugs. For example, using CM7 for Captivate at this point would be out of the question since it's still so young and I've heard it is unstable/buggy.
Thanks in advance for any guidance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. wifi always has phone searching for it all time the screen is on. So keep it in when screen turns off, or the option u selected.
2. Themes are personal choices. Based on the ROM u choose, u can select theme of ur choice, or make a theme urself. There are guidelines posted.
3. Most ROMs now are 2.2.1. Would be mentioned in the OP.
4. Custom ROMs cannot guarantee that. Devs take all care and iron out issues when they find or when someone tells them abt them.
Check out a few ROMs and settle for one that suits u. And if u plan on putting on custom ROMs, don't bother on keeping ur hands clean. I think I flashed more than a dozen different ROMs before settling for what I am on now. And since I now found what suits me best, been sticking to it.
This is the normal process most people follow here.

void.pointer said:
This is not helpful at all. This is what I've been doing.
I need someone to go over the technical differences between my choices, since I don't fully understand them myself. I have yet to find a guide somewhere that talks about the technical differences between all of them.
Can someone else provide some helpful input?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, mcord11758 and diablo009 are right.
The differences are minimal, and you need to research each ROM. The very basics are.
MOST roms right now are running Froyo 2.2.1. Some are still 2.2. The JPY, JS3, JS5, KB1(Stock 2.2) Are, for lack of a better definition, are build numbers.
What you'll need to do is, quite frankly, read up on one that has your interest, flash it and if it doesnt work well for you try another. Each Captivate may respond to a ROM differently to the ROM/Kernel/Modem combination. So you literally have to try it

Related

[Q] Best Froyo Rom

Ok guys, I am a new android user and I do want to upgrade to Android 2.2
But it seems like there are 1000 versions of it! Can somebody explain the differences and good things and bad things about them. Or, at least just tell me which one is the best to install!
Thanks...
Honestly, the best way to find out what you like best is by flashing them and deciding for yourself.
That said, the majority of rom pages have listed what is included or removed as well as the dev's personal tweaks.
Personally, i am running the latest cognition, but i have flashed just about everything on here probably.
Test a few out, get comfortable with the process, and make you own well informed decision
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Best Rom
Thanks, but Cognitive group is giving a new version almost every other day! this way you can not install any app! I was thinking if there is any comparison between ROMs. I dont know some benchmark, like how fast is one , how accurate the GPS is , how much original code is used in the ROM or similar things...Is tehre any place that I can find a list of all the ROMS and at least some brief information about each one?
aminj said:
Thanks, but Cognitive group is giving a new version almost every other day! this way you can not install any app! I was thinking if there is any comparison between ROMs. I dont know some benchmark, like how fast is one , how accurate the GPS is , how much original code is used in the ROM or similar things...Is tehre any place that I can find a list of all the ROMS and at least some brief information about each one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You backup your apps with titanium back up. When I flash a new cog 15-20 minutes tops from flash to final setup.
As far as what is best is an opinion. I will say this though, some are for more advanced users, so you better read and be sure of yourself.
I have only flashed cog roms and knock on wood I have avoided catastrophic mistakes.
Captivate
Cog 2.2
Any of the i9000 ROMs are the best.
Cognition is the easiest to install.
Your choice.
None of the cooked roms are perfect for you, rather you are looking for one that meets most of your needs, just as stock is meant to satisfy the masses and as such it stinks.
That being said, if you are just starting out try cognition as it is easy and you can find all your questions answered in that thread if you read. And you don't have to flag every version.
You will likely find though that there are many other alternatives depending on what you are looking for, hsupa, bt voice, oc,/uv, on and on, and flashing can become an addiction.
swyped from a captivate running doc's jpo+setiron kernel
As an android newbie cognition had allowed me to flash roms without blowing my phone up. They are a major upgrade over stock and do not require a degree in com sci to install .
Captivate
Cog 2.4
Right. My best advice is to learn how to flash, learn clockwork mod, and learn adb terminal commands. Once you are familiar with these three things you will have a better understanding of what it is you are looking for.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
I can offer one bit of advice, I was a noob to android before the captivate and i can tell you, before you get flamed, always do a search before posting any questions.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
I agree with MikeyMike. I love the I9000 ROMS, but start out with the easy stuff first. The I9000's are a usually more involved with flashing kernels and modems, hsupa, oc/uv, lagfixes and the like are definately not for beginners. I used Cognition in the beginning because it was easily packaged and in a noob friendly package. The more I read the more I experimented with things, I am now a flash junkie. Read the development section of the forum, that's where all the goodies are. Get familiar with Odin, ClockworkMod Recovery and Titanium Backup, they are a flashers best friend. Learn about kernels, modems, and ROMS, understand what they are an what they do to your phone, read the threads before flashing and you will find everything you need to know, any trouble you may encounter and how to recover from problems. Welcome aboard!

[Q] ROM survey

Specifically for the Samsung Captivate, why did you choose the ROM you have currently flashed on your phone and why? If you know about more than one ROM, would you mind telling me what you liked and disliked about each? It would be very helpful to me.
Please post this on the right section...we want to keep development for actual development...
I'm using Bacon and Axura with Red Soul theme. I love both rom because they are fast!
You can find more information in the ROM thread itself.
shaolin95 said:
Please post this on the right section...we want to keep development for actual development...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do apologize. Didn't realize I posted here and meant to do so in the Q and A.
Could we get a mod to move it, please?
I asked the same thing...in development.....got a tongue lashing for being in the wrong thread and was directed here....wish you all would make up your mind!!!
I was a flashing fool. Did my fair share of trials and tests.
I ran through the Cognition roms. Loved each one as they got better and better. Vodoo lagfix is pretty easy if you understand how and when to disable. Pretty straight forward and noob friendly.
Perception is fast, shiny and new. Based on the I9000, the roms seem to need a bunch of tweaks and changes to get it to run decently. I was never happy with the performance I got from these and well I never really used it to it's full potential either.
So for now I'm back on JH7. I mostly use the phone just as that, a phone. No real advantage in using a custom rom for that.
It still depends on what you are looking for
Similar to earlier post I used the cog roms for a while. Easy to install and stable.
Currently on perception, much faster then stock our cognition. It has a ton of options for tweaks, but is a little more dangerous because it is less idiot proof. I am on the build 3 release and to be honest I will not be changing my rom for singer time.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Currently running auxura. It is a fantastic rom.... but you need to have a little knowledge on how to flash and use cement.
Its a very complete rom with an awesome theme and it is quick once you set it up correctly.
But. I do live Cognition .... just waiting for another release before. I flash back to it again lol.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
I'm using and loving di11igaf's ROM. I used many variations of Cognition and I really appreciate it for bringing me into the world of custom ROMs, but the last version (2.3B6) seemed slow in comparison to AXURA and di11igaf's ROM. I really like the theme and speed of di11igaf's ROM.
Thanks for all the replies! I keep learning more and more every time I check this board out. I'm an ex iOS user and decided to move to Android and everything is tons different, very open, in fact. I think I'll continue to do more research on all the different ROMs and builds and make a little database for myself based on my research and decide from there. Then again, I'm sure the only way to know what I want is to flash each one.
I have yet to see any rom to match the speed of a i9000 based Rom. I have tried almost all of them and always come back to i9000 ROMs as they have the features I want and the best speed. Of course we all have different priorities.

[Q] best rom for a noob

What's the recommendation for a solid, basic rom I can install on my friend's Captivate? He is most definitely not a power user. He just wants his phone to operate faster and be able to enable wifi tethering. He is currently running on android 2.1, so I figure going up to 2.2 at least will help and I have already rooted it. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks
Probably the most stock-like ROM you could flash would be Cognition. Great ROM, has all the features you could want.
Alternately, you could run Serendipity if you want the Gingerbread look.. Or a CM7 build if you want actual Gingerbread (though buggier than the other ROMs)
Firstly, right here on the front page is a Q&A section of this forum. That's where a question like this should go.
Regarding the answer -- IMHO its so subjective that it'd be hard to recommend anything other than a stable rom that has mass appeal, usually noted by the amount of replies to a roms thread. In short, cognition would be a good starting point. I used that for a while and had very few problems. I upgraded to cyanogen a few days ago and there are certainly some bits (namely network related) but I consider myself a power user so the added features more than makes it worth it.
Well, first off, I would move this to the Q&A thread.
But I would recommend Precision or Serendipity to flash. Use the theme when flashing Precision if you want something all Black/White. If you'd rather have that stock feel, I'd go with Cognition. It's really all just trying out different ROMs and seeing what you like. All three of those are fast and will enable tethering, but yesterday, AT&T announced they will start charging rooted users tethering fees if they catch you doing it. Theoretically, they won't be able to detect the tethering if you stay under 2GB of data, though.
Hope that helped!
It depends on personal preference, wrong section to post in. Just saying and not trying to be rude
dgrooman said:
What's the recommendation for a solid, basic rom I can install on my friend's Captivate? He is most definitely not a power user. He just wants his phone to operate faster and be able to enable wifi tethering. He is currently running on android 2.1, so I figure going up to 2.2 at least will help and I have already rooted it. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Although the Romitchen.org is closed for some time, their captivate section has the most compatible stuff. I have used three different roms from there and all give me full functionality - GPS (for me this works real great with Navigon), Bluetooth, Wifi, Email, Text etc. without any hassle whatsoever.
I currently have a ROm that i built from there that works great....Can post it up if you want it?
Cheers !
Its 2.2.1
Thanks for the replies and my apologies for posting in the wrong forum. Looks like cognition will be the best one to start him out on. Thanks again
dgrooman said:
What's the recommendation for a solid, basic rom I can install on my friend's Captivate? He is most definitely not a power user. He just wants his phone to operate faster and be able to enable wifi tethering. He is currently running on android 2.1, so I figure going up to 2.2 at least will help and I have already rooted it. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd recommend either Phoenix or FireFly. Both are rock solid, for the beginners FireFly might be better. They are both very good ROMS, and have great suport
kangi26 said:
I'd recommend either Phoenix or FireFly. Both are rock solid, for the beginners FireFly might be better. They are both very good ROMS, and have great suport
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally agree with Phoenix or FireFly. Totally stable, fast, and the UI's are great. I also think it's absolutely retarded to repeat the issue with this being in the wrong thread. I swear... some of you have a real issue with power tripping. I'm pretty sure after he read the first post about it he understood pretty well. this is XDA!!! Good job on just throwing out an answer Kangi26! That's what we're all here for. HELP!!!
Designgears makes good roms for those starting off, and good roms, just in general. Back in August when I got my cappy my first rom was I believe his first rom release, [srv] 1.0 or something. It was kinda my gateway drug. But his roms are good for beginners because the process for flashing is very simple, and most of all they're pretty stable. So for people unwilling to do deal with bugs, or are prone to complaining about things they don't want to really understand as yet, designgears offers a variety of solutions.
PS....
just as everyone else has mentioned, make sure to post in the correct section to avoid cluttering the forums.
Sent from my SGH-I897 using Tapatalk
Does Firefly unlock/enable tethering or will I still need an app like Wireless Tether? (I did read the first few pages of the official firefly thread but did not see the answer there...)
dgrooman said:
Does Firefly unlock/enable tethering or will I still need an app like Wireless Tether? (I did read the first few pages of the official firefly thread but did not see the answer there...)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm almost 100%, it does. I'm running Phoenix (kind of the big brother to Fire Fly, and it is supported)
Sent from a autonomous device
Wahoo a best rom thread, Have not seen one of these in awhile.
Ok Well there is no "Best Rom" Just a "Best for you rom". I have my favs like everyone else but your best bet is to try them out as you see one that catches your eye. No one can tell you what rom you would deem best it.

[POLL] Which rom?

Hey Yall, I'm a longtime cappy user,
Have had a couple already but I have moved on to the Atrix, great phone btw,
But the cappy still holds a special place for me. Anyhow, I would like to get everyone's help in deciding roms for my Dad and Wife, Which I'm giving cappy's to as presents.
Now The main reason is that I would like to keep in touch using the gtalk voice application. (I travel alot and this is very usefull when I'm abroad).
So , in you guys oppinion, what would be the best ROM for people who don't mess with the phones and just want them to work and being able to use 2.3+
Thanks
Gabe
its all about personal preference. cant really have a 3rd party tell em whats best for them. threads like this gets closed quickly.wth that said already, there's stock 2.3.3 KF1 for i897. i think stock is best for non-phonemodders
Yeah, I tend to agree with that stock would be best. But the thing is that I think google talk voice and video capabilities are dependant on it being 2.3.4 or +.I'm not sure,
Basically I would like to know about the roms that aren't as jumpy as other. Because As I Agree with it being a personal user problem, whn my fam have phne problems it usually falls in my lap.
Thanks,
PS: I hope this tread dosen't get closed as fast as you say, I figure it's the Q/A forum, if it cant be posted here, where can it, right?
gabloco said:
PS: I hope this tread dosen't get closed as fast as you say, I figure it's the Q/A forum, if it cant be posted here, where can it, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They are looked down upon. Each developer puts their own time and hard work in to their roms. And having whoever say this one is best and that one sucks is not called for. Because everyone has their own opinions and no two are the same. Same for every rom they have their differences. which people may like and may not like.
Is why i look down on best rom threads.
I respect that.
I have hoped to have worded differently where What I meant was:
The ROM that has been toughly tested, and isn't dependent of users expertise on CPU OC, Configuration Files, Knowledge of ROOT explorer, SQL Browsers, ETC. (under the hood stuff)
Something that doesn't necessarily offer all the configurations options, that might get someone in trouble, that also offers the current latest android subversion.
I guess it's too much of a complicated question for a just simple yes or no.
So I guess I'll just find myself content in have asked.
I ment no harm in my comment but,
If you don't want them messing with so so or having this or that as an option then just leave them on stock like CremeFraiche had said (And maybe with lag fix kernel, if its still around) or teach them (if they are willing to learn) what stuff means, dose, and how it works. They in turn can decide on what they would want to suit them best.
I hope some of this can help you out
gabloco said:
Hey Yall, I'm a longtime cappy user,
Have had a couple already but I have moved on to the Atrix, great phone btw,
But the cappy still holds a special place for me. Anyhow, I would like to get everyone's help in deciding roms for my Dad and Wife, Which I'm giving cappy's to as presents.
Now The main reason is that I would like to keep in touch using the gtalk voice application. (I travel alot and this is very usefull when I'm abroad).
So , in you guys oppinion, what would be the best ROM for people who don't mess with the phones and just want them to work and being able to use 2.3+
Thanks
Gabe
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think a great fit for ur Dad and wife would be Cognition 5 v1.00
Based on the leaked I897UCKF1 Gingerbread 2.3.3
MIUI definately!!!!!
Sent from my I897 using XDA Premium App
I would say Apex 8.2 or Serendipity 7
As far as GB ROMs go, I've only tried Apex. I liked it, it has good performance and runs pretty smooth. I haven't gotten around to trying out the other GB ROMs yet so I can't say anything about them. However a rooted ROM might not be the best to go with for them. Both of my parents got Captivates so I could be their goto guy for instruction and debug. I think giving them a Rooted phone is just asking for additional trouble. I think a stock ROM with a nice theme (if you want them to be a little different) is the way to go for them.

[Q] Help me choose!

Hello, I would like to know which custom ROM can I use, I bought a Captivate from ebay that comes with Cyanogen Mod 7.
I would like a ROM that has the best battery life and with the least bugs. I know all ROMs have bugs but I'm trying to get the one with the least bugs and that is fast and with a good battery life, or atleast a decent battery life.
I know that maybe you hate these type of questions but I really can't decide which one to use because there's a lot of them.
Thanks,
NightShack
You should read the development threads in the captivate section and make an informed decision. Also make sure You understand what you need to do coming from cm to a different rom
Sent from my I897 using XDA Premium App
Try them out and find one that suits you. Because everyone has different opinions. Plus rom makers put their hard time and work to make these rom. That why these type of post are looked down on.
Well but there's a lot of them and I just wanted one that was the most bug-free and with most battery life, and I posted this so anyone can tell me at least, for example 3 ROMs or whatever, that fit the description, to just decide between those 3 and not all of them.
Find some rom that look interesting, and do like mcord11758 said read the rom threads and see what people say about them. It sounds like all you want is the outcome without doing the work.
speedy_11 said:
Try them out and find one that suits you. Because everyone has different opinions. Plus rom makers put their hard time and work to make these rom. That why these type of post are looked down on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 just browse and flash if you find it not to be your type then flash another ROM again then flash again till you found the one that suits your needs and wants. that's what I did when I first got my cappy.
YepYep the first few months with this phone was all out rom flashing. Just look at the forums and make sure to do your research before you flash.
Sent from my i897 running MIUI 1.8.12 with TalonMTD kernel.
If you're not familiar with flashing roms, you should start with something froyo based. They've been around longer and for the most part are more stable and less bugging. For the most part.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
bornjamerican said:
If you're not familiar with flashing roms, you should start with something froyo based. They've been around longer and for the most part are more stable and less bugging. For the most part.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is certainly not a true statement! Just because something has been around longer does not mean it is any more stable. The GB Roms are quite stable, with no more issues than what I had with Froyo Roms.
I personally like Miui the best...but the the others said, check out the development thread and take a look at all the roms offered. Many of them offer exceptional battery life and great performance. It comes down really to your general preference.

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