Related
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
Hey Guys I put together a Q&A thread for this rom to prevent tons of new threads about rom Spicific questions from new users.. Please feel free to post any questions here.
As Aslways there is no Flaming, name calling or the such.
No question is too noobish, But please look for your answer first.
Now for the info needed to help. In your post make sure to included the version of the rom you are using, modem, kernel, ext...
Also please give it some time for your question to be answered.
Serendipity 5.10 + Da_g GPS Fix?
Hello,
I'm a new comer to this Forum (aka noob )... Since last week I've been flashing different ROMs to my Captivate, always looking for a workable GPS on them.
I tried most of them, liked Serendipity the most, however I cannot make the GPS to work! I was reading the Da_g GPS fix, however I didn't look anyone there testing in on the Serendipity ROM. Has anyone tried the Serendipity + Da_g GPS Fix? Is it possible? Is there other way to make the GPS work on Serendipity that I'm skipping?
Another question, why does the Labs Test Mode Secret Code doesn't work on the Serendipity ROM?
Thanks and apologies if the questions are really noobs or asked in other forum.
Cadejos said:
Hello,
I'm a new comer to this Forum (aka noob )... Since last week I've been flashing different ROMs to my Captivate, always looking for a workable GPS on them.
I tried most of them, liked Serendipity the most, however I cannot make the GPS to work! I was reading the Da_g GPS fix, however I didn't look anyone there testing in on the Serendipity ROM. Has anyone tried the Serendipity + Da_g GPS Fix? Is it possible? Is there other way to make the GPS work on Serendipity that I'm skipping?
Another question, why does the Labs Test Mode Secret Code doesn't work on the Serendipity ROM?
Thanks and apologies if the questions are really noobs or asked in other forum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cadejos,
First off the GPS on the Captivate will never fully work. We as ROM builders can do the best we can to make it work just slightly better. Serendipity does include some of these GPS fixes.
To get into the lab test mode try Captivate SGS Tools. Here
Hope this has helped!
ChanceM
The GPS works fairly well on Serendipity, for a Captivate, I've had pretty good luck with mapping and navigation. Get the GPSRestore app Samsung put on the market, run it to reset any fiddling you might have done, and then go from there. I had followed Da_g's thread, but the GPS was working ok, so I never ran his fix.
zelendel said:
Hey Guys I put together a Q&A thread for this rom to prevent tons of new threads about rom specific questions from new users.. Please feel free to post any questions here.
As Aslways there is no Flaming, name calling or the such.
No question is too noobish, But please look for your answer first.
Now for the info needed to help. In your post make sure to included the version of the rom you are using, modem, kernel, ext...
Also please give it some time for your question to be answered.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i fixed it for you
First off you guys have done a great job, everything works the way Samsung should have made it work and then some, phone is impressively fast especially since it's not running on 3g network. Although I have only been running serendipity for about a week it's great and my GPS locks within seconds every time.I just want to make sure im not missing something since i'm new to the ROM thing, everyone keeps mentioning making sure the kernal is up to date now I started with serendipity 5.7 and am now running 5.10 do I have to do anything else as far as upgrades go?
white00gt said:
First off you guys have done a great job, everything works the way Samsung should have made it work and then some, phone is impressively fast especially since it's not running on 3g network. Although I have only been running serendipity for about a week it's great and my GPS locks within seconds every time.I just want to make sure im not missing something since i'm new to the ROM thing, everyone keeps mentioning making sure the kernal is up to date now I started with serendipity 5.7 and am now running 5.10 do I have to do anything else as far as upgrades go?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here is the link to the SpeedMod kernel thread. This is the kernel used in the ROM. The kernel is now up to version 13c, the one that comes stock with the ROM is a few versions back. You can flash the newest one with the SGS Kernel Flasher. Download the ODIN version here.
reinbeau said:
Here is the link to the SpeedMod kernel thread. This is the kernel used in the ROM. The kernel is now up to version 13c, the one that comes stock with the ROM is a few versions back. You can flash the newest one with the SGS Kernel Flasher. Download the ODIN version here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I update the kernel version in the base ROM. If you were to flash the full 5.10, you'd get 13B.
I leave the kernel updates out of the updates since many people don't use speedmod and would have to flash their kernel if choice again after.
Sent from my Captivate.
Mikey, I wanted to say that I absolutely love your rom. I'm new to the flashing roms but I'm starting to catch on to it a little bit. I love the inverted Gmail, but there is only one issue and was wondering if it could be looked into, it's very hard to tell which is the new email and which is the old email. The only difference I can see on mine is that the black background box is a little darker on the new emails. Is there a way you could make the old email maybe not bold or something. Just anything to distinguish new emails from old besides the darker box (which isn't extremely noticable). Besides that, I can't say enough good things about your rom. Thanks again.
reinbeau said:
Here is the link to the SpeedMod kernel thread. This is the kernel used in the ROM. The kernel is now up to version 13c, the one that comes stock with the ROM is a few versions back. You can flash the newest one with the SGS Kernel Flasher. Download the ODIN version here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Done successfully , thanks!
Thanks @MikeyMike01 also for the info. great support!!
Speedmod CWM?
Can I flash the clockwork mod version of speedmod from recovery? Great idea to have a separate section for us noobs. Remember, there are no stupid questions...
rrieter said:
Can I flash the clockwork mod version of speedmod from recovery? Great idea to have a separate section for us noobs. Remember, there are no stupid questions...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you can refer to this as it explains the whole process.
madnav said:
you can refer to this as it explains the whole process.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, I was asking about updating the speedmod kernal. I should have quoted the previous post that refers to using sgs kernal flasher with odin version of speedMod kernal.
Yes u can. download the cwm version and flash.
rrieter said:
Actually, I was asking about updating the speedmod kernal. I should have quoted the previous post that refers to using sgs kernal flasher with odin version of speedMod kernal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used Odin and it took me about 2 min.(including downloading ODIN) so not sure if clockword mod would be any different but it was extremely easy to do with ODIN and I'm new to this stuff
Cadejos said:
Hello,
I'm a new comer to this Forum (aka noob )... Since last week I've been flashing different ROMs to my Captivate, always looking for a workable GPS on them.
I tried most of them, liked Serendipity the most, however I cannot make the GPS to work! I was reading the Da_g GPS fix, however I didn't look anyone there testing in on the Serendipity ROM. Has anyone tried the Serendipity + Da_g GPS Fix? Is it possible? Is there other way to make the GPS work on Serendipity that I'm skipping?
Another question, why does the Labs Test Mode Secret Code doesn't work on the Serendipity ROM?
Thanks and apologies if the questions are really noobs or asked in other forum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't read the other replies to you yet, but have this to offer:
I have found the GPS to work fairly well, but not perfect, with the Serendipity ROM.
However I have given up on expectations of great GPS from the phone natively. What I have done is invest $35 (some are less expensive on eBay) for an external GPS that the phone hooks to via blue tooth, and it provides accuracy down to 3 feet. I'd suggest saving yourself the aggravation and making that investment if you expect to use the GPS much. I only use it for actual navigation. I find the internal GPS is fine for all other things needing GPS.
Here is a link to a thread about using one.
rrieter said:
Actually, I was asking about updating the speedmod kernal. I should have quoted the previous post that refers to using sgs kernal flasher with odin version of speedMod kernal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes it is possible and i do it via cwm. use cwm zip of the kernel (good that now the odin version is in .tar to avoid any confusions and errors)
quiet a few point you shall consider before doing so:-
You may want to change /system back to rfs if you converted it to ext4. It may not flash/install otherwise if you are changing from a different kind of lagfix.
This is my first ROM to flash on my phone, and I really enjoy it. I am overall very happy but there is a few issues I have ran into.
The major one being the "reject with message" feature. It does not work at all. Am I doing anything wrong? does this just not work on serendipity? Let me know if anything can be changed because I really miss this feature.
I also cannot get my e-mail to sync up, but this may be a user error.
If anyone can help me with the reject with message feature, that would be great.
pwnstar44 said:
If anyone can help me with the reject with message feature, that would be great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you by any chance using Google Voice? I am , and it has never worked with it. (I wish it did).
I'm thinking it may have to do with the Messaging client you are using. I know that there have been various posts about loading different messaging, due to various issues. Haven't seen this one mentioned before though.
I am using the stock messenger that came with the flash. If this is an issue with just this client, any opinions on what I should use? I really didnt have a problem with the samsung messenger, but I have heard good things about other clients
I bought my Captivate in December, and have since rooted, updated to Froyo through Kies, and even flashed a couple of kernels (currently running Firebird). I log onto and read posts on XDA almost daily, its kind of like my daily newspaper! Anyway, I have never understood how its possible that so many members have an i897 Captivate-based phone, yet is able to run i9000-based modems, kernels and ROMS. I've searched and googled, and can't get a straight answer, maybe my search terms need improvement, I don't know. But, is it possible to have
i9000 ROMS (with a i9000 modem/kernel of course) on our United States i897 Captivate? Or, is it that more members on this forum have i9000 based phones than I thought?
aicirt17 said:
I bought my Captivate in December, and have since rooted, updated to Froyo through Kies, and even flashed a couple of kernels (currently running Firebird). I log onto and read posts on XDA almost daily, its kind of like my daily newspaper! Anyway, I have never understood how its possible that so many members have an i897 Captivate-based phone, yet is able to run i9000-based modems, kernels and ROMS. I've searched and googled, and can't get a straight answer, maybe my search terms need improvement, I don't know. But, is it possible to have
i9000 ROMS (with a i9000 modem/kernel of course) on our United States i897 Captivate? Or, is it that more members on this forum have i9000 based phones than I thought?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im just taking a shot here, but i think its because our roms are based off the i9000 roms... (theyre not the same, but theyre in the same class...)
aicirt17 said:
But, is it possible to have
i9000 ROMS (with a i9000 modem/kernel of course) on our United States i897 Captivate?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. If you flash a stock version of an i9000 ROM then you will have orientation and Home button issues though. That is why there are kernels in the Captivate development section that are based on i9000 source code and reoriented along with other tweaks. You should also take care to read and understand exactly what it is that you are doing before attempting to flash any ROM, especially one made for an extremely similar, yet different, phone.
As I've learned the hard way, make sure to stay in the captivate development section. There are plenty of I9000, roms to pick from that will work fine for your i897. Just make sure to either use the kernel with the rom or pick a reoriented one. Keep in mind there is some call quality loss with the i9000 roms. And most of all, be careful with bootloaders.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
cardassianvol said:
Yes. If you flash a stock version of an i9000 ROM then you will have orientation and Home button issues though. That is why there are kernels in the Captivate development section that are based on i9000 source code and reoriented along with other tweaks. You should also take care to read and understand exactly what it is that you are doing before attempting to flash any ROM, especially one made for an extremely similar, yet different, phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, I can take my cappy as it is now (stock Froyo, Firebird kernel), and flash an i9000 ROM, making sure to also flash an i9000 modem and kernel (if the ROM doesn't already come with one), and that's it?
Cdub3 said:
As I've learned the hard way, make sure to stay in the captivate development section. There are plenty of I9000, roms to pick from that will work fine for your i897. Just make sure to either use the kernel with the rom or pick a reoriented one. Keep in mind there is some call quality loss with the i9000 roms. And most of all, be careful with bootloaders.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bootloaders, the one thing I haven't read up on yet. Think I'll read, read, read, and then read a little more after that. I forgot about the bootloaders. Thanks for the heads up Cdub3!
aicirt17 said:
Bootloaders, the one thing I haven't read up on yet. Think I'll read, read, read, and then read a little more after that. I forgot about the bootloaders. Thanks for the heads up Cdub3!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
u only need to get acquainted with bootloaders if you are planning to jump to a gingerbread ROM other than cyanogenmod7 or miui from 2.1/2.2 ROMs. GB bootloader+2.1/2.2 secondary bootloader=
aicirt17 said:
So, I can take my cappy as it is now (stock Froyo, Firebird kernel), and flash an i9000 ROM, making sure to also flash an i9000 modem and kernel (if the ROM doesn't already come with one), and that's it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it must be a REORIENTED kernel in order for it to work. in all honesty, i have found that its better to select any rom from the captivate section rather than using a straight i9000 rom from the i9000 forums. go ahead and try a few out, but you will quickly see why i would suggest getting one of the mature i9000 roms from the captivate section instead. references to front facing camera, lack of haptic feedback on the home key, and other little things will begin to creep up on you. it gets annoying.
aicirt17 said:
So, I can take my cappy as it is now (stock Froyo, Firebird kernel), and flash an i9000 ROM, making sure to also flash an i9000 modem and kernel (if the ROM doesn't already come with one), and that's it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should flash the i9000 ROM and then flash a reoriented i9000 kernel from the Captivate development section and while the modem must be an i9000 modem when using an i9000 based ROM, you should research which modems support your carrier best. I'll assume you are on AT&T and say you need a modem that supports the 850MHz band if you want 3G support everywhere AT&T offers it when you travel inside the US. The standard i9000 modems support the 1900MHz band, which AT&T uses in my area. I'd suggest following the guides in the Captivate Development section though. Most ROMs there have done this work for you. They are almost all based on the official i9000 releases. There is nothing wrong with playing around after you understand the basics though. I run stock i9000 Gingerbread with the i9000 reoriented kernel by xcaliburinhand. Then I tailor it to my liking.
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...
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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
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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...
Hi I am still very new to the Android world, but I need some guidance from the experts here.
I have a glitchy Sam Galaxy S that I would like to install a new firmware with root and unlock. I have installed firmwares before so I am ok with that.
It doesnt need to be the newest firmware just something that is reliable. There is so many different firmwares out there, its confusing.
The phone will be used in Canada on Fido.
Thanks for your help!
Try this first..so you can root it and put a custom recovery on the fly...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=788108
Then check the development section for the i9000 and choose any roms...JVR's or JVS's
The ROM is a matter of taste...I have tested 5 different ROMs on the last 3 days...and I'm still waiting for one that will make me comfortable to use on a daily basis...
Have fun....
Couldn't you have just read the answers to one of the thousands of almost identical questions already posted in this forum?
In the end, all you can do is read the actual ROM threads, choose a few that sound good, and try them out. The only opinion that matters is yours, stop asking someone to think for you.
Reported as Spam.
I tried several roms, btw i found excellent for daily use the MIUI rom. Fast, stable and easy to use. Someone says that is too close to iphone style, but you can change theme with one click to make it different.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
I've tried many gingerbread custom roms and stock odexed as well as deodexed roms. The most stable roms would be those of froyo 2.2.1, for example, ZSJPK. Froyo roms are smoother because they have more ram, and you can root it using superoneclick. However, I'm using gingerbread stock JVR because of the wider range of theming options
Thread closed.