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So as of Oct 1st I've been the proud owner of a Captivate. This is upgrading from an Ericsson feature phone, which while I hacked, the scene here is very different. Moreover, the organization and level of detail I tend to find things is a little lacking (yes, I've used the search feature). I understand that the Android platform is spreading rapidly, the Captivate especially, so I will say I don't fault XDA or anything. I'm just trying to educate myself (and hopefully be able to help the community later) via a massive post on breaking myself into the Captivate hacking circle.
Most of the below are questions that fall under some kind of similar topic.
What do the I8000/I9000 terms pertain to? Which phones or firmware versions are which Ix000? How can I check for myself in the future? (I'm under the impression that the Captivate falls under I9000, but still I'd like more firm determination.)
How many ROMs can be active on a phone at once? (Can a ROM be just some UI changes, on top of another that changes some backend file organization or, say, another UI alteration for a different section of the phone?)
ROM Manager + Clockwork Mod seems to be the defacto tool for flashing phone ROMs and creating backups with the Captivate. But I've also seen people suggest using Titanium Backup often for creating backups if the user wants to have a stock state of their phone to revert to in order to go back to a clean slate. (Only real difference that is apparent is TB seems to use the word "image" and not "backup", but if that's the case then what does a "backup" count as out of ROM Manger?) And what of Odin? Or Nandroid? I get there are different methodologies to do the same thing, but it’d be nice to lay out the details, uses, pros, cons, and comparisons between all these backup utilities.
Thanks in advance!
EDIT: Shoot, thought I was on the Q&A page. Feel free to move. Apologies.
While you are in development look at the captivate bible, it links to the important threads, I think there is a wiki up somewhere too that answers the important questions.
Titanium backup backs up apps and data but I don't know if its in the form of an image, certainly not a full disk image.
Nandroid is a feature of rom manager/clockwork recovery, I believe that is an image but I haven't actually used a backup from it yet so I don't know if it is or isn't.
Odin is a tool for flashing samsung firmwares, 3rd party roms can use odin and a hybrid can be made my mixing one rom with another kernel or modem.bin.
Most recent 3rd party roms use a .zip file run in clockwork recovery which can be launcher from rom manager.
Some mods and I think a few roms are run as an update.zip in the stock recovery screen which you get to via a button combo on boot up. Hold both volumes for 2 sec then press power and continue holding all 3 buttons till the att screen pops up.
Since you are new to android, I'd look at designgears work, or eugene. High quality stuff. Cognition 2.2 is based on leaked froyo and is probably the best gps and fastest, linpack shows the best numbers with froyo(2.2). But for 3d gaming the overclock (only on eclair (2.1)) will give better frame rates from a higher gpu clock. Not that the humming bird needs better 3d performance. It already leads the field in that area, most benchmark are ineffective because the gpu is capped at 56fps and it will hit that cap through most tests.
Kernels for overclock/undervolt and/or voodoo are loaded into condition 2.1.x and can be added to other eclair roms with ease.
eugenes roms are very thought out but take a while to get right on the captivate since he has a vibrant and there are differences.
I-9000 is the international galaxy s and is the most feature rich version that is gsm, many files roms ect can run on the captivate with some bugs, I-9000 kernels are used to enable hsupa, but break the bluetooth.
Lag fix is a ext2 or ext4 partition to boost file system speeds, ask a dev about how that works, I have no idea. Voodoo lag fix, I think is a full file system replacement and considered superior. its not available in froyo, we have no source code for froyo to build the kernel.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Tapatalk
Cyber_Bruno said:
What do the I8000/I9000 terms pertain to? Which phones or firmware versions are which Ix000? How can I check for myself in the future? (I'm under the impression that the Captivate falls under I9000, but still I'd like more firm determination.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is the Samsung's code for their devices. For example :
i900 --> Samsung Omnia
i8000 --> Samsung Omnia II
i9000 --> Samsung Galaxy S (International)
B7610 --> Samsung OmniaPRO (the touchscreen slider)
C6625 --> Samsung Valencia
And finally, i897 --> AT&T Samsung Captivate
Cyber_Bruno said:
How many ROMs can be active on a phone at once? (Can a ROM be just some UI changes, on top of another that changes some backend file organization or, say, another UI alteration for a different section of the phone?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, only one ROM can be used in the device at the same time. It is recommended to flash stock ROM first before flashing non-stock ROM, to avoid conflict between ROMs. Every non-stock ROMs is made to replace stock ROM, not another non-stock ROMs.
Cyber_Bruno said:
ROM Manager + Clockwork Mod seems to be the defacto tool for flashing phone ROMs and creating backups with the Captivate. But I've also seen people suggest using Titanium Backup often for creating backups if the user wants to have a stock state of their phone to revert to in order to go back to a clean slate. (Only real difference that is apparent is TB seems to use the word "image" and not "backup", but if that's the case then what does a "backup" count as out of ROM Manger?) And what of Odin? Or Nandroid? I get there are different methodologies to do the same thing, but it’d be nice to lay out the details, uses, pros, cons, and comparisons between all these backup utilities.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ROM Manager & Clockwork Mod --> Same utility, get from the market. Flash stock ROM first. You don't need PC to flash with ROM Manager/Clockwork Mod
Odin --> Conventional way that needs PC to flash the ROM. Flash stock ROM first. Usually ROMs that need Odin will be available as .exe file, and the .exe file contains Odin with the ROM, so, you don't need to download Odin separately
Titanium Backup --> A backup app, get from the market. It will generate an .APK file that contains the app with their data (for example : saved games) as an .APK file. After flash the new ROM, just reinstall the generated .APK file. It can backup app (with data), WiFi settings, contacts & calendar (better use your Google account), SMS/MMS (better use separate SMS/MMS backup app from the market), Call History, etc
Nandroid --> I don't know, never used before.
Cyber_Bruno said:
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're welcome
Nandroid --> I don't know, never used before.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nandroid is a function of RM/CWM wherein it take a full snapshot of the current rom setup: system, application data, etc. (no, it does not copy the entire internal SD card.)
Well, your questions are pretty standard things, not really related much to actual dev work.
I will point you to the 3 most important things you will need to get started.
apk manager
auto-deodexer
apktool
...and the obvious dev tools, netbeans, android sdk, etc...
...one more thing...
This thread is godly;
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=725870
Hi all
Is Nandroid backing up all the apps I've got at that moment? Or it just saves system files?
Like a complete and exact "photo" or are there things that I should do on my own if I mean to recover exactly as it was...
I assume that no wipe is necessary...
Thanks!
What's the truth about Nandroid backup?!
i guess there's no need to open a new topic, because i got kinda the same question
before you guys start to redirect me to the "search" function, i want to assure you that i have been using it, but i have found myself in a very strange situation, one question, two different answers... and because i'm new to the whole root stuff, i want to learn everything correctly before starting to make modifications to my phone
The question is: Nandroid backup, does it also back up the kernel or not?
I mean, if i root and install a custom rom that also comes with a custom kernel, will i be able to use my previous Nandroid backup to restore my phone to the old rom & kernel?
Searching the forums, i have found 2 totally different answers!
Answer 1: Nandroid does not backup the kernel: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=806340
Answer 2: Nandroid does backup the kernel: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=844352
So, please make me and all of us root noobs understand once and for all, does it backup the kernel or not?, will we be able to restore from a custom rom+kernel in case we need to?
and does it backup apps?
OK...As I understand it....
What does Nandroid Backup?
The ROM Itself..Obviously.
All your system settings, emails, SMSes, etc
All the Apps you have installed, so no need for TB
The Kernel you have installed (though there is controversy about this, and to be honest, I have never restored a nandroid backup when I had a different kernel already installed...however it really doesn't matter since kernels are easy to flash)
What does Nandroid NOT backup - This is VERY IMPORTANT
The modem (not a big deal)
The File System setting (A BIG DEAL)
This I think is where the confusion arises concerning the kernel being included in the nandroid backup. For many people the kernel is all about the lagfix. If you have installed a lagfix on your phone via the kernel, say changing the file system to Ext4, and then flash a Nandroid backup that includes a stock kernel or other kernel that does NOT support Ext4, you are in for a world of hurt...and in this case hurt means endless bootloops.
The way you avoid this is, if you need to flash a Nandroid with a kernel that does not support your lagfix...go into recovery, disable whatever lagfix, tell it when it asks that you wish to REBOOT INTO RECOVERY after the change....then flash the nandroid you wish.
This is why it is very important to keep regular nandroid backups, and to wait and see if a ROM/Kernel are stable for you before applying lagfixes or other tweaks.
So, let me see if i got this right, Nandroid does backup up my current kernel along with my rom, but if i apply any changes (lagfix) to my kernel afterwards or change it with a custom one with lagfix, nandroid won't be able to restore it anymore...
so the whole problem here is that nandroid is not able to backup / restore The File System setting, this being the rfs / ext4 transition
If this is the case, it seems that the Nandroid type backup is not as powerful as i thought, you can't really change from one rom to another in just a few clicks, but then again i guess that all the customs roms already come with some type of lagfix and you can make a nandroid restore between them, the problem would be when you want to revert back to a stock kernel, then you'll have to disable the lagfixes or simply flash a stock kernel and then restore the stock nandroid backup
so, i got this right guys?
maranello69 said:
So, let me see if i got this right, Nandroid does backup up my current kernel along with my rom, but if i apply any changes (lagfix) to my kernel afterwards or change it with a custom one with lagfix, nandroid won't be able to restore it anymore...
so the whole problem here is that nandroid is not able to backup / restore The File System setting, this being the rfs / ext4 transition
If this is the case, it seems that the Nandroid type backup is not as powerful as i thought, you can't really change from one rom to another in just a few clicks, but then again i guess that all the customs roms already come with some type of lagfix and you can make a nandroid restore between them, the problem would be when you want to revert back to a stock kernel, then you'll have to disable the lagfixes or simply flash a stock kernel and then restore the stock nandroid backup
so, i got this right guys?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes as I understand it.
You see Nandroid can't convert your file system or change anything, all it can do is flash a disc image onto your phone. If that image can work with your file system, you are golden. If not, it is like flashing a Mac OS image onto a Windows machine....nothing will work right.
However the good news is that most custom kernels support Ext4...so really the only problem comes when you try to flash back to a stock image...or vice versa.
got it then, thanks for your answers
and, if i still got your attention, maybe one more question
i just downloaded a stock firmware from samfirmwares.com, and all i got is a .tar file, can i use it somehow to flash just the kernel from it or i have to flash the whole firmware?
if i flash the whole firmware, will it also change my PHONE and CSC?, because the .tar file must be put just in the PDA section in odin
maranello69 said:
got it then, thanks for your answers
and, if i still got your attention, maybe one more question
i just downloaded a stock firmware from samfirmwares.com, and all i got is a .tar file, can i use it somehow to flash just the kernel from it or i have to flash the whole firmware?
if i flash the whole firmware, will it also change my PHONE and CSC?, because the .tar file must be put just in the PDA section in odin
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it will flash the PDA, csc, modem and kernel...the whole shooting match. The single file firmwares are designed like that to avoid mismatches and issues. Once you flash it, flash a kernel that supports cwm (I suggest speedmod or something by CHAINFIRE) via odin, then flash a new csc and modem if you wish from recovery.
Remember that installing a new csc will do a factory reset so do it before reinstalling apps.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA Premium App
great stuff man
finally i got enough info and i can start my root & flash procedure, guess i'll also learn a few other tricks along the way, this community is definetly the place to be if you want to learn how to "really use" your device
the whole info about the issues with the Nandroid type backup should be integrated in one of those massive info topics, so the root noobs like me know what they're dealing with
maranello69 said:
great stuff man
finally i got enough info and i can start my root & flash procedure, guess i'll also learn a few other tricks along the way, this community is definetly the place to be if you want to learn how to "really use" your device
the whole info about the issues with the Nandroid type backup should be integrated in one of those massive info topics, so the root noobs like me know what they're dealing with
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good luck
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA Premium App
Hey guys i actually used the search button (yay) and this is definitely the most informative one regarding the topic.
However i still have one more question: does it backup files and folders as well? Ie. my Nexus S storage is mainly used up by my videos and music (about 7-10GB) which are in their own folders and not tied to any apps in particular. Hence if it does include those i wouldn't have enough storage space to create a nandroid backup am i right?
Edit: thanks to the search button i didn't realise that i posted on a Galaxy S forum please forgive me, the question should still be relevant to the topic though
frenccw said:
Hey guys i actually used the search button (yay) and this is definitely the most informative one regarding the topic.
However i still have one more question: does it backup files and folders as well? Ie. my Nexus S storage is mainly used up by my videos and music (about 7-10GB) which are in their own folders and not tied to any apps in particular. Hence if it does include those i wouldn't have enough storage space to create a nandroid backup am i right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I understand it, it does save folders and files, so yes if you have large data folders on your internal SD it will make GIGANTIC nandroid backups. You may want to store such files one your external SD.
I know that there is a version of CWM that does not backup /data/media in Nandroid on the Galaxy Tab 10.1...perhaps there is something similar that I don't know about for Galaxy phones. Does anyone know?
can anybody tell me that can you or can you not install two operating system on samsung galaxy s like in computer cause i want to use custom ROM and default os.
I don't think it's possible at the moment, but it would be pretty awesome if it was.
The only thing I can see this benefiting is someone who wants to have a development rom on their phone, but still having a stable rom that they can use for their daily rom. That and flashing would be an issue unless cement or Odin could be made to recognise multiple system partitions so they could segregate the two roms.
The only way I think it could work is if there was a master boot record that could direct the system to the correct partition when the user selected the rom that they wanted to load at boot.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
2 OS on the phone makes some sense imho.
I also thought about having some dual-boot with some beta-alpha-status custom rom (like CM7) and something stable to go back to.
But this will most likely never work with odin, as it expects a more or less fixed partition-table, I think (it uses pit-files to change it).
This would be the responsibility of the bootloader, and all custom roms use the original bootloader provided by Samsung.
I just use CWM nandroid backup now, if I want to go back to some previous state.
Installing CWM is not that big a deal even after recovering from a "soft brick" (non-working boot/recovery).
i think in time it will be available, They sell dual boot phones on ebay.
they are cheaply made chinese phones, so with the right team and the right know-how i think it could well be made on SGS (what do i know - im no developer)
but if the chinks can make it, im sure we could (by 'WE' i mean someone else not me lol)
anyway the chinese phones on ebay can boot both android 2.2 and windows 6, i would not like windows but maybe 2 different versions of android, perhaps stock + custom, that would be nice
EDIT: i found a simpler way - you get 2 SGS's glue them back to back and a simple flip turns you into another OS im so smart
Hi all, in a couple of days time I will be receiving my first ever Android device, the Motorola Milestone. I've already done some research on the phone as well as on Android itself, and understood most of the necessary basics. However, there are still many things I don't understand quite yet, and would like some help with clarifying them.
My first question is regarding the custom roms. I myself have been a long time user of Windows Mobile so I know most of the stuff that is relevant to Android as well. From what I know, the bootloader on the Milestone is still locked, but people have found ways to load custom roms on it. Can someone link me to the guide on how to do this? Now before someone tell me to search on the forum or on Google (which I already have), I just want to point out that the ones I found seemed to be outdated, and that they're for older Android versions??
My 2nd question is, do custom roms like IceandFire or Froyomod come with their own custom kernels? Because I want to be able to overclock my phone, and if it comes installed with its own kernel then I don't want to risk bricking it by flashing another kernel on top of it......I hope that makes sense??
3rd question is, which rom is the best for speed and battery? I'm guessing it's IceandFire and it builds upon the latest CM7?
And lastly, are there any crucial apps that you guys recommend I should install, or any tweaks etc I should use?
chaoscreater said:
Hi all, in a couple of days time I will be receiving my first ever Android device, the Motorola Milestone. I've already done some research on the phone as well as on Android itself, and understood most of the necessary basics. However, there are still many things I don't understand quite yet, and would like some help with clarifying them.
My first question is regarding the custom roms. I myself have been a long time user of Windows Mobile so I know most of the stuff that is relevant to Android as well. From what I know, the bootloader on the Milestone is still locked, but people have found ways to load custom roms on it. Can someone link me to the guide on how to do this? Now before someone tell me to search on the forum or on Google (which I already have), I just want to point out that the ones I found seemed to be outdated, and that they're for older Android versions??
My 2nd question is, do custom roms like IceandFire or Froyomod come with their own custom kernels? Because I want to be able to overclock my phone, and if it comes installed with its own kernel then I don't want to risk bricking it by flashing another kernel on top of it......I hope that makes sense??
3rd question is, which rom is the best for speed and battery? I'm guessing it's IceandFire and it builds upon the latest CM7?
And lastly, are there any crucial apps that you guys recommend I should install, or any tweaks etc I should use?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=983516
This is still the best way to get a custom ROM loaded up onto your phone. What you want to start with is flashing the vulnerable recovery from http://android.doshaska.net/rootable by using RSD Lite. To do so, you need to put the phone into Bootloader mode (power+Dpad-up) You can google RSD Lite, make sure you use the latest version along with the latest USB Driver version from Motorola.
RSD Lite is a very finicky program, if you have any errors flashing, your best bet would be to try this post: http://androidforums.com/droid-all-...hing-process-0x7100-rsd-lite.html#post1274587
Once you flash the VR (vulnerable recovery), you will want to put OpenRecovery on your SD Card. I recommend using OR 1.46 and placing FuFu's minimod on the SD Card as well. It will overwrite existing files in OR (look for it in Milestone Development). From here you can root the phone in OR (by using power+x, then camera+volume up) and reboot, backup all data you want saved, before flashing a ROM.
Once that is done, get the custom ROM that you want (I find speed + battery can be Cronos, CM7 or FroyoMOD for a Froyo ROM) and place it in OpenRecovery/updates. You will also want the most up-to-date version of Google Apps for Cronos or any Gingerbread ROM (except MIUI).
Gapps: http://goo-inside.me/gapps/gapps-gb-20110613-signed.zip
Now, turn the phone off, and put it into recovery mode (power+x, then camera+volume up), select apply update.zip and you are now into OpenRecovery.
Here is where you will flash your custom ROM and Gapps. Wipe both cache partition and dalvik cache, then wipe all data. Select Apply Update under Miscellaneous Menu and select the ROM you want. Once it is done, wipe both caches (not data) and flash Gapps. Wipe caches again. Finally, change the baseband to your country and reboot.
The first reboot will take a while, as the ROM is configuring itself for first time use.
That is how to flash a custom ROM and get started.
2- Custom kernels are not available for Milestone, as our bootloader is locked. Overclocking the phone is done through the 10overclock file in system/etc/init.d . All ROMs that I know of are overclock, most to 1GHz (from 550MHz). You will not be able to flash any kernels, and DO NOT try ROM Manager, it will temporarily brick your phone.
Crucial apps, I would say are Root Explorer, TitaniumBackup. Those are the two that are very useful for root users, if you flash multiple ROMs or need to access system files.
Hope this helped.
awesome, thanks for the reply mate!
Hmm 2 things i'm confused with. Isn't there an app called "Milestone Overclock" that lets u overclock without installing custom kernels?
Also, from what I know you need to have the bootloader unlocked in order to install custom roms. I already know that Motorola is still keeping the bootloader locked and that as of now, there isn't a way to unlock it. Then how come we can install custom roms?
Also, since you mentioned ROM Manager, I did a quick search and it seems to be able to manage multiple custom rom installs that you have. But then you said don't try it or it will brick the phone, so I don't understand whether I can install it or not?? Personally, I love testing out different roms as well as new builds. It would be nice to dual boot or choose between different roms to use. But i'm not sure whether I want to go forward with this since your comment implies to me that I shouldn't install Rom Manager?
Lastly, this is the part I found most confusing with Android (or with Windows Mobile as well). I found some guides that tells you to install Clockwork Recovery Mod or something like that. Some of them even mentioned using Nandroid or something. There seems to be different methods & tools/softwares for different devices (or even the same device) and it can be confusing to keep up with them. My question is, are there major differences between them? Which one is better and should I keep them up to date?
chaoscreater said:
awesome, thanks for the reply mate!
Hmm 2 things i'm confused with. Isn't there an app called "Milestone Overclock" that lets u overclock without installing custom kernels?
Also, from what I know you need to have the bootloader unlocked in order to install custom roms. I already know that Motorola is still keeping the bootloader locked and that as of now, there isn't a way to unlock it. Then how come we can install custom roms?
Also, since you mentioned ROM Manager, I did a quick search and it seems to be able to manage multiple custom rom installs that you have. But then you said don't try it or it will brick the phone, so I don't understand whether I can install it or not?? Personally, I love testing out different roms as well as new builds. It would be nice to dual boot or choose between different roms to use. But i'm not sure whether I want to go forward with this since your comment implies to me that I shouldn't install Rom Manager?
Lastly, this is the part I found most confusing with Android (or with Windows Mobile as well). I found some guides that tells you to install Clockwork Recovery Mod or something like that. Some of them even mentioned using Nandroid or something. There seems to be different methods & tools/softwares for different devices (or even the same device) and it can be confusing to keep up with them. My question is, are there major differences between them? Which one is better and should I keep them up to date?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have tried Milestone Overclock, but I never really used it to overclock the phone. I prefer changing the voltages and speeds with the 10overclock file. If you read the description of Milestone overclock, it "tricks" the kernel into thinking it's supposed to run at a certain speed.
ROM Manager and Clockwork Recovery Mod do not work on Milestone. The only recovery that works with the Milestone is OpenRecovery or Androidiani OpenRecovery. Unfortunately, the only way to flash the ROMs is through OR or AOR, so you will have to repeat the processes every single time. I have gotten used to where all of the options are for FuFu's Minimod, so I am able to do it quite efficiently
The best way to backup a ROM, system data and the such is by Nandroid backup. That is the only sort of backup that you can do. It is recommended to do one every time you flash a custom ROM, but I only did it after I rooted and before I flashed my first custom ROM. You can do it through OR. That is the only way that will work. CWM and ROM Manager will just temp brick the phone and you will have to reflash a stock SBF all over again.
i see.....in that case there's no way to install 2 different roms to allow dual booting then? What about the app "Boot Manager", will that work? I found it on this site here:
http://www.androidpolice.com/2011/0...ted-user-should-know-about-part-4-apps-26-33/
One last question, I came across this popular app that is recommended by many Android users, called Apps2SD. My understanding to this is that by default, any apps/games that you install on your device will install to the internal memory, and that this Apps2SD app basically lets you install to your memory card? So my question is, does this lag the phone somehow? I like to have many apps and especially games installed on my phone, would doing this affect the performance or something? I know this is the case for Windows Mobile, but not sure about Android.....
chaoscreater said:
i see.....in that case there's no way to install 2 different roms to allow dual booting then? What about the app "Boot Manager", will that work? I found it on this site here:
http://www.androidpolice.com/2011/0...ted-user-should-know-about-part-4-apps-26-33/
One last question, I came across this popular app that is recommended by many Android users, called Apps2SD. My understanding to this is that by default, any apps/games that you install on your device will install to the internal memory, and that this Apps2SD app basically lets you install to your memory card? So my question is, does this lag the phone somehow? I like to have many apps and especially games installed on my phone, would doing this affect the performance or something? I know this is the case for Windows Mobile, but not sure about Android.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I follow AndroidPolice as well. I don't know about Boot Manager, I heard about it, but I haven't heard any reviews of it yet.
Two things when it comes to phone storage and apps on the Milestone: Old hardware makes for a lot of games to not work at all, and low phone storage space.
Almost every ROM comes with apps2ext support, which is a more advanced version of Apps2SD. You can follow this tutorial here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=10994672&postcount=226
Apps2ext will trick your phone into thinking space on the SD Card (the ext partition) is actually part of the phone's internal memory. You will be able to get a lot more apps on the phone this way.
Ahh cool, that saves me the trouble of me having to install an extra tweak.
Hmm I know Milestone is old, but not that old is it?? I don't know of any games now days that require heavy hardware specs or anything......i'm just hoping that emulators will work fine on it. I mean, my iPod Touch 3rd Gen only has about 120MB of free RAM, and the CPU is crap as hell and yet I could run GBA games like Pokemon or Golden Sun fine no problem (with sound of course). I'm hoping it'll at least work smoothly on the Milestone since I'll be attempting to overclock it to 1Ghz, which should run it significantly faster in theory.
BTW I found this great tweak for the CM7, here's the link:
http://chromloop.com/2011/07/how-to-make-cyanogenmod-7-for-milestone-a853-lighter-and-faster/
are there any ones similar to this? I'm a tweak junkie addict, I like to make my device run as smooth and as fast as possible. When I still had my HTC Touch Pro and Xperia X1, and even Nokia N900 (which uses Maemo 5), I tweaked the crap out of them and got more juice and power and made its performance so much better. I'm hoping I can at least do the same for the Milestone, except I couldn't seem to find many tweaks...
Oh lastly, I know one of the big problems with Android is fragmentation. There're already some apps out there in the Android market that are exclusive to certain Android versions. The same app has a version for Froyo (v2.2) and Gingerbread (v2.3). This is true for some of the mods or tweaks on XDA. So my question is, are custom roms like CM7 using Gingerbread? I'm guessing yes since it says 2.3.5? In that case, would I be able to simply install the latest mod/tweak or apps/games from XDA or the Android market? Or must I find the versions that is identical to mine?
E.g. if I install CM7, can I still install a mod that is for Froyo?
chaoscreater said:
Ahh cool, that saves me the trouble of me having to install an extra tweak.
Hmm I know Milestone is old, but not that old is it?? I don't know of any games now days that require heavy hardware specs or anything......i'm just hoping that emulators will work fine on it. I mean, my iPod Touch 3rd Gen only has about 120MB of free RAM, and the CPU is crap as hell and yet I could run GBA games like Pokemon or Golden Sun fine no problem (with sound of course). I'm hoping it'll at least work smoothly on the Milestone since I'll be attempting to overclock it to 1Ghz, which should run it significantly faster in theory.
BTW I found this great tweak for the CM7, here's the link:
http://chromloop.com/2011/07/how-to-make-cyanogenmod-7-for-milestone-a853-lighter-and-faster/
are there any ones similar to this? I'm a tweak junkie addict, I like to make my device run as smooth and as fast as possible. When I still had my HTC Touch Pro and Xperia X1, and even Nokia N900 (which uses Maemo 5), I tweaked the crap out of them and got more juice and power and made its performance so much better. I'm hoping I can at least do the same for the Milestone, except I couldn't seem to find many tweaks...
Oh lastly, I know one of the big problems with Android is fragmentation. There're already some apps out there in the Android market that are exclusive to certain Android versions. The same app has a version for Froyo (v2.2) and Gingerbread (v2.3). This is true for some of the mods or tweaks on XDA. So my question is, are custom roms like CM7 using Gingerbread? I'm guessing yes since it says 2.3.5? In that case, would I be able to simply install the latest mod/tweak or apps/games from XDA or the Android market? Or must I find the versions that is identical to mine?
E.g. if I install CM7, can I still install a mod that is for Froyo?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course you still can. The best tweak for Milestone is under Android Hacking, it's zeppelinrox's supercharger script, which you run through Script Manager. That's the best you can get.
Sent from my Milestone using XDA Premium App
I thought custom roms like CM7 or IceandFire come with the supercharger script included?
chaoscreater said:
I thought custom roms like CM7 or IceandFire come with the supercharger script included?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some do, such as HO!NO!, but not all of them do.
Sent from my Milestone using XDA Premium App
Ok so I finally got my Milestone today!
I'm about to start rooting it and install CM7 on it. But before I do that, I have one important question. I know for Windows Mobile, almost all of the device requires you to do a hard reset after flashing a custom rom. I was wondering if the same needs to be applied to Android custom roms? Because it doesn't seem like it, I did a quick Google search and found this:
http://androidforums.com/optimus-v-...4-do-not-factory-reset-your-rooted-phone.html
So ya I'm not sure....
UPDATE:
Ok so I got my Milestone rooted, and installed CM7 on it. I came across a weird problem while doing it though. First of all, I'm using a 8GB Kingston microSD class 2, and it's brand new and hasn't been used before, so it obviously has nothing stored on it as it's empty to begin with. Ok, so as I followed the instructions, the first step is obviously rooting the Milestone, so I simply copied OpenRecovery to the memory card while my Milestone was connected to my PC. The weird thing is, when I opened "My Computer", I didn't see my memory card. Instead, I see "Milestone", so I opened it and then I see my memory card "Removeable Storage". I opened it again and here's the actual weird part, there're 2 files stored in it, called:
DevIcon
DevLogo
At first, I didn't think it was a problem because I thought they were just some dummy file or something. Also, the memory card is empty other than those 2 files. So after copying OpenRecovery to it and rooting it successfully, I then proceed to copy the CM7 custom rom file to the memory card. But this time, I still see the same thing. I don't see my OpenRecovery folder on it at all, there're no other files other than those 2 files on it. I tried Unmount and Mount in the SD Card settings, also unplugging my USB cable and re-plugging back in but it's the same. In fact, after 'Unmounting' the memory card, I couldn't even access it on "My Computer", as nothing shows up after I open "Milestone". Only 'Mounting' works, but again I only see those 2 files and nothing else.
HOWEVER, I then tried to take out the memory card and use my own microSD card reader, and bam I can see all the files on it, such as OpenRecovery and even the nanDroid backup that I made while following the instructions on that guide. So this is weird, why can't I access or see the contents on my memory card while the phone is connected to the PC??
I don't wanna create another topic for this since it's unnecessary, so here's my final question. In case something goes wrong in the future, what's the best way for me to revert back to stock?
I know I can use nandroid for this, but here's what i'm confused about. Nandroid makes a backup of the complete system, including the settings and apps installed correct? But what if you flash a custom rom, and then use a nandroid backup of the stock rom, will that still work? Or would you have to install the stock rom first for you to be able to use the nandroid backup?
Lastly, if the nandroid backup works regardless of whether you're using a different rom than the rom that the nandroid backup was made, then which option is better:
use nandroid to revert to stock, or using this guide here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=11902513&postcount=7
Now I understand that for Milestone, custom roms are not actually flashed since the bootloader is locked. So would using nandroid be good enough?
chaoscreater said:
I don't wanna create another topic for this since it's unnecessary, so here's my final question. In case something goes wrong in the future, what's the best way for me to revert back to stock?
I know I can use nandroid for this, but here's what i'm confused about. Nandroid makes a backup of the complete system, including the settings and apps installed correct? But what if you flash a custom rom, and then use a nandroid backup of the stock rom, will that still work? Or would you have to install the stock rom first for you to be able to use the nandroid backup?
Lastly, if the nandroid backup works regardless of whether you're using a different rom than the rom that the nandroid backup was made, then which option is better:
use nandroid to revert to stock, or using this guide here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=11902513&postcount=7
Now I understand that for Milestone, custom roms are not actually flashed since the bootloader is locked. So would using nandroid be good enough?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The best way to revert to stock will be to flash an sbf for your region that will wipe everything. They have those sbf's on and-developers.
Sent from my Milestone using XDA Premium App
Ahh I see, so in what situations will we be using nandroid to restore from the backup?
Also, the SBF file i'm using is from the guide that you linked me in your 2nd post. I'm using the EUROPE one because apparently it covers most of the countries around Europe, which includes New Zealand (where I live). I've had no problems with it, but just then I checked out the AND-Developers site like you suggested, and found this here:
http://and-developers.com/sbf:milestone221
It doesn't seem to have New Zealand but it does have Australia, which is like a neighbour to us. Will it be better if I flash the SBF to that instead?
Also, will flashing a SBF change the radio? Or does only changing the baseband change the radio? Because i'm getting weak signals from 2G/3G sometimes, and my Wifi has problems sometimes not being able to connect properly. Either that, or it shows that i'm connected but i'm not getting any data, apparently a lot of people have problems like this after I did some searching around.
chaoscreater said:
Ahh I see, so in what situations will we be using nandroid to restore from the backup?
Also, the SBF file i'm using is from the guide that you linked me in your 2nd post. I'm using the EUROPE one because apparently it covers most of the countries around Europe, which includes New Zealand (where I live). I've had no problems with it, but just then I checked out the AND-Developers site like you suggested, and found this here:
http://and-developers.com/sbf:milestone221
It doesn't seem to have New Zealand but it does have Australia, which is like a neighbour to us. Will it be better if I flash the SBF to that instead?
Also, will flashing a SBF change the radio? Or does only changing the baseband change the radio? Because i'm getting weak signals from 2G/3G sometimes, and my Wifi has problems sometimes not being able to connect properly. Either that, or it shows that i'm connected but i'm not getting any data, apparently a lot of people have problems like this after I did some searching around.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. when you're phone will not start anymore, it's good to have one before every new flash cause you never now what's gonna happen.
2. funny thing is i know where New Zealand is (not near Europe) . about the baseband ... yes every sbf has the region specific baseband 's (you cant flash a radio only change baseband 's).
baseband can be found on dexter's (http://dext3r.komodin.org/) page but they are already included in OR (not sure about fufu's). i can't be very precise because i don't remember.
custom rom's don't think they change baseband 's, (the .zip ones)
Ya ur right, NZ is not anywhere near Europe lol
but I did do some research on which SBF I needed before I flashed it, and I found out that the Europe SBF works for NZ as well, it was mentioned somewhere I can't remember.
About the baseband, I'm still a little bit confused. First off, I already know that you can change the baseband under OpenRecovery. The thing is, there are no options to change the baseband to New Zealand, so which one should I pick? Also, here's the part I'm confused about. You said that the baseband are region specific, and yet we can choose the baseband we want in OpenRecovery.
So since I flashed the SBF for Europe, what will happen if I then change the baseband to say Argentina (one of the options under OpenRecovery)? Will it crash or something?? I don't even know what baseband i'm using right now, I haven't changed anything, I only flashed the SBF for Europe and that's it. I can still go online using 2G/3G and txt no problem, but I'm just not sure if the baseband i'm using is suppose to be correct for New Zealand or not...
BTW just another side question (sorry I'm really new to the Android scene!):
I've found a few custom roms that doesn't use the current kernel we have for Milestone. As far as I know, the bootloader for Milestone is locked, therefore we can't properly flash a custom rom onto it, as well as replacing the kernel as well. So what I'm confused with is, if some of these custom roms don't use the current kernel on the system, then how does it work? Does it use its own kernel, and if so then shouldn't that replace the system's own kernel before it can be used??
Here's one of the custom rom topic where I read from, in case ur wondering:
This is the Froyo FRG22 image for our Milestone. but as this is not using the kernel, there are some limit to functions based on kernel requirement. But its close, and works great and is alot faster.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=734802
The same goes for the custom roms. I don't understand how they can run on Milestone even though it's not properly flashed. Like some others have mentioned, the so-called "custom roms" that we have now are just a layer of image or skin on top of the stock rom. The weird thing is, it runs faster and most of the pre-installed stock apps that came with the stock rom are removed, thus giving us more space for internal storage. But how does this work if the custom roms haven't actually flashed onto our phone? Or did it overwrite/modify the files on the stock rom? If so, then isn't that just flashing onto the phone then?
chaoscreater said:
About the baseband
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
changing baseband's that are not supported by your network op will lead to no signal whatsoever.. i don't remember if there is a problem with only data. try other baseband, in theory it will not crash anything, so do a nandroid backup before
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=734802
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that is an old post from "25th July 2010, 05:52 AM" moto started to leak kernel from January 2011 give or take a month, so back then froyo was used with the eclair kernel. kernel from milestone was never changed to other than moto signed, only modules loaded at an early stage, thanks to kabaldan/nadlabak and other if exists
custom roms =
moto kernel
kernel modules (this helps on overclock , app2ext ... others)
mods to system files, apps
hope you understand cause i don't know if i make it clear at the end of the post
edit:
The same goes for the custom roms. I don't understand how they can run on Milestone even though it's not properly flashed. Like some others have mentioned, the so-called "custom roms" that we have now are just a layer of image or skin on top of the stock rom. The weird thing is, it runs faster and most of the pre-installed stock apps that came with the stock rom are removed, thus giving us more space for internal storage. But how does this work if the custom roms haven't actually flashed onto our phone? Or did it overwrite/modify the files on the stock rom? If so, then isn't that just flashing onto the phone then?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i doesn't make any sense, you will end up with no memory , only kernel remains, other things gets rewritten.
Code:
http://www.vodafone.co.nz/roaming/welcome-to-nz.jsp
this get out of what i know. with the frequencies,
basebands/frequency i have 900/1800
for data check if there is a problem with your apn settings
I see, thanks for your thorough explanation
Ya I know that changing my baseband will probably give me better signals, but I'm asking which one is best for Vodafone NZ because there isn't a baseband for New Zealand.
For the data part, were you talking about my wifi problem, and suggesting I check the APN settings? Don't worry that's been solved already. I flashed to the New Zealand v2.1 SBF and now it's working very stable. But like I said, after flashing to that I now have problems with connecting to my operator whenever I switch to 2G. However, 3G works fine so there's no problem with that.
BTW, I have another problem. After flashing to the New Zealand v2.1 SBF, I couldn't access my OpenRecovery anymore. I didn't delete or change any files on my memory card, so if I could access OpenRecovery and root my device as well as flash a custom rom when I was still on Froyo, then why can't I do it again when I flash to Eclair?
I *think* I know the reason, is it because it patched the vulnerable recovery or something? I think this is what I need to do to fix this:
http://android.doshaska.net/rootable
I haven't done it yet coz i'm busy these days, but i just need a confirmation so I know that it is indeed the case.
I *think* I know the reason, is it because it patched the vulnerable recovery or something? I think this is what I need to do to fix this:
http://android.doshaska.net/rootable
I haven't done it yet coz i'm busy these days, but i just need a confirmatio
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
true story . it should say something about eocd marker and fail.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=698059
For the data part, were you talking about my wifi problem, and suggesting I check the APN settings?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sorry... i don't know, last night i thought i read something else, about working 3g and 2g not ..must be the skittles... to much rainbow
i suggest finding out what country baseband are similar to New Zealand and flash/apply that one )
Good day all.
Before I ask my questions I would like to say that In the few days I have been here I have been working on Understanding the Technical terms and Jargon this site uses ever so much, I have learned.
While the wiki (and these posts here) has helped a bit...I still find myself feeling a bit nauseous from what I have been currently been unable to understand so you might have to stand me being a noob for just a little bit longer I'm afraid.
Anywho...on to the questions...
I am aware the ROMs must match a given make and model of a phone to work and custom kernels must be matched to specific ROMs, but alot of these ROMs have really awesome features & improvements. Better Sound, DSP-equalizer, More efficient battery use, more function UIs, more control on security, SONY based Engines, CRT-Off Animations, ...why can't they all just work together?!?! So now I have to ask the crazy...
Is it possible to stack the features of different ROMs?
What is it I need to be looking for compatibility wise between all these ROMs/Themes/Apps/Kernels to make sure that I don't Clay or Brick the Note by combining the wrong codes?
I'm trying to figure out what I can do to mix and match intelligently to get the most out of a rooted note (as is... I suppose... all of you here).
On that...uh...note, I have seen a lot of talk about Titanium-backup App, Clockworkmod Recovery App & Nandroids.
Why do I need to use these to back up?
Why can't I just go into the phone & copy and paste all the files on a folder in the computer? Is it because Android is Linux based? Do not all the files show?
Should I have all these Backup Apps to back up every part of the Note or is just one enough?
Oh and one more thing... I Received my note today & a lot faster than I expected. So...
What would you recommend to be the smartest thing to do first after root?
Decisions Decisions.
Thank You
The most basic differentiating factor is to see if the ROMs are TouchWiz based or AOSP/CM/AOKP based, those are the main 2 categories that every ROM here falls under
Features from one category *mostly* can not be ported to other category if they are not present there. For example, S-Memo are exclusive to TouchWiz ROMs just like Tablet mode is exclusive to AOSP/CM/AOKP ROMs, but there might some rare exceptions
IMHO Titanium Backup is useful only if you have games data, normal apps I prefer to set them up manually to have the cleanest setup possible. Nandroids, OTOH, are essential, they are your safety net if anything goes wrong.
You can't back up an OS just by copying the files over cause you don't have access to the kernel and lower system files, that's where nandroids help
Hope this helps
matius44 said:
The most basic differentiating factor is to see if the ROMs are TouchWiz based or AOSP/CM/AOKP based, those are the main 2 categories that every ROM here falls under
Features from one category *mostly* can not be ported to other category if they are not present there. For example, S-Memo are exclusive to TouchWiz ROMs just like Tablet mode is exclusive to AOSP/CM/AOKP ROMs, but there might some rare exceptions
IMHO Titanium Backup is useful only if you have games data, normal apps I prefer to set them up manually to have the cleanest setup possible. Nandroids, OTOH, are essential, they are your safety net if anything goes wrong.
You can't back up an OS just by copying the files over cause you don't have access to the kernel and lower system files, that's where nandroids help
Hope this helps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh! Right... I'm not just backing up apps... I'm backing Up the OS. Duh. Ok.
I was thinking about it the wrong way.
I know what a TouchWiz ROM is, and its good to know that Tablet mode is exclusive to AOSP/CM/AOKP ROMs, I didn't know that either. As I mentioned in my post... I'm still working on the Jargon here. What does "AOSP/CM/AOKP" Mean? Can I switch around features if I kept in those respective types of ROMs?
CrazyOGuy said:
Oh! Right... I'm not just backing up apps... I'm backing Up the OS. Duh. Ok.
I was thinking about it the wrong way.
I know what a TouchWiz ROM is, and its good to know that Tablet mode is exclusive to AOSP/CM/AOKP ROMs, I didn't know that either. As I mentioned in my post... I'm still working on the Jargon here. What does "AOSP/CM/AOKP" Mean? Can I switch around features if I kept in those respective types of ROMs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AOSP is "Android Open Source Project". That is just one kind of custom ROM. Also, several ROMs on here are built on "AOSP", meaning they use AOSP as a base and add "features" to it.
CM is "CyanogenMod". They are a very popular team that builds custom ROMs for different phones out there. Same thing applies, people will builld custom ROMs based on CM9 (which is Ice Cream Sandwich based) and add their own "features" to it. CM7 is Gingerbread based and not on the Note.
Also, read about the bricking situations, just to wrap your head around it and stay safe. Basically, just know right now that the only "safe" kernel is the CM9 kernel built by xplodwild OR the DAFUQ kernel built by Entropy.
The ICS sources have come out so we should see more kernels come out as the devs get their hands dirty.
I use Titantium Backup, personally, to back up my individual apps and such when I switch ROMs. Now, of course, if you restore apps, you might run into problems and you might need to wipe data again and start over and not restore apps. But, I RARELY have problems.
I hope all these details help!
CrazyOGuy said:
Oh! Right... I'm not just backing up apps... I'm backing Up the OS. Duh. Ok.
I was thinking about it the wrong way.
I know what a TouchWiz ROM is, and its good to know that Tablet mode is exclusive to AOSP/CM/AOKP ROMs, I didn't know that either. As I mentioned in my post... I'm still working on the Jargon here. What does "AOSP/CM/AOKP" Mean? Can I switch around features if I kept in those respective types of ROMs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AOSP = Android Open Source Project = Google's pure android
CM = CyanogenMod
AOKP = Android Open Kang Project
Features theoretically can be ported between these, but it requires hackery skills since mostly it's framework dependant
For example, AOKP is famous with its ROM Control option in Settings menu, this is not present in AOSP at all and some of it is present in CM9. If you have good knowledge in code you can port, not very easy task
CrazyOGuy said:
What would you recommend to be the smartest thing to do first after root?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are things that need to be done before the root. You need some basic tools to get into the business of flashing stuff.
1. PC Odin - that's a software for flashing firmware from your Windows. You can get it here. Top left hand corner of the first post.
2. Windows drivers - they are needed so your PC can recognize the phone once connect the two. Get it from the same URL, same place.
3. Mobile Odin Pro - basically does the same functions as PC Odin, but from your Note, not from the PC. Get the Lite version
if the Playstore doesn't let you buy the Pro one.
4. Titanium Backup - this is optional. I use it all the time with no trouble, but some prefer to re-install their apps manually after they switch to another Rom. Titanium allows you to backup all your apps and their data, and does a quick batch restore when you need it.
Now about the rooting matter.
I would recommend the following method:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=25285584&postcount=3
I think it is by far the easiest and quickest one.
After you are successfully rooted, come back here, report, and we'll take it from there, OK?
We won't be going anywhere.
P.S. If you get into bootloop after the PC Odin has finished the flash, don't panic, but read this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=26460335&postcount=4
chasmodo said:
There are things that need to be done before the root. You need some basic tools to get into the business of flashing stuff.
1. PC Odin - that's a software for flashing firmware from your Windows. You can get it here. Top left hand corner of the first post.
2. Windows drivers - they are needed so your PC can recognize the phone once connect the two. Get it from the same URL, same place.
3. Mobile Odin Pro - basically does the same functions as PC Odin, but from your Note, not from the PC. Get the Lite version
if the Playstore doesn't let you buy the Pro one.
4. Titanium Backup - this is optional. I use it all the time with no trouble, but some prefer to re-install their apps manually after they switch to another Rom. Titanium allows you to backup all your apps and their data, and does a quick batch restore when you need it.
Now about the rooting matter.
I would recommend the following method:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=25285584&postcount=3
I think it is by far the easiest and quickest one.
After you are successfully rooted, come back here, report, and we'll take it from there, OK?
We won't be going anywhere.
P.S. If you get into bootloop after the PC Odin has finished the flash, don't panic, but read this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=26460335&postcount=4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did all that Pre-Root stuff two days ago. ☜(ﾟヮﾟ☜) YEAAAA!
As for how the root went...so far so good. As such I've just been upgraded from noob to kiddie hacker. Yay me...I guess.
I also did go for Titanium-backup App & Clockwork mod Recovery App (Free). Could not find Nandroid.
I am currently on 2.3.6 GB.
With that said. Now comes the fun part(...right?)
If you have done just what cursed4eva did in his video, you are rooted, but still haven't got a proper CLockWorkMod Recovery for further flashing.
If that is the case, you need to go to Chainfire's kernel thread and download the matching CF-Root kernel. For instance, download CF-Root-SGN_XX_OXA_LC1-v5.3-CWM5.zip if you have flashed N7000XXLC1_N7000OXALC1 Open Europe.
You need to extract the kernel zip to get the tar file inside. Put that tar file on your SD card, start Mobile Odin, tap on 'kernel' option, navigate to the kernel tar and flash. The phone will reboot, MO will flash the kernel, and you'll have the fully functional CWMR you need for doing nandroid backups/restores and flashing custom Roms.
Sorry for the Delay. Micro-SD Card took longer to receive than expected.
I have gone in and put that matching LA# .tar file on Moble ODIN. At the risk of asking a question whose only answer can be "DUH!"...
To flash the Kernel (or any of the respective things Mobile ODIN can do) do I press "Flash Firmware"?
My Concern of Bricking > Risk of asking Stupid Obvious Question
Edit: Every single place I searched presses said button...so I guess that's a yes. >_<
Edit 2: Success!
So how are the names given? Is all I need to look for is just match random bits of the titles code to see if the two are compatible?
And with this done...I can now start with some of the fun stuff... right?