Database Develop

[Q] Please Verify Knowledge of Rooting - lots of questions

I’ve just updated from MoDaCo’s 1.5 ROM to the CM6 2.2 ROM and since it’s been so long (over a year) since I’ve rooted my phone and dived into all the information involved in doing so. Back then it wasn’t as easy as it is now with some of these rooting methods. In fact I remember it being a real mess ha. (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=583291)
So basically, I’ve managed to do quite a lot of things and I want to help a friend out but I want to make sure all my info is right.
ALL of this is basically on giant question. I just word it as if I know what I’m talking about. But please help me correct everything that is wrong (and I know there is a lot), help answer some of my questions, and even let me know where I’m right. I didn’t type everything up as questions so that it reads easier. If I need to repeat some sections to get clarification I can.
Customizing you Phone
The first step is to gain root access via installing (flashing) a recovery program (image).
This program (image) is only accessible via boot (boot into recovery). It allows you to make a back-up of the phone in its entirety, restore said back-ups, allow PC access connectivity (via USB), flash programs/files (“installing” in a sense), partition an SD card, perform various wipes, and some miscellaneous things.
Ok – I’ll pause here to get some info. Wipe Data/Factory Reset; this means erasing everything off the phone and it resets the current ROM back to its native state. Wipe Dalvik-cache… I’m not sure what this does exactly but I assume it has something to do with the programs installed or the SD card. Furthur, why would I want to ‘wipe battery stats’ or ‘rotate settings’ ? And wipe SD:ext partition has to do with Apps to SD?
Also, when you do these wipes and flashes and re-do your phone from scratch, the only thing that is never touched is the recovery image. It’s fair to say, when you flash the recovery image during your rooting, it’s the only set in stone thing on your phone… that is until you re-root your phone or flash an alternate recovery.
Apps2sd – When I first rooted my phone and installed MoDaCo’s ROM, I ventured into the land of Apps2sd. This too was a PAINFUL process partitioning my SD card and learning all about the ext2/3/4 and I’ve already forgotten everything. After going through all that to clear up what little space I had on my Hero, I then read all kinds of people saying Apps2SD is bad cuz it’s slow and blah blah. So I took it off. Now it seems that Google has made an Apps2sd native? I just need updated on the whole Apps2sd thing both in general and for the Hero.
Ok – Back. Some of the things you can flash are custom ROMs (a ROM is the Operating System essentially), data that tells the computer to work differently such as custom kernels (what makes the phone work, basically communication between hardware and software), new radios (what retrieves and uses signals), and battery stuff (what would it be called? “Battery kernel info”? haha). You can even flash programs right to the phone (apk files).
The biggest reason to root your phone, is to install a custom ROM. Custom roms typically cut out a lot of bloat that the stock OS would have such as un-removable programs (Sprint NFL and NASCAR… Thanks but no thanks Sprint) and OS things. Many developers have even tweaked ROMs to optimize performance and battery life. Why would the stock ROM not do this? And why would it seem the dev’s (developers) making custom ROMs are better than the devs at Google/Sprint/Samsung/etc.? Certain applications also require rooted phones (or just simple ‘root’) due to their extended abilities or required securities (such as WaveSecure?).
Reminder – everything is a question even tho some things have ‘?’ and some don’t. I know that I do not know what I’m talking about. I just want to confirm what I do know, and learn where I’m wrong!
Now some straight up questions:
When you get a custom recovery, ROM, and kernel on your phone… you’ve just about altered all major parts of your phone (software speaking of course)?
When you want to put on a custom ROM, you first wipe everything then flash the ROM. Then you may flash additional items such as gapps (google applications pack), custom Kernals, etc. When you want to change roms, do you have to undo everything and start from scratch and put new gapps back on, a new kernel, etc? What about just updating a ROM? What if you have a ROM you like, but just want to un-install(un-flash) gapps – possible?
[*]So example, If I needed something I forgot on an old setup – like a text message or file from EasyNote, I would have to nandroid backup, wipe everything, flash old ROM and additional files, restore OLD nandroid, grab the files, wipe everything, flash back newer ROM and additional files, restore new nandroid that was just created to be back where I started? (I actually have to do this too haha – want to make sure that’s right.) Basically I’m making sure I’m right about nandroid. It back’s-up all data and setting type files for current ROM?​
What would happen if I tried to restore a nandroid back-up created during another ROM?
MoDaCo’s old custom ROM had WaveSecure installed with it so that it could not be removed. Is it possible to still do this with other ROMs?
Why do some people talk so negatively about gapps? Is there something wrong with them?
Back when I first tried learning all this a year ago, the Hero’s messaging app was known to be a real battery-eater and never slept so it was recommended to switch to a 3rd party and disable the stock app’s notifications. What’s the development on that?
I still have a whole paper full of other questions, but I think this is already getting loooong… so I’ll leave it here for now. The point of all this is to yes, educate myself so that I may help others…. But I plan on writing up a real all-inclusive guide to android and rooting and the like. I’ve searched a lot and learned a lot, but nowhere (including the wiki) did I find a nice, chronological guide of information. Hopefully I can fill that niche once I know exactly what I’m talking about, and even then I’ll need some peeps to clean my stuff up a bit. I also happen to be a filmmaker so I’d like to make a good video on this as well. It won’t be one of those videos where you can barley understand the person talking, shot in the basement with all the lights off, camera held in hand and shot with web-cam, etc. (Note: Just today I saw the XDA-TV post… sorry I missed it) D:
LAST NOTE:
Ok I promise I’m almost done. I just wanted to say that if anyone would not mind talking on the phone… I would love to just blow through this stuff a lot faster and be able to have a convo with some 1 on 1 feedback allowing me to get lots of questions answered. Even just 10 minutes would help me out tons! So if anyone who is a genious on this stuff (like devs… ) and wouldn’t mind chatting for a few – please PM me. I can do Skype as well.

I hope someone will take the time to answer you, it will help me too LOL. Last thing I rooted was the G1 years ago, & just yesterday rooted the Hero (& flashed CM6 today) I got off of Craigslist. Seems like some phones have better wikis than others.
I haven't been in the rooting/flashing game for a while since I've owned tons of different devices before & after the G1. Since then the only flashing I did was flashing Android onto a WM device LOL. Never bothered flashing the Vibrant, Epic, or Evo (sold, sold, & sold.)
Anyway, yeah, I hope someone answers! You have my support!

Root and recovery are two totally separate things - you can root your phone and not flash a recovery, it's totally up to you. Root gives you access to things on your phone, that you would otherwise not have - like flashing recovery, ROM(s), apps that need root access, etc. Goto the wiki there's a link which gives a high level idea of what root gives you.
Recovery - gives you features such as Nand backup/restore, wipe cache, dalvik-cache, flash stuff (ROMs, kernels, etc.,)
Apps2SD - allows you to install apps to the SD card. If you are using android 2.2 or above, this feature is available natively, so you don't need something line apps2sd
Now, answers to your "Straight up questions..."
1. Yes, once you root, flash recovery, flash ROM... you have altered your phone from a software stand point. You can return it to "out-of-the-box" state by running any official RUU provided by HTC/Sprint (for HTC Sprint Hero)
2. This varies from ROM to ROM, you should read the specific instructions provided by the ROM builder. About removing gapps, it is pretty easy to remove any apps once you have root access - read up the wiki or search for removing apps
3. Depends on what you want to get back - for all your daily needs, there are backup applications that can help you backup stuff from the phone, which you can then restore, once you have the app running and backup available
4. If you restore a nand backup, it will put your phone to a stage when you had created the backup
5. You will have to read up about MoDaCo ROM, that is a ROM specific thing
6. There's nothing wrong about the gapps - not sure what you are referring to
7. There are multiple messaging apps - handcent, chomp, google voice, etc. It all depends on your personal preferences
I would honestly recommend you to search on the forums and also visit the wiki. There's a whole lot of information about everything here. Also, Hero being a bit old phone, more often than not, the problem you might be facing... might have been already answered. Yes, it is time consuming, but will surely help you. The more you read, the comfortable you will feel.
Hope this helps. Let me know if I can help you further. Again, I started the same way as you, rooted the phone, flashed CM6, played around, something went horribly wrong, then had to RUU, root, flash... everything. But, that taught me a lot.
Enjoy!

So basically, I’ve managed to do quite a lot of things and I want to help a friend out but I want to make sure all my info is right.
Customizing you Phone
The first step is to gain root access via installing (flashing) a recovery program (image).
This program (image) is only accessible via boot (boot into recovery). It allows you to make a back-up of the phone in its entirety, restore said back-ups, allow PC access connectivity (via USB), flash programs/files (“installing” in a sense), partition an SD card, perform various wipes, and some miscellaneous things.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure which phone you are working with, but I'm pretty sure, as a general
rule, you need root before you can flash the recovery image. Could be mistaken
on that, but that's how it was for my hero. Once you have the recovery image
flashed, you are correct, you can make and restore backups, you can access
the phone's internal storage and SD card, push/install apps, remove apps, etc.
Ok – I’ll pause here to get some info. Wipe Data/Factory Reset; this means erasing everything off the phone and it resets the current ROM back to its native state. Wipe Dalvik-cache… I’m not sure what this does exactly but I assume it has something to do with the programs installed or the SD card. Furthur, why would I want to ‘wipe battery stats’ or ‘rotate settings’ ? And wipe SD:ext partition has to do with Apps to SD?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wipe/Factory Reset basically formats the various partitions in the phone's
internal memory, if you do a wipe and reboot your phone, you'll boot loop, as
the phone no longer has an operating system. To restore back to original,
you would need to use an official RUU as andythegreenguy stated. You can
get the official rom upgrades (RUU's) from your carrier's website.
I'm still learning a lot of this myself, but the Dalvik-Cache is basically the OS's
cache, which has files randomly dumped into it and removed from it. Wiping
the Dalvik-Cache is beneficial (and sometimes required) when making
modifications to your rom. It can help improve your performance under some
circumstances, but will make your phone boot slower while the cache is being
recreated. SD:EXT only applies if you have partitioned your SD, for example,
to be used with Apps2SD. If you have no EXT partition, you can't format it.
If you are using Apps2SD, and have partitioned your SD card, this will erase
the EXT partition.
As a general rule that I follow, whenever I am making major changes, and
especially when I am flashing between different roms, I wipe everything, and
repartition/format my SD card. This helps me to know that any problems I run
into are not caused by something from a previous rom that didn't get erased.
I've never messed with wiping rotate, but wiping battery stats can be useful.
Lithium batteries have a little controller board that basically stores the battery
state. Sometimes this can get messed up, and a perfectly healthy battery will
think it's out of power a lot faster than it should. Resetting the battery info
can sometimes fix this issue. A recommendation I saw was to run your battery
down, reset the battery state, let the phone die, then do a full charge/discharge
cycle. Never had to do this, myself..
Also, when you do these wipes and flashes and re-do your phone from scratch, the only thing that is never touched is the recovery image. It’s fair to say, when you flash the recovery image during your rooting, it’s the only set in stone thing on your phone… that is until you re-root your phone or flash an alternate recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorta.. hboot and the radio are both beyond the recovery, and messing with
either of those without knowing what you are doing can cause your phone to
become a brick. Any recovery you flash should remain in place unless you use a
RUU, flash a different recovery, flash a rom that includes a different recovery,
(haven't run across that except for the RUU's), or mess with the MTD partitions.
Apps2sd – When I first rooted my phone and installed MoDaCo’s ROM, I ventured into the land of Apps2sd. This too was a PAINFUL process partitioning my SD card and learning all about the ext2/3/4 and I’ve already forgotten everything. After going through all that to clear up what little space I had on my Hero, I then read all kinds of people saying Apps2SD is bad cuz it’s slow and blah blah. So I took it off. Now it seems that Google has made an Apps2sd native? I just need updated on the whole Apps2sd thing both in general and for the Hero.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apps2SD is fine, any speed issues would primaryly be loading delays on slower
SD cards. Apps2SD also requires your SD card to be properly partitioned. The
Apps2SD that is in Android 2.2 is a little different, in that from my nderstanding,
it uses the Fat32 partition on the SD card, and thus does not require you to
partition your SD card. It is also to my knowledge only available on roms based
on Android 2.2.
A lot of custom roms have some form of Apps2SD now, but they require you to partition the SD card, and, as far as "speed" issues, I have ran my apps from
a class 2 card just fine, but moving the Dalvik-Cache to the SD card will cause
lag if you have a slow card. Class 4 or higher is recommended for moving your
cache.
Ok – Back. Some of the things you can flash are custom ROMs (a ROM is the Operating System essentially), data that tells the computer to work differently such as custom kernels (what makes the phone work, basically communication between hardware and software), new radios (what retrieves and uses signals), and battery stuff (what would it be called? “Battery kernel info”? haha). You can even flash programs right to the phone (apk files).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct, you can flash ROMS, Kernels, Radios, apps (if packaged properly),
apk files that aren't packaged in an update.zip will either have to be pushed
via ADB, or can be installed from your SD card with a file manager.
The biggest reason to root your phone, is to install a custom ROM. Custom roms typically cut out a lot of bloat that the stock OS would have such as un-removable programs (Sprint NFL and NASCAR… Thanks but no thanks Sprint) and OS things. Many developers have even tweaked ROMs to optimize performance and battery life. Why would the stock ROM not do this? And why would it seem the dev’s (developers) making custom ROMs are better than the devs at Google/Sprint/Samsung/etc.? Certain applications also require rooted phones (or just simple ‘root’) due to their extended abilities or required securities (such as WaveSecure?).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as the biggest reason to root your phone, I would have to say that the
answer to that would vary from person to person. Most users root to install
custom roms, but rooting gives you full control of the operating system. Since
android is Linux, having root access on your phone will allow you to change the
things that you otherwise could not. Utilities like Titanium backup can be used
to back up and restore your apps and data, performance benefits are always
a huge consideration. Companies like HTC and Sprint don't take performance
concerns into consideration because they are providing a product that is in their
opinion disposable, and "generic enough" for most users. Asking why they don't
fix the performance issues is like asking why every car on the road can't run 160
miles per hour while getting 40 miles per gallon. Some people don't care to have
the fastest, most efficient phone, and some people can't stand having sluggish
and unresponsive phones.
Now some straight up questions:
When you get a custom recovery, ROM, and kernel on your phone… you’ve just about altered all major parts of your phone (software speaking of course)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With a recovery, rom, and kernel, you've flashed all of the major software components
that you will be concerned about. Performance gains are all found in the ROM
and Kernel, and so most people have no need to go further than that. Basically,
think of the Kernel as the brain, and the ROM as the rest of the operating system
The recovery is important, but is transparent to the function of the phone once
everything is up and running.
[*]When you want to put on a custom ROM, you first wipe everything then flash the ROM. Then you may flash additional items such as gapps (google applications pack), custom Kernals, etc. When you want to change roms, do you have to undo everything and start from scratch and put new gapps back on, a new kernel, etc? What about just updating a ROM? What if you have a ROM you like, but just want to un-install(un-flash) gapps – possible?
[*]So example, If I needed something I forgot on an old setup – like a text message or file from EasyNote, I would have to nandroid backup, wipe everything, flash old ROM and additional files, restore OLD nandroid, grab the files, wipe everything, flash back newer ROM and additional files, restore new nandroid that was just created to be back where I started? (I actually have to do this too haha – want to make sure that’s right.) Basically I’m making sure I’m right about nandroid. It back’s-up all data and setting type files for current ROM?​[*]What would happen if I tried to restore a nandroid back-up created during another ROM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll try to answer these in one shot. It's recommended that you always wipe
everything before installing a custom rom, except if the rom you are installing
is *SPECIFICALLY* an update for the rom you are running, and the dev states
that a wipe is not necessary. Generally, you want to make a nandroid backup,
wipe, install the rom, make sure everything is fine, nandroid, install the kernel,
check things over, rinse and repeat.
In my case, I generally return to configs that I've already tested, so I skip some
steps, but the order is ROM, Kernel, then the other parts.
If you forgot a text message from another rom, as long as you have the nandroid
you should be OK. You can boot into recovery, make a nandroid backup of your
current configuration, then wipe everything, restore the nandroid from the
old configuration, retrieve your message or data, Then you can reboot, wipe,
and restore the nandroid from the new configuration. Keeping multiple nandroids
can be userful if you are using an AOSP rom as your daily rom, since on the
Hero, to my knowledge, you can only update your PRL under a Sense based rom.
A lot of users will restore the sense backup to update their PRL, then restore the
AOSP rom.
[*]MoDaCo’s old custom ROM had WaveSecure installed with it so that it could not be removed. Is it possible to still do this with other ROMs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never used WaveSecure, but as a general rule, if you can download the APK, you
should be able to install it on any rom.
[*]Why do some people talk so negatively about gapps? Is there something wrong with them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some people like fat chicks, and some people don't. The argument about
gapps is akin to asking what's better, PC or Mac, Linux or Windows, sports cars
or station wagons. It's all personal preference. What's right for you might not
be right for your best friend.
[*]Back when I first tried learning all this a year ago, the Hero’s messaging app was known to be a real battery-eater and never slept so it was recommended to switch to a 3rd party and disable the stock app’s notifications. What’s the development on that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The messaging app had a bug that would lock the dialer and prevent the phone
from sleeping. This bug was supposedly fixed in the 2.1 update, but 2.1 also
introduced a whole plethora of other bugs. Some people still prefer third party
messenging apps, but I use the stock app with no issues. on a good day I can
get 27 hours on a charge, but I do a lot and so most days I get 12 hours or so.
Hope this has helped.
LAST NOTE:
Ok I promise I’m almost done. I just wanted to say that if anyone would not mind talking on the phone… I would love to just blow through this stuff a lot faster and be able to have a convo with some 1 on 1 feedback allowing me to get lots of questions answered. Even just 10 minutes would help me out tons! So if anyone who is a genious on this stuff (like devs… ) and wouldn’t mind chatting for a few – please PM me. I can do Skype as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This may sound strange from a guy with a cellphone, but I actually hate talking
on the phone. Feel free to send me a PM now and then with questions. If I know the answer, I'll help out.
I'm not as knowledgeable as any of the devs, I'm still learning all of this myself. My answers might not be
'correct', but they work for me. most things related to android have no 'correct' or 'definitive' answer, but
that's the beauty of a platform that can be customized to taste. We can all make recommendations, and
can even tell you our reasoning or logic behind them, but we can all also learn a few things.

andythegreenguy said:
Root and recovery are two totally separate things - you can root your phone and not flash a recovery, it's totally up to you. Root gives you access to things on your phone, that you would otherwise not have - like flashing recovery, ROM(s), apps that need root access, etc. Goto the wiki there's a link which gives a high level idea of what root gives you.
Recovery - gives you features such as Nand backup/restore, wipe cache, dalvik-cache, flash stuff (ROMs, kernels, etc.,)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah! So the recovery is a nice, built-into-phone way of flashing, whiping, etc; otherwise you would need to use the command prompt. (Correct?)
andythegreenguy said:
Apps2SD - allows you to install apps to the SD card. If you are using android 2.2 or above, this feature is available natively, so you don't need something line apps2sd
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent. But does running apps from the SD card cause the apps to run slower or open slower? Should I keep primary apps or most commonly used apps on the phone or it doesn't matter?
andythegreenguy said:
If you restore a nand backup, it will put your phone to a stage when you had created the backup
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So the Nand-Backup saves ALL information including flashed ROMs, Kernels, BatteryTweak, etc? What about information on the SD card especially not that apps can be moved there)?
andythegreenguy said:
There are multiple messaging apps - handcent, chomp, google voice, etc. It all depends on your personal preferences
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand this, but I just wanted to know If it's a mistake to be using the stock texting app - if the messaging app in CM6 is even the stock one. I have tried Chomp and Handcent and I actually love handcent, but it's just WAY to slow.
I have searched the forums and wiki quite a lot, thats how I got this far. I try to search for some as many things as I can, but it's just hard to get some real clarity on some things and especially the broad things. That's why I plan on taking the results of this thread and making a nice 'general' guide and possibly a video.
Thanks a lot andythegreenguy. Appriciate the help a lot
To moxlon69:
moxlon69 said:
you need root before you can flash the recovery image
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes you are right. I was a bit mixed up on that (even though I've done it twice! haha)
moxlon69 said:
Wipe/Factory Reset...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lot of good clarification there. Very good, thanks!
moxlon69 said:
Sorta.. hboot and the radio are both beyond the recovery...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah. What is hboot? Had some trouble finding general info on it. What is there to know about the radio? I haven't done it nor think i need to, but isn't changing the radio just the same as flashing something? (http://geekfor.me/faq/flash-radio/)
moxlon69 said:
Apps2SD is fine, any speed issues would primaryly be loading delays on slower SD cards. Apps2SD also requires your SD card to be properly partitioned. The Apps2SD that is in Android 2.2 is a little different, in that from my understanding, it uses the Fat32 partition on the SD card, and thus does not require you to partition your SD card. It is also to my knowledge only available on roms based on Android 2.2.
A lot of custom roms have some form of Apps2SD now, but they require you to partition the SD card, and, as far as "speed" issues, I have ran my apps from a class 2 card just fine, but moving the Dalvik-Cache to the SD card will cause lag if you have a slow card. Class 4 or higher is recommended for moving your cache.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So if I have a 2.2 ROM... would I need to make a partition? I never read anything about needing it in CM6 threads. What was all the jazz about making different ext-s? Like 2, 3, or 4? I guess it's not relevant any more.
How do you move the Dalvik-Cache to SD?
Quick note:
AOSP and PRL are not on the wiki - not that many people don't know what they are... but why not?
Q: Why do some people talk so negatively about gapps?
A:Some people like fat chicks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well said haha. The whole analogy was good.
Thanks a million moxlon69 - That helps out more than you can imagine. I'm going to begin working on a write up of all this, but I do still have lots of questions. I'll probably continue posting in this thread for a while to keep it simple... unless I have an embarrassingly stupid question I can't find an answer for then I'll PM ya!
Thanks again moxlon69 and andythegreenguy.
Edit: This thread is going to become the tl;dr thread! haha

One more try.
I know it's a lot of reading, but any help you guys can offer is much appreciated and will be returned in the form of a video. You could then just send all the newbies to the video and hopefully many of their questions will be answered.
I just don't want to make the video without being precisely accurate. I have more questions, but I should probably wait for the current queue of my questions to go down.
Thanks again for the help thus far!

Why Complexities

First off, Thank you to all the dev's who've put out all the great roms (too many to mention)....
But, as I was reading through some of the most recent releases of roms, I found myself more and more frustrated with confusion. It wasn't the screenshots (thanks, it helps), it wasn't the list of changes/additions/subtractions (that really helps), it was more the complex install info.
I'm not trying to hurt anyone's feelings, but why would you go off on a tangent to left field while your writing down how to install something? Can we get a universal install procedure?
Most roms are released within hours and in some cases days of one another. Lets assume that rom a has what newest rom b needs and create something from that. Then if you need to express random thought for the new guy, that could be post #2. I guarentee that most of the people here have flashed and re-flashed and soft bricked and flashed again.
Guess what I'm trying to say is, rom dev's are releasing things that probably no one will use cause they aren't clear and concise on the install procedure.

FroztIkon said:
First off, Thank you to all the dev's who've put out all the great roms (too many to mention)....
But, as I was reading through some of the most recent releases of roms, I found myself more and more frustrated with confusion. It wasn't the screenshots (thanks, it helps), it wasn't the list of changes/additions/subtractions (that really helps), it was more the complex install info.
I'm not trying to hurt anyone's feelings, but why would you go off on a tangent to left field while your writing down how to install something? Can we get a universal install procedure?
Most roms are released within hours and in some cases days of one another. Lets assume that rom a has what newest rom b needs and create something from that. Then if you need to express random thought for the new guy, that could be post #2. I guarentee that most of the people here have flashed and re-flashed and soft bricked and flashed again.
Guess what I'm trying to say is, rom dev's are releasing things that probably no one will use cause they aren't clear and concise on the install procedure.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see your on super nova. Have you looked at Mosaic. I tried to make the directions as simple as i could

right now with the recent port of the i9000 2.3.3 things have changed.
and changed very recently.
soon enough there will be an easier, more standard way to upgrade.
but keep this in mind....
what we are doing here is programming a phone. the devs AND YOU!
programming an electronic device is not a simple thing, and is not childs play.
the devs have YEARS of experience in programming to bring us the software,
we need to understand what we are doing in order to do it.
so we need to understand programming.
this cannot be done in 10 minutes by just reading instructions.
and this SHOULD NOT be able to be done in 10 minutes by reading instructions.
there are real risks in doing this, that is why it voids your warranty.
you need to understand what you are doing to be able to do it.
thats why you must LEARN in order to do this.
nobody ever learns with brain-dead instructions.
the more you LEARN first, before flashing, the better your chances at success.
the easier the instructions the easier noobs run into problems! Brick their device or get scared and confused about very simple things that they should have understood first!
so the complexity has a dual purpose, it forces you to go out and LEARN before you do anything AND also provides you with alot of information to start learning
<<Captivate Post of the Week>>

TRusselo said:
right now with the recent port of the i9000 2.3.3 things have changed.
and changed very recently.
soon enough there will be an easier, more standard way to upgrade.
but keep this in mind....
what we are doing here is programming a phone. the devs AND YOU!
programming an electronic device is not a simple thing, and is not childs play.
the devs have YEARS of experience in programming to bring us the software,
we need to understand what we are doing in order to do it.
so we need to understand programming.
this cannot be done in 10 minutes by just reading instructions.
and this SHOULD NOT be able to be done in 10 minutes by reading instructions.
there are real risks in doing this, that is why it voids your warranty.
you need to understand what you are doing to be able to do it.
thats why you must LEARN in order to do this.
nobody ever learns with brain-dead instructions.
the more you LEARN first, before flashing, the better your chances at success.
the easier the instructions the easier noobs run into problems! Brick their device or get scared and confused about very simple things that they should have understood first!
so the complexity has a dual purpose, it forces you to go out and LEARN before you do anything AND also provides you with alot of information to start learning
<<Captivate Post of the Week>>
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice long post. Although alot of rambling Tru but I like your last line

As for a standard set of installation instructions, I dont think we will ever see it. Each rom is as unique as the person that developed it, and with that individuality comes an individual requirement for implementation.

ATM some ginger roms are wipes, some arent, this used to be true for all froyo/eclair roms.
that is why we USED TO have to flash to stock each time. same now. (for non wipe roms)
that changed! it can again!
as for getting the bootloaders, if you are installing a WIPE rom you dont need to flash the whole i9000 package. Just the bootloaders alone and ONLY ONCE. some roms currently use this method.
other roms that arent wipe roms depend on apps and framework to be there, or might not like other stuff left over that may still be there. so it is necessary to flash back to i9000 stock, this can be done with or without bootloaders if you already have them. but most of the non bootloaders packages have been taken down. once again you only need to get the bootloaders once.
once again all this can change and standardize again. with the following intructions:
from eclair or froyo
1. odin flash GB bootloader and CMW3 kernel in a single package. (small 4 MB package!)
2. boot into CWM3 and flash a WIPE ROM.
done and upgraded.
my fastest upgrade was one extra step. the bootloader package had re-orient kernel with no cwm3 so i had to reboot and odin flash talon between step 1 and 2.
still pretty easy with a wipe rom.
we grow up so quickly...

[Q] Totally confused about kernel/ROM/lagfix

I have been trying to find answers for a week now and have found a lot of info. The problem is most of the info is contradictory and I'm not really sure which is good and which is not. I currently have an AT&T Samsung Captivate, firmware ver 2.2, kernel ver. 2.6.32.9 build# FROYO.UCKB1. I believe that is the stock At&t froyo build. It is rooted, I do have SGS tools (which I don't really understand what all it can do for me) and Titanium backup (which I've not tried to use yet for fear of breaking my phone). I run 91PandaHome and a bunch of apps I like.
My problem is that the phone sometimes is just really sluggish, certain programs really kill it. For example, I have PlantVsZombies which mostly runs ok, but sometimes slows down and worse 3 out of 5 times I play will not close. I have to power/volume up reboot to get out of the game. Other programs occasionally do this to me, but not as often.
I've been reading up and see that there are lagfixes, and understand that samsung apparently chose a ****ty file system, but I don't understand android well enough to know what's safe. What I want to know is what is as of today the safest, easiest way to fix the lag. I think I am going to be told something that changes the file system to ext4 is what I want, but I really don't understand what will be safe to use for that. I thought I wanted OneClickLagFix, then I found that maybe Voodoo was what I wanted, and now it seems that neither is currently being developed. Reliability, ease of transition and ease of putting it back to stock are important factors for me.
Suggestions, links and general help will be greatly appreciated.

Try going to a custom rom where all of that is done for you. Since you are new to this, I suggest you go look up the rom Serendipity 6.4, it's very easy to install and has it's own thread in the development section.

fianor said:
I have been trying to find answers for a week now and have found a lot of info. The problem is most of the info is contradictory and I'm not really sure which is good and which is not. I currently have an AT&T Samsung Captivate, firmware ver 2.2, kernel ver. 2.6.32.9 build# FROYO.UCKB1. I believe that is the stock At&t froyo build. It is rooted, I do have SGS tools (which I don't really understand what all it can do for me) and Titanium backup (which I've not tried to use yet for fear of breaking my phone). I run 91PandaHome and a bunch of apps I like.
My problem is that the phone sometimes is just really sluggish, certain programs really kill it. For example, I have PlantVsZombies which mostly runs ok, but sometimes slows down and worse 3 out of 5 times I play will not close. I have to power/volume up reboot to get out of the game. Other programs occasionally do this to me, but not as often.
I've been reading up and see that there are lagfixes, and understand that samsung apparently chose a ****ty file system, but I don't understand android well enough to know what's safe. What I want to know is what is as of today the safest, easiest way to fix the lag. I think I am going to be told something that changes the file system to ext4 is what I want, but I really don't understand what will be safe to use for that. I thought I wanted OneClickLagFix, then I found that maybe Voodoo was what I wanted, and now it seems that neither is currently being developed. Reliability, ease of transition and ease of putting it back to stock are important factors for me.
Suggestions, links and general help will be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just a few quick things:
Titanium backup is a good friend to have on your phone. It won't break it - it will just take snapshots (for lack of a better phrase) of your apps so that you can restore them later if you need to.
Most lagfixes are cooked into kernels, so using lagfix will most likely go hand-in-hand with flashing to a custom rom. Not that you can't lagfix stock, but statistically speaking, lagfix will be done with a new kernel via the Clockworkmod Recovery Menu.
As for general fixing of lagginess... (READ UP FIRST) Flash a custom Rom (READ MORE). Most of the problems you're experiencing (ARE YOU READING UP ON FLASHING?) should be fixed by flashing (DO MORE READING) a custom rom. Do some research on roms and pick one that you think you'll like. (Note - don't post questions asking which one to do, it tends to be a bit of a touchy subject on the forum.) If you're wanting to be cautious, it would be safer to stay with a Froyo-based rom, as they're more tested and there's less danger involved (specifically, you don't have to flash bootloaders, which is the area where you can get a real brick).
Oh, and (shameless self plug) if you need to know what different terminology and items on the forum mean, just click the link in my signature.

jmtheiss said:
Just a few quick things:
Titanium backup is a good friend to have on your phone. It won't break it -
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, it CAN break your phone if you don't know how to use it. Backing up is safe, but never, ever restore system data with TiBu when changing ROMs and only restore app data you know is safe.
I would recommend staying away from any Gingerbread-based ROMs until you have a better understanding of the phone and the process. Andromeda 3 is a good choice for a Froyo-based ROM and is very easy to flash, but do your research on the process before you attempt it. Almost any custom ROM will have a lagfix in the kernel and performance will be noticeably better than stock. You will likely have to redo your root after installing a new ROM, so read up on that process, too.

jmtheiss said:
As for general fixing of lagginess... (READ UP FIRST) Flash a custom Rom (READ MORE). Most of the problems you're experiencing (ARE YOU READING UP ON FLASHING?) should be fixed by flashing (DO MORE READING) a custom rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I lol'd at the "()" parts
To build on jmtheiss post. For "reliability" look for a KB1 based ROM as this is what your phone is currently running, and is the newest version of firmware written specifically for the AT&T captivate. You won't come across any major issues that make the phone unusable, nor any "annoying" bugs. Then if your feeling more adventurous, and have gotten a solid understanding of the process of flashing ROMs, look to I9000 based 2.2.x ROMs, and lastly 2.3.x based ROMs.
For "ease of transition" start by getting the SGS Kernel Flasher or Heimdall to change the kernel. From there you can get past 3e recovery and you'll be free to make other changes.
For "ease of putting it back to stock" first find out what is your stock. Since this phone technically has 3 different "stock" firmwares. Then get a copy of that firmware (and steps on how to flash it) and keep it on your computer, in a location you'll be able to find easily in case of problems. Depending on how far "to the dark side" you go, will effect just how much of the "stock" files you'll need to keep as backups.
Personally I'd suggest this ROM as it's whats currently on my phone. Many have started off with Cognition and it's still a crowd fav. Both are KB1 based ROMs

[Q] Stacking ROMs & Creating Back ups (Note Received)

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?

[Q] Flashing ICS/JB on an XXJVU i9000?

Hello guys, it's me (nay, not Mario :laugh again. Another question.
Got a new battery which seems to hold charge well so I thought I might flash something in the likes of CM9 or CM10(.1).
I'm starting this thread because I would like to be totally sure what should I do (although I know I will never be 100% sure I'm doing it right). The reason I'm starting this thread is fear from bricking my phone (now troll me).
A little background (might be TLTR so freely skip it):
A year or so ago, I had a LG GT540 in my possession. Spoiled by the painlessness (is this a word?) of flashing Huaweis I fearlessly dared to flash fastboot on it in order to flash custom ROMs and stuff. The installation instructions seemed dead simple. Battery was full. Followed the procedure from letter to letter. Despite the fact that I followed the whole tutorial, in the end I got a hard brick. One hour later I thought it ought to be either finished or terminated due to an error of some kind. But no. It just stuck. Unplugged it and tried to turn it on. Fail, bootloop. Tried to reflash it, in all the modes I knew of. There were two or so modes: emergency and some über-emergency mode thingy. Fail. Then I tried with the official LG update tool. Final fail. That was the worst idea one could ever get, it got hard bricked, with no signs of life at all. RIP.
Back to the question.
As a proof that I used that damned search feature (at least tried to) here goes the procedure as I've understood it (while searching):
do a Nandroid and TB backup (optional, but you might really regret it if you don't do so)
back up your EFS folder
wipe data/factory reset
flash the ROM thru recovery
reboot
if it bootloops, reboot to recovery manually
flash the ROM again to finalize the procedure
eventually flash GApps
So,
did I leave out something?
what's the most reliable procedure/app to backup EFS?
is there a way to verify if EFS is properly backed up?
what's the proper, ahem, primer ROM to flash first and make stuff glue together nicely?
Semaphore's recovery tends to blink when browsing through using the capacitive menu button instead of volume buttons, is that a problem?
is Semaphore's recovery itself, regardless of the before mentioned issue, appropriate for flashing ICS/JB (or should I flash some other kernel/recovery before flashing)?
will I survive on XDA with that much questions at once?
It's SIM unlocked (don't know how, second hand phone, most likely with Helroz's unlock application), other details are in the signature.
Thanks in advance!
EDIT: See last post (#7 if the discussion goes on) for more details and answers to my questions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DLySUtI8vo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRnH13sRAIc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RoZU5ZPMS4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwHVm90HO1w
check out these and you wont brick your phone happy flashing

I have already flashed a rooted kernel with CWM (CF-Root and later Semaphore).
Please, I know my English ain't perfect, but try to skim through my post. At least the second half of it.

your english is fine i read your post all of it i was just giving you a bit of direction incase you soft bricked your sgs,and as for what the best rom is they are all good roms the devs spend alot of time developing them its just a matter of what set up you like so try them all till you find one you like darkyrom v11 ,is pretty smooth its ics and stable cm 9 is good also ,remics jb 4.2.2 is good also .sgs i9000 is almost impossible to brick just read or watch the info two or three times just to be sure goodluck

TIGER 123 said:
your english is fine
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aw, thank you! Sorry for me being kinda needlessly rude.
TIGER 123 said:
and as for what the best rom is they are all good roms the devs spend alot of time developing them its just a matter of what set up you like so try them all till you find one you like darkyrom v11 ,is pretty smooth its ics and stable cm 9 is good also ,remics jb 4.2.2 is good also .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You meant this?
moorkai said:
what's the proper, ahem, primer ROM to flash first and make stuff glue together nicely?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In fact I wanted to know (along with the doubts from post #1) what do I need to flash prior to playing with ICS and/or JB because I thought that there are some ROMs (e.g. CM9) that do the necessary repartition process(es) as there are some partition layout differences between stock Gingerbread and the newer ICS and JB ROMs... and that failing to do so might lead to soft/hard bricks.
I know that asking questions like "What's the best ROM for my phone?" might lead to subjective and conflicting answers as some prefer lightweightness over functionality and vice versa, thus I don't prefer to do so, neither I did so in my first post. Sorry if you understood me otherwise.
Hope that I made some things more understandable now.

Okay, solved this doubt:
moorkai said:
what's the most reliable procedure/app to backup EFS? Tar zcvf contents of the /efs folder in terminal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
However, in one of the videos you posted here CWM 2.5.1.2 was used and thus it additionally stresses the following question:
moorkai said:
is Semaphore's recovery itself, regardless of the before mentioned issue, appropriate for flashing ICS/JB (or should I flash some other kernel/recovery before flashing)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Help me!

I finally dared to flash CM10.1! Everything went silky smooth. Here are my conclusions for further reference (maybe someone can find them useful). These might be inaccurate, but I didn't brick my phone. After all, don't hesitate to correct me if I'm wrong.
How I flashed CM10.1:
do a Nandroid and TB backup (optional, but you might really regret it if you don't do so)
back up your EFS folder
wipe data/factory reset, wipe cache partition, advanced > wipe dalvik cache
flash the ROM through recovery (install zip from sdcard > choose zip from sdcard)
now it will reboot and finalize the flashing if everything is OK
eventually flash GApps
Questions from the first post and ...answers:
Q: Did I leave out something?
A: Most likely, not.
Q: What's the most reliable procedure/app to backup EFS?
A: Type the following stuff in Terminal Emulator or adb shell (root privileges necessary):
Code:
su
tar zcvf /sdcard/efs-backup.tar.gz /efs
# some users suggest that backing this up can also help if IMEI goes belly up
cat /dev/block/stl3 > /sdcard/efs_dev-block-stl3.img
Q: Is there a way to verify if EFS is properly backed up?
A: Dual File Manager is quite useful for testing archive integrity.
Q: What's the proper, ahem, primer ROM to flash first and make stuff glue together nicely?
A: CM10.1, I guess.
Q: Semaphore's recovery tends to blink when browsing through using the capacitive menu button instead of volume buttons, does that mean it will cause ROM installation to fail?
A: I don't know, maybe, so flash CM10.1 with CF-Root kernel installed instead.
Q: Is Semaphore's recovery itself, regardless of the before mentioned
issue, appropriate for flashing ICS/JB (or should I flash some other kernel/recovery before flashing)?
A: See previous answer.