Database Develop

[Q] How to get started making captivate roms

Hey Guys,
I'm a developer for a living, and I'm interested in possibly working on a custom rom for my captivate. I was doing some research on how to get started, but the stuff I found was for HTC phones and involved using a starter that only works for HTC stuff.
Where can I go to find information on doing this? I'm largely interested in trying to port gingerbread, but my understanding was that until we have the full source this wasn't really possible (at least for something actually useable on a daily basis). I see supercurio is working on gingerbread, so information specific to this would be really helpful.
Thanks guys, and sorry if this should have been put in the QA section, I figured it was related to development, and could possibly be a sticky if it leads to useful info.

Pretty broad question. First requirement, is obviously...learn java.
I'm not sure if there's any specific "HOW-TO CODE YOUR OWN CAPTIVATE ROM" threads anywhere; there's general information available on http://developer.android.com , but modifying ROM's depends on the device it was written for.
As far as porting gingerbread, it will be very difficult without source and will definitely require quite a bit of kernel work. For information specific on this, supercurio would be the one to ask. Of course, the IRC's are also a great place to get information.
By the way, welcome to XDA! And I commend your motivation to develop stuff for the community here.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=869614
Doc over in the I9000 forums has the above thread started. I look there.

geokhentix said:
Pretty broad question. First requirement, is obviously...learn java.
I'm not sure if there's any specific "HOW-TO CODE YOUR OWN CAPTIVATE ROM" threads anywhere; there's general information available on http://developer.android.com , but modifying ROM's depends on the device it was written for.
As far as porting gingerbread, it will be very difficult without source and will definitely require quite a bit of kernel work. For information specific on this, supercurio would be the one to ask. Of course, the IRC's are also a great place to get information.
By the way, welcome to XDA! And I commend your motivation to develop stuff for the community here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, I am a developer for a living. I know Java, I'm not looking for coding tutorials. I'm looking for information specifically regarding the captivate.
As far as gingerbread, it sounds like what you are saying is that what people like supercurio are working on is not really gingerbread? More of a Frankenstein created with the sdk, mashing together 2.2 kernels and what has been released for 2.3?

lbbo2002 said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=869614
Doc over in the I9000 forums has the above thread started. I look there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looking at that thread, it appears the roms being made are just edited versions of already compiled roms? Is samsung not required to post the full source of their roms?
I'm assuming the issue with starting with the original android source, is that we wouldn't have drivers for half of the hardware in the phone. Is the only choice then to load the already compiled drivers from the samsung builds into the rom?

epoplive said:
Again, I am a developer for a living. I know Java, I'm not looking for coding tutorials. I'm looking for information specifically regarding the captivate.
As far as gingerbread, it sounds like what you are saying is that what people like supercurio are working on is not really gingerbread? More of a Frankenstein created with the sdk, mashing together 2.2 kernels and what has been released for 2.3?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are different levels of making ROMs IMO.
You can combine work from others and make your own ROM. This requires no coding experience. For instance, I took JH7_OTA, dropped in Atinms Voodoo 3 kernel, removed bloatware, added my own custom framework (icons), etc., signed it and flashed it.
Then there is the whole Kernel side of things that requires an entire development environment (Linux) and C/C++ programming skills. I'm trying to get to this point. You can start by downloading the source and building it in your own environment familiarizing yourself with the codebase.

Indeed. Packing a ROM and making the contents of the ROM are two different sides of the spectrum. Even some minor framework modifications can be performed by the most tech-inept, as long as they have a good resource to work off of.
epoplive said:
Again, I am a developer for a living. I know Java, I'm not looking for coding tutorials. I'm looking for information specifically regarding the captivate.
As far as gingerbread, it sounds like what you are saying is that what people like supercurio are working on is not really gingerbread? More of a Frankenstein created with the sdk, mashing together 2.2 kernels and what has been released for 2.3?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was only prodding fun when I mentioned learning Java, just to break the ice. All I'm saying is trial and error is the best way to learn Android if you're already a decent programmer. Without knowing what the source code looked like before Samsung owned it, we don't really have a base environment to work off of, which means we are modifying work that was already modified from stock; which is why it will be pretty hard to find a lot of definitive coding information about the Captivate.
Supercurio isn't making a frankenstein 2.2-2.3 hybrid. The kernel is where all of the information about your hardware resides. Supercurio needs to take the Gingerbread kernel from the Nexus S, and modify it to run with our hardware. You can't run a 2.3 ROM without a 2.3 kernel; so we CAN'T use a 2.2 kernel to run full gingerbread; and since a 2.3 kernel doesn't exist for the Captivate, he is using the Nexus s's kernel as a base, or as a reference to merge the differences between the two, creating a kernel that will support the Nexus S ROM on a phone that isn't the Nexus S.
epoplive said:
Looking at that thread, it appears the roms being made are just edited versions of already compiled roms? Is samsung not required to post the full source of their roms?
I'm assuming the issue with starting with the original android source, is that we wouldn't have drivers for half of the hardware in the phone. Is the only choice then to load the already compiled drivers from the samsung builds into the rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correct. We don't have the source code for Froyo yet for the Captivate(or an OTA for that matter ), a lot of ROM's being made are based off of the SGS I9000 2.2 source, and because we have that source, we have a pretty much fully functional "captivated" i9000 kernel.

geokhentix said:
Indeed. Packing a ROM and making the contents of the ROM are two different sides of the spectrum. Even some minor framework modifications can be performed by the most tech-inept, as long as they have a good resource to work off of.
I was only prodding fun when I mentioned learning Java, just to break the ice. All I'm saying is trial and error is the best way to learn Android if you're already a decent programmer. Without knowing what the source code looked like before Samsung owned it, we don't really have a base environment to work off of, which means we are modifying work that was already modified from stock; which is why it will be pretty hard to find a lot of definitive coding information about the Captivate.
Supercurio isn't making a frankenstein 2.2-2.3 hybrid. The kernel is where all of the information about your hardware resides. Supercurio needs to take the Gingerbread kernel from the Nexus S, and modify it to run with our hardware. You can't run a 2.3 ROM without a 2.3 kernel; so we CAN'T use a 2.2 kernel to run full gingerbread; and since a 2.3 kernel doesn't exist for the Captivate, he is using the Nexus s's kernel as a base, or as a reference to merge the differences between the two, creating a kernel that will support the Nexus S ROM on a phone that isn't the Nexus S.
Correct. We don't have the source code for Froyo yet for the Captivate(or an OTA for that matter ), a lot of ROM's being made are based off of the SGS I9000 2.2 source, and because we have that source, we have a pretty much fully functional "captivated" i9000 kernel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, thanks, that's pretty much the information I was looking for.

Anybody willing to guide a newbie?

Hi everyone!
I'm looking to become a future dev of the Samsung Captivate Glide, but as we're awaiting the official ICS from AT&T the forum right now is pretty dead. We have a project going but nobody to guide us, and we wish to compile CM9 or AOSP ICS. Would anyone take me in and teach me the basics of ROMing? I would greatly appreciate it! I have a Mac and Windows, I'm not sure if Linux is required :|
~Aquethys

the rom is the least of the worries to get dev going on your phone, getting the kernel going is the hard part. does your phone have the source code released?

I don't believe so, people in our ics port thread are saying we don't have a working ics kernel. We do have a gingerbread kernel though... :/
How would I start?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I927R using xda premium

well you take parts from the GB kernel and apply it to parts from the AOSP kernel, and troubleshoot until it boots. then you troubleshoot all the other issues, there will be issues, then you can start doing fancy things like add cwm. then tweak the kernel....
start reading on kernels, ramdisk, rils, libs, and drivers, linux, compiling, AOSP, github repositories.
you might be ready to take on this task in 6 months.... minimum
dont take that as snooty, ive been on here over a year, and know jack squat about half the things i just told you to study. though i have no desire to build kernels myself. there is lots of great info scattered all over xda. but you will need an experienced dev, to port ICS. you need to know basic kernel modification stuff before trying to do something as big as porting a new android version from out your but.
automated compiling isnt as automated as it sounds.

Alright. What programs will I need to begin with? Hopefully an experienced dev can guide me, I'm not too good @ following guides/tutorials but I'll try my best!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I927R using xda premium
EDIT: Made a dropbox account, hopefully you could guide me through the basics?

So, is this the source code for SGH-I927 you were talking about? I downloaded it, what do I do with it? Is it different for ICS and GB?

Budding dev needs some help

Hello all. I've recently been trying to get into Android development, more specifically Kernel development. I've played around with some kitchens and looked at the GB kernel sources from Samsung and tweaked it around.
Previously I previously learned Java to a point where I can put basic lines down and also more advanced stuff but with a bit of help here and there.
I have one question though, what would be the recommended path for creating an ICS Kernel. My plan is to start of with something "stock" and build up but I'm not quite sure what to consider stock seeing as the S1 never got ICS officially. Would I have to use CM9's Kernel sources and if so where do I acquire them.
I also have a good understanding of Ubuntu and its terminal and have a functional idea of what I'm doing there.

[Q] Samsung Galaxy S4 Active(SGH-i537) 4.4.2 ATT

Can someone please help me to root and install CWM Recovery for my Samsung galaxy s4 active(SGH-i537) 4.4.2 ?
I already try towel root, active root doesn't work!! I want to be able to flash different rooms to my phone...

Monster809 said:
Can someone please help me to root and install CWM Recovery for my Samsung galaxy s4 active(SGH-i537) 4.4.2 ?
I already try towel root, active root doesn't work!! I want to be able to flash different rooms to my phone...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Click this link and make sure you only use the files labelled for the SGH-I537 US (AT&T) Active
Stay away from the international threads, a lot of their custom development won't work on your phone. The only "custom recovery" that won't brick your phone is SafeStrap and there isn't a huge selection of roms; the best choices right now are GoldenEye, Goldfinger, or Hyperdrive (if you like the touchwiz experience) and Pure Nexus if you prefer the AOSP look and feel

THANK YOU
thisisapoorusernamechoice said:
Click this link and make sure you only use the files labelled for the SGH-I537 US (AT&T) Active
Stay away from the international threads, a lot of their custom development won't work on your phone. The only "custom recovery" that won't brick your phone is SafeStrap and there isn't a huge selection of roms; the best choices right now are GoldenEye, Goldfinger, or Hyperdrive (if you like the touchwiz experience) and Pure Nexus if you prefer the AOSP look and feel
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just wanted to say thank you for your help.. everything work out well for me !!! NOW any room that you would recomend?

Monster809 said:
I just wanted to say thank you for your help.. everything work out well for me !!! NOW any room that you would recomend?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hyperdrive if you like touchwiz - Samsung's version of Android, how stock Samsung phones look but with more theming and customization, or
Pure Nexus if you like AOSP, so-called "vanilla" android, closest to how google makes android actually look (closest to the cyanogenmod look and feel). This rom (in both theming and overall experience) is based off of the Google Play Edition Galaxy S4.
Other than that there aren't many options. I would argue at the very least those are the two with the most support or ongoing development, although someone please correct me if I'm forgetting any others. Which of the two roms you choose I think really comes down to a fundamental personal preference: do you prefer Touchwiz or AOSP? Although again, someone chime in if you disagree with my assessment.

Im looking forward to install the Nexus room. I actually like more AOSP better than TouchWiz . Do i have to install the Google applications seperate or is already included on the room and SuperSU app?
Sorry to ask you many questions but your the only one helping me out and i appreciated your help!!:thumbup:
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using XDA Free mobile app

Monster809 said:
Im looking forward to install the Nexus room. I actually like more AOSP better than TouchWiz . Do i have to install the Google applications seperate or is already included on the room and SuperSU app?
Sorry to ask you many questions but your the only one helping me out and i appreciated your help!!:thumbup:
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good questions. You do not have to install the Google applications, they're included in the rom. You WILL however have to install SuperSU while installing the rom. Simply download UPDATE-SuperSU-v2.46.zip and flash it immediately after flashing the rom zip file (i.e. before you first boot up).
If you prefer AOSP over TouchWiz, definitely go with the Nexus rom. Just some notes, the first boot up will take a fairly long time, this is normal and just be patient. Actually it takes a while (I'd say up to a day or two) for the rom to really "settle in." And one noticeable bug that's easy to deal with: turn off Wi-Fi right before you either power off or reboot. If you don't do that, Wi-Fi will not work properly. Should you forget to do that, Wi-Fi can still be fixed with a hot reboot. So not a crippling bug, just something to keep track of. Other than that I can't think of anything, just good luck and make sure to always make backups before doing anything. It's always my pleasure to help whenever I can

bricked???
Can someone please help! My phone is showing the message: Update failed try again using kies ( or something very close to that), it won't enter recovery mode, all I can get to is Odin mode, yet when I try to flash the firmware it failed every time, out fails when it gets to boot in the dialog box. I tried to flash another boot animation, so I'm assuming that's where I went wrong, can someone please tell me what I can do to fix this? I'd be eternally grateful, thank you!

Future for G900A and Flash Fire ?

I am just curious, with us being able to use Flash Fire now, what is the future of potential custom roms for our S5's ? It always seems when a new device comes out the older ones are forgotten. Personally i love my S5 i have no intention of getting an S6 because of the non removable battery and non expandable storage. I used Flash Fire to put the pre rooted version of 5.0 on my phone. I would love to see some custom roms in the future.

darthmalus said:
I am just curious, with us being able to use Flash Fire now, what is the future of potential custom roms for our S5's ? It always seems when a new device comes out the older ones are forgotten. Personally i love my S5 i have no intention of getting an S6 because of the non removable battery and non expandable storage. I used Flash Fire to put the pre rooted version of 5.0 on my phone. I would love to see some custom roms in the future.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check the Android Development thread, We now have a custom ROM for Lollipop. Very active thread, sounds like there will be more. Good for us who appreciate out S5s

What's the name of the ROM?

I have finally begun my ROM project for the G900A. I was waiting for Lollipop to start it. No ETA.

CAG-man said:
I have finally begun my ROM project for the G900A. I was waiting for Lollipop to start it. No ETA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any help you need just ask. :good:
I have released TMS5. Its not much yet but its a start. I have plenty more to do and it will see a lot of improvements as I get the time to build upon it.