Database Develop

Noob question: can you explain me ROMs, Kernels, Radio, Mods, etc ?

Hi all,
I'm quite new to this android stuff, and especially modding. And I have to tell that I feel a bit lost.
After a few days browsing this forum and other places on the internet, I think I know what a ROM and rooting are. But here I see things like kernels, radio, bootloaders... could someone explain me what those are and how they are related together? Or show me an url that explains all this.
Thanks a lot!

Bricolo_fr said:
Hi all,
I'm quite new to this android stuff, and especially modding. And I have to tell that I feel a bit lost.
After a few days browsing this forum and other places on the internet, I think I know what a ROM and rooting are. But here I see things like kernels, radio, bootloaders... could someone explain me what those are and how they are related together? Or show me an url that explains all this.
Thanks a lot!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im not real sure how to explain all this stuff in great detail but i will try and tell you all that i know. I think a kernel has to do with the drivers and things like that. A radio has to do with the everything that uses connections, i guess you would call it. Like your phone's network, wifi, bluetooth, etc. And for the bootloader i don't really know how to explain it but press and hold the power button and the trackball at the same time. thats the bootloader.
This should help some... http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=619153

Bricolo_fr said:
Hi all,
I'm quite new to this android stuff, and especially modding. And I have to tell that I feel a bit lost.
After a few days browsing this forum and other places on the internet, I think I know what a ROM and rooting are. But here I see things like kernels, radio, bootloaders... could someone explain me what those are and how they are related together? Or show me an url that explains all this.
Thanks a lot!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Bricolo!
Welcome to the forums!
I'll help you out here, but you're going to have to do some work too.
How about I do two, and you do two?
[Google]: android "what is a rom"
http://forum.androidcentral.com/hacking/6037-general-rom-faq.html
If you’re new to the Android platform (don’t be bashful, all of us were not too long ago), you’ll see terms floating around the forums that you might not be familiar with. “ROM” is one of those terms. A ROM image is a data file that contains information used on a Read Only Memory chip. For our purposes, that means a complete system image of an Android device. Each Android device has it’s own ROM image that contains files and code needed to boot the device up and run Android on it. But this is only part of a ROM. A ROM also contains a GUI (graphical user interface), required and useful applications, support files for those applications and the kernel. Let’s have a look at the parts that make a ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-general-discussions/37418-what-rom.html
"ROM" is just a generic term for the software that makes up the OS, and a bit of a misnomer. This term could easily be changed to "OS sofware" or "system software". It does mean Read Only Memory, but ROM likely comes from that part of the system memory, since you dont want to be able to write over the system files (easily).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
[Google]: android "what is a kernel"
http://androidforums.com/developer-101/62548-what-kernel.html
A kernel is basically the bridge between applications and the data processing at the hardware level. It serves as a level of abstraction for communication.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://www.applematters.com/article/how-long-will-apple-keep-the-mach-microkernel/
The easy answer is a kernel is the core of any operating system. DOS, Windows, UNIX, OS X and Linux all have some type of kernel. The implementations change but the basic concept remains the same. A kernel interfaces directly with the system’s hardware and is the lowest level of software. There are two types of kernels, micro-kernels and monolithic-kernels.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
[Google]: android "what is a radio"
Your site(s) here.
[Google]: android "what is a bootloader"
You can do it!
[Google]: android "what is a X"
Google: It really is that easy

Good stuff Paul, it's refreshing to see someone go out of their way to help a newbie every once in a while

There are more polite ways to respond to this guy. Some people learn through interaction. I'm glad someone went out of their way to explain things to this guy. It's a shame how cut throat this community can be sometimes.

I agree, the attitude and lame jokes are really immature at times. Thanks paul for putting a lil effort and explaining few of the key points than cracking the usual radio is a fm/am joke here, the extreme nerdism almost kills me! lol.

As for the cutthroat and "nerdism" out there in this community, you have to remember, most of us that are regulars are ones that have been on this forum for a loooooooong while and not just in the Nexus One sections. I have migrated from WM to Android and see these posts time and time again.
There are Stickied "Noob" guilds galore, there is a search feature, there are TONS of resources out there for someone who puts in a MINIMAL effort can get this BASIC information.
When I first came here, I didn't just open a new post on "what is a ROM and ..." I read, I researched and when something wasn't clear and needed more information that wasn't out there, THEN I posted.
Those of us that may seem like we have an attitude aren't mean people, we don't expect everyone to come here with all the answers an NO questions, we just have an expectation that they at least put forth a LITTLE effort on figuring something out.
Paul did a great job in searching, but you have to wonder why the OP didn't even TRY and google anything or search here?
The impression I got is that it is not worth the OP's time to even try, so they put up a post asking these questions and expected the community to do all the work for them and compile some massive resource into a post that the OP most likely won't read and then start asking questions that were already answered in replies or links.
I have seen this happen time and time again on this board and others, so yeah, I am a bit of a jerk when someone puts forth no effort of their own.

Thanks a lot, Paul and the guys that helped
About me asking, and being new here... I DID search on this forum, but didn't find everything I needed. I used the search function, read the sticky threads, googled... After this, I still had questions, meaning that the information I got was not sufficient and that the additional information I was seeking wasn't accessible enough here. So that's why I asked.
If you don't like new people asking questions, but only expect new members to be experienced ones that will arrive with software/tricks/roms/etc "gifts" for you,you should reconsider your lifes. Maybe as sultans or something similar I agree with the remark about nerdy attitudes. Do you really think this is needed? If my topic is unwanted here, some people called moderators will lock or delete it, it seems it hasn't happened so far...

Back to the initial topic...
Well, maybe I did not make things clear enough. I'm not a complete computer noob. I know what a ROM is (not being specific to android devices), what an OS is, how to write a few lines of code, etc...
From what I understood, the bootloader can be see as the bios in a PC. It can execute a few tasks (diagnostics, rom flash, starting the OS...). The ROM contains the OS, software, config, etc...
As I said, what I don't really see is how all the things are related to each other. On this forum (and other places) I see a lot of alternative ROMs. I do understand what they are and their use. However I also see topics about kernels and radios, and that got me a bit lost. Aren't they already included in the ROMs?
Also, I'd like to learn a bit about how alternative ROMs are created. When additional features (applications?) are added to a ROM (features that were existing on other devices), is it "simply" the application files that from the other device that have been included to the ROM? When new features are added (not coming from other devices, like trackball led), how is that made? I assume it is added to the code somewhere, so is all the code available?
Thanks for helping

I'm going to move this thread to the Q&A section, and also clean up the noob bashing. Remember, not only is bashing discouraged throughout the entire site, but doing it in the Q&A section will likely earn you a short vacation from XDA.
Thanks,
NATF

[Q] I want to become a dev.

I'm a creeper on the forums and i look up to you people...and Recently i saw a story on how the number1 iphone app was created by a fourteen year old.
It got me thinking.. and i really want to try this but i have absolutely zero coding experience..
I know it sounds noobish to say but all the devs on this forum had to start somewhere.. they didnt just magically get their talents.
What i'm asking for are tutorials, references, guides, even books, on how to develop android applications from scratch.
Please dont overlook me.. i just want to learn.
I have the android sdk and eclipse set up and linked together.
I even have app inventer.
Any help is appreciated

I'd recommend starting with the tutorials on the Android Developers website http://developer.android.com/resources/index.html. In the left column there are 6 tutorials that are quite good. I'd reccomend doing Hello World, Hello Views, Notepad Tutorial, and save the others for later. After that, your best bet would be to get an idea in your head and go for it. If you have questions the best place to ask is on IRC in #android-dev. Outside of that, google is your best friend. Just search for what you want to do.
Hope this helps!

Tutorials are usually a good way to learn what you can start doing.
After you get some basics and know how to search for certain functions/commands, then you can start thinking about what type of app you want.
A lot of books (I just glanced over them at the bookstore) suggested thinking of what you want the app to do and then designing the general User Interface on paper. And after the UI is in your mind, you can start programming.

thanks to both of you for the help really appreciate it.. people seem to ignore the noobs but anybody can learn.
ill put my ideas on paper first.
And ChainsDD what is the IRC in #android dev?

IRC is internet relay chat. To quote Wikipedia:
Wikipedia said:
Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a popular[citation needed] form of real-time Internet text messaging (chat) or synchronous conferencing.[1] It is mainly designed for group communication in discussion forums, called channels,[2] but also allows one-to-one communication via private message[3] as well as chat and data transfer (including file sharing).[4]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are many clients out there to connect to it, but I believe that XChat is cross-platform and quite good. Here's the website for it. The quick start guide on that page will get you online, but choose freenode as your network, as that's where #android-dev is. There's also #android for general android discussions, and #android-root for root discussions.

I would recommend you to start with the basics. With that I mean Java applications for the command window. It's easy to set up and use to learn basic stuff like data types, operators and class structures. Search for "basic java programming" or likewise and you will find a lot of good (and bad) tutorials.
For example: Java tutorial for beginners - Introduction
When you have learned to write a simple program in Java use the Android tutorials to learn how to use Google's Java libraries. The three tutorials ChainsDD mentioned are a good start.
people seem to ignore the noobs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not all of us

Real Dev's code in Python (j/k)
But they all stated good things - pretty much pick a programming language and start from there. If it's Android development it is going to be Java (ugh).
If your serious about wanting to develop? I would recommend C++ as the language to get involved with. From there it is easy to branch off to other languages.
There is a TON of free material on the internet (that isn't pirated even) to help you get started. Compilers, code samples, documentation.. there is virtually no limit to the amount of data that is out there.
The trick is... A) to figure out what you want to do and B) remained focus on your goals and keep working at it. Coding is NOT easy (I can't code my way out of a wet paperbag - but I understand it) but can be very rewarding both personally and financially
So good luck!

avgjoegeek said:
but can be very rewarding both personally and financially
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah, I code for years and didn't get any of those rewards.. just lame jobs and no life!

[Tut] How to get started as an graphic artist.

How to get started as an graphic artist.
You want to create your own, individual app?​You have great ideas how to design an app and will work in a team?​
So here are the first steps and tricks how getting started!
So which program should I use?
Photoshop: It's one of the fastest and best program to work with!
But it's high expensive and needs time to know how to use it.
When you have mastered it, you will get the best results.
Gimp: Free and open source. But slow and doesn't have many (good) functions as photoshop.
It's enough for the basics and mabye for your own apps, but it will stop when you'll try to make professional images.
Others: There're still different programs. They don't have a such grand community as Gimp or Photoshop,
but some of them offer new functions that will help you making your work easier.
How do I learn the usage of these programs?
Well, there's one good way: YouTube. Many people made(and still making! - important for actual versions.)
very good tutorials while filming their work. It's even easier than reading pages of manuals or uning the publisher tips and introductions.​
But with which tutorial should I start with?
First you should search for Photoshop basics. Maybe you look for one guy who's having a bunch of
episodes which basing on each other and leads you trough the process to get started with your program.
Now you can get specific. Search for tutorial e.g. on how to make app desings.
When you have enough experience it's enough to read trough text tutorials. You can also find good ones on YouTube.
Warning! Making themes for e.g. ROMs need Java knowledge and are more than making a picture.
(This won't be a problem after you dare to try this!)
Search for a team!
It's kind of boring to make themes again and again. Maybe there are group of developers out there who can't desing their own apps as good as you.
One possiblity is to join nikwen's list:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=41177866
There're many designers who are interested in joining a developers group and help them.
Now you can make the first step on designing android apps.
Maybe it will be hard to understand at the beginning but when you keep trying to learn you will have the
possibility to be part of something. And mabye it's getting even bigger when you success.
Tutorials will follow!

Great guide. :good:
Thanks.

Im very interested in UI and UX designing.. just because im so bad in xml parsing and coding, so i just can implemented them in my homescreen..
Thanks for the thread.. im looking forward on this..
Sent from my Nexus S using xda premium

First app in Android Studio

Hello!
This is my first post here on the forums. I've been programming for more or less one year, i used Eclipse and programmed in Java.
I already created a RPG text-based game with java and now i'd like to start programming things for android. I already downloaded and updated Android Studio 1.1.
I've been looking on youtube and google but damn, finding a good place to start is really hard. I can't find a proper guide/tutorial showcasing how to create my first app with this IDE.
I'd just want to create my first simple app to start and have a bigger picture of how android programming works.
If there are similar topics (which, most of them, i already read) link them.. thank you .
Filipe

Try following the android tutorials by thenewboston on youtube. I think they're great. Link: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6gx4Cwl9DGBsvRxJJOzG4r4k_zLKrnxl

Fieel Flying said:
Hello!
This is my first post here on the forums. I've been programming for more or less one year, i used Eclipse and programmed in Java.
I already created a RPG text-based game with java and now i'd like to start programming things for android. I already downloaded and updated Android Studio 1.1.
I've been looking on youtube and google but damn, finding a good place to start is really hard. I can't find a proper guide/tutorial showcasing how to create my first app with this IDE.
I'd just want to create my first simple app to start and have a bigger picture of how android programming works.
If there are similar topics (which, most of them, i already read) link them.. thank you .
Filipe
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TheNewBoston has the best playlist which he recently started, I suggestion going there.

TheNewBoston tutorials are what I began with. Yes you will create your first app, but they just scratch the surface. You won’t learn much from them, but you will be familiar with some things when you start learning. My advice is to not just follow the tutorials, but also read the basics from developer.android.com. The documentation is extremely well written, organized and clear for beginners. Learn about activities, fragments etc. You will get the “feel” of how android works.
This way the tutorials will be much more interesting and helpful. Good luck :good:

Hello
AS is rather easy to use to build your first app, especially if you used Eclipse previously. You may find a lot of common topics & tips.

Android Studio is very easy to use. I started working in it about month ago and it is pure joy. Before that I was using Eclipse.
There is a lots of helpful information on developers.google.com, and answer on almost every question you will have (at the beginning) on stackoverflow.com.

[Q] New to Android Studio - Where to Start

Hey All.
I want to learn android app development using android studio.Where should I start.Is there any free course available that can cover some basic aspects (or all) of it.Please help.
I have an average background in object oriented programming.

usamagk said:
Hey All.
I want to learn android app development using android studio.Where should I start.Is there any free course available that can cover some basic aspects (or all) of it.Please help.
I have an average background in object oriented programming.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAbQgLGKd3Y
TheNewBoston has some good tutorials for beginners (personal experience)
http://developer.android.com/index.html
Your main soruce of information! Seriously, go there and first see how the site is structured. Then begin by learning the basics (Activities, Fragments, etc.) Most of the info that you need (basic or advanced) is there.
of cource if you have a question, most of the times it is already answered in stackoverflow.
http://www.google.com/design/spec/material-design/introduction.html
here are the latest standarts in material design, that android now uses. Give them a look.
For everything else, just make a google search and the information should be there. My advice is to really read how android "works". See what an Activity is, its lifecycle, etc. The tutorials will show you some quick examples of what you can do. Good luck