[Q] What ROM to start with? - Vibrant Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hello All,
I just rooted my Vibrant last night, and installed ROM Manager/Clockwork recovery mod. The last thing I did was do a backup of my device in case I either don't like the ROM or need to switch back. Anyhow, needless to say I'm a newbie to all of this. I've been trying to do some research, but I see an endless amounts of ROMS. I've seen some videos on Euegene's roms and some of the team whiskey ROMs. I was hoping you guys might be able to give me some tips or recommendations on what ROMs to start or stick with. Lastly, if I installed a ROM what happens to my purchased apps from the market? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Well here is ALL personal choice. You will notice that somethings will work for you and somethings will not work for others.
I would start with Nero V3. It is a Froyo (2.2) ROM based on Gingerbread (2.3). Again it is not Gingerbread.
Why start with this one and not Nero V4.1??
Well because Nero V4.1 has voodoo lagfix installed by default and TRUST ME you don't want to start messing around with voodoo if you are a newbie. Everyday there is someone whining about their phone not working because of voodoo.
But mainly inform yourself about every ROM and try them out, people flash ROMs all the time just to try them out so I recommend doing the same. And don't try to break your head trying to know everything it will get to you later on (like Over Clocking, Kernels, Under Voltage, etc.)
And you can download all your purchased apps again from the Market (data does not save this way). I highly HIGHLY recommend Titanium Backup, it will restore your apps just the way the used to be before (with data), just make sure not to restore system apps just third party apps.

When I first started flashing roms I tried axura just because the theme over it was like nothing I have ever seen before. At the time appearance was more important to me vs performance. Ever since that I have stuck with axura because its got looks and performance especially now.
Its all personal choice. I recommend that u read the first post of the roms and see the features list. Then look at the screenshots to see if u like the look of it. Finally just read some of the recently posts in the thread of current problems and see if u live this those bugs. Enjoy your rom hunt. To me its the most fun part!
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

I believe stock JL5 froyo is the way to go.

Do you want touchwiz?
Do you want a themed rom?
What is important to you.. what are you hoping for?
If you want performance and stability I think Nero V4.1 (yes, with voodoo) is the way to go. There is nothing tricky about voodoo... just know that it will convert your file system (nothing is lost) to EXT4 which is MUCH faster. This is what the Galaxy S comes with stock. It is also what popular roms like CyanogenMod do.
The one caveat is you MUST disable it before you flash something else over it to be safe. You simply go to CWR and disable on next reboot.... that's it. Takes about 5-10 minutes to convert and there is a voice telling you what's happening while it boots.
Nero V4.1 is going to be very popular so themes, etc will be abundant soon.
I also REALLy like Axura roms (i am one of the few on here who seem to be willing to give both developers a lot of respect). I was one of the very few who noticed data drops on the latest axura .9 rom though. With it I also used voodoo and both it and nero 4.1 were almost identical quadrant scores 1520+.
That said, quad scores mean nothing... what is important is BOTH fly. I do like the animation/theme of axura a lot more. It comes with a lot more launchers to choose from. Some consider this bloat, some like the options.
I am using Nero 4.1 with voodoo and ADW EX and I do not think anyone on this board could be as happy with their setup. I'll leave it at that.

s15274n said:
Do you want touchwiz?
Do you want a themed rom?
What is important to you.. what are you hoping for?
If you want performance and stability I think Nero V4.1 (yes, with voodoo) is the way to go. There is nothing tricky about voodoo... just know that it will convert your file system (nothing is lost) to EXT4 which is MUCH faster. This is what the Galaxy S comes with stock. It is also what popular roms like CyanogenMod do.
The one caveat is you MUST disable it before you flash something else over it to be safe. You simply go to CWR and disable on next reboot.... that's it. Takes about 5-10 minutes to convert and there is a voice telling you what's happening while it boots.
Nero V4.1 is going to be very popular so themes, etc will be abundant soon.
I also REALLy like Axura roms (i am one of the few on here who seem to be willing to give both developers a lot of respect). I was one of the very few who noticed data drops on the latest axura .9 rom though. With it I also used voodoo and both it and nero 4.1 were almost identical quadrant scores 1520+.
That said, quad scores mean nothing... what is important is BOTH fly. I do like the animation/theme of axura a lot more. It comes with a lot more launchers to choose from. Some consider this bloat, some like the options.
I am using Nero 4.1 with voodoo and ADW EX and I do not think anyone on this board could be as happy with their setup. I'll leave it at that.
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Click to collapse
What is touchwiz? (sorry for the stupid questions guys) Can someone explain that to me please? Thanks for all your responses guys! I think I'm going to be installing my first ROM tonight! I just have to pick one lol.

thebig88 said:
What is touchwiz? Can someone explain that to me please? Thanks for all your responses guys! I think I'm going to be installing my first ROM tonight! I just have to pick one lol.
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Click to collapse
Touchwiz is what your phone is running now which includes the launcher, icons, samsung apps and such. Its basically Samsung's overlay to Android just like Htc uses Sense and Motorola uses Moto Blur. I personally use Nero 4.1 with Touchwiz just because I like some of Touchwize's elements even though I use Launcher pro to customize to my delight. I can tell you once you start flashing it becomes and addiction. Also don't forget that if you back up your stock rom and load a froyo rom, you cant just go back to eclair without flashing an eclair kernal first. Read up on that. Good luck!!!

I strongly recommend Version V4. 1
Sent From my Team Whiskey powered phone

badaphooko01 said:
Touchwiz is what your phone is running now which includes the launcher, icons, samsung apps and such. Its basically Samsung's overlay to Android just like Htc uses Sense and Motorola uses Moto Blur. I personally use Nero 4.1 with Touchwiz just because I like some of Touchwize's elements even though I use Launcher pro to customize to my delight. I can tell you once you start flashing it becomes and addiction. Also don't forget that if you back up your stock rom and load a froyo rom, you cant just go back to eclair without flashing an eclair kernal first. Read up on that. Good luck!!!
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Click to collapse
Thank you for the info!

I'm happy to report I'm now running Nero4.1. Thank you guys!!! . I can see how this can be addicting (flashing different roms) haha.

Awesome man, be sure and enable voodoo for a much snappier phone. Just remember to disable it (via CWR, or the app Voodoo toggle) before you flash anything.
Worst case you forget, you can just use ODIN (recommend the alt method in my noob guide because it keeps root).

s15274n said:
Awesome man, be sure and enable voodoo for a much snappier phone. Just remember to disable it (via CWR, or the app Voodoo toggle) before you flash anything.
Worst case you forget, you can just use ODIN (recommend the alt method in my noob guide because it keeps root).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks again for the help, and tip! I just downloaded voodoo toggle. This ROM is awesome! By the way, if i wanted to switch to another ROM let's say Axura's ROM would I need to flash my phone back to stock or can I just load that ROM up? I just didn't want to miss any steps lol. Anyhow, thank you all again!

Related

[Q] Back to Stock?

No flaming, please. I have been rooted since getting the Fascinate, used all the SC iterations, now the CommROM variations. Few nuisances, mainly email doesn't work properly, don't like the SMS colors, BlueTooth not working, etc. As a result, am considering going to stock - Odin back to DI01 and let the OTAs occur, then not reroot or install custom ROM. My question is, in the opinion of the readers of this thread, what are the principal limitations of stock vs custom ROM? what are the biggest disadvantages of not being rooted? it seems like I should be able to answer this for myself, but other perspectives can be helpful. Thanx!
pdb23103 said:
No flaming, please. I have been rooted since getting the Fascinate, used all the SC iterations, now the CommROM variations. Few nuisances, mainly email doesn't work properly, don't like the SMS colors, BlueTooth not working, etc. As a result, am considering going to stock - Odin back to DI01 and let the OTAs occur, then not reroot or install custom ROM. My question is, in the opinion of the readers of this thread, what are the principal limitations of stock vs custom ROM? what are the biggest disadvantages of not being rooted? it seems like I should be able to answer this for myself, but other perspectives can be helpful. Thanx!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Biggest disadvantage of not being rooted is not being able to use TitaniumBackup IMO. You also loose the ability to remove bloatware that you'll never use, but other than that, I don't see any major downfalls. However, not running a custom ROM really limits you as far as themes are concerned. I hope you like the default TouchWiz UI cause that is all you'll have.
the stock kernels are pretty bleh too in terms of battery life and performance...you loose all the features that the roms build in, the ability to use themes
to each their own...but if i wanted a stock phone id get an iphone
being stuck with bing sucks! and so does all that other bloatware.
you can odin back to DL09 and OTA up as well, you don't have to go all the way to DI01. I just went through this process to get to ED03 last night, and the first thing I did was root it so that I could turn off Bing.
another thing is if you are interested in themes and modifying how the interface looks, custom is the way to go.
one minor annoyance being stock is the full battery popup. I think in general, being rooted or custom rom'd allows you to live without all the minor things that bug you. all the functionality is there if you stay stock, but you have to deal with things you don't like.
the only advantage i feel that you get with staying stock is that you can get the OTAs without needing to Odin back to stock first. I haven't gone to comrom 1.3 yet, but when I was on sc2.9.2, everything was pretty awesome.
Thanks to all for the helpful replies. Follow up question - while I think that the CommROM is the best custom ROM put out to date (full disclosure, haven't used them all), it seems less "stable" than SC 2.9.2. More nuisances. Anyone agree?
pdb23103 said:
Thanks to all for the helpful replies. Follow up question - while I think that the CommROM is the best custom ROM put out to date (full disclosure, haven't used them all), it seems less "stable" than SC 2.9.2. More nuisances. Anyone agree?
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Click to collapse
Bug is random. I have one running sc n this one com. Id recommend com
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA Premium App
pdb23103 said:
Thanks to all for the helpful replies. Follow up question - while I think that the CommROM is the best custom ROM put out to date (full disclosure, haven't used them all), it seems less "stable" than SC 2.9.2. More nuisances. Anyone agree?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No.
I have more features, same great battery, and same mostly non-functional GPS (don't use it anyways).
To me, its been a step up from SC overall, especially since I greatly prefer its darker theme.
btw, I have a stickied thread in this forum with links/files/directions to get to stock and then to anything else.
When I went back to stock for a couple of days the lagginess drove me nuts.
Another thing I would miss is the grouped widgets and the shutdown menu. Did I mention I would miss the 7 different lock screens.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA Premium App
in my case i only root to remove the bloatware and bing sh!t, make it look as clean as possible, i don't go crazy with customization or anything.
i tried to stay stock but all that verizon crap just drove me nuts, can't stand it.
pdb23103 said:
Thanks to all for the helpful replies. Follow up question - while I think that the CommROM is the best custom ROM put out to date (full disclosure, haven't used them all), it seems less "stable" than SC 2.9.2. More nuisances. Anyone agree?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you preferred sc to comm rom it sounds like you should temporarily revert to cwm 2.5 and flash the debloated & de-binged ed01 rom that adrynalyne packaged up last month (right after ed01 was released).
Add launcher pro, sbrissen's latest tsm set, imnuts' voodoo kernel (and whatever other mods you fancy) - you'll be way ahead of stock.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA Premium App

ROM Suggestions Needed

My wife uses a Samsung Vibrant and there are just so many issues with it. Currently, it's on the latest stock Froyo release. It keeps losing all of her home screen icons (using stock TWLaucher) and we have to kill TWLauncher or reboot to get them back. Seems to have lag all over the place. Also, wifi signal strength is poor. The wifi calling app constantly turns off saying the wifi signal isn't good enough.
I'd like be interested in trying out a custom ROM. I've tinkered with some of the leaked ROMs, so I'm familiar with ODIN. I've used CWM on my Droid X before, so I should be ok with that as well.
She's not interested in 100 different themes and fancy icons and fancy features, etc. We are just going to want something that's close to stock with some tweaks that might fix some of the issues we are having. Not interested in partially working ROMs where the GPS doesn't work or issues with the camera, etc. Would like wifi calling to work as well. Need something totally stable. I'm not going to want something that's going to need updating weekly either.
Anything out there that meets what I'm looking for?
Please make suggestions.
Hi, same situation here, my gf has stock vibrant with froyo and many issues...
I've cm7 on my N1 so I considered it for the vibrant but at the moment it have troubles with gps and wifi SO I've searched a lot and the much more stable rom (for me of course) is the projectV, it's based on the official froyo with some tweaks and fixes, seems pretty stable until now
here the topic: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1105037
hope u enjoy it
Agreed with nekobus
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
I actually had my eye on that one.
It'll improve the lag and losing icons and things like that? I don't need a lagfix on top of that as well?
I'm not doing this for the eye candy (extra lock screens, etc.), I just want things to run more smoothly.
This probably won't help the low wifi signal though, since it's using the same modem as stock froyo, right?
Anyone else want to chime in?
It'll definently improve Lag and that icon problem that you have will not happen. And almost every ROM in here has a Lagfix, so Project-V does have one and will come on when you flash it. (A voice of a robotic women after flashing means that Voodoo is flashing) Voodoo is the name of the Lagfix, which makes our systems run on ext4 instead of the slow RFS system stock that your wife had.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
The best thing about Project-V ROM is that its made to be fast and for tweaking, that's why they say they're not competing with Cyanogenmod because it also has both speed and tweaking abilities. So don't worry if you think Project-V is all eye candy, because its both Speed, Stability, and Tweaks!
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
If anything, I'll probably give this Project V a shot then. My wife will kill me if I F up her phone or cause her to lose stuff.
I flash this with CWM? I don't exactly recall where to get CWM or how to use it, but I'm sure I'll figure that out.
Installing this over stock will be a total data wipe, right? I should back up programs and program data with Titanium first and then restore after?
This does include the lagfix/file conversion? That just happens automatically when I flash this?
Everything works? No serious bugs? I can also flash that wifi calling file in the first post using cwm and then I'll have wifi calling too?
Let's say Samsung releases a 2.3 that's a solid ROM and I want to go back to stock. With this applied and whatever lagfix, file conversion that's been done, how hard would it be to get back to stock?
Anything else I should know?
I've rooted the stock froyo, backupped ALL with titanium and then wiped all from cwm and installed projectV, no problem at all but titanium is required
About gingerbread.... do you remeber the "froyo story" right? I think I seat and wait for the gingerbread version of projectV (or other roms based on official release)! No more stock images in my home please
nekobus said:
I've rooted the stock froyo, backupped ALL with titanium and then wiped all from cwm and installed projectV, no problem at all but titanium is required
About gingerbread.... do you remeber the "froyo story" right? I think I seat and wait for the gingerbread version of projectV (or other roms based on official release)! No more stock images in my home please
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, wouldn't be surprised at all if there's never an official 2.3 for this. Their 2.2 release was many months behind competing phones originally released around the same time. Still, just want to make sure I understand what I'm getting into here and how hard it would be to get back out. Could I easily get back to the stock froyo that it's on now, if I need to?
I've never did it , but I think u have to odin back to 2.1 stock and then ota (or keys) to 2.2 or whatever
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
Does the new market that came out this week work fine on this phone?
Before this market, I also had terrible problems updating apps. It was brutally slow and update all usually failed on most apps. I was very surprised that after installing the new market, I was able to do an update all on 20 apps with no problems at all.
My wife had pretty much given up on updating apps on the stock rom.
not yet tried ! But my gf had no problem at all with old and oldest market under tmob, now she's back in Italy, so I've unlocked the sim and still have no issues!
try a few different 1's and see which you like best
I like the bionix 1.3.1 with bali 1.8.7 uv kernel.
i'm not sure about the wifi calling as I dont use that feature.
Tried the new market right now, no proplems as always!
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
ROMS
As far as which rom you choose is your choice, I am running Toxic Smoke and a lot of people will agree its super quick and responsive but I support almost all roms, Devs here do great work on the vibrant and all should be recognized for it. I may have a solve for your low WiFi signal though..... Have you looked in to the Hardware GPS fix? It involves you opening up your phone and bending a small piece of copper, I did so and put a tiny sliver of credit card plastic under it to keep it from bending back down and now my GPS signal is ridiculous as compared to before. But as I read more there is another copper pin on the opposite side of the phone, that is your WIFI antenna. I then took my phone apart again and did the same thing to that pin and now My WIfI gets great signal. I guess it all depends on how tech savoy you are and how much you want to get into your phone. I know for how much it cost and how much I use my phone I wanted it working 100% so I took the extra time to do all of this and Im quite happy with my Vibrant now. But anyway my specs on my phone are,
ROM: ToxicMusixSmoke
Launcher: Golauncher Pro EX (Which is freaking awesome and free)
Kernal: Bali X (Will increase the responsiveness of your phone ff Overclocked to 1.2 using setCPU, you can download for free on XDA, cost 2.99 or something on the market, the dev offers it for free on here)
+ Hardware GPS Fix and S.gps.zip file for the drivers (You can also find this fine on the Hardware GPS fix post)
I hope this helps as my phone is very stable and I am totally satisfied with my phone as I was not so much at first. I also think with Golauncher you can get stock themes so your phone will look and act just like stock, but run 10000000000000 times better!
I am new to the samsung t959
Any recommendation for ROM? I would like to be as fast as possible, and with a working GPS
I don't mind CM7 as long as it is fastest.
Thanks a million!
]I wasn't looking for fastest.
Just need something to eliminate done of this issues we've had with stock and to be stable with everything functioning correctly.
Project V seems to have done that.
Only issue, so far, is that bloater isn't working and I can't figure a way to get the samsung stock keyboard back. Can anyone help with that?
I like that this rom is so close to stock. If I didn't tell my wife, she wouldn't have even known I changed anything.
While I no longer use it myself, I found Zendroid 2.0.1 with Bali Kernel to be the simplest and easiest to use for a layman, like the average wife or girlfriend
It's extremely lightweight with no bloat to speak of, and battery life is phenomenal (no bloat, no 2g/3g bleeding).
@lexluthor you can use root explorer our similar app to copy the apk to the system/app folder.
Sent from my hacked Samsung Vibrant running CM7.

[Answered] Need to disable Voodoo & use Odin to flash Simply Honey 5.1?

I'm trying to update my wife's phone to Simply Honey 5.1 coming from Sipmly Galaxy 2.8. Both ROMs use kernels by cmenard, and both kernels include Voodoo.
I have 2 questions about the installation:
1. The Simply Honey install instructions specifically say to use Odin. Is this necessary? I've never used Odin before and I've flashed my own Vibrant about a dozen times without a problem.
2. Since the ROM my wife is coming from has Voodoo enabled, and since Simply Honey 5.1 has Voodoo in the kernel, do I need to disable Voodoo before flashing? I thought that you only need to disable Voodoo if the kernel you're flashing doesn't support it -- is this inaccurate? Or is there some other reason to disable Voodoo before flashing?
Thanks for reading, and thanks in advance for any replies.
The more important question is: Does your wife like having her phone tinkered with?
The Gingerbread ROMs are coming along, but they're not quite stable yet. You might want to stick with Froyo unless your wife is a fan of tinkering and using workarounds for GPS and battery life issues.
As for your questions:
1) When in doubt, follow the creators install instructions to a "T".
2) I've seen quite a few ROMs recommend disabling Voodoo before flashing them, but never seen one say that disabling Voodoo would be harmful to flashing them. So I'd disable it just in case.
You're also going to need to switch to the Gingerbread bootloader if you're going to stick with an i9000 leaked Gingerbread ROM. Messing with the bootloader is the only way I know of to completely kill your phone if you mess it up. Fair warning!
If you want Gingerbread without having to mess with bootloaders, I suggest MIUI or CM7. CM7 just went stable, and I've had no major issues with MIUI since SS-12 Revamped came out. MIUI has the most robust theming system I've seen in a ROM, so your wife may enjoy it. Just be ready to have her phone covered in Pink with fluffy icons and whatnot when she's done with it
kaintfm said:
The more important question is: Does your wife like having her phone tinkered with?
The Gingerbread ROMs are coming along, but they're not quite stable yet. You might want to stick with Froyo unless your wife is a fan of tinkering and using workarounds for GPS and battery life issues.
...
Messing with the bootloader is the only way I know of to completely kill your phone if you mess it up. Fair warning!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, thanks. You answered questions I didn't even know I had!
My wife wants a phone that "just works", but she wanted the speed and customizability of a custom ROM (her whole phone is already themed purple, haha), so I guess I'll go shopping for another Froyo ROM (or try to wipe and reinstall her current ROM to try to fix the crashes and accelerometer problems she's been having.)
Thanks again, I appreciate it.
A nice stable froyo ROM you can try is called toxic 8..since she likes themes, they have a bunch of them and the developer has added a lot of nice touches that are gingerlike
Again, if she likes theming and doesn't much use the GPS (it works, but requires an extra step or two), MIUI is unique and has the most robust theming of any Vibrant ROM.
I used to be a die hard fan of Simple Honey Roms, but they all became too unstable or had various issues, and caused me alot of problems and aggravation!! So far the only ROM that's been a super performer is team Toxic's Crazy 8 Froyo mixed with GB Rom, that works 100% with every option and with blazing speed and performance, Its your choice, but if you want to avoid the music from your wife when SH starts to hose up, Id stay away from it, especially 5.0 and double especially 5.1 but then again maybe your a gluten for punishment and NO MORE lovin from the wife, until things are right again. LOL Good luck JMHO based on experience with all the SH Rom's BTW I appreciates EB's work, but it still needs time to evolve, eventually there gonna be great ROM's.

[Q] Trying to figure out what to do next (noob questions)

First of all I would like to apologize if you have heard these questions a thousand times before, but I have done a fair amount of reading and haven't gotten enough concrete answers to be confident enough to continue.
I just got up the courage to root my Fascinate after over a year of having it by following droidstyle's excellent guide. It was very painless and worked first shot, so no worries there. Now I'm at the point of what to do next... I have already frozen the bloatware and looked into some 'root-friendly' apps but I'm not sure where to go from here. I think I've decided I want to get the most out of this thing as I'm not due for an upgrade for (what seems like) a long time. I'm under the impression that installing a good ICS rom is the way to go but I just have a few noob questions before I continue.
1) From what I have been reading Glitched AOKP ICS is the best rom to use currently on the Fascinate, correct? Also quick question, regarding the link to download it... is the current version the build 34 one or the milestone 5 one at the top?
2) Rooting my phone initially didn't erase any of my apps or data. What will installing an ICS rom erase, if anything? I will make backups of course, but I'm just wondering what to expect. Will the 'bloatware' apps still be there or will installing ICS install new system apps?
3) What market apps should I consider 'must haves' to tweak stuff? I already bought setcpu but haven't invested in anything else yet.
4) I plan to follow section 4 of droidstyle's guide but need clarification... even though I have rooted stock 2.3, I should still follow all steps right?
Thank you for listening to my noob questions and thanks to anyone who can offer advice. I have been building and working on computers for years but this cell phone hacking stuff is all new to me (obviously).
Crawshayi said:
First of all I would like to apologize if you have heard these questions a thousand times before, but I have done a fair amount of reading and haven't gotten enough concrete answers to be confident enough to continue.
I just got up the courage to root my Fascinate after over a year of having it by following droidstyle's excellent guide. It was very painless and worked first shot, so no worries there. Now I'm at the point of what to do next... I have already frozen the bloatware and looked into some 'root-friendly' apps but I'm not sure where to go from here. I think I've decided I want to get the most out of this thing as I'm not due for an upgrade for (what seems like) a long time. I'm under the impression that installing a good ICS rom is the way to go but I just have a few noob questions before I continue.
1) From what I have been reading Glitched AOKP ICS is the best rom to use currently on the Fascinate, correct? Also quick question, regarding the link to download it... is the current version the build 34 one or the milestone 5 one at the top?
2) Rooting my phone initially didn't erase any of my apps or data. What will installing an ICS rom erase, if anything? I will make backups of course, but I'm just wondering what to expect. Will the 'bloatware' apps still be there or will installing ICS install new system apps?
3) What market apps should I consider 'must haves' to tweak stuff? I already bought setcpu but haven't invested in anything else yet.
4) I plan to follow section 4 of droidstyle's guide but need clarification... even though I have rooted stock 2.3, I should still follow all steps right?
Thank you for listening to my noob questions and thanks to anyone who can offer advice. I have been building and working on computers for years but this cell phone hacking stuff is all new to me (obviously).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) M5 is newest. Get glitched build off of the exynos server.
2) Complete wipe. A desktop equivalent would be formatting your hard drive with Windows Vista installed and doing a fresh install of windows 7.
Backup all data and contacts locally or on the cloud. Do NOT use Verizon to backup your contact data. Use Google or a local backup instead.
No bloatware will be present since custom roms do not come from the carrier.
3) NSTools. Maybe Root Explorer or wi-fi tether for google
4) Just follow the guide. Rooting doesn't have much to do with recovery and intalling ics and such.
Not to knock ICS, because I love AOKP, but you could also consider working your way there over time. I had a lot of fun playing with different Touchwiz ROMs like SC3 and TSM Res. You may even find one along the way that you want to stick with for a while. At the very least, you'll learn to get where a complete data wipe doesn't even slow you down.
There's so much good stuff still available for this phone. My phone is sheer perfections right now, but I still have plans to try out GeeWiz and MIUI.
Everyone knows the current destination is Glitched AOKP, but the fun is in the journey.
I agree. I would download everything rom,kernel, and app you can find for the phone between here and rootzwiki, just in case links go dead. Tsm res and awesome sauce are two very good roms that I had a ton of fun with. They are more forgiving to the new user as far as making mistakes goes. Couple of things to know before you continue are that you can use the three finger method to get into recovery on touchwiz roms but not the ics roms(must enter recovery through power off menu). You also cant just flash back and forth from touchwiz roms and cm7 or ics roms, as you have to follow certain steps
Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk
Well I was planning on jumping right into ICS as it looks amazing and I don't think I want to wait... however I wouldn't be opposed to the idea of trying different roms later on down the road. Is it going to be a pain to go backwards from ICS, or just flash like usual? Also, to those that have tried most of the 'good' roms, what would you consider your top 3 non-ICS?
Also on the subject of backing up my apps... I have been using Mybackup as it seems the most simplistic to use and reliable. Will my apps be exactly as they were when I backed them up (after switching to ICS) or is it just better to re-download what I need and configure them again?
I hate to spam some more questions but I figure since I already am... just a few more...
I haven't really messed with Setcpu that much, but is it bad to have it at 100/1000 or should I keep the max lower than that? And last one... what's the best wifi tether to use so Verizon won't send their goons after me? Is the USB tether from clockwork mod any good?
Thanks to all of you for your input. I think I'll be attempting to flash to ICS tomorrow night and hopefully all goes well.
You can go from touchwiz roms to isc roms by flashing but you need to do a lot more using the computer to go backwards. It will make more sense once you have a better understanding. Use titanium backup to backup your apps. If you really dont have any then just redownload them. If you are on the touchwiz roms you can use setcpu, but for ics roms you are going to be using an app called nstools or from control (built into settings section of rom). Again, more of this will make sense later down the road that is why I figured it would be better to start on a from like tsm Res or awesome sauslce
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Well I'm still on the fence here on what to do. I really want to run ICS but with all the little glitches I've read about I think maybe I'll try some of the better GB roms first... I think TSM Res looks top for me with the features, but I might try more than just 1. I've heard not to restore data backups when going ICS... does this apply to GB roms as well? Should I also switch the radio or is what I have the same as the GB one? Thanks
Crawshayi said:
Well I'm still on the fence here on what to do. I really want to run ICS but with all the little glitches I've read about I think maybe I'll try some of the better GB roms first... I think TSM Res looks top for me with the features, but I might try more than just 1. I've heard not to restore data backups when going ICS... does this apply to GB roms as well? Should I also switch the radio or is what I have the same as the GB one? Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AOKP milestone 5. You WILL thank me for it. Make sure its Steve's glitchy (the kernel of course) build.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using xda premium
mezster said:
AOKP milestone 5. You WILL thank me for it. Make sure its Steve's glitchy (the kernel of course) build.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't like the one they just released a few days ago?
Crawshayi said:
You don't like the one they just released a few days ago?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is a nightly and has a minor bug where apps on SD card force close. No biggie for more experienced users who know its a nightly and can deal. Nightlies are bleeding edge releases and as such can contain a bug or two. Milestones are stable releases to be used as a reliable daily driver if one is needed (some do). I recommend the m5 release since it is a milestone and you are new to this. I also want to see you have the best experience possible.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using xda premium
Please use the Q&A Forum for questions &
Read the Forum Rules Ref Posting
Moving to Q&A
I'm in a similar spot. I put CM7 on my wife's phone a while ago, but she has downloaded so much crap on it it's running like garbage and crashing.
Does the AOKP M5 have any bugs I should be aware of? As long as it's working well and everything is working (WiFi, Camera, MMS, etc), she'll be fine with it as a daily driver.
Two other questions I have.
Where can I get the correct glitchy Kernel?
Do I just need to download the ROM and kernel, wipe data/cache, then flash the ROM then kernel, then gapps (in that order) in Clockwork Recovery? Anything else?
She really likes the ICS stuff I've been showing her on my Rezound, especially the speech to text typing.
Thanks for your feedback.
EDIT
Added Information:
Just to make sure my i's are dotted and my t's are crossed--
Build for Verizon Fascinate:
http://forum.aokp.co/page/releases/_/milestone-5-r20
fascinatemtd Samsung Fascinate
Glitch Kernel:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1459475
Are those right?
EDIT 2
Should I update radios as well? (Assuming yes since going to AOKP from CM7). Which ones should I do? Again, is this a simple flash in CWR? What's the install sequence?
Thanks.
EtherBoo said:
I'm in a similar spot. I put CM7 on my wife's phone a while ago, but she has downloaded so much crap on it it's running like garbage and crashing.
Does the AOKP M5 have any bugs I should be aware of? As long as it's working well and everything is working (WiFi, Camera, MMS, etc), she'll be fine with it as a daily driver.
Two other questions I have.
Where can I get the correct glitchy Kernel?
Do I just need to download the ROM and kernel, wipe data/cache, then flash the ROM then kernel, then gapps (in that order) in Clockwork Recovery? Anything else?
She really likes the ICS stuff I've been showing her on my Rezound, especially the speech to text typing.
Thanks for your feedback.
EDIT
Added Information:
Just to make sure my i's are dotted and my t's are crossed--
Build for Verizon Fascinate:
http://forum.aokp.co/page/releases/_/milestone-5-r20
fascinatemtd Samsung Fascinate
Glitch Kernel:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1459475
Are those right?
EDIT 2
Should I update radios as well? (Assuming yes since going to AOKP from CM7). Which ones should I do? Again, is this a simple flash in CWR? What's the install sequence?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get the Milestone 5 Glitched build found HERE
It includes the Glitch kernel, so no need to flash separately, and also has a few extra cherry picks thrown in. This is a Milestone build, so no real bugs, should run smooth as silk.
I'm not sure of the recommended radio for fascinate on ICS.
jbreakfield said:
Get the Milestone 5 Glitched build found HERE
It includes the Glitch kernel, so no need to flash separately, and also has a few extra cherry picks thrown in. This is a Milestone build, so no real bugs, should run smooth as silk.
I'm not sure of the recommended radio for fascinate on ICS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Might sound like a cheesy question, but what radios are you running?
Thanks for your help.
jbreakfield said:
Get the Milestone 5 Glitched build found HERE
It includes the Glitch kernel, so no need to flash separately, and also has a few extra cherry picks thrown in. This is a Milestone build, so no real bugs, should run smooth as silk.
I'm not sure of the recommended radio for fascinate on ICS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
QFT.
Get the Glitched build as it has fixes, extra available RAM, and much more not available in the AOKP official build.
Wifi, cam, and MMS all work fine. I can't honestly think of anything not working off the top of my head. NovaLauncher (Regular is free, Prime is $4 and well worth it for gestures) is recommended at this point since Apex has gotten a little slow.
Radio is recommended to be EH03 though I think ec09 and anything newer than eh03 work fine. I am running EH03 and no complaints.
I think I remember reading something about torch not working in ICS... is that the type of app that turns on the LED? Believe it or not I use that a lot and it would be a pain if it didn't work when I switch.
Also, is there any way to check what radio you're currently using before flashing? Tried looking that up but couldn't find it
Ah yes...torch doesn't work but you can use the tiny flashlight app to turn on the flash and achieve the same functionality.
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bobloblaw1 said:
Ah yes...torch doesn't work but you can use the tiny flashlight app to turn on the flash and achieve the same functionality.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Tiny Flashlight + LED app? That's actually what I'm using now and if that works then I'm all set... I thought when people said 'torch' they just meant any app that turns on the LED
I flashed and ran into 1 problem. I had to flash Team Hacksungs Build 2 ROM first. Flashing glitched put me in an endless boot. Then I couldn't boot to recovery. I really was flipping out.
I had to Odin a new recovery in, wipe, then flash Team Hacksungs Build 2 ROM. For some reason, it booted into AOKP (?) then. I went back to recovery, wiped, reflashed AOKP and got it working.
I haven't searched yet, but anyone know where I can change the boot screen? It's really not a "wife friendly" boot screen.
As I understand it, torch refers to the built in flashlight feature in aokp called torch. Tiny flashlight plus the widget give similar functionality.
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[Q] Rom Opinions

Now I know opinions are like a**holes.... everybody has one, but lets see if we can cut through the BS and get real answers with real experiences.
And I also know there are always threads like this coming up but I have not found an answer searching that I like.
Now for my story, I have a Xoom and and EVO that I have been using for quite some time now and am personally good with ROMs that have bugs and ROMS that are experimental, but my question has to do with my girlfriends Vibrant. I have had her on the team whiskey roms in the past with pretty good luck but right now I am just looking for the most stable and non glitchy ROM out there, I know there has to be one that people are using for daily drivers without bugs and whatnot with minimal upkeep that she can use and not get mad at me for something not working right
I know the ICS roms out now are not the answer as there is just too much unknown right now to create a stable release with no bugs and EVERYTHING working so can someone point me to a couple ROMS to try that advertise everything working the way it should (with the exception of going back to stock and anything with touchwiz)? Thanks in advance.
Fishman's Bionix-V Mod. He's done you the service of baking an Odin flashable file for it too making it really quick to swap over and be rooted up and ready to roll.
If not his maybe give one of Moped Ryder's ROMs a go. I only lean on Fishman's because I run "stock" Bionix-V and it's by far my favorite for a flash it and forget it kind of ROM (although I like tinkering with different kernels). Fishman's comes with Bali's UV kernel so it's good to go for a daily driver out of the box.
Fishman's Bionix Mod for me too. It's very stable, great battery life (for me), GPS locks in a few seconds and has T-Mobile WiFi calling which for me is important.
EDIT: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1441976
I know you said no ICS but passion v13.1 is very stable. I ran it for 3 months no issues before I switched for something with more customization available.
SGH-T959 ICS Gummy 1.2
Thanks guys I will give fisherman's a go
so the problems I am having with fishmans rom is that the scrolling on the apps is very laggy, and the web is very slow... new radio? ideas? i didnt do the odin flash but rather did a factory wipe and loaded the rom wiped dalvik and wiped cache let the rom bake for approx 10 min. Let me know what you guys think
Lagfix turned on?
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Toast6977 said:
Lagfix turned on?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how can I verify this, I searched and found lots of posts about voodoo lagfix but there is nothing like that for my other phones and tablet so I am not too familiar with it. is it a setting in recovery? Or do I need to flash a zip?
thanks for the help
bossjeeves said:
how can I verify this, I searched and found lots of posts about voodoo lagfix but there is nothing like that for my other phones and tablet so I am not too familiar with it. is it a setting in recovery? Or do I need to flash a zip?
thanks for the help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can check Voodoo in CWR. When you boot into Recovery there's an option for 'voodoo' and in there you can check all of that. If you're running Fishman's Bionix Mod it should already be enabled by default though.
Another thing you can try is use something like the Spare Parts app, or go into the Display option in Settings and turn all the animations to Fast. That won't necessarily help with app scrolling, but it makes the overall feel of the ROM "snappier".
I also added the following line to my local.prop file in the data directory (/data/local.prop):
ro.HOME_APP_ADJ=1
Check XDA and you can read a little bit that it helps with the redraw of the homescreen, and I noticed a difference. But use something like Root Explorer or ES File Explorer (my fav) and you can make those changes to the file and then reboot.
If you do make that change, keep in mind that using something like Bladebuddy will overwrite anything you add.

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