[Q] Stock OS and RAM issues - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

So I will be 100% honest... I'm the new guy, granted fairly technically minded, I am still having to learn about Android devices. I have only ever rooted one Android device and it was Razr XT912... and it met a fate at the hands of the concrete one day rest in peace. Anyways months from contract end I didn't want to pay $600+ for a decent phone so I bought a general phone (Samsung Stratosphere SCH-I405) online. Now I knew that the specs weren't the same and it would not be as snappy but I didn't expect it to freeze ever single time I tried to input something. So I looked under the built in Task Manager, and saw the device was using 320mb/375mb with a good 260mb chuck that never changes (I am guessing that's the OS).
So my question is if the device has an installed RAM module of 512MB why is it only allowing a total of 375mb to be used? Can this be changed through rooting and/or having to also change the ROM on it. I also apologize in advance I tried searching this issue here but did not find anything useful pertaining to this specific ordeal.
Thank you in advance!

thecountrylife08 said:
So I will be 100% honest... I'm the new guy, granted fairly technically minded, I am still having to learn about Android devices. I have only ever rooted one Android device and it was Razr XT912... and it met a fate at the hands of the concrete one day rest in peace. Anyways months from contract end I didn't want to pay $600+ for a decent phone so I bought a general phone (Samsung Stratosphere SCH-I405) online. Now I knew that the specs weren't the same and it would not be as snappy but I didn't expect it to freeze ever single time I tried to input something. So I looked under the built in Task Manager, and saw the device was using 320mb/375mb with a good 260mb chuck that never changes (I am guessing that's the OS).
So my question is if the device has an installed RAM module of 512MB why is it only allowing a total of 375mb to be used? Can this be changed through rooting and/or having to also change the ROM on it. I also apologize in advance I tried searching this issue here but did not find anything useful pertaining to this specific ordeal.
Thank you in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could try using a swap partition. It "swaps" parts of the RAM to the SD card. However, your kernel needs to support that, you need to have a rooted phone and it will decrease SD card life. I use Swapper 2 from Google Play for that.
Think about it.

in my experience
stock rom manages the ram at its best if u can add a few tweaks to it like the v6supercharger
but kernal tweaks and custom kernals are many times more effective in ram management

Related

[Q] After root questions

Dear community,
I've rooted my TFP using the guide from xda. To be honest, I didn't mean to, I read the guide and got carried away with it . Finally the root is good now. As a windows guy and with slight understanding of linux I'm pretty new to android.
My question is, now that my tablet is rooted, how can I take advantage of it? What are the recommended apps? Any known tweaks?
Please enlighten me
Search 'root' on android market.
Titanium Backup is useful, Ghost Commander or EZ file, there are also apps to remote control your tablet, you can use new launchers - trebuchet launcher or nova launcher on rooted devices.
You can also delete system files, so be careful.
The biggest bonus to rooting is being able to flash different roms like many of us do with our android smartphones. Flashing roms is currently not an option on the Prime but should or could be available in the future. Right now I don't think there's a whole lot to do with a rooted Prime.
While I haven't rooted my Prime yet, I'm only in day 6 and waiting until the "send it back" period elapses I rooted my moto Atrix2 almost immediately. I installed Titanium Backup as well as System Tuner, and a couple other root only apps. The primary reason for rooting the Atrix2 was to freeze Carrier ID as I don't care for ATT snooping on me with without so much as a by your leave. In any case I'll probably root the Prime just to get more control over what the device is doing when it's in standby. For instance I am hoping to be able to use Tasker to shut off the wifi after 5 or 10 minutes in standby in order to save battery power and turn it back on,when I wake up the tablet. Maybe find a way to create different, more detailed power profiles for different activities. I've done a lot of this on the Atrix2 and seen some significant increases in battery life because of it.
Q
coogrrr94 said:
The biggest bonus to rooting is being able to flash different roms like many of us do with our android smartphones. Flashing roms is currently not an option on the Prime but should or could be available in the future. Right now I don't think there's a whole lot to do with a rooted Prime.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Incorrect, Rooting has nothing to do with flashing ROMs. Unlocking the bootloader on the other hand, has everything to do with flashing ROMs.
Swiftks said:
Incorrect, Rooting has nothing to do with flashing ROMs. Unlocking the bootloader on the other hand, has everything to do with flashing ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
right. i don't think that any ROM can improve the already very good existing one from ASUS.
I haven't rooted my TFP, but I'm seriously considering doing so. The main reason is that most of (good) adbockers require root access. Loading all this rubbish adds, many of them being large flash animations, slows down browsing experience significantly. I want to get rid of them and the only way I know is by rooting Android.
For me about the biggest thing is "AdAway" or any other app for updating host file.
Never see one single ad on your device again. Less anoyance, faster loading times in browser, less data consumption ...
Neter67 said:
right. i don't think that any ROM can improve the already very good existing one from ASUS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You've never used CM7 then... soon to be CM9.
Sent from my CM7 Atrix 4G

Girlfriends Droid X2. suggestions/advice appreciated

ok so first of all, HI
secondly, my GF's DX2, currently 2.3.5 and rooted, is a mess. serious lag issues, so much so that its fast approaching the "chuck it through a brick wall" threshold. i've got very little (but some) experience installing custom roms and such on my xperia play, about two weeks experience actually, not a lot but ive been very successful with it as i follow directions very closely and am comfortable trying new things but not reckless about it. especially when its not MY phone.
ive been reading up in this forum for a few days now and wanted to see if i can get someone to tell me the pros and cons of my options and suggest any further modifications i can make to remove her phone from her "Things that cause me stress" list. my GF is a bit of a minimalist and doesnt want 10k apps on her phone and has no use for the vast majority of stuff that comes preinstalled on the stock ROM. however, since im the techie type and any time something isnt working right she comes to me to figure it out, i need to have some tools that i can use to fix whatever problems she has as well as "pretty it up" a bit.
as such i am considering installing one of the following and yes, i realize ill have to SBF to 2.3.4 before doing so:
Eclipse Barebones 1.3 final
or
Molten 2.3 final
but these are just my initial thoughts, if anyone has any insight i will happily consider alternatives. i dont much care what all i have to do in the short term as long as it makes her phone is a happy camper, but this is also something i want to do like, once, and maybe again next year or something. im not looking for frequent updates or whatever (which is why i chose the "final" options) just something that is stable and non-irritating.
as for a tool for me i was considering the ROM Toolbox by jrummy(i think), i have it on my phone and love it, but im not 100% that it would be a good choice for the DX2 or if it would even be necessary considering the roms i intend to install. any and all input/alternatives are appreciated.
MIght want to narrow down what the specific issues you are concerned about might be since no ROM or OTA is perfect.
SBF to 2.3.4 then root and flash CM7. Let it rock. All the features of ROM manager are not X2 friendly and I would avoid it if possible. CM7 comes with it and DZK says do not use it.
That's what is on my old X2 and my bride uses is everyday.
DigitalMD said:
MIght want to narrow down what the specific issues you are concerned about might be since no ROM or OTA is perfect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mainly we just need the phone, texting, the camera, and the ability to play a few minor games like spades and some toddler games for my 2 year old. as it stands when you open the camera it lags for like 30 seconds before opening and then has trouble focusing at best, and locks up or reboots at worst.i would suspect some kind of hardware issue but we just got the thing a month or so ago and its been like this since about the 2nd day.
tallyforeman said:
SBF to 2.3.4 then root and flash CM7. Let it rock. All the features of ROM manager are not X2 friendly.
That's what is on my old X2 and my bride uses is everyday.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i though CM7 was one of those that had a ton of stuff that came with it and is something that needs updated frequently? if im mistaken then awesome. as for ROM manager, im glad i asked before using it then. thanks any alternatives to the other aspects of ROM Toolbox?
thanks for the replies
I have tried several of the ROMs and have had the best luck with CM7 on the X2. My bride isn't exactly technologically savy. It has had the very least of troubles for her and very rarely needs a battery pull or tweaking.
I just loaded 3 of Zepplinrocks scripts on it for her. Its running like a top and hasn't missed a beat.
I ran CM9 when I had it and loved it. But I have no worries with CM7.
As for a substitute for ROM toolbox, just let it ride how it is. If you just want to tinker with it, run the scripts a briefly mentioned above. Let me know if you need the links.
tallyforeman said:
I have tried several of the ROMs and have had the best luck with CM7 on the X2. My bride isn't exactly technologically savy. It has had the very least of troubles for her and very rarely needs a battery pull or tweaking.
I just loaded 3 of Zepplinrocks scripts on it for her. Its running like a top and hasn't missed a beat.
I ran CM9 when I had it and loved it. But I have no worries with CM7.
As for a substitute for ROM toolbox, just let it ride how it is. If you just want to tinker with it, run the scripts a briefly mentioned above. Let me know if you need the links.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sweet. will give it a shot.
I strongly suggest Eclipse 2.2.1. If she wants something that works and works well, and you don't want to have to worry about applying additional patches to make sure things are stable, well then this would deff. be the one to go with.
GL and let us know how it goes.
SlimMan said:
I strongly suggest Eclipse 2.2.1. If she wants something that works and works well, and you don't want to have to worry about applying additional patches to make sure things are stable, well then this would deff. be the one to go with.
GL and let us know how it goes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What he said
eclipse 2.2.1 and v6 supercharger
Sent from my MB870 using xda premium
well alrighty then. since i dont have to downgrade to do eclipse i guess i can give that a shot first and see how it goes. if that doesnt suffice ill give CM7 a shot and go from there.
thanks all
Keep us updated. Interested to see how things work out.
so far so good. eclipse is installed, v6 supercharger is installed(though as far as correctly configured ive no real idea) and was very snappy... right up until she decided to install scramble with friends. so i did some googling and found this
"Game - Scramble With Friends (Zynga) - it has a really annoying memory leak, but it's fun to play. Unfortunately due to very poor coding it frequently freezes my phone."
so i scratch my head and look at her app management page. sure enough scramble is using 130 MB of ram, FAR more than anything else. well hell. it seems ive found the culprit and that ive done an awful lot of unnecessary work with ROMs and tweaks and other various annoyances all with very little, if any, positive results aside from eclipse being very attractive. one thing i dont quite understand though... i have scramble on my phone and it doesnt cause me this kind of headache. any thoughts?
Deviouz1 said:
so far so good. eclipse is installed, v6 supercharger is installed(though as far as correctly configured ive no real idea) and was very snappy... right up until she decided to install scramble with friends. so i did some googling and found this
"Game - Scramble With Friends (Zynga) - it has a really annoying memory leak, but it's fun to play. Unfortunately due to very poor coding it frequently freezes my phone."
so i scratch my head and look at her app management page. sure enough scramble is using 130 MB of ram, FAR more than anything else. well hell. it seems ive found the culprit and that ive done an awful lot of unnecessary work with ROMs and tweaks and other various annoyances all with very little, if any, positive results aside from eclipse being very attractive. one thing i dont quite understand though... i have scramble on my phone and it doesnt cause me this kind of headache. any thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What phone do you have? As with all hardware in the device world no two makes and models handle things the same including but not limited to hardware it's self. So if you are running a different device that can explain it. Also in theroy the SD card that is her phone could come into play, by this it would have to do with the class of card. Class 4 is the typical card you buy from say Walmart and alike where as say class 10 would be a better performance. Again the SD card coming into play is only in THEORY.
GL, and let us know.
SlimMan said:
What phone do you have? As with all hardware in the device world no two makes and models handle things the same including but not limited to hardware it's self. So if you are running a different device that can explain it. Also in theroy the SD card that is her phone could come into play, by this it would have to do with the class of card. Class 4 is the typical card you buy from say Walmart and alike where as say class 10 would be a better performance. Again the SD card coming into play is only in THEORY.
GL, and let us know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i have an xperia play r800x 2.3.3 loaded with DarkForest 3.05.
the SDcards we have are identical 8GB cards. i got a buy one get one free deal on newegg. anyway, she's been using eclipse for a lil bit now and seems very happy with it. only thing is that she has to force stop scramble when she's finished playing or it slowly begins to eat all of her ram. other than that all is good. battery life is almost double what it was before, everything is snappy(as long as scramble isnt running) and life is good.
SlimMan said:
What phone do you have? As with all hardware in the device world no two makes and models handle things the same including but not limited to hardware it's self. So if you are running a different device that can explain it. Also in theroy the SD card that is her phone could come into play, by this it would have to do with the class of card. Class 4 is the typical card you buy from say Walmart and alike where as say class 10 would be a better performance. Again the SD card coming into play is only in THEORY.
GL, and let us know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and as a side note,
Stairway to Seven baby! that front line is gonna be much better this year. no more ankle biting ratbirds.
The latest version of eclipse is very good. Rock solid performance, good battery life. If you are already running eclipse then you should be able to easily flash the latest version 2.3
Sent from my DROID X2 using xda app-developers app

[Q] Best custom rom for S-On?

I am new to this, after switching from an iPhone.
And so far it has been sooo confusing.
I have learned that you cannot get ViperOne on AT&T without S-off because they haven't updated to 4.4.4
But the guide doesn't mention that? Luckily I asked on their IRC before I tried.
I am wondering if there are any good custom roms for 4.4.2 with S-On.
After learning about ViperOne and having no warning that it won't work on AT&T, I am skeptical if their are any that will work.
I am new to this. and I'm very surprised the official guide on Venomroms.com doesn't warn you that it doesn't work on AT&T without S-off.
Coming from using and iPhone for the last 3-4 years this seems ridiculous. So any help would be greatly appreciated.
Also is it HTC that makes it so hard to root , unlock, and customize? Or is it Android? I'm having a hard time understanding why everyone recommends android. I had no idea you had to pay money to load custom roms.
Edit - So I just read that you can't flash custom firmware without being S-Off. Guess that answers the question. This phone sucks. No wonder why iPhone 6 was still out of stock.
nigerlet said:
I am new to this, after switching from an iPhone.
And so far it has been sooo confusing.
I have learned that you cannot get ViperOne on AT&T without S-off because they haven't updated to 4.4.4
But the guide doesn't mention that? Luckily I asked on their IRC before I tried.
I am wondering if there are any good custom roms for 4.4.2 with S-On.
After learning about ViperOne and having no warning that it won't work on AT&T, I am skeptical if their are any that will work.
I am new to this. and I'm very surprised the official guide on Venomroms.com doesn't warn you that it doesn't work on AT&T without S-off.
Coming from using and iPhone for the last 3-4 years this seems ridiculous. So any help would be greatly appreciated.
Also is it HTC that makes it so hard to root , unlock, and customize? Or is it Android? I'm having a hard time understanding why everyone recommends android. I had no idea you had to pay money to load custom roms.
Edit - So I just read that you can't flash custom firmware without being S-Off. Guess that answers the question. This phone sucks. No wonder why iPhone 6 was still out of stock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And what custom roms were you running on your iPhone?
edit: Must not feed troll...
1. A whole new world of apps
Android offers a wide range of apps for every situation, but when you want something that offers a somewhat ”more advanced” function you usually require root level permissions. Having root permission simply means to be an ”administrator” of your device, so you have control over deeper interactions with the system. This allows us to uninstall bloatware (pre-loaded apps), control firewalls, management systems and even enable gesture controls through multi-touch modifications. There are also apps that work fine without root, but whose full potential is only realized with root, such as antivirus apps, with their locking systems/remote access or CleanMaster, which lets you remove bloatware if you are rooted.
2. Customize like never before
Android devices are famous for their ability to change launcher, icon packs, live wallpapers, ringtones, keyboard sounds and much more. However, this customization is usually limited to superficial aesthetic changes. With root permissions you can modify the system files to your liking, including system sounds as well as the boot animation, which is what you see when you start your device up. The level of customization that is possible is near-limitless, but you can only start to see how deep the rabbit hole goes once you’ve taken the first step.
3. Performance beyond all limits
There are already many apps that can free up your RAM or speed up your phone, and However, with ”normal” methods it is not possible to overcome the limitations imposed by the hardware itself, but only to work within those predefined limits. Once again, root permission comes to the rescue, allowing you to modify the actual speed of the CPU via overclocking. To do this it is necessary to flash a custom kernel – the link connecting your hardware to software – that allows it, but the process is very simple, even more so using the app Kernel Manager.
4. No more problems with the battery
Smartphones continue to evolve, but the Achilles heel of the battery has not yet been resolved. Although the best phones can guarantee 24 hours of use (and beyond, thanks to power-saving features), many of us fail to get to the end of the evening. Solution? Buy yourself the LG G3, the new king of the battery! Or, if you’re not going to shell out that kind of money, or because you are simply loyal to your current smartphone, you can root and solve the problem yourself. With root you can access a number of functions that will allow you to choose how much power goes to the CPU, so setting a lower limit, called undervolting, can make significant savings in terms of power consumption. Again, you’ll need a different kernel to the one your phone came with.
5. Automate everything
Many of you already know the application Tasker, which allows us to automate virtually every aspect of our smartphones. For those not in the know, on the basis of an event (such as the insertion of the headphones, our specific location, a particular time of day etc) we can match an action to it (launch apps, send text messages, play a song) – all managed by this application. It also works without root permissions, but with them we will be able to access the complete list of possible interactions, such as activation of the internet, GPS, screen control, CPU speed, and much more.
6. Flash custom ROMs
This is the number one reason why the majority of Android users decide to get root permissions. In addition to radically (or subtly) customizing a smartphone, the major custom ROMs we like the most tend to outdo the stock ROM in terms of functionality, performance and fluidity; an example is OmniROM, who are working on a ROM for fully integrated voice commands, allowing you to control every function of your smartphone via voice commands. Another important feature is the ability to upgrade our old and manufacturer-abandoned smartphone with the latest versions of Android. Here’s our list of the most important custom ROM and root terms explained.
7. Block advertizing
While advertizing is, for many developers, their only source of income and the only thing that allows them to create otherwise free apps, it can also be a nuisance that you want to eliminate from your smartphone experience. If an app contains invasive advertising that not only consumes a large amount of data but that can also potentially trigger subscriptions without our consent, as we’ve seen repeatedly with WhatsApp, it’s a problem that can be dealt with if you have root. Apps like AdBlock Plus give you control over the advertizing contained in apps and browsers. The use of this application and of other similar ones is possible only for those with root level permissions.
8. Perform full backups
Every Android device has the ability to make a backup of applications and certain data, within the settings menu or through the use of management software like Samsung’s Kies. Even if you decide to use these options together with various cloud services, nothing can ultimately compete with the features offered by root permission backups. For example, it is only with root that you can use the legendary app Titanium Backup, with which you can make copies of the entire system image of your device and move it to your SD card or computer. You also have the the ability to automate the process at regular intervals.
9. Access features from other phones
One of the best features (or worst, from the point of view of programmers) of Android devices is the incredible variety of phones and tablets that use it, not to mention the individual manufacturer changes to the Android system. This allows us to always have a different device than everyone else, but it also means not always being able to enjoy the unique features reserved for a group of top of the range smartphones. As you’re probably starting to realize, root permissions also allow us to do this. In forums like XDA Developers there is a wealth of flashable zips available for all sorts of features, scripts and functions. In addition, we can enable limited functions from specific manufacturers, such as installing LG’s Knock On feature on non-LG devices, or using features such as tethering to share and connect phones via USB, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
10. Become the master of your universe
This is actually one of the most convincing reasons to root your phone. You bought it, so it’s yours and you don’t want to be told what you can or cannot do with your own property. Android, by its very nature, is a free system born from the idea of creating an ecosystem of independent software and hardware that is open to everyone Getting root permission, in addition to the benefits listed above and many more that I could mention, will make you the ”real” owner of your smartphone, giving you complete control, albeit with some risks, of customizing basically anything you want to, exactly how you want it. And this is perhaps the best part of rooting your Android.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
rquinn19 said:
And what custom roms were you running on your iPhone?
edit: Must not feed troll...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Didn't need one. A jailbreak was enough. iOS is flawless. I made a mistake buying this ****. But hey the speakers are nice.
scoot0073 said:
1. A whole new world of apps
Android offers a wide range of apps for every situation, but when you want something that offers a somewhat ”more advanced” function you usually require root level permissions. Having root permission simply means to be an ”administrator” of your device, so you have control over deeper interactions with the system. This allows us to uninstall bloatware (pre-loaded apps), control firewalls, management systems and even enable gesture controls through multi-touch modifications. There are also apps that work fine without root, but whose full potential is only realized with root, such as antivirus apps, with their locking systems/remote access or CleanMaster, which lets you remove bloatware if you are rooted.
2. Customize like never before
Android devices are famous for their ability to change launcher, icon packs, live wallpapers, ringtones, keyboard sounds and much more. However, this customization is usually limited to superficial aesthetic changes. With root permissions you can modify the system files to your liking, including system sounds as well as the boot animation, which is what you see when you start your device up. The level of customization that is possible is near-limitless, but you can only start to see how deep the rabbit hole goes once you’ve taken the first step.
3. Performance beyond all limits
There are already many apps that can free up your RAM or speed up your phone, and However, with ”normal” methods it is not possible to overcome the limitations imposed by the hardware itself, but only to work within those predefined limits. Once again, root permission comes to the rescue, allowing you to modify the actual speed of the CPU via overclocking. To do this it is necessary to flash a custom kernel – the link connecting your hardware to software – that allows it, but the process is very simple, even more so using the app Kernel Manager.
4. No more problems with the battery
Smartphones continue to evolve, but the Achilles heel of the battery has not yet been resolved. Although the best phones can guarantee 24 hours of use (and beyond, thanks to power-saving features), many of us fail to get to the end of the evening. Solution? Buy yourself the LG G3, the new king of the battery! Or, if you’re not going to shell out that kind of money, or because you are simply loyal to your current smartphone, you can root and solve the problem yourself. With root you can access a number of functions that will allow you to choose how much power goes to the CPU, so setting a lower limit, called undervolting, can make significant savings in terms of power consumption. Again, you’ll need a different kernel to the one your phone came with.
5. Automate everything
Many of you already know the application Tasker, which allows us to automate virtually every aspect of our smartphones. For those not in the know, on the basis of an event (such as the insertion of the headphones, our specific location, a particular time of day etc) we can match an action to it (launch apps, send text messages, play a song) – all managed by this application. It also works without root permissions, but with them we will be able to access the complete list of possible interactions, such as activation of the internet, GPS, screen control, CPU speed, and much more.
6. Flash custom ROMs
This is the number one reason why the majority of Android users decide to get root permissions. In addition to radically (or subtly) customizing a smartphone, the major custom ROMs we like the most tend to outdo the stock ROM in terms of functionality, performance and fluidity; an example is OmniROM, who are working on a ROM for fully integrated voice commands, allowing you to control every function of your smartphone via voice commands. Another important feature is the ability to upgrade our old and manufacturer-abandoned smartphone with the latest versions of Android. Here’s our list of the most important custom ROM and root terms explained.
7. Block advertizing
While advertizing is, for many developers, their only source of income and the only thing that allows them to create otherwise free apps, it can also be a nuisance that you want to eliminate from your smartphone experience. If an app contains invasive advertising that not only consumes a large amount of data but that can also potentially trigger subscriptions without our consent, as we’ve seen repeatedly with WhatsApp, it’s a problem that can be dealt with if you have root. Apps like AdBlock Plus give you control over the advertizing contained in apps and browsers. The use of this application and of other similar ones is possible only for those with root level permissions.
8. Perform full backups
Every Android device has the ability to make a backup of applications and certain data, within the settings menu or through the use of management software like Samsung’s Kies. Even if you decide to use these options together with various cloud services, nothing can ultimately compete with the features offered by root permission backups. For example, it is only with root that you can use the legendary app Titanium Backup, with which you can make copies of the entire system image of your device and move it to your SD card or computer. You also have the the ability to automate the process at regular intervals.
9. Access features from other phones
One of the best features (or worst, from the point of view of programmers) of Android devices is the incredible variety of phones and tablets that use it, not to mention the individual manufacturer changes to the Android system. This allows us to always have a different device than everyone else, but it also means not always being able to enjoy the unique features reserved for a group of top of the range smartphones. As you’re probably starting to realize, root permissions also allow us to do this. In forums like XDA Developers there is a wealth of flashable zips available for all sorts of features, scripts and functions. In addition, we can enable limited functions from specific manufacturers, such as installing LG’s Knock On feature on non-LG devices, or using features such as tethering to share and connect phones via USB, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
10. Become the master of your universe
This is actually one of the most convincing reasons to root your phone. You bought it, so it’s yours and you don’t want to be told what you can or cannot do with your own property. Android, by its very nature, is a free system born from the idea of creating an ecosystem of independent software and hardware that is open to everyone Getting root permission, in addition to the benefits listed above and many more that I could mention, will make you the ”real” owner of your smartphone, giving you complete control, albeit with some risks, of customizing basically anything you want to, exactly how you want it. And this is perhaps the best part of rooting your Android.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the android advertisement. Doesn't help with anything though. This OS is garbage. HTC also seemed to make it worse. But my phone is made out of aluminum which is pretty cool.
Stop complaining about the phone and just pay for sunshine s-off.
The issue is not your phone, but lack of research before buying.
---------- Post added at 09:52 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:49 AM ----------
If you want a 4.4.2 ROM, there are still some good ones. But you haven't stated why you even need or want a custom ROM at all, so its impossible to recommend anything until you do so.
You created a thread to ask for help ,but at same time you wanna bash something that you know nothing about. People on here are more than welcome to help you but by being negative is not going to help.
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
redpoint73 said:
Stop complaining about the phone and just pay for sunshine s-off.
The issue is not your phone, but lack of research before buying.
---------- Post added at 09:52 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:49 AM ----------
If you want a 4.4.2 ROM, there are still some good ones. But you haven't stated why you even need or want a custom ROM at all, so its impossible to recommend anything until you do so.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok pretty much the only reason is the crazy ass battery drain. This phone is less than a month old and 100% can't last a day with light use. Seriously the battery % drops by the minute when I'm simply browsing the web. That's the only reason. Everything else seems like a bonus. But why should I have to spend $25 to have a decent battery?
Edit : I did read online that AT&T has a battery drain issue and that's why they are holding back updates. I did re-calibrate the battery didn't work. Factory resetting the phone also didn't work. After that I went to AT&T and the dude told me it's typical for HTC devices to drain that fast and tried to sell me a galaxy. I don't mean to be offensive, I'm just very disappointed and now I'm stuck with this phone for over a year.
nigerlet said:
Ok pretty much the only reason is the crazy ass battery drain. This phone is less than a month old and 100% can't last a day with light use. Seriously the battery % drops by the minutes when I'm simply browsing the web. That's the only reason. Everything else seems like a bonus. But why should I have to spend $25 to have a decent battery?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Battery life is a complicated issue on any device, no matter what OS.
A few basic battery saving tips:
1) Turn off "auto" brightness and turn down the screen to the lowest brightness you find palatable (50% works for me).
2) Turn off GPS when not in use
3) Turn off sync for services you don't use
You should also check the signal strength (dBm) under Settings>About>Network>Signal Strength, and post what you see there.
Its also possible that AT&T bloat is killing the battery (some folks have had the issue) but it may not be a silver bullet.
It might just be a matter of using an app like Watchdog Task Manager to see what is eating the battery, and freezing or removing that app (if its not a critical one).
Alternately, I found that GoldenEye was a nice cleaned up "stockish" ROM back in olden times when I was on 4.4.2. I found it to run well on AT&T, and is "international" based so therefore devoid of any AT&T meddling:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2705640
redpoint73 said:
Battery life is a complicated issue on any device, no matter what OS.
Its possible that AT&T bloat is killing the battery (some folks have had the issue) but it may not be a silver bullet.
It might just be a matter of using an app like Watchdog Task Manager to see what is eating the battery, and freezing or removing that app (if its not a critical one).
Alternately, I found that GoldenEye was a nice cleaned up "stockish" ROM back in olden times when I was on 4.4.2. I found it to run well on AT&T, and is "international" based so therefore devoid of any AT&T meddling:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2705640
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess I'll just pay the $25. I want the best if I'm getting a custom rom. And like I said in the edit post above I am stuck with this phone for over a year. Thanks for the help, sorry for being salty.
nigerlet said:
I guess I'll just pay the $25. I want the best if I'm getting a custom rom. And like I said in the edit post above I am stuck with this phone for over a year. Thanks for the help, sorry for being salty.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've reconfigured my previous post to include some basic power saving tips. It occurred to me that if Android is new to you, battery life may be something rather simple, like screen brightness.
Check it out, and see if it helps.
I had typed up a message but you guys ninja'd me coming back to decency and handling things, so forget I was ever here.
As to the battery thing, I recommend flashing an AOSP ROM with nano or pico gapps. I've always gotten much better battery life using AOSP over Sense.
I never experienced the battery drain issue as a lot of others did.but then again 2 days after purchasing my At&T M8 I went to Sunshine and played the 25 to s-off. But coming from a iPhone/IOS after many years of use to another different manufacturer and OS I could totally understand your frustrations. I have never owned a IOS device always had and stayed with Android but I'd be in the exactly same boat as you if I did switch. Just be patient and read and ask questions , and welcome to the forum's
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk
nigerlet said:
I am new to this, after switching from an iPhone.
And so far it has been sooo confusing.
I have learned that you cannot get ViperOne on AT&T without S-off because they haven't updated to 4.4.4
But the guide doesn't mention that? Luckily I asked on their IRC before I tried.
I am wondering if there are any good custom roms for 4.4.2 with S-On.
After learning about ViperOne and having no warning that it won't work on AT&T, I am skeptical if their are any that will work.
I am new to this. and I'm very surprised the official guide on Venomroms.com doesn't warn you that it doesn't work on AT&T without S-off.
Coming from using and iPhone for the last 3-4 years this seems ridiculous. So any help would be greatly appreciated.
Also is it HTC that makes it so hard to root , unlock, and customize? Or is it Android? I'm having a hard time understanding why everyone recommends android. I had no idea you had to pay money to load custom roms.
Edit - So I just read that you can't flash custom firmware without being S-Off. Guess that answers the question. This phone sucks. No wonder why iPhone 6 was still out of stock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uhm, you dont have to be 4.4.4 to run the Viper rom nor do you have to be S-OFF. Just go to their site and download 2.5.0 which is the build that will run on AT&T's current 4.4.2. Once AT&T pushes the 4.4.4 update flash the 4.4.4 RUU then go back and flash Viper 3.2.1.
Dude, my M8 can go 2 days EASY. Simply the best phone that has been released yet.
I'm curious as well... I was running cm12 on my m7 but recently had to get a m8.. now im running into all sorts of issues. all i want is a stable sense/ lollipop rom. I want to stay s-on... htcdev's team frowns on s-off. HELP?!?
bford152 said:
I'm curious as well... I was running cm12 on my m7 but recently had to get a m8.. now im running into all sorts of issues. all i want is a stable sense/ lollipop rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The ROMs are plenty stable. If you have issues, its likely due to firmware that is not compatible with the ROM.
bford152 said:
I want to stay s-on... htcdev's team frowns on s-off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What does that even mean? If you want full flexibility to mod the phone as you like, s-off the phone.
What I'm trying to ask, without s-off'ing the device, what custom roms based on lollipop on ATT software ver 4.4.2?
I think you want the Dev edition lollipop RUU. You will need to change CID and can be s-on. You will loose AT&T visual voicemail functionality (but might be able to add that back in with a mod) and no at&t specific apps will come with RUU, but the Dev edition is same code base as at&t version and will work on at&t device.
tommy_riley said:
I think you want the Dev edition lollipop RUU. You will need to change CID and can be s-on. You will loose AT&T visual voicemail functionality (but might be able to add that back in with a mod) and no at&t specific apps will come with RUU, but the Dev edition is same code base as at&t version and will work on at&t device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't you have to be s-off to change cid?

root, re ROM -advice

Hi all,
noob alert. While I am a tech and run linux at home(windows at work) Im old, tired and grumpy slow :lol
I am the only one in the family still using their original S2. I have two other S2s that have "died" with no sim recognition. (one of which my son uses just to play games. ie wifi and everything else is fine just no network) I guess I look after mine better. I found some articles on the web and will be reading into this.
Lately however Ive gone thru a decreasing battery life(well it is getting old +2yr) Lasting about 7-8hrs (I gave it an external charge discharge cycle and its down to 65%)
Also trouble with updates(insufficient memory). No manner of clearing cache ( *#9900#) and having very limited apps installed seems to help. My solution has been to uninstall FB allow everything else to update then reinstall the bloated FB.
Has a tendency to lock up or run slow ..or maybe im just loosing patience lately.
After a fair amount of reading I have deduced that
1) root the device then delete the many bloatware I dont need.. which should at least alleviate the insufficient memory problem
Probably purchase another battery
2) install a custom ROM
3)try n work out if I can get sim access back on the other units.
I have one working must have S2 which for now I wont touch but will try the root etc on one of the spares.
I guess Im just checking in to see if people are about when it all goes belly up to help me.
There seems a myriad of ROMs n kernels etc which has me at present a little confused. more reading. I am not after bleeding edge just stable phone that allows a few tool like apps without crashing or hitting the no memory.
Im happy to run some analytical apps if someone can point me at them to gleam further info.
Some phone specs:
GT-I9100
Android 4.1.2
Kernel 3.0.31-1287495
unlocked
telstra
Running Clean Master app does not really seem to help matters.
Power saving on
wifi is on most of the day. GPS,bluetooth off.
Charged overnight (9:30-5:30) Used to last till 9:30 before running low. Nowadays wont make it to 4pm before complaining.
applications 1.34g of the 1.97. 11gb of USB storage(10 available)
32g sd card(28 available)
Hi @vector180,
Welcome to XDA. First there are plenty of S2 users on this forum who would be happy to help if you get stuck. I think you will be glad if and when you root your phone and start using custom roms. As with anything though, there are pros and cons. The camera and some other functional elements of the phone may not work as well, especially with AOSP based roms. But you can get around that by using a touchwiz based rom such as neat rom.
I believe the pros outweigh the cons though, as you can get really good performance with a lot of the custom roms out there, and things like space issues will be a distant memory. You just have so many more options once you have root access.
All I can advise is read as much as you can. You are in the right place to start with here at XDA. Search the forums, use google and if you haven't found the answers you are looking for, you can always ask on one of the threads. Good luck
I recently started rooting too (about month or two ago) And yesterday I managed to unlock boot loader of Huawei g620s and install custom recovery and then rom for my friend using adb. If you will read and have some patience you will be doing it flawlessly soon So you can be sure that there are still people here starting and helping new ones in rooting i9100 ^^
Wish you luck Vector
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
thx guys,
ok so I found the old "spare" S2.
Id like to image my "real" phone and copy it to the spare then play around with it. Thus leaving my real one untouched.
first of all.
the spare is running ICS not jelly bean. first thing I noticed was it had heaps of memory..even after I installed fb and some crud to prove the phone was still working.
It also ran smoother, battery seemed fine(normal well certainly better than my real one). And accepted the SIM card... why was it in trouble last time..dont know maybe a year in the dark draw has taught it a lesson.
So either I have hardware issues on the real one or maybe its Jelly Bean causing the probs.
Yeah I need to image the spare(so I can restore it back to its current "good working order" if I bungle things).
update it to Jelly. see if it bogs down
clone the "real" image on to it ..see if it bogs down.
By that stage seeing as the spare phone working, I can try some custom ROMs
Problem is I cant get a simple (image) backup system working. see my other posts.
reading continues.

Its rooting still worth it?

So I been a long time Android user and all my devices had always been rooted. Recently I been having this dilemma that with how hard is getting to root devices like huawei or some other devices and with the issue of warranty, also the fact that almost every custom ROM has Bugs and issues some minors some a bit more concerning like cameras not working reboots etc. I tried many different ROMs before with my other devices and honestly they all had issues sometimes even worse then the original ROM constants flashing for the fixes and factory resets etc. Even with custom kernels and stock ROMs with stock kernels rooting wasn't making real sense. To be able to modify my kernel settings for what 20 minutes more of sot with lag or reboots, oc for what reason to have my phone over heat? To erase bloatware? I can disable them and through adb with our rooting. Before it made sense because Android was a young os and many things need root to be applied but now Im not sure . Do the benefits supersede the cost and time?
So my question is: does it really makes sense to root Android at this point ?
I agree, every android phone I had was rooted the day it came out of the box. Since I have a Huawei device, for me there is no more reason for rooting. Also the trouble isn't worth the risk anymore. No big benefits.
The main reason for me is adaway and lucky patcher but the time I'm spending to read posts on xda is really big because I'm scared to brake anything I would only recommend it if it's fun to you to play around with this kind of stuff and you are willing to spend time and risk your phone probably
Ebrathul said:
The main reason for me is adaway and lucky patcher but the time I'm spending to read posts on xda is really big because I'm scared to brake anything I would only recommend it if it's fun to you to play around with this kind of stuff and you are willing to spend time and risk your phone probably
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you, I would spend so much time before reading and making sure that I wasn't going to hardbrick my device that it is very hard to keep doing it, I already hardbrick another huawei phone and it basically was left useless, after everything went fine with rooting and custom kernel it turn on boot normally then all of a sudden it didn't turn back on , only on fastboot mode, never found a way to recover it. Like you said if you have a spare device it's cool I even use to cook my own ROMs and cherry pick things I liked from source code but that was with devices like the htc m8 which was alot more developer friendly.
Ebrathul said:
The main reason for me is adaway and lucky patcher but the time I'm spending to read posts on xda is really big because I'm scared to brake anything I would only recommend it if it's fun to you to play around with this kind of stuff and you are willing to spend time and risk your phone probably
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For adds I use virtual hosts app. No root needed, just the app and a hosts file on your sd card.
Sent from my HUAWEI ALP-L29 using XDA Labs
there is literally no other logic to root your device in modern times other than to get viper 4 android or james dsp.
in olden days i used to root ....to get full screen usage on device by hiding navigation bar ...like immersive mode etc....but now they have gesture navigation .....
. stock headphones audio controls/quality on each and every phone is "****" as compared to V4A .... and this thing this issue of inferiority will always remain...
custom roms are buggy....i have nevver ever come across a single custom rom in the past 7 years .... which didn't have bugs..... no matter how stable they claim it is/was .
coming towards huawei....at least they updated these kirin970 devices much much earlier than samsung phone flagship ones.... which released after..... these mates and honors ....
greatgrandking said:
there is literally no other logic to root your device in modern times other than to get viper 4 android or james dsp.
in olden days i used to root ....to get full screen usage on device by hiding navigation bar ...like immersive mode etc....but now they have gesture navigation .....
. stock headphones audio controls/quality on each and every phone is "****" as compared to V4A .... and this thing this issue of inferiority will always remain...
custom roms are buggy....i have nevver ever come across a single custom rom in the past 7 years .... which didn't have bugs..... no matter how stable they claim it is/was .
coming towards huawei....at least they updated these kirin970 devices much much earlier than samsung phone flagship ones.... which released after..... these mates and honors ....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally agree, I have never ever come across a custom ROMs that isn't buggy they all have bugs and there's always something that you have to lose in terms of stock functionality in order to make them work. I'm really digging huawei devices even tho they have taken that Stand on the bootloader .
Almost all new browsers have ad block included so ads don't bother me in my use of the device. I had OP6 b4 and it was rooted and I personally can't see any difference in day2day use between rooted and non rooted device.
just wish there was an easy way to put the phone in airplane mode without root
Gremio1903 said:
Almost all new browsers have ad block included so ads don't bother me in my use of the device. I had OP6 b4 and it was rooted and I personally can't see any difference in day2day use between rooted and non rooted device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I personally use brave browser which is a great super fast browser and it has tons of ad blocking option as well as sync between pc and the phone and it's not resource hungry like chrome. It's a great browser i really haven't found any good reason for rooting this mate 10 pro. Besides reading so many people bricking the **** out of this phone is just not worth my time.
Another thing: Ability to clock down CPU to save battery.
somebully said:
Another thing: Ability to clock down CPU to save battery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah that's a must on a 9-10h SoT phone

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