[Q] Lightweight ROM - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi,
I work in the security and privacy field and would like to start development of a new lightweight ROM with strong security and privacy controls but to be honest I don't have a clue where to start. I am experienced in flashing ROMs onto Android devices (currently have CM on my Nexus 4 and Galaxy Tab 2 as well as Beanstalk on my old HTC Desire Bravo) but have not yet built a custom ROM.
Ideally I would like to build the lightest possible ROM for HTC Desire (as this is my device for experimenting) but there are a number of features/restrictions I would like to include.
I see a lot of ROMs on this site (which I am sure are very good) and some generic guides on how to build ROMs but I need some more specific information. I need to know how to build a kernel which disables access to certain things (such as regular voice calling - this ROM should only permit VOIP calls) - how to strip out all the apps and services I don't want or need, how to include the apps I want installed by default (such as droidwall) and I have yet to come across such a resource.
Ideally I would like to strip the ROM down to the bare minimum required to allow a functioning device with data connectivity and then build it back up with the functionality I need.
Could anyone point me in the right direction?

Hi
I can Need you. You can Port roms .i have a project with Android 5.0 for Mid and Low End devices please join US We can work together but i Need more Rom porter and Kernel builder
Link:http://forum.xda-developers.com/che...oid-lollipop-5-0-rom-low-mid-devices-t2925685
Thanks from Germany

Related

[Q] Is there a possibility to build a universal android ROM

Hello
Here is a little question, is it possible to create a universal android rom.
Today, cyanogenmod allow us to have different flavour of android for many devices. But cyanogenmod is not universal and requires specific hacks for each device.
I know that Android is based on a linux kernel, that kernel should beallow an automatic detection of the devices specifications....
Moreover, Motorola initiates its Ara project. This new concept should be linked to an evolutive version of Android.
Is there anyway to see one day an android repository to upgrade and costumize your phone/phablet/tablet. With an essential package (OS) and options (launcher/Touchwiz....).
An universal evolutive OS should be a way to solve
- android fragmentation.
- security update
- Easy update without formatting your device
- OTA update for all devices (Samsung, Cube, HTC....) even for olders or chinese models
bart47 said:
Hello
Here is a little question, is it possible to create a universal android rom.
Today, cyanogenmod allow us to have different flavour of android for many devices. But cyanogenmod is not universal and requires specific hacks for each device.
I know that Android is based on a linux kernel, that kernel should beallow an automatic detection of the devices specifications....
Moreover, Motorola initiates its Ara project. This new concept should be linked to an evolutive version of Android.
Is there anyway to see one day an android repository to upgrade and costumize your phone/phablet/tablet. With an essential package (OS) and options (launcher/Touchwiz....).
An universal evolutive OS should be a way to solve
- android fragmentation.
- security update
- Easy update without formatting your device
- OTA update for all devices (Samsung, Cube, HTC....) even for olders or chinese models
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not going to be the one to say its impossible but its very unlikely. Different devices use different modems, kernels, and other system requirements. The CM team may be able to come up with something like that but you won't see it anytime soon if it happens. There are some ROMs out there that are in 1 big AROMA zip file and they all have the same features but the bases meet the requirements of the specific device.
bart47 said:
Hello
Here is a little question, is it possible to create a universal android rom.
Today, cyanogenmod allow us to have different flavour of android for many devices. But cyanogenmod is not universal and requires specific hacks for each device.
I know that Android is based on a linux kernel, that kernel should beallow an automatic detection of the devices specifications....
Moreover, Motorola initiates its Ara project. This new concept should be linked to an evolutive version of Android.
Is there anyway to see one day an android repository to upgrade and costumize your phone/phablet/tablet. With an essential package (OS) and options (launcher/Touchwiz....).
An universal evolutive OS should be a way to solve
- android fragmentation.
- security update
- Easy update without formatting your device
- OTA update for all devices (Samsung, Cube, HTC....) even for olders or chinese models
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I doubt it's possibility. Different phones have different kernels/coding for hardware. All Android phones uses Linux kernel, but are coded differently, and that's why we have different/custom kernels. Phones/phablets/tablets have different UIs, which will result in larger updates. Furthermore, u said "essential package" which is hardly possible due to large file size and company issues. For example, Samsung has TouchWiz (and all it's bloatware ), while HTC has Sense (and the bloatwares ), and to stuff everything in a single ROM /Update, it's simply too much. (A update from Samsung would cost 100-300mb, and if what u say is true, OTA updates would cost 600mb~. (Take into account the stock Android launcher.)) I doubt Samsung would like this idea too. Companies like Samsung and HTC have their own launchers to differentiate themselves from others, and if consumers have a choice, they might use other launchers other than their own. (E.g. a Samsung user wants to use Sense, while preserving the Samsung hardware.) Though I would very much like to see this in the future, this is technically impossible. Hoped this explained your question.
Smack that thanks button If I helped!
Always make a nandroid backup before trying anything risky
Sent from my fabulous N7105 powered by Illusion ROM and Plasma Kernel.
Sent from dat small country called Singapore.
P.S. Quote my post for replies ASAP.
This is literally impossible, All devices would need to be designed to perform for that rom. Not only that but not a single one of those companies would agree to it. They'd actually attempt to make their own os before doing that, and the reasoning is simple, each company is in this race for themselves not as a team effort. For this to happen would be going the route of IOS, which android is not.
Sent from an Xposed LG-G2/LS-980

Help choosing ROM

Hey guys,
I know there are many best ROM threads out there as well as many flavors suitable for all needs. Personally, I just don't have the time test everything until I find the perfect ROM.. So I hope you guys can help me choose a good one considering the list below..
I'm currently using CM11 and although it's a great lightweight rom I miss many basic Samsung stock functions (swipe to call, palm to mute, etc..). I also know some apps should solve this but IMO they don't..
So, I'm looking for a Samsung based rom that's:
- easily installed by pc or cwm recovery
- stable and preferably bug/freeze fix free with everything working
- lightweight and widely supported
- although not essential, preferably with nightlies updates
- either s5 or mini s5 based
- android 4.4.2 or higher
And I think that's it. Thanks in advance.
There are not many 4.4 tw roms to try. Best bet would be to read the threads and see what the user's think. See what the problems are ect ect

APP IDEA: ROM OTA Manager

Hey guys, I was recently installing a new ROM and kernel on my Nexus 6 when I happened upon something interesting. Franco makes an AMAZING kernel for Nexus devices, and he has an awesome app called FKUpdater which checks his server for new updates to the kernel, provides the user with the changelog for that update, then allows the user to either a) download the zip file for the kernel, or b) download and auto-flash the kernel zip.
I thought this was especially smart because it works regardless of what ROM you're on, since we all know how difficult it can be to stay up to date on both the ROM and the kernel, not to mention any other mods that we like for your phones (thinking back to the pre-Lollipop mods like Xposed, etc).
So, what if there was a way to make a ROM OTA manager, which could check for new versions of your ROM using something as simple as an RSS feed that developers could reference using the build.prop.
Here's the way I imagine this working:
A ROM developer doesn't want to go through all of the unnecessary hassle and costs associated with implementing the OTA features (it's not as easy as it might sound), so instead the developer simply adds a line to the build.prop:
ro.customROMversion.rss=http://www.example.com/rss
This build.prop line would be universal for all ROMs, with the actual RSS link being associated with each specific ROM (so if a development team builds ROMs for multiple devices, they would have one feed per device).
Then the app would check the build.prop for that line, and regularly check the RSS feed for updates. The RSS feed would have a standardized format. It would include the necessary information for the app to detect a new version (version number, build date, etc) as well as including the changelog for the new version (if the ROM developer includes this).
In reality, this wouldn't be difficult at all, and the best part is that the feature could be added in a heartbeat to practically every ROM out there. The ONLY issue I could see running into would be that the download links for the ROMs would (potentially) need to be direct downloads, with no redirects. I don't know how important that would be to implementation, though.
Does anyone see this as being something particularly difficult to do? I would love to build/release this (I REALLY wish I could contribute more to the Android community at large), but I don't know how to program something like this. If anyone thinks they could do this, I would really love to help put this in motion!

Can we port some features of one Rom to other Rom

Is it possible to port some particular feautres of any given Rom to another Rom(say Stock android rom) keeping all the properties of the Rom remain same.
Explanation:
Let us say we need some features of a MIUI and some other features of EMUI, Is it possible to add those features from those roms to the original Stock rom or Some other Roms of the mobile.
Also Is it possible to make the Rom of some other mobile (which has similar specs that of my mobile ) to work on my mobile..
Actually I am just a noobie & newbie to the field of porting Roms, I had these doubts stuck up in my mind from long time.
Some people extract the APKs from specific ROMs (for instance, I managed to get MIUI's Ambient Doze working on a different ROM) and install them on other ROMs.
However, that isn't always the case because some mods have been built into system APKs such as the SystemUI apk.

A bare operating system

Hello... Since I'm not very familiar with cell phones I'm curious about something. With a desktop computer, one can build their own or have a manufacturer type ( Dell, HP and so ) Now if you take the custom build system you basically can decide which OS you want, why can't cell phones be similar to that be able to install whichever OS you like, Or can you? Like in Android is it possible to install just a basic OS onto a phone? one that doesn't have let's say Google ( Google store)? Is there an Android build without Google? Also, does Android have an OS with its own browser, if not, why not? thanks
Dude905 said:
Hello... Since I'm not very familiar with cell phones I'm curious about something. With a desktop computer, one can build their own or have a manufacturer type ( Dell, HP and so ) Now if you take the custom build system you basically can decide which OS you want, why can't cell phones be similar to that be able to install whichever OS you like, Or can you? Like in Android is it possible to install just a basic OS onto a phone? one that doesn't have let's say Google ( Google store)? Is there an Android build without Google? Also, does Android have an OS with its own browser, if not, why not? thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're thinking about it along the correct route. There are plain, unbranded Android builds known as Vanilla Android. These are the builds you see on Nexus and Pixel devices, built from the AOSP (Android Open Source Project) and have no carrier or OEM bloat.
If you're looking for a lightweight Android OS with no GApps (Google Apps), there are a ton of custom Android builds available, the most popular in the world being LineageOS. However, it should be noted that you can't simply flash a vanilla or custom Android build to your device and expect it to boot and function properly. Android ROMs need to be ported to a specific device. This is due to the vast hardware differences between various manufacturers and models.
To see if any custom Android builds are available for your particular device, search your model device in the Search Plus option. If any custom ROMs, kernels, recoveries, etc., are available for your device, you'll find them here on XDA.
MotoJunkie01 said:
You're thinking about it along the correct route. There are plain, unbranded Android builds known as Vanilla Android. These are the builds you see on Nexus and Pixel devices, built from the AOSP (Android Open Source Project) and have no carrier or OEM bloat.
If you're looking for a lightweight Android OS with no GApps (Google Apps), there are a ton of custom Android builds available, the most popular in the world being LineageOS. However, it should be noted that you can't simply flash a vanilla or custom Android build to your device and expect it to boot and function properly. Android ROMs need to be ported to a specific device. This is due to the vast hardware differences between various manufacturers and models.
To see if any custom Android builds are available for your particular device, search your model device in the Search Plus option. If any custom ROMs, kernels, recoveries, etc., are available for your device, you'll find them here on XDA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your input it gave me more of an understanding and I will do as suggested

Categories

Resources