Custom Kitkat ROM with empasis on battery life, or 4.x emulation for 1 app? - T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S 5

The only S5 Kitkat ROMs I've found either haven't been updated in over a year, or many users are reporting severe bugs like no camera support, or severe battery drain issues.
I'm just trying to get an app called Winulator running so I can play Starcraft: Broodwar on android, but it isn't working and one user said that is because Lolipop broke it (I'm on 5.1.1 atm). The app is no longer supported so I don't think it will ever run properly on 5.x. If anyone knows of a way to emulate 4.x for just 1 app maybe that would be the best shortcut for me overall here.
Barring that, could someone please recommend a guide to installing a lightweight, power-user-oriented ROM that is 4.x or older and has excellent battery life? I was going to try the official 4.4.4 VanirAOSP release but there are too many reports of poor battery performance in the last 2 pages of that thread for my liking.
I think the first thing I need to do is unlock the bootloader, and I've yet to find a definite answer on the best method of doing this from FOL1 (12/15). It seems I will need Odin on my PC and I have it. I've also started backing up all the data from my phone by manually copying/pasting to my PC.
I guess once everything is finally backed up (it's taking FOREVER, explorer literally been calculating time to copy for 10 minutes now just on the phone/android folder), then I will try and flash the official 4.4.2 VanirAOSP ROM since that one doesn't have any reports of battery issues and possibly only the camera and a few things won't work.
BTW, is there a step specially to unlock the FOL1 bootloader that I am missing, or can I just flash that ROM with Odin straight up? I found a comment stating NOT to flash 5.1.1 with Odin or I'd be stuck on Lollipop until some new bootloader-unlock method comes out. The 5.1.1 I'm running wasn't flashed with odin it was sent OTA and I've never rooted or had custom rom/bootloader, so I should be good on that I guess?
I am actually about to dive into this, if no one has any suggestions for me: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2752995 (don't bother, too many missing major features)
edit: I used this guide and it was quick and painless, highly recommend! http://forum.xda-developers.com/tmo...l/root-how-to-root-sm-g900t-firmware-t3358190
Unfortunately the "sick n twi5ted" rom that I chose to install (only because the 600+ Infinity ROM thread has broken DL links) is a buggy PoS on the g900t so I'm still looking for a decent rom.

Related

[Q] ROM Selection

Hi All,
Had my Verizon G3 for a bit now and everything was grand.... pre-lollipop. Post-Lollipop I've been stuck with the no notifications while on WiFi bug and for someone who spends literally 98% of my time on either my home or work WiFi this has simply become untenable for me. I'd like to root and go to, preferably, a Lollipop ROM that is not plagued by the same issues, or if I have to go back to KitKat then a ROM based on that (or perhaps there is a non-rooted solution here?).
All these things said, I've done the root/custom ROM thing back in the days of my Droid Incredible and honestly found it quite off putting to have to constantly keep up to date with ROM updates / Kernel updates / Radio updates, etc. and a lot of those even requiring wiping the phone.
My question to you fine folks is, has the game changed a bit to be a bit more friendly to like a kind of all-in-one here is your ROM/everything package, install it and get going type deal? Or is that still a pipe dream?
I appreciate that there are some steps involved prior to the installing of the ROM and I'm not opposed to those at all, I'm more worried about the nightmarish endless cycle of updates that require wipes / resets / etc. in order to fix the myriad of bugs that used to pop their heads up. I simply just want a ROM to get me through the next year or so until I can move along - and *gasp* allow me to get updates while on WiFi while having the core of the phone still functional.
Perhaps my concerns are those of days past, so please forgive my ignorance.
Any info on the topic and possible ROMs to look into (I was looking at Resurrection Remix) would be much appreciated.
Thanks! :good:
scrdy said:
Hi All,
Had my Verizon G3 for a bit now and everything was grand.... pre-lollipop. Post-Lollipop I've been stuck with the no notifications while on WiFi bug and for someone who spends literally 98% of my time on either my home or work WiFi this has simply become untenable for me. I'd like to root and go to, preferably, a Lollipop ROM that is not plagued by the same issues, or if I have to go back to KitKat then a ROM based on that (or perhaps there is a non-rooted solution here?).
All these things said, I've done the root/custom ROM thing back in the days of my Droid Incredible and honestly found it quite off putting to have to constantly keep up to date with ROM updates / Kernel updates / Radio updates, etc. and a lot of those even requiring wiping the phone.
My question to you fine folks is, has the game changed a bit to be a bit more friendly to like a kind of all-in-one here is your ROM/everything package, install it and get going type deal? Or is that still a pipe dream?
I appreciate that there are some steps involved prior to the installing of the ROM and I'm not opposed to those at all, I'm more worried about the nightmarish endless cycle of updates that require wipes / resets / etc. in order to fix the myriad of bugs that used to pop their heads up. I simply just want a ROM to get me through the next year or so until I can move along - and *gasp* allow me to get updates while on WiFi while having the core of the phone still functional.
Perhaps my concerns are those of days past, so please forgive my ignorance.
Any info on the topic and possible ROMs to look into (I was looking at Resurrection Remix) would be much appreciated.
Thanks! :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At this point, most any ROM you install will require updating. There are really no ROMs that are completely trouble free.
That said, running stock rooted may be your best choice. Rooting stock will allow you the option to block OTA updates. With root you will also be able to remove any pesky apps you do not require from LG.
Thanks for your insight. Perhaps I'll look at rooting and running a stock KitKat based ROM. If you could possibly point me in the direction of finding stock KitKat ROMs to flash to it would be much appreciated.
(sorry for posting in the wrong forum the first time)
Thanks
Jasmine 4.0 is a good 4.4 ROM. It can be found in the 7.0 thread. Just look in the first few posts. Sky dragon is also good.
Don't most roms have OTA's built in anymore? I had roms on my S4 and never had to worry, I would update and be fine, 0 wipes updating roms (Unless I was changing roms completely) and even then I have everything back up regularly so there is no hassle getting it all back.
Illogi.xbone said:
Don't most roms have OTA's built in anymore? I had roms on my S4 and never had to worry, I would update and be fine, 0 wipes updating roms (Unless I was changing roms completely) and even then I have everything back up regularly so there is no hassle getting it all back.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know some of the custom CM12 and CM12.1-based ROMs I've tried have a potentially working OTA method built into the ROM. For various reasons they're not all necessarily implemented just yet, though - probably because there's just too many constant updates to the source code to make OTAs realistic.
roirraW "edor" ehT said:
I know some of the custom CM12 and CM12.1-based ROMs I've tried have a potentially working OTA method built into the ROM. For various reasons they're not all necessarily implemented just yet, though - probably because there's just too many constant updates to the source code to make OTAs realistic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very true. I do know though that CM does have OTAs. I think another part is that most CM 12 and 12.1 based roms don't change the source for the update. So you won't get any since it is no longer a CM rom and it isn't looking for the one you are using.
Stay off the nightly train and you won't have to update much at all. A dirty flash every couple of months, topped with some Gapps. I get notifications on wifi all the time. Only stock ROM tries to force you to update anyway.

Got a new alpha and I have a few questions

So I got a new galaxy alpha (850F) which is an amazing phone by the way but i have a few questions
1) I noticed that sometimes the signal drops to 0 bars for a few seconds then comes back again, is that normal because of the metal frame or what ?
2)How much does the battery take to charge ?
3) I am still on Kitkat 4.4.4 and the lollipop OTA hasn't arrived where I live yet (I don't think it's coming anytime soon) so what's the best course of action, should I stay on kitkat ? Which official rom can I flash using ODIN ? Is there a toolkit for rooting and installing a custom recovery ?
If there are tutorials for these things I'll be thankful.
Hi Mazika2,
1) I have no idea and never experienced what you describe
2) For me battery charging takes about 1h - 1 1/2h with original charging plug (over USB on PC it takes much longer)
3) You can flash any 5.0.2 ROM via Odin.
Root 4.4.4: You can take Kingroot for example, Knox will not be tripped.
Root 5.0.2: http://www.skyneel.com/2014/09/root-samsung-galaxy-alpha-sm-g850f-by-simple-tutorial.html . Knox will be tripped.
Custom recovery: http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-alpha/orig-development/recovery-twrp-2-8-clockworkmod-recovery-t2923587
Is there anything to reset knox like triangle away ?
I read a few threads about flashing stock firmware, what are modems and hidden.img ?
Which is better in terms of stability , battery, etc... kitkat or lollipop ?
And finally let's say I want to upgrade to stock lollipop using ODIN what are the steps to follow ?
sorry if these questions sound nooby .
Mazika2 said:
So I got a new galaxy alpha (850F) which is an amazing phone by the way but i have a few questions
1) I noticed that sometimes the signal drops to 0 bars for a few seconds then comes back again, is that normal because of the metal frame or what ?
2)How much does the battery take to charge ?
3) I am still on Kitkat 4.4.4 and the lollipop OTA hasn't arrived where I live yet (I don't think it's coming anytime soon) so what's the best course of action, should I stay on kitkat ? Which official rom can I flash using ODIN ? Is there a toolkit for rooting and installing a custom recovery ?
If there are tutorials for these things I'll be thankful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Issues were noticed on this subject, mainly with 4G network. I changed to 3G and I hadn't more missed calls. I think the problem is more related to inconstant network signal than to the phone itself.
2. With the original adapter is really fast comparing with my old device. I never counted but something like one hour or less.
3. There are people who prefers Kitkat over Lollipop due to better responsiveness. Mine came already with Lollipop so I haven't comparison. For now, I don't have the need to root with custom rom's, the Alpha is superb as it is (except for the annoying touch screen issue...)
Flash
Can I flash a SM G850F firmware on a SMG850M?
Mazika2 said:
Is there anything to reset knox like triangle away ?
I read a few threads about flashing stock firmware, what are modems and hidden.img ?
Which is better in terms of stability , battery, etc... kitkat or lollipop ?
And finally let's say I want to upgrade to stock lollipop using ODIN what are the steps to follow ?
sorry if these questions sound nooby .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Knox can't be resetted once it is tripped! Keep that in mind. In terms of stability and battery I would say they are the same. It depends mainly on your daily usage of the phone.
Steps to follow upgrading your firmware with odin can be found here: http://www.pocketpc.ch/samsung-galaxy-s6-s6-edge-root-und-rom/226170-anleitung-flashen-firmware-odin-samsung-galaxy-s6-edge-sm-g920f-g925f.html
danieldp1990 said:
Can I flash a SM G850F firmware on a SMG850M?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's complicated, for two reasons I know of, probably more.
1) I'm not sure the chipsets in the F and the M are the same. I know, for example, that the A is Snapdragon and the M is Exynos. I think the F is Exynos, too, but I'm not positive. You'd need the same chipsets for it to work.
2) It's likely the F and the M have different modems, so if you flash F firmware on an M, you may end up corrupting your EFS folder and blacklisting your phone's IMEI on your carrier. You'd need to find out exactly what frequencies the F supports and make sure the M supports them, too. I've read there is a way around this by somehow re-loading two modem files from your phone's original firmware after installing the other phone's firmware, but I've not found step-by-step instructions that are simple enough for me to understand.
Even if those two issues are resolved, it's still dicey. I really want to find SM-G850T firmware and flash it to my SM-G850M, so we are in a similar boat. I can't even find someone who owns a SM-G850T, let alone the firmware. (I did find a question posted on another Site by an individual who said they own a SM-G850T. Unfortunately, half a dozen emails to this individual have remained unanswered.
so here is what I'm planning on doing
1) while on kitkat I'll root with kingroot without tripping knox to backup the EFS folder
2)flash official 5.0.2 using odin
3) try lollipop then decide whether to stay on it or downgrade to kitkat
I just want to know some things before doing the steps above:
1) what are modems and hidden.img in official firmwares ?
2)after rooting on kitkat, can i flash lollipop directly or do i have to flash official kitkat firmware to unroot then upgrade to kitkat ?
I don't know the answers to your questions: I'm even noobier than you!
I do know that when my SM-G850M upgraded to Lollipop, I HATED it. It ran slower and was choppy in the display animations, it cut battery life by at least a third (with no change in anything after wiping the cache), and I especially hated the new color scheme. So, I went back to KitKat. Had to do a Factory Reset to get the phone out of bootloop, but it was fine after that. EXCEPT, the Lollipop downloader reminder stayed on there and I was not able to stop the app or clear the data (those options in the Application Manager were grayed out. So, I flashed the SM-G850M with KitKat firmware from the Dominican Republic (Orange). I read somewhere that Orange was not planning on releasing Lollipop for their Alpha, so I figured this firmware would be Lollipop Downloader Reminder-Free. So far, so good.

Need some general pointers about Custom ROM's

First I'd describe myself as a PC power user, but android Noob, I have no issues with actually doing things, and find the instructions provided, are all I need
My only previous android knowledge was Rooting and installing Custom ROM on a standard S3 Mini.
That allowed me full control, to remove 95% of the apps, (unwanted by me). It was a very easy process and I was happy with all, except screen size.
I'm a PC user, on my high end system 12 to 16 hours a day and know how that environment works, mobile has no great appeal for me. I simply want phone and browser, and apart from a few utilities and a basic notepad, need very little else.
I only use my mobile to read/write on forums like this, mostly concerned with modding PC Games, that's what eats all those hours on PC.
I'm not the typical mobile user, I just want full control of any device I use.
I bought a second hand S5 advertised as Stock and unlocked, which turned out locked to Vodafone, so I demanded it was unlocked. That wasn't possible, (sure it was, but at what price?).
I wasn't paying more for it, than the original price and was offered a brand new unlocked model, but it would be a contract phone unlocked. That for the price of the second hand model, seemed OK.
Then I find it's a T-Mobile and not the standard S5, which makes this process a lot more complicated. I've successfully Rooted the phone, but it's a stock ROM, now I'm looking for a Custom ROM, to allow me full control of the device.
All the T-Mobile/Google/Samsung Bloatware (95% of stock) is still there and uninstallable. A few other strange issues are present. Like Titanium Backup cant Write to my External SD, yet it's writable, FileManagerHD works fine.
So I want a basic custom ROM that gives me full control, I don't need to ask these basic questions on PC, I simply RTFM, but I'm unused to fighting for full control, I didn't even know that custom provider hardware was an issue, before this happened, I need some pointers as to where to look.
Any restrictions that I can't change, pretty basic stuff, but knowing what applies to the model i have, isn't so apparent, and I'm not 100% sure I even know all the specs to check, a link to where to find out is all I need, I can then RTFM and get on with making this device do what I want
The details I know make a difference are these
Current SIM = GiffGaff PAYG (Basic with no mobile data allowed, I will not even enter the required details)
Android version = 5.1.1
Baseband version = G900TUVU1FOG6
Root and StockROM = [ROOT/KERNEL] Root Method for FOG6 / 5.1.1 by ShinySide
Warranty and KNOX already voided, I don't care.
Thanks for reading to here, Let me know if more specs are required.
@Uhuru N'Uru I would highly recommend CyanogenMod 13, specifically, this version: http://forum.xda-developers.com/gal...t/4-4-4-cm11-rom-temaseks-unofficial-t2907450
In case you're confused by all the different S5 variants and development codenames, this device is klte
I just flashed Cyanogenmod 13 a couple days ago on my T-Mobile S5, and I am thrilled with it, so far it is working perfectly after 2 days of very heavy use and I have not found anything wrong with it. I have free wifi tethering now!
I downloaded it from here but I went with the latest tested release (cm-13.0-20151227-UNOFFICIAL-klte.zip), instead of a nightly build:
forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s5/unified-development/rom-cyanogenmod-13-0-android-6-0-t3237502
I'm not sure how it is different from the Temasek MM versions... Can someone explain whats the difference?
I spent hours deciding whether to stay with a custom 5.1.1 Lolipop or upgrade to 6.0.1 Marshmallow. I'm extremely happy with MM. My phone is awesome now, I had some bad lagging problems and was annoyed with all of the bloatware on the stock firmware.
Oh yeah and I have FOL1 baseband version. No idea what that means...
jkq1996 said:
I just flashed Cyanogenmod 13 a couple days ago on my T-Mobile S5, and I am thrilled with it, so far it is working perfectly after 2 days of very heavy use and I have not found anything wrong with it. I have free wifi tethering now!
I downloaded it from here but I went with the latest tested release (cm-13.0-20151227-UNOFFICIAL-klte.zip), instead of a nightly build:
forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s5/unified-development/rom-cyanogenmod-13-0-android-6-0-t3237502
I'm not sure how it is different from the Temasek MM versions... Can someone explain whats the difference?
I spent hours deciding whether to stay with a custom 5.1.1 Lolipop or upgrade to 6.0.1 Marshmallow. I'm extremely happy with MM. My phone is awesome now, I had some bad lagging problems and was annoyed with all of the bloatware on the stock firmware.
Oh yeah and I have FOL1 baseband version. No idea what that means...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Temasek version has more options (mostly but not all theming) in system settings (I also think it has better battery life but that could be me). FOL1 baseband just means you have the most recent modem and bootloader installed on your phone, it's a good thing
Ok actually after more days of heavy use, I have found a couple of things that aren't working right in CM13. GPS doesn't work correctly in Google Maps, and I can't get text suggestions to work (predicting the next word I will type). I guess I should start reading the 6920 posts in the CM13 thread and see if there are fixes...

No name android phones and CM

Hey guys,
Got on hands noname Chinese android phone with lollipop on board (even though it says 6.0.1 in settings) and MTK6580 quad processor, 3.10.72 kernel
can I somehow put cyanogen rom from another phone?
Yes, find another phone using that chip: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_devices_using_Mediatek_SoCs
Then go here: http://www.needrom.com and find THAT phone(s) and see if there is a custom rom for THAT phone also using the same kernal 3.10/3.12 etc
Download that rom and port it yourself using the boot.img from YOUR phone using this guide: https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/development/guide-how-to-port-lollipop-based-roms-t3223938
And get it at least booting on your phone, out of loads I've done on MTK phones, 95% boot up first time, 50% of those have no issues, the other 50% have issues with cameras/wifi/video/phone that can be fixed literally with trial and error of swapping files from your stock rom to the new rom, can take hours/days of trial and error or could take minutes.
Have fun
EDIT: try to use a custom rom from a brand you have at least kinda heard of, doogee, walton, infinix...etc to make it more likely to work well.
robneymcplum said:
Yes, find another phone using that chip: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_devices_using_Mediatek_SoCs
Then go here: http://www.needrom.com and find THAT phone(s) and see if there is a custom rom for THAT phone also using the same kernal 3.10/3.12 etc
Download that rom and port it yourself using the boot.img from YOUR phone using this guide: https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/development/guide-how-to-port-lollipop-based-roms-t3223938
And get it at least booting on your phone, out of loads I've done on MTK phones, 95% boot up first time, 50% of those have no issues, the other 50% have issues with cameras/wifi/video/phone that can be fixed literally with trial and error of swapping files from your stock rom to the new rom, can take hours/days of trial and error or could take minutes.
Have fun
EDIT: try to use a custom rom from a brand you have at least kinda heard of, doogee, walton, infinix...etc to make it more likely to work well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for your response!
After few hours of research I have found many ROMs that are applicable for my phone. The thing is, I want it to be and look as close to stock android as possible, and as close to most recent version as well.
But still I have few questions:
1)Am I right by saying that kernel 3.10.72 is suitable only for android 5.x?
2)Is it possible to put android 6.x or 7.x?
3)If it is do I need to ugrade kernel?
4)Is it possible to upgrade kernel?
I really hope it's not too much to ask from you.
Regards,
vant2239
Vant2239 said:
Thank you for your response!
After few hours of research I have found many ROMs that are applicable for my phone. The thing is, I want it to be and look as close to stock android as possible, and as close to most recent version as well.
But still I have few questions:
1)Am I right by saying that kernel 3.10.72 is suitable only for android 5.x?
2)Is it possible to put android 6.x or 7.x?
3)If it is do I need to ugrade kernel?
4)Is it possible to upgrade kernel?
I really hope it's not too much to ask from you.
Regards,
vant2239
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your phone is basically the same as mine, and sadly the kernal has to be the same for every custom ROM, there are no kernel sources so no custom kernels, which means we are both stuck with lollipop
The infinix hot 2 for example, is the same MTK chip and was released with lollipop and kernel 3.10 but then infinix released a stock marshmallow upgrade, with a stock 3.12 kernel so they could get a custom 6.0 rom which im 99% sure we will never get.
If you go here: http://www.needrom.com/author/robneymcplum/ this is me on there, where I have ported the best 5.1.1 roms with our kernel. You will need to port to your phone, which is literally just swapping about 10 files from your stock rom so make a backup of your stock rom or find stock firmware, and get the files from there and use the guide i already posted.
Hope this helps. And if you have never done it, its way, WAY easier than you think it might be

Shall I put on a custom ROM?

Hello dear Elephants, I'm really honoured to belong here because of my new Elephone S8. I really love the hardware but software is really buggy. So, referring to https://forum.xda-developers.com/elephone-s8/development/rom-elephone-s8-15-10-eragon-1-0-t3689359, is that a good idea to replace the firmware? If some of you is using this ROM, you can also provide me the pros and cons. Many thanks in advance!
If you're familiar with such things, going from stock to custom and back is pretty simple. Why not just give it a test drive?
I'm not so familiar. I've been flashing lots of ROMs in my lifetime but not into this particular device. Which method do I use to flash firmware?
Will I die, if I flash the Eragon ROM from Elephone's firmware update section?
If you're going to run a custom ROM, spending a couple of hours reading through the thread for that ROM might be worth your time, as it will contain the answers to many of your questions and possibly save you from some future troubles.
Thanks! Will do as you say.
I used eragon rom for a few months but the developer has withdrawn from the project and the latest version is not really stable. I had some network problems and some weeks ago I got problems with massive battery drain of about 15% per hour without any heavy usage. The only thing that helped was to go back to stock. Since then I'm on stock rom again and everything is fine now. I don't experience any major differences in performance.
Anyway I hope the developer will continue his work on the S8 and eragon rom in the future, at least if android 8 will be released.
How to revert back to Stock Rom? (From Eragon)
the steve said:
I used eragon rom for a few months but the developer has withdrawn from the project and the latest version is not really stable. I had some network problems and some weeks ago I got problems with massive battery drain of about 15% per hour without any heavy usage. The only thing that helped was to go back to stock. Since then I'm on stock rom again and everything is fine now. I don't experience any major differences in performance.
Anyway I hope the developer will continue his work on the S8 and eragon rom in the future, at least if android 8 will be released.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi there, May i know how you managed to flash back stock rom? Im using Eragon Rom now and wish to revert back to stock.
Any help will be much appreciated.
Mfbnr said:
Hi there, May i know how you managed to flash back stock rom? Im using Eragon Rom now and wish to revert back to stock.
Any help will be much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can download the latest stock version here:
https://bbs.elephone.hk/forum.php?m...ra=page=1&filter=typeid&typeid=151&typeid=151
Unpack the rar file and load the scatter file with flashtool. Be careful which boxes are checked in the list. I accidently deleted all data (including external memory) from the phone because this option was checked by default!
Edit: I have corrected the link above, the first one did not work.
You can also download on Mega with the following link:
https://mega.nz/#!4rZX0TZY!Uqsg-btlZeMjDT9-jZDlf3yZfDNAjA7bVUe75xlckPw

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