[Q] Should I risk a custom ROM and Kernel? - Optimus One, P500, V General

Hey all,
Today, I'll be picking up my new P500, after deciding to get a phone before my trip away.
I was considering flashing franco's rom and kernel combo, but seeing as I leave tomorrow, would it be worth the risk? This would be my first attempt at anything like this, and while I know I can get it to work eventually, would the benefits outway the risk of not having a proper functioning phone in time for my trip?
I'd be using my phone for video and music playback, and some pic taking, while keeping me connected to Facebook the whole time, if my priorities make a difference.

if u are good with nerd stuff, do it.
or stay away! u wud end up asking ur friend for a spare phone

with this phone yes absolutely it makes a amazing performance difference with the right ROM and kernels

The answer: YES.
It's pretty easy, root with gingerbreak, install a recovery, make a nandroid and that's it! Now jflash a nice rom/kernel combo and you will benefit of a much better battery life and performance overall. Enjoy!
Btw, welcome to the party here

sure the feeling of constant crashes and a bricked phone (that used to work perfectly on stock) is awesome.

I suggest this:
use your stock phone for a little while, get used to it, and then flash a custom rom and see the differences; you won't want to go back again

22VIN said:
I suggest this:
use your stock phone for a little while, get used to it, and then flash a custom rom and see the differences; you won't want to go back again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, it's the better thing IMHO... I used the stock ROM for about two weeks, then i tried to flash some custom kernels and then i flashed a new rom...

onlymeipse said:
Yeah, it's the better thing IMHO... I used the stock ROM for about two weeks, then i tried to flash some custom kernels and then i flashed a new rom...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+ 1. You will find the diff only after you use the stock, other-wise you may not like it.

nikhil4186 said:
sure the feeling of constant crashes and a bricked phone (that used to work perfectly on stock) is awesome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never had a single crash on my O1 since at least 3 months. You must be getting something (or everything) wrong.

Vip_blast said:
I've never had a single crash on my O1 since at least 3 months. You must be getting something (or everything) wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well that depends on how many beta things you try

Go, no problem at all, it's easy. You can try what you want and you can always come back.

It's good to install a custom ROM and Kernel, I use [ROM] devoid. #froyo-final & franco kernel. Very fast, smooth .

If you just get the phone new, I will recommend your stay with the original firmware. That way you dont have to worry about it during your trip, and you will have something to reference to when you try the custom ROM/kernel later.

Okay, here's my personal opinion. Having bought my Optimus T (P509) brand new in November the week it came out, I had no option but to keep the original firmware for a while. It's not that bad. It's very stable, and it honestly isn't that slow. I was only getting about 460 on my quadrant, and I was disappointed, but quadrant has come to mean nothing. Despite my consistent 1000+ quadrant scores on other ROM's, I was disappointed with the appearance. Appearance has come to mean almost everything to me now. This all being said, I would advise keeping the stock for a while and messing with ADW Launcher (found in the market for free) and some of it's themes. Although it's totally worth the minimal risk of bricking, as has been previously stated, you'll fully appreciate custom ROM's more if you keep the original ROM for a time.

Go Launcher Ex will give you a great overhaul as well on stock ROM.

now day it is very easy to:
1. root Use GingerBreak, just click and click reboot, all done.
2. Install recovery, For 1st recovery u can use ungaze zip and terminal emulator with very short command for Amonra, or use Rom manager to install CwM.
3. Flashing Custom Rom, just go to recovery Wipe all and then Flash it.
its just take 1-2 hour to finish that... very different with me when i install Custom Recovery on Last Feb... you must use ADB.

cupliz said:
now day it is very easy to:
1. root Use GingerBreak, just click and click reboot, all done.
2. Install recovery, For 1st recovery u can use ungaze zip and terminal emulator with very short command for Amonra, or use Rom manager to install CwM.
3. Flashing Custom Rom, just go to recovery Wipe all and then Flash it.
its just take 1-2 hour to finish that... very different with me when i install Custom Recovery on Last Feb... you must use ADB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well yes it is, but the main idea is that he won't understand the pros and cons of a custom rom if he doesn't get to really know his stock phone.
For example when I bought my phone I couldn't find a reason to mod it. I was coming from Symbian & WinMo and I was perfectly happy with the phone the way it was; only after I got bored with it and got tired with it being rather slow I decided to mod it and I could perfectly see and understand all the differences.
Why am I telling this? Because he's asking if he should risk moding it. The answer is no, you shouldn't risk this if you're happy with it the way it is now and if you can't tell all the differences and improvements.

Grow some balls and do it ours worth out trust new lol
Sent from my LG-P500 using XDA Premium App

22VIN said:
Well that depends on how many beta things you try
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And how about I have tried almost all of them? I'm even testing Ciaox's ThunderSense Rom. We're not talking about testing here, he isn't here to be a beta tester. He can just use stable roms like devoid.final and enjoy his phone.
And yes I do agree, he should use his phone for some time before rooting to really feel the benefits of customs, unless he already had an android phone before.

Related

[Q] New Optimus One owner, questions for the Gurus.

Hi Team recently grabbed one of these as an upgrade from my old Huawei phone that i smashed.
Some questions i was keen to know...(before the fone arrives)
If it comes with 2.2.1 will i have to downgrade to install a custom rom? or can most custom roms work with 2.2.1, i searched for some info but no dice sorry
I will most prob use Z4 to root (if it supports 2.2.1) else ill use SuperOneClick??
ROM CHOICE...
Seems where pretty spoilt here, my old fone had maybe 4 custom roms, i dont know where to start here!
Megatron seems to be what ive read most people running, im looking for a slight speed increase, bloatware removal, and optimized battery life, am i looking at the right rom for my needs?
Anyone who can spit me off some answers... Thank You
Viva
Z4root will do the job quite nicely .. you should take a look @ devoid rom definitely .
Sent from my LG-P500 using XDA Premium App
Vivasanti said:
If it comes with 2.2.1 will i have to downgrade to install a custom rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For now, yes. Android 2.2.1 is still unrootable. Without root you can't install custom recovery and without custom recovery you can't install custom ROMs.
I will most prob use Z4 to root (if it supports 2.2.1) else ill use SuperOneClick??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. But z4root should work.
ROM CHOICE...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Void or devoid. Void still has some google apps. I find most of them to be useful, not bloatware. Devoid is completely stripped of everything that is not absolutely necessary for the phone to function. I haven't used devoid.
Void has control over CPU overclock and hardware acceleration, and you can disable them if you need more battery life.
Don't worry; you'll learn how to do a nandroid backup using the custom recovery and you will be able to test any ROM. If you're unhappy with it, restore the backup to your previous one.
z4root works great on 2.2. As far as I know there are no rooting techniques that work for 2.2.1 so if you phone comes with that version, you will have to downgrade before rooting. Then after rooting, install the custom recovery and start flashing ROMs.
I think that void is the best general-use ROM out there, although I've now started with devoid and built up the things that I needed and I like having just what I need and nothing else.
Agree with the previous poster that using nandroid backups it is possible to have multiple ROMs stored on your SD card that you can switch back and forth between. It's a pretty amazing feeling to be able to triple boot three (or more!) different versions of an operating system on one device.
My best ROM+kernel combo is : Void without any modules installed ( the google apps you want you can just get them from market ) + Der-Cavemen's kernel . I do not use a2sd thus I did not make an ext partition and everything works perfectly . Actually I just couldn't ask for more.... well I could be asking for the 2.3.3 update
Thanks for the replies guys, means alot!
Ok Void sounds great as long as its got some over clocking options, also i was worried about losing the LG turn by turn navigation app that comes with the phone, is this easily installed again or is this left intact in this rom being talked about??
As far as downgrading ill have to wait for the phone to arrive to check what its running , if i have to this will be the most part im worried about as ive never done that before and ill have to find some 2.2 firmware for New Zealand which is where im from, can someone point me to a simplistic guide?
Thanks once again team !
Viva
When I install void rom will I have only english language, or my national (polish)?
OK reading about void has scared me, not used to installing roms that complicated!
might just go for something a tad easier?
Ubuntdroid is one of my faves
Sent from my LG-P509 using XDA Premium App
Vivasanti said:
OK reading about void has scared me, not used to installing roms that complicated!
might just go for something a tad easier?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
its not really complicated at all, just flash like any other normal rom, and create some folders with some reboots in between.thats all.
Layio said:
When I install void rom will I have only english language, or my national (polish)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will have all languages available in Android, Polish included
Vivasanti said:
OK reading about void has scared me, not used to installing roms that complicated!
might just go for something a tad easier?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Installing void looks so complicated because it includes all the steps starting with downgrade, installing custom recovery and so on. Those are steps which you have to take anyway, no matter what custom ROM you settle for. So don't be scared, just read everything really careful before applying and you're gonna be fine.
[This stays between the two of us : void was the first (and only) custom ROM I have ever flashed, one week after I got my phone. I never had an Android phone before and I didn't know anything about all this stuff, yet everything worked perfect. Think positive!]
Thanks man, after reading through the Void instructions im def gona give it a whirl, ive installed quite a few roms before but never had to do the folder thing, not even sure if i have to downgrade yet till my fone arrives which will hopefully be tomoro?
Heres hoping its 2.2 and not 2.2.1,
thanks for all the help guys
I've used the stock rom for some time, and it worked sweet, so if you're not so sure about custom roms, just root and get the custom recovery on your stock rom, make a nand bkp, than start playing. Android os is a pretty neat os, but still complex, you'll probably wanna do some readin' on how it works before start messing around with it. You should pay attention in getting the right drivers for your pc (that could be complicated as the LG drivers for adb are pretty unstable on windows), and get into some adb working, it will allow you to do pretty EVERYTHING with your phone.
If you're afraid to loose the warranty, you should know this: the service knows you messed up with the os by seeing your custom recovery installed (of course the custom roms too, but it's logic that you'll get that one out once you decide to take the phone to service). So best/easy thing to do when you take your device to service using the warranty is to upgrade it to 2.2.2 via LG Updater (you downgraded to install custom roms, remember?). This will erase the bootloader and recovery to the stock ones, and guys from service will never know you messed that up.
Fell free to ask anything else, i'll think of more advices and write them.
Thanks for the advice, this is my 2nd android phone, ive installed alot of custom roms, i also have the Android SDK kit on my comp here ive pushed a few boot animations via ADB im pretty sure ill be fine
just never had to downgrade a firmware before as my old huawei fone was stuck on 2.1 and that was it
ccdreadcc said:
its not really complicated at all, just flash like any other normal rom, and create some folders with some reboots in between.thats all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Beware though, I lost everything when installing it, photos, contacts, the lot.
I'm sure there's a way of saving them but I can't work it out.
It's the one thing putting me off trying other ROMs
Err well i hope i dont lose my contacts there saved to the sim!
ive never had this happen.
Who told u will lose sim contacts.?¿
ccdreadcc said:
Who told u will lose sim contacts.?¿
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd said I lost all my contacts, I wasn't clear as to where they were stored, presumably not on the SIM
Vivasanti said:
Err well i hope i dont lose my contacts there saved to the sim!
ive never had this happen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can backup your contacts on PC before attempting the custom ROM flash. There are various ways of doing that: using LG PCSuite, using MyPhoneExplorer, using the export functions in Contacts etc. But if your contacts are stored in the SIM card, you won't lose them.

best optimus one rom

Hi all, i just have my second phone, and that's optimus one.
i just have this yesterday. (primary phone is desire)
anyways im having a hard time to choose what rom to apply,
there's a lot of rom,
so can you suggest what rom should i use, stability wise and speed.
GB and CM 7 are not yet polished but i want to tv out feature of GB, is there is 2.2 theme for that?
i believe the best 2.2 rom is the void e, but upon reading the thread, some people got bootloop.
and since im new to this phone, it's 2.2.1, so i need to downgrade,
and i have to ask this, what are the reasons to make this phone brick?
in spica the only thing that will make it brick is when your change bootloader screen and it is too big, then bye bye spica,
for this phone what are the causes of brick?
i hope you can help me out, im new to this phone,
thanks in advance, viva, long love, mabuhay optimus one
cmangalos said:
Hi all, i just have my second phone, and that's optimus one.
i just have this yesterday. (primary phone is desire)
anyways im having a hard time to choose what rom to apply,
there's a lot of rom,
so can you suggest what rom should i use, stability wise and speed.
GB and CM 7 are not yet polished but i want to tv out feature of GB, is there is 2.2 theme for that?
i believe the best 2.2 rom is the void e, but upon reading the thread, some people got bootloop.
and since im new to this phone, it's 2.2.1, so i need to downgrade,
and i have to ask this, what are the reasons to make this phone brick?
in spica the only thing that will make it brick is when your change bootloader screen and it is too big, then bye bye spica,
for this phone what are the causes of brick?
i hope you can help me out, im new to this phone,
thanks in advance, viva, long love, mabuhay optimus one
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
u can brick if u do sth wrong (turning off when flashing etc) without a custom recovery.
with custom recovery, you can reflash and stuph. the only step when u flash without recovery is the KDZ, which has the highest risk. beware.
I recommend CM7. its awesome.
cmangalos said:
for this phone what are the causes of brick?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Read this thread completely. you will get an idea about the various circumstances which can brick your phone
[HOWTO] Phone not responding at all - last chance to repair
Also read the following thread if you are planning to downgrade and root your phone
[HOWTO] Rooting, Installing - Android SDK, Custom Recovery, Custom ROM's
For Optimus One I sugest Void Echo or LOL 1.4 ROM.
i would go with CM7 by mik . it has great battery life now i am on 45% from 48 hrs which is the most important in all roms while cm7 itself says what great in that rom .
just try it just be sure to follow steps properly to avoid any unwanted probs
I think the best is CM7 by Mik.
I like LOL 1.4.2 better than void echo. Void didn't like my phone. The tweaks from francisco seem to work fine. Dalvik cache to ram script seems to work fine too. (pretty sure it's there since it's being rebuilt every boot.)
Those are the only roms I tried though.
Sent from my LG-P500 using XDA Premium App
Best ROM would probably be an overclocked and rooted stock rom. Just my opinion
cm7 by mik beta6 ftw
if you want a rock solid go with void echo.i think ciaox is cooking something awesome go to androidworld.it use google translator...seeing the change log its pretty epic.
i have a recovery, so am free from brick?
also is there instance that after boot loop or something, recovery cant be access, via 3 button combo?
CM7 by mik_os, and there is Prime, Megatron, and Void/Devoid, which are froyo roms, but nice nonetheless.
cmangalos said:
i have a recovery, so am free from brick?
also is there instance that after boot loop or something, recovery cant be access, via 3 button combo?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No mate. Having recovery doesn't mean you are safe from bricks. Mention here what do you wanna do with your phone, we all here will help you at each and every instance ;-)
Sent from my LG-P500 using XDA Premium App

[Q] Just rooted.. now what?

I just rooted my samsung vibrant, galaxy S series, and Umm.. well what do I do now?
What can I do now that Im rooted? I did get a custom ROM, but is there really anything else?
DaClowns said:
I just rooted my samsung vibrant, galaxy S series, and Umm.. well what do I do now?
What can I do now that Im rooted? I did get a custom ROM, but is there really anything else?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, nothing else. Only custom ROMs and radios. It really isn't worth the hassle of rooting an Android device. Especially if said Android device works perfectly fine as is.
There are a few apps that require rooting and you'd be able to use those. But they can be lived without.
How about applying a custom bootscreen & also a custom splash screen? Or trying out a new launcher?
Sent via my pimped out Desire HD using Tapatalk
you dont need to root your phone to change your launcher. just install it
there are apps that allow you to change your boot animation (you need to be rooted of course)
as for the splash screen, im not sure if that can be changed
edit: just found out how to change the splash screen (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1170965), but i dont think your phone is supported
Put your phone in airplane mode and throw it up in the air
Try a new kernel
Try a new modem
Try a new boot animation
Try ad free in the market
Try overclocking
Try undervolting
Try rom manager and root explorer
Try whatever you want, because now you can.
Oh, obligatory Try CM7 / MIUI ROM's & all the rom's that are better than stock!
s15274n said:
Try a new kernel
Try a new modem
Try a new boot animation
Try ad free in the market
Try overclocking
Try undervolting
Try rom manager and root explorer
Try whatever you want, because now you can.
Oh, obligatory Try CM7 / MIUI ROM's & all the rom's that are better than stock!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what he said lol
DaClowns said:
I just rooted my samsung vibrant, galaxy S series, and Umm.. well what do I do now?
What can I do now that Im rooted? I did get a custom ROM, but is there really anything else?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go insane with flashing to a point where your phone gets bricked...jk...you can flash different kernel, themes, boot animations, flash modems, flash radios, travel to mars, transform into iphone or steve jobs....and god knows what else can you do with rooted phone...
tether for freeee
MartyLK said:
No, nothing else. Only custom ROMs and radios. It really isn't worth the hassle of rooting an Android device. Especially if said Android device works perfectly fine as is.
There are a few apps that require rooting and you'd be able to use those. But they can be lived without.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When the vibrant came out of the box it was not perfectly fine lol
Flash a new rom and try some cool stuff
Vibrant+MIUI
I suggest reading up a bit, for maybe a few days or even a week first. Make sure you feel comfortable with what you're going to do FIRST.
If you really want to be extra safe, but a jig too (I got one for less than $10, google it or search the forums.)
Nothing feels worse than that moment of uhoh.. what did I do?
Read up, follow instructions (get the jig too) and enjoy the Vibrant for what it can really do, which is so much more than stock.
Don't rush into flashing things when you don't really get the jist of how to correctly do it. Trust me.. I did, and I REALLY messed up badly. I was just too excited. Definitely check out some new ROMS and kernels. Really ups the experience

[Q] Just got my SII - which ROM should I chose?

I am brand new
Which ROM?
R there any ICS ones?
WOuld love to hear ur thoughts
Thank you
Seriously, if you don't know whether or not there's even an ICS ROM available yet, maybe you shouldn't be flashing a $600+ phone, yeah? Or, you know... use the search tool?
screamworks said:
Seriously, if you don't know whether or not there's even an ICS ROM available yet, maybe you shouldn't be flashing a $600+ phone, yeah? Or, you know... use the search tool?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will do. Thanks!
screamworks said:
Seriously, if you don't know whether or not there's even an ICS ROM available yet, maybe you shouldn't be flashing a $600+ phone, yeah? Or, you know... use the search tool?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
you should try with stock rom for a while, start reading about flashing roms and you will be ready to flash
I know it's annoying to have to wait, but it's better to do it, than wind up with a potentially ruined device.
@benyben123
I suggest trying out Checkrom 4.0. It is very stable
Stock ROM but ROOTED and your' good to go..................friendly recommendation
Dude, if You just got Your phone and don't know what rom to choose at first learn the device. You don't need neither custom rom nor root. These are just addons for great device. It's common that people don't use their device but play with it and it ends badly. You assumed that any rom is good apart from stock but stock rom is very good. Also You don't need to root it instantly. Some say that "phone is unusable in non rooted state" - it's bull s**t. Apps that require root are designed to meet very specific needs, not for regular users. It's because android is veery advanced and allow many things without administrator privileges (this is not an iphone !). Remember - people think that root is "something everyone should do at once" - no it's not, and it's very dangerous in hands of unexperienced user. One false move with root privileges and You will start learning many things about flashing at once just to recover your device. Also remember that this is not another "application privilege". App with root privs is capable of wiping entire system in a seconds including IMEI data etc.
It's really friendly advice - leave Your phone as it is for now, learn how it works, install some apps and read as much as You can. Then You will know what your device is capable of and what can be achieved by rooting / flashing kernels or roms. Flashing without a reason, just for fun is stupid and ends with full pants.
Regards
Slig
Thank you all for all your responses!!! Much appreciated!!!
Official MIUI without a doubt. The best ROM I've used on any device.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Fredriksen said:
Official MIUI without a doubt. The best ROM I've used on any device.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But is MIUI even supported? Isn't it ported (which means its not so good, but only kinda?)
benyben123 said:
But is MIUI even supported? Isn't it ported (which means its not so good, but only kinda?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...another thing worth to read about. What do You mean by supported ? It's supported by it's designers.
For SGS2 we have custom ROMs like CheckROM - modified Samsung officials, added some tweaks, apps, removed less usable apps. And ROMs like MIUI or CyanogenMod - they are AOSP (android open source project) and have little in common with Samsung official firmware, ex. no TouchWiz so some Samsung specific apps will not work on them. According to Wikipedia - MIUI is based on CM7.1 sources.
MIUI is not "ported", it's prepared for many devices including SGS2.
Don't do *anything* until you've done a *lot* of reading. Enjoy the phone. It's a fantastic device simply running stock firmware.
Once you're comfortable enough to be able to do it in your sleep (And not before. If you have to ask questions about this, you're not ready. It is an absolutely simple process), root your phone using a CFRoot kernel.
This will enable you to remove/freeze all the crap telcos/Samsung put on the phone and all the other joyful things that come with having a rooted phone. And do a lot more reading. Only this time read the threads devoted to the various roms/kernels. Read other users experiences with these. The features. Pluses. Downsides. Ask specific questions about them in these threads.
From there, you can make an informed decision about a rom/kernel combo to try. Believe me, if you do a couple of weeks of reading/research before you do anything, you'll reap the rewards.
If you jump in the deep end without understanding what you're doing, you could end up with a soft brick that might take you a few days to fix at best. Or returning the phone to Samsung /potentially having to pay to have it repaired out of your own pocket at worst.
Just a few things to consider

First time installing a custom ROM, I need some hand holding

Hey folks.
The S4 is my first smartphone. Ever. I rooted it a few weeks ago and have been playing with different tools and utilities. I love the extra control it gives me.
Been using Smartlauncher Pro as my launcher as well, but it doesn't give me the customization I want. I dig the UI though, it's minimalist just the way I like.
I've been keeping my eye out for ROM's I can try out, and I think I want to try Cynogen for the S4. However, I am terrified of destroying my investment. I've read horror stories of flashes gone wrong... I don't want to permanently brick my device.
Is there anyone here who can hold my hand while I install my ROM? I seriously have no idea what I'm doing, instructions or no.
...I sound so pathetic right now.
Thanks folks.
shaddz said:
Hey folks.
The S4 is my first smartphone. Ever. I rooted it a few weeks ago and have been playing with different tools and utilities. I love the extra control it gives me.
Been using Smartlauncher Pro as my launcher as well, but it doesn't give me the customization I want. I dig the UI though, it's minimalist just the way I like.
I've been keeping my eye out for ROM's I can try out, and I think I want to try Cynogen for the S4. However, I am terrified of destroying my investment. I've read horror stories of flashes gone wrong... I don't want to permanently brick my device.
Is there anyone here who can hold my hand while I install my ROM? I seriously have no idea what I'm doing, instructions or no.
...I sound so pathetic right now.
Thanks folks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have a custom recovery installed like TWRP or CWM? If you do all you need to do is download the rom (I put them on ext sd)....and gapps if your flashing cyanogen, boot into recovery, make a backup (I put this on my ext sd card too), wipe, flash rom, flash gapps and reboot.
shaddz said:
Hey folks.
The S4 is my first smartphone. Ever. I rooted it a few weeks ago and have been playing with different tools and utilities. I love the extra control it gives me.
Been using Smartlauncher Pro as my launcher as well, but it doesn't give me the customization I want. I dig the UI though, it's minimalist just the way I like.
I've been keeping my eye out for ROM's I can try out, and I think I want to try Cynogen for the S4. However, I am terrified of destroying my investment. I've read horror stories of flashes gone wrong... I don't want to permanently brick my device.
Is there anyone here who can hold my hand while I install my ROM? I seriously have no idea what I'm doing, instructions or no.
...I sound so pathetic right now.
Thanks folks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi!
The first thing you need to find out is what build number you have. This will tell you if you are able to root and install recovery in order to put a new rom on the phone. Do NOT update your phone by the over the air update that is currently available! To find your build number go to settings: the more tab: about phone, then scroll down. If you have JDQ39.I545VRUAME7 then you are in the same boat as many of us and accidently did the upgrade which at this moment has no way to root. If you haven't done the upgrade than you need to find one of the many threads on here that will walk you through the process.
Hope this helps some, there are others on here that can give you a much more detailed walkthrough of how to root if you are on the correct older build.
The best advice I can give is to read the entire original post (OP) for the ROM you like, and as much of the thread as you can. 9 times out of 10 when someone has a problem with the ROM it's been discussed, and is often listed in the OP. Usually there are step by step instructions on installing the ROM. I believe there's a general ROM flashing guide in this forum somewhere as well.
Good luck and have fun :good:
Questions and help issues go in Q&A and Help section
Thread moved
FNM
shaddz said:
Hey folks.
The S4 is my first smartphone. Ever. I rooted it a few weeks ago and have been playing with different tools and utilities. I love the extra control it gives me.
Been using Smartlauncher Pro as my launcher as well, but it doesn't give me the customization I want. I dig the UI though, it's minimalist just the way I like.
I've been keeping my eye out for ROM's I can try out, and I think I want to try Cynogen for the S4. However, I am terrified of destroying my investment. I've read horror stories of flashes gone wrong... I don't want to permanently brick my device.
Is there anyone here who can hold my hand while I install my ROM? I seriously have no idea what I'm doing, instructions or no.
...I sound so pathetic right now.
Thanks folks.
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Click to collapse
You need to start reading, period.
srphoenix said:
Hi!
The first thing you need to find out is what build number you have. This will tell you if you are able to root and install recovery in order to put a new rom on the phone. Do NOT update your phone by the over the air update that is currently available! To find your build number go to settings: the more tab: about phone, then scroll down. If you have JDQ39.I545VRUAME7 then you are in the same boat as many of us and accidently did the upgrade which at this moment has no way to root. If you haven't done the upgrade than you need to find one of the many threads on here that will walk you through the process.
Hope this helps some, there are others on here that can give you a much more detailed walkthrough of how to root if you are on the correct older build.
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JDQ39.I545VRUAMDK is the version I have. I froze the updater using Titanium a couple weeks ago... And my phone is already rooted.
shaddz said:
JDQ39.I545VRUAMDK is the version I have. I froze the updater using Titanium a couple weeks ago... And my phone is already rooted.
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Click to collapse
That's good! You haven't been updated which means you can still flash ROMs. Are you familiar with both types of ROMs, TouchWiz and AOSP? CyanogenMod is an AOSP ROM, which will be completely different from what you're running right now, TouchWiz. You're rooted, but have you installed a custom recovery? You need one to flash ROM's, either TWRP or CWM. You can also make a nandroid backup in recovery, and if anything goes wrong, you can go back to exactly how you are now. Definitely read the OP of the ROM thread multiple times and follow the flashing instructions correctly.
thesoldier said:
That's good! You haven't been updated which means you can still flash ROMs. Are you familiar with both types of ROMs, TouchWiz and AOSP? CyanogenMod is an AOSP ROM, which will be completely different from what you're running right now, TouchWiz. You're rooted, but have you installed a custom recovery? You need one to flash ROM's, either TWRP or CWM. You can also make a nandroid backup in recovery, and if anything goes wrong, you can go back to exactly how you are now. Definitely read the OP of the ROM thread multiple times and follow the flashing instructions correctly.
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Okay, I just made a full phone backup using GooManager/TWRP.
Now for the next step...
shaddz said:
Okay, I just made a full phone backup using GooManager/TWRP.
Now for the next step...
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Click to collapse
If anything goes wrong with the flash in the next step, go to restore and you'll be back to how you are now.
Did you download the ROM to your phone along with Gapps? For AOSP Roms you need a separate gapps package, which is Google apps.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
thesoldier said:
If anything goes wrong with the flash in the next step, go to restore and you'll be back to how you are now.
Did you download the ROM to your phone along with Gapps? For AOSP Roms you need a separate gapps package, which is Google apps.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
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I just started the download for gapps package using Goomanager.
I checked out the Cyanogenmod site, apparently there's no stable versions for the VZW GS4?
Oh wells, flash anyway! That's what I do!
Worst case scenario, you have to use Odin to get back to stock. I used to keep a nandroid on my PC for just in case scenarios as well. One time on my GNex I flashed something really bad and had to adb pull everything off my phone, wipe the whole thing, and start over.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
jova33 said:
Oh wells, flash anyway! That's what I do!
Worst case scenario, you have to use Odin to get back to stock. I used to keep a nandroid on my PC for just in case scenarios as well. One time on my GNex I flashed something really bad and had to adb pull everything off my phone, wipe the whole thing, and start over.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Click to expand...
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Downloading the most recent nightly.
What do I do to get it on here?
shaddz said:
Downloading the most recent nightly.
What do I do to get it on here?
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Click to collapse
Yeah you'll have to download a nightly, I don't think there are any stable versions out yet. Are you downloading it directly on your phone? Or on your PC?
Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Thread cleaned of useless comments.
Thread is also closed - as XDA, even though full of helpful and nice people, is not a direct support site.
Users are expected to do some reading before they post and blatantly ask for hand holding. And, as you have seen, other users have a tendency to not be so nice and make trolling comments because of that.
This is a development site and is about development - so, please, study up first, then post questions based from what you have learned.

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