I have been checking out these forums now for at least the last month trying to garner all the information that I can from those of you who seem to know a whole lot about this tablet. I am a tinkerer and I love to take things apart to see how they work and put them back together so that they work better than they did before. In this case I won’t be physically taking the tablet apart but metaphorically I am by messing with the software. I have been playing with computer and consoles for years so I’m not easily intimidated by the android software. I am a fast learner and therefore once I see something done once I can usually learn the process quickly. But before I dive into this thing I have some questions. I would like to note that I did search the forums but was unable to find a thread that directly covered my questions so please be patient with me if it has already been answered.
My first question:
I haven’t seen a step by step piece of instruction that covers the reflashing process from start to finish. I’ve found it in bits and pieces but in no particular order. So what’s the order and why?
Second Question:
I’ve seen several posts asking which ROM is the best ROM and for the most part the answers are all the same. “Your choice of ROM is relative to what you want to use it for”. One isn’t better than the other overall, but it may excel better than others for certain uses. So my question is, what are the uses for each ROM? What does each ROM do that makes it preferable over another?
Fourth Question:
How does the Kernel work? Does the kernel get changed with the flash of the new ROM or do you have to do it independently? How do you choose the kernel? Is there a kernel/ROM combination that’s optimal? If I choose a certain ROM, is there a particular kernel that I should get to go with it?
Third Question:
Can someone explain partitioning? Is it necessary? What are the benefits? When should I do it if I need to? I’ve read that this tablet doesn’t like the partitioning that comes with the stock ROM. Can someone shed some light on this for me?
Last question:
Will flashing a new ROM fix the Bluetooth pairing issue? Or any of the other issues that exist on the stock ROM.
I apologize if these questions are redundant any advice is appreciated.
My ultimate goal is to be able to use the tablet with my cell phone and be a completely mobile multimedia device. (Xvid, Mp3, Avi, Netflix, Android Market, Etc.)
My appologies, maybe "reflashing" wasn't the proper terminology to use. What I meant was a step by step block of instruction to flash the tablet with a modified ROM. I would also like to know why you do each step and why they must be done in that order. This helps me learn the process rather than memorizing it. Kinda like when I was in school. I could cram for an exam by memorizing the information but learned nothing from it because I didn't retain the information. But if I studied and learned the who, when, why, and how, I retained the information and understood the subject as a whole. I know my request seems a bit anal and definitly redundant in these forums, but no one has actually put together a complete walkthrough on how to do this and why. If it was approached like teaching a class, I'm sure it would cut down on all these redundant questions and stickied for future use. I would like to note that there is a tone of great information in these forums and some hard work put into the stickied FAQ's. It's just an idea. Let me know what you guys think when you respond to my questions. -Thanks, DarkHorse281.
If netflix is a deal breaker then your limited to CM7. Although I believe a couple of Roebeet's 1.2 mods have semi functional netflix hacks.
I'm understanding "reflashing" to be getting back to stock. For that you want nvflash:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=861950
Different roms have their strengths. I believe a video review of all roms is stickied. I like mods based on tnt, which are Froyo, and incorporate some tablet oriented UI elements.
Kernels are often included with mods, but you can change the kernel on it's own as well.
You do want to partition, it's critical.
You probably have read this, but if not it's a good overview
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=865245
Related
Well, currently we've got something that doesn't fall short of a horrible mass of Sticky threads; and with the explosion of ROM development possibilities; I propose a new forums entitled WM2006 (or something to the effect) where all efforts related purely to ROM upgrading etc, and less technical stuff can be posted; sure the lines would blue at times, but I think it'd balance out the mass of stuff nicely in much a similar way as has been done with the Himalaya forums.
On a different note... I will be cooking my own ROM which I intend to base upon WM6 Vanilla, but undoubtedly with features borrowed from Kyphur's release, except I intend to provide it with zero-branding since I utterly can't stand any form of branding on a phone personally other than the OS being presented the way in which God intended
What I *will* be doing however is kitting it out with a selection of applications and tools that would prove useful on the phone, so if people have suggestions, I'm all ears.
also... while I'm at it; is it safe to use the BuildImgFs.exe to build a ROM from the dump folder? cheers in advance for an answer to that one... since I *think* MakeImgFs just cleverly invokes AddFile.exe I reckon it'll work.
I was going to mention the sticky issue myself. At 1280x1024 the stickies pretty much take up the whole screen.
About the ROM cooking - are you sure you don't want to wait until kyphur releases the final vanilla ROM? It should be a lot more stable than a beta (obviously) and it wouldn't have all the weird issues like WiFi on/off only displaying "on," et cetera.
As for possible applications, since you'll probably cook it anyway (I know I would if I had the time) I think including the Widcomm stack would be extremely beneficial. I realize it's not a trivial task, but you did ask for suggestions... And, yes, I realize it's not technically an application
I think the wiki should be used for most of the things that are stickies now. Heh, what we need is a question to post a message to the forums. A question that the answer can be found in the wiki to... encourage.. people to read that first before posting stupid questions.
"How many stupid people does it take to make a brick?"
Too easy.. but I'm sure they'll find out the hard way.
Maz
http://maz.net.au/
awe c'mon maz have a heart. we have to laugh at someone. and those chosen few just so happens to be the ones that dont like reading 70 pages of useful information.
They're not even my threads and I get frustrated with the people registering to say "I flahs you rom and now it not wokr no more. How do i fix???!?!?!?!?" in something like the technical gps thread. I'm too polite to reply with, "You get that brick there, and shove it right up your...." like someone should. It's not like the thing is going to get any more rooted in the few days it'll take them to read the wiki and threads.
Cheers.
Maz
http://maz.net.au/
I should make this into a proper sig.
I'll update the wiki with some information on the sticky threads and remove some of them soon.
I am totally new to both GTablet and also when it comes to ROM stuff!!
As I read through the thread more than 90% of users have a custom rom, vegan... etc.. No one seems to be using the default.
So my questions are
Should I root to get a different ROM?
If yes, Which should I get?
How? Post a link or sth
What are the advantages? Disadvantages?
Thanks in advance
Djapatos,
From the tone of your questions, it seems to me you are new enough at this that you
need to move slowly.
First, you need to go to Settings/About on your tablet and see what Stock Version you
are at. If you are less than Version 3588 -- then that should be your goal now.
But you may have to wait a short while because the VS update server is being
reported down and under repairs.
Meanwhile, I suggest you do a lot of reading on this site. You there are lots of STICKY
threads at the start of the various Forums which give you most of the info you need.
You also can see what people are saying about the various ROMs.
For someone as new as you, I suggest staying stock until you get confident and know
what you are doing. (And that doesn't mean minutes or hours as some folks think!)
The TNT Lite ROMS -- are a lot like stock, but add in updates, Market and other
niceties.
The VEGAn ROM -- has a very nice, mature look and offers a lot of the same updates,
etc.
I would stay away from the Experimental ROMS. They might take you too far too fast. And they are experimental......
Summary -- take your time and work your way up to what you want as you learn
how to do it.
Good Luck,
Rev
I have a request.
I don't have the patience -and neither should anyone else - to read through every thread for every new one-man-band distro somebody slaps together. Would it be possible to put together a standardized Wiki-type feature list or chart that every distro poster must include in their announcement?
I'll be honest- I don't care two bits about your shiny custom boot logo, or the colour choices of your phone dialpad buttons. But I want to know what official or beta build your ROM is based on, what Linux kernel it runs, whether manufacturer apps/bloatware have been stripped, what standard apps you've added, what install method is required.. you know, FUNCTIONAL THINGS, and I don't want to have to read THIRTY PAGES of banter to find them.
I think this standardization would be a great way to help people find EXACTLY what they want, and more readily promote those distributions that keep up to date regularly or offer the features/configuration most people want.
I like the bit where you said thanks to the devs for the countless hours of work they put into making these ROMs and how grateful you are.
Oh...
It's all written already here, just follow the instructions when you get there.
Otherwise, I'd suggest sticking to a stock ROM and Kies.
So I presume you'll be putting such a thread together rather than whinging about the non-existence of same then ? (There's a hint in there if you're smart enough)
Jeez how the F88ing hell have i managed to find what the OP wants i will never know .
OP is completely against the first rule of XDA this is a developers forum not a spoon feeding help forum .
First post i see lets hope its the last judged on its arrogant whinging i want i want tone .
jje
Hi.
I've been a lurker on XDA for a while. This weekend I ordered a Galaxy Note to replace my Atrix 2, and I started going through the process of combing through the posts here to figure out how to root, flash roms, what roms to flash, etc. In the process I started learning a bunch of new terms that I'd never encountered before (ODIN specifically, but also "Fast Dormancy," APN, a few others). There's a lot of information here and it's a little dizzying.
Which brings me to the setup for my question(s). I am a technical writer, and have been for 19 years. I'm a pretty good one, and I have a knack for putting together pretty solid documentation. I thought it might be useful if I took a lot of these documents and put them together into an actual document, sort of an unofficial Galaxy Note manual for the i717, and turned it into a PDF that someone could download and use as a reference.
My questions are:
1. Is there any actual need or desire from the community for this? I figure a lot of you are probably more used to crawling through the forums for information than I am, so perhaps this is something that wouldn't provide much benefit.
2. Is there any legal concern for it? This is a little trickier. Essentially I'd be providing documentation that included how to root a phone, and as far as I know there's no reason it would be illegal (just, you know, warranty-voiding). I'm a little fuzzier on documenting ODIN, since it's apparently Samsung-provided software...
3. If I created this, where should I put it? I'd be tempted just to link to my own site, but I notice the common thing to do here is to post it on a cloud/file hosting account. Is there a specific reason I shouldn't put it up on my site, other than the bandwidth hit if it turned out to be ridiculously popular?
Anyway, those are my questions. Just trying to get feel for whether it would be worth the time to take on this project...
I have a Nook Tablet 8gig that I rooted about 10 months ago with no problems. I have had no complaints so I have not mucked around with it, but now I am wondering about updating a bit. The issue is that I want to be able to use an external keryboard dock with my NT, and I read that it was only possible with CM7 (not sure if that means CM7 and above). I rooted the NT using the great instructions and files recommended in the developers thread, but to be honest I have no idea what my nook is rooted with- it works well so I have not messed with it.
I am essentially looking for instructions on how to re-root my NT after I re-set it to factory, or how to alter my current root to run CM7. My screen is half wonked, and I may take it back since I got the extended warrenty, especially if I have to re-root it for this anyway.
Also...what is CM7? Is that an Android version?
As a side note: Can anyone confirm that you can use an external keyboard with CM7 or above?
What do you want to do first?...do you want to return to stock so that you can return your nt...or do you want to flash cm7? (cm7 is a ROM by the way a version of Android os)
Sent from my Dark Unicorn Resurrected v.2.5 using xda premium
systems6 said:
What do you want to do first?...do you want to return to stock so that you can return your nt...or do you want to flash cm7? (cm7 is a ROM by the way a version of Android os)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ultimately what I want to do is run an external keyboard, and the information I have is that they will run on CM7. I will probably (assuming my warranty will cover this) be getting this one fixed to replaced soon, so I will need to re-root when I get it back, but for now I don't see the need to re-root if I don't have to.
What does it mean to "flash" cm7?
drworm73 said:
What does it mean to "flash" cm7?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your nook is broken already, why bother doing anything to it? Just get it fixed then address the things you want to address. And while you are waiting for the replacement see the next line.
After reading above quote along with your original post you honestly need to read...A LOT. You need to learn at least the basic lingo before you even make an attempt to do anything. Failure to have even an iota of understanding will only lead to failure, complaints, and frustration. Spend a few hours going through the posts on here. There are several new user guides. Read them. Re-Read them. Read them again. Learn to understand what people are talking about when someone says something like "Flash x, y, or z".
As for the keyboard question, I am fairly certain that it doesn't work on ANY rom. They are working on getting the OTG portion of the kernel ironed out. While it is called a tablet it is a glorified E-Reader. The devs have done an awesome job making the Nooks into what they are today (for those of us that have modified them),
SlowCobra96 said:
After reading above quote along with your original post you honestly need to read...A LOT. You need to learn at least the basic lingo before you even make an attempt to do anything. Failure to have even an iota of understanding will only lead to failure, complaints, and frustration. Spend a few hours going through the posts on here. There are several new user guides. Read them. Re-Read them. Read them again. Learn to understand what people are talking about when someone says something like "Flash x, y, or z"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any good links to layman information sites or tutorials? I was able to Root it easily (it is pretty simple), but I will admit that some of the android specific terminology does go over my head.
As for the keyboard question, I am fairly certain that it doesn't work on ANY rom. They are working on getting the OTG portion of the kernel ironed out. While it is called a tablet it is a glorified E-Reader. The devs have done an awesome job making the Nooks into what they are today (for those of us that have modified them),
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have read several places where cm7 has allowed keyboard use for users. They are not expensive, and I would really like to try.
As for getting it fixed...well I love my nook and use it every day, so I have been loathe to take it in. I suppose that is silly.
drworm73 said:
Any good links to layman information sites or tutorials? I was able to Root it easily (it is pretty simple), but I will admit that some of the android specific terminology does go over my head.
I have read several places where cm7 has allowed keyboard use for users. They are not expensive, and I would really like to try.
As for getting it fixed...well I love my nook and use it every day, so I have been loathe to take it in. I suppose that is silly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will love it more when it works completely and isn't "wonky". You will survive without it for a little bit. Trust me you won't die. Also because CM7 allows for a keyboard doesn't mean every device running CM7 will. Search the forums for more information. I know that some of the developers have been working on it for CM10 but I don't recall seeing any posts saying that they have it working definitively.
As for specific sites or tutorials. Just visit the various android boards and look for the Noob guides. Search google for more details on subjects you want to know about.
SlowCobra96 said:
You will love it more when it works completely and isn't "wonky". You will survive without it for a little bit. Trust me you won't die. Also because CM7 allows for a keyboard doesn't mean every device running CM7 will. Search the forums for more information. I know that some of the developers have been working on it for CM10 but I don't recall seeing any posts saying that they have it working definitively.
As for specific sites or tutorials. Just visit the various android boards and look for the Noob guides. Search google for more details on subjects you want to know about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank, I just took it back to Best Buy and they replaced it with an HD. I thought about an HD+, but I use my nook for reading more than anything (lots of comics, some novels), and the 9" is much less comfortable for that. Now I need to root this bad boy, and I don't have to monkey around with roms other than rooting because the HD already has support for an external keyboard.
This can be closed, as far as I am concerned. Thanks.