Ok so I decided to wait for the official uk update to gingerbread through kies to see what it was like. However so far I think the phone was faster on 2.2.1, after the update it just feels really laggy. So what should I do to get the phone running smooth and quicker??
I have tried a couple of task killers but most seem to work for a second then the apps start running again. Should I consider flashing to a custom rom instead, or can I go back to 2.2.1 without flashing??
Either way so far I have found no real improvement in the official 2.3.3 update, if anything its worse.
Any advice would be great, thanks
Froyo better than gingerbread
got to agree with v28,since official update the lock screen takes ages to get to the unlock slide screen,cant send texts with 3g enabled,all screens seem slower than before & battery life seems worse.Has anybody seen an improvement since the upgrade,also does anybody know how to go back to froyo.or is the unofficial kpn/kph better....OR can the guys at cyanogen hurry up
In my opinion, Samsung Official 2.3.4 Gingerbread update is much better than its earlier (OLD) releases.
ns77 said:
got to agree with v28,since official update the lock screen takes ages to get to the unlock slide screen,cant send texts with 3g enabled,all screens seem slower than before & battery life seems worse.Has anybody seen an improvement since the upgrade,also does anybody know how to go back to froyo.or is the unofficial kpn/kph better....OR can the guys at cyanogen hurry up
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The unofficial kpn/kph is better
a little advice, any task killer is unnesessary on android. if stability/speed/improvement is what u want, task killer wouldnt do any good. infact it make things worse. dont treat linux like windows
Ok so as 2.3.4 is not an official update in the uk yet thats not an option. So if I do flash then what rom is best? Has the least bugs and isn't going to leave me with no wi-fi or camera?
Also what should you use to stop all these background memory munching things if not a task killer??
thanks
theres no such thing as "the best rom". its based on ur preference really.
as i said before, dont treat linux like windows
android has its own way of managing task/resource. using task killer would interfere with that behavior resulting in much problem. if u that worried about those background running process, use titanium backup to freeze them
Ok thanks i'll give it a try. Sorry for all the questions just new to all this and the phone's performance seems to have got worse with uk official update.
thanks again
Also does the phone have to be rooted to use titanium, if so how do I root 2.3.3? And if I'm rooting should I just flash it at the same time? Any recommended roms?
thanks
v28 said:
Also does the phone have to be rooted to use titanium, if so how do I root 2.3.3? And if I'm rooting should I just flash it at the same time? Any recommended roms?
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1165
or u can just flash any custom rom. all of them is prerooted with pretty much all the goodies preinstalled
2.3.3 updateHi
Hi Im just curious as to what the official update for uk is i.e what number kpn kph ??,as i dont seem to be able to get an update,,when using kies on 2.2.1 i still get the no software update message meaning im on the latest,,although goin by your comments maybe im not missing anything special anyway,,also can anyone recomend which of the updates on samfirmware would be best for me in britain,,
thanks in advance
cheers Norrie
So far I would say stick with 2.2.1 untill they improve the current 2.3.3. My phone is saying PDA:KPN PHONE:KP6 CSC:KP1 (CPW) Baseband S5830XWKP6. I had a problem getting the update also, found I had to reinstall kies of samsung website under software for galaxy ace. I also had to change norton antivirus to full permission for samsung update.
Hope this helps, but all I have seen is change in battery icon at the top and the phone running much slower.
much slower is u just use stock, try custom rom. maybe u will be surprise
btw i also need to say this, kies is crap odin is far better in any way by miles
Decided to stick with stock rom in the end(as unsure which custom rom to choose) and hope for an update from samsung. Have factory reset the phone and just turning background data on and off as I need it. Also no longer using a task killer just samsungs own programme monitor. Still lags on unlock but deffinatly running better.
Not finding it quicker like some others are on about though
Related
Hi guys,
I plan to buy on June 14th the Galaxy S2 on Bell Canada network, it will replace my Pre2.
I was wondering if you can recommend me a specific ROM that will get rid of TouchWiz and allow me to run Gingerbread stock. I'm not familiar at all with Android, as I never use it before. That is the main reason why I rather ask the question here instead of searching, as I would not know what to search for.
A little about myself: I'm a Linux head (Redhat advanced + Ubuntu).
Thank you for your your help.
If you realy want to delete touch wiz, you'll have to root your phone otherwise you can't get rid of touch wiz, however you can run a different launcher and having touch wiz on your phone.
Hi Viletung. In WebOS, it takes me about 30 seconds to root the phone.
Yet that retains all the phone settings unchanged, while allowing me to install packages, manipulate data, etc. Is it the same thing with SGS2?
I guess my question is: is it recommended to root the phone? I'm curious if most of Android users root their phone. I know I rooted my Palm Pre/Pre2 phones 5min after I got them. I read on the Internet that certain ROM's are built on stock Gingerbread (without TouchWiz), allowing the phone to save on battery and run much smoother with less used resources. Obviously, if you install a new ROM it will void the warranty.
I'm at a point where I'm learning the basics, so any advice is appreciated.
Hello!
I've installed Lite'ning rom 1.5, which has root access. And to flash it takes about one minute!
When I got this phone, I knew it was possible to root my phone, but I was scared that I would screw something up and break the device.
Now, it's about one month after I got this phone and I must say after rooting the device, deleting some standard Samsung **** (Social Hubs etc..), my SGSII isn't draining battery as it used to do before I deleted some stuff. (Including TouchWiz)
But I have also a JIG, to reset the custom kernel counter, just incase I need my warranty back.
So my final conclusion is; I can't life without root! I like to edit the system icons (battery-, wifi icon and much more).
If you have any questions, I'll try to help you
Rooting, yes do it. It's easy, does no harm, and opens up neat options.
Just get Villainrom which is updated to version 2.0. It's built on android 2.3.4, fixing the 2.3.3 battery drain bug (which occured on all phones running 2.3.3).
If you want your stock gingerbread experience, there is a rom out there which tries to replicate this, but I recommend using a 'better' rom with a custom launcher mimicking Gingerbread. Since there's not a lot of difference than just a different launcher (home-menu).
Most dont root but most are not on XDA and dont know anything bar stock . I would guess most XDA users root .
I'm at a point where I'm learning the basics, so any advice is appreciated.
To a certain extent its been a learning curve for the devs as SGS 2 is different to SGS1 .Expect even more development as the days go by .
jje
Thanks a lot guys for the info.
prodygee said:
Rooting, yes do it. It's easy, does no harm, and opens up neat options.
Just get Villainrom which is updated to version 2.0. It's built on android 2.3.4, fixing the 2.3.3 battery drain bug (which occured on all phones running 2.3.3).
If you want your stock gingerbread experience, there is a rom out there which tries to replicate this, but I recommend using a 'better' rom with a custom launcher mimicking Gingerbread. Since there's not a lot of difference than just a different launcher (home-menu).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info. I want to have the latest version of Android, I don't really care about Gingerbread. How do updates work on Android (i.e. updating to Ice Cream Sandwich eventually)? On WebOS, updates are done automatically from your carrier or Palm/HP (if you had an unlocked phone like myself). Even if I rooted my phone, I would be able to update the phone firmware with a simple download and retain the rooted aspect of the phone.
About rooting, what did you used? I'm looking at Odin and SuperOneClick... is there something better/safer? One more time, thank you.
Official updates via Kies over PC only .
Rooting is usually lost on update .
Rooting via Chainfire
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1103399
jje
yqed said:
I was wondering if you can recommend me a specific ROM that will get rid of TouchWiz and allow me to run Gingerbread stock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why don't you use it for a least a few seconds before ditching it, there's no aosp gingerbread anyway so you're stuck with it until cm7 comes along.
I want to root the phone and replace the ROM mainly because I heard that TouchWiz is running on top of current OS. I could disable TouchWiz, indeed. The issue is: I do not know how upgrades are performed into phone. From the above posts, I have to do it myself is not an automated download/install like WebOS does it.
So, if a new Android version is released, I have to download it myself? For example, my phone comes with 2.3.3 installed but 2.3.4 is released already. Will my phone ask me to download the latest version automatically upon release? I presume not, I have to download and install it myself. Using logic, that is done by either installing a ROM or getting the upgrade from mobile provider.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
yqed said:
So, if a new Android version is released, I have to download it myself? For example, my phone comes with 2.3.3 installed but 2.3.4 is released already. Will my phone ask me to download the latest version automatically upon release? I presume not, I have to download and install it myself. Using logic, that is done by either installing a ROM or getting the upgrade from mobile provider.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's correct, and is one of the main reasons people root their Androids so that when a new version comes out we can download it straight away and don't have to wait for the carrier to officially release it, which usually takes a lot longer than it does for the devs here to put something together. E.g. there are a few ROMs already in the dev forum based on 2.3.4, but there is not yet any official update.
Thanks guys much appreciated. I will probably have more questions, once I have the phone on hand.
yqed said:
I want to root the phone and replace the ROM mainly because I heard that TouchWiz is running on top of current OS. I could disable TouchWiz, indeed. The issue is: I do not know how upgrades are performed into phone. From the above posts, I have to do it myself is not an automated download/install like WebOS does it.
So, if a new Android version is released, I have to download it myself? For example, my phone comes with 2.3.3 installed but 2.3.4 is released already. Will my phone ask me to download the latest version automatically upon release? I presume not, I have to download and install it myself. Using logic, that is done by either installing a ROM or getting the upgrade from mobile provider.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android phones get new updates over the air when available, just like web os. Only Samsung does their own thing which is different on the sgs2 than on normal android devices. .
Which is, providing updates through an unnecessary software suite called KIES. You won't see an update available message on your phone.
yqed said:
Hi guys,
I plan to buy on June 14th the Galaxy S2 on Bell Canada network, it will replace my Pre2.
I was wondering if you can recommend me a specific ROM that will get rid of TouchWiz and allow me to run Gingerbread stock. I'm not familiar at all with Android, as I never use it before. That is the main reason why I rather ask the question here instead of searching, as I would not know what to search for.
A little about myself: I'm a Linux head (Redhat advanced + Ubuntu).
Thank you for your your help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just install a launcher fromthe Android Store. There's plenty of good ones like LauncherPro, GX Launcher, 7 launcher. Their all relatively good and fully functional.
OK, I got the phone (16GB model) today from FutureShop and played with it a bit. It is a great phone indeed...
Phone Info (might be useful for devs)
Network: Bell Canada
Model: GT-I9100M
Android Version: 2.3.3
Baseband Version: I9100MUGKG2
Kernel Version: 2.6.35.7-I9100MUGKG2-CL371789 [email protected] #2
Build Number: GINGERBREAD.UGKG2
Now, on with the usual:
Bell bundled the phone with several crap apps like Self Serve, TeleNav GPS (how stupid is that on an Android), Remote PVR, etc.
I will follow your advice and use the phone for now as is, without any fancy stuff done to it (like a new ROM). I would like to get rid of the Bell proprietary apps (physical delete), let me know if is possible. I guess if the phone is rooted it should be easy, the trick is to know how to delete the apps from the phone.
Another question: How do I install the Samsung drivers, without installing the blotted KIES?
I looked for a clean package with SGS2 drivers only but I could not find anything... All I want is to go to Device Manager and point a directory.
I must admit that Android is a totally new experience, coming from WebOS. I'm pretty much lost, heh. I know I sound like a noob, so please forgive me if I ask some simple questions that I can get the answer with a search or just by reading the phone instructions (haven't had the time to read the documentation).
Looks like the Telus website is ready for the Gingerbread 2.3 update...
Durr: add https and www . telusmobility.com/en/ON/Samsung-Galaxy-S-Fascinate/how-to-002921.shtml
Now if only they'd actually release it
From the page:
As of July 2011, a new firmware version is available for the Samsung Galaxy S Fascinate 3G+. Before you update your smartphone, you need to know your current firmware version.
From the Home screen, tap Applications.
Tap Settings.
Select About phone.
You don't need an upgrade if the:
Firmware version is 2.3.3
Build number is GINGERBREAD.LKF9.
Interesting...the actual update page still says update to 2.2 and takes you to a page about updating to 2.2...of course a couple of weeks ago the update page listed 2.3 but had a dead link...so maybe its actually going to happen in our lifetime
have you tried connecting to kies to see if there's anything there??
Theres a new version of kies on samsung apps today but it didn't get me gingerbread yet. new version is Kies_2.0.2.11071_128_2
Yea.. I updated Kies and still nothing.. hopefully soon.. I grow anxious
I've been totally OCD about update checks lately. I'm driving myself nuts
I was the same way when i first say the update now for 2.3.4 on the update page a few weeks ago...gave up when they switched it back to a link to the 2.2 update...now i think it will be back to a nightly check
interesting, kies is suddenly only reporting my current firmware version and not saying that it's the current one... but not offering anything new yet, hopefully it's a sign of a release and not just a glitch
Fallen0ne said:
interesting, kies is suddenly only reporting my current firmware version and not saying that it's the current one... but not offering anything new yet, hopefully it's a sign of a release and not just a glitch
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea.. I noticed that too. I suspect that the server it checks is just not responding, but... fingers crossed
Just checked again.. back to normal. Hopes dashed. :/
That makes me a saaaaaaaaaaaaaad panda
I think they just like toying with us
They're mean now that bell has the SII, it might be time to loose telus.
wow
Been waiting for this myself - checked the NS page and there is an annoucement to get the latest as well. Hopefully I don't have to unroot or disable lagfix before trying ... might disable the lagfix regardless though since that appears to be best practice with any ROM.
Tried but also getting the 'you have the latest firmware' message ... doh!
I gave it a shot, I'm running Bionix-V 1.3.1, and it came up with the message "incompatible device" looks like you'll have to downgrade to the stock rom anyways
..double post, I have no idea how to delete
jpmccarthy said:
Been waiting for this myself - checked the NS page and there is an annoucement to get the latest as well. Hopefully I don't have to unroot or disable lagfix before trying ... might disable the lagfix regardless though since that appears to be best practice with any ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I gave it a shot, I'm running Bionix-V 1.3.1, and it came up with the message "incompatible device" looks like you'll have to downgrade to the stock rom anyways
out of curiosity, why not just install one of the many custom gingerbread roms out there? they're no longer the bug-ridden hack-fest they were a few months ago. seeing as some of you already are rooted or running a custom rom, i'm interested to know why wait for stock?
i do understand some people prefer to keep their phones in stock and i respect their decision.
edit: i'm personally running Darky's Rom 10.2 on my T959D. Tried CM7 (nightly 67) before as well, and although that was a headache to set up on my fascinate, it was also nice to see the differences between a samsung and aosp rom.
Japots said:
out of curiosity, why not just install one of the many custom gingerbread roms out there? they're no longer the bug-ridden hack-fest they were a few months ago. seeing as some of you already are rooted or running a custom rom, i'm interested to know why wait for stock?
i do understand some people prefer to keep their phones in stock and i respect their decision.
edit: i'm personally running Darky's Rom 10.2 on my T959D. Tried CM7 (nightly 67) before as well, and although that was a headache to set up on my fascinate, it was also nice to see the differences between a samsung and aosp rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How is Darky's any issues running it on a T959D?? Did you follow any particulr guide when installing?
How To for Darky's?
Japots said:
out of curiosity, why not just install one of the many custom gingerbread roms out there? they're no longer the bug-ridden hack-fest they were a few months ago. seeing as some of you already are rooted or running a custom rom, i'm interested to know why wait for stock?
i do understand some people prefer to keep their phones in stock and i respect their decision.
edit: i'm personally running Darky's Rom 10.2 on my T959D. Tried CM7 (nightly 67) before as well, and although that was a headache to set up on my fascinate, it was also nice to see the differences between a samsung and aosp rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Second that - what has made me gun shy is that the Telus Fascinate is actually more like a vibrant or i9000 - so custom ROMs have some risk.
That being said heard so many great things about Darky's - would love a how to from someone with our phone and how it is working ...
Heard from Samsung
Apparently not ready but its weeks away, not months.
Alright, so I've already read the threads about Wifi Sharing dominating the SGS2's battery and it seems like updating the firmware of the phone somehow fixes this.
So heres my problem: I'm on OSX and I can't use Samsung Kies. I can actually use Kies AIR but I can't seem to figure out how to update the firmware.
Apparently my firmware is "KG2" so I'm wondering how I could update my firmware without access to a windows machine. In case I'm already on the latest firmware (which seems logical since I just bought the phone like a week ago), is there any way to stop Wifi Sharing from starting every time I enable Wifi?
I would really appreciate a solution that didn't involve Rooting.
Thank's a bunch guys!
Ryne said:
Alright, so I've already read the threads about Wifi Sharing dominating the SGS2's battery and it seems like updating the firmware of the phone somehow fixes this.
So heres my problem: I'm on OSX and I can't use Samsung Kies. I can actually use Kies AIR but I can't seem to figure out how to update the firmware.
Apparently my firmware is "KG2" so I'm wondering how I could update my firmware without access to a windows machine. In case I'm already on the latest firmware (which seems logical since I just bought the phone like a week ago), is there any way to stop Wifi Sharing from starting every time I enable Wifi?
I would really appreciate a solution that didn't involve Rooting.
Thank's a bunch guys!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i am afraid without root you wont be able to acces or disable any system file mate.
the only way is rooting (or wait ages for update - oficialone) - if you arent sure what to do ask and u will get help. there are more apps that may produce high battery drain from stock.
So is my version the latest? Also, Why would this be fixed in a previous version but then back again in a latest?
Ryne said:
So is my version the latest? Also, Why would this be fixed in a previous version but then back again in a latest?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i am running KH3 that is the latest firmware i know. KG2 can be the latest released by your network provider. so if u wanna keep the phone with the latest u can upgrade with ODIN or once u will flash CWM - clockworkmode u can do so with it. but u will need to root the phone ofc.
but KG2 is not the latest for unlocked simfree phone.
wifi sharing is a high battery drainer - and i have removed that form my phone also togheter with the samsung HUBS and a bit more. and i am getting more then double out of my phone compared to stock i was running before mate.
I see. Thanks for the replies!
what exactly did you remove as i see 3 thing relating to wifi sharing
Hi Guys as my title Says..
i need Help very Badly.
First of all MODS and USERS i'm sorry i didn't knew where to post this thread so if its in in-appropriate section please move it to correct section. THanks
OK my problem is this.
i recently (less than a week ago ) bought a Samsung Galaxy S2 its by Bell Canada and its i9100M. i bought it online since my service provider is Rogers.
i guess this phone is already rooted to unlock it and i can see CWM and SU icon there.
Well i'm a Hardcore Blackberry Fan and have been using Blackberries from last 6 years. I loved the new samsung because of it looks and its screen.
I Had Lot of Problem with it like setting up my yahoo as push email, setting the Ringtone Profile, setting up the Custom Ringtones for Text Messages..
Having wrong time stamps on Recieved TEXT Message.. well i fixed all those by installing apps from market and forwarding my yahoo to my gmail...
i Hated doing all that but infront of the beauty of this phone i had to compromise but today it took 3 hours to find my gps location and day by day im using it i'm hating it .....
SO OK I DID MY RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT ALOT... the more i'm researching the more i'm getting confused...
first of all what is the difference between custom ROM and KERNEL.
i know custom rom could be like operating system but customized by unofficial person.
what the h is KERNEL..
to install rom's or kernel do i really have to root.
To unlock do i have to root or is there a paying method.
also i want to know if i'll go back to stock rom can i still unlock it.and recieve all the updates from samsung or google specially when ICS will be launched.
after unlocking and installing custom root. can i unroot it
and lastly which is best custom kernel and which is the best rom availble.
since been a blackberry user i have very basic needs. i don't play any games or download much apps and if an app is paid..i'll pay for it.. i don't want to jailbreak anything .
all i need is better battery life, gps and network coverage.
Thanks for taking time to read and reply.
Hi there.
I'll try and get through your questions as simply as possible,
Imagine your phone is like a car
A kernel is like the engine of a car - it's the low level machinery that keeps it going.
The Rom is like the body of the car around the engine. Roms can be official (or Stock Roms), or they can be customised by other people.
So, when you install a stock rom - you're installing the kernel, but you're also installing the radio (called a modem or baseband) and the registration (or the CSC which is location specific information) as well as the unique 'body' of the car for that rom - tweaks, default software, etc.
You don't have to have rooted your phone to install a Rom. When you update your phone via Kies, you are, literally, installing an stock rom. You can even install stock roms from elsewhere without rooting your phone. Because stock roms are released in different regions at different times, lots of people update their phones to the latest official roms via this method - no root required.
However, to install a custom, unofficial rom, you will need to root your phone as they will require access to the 'root level directory' of your phone's file system - which is what root really means.
You can find everything you need to know about that, how to root and also lots of stock roms you can install without rooting here:
Some shops will root you phone for you if you want to go down that path and don't want to risk it. But it's easier than you think and the galaxy s2 is very hard to break. There's lots of help available on XDA - just remember to search before you ask so you don't ask a common question the millionth time.
If you have installed a custom rom you can easily re-install a stock rom over it that will still work with Kies and thus be updateable when ICS turns up.
There is no 'best' Rom or kernel. Some Roms go 'as is' and some are customisable to the nth degree if you like fiddling with your phone non-stop. I personally use CheckRom because I like the kitchen app that lets you swap kernels, modems and mods with ease - but check out the Original Android Development threads and see which other roms you like the sound of.
Depending on what you are currently running, a new rom - even a stock one if you're running a very old one - could easily help with battery and range issues. For GPS - try installing FasterFix from the market and see if reassigning your GPS fix to a closer location helps.
Best of luck - it's a great phone once you open up its possibilities
Thanks a lot for the reply
well your reply did help me a lot...
my phone is been already rooted by someone else already from the person i bought it....
as for searching i did a lot.. and its been confusing me more and more ..well thanks for your answer
also as u said S2 is hard to break..i guess u mean is that the JIG thing on EBAY
and as for flashing the stuff i've played with other stuff just not android thing ive replaced the os on BB and jailbreaked iphones and installed macintosh on HP PC and also worked on most of the languages 10 years ago... and i believe nothing is impossible so going to someone else is never an option for me
just want to know as much as stuff i can before going further
well i have few more questions
how can i find which rom or kernel is already installed...
i mean is it possible to tell if its stock or its customized and its customized by which group.
and one last thing.. u know the words u used modem and baseband...
i read about it before...
but my question is ...
IS THE BASEBAND ANYTHING LIKE IPHONE BASEBAND???
u know in iPhones when baseband is updated u r screwed sometimes its hard to jailbreak and definately hard to unlock and reverting changes to baseband....
is it the samething in Galaxy S2 as well...
Thanks a lot for replying...i really appreciate all the time you took to reply.
Thanks once again.
Yeah baseband is the code that handles the phone part of your smartphone. Talking to your wireless provider, 3G, texts all these things are done by baseband.
Flashing a different baseband won't screw your root, and you'd still be rooted. Samsung doesn't make it hard to root as Apple does to jailbreaking. Even if something goes wrong with a new version, you can always revert back to old one using Odin(Samsung ROM flashing tool) and you are good to go.
Thanks a lot... about that quick reply...
i'm gonna collect more information and hopefully i'll be flashing it on weekend...
but how can i find which rom or kernel is already installed...
i mean is it possible to tell if its stock or its customized and its customized by which group
Everything you need to know can be found here. Most of it, anyway.
Backup your device with cwm when rooted ... So you can always restore to previous state. ;-)
Good luck there. But reading is a must.
SGS II - XDA
blackberryfan said:
thanks a lot... About that quick reply...
I'm gonna collect more information and hopefully i'll be flashing it on weekend...
But how can i find which rom or kernel is already installed...
In your dialer type *#1234#
info will apear. Now read chainfire's tutorial how to root your device ....
I mean is it possible to tell if its stock or its customized and its customized by which group
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Setting went wrong when quoting
sgs ii - xda
also you can go settings - about phone - then look at the bottom fields to see kernel, baseband and build. Quote those and we should be able to tell what you have.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
Hello everyone, I'm trying to do a buddy of mine a favor by upgrading his Vibrant to something a lot better (he's on stock) but I'm a bit unclear on a few things. First of all let me get out of the way that I'm a Fascinate (Verizon) owner that recently modded my own phone to run AOKP ICS Milestone 6 with great results, so I figured since he pretty much had the exact same phone I could do it for him. The problem I'm running into is the procedure I used to flash my phone doesn't seem to apply to the Vibrant (or at least what I was searching for) so I just wanted to clear up a few steps before I try to flash his phone.
He's not a very tech savvy guy, so he won't be updating ROMs on the bleeding edge or anything, he just wants his phone to run better so I figure ICZen is the way to go right, considering it's based off of what I'm using now (AOKP M6)? Everything needs to work, so that pretty much rules out any JB right now because of the GPS issues. Okay now onto the specific flashing questions:
1) This thread seems to be the go to thread for flashing the Vibrant, but it hasn't been updated since Dec '11, so would I just follow the same procedure for the newer ICS roms?
2) Here is the guide I used for my Fascinate (see section 4), which has a few extra steps that I notice are lacking for the Vibrant... namely installing cwm4 fixed for cm7 first, then installing THS Build 2, then flash over that with whatever ICS Rom you need.
3) Devil Kernel is what's considered best on my phone running AOKP M6... is that true as well for ICZen?
4) Since the Vibrant never got 2.3, what is the best modem to be using? On the Fascinate the EH03 (GB) stock modem is best, but I'm unsure what the deal is for the Vibrant since they never got an official GB update. Also along the same topic, Verizon has a code you can input that updates your PRL and improves reception... does T-Mobile have such a code or not?
I appreciate any and all input, as I want this to go as smoothly as possible. Thanks
You seem to have a pretty good grasp on what your doing.
From stock, install gingerbread bootloaders then go to recovery via volume rocker down and hold power button, until the logo. Might have to practice it a couple times.
Once in recovery click reinstall packages, might have to do it s couple of times. This installs your update.zip
From here I always perform wipes and flash a custom Froyo ROM. Maybe overkill but, only takes a second and I don't mind.
From here I flashed the latest CM9 nightly and on to Helly Bean.
Do your wipes in between flashes, and you should be fine.
I haven't ever heard about a T-Mobile code for tower updates, I think its automatic.
Well I didn't have to worry about bootloaders on my Fascinate since I was already on GB, so that's a bit new to me... but doing a quick google search I found this guide. Is that an accurate guide to follow? Alright so basically what you're saying is before I root at all I need to do this?
Also like I was saying earlier, he wants everything to work so I think Helly Bean is out of the question because of GPS, right? I was thinking ICZen looks the cleanest, with everything working nicely, and it's based on what I'm currently using on mine.
Can you clarify on why you're flashing a custom froyo rom? I won't mind to do that either, if it has any benefit.
Also, I checked his phone last night and it's on stock 2.2, not 2.1 if that makes any sort of difference. Thanks again
First root and get cwm recovery then flash bootloaders. The vibe never got an official GB, so that's why boot loaders are recommended. The guide you have is fine. Second the GPS on the vibrant has been notoriously hit or miss. I have a captivate, the GPS works great but my vibe couldn't get a lock to save my life.
Now as far as iczen or hellybean, you have to weigh the options:
Iczen is a great ROM and might have a better chance getting a GPS lock. IMO if you can get a lock with ICS you will probably get a lock with JB. But with ICS you have to be concerned with the EU bug. What's that you ask:
There has been an issue with people randomly looking at phone and a message saying encryption unsuccessful press to reset. If you press the button you have basically just locked up your internal SD card. If you don't press you MIGHT be able to recover it. There is a workaround if this happens, to use ext SD only but your friend will not like that.
I'm currently running hellybean on both of my devices and I love it. Like I said, cappy gps works great and my vibrant not so much. If you really want stable go with bionix as toast recommended or one of moped Ryder's ROMs . If you want to be wowed, go with hellybean.
There are some things you can try with it to get a GPS lock. The general consensus is turn on GPS, reboot, wait it out till you get an initial lock. After that locks will be quicker. I hope this helped in some way, if so hit thanks. As far as the guides etc you are good to go.
its peanut butter jelly(bean) time
That did help quite a bit, thank you. I have never even heard of that bug, do you know if that's Vibrant specific or can that happen on any of the others? I have been wanting to try Helly Bean on my Fascinate, but unfortunately my sdcard isn't very stable and I don't trust to flash anything until I can buy a new one. Honestly, I don't even think he cares much about the GPS, my original point was more along the lines of that I wanted to give him as much of a glitch-free experience as possible, so my fault for not being more specific. If Helly Bean is as stable as you're saying, then maybe I'll just do that instead then, especially after you explained that glitch. Also, since I don't have any Helly Bean experience myself, does it offer as much customization as AOKP? I've grown quite fond of all the little tweaks they include
Hellybean is pretty stable. When I did my vibrant I didn't have to use a boot loader I went straight to ICS then jellybean. If you want ICS then you may want to try aokp for his vibe its nice. If you end up trying aokp milestone 6 and have unknown baseband let me know and I'll link you to a linario build that should fix that
Sent from my SGH-T959 using xda app-developers app
I have a complete guide to install ICS ROMs in my signature if you feel so inclined. PM me if you need any of the files or I may just host them on my Dev-Host account. I'll be out most of the day, but I can upload them later on tonight.
When I need to go back to stock and root and flash cwm I use the AIO toolbox. I just put the rom on the internal flash and then use AIO to get cwm on it from the flash custom rom option. Then cancel the file and the phone will reboot into recovery where you install packages twice and should end up in cwm.
The EU bug has hit vibrant and captivates that I know of. It seems rare though, if you think about the number of users compared to the reported number of cases of the EU bug, its a small percentage.Hellybean doesn't have nearly as much customization but it does offer theming and some launcher/lock screen tweaks. You could always use a custom launcher. There are a few other jellybean ROMs you could try. Honestly any way you go will be better than stock!
*I forgot to tell you, you will need to Odin back to stock 2.1!
its peanut butter jelly(bean) time
Yeah.. I don't think root is actually necessary to do any of this. You'll be rooted when the process is complete however. The custom ROMs come with root access.
But to elaborate on Samsgun357's last post, if you are currently on Froyo 2.2 stock, you'll need to Odin back to stock 2.1 prior to starting, because Samsung fixed the bug that allows installation of custom recovery when they released 2.2
It's simple to do, search the forums and you'll find a guide on Odining back to JFD. That's stock Eclair. If I have time in a few I'll locate it for you and post it.
There are YouTube videos about it with links to the files as well. I think djeddie1west posted a good one with links to all files needed, if they are still working links.
Edit: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1117990
There's the link for installing GB bootloader.
Also, I am on my phone and haven't tested links, but as long as they work, near the bottom of the post you'll find the files needed to Odin the JFD files.
Eh, I just gave up and told him to go get an iPhone instead, to increase his hipster status.
Or... that's right, I'd rather be dead than own one of those ugly bricks.
You have all been extremely helpful, and I think I have more than enough to go on. I think for now I'll just throw ICZen on his phone since it's based on the rom I'm most familiar with... and when I have more experience with Helly Bean (I finally ordered a new sdcard that's on the way, so I can play with it on my own phone soon enough :good I'll just flash his again. He'll be okay with the risks mentioned so far in this post, and honestly his upgrade is coming up soon so I'm sure I'll be drooling over his S3 when that time comes.
@Woodrube That guide you made to install ICS was exactly what I was looking for, and I wish I had found it earlier so thank you for making such an excellent post.
I'll post back here with the results, thanks for all the help once again