Which ROM to pick up? Too spoilt for choice! - Galaxy S II Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I initially rooted and flashed my S2 using Litening, but moved over to VillianROM once it started looking like Litening was not going to get any further updates.
However, I kept getting odd force close issues using VillianROM, and Titanium Backup refused to work properly due to the ROM missing Busybox support.
I'm now using the Batista70 ROM, but 3G reception and battery usage have gotten worse compared to the other two ROMs. Even with full 3G reception available, the phone takes a ridiculous long time to load online content. That did not happen with Litening or VillainROM.
What other proven and popular ROMs would you all recommend I try?

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jwai said:
I initially rooted and flashed my S2 using Litening, but moved over to VillianROM once it started looking like Litening was not going to get any further updates.
However, I kept getting odd force close issues using VillianROM, and Titanium Backup refused to work properly due to the ROM missing Busybox support.
I'm now using the Batista70 ROM, but 3G reception and battery usage have gotten worse compared to the other two ROMs. Even with full 3G reception available, the phone takes a ridiculous long time to load online content. That did not happen with Litening or VillainROM.
What other proven and popular ROMs would you all recommend I try?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your problems sound user created, when installing any rom with different bases, always wipe everything and when restoring backups from Titanium, never restore system data, only apps and their data, Villain Rom is one of the most stable custom roms out here.

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achillies400 said:
Your problems sound user created, when installing any rom with different bases, always wipe everything and when restoring backups from Titanium, never restore system data, only apps and their data, Villain Rom is one of the most stable custom roms out here.
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Click to collapse
I always wiped the phone before installing ROMs. I didn't use Titanium Backup with Litening, and never actually got the chance to use Titanium Backup on VillainROM, because it wouldn't work.

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Have you thought about trying different kernels rather than different Roms?

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Ospreylian said:
Have you thought about trying different kernels rather than different Roms?
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+1 to this. Try some other kernels before switching ROMs.
I'm on Batista and it's quite solid.

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try miui 1.10.28.
i was in the exact same situation that you are in.
i was on stock kg5 and when i wanted to try custom roms i waited for the first 2.3.5 custom rom. and villain rom came out first so i flashed it. but i found out that deodexed stock roms are not as smooth or as bug free as odexed ones (titanium backup didnt always work).
so i went back to stock odexed ki8 then moved to stock odexed ki4 with jkays mod.
all was good but i felt that there still are better roms out there. so i did a nandroid backup (you do itin cwm, and what it does is take a snapshot of your phones software so that when u restore it you go back to exactly how your phone was at the time u did it) then i tried cyanogennmod 7 and it was FAST! but i wanted to also try miui because i heard it was more user friendly but gives the same speed improvments that cm7 has. and i personally recommended that u try both cm7 and miui after doing a nandroid backup and a full titanium backup.
ps: sorry for the long post but i think you would find it useful.
pps; when u flash miui or cm7, dont restore app data in titanium backup or contacts or calendar data or any of that only restore non-system apps then restore the app data of each app individualy (only if you need the data)
ppps; to move your appointments and contacts sync them whith your google account. and then restore them after you flash

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Before installing CM7 or MIUI install a ROM with old bootloader, KH3 for instance, or you will have problems...

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Checkrom version 1 is awesome super smooth and great battery life you can choose what you want through the kitchen. Version 2 is a bit buggy but you won't have problems with the v1
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium

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Yeah, try the different kernel first.
Then, if you want another ROM to try, try CriskeloROM, click it in my sig, its an amazing ROM with a lot of customizations

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MrPhilo said:
Guys you should try Siyahkernel 2.0 first before going to 2.1 (Final).
Simple & Clean v1.2 (Awesome battery tweak) - Siyahkernel 2.0
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I have charged it abit like overall 5minutes but took it off straight away. But the result is great for long day users. I mean 15 hour and 30 minutes and I still have 75% left, you can see I left Wifi connected all day (while I was sleeping or I would have more battery). Also you can see I have abit of screen on time like 30 - 1 hour max along with 'Awake', that is music streaming along with youtube streaming (screen off but listening to youtube music) which is about 4 - 5 or 5 - 6 hour max.
Simple & Clean v1.2 battery is going to be more amazing for all heavy,average to light users!
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I quoted this from my own ROM I customised, although Simple & Clean v1.2 isn't out yet (with the battery tweak), people are still getting amazing battery life out of it.
Battery + Perfomance, trust me !

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jwai said:
However, I kept getting odd force close issues using VillianROM, and Titanium Backup refused to work properly due to the ROM missing Busybox support.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
had the same issue
flash stock ROM root again then install custom ROM worked for me

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Have you tried stock? Still the best IMO

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jwai said:
I always wiped the phone before installing ROMs. I didn't use Titanium Backup with Litening, and never actually got the chance to use Titanium Backup on VillainROM, because it wouldn't work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In this case, did you try installing Busybox from the market or try downloading busybox from within the Titanium Backup app, if you continue flashing ROMS willy nilly without first having a better grasp of what you are doing, you would either get lucky or continue having ROM issues, but I assure you, the problems thus far doesn't seem to be the ROMS.
And where did the information that deodexed ROMS are not as stable come from, I would like to read this info myself as I have used VR for months without any issue and many others can testify about using other deodexed custom ROMS
ODEX versus DEODEX

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I'm the kind of person who flashes a new rom / update every three or so days.
So I can say I've tried close to every combination of ROM and Kernel abailable on the forums.
My favourite combination which I'm running at the moment is;
Androidmeda_Awesome_Arae_v1.3.2
combined with
SpeedMod K2-12
My battery never runs dry and never/close to recieve and FCs

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Try Rom kitchen ki8 coupled with speedmod k2-13 kernel.
Best Rom I've tried, including the newer xwkj1 and cm7.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium