[Q] My experiences flashing Joker's skinny4g - Motorola Photon 4G

Hey guys, long time reader, first time poster Just wanted to share some of my noob experiences and questions about Joker's locked ROMs (I want to keep 4g since I'm paying that data premium!)
I started out using RSDLite to load the 198-7 SBF, then rooted (AIO Root) and installed CWM Recovery (="Bootstrap"). Took me a while to find out that it works by taking over the "Charge while phone is powered off" mode... made trying to recalibrate the battery really frustrating!
So I then boostrapped Joker's Skinnyrev1-4g, but was a little frustrated with some of the bugs. So I then downloaded what was called skinnyrev2-test3 and replaced the META-INF folder with the one from the locked rev1-4g. I then added back the stock dhd.ko file (to fix wifi), the google VoiceSearch APK (to get voice-to-text back), and the BlurCamera APK from Loki's Imperium Initiative locked ROM (to fix the camera). Oh, I also added back the bootanimation.zip from the rev1 cause I liked it better.
I bootstrapped this new hybrid ROM over the rev1 ROM and things seem to be working great! Wifi and camera work, 4G works, and after a battery calibration (had to restore "Charge Mode" in the CWM-Recovery settings) and few days of use the battery life is almost twice as long. With light use I'm at 50% after ~12hrs when I used to be down to 20%.
I tried flashing the GingerCream ICS 0.4.91 theme over all this and it looked great, but for some reason I lost Vibrate mode (I could only get Ringer or Silent). After going through all the settings, I gave up and re-bootstrapped my ghetto "rev2-4g"
The main things I still can't fix are the broken Google Calendar and occasional freezes/resets with location-aware apps (Yelp)! Any ideas??? I'm assuming the ROM I have is rev2-pretest3, but it's unclear whether they are broken in that version or just for me because of my locked bootloader. Does anyone have a working link to rev2-pretest3.5 or skinnycomplete-rev1 that I can play around with?

Related

should I flash a custom ROM?

Been using my Vibrant ever since it came out and never deviated from the stock. The reason being that i intend my phone to be stable and want to use some of the t-mobile stuff which I fear may not be possible in other ROM. I've been reading the development section and I really have no idea which rom can fulfill my needs... since I couldn't find a list of stuff that doesn't work on those ROM.
Basically I'd like to retain the ability to use T-Mobile's wifi calling feature, plus the My Account app, (and 911, etc). Of course, the phone needs to be stable enough as I don't have a backup/landline phone. Optionally I'd like the new ROM to have a better reception in both cellular and wifi signal, as I feel they are somewhat lacking from all these years I've been using the phone.
If you think I should flash a custom ROM that's as bug-free as the rooted stock Froyo, I'd appreciate some suggestions
There is not a clear knowing of which rom will have issue with 911 dialing. As far as I know almost all if not all of the ICS and JB roms may have the issue. This user states he only managed to get 911 working on CM7: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1952311
With CyanogenMod roms, you will lose T-Mobile WiFi (unless there is a way to install it to CM7 I'm not sure). The alternative is using Talkatone or GrooveIP which utilize Google Voice to make free calls. My Account and other T-Mobile apps are available in the Play Store.
If you do want to install CM7:
Download the 3e Installer and update.zip from here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=833423
Follow the instruction on the 3e installer, then put update.zip into the "/sdcard" folder, also download a CM7 rom into there. Reboot into recovery by holding both Volume buttons and Power button, release them when the Samsung logo appears. In the recovery, choose and select "reinstall package" twice until the green ClockworkMod menu appears. Flash the cm7 zip file. Before you flash, you should create a Nandroid backup.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want to stick with stock, you can at least root the device. Follow the instruction above to get into ClockworkMod, but flash only the root package: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=723479 (this only work with Android 2.1)
While you're at it, also flash the KB5 modem, which is the latest for the Vibrant, which can potentially improve signal: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1036161
Before you flash any custom roms, I suggest you root the phone and try out the app LBE Security Master (link in my sig). It can do things like freeze apps (similar to titanium backup) and prevent apps from auto launching. It does help make the phone lighter and have other useful features like quick toggles. It's a powerhouse tool. The recent version have some issues with freezing app on my XPeria Play Gingerbread though, so try an older version if you have issues.
As long as your USB port is still functional, you can always use ODIN to flash the device back to stock.
If you want Wifi calling you are going to have to stick with 2.2 / 2.2.1 / or it has been known to work with some 2.3 ROMs
If you want to remain with stock but have a little added features try this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1674519
The last Froyo ROMs I was a part of was Bi-Winning Redux (2.2.1) and Axura - Resurrected (2.2). Both of those roms are able to use Wifi calling. All are also able to use T-mo and Samsung apps.
Bi-Winning Redux
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1769424
Axura
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1787267
Those ROMs above (or any 2.2 / 2.2.1 in vibrant forum) should have working 911, and GPS with little issues.
Thanks for the information. I'm currently using the stock 2.2 (UVKB5). Did that e3 recovery thing and clockwork recovery sorta works... (only used it once to flash the latest (bugged) su binary). Bi-winning and axura both are cool looking mods. both says able do make wifi calls... is it not the same thing as Tmobile's wifi? I'm aware there are ways to route gvoice via wireless lan, but I'm trying to maintain two numbers
kgptzac said:
Thanks for the information. I'm currently using the stock 2.2 (UVKB5). Did that e3 recovery thing and clockwork recovery sorta works... (only used it once to flash the latest (bugged) su binary). Bi-winning and axura both are cool looking mods. both says able do make wifi calls... is it not the same thing as Tmobile's wifi? I'm aware there are ways to route gvoice via wireless lan, but I'm trying to maintain two numbers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes the Wifi calling on those two ROMs is the T-mo wifi calling. The Wifi calling apps should be attached in the treads as well.

[Q] Super Sluggish Phone, what's wrong?

Hello guys,
I gave my friend my EVO 3D (CDMA, Sprint) a few months ago when I upgraded to a new phone. Ever since she called Sprint to activate the phone (at the time running SOS M 2.6 ROM) she had nothing but problems. She also didn't have the Google Services packet working for some reason (all Google Apps worked fine with me, even thought hangouts was new I didn't use it on the Evo). After a while I tried to install Cyanogen on it and it failed (it won't boot and get stuck on a loop), eventually resorting to Venom, which is what she has now.
The phone is so slow it takes the keyboard 10-15 seconds to respond between button-pressing. Swipe is obviously impossible, and the phone sometimes gets stuck on boot. The whole thing is sluggish as hell. I'm not sure what going on, the phone was perfectly fine, and now after 3 ROM it's a piece of crap.
I am going to have the phone tomorrow again and I have permission to wipe it clean and try again. What I need is a ROM that has 4.0 if possible, but what's more important for me is that the thing would work smoothly. Having the 3D camera would also be nice. What ROMs would you recommend? Something that should work for sure? Anyone else have issues with Hangouts maybe?
Thanks, all suggestions welcome.
beholder121 said:
Hello guys,
I gave my friend my EVO 3D (CDMA, Sprint) a few months ago when I upgraded to a new phone. Ever since she called Sprint to activate the phone (at the time running SOS M 2.6 ROM) she had nothing but problems. She also didn't have the Google Services packet working for some reason (all Google Apps worked fine with me, even thought hangouts was new I didn't use it on the Evo). After a while I tried to install Cyanogen on it and it failed (it won't boot and get stuck on a loop), eventually resorting to Venom, which is what she has now.
The phone is so slow it takes the keyboard 10-15 seconds to respond between button-pressing. Swipe is obviously impossible, and the phone sometimes gets stuck on boot. The whole thing is sluggish as hell. I'm not sure what going on, the phone was perfectly fine, and now after 3 ROM it's a piece of crap.
I am going to have the phone tomorrow again and I have permission to wipe it clean and try again. What I need is a ROM that has 4.0 if possible, but what's more important for me is that the thing would work smoothly. Having the 3D camera would also be nice. What ROMs would you recommend? Something that should work for sure? Anyone else have issues with Hangouts maybe?
Thanks, all suggestions welcome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All right bro, so it's good that your phone isn't bricked, and it is just slow, so that's the first good part. I'll give you a couple of steps to help your EPIC (because 3D is epic) phone get into the fastest zone possible.
STEP 1) Flash a well-built, not in beta stages, stable rom like NegaLite-BluRom (/showthread.php?t=1745093)
STEP 2) Flash a stable, overclocked (for you) kernel. The best options are Mirage and ButteredToast. Those are the best and most common. DON'T FLASH THIS KERNEL WITH RECOVERY. Install Flash Image GUI apk on your rom (if you can't install it because of huge lag, try the adb method-check out a list of adb commands)
STEP 3) After flashing and rebooting, install an CPU manager of your choice (CPU Master is free)
STEP 4) Overlcock your phone to your need (this is probably your problem
STEP 5) Enjoy your lag-free phone.
*********************Additional Info:
NegaLite supports 3D (just check out its awesome 3D boot animation)
Its IceCream Sandwhich
It can be flashed with S-ON using 4EXT (install this before installing the ROM)
If possible with you lag, backup all your data and contacts using Titanium Backup (save you some time later)

[HOW-TO] Get back to a stable, fast, working ICS from any ROM (including JB ROMs)

Okay, so I've tried a ton of different JB ROMs and have come to the conclusion it's not meant for the Fascinate. Between slowdowns, memory issues, missed calls, bluetooth crashes and app incompatibilies it just isn't worth it on our phone.
So, this is how you can join me in moving back to a fully working and FAR more responsive ICS (Gummy ROM). Not only is my phone zippy fast again, all apps work as intended (including Samba Filesharing, Pandora, Snapchat and LBE Privacy Guard!). No more weird errors, no more 'such and such stopped responding', no more missed calls! It's just like a working phone.. because now it is!
I ended up:
- Doing an Odin of CI500_VZW_EH03_GB_CM.tar.md5 and atlas_v2.2.pit (re-partition option checked, battery installed)
- booted it
- back to odin again (battery in)
- odined cwm4_fixed_for_cm7-ODIN.tar
- booted into recovery directly (3 finger after battery pull)
- flashed teamhacksung-ota-eng.BUILD2.zip
- booted it
- rebooted to recovery via power menu
- flashed Gummy_fascinatemtd-Release-2012-06-15-03_38.zip
- booted it
- rebooted to recovery via power menu
- flashed gapps-ics-20120317-signed.zip, Glitch-fascinatemtd-SkunkWorks-20120510.1733.zip and TitaniumBackup.zip
- booted
- restored my apps + data (not system data, just app data)
- profit!
If you don't have any of these files, the ones I haven't linked are likely linked elsewhere in this section, but if you want to find them faster, just search for the exact filenames in google. If anyone has links to the missing ones, please post them below and I'll update this.
DON'T SKIP ANY STEPS! THEY ARE ALL LISTED FOR A REASON. IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM AND SKIPPED ANY STEPS, I WILL KNOW AND YOU WILL BE IGNORED.
Cheers, and welcome back a working phone!
Links to stuff
Here are some links for stuff:
TeamHacksung ICS Build 2: http://www.enderszone.com/ics/teamhacksung-ota-eng.BUILD2.zip
ClockWorkMod for CM7: http://forum.xda-developers.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=669652&d=1311907538
you can find the other stuff at Droidstyle's excellent guide: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1238070
scroll down to the section about ICS/JB ROMs.
also, i wanted to add some things to the guide.
1. if you don't have the samsung drivers and odin, go to Droidstyle's thread, or browse around the Fascinate subforums for info.
2. transfer the zip files to your phone before you odin stock firmware for convenience
Dude, you just saved my ass. I was effin' around with my GF old Fascinate, which I've used basically as a learning device for my kids, and I thought I'd flash a new 4.2.2 ROM (I was on another that I can't remember). Well, it didn't go well and of course I didn't have a nandroid. All of my nandroids were ICS and earlier and simply restoring wasn't gonna work. Thanks so much for this! Took me a while, but I got it done.
After using gummy rom for a while, I've found I've had some pretty irritating lag issues. I'm now running avatar ics rom and recommend flashing that instead of gummy. Also, avatar rom doesn't need a custom kernel as its plenty fast without the need to overclock.
Otherwise the flash directions are the same as gummy rom
Note, I'm speaking of avatar ics, not avatar jb. Cheers!

[ROM|ROOT|Stockish|NO KNOX|No ItsOn] 9/5/15 TouchWiz Lollipop 5.1.1 (N915PVPU4COG1)

Here's a Stockish ROM for your N915P. This ROM has Knox, Sprint ItsOn, and secure storage removed. Nothing else was done to this ROM. I'm new to the Note Edge so I may upload patches to remove any other traces of Knox or ItsOn or optimizations I happen to find while making my own ROM.
Prereq: OG1 Baseband. Download it below.
Modified stock kernel (BeastMode Stock): Kernel modified to allow root by disabling "Root Restriction in defconfig"
Download
MD5: 75bd507e3b4296a128f1c0c48fd2359c
Version 1.1: Enabled many TCP Congestion options via defconfig. Added init.d ability via ramdisk.
Odex:
Download
MD5: 59d544ef6a4bc12d969f4efd9577d36d
DeOdex DEBLOATED:
Download
MD5: 00b5246b9c2074e7ff04f6af2bad1ec2
OG1 Baseband:
Download
MD5: 3bc88209d60117fb573e0f5a2e50f4e9
Patches and fixes:
None yet.
[size=+3]DeOdex note:[/size]
The first boot time for this DeOdex ROM is very long. Approximately 5-8 minutes. Your phone will get hot as the splash screen remains on the yellow Sprint boot animation. I recommend keeping your phone in a cool environment while this is happening. The heat, if not properly checked, can make boot times even longer as the system throttles speed in order to deal with the heat. This doesn't happen on the Odex version.
[size=+3]Install instructions:[/size]
-Are you currently on the OC8 bootloader and would like to stay on it?
--Simply flash the baseband with Odin, and the ROM.
-Are you on the update from OTA or flashed the OG1 TAR?
--Flash kernel only.
-Are you one of the unlucky ones to take the OTA and hose your system trying to root and are now on another ROM?
--Flash ROM only.
-Are you on any build after OC8 but not the current OG1?
--Flash the baseband and ROM. Bootloader is optional and not available in this thread as of yet.
Wiping is only necessary if you are coming from a different base, such as AOSP/CM. If you are coming from a touchwiz ROM, wiping isn't needed, but won't hurt.
Changelog:
9/5/15: Initial Release.
Kernel source code: Download
Thanks, will flash tomorrow.
Thank you so much freeza!! Patiently waiting for the deodexed version and for the baseband.
Added modified stock kernel v1.1 and baseband.
Freeza if I'm on 5.0.1 still just flashing the baseband may give me better service ? Technically...
Downloading now still waiting on the deodex will play with the stock to see how it is thanks
Ok, flashed rom, kernel, and modem. Took a while to boot but all is running well at the moment. Thanks for supporting our device!!
DeOdex uploading....
What What!!! By far the best developer on a Samsung!! Thank you so much for your hard work brother!! Real Talk, i still have your rom on my Note 3! It runs flawlessly!! XD
Get your DeOdex on, guys! ;D
Thanks so much for this!!! I love the separate edge screen and have no reason to "upgrade" to the Note 5
Thank you freeza NICE WORK WITH THE KERNEL
When I saw you had been requested to come help this phone achieve root I knew great things were going to come to those who waited. I've had other devices where you were there to help gain root and again you came through. I purposely didn't take the OG1 update because I knew in time this device wasn't going to be ignored. IMO it is the best NOTE device out there and it will be mine until they make a NOTE EDGE 2 (With SD card and removable battery). Thank you for the quick response and the hard work you do to make this happen.
Cant get either one of them to boot. Both the odex and the deodex wont boot, they both flash fine and then after the phone reboots it stays on the yellow sprint screen Maybe for up to a minute then reboots and it cycles that way. Never boots. I've tried not wiping/Factory restarting as well as wiping/Factory resetting. Have also tried formatting through TWRP to no avail. Have also tried flashing the kernel and wiping caches after flashing but Nothing is working. Have also flashed the baseband.
Im currently on OF6 if that should matter.
Edit: md5 Sums have also match up. Have downloaded both from my phone and a pc to no avail.
Edit 2: tried both TWRP 2.8.6.0 and 2.8.7.0. Also tried clockworkmod recovery and that didn't work either.
I had success but it took some time. I downloaded the deodexed debloated rom, the kernel, and the baseband. I had a method to how I wanted to do this and here is how i got there.
I was running OC8 rom rooted.
1. I odened the baseband tar file and rebooted. But unfortunately it bootlooped on the initial splash screen (note edge) so
2. I ran TWRP recovery and installed the kernel file. Rebooted phone and it ran fine. I looked at the settings about phone and saw that the baseband and the rom all said OG1 but i had not installed the rom yet. So i figure it was a trick to get the baseband to install. So
3. I went back into recovery. Wiped dalvik cache and regular cache and installed the new rom. It installed fine and i waited the length of time for the initial boot up. But this time as it was "Android is starting" it rebooted and got stuck on the sprint splash screen and kept randomally vibrating. Having the ability to remove the battery
4. Rebooted back into recovery, wiped everything including internal storage, and reinstalled the deodexed rom. It installed fine and went to the initial startup screen where it tries to initialize and it rebooted one time, back to the initialize screen but continued without a hitch.
I currently am running OG1 5.1.1. With root.
At times during setting up the phone it would randomally vibrate for no reason...short bursts...but it hasn't yet again rebooted, restarted, or crashed. It is faster from what i see. Probably because there are almost no google apps installed. I've had to install chrome, youtube, and maps. But all seems fine. My signal and speeds are the same so the baseband didn't do much to change that. But so far so good.
---------- Post added at 11:30 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:27 AM ----------
I did try to install over my odexed OC8 with this new rom but because there is so much different about the files that are installed IMO formatting the phone was the only way to get this to work.
---------- Post added at 12:16 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:30 AM ----------
One final thing just in case it isn't known: when you wipe everything in TWRP, excluding external storage, you have to restart the recovery before trying to install a rom. It will say you have no OS installed, but you are restarting the recovery not booting a rom, so that's fine, but you do lose root status when wiping. So the next screen gives you the ability to gain root again, but you have to restart TWRP to do that. In the past i tried to figure out why installing after wiping didn't work, and 99% of the time it was because of that. I also don't like installing new roms over older roms (even if they are the same base (touchwiz to touchwiz)) because i feel I would spend more time troubleshooting why something isn't working instead of just starting over. I find less hassle doing it this way.
I odin baseband .tar file, than reboot it to recovery, and flash kernal and odex room at the same time, saw some red messages when kernel was flashing, than odex rom was next but it was successful when it was done. (I did not know if kernel falsh ok so i reflash kernel again) reboot to system and after the android system updated all its ok. No problems so far.
Oh and i inclided the supersu at the same time i flash kernel, odex rom and supersu.
1. Odin baseband tar file.
2. Flash kernel, odex rom and supersu.
3. Re-flash kernel.
4. Reboot to system and profit.
(Maybe i did un necessary steps, but its working. )
Was running great but have been experiencing Google account and store issues. Tried odex and deodex versions with similar results. Anyone else having issues?
Johnny Halo III said:
Was running great but have been experiencing Google account and store issues. Tried odex and deodex versions with similar results. Anyone else having issues?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just starting to have random freezing. And not able to select my apps froms the edge screen, i can only scroll through it. Will remove all the app shorcuts and re-add tham again.
**update 1.
I removed all shorcuts from the edge screen and added them back, all work but some i have to select them a few times before they open.
Maybe i have to reflash, reset, clean and wipe.
**update 2.
Clean install of odex rom, and kernal 1.1.
No more lagg but the edge screen does not work properly. Not able to select and open some of the favorite app shorcuts.
**update 3.
Factory reset, cleaned and wype, odin sprint lollipop update (uf something), downloaded OG1 update. Installed all apps from scratch. And the edge screen does not work. I can scroll, side to side, up and down, but when i select an app it does not open it.
** update (last one)
Foud the code to test the phone hardware.
*#0*# on dial screen. Tested all and it came out good. But i notice that some how the edge screen its not as whide as it used to be ( like its more to the right of the phone) so where i use to touch to select an app its now more to the right emd of the edge, thats why i was able to scroll but not select the app.
Its all good now. Now second round of flashing.
Will give it another try at the room.
Thanks Freeza and sorry about the problems i had and hopefully did not cause anyone from not trying this great work pr yours.
I left all the problems i had so tje next person trying this room does not get discureged from trying. But allways fallow direction.
:thumbup:
** last update
After setting and resetting, flashing and un-flashing, rooting and un-rooting. I can finally wrote that all is good. Running latest lollipop 5.1.1 and freeza's new 1.1 kernel, I can reprt that all is smooth as butter.
Thanks for the hard work.
Thank you so much for your hard work Freeza! So glad I'm finally running 5.1.1 on this beast :]
The ROM is working pretty well, but I have noticed that every now and then, the phone will be rather laggy. Turning the screen off and on again seems to fix the issue, making me think that the processor is being throttled while the screen is off (good) but isn't being sped back up when the screen is turned on..sometimes.
It's not a huge deal, but I was wondering if anyone was experiencing the same thing.
No issues here.
Starting on OG1 had to flash bootloader, kernel, deodex rom and supersu to make it stick. Two days now and battery, signal and speed seem improved.
Thanks freeza!

Just trying to figure out what is the proper path with this spiteful phone

So my girlfriend's EVO 4G LTE is a bit of.. well, I'm gonna say bastard. I'm not new when it comes to rooting devices but I've never had to deal with one that fought me so much.
I've been through this adventure many times with it, and it gets more complicated each time. Here is what's happened with it so far.
It was stock, and it was terrible. It lagged so much, despite factory resets, that apps like google maps were completely unusable. It got no battery life AT ALL, and was generally freeze-happy and miserable.
So then I s-off'd it and after learning all its quirks, installed recovery and CM 11.2 (I think? It's been a year)
This worked great! For.. a few days. The phone worked, we went on vacation to a roaming area where Sprint had no coverage. We come back, and only the data works, texts and calls do not, and the phone acts like it's not activated. Yay. All attempts to get it activated are met with failure, much to the confusion of the poor sprint person on the line. The phone just will not take, at all. (damn lack of real sim cards..) We tried recovering back to a backup from twrp of the stock firmware but that won't work either? It wouldn't register with sprint even on the backed up version of stock sense. The phone seemed dead at this point. Bricked radio?
So we give up. We bring it to the sprint store, and they do some magic to it, and its back to stock, slow and terrible, but functional. We don't touch it until about three weeks ago.
But, my girlfriend is tired, again, of the terribleness, and asks me to try again. Okay, sure.
I install TWRP again, so far so good. The phone is still S-OFF from last time, which is nice. I go to install CM11.2 from the files used from last time (the MD5 does check out correct) But, the phone complains about not having a new enough bootloader. ???? (So I assume sprint downgraded the bootloader in the process of fixing it. somehow)
I forget the exact numbers, but we can't install CM11.2, only 10. or 10.whatever. the newest 10. Okay, fine. I gather a new set of cyanogen files, gapps, whatever, and flash all of that, so far so good.
This time it works, and stays working! Yay! So I thought.
As it turns out, its on a very old version of android (so old that it goes into a special usb file host mode when usb is plugged in) and more importantly, the camera is TERRIBLE. I've read that the evo 4g lte uses a special ImageSense chip to boost camera performance, and that cyanogen 10 does not support it. I can tell, because the camera is absolutely terrible. The battery life also is terrible, presumably because it lacks optimizations. It had way better battery life on CM11.2 when it worked. Other then that, its working just fine, but the camera is just unacceptable.
So, I want to know what to do from here. I see a few paths.
plan A:
update HBOOT to a newer version to allow the install of CM11.2
(how do I do that? I heard you have to use an RUU, but which RUU? I read that there is some touchscreen driver that is an issue depending on what version you run)
(Once I install the ruu is it business as usual, install twrp and then flash cyanogen like normal? Will it do the crazy not activation thing again? was that a fluke??)
plan B:
update HBOOT, but to a much newer one that allows the install of CM12 or whatever the newer ones are. Presumably updating past the touch screen driver issue and not allowing us to go back to an old version.
(once again, what do I need to do that? Is this advisable? I quite prefer the idea of running a newer version. So if this is the better idea, I will do it.)
I thank you greatly for your help. I'm not used to it being this complicated. I've read a lot of things about this phone and it seems very conflicting at times. I just want to get straightened out.
yeah, it's probably running like crap because the firmware is so out of date.
use this RUU http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2653730
then re-flash twrp and another ROM if you want (i've been running cm12.1 for MONTHS) but she might be able to survive just like that. only fear would be staying vulnerable to security threats, but you've been living in that house this whole time anyway.
for a good while i was running this stock 4.3 with root and some xposed modules installed to get the cm functionality that i missed. but seriously, run the RUU, let it activate, then go under settings and update profile and PRL, fire up maps/navigation with GPS on so that it gets a good lock and its cache populated, then you should be good from there.
Thank you!
Can I use the same utility that I used to flash twrp (that one-click thing that seems to support a half million phones) or do I need something special? This sounds very easy to do. Almost too easy, given that the story of this phone's life is that the easiest thing I've ever done to it was take it completely apart to replace its battery.
never used the one-click stuff. flashing recovery via fastboot is simple enough.
get the adb tools, here's some easy instructions for that http://lifehacker.com/the-easiest-way-to-install-androids-adb-and-fastboot-to-1586992378
get the latest twrp from here https://dl.twrp.me/jewel/
then follow these directions to flash twrp https://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Install_CM_for_jewel#Installing_a_custom_recovery_using_fastboot
if not installing cm or any other rooted rom (you want to root stock) get supersu from here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1538053 and use the twrp installable zip
If you've gone through the trouble to S-Off, then fastboot flash the latest TWRP (3.0.2.0, I believe), which supports the new partition layout (extra 4gig of internal SD space).
From there, flash the official 651.4 developers version, go through the device setup which updates your PRL, then shut it down and reboot to TWRP and flash the latest CM12.1 and a proper gapps package (I use "stock", which is a bit much for some, but I like having everything available to me).
The one thing I do that most don't is to disable zRam and enable swap with my own script I wrote specifically for the external SD I formatted as vFat/ext4/swap.
After doing all this, I do not have the issues you seem to have, and the PRL seems to stay from the last install of stock Sense 5. Even with all the apps I have installed, it's still fairly snappy. Facebook/Messenger, and other memory hogging apps run smooth with no discernable lag, unless there's network issues.
YMMV, but look into using an app like "Ampre" to measure battery life and gauge if the battery is going bad or not.
Outside of that, there's not much left to do with these older devices that hasn't been done already.

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