Hi All
Long story short, my phone broke and samsung fixed it under warrantee. They returned it with the vodaphone 4.3 flavor OS which was bloated to bursting point with all the crap-ware they add. So naturally the phone was dead slow, which prompted me to flash it to the 4.3 BTU. The phone is quite fast now, but the updates don't work so I'm stuck with those dreaded initial 4.3 software bugs, wifi connectivity & battery drain to name just 2.
I'd like to know if there are any decent & stable 4.4 ROMs available? I have tried CM11 earlier this year, but that didn't work to well, it was quite buggy.
I'd love to be able to install the 4.4.x BTU, but as far as I can tell, it hasn't been released (yet?).
Advice would be great.
Thanks!
SwiftyZA said:
Hi All
Long story short, my phone broke and samsung fixed it under warrantee. They returned it with the vodaphone 4.3 flavor OS which was bloated to bursting point with all the crap-ware they add. So naturally the phone was dead slow, which prompted me to flash it to the 4.3 BTU. The phone is quite fast now, but the updates don't work so I'm stuck with those dreaded initial 4.3 software bugs, wifi connectivity & battery drain to name just 2.
I'd like to know if there are any decent & stable 4.4 ROMs available? I have tried CM11 earlier this year, but that didn't work to well, it was quite buggy.
I'd love to be able to install the 4.4.x BTU, but as far as I can tell, it hasn't been released (yet?).
Advice would be great.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never expirienced any strange bugs like eith new 4.3 uodates, try using some great custom 4.3 roms out here, like archidroid, neatrom, arhd etc. Just search and try, combine it with a custom kernel and your phone will be reborned.
4.4.x ism't and won't be released for s3, because, well, samsung is $#&*, but you have note2 4.4 ports, like QS kitkat Archiport, and s5 themed like Blekota etc. But these 4.4 ports are having graphical glitches which occur for some, for some not, but as I see, Lord Boeffla updated his Boeffla kernel and in new updates graphical glitches are gone, battery life is much better and wifi direct and screen mirroring are working.
So if you want best stability go with custom 4.3, if you want to test out the kitkat experience which should be good now if combined with Boeffla kernel then go with some 4.4 port.
And don't forget, best rom threads are not allowed and will be closed by moderator, you should try what xda world has to offer and then decide.
lsalamun said:
I never expirienced any strange bugs like eith new 4.3 uodates, try using some great custom 4.3 roms out here, like archidroid, neatrom, arhd etc. Just search and try, combine it with a custom kernel and your phone will be reborned.
4.4.x ism't and won't be released for s3, because, well, samsung is $#&*, but you have note2 4.4 ports, like QS kitkat Archiport, and s5 themed like Blekota etc. But these 4.4 ports are having graphical glitches which occur for some, for some not, but as I see, Lord Boeffla updated his Boeffla kernel and in new updates graphical glitches are gone, battery life is much better and wifi direct and screen mirroring are working.
So if you want best stability go with custom 4.3, if you want to test out the kitkat experience which should be good now if combined with Boeffla kernel then go with some 4.4 port.
And don't forget, best rom threads are not allowed and will be closed by moderator, you should try what xda world has to offer and then decide.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do I load a custom kernel? I've only ever flashed with Odin and then that was just the ROM.
Just as a matter of interest, 4.4 has been released for the S3 on certain carriers.
Flash the kernel through your custom recovery.
Only the versions of the s3 which have 2gb of ram have kitkat..other versions do not including the international version
Sent from a "Galaxy" far, far away with my Ultra Ray Gun
SwiftyZA said:
How do I load a custom kernel? I've only ever flashed with Odin and then that was just the ROM.
Just as a matter of interest, 4.4 has been released for the S3 on certain carriers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just as Pulseuser mentioned, 4.4 is released only for i9305 LTE variant of s3.
About custom kernel, the easiest method is to root your phone using cf-autoroot, just google cf auto root and download the .tar.md5 for Odin for i9300 S3. Then when your phone is rooted download ROM Manager from playstore and install Clockwork Mod recovery, then reboot to the recovery via rom manager app and choose install zip from sdcard, fin your custom kernel/rom or whatever you want to flash and then tap yes and reboot, but first copy your custom kernel/rom on sdcard.
It is very easy, you even have tutorials on youtube on how to flash something via CWM recovery.
After a software glitch last week which forced me to reflash my SGS2 to basic,(previously i was Rooted, on JB 4.1.2, Stock Rom with Siyah Kernel ) ,i was seriously thinking about installing CM 12.1.1 on my SGS2 (GT-I9100) [[currently on Samsung Stock (Non rooted) 4.1.2 jellybean Rom with Stock recovery(+kernel) ]] , but as i dug more,i found out the path to CM12.1.1 LP is not so straight cut for the GT-I9100 (Need custom recovery+kernel & that too with minimum requirement of a K.K based custom recovery for flashing cm 12.1.1) & neither too promising for keeping it for daily use in Real world, with many feedbacks from various SGS2 owners/users NOT very inspiring (Numerous bugs,problems, Crash,FC,Reboot loops,Smaller system partition of SGS2 makes installing LP CM12.1 with gapps properly an arduous task & also making the storage space of installing apps & games on the SGS2 soon run out ).
*I reckon there is No STABLE CM12.1.1 from Cynogen yet.
Now,with all such tons of troubles arising from installing CM 12.1.1 or any other LP based custom roms & walking the extra mile to just get a pretty new interface & feeling fashionably high about getting the latest android on a 4-5 year old device, is the bill really worth the deal? Is the hype on CM 12.1.1 justified?
*My priority is getting the maximum Stability for Daily use (heavy user) of my phone without loosing out or cripple of on any Basic Functions of the SGS2 & getting the maximum stable support & performance from all compatible Apps & Games on my sgs2 with the minimal problems.
So should i be more prudent & stick with my current Samsung Stock JB 4.1.2 Rom ( doing just the root) for my usage or should i really prep myself for the cynogen mod lollipop or Kitkat ( or any other better & stable custom rom compared to the stock samsung jb 4.1.2 rom) ?
what do you guys think should suit me best? As i am NO expert on Android, neither a Flasholic, all your good & honest replies & experiences shared are most welcome here !!!
If you want stability in a dependable form, stay with stock......
If you're after performance and customisability go with CM or one of the other custom Roms.......
As for which one to choose......
CM12, as you've found out, is a long way from being complete, why not look at CM11? The last cusRom I had on my S2 was markox89's linaro sabermod CM11 which I used continually until I retired the S2 and upgraded. It worked without issue and had very few (if any) bugs. The truth is that no Custom rom for the S2 will ever be classed as totally stable due to Samsung's refusal to release exynos source code, but the Devs here have worked miracles to provide what they have.......
Here's a link to the thread.....
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=51209157
Yes, I know that the thread title says CM12.1, but the androidfilehost link in the 1st post contains CM11 builds as well.....
I think you'll need to flash a KK compatible recovery first, but that should be fairly easy to find on XDA......
Edit.....The cwm you need is behind the 1st spoiler button on post 3 of the thread.
There is also a link for the GApps package you'll need (under the 2nd spoiler button).
Sent from my rooted, debloated stocKK kn0x0 SM-G900F
That's called a Good Honest Informative reply, really trying to help someone !
Thanks a Ton "Keith" !!!
btw, is this the CM 11 (Kk based) rom you are referring to >> https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=23610159112650935 ?
Any more ideas & inputs about the issue... anyone?
No problem fella, if i *can* help, i will....
It certainly looks like the right CM version/build, but I can't see from that link if it's the final build.....it's always best to go for the newer builds as they'll generally be more usable and have fewer bugs.....
Edit.....see this post....
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=61451541
Post no 2580 in the thread.....I think that is the final CM11 build......
It also looks like there was an issue with GApps force closing in the final builds (I must have missed out on that) which requires that 'issue fixer' zip to be flashed (just a little heads up there).
Sent from my rooted, debloated stocKK kn0x0 SM-G900F
@kbxdauser2011
You have pretty much summed up the state of lollipop atm. If you want stability, you want to give it a miss. As @keithross39 has said you can go with CM11 or another kitkat rom, most of them are pretty rock solid. My favourite would have to be Slimsaber 4.4.4 by Fusionjack.
When you said "without loosing out or cripple of on any Basic Functions of the SGS2" though, if you use skype, the latest versions don't seem to work on this rom(you have to revert to older version of skype). And some people are having issues making gps work well(mine works great). The other main issue with all non-stock roms is the camera quality will never be as good, thank you Samsung.
An alternative is probably the most popular S2 rom ever made, which is Neatrom 4.1.2 by Sale. It is stock based, so everything works including camera. You also have a choice of how de-bloated you want it and you can apply mods to it for extra customization.
Overall though, stock is best for stability and battery, but lags, useless apps you'll never use, and lack of certain features and control of your device mean I don't use stock unless I'm trouble-shooting.
Thank you guys immensely !
Honestly peoples like you make xda rock & the ultimate android hub !
Btw, as per my best requirements, i think i would be giving LP or also KK a miss this time on my SGS2 ! & as @noppy referred to me about the JB 4.1.2 Samsung stock based NEATROM,i would be trying my chances on that,..after reading too many rave reviews about it & also seeing the plethora of customisations/mod offered . Since it's just so close to the Official Samsung Stock Rom minus many bloatwares, i surely think this should be very stable with high battery performance.
I do however have certain clarifications for installing the same on my SGS2,which you guys must be in a better position to help.
1) I have been thinking about installing Latest PhilZ Advance Touch Recovery for SGS2 before going on with my Flashing of the NEATROM (philz_touch_6.48.4-i9100.zip or its .tar version through odin).It has many advanced features including option of Aroma installation. & also installing the CWM recovery update making it ready for flashing kitkat roms on my SGS20(GT-I9100) but i have No idea if it would be compatible with my phone or are there any hidden bugs/hiccups there too? (I mean to flash the (recovery+kernel) on my sgs2 through odin 3.0.7)
2) is there any compatibility problems between Neatrom & philz recovery that i should be aware off
3) Which will be better rom to flash ,Neatron Extralight or Neatrom Light or Full version to make the Best out of my SGS2 without loosing out any of the core SGS2 functionality.
Your trusted inputs are hence highly solicited !
1) by all means, flash PhilZ before you flash neat rom, but bear in mind that PhilZ will be overwritten during the rom flash as neat rom has it's own kernel.
2) if you intend to flash philz on top of Neatrom consider that both are stock based, so you need to find the kernel version that matches the firmware that Neatrom is based on.
3) only you know what features you want, so only you can decide which version to flash......If you're a flashaholic, why not try every version to see which one suits you best.......
And in terms of flashing a KK compatible recovery on top of the rom......probably best not to do this.......I doubt the recovery would be compatible with a JB rom......only flash the KK kernel/recovery right before you flash a KK rom.
Sent from my rooted, debloated stocKK kn0x0 SM-G900F
What I would do is find the kernel that is compatible to the firmware you have from the Philz kernel thread. That way if you have to go back to stock, you have a kernel you can flash from the stock recovery which will give you root access and a custom recovery which you can use to flash custom roms(<4.4.x). It also means you won't have the yellow triangle you get from using odin, like siyah. But having said that, I use philz 6.48.4 as my recovery of choice for installing 4.4.x+ roms.
Which PhilZ & Which Neat ?
keithross39 said:
1) by all means, flash PhilZ before you flash neat rom, but bear in mind that PhilZ will be overwritten during the rom flash as neat rom has it's own kernel.
Yes,i plan to do that exactly ... flash PhilZ (recovery+kernel) "BEFORE" flashing the Neat Rom & yes, i know Neat rom have its own kernel which might overwrite the PhilZ (kernel+newer cwm based recovery). But then the pertaining question arises....why flash the PhilZ (kernel+recovery) at all in the first place ( which i'm yet to download of the net)..why NOT flash the SGS2 compatible Siyah kernel+CWM based recovery which also does the job equally (it also comes pre-rooted & has cwm based custom recovery)... which i think is enough for flashing the JB Neat Rom on my SGgS2(which i have also been using perfectly fine for the last 2-3years along with my SGS2's Samsung jb 4.1.2 stock rom). So my main factor for choosing PhilZ over Siyah has been that PhilZ seemed more advanced in its feature list/more benefits than Siyah as well including a more intuitive & powerful modded & newer custom CWM recovery.Morever if i could manage to flash the Latest PhilZ (recovery+kernel) [ version 6.48.4] successfully which comes along with the newer CWM recovery that can be used to flash K.K based custom Roms , i would be quite happy with that (for maintaining compatibility of flashing AOSP based KK & LP custom roms in future) ! So that was the whole idea ! But if the PhilZ is overritten by the Neat, then what should i do? forgo flashing the latest PhilZ[version 6.48.4] ...just flash the Siyah kernel (based on Stock kernel) or the older PhilZ ( also based on Samsung stock kernel)?
2) if you intend to flash philz on top of Neatrom consider that both are stock based, so you need to find the kernel version that matches the firmware that Neatrom is based on.
I have NO intention to flash PhilZ on top of Neatrom "after" JB based Neatrom is successfully installed once on my SGS2, But if the newer PhilZ[ version 6.48.4] does NOT work properly with Neatrom or has compatibility problems,negating the benefits which i seek, i might NOT even flash PhilZ at all & go along with my tried & tested Siyah (kernel+older cwm recovery) & flash it ( with odin) before installing the latest NeatRom.
*Can you confirm , if the Latest PhilZ (kernel & recovery[ version 6.48.4,compatible with KK roms]) would work anyway with the Official Stock Samsung JB 4.1.2 rom , that i have got on my SGS2 (find screenie below)...can reboot to System/desktop & the phone work normally & Not end up in Boot Loops, if i dont install a KK or LP based AOSP custom rom, or even the NeatRom) immediately after installing the latest PhilZ? PhilZ has already retired, doesNOt have much documentation, even the Latest PhilZ[version 6.48.4] is hard to find, the official PhilZ thread's download link even donot work,all thanks to @noppy22 i got it.Hence I'm asking you all these stupid question guys !
My SGS2 Official Stock ROM Details
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"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
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"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
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*My ROM is India based !!!
3) only you know what features you want, so only you can decide which version to flash......If you're a flashaholic, why not try every version to see which one suits you best.......
And in terms of flashing a KK compatible recovery on top of the rom......probably best not to do this.......I doubt the recovery would be compatible with a JB rom......only flash the KK kernel/recovery right before you flash a KK rom.
Truth be told,i'm Busy while rest of the time,i'm completely lazy bones., If there was Not any problem which couldnot be easily sorted out,i dont dig Xda, remain light years from flashing anything new & as i said earlier least a Flasholic. If something stays put on my phone, i generally dont bother for years,so i'm always far behind the scene..I generally don't fix if it ain't broke,so stay away from the flashing & custom roms,,maybe i dont have the aptitude anymore, want to get over all such grinding problems asap, ...maybe i should have better taken an Iphone !
Sorry for those Long replies, but perhaps communication is the key to any successful solution & i had to,...maybe you can now help me in my predicament better.
Sent from my rooted, debloated stocKK kn0x0 SM-G900F
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
noppy22 said:
What I would do is find the kernel that is compatible to the firmware you have from the Philz kernel thread. That way if you have to go back to stock, you have a kernel you can flash from the stock recovery which will give you root access and a custom recovery which you can use to flash custom roms(<4.4.x). It also means you won't have the yellow triangle you get from using odin, like siyah. But having said that, I use philz 6.48.4 as my recovery of choice for installing 4.4.x+ roms.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you also recommend me to stay away from the PhilZ 6.48.4 as my recovery of choice for installing Neat Rom Lite...why ? Would it have compatibility problems with Stock SGS2 JB 4.1.2 rom & thus end up in crashes, even in Failed flash or in boot loops? if you confirm such then maybe i'will not pick up the latest philz 6.48.4 as my recovery of choice for neatrom ( built on JB ) & try the older version of philZ which are supposed to be built on SGS2 JB 4.1.2 Rom.And as i was asking keith, in that situation too, would PhilZ(kernel+recovery) have any more advantage over Siyah Kernel (which i have used in my phone for about 2-3years without problem)[except NOT getting the Yellow Exclamation sign],I have never used PhilZ (any version) & i reckon Siyah would provide enough framework for installing/flashing the Latest NeatRom.So what do you think,which should be the better one to pick?
Now as for getting the correct PhilZ kernels for my SGS2 is concerned (according to information here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=31310851&postcount=2 ),
What kernel to choose:
The important part is the Kernel code:
XWLPX-NEE
Kernel code is in red (LPX), for this example, you need an LPX ROM. However, often, you can mix kernels when they are close: LPF kernel with LPG ROM...
NEE code doesn't matter at all, I add it for reference. It is the CSC
XW: mixed, often doesn't matter for close regions. For example, XW and XX are often interchangeable. However, mixing a BU with an XW ROM or inversly, sometimes works, but often ends in a bootloop. In that case, either boot into recovery or download mode to reflash
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i think the PhilZ kernel+ recovery for my SGS2 might be here :
http://d-h.st/Tzf [XWLST] (.tar filr for flashing with Odin)
& http://d-h.st/RwU [XWLST] ( signed. zip file for flashing from recovery)
I'm however Not very sure if they are the correct files to flash
You can have a look at my SGS2 rom info here :
Also, info about the Siyah Kernel on my SGS2 which i used regularly & thoroughly for over 2-3years.
Maybe, you can better guide me now & confirm which are the correct philz files to flash (in case those in the above links are not).
Also,can you link me to the "Latest" Neat Rom Lite which i need to install ,i find the Latest Neat Rom Lite to be V5.3.1 (approx 473mb).
Also the Full version of NeatRom (with all Bell & Whistles) appear to be huge,much larger than the stock SGS24.1.2Rom at (NeatRom v6.4 Full at 771mb)
So which should i install to get the Best experience from my SGS2 without breaking anything !
Anyway, sincere Thanks to both of you !!!:good:
The philz 6.48.4 is fine if you want to flash the rom(or kitkat/lollipop in the future). It's just that it's probably not compatible with neatrom etc. So it's a very good recovery, but only for a once off flash. As keithross39 said, once you flash a rom on the S2, the kernel/recovery is over-written anyhow.
The XWLST is the one you want. As a general rule of thumb, you are better off using recovery over odin if you have the choice. If you bump the usb cord or get a power surge while using odin, you can run into some serious issues. Small risk I know but using recovery is less risky. And you can always have it on your sd card without the need for a computer. The only other advantage of using philz over siyah is you get arguably a better recovery(philz touch over cwm). I'm not sure which one has the newer version.
And the neatrom 6.4 is the one you want. I know it is a bigger file, but that includes aroma installer and the choice of full/lite/extra lite rom as well. Good luck
continue here >> http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s2/help/format-internal-memory-16gb-usb-storage-t3212160