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).
Hi All,
I am new to this forum and also to this Smartphone world
I am planning to buy Galaxy S2 , but want to use ICS Stock UI ( I can wait for official ICS update or use some ICS ROM ) , but what I want to know is that how can I use default ICS Stock UI on my Galaxy S2.
And another question when we use unofficial ROM on our Android phone , what are the risks we should consider in terms of our personal data security and also the stability of our phone ?
Thanks,
Maverick
mavericki said:
Hi All,
I am new to this forum and also to this Smartphone world
I am planning to buy Galaxy S2 , but want to use ICS Stock UI ( I can wait for official ICS update or use some ICS ROM ) , but what I want to know is that how can I use default ICS Stock UI on my Galaxy S2.
And another question when we use unofficial ROM on our Android phone , what are the risks we should consider in terms of our personal data security and also the stability of our phone ?
Thanks,
Maverick
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you do some reading around the SGS2 forum, you'll find all of the information you seek. Or you could try google...either way, the powers that be here at XDA aren't very friendly to those who don't bother trying to research, read, or use the search function. I'm trying to be a bit more personable.
At the moment, ICS is in either the Alpha or Beta stage...meaning that it's still buggy and doesn't really function as a daily driver yet.
To get ICS right now, you have to flash a ROM...which involves root access. The risks are pretty high. You have the risk of bricking your phone, if you don't read the instructions and follow them exactly, which isn't always easy because you're not very likely to find exact instructions for your specific phone (the hardware specs will match, but the ROM/Radio/Modem numbers may be different which can lead to confusion). You also run the risk of voiding your warranty, which is a pretty significant one.
I flashed an ICS build yesterday, and then my S2 wouldn't charge. I eventually flashed back (thank God I had made a backup yesterday, and 2 days ago as the one from yesterday didn't work!)
As far as security goes, nothing really to worry about. Dev's don't build in Carrier IQ and don't really want your personal data. But the flip side is, that they don't get paid for what they do...so if you have a problem or 'eff something up, you're pretty much on your own. You can ask for help, but again, sometimes the dev's don't want to be bothered with a question if it's already been answered or if you could've found the answer by searching for it. This is where it gets rude, sometimes.
That's the long answer. The short answer is READ, READ, READ...everything about your phone and flashing ROM's. Start at the beginning of the forum, as that's where the 'stickies' are and work your way thru. ICS will be released officially and stably later.
Hope that helps.
Thanks ,
I have googled it and read some threads on this forum and on others as well... thats how I came to know that you can root your phone with unofficial ICS ROM... but wasn't sure that in that case , will I get ICS with TouchWiz or Stock UI...
And 2nd thing that if I screwed up what will happen to my personal data...
anyhow thanks for replying my (dumb ? ) question
I've been reading forums and searching forums all day, but can't seem to find a definitive answer to whether I'll be able to root my specific version of tablet or not, there's so many different types, build numbers, UK versions/US versions my head is close to blowing! Any advice would be soo much appreciated.
I bought a tablet off Ebay, a GT-7510 (US version I think, although I live in the UK) which came with Honeycomb installed. I then updated OTA to ICS 4.0.4, but it seems pretty laggy in general compared to the other Galaxy tabs I've seen, now I'm at the point where I'd like to root it and try some custom roms to see if they're any better than the stock ICS rom.
Here is the info for my tab which I think is relevant:-
Android Version 4.0.4
Kernel version 3.1.10
Build number IMM76D.UELPL
I've found so many different methods of how to root certain variations, but can't be certain if one of them applies to my tablet, whether I'd have to flash it back to Honeycomb, whether it only works for UK or US versions etc etc, that I've given up searching and thought I'd start my own post, and hope that somebody could tell me whether I can definitely root my device, and which would be the best method to do it? I have no warranty on my device as it's a refurb, so rooting doesn't bother me, but I'm worried about using the wrong method and bricking it.
Really hope somebody can help me, thanks very much in advance for any advice.
meehog said:
I've been reading forums and searching forums all day, but can't seem to find a definitive answer to whether I'll be able to root my specific version of tablet or not, there's so many different types, build numbers, UK versions/US versions my head is close to blowing! Any advice would be soo much appreciated.
I bought a tablet off Ebay, a GT-7510 (US version I think, although I live in the UK) which came with Honeycomb installed. I then updated OTA to ICS 4.0.4, but it seems pretty laggy in general compared to the other Galaxy tabs I've seen, now I'm at the point where I'd like to root it and try some custom roms to see if they're any better than the stock ICS rom.
Here is the info for my tab which I think is relevant:-
Android Version 4.0.4
Kernel version 3.1.10
Build number IMM76D.UELPL
I've found so many different methods of how to root certain variations, but can't be certain if one of them applies to my tablet, whether I'd have to flash it back to Honeycomb, whether it only works for UK or US versions etc etc, that I've given up searching and thought I'd start my own post, and hope that somebody could tell me whether I can definitely root my device, and which would be the best method to do it? I have no warranty on my device as it's a refurb, so rooting doesn't bother me, but I'm worried about using the wrong method and bricking it.
Really hope somebody can help me, thanks very much in advance for any advice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the P7510, rooting it is dead easy - just download a recovery and flash it using ODIN. See the rooting guides here. Honeycomb doesn't complicate things at all.
Thanks k1mu, when you say honeycomb doesn't complicate it at all, some of the guides I've read specify that they're for honeycomb installations only, I have the stock ICS rom which was installed OTA, is Android version not an issue anymore, and the guides will work no matter which version you have installed? Also, my tablet is a GT-7510, not a P7510, not sure what the difference is, if any? Sorry if I seem dumb, just want to be sure before I go ahead.
Thanks very much for your help.
Just to update for anybody searching who is as confused as I was, I got root access using this guide http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2029664 from user Jovimon.
Hello, Im new here, Just heard about XDA and how its the best forum (knowledge-wise) out there. I dont have enough knowledge and experience with smartphones (Im more of a PC freak, building and hardware and stuff) but smartphones are a whole different subject.
lately Im having some "hangings" on my Galaxy Note 2 (N7100, 4.1.2 stock) it started when browsing firefox, and continuing to Whatsapp, it started freezing for a minute or so.. (which is quite a long period of time like u probably know.)
I started checking the whole Root&ROMs subject, and also found out that there's a way to update my phone to Android 4.3 JellyBean.
so here are my q's , What is the most CURRENT stable OFFICIAL OS (from what I saw online there's no 4.4.2 for Isarel-ILO (if it matters at all? Because I've seen a few official EU versions from various countries) and people just get a custom ROM of 4.4.2 to run it and also that quite a few ppl on here had some issues with it and were pretty happy about 4.3. So what do u think ?
also, I will probably need the best ROM for the OS you will recommend next (from what I read ROMs can boost phone performence) but I am not sure about it yet
but I am certain that I'm gonna root my phone, but can u tell me exactly how does rooting help ? I mean in which aspects and such..?
Thank you very much in advance, 73RM1N470R.
** just fyi, I figured I'd hard reset my phone and then update the Android to 4.3/4.4.2 which would help the hanging issue , and then root it. (not 100% sure about the ROMs..)