Lenovo Tab 10 (TB-x103F) Custom Downgrade to KitKat? - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hello friends! I have been reading a few different forums and sources regarding roms, but I had a few question to which I cannot find any answers to. I hope you all may be able to help provide me with some information.
I have read numerous forums with people who want to flash newer versions of android on their devices, or even revert back to their stock rom, but what about a custom rom that is a lower android version than what the tablet stock was ? Is that even possible, provided you compile it with android's open source code?
I have 4 lenovo tab 10 tablets - they are all painfully slow, and always have been. It doesn't matter if you clear the cache, disable programs, factory data wipe and reset, etc.
I understand that the reason the tablets are so slow is the hardware that it comes with - especially the 1GB of ram limitation.
For this reason, I wish to be able to flash kitkat on the devices to improve performance. I don't mind if many playstore apps wont run on the device, I just wish to be able to use it to surf the web and read a few e-mails. And believe me or not, the tablets in their current state can barely do that!
Anyhow, if I was to get the source code for kitkat, would I need to somehow port over the drivers from the stock firmware, or would this not be possible because the stock firmware is lollipop? I am having difficulty understanding if the kernels are related to the operating system version or if they can be used with different operating systems. The same is true for the "drivers", which I believe I had read are binaries?
Any help you guys could provide I would appreciate greatly! I don't care about building or getting a custom rom that has all sorts of programs and icon packs, I just want a bare bones kitkat install with chrome and google play capability to download a few minimal apps.
Thank you all for your time and help, and I hope to hear back soon!

Related

[Q] Kernels and Android Versions

I'm not understanding how kernels and ROMs connect. Can someone give me some extra insight?
[Hardware] <-- Unique to every phone
--
[Kernel] <--- Tells the OS how to talk to the hardware
--
[ROM] <--- Slightly confused. Is the OS in the Read only Memory, or has this term changed its "street" meaning?
I understand that most ROMs (e.g. CM7 and CM9) include both the kernel and the ROM, but can you flash these separately too?
I have a 1.5 year old thunderbolt that's rooted, and has CM7 which is based on gingerbread. I believe HTC has also released the kernel as open source, which is probably the reason I have CM7
Anyway, I guess what I'm looking for is an answer/guide/forum that explains why I can't install newer versions of android onto the already working/open source kernel I'm already running. Is it accurate to view the kernel as all the phone's drivers, or just the CPU driver? If that statement is true, why can't I load ICS or Jelly Bean onto my already existing set of drivers?
I'm thinking about starting a Wiki on this if 1) it doesn't already exist, and 2) I can wrap my brain around it enough to share with others!
Thanks to anyone with a response!
shadowrelic said:
I'm not understanding how kernels and ROMs connect. Can someone give me some extra insight?
[Hardware] <-- Unique to every phone
--
[Kernel] <--- Tells the OS how to talk to the hardware
--
[ROM] <--- Slightly confused. Is the OS in the Read only Memory, or has this term changed its "street" meaning?
I understand that most ROMs (e.g. CM7 and CM9) include both the kernel and the ROM, but can you flash these separately too?
I have a 1.5 year old thunderbolt that's rooted, and has CM7 which is based on gingerbread. I believe HTC has also released the kernel as open source, which is probably the reason I have CM7
Anyway, I guess what I'm looking for is an answer/guide/forum that explains why I can't install newer versions of android onto the already working/open source kernel I'm already running. Is it accurate to view the kernel as all the phone's drivers, or just the CPU driver? If that statement is true, why can't I load ICS or Jelly Bean onto my already existing set of drivers?
I'm thinking about starting a Wiki on this if 1) it doesn't already exist, and 2) I can wrap my brain around it enough to share with others!
Thanks to anyone with a response!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are correct about the ROM, but ROMs also include the kernel (if it didn't, or no kernel was flashed separately, the device would not boot). Yes, other kernels can be flashed on your existing ROM, but it's not necessarily going to be compatible.
Sort of, but there's a lot more than that. See here and here. Later versions of Android will require newer drivers,etc. which the existing kernel won't provide (they'll be outdated). Back porting and additional coding is theoretically possible, but insanely difficult (many times). Even after this some things may still not work.
Thanks for the insight, I was able to get a lot deeper into this with those links. For anyone else wandering down a similar path, you might as well stop now! Here are a few links:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1039217&page=2#17
http://www.cs.uwc.ac.za/~mmotlhabi/avmk.pdf
http://www.iteachandroid.com/2012/01/what-is-firmware-rom-and-firmware.html
So, if anyone else is still listening, I do have two more questions:
Do any phones have truly open source drivers? (a.k.a. higher probability of allowing old hardware to work with new android OS)
Is there any way to determine which phones will be supported by the custom-ROM community early on? I know the Nexus line doesn't have vendor modified code, is that the direction which would have the highest probability to stay at top of the Custom ROM curve without upgrading devices every year?
Thanks again for any insight! I hope I'm posting this in a Newb-Friendly forum!
shadowrelic said:
Thanks for the insight, I was able to get a lot deeper into this with those links. For anyone else wandering down a similar path, you might as well stop now! Here are a few links:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1039217&page=2#17
http://www.cs.uwc.ac.za/~mmotlhabi/avmk.pdf
http://www.iteachandroid.com/2012/01/what-is-firmware-rom-and-firmware.html
So, if anyone else is still listening, I do have two more questions:
Do any phones have truly open source drivers? (a.k.a. higher probability of allowing old hardware to work with new android OS)
Is there any way to determine which phones will be supported by the custom-ROM community early on? I know the Nexus line doesn't have vendor modified code, is that the direction which would have the highest probability to stay at top of the Custom ROM curve without upgrading devices every year?
Thanks again for any insight! I hope I'm posting this in a Newb-Friendly forum!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For both your questions, the Nexus-line devices would be the way to go. They usually have everything working on new Android versions the soonest, and Google always releases their code, etc.
Hi
i can use linux kernel (zimage) to update android kernel if yes ,how ?
thnx

Pushing updates to my Tablets?

Ok, so let me tell you some information about my situation first.
I recently have made a deal with a manufacturer of Android Tablets.
I want to be able to develop and add features & fix bugs and push the updates to my customers Tablets and have them be able to easily download & install them. The Tablets currently run stock KitKat 4.4 but I can always ask my manufacturer to install certain modded software (roms?)
Thanks,
Ollieorange

[noob questions] ROM/Kernel - building/porting

I’ll start by admiting that, in the arts of cooking/building/porting android innards, I’m closer to being a complete noob than na intermediate user.
I own a Newman K1S, JB 4.2.2, MT6592, 2Gb/16Gb, 720p, and, sadly for me, it looks like the manufacturer (Newman Mobile, or Newsmy, who knows) pretty much disavows any knowledge of this model ever being built or sold. No reference to it, no community, no android updates or ROM releases.
Taking into account some MediaTek source codes for KitKat were made available earlier this year (even if unofficially), I was wondering:
So, question number 1 – Is it possible to build android 4.4 for my device straight from said sources? Or are they unreliable and it would be best not to attempt it?
And question number 2 – Being at the noob level, should I stay away from such a task? And, in this case, would I be better off porting a 4.4 ROM from a similar spec’ed device?
Also, while browsing needrom, I noticed that a 4.4 “official” ROM was posted for my device. However, having flashed it, I found that it produces no sounds from the external speaker (although with headphones it works fine). Same thing was experienced by other users, and there is no fix so far.
Which takes me to question number 3 – What may I try, in order to fix an issue like this? Does KK use the same sound drivers as JB, and maybe it’s only a matter of replacing them? (if so, I believe this is within my grasp, even if I must unpack the IMG files to reach the drivers)
Lastly, Newman K1S has a severe overheating problem when pushed, which I believe would be easily solved by underclocking it to 1.3 or 1.5, or maybe implementing an optimized kernel.
Final question – How do I manage to underclock with my current kernel, or, better yet, how do I port a custom, optimized kernel to my device?
Congratulations to everyone who managed to read this far, and thank you in advance for any help provided. I’ve spent the last few days reading tutorials and guides, only to become even more confused… I did manage to get android kitchen running on my Windows laptop, though!
Links to recent/updated guides that might be useful are appreciated, too.

What exactly isneeded to change my new unlocked Moto E 4G LTE OS to a CyanogenMod OS?

I purchased outright this Moto E 4G LTE from Staples.
It's not locked to any single carrier and I more than likely will use it as a pocket computer, rather than a talk and text phone.
The details from within the phone are as follows:
Model Number - Moto E (2nd Generation) with 4G LTE
Hardware SKU - XT1527
Android Version - 5.0.2
Baseband version - M8916_200608.08.02.58.15R SURNIA_RETCA_CUST
Kernel version - 3.10.49-gb86829a [email protected] #1 Tue Aug 4 14:44:21 CDT 2015
System version - 22.46.8.surnia_retca.retca.en.CA retca
Build number - LXI22.50-53.8
This is my first plunge into the world of unlocking, rooting, and flashing Android OS.
So far I've been able to gather that cybojenix and squid2 have highly regarded threads and downloads related to the Moto E 4G LTE but the high volume of custom roms, TWRP files, modem files, gapps, patches to fix issues with the camera and patches to eliminate a warning message that warns of a rooted bootloader, etc have left me somewhat overwhelmed lost. I am in need of a short list of what I absolutely need to do what I want to do, and some hints of what extras would work best with my phone in terms of custom roms or whatever relevant.
I'd like to root my phone so that I can run a specific app not related to xdadevelopers. My needs are mostly related to security and anonymity because in my professional life I conduct social research with vulnerable populations and the ethics of my profession dictate a strict code of conduct in this vein.
[As an aside --The app I use unobtrusively requests root access and I fully trust the app since I am very familiar with its history and development to date. The app is found found at f-droid if anyone is interested in checking out f-droid's offerings.]
My questions are these:
What version of twrp-surnia-3.0.0-r*.img will my Moto E work with?
Motorola says my Android Version 5.0.2 is fully up to date when I try to use the in-phone System Updates feature from the About Phone tab in Settings. However I've read in XDAdevelopers that this version of Android can run into problems when using a later version of TWRP.
Can I install a flavour of CM13 straight from Android Version 5.0.2 or do I need to somehow install an Android Version of 5.1 as a first step?
What flavour of CM (Custom ROM) works best with this phone?
I recognize this thread is a bit long winded but I hope to have provided all the necessary details required to seek help from the many expert coders, programmers, and operators dedicated to xda-developers.
Thank you for taking time to read this, and many more thanks if you happen to contribute to any of the solutions that might follow.
Have a wonderful evening.
lostcelt said:
I purchased outright this Moto E 4G LTE from Staples.
It's not locked to any single carrier and I more than likely will use it as a pocket computer, rather than a talk and text phone.
The details from within the phone are as follows:
Model Number - Moto E (2nd Generation) with 4G LTE
Hardware SKU - XT1527
Android Version - 5.0.2
Baseband version - M8916_200608.08.02.58.15R SURNIA_RETCA_CUST
Kernel version - 3.10.49-gb86829a hud[email protected] #1 Tue Aug 4 14:44:21 CDT 2015
System version - 22.46.8.surnia_retca.retca.en.CA retca
Build number - LXI22.50-53.8
This is my first plunge into the world of unlocking, rooting, and flashing Android OS.
So far I've been able to gather that cybojenix and squid2 have highly regarded threads and downloads related to the Moto E 4G LTE but the high volume of custom roms, TWRP files, modem files, gapps, patches to fix issues with the camera and patches to eliminate a warning message that warns of a rooted bootloader, etc have left me somewhat overwhelmed lost. I am in need of a short list of what I absolutely need to do what I want to do, and some hints of what extras would work best with my phone in terms of custom roms or whatever relevant.
I'd like to root my phone so that I can run a specific app not related to xdadevelopers. My needs are mostly related to security and anonymity because in my professional life I conduct social research with vulnerable populations and the ethics of my profession dictate a strict code of conduct in this vein.
[As an aside --The app I use unobtrusively requests root access and I fully trust the app since I am very familiar with its history and development to date. The app is found found at f-droid if anyone is interested in checking out f-droid's offerings.]
My questions are these:
What version of twrp-surnia-3.0.0-r*.img will my Moto E work with?
Motorola says my Android Version 5.0.2 is fully up to date when I try to use the in-phone System Updates feature from the About Phone tab in Settings. However I've read in XDAdevelopers that this version of Android can run into problems when using a later version of TWRP.
Can I install a flavour of CM13 straight from Android Version 5.0.2 or do I need to somehow install an Android Version of 5.1 as a first step?
What flavour of CM (Custom ROM) works best with this phone?
I recognize this thread is a bit long winded but I hope to have provided all the necessary details required to seek help from the many expert coders, programmers, and operators dedicated to xda-developers.
Thank you for taking time to read this, and many more thanks if you happen to contribute to any of the solutions that might follow.
Have a wonderful evening.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The basic steps you need to follow are:
Unlock your bootloader
Flash the XT1527 RETUS 5.1 modem (see http://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-e-2015/help/moto-e-2015-modems-t3296044)
Flash the latest TWRP (my 3.0.1-r1 build as of this moment, see http://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-e-2015/development/twrp-squid-twrp-recovery-moto-e-lte-t3137649)
From TWRP, go into advanced wipe and erase system, data, cache, and dalvik
Flash CM13 + gapps together in TWRP
Apart from the modem, you don't have to upgrade anything else.
I choose to avoid Cm after reading up on it.
I prefer to use the Stock ROM etc
BUT!
I Root it with SuperSU then make my own Bootlogo + Animation
Then i use Squid's Kernel + Squid's TWRP and No-frills CPU Control (to use some of the options Squid's kernel has)
I believe my setup is cleaner and has more stable support and easier to do learn etc.
I checked on what features CM offers and none of it sound like anything i wanted.
I also don't want to have to fiddle around with Gapps or whatever.
I also seen some drawbacks before with some features on the stock Rom that do not work on CM.
I think most people use it simply because it's popular.
Evaluate your options and choose what is right for you.
First thing you want to do is check if you can unlock your bootloader.
Since your from Canada i bet you can.. i did on mine.
Squid's stuff plus Stock Android is good.. in my opinion better than CM.
squid2 said:
The basic steps you need to follow are:
Unlock your bootloader
Flash the XT1527 RETUS 5.1 modem (see http://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-e-2015/help/moto-e-2015-modems-t3296044)
Flash the latest TWRP (my 3.0.1-r1 build as of this moment, see http://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-e-2015/development/twrp-squid-twrp-recovery-moto-e-lte-t3137649)
From TWRP, go into advanced wipe and erase system, data, cache, and dalvik
Flash CM13 + gapps together in TWRP
Apart from the modem, you don't have to upgrade anything else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for responding to my questions, squid2. I am very much honored to have had you taken the time to write on my behalf, this is certainly something to which I feel very privledged.
For the sake of clarity and accuracy I will quickly repeat the steps I just took after reading your answer to this thread. If you do not write into this thread a second time I will assume the steps I just took are indeed the correct ones.
1. I went to http://forum.xda-developers.com/moto...odems-t3296044 as you directed and downloaded only the one folder titled Modem, ignoring the larger file that includes another three folders in addition to the Modem folder (the larger file containing all the four files is 25.79GB, whereas the single Modem folder is just 561MB).
2. I then unzipped the Modem folder and selected the SURNIA-RETUS_5.1.zip, ignoring the SURNIA-RETUS_5.1_new.zip which is also in the Modem folder. (The newer SURNIA-RETUS_5.1_new.zip file is two days newer than the other SURNIA-RETUS_5.1.zip file, but since they are both in the same Modem folder I am taking that to mean I should follow your original instructions precisely as directed. Both files are about the same size, except that the newer file is slightly smaller than the other.)
Again, thank you. Your instructions were vital in enabling me to move forward on this task. We need a bitcoin tip jar for people who take time to help others.
xpmule said:
I choose to avoid Cm after reading up on it.
I prefer to use the Stock ROM etc
BUT!
I Root it with SuperSU then make my own Bootlogo + Animation
Then i use Squid's Kernel + Squid's TWRP and No-frills CPU Control (to use some of the options Squid's kernel has)
I believe my setup is cleaner and has more stable support and easier to do learn etc.
I checked on what features CM offers and none of it sound like anything i wanted.
I also don't want to have to fiddle around with Gapps or whatever.
I also seen some drawbacks before with some features on the stock Rom that do not work on CM.
I think most people use it simply because it's popular.
Evaluate your options and choose what is right for you.
First thing you want to do is check if you can unlock your bootloader.
Since your from Canada i bet you can.. i did on mine.
Squid's stuff plus Stock Android is good.. in my opinion better than CM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, xpmule. I had been wondering whether it was a good idea to install CM or to use a stock Rom. From what I've been reading the Moto E version of Android is fairly bloat-free and since I really only need a rooted phone there is no real need for CM.
I've learned more than once that messing around with unfamiliar OS can be a recipe for disaster after foolishly timing updates of a Linux or BSD OS when I have papers due or exams to study for.
I'll take some more time to research the other options you recommended and then follow your lead with respect to this phone.
Again I'd like to thank both squid2 and yourself for helping me on this, and may I suggest that people who provide meaningful assistance such as this put a bitcoin wallet addres in their signature so that people like me can show our gratitude .
I Support Bitcoin and i think i said that to Squid before too LOL
But i have before refused some for helping people more than once.
My help is not as much as Squid's though.. he puts in effort for his public projects LOL
I don't think you will see him giving advice too much either.. at least i haven't.
So Squid.. GET a Bitcoin address man
OP good luck.. i think Moto's Android is fairly bloat free.. The stuff Moto put on there is good.
Like the twist the phone to activate the camera app or the app that tweaks the notifications.
I am happy myself just modding the stock firmware.
Thank you squid2, I followed your directions exactly as prescribed and I am now rocking the lastest nightly build of CM on my Moto E. It was fairly easy and I can confirm that everything works just fine.
And thank you as well, xpmule. I was going to follow your instructions too but when I got to a certain point in my process and my phone asked if I was sure I wanted to reboot even though there was no OS installed, well I had one of those moments.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!
Now it's time to explore this CM OS and see what all the fanfare is really about. )

How to upgrade my own roms android version?

Edit: I was told to ask this in this section of the forum so here goes.
Hi,
some time ago i bought a 50€ chinese tablet to mess with. It has android v4.0.4 on it and is very slow/ has a lot of useless stuff. In my attempt to educate myself on Android OS, I'm trying to build my own custom rom for it using this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1801690
I'm at the point where I could repack my work and flash it to this tablet, but all i've achieved so far is simplified version (less random apps and few tweaks here and there) of existing rom.
I want to update this tablet's android version but I'm completely unsure how I'm supposed to do that and google isn't being of any help as the search results are just bunch of those irritating blog posts that in nutshell just explain how to plug your usb cable into your pc.
No updates are provided by the manufacturer himself (duh).
Do I have to get desired android version's source code and integrate it with existing files or something?
Any help is appreciated.

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