Rooting your phone/custom roms etc.

[Trollee]

So I have looked up plenty of guides on the internet for instructions on how to root my phone and get a custom rom. However, I am yet to find a guide that assures me confidence in actually going through with it, because I am aware of the consequences if you do it wrong. So I came here because I assume there a plenty of people on the forums that have a rooted phone and a custom rom installed that could (hopefully) give me some advice/instructions on the whole process.

So heres my situation: I have a Samsung Galaxy S (1st edition). I have been on my contract for almost a year and have already rooted my phone so I am not worried about voiding warranty etc. I have several apps that require a rooted phone (wireless tether etc.) that are very useful. However, my phone is often very LAGGY, very SLOW and sometimes FREEZES. I also take into account that this is due to the fact that I have a large number of apps, and I also use various apps like Advanced Task Manager and Memory Free etc. that are good for temporary boosts in running speed. It is to my understanding that downloading a custom rom can GREATLY increase my phone's running speed, and there is a certain rom called Darky's rom that is supposably very good for my phone.

There are a few things I am confused about: how to backup your phone using Titanium Backup app, how to install the rom and how to ensure that I don't go ahead and lose all my contacts, photos etc. on my phone.

Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated. =]

[Draco Mikato]

You might want to make sure you're not on a nightly ROM. Nightlies are bound to have some issues. Also, Gingerbread actually slows down some devices if you forced it onto your phone. So I discovered its not always best to try and get the latest version of Android firmware. I forced a gingerbread (android 2.3) Liberty ROM onto my Droid2 and it seemed to slow down when I try to push it, whether I overclock or use it for a long time. Some ROMs are optimized versions of older firmwares, where they remove a whole bunch of unnecessary special stuff and concentrate on making your phone as fast as it can possibly be. I'm planning to downgrade back to 2.2 sometime, because 2.3 has all these extra features like MotoBlur that I never use. Some phones just can't handle all the latest stuff coming out. Now, I don't know which ROM is best for the Galaxy, but it's supposed to be a superior gaming phone. I'd look into a ROM that cuts down on feattures to make your phone blazing fast. Remove some widgets from your homescreens, do not use a live wallpaper, and uninstall apps/games that are persistent to stay on again after killing it, if you decide that you can let go of these apps/games. When you use task killer, some things will always turn back on, to retain basic functionality of your device. Maybe I'll look into some good Galaxy ROMs later today and come back to you. I figure CyanogenMod is pretty basic and not all that amazing.

Oh, and don't worry about breach of contract to root. You can still call customer support to help with stuff, and honestly even phone company employees do it. Developers do it. But the phones they test their products on, are obviously not rooted. I rooted my phone 3 months after I got it. And I've had it for 2 years now. I think I'm ready tto go back to Android 2.2 because 2.3 is slow as hell for my phone. SL freezes for about 30 seconds on my screen.

[Trollee]

Thanks for the info Draco.

The Darky rom was the one I was interesting in the most. It has plenty of good reviews and seems like it rund pretty fast. I am not sure on whether it runs on 2.2 or 2.3 though. What I was more after was some instructions on how to actually install a rom on my phone... any ideas?

[Trollee]

bump.



.... help plz =]

[Draco Mikato]

Well... my qualifications can be brought down a little right now because my phone is bricked right now. I was trying to revert from 2.3 to 2.2 to lose all the stupid extra features and put on Steel Droid's ROM.

Let me try to recall how I root and change ROMs. I remind you that this is how I did it. I think the instructions would be pretty much the same except to the point where you download the ROM that specifically works for your phone. I think there's CyanogenMod for nearly all Android devices.

If you're rooted already, ignore the next few sentences.

http://www.ehow.com/how_7365180_root...-galaxy-s.html

Or download Z4Root somewhere. Google it. Download it directly to your phone, install the app, and click "Permanent Root" or if you only want it once, click "Temporary Root". I did permanent because I don't want to root it again and again to use apps that require root.

Once rooted...

http://www.ehow.com/how_7804713_flas...-galaxy-s.html

Apparently it's very different from how I root and change ROMs on my phone. These instructions look alien to me. Sorry that I can't be clear if these instructions will work. Best to look on a forum specifically for your phone before trying anything. I have never worried about bricking my phone, and even if it is bricked right now, I can fix it. I'm just having trouble finding someone with the same phone as me to charge my battery. Then I'll factory reset it from my PC.

I'm about to just expose a battery charger and do it the caveman way... -_- dying without Star Legends.


Good luck.

[Trollee]

Great! Thanks a lot for the info. Somehow during my extensive surf on the net to find instructions for my phone i missed this eHow page, so, thanks =].

And good luck un-bricking your phone!