[Index] Froyo EC05 ROM's, Kernels, Themes & Mods 7/25/11

[therber219]

Paul, I really appreciate all the answers you take time to hand out. You make getting my phone just the way I want it really easy!

 

[StoneRyno]

Perhaps I'm not looking in the right places or I'm not using the right search terms or something because I can't find details to find out the differences between bonsai rom, midnight rom, syndicate rom, and cyanogen. I figure while waiting for CM7 I'd find out what each of these are in comparison to each other and stock EC05 with ADWlauncher. Can anyone list comparison details? I'm not sure I want to go as far as trying them all on my device unless they all are mostly the same with only a few differences.

 

[Paul627g]

Perhaps I'm not looking in the right places or I'm not using the right search terms or something because I can't find details to find out the differences between bonsai rom, midnight rom, syndicate rom, and cyanogen. I figure while waiting for CM7 I'd find out what each of these are in comparison to each other and stock EC05 with ADWlauncher. Can anyone list comparison details? I'm not sure I want to go as far as trying them all on my device unless they all are mostly the same with only a few differences.

Best thing to do is hit the devs individual threads at XDA and we do have individual threads for each ROM here besides our main listing in the [INDEX] sticky.

 

[kenrico]

Am curious what launcher Bonsai 4.0 has also, read some but it is not really specified or commented on. Think Syndicate full loaded has ADW

 

[ragnarokx]

If you go to the beginning of the thread and click on the link to the ROMs you're interested in, you'll find a feature list that should tell you about the launchers and more. From memory, I believe Bonsai has the TouchWiz launcher and Syndicate full has Launcher Pro.

 

[StoneRyno]

If you go to the beginning of the thread and click on the link to the ROMs you're interested in, you'll find a feature list that should tell you about the launchers and more. From memory, I believe Bonsai has the TouchWiz launcher and Syndicate full has Launcher Pro.

I know for me that was the first place I looked most of the info listed appears to be all under the hood, so to speak, stuff. Which most of that is like foreign language to me though a few things I have picked up reading elsewhere. I did somehow overlook the info about the built in launcher choice for each. From the user side of things are there any other differences other than the built in launcher choice and removal of bloatware that are different? For example I know from asking about cyanogen that it uses google's calendar app etc instead of samsung's versions of those apps. I'm not sure how many of those apps were replaced by samsung.

 

[Paul627g]

I know for me that was the first place I looked most of the info listed appears to be all under the hood, so to speak, stuff. Which most of that is like foreign language to me though a few things I have picked up reading elsewhere. I did somehow overlook the info about the built in launcher choice for each. From the user side of things are there any other differences other than the built in launcher choice and removal of bloatware that are different? For example I know from asking about cyanogen that it uses google's calendar app etc instead of samsung's versions of those apps. I'm not sure how many of those apps were replaced by samsung.

For the most part any of these ROMs (Bonsai/Syndicate) are basically stock based. They have most of the apps which the exception of the bloatware removed. The devs usually supply a flashable zip to replace the bloatware. Not to say these don't have custom options. They do! There are things on these ROMs your just not going to see ever on a stock OS. The main thing that changes the "look" or appearance of the ROMs is when you flash a custom Theme. Themes today are not like they were months ago, now they are so much more advanced and do more than simple wallpaper and a few color changes.. Now they have icons themed, apps themed, little mods thrown in, etc...

midNIGHT ROM is the exception to the rules above, he has a few different packages offered from a stripped down ROM to his own custom versions. He calls them the BYOR (Build your own ROMs).

Main thing is have a lot of patience, it takes awhile to get used to running custom ROMs and now with the custom kernels there is even more fun added to the mix but those same kernels have also fixed so much of the problems that Sprint/Samsung neglected to fix for us..

Just be prepared until you get the swing of things you may end up flashing a few times to get it right and find the right rhythm for everything.

 

[StoneRyno]

For the most part any of these ROMs (Bonsai/Syndicate) are basically stock based. They have most of the apps which the exception of the bloatware removed. The devs usually supply a flashable zip to replace the bloatware. Not to say these don't have custom options. They do! There are things on these ROMs your just not going to see ever on a stock OS. The main thing that changes the "look" or appearance of the ROMs is when you flash a custom Theme. Themes today are not like they were months ago, now they are so much more advanced and do more than simple wallpaper and a few color changes.. Now they have icons themed, apps themed, little mods thrown in, etc...

midNIGHT ROM is the exception to the rules above, he has a few different packages offered from a stripped down ROM to his own custom versions. He calls them the BYOR (Build your own ROMs).

Main thing is have a lot of patience, it takes awhile to get used to running custom ROMs and now with the custom kernels there is even more fun added to the mix but those same kernels have also fixed so much of the problems that Sprint/Samsung neglected to fix for us..

Just be prepared until you get the swing of things you may end up flashing a few times to get it right and find the right rhythm for everything.

I guess you could say this is more or less the first step for me. I am wanting details that I don't see in the suggested places and attempting to search for those details with my limited knowledge about custom ROMs wasn't turning up anything. I had thought I would perhaps have better luck with google and youtube searches but I think it is because I don't know enough that is turning up nothing useful to me. Perhaps a list of things I want to change or that bother me about my device will help with why I was wondering about detailed differences between ROMs.

Samsung's calendar app is terrible, and my guess is that google's calendar app isn't lacking in the same areas considering google's calendar, I access on google's site and also from my webOS device, isn't severely lacking in the reminder time and repeat interval options.

I like ADWlauncher (could never get anyone to detail compare paid vs paid launcher pro to see if both offer the same things that sell me on using ADW) and hate the idea that both the stock launcher and custom launcher run at the same time rather than only running the one I want.

Contact app (I assume it is a samsung replacement as well) has to be linked to facebook twice, once from facebook app and once from android accounts (one of them is listed as SNS) in order for all contact related data from facebook to show up.

Calculator (appears is also a samsung replacement) lacks the most common calculator feature memory store and memory +/- (who's bright idea was it to leave out something every calculator ever made has?).

Streetview is absent from google maps despite it showing as installed in the market (their instructions for how to access it don't work). And appears to be the only google map thing that isn't working.

Last but not least is all of the stuff that loads at startup and periodically some of it reloads and other stuff that didn't load at startup loads and stays loaded. These tasks can be killed but it would be better if they never load and remain that way. Some of this stuff is bloatware so removing them does away with dealing with them. But other stuff related to apps that remain bothers me. For example widgets I don't use insist on loading periodically: twitter widget from the twitter client app, rate places widget from google maps, power control widget (unless this is necessary for some automatic power savings feature), a calendar widget I assume from the calendar app, and possibly other stuff I can't think of off had that is not needed to keep running.

 

[Paul627g]

I'll let Ragnrokx answer those for you. When it comes to alternate app options Ragnarokx is on his game. Launcher is simple once your rooted and running custom ROMs. Most only have one launcher loaded, either Touchwiz modified, Launcher Pro or ADW. If they do have multiple launchers you cqn download Home Switcher from the Market to control your launchers.

The rest I will leave for my partner...

 

[Paul627g]

Update:

Added a few new themes, kernel and ROM.

 

[5111]

I have EC05 with the one-click root but not EXT4. (ClockworkMod Recovery v2.5.1.0)

Not sure where to ask this question, but....

I like the Blue Neon and the Emotionless Beast themes. Can I use the stock ROM to flash these themes or do I need to go to a custom ROM? Also, when I flash a theme, I will lose all my data and have to restore it with Titanium Backup, right?

Sorry for the newbie questions.

 

[Paul627g]

I have EC05 with the one-click root but not EXT4. (ClockworkMod Recovery v2.5.1.0)

Not sure where to ask this question, but....

I like the Blue Neon and the Emotionless Beast themes. Can I use the stock ROM to flash these themes or do I need to go to a custom ROM? Also, when I flash a theme, I will lose all my data and have to restore it with Titanium Backup, right?

Sorry for the newbie questions.

You would need to convert to EXT4 and run a custom ROM to avoid conflicts.

Simply flashing a theme will not cause you to loose your apps/data.

Use Titanium Backup or MyBackup Root for your apps/data.

 

[5111]

You would need to convert to EXT4 and run a custom ROM to avoid conflicts.

Simply flashing a theme will not cause you to loose your apps/data.

Use Titanium Backup or MyBackup Root for your apps/data.

But converting to EXT4 and/or flashing a custom ROM will?

I've been playing around with Titanium Backup since I rooted, but have not yet tried to restore anything.

 

[lancelot916]

How do I get the original Bonsai/midNIGHT 5 kernel? I loaded midNIGHT 5.2 and then flashed Vision Kernel but want to go back to what the ROM came with (1.2ghz i think kernel)

*nevermind: i think the same principles apply from this old thread: extract kernel from ROM and replace into another flashable kernel.
http://forum.androidcentral.com/epic-4g-rooting-roms-hacks/41381-how-extract-kernel-rom.html

 

[Paul627g]

How do I get the original Bonsai/midNIGHT 5 kernel? I loaded midNIGHT 5.2 and then flashed Vision Kernel but want to go back to what the ROM came with (1.2ghz i think kernel)

You would need to pull it from the ROM and put it in a flashable zip specifically designed to flash the kernel.

Otherwise, you should of made a backup before you flashed the Vision Kernel.

Other option is to reflash the ROM.

I would pull the kernel for you and post it here but I don't think Bonsai has provided a "kernel only" flashable. I don't want to go against something he isn't providing as a separate flash. You could post over at BonsaiGeek.com and see if they will provide a separate flashable for the kernel.

 

[lancelot916]

You would need to pull it from the ROM and put it in a flashable zip specifically designed to flash the kernel.

Otherwise, you should of made a backup before you flashed the Vision Kernel.

Other option is to reflash the ROM.

Hmm... i tried it but it didn't work in that it wouldn't load SetCPU on superusers.

1. Unzipped midNIGHT v5 and extracted/set aside zimage
2. Using vision kernel on phone, used astro manager and replaced zimage
3. CWM and flashed "new" vision kernel (which is really Bonsai)
4. shows up on phone info as midNIGHT v5.2 but can't get superuser access to setcpu.. won't load speeds.

 

[Paul627g]

Hmm... i tried it but it didn't work in that it wouldn't load SetCPU on superusers.

1. Unzipped midNIGHT v5 and extracted/set aside zimage
2. Using vision kernel on phone, used astro manager and replaced zimage
3. CWM and flashed "new" vision kernel (which is really Bonsai)
4. shows up on phone info as midNIGHT v5.2 but can't get superuser access to setcpu.. won't load speeds.

Hmm, if everything else is functioning fine then just run OneClickRoot for the EXT4 conversion and it should give you back root.

 

[Paul627g]

Three new themes added and a new addition to the mod section.

(Newest items always near the bottom.)

 

[csmartly]

did anyone faced problem with rooting on epic with EC05. my phone bricked and had go back on stock.

 

[StoneRyno]

I had to use the odin prerooted EC05 method (which went smoothly) to update to EC05 because it wouldn't update OTA or with the manual update.zip methods. I was rooted prior to all of that. I remained at that for about 2 weeks or a little more and now I'm using syndicateROM. It was easier than trying to remove all of the junk. Plus there is the other features of the ROM and what not gained as well. I haven't dived in yet only got my feet wet by installing ADWlauncher and removing launcher pro. I'm sure there is other things I will want to play with. But right now I have a couple issues I posted for help over in the synicateROM thread I need to solve before I start messing with anything else.