ROM and Root apps recommendations

[Ivy547]

After owning the Optimus for over a year, I decided to root today. Easier than I thought it would be. Anyways I'm looking for ROM recommendations and what features make it good. Also are there any apps that I can now use that are must haves? Thanks in advance guys. And thanks to the devs for making this process so pain-free.

 

[Ez Duzit]

After owning the Optimus for over a year, I decided to root today. Easier than I thought it would be. Anyways I'm looking for ROM recommendations and what features make it good. Also are there any apps that I can now use that are must haves? Thanks in advance guys. And thanks to the devs for making this process so pain-free.

Before installing any custom rom you need to install a custom recovery.
Xionia Clockwork is a good way to go. After installing custom recovery do yourself a favor and make a nandroid backup.

Next up install a rom.
There's several good roms for the Optimus S depending on whether you have ZVD or ZVH.
If u have ZVD then, Reborn, sROM, or Kravens CM7 are all good roms.
If u have ZVH then yourMomROM, gROM, or OptiROM will work.

You can find links to all the various roms in the stickies at the top of the rooting section.
Spend some time reading about what you want to do and decide which rom you want. Make sure the rom you choose matches your phones radio (ZVD or ZVH). (Mismatched rom = phone no work).
Reading the stickies will also let you know what not to do, so you don't brick your phone.
There's been enough of those around here lately.

Must have root apps:
Titanium Backup (or MyBackup Root).
Astro File Manager (or another root file explorer).
Screenshot ER

Also, if you use swype as your keyboard, you're gonna love this.
Now that your rooted, you can use either Titanium or MyRoot Backup to uninstall the swype version that came with the phone. Then you can sign up for, and get the Swype beta which is better in every way then the older swype version that comes preinstalled.

You should have enough to keep you busy for a little while. Have fun.

 

[Ivy547]

I have Xionia Clockwork, and I made a backup as soon as I was done with rooting. My phone has ZVH and it currently has gROM. I like it, but since my Optimus was already running Gingerbread the changes seem slight. I'm curious about other ROMs out there.

Thank you for your reply! Can't wait to try them out.

 

[epidenimus]

Congrats and welcome to the dark side.

For ROMs, you might try Your Mom ROM until HydroROM drops.

As for root apps, here are my suggestions:
AppQuarantine (allows you to quarantine apps, such as stock, to see what happens)
File Expert or other root file manager
Hacker's Keyboard (doesn't require root, but great general keyboard, esp if you use a terminal)

Titanium Backup is not really needed and can cause issues if ROM hopping.

Also, here are my suggestions for apps to remove and apps with which to replace them. You don't need to remove the stock app, but you can and I have not found any consequence if you have a good replacement:
Gallery3D.apk --> QuickPIc
Music.apk ---> PowerAMP or Music 4
Talk.apk ---> imo or Xabber

 

[Ivy547]

Thanks epidenimus I will be checking those out.

 

[sonicbluemustang]

Hacker's Keyboard (doesn't require root, but great general keyboard, esp if you use a terminal)

The Hackers keyboard is great on my tablet, thats for sure.

 

[On3wheels]

I second the hackers keyboard...even on my small screen it makes typing my obscure passwords and command line stuff much easier...

Also power amp, prettiest most functional app around. And screen filter for night time viewing and sgs touchscreen booster for fine tuning touchscreen responsiveness.its made for galaxy s but seems to work with opti.

Sent from my LS670 using Tapatalk

 

[epidenimus]

I've tried a bunch of keyboards. Hacker's Keyboard is great because it will be your Gingerbread or ICS keyboard in portrait and a full on keyboard when in landscape. You can literally go from chic to geek and back just by rotating your little gizmo. Swype never got me and doesn't like to acknowledge vocabulary beyond the 4th grade level. You can also remove any keyboards that come with your ROM of choice after you install and configure another.

Power AMP is the only app for which I have ever forked out $5 and I'm so glad that I did. Looks great, sounds awesome (DSP and EQ that blows away Gingerbread DSP... and on FROYO!), and super intuitive (it resumes play whenever you plug in headphones and has it's own lockscreen with controls). I'd even pay $7.48 if they asked.

I'll have to check out the screen filter. I have come to appreciate the night mode in Go SMS Pro, since that's the only app I really use when I am hanging from the rafters in the dark. Except that I do sometimes check e-mail, if enough of them come through in a short time, and that is screaming white in me oye!

And say NO to ROM Manager. It is evil and eats our children for breakfast. Here is a link to my new favorite post regarding it.

I love learning new tricks and tips whilst helping others. Thanks to you all!

 

[Ivy547]

I've tried a bunch of keyboards. Hacker's Keyboard is great because it will be your Gingerbread or ICS keyboard in portrait and a full on keyboard when in landscape. You can literally go from chic to geek and back just by rotating your little gizmo. Swype never got me and doesn't like to acknowledge vocabulary beyond the 4th grade level. You can also remove any keyboards that come with your ROM of choice after you install and configure another.

Power AMP is the only app for which I have ever forked out $5 and I'm so glad that I did. Looks great, sounds awesome (DSP and EQ that blows away Gingerbread DSP... and on FROYO!), and super intuitive (it resumes play whenever you plug in headphones and has it's own lockscreen with controls). I'd even pay $7.48 if they asked.

I'll have to check out the screen filter. I have come to appreciate the night mode in Go SMS Pro, since that's the only app I really use when I am hanging from the rafters in the dark. Except that I do sometimes check e-mail, if enough of them come through in a short time, and that is screaming white in me oye!

I love learning new tricks and tips whilst helping others. Thanks to you all!

I just flashed to Your Mom ROM and so far I like it. The keyboard is a no go for me though. I type in spanish and english all the time. I'm gonna try the hackers keyboard.

I just love PowerAmp, so many features. A must have for a music lover like me.
Thanks for your reply!

 

[ddamienzz]

try CM7, ive been running it for a little while. probly had only 2 or 3 random reboots but that may have been caused by apps not the rom.

 

[Ivy547]

try CM7, ive been running it for a little while. probly had only 2 or 3 random reboots but that may have been caused by apps not the rom.

I will check it out. I'm new to this and I'm trying to catch up on all the stuff they have in here. Thank you!

 

[epidenimus]

Just be advised that CM7, while a Gingerbread-based ROM, is built for and only works on ZVD. It is great in its own right and worth a try, as are some other ZVD ROMs, but just be sure go through the extra steps to change your baseband if you do.

 

[Ivy547]

Just be advised that CM7, while a Gingerbread-based ROM, is built for and only works on ZVD. It is great in its own right and worth a try, as are some other ZVD ROMs, but just be sure go through the extra steps to change your baseband if you do.

Thank you for that! I had posted that I thought CM7 was for ZVD but I wasn't sure so I edited my reply. I'm not reverting, I'm waiting on HydroROM.

 

[vrvallejo]

Also, if you use swype as your keyboard, you're gonna love this.
Now that your rooted, you can use either Titanium or MyRoot Backup to uninstall the swype version that came with the phone. Then you can sign up for, and get the Swype beta which is better in every way then the older swype version that comes preinstalled.

Can you give a little bit more detail as to how to sign up for Swype beta? I am assuming you could also freeze the stock swype app once swybe beta is installed?

Thanks...

 

[Ez Duzit]

Can you give a little bit more detail as to how to sign up for Swype beta? I am assuming you could also freeze the stock swype app once swybe beta is installed?

Thanks...

BEFORE you install the beta, you must uninstall the preinstalled version of swype. For that, you can use titanium backup or my backup root.

Open the browser on your phone and go to this link, then enter your email and create a password. They will email you a link to d/l the swype installer to your phone. Just follow their directions. It's very straight forward

Swype | Text Input for Screens