On LS670ZVC, what's the best direction for rooting/ROMs

[jmdeng]

Hi

I've finally got annoyed enough with the limited memory on this phone that I'm ready to try my hand at rooting and potentially ROMs. My phone is currently at ZVC because (correct me if I'm wrong) that was the last version that still had the hotspot loophole in the stock release. So I recently started reading many of the threads on rooting and realized that while they give great direction on how to root and then what to do after, I'm still uncertain as to what is the best approach for me to take.

I see some of the following options:
Root at ZVC, then ???
Update to ZVD, then root, then play with ROMs designed for ZVD
Update to ZVJ, then root, then play with ROMs designed for ZVJ.
Any other good options?

My main requirements for this phone are:
1) Ability to install more apps (I believe there's an app that can do this but requires superuser?)
2) Continue to have tether and hotspot ability without being charged an additional arm and leg
3) Keep or improve my current speed.

Then a wishlist:
1) Fix the occasional freeze at the LG logo start screen on bootup (I believe this is a ZVC issue?)
2) Enable true three way calling
3) Improve battery life
4) Fix occasional unprovoked reboots
5) improvement with any other dialing features.

Given the above lists and probably other items that aren't coming to mind at the moment, can someone suggest the best way to move forward with this phone?

Thanks!

Edit: Oh yeah, the very first step is backing up my data. I have a question on that too. What data do people typically back up? I assume the contact info is already synced with google, so that leaves the gallery pictures? But aren't those on the SD card? Or is the SD card open to erasure during a root? Thanks again!

 

[Va1ha11a]

I would upgrade to zvd and than flash reborn.

 

[epidenimus]

My replies in blue.

I see some of the following options:
Root at ZVC, then ???
Update to ZVD, then root, then install COT Recovery, then nandroid backup, then play with ROMs designed for ZVD
Update to ZVJ, then root, then play with ROMs designed for ZVJ.
Any other good options?

My main requirements for this phone are:
1) Ability to install more apps (I believe there's an app that can do this but requires superuser?)
Custom ROMs remove a lot of the bloat and most here have a mod that frees up an additional 50MB on the internal. Once you are rooted, you can also remove some stock apps and themes, such as the Live Wallpaper stuff, too. Start with that, and if it's not enough, then maybe consider an ___2ext mod after you have found your favorite ROM.

2) Continue to have tether and hotspot ability without being charged an additional arm and leg
Several ROMs on ZVD come with this feature built in, such as Reborn and CM7.

3) Keep or improve my current speed.
Speed is such a subjective thing. Using a better, lighter launcher is an easy way to improve your experience... overclocking by up to 25% can also help. There are all sorts of ways to get back your resources, many require root.

Then a wishlist:
1) Fix the occasional freeze at the LG logo start screen on bootup (I believe this is a ZVC issue?)
Your first boot into a new ROM or after wiping caches will take a while, but after that it should move quickly.

2) Enable true three way calling
I haven't played with this much, so I can't be much help.
3) Improve battery life
Hands-down, the most subjective aspect. Better CPU management and the ability to quarantine or uninstall certain apps (Maps!) are the best ways to accomplish this. Also, if you are still on ZVC, you are running CarrierIQ Agent, which is an evil parasite.
4) Fix occasional unprovoked reboots
That could be any number of things, including a specific app. Perhaps that is better addressed in different threads here.
5) improvement with any other dialing features.
Such as? Again, maybe another thread.

Edit: Oh yeah, the very first step is backing up my data. I have a question on that too. What data do people typically back up?
Contacts, SMS history, wifi passwords, Angry Birds progress...

I assume the contact info is already synced with google...
Don't assume, sync before wiping and ROMing.
so that leaves the gallery pictures? But aren't those on the SD card? Or is the SD card open to erasure during a root?
Pics and music should be stored on the SD card, so they should be okay. Do not opt to format your SD card when wiping in recovery, and they should be preserved. Of course, be sure you have at least 300MB free on your SD card before trying any of this.

And I gotta ask... if you were on stock the whole time, how did you dodge OTA updates?

 

[jmdeng]

Thanks Va1ha11a and epidenimus

I'm backing up my messages and logs now and then after that, off to the races!

To answer some comments from epidenimus...

from the wishlist:
1) Thanks for the heads up. I'll make sure not to get confused with the current bug that I have where any boot up has a better than 50% chance of hanging at the LG logo. Makes checking messages or emails right after a flight landing nearly impossible (I've had to yank the battery 5+ times before)

3) No big deal here.

4) Oh, I'm not looking to get a reason for them. Not yet anyway. But if it's a known feature that upgrading from ZVC and/or installing any of these ROMs leads to a more stable phone, all the better.

5) Occasionally, the other side can no longer hear me talking, even though MUTE is not pressed, and then a few seconds later, all is good again. Other times, the phone will just drop the call even if the signal is good. Again, I'm hoping it's a ZVC thing and/or a ROM thing.

And finally, regarding the OTA update dodging (I missed this question until I re-read your reply while replying myself), I used the yank the battery out method. I'm not positive on the details, but I believe you were supposed to click on More Info, and then at that new page, yank the battery out. And then it never troubled me again. In fact, I had no idea that there were versions after ZVD until I came back to read about rooting and ROM-ing recently.

Anyway, thanks again for the advice. I may be back again in case I run across any issues going from ZVC -> ZVD -> ROOT -> etc.

=)

 

[hlxanthus]

I also would recommend the zvd basband to start with. Reborn is awesome, no doubt. If you want gingerbread go with thekravens cyanogen mod 7 rom, the 2/7 bare bones is my favorite. His cm9 rocks but is still slightly unstable.

Also you can play with zvj roms without updating just to see if you.like them but they will not have voice or data service so that is only to preview them. You have to upgrade to that base band for service. HydroRom and DanteRom are both excellent for zvj.

Do not even bother with zvh baseband. It is too flawed.

The automated root tool in the stickies is a good place to start. There you will find the update.zip needed for zvd and a guide to root it.

Sent from my Crespo4G using Tapatalk 2

 

[jmdeng]

OK, it appears I'm not quite off and running because the first big step seems to be a doozy.

From what I've read, it looks like an upgrade from ZVC to ZVD will reset all my data. Is there a way to install ZVD without wiping out my data? I'm doing a search in the forums, but the first page of results doesn't have any obvious hits.

Thanks

 

[epidenimus]

OK, it appears I'm not quite off and running because the first big step seems to be a doozy.

From what I've read, it looks like an upgrade from ZVC to ZVD will reset all my data. Is there a way to install ZVD without wiping out my data?

Perhaps you are confused by what data it is that will be wiped? Besides all the files on your SD card, what data are you trying to preserve? I thought we addressed that earlier...

To be clear, changing out your ROM properly is like getting a new activated phone and inserting your SD card.

 

[jmdeng]

Perhaps you are confused by what data it is that will be wiped? Besides all the files on your SD card, what data are you trying to preserve? I thought we addressed that earlier...

I thought backing up the data (call logs, SMS, etc) was just in case something went wrong with any of the steps. Also, it seems odd to me that upgrading from ZVC to ZVD would wipe out my call log, but that's what I'm reading will happen if I install the update.zip associated with ZVD (am I misreading?). I also didn't think rooting a phone would wipe out my SMS messages, etc. Which brings me to...

To be clear, changing out your ROM properly is like getting a new activated phone and inserting your SD card.

Oh! That I did not realize (or at least never really thought about). OK, if that's the case, let me continue talking about backups. So I've got my sms, mms, call logs backed up now, but how do I back up the following?

1) voicemails
2) apps (do I just take an inventory of the apps that I have installed, and then manually redownload later?).

Thanks!

 

[epidenimus]

My replies in blue.

I thought backing up the data (call logs, SMS, etc) was just in case something went wrong with any of the steps. Also, it seems odd to me that upgrading from ZVC to ZVD would wipe out my call log, but that's what I'm reading will happen if I install the update.zip associated with ZVD (am I misreading?). I also didn't think rooting a phone would wipe out my SMS messages, etc. Which brings me to...

I want to say that ZVC-->ZVD stock was mostly a radio change, so it alone may not blow anything away if it goes right.

Rooting a phone doesn't wipe out anything. When you go to install a ROM, you will manually wipe out the data and do a clean install. You don't want data orphaned from one OS to the other or from one ROM to another.

Oh! That I did not realize (or at least never really thought about). OK, if that's the case, let me continue talking about backups. So I've got my sms, mms, call logs backed up now, but how do I back up the following?

1) voicemails
2) apps (do I just take an inventory of the apps that I have installed, and then manually redownload later?).

Not telling you how to use your device, but are you really that attached to your call logs and SMS's? MMS pics should have been downloaded to a folder on your SD card. One thing I like about flashing a new ROM is that it does some cleanup in the process. I can see how some would want to keep SMS though.

I'm pretty sure voicemails are stored on Sprint's servers, so you should be able to pull them again (Someone correct me if I'm wrong here.).

Apps should be reinstalled from the Market/Play Store fresh for each ROM. This is especially important when switching between different versions of Android (ZVD has Froyo, Gingerbread, and ICS ROMs available.)

 

[jmdeng]

Thanks again epidenimus!

I believe that with the stock voicemail app(?) installed on the phone, voicemails do not get kept on the server after they are downloaded. At the least I just went into my voicemail box on the server (by calling my phone number) and it said no messages.

Re: MMS pictures.

Are they automatically downloaded or manually downloaded? I seem to recall having to click or long click on an MMS picture to save it. But perhaps that was just redundant? If automatic, what directory are they in?

Anyway, sorry to have stretched this thread out with these questions. I appreciate your and everyone else's help and hopefully I will indeed be off and running soon. =)

Thanks

 

[hlxanthus]

The sprint update.zip will not wipe data that I am aware of. There can sometimes be issues but stock apps like vvm should be fine. Once you apply the update and root you can then use titanium backup to save that data and restore later. I have successfully restored it to other rooms when I still used it (use Google voice now as it is much easier for switching rooms for text and VM restores).

Please someone, correct me if I am wrong.

Sent from my Crespo4G using Tapatalk 2

 

[jmdeng]

The sprint update.zip will not wipe data that I am aware of.

Well, I was just reading this thread: http://forums.androidcentral.com/lg-optimus-s-rooting-roms-hacks/123855-official-sprint-zvd-froyo-downgrade-now-available.html#anb and it has this blurb:

LG Optimus S? Froyo Software Package
Download the latest Froyo software for the Optimus S.
Note: Performing this system update will result in a device reset, removing all contacts and account information. To retain your contacts, please visit a full-service Sprint store to perform this update.
Follow these instructions to install the Froyo software:


The instructions call for a factory reset.

Am I looking at the wrong update.zip? Is there a better one out there to get me from ZVC to ZVD? Or can I ignore the factory reset steps?

Thanks

 

[prowlingfox]

Well, I was just reading this thread: http://forums.androidcentral.com/lg-optimus-s-rooting-roms-hacks/123855-official-sprint-zvd-froyo-downgrade-now-available.html#anb and it has this blurb:

LG Optimus S™ Froyo Software Package
Download the latest Froyo software for the Optimus S.
Note: Performing this system update will result in a device reset, removing all contacts and account information. To retain your contacts, please visit a full-service Sprint store to perform this update.
Follow these instructions to install the Froyo software:


The instructions call for a factory reset.

Am I looking at the wrong update.zip? Is there a better one out there to get me from ZVC to ZVD? Or can I ignore the factory reset steps?

Thanks

No, that's the only ZVD update.zip there is.....but the factory reset step is not necessary. Those instructions were written as a guide to downgrade from ZVH to ZVD. However, that update.zip is the same thing that would be installed in the case of an OTA update, and OTA updates do not perform a data wipe / factory reset. All you need to do to upgrade from ZVC to ZVD is to place the ZVD update.zip on the top level of your sdcard, turn off the phone, boot into recovery, and choose "apply sdcard:update.zip".

But here's the thing: you will definitely need to wipe everything ( /system, /data, /cache ) if and when you want to install a custom ROM. Usually this isn't too huge of a headache as long as your apps are backed up with Titanium Backup (which you can do once you are rooted), and your contacts are synced with your google account.

 

[RazzMaTazz]

I also did the battery-pull trick a long time ago to stay on ZVC (for the free WiFi Hotspot through QuickSettings app) before getting frustrated by the "low storage space" warnings and eventually switching my phone, my wife's phone, and my son's phone to the ZVD-based Reborn ROM. You should be able to update to ZVD, and then root & install a custom ROM (like Reborn ROM) using the detailed step-by-step instructions that I wrote at THIS link. (Start with the instructions in the Appendix section to upgrade to ZVD.)

It may be worth noting that you SHOULD be able to upgrade to ZVD using the stock Sprint ZVD update.zip (without losing any data). From there you can root and do a Titanium Backup so that you don't lose any data on your way to installing a custom ROM (like Reborn ROM). I was able to do so perfectly on 3 phones, no problem. But some people who followed my instructions reported getting stuck at the boot screen after installing the stock ZVD update.zip, and the solution was to reboot into recovery and wipe the phone data. So those people lost the data on their phones' internal memory (not the music, photos, etc., on their SD cards). However, I think those people had DOWNGRADED from ZVH & ZVJ, not upgraded from ZVC. But just to be safe, to the extent that you can save any phone-based data (perhaps contacts and WiFi settings), you should do so. Any contacts that are "Google contacts" (synchronized with the Gmail server), "Corporate contacts" (synchronized with Exchange servers or Hotmail servers) or "Facebook contacts" (synchronized with Facebook's servers) will be preserved on those servers and sync back to your custom-ROM phone once you add your account(s) so you wouldn't need to worry about such contacts. You'd only have to worry about "Phone only" contacts which are only stored on you phone (not on any servers). If you go to edit a contact, you can see what kind of contact it is.

 

[jmdeng]

Thanks RazzMaTazz for the tutorial link.

I got all the way through it until I went to install the Titanium Backup zip file. Alas, I got:

...
Installing update...
E: Error in /sdcard/TitaniumBackup-5.4.2.zip
(Status 0)
Installation aborted.

I don't recall anything odd when I used TB to create a backup. Any ideas what's going on here?

Should I try to just boot up the phone, download TB and do a restore from within TB?

Thanks!

 

[jmdeng]

OK, so I bypassed the recovery screen restore of the TB and instead started things up and tried to restore apps and data after redownloading TB.

Looks like I may have saved too much stuff. On the other hand, I did indeed lose all my voicemails. =( (or I just can't find them).

I have a couple of apps that I'm wondering if I need.

Advanced Task Killer (previously phone would go from 200MB to 50MB and drop to a crawl, and using this app would help free up memory fast)
Quick Settings (does Reborn have an equivalent app/widget?)
Astro

Is there a place where I can find an in depth feature set of Reborn ROM? (The first page of the Reborn Rom thread, only has a general tips/FAQ).

I might have some other questions...to help wrap up this thread, but that'll be in a bit.

Thanks again to all!

 

[jmdeng]

Still hoping someone can help me with a link to a list of what Reborn ROM offers, but I'll keep searching otherwise.

As for the current state of the phone...lots more memory, so that's good. Some programs are faster at startup. But after a while of phone use, the programs slow down...looking at Advanced Task Killer, it seems that I'm low on ROM or whatever it is that cell phones use. Killing some apps brings things back up to speed (are there any apps that I shouldn't kill because they might unstabilize the phone?). I also have noticed though that the phone freezes for 30-60 seconds occasionally. Seems to happen the most when I open Yahoo mail inside the Email app (I'm guessing it wants to refresh/reload). That might get annoying.

For right now, except for the occasional freezes and the voicemail loss, I'm pretty happy. I'm saddened that I lost my voicemail (or possibly it's somewhere in my TB backup and I just can't figure out how to retrieve it), but it's not like I ever went back to check any voicemail after I listened to it the first time, so rationally, no big loss. I'm happy most of my other app settings were preserved.

Oh yeah, I got used to seeing the time and weather on my main page. Is there a widget out there that can provide that information? I have Fancy Widget Pro, but they don't do both time and weather in one widget.

Thanks

 

[epidenimus]

Welcome to Reborn! It is a really great ROM, I did not give it up easily. Let me try to answer your questions briefly below:

1. It is recommended that you do not use ATK. Some even call it a socially engineered attack designed to compromise Android devices based on Windows experience.
   
2. Reborn has a quick settings widget, yes.
   
3. You may want to install a file manager app. Astro is decent, I like Ghost Commander, and there are others as well.
   
4. As for an extensive feature set, the changelog contains that info, with links to the mods. Maybe not the most consolidated list, but it's there. Is there something specific about which you have a question?
   
5. Email and its respective syncs can take up a lot of resources. Have a look at your settings to make sure you're not pulling more than you really need.
   
6. I recommend closing Play Store and Maps on boot. Quarantining Maps with App Quarantine is an easy way to get back some battery life.
   
7. jstntp has a stock theme flashable somewhere on here that you can use to disable Carrier IQ Agent; alternatively, you can try out one of the other themes in his theme shop (link needed).
   
8. There is a slew of widgets you can install to get time and weather.

 

[jmdeng]

Thanks for the reply epidenimus. Let me respond in green.

Welcome to Reborn! It is a really great ROM, I did not give it up easily. Let me try to answer your questions briefly below:

1. It is recommended that you do not use ATK. Some even call it a socially engineered attack designed to compromise Android devices based on Windows experience.
   
   What can I use to quickly scan how much memory my phone has available for the app processes? My main hang up is that sometimes, I'm trying to play a game involving tracing or the like and it responds really sluggishly. A look at the memory used shows that I'm down to below 100MB free. If I kill a bunch of programs, the available memory jumps back to close to 200MB and the game is back up to speed.
   
2. Reborn has a quick settings widget, yes.
   
3. You may want to install a file manager app. Astro is decent, I like Ghost Commander, and there are others as well.
   
4. As for an extensive feature set, the changelog contains that info, with links to the mods. Maybe not the most consolidated list, but it's there. Is there something specific about which you have a question?
   
   Nothing specific yet other than I'm used to lighting up my phone by hitting the home button, but now it seems only the power button does it. So either I retrain my habits or see if there is an option.
   
5. Email and its respective syncs can take up a lot of resources. Have a look at your settings to make sure you're not pulling more than you really need.
   
   Other than the main gmail account, I have 3 accounts. 1 yahoo, syncing every 15 minutes to 25 messages. 1 gmail, syncing every 15 minutes to 25 messages. And 1 Exchange, pushing all the time up to 3 days. I've noticed the freeze when I jump into yahoo (not every time, though).
   
6. I recommend closing Play Store and Maps on boot. Quarantining Maps with App Quarantine is an easy way to get back some battery life.
   
   Hmmm, this looks like something I could use in place of ATK above.
   
   
7. jstntp has a stock theme flashable somewhere on here that you can use to disable Carrier IQ Agent; alternatively, you can try out one of the other themes in his theme shop (link needed).
   
   Carrier IQ Agent...looks like another thing for me to read up on. =)
   
8. There is a slew of widgets you can install to get time and weather.
   
   Any suggestions off the top of your head? I'm impressionable. =)
   
   

Thanks!

 

[hlxanthus]

http://forums.androidcentral.com/lg...reborn-rom-v2-2-4-7-24-11-a-2.html#post839624

That is to a mod that nick created to restore the wake feature from the front buttons, just flash from recovery.

http://forums.androidcentral.com/lg...es-optimus-s-froyo-theme_team.html#post962396

That is a link to the themes for reborn, by far the most popular is the retouched theme which is the first one on the post I linked to. And it has the no carrier iq included.

And I have to say, that is a very high load of sync you have going on and you will have a high battery drain with it. Just saying. Another battery saver would be to use wifi whenever available and set wifi to never sleep.

For a file explorer I like root browser, as it is free and does everything I need.