Just Rooted: Help me pick a ROM?

**Redchigh** · 01-21-2013, 02:48 AM

I'm about to start Titanium Backup going, and just rooted my phone with Gingerbreak 5 minutes ago.

I'm SO sick of the TWS bug and my crazy battery drain- What's the point of a cell phone if it has to be plugged in all the time?
If I can just fix the TWS and battery drain, and can browse the internet for 4-5 hours a day without charging, I'll be ecstatic. Is it possible?

(I have android 2.2)
I'm looking for a good rom. I'm fairly tech savvy, but I don't compare to most of the members here.
That being said, I'd like a reliable, smooth-running rom with good battery life. I was thinking about gingerbread, but I don't really know THAT much about it to decide. Titanium backup is running now.

I do like bragging to my tech friends, but I have the distinct feeling that anything more advanced than gingerbread would be a bad idea (More trouble than they're worth). Even so, the newer ones looks nice if they wouldn't bog down my optimus V's teeny little processor.

Since it might help, I use my phone for:
Web browsing (I use Dolphin atm)
Email
I take pictures here and there- Would gingerbread of ICS camera app be better than a downloadable one I can already get (such as Ucam)?
Writing if I ever find a nice app for it, and a keyboard I like.

I mentioned it above, but most important to me are:
Stability (So sick of freezes and random reboots even with the STOCK software)
Speed (Doesn't have to be maxed, but some improvement over stock would be great.)
Customisation (I like 'fiddling' and 'fine tuning')

I've heard good things about cyanogen 7, so I might start installing it while I wait for a reply.

Thanks for your help...

**sellers86** · 01-21-2013, 07:06 AM

Originally Posted by Redchigh

I'm about to start Titanium Backup going, and just rooted my phone with Gingerbreak 5 minutes ago.

I'm SO sick of the TWS bug and my crazy battery drain- What's the point of a cell phone if it has to be plugged in all the time?
If I can just fix the TWS and battery drain, and can browse the internet for 4-5 hours a day without charging, I'll be ecstatic. Is it possible?

(I have android 2.2)
I'm looking for a good rom. I'm fairly tech savvy, but I don't compare to most of the members here.
That being said, I'd like a reliable, smooth-running rom with good battery life. I was thinking about gingerbread, but I don't really know THAT much about it to decide. Titanium backup is running now.

I do like bragging to my tech friends, but I have the distinct feeling that anything more advanced than gingerbread would be a bad idea (More trouble than they're worth). Even so, the newer ones looks nice if they wouldn't bog down my optimus V's teeny little processor.

Since it might help, I use my phone for:
Web browsing (I use Dolphin atm)
Email
I take pictures here and there- Would gingerbread of ICS camera app be better than a downloadable one I can already get (such as Ucam)?
Writing if I ever find a nice app for it, and a keyboard I like.

I mentioned it above, but most important to me are:
Stability (So sick of freezes and random reboots even with the STOCK software)
Speed (Doesn't have to be maxed, but some improvement over stock would be great.)
Customisation (I like 'fiddling' and 'fine tuning')

I've heard good things about cyanogen 7, so I might start installing it while I wait for a reply.

Thanks for your help...

Mirage cm7.2 is what you are looking for.

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**AndyOpie150** · 01-21-2013, 08:45 AM

First thing you need to do is get the best recovery for the V on your phone. The ZenGarden is the only one that will allow you to flash (install using a flash_image) any custom ROM for our phone and a whole lot more. It's still being actively supported by the developer which means improvement where needed (none are actually needed that I have seen though).

Once you have it installed you need to make a nandroid backup with the backup option it has (a total and complete backup of your phones operating system with your user data, very similar to a restore point on a computer). Without this nandroid backup you can easily Bork your phone now that you and rooted apps have access to all your system files. With it you can undo all the mistakes you can throw at the phone, with the exception of one or two things you would never do anyway ( don't use ROM Manager to flash a recovery).

The Resurrected Bumblebee is the best Froyo ROM..
The MiRaGe is the best Gingerbread ROM that doesn't require an ext partition on the SD card..
The MandyLion is the best Gingerbread ROM that uses ext support (this allows you to move more apps to the SD card and actually links them so they even open faster).
Cold as Ice is the best ICS ROM.
BobZohme's is the best JellyBean.

There are a few more that are really good, but really is left to the user's likes and dislikes.

Read this:
Don't worry about the title of the thread. It's just where my tutorial wound up.
I do need to update it with the new ZenGarden recovery link, and a few ROMs as well (ROM stands for read only memory)

Scroll down the list of threads in this forum, you will see the ZenGarden recovery thread. Once installed look thru every option to get familiar with it. It's option menu is laid out a little different than the old recovery's I started out using (just hit the back button to back out of an option, with the exception of the nandroid option which when selected will make a nandroid).

Hope this is enough info to get you started.
AndyOpie150
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**Redchigh** · 01-21-2013, 06:46 PM

I ended up going with CM7.2RC0-BobZhome, but not quite sure how I feel about it (And not willing to customise it until I decide.)...

Quite the paradox. Anyone ever tried Bobzhome? Any reason I should go with another? (I installed it before I saw the posts here...)

**Redchigh** · 01-21-2013, 07:00 PM

I ended up going with CM7.2RC0-BobZhome, but not quite sure how I feel about it (And not willing to customise it until I decide.)...

Quite the paradox. Anyone ever tried Bobzhome? Any reason I should go with another? (I installed it before I saw the posts here...)

**adamhos** · 01-21-2013, 08:22 PM

Originally Posted by Redchigh

I ended up going with CM7.2RC0-BobZhome, but not quite sure how I feel about it (And not willing to customise it until I decide.)...

Quite the paradox. Anyone ever tried Bobzhome? Any reason I should go with another? (I installed it before I saw the posts here...)

They're a lot of good builds...run it for a few days, make a nandroid and flash something new

You can always go back with a backup

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**Redchigh** · 01-21-2013, 08:34 PM

Does Titanium do the same thing? Or do I need Nandroid?

**sellers86** · 01-21-2013, 09:14 PM

Originally Posted by Redchigh

Does Titanium do the same thing? Or do I need Nandroid?

Titanium: backup of apps

Nandroid: backup of system, data, cache, boot, etc partitions. In other words, nandroid backs up everything. Both are necessary.

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**Redchigh** · 01-22-2013, 03:51 PM

To avoid flooding this forum with topics, Ill ask here.g

I'm. Running bobzhome CM7.2 atm. I'm. Now trying to decide whether I want to flash a ICS rom or just a icm theme.
Honestly, it sounds noobish, but I want the blue status bar. Lol.

Battery life, stability, speed, and customisation are my priorities, in that order. Should I stick with CM 7.2, or upgrade?

**AndyOpie150** · 01-22-2013, 04:08 PM

The Gingerbread ROMs are the most stable for the V. You can probably cook up your own theme at the UOT Kitchen online. They might have a status bar theme with that color.

Google them and look at the link that explains how to use the kitchen.

There's also Digital House of Treats.
Lots of themes for our phone.

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**adamhos** · 01-22-2013, 04:16 PM

Try that

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**atrain2324** · 01-22-2013, 07:59 PM

mirage is good...

last 6 months, i tinkered with BobZHome's roms for ICS and Jelly Bean.

But last 4 days, I have been on TheKraven's JBC 4.2.1 rom. If you can live without wifi (I even noticed that since flashing, I've had improved signal AND speed at work...might it have something to do with the RILs used in Sprint ROMs as opposed to VM?), it's actually quite remarkably stable at 768/480 (SmartassV2), for me at least.

**kenharkey7** · 01-23-2013, 12:39 AM

Originally Posted by adamhos

Try that

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That link is for hdpi resolution the optimus v is mdpi here is the link

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**vipertongn** · 01-28-2013, 02:10 PM

I personally like gingersnap the best. mirage seems to always freeze on me when I use swype over time and bugs out on me. That's just preference tho

**yaconsult** · 02-04-2013, 03:09 PM

Originally Posted by vipertongn

I personally like gingersnap the best. mirage seems to always freeze on me when I use swype over time and bugs out on me. That's just preference tho

Try the free touchpal keyboard from the market. I find it much less laggy than swype and it has some nice editing features too.

Mirage works great for me and always has the latest tweaks to squeeze the most out of this old phone!

**AndyOpie150** · 02-04-2013, 05:01 PM

I use Keyboard Manager.
This allows me to use one keyboard in landscape ( I use the stock CM7 with predictive text when stuck on spelling) and another in portrait (Big Button Keyboard)
I've used many different keyboards with it before settling on the two I have.
It opens up a lot more possibilities.

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**sadielynn** · 02-05-2013, 10:25 PM

Andy, can I ask you a few questions? I've been out of the loop a bit!

1) What makes you choose Cold as Ice over Quattrimus? Didn't I read somewhere that the projects were merged?
2) Does ZenGarden work with ICS roms? I was looking to switch to it, but when I was reading about it on the PF forums, it looked like it was not for ICS roms?

I'm on Quattrimus now, but looking for a change...I'm getting at least 1 reboot a day and the clock lag drives me bonkers!

**thewraith420** · 02-05-2013, 11:59 PM

Originally Posted by sadielynn

Andy, can I ask you a few questions? I've been out of the loop a bit!

1) What makes you choose Cold as Ice over Quattrimus? Didn't I read somewhere that the projects were merged?
2) Does ZenGarden work with ICS roms? I was looking to switch to it, but when I was reading about it on the PF forums, it looked like it was not for ICS roms?

I'm on Quattrimus now, but looking for a change...I'm getting at least 1 reboot a day and the clock lag drives me bonkers!

Just to throw in my 2¢

1. CAI has a lot more fixed then Quatrimus, kravens just spent more time on it since I do believe he still uses the OS and tdm has been busy with other devices and real life. In CAI youtube HQ is fixed as well as white screen apps and time lag while not completely gone has been minimized.

2. It should work for all OV roms, if it doesn't its likely just a matter of adding accerts (?) an easy fix if you know how to build a recovery.... (I don't)

Tapatalk'n it from my VM670 running OM-Mandylion on LS670ZVJ firmware

**AndyOpie150** · 02-06-2013, 04:53 AM

Personally I would have to say the Cold as Ice is the best of the ICS ROMs.
Best ROM period is the latest MiRaGe. You must give it a try.

ZenGarden is by far the best recovery for the V. The menu is changed so poke around to get used to everything. I think it's way easier to use.
It will auto boot after restore, and has options to auto boot after ROM install, ROM and Gapps must be on root of sd card for option to work (because of this can only have one ROM and Gapps on sd card because it auto installs Gapps if the option is chosen).

You still can't use it to flash the ZV9 update. For that you would need Xionia or BobZohme's recovery.

PS. Nice to see your still hanging on to the V.
I bought a used one so if this one ever gives out I'll have a spare.

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**upconvert** · 02-06-2013, 09:26 AM

+1 to the wraith and +1 to andy. I love cai and mirage.

I'd also recommend theKraven's slim ROM jb build. It seems to be well on it's way to being as polished as cai. I may just be a sucker for shiny new things, but I am loving it so far.

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**AndyOpie150** · 02-06-2013, 10:53 AM

Interesting. I need to get out more. Jellybean that actualy functions well?
Going to have to let the flash-a-holic in me out.

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