Requesting ROM Recommendations

[jrz5024]

Hey everybody, I was waiting for the official update to Froyo to be released before I rooted, but I'm just plain sick and tired of Sprint and Sammy taking their sweet time and I think it's time to take matters into my own hands.

I'm running an Epic on Stock DK18, unrooted - the only changes I've made to my phone is installing Launcherpro.

I want to do a few things with my phone. First and foremost, I want to install a custom kernel that will improve battery life. I use my phone all day, every day, and have trouble squeezing 9-10 hours out of it. Even with a second battery, it's just not enough.

So while my primary concern is battery life, I'd like to maintain speed, if not improve it, especially when it comes to overall OS responsiveness and I/O write speeds (I am always transferring media to and from my phone). I know I'll get a big performance boost from the inclusion of the JIT compiler in Froyo, but I've also heard people refer to a 'lagfix' for the Epic... I'm assuming this the EXT4 conversion I've heard so much about (yes, I saw the sticky) but if I'm mistaken, please correct me. Additionally, I get sporadic GPS issues - sometimes it'll lock on instantly, and other times it just won't cooperate, even outdoors and within view of a satellite.

Finally, I'm a big fan of themes and customization, and I like being able to modify every aspect of how my phone looks and operates. One big thing I'd like to change is the notification bar, specifically replacing the battery indicator with one that's actually useful (i.e., has a % indicator) and changing the color to flat black instead of the standard dark gray. Finally, I'd like to remove all the Sprint crapware, and get rid of the Touchwiz launcher entirely if possible - I can't stand it, and much prefer Launcherpro.


tl;dr: I'm currently running Stock DK18, unrooted. In order of importance, I want more battery life and a faster phone, with more theme customization and a GPS fix. What is the best kernel and rom combination in order to achieve these goals, and in what order / how do I install everything? Finally, in case I completely screw the pooch, what should I do to make sure everything is backed up in case I need to do a factory reset?

Thanks in advance guys!

 

[ragnarokx]

Eclair ROMs are the way to go for battery life until we get the Froyo source code. Here's what you should do:

1) Follow Procedure 2 to get root access and ClockworkMod Recovery
2) Use this guide to install Baked Snack v1.6
3) Choose an Eclair compatible theme and flash using Clockwork
4) Try this for your GPS problems

 

[jrz5024]

Thanks Ragnarokx! I noticed many of the themes require a deodexed rom - is Baked Snack deodexed? I don't see it mentioned anywhere. Once I install a theme, if I install other themes (such as this battery mod) will they play nice together? It also seems like many of the themes are intended for DK28, which I'm assuming I won't be able to run as I'm on DK18, correct?

Also, should I apply the EXT4 conversion before I do all of this? I noticed that it comes standard with the Quantum rom which requires Froyo, so should I hold out on applying that fix or is there a way to replace it with Baked Snack?

 

[Paul627g]

Thanks Ragnarokx! I noticed many of the themes require a deodexed rom - is Baked Snack deodexed? I don't see it mentioned anywhere. Once I install a theme, if I install other themes (such as this battery mod) will they play nice together? It also seems like many of the themes are intended for DK28, which I'm assuming I won't be able to run as I'm on DK18, correct?

Also, should I apply the EXT4 conversion before I do all of this? I noticed that it comes standard with the Quantum rom which requires Froyo, so should I hold out on applying that fix or is there a way to replace it with Baked Snack?

Yes Baked Snack is deodexed, otherwise you couldn't add custom themes & addons..

Also here is another link to XDA that has a nice list. Scroll further down and you will see a bunch of 2.1 (Eclair) compatible themes.

Your correct you can only use DI18 based themes/add ons on Eclair. As far as playing nice together and compatibility yes they should work just fine. Baked Snack is "tops" for Eclair custom roms and most kernels/themes have been tested time and time again on Baked Snack.

I will let Ragnarokx answer the rest for you..

 

[ragnarokx]

Thanks Ragnarokx! I noticed many of the themes require a deodexed rom - is Baked Snack deodexed? I don't see it mentioned anywhere. Once I install a theme, if I install other themes (such as this battery mod) will they play nice together? It also seems like many of the themes are intended for DK28, which I'm assuming I won't be able to run as I'm on DK18, correct?

Also, should I apply the EXT4 conversion before I do all of this? I noticed that it comes standard with the Quantum rom which requires Froyo, so should I hold out on applying that fix or is there a way to replace it with Baked Snack?

All custom ROMs are assumed to be deodexed unless otherwise stated (the reverse being true for stock ROMs - they are odexed unless otherwise stated).

Installing battery mods on top of themes can effect some theme elements, usually not a big deal. The best thing to do is trial and error. If the battery mod removes some theme element you like, just reflash the theme.

DK28 themes are for Froyo DK28 only. You want DI18 themes for Eclair.

There are no Eclair ROMs with EXT4 support, that is for Froyo only. Much more battery life = Eclair, faster phone with more features = Froyo. You can pick your poison. I suggested an Eclair ROM because you said you need your phone to last longer.

 

[Paul627g]

Ragnarokx has a way with words doesn't he? LOL...

 

[ragnarokx]

Sorry, did I come off as a little brash?

 

[Paul627g]

Sorry, did I come off as a little brash?

Nah... Its all good.... Your just doing your thing..

 

[jrz5024]

Sorry, did I come off as a little brash?

Haha not at all, you've been nothing but helpful ^_^

 

[btgoodlin]

I wouldn't say it was brash. It is helpful to me to read this also. it would have been nice like this fellow did. "I want to do this, I'm new" then someone says "Do this, this and this" not the 'oh you could do this, or try this, some people like this' reply. Ragnarokx is doing the former. "Do this, then this then this." Perfect.

I'll be coming back shortly for my own "this is what i'm looking to do" post, but I'm still trying to figure everything out.

I came from WebOS and they published overclocked kernals on PreCentral. I cannot figure out the overclock with my Epic. Furthermore, on a different note, the search feature on this forum is not very helpful. I'm sure there are posts all about that, i just don't feel like wading through gallons of posts that don't matter to find what I'm looking for.

 

[ragnarokx]

Glad to know I don't come off too harsh Once you're ready to install custom ROMs/kernels, overclocking takes just two steps: flashing the overclocked kernel using Clockwork, and installing the SetCPU app to crank it up. Baked Snack has kernels that go up to 1.3GHz if you really want to go all out.

 

[jrz5024]

So in terms of real world battery life, what can I expect from Baked Snack vs something like CM6 with DK28? Is it really that significant of a difference?

Also, do I need to re-wipe my phone every time I flash a new kernel / rom?

 

[ragnarokx]

Baked Snack will give you at least 1.5x more battery life. And wiping is only needed when flashing a ROM, no need to wipe when flashing a kernel.

 

[jrz5024]

So what exactly is the difference between a kernel and a rom then?

 

[ragnarokx]

A kernel comes in a single file package called zImage. It's a bridge between apps and data processing done at the hardware level. Since it's only a single file, there's no room for conflicts since flashing a new kernel overwrites the old kernel.

A ROM makes up everything else in your system. It's composed of many files and folders, and not all ROMs contain the same combination of files and folders. So flashing one ROM over the other can cause conflicts, which is why wiping is always a good idea.

 

[jrz5024]

So I successfully rooted using Procedure two, installed ROM Manager and ClockworkMod, but when I try to create a backup, it doesn't work. I click "Backup current ROM," phone restarts, begins to install, but fails while verifying the update package. I'm getting the following message:

"E:failed to verify whole-file signature
E:signature verification failed
Installation aborted"

Then I reboot the system and no backup was created. Am I missing a step? Do I have to flash clockworkmod recovery first? I've backed up all my system apps and settings using Titanium, but I want to ensure I've got a full system image before I flash Baked Snack.

Edit: Figured it out

 

[thojmoto]

So I successfully rooted using Procedure two, installed ROM Manager and ClockworkMod, but when I try to create a backup, it doesn't work. I click "Backup current ROM," phone restarts, begins to install, but fails while verifying the update package. I'm getting the following message:

"E:failed to verify whole-file signature
E:signature verification failed
Installation aborted"

Then I reboot the system and no backup was created. Am I missing a step? Do I have to flash clockworkmod recovery first? I've backed up all my system apps and settings using Titanium, but I want to ensure I've got a full system image before I flash Baked Snack.

are u trying to make a backup with rom manager? if so try making one in clockwork recovery its a lot easier and u can see the process. no need to reboot except for getting into recovery.

 

[jrz5024]

Ok, new problem... I made my clockwork backup and everything, loaded babystep.zip onto my sdcard, loaded clockwork mod and installed the zip. Installation went fine, but now after I boot my phone, it hangs on the Samsung screen and never loads. Help!

I tried rebooting several times by holding vol up + power + camera, but to no avail. I then tried overwriting babystep with step2 to see if that would work, but no go -same problem, just hangs on the Samsung screen. I'm now restoring my backup (and praying it works!)

Um, backup is not working... once again it loads, but just hangs on the Samsung screen. Getting worried now. Anybody have any ideas? If anybody could help me with this, my aim is anticrombie0909, it would be much appreciated.

Edit again: Ok, restored to stock using Odin, gonna try again...

Edit edit again: Nope, reflashed babystep.zip, and it's hanging on the Samsung screen. Anybody have any ideas?

 

[ragnarokx]

List all the mods you've done to your phone, and how you installed them. Also, did you already flash the Baked Snack ROM or are you just flashing the kernel and using the stock ROM?

 

[jrz5024]

As of now, I have no mods or anything. I just reflashed to stock using Odin, my phone looks like I just took it out of the box (minus crap on the sdcard).

When I was flashing, I was using the babystep.zip kernel from here: Index of /source

I also tried using step2.zip to see if that would work, but no go.

Edit: Installed Baked Snack 1.6 Rom + Kernel and it worked! Horray! Now I'm working on using Titanium to restore all my programs and settings and whatnot.