Hold a Noob's hand with new kernal and ROM

[TheMacs]

Around a month into Android (from a heavily modded Sprint Palm Pre +)...

Put Zedomax's kernal on (v4 I think) via ODIN with no problems. Having a couple issues I can't seem to resolve [battery drain still way too steep, LOTS of LoS (didn't have much at all prior), stupid phone auto turns on after powering down (wtf?) ].

Anyway, time to move on. I'm thinking I'd like to give Callulin's ROM a try. Anyone recommend a good (compatible) kernal? I'm thinking the latest stable LoSt kernal - I could use less LoS, that's for sure.

My question(s): do I need to go back to stock? Or, a better question - how should I best go about this?

Thanks in advance.

Mac

 

[JayWill]

Since you're already rooted, and have CWM, you can simply download Calkulin's Wipe All zip and full ROM (latest is v1.5a) and move them over to your SD card. Then boot into recovery, install the Wipe All zip then install the ROM zip. This will wipe all of your system data (texts, call history, phone settings, etc.) as well as wipe all of your Apps and Data. So be prepared, and backup whatever you want saved. If you don't already have it, Titanium Backup (Pro version recommended) is an excellent way to backup and restore Apps and App Data. Just make sure you do not restore any system data .. in fact, don't even back that up.

Calk's ROM is already packaged with a kernel, Team Rogue's 1.1.3. However, this is a custom kernel built off Samsung's source code and seems to be LOS prone. If you have LOS issues, always use a stock kernel. I'd recommend this [KERNEL/RECOVERY] Rogue *STOCK* v1.1 (Updated 11/19/11) - xda-developers, which you can flash via CWM once you've installed the ROM. You could technically pull the zimage (the zimage is the kernel) out of this ZIP and re-package it into Calk's ZIP, but that's an added layer of complication that you may not want to try to tackle. Team Rogue kernels uses a modified CWM by the way, so you'll notice a few subtle differences but on the whole it's better.

Also, as always, make a Nandroid backup image in CWM before you flash anything, so at minmum, you can get back to your original setup if anything goes wrong.

Good luck!

 

[TheMacs]

Thanks JayWill! Will try to follow your guidelines, maybe much later tonight if everything else will leave me alone long enough, or tomorrow if time permits.

Have TB, but haven't got to the Pro yet. In fact, only used it once - to back everything up. Guess I can do it again, and not back up any system stuff. Also think I did a Nandroid backup (just the backup via CWM, right? Or is there something more to it?). Think someone mentioned Appbak as being a very beneficial option as well. Your thoughts? (I'm a bit nervous about how bad I might screw this up, so multiple backups are not a bad thing. )

So, if I'm understanding you correctly, install the ROM first, then the Kernel? I'm thinking I'd see how the ROM goes for a bit, then can add the kernel if I still have LOS problems.

 

[JayWill]

I think I was the one that brought up Appbak around here. Appbak let's you dump a text file onto your sdcard of all your current apps. After a full wipe, you can then re-download and install Appbak, then use it to click through and re-download your Apps. Sometimes App restores and data don't play nice with a new ROM. It's rather rare in my experience, but there can be conflicts sometimes. Appbak makes getting your apps re-installed easy, and you have a list to refer to if you think you forgot something.

Besides other benefits, the Pro version of TB allows you to batch restore your Apps. However, you can probably get away with the free version to only restore Apps one at a time that your REALLY want the data for, then use Appbak to re-download and install the rest.

Yes a Nandroid backup is done in CWM, by simply choosing Backup and Restore then Backup. This process stores an image of your system at the time of the backup on your SD card. However, CWM versions 5.0.2.6 and earlier only allow you Nandroid backup to an external SD card. 5.0.2.7 now allows you to also save a backup to your internal SD card. So keep this in mind if you don't have an external SD card installed.

Without messing around with kernel zimages here would be your order of things:

1. Download Calk's Wipeall.zip, ROM and the stock kernel I linked, and move the files over to your phone
2. Do all of the App backups you want to do
3. Boot into CWM
4. Make a Nandroid backup
5. Install the Wipeall.zip
6. Install the ROM
7. Reboot
8. Let everything settle in after booting .. maybe give it 5 minutes
9. Boot back into CWM
10. Wipe Cache and Wipe Dalvik Cache in CWM (may not be necessary but I always do it)
10. Install the stock kernel
11. Reboot

Keep in mind that when caches are wiped, it will take a long time for the first boot, and your phone will sit at the boot animation screen for what seems like too long. Just let it do it's thing, which should take less than a few minutes. If it's taking 5 minutes or more then you may have a problem. Just be patient with it.

Lastly, when installing a new ROM, it's always a good idea to calibrate your battery. I use a free app called Battery Calibration on the market, which is simple and effective. Basically you charge your phone to full, load the app while still on the charger, click the calibrate button, then pull it off the charger. Run the battery all the way down to 1% or even until the phone shuts itself down, then put it back on the charger and charge to full again ... all uninterrupted (no reboots or partial charges) if you can.

 

[TheMacs]

Thanks again JayWill. Obviously didn't get a chance to tackle this last night. Got in too late to make a run at it. Will try to juggle things today and do it.

Have a nice big fat 32GB SD card, so I'll copy it to a desktop pc and go from there.

95% of the roughly 150-200 apps are no big deal if I lose them or their data. It's the 5-10 apps that are critical that matter.

Will be patient (something I've never been real great at) - having time estimates will be helpful - I'll be much less likely to abort something I didn't have to.

Did the battery calibration last time. Took me a while to stumble on threads that recommended this. I used the app too, though the manual method is not that involved. Pretty easy process, if a bit time consuming draining the battery. I ran it down to dead.

Will post back results, or in case I muck something up I can't get out of.

 

[JayWill]

Have a nice big fat 32GB SD card, so I'll copy it to a desktop pc and go from there.

Just an FYI, there's no need to move your backups, pictures, videos and other non-system related things on either your internal or external SD storage unless you want to. The wipes that are usually required to flash a new ROM don't touch those folders, only data and /system.

 

[TheMacs]

Just an FYI, there's no need to move your backups, pictures, videos and other non-system related things on either your internal or external SD storage unless you want to. The wipes that are usually required to flash a new ROM don't touch those folders, only data and /system.

Been there, done that. But no worries, I just copy then wander off and do other things and come back when the copy should be done.

 

[TheMacs]

All seems to have gone smoothly. Thanks a bunch JayWill!

Is there a best/preferred way to re-install everything (accts, contacts, apps, etc., etc.) As I type this TB is taking way... too... long... to download from the Market.

 

[dtm_stretch]

All seems to have gone smoothly. Thanks a bunch JayWill!

Is there a best/preferred way to re-install everything (accts, contacts, apps, etc., etc.) As I type this TB is taking way... too... long... to download from the Market.

I don't use TB, I use myback up root, it tends to have less issues than TB. Your accounts and contacts you should just keep synced with google so then they always auto populate after flashing and wiping data. Honestly, if you are feeling brave you could always do an advanced restore via CWM and restore your data from a back up. I have done this flashing every rom and have yet to have an issue. The only time you can expect to have an issue is when you are changing android versions; ie gingerbread to ice cream.

 

[TheMacs]

Thanks dtm_stretch. If I'd have seen your advice before tackling all this, I might have taken it.

I can unequivocally say TP Pro is worth the money if you have a lot of apps just for the batch back-up functionality alone. After doing them one-by-one-by one, I got hung up on one, powered down, then got stuck in an infinite loop at start-up. Finally able to power down, and re-wipe and re-install ROM and kernel.

Immediately paid for the Pro version of TB, and batch installed apps in small batches. A couple apps are giving me issues, but so far none of any serious consequence.

Hadn't looked at MyBackup Root, but will. Will also consider the advanced restore via CWM. If it's smoother, I'm all for it. Of course, that means I'll probably have another dozen or so questions.

 

[eric3316]

Not sure why people have so many issues with TB. I always restore apps and data with it. The key is to only restore apps that you have downloaded and nothing that is related to the system itself. I do it all the time and have never witnessed freezing, reboots, or anything like that...