Need help installing mods/custom ROMs, please

[Brandon Shea]

Hey guys.

I know that this site isn't usually the place to post for this kind of thing but I don't have many other options, and you guys have treated me well so far. I've tried posting to XDA and to /r/android and I got laughed off at XDA and no answer on /r/android.

So, my question/story is: I have an LG G2, D803 TELUS Canadian Variant. I really want to start downloading mods for my phone, the camera mod on XDA, the split view port from the G flex and the better speaker mods. Also CustomROMs eventually.

My main concern is I have NO idea what i'm doing, not even the slightest CLUE. I've tried googling and searching around but I usually get stopped somewhere. For example, the one linked to me by a buddy used Root manager, and that doesn't recognize the d803.

My phone is already rooted, I have G2 xposed installed, and using the kitkat options and the AOSP lockscreen.

I just need a straight forward guide I guess on how to install mods. " make a complete NANDOIRD backup " " flash through TWRP " confuses me to no end.

here are the mod's i'm currently looking at, sorry if posting XDA Url's are frowned upon..

1: [MOD] [CAMERA] [STOCK] Xdabbeb's Camera v1.5.0 CTE - xda-developers

2: [MOD] LG G Flex Split View - xda-developers

3: [CAMERA][MOD][PORT] Jishnu's Camera? [STOCK - CM | OMNI | AOSP] - xda-developers

4: [MOD] LG G2 Headphone/Speaker Volume Boost - xda-developers


Now, i'm not looking for a step by step on every single one of these mods, I know that's too much to ask. But a guide/link/explanation of how this stuff works would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks in advance ! <3

 

[zocster]

Alright, first of all read this... once you have done so and loaded it we get through the next step [RECOVERY] TWRP 2.6.3.2 touch recovery [2013-09-22 - xda-developers

 

[Brandon Shea]

Great, it's 3am so i'll have to do this tomorrow. Will update. Thanks for info.

 

[Brandon Shea]

Done did, Ready for more instructions Zocster, or anyone else. thanks in advance.

EDIT: Done, got into the recovery screen, but when I booted back into my g2 I can't power back into the recovery. I thought once I held my power button it gave me that option? Idk, as you can see I have no idea what i'm doing.

 

[lexfrancis]

Done did, Ready for more instructions Zocster, or anyone else. thanks in advance.

EDIT: Done, got into the recovery screen, but when I booted back into my g2 I can't power back into the recovery. I thought once I held my power button it gave me that option? Idk, as you can see I have no idea what i'm doing.

Hi. You can boot into recovery with an app or with the buttons.

The app I use is quick boot, it's simple as balls. Just grab it from the play store.

To do it with the buttons, you have to power off, then press and hold the power button and volume down button together. When the lg logo appears, release them and then immediately hold them down again. You should then arrive at a white factory reset screen. You press the power button, then when it asks if you're sure you want to do a reset, press it again. This method is scary because it makes you think you're doing a factory reset, which would wipe the phone. But as long as you have a custom recovery installed, it should just boot into that. I've never done it this way myself. Here's a video demo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifi-ArGeTzQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player

There's also a module in xposed which gives you the option of putting a boot into recovery button in the notification pane. Can't remember what it's called.

Sent from my LG-D802 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[Brandon Shea]

Cool cool, thanks im using the twrp widget and its working fine. Next step how to perform a nandroid backup and then how to install the mods

Sent from my LG-D803 using Tapatalk

 

[digitard]

Inside TWRP there's a backup option, and a restore option.

Before you do any installs you should do a backup. It takes a few mins and it will snapshot the core parts of your phone. So if you mess up you can boot back into recovery, and restore that backup and you're back where you were.

Once you've gotten a backup then you can just go to INSTALL in TWRP and install a custom ROM, or anything else that tells you to install from recovery / TWRP.

After you install your item you'll see an option to wipe cache / davlik. Generally choose that and then reboot after and your mod is installed. Exact same principle for custom ROMs (make sure you get the D803 variant for a ROM). Boot to TWRP. Backup. Install ROM, install GAPPS if it's not already included, wipe cache / davlik, Erase prior content. reboot. These steps are generally detailed in the instructions for any ROM you get.

It sounds much trickier than it is, but you want to understand how and why you do things before you do them.

I've got a D800, and I'm running the MAHDI Kit Kat ROM w/o issue.

Just be aware that unless you get on that's based on the 4.2.2 base (like the de-bloated versions, etc) you'll probably also see a mention of downloading Google Apps (GAPPS). They'll almost always have a link on where you can get the one they recommend. You do that AFTER you install the custom ROM (gapps is all the Google Apps and you do need those).

Lots of research. You'll be fine. Just DEFINITELY do that backup before you do anything so you can restore easily, and not have to do push an image over ADB or something.

NOTE: After your ROM is up and running and you're happy with it, or MOD. You can go into your file manager and go to the TWRP folder and you'll find your backup there. You can delete it after that because it just takes up 1-3GB of space.

Just remember... you do all this at your own risk.

 

[Brandon Shea]

Wow thanks alot digitiard, great stuff. Makes it seem less intimadating. So you just drop the mod into your sd, backup and then install and find the mod directory? Im not worried about ROMs right now as i dont want to have to restore.

Sent from my LG-D803 using Tapatalk

 

[digitard]

Yeah, pretty much that's normally all you have to do. Read each mod's instructions as sometimes they have odd secondary steps, but most are pretty much that.

Download
Boot to TWRP / CWM
Backup
Install
Wipe Cache / Davlik option
Reboot
Profit

Just don't forget once you're happy with everything to either offload your backup to another location (I tend to keep my last backup always on my macbook just in case I get a weird issue that breaks the ROM for me so I need to go back to my last working backup) or delete it. Same with your mod downloads.

This is personal preference, but I'm stingy with my space. I don't leave junk on if I don't have to. The exception is my last successful ROM flash. Just in case I have an issue (I can always throw my TWRP backup after this as I don't keep those on the phone after I'm up and running w/ the new flash) I leave the ROM download (and any required files like GAPPS) on my phone. So if something just goes nuts or something I can reboot into TWRP and flash it and do a full format after to start fresh. Then if I want I'll hook back up to my macbook and use Android File Manager to transfer my TWRP backup back to my phone and restore it, or I'll start completely fresh. So if you're not pressed for space leave your last ROM image, and any required other files for it (like google apps) somewhere in storage so you can always start fresh if you somehow break your phone.

 

[Brandon Shea]

Perfect, does wiping cache and davlik make you lose any info?
Thanks a lot man i appreciate it. Real good stuff, just what i was looking for

Sent from my LG-D803 using Tapatalk

 

[digitard]

Nope. Not at all. Temporary stuff. You wipe it after your install so you don't have fragments of things hanging around in there. It's why every ROM out there says to wipe it after install.

 

[Brandon Shea]

Coolcool, one more question sorry. Do you HAVE to do a complete restore to install a rom or can i just wipe cache davlik?

Sent from my LG-D803 using Tapatalk

 

[digitard]

As these ROMs are built from source, generally, and then sort of tuned forward you don't want other data hanging around that could cause instability issues, performance issues, etc. Upgrading to a new version is a different story, but a new ROM base entirely you generally wipe.

So the general rule of thumb when installing a NEW ROM is to install the ROM, install GAPPS (if the ROM requires it. Some are built from the current carrier OS but tweaked and bloat removed, and GAPPS is baked in already), clear cache, wipe, reboot.

I, personally go a step further and do a complete format of everything after I install a new ROM. I install. Reboot. make sure it works. Copy off my Backup to my MBP. Then reboot back into recovery and do a complete wipe of everything so it's 100% fresh. Just so I don't have anything taking up space that hung around, etc. Personal preference.

When you upgrade a ROM to a new version generally you don't have to wipe it at all unless they made some crazy change and recommend it.
They release new builds of the Kit Kat ROM I'm on every few days generally. So I just make a backup, then flash the updated build + carrier patch, clear cache and Dalvik (I need to stop typing davlik) and reboot. I don't do any type of data wipe at all.

 

[zocster]

Good to see you can move forward after that first step

 

[Brandon Shea]

Last question for ya'll. I cant find my SD card in my interal storage on my computer. Where is it located? Could've swore it was in DCIM

EDIT: Nevermind, figured it out. I downloaded this camera: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2471900

got a few problems.

1) when I wiped cache/davlik it just shut off. wouldn't turn back on and I had to plug my phone in and hold the power button for like 30 seconds to get it to boot.

2) when I turned my phone on again and clicked camera it said " check after scanning for media files " or something, sorry can't remember exact wording.

3) the camera is the exact same. That mod is supposed to give you a different UI IIRC, so How do I know it's even downloaded?

4) is there a way to revert if need be? or does it rely on each specific mod?
Thanks, sorry for all the questions. Ya'll have helped me a lot.

 

[GibMcFragger]

Last question for ya'll. I cant find my SD card in my interal storage on my computer. Where is it located? Could've swore it was in DCIM

EDIT: Nevermind, figured it out. I downloaded this camera: [CAMERA][MOD][PORT] Jishnu's Camera? [STOCK - CM | OMNI | AOSP] - xda-developers

got a few problems.

1) when I wiped cache/davlik it just shut off. wouldn't turn back on and I had to plug my phone in and hold the power button for like 30 seconds to get it to boot.

2) when I turned my phone on again and clicked camera it said " check after scanning for media files " or something, sorry can't remember exact wording.

3) the camera is the exact same. That mod is supposed to give you a different UI IIRC, so How do I know it's even downloaded?

4) is there a way to revert if need be? or does it rely on each specific mod?
Thanks, sorry for all the questions. Ya'll have helped me a lot.

I use Xdabebb's camera mod myself, and although the UI is exactly the same, the image quality is greatly improved. You can only do so much though, as the LG software tends to over process pics.

 

[Brandon Shea]

Do you have to flash GAPPS also or just download it onto your phone somehow?

 

[UJ95x]

Do you have to flash GAPPS also or just download it onto your phone somehow?

Gapps need to be flashed through recovery as well. You can download APKs of those apps, but the ones I've tried usually crash very often. The developers of the ROMs usually include gapps in their ROM thread.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Brandon Shea]

Did everything properly, but my paranoid android flash failed. Downloaded d803 version, downloaded gapps, did full wipe and it didnt work. :/

Sent from my LG-D803 using Tapatalk

 

[UJ95x]

Did everything properly, but my paranoid android flash failed. Downloaded d803 version, downloaded gapps, did full wipe and it didnt work. :/

Sent from my LG-D803 using Tapatalk

For full wipe did you only select dalvik cache and cache? I usually select those, along with data and system. I make backups of my phone occasionally so I'm not worried about my data getting deleted
Did the install fail or did it just not boot up all the way?

Posted via Android Central App