Contemplating Root

[asianrage]

I've been thinking about whether I should root or not.

What I want to do once gaining root is to eliminate all of those pesky bloatware apps and apps that I will never use (of course, I will consult the stickied AC app guide)

Then use SetCPU to setup the sleep/wake processor speed, in order to, presumable increase battery time.

And maybe, MAYBE, flash a ROM, but, most like, a custom Kernel (imoseyon?) to increase and optimize the experience..

So, are these good enough reason to root? I don't have any issues with my phone right now. It's an excellent device, minus the iffy battery consumption (but I'm attached to my desk and the charger cable most of the time, so it's not much of an issue. But I do like to tinker A BIT(!) with my phone....

So, root? Opinions and advices are very welcomed.

 

[djinsydius]

Yes, root the phone, you won't be sorry. It opens up a whole new world of options for your phone that you normally don't have access to. If you want to stick with stock & just debloat your phone, that's possible, and it will make your phone a whole lot snappier & responsive. Using Setcpu is great since you can adjust the speed of the kernel & save yourself battery life. There are a bunch of different ones you can experiment with until you find which one is right for you. Once you're rooted, you will wonder how you made it this far without it, at least that's my take, hope that helps!

 

[nate44]

If you want to keep stock rom, then I would go for Imoseyon's lean kernel. Which doesn't require SetCPU. Read more here: [Kernel] [froyo] leanKernel: minimalistic kernel, v2.5.1 sense 5/16/11 - xda-developers

That will make the biggest impact as far as battery life goes, but if you want an overall performance increase I would go with das BAMF (ROM) to compliment the kernel. It will keep the look and feel of sense, and remove all bloat for you. Not to mention other goodies that come with it.

I would do this first since it seems you're a little hesitant. Once you're rooted make your nandroid backup in recovery. There is an excellent guide form Cyber Warrior on how to do this in the rooting sub-forum.

Then proceed to remove bloat as you wish, and flash Imoseyon's lean kernel. Again follow Cyber Warrior's guide, as kernels/ROMS are flashed the same way minus the data wipe. Test that setup for a few days, and then you'll get the itch to flash a ROM. Now with this comes a data wipe, but as long as you got the right tools to make backups before you shouldn't have a problem restoring all of your existing setup. There is another guide up there from paintdrinkingpete that will help you with this.

There is also radios to flash if you haven't already got them from the OTA, which are flashed differently than ROMS/kernels. Soon enough Gingerbread ROMS will be stable, and you will definitely want to upgrade to a new OS. Just remember to follow directions closely, ask questions and you shouldn't have any problems. Good luck

 

[NotJustAPhone]

If you like to tinker with your phone, then definitely consider rooting your ThunderBolt. You control what's on your phone (no more bloatware!) and trying custom ROMs and kernels is just fun.

I had my ThundeBolt for a month before I rooted and am glad I made the leap. I spent some time reading the guides here (and on other sites) and rooted using the manual process that's laid out in Cory's sticky in the rooting sub-forum. As you know, there is an active and helpful group here on the forums so root away!

 

[asianrage]

If you want to keep stock rom, then I would go for Imoseyon's lean kernel. Which doesn't require SetCPU. Read more here: [Kernel] [froyo] leanKernel: minimalistic kernel, v2.5.1 sense 5/16/11 - xda-developers

That will make the biggest impact as far as battery life goes, but if you want an overall performance increase I would go with das BAMF (ROM) to compliment the kernel. It will keep the look and feel of sense, and remove all bloat for you. Not to mention other goodies that come with it.

I would do this first since it seems you're a little hesitant. Once you're rooted make your nandroid backup in recovery. There is an excellent guide form Cyber Warrior on how to do this in the rooting sub-forum.

Then proceed to remove bloat as you wish, and flash Imoseyon's lean kernel. Again follow Cyber Warrior's guide, as kernels/ROMS are flashed the same way minus the data wipe. Test that setup for a few days, and then you'll get the itch to flash a ROM. Now with this comes a data wipe, but as long as you got the right tools to make backups before you shouldn't have a problem restoring all of your existing setup. There is another guide up there from paintdrinkingpete that will help you with this.

There is also radios to flash if you haven't already got them from the OTA, which are flashed differently than ROMS/kernels. Soon enough Gingerbread ROMS will be stable, and you will definitely want to upgrade to a new OS. Just remember to follow directions closely, ask questions and you shouldn't have any problems. Good luck

I did get the OTA update and I know that most of those custom ROMs and Kernels will support it. I've been reading up on the Bamf ROM seems like most people are happy with the performance and benefits that it provided. However, being a fan of the Sense look, I'm a bit unhappy with how some of those REMIXes have modified the look so drastically, but I'll just have to look carefully for the version I want.

Thanks for the answers, everyone. I'll try to get everything together in preparation.

 

[asianrage]

If you like to tinker with your phone, then definitely consider rooting your ThunderBolt. You control what's on your phone (no more bloatware!) and trying custom ROMs and kernels is just fun.

I had my ThundeBolt for a month before I rooted and am glad I made the leap. I spent some time reading the guides here (and on other sites) and rooted using the manual process that's laid out in City's sticky in the rooting sub-forum. As you know, there is an active and helpful group here on the forums so root away!

If I'm wiping everything I flash a new Rom or Kernel (or both?) I would need to back up all of my apps righ?

 

[Droid_Evo_8]

If I'm wiping everything I flash a new Rom or Kernel (or both?) I would need to back up all of my apps righ?

Ya, make you backup everything first before flashing a new rom and/or kernel, that way, u can restore it back to the last working settings that u had in case something goes wrong.

 

[NotJustAPhone]

If I'm wiping everything I flash a new Rom or Kernel (or both?) I would need to back up all of my apps righ?

After you've rooted, download Titanium Backup and backup all your apps before wiping and flashing a new ROM. I also suggest downloading My Backup Root to backup your text messages, call log, and home screen setup.

Then wipe data, wipe cache, and Calvin cache. Flash the new ROM then reboot. Restore your apps, call logs, text messages, and icon setup using TB and MBR. Do not try to restore syste data or settings, which will cause problems if you do so.

Good luck and ask questions if you have any.

Edit: Also, perform a backup in clockworkmod before wiping and flashing a new ROM. This will allow you to revert to your current setup if desired.

 

[w00tw00twhat]

I'd say if your thinking about it and want to do what you stated, then rooting is the best option for you. I rooted mine the night I got it, I'm a tech junkie so I love modifying my phone out the ass. The roms and kernels make a whole new experience when finding the right ones. I can't stop saying how much I love the leaked gb beta.

 

[nate44]

^ That's the thing, just how do you think it will perform when the devs get their hands on the official version

 

[w00tw00twhat]

I honestly can't even imagine, this beta is already really good. I guess we will have to wait until official rolls around

 

[NotJustAPhone]

I did get the OTA update and I know that most of those custom ROMs and Kernels will support it. I've been reading up on the Bamf ROM seems like most people are happy with the performance and benefits that it provided. However, being a fan of the Sense look, I'm a bit unhappy with how some of those REMIXes have modified the look so drastically, but I'll just have to look carefully for the version I want.

Thanks for the answers, everyone. I'll try to get everything together in preparation.

Since you're a fan of Sense, you should take a look at das BAMF 1.6.3 nte (non- themed edition). It's a great Froyo ROM with the Sense user interface. It was the ROM I used before I moved to the Gingerbread based das BAMF 2.0.

Flashing ROMs based on the Gingerbread leak is a bit more involved as it requires flashing a new radio file in hboot. When you're starting off, it'll be easier to stick with the Froyo ROMs until you're comfortable with the process.

 

[nat72sherman]

Sorry, don't mean to hijack the thread. I'm new to android and thinking about rooting too. What's the difference between a rom and a kernel?

 

[Rem]

Sorry, don't mean to hijack the thread. I'm new to android and thinking about rooting too. What's the difference between a rom and a kernel?

From the CyanogenMod Wiki:

Kernel
The central or core software component of most operating systems. Its responsibilities include managing the system's resources (the communication between hardware and software components) and can provide the lowest-level abstraction layer for resources (especially memory, processors, and I/O devices).

ROM
Read Only Memory. In the context of an Android device, ROM is the internal flash memory where the core operating system resides. It can also refer to a specific version firmware that can be applied to a device through a process usually referred to as flashing. An improperly flashed ROM can often brick the device, rendering it unusable.

OP, sounds like you should go for it. I was perfectly happy with mine while it was stock, too, but I can't resist the urge to push things to their full potential. Flashing and tweaking different kernels has made a world of difference for me.

 

[asianrage]

I'd say if your thinking about it and want to do what you stated, then rooting is the best option for you. I rooted mine the night I got it, I'm a tech junkie so I love modifying my phone out the ass. The roms and kernels make a whole new experience when finding the right ones. I can't stop saying how much I love the leaked gb beta.

The GB leak and the forthcoming CM7 release are the few reasons why Root is so tempting for me. I could root now and wait until a final version of the Sensed GB for the TB get incorporated and jump on it.

 

[asianrage]

Since you're a fan of Sense, you should take a look at das BAMF 1.6.3 nte (non- themed edition). It's a great Froyo ROM with the Sense user interface. It was the ROM I used before I moved to the Gingerbread based das BAMF 2.0.

Flashing ROMs based on the Gingerbread leak is a bit more involved as it requires flashing a new radio file in hboot. When you're starting off, it'll be easier to stick with the Froyo ROMs until you're comfortable with the process.

I browsed the BAMF 2.0 beta thread yesterday and was immediately scared off by the extensive flashing required. I'm a big fan of Sense, since the UI is so consistent and unified that adding any substitutions (e.g Touchpal Input, or Swiftkey) create a slightly jarring experience. However, I have no use for the included social media apps nor love for the bloat, so, yeah, the NTE version is most desirable.

 

[asianrage]

From the CyanogenMod Wiki:



OP, sounds like you should go for it. I was perfectly happy with mine while it was stock, too, but I can't resist the urge to push things to their full potential. Flashing and tweaking different kernels has made a world of difference for me.

Yeah, feels like I'm trying to resist the URGE (ARGGHHH!!!!) to root everyday. That naggin' feeling of can I get a better experience if I root, you know.

 

[FrankXS]

Yeah, feels like I'm trying to resist the URGE (ARGGHHH!!!!) to root everyday. That naggin' feeling of can I get a better experience if I root, you know.

My opinion...

If there is a specific thing that you want or need, that requires rooting, do it. Otherwise, you're wasting your time. And lots of it.

By wasting time and "lots of it", I don't mean just the time for rooting. I can see all the replies about (I did it in 10 minutes, etc.). I am talking about the potential time loss with the rooting procedure (what if it doesn't go right), the continuous changing of ROMs (the grass is always greener), the un-rooting to accept an update, getting "out of sync" with not being able to change the radio/ROM combination in conjunction with an OTA update, etc. Lots of potential time wasted. Unless you had a specific need. That would be different.

-Frank

 

[asianrage]

My opinion...

If there a a specific thing that you want or need, that requires rooting, do it. Otherwise, you're wasting your time. And lots of it.

By wasting time and "lots of it", I don't mean just the time for rooting. I can see all the replies about (I did it in 10 minutes, etc.). I am talking about the potential time loss with the rooting procedure (what if it doesn't go right), the continuous changing of ROMs (the grass is always greener), the un-rooting to accept an update, getting "out of sync" with not being able to change the radio/ROM combination in conjunction with an OTA update, etc. Lots of potential time wasted. Unless you had a specific need. That would be different.

-Frank

This is the flip side to rooting that I always worry about. This is why I was thinking of only gaining root access, install SetCPU and go from there. At least, regaining/reattempting root would be easier since not much was changed in the beginning.

I think that lowering the processor speed to 1/4GHZ when the phone is sleeping would significantly lower battery usage since nothing should be working while the phone is sleeping (nach!). That and eliminating unwanted software/bloat is key as well.

 

[Slapnpop826]

I am also on the root fence. My initial thought was to root once the free hotspot ended. since that was pushed back I have thinking about it more. I've been reading the forums and I think I have a good understanding of what the process is. I may take the plunge this weekend. The process is much more involved than flashing a hybrid OS to my old blackberry.