Database Users

HELP ! ROM Update to Android 2.0 / 2.1

Hey Guys at first sorry for my english i'm not good in it. And I'm a Android newbie I just gained a bit exerience with my Touch Diamond but it's broken now..okay but that's not the probleme....
If got a question:
After about 2 days of searching for an android 2.0 or 2.1 ROM I was a little bit confused of the diffrent news everybody was talking about. I'm root on my Hero. That was the first an last thing I made with my device.
1. Everybody is gonna talk about MoDaCo 3.0 but when I was trying to download his ROM my browser never got a request. Is the site down, where that ROM is hosted ?? Could someone give me a working link with this ROM ??
2. Is there a ROM with Android 2.0 or 2.1 outside or even not ??? And if yes are they working well ???
Would be nice if someone can help me =) thanks a lot.
Please answer soon if you know something about that =)
Greetz BassdoxXx

you can get modaco's roms at his website, www.modaco.com.
in the android development section there are some 2.0/1 roms, none of them works flawless, see for yourself if it fits your needs.

Thanks a lot for your fast answer. =)
The problem that i couldn't open the modaco page was my isp -.- i downloaded it at school

BassdoxXx said:
Thanks a lot for your fast answer. =)
The problem that i couldn't open the modaco page was my isp -.- i downloaded it at school
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What? Does ISP's block that site? Lol, would never happened in Norway

there is a few 2.0+ roms out there for the hero.
most seem to be very usable now.
best sense ui would be lox/behnaam community release on 1.6.
http://htcpedia.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1448
there are two aosp roms worth looking at.
lox aosp ( im using that on a daily basis)
http://htcpedia.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1416
jnwhiteh aosp
http://htcpedia.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1528

Hello all,
I am having very specific request when it comes to choosing a proper rom for install on to my hero.
I am blind. Stock roms are only running Android 1.5. More robust accessibility features are available starting with Android 1.6 and improving even more with Android 2.0.
So for sure I am forced to upgrade my hand set.
There are various roms, some of their authors have even disable google specific features so I know I can't install such a rom.
All the accessibility efforts are being lead by the google developers.
Most likely these accessibility tools won't be usefull to most of you but please can anyone recommend me a rom where market is working and where the following applications can be installed and used?
- eyesfree suite of applications,
- talkback - the google screen reader for android,
- tts service.
All possible help is already appreciated.

sorry for the double posting. I've accidentally posted twice and I am unable to remove the post.
Hope anybody can help me please.

pvdeejay said:
Hello all,
I am having very specific request when it comes to choosing a proper rom for install on to my hero.
I am blind. Stock roms are only running Android 1.5. More robust accessibility features are available starting with Android 1.6 and improving even more with Android 2.0.
So for sure I am forced to upgrade my hand set.
There are various roms, some of their authors have even disable google specific features so I know I can't install such a rom.
All the accessibility efforts are being lead by the google developers.
Most likely these accessibility tools won't be usefull to most of you but please can anyone recommend me a rom where market is working and where the following applications can be installed and used?
- eyesfree suite of applications,
- talkback - the google screen reader for android,
- tts service.
All possible help is already appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i am on mcr3.0, i looked in the market, i can find 8 apps for eyesfree, tts is one of these. i didn't try to install one of these, but usually it works. the search for talkback returned nothing.
not that i want to be rude, but wouldn't you be better off with another phone if you are blind? i can not imagine a touchscreen only phone would be suitable for someone who is not able to see... especially because there are great devices out there that have a full qwerty keyboard, and come with android 2.0 out of the box... imho this would be a better solution.
again, the last thing i want to be is rude, but maybe this was your mistake: you posted in the htc hero section of this forum, the hero is a touch screen only device, including a virtual keyboard on the screen. it has only six buttons and a trackball, and two rocker buttons for the volume. just to make clear we are talking about the same device
if you are still up for the hero you could try the 2.1 rom from here: http://htcpedia.com/forum/showthread.php?p=30418&posted=1#post30418
best you try for yourself, it has some drawbacks, but maybe in areas you don't need (afaik syncing with exchange does not work for example, which wouldn't be a problem for me...). otherwise it might be worth to wait another week or two, we all are waiting unpatiently for the official eclair release from htc
keep asking if you need to know more, but maybe open a new thread, since your problems are very specific, and might drown between all the newbies question about "how to root my phone".

Hello,
Thanks for your reply and a great attitude.
Yes it may sound strange I have really got HTC Hero here. I know I'll be having problems with virtual keyboard but also I am afraid accessibility features of Android phones are not really such mastered one can use it daily. For example reading emails and content from the web browser is not yet possible. I just want to try how things work and I would also like to touch the virtual keyboard. If I can memorize computer keyboard and use it daily, typewriter keyboard, nokia mobile phone keyboard, then perhaps I might be able to make some use of this too.
I am sory but here are some more questions:
I haven't yet verified with some sighted friends but... is it possible my hero is running even older version of android like Android 1.5? I've based the assumption that it's most likelly running 1.5 because majority of the devices I was reading on the net are running it.
You've been triyng to locate eyes-free applications on the market but you were unable to find talkback. Are you sure you are running newer version of Android than 1.5?
Talkback is supposed to be installed with Android 1.6 andd 2.0 by default and you should be able to find it in the accessibility menu of your phone. I am not sure how well this applies to the custom roms.
Talkback requires google's accessibility api which is reported to be available on Android 1.6 upwards.
To tell you the full story first I've asked on the eyes-free google group whether some accessibility experts from there can help me but no one knowledgeable enough has replied to my query, so I'm trying my luck here then.
Oh I am really excited since I've got really well formed informative reply.
Thanks again
Edit:
Also, I've seen somewhere in the forums here this leaked HTC rom does not support the market. Has this been rectified already? You know if market does not work then most likelly I won't be able to install these applications I am tallking about.
Also you are mentioning possibility to wait a few weeks until HTC guys role out the official update for Hero. Wouldn't that break chances I will be able to root my device later?
Edit2:
Ooops, I should read better next time. Market works on this rom. The problem is paid apps can't be installed which is hopefully not a big issue for me since most of the accessibility enabled applications are free.
Which of the downloads from Hero 21 do I need?
63.18.55.06JU_6.35.09.26) or No Wipe Download. I will need a wipe I am sure but since this link says nowipe I am ehmmm. confused.

pvdeejay,
Unfortunately there is not an 'official' update for Android 1.6, 2.0 or 2.1 as of yet. There are rumours of one coming out soon, but nothing cast-iron yet.
You are correct in that the Hero runs 1.5. It does say it under Settings | About Phone (bottom item on list)| Firmware Version (bottom on list again), although without a working screen reader, there is probably little use in knowing how to find that.
If you did want to upgrade, I'm sure plenty of people could help find a ROM that would suit. The only issue with that is that you would need a rooted phone with a custom recovery image installed. Unfortunately, a lot of the procedures would not be easy for you, as the software that you might need to use to go through the procedure is probably not designed that well for accessibility tools. I don't know what kind of software you are using, but some of the instructions for making goldcards are quite complex, and involve editing some numbers in a 'table' which could be quite difficult for you, I would imagine.
I'm sure a friend would be able to help you out with making a goldcard/rooting if you did want to install a custom ROM (you'll probably be waiting a while otherwise ). They could even root their phone while doing yours (just share the goldcard between the devices).
Nonetheless, there is probably a ROM out there with little removed from it. I'll have a look just now, but you would need to have your phone rooted to do anything just now.

When it comes to rooting and installing custom recovery image. Do you thing the following instructions might work for me?
These instructions don't require a gold card:
- How to Root HTC Hero and Install Amon Ra Recovery Image
- How to install a custom rom on a HTC Hero

Hello,
Here are some numbers I've asked my friend to read from system -> about screen. The phone interface is in czech so I am unable to get some names translated to english, but I believe some of the geeks will understand these identifiers and might be able to help me what is best:
Code:
firmware: 1,5
63.118.55.O6U|6.35.04.25
2.6.27-a5504199
Build number: 1.76.405.6 146733 CL# 47214 release-keys
Software version: 1.0.0.A6288

pvdeejay,
to sum it up:
the hero definitly runs on android 1.5. there are no roms for older android versions, and a few homebrewn for newer versions, as we said already.
i searched for talkbalk on my 1.5 rom, so it is obvious that i couldn't find it...
about rooting of newer roms: it is just a matter of time, sooner or later there will be always methods of rooting a rom. what i meant by waiting is: wait until the official update is out, then wait a few more hours until the first rooted and customized rom is out

@pvdeejay,
I would have to agree with kendong2 that waiting for the official ROM is probably the best idea for you at the moment. There are no guarantees that an unofficial ROM would help, and it would be another user interface to try and learn.
@kendon,
I noticed he has the original, easily rooted version of the hero. IIRC, that is what I had on my G2 (and had the security unlocked bootloader out the box). If that's the case, would pvdeejay be able to 'fastboot boot' a full system img file for the purposes of testing it out to see if it meets the requirements.
The reason I ask is that I've only ever fastbooted my AmonRA recovery (I didn't flash it, because I never felt any need to). I'm guessing you could fastboot a full img, but I'm not sure about the practical issues of where it would be stored in memory...

Sorry guys originally I believed I am slowly getting into the matter and am begining to understand how flashing / rooting / upgrading home brew firmwares works on these phones.
After these 2 posts I feel like a total noob again.
Now again some very concrete questions:
What about these 2 guides I've posted links to?
Can I somehow got [Recovery] [13-Dec-2009] RA-hero-v1.5.2 installed so I will be able to do nandroid backup and then possibly flash some new roms?
Can I really brick my phone by trying to install amon ra?
Originally I thought the process works as follows:
1) get the custom recovery image installed (that's the amon ra in this case),
2) do a nandroid backup which will dump everything usefull on to the memory card,
3) backup and reformat the card,
4) download a rom, rename it to update.zip, put it onto the root folder of the cart, reboot the hero in recovery mode, do the wipe of the data partition, and run update,
5) reboot again and believe it's good.
Also some very significant bit is the thing you are all calling the radio. I am afraid I've not identified this bit thus it's missing in this summary.
Which files will I need to download if I decide to try Android 2.1 community edition 1.8? Are these files I've copied links to a few posts earlier both needed?
Can you please check this list, identify the things I am missing, and make suggestions and corrections why this may not work on my device based off of those number I tried to put down here?
Even if I won't be able to do this right now I'd be happy to get corrections as I can learn something new.
Of course I won't be doing all this on my own. I will ask my bro to read all the stuff to me and we'll do it according to your advices.
To give some bits about me and my computer skills, I believe I am a Windows power user, Basically I do also understand unix, I know what's bash how the files are arranged in a file system, can use command-line tools, telnet, ssh. I am working as a network administrator here so some background is there really.

Hi pvdeejay,
Answers to your questions here.
You can actually use fastboot to 'temporarily' load up the AmonRA recovery image into memory and run it from there. I do that on my phone, for the simple reason that I can't be bothered ) ) to flash the recovery. Once you get AmonRA running, the first thing you should do is make a Nandroid backup. It will be saved to your SD card, so then get the nandroid directory of your card and save it to your PC (just in case!)
So, here's how you'd go about this.
(Make sure you have the android sdk installed, and that adb and fastboot commands are working). USB cable should be plugged in throughout.
Before you begin, put the ROM you want (ie. Android 2.1 community edition 1.8) into the root of the microSD card (a .zip file).
Code:
adb devices
Should list your phone's serial number
Now turn off the phone, and turn it on with the back key held down (the one at the very bottom right of the device).
You should enter fastboot mode. Now type
Code:
fastboot devices
and you should see the serial number again.
Now type
Code:
fastboot boot AmonRA.img
where AmonRA.img is a file in your present working directory that is the filename of the latest custom recovery image. This does NOT flash your phone, it merely runs the image (pretty much as close as you get to risk free, other than sitting there with a tinfoil hat on )
See screenshot of the recovery image here:
http://www.sizzledcore.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/RA-hero-recovery-image-500x375.jpg
Make the Nandroid backup by choosing 'Nandroid Vx.x Backup' and waiting a while.
If your ROM needs a wipe first (most new ones do), select Wipe data/factory reset. You will lose all your user data on the device (but you've got a nandroid backup just in case)
You're now good to go. So choose "Apply sdcard:choose zip"
Now select the custom ROM zip file you downloaded. It doesn't even need to be called update.zip! Choose it from the list and push trackball.
Wait for the update.zip to go in. Do NOT turn off the device or pull the battery. First boot can take a very long time (upto 30 minutes). Just keep it plugged in via USB and wait...
As for radios, see http://android.modaco.com/content/h...-24-11-hero-roms-radios-in-update-zip-format/ and look at the section titled radios. The latest one is in bold. It is a .zip file as well, that you use these exact same instructions for to install (don't do the wipe or anything like that. Just install the .zip file)

anon2122 said:
@kendon,
I noticed he has the original, easily rooted version of the hero. IIRC, that is what I had on my G2 (and had the security unlocked bootloader out the box). If that's the case, would pvdeejay be able to 'fastboot boot' a full system img file for the purposes of testing it out to see if it meets the requirements.
The reason I ask is that I've only ever fastbooted my AmonRA recovery (I didn't flash it, because I never felt any need to). I'm guessing you could fastboot a full img, but I'm not sure about the practical issues of where it would be stored in memory...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this is correct so far, i did the same, except i installed the recovery. i play a lot with my phone, the installed recovery image with the nandroid backup is the best i have ever seen for a phone...
@pvdeejay
you always write so much...
i try to answer everything:
the two guides you posted are good for your situation. i never tried flashrec, but from what i read it is safe to use. i installed my recovery image through fastboot, the guide is here: http://android.modaco.com/content/h...ng-the-patched-recovery-image-on-your-device/
i have no idea how this works out for you, but my honest suggestion would be that you have someone seeing assisting you, you CAN brick your phone, though it is not likely if you follow the instructions precisely. the process is not very time consuming at all, so you don't need to bother anyone for days of their time.
edit: and now i read your post to the end and saw that your brother will be helping you, so you are on the right track
once you have the recovery installed you can make nandroid backups, and i would suggest that you do this first thing after installing the recovery, better make a backup too much than one too less...
the 5 steps you described are correct, except there is no need to rename the zipfile anymore, you can select any .zip from your sdcard.
the radio part is the number that begins with 63.18.55.06, then comes two letters and then more numbers. as by now the version can be identified by the letters, with JU being the up-to-date one. in general you can say the newer the better, but you have to try for yourself. start with the newest one, if you have problems go back.

thanks this seems to be pretty doable plus I will easily be able to restore the current data backed using nandroid backup.
Which android SDK do I need the latest one?
The commands I need to type are supposed to be typed on the PC or on the phone? I assume on the PC but I just would like to ensure.
Hero21 1.8 community edition has a recommended radio listed in the first post. Is it necessary to install that one as well? What should I install first the actual rom or the radio? Do I need installing radio at all? Should i do the same with radio i.e. renaming it to update.zip and using amonra to install it?
Also will I be able to use this method even if I install another rom (running amonra without actually flashing it)?
Edit:
sorry guys did not realize renaming to update.zip is no longer needed.
Edit2:
is there an easy way on how to access sd card from windows? I can't just remove the card from phone and insert it into my laptop because I don't have the proper adapter. Previously my boss was using the hero and perhaps it would be nice to backup the sd card first.
Edit3:
uhmmm, installing android sdk is perhaps not as simple as it sounds.
I have just seen this article.
I am on a limited gprs internet connection, can you please suggest sdk features I won't need to save some download bandwith?

- you need only the adb binary (thats adb.exe for windows) from the sdk, the rest is not needed for this.
- install the radio from the 2.1community-rom-thread, it is the newest. install the radio first. DO NOT PULL THE BATTERY until the phone has rebooted completely. if you pull the battery during radio upgrade your phone will be dead. it takes a few minutes, do not panic!
- you can copy the contents of the sdcard via the usb-cable, plug it into your pc and pull down the notification bar...

Do I need to run SDK Setup.exe when I have downloaded android sdk for windows?
Or can I simply run that binary from the command-line without the installation?
Do I need any USB drivers so my phone can be recognized?

[HOWTO] [REF] [FAQ] [Guides] [Tutorials] Flash/Root/ADB/ROM [MUST READ!]

Dear xda'er from the USA: To the disappointment of some in this forum, the xda-team has decided to split the sections on the Samsung Galaxy S i9000 and its US-counterparts into SEPARATE sections! You will be able to get some help here but you will likely be better helped/supported/suited in the forums that belong to your specific device!
Note: Many of the FAQs may still apply to you and you are welcome to make use of our setup. However, if you have open questions I suggest directing them to the above mentioned forums.
IP-Notice: You are welcome to use the information in this thread! If you do, please link the original source.
I try to give credit where due. If you feel I am using your content without your authorization or proper credits, please contact me!
General Note: There are now four official models of the Samsung Galaxy S outside the US: the GT-I9000 (International), GT-I9000M (Canada), GT-I9000B (Brazil), GT-I9000T (Mexico). All information in this FAQ is based on the GT-I9000 International version. Most of them also apply to the other models. The I9000M and I9000T are virtually identical to the I9000 and are mostly compatible with I9000 software. The I9000B has an added digital television receiver and is generally not as compatible. Please check carefully before starting to mess with the firmware on your device, check for possible compatibility issues beforehand and ALWAYS make sure you have three button recovery (see FAQ#A12)
Note: The I9000B has a separate FAQ
Note2: For the Korean Galaxy S SHW-M110S, please see this separate FAQ
Disclaimer: This FAQ is provided as-is without any warranties to completeness/correctness. I will take no responsibility if you break/brick/damage your phone.
Contents:
Post#1: Frequently Asked Questions
Post#2: HOWTO Section
Post#3: ADB Tutorial
Post#4: Tutorials and Fixes
Post#5: Tips & Tricks
Post#6: Firmware Selection Guide
FAQ Sections:
A. General
B. Firmware
C. Modding
D. Applications
E. Recovery
(A) General:
1.How can I reset my phone?
2.I have flashed a new firmware and now my phone won't connect to 3G. What's wrong?
3.Can I disable 2G broadband like on the Desire/N1?
4.I flashed a new firmware and now I cannot download protected apps and Market-enabler doesn't work. How can I still install protected apps?
5.My phone takes forever to get a GPS-fix? Is there a solution to this problem?
6.I am experiencing long loading times when opening apps/intermittent lags when switching screens. What is the problem?
7.My G-sensor seems to be off. How can I calibrate it?
8.I have a SIM-Locked phone. Is there anything I need to look out for?
9.When will Ice Cream Sandwich be released for my shiny new phone?
10.I'm running Linux. Can I still flash my firmware? Do I need to install Windows?
11.Most phones have a bunch of codes that can be entered in the dialer for special functions. What are they on the SGS?
12.My phone cannot enter download mode or recovery mode using the buttons combos. What can I do?
13.I live in Canada/Mexico (The Americas in general). Can I get my phone to use the 850Mhz bands with I9000 Modems?
1.How can I reset my phone?
On the Galaxy S the soft-reset is achieved by pressing and holding the power button. A hard-reset can executed by pressing and holding VolumeUP+Home+Power. There you will find the options "reboot", "apply sdcard:update.zip", "wipe data/factory reset" and "wipe cache partition". (Note: The list of options can vary considerably after installing modified firmware/kernels)
The "wipe data/factory reset" option will restore your phone to the original configuration of the firmware YOU LAST INSTALLED (including any updates made via update.zip). This will NOT bring your phone back to the firmware installed when you originally bought it unless you haven't flashed your phone.
You can navigate the recovery screen using VolumeUp & VolumeDown and use the Home button to select.
2.I have flashed a new firmware and now my phone won't connect to 3G. What's wrong?
The CSC you used is most likely not intended for your area. This means that the broadband provider settings are not included and need to be configured manually. To do this, go to Settings->Wireless and Networks->Mobile Networks->Access Point Names, press the settings-button and select "New APN". You will then need to enter the respective data as provided by you mobile operator. APN settings can usually be found on the operators website.
3.Can I disable 2G broadband like on the Desire/N1?
As of firmware XWJM1 (July 2010), this function is available in the wireless settings. All current firmwares now have this feature.
4.I flashed a new firmware and now I cannot download protected apps and Market-enabler doesn't work. How can I still install protected apps?
This is done by google to protect commercial applications from piracy. This usually only happens on internal beta firmwares. Use Eris Market Fix from the Market or the tutorial in P#4,T#1. Both fixes require root privileges (See FAQ#C1)
5.My phone takes forever to get a GPS-fix? Is there a solution to this problem?
It appears that the XWJM1 and XWJM2 firmwares have mostly fixed the major GPS issues and the general consensus is that these firmwares deliver consistently better GPS results than previous firmwares. The usability, however, still varies per location and sometimes the software gets no fix despite seeing plenty of satellites.
To date, there appear to be no better fixes available. There are still many reports that GPS is flaky and it appears as if Samsung is no longer working on improvements in this area.
6.I am experiencing long loading times when opening apps/intermittent lags when switching screens. What is the problem?
The Samsung Galaxy S uses the internal SD to store cache data by default. This storage uses the severely outdated RFS (FAT-related) filesystem. Next the to poor performance in a good state, RFS appears to rapidly manifest massive amounts of filesystem errors which cause the experience on the SGS to degrade over time.
Currently almost all custom kernels fix the problem by replacing the RFS filesystem with ext4 on (virtually) all partitions (some do not touch the /efs partition). Original credit for the discovery that the filesystem was the problem belongs to mimocan and the fix has since been refined by RyanZA, z4ziggy, sztupy and most notably supercurio.
7.My G-sensor seems to be off. How can I calibrate it?
The G-sensor calibration appears to be off in a lot of shipped devices. Current firmwares can calibrate the accelerometer in the Display menu.
8.I have a SIM-Locked phone. Is there anything I need to look out for?
As of now there are several reports of successfully flashed SIM-locked phones and no reports of any (related) problems.
This means that as of now (there seem) to be no specific restrictions for SIM-locked phone except the lock itself. However, the lock on the Galaxy S can be easily removed. Please refer to T&T#20 for unlocking your phone.
9.When will Ice Cream Sandwich be released for my shiny new phone?
At the moment, there are no indications that Samsung will release a fully featured Android 4.0 firmware for the Galaxy S. They are, however, porting several ICS features to Android 2.3. While this is very disappointing, there are several ICS ports based (in part) on the sources for the Nexus S available already which will probably result in a relatively stable build in the long term.
10.I'm running Linux/OSX. Can I still flash my firmware? Do I need to install windows?
If you are running Linux or OSX you do not need to install Windows. You can either run Odin in a virtual machine or alternatively use Heimdall by Benjamin Dobell. Heimdall runs natively on Linux and OSX and has reached a well tested release state.
11.Most phones have a bunch of codes that can be entered in the dialer for special functions. What are they on the SGS?
There is a list of "secret codes" here. There are also several apps in the market with these features in the market.
12.My phone cannot enter download mode or recovery mode using the buttons combos. What can I do?
Some batches in various countries seem to not have this feature. However, Samsung Canada has released a fix via Kies (for the I9000M) and it has been adopted to suit a larger audience (I9000 and I9000M). Instructions on how to update your phone to get the three-button-combo can be found here or here. Note: Follow the instructions in that post CAREFULLY and read it completely BEFORE attempting to do anything on your phone. If done improperly, this can still brick your device!!!
13.I live in Canada/Mexico (The Americas in general). Can I get my phone to use the 850Mhz bands with I9000 Modems?
Users in the Americas will find that the I9000 modems use the 900Mhz band which is not used in the Americas. However, since the I9000 is virtually hardware-identical to the I9000M and others which do use the 850Mhz band, the band can enabled on the I9000 modems. There is a guide here.
(B) Firmware:
1.What is a ROM/firmware?
2.Can I update my firmware?
3.Why are there sometimes multiple files in the firmware archive/folder?/Why do I get three different versions when using *#1234#?
4.Can I mix PDA/Modem/CSC files from different firmwares without bricking my phone?
5.My phones software version says I9000XXJF3/XXJF5/xxxxx. What does this mean?
6.I want to install new firmware but I want to have a backup of my original firmware to go back to in case I need to go back for warranty reasons. Can I backup my original firmware somehow?
7.Can I flash an Asian ROM on my European device or vice versa?
8.What is the .pit file? Why are there different versions?
9.I flashed a new firmware using Odin (or Kies) and now my phone is acting weird (force closes etc)? Also, my settings are also still there.
1.What is a ROM/firmware?
The firmware/ROM is the software that runs on the phone. In case of the Galaxy S this is (currently) Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread. The Galaxy S was initially released with Android 2.1 Eclair and will most likely not receive any major firmware upgrades anymore. Samsung is porting several features from newer Android versions but has refused to bring a fully-featured Android 4.0 release on the grounds that the TouchWiz UI together with ICS would be to big for the normal system partition.
2.Can I update my firmware?
Most likely: Yes. You can update your firmware through Samsungs official application (Kies) and with firmwares that have been leaked or otherwise been obtained for installation without using the Samsung Kies software. You can find firmwares made by Samsung for phones all over the world, here. You will also find a guide to the installation in HOWTO#1 in the second post of this thread.
Note: Please also keep in mind that not all firmwares that come with phones are available. Reflashing to stock may not be possible because the specific firmware isn't available!
3.Why are there sometimes multiple files in the firmware archive/folder?/Why do I get three different versions when using *#1234#?
Galaxy S firmware updates come in three parts (which are sometimes packaged as one file):
-The CODE itself (called PDA). This is android and all the applications that come with it. (The archives/folders will be named after the version of this file)
-The MODEM (called Phone). This is the firmware of the wireless chipset of the device and will operate you WiFi, Blutooth and 3G/2G/GSM connections. (ie Radio ROM)
-The CSC (short for Customer Specific Customization). This includes connection data for the broadband networks as well as apps that are only available in certain languages/intended for a specific area.
If we ask for your firmware, we want to know all three!
Since not all of these require updates simultaneously, often then CSC and MODEM files will have lower version numbers.
(Also when packaged in one file the repartition option should NEVER be checked in Odin because it will mess up your partition layout and will require a reflash with three-part firmware!)
Most firmwares that are currently available are no longer split up into the three parts and instead delivered as one which can be flashed by entering it as the PDA/CODE in Odin.
4.Can I mix PDA/Modem/CSC files from different firmwares without bricking my phone?
Yes. Most Modem/CSC files will work with any PDA. However, there may be compatibility issues which may force you to reflash your phone. Note also that newer CSCs usually include newer versions of the software that comes with them (Some of which may not be upgradable via the market or other means).
5.My phones software version says I9000XXJF3/XXJF5/xxxxx. What does this mean?
The first two letters describe the country while the third gives the year, the fourth gives the month and the last number/letter is the version of the firmware (from that specific month. Numbering starts at 1-9 and then uses letters from A-Z). For an extensive list of the country codes, see this thread.
Note: To better distinguish the firmware releases based on a new Android version (2.1 vs 2.2 vs 2.3 etc), Samsung has shifted the use of the third and forth letter and these are now no longer coherent with the year and month according to Samsung's old system.
6.I want to install new firmware but I want to have a backup of my original firmware to go back to in case I need to go back for warranty reasons. Can I backup my original firmware somehow?
You can backup most of your firmware through Clockwork Recovery, however, since this already requires root it is not suitable for a warranty return. Nevertheless virtually all firmwares that are currently being shipped with the phone are available and thus a restoration is almost always possible.
7.Can I flash an Asian ROM on my European device or vice versa?
Flashing firmwares between several areas is easily possible. Please make sure you have the correct model before flashing. The international SGS has the model I9000. The Korean version and the US variants have significantly different model numbers and firmwares for those phones should NEVER be flashed on the I9000 or vice versa.
8.What is the .pit file? Why are there different versions?
There are now three different versions of the .pit file. 513.pit, 512.pit and 803.pit. Most firmwares since the end of 2010 do not require a .pit file to be selected. Generally only the 512 version is used. The .pit file is only necessary if you intend to repartition the phone. If you do, you inadvertently wipe all your data (not the internal SDcard). Since the partitioning of the device has not changed for more than a year, repartitioning is almost never necessary unless you used a custom firmware like cyanogenmod, which changes the partition sizes.
The .pit file maps partitions on the NAND storage.
9.I flashed a new firmware using Odin (or Kies) and now my phone is acting weird (force closes etc)? Also, my settings are also still there.
Some firmwares that can be flashed via Odin and the firmwares that are flashed using Kies, do not touch your settings and they do not empty your cache and appdata partitions. As a results, there is data there from previous firmwares which may lead to unforseen complications. Especially so, if your previous firmware was based on a different android version (i.e. flashing from XWJM6(android 2.1) to XXJPC(android 2.2)). You can attempt to overcome this by wiping the cache. Usually, to resolve this, you have to do a factory reset according to FAQ#A1
(C) Modding:
1.What is root/rooting?
2.What are customROMs? How do I get them?
1.What is root/rooting?
root is the user account in Linux with all privileges. The root user can edit anything on the system. For safety reasons, users do not have all those privileges. When you root your phone, you will gain write access to areas of the phone you couldn't previously access and are allowed to run more commands in the terminal. Because applications do not get a lot of priviledges, some of them require you to root the device in order for them to function properly (or fully). There is a tutorial for rooting in the Post #2 and there is a Chainfire Root that works most firmwares. CF-Root essentially is a kernel that is flashed over the original kernel.
If all of this means nothing to you then you are probably wise to NOT root your phone. Mistakes using root can break your phone very easily. (Usually, but not always, these can be solved with a reflash)
2.What are customROMs? How do I get them?
Custom ROMs are modified versions of the Samsung firmware or complete rewrites of the Android OS for the Galaxy S such as Cyanogenmod (and the derivative MIUI). Almost all current custom ROMs are based on Android 2.3 with some now being based Android 4. They can be found in the Android Development Subforum.
(D) Applications:
1.I tried using Allshare/DLNA but it will not recognize my device/play any files?
2.Can I change the default homescreen of the Touchwiz Launcher?
1.I tried using Allshare/DLNA but it will not recognize my device/play any files?
As of now a lot of DLNA certified devices/software do not work with Allshare. However, Samsung TVs should work and Windows Media Player 12 as well as Samsung's PC Share Manager work in most cases.
2.Can I change the default homescreen of the Touchwiz Launcher?
You cannot change the default Homescreen in the settings. However, if you are rooted, there is a way to change the default homescreen. See T&T#5 for more info.
(E) Recovery:
1.WHAAAA! I think I bricked my phone. My flash was unsuccessful/My device boots to a black screen/similar scenarios. Can I still save my device?
1.WHAAAA! I think I bricked my phone. My flash was unsuccessful/My device boots to a black screen/similar scenarios. Can I still save my device?
Most likely: YES! In almost any case, you should still be able to turn off the device (if necessary by removing the battery) and start into download-mode (VolumeDown+Home+Power) or recovery-mode (VolumeUp+Home+Power). After (for example) an unsuccessful flash, you can retry the flash in download-mode (same steps as when flashing a functioning device). If a flash to a functioning f/w (without applying any update.zip) doesn't help or you cannot get your PC to flash at all, you can ask for help here.
If you see a symbol asking you to connect to the PC, depending on how you arrived at this point, it may be sufficient to connect to the PC and run Odin (i.e. press "start" when the phone is recognized) without adding any files. This may, however, leave some residual issues if (for example) had an incorrect/incomplete flash so you may want to do a normal flash after this!
If you do not have download mode and for some ludicrous reason felt the need to go ahead and modify your firmware regardless of this lacking, there is now a guide on creating a home-made JIG which will force your device into download mode without the actual button combo here. Also pre-fabricated JIG dongles can be purchased on ebay for a couple of EUR/USD.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Changelog:
[12th July] FAQ created.
[12th July] Added Flash HOWTOs in Post#2
[13th July] Added list of CustomROMs in FAQ#10
[16th July] Added notification for US phone users
[18th July] Added rooting to HOWTOs
[18th July] Added ADB tutorial in Post#2
[19th July] Moved ADB tutorial to Post#3
[19th July] Added Tutorial/Fix section in Post#4
[19th July] Added "Protected Apps Market Fix" in Post#4, Tutorial#1
[24th July] Removed SIM-Unlocked as a requirement from flash HOWTO (Post#2, HOWTO#1).
[24th July] Added Tags for categorizing the FAQ
[26th July] Added Tip&Tricks section in Post#5
[20th August] Added a ROM-Selection Guide in Post#6
[30th August] Major Rework of the FAQ section
[8th October] Added "Installing any official firmware using Kies" in Post#4, Tutorial#2
[17th October '10] Added "Extracting Samsung Phone Drivers from Kies Installer" in Post#4, Tutorial#3
[2nd March '11] Began Major Update
[5th November '11] Updated to recent release of Android 2.3 and other changes
[7th January '12] Some updates to reflect recent changes regarding software and Android 4.
[6th April '12] More updates regarding Android 4.0 and some other updates.

Flash/Update Guides
!!!READ THE GUIDES AND NOTES COMPLETELY!!!
General Note:Flashing may refer to both methods. However, Method 2 requires files to already be on the phone. Therefore if you semi-bricked your phone, method 1 is usually the preferred way to fix it.
General Note 2: Flashing firmware and/or factory resets will WIPE your APN settings. Make sure you are using the right APN if that is a possible issue with your provider.
Important General Note: Several batches of phones that were sold have the download-mode button combo disabled (VolumeDown+Home+Power or alternatively Home+Power on some phones). Check if the download-mode combo works BEFORE flashing! Please refer to FAQ#A12 and T&T#23 for a fix for the download mode if it doesn't work on your phone!
HOW TO:
1.Flash Firmware and kernels using Odin.
Note: This will in (almost) all cases erase all your data and applications (includind root!). It will NOT touch the internal or external SD card.
Requirements:
-Odin3 version 1.82 (Note: Odin should be on the system partition (the partition where windows is installed) to avoid possible issues)
-".PIT" file for the Samsung Galaxy S (See FAQ#B9 or the source of the FW for the version to use! Not needed for kernel flashes.) .PIT files are usually not necessary anymore since the partition layout of the SGS hasn't changed since the end of 2010
-USB cable
-Desired firmware package or desired kernel package
Procedure:
1.Open ODIN. (And close Kies, if you have it open. It is important to have ODIN open BEFORE connecting the phone via USB!)
2.Select the PDA/Modem/CSC/.PIT files in Odin. (For kernel flashes, only PDA is required. For FW flashes, at least a PDA is required. Some PDAs have Modem and CSC integrated. If you decide to repartition, make sure you choose the right file, currently almost always the one with the ending 512.PIT)
[Optional]3.Check the "Re-Partition" checkbox. (Only do this if you have separate packages for PDA, Modem and CSC AND you have a .PIT file selected! Don't do this for single PDA flashes or kernel flashes!)
4.Turn the phone into the download mode by pressing and holding VolumeDown+Home+Power.
5.Connect your phone with your computer and wait until the drivers are installed.
6.When the drivers are installed, click Start.
7.The phone will be flashed and once it’s finished, it will boot up. (Do NOT disconnect the usb-cable, remove the battery or otherwise interrupt this process!)
8.You have successfully flashed your phone.
2.Update to CustomROMs/Mods/Root using .zip files
Note: Depending on the firmware you selected, this may or may not wipe your applications and the respective data. In any case, it will not touch your internal and external SDcards!
Requirements:
-ADB (from the Android Software Development Kit) -- Optional
-CustomROM File
-USB-cable
-2e recovery, Clockwork recovery (can be installed using HOWTO#1 and an appropriate kernel) (Note: 3e recovery will not allow the installation of .zip files that aren't signed by Samsung and is as such not usable for this procedure)
There are two methods for applying the update. Procedure A requires some basics in using a terminal (and ADB). Procedure B can be carried out by anybody but usually isn't available if the bootloader does not have download mode. See FAQ#A12 for more information on download mode using the button combo.
Note: The recovery screen can be navigated using the Volume Up and Volume Down Buttons (Up and Down) and the Home Button (To Select)
Procedure A: (Requires ADB)
1.Copy the CustomROM/root file to the "/sdcard/" folder on the phone and (if not already the case) rename to "update.zip"
2.On the phone go to Settings->Applications->Development and check "USB debugging"
3.Extract the Android SDK and navigate to the /tools/ subfolder of the SDK folder using cmd.exe.
4.Run "adb reboot recovery" to enter recovery mode
5.Wait for the recovery screen en select "apply: /sdcard/update.zip"
6.Wait for it to finish and reboot.
Procedure B: (Does NOT require ADB)
1.Copy the CustomROM/root file to the "/sdcard/" folder on the phone and (if not already the case) rename to "update.zip"
2.Restart in Recovery Mode by pressing an holding VolumeUP+Home+Power.
3.Wait for the recovery screen en select "apply: /sdcard/update.zip"
4.Wait for it to finish and reboot.
If you encounter trouble with the ROM afterwards, enter recovery mode again and select "factory reset/wipe data/cache" and confirm before seeking help.

ADB Tutorial
ADB Tutorial
Many tutorials, fixes and mods are written assuming a basic knowledge of ADB. ADB is a command-line tool that is part of the Android Software Development Kit (a.k.a. Android SDK or ADK). This tutorial is aimed at getting you acquainted with the basic functions/workings of the ADB tool.
(Note: I do not currently use/have Linux installed. For now, this tutorial will be Windows-only. However, I suspect Linux users are versed in command-lines already and do not need a tutorial like this to open adb)
Requirements:
-Android Software Development Kit (you do not need to run "SDK Setup.exe" to use ADB!)
-Rooted Samsung Galaxy S
-Busybox (installed from market and updated!)
Basic Setup:
In order to use ADB you will first need to decompress the Android SDK. For simplicity, decompress the folder "android-sdk-windows" into the root of one of your partitions. (I am using the root folder of my D: partition for the purpose of this tutorial)
You now need to start the Windows Command-Line tool "cmd". This differs per Windows version:
XP: Go to the start menu and click "Run", type "cmd.exe" and confirm with "Run"
Windows Vista/7: Go to the start menu, type "cmd.exe" and hit enter.
You will now see a command-prompt open (I erased my username):
As stated before, my "android-sdk-windows" folder is located on my D: partition. You will now need to navigate to the "platform-tools" subfolder of the "android-sdk-windows" folder:
Before we go any further we will now have to complete some steps on our phone:
-Make sure the phone is rooted (find the application "Superuser Permission")/has the latest version of busybox installed (Run "BusyBox installer" and make sure it says, that the latest version is installed). If not, root your phone according to the HOWTO in Post#2 and install busybox from the market (and follow the instructions in the description) respectively.
-Put your phone in USB debugging mode: "Settings"->"Applications"->"Development" and check "USB debugging"
-Close all other applications on your phone and go back to the TouchWiz Launcher Home Screen
-Connect the phone to your PC
Now, we are ready to run ADB:
I hope this helps all those who were clueless so far on all the adb-based tutorials for fixes etc.

Tutorial for Market Fix
Note: This section is strictly a work in progress and new tutorials will be added when they become available and have been confirmed as working!
Content:
1.Market Protected Application Fix
2.Installing any official firmware using Kies
3.Extracting Samsung Phone Drivers from Kies Installer
4.Backing up the /efs folder
Tutorials/Fixes:
1.Market Protected Applications Fix
Background: In order to prevent the illegal copying of copyrighted applications google has integrated what are called protected apps. These applications have some copying protection which means they cannot be backup-ed without root. In order to prevent rooted/modified phones from getting those applications, google market checks the build.prop file in the /system/ folder against a verified list to see if the version of your firmware is an official release. This tutorial will show you the steps to replacing the build.prop of the firmware you installed with that of a firmware that is verifiedand accepted by google.
Note: MoDaCo's r2 and the derivatives thereof have a fix included for this in the ROM (can be found in "MCR Scripts").
NOTE: As of now, "Eris Market Fix" from the android market seems to work on the SGS. It uses a similar procedure and should achieve identical results (for now). The app itself can be uninstalled after the fix is working.
Requirements:
-Rooted Samsung Galaxy S
-ADB (from the Android Software Development Kit)
-build.prop from a recognized official firmware
Procedure:
1.Download and extract "build.prop".
2.Copy the "build.prop" to the root of your internal SD card (to the folder "/sdcard")
3.Make sure the phone is rooted (find the application "Superuser Permission")/has the latest version of busybox installed (Run "BusyBox installer" and make sure it says, that the latest version is installed). If not, root your phone according to the HOWTO in Post#2 and install busybox from the market (and follow the instructions in the description) respectively.
4.Run the following commands in ADB (for a tutorial on ADB, see Post#3):
Code:
adb shell
su
mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system
busybox mv /sdcard/build.prop /system/build.prop
reboot
5.Wait for the phone to reboot. Check if can see protected apps (for example the paid version of tapatalk)
6.If you cannot see protected apps, you may have to wait a while in order for market to recheck the build.prop. This process can be helped bu setting the system time (manually) to 23:59 (i.e. 11:59PM) and wait for it to pass the 0:00 (i.e. 12:00AM) mark. Then return the time to the correct time setting and reboot. (You may still need to wait a few minutes before you can actually see protected applications)
7.If you still can't see protected applications, restart in recovery mode ("Volume Up"+"Home"+"Start") and wipe the cache of your phone. (You may still need to wait a few minutes before you can actually see protected applications)
For the interested, here a explanation of the code:
mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock3 /system
mount is the linux routine to mount a device to a specific path
-o will allow you to issue several commands to the mount routine, separated by commas
remount will unmount and then mount the filesystem again
rw will cause the filesystem to be mounted with read/write permissions
-t is the parameter used to define the filesystem
yaffs2 is "yet another flash file system 2"
/dev/block/mtdblock3 is the hardware-location of the system path
/system is the path to which you want to remount the hardware location
busybox mv /sdcard/build.prop /system/build.prop
busybox causes the following commands to be executed by busybox instead of default android
mv moves files from one location to another
/sdcard/build.prop is the path to the file that is being moved
/system/build.prop is the path where the file gets moved to
2.Installing any official firmware using Kies
Background: In August 2010 Samsung started (if only scarcely) to release official and test updates for the i9000 firmware. Since many users have flashed different firmware and the ways of backing up original product codes were not know at the time, most people who flashed their phones do not have the original settings from their country and/or provider and can thus not get the official updates for their area. Forthermore, some updates were only released in one or a few areas and people outside those areas wanted access. Consequently, Zangieff figured out a way to fake the phone information for Kies in order for it to find and install updates from a specific area. This is a slightly adapted version of his fix.
NOTE: There have been no firmware releases for some areas and providers through Kies. This fix is only able to upgrade to versions that have actually been released on Kies.
Requirements:
-Samsung Galaxy S
-Samsung Kies
-Basic knowledge of regedit
Procedure:
1.Run Kies, connect the phone and make sure it is properly recognized.
1.1.If you have never before opened the firmware upgrade widget with your phone connected before, open it now and then close it again (Do NOT close Kies!)
1.2.Optional: (Only do this if you are looking for experimental updates!)
1.2a. Open the firmware upgrade widget in Kies
1.2b. Press Ctrl+Alt+U+P simultaneously. Kies will confirm the correct sequence with "Test Mode is ON".
1.2c. Close the firmware upgrade widget of Kies
2.Run regedit (Start-->Run...-->Type "regedit"-->Press Ok) (Windows XP)/(Start-->Type "regedit"-->Press Enter) (Windows Vista/7)
3.Use regedit to navigate to "HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Samsung/Kies/DeviceDB/". You will find a number of folders in numerical order (usually) starting from 1. Find the folder with the relevant keys (see below) and make sure it is the one currently in use. [If you find several folders with the keys and don't know which are the right ones, delete all of them, repeat step 1 and 1.1 and find the folder with the lowest value. (You may have to use F5 or View--->Refresh to get to see the new folders)]
4.Find the registry keys "HIDSWVER" and "ProductCode"
5.Replace them with the appropriate keys as needed for your desired upgrade.
6.Open the upgrade widget in Kies and enjoy updating.
To find the appropriate values for HIDSWVER and ProductCode, check this thread for an extensive list of codes.
Note: If you close Kies, you will have to repeat the process.
Note2: You can upgrade to the most recent official firmware version from any firmware version even if you already have the same version or a newer one installed
3.Extracting Samsung Phone Drivers from Kies Installer
Background: Not all users are interested in installing the full software package Kies in order to get to flash their phone via Odin or Heimdall. The Kies installer turns out to be extractable using 7-zip and the phone drivers have a separate installer. This allows for installing only the phone USB drivers and lets you avoid installing Kies and the included bloatware.
Requirements:
-Samsung Kies installer package (found here)
-7-zip (found here)
Procedure:
1.Install 7-zip
2.Right click the Kies installer and Find 7-zip->Extract to "Kies_x.x.x.xxxxx_xx\"
3.Navigate to "Kies_x.x.x.xxxxx_xx-->CabFile-->USB Driver"
4.Right click the "SAMSUNG_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones.exe.cab" file and 7-zip->Extract to "SAMSUNG_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones.exe\"
5.Open the folder SAMSUNG_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones.exe\ and execute SAMSUNG_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones.exe and follow the installer instructions.
6.Enjoy connecting your phone without the full Kies install.
4.Backing up the /efs folder
Background: Some experimental firmwares modify the /efs folder. This can cause IMEI corruption and/or change the product code your phone reports.
Requirements:
-Rooted Phone
Either (A):
-ADB (from the Android Software Development Kit)
Or (B):
-Root Explorer (from market)
Procedure:
1.Make sure your phone is rooted (and busybox is installed for ADB procedure)
A:
1A.Enable USB debugging mode (Settings-->Application-->Development-->USB debugging)
2A.Connect the phone to USB
3A.Open a command prompt and enter adb (see tutorial)
4A.Acquire root privileges (type "su"). (Make sure you accept the root-prompt on the phone)
5A.Execute "busybox cp -a /efs /sdcard/"
6A.Disconnect the phone, deactivate USB debugging, reconnect the phone and backup the copy of the efs folder to your PC
B:
1B.Use root explorer and navigate to the root of the filesystem /
2B.Press "Mount R/W"
3B.Copy the efs folder to your sdcard
4B.Connect the phone to the PC and backup the copy of the efs folder to your PC.
2. Restore the backup if your IMEI gets corrupted or your product code is changed by a firmware.

Tips&Tricks
Handy Tip&Tricks
by Forum Members
This is for all Samsung Galaxy S users (GT-i9000 only. Some might work on US versions). It is a collection of handy tutorials that were posted in the development section but that do not need to be on the first page constantly.
Note: These links are provided as-is and most are untested by me! All credit for the procedure goes to the respecitve poster/involved parties.
1. Changing Fonts (for free) by socket84
2. Replacing Samsung Media Player with Android default by aditya_t90
3. Generating TUN.KO for OpenVPN on SGS by newmail
4. Replacing TouchWiz calendar with Android default by tommy34
5. Setting default homescreen in TouchWiz launcher by socket84 or the derived SGS Screen Changer by pedrodh
6. Installing Samsung Phone drivers WITHOUT Kies
7. OneClick Lagfix by RyanZA
8. CFLagFix by Chainfire
9. LagFix using update.zip by Tayutama
10. SuperOneClick Root by CLShortFuse
11. Headphone SoundQuality Fix or MixGet from Market by gilsken
12. AMOLED Screen for Notifications App by madmack
13. Using LED-Button Backlights for notifications by neldar
14. Comparing Firmwares on Packages by GAda
15. Stopping automatic media scan & scan on demand by aditya_t90
16. Overclocking/UnderVoltaging the CPU by raspdeep
17. Creating FlipFont APKs by ritalin
18. Circle Battery Indicator Mod by Fightspit (ported to SGS by designgears)
19. Official Firmware Update without running Kies by miki4242
20. Unlocking/Unfreezing Samsung Galaxy S for Free (collaboration, see thread for credits)
21. Choosing between GlassLock and Android's stock lock screen by Ateisti or Android Stock Lockscreen for JM8,JPH,JPK,JM9,JPM,JPA,JP6 by Project1.exe
22. Flashing under Linux and MacOS X using Heimdall by Benjamin Dobell
23. Restoring the three button recovery/download combo by Richthofen
24. ADB filesystem plugin for Total Commander by sztupy
25. Enabling Landscape Mode in TouchWiz Launcher by scheichuwe

Firmware and LagFix Selection Guide
Last Updated: April 3, 2010. Up-to-date as of April 3, 2011 15:53 CEST
As you may have noticed, there are a lot of firmwares on samfirmware.com and it's not very clear which ones are best/least buggy etc.
In this section, I will give a general guide to which firmware to use depending on your preferences:
If you like the stock Samsung Galaxy S experience and are looking for the most stable/bugfree version:
-Flash I9000ZSJPK or I9000XWJS8 according to HOWTO#1.
-Install the one of the kernels below or one of the lagfixes from FAQ#A6.
If you would like have the latest firmware and are willing to tolerate some bugs (this is beta firmware):
-Flash I9000XWJVK according to HOWTO#1.
For a list of current custom ROMs, see this thread
Lagfixes and Kernels:
In FAQ#A6 the currently used methods for lagfixes are described. There are a number of enhanced kernels (most of which use at least one of the lagfixes) that add features such as more accessible RAM, enhanced compiling, Clockwork Recovery, Blacklight Notification and several various features depending on the Kernel. Here is a list of the popular, well tested, optimized kernels (Note: Some of them include an overclock):
-hardcore's speedmod Froyo
-laststufo's Super Optimized Kernel
-supercurio's Voodoo Lagfix
-DamianGto's Ultimate Kernel
-tegrak's lagfix build Kernel
There is a frequently updated list here
General Note:
If you want to take the modding further, look at FAQ#D2 in Post#1 for a list of Custom ROMs and chose one you like. Depending on whether or not there is a lagfix integrated, you should then apply one of the lagfixes from the first suggestion. I would also suggest avoiding loop-mount fixes like OCLF and CFLF (see FAQ#A6) because performance rapidly declines over time.
Note: None of the available ROMs completely fix the poor GPS. Most of the ROMs noted above are provide roughly the same GPS performance. Samsung is hoping to release a full GPS fix in september (hopefully with the froyo release) It is not clear if or when Samsung will release a full fix for the GPS issues. However, it is doubtful since there are now many indications that the issue is in fact hardware related and even the final Froyo release doesn't completely fix the GPS.

For us coming from HTC devices if we hose the recovery partition is there a way to recover the phone. It was HBOOT (FastBoot) in the HTCs. Does ODIN provide the ultimate "debricking" feature. I realize there are ways to brick that are unrecoverable, but if I hose the recovery and I am done I will be very hands off on modding.

thanks for this. a good starting point to gather all the info!
should sticky this

I think we are still out of a mod for this forum...

might wanna add this for calibration of the orientation sensor:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=6999499&postcount=8

tommy34 said:
might wanna add this for calibration of the orientation sensor:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=6999499&postcount=8
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Added! Thanks =)

can this be a sticky, its very informative?

Great! I've acctually been waiting for a thread like this!
In Sweden one operator(Tele2) seems to have issues with the device not switching to 3G even when available. Does anybody else have these issues with their operators?

FrezoreR said:
Great! I've acctually been waiting for a thread like this!
In Sweden one operator(Tele2) seems to have issues with the device not switching to 3G even when available. Does anybody else have these issues with their operators?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you check your APN settings? Did you contact the provider concerning the issue?

Darkstriker said:
It appears it doesn't take long for this reserved post to become useful. I'll post short guides on flashing firmware here. (...)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the Flash Firmware using Odin guide didn't you forget to add "SIM unlocked phone" as a requirement?

Akerfeldt said:
In the Flash Firmware using Odin guide didn't you forget to add "SIM unlocked phone" as a requirement?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know it says so in the guide but I recall having read that SIM-locked phones can be flashed as well. Don't quote me on that!
Added it as a requirement for now.
Edit: I did read it here. However, it seems that those phones aren't actually SIM-locked, so for now, SIM-Unlocked is definitely a requirement.
Thanks for pointing it out! =)

Darkstriker said:
Did you check your APN settings? Did you contact the provider concerning the issue?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The APN settings should be fine, the phone works on both 2G, 3G and HSPDA, but when it at some point have switched to 2G it will stay in 2G and you would have to manually set it to 3G.
Yeah we are a group on a Swedish android forum where someone have contacted both samsung and tele2 about the problem. But if not anyone here has the same problem it surely must be tied to the operator, which is what I have thought all along.

efbenson said:
For us coming from HTC devices if we hose the recovery partition is there a way to recover the phone. It was HBOOT (FastBoot) in the HTCs. Does ODIN provide the ultimate "debricking" feature. I realize there are ways to brick that are unrecoverable, but if I hose the recovery and I am done I will be very hands off on modding.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry efbenson, I seem to completely have missed your post.
I'm not sure how this works on HTC android devices since I have only had a Windows-mobile version. What seems to be the equivalent of the features you are "describing" is the download-mode (VolDown+Home+Power) which can be reached even after interrupted firmware-flashed (experienced it myself. Still scary as hell!)
However, I don't think I'm fully qualified to answer your question. Maybe you could reformulate it, since it's not very clear right now.

This definitely deserves a sticky, thanks for this DS

FrezoreR said:
The APN settings should be fine, the phone works on both 2G, 3G and HSPDA, but when it at some point have switched to 2G it will stay in 2G and you would have to manually set it to 3G.
Yeah we are a group on a Swedish android forum where someone have contacted both samsung and tele2 about the problem. But if not anyone here has the same problem it surely must be tied to the operator, which is what I have thought all along.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't had such problems and I dont remember reading anything of the kind so far so this likely is an issue with your provider. Maybe you can check if this occurs everywhere or only in specific areas (like cities) or something like that.

SGS problem...

Hello anybody,
Sorry if my question is the same as the previous post...
I have my SGS from August and already updated to official Froyo which I have a few problems as below:-
1 - The contact listing of alphabet list missing character such as H, N and etc.
2 - I tried to copy back my backup contacts from my PC using Kies, but when it connected to kies, the contacts in my phone did not display. When I tried to transfer contacts from my pc to the SGS, it seems that it cannot communicate with the device. But, I can see and access all folder for my SGS from my PC.
3 - My SGS become a bit lagging when I updated to Froyo. In Eclair, my phone is much faster than in my Froyo now.
This is my 2 problem that I need help with. Any comment or suggestion?
My SGS is sim free from Three (3) and is in official Froyo. Never root my SGS...

mkzak78 said:
Hello anybody,
Sorry if my question is the same as the previous post...
I have my SGS from August and already updated to official Froyo which I have a few problems as below:-
1 - The contact listing of alphabet list missing character such as H, N and etc.
2 - I tried to copy back my backup contacts from my PC using Kies, but when it connected to kies, the contacts in my phone did not display. When I tried to transfer contacts from my pc to the SGS, it seems that it cannot communicate with the device. But, I can see and access all folder for my SGS from my PC.
3 - My SGS become a bit lagging when I updated to Froyo. In Eclair, my phone is much faster than in my Froyo now.
This is my 2 problem that I need help with. Any comment or suggestion?
My SGS is sim free from Three (3) and is in official Froyo. Never root my SGS...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok here we go
1. Missing letters is a bug in froyo
2. I had same problem. Think its a problem with kies. Best is to save all your contacts in Google then sync your contacts. That way if you ever lose your phone your contacts are always on google ready to sync again.
3. Try a few reboots to let froyo settle in. If that doesn't help go for the one click lag fix in the market.
Hope this helps clear a few things up.

Thanks for the comment and opinion...
Really appreciated...
Any other comment or opinion regarding the problems...

hi there
1st - i have just solved this annoying problem of contacts alphabets, the answer is here in the forum, i have attached the file and you have enter the recovery mode and apply this, i suppose that you know how to do it. after that the contacts problem will be solved.
2nd - to connect to samsung kies successfully you have to unroot the device, disable any lagfixes and make TouchWiz launcher is your default launcher, after that samsung kies will detect your phone.
3d - to feel that your phone is fast you have 2 options, either download and install OCLF from market or do the voodoo lagfix, or install a custom ROM which is better in my opinion and faster than the official.
that's it buddy i have answered all your questions if you need something just pm me

Hello ghallab and others,
This SGS phone never been rooted... It is still pure as I got it...
Any one lag fix application that you or other recommend in the market?
For the contacts fix, I am not really sure how to do it. Could you explain details for fixing this?
Thank you to all that have give the opinion and comment.
Others opinion still welcome...

rename the file update.zip and copy it to your phone's memory and shutdown your galaxy
press UP+HOME+POWER to boot in recovery mode
navigate up and down using the volume keys to apply update.zip and select it using the power button , it should be successfully completed, restart your phone and your problem should be solved

if you are using any home replacement app like Launcher pro or Adw launcher you have to clear the defaults and make the twlauncher is your default, to make Samsung kies recognize your phone

Hello again,
My phone is totally original and I not used any of the pro launcher or any other based application. I am originally using twlauncher (Samsung one).
My phone is recognized by Kies, I can check the firmware update. But, not yet try to used the my computer or to transfer any data from PC to phone.
How can I restore to phone memory? Is it inside the internal sd memory?
Thank you again for all the help.

[Q] Looking for a ROM

Dear all,
I've bought my A500 in France in June 2011, and update to ICS 4.0.3 (Acer_AV041_A500_1.031.00_WW.GEN1) a few months ago without any backup (yes, I'm stupid - very stupid).
Anyway, I'd like to downgrade to previous ROM but I don't know which it was. Can anybody help ?
- it was a Honneycomb stock ROM (no root neither update)
- the USB Mass storage was working
- no PC sync asked when pluging to a PC
- there was a switch to (de)activate wifi from the taskbar quick menu, ie no need to go to the parameters (HC 3.2 and ICS 4.03 haven't)
I tried HC 3.0.1 and 3.2 but they aren't.
TIA.

Not that it helps identify the exact ROM, but there is a list of stock ROMs located at...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1816560
The list should help narrow it down.
Manaouf06 said:
Dear all,
I've bought my A500 in France in June 2011, and update to ICS 4.0.3 (Acer_AV041_A500_1.031.00_WW.GEN1) a few months ago without any backup (yes, I'm stupid - very stupid).
Anyway, I'd like to downgrade to previous ROM but I don't know which it was. Can anybody help ?
- it was a Honneycomb stock ROM (no root neither update)
- the USB Mass storage was working
- no PC sync asked when pluging to a PC
- there was a switch to (de)activate wifi from the taskbar quick menu, ie no need to go to the parameters (HC 3.2 and ICS 4.03 haven't)
I tried HC 3.0.1 and 3.2 but they aren't.
TIA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Wedee said:
Not that it helps identify the exact ROM, but there is a list of stock ROMs located at...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1816560
The list should help narrow it down.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you think it can be for example a specific 3.0.1 rom ? The one I've tested is included in blackthund3r's A500_1.016.05 EUU APX bundle.

Manaouf06 said:
Do you think it can be for example a specific 3.0.1 rom ? The one I've tested is included in blackthund3r's A500_1.016.05 EUU APX bundle.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- it was a Honneycomb stock ROM (no root neither update)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would try one of the full stock ROMS listed in http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1816560 say the PB_G100W_4.010.01_COM_GEN1: http://d-h.st/2Oc
As its the Latest HC ROM, and is the stock version. I do not know what languages are in the GEN1 ROMS.
- the USB Mass storage was working
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never had an issue with mass storage on any HC rom...
- no PC sync asked when pluging to a PC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Define what you mean by PC Sync... you mean the windows popup, or some Acer Sync program?
- there was a switch to (de)activate wifi from the taskbar quick menu, ie no need to go to the parameters (HC 3.2 and ICS 4.03 haven't)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Been off HC for a while, but thought it had the functionality to quick link to settings, I know ICS 4.0.3 does.
---------- Post added at 10:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:56 AM ----------
I do not know what languages are in the GEN1 ROMS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry just found this thread... look at post 3 in the following thread.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1189208

Tank you Wedee for your replies :good:
Not familiar with forums, quotes are pretty unknown
Anyway :
- List of HC stock ROMs : tried EUU 3.0.1 (which kindly updates my 32 Gb memory to 128 Mb), and Acer_A500_7.006.03_COM_GEN1 (3.2 full package), but not OK
- when I plug my A500 to a PC, the MTP is identified instead of UMS :crying: You're saying that it should be UMS with any HC ?
- Acer Sync : yes, a popup on the A500. But I don't remember correctly, maybe I used to have this popup ...
- sure there was a switch for wifi. With ICS you have the same kind of switch ("quick controls") for aircraft mode but no more for wifi : you have to click on wifi and then moved to the parameters page.
- List of France / UK / Italy stock roms => so mine should be in the list.
In fact, the main goal of retreiving my old rom is to get the UMS back :crying:

Manaouf06 said:
Tank you Wedee for your replies :good:
Not familiar with forums, quotes are pretty unknown
Anyway :
- List of HC stock ROMs : tried EUU 3.0.1 (which kindly updates my 32 Gb memory to 128 Mb), and Acer_A500_7.006.03_COM_GEN1 (3.2 full package), but not OK
- when I plug my A500 to a PC, the MTP is identified instead of UMS :crying: You're saying that it should be UMS with any HC ?
- Acer Sync : yes, a popup on the A500. But I don't remember correctly, maybe I used to have this popup ...
- sure there was a switch for wifi. With ICS you have the same kind of switch ("quick controls") for aircraft mode but no more for wifi : you have to click on wifi and then moved to the parameters page.
- List of France / UK / Italy stock roms => so mine should be in the list.
In fact, the main goal of retreiving my old rom is to get the UMS back :crying:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry I understand what you meant by Mass Storage now... My tablet from stock HC has always been MTP. Haven't had much of an issue with it, can I ask why you want UMS so badly?
I do not use acer sync, but was making sure that you were not referring to the windows generic popup asking what you want to do..
Yes it takes you to parameter page... the quick toggles I have seen on someone's phone, but I do not think I have seen on any of the Acer A50X stock ROMS. There may be a tweek / mod or app that may add them for you.
Yes I gathered that GEN1 would be fine in your case. But I didn't know what the "GEN" meant till I went looking...
As far as MTP vs UMS... I did read a thread a while back about + / - of each and what Google was leaning towards if you are interested and have not seen it... http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1364738&page=2
Sorry I could be of more help

Wedee said:
Sorry I understand what you meant by Mass Storage now... My tablet from stock HC has always been MTP. Haven't had much of an issue with it, can I ask why you want UMS so badly?
I do not use acer sync, but was making sure that you were not referring to the windows generic popup asking what you want to do..
Yes it takes you to parameter page... the quick toggles I have seen on someone's phone, but I do not think I have seen on any of the Acer A50X stock ROMS. There may be a tweek / mod or app that may add them for you.
Yes I gathered that GEN1 would be fine in your case. But I didn't know what the "GEN" meant till I went looking...
As far as MTP vs UMS... I did read a thread a while back about + / - of each and what Google was leaning towards if you are interested and have not seen it... http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1364738&page=2
Sorry I could be of more help
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tank you again for the help, I appreciate :highfive:
I prefer UMS rather than MTP because UMS is standard on XP; you have to install WMP 11 for MTP drivers (I don't like WMP). With UMS you can use any software for transfer but with MTP you can't. I think MTP is much slower than UMS
Sure with UMS the target disk is locked until unplugged, but I don't care.

[Q] Galaxy Tab 10.1, CM10 4.1.2 Jelly Bean Rom, A1 Kernel

I think the CM10 Jellybean rom 4.1.2. is stable enough for daily use. Packed with A1 Kernel 1.7.4b build pushes the tab's performance more, due to the GPU overclocking . The issue i found so far is that the MTP does not work, even when the MTP setting is clicked, updating the drivers, uninstalling the device from device manager, and installing again. When re-flahsed using the default CM10 4.1.2 Beta4, MTP is working fine again.
Anyone has any fix for this ?

voltairejohn said:
I think the CM10 Jellybean rom 4.1.2. is stable enough for daily use. Packed with A1 Kernel 1.7.4b build pushes the tab's performance more, due to the GPU overclocking . The issue i found so far is that the MTP does not work, even when the MTP setting is clicked, updating the drivers, uninstalling the device from device manager, and installing again. When re-flahsed using the default CM10 4.1.2 Beta4, MTP is working fine again.
Anyone has any fix for this ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hi dude
I've had your problem but I do it.
do this:
1 put your tab on MTP mode in storage in setting
2 attach ure tab on computer
3 go Control Panel\Hardware and Sound\Devices and Printers you can find your device.
be lucky dude
if have Q ask Im at your service
sorry because of my bad english

omid.bibak said:
hi dude
I've had your problem but I do it.
do this:
1 put your tab on MTP mode in storage in setting
2 attach ure tab on computer
3 go Control Panel\Hardware and Sound\Devices and Printers you can find your device.
be lucky dude
if have Q ask Im at your service
sorry because of my bad english
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi There, thank you for your time in replying. Appreciate that. I did check the control panel , printers sounds setting, but all i can see is the Samsung Android Device (modem) nothing else. There are no undefined hardware in my control panel.
I do transfer right now file to and from my 10.1 through Wifi Explorer Pro. A bit slow, but it works.
Probably, i will flash a CM10 kernel, or revert back to the CM10 Beta 4 and wait for A1 Kernel probably to notice this issue.

voltairejohn said:
Hi There, thank you for your time in replying. Appreciate that. I did check the control panel , printers sounds setting, but all i can see is the Samsung Android Device (modem) nothing else. There are no undefined hardware in my control panel.
I do transfer right now file to and from my 10.1 through Wifi Explorer Pro. A bit slow, but it works.
Probably, i will flash a CM10 kernel, or revert back to the CM10 Beta 4 and wait for A1 Kernel probably to notice this issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
By the way, anyone who can post to XDA on A1 kernel p7500 regarding this issue? My account is so weak it's only limited to Q/A Forum and general facts.

Issue with Play Store - Jelly Bean ROM
Hi
First off, I flashed my GTP7500 Galaxy Tab 10.1 with the new JB ROM after having had issues with getting applications to update/download from Play Store. I tried everything before flashing, from deleting and re-adding my back-up account, to flushing the app cache and downgrading the Play Store app to an earlier version. Nothing worked. Then when I flashed the new JB ROM, I accidently used the WiFi-only version. Everything worked fine, I just didn't have 3G. So I went back to the drawing board and flashed the correct version, using TWRP's version. Now, I am back to square one with Play Store not downloading/updating any apps. The progress bar just scrolls, and then eventually times out. My only question is, why would it work without any hassles in the Wifi-ONLY version, but not in both the official release of ICS and un-official JB? Could someone please help me with this, as I have absolutely no more answers left
Thanx

Gallery issue
I have an issue, the gallery cant detect pics that were moved using root explorer.
So this is what happened:
1. downloaded some images via browser (all downloaded images are in download folder in root)
2. grouped all of them in a folder via root explorer (all downloaded images are in download/foldername
3. opened the gallery, it cannot find that folder, and shows a album called "download" with the pictures except they are all blank(black icons).
Can anyone verify this and if anyone has a fix for this pls tell me thx.
I wanted to use multilive wallpaper so i need downloaded pics grouped for separate homescreens... not using gallery will cause slow downs...

polaris office does not work
y doesnt polaris office work on this rom?