Information for easy access - Thinkpad Tablet General

My apologies if this is a stupid suggestion.
It seems reading a lot of threads, especially about(at least my own tablet,yoga 2)that quite a few members have one way or another "broken" a normally working tablet, either by updates not taking correct or flashing the wrong files to their tablet.
Would it be an idea to place all the relevant files in one place, such as in what files will go to which model and how to identify which file to use eg-bios versions and how to tell which one a member is on (kitkat or lollipop),and what ROM to use.
I know ionioni answers a lot of questions and I have noticed quite a few repeats, would it take the strain off of him and other members if the answers were already there in one place.
Only a thought(I'll now go back to sleep)

corasman said:
My apologies if this is a stupid suggestion.
It seems reading a lot of threads, especially about(at least my own tablet,yoga 2)that quite a few members have one way or another "broken" a normally working tablet, either by updates not taking correct or flashing the wrong files to their tablet.
Would it be an idea to place all the relevant files in one place, such as in what files will go to which model and how to identify which file to use eg-bios versions and how to tell which one a member is on (kitkat or lollipop),and what ROM to use.
I know ionioni answers a lot of questions and I have noticed quite a few repeats, would it take the strain off of him and other members if the answers were already there in one place.
Only a thought(I'll now go back to sleep)
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Click to collapse
such a place exists already (not to say about new threads opened right after a thread named 'this is how you solve your problem')
if i recall you are the guy that asked for help, then ignored the advice, sent the tab to lenovo, got it back unfixed weeks later, then asked again for help, received the same advice etc...
maybe you should start a new thread and make it the way you think is better... (a good title would be 'Lenovo - for those who don't read')
consider also that most of the 'i need help' owners are neither in the tech stuff (installing some driver is maybe the most that one can ask from) nor familiar with xda

Point taken ionioni.
When I first came here I admit I knew absolutely nothing,but I have done a lot of reading (I really mean a lot) and I am more confident about what to do and what not to do.
I thought maybe to help people like myself that start out knowing nothing, a single place of reference might help instead of asking repeated questions (like I myself did).
I did not post to offend anyone, just trying to help.

so make one, i was serious. theres also a how to root made by some androguy that is filled with good stuff

Related

HELP NEEDED FOR NOOB THREAD! Please read all of this, then decide if you will help!

**DO NOT POST ANYTHING IN THIS THREAD AT ALL, PLEASE READ THREAD, THEN INSTRUCTIONS** PLEASE READ AT LEAST ONCE, THEN DECIDE IF YOU WILL HELP OR NOT.
Do to the success of the "General PPC Question" thread at the top of this page, and the amount of members, from noob to seniors, that are willing to support any cause that will stop unnessicary posts, I have created this.
This is a work in progress, but here is the concept. This thread will list every imaginable question you can think of , that may be asked by a nooby, or any member, and give the best possible answer. There is no other thread like this, and it will need help from all of you genius members.
In here will be the answers to question such as,
*What is a ROM
*What is G.U.I. or Graphical User Interface?
*What is MortScript?
This may seem unnessicary, but it's not. This is the most popular section in this forum, and will not stop being the bombing ground for every question and thread that hits this site. So why not cut the problem off before it even lands as a new thread. So heres what I need from you.
If there is a TOPIC you would like posted, or if you have the exact answe to a question posted here , please PM me. Put the question you would like to see listed, and the exact answer, and label it , "Question".
Afte a couple of days, this thread should be jam packed with questions and answers.
At least give it a try.
INSTRUCTIONS:
*MAKE NO POST WHAT SO EVER ON THIS THREAD, ALL QUESTIONS WILL HAVE THERE OWN SPECIFIC THREAD AND THREAD NUMBER, AND WILL BE LISTED IN AN OVERALL GLOSSARY FOR EASY FINDING.
*PM ME THE QUESTION (ex: What is a ROM? , What is MortScript?) FOLLOWED BY THE EXACT ANSWER. NO GUESS OR YOUR EXPLANATION. TRY TO WORD IT WHERE IT CAN BE UNDESTOOD FROM A NOOBY POINT OF VIEW, AND MAKE SURE IT IS RIGHT. THE SIMPLEST QUESTION YOU CAN THINK OF MAY BE THE HARDEST FOR NEW USER, SO USE YOUR IMAGINATION.
*LABEL THE PM, QUESTION FOR NEW THREAD
*I WILL DO THE REST, AND THIS WILL BE UP AND RUNNING WITHING 48 HOURS AND JAM PACKED WITH HELP FOR EVERYONE.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, Give this a try. No one thought the General PPC Question Thread would help or make a difference either, but look at how it is growing. So at least give it a try. The worst that could happen is you help some noob with an answer, and stop a thread from starting to find out what a rom is!
GLOSSARY
**all Subjects Are Listed By Post Number**
*1)general Ppc Terms & Definitions
*2)
*3)
RESERVED
TweakMan said:
**********************RESERVED*********************************
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RESERVED**********************8
General Ppc Terms & Definitons
*ROM::: ROM (Read Only Memory) stores critical information which is neccisary to boot the system. It aslo contains predefined programs which cannot be removed. The ROM retains its contents even when the system is turned off , or goes thru a reset.
*RAM::: RAM (Random Access Memory) is the available memory used to run an application or program.
*HARD RESET::: Used to return a PPC/PDA to factory settings. This operation deletes any and all information/applications installed by the user.
*SOFT RESET::: Used to stop all running applications. This feature is most often used to stop programs which are not running properly or when a device is locked up. This feature can also be used to put into effect any changes made to the device.
RESERVED
***********************************************************
sorry to break your post..but all of which you are posting is already In the FAQ here plus alot more
http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=FAQ
ather90 said:
sorry to break your post..but all of which you are posting is already In the FAQ here plus alot more
http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=FAQ
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I agree. I mean, congratulations on your stickied post - it's already helped me and a lot of others but isn't this a little extreme? It seems that you want to condense the entire forum into one thread. People would be searching within your thread rather than within the forum...
This thread is a decent idea and commendably well intentioned, but I tend to agree that the Wiki is the place for this.
However, this begs the question as to whether the Wiki is included in the standard search facility. If it's not, it may explain why some users claim to have searched but failed to find the answer. Equally, if it's not, perhaps it should be, if technically feasible.
The issue seems to be around the simplistic and repetitive nature of some queries. I see three main underling causes:
- People come here looking for help because they have exhausted other avenues, however basic those avenues may be. There is an inevitability to some people approaching this in a clumsy fashion and there isn't much we can do about it other then close the site or accept it. A little gentle education can help too - we all started somewhere and we have all probably made the same mistakes at times!
- Failure to search; this is inexcusable but inevitable and there isn't much we can do about it. No matter how accessible the information is made, if you are lazy, scared, in a hurry...or possibly just stupid, they will not find it
- Efficiency of the search tool. Can't comment overly, but it does sometimes seem like feast or famine in that one either gets too many hits to be useful or too few. Is there anything that can be done to make the search tool more intelligent, search more widely, or more specific about what it has found and where, e.g. 'this' from the Wiki, 'this' from the Forums, etc?
iain.fraser said:
This thread is a decent idea and commendably well intentioned, but I tend to agree that the Wiki is the place for this.
However, this begs the question as to whether the Wiki is included in the standard search facility. If it's not, it may explain why some users claim to have searched but failed to find the answer. Equally, if it's not, perhaps it should be, if technically feasible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The wiki is included if you use google
searching... said:
E.G.1. Prophet Recovery site:xda-developers.com
or
E.G.2. Prophet Recovery site:wiki.xda-developers.com
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iain.fraser said:
The issue seems to be around the simplistic and repetitive nature of some queries. I see three main underling causes:
- People come here looking for help because they have exhausted other avenues, however basic those avenues may be. There is an inevitability to some people approaching this in a clumsy fashion and there isn't much we can do about it other then close the site or accept it. A little gentle education can help too - we all started somewhere and we have all probably made the same mistakes at times!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The first few times it is acceptable, but when the question has already been asked and answered, it gets boring for everyone, and just clogs up the forum with avoidable clutter.
- Failure to search; this is inexcusable but inevitable and there isn't much we can do about it. No matter how accessible the information is made, if you are lazy, scared, in a hurry...or possibly just stupid, they will not find it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Somewhere with info (such as the wiki) will at least reduce peoples time wasting...
I think this thread is a little too far, but there are alternative systems (the wiki for example) that will be easier to use...
you know there's also an encyclopedia at the bottom of the forum? Its a bit dated but has the fundamentals
fzzyrn said:
you know there's also an encyclopedia at the bottom of the forum? Its a bit dated but has the fundamentals
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No one notices that, and there is not much new information...
These threads are a great idea, but I think it would be a better idea to make a forum specifically for questions, and nothing BUT questions.

A noobs fustration in using this forum...

Okay I have been on this forum for a few months now and I still consider my self a noob it seems as though that magical search feature that everyone demands us noobs use is not too noob friendly and to prove this I documented my frustration when trying to get this nandroid thingy to work.
Supposed noob thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=3816278&postcount=3
EDIT: I am 99.9% sure this will work with a PVT board. I am not sure about DVT BUT if you are willing to risk bricking your G1 to find out, that would be great Reboot in fastboot and make sure it says "DREA100 PVT"
First of all what the hell is a PVT board? And what the hell is fastboot??? UHh wait I have to do another search on this stupid PVT board and this stupid fastboot. Searching…..
Searched for fastboot here is what came up:
http://www.google.com/cse?cx=000825...boot+&sa=Search&cof=FORID:0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
After clicking several search results there is not one single post that defines exactly what fastboot is or specifically what it does.
Searching for PVT Board……
And the results were: http://www.google.com/custom?hl=en&...G=Search&cx=000825531964825142534:cqr2sjirilw
Not one single related post that clearly states what a PVT Board really is. Okay that’s out the window, maybe I can figure it out by reading how people are talking about it. Fun stuff. Unable to decypther what the hell people are talking about, NEXT search!
Okay now I want to find out what the hell a nandroid backup is.
Searching Nandroid…
Wow First success!! First result takes me to this post: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=459830
Oh no not again more words to search!!
Okay I see two strange words I do not know Busybox (wtf?) and adbd.
Searching Busybox….
http://www.google.com/cse?cx=000825...sybox&sa=Search&cof=FORID:0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
Results are not clear, just links me to some posts that have some RC30 release (is the RC30 busybox? That is still not clear. Other results refer to it as some kind of back up tool, I thought the nandroid was a backup tool? SO that goes out the door Next search adbd….
Searching adbd..... Nothing that directly defines what exactly adbd is, all I got was people talking about it but never directly referencing exactly what it is ( ex: “need some questions answered about adbd and debuggerd Dream android development.” Or “restarting adbd as root”) Maybe it stands for a dumb big day? God knows.
Okay back to the original Nandroid post because its really important that a noob does a back up just incase right?………
I decided to go ahead and proceed without knowing what those two words were (of course I’ll get yelled at by everyone for not searching if I make a post asking what they meant so no point in posting).
Oh this is probably my favorite part of the post!!!
LOL the easy part!!!-* How to use this (the easy part)
And below it is this sentence:
“Just boot your phone in recovery mode with the correct recovery.img (one that has adb shell as root + busybox installed with symlinks to tar, md5sum etc) and connect it to your pc/laptop/server. Then run the nandroid.sh script. If something is wrong or missing, it will tell you. “
So lets break down this sentince (as a noob) line by line.
1st line: Just boot your phone in recovery mode with the correct recovery.img
Recovery mode? I think that is the pressing of the HOME+END key or is it the END+CAM keys? Which do you mean????? My guess is the HOME+END.
2nd line: (one that has adb shell as root + busybox installed with symlinks to tar, md5sum etc) WOA dude what planet you on?!! This entire line makes no freakin sense to me. And I do not think searching will help us there. “one that has adb shell as root” WTF is the one that has adb shell???? And wtf is adb??? And symlinks to tar? Is that encrypted language for his secret lover to find him? Geez how is anyone supposed to learn by searching stuff like this?? Okay at this point im just about to give up on this whole damn back up and just live without it, next line….
3rd line: Then run the nandroid.sh script. If something is wrong or missing, it will tell you.
Umm HOW? How do I run the nandroid.sh script and on WHAT operating system? Mac, Windows, Linux??? The only thing wrong or missing is proper Instructions and good English course!!!
If you are going to post a tutorial please don’t assume that everyone knows what your talking about and skip over steps that you think are elementary when in-fact you will discover that sometimes not everyone knows what you are talking about.
BTW I found this tutorial here (where supposedly 95% of my questions are answered….. umm sure): http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=519523
Isnt this article supposedly posted to be in the pre-reading material before a noob posts questions?
This is not the only article that I found not to be noob friendly, in-fact I found very little articles that were noob friendly, here is yet another thread that I found to be rediculy confusing: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=512453
When I first went to this thread (before knowing what WIPE meant) I was like WTF is this guy crazy. Then he goes on to talk about some crazy loop (which he does not state how or where you get this mysterious loop) then he goes and pasts some code that god knows where the hell your supposed to paste it, on the phone in the command prompt or is it only in the mac????
There are soo many more threads like the ones above. It is no wonder why noobs post the same questions over and over again, its because people assume that everyone else knows what their talking about and skip what they think are useless 2 or 3 steps, well I got news for you buddy, those silly 2 or 3 steps are probably the most important steps to beginner. I am still fairly new to this forum and still am having trouble figuring out what people are talking about. I just wish that there were some kind of rules or guidelines when writing instructions or how-to guides. The ONLY guide on this entire forum that I found to be clearly written and total noob proof is this thread here:http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=502010 Everyone should take a few pointers from this person that wrote that thread, although he never stated the purpose of it at the start but that’s minor.
Sorry if I offended anyone but this is the ugly truth for us noobs, it really is hard when your first starting out and some one bashes you for asking a question that’s been asked before or the noob didn’t search. Well the search feature is not exactly that great and you almost always do not find the answer to that one noob question. And yes I am very grateful for all these great hacks and I am just posting this just out of frustration from having to constantly search and after having spent hours searching and searching. I am almost certain that I am not the only noob with this problem.
My next journey is Themes my G1 phone (God help me).
Thanks,
Abe
well the essential problem is that there will always be more noobs than not...no matter how many tutorials and guides that are posted it still will not be enough for some noobs...i did not know what i was doing myself but you first you have to understand what you are reading. so after a while after reading and searching the internet i understand what i am doing and am continuing to learn...this place was not meant to be a place for exacting directions and tutorials (ala development for Dummies)...
And i do not mean anything as an insult...i am just trying to explain that this is not an organized affair with a specific hierarchy, it is a community of developers experimenting and passing that knowledge off to others in the community.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=519523
that link is from the first or second thread on the development section...reading through those will give you a lot of the answers your looking for....
and to be honest if you do not have a clue as to what the stuff your reading is then research the internet...otherwise you definitely should not attempt any of this stuff.
All I will say Is I managed to root my phone by reading multiple threads.
I actually started reading threads before I got my phone . It was confusing but thats why I kept reading . If i didnt understand something I would read over and over again. As far as finding out what busybox was I used regular old google search for that . Heres what i found based on that search.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BusyBox.
I have learned to not soley rely on the in forum search because it doesnt always seem that helpful. I think overall what the vets what is for the "noobs" to help themselves first before having someone hold their hand.
It is pretty ironic that you bought a phone featuring Google search and now want to hack it, and instead of taking time to actually learn searching techniques you write a page long rant on your incapability to do some simple research. If you cannot figure out what some of these basic terms mean, then you shouldn't be hacking your phone in the first place.
Also, what in the hell are you talking about? You say that we are asking you to search first, hello? You only have ONE post in our community, you haven't asked us ANYTHING.
Honestly, this forum is already very organized. Granted, you are a noob, but really, it isn't all that difficult. If there is something you just really can't figure out, ask it now, I would be happy to answer it for you.
SolemnWishing said:
It is pretty ironic that you bought a phone featuring Google search and now want to hack it, and instead of taking time to actually learn searching techniques you write a page long rant on your incapability to do some simple research. If you cannot figure out what some of these basic terms mean, then you shouldn't be hacking your phone in the first place.
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Click to collapse
Take it easy, man. What's basic for one person may be quantum theory for another. Everyone isn't the same-we all perceive and learn differently. The noobs are tired of senior members telling them to search, and the senior members are tired of noobs asking redundant questions.
Also, what in the hell are you talking about? You say that we are asking you to search first, hello? You only have ONE post in our community, you haven't asked us ANYTHING.
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Click to collapse
I think he means other noobs have been told to search when asking a question...
Anyway, OP:
the forums are huge and contain a boatload of information. If you don't understand a tutorial or certain terms, ASK. PM the OP of the tutorial or someone in the thread that sounds like they know what they are saying. Follow devs on twitter, and read extensively. Get involved.
You have to understand that there have been hundreds of noobs that only come here to ask "OMG HOW DO I ROOT??" without wanting to understand ANY underlying details. They get caught in a bootloop, get errors, or brick their phone because they don't follow directions and they want to hold devs responsible.
These people want the easy way out, so don't be surprised if senior members and devs here are hesitant in replying to a thread that has been started countless times before. Also, every one here has a life (almost everyone ), so they may not always be available 24/7 to answer unimportant (to them) questions.
I've been with this forum for little over a year now and search function may not be the best but does help a lot. I've started out with the dash, mda, tilt and now the g1. i've just been recently been posting because everything everyone does here is great. I still consider myself a noob and still learning. Ranting like this doesn't really help, spoon feeding noobs gets tiresome and i can see why the seniors gets frustrated. All you need is the patients to read thru the posts and not get blown away with all the lingo and information overload that gets yourself more confused.
This is a community built by the community no one expects to get payed for helping out, so be thankful for what this forum bring. [/rant]
I don't see whats hard about this forum.
I just followed the guides and I was set.
This is a DEVELOPER forum, so I expect it will be a little difficult to use
You don't take physics before taking elementary school math.
That's the way I look at.
But I partially share your thoughts.
I am the first to agree that a search button or Google are your best friends.
What makes a successful search, though, is your choice or keywords or phrases. And I've run into those times that had I known the proper combination of terms to use (one's that would weed-out the bizillion of results that don't relate), I would have easily found the proper answer. I've gotten buried in search results that lead to endless threads only to find out that the Google search I did for "Android Bluetooth Cupcake" might have been better had I narrowed it further with "Android Bluetooth +"File Transfer" +application". That was probably a poor example, but you know what I mean. Searching for broad and common terms usually turns up useless results, we give up in disgust, and that's when some of the redundant posts get made. I also continue to have trouble decided whether a post belongs in the "Dream" forum or the developer forum. And we won't even go into whether they belong in the developer forum, app forum or theme forum. To me, they all cross similar boundaries at times.
There are lots of other forums that are intended for end-users with technical questions. They break things down in easier to understand terms (at least for me). Most of them link to XDA for the downloads, but they offer support on their own forums. I frequent XDA the most, but I still haunt the ubber-newbie sites as well. I still learn from them.
One last thing... It's been said that the internet is akind to the wild, wild west. Forums and mailing lists are usually the worst. If there wasn't some type of moderation/control over XDA, there would be telling how deep we would have to wade to find one meaningful post. I'm as guilty as the next person of wanting immediate answers when I think I've ruined a $400 phone. Luckily, I think the rescue tutorials here are fairly good at outlining the needed steps. No, they may not explain what's happening with each step along the way... but they do give you the necessary steps to get you out a bind. If you'll remain calm, follow the steps, not expect your hand to be held during the process, and only resort to asking for help when all else fails, you'll probably get your phone working the way you want it AND learn along the way. It's the equivalent of junior high vs a college or university. Once you make a conscious choice to go beyond what's required, you're expected to do a lot of the work yourself without the teacher constantly having to offer a refresher course on the basics.
Just my opinion.
Damn double post

Whole HEAP of noob questions (sorry, but my head is hurting!!!)...

I have been playing around with SD builds since they first came along on the HD2. I have done a lot of skinning (and a really small amount of coding!) in WinMo/CHT. I am an intelligent guy, but I am beginning to think that everyone who's really into Android is speaking a different language to me! I have searched and read and searched and read, but really hope there is someone out there who knows what they are talking about to answer these few utterly basic questions which I can't find simple answers to
1. Are all of these builds that are being cooked for HD2 already rooted (I did say basic!)?
2. If not, how do I tell and what do I need to do?
3. Does Magdlr allow you the option of retaining WinMo on device and booting into an SD/RAM Android build?
4. What is ADB and does it do anything I can't already do on my phone with ESExplorer/Root Explorer/Titanium Backup?
5. What does mount/unmount SD card mean?
6. How can I tell what mods from other device threads can be safely applied - is it basically whatever device the HD2 ROM is based off is a safe bet for mods (framework.res, etc)?
7. Why is it all the devs never answer reasonable questions in their own threads and everyone in the Android forums treats you like a total idiot if you don't know EVERYTHING already! (Don't need an answer to this one, just blowing off steam )
So please, if anyone can stoop low enough to offer me answers in my quest for a basic understanding PLEEEEEASE do. And if we can make this thread a safe haven for fellow idiots to ask blindingly stupid questions of their own then so much the better
Dunc001 said:
I have been playing around with SD builds since they first came along on the HD2. I have done a lot of skinning (and a really small amount of coding!) in WinMo/CHT. I am an intelligent guy, but I am beginning to think that everyone who's really into Android is speaking a different language to me! I have searched and read and searched and read, but really hope there is someone out there who knows what they are talking about to answer these few utterly basic questions which I can't find simple answers to
1. Are all of these builds that are being cooked for HD2 already rooted (I did say basic!)?
2. If not, how do I tell and what do I need to do?
3. Does Magdlr allow you the option of retaining WinMo on device and booting into an SD/RAM Android build?
4. What is ADB and does it do anything I can't already do on my phone with ESExplorer/Root Explorer/Titanium Backup?
5. What does mount/unmount SD card mean?
6. How can I tell what mods from other device threads can be safely applied - is it basically whatever device the HD2 ROM is based off is a safe bet for mods (framework.res, etc)?
7. Why is it all the devs never answer reasonable questions in their own threads and everyone in the Android forums treats you like a total idiot if you don't know EVERYTHING already! (Don't need an answer to this one, just blowing off steam )
So please, if anyone can stoop low enough to offer me answers in my quest for a basic understanding PLEEEEEASE do. And if we can make this thread a safe haven for fellow idiots to ask blindingly stupid questions of their own then so much the better
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1. Most of them are, if not, you read the 1st post and it's most likely being mentioned there.
2. Read 1.
3. No. You can check the Android Development Section (non NAND) to use builds running from the SDcard so you can keep your WinMO)
4. It's a piece of software where you can edit/copy/add files and scripts to your connected Android device. Personally I don't use this.
5. IT mounts, or unmounts your sdcard. (Please do a google search)
I'll leave the other answers for what they are... as you are blowing off steam.
The only thing i can tell you is to read before you start. There are topics for first time users that explain how everything works. Read these topics and i doubt that anything can go wrong.
Sorry if this is not a satisfying answer, but there are more and more of these threads piling up with questions where answers easily can be found on XDA and if not, Google a little bit. I've been answering so many questions from people that or "can't find" the answer or simply are too lazy to do some homework before they take the plunge into Android.
1. They are supposed to be but sometimes the end up not been rooted properly.
2. Just install z4root from market.
3. No, it was suppsoed to have this feature originally but not sure if they changed mind or posponed it.
7. Because devs get far too many questions that have already been answered in abundance. 90% of questions can be answered if you do research. If you serach and cant find a answer then ask in the relevant questiosn forum unless the question specifically relates to a specific build. Plus devs dont always read all posts because teher is far too many retarded ones liek "hey thanks" (which is why the thaks button has now been added).
KrewsialNL said:
Sorry if this is not a satisfying answer, but there are more and more of these threads piling up with questions where answers easily can be found on XDA and if not, Google a little bit. I've been answering so many questions from people that or "can't find" the answer or simply are too lazy to do some homework before they take the plunge into Android.
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Faith in XDA members duly restored, thanks. Like I said, I have read and read, and have been resisting asking these questions because I can easily find the answers to the bigger more complicated ones so though I must be missing the basics everywhere I looked. So thanks for taking the time to answer, sorry if anyone thinks this thread is unnecessary (mods please delete it if you think it needs to go).
Dunc001 said:
Faith in XDA members duly restored, thanks. Like I said, I have read and read, and have been resisting asking these questions because I can easily find the answers to the bigger more complicated ones so though I must be missing the basics everywhere I looked. So thanks for taking the time to answer, sorry if anyone thinks this thread is unnecessary (mods please delete it if you think it needs to go).
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I do admit sometimes it's a big pile of nonsense where you have to read through to get a straight answer, though with persistence and the will to know Android and setting it up, it will get you somewhere.
Next to that, I am very happy i've restored your faith in all XDA members

Just want to say..thanks!

I wanted to detail how much different the subsections are in xda, and how much you guys rock in this one.
Rant!-
I got jumped on in the mt4g section for posting a bug that was persisting through SEVERAL factory resets and rom flashes..for some reason i kept getting errors for processes for Samsung (on a htc..) And sign in failure for verizon (on a t mobile phone ). Even after wiping and re flashing different roms these problems persisted..so i detailed my attempt to find out why i got the bug, asked other users if they had experienced it (none had) and eventually traced the problem to the test rom i had installed. I brought this to the dev's attention by linking to my q&a thread on his dev thread only to be scolded that the issues were known, it was a test rom that i had no business flashing anyways, i should have read the thread as the issues were mentioned and known (which is why other users had never heard or experienced the issue??) And then the dev, on my account, pulled the link to the rom which angered other users whom then joined in chorus to say it was my own fault for not reading the bugs, when i said it wasn't in the bug list, was told "he doesn't have time to make a bug list for every test rom" (so where i was supposed to read that this bug existed i was never able to find, even after requesting to be linked to it).
The real icing on the cake was the fact that i spent 7 hours troubleshooting the bug, only a nandroid backup fixed it and thank god i had done a backup before installing it, and had searched extensively on Google in general and within xda forum for anyone having similar issue and no result, but was looked at as if i had wandered in, said "oh this looks cool"and flashed it and then proceeded to spam the dev thread with my problems.
Needless to say, I'll be selling this phone and not returning to that section as i am clearly not wanted there..rant over.
I want to say thanks to the devs in this section for being patient and helpful in the face of extreme ignorance, and to the users for understanding that not everyone on this site with less than 500 posts is a noob expecting to be spoon fed. I fear some of these communities are becoming to exclusive rather than inclusive. Transformer owners and developers as i have seen are very friendly and patient and I've gotten to like you all..
Even you goodintentions..
Thanks for showing that xda can be an inclusive community!
OK, flame on...
WRONG SECTION - USELESS POST! MODS PLEASE DELETE!!11!!ONE!1211
Ok, joking aside, I'm guessing maybe because tablet owners tend to be older then you're average high schooler we have a maturer crowd here?
I go by, if I can't help, then move on. No need to "flame" someone and get in an online battle...
And are you really going to get rid of your mt4g because of rude/inconsiderate people on the internet?
To join in on the rant.... READ READ READ READ READ..... so when are you supposed to post?
You would think that low post numbers mean more reading and less "got any updates?" or "Ya i agree". I personally only registered because i had a question that i couldn't find the answer to. Having been around forums for a while now (and i mean a long time) i have seen your situation at least once a year and sometimes it can be because the bug just totally pisses them off coz they cant fix it.
Totally agree.... the devs and gurus here are amazing. This truly is the place to be if you wanna hack and slash the device you have.
So thanks to all of you that make our devices so much more than we bought so that we can do whatever the hell we want with them.
Thanks again
I agree with OP. XDA has become a huge flame war where I feel that most people just post in threads to get their post count up. You have very few in here that will flame you for posting in the wrong section or repeating something that has already been posted(8 pages back).
Nature of the beast I guess. Next to head-fi.org this is one of the kindest sections I know.
It isn't my primary phone, and was intending to do that anyway, but the fact that the community is so immature and now hates me, there is no incentive to keep it
Oh well..on to the next device
EDIT: (One more thing I found funny, but no point in starting another thread)
While researching NVFlash and ubuntu/debian on the TF101 I came across this quote;
.. WARNING:: some/all TF101G (the 3G model) are expected to have a
different SBK. Until you know the SBK that corresponds to your
device, you *can not install Debian*.
To acquire an SBK, perform rubber-hose or black-bag cryptanalysis
on the associated ASUS staff. Once successful, please publish the
SBK widely, as (AFAIK) ASUS cannot revoke it from units that have
already rolled out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LMFAO, I just read Applied Cryptography by Bruce Schneier..if any of you are unfamiliar with 'rubber hose' and 'black bag' cryptanalysis, google it
I agree so far from what I have seen in this fora. I have only had my tablet for about a week. But in deciding which tablet to buy, I read many, many different device forums to get a feel for just as many things. ROMs, Kernels, un/locked bootloaders, support and even accessories. I did the same thing when I bought a new phone. That is where I remember Baseballfanz from. The NS forums.
The thing with the post count is kind of strange. I have seen several people with below 50 posts, phrase an articulate question with nearly all the neccessary info. Whereas I have seen others with 500, 800, 1k posts with like you said, small blobs about nothing. Those just waste my time and I want to delete them, but I can't.
Similar to your situation, only my experience was the knight in shining armor. There was this person in the Vibrant forums who would just pounce on noobs about searching. I had just come from a Motorola forum that was by far one of the most helpful places I had ever been. That is actually where I learned about, well everything basically. Anyways, back to the Vibrant. I had gotten tired of seeing this person post the same replies all the time and flaming noobs. I thrashed him really hard about it and brought to his attention why they were asking these things (ever been in panic mode with your $500-$700 phone?) and sometimes the search button brings up more info that you need. You can easily lose track of why you were searching in the first place. He actually posted a thread apologizing and stating that he would be more helpful in the future (it has since been deleted).
Best advice I can give to someone is read, read and read but also give all the information that you can when asking the question. YOU may not think it is relevant, but I might.

[DEVS] - Please Read - [Request]

Hi Developers,
You folks all do a great job of trying to sort out install issues and confusion regarding vendor images for our devices and whatnot and we less inclined to develop really do appreciate all you put into it for the rest of us.
That being said, one thing that I personally think should be included in the ROM's initial posting is a link to the **LINK---> FACTORY IMAGES<---KNIL** for our device.
I know that you all have the link memorized and every flavor imaginable already downloaded, but when a normal person flashes something and it doesnt work its a pain in the joint to try to remember where the list of imperatives is in the forum. The first place most look is to the thread where they were coming from.
It's ok if you flame me for this and I understand. Personally I'm usually all over it myself, but when I see questions in all of the ROM threads asking where someone got a vendor image and then they say they found it in the marlin thread it's just not right, if you know what I mean.
Anyway, thanks for considering it.
Regards,
Dtrud0h
If users don't know where the factory images page is they really shouldn't be unlocking their bootloader.
Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
dtrud0h said:
Hi Developers,
You folks all do a great job of trying to sort out install issues and confusion regarding vendor images for our devices and whatnot and we less inclined to develop really do appreciate all you put into it for the rest of us.
That being said, one thing that I personally think should be included in the ROM's initial posting is a link to the **LINK---> FACTORY IMAGES<---KNIL** for our device.
I know that you all have the link memorized and every flavor imaginable already downloaded, but when a normal person flashes something and it doesnt work its a pain in the joint to try to remember where the list of imperatives is in the forum. The first place most look is to the thread where they were coming from.
It's ok if you flame me for this and I understand. Personally I'm usually all over it myself, but when I see questions in all of the ROM threads asking where someone got a vendor image and then they say they found it in the marlin thread it's just not right, if you know what I mean.
Anyway, thanks for considering it.
Regards,
Dtrud0h
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I always just do a GOOGLE Search - "Factory Images Pixel Sailfish" and it comes up as the first or second link every time. Easy Peasy. I think you have to remember, it is not the Developers place to make life easy for anyone. They already did all the work by creating the rom in the first place. Everyone flashing a rom takes on a major responsibility to know what they need to do if something doesn't go right. if they can't figure this out by searching - or at the very least by TRYING to search first, they should never try in the first place. Of course if they do try on their own to figure something out and still need help - I am sure they will find it by asking.
Too many people have gotten to the point of EXPECTING the developers to hold their hand while they flash roms - why is it the developers place to do that? They didn't hold a gun to the persons head when they flashed - and frankly, I believe they expect each of us to at least try to find things out on our own first - they already put a huge amount of work into creating the rom and then chose to allow us to use it as well. I think they have done enough -
Just my two cents.
joetheshmo said:
If users don't know where the factory images page is they really shouldn't be unlocking their bootloader.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very true, but it seems a lot of people are doing so. I dont recall a new phone that had so many noobs to flashing. Not complaining, I help them out a lot. Just an observation.
And no, not the devs responsibility to help them. And if they posted links for flashing stock they would get inundated with requests to help with that.
Some phone forums on XDA are more user-friendly than others for flashing ROMs. It used to be so easy and I was (I thought) a pro - I helped others a lot. This phone confuses me more. You learn by doing, but people also don't want to risk $800 phones for the sake of learning.
I personally think it would be nice to include all crucial links as well, but most people on this forum are more inclined to believe you should just find it yourself, haha. I got a "let me Google that for you" response to a question this month, I recall.
When I was back in the Galaxy S3 or HTC One M8 forums, things were a little more noob-friendly but this place is full of nice people who help. It's just harder to do it yourself (without research or asking) because the threads are written at a more advanced level, in my opinion, and the steps are more complex than they used to be.
I agree, some forums are much more friendly than others. It is also easy for the ones that get in on the ground floor than it is for the ones that get in later. People sometimes answer questions in a more complex manner than is needed and probably without realizing it. Throw that in with someone that maybe hasn't had an unlocked bootloader in years and you have some uneasy and nervous people. Yet these guys have a right to get in there, get their feet wet, and eventually contribute. Imagine how clean a Dev's thread would be if not only a link to the firmware was given but if only a vendor image was needed, then that was provided as well. There would fewer questions about the little things and people going back and forth with one another about how stupid or lazy people are on one hand, and how unhelpful or rude people are on the other. I'm not a Dev though.
I agree with you all. lol. It is not the devs responsibility to make sure that your grass is covered, it's usually the first thing in all the threads, **Your Own Risk** I think are the key words. I haven't built any roms but I can get around the platform tools pretty well. But for the sake of keeping the rom threads clean and informative, especially with all the new variables related to most notably the Pixel, but android flashing in general supplying the correct files would probably cut thread clutter down by 40% and with uniform installs bug tracking would be a bit easier.
Anyway, thanks for looking and thinking about it, I appreciate all the points of view expressed.
I'm not complaining about anything, but I originally posted this in the Development Forum and it got moved to Guides and News...Whatever.
Starting to get a stiff neck from shaking my head at the posts in the rom threads, one right after the other asking where to find files, among other things that the user should know.
Just sayin'

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