Make custom rom with vendor files - HTC U Play Questions & Answers

Hello,
HTC having obviously stopped supporting my smartphone in terms of updating android, I want to create a custom ROM to enjoy the benefits of the later versions of android in Mashmallow.
However, HTC provides the source code of the linux kernel used as well as some tools necessary for the proper functioning of the device. In addition, it also provides a guide to compiling android. Unfortunately, this guide seems incomplete or poorly explained. So I would like to get help in compiling an android rom for this device.

Please do it. unfortunately I have bought this device recently a month ago and feels like i have been cheated by HTC!! No proper support no software or security updates and really poor website with no useful data to end user, it seems that the company produced this model and dumped in the market to get our money and forgotten or ignoring users with at least security updates, even the non branded Chinese phones get better support than this brick from HTC. My first HTC phone was windows mobile on 2008 , it was poorly supported and my bad luck again with HTC u play which has the same situation. I will never buy from this company again.

citorva said:
Hello,
HTC having obviously stopped supporting my smartphone in terms of updating android, I want to create a custom ROM to enjoy the benefits of the later versions of android in Mashmallow.
However, HTC provides the source code of the linux kernel used as well as some tools necessary for the proper functioning of the device. In addition, it also provides a guide to compiling android. Unfortunately, this guide seems incomplete or poorly explained. So I would like to get help in compiling an android rom for this device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you been sucessfull in building costom rom
if yes share it please

Related

How Do I Root My Windows 7 Phone?

I have a samsung focus I look threw the forums can i cant find one for os version 7.10.7720.68, I want a rom that has multitasking if at all possible and custom text tones
How to Root a Samsung Focus Windows Phone
the_professor. said:
I have a samsung focus I look threw the forums can i cant find one for os version 7.10.7720.68, I want a rom that has multitasking if at all possible and custom text tones
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First off, I am not the creator of any of the resources listed below. All thanks should go towards: Dark Forces Team, WindowsPhoneHacker, and the many others who created these tools. Be sure to thank everyone whose tool/website/ROM you used by buying them a drink. Also, I am not responsible for any damage/bricking/etc that may occur as you attempt to modify your phone.
To address the the absence of OS version 7.10.7720.68, I would like to note that OS version 7.10.7720.68 is the original Mango update provided by Microsoft. Since then, Microsoft has continually updated the OS with minor tweaks (think: service packs) for Windows Phone. Though Samsung (or AT&T or whoever) has not provided these minor updates OTA, ROM developers for the Samsung Focus can bake them into their ROMs. Thus, any ROM with a version number higher than 7720.68 will contain all of the features you request (and more). More information as to the features added/fixed in the OS updates are given at the following link.
(link 1)windowsphone.com/en-us/how-to/wp7/basics/update-history
Now, the easiest place to start the rooting process is by visiting WindowsPhoneHacker's YouTube channel. There is a tutorial available (see the following link) that walks you through the whole process. I strongly suggest you watch the video several times to get a good idea as to the process required. Be sure to like the YouTube video if you find it helpful (trust me, you will).
(link 2)youtu.be/0dSTahZY4mI
I also suggest reading the more detailed information provide by WindowsPhoneHacker (see link below). The link takes you to the "Jailbreak" portion of the website which gives useful information on how to root and install custom ROMs. Read the source and the referenced sources three times or more before you even think about rooting your device.
(link 3)windowsphonehacker.com/articles/the_complete_guide_to_jailbreaking_windows_phone_7_and_7.5-09-24-11
At this point, you should be ready to root. Give it a shot. Be patient, stay calm, and good luck!

Porting modern TouchWiz: Notes from me

Today I wanted to talk about porting current versions of TouchWiz from one device to another. This will be focused primarily on the Sprint network capability since that is my current carrier. But these same basic steps will apply for all porting of TouchWiz.
I know several people have ported roms but I first want to point out one important fact. There is ABSOLUTELY no "guide" that can help you port TouchWiz roms successfully. Period. Any "guide" thread that you may find is completely useless and is isn't even close to touching on the key components of today's porting methods. So don't waste your time reading guides because they are very outdated and irrelevant today.
First things first... When deciding to port a Samsung Rom you need to understand that there are going to be different chipsets for the different device models used in other parts of the world. With this in mind you need to choose software that was originally designed for the same similar cpu whether it be Exynos or Qualcomm. This makes a huge difference when it comes to cpu configs that will best support your device's cpu. If you try to port an Exynos rom to work on a Qualcomm device then expect to have to do a lot more work in framework, etc.
GSM vs CDMA is another very important part of the porting process. When possible, ALWAYS choose software that supports your specific carrier and service type/technology!!! If you are on a GSM network then choose a GSM rom and same for CDMA. However CDMA technology here in the US is a bit different from other countries in regards to how it is setup in the software. Each CDMA carrier will have it's own unique code inside system files. Simply replacing csc and other files will do NOTHING to fix this, leaving you with either no data services or improper generic data services. The only way to do this right is to either start with software for your specific carrier or manually modify these values in multiple files throughout framework and system using the correct values from software specific for your carrier. No exceptions.
The other thing. You ideally want to port the same Android version that is currently available for your specific device because the original kernel and libraries, etc need to support the version of Android in which you want to port. When porting you will be using most of your original software's bin files, kernel, etc... so these files need to be compatible with the version of Android you want to port. Very important!
I will not go into great details with smali modifications, etc because that is a whole different animal. This thread is a general breakdown of what is involved in the whole process. Porting a ROM such as the Note 7 software is no simple task, especially with so many unknown obstacles that must be discovered then remedied. You will need the right tools for the job before you even take on such a task. I'm talking about ApkTool, smali/baksmali, mad genius mentality, etc. Without the proper tools forget about it.
The main things that must be done for the rom to even boot, reside internally inside a few framework jar files. There will also be incompatible system files which must be removed and/or replaced with compatible versions that support your specific device/model. You also may need to make the rom support 32bit such is the case with the Note 4, since it is only 32 bit compatible. There can be no traces of 64bit libraries either inside the system apps or the library folder or else you will have issues. 32 bit devices cannot process 64 bit libraries, whether external or imbedded inside system apps. The one exception to this rule is when an app is multi-arch compatible which means the app can be installed on either 32 or 64 bit devices. In this case the 64 bit libs can remain although they will not be used since the 32 bit libs will be detected by the os. Thankfully 64 bit TouchWiz contains 99.9% of the necessary 32 bit libraries! So use them instead if your device is only compatible with 32 bit architecture.
There are several key Android/Samsung services that are not going to be compatible with other Samsung devices therefore one must identify these incompatible services and other methods in smali and either remove them or recode them in order for the rom to function in a way that is compatible with the device for which you will be running the software on. Sometimes you can simply replace services from your original device's software as long as it is compatible and from the same Android version, but not always.
There is NEVER going to be a set of instructions that will apply to all ROMS. Period. This stuff is always ever-changing with each update that Samsung releases. This is why there can be no accurate "guide" to porting TouchWiz. Whoever says otherwise is not knowledgeable on this stuff at all.
Once the framework files are prepared and rebuilt properly then you will need to have knowledge of the stock system apps and what role they play in the software. Most system apps are cross compatible but some are device and/or carrier specific and must either be removed or replaced in order for the rom to boot and run without a complete meltdown with continuous FC's. Then you have CSC (customer service codes). This plays a major role in how the software will be setup on initial rom setup. Each specific device model will have it's own unique CSC, however most of Samsung's current CSC is identical between the current available top tier devices such as the N4, N5, S7 and N7. BUT each device will have it's own unique "values" within multiple files in CSC. Some Samsung devices are compatible with features that other Samsung devices do not support. Therefore you must have knowledge of this and make the necessary edits in order for the software features to be setup correctly without major malfunctions. One wrong value can actually cause the rom to not boot. You will need experience with this as well.
Next you may need to slightly modify the kernel's ramdisk to support a couple of additional framework files which is the case with the N7 software and probably the N5 as well. It's just a matter of adding a few file names to a text file, save, then recompile the zimage and place the modified kernel inside your rom zip. These types of things must be discovered by trial & error by people who are knowledgeable and have experience porting roms. But it goes to show that these little things can determine a successful or failed port. You never know what can cause the rom to not boot. There's so many pieces to the puzzle when porting.
Moving on to the build.prop and updater-script. There MUST be a lot of edits done to the build.prop and the same principal applies here. You MUST edit the build.prop in order for it to support the software AND your specific device model, cpu, security features, etc, etc. This is an art folks. Again... there is no "guide" for doing this properly. You must possess the mental aptitude to tackle this stuff. It's not for normal people The updater-script is a VERY VERY important part of the rom porting process because it contains the permissions and symbolic links for all of the critical system files and folders. You must manually edit the updater-script so that it sets the proper permissions and symbolic links for the files that are used in the current software you are going to run. You cannot simply use a stock device updater-script straight out of the kitchen for your specific device. It will not work due to other versions of TouchWiz will likely have additional or different files and folders in the rom. This will take a LOT of time to go over everything and make sure you covered everything and properly setup the updater-script.
Next there is the process of replacing critical and device specific libraries and bin files as well as kernel modules. Generally for Samsung devices, system/bin folder must contain all of the original files from the original stock software for your specific device. You might need to add additional files from the software you are porting. The same applies to the system/lib/modules. These modules MUST come from your device's original software. The libraries are very tricky because not all libraries can be from either your original stock software nor from the software you are porting. Simply put, this is going to be the single most time consuming process with a ton of trial and error. You must figure out which lib files must be used from your original software and which libs must come from the new ported software. Good luck figuring this out! :laugh:
This pretty much covers the initial areas of the system software that must be manually modified in order for the rom to actually boot.
As you can see, there's a lot of trial and error with porting roms. Believe me. Other people who ported the early N7 and S7 port ROMs have done a LOT of work and surely they have a lot of trial and error. These early port dev's deserve a lot of credit for these early discoveries without a doubt. Without their original trials and errors & hard work, there would be no other port roms. They shared their knowledge and it was a group effort in the beginning. You guys know who you are! :highfive: Much Thanks to all of you who figured out framework issues etc in the early stages of current TouchWiz. I learned a lot in this process in which I have never shared with the public simply because there's no point in giving information that others can't use due to lack of experience. Hopefully some people will read this and better understand what goes into porting these ROMs. At a later dat, I may write up a more detailed "guide" on current TouchWiz IF I feel there is a need and there is enough people willing to step up and help out the community in the future. This is the way XDA works. You have to pass the torch to win the race. No one person can conquer the world. Teamwork is the key to success in everything you do. Remember this. Thanks for reading.
Wow, very nice write up. Thanks!
I would be interested in a more detailed guide if and when you get to it. I'm always looking to expand my know - how.
Many thanks! :highfive:
Thanks for the post....
but you did not go in to ROM porting much at all... I'd love to read a in depth view of the " copy and paste " dev .
tx_dbs_tx said:
This will be focused primarily on the Sprint network capability since that is my current carrier. But these same basic steps will apply for all porting of TouchWiz.
GSM vs CDMA is another very important part of the porting process. When possible, ALWAYS choose software that supports your specific carrier and service type/technology!!! If you are on a GSM network then choose a GSM rom and same for CDMA. However CDMA technology here in the US is a bit different from other countries in regards to how it is setup in the software. Each CDMA carrier will have it's own unique code inside system files. Simply replacing csc and other files will do NOTHING to fix this, leaving you with either no data services or improper generic data services. The only way to do this right is to either start with software for your specific carrier or manually modify these values in multiple files throughout framework and system using the correct values from software specific for your carrier. No exceptions.
The other thing. You ideally want to port the same Android version that is currently available for your specific device because the original kernel and libraries, etc need to support the version of Android in which you want to port. When porting you will be using most of your original software's bin files, kernel, etc... so these files need to be compatible with the version of Android you want to port. Very important!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This was great. It was exactly what I was looking for. Ive being working on porting a gsm rom to my device N900P. But the only thing Ive found is copy and paste. Trying to find something on cdma is even harder. Ive just download your Ultimate Hybrid N7 to see if can get a clue on where to start. Deodexing telephony-common should be enough? Where else should start looking? If you could point me a direction would be great. Thanks
triskaw said:
This was great. It was exactly what I was looking for. Ive being working on porting a gsm rom to my device N900P. But the only thing Ive found is copy and paste. Trying to find something on cdma is even harder. Ive just download your Ultimate Hybrid N7 to see if can get a clue on where to start. Deodexing telephony-common should be enough? Where else should start looking? If you could point me a direction would be great. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for the late reply. To be honest, porting a gsm rom to work on a U.S. cdma carrier is going to require massive work. Forget about it. Start your rom project with cdma compatible software and save yourself the trouble. You'll win the lottery before you get a gsm rom ported over to cdma. Copy and paste isn't going to scratch the surface. Why not port a factory Sprint ROM for your Sprint note 3? Such as the Sprint N7, N5, S7 edge? It is already setup to work on the sprint network. It would save you a lot of time and effort.

Could we build a custom rom from the sourcecode provided by Lenovo?

Hi,
As the owner of a Nexus device, I am used to regular OS updates with included security patches. Since my Android Lenova Book has not updated yet, I started to look around
to see what could be find on the internets about that. I did not find much, but on the Lenove website I did find the Open Source Code for our Book.
http://support.lenovo.com/nl/nl/products/Tablets/Yoga-Series/YOGA-Book/ZA0V?tabName=Downloads&linkTrack=Mast:SubNav:Supportrivers%20and%20Software|Drivers%20and%20Software&beta=false
After downloading and unzipping it, to me it seems that these are the prop files you need to create a custom / updated rom. Since I am not that savvy on the subject, I only compiled a few roms, It would be nice if somebody could tell me if this is indeed the code that is needed to compile an updated rom and what steps should be taking to make this happen?
gr.
M
I, too, would love to see this happen.
I own the Windows version, but I've been flirting heavily with the idea of dual-booting. The major obstacle at the moment appears to be that Remix and the other x86 android builds don't recognize or support the halo keyboard. I'd love to have a ROM or something I could install to get the proper Android experience.
I'm down for this... providing my Book arrives soon (in AU so it'll take its time). If I find anything, or get enough free time to throw together a custom ROM I'll update. But I can't guarantee the latter (custom ROM from myself) as it will be a big learning experience.
Mjdrakkon said:
I, too, would love to see this happen.
I own the Windows version, but I've been flirting heavily with the idea of dual-booting. The major obstacle at the moment appears to be that Remix and the other x86 android builds don't recognize or support the halo keyboard. I'd love to have a ROM or something I could install to get the proper Android experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you had a look at the current version of Android Lenovo provides? That certainly does support the Halo keyboard.
Yoga a12
Hello.
I have lenovo Yoga a12 bought in china, there is no google on it, is there a possibility to upload a worldwide rom?
Thank you.
kobra661116 said:
Hello.
I have lenovo Yoga a12 bought in china, there is no google on it, is there a possibility to upload a worldwide rom?
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you go to this post, I've helped someone in the same boat as yourself. Read through the comments, that should give you a tutorial on how to flash the ROM so that you have Google.
Post: https://forum.xda-developers.com/yoga-book/help/stock-rom-yb1-x90f-t3555193
yeah ok but I have Yoga Book A12 version.

[Discussion] SM T819 - Lineage OS - A possible starting point!

I have been waiting quite some time for a custom rom for SM T819 but I haven't see much progress in this. I looked for a device with similar specs for our device and came across this device which already has a Lineage OS build available. Its practically the same device but with a different screen size.
LeEco Le 2 Specs: http://www.gsmarena.com/leeco_le_2-8053.php
LeEco Le 2 Lineage OS Github Repo: https://github.com/LineageOS/android_device_leeco_s2
It will be a good starting point as I think for getting a custom rom for this device with a great potential. I have read that having spec devices is a great start to porting a ROM from one device to another without specifically building it from the source. However it includes a few build prop tweaks and changing few lines on kernel which I have no technical expertise.
Looking forward for your thoughts.
It's true, personally I don't have this tab but I had experience with a Tab I used which was similar in specs with S4 Mini ..
You'll get bugs though and you can base device tree from the Leeco Phone to build ROMs
Anything new here?
Seems like @tuxing built a modified T813 LOS build for himself, but of course no LTE in there. https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=73992901&postcount=552
i really hate the lack of support for LTE Tablets :/
Hi guys, I don't know if i am on topic but 'cause of this lack of ROMs for the T819, can I install the one for the T813? I know there is no LTE, but if I wanna try the ROM can I install it or it is incompatible with the T819?
kinglolloman said:
Hi guys, I don't know if i am on topic but 'cause of this lack of ROMs for the T819, can I install the one for the T813? I know there is no LTE, but if I wanna try the ROM can I install it or it is incompatible with the T819?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not that easy, but I had a nice chat session with @LuK1337 and he explained me how to get things built and boot on T819: https://forum.xda-developers.com/tab-s2/general/guide-build-lineageos-15-1-t819-t3721477
It's not that difficult as I thought. @LuK1337 told me it's simple and even I managed to get it working.

Which One Is Better, Stock ROM or Custom ROM?.

Android is a superb mobile operating system from the search giant Google. No one can question about its features and performance, and that was the only reason that the sales of Android phones accounted for 68% of globally sold smartphones in 2nd Quarter of 2012. But do you know Android come in two forms: Stock ROM and Custom ROM. Stock ROM is the Android version which mobile company officially provide you along with the phone or tablet. Custom ROM is the Android version which is not officially provided but customized and distributed by other developers. Both of the versions of Android have their own pros and cons. Let’s see what’s your choice must be:
Although ROM in computers mean Read Only Memory (memory storage which once written, can’t be edited or deleted) but surely this is not what we mean when we talk about ROMs for Android. Here, it means firmwares for Android phones and tablets. Changing/Installing a ROM in your phone is quite same as installing a new operating system on your desktop or laptop system. Android is open source and people (interested developers) usually modify this code to add features, change home screen, bring tweaks, improve stability or customize it – this is what known as Custom ROM.
Why to choose Stock ROMs?
Stock ROMs are the ones which come by default in Android phones or tablets. These are customized versions of Android done by mobile companies to make their devices unique in looks and features.
01-0Warranty.
Stock ROMs doesn’t void your warranty. One of the biggest reasons that people don’t go for Custom ROMs is warranty. Most of the companies prohibit rooting your Android phone or installing a custom Android version – and if you do so, then you can void/lose your warranty.
02-Premium Apps
Stock ROMs usually come with loaded premium apps which are built by mobile companies to attract customers. These apps can be anything like music players, widgets, live wallpapers, etc. Premium apps are provided to enrich the user’s experience of the customer. These apps differ from one mobile vendor to another and sometimes, even from model to model – more or better apps as the price of the device goes high. For example, Sony Xperia phones have TrackID which can be used to get information about an unknown playing music; Samsung Galaxy S3 has S Voice, a virtual assistant app just like Siri (available in iPhone 4S); etc.
03-Premium Features
Android in original form is cool, but mobile vendors hardly think so – they try to improve it in terms of features and looks. Stock ROMs comes with lots of premium features which are not available in Custom ROMs (at least not for free). These features include custom home screen or launcher or app drawer, e.g., Sony Xperia phones have TimeScape UI whereas Motorola phones have Blur UI. For example, most Android phones come with keyboard with Swype feature using which you can type a word with a single tap on the touch screen by just swiping your finger across each letter of the word and keyboard automatically guess the correct word.
04Trust for Security
May be it feel strange but one can easily trust Android operating system sold by a reputed company. You can be sure that it does not contain any backdoor, malwares, spywares or other malicious tools. I’m not saying you can’t trust Custom ROMs but it’s just that many people take their privacy on top of all other things – you can easily trust a reputed company you know but how can you trust a software or source code of unidentified origin or developer.
Why to choose Custom ROMs?
Custom ROMs are the ones which are customized or developed from the original source code of Android and differ from it in features and/or looks. Custom ROMs are not provided by Google or other mobile vendors but are developed and maintained by community and its contributors.
01-Root Access
Custom ROMs provide you root access in your Android system. Root access in Android/Linux is like the administration permissions in Windows – you get permission to do almost anything in your phone/tablet. Isn’t it wonderful? Many of the people (including me) get rid of the Stock ROM to enjoy root access – you become the master of your Android – you decide what apps will be installed, which services will run in the background and many other similar permissions.
02Regular Updates
Updates or new releases are more regularly released for Custom ROMs than Stock ROMs. Many of the times, a new Android release come in the market but your phone company don’t provide the update for your phone. Then where you stand? Your mobile vendor forget about your phone and start focusing on its new models. But the community supports you – people releases custom ROMs of new Android releases even if your mobile company don’t release the update for your phone. Using Custom ROMs, you always have the option to try new Android versions. For example, Android 4.1 (JellyBean) is the latest release at present but Sony has denied releasing it for Xperia phones announced/released before mid 2011, but CyanogenMod (the most popular Custom ROM of Android) is working on beta versions of 4.1 version and will soon be releasing the final tested version of JellyBean.
03-Easy to Change
Once you’ve rooted your phone and installed a Custom ROM, it’s very easy to change and install different Custom ROMs of your choice without any hassle. If you’ve installed a custom recovery (like ClockWorkMod) then you can easily install Custom ROMs by just downloading the zip package of the ROM, putting it on your phone’s SD card’s root directory, rebooting your phone and opening the recovery, and installing that zip file after cleaning your system and data partitions.
04-Better Performance
Custom ROMs allow you to install/remove apps, change background services and set many other performance tweaks. This make Custom ROMs perform better than Stock ROMs in most cases. Custom ROMs are not bulkier as Stock ROMs and are not bundled with lots of pre-installed apps and services – this make it even faster and perform better.
Android is a great system to use and to modify too! Unlike other mobile operating systems, Android provide options to easily customize the look and user experience of your system. Mobile vendors don’t give you root access and prohibit you to install advance apps or change system permissions or settings, but you can achieve it using a Custom ROM. Though it is the choice of the people – many people enjoy Stock ROM but Custom ROM suits for others.
What’s your favorite?
Custom ROM users – which ROM you use?

Categories

Resources