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Root Gauging interest in a new 2.2 ROM

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darkxsun

Guest
I've been making my own personal ROM, Byron, for quite a while, and having built a version around ZVD (the Android 2.2.1 update), I believe my method is finally stable and ready to make an impact.

Before repackaging for release (without purchased apps and other personal data), I'd like to gauge the interest in such a ROM.

Here is what you can expect to find when it's done:

While other ROMs abandon LG's intentions with the Ally of a social smartphone, Byron stays true to the notion of Android as a social platform. However, it corrects ways LG was misguided.

Rather than hacked together, buggy social apps, Byron includes the official apps from the Android Market for Twitter and Facebook. The LG launcher is also excluded, as are many other add-ons (e.g., excessive widgets, car home, cityid, amazon apps).

In addition to including social apps by default, Byron also contains other Google Experience apps such as Barcode Reader, Google Reader, Google Books, and Google Translate. Dolphin Browser Mini is included in addition to the Android Browser.

One of the main focuses of Byron is responsiveness. This is not achieved through overclocking or kernel hacks but instead by maximizing free memory. This is done in other ROMs via apps2sd and other tricks, but in Byron this is done through a Google-approved mechanism known as odexing. While most ROMs brag about being "deodexed" (for different reasons), Byron is fully odexed (including apps that are *not* odexed in stock LG ROMs). This means your system apps need not store anything in the dalvik-cache, which frees up space on the /data partition.

The downside to an odexed ROM (and the reason other ROMs are deodexed) is that it is impossible to theme the interface in many of the ways the root community generally uses (such as flashing update.zip files that replace system frameworks). This is a trade-off I am willing to make.

Please post here regarding your interest in a 2.2-based ROM of this nature. Be aware that this ROM is far closer to stock than most other custom ROMs, but in my experience achieves a higher level of responsiveness and reliability than those which make more drastic changes.

Cheers,

Bill.

PS- This ROM would require users to have already upgraded to 2.2 using the other forum-approved methods, so they have the newest radio, which I'm told is mandatory for 2.2 and not flashable via recovery.
 
Sounds like a great idea. I can say I would love to see a 2.2.1 custom rom.

Edit: Scratch that, read your post in more detail. Nevertheless, would love to see another rom dev for the ally.
 
flick159 said:
Gonna go out on a limb here and ask if this rom is a flash-able .zip while on 2.1 using drellisdee's amon-ra recovery.
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As my PS states, I've heard it is unfortunately not possible until we find a way to flash the radio that comes with 2.2.1. Once you've gotten that, you should be fine, but so far we can't do that with either clockwork or amonra yet, so you'll have to be on official 2.2 already to use this.
 
Yup, gotcha. Thanks for the reply though. I've been mildly confused as to why no one has made a flash-able 2.2.1 rom yet. Makes more sense now. Think I'll stick on 2.1 with an OC kernel until more progress on 2.2 takes place. Thanks alot for the heads up.
 
What would I like to see in a ROM? Just a super clean bare bones ROM. The less junk the better. If I want Twitter, Google this, Google that, Angry birds, Facebook, blah blah blah, etc. etc. etc... I can go on the Market and add these things myself in about 5 seconds.
 
Matt's 175 said:
What would I like to see in a ROM? Just a super clean bare bones ROM. The less junk the better. If I want Twitter, Google this, Google that, Angry birds, Facebook, blah blah blah, etc. etc. etc... I can go on the Market and add these things myself in about 5 seconds.
Click to expand...

I hear you, to some extent, but the goal here is to make what LG did, but better, and with as little memory used as possible. I could easily remove everything and make it super bare, but the goal here is to make it what LG *should* have, without making you take up your entire /data partition with basic stuff. Remember, apps installed in /system take no space in /data (if odexed) and, as such, we can save storage here by keeping them in /system.

I'll think about making something like Byron-bare in the future.

yohobojo said:
I would love see a2sd darktremor on froyo
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That's not the goal here. Personally, I like the Google-sanctioned system in Android 2.2 better---it ensures the only apps going to the SD are ones that have been tested in that environment. I'm sure someone else will tackle what you're looking for soon enough.
 
I like most of the things you suggest with this ROM. The only thing I would differ on would be the inclusion of Dolphin Mini, if it is to be installed as a System app. Adding a browser other than the default one should be optional because everyone has their own personal preference. Just my opinion.

Otherwise, I am excited to see what you have in store. The one thing I would like to have clarified is what steps would be needed to return to the previous rooted stock version if one desired. I wouldn't want to have to start from scratch again, obviously.
 
netizenmt said:
Adding a browser other than the default one should be optional because everyone has their own personal preference. Just my opinion.
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I believe having the option to use it (without taking more /data space) is more important than the option not to have it (it's not obtrusive if the android browser is set as default).

netizenmt said:
The one thing I would like to have clarified is what steps would be needed to return to the previous rooted stock version if one desired. I wouldn't want to have to start from scratch again, obviously.
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Make a backup with your custom recovery, you will be able to restore to it without problems.
 
Darktremorz A2sd is extremely bloated and fluffed. Which is why us rom dev's have switched from it. and FroYo Apps2sd is better than the "apps2sd" that we think of because it doesnt cause harm to the sdcard. and doesnt require reformatting the card and all that other junk.
 
Sounds like it could be a nice rom. I agree with Matss 175...I would like to see a rom with the bare minimal apps. I can load my own apps. That's one thing I liked about velocity 0.4 is the barebones feature. Barebones didn't take away enough apps for me but was a start.
 
death2all110 said:
Darktremorz A2sd is extremely bloated and fluffed. Which is why us rom dev's have switched from it. and FroYo Apps2sd is better than the "apps2sd" that we think of because it doesnt cause harm to the sdcard. and doesnt require reformatting the card and all that other junk.
Click to expand...

It'd be great if someone could develop dalvik2sd support for 2.2.1

I miss having 110mb free with 60 apps installed...

Swap support would be a neat added bonus.

While I'm at it and asking for everything, can someone write a simple hack to enable flash support for the Ally's processor? (this one is thoroughly tongue-in-cheek)

:)

RE: Byron, I'd love to play with it. The more ROMs available for 2.2.1 the better!
 
It is great, but as you said you looking to improve a lower end device with no hacks or tweaks... sadly that is not very possible... and with 3 special dev's you will have trouble competing because they have brought stuff to the table. In no way am i discouraging you but if your ROM isn't faster, better, cooler, or snappier then velocity will be then i suggest you learn a little about ROM's and such.
 
AlexMason said:
It is great, but as you said you looking to improve a lower end device with no hacks or tweaks... sadly that is not very possible... and with 3 special dev's you will have trouble competing because they have brought stuff to the table. In no way am i discouraging you but if your ROM isn't faster, better, cooler, or snappier then velocity will be then i suggest you learn a little about ROM's and such.
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Uh, thanks?

I don't think I need to "learn a little about ROM's" considering I'm in the process of building one at the moment, and as I stated in the description, I'm not looking to replace Velocity, but I'm trying a different approach altogether. I think what I'm doing is unique enough that it has its place even with "3 special dev's". The worst that can happen is some people try it, nobody likes it, and I go back to using it just for myself (and only having to make one version).

I'm trying to contribute, not subvert the devs that have been working on this phone.

EDIT: I'm sorry if I sound like a jerk. I'm not trying to, just trying to defend my work. :)
 
AlexMason said:
In no way am i discouraging you but if your ROM isn't faster, better, cooler, or snappier then velocity will be then i suggest you learn a little about ROM's and such.
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This does sound a little discouraging in the way it's worded. I do like the concept of this ROM. And the thing is, about it being faster and whatnot than Velocity and other ROM's, it's impossible to compare this to them. This is a whole different direction from others. Do you even see a Velocity ROM for 2.2 right now? I'm sure there will be other great ROM's, but why not give this a shot. It's the only one like it.

I'm gonna have to say great job darkxsun. I like the idea of improving all the Google apps and other options. I mean after all, that's what these phones were made for. It does say Google on the back right?!? ;)
 
Darkxsun, you were definitely not being a jerk.

I'll be downloading your ROM and testing it on Thursday. Maybe sooner if I get the chance. And gratz on being the first to develop a ROM for the Ally and FroYo! Now that's a useful contribution!
 
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