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Android Glossary of Terms

Unforgiven

Unforgiven

...eschew obfuscation...
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I have found a lot of experienced Android users speak a language not familiar to new users. So I answer a lot of questions such as "What is rooting?" or "What is a rom?," etc.

I searched and only found four very incomplete threads buried in "All Things Root" subforums and none very easy to read.

Am I missing something, or could we start a general index of common Android terms.

Thanks to Diablo67 for this link to his thread on XDA (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1466228.

ADB- Android Developers Bridge: The program used to talk to your phone and give it commands (USE IT ONLY IF YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE LEARNING)

AOSP - Android Open Source Project, this is the source code on which all variants of Android are built. Nexus devises are the only devices that ship with AOSP. Many custom roms use AOSP.

bootloader - initiates the load of the kernal and rom

Brick- making a device useless so that it is rendered a mass of uselessness i.e. PWNED

custom rom - a rom developed by a third party for a specific device as an alternate to a stock rom

Flash/flashing - the action of "installing" a file that isnt normally installed by conventional means i.e. flashing a rom, flashing a radio, flashing a kernel, etc etc

Kernel - Easiest way to put it: it is the thing that manages your system resources. This puppeh can help make your phone run better and also overclock it.

Overclocking - Don't worry I wasn't gonna leave this term out. This is written for newbs so lets just say this is the term for making your phone run faster. IMPORTANT NOTE!!! Overclocking your phone too far can make it seize up or go into bootloops if done incorrectly! It can also make your phone run hot. BEWARE!!!!

PRL - Preferred Roaming List: This is just an updated list of what cellphone towers have been added to the system. This means better coverage when updated

Recovery- a useful tool that allows root users to flash roms, backup and restore, and do many other fantastic things to help keep your phone from becoming a brick.

rom - the phones operating system.

root / rooting - administrative access to you phone

root directory - Root is the base folder of your SD card. If you are told to place a file into root then this is what is meant.

stock rom - alt: stock - the rom the phone shipped with or has been updated by the manufacturer and / or carrier

Superuser- program which gives authority for another program to have Root access. Program examples are "setcpu", "terminal emulator", "auto killer memory optimizer"

Terminal Emulator - a program which simulates ADB and basically is a way to communicate with the phone and provide a command language that is for upper echelon (1337) users to helm.

This is just a start, correct me or add suggest additions in comments. And mods, if you think there is a better place for this, please move. If you think it should be a sticky, that would be way cool;).

Edit: Added new terms and alphabetized

Please note, many of these are suggested by other users or found throughout Android Forums, I am just compiling them and in some cases adapting them. If you want to give me credit, just give me credit for compiling them. As the dust settles I may reword some of them to give a more consistent feel to the glossary.
 
There are several of these terms/glossary lists around AF, good to see another one crop up. :)

From the Optimus M ATR section, in layman's language:

ADB- Android Developers Bridge: The program used to talk to your phone and give it commands (USE IT ONLY IF YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE LEARNING)

Root/Rooting- Getting the administrative control i.e, "hacking", "jailbreak", etc, etc...... Root is also defined as the base folder of your SD card. If you are told to place a file into root then this is what is meant. REMEMBER-root/rooting-admin control OR base folder on SD card. Please re read instructions you find in the forums throughly so that you may be able to save yourself some time and heartache.

Superuser- program which gives authority for another program to have Root access. Program examples are "setcpu", "terminal emulator", "auto killer memory optimizer"

Recovery- a useful tool that allows root users to flash roms, reinstall backups, and do many other fantastic things to help keep your phone from becoming a brick.

Flash/flashing- the action of "installing" a file that isnt normally installed by conventional means i.e. flashing a rom, flashing a radio, flashing a kernel, etc etc

Brick- making a device useless so that it is rendered a mass of uselessness i.e. PWNED

Terminal Emulator- a program which simulates ADB and basically is a way to communicate with the phone and provide a command language that is for upper eschelon (1337) users to helm.

Nand backup- In your recovery terminal there is an option to make a "Nand backup". This is a restore point or in gaming terms a save point. As most of us gamers know, if you save before you go further in the game and you make a poor choice then you can reset and go back to where you started. This is the same thing but for your phone

Kernel Easiest way to put it: it is the thing that manages your system resources. This puppeh can help make your phone run better and also overclock it.

Overclocking Dont worry I wasnt gonna leave this term out. This is written for newbs so lets just say this is the term for making your phone run faster. IMPORTANT NOTE!!! Overclocking your phone too far can make it seize up or go into bootloops if done incorrectly! It can also make your phone run hot. BEWARE!!!!

PRL Preferred Roaming List: This is just an updated list of what cellphone towers have been added to the system. This means better coverage when updated
 
Cool, I searched glossary and only came up with a few, and buried deep in forums. And when I created the thread, only the four came up based on the title. I just thought maybe we could aggregate all the partial info scattered around in "All Things Root" forums in a general Android discussion like this. It also seems like the information would be more useful to a larger audience here.
 
EarlyMon said:
Here's a handy guide you can carry on your phone -

http://market.android.com/details?id=com.creativem.aglossary
Click to expand...

The XDA glossary is still quite technical. I was thinking more along the lines of NOOBs, though I don't like using that term except in a self deprecating style. If I find threads with a good discussion about a topic, I could link to it from the glossary.

Now that market app I am going to try out, that looks cool!!
 
pupkact said:
I recently crawled out of the Verizon Galaxy Nexus subforum and discovered that I was only seeing a portion of Android Forums. I have been spending a lot of time here in the Android Lounge and found the here I am not the dumbest person in the room:D! As such, I have been answering a lot of questions for new Android users and it is exiting to see them come in.

What I have found however is that a lot of experienced Android users speak a language not familiar to new users. So I answer a lot of questions such as "What is rooting?" or "What is a rom?," etc.

I searched and only found four very incomplete threads buried in "All Things Root" subforums and none very easy to read.

Am I missing something, or could we start a general index of common Android terms.

ADB- Android Developers Bridge: The program used to talk to your phone and give it commands (USE IT ONLY IF YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE LEARNING)

AOSP - Android Open Source Project, this is the source code on which all variants of Android are built. Nexus devises are the only devices that ship with AOSP. Many custom roms use AOSP.

bootloader - initiates the load of the kernal and rom

Brick- making a device useless so that it is rendered a mass of uselessness i.e. PWNED

custom rom - a rom developed by a third party for a specific device as an alternate to a stock rom

Flash/flashing - the action of "installing" a file that isnt normally installed by conventional means i.e. flashing a rom, flashing a radio, flashing a kernel, etc etc

Kernel - Easiest way to put it: it is the thing that manages your system resources. This puppeh can help make your phone run better and also overclock it.

Overclocking - Don't worry I wasn't gonna leave this term out. This is written for newbs so lets just say this is the term for making your phone run faster. IMPORTANT NOTE!!! Overclocking your phone too far can make it seize up or go into bootloops if done incorrectly! It can also make your phone run hot. BEWARE!!!!

PRL - Preferred Roaming List: This is just an updated list of what cellphone towers have been added to the system. This means better coverage when updated

Recovery- a useful tool that allows root users to flash roms, backup and restore, and do many other fantastic things to help keep your phone from becoming a brick.

rom - the phones operating system.

root / rooting - administrative access to you phone

root directory - Root is the base folder of your SD card. If you are told to place a file into root then this is what is meant.

stock rom - alt: stock - the rom the phone shipped with or has been updated by the manufacturer and / or carrier

Superuser- program which gives authority for another program to have Root access. Program examples are "setcpu", "terminal emulator", "auto killer memory optimizer"

Terminal Emulator - a program which simulates ADB and basically is a way to communicate with the phone and provide a command language that is for upper echelon (1337) users to helm.

This is just a start, correct me or add suggest additions in comments. And mods, if you think there is a better place for this, please move. If you think it should be a sticky, that would be way cool;).

Edit: Added new terms and alphabetized

Please note, many of these are suggested by other users or found throughout Android Forums, I am just compiling them and in some cases adapting them. If you want to give me credit, just give me credit for compiling them. As the dust settles I may reword some of them to give a more consistent feel to the glossary.
Click to expand...
I have created a sticky thread over on XDA... Android Terms,Slang & Definitions(READ THIS BEFORE POSTING QUESTIONS!) - xda-developers ,if you want to update your thread,i was gonna post this over here,but you got it covered pretty much,no need to step on toes.
 
Diablo67 said:
I have created a sticky thread over on XDA... Android Terms,Slang & Definitions(READ THIS BEFORE POSTING QUESTIONS!) - xda-developers ,if you want to update your thread,i was gonna post this over here,but you got it covered pretty much,no need to step on toes.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll start by adding your link to the OP. I would like to keep this index simple for newer users and some of the terms there may too XDA for many of the users I am gearing this for (e.g. SBC and YAFFS). I am going to politely as the poster over there if I can borrow some terms for this list (with credit ov course:)) and if he is OK with it, I'll integrate the ones that I like to fill in holes in my glossary.
 
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