Root Android newbie with questions

[RandomSanity]

Hello Everyone,

I hijacked another thread with some questions but I had a few more so I thought I'd make my own post. I read the sticky posts and a few root guides that did not fully answer my questions.

The Desire is my first Android phone and I'm quite satisfied with it aside from the abysmal amount of internal memory. As such I believe I'm going to root my phone this weekend and just have a few questions before I do.

I am a little confused with the A2SD functionality. I thought A2SD was an added function of Froyo but I've read several posts where it was implied that A2SD can be achieved through rooting alone, without updating to Froyo. Is this true?

Is it still worthwhile to update to Froyo at this point in time or would I be better off waiting for the official OTA update? My phone is Telus branded and I do not want to void the warranty if it can be avoided. Telus has a reputation for being notoriously slow.

I'm a bit overwhelmed with all the custom ROMs available, as I haven't been in the Android community for long. If it is recommended to update to Froyo, should I stick to stock or are the custom ROMs much better at this point in time? Which one is currently the best.

I am currently using Launcher Pro, as opposed to HTC Sense as I did not like the look of the HTC Sense dock at all. However, I do use a few of the HTC apps such as the mail and calendar app (along with pure grid widget and Calwidget)

Also almost completely unrelated but I'm using a 5 year old sim card and wondering if an update would improve my network performance at all. I don't seem to have trouble connecting to HSPA but rarely see it flick to 3g.

Thanks for your help!

 

[SUroot]

So many questions..

I'll try to address in order

I am a little confused with the A2SD functionality. I thought A2SD was an added function of Froyo but I've read several posts where it was implied that A2SD can be achieved through rooting alone, without updating to Froyo. Is this true?

There are 2 types of a2sd. a2sd is in froyo. It allows SOME apps (if the app developer has coded it) to be moved partially to SD card, saving a small amount of space.

a2sd has taken the name of the previous a2sd (now called a2sd+) which is available on rooted devices. a2sd+, which although older, is far superior. It will automatically install all apps on the sd card (and more of the apps too including the dalvik cache)

Is it still worthwhile to update to Froyo at this point in time or would I be better off waiting for the official OTA update? My phone is Telus branded and I do not want to void the warranty if it can be avoided. Telus has a reputation for being notoriously slow.

Froyo is much better speed wise than 2.1 and slightly better on battery. I would always recommend 2.2 over 2.1. What are telus like in giving updates?

I'm a bit overwhelmed with all the custom ROMs available, as I haven't been in the Android community for long. If it is recommended to update to Froyo, should I stick to stock or are the custom ROMs much better at this point in time? Which one is currently the best.

Thats a very subjective question. Having custom roms has its pro's and cons. Cons being often they are experimental. Pro's being they are much faster and as Android is open source, Android issues not fixed by Google or the phone manufacturer can often be fixed by custom rom developers.

I'm a big fan of custom roms.

Basically I see it like this. There are 2 types for the HTC desire. Once that are based on HTC sense (although some you can choose to not have it as part of the rom) and then there are vanilla android (totally no sense or htc apps of any kind).

I find the AOSP vanilla ones the fastes, but it looks totally different toteh HTC ones.

Modaco does a good Sense based Froyo Rom.
Defrost does a good Vanilla based froyo rom.

I am currently using Launcher Pro, as opposed to HTC Sense as I did not like the look of the HTC Sense dock at all. However, I do use a few of the HTC apps such as the mail and calendar app (along with pure grid widget and Calwidget)

I like launcher pro. Its a good launcher. If you went Custom Vanilla, you would still have the android calendar and mail apps, which are similar to the HTC ones. Same with SMS/MMS

Also almost completely unrelated but I'm using a 5 year old sim card and wondering if an update would improve my network performance at all. I don't seem to have trouble connecting to HSPA but rarely see it flick to 3g.

Thanks for your help!

New sims are always a good move. HSDPA is 3.5g. Its better than 3g. Generally where there is a 3g signal, there will be a HSDPA signal. This would explain why you dont see 3g much... Because you're getting teh better HSDPA.

Hope this helps a bit.

 

[EddyOS]

OpenDesire is better than DeFroST, probably the fastest non-Sense ROM available at present as AdamG compiled it from source as opposed to porting it (I know DeFroST is now AOSP too, but AdamG was the first and is the best - but I like Sense too much, I don't need to brag about Quadrant scores to boost my ego)

 

[SUroot]

Well actually defrost was based upon open desire until 3.x when it moved to cyanogen for enhanced camera abilities.

Its subjective which is the best but for me it is defrost. I only said defrost do a good rom, not that it was the best.

I'm not sure what you're saying about bragging about quadrant scores to boost ego. How would it do that? I only mention my quadrant score because it impresses me. How could that boost my ego?

Did I make the rom? No.

Is there anything that I have done to contribute to the quadrant score? No

Therefore, how is it even possible to have an ego based on something that has nothing whatsoever to do with me?

For the record, a quadrant score is a perfectly acceptable means of benchmarking. To me its the SANDRA equivalent for the Android world. There's nothing wrong with benchmarking. Its the corner stone of recognising how well software runs on hardware. The faster and better it runs, the better the user experience.

Yes, I am always on the look out for a fast rom, because it makes using my desire much more fun. It can do everything I want it to do and within a time frame that is acceptable. That is my prerogative, but I am also always on the look out for stability.

I fail to see any constructive points for the OP in your reply.

 

[lekky]

OD and DeFrost are basically the same, they are both cyanogen overclocked. Really, they are as good as each other. Preference for one over the other is usually down to your history with either rom.

 

[RandomSanity]

Thanks for the responses guys, I appreciate the help. I do have one more question though.

I understand from reading other posts that it is not a good idea to install an official ota update after you have rooted. Is this the same for installing the official HTC release of froyo? Does it happen because you've rooted or because of changes in custom roms?

Is updating a custom rom to a new version of froyo a painless process?

If so is there any way around this? I would like to install the official update when it releases, but I do not want to wait another couple months, as I am extremely limited on internal storage space.

Also, when you make a backup of your current phone state, does it backup the whole os so it would work similar to having the ruu? If I installed a custom rom and then restored a backup from today, would it undo the root and allow me to run the official update?

Thanks again!

 

[SUroot]

If you're rooted and use Nandroid backup through Rom manager / clockworkmod recovery, it is everything, like a PC image (Ghost). It would back up and restore EXACTLY how it is/was.

If you're running a custom ROM DO NOT OTA update. If you have a stock rooted rom, you may be able to install (not sure if you need a goldcard) but you will lose root.

If you want stock Froyo, best thing is to download and install an RUU. This will replace everything (including removing root).

 

[RandomSanity]

If you're rooted and use Nandroid backup through Rom manager / clockworkmod recovery, it is everything, like a PC image (Ghost). It would back up and restore EXACTLY how it is/was.

If you're running a custom ROM DO NOT OTA update. If you have a stock rooted rom, you may be able to install (not sure if you need a goldcard) but you will lose root.

If you want stock Froyo, best thing is to download and install an RUU. This will replace everything (including removing root).

Thanks again, your replies are always helpful. So if I decided to root now and install a custom/official froyo rom then I could in the future restore a backup from today and come back to 2.1 and receive the official OTA update on that? It would just require me to root again?

 

[SUroot]

The problem is, you need to be rooted to take the back up.

If you root using the unrevoked tool, this adds root to your existing rom, which will then allow you to boot into a custom recovery (clockworkmod) and take a back up.

As long as you have a custom recovery, you can restore that backuped).

If you ever flash with an RUU to an official rom, you would need to re-root using unrevoked.

 

[RandomSanity]

Thanks again. Will any custom ROM work on my version of the HTC Desire from Telus with the SLCD screen?

From what I gather the only difference is the recovery file will have to support the SLCD screen and the ROM itself doesn't matter, is this correct?

From: [TUT] Telus HTC Desire *UPDATED* - Windows Drivers, Root, Radio and ROM Instructions - xda-developers

Is this the most appropriate guide to follow?

I take it the recovery (clockwork or amen ra) is simply a tool that allows you to load custom recovery files and roms?

The instructions for rooting require a factory reset in the final stages, so I take it I'm supposed to do a backup before this step? After this I will have to re-download all my apps and widgets.

Sorry for asking so many questions, but I'd rather understand the process than just cluelessly follow a guide.

Is restoring a nandroid backup a similar process to installing a custom rom or ruu?