Root clueless NooB with ? About root and ROMS and what not

[luckyheel]

When using the root instructions you provided, is it necessary to download and install the iMoseyOn kernel, or can I just download the superuser application and get root?

Basically, all I want to be able to do at this point is remove the bloatware...I would assume, after rooting my Droid several months ago, that all I need to do that is get superuser access, right?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[trparky]

Yes, to root the phone all you need to do is install the Superuser package and you'd be rooted at that point.

But, once you boot back up into the OS CWM is removed from the phone and the stock recovery is restored. When you flash a third-party kernel such as iMoseyOn's kernel, the stock recovery isn't replaced upon boot.

 

[chrstdvd]

Thank you for this thread. I read it all then went over to the link and rooted my phone. Then I went to the Market and got all my Root Required apps and downloaded them, I was unable to get Easy Tether or Wireless Tether; however, I went into Titanium and restored them from the back ups.

As I understand this thread, I only changed Kernels and if I want to go back to stock, all I need to do is use the backup I created before I installed anything other than CMW. Correct?

 

[Rollincoal420]

iMoseyOn will be working on his kernel soon that's going to be based upon the source code that was released by Samsung. One of the things he's going to do is strip the kernel down to the bare essentials for the phone to work thus making the kernel fast and efficient.

Will it basically be running faster and smoother because it wont have a bunch of other crap to do, if it will be only doing the bare essentials? Hows that going to work and what kinda of differences will be noticed?

Partitions are logical separations that split the internal memory of the Droid Charge into parts where different areas of the operating system reside. Dalvik Cache is a part of the phone that stores fully compiled versions of the apps you run on your phone. Without it, the phone would be as slow as... Blackberries. But if you change things on your phone, you need to clear the Dalvik Cache and let the phone rebuild it which it does upon the first boot after you clear it.

I think thats over my head right now as I dont exactly know what all that means yet. Haha. But I dont think I cleared any of them things. Unless it did it on its own.

iMoseyOn took the default kernel that comes with the ROM and added things onto it. But, it's essentially still the stock kernel except with things bolted onto it. There are no custom kernels out yet.

So all the kernels out there are basically the same as far as performance wise, just maybe with different "bolt ons"? What other kernels are out there and what would be the advantages from one to the other? Is there any in the works thats going to be bada$$ or just amazing with its speed and the ability to multitask multiple apps, or be ultra smooth or just flat out amazing? I have notice that there seems to be a bit more lag or glitches after running iMoseyon's compared to pre-root gingerbread.

Where does "GummyCharge" fall into the equation? I've seen gummycharge for froyo and gingerbread 2.0 but I thought I was on gingerbread 2.3.

Voodoo stands for Voodoo Lag Fix, the act of converting the default file system used on the internal memory of the phone to EXT4 because the default file system's performance was atrocious.

How do I know if that was done or not and the benifits? I looked in my phone info and couldnt find anything saying EXT4 or anything similar.

Whats the default file system? And whats its purpose? There is alot more going on inside this phone than I thought and its kinda confusing but I think I' beginning to get a handle on how its working and how the different mods and changes affect what its got goin on.

 

[Rollincoal420]

P.S. This is fun

 

[trparky]

Will it basically be running faster and smoother because it won't have a bunch of other crap to do, if it will be only doing the bare essentials? How's that going to work and what kinda of differences will be noticed?

That is the theory, anyways.

So all the kernels out there are basically the same as far as performance wise, just maybe with different "bolt ons"? What other kernels are out there and what would be the advantages from one to the other? Is there any in the works that's going to be bada$$ or just amazing with its speed and the ability to multitask multiple apps, or be ultra smooth or just flat out amazing? I have notice that there seems to be a bit more lag or glitches after running iMoseyon's compared to pre-root gingerbread.

I don't think anyone else makes kernels for the Droid Charge other than iMoseyOn. I've never experienced those lags you talk about so I'm not sure what they could be caused by. Could be a number of different reasons including the combination of apps you have on the phone.

Where does "GummyCharge" fall into the equation? I've seen GummyCharge for Froyo and Gingerbread 2.0 but I thought I was on gingerbread 2.3.

GummyCharged (Team Liberty) is an example of a third-party ROM. Though, I'd stay away from it since that particular third-party ROM is based upon an older leak of Gingerbread so it's pretty unstable. When GummyCharged talks about 2.0, that's the ROM version not the Gingerbread version that it's base on.

How do I know if that was done or not and the benefits? I looked in my phone info and couldn't find anything saying EXT4 or anything similar.

What's the default file system? And what's it's purpose? There is a lot more going on inside this phone than I thought and it's kinda confusing but I think I'm beginning to get a handle on how it's working and how the different mods and changes affect what it's got going on.

The default file system is called RFS, it's like any other file system like FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, etc. It's what maps out where the files are located on the data storage device.

You are most likely running RFS since you (more than likely) didn't convert to RFS. Personally... I'd not mess with it, stay with RFS and don't convert to EXT4. The only reason why a number of us converted to EXT4 in the past was because RFS performance was atrocious but that's no longer the case. The Gingerbread update for this phone brought along with it a major performance increase in its file system layer so at this point I don't see a need to convert to EXT4 and neither should you.

 

[Rollincoal420]

Kool. where can someone keep up to date with new kernels, ROMs, updates, and what not? What about ways to make suggestion like including radio mods and such. Its something I would like but for now rather leave that to the experts.

 

[Rollincoal420]

Yes, to root the phone all you need to do is install the Superuser package and you'd be rooted at that point.

But, once you boot back up into the OS CWM is removed from the phone and the stock recovery is restored. When you flash a third-party kernel such as iMoseyOn's kernel, the stock recovery isn't replaced upon boot.

So if I understand this correctly, since I put imoseyon's kernel on it started with clockwork but if I just didsuperuser and reboot, then it would remove clockwork and return to stock?

 

[trparky]

Yes.

 

[dragonlady726]

So if I understand this correctly, since I put imoseyon's kernel on it started with clockwork but if I just didsuperuser and reboot, then it would remove clockwork and return to stock?

I haven't been able to get this to work. I started with imo kernel but changed my mind and wanted to go back to stock. I used cwm to restore from backup (pre-imo kernel) installed sdcard fix and superuser and ended up in a boot loop.

i had to use odin to flash cwm again and reinstall imo kernel to get past the boot animation. any ideas why i can't get back to stock kernel via cwm restore?

 

[trparky]

Did you enable Voodoo Lag Fix? If you've done that the file system is EXT4 and the stock kernel doesn't have EXT4 file system drivers, only RFS. iMoseyOn's kernel does have EXT4 file system drivers.

You need to convert back to RFS by disabling Voodoo Lag Fix, let it reboot so as to convert the partitions back to RFS, then you should be able to reload the default stock kernel.

 

[Rollincoal420]

Interesting. So I haven't noticed any difference with the imoseyon kernel over stock. So whats the difference should be? From what I'm seeing with my phone, why should I not have kept the stock kernel?

 

[dragonlady726]

Shoot, I knew I was missing something obvious. almost every thread says to disable lagfix. thanks. that fixed it.

 

[trparky]

Eventually... when one of the developers over on RootzWiki gets his kernel going (either iMoseyOn or imnuts), we will definitely see some improvements in performance.

Both of them have plans to enable swap support using the /system/preinstall portion of the phone (which usually has useless crap in it, like Let's Golf) to store the swap file. That would result in roughly 50 to 75 MB of swap space so that would help out with the RAM constraints of the phone and the whole redraw issue when coming back out of a memory intensive app.

That alone will be great!

 

[shobuddy]

I'm a newb to rooting. Had the Charge since May and have done a lot of research and reading but have not yet made any mods to the phone. Now w/EP4, I would like to get rooted. trparky, your instructions are quite helpful and seem pretty simple. I do have a few questions:

1. What is the difference between rooting with and without custom kernels. I see you've explained the following:
"You don't necessarily have to load a kernel to root your Droid Charge. The only thing you really need to do is flash the Superuser package and then you'd be rooted. Just remember that if you don't load a third-party kernel, the moment you boot back into your Android OS CWM (Clockwork) will be replaced with the default recovery environment."

So in layman's terms, whats the difference between CWM and the default recovery environment?

2. Howcome the same files can be used to root Gingerbread as were for Froyo? I thought phone companies try to stay one step ahead and therefore with EP4, would make modificiations, thus rooting would require either new files or a new procedure.

3. What does each file downloaded in the process do? I've looked in the download section of your site and I see the file descriptions. So since i don't fully get it, I would think all you would need is Odin and then the Superuser file to gain superuser access. What do the SDCard Fix and Clockwork Recovery files do?

4. Does this method of rooting make any modifications to the phone other than giving super user access?

Thank you, any input you can provide would be helpful.

 

[ztkryan]

To follow the previous post I am also a noob to all of this I have only had my charge for about a week. If you root your phone the first way (No Custom Kernel) is it possible to unroot your phone in the future for say a warranty claim?

What exactly does CWM (Clockwork) give you that the default recovery environment does not?

When rooting the second way is iMosey's EP4P (Custom Kernel) a step behind EP4D?

Finally when rooting the custom kernel way is there a way to get back to stock if a warranty claim was ever needed?

 

[dashosarcasm]

I just went through the process of rooting and everything seemed to go well, but for some reason whenever I connect my phone to my pc the sd card unmounts so I'm unable to put any files on the phone, any ideas on what i can do?

 

[Rollincoal420]

Ok, so is it possible to install roms, themes, other tweaks and such without the use of odin and a computer? Ie. Straight mobile?

I also been thinkin about a rom and heart good things about humble 5.0 and infinity. Basically found this page [Guide] RootzWiki *Official* List of Roms / Kernel's / Radios / Tweaks / Themes - RootzWiki

What about the v6 supercharger and other "tweaks" on that page?

Im not completely satisfied with the performance off my phone after the root and imoseyon kernel and was thinkin about goin back to stock kernel with superuser but would like to try out other options first.

I'm thinkin I may be starting to get the flashing bug!

To flash roms or themes, would I download to pc, drag to sd on handset, then boot phone into into recovery? mode (hold vol up and home while pushing power) to open into cwm, then select the zip file I intend to flash?