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[International / GSM] Rooting NOOB - ROM vs. Kernal

wysts43

wysts43

Well-Known Member
I had unlocked/rooted my GN, but quickly reverted back to stock when i could not figure out what to do next... out of fear. I have done more research and plan on diving back in this weekend with a little more confidence. Quick (probably dumb) question though....

Can someone please explain the difference between a rom and a kernal. I plan on flashing the AOKP rom, but i am fairly clueless as to what a Kernal is and what flashing a kernal does. Can anyone help for this new rooter? Thanks guys!
 
A kernel is a low-level piece of software that basically manages interactions between the software and the hardware of the phone.. this means it can manage CPU, memory, etc. That's why some kernels like Franco and lean kernel are claimed to give better battery life.. because they handle resources differently.

A ROM is basically the firmware or operating system of the phone. So like Android 4.0.2, or AOKP, or CyanogenMod, etc.
 
So, in my case, after i flash the AOKP rom (new OS basically), i can flash various kernals to further modify the performance?

Thanks to all who contribute and make this process easier for people like me!
 
wysts43 said:
So, in my case, after i flash the AOKP rom (new OS basically), i can flash various kernals to further modify the performance?

Thanks to all who contribute and make this process easier for people like me!
Click to expand...

Yes correct.
The kernel usually comes with a custom rom
But you may also flash a new kernel for a good
Combination try liquid smooth with a lean kernel.
 
Well alright.... rooted and installed AOKP rom last night. Everything has been awesome! Really have no idea why i waited so long to root! I also just flashed the latest Franco kernel. Now can someone please guide me as to what exactly i can do with this kernel? Are there settings for it somewhere? for the overclocking, do you have to download a third party app? What else am i missing? Thanks again everyone!
 
wysts43 said:
Well alright.... rooted and installed AOKP rom last night. Everything has been awesome! Really have no idea why i waited so long to root! I also just flashed the latest Franco kernel. Now can someone please guide me as to what exactly i can do with this kernel? Are there settings for it somewhere? for the overclocking, do you have to download a third party app? What else am i missing? Thanks again everyone!
Click to expand...

AOKp lets you control those things without another app. Go to Settings > ROM Control > Performance.

Franco also has a paid app that updates his kernel and offers some other settings, I think it's only a dollar or two, so if you find you really like his kernels, buying that to a) support his work and b) update your kernel easier is probably a great idea.
 
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