turbohobbit
Android Enthusiast
Launcher Pro mate. Buy it from the Market and off you go. You won't regret it 
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Root Need help - panicking now!
- Thread starter bingobango
- Start date
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- Tags
- htc desire
barefootpilot
Well-Known Member
Yep, LauncherPro for me to - recently been through a process of 'de-sensing', getting myself used to using non-sense and non-htc apps. In pretty much every case I've found the alternative to be better - much more customisable. Sense is like someone has taken apps and decided how to set it all up for you. It works well and its easy to use, but you can't change any of it.
Once you start looking at things like launcherpro (or any of the other similar stuff) you find there's lots more you can do. Want to change how many homescreens you have? no problems. Want to change the standard icons to something else? Ok, on you go then. Not happy with how the dock at the bottom of the screen looks? Design a new one and use that instead.
Now that I'm senseless (so to speak) I'm running out of excuses not to flash GingerVillain and apply the small fixes I need to make it work. Just can't quite get myself to do it yet.
Once you start looking at things like launcherpro (or any of the other similar stuff) you find there's lots more you can do. Want to change how many homescreens you have? no problems. Want to change the standard icons to something else? Ok, on you go then. Not happy with how the dock at the bottom of the screen looks? Design a new one and use that instead.
Now that I'm senseless (so to speak) I'm running out of excuses not to flash GingerVillain and apply the small fixes I need to make it work. Just can't quite get myself to do it yet.
bingobango
Well-Known Member
So Launcher is basically a different UI? And if I change it permamently to Launcher (i.e. make this the default action) - how can I change it back to sense?
Anyways thought I would write a bit about my experience and expectations of rooting and flashing a ROM.
I was surprised that Gparted didn't wipe my micro sd card altogether when I partitioned 1GB. Perhaps because I had 5gb or so free space left and it didnt need to delete anything? Using gparted, I didnt delete the FAT32 partition and create 2 new ones, I simply resized the existing FAT32.
I was surprised that the O2 initial splash screen was still there after flashing. I though flashing a new ROM would wipe this completely.
I didn't expect, upon booting my phone after installing leeDroid, that everything would be the same as before:
- my background, widgets (e.g. 3G watchdog), data/internet settings all remained intact - the music app even remembered the track I was last playing!
- all my apps were there and I didnt need to restore anything from titanium/mybackup
Maybe this was because I didnt do a full wipe before flashing the ROM?
I thought that by installing leeDroid, the entire theme would have changed to something different, guess I just thought this from seeing the screenshots on the leeDroid 2.3d xda thread. I guess you can download different themes somewhere?
I thought my internal memory would show up a nearly 1GB since this is what I partitioned. Currently it shows 77MB - although I have more apps installed now than before. How can I check that app2sd is working correctly and installing them to the ext3 1GB partition? If I install an app that is, say 5MB in size - my internal phone storage should not then be 72MB should it?
These aren't negatives - it's just interesting that my expectations were different.
In many ways I am really pleased that my phone is the same (on the surface) as before.
I wouldn't have thought that leeDroid had installed correctly if it wasn't for:
- the boot screen change
- the option to use sense or launcher
- the new apps installed such as ad free, car home,cifsanager, cleardefaults, gallery, java, spare parts, voice dialer - most of which I have no idea what they do!
- when powering down, now have the option to reboot (and reboot into recovery etc)
I'm glad I did it - even though I had a few minor issues with rooting and I look forward to see what I can do further..
Just made another nandroid backup, just in case...
Thanks for all the help with this, hopefully I can return the favour to those who are making this step.
Anyways thought I would write a bit about my experience and expectations of rooting and flashing a ROM.
I was surprised that Gparted didn't wipe my micro sd card altogether when I partitioned 1GB. Perhaps because I had 5gb or so free space left and it didnt need to delete anything? Using gparted, I didnt delete the FAT32 partition and create 2 new ones, I simply resized the existing FAT32.
I was surprised that the O2 initial splash screen was still there after flashing. I though flashing a new ROM would wipe this completely.
I didn't expect, upon booting my phone after installing leeDroid, that everything would be the same as before:
- my background, widgets (e.g. 3G watchdog), data/internet settings all remained intact - the music app even remembered the track I was last playing!
- all my apps were there and I didnt need to restore anything from titanium/mybackup
Maybe this was because I didnt do a full wipe before flashing the ROM?
I thought that by installing leeDroid, the entire theme would have changed to something different, guess I just thought this from seeing the screenshots on the leeDroid 2.3d xda thread. I guess you can download different themes somewhere?
I thought my internal memory would show up a nearly 1GB since this is what I partitioned. Currently it shows 77MB - although I have more apps installed now than before. How can I check that app2sd is working correctly and installing them to the ext3 1GB partition? If I install an app that is, say 5MB in size - my internal phone storage should not then be 72MB should it?
These aren't negatives - it's just interesting that my expectations were different.
In many ways I am really pleased that my phone is the same (on the surface) as before.
I wouldn't have thought that leeDroid had installed correctly if it wasn't for:
- the boot screen change
- the option to use sense or launcher
- the new apps installed such as ad free, car home,cifsanager, cleardefaults, gallery, java, spare parts, voice dialer - most of which I have no idea what they do!
- when powering down, now have the option to reboot (and reboot into recovery etc)
I'm glad I did it - even though I had a few minor issues with rooting and I look forward to see what I can do further..
Just made another nandroid backup, just in case...
Thanks for all the help with this, hopefully I can return the favour to those who are making this step.
SUroot
Extreme Android User
yes. You can just clear defaults from either launcher in manage applications. When you next press home, as there are no longer any defaults, you get to choose one.
If you resize, it wont wipe data, but its best to save the data and reformat it IMO.
Its on a different Section of the flash memory, so indeed, flashing a rom does not over write it. Only official RUU's rewrite recovery and Splash
Yes if you didnt wipe data your data is still there
Its still HTC Sense based. You can theme it using the online ultimate theme kitchen on XDA
[MOD][11/01] Ultimate Online Theme Kitchen (New Version 2b) --Make your own theme !! - xda-developers
Use quick system info from the market. Its a second location which the phone "Sees" as internal memory but does not report it as internal memory. It wills till go down. See the apps2sd+ FAQ in my sig
Menu > Settings> About phone would tell you what rom youre on
Cool
barefootpilot
Well-Known Member
LauncherPro is pretty much like a new UI yes, it will change your homescreens, dock app drawer etc. The advantage is all of this can be set up how you like.
Once you have selected 'use by default' from the dialog that pops up, you can remove this by going into 'manage applications', selecting the app eg LauncherPro or HTC sense, and clearing the defaults associated with the app (down the bottom of the page). This will make it prompt you for which to use again when you do an action that could be done by either app.
You're right that the reason everything is as it was before is that you didn't do a wipe. Wiping will take the phone back to 'out of the box' mode forcing you to restore apps and set it up like you had it before. Since you went from sense ROM to sense ROM this wasn't a problem - just don't try it if you want to install a ROM which is not SENSE based (like gingervillain or defrost).
In addition to a2sd you have the option to run settCPU which will allow you to over/under clock the processor. I must admit it was some time after I rooted before I looked at stuff like that.
One of the major benefits is the option to completely back up all apps, user data and take an image of the phone (nandroid backup). From this it's really easy to get you phone back to how it should be if anything happens to it. Also a good idea to back up your backups by copying the SD card.
Now that you have leedroid installed and working, and have made backups, you can easily flash a completely new ROM to your phone, look at how it works and then restore your phone to exactly how it is now in no time. If you want to see what sense is all about i recommend trying a non-sense rom like defrost or gingervillain, to see how the phone works without it.
Once you have selected 'use by default' from the dialog that pops up, you can remove this by going into 'manage applications', selecting the app eg LauncherPro or HTC sense, and clearing the defaults associated with the app (down the bottom of the page). This will make it prompt you for which to use again when you do an action that could be done by either app.
You're right that the reason everything is as it was before is that you didn't do a wipe. Wiping will take the phone back to 'out of the box' mode forcing you to restore apps and set it up like you had it before. Since you went from sense ROM to sense ROM this wasn't a problem - just don't try it if you want to install a ROM which is not SENSE based (like gingervillain or defrost).
In addition to a2sd you have the option to run settCPU which will allow you to over/under clock the processor. I must admit it was some time after I rooted before I looked at stuff like that.
One of the major benefits is the option to completely back up all apps, user data and take an image of the phone (nandroid backup). From this it's really easy to get you phone back to how it should be if anything happens to it. Also a good idea to back up your backups by copying the SD card.
Now that you have leedroid installed and working, and have made backups, you can easily flash a completely new ROM to your phone, look at how it works and then restore your phone to exactly how it is now in no time. If you want to see what sense is all about i recommend trying a non-sense rom like defrost or gingervillain, to see how the phone works without it.
bingobango
Well-Known Member
Just downloaded Launcher Pro - it was free on market thought you had to pay?
Anyone know how to uninstall launcher - the option is greyed out.
Also - when using launcher pro, on the home screen I choose to add a clock widget - but there is only 1 (analog clock) - where are the other ones?
Cheers!
Anyone know how to uninstall launcher - the option is greyed out.
Also - when using launcher pro, on the home screen I choose to add a clock widget - but there is only 1 (analog clock) - where are the other ones?
Cheers!
SUroot
Extreme Android User
You cannot use HTC sense Widgets on anything other than sense
Launcher is a system app. not easy to delete.
barefootpilot
Well-Known Member
There is only one clock available as the other ones were HTC sense widgets. It takes some getting used to, but the advantages of customisation in something like LauncherPro far outweigh the lack of built in widgets. Have a look in the market for other ones.
Saint2710
Well-Known Member
Have a look at these few screenshots of mine, I've tried to show you the differences, I've shown Sense, Launcher, LauncherPro and a Launcherpro with the launcher bar icons changed. Like everyone says the possibilities are endless...
Attachments
bingobango
Well-Known Member
Thanks Saint2710 - thats pretty good. I have been playing with Launcher Pro and I am starting to get the hang of it.
I use the default Mail client that came on the desire (I use it for hotmail). I like the fact when I get an email in, I get a green (1) that sits in the mail icon on the home screen.
For launcher pro I put the mail icon on the home screen - but when I get an email in - the green 1 doent appear. But it does when I load sense.
Hope that makes sense - anyone know why it doesnt appear, and how to make it appear?
I use the default Mail client that came on the desire (I use it for hotmail). I like the fact when I get an email in, I get a green (1) that sits in the mail icon on the home screen.
For launcher pro I put the mail icon on the home screen - but when I get an email in - the green 1 doent appear. But it does when I load sense.
Hope that makes sense - anyone know why it doesnt appear, and how to make it appear?
EddyOS
Android Expert
If you like the standard HTC clock/weather widget (as I do) then download this and use it - it's a direct copy of the HTC one and was on the Market until HTC had them remove it!!
Download FancyWidget.apk from Sendspace.com - send big files the easy way
Download FancyWidget.apk from Sendspace.com - send big files the easy way
barefootpilot
Well-Known Member
I use gmail. My email address is hotmail but I have it forwarded to gmail so it can be pushed to the phone. Gmail is one of the icons on my launcherpro dock, and it comes up with a notification on it to say there are unread emails (and sms).
From the homescreen if you go into menu, preferences, dock settings
is the unread gmail count option ticked?
From the homescreen if you go into menu, preferences, dock settings
is the unread gmail count option ticked?
SUroot
Extreme Android User
yeah this. There is an unread message count in LP somewhere
This thread has gone massively off topic now.
bingobango
Well-Known Member
Apologies about the off topic(ness) of this thread! - Feel free to change the thread title!
So if I sent my hotmail to my gmail account. Can you reply to the hotmail email from the gmail account? I have a gmail account but never use it.
So if I sent my hotmail to my gmail account. Can you reply to the hotmail email from the gmail account? I have a gmail account but never use it.
barefootpilot
Well-Known Member
Not sure I agree, given the topic was 'need help - panicking now'. OK the op possibly isn't 'panicking' about his loss of unread email notification but arguably does still need help.....
In gmail go into settings, accounts and import and add your hotmail as a pop3 email account. You can set the 'reply as' option to hotmail by default too so when you reply from the phone it will come from this address.
Deleting email on the phone does not delete email from the server. I like it this way but others want their inboxes synced, there's a way to do this too I'm sure.
Eris Ed
Android Expert
Another great walkthrough guide! Good stuff!
@bingobango - at the risk of treading the fine line between blatant self-promotion and selfless helpfullness, take a look at the LauncherPro FAQ in my signature - it answers all the questions you asked about it.
The "Launcher" option with LeeDroid is basically a custom launcher/UI based on LauncherPro that's built into the ROM, along with HTC Sense, giving you an initial choice. Best advice is to use the LP from the Market (so you receive updates) and upgrade to the Plus version so you have access to LP widgets, which are very similar to the Sense widgets you no longer have access to.
@bingobango - at the risk of treading the fine line between blatant self-promotion and selfless helpfullness, take a look at the LauncherPro FAQ in my signature - it answers all the questions you asked about it.
The "Launcher" option with LeeDroid is basically a custom launcher/UI based on LauncherPro that's built into the ROM, along with HTC Sense, giving you an initial choice. Best advice is to use the LP from the Market (so you receive updates) and upgrade to the Plus version so you have access to LP widgets, which are very similar to the Sense widgets you no longer have access to.
InfernalByte
Android Expert
Another great walkthrough guide! Good stuff!
@bingobango - at the risk of treading the fine line between blatant self-promotion and selfless helpfullness, take a look at the LauncherPro FAQ in my signature - it answers all the questions you asked about it.
When I first joined this forum I thought that sigi's were just people showing off, but I quickly realized how helpfull some of them can be, which is why mine is the way it is. Blatant promotion or selfless helpfulness? It don't matter.