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So I'm rooted.. Now what?

Preface: I've been monkeying with phones since I did seem edits on my RAZR, jailbroke my 3G, etc. so I understand the basics of hacking a phone.

I understand the point of rooting, but I'm still in need of some guidance.

I havent seen any replacement ROMs for the Captivate, or the 2.2 update.
I've rooted, like the OP, but I'm ignorant of what functions would be most useful now.

What are some useful apps for rooted phones?
(I'm still looking thru the market...ex-Iphone user)

Whats the point of relocating apps/cache/etc to the SD?
Faster? Just plain neato factor?

Is there an app I can now download that will allow me to install
apps from the web or did rooting address that?

Will most Android apps run on the Captivate/Galaxy S?
If not, are there apps for particular android phones we should look
look for?

Are there any large collections of non-market apps?
If so, is it a webpage? An App we need to download?


For the OP:

Here's the basic list from Android Wiki:

  1. Full control over your system
  2. Ability to alter system files. You can replace many parts of the "Android Core" with this including:
    • Themes
    • Core apps (maps, calendar, clock etc)
    • Recovery image
    • Bootloader
    • Toolbox (linux binary that lets you execute simple linux commands like "ls") can be replaced with Busybox (slightly better option)
    • Boot images
    • Add linux binaries
  3. Run special apps that need more control over the system
    • SuperUser (lets you approve or deny the use of root access to any program)
    • Task Manager For Root (Lets you kill apps that you otherwise could not kill)
    • Tether apps (like the one found at [android-wifi-tether.googlecode.com])
    • <there are more but I cannot think of any right now>
  4. Backup your system
    • You can make a folder on your sdcard and backup all of your .apk files to your sdcard (helps if an author decides to "upgrade" you to a version that requires you to pay to use the version you just had)
  5. Relocate your (browser/maps/market) cache to your /sdcard
  6. Relocate your installed applications to your /sdcard
  7. Reboot your phone from the terminal app easily (su <enter> reboot <enter>)
What Do I Lose Having Root


  1. The ability to accept OTA updates (well, you can but you would lose root, so its been made so they get denied)
  2. The sense that someone else controls your phone
  3. The need to sit in an Android chat channel asking how to get root
  4. The need for a stupid useless "File Manager" that lets you see filenames but almost nothing else.
  5. The ability to have a knowledgeable conversation with a T-Mobile rep about your phone. (Ask one of them to spell root for you)
 
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