30 replies to this topic

[daskalos]

Hello Guys
For the past months, I have been providing various ROMs for B7610 and sometimes i8000's
I would like to thank everyone who have offered their gratitude by thanking my work or by donating...
The last spare B7610 device I am using to test my ROM is now gone,so this is maybe the time to share my knowledge about ROM cooking.

There maybe an easier or even a harder way of cooking B7610 ROMs other than my method, but as far as I know,my methods below worked for me and provided custom ROMs that, some of you,tried, used and loved...

As far I can, I will try to make my instructions simple and possibly avoid those technical terms that may lead you in thinking of another set of questions again...

In my upcoming tutorial:

- learn how to cook 6.1,6.5,6.5.3 and 6.5.5 with ease
- learn how to cook Sense ROMs
- learn how to add your own apps in the ROM
- My personal and secret tweaks

Tutorials Available
- Cooking 6.1,6.5,6.3,6.5 ROMs @ post #2
- Cooking Lite ROMs @ post #3
- How to Add 3rd Party Applications in the ROM @ post #4
- Cooking Errors and Possible fixes @ post #7

Edited by daskalos, 18 May 2011 - 06:29 PM.

[daskalos]

Cooking 6.1,6.5,6.3,6.5 ROMs

Thanks to the following people who had helped me when I started cooking:

wes58
Gary Crutcher

I would try to make my instructions simple.
Before we begin you need the following accounts and tools:

1. Register( sign up as a member) @ Modaco.com and xda-developers.com

2. I8000 kitchen: http://www.modaco.co...ld-application/
-download these 3 files there
a. i8000kitchen3.0.rar ( 1.27MB )
b. romTool3.0.1.rar ( 25.23K )
c. cabarc.rar ( 34.42K )

3 .disk dump utility: http://www.modaco.co...60/dskdump-2-0/

4. Preferred Windows Mobile Build:
WM 6.5-6.5.3/5 http://forum.xda-dev...ad.php?t=650783
WM 6.1 http://forum.xda-dev...ad.php?t=547314
(builds are those files that members upload or linked in file sharing sites,usually in RAR archives)

What is it: It is simply the core system files of a Windows Mobile ROM. Your device won't boot without this set of files. It is recommended to use the latest builds for stability and performance. Windows 6.1, 6.5 and 6.5.3 have their own line up of builds. A larger build number doesn't necessary mean that it is the latest. Different release numbers of a single build line up (like in 6.5 & 6.5.3) is due to their different origins (htc,SE,samsung etc.)
(for in-depth understanding of WM builds please read here: http://forum.xda-dev...ad.php?t=544445

Things to remember in choosing a build:
-Decide on what build you'll be working on (6.1 or 6.5/3/5)
-It is recommended to use the latest (latest release date) build.
-If majority of people reported a certain build is buggy, stay away from it.
-If majority of people reported a certain build is stable and good, try it


5. XIP.bin Generator http://www.mediafire...9m2kgh8lxjeb4k1


Cooking Custom ROMs



1. ROM DUMPING

First, you must dump your Official ROM. What is dumping and why dump? Well dumping is the process that generates a single file (rom_dump.bin) that can be dissected, edited and in the end rebuilded by the tools available in a ROM kitchen. The generated dump file is like a "package" that contains the files that make up a ROM. We dump the ROM because it is "easier" to modify it this way. Also extracting .bin in Samsung MST format and using it with the kitchen will just give errors.Remember to first flash any official ROMs, and then dump it.Also before dumping to set the languange of the device to the languange you prefer, as you can only make a custom ROM with one available language. Please read on how to dump the rom correctly, and if you have the dump, proceed in reading this tutorial.

Easy Steps:
a. Flash to your preffered OFFICIAL ROM
b. Set your preferred language
c. Dump it

Tips:
It is recommended to dump the latest Official ROMs for your ROM cooking. Other chef's ROMs can be dumped too, BUT, please DON'T do so,out of respect for the chef's hard work oN his custom ROM. You may do this if your aim is to use the ROM personally, but if your gonna dump a custom ROM, edit it and release it as your own, that's very RUDE.
In my ROMs I always use the Official JC2,cause for me, its the best build, well we have our own preferences.

2. Setting up your Kitchen

You should have downloaded the 3 files i specified above: Extract the contents of i8000kitchen3.0.rar (it contains one major folder,named "i8000kitchen") preferably in the root of your any of your computer drive (C:/,D:/,E:/ etc.). If you chose drive C, then it should be in this directory C:/i8000kitchen. Now,go back to your downloaded files, open romTool3.0.1.rar and extract the content to i8000kitchen and overwrite the existing romTool.exe.Lastly go back your downloads, open cabarc.rar, extract content and place it in the Tools folder inside your kitchen (location is i8000kitchen/_Template/Tools.
Now this folder is your kitchen. All tools you need to make your custom ROM is in here.

Easy Steps:

d. Extract the i8000kitchen folder from i8000kitchen3.0.rar to the root of your chosen drive (c,d,e etc.)
e. Extract romTool.exe from romTool3.0.1.rar and place it in inside i8000kitchen folder. Allow overwriting existing romtool.exe
f. Extract cabarc.exe from cabarc.rar and place it in i8000kitchen/_Template/Tools

Tips:

I recommend that you choose the drive which have the most available free space. Trust me, if you'll be serious about rom  cooking,in time, your drive will be accumulating so much files from your new hobby.
Also, you can rename the i8000kitchen folder to ANY names you preferred (I often rename it as B7610kitchen). But please do not modify the name of any other folders and files inside, doing so will just mess up your kitchen.


3. Preparing your Windows Build (WM 6.1,6.5.3/5) for Porting.

This section requires two major procedures: Preparing the WM Build and Generating XIP.bin

I. Preparing the WM Build

Quote

Official B7610 ROMs are available in WM 6.1 and 6.5. If your going to make a custom 6.1 ROM with a latest 6.1 build, please dump the official 6.1 ROM. If your going to make a custom 6.5 ROM with a latest 6.5-6.5.3/5  build, please dump the official 6.5 ROM. Also, again before dumping, to change your device language to the one you prefer

Now you should have your downloaded a build(in rar,zip or 7zip package from xda or other sites).
When you explore the archive, you will usually see these 4 folders:

-0409 (This build is in World Wide English, if your going to cook a rom in another language, please see tips below)
-COMMON
-LangDB
-MSXIPKernel
-MSXIPKernelLTK

The first folder (0409) contains Windows Mobile Language files (they provide the languange of all apps,GUI,help files etc. of the build. 0409 is WWE or World Wide English)

The second folder(COMMON) contains Windows Mobile Core Sytem files(the files you see when you browse your device' /Windows directory and what makes the WM Operating System).

Skip the third folder(you have no use for it in cooking with B7610)

The last two folders (MSXIPKernel,MSXIPKernelLTK) make up what we call the XIP (they call it the heart of WM OS) for thorough explanation about XIP please read.You'll be needing it later to generate xip.bin

To make your proper build folder for your kitchen (so that it may be recognize by rom tool), create a new folder inside  i8000kitchen/_Template. Rename the folder to this format: SYS_XXXXX (what the heck is XXXXX? It's the build number, for example, if your downloaded wm build has a build number which is 12345, you must rename your folder to SYS_12345)
If your folder is ready open your downloaded build package. Extract all contents of the 0409 folder inside your newly made SYS_XXXXX folder.After successfully extracting the contents of 0409 in SYS_XXXXX,carefully delete folders that have _0409_DPI_96, _480_RESV_640, _240_RESV_320 and _240_RESV_400 on their names (they are for devices with other screen resolutions, you don't need it)

Now go to COMMON folder (in your downloaded build) and extract all contents to your SYS_XXXXX folder. After extracting all files to SYS_XXXXX, carefully delete folders that have _DPI_96, _resh_480_resv_640 and _resh_240_resv_320 on their names (they are for devices with other screen resolutions, you don't need it)

Your rom tool friendly package folder is ready. You may delete some packages (folders) inside, but it will be discuss in making a lite ROM section. For beginners, practice making full roms first before making lite ones.

Tips:

If your cooking a ROM in another languange, it will be a little tricky, because most available builds for download only contain English language (0409). If your going to cook 6.1 and 6.5 ROMs, you can try using the  language files of your own Official build (it will be explained further in the cooking process). This usually works with no or less glitches.

But it gets trickier when cooking 6.5.3 and 6.5.5,you have to download the last 6.5.3/6.5.5 build package that included all different language files and use them. That package is usually named "Rollup" packages and you must search for in somewhere in xda.

II. Generating XIP.bin

Now It's time to generate your xip.bin. Using the correct xip.bin is essential to make your custom rom boot. It contains drivers that make your device boot and generally affects the performance of the device. First (from your downloads) open BuildXIP.7zip and extract BuildXIP folder (which can be called an XIP "kitchen") preferrably in i8000kitchen folder. Explore the BuildXIP folder and you will see a MXIPKernel folder. Now go back to your downloaded build, open the included MXIPKernel folder and extract all contents to the MXIPKernel folder of the XIP "kitchen" (confused? you'll have to extract the files to i8000kitchen/BuildXIP/MXIPKernel). Allow overwriting of all files.

Now go back to your downloaded build. Open MXIPKernelLTK and extract the file d92a4.....dsm to i8000kitchen/BuildXIP/OEMdrivers/MXIPKernelLTK. Allow overwriting.

You are now ready to generate your XIP.bin. Go to BuildXIP folder and click Buildxip.bat. Follow instructions (it's just click to continue) and the xip.bin will be generated in the same folder. After generating xip.bin, go to i8000kitchen/_Template/XIPtools and create a new folder and renamed it in this format XIP_XXXXX (remember that XXXXX name must be THE SAME with your created build package; so if your build package name folder is SYS_12345,your xip folder must be XIP_12345 too). Place your generated xip.bin to that folder (XIP_XXXXX)



Tips:

It is essential to backup your generated xip.bin for referrence. If you're going to use another SYS/XIP build, you'll have to create seperate folders for them in the same format above. This will make your kitchen organize and porting much easier.

Some downloadable builds already contain xip.bin. You can also use it, but if you'll have issues with it, generate another xip.bin with the procedure above.

If your kitchen,rom dump, package build and xip.bin are ready, you are now ready to cook your first custom ROM

4. Cooking your first Custom ROM

Quote

Compatibility of Tools:
I have tested all tools to work on Vista/Windows 7 x64/x32 ULTIMATE (haven't had the chance of working with XP or other Vista/W7 builds). You need to install java I think. Log In as Administrator and turn off UAC and DEP for tools(if your computer applied it). Tested in Turion and Intel processors in PC, laptops and netbooks (Intel Atom N450 ABOVE). Though it's quite slow in Core i7 (maybe because it was made before Core i's where introduce,thus some incompatibility).

Issues I encountered was some resolution problem in Extended Reloc and a netbook with a maximum screen resolution of 1024 x 600 (1024 x 800 above is recommended, or else you won't see the bottom options of Extended Reloc)

Before we start:
Still remember the rom_dump.bin you generated from using dskdump? Place it in i8000kitchen/_Template. (remember to make a backup of your dump and rename your backup with details so you can identify what official ROM you got it)

Remember, you should have prepared your kitchen, package build and xip.bin according to the instructions I have given in section 4, or you'll have errors and other issues.

ROM Cooking Proper

g. Open romTool.exe in i8000kitchen folder. Obviously it will launch the ROMtool application (if not see tips below).Go to "Dump PDA File" tab and Set your work folder to this directory c:\i8000kitchen\_Template\ (assuming that you place your kitchen in the root of your C: drive). Then click "Manual Realloc. of Modules" checkbox.

h. Click "Select File" box and select your rom_dump.bin. Wait for a few seconds until the location of the .bin file is showed in "Source Pda nb0/nb:", then hit "Run" box. Just wait for the tools to make their magic . Wait for the dialog box to say "Done... Check for Error Messages." If there are errors or crashing pls. see "common errors in rom cooking"

Quote

After the process above check you i8000kitchen\_Template folder. You'll notice that you have two new folders: OEM and SYS. Congratulations, you have successfully dump and repackage the files from your rom_dump.bin.

Now what are they?

-OEM folder contains Samsung Applications, device hardware drivers and Customizations. You can modify it yo your liking and replace/remove SOME files. But in this section, we'll be cooking a Full rom with updated WM Build, so leave it for now. Customizations will be discussed in other sections

-SYS folder contains the WM Build packages that was officially used in the ROM. Also, you can modify it yo your liking and replace/remove SOME files. But in this section, we'll be cooking a Full rom with updated WM Build, so leave it for now. Customizations will be discussed in other sections

So back in cooking

i. Click "Build PDA file" tab in rom tool.

- Skip renaming "PDA Version" cause it won't work on B7610 dump(it works on i8000 dump). Select the SYS version you'll be using in the drop box just below the x button of ROM tool ("SYS:"). Remember the SYS_xxxxx folder you made earlier? Select it now. If you still want to use the official SYS build from your dump, just select [SYS].

-In "New ROM (nb0) File:" type the name the custom rom you'll be making. (although after selecting the SYS build, it will generate a name for you).

-In "Other Options" you can change Page Pool, just tick the Change Page Pool Value box and type your new page pool (I usually go for 9 or 10). Other options in Build PDA File will be discussed in other sections.

j. Check the dialog box below. See if ROM tool has found a TIMEBOMB or BETA keys in so-so registry entry. If none, click "Run" box. Wait until buildos.exe launches.

k. BuildOS rebuilds ROM files and lets you select/add third applications so that when rebuilding the ROM, they may be be included. Adding 3rd party applications will be discussed in another section. For now, just press the "play" button. If you encountered errors while using BuidOS, see "common errors in rom cooking". Otherwise, wait for "Done" message just below BuildOS. close BuildOS. Wait until Extended Reloc launches.

l. In Extended Reloc go to "Options" tab. Make sure that the boxes checked are like below:



If you're making a 6.5/.3/.5 rom select "WM 6.5". If you're making 6.1, select "WM 6.1/6.5". Click "Save Options" button. (you only have to set this up once).

-Go back to the "Work" tab. Click "Open ROMHDR +  .vm + .ROM" button.

-Now click "Import XIPPort" Button (it will launch XIPPort, don't close it)

-Now click "Realloc V (DLL)" Button. Wait for it to finish. Then Go back to "Work" Tab.

-double click "physlast" dialog box to highlight the code, then click "Realloc NK.EXE...ETC.." button. Wait for it to finish.

-Now go to XIPPort that launched a while ago and click "realloc P" button.Go back to "Work" tab.

-In work tab, you'll see a WHITE line separating "Work with XIP" and "Work with IMGFS" columns. Drag the white line to the left to reveal "Work with IMGFS" options. Click "Realloc IMGFS modules" button. Wait for it to finish; if the end of dialog box reports no errors, exit Extended Reloc.

m. After exiting Extended Reloc, a DOS box will open showing you that it is building your custom ROM. Just have patience,DON'T CLOSE ANYTHING. In rom tool dialog box (Build PDA File), wait for it to say "Done...Check for Error Messages". If there are no errors in building, you can check your output folder (i8000kitchen\_Template\Finished ROM for the .nb0 file.

Congratulations, that is your first custom ROM. Flash it with OCTANs Mini and see if your device will boot with your own custom ROM or not.


Tips:
-In the whole process of rom cooking (STEPS G-M), DON'T Close Rom Tool. If it's not responding,just wait for a few seconds or maybe a few minutes until it does.

-If ROM Tool does not respond completely or crashes specially in the last few process of cooking, pls check if your SYS_XXXXX folder is still in i8000kitchen\_Template. If not, it was not succesfully renamed because of the crash. If a SYS folder exists, then it's your original SYS_XXXXX, rename it to SYS_XXXXX before working all over again

-Don't panic if your device doesn't boot. I have encountered my device not booting from my test ROMs MANY (x2) times. Just flash your device with an official or custom ROM and your device will be alright. (I'm not saying B7610 is brick proof,just in my experiences,it's hard to brick it from flashing custom ROMs; well you can possibly brick it by removing usb connections while in the flashing process or adding something in your custom roms that brick your device. Unless it can't
go to download mode, it's bricked.)

Edited by daskalos, 11 May 2011 - 11:10 AM.

[daskalos]

Cooking Lite ROMs

If you're successful in cooking a booting, full custom ROM, it's time you learn about Cooking Lite ROMs.

What is a lite ROM and Why do most people like them?

First the term "LITE" is an alteration of the word "light". It means less, like in Lite Cola (less calories).
A lite ROM just means a ROM with has significantly less files and customizations than official ROMs.

So why most people go for Lite ROMs?
Reasons are:

1. It's fast-Since Lite ROMs contains less files, the System works faster because it handles less resources. Especially in the Windows Mobile System, the lesser files in the ROM, the faster it is (you can try my Experiment and MegalitEx ROMs to see what I mean)

2. Bloatwarez are removed- Applications or files present in an official ROM that you don't use, is considered bloatware. They just eat up your device's storage memory.

3. It's fully customizable.

4. It can be flash in the device less than a minute.

5. It can be easily downloaded and uploaded (for chefs).

6. Some removed files can be installed in Storage Card or other Storage.

WHAT FILES TO DELETE

When you dump and re-package your rom_dump.bin it will generate files and packages in OEM and SYS folders. As I said in the ROM cooking tutorial, you can delete some of the files and packages and still a booting ROM.

What files can you delete inside OEM folder?

Inside the OEM Folder, you have these sub-folders:

GSM
OEM_DPI_192
OEM_Lang_0409
OEMApps
OEMDrivers
OEMDriversHigh
OEMMedia
OEMMIS
OEMPhone

You can safely delete files from these folders:

OEM_Lang_0409 - You can delete all
OEMApps- You can delete about 99% files

Now what files can be deleted in OEMApps files:

As I said you can delete about 99% files in OEMApps. To easily identify these files, you can download my "MegalitEX apps" and use the cabs as basis on what files to delete in OEMApps folder.Just explore the MegalitEx cabs with "WINCE Cab Manager" and take note of all files and registry entries inside. All the files and registry entries inside every MegalitEx cab can be deleted from OEMApps.

You can also delete all ...test.exe files in OEMDriversHigh.

Tips:

-The registry entries can be found in the .rgu file in OEMApps.

-Don't delete modules from OEMDrivers and OEMDriversHigh,as they are hardware drivers

-If an application didn't work on your custom lite ROM, the 'cause will be likely that you deleted one (or more) of its dependecy


What files can you delete inside SYS folder?

See this link about what files/packages can be deleted in SYS folder: http://www.techparai...indows-phone-os

Edited by daskalos, 18 May 2011 - 06:18 PM.

[daskalos]

HOW TO ADD THIRD PARTY APPLICATIONS IN YOUR ROM

Most of us would like to have 3rd party applications include in the ROM for convinience or to complement other 3rd party apps you cooked in (like Sense). To add 3rd party apps, you need to make a package folder of the application you want to add that must be compatible with OSbuild app in the kitchen folder.

An application package folder must contain all the dependecies of the application,a .rgu and a .dsm file.

The easiest way of making a package is by converting a cab file into a package automatically.
You can do this by using OEMizer tool http://tiermann.net/...c...=2&Itemid=2.

Easy steps in using OEMizer tool:

(Make a new folder anyware in your computer and label it OEMizer. Then inside the folder create another folder and name it OEMizer Tool. Place OEMizer tool there).

1. Launch OEMizer.
2. In the "Folder:" type the name of your package folder you'll be creating. It's essential that you add zzzz at at the beginning of the name. Let's say you named it: "zzzzTest App"
3. In "Name:" type the preffered name (of the package) that will appear in BuildOs. Let's say it's "Test App"
4. Check "Files & Shortcuts" checkbox and double click "Files & Shortcuts".
5. Click "Import Cab..." and locate the application cab.
6. A dialog box will open that shows the files inside the cab, where the files will go upon installation and included reg entries (if present). Check if the infos are correct and if not, edit them (make sure you know what you are doing). Then click "Import".
7. Review "OEM Info" and "Files & Shortcuts". If all is ok, click "Create OEM" and wait for some few seconds. Check the log box. If you see "++++ Work Complete! ++++" then you have successfully created your package.
8. Go to OEMizer folder. A folder named "OEM" will be generated. Inside this folder contains the application package you created (folder package named "zzzzTest App"). Now transfer the package in the OEM folder of your kitchen before cooking. When BuildOS launches, the 3rd party app will be listed with a checkbox, which you can mark/unmark. Marking it will include the app in the your ROM (cooked in).


Tips:

-Why add zzzz in the folder name? Because in the process of rebuilding the OS, packages are rebuilded alphabetically. Adding zzzz in your application package will ensure that your app will be cooked last. This way, if your added app contains a reg entry that is a modified version of an existing entry in SYS or OEM, the reg change can be successfully cooked in.

-If OEMizer crashes when importing a cab, this means there are multiple files with the same file names present inside the cab or an incorrect reg entry. You have to manually delete the file/s and edit the reg entry.

- If your cooked 3rd party app doesn't work in the ROM, it means dependencies are missing or in an incorrect directory or reg entries incorrect.

-You can only cook in your files in Device \Windows (and sub folders) directory (Not \Storage Card or other storages)

Edited by daskalos, 18 May 2011 - 06:26 PM.

[daskalos]

(reserved) My ROM Tweaks

[daskalos]

(reserved) Adding your preffered apps

[daskalos]

Cooking Errors and Possible fixes

You may encounter some errors when running different tools in the ROM kitchen. In my experience, below are some errors I encountered and their fixes:

Pkgtool.exe crashing
- Replace romTool.exe with another copy

romTool.exe crashing
- Open task manager and kill explorer.exe in processes. Then launch it again by going to File,New Task (Run) and type explorer.exe

BuildOS errors:

"temp\dump\[file name]" is a directory, not a file
-Two files of the same name exists, but the other file is a module (ex. a dll file that is in a folder format). Just delete any of the two, but not both.

"temp\dump\[file name]" already exists.
-Two files of the same name (or multiple files) exists somewhere in your OEM and SYS folders. If they are just the same files (duplicates) just delete the duplicates and leave only one (use your search panel to locate these files).

user.hv error
-a registry entry is causing this error, especially when adding third party application packages. Check it's reg entry for incorrect format/entries.

Clicking Realloc P gives memory full errors
-try solution for romTool.exe crashing: if it doesn't work, save your files and restart your computer

Edited by daskalos, 11 May 2011 - 01:39 PM.

[daskalos]

reserved

[daskalos]

reserved

[daskalos]

reserved

[ddpove]

Thank you, Daskalos.  You have made a great effort in keeping this section alive for B7610.  Nice that you pass the torch now.

[Princeagarwal]

awesumm
its the best thing that cud happen to this dying community

[jappoman]

yes, i want to start to cooking something good

[kaspy]

that is so nice , my dear brother , you have done so much for the community , and you are still doing it ..
we all love ur work and respect you ,
have a great time

[20x]

Breaking The Magician's Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed

[kaspy]

it will be great to learn something good.
hope to see the tutorials soons

[ydnarp]

wonderful share, kabayan...bookmarked...

[daskalos]

post updated

[daskalos]

if anyone have successfully cooked his first custom ROM by following my guide, please report so

[stahulko]

Hi Dask.

When will you cook new rom for us? I am using your 23151 rom from date you released it and I must say it is the best 6.5.3 rom I ever had. But I want to try something new and maybe better rom than I m using today.

Thank you my brother