18 replies to this topic

[That-Guy]

Ultimate Guide to MIUI on the Huawei U8800 / Ideos X5

Requirements - What You Need:
- Huawei U8800 / Ideos X5 (go on buy it, you know you want too)
- ClockworkMod Recovery Installed - Instructions
- Latest Version of MIUI for the U8800 (see below)

Which version of MIUI should I install?
There are currently two different MIUI builds for the U8800 made by two different devs. The differences between the two are minimal in my opinion but I suggest you try them both for a week to see which one you prefer.

Option 1 - Unofficial MIUI (MIUIAndroid Port) by flibblesan

Option 2 - Unofficial MIUI (MIUI.us Port) by stockwell

Both releases are based on the Official MIUI for the Desire-Z, but have been ported to the U8800. As said give both a try and see which one is for you.

Installing MIUI on the U8800:
- Download the MIUI version you want to try (zip file) and place on the [root] of the SD Card.
- Make sure you have Backed up Contacts and Anything you want to keep.
- Power on your Phone while holding the [VOL+] Button to boot into ClockworkMod.
- Go to Backup a Restore and Choose Backup. This will do a Full Backup of your phone and save it to the SD Card.
- Once backup is complete go back to the ClockworkMod Main Menu.
- Choose Wipe Data/Factory Reset, then go back to main menu.
- Choose Wipe Cache Partition, then go back to main menu.
- Go to Advanced and choose Wipe Dalvik Cache, then go back to main menu.
- Choose Install zip from SD Card and select the MIUI .zip File you have placed on the SD Card.
- Once installed go back to the ClockworkMod main menu and choose Reboot System Now.
- Your phone will restart and may take a fair few minutes to boot up.
- Congratulations MIUI is now installed on your U8800.

Switching to a different MIUI Kernel:
Both MIUI Ports have pretty good Kernels (from personal experience) but each Kernel has its own set of tweaks which "can" help performance  and fix certain bugs. You can either stick with the Stock Kernels for each MIUI Release or switch to the one below. If you are happy with the speed and performance then I would just stick with the stock kernel included with the ROM.

[KERNEL] franco.Kernel (very popular alternative to the stock kernels)

- Download the Kernel from above (zip file) and place on the [root] of the SD Card.
- Power on your Phone while holding the [VOL+] Button to boot into ClockworkMod.
- Go to Backup a Restore and Choose Backup. This will do a Full Backup of your phone and save it to the SD Card.
- Once backup is complete go back to the ClockworkMod Main Menu.
- Choose Wipe Cache Partition, then go back to main menu.
- Go to Advanced and choose Wipe Dalvik Cache, then go back to main menu.
- Choose Install zip from SD Card and select the Kernel .zip File you have placed on the SD Card.
- Once installed go back to the ClockworkMod main menu and choose Reboot System Now.
- Your phone will restart and may take a fair few minutes to boot up.
- You will now be running the new Kernel.

Updating your version of MIUI:
You should find that every few weeks your version of MIUI has been updated, keep checking the release thread where you downloaded your version of MIUI from for updates. The updates should include bug fixes and performance tweaks. To update your version of MIUI follow the instructions below.

- Download the latest version of MIUI (zip file) and place on the [root] of the SD Card.
- Power on your Phone while holding the [VOL+] Button to boot into ClockworkMod.
- Go to Backup a Restore and Choose Backup. This will do a Full Backup of your phone and save it to the SD Card.
- Once backup is complete go back to the ClockworkMod Main Menu.
- Choose Wipe Cache Partition, then go back to main menu.
- Go to Advanced and choose Wipe Dalvik Cache, then go back to main menu.
- Choose Install zip from SD Card and select the MIUI .zip File you have placed on the SD Card.
- Once installed go back to the ClockworkMod main menu and choose Reboot System Now.
- Your phone will restart and may take a fair few minutes to boot up.
- You should now have the latest version of your MIUI Release.

You should not loose any Data/Apps when you update but just incase make sure you have performed a backup in ClockworkMod.

Switch on Root Access:
MIUI comes pre-rooted but root access may not be switched on by default after install. To enable Root Access do the following:

Load the Superuser App > Press the Menu Button > Choose Settings > Change Root Permission to ON.

Apps like Root Explorer and ROM Manager can now gain Root Access.

Upgrading the Stock MIUI Icons:
The standard MIUI Application Icons are pretty cool but the problem is there isn't enough of them. There is not an MIUI style icons for every app you install, but there is a pack which gives you allot more icons (featured in my screen shots above). The original Icon Pack is from Project Vexillum but I have added my own icons to the pack. The Icon Pack now has over 1250 Icons! So way more than the standard MIUI icon pack.

Download Here: Modified Project Vexillum MIUI Icon Pack Last Updated: 24/09/11

- Download the Icons.mtz file and copy to: SDCard/MIUI/Theme/ Folder.
- Go to Settings > Personal > Themes > Customize > Icon > Choose "MIUI Extended Icons"
- You should now have allot more apps showing MIUI Style Icons.

Battery Saving when using MIUI:
There are many factors which can influence battery life, but in my experience the following helps it last a little longer:

- By Default MIUI on the U8800 overclocks your CPU from 806mhz to 1024mhz. Adjust this back to 806mhz using the X5 Settings App or No-frills CPU Control.
- Set Apps like Facebook and Twitter to Sync over longer Intervals, so instead of every Two Hours change to every Four Hours.
- Change your Screen Timeout from 1min to 30secs.
- Load the Monitor App and Disable Traffic Monitoring.
- Load Google+ App (if installed) and Disable Instant Upload.
- Turn Off WiFi when not in use.
- Go to Settings > System > Battery and Disable Battery Monitoring.
- Leave Screen Brightness on Automatic.

MIUI Tips and Tricks:
Here are a few Tips and Tricks I have picked up while running MIUI:

Taking Screenshots: Hold the [Menu] button and press [VOL-]. Your screen shot will be saved in the MIUI Folder on the SD Card.

Quickly Turn on the Torch: While on the Lock Screen hold the [HOME] button and the Torch will come on.

Move Icons Between Home Screens: Hold your finger down on the Icon to move, use another finger to flick between screens.


If you have any suggestions for this post please let me know and I will try my best to get it added

Edited by That-Guy, 03 October 2011 - 05:07 PM.

[Gefjon]

here is a link to 17 Tips and Tricks for MIUI. Quite a few cool ones

[That-Guy]

Great find

[joao2k]

eXCELENT GUIDE!

Gefjon, on 25 September 2011 - 01:40 PM, said:

here is a link to 17 Tips and Tricks for MIUI. Quite a few cool ones

Also here's a full review on MIUI:
http://www.addictive...kthrough-guide/

2 questions:
- can I use/see both internal and external SDCard in MIUI?
- how do I backup sms/apps before changing ROM's (2.2.2 to 2.3.5 ROM's)? System config obvously can't be migrated I think....


Thanks again for another great guide!

[Gefjon]

Also - typing *#*#6484#*#* on the dial pad will open a kind of "diagnostics screen". It contains system information and possibilities to perform various tests on the phone.

And, yes, it is easier to remember the numbers if you recall that 6484 is "MIUI" on the dial pad.

Edited by Gefjon, 26 September 2011 - 10:18 AM.

[Gefjon]

joao2k, on 26 September 2011 - 10:11 AM, said:

- how do I backup sms/apps before changing ROM's (2.2.2 to 2.3.5 ROM's)? System config obvously can't be migrated I think....

You can use an app like SMS Backup + for backing up sms, mms and call logs.
For backing up your apps, I would suggest Titanium Backup. I use the paid version of this app myself, and I'm very pleased with it.

[joao2k]

great, thanks.

What about SD card issue? Can the MIUI Rom see/access both SD's?

[That-Guy]

Yes there is a setting to switch between them in the X5 Settings app included with the ROM.

Edited by That-Guy, 26 September 2011 - 02:27 PM.

[joao2k]

That-Guy, on 26 September 2011 - 02:27 PM, said:

Yes there is a setting to switch between them in the X5 Settings app included with the ROM.

ok, but both can't be running @ the same time, right?

[flibblesan]

joao2k, on 26 September 2011 - 03:18 PM, said:

ok, but both can't be running @ the same time, right?

Correct. One reason I just repartitioned the phone to decrease the size of the internal SD to 600MB then increase /data to 2GB. I have an 8GB microSD card so the internal SD was always useless to me. Much more useful to extend data.

[That-Guy]

flibblesan, on 27 September 2011 - 10:01 AM, said:

Correct. One reason I just repartitioned the phone to decrease the size of the internal SD to 600MB then increase /data to 2GB. I have an 8GB microSD card so the internal SD was always useless to me. Much more useful to extend data.

Did you want to share the partition table you are using? Pretty please

[Pelemane]

That-Guy, on 27 September 2011 - 10:40 AM, said:

Did you want to share the partition table you are using? Pretty please

You can adjust those partition sizes with genokolar's Custom Partition tool. You can find it here.

[flibblesan]

Pelemane, on 27 September 2011 - 11:43 PM, said:

You can adjust those partition sizes with genokolar's Custom Partition tool. You can find it here.

That's what I used and I set 2048mb for data. Anything more causes problems apparently.

table:

Disk /dev/block/mmcblk0: 3959 MB, 3959422976 bytes
1 heads, 16 sectors/track, 483328 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16 * 512 = 8192 bytes

			  Device Boot	  Start		 End	  Blocks  Id System
/dev/block/mmcblk0p1			   1	   30721	  245760   b Win95 FAT32
Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary
/dev/block/mmcblk0p2   *	   30721	   30783		 500  4d Unknown
Partition 2 does not end on cylinder boundary
/dev/block/mmcblk0p3		   30783	   31158		3000  46 Unknown
Partition 3 does not end on cylinder boundary
/dev/block/mmcblk0p4		   31158	  483328	 3617363+  5 Extended
Partition 4 does not end on cylinder boundary
/dev/block/mmcblk0p5		   32769	   34304	   12288  59 Unknown
/dev/block/mmcblk0p6		   40961	   57600	  133120  4c Unknown
/dev/block/mmcblk0p7		   65537	   65599		 500  5a Unknown
/dev/block/mmcblk0p8		   73729	   74112		3072  58 Unknown
/dev/block/mmcblk0p9		   81921	   82795		7000  50 Unknown
/dev/block/mmcblk0p10		  90113	   90496		3072  4a Unknown
/dev/block/mmcblk0p11		  98305	   98688		3072  4b Unknown
/dev/block/mmcblk0p12		 106497	  134656	  225280  83 Linux
/dev/block/mmcblk0p13		 134658	  396802	 2097160  83 Linux
/dev/block/mmcblk0p14		 396804	  483328	  692200   b Win95 FAT32

Not sure why there are errors but everything works properly so I'm not bothered by them.

mmcblk0p12 is system
mmcblk0p13 is data
mmcblk0p14 is the internal sd.

[That-Guy]

Cheers, going to give it a whirl :-)

[That-Guy]

Updated Icon Pack in first post

Now includes over 1400 MIUI Icons (8 have been created by me)

Enjoy!

[joao2k]

Hi,

Just a quick question:
using MIUI 1.10.7 (from MIUI-PT) and francokernel 04-10 and noticed that the music app crashes if I try to delete an mp3 file from within the app.
Anyone having the same issue?

[Banner]

Wow just noticed that the proxy setting thing in MIUI works!!!
Awesome!
I work in Notts County and some places have no mobile signal at all, but everywhere I visit has wifi.
First time I've had this working on Android.

[Cursed Chico]

Gefjon, on 26 September 2011 - 10:31 AM, said:

You can use an app like SMS Backup + for backing up sms, mms and call logs.
For backing up your apps, I would suggest Titanium Backup. I use the paid version of this app myself, and I'm very pleased with it.

https://market.andro...UJhY2t1cFBybyJd

But


This app is incompatible with your HUAWEI IDEOS X5.


How did you installl it?

[Gefjon]

Cursed Chico, on 08 February 2012 - 04:10 PM, said:

https://market.andro...UJhY2t1cFBybyJd

But


This app is incompatible with your HUAWEI IDEOS X5.


How did you installl it?

It should be comatible with all Android versions after 1.5... - and it has worked with all the various ROMS I have tested.