10/Mar 3.2 - MoDaCo Custom ROM for GSM Hero (now with online kitchen)

[Guest payne4life]

By the way I am not seeing any of the weird issues related here (virtual keyboard gone etc.) I have rebooted several times and the phone is rock solid and very fast with the compache kernel and backing swap.

Again I didn't remove anything except Stock/Peep/Wap browser/HTC Mail

As far as I can tell HTC Mail can be safely removed, K9 works perfectly for me even with HTC Mail removed as opposed to SMS/MMS

Don't remove anyhting else if you don't know what you are doing

I tried to copy Mms.apk and i get a permission denied error. I had copied the Mms.apk and Mms.odex files on /sdcard. I only managed to copy back the Mms.odex file.

[Guest payne4life]

I tried to copy Mms.apk and i get a permission denied error. I had copied the Mms.apk and Mms.odex files on /sdcard. I only managed to copy back the Mms.odex file.

Managed to copy it via SUFBS. Rebooting now.. Lets see...

EDIT: ok it seems that the problem has gone. I have msgs in my inbox now! If only there was word prediction for Greek (whic is the language i use) in HTC's default client i would just use the default and not load system's memory with extra apps that do mainly the same job...

Edited October 26, 2009 by payne4life

[Guest keef319]

I just reflashed MCR 2.8 update.zip to get everything back and working, then took off *Twit*, *Foot* and *Stocks*.

As I only speak English, is there any real need for me to have Custom Locale or More Locale?

If not, is it ok to remove them, and which apk's should I remove? Don't want to break it again! LOL!!

Don't think I need SMS Migrator either...

[Guest teknologist]

Managed to copy it via SUFBS. Rebooting now.. Lets see...

EDIT: ok it seems that the problem has gone. I have msgs in my inbox now! If only there was word prediction for Greek (whic is the language i use) in HTC's default client i would just use the default and not load system's memory with extra apps that do mainly the same job...

Permissions errors are due to the fact that /system is mounted read-only. Either use adb or sufbs or use console and "mount -o remount,rw" the /system partition so you can write the files to it.

Edited October 26, 2009 by teknologist

[Guest clarkEEE1]

Hi all.

Sure someone can help me here.

The first 3 apps I removed with ADB shell were Footprints (*Foot*), Peep (*Twit*) and Stocks (*Stocks*).

No probs, everything ok.

So then I decided to try out Handcent, which I like a lot. Which apk's do I need to remove to get rid of the HTC messages app? I thought it would be Mms.apk?

Also, I've found IM when I look through "system/app", which I assume is the Instant Messenger app, but I can't see the app anywhere, and I also thought it'd been removed in MCR 2.5???

Either way, removing Mms.app or IM.app (don't know which did it!!) buggered up the virtual keyboard. I couldn't get it to appear at all. Not in Handcent, Twidroid, Browser, etc etc.

Re-flashing the MCR 2.8 install.zip cured it, though everything came back.

I wanted to remove Gtalk as well, but I guess this is part of the Google Apps???

Please help.

T.I.A. :-)

To remove talk I do this and never had any probs

adb remount

adb shell rm system/app/*Talk*

I do this everytime I reflash never had a problem, once made the mistake removing gtalk and had to push the google service apk back so make sure you just remove talk.

[Guest AlunJ]

Im having keyboard issues with 2.8. Each time when I write an SMS part way thru typing, the keyboard minimizes and I have to tap on the text box to get the keyboard back - its very frustrating.

[Guest euerdudeness]

Hi,

i used Modaco 2.3 for some weeks and it works perfect.

Since i have updatet to 2.7.1 i have two issues.

1. after i unshare my sd-Card with the pc, the Hero says "SD-Card failure". After a reboot i can use the SD-Card as well.

2. Since Version 2.8, sometimes i get some failure messages. If i close the message a new message appears, so i have to reboot.

What happened:

2.3 was working fine

switched back to original Rom 2.73

installed custom recovery image (from this Thread)

partitioning the SD-Card (ext3)

done a wipe

updated to Modaco 2.71

at this point i got the issue with the SD-Card

done a wipe (i know this was not necessary)

updatet to Modaco 2.8

same issue plus failure messages

Any solutions?

[Guest Keramidas]

Hi euerdudeness,

If you have the "swapper" program installed, try to remove it.

Edited October 26, 2009 by Keramidas

[Guest targetal]

ok, I have to say it again. the latest updated ROM by HTC + Paul's modifications are simply amazing. The device is SOOO SNAPPY and FAST. can't believe it, and can't possibly compare it to the stock 1.7x ROM before. now, I can't possibly imagine the new Sony Ericsson XPERIA X3 which is rumored to come with Snapdragon 1GHz CPU......

thanks Paul once again.

without counting the APN issue I had for one day (clicking on 'Reset to default' fixed that), I had no other issue....

[Guest bbawden]

Im having keyboard issues with 2.8. Each time when I write an SMS part way thru typing, the keyboard minimizes and I have to tap on the text box to get the keyboard back - its very frustrating.

I thought it was just me, but I get this sometimes too. Not every time though.

[Guest teknologist]

I thought it was just me, but I get this sometimes too. Not every time though.

I think this has more to do with HTC's ROM code than Paul's. I have seen zillions of posts about this on HTC Hero's forums for official ROM support.

Also the problem with the keyboard showing/hiding/showing when switching from portrait to landscape.

I think it doesn't happen on mine though...

Maybe something is wrong on some Hero's with the touch surface.

Did you try recalibrating ?

Edited October 26, 2009 by teknologist

[Guest bbawden]

I think this has more to do with HTC's ROM code than Paul's. I have seen zillions of posts about this on HTC Hero's forums for official ROM support.

Also the problem with the keyboard showing/hiding/showing when switching from portrait to landscape.

I think it doesn't happen on mine though...

Maybe something is wrong on some Hero's with the touch surface.

Did you try recalibrating ?

Possible, but I didn't have the problem with 2.7.

I haven't tried recalibrating - I'll do that and report back.

[Guest crestj]

Quick question: I'm using MCR 2.2 and put it on a blank, fresh HTC Hero.

I've now installed apps and have it setup just the way I like.

If I update to MCR 2.8 will I have to reinstall my apps and setup all my settings again?

Thanks

[Guest euerdudeness]

Hi euerdudeness,

If you have the "swapper" program installed, try to remove it.

Hi Keramidas,

Thank You very much!!! I´ve deinstalled the "swapper" and this solved the "SD-Card-issue"!

Unfortunately, the Problem with the failure Messages is still there.

[Guest kendon]

Quick question: I'm using MCR 2.2 and put it on a blank, fresh HTC Hero.

I've now installed apps and have it setup just the way I like.

If I update to MCR 2.8 will I have to reinstall my apps and setup all my settings again?

Thanks

this is really getting annoying. no it won't if you don't wipe. you might have to wipe for 2.8 to work correctly. don't you dare to ask what wipe means.

[Guest StureM]

Hi Keramidas,

Thank You very much!!! I´ve deinstalled the "swapper" and this solved the "SD-Card-issue"!

Unfortunately, the Problem with the failure Messages is still there.

I had the same problem, it ended up with me not being able to enter the SD-Card at all. What I had to do to fix the problem was to put the SD-Card in a computer and format it. It sucked but was the only way I found which made it work as it should.

I also had to wipe my device, the message came even tho I put in a new SD-Card as well.

[Guest teknologist]

this is really getting annoying. no it won't if you don't wipe. you might have to wipe for 2.8 to work correctly. don't you dare to ask what wipe means.

As Paul's says in his post if you have apps in SD (A2SD) you need to wait on the first boot after ROM update. Failing to do that and hard rebooting will kill all your installed apps.

I had this problem when I was impatient...

Now that I wait I don't see this problem anymore...

Just my 2 cents.. ;-)

[Guest teknologist]

Anyone willing to try my custom kernel for Paul's ROM ?

It's a 2.6.27 Hero official with some patches and config changes.

Basically:

tunk.ko working

compcache kernel modules (including lzo and swapnotify kernel patch) with a 64Mb backingswap partition working (this partition needs to exist and be the third partition on sd card of type linux-swap)

The install consists of an update.zip file containing kernel and modules. and a userinit.sh customizable file that needs to be copied to /system/sd

You modify that script file to suit your backing swap customizations...

The hero feels very responsive and fast.

so far, apart from myself, only Keramidas tested it and seems to be very satisfied:

"Hi Eric,

(...)

After some moderate use, looking at /proc/ramzswap, the ratio between OrigDataSize and ComprDatazSize is around 4.5 at the moment. What an insane compression ratio ! It looks like lzo loves to crunch Android RAM pages :-P

So far it runs very well, and more importantly, with no hiccups/pauses so far. This runs much better than anything else I tried before. If it runs well for a few days, could it become part of next MoDaCo release ? Maybe you/we could recruit a few more testers from this forum ?"

For more technical infos read my earlier posts...

PM me if you want to test it... for now, Linux/android advanced manipulation knowledge is needed...

PS: Paul, after more testing goes on, I have no problem providing you with the files if you want to include it in future Modaco ROMs. And again thanks for the great effort you are putting on making the Hero the best Android device out there! ;-)

Edited October 26, 2009 by teknologist

[Guest gman.php]

Hey Paul,

first: A BIG thanks for ALL your work on this ROM! It's a great thing, thank you!

I wanted to report, that I've just updated to 2.8 (without wiping) and now the Wireless Tethering App crashes every time I start it :S

Do you know about this issue/bug?

Thanks and greetings,

gman!

[Guest teknologist]

Hey Paul,

first: A BIG thanks for ALL your work on this ROM! It's a great thing, thank you!

I wanted to report, that I've just updated to 2.8 (without wiping) and now the Wireless Tethering App crashes every time I start it :S

Do you know about this issue/bug?

Thanks and greetings,

gman!

reinstall, reboot and you are set.

1.6pre3

[Guest squirreleater]

this is really getting annoying. no it won't if you don't wipe. you might have to wipe for 2.8 to work correctly. don't you dare to ask what wipe means.

Whats a wipe?

LOL!

[Guest Keramidas]

For those of you who want to experiment a bit, and already have a swap partition (at least 64MB and it MUST be the 3rd partition), I really recommend to try teknologist's update.zip.

It's hell on heels, totally awesome, you name it. Many things that took 2-3 seconds before (when running several apps) are now virtually instant. And the upgrade is about as simple as applying an update.zip.

There's a great geek factor too: the kernel maintains a 64MB compressed memory pool, and compression ratio averages 4.5. This means: 64*(4.5-1) = 224MB of additional (slightly slower) RAM.

teknologist's work is awesome. I hope many people will enjoy his patch, and if they do, then maybe it could get integrated within MoDaCo in a few weeks ? :D

Paul, did you receive your Hero back from repair ? Are you aware of teknologist's work ?

[Guest worcester4x4]

At the end I had to reinstall the Mms.apk as I had problems with SMS not being saved to the chat window although the notification still appears..weird (look at my earlier posts edited).

I didn't remove IM.apk and never had any issues with the keyboard.

I was just going to post about this issue.

I uninstalled MMS last night and there appeared to be no problem. Handcent was popping and showing texts in the convo. First thing this morning it was OK too, then I was out on the road and typically it all went tits up! I received a number of important texts, all of which "popped" and notified me but when I went to the convo there was nothing there.

Weirdly all of my sent messages would show up but none of the inbound texts.

I ended up reflashing 2.8 core and it seems to have cured it.

Scary for a while though.

[Guest teknologist]

For those of you who want to experiment a bit, and already have a swap partition (at least 64MB and it MUST be the 3rd partition), I really recommend to try teknologist's update.zip.

It's hell on heels, totally awesome, you name it. Many things that took 2-3 seconds before (when running several apps) are now virtually instant. And the upgrade is about as simple as applying an update.zip.

There's a great geek factor too: the kernel maintains a 64MB compressed memory pool, and compression ratio averages 4.5. This means: 64*(4.5-1) = 224MB of additional (slightly slower) RAM.

teknologist's work is awesome. I hope many people will enjoy his patch, and if they do, then maybe it could get integrated within MoDaCo in a few weeks ? :D

Paul, did you receive your Hero back from repair ? Are you aware of teknologist's work ?

Thanks mate!

Most of the credit goes to Paul for the hard work with the ROM.

Ijust patched HTCs kernel sources, recompiled and packaged it.

Not that much for now...hope more will follow soon once into more optimization if its possible...

Also I have a Class6 SD card, dunno how it performs with slower sdcards but as the backing swap is only used when compressed pool is full...it might not be that different...unless you fill the pool

Compache is a great stuff! Ideal to get a big speed/responsiveness boost to Hero !

Edited October 26, 2009 by teknologist

[Guest RemoteSojourner]

Hi Paul,

Do you think these patches could be applies to your custom kernel so as to enable support full support for bluetooth on HTC Hero :D

http://i-miss-erin.blogspot.com/2009/10/ho...in-android.html