ordered a liquid, got a few questions

[Guest Calcvictim]

Hi,

just sold my iphone and ordered a liquid. I am bound by a tmobile contract and the liquid was the only reasonable choice for the money. I work with linux so I think I will be able to do the things that I want to do with no problems.

I am just trying to understand the android OS conceptually and how different parts work together.

so here are my questions:

1)what is the hierarchy of the firmware/software of the phone, this is what I understand from reading but I am not sure.

ROM-base kernel+packages

bootloader

2)what is the radio version, is it firmware for the chips or is it drivers, is it tied to android versions or not

3)I understand what rooting is, once a phone is rooted can I ssh into it and copy things onto it that way or do I have to use the SDK/ADB. If I have to use ADB what type of things can I do with it, does it act as a transfer protocol or does it invoke a package manager on the android device itself?

4)When reading tutorials there are some steps that I understand how to do but not why.

for example

the unlockr tutorial

If I use the acer flashing tool why can't I just flash the rooted image that way, why is the intermediate step involving superboot2 needed?

5)I am a little overwhelmed by the custom ROMS, like the evil and LCR. Are they both just a collection of packages on top of a base OS or do they incorporate different kernel tweaks, drivers?

6)Let's say I install a generic 2.1 image and get a few apps and everything is working awesome, can I just save that image and others will be able to use it?

[Guest chingy1788]

1) I'm not that into firmware modding, I only use them. From what I understand there are

System Img (Android OS)

Boot Img (Kernel)

Recovery Img (Recovery Mode)

and Data Img I think for... data i guess

and i think theres a Cache one too

The boot loader (fastboot) should always be on the phone, it cannot be erased (or shouldn't)

fastboot allows you to install any .img file to the phone.

Rooting the phone requires you to install the superboot.img on the boot image, (small kernel mod I think)

Recovery Img (eg Malez Recovery, Lickons Recovery) also allow you to root the phone. They allow you to install custom roms (usually just Android OS), custom kernels (if released), backup the entire internal memory, restore the entire internal memory and wipe the phone (clear data, cache).

System Img is where Android OS resides. Custom roms usually modify this Img by replacing files, tweaking some files, adding in files, removing files. I dont know much about creating custom roms myself.

2) Not too sure my self, probably is just some firmware for the chips

3) You can transfer files to and from the SD card easily. It works like a USB drive. Just plug the phone in using the USB cable, then Android will notify you if you want to mount the SD card. Press mount. Once mounted, the phone's SD card will show up on your computer like a USB drive. Then you can drag and drop files on there.

Root access enables you to access the app folders stored on the Phone's Internal memory. This allows you to pull apps from the phone as well as deleting apps (pulling and deleting apps that you cannot uninstall using the phone's uninstall apps tool). ADB (without root) should allow you to boot into recovery and boot-loader modes (to perform root) and should allow you to install apps via the PC, as well as many other functions.

Acer Flashing tool is an offical Acer tool, it can only flash roms released by Acer or leaked from Acer (Anything in a .bin format should work I think), Custom roms cannot be flashed using the Acer Flashing tool

5) The custom roms here dont have any kernel tweaks or updated/tweaked/modified drivers, for Android 2.1 anyway. This is because Acer has not released the kernel source for Android 2.1. Acer hasnt even released Android 2.1 for the Liquid, we're only playing around with leaks here.

For Android 1.6, there have been modifications to the kernel, such as adding in multi-touch for 1.6 and overclocking for 1.6. The 1.6 kernel cannot be used for Android 2.1. The 1.6 kernel source released by Acer also seems to be a very early version or a development version of the kernel. This version seems to have same stability issues, and took a while for the devs on here to figure out how to compile it.

6) There is no generic 2.1 image. There are the leaked Acer roms, then custom roms that modify the Android OS in some way. Some tweaks, skins or new apps. These roms seem unstable and may reboot or freeze (it has happened a few times, but for me, some how worth it to have Android 2.1 over 1.6)

Edited May 4, 2010 by chingy1788

[Guest Calcvictim]

Thanks for answering my questions, it clears up a couple of things.

Another question, what is the bin file and why do I update it with a new system image...is it a compatability thing?

this one for example

http://code.google.com/p/acer-liquid-commu...uidCommunityROM

[Guest chingy1788]

The bin file contains system.img, boot.img and recovery.img

so its just a file that contains all the images

each image in a bin should be compatible with the other image in that bin (i think, they're made by acer, so they should)

mixing and matching .imgs, specifically mixing boot.imgs with system.imgs will cause compatibility issues

[Guest linuxluver]

Thanks for answering my questions, it clears up a couple of things.

Another question, what is the bin file and why do I update it with a new system image...is it a compatability thing?

this one for example

http://code.google.com/p/acer-liquid-commu...uidCommunityROM

The BIN file you flash from Acer using the Acer Download Tool isn't a rooted system.

To root it, you need to then run the Superboot batch file (or manual equivalent) to modify the stock image so that it is rooted. Or you can work out how to root it yourself, as Paul or other have done to make the Superboot files. But much easier to just user a boot.img that is already rooted.