15/Jan [GUIDE] Installing the MoDaCo Custom Froyo ROM from scratch (and other ROMS)

[Guest StevenHarperUK]

To see excatly what it does I would need to extract the ramdisk from the boot.img and examine init.rc (or install it and dump init.rc and perhaps some more from a running phone). But I since I'm too lazy to do that I will revert to pure speculation...

• A "normal" super boot is usually not flashed, it's run once (fastboot) and copies superuser binary and app into /system and gives it the right permissions.
  
• Now fastboot doesn't work on the blade so it's flashed. So likely the su binary and app is copied and permissions is fixed on each boot. This is likely the 'safety net'.
  
• Wheter the above is true or not flashing a custom rom flashes a new boot.img so whatever it does will be wiped anyway.
  
• The superboot must be based on the Orange ROM (kernel + ramdisk) and shouldn't be flashed at all on non-Orange blades. Normal superboots are not flashed so this usually isn't much of a problem.
  

Yes, step 1 is a complete waste of time.

All points taken on board - and my understanding of how the boot.img is updated each time

Main Post Simplified to 2 Stages/steps

Thanks for the great feedback.

[Guest `Anderson]

So what is the Best Custom Rom to use ?? and stable ?

[Guest SweKid]

@ StevenHarper - Very impressed with your progress in this thread and update in guide!! :rolleyes:

Thanks to all others contributing!

Edited November 16, 2010 by SweKid

[Guest Flumpster]

Your tutorial improves all the time mate. At some point could someone list the "filename".apk files that are in the system/app folders of the roms with what they do.. Some are obvious but some I've no idea of. Then we can safely remove what we don't want from one rom and add from others.

[Guest StevenHarperUK]

So what is the Best Custom Rom to use ?? and stable ?

All the 2.2 ROM's currently suffer with the stock dialler draining battery.

2.2 if you want games the JIT compiler makes games super smooth

2.1 if you want battery life / extra stability

2.1 if you want A2SD (allows you to have as many apps as you like)

Between the different ROM's I have no preference, many have different features, that you should really decide for yourself.

[Guest Freekers]

Mods, PIN THIS TOPIC !

A++ for details, effort and completeness

[Guest StevenHarperUK]

Mods, PIN THIS TOPIC !

A++ for details, effort and completeness

Thanks for the support : I do appreciate it.

The 2.2 ROM scene for the Blade is really hotting up today/this week.

Good job I have had a day off work today, to keep up with all the action.

[Guest Freekers]

Maybe do you know this: Does a full nandbackup in ClockWork also backup your A2SD partition ? I currently have the MoDaCo R4 ROM with A2SD. Now I want to switch to the FrenchFries ROM, but make a full backup first, just in case, so that I can switch back anytime. But when I install FrenchFries, I guess I have to wipe my EXT2 partition in order for A2SD to work correctly. What happens if I do so and then want to switch back to my backup ? Will it restore the A2SD partition also ?

Thanks

[Guest StevenHarperUK]

Maybe do you know this: Does a full nandbackup in ClockWork also backup your A2SD partition ? I currently have the MoDaCo R4 ROM with A2SD. Now I want to switch to the FrenchFries ROM, but make a full backup first, just in case, so that I can switch back anytime. But when I install FrenchFries, I guess I have to wipe my EXT2 partition in order for A2SD to work correctly. What happens if I do so and then want to switch back to my backup ? Will it restore the A2SD partition also ?

Thanks

Hmmm I don't know - its a sim link and should fool any backup process - It should be obvious by the size of the backup file.

You could always mount it in Ubuntu (linux) and copy the contents off.

Edited November 16, 2010 by StevenHarperUK

[Guest Freekers]

Hmmm I don't know - its a sim link and should fool any backup process - It should be obvious by the size of the backup file.

You could always mount it in Ubuntu (linux) and copy the contents off.

What if the EXT2 partition is not backupped and I try to restore it using clockwork.. what will happen ?

[Guest Afrodude]

What if the EXT2 partition is not backupped and I try to restore it using clockwork.. what will happen ?

Backup your apps via Titatnium Backup (you can use the batch mode). This way no matter which ROM you install on that day you will always have a backup of your Apps. Just restore them when you are ready (batch mode again).

Edited November 16, 2010 by Afrodude

[Guest Freekers]

Backup your apps via Titatnium Backup (you can use the batch mode). This way no matter which ROM you install on that day you will always have a backup of your Apps. Just restore them when you are ready (batch mode again).

Allright, cool will do that too, but I am still wondering, the nandbackup feature is pretty much useless then for us a2sd users if clockwork doesn't backup the ext2 partition too ?

Because you will still need to run titanium backup and I am pretty sure that would only work well on a clean ROM instal,l so it's pretty much useless for us a2sd users ?

Please correct me if I'm wrong !

[Guest Afrodude]

I've never used the back facilities in clockwork - but by the way A2SD works (symlinks) i'm pretty sure it will backup your apps on your SD cards.

[Guest JennyCide]

Backup your apps via Titatnium Backup (you can use the batch mode). This way no matter which ROM you install on that day you will always have a backup of your Apps. Just restore them when you are ready (batch mode again).

I think I'm right in saying that Titanium (or any other backup program) only works for apps if you're swapping between ROMs of the same version (ie: different flavours of 2.1 etc)

I went from 2.1 R4 to one of the 2.2 alphas and couldn't restore since most of the apps weren't valid for 2.2 but when I went back to the 2.1 R4 ROM I could restore them with no problem at all.

and why isn't this thread pinned/stickied? Any chance a mod could pin it please?

[Guest Davey7]

Is the new 2.2 ok for everyday use? I'm still on the stock orange,and now i want to change... I'm not a big game player,i just need the basic things to work fine. Any recommendations?

So I installed the 2.2 Beta,and after install i rebooted,but it stucked at the ZTE quite brilliant picture,and it's flashing in every 20 sec.-s since 8 minutes now. What should i do now?

OK it's good now. I forget to clear cache and data...

Edited November 17, 2010 by Davey7

[Guest Braddison]

Hi, Just had to register to say a massive thanx for the guide,without it i would'nt of known where to start. for a complete noob this guide is essential.

a quick question....is 2.2 fairly smooth at operating or as total tech half-wit am i better keeping clear until all fixes are done ?

Thanks

[Guest StevenHarperUK]

Hi, Just had to register to say a massive thanx for the guide,without it i would'nt of known where to start. for a complete noob this guide is essential.

a quick question....is 2.2 fairly smooth at operating or as total tech half-wit am i better keeping clear until all fixes are done ?

Thanks

my personal opinion is that its fine.

[Guest 40nine]

Great work Thx the 100th YES Vote.

[Guest `Anderson]

i am really confused on this bit it is stuck on waiting for device

It has been noted that if you are on windows and get stuck at "waiting for device" when using the fastboot-windows you should install divers: see http://android.modaco.com/content/zte-blad...rivers-and-adb/ i still don't know how to install it

[Guest StevenHarperUK]

i am really confused on this bit it is stuck on waiting for device

It has been noted that if you are on windows and get stuck at "waiting for device" when using the fastboot-windows you should install divers: see http://android.modaco.com/content/zte-blad...rivers-and-adb/ i still don't know how to install it

The post there : http://android.modaco.com/content/zte-blad...rivers-and-adb/

Goes through in detail how to install Drivers on XP or windows 7 to get ADB working.

If you are having problems doing that you could try burning the Ubuntu CD and booting from that (see the guide)

Steve

[Guest The Soup Thief]

bump

[Guest StevenHarperUK]

bump

Thanks. Shame it has to be bumped : I would dearly like this pinned.

If its a worry that I won't keep it up to date, then a copy of it will do.

I will keep it up to date for the foreseeable future.

Edited November 18, 2010 by StevenHarperUK

[Guest StevenHarperUK]

Update

Hungarian Hedgehog RLS1 (2.1 Eclair) provided by kallt_kaffe - based on the hungarian ZTE Blade ROM, more recent than the French ROM, EXT3 (for better/safer Apps2SD),support for overclocking (available as addons)

[Guest Freekers]

Just a headsup:

Streaming Video does NOT work in the following ROMs: French Fries, Hungarian Hedgehoga and BladeVillain.

Question:

How can I get my cute round battery indicator back in BladeVillain

[Guest stuw]

I just had to register as a user to say a massive thankyou. I read quite a bit about doing this & am pretty proficient with I.T. in general (only windows though!) and until I found this site & your thread, wasn't too sure if this was for me. This is my first Android, followed your instructions to the word & it worked perfectly.

Thanks again to you and everyone else involved.