stackbladroid_v0.2 - Froyo ROM for Zte Blade aka Orange San Francisco

[Guest stackrish]

Lightweight Froyo ROM

Last edit on 01-Dec-2010

I am not sure if this work is any longer relevant. Anyone who is planning to try this ROM, that has some not so nice "kludges", please hold on. A better one is almost there at http://android.modaco.com/content/zte-blad...tem-files-dump/

Latest test version:

Download - stackbladroid_v0.2.zip [rapidshare.com]

Checksum - 26ce6d4aeb6f5cfd0799734b3c0410cb

Updated 29 Nov 2010

V0.2 Release notes

-------------------

- A cleaner build from 2.2.1 AOSP sources (kernel & some lib dependencies are retained from the Chinese 2.2 leak)

- Added Google Talk

- Added Youtube

- Universal Androot & superuser apps included

- Hardware acceleration enabled

- dalvik.vm.heapsize set to 32M

- ro.sf.lcd_density set to 220 (Screen resolution)

- AGPS Accuracy threshold relaxed for intermediate positions. So the (perceived) time it takes to get a GPS lock should be shorter now)

- WIFI: Additional settings enforced using wmiconfig command during boot-time to improve wifi.

- Some other changes that I might have forgotten.

This update will not destroy your "/data" partition. But, if you are upgrading from Android 2.1 to this version, please wipe your data partition before you install this.

If you are already running 2.2, you can skip erasing data partition and it may just work. But the recommended process will be the erase data partition before you apply this update.

Also remember that this an unsupported OS on this Phone and this ROM was packaged by an individual who has no previous experience with Android.

Please make sure that you take a full backup (and know how to restore from it) before you try this ROM.

Known issues

• On first boot use your Mobile data connection (2G/3G) to add your Google account. If you fail to do so, it will not possible to use any Google Application (Gmail,Android Market etc).
  
• Network location (positioning) using Wifi/Mobile data is not working. Using loc_api_app from the command line gives me some hope.
  
• Wireless sleep/awake issue is not completely gone. But the replacement Atheros firmware and the additional tweaks that are in place does improve the sitution. (at least for me B)
  
• For some unknown reason on first boot, most of the widgets do not work. This is ONLY on the inital boot. So as soon as you boot and add your google account, reboot your phone. Everything should work fine afterwards. I haven't really started looking into framework-res.apk as it is not really my cup of tea. So, I am using the framework-res.apk from Flibblesan's rom.
  
  Finally, the focus of this ROM is to keep it as tidy as possible. So most of the eyecandy is absent.
  
  Download - stackbladroid_v0.2.zip [rapidshare.com]
  Checksum - 26ce6d4aeb6f5cfd0799734b3c0410cb
  
  Initial Announcement
  
  ZTE Blade is my first Android phone and I am greatly thankful to this forum for the wonderful community support available here. The last couple of week's I have been tweaking my phone and I believe, I now have something to share with the community. This is my first ever attempt at packaging a ROM. And I am usually not good at reading through documentation before I do something. So I am not sure if I have done this correctly. :)
  
  In short...
  
  • Android 2.2
    
  • Only the basic applications are bundled in this. It is only basic Android + Google apps.
    
  • The WIFI sleep policy & the issue with reconnecting to Wireless when waking from sleep should show a great improvement. (Please apply the Wifi Fix patch for Froyo
    
  • The "Dialer" should no longer appear at the top in battery utilisation.
    

  I haven't looked at how to sign the ROM. So here it is unsigned.

  - Download Location: stackbladroid_v0.1.zip [rapidshare.com]

  - Mirrors: http://www.multiupload.com/PLDQBJVGR0

  Please see http://pastebin.com/raw.php?i=Ltkfhbis for the list of system packages included in this ROM.

  I would appreciate if someone is willing to take the challenge of testing this ROM. It is in update.zip format for flashing through ClockworkMod Recovery.

  Installing this ROM using ClockWorkMod Recovery will wipe your data partition. Please make sure that you backup your current version using ClockworkMod recovery before you flash this version.

  As with other Froyo roms for the Blade, please make sure that you initially add your Google account using Mobile data connection, and NOT using your wireless network. Otherwise, Google applications will fail to work.

  WiFi Fix (Improved WiFi behaviour)

  If you are one of those people whose Blade are affected by the infamous "Blade WiFi issue", you can download the following file and apply it via ClockWorkMod recovery.

  [*] blade_wifi_fix_unsigned.zip - For Froyo (Android 2.2)

  [*] eclair_blade_wifi_fix_unsigned.zip - For Eclair (Android 2.1)

  I am planning to release an update soon for this ROM based on the feedback I receive from you guys.

Edited December 1, 2010 by stackrish

[Guest gambieter]

Can you maybe give a bit more information on what's in it and what not? The definition "basic" may still be confusing B)

I may be able to give it a shot later this week.

[Guest stackrish]

Can you maybe give a bit more information on what's in it and what not? The definition "basic" may still be confusing B)

Here is the list of packages included in this ROM. Packages List [pastebin.com].

[Guest kuji]

- Only the basic applications are bundled in this. It is only basic Android + Google apps.

- The WIFI sleep policy issue should show a great improvement.

- The "Dialer" should no longer appear at the top in battery utilisation.

Care to comment on exactly where the packages have come from, have you recompiled yourself ? what you have done to fix the dialler report.. and what version is this.. 2.2.1 ?

[Guest rjm2k]

ZTE Blade is my first Android phone and I am greatly thankful to this forum for the wonderful community support available here. The last couple of week's I have been tweaking my phone and I believe, I now have something to share with the community. This is my first ever attempt at packaging a ROM. And I am usually not good at reading through documentation before I do something. So I am not sure if I have done this correctly. B)

In short...

- Only the basic applications are bundled in this. It is only basic Android + Google apps.

- The WIFI sleep policy issue should show a great improvement.

- The "Dialer" should no longer appear at the top in battery utilisation.

I haven't looked at how to sign the ROM. So here it is unsigned.

- Download Location: stackbladroid_v0.1.zip [rapidshare.com]

I would appreciate if someone is willing to take the challenge of testing this ROM. It is in update.zip format for flashing through ClockworkMod Recovery.

Please please backup your current version using ClockworkMod recovery before you flash this version.

As with other Froyo roms for the Blade, please make sure that you initially add your google account using Mobile data connection. and NOT using your wireless network. Othewise Google appications will fail to work.

Can you explain what you did to the wifi as we are discussing this issue with ZTE, your fix could be fed back to them.

[Guest stackrish]

Can you explain what you did to the wifi as we are discussing this issue with ZTE, your fix could be fed back to them.

Thanks that you asked this question, which made me notice that I messed up my target directory when I packaged my ROM as a zip.

The fix involved the replacing the firmware for the atheros chipset with the one from http://nv-tegra.nvidia.com/gitweb/?p=3rdparty/atheros.git. I have attached an update that should really improve the Wifi performance.

blade_wifi_fix_unsigned.zip

In theory, this update should work with both Froyo and Eclair.

[Guest Nirva]

And what fixed the high battery usage reporting of the dialer app ?

Edited November 22, 2010 by Nirva

[Guest stackrish]

And what fixed the high battery usage reporting of the dialer app ?

I believe it is the TelephonyProvider.apk which I built from source. The phone.apk is from the ZTE dev phone.

[Guest Hans Gruber]

Thanks that you asked this question, which made me notice that I messed up my target directory when I packaged my ROM as a zip.

The fix involved the replacing the firmware for the atheros chipset with the one from http://nv-tegra.nvidia.com/gitweb/?p=3rdparty/atheros.git. I have attached an update that should really improve the Wifi performance.

blade_wifi_fix_unsigned.zip

In theory, this update should work with both Froyo and Eclair.

that wifi fix isn't working for me on MoDaCo r4. says "unable to start wi-fi"

[Guest tapash]

hi i would like to try your rom. but can you please upload to a different site like medifire.com, i cant download from rapidshare. thanks

[Guest RichBayliss]

I believe it is the TelephonyProvider.apk which I built from source. The phone.apk is from the ZTE dev phone.

ZTE dev phone? What's this, I haven't heard it mentioned before?

Sorry if this is my ignorance, just read it and it jumped out at me B)

[Guest stackrish]

that wifi fix isn't working for me on MoDaCo r4. says "unable to start wi-fi"

Can you try this for 2.1?

eclair_blade_wifi_fix_unsigned.zip

[Guest stackrish]

ZTE dev phone? What's this, I haven't heard it mentioned before?

Sorry if this is my ignorance, just read it and it jumped out at me B)

What I meant was that leaked Froyo ROM from the Chinese version of ZTE blade.

[Guest rjm2k]

Can you try this for 2.1?

eclair_blade_wifi_fix_unsigned.zip

I have applied this to my 2.1 phone, wifi does start and it also shows some available networks but I can't actually connect and test it until I get home.

[Guest Hans Gruber]

Can you try this for 2.1?

eclair_blade_wifi_fix_unsigned.zip

Hi, that seems connect but it's still disconnecting when the screen turns off (when using barnacle tether), even with the sleep policy set to never. So same results as stock drivers for me.

Edited November 22, 2010 by Hans Gruber

[Guest stackrish]

Hi, that seems connect but it's still disconnecting when the screen turns off (when using barnacle tether), even with the sleep policy set to never. So same results as stock drivers for me.

Thanks for testing this. I have to admit that I haven't test this firmware version with Eclair.

But on Froyo, it has significantly improved my WiFi connection with BT Homehub at my home.

Wondering if anyone has tested this on 2.2?

[Guest igors_s]

Installed the wi-fi fix on gForums froyo alfa rom.

Wifi connects and works as usual.

I have not noticed any differences in connection quality or speed yet.

Will report back later on.

Edited November 22, 2010 by igors_s

[Guest Dbuiz]

I believe it is the TelephonyProvider.apk which I built from source. The phone.apk is from the ZTE dev phone.

Sorry for the noob question but would it be possible to strip this apk out as a separate file so it can be installed on other roms and address the Dialer battery issue?

Thanks in advance,

[Guest buntoid]

Installed and so far so good. :)

Dialer not showing up in battery status but Android system seems a bit high at the moment but its early days and I'll check again when its all settled down.

Wifi doesn't turn off with the screen but I may need to leave it standing a bit longer to make sure.

I'm at work so i can't give it a proper test, I'll test when I get home tonight.

Cheers

[edit] Wifi reconnected after the screen was turned back on. B)

Edited November 22, 2010 by buntoid

[Guest buntoid]

Something else I've just noticed... the notification tones don't include the Froyo ones e.g. tweeters.

[Guest igors_s]

Installed and so far so good. :)

Dialer not showing up in battery status but Android system seems a bit high at the moment but its early days and I'll check again when its all settled down.

Wifi doesn't turn off with the screen but I may need to leave it standing a bit longer to make sure.

I'm at work so i can't give it a proper test, I'll test when I get home tonight.

Cheers

[edit] Wifi reconnected after the screen was turned back on. B)

wi-fi seems to time out after 10 min or so. Mine reconnected back rather quickly

I'm also seeing a very slight signal boost. and overall the connection feels more stable.

Very nice :)

[Guest oh!dougal]

{eclair blade wifi fix}

Hi, that seems connect but it's still disconnecting when the screen turns off (when using barnacle tether), even with the sleep policy set to never. So same results as stock drivers for me.

Hans, you are misunderstanding this.

The behaviour you report is because of ZTE's sleep-power-policy. When the phone sleeps*, wifi is switched off.

That can't be fixed by a wifi driver change.

But the driver change might fix success in (re)connecting after being switched off during sleep.

@Hans - for tethering, you need to prevent the phone going into *proper sleep (because that switches off wifi).

You can make it only 'screen-save' (rather than sleep), by 1/ attaching the charger or usb OR 2/ running some software that prevents proper sleep (like a music player or MyLock). You will find that WiFi Sleep Policy: Never is obeyed during screen-save (but the phone cuts wifi power during proper sleep, so it has no chance of being obeyed). This has been referred to ZTE.

[Guest oh!dougal]

wi-fi seems to time out after 10 min or so. ...

WiFi settings. press Menu to get avanced options, see Sleep Policy.

[Guest igors_s]

WiFi settings. press Menu to get avanced options, see Sleep Policy.

Sorry, forgot to mention that I did set it to turn off with the screen.

with that setting wi-fi turns off after around 10 min of inactivity.

[Guest Hans Gruber]

Hans, you are misunderstanding this.

The behaviour you report is because of ZTE's sleep-power-policy. When the phone sleeps*, wifi is switched off.

That can't be fixed by a wifi driver change.

But the driver change might fix success in (re)connecting after being switched off during sleep.

@Hans - for tethering, you need to prevent the phone going into *proper sleep (because that switches off wifi).

You can make it only 'screen-save' (rather than sleep), by 1/ attaching the charger or usb OR 2/ running some software that prevents proper sleep (like a music player or MyLock). You will find that WiFi Sleep Policy: Never is obeyed during screen-save (but the phone cuts wifi power during proper sleep, so it has no chance of being obeyed). This has been referred to ZTE.

Ahh I see. Thanks for clearing that up for me. I didn't actually have any problems with reconnecting on the previous so driver so hopefully someone who was can comment on this new driver B)