How does one make changes to the ROMS? (for personal use only)

[Guest martindorans]

Hello all!

I recently purchased a ZTE Blade and a friend recommended this website. It's been very impressive! Particularly the 'Kitchen'

I've successfully downloaded & installed the MoDaCo Custom Froyo A3 ROM to my new phone & have done some successful testing.

However, my question relates to how I can modify it slightly.

For example, I have downloaded the ROM zip and decompressed it. I've then edited the contents of a particular file (perhaps a picture or sound file) but not the name of the file itself. I've then recompressed to a zip file and attempted to load it into the phone.

However, it isn't accepted by the loader and fails.

Is there some kind of checksum or protection at work or is it not intended for this to be possible?

Or perhaps I'm missing something obvious! I'm still learning!!

Regards,

Martin

[Guest Frankish]

Should still work just fine doing it the way you say. That's all i do.

[Guest HitTheCow]

maybe you have to sign it again.

or you disable the signature check in the clockwork recovery

[Guest Victor von Zeppelin]

Well, signings a problem, so you shouldn't sign your ROM if you've baked it and are using Clockwork. Also, perhaps it will be best to not decompress the folder, and instead remove the old versions of the files you're changing, and replace them. I'd assume you don't wanna change the whole lot.

And on the topic of decompress, the ZIP may be a store, and hence not compressed.

[Guest Arr Too]

I've then edited the contents of a particular file (perhaps a picture or sound file) but not the name of the file itself. I've then recompressed to a zip file and attempted to load it into the phone.

How are you flashing it? With ClockworkMod? By default that doesn't check the signature so you should be fine.

And which specific file? The hot topic of boot animation requires a specific format of data file and then a zip that is simply stored (not compressed, because the data is already compressed).

[Guest oh!dougal]

...

However, my question relates to how I can modify it slightly.

For example, I have downloaded the ROM zip and decompressed it. I've then edited the contents of a particular file (perhaps a picture or sound file) but not the name of the file itself. I've then recompressed to a zip file and attempted to load it into the phone.

However, it isn't accepted by the loader and fails.

Is there some kind of checksum or protection at work or is it not intended for this to be possible?

...

I use Astro File Manager on the phone itself. (Its free, find it in the Market)

I can go into a zip on the sdcard, delete stuff, paste in an entire replacement folder from another (zipped) rom, AND (provided I haven't done anything too silly) my (old version) Clockwork flashes it successfully.

Astro just 'sees' zips as being just another folder.

Rather nice.

Edited December 14, 2010 by oh!dougal

[Guest martindorans]

Thanks for the replies guys!

I am using clockworkmod to place the rom into the phone.

If even one of you has managed to do this following a change, it's likely I've overlooked something straightforward like not zipping it correctly or maybe disabling the checksum. Thanks for confirming that other users have successfully made a change. I'll recheck all my steps and try a few variations to try and get the same results.

Best,

Martin

[Guest martindorans]

I use Astro File Manager on the phone itself. (Its free, find it in the Market)

I can go into a zip on the sdcard, delete stuff, paste in an entire replacement folder from another (zipped) rom, AND (provided I haven't done anything too silly) my (old version) Clockwork flashes it successfully.

Astro just 'sees' zips as being just another folder.

Rather nice.

This is a particularly neat feature considering it can be difficult to get windows to recognise the SD Card as a working storage device unless you step back to the Orange ROM.

I wonder what the Orange ROM includes that makes it easier to get the drivers to work properly compared to the ROMs on this site which don't appear to be compatible with the Windows drivers I've used previously.

[Guest martindorans]

maybe you have to sign it again.

or you disable the signature check in the clockwork recovery

At the risk of exposing the extent of my ignorance - how does one 'sign' something?

[Guest Arr Too]

At the risk of exposing the extent of my ignorance - how does one 'sign' something?

Unless you've accidentally turned signature checking on in ClockworkMod then you don't need to bother with that.

Again, which specific files are you trying to change? If you're removing items from the ROM (which is in update.zip format) then I suppose it's possible you may have removed something that's referenced from the update script, which will cause it to fail.

[Guest cartierv]

Is that right ? These custom roms won't allow the SD card to be mounted as USB mass storage ?

This is a particularly neat feature considering it can be difficult to get windows to recognise the SD Card as a working storage device unless you step back to the Orange ROM.

I wonder what the Orange ROM includes that makes it easier to get the drivers to work properly compared to the ROMs on this site which don't appear to be compatible with the Windows drivers I've used previously.

[Guest The Soup Thief]

Is that right ? These custom roms won't allow the SD card to be mounted as USB mass storage ?

I think there's a bit of a misunderstanding somewhere here - the custom ROMs cerainly do allow the SD card to be mounted by your desktop as mass storage when you select the option to do so after plugging the two together w the usb cable

Not quite sure what martindorans means by

it can be difficult to get windows to recognise the SD Card as a working storage device unless you step back to the Orange ROM

Though I'd agree, Astro is pretty good. There are a few file managers that will let you explore zips like this

I quite like SUFBS, but I'd be hard pressed to explain why :)

[Guest leavitnow]

Unless you've accidentally turned signature checking on in ClockworkMod then you don't need to bother with that.

Again, which specific files are you trying to change? If you're removing items from the ROM (which is in update.zip format) then I suppose it's possible you may have removed something that's referenced from the update script, which will cause it to fail.

Hello

i have used custom rom from paul and rooted it successfully using c-w-d recovery!

can you please advise how can i change the start up image from modaco to zte blade image / my honda bike?

many thanks

[Guest davnig]

Is that right ? These custom roms won't allow the SD card to be mounted as USB mass storage ?

No its not, it isn't always easy to set up drivers but not overly difficult, just do a forum search for zte usb drivers, get the right one and it's just a case of running an exe and plugging the phone in, simples!

[Guest Arr Too]

I think there's a bit of a misunderstanding somewhere here - the custom ROMs cerainly do allow the SD card to be mounted by your desktop as mass storage when you select the option to do so after plugging the two together w the usb cable

Different ROMs have different defaults: some will prompt to mount the SD card on the PC, some won't. And even ClockworkMod will let you mount the SD card on the PC.

[Guest davnig]

Different ROMs have different defaults: some will prompt to mount the SD card on the PC, some won't. And even ClockworkMod will let you mount the SD card on the PC.

yep, on 2.1 it made a notification sound and popped up a question box for me to choose, which I found quite annoying - the sound and the popup.

On 2.2 Alpha3 it just has a notification that you can hit to choose to mount it, much better method imho.

(both Pauls ROMs)

Edited December 15, 2010 by davnig

[Guest leavitnow]

Different ROMs have different defaults: some will prompt to mount the SD card on the PC, some won't. And even ClockworkMod will let you mount the SD card on the PC.

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Hello

i have used custom rom from paul and rooted it successfully using c-w-d recovery!

can you please advise how can i change the start up image from modaco to zte blade image / my honda bike?

many thanks

can email me at [email protected]

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