Installing a custom ROM onto my ZTE Blade - Where do I start?

[Guest killthatwha]

I'm about to buy a ZTE Blade with some of the money I recieved for Christmas.. and obviously I wish to root the device and install a custom 2.2 ROM on it (since I heard they provide better performance and the like).

But.. after being in the iPod hacking scene for around 3 years, I still know nothing in regards to rooting my new phone, and how to install a custom ROM. :/

Questions I am pondering -

Which 2.2 custom ROM would you reccomend?

How do I go about rooting my device?

How would I go about installing a custom ROM?

Do the custom ROMs provide a unique look to the device (HTC Sense UI for example).

I keep seeing a thing called 'ClockworkRecovery', what is it? How does it work? What does it do?

If something went wrong doing the process.. would my phone be broken forever?

Sorry about all the questions haha, but any advice would be really appriciated!

Thanks in advance,

KILLTHATWHA!

[Guest Len Ash]

http://tinyurl.com/3847m3w

It's all there - how you couldn't see it is another matter....

Edited December 30, 2010 by Len Ash

[Guest StevenHarperUK]

I'm about to buy a ZTE Blade with some of the money I recieved for Christmas.. and obviously I wish to root the device and install a custom 2.2 ROM on it (since I heard they provide better performance and the like).

But.. after being in the iPod hacking scene for around 3 years, I still know nothing in regards to rooting my new phone, and how to install a custom ROM. :/

Questions I am pondering -

Which 2.2 custom ROM would you reccomend?

How do I go about rooting my device?

How would I go about installing a custom ROM?

Do the custom ROMs provide a unique look to the device (HTC Sense UI for example).

I keep seeing a thing called 'ClockworkRecovery', what is it? How does it work? What does it do?

If something went wrong doing the process.. would my phone be broken forever?

Sorry about all the questions haha, but any advice would be really appriciated!

Thanks in advance,

KILLTHATWHA!

Nearly all your answers are in the Sticked post http://android.modaco.com/content/zte-blad...and-other-roms/

There are many themers around, if you go for a NEW Japanese 2.2 build then here is your theme page http://android.modaco.com/content/zte-blad...re-slate-theme/

you install the Themes AFTER the ROM (but in exactly the same manner ) via clockwork

[Guest Fi5h]

I'm about to buy a ZTE Blade with some of the money I recieved for Christmas.. and obviously I wish to root the device and install a custom 2.2 ROM on it (since I heard they provide better performance and the like).

But.. after being in the iPod hacking scene for around 3 years, I still know nothing in regards to rooting my new phone, and how to install a custom ROM. :/

Questions I am pondering -

Which 2.2 custom ROM would you reccomend?

How do I go about rooting my device?

How would I go about installing a custom ROM?

Do the custom ROMs provide a unique look to the device (HTC Sense UI for example).

I keep seeing a thing called 'ClockworkRecovery', what is it? How does it work? What does it do?

If something went wrong doing the process.. would my phone be broken forever?

Sorry about all the questions haha, but any advice would be really appriciated!

Thanks in advance,

KILLTHATWHA!

Errmmm - have you looked above at the pinned topics - everything you need is there - and more - StevenHarperUK wrote a great beginners guide and the forum is full of topic on this. :(

[Guest Len Ash]

Errmmm - have you looked above at the pinned topics - everything you need is there - and more - StevenHarperUK wrote a great beginners guide and the forum is full of topic on this. :(

The link I posted is for that.

I decided not to flame the OP... which took some doing.

[Guest Fi5h]

The link I posted is for that.

I decided not to flame the OP... which took some doing.

yeah, you must have all been posting as I was typing - there was nothing there when I hit reply :(

[Guest killthatwha]

http://tinyurl.com/3847m3w

Looking at the various ROMs and such, it looks like Japanese Jellyfish is the best ROM out there at the moment.. but I cannot find the MD5 hash for that ROM, so how would I know whether the file itself was corrupted or not?

EDIT - Yeah, sorry, I really should of read the stickies and such.. but I'm a complete newb and that added to a tiny bit of paranoia makes me tend to ask in topics as well as looking. Just to feel safe >.>

Edited December 30, 2010 by killthatwha

[Guest womble_sanfran]

Where do you start? You start by reading the stickies and using the search button on this forum, there is heaps here already.

[Guest StevenHarperUK]

Looking at the various ROMs and such, it looks like Japanese Jellyfish is the best ROM out there at the moment.. but I cannot find the MD5 hash for that ROM, so how would I know whether the file itself was corrupted or not?

EDIT - Yeah, sorry, I really should of read the stickies and such.. but I'm a complete newb and that added to a tiny bit of paranoia makes me tend to ask in topics as well as looking. Just to feel safe >.>

md5sum Japanese_Jellyfish_RLS2.zip

25ef63818332981c87ff4e52719190f3 Japanese_Jellyfish_RLS2.zip

Thats from the one I flashed to my Device last night

LET it boot - BEFORE you flash the overclock

and LET it boot again before you put on any themes (it will take longer to boot when you do this)

Good choice BTW :(

[Guest heavyduty00]

is it really necessary to use md5sum things? because i never use them and dont know how to get them lol

[Guest Phoenix Silver]

is it really necessary to use md5sum things? because i never use them and dont know how to get them lol

no but you take the chance to flash a corrupt file which could cause some strange troubles

[Guest StevenHarperUK]

is it really necessary to use md5sum things? because i never use them and dont know how to get them lol

md5sum reads the file you point it at, runs some math and produces a md5hash - a big line of numbers and characters

this is always the same if the file has not changed - it is a great way to check that files have not been damaged downloading

how to make them is covered in part of this thread http://android.modaco.com/content/zte-blad...and-other-roms/