New to g300, flashing and Android in general

[Guest Indraneelan]

Hi, new to the G300, rooting and Android in general here, so please forgive me if any of my questions don't make sense :-s I've got quite a few!

Do you need to root a phone to change the ROM?

If i root the phone on the stock GB ROM will it retain root access when I flash it?

What do you lose from a phone by way of information when you flash a ROM, or is that what the recovery images are for - to stop you losing data?

What's the ROM for the G300 that results in it running the fastest, what Android version is it and does it have any drawbacks? I get the impression the Cyanogen10 ROM is popular, but will running Jellybean slow down my phone or are the newer android versions easier for a phone to run?

Does flashing refer to changing some files in the ROM only or also to loading a whole new ROM? How does flashing a ROM compare to adding a mod such as the battery mods listed in one of the pinned threads?

How much can you safely overclock a g300 and is it worth it?

Basically I've got a new locked G300, and if I'm going to start messing with it (which I am) I want to understand it!

This is my first smartphone so I've never used Android before so any tips/hints on things I might not know would be great, thanks.

Indie

[Guest kieranswhite]

Do you need to root a phone to change the ROM?

yes and install clockwork Mod recovery

If i root the phone on the stock GB ROM will it retain root access when I flash it?

some ROMS have root access others require you to flash super user and the like.

What do you lose from a phone by way of information when you flash a ROM, or is that what the recovery images are for - to stop you losing data?

when you flash you have to wipe everything but you can backup apps and data to the external SD card which is not wiped.

you can backup your current ROM with all the data and restore it at a later date with all your apps and settings

What's the ROM for the G300 that results in it running the fastest, what Android version is it and does it have any drawbacks? I get the impression the Cyanogen10 ROM is popular, but will running Jellybean slow down my phone or are the newer android versions easier for a phone to run?

it is a matter of opinion. ICS is stable and can be updated from gingerbread and there are various ROM's out there.

Does flashing refer to changing some files in the ROM only or also to loading a whole new ROM? How does flashing a ROM compare to adding a mod such as the battery mods listed in one of the pinned threads?

both. you flash a mod via clockworl mod.

How much can you safely overclock a g300 and is it worth it?

1.3 GHz but it is only really noticeable when playing games.

Basically I've got a new locked G300, and if I'm going to start messing with it (which I am) I want to understand it!

This is my first smartphone so I've never used Android before so any tips/hints on things I might not know would be great, thanks.

Indie

Before doing ANYTHING read the pinned threads thoroughly:

i would advise reading the other ones as well but always ask if your not sure.

good luck :)

[Guest Al_1604]

Best to get the phone unlocked (if you plan to use any network other then Vodaphone) before flashing ROMs, some ROMs will not allow unlocking. The Network unlock only needs to be done once whatever ROM you flash after will not re-lock the phone.

ebay unlock codes are generally reliable.

[Guest Alkapton]

At this time you don't want cm10, perhaps next week - right now Infusion is about as good as it gets but if you gingerbread you must upgrade to ics first - read pinned threads.