Root ROM hopping

[wpetering]

I've seen several threads about users hopping from one ROM to another. The thing I don't see is how you all do it. (not complete anyways).

One user uses three apps to backup data, apps and settings, another user does titanium for everything.

Lets hear what works best for you. Cheers

 

[doogald]

I don't hop around as much as I used to, but, quite often, a ROM upgrade will require a complete wipe anyway. Here is what I do.

- I use Titanium Backup. I have it scheduled to backup all user apps+data every night at 2 am.

- I use an app called SMS Backup & Restore. I have it scheduled to backup every night at 4 am.

- when I am going to flash a new ROM, or do an upgrade that requires a wipe, I will manually do both backups above just before the switch. (The schedules are good in case I forget to run these manually.)

- when I know I am going to just Nandroid restore an existing flash, I will do a Titanium backup of only those apps that I know I have used significantly since the last time I used that ROM. I definitely do the SMS Backup and Restore.

- After switching to the new ROM, I run Titanium and batch restore user apps, and then run SMS Backup and Restore to restore my SMS messages.

- I use an app called Setting Profiles Full to switch between sound off and sound on profiles at bedtime. But I have my default ringtone and notification ringtone set in there, so I will manually activate that sound on profile to reset all of my customizations.

- If it is a non-Cyanogen ROM, I will generally need to go through all the settings pages to reset all of my customized settings - WiFi access points, display options, turn on allowing app install from non-market sources, etc. I generally don't use Titanium for these system options because I fear it will mess up the settings between different ROMs.

- I go into the gmail app and calendar app to set my defaults for those apps

- I start and set up Google Voice, setting it as the voicemail provider for the phone.

It doesn't take very long to get things set up.

 

[magic1]

I'm very new at this and have only been rooted for a couple of days but have already flashed about four or five different roms. I used the one click method to root. The way I do it is to download my rom with my phones browser and use astro file manager. I got off the market to put rom on SD card. Then I go into recovery mode do a wipe and flash the rom. Reboot and you're there. From what I've read I'd do a nandroid backup once you get a good rom so that if you flash a bad one or if something goes wrong you're covered. Hope this helps. There's a whole lot of smart people here who can guide you better than I can. They sure helped me!

 

[Frisco]

I've seen several threads about users hopping from one ROM to another. The thing I don't see is how you all do it. (not complete anyways).

One user uses three apps to backup data, apps and settings, another user does titanium for everything.

Lets hear what works best for you. Cheers

I like that last sentence in your post, wpetering, because that's what it's all about.

Your experiences, gathering info and methods as you go along, will end up being the most influential source for your choices.

After messing with backup apps and services, I finally came to the understanding that starting fresh with each ROM is the best way for me to learn that ROM (as I work through the menus doing my settings, etc), ferret out my most important priorities (read: either forget or toss a lot of unneeded junk I've accumulated along the way) and keep my data and information restricted to fewer entities.

When I am ready to flash anther ROM, I only go into gmail with my computer to take a quick look at my contacts and calendar, adding something from a note or checking my phone info, sync, then power down, do a nand backup noting the date and time, and flash away.

No Titanium, no worries. Market always has a list of my paid apps in "downloads" or "my downloads" on some versions, and even if it didn't I know what they are; it's not rocket science to write them down on a piece of paper.

That's what works best for me.

 

[MOS95B]

No app backup for me. On 2.2, Google will automatically backup/restore your downloaded apps. The ones it misses are right there in the market

I like starting from scratch each time. I just make sure my music, ringtones, and pics are copied to my computer

 

[shh]

So far I've only hopped between XTRRom, XTR Sense, CELB Froyo and Kaos Froyo. I have two 8gb sd cards that I use; one for the froyo roms and the other for the XTR roms.

I usually do a full wipe and although I use Titanium I also use Astro File Manager. For all but the Sense rom I use Launcher Pro Plus and use the restore function to get my screens set up. If an icon doesn't show properly then I know I have to remove it, add it again or redownload it from the Market.

What I'm finding is that these particular developers are quite active and sometimes I'll skip flashing a version and wait for the next one.

I also keep the last two version Nandroid saves on my computer. I have a Nandroid folder for each rom with the saved files and Drocap images of the screens.

I'm retired so have much time to play. BTW, an X will be coming soon.

 

[doogald]

No app backup for me. On 2.2, Google will automatically backup/restore your downloaded apps. The ones it misses are right there in the market

This is what I used to do - even in 2.1, right after flashing, I would go right to the market and reinstall all of my apps. That is a key point for 2.1, by the way - the first time that you go to the market after setting up your account on a factory reset phone or ROM, all of your apps, even the free ones, will be in the market. Once you leave the market, only your purchased apps will remain (though sometimes the free ones are there; you just can't count on them being there after leaving.)

However, Titanium is great because I don't have to go in to each app that requires a log-in and re-credential (an app like Evernote or a Twitter appor Facebook are examples.) I use randomly generated passwords for everything, so each of these requires starting Lastpass, search for the site, copy the password, start the app and log in.... it gets tedious. I figure that Titanium will save me those 15 to 30 minutes, so why not use it?

I should note that when I am restoring in Titanium I do not simply reinstall everything - I go through the list and decide which ones I am no longer using, deselect them, and then do the batch restore.

The process was fresh in my mind last night because I had just flashed Kaos Froyo V33 from scratch - then had to quickly nand restore back to V32 when I read about all of the problems people were having. I'm on to V34 later this morning, once that phone call I am expecting any half hour now is done. And then I'm going on the Zach and Tenzo's Vanilla 2.0.3 (or whatever they are up to) for the weekend.

 

[doogald]

For all but the Sense rom I use Launcher Pro Plus and use the restore function to get my screens set up. If an icon doesn't show properly then I know I have to remove it, add it again or redownload it from the Market.

That's an excellent tip!

 

[thrawn86]

TiBackup for everything. I don't even making a recovery image anymore. At some point I switched to clockworkmod recovery, my original NAND is still buried somewhere but w/e.

only have 3 homescreens with a total of 3 icons, the rest is widgetlocker.

from download to first boot takes about 15 minutes.