Root Droid X Theme Question

[Stevez]

Hi,

I'm a newbie to Android and I just purchased a Motorola Droid X and LOVE it!

I want to find out if rooting would be required if I wanted to get different themes for my Droid X?

If rooting is required, what is the easiest way to root on Android 2.2 Froyo? Would it be hard to unroot the phone if necessary?

I appreciate everyone's help!

 

[colchiro]

Yes, need to be rooted and then you deodex. More info here: http://androidforums.com/droid-x-al...ing-custom-rom-theme-how-unbrick-droid-x.html

Deodexing via the 928 theme is easiest.

Rooting is easiest via z4root, not available in Market: http://handheld.softpedia.com/get/System-Utilities/Enhancements/z4root-110178.shtml

Download it to your SD card so you can reinstall if needed. You can unroot via that too.

 

[Steven58]

^^^^+1

What he said!

 

[Stevez]

I read through http://androidforums.com/droid-x-al...ing-custom-rom-theme-how-unbrick-droid-x.html and followed his way of rooting. It worked perfectly and I have the Superuser Permissions and the Droid X Bootstrap. I downloaded the 928

 

[colchiro]

You probably need to go into Droid X Bootstrap (Recovery) and click the top button (bootstrap recovery) before it'll work. It'll say "successful", meaning your bootstrap is ready to go.

I don't use rom manager except to backup my phone or rename backups, since it lets me rename it to something that makes sense like deodexed_2.3.15_12-4-10. (Make sure you don't use spaces or it'll fail to restore.)

FWIW, I always install themes, or restore backups from recovery.

There's a "928 restore to stock deodex" theme that will give you a stock appearance, yet still stay deodexed. You'll want to back that up from recovery as a starting point for themes.

I'm concerned that you didn't backup stock-but-rooted BEFORE deodexing. That's your way to get the OTA upgrade w/o using the SBF file. When I use the sbf to fix a boot problem, I always restored a backup right after. I suppose you could use the "928 restore to stock ODEX" file to receive the OTA upgrade (2.2.1), expected any day. I'm under the impression you can't do that while deodexed, but don't know for sure.

 

[colchiro]

While I'm on a backup kick... I hope you have at least one backup solution installed, like Titanium Backup or MyBackup Pro (I have both paid versions). After installing a rom (Rubix Blurry), I used both to restore apps, data, contacts (I use images with mine) from backups and also froze some apps with Titanium. If you buy only one, Titanium would be my first choice.

You can never have enough backups.

 

[Steven58]

It's a matter of preference. I, too, always used clockworkMod recovery to install roms/themes. I don't anymore. I use Rom Mgr, pretty much all the time, unless for some reason, I can't, which hardly ever happens.

Steven, like Colchiro said, you need Droid X Bootstrapper. You're not going to be able to do anything without it. It is crucial. It's here: Droid X Recovery Bootstrap - Android app on AppBrain

You must buy it, install it and select "Bootstrap Recovery" and give it permission and let it install. Please ask more questions if you need to.

 

[Stevez]

Ok, so I understand booting up in recovery and installing themes through the "install zip from sdcard" option is the best way to go. Right?

I tried installing xda-developers - View Single Post - All Droid X Themes (Now Including Fission 2.2.1!) and got a keyboard not found error message. At the same time, my Droid X was acting funny. When I tried to go to the app list, sometimes it would pull up and sometimes not and the Text Messaging app would not open. I had to do a complete format and restore through Droid X Bootstrap.

Honestly, I would love to have this theme: http://androidforums.com/motorola-d...-your-x-screens-look-like-14.html#post1343138 if it is not too difficult to install or maybe another theme that kinda looks like HTC Sense that has that "Phone" and the little arrow to pull up all the apps, and the weather to display right under the clock in a similar way kinda like the theme in that link.

Thanks for your help again. I really appreciate it.

 

[colchiro]

Looks like your theme is for the Fission rom, which doesn't usually work if you don't have the fission rom.

To get the look you want,

• install the sense background image and Weather and Toggle widget with h7c skins
• install any black bar theme to work with OTA (unless you have a rom),
• install LauncherPro
• change the dock image in LP to the sense dock (you can download it from the LP website)

... enjoy.

 

[Stevez]

Fission rom is a seperate type of theme when compared to deox, right?

What is LauncherPro and what does it do?

If I was to get a black bar theme, is it installed the same exact way as any theme would be? Through the recovery boot from the zip file in the SD file?

Looks like your theme is for the Fission rom, which doesn't usually work if you don't have the fission rom.

To get the look you want,

• install the sense background image and Weather and Toggle widget with h7c skins
• install any black bar theme to work with OTA (unless you have a rom),
• install LauncherPro
• change the dock image in LP to the sense dock (you can download it from the LP website)

... enjoy.

 

[colchiro]

Here's your sense background.

You should be able to find your dock here:
LauncherPro Forum • View topic - Share your custom dock backgrounds!

or worst case here:
LauncherPro Icons & Docks Links & How to Apply Them - SprintUsers.com

or maybe this one will be wide enough:

 

[colchiro]

Roms are the operating systems on your phone, usually with bloat removed and sometimes Motorola-specific programs (Blur) removed and often might be more of the way Google intended, before Motorola got it. Often they are optimized for speed.

Themes are intended to change the appearance of what you see. Some might have a lot of blue or green or red colors. One example is a few Christmas themes we've seen this week.

Roms and themes are different animals. Both are installed the same way, by browsing for a zip file on your sd card, thru recovery.

LauncherPro is a different "home" program so replaces all your icons on all screens. It's a free download. You usually want to also install home switcher so you can go back to your original screens and clean up your widgets, if you choose to stick with LP.

Bet you didn't know a smart phone would be so much work...

 

[Stevez]

I just downloaded LauncherPro and it doesn't give me the option to "open" it even though it is installed. It says that if I can't open it, to download Home Switcher. I've downloaded home switcher and switched my home to LauncherPro. I like the LauncherPro dock icons better, but how do I access its settings since I can't get into it? :/

 

[tom108]

I just downloaded LauncherPro and it doesn't give me the option to "open" it even though it is installed. It says that if I can't open it, to download Home Switcher. I've downloaded home switcher and switched my home to LauncherPro. I like the LauncherPro dock icons better, but how do I access its settings since I can't get into it? :/

hit the menu button then preferences.

 

[colchiro]

Yes preferences is what you want.

Like I said, if you decide to stick with LP, you'll want to go to home switcher and delete all the apps (not shortcuts) off your old screens. You don't need the old stuff running in the background, slowing down your X.

Also, the calendar app is Smooth Calendar.

 

[Stevez]

I used that as the dock background in LP and all it has is that as the dock background with the default phone icon, contacts icon, dialerpad, messaging smiley face icon, and browser over it. How do I make the background function on its own without having to have these icons over it?

I want the dock to look like this so that the dock buttons are usable and then have the Gmail, Messaging, Email, and Contacts links right above on one of the homescreens:

Here's your sense background.

You should be able to find your dock here:
LauncherPro Forum • View topic - Share your custom dock backgrounds!

or worst case here:
LauncherPro Icons & Docks Links & How to Apply Them - SprintUsers.com

or maybe this one will be wide enough:

 

[colchiro]

If you long-press your existing icons, you can change the program that it uses or the icon. You'll want to use a transparent icon.

Someone posted how to get the look you want here, including a blank icon (transparent with no image or text).

Nevermind, here's your blank icon: http://androidforums.com/android-themes/204202-removing-dock-icons.html#post1780964

 

[Stevez]

I used a blank icon and made them shortcuts so they are completely functional. I used the info from the link to the forum post. Thanks for finding that for me!

One more thing: How do I change my Messaging icon to the one that is shown in this pic? And do you know what program they are using to get the little Messaging icon to appear in the status bar?:

If you long-press your existing icons, you can change the program that it uses or the icon. You'll want to use a transparent icon.

Someone posted how to get the look you want here, including a blank icon (transparent with no image or text).

Nevermind, here's your blank icon: http://androidforums.com/android-themes/204202-removing-dock-icons.html#post1780964

 

[colchiro]

I used a blank icon and made them shortcuts so they are completely functional. I used the info from the link to the forum post. Thanks for finding that for me!

One more thing: How do I change my Messaging icon to the one that is shown in this pic? And do you know what program they are using to get the little Messaging icon to appear in the status bar?

If it's the stock icon, that's where a theme comes in. They swap out stock images with alterred images. LP has an option to show unread SMS count on the status bar, but I don't know how that looks. There might be apps you can install that also do that.