Root [ROM]Stock 2.3.4, Sense 2.1[Rooted][Apps2sd][MetroPCS]- Only for marvelc

[Duir]

Confirmed Smith.apk is in there. As far as the new OTA, there isn't one for Metro (not since Feb or whenever it was that prompted the release of the 1.1 version of this ROM). The update that was mentioned on XDA (and was added to Simon's Sense 2.1 ROM) was just VM and Sprint.

I was actually gonna try his updated version (the 4/29 one) to see how it worked on my phone but the files are no longer up. I had tried his older one (marvelcrom20.zip or something) but for some reason my phone didn't like it.

I also tried the his/JMZ's Sense 3.5 ROM but one of the apps I use daily doesn't work on any Sense 3.5 ROM I've tried (I know it's not incompatible with Sense 3.5, so it's something with it being ported from another phone).


I don't really use the hotspot feature either. The day I posted about it my internet was down for a bit and I remembered the ROM had that feature enabled so I figured I'd try it out. I'm thinking MetroPCS did more than just disable a few lines in the build.prop to make sure that people weren't tethering on the stock ROM.

---- EDIT ----

Ok so nvm about update, there is one LOL. I had checked a few times after the person on XDA posted about the VM/Sprint one with nothing found. But I checked just now after posting and there is an update to version 3.01.1550.2 totaling only 8.51MB (which if I remember right, was the about size of the the VM/Sprint update).

 

[Duir]

Ok so haven't installed it yet, but here's the update in a nutshell:

NAME: OTA_Marvel_C_S_MetroPCS_US_3.01.1550.2-2.00.1550.07_release_257284wp1daty2kvsw9go6

FIRMWARE.ZIP:
New hboot (1.10.0001)
Newer boot.img
Newer recovery.img

Includes an rcdata.img file but it's the same size and CRC as the one included on the last FOTA.

Includes PRL 3026 / PRI 1.33_0103
---

Two new files (well 4 if you count the .odex):
HtcInternalSettingsProvider.apk (+.odex)
HtcLinkifyDispatcher.apk (+.odex)

Includes a patch folder with a large number of files in system/app
156 in total but that includes the .odex files so really only about 78, good news is, none of it's the Metro bloat.

After I backup I'll RUU and try this see if there's anything exciting about it.
Takes a bit to backup cuz nandroid restores always format my SD-EXT partition as EXT3 so have to backup everything with Titanium.

 

[Duir]

Ok so no noticeable differences in the new version.
Still Android 2.3.4 and Sense 2.1 obviously.

Software number:
3.01.1550.2 710RD

Kernel is newer:
2.6.35.10-g9d97ecb
htc-kernel@and18-2 #1
Wed Mar 14 19:14:28 CST 2012

My PRI/PRL version didn't change as I updated it a while ago (via dialing 611). Mine is PRI: 1.33_143 / PRL: 03026

Baseband (aka radio) still the same.
(0.94.00.1226)

hboot is 1.10.0001 build date 4/17/2012 10:21:30 (still unlocked )

---

Didn't notice any reference to the 2 new apps installed, must be background stuff. Working on a nandroid backup now, just gotta re-flash CWM 5.0.2.8.


---- EDIT ----

Would one of you check and see if I left the smith.apk in system (if I removed, could be causing the fc issue). Also, the new OTA... Does it fix this issue?

Thanks,
Rob

So interesting bit of info: smith.apk is removed by this update. Also, no clue yet if this update fixes the WiFi tether issue as it's disabled by default.

 

[Duir]

Figured out why the WiFi hotspot was force closing (I think).

Remember the system\customize\MNS\default.xml ?
There were 3 entries in the original, one for hiding an app and two for hiding widgets related to that app. Specifically:

      <function name="applications_hide">
        <set name="plenty" max="7">
          <item name="package">com.htc.WifiRouter</item>
          <item name="class">com.htc.WifiRouter.Intro</item>
        </set>
      </function>
      <function name="htc_widgets_hide">
        <set name="plenty" max="7">
          <item name="package">com.htc.htcsettingwidgets</item>
          <item name="widget_name">htcsettingwidgets.HotspotParentItem</item>
        </set>
        <set name="plenty" max="7">
          <item name="package">com.htc.htcsettingwidgets</item>
          <item name="widget_name">htcsettingwidgets.HotspotWidgetItem</item>
        </set>
      </function>

Well, there is no com.htc.WifiRouter.apk or similar in the system/app folder so it was likely FC'ing because of that. I'll know for certain soon as I believe I have found the missing program, and will try it soon.

 

[insink71]

Nice bit of detective work, you'd make a nice Dev most likely the newest update rolls in the Adreno 200 updates... Will flash to metro and investigate. Thanks for the updates.

Rob

 

[Duir]

Nice bit of detective work, you'd make a nice Dev most likely the newest update rolls in the Adreno 200 updates... Will flash to metro and investigate. Thanks for the updates.

Rob

Thanks
Sadly it's not Adreno 200, I actually had downloaded those (but not installed) but I compared the files in the Adreno update to those in the FOTA and no match. Also, my luck with WiFi hotspot is not much better, now Settings doesn't FC, Wi-Fi Hotspot FC's every time I run it

I've actually been trying to make a debloated ROM with limited success, though I've been working off the nandroid I made earlier of the latest FOTA and I may have a good one now (minus the hotspot issue). I gonna try adding Adreno 200 update and removing the hotspot and see how it plays out.

I also made a STOCK one of the latest version but it didn't recover well from MyMetro being removed like your v1.1 did LOL

I can upload the boot+system.img from my nandroid if it'd be easier for ya (actually meant to upload it earlier, but got carried away ). It's just the RUU plus the 2 FOTAs, I factory reset before I made the backup, though all I added was WiFi info for my router.

----EDIT----
If you want it, here's the nandroid.

Trying new rom build, took out the hotspot stuff and added Adreno 200 and Beats in addition to the removed carrier bloat. Will see how it works out.

If it works out good need to see if I can conquer the giant OC'ing a kernel hurdle.
http://www.mediafire.com/?mg75mii1959lut1

 

[insink71]

Sweet.. watch the adreno 200 update... Been causing some random reboot issues on some phones... Trying to decipher which files to keep with that [or write back] to avoid that behavior at present.

Share and share alike
On OC... Only discernable difference I've found is a file in ramdisk called cwkeys... Looks like an addressing file [possibly for radio].. with Jmz's kernel, this ramdisk doesn't get switched out... No idea why anykernel switchout didn't work properly with mind... Now einstein.frat's kernel. That's where I'm at there though.

Edit: I could manually pack the metro ramdisk with an OC kernel if you think it would be worth testing As always, no guarantees there.

Rob

 

[Duir]

Yeah I been tracking the thread for the Adreno 200 update, part of why I had waited to installed them. I kinda figured what the heck though.

I haven't had any issues with it so far, or with the Beats files. Though I'm also not sure how much of an improvement I'm getting either as I'm on stock kernel. I don't think I have any old antutu scores with stock, never really used that program untill after I put an OC kernel on my phone. Right now I'm at 1515 with stock kernel, class 10 SD, and Adreno update.

As for OC Kernel, like I said, I've gone back to stock. For some reason after one of the times I messed with my phone and put everything back JMZ's kernel wasn't working right. I'd like to make one built off the newest Metro kernel in this recent OTA. Most of the OC kernels out there are for GB2.3.5 or 2.3.3 not a lot for 2.3.4 and one seems to work for some Metro users while one works for others, then there was the one guy who couldn't get any to really work. It probably doesn't help that these kernels are built from different versions of the same phone. There's Marvel, MarvelC, MarvelS, which translates into A510e, A510c, and I forget the other.

Even though we all have a Wildfire S we don't actually share the same phone which makes sharing ROMs and kernels so difficult. I like that you had the separate stock ROMs for the different CDMA carriers, a PITA to keep up to date I'm sure, but you could essentially guarantee compatibility.
In this thread here, we have a perfect ROM that we know will work for our phones and gives us root and a2sd. Next best thing to compliment it would be an OC kernel.

I'm always willing to test anything, so no problem there. But I've been readin some of the stuff Simon posted on XDA and some stuff I found myself and might try making one. Though, if it really could be as simple as combining any kernel (JMZ for instance) and merging Metro's ramdisk, then heck yeah, worth trying. If I to try do anything with the kernel myself, it will probably be a little while. I think I might at least crack open the boot.img and see what I'm getting into. In the meantime, if you find/build something worth trying let me know, certainly willing to do so.

Also, sorry....this reply got a little away from me and became way longer that I had thought possible

P.S.
einstein.frat's kernel you mentioned? is that the "Dust" one? I had seen that but it said it was GB2.3.5 so I never bothered as we were basically told we will NEVER have 2.3.5 on Metro I would just assume stick with a kernel that's actually from the version of androidOS my phone is running.

 

[insink71]

Dust says it supports 2.3.5 only. Mindh4xer's previous kernel(s) [same guy was jikarantu then mindhexer now einstein.frat; considered a forefather to wildfire s (him & alquez)] were the ones I referred to. I myself would love to cook a kernel, but I never got my toolchains to act right. Source for vm usa is up on htcdev.com; sadly last time I checked there wasn't specific metro source. Theoretically though the source should either be the same or have small patches [difference];Euro and VM are same source for example. There is an arm article "Zero to Boot" that helped me see the theology of it all. Once I understand it, I usually find a way around challenges. But basically the htcdev kernel source is your reference kernel. You can do a diff of it to a mainline [same kernel version] and figure and pull the patches htc applied [which may help when you try to bring the kernel forward (from 2.xx to 3.xx, depending on if anything changed in the mainline source those patches depended on)]. Though this kernel is supposedly android, its still recommended to do the second arm of making an aosp kernel [from Google source] and merging [with your reference [[htcdev.com]] kernel] if you were building MIUI, Cyanogenmod, Google, or some other open source; if just modding htc sense[in kitchen or whatnot], reference kernel is all you need built [maybe throw an OC patch in there ]. Now, you may have followed what I just wrote but 95% of ppl out there wouldn't... If you read that guy's article, it makes a whole lot more sense.

Edit: key of what you said is.. if it COULD.. it could, sure. But knowing what patches have or have not been applied, well that is why ppl cook their own kernels typically For instance, the kernel may be throwing the random reboot for some adreno 200 updaters... Some have patched their kernel (alquez mentioned he had).. some may not have. Only way to truly know the ingredients of your chilli, is to cook it yourself

Rob

 

[Scary Guy]

Tried your ROM with no luck. It's still not able to make/get calls/texts. Makes me think the issue isn't ROM related... but it has to be?

Maybe a new radio would work? It sees the metroPCS network and says it's connected. When making calls it rings and then does the whole "DET 0 1, your call cannot be completed as dialed." But for that to even happen should mean the radio is working.

I'm so damn confused over this.

 

[insink71]

Hmmm.. Since I don't know what might have gotten squirrely, my general recommend would be:
Download the metro RUU [first thread wildfire s dev xda Football] & do a RUU reset,
See if your stuff works, if so continue...
Do one [and only one] update [there are two] through settings, about phone...
Then reflash the 1.1 version [to gain apps2sd, prerooted, etc]
I have been on vm's update.. I have to say at first I found it lackluster; now I find it a pain in .. Think I'll pick up the metropcs rom again [for second update] and see if its better. [And try to write 1.2].
RUU reset will in many instances reset the phone to factory [issue] condition and won't hurt phone. Then we can look and see if you have other challenges if it does not act "normal" again. One of the few things in addition is the mysterious /misc partition. This has flags that get rewritten/cleared when one [radio] s-off's. There has been discussion that these partitions can become corrupted [and restoring a clean [virgin and not the wireless co] dump from like phone] said to be cure. I never had problems so I never chased down that rabbit hole.... But that might be a decent step 2 [If RUU doesn't work]

Regards,
Rob

 

[Vyrus69]

Well last week my wife's phone started going haywire and was force closing every application. So I set out to fix her phone, I first installed the Hedense ROM with the MPCS patch, and it worked OK, but nothing out of this world. MMS wouldn't send and calls would drop really easily.

Then I noticed there was a 1.1 version of this ROM so I went ahead and flashed it along with JMZ's kernel at the same time. It bootlooped a couple of times, I then pulled the battery and then it booted up no problem. Installed A2SD no problems, and everything is all good, and without a doubt this ROM has the most available memory space of any of them.

The ONLY problem she is having with the phone is the sensors aren't working so when she makes a call and puts the phone up to her ear, she has to manually lock the phone so her cheek doesn't hit random numbers.

Otherwise so far so good.

 

[insink71]

Lets try to center discussion on this thread to the rom it is about. Another developer on xda makes the rom you referenced. In essence you are finding that you don't like Burger King pickles and you're taking it to McDonalds to fix. Hope the analogy is clear enough; sorry I can't help.

Rob

 

[insink71]

Oop.. double post.

Rob

 

[Vyrus69]

My comment was about this ROM, I was merely mentioning Hense because that ROM was crap with the Metropcs phone.

The issue with 1.1 though of the sensor not working and turning the screen on and off and dropped calls was too much as well, so I RUU'd the phone back to stock, did all of the carrier updates to 3.0, and then installed CWM and SU and rooted the phone.

The downside to being stock is that the phone is odex'd so less space available, but I installed JMZ's kernel and the phone runs super smooth without glitch.

If you do finish 1.2 and it doesn't have any glitches, my wife's phone will definitely be back.

 

[CptnSkippy]

Hello, rooting noob.

I've read up,on this, and finally bit today. I've unlocked the boot loader and eventually got it rooted. I did the cwm backup then followed the instructions to factory reset and installed this rom from the OP. installed and it went fine. After I did the SU and the a2sd commands, I get stuck in a perpetual reboot.

I'm just trying to ceate free space on my wife's phone to make it usable. Am I missing something?

 

[insink71]

did you partition your sd card; so that you have a /sdext partition? apps2sd tries to move your cache [mainly] and any apps you may chose to /sdext; so, if one doesn't make space for it... could lead to rebooting scenario you mentioned. Recomended ext2 or ext3 unless you have a kernel other than stock. Hope that helps.

Rob

ps partitioning guide linked in post 3 I think.. I'll change my recommend to ext2 only... ext3 works, but the journaling will inevidibally corrupt your /sdext.. then you got to fix it.. it can be an inconvienance lets say. You have done well to make it past rooting w/o asking advice ::applaude::

If you are a poweruser, take note. Mounts2sd and other tools allow you to turn journaling off for ext3 or ext4 [which stock kernel doesn't support]. The stock kernel doesn't handle journaling well; no telling with custom kernel(s). If you are using /sdext for cache only [this assumes you use the regular system a2sd for app moving; which, moves them to your fat32 partition], turning journaling off is a good thing.
Basically if you have one thing, the system will know where its at.. if you have multiple apps [that change size via update] journaling is supposed to speed up access. Hasn't been playing well thusfar with my ext3 [journaling on] /sdext.. I've been getting corruption and noticing at least every other flash I do... So, I myself am ratcheting down to ext2. [removing journaling is an advance tweak [that I could do] but I like to be on a base similar to most other end users for support reasons].

 

[CptnSkippy]

Thanks. I did partition as the other poster stated, however I let it run without doing the commands, and the phone showed 124mb free (as opposed to 9 from metro).

So far it has not run into any problems, so I let it slide. I did partition, but i think it may have been a FAT. So it looks like your ROM opened enough space to make my wife happy and the partition I did is sitting useless on her SD card.

Either way it's been three days without a problem so we're much happier. Thank you!

 

[reilus]

Problem fixed...

 

[reilus]

The recovery in this tutorial seems to freeze and not make full and proper backups: http://androidforums.com/wildfire-s-all-things-root/480954-guide-how-root-wildfire-s-s-finally.html

I posted an alternative recovery in the next post.

 

[reilus]

I tried flashing to this version of clockwork recovery: PG76IMG.zip

It's the older version and it works better with no random freezes.

 

[reilus]

The recovery from the previous post allows me to flash the ROM; it will not show any update progress. Don't worry, the ROM is still installing. Eventually it will reboot and, after a long wait, you'll be back in business.