Root Few things I hope my rooted nexus 5 can do?

[thisISjoel]

Bros! New member of the android/nexus club (previous iPhone user) rooted my nexus straight out of the box and I have some questions about some functions I'm hoping I can add to this awesome phone;
1. Full screen chrome. I'd love to do away with the buttons on the side when in landscape mode on chrome (ditching the status bar would be lovely too) to make the most of this beautiful screen when browsing my favourite websites
2. I'd love ios style notification badges on apps when I have new emails, messages etc.
3. I'd like to be able to play audio from my phone through my car's USB interface (no Bluetooth audio, there is an aux in but I prefer USB if possible) the same way my iPhone did.

That's the main stuff, if you dudes have any other suggestions for cool stuff to do to/with my nexus to make it even more fun to use I'd love to hear (read them).

Cheers: )

 

[Hadron]

Don't know about 1 and 3 (don't use Chrome and my car doesn't have a USB interface), but 2 doesn't require root even. Just use Nova or Apex launcher instead of the stock one, and both have add-ons that can provide this.

 

[ymmie]

Try the Cataclysm ROM. It has an Immersive Mode feature that will do #1. I use Tasker (available in the Play Store) to enable/disable immersive mode when I open/close Chrome.

You can also resize the navbar at the bottom to enlarge the screen some.

Link for Cataclysm: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2518660

 

[Hook]

Dirty Unicorns also has immersive mode, called expanded desktop, although I don't use the feature. It also allows resizing of Nav bar.

I'm sure many ROMs have these features.

 

[thisISjoel]

Cool, thanks for the responses I'm thinking it might be time to try a rom. What should I do before so I can get my data back after I do it?

 

[Hook]

Cool, thanks for the responses I'm thinking it might be time to try a rom. What should I do before so I can get my data back after I do it?

I assume you installed a custom recovery when you rooted. If not, that should be your first step.

Then you should do two things from the recovery. Make a backup of your System, Data and Boot partitions (called a Nandroid backup). This is like having an image of your current setup that you can flash to restore your present state if something messes up.

Next also make a backup of you EFS partition and copy it to your Compuetr for safe keeping. This is the partition that contains vital phone information that makes your service possible.

I use the TWRP recovery, which is very easy to use and stores the backups in a folder on the internal drive, so they are easy to back up to PC. Don't know much about Clockwork Mod.

This thread is a great place to begin. Plus there are people here who know waaay more than I do.

http://androidforums.com/nexus-5-all-things-root/790362-nexus-5-rooting-guide.html

 

[Incakola]

GravityBox (requires exposed framework app) has immersive mode on all apps too if you want to stay on stock using dalvik runtime only. For the iOS like notifications, that's gonna require different apps with that kind of feature and a little tweak from gravitybox to keep them expanded. For your number 3, I think apps like this might help: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.extreamsd.usbaudioplayerpro&hl=en

I believe this Dev makes trail versions of this app

 

[thisISjoel]

I assume you installed a custom recovery when you rooted. If not, that should be your first step.

Then you should do two things from the recovery. Make a backup of your System, Data and Boot partitions (called a Nandroid backup). This is like having an image of your current setup that you can flash to restore your present state if something messes up.

Next also make a backup of you EFS partition and copy it to your Compuetr for safe keeping. This is the partition that contains vital phone information that makes your service possible.

I use the TWRP recovery, which is very easy to use and stores the backups in a folder on the internal drive, so they are easy to back up to PC. Don't know much about Clockwork Mod.

This thread is a great place to begin. Plus there are people here who know waaay more than I do.

http://androidforums.com/nexus-5-all-things-root/790362-nexus-5-rooting-guide.html

I'm not quite sure what a custom recovery is. I used cf auto root to root my nexus so I'm not sure if that did it for me or if I have to do one myself?

 

[DMajor239]

http://teamw.in/project/twrp2

 

[thisISjoel]

Also, anyway to get a battery percentage in the status bar?

I'd also really like iOS style fold down noficiations that I can touch to open the relevant apps.

Any ideas?

I'm using the stock ROM ATM but of course I am rooted.

 

[Hadron]

Battery percentage is usually a custom ROM feature, though you could cook one at uot.dakra.lt. Nandroid backup before flashing any such mod though.

Not sure what you mean about notifications - touching most Android notifications takes you to the app.

 

[thisISjoel]

Battery percentage is usually a custom ROM feature, though you could cook one at uot.dakra.lt. Nandroid backup before flashing any such mod though.

Not sure what you mean about notifications - touching most Android notifications takes you to the app.

Thanks

Sorry I didn't explain myself properly about the notifications; I'm looking for something that will make the notifications appear as a larger, tapable banner at the top of the screen so I don't have to swipe down into the notifications every time. Similar to how it works on iOS.

 

[Hadron]

Hmm, not come across such a mod. Of course many 3rd party launchers allow you to define gestures, so you could use a swipe or a double tap to open the notifications without having to reach the top of the screen and pull down (when on the homescreen - if running an app you still need to reach the top). I don't know N5 ROMs, but probably some of them have customisations you could use to get quicker or easier access to notifications.

 

[Incakola]

Your better off to just Google that iOS notification feature, maybe there is a app that mimics iOS notifications. Also if you don't have a recovery integrated into n5 then you are stuck on stock and this will turn up a situation where you'll have a brick for a phone because you did something wrong.

 

[Incakola]

An app called flashify will do wonders for you. You can choose inside the app to download recovery for the n5 from either team win project or clockworkmod. The options on the app are pretty self explanatory.

 

[thisISjoel]

An app called flashify will do wonders for you. You can choose inside the app to download recovery for the n5 from either team win project or clockworkmod. The options on the app are pretty self explanatory.

Cool, thanks I actually did manage to get my backup that I made with CWM, it was there when I fast booted. Does flashify do anything else cool?

 

[Incakola]

Flashify is just easy way to update your recovery in the case a new version is developed by cwrm or twrp. It also flashes kernel images and que zips to be flashed through your recovery. Basic flash stuff is all it does.

 

[ymmie]

The easiest way to get a custom recovery is to download Goo Manager from the play store. Once installed open it and click the 3 dots at the top right. Then click install openrecoveryscript and let it do its thing. This will install the latest version of TWRP for the Nexus.

After that's done make backups as said earlier before flashing a custom ROM.

 

[thisISjoel]

The easiest way to get a custom recovery is to download Goo Manager from the play store. Once installed open it and click the 3 dots at the top right. Then click install openrecoveryscript and let it do its thing. This will install the latest version of TWRP for the Nexus.

After that's done make backups as said earlier before flashing a custom ROM.

Thanks

So is the idea to make a backup, flash a custom rom and then restore the backup to get all your apps, contacts and other data back?

My main concern before trying a new rom is losing all my contacts and other data.

 

[Hadron]

If your contacts are synced with Google they will just reload. Other data you want a backup app for.

But there are two types of backup, and you want to make both before flashing a ROM:

* Make a backup from recovery (aka a nandroid backup). This backs up a snapshot of your current ROM, apps, data and settings. If something goes wrong, or you just don't like the new ROM, restore this and you are back where you were.

* App/data backups, such as Titanium Backup. You use these to restore user apps and your data after changing ROM. Do not restore system settings or data on the new ROM though.

Beware that you have contacts and messages backed up somewhere though, as the free version of Titanium doesn't back up messages in a form that can be restored between ROMs (because they are part of the system data). The paid version of Titanium can back up messages in a form that can be restored to a new ROM, or there are many message backup apps. As said, Google contacts are backed up anyway, but the simplest alternative is just to export then from the phonebook (saves them as a vcard file).

 

[thisISjoel]

If your contacts are synced with Google they will just reload. Other data you want a backup app for.

But there are two types of backup, and you want to make both before flashing a ROM:

* Make a backup from recovery (aka a nandroid backup). This backs up a snapshot of your current ROM, apps, data and settings. If something goes wrong, or you just don't like the new ROM, restore this and you are back where you were.

* App/data backups, such as Titanium Backup. You use these to restore user apps and your data after changing ROM. Do not restore system settings or data on the new ROM though.

Beware that you have contacts and messages backed up somewhere though, as the free version of Titanium doesn't back up messages in a form that can be restored between ROMs (because they are part of the system data). The paid version of Titanium can back up messages in a form that can be restored to a new ROM, or there are many message backup apps. As said, Google contacts are backed up anyway, but the simplest alternative is just to export then from the phonebook (saves them as a vcard file).

Thanks

I'm pretty excited to start trying out some roms now the question is where to start?

 

[dsjr2006]

What kind of car do you have that you are trying to connect to?

 

[thisISjoel]

What kind of car do you have that you are trying to connect to?

Honda Civic 2010.

 

[Rxpert83]

If I were you, I'd start with a stock based custom ROM and custom kernel and see what that will get off your list.

If you're new to rooting, I'd suggest cataclysm. Its based off of the stock ROM, so everything that normally works still works. Doesn't have *as* many bells and whistles as some of the other ROMS out there, but it also doesn't get updates every day or have bugs.

Cataclysm ROM:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2518660

Franco kernel (my favorite, but there are certainly others):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2508284

Immersive mode will take care of #1

#2 is going to be the trickiest part

#3 someone else is going to have to make some suggestions, as I use public transportation.


As far as flashify or other apps that attempt to automate recovery/fastboot functions---- I'd highly suggest a new rooter do not use them. They *can* screw up, and without the knowledge of doing things manually you will not know how to fix it when the app does screw up. You'll be in a bootloop you won't know how to get out of.


With that said, ask, and we'll be glad to help you with step by step instructions on how to do ANYTHING . Many of the people here have had many rooted devices, and as a result we may be missing threads on how to do the basics.

Just ask and you shall receive. In return, it helps us know where our weak points are, and we can go about making improvements

 

[thisISjoel]

If I were you, I'd start with a stock based custom ROM and custom kernel and see what that will get off your list.

If you're new to rooting, I'd suggest cataclysm. Its based off of the stock ROM, so everything that normally works still works. Doesn't have *as* many bells and whistles as some of the other ROMS out there, but it also doesn't get updates every day or have bugs.

Cataclysm ROM:
[ROM] [KitKat 4.4.2] [HAMMERHEAD] Cataclysm for Nexus 5 [Dec 12, 2013 Release] - xda-developers

Franco kernel (my favorite, but there are certainly others):
[KERNEL] [GPL] [N5] franco.Kernel - r33 - xda-developers

Immersive mode will take care of #1

#2 is going to be the trickiest part

#3 someone else is going to have to make some suggestions, as I use public transportation.


As far as flashify or other apps that attempt to automate recovery/fastboot functions---- I'd highly suggest a new rooter do not use them. They *can* screw up, and without the knowledge of doing things manually you will not know how to fix it when the app does screw up. You'll be in a bootloop you won't know how to get out of.


With that said, ask, and we'll be glad to help you with step by step instructions on how to do ANYTHING . Many of the people here have had many rooted devices, and as a result we may be missing threads on how to do the basics.

Just ask and you shall receive. In return, it helps us know where our weak points are, and we can go about making improvements

Thanks

I've got gravity box and am running expanded desktop and loving it

I think #2 and #3 might be pipe dreams for now.