Rom vs Cyanogenmod

[mach101]

I feel confused about these two things we can add to android phones and can not find any straight answers why one should choose one to another, so I decided to ask you.

What is the difference between those two (or similarities), and is it possible to have both of them on the phone?

 

[marc12868]

Cyanogenmod is a team that makes roms. Cyanogenod 7 for example is just a rom that is created by the Cyanogenmod team. Cm roms are all aosp and are like stock android with some added features so it is one of the closest to stock android a lot of phones get. To be able to tell the difference between a CM rom and a different rom though there should be a feature list for the rom.

 

[mach101]

Thanks for the reply, I am new to Android and beginning to get a clear picture of these terms after reading several topics now.

Is it possible to see the whole list of Rom makers (Cyanogenmod)?
How can one know which team are making a better Rom? I understand there can be different features in Roms.

 

[valorian]

Is it possible to see the whole list of Rom makers (Cyanogenmod)?
How can one know which team are making a better Rom? I understand there can be different features in Roms.

This will very between phone models. Some ROM makers like the CM team will make ROMs for several phone models. Others like the MikMik team will specialize in HTC phones. All the ROMs have the good points and bad points. When deciding on a ROM, the best place to look is in the All Thing Rooted section for your specific phone. Find out what everyone else who has your type of phone is running.

 

[Logan47]

There is no specific list. Roms are made by small groups and individuals all in their own time. The best place to check them out is over at XDA developers site and find the forum for your device. Keep in mind these roms are updated quite often and features can change or be added as versions change. As for best roms, try a few and see what suits you. Comments and ratings in rom threads can guide you as to what is popular for your device.

 

[Hadron]

Also, if you visit your device's All Things Root subforum you will be able to get advice from other users, though even then I should stress that ROM choices are personal.

 

[mach101]

I understand Roms as if there was several Ubuntu versions able to be used on pc. If thats true then where can one get the original Rom that came with the phone we purchased?

 

[Hadron]

That depends on your device, and whether you want a custom ROM based on the original or whether you want the original unrooted software.

For custom ROMs, your device's forum at XDA-Developers.com would be a good place to look. www.shipped-roms.com has original software for some phones, mostly HTC models. There may be repositories for other devices, but I don't know them. If we knew what phone you have someone could give a better answer.

As I said previously, your phone's All Things Root forum here would be a good place to get advice on this stuff.

 

[Bramsy]

Good job with this thread elders!

 

[mach101]

Thanks Hadron,
I have previously started a thread in "All things root" for my phone which is Samsung galaxy Gio, but didn't get any replies, so I decided to start one in this section as my questions are quite general.

One more question, what about Kernel??? can it be replaced with one that came originally with the phone, and what will it help to have a custom one?

 

[Logan47]

Kernels can be replaced from stock. Other kernels may have their own features which take advantage of your specific phone specs. This can offer things such as smoother scrolling, added battery life, dual booting and UI responsiveness. On the flip side custom kernel may also cause some performance problems as they are often an ongoing development.
As with rooms it is usually a case of trying a few and see what you like.

 

[akamad]

Indeed the only way to find the best ROM for you is to try them out. But make sure you know how to backup and restore your system first.

 

[valorian]

I have previously started a thread in "All things root" for my phone which is Samsung galaxy Gio, but didn't get any replies, so I decided to start one in this section as my questions are quite general.

Another good source for information is the XDA Developers forum. Most developers post their ROMs and tweaks here.

Samsung Galaxy Gio GT-S5660 - xda-developers

 

[dan330]

again.. custom ROMs and Kernels are very specific to each phone model. DO NOT use another phone's custom anything, unless you are a developer. you may end up with a brick.

 

[mach101]

Thanks for your replies. I had a look at XDA page and it seems to be the place to find all the Roms and even Kernels, plus to read about users experiences with these modifications.
I am still confused on whether I should change the Rom or the Kernel. It seems as if GioPro version 1.6 is the recent one, and there are posts indicating that it works fine. But I haven't found any Kernel that fir Gio model yet.

If I want to restore it back to the original Rom or Kernel that came with my phone, where can I find them? on Samsungs homepage?

Like in Windows there is a system recovery, is it possible to use such tool to bring the phone back to its original or to a date where I was satisfied with its performance?

 

[dan330]

if you rooted your phone... in the recovery screen...to flash modifications to your phone... you should have access to "nandroid" backup. that is the best thing to do before any modifications to your phone system. it makes a backup of the way your phone is exactly now. so if you screw things up or dont like what you did; it can restore it back to that point in time.

many ROMs and Kernels are independent of each other. and can be mix and match for you. play around till you find what you like. i suggest playing with ROMs first; then you can try different kernels to see which works best for you. Read the descriptions and what other users say.

note: custom ROMs will have a kernel that comes with it... if it does not say, then normally the newest stock kernel. but some dev will add in a kernel they like to the ROM, but will tell you in advance.

 

[mach101]

dan330,
Will a backup with Titanium will do the same as the one you mentioned? If not, shall I keep the backup on the SD card? Does this method keep all the paid and free apps I have with their latest updates?

I found this page on Google, is it the way I should take the backup?
NANDROID_Backup - android-roms - How To: Perform a NANDROID Backup. - Android ROMs will host updates to the OS both Custom and Offical. - Google Project Hosting

 

[valorian]

Titanium is only used to backup apps, not your ROM. Use Titanium to reinstall apps after you finish installing the new ROM. Yes, Titanium can back up both free and paid apps along with it's user data.

A Nandroid backs up your entire phone, every last bite of data. It will put your phone back to exactly the way it was if anything goes wrong during a ROM install.

You should ALWAYS do a nandroid before installing any ROM.

 

[mach101]

So I need to both take a backup of my Rom by Nandroid and a backup of user+system apps by Titanium, before flashing the phone.
But will the Nandroid allow me to keep a copy on my laptop?

 

[valorian]

So I need to both take a backup of my Rom by Nandroid and a backup of user+system apps by Titanium, before flashing the phone.
But will the Nandroid allow me to keep a copy on my laptop?

Yes, people do this all the time. When you do a nandroid, the recovery program will save this to your SD card. You can then transfer this file to your laptop.

 

[Hadron]

You should ALWAYS do a nandroid before installing any ROM.

This.

Except I'd go even further: always take a nandroid before modifying the system files at all, e.g. uninstalling unwanted system apps, any theming that involves modifying or replacing system files, etc.

 

[mach101]

Yes, I definitely take a back up before doing anything.

What is this clockworkmod I read for taking backup? Do I need that too? and If so when do I have to perform it?

Where can I find Odin software homepage? I see there are different versions on Google and not sure if the highest version works with my Gio.

 

[jy02113800]

anyone knows about MIUI ROM????

 

[marc12868]

Yes, I definitely take a back up before doing anything.

What is this clockworkmod I read for taking backup? Do I need that too? and If so when do I have to perform it?

Where can I find Odin software homepage? I see there are different versions on Google and not sure if the highest version works with my Gio.

clockworkmod recovery is a replacement recovery that overwrites the stock recovery. Now the recovery is what is used to erase flash storage (internal memory), and write to the flash storage like flashing roms.

You generally need clockworkmod recovery for this there may be other recoveries for your specific phone, but it's best to stick with CWMR since it is well known and is what most every phone uses.

You don't really perform it more like it is just used for when flashing new roms. And making backups/ restoring backups.

I'm not sure about the odin software and can't really help you much since that is a Samsung proprietary software they use and I don't have a Samsung phone so I don't know what the highest version you can use on your Gio, but I'm sure that someone else can help you figure it out and it might even be on the forum for your phone here or on XDA.

 

[dan330]

let me clear a few things.. more.

nadroid backs up all ... everything.. including apps and data.. if you select all the options.

Titanium only does APPS and data.

you dont need to do both .. a Nandroid and a Titanium backiup.
but Titanium gives you more options when restoring apps.
Titanium only does APPS and data.

the Google Play account.. remembers ALL your purchases!!! The apps are tied to your google account. You have full access to these paid apps. even when you jump from one device to the next. as long as you are logged in with the same google account. you do not have to worry about loosing paid apps.

they only disappear when the app is taken off the google play store completely.
Titanium backup helps save guard that loss. or learn how to create .apk files of the app.