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My Previous Post

10/20/2010

My previous post wasn't all that great as I wasn't very thorough, a thorough review of several ROMS and kernels with directions will be available in 1 to 2 months.

EDIT:
On further review I will be reviewing the following ROMS, each with varying themes, each with it's stock kernel, and a couple of other kernels that will be listed below as well.

ROMs:
Liquid Frozen Yogurt
ChevyNo1's SS (Simply Stunning)
Lithium Mod
Sapphire
Pl3x ROM
CyanogenMod
ShadowRom
UD (Ultimate Droid)
and Onix Concepts

KERNELS:
stock per rom
P3DROID
ChevyNo1 (though I still can't get wifi to work)
JDLFG (even though I still get the 3g problem)
Slahyer (will use ones below 1.2 GHZ until work, the 1.2 GHZ LFY slahyer kernel works though it is very hot)

And I will likely standardize my installation to have the following apps (plus or minus some rom specific apps)
3 (cube music player)
7Digital (failed to use it as of yet)
AndChat
AndFTP
Android Mate
Angry Birds
AppBrain App market
Astro
Astro Bluetooth
Barcode Scanner
Barnacle Wifi Tether
BestTube
Bible
Bookmarks to SD
Browser (google's)
Bubble
Calculator
Calendar
Camera
Car Home
Chess Free
Clock
ColorNote
ConnectBot
Email
Facebook
Fsync
Galery
Gmail
Google Search
Handcent SMS
IM
Kindle
Lattitude
Lookout
Maps
Market
Messaging
Music Mod
Navigation
Net Scan
Network Browser
Network Discovery
News and Weather
Phone
Places
Rom Manager Premium
Superuser
Talk
Terminal Emulator
Titanium Backup Paid for edition
Twitter
Voice
Voice Dialer
Wireless tether
youtube

(of course it includes the google apps)
I will not review any of the apps though.

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How to flash Sapphire on the Cellular South Milestone

9/12/2010

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Essentially, the Cellular South Milestone (referred to as Milestone from here out) is just a rebranded Droid.
This means an unlocked bootloader and the ability to easily flash roms and root the device for abilities beyond the stock rom.
Such abilities include storing apps on the sd card and tethering (though cellular south says no to tethering so no recommendations there).

Today we will look at how to root and flash to Sapphire.

First we need to root the device. This is easy. All one has to do is install one app from the web and run it. It's called UniversalAndRoot. To install it you need to get into "Settings" on your Milestone and then go to "Applications" and enable the "Unknown sources" option by checking the checkbox. After doing that, download UniversalAndRoot and run it for the 2.0-2.2 option. You should get a success message then close it.

You've successfully rooted your device and have now opened all types of opportunities. However, you're still at Android 2.1 and I assume you want to be on the latest and greatest 2.2 and be able to install Flash.

You do right? Now we look into a deeper modification that involves flashing a new rom called Sapphire to your phone. This will give you a lot of new features right out of the box but most of all, you'll be upgraded to the great Android 2.2.

Here's how. First go to the App Market and search for Rom Manager and download it (free or premium, doesn't matter).
Now what if all this messes up what we are about to do? We need a way to go back to the default image. So we will use Rom Manager to make us a backup. At the top is a button that says "Flash ClockworkMod Recovery". Hit that and say yes to everything. When it gets to the part that asks for super user permissions (remember, you rooted), hit the "Remember" checkbox and then hit allow. This will take a while. Wait until it says it has succeeded. If it says it has failed, try again (this will not mess up your device).
Now we need to make a backup. Scroll down in the Rom Manager and select "Backup Current Rom". It may ask for permissions, allow just like last time. It will reboot and start to backup. Then it will reboot and you'll be back in the Android interface.

Now we have a backup to revert to just in case we can proceed to flash Sapphire to the phone. Open up the Rom Manager and go to "Download Rom". In the list you will see many names for many different roms, however, I will only instruct on how to do Sapphire as I know for sure that this works. Go to "cvpcs" and choose the latest Sapphire (as of today is Sapphire 1.1.1 Froyo). Then click on "Download" and select "Install Google Apps" and then hit "OK". Then choose "cvpcs 7-slot 125-800mhz standard voltage" (choose others at own risk). That's the one known to work the best. I suggest choose the "Stock (Default)" theme. Choose whatever you please if you aren't new to this or scared of a new looking interface. Then choose "OK". When it finishes downloading the 60 + meg image, it will ask to install. Choose the "Wipe Data and Cache" option (or prepare for failures if not chosen) and then click "Install". It will reboot into recovery mode, flash Sapphire and Google Apps and your kernel and theme choice. It will then reboot and you will have an awesome phone. You will need to download Flash 10.1 on your own of course from the App Market (and the App Market will say verizon in it somewhere). However, those are little things that don't matter. If you didn't choose Google Apps then you won't have the market and may email me to ask how to get those things.

Do note I didn't tell you how to backup your data so you can recover it back. I generally just start new every time. Feel free to search for your own solution (and make comments as to what you prefer).

Lester L. Martin II (lmartin92, cs1ab) and any contributors (commentators) are not responsible for the use/misuse of the information provided within this post. You, the user, use the information provided at your own risk and are responsible for any possible damages, loss of data, damaged phones, damaged computers, or any other possible unforeseen complications from the use of said information.

I the owner of this blog did complete all the steps from a linux based computer. (Though you'll note none of those instructions mentioned a computer). What this means is I made messups here and there and did extra stuff that wasn't needed and that if you want to do the same I will give instructions in emails only as to how to do so under linux.

EDIT:

I've been experimenting with roms and themes lately. Upon expirimenting, I have found certain roms work well. I will list roms and kernels and such below as an update as to what is working and what my experience with it was.

Sapphire is the only rom that I'm using right now. It works great out of the box with wifi (though certain 3rd party kernels don't and they generally don't work with wifi on any rom). I am running the low voltage 1.2 GHZ kernel and a custom theme Smoked Glass that simply looks awesome. Performance is by far the best in my opinion. Features are great as well. Overall, the only rom that comes out of the box without a problem for me. The Smoked glass theme had to be found seperately.

Lithium Mod is a great rom,

it and Sapphire are the only ones that work with wifi out of the box.

Works well with jdlfg and p3droid kernels (tested in low voltage up to 1.2 GHZ). It also worked well with the default kernel. The only problem experienced was the answer phone slide action doesn't work so well since the icon is smushed up against the left hand side of the screen. I installed the phone slider fix from Rom Manager and still no luck. Performance was great, however, Sapphire with stock kernels have performed faster in my opinion. It has customization preferences galore. It was the only one that let me change my boot theme as it had a tool to do such. I do think I'll find a way to do it without this though. I've ran it with the Nex Tang, Nex, Gala S, Default, and Smoked Glass theme that I find so awesome and stayed with Smoked glass through most of my time with this rom. I originally came to this rom to try themes I knew to be supported on this rom due to them being listed during installation from rom manager.

Pl3x rom is a cyanogen mod based rom so I'm going to put it as my opinion that this also applies to cyanogen mod as well. It is just a configurable as Cyanogen Mod plus a good bit more. I liked it and it ran well. It didn't have the problem with the phone slider either. However, the stock kernel and wifi didn't get along too well. So I went to JDLFG and P3DROID for kernels and once again was pleased. It didn't seem to have many unique features, but I switched to it since the phone problem was gone, and I could have my awesome theme with ease. Of course, I used Smoked Glass.

So overall the things that are common that worked for me were:

Kernels

P3Droid kernels

JDLFG kernels

Themes

Smoked Glass

What didn't work was:

ChevyNo1 kernels,

Slahyer kernels (I think I may have misspelled it and for that I am sorry, someone please correct me).

The reason that ChevyNo1's kernels didn't work was because certain wifi spots were not supported (WPA+WPA2 psk). Same applied to stock kernels for Cyanogen Mod. The ULV kernels didn't work at 1.2 GHZ so I had to step to LV.

The reason Slahyer's kernels didn't work (and I didn't look into it too well) was that I didn't see any voltage options. I tried 1.2 GHZ and super failed. It barely would let me boot past the Moto screen.

JDLFG's kernels were great, and wifi worked seamlessy, which was what I was looking for. However, it did kick my 3g down from EV to 1x. Ultra slow. It was a great fast kernel and I ran it for a while since I stay around wifi most of the day. It did run a little hot.

P3Droids was the top ranked kernel in my opinion. It ran well in 3G and wifi. It ran a little hot at times. Overall it was fine and had a lot more governors as well.

Whether the 2 kernels got hot over battery or cpu I do not know but it never destroyed my experience and never got unbearable hot (like it did with my one boot of Slahyer's kernel).

So what am I running now?

I'm running Sapphire with stock kernel clocked at 1.2 GHZ and smoked glass theme. This kernel has all the things I need and it doesn't get hot.

Maybe I'll get around to testing Liquid Frozen Yogurt. But if it requires a wipe data and cache it won't happen for a while. The best thing about the current roms I tried is I just swapped between them and kept my data with no problem. I did enjoy each, but of course, only one could be the winner and that is the one I came back to. It is also the only one I got a response from in IRC when I first started. To those of you reading this message who participate in that IRC channel, I'll be back soon to speak with you all about getting started with rom development. I've got a pet device I want to customize, and I may would like to help with your rom as well if there is anything I might be good at. Until that time comes, enjoy your favorite rom.

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Ubuntu Live Desktop CD 9.10 and LVM2+Fake-raid (aka DMRAID)

10/31/2009

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If you're one of the unlucky who didn't read the Ubuntu website and find that the live cd doesn't support an installation that will boot working on dmraid and lvm2 then I've got some usefull directions.

First:
Install from your regular install disk but DO NOT RESTART.

Second:
After installation open up a terminal. In the terminal do the following:
"sudo cp /proc/modules /target/proc/modules" target is where ubuntu installed your new installation
"sudo chroot /target /bin/bash"
"apt-get install lvm2 dmraid"

Last:
You did it, it should work now. Now if you're boot partition is for another OS or distro you may want to cp you're /boot stuff back and forth but if you're doing that you likely already know what you're doing. Any corrections, please make comments and I'll fix. Suggestions are welcome. Just reboot and working OS should be there for you :-)

Lester L. Martin II

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Pythagorean Triples

6/10/2009

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I have a particularly optimized loop that fills a std::vector with all the Pythagorean triples (non-primatives included). It can generate 10,000 in a second and 100,000 in under 40 seconds, and finally, 1 Million in 4000~. I thought it would be neat to post here. I'll port it to D one day when I'm extremely bored. Here's the loop (feel free to use it in any way you like in your program, BSD Liscense, no attribution required but appreciated). Please, if you find a faster way that generates the exact same amount of triples or more, please post it here, I've become obsessed with it's optimization.

generate(vector<Triple>& triplist, ullong limit) {
    cout<<"Please wait as triples are being generated."<<endl;
    register ullong a, b, c;
    register Triple trip;
    time_t timer = time(0);

    for(a = 1; a <= limit; ++a) {
        for(b = a + 1; b <= limit; ++b) {
            c = _root(_square(a) + _square(b));

            if(c != -1 && c <= limit) {
                trip.a = a; trip.b = b; trip.c = c;

                triplist.push_back(trip);

            } else if(c > limit)
                break;
        }
    }

    timer = time(0) - timer;
    cout<<"Generated "<<triplist.size()<<" in "<<timer<<" seconds."<<endl;
    cin.get();
    cin.get();
}

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My Previous Post

How to flash Sapphire on the Cellular South Milestone

Ubuntu Live Desktop CD 9.10 and LVM2+Fake-raid (aka DMRAID)

Pythagorean Triples

Lester L. Martin II
<lmartin92>

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My Previous Post

How to flash Sapphire on the Cellular South Milestone

Ubuntu Live Desktop CD 9.10 and LVM2+Fake-raid (aka DMRAID)

Pythagorean Triples

Lester L. Martin II<lmartin92>

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Lester L. Martin II
<lmartin92>