Samsung Galaxy S II Owners Thread

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276 posts

Ultimate Geek

#474127 25-May-2011 20:13

Newbie question number 100385 ;)

I am very new to the whole Android experience.

I want to understand the difference between rooting & flashing, why I should do them... and most importantly... HOW.

And make it newbie proof :)

Also, can anyone recommend:
- good/trustworthy review sites on Android apps?
- good resources for prettifying/customising my SII?

I don't want to be recommended apps etc. that aren't legit.

Thanks!

Zeb A.
Twitter: @asgard

nomiss7

181 posts

Master Geek

#474128 25-May-2011 20:15

I agree about mobicity, I'll never order from them again either.
That's without even getting into the false customs declerations to avoid gst that seems to be their normal practice.

Asrafrate

276 posts

Ultimate Geek

#474132 25-May-2011 20:22

nomiss7: I agree about mobicity, I'll never order from them again either.

That's without even getting into the false customs declerations to avoid gst that seems to be their normal practice.

How does it work btw? I mean... why do they do that? Isn't the cost on us and not on them anyway?

Zeb A.
Twitter: @asgard

nomiss7

181 posts

Master Geek

#474134 25-May-2011 20:27

They just charge prices like they have already included the gst, and if they dont declare the correct amount then customs won't stop it an they make more profit, simple as that.

nofam

1094 posts

Uber Geek

#474135 25-May-2011 20:30

Asrafrate: Newbie question number 100385 ;)

I am very new to the whole Android experience.

I want to understand the difference between rooting & flashing, why I should do them... and most importantly... HOW.

And make it newbie proof :)

Also, can anyone recommend:
- good/trustworthy review sites on Android apps?
- good resources for prettifying/customising my SII?

I don't want to be recommended apps etc. that aren't legit.

Thanks!

All good questions, and quite important to have your head around! Rooting and flashing are completely different things: rooting means granting yourself root permissions to the operating system of your phone (in this case, Android). It's the highest level of access you can have in a linux-based O/S, giving you the ability to read, write and execute anything in the O/S. If you're famailiar with Microsoft Windows, it's analogous with being an Administrator. It's important because Android, in it's unrooted form, prevents you from doing a lot of things, such as even seeing parts of the filesystem. Without root access, you can't even back up your applications properly.

Flashing is the act of putting a ROM on your phone to replace the current one. It must be done while the O/S is unloaded, which is why you either do it from ClockworkMod recovery (on the phone itself before the O/S loads), or through Odin (phone connected to your PC, with the phone in a special download mode). Custom ROM's offer a multitude of advantages, such as better performance, better battery life, a modular approach whereby you can strip out all the apps you don't want, the ability to customize the look of the phone etc etc.

In terms of reviews, both Android Market and Appbrain user reviews are a pretty good indicator of quality. In terms of themes, keep an eye on the following - more themes will be released over time:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1059

Hope that helps!

valtam

396 posts

Ultimate Geek

#474137 25-May-2011 20:30

Asrafrate:

I want to understand the difference between rooting & flashing, why I should do them... and most importantly... HOW.

Thanks!

I gotta get a screenshot of just that line, you have made my day lmao (double entendre)

Support a locally made Linux based Operating System, try Linux Lite.
Download Linux Lite

Asrafrate

276 posts

Ultimate Geek

#474141 25-May-2011 20:35

nofam:

All good questions, and quite important to have your head around! Rooting and flashing are completely different things: rooting means granting yourself root permissions to the operating system of your phone (in this case, Android). It's the highest level of access you can have in a linux-based O/S, giving you the ability to read, write and execute anything in the O/S. If you're famailiar with Microsoft Windows, it's analogous with being an Administrator. It's important because Android, in it's unrooted form, prevents you from doing a lot of things, such as even seeing parts of the filesystem. Without root access, you can't even back up your applications properly.

Flashing is the act of putting a ROM on your phone to replace the current one. It must be done while the O/S is unloaded, which is why you either do it from ClockworkMod recovery (on the phone itself before the O/S loads), or through Odin (phone connected to your PC, with the phone in a special download mode). Custom ROM's offer a multitude of advantages, such as better performance, better battery life, a modular approach whereby you can strip out all the apps you don't want, the ability to customize the look of the phone etc etc.

In terms of reviews, both Android Market and Appbrain user reviews are a pretty good indicator of quality. In terms of themes, keep an eye on the following - more themes will be released over time:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1059

Hope that helps!

Thanks nofam :)

I definitely want to root (the phone version, since I can't talk about the OTHER version in public

) I guess next question is how do I go about it safely. Also does it void the warranty of the phone?

As for flashing, take it thats what we do when we get updates for the firmware? Or am I getting it confused?

valtam:
Asrafrate:

I want to understand the difference between rooting & flashing, why I should do them... and most importantly... HOW.

Thanks!

I gotta get a screenshot of just that line, you have made my day lmao (double entendre)

LOL! I wondered if I was opening myself up for a few ribs there :P

And I did tweet recently (after first reading this forum infact) that a lot of tech terms are quite naughty!

Zeb A.
Twitter: @asgard

Quic Broadband

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ArtooDetoo

1044 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#474143 25-May-2011 20:37

Asrafrate: How does it work btw? I mean... why do they do that? Isn't the cost on us and not on them anyway?

Yes, the cost falls upon you the recipient to pay the consumption tax based on the declared value of the object imported.

Why Mobicity under-declare? Presumably because they try to reduce your tax liability as a favour to you. It certainly can't advantage them since GST is an internal NZ taxation which doesn't apply to them in any way.

So, it seems that in doing so they are attempting to circumvent NZ's tax laws which disadvantages the government at a technical level, while advantaging the recipient at a real level.

So you can see why people want to dob them into NZ Customs, with their morality being offended by having to avoid GST.

*rolls eyes*

Which reminds me, I parked on a meter for 3 hours today and I only paid for an hour. Must remember to drop an extra $8 into the council today. :P

HTH.

Cheers,
R2D2

Galaxy S has gone to its new owner. HTC Sensation has gone to its new
owner. Galaxy S3 has gone to its new owner. Now using Galaxy Note 3. Skipping Note 4 I think...

nofam

1094 posts

Uber Geek

#474146 25-May-2011 20:41

Asrafrate:
nofam:

All good questions, and quite important to have your head around! Rooting and flashing are completely different things: rooting means granting yourself root permissions to the operating system of your phone (in this case, Android). It's the highest level of access you can have in a linux-based O/S, giving you the ability to read, write and execute anything in the O/S. If you're famailiar with Microsoft Windows, it's analogous with being an Administrator. It's important because Android, in it's unrooted form, prevents you from doing a lot of things, such as even seeing parts of the filesystem. Without root access, you can't even back up your applications properly.

Flashing is the act of putting a ROM on your phone to replace the current one. It must be done while the O/S is unloaded, which is why you either do it from ClockworkMod recovery (on the phone itself before the O/S loads), or through Odin (phone connected to your PC, with the phone in a special download mode). Custom ROM's offer a multitude of advantages, such as better performance, better battery life, a modular approach whereby you can strip out all the apps you don't want, the ability to customize the look of the phone etc etc.

In terms of reviews, both Android Market and Appbrain user reviews are a pretty good indicator of quality. In terms of themes, keep an eye on the following - more themes will be released over time:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1059

Hope that helps!

Thanks nofam :)

I definitely want to root (the phone version, since I can't talk about the OTHER version in public ) I guess next question is how do I go about it safely. Also does it void the warranty of the phone?

As for flashing, take it thats what we do when we get updates for the firmware? Or am I getting it confused?

valtam:
Asrafrate:

I want to understand the difference between rooting & flashing, why I should do them... and most importantly... HOW.

Thanks!

I gotta get a screenshot of just that line, you have made my day lmao (double entendre)

LOL! I wondered if I was opening myself up for a few ribs there :P

And I did tweet recently (after first reading this forum infact) that a lot of tech terms are quite naughty!

Ha ha yeah, some of the terms would raise eyebrows in polite company!! Yes, rooting does void your warranty, which is why having a 'exit strategy' of getting the stock ROM back is a good idea.

To be honest, I'd just enjoy your new phone once you get it; the development scene is still very young for the SGS2, and to be honest, it sounds like the phone is quite funtional out of the box - the SGS suffered from quite bad lag within days of getting it, so the need for "intervention" was a lot greater.

In terms of flashing, the official updates you get through Kies are technically a flash, but it's a pretty invisible process, whereas the other two methods I mentioned are quite hands-on.

ArtooDetoo

1044 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#474147 25-May-2011 20:44

nomiss7: They just charge prices like they have already included the gst, and if they dont declare the correct amount then customs won't stop it an they make more profit, simple as that.

Rubbish. If you can show they charge GST inclusive prices, then post a link. Otherwise you're spreading FUD.

If you can show that you paid a GST in the country of export, then you can claim that internal consumption tax back. Did you?

How do they "make more profit" if they charge you what they say they're charging? I think you're very confused.

If you presume to post your opinion as fact, then back it up. Otherwise, state it for what it is. Bollocks.

Cheers,
R2D2

Galaxy S has gone to its new owner. HTC Sensation has gone to its new
owner. Galaxy S3 has gone to its new owner. Now using Galaxy Note 3. Skipping Note 4 I think...

Asrafrate

276 posts

Ultimate Geek

#474149 25-May-2011 20:46

nofam:

Ha ha yeah, some of the terms would raise eyebrows in polite company!! Yes, rooting does void your warranty, which is why having a 'exit strategy' of getting the stock ROM back is a good idea.

To be honest, I'd just enjoy your new phone once you get it; the development scene is still very young for the SGS2, and to be honest, it sounds like the phone is quite funtional out of the box - the SGS suffered from quite bad lag within days of getting it, so the need for "intervention" was a lot greater.

In terms of flashing, the official updates you get through Kies are technically a flash, but it's a pretty invisible process, whereas the other two methods I mentioned are quite hands-on.

No no, definitely want to be customising the meep outta my phone :)
Hey, I like teh pretty... and I'm a girl so I can get away with saying that! Some of those pretties on the xda forum are making me very excited to get my phone!

So can you guys send me to a few guides on how to do it safely, including back up of stock ROM?

Zeb A.
Twitter: @asgard

nofam

1094 posts

Uber Geek

#474151 25-May-2011 20:54

No no, definitely want to be customising the meep outta my phone :)
Hey, I like teh pretty... and I'm a girl so I can get away with saying that! Some of those pretties on the xda forum are making me very excited to get my phone!

So can you guys send me to a few guides on how to do it safely, including back up of stock ROM?

Ha ha fair call - customizing is really the whole point of Android (as opposed to iOS. . . ) Once more people get their hands on the phone, and get to grips with the source code, the themes will start coming left, right and centre. Have you had a look at some of the theme's on XDA for the Galaxy S? A lot of them will likely get ported over, so that's a good place to get your creative juices flowing!!

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=953450

To be honest, you really need to do a lot of reading to get your head around it - and the tools and techniques may chance slightly for this phone, so a lot of the current guides may be out of date soon.

Asrafrate

276 posts

Ultimate Geek

#474152 25-May-2011 21:00

nofam:

Ha ha fair call - customizing is really the whole point of Android (as opposed to iOS. . . ) Once more people get their hands on the phone, and get to grips with the source code, the themes will start coming left, right and centre. Have you had a look at some of the theme's on XDA for the Galaxy S? A lot of them will likely get ported over, so that's a good place to get your creative juices flowing!!

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=953450

To be honest, you really need to do a lot of reading to get your head around it - and the tools and techniques may chance slightly for this phone, so a lot of the current guides may be out of date soon.

I think that's half the problem. Knowing where to start re: the readings.

Reading this page for recommended apps for example: http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinions/10-of-the-best-android-apps

But that's only the writer's point of view.

There are so many variants on rooting, all I want is a method that I know WILL work for the S2.
Yes it's fairly new, but obviously a lot of the more onto it folk would have done their S2s and figured out the ins and outs of it, yes?

Zeb A.
Twitter: @asgard

nofam

1094 posts

Uber Geek

#474156 25-May-2011 21:07

Asrafrate:
I think that's half the problem. Knowing where to start re: the readings.

Reading this page for recommended apps for example: http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinions/10-of-the-best-android-apps

But that's only the writer's point of view.

There are so many variants on rooting, all I want is a method that I know WILL work for the S2.
Yes it's fairly new, but obviously a lot of the more onto it folk would have done their S2s and figured out the ins and outs of it, yes?

Re the reviews thing, that's exactly why ratings system in the market works so well - it's the most rounded perspective. With Appbrain, you can also look at other users' app lists for suggestions.

The best option for a long-term, stable root is to wait (yes, patience is a virtue!) for Hardcore to get his Speedmod kernel up to snuff. There are other devs and other kernels (as there is for the i9000), but Hardcore's is the best allround option IMHO.

Neets

1376 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#474157 25-May-2011 21:07

Asrafrate:
nofam:

Ha ha fair call - customizing is really the whole point of Android (as opposed to iOS. . . ) Once more people get their hands on the phone, and get to grips with the source code, the themes will start coming left, right and centre. Have you had a look at some of the theme's on XDA for the Galaxy S? A lot of them will likely get ported over, so that's a good place to get your creative juices flowing!!

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=953450

To be honest, you really need to do a lot of reading to get your head around it - and the tools and techniques may chance slightly for this phone, so a lot of the current guides may be out of date soon.

I think that's half the problem. Knowing where to start re: the readings.

Reading this page for recommended apps for example: http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinions/10-of-the-best-android-apps

But that's only the writer's point of view.

There are so many variants on rooting, all I want is a method that I know WILL work for the S2.
Yes it's fairly new, but obviously a lot of the more onto it folk would have done their S2s and figured out the ins and outs of it, yes?

I've rooted my SGS, flashed via CWM, used Odin (trashed Kies) many many times over going from 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 (and repeat) and I expect the same butterflies I started out with for the SGS when I get my hands on my SGS2.

Only comforting thing is I have a much better grasp on the lingo and happily use XDA to search and learn new info. So don't worry, I doubt anyone here is so flippant that they'll treat a noob question as being too noobie.

It's all good fun :)

Have you seen these threads on gaining root?
Thread 1
Thread 2

The second is about getting the original firmware.

I haven't looked at either thread in a day or two so not sure if they're still considered up-to-date but the OPs are usually pretty good about keeping information current.

Nice to see nofam and R2D2 here.

Samsung Galaxy S5 SM-G900I

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