[PRJ] SYS Builds: What's the Difference? - Touch Pro2, Tilt 2 Windows Mobile ROM Development

I'm putting up this thread because there is a good bit of questions that get asked about the difference between the SYS builds. While Microsoft and its partners don't give us a real breakdown of them, we can at least get results on which one is faster than the other. That is the purpose of this thread. If you have any relevant information for me to add to this, let me know. If I add your suggestion, I will, of course, credit you. This is relevant to pretty much all WM6 devices, but I'm making this specific to the Rhodium as that is the only device I plan to support with benchmark results. I'm following the same pattern from the benchmark thread that was started HERE by daeron.be.
To start off, Da_G, a1d2catz, and Cotulla originally posted about the different builds. OndraSter posted to elaborate on a couple of the builds.
Branches of WM Development: Here is what all these different version numbers relate to, and a summary of their features.
212xx = AKU1, all builds leading up to and including WM 6.5
213xx = MOT motorola
214xx = ???
215xx = SAM samsung
216xx = HTC htc
217xx = COM1, continuing dev of 6.5.0.1 - 6.5.0.40
218xx = COM2, continuing dev of 6.5.0.50
219xx = MD, feature test branch, pretty much dead now. (unstable features are added here, this tree is based on COM1, so older base OS code, but the UI/UX code is newer)
22xxx = SEMC sony ericsson
*230xx = COM3, continuing development
*234xx = COM4, appears to be abandoned.
*235xx = COM5, more GUI changes here. New Outlook Interface.
*236xx = LG Electronics Branch
*24xxx = Possible HTC branch
*25xxx = SEMC - Sony Ericsson
*280xx, 282xx = WMD. This is a continuation of com3 from 23090. Most of the changes appear to be with IE
235xx is the only branch that has threaded email natively
290xx = Unknown branch
There was 219xx about half year ago, with numbers ending about 21936 (or maybe 45 or about that). It was test branch, where new features (like... supernew, something like previous 230xx where appeared huge softkeybar etc) were added. This branch was dead, just as looks 234xx now.
But, there was also COM2, with numbers 218xx. Well it reached its maximum, 21899. But instead of making new number line, MS/HTC chose to use already used 219xx. Here is where the mess comes from
The WM version numbers are as follows:
216xx = 6.5.3
219xx = 6.5.0
220xx = 6.5.3
231xx = 6.5.3
235xx = 6.5.5
236xx = 6.5.3
246xx = 6.5.3
250xx = 6.5.3
282xx = 6.5.3
290xx = 6.5.3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Updates:
14 March 2011: Finished benchmarks on 21689, 28245, 29011, 29013.
09 March 2011: New builds have begun rolling out. Testing begins tonight on 21687, 29008, and 29009.
...trimmed every month...

Results
I based these blank uncompressed ROMs on the latest shipped T-Mobile 6.5 ROM (1.91.531.4), disabled all ext packages, and swapped builds. I've listed all of the builds that I currently have. If you have one for me to test that's not on the list, send it my way as long as it's WVGA.
SYS builds tested:
216xx: 21659, 21661, 21663, 21665, 21671, 21674, 21677, 21679, 21680, 21681, 21682, 21683, 21684, 21685, 21686, 21687
219xx: 21904, 21905, 21907, 21908, 21909, 21911, 21914, 21916
220xx: 22013, 22018, 22019, 22021, 22022, 22024, 22027, 22031, 22036, 22037, 22038, 22040, 22041, 22042, 22044, 22046, 22047
231xx: 23120, 23121, 23129, 23130, 23132, 23133, 23134, 23135, 23136, 23138, 23139, 23140, 23142, 23144, 23145, 23146, 23148, 23149, 23150, 23151, 23152
235xx: 23569
236xx: 23651, 23654, 23656, 23658, 23659, 23662, 23664, 23667, 23670, 23676, 23678, 23680, 23683, 23686, 23688, 23689, 23690, 23691, 23694, 23697, 23698, 23699
246xx: 24609, 24610, 24611, 24614, 24618, 24619, 24620, 24626, 24627, 24628, 24630, 24631, 24635
250xx: 25018, 25024, 25026, 25027, 25028
282xx: 28233, 28236, 28237, 28238, 28240, 28242, 28243, 28244
290xx: 29002, 29003, 29005, 29007, 29008, 29009
Custom ROMs tested so far:
NRGZ28 Energy: 21916, 21684, 28244, 23148, 23699 - Update coming soon!
Ondraster LBFAR: 21899, 23569
dotcompt DeepShining: Coming soon!
Problem builds:
These are builds I was either unable to import into my kitchen, or cook for various reasons:
22016, 21664, 23123, 23125, 23126, 23127, 23566, 23694

Method and relevant information
If you are planning to send me results or anything, be sure to include the version numbers of the programs you used. SPBBenchmark and Test OpenGL are both freeware. Coreplayer Mobile costs around $30.
Benchmark programs used:
1. SPBBenchmark 1.6
2. Test OpenGL 18.01.2010
3. CorePlayer Mobile 1.2.5
Test Method for blank builds:
1. task29 then flash the ROM without the SIM card.
2. The storage card is left in to install the benchmark cabs.
3. Go into airplane mode.
4. Disable switching screen off and turning the device off.
5. Install benchmarking apps
6. Soft Reset
7. Run SPBbenchmark and disable the following:
Built-in applications (whole category)
Arkaball frames per second
Copy 1 MB using memcpy
8. Run TestOpenGL for about 3 cycles of benchmarks (each cycle is 4 benchmarks) and then turn it off
9. Run three Avatar trailers, note down the results (%). Use default Coreplayer settings and run benchmark immediately after files are loaded.
Trailer found HERE. Note that trailers ARE copyrighted material and are NOT subject to fair use. The link provided is to show what I am using. I own the BluRay disk and ripped it from there. The link is also 720p. My original clip was 1080p. Each exported trailer was set to 800x480 resolution.
One trailer was converted to 25fps, 768 kbps - XHQ
One trailer was converted to 23.976fps, 512 kbps - HQ
One trailer was converted to 20fps, 384 kbps -MED
I wasn't able to determine the original qualities from daeron.be's thread, so I made my own. If you know more about it, please let me know for more accurate results.
10. Run Video Flash benchmark with PIE using a downloaded version of the animation found HERE. If you plan on doing this yourself, download it to your device and run it with IE. Just put it in a root dictionary (\) and then input \benchmark.swf address in IE. On some ROMs you might have to wait a while before the flash starts (there won't be any signs of loading). Run the benchmark (if you want your result to be compatible with mine you MUST run it with flash file in full screen).
11. Collect results
Test Method for Custom ROMs:
Same as above with three exceptions.
1. Run SPB Benchmark with ONLY "Built-in applications (whole category)" test disabled. Leave everything else on.
2. Connect the device to the PC after running the SPB Benchmark test. You may have to go to Start > Settings > Connections > USBtoPC and untick the "Enable faster data synchronization" box to get it to work.
3. Copy the "Spb Benchmark Results.xml" from \My Documents to the PC and grab the results from there with the decimals. I use every decimal in the file. I then trim the trailing zeros in the Excel results file.
I figure since some people will probably use this as a guide of which ROMs are "best" or "fastest," that the results should be as accurate as possible, which is why I'm including the decimals in the custom ROM results, but not in the blank builds.

FAQ
When posting to this thread, please use proper English only, and do not use profanity.
You should not type like a high school girl, either. Leave the "plz," "sum1," and "u" back on the playground.
Ask for help like an adult and be treated like one.
1. What are these benchmarks for?
Basically this is just a measure of performance on different SYS builds to see which one is the fastest. These tests do not indicate which build is really “the best.” It is a measurement of speed on the process of copying files, reading directories, and playing video. To truly “test” a ROM, you need to spend a few days with it.
2. Which radio version are you using?
To the best of my knowledge, this has no affect on the results. However, my current radio version can be found in my sig. I do not change it for these tests.
3. Does a task29 before each flashing affect the results?
There are problems with "ghosting" in ROMs where residual data is left over from a previous ROM. To avoid this, I perform a task29 first. If you want to know more about task29, then visit that thread.
4. Are those benchmarks accurate?
I test the ROMs with SPBBenchmark once as it averages the results of 13 tests each. I use three rounds of OpenGL and use those results as it takes the highest result from there, which is what we want. An average in that category is useless as we want to know what the best result is for this, not the average. I run each Avatar trailer three times and take that average. Flash is pretty straightforward and kind of just for fun, so I only do one test. All of this means that the results may vary by a very small margin. If you don't believe my findings, you are always welcome to test yourself. Anything within a 1% margin of error is acceptable.
5. Why do you disable "Built-in applications (whole category)," "Arkaball frames per second," and "Copy 1 MB using memcpy" for SPB Benchmark on the blank builds?
They don't make a noticeable difference in the results. I could grab the *.xml results file from \My Documents, but it's not that big of a deal in the blank builds as they are just a stepping stone for chefs to see what they like and don't like. If you want to see the results, test them. I use them for custom ROMs because it makes sense to do so. People will interpret these results loosely, and it is better to be more accurate with them.
6. Why aren't you using Linpack?
Great question! I would if this were Android as there are current programs for it. The only one available for use on the WinCE platform is almost three years old at this point. Also, SPBBenchmark measures MFlops, so I don't really need it, do I?
7. Why don't you test battery life?
Battery life testing takes too long, plain and simple. When you flash a new ROM, getting the battery set properly takes about two or three cycles (drained to 10% and then charged to 100%) before it "settles." Even if I did nothing but play movies with the backlight and sound at max while downloading files via wifi and using Bluetooth file transfer, it would still take about an hour or so to drain the battery enough to charge it back again. You would need to drain and then charge AT LEAST once, preferably twice, before running a battery meter to test. This means I would be stuck on one ROM for hours before moving to the next one. My current set up allows for about 30-45 minutes per ROM to test. This is much more reasonable than 4 hours each, don't you think? If you decide to do test it yourself and want to share, then be my guest.
8. I didn't see you use xxxxx version of a build. Why is that?
I either don't have access to that build, or it isn't a WVGA build. If it is a WVGA build and I don't have it listed, send me a link, and I'll test it out.
9. Can I test the ROMs too?
Sure, why not? I won't use your results, though. There was a massive flame war in the aforementioned original thread that was partly fueled by other users posting results. I don't plan to start any nonsense here.
10. Would you mind testing a custom ROM for me?
YOU MUST GET THE CHEF'S PERMISSION FOR THEIR ROM'S RESULTS TO BE POSTED. I need them to PM me with an ok. I basically want it in writing. NOTE: Once a chef says it's ok to test, I will not remove them from the tests; make sure they understand this.
11. Why am I getting different results?
There are several little nuances that can influence the results in minor ways. If you're getting significantly different results than I am, then I'll look into it again. Keep in mind that using a different device than I am may affect the results as well. However, I will not use any other users' results without verifying them myself.
12. Some of this material looks familiar. Did you steal this?
Yes, basically I did. I figured I'd restart something similar for reasons I've mentioned as well as making it more Rhodium specific. Besides, the original poster, daeron.be, hasn't even logged on in a long time. His thread hasn't been updated since September of 2009 as well. I'm going to use most of their formatting and previous material to build on. If someone has a legitimate problem with this, then PM me.
13. I don't believe that you got "X" results with "X" ROM! I think it's WAY better than all the rest!
I don't care what you think. That isn't a question anyhow. I'm doing this for myself and sharing with you all. Either take it for what it's worth or do it yourself.
14. You didn't respond to my post. What gives?!
I have a life. I'm on XDA way more than I should be as it is. I will generally respond to questions and the like. If you just post to say "Good job" or "Thanks, man," don't expect me to respond. I might, just don't expect it. Just consider this answer here as a general "Thanks" and "You're welcome."
15. You're from New Orleans? What's it like?
People are wonderful; food is amazing; Mardi Gras rocks. Let's keep the thread on topic, please.

Requests
If someone wants to change the BG colors of the spreadsheet to something they like better, be my guest. If I like the colors, I'll keep it.
Please take the poll at the top of the page. If enough people use this thread with other devices, then I will consider moving it to the Chef's Central forum.
I am slowly adding custom ROMs to the results. I need a few people to notify me when the ROMs you're using are updated. This includes Energy, Simplicity, DeepShining, Core Cell, and other popular ROMs.
Custom ROM testing
Ask your chef if he/she would mind having their ROM(s) tested and compared in my results. See below for rules:
All custom ROMs would be separate of the clean builds, but compared all together.
Understand that once permission is given, it cannot be taken away. (I don't want anyone trying to revoke permission after results are posted to take advantage of my system.)
Have the chef PM me with the green light if they want it included.
All results will either be performed by me, or verified by me.
I will not measure battery performance. See FAQ.
These results are not conclusive to picking a "good" ROM. It's a jumping off point. Test yourself and see which one works for you. This tests certain factors of the ROMs. This doesn't test for stability or feel of the ROM. Do that yourself.
Chefs are allowed to "pick and choose" which ROMs they want tested. If they cook multiple flavors or builds, they can decline to have certain ones excluded from results.
If you have a problem with my methods, you are welcome to do them yourself. I am doing my best to ensure that this is as objective as possible.
Contact
If you feel like contacting me or need to request info or whatever, you may PM, e-mail, or message me on Twitter.
Donate
Coffee keeps me cranking out results. DONATE to keep the caffeine flowing. If I see that you've donated, I will probably take a bit more care in listening to your problem/suggestion/comment. Make sure that you include your XDA user name so I can give you credit.

beautiful... cant wait to see results

Subscribed.
Imho you should test blank WM builds. Or at last be sure that the EXT/XIP packages are same. However the idea of testing different builds fits me.
Shame that usually the fastest builds leak memory like hell.

Jackos said:
Subscribed.
Imho you should test blank WM builds. Or at last be sure that the EXT/XIP packages are same. However the idea of testing different builds fits me.
Shame that usually the fastest builds leak memory like hell.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used to believe that until we started seeing the 21680 and 21681 builds come out. They really are quite faster than most of the others. When NRG was using the 23xxx builds, that was the case where the faster they ran the more memory was "spirited away," so to speak. I'm finding a much more stable experience with the 21680 and 21681 builds than most that I've seen.
In any case, the results will speak for themselves. The first three should be posted in a few hours or so.

For anyone who missed it, I've posted the first test file. I only did a single test for each one. In the future I will do an average of three results per test. I only did a single one due to time constraints mostly. That being said, this first file is just a test both for me and for anyone viewing to get a feel for what it's going to look like.
Any questions; let me know.

cajunflavoredbob said:
Requests
The first thing I could use help with to speed up my testing is for someone to point me to the reg key that disables Sense. This would make it easier for me to just drop it into XDA_UC to have the changes made automatically.
[..]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This isn't a reg key, but I think there are mortscripts that disable Sense. Maybe this might help?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=8684203
I think JVH3 talked about scripts that disable sense too, so perhaps he might be able to help you out there too?
Great work, this is really interesting!

Using mortscript you can do this:
Code:
RegWriteDword("HKLM","\Software\Microsoft\Today\Items\" & ManilaName,"Enabled","0")
RedrawToday
Sleep(5000)
ManilaName is usually HTC Sense, I think. The sleep can probably be shortened. Nice thread!

why not just build a rom free of all ext packages?
just sys and oem packages.
that way it is a better comparsion of sys builds.
no?
sh4d0w86.

cajunflavoredbob said:
The first thing I could use help with to speed up my testing is for someone to point me to the reg key that disables Sense. This would make it easier for me to just drop it into XDA_UC to have the changes made automatically.
I could also use the reg key that sets the device into flight mode for the same reasons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Disable Sense:
Code:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Today\Items\HTC Sense]
"Enabled"=dword:0
Flight mode on boot:
Code:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power\State]
"Phone"=dword:00000000
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\RIL]
"LastEquipmentState"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\State\Phone]
"Status"=dword:00400030
"Radio Ready State"=dword:00000000
Random offtopic: I believe that all roms should have the radio turned off by default.

Jackos said:
Random offtopic: I believe that all roms should have the radio turned off by default.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm curious, why?

seeM_ZA said:
I'm curious, why?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because not anyone wants to run the Connection setup after rom upgrade? Not anyone wants to get all those sms messages right after flash. It's just more convenient then taking the sim card out and putting it back into the device when you're ready (not healthy for the card too).
Not to mention the CDMA phones without simcard, having the radio enabled by default in ROM must be a pain in the ass if you flash several times or hardreset to test different software!

Excellent work on this, cajunflavoredbob!
I look forward to reviewing the results that you come up with on your comparisons.
I am already interested in some of the results that you found in the first tests and will watch that pretty closely.
One thing that I noticed - when I first opened the spreadsheet the colors pretty much come on like a freight train - can those be toned down a tad? These old eyes finally adjusted to them but a lighter shade of colors may be more aesthetic...
Thanks for this contribution!

sh4d0w86 said:
why not just build a rom free of all ext packages?
just sys and oem packages.
that way it is a better comparsion of sys builds.
no?
sh4d0w86.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you read the first two posts, I addressed this twice. That's what I plan to do. I need to get a feel for this myself and find ways of doing it quickly before I move on to the kitchen.
Jackos said:
Disable Sense:
Code:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Today\Items\HTC Sense]
"Enabled"=dword:0
Flight mode on boot:
Code:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power\State]
"Phone"=dword:00000000
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\RIL]
"LastEquipmentState"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\State\Phone]
"Status"=dword:00400030
"Radio Ready State"=dword:00000000
Random offtopic: I believe that all roms should have the radio turned off by default.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wonderful! Thanks. This will save some time! I agree with you on the radio being off by default. With the number of times I flash my device during the week, it would really help not to hear the alerts going off twenty times when I start up. I use NRG's ROMs by day, backup with Sprite Backup, and then toy with my personal ROM at night normally. Now, of course, I'm going to be flashing even more than that with this new project.
toucan said:
Excellent work on this, cajunflavoredbob!
I look forward to reviewing the results that you come up with on your comparisons.
I am already interested in some of the results that you found in the first tests and will watch that pretty closely.
One thing that I noticed - when I first opened the spreadsheet the colors pretty much come on like a freight train - can those be toned down a tad? These old eyes finally adjusted to them but a lighter shade of colors may be more aesthetic...
Thanks for this contribution!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't promise you that I'll get to it, but I'll put it on my to-do list. I basically stole the formatted speadsheet from the other thread. I was about 2/3 of the way through with making my own, when it dawned on me that there was probably one already made. Their formulas covered some things I hadn't yet thought of, so I'm going to be using this for a while.
In other news, I'll be working on this again today, so check for updates tonight. I'll post any updates in the second post.

cajunflavoredbob said:
To-Do List
Change crazy background colors on spreadsheet.
Build clean ROM based on latest T-Mobile shipped ROM
Clean up first post.
Finish learning Italian.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One down (see attached).

piaqt said:
One down (see attached).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, but I still need the backgrounds. It helps me find the fields more easily. I'm going to experiment with different colors soon. This isn't my top priority, though. I think, lighter, not brighter colors would do better. We'll see what happens. I'm working on cooking the new ROM right now. Well, not right now, but I'll be starting soon. Hopefully I can get this completed within the week. I can only flash/work at night on this as I need a functioning device during the day.

cajunflavoredbob said:
Thanks, but I still need the backgrounds. It helps me find the fields more easily. I'm going to experiment with different colors soon. This isn't my top priority, though. I think, lighter, not brighter colors would do better. We'll see what happens. I'm working on cooking the new ROM right now. Well, not right now, but I'll be starting soon. Hopefully I can get this completed within the week. I can only flash/work at night on this as I need a functioning device during the day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha... I wholeheartedly agree - it is absolutely necessary to have the colors - but perhaps not so bright!

Related

TuMa v1.4 - BETA - WM5 ROM (RELEASED ... but has problems)

Right ... I think I'd better "pull the plug" as they say on this ROM.
There are currently too many problems apparent, which can not be directly fixed.
The problems unfortunately run deep.
Known Issues:
Pictures & Videos Fails to Start
IE can lockup (randomly) on Images
Odd ActiveSync Behaviour & non-communications
Phone Settings Page failures
Button Page (strangely?) still present
Backlight Level/Flickering
Duplicate Items (bad decision on my part)
BT Profile not appearing in Startup (Profile Bug actually)
Power Manager Bug
Battery Polling/Timing & Reporting
UPX'd Applications may be causing failures
Eval Calc continually reports "Error"
Repllog fills the event reporting
These problems most likely stem from various sources:
Optimization features to improve speed (Data issues / PIM corruption)
Interaction of AKU2 elements with AKU0 (repllog.exe Errors / ActiveSync)
UPX compressed applications (Random 'odd' behaviour)
Filesystem Respecification (standard Directories instead of PermDirs)
Possible stability issues in vBar (Phone Application Restarting)
GWES subsystem / IE extensions (Images, Pictures & Video Failure)
Application resource allocation failures (Eval Calc Failing, & other failing installs)
I will be addressing these issues over the weekend. There WILL be a new ROM at the end of this time (called v1.5) which will be either one of two possible incarnations:
1). Returning to a prior Alpha Test version which proved VERY stable, but contained a lot less of the AKU2 elements from Himalaya (incl. updated BT for reliability *sigh*)
2). Moving even MORE of the Himalaya AKU2 ROM into the current Beta (and correcting the other issues) so as to have as few as possible AKU0 elements coexisting.
Until that time I STRONGLY recommend that everyone not use this ROM - except for further BETA testing and/or bug reporting and/or suggestions for improvement (which would be VERY appreciated!)
TuMa v1.5 WILL still have the SAME feature-set, and SAME feature-rich look, but this will also be working on ENABLING CABs, instead of being a complete 'out of the box' ROM.
Wherever possible everything will still be entirely contained in the ROM to save as much Storage Space as possible and be feature complete, requiring only shortcuts, or registry entries to enable the full 'power'.
Otherwise, in it's "AU NATURELLE" state, the v1.5 ROM will functionally operate as a 'base only' ROM - which can then be used to build from.
My sincere apologies for the troubles you've encountered so far ... however it has been INVALUABLE with all the feedback, and I will be addressing as many of the issues found as quickly as possible.
I'd gotten so close ... the "race" was almost won ... but, it just 'blew up' in the final 50 meters.
____________________________________________________________
TuMa v1.4 has been released now for public BETA testing.
As with any BETA, backup your important data ... only time will tell how well everything has been edited/fixed/corrected in this ROM.
NOTE: There could still be some issues with this ROM, in that the performance has been increased to 'appease' those craving it, and also the feature set of the ROM has been updated to encompass everything requested.
There have been FAR too many changes, and FAR too many updates from v1.3 to even begin describing it. The ROM is now composed of 60% Wizard (Core), 20% Himalaya AKU2 (Updates), 10% Blue Angel (Drivers), and features taken from 5% Jasjar, 3% of Atom, 1% Acer, and 1% Custom Hex Edited Modules. 8)
Battery life should be much improved, speed should be about equal to Ivan's, bugs should be squashed.
Known BIG issues:
1). Sim Toolkit doesn't seem to work 100% for me - I get the menus up, but can't access all the data.
2). Bluetooth disconnect is still in this ROM.
3). Pictures & Videos Application is not working (fix being researched).
Otherwise ... let me know if you find anything!
Needless to say it's been a laborious process to get this done. So rather than bore you with words - here are some pictures instead ...
Download from:
ftp://xda:[email protected]/BlueAngel/BA_WM5/Shipped_Extracted_Updates/TuMa 1.4/
Remember ANY and ALL CABs which are in the EXTROM Folder are OPTIONAL to install. If you don't want that feature (MMS, Java Midlets, Camera, Intellipad Languages) ... then don't install it!
Use the SetOperator.bat file to set your operator for the ROM approproately.
NOTE: SX66 Users - use the SetOperatorSX66.bat file, and DO NOT install the Camera CAB.
EDIT MDAIIIUSer 02/05/06
Changed the ftp link
TuMa Boot Logos
Since I love my Blue Angel sooooo much. I've made a few custom Boot Logos for you to use.
Download from:
ftp://xda:[email protected]/Uploads/BlueAngel/WM5_TuMa/TuMa_Logos.rar
You can obviously also make your own one now ... just replace BootLogo.bmp in the /Windows directory with your own 8-Bit bitmap. Make sure that the file is the same size as the one there - then you know you have the right format. 8)
*** EDIT ***
Since I've had a couple of requests for the original artwork behind these Boot Screens, I've now prepared the PhotoShop Original Artwork file for ALL of these Logos. You can now readily make your own "Blue Angel" Logo, with or without the background, or using a solid colour, or just overlaying the Windows Mobile 5.0 elements overtop. I leave it entirely up to you! It's your BootLogo after all. 8)
ftp://xda:[email protected]/Uploads/BlueAngel/WM5_TuMa/TuMa_Blue_Angels.rar
Enjoy!
And last but not least ...
Some Games which can while away the time ...
Download from:
ftp://xda:[email protected]/Uploads/BlueAngel/WM5_TuMa/TuMa_Games.rar
Fun, fun, fun!
Gr8 work Tuma
Good
Flashing right now...
Will be back later with some news.
Thanks for all the amazing work!!
Nice Release Tuatara!
Going to try it on the weekend
Thanks
Great work Tuatara, thanks will be flashing tonight. And extra thanks for the Xmen Angel logo, that will be my logo from now on. Mutants Rule!
great job!
got this version on my sx66. No major issues.
quick question: is there a way someone can extract the "shutdown" plugin for today. My friend with a sprint 6700 wants it.
AGAIN, Great job ! and I wish I had half the brains you did so I could contribute some coding/hack. At least I will be able to help report any issues in this Beta, to make the release version a better experience for all...
i have instaled to this version, and for now now issues. to report (exept the bt )
thanks for this good work tuatara. :mrgreen:
OK, I've messed around with this new rom for a bit, and I've actually gotta say I prefer Tuma 1.3. The speed increase isn't significant enough to be worth adding more problems I outline below, without actually correcting any of the problems that I disliked in 1.3.
Improvements:
1) Single, fully functional WLAN Manager is nice.
2) I like the category based Program list, but your choice in some instances is well, strange. (ex. Windows Media in Office folder)
New Problems:
1) Phone settings was missing the first page (ring tone/style selection) on my first boot. Seems to be there now though. Odd.
2) Pictures & Videos (Renamed...) does not work at all. Definately a big piss off for me.
3) Internet explorer just locked up my PPC. I used it alot in 1.3, and I never experienced that. I'll see if I can reproduce it.
Dislikes:
1) Renamed Programs. I don't really like that you chose to rename the shortcuts to many Microsoft Programs. Ex: Pictures & Videos to Picture Viewer, File Explorer to Windows Explorer. Since every copy of WM5 has all these programs named the same since they are core programs, I don't think you should be renaming the shortcuts.
2) Some hefty programs. I liked that in Tuma 1.3 there was a nice balance between what was already there, and how much was left up to user discretion. By adding large programs with many alternatives such as Total Commander and vBar, I can't help feel you've crossed the line.
Further updates will come as I keep testing. Thanks for working so hard on this.
Going to flash tomorrow...
Thanks for all the precious work so far Tuatara!
Going to flash tomorrow...
Thanks for all the precious work so far Tuatara!
I am going to test this ROM. I am still wondering whether this one is better than Ivan's. Anyone who has any ideas please let me know, for the reason that I just want to bring my Blue Angel into full play.
good job!!!
flashing it right now
Thanks,I do in now
hmm.. cant get it to ActiveSync
Hiya..
Had major problems getting it to sync
Have reinstalled the Activesync twice now.. It connects (at bloody last! 3 hours and multiple soft resets later!) , goes through the new device blah blah, and then just sits at the Activesync page! Says it is connected, with LOADS of datat flowing between the device and A/S.. bot not synchronizing!
Any ideas?
Nowt has changed since TuMa 1.3 or Ivan... I had both working!
WOW.. damn.. I love this Forum...
Make a post, and low and behold the little fairies jump out of the screen, and waving their wands and throwing fairy dust on my PPC, it does a little beep and starts working!!!
WTF! Problem solved... Ask the fairies what they did if you can catch them!
TheLastOne said:
OK, I've messed around with this new rom for a bit, and I've actually gotta say I prefer Tuma 1.3. The speed increase isn't significant enough to be worth adding more problems I outline below, without actually correcting any of the problems that I disliked in 1.3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok ... there were a few problems in v1.3 which are definately fixed in v1.4. The speed should be noticable, but isn't the biggest 'draw-card'. Stability, and integration should be ... but as always ... can't please everyone.
Improvements:
1) Single, fully functional WLAN Manager is nice.
2) I like the category based Program list, but your choice in some instances is well, strange. (ex. Windows Media in Office folder)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1). That was a bit of work ... required some 'artwork', 'hex-editor' and 'resource hacker' customization to achieve.
2). So, is "Windows Media Player" a "Tool" then? I couldn't decide either. Well ... in the end I wasn't quite sure 'where' to put that one ... you can move them easily y'know. Besides ... it is delibrately put into the main start menu as "Media Player" so you have direct access to it from there, but also have access through the Programs Menu.
New Problems:
1) Phone settings was missing the first page (ring tone/style selection) on my first boot. Seems to be there now though. Odd.
2) Pictures & Videos (Renamed...) does not work at all. Definately a big piss off for me.
3) Internet explorer just locked up my PPC. I used it alot in 1.3, and I never experienced that. I'll see if I can reproduce it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1). Hmmm ... can't say I've ever seen that. Works fine on my device - so maybe something subtle is happening in the Radio Layer. Most of the RIL core is now from the Himalaya AKU2.
2). Now that's a BUG which MUST BE FIXED. Damn. It was working perfectly all the previous times I have tested and worked with it. I must have done something registry-wise which is now preventing load on my last build. I will find a fix/patch for this and post it as a CAB.
3). I've been using IE over WiFi for quite a lot of surfing - not one lockup to date - incl. having BT Stereo Wireless Headset playing (albeit a bit stutteringly) in the background. I will test further when I have more time.
So ... I'll add my own one ...
4). BT Wireless Stereo Profile has some (irritating) stuttering, but otherwise works quite reliably. Need to look at performance requirements and/or wave audio driver.
Dislikes:
1) Renamed Programs. I don't really like that you chose to rename the shortcuts to many Microsoft Programs. Ex: Pictures & Videos to Picture Viewer, File Explorer to Windows Explorer. Since every copy of WM5 has all these programs named the same since they are core programs, I don't think you should be renaming the shortcuts.
2) Some hefty programs. I liked that in Tuma 1.3 there was a nice balance between what was already there, and how much was left up to user discretion. By adding large programs with many alternatives such as Total Commander and vBar, I can't help feel you've crossed the line.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1). Well, you will notice that there are TWO copies of each of the applications you mention. FIRST in the Start Menu (for direct access - named as normal), and a SECOND time in the Programs folder. In order to NOT have naming conflicts for two shortcuts (if moved), they MUST be named differently. This is an unfortunate side-effect of how the Menu Manager works. You could just delete the copy you don't want. That's what Total Commander is for.
2). Again ... both of those apps can be readily 'hidden' if you wish. vBar can be quickly disabled (just turn it off in it's control panel), and similarly the icon for Total Commander can be removed. It costs NOTHING to have them in the ROM - all of your storage space is still 100% free for you to use however you wish, for whatever you wish.
Further updates will come as I keep testing. Thanks for working so hard on this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No worries ... as said - the ROM is aimed at an audience to work "out of the box", not necessarily for the "power hacker" who needs to customize every last element.
But having said that - everything is READILY possible to disable in the ROM, either through checkboxes, or simply by removing shortcuts. Nothing is so 'entrenched' as to be necessary, and nothing is so necessary as to not be 'disabled' easily.
Anyways ... as before, this is BETA, and I welcome constructive feedback (and criticisms) such as this! I want to resolve the last few 'annoying' bugs and try to get to a robust and stable (feature-rich) ROM.
So ... speak your thoughts ... good / bad / ugly ... let me know!
great!
@Tuatara
Great job, Im using it for a couple of hours and until now everything is going very good.
I really like the idea of a custom build, with shortcuts names changed, lots of small softwares installed and a well tweaked registry.
I need to sleep a little. I will be using my device tomorrow as usual and will report in the end of the day.
Thanks again for the hard work :!: :!: :!:
Re: WOW.. damn.. I love this Forum...
Juggles said:
Make a post, and low and behold the little fairies jump out of the screen, and waving their wands and throwing fairy dust on my PPC, it does a little beep and starts working!!!
WTF! Problem solved... Ask the fairies what they did if you can catch them!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm ... this is a bit ODD. There shouldn't be any 'fairies' dancing around in the OS. Maybe a few "Angels" ... but no "Fairies".
Please let me know if you're experiencing any 'odd' behaviour. Such as 'Phone Panels' not appearing, 'Active Sync' not working immediately, 'WiFi' issues, or otherwise. Maybe a 'Gremlin' has snuck into my 'Frankenstein' ROM Monster.

Ivan V4R3 with 32MB Ramdisk - V1.2 released

I've managed to get Ivan V4R3 working with 32mb Ramdisk support using the tips in the main Ivan V4R3 thread here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=52546&start=50
and here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/viewtopic.php?t=52546&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=25
(in short, hexedit unencrypted nk.nba then add buzz_lightyear's 32mb ramdisk cab).
I've also ensured that IE stores its cache files in ramdisk by fiddling with some nice reg keys that were'nt covered by the buzz_lightyear patch.
The end result is really fast and doesn't seem to get all laggy after heavy use, as Ivan tends to do when it scatters temp files around the storage disk.
I'd like to send a finished ROM out to the gang for testing but I lack the expertise to edit and recombine default.hv and boot.hv to include the buzz_lightyear and IE reg patches prior to reassmbling the ROM.
Can anyone PM me with some more info on how this can be done?
If not, then it'll be a ROM file, CAB file, reg file mix to get it into a testable package, which all seems a bit messy when we could just have a flash-and-go version.
Hope you guys can help, thanks.
send me the stuff and i'll do it.
Ah wait - I've figured it out. Just copy the default.hv from a running ROM on a device, and recombine that into the flash package.
Will churn out something tonight if I get time and see what people make of it.
nope, it a lot more complicate that that
work in progress??
Just wanted to know if you guys are still working on this project. Let me know as i am very interested. THX
Apologies, I've been AFK for a few days dealing with real life - horrible thing it is too.
The rom, ramdisk cab and a list of Registry modifications are now uploading to /uploads/for_midget_1990.
[EDIT] all files uploaded at 20:07 BST
Procedure is -
- replace the Ivan v4R3 nk.nbf with the one included
- flash, align screen etc
- install the ramdisk32 cab
- modify the registry keys as shown in reg_keys.txt
- power off, then power on to cement all reg changes
- reboot
The above config has been running on my Qtek 9090 for the last week with some pretty heavy use and it's still performing nicely with no sign of the slowdown that Ivans ROM normally suffers from after prolonged use.
Midget_1990 - if you can munge these files together into a proper release, that would be fantastic. Meanwhile I'll try to find some info on doing it myself. I'm not far off it, I just can't find much info on how to edit the registry files inside the ROM. I'm sure the info is out there if I look hard enough.
depending on how busy i am in the next few days i will try and make this into a proper flashable rom, however i am also working on upgrading Ivans rom anyway so I will definatly produce a version with the ramdisk as well as normal with future releases.
Thanks for your reaserch etc.
I was using logouts latest and it was very slow once you got a few things running on it and when enabling the wifi.
I just downloaded and installed ivans again using this method and also overclocking to 530mhz. Seems to be doing very well. i will test and report more as the week goes on.
HI all
Willpower102 - Agreed - overclocking to 530 is definitely the ideal for any wm5 rom.
I've made some progress on modding the ROM last night. I'm just having trouble finding the Internet Explorer cache directory entry in the ROM's registry files. Once I've cracked that, I'll be ready to release a flash-and-go version.
Now that I'm able to build my own ROMs, I've also been experimenting with the atihwtbl0.txt file in the \windows dir. You can see some tasty looking timing variables in there - not least the CAS timing for RAM. More on that later when I've tested it properly.
Also, I found a more up-to-date version of ace_ddi.dll a while ago and will try to include that too. I've benchmarked it with GXMark, and it's definitely faster. Original dll gets 1750 gxmarks, new one gets 1850. I've even managed 2000 gxmarks but that has been hard to reproduce. (all figures produced at 530mhz)
Lastly I can say that now I've got my hands dirty with the ROM-building tools, my respect for Tuatara, Mamaich, Buzz_Lightyear, Ivan, Midget_1990, Logout, Art, and the whole ROM-building crowd has only increased. It's a slow and fiddly process, so more than ever respect to the people who are making this possible.
rom building
Thingonaspring: mad props for all your effort!!!! I would like to educate myself and start the rom building process aswell. Before I even try to attempt this I guess I have to do a lot of research and reading (but its all worth it). I would be most grateful if you could tell me where you got your info from.....and any links would be greatly appreciated.
Hats off once again for all your hard work
the best advice i can give is read the entire wiki, including every device, twice. This will get you the background knowledge about how these devices work etc, then PM someone who currrently makes ROMs and ask (nicely) if they would mind sending you the BA ROM toolkit and if your really nice they might also explain how to use it
Good luck!
THX
Midget_1990: thanks for the heads up!!! Thats what I assumed. Reading, reading and more reading is on the agenda.
[EDIT] Found the cause - nasty lil control-code gremlins on the end of each line. Stripped the file down to ascii codes only, edited, saved as unicode and everything works.
Serious help needed here
I am attempting to rebuild default.rgu and user.rgu into default.hv and user.hv using rgucomp.
I am doing the following :-
SET _FLATRELEASEDIR=.
rgucomp -o dump\default.hv -nologo > default.txt
edit in wordpad (also tried notepad), add REGEDIT4, ensure final line is just a <CR>,
save as text with unicode encoding
When I rename default.txt to boot.rgu and do :-
rgucomp -b
I get an error :=
Failed to parse HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\xslfile!!!
I've tried many different approaches with both default.hv and user.hv.. Always ending up with very simillar results. Usually a parse error on or close to the first line.
Can anyone help with this? I've read everything, not just on this site, but on buzzdev and a ton of weird japanese/chinese forums (no idea which, just lots of kanji characters).
It's really annoying as I only have limited time to work on this, and it's soo close.
Try this:
Rename default.rgu to boot.rgu
set _FLATRELEASEDIR=.
rgucomp.exe -b -nologo
ren boot.hv default.hv
attrib +r +h +s default.hv
And error in this k e y
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\xslfile!!!
Fix it
I was running SPB Software on the unit without the ramdisk and I tested the software with SBSH Software on it to find that the software you install can make a slight difference.
However, the unit seems to really get a boost in speed. I love the improvements the 32 RAMDISK does to the unit. I have had no issues with the unit since the upgrade.
I was wondering how everyone was doing with the bluetooth fix though. How has the quality been since the major changes that has been done over the past month now. There hasn't been many complaints about the bluetooth but was wondering about quality and if there has been any disconnect issues. I haven't used my bluetooth ear piece long enough to really know.
Also how has everyone's battery life been. I noticed that the software has some major drainage on the phones battery. I usually don't notice much due to the v3 extended lion battery but how about the oem battery?
Speed is unbelieveable with ramdisk on ivan's v4r3.
Problem is programs installed after the ramdisk mod don't show up on the "remove programs" list, thus can't un-install.
I myself am stuck with the registry too, due to the fact that the programs in the toolkit to do it are 16bit and not compatable with my 64bit version of windows...
OK, the ROM is finally ready.
Here :-
ftp://xda:[email protected]/Uploads/Blue Angel/IvanV4R3_Ramdisk32.zip
It includes a tweak to CAS timings (1clk instead of 2clk) and an updated ace_ddi.dll display driver. Both should improve speed, but do note that the CAS tweak means that overclocking to 590mhz, which was always pretty unstable, will now cause the device to hang. Overclocking to 530 works fine in my tests.
There's still plenty more I can try to gain a bit more speed, not least the rest of the timings in the atihwtbl0.txt file, and perhaps mounting the RAMDisk as early as possible will allow more parts of the OS to store volatile data in RAM.
If/when I come up with an updated version, I'll post it hereabouts.
Baeshin81 - I left my phone on standby last night with 100% battery at 2AM when I finally crawled into bed.
On reaching work the next day 9:15AM, the phone had used just 3% battery power.
So in short - battery seems fine. Do note that I've got an expanded 2450mah battery, not the stock one.
Keano - I too notice the remove programs problem after installing the buzzlightyear ramdisk cab. The new ROM does not use this method, I've basically stolen Logout's approach to ramdisk instead, so the add/remove problem is no longer present.
Midget_1990 - have you tried a DOS emulator like Bochs?

[DEV] Blackstone Linux / Android Development

This thread is for development discussion only. If you are not actively working on the project, please go to the discussion thread where your contribution will be more valuable. By keeping this thread clean, we can hope to get Android working on our devices much quicker.​
Project Status:
We now have a 2.6.27 kernel which is capable of booting Angstrom and Android. Android looks good and is responsive, but most core functions are not there yet. Work is focused on kernel development to provide us with a stable base with working hardware. You can find test files in the second post.
We have a Wiki page where the project gets documented in some detail.
History
The development had a slow start while Orux worked out how to make the mdp talk to mddi to get a working display. We hope that progress will be faster now as there has been considerable work on the Diamond and Raphael hardware, which is quite similar to the Blackstone.
23Feb09
Screen problems fixed at last - many weeks work from Orux got the mdp talking to mddi and give us a working display.
03Mar09
Wow! So much progress in just a week! We now have working SD (some issues with brands of cards - under investigation), allowing booting direct from the SD card; working hardware buttons, and some GSM functionality (the network connects and reports of sending SMS successfully). Credit to Orux, Pichurri, Cybersalsero, Jonlar (and have I missed anyone out - not me, I have been spectating!). Pichurri has posted a full install package on teh wiki, go try it and give feedback in the testing thread.
(to be continued!)
Current tasks
Debugging SD card problems many ppl having
Getting our own version of Android (currently using builds optimised for Raph/Diam
More GSM functions - who will be first to make a call???
What can I do?
You tell us! First thing would be to get yourself set up with a development environment. You need Linux on your PC - either installed as the main OS or if you use Windows, in a virtual machine (eg Virtualbox). Then follow the instructions on the wiki to get the sources and latest diff.
Reserved for files
Here you will find the up to date files related to the project.
Pichurri's full 2.6.27 install package is on the wiki here
You should correct the posts: 2.6.26 and 2.6.27 is the kernels used. More info: www.kernel.org
brumbrum said:
You should correct the posts: 2.6.26 and 2.6.27 is the kernels used. More info: www.kernel.org
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We are using 2 kernels:
2.6.25 --> htc-msm-2.6.25 branch in git.linuxtogo.org. This is the kernel that we are testing in our machines these days.
2.6.27 --> htc-msm-2.6.27 branch in git.linuxtogo.org. Where we will stay in a few days. Better kernel, more improvements. Here is where people from other projects are working now.
orux said:
We are using 2 kernels:
2.6.25 --> htc-msm-2.6.25 branch in git.linuxtogo.org. This is the kernel that we are testing in our machines these days.
2.6.27 --> htc-msm-2.6.27 branch in git.linuxtogo.org. Where we will stay in a few days. Better kernel, more improvements. Here is where people from other projects are working now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, my mistake. Typed the message above late in the night.
But in the first and second post in this thread it says 2.2.65 and 2.2.67.
Thanks, was posted in a rush, just pm me if you see more errors. We use the odd numbered dev kernels, they will always have the most recent stuff.
A challenge for someone who likes graphic drivers:
I think linux is using ~10% of epson controller capabilities.
We have a lot of information about this controller, and open source code from epson.
Perhaps someone would like to work with this stuff.
orux said:
A challenge for someone who likes graphic drivers:
I think linux is using ~10% of epson controller capabilities.
We have a lot of information about this controller, and open source code from epson.
Perhaps someone would like to work with this stuff.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you mean things like picture-in-picture? Would be good later on in the gui - multiple desktops, that kind of thing. Also I noticed the Epson controller handles TV-out. Do we know if the out-connection exists for this, or have they just not connected it up?
Another thing to consider maybe USB on-the-go - the MSM72xx supports it; if (big if) the usb port has the right connections, it would be possible to mount external storage.
But I think it's more for later on - core functionality would be about making calls, sms, GPRS/3G. Let's see what we get from the latest kernel. Orux have you talked to the RAPH/DIAM guys on irc about merging?
orux said:
A challenge for someone who likes graphic drivers:
I think linux is using ~10% of epson controller capabilities.
We have a lot of information about this controller, and open source code from epson.
Perhaps someone would like to work with this stuff.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what makes you believe that?
whatever makes you believe it, share it!
if you have anything like docs,etc to share or point to lets have it !
Blackstone has got 2 graphic processors:
--->mdp, inside the chip. We have drivers in the kernel (mdp.c, mdp_ppp.c ...) I am not sure what capabilities are being used in current kernel. There are not good docs about mdp processor (I haven't got any useful).
--->epson controller. It can do:
• Picture in Picture, Transparency, Alpha Blending
• Image Rotation (90°, 180°, 270°) and Mirroring
• Scroll Assist
• AME (Auto Movie Enhancement)
• Supports up to three layers
• Image Doubling
• Bi-Cubic Scaling (1/2x ~ 8x)
• Over/Down Sampling Scaling (1/8x ~ 8x)
• Edge Enhancement
We don't have driver support in current kernel, but we have docs and source code from epson (link posted in discussion thread).
Htc Touch Pro has a tvout usb cable adapter, and seems to work in linux! I don't know if this cable works with our device.
USB on-the-go: interesting TODO.
patp said:
Orux have you talked to the RAPH/DIAM guys on irc about merging?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not yet; perhaps your (or pichurri, ...) task when we have a good .27 diff. I have too much language limitations for an on-line discussion
p3ngwin said:
what makes you believe that?
whatever makes you believe it, share it!
if you have anything like docs,etc to share or point to lets have it !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, OK! These things take time - we all have other jobs I guess. We plan to get any open source docs online in a systematic way, we just need to figure out a reliable way - ie not RS etc. And we have to be careful of proprietry materials - we don't want copyright lawyers after us...
If anyone wants to offer us some rock solid webspace, that would be awesome.
TODO: Investigate instability of screen
I think that problems with screen are caused by onscreen keyboard. This keyboard is an excellent hack, but it is not 100% integrated with android.
We need to test a kernel without it.
orux said:
I think that problems with screen are caused by onscreen keyboard. This keyboard is an excellent hack, but it is not 100% integrated with android.
We need to test a kernel without it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or use the cup cake version with the keyboard in android it self.
Full doc of the epson controler : http://vdc.epson.com/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=278&Itemid=40
Link is at the bottom of the wiki, add yours
I don't think we need to put all the docs at the same place, just add links at the bottom of the wiki, either hosted or link to website.
I can provide hosting if you need, just pm me.
repository
what do you guys think about creating some kind of repository(git or svn) to upload and share our blackstone kernel? i think it would make development much easier if you could see changes of other people immediately. we could use github or sourceforge.
I also think the On-Screen Keyboard is a problem.
Earlyer today I was goofing around in Android and every time I moved the keyboard, the graphics started acting very weird.(scrolling, not updating etc.)
When I hit F5 on the OSK, it would refresh Android and go back to the home page and the screen would be normal again.
Maybe route the OSK to a pip on the epson?
It's git for kernel dev, anyways svn sucks (inc troll)
If we set up a git, we'll need a guy working as a maintainer and pulling from everyone. This may become usefull when people start working in many different areas of the kernel, but for now diffs are better as they can be easily shared, and there's a howto in the wiki.
patp said:
OK, OK! These things take time - we all have other jobs I guess. We plan to get any open source docs online in a systematic way, we just need to figure out a reliable way - ie not RS etc. And we have to be careful of proprietry materials - we don't want copyright lawyers after us...
If anyone wants to offer us some rock solid webspace, that would be awesome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hey i have a servage account that i hardly use which has massive space and bandwidth i could give you a ftp account to and any sql servers you may need. let me know
Rewpparo said:
Full doc of the epson controler : http://vdc.epson.com/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=278&Itemid=40
Link is at the bottom of the wiki, add yours
I don't think we need to put all the docs at the same place, just add links at the bottom of the wiki, either hosted or link to website.
I can provide hosting if you need, just pm me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, the wiki is the best place for this. Would you be happy for me to mention your hosting offer on the front page (which will quite soon need a better structure I'm sure).
JanSchotsmans said:
I also think the On-Screen Keyboard is a problem.
Earlyer today I was goofing around in Android and every time I moved the keyboard, the graphics started acting very weird.(scrolling, not updating etc.)
When I hit F5 on the OSK, it would refresh Android and go back to the home page and the screen would be normal again.
Maybe route the OSK to a pip on the epson?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now that my friend, is a stunning idea (if it can be done simply). How does it relate to the Android OSK mentioned by xmoo? I guess the linux one is low level whereas the Android one is basically an app in the gui. Advantages to both, but if it works out of the box, the android one would mean we could essentially get rid of the linux one. We have ssh if we want to type in a console (or maybe android terminal app?).

ROM dumping / extraction / kitchen building for the Rhodium platform

Hopefully this is a well known topic and I simply have not yet to locate the information - please try not to flame me too much I've been away for about a year and things have a tendancy to change real quick...
My baseline kitchen / ROM builds have always worked best off a stock OEM dumps - bloat and all. I'm hoping to come across such a gem with the new WWE 6.5 dumps coming available.
Ideally, a similar process could be done as Bepe did to the Hermes rom: Bepe's Big Storage. In this rom the extended and program memory was merged, giving it terrific space (not that I ever needed it ).
Also (and most important for ease of use), his rom dumps included the individual registry entries for each package with each folder - the file names escape me, but it made keeping the registry clean and specific very, very easy. This also makes making a personal kitchen for the masses to use much better as well.
So - has the dumping process for this rom evolved enough that we can replicate Bepe's actions (clean file/registry extraction and merging extended ROM space), do we simply use existing tools for a different platform (such as Touch Pro, Diamond, or whatnot) to extract our own, or is that no longer a driving practice with ROM building?
Thanks for schooling me on the latest ROM process - hopefully I can get one of my Naked builds together for those who perfer lean and fast, cause this bloated gadget is way too fat
Hopefully if there is enough info collected in one spot to either update the Wiki or put up a sticky for everyone to use
Here's a thread from the Raphael device, probably a good enough reference to get started - if it will work with this dump: [TUT] Sous-Chef's Guide to Aruppenthal's XIP Porting Kitchen 5.3
I just PM'd hilaireg - hopefully he has some info if there are hardware differences that would prevent the tools he'd referenced from working...
hi,
i found this thread regarding radio dump but it is for smartphone device (wings).
i haven't tried this yet.
hopefully the process can be used to our device.
edit:
also found this thread regarding rebuilding of dumped roms (raw files) from topaz.
just change the htcrt to our device config.
regards,
twisted
WB Matt!
I think things really have changed a lot from Wizard and Hermes days!
For Kaiser, I use OEM from 6.1 dump, and use 6.5 SYS files! It seems to work better for us Kaiser users.
I am not sure about old way if cooking though! New way is much easier, and real fast to switch between devices even.
But I know you have creative ideas to even make a noob cook! So I am looking forward to your contributions...
Here's hilaireg's response - he added a couple good links and info:
"Hi Matt,
I agree that the TP2 section of the forum is still somewhat sparse.
Arup's XIP porting process was tailored around PkgToolsBuildOS 5.3 which doesn't properly support WinMO 6.5 ... hence the release of Visual Kitchen by Ervius.
IMHO, I would suggest performing a dump of a TP2 official RUU's using the latest version (1.8.1) of Visual Kitchen and forgo using the old PkgToolsBuildOS.
I'm sure you've likely been following Da_G's threads on WinMO 6.5 ... just in case:
[OS][WM6.5.x] Latest Releases (23034), Porting, Tutorials, Tools, VM, etc.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=544445
There's this thread as well that may serve of use if you run into extraction issues using Visual Kitchen 1.8.1.
[APP][UTIL]nbImageTool .4 (Partition Dumper) support .nbh .nb .dio .fat .nb0 .payload
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=548315
The utility may allow you to extract the portions you need (ex: XIP, .PAYLOAD,etc.) and have VK perform the SYS/OEM package extraction. From there, you may be able to piece together a "functional" kitchen from both extraction processes."
ai6908 / twisted - thanks! I did have a lot of success mixing OEM and SYS packages - but the fun was making every element of the ROM being optional, and allowing someone to build a completly empty ROM, or only adding exactly what they want. This way, they can balance bloat vs speed, and find their perfect balance. This flexibility keeps every mix clean and quick
Once I get a good grasp on what's going on, I'll redo the first post with a summary and process for this device, FYI Best way to learn
Good to see you here. I remember the pandora stuff and look forward to this.
Options around things like extendir might be good?
Things have changed quite a bit Matt. I remember your excellent tutorials and guidance from my Hermes days We don't have extended memory anymore and all packages get dumped with their corresponding dsm and rgu, it 's very easy. The newer "visual kitchen" made by bepe and erv, use app.reg and did away with dsm's. Da_G is working on a microsoft based kitchen that will enable us to update any file in the ROM without flashing the whole rom again and that will be possible by the reintroduction of DSM's in the cooking process. You can IM me if you want to chat about all this.. Top right corner
(Sorry for possible silly questions, but I'm still at Andrews for a couple more days and am without a PC )
Interesting... editing/deleting files in a live rom... gonna have to chew on that concept for a while. Wonder how this will effect page file settings. Wow...!
The .dsm/.rgu extraction being clean is good news - trying to break out the individual registry elements is a big pain.
Good as well is the lack of extended memory, but do we recover unused space if not used for the "program" - in that this space is usable to load apps into?
I'll still need to research more, but if we're using app.reg, will the compiler still add .rgu entries into the compiled hive? This will be important to keep package selection clean in a multiple selection kitchen, unless I am unaware of the new kitchen capabilities and this won't be an issue.
I do have some ideas, and a whole lot more programming under my belt than before. Can't wait to get home and get started
Please consider looking at the issue of activating MSVC with the bluetooth headset button if you can. I am not sure if this is fixed in 6.5 but cannot make it work in 6.1. The TP2 usues a different BT stack so I am told. This is allegedly a business phone and this is a mjor feature espcially with the current laws around mobile phones and driving in the UK.
Cheers, and looking forward to whatever you release.
Matt my old friend, I'm sorry for taking a while but i have successfully converted my hermes, kaiser, fuze kitchen to rhodium for you... i'll upload shortly when i get home and you can do what you want with it has all stock extracted rhodium and if you have questions buzz me and i'll answer
Also matt, add me to messenger, it would be an honor to help you with this. get you up to speed
mattk_r said:
(Sorry for possible silly questions, but I'm still at Andrews for a couple more days and am without a PC )
Interesting... editing/deleting files in a live rom... gonna have to chew on that concept for a while. Wonder how this will effect page file settings. Wow...!
The .dsm/.rgu extraction being clean is good news - trying to break out the individual registry elements is a big pain.
Good as well is the lack of extended memory, but do we recover unused space if not used for the "program" - in that this space is usable to load apps into?
I'll still need to research more, but if we're using app.reg, will the compiler still add .rgu entries into the compiled hive? This will be important to keep package selection clean in a multiple selection kitchen, unless I am unaware of the new kitchen capabilities and this won't be an issue.
I do have some ideas, and a whole lot more programming under my belt than before. Can't wait to get home and get started
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if the rgu entries are in the OEM or sys folder sections of the new rom kitchen it will be added to hive.. App.reg is looked at in EXT folder of the kitchen now.

[WM6.1/WM6.5.x]«HERMANN» | RELEASED ROMs: WM6.1 v3.0, WM6.5.0 v3.2

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I must stress that your phone must be HARDSPL'ed in order to flash my ROMs. Also, read this post for updated flashing instructions.
THIS ROM IS ENGLISH WWE ONLY and don't forget to backup your various info (contacts, documents, etc). Users of Palm Messaging can backup their SMS messages by looking for "PalmMsgV001" in the windows folder. Unfortunately, reading this file can only be done with Palm Messaging, so copy/paste anything of importance before flashing.
Special note: Bluetooth file sharing now works GUARANTEED in all 2.5 and up ROMs, and remember that the "receive all beams" option in the Infrared settings is on by default, if you don't use Bluetooth don't forget to turn this off.
V3.2 Hermann Classic
Version 3.0 updates:
-Please refer to this post regarding changes.
-The stuff you know from Version 2.5 is still in, but with complete bug fixes.
-No more "BASE" or "Full" ROMs.
-Storage is low because ROM is XPR compressed for AltKeys.
-ROM is designed to work with toxic's Android UI packs (Not fully tested)
-Symbols SIP added in case Alt Keys does not work. This can be accessed via the "up" arrow beside the SIP keyboard icon when the SIP is active.
Version 3.1 update:
-Sped up image processing on the device.
--This boost in image processing brings a significant overall boost to the device's operation, including faster camera image capturing, JPEG viewing, and perhaps a boost to the 2D graphics rendering on the device (over 100 points boost over non-Hermann ROMs in SKTools graphics benchmark), making emulators such as MoonGBA able to play games like Megaman Battle network 95% speed (frameskip 1, no sound due to slow cpu)
-Fixed fatal Camera launching bug.
Version 3.2 updates:
-Hopefully I finally fixed the fatal Camera bug.
-Fixed missing "USB to PC" setting.
-Fixed Windows Live, am able to log into my Live account. (Don't forget to check your APN in "Connection" settings)
-PATCH: Want to enable the Ringer Switch at the top of the Treo to vibrate when you receive a call? Read this post.
-Themes: Want the rest of the default WM6.5 themes? Click here.
__________________________
VERSION 3.2 ROM Build 21895
51.49MB available user Storage
23MB available RAM
DOWNLOAD 3.2 ROM (Do not forget to soft reset the device after "Device Customization" finishes!)
__________________________|
__________________________
Consumer ROM Build 21916
48MB available user Storage
23MB available RAM
DOWNLOAD 2.4 ROM
__________________________|
Version 2.4 features:
--I gave Fjtor's kitchen a try
--Start Menu at the top
--First Treo750 ROM to utilize Bepe's Big Storage
--As I promised, HTC's 21889 Build is used for Fast Stable use
--Bluetooth file sharing ready
--BASE ROM is a bare ROM, great for users who want to install their own stuff
--Consumer ROM has basic stuff to get you started, such as Marketplace, Windows Live, Ringtones, xTask, and others
V2.3 Hermann Finger
2.3 Updates:
-Fixed ringer notification bug
___________________________
Hermann Finger BASE ROM
66MB available user Storage
23MB available RAM
DOWNLOAD ROM
___________________________|
___________________________
Hermann Finger Consumer ROM
50MB available user Storage
24MB available RAM
DOWNLOAD ROM
___________________________|
Features:
--These are primarily experimental ROMs.
--Start Menu at the bottom.
--Also cooked using Fjtor's kitchen
--Also utilizing Big Storage.
--Build 29007 is used here
--Bluetooth file sharing ready
--BASE ROM is a bare ROM, great for users who want to install their own stuff
--Consumer ROM has basic stuff to get you started, such as Marketplace, Windows Live, Ringtones, xTask, and others
_________________________________________
KITCHEN FILES (NEEDS FJTORSOL'S KITCHEN) Read this post for more info. NOTE: These are the old 2.4 packs)
Big Storage (This archive must be extracted to "\Sources\Devices\HTC Cheetah\Profiles")
http://www.mediafire.com/?uhmxn1j7aj0fsgf
UPDATED PACKAGES February 29 2012:
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?57nedd9e7i131fr
Attached to this post is the 4-row Start Menu grid settings unique to the Hermann series of ROMs, so now you too can have more icons onscreen! Instructions are in the .txt files in the archive.
___________________________________________________
<<<<<<<<<<<---WM6.1 HERMANN--->>>>>>>>>>>
The best WM6.1 ROM you will ever see for the Treo
Version 3.0 updates:
-Please refer to this post regarding changes.
-The stuff you know from Version 2.5 is still in, but with complete bug fixes.
-No more TouchFlo because the ROM is already finger-scrolling enabled.
-XPR compressed
note: Popup menu font too big? Read this post on how to change it.
note: Unable to set USB cable settings? Read this post on how to fix it.
PATCH: Want to enable the Ringer Switch at the top of the Treo to vibrate when you receive a call? Read this post.
__________________________
Build 20771
58MB available user Storage
29MB available RAM
DOWNLOAD 3.0 ROM (Do not forget to soft reset the device after "Device Customization" finishes!)
__________________________|
Old release news
Features in both builds:
Version 1
--Added single click side button functionality, customizable (default: camera)
--Registery cleaned up.
--Renamed "Storage Card" to "Mini SD".
--Enabled full screen option in Camera (it just removes the WM UI though)
--Palm messaging has been replaced with default MS inbox. Now SMS can be backed up or defaulted to 3rd party programs like Flexmail.
--Start menu has been optimized for speed. Because of the extra speed, 4 columns are introduced instead of 3, giving users less to scroll through and more content (and back to the normal speed).
--Red button functionality is full like WM6, including radio power off.
--xTask is streamlined into the OS as an EXT package. This program is your task manager, in Hermann Finger use this to intercept tapping the Start icon if your hardware button is dead.
--Both builds can be connected to Windows Mobile Device Center (tested on Windows7 Home Premmy 32bit). As I unfortunately cannot use Outlook, do let me know if that works.
Version 2 additions:
--For the first time ever, the Splash image when the phone is starting has been changed.
--Thanks to Big Storage, even though the ROM was compressed to XPR, it's fast and not using too much storage space.
--Pagepool is now 6MB, Fast is fast
--The Startup sound returns to Windows Mobile! Customizable, and can be disabled if a personal touch to your phone is unnecessary.
--Added Microphone AGC. Greatly enhances voice recording, and perhaps even phone calls.
--Added Clear Storage. Why Palm never had a software method to Hard Reset I'll never know...
--Added Keylock. It sometimes helps to lock the Green Button and the Start Button from turning on the phone. Funny, isn't it? At least on my phone.
--Taskbar icons modernized,adding Bluetooth display functionality
--Includes Arcsoft MMS 5.2.2.66
Version 2.1 additions
--This time Version 2.1 was cooked using Fjtorsol's kitchen. There are a few pros and cons, pros like working shortcuts, cons such as the inability to use network time (my V2 build could, but not 2.1). Note that Version 2.1 also has Fjtorsol's features.
--Some of Fjtor's features were upgraded, such as App service to 1.87.0.0, Arcsoft to 5.2.2.66, Sim Toolkit Svc to 4.93.0.2, Sim Toolkit UIPPC to 4.73.0.0, and USSD Service to 4.36.0.1.
--Like I promised, build 21889 has been tested for over a month and it's ready for use. This build was released in December 2010 from HTC, as you can see it's very fast and it totally smokes my Touch Pro. The \Windows\ folder loads in about 1 second, compared to Energy's ROM on my Touch Pro at 3-4 seconds.
--I decided to do 2 versions, a BASE ROM and a Consumer ROM, simply put, the BASE ROM is for users who want to install stuff themselves (like Windows Live), and the Consumer ROM is great if you want a lot of Microsoft services ready to use, such as Windows Live or Microsoft MyPhone. BASE ROM has a lot of storage available, Consumer ROM has 20% of that used up.
--Bluetooth file sharing is ready and it works, and you don't need to enable "accept all beams" in that Infrared setting. I have tested receiving a file from a Samsung SGH-D807 Simple Phone, all you need to do is "enable File sharing" in the FTP tab of the Bluetooth settings.
--Storage Card is the default name now, I was too lazy to change to MiniSD
--Version 2.1 retains Clear Storage and Microphone AGC, available in both BASE and Consumer ROMs.
--Both ROMs have Zip Mobile 2010 version 1.2.3.1.
--Pagepools are set at 6. Remember to change it depending on the kind of work you use your Treo for.
--Unfortunately, due to me using Fjtorsol's kitchen, the ROMs are compressed in LZX, I have no idea why my kitchen can use XPR at the same size Fjtor's does with LZX. So I stuck with LZX, which doesn't matter to Build 21889, because it's still fast
Fixes from Version 2 to 2.1
-Thanks to Fjtorsol's kitchen, shortcuts are no longer mysteriously deleted or cloned.
-Bluetooth file sharing used to be dead in Version 2. Fixed in Version 2.1, remember to enable file sharing in the FTP tab.
-
Fixes since V1:
-[Hermann Classic]Fixed "Phone" icon in Start Menu that pointed to nowhere when tapped.
-Deleted dead SMS tone setting that didn't work
-Added missing "Brightness" icon in Settings Panel
-Added Missing "Keyguard" icon in Settings Panel
-Removed Palm's simple Ringtone settings, enabling the more customizable Windows Mobile ringtone settings
-When mapping the side button, there was no icon. Icon now defaulted to Camera.
-Option+OK mapped to XHook.
Known bugs:
--Due to my dependence on VolServ, the Ringtone settings for "Phone: Known Caller" retains that bug all custom ROMs have, which doesn't matter what kitchen you use. A fix was to remove the registry settings linked to VolServ, but then half the system will not work. To remedy, simply select the ActiveSync settings, then back to Known Caller and you'll see the real settings.
--The Caps/Shift keys icon that shows up beside the little keyboard SIP icon is gone. I discovered it is Theme related. I fixed it at one point during the Real Power Button testing, and it did show up. I can't seem to redo that without killing some things.
--In Fjtorsol's ROMs, I was unable to get time settings from my wireless carrier. I have confirmed this to be a problem with the type of ROM used as a base, as my V2 ROMs were based on Palm's 2.30 ROM, which supported my wireless carrier's network time. Unfortunately, because I used Fjtor's kitchen, this "bug" carried over to my V2.1 ROMs. This is a problem if you use programs that utilize Windows Mobile's Cell ID location-based service.
--Theme was removed from Hermann Finger. [Hermann Finger] The HTC Black theme (originally for WM6.5.0)seems to work at first, but changing to a different theme and back leaves the bottom bar and other 6.5.3 icons missing. I consider the HTC Black theme as a one time gig, apparently, since I cannot edit the theme as WinCE cab manager needs to be registered before I can fix it.
--Random? [Hermann Finger] With the enhanced top Taskbar, sometimes (it happened to me while locked to 3G) when you turn on the Radio, the signal appears empty (as blank, 0). There still is a signal the same as your last level, and your network type (3G, Edge, GSM) will still be shown, and you can still make calls. Hermann Classic did not have this problem, which it actually had a much cooler feature, remember when you turn on the radio, and try to access the "Phone" settings, and the Treo will tell you "the Phone is busy, wait 15 seconds", well in Hermann classic, I observed it to not show the signal strength until the Phone is ready. Might not happen often, but it was really cool.
--No more Splash screen. The Hard Reset function (Hold Red Button + Reset button) may look blank, or glitched, but it still works. Apparently Palm never thought Big Storage was possible
--The HSDPA icon that displays when you are actively downloading on HSDPA is gone. Or rather, Palm's Dial Lookup was the original source. don't worry, when that 3G icon turns into a funny looking icon, you are still on HSDPA.
--Fixed. BASE has no rings, Consumer does. Only 3 ringtones? Apparently, keeping Dial Lookup, Active Call, and my mod to remove Palm Messaging keeps it this way, no matter how I tried to cook the rings into there. Don't worry, you can still add your own ringtones, preferably into the \My Documents\My Ringtones folder.
--Fixed via Fjtorsol's kitchen. [Hermann Finger] There is again 2 MS Office folders. Both work the way they should, but forgot to delete it as I had already uploaded the ROM...
--Fixed. Kept VolServ in the ROMs because it controls a lot more than just sounds. [Herman Finger] The following sounds seem to not work: MiniSD card insert and remove, and Charger connected and removed. It actually is controlled by Palm's Volume control service (the little pop-up volume window that open on the top left), which I had removed in Hermann Finger.
--Fixed from Fjtorsol's kitchen. [Hermann Classic] 2 battery bars. Tried automating showing the clock up top, but for some reason it doesn't like me
--[Hermann Finger]The ALT key symbols window still has the redraw bug, just use D-pad to select. I fixed that as well while working on Real Power button, and I admit, I forgot the change I did :/
--[Hermann Finger Consumer ROM]Input Panel shortcut is gone, which means you can't edit typing options
FAQs, How to's, and more
Q: So explain to me the Sleep of Death
A: Existent in some WM 6.5 builds, even for other devices, Sleep of Death occurs when you power off the phone either via software or the Red Button, and the phone cannot power on in any way whatsoever, power button, plugging it in, etc. Currently, I have not experienced this in Build 23563, but in Builds 21901/21915. This is probably solved by my battery polling customization, although if it persists, disable auto turn-off for either battery or AC, or you'll have to change your brightness setting due to Palm's Backlight bug. Do note that my Treo's have worked past their service life, and their batteries are less the capacity than they used to be.
Q: What is the Backlight bug?
A: Existent even in Palm's OEM ROMs, the backlight bug is when you have your brightness set to 2, sometimes even 3 (The backlight is rated by 0 - 10, 0 being off, and 10 being the brightest). The Backlight bug occasionally refuses to put the device on standby (more often when plugged into AC), or even turn off the backlight. This is a hardware problem because if you set your Brightness to 2, and put the device on standby when running on battery, you can turn on the device again if you toggle the ringer switch (the switch on the top of the phone). This is a persistent hardware bug, which existed on all the 4 Treo's I have touched so far. (it's how I turn on my keyboard-less Treo)
Q: Can you do ____ language?
A: All my ROM's support multiple languages (although I have never tried making ones other than English). All I would need is the Palm OEM ROM of the language that you want done, then we'll see.
Q: What Kitchen did you use?
A: I use OSKitchen Zero.
Q: Will you upload your kitchen?
A: As you may have heard, there's a ridiculous bandwidth limit on the wireless carrier I currently use (800MB). My kitchen folder reaches 2.02GB (size, not size on disk), and uploading that is now impossible. Even if I separate the parts into individual folder, it's still going to add up to much more than 800MB. So sorry, the idea of uploading my kitchen was only in the event I could not continue. Well, I've gone as far as completed
Q: What happened to Build 21915?
A: It had a fatal bug that would not load some programs, notably .Net CF programs.
Q: Build 21901 help! How do I get rid of that second battery bar?
A: Go to Clocks & Alarms in Start ->Settings->, and then tap that "more" tab, and then check "Display the Clock on the title bar in all programs"
Q: Why can't we tap the Start icon in WM6.5.3?
A: Basically, it's the fault of Palm's OEM today plugin "Active call". This plugin is responsible for the handling of calling-related features of the Treo, from the dialer skin, to the today-screen Softkey options, to the speakerphone activation, to anything that displays call information. Why it interferes with 6.5.3 is best explained in detail. As you may not have known, Windows Mobile is an interesting platform in one respect because of how highly customizable it is. The Palm designed OS is layered like this:
--- <-Palm Active Call Today Plugin
--- <-WM Today theme skin
--- <-Underlying OS
As you can see, Palm's Active Call plugin is covering the Today theme in who handles what the user touches. So when we click on the Start icon, it looks like we pressed it, but we didn't because Palm's plugin is designed for WM5/6, which has a normal softkey bar at the bottom. Their Left Softkey is overlapping the Start icon, so to the OS, we are pressing that spot on the UI, but Palm's plugin is intercepting what it launches by launching nothing, since it was programmed to not launch anything at those coordinates linked to the OS. This can be easily seen by tapping on the xTask icon, and then tap on the Start icon.
Q: So why did you make the Start menu faster and 4 columns?
A: Well, I was a big fan of that start menu layout changer I got here at XDA-devs, but it didn't work on our Treo's. I don't know why it doesn't work, as it works on my hx2415, but I set out to manually edit the Start menu myself. While I will maintain the secret of what I believe made it faster, I decided a 4 column layout was best because, with a 3 column layout, it takes longer to scroll because our screens are about 2.5 inches, which is really not a lot of real estate for the primary scrolling finger (our thumbs). So if you are wondering why it lags a bit, that's because you are seeing 8 full icons and 2 half icons, compared to only 6 in the 3 column layout, and the device scales the icons depending on their default size (program dependent).
Q: Can you take out ____ program?
A: Due to my lame internet connection, I can't be doing things that could break 1 person's functionality, while helping 1 person's desire. I try to do a ROM that works for the general user, and not for a power user like me (It's why I didn't see the SMS tone bug until later, because I didn't care for that :S)
Q: Huh? XPR compression?
A: ROM's are loaded onto a device in 3 types, a non-compressed ROM image, a compressed ROM image, and a Super compressed ROM image. non-compressed uses up a large amount of space, a compressed image (XPR) uses about half the space available to the Treo, and a Super compressed (LZX) image uses even less space. These of course, have their drawbacks. Uncompressed ROM images uses up a whole lot of space, but is quick to access the Windows Mobile parts. XPR is compressed to fit in a reasonable amount of space, and is a bit slower to access than uncompressed. LZX is tightly compressed, and while you use up even less space, the ROM is very tightly packed in that the CPU needs a little more extra time to read WM elements of the OS. An example is like this, between XPR and LZX, say you have a box, and you put things in it. If you stuff it with as much as you can to save space (LZX), you may have saved space, but trying to get things inside that box will take a little more extra digging. With a more tidy stuffing of the box (XPR), if you properly set things inside the box, accessing the things inside will be much quicker.
Q: Explain to me "Big Storage".
A: I made a graphic explaining this, but basically, Big Storage is the removal of the ExtendedROM partition that exists in the HTC devices during the Hermes era. The ExtROM is what holds Carrier-specific settings/bloatware that you see in the Palm OEM ROMs. This is a problem with Custom ROMs, because we use the "unbranding" procedure to delete the stuff in the ExtROM, but the partition itself is not deleted. This is where Big Storage comes in. Big Storage has no record of the ExtROM whatsoever, so it re-formats the rest of the available storage as one whole Storage space for the user to use. I have seen this have a great boost in speed with the Operating System, as the device no longer has to mount (and hide) another partition on the Flash chip. So far no other ROM besides my Hermann series has been able to do this.
Great to hear! looking forward to seeing how you get along =)
waiting for first beta release!
So, a little update, ironically enough because internet on my phone is down so I decided to use expensive tethering to let everyone know I'm still alive XD
I'm glad I decided to take a working keyboard from my good Treo and put it in the bad Treo, my repaired Radio antenna had to be re-repaired so now I can leave the keyboard on there (still did not get replacement keyboard). That gave me a chance to test the buttons on my WM6.5 build, and the "Alt" key works, and brings up the symbols list. Red phone button still does not work (don't worry, I do know why), also I realized the Phone Settings is still there, just need to re-work the shortcut to point to it. Still trying to solve the SD card problem, so now I need to raid Nav's post history lol.
Edit: Nav's post history needs to be searched by not just his posts, I even need to read if others replied to him. If anyone can help me out and remember or able to see what it is that causes the Sd card problem, I'd really appreciate it (my connection is timed -_-)
Hey guys, I got a great story to tell.
You guys might not know me very well, I mean, I rarely posted here before, but if I had to say something about me, it's that I'm not the type of person to ask help on how to do something, if I can do it myself. Well, last night, I tried and tried, and even dunked myself into bed and immediately fell asleep (narrowly escaping catching a cold because of no blanket lol), but I persevered, and now look what I have done!
That's right, build 23563! Better than Mietas' ROM because tapping the start menu works, but just like Mietas' ROM, closing Messenger with the lower right corner close button still freezes the program. And... since I have been using Nav's badly configured files (no offense Nav), the SD card bug remained. There was even the camera bug, and the WM player that never was. I didn't give up though, thanks to Mietas' discontinued ROM project, I have craftily taken his romhdr.bin and stuck it into my kitchen. I also realized why the Camera didn't work and why WM Player was gone. Now, I present to you, the first real working WM 6.5 Rom for our Treo 750's!
"Gee whiz mangatron, you went back in time? How is that the best working WM 6.5?" you say? Well, look here!
See that? It's the Palm OEM applications running! I can make calls, send TXT messages and recieve them, you can hang up calls and, you can POWER OFF the phone! Brightness setting via Fn+p works too! Yahoo! That's not it though! The SD Card can now be recognized, the Camera works, and WM Player is back again! Absolutely the best WM6.5 for our Treo's yet!
But there's still more. See, as much as a noob that I am, I hadn't realized until build 23563 on why the Palm OEM stuff wasn't running. You see, I already knew why Nav's ROM couldn't hang up or power off. Thanks to my older brother for testing this when he had my Treo, the today plugins "Active Call" and "Dial Lookup" are Palm programs, that, one or the other (or both combined) control brightness setting, hanging up, keypad dialer, speakerphone enabler, etc. PRetty much all phone functions were handled by these 2 today plugins. When Nav took them out, it killed his phone functionality. I knew that without these, nothing will work the way I want it to. I didn't do this alone. If it weren't for Nav and Mietas for trying before me, I could have never learned how to cook, and most importantly, I would have never had tried 6 months ago had I gotten a new phone then.
Now, I hope everyone understands why I didn't upload it yet (expensive tethering is the only way to safely upload without risk getting cut off). There are also other reasons why, namely, how I found out why build 23563 didn't have my Palm OEM's. You see, during the cooking process, I noticed I had a lot of bad lines in the RGU file for the Palm OEM APPS package. So everytime I flashed my rom, I didn't see the Palm today plugins because by default, the registry turned them off! So I installed SKtools, enabled them, and boom, working Treo. So, if everyone is fine with manually turning on these 2 plugins by themselves, then okay, version 1 here we go! Except, I need to tell more about this ROM. You see, because I took some .bin files from Mietas' ROM, my build is now slow like his. Well, it's not laggy I-want-to-freeze slow, it's just, think back to WM5. If you had the Treo with WM5 before, you'll know what I mean. When you tap stuff it would like peel or what I like to call "blink". The problem could be because I set the page pool to 4MB (known to save RAM, but slow down multiple program usage), so I will try with a page pool of 6MB. That's basically the only caveat, actually. The rom is a tiny bit slow, but if you can live with that, and want a real working WM6.5 now, then I'll see. I have planned to tether this coming Monday or Tuesday GMT +8 (that is, Hong Kong time), so who knows, I may even pull a Spiattie here and provide both a Classic (21915) and Touch (23563) versions!
Note to Roberto: Luckily, Keyguard can be disabled. But I have not installed S2U to see if that will lock on power down (even with Keyguard disabled, the Red button can still power off). Let me know if S2U can lock when the device goes to standby, right now I am so excited to have finally helped out XDA when it comes to the Treo 750!
good work! i'm waiting for classic version!
hey great work!!! is there anyway you can make your perfect working wm6.5 rom with wm6.5.3, its just that wm6.5.3 looks so awesome!!!!!! but more than anything thanks for your effort i think you are the only remaining chef for our treo, but there is still this problem of titanium i know that ytou just started and thats why you havent added it but, whenever you add it there may be some problems that you may need to deal with, still this is the best rom i have seen so far and i can live without titanium, oh and about the s2u i dont see any need to install it right now as the normal lock button is working, but still it looks pretty cool maybe we should just put the download link next to the rom, as some people may not like it
the biggest problem at either some people may not like an app, they may want more memory instead of the app, or it is a pain in the ass trying to update that app later.
and about the wm6.5.3 maybe could you leave the fonts as they are? is just that in wm6.5.3 when you open a list the letters are just to big also when you open a menu and as our treos screen is so small... maybe it could be wm6.5.3 with wm6.5 fonts for menus and lists
if pics dont show here are the links
http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p31/mangatron/?action=view&current=21915-2.jpg
http://img101.imageshack.us/i/201008080432440005111g.jpg/sr=1
maybe im going a bit to fast but i tend to go directly to the point when speaking sorry if im asking to much
Roberto 1234 said:
hey great work!!! is there anyway you can make your perfect working wm6.5 rom with wm6.5.3, its just that wm6.5.3 looks so awesome!!!!!! but more than anything thanks for your effort i think you are the only remaining chef for our treo, but there is still this problem of titanium i know that ytou just started and thats why you havent added it but, whenever you add it there may be some problems that you may need to deal with, still this is the best rom i have seen so far and i can live without titanium, oh and about the s2u i dont see any need to install it right now as the normal lock button is working, but still it looks pretty cool maybe we should just put the download link next to the rom, as some people may not like it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Believe me buddy, you are not asking too much. My regret right now is that I cannot upload right now, and that if only I had done this 6 months ago Treo users wouldn't have had to wait for so long to have WM6.5 on our phones.
Some things I need to clear up, lol the reason why the Palm plugins "Active call" and "Dial Lookup" were disabled in my tests builds, is because Titanium overwrote their registry settings because, whenever Titanium is enabled, no other plugins can run on the today screen. So I had to take out Titanium for good, just so that the Palm plugins can run.
About S2U, you're right about RAM, WM6.5.3 uses up more by default (my suspicion is the Theme), so including it would probably make only 20MB RAM available lol.
and about the wm6.5.3 maybe could you leave the fonts as they are? is just that in wm6.5.3 when you open a list the letters are just to big also when you open a menu and as our treos screen is so small... maybe it could be wm6.5.3 with wm6.5 fonts for menus and lists
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You know, I'm glad you asked me about this. This is controlled by the .tsk file and the .png images that make up the Classic Blue today theme. As long as I reconfigure the .tsk file (not sure if my WM5 skinning program can support WM6.5.3) and edit the images into a smaller size (should work, I did a little test and the menu now looks like just a slightly larger WM6 menu), it will be usable.
Really want to upload now >___<
well as long as it works fine, and has wm6.5.3 i dont really need titanium
Post #2 contains my changelog for now, as you can see I'm really working on the bugs right now. As of this moment, all bugs have been taken care of except the memory leak, but man I really need that keyboard replacement. It's tough always flashing via USB...
i have an 4gb micro sd but not a converter... -.- thats why i always flash via usb, i think it is safer and more easy to use
i cant wait to see the wm6.5.3 build its just so awesome!
posted through my WM6.5 build
Roberto 1234 said:
i have an 4gb micro sd but not a converter... -.- thats why i always flash via usb, i think it is safer and more easy to use
i cant wait to see the wm6.5.3 build its just so awesome!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A micro SD adapter, huh. Dealextreme.com has it for dirt cheap (with free shipping), although I had problems with the adapter. I tried my 16GB Micro SD with a more reliable adapter, and both builds are able to read it. Really cool how my projects have come along.
I also updated posts 1 and 2 with more info and teaser screens. Enjoy and Monday-Tuesday is going to be a great day! (hopefully Monday)
awesome, they all look so cool great work! XD
i have one quetion, the other devices with wm6.5 what do they use for calling, maybe in the titanium build it wouyld be possible to use that app
sent from my custom Treo build
YEEEEAAAAHH! Final bug destroyed (could not configure SMS tone). Expect release in several hours.
Roberto 1234 said:
i have one quetion, the other devices with wm6.5 what do they use for calling, maybe in the titanium build it wouyld be possible to use that app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm? I did not include Titanium in any build. It just wouldn't work (probably because I never looked into it an focused on the Red button more)
All calling related features of the Treo are handled by the Palm OEM applications, with the exception of SMS related features.
By the way, do you guys use MMS often? I just realized my ROMs do not have this capability (I never used MMS, too expensive). I could include an MMS program...
nah, i never use even sms, if needed i can download an mms app, so doint worry about it right now, most of us use this work phone for music and games (wich i think is stupid -.-) but anyway, i dont think we use it to much.
o and about the titanium maybe on another build, as the red button is working maybe the calling app that navs rom already has could be an alternative, but right now i cant wait for wm6.5.3 roms release!
An early christmas present for all
ROM's have been uploaded, posts 1, 2, and 3 have been updated. Enjoy, and if you can, donate, if not, hitting the Thanks button is fine I guess.
By the way, did you know that it's possible to have Manual Focus for the Treo's camera? Yes, it does actually work, and I'll show more later!
I forgot to add, do post here whatever problems you encounter. With as many WM programs as there are, I of course have no idea if they all work on my builds. I also do not have the Spectec Wifi card, so I don't even know if that will work on my builds. I am interested to know if it works.
geart work, thanks it looks so awesome, ill try them out!

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