[Motorola Photon 4G] Bandage:
Glossary / Tools

Glossary

ADB - The Android Debug Bridge. A collection of tools that any rooted Android user should have. ADB allows one to interact with their device from a terminal interface. This enables the user to do a variety of tasks such as sideloading applications and more. SEE HERE

Android - A Linux (SEE HERE) based operating system created and mostly designed by Google. The major revisions are (SEE HERE) 1.0, 1.1, 1.5 (Cupcake), 1.6 (Donut), 2.0/2.0.1/2.1 (Eclair), 2.2 (Froyo) 2.3 (Gingerbread), and 3.0 (Honeycomb - tablet only). The majority of Android major revisions are named after desserts. SEE HERE and SEE HERE

AOSP - Android-Open-Source-Project - Its Usually to Reference Stock Android ( a company that joined with Google to make Android, and allowing the Code to be an "Open Source" so that no industry player can restrict or control the innovations of any other) SEE HERE

APK - Android PacKage. These are, basically, Android applications and all of their data. They are run via the Dalvik Virtual Machine on your device. SEE HERE

Bootloader - The part of a computer that loads the operating system. If this is damaged/deleted you are screwed.

Fastboot - Is the protocol used to update the flash filesystem in Android devices from a host over USB. It allows flashing of unsigned partition images. SEE HERE

Flashing - The act of installing a ROM onto an embedded device or emulator.

Kernel - In computing, the kernel is the main component of most computer operating systems; it is a bridge between applications and the actual data processing done at the hardware level. SEE HERE

RAM - Random-access memory (RAM) is a form of computer device data storage. SEE HERE

ROM - The name given to software on embedded devices (mobile phones, for the most part). "Flashing" a ROM means that you install that software on your device.

Odexed VS Deodexed Files - "Theres plenty of debate over what is faster/better to use, im not going to take sides in this one. This is just information about what the differences in the two are, try for yourself.

Deodex basically takes the odex file and stuffs it into the apk as a classes.dex. First boot it dissembles the file into /dalvik-cache (i believe). Now there is basically 2 copies of the odex, one in the apk one in cache. This makes it "portable". This allows modders to work on the apks & easily change stuff. If you want themes or stuff like lockscreen fixes you MUST use Deodex.

Odex is how things come stock. It takes up less room but making modifications or taking apks from other roms is hard." - Credit Quote TrevE

Also SEE HERE - Link Credit pIxiLatEd

Overclocking - Increasing the "clock" of a processor to increase its speed at the expense of battery life and possibly your phone. Not all processors overclock the same, even if the hardware is identical. One phone with a Tegra2 SoC might not be able to overclock to 1.2ghz, yet another might be able to overclock to 2.0ghz (very unlikely).

Radio/Modem - The parts of a firmware that allow communication between the operating system, the telecommunication hardware, and a mobile network. Some radios give good battery life, some good signal, some neither.

Development Glossary HERE

Tools

[ADB] ADB Workshop and Guide

[ADB] ADB Commands Listing

[Android SDK] - Android Software Development Kit

[Fastboot] - Moto-Fastboot

[RSDLite] - RSD / Drivers

More to Come!!!!