[Galaxy S II General] soulicro:
Alright,

So, like most of you, I am anxiously waiting the day a stable AOSP build of ICS comes out for our phones. I saw the SamMobile leaks come and go, I saw the CM9 alpha being released, and while I have immeasurable respect to the entire dev scene going on with ICS and CM9 none of the ROMs that have come out are stable enough for daily use.

Well, I needed something to scratch my ICS itch. I installed a theme over CM7, no use. I installed a theme of MIUI, no use. Everything came close, but nothing quite fit the bill. So earlier today I set out to make my phone look and feel as ICS as possible - and I believe I managed to do just that... and I now jokingly refer to my phone as running the GingerCream operating system :p This whole thing is based off of CM7, but there are elements that don't require CM7 if you want to apply them to your current ROM.

Its important for me to note that absolutely none of the things posted here are my work! All I did was experiment with a ton of different resources that each excel in bringing one specific element of the ICS experience to our phones, and combine them. Well, I can say that I finally think I put together something that will hold me over until a stable AOSP-based ICS build comes to our phone, and I'm pretty sure it can hold you over too. Without further ado, the process:

Step 1

Install the latest CM7 build you can get.

I personally downloaded and installed update-cm7-galaxys2-20111227 from here.

Step 2

Download the following zip archive: Link.

This zip file contains a whole bunch of sources (fonts, sounds, animations, wallpapers, etc) that are properly organized. Extract this archive somewhere accessible - I will be referring to it throughout this guide.

Step 3

Install Sonny Sekhon's ICS Theme: Link.

This theme is fantastic, and built specifically for the T-Mobile Theme Engine present in CM7. When you apply it, ignore the missing assets alert, and reboot your phone.

Step 4

Install ADW EX: Link.

Yes, it costs money - but it has two major things going for it:

1. It supports folders that look almost exactly like the ones in ICS.

2. Its smooth as all hell. Don't be fooled by thinking it has the same performance as the regular ADW launcher - with a live wallpaper in the background my phone remains buttery smooth.

Overall, I've tried a whole lot of launchers, and this is most definitely my favorite.

Step 5

Install the ADW ICS Theme: Link.

Apply it. Now, for some reason my app launcher icon in the dock did not change - I fixed this by dragging it out to the desktop, editing it, changing its icon and dragging it back to the dock bar.

Step 6

Install the ICS Phase Beam Live Wallpaper: Link.

Its free, it works, its sexy, 'nuff said.

Step 7

Replace the bootanimation.

Navigate the zip archive you extracted earlier. Look for the "Boot Animation" folder, inside is a bootanimation.zip file. Make a backup of the original bootanimation file, and push our file to "/system/media/". Reboot your phone.

By the way, we're going to reboot the phone a lot. I don't know if its absolutely necessary, but I do just to avoid any weird mishaps along the way. I advise you do the same.

Step 8

Install the Roboto font.

Install and run Font Changer once, then navigate the GingerCream zip archive and look for the "Fonts" folder. Inside are four font files - copy them to the .fontchanger folder on your phone's SD card. Run Font Changer again, choose "Roboto - Reguler", and reboot the device.

Step 9

Install the transition animations.

Navigate the GingerCream zip file and find the "Transition Animations" folder. Push the zip file inside to your phone, and install it via recovery. Easy enough.

Step 10

Install ICS sounds.

Navigate the GingerCream zip file and find the "Sounds" folder. Push the zip file inside to your phone, and install it via recovery. Again, easy enough.

Step 11

Install WidgetLocker: Link.

Yes, it costs money - but I think I've tried ALL other lockscreen replacements, and this one actually has smooth animation and the ICS theme built in. It will also use the live wallpaper for its background.

Step 12

Install the ICS Keyboard: Link.

This is the one I use... works well, and it has a bunch of downloadable dictionaries for different languages.

And... that's it! You're done. The GingerCream zip file also includes static wallpaper images and launcher icons in case you don't want to use ADW EX - even though, again, I can't stress how smooth and beautiful this launcher looks.

What will this thread be without screenshots? This is how my phone looks after doing all the steps above (attached). Obviously I can't show you animations or sounds, so take my word for it - they look damn good, and they're damn smooth.

I hope you've enjoyed this guide! If you have any comments/questions/additions, don't hesitate to write 'em. Happy holidays!