[LG Optimus Black] N00BY0815:
This is going to be a big NOOB how to, since I read the same questions OVER AND OVER again! If anyone then asks a question, that is already answered here, just redirect them here and close/delete their thread.

I am sorry for not having updated this in a long time, but there is simply stuff, that seems more important to me, than Android ;)

Important Terms:

NooB: My own definition: A person who is new to a subject and knows hardly anything about it. And since you read this, you seem to be one of them ;) Since I am reading and thinking this in this moment, I am, too :D :D

CWM

: Clock Work Mod (Recovery Menu)

SFT

: Smartflashtool

B2C

: Lg Mobile Update Tool

ADB

: a command prompt, which is very power- and usefull. Instead, you can also use THIS(credits to achyut)

SoD

: Screen of Death, which means, that your phone is frozen, and you can't do anything at all. Often combined, with a heating up, of the device.

su/SU

: Can have two meanings, either the the Superuser rights, that permit programms/apps root privileges, or superuser binaries (a part of the Superuser app).

UV

: Undervolting, which means setting a lower voltage to your CPU/GPU

--> Saves battery, may cause instability.

OC

: Overclocking, means setting higher speed to your CPU/GPU

-->Higher speed, but mostly also higher battery drain, or instability.

Nandroid

: A backup of the whole system, made with CWM, can be restored within minutes.

OTA

: Over The Air, Update via Wifi/network, I suggest you not do use it.

FC

: Force Close, error with apps, which forces them to be closed.

chmod

: Set permissions to a file. E.g. make it read/writeable.

Lets start with ROMs/kernels:

ROM is practicly the whole Operating System of your android device. It includes all software needed, plus a kernel.

Then there are kernels, which mostly tweak some stuff, in order to save battery, provide more speed, provide stuff like OC(overlocking) and UV(undervolting).

A modified kernel is not a whole ROM! It only is additionally to a ROM, in order to tweak it ;)

A kernel is the HEART of a ROM. (Thanks to gabwerkz) Also see here: Kernel

AVAILABLE ROMs:​

There are several ROMs:

Stock Roms:

Froyo (Android 2.2.x) (V10x)

Gingerbread (GB) (Android 2.3.x) (v20x)

Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) (Android 4.0) Not yet officially available for our device yet.

Custom ROMs

Based on Froyo:​

Nova ROM

Pays ROM

Based on Gingerbread:​

Zeus ROM

Noa ROM

Marvel ROM

Lemmings ROM

Optimus MAX ROM

several Versions of Suppressed ROM

Marvel v9

Stock ROM Nandroids

Marvel v B, different bases

Based on CM7:

CM7 Tant ROM

Boype's Kang (ROM+Kernel)

Blindsmoke ROM

LewaOS ROM

CICI ROM, Mokee OS

MIUI 2:

Miui 2 Flatzki

Original CM7, which is a Gingerbread ROM build from scratch.

Based on ICS:​

Ultrasound ROM

My pride :D FOP CM9/AOKP

Tezian ROM

Blur ROM

Pandroid ROM

Paranoidandroid ROM

[4.0.4][V30B] XXX Rom

Marvel v D

[ROM+KERNEL][ICS] V30B Repack pure

[P970][ROM] SUPRESSED ROM

[ROM][REPACK] KU5900 ICS

[ROM][4.0.4] IceBOOM

MIUI 4

[ICS] Ultrasound ROM v4 v30C/A (New)

[ROM][ICS] [AROMA] [v30b] Marvel ICS

[ROM][Stock] Marvel Full ROM

[ROM] IZS v0.4 [ICS 4.0.4 V30C] by Huexxx ...

Based on Jellybean:​

[ROM 4.1.2 - 4.2] JELLYBAM

[ROM][4.1/4.2][CM10/10.1] Black Jelly Bean Project

[ROM][CM10] (CAMERA,AUTOBRIGHTNESS,AGPS) Dark Mod

PARANOIDANDROID JB

[ROM 4.1.2 - 4.2] JELLYBAM

[ROM][JB:4.1.2] PACman V18.0.0 [AOKP]+[PARANOID]+[CM10] All-In-One

[JellyBean][ROM][4.1.2] Slim Bean

[ROM][CM10][MIUI 2.11.30] EMINENT ROM

[ROM] MIUI V5 Official v3.4.12 Multilanguaje

[JB 4.2.2][ROM]Mackay ROM

[CM10.1|4.2.2][Unofficial] JellyBeer

[ROM][JB 4.2.2][PA3.1.5][PAC22.1.0][AOKP-MR1][CM10.1]P.A.C. man ROM

[ROM][JB] [4.2.2] Avatar ROM for LG Optimus Black (p970)

[ROM/THEME][CM10] OPTIMUS Z ROM | XPERIENCE

[ROM][4.2.2]WizardRom

These are not all by far, so just head over to the Developer Section and check the others out on your own.

​

​

Available Kernels:​

Froyo:

Nova Kernel, watch out this is not a ROM! It is a modified kernel for CM7 ONLY until now!

Gingerbread-Kernel:

Huexxx kernel, another CM custom kernel

Quasar Kernel for NOVA

ROM

ICS kernels:

My blue and white LED kernels

ZeroGravityKernel

v30c Kernel Compiled with Linaro

[Kernel][3.0.8] StrongAccord Kernel for ICS based roms

Find Huexxx' Diana kernel in his blog

Jellybean kernels

Makay ROM kernel

ZeroGravityKernel

What's the best ROM for you:

If you wonder what's the best ROM for you go to: Best ROM for Optimus Black

Or go here: Best ROM for Optimus Black

I gave some information to the ROMs here, and which MIGHT fit you best, just try them.

Root:​

Why would u want it?

Cause this gives you something like admin privileges in windows.

This allows you to modify/add, delete,... files, that ususally are protected.

It also allows you to install ClockWorkMod, which in turn allows you to flash custom ROMs, which we all like so much, because of their smoothness, battery saving possibilities, OCing, UVing, and so on :D

ROOT ON Froyo (2.2.x, v10x)

​

For the v10x Versions (Froyo, Android 2.2.x), BlackJack should work in most cases, find it here:

[STARTER] Upgrade Kit 3.6 | Apps 1.9 | Root, Flash, Unbrick, Tuts...

Also find a CWM installer in this package, or download ROM Manager from android market and install CWM (ClockWorkMod) from there.

CWM gives you the possibility, to boot to a special kind of OS, that allows you to delete data, mount system, data,... And most important flash .zip files.

If a version cant be rooted by using Blackjack, try SOC (SuperOneClick).

If this still doesnt work, leave a comment, of your version and a link or description, of how to root it.

You also might wanna try UnlockRoot.

ROOT FOR Gingerbread (V20x, 2.3.x)

​

For v20x(GB, Android 2.3.x): ROOT V20x

see v20a UAE: ROOT v20a (made by myself, hope it works)

see v20S

: ROOT v20sYou can download a pre-rooted V20s here. Follow the link HERE

If you still are unable to root it, discuss it here: [Q] How to root P970 Gingerbread V20N

OR here: LGE P970 V20* GB Rooting

DO IT YOURSELF :D

FOLLOW THIS VIDEO TUTORIAL by wagstuff13

To flash and actually root the SW, you need to follow THIS guide, from Step 2 on, and it will be perfectly rooted and you can be sure, that noone patched anything else in your software, cause you made it on your own ;)

There already is an updated tool, which does the unpacking and injecting CWM automatically. I am sorry, but I dont have time, to update the post, so here is the link: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1692191

Here you can

get every kdz firmware, you need

: http://lg-phone-firmware.com/index.php?id_mod=1

Root on ICS:​

It's really simple. Download: THANKS TO ILKO for the clean installer.

Install, run, reboot your phone and your done ;)

Please do not try to install CWM on ICS. You'll get a security error and will have to unbrick your device!

If you already have ICS stock on your phone, there is a simply procedure, that will allow you to get CWM again, but you'll have to install a new ROM via Smartflashtool.

1. You need a V20 ROM, that has been patched with CWM, like THIS ONE.

2. You need Smartflashtool

3. Download Superuser.zip from here: http://downloads.noshufou.netdna-cdn.com/superuser/Superuser-3.1.3-arm-signed.zip and put it on your SD card.

4. Unpack the V20S patched .7z file

5. Flash the .bin file using SFT

6. Your phone will reboot to recovery

7. Do a factory reset and if you wanna stick with a rooted v20S, just flash the superuser.zip and reboot. If you already want to install a custom ROM, just put that on your sd card and flash it (see how to install a custom ROM).

8. Reboot and enjoy your new ROM ;)

The UNROOT​

If you wanna unroot your device, why so ever, the easiest way is to use Unlock Root (Link above) open it, connect your phone via USB, enable Debugging Mode and click unroot. If you wanna unroot it, e.g. to be able to send it back to LG on warranty, better use the method below, to unbrick your device with R&D tool.

Because like this, you will get back an unrooted device, which has also been hardresetted. So LG will hardly/never get a clue, that it has ever been rooted.

Dont forget to format your SD card as well ;)

How to install Custom ROM's​

First of all, you need a rooted phone already. See above, how to do it ;)

Then you need to install CWM (Clock Work Mod), you can do this e.g. by downloading ROM Manager, install it, open it

and find Install Clockwork Mod Recovery. Hit it, wait some seconds and click LGE optimus Black. Wait again, till the file has been downloaded and installed and your all set ;) Now you can reboot into Recovery, with the second option. It says, what it does: Reboot to recovery :)

Now grab the ROM you desire the most and download the zip. Plug your phone to the PC (via USB) open up the folder of your SD card, and copy the file you downloaded in there. Dont copy it into a subfolder, since it will only be harder to find.

Now go back to ROM Manager and click reboot recovery, or if you have adb installed, just type reboot recovery in a terminal on your pc.

You are in recovery menu now.

First of all do a nandroid backup (explained on top). To do so, go to Backup and Restore, then Backup and wait.

It will now make a complete backup of the whole system, settings, and so on.

If something goes wrong during the installation of the new ROM, you can simply revert back to the state you had before.

Your ready to install the new ROM now.

Now it depends, on if you only update a ROM, like CM, or if you install a completely new ROM.

If you install a new ROM, do a full wipe. This means, wipe data/factory reset, wipe cache, go to advanced, wipe dalvik, wipe battery stats and go back. now select install zip from SD card. Then choose zip from sdcard and then select the file you downloaded.

Wait till all is set up and enjoy your new ROM :D

If you only update a ROM, follow the instructions given in the thread about the ROM.

What to do if the Update failed?

Well it depends on how much you failed, what u had installed before and if Huexxx Recovery fix was applied.

First scenario

:

Huexxx's patch was applied in the ROM before.

This enables to boot to recovery by

repeatedly

pushing a hard key, like volume- or g-key directly after you start the phone.

Push em fast, while the softkeys are flashing(turn on and off). As soon as they stop flashing, you will be in recovery and can either restore a backup, or install another zip file.

Second scenario

:

CWM is still enterable via adb.

You first of all need to download and "install"

ADB

.

Best will be, to simply extract the files to C: and also rename the new folder to a short term like "ADB" without "".

Then open the command prompt, navigate to the folder of adb: e.g.

C:
cd ADB
cd adb

Now you should be in the adb folder, where you can find adb.exe and some other files.

If not, check out, how it is called and navigate there in another way.

"cd" means change directory, so if you didnt rename it to ADB, but e.g. ADB-sdk, type cd ADB-sdk instead.

Ok, now simply type adb reboot recovery and wait.

Now your phone should restart to Recovery Mode.

But watch out, if you do this with a working ROM, and forgot to install CWM, you will get a factory reset!

Third scenario

:

None of the above worked. Then you have no chance, but to to use the unbricking method below. Then root your device, install CWM and you can have a new try ;)

Unbricking:​

Your Phone doesnt boot anmore or only shows the LG screen contantly!​

If your phone is stuck in bootloop, have a look in here: SMARTFLASHTOOL

You can download the patched V20s from ABOVE or take the v10a from here

Flash with R&D Tool:

The upper is the easier and faster solution, but if you really need R&D Testtool, because Smartflash didnt help, grab R&D tool HERE(it's in the package), and then follow THIS guide

You can also use the latter method, if you wanna return your phone on warranty. But I would make a Factory reset afterwards anyway. And don't forget to remove all files from your SD card as well, since this could show them as well, that the phone might have been rooted.

Themes And Apps

Themes are modifications to the look of your UI (UserInterface). This gives your Operating System a different Look.

There are a lot of things, you need to pay attention to.

For example there are ODEXED = easier on space, tougher on tweaking and ram usage (just a short explanation)

and Deodexed = easier to tweak, lighter on ram, heavier on space

Find more information on this HERE

Now you need to know, if your ROM is odexed, or deodexed. You mostly find information on this directly in the thread of the ROM you are using (see above).

If you know what kind of ROM you are using, go to the Themes link above and choose whatever you like. There is almost always written, for which specific ROM this was made (e.g. Zeus ROM, Stock GB, stock Froyo,...) And mostly, if you need a odexed or deodexed Version of a ROM, or not.

It's pretty much like odexed files also work on deodexed Software, but not the other way around. (NOT ALWAYS)

Then you encounter bugs like missing statusbar, display bugs, glitches, ...

So check if the theme you are willing to try will REALLY work for your device.

If you wanna make your own Themes, check out UOT KITCHEN Or these two threads: HERE AND HERE Credits to gabwerkz and Huexxx.

More to come, leave comments with topics, I am supposed to add, or critics ;)

To come

Whatever you want me to post here ;)

Couldnt find what you were looking for? Did you already use the search in upper right corner? :D

If not, go to Q&A section and post your questions there pls.

Only post here, if I am supposed to add something, or explain it a better way :)

AND THANK ME IF IT HELPED YOU OUT!