[Fascinate General] jawman27:
Download Mode - This is a setting in which you will put your phone when using Odin. There are other ways, but most noobs will reach download mode by powering down, removing the battery, and holding volume down while plugging the factory usb cord into the computer and phone. Odin can only communicate properly with your phone if the phone is in download mode.

Droidstyle's Guide - This is the holy gospel of noob rooting. It can be found in both the General section and Q&A section of xda's Samsung Fascinate forums. Noobs should read every page of the ensuing discussion. A noob with the ability to read and follow directions can be successfully rooted in a matter of minutes. Most of your silly questions that you want to post throughout xda have already been answered in this magnificent guide. Countless questions throughout all Android forums have been answered with nothing more than a link to this guide. If you follow Droidstyle's directions TO THE LETTER, you will be able to successfully do a lot of cool stuff with your phone without experiencing any of the monstrous rooting headaches you may have read about online.

Eclair - Android 2.1. Google likes to name its software releases after sweet foods. The Samsung Fascinate originally shipped with Eclair and hung onto it a really long time. It lacks so many features of later releases, though, that it is essentially a relic that won't come into play.

EH03 - This was the latest (and perhaps final) OTA firmware update from Verizon. Most normal non-rooted Fascinate users will be on the EH03 build number because Verizon basically pushed it out to our phones over the airwaves. It implies that your phone is using Android 2.3 and the EH03 radio. Previous builds shared the alpha-numeric naming system (eg dl09, dj05). Not all builds were officially released by Verizon. Some just sort of showed up on the devs' computers so they could tinker with them.

F. Reset Time - This is a check box in Odin. It's not clear that anyone knows the exact details of what it actually does, nor is it clear what will happen if you leave it unchecked vs checked. It seems to reset some arbitrary counter in your phone. As a general rule, you can either follow the instructions of whatever guide you're using or just leave the checkbox how you found it.

Fassy - a nickname for the Samsung Fascinate

Fast Charge - This is a feature on some ICS ROMs that can be turned on or off. When enabled, it allows your phone to draw as much charge as possible regardless of the charging source. Without fast charge, your phone will place artificial speed limits on charging when plugged, for example, into the USB slot on your computer. Fast charge bypasses these limits, letting your phone believe it is always plugged into a wall charger. It is worth noting that your phone will not be recognized by your computer as a USB device when fast charge is enabled. It will only charge.

FC - Force Close - This is when an app stops working unexpectedly. This can happen to both rooted and unrooted phones. It doesn't cause any damage to the phone. In most cases, the app can just be opened right back up. It seems to depend on a lot of factors, including the quality of the app itself. ROMs and kernels that experience very few FCs are said to be "stable."

Flash - This is a term used to describe the installation of software onto your phone. It refers to fundamental changes in your phone's operating system. It is different from just installing an app from the Marketplace (Google Play). Commonly, people will flash ROMs, kernels, patches, and radios. There are basically two ways to flash new software onto your phone:

1. Odin

2. CWM Recovery (or a comparable recovery program)

Freeze - There are two meanings in general use. One might use this term to refer to his or her phone becoming unresponsive. More commonly, though, it refers to a special ability of a program called Titanium Backup. This program can be downloaded from the Android Marketplace (Google Play), but it requires a rooted phone to work. When Titanium Backup is used to freeze an app or process, that app or process is essentially gone from the phone. It won't show up in the app drawer, and it won't be running in the background. The difference between freezing and uninstalling, though, is that anything frozen can be quickly "thawed," also with Titanium Backup. With the touch of a button, the missing app or process is right back where it used to be. This is a convenient way for newly rooted users to test the waters of debloating.

Froyo - Android 2.2. Google likes to name its software releases after sweet foods. In this case, they refer to frozen yogurt. Some custom ROMs are still based on 2.2. They are known for being extremely well developed and extremely stable.

Gapps - Google Apps - When flashing custom ROMs, the apps on the phone are usually deleted. As an alternative to going to the Marketplace (Google Play) and re-installing all the favorites (Google Maps, Google Talk, Google Voice, etc.), many devs have packaged these into a tidy zip file that can be flashed via CWM. Why don't they just put the Google Apps in the ROM, you ask? Custom ROMs and Google Apps get software updates at different rates, so keeping the two separate allows users to always have the most up-to-date version of each. On MTD ROMs such as CM7 or anything ICS, you generally must flash the gapps package to get the Android Marketplace (Google Play).

GB - Gingerbread - Android 2.3. Google likes to name its Android releases after sweet foods. Most of our stock phones are running on this release of Android. There are numerous ROMS and kernels based on Gingerbread. These are a good starting point for newly rooted users, as they will feel quite familiar.

Github - This is a web-based service where developers can post their code. Depending on the situation, their code can be accessed by other users, modified, or just shared with the world. The site encourages the kind of open source development for which Android is famous.

Governor - This refers to the type of logic your phone uses to control how fast its processor ramps up when needed or slows down when not. The choice of governor can influence overall performance and battery life. In the past, the governor could be selected using an OC/UV program such as Voltage Control or NS Tools. More and more, though, the governor controls are being integrated into the ROM/kernel combo, and can be found under 'Settings.' No one governor is right for everyone. The fun is in experimenting. Here are some (not all) examples and brief descriptions:

performance: Keeps the processor always ramped up to to maximum; useful for benchmarking

ondemand: Rapidly ramps up the processor when needed; gradually slows it down when not needed

conservative: Similar to ondemand, but ramps up more slowly

userspace: The user can define the parameters (for advanced users only).

lazy: This was developed specifically for Android by xda dev Ezekeel. He states it is an enhanced version of ondemand, tuned to our phones' capabilities. Don't be fooled by the name. He tested it with numerous processor-intensive applications.

interactive: Uses a logic to try to predict how quickly it needs to ramp up processor speed, attempting to balance battery life and performance

interactiveX: A tweak on interactive (by dev imoseyon), which locks the processor at the minimum speed when the screen is off

smartass & smartassV2: Modified interactive governors by dev erasmux, they use logic to determine how quickly to ramp up or slow down; designed to optimize battery life without sacrificing performance.

powersave: This keeps the processor always set at the minimum frequency. The name may be a bit misleading, as certain processes will just take longer, using up more battery.

Here's a more complete list from someone who knows a lot more than I do.

Gummy - This is a ROM based off of AOSP. Like many other collaborative dev projects, tt was formerly ICS and now JB.

GW - Geewiz - This is a three piece set of software put together by djp952. He has created a ROM, a kernel, and a custom Recovery (an alternative to CWM). All three can be used together, or each can be installed separately. This package of software is currently well respected for its smoothness and stability, as well as for its ongoing development. GeeWiz is widely considered to be an excellent choice for newly rooted users. The dev has recently released a media player ROM (i.e. no phone component) to get some life out of the old fassy through its Wi-Fi connection.

Heimdall - This program is similar to Odin. It was created by an Australian software company called Glass Echidna. It can be used to flash files onto your phone. Some users prefer this program over Odin. Heimdall can be used with Mac computers, whereas Odin can not. Many high level users regularly use both Heimdall and Odin.

Helly Bean - A Jelly Bean ROM from dev DerTeufel1980.

Hybrid - This describes a system where your phone begins to use some of the better features available in tablets, particularly when it comes to the use of available screen space. Basically, it makes a lot of stuff on your screen smaller so more can be shown on the screen at the same time. A ROM called ParanoidAndroid is currently considered the best iteration of hybrid mode, although other ROMs incorporate it to a certain extent.

ICS - Ice Cream Sandwich - Android 4.0. Google likes to name its Android releases after sweet foods. It comes pre-installed on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus from Verizon. Several developers have created ways to install ICS on the Samsung Fascinate.

Icy Glitch - This is a custom kernel created by a collaborative group of devs headed up by ssewk2x and Tk-Glitch. It is only for use with ICS ROMs such as AOKP and THS. It was extremely popular during the time when ICS was the bleeding edge. Many ROMs of that era were released with an optimized Glitch kernel pre-installed.

init.d - This is a type of script used by developers when they modify Android code. You hear the term a lot because modifications using this type of script have far-reaching effects in the overall performance of the phone. High level users (who aren't quite devs) can even insert bits and pieces of init.d scripts to make minor tweaks to their phones.

Inverted - By default, most Google apps consist of a white screen with dark lettering. Inverting changes this to a dark screen with light letters. There are several advantages to this. Beyond the aesthetic advantages, it tends to be easier on the eyes in low light situations and reduce battery consumption. Inversion is done by talented individuals called themers. For our purposes, groups like Team Baked often put out inverted GAPPS that we can flash instead of the regular ones. There are even 'blacked out' ROMs, where everything is dark.

I/O Scheduler - This refers to the type of logic your phone uses to order and process read and write requests to your phone's hard drive. There are several types, which are listed below, but there is no magic bullet. The joy is in finding the one that works for you in terms of performance and battery life. It is worth noting, though, that certain schedulers were designed to be used with mechanical rotating hard drives, taking the drive's rotational position into account. This does not apply to our phones, which use solid state drive technology. In older ROMs, a scheduler could be selected by using an OC/UV control program such as Voltage Control or NS Tools. In modern ROM/kernel combinations, the scheduler can be selected through the integrated settings. Specific descriptions are beyond the scope of this glossary, but simple Internet searches can expand on any of schedulers listed.

Examples: noop, deadline, cfq, bfq, sio, vr, bfs

* In the absence of a dev's recommendation, if you don't feel like reading up on the subject, you can leave the scheduler at the default or choose noop or sio.

JB - Jelly Bean - Android 4.1. Google likes to name its Android releases after sweet foods. This is the latest version of Android to hit the streets, and devs are flocking to it , making all JB development new and exciting. The development has reached a state where very stable ROMs are readily available.

Jig - This is a tiny Frankensteinian device made of a small chip, a transistor, and the tip of the little micro-USB connector that you plug into your phone to charge it or attach it to your computer. When your phone will not go into download mode through normal means, putting a jig into the phone when the battery is in will make your phone go into download mode. You can make one yourself or buy one online for less than $10.

Kang - Generally used as a verb, this means to take bits and pieces of someone else's coding and to then integrate it into your own. Granted, noobs won't be doing this, but devs do it all the time. For the most part, this is considered a welcome practice among friendly devs, provided it is done correctly and politely. Kanging often serves to better the community as a whole. The key for devs is to give credit to the other devs from whom they have kanged.

Kernel - This is one of the two main components (ROM being the other) of the software running on an Android phone. It is the piece of software that connects the hardware (screen, softkeys, vibration, speakers, etc.) to the other software components. An unrooted phone comes with a stock kernel. It is stable but somewhat slow. Practically speaking, installing (flashing) a custom kernel will make your phone feel much faster and smoother as it moves through screens and opens apps. Generally speaking, installing a new kernel will not change the basic appearance of your phone or erase any of your phone's information. Custom kernels can also unlock several abilities of rooted phones. Examples include:

-wireless tethering (ignoring that pesky $30/month charge from Verizon)

-control over how and when the softkeys at the bottom of the screen light up

-overclocking/undervolting

-voodoo lagfix (This only applies to phones with BML-based ROMs. MTD ROMs don't need lagfix.)

-custom boot animations

KGB - A custom kernel built by comradesven. This popular voodoo kernel is well known because of its many options for customization. It is also considered quite stable and fast. It is the everyday kernel of many rooted users. When installed, it comes with an app that allows a user to easily customize a number of features on the phone.