[Samsung Infuse 4G] prasadudwadia:
Welcome To : SUPER NOOB QUESTION THREAD

Due to request in my other super thread, i have put together a good detailed thread for users who are new to the infuse and still need questions answered for the stuff we have going on. I hope this helps a lot of you. Keep in mind please that some stuff in here is a grab from VARIOUS resources, but essentially the idea is to help everyone here. So obviously, with that being said, original credits go to the posters from the sources. If you found this thread useful, then please hit the thanks button :) ENJOY READING

BTW, if you read something on here which you believe is incorrect, or something really common that i may have missed, then i ask you to kindly send me a Private Message and let me know what exactly you want to see on here or modified so that this remains correct. This way we don't need to see you flaming me :(

Q: What is the first and most important rule i should remember?

A: Well you see my little nublet, nothing comes free, it is wise for you to remember that the price to pay for a custom rom/port for our phones is TIME. If you do not already know, it is a very valuable thing which gets donated from our hard working developers. This lovely donation gets nurtured and praised by users here and therefore we always make sure to say thanks to the developers for putting efforts into bringing us the latest and the greatest. By standing around pouting and yelling why the developer is NOT spitting out an update is just plain and simple VERY NOOBISH of you. Unless you feel you have the guts and glory to continue on making something more useful and ever so great that you cannot be patient for the developer to do, then do it yourself :) . Other than that, the basic rule of the thumb is , be patient, polite, and always say thanks to our developers. Showing appreciation for their hard work here always returns in something fruitful.

*** IMPORTANT NOTE TO UNDERSTAND BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO USE ODIN / HEIMDALL ***

Of course just like any other flashing method, there's NO GUARANTEE you wont bump into problems. This is simply a tool which has worked for a good hand of us. Should you find yourself stumbling into any problems while using this alternative tool. Then be sure to ask someone on xda, and someone will try to help. Again, kind reminder that nobody on here can be held responsible if your device somehow fails to flash or something goes wrong on your end. At the same time, to help brighten you up a bit, the ability to recover from a simple soft brick can easily be done in most cases ( NOT ALL ).
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Q: What is ODIN?

A: ODIN is the software which is used by Samsung to load updates, ROMS, etc. on their phones. Most commonly used to return the phone back to factory.

Q: Where do you get ODIN from?

A: Simple, just go to any of the back to stock threads listed in the Infuse Super Thread, or try THIS THREAD

Q: Whats an ODIN alternative, i don't get this :( ?

A: Then try the Heimdall One-Click Back-To-Stock . Some have reported it to work well.

Q: What is Unlocking and Rooting?

Answer 1: Unlocking enables you to cut all ties to your initial mobile network provider without replacing your mobile phone. When you purchase a mobile phone either on pay-as-you-go or a contract, network carrier includes a SIM, a chip in your handset, containing a serial number that identifies you to the network provider. Most network carrier "lock" your phone so it works only with their specific SIM card, a chip in your handset, containing a serial number that identifies you to the network provider. The only reason to lock the SIM is to ensure you use their service for an extended period of time. If you attempt to use an alternative SIM card in a locked phone, you will receive error messages, such as "SIM Card Not Accepted." .Unlocking enables you to use any SIM card on any network in your handset.

Answer 2: Rooting your Android device involves adding in a small Linux application called “su”. It stands for SuperUser, and allows applications and commands to run with elevated permissions. Everything that runs code, whether it’s an application or the user, has a permission level set by the operating system. The root user is the boss and can do anything (good or bad) on the device. From simple things like clearing the cache from core applications, to more advanced things like wirelessly tethering a laptop or iPod touch through your phone, root can do it. The su program is a sort of gateway that lets applications or users act as root while doing tasks.

Don't confuse custom ROMs with rooting - they're completely different!!!

Q: How to unlock my Infuse 4G?

A: This is super duper easy, although the lovely infuse super thread has a how to unlock tutorial, it may seem super hard for noobies. So having that said, i suggest its best to head on over to the empire city of EBAY.COM , find yourself an excellent phone unlock code provider and pay them, which is ( from what i saw, no more than $2.00 . Not a whole lot at all. Be prepared ! They all require 3 Basic pieces of information in order to help you unlock . Your IMEI Number, The Phone Manufacturer and Model ( Samsung Infuse, HTC Aria, etc.. u get it right? ) , and Most importantly, what your current Carrier is (ATT, Rogers, Sprint etc.. You got this too right? ) .

Q: Now where can i get my Unlock code from ?

A: Try anyone of these mofos from here --> CLICK ME TO SEE

Once you receive your UNLOCK code. All you have to do is just power off the phone, pop in the new sim card, and punch in the unlock code the person gave. THATS IT!

Q: Whats this IMEI number you speak of ?

A: The IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) is a unique 17 or 15 digit code used to identify an individual mobile station to a GSM or UMTS network. The IMEI number provides an important function; it uniquely identifies a specific mobile phone being used on a mobile network. The IMEI is a useful tool to prevent a stolen handset from accessing a network and being used to place calls. Mobile phone owners who have their phones stolen can contact their mobile network provider and ask them disable a phone using its IMEI number. With an IMEI number, the phone can be blocked from the network quickly and easily.

Q: What is Super One Click Tool?

A: A tool used to make rooting a phone super easy, it supports a wide variety of phones which run Android. The tool will root the Infuse 4G.

Q: Whats the difference between the infuse Android Recovery and Clockwork Recovery Mod ?

A: All Android devices ship with a recovery console that is basically a partition on the device’s internal memory and can be booted into. The stock recovery of almost all Android devices provides a few basic yet handy options that allow you to factory reset your device and also to recover its operating system using an official ROM in zip format, but that’s all you can do with it. That’s where a custom recovery comes handy.

A custom Android recovery basically replaces the stock recovery with one that lets you do all you can do with the stock recovery, plus a plethora of more options to give you a lot more control on your device. With a custom recovery, you can install official and unofficial ROMs as well as other updates including apps, themes, kernels etc. using zip files, wipe not just user data but pretty much every partition on your device, mount the storage card for USB mass storage access without leaving recovery, partition your SD card, wipe Dalvik cache and battery stats, fix permissions, perform, manage and restore backups and so on.

ClockworkMod – also known as Clockwork and CWM – is a custom recovery for Android phones and tablets that allows you to perform several advanced recovery, restoration, installation and maintenance operations on your Android device that aren’t possible with the stock recovery. Things like flashing a custom rom, kernel, boot loader image and stuff are possible.

Q: What is a Kernel?

A: A kernel in an operating system—in this case Android—is the component responsible for helping your applications communicate with your hardware. It manages the system resources, communicates with external devices when needed, and so on. Android uses a variation of the Linux kernel. A kernel is not the same as a ROM, even though you install them in mostly the same way. A ROM is a bit more all-encompassing. It's the operating system you use on your phone, the software your phone uses to get things done—the kernel is the bridge between that ROM and your hardware. All ROMs come with a kernel installed, but you can install a third-party one if you like—and that's what this post is about.

Q: What will flashing a custom Kernel do for my Infuse?

A: You may have heard about how flashing a new ROM can improve your Android experience, but flashing a new kernel is one of the best ways to improve your phone's performance, battery life, and even add some saucy new features such as tethering and many more things.

Q: The Samsung Infuse has various modems, what do they do?

A: The modem is basically the software portion of the cellular radio in your Infuse. This has an effect on the signal ( voice + data ) and the battery life as well. If you have ever flashed a custom rom before then you already know that most developers have their roms with the modem built in which they prefer you to use. Although you have the choice to upgrade the modem to a newer one if you insist, it isn't always recommended. However, if your signal diminished with an update, and you’re willing to flash something, then you might be interested in “downgrading” or "upgrading" to an different modem.

Q: How do i know what modem i have?

A: Go to Settings > About Phone > Baseband Version . The text written under the Baseband is what modem your Infuse is currently running.

Q: Which Modem should i use

A: Theres no FIXED solution to this as everyone has their preference, unless you know what you are gaining or losing, or better yet, know what you are doing period, then this is not something suggested to play around with. Everyone in general has different experiences. For the most part though, by using one of the latest modems, the Infuse has been seen to perform better, but not drastically.

Q: When should I try a new modem?

A: If you are perfectly happy with your signal and battery life, then don’t worry about it. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. If you’re having issues, then maybe it’s time to flash a new modem. Just be warned, some modems will improve your signal, some will do the opposite. If you’re in a low signal area, and have no way of flashing back right away, then wait for a better solution.

Q: MODS AND TWEAKS? WTF is this ?

A: Simple , With mods and tweaks, you can easily add additional features to your Infuse, modify the functionality of existing features to meet your needs, install custom boot animations, and various other features which wouldn't normally come with the default ROM .

Q: NO DATA NETWORK / APN SETTINGS LOST AFTER A FLASH ?

A: This is common for some flashes, especially when switching from one custom or factory rom to another. The solution is a really quick fix.

Step 1: Open the Application Drawer and select Settings

Step 2: Select Wireless and Network

Step 3: Select Mobile Networks

Step 4: Select Access Point Names

Step 5: Check to see if anything is listed, don't delete any at this point ( situation may vary on this step )

Step 6: Press your Menu button on the phone and select +NEW APN

Step 7: Enter the following Information AS I HAVE POSTED. When i get other carriers information ill be sure to update. Once finishing entering the below Read next step!

AT&T APN SETTINGS

Name: ATT ( or whatever name you want )

APN: wap.cingular

Proxy: don't touch

Port: don't touch

User Name: WAP@CINGULARGPRS.COM

Password: CINGULAR1

Server: don't touch

MMSC: http://mmsc.cingular.com

MMS Proxy: wireless.cingular.com

MMS Port : 80

MCC: 310

MNC: 410

Authentication Type: don't touch

APN Type: Internet + MMS

-------------------------------------------------------------

ROGERS APN SETTINGS

Name: ROGERS ( or whatever name you want )

APN: rogers-core-appl1.apn

Proxy: <not set>

Port: <not set>

Username: <not set>

Password: <not set>

Server: <not set>

MMSC: http://mms.gprs.rogers.com

MMS Proxy: 10.128.1.69

MMS Port: 80

MCC: 302 (retrieved from SIM)

MNC: 720 (retrieved from SIM).

Authentication type: <not set>

APN type: <not set>

--------------------------------------------------------

T-MOBILE APN SETTINGS

Name: T-Mobile US

APN: epc.tmobile.com

Proxy: <not set>

Port: 8080

Username: <not set>

Password: ****

Server: *

MMSC: http://mms.msg.eng.t-mobile.com/mms/wapenc

MMS Proxy: 216.155.165.50

MMS Port: 8080

MMS Protocol: WAP 2.0

MCC: 310

MNC: 260

Auth Type: <not set>

APN type: default,supl,mms

APN protocol: IPv4

Step 8: Push the Menu button and select Save.

Step 9: At this point, you should have been returned to the APN list and should see your APN now listed. Select the APN you just made.

Step 10: Reboot . If you find that you are still not being able to connect to DATA or be able to send MMS , then double check your APN settings and redo this guide.

Q: ROMS / CUSTOM ROMS and PORTED ROMS, what are these exactly?

A stock ROM is the version of the phone's operating system that comes with your phone when you buy it.

A custom ROM is a fully standalone version of the OS, including the kernel (which makes everything run), apps, services, etc - everything you need to operate the device, except it's customized by someone in some way.

So what does the "customized" part mean? Since Android is open source, developers are free to take stock ROMs, modify them, strip them of garbage, optimize them, add things, and pretty much do whatever their imagination and skills allow.

a ported rom is essentially similar to a custom rom, except it is a rom which was previously built for a different phone , but ported to work on our phone now. Please note, its likely that a ported rom may carry some bugs here and there as the original rom is not based on the Infuse rom itself.

Q: I keep seeing custom ROM updates, why ?

A:Using a custom ROM usually results in more frequent updates that fix bugs and introduce new features because the developer behind the ROM doesn't have the same procedures and red tape that the manufacturer+carrier combo does.

A quality update can be churned faster because it doesn't involve the bureaucracy of 30 different project managers, 15 vice presidents, and 5 dozen marketing departments.

A ROM developer usually gains a loyal community which beta tests his updates in real life situations and provide feedback, or even fixes bugs - that's the beauty of open source software.

Oh and did I mention that ROMs are usually free and supported by optional donations? If you can't afford to pay for it, you don't have to.

Better Performance And Efficiency

Custom ROMs are oftentimes faster, more efficient, and use less memory because

the developer ripped out useless garbage, such as carrier installed apps or

the developer optimized the kernel. For example, an undervolted kernel can provide a much better battery life than the stock one.

Upgrading To A Better/Later Version Of Android

You can upgrade to a version of the OS that has not yet been released for your device, or never will be. This is possible in 2 situations:

A leaked version of the new ROM showed up online, and the developer got on it like the fat kid chasing an ice cream truck. This was exactly the case with the Samsung Infuse, where we were successfully able to get Gingerbread before the official announced day of release :D:D

A ROM from another phone was ported by the developer to work on yours. For example, LinuxBozo's Hellraiser allowed us to install roms from other Samsung phones (plus or minus a few bugs) but still worked great on our Infuse.

Ability To Install Apps To The SD Card

Most custom ROMs nowadays come with the ability to install applications to the SD card, called Apps2SD (or A2SD).

This is currently not possible on stock ROMs, even in Android 2.1 and is supposedly on Google's TODO list.

If you have run out of space on your phone , Apps2SD is a killer feature to have.

Don't confuse custom ROMs with rooting - they're completely different!!.

The Downsides Of Custom ROMs

Of course, there are dangers of using custom ROMs which you should be aware of.

Something Could Go Wrong

First of all, something may go wrong with the flashing process (that's the process of installing the ROM) and leave your phone in a bricked state. The chances of this are pretty low nowadays, and most of the time you can restore it back to normal.

Try to go for the ROM that has been tested by time and has lots of positive feedback.

Clean Wipe

In order to install a custom ROM, you need to perform a clean wipe.

This means you will lose all existing data, so you have to back everything up first. You can go into CWM and do an entire Nandroid Backup.

Potential Problems

Custom ROMs could have bugs… but then so do the stock ones.

However, in case you do find a bug, you actually have a 2-way channel of reporting it - post in the ROM forum and you will more than likely get an answer back and your bug acknowledged.

Try doing this to your phone manufacturer and see if you can get past the first level of outsourced monkeys, let alone actual developers.

You May Void Your Warranty

It's possible that custom rooting will void your warranty because you will "break the seal" on the boot loader by installing a custom one which on some phones apparently can't be undone (this includes the Nexus One). Because of that, the manufacturer might be able to tell that the phone has had a custom ROM installed and not honor the warranty, in case you need to use it.

Now, in most cases, the benefits of the custom ROM outweigh the possibility of your warranty being denied. I recommend getting a warranty from your carrier and using that in case anything bad happens (that warranty is usually unconditional and covers things like losses and physical damage).