[Samsung Galaxy Player 4.0, 5.0] hanthesolo:
Note: more content is coming regularly, so check back regularly! Also, post your input so this thread does not become buried;).

As an initiative to kickstart development for the Galaxy Player 4.0, I have decided to put up this guide to try and attract more users to rom development. This, although, does not mean you can willy-nilly post up a rom including one mod, or a quick tweak. Making a rom involves a lot more than that.

The Developer's Code:

1. Your rom MUST be unique from the other roms.

This means you have to have a careful, well thought out rom. It must have several things differing it from other roms, something that makes it stand out. The last thing we need are 200 "me too" roms cluttering up development. Takes Klin's rom and mine, for example. We both have ICS themes, we both have tweaked our roms for performance, but they are both completely unique. Why? Because we didn't copy one another. We saw what the other had, and left it alone. I have an ICS theme, he has an ICS theme, but they are based on completely different themes. The biggest boo-boo in rom devving is copying someone else's rom/features/work. You will get kicked out unbelievably fast if you DO NOT follow this rule. To reiterate, the last thing we need is 200 identical roms. Make sure yours is unique from the others, and has a defining feature.

2. You must be willing to provide regular, consistent updates.

Maintaining a rom can be a full time job. You have bugs to deal with, features to add, and hours of work in which you only accomplish a small amount of work, due to some catastrophic failure. Last night it took me over 3 hours to fix a battery icon issue. Why? because I had almost space left in which to apply my fix, and if I did even one step wrong I had to reflash to correct the issue.

You should NOT release your rom once, and never look at it again. You should be willing to update it at least twice a month, if not sooner. I update mine several times a week, but that's because I have a lot of free time. Your mileage may vary, but try to hit for that mark. Too long wihtout an update and users will get bored/tired of your rom without anything new to spice things up.

3. You must be willing to provide helpful, friendly support.

At times, monitoring your thread can be frustrating. you may have someone complaining about an issue that was fixed several releases back, or someone who wants a new feature and keeps bugging you about it. It can be frustrating at times, but make sure you calmly answer everyone's questions in a fair manner. It can be extremely frustrating for a rom user to post up a question, and have it answered days later because the dev was "too busy" to monitor their thread. This, if anything, is almost more important than rom updates. Users love devs who actually converse and answer them, so be friendly, and keep your thread going!

4. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS give someone the apppropriate credit for their work.

It is the bane of the dev's existence: spending days/weeks/months of xyz feature/theme/rom, and have someone come along and snatch their work from them without as much as a "thank you". First of all, it will get you banned faster than any other offense out there. Secondly, it is one of the largest insults you can give someone. Our community is one that is supposed to share work, and most people do that freely, but you MUST give credit where credit is due. It is best if you ask someone's permission before you use their work, especially if it is something major (a huge theme for example). But even if you don't (and you should), at the very least list their username and what they did in your rom SOMEWHERE in your description.

5.You do not know everything.

After creating a rom, many people feel that they know much more then the "average" community, and that they are always right when it pertains the their rom. This could not be more wrong. The best way to improve your rom, is to listen to xyz person who knows more about a certain area than you do, and attempt to learn from that person. Everyone is skilled in a different area, so if you listen to your community, and assume they know best, you can learn and accomplish a lot evry quickly.

6. Google is your friend.

Do not assume that dev's know everything, and that they pull these features out of their heads. When in doubt, go to google. Always. There is normally a guide, or someone with your issue to help you out. As usual, make sure you give that person credit if you use their work.

So, to sum it up, Make your rom unique, be dedicated to your work, be ready to handle unexpected situations, ALWAYS give someone appropriate credit, listen to your community, and google a lot!

Not intimidated yet? ready to bring your amazing idea to the limelight? head on down to the section below to get started!