yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] jajk:
[MENTION=5850987]DarthJabba9[/MENTION] Dec 2016 is probably when Xiaomi completely cut support for RN2. It shows in the boot images where changes have not been for our phone for a long time but for others with big-little cpus etc.

[MENTION=7117356]vaselor[/MENTION] Where to start..... the increasing difficulty in getting root, restriction of apps you can load, embedded Google dependence for verification etc. It is more pertinent to ask what Google intends Android to be - nothing is free forever;) The war is all but won on the social media front thanks to all the sheep and now the focus is in becoming the predominant payment provider. Every companies dream --> to become a bank.
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] Iliyena:
*a successful bank. ;)

Did the parameters of the "rush_boost_enabled" ever become clear? Gives quite the multicore boost in some older synthetic tests but not at all in others. Trying to balance performance for opening big apps/taking multiple photos without it impacting all usage/upping max frequency.

Also, what speeds are you people getting on your SD-cards? Mine seems a bit slow no matter what, slow controller for it?

Have tweaked the I/O deadline some... Dunno

if it does anything special but most values I've changed is scaled to eachother. Need to measure some latency/timings perhaps. Which takes me to...

...any way to push our "slow" memory's timings? Pushing timings on my PC is better then upping frequencies for stability/performance.

Also, do everyone use screen protectors? I'm looking to try living without them since they makes the touches (taps) a tad unsatisfactory when my fingertips are very dry.

Lastly, I can't seem to get good reception except at the hospital anymore, anyone now what to look for on the mainboard to rule hardware issues (changed flex antenna and checked all antennas connecting to the back-frame, tried diffrent modems drivers, clean fastboot flash of official ROMs)
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] IshtaNoob:
The comments on gsmarena about x527 are very disappointing... Lenovo's P2, however, looks very good, but is pricey...
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] DarthJabba9:
Yes, the P2 is not the cheapest around - but it is fairly new, and the price will come down eventually. Apparently, Ulefone Power 2 gives more than 9 hours SOT without any tweaking. Unfortunately, it has MTK :(
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] jajk:
[MENTION=7442305]Iliyena[/MENTION] Behind every great fortune is a great crime;)

Rush_boost is straight forward but very much obsolete with modern (fast) cpus. Plus... watch out for features that are disabled in MTK's cut down version of Interactive - it is not the full Monty.

SD-card access speed is crippled in part by Android 5.02 and in part by crappy MTK IO as with USB port.

Yep, leave deadline alone - nothing to see here.

Memory timings must be kept slow to account for the crappiest memory chips that may be used in our phone - not the best ones. Just download source code and rewrite kernel if you feel the need.

I use glass screen protector and find it good - dry finger syndrome easily fixed by sticking finger into something moist;)

Antenna problem solved by staying away from hospitals - they are full of sick people.

[MENTION=5850987]DarthJabba9[/MENTION] Hmmm....Leeco a step below Xiaomi, Lenovo always fails value for money test in my view.
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] jajk:
Skinny_Pro_75xx_Tweaked-v31.img and Skinny_Pro_7427_Tweaked-v31.img uploaded.

Both are rebased on 7427 boot.img

Both can be used on either MIUI7.5.x or MIUI8.x ROMs. The difference being that Skinny_Pro_7427_Tweaked-v31.img includes changes in cpu and gpu core scheduling that has been introduced since 7.3.xx whereas Skinny_Pro_75xx_Tweaked-v31.img sticks to the implementation prior to 7.3.xx which makes it the better choice for older MIUI7.5 and MIUI8 ROMs.

If you decide the later changes are a load of rubbish, there is absolutely no problem in using Skinny_Pro_75xx_Tweaked-v31.img on the latest ROMs - your choice;)
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] DarthJabba9:
Possibly. But it sometimes depends on where you buy their stuff. The P2 is about half the price of OnePlus 3 - but to get that price, you have to buy the device from Three (UK), and to put £10 on their pay as you go SIM card :rolleyes:

Is Leeco really that bad? How about Ulephone and Elephone? Finding a good value replacement for the RN2 is becoming challenging!
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] PavelPerm:
ZUK Z2 -160$. But Zui is even worse than MIUI
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] Iliyena:
Nova Launcher <3
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] jajk:
ZUK is not too bad in its offerings - well worth considering - alternative ROM support is growing. Ulefone and Elephone are bottom feeders like Xiaomi. Out of that category, UMI has lifted its game considerably and worth a look - I wouldn't be too concerned with the MTK SoC;)
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] Adam Hui:
P2 with clones of 13/5 mp sensor again? i'm in rush to grab axon 7 for mid-end taste but my country has funny local sources percentage to let it in, so it fails to come.

Any news about helio x30 devices ?
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] DarthJabba9:
The issue with MTK is that, when kernel full sources are not released, it becomes a game of ping pong as to whether it is the fault of Mediatek or the phone manufacturer. Nobody is interested in whose fault it is - just that full kernel sources are released. Without that, we end up in this situation with the RN2 when ROM developers are hamstrung. You do have a point though. The interesting thing with my RN2 is that, with skinny ROM and boot, the battery actually starts to perform almost acceptably. So it may be that MTK vs SD is not the big issue, except for 2 things - MTK's poor camera and relatively weaker battery performance. The first is of no consequence to me, but the latter is crucial. There are many SD phones with >9 hours SOT out of the box. The only MTK phone that I have so far found with >9 hours SOT out of the box is Ulephone Power 2. But if Ulefone/Elephone are just like Xiaomi, then the component quality of the phone you end up with may be a lottery :crying:

---------- Post added at 08:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:35 AM ----------

I am not too bothered about the camera - and it most certainly cannot be worse than the RN2 camera. From my research, you won't get much better battery performance with the Axon 7 than you are getting with skinny RN2 ROMs.

Not that I know of - I have long lost interest in new Helio SoCs - until they start producing

much better

battery performance over the older versions. I don't really care about x number of cores or x.x Ghz speed, since 4 cores running at 1.3ghz would be more than adequate for what most people use phones for.
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] jajk:
Mobile phone market is copying what happened in the PC market years ago. Intel vs AMD race gave us cpus that could melt the polar ice caps even though the reduction in die size should have brought about much more efficient cpus. Microsoft played their part too with inefficient code bloating on an astronomical scale.

Now we have Qualcomm vs MTK on the cpu front with Google providing the code bloat. Imagine if someone was to release a quad core 2GHz 10nm cpu? A 2Ah battery would suffice to give stunning battery life.

Would you buy one or are the marketers right in giving us 3 cluster deca-core monsters?
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] DarthJabba9:
I would certainly buy one. Nobody needs a 2GHz cpu to make phone calls, surf the web, listen to music, run GPS, take pictures, and play many games.
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] Adam Hui:
I still believe skinny philoshopy was universally applicable in any devices with any rom (done since my i9100). And i've been getting > 2x performance & battery with xtreme-skinny los rom & in axon 7 it's official los. For side reason, its cool build design for me was unrefusable.

Same on me indeed. That's why big.little created for general purpose, u chosen the little, i need the big sometimes for fun or a bit creativity. But i'm talking about 10nm means more power efficiency & performance. We can't turn off the future.
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] DarthJabba9:
Absolutely! But sometimes "the future" brings no true improvement.

I would be interested to know how much SOT you get from your Axon 7. Perhaps my research is flawed!
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] jajk:
To put things in perspective:

The reduction in nanometers should bring about huge power savings, but instead, manufacturers pack in more cores (or more powerful cores) at higher frequencies to negate any gains. Each step of nanometer reduction brings about a typical (conservative) 40% power efficiency improvement so if an MT6795 built with 28nm tech was remade with 10nm, it would consume around 20% of its original power (3 steps between 28nm, 20nm, 14nm and 10nm).

Another interesting point is that multi-cluster cpu architecture can be so complicated that it performs better if the most powerful core is never turned on - all because it looks good on paper, doesn't mean it actually works in real life;)

I guess the future will be catching all the cute, furry lithiums to build 6000mAH batteries until they too become extinct:(
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] jajk:
Testers required:

SingleSim_Skinny_Pro_75xx_Tweaked-v31.img uploaded

This version is only for single-sim with sim mounted in sim1 slot and is a test version only.

This version does not load gsm0710muxdmd2 and ril-daemon-mtkmd2 services plus it does not process init.atmel_ts.sh which may or may not affect phones with Atmel touch screen.

What I want to know:

Does all modem related stuff still work i.e. wifi, bluetooth, mobile data?

Does Atmel touch screen still work without issue? (I think it will - read the script)
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] Sleepy_Augie:
[MENTION=5952980]jajk[/MENTION] All modem related stuff works for me.

Edit: bluetooth connected pebble, T-Mobile 3g, and crap college wifi all work.
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] jajk:
[MENTION=7150090]Sleepy_Augie[/MENTION] Thanks for the feedback. I am running this image with no problems but I have no bluetooth devices to test with. Do you have atmel touchscreen?

Forgot to mention, but maybe it is obvious that this image should be run with the single sim setting in build.prop to get maximum goodness;)

persist.radio.multisim.config=ss
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] DarthJabba9:
I have 2 sims. Is there any point in my testing this? What is the worst that could happen?

PS: I believe I have Atmel touch screen as well.
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] jajk:
[MENTION=5850987]DarthJabba9[/MENTION] It will do no harm as it only reconfigures the SoC to an SD820. Restoring your previous boot.img will set it back to MTK6795. It would be great if you could verify that atmel touch screen still works normally without the init.atmel.sh running every boot.
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] DarthJabba9:
Everything works here - bluetooth car phone, touch screen, USB, etc.
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] lukaks69:
Looks really interesting, that could save battery even more?
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] hjthzz:
Tested in MIUI 8.3 by xiaomi.eu 7.4.6 (Beta). Everything works! (wifi, bluetooth, mobile data, touchscreen). I don't know if I have Atmel touch screen.
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] jajk:
Thanks to all testers:good: I will maintain a version especially for single sim use as it is a worthwhile exercise to get rid of 2 more running services. The test version is good to keep as your daily.

Getting rid of the atmel script on boot will apply to all upcoming versions as this is just another bit of time-wasting on boot.
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] jajk:
Something I have been meaning to post for a while....

What is in the boot image?

The boot image is a compressed archive containing both a kernel and ramdisk.

The kernel is itself a compressed image containing the compiled binary code of the kernel. It is not directly readable or editable unless decompiled back into source code. That is a mammoth task that is rarely attempted.

The ramdisk is also a compressed image containing all the configuration (init files) and support files for the kernel.

So how do you see these files portrayed in an Android filemanager app?

The kernel is not mounted in the filesystem so is not visible.

The Ramdisk is mounted so its files and folders are visible (see images for a representation of this - Skinny and Stock ramdisk shown). Note the contents of /bin and /sbin are part of the ramdisk. All other folders shown are not filled by the ramdisk itself. All files located at root (/) originate from the ramdisk.

All files that are part of the Ramdisk cannot be changed in any way through conventional means. Changes can only be made by unpacking the boot.img, making changes and then repacking the boot.img.

Does modifying the ramdisk make it a custom kernel?

Absolutely not! It makes it a custom boot image still containing an unmodified kernel. Many claims of offering custom kernels are false and you are only getting some edits to the init files in the ramdisk. This is the same as someone pointing to a PC case and referring to it as the hard drive or stating that the PC operating system is Microsoft Office 2010 - you are either being treated as an idiot or the person making the wrongful claim is one.

I want to do some changes myself, how do I go about it?

It is not something you enter into lightly with little to no skill, you are ready to do this when you no longer have to ask.
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] jajk:
Skinny_Pro_754_Tweaked-v32.img uploaded

This is suitable for all versions of MIUI7.5 and MIUI8

Changes:

Rebased on 7.5.4 boot.img

pre-recovery, sn, debuggerd and debuggerd64 services join the list of disabled services.

init.atmel_ts.sh is no longer processed

init.recovery.hardware.rc is no longer

/proc/hps/down_threshold bumped up to 90 to further reduce tendency to add extra cores
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] srgperez:
Congatulations to jajk for this impressive work!!!

I have one question.

Is it safe to use with the latest stable version 8.2.1.0?

If its, what file should apply to my phone?

Thank you very much.
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] mario_R:
I'm getting lags on every few minutes with Toast notification that Android location has stopped. MIUI optimizations and RAM management are disabled in developer settings
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] jajk:
[MENTION=4829810]srgperez[/MENTION] Yes it is safe to use with 8.2.10. Use latest Skinny_Pro_754_Tweaked-v32.img. With all Skinny boot images, if you have a problem, just restore the original boot image that came with your ROM. Wipes are not required.

[MENTION=5795080]mario_R[/MENTION] What ROM are you running and what ROM did you come from? Many multi-language ROMs have defective Gapps installations that need a while to update initially causing lags - best to reinstall a fresh Gapps package. Always do a filesystem repair on /data partition using TWRP if coming from non-MIUI ROMs just in case there is corruption (which is quite often).
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] srgperez:
Thanks for the answer. I was decided but I really use the second space so, I don't know what to do.

Is there any way to configure the boot.img and maintain it?

Thank you for this impressive work.:good:
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] Iliyena:
Latest v32 is not ss but dsds aight?

Second space as in the use of having dual apps in MIUI8 or did you meant the second SIM-slot?
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] srgperez:
I only have a single SIM.

I mean to second space as having two launchers with separate apps and all of that fancy stuff. (Work and personal spaces separated).

That's what I understand of your quote:

Thank you
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] Iliyena:
Tried App cloner from the play store? ;)
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] srgperez:
Is not only the duplication of apps but the separation of spaces what helps me to keep work far from my personal life.
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] mario_R:
I was using MIUI 7.4.27, then I dirty updated it do 7.5.4. Both are from mi-globe.com. So pico Gapps from opengapps.org will work or there is a special Gapps for Miui ROMs? Will the repair option wipe /data?
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] jajk:
[MENTION=7442305]Iliyena[/MENTION] v32 is 2 Sim compatible.

[MENTION=4829810]srgperez[/MENTION] Sorry, skinny boot gets rid of second space function :(

[MENTION=5795080]mario_R[/MENTION] pico Gapps will work fine. Repair filesystem does not wipe any files. There has been some complaints on 4pda forum of location problems with 7.5.4 so you are not alone in that. Make sure the build.prop doesn't have any weird stuff regards gps and delete /etc/gps.conf if it exists. Some ROMs mess with adding a gps.conf file like a qualcom device has thinking it will magically fix things - it doesn't but can break things;)
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] DarthJabba9:
Now, how about this - Mrs DarthJabba9 drops her RN2 on a concrete floor and thereby trashes the screen, and then asks for "another Mi phone" ! :eek:

With fear and trepidation, I decided to get Mrs DJ9 a new RN4X (SD 625 chipset). :fingers-crossed:

When it arrives, I will evaluate whether it needs a Skinny boot image, and then we will possibly extend the skinny repertoire of [MENTION=5952980]jajk[/MENTION]. ;)

I hope this purchase will not end in :crying: For my own RN2 replacement, I am yet to decide; but it may be Lenovo P2 ...
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] Sleepy_Augie:
[MENTION=5850987]DarthJabba9[/MENTION] just so you know, switching out the screen is super easy on the rn2. My screen developed a faulty digitizer, and for 25 bucks I can replace it with a whole premade screen assembly. You just need a Philips screwdriver, some long prying finger nails, and a pair of tweezers. If the ebay seller didn't mess up my order and send me a mi 4c screen I would have had it repaired by now (rip customs and shipping taking a month).

However, my rn2 is falling apart slowly but steadily. I'm going to need to replace the phone speaker as well, and at a certain point I could see these repairs not being worth it, but for now its a fun exercise that keeps phone costs low.
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] jajk:
[MENTION=5850987]DarthJabba9[/MENTION] [MENTION=7150090]Sleepy_Augie[/MENTION] Since the new round of 10nm SoCs has been delayed, the 14nm offerings look pretty good. I would be more than happy with a SD630 SoC once the price drops into the tight-ass range;)
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] DarthJabba9:
I thought of replacing the screen - but you know how ladies like new things :laugh:
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] DarthJabba9:
This works fine with the 7.5.11 ROM.

PS: after trying the ROM's modem P58 for a few days, I have moved to modem P37, which still gives me much better battery performance, specially when the phone is idle.
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] vaselor:
[MENTION=5850987]DarthJabba9[/MENTION] How is 7.5.11 performing?

Did they update Android security patch?

Enviado desde mi Redmi Note 2 mediante Tapatalk
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] DarthJabba9:
7.5.11 is behaving well. Unfortunately, the Android security patch is still from December 2016. The reason why I upgraded was because 7.3.16 was beginning to suffer random reboots (some of this was reproducible). So far, 7.5.11 is not showing any of those problems.
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] DarthJabba9:
The RN4X arrived. Fortunately, it arrived with the bootloader already unlocked, and so I don't have to get unlock permission, etc. Of course, this makes one wonder whether the ROM has been tampered with. So, TWRP has now been installed, and multirom global 8.2.3.0 (based on MM - I think I will avoid the Nougat-based ROMs for now).

Unfortunately, it seems that all the usual Xiaomi nonsense is here as well (jejeen, Whetstone, and all sorts of weird stuff). Clearly, a Skinny ROM is warranted - but I am not sure if I am brave enough to try it. Will [MENTION=5952980]jajk[/MENTION] be interested in making a Skinny boot image?

PS: apparently, the kernel sources for RN4X (MM) have been released today ...
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] Iliyena:
So, Netflix available from Play Store before rooting? ;) (Unlocked bootloader should be enough nowadays for that...).
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] DarthJabba9:
Didn't check before rooting. I have TB backups of all my apps, plus backup apks all over the place (I don't leave my fate in the hands of Play Store ...).
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] DarthJabba9:
This is getting really OT now :D but is [MENTION=5952980]jajk[/MENTION] interested in a RN4X boot image to see whether it can be skinnified? My ROM's boot image already supports initd - but I am a bit concerned about things "dialling home". If not interested, are there any tips on what to look for in the ramdisk?

BTW: the device seems to be behaving itself so far, and battery performance is quite decent. So far, the greatest drain on idle time battery usage is "Significant motion detector" (aka Doze) - which is quite ironic. :rolleyes:
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] jajk:
[MENTION=5850987]DarthJabba9[/MENTION] Things are a little more complex in Android 6 & 7 when it comes to making changes to boot images but if you post the ramdisk init files and any extra ones that are in /etc or /etc/init, I am happy to highlight any likely Xiaomi exploits (which are generally the same across all their phones). What you do from there is up to you unless you can send me the same phone to work on:laugh::laugh::laugh:
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] DarthJabba9:
Here you are: https://mega.nz/#F!P4NTDBzI!nZa_1XkOSEtpcsMj57hd1A

The file with the capitalised name is from /etc/init.d/ (the only file there). I am on a MultiPro ROM (Russian, I think).

I wish I could send you the phone - but Mrs DJ9 would not be impressed! :silly:
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] jajk:
[MENTION=5850987]DarthJabba9[/MENTION] No, definitely don't send me Mrs DJ9's phone - they are still on sale aren't they?

Anyway....looking through the supplied files, here is what I can see:

In init.miui.rc we find the usual culprits:

mdbd service checks usb connection to see if there is a way out to a network (and back to Xiaomi)

fdpp service (find device) is a wide open backdoor for Xiaomi

mqsasd service is suspect - unknown function but unique to Xiaomi i.e. not part of Android.

Solution: Rename the relevant executables to stop them ever running.

Also:

No visible init.d support is present even though init.d folder exists. Use /etc/init.qcom.post_boot.sh for any scripting requirements instead.
[Redmi Note 2 Android Development] DarthJabba9:
[MENTION=5952980]jajk[/MENTION] Thanks. Yes, after doing some tests, I found that init.d doesn't work. There is a script: "/system/kernel-init.sh" which contains the following

#!/system/bin/sh

mount -o remount,rw -t auto /system
mount -o remount,rw -t auto /data
mount -t rootfs -o remount,rw rootfs

if [ ! -e /system/etc/init.d ]; then
mkdir /system/etc/init.d
chown -R root.root /system/etc/init.d
chmod -R 755 /system/etc/init.d
fi

for FILE in /system/etc/init.d/*; do
sh $FILE >/dev/null
done;

mount -t rootfs -o remount,ro rootfs
mount -o remount,rw -t auto /data
mount -o remount,ro -t auto /system

However, nothing calls it, AFAICS, so it is redundant. My first attempt at creating a custom boot image led to a bootloop. Will try again over the weekend. Indeed they are still on sale - but I can always use my "Sheila" as an excuse :p