[Captivate Android Development] sboltman:
Getting ready for 3.0, this will be my first flash ever

Couple questions:

1) are the install notes on Phoenix site *up to date* with regards to both latest ROM, plus for someone flashing from rock stock phone (has been rooted, ROM Manager, current rom backup, flashed CWM) ?

I ask because I saw Macs earlier post about FTS and MC being needed vs. not. I have been reading this thread since Page 20, and know a bit about the Phoenix ROM evolution, so I just want to be clear on my undrstanding. Do I flash back to stock (odin), and otherwise follow the *current* instruction set to the letter?

2) TiBu: I just installed TiBu pro. I am about to follow the instructions on backing up "user apps + system data". I found these instructions below... I am little leary because I have read if I restore system data, I could screw myself. Is the system data being referenced in the TiBu batch selection referencing system data *tied to* the user apps?

Here are those TiBu instructions I found. Do these still seem valid to you?

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instructions

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I do a lot of ROM testing and I always wipe all partitions going to new ROMs, or even new versions of the same ROM. This guide assumes that you already know how to install a ROM, or that you've read the ROM installation instructions found on this website. This also focuses on ClockworkMod recovery, because that's what I use. For those who are interested in getting a clean start when they load a new ROM, here's how I do it:

1. Purchase the license for Titanium Backup (TiBu) if you don't already have it -- it's worth it -- and go to Batch and use "Backup all user apps + system data."

2. Once your TiBu backup completes, open ROM Manager and select “BackUp Current ROM,” then give the backup a descriptive name for your current ROM (this will do a nandroid backup of your current setup, which will be stored on your SD card under clockworkmod>backup). I always try to catch it after the backup completes and the screen goes black (before the M logo comes up), immediately opening the keyboard, pressing and holding the X key, so I go straight to recovery rather than booting up again.

3. In ClockworkMod recovery after your backup, do a factory reset (wipe data and cache), then go into the partitions menu and format boot, then format system, then go to the advanced menu and Wipe Dalvik Cache.

4. Install the ROM zip file.

5. Touch the top left, then the top right, then the bottom right, then the bottom left (in a square pattern) of the screen to skip Google sign in.

6. Make sure you have Unknown sources checked in System>Applications.

7. If your ROM includes TiBu already (Project Elite and Liquid Frozen Yogurt include it, and there may be others that do, as well), then you're set for this step. But if it doesn't, then you'll need to sign in to Google after you use the 4-corner method to skip the sign-in screen, then go the Market, search for Titanium Backup and install it. The good news is that this method will skip the auto-installation of all your apps through the Market. Now open TiBu and go into Preferences and make sure you have Force to same location checked (this will then make sure your apps and data are restored to the device and SD card, as applicable, exactly as they were when you did your backup).

8. Still in TiBu, go into Batch and and start with Restore missing apps + all system data (we'll do restore missing apps with data in step 9). When you restore missing apps + all system data, here's the important thing: press Deselect all and ONLY check the items in GREEN (this will restore all your call log, SMS/MMS, accounts, wifi and bluetooth connections, etc.). If you restore the stuff in red, you're restoring system data from prior ROMs, which could cause you all kinds of issues. NOW, here's another very important caveat: some people have found that restoring [SETTINGS/BLUETOOTH] Settings Storage 2.2.1 from "Restore missing apps + all system data" can cause issues (for example, if you had a password (PIN) to unlock your phone when you did your TiBu backup and you restore this setting on your new ROM, you may find yourself completely locked out after you set your password on your new ROM and you reboot -- which means that you'd have to wipe and start over again). One additional thing: you won't see some of your data (call log, SMS/MMS, etc.) until after a reboot -- I generally wait until Step 11 when I need to reboot to make my backup anyway, but it's certainly fine for you to go ahead and reboot now if you want to ensure that all your data is there.

9. After you've finished restoring the items in green (other than the one in my caveat unless you're feeling adventurous), run Restore missing apps with data (these will all be missing items that are in WHITE text) and go through the list and make sure you've got ONLY the items you really want to restore checked. Don't do a blind restore of all the apps in this step, unless you've already gone through your list and deleted backups for apps you definitely don't want or need.

10. Go to Settings>Accounts & sync, Add account and sign in to Google (unless you already did this in step 7). Regardless of when you sign in, you should make sure Auto-sync is checked and that Sync Contacts, Sync Gmail and Sync Calendar, etc. are checked, and allow them to sync. Even if you didn't sign in in Step 7, it's possible that the Accounts restore in Step 8 already restored your account, but you should still look to be sure all your items are checked.

11. Make a nandroid backup of this setup BEFORE you start adding themes and kernels -- that way, it's easy to revert back to stock and start over if a theme or kernel messes you up.

If you run across any apps that restore from Market without your data, because you missed them in your TiBu restore, just go into TiBu and go to filters, type the name of the app, and restore data only. Also, if there are apps in /system/ from a theme or something (like Pandora, for instance), you can search for that app in TiBu using Filters (you'll see that the app is in red, so this part goes a little contrary to the advice I gave above for the batch restore), and restore data only. If you start having any problems after restoring data to a system app, then just go back into TiBu and search for the app, then "Wipe data."

The only thing left is that you'll likely have to set up your widgets again (at least I do in Sweeter Home 2) and you may have to restore some of your ringtones in Contacts, Gmail, calendar and Gtalk.

One other note: if you have Swype, I've found that TiBu restore doesn't always work right. If you have the official beta version that you're reinstalling from the Swype beta website, you'll want to reinstall the Swype installer, then Swype FIRST, before your full TiBu restore, to avoid the memory issues that often plague Swype installs.