[Vibrant General] chui101:
For any newbies out there who might be lost in alphabet soup or technical mumbo jumbo... here is a glossary so you can understand what's going on! This is a work-in-progress, of course, so let me know if there's any terms I should add or if there's any definitions I should modify. I am posting this in its unfinished form so I don't lose it, so sorry for any definitions that aren't finished yet! I'll get to it soon!

The Big Friendly Glossary for your Vibrant!​

AOSP

Android Open Source Project. This is basically Android as Google intended it, with no interface customizations from the equipment manufacturers (HTC Sense or Samsung Touchwiz).

ADB

Android DeBugger. A program available for Windows/Linux/OSX that is used by programmers to access and control an android phone. The program allows you to open a command prompt to the phone, transfer files back and forth, and tell the phone to reboot normally or into

recovery

or

download mode

.

BLN

Back Light Notification. With a supported notification, BLN can be used to turn on the 4 softkey lights at the bottom of the Vibrant as a visual cue of new phone notifications. Since the Vibrant does not have a notification light like many other phones, this serves as a sort-of replacement.

Brick

An electronic device that has completely lost functionality. One of the most misused terms by newbies, so watch out! Bricking a device means that it is no longer recoverable by normal means. It is almost impossible to completely brick a Vibrant; sometimes "software bricks" are encountered while

flashing

new software, but these can be reliably fixed by getting the phone into

download mode

and using

ODIN

.

DAC

Digital-to-Analog Converter. A device that converts digital data into an analog format that may be understandable by humans in the form of audio or video. The Vibrant has a Wolfson WM8994 DAC that has the ability to output extremely high quality audio when paired with a properly modified driver such as

Voodoo Sound

Download Mode

A low-level mode that allows for downloading of a ROM via USB. A program such as Heimdall or ODIN must be used to communicate with the phone in this mode. To reach download mode, hold the VOL+ and VOL- buttons and then plug in a USB connection.

Flashing

The process of replacing or upgrading any or all parts of a ROM.

Eclair

Another name for Android 2.1. The Vibrant originally shipped with an Eclair ROM.

FFC

Front-Facing Camera. The Vibrant 4G (Galaxy S 4G) has one, as does the international version of the Vibrant. The original T-Mobile Vibrant may be modified with a front-facing camera.

Froyo

Frozen Yogurt, a delicious dairy dessert, or another name for Android 2.2. Samsung released the official Froyo rom for the Vibrant in January 2011.

Gingerbread

The next iteration of Android after Froyo, or Android 2.3. Gingerbread contains further processor optimizations for the Vibrant which will allow it to run even faster.

GPRS

General Packet Radio Service. The slowest wireless data service available.

GPS

Global Positioning System. A network of satellites in geosynchronous orbit that constantly broadcast beacon information, allowing ground-based devices that can receive the satellites' signals to calculate their position. Some Vibrants have a faulty GPS antenna connection to the mainboard which interferes with proper GPS function.

GSM

Global System for Mobile (Communications), the most commonly used cellular phone service used in the world. In the US, AT&T and T-Mobile are the two major GSM carriers.

Heimdall

A cross-platform flashing program for Galaxy S devices including the Vibrant. Unlike ODIN, this program may be used on Linux and Mac OS X.

HSUPA/HSDPA/HSPA/HSPA+

High Speed (Uplink/Downlink) Protected Access. Together, they are called HSPA. The 3G technology utilized by T-Mobile US that allows for speeds of up to 14.4Mbps down/5.76Mbps up. HSPA+ is an evolution of HSUPA/HSDPA that allows for even higher speeds. T-Mobile calls HSPA+ "4G". These are all telephony protocols that are used over UMTS.

Kernel

The part of a ROM that talks to the hardware directly. Kernels contain drivers for everything from the GPS chip to the filesystem used on the flash chips.

Kies

The official Samsung software for linking computers to their phones. It allows for synchronization of files, music, video, address books, etc. There is also a version of Kies called Kies Mini which only updates ROMs.

Modem

MOdulator/DEModulator. A device that bridges analog and digital transmission mediums, or in this case, the mobile carrier's wireless network (analog radio waves) and the phone (digital). In the context of "flashing a modem," this refers to the software that determines the behavior of the modem hardware with respect to how it reacts to various signal conditions and power needs.

OCLF

One Click Lag Fix

Odex/Deodex

Odexed files are packaged in an optimized way that allows for quick loading during the phone's boot cycle. However, they cannot be easily modified and must be deodexed first. Deodexing a file or a ROM allows for changes to the internals to be made, usually involving theming.

Odin

A Windows-only program for flashing all or part of a ROM to a Galaxy S phone such as the Vibrant when it is in download mode.

OTA

Over-The-Air (Update). An update that arrives over the cellular carrier's networks.

RFS

Robust FAT File System. A file system developed by Samsung that adds a journal to Microsoft's popular FAT file system. The file system used by stock Vibrant ROMs, it is criticized as being slow and can be sped up with lagfixes that replace or supplement it with the faster EXT2 and EXT4 file systems.

Recovery

A low-level mode on Android devices such as the Vibrant that allows the user to flash updates and wipe caches and erase user data without booting the entire Android operating system. Stock recovery can be replaced by Clockwork recovery if the phone is rooted, which allows flashing of unsigned packages and creating backups.

ROM

"Read-only memory," this is the core software that comes with the phone that does not get modified in day-to-day use. The Vibrant ROM may consist of a

bootloader

,

kernel

,

modem

,

operating system

, and

system apps

. ROMs may be updated and/or replaced using a technique called

flashing

.

Root/Rooting

Obtaining root access, or rooting, is a method by which restrictions placed by the operating system on the phone's default user account can be bypassed. In UNIX-based systems, 'root' is the name of the superuser/administrator account on a computer. Rooting is a form of software unlocking, which allows users to modify system files to do various tasks, such as backup and restore system applications and settings (such as a list of Wifi access points), or installing programs that would otherwise be restricted (such as a tethering program).

Source Code

The high-level, human-readable version of a program that must be compiled into a binary to be run on a computer.

Stock

Unmodified from official T-Mobile or Samsung releases.

Tethering

Using your phone to pass internet connectivity to another device (such as a laptop computer). Wired tethering uses a USB connection, and wireless tethering can be done over Bluetooth or WiFi. T-Mobile charges extra for tethering, but in most cases you can get away with occasional use.

UMTS

Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. A 3G/4G telecommunications standard describing how radios talk to each other. It is considered the next step up from GSM, and is itself based upon GSM technologies. UMTS is used to send and receive with the HSPA/HSPA+ protocol on the T-Mobile network. It is also sometimes called 3GSM.

Voodoo

A collection of optimizations for the Galaxy S series of phones, including the Vibrant, developed by xda user supercurio. Voodoo Lagfix uses an EXT4 partition to speed up system access. Voodoo Color improves the oversaturation and blue cast of the Vibrant's AMOLED screen. Voodoo Sound improves the performance of the Vibrant's onboard DAC, which improves sound quality, and also adds a headphone amplifier function.