[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] i004909:
Yeah... this is the biggest b*mmer of the RK2818 ROMs... the system is a read only compressed filesystem (CRAMFS)... the only way (I think) to make changes is to

* unpack the .img of the ROM you want o use (AFPTool),

* (decrypt system.img if it's a stock ROM (rkdecrypt))

* open system.img (NewTuxFlash)

* edit system/build.prop

*save

*add crc back to system.img (rkcrc),

* re-pack the whole .img (AFPTool again),

* flash back to device (with RKAndroidBatchUpgrade)...

* hold your breath until you see the CM7 Skateboarder ;)

It's easy enough once you get used to it.

FYI to the ROM cookers - I've been trying to get rid of some errors with sound in the logs, and saw in etc/asound.conf there appears to be missing a

pcm.AndroidPlayback

and

pcm.AndroidPlayback_Speaker

obviously being called by some apps... which I added by simply duplicating

pcm.AndroidPlayback_Speaker_normal

This worked fine until the last time I flashed...

but now I'm getting no keypress sound (on either of android keyboard, hacker's keyboard, thumb keyboard (highly recommend)... with log showing errors about cannot find CTL elem MIXER speaker normal switch not being found... still trying to fix.

Also worth noting... put Android System Info on your device, run it (it will always start upside down for some reason) and go to menu -> More -> multitouch test. You will get a sense of the difference between driving your tablet with your fingers, versus with something stylus-like (I use a wooden toothpick :)). Unbelievable! My PMP3084B is running very nice and fast and smooth, but using a stylus is certainly the one way around the calibration / double-type, etc. etc. problems. I wish it were different, but capacitive screen = a lot more $$$ than I paid for my snappy CM7 GB2.3.5 tablet. I also think 8.4" is the perfect screen size!

Last but not least... using mobo player and ARMv5 codecs (from mobo) I have been able to play a .AVI file using software decoding (long press the video to select software based decode)... not sure this helps at all but it was great to actually see some smooth video. It even played using hardware decode but not at all well. I did have to select screen aspect ratio to centred, 4:3 I think to get it smooth, but it worked. Sound included! MP4 is quite jerky. Don't even try run a .FLV unless you have a toothpick for the reset button handy :(

Well... I'm still having fun. Using MyBackupRoot to store my home screens and settings and apps, etc. makes it easier and easier to re-flash all the time. I've had Titanium Backup freeze up on me quite a few times when restoring and it doesn't handle Market re-linking very well. Also, I've removed the Market Updater.apk from the build, each time since using the latest ODYSCM7GB235 ROM the Market updated itself to the nice new 3.x version... but then I got a lot of 'this app is not supported by your device' when trying to re-install my apps, which is nonsense because with market 2.3.5 I can install and use the app. Doh!

But as a news / facebook / twitter / Gmail/Cal/Contact sysnc'd (+Outlook notes sync'd using NitroNotes)/ browser / book reader (Moon+ Reader, highly recommend), which also plays music smoothly (to my bt headphones (via a paired transmitter in the 3.5mm jack)), and an excellent photo viewer (QuickPic <- nice and fast)... I'm very happy. Thanks again to the ROM boffins - you guys are amazing!

Sorry for long post. Just keen to share.