ROOTING, FLASHING AND CUSTOM ROMS

Hello there,

This one should have been the very first post on this blog but It never crossed my mind that somebody without the knowledge of rooting, flashing and custom roms would ever visit my blog. How ignorant!!! I am here to fix that with this post. Feeling a bit lazy today, so I am going to indulge in some shameless copy pasting from across various websites( so u can be sure of the legitimacy of what you see here) and sometimes so lazy that I will just give you the link :P. But hey, I am the one compiling it, so no complaints!!! I will try to keep it simple so that even the least of you tech savvy folks will be able to keep up( though I don't understand what you are doing here if you aren't unless you plan to become) OK so here goes!!!

What is Root?

Rooting is the process of allowing users of smartphones, tablets and other devices running the Android mobile operating system to attain privileged control (known as "root access") within Android's sub-system.Rooting is basically gaining root access to the system files of your device, and unlocking the Superuser ability to make changes otherwise blocked by the manufacturers. Rooting itself does not change anything, other than allowing you to have access to the internals of the OS. With Root access you can back up your apps and settings, freeze bloatware, tweak your CPU, install custom ROMs, and a whole lot more.
Rooting is often performed with the goal of overcoming limitations that carriers and hardware manufacturers put on some devices. Thus, rooting gives the ability (or permission) to alter or replace system applications and settings, run specialized apps that require administrator-level permissions, or perform other operations that are otherwise inaccessible to a normal Android user. On Android, rooting can also facilitate the complete removal and replacement of the device's operating system, usually with a more recent release of its current operating system.As Android derives from the Linux kernel, rooting an Android device gives similar access administrative permissions as on Linux or any other Unix-like operating system such as FreeBSD or OS X. Root access is sometimes compared to jailbreaking devices running the Apple iOS operating system.

Why Root?

Advantages of rooting include the possibility for complete control over the look and feel of the device. As a superuser has access to the device's system files, all aspects of the operating system can be customized with the only real limitation being the level of coding expertise.[9] Immediately expectable advantages of rooted devices include the following:[10][11]

Full theming capabilities, meaning that everything can be changed and themed from the color of the battery indicator, to the look of the dialer or contact list, to the video that plays while the device boots up.

Full control of the CPU and kernel.

Full application control including the ability to backup, restore, or batch edit applications, or to remove bloatware that comes pre-loaded on many phones.

Processes can be automated on the device through the use of applications such as Tasker.

Ability to install custom firmware (also known as custom ROMs) that allow additional levels of control on a rooted device. As Android is open source, anyone with the proper skills can create their own customized version.

For more on that, head over to this page here

Flashing

There are two types of flash. A full flash and a partial flash. A full flash involves re-writing the phone's operating system (the OS i.e. how you install windows on a computer to use it) to flashable ROM (Read-only Memory). Flashable means although it is called a ROM it is possible to write to it in special cases such as when installing, changing, or upgrading the OS. A full flash does erase all of your stored data (contacts, pics, txts, etc...) and settings, however a professional technician or at least a knowledgeable phone geek will know how to properly backup and restore all your data and sometimes even your settings/preferences. The OS comes as what's called a monster pack, for typical mobile phones, or a ROM image for Smart phones. The phone technician/geek will have software that allows them to access your phone at the hardware level via a usb cable so that the OS can be written to the phone's ROM. 

Partial flash is, I am afraid beyond the scope of our current discussion, so I will leave it to google to answer any queries pertaining to that.

When a person says  he is going to flash a ROM, it means he is going to 'install' that rom( though I would recommend you not to use the word install and ROM together, ever :D, unless of course you want to be thought of as a noob which you probably are but wouldn't want them to know!!!:P not that it is bad to be one, but just saying ;) )

Now onto ROMs.....

ROMs

ROMs are the low level programming (also often called firmware) that contain the operating system and basic applications to make your phone work.

Custom ROMs are versions of Android modified by anyone who chooses, and distributed to people to run on their phones. Often they are debloated (carrier junk removed), have performance modifications or battery life changes, and may come themed. These are often used to be running the latest version of Android before the manufacturer or carrier pushes the update out. As they are typically done as a hobby, they will usually have more bugs than a standard ROM, especially when new. There are two different types of major custom ROMs. AOSP or stock. Stock is built on top of the original ROM or one from a similar phone. They will be TouchWiz (Samsung) Sense (HTC) or Blur (Motorola) based ROMs and look similar to what came on your phone. On the other hand, AOSP (Android Open Source Project) ROMs are versions based on the vanilla android Google produces, that exists on Nexus devices. it has no Touchwiz, Sense, or Blur. It's a preference. These may have more bugs as they're significantly different from the manufacturer's software. Popular AOSP distrobutions include CyanogenMod, AOKP, and many others. Almost all custom ROMs come pre-rooted.

Kernels are the lower level of the ROM. I'm not an expert on kernels to be honest, but these are what allow overclocking. They tend to vary by device and some may be buggier or have bad battery life, so you'll have to test these yourself. Be sure to flash the right kernel, however. AOSP kernels and TouchWiz/Sense kernels are not interchangeable usually. For the most part, kernels cannot be changed without an unlocked bootloader, but custom ROMs sometimes can be changed a bit (though it's much harder for developers!).

People usually turn to custom ROMs if 

1. They are looking for a more recent version of the OS (for example from Android 2.3 to 4.0 or 4.3 to 4.4)

2. To get more features out of their OS especially if the stock ROM ( the one the phone ships with) is unsatisfactory in terms of aesthetics or performance or both.

Fortunately there is often a great solution to both of these problems: Installing custom ROMs (Read-Only Memories) on your phone. For the iPhone and iPad those ROMs come from Apple and can typically only be updated when Apple issues updates. But for Android devices there are literally hundreds of developers working on custom ROMs for most common models of phones and tablets, which they are happy to share with the community. The big question for most users is whether it is worth the hassle of installing a custom ROM, and if so, what is the best way to do it safely.

The first thing to know is that messing with your phone’s firmware can be risky. You can potentially “brick” your phone so that it won’t be usable without some major low-level hacking. So, at least until you are comfortable with installing ROMs, it’s best to use an older phone or tablet to work with — proceed at your own risk. 

Aaaaand that's a wrap!!! If you have any queries or find the above information incorrect or insufficient or just found it useful, leave your comments below!!!