Tweaking android smartphones(How to install a custom ROM and how to root)

Intro

 I've always had a thing with tweaking stuff. Since I was young, I would always try to make everything run better even if it meant hours and hours of effort.After finding out how tweakable smartphones are,I couldn't resist getting one.The Huawei Ideos X5 got my attention as it was really affordable even though it sported hardware used in phones with double its price.
 You may wonder:"How tweakable can a smartphone be?".The surprising answer is as much as a pc if there are developers supporting it.With some tinkering you can change their their user interface and operating system,add features previously locked and even overclock their cpus.Atlhough this applies to all smartphones,I will describe how to do these on those with the Android operating system because I am unfamiliar wih the iOS counterparts.

Low level tweaks

  To start with,the most basic tweak to maximize your phone's performance is to keep it clean of uneccessary apps.These occupy storage space and RAM while running, decreasing your phone's responsiveness.This is something  everyone should do iregardless of whether they like tweaking or not.

   For those who want have a little more control over their phones,rooting is the answer.Rooting is the process of giving yourself adminstrator rights, the equivalent of SuperUser access(sudo) of the x86  linux distributions like Ubuntu and Slackware.The most simple way to achieve this is through a nifty app called z4root.To install it,simply copy the apk inside your sd card and run it through a file manager(examples Astro file manager,file expert).Make sure to enable the unknown sources option(location:settings<<applications<<unknown sources) too.Then run the app and the instructions should be really straighforward to follow.Keep in mind that rooting voids your warranty.To be extra safe backup according to the instructions in the next section or choose temporary rooting.

   With root access you can now tweak everything on your phone,including preinstalled applications, as well as install some extra applications from android market which wouldn't work without it.You can also install titanium backup(free from the android market) to backup your current settings and data in case something goes wrong.

z4 root interface

Backing up

   In order to enable some features such as an unlocked cpu governor(for overclocking) and unlocking locked hardware you will need to install a custom ROM.Keep in mind that this is slightly dangerous because it can brick your phone if performed without precautions and it will void your warranty.

  To start with,you will need clockwork mod.It is a replacement for the stock android recovery which allows advanced backup and restore functions as well as access to options required for installing your custom ROM.The easy way to flash it is using rom manager from the android market(needs root).This won't work on al phones though(like mine) so you may need to do it manually.

  To download it,find it in the xda developers website,in the development section dedicated to your phone,if it has been ported to it(if not you can only wait until it has or try porting it yourself).After downloading it,you will have to extract the file recovery.img wherever you want.

  Then you will have to boot up your phone connected to your pc while holding down the power,volume up and volume down buttons.This will result in your phone displaying a pink screen and your pc detecting some mass storage devices.One will contain a directory named image.Open it and you will see many .img files including recovery.img.Rename it to something else and place the custom recovery.img in there.After that,safely remove the devices from your pc and pull out your phone's battery to shut it down.

  After putting the battery back inside,start your phone by holding down  the power button with just the volume + button simultaneously.You should soon see the clockwork mod recovery menu.Proceed with doing a full backup.

clockwork mod recovery interface

Installing the custom ROM 

 After having backuped everything,it is time to install your custom ROM!Here are the steps to follow: 

1. Download a custom ROM in a .zip format(you can find some in the xda developers forums,modaco forums and custom ROM websites)
2. Go into clockwork recovery by holding down the power and volume + buttons
3. Run the wipe data/factory reset,wipe cache partiton functions once
4. Choose install zip from sd card and choose zip from sd card
5. Navigate to the zip and select it
6. The ROM will install
7. Go to advanced and choose wipe dalvik cache and fix permissions
8. Mount /system from mounts and storage
9. Reboot your phone(it may take a few minutes before the os boots up as it is rebuilding the dalvik cache)
10. Howl victoriously if you have succeeded ;)

  Note:If your custom rom supports an unlocked cpu governor,you can download set cpu and overclock your phone's cpu.

FAQ

1. The phone will reboot or hang after the installation:Solution wipe user data,cache partition and the dalvik cache and use fix permissions.If it still doesn't work try a reinstall followed by the above.
2. Some features won't work:Check the supported features log on the forum thread you downloaded it from.If it is supposed to work do everything suggested on the above question.
3. The battery stats are not correct: Charge your phone long enough to make sure it is fully charged,boot into recovery and go to advanced>>wipe battery stats.Select it and it should be fine after that.
4. I don't like the new ROM,how do I revert to the old one?: Go into recovery,wipe data and cache and then go to backup and restore.Choose restore.After it is done,wipe the dalvik cache too and reboot.Everything should be back to how it was .
5. I am experiencing performance issues: Reinstall according to the first question and if they don't go away,the ROM is problematic.Restore your old ROM until it is fixed.