[chexmix]

Hi all --

I just got my Crystal last week, and am having fun exploring its capabilities. This is my first tablet.

I'm considering going to a custom ROM (although I am still cloudy on the advantages of doing so) but wanted to know before I went too much further: will installing CM10 or something like that wipe out the apps I have installed?

My tablet is a Batch 3, so I guess I still have some time to wait before a stable ROM is available. It'd be nice if I could keep installing apps and playing around, but if it'd be better for me to wait, well ...

Anyway -- glad to have found this forum & that the community for this particular device is so active.

-Glenn

[3ndymion]

Hello. Installing a customized ROM will delete everything. You'll be starting from brand new. You can download Titanium Backup from the Google Play store & use that to backup all of your apps onto your SD memory card. That way, you can flash any ROM you want, download Titanium Backup again, & use it to put all of your apps back on the device again. You can even backup & restore all your call logs & text messages too.

By the way, would you be able to provide us with some info on yours??? Like what build date & kernel version are shown in the settings??? We'd greatly appreciate any info we can get. Thanks.

[fuser-invent]

As 3ndymion said, Titanium Backup is an amazing app for anyone installing custom ROM's but you should definitely provide your build date and kernel so that someone here can tell you if it's safe to install a custom ROM or not. If your Crystal is new it might be a batch 3 and you would brick your device if you flashed any ROM's to it. Be careful.

[chexmix]

fuser-invent, on 14 January 2013 - 11:45 AM, said:

As 3ndymion said, Titanium Backup is an amazing app for anyone installing custom ROM's but you should definitely provide your build date and kernel so that someone here can tell you if it's safe to install a custom ROM or not. If your Crystal is new it might be a batch 3 and you would brick your device if you flashed any ROM's to it. Be careful.

Oh it's definitely a batch 3: the number from the back of the unit is 121208.

OK, so Build Number in settings is 20121212

Kernel version: 3.0.8-gcda87f3-dirty

The whole string shebang under "Kernel version" is as follows:

3.0.8-gcda87f3-dirty
chengnan.tan@droid07sz))
#6 SMP PREEMPT Wed Dec 12 20:33:25 CST 2012

... let me know if this is indeed what you were looking for, and whether I can provide anything else helpful. I'll put installing a custom ROM to the side for now.

Thx,

Glenn

[fuser-invent]

That is the the batch 3 version that will brick if you flash anything, so don't flash anything.

[chexmix]

fuser-invent, on 14 January 2013 - 05:34 PM, said:

That is the the batch 3 version that will brick if you flash anything, so don't flash anything.

OK, so I was looking over this thread today:

http://www.slatedroi...ip-for-crystal/

... and thought the gist of it was that there _is_ now a way to switch a Batch 3 Crystal to a custom ROM. Or am I misreading/misunderstanding?

Thanks,

/G

[fuser-invent]

That is correct, there is also a batch 3 zip for CM10 and for my ROM now as well but on my ROM it's still in beta and I've had two reports that the play store is not working and accessing the settings causes a force close.

[starkler]

chexmix, on 13 January 2013 - 05:01 PM, said:

I'm considering going to a custom ROM (although I am still cloudy on the advantages of doing so)

Me too so it raises the question "why?"

I have looked around but I havent seen any list of shortcomings with the 1119 firmware in my tablet that need fixing, and I haven't stumbled onto any in my usage.
Can anyone please link me to enlightenment on this? What do I get other than a broken camera and gsensor given that I have playstore fixed.

[fuser-invent]

Honestly, I don't want to spend too much time on that question. Read the threads and you should be able to get a good idea, even just glancing at them. You'll fix the CPU SOD, horrible battery life, inability to type on the keyboard, issues with swipes randomly breaking, better play store compatibility, better fingerprint, fixed sound issues, fixed lag issues, fixed wifi issues, fixed touch sensitivity, better sd card speeds, fixed mic volume, etc, etc, etc....... Seriously, just read the threads.

[starkler]

Righto thanks. I saw gripes from early days pre 1119 and couldnt find a thread re 1119... Shall sift through it all.

[fuser-invent]

starkler, on 23 January 2013 - 08:01 AM, said:

Righto thanks. I saw gripes from early days pre 1119 and couldnt find a thread re 1119... Shall sift through it all.

It makes more sense just to go to the firmware section, look at the custom ROM's and see what is listed in the features or change log sections.

[chexmix]

fuser-invent, on 22 January 2013 - 07:35 PM, said:

That is correct, there is also a batch 3 zip for CM10 and for my ROM now as well but on my ROM it's still in beta and I've had two reports that the play store is not working and accessing the settings causes a force close.

This is great -- thanks so much.

I've been roaming the threads here and I confess I am a trifle lost. I'm interested in getting CyanogenMod running on my Crystal, but can't seem to find a 'one-stop' set of directions for making the transition without turning my Batch 3 unit into a fancy paperweight.

For one thing, I get lost in the terminology:

- TWRP? what's that? what does it do? is it different from the Titanium backup app I installed on my Crystal?

- comp.zip? what does it do? it is distinct from the actual ROM, correct?

Is the process basically 3 steps: backup (TWRP?), install comp.zip, install ROM?

If someone knows of a good HOWTO for older dimwits like me, please point me to it. ;^)

Thanks, and sorry for my skull's density,

/G

[fuser-invent]

Chexmix, there is a how to / get started guide in my signature however it needs some updating for the batch 3 Crystals but there is still a lot of info there and a lot of step by step.

So if you hold down the power and vol- buttons when your tablet is off, instead of booting into the firmware, it will boot into the stock recovery. The stock recovery is kind of like the BIOS on a computer but not exactly. It allows you to flash zip packages like ROM's. TWRP and CWM are both custom recoveries. TWRP is actually a touch based recovery so you don't need to use the buttons to navigate it.

A comp zip, or compatibility zip, is needed because there are three batches of crystals with different hardware. The ROM is most of the firmware or operating system and the comp zip will install the drivers for the hardware that is different between batches, like the g-sensor, camera and wifi. In the case of batch 3 crystals, it also contains the boot.img, which is a little harder to explain but basically what you need to know is if you have a batch 3 and flash a batch 1 or 2 comp zip you will brick your crystal and I'm assuming if you flashed a batch 3 comp zip on a batch 1 or 2 it might do the same thing.

The process is laid out in the original post of each custom ROM and they are all slightly different. It's also in my get started guide. The general process for a ROM you flash with CWM or TWRP is to extract the files in the CWM/TWRP zip to your external SD card. Place the ROM, comp zip and factory reset zip files on your external SD card. Boot into CWM/TWRP with Power and Vol- buttons. Flash the factory reset zip, then the ROM, then the comp zip, then reboot. When you update the ROM you don't need to flash the factory reset zip but the first time you do if you are coming from the stock firmware/ROM. With CM10 or CM10.1 there is the additional step of flashing the gapps package, the original post in those threads will tell you when in the process you do that.

[chexmix]

fuser-invent, on 23 January 2013 - 08:57 PM, said:

Chexmix, there is a how to / get started guide in my signature however it needs some updating for the batch 3 Crystals but there is still a lot of info there and a lot of step by step.

Thanks for the reply. I know of your Guide and I appreciate all the work you have put into it and other documents here.

I apologize, I get cold feet easily with this sort of thing ...

/G

[fuser-invent]

No problem, as long as you read everything carefully and follow step by step you should be fine. If you have more questions on terminology just ask or check out the giant glossary of Android Terms, Slang and Definitions linked somewhere in my thread here.

[chexmix]

chexmix, on 24 January 2013 - 03:07 PM, said:

Thanks for the reply. I know of your Guide and I appreciate all the work you have put into it and other documents here.

I apologize, I get cold feet easily with this sort of thing ...

/G

One thing I get easily confused by: there are both internal and external SD cards, correct? When instructions say "place so-and-so at the root of your SD card," I typically wonder "which one?" Maybe it doesn't matter.

/G

[fuser-invent]

External.

[chexmix]

Did it! Am now running CyanogenMod 10.1 on a Batch 3 Crystal. :^)

Currently restoring applications ...

[Jozi]

Could someone enlighten me as to what batch I have, my serial is: 130108G27200

[fuser-invent]

Jozi, on 24 February 2013 - 07:25 PM, said:

Could someone enlighten me as to what batch I have, my serial is: 130108G27200

If you have the same kernel as chexmix then it's a batch 3:

3.0.8-gcda87f3-dirty
chengnan.tan@droid07sz))
#6 SMP PREEMPT Wed Dec 12 20:33:25 CST 2012

The newer ones with the 130108 build number that you have are reported to work with Batch 3 compatibility zips so far but the camera doesn't work. So if you need the camera for something like Skype then I'd suggest you don't flash anything.