I have a cheap Android tablet, branded Synapse, I think it's this model although I paid nothing like that for it: http://www.dee-sign.co.uk/products/synapse-tablet-top-spec
What are my options for playing with Android versions? I'd like to experiment with (eg) CyanogenMod but haven't done it before; I was thinking it better to risk my cheapo tablet than my Galaxy SII but on the other hand at least the GS2 has been well tested...
I believe the tablet is just the same as any number of cheap imported tablets and I don't want it to be stuck on the version it shipped with (albeit that it came with ICS).
Mark,
Dunno about support for your cheap tablet - guess you'll have to Google to see how well it's supported with unofficial ROMs - but I have installed the release version of CM9 on my Galaxy S II.
I had some trouble finding a single guide that worked for me (as there's a a fair few out there, and I found some tools wouldn't work for me e.g. the Heimdall Suite), but by using a mixture of info from the alternatives, I got there eventually. If you're trying to do the flashing using Windows, I would advise that you thoroughly uninstall Samsung Kies before you start, if you've already got it installed. This is particularly true of the Kies USB drivers which need to be uninstalled separately from the main Kies program in Add/Remove Programs. This will stop the drivers conflicting with the modified USB drivers that are used by the flashing tools like Heimdall or Odin.
I'd also direct you to this issue I stumbled across last week:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1756242
It may not apply to you, but you may want to read up on it if you’ve upgraded to stock Samsung ICS 4.0.4 and are then considering rooting or flashing your device with a custom ROM. There’s a bug in an eMMC chip in the Galaxy S II which that latest stock Samsung kernel doesn’t protect you from – if you make the mistake of triggering it, it can brick your device permanently.
If you’re only flashing stock Samsung ROMs, this shouldn’t be an issue. To be absolutely sure it wouldn't cause me a problem, I downgraded to stock 4.0.3 before I rooted and flashed CM9.
HTH,
Peter.
P.S. Also note that the TV out feature of the Galaxy S II is not suppported in Cyanogenmod and probably never will be.
On 20/08/12 09:52, samwise wrote:
Dunno about support for your cheap tablet - guess you'll have to Google to see how well it's supported with unofficial ROMs - but I have installed the release version of CM9 on my Galaxy S II.
Problem with "Googling for it" is that I don't know what I'm looking for. I haven't found any references to it by it's "brand" but I'm not surprised by that; if it's just a generic bit of kit then I'm sure there'll be a ROM that fits. It's just knowing how to find out what I need.
I had some trouble finding a single guide that worked for me (as there's a a fair few out there
Ditto, this being the main reason I haven't done it on the GS2 yet. It always gets filed in the "jobs to do when I have time to take me time over it", which at this rate will take me outside the 2-yr contract on the GS2 (still well over a year to go)...
If you're trying to do the flashing using Windows, I would advise that you thoroughly uninstall Samsung Kies before you start, if you've already got it installed.
Thanks for the tip. My preference would be to do it from Linux anyway, but I'd go with whatever the instructions I chose to follow told me to do.
Thanks for that!
P.S. Also note that the TV out feature of the Galaxy S II is not suppported in Cyanogenmod and probably never will be.
Yeah, that's a pain. How much do the hardware manufacturers really think they gain by not having open sourced drivers (I assume that's the problem here)?
Mark
Problem with "Googling for it" is that I don't know what I'm looking for. I haven't found any references to it by it's "brand" but I'm not surprised by that; if it's just a generic bit of kit then I'm sure there'll be a ROM that fits. It's just knowing how to find out what I need.
Yup. I'm sure you'll find what it's based on eventually, if you spend long enough looking. I'm surprised that noone has written an app which will try to identify a device from software.
Ditto, this being the main reason I haven't done it on the GS2 yet. It always gets filed in the "jobs to do when I have time to take me time over it", which at this rate will take me outside the 2-yr contract on the GS2 (still well over a year to go)...
I followed the main CM9 guide eventually, but had to use different tools to the ones specified. Took a day or so, including the downgrade to 4.0.3 and me going out for a bit.
Thanks for the tip. My preference would be to do it from Linux anyway, but I'd go with whatever the instructions I chose to follow told me to do.
Should be possible to do it from any, afaik.
Thanks for that!
You're welcome. If you follow the CM9 wiki guide it shouldn't be a problem, AIUI, but given there is a chance of permanently bricking the device if you get it wrong, I thought it would be prudent to share it anyway.
P.S. Also note that the TV out feature of the Galaxy S II is not suppported in Cyanogenmod and probably never will be.
Yeah, that's a pain. How much do the hardware manufacturers really think they gain by not having open sourced drivers (I assume that's the problem here)?
Mark
Well, sometimes it's less about them choosing not to open source the drivers, so much as choosing not to spend the extra time/money/effort to do so. It can often come down to a simple cost decision. I think if you want guaranteed source code so that the custom ROMs will have the same supported featureset as the stock firmware, you have to go for something like the Nexus which, AIUI, does ship with the complete source tree. My problem is that, thus far, my contract expiration has never really coincided with the release of a Nexus and I don't like the idea of buying a six month+ old phone ...
Peter.
On 20/08/12 11:39, samwise wrote:
Yup. I'm sure you'll find what it's based on eventually, if you spend long enough looking.
Problem is I have no idea what to look for!
I might take the cover off any see if that gives me any clues.
Well, sometimes it's less about them choosing not to open source the drivers, so much as choosing not to spend the extra time/money/effort to do so.
Which it turn means that the FOSS market share isn't yet high enough to make it worthwhile :-(
-
Mark Rogers -
samwise