[Android] ANDROID FAQs thread, check here first, please contribute

This is an FAQ thread, where you can find a list of common questions and answers. I couldn't fit it all in my signature, so figured a thread would be a better place. In general this isn't a place to ask questions; there is an Android Vogue port help desk for asking questions. I really don't care if you ask questions here and will probably answer them, but better to keep things organized.

Purpose of this thread is to have a list of frequently asked questions that link to answers. I will start off the list with a number of questions that I answer all the time. Other helpful people or devs that find themselves answering the same question over and over again, either a) post a link or b) pm me a link to a well described and organized answer and I will add it to this first post; you can also just post the well described and organized answer below. I'll make categories as the need arises. We have answers to just about every question, however they can be hard to find spread out between different threads, so this thread is the launching point to find them.

Also, this is a vogue forum. Feel free to link this in the android kaiser, nike, polaris forums etc, however I won't be linking to wifi answers and the like unless there is an uprising for me writing this

ANDROID FAQs - MENU - just keep scrolling down, or click the links
1. General questions - post #2
2. Android on NAND (i.e. replacing windows mobile with android) - post #3
3. Android from the microSD card (running both windows mobile and android on your phone) - post #4

GENERAL

1. android button layout

2. android resolutions - what gives?

3. how to change android ROMs

4. how to install a ROM update

5. android market problems (can't see all free apps, or can't see paid apps)

6. I can't change from portrait to landscape using longpress power

7. how do I connect my phone to my computer? adb, usb mass storage

8. how to install applications without a data plan

9. where do I find all the files to get this to run?

10. my battery life sucks in Android. can I make it last longer?

11. how to calibrate your screen

12. Verizon GPS (thx mrkite38 for the link)

Android on NAND (i.e. replacing windows mobile)

1. how do I flash android to NAND - the noob guide from ground zero, see also this guide by corbs808 (thx)

2. how do I get windows mobile back? (see bottom of post, under "OTHER NOTES")

3. how to change android ROMs

4. how to install a ROM update

5. how do I change resolution?

6. complete how to guide in kaiser forum, most of it applies to vogue as well, currently written for old rootfs method; includes setting up for running from SD, partitioning, and changing builds. (thx loserskater)

Android from the microSD card (i.e. both windows and android on your phone)

1. how do I install android to the microSD card - the noob guide (thx umbilicalbungee)

2. how to change android ROMs

3. how to install a ROM update

5. how do I change resolution?

6. how do I partition my card if i want to run off an ext2 partition? (thx intimidatorx31) or here (thx loserskater)

saving this one too

and I'll keep this one

and this one is mine

and I think that is enough for future categories

changing resolution when running from microSD card (ext2 or regular)

When running from the microSD card, resolution is stored in the default.txt file in /sdcard/andboot/. you'll need to edit that file one of two ways:
1. use a windows mobile program like Total commander to go to the file and edit the settings
2. connect your phone to your computer using activesync or USB mass storage while in windows, and edit the file using wordpad

Go to the second to last line in the file. note, some text editors will not see the hard returns in the file and lists them instead as little boxes; this won't affect the functioning of the file, but makes it harder to read. wordpad and total commander read it fine. the second to last line should look something like this:

change the width and height to meet your needs. see here for a discussion on different resolutions and their merits.

how to change resolution of NAND install

BEFORE STARTING
1. know that there are multiple ways to flash a rom to your phone. here are a few
a. using windows, get a flashing package from one of the xda devels, and replace the RUU_signed.nbh file in that package with whatever you are trying to flash (try NFSFAN's package, it has always worked well for me for this; some carrier packages don't work), renamed the same way
b. use a 2GB or smaller micro SD card with the .nbh named VOGUIMG.NBH in root, then place the phone in bootloader mode (see #2)
c. use linux and HTCFlasher - don't know much more about this method, find it here

2. if flashing from a computer, I always recommend flashing from the bootloader, NOT through active sync. enter bootloader: hold down power and camera, then press and release reset, wait for the tricolor screen. then connect to usb, and flash away

3. Flashing etiquette: I always flash everything twice, back to back, for good measure. while the phone is flashing, don't move it, don't open programs, don't surf the internet, just leave your phone and computer alone, hands off.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

1. Download the latest .nbh in the resolution you want from sourceforge. sometimes all the resolutions are packaged in one zip file.

2. choose your flash method (see above quoted text)

3.
-- if flashing from linux or windows, place your phone in bootloader mode (enter bootloader: hold down power and camera, then press and release reset, wait for the tricolor screen). connect to the usb cable.
----windows: rename your .nbh to RUU_signed.nbh, place it in the flashing package (overwrite the pre-existing RUU_signed.nbh), and run romupdateutility.exe. follow the instructions
----linux: I don't have linux, but should be straightforward
-- if flashing from the microSD card: see quoted text 1b.

4. allow phone to boot.

5. use app "rogue tools" to adjust the lcd density until the stuff on your screen size looks about right. suggestions: 240x320 use between 110 and 120; 320x428 and 320x480 use 160 (some like 144 for 320x428)

loserskater said:

I have a nice little getting started guide HERE if you want to add it to your post. Not trying to take over, just trying to help

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

plenty of work for more than two , i'll add it, looks great; when norootfs method is working for your phone, would be nice to have it conform to that method.

installing apps without a data plan

the old AndroidApps folder for installing apps has been phased out. for those without a data plan, you must first download apps on your computer, and then either A) transfer them to your SD card and install using a file explorer from within android, or B) use adb to install them from your computer.

best way to find apps from the market is to look them up here, here, or here. then either go to the developers website to see if they offer downloads, or just google the name of the app and see if you can find a download link. you can also download freeware android apps from here (thx smarcin).

there are also warez sites where you can find free and paid apps but I can't link them here.

then get them installed.

method A - adb install
1. set up adb on your computer (see section on adb in this post to set it up)

2. open a command prompt on your computer. then enter command
where <path_to_apk> is replaced by the location and name of the app, i.e. /windows/mydocuments/neocore3d.apk. or even easier, from within the command prompt cd to the directory where the apps are located, and then enter
i.e. adb install neocore3d.apk. it will install the file. that's it.


method B - storage card install
this method depends on having a file manager already installed on android. many chefs include one in their packages; if there is none, you would have to use method A above first to get one installed to use this method.
1. connect your phone in USB mass storage mode (see USB MASS STORAGE here)

2. copy the .apk files over to your sd card (you can place them anywhere you like)

3. when done, hit enter on the phone to disconnect, then click on quit in the menu. android will boot up.

4. go to settings > applications and check the box to allow "unknown sources".

5. fire up your file explorer. navigate to the directory where you copied the .apk files.

6. click on the file; some file explorers will give you an option at this point, click "open app manager" if it does.

7. click install. that's it, you're done.

installing android to the SD card

courtsey of umbilicalbungee with some editing.

Note: if you do not have GPS functioning in windows mobile, then to use GPS in Android you will need to unlock your phone. go here and follow steps 1 - 3 under GET STARTED.


BEFORE STARTING:
Make sure your micro SD card is formated to fat32. wouldn't hurt to do a fresh reformat even if it is already in fat32; back up any important files first.


GET STARTED:

1. Erase all previous android files from your sd card

2. Go here, download the latest basefiles.zip or haretinstall.zip.

3. open the zip and place the andboot folder and all its contents on the root directory of your SD card

4. download the build of your choice, it may be zipped, but inside you should have an androidinstall.tar file

5. copy androidinstall.tar to your sdcard /andboot folder

6. then on your phone's file explorer run haret.exe from /andboot folder on you sd card

7. click run and immediately hold this button as linux boots, until the install menu appears.

8. check the appropriate location at the top of the menu. there are options for location of the sys file, and location of the data file. since you are running haret, you can either install to the sd card ext2 (regular sd card, everything will get placed in the andboot folder), or to sd card partitions (if you created extra ext2 partitions on your sd card, you can choose to use them here). you can use a combination of options (i.e. system on ext2, data on partition).

9. choose "install system" in the lower half of the install menu. click yes, and yes in the two pop-ups that follow. allow it to run, it should kick you back to the install menu when it is complete.

10. choose "quit". android should boot.

smarcin said:

I found this website which has .apks for a number of useful freeware apps:

http://androidfreeware.org/

You can download the .apks directly from the website. It has Astro and a couple of other file browsers.

You can download the apps directly to your computer.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

thx, will incorporate this.

smarcin said:

You could also put your microSD card into a card reader, connect it to your computer and copy the .apks to your SDcard. Then go to step 4 and continue.

Click to expand...

Click to collapse

not everyone has a card reader, but everyone can easily use the usb mass storage function of linux; also very easy to use. great suggestion though, some may not have thought of that!