Some advice..

cyanogen · Apr 20, 2010

I really dislike the "chef" moniker when it comes to Android, since we are more of an open-source community. I think it implies a "file pusher" mentality. But then again, I am biased against proprietary versions of Android like Sense, so feel free to disregard all of this.

Here's my advice for those looking to make their own Android ROMs.. Stop. Write an app or two first, learn how the system works from a developer standpoint. Learn some Java. Read the developer documentation. Learn how to use Git. Then learn how to build AOSP from source. Read the porting guides, and learn how the build system works (the links below have almost everything you could possibly want to know). Now try to put your new found skills to work on enhancing the platform by writing code or making theme overlays. And share! And put that **** on your resume. There is a *ton* of information out there but any kind of "step-by-step rom cooking guide" is going to be a complete fail- it's too broad of a subject.

Android Developer Guides: http://d.android.com
Working with AOSP source: http://source.android.com
Platform Developer Guide: http://pdk.android.com
Android Gitweb: http://android.git.kernel.org
Git Ready (Git tips and tricks): http://www.gitready.com/
Building CyanogenMod: http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/index.php/Building_from_source
How Dexopt works and what are those odex files: http://android.git.kernel.org/?p=pl...bcd225e47b2cc7abb2a366112d3aeb45936;hb=master

The PDK site is absolutely vital if you are going to work on custom ROMs. Read every single page. Twice. Some of the info isn't up to date, but you'll get a really good idea about what goes into actually configuring Android to work on a real device.

ctso · Apr 20, 2010

I cannot agree more. Learning the in's and out's of the Android framework will benefit newcomers SIGNIFICANTLY.

Building ROMs is easy, fixing bugs and adding new functionality is the fun stuff, and having a solid understanding of the Android framework helps with this. The best way to learn is to pick up the Android SDK and whip up some apps, there are great tutorials out there.

Vermithrax · Apr 20, 2010

Awesome information! It is good to see I have been reading the right literature... There are also a few that I missed... Thanks again for the links!

jcarrz1 · Apr 22, 2010

cyanogen said:
I really dislike the "chef" moniker when it comes to Android, since we are more of an open-source community. I think it implies a "file pusher" mentality. But then again, I am biased against proprietary versions of Android like Sense, so feel free to disregard all of this.

Here's my advice for those looking to make their own Android ROMs.. Stop. Write an app or two first, learn how the system works from a developer standpoint. Learn some Java. Read the developer documentation. Learn how to use Git. Then learn how to build AOSP from source. Read the porting guides, and learn how the build system works (the links below have almost everything you could possibly want to know). Now try to put your new found skills to work on enhancing the platform by writing code or making theme overlays. And share! And put that **** on your resume. There is a *ton* of information out there but any kind of "step-by-step rom cooking guide" is going to be a complete fail- it's too broad of a subject.

Android Developer Guides: http://d.android.com
Working with AOSP source: http://source.android.com
Platform Developer Guide: http://pdk.android.com
Android Gitweb: http://android.git.kernel.org
Git Ready (Git tips and tricks): http://www.gitready.com/
Building CyanogenMod: http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/index.php/Building_from_source
How Dexopt works and what are those odex files: http://android.git.kernel.org/?p=pl...bcd225e47b2cc7abb2a366112d3aeb45936;hb=master

The PDK site is absolutely vital if you are going to work on custom ROMs. Read every single page. Twice. Some of the info isn't up to date, but you'll get a really good idea about what goes into actually configuring Android to work on a real device.

I completely agree. But it's cyan saying it, who wouldn't

I am ok with "chef" terms because they were born on XDA, which makes them kinda cool, but I agree that the file-pusher mentality/stereotype is quite derogatory.

I hope this section goes places.

P.S. Hearing a diehard android dev like you (cyanogen) say that you are biased against sense really made me think about how good plain old android really is... so clean and functional. Good stuff bro.

PAINiNFLIKTA · Apr 23, 2010

very nice thanks for the info was looking into this...now to fill the brain.

Shaquiel Harris · Apr 23, 2010

Weird how this is exactly what i was looking for. Time to read. Thank you cyanogen.

jubeh · Apr 23, 2010

I'm with Cyanogen on the bias against pre-built, proprietary code blobs. Even the non-free, basic parts to get AOSP to build for dream give me the hivie-jivies, mostly because the reason we're in such a pit now with further versions of Android is because we have no source to maintain working basic functionality (yeah, video in a device capable of recording/playback is basic).

I'll try to work a couple basic tutorials based on my rom-building exploits covering things from getting android built from source, to actual troubleshooting possible problems, to having a hand at modifying the source so you can make the built your own. I really want to see somebody come up with a real custom rom on the android part of the OS and leave the linux part rest for a while.

blackgin · Apr 24, 2010

Oh man! PDK! Never seen it! Thanks a lot

brnbock · Apr 26, 2010

Great job

As always, my hat is off to you Cyanogen. This is exactly what i was looking for. Once again thanks for your hard work and dedication to the project.

studjuice · May 2, 2010

This is awesome. I am going to be learning this stuff over summer. But there seems to be a gap of information between learning the android stuff, and learning the linux stuff.

rodigezstyle · May 16, 2010

Hi do you know some guides online to build Overclocked Kernels ???

mistere372002 · Jun 1, 2010

PDK website

Odd that the PDK website does not function. Anyone know who owns it?

blazingwolf · Jun 2, 2010

mistere372002 said:
Odd that the PDK website does not function. Anyone know who owns it?

Works fine for me. What issues are you having?

tomit12 · Jun 10, 2010

I guess I'll be the first in the thread to ask the extreme newbie questions.

Are the links in the OP in a particular reading order, or is there a recommended order?

Since the entirety of my programming experience is some simple VB type stuff, will I be able to learn from the ground up via those links, or will it be more like trying to figure out the words in a Chinese book with no knowledge of the language?

At one point I had managed to cobble together a web front end on my Droid for wowhead.com (all it did was bring up a screen with a search box, which would then pop open the browser with the results of whatever you searched for), but to say I had a firm grasp of what I was doing in my tinkering would be a gross overstatement.

jmz · Jun 11, 2010

cyanogen said:
I really dislike the "chef" moniker when it comes to Android, since we are more of an open-source community. I think it implies a "file pusher" mentality. But then again, I am biased against proprietary versions of Android like Sense, so feel free to disregard all of this.

Here's my advice for those looking to make their own Android ROMs.. Stop. Write an app or two first, learn how the system works from a developer standpoint. Learn some Java. Read the developer documentation. Learn how to use Git. Then learn how to build AOSP from source. Read the porting guides, and learn how the build system works (the links below have almost everything you could possibly want to know). Now try to put your new found skills to work on enhancing the platform by writing code or making theme overlays. And share! And put that **** on your resume. There is a *ton* of information out there but any kind of "step-by-step rom cooking guide" is going to be a complete fail- it's too broad of a subject.

So, firstly thanks for the websites. Personally, I already knew about most of those. But that is beside the point right now.

Why would someone want to learn how to program anything when they are just building a rom? I just don't understand what is wrong with someone only tweaking and slimming a rom down. What point would it be for a website like this to make everybody just go out and learn on their own EVERYTHING, and then what would this site be for? Posting only in the development forums? This is a support website. Plain and simple. Who cares if someone asks a question? If they searched and couldn't find something, let it go.

In your same thought process, very FEW WM chefs could call themselves chefs. And before you ask yes, I could call myself a chef because I have written quite a few apps to assist in building a rom or actual tool for WM. Maybe not the best chef, but one nonetheless.

I just think this is basically discouragement of any new developers/chefs from posting something in fear of being chastised. I am absolutely still learning android. If it wasn't for the people of SDX, particularily joeykrim, I wouldn't be so close to a final product of my Android kitchen.

This being said, maybe I am just full of crap and the only one that will go against your POV. Mainly because I am not afraid to state my opinion. And this POV is wide across the forum and this is why I don't contribute much here anymore

Romparoo · Jun 16, 2010

cyanogen said:
I really dislike the "chef" moniker when it comes to Android, since we are more of an open-source community. I think it implies a "file pusher" mentality. But then again, I am biased against proprietary versions of Android like Sense, so feel free to disregard all of this.

Here's my advice for those looking to make their own Android ROMs.. Stop. Write an app or two first, learn how the system works from a developer standpoint. Learn some Java. Read the developer documentation. Learn how to use Git. Then learn how to build AOSP from source. Read the porting guides, and learn how the build system works (the links below have almost everything you could possibly want to know). Now try to put your new found skills to work on enhancing the platform by writing code or making theme overlays. And share! And put that **** on your resume. There is a *ton* of information out there but any kind of "step-by-step rom cooking guide" is going to be a complete fail- it's too broad of a subject.

Android Developer Guides: http://d.android.com
Working with AOSP source: http://source.android.com
Platform Developer Guide: http://pdk.android.com
Android Gitweb: http://android.git.kernel.org
Git Ready (Git tips and tricks): http://www.gitready.com/
Building CyanogenMod: http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/index.php/Building_from_source
How Dexopt works and what are those odex files: http://android.git.kernel.org/?p=pl...bcd225e47b2cc7abb2a366112d3aeb45936;hb=master

The PDK site is absolutely vital if you are going to work on custom ROMs. Read every single page. Twice. Some of the info isn't up to date, but you'll get a really good idea about what goes into actually configuring Android to work on a real device.

Thank you.

KalimochoAz · Jun 16, 2010

cyanogen said:
I really dislike the "chef" moniker when it comes to Android, since we are more of an open-source community. I think it implies a "file pusher" mentality. But then again, I am biased against proprietary versions of Android like Sense, so feel free to disregard all of this.

Here's my advice for those looking to make their own Android ROMs.. Stop. Write an app or two first, learn how the system works from a developer standpoint. Learn some Java. Read the developer documentation. Learn how to use Git. Then learn how to build AOSP from source. Read the porting guides, and learn how the build system works (the links below have almost everything you could possibly want to know). Now try to put your new found skills to work on enhancing the platform by writing code or making theme overlays. And share! And put that **** on your resume. There is a *ton* of information out there but any kind of "step-by-step rom cooking guide" is going to be a complete fail- it's too broad of a subject.

Android Developer Guides: http://d.android.com
Working with AOSP source: http://source.android.com
Platform Developer Guide: http://pdk.android.com
Android Gitweb: http://android.git.kernel.org
Git Ready (Git tips and tricks): http://www.gitready.com/
Building CyanogenMod: http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/index.php/Building_from_source
How Dexopt works and what are those odex files: http://android.git.kernel.org/?p=pl...bcd225e47b2cc7abb2a366112d3aeb45936;hb=master

The PDK site is absolutely vital if you are going to work on custom ROMs. Read every single page. Twice. Some of the info isn't up to date, but you'll get a really good idea about what goes into actually configuring Android to work on a real device.

Thanks for your support/advice,

I'm trying to understand all the stuff in order to create a new ROM for Tattoo from 0, and I will take your info in order to. Crate this ROM and make a step by step manual to help people to understand how to modify their Tattoo's. I will like to see this cooperative knoledge share for this phone. As more peoople understands all this stuff, and all this work done by the comunity, more people will join and share to have better phones every day.

Tanks

KalimochoAz · Jun 17, 2010

java version

hi all,

Working 100%. Thanks for this great work. Now runing this 2.6.34 kernel on tattoo. Just now ajusting the kernel configuration.

Cheers

DyeZone · Jun 30, 2010

great advice

Cyanogen

Thanks for your support & advice

Time to start reading....

trying to understand all that is needed ==
TO BE A DEVELOPER..

IF ANY BODY HAS MORE INFO OR VIDEOS ..
PLEASE POST
----------------------------------
Currently own a Sprint EVO 4g > and plan on making great things for it..

leonnib4 · Jun 30, 2010

Cyanogen you are so damned right. Building a Rom should implicitly mean that you know git, Android, dev and... read api and docs

I'm thinking about dsixda Rom kitchen.
I use its scripts to unpack kernel and zip everything, but largely customized the scripts and added some. In fact I love shell scripts.

I just wish you could also post a link to a toolchain tutorial for those willing to compile binaries from sources on x86 for an ARM architecture. And also to add shared libraries.

Have a nice day.

Some advice..

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