Hello, recently there have been a lot of posts requesting help with KitKat on our device. This is why I have created a guide going through the installation, setup, issues and many other aspects of KitKat on our phone.
1. List of KitKat ROMs:
OmniROM
CyanogenMod
ParanoidAndroid
SlimKat
Illusion Roms
C-RoM
SlimSaber
CarbonRom
Dirty Unicorns
MoKee OpenSource
Resurrection Remix
Asylum Omni
2. Installation
If you are on the stock Jelly Bean/ICS Samsung firmware:
-Download Philz kernel and copy it to your SD card
-Download a KitKat ROM and copy it to either your internal or external memory
-Download PA-Google Apps and copy it to either your internal or external memory
-Download Raw Kernel r5 and copy it to either your internal or external memory
-Reboot to recovery by holding down volume up, power and home button at once until you are in recovery mode
-Flash Philz kernel
-Go to "Mounts and Storage" and format /system, /data, /preload
-Reboot to recovery again by going to "advanced", "reboot to recovery" or by holding down volume up, power and home button at once until you are back in recovery mode
-Flash Raw Kernel
-Reboot to recovery again
-Flash your ROM
-Flash PA-Google Apps
-Reboot
If you are on any AOSP based firmware or on any custom TouchWiz ROM:
-Download a KitKat ROM and copy it to either your internal or external memory
-Download PA-Google Apps and copy it to either your internal or external memory
-Download Raw Kernel r5 and copy it to either your internal or external memory
-Reboot to recovery by holding down volume up, power and home button at once until you are in recovery mode
-Flash Raw Kernel
-Go to "Mounts and Storage" and format /system, /data, /preload (formatting /preload may fail, skip if it does)
-Reboot to recovery again by going to "advanced", "reboot to recovery" or by holding down volume up, power and home button at once until you are back in recovery mode
-Flash your ROM
-Flash PA-Google Apps
-Reboot
3. Updating your firmware
Updating your system is very easy, some ROMs (ex. OmniROM) have a built-in updater. Simply go to Settings, About phone and "Update". After that just follow the instructions on screen.
If your ROM doesn't support that option or you want to go old-school:
-Download the updated ROM to your internal/external memory
-Reboot to recovery
-Flash the ROM
-Reboot
4. Bugs, issues
When flashing any KitKat ROM I get a "Status 7 error".
You didn't follow the installation procedure carefully enough. You most probably forgot to flash Raw Kernel or you forgot to reboot to recovery after flashing Philz or Raw Kernel.
Sometimes whilst listening to music, the track freezes and I can no longer access it.
KitKat for our device has a bug in it where this happens. There is NO fix for this. Only a reboot will allow you to access the file again.
Refer to this thread for more information.
UPDATE:
The bug has been fixed however not all ROMs have merged the fix yet. If you are still having this issue then try flashing a kernel with the fixes merged (for example Forest Kernel or Raw Kernel).
Sometimes whilst copying files from my computer, the copying process stops.
This is the same issue as the above one with the music bug. One way to copy files without a problem is to reboot to recovery, go to mounts and storage and go for "mount USB storage". Copying through recovery is stable.
UPDATE:
The bug has been fixed however not all ROMs have merged the fix yet. If you are still having this issue then try flashing a kernel with the fixes merged (for example Forest Kernel or Raw Kernel).
I have battery issues.
This can be caused by many reasons, mainly your apps. Here are a few quick fixes though:
1. If your battery is at least a year old then it may be time to replace it with a new original one
2. Go to Settings, Wi-Fi, menu button, advanced and unmark "Scanning always available"
3. Install Greenify
4. If your ROM supports it, go to App Ops (On CarbonROM: Settings, Privacy, Privacy Guard, menu button, advanced) and disable the permission "keep awake" from as many apps as possible. Do not disable this permission from alarm clocks, email clients etc.
You can also disable other permissions, such as location which will also save your battery life
5. Install Titanium Backup and freeze/uninstall as many un-used apps as possible
6. Install Wakelock Detector to find out what is keeping your device awake
7. If you still have problems, refer to this thread
I haven't got ROOT access.
This usually affects OmniROM users. Download SuperSU zip and flash through recovery mode
I want access to Developer options.
Go to Settings, About phone and tap 7 times "Build number"
I want to change the runtime to ART.
Go To Settings, Developer options and find "Select runtime". Don't forget that the ART runtime is still in development by Google and bug reports shouldn't be filed against ROMs if you experience problems on ART
Every single time I change to the ART runtime, it doesn't change and stays on the current Dalvik runtime.
You have Xposed installed which is stopping you from changing it as Xposed is incompatible with ART. Uninstall Xposed to fix this.
I hope you have found this mini guide useful. If you still have any doubts, please don't hesitate to request more help in this thread.
If you have any suggestions as to what else should be included in this guide, don't forget to drop a line or two.
1. List of KitKat ROMs:
OmniROM
CyanogenMod
ParanoidAndroid
SlimKat
Illusion Roms
C-RoM
SlimSaber
CarbonRom
Dirty Unicorns
MoKee OpenSource
Resurrection Remix
Asylum Omni
2. Installation
If you are on the stock Jelly Bean/ICS Samsung firmware:
-Download Philz kernel and copy it to your SD card
-Download a KitKat ROM and copy it to either your internal or external memory
-Download PA-Google Apps and copy it to either your internal or external memory
-Download Raw Kernel r5 and copy it to either your internal or external memory
-Reboot to recovery by holding down volume up, power and home button at once until you are in recovery mode
-Flash Philz kernel
-Go to "Mounts and Storage" and format /system, /data, /preload
-Reboot to recovery again by going to "advanced", "reboot to recovery" or by holding down volume up, power and home button at once until you are back in recovery mode
-Flash Raw Kernel
-Reboot to recovery again
-Flash your ROM
-Flash PA-Google Apps
-Reboot
If you are on any AOSP based firmware or on any custom TouchWiz ROM:
-Download a KitKat ROM and copy it to either your internal or external memory
-Download PA-Google Apps and copy it to either your internal or external memory
-Download Raw Kernel r5 and copy it to either your internal or external memory
-Reboot to recovery by holding down volume up, power and home button at once until you are in recovery mode
-Flash Raw Kernel
-Go to "Mounts and Storage" and format /system, /data, /preload (formatting /preload may fail, skip if it does)
-Reboot to recovery again by going to "advanced", "reboot to recovery" or by holding down volume up, power and home button at once until you are back in recovery mode
-Flash your ROM
-Flash PA-Google Apps
-Reboot
3. Updating your firmware
Updating your system is very easy, some ROMs (ex. OmniROM) have a built-in updater. Simply go to Settings, About phone and "Update". After that just follow the instructions on screen.
If your ROM doesn't support that option or you want to go old-school:
-Download the updated ROM to your internal/external memory
-Reboot to recovery
-Flash the ROM
-Reboot
4. Bugs, issues
When flashing any KitKat ROM I get a "Status 7 error".
You didn't follow the installation procedure carefully enough. You most probably forgot to flash Raw Kernel or you forgot to reboot to recovery after flashing Philz or Raw Kernel.
Sometimes whilst listening to music, the track freezes and I can no longer access it.
KitKat for our device has a bug in it where this happens. There is NO fix for this. Only a reboot will allow you to access the file again.
Refer to this thread for more information.
UPDATE:
The bug has been fixed however not all ROMs have merged the fix yet. If you are still having this issue then try flashing a kernel with the fixes merged (for example Forest Kernel or Raw Kernel).
Sometimes whilst copying files from my computer, the copying process stops.
This is the same issue as the above one with the music bug. One way to copy files without a problem is to reboot to recovery, go to mounts and storage and go for "mount USB storage". Copying through recovery is stable.
UPDATE:
The bug has been fixed however not all ROMs have merged the fix yet. If you are still having this issue then try flashing a kernel with the fixes merged (for example Forest Kernel or Raw Kernel).
I have battery issues.
This can be caused by many reasons, mainly your apps. Here are a few quick fixes though:
1. If your battery is at least a year old then it may be time to replace it with a new original one
2. Go to Settings, Wi-Fi, menu button, advanced and unmark "Scanning always available"
3. Install Greenify
4. If your ROM supports it, go to App Ops (On CarbonROM: Settings, Privacy, Privacy Guard, menu button, advanced) and disable the permission "keep awake" from as many apps as possible. Do not disable this permission from alarm clocks, email clients etc.
You can also disable other permissions, such as location which will also save your battery life
5. Install Titanium Backup and freeze/uninstall as many un-used apps as possible
6. Install Wakelock Detector to find out what is keeping your device awake
7. If you still have problems, refer to this thread
I haven't got ROOT access.
This usually affects OmniROM users. Download SuperSU zip and flash through recovery mode
I want access to Developer options.
Go to Settings, About phone and tap 7 times "Build number"
I want to change the runtime to ART.
Go To Settings, Developer options and find "Select runtime". Don't forget that the ART runtime is still in development by Google and bug reports shouldn't be filed against ROMs if you experience problems on ART
Every single time I change to the ART runtime, it doesn't change and stays on the current Dalvik runtime.
You have Xposed installed which is stopping you from changing it as Xposed is incompatible with ART. Uninstall Xposed to fix this.
I hope you have found this mini guide useful. If you still have any doubts, please don't hesitate to request more help in this thread.
If you have any suggestions as to what else should be included in this guide, don't forget to drop a line or two.
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