General [INFO] Device Forum Rules (Please Read before Posting)

[Stephen]

In this thread, we will provide a short Q&A for your stay on this forum. Please read thoroughly and act accordingly. While most that is needed to know is pointed out in the Forum Rules, history shows that some points of these rules are not clearly understood by some users, and others leave room for interpretation. With this Q&A, we give you some additional guidelines regarding how the forum for this device is moderated.

Spoiler: Index

• Post #1
  • Who are the moderators for this forum?
  • How do I contact the moderator team?
  • What's the best prefix to use for my thread?
  • Where can I post things that are not allowed in a Device Forum?
  • What do I do when I do not understand a moderator's decision?
• Post #2
  • XDA-Developers and the GPL
• Post #3
  • Threads Prefixed by [Development]
• Post #4
  • Thread Naming
• Post #5
  • WhatsApp/Telegram Groups and Channels - Going Forward

Who are the moderators for this forum?

The Team Leaders (Senior Moderators) for ASUS, HTC, Nokia, Nothing, nubia, OnePlus, OPPO, Realme, Sony, Xiaomi and ZTE devices are Az Biker, coal686, engloa and Stephen.

The Moderators for the sections listed above are alecxs, Funk Wizard, roirraW "edor" ehT, and Sib64.

How do I contact the moderator team?

While you are free to contact any of us via PM, for moderating purposes, it is much more advisable to use the report system. You can find the report button in the lower left corner of every post or conversation message. If you do that, your request reaches all moderators, thereby multiplying the chance of a fast reaction to your request. If you PM a moderator, he/she does not know whether you have contacted others also and therefore it is possible that your request is handled by different moderators, possibly overruling one another. Or, the moderator you messaged might not even be online for some time (for example, due to real life issues, etc.). Our ticket system avoids that. Therefore, please always use the report system.

What's the best prefix to use for my thread?

With XDA's transition from vBulletin to XenForo, all newly created device forums are flattened (i.e. they have a single forum structure) and don't contain sections or sub-forums like the ones you're used to from pre-XenForo times any longer; these new forums use prefixes instead to identify the nature of the thread. Use or selection of a prefix is enforced in order to create a thread.

Selection of the right prefix is very important and decides not only whether you achieve the goal you intend with your thread, but also whether it might be regarded as off-topic/not allowed and therefore be closed or removed. So here is a list to help you decide the best prefix to use for your thread (or maybe to not post it at all). However, prior to creating a new thread, please study Rules 5 and 15 of the Forum Rules (i.e. search if a relevant thread already exists in which you could post).

To understand which prefix is best suited for your thread, please read below:

[Question]

What's prefixed this way:

• All device related questions (questions pertaining to a ROM/kernel/theme/mod, etc. should be asked in the ROM/kernel/theme/mod's specific thread, if it exists)

[How To Guide]

What's prefixed this way:

• Guides and tutorials
• Tips and tricks

[Development]

What's prefixed this way:

• Publications and releases of your own development (ROMs, kernels, recoveries, etc.; for exact rules for creating such threads, please refer to Post #2 and Post #3 below)

[Themes / Apps / Mods]

What's prefixed this way:

• All discussions related to device specific theming or applications (self-made or shared)
• Announcements and discussions regarding modifications made to device specific theme or application

[Accessories]

What's prefixed this way:

• All discussions related to accessories relevant to the device

[General]

What's prefixed this way:

• Everything that does not fit in the above mentioned prefixes
• Collections, repositories, indexes
• General information or discussion about the device

What's not prefixed this way: (by far an uncomplete list, just some examples for topics that are not acceptable):

• Everything prohibited by the Forum Rules.
• Trolling, arguing, etc.
• "What was your last phone/will be your next phone" (Off-topic for a device forum, you can post this in the Off-topic Forum)
• "Hello", "Goodbye", "Merry Christmas/Easter/Hannukkah/whatever" (Obviously off-topic, just imagine if every user posts this!)
• "I'll never buy XYZ brand/phone again", "Why Sony/Xiaomi/whoever sucks" and all other "hate" threads (Tell that to those guys, not us)
• "Help!", "How do I...", "Why..." and all other questions (must be prefixed by [Question])

NOTE: Not allowed in any section (including signatures):

• Everything prohibited by the Forum Rules.
• Specified or implied off-topic threads.
• Discussion of/linking to work of developers that are banned from XDA. If they are banned, so is their work.
• Political/religious statements of any kind.

Where can I post things that are not allowed in a Device Forum?

You might want to have a look in the General Discussion Forum for forums like:

• General
• Off-topic
• Android Development and Hacking

What do I do when I do not understand a moderator's decision?

Please feel free to contact the moderator via PM to request clarification. They are approachable people, not robots. If that does not satisfy you, you can contact one of the Team Leaders (Senior Moderators). Do not, however, discuss any moderating issues in any of the forums. This will always be regarded off-topic (which it actually is).

Now let's all have fun on this forum and help each other to make XDA a place where users can gather useful information instead of sipping through knee deep piles of unorganized rubbish.

Regards,
Your Moderating Team for ASUS, HTC, Nokia, Nothing, nubia, OnePlus, OPPO, Realme, Sony, Xiaomi and ZTE devices

 

[Stephen]

XDA-Developers and the GPL​

Hello everyone,

As many of you know, here at XDA we have a strict policy regarding GPL v2. What you may not understand is what that means and what effects it may have on you. Simply put, "the GNU GPL is a software license agreement, under which parts of the Android operating system are licensed. The majority of Android is licensed under the Apache license, but the Linux Kernel (which is present in every running Android ROM in some shape or form) is licensed under the GPL (version 2)".

So what does this mean for the average user?

To keep things simple, this license is one of the reasons Android exists in the open source capacity that it does. It requires developers to keep their kernel source open and has created the community sharing programs that have made Android so wonderful.

If you are a developer, what does this mean for you?

It doesn't matter if you are creating a whole ROM or just the kernel, the process of being GPL compliant is a very simple one to explain. Basically, we expect you to either link the source that you have chosen to use or upload the source you have created into a format that can be viewed by anyone and everyone. Below are the 3 most common situations that developers run into when needing to stay GPL compliant under XDA rules:

1. If you are using a stock kernel, you MUST mention where you obtained your source kernel. Also, having a link leading to where the manufacturer has uploaded their source is always helpful.

2. If you are using a community driven source build (e.g. LineageOS, AOSP, etc.) or a singular developer's source, you MUST link directly to the repository that contains the kernel for that specific device. If you are only linking to another thread or to a general repository, this will not be considered as being GPL compliant unless the code has not been modified.

3. If you are forking a repository that is similar to the examples listed above in #2, you MUST publish and link your entire kernel source. This includes any and all changes that you have made. Two of the most common ways developers publish their source on XDA are either with GitHub, or GitLab. While these two methods are recommended, they are not the only routes you can choose to accomplish this. All that is required is that the source can be viewed and downloaded by anyone who wishes to do so. When releasing an update, your repository must be updated the moment you release your ROM or kernel on XDA. If you can post your update to XDA, there should be no reason as to why you cannot release your source.

What if the manufacturer for my device has not released their kernel source?

In a perfect world this would not happen, but unfortunately, this is not the case. Pulser-G2 wrote a portal article in 2013 explaining a certain situation that has come across our desks. You'll find more examples here. We can only advise you to reach out to these manufacturers with a kind request to comply with GPL v2.

With all of that being said I will leave you with this...

By posting your work on XDA-Developers, you are agreeing that it complies with relevant licensing conditions. As such, by posting a kernel or other work containing GPL code, you are confirming to us that you have made this source code available publicly under the GPL. Failure to follow this policy will result in the closure of your thread and the removal of the download links.

 

[Stephen]

Threads Prefixed by [Development]

This prefix is exclusively reserved for ROMS, Kernels, Recoveries etc. provided they are your own development.

• Try to keep the development threads clean. No off-topic posting and no question prefixed with [Development].
• Use the report button in the lower left corner of an offending post to let us mods know we need to take action. Don't take matters into your own hands.
• Sources need to be posted for all kernels. They're also needed for all ROMs where license demands it. Please refer to Post #2 above for more on this.
• You need to use tags in the thread title, like [ROM], [KERNEL], etc. throughout XDA. Please refer to Post #4 below for more on this.
• Any disputes between developers should be handled by PM; always try to solve the issue amicably first via PM. No public posting in a development thread regarding these matters.
• ROM issues should be discussed within their respective threads.
• Thread titles should always coincide with ROMS already available for download. Notification of an upcoming ROM through thread title/placeholder thread is not allowed. A changelog for the yet unreleased ROM can be included in the OP or in another post clearly marked as expected changelog.

All threads prefixed with [Development] that are NOT about one's own development may be closed or deleted. Posters that will choose to disregard these guidelines will be infracted.

 

[Stephen]

THREAD NAMING

The purpose of this thread is to explain how you can name threads in forums thereby making their content easier to read and understand.​

Following are the recommended tags:​

• [INDEX] - Index for a specific device (more information here)
• [DEV] - Development for projects
• [ROM] - Custom ROMs
• [KERNEL] - Custom kernels
• [MOD] - Hacks and modifications for the device
• [FIX] - Fixes for known issues and bugs
• [GUIDE] - Guides
• [TOOL] - Tools
• [RECOVERY] - Custom recoveries
• [RADIO] - Radios for the device

The title of the thread should also include the following in a chronological order:​

• [Tag] - From the above list
• [Date] - Date of latest version
• [Name] - Of the project
• [Android Version] - Of the project
• [CDMA/GSM] - If the project is only for a specific band

Example:​

• [ROM][18 JUL]LineageOS[12.1][GSM]

More guidelines:​

• If you are unsure of which prefix to use for your new thread, then please refer to the first post in this thread.
• When possible, please include screenshots for your ROM/mod/theme/app as it's expected by our members.
• Placeholder threads are not permitted with the [Development] prefix and will be removed.
• Password must be provided for all password protected files.

Please respect these simple rules, and if you don’t, your thread will be closed or deleted.​

 

[Stephen]

WhatsApp/Telegram Groups and Channels - Going Forward​

Hello XDA family! Just notifying all members that posting certain links to Telegram and other sites like WhatsApp is now allowed on XDA.

What does that mean?

We will allow links to messages on Telegram and/or other platforms anywhere, as long as they provide content for a discussion, question, or is pertinent news. This is exactly like the guidelines for YouTube links.

What about download links?

Download links from hosts, platforms or other sources are allowed as long as they do not require registration. Some Telegram links require registration for downloads, so they will not be allowed. Please check them before posting.

What is NOT changing?

Only one link to a Telegram support group is allowed in the first post of a development thread on the condition that main support is still provided on XDA. This means you can mention Telegram group: https://t.me/abc in the first post as long as you're providing thorough support in your XDA thread.

What is NOT allowed?

Posts like For support, join my Telegram group: https://t.me/abc. This means you're not willing to provide support to users on XDA.

Drop-and-run posts/threads are still not allowed under the self-promotion rule. So posts/threads like "Come to my channel for xyz" or "Watch my video and like my channel" are still not allowed. Such links will be removed and the member will be contacted regarding XDA Forum Rule #5 for self-promotion (under bullet point #6):

• Self-promotion is forbidden, this includes blogs, social media and video channels etc. Random links will be removed.

We thank all members for their cooperation in this matter, and wish you a pleasant stay on XDA.

Regards,
Your XDA Moderating Team