[Q] ROM Manager: Recommended or not?

[TheShamsMan]

Hey guys,

Last night I installed ROM Manager and ClockworkMod Recovery on my Roger's Samsung Captivate and proceeded to watch some YouTube videos on how it works. It would appear that this app has made flashing extremely easy. Too easy one might say.

My question is: Is flashing via ROM Manager safe? Better? Or not, compared to the "old school" method?

Any feedback on ROM Manager or flashing in general for my i896 Captivate would be much appreciated!

 

[Sulphur4724]

Hey guys,

Last night I installed ROM Manager and ClockworkMod Recovery on my Roger's Samsung Captivate and proceeded to watch some YouTube videos on how it works. It would appear that this app has made flashing extremely easy. Too easy one might say.

My question is: Is flashing via ROM Manager safe? Better? Or not, compared to the "old school" method?

Any feedback on ROM Manager or flashing in general for my i896 Captivate would be much appreciated!

I'd say Rom Manager is downright essential, but your mileage may vary. Besides the uber easy flashes there are a number of utility type things it does, not least of which is it gives us cappy users the ability to make nandroid backups.

As far as safe? As safe as any other method I guess. If you do your homework and the Rom's cook has his/her shizzle together (and most of them do.) you should be good using it to flash.

You'll find with some of the newer kernels that a modified CWM is actually replacing the stock 2e/3e recovery also, so it's not a terrible idea to get familiar with it a bit first.

Just some thoughts, hope they help.

 

[TheShamsMan]

Thanks for the reply dude!

Does ROM Manager automatically present users with the option to backup their existing ROM before proceeding with a flash?

I attempted to back up my current ROM with ROM Manager. It rebooted into a recovery menu, but non of them gave me the option to back up. Just wipe and reboot (can't remember the exact options). Is it possible the Captivate is no supported? How would I enable nandroid for Captivate?

 

[Dave the Knave]

Thanks for the reply dude!

Does ROM Manager automatically present users with the option to backup their existing ROM before proceeding with a flash?

I attempted to back up my current ROM with ROM Manager. It rebooted into a recovery menu, but non of them gave me the option to back up. Just wipe and reboot (can't remember the exact options). Is it possible the Captivate is no supported? How would I enable nandroid for Captivate?

You open the app and tap flash clockwork recovery, select your phone, and it will proceed to reboot into recovery mode. At this time, you move down to reinstall packages, and it will then load clockwork recovery. It is from there that you can make your nandroid backup.

 

[Sulphur4724]

You open the app and tap flash clockwork recovery, select your phone, and it will proceed to reboot into recovery mode. At this time, you move down to reinstall packages, and it will then load clockwork recovery. It is from there that you can make your nandroid backup.

What he said. It sometimes chokes on loading itself. It puts a file named update.zip on your sdcard. When you get to the blue menu (2e recovery) you select reinstall packages and it should load right up. Sometimes it will reboot and get stuck there again. Just do it again and it'll come up.

Yes, before you flash through rom manager it asks you if you want to do a backup. You'll find over time tho that you'll just go straight to clockworkmod and skip the whole rom manager thing. At least I did. And if you go to one of the kernels with the modified cwm in place of the recovery menu rebooting to recovery with rom manager will bring you to the wrong one. The modified has extra stuff like lag fixes and that sort of thing that the original cwm doesn't have.

 

[TheShamsMan]

Yeah. So far, I find it easier to just use ROM Manager to boot into Recovery and do everything else from there.

I like how it only presents you with ROMs available for your specific device. I look forward to the list populating for the Captivate. It's currently empty.

 

[nawlage]

You open the app and tap flash clockwork recovery, select your phone, and it will proceed to reboot into recovery mode. At this time, you move down to reinstall packages, and it will then load clockwork recovery. It is from there that you can make your nandroid backup.

the very first time i did this clicked reboot instead of reinstall packages. (i have fat thumbs) now every time i do 'tap flash clockwork recovery' instead of rebooting it just says 'successfully downloaded clockworkmod recovery'. how am i supposed to reinstall if i cant get to the option to do so?

im using a rooted captivate.

 

[norcal einstein]

"Reinstall Packages" is in Android Recovery. When you perform the action "Flash Clockwork Recovery", you are downloading update.zip (which is Clockwork). "Reinstall packages" will install that update.zip and bring you into Clockwork.

So for you nawlage, now you can select "Reboot into Recovery" in ROM Manager, and your phone should boot into Android Recovery (blue text). Once there, reinstall packages (you'll probably have to do this twice), and you'll be brought to Clockwork Recovery (green text). If for WHATEVER reason "Reboot into Recovery" isn't working for you, use the 3-button combo to boot into Android Recovery.

 

[nawlage]

thanks a load. i had just read this... posted by big99gt:

After these steps you won't really have to "hack" your phone lol. Root your phone and download Rom Manager from the Android market...then have it flash a recovery (the first selection at the top) choose your device when prompted. Now after that finishes select "reboot into recovery" and as the above post states you may need to select "reinstall packages" (I did). Once that goes through, you'll see your new custom recovery menu. DO A NANDROID BACKUP of your current Rom as soon as you can....then (as long as your current rom isn't messed up, if its stock your fine) from there on out you can play as much as you want with very little risk of bricking your phone. There are others who can explain it better but your stuck with me till they chime in lol. Its a very easy process and nearly foolproof.

..and did just that. and it takes me to the clockwork recovery (green text). because of this i dont have to reinstall packages?

also, is the backup option in clockwork recovery (green text) equivalent to nandroid backup?

 

[norcal einstein]

Once you are in Clockwork Recovery (green text), there is no more need to reinstall packages.

The "Backup Current ROM" in ROM Manager makes a nandroid backup.

 

[nawlage]

very nice. two thanks for you. thank you.