A look at CyanogenMod 5.0.8
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One of the core features of Linux has always been the ability to switch to a different distribution in the eternal pursuit of something shiny, new, and different. Linux on handsets should be no different. Someday, with any luck at all, we'll be able to change between systems like Android and MeeGo on a single handset. For now, the options are a bit more limited, but there are still toys to play with. Your editor took the CyanogenMod 5.0.8 announcement as the perfect opportunity to avoid real work for while. In short: CyanogenMod is a classic demonstration of what can happen when we have control over our gadgets.
CyanogenMod is a rebuild of the Android environment with a lot of added stuff. Some of what's there is code from Google which has not yet made it into an official Android release; for example, CyanogenMod users got essential features like color trackball notifications, animated GIF support, and 360-degree rotation ahead of stock Android users. They also got features that really are essential, with wireless tethering being at the top of the list. CyanogenMod also includes newer kernels with more features enabled, busybox and a whole set of command-line utilities, proper virtual private network (VPN) support, proper support for applications on the SD card, a cellular access-point name list which takes the guesswork out of using the phone with most providers, and lots more.
CyanogenMod also supports older handsets like the G1/ADP1 which, otherwise, remain stuck with old versions on the Android system.
It's worth noting that the CyanogenMod experience actually starts with the recovery image provided by Amon_RA. This image makes it easy to flash new versions of firmware into the phone. Even more importantly, though, is the full integration of nandroid backup and restore. Your editor can attest that this feature is able to take a handset which no longer even boots after a botched update and return it to its previous state. Needless to say, this capability makes experimenting with new versions a much lower-stress affair - if one remembers to make a backup first.
With regard to the CyanogenMod 5.0.8 update, the first thing to be aware of is this: it is still based on the Android 2.1 release. So while this release has had a lot of 2.2 features since well before 2.2 existed, it is also lacking a few, including the multi-lingual keyboard and the much-faster Java runtime (though it does have the faster V8 JavaScript engine). People running 2.2-based handsets will want to think before making the switch to CyanogenMod; there will be losses as well as gains. One assumes that a 2.2-based release will eventually appear, but nobody has made any promises as to when.
So what is new in 5.0.8? The headline features include:
- The launcher has been replaced by ADW.Launcher,
which adds a number of features. Some of them - being able to see all
of the launcher screens with a "pinch" gesture - would be more useful
if Android's screens were more dynamic. Many of the others seem
oriented toward cramming more useful stuff onto each screen by
allowing closer icon spacing, adding customizable buttons at the
bottom, etc. It is, all told, an improved experience for users who do
a lot with their phones.
- The music player application has some new features, primarily gesture
support. It remains a fairly minimal music player, though; your
editor anxiously awaits the day when Rockbox is available as an
Android application.
- The camera is now capable of recording 720p video - not bad for a cellphone.
There's also a number of bug fixes and performance improvements. Some users are reporting that CyanogenMod 5.0.8 feels a lot faster than its predecessors; your editor is inclined to agree but it's not entirely clear why that would be the case. One other nice little change is that the practice of hiding some settings under "spare parts" appears to have ended; all settings are, once again, available from the "settings" application.
There have been a few complaints about problems with this release, mostly associated with video recording. Those may all be due to a failure to wipe (factory reset) the phone before installing the update, though. Over a couple of days of usage and testing, your editor has not been able to find anything that has gone obviously wrong. It appears to be a solid release.
Naturally, CyanogenMod is not the only customized distribution available
for Android phones; a number of alternatives are available. These include
Kang-o-rama
(2.2-based with claimed high speed and good battery life),
AsimROM
(2.2-based with some theme work),
LeoFroYo
(2.2-based with the nice feature that the Facebook and Twitter applications
have been made removable),
MoDaCo
(2.2, "designed to feel as far as possible like a stock ROM, with
optimisations, tweaks and complimentary additions that enhance the user
experience
"), and many more. There are also projects creating
specialized kernels, attempting to enable the FM radio said to be built
into the Nexus One, and so on. In summary: there's no lack of
Android distributions for those who wish to play with them. At least, if
one has a Nexus One; there appear to be fewer developers targeting other
handsets.
A word of caution is in order, though. CyanogenMod appears to be developed with a fair amount of care and should be solid, but there are no guarantees, and some releases are better than others. The other projects seem to come and go; the perceived risk level with them may be higher. As with any computer, good backups are important. One other thing to keep in mind is this: someday, somebody will certainly yield to the temptation to build a release with some sort of back door or other malware built into it; for all we know this may have already happened. A handset running this software would be thoroughly compromised at the most fundamental level, and this situation could persist for some time; there are few people looking at the code being shipped in these distributions. Until such a time as we have an ecosystem of trusted distributors for handsets, one must proceed with caution and care.
These concerns reflect the fact that the development of real distributions
for handsets has really just begun. Even so, we can begin to see the
potential for where things may go: we have developers updating device
firmware with versions which are more featureful, more power-efficient, and
more tuned to the needs of specific users. If all goes well, we can look
forward to a future with increasingly open handsets and a wider choice of
operating systems to run on those handsets. Interesting things will
certainly come of it.
(Log in to post comments)
Other Android phones
Posted Jun 21, 2010 21:51 UTC (Mon) by rfunk (subscriber, #4054) [Link]
(So instead I picked up an Evo and rooted it, and I await the Android 2.2 update.)
Other Android phones
Posted Jun 21, 2010 22:12 UTC (Mon) by yokem_55 (subscriber, #10498) [Link]
Other Android phones
Posted Jun 21, 2010 23:07 UTC (Mon) by martinfick (subscriber, #4455) [Link]
Other Android phones
Posted Jun 21, 2010 23:38 UTC (Mon) by drag (guest, #31333) [Link]
I don't know how open Verizon is to retail phones. I'd like to know.
"The Incredible", from what I hear, is more hackable then what you typically find. Having 'root access' is a big step forward compared to the status quo a year or so ago.
Software-wise to be truly 'open' would require hackable bootloader, but I think it's going to take a while to get to that point.
Other Android phones
Posted Jun 22, 2010 0:53 UTC (Tue) by yokem_55 (subscriber, #10498) [Link]
Other Android phones
Posted Jun 22, 2010 2:47 UTC (Tue) by lambda (subscriber, #40735) [Link]
Yeah, that's why I went with a Nexus One. Though even then, you don't get a huge amount of choice; in the US, with GSM, you get a choice between AT&T and T-Mobile, and they use different 3G bands, so if you switch from one to the other you lose access to 3G (for some reason, the Nexus One only supports 3 3G bands, not the 5 that would be required to cover all of the common bands).
Verizon is apparently going to be going with LTE for "3.9" G over the next couple of years, which is the successor to the GSM/UMTS 2 and 3G standards. This may mean that eventually you'll just be able to plop in a sim card and switch to Verizon as well, though that will probably be a long ways off.
Other Android phones
Posted Jun 22, 2010 23:13 UTC (Tue) by rfunk (subscriber, #4054) [Link]
Other Android phones
Posted Jun 23, 2010 6:01 UTC (Wed) by cmccabe (guest, #60281) [Link]
> that would be required to cover all of the common bands
Apparently there are some Nexus Ones out there that can do 3G on both AT&T and T-Mobile. You have to check the part number apparently.
Mine only does 3G on T-Mobile, though.
Other Android phones
Posted Jun 24, 2010 15:05 UTC (Thu) by docwhat (guest, #40373) [Link]
So the chip may do all the bands, but I doubt the amplifiers are there, and no phone I have heard of has the antenna needed to do all the frequencies.
Other Android phones
Posted Jun 25, 2010 4:42 UTC (Fri) by lambda (subscriber, #40735) [Link]
Interesting. Do you have a reference for that? For how to determine if I have the correct part number? I'd love to have the freedom to switch to T-Mobile; I went with AT&T because the area I lived in didn't have T-Mobile coverage, but now I've moved, and T-Mobile has better plans for what I'm interested in.
Other Android phones
Posted Jun 26, 2010 0:36 UTC (Sat) by cmccabe (guest, #60281) [Link]
NM8PB99110 => AT&T
NM8PB99100 => T-Mobile
When I first searched for this info, the first website I clicked on talked about a third variant with support for both carriers. This website seems to have evaporated (and wasn't very official in the first place), so maybe that isn't true.
Other Android phones
Posted Jun 22, 2010 7:57 UTC (Tue) by buchanmilne (guest, #42315) [Link]
CDMA makes it more difficult. With GSM you can simply slap the SIM card into it. With CDMA you have to take the phone in or at least get it registered in some way (not sure how it works). This is why I generally prefer GSM phones.
CDMA does have a similar feature, RUIM (or CSIM). However, the fact that the US CDMA providers don't seem to have any plans for RUIM means that many CDMA handsets don't have RUIM support, so they are not feasible in regions where RUIM support is mandatory (e.g., regions with better regulatory control over mobile voice operators).
Nokia also has very limited CDMA handsets (naturally, since GSM is cheaper for them), so a Meego-based CDMA/EV-DO device is unlikely. At present, the only smartphones available on non-US CDMA networks are Windows-based.
An Android-based CDMA/EV-DO handset with RUIM/CSIM support would be a winner in many non-US markets.
(I currently work for a CDMA provider in an emerging market)
Other Android phones
Posted Jun 22, 2010 13:24 UTC (Tue) by jiu (guest, #57673) [Link]
Other Android phones
Posted Jun 22, 2010 15:05 UTC (Tue) by sorpigal (guest, #36106) [Link]
Other Android phones
Posted Jun 22, 2010 18:35 UTC (Tue) by HelloWorld (guest, #56129) [Link]
Yeah, except that CDMA2000 isn't used in Europe, thus nobody knows what it means over here.
Other Android phones
Posted Jun 22, 2010 19:33 UTC (Tue) by bronson (subscriber, #4806) [Link]
Other Android phones
Posted Jun 21, 2010 23:20 UTC (Mon) by jsbarnes (guest, #4096) [Link]
A look at CyanogenMod 5.0.8
Posted Jun 21, 2010 23:24 UTC (Mon) by fb (guest, #53265) [Link]
Google has tried to address this issue through the Nexus, and has gone nowhere. The phone is not widely available. In the mean time, I hope that Froyo's JIT will allow me to postpone upgrading my G1.
installation?
Posted Jun 22, 2010 2:47 UTC (Tue) by louie (guest, #3285) [Link]
installation?
Posted Jun 22, 2010 3:29 UTC (Tue) by yokem_55 (subscriber, #10498) [Link]
installation?
Posted Jun 22, 2010 3:35 UTC (Tue) by louie (guest, #3285) [Link]
installation?
Posted Jun 22, 2010 6:28 UTC (Tue) by drag (guest, #31333) [Link]
I just followed what was on the wiki. I just re-read it a few times, make sure it made sense and went with it. Worked out fine for me.
From my experiences in Ubuntu-land I have a very low trust of what is said in forums, but it seems people that bother to document stuff in wikis tend to be pretty reliable. Especially if they give links to back up what they are saying.
installation?
Posted Jun 24, 2010 2:01 UTC (Thu) by malex (guest, #15692) [Link]
installation?
Posted Jun 24, 2010 5:07 UTC (Thu) by louie (guest, #3285) [Link]
installation?
Posted Jun 25, 2010 12:00 UTC (Fri) by duck (guest, #4444) [Link]
Of course, it is my fault, it was written on one of the three webpages that I had to read in parallel:
- Page 1 says: root your phone, for instructions look on Page 2.
- Then install some recovery Image, see Page 3 for instructions.
- When you are done, install... oh wait, I made a mistake, phone bricked, no need to read any further
The main problem was that the instructions on page 2 and 3 were updated but the references on page 1 were not; so page 2 and 3 and recommended different versions than page 1.
Well, I just asked for some quotes for a Motorola Milestone....
installation?
Posted Jun 22, 2010 5:41 UTC (Tue) by tao (subscriber, #17563) [Link]
Of course, for FAQs (and uncommon questions) a Q&A wiki where people fill in their questions *after reviewing previous questions* and people fill in the answer would make more sense.
installation?p
Posted Jun 23, 2010 1:10 UTC (Wed) by Los__D (guest, #15263) [Link]
installation?
Posted Jun 22, 2010 11:26 UTC (Tue) by ncm (guest, #165) [Link]
installation?
Posted Jun 22, 2010 11:41 UTC (Tue) by fb (guest, #53265) [Link]
It does work on the G1 (I have it installed). Make sure to follow the instructions
installation?
Posted Jun 22, 2010 15:48 UTC (Tue) by bronson (subscriber, #4806) [Link]
I haven't had any problems with calling or the important things, and I like the bells and whistles, so I'm happy I upgraded. Just note that it isn't without some drawbacks.
installation?
Posted Jun 23, 2010 9:02 UTC (Wed) by fb (guest, #53265) [Link]
Note that if you go to "Settings -> Applications -> Running Services", you will see that services you are running. My G1 starts this hideous "Google News" provider thing (which I don't use). Every time I reboot the phone, I just go there and kill the service.
installation?
Posted Jun 22, 2010 13:02 UTC (Tue) by corbet (editor, #1) [Link]
I agree the information is hard to find...those XDA forums are really major pain.I never had to root my G1 when I had one - it was an ADP1 and didn't have that kind of problem. Once that's done, it's time to put in a better recovery image, then flash the main operating firmware. I wrote some stuff about what I did back then. Of course, things have moved on a bit - don't go looking for a JesusFreke image to install now...
installation?
Posted Jun 22, 2010 13:18 UTC (Tue) by corbet (editor, #1) [Link]
I meant to add: for Nexus One owners, these instructions are fairly reasonable.
A look at CyanogenMod 5.0.8
Posted Jun 22, 2010 6:12 UTC (Tue) by smurf (subscriber, #17840) [Link]
Does anybody know of an alternate distro which does? I haven't found one yet.
A look at CyanogenMod 5.0.8
Posted Jun 22, 2010 10:17 UTC (Tue) by Cyberax (✭ supporter ✭, #52523) [Link]
They switched to BFS :)
Seriously, that really might be the case.
A look at CyanogenMod 5.0.8
Posted Jun 22, 2010 15:41 UTC (Tue) by bronson (subscriber, #4806) [Link]
It seems like the effects are a lot smoother on my G1 but latency is noticeably higher. After the upgrade I actually spend MORE time waiting for the home screen to appear (dang this handset is feeling old).
My guess is a big dose of better graphics acceleration plus a small dose of tweaking scheduling priorities and memory usage.
A look at CyanogenMod 5.0.8
Posted Jun 23, 2010 9:10 UTC (Wed) by fb (guest, #53265) [Link]
I feel your pain!
Did already try going to "Settings -> Spare Parts", and
1. enabled Compcache compressing.
**2** setting "Launcher in memory"
Your phone will be even more memory starved (sorry!), but you won't spend 2-3 seconds waiting *every* time you return to the home screen.
2.2 source
Posted Jun 23, 2010 19:56 UTC (Wed) by corbet (editor, #1) [Link]
One thing I neglected to point out in the article: the 2.2-based versions are, as of the writing of this article, all based on "leaked" binary releases; they are not built from the source which, until today, was not available. Google has apparently tossed the 2.2 source over the wall now; hopefully that will facilitate the release of a 2.2-based Cyanogen in the near future.