Custom ROMs for Android phones - now running Ice Cream Sandwich!!

[Wazzzer]

What have you lot installed on your phones? I'm looking at this...

http://androidforums.com/galaxy-s-all-things-root/501873-android-4-0-ics-update-galaxy-s-i9000-custom-rom.html

As I'm a bit of a n00b at this, do the custom ROMs come with messaging/marketplace apps or is this something I need to put on afterwards?

[Jay]

Cyanogen is the one I use, or a rooted / modified HTC Sense rom. That's because my model phone doesn't have many good roms being almost 2 years old and most developers working on the faster phones (Nexus/Desire etc)

If you use ROM Manager it'll give you the option to install the market.

If you don't use ROM Manager you can get the Market on all you need to do is find it's APK, put it on your phone and use a file browser app to install it, some roms come with a file browser.

[Wazzzer]

ROM manager it is then, cheers. I'll see if I can find the marketplace .apk while I'm playing, it'll be good to have it in case anything goes wrong

I'll do it all once the kids are out, I can see them distracting me too much and something going wrong big time 

edit: is clockworkmod a ROM manager?

[Jay]

Koush, is the guy behind clockworkmod & rom manager, the two go hand in hand. Clockworkmod is the recovery mode rom flasher you can use yourself and that ROM Manager uses to flash roms. Rom manager's full version is a few quid, but worth it imo, not just for the extra features, but to support Koush and his work, you can use the free version and if you like it and think you could use the extra features, then go for it

PS: I can't remember what the differences were, I just bought it outright at first use

[golf-sib]

Would you say its safe to flash my brand new HTC Sensation XE?

I like the rom, but its a bit of a mess in terms of how it runs and is such a battery and ram hog, there's a few ICS HTC modified roms which I can choose from.

Also how do people manage to brick phones? I flash my GT540 several times and did it successfully 

[Jay]

With electronics & idiots anything can happen I even recovered my phone after I modified an nonrooted stock HTC rom which then wouldn't let me root it due to the method of rooting my model phone

Sib, try using the power widget on your home screen to turn off the shiz you don't need or Timerific to automatically turn wifi on / off at certain times of the day so it's not constantly on.

[golf-sib]

With electronics & idiots anything can happen I even recovered my phone after I modified an nonrooted stock HTC rom which then wouldn't let me root it due to the method of rooting my model phone

Sib, try using the power widget on your home screen to turn off the shiz you don't need or Timerific to automatically turn wifi on / off at certain times of the day so it's not constantly on.

I use the power widget like a religion, I understand its a powerful phone with 1.5ghz 511mb ram and a GP with 256mb of ram, but it seems its a bit first and not as smooth in some places, its like buying a r32 to find out its got a 1.0l engine conversion yet as thirsty as a Bugatti and you can't work out why.

[clipperjay]

Backing up doesn't help when you fry the bios chip/Rom 
I'll be going doen this route by next week so mucho helpo will be needed by you chaps!
I don't like the Sprint mods as they are American and not sure if they are geared well enough for the Euro specs?

[golf-sib]

I've only used cyanogen in the past and it makes my gt540 600mhz phone feel superior to my htc sensation XE even though thats far from the case. I find youtube has good guides on how to install custom roms for particular phones and rooting them. Thats how I first rooted and when CM7 on my GT540

[Wazzzer]

took me 10 mins earlier to flash the phone and the ICS ROM is awesome 

Just having to delete duplicate contacts now and mybackup went a bit wrong and decided to mess my contacts up, I think it's cos I did a backup of a restored file without joining the phone numbers and email addresses back together last time. Live and learn