Installing Android 2.2 on Samsung i5700

Funkiwi75

Two questions:

1
If I installed 2.2 /2.3 or 2.4 and some of the things don't work (as i have read some might not) am I able to reset the phone to fatory defaults (2.1)?

2
How do you accually install it? as the Kies software says my phone is up to date. Also is there a chance to brick it?

Sherifu

1. Yes, via Odin

2. You need to first install recovery and then apply update from SD.

Funkiwi75

I don't know much about this, i just know you can. Do you know of a reliable website with a step by step on how to do this?

Sherifu

Hmmm, there are some guides to do point number 1 if you search for "i5700 odin 2.1".

For point 2 I would start reading the development section of http://samdroid.net

niallb

Samdroid is good.
This site is also worth a visit:

http://samsungfw.wordpress.com/

I have an i5700 (Samsung Galaxy Spica might be more familiar to people),
and have it had it running Cyanogenmod 6.1 after a while running samdroid.
All features are now working fine, the last big one being the camera only taking black and white until an update in early December.

I now have it running the latest build of froyo (2.2) , with some patches to the kernel to enable 3D acceleration. It also has multitouch pinch and zoom working.

The most important thing is to get recovery onto the thing.
I also used Odin to do that. Read the instructions carefully, or you will be likely to cause damage.
The reason your software is saying there are no updates is because Samsung aren't doing any more work on the phone.
You've to rely on community builds like cyanogenmod or samdroid.
Once recovery is available, you can install firmwares so easily,
you get a chance to give them a spin without needing a PC.
You can actually download a firmware straight to SD, reboot and install it!
So long as your contacts etc are synced with google accounts, you're back in business almost immediately.
There's already an experimental Gingerbread available, but as it doesn't do
power management yet, the battery doesn't last long, so I'm leaving it for now.

My Spica is also unlocked, so we keep it as a spare at the moment in case one of us loses a phone.
They're much underrated! I have a version of Angry Birds installed on it
which plays every bit as smoothly as the one on the iphone.

Well worth the work involved :-)

Funkiwi75

Thanks for the info, sorry but i can not find how to do the recovery?

niallb

Rooting is the process which gives you the recovery menu.
This is the guide I followed to root mine.

http://www.addictivetips.com/mobile/root-samsung-galaxy-spica-i5700-with-leshaks-kernel/

Follow the instructions to the letter.
I thought it wasn't working at one point, and my problem was the USB debugging setting. On the device, go to home screen, press Menu, select Applications > Development, and enable USB Debugging. Next time you connect it, it'll install a whole new set of USB drivers. Where to find them is linked from the page I linked to above.
Good luck, and keep us posted.

Funkiwi75

Thanks niallb i have got my phone rooted, took a couple of goes but got there in the end.

I still have 2.1, I have been trying to find 2.2 but all i have found so far are Alpha versions which they say somethings wont work on the phone.

Do you still have the link to where you got your 2.2 from?

niallb

Excellent!
There are of course a few small issues left - most are now fixed, but you need to read a bit when you go with the community builds. I think the issues of not being able to install apps to SD, not having multitouch and not being able to use wifi tether are far bigger issues that exist in the official Samsung ROM!

The one I'm currently running is downloadable from Samsung FW.
However, while getting the link, I see there's a new release today.
I'll be sticking that on real soon now, but can't vouch for it just yet!

If you've anything on your SD card, copy it off because you really should partition the card so that you get to use more internal storage.

Play with the ROM as it is for a while, but there's a download that's worth adding.
It's an experimental 3D driver and linked from this thread at samdroid.net.

There's a copy of the ROM with that patch already applied which might be easier to work with here.

Bear in mind though that the only one I can vouch for is the first one I linked to which has been solid for me for a few weeks now.

Most importantly, here's a link to a specially built version of Angry Birds that runs like a dream on the Spica!

Have fun, lose sleep!

Funkiwi75

I have got 2.2 installed and running. I thought that 2.2 was ment to handle flash? i have tried to install it but would not let me.

niallb

2.2 is the OS requirement. You also need support in the processor.
Until the 3D driver is developed enough, flash 10 will be a struggle for the Spica.
I've just downloaded the new release from earlier today, and will post back with any updates as to how it gets on.

If you want browser based flash, try out the skyfire browser - it's enough for video etc.

Which version of the ROM did you go for? Did you install the 3D driver at all?

Funkiwi75

I installed SamdroidMod-2.0.1-alpha8.5.zip. i might get another sd card and try partitioning it. as when my phone main memory gets to 30MB it slows down. ill give that web browser a crac to

niallb

I haven't tried samdroid in a while. Does the wifi tether work on it?
I was without that on one version of cyanogenmod, but the latest one
I installed yesterday works fine again.

I'm now running CyanogenMod-6.1.1-Spica-alpha8.3 and it's looking good.
I've just now installed the Intercept 3D drivers for alpha 8.3, and HQ video in youtube now works, though it's not synced. Flash 10.1 still won't install though.

Youtube Sync has always been a problem for me with youtube and android though.
It's really disappointing on the Desire, and is one of the main reasons I started firmware hopping. (Desire is my main phone, and Spica is my experiment and backup!)

Funkiwi75

As far as i can tell everything works, can connect to my wireless at home and work.

Funkiwi75

niallb wrote: »

If you've anything on your SD card, copy it off because you really should partition the card so that you get to use more internal storage.

i have just got round to rebuilding my phone and have parttoned the SD card (4GB total) it is split 2GB 1GB 256MB.

How do i get the phone to use the extra memory?