Hello steve, Here's some background: Basically, the Android OS is a Linux kernel (which may contain a few proprietary drivers for a specific OEM's hardware) and a Java engine called "Dalvik". all the system services and software pretty much run inside that JVM.
The sources for those are open, but other than buying a Google original "Nexus *" line device, you will mostly get a ROM that is not built from the pure Free Software source as it comes from the Android SDK (usually refered to as AOSP). The market of free ROMs is vast. some of those are compiled from source and try to stick to free software (see Cyanogenmod, the "debian" of the Androind distro world), while others are "Kang" distributions, whivh means some bits are compiled, others are binaries "lifted" from other ROMs and mixed together into an image you can probably use, may even be stable, but they are usually made by individuals or very small groups of script kiddies, and you can't trust their legality (redistrib of propietary binaries which are not FOSS), you may even get a trojan in them (potentially. I believe it happened as least once) and they are usually aimed at 1-4 popular platforms only, like the Galaxy S2 and such. As for your samsung Mini - donno, you'll have to look around, start with cyanogenmod's site. Bricking - yes, if you don't follow the initial rooting instructions to the letter. There's also "soft brick" which can be helped, and "hard brick" which may require a lab with special equipment. Dual boot - and even 3-4 images - is available with a special kernel patch (I don't know why it's not a bootloader feature) - but AFAIK it's all based on the internal mem and not the SD for system images, so it depends on the amount of system flash you have on your unit (which I'm guessing is a limited model). If you want to get involved, ease yourself into the XDA developers' forums, be ready to learn their weird Jargon (I haven't managed it yet) and bad English of the international crowd there. 2012/12/16 Steve G. <[email protected]> > Sorry, but what exactly are רומים and how do I find if : > > > - there is one for my phone (Samsung S5700 Mini), > - whether I run the risk of bricking the machine, > - whether they would work a 'dual boot', > - whether they would work of an SD card > - , etc.? > > Second, if I want to get involved with programming these רומים - and by > that I mean find someone who can do it and work with him/her to do very > simple additions or modifications under close supervision and remote > guidance - how can I do that? > > Thanks for introducing me to the wonderful world of mobile OSS. > > Z. > > > 2012/12/16 Ira Abramov <[email protected]> > >> מה לעשות, שהמפתחים פרושים דק על הרבה פלטפורמות. אני מתאר לי שיש תמיכה אבל >> לא מלאה להרבה חומרות. למשל מרגע שעברתי לציאנוגן אין לי יציאת hdmi >> לטלוויזיות או קליטת רדיו אפ.אם. >> >> אם אתה מוכן לחיות עם זה, אז יש לך אופציות. אם לא, אז האפשרות היחידה היא >> לקרקס רום רשמי של סמסונג במקום להשתמש באחד שמקומפל מהסורס. >> >> 2012/12/16 עמיעד <[email protected]> >> >>> >>> אני משתמש ברום שמבוסס על הרום הרשמי כי אין רום אחר למכשיר שלי. למכשירים >>> שאינם פופולריים במיוחד אין רומים חופשיים. >>> >>> עמיעד >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Discussions mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> http://hamakor.org.il/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discussions >>> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Discussions mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://hamakor.org.il/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/discussions >> > > > > -- > Sincerely, > > Steve > > http://www.words2u.net - GPS points and tracks (mainly in Costa Rica) > > http://www.words2u.net/recipes - Recipe collection >
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