Cyanogenmod pros and cons. What is CyanogenMod and how to use it? How to install CyanogenMod on your Android? What is "firmware"

CyanogenMod is one of the most popular alternative firmware for devices running the Android operating system. The Cyanogen Team is responsible for its creation, which created firmware that is characterized by high performance and optimization of the processes of the device on which it is installed.

Benefits of CyanogenMod

"Cyanogen" is the best alternative for owners of outdated gadgets. That is, those gadgets that can no longer be updated to the current version of Android. Owners of such devices, when flashing their device, will be able to experience all the delights of the latest versions Android. And this is just one of the advantages of installation CyanogenMod to your smartphone or tablet.

"Cyanogen" helps not only improve the operation of the device, but also takes interaction with it to a higher level. This custom firmware, using shortcuts, allows you to display the applications that the user launches most often on the lock screen. In addition, the user can remove the on-screen buttons, thereby increasing the usable display area.

Another advantage of this firmware is Built-in Apollo audio player. If you are not satisfied with the standard player Android and alternative players from the Play Market, then Apollo player may be the best alternative to such an application. And if you don’t like the appearance, you can find many themes for this player in the official Google application catalog.

Except Apollo into the firmware CyanogenMod included very convenient equalizer. With it, you can set up music playback through headphones, external speakers or device speakers.

Standard shell "Cyanogen" is constantly being improved and updated. It has a nice appearance and a large number of functions. But its main task is the ability to customize the launcher for yourself. Which she does very well.

Standard CyanogenMod applications:

  • Camera. Not the most functional standard application of this firmware. But this is not required. After all, in order to take a beautiful photo, just one button is enough.
  • Contact list. A fairly convenient application that differs little from the standard Android “Contact List”. It also works flawlessly, smoothly flipping through the notebook.
  • SMS client. Incoming SMS are sorted by contacts. There is a blacklist for incoming SMS from unwanted contacts.
  • Audio client. The built-in Apollo player not only has simple controls, a stylish design and an adequate equalizer, but also supports almost all possible audio files.
  • File manager. There is also a fairly convenient standard application with which you can access the contents of root folders.
  • Calculator. The standard set of applications for this custom firmware includes a very modern calculator, which bypasses the standard Android solution in terms of functionality.

CyanogenMod settings options:

  • Moving the clock to the center of the status bar
  • Change how battery charge is displayed
  • Easy to edit shortcut icons
  • Improved theme manager compared to the standard one
  • Saving battery power by limiting your smartphone's access to the network
  • Restricting access to personal data for some applications
  • You can lock the screen using a pattern
  • Adjusting screen brightness by swiping on the status bar

By using CyanogenMod You can even change the frequency of the device's processor. And not only at the time of changing the settings, but also by setting the pattern of such changes for the future. There are several schemes for this change:

  • Interactive. The processor frequency changes when the smartphone exits standby mode (the screen turns on)
  • Ondemand. Ability to enable a more energy-efficient, but less productive processor mode
  • Userspace. Allows the user to set the processor frequency for any program running as root
  • Powersave. The processor runs at minimum frequency. This significantly saves battery power on the device.
  • Performance. The processor runs at maximum frequency. Device performance increases, but so does energy consumption

INTERESTING: Try the test Antutu with standard processor frequency settings and when this frequency is increased. You can increase this figure to 25%-30% .

Installing CyanogenMod

Installing custom firmware CyanogenMo d varies slightly between devices. Since it is physically impossible to talk about each device in the format of this article, we will focus on the easiest way to install this software. It is suitable for devices of the line Nexus.

IMPORTANT: You cannot reflash other gadgets using these instructions. After all, the algorithm for this action for your device may be slightly different. In general, only the user is responsible for all actions with his gadget.

At least the team Cyanogen and made it easier to install its firmware on Android devices, this process must be carried out with the utmost care. One wrong action can lead to a serious error in your device, which can turn it into a brick.

There are two installation methods CyanogenMod to your smartphone. The first is to use the program Installer presented by the developer of this ROM. But this method has one, but rather significant, disadvantage. With this installation, the installer "Ciana" can “pick up” the latest, but not the most stable, firmware build for you. Therefore, it is better to install this software manually.

In order to install this firmware you need to perform three steps:

  • get root rights
  • unlock bootloader
  • install custom recovery

We told you about how to get root rights. From this step we will begin the installation of “cyan”:

  1. Download Framaroot 1.9.1, load it into the device memory and install it through the file manager
  2. Now you need to launch this application and select "Install SuperSU"
  3. The next step is to select any exploit available for your gadget.
  4. After a window with a smiley face appears on the screen, you need to reboot the device

Setting up Superuser rights

That's it, root rights have been obtained. The Framaroot app can be uninstalled.

The second step in installation CyanogenMod is to unlock the bootloader. The easiest way to do this is with BootUnlooker. The application can be installed on your smartphone or tablet from the official Play Market application catalog.

Important point: BootUnlooker only works with Nexus series devices. If you have a smartphone or tablet of a different line, find and download an application on the Internet to unlock the bootloader for your device.

Now you need to flash the device with custom recovery. The easiest option is achieved as follows:

  1. Download and install from Play Market GooManager application.
  2. In the application menu we activate "Install OpenRecoveryScr..."
  3. The program will ask for permission to do this. We agree
  4. When a window appears on the screen with the name of the recovery file, you need to make sure that the name of the model of your device is included in the one proposed by the program. This may be its international code. For example, i9300 for Galaxy S3.
  5. We agree with the name and automatically go to the site where the desired file is located. After downloading and installing it, the program will inform you that everything was done successfully.

Now we find the firmware for your device on the Download page. The firmware can have several versions:

  • Stable- latest stable working version
  • Release candidate- version in pre-release stage
  • Snapshot- not fully “tested” version. There are minor bugs, but overall the firmware is stable and has several improvements compared to the Stable version
  • Miliestone, Nightly And Experiments– various experimental versions that may have many bugs. You can install them only out of curiosity. Installing them is not advisable for your working device

When you find the firmware for your smartphone or tablet model, and also decide on its version, download the archive with it.

  1. Upload the file (no need to unzip) into the memory of the device that needs to be flashed
  2. Boot into recovery mode (hold down the power and volume down button while booting)
  3. Activate the menu "Install" and find the place where you uploaded the firmware file. Click on it and confirm the installation

All you have to do is wait a little while for the firmware to install on your device and enjoy the new interface and functions. If the firmware fails, then most likely the smartphone will not boot. Don’t rush to take it to a service center or throw it away. Boot into recovery mode (power and volume down buttons) and activate Wipe mode.

IMPORTANT: After installing the firmware Cyanogenmod need to install Play Market and other Google services separately. Download the Gapps package from this link, upload it to your device and install it through recovery.

As you can see from this guide, installing custom firmware such as CyanogenMod, this is not a very difficult task. The main thing is to find the right version and recovery for your device.

"Cyanogen" is one of the most popular alternative firmware today. With its help, you can completely change the concept of ease of use of a smartphone or tablet. Thanks to it, you can change the standard settings of on-screen buttons, status bars, quick access bars, sound and LED notifications, as well as other interface elements.

Unfortunately, as of December 31, 2016, the developer stopped supporting the firmware. But the successor to this product was the firmware LineageOS. At the moment, the latest version of the product is Lineage OS 14.1 based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat.

Video. TOP 5 features of Cyanogenmod for which I love and hate it

In the eyes of many people, custom firmware is something like pirated builds of Windows with changed wallpapers, themes and various leftover software included. And if we talk about the firmware created by young model designers after school, then it is so. However, CyanogenMod is not one of them; it is a full-fledged fork of Android, that is, an independent operating system, developed by a team of competent programmers, and it has a lot of advantages over stock Android.

Instead of introducing

CyanogenMod is one of the first custom Android firmwares. Its history began back in the days of T-Mobile G1 and continues to this day. Today CyanogenMod is developed by Cyanogen Inc. and is officially available for more than 220 devices and several hundred more unofficially. In total, the firmware is installed on 50 million devices around the world, which is several times more than the number of devices based on Windows Phone and BlackBerry combined.

CyanogenMod in the form of an extended version called Cyanogen OS is pre-installed on just a few smartphones: OnePlus One, YU Yureka, YU Yuphoria, Andromax Q and Oppo N1. For all other supported devices, the system is available in the form of a standard ZIP firmware for a custom recovery console, along with which the Gapps package containing Google applications (Market, search, Gmail, etc.) is usually flashed.

We've talked about how to install firmware many times, so today we'll talk a little about something else. Namely, about what CyanogenMod can provide in comparison with the stock firmware, which seems to work great.

1. Support for legacy devices

One of the most important advantages of CyanogenMod compared to stock is its support for legacy devices. Often, after a manufacturer abandons its brainchild, enthusiasts appear ready to port CyanogenMod to the orphaned device. Widespread devices from well-known manufacturers are usually supported by the CyanogenMod team for three to four years, which is much longer than the official support period. For example, CyanogenMod 12.1 based on Android 5.1.1 is available for the Galaxy S2, which is very, very good for a device released in 2011.

2. No bloatware

In second place in importance, I would put the purity of CyanogenMod as an operating system. Unlike stock firmware, there is no cumbersome shell, linking to wrong accounts, a bunch of useless applications and strange functions that the manufacturing company considers extremely important. CyanogenMod in this sense is more reminiscent of pure Android. Yes, there are a lot of settings, but there is no overload of functions and applications. Application icons for the newly installed firmware take up a little more than half of one page in the menu, and among them only the most important: camera, gallery, browser, file manager, etc.

Due to its lightweight nature, CyanogenMod usually works much faster than stock, so those who switch to it rarely come back. The only exception is Nexus users who are used to bare Android.


3. Regular updates

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Any smartphone, in fact, is the “little brother” of a full-fledged personal computer. It contains a central processor, RAM blocks, a storage device, interface device controllers, etc. To manage this entire complex, a specific set of programs called an operating system is used. One of the most popular is Android from Google. It is installed on more than 70% of mobile devices. It’s not hard to guess that this system, more often than any other, is subject to various modifications, and not by developers, but by smartphone users themselves. As strange as it may sound, manufacturers of mobile gadgets are in no hurry to please the owners of their devices with the release of updates and optimizations of the operating system. The reason is quite simple - the desire to sell new smartphones, and not to refine a series of already sold ones.

What is "firmware"

Reading news from the world of smartphones, you can come across a number of specific terms. One of them is "firmware". It is interpreted in two ways: as a process of updating the device’s control software, or as a set of system files intended for loading into the smartphone’s memory, i.e., a “distribution”, if we draw an analogy with computers. More often than not, the latter is implied. And, as stated earlier, this software package is created by craftsmen who make certain changes to the existing original firmware. Such solutions are called “custom”.

"Zoo" firmware

Despite the apparent diversity of existing software systems, they are all basically identical. Many of them simply copy the interfaces (appearance, method of interaction) of solutions installed on other brands of smartphones. Thus, Windows Phone lovers can easily “turn” their Android phone into a gadget from Nokia, and connoisseurs of the creativity of Chinese developers can feel all the charm of a “Miui” or Lewa. Other custom ones, on the contrary, optimize some functions, for example, they use a graphics accelerator in all applications, increase the volume level, etc. But you should always remember that almost all of them are based on the basic official firmware.

"Cyanogen"

At the same time, there are a number of firmwares called CyanogenMod. The user part, menu and everything through which the owner interacts with the device have undergone significant modifications. Many key anti-spam and anti-virus features have also been changed. In a word, if a person wants to see the true capabilities of his smartphone, then he simply must figure out how to install the CyanogenMod firmware.

Distribution search

One of the main conditions for the successful installation of such a custom system is the selection of the correct firmware. Although these solutions are initially built to work with Qualcomm, nVidia and Intel processors, it is still possible to “make” them work with MTK. Where the distribution is downloaded from, as a rule, it will certainly indicate how to install CyanogenMod. Therefore, in order to avoid the need to restore the functionality of the phone’s software after an unsuccessful update, you need to carefully read the accompanying recommendations. Ideally, the firmware should be designed specifically for the same smartphone model.

How to install CyanogenMod firmware via Installer

There are several ways to download control software to a smartphone. The difference is that some require root access in advance, while others bypass this restriction by using the capabilities of the spoofed bootloader menu. Note that there is no “initially simple” method - each of them is simple and complex at the same time, so the user must choose one. Let's look at how to install CyanogenMod Installer. This software package consists of two blocks, the first of which is intended for installation on an Android device, and the second on a computer, to which a smartphone will be connected with a cable. After installing the client part on the phone, the program needs to be launched. A menu will appear warning you that all user data will be erased, i.e. a factory reset will occur. Next, it is suggested to connect the device to the computer and change the operating mode from “MTP Drive” to “RTR Camera”. After this, the cable can be temporarily disconnected.

In general, there are usually no difficulties with how to install CyanogenMod. After installing the appropriate computer application, you need to launch it. The Internet will be searched for the latest firmware. This takes from 5 to 15 minutes. If a suitable option is found, the program will display a message that you need to connect your smartphone to the USB port, remembering to turn off anti-virus protection (some exploits are detected as malicious). Next, the “Recovery” file and gapps will begin downloading to the phone, providing integration with Google services. When everything is done, all you have to do is click on the Install button and wait for a window to appear with a message about successful installation.

Those who are not the first time interested in how to install CyanogenMod should be well aware that recently this method has lost its relevance. Moreover, it doesn't always work. The reason is that support for the search and download mechanism is no longer supported due to complaints from Google. In addition, the computer part of the application does not work correctly on the latest versions of Windows.

Rolling up my sleeves...

An equally interesting way to install CyanogenMod is to prepare the necessary files yourself. First of all, you need to select a custom “Recovery”. This file can be found on network resources where this smartphone model is discussed. In the case of the MediaTek processor, it can be assembled using MTK Droid, using your Boot.img and Recovery from a compatible device. After that, using you need to flash this file into your smartphone. Then go to “Recovery” by holding down the power button and “volume down”. After this, all that remains is to specify the previously downloaded CyanogenMod firmware file and install it. It is recommended to reset using the WIPE command.

Different versions

Sometimes smartphone owners ask the question: “How to install CyanogenMod 11?” This version is based on "Android 4.4 Kit-Kat". But the latter are 12.1 (system 5.1.1) and 13 (6.0, respectively). There is also CyanogenMod 10.1. How to install this software package? It is based on Android 4.3. Owners of mobile devices need to remember that the installation process is the same for all versions of Cyan. The main thing is to choose the right files for the device. Let us remind you how to install CyanogenMod 11. The procedure is as follows: select a custom “Recovery” and flash it into the phone; the found distribution intended for this model is written to the memory card; The system file is flashed from the recovery menu.

Peculiarities

Slower discharge, louder sound, stable network reception, interface acceleration, changed menu - all this is CyanogenMod. How to install applications on this system? It is this question that worries many who have not yet had time to work with this solution. In fact, there is nothing complicated about it. Since “Cyan” is based on the Android OS, the principles of operation remain the same: install the APK file - launch via a shortcut. Unless the latter can be located both on the main screen and in the application submenu, depending on the launcher.

Old means verified version

Let's take a quick look at CyanogenMod 7. How to install the firmware? It is based on the Android 2.3 OS, so the procedure is identical to the new Cyan. You need to select Wipe in custom “Recovery”, then “Select from SD card”, specify the downloaded file and click Install. After the “filling” is complete, you just have to click Reboot. Depending on the "Recovery" used, the names of these items may differ.

Users of official firmware Android devices are increasingly looking around in search of functional “mods” for the firmware of their devices. And some people are also looking at full-fledged, albeit stripped-down Linux distributions or even “Windowsphones.”

It would seem that Android as an operating system is confidently gaining momentum all over the world. However, due to strong segmentation and delays in firmware updates by phone manufacturers, many owners of devices based on this OS either have not yet received the latest firmware on their communicators, or will never receive them.

You don’t need to look far for examples - almost any communicator manufacturer has more than one model of its current product line in its “asset”! And if Google itself has begun obliging vendors to keep Android OS versions up-to-date for a certain time, then in most cases, owners of “last season” devices have no chance at all. Then, in all his glory and fully armed, Count T..., sorry, CyanogenMod, appears from the bushes. (Leave Pelevin aside! – Editor’s note. – Sorry, it came out... – Author’s note.)

CyanogenMod is the first mobile OS, which is essentially a combination of the experimental development branch of the community and the official source code tree of the Android OS.

The CyanogenMod project was a collaboration between developers and the XDA community. Being, in principle, firmware for communicators and tablets based on the Android operating system, it contains modules and software that are not included in official software builds from vendors of communicators and tablets. CyanogenMod is the first mobile OS, which is essentially a combination of the experimental development branch of the community and the official source code tree of the Android OS.

There is an opinion among mod users that CyanogenMod improves the performance and reliability of the operating system compared to official firmware releases from the device vendor (this statement, of course, is a reason for an excellent holivar). By the way, it was stated that as of October 31, 2011, the CyanogenMod firmware was installed on more than a million devices! Is this not a reason to look at the project more closely, especially in light of the fact that after some time every owner of an Android-based device will be forced to install this mod on their device, because the period of support for the device by manufacturers will end for owners of fairly modern mobile devices corporations will simply give up...

Despite all the nuances of using CyanogenMod on your device, I’m really looking forward to the joint efforts of XDA and the vendor’s programmers to “finish” the new “cyanogen”.

So, the currently developed branch of the project is CyanogenMod 7. Its development began with the release of Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). On February 15, 2011, the first firmware versions for several supported devices already appeared. The fourth "beta" of the firmware was presented to the community on March 30, 2011, which strengthened CyanogenMod's position among other similar firmware (as many bug fixes were made). On April 11, 2011, the first stable build of CyanogenMod 7.0 based on Android 2.3.3 was released. The current build of “cyanogen” has version 7.1.0.2 and is based on Android 2.3.7 (which, you see, is extremely interesting for owners of a still fully functional “junk” based on Android 1.6-2.1).

  • Program: Cyanogenmod 7
  • Type: firmware
  • Developer: Community xda-developers
  • Distribution size: 94.35 MB
  • Russification of the interface: yes
  • Address: cyanogenmod.com

In its current form, build 7.1.0.2 supports 68 different device models (look for yours here - www.cyanogenmod.com/devices). For each of them, a step-by-step guide is available for replacing the stock firmware with CyanogenMod, and to simplify installation, a special ROM Manager application, included in the CyanogenMod kit, has been prepared. However, I remind Sony Ericsson fans that unlocking the bootloader is a prerequisite for installing the mod - keep this in mind! By the way, thanks to the “personal” interest of Samsung and Sony Ericsson (which provided the CyanogenMod project with information and equipment for work and testing), the developers were able to provide support for the entire current model range of these manufacturers.

After the introductory part of the story, let's get down to business and take a look at the list of goodies of CyanogenMod 7.1.0.2:
1. Support for the FLAC codec with the ability to use an equalizer.
2. Availability of programs such as BusyBox, rsync, htop, nano, PowerTOP, bash, etc. in the basic package. Linux users rejoice!
3. The presence of an access manager su, which allows you to allow or deny obtaining root rights for a specific application.
4. Access to an additional settings section with options for tuning performance, user interface, sound subsystem and input methods.
5. Availability of Spare Parts - a set of service functions for monitoring battery status, monitoring resource consumption, application power consumption, as well as for setting various interface parameters.
6. Support for OpenVPN and incognito mode in the standard browser!
7. The ADW.Launcher application is used as a standard system launcher. And although the “gift horse…” (further in the text), at least for me, it falls quite often. Of course, the last release dates back to 2010. Therefore, I immediately recommend purchasing and installing ADW.Launcher EX, it is both fresher and more stable - this immediately catches your eye.
8. Screen strokes are processed, which can be entered even in screen lock mode. You can configure the display of additional information on the lock screen, which is very convenient.
9. The standard system browser now supports private navigation mode (without saving surfing history and other data in the cache).
10. There is an Apps2SD function for transferring applications to an SD card and back to the main memory.
11. The Phone Goggles firewall has been integrated, allowing you to only allow specific applications to make calls and send SMS (the so-called “Drunk Mode”).
And this is just the little that immediately caught my eye when I first met CyanogenMod 7. When examining the firmware in more detail, inquisitive minds will have both something to be happy about and something to be upset about.

Therefore, let's start looking at the pros and cons - I'm sure this will be useful to many. Let's start with setting up the “cyanogen” itself. In the “Applications” menu item, you can both allow the movement of any programs to the memory card and select the default installation location for all new applications. Also here is the already mentioned “Drunk Mode” of the Phone Goggles firewall, which allows you to “filter” unnecessary communication between the device and the Network.

You can also, for example, force the device to check the status of its owner, asking him to solve mathematical problems before each call. So, one day, after two such tests, I spat, decided to admit that I was drunk, turned off this mode and at the same time the phone (cunning smiley). This is how modern technology disciplines us.

In the input settings, you can select the actions performed when using the “Menu” and “Search” buttons, the device’s reaction to pressing and releasing the touchscreen, and determine the behavior of the built-in player when the screen is off. There is complete freedom in the interface settings! Starting from the choice of reboot options, notification panel, status bar and LED notifications to animation effects and the general appearance of the scrollbar.

I would also like to separately touch on the contents of the “Performance” menu. We are honestly warned that these settings change the system’s performance for the worse (no, well, we know that the main thing is to warn in advance so that they don’t point fingers at you later (smiley)). We agree, shaking our heads, and immediately go to the “CPU Settings” item. There are four modes waiting for us here: Interactive (default), Ondemand, Scary and Smartssv2. Below are the options for selecting the minimum and maximum processor frequencies. For me these are 122 and 1612 MHz (set by default). However, for those who will override these parameters, it is possible to apply their CPU settings the next time the device is booted.

In the “System” item of the “CyanogenMod Settings” menu, you can read the release notes installed on our device (as if we didn’t read them on the website before installing the assembly). It is also possible to allow notifications about new versions of CyanogenMod. I honestly registered on the update server, but although I know for sure that there is an update (and that it just doesn’t want to load on my device), I still haven’t received a notification about the availability of the firmware... Maybe it’s done for the future? Well, let's wait and see...

Also, before (in the sense before I switched to ADW.Launcher EX), in the main menu, right under the CyanogenMod settings, there was a launcher settings control item. However, after replacing it with the advanced version and uninstalling the old one, the convenient menu item disappears, and I still haven't figured out how to get it back. Well, no worries, I have time before the new build.

Those who like to change everything will certainly appreciate the option to customize the type of screen lock. A total of five types of locking are offered - from rings to the classic slider. In addition, you can play with the styles of the lock screen, the type of widgets placed on it, etc. Oh, I almost forgot! There is a separate settings block for tablets! Of course, Android 2.3.7 is not as well suited for tablets as 3.0.2, but, nevertheless, you can move the status bar to the bottom of the screen and not display the unlock screen...

Now, if the reader doesn’t mind, I’ll share my purely personal impressions of the firmware on a real device – my award-winning SE Arc. As for power consumption, for some reason in my case it did not become lower, but only increased - according to a subjective assessment, by 10-15 percent... And this despite the fact that my friend with an SE Mini, after installing CyanogenMod, had a device lifespan of one charging with the same style of phone use almost doubled!

My primary sin was that after flashing the device, the battery controller still does not know the exact charge values. I had to calibrate the battery manually (remove the battery for 5 minutes, and then, without turning on the device, charge it for 5-6 hours). This manipulation helped a little, however, it didn’t feel completely. But the “screen-proximity sensor” combination began to work better. The touchscreen's response to touch with the ear (smile) almost stopped, and I forgot about the problem that always worried me extremely about stock firmware.

Well, about the little things. In CyanogenMod, the call screen is organized in such a way that the pictures of callers from the “Google account” are just right for the theme! They do not deform and look neat and in place. In addition, if the call holding service is not activated, I can (albeit manually) disable the display of the corresponding virtual button. A small thing, but nice. I was also pleased with the presence of a terminal emulator. Many people won’t need it, but it will come in handy for me - I’ll manage my home server via SSH! Previously, you had to install a separate utility for this.

Summing up the results of studying CyanogenMod, I would like to note that the project turned out to be very necessary and relevant, and the CyanogenMod firmware was in demand. By bringing “fresh” versions of the operating system to our devices, which we had never even dreamed of before, CyanogenMod can soon completely conquer the niche of “out-of-warranty” communicators and tablets (“Nukovodam” with Nook Color – a low start!).

Samsung and SE are actively involved in the project, so let's hope that they will bring developments to it for porting and optimizing firmware for their devices, but will not purchase CyanogenMod for their own needs. Because if such a turn of events occurs, there will be no alternative to amateur fashion. However, let's not lose optimism and wish the project good luck and speedy completion of the firmware for SE Arc (smile)!

P.S. Despite all the nuances of using CyanogenMod on your device, I’m really looking forward to the joint efforts of XDA and the vendor’s programmers to “finish” the new “cyanogen”. Whether he will be 8th or 9th is completely uncritical for me. U.P.

Impressions and reflections
I've been thinking about switching to CyanogenMod for a long time. Being a “happy” owner of a Sony Ericsson Arc, I tried a lot - all versions of stock PCT firmware, most versions of “bourgeois” firmware and several custom mods. However, each version of the firmware fixed some bugs but introduced others.

Yes, and getting root rights again on each new firmware was not always trivial... Then removing garbage from pre-installed SE applications, freezing system programs that, in my opinion, are completely unnecessary in the system... In a word, a lot of time was spent on experiments, but to no avail there weren’t so many: the main problems with communication (loss of signal inside buildings) and the touchscreen (impossibility of unlocking the screen when there is an incoming call without using the communicator’s power button) gradually drove me crazy.

It’s just that I never got around to CyanogenMod – of course, this mod requires an unlocked bootloader. And as soon as you unlock it, you immediately lose the warranty, which you really didn’t want. And, as soon as the opportunity to unlock the bootloader through a test point arose, I made up my mind. “As a last resort, I’ll block it back,” I thought and took up a utility knife and a paper clip (those who are interested in the procedure can easily find the necessary information on the Internet; for the laziest, there are even video tutorials).

I won’t dwell on the process of updating to CyanogenMod in detail - you’ll go to the website for the firmware, and you’ll also find the rest of the information there. I'll go through the nuances. Firstly, version 7.1.0.2 could not boot on my device. I waited a long time, changed it several times - the result was the same. But 7.1.0.1 installed without problems, and that’s what I’ve stuck with for now.

To say that I was amazed by the abundance of settings is tantamount to silence! I'm still tuning something somewhere, constantly discovering new menu items. But it wasn’t just the opportunity to “dig from the heart” that appealed to me. Unlike the stock SE firmware, the “telephone” part of the CyanogenMod software is beyond praise. Not only did I no longer lose signal in the same places in the building where the factory firmware failed, it became more convenient to work with the communicator just like a telephone.

It's now possible to sort contacts by last name, and there's less hassle with SMS. And in general, CyanogenMod discovered Arc for me as a phone! And to be honest, I was already thinking about buying myself a Philips Xenium as a “dialer” (yes, Chinese, yes, it’s buggy, but the battery is 2000 mAh!)... However, there was a fly in the ointment: for example, Camera support is implemented anyhow, and FM radio is still in the process of integration.

There are nuances with Googlesoft - “Maps” and “Gallery” constantly crash when I try to upload a photo and leave comments in “Places”. In my opinion, they haven’t completely finished the screen driver, because there are problems with responsiveness, with pressing the bottom row of keyboard keys in landscape orientation, etc. Yes, sometimes you have to reboot manually, but the reboot time is minimal. But, despite all this, I can’t bring myself to tear down CyanogenMod and install the stock firmware. I look forward to updates!

Hi all. Today is my last day of vacation, and I need to celebrate it somehow. The last one, after all. But I, cherishing my dream, solved the problem ingeniously - I connect to Trashbox! To please you with another article. And this time CyanogenMod. I ask all mortals to cut it!
The CyanogenMod company is known to every second geek, if not to every first one. And there is nothing to be surprised about here, because the CyanogenMod custom has many fans, and many useful features, which are mixed together with good optimization, smooth operation and high operating time. Yes, something yummy! Not about that now, but about custom.

CyanogenMod is a custom firmware previously released by Cyanogen Team, and a little later renamed Cyanogen Inc. CyanogenMod has a number of features that distinguish it from firmware released by other firmware manufacturers. Among them: Android Holo, FLAC, a large list of APNs, compressed cache and more. As stated by Cyanogen Inc, custom firmware CyanogenMod was installed on more than 12 million devices as of June 2014. This once again proves that the firmware is extremely popular

It’s also worth noting about CyanogenMod that the company produces several versions:
1. Stable- the most final and stable firmware versions
2. Release Candidate- pre-release firmware version. Differences from Stable are not noticeable
3. Snapshot- “average firmware quality,” many say. But from my personal experience I can safely say that I haven’t noticed any errors after several months of use!
4. Milliestone- a firmware version that I do not recommend installing at all!
5. Nightly- “nighties.” Firmware version that is updated every day, updates arrive either in the morning or late at night
6. Experiments- as the name suggests, installation is not recommended

Story

Custom CyanogenMod originated, as a rule, in the depths of XDA Developers, that is, on the forum for developers. The first version of CyanogenMod was released on Android 2.2 Froyo. At that time, Google's brainchild was glitchy and drained battery power very quickly. And for this reason this firmware was created. Thanks to her, Android was free of lags, errors, glitches and all sorts of uselessness, which made the device almost impossible to work. Well, maybe I’m exaggerating to some extent, but still, the first version of Android was familiar to you. And after each new version of Android, the magnificent and incomparable CyanogenMod was released. Applause to the developers!


Steve Kondik

Android and CyanogenMod version

As I already mentioned, after each new version of Android, a new version of CyanogenMod was released.

CyanogenMod 6 - Android 2.2. This is the first CyanogenMod! It was released as a beta by Steve Kondik in 2010 on July 11th. And after a short time, the world saw the stable version. CyanogenMod 6 was available at that time on Nexus One, HTC Dream, Motorola Droid, Slide and several others.


CyanogenMod 7 - Android 2.3. The first beta version of the seventh cyan was released in 2011, on February 15. Thanks to her, CyanogenMod gained great popularity and strengthened its position. The latest version of CyanogenMod 7 is CyanogenMod 7.2, which is Android version 2.3.7


CyanogenMod 8 - ***. Google did not decide to publish the source code of Android 3.0, and accordingly people were left without CyanogenMod.
CyanogenMod 9 - Android 4.0. The Cyanogen team began working on their new firmware version immediately after publishing the Android 4.0.1 source code. The first beta version was released on June 26, 2012.


CyanogenMod 10 - Android 4.1. There is not much to say about this version; the stable version was released on November 13, 2012.


CyanogenMod 10.1-10.2 - Android 4.2.2-4.3. These versions of custom firmware were released immediately after the publication of the source code. Initially, it was planned that CyanogenMod, based on Android 4.2.2-4.3, would be called CyanogenMod 11. But Google did not make significant changes to this firmware version.


CyanogenMod 11 - Android 4.4. The development of CyanogenMod 11 was anticipated by many, everyone wanted to try KitKat. And immediately after Google published the source code, Cyanogen Inc got to work and released an equally attractive version of CyanogenMod.

CyanogenMod 12 - Android 5.0. Expected!

Installation

The first method of installing CyanogenMod (via custom recovery)


1. Download to the memory card: zip files - CyanogenMod and GApps
2. Go to Recovery
3. Make Format Data, Format System, Format Cache (Mounts and Storage)
4. Make Wipe Data/Factory, Wipe Cache, Wipe Davlik
5. Install CyanogenMod first using Install zip from sd card (or internal sdcard)
6. Install Gapps using Install zip from sd card (or internal sdcard)
7. After installation, reboot Recovery (Advanced power options - Reboot recovery)
8. Make Wipe Data/Factory, Wipe Cache, Wipe Davlik
9. Reboot System Now

Second installation method (via CM Installer)

So, the CyanogenMod team offers us a simple and convenient way to install their development on your device. To do this, follow our step-by-step instructions.

1. Enable USB debugging in your smartphone settings. Enable-USB-Debugging
2. Download from Google Play and install the special application CyanogenMod Installer (Android).
3. Download and install the application for Windows (Vista/7/8) - CyanogenMod Installer (Windows).
4. Launch the installed application on Android and follow the step-by-step instructions.
5. Connect your device to your computer using a USB cable.
6. Launch the application on your computer. It should detect the connected device.
7. The process of downloading the firmware itself and all the files necessary for its installation will begin. This will take a few minutes. Once the download is complete, you will see the Everything is ready message.
8. Click on the Install button and calmly wait for the installation to complete. During installation, your device will reboot. Do not interrupt the process or disconnect the device from the computer under any circumstances. Otherwise you will get a "brick" or something else that will not make you happy
9. After the installation is complete, you will be notified by the appearance of the Installation Complete message on your computer.
10. That's all. We are happy with the new firmware.

Few people recommended this installation method to me; there were even those who asked me not to install via CM Installer. Without listening to them, I used the program and regretted it. The firmware was installed very crookedly, there were not many programs, it was also impossible to install them, the internal memory was not displayed - in general, I do not recommend it to anyone!


Fighting custom

Various device manufacturers have their own problems with installing CyanogenMod. For example, Samsung uses a custom counter that is easy to reset. But that's not so bad; in the latest versions of Android, Samsung has added KNOX (damn it). However, this is not a reason not to install CyanogenMod. Because of these problems, you lose the warranty, and nothing else bad happens.

The article is finished! Beaver everyone!