Sh7218u

[hwfjunkman]

Regarding Link2SD, I partitioned an SD card today and got this working. It works very well and is much better than just trying to move the app to the SD card through the Android settings. It allows you to move the app, its data, cache, and library files to a second partition on your SD card. Amazing space saver. You only need to have enough memory to actually install an app. Once installed, you can move the entire thing to your SD card. It is not advisable to try this with your launcher app or any widget apps. The SD card gets mounted after the launcher starts when you first boot the device. If these apps are out on your SD card, you will have lots of force closing at best. You just need to be able to partition an SD card. Easy if you are running Linux, possible but requires some more free software if you are running just about anything else. Just Google how the card needs to be partitioned and you will find all the answers you need.

Awesome about the LED flashlight feature...hadn't even thought to try anything like that.

I will give DX home a try...I also cannot select anything with the hardware buttons in Go Launcher.

Regarding the framework files, yes I just deleted the stock files and replaced them both with the edited files. I would advise backing up the stock files first, of course. Make sure that you set the permissions correctly for the files once you are finished...just look at the permissions for the stock files before you delete them and match the new files to that. I use ADB for just about everything, but you could just as easily accomplish this with a root file explorer like Root Explorer.

I messed around with some of the images from the /system/media/pics directory. These are definitely the files that the system uses to make the button bar and softbuttons. I edited a few of them and doing so changed the softbuttons after rebooting. I plan to eventually edit them all and replace them with HC/ICS-looking buttons, but as there are lots and lots of them this will take some time.

buttermesilly - could you post the manufacturer and model number of your replacement uber-battery? I would love to get some more juice for this thing. I would look around for a replacement myself...but the writing on the battery is all in Chinese and I am not sure if what I would be getting would work.

[ahhdillon]

Yeh, Link2Sd is a lifesaver. I havn't made an extra partition but now I def will. I tried replacing the framework files with root explorer but it seems to just reboot when replacing which will eventually just throw you into a bootloop, which you know because I was freaking when that happened.

I suppose installing them via adb is the only safe option. Would you mind sharing the command lines to replace the framework? Makes me think though, could you just pull a framework from some other phone and it maybe working? Though the signal would probably be in the right corner but I think it's look good like that anyway. Something to definitely try out.

And WOW, it's that easy to change the virtual button appearance, now things are definitely getting good, I'll try editing a few as well.

[buttermesilly]

Battery brand is Kawenda. I'll try to do a test on both batteries during the break see if there any difference.

Curious note Im still not able to use ADB properly because it still sees my phone as not rooted. I've been doing most of my file editing through a file manager.

[hwfjunkman]

I suppose installing them via adb is the only safe option. Would you mind sharing the command lines to replace the framework? Makes me think though, could you just pull a framework from some other phone and it maybe working? Though the signal would probably be in the right corner but I think it's look good like that anyway. Something to definitely try out.

I wouldn't recommend pulling a framework file from another device - there may be some tweaks there that would not work with our phone.
I am not in front of my home computer right now, but the following should work in adb. It assumes that you have root access.

> adb shell
$ su
# chmod 777 /system/framework
# exit
$ exit
> adb pull /system/framework/dianxinos-res.apk [These two lines pull the original apk's to back them up on your desktop
> adb pull /system/framework/framework-res.apk [Once you have pulled them over, move them somewhere safe
> adb shell
$ su
# rm /system/framework/dianxinos-res.apk [Delete the existing apk's from the device
# rm /system/framework/framework-res.apk [
# exit
$ exit
> adb push dianxinos-res.apk /system/framework/dianxinos-res.apk [Make sure that the NEW, edited apk's are now present in
> adb push framework-res.apk /system/framework/framework-res.apk [your computer's current working directory as you are
> adb shell [now pushing them to your device
$ su
# chmod 644 /system/framework/dianxinos-res.apk
# chmod 644 /system/framework/framework-res.apk
# chmod 755 /system/framework
# exit
$ exit

That should do it. Use a file explorer to confirm that the files are safely in the /system/framework directory. As long as they are there and everything looks good, reboot:

>adb reboot

That should do the trick and there should be no boot loops. Seems like a lot...but command line activities usually do...
Cheers.

[hwfjunkman]

Hrrmph. Some of the above post did not format correctly and for some reason I can't edit it. Obviously disregard the text that follows the open brackets ([) following the commands above. I tried to put some space there to indicate these were comments but that did not come out. The comments also partially ran over to new lines. Looks messy, but enter only the commands that follow a prompt (>, $, #) and don't enter any brackets or the text that follows.
Basically, once you have backed up the existing apk's by adb pull, move those files somewhere else and put the new, edited apk's into your current working directory. These will then be pushed over, and you need to change the permissions of the files and the folder back to what they were when you started. The commands are all there.

[hwfjunkman]

Battery brand is Kawenda. I'll try to do a test on both batteries during the break see if there any difference.

Curious note Im still not able to use ADB properly because it still sees my phone as not rooted. I've been doing most of my file editing through a file manager.

Have you tried Z4Root again since you recovered your device? I don't know why you had trouble before, but I would try it again. Note that it does take a while (i.e. several minutes in my case) to finish doing whatever it does and reboot the phone. Just let it sit for a while if it looks like nothing is happening. It should be all good...and worst case you know how to recover again.

[buttermesilly]

I'll try it again sometime but for now i'm just gonna run the phone as it is and see if anything strange come up. I've had 2 restarts happen to me randomly where it slows down then I get the sharp logo on the screen and then it just boots up normally. So im gonna have to keep using it as it is to track down if it ever happens again.

About the battery I saw a 1550 mAh battery on ownta.com so you can try that one too. Also posted a couple of sample pics from the camera on the sharp picture thread.

[ahhdillon]

Hrrmph. Some of the above post did not format correctly and for some reason I can't edit it. Obviously disregard the text that follows the open brackets ([) following the commands above. I tried to put some space there to indicate these were comments but that did not come out. The comments also partially ran over to new lines. Looks messy, but enter only the commands that follow a prompt (>, $, #) and don't enter any brackets or the text that follows.
Basically, once you have backed up the existing apk's by adb pull, move those files somewhere else and put the new, edited apk's into your current working directory. These will then be pushed over, and you need to change the permissions of the files and the folder back to what they were when you started. The commands are all there.

Wow man, I REALLY REALLY appreciate that you typed that out for me. And it works! New framework isn't too exciting but better than before. Thanks again.

[hwfjunkman]

Just wanted to post that it appears that gigitse already did the work for us regarding the softbuttons. Look for the following file on the forum:
blackbutton_and_editedcamera+focus_button.rar
It contains edited button files for the softbuttons and the button bar. Replace the contents of the /system/media/pics with these files, reset the permissions, and reboot. They are of the same design, but are black instead of grey. Looks pretty good.

[ahhdillon]

Yeh, you're def right, the black virtual buttons look way better. Installing those other files just makes you launch the camera with the focus button when you have the screen turned, meh Ide rather it just stay as a lock switch though. Anyway though, it seems the custom rom should be done next moth around the Chinese Spring Festival, and I managed to snag a video and it seems the 007SH status bar is ported over as well as a few other UI improvements/migrations like highlights being blue instead of orange, neat.

[hwfjunkman]

I figured out how to boot directly into Clockworkmod recovery from fastboot. Someone else may already know how to do this, but I was just messing around with fastboot this afternoon and got it to work. Flash the CWM recovery file, then place a copy of the recovery.img file in the working directory of your computer. The following will then boot the device straight into CWM recovery:
> fastboot boot recovery.img
Might come in handy if you have a recent backup of your device, then manage to mess things up while tinkering. Fastboot directly into CWM recovery, restore your backup, then you are good to go.

[hwfjunkman]

Has anyone else had trouble getting standard USB chargers to charge this phone? The charger that it came with works fine, and if I plug it into my computer then it charges no problem. But if I use any other standard (5V, 1A) USB charger, the phone doesn't seem to recognize that it is plugged in and doesn't appear to be charging. I did get it to charge with a generic car charger, but none of my other USB plugs work. It might have something to do with the stock charger putting out a strange current - 5V at 680mA.
I just don't want to have to order a new charger from China if the one I have craps out.

[buttermesilly]

I haven't had the chance to try other chargers yet but I've had the same issue with a chinese tablet.

*Just want to clear something up about the keypad illumination bug, turns out that you have to disable all the illumination effects to have your keypad constantly light up when your using it.


*Also if you want to attach a picture to a contact it will only take it from the original Gallery application, if you take it off the original Gallery app you won't be able to attach pictures to a contact.

I've noticed on a sh-01b video where it its doing the "breathe" illumination just by being idle. I think the sh7218u doesn't have that setting?

[c0lap1nada]

Has anyone experienced the phone not turning on (was working hours ago and then suddenly stops working?)? It is also unresponsive when I try connecting it to the computer using a USB cable....

[hwfjunkman]

*Also if you want to attach a picture to a contact it will only take it from the original Gallery application, if you take it off the original Gallery app you won't be able to attach pictures to a contact.

I've noticed on a sh-01b video where it its doing the "breathe" illumination just by being idle. I think the sh7218u doesn't have that setting?

Nice pickup about the Gallery app. I hadn't tried this out, but tinkered around with it and can confirm that I found the same thing. I had to pull the Gallery app from my prior system backup and reinstall it as I had removed it during my debloating spree. No other app would let me assign a picture to a contact.
I have no idea about the "breathe" illumination. I have not seen any setting for this so expect that you are correct that it does not exist.

Has anyone experienced the phone not turning on (was working hours ago and then suddenly stops working?)? It is also unresponsive when I try connecting it to the computer using a USB cable....

This sounds rather serious. I assume you have tried plugging it into the stock charger for a time to see if that is the issue. Does it light up when plugged into the stock charger? Have you tried pulling the battery and reinserting it to see if this helps? Please post everything you have already done to try and get it to work and if you have had any response from the device.