Rhodium FAQ

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[edit] Issues/Fixes (from CDMA PPCGeeks Thread)

Q: Why is my backlight always staying on?

A: MrPippy Addressed in Post#1 but for those not understanding. There have been reports, including myself with issues with the Backlight staying on even when you put the phone to sleep. As well as your backlit navigation keys at the bottom. Obviously a real battery killer! To fix this, we need to disable Windows Mobile's Automatic Adjustment and Dim settings.

From within Windows Mobile

This should keep the backlight from staying on now, and definitely increase battery time!

Q: My Phone isn't booting even after following all the directions?

A: Unfortunately nobody can see what's going on with your phone but you. But it is good practice to start from scratch if you cannot seem to figure out what is going on. For those with issues trying to get it to boot. I would recommend Removing all the Android directories and files and trying again. Especially the data.img file and cache directory back in Windows Mobile. MrPippy says it is ok to keep your data.img, and most of the time as long as nothing major has changed, that is probably true. But if you are having issues, the best course is to get rid of that and let it re-create it. Some users state re-formatting your SD Card fixes things up. I haven't ever had that issue, so I cannot attest, but if all else fails, that is an option.

Q: How long does it take to boot, it has been sitting here for 30 minutes?

A: The very first time you boot, especially with a fresh system, it takes on average about 3-5 minutes. That is with it creating the data.img etc. I have heard of some taking 10 minutes, but my guess is different speed SD cards etc. But if it is going on 30 minutes and you still are not up and running, I wouldn't hold my breath. It sounds like something got fubarred someplace, and I would hit the Reset button and delete the folders and files for Android and try again. On that note, if it is at the graphical X it may very well be working just really slow, again maybe the SD card is fragmented or too slow etc. So it is your choice to wait. but if it is still text on the screen etc, then I would start over. I have yet to see it take over 5 minutes on any build of Android. And after that first boot, it is very quick on coming up, like 2 minutes Max.

Q: I messed up when calibrating the Touchscreen, how can I redo it?

A: The touchscreen in current state is EXTREMELY Sensitive heh to say the least. So it is very easy if you aren't careful to accidentally miss your marks when calibrating the screen. To reset the calibration and setup again just boot back into Windows Mobile and delete the ts-calibration file, usually in the root of your Storage Card. Next boot into Android should prompt you to set the calibration again. Just try and tap very lightly when calibrating so that it gets the points proper heh. That's about the only tip I can give there heh!

Q: My Notification LED is always on?

A: Current state of the Notification LED is more for diagnostic purposes. It isn't functioning yet for true notifications. It is more for diagnostics right now from my understanding to let you know that the phone is in sleep mode. If the light isn't Green when sleeping then it hasn't ran it's power collapse mode and it is draining your battery. I get an occasional Flash from Green to Orange and I assume it is when the phone wakes up to check things like mail etc. But otherwise it is Green all the time the phone is sleeping. Which is good!

Q: I cannot adjust the volume of my calls, the bar moves but it isn't changing?

A: This is a known issue, and the current state. I haven't found any way around it currently, the bar will move but it just makes no change. I experimented with WM volume first and it didn't seem to make a difference, so hopefully this gets addressed in time.

Q: Why isn't my 3G Data not working, or why is it always coming up in Airplane Mode?

A: Some users are reporting issues with 3G Data not working even with the latest RIL Info that MrPippy put together. What seems to be a resolution is to make sure you remove your SIM Card if you have one in it. If you don't have a need for it period, then I recommend leaving it out. Otherwise, some have said once they have booted and 3G is working, they have put their SIM Card back in and things still seem to function. Currently this is just a workaround. Hopefully we can make it function with it in all the time in the future.

Q: I have US Cellular or MetroPCS or some other carrier other than Sprint or Verizon and my 3G Data isn't working?

A:For US Cellular Update to the latest rootfs.img and your issues ideally will be resolved. With the latest rootfs I have been told it works out of the box. If not a link can be found here on how to fix it here, i have used this and it works for me. I don't know if it works for MetroPCS.

Q: I have everything in the Android folder in the root of my SD Card but it won't work?

A: According to Makkonen, the Android folder no longer works. It was conflicting with apps that created their own android folder in the sdcard, so it was changed. If you still want to segregate your android files, change the android folder to "andboot". Or you can add rel_path=whatever to your cmdline in startup.txt and then use whatever directory. You need the latest initrd.gz for this to work correctly, though. Which if you are using the links from MrPippy above you will be. You will need to put MrPippy's latest rootfs.img in the root of your SDCard for this to work. You even had to do that with it in the Android folder.

Q: The thread says GPS is not working, but Google Maps is showing my location? Or, others are able to get their location via Cell Towers, mine won't?

A: The phone will use either GPS or pick you off the nearest Cell Tower. Being as GPS isn't currently working, that leaves us Cell Towers. So when it shows your location, that is picking your closest Cell Tower to where you are. This is better than nothing, especially until GPS works. But definitely not as precise. To get Cell Tower updating to work, what worked for me and seems to have worked for others is Updating to Google Maps 4.0 in the Market, and making sure Wifi is enabled by going into your settings and checking the box for Wifi whether you are using Wifi or not. Also some have claimed going into Location and security, and unchecking and re-checking the Use Wireless networks for your Location and accepting it helped as well. I do NOT have use GPS for location currently. Being as it doesn't work, no sense in it attempting to see if you have one! Also, after making sure it is updating, I have since disabled Wifi in the settings, and things continue to work. So just a little bit of a battery saver.

Q: My WiFi isn't working, and the thread says it is functional?

A: MrPippy addressed in Post#1 but for those not understanding. WiFi is working, but it seems users that are running WEP encryption are having issues. This is a known issue and hopefully will be addressed in time. But WPA and WPA2 seem to work great. If you have no other choice, then unfortunately you might need to pick up another router and have it do WPA etc for you or do without WiFi till it is fixed. Otherwise if you can, change to a little better encryption. Not that it will stop someone from hacking you if they really want to!

Q: Does charging not work, or does the battery bar work? It is showing 100% all the time.

A: In current state, at least that I have found, charging isn't working via Android, nor is the Battery bar working properly. This is work in progress, and hopefully things will get figured out soon. For now I believe you have to boot back into Windows Mobile to charge. Sorry. Battery does seem to last anywhere from 5-8 hours depending on usage of course. And some have said as the battery is getting low it does change to like 20% or something all of the sudden.

Q: My screen is always flipping to Landscape when I don't need it to?

A: So far we don't have full Android Gsensor support. The GSensor works great, but it doesn't automatically detect when you turn the phone etc for Landscape to Portrait stuff. The easiest way to fix this from happening for now is disabling the automatic orientation. This will not affect it switching to Landscape when you slide your keyboard. That will still function just fine. Press the Menu button and select Settings. Then select Sound & display settings. Scroll down till you get to Orientation under Display settings. Uncheck that box, and it should no longer flip on you automatically.

Q: Why are my Arrow keys opposite on my Hardware Keyboard?

A: This should be fixed now, it might still not work with Verizon's TP2.

Q: How do you get Live Wallpaper working like it did in previous builds?

A: The easiest way to get this going is to install a File Manager in Android, I recommend Astro File Manager in the Market. Once installed, you will first need to Allow android to install unknown source apps. Goto the Home screen and press the menu button. Tap Settings, and then Tap Applications. Check the box at the top that says Unknown Sources. Confirm by tapping OK. No run Astro File manager or whatever you chose. Browse to the AndroidApps/Media folder on the SDCard. There is an app called LiveWallpapersPicker. Tap this file and Tap Open App Manager. Then Tap Install. And again, Tap the Install button now at the bottom. Now Tap Done. Once it is installed, Live Wallpapers should be enabled. You can now install the livewallpaper.matrix and the livewallpaper.starfield included with the build the same way you did the LiveWallpapersPicker. And/or browse the market for even more selections. Keep in mind currently we don't have Graphic Acceleration quite yet. But some might run regardless, just slower. Also note, currently Home++ UI will not show the Live Wallpaper, hopefully soon. But the default Home UI will as well as the Lock Screen even if you do wish to use Home++ UI. For those that don't know how to select Wallpaper, goto your Home screen and press the Menu Button and Tap Wallpapers. If you want Live Wallpaper, tap Live Wallpapers and then Tap the wallpaper you wish to enable. Then once the preview comes up, either tap the settings to adjust to your liking or just tap Set wallpaper.

[edit] FAQ from old wiki

Q: Does Android/HaRET erase Windows Mobile, or other data stored on my phone?

A: No. HaRET restarts the device into Android and does not touch your Rhodium's internal storage. If you soft reset while running Android, you will reboot into Windows Mobile, and all your data will be just as you left it.

Q: Is there a way to switch between Windows Mobile and Android, so I don't have to reboot each time?

A: No. When you run HaRET, Windows Mobile is kicked out of RAM, then HaRET functions as a bootloader and loads the Linux kernel. This means that if you want to use Windows Mobile again, you must reset your device, whether it be with the hardware reset hole or the built in Android shutdown menu.

Q: Do I need HardSPL to use Android?

A: No, HardSPL is not required to use any of the Android builds.

Q: When I choose to turn off Android, it says it's powering off but it doesn't actually turn off. How can I fix this?

A: This is a well known issue affecting most of the older builds, and the only solution is to soft reset or take the battery out. This has been fixed as of Markinus' Package 15, and other recent kernels. Any recent build will fix this issue. The device actually resets back to Windows Mobile which is the intended action by the developers at this point.

Q: Why is my touch input mirrored across my screen or otherwise not accurate? How can I fix this?

A: You are likely using calibration data intended for the Topaz, combined with a very old kernel. In Default.txt (or Startup.txt), set msmts_calib to 0x9f.0x39a.0x35c.0×78. While this fixes the problem, it is highly recommended you upgrade to a newer kernel that has built in calibration, among other added features. If your calibration is not setup properly by using the calibration tool on boot, you can simply delete the "ts-calibration" file and next time Android boots, you will be asked to calibrate the touch screen again.

Q: Why is Windows Mobile's time all messed up when I reboot from Android?

A: Android uses a different method to keep time, and that can mess up Windows Mobile's clock. To fix this, load Android and browse to Settings, Date and Time. Uncheck the “Automatic (Use network-provided values)” box, and change your time zone to to GMT +00:00 (Greenwich Mean Time). Next, set the time and date to the current time in your time zone. (Thanks to xmckinzie on XDA)

Q: I'd like to dual boot Android and Windows Mobile, or exclusively run Android. How can I go about doing this?

A: Currently, there is no method of natively booting Android on the Rhodium. However, you might consider checking out this application from XDA-Developers, which shows a popup at boot which allows you to either select an OS to boot or choose which OS to boot by default (without a prompt) from then on. While it still means Android resides on the SD card and Windows Mobile resides on the device, it's a lot more convenient than manually loading HaRET.exe each time. You can also try NRGZ28's Lite Android ROM, which is an extremely lightweight Windows Mobile ROM, which attempts to boot Android off of your MicroSD card as soon as possible in the Windows Mobile boot process.

Q: Why does my install only work in landscape?

A: As of recent builds, the initial boot up is in landscape mode. Simply slide open the keyboard and then slide it closed and it should switch back to portrait mode. Until the gsensor is properly configured, screen rotations will be limited.

Q: What are the buttons mapped to?

A:

Q: Why does my phone not connect to my carrier for voice or data (or other CDMA network related issues)? [FOR CDMA PHONES]

A: Many CDMA “World Phone” users (RHOD400/500) that have the “International Roaming” SIM card installed that was provided by their carrier have experienced issues with not being able to connect to their carrier or use data and SMS. Removing the SIM card solves this issue it appears. If you have an unlocked CDMA phone and are using a SIM card on a US GSM carrier, the latest GSM builds should work fine for your phone rather than using the modified CDMA builds.

Q: After being in Android for a while, my touch screen stops functioning properly. What's wrong and how can I fix it?

A: The touch screen is configured for basic usage, however still has some sensory bugs with it. For general usage, the touch screen capabilities are acceptable, however you may experience erratic behavior once in a while, such as "double taps" when you really pressed one time, and "press and hold" acting as double tap etc. A reboot of your device back into Windows and reloading Android has been reported to be a nice, yet temporary fix.

Q: Why doesn't [feature X] work? When will it work?

A: Android on the Rhodium is still in development, and as a result, a lot of things don't work yet. Be patient, it takes awhile to port an entire operating system and add full hardware support. If you want things to move faster, consider a donation to the developers working on the project; nothing shows your support better than a small thank-you donation. Steve Ballmer once screamed said: “Developers! Developers! Developers! Developers!”, and he couldn't have been more correct. Support your developers and consider a small donation, or a simple thank you post, to help speed things along and show support.

This FAQ may be incomplete, feel free to add additional questions and revise existing ones!

[edit] See also

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