Installing custom ROMs rant

[kokakolia]

So I recently installed a custom ROM on my Zuk Z2 and looking back it felt like it was a huge pain in the rear. Here are some of the steps I had to go through:

 

- I had to create an account with Lenovo. 

- I had to request a zip file required to unlock the bootloader.

- I had to install Minimal ADB and Fastboot

- My phone wasn't recognized by Minimal ADB and Fastboot so I had to mess around with drivers and security settings just so that my phone would be authorized in Minimal ADB and Fastboot. 

- Then I easily unlocked the bootloader

- Then I had to enter a few command lines to flash TWRP on my phone

- Then I had to find a decent custom ROM and with the compatible Gapps (Google Apps), since the ROMs never come with Google Play Store installed. That was a super annoying ordeal in itself because I had to guess between different Gapp versions looking at ARM Vs. ARM 64 and different versions of Android. Nobody seems to explain this in any tutorial. They just glance over it and say "just flash the Gapps". Oh yeah, and you have to flash the ROM and the Gapps simultaneously. Because if you don't, the Gapps won't work! 

- Then Netflix doesn't show up anywhere in the Playstore so you have to find the .APK file for Netflix somewhere and install it using an .APK installer app. 

 

Surely, it can't be harder than this! 

 

I am speculating that it's easier with other phones because you can just use Kingroot to root your phone and then install TWRP from the Playstore? Is that correct? 

 

I didn't have that option with my Zuk Z2 because Kingroot just didn't work for whatever reason. So I had to use this bootloader unlock method.

 

It just makes me wonder about these Chinese phones from Gearbest like the Zuk Z2. How easy are they to root if they don't show up anywhere in these one-click root programs like Kingroot? I wonder if I should just stick to brand phones from the likes of Samsung from now on. 

 

 

[Yoola]

I had ZUK Z1 and never had any problems with unlocking bootloader, rooting or flashing ROM. It must be the version that comes with ZUI right? They probably just locked that thing up. 

 

Since few weeks ago I switched to OnePlus 5T and checking on the forums it seems OnePlus supports unlocking bootloader or flashing any ROM. Google (Pixel line) also has easier way to unlock bootloader. So it comes down to manufacturer. I since the switch decided to not do any of the mentioned (bootloader, root, custom ROM) since it's a lot of work for little return. And that whole sphere is slowly dying anyways. 

[Hip]

To make it short, I have a Xiaomi Mi5s Plus and it's not shorter to do so :-D

I even had to confirm my phone number to get a "permission" to root

[kokakolia]

2 hours ago, Yoola said:

I had ZUK Z1 and never had any problems with unlocking bootloader, rooting or flashing ROM. It must be the version that comes with ZUI right? They probably just locked that thing up. 

 

Since few weeks ago I switched to OnePlus 5T and checking on the forums it seems OnePlus supports unlocking bootloader or flashing any ROM. Google (Pixel line) also has easier way to unlock bootloader. So it comes down to manufacturer. I since the switch decided to not do any of the mentioned (bootloader, root, custom ROM) since it's a lot of work for little return. And that whole sphere is slowly dying anyways. 

Well, I got the global version of the Zuk Z2 which was completely fine in most ways. It just ran Android 6.0 with ZUI which was starting to feel old at the time and I wanted an update. So I flashed the Chinese ROM to get Android 7.0 with ZUI. And that ROM was arguably worse because the English language setting wasn't fully translated from Chinese. Further, there were several annoying bugs and I expected something far better from a company like Zuk which is backed by Lenovo. 

 

To answer the question "Is it worth it?":

 

- The camera will inevitably get worse with a custom ROM

- If your phone seems sluggish or you hate the firmware then installing a custom ROM might breathe new life into your phone. 

- If you're happy with your phone then clearly "NO!" 

[Yoola]

5 hours ago, huilun02 said:

Netflix not showing up is probably due to the service not being officially available in your region.

Nope, since recently Netflix is blocking all devices on Play Store that are rooted or probably if their bootloader is unlocked. It's been recently in the news. 

But I don't understand their move. If someone took time and rooted their phone, they'll 100% of the time find a way to go around that aswell... In this case it's just downloading .apk from another source lmao

[kokakolia]

5 hours ago, huilun02 said:

Dont use Kingroot...

The steps you took to install the custom rom is pretty normal. For Gapps you should have already known your ARM type and the safe DPI version is nodpi.

Netflix not showing up is probably due to the service not being officially available in your region.

I've rooted all my phones and I see no problem here. If you ever want to XDA you will notice no one will ever suggestion or even mention Kingroot.

Because its shady AF and probably rigs your phone for even worse privacy than it was at stock. Use Magisk instead whenever possible. Magisk allows you to easily hide root and use apps that refuse to work if your device is rooted.

 

With the Gapps I had no idea what to download. Fortunately, there were only 4 options on the site everyone goes to. And the second option ARM64 worked for me. So I'm sticking to ARM64 from now on. It just frustrates me because these ROM developers write these lengthy installation guides for the Zuk Z2 with fancy pictures and such.

 

Would it actually kill them to spend 0.25 seconds of their time to type "download the ARM64 for Android 8.1 Gapps package"!?

[kokakolia]

Just now, huilun02 said:

No. I understand it may be frustrating for someone new to custom roms, but keep in mind the guy who made the rom uploaded it out of generosity and asks for nothing in return. He does not owe you anything.

 

Anyway now that you're past the hard part, you should know your way around gapps in the future. If what @Yoola said is true about Netflix then it should appear in the Playstore if you hide root. Remember not to root using Kingroot in the future. I'll not tell you again.

Yeah, well, Kingroot doesn't seem to accomplish anything anyway. 

 

Regarding Netflix, I haven't rooted my phone at all. I feel like it would be another lengthy frustration and I don't want to bother. My issue is having an unlocked bootloader. Netflix doesn't like that. But I don't mind downloading the .APK and installing it that way. It takes seconds.