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New to Replicant, really don't want to mess up
Added by Linus Drumbler over 10 years ago
Some background: I've just come off a bad experience. I rooted my LG Optimus G and removed a bunch of proprietary system apps, only to find that I had bricked my phone. More about this here: http://www.reddit.com/r/techsupport/comments/1ncrxt/how_do_i_get_my_lg_optimus_g_out_of_download_mode/
What exactly are the risks with installing Replicant? Is there a chance I might brick this new phone (which I really can't afford)? Does anybody have a horror story from installing Replicant of which I should be aware?
What is the simplest phone for Replicant installation? (This is coupled, of course, with the desire to have the newest possible - although ease is much more important.)
Replies (3)
RE: New to Replicant, really don't want to mess up - Added by Dorian Kernytsky over 10 years ago
Replicant's main goal is to support the ideals of free/libra software. you're not likely to see the latest and greatest. The LG Optimus G isn't on the support list and among those, not everything works. None of the devices have working wifi.
http://redmine.replicant.us/projects/replicant/wiki/ReplicantStatus
I assume you need to extract work to get the wifi using non-free software but I don't know exactly how the project work.
If ease is most important, Replicant not might be the best rom for you.
RE: New to Replicant, really don't want to mess up - Added by Paul Kocialkowski over 10 years ago
It's very hard to brick a phone that is supported by Replicant, because it's easy to reflash a new system for all of them. Unless you flash the bootloader and something goes wrong (or you flash a non-working image), there is no risk of not being able to recover. And even when that happens, you may be able to recovery with the help of a soldering iron (GNUtoo already did that for the Nexus S).
What you experienced is probably a non-working system, which may be fatal if you have no possibility of reflashing through the bootloader, but that's not the case here.
I personally reflashed my devices hundreds of times, still no brick here. Replicant installation is detailed step-by-step, but it assumes some knowledge. You can checkout each installation page and see how you think you'd succeed at doing what's asked.
RE: New to Replicant, really don't want to mess up - Added by Linus Drumbler over 10 years ago
Sorry. I should have clarified: I will be buying a phone supported by Replicant, and want to know the risks with installing it on that phone. I care very much about free software. That's why I want to use Replicant. Freedom is my first priority; being up-to-date is second.