What is Basic Plus?
It is a basic unbranded NO_RSA firmware based on 80.46.1BR for 512MB V8 and 80.56.1BR for 2GB V8 with added 5 customization menus
(Change Bootlogo, Font Changer, Startup-/Shutdown Sound, Alarm Clock Timer and Reminder Sound), USB-Lan and Swap memory by default. That's it!
Now this space saving allowed to return to the old system of changing the language by flashing the CG46.
That is the Basic part!
The Plus part includes a Package Manager and you can install what you want and leave out what you don't want. There are 18 packages supplied, which would include the complete Evo 3 range, some have been upgraded, like zLauncher is version 2.1, pictureflow is upgraded and SlideShow is a development of pictureflow made by DeJe. You just have to copy the packages (*.tar.gz files) into /ezxlocal/download/mystuff/package. The Package Manager (you find it in the Package folder in the Main Menu) will install and uninstall packages. During installation you have to enter a menu name, for example you install zLauncher then you can call the menu whatever you want (e.g My Filesystem or Mein Dateienfresser), which is nice if you do not use english as your language. Secondly during installation you can associate file extentions, which most packages do not need. Also, because most Mods now come with a selection of languages and the packages are installed in /ezxlocal/download/mystuff/packages/apps, which is read/write filesystem, you can change the menus to your language. All packages menus will be installed in the Package folder below Package Manager, you either leave them there or you move them to somewhere else, your choice.
USB-Lan and Swap Memory are in the Settings menu, USB-Lan at the beginning and Swap Memory at the end, as you need to use Swap Memory only once to set up the swap file and activate it. After each reboot the swap file gets automatically activated. I have not included the Java HEAP Setting package as I have set the the default HEAP size to the maximum of 4096KB by default.
If you really MUST use Windows Explorer instead of FTP then shutdown the swap file first then change to USB Setting Memory Card and connect with USB cable to PC, the V8 will not hang itself.
MPlayer, because of its /mmc/mmca1/Programms path requirement has been not supplied as a package. However the MPlayer menu exists under Multimedia and all you have to do is copy the included MPlayer folder into /ezxlocal/download/mystuff/Programms on the 512MB V8 or into /mmc/mmca1/Programms on the 2GB V8, that's all.
MPlayer.rar
Another change is that the ezx_flexbit.cfg is now under /ezxlocal/download/appwrite/flexbit, this allows to change the flexbit without the need to flash a CG43 every time you edited the ezx_flexbit.cfg. Just copy your new ezx_flexbit.cfg file into this folder and reboot.
I have tried to make this firmware as simple as possible, as from the comments about Evo 3 saw that a lot just could not get the hang of the different language system and how to handle it.
The need for a Package Manager was always high on the list, also the result of comments and requests like "we do not need this, but can we have that..." and then "we do not need that, but can we have this...", so now everybody can decide themselves what they want and what not.
There are already 2 package management system around (PEP and mpkg), so why creating a new one? Well, I was hoping that there would be a PEP for V8, but that project got put on hold and by request of the PEP creators I could not port it to V8, so that left only mpkg. Now mpkg might be fine for the Z6, but it is not good enough for the V8 and the reasons are that mpkg packages are installed from and onto the Z6 SD card (/mmc/mmca1) this path exists only on 2GB V8, but not on 512MB V8, secondly mpkg packages for Z6 do not work on V8, they need modification in order to work on the V8 (huge potential for future post " I installed mpkg package, but it does not work ...."). Thirdly the icon management of mpkg produces only black exclamation marks on yellow background (mpkg uses one icon for std and ani icons, no small icon). which honestly does not look nice to have on your phone. Fourthly the AppID creation is rather simple and the V8 always has been quite fuzzy with "home made" AppID's. So, I either rewrite mpkg to fit V8 and change Z6 mpkg packages into V8 mpkg packages, which still leaves the door wide open for people to install Z6 mpkg packages on V8 and wonder why they do not work. So I decided against that option and created my own package management. Anyway Linux is all about choice, so there you go!
You might find that the Customize menu looks a bit different, this was done on purpose.
OK, I could not have done this without the help, inspiration and testing from DeJe and DaRk_dOg, their work, ideas and contribution helped to shape this firmware. THANKS!
But a big thank you has to go out to all the other unnamed modders, who's work, modified or not, found their way also into this firmware. THANK YOU!
As with all my work, this firmware is also free for everybody to change, use parts of it or simply print out the code and wallpaper your room with it.
2GB V8 Basic Plus update 512MB V8 Basic Plus update
UPDATE
I have updated Basic Plus with the package fix and the swap memory fix for the 2GB, other changes are:
352x288 video recording
packages on the 2GB are now placed on /mmc/mmca1 (2GB Memory) as the User memory with 48 MB rather small is.
All scripts are now located in /ezxlocal/download/appwrite/bin, which is read/write, so you can change the script menu texts from english to whatever language you like without the need to edit CG's or flashing, just copy the files to PC, and change texts with Linux, if you use Windows to do that the files will not work anymore as Windows does not know about executable file attributes as Linux does, alternative you can edit the scripts on the V8 using zLauncher, just highlight the script and pres and hold the 3 button and zTextViewer opens, which you can use to edit files.
Known bugs so far:
Reset does not work, it goes on and on and on..... do not know why yet.
Very very useful tip: wait at least 20 seconds after you see the home screen after booting, because when you see the home screen it does not mean the booting process is over, far from it, as there are still background tasks running which you can not see, activating the swap memory is the last task. If you start to press menus as soon as you see the home screen, you will be disappointed as a lot of modded menus do not work yet. If you do not believe me try this: as soon as you see the home screen go into Customise and change the font, if you hit it right it just collides with swap memory activation and your V8 hangs totally, no response to any key and only battery out helps. So, please, take your time! Thanks
04-13-2009, 01:51 PM
Linear Mode
