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The system that came with my Galaxy S2 is heavily bloated. I want to install a bare, stock Jelly Bean ROM. I've searched and searched, but keep running into walls.

System version

I don't know how to get the version string, or if I do, I can't find appropriate ROMs. Nothing I can come up with reading the system info comes up in the lists.

Model: GT-I9100
Baseband version: I9100UHMS1
Kernel version: 3.0.31-914166 se.infra@SEP-122 #3 SMP PREEMPT (date) KST 2013
PDA: I9100UHMS8
CSC I9100PSNMS4

Where can I get the correct stock Jelly Bean ROM?

Download mode

When I reboot the phone holding vol+home+power, I don't see the screen everyone says I should see. Instead, I see a menu, in which the most appropriate option seems to be apply update from adb, but ODIN doesn't see my phone at this point (it does show up when it's normally functioning).

Why does ODIN see the phone when it's ON, but fails to see it when it's in dowload mode?

To root or not to root

Do I have to root the phone before attempting to install a ROM? The rooting process, according to the guides I've seen, involves installing a ROM too. This takes me back to square zero and the problems above.

Please help!

salezica
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1 Answers1

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You can get an almost stock Jellybean experience using SuperNexus - I9100. It is based off AOSP and only has "improvements and optimizations", but states it is still very near to stock. Another option, while differentiating itself from AOSP, is CyanogenMod. This is based on AOSP, but includes a LOT of extra features and improvements of AOSP, while keeping the bloat to a minimum.

As for instructions on getting it ready for a custom ROM, the instructions on the CyanogenMod wiki tend to be fairly accurate and may give you the needed information to get you started. Install CM for i9100 If you don't want CyanogenMod on your phone, replace step #2 in the last section with whatever ROM you want to try (like the one above). Make sure you get the right gapps (basic Google apps including the Play Store) unless your ROM includes it (most don't).

bassmadrigal
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  • I recommend CyanogenMod instead of that other ROM. CyanogenMod is very stock-like but has a ton of smaller improvements here and there and most of all, it's the most used ROM (180k i9100 active users: CM Stats) – ce4 May 01 '13 at 19:46
  • While CyanogenMod is probably the most used ROM out there, it is by no means vanilla AOSP/stock Jelly Bean. It is based on AOSP, but is heavily modified. That is why I provided both options. – bassmadrigal May 01 '13 at 19:58
  • Of course. IMHO, XDA ROMs linked in those development threads have a very broad quality range. If a device shows up on CM's build-servers, it's most of the time rather usable, that's why I suggest/prefer to use CM, if it has official builds, over other custom firmware. Also, long-term support is rather good, once CM support is there. Just my 2ct. – ce4 May 02 '13 at 13:23
  • I agree CM might be a better route for the OP to go, but he specifically asked for stock Jelly Bean, which was the point in me trying to find a decent AOSP ROM for his phone. I added CyanogenMod into the thread because I know the quality is there (and it is what I have used since the early days of CM6). But I know some people aren't interested in all the CM extras and just want to stay as vanilla as possible. I just try to keep my opinions out of the answers and provide the facts to let the OP decide which way they would like to go :) – bassmadrigal May 02 '13 at 14:33
  • Got your points :-) – ce4 May 04 '13 at 18:52