Droid X: Useful Root Applications.
Our last article discussed the process of rooting the Droid X via z4root. While rooting itself doesn't add any features or functionality, there's plenty of applications that can make use of the elevated privileges that it provides. For example, you can access the entire file system, make modifications to kernel settings, control the built-in firewall, change the CPU frequency, etc. Most of these are apps that I currently use and can be installed directly from the market. And here, in no particular order, are the apps.
- DroidWall - Android Firewall: DroidWall allows you to make use of the built-in IPTables firewall. You can pick and choose which applications are able to talk to the Internet via 3G and/or wireless. Have a pesky bird-like application that likes to plaster ads wherever you click? No problem. You can keep it from calling home to grab the ads. DroidWall allows for both white- and black-listing of what's allowed out.
- Titanium Backup: Titanium backup works great with a few caveats. It'll allow you to back up both applications and systems settings, e.g. SMS messages, call log, ringtone settings, etc. You can quickly restore the phone if you have to wipe your ROM. Overall it works great. However, I've found Titanium Backup to be problematic if you're moving between ROMs: settings from one often cause another to break. YMMV.
- MyBackup Root: This is a solid alternative to Titanium Backup. It doesn't seem to be as low-level but gets the job done. It'll handle applications, SMS messages, call history, etc. I've been using this lately since I move between ROMs a bit too often.
- Root Uninstaller: Pretty straight-forward. This app will let you uninstall anything from the system, including the bloatware that Motorola likes to include. Useful for cleaning up a ROM.
- Root Explorer: Great file-system browser for Android. You can do just about anything with it. Functions such as zipping, unzipping, text editing, thumbnails, etc work right from the app.
- Droid X Recovery Bootstrap: This is a must-have if you've rooted your phone. Not only can it be used to flash custom ROMs, but it allows you to create complete system images of your Droid X for backups. This allows you to restore your system to the exact state of the backup without have to reinstall apps and configure settings. I use this whenever I flash a new ROM in case anything goes wrong. Well worth the small price.
That's it for now. Be sure to leave any apps you think should be included in the comments section.
Droid X: Restoring and Rooting the Stock ROM.
I'll keep this short: if you're rooting your Droid X, changing ROMs, removing stock applications, etc, then there's a good chance you're eventually going to brick your phone. Having your phone "bricked" usually results in the Motorola logo being displayed indefinitely and or looping with the animated Droid X boot logo. A lot of users will then take it in for service, get it re-flashed, and get a lecture on potentially voiding your warranty by hacking the phone. However, there's tools available that allow you flash the phone back to the pristine state you first received it in.
This guide is designed for the 2.3.32 release of the Motorola firmware, aka the SBF. As such, you will also need to ensure that your bootloader is at 30.03 or higher. Instructions for upgrading both the firmware and bootloader can be found below.
Congestion Control on DD-WRT using TCP Vegas.
In my previous article, we covered building a wireless home network using commodity hardware and DD-WRT. While it works great, you can definitely hit some snags when generating a lot of traffic, e.g. running BitTorrent, playing Black Ops, and trying to use your VoIP all at the same time. Everyone is given equal footing: that BitTorrent traffic might cause your VoIP call to drop and Black Ops to lag since it's eating up all of the bandwidth. QoS is fully supported by DD-WRT and could be used, but it's often difficult to configure, especially if you don't have a consistent up- and down-stream Internet speed. Enter the world of TCP Vegas:
Vegas is an implementation of TCP that achieves between 37 and 71% better throughput on the Internet, with onefifth to one-half the losses, as compared to the implementation of TCP in the Reno distribution of BSD Unix. This paper motivates and describes the three key techniques employed by Vegas, and presents the results of a comprehensive experimental performance study—using both simulations and measurements on the Internet—of the Vegas and Reno implementations of TCP.
The Ultimate DD-WRT Setup: Wireless Bridging, No-IP, and OpenDNS.
Summary:
For 99% of the population, the stock firmware that's included with wireless routers is just fine. For the remaining 1% of power-users, it just doesn't cut it. Whether it be increased signal range, a wireless mesh, or just the need to tweak settings under the hood, there's always a reason to want more from that commodity piece of hardware. The following guide will cover enabling No-IP, OpenDNS, and creating a bridged wireless network across your environment.
DD-WRT is a Linux based alternative OpenSource firmware suitable for a great variety of WLAN routers and embedded systems. The main emphasis lies on providing the easiest possible handling while at the same time supporting a great number of functionalities within the framework of the respective hardware platform used.
The graphical user interface is logically structured, and it is operated via a standard Web browser, so even non-technicians can configure the system in only a few simple steps.
Apart from the simple handling, speed and stability are also in the focus of our development work. Compared to the software preinstalled on many WLAN routers, DD-WRT allows a reliable operation with a clearly larger functionality that also fulfills the demands of professional deployment.
In the following scenario, we're going to build a wireless bridge network that makes use of both No-IP and OpenDNS.