ODJDub HD Express (The Express) is a Sense 3.0 ROM for the HTC EVO 4G that has everything working (4G/WiMax, Bluetooth, 3G, data, etc.) and comes with a slick installer, theme, and overall experience.
On installation, the Aroma Installer allows you to pick from six different kernels, multiple themes, and which apps you want installed and which ones you don't. This means no rebooting to install a new kernel or uninstalling what you consider bloat after startup.
The Rosie launcher and lockscreen have been modified to allow for landscape orientation, comes prepackaged with Sony's Bravia photo engine and Xloud audio enhancements, and has completely working HDMI and WiFi hotspot right out of the gate.
I'll confess, I've never installed a ROM that uses the Aroma Installer before, so I was impressed by that right off the bat, but things got even better after the ROM was finally installed. I had not seen a graphical install from a non-graphic recovery (Amon Ra) until today. The choices and themes really gave me a feeling when the ROM loaded that there was not much work left for me to do after the install.
Depending on what kernel you choose, your performance is going to vary. I'm not terribly impressed by the ROM when it's on the stock kernel – it scores Quadrants in the low 500s – but it's easy enough to swap the kernel out later by either normal methods or just reinstalling the ROM on top of itself. It's a bit longer than an average kernel install, but not by too much. It would be nice if they gave the option to just swap kernels from there and not flash the entire ROM again, but it doesn't appear that's the case, and it doesn't take too long to re-flash with all your settings kept intact.
Flashing the Underworld SBC kernel that came with the ROM, I doubled the Quadrant scores (over 1000) and the ROM is now snappy and impressive without changing the clock speeds off of the stock.
During my initial install, I noticed the AnthraX #3 kernel that's listed failed to flash. I'm not sure what's up with that but installing any other kernel did not result in receiving "failed to write boot.img" like AnthraX did, so my guess is there's either something wrong with the kernel package inside the main ROM zip, or there is something new in the EVO 4G world that I do not know about as to why it's not working on my phone.
You have some theming options when flashing the ROM, but if I remember correctly that was the choice between red and blue themes. The options included aren't aesthetically pleasing to me, but re-theming is pretty simple.
ODJDub HD Express includes a tweaks app that allows you to change the lockscreen carrier caption, unlock the phone via menu button, or use the camera button . . . which the HTC EVO 4G does not have. It also features some options to tweak Rosie a bit for smoothness, although after playing with it in stock and super smooth mode, I'm not feeling the change.
Speaking of Rosie, it seems to have been ported from another phone with a slightly differently sized screen, as things will line up slightly off center and then snap to attention in the right place. I think this Rosie came from a wider resolution phone.
This ROM gives me a little bit of the excitement some of the first ROMs I ever installed gave me, and for that it's worth a look, although look without the stock kernel. That really was unimpressive.




















I love all the stuff in the news. But I don’t know how
To put in my phone. Is there away you can tell me how to
Inatall it in my phone.
Thank you.
Best: Jerome
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If youre in Nashville I could, but as it stands best I can do anywhere else is to point you to the EVO ROOT guide at the top of GE.
how’s the battery life with the ROM?
I’m w/ Jerome, Nervous to do it…and I know once a month you all review the best ROMs out there. This one sounds the most promising w/ full functionality. My biggest pet peeve is the bloatware on the phone. Blockbuster, facebook, etc…stuff I don’t use. I am in Cleveland, OH.
I guess I just need to sit down at the computer one day and read through it all and understand it…and then just do it. I guess my attention span is dwindling to understand it all.
Consider myself an expert computer user…this just makes me nervous if I brick it.
Depends on the kernel you’re using – was not a spectacular mAh drain showing with the stock, but seems to be going well with the Underworld kernel.
“Can’t open /sdcard/TheExpress 3.0zip (bad)” is the message i am getting……I am using RA Recovery, did full wipes… what am i doing wrong?
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Which version of Amon RA are you using?
2.3
2.3
must of have been a bad DL
Is it snappy or sluggish? If snappy then I will install it for sure!
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I always download to a computer, test the archive there then move it saves busted DLs.
doh i should have paid more attention to the article. n/m
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It is snappish with the Underworld kernel, it is sluggish with the stock kernel. This is without any tweaks / overclocking. Basically my stock experience I thought it was bad, my underworld experience I think its great.
thanks!! Downloading now.. It’s “Flash Friday”
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I had a lot of fun with this ROM reminded me a lot of VaelPak GB with a lot more in the way of tweaks.
Will it delete my SD card contents? I was going to partition it as stated. Just want to make sure if it is..that I back it up first. I downloaded the PC36 item and teh Express 3.0. That is the correct way isn’t it? Partition, the PC36 item then the Express 3.0 right ?
Partitioning the SD card will delete the contents. You do not have to partition the SD card to run this ROM, my guess is that has to do with A2SD if you want it installed. Basically I just installed and ran with it.
Simply installing the ROM will not delete the contents.
The PC36IMG is not required if you’re already running a recovery that’s capable of executing the Aroma Installer. I do not know which recoveries can and cannot execute this.
My phone is bone stock. So I would need the PC36IMG if that was the case, right? I have a 32gb card. Plenty of room. I was going to install that first, then the ROM. Just didn’t want to delete card contents.
After you move the file to the sd card then do a MD5 checksum test
Will the new OTA update mess w/ this ROM ? From what I have read, when they come out w/ an OTA, it seems to mess w/ the Roots.
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Always does, thats why most ROMs wont let you take the OTA.However, what OTA are you expecting the EVO 4G to receive? General rule of rooting is if you can wait for about a day to take an OTA therell be an update to the ROM you like.
I had not seen the new OTA until just now – but yes, it would not work with this ROM… wait a day if you want anything with the new OTA included
I keep getting an error message when I try to install updates. It keeps saying there is insufficient storage space. But I have 127MB free of memory… Anybody else having that issue?
Loaded the ROM… very impressed… Used the Anthrax -CDMA kernel first… worked fined on my OG 4G… will try Underworld next. I can use this as a daily driver… its that good… congrats to the Devs.
I had that issue on a couple of other ROMs on the first boot that I ran the market on (usually the first boot) and it was usually rectified by rebooting / possibly clearing cache and dalvik.
Rooted mine…finally. I found a good video on youtube to get me to the point of getting the phone from locked oow to unlocked. Had to register on HTC. After I got past that, and about halfway through the video…it was pretty self explanatory. I actually like how the menus look now. Now just need to play around w/ it more…to see what else it has to offer. I like it though….pretty cool.
After using it for a whole weekend, i am having slight issues with Maps (Keeps force closing)… Lock Screen button (1 out of 4) is a blank dot and wont let me change it (Force closes)….. Not enough space to update my Smurfville (Even though i have plenty of space left)… But i love the feel and look of the phone, so i really do think i am going to just rife this ROM out till the new EVO is in my hands!!!
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Are you using clockworkmod recovery?
I was going to us clockwork to flash amon ra. Then use that to install the Rom. Is that right?
You can, basically I think the problem you’re running into is a bad dalvik cache or improperly wiped cache. Both of these produce results like what you’re seeing.
The reason I start off asking people if they’re running clockworkmod is because these are the only recoveries that seem to consistently do this. Now it could be claimed that since CWM is the widest-installed recovery that my chances of running across people with issues is greatly increased, but usually these issues disappear after Amon Ra or TWRP are installed.
If you’ve got a copy of fastboot on your computer, download an image of either twrp or amon ra, use “fastboot boot recoverynamehere.img” and that will boot the recovery image without flashing it to memory (meaning next recovery boot will be back to CWM) – clear cache and dalvik, boot the rom, see if maps doesn’t fix itself.
I have numerous force closes. Used the Undeworld kernel. Can’t figure out….yet…how to find answers (have been looking on XDA developers website) as to why it keeps force closing alot of programs…and get the white HTC screen .
See the above comments that Shaun started, same issue I’m assuming with a bad dalvik that needs wiped.
Clockworkmod also?
Didn’t use clockwork…used the Amon Ra I believe. Had downloaded an HTC Hacks file that I found via a Youtube how to video on their site. http://htcevohacks.com/htc-evo-hacks/how-to-root-htc-evo-4g-on-hboot-2-18-with-s-off/ It worked fine last night, shut it off and keep getting sense force close. I used the program he recommended. Followed his video until I got to the part where you put in the ROM. At that point went w/ the one from this article. Picked my preferences and went from there. As I said….it worked fine. Did I need to go in and lock the bootloader back or something? I can’t figure it out….new to Rooting…and being patient trying to read and figure it out..just kinda bummed and thinking I did something wrong. Switched to the Anthrax one…doing the same thing.
If I do a wipe…will it delete the contents of the sd card ?
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no, no need to re-lock bootloader. Go ahead and boot into recovery, choose to clear Dalvik and wipe caches. You might want to try a using stock kernel as sometimes these custom kernels push the phone too hard. Usually FCs and oddness are 1) bad dalvik or cache, 2) overclocked or undervolted kernel, 3) demons. Im betting its 1 or 2 though
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wiping cache or dalvik does not wipe the SD card. It does wipe a ton of temp files that the phone uses to speed things up, so after you wipe and reboot it will take ~5 minutes to boot.
I redid the wipes, and still having these issues. I never was on Clockwork, but i am on stock kernal…… I guess im used to everything working perfect because I have been using Synergy for the past year, and everything worked with no issues.
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Afraid I do not know the answer then. Usually changing the kernel, clearing the dalvik and cache with Amon Ra, and making sure no data was imported with Titanium backup for anything other than user apps is all thats required to get a ROM to function correctly. Id check in the thread and see if anyone else is having issues. Im not entirely sure what the problem could be, but it sounds like its beyond ROM and into kernel teritorry.
ok….I did the same too Shaun. Cleared the dalvik and actually put a different ROM on there too..the Anthrax one…does the same thing w/ the Force Closes. I wanted to see if I could as a question….on the XDA site..I can’t….since I am not a developer. Frustrated….
How can I go back to stock mode? I mean I am unlocked now. I guess what I am asking is…what is the best way to uninstall the ROM and try a different one…that may not have Sense issues causing force close.
you can ask a question there without being a developer.
Here’s how it works, you can go to the development thread, go in to this ROM release, and ask a question there. IE click the link above, go in there. Ask there.
You can not start a new thread asking how to use it… otherwise the development section would be 38,000 people asking how to use this that or the other ROM.
The developer threads are primarily used by developers to communicate with their end users (in this case you). In some cases there will be threads you are not welcome to post in, but the threads will be clearly marked in the initial post as to “don’t write here if you’re a user”
Just download another ROM, clear dalvik/cache, flash away. You do not have to uninstall a previous ROM.
Oh, ok….well I will try a different ROM then…cool.
tried that a couple of time and still didnt work… I will give it another try. I really like this ROM above all others I’ve tried. Thanks!
i’m in the process of isntalling now. I read that the installer backs up your current ROM. Perhaps its trying to backup your current ROM and your SD card is full?
Thanks for all the help. So I did a full wipe, flashed the ROM and still got the same error. I did a second cache and calvik cache wipe and booted the phone. That fixed the problem. Hope this help other people.