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Samsung Vibrant CM7/MIUI Kernels are Starting to Appear

One of the hardest and sometimes scariest things to do to your device is flash a new kernel. You can end up causing all sorts of problems to your phone if you pick you the wrong one. When CM7 started rolling out to the Vibrant a lot of our favorite kernels were not supported and many still have not been ported over. Often times it can be the kernel that makes or breaks a ROM on your device. Although the CM7 team are doing a great job of keeping the Vibrant nightlies up and running with minimal issues, they stick to a standard kernel. Which is good, that helps keep a consistent experience across the board.

In my travels of the web and experiences with many ROMs I have found great kernels that make or break ROM. Even though CM7 is a spectacular piece of ROM development, every phone will react differently to different aspects of the build. I wanted to toss my 2 cents out there and let you guys know of two other kernel options that may dramatically improve your overall experience.

The most prominent of  the two currently available is a kernel called Glitch. It is derived from the Galaxy S I9000 section and is compatible with the Vibrant. They have 3 versions available to choose from. LL, ML and HL. That stands for Low Leakage, Medium Leakage and High Leakage. What does that mean to the average user? Nothing. It is all based on the internal components inside your device that you will never see or figure out. No one can actually recommend which one will work best for anyone. It is recommended that you download all three kernels and flash each one. Use it for a minimum of 24 hours. Track any freezing or glitches and battery life. One of the three should give you a dramatic increase in speed and battery life.

Overview (Subject to Change):
– Up to 1.7GHz CPU OC with added bus/GPU OC (Thanks morfic)
– Undervolting using Pimp my CPU or Voltage Control
– Voodoo Sound – & Voodoo Color, using VC versions (Thanks Supercurio)
– FPS uncap (from 56 to 66) from JPX source
– Various tweaks for more smoothness and reliability
– LED notifications

The Glitch series has quite a few additions and tweaks that can make your CM7/MIUI experience even better.  If you want to read the full instructions and get these kernels, head over to XDA now.

On a side note, these should function on any ROM that is CM7 based.

The second kernel is Bali CM v1.0. You may remember this kernel from the 2.2 ROMS. It has similar features as Glitch.

Features:
– OC/UV up to 1.4GHz (Safe boot to 1GHz) [require setCPU from market]
– Voodoo Sound v10
– Multiple CPU governor, smartass included (default: conservative)
– Multiple IO scheduler (default: BFQ)
– LED notification support (no external app required)
– CIFS support
– Support SetCPU screen off 100/400 profile
– Dock sound redirector support [need Galaxy Dock Sound Redirector app from market]

This one is the most recent kernel release to hit the forums. This is the kernel I am currently using on my Vibrant. I stay clear of OC/UV settings personally. Again some devices handle those setting better than others. As a general practice, I flash the kernel as it was built and let it run its course.

From experience on my device, Bali CM v1.0 is performing the best for me. I only tested Glitch ML and ran into a few things that drove me crazy. Most notably was the battery drain, which was similar to the stock kernel in CM7. A full charge overnight would be drained to about 30% after 8 hours of idle time. Since I flashed Bali, I was able to leave it off the charger for the evening, using the device for about an hour of phone calls and I woke up to 82% battery life left. This is a drastic improvement in my opinion.

If Bali CM v1.0 sounds like a kernel you want to try for your self, head on over to drhonk’s XDA thread.

As a general guideline, always back up your current ROM before flashing a kernel, charge to 100% and clear battery stats and give it at least 2 days before you make judgment. No one but you is responsible for your device. These are only suggestions and options for you to use.

Hope this helps a little bit in making your CM7 based ROM and device last a little longer and be more responsive.

Soucre: XDAÂ