# Cwm And Odin Newbie Question



## rorkin (Nov 9, 2011)

I get the function of Odin and CWM.. Following questions

1 are they pretty much functionally similar but different roms/kernals packaged in such a way that they are formatted for one or the other excusively ??

Do they run on the host computer only or do they have to be installed on the phone

If loaded on phone, can both be put on the phone concurrenty and then either called when applicable.
using appropriate key presses.

If I simply want to debloat as a SU.. procedure then would be

1 download ODIN
2 install ODIN
3 find rom of choice
4 use Oden to install rooted rom.

5 should the rom I want to install be one written for CWM.. then install cwm after oden and then use CWM to install rom rather than Odin. ???

end of story-- no need to install custom kernal.. ?
how does one then invoke SU priveliges ?
to remove unwanted software.. , is this a command line function or can it be done through the normal interface once su status has been invoked ??
Sorry for all the questions but wanted to ask all at once.
Thanks in advance
Rorkin


----------



## shrike1978 (Sep 2, 2011)

Even though they can do some of the same things from an end user perspective, they're actually quite different functionally. Odin accesses your phone's ROM (Read Only Memory hardware, not rom images) on the lowest level and writes directly to it. CWM interacts at a higher level so there is less it can interact with, but it can do more with the things it can access. They do have access to many of the same areas, but Odin access it at a hardware level, while CWM works at a firmware/software level.

The answers to your other questions largely depend on the rom itself. You are going to have to use Odin at some point in the process. Odin takes .tar.md5 files, and CWM takes .zip file. If the rom you are loading is a CWM image, you'll need to copy the rom CWM package onto your SD car, Odin CWM onto the phone, boot into CWM, and install the rom from CWM. If the rom is an Odin package, you can just flash the entire rom through Odin. At that point, what else you do depends on the rom and your preferences.

A custom kernel is never required, but they usually offer some benefits both big and small, and most non-stock roms come with a custom kernel already baked in. As for superuser, it's a two part system...the su binary, and the Superuser app. If a rom or kernel says that it is rooted, but the Superuser app isn't present, then you'll need to install it from the Market. The rooted EP4 packages require this, unless you install imoseyon's kernel as well, which comes with the Superuser app. Once that's done, if something asks for superuser rights, you'll get a popup asking you to allow or deny.

To remove unwanted software, there are lots of ways. You can directly delete apks from the /system/apps directory, but that's the hard way, and you'll probably leave behind some orphaned libraries unless you know how to track them all down. The easiest way is to use Titanium Backup from the Market. You can freeze or uninstall system apps from it with just a click.


----------



## rorkin (Nov 9, 2011)

Great explanation.. thanks so much.. Only remaining question is when copying CWM package to SD card, does it need to be unzipped and does it have to be placed in a specific subdirectory for CWM to see it ?? Is there a default directory where CWM looks for the package.

THanks again


----------



## shrike1978 (Sep 2, 2011)

You don't need to unzip it. Just put the whole zip file on the card. It doesn't matter where. CWM has access to the whole thing, and you'll be able to traverse the whole directory structure from the CWM menus. I keep all my CWM related stuff in a folder of it's own, but I'm a flashaholic.


----------

