Install Xylon in Galaxy Nexus

I was having problems in AOKP, so I decided to try a different ROM and a different kernel.

I’ve decided to go with Xylon and Ak Kernel.

What is Xylon?

“A Generally based of many kinds of features around the Android Development and fits into minimal customization. It may act up like AOKP, but totally not at all. Overall, we’re still in work in progress state of changing the base to slightly minimal like FNV before. This ROM is built off with GCC 4.7, O3, Linaro Strings enabled. (Galaxy Nexus Kernel, fusion with anarkia’s horn, O3 and Linaro GCC 4.7.3 enabled.).” from xda-developers

I remember when I saw the FNV ROM. I didn’t try it back then, but it looked very good, so when I was looking for a new ROM I went with Xylon.

Ak Kernel

Ak Kernel comes in two flavors:

• Purity edition, the stable version
• Cylon edition, a experimental branch

Installation

As with AOKP, I will show how to do a fresh install of Xylon with Ak Kernel.

Backing up your device

• Backup using Titanium Backup
• Backup Nova Launcher settings
• Backup SMS using SMS Backup & Restore
• Reboot into recovery (I have ClockworkMod Recovery v6.0.2.3)
• Backup (backup and restore > backup)
• Go into “install zip from sdcard > choose zip from sdcard” just to guarantee that ClockworkMod Recovery is accessing the storage
• Plug the phone into a computer (I’m using Ubuntu 12.10, and have already android-sdk)
• Go into your android-sdk tools folder

  cd Android/android-sdk-linux_86/tools/
  

• Go into adb shell and list the directories in your “sdcard” to decide what to backup

  sudo ./adb shell
  ls /data/media/0
  exit
  

• Pull all the directories you want to backup

  sudo ./adb pull /data/media/0/examplefolder sdcard/examplefolder
  

• The previous example will create a sdcard folder in your tools folder with the data folder pulled from your phone
• Change the owner of the pulled folders

  sudo chown -R youruser:youruser sdcard
  

You can also backup using FTP for example. I normally use WellFTP Server.

Don’t forget to backup at least your “clockwork” and “TitaniumBackup” folders!

Note: clockwork backups are located in “/data/media/clockworkmod” and not in “/data/media/0/clockworkmod”, at least at my system.

Check in what folder you have the following folders: “backup” and “blobs”. That will be the correct clockwork backup folder.

Wiping your device

• Format /data and /cache (wipe data/factory reset)
• Format /system (mounts and storage > format /system)
• Format /sdcard (mounts and storage > format /sdcard)
• Wipe Dalvik Cache (advanced > wipe dalvik cache)

After these steps, your device, including the “sdcard” is cleaned without ROM or files.

Installing Xylon

I will be installing Xylon 2.1.1 (2013-02-28), based on Android 4.2.2, and the provided Google Apps (gapps-xy-20130220-nops-BAnKs-signed). The kernel is the Cylon edition, version 716.

• Create a new folder in your “sdcard”

  sudo ./adb shell
  cd /data/media
  mkdir 0/0.ROOT/xylon
  exit
  

• Push the ROM and the kernel into your phone

  sudo ./adb push ~/xylon_maguro_2.1.1_20130228.zip /data/media/0/0.ROOT/xylon
  sudo ./adb push ~/gapps-xy-20130220-nops-BAnKs-signed.zip/data/media/0/0.ROOT/xylon
  sudo ./adb push ~/ak.716.422.Cylon.zip /data/media/0/0.ROOT/xylon
  

• Install the ROM (install zip from sdcard > choose zip from sdcard > 0 > 0.ROOT > xylon > xylon_maguro_2.1.1_20130228.zip)
• Install the Google Apps (install zip from sdcard > choose zip from sdcard > 0 > 0.ROOT > xylon > gapps-xy-20130220-nops-BAnKs-signed.zip)
• Install the kernel (install zip from sdcard > choose zip from sdcard > 0 > 0.ROOT > xylon > ak.716.422.Cylon.zip)
• Reboot (reboot system now)

Restoring your “sdcard”

• Reboot into Recovery
• Push your backed up folders into your “sdcard”

  sudo ./adb push sdcard/examplefolder /data/media/0
  

• Reboot (reboot system now)

When restoring I tend to use WellFTP Server.

Restoring your apps

• Restore apps using Titanium Backup
• Restore Nova Launcher settings
• Restore SMS using SMS Backup & Restore

Ak Kernel settings

To change Ak Kernel setting use Trickster MOD Kernel Settings. Don’t forget to donate to the developer by purchasing the premium key.

Also, read the kernel FAQ here.

Enjoy!