کلوپ A1200

[mahmood_online2008]

Guide to Modding your A1200Last Updated: Oct 4th 2007

This guide explains how to perform most of the main modifications that can be made to your A1200.

It was created by combining and summarizing the information provided in the dozens of threads on this forum and then rewriting it as easy-to-follow steps that new users can print off and have all the information that they need in one place to (hopefully) easily and successfully perform the mod. It does not attempt to describe everything you can do with this phone, but covers the following topics:

A1. What are rar files and how do I use them
A2. How do I copy files to my phone
B. What is MPKG and LINLoader and how do I install them
C. How to Install programs and games
C1. How to Uninstall Java and PKG apps
D. How to Change an Application's Permissions
E. How to change shortcuts 1 and 2 on the bottom of the Home Page (to something different than web browser and video)
F. How to install themes and skins to change the way the screens look
G. How to increase the volume of the phone
H. How to turn off the camera "shutter" sound
I. How to change the fonts on your phone
J. How to use RadioComm to enable Edge
K. How to use RadioComm to fix Voicemail and Network Time bugs
L. How to Change an App's Icon and/or Name
M. How to Telnet to your PC
N. How to Seem Edit
O. How to Write Directly to Phone's Memory

• There are often different methods described for installing a program described on different threads (eg for installing linloader) - and different versions of the programs. Part of this is because programs often have to be installed differently on the A1200 than other Motorola phones - but this was only discovered through trial and error - so some of the methods described in the threads are out of date. In other cases, what works for one version of the firmware does not work for another - but it is often not clear which works on what. This writeup describes the most straightforward method that worked on my phone (with firmware bint .08p). If you follow this method and it does not seem to work then review the relevant thread and try one of the other methods or try to download a different version of the program.

• Most of the software mentioned here can be found in the Developed Softwares section of the A1200 forum. If you can not find it there, then you should be able to easily find it by doing a search in the threads. You get to the Search screen by clicking on the "Search this Forum" link at the top of the forum.

• If you do not understand something here or have any problems then each section has the thread(s) listed where you can go to get more information.

================================================== =========================================

TIP: Many of the program installs in this Guide have instructions that include replacing the .system folder on your SD card with a new one that has the new app already installed (eg Superman or SmartAssistant). The .sytem folder is where the information for all apps installed to your SD card is kept (think of it like the "Program Files" folder on Windows) and when you replace it on your phone you then have to reinstall all your apps again to put their info back into this folder.

An alternative method is to use the program Beyond Compare for Windows (runs fine with wine too). Install it on your PC then extract the app you are trying to install's archive file to a temp folder and use Beyond Compare to compare its .system to your phone's .system folder. BC allows you to copy the differences into your phone without disrupting existing apps.

Always make a backup of your phone's .system folder before making any changes like this to it. If something goes wrong then simple task of copying it back to phone again to restore it

[mahmood_online2008]

A. GETTING STARTED

All you need to perform any of the modifications described in this writeup are the following:
• a Motorola A1200 (aka Ming) with a MicroSD memory card (= Transflash card) installed in order to copy files to your phone.
• a Windows PC with at least 1 free USB port (If you have a Mac, then read

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)
• a Motorola USB data cable that plugs into the mini USB port on the bottom right of your phone and the USB port on your PC
• Motorola Phone Tools (MPT) installed on your PC - this is a program that should have come on the CD that came with your phone and should be used to back up the data on your phone (contacts, calendar, etc) before attempting any of these mods.

Rar Files

Most of the files uploaded on this forum are "rar" files. These are compressed files (similar to zip files) making them smaller to download. You need to install a program that can "unrar" them before you can use them. UnzipThemAll and 7-zip are two free programs that can unrar files. (Other users use Winrar though several users have reported problems installing files unrared with this program).

To use a rar file, you download it, then use the tool to unrar it before copying the uncompressed file(s) to the SD card in your phone.

How to Copy Files To/From Your Phone
1:On the A1200, go to Application Launcher-->Setup-->USB Mode and ensure that “Mass Storage” is selected
2:Plug in the cable that connects the phone to the USB port on your PC.
3:Open Windows Explorer and ensure that you have “Show hidden files and folders” turned on in Explorer (Tools-->Folder Options-->View-->Show hidden files and folders)
4:You can now use Explorer to view the folders on your SD card on the phone. The SD card will probably be drive E: or F:. The root folder of this SD card shows directly under the Drive in Explorer – but its full path is /mmc/mmca1/ (i.e. if you copy something to the root you are copying it to /mmc/mmca1/).
5:You should see a folder called .system under root. If you do not see it then check you have “Show hidden files” on (see 3 above). You are only able to view/edit files on the SD card – this method does not permit you to view/edit files directly on the phone (which is why you need installer programs like MPKG and linloader to install programs on your phone).
6:You can now copy/cut and paste files to and from your PC to the folders on your SD card.
7:Unplug the phone when done. (Before unplugging, you should always use the unplug or eject hardware facility. This will ensure integrity of the filesystem on the transflash card).
Wait a couple of seconds then you can then use File Manager under Application Launcher on your phone to view these files.

[mahmood_online2008]

B. MPKG, LINLOADER, SUPERMAN and SMARTASSISTANT

Before you can install many apps on your phone you will first need to install some software that will permit you to install *pkg packages and *lin scripts. You can either install MPKG for PKG packages and LinLoader for Linscripts or one of the new "super" utilities, Superman or SmartAssistant that have both capabilities.
MPKG - a package installer that will allow you to install executable app packages of type **.pkg (similarly to a java app installer). Once MPKG installer is installed you can copy files of type *.pkg to the root folder of your SD card, then install them by opening the File Manager application on the phone, go to the system folder, tap and hold the stylus on the *.pkg file and a small menu should pop up. Choose 'open with' and then choose the "MPKG" app. This will install the app and let you see it and run it from the phones Application Launcher
.
Linloader - this is a program used to run shell scripts. Most of these scripts have the extension **.lin. Once linloader is installed these shell scripts are run by opening the File Manager application on the phone, go to the folder where you have the shell script you want to run, click and hold, choose 'open with' and then choose the "loader" app.
.
Superman - a new super utility that was released in April 2007 has PKG and LIN script installers built into it. It works on Bint's 59p and all of the C2 and A1200E firmwares (25p - only after applying a patch - see below). I would start off by installing this app and see if it works on your firmware before trying to install MPKG and LINLOADER using the more complex instructions below. Once you have installed it, you simply hold the sylus on a PKG or LIN file until the popup menu appears, select "Open with" and then select Superman from list and check "Always open with this app" checkbox. You can also run Superman from the menu to access its Backup/Restore function that backups all your contacts and calender to the a file on your SIM card. The app is in Chinese - but only has three buttons so easy to use. Download file and install/use instructions can be found at this thread.
.
Smart Assistant - another new super utility from China released July 2007 also has PKG and LIN script functions built into it and it works on H2, C2 and A1200E firmwares. In addition it also does the following:
- Backup/Restore: backs up Contacts, messages, network settings, etc
- Uncompression: for files of type rar, zip, tar, tgz, and gz.
- Themes installation.
- File edit: for txt, lin, sh, cfg etc.
- Cleanup: deletes the history of media player, preloaded JAVA programs and installed themes.
NOTE: The following instructions apply to all firmwares except 44p, 25p (and possibly 34P). See the section "Installing MPKG/Superman/SmartAssistant on 25p/34p" below for these firmwares.

How to Install Superman:
Unrar superman_system.rar (get from here). You will find a folder "superman". Inside this folder there is another folder: ".system"
Switch your phone to USB mass storage mode and connect to PC.
Open windows explorer on PC and go to your phone's SD card
Copy the entire old .system folder from the SD card to a safe place on your PC (so can recover if necessary). [If you can not see the .system file then you do not have “View hidden files” on].
Copy/paste .system folder from the unpacked superman_system.rar to your phone's SD card
Disconnect phone from PC and restart it
You should now see the Superman icon in in the Application Manager.
You do not run Superman directly to install PKG and LIN files - rather you use File Manager to navigate to the *.pkg file or *.lin file that you want to install and hold the stylus on those files until a small menu displays. Select “Open With” and select "Superman". You should hear a bell indicating the program has loaded.
How to Install Smart Assistant:

There are 4 different methods you can choose from to install Smart Assistant. There is a whole section near bottom of FAQ sticky that describes these methods and also instructions on how to use it. Once installed you use it to run PKG and LIN scripts exactly the same as described for Superman above. Download file can be found at this thread.

How to Install MPKG

If you want to install MPKG directly rather than install Superman or SmartAssistant.

Get the correct version of MPKG installer for your Phone

• You need to know what version of firmware you have (see FAQ sticky if you do not know how to obtain this). Then make sure that you download the version of MPKG installer that is correct for your firmware. The differerent versions can be downloaded from here.

• If you are unsure and want to try to see if the generic installer works (which is does for most H2 track fw) then use the Mpkg_1200.rar file from here.

Once you have the installer file then follow these instructions:
Unrar the file. You will see it consists of a folder called .system.
Switch phone to USB mass storage mode and connect to PC.
Open windows explorer on PC and go to your phone's SD card
Copy the entire old .system folder from the SD card to a safe place on your PC (so can recover if necessary). [If you can not see the .system file then you do not have “View hidden files” on].
Copy/paste the entire .system folder from the rar file to replace the one on your SD card.
Unplug the phone from the PC and restart it. You should see a MPKG icon under Application Launcher on your phone. This may be in English or Chinese depending on the version of MPKG you installed (if in Chinese then you can recognize it as ahas "two swords" icon.)
You NEVER run this program directly by clicking it - rather you use File Manager to navigate to the *.pkg file that you want to install and hold the stylus on that file until a small menu displays. Select “Open With” and select MPKG. You should hear a bell indicating the program has loaded.
[If you have already installed some programs on your SD card before installing MPKG then you should uninstall then before doing the above otherwise you will not be able to access them anymore (phone doesn't find them). You can reinstall them when complete]

It has been verified that this method works for the following firmware:
• .08p
• .08p plus
• .53p
• .59p
It is not thought to work if you have 44p, 25p or 34p (If you have 25p or 34p you need to do a partial flash to fix a glitch before installing MPKG. See section on this below)

If when you install MPKG, and then you copy a xxxx.pkg file to your phone and try to open it wiht MPKG, but get the error message "Invalid application" - then it did not install properly. Try the other install method listed below.

Installing MPKG/Superman/SmartAssistant on 25p/34p

If you have the firmware 25p and possibly 34p (not sure about this one) then, unfortunately, it is a little more complicated as the firmware needs to be hacked with a partial flash to replace Code Group 37 (CG37) to fix a 'glitch' that doesn't allow Yan0's MPKG loader (or Superman) to run correctly. The following

You need to follow the same process as flashing new firmware using the tool RSDLite. It is the same process - the only difference is that you don't flash whole fw but a little part of it. Read the "Guide to Flashing your A1200" sticky for full instructions on the process as only a summary is presented below.

You start by installing RSDLite (version 3.5 seems to work - see end of Links to A1200 Firmwaresticky of links to where you can find this) and then download the special 25p version of the MPKG.rar file from this thread. (Do not use the normal Mpkg_A1200.rar!). Now follow these instructions:
Unpack MPKG.rar to get the folder called 'For_25P_yan0'.
Launch RSD lite 3.5
Your PC may load and install a number of drivers as needed... don't worry just let it automatically install. (Get drivers from about 10th post down on this thread.
Connect your phone to the PC. The phone doesn't need to be in bootloader mode. It'll automatically switch it to bootloader once the flashing starts.
Select the For_25P_yan0.sbf file and let the software go through it's cycle just like a normal flash. Your PC may load and install more drivers ..again just let it automatically install. It will go to 100% and then do another cycle. When the software says success, you can disconnect.
[If you get the message ""Waiting for phone to re-enumerate" and then the flashing fails, then simply start from the beginning. It should work the second time.]
Turn off phone and back on.
After successfully installing the fix, you now need to either install
• MPKG - Install the .system file from MPKG.rar to your SD card following exactly the same instructions as listed above for installing MPKG OR
• Superman - follow instructions for installing superman as described above.

How to Install Linloader

If you want to install LINLOADER directly rather than install Superman or SmartAssistant then follow these instructions:

This is the program that users have the most problems getting to install correctly - which may have to do with the version of firmware running on the phone. As a result there are several different methods for installing it described in the threads - as well as different versions of the mpkg and linloader download file that people say to use. The method I described work for me (on Bint 08p plus). An alternate method is also described.

MPKG must be installed first as you need mpkg to install linloader.
Download the loader_A1200.pkg file from here
Copy the file to the root folder of your SD card (Make sure extension says .pkg - not .mpkg)
Unplug the phone from the PC then use the phone's File Manager to find the file.
Hold the stylus on the file until a small menu displays. Select “Open With” and choose MPKG. You should hear a bell indicating the program has loaded.
Turn the phone off and on and you should see a Loader icon (a yellow smiley) appearing under Application Launcher.
Alternate LINLOADER Install Method

This method seems to work if you have generic 08p.
Try a different MPKG installer - download the MKPG installer attached in topic "Yan's mkpg and linloader.mkpg installer"
Follow the instruction given above to install it.
There is a modified mkpg.lin file attached in topic "Volume Increase". Copy that file and overwrite the mkpg.lin on your phone which is from yan's mkpg installer. (Not sure this step is necessary - but can not hurt!!)
Download the LinLoader.mkpg attached in topic "Yan's mkpg and linloader installer".
Rename LinLoader.mkpg to LinLoader.pkg before copying it to your SD card.
Follow steps 3-5 as above
If you can still not get it to work then see the full discussion on LINLOADER and the issues that users have encountered - see

برای مشاهده محتوا ، لطفا وارد شوید یا ثبت نام کنید

.

[mahmood_online2008]

C. HOW TO INSTALL APPLICATIONS AND GAMES
What Games and Utilities run on the A1200?
Dragon Ming has provided links to dozens of good games here.
See the FAQ sticky for a complete list of links to programs that you can download and run on your A1200.
Installing java/j2me apps

The A1200 should run most j2me java midlets (=apps). These are files with *.jad or *.jar extensions. These apps are not run by the native OS (linux), but rather by a java virtual machine which Motorola customizes to restrict access to the OS, filesystem, internet connections etc. - which is why many of them can not read or write to files.

Difference between jar and jad: The jar file contains the actual code, textures, etc for the java app while the jad file is a text file which contains some additional info about the app, ie version, size etc. Some phones require you to always copy both of these files to your phone and install the app using the jad file. The A1200 can install apps by just having the *jar file - however, if an application has both (jad and jar) it is better to copy both files to your phone and install using the jad file as it may contain some information (such as directory locations) needed to make the app work correctly.

To install a jar or jad file, do the following:

1. Copy the file(s) to a folder on the SD card. The folder can be called anything (eg "My Downloads") .
2. Unplug the phone from the PC then find the file using the phone's File Manager
3. Simply click once on the jad/jar file to install it. A popup window will appear asking you whether to install the program on your phone or on the SD card* and what category you want it to be listed under (Office, games, etc). You may get a popup stating that the application is an untrusted application - but if you got the file from Motorolafans then it is probably safe!
4. Once the application is installed the .jar and .jad files are automatically deleted
5. Turn the phone off and on then you should see the new program's icon under the Application Launcher**.

* If it does not allow you to select SD card (i.e. you can only install to your phone), check how much free space you have left on your SD card. If you have less than 10-15mb of free space on your memory card then the install function will not let you install app there.

**For some apps that need to be able to read or write files to the phone or SD card, you need to change the applications permissions to get it to work correctly on the A1200. See the next section "How to Change an App's Permissions" on instructions on how to do this.

Installing pkg files

If the file extension is *.pkg or *.mpkg then these are the instructions for installing it on your phone. All PKG apps are installed onto your SD card. You need to have MPKG, Superman or Smart Assistant installed first:
If file extension is *.mpkg then rename to *.pkg
Copy the file to the root folder of the SD card.
Unplug the phone from the PC then find the file using the phone's File Manager
Hold the stylus on the file until the small menu displays. Select "Open With" and choose "MPKG" (or "Superman" or "SmartAssistant" if you have those installed)
Turn the phone off and on and you should see the new program's icon under the Application Launcher
Once the program has been installed, the mpkg file should be deleted or moved to another folder so that you do not accidentally click on it again.
Installing Lin scripts

If the file extension is *.lin then these are the instructions for installing it on your phone. All lin scripts are installed onto your SD card. You need to have LinLoader, Superman or Smart Assistant installed first:
Copy the file to the root folder of the SD card.
Unplug the phone from the PC then find the file using the phone's File Manager
Hold the stylus on the file until the small menu displays. Select "Open With" and choose "MPKG" (or "Superman" or "SmartAssistant" if you have those installed)
Turn the phone off and on and you should see the new program's icon under the Application Launcher
Once the program has been installed, the lin file should be deleted or moved to another folder so that you do not accidentally click on it again.
C1. How to UNINSTALL Java and PKG Apps
1. Uninstalling Java Apps

Java apps can be easily removed by holding the stylus on the application's icon in the Application Manager until the popup menu appears. Select Uninstall and press OK. You can delete more than 1 at a time by pressing on the menu (bottom left menu) to display menu popup list and select Uninstall Apps. You can then put checks next to all apps that you want to uninstall before pressing OK.

2. Uninstalling PKG Apps

Unfortunately deleting PKG apps is not as easy as deleting Java apps - as the Uninstall option is greyed out on the popup menu when you press on the app's icon. There are two methods, however, that permit you to delete PKG apps. One is to manually delete the files from the SD card and the master registry file, CardRegistry. The other method requires installing SmartAssistant to force the Uninstall option to become active.

a. Manual Method:
You can manually delete PKG apps by:
1. Plugging the phone into the PC
2. Use Windows explorer to navigate to the directory /mmc/mmca1/.system/QTDownLoad and delete the app's file from that folder
3. Use Windows explorer to navigate to the directory /mmc/mmca1/.system/java and edit the file CardRegistry - using CrimsonEditor or UltraEdit (not Notepad or MS Word)
4. Find the section for that application in this file and remove it then save file. The following is an example - it is the section for SmartAssist:

Code:
[66666666-6666-6666-6666-666666666666]
AniIcon =
AppID = {66666666-6666-6666-6666-666666666666}
Args =
Type = 2
Attribute = 2
BigIcon = SmartAsst.png
Icon = SmartAsst_sm.png
Daemon = 0
Directory = /mmc/mmca1/.system/QTDownLoad/SmartAsst
Exec = SmartAsst.lin
FixedAllPosition = 0
FixedPosition = 0
LockEnabled = 1
MassStorageStatus = 0
Name = SmartAsst
GroupID = ezx
UserID = ezx
See this E6 thread for screenshots and more detailed instructions.

b. Automatic Method
SmartAssistant comes with a PKG uninstaller You start SmartAssistant and select Uninstall button. This is a toggle button that makes the Uninstall option active on all PKG apps. When you click on this button the app will set Uninstall active and then exit. Now when you hold the stylus on a PKG's icon, the quick menu will display with the Uninstall option active. You may not be able to run PKG apps when in Uninstall mode (seems to depend on your firmware version) so after uninstalling your PKG app, run SmartAssistant and press Uninstall to toggle the Uninstall option off again.

3. Uninstalling Apps that Came with the Phone

You can not uninstall any of the programs that came with the phone (eg Reader, Browser, Barcode Reader, RealPlayer etc) - however you can hide their icons so they do not clutter up the Application Manager list. There are two ways to do this - manually by editing the UserMenuTree file on the phone (you need a Telnet session to do this) or (2) by running a small lin script developed by Mischka.

a. Manual Method:
To remove the icons manually, you need a working Telnet session. You will only use the OPEN WITH command. Do the following:
1. Connect phone to the computer in mode USB NET.
2. Navigate to .system\java and open the file CardRegistry and look for programm ID of the program you want to hide

Eg: AppID = {8a2b9b37-83e7-a8d9-82cf-0bcbe2070001} for MTF

3. Navigate to \ezx_user\download\appwrite\am
4. Make a copy of UserMenuTree so you have a backup (in case somethign goes wrong).
5. Edit the file UserMenuTree using CrimsonEditor or UltaEdit and look for the same number (eg 8a2b9b37-83e7-a8d9-82cf-0bcbe2070001)
6. Delete that entry and save file.

b. Using Manage_Apps Utility
Mischka has written some small lin scripts that do the same thing automatically for 6 of the main apps that people want to hide (eg barcode reader). There is also one script that restores all apps back to default.

To run these download them from this thread and unrar the file. Then copy the scripts to the root directory of your SD card and run them like any other Lin script (using Linloader, Superman or SmartAsst) - then reboot your phone.

If there is no script for the app you want to hide, you can edit one of them and replace the app ID in it with your desired one. Get the correct app ID by looking for it in the CardRegistry file or in the /usr/SYSqtapp/am/SysRegistry file (You need Yan0's MyStuff utility installed to see this directory)

[mahmood_online2008]

D. HOW TO CHANGE AN APPLICATION'S PERMISSIONS
Many apps (=midlet) need to be able to read or write files to the phone's directories, however, the MID2.0 security model was designed so that only signed midlets are able to have unlimited access to potentially dangerous operations such as filesystem access, connection with internet, sending SMS etc. If a midlet is not signed, then access is disabled (which means that when you run the app you are not even shown a File Open" menu option). In order to get a signed midlet, the developer has had to have purchased a security certificate from Motorola, which many developers do not want to do (especially for free apps) - so if you install these midlets on the A1200 they will not appear to work properly.

However there is a way to overcome this. Every app has a registry.txt file associated with it that can be edited to give the app the needed permission. If you install an app and it is not able to open/read/write files correctly then try the following. Some apps that you need to do this for to get them working correctly are Quicknotes, Minipauker, Trekbuddy, cTunes and Anyview.

Edit May 2007: Forum user Dedraks has just written an pkg app "Java Hacker" that will do all of the following for you automatically - so you can just install and run his app everytime you install a new program that needs its registry settings changed. Find it in the Developed Softwares section.

But here are the manual instructions:
Copy the jar file to your phone
Tap on the file to install it and install it on the SD card (important!)
Plug the phone into the PC
Using windows explorer (USB Storage mode) navigate to \.system\java\DownloadApps\MIDletXXXX on your SD card where MIDletXXXX is the last directory in DownloadApps in alphabetic ascending order.
Make a copy of the file registry.tx (in case you need to recover original file)
Edit the file registry.txt with a editor compatible with unix (eg CrimsonEditor). Do not use MS Word or Notepad! (Be sure the file has a line saying: Jar-URL: appname.jar - if not, you are in the wrong directory)
Change the values to these ones
- DRM-Mode: Allowed
- Is-Trusted: 1
- Domain: Manufacturer
so that it looks like the code below.
Save the file and disconnect from PC
Go to the apps icon and hold the stylus until popup menu appears. Select Manage --> Change permission
Click OK (no need to change anything - that just forces new permissions to take effect)
The app should now be able to read and write files.
Code:
Jar-Path: /mmc/mmca1/.system/java/DownloadApps/MIDlet20006/Files/Minipauker.jar
Jad-Path: /mmc/mmca1/.system/java/DownloadApps/MIDlet20006/Files/Minipauker.jad
Perm-Path: /mmc/mmca1/.system/java/DownloadApps/MIDlet20006/permfile.txt
Suite-Icon: /mmc/mmca1/.system/java/DownloadApps/MIDlet20006/Files/MIDlet-1.png
DRM-Mode: Allowed
Is-Trusted: 1
Jar-URL: Minipauker.jar
Description:
Domain: Manufacturer
Signer-Name:
Mot-JavaVM-Heapsize: 0
Delete-Notify:
Num-MIDlets: 1
MIDlet-1: j2mesync, /mmc/mmca1/.system/java/DownloadApps/MIDlet20006/Files/MIDlet-1.png, de.ohli.Minipauker.Minipauker.After this the app should be able to read/write files correctly.

[mahmood_online2008]

E. HOW TO CHANGE SHORTCUTS 1 AND 2 ON THE HOME PAGE (TO SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN WEB BROWSER AND VIDEO)
The A1200 only permits you to change the 3rd and 4th icons on the bottom of the Home screen. You can not change icons 1 and 2 from the default of web browser and video.

June 2007: The new C2 track of firmware (24p, 25p, 30p, etc) allows you to change all 4 shortcuts - so the following instructions only apply to the older non-C2 firmwares (53p, 08p, etc).

However there is a fairly simple mod that will allow you to do this. This mod obtains a copy of your current ezx_idle.cfg file (where the shortcut info is stored) from the /ezx_user/download/appwrite/setup directory on your phone and saves it so you can always restore it if necessary then shows you how to change the section of the file that controls the icons. (Note - it is not possible to change the ringer profile - the extreme left shortcut).

You will need LINLOADER installed before you can do this (see Section B). You will also need the following 2 files that you can download from the APP: Scripts for Changing Shortcuts thread of the Developed Software section to your PC:
ezx_idle_get.lin - Copies your current ezx_idle.cfg file from /ezx_user/download/appwrite/setup to the root folder of your SD card (i.e /mmc/mmca1/).
ezx_idle_put.lin - Copies your modifed ezx_idle.cfg file from the root directory of your SD card back to /ezx_user/download/appwrite/setup.
Once you have downloaded these files, follow these instructions:
Go to Setup --> Home Screen Setup and select in slots 3 and 4, the 2 shortcuts that you eventually want to have as shortcuts 1 and 2. (Doing it this way means you do not have to type anything - they will be moved over as part of this process).
Unzip the file that you downloaded so you have two scripts:
ezx_idle_put.lin
ezx_idle_get.lin
Plug your phone into your PC with your USB cable and copy the 2 lin files that you downloaded to the root directory on your SD card.
Unplug the phone and hold the stylus on the ezx_idle_get.lin icon (within file manager) until the popup contextual menu appears. Select "Open with" from this menu and then select "Loader" and press OK.
You will know this has worked if the file "ezx_idle.cfg" appears in the root folder of your SD card. (Note - You will need to refresh the view by going to another folder then returning before the file can be seen).
Plug your phone back into PC again and copy the ezx_idle.cfg file to your PC so that you have a backup copy if anything goes wrong (you can simply copy it to a different directory on your SD card also).
Edit the ezx_idle.cfg file in the root directory of your SD card using an editor that supports unicode (Do NOT use notepad or MS Word). I found Wordpad or CrimsonEditor worked for me. All you have to do is replace the 6 lines of code for shortcuts 1 and 2 with the 6 lines of code for shortcuts 3 and 4. I found the easiest way was to replace all 6 lines then change _3 to _1 and _4 to _2. Be careful that you do not add any extra blank lines or spaces.

i.e:
Code:
"shortcut_3 = 5af701f6-33e3-4fe6-b15e-b7ef7c986c74
shortcut_3_freeze = 0
shortcut_3_icon_name = web_access_std.g
shortcut_4 = 0b6c1459-2fbe-4b2e-95c9-a4f93762fa11
shortcut_4_freeze = 0
shortcut_4_icon_name = vid_camera_std.g"Save the file and unplug the phone from the PC.
Touch the ezx_idle_put.lin icon (within file manager), select "open with" from the contextual menu and select "Loader". If the ezx_idle.cfg file disappears from the root directory (after refreshing the view) the program has worked.
Turn your phone off and on and you'll see your new icons on the Home screen. Shortcuts 1 and 2 should be the same as shortcuts 3 and 4. You can then go into Setup --> Home Screen Setup and change shortcuts 3 and 4 to something else so they are all different.
What to do if something goes wrong!!

The first time I did this I left some extra spaces in the ezx_idle.cfg file and as a result my phone had no shortcuts!! This is easy to fix. Simply:
Plug your phone back in to the pc
Copy the backup copy of your original ezx_idle.cfg file back to the root directory on the SD card
Rerun ezx_idle_put.lin to restore your original ezx_idle.cfg. Turn your phone off and on and your icons should be back. Then you can try editing your ezx_idle.cfg again.
Once you have the process working, it only takes a couple of minutes to change these shortcuts at any time.

[mahmood_online2008]

F. HOW TO CHANGE SKINS AND THEMES
What are Skins and Themes?

On the A1200, “skin” means
• all display icons
• all GUI components like buttons, status bar, scrollbar, etc.

while “theme” means
• the poweron/poweroff animation screen (by default usually the Motorola startup)
• the wallpaper.

Skins and Themes can be changed separately.

The skin configuration data is stored in a file called ezx_skins.cfg while the theme configuration data is in a file called ezx_theme.cfg. Both of these are located in the /ezx_user/download/appwrite/setup folder within the phone’s folder structure (so is not directly accessible unless you install a program like telnet).

================================================== =========================================
CAUTION

Changing themes and skins is one of the most common means that users kill their phones. You must not change themes and skins by installing them using LINLOADER or else you run the risk of freezing your phone. (This is different from previous Motorola phones where you could simply install additional themes). The reason is the limited space in the ezx_usr folder. If it fills up the memory it will not leave enough space and will freeze the phone when you reboot.

If your phone has crashed then the phone will hang on turning it on - it will freeze on either the motorola screen or startup wall paper of theme. If you try to turn it off using the red power key, it will just beep and do nothing. The only way to turn it off is to take out the battery.

If this happens, first try to take out the battery, wait a few minutes and then reinsert and turn back on. If it still freezes then the only solution is to flash your phone to restore it back to vanilla (This will also wipe out all your stuff including contacts/sms/files...everything on the phone!! – so make sure that you back these up using Motorola Phone Tools before trying any theme/skin changes. Even though the phone has frozen you will still be able to get it into boot mode (see section on flashing)

If you are not sure or have a firmware version that you can not recover then it is recommended that you do not change your phone’s skins or theme!
================================================== =========================================

Using Eakrin's Skin and Splash Installers to Change Skins/Themes

Prior to July 2007, there were dozens of ways described in the various threads to change themes/skins. Some seem to work for some people and not for others - and most required using linloader to install skins with the result that many people bricked their phones.

In July, however, Eakrin (a Motorolafans developer) released a new version (V2.4)of his skin and splash (=theme) installer programs that seem to have fixed most of the problems that people were having. Eakrin’s installers are mpkg programs that change the phone to the selected skin or theme, by first deleting the old skin/theme before installing the new skin file into /ezx_user/download/skin and the theme file into /ezx_user/download/theme - so it does not fill up the memory. In addition, when you run his skin installer it now changes everything (including the icons along the top) correctly - so there should be no need to change skins using LIN files at all - which removes the danger of freezing your phone. His new version also installs a default skin and splash that can be used to remove installed skins and themes from phone memory and set back to default.

His installers consist of 2 components:

Skin installer - installs icons and skin (it does not change text size, or alert sounds).

Splash installer - changes power on and off gif animation (it does not change the wallpaper).

Note: Before you can use his installers you need to have installed MPKG installer and a PKG app called Busybox.pkg (the file for Busybox is included in Eakrins zip file. It is installed just like any other PKG file). You can also optionally install a second pkg file, ezxpopup.pkg (also included in the package).
Download Eakrin’s skin installer and theme installer from this thread
These are regular zip files so you will need to Unzip them before copying them to your phone.
Copy these files (SkinInstaller_A1200_2.4.pkg and SplashInstaller_A1200_2.4.pkg) fromm the A1200 folder in this unzipped file to the root folder of your phone’s SD card as explained in the section “How to Copy Files to your Phone”.
Install them using mpkg installer (or Superman or SmartAsst).
How to Change Your Phone’s Skin

To change your skin perform the following steps:
Select a skin that you like. See here and here for a huge selection.

(The one that I like is tlinux1 !)

Even though many of the skins displayed in this forum and on the various skins websites are shown with Chinese characters - they will have your default language when installed - with some exceptions – if an icon has Chinese letters as part of the icon they will still be in Chinese; and the words for "Mobile"; "Home" and "Office" under Contacts stayed as Chinese characters – probably because these are also icons.
Download the rar file to your pc.
Unrar it – each skin should consist of a folder containing a number of skin and theme files:
eg:
Code:
tlinux1
tlinux1.pskn
tlinux1.skn
iconres.ezx
logo file in jpg or png (optional)
off/on gifsIt should also contain a lin file e.g. tlinux1.lin (Not all skin developers have included this in their skin package however)
Create a folder called “themes” directly under the root on your SD card.
Copy the entire skin folder under this themes folder on your SD card. e.g. e:\themes\tlinux1
Copy the lin file directly under the themes folder (ie move it out of its skin folder)
e.g:
Code:
themes
tlinux1
tlinux1.linIMPORTANT: Make sure you do not have any spaces in any of the folder names (ie do NOT call it themes\fun skin\) This will prevent the programs from installing.
For skin installation, use the phone's File Manager to find the *.pskn file in the skin folder.
Hold the stylus on the file until the small menu appears.
Select “Open with” and choose the Skin Installer.
A window will display "Install xxxx.pskn".
If it has worked you should either hear 3 beeps or a woman's voice saying “Installation complete”.
Restart the phone to make new skin active.
You should see the new skin installed.

** To change to another skin, repeat steps above on a different .pskn file.

** To revert to default skin, install default_skin.pskn using the same method as above.

How to Change your Phone’s Theme (Splash)

Changing your theme changes the animations displayed when you start and turn off your phone. Any theme can be used with any skin (or by itself). You change the theme by running a file with the *.phm extension.

Some skin packages already have this file (eg TLINUX.phm) - but if your package does not then it is very easy to create one as it consists of only three lines (see below). You can either copy this *.phm file from another skin package or create it new. Edit it using Wordpad or CrimsonEditor (not Notepad) substituting in the names of the startup and shutdown gifs that you want to use on lines 2 and 3. Put this file in the same directory as the skin package with the gifs you want to use.

Example of a *.phm file (eg TLINUX1.phm)

Code:
[THEME_CONFIG_TABLE]
PowerOnScreen = on.gif
PowerOffScreen = off.gifThen run it as follows:
Hold the stylus on the *.phm file until the small menu appears.
Select “Open with” and choose the Splash installer.
A window will display "Install xxxx.phm".
If it has worked you should either hear 3 beeps or a voice saying “Installation complete”.
Restart your phone to make new theme active.
** To change to another splash, repeat steps above on a different .phm file.

** To revert to default skin, install default_splash.phm using the same method as above.

How to Change Your Phone’s Skin using LINLOADER (OLD)

** With the latest version of Eakrin's Skin and Splash installers you should no longer have to use LINLOADER to run lin files to load skins - but I have kept these instructions here for reference. You can also use Superman or SmartAssistant instead of LINLOADER**

NEVER RUN LINLOADER two times in a row without running Eakrin's skin installer against a *.pskn file first to clear out the old skin - otherwise you run the risk of filling up the memory and freezing the phone.
Create a new folder called "install" (without quotes) right under the themes\ folder on the SD card (ie themes\install) The .lin file copies some text file to this folder during installation
Use Program Manager to find the skin's lin file and tap and hold the stylus on the file until the small menu appears. Select “Open with” and choose the loader program (LINLOADER, Superman or SmartAsst). It may take up to 10 seconds to complete - you should hear a set of beeps when done.
Restart the phone and the icons should now have changed.
Note: On successful installation, you should see that three files 1) on.gif 2) off.gif 3) desk.jpg from choosen skin folder have been copied directly under the themes\ folder on SD card. This verifies that install worked correctly.

Creating Your Own Skin/Theme

If you want to learn how to create your own skin or theme then see the Moto Skins Forum. This thread is a good place to start.

[mahmood_online2008]

G. HOW TO INCREASE THE VOLUME OF THE HEADSET AND SPEAKERPHONE
Many people find the level of the volume on the headset and the speaker phone too low on some of the firmware versions. There are two ways to fix this:
1. Gain Table Edit: the first is the more complex of the solutions as it involves using MoST and a gain table editor - but the fix is permanent.
2. Volumeup PKG script: you can install a VolumeUp PKG script that you have to run everytime you start your phone.

1. Gain Table Edit

This is a fairly new method (Aug 2007) that is described in detail (with screen shots) by Motorolafans user jacknmary at this motomodding thread

2. Install VolumeUp PKG Script

Easy to install - but you will need to run this script each time you reboot your phone. You will also need yan0’s MKPKG installed prior to doing this mod (see section B above).

[Aug 2007: There are issues if you try to use the new SmartAssistant to install the VolumeUp PKG script. See page 3 of the APP: Smart Assistant thread for a work around.]

Go to this thread and download the following 2 files from the first page of that thread and unrar them
• volumeup_v1.01.rar

> (unrars to)

> volumeup_v1.01.pkg
• mpkg.rar

> (unrars to)

> mpgk.lin

Now plug the phone into the PC and do the following steps:
Go to the “.system” folder on the SD card
Then go to the directory \QTDownLoad \mpkg\
Rename the “mpkg.lin” that you should find in that directory to “mpkg.lin.bak”
Copy the new mpkg.lin that you downloaded into .system\QTDownLoad\mpkg\ folder.
Copy the volumeup_v1.01.pkg to the root directory of your SD card
Unplug the phone.
From Application Launcher-->File Manager locate the volumeup_v1.01.pkg file and install it (see section B on how to install pkg files). You should hear a tone after it installs correctly.
Turn the phone off and on. When it come back on you will see a new icon called "VolumeUp" under Games in the Menu.
Run this app by clicking on it and you should hear an increase in the volume.
Notes:
You will need to rerun this app every time you turn the phone off and on - as the phone will reset to default volume when turned off. If you dont want the volume gain for whatever reason just restart your phone.
Running this app will disable the menu screen click sounds (when you tap on something). No fix for this has been found.
Running this app may cause the radio volume to go down. There is no fix for this at the moment. See thread for more detail.
If you are not satisfied with this volume gain, then go to the page 8 of the same thread and download the latest sound table file from Alpha. At the time of writing this was called "Alpha's jan07_ezx_volumetable.rar" .

Alpha's file tweaks the volumetable file to increase the volume slightly more and improve the sound quality. To use this file, do the following:
Plug the phone into the PC
Go to the root directory of the SD card
You should see a new directory called volumeup\
Copy ezx_volumetable.cfg to this directory
Go the directory .system\QTDownLoad\ and you should see a new directory volumeup\
Copy ezx_volumetable.cfg to this directory also
[In other words copy ezx_volumetable.cfg to 2 places: the directory volumeup\ and the directory .system\QTDownLoad\volumeup]
Unplug the phone.
Turn the phone off and on.
Depending on your firmware you may or may not have to run the volumeup app. I found with Bint's .08p plus the volume was louder as soon as I turned on my phone and the menu screen clicks could be heard (and were loud). Starting the volume app turned the sound back down again. You may have to experiment how it works on your phone.

[mahmood_online2008]

H. HOW TO TURN OFF THE CAMERA SOUND
Many people do not want the camera "click" sound when taking photos.

In the C2 fw 30p and newer (and 24xp30 which has been modded with 30p camera and app manager), it is built into the camera app to permit you to turn off this sound. Start the camera, go to Menu-->Setup and select the 4th tab: "Photo Setup". Down the bottom is the field "Shutter Sound" with options to set to variety of sounds or turn off completely.

In the H2 and 24p firmwares, you can not turn the sound off within the camera, but a PKG file, A1200_nosound, has been created that you can install and run which will turn off the click sound. You must have MPKG installer (or Superman or SmartAssistant) installed first in order to run this. Another option is to change the sound to a quiet ping from within camera (same instructions as 30p).

The tough one is if you have 25p fw - as normal MPKG or Superman (and possibly SmartAssist) does not run on this fw (you need one of these to install the A1200_nosound PKG script). You will have to perform a partial flash in order to make MPKG run (see "Installing MPKG" section for instructions)

Instructions for Installing nosound_A1200.pkg

Download the file from the A1200 Downloads area then follow these instructions (You will need a MPKG installer already installed on your phone)
Unrar the file
Copy the nosound_A1200.pkg file to your SD card
Unplug the phone; find the file using File Manager and install it using mpkg (or Superman or SmartAsst).
Turn your phone off and on and you should see a new icon in your Application Launcher of a speaker with the round circle with a bar through it. Click on this icon to turn the camera sound off.
Once this is run the camera will no longer make a sound (even if you turn phone off and on). The only way to get sound back is if you actually go to the camera setup and choose a sound.

[mahmood_online2008]

I. HOW TO CHANGE FONTS
Some users found that you can change the fonts on your A1200 fairly easily - so that they can be italic or Arial or anything you want. However this may not work on the generic firmwares such as .46p. For a detailed discussion plus lots of screen shots see here this thread.

A summary of the instructions is as follows:
Download the file startup1.rar from the thread listed above to your PC.
Unrar this file so you get startup1.txt (see section B of the writeup on how to do this).
Copy this file to the root directory on your SD card
On your PC, go to Control Panel --> Fonts and copy whatever fonts you want to try to the root directory on your SD card (eg verdana.ttf)
Rename the font that you want to try to myfont.ttf
Unplug phone from PC and turn it off and then back on. You should see the font has changed.
If it does not then this does not work on your firmware. You can change to a different font by renaming its file to myfont.ttf.

To return your phone to its default font, just delete either the script (startup.txt) or the myfont.ttf file and when you restart your phone it will be back to its original typeface.

May 2007: Motorola fans user rubpa has written a simple app ApplyFont that automates the above. Get from APP: ApplyFont thread.