text:
Tethering options for the laptop and the phone
I have a rooted Samsung Galaxy S3.
I am about to go abroad and will need to connect my laptop
to the Internet without having someone come and install a
DSL or cable router (as the waiting time to install these is
quite long I would be gone before the internet technicians drop by).
So what I have decided is to purchase a SIM card and connect my laptop
to my android phone to do internet browsing. My understanding is that with tethering I can transform this phone into a router or wireless hotspot.

What are tethering options (settings or apps) for this phone?
Is it better to connect the PC to the phone wirelessly, via a USB
cable to use tethering, or via Bluetooth tethering? In terms of speed, I guess Wi-Fi tethering would be superior here.

Have you checked the most frequented questions tagged 'tethering'? Lots of solutions there :)

In my experience, bluetooth tethering (using Bluetooth Garden) has been problematic. It disconnects too often, or can't open certain sites.
USB tethering (via ClockworkMod Tether) was OK. This way, my phone would be charging while providing internet to my laptop. Downside is I needed to install a program (not an issue, because the program is safe) on my laptop. Another downside is I couldn't tether another device (like a tablet) to the phone.
Turning my phone into a hotspot, was a better choice. I could surf with little issues. I could connect my tablet or laptop to the phone via WiFi. However, this drained my battery quickly. I'd occasionally fix this by plugging my phone to an outlet with a charger.

I use all 3 methods and prefer USB tethering if possible.
Some notes on each:
USB tethering

Exclusive for one device (there's only 1 cable)
charges the phone
Safe (network is not exposed wirelessly)
No driver needed (recent Macs/Win/Linux)
Best speed and latency (USB 2.0 has 480MBit/s)
Tethers any active connection on the phone (wifi, 3G)

Wifi tethering

more than one client at once possible
Wifi chip may draw extra power in this mode
Easy and well known setup on clients
No strings attached :-)

Bluetooth tethering

Doesn't draw extra power when enabled
Can be enabled 24/7
Capps speed at respective BT speed (2MBit?)
It's really OK (speedwise) for surfing

I tether my PC via USB (most of the time to a wifi network], my tablet tethers via BT primarily, but I switch to wifi as needed too. I use this app to automatically enable BT tethering on my Nexus phone. The "BT tethering always on" is very cool when I'm on a train and use my tablet: No need to enable (and remembering to afterwards disable) wifi tethering, the phone just stays in my pocket.


text:
Can the Droid Eris be charged on a PowerPlate Wireless Induction Charging Base?
Can the Droid Eris be charged on a PowerPlate Wireless Induction Charging Base?

Nevermind the question was more appropriate listed here: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/3543/can-the-droid-eris-be-charged-on-a-powerplate-wireless-induction-charging-base

That's the URL for this question.

eldarerathis is right.  The PowerPlate is a two part system.  1. The Base and 2. The Receiver.  The receiver clips onto the phone and is specific to the phone.  It looks like the powerplate system replaces the battery cover on the blackberry and is a snap-on cover for the iphone.
Duracell makes an inductive charger that is compatible with the Eris. PowerMat doesn't have an Eris receiver but they have some universals.  Or you could hack your own solution.

I would definitely consider the PowerMat.  IMHO, they have a better known product.  The prices for some of their products are also comparable to the PowerPlate.  I'm sure the myGrid is also a good product.

So it looks like you can use the power cube to charge it with the PowerMat, but at that point you mightas well just plug it in (http://twitter.com/#!/Powermat/status/14807354381959168)

Yeah, the power cube is a little silly, but I guess if you had several powermat compatible devices and one stray, it'd be a decent alternative.  You could still go with the Duracell MyGrid, although I'm not a big fan of the little nub that would end up poking out.

The product description on Brookstone's site (and the Amazon one mentions this, too) seems to indicate that you can't. They specifically list that there are receivers for iPhone 3G/3GS and Blackberry Curve 8900. You can't charge something without the receiver/case, so if they don't make one for the Eris (which it appears they do not) then it won't work.
That being said, you could always stop by or call your local Brookstone and ask, I suppose.

source: Stack Exchange

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Install SSH Server or other terminal viewer for HTC X one
I'm trying to set a SSH server in order to execute and download and upload files into my HTC One X. I tried Dropbear. and Dropbear 2 but they both failed.
Can I do it without rooting my htc?
Guy

Without root, you cannot use the default SSHD port (22) -- so the app needs to use a port > 1000 (usually 2222 to easily remember and associate it with SSH). You have to consider that client-side as well, and pass that port. From command-line, this is e.g. done using the parameter -p 2222. Have you done that? Maybe it only failed because you missed that part?

QuickSSHd works on rooted and non-rooted phones. There are some limitations on non-rooted phones (running on port 2222 instead of 22, etc.), but other than this, I have yet to see any problem with it on any device (tested from 1.6 through 2.1 to 4.1). Costs approx. US$1.5

Here is a good free option as well. It also has a Pro version if you want to allow more than 3 active connections at a time.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/


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Installing ROM from Fastboot -- Can someone help?
I have a new HTC MyTouch (32A) that I tried to install a new ROM on using ROM Manager. I have done this many times (maybe 100 times), once in a while it goes wrong.
Now, with this one, it can't get to the recovery, that is, it can't get past Fastboot. So, I am trying to install a ROM from Fastboot.
I know Fastboot is working:
mojotexas@Starjammer ~ $ fastboot devices
SH06EPB01384 fastboot

I have a good ROM that I cooked up in Android Kitchen. It is called: signed_101110_220528.zip
WHen I try to install this ROM using Fastboot, I get an error:
mojotexas@Starjammer ~ $ fastboot update
/home/mojotexas/workspace/kitchen/OUTPUT_ZIP/signed_101110_220528.zip
archive does not contain 'android-info.txt'
archive does not contain 'android-product.txt'
error: update package has no android-info.txt or android-product.txt

So, what are these txt files, where do I get them, and where to I put them in the ROM?
Alternatively, how can I use fastboot to install a clockworkmod recovery and go from there?
Thanks,
m0j0

You may also want to solicit help from the xda-forums http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=480

For readers: What does "Archive does not contain 'android-something.txt'" mean?

Can you not download the image of the clockwork recovery here: http://www.koushikdutta.com/2010/02/clockwork-recovery-image.html
And do something like:
fastboot flash recovery /path/to/<recovery>.img
fastboot reboot

Note: I've never done this via fastboot before, I've always done it via ROM manager so take my advice at your own risk.

I rooted my LG GT5450 device and installed ROM mananger but when I am click on flash ClockworkMod recovery it doesn't display my device model. now what I do?

i did "sudo fastboot flash recovery /path/.img" and i got OKAY.. but then got.. FAILED (remote: (InvalidState)). what does this mean?

ROMs installed from fastboot on HTC devices are different from the ROMs one installs through recovery.  Their contents are images that need flashed along with a couple .txt files that the phone uses to verify that they're built for your phone.  If the phone isn't NAND-unlocked/S-OFF, they also have to be signed.  Take a peek at the RUU for your particular phone from this XDA thread to see how they're structured.

i have a method that i created.
install a recovery that utilizes sideload as the boot img with mfastboot flash boot.img literally name the recovery as boot.img and flash it.
then  once in the recovery using adb type adb devices
it will start a com port
start sideload on the device
using the cmd type adb sideload customrom.zip
done!
obviously the custom rom filename will be whatever rom you use.
i just unbricked a bootlooped moto g textnow wireless phone with this all by accident because nothing else worked.

I had the same problem here: archive does not contain android-info.txt. Tried google but can't find anything.
Finally I copied the update.zip to my devices sdcard and "applied update from sdcard" – that worked.

Don't do update. Do a command in the following syntax:
fastboot flash [system/recovery/boot] /path/to/recovery/image.img

Example: fastboot flash recovery /mnt/sdcard/Download/twrp.img
I HIGHLY recommend not flashing images to system or boot partitions without a custom recovery first. You should only flash recoveries via fastboot.

Do you have any basis for your "recommendations"?

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What does error 923 when downloading apps from Google Play Store mean?
I've seen this error a few times just now, it seems to only occur when I install an app through the Google Play web interface. Haven't seen it when installing apps directly from my mobile device. Device is quite new and has more than enough free disk space.
Couldn't find anything on here yet about this specific error. After a retry it downloads without any problems, so while it is far from blocking, I do hope to get some insight on what is happening here.
StackExchange only lists error 923 as an AndroidRuntime(923) error, but I don't see how that can be the cause here.
Screenshot attached with error in Dutch.

Error - 'Game' could not be downloaded due to an error. (923)

It seems error 923 is related to the whole process of downloading, cache, storage, installation, etc. People get it most often in Google Play, but sometimes also outside of that.
Most suggestions how to fix this come down to:

Settings > Apps > Running > stop all (Google related) running services
Settings > Apps > All > Google Play Store > Clear data and Clear cache
Reboot phone, all should be fine now

Found quite some useful answers on the internet outside of StackExchange (it exists!), so answered my own question already. Suggestions/additions always welcomed. ;)

Now I cannot even use the Google Play :-(

It cannot load and shows a Retry button as if I am not connected to internet. I am connected !!

Didn't even have to restart the phone in my case.

I found this error occurs for me when I "push" from the website of Google Play Store to the phone. I always attribute it to the fact that my wireless is not constantly ON to the phone; it restores connection after returning from sleep. When I wake the phone after the push, I'll find the error, and the relevant app page in Google Play Store live, on the phone, ready to attempt the install again. Pressing the Install button again is successful.
[UPDATE 2015/01/02] This happened again TODAY at the airport where the wifi was POOR. Another vote for wifi-related failure. Didn't even require a reboot; the update occurred normally when connected to the home wifi.

Yup, this is exactly the case as I experienced and described it. :) After some online research I saw that people seem to get it in some other cases too, although that didn't happen to me.

I got this same error because my WiFi disconnects when my phone goes to "sleep" but when I brought the phone out of sleep mode and re-downloaded, everything was fine. Just don't let your phone go to sleep.

It is just lack of storage.
the only thing that makes any sense to solve this error on the accepted answer is the clear cache step.


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Why does my phone automatically power off when there is still 2% battery?
My Moto X Play on Android 6.0 would automatically power off when the battery displays 2% remaining. When I try to turn it back on, I would get a "low battery" symbol, which means my phone didn't exactly run out of battery yet.
Why does this happen?
Additionally, how can this behaviour be overridden? (say in the event of an emergency and I need to use every last bit of the phone's power?)

Really bad behaviour of your device to wait until it's only 2% left. It should shutdown at 5% already, as deep-discharge is something LiIo and LiPo batteries really don't take easy (shortens their lifetime drastically, see e.g. When should I start charging my Lithium battery?)

@Izzy you're forgetting about battery saver mode of Lollipop and above.

@Firelord that doesn't change anything when the battery already is deep-discharged. And 2% really is dangerous.

@Izzy it does change things because it is suggested to user to be kicked in at 5% as well as 15% of battery level. So technically Google and the vendor considered battery level reaching below 5% not a bad thing. https://support.google.com/nexus/answer/6187458?hl=en

If they'd not consider it a bad thing, they'd not suggest at 15%, would they? :) Nevertheless, it's not healthy to the battery to get "dry discharged". Even though the battery's processor hopefully keeps it away from a "sudden death" – and force a shutdown before it's too late. I'd say Aaron put it quite plastic in his answer :)

Prowler answers your first question well: "Why does this happen" -> Prevents data corruption.
To answer your question "How can this behavior be overridden?"
You can try:
setprop status.battery.level 50 from a shell terminal.
Note that bypassing the shutdown is 10x more risky than a battery pull. However, in a true emergency, benefit > risk.
Why it's more risky:
Battery pull = power loss to logic board, only unsaved data or partial writes / data-locks can cause corruption.
Dry-discharging battery = undervolting entire logic board, 3.0 volts instead of 3.7 volts can be like running your car on 8.5 volts instead of 12: Canbus stops responding, voltage leaks into serial connections, capacitors explode, etc. The same can happen inside your phone, except it's that RAM doesn't hold its correct value, processor misinterprets, accidentally writes the wrong NAND cells, etc, more so after hooking the phone w/ trashed battery up to a charger. The voltage difference between live power and undervolt battery can cause the same leakage onto the I2C bus. (Ever use a car charger with aux cord hooked up to the stereo... The alternator feedback is considered a "safe" amount of leakage onto the I2C bus.)

Why does my phone power off?

It looks like that Android code automatically shuts down when the voltage is 3.4V , battery is 0% . See this answer
Purpose of shutdown as in this answer and also clarified here

This is intended to make sure applications save any required information to disk that is specific to shutting down to prevent loss of user information.

Why does it show low battery symbol indicating phone hasn't run out of battery yet?

Battery status is not real time and probably would take some time to show the actual status

Most Android devices don't have a current sensor or Coloumb sensor (My phone Huawei Honor 6 has that sensor ).This sensor when coupled with voltage sensor gives more accurate charge levels. Voltage is derived from only from the voltage sensor, in the absence of current sensor.  The fuel gauge sensor uses this to track battery State of Charge (SoC), which may not be real time as this . Another source  Is the battery icon on your Android phone telling you the truth? says that
updating battery SoC information is manufacturer dependent and not Android driven (emphasis mine and I haven't found any other source to corroborate this)

We contacted Google about this, and the indication is that the battery data given in the Settings is the correct one. The updating of the icon happens "every so often", we're told; quite how often is entirely up to the manufacturer, rather than being part of the Android code

Further voltage is NOT a true indicator of the amount of charge. Li Ion batteries display a "flattish" voltage drop even though the amount of charge falls relatively steep as seen here at Fig.2

How can this behavior be overridden?

For versions earlier than 4.2, disabling auto shut down is possible per this DisableCriticalBatteryShutdown. I have not tried this nor do I intend ever trying it, since I always try to charge my battery once it drops to 20% for reasons that become clear on reading Table 2
IMHO, it is an awful idea to let the battery drain to such levels firstly and even worse to attempt to squeeze last drops of juice from it. I would rather recommend in investing in a power bank, if this is a frequent requirement with you
If power bank is not an option, you could use an automation app like MacroDroid to sound an alarm at desired voltage levels, say at 15% (uploaded macro accessible from main menu has a macro for doing exactly this). On alarm sounding, disable services/ apps not required to prolong battery life. In Marshmallow according to Compatibility Definition Document quoted here should give you a complete view of app and hardware power usage

It is not healthy for it to wait until 2%. It should auto power down at around 5%. It is a feature designed to help prevent hardware damage and data corruption. There is no way to over ride it unless somehow, you changed the core code of the OS.
Edit: There is a way to do it without recoding the OS. My bad.

Battery saver mode lets you use your phone below 5% and it is even recommended by Google. See https://support.google.com/nexus/answer/6187458?hl=en. Nowhere it is mentioned there that below 5% would affect battery life.


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Queue up episodes in Play Movies & TV
In Google's native "Play Movies & TV", the app that plays your movie and TV content purchased from the Play Store, is there any way to queue up something to play next, or an option when watching a TV series to have it automatically play the next episode?
Maybe I've been spoiled by the Netflix app, but I was playing a TV series I had downloaded for my son on the Chromecast through a Nexus 7 tablet, and I kept having to manually select an episode to play once one was finished.  Sort of annoying since each episode was only ~10 minutes long.
I couldn't find any option for what I want but maybe I am missing something?

Use the YouTube app. Within the YouTube app under your account you can find purchases. Within purchases are playlists of seasons of TV shows which you can queue up to play in a row.
Netflix still does it better as it checks on you occasionally so you don't binge every episode.

Thanks!  I don't know if Youtube had that integration when I was originally looking for it, but you're right, it looks like I can get at those via the YouTube app and queue them up now!

New answer due to a new option within the Google Play movies settings. There is an option to enable binge watching which will autoplay the next episode in your library.

App version: 3.22.14 [AU]

With this option checked, it still doesn't work. At least when using Chromecast. I'm not sure if this works when not using Chromecast.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


text:
App showing unwanted ads even after restricting background data
I installed a game, and I am getting some unwanted advertisements despite already restricting background data for that app.
These advertisements do have a cancel button, but that does not work. I have to click on them forcefully and they will download something. After that, it will display a page with the application details and option "OK" and "Cancel". On canceling further, the ad dismisses.
In the end, I uninstalled the game, but is there any way to cancel such advertisement or completely block them?

Assuming these are what is called "Push Ads", they are coming from an app you installed, most likely a "free" game... Install Add-ons Detector and look at what apps are using push ads and remove them. I would also post a review in the app store the app was from stating the app uses push ads for the benefit of others.

all_licenses: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


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What is the PhotoEditorPro greyed out in the Gallery
I am using Android 8.1 in a Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime.
If I open a picture in the Gallery, and I hit the three-dot menu at the top right, there are 5 items in the menu.
The last item is Open in Photo Editor Pro, and it is always greyed out.
.
Which is that app? (link to Google Play)
If I install it, would that menu item become available?
This is what I see when looking for Photo Editor Pro

Google search results indicate that Samsung used to offer this "Photo Editor Pro" feature for image editing, but one or the other Android update removed this functionality. https://www.google.com/search?gl=us&hl=en&pws=0&filter=0&q=%22photo+editor+pro%22+%22gallery%22+%22samsung%22+%22oreo%22

@Firelord - Thanks. Will check the links. From a quick look, I understand the Photo Editor Pro was gone when updating from Oreo to Pie, which is not my case.
I will post more detail.


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Cannot group Apps into folders in my App drawer
Currently using a Samsung S10e with Android 11.
I Smart-Switch'ed from a Samsung J7 prime with Android 8, a couple of months ago.
I could group apps in my Android 8 by (as best as I remember):

From the Home screen, swipe from the bottom up. This led me to the
App drawer.
If creating a new folder, long press on any icon in the App drawer and drop it on top of another app that would share the folder.
If adding an icon to an existing folder, long press on the icon and drag-and-drop it on the folder.

Now, when I long press on an icon in the App drawer and I start dragging it, the Home screen is immediately shown for dropping.
So I can now group icons as above in my Home, same as before.
But I cannot do that in the App drawer, where I am certain all app icons are shown, and thus I am certain all icons are assigned to some folder (or left in the "root" folder).
Is that grouping still possible in the App drawer?
It might not be possible with the default launcher, but I want to make sure before moving to a different launcher, like Nova.
Related:

Folders organization in home screen not always shown
https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/6/18246685/how-to-organize-android-home-screen
https://www.techrepublic.com/article/declutter-your-android-apps-with-nova-launcher/ This suggests you need an alternative launcher to allow for grouping icons
https://www.wikihow.com/Group-Apps-on-Android This suggests you don't need an alternative launcher to allow for grouping icons, although it might be outdated
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewanspence/2016/03/03/google-android-n-app-drawer-removal/?sh=389ec8a53853: "For those not familiar with Android terminology, the home screen is where app icons can be optionally placed when installed, along with any widgets or shortcuts. The app drawer is an icon present on the home screen that opens up a list of every application installed on the phone. This split nature of home screen and an app drawer is one of Android's main points of differentiation with Apple's iOS."

By "General" screen, I think it's usually called "App launcher" screen. Both home screen and app launcher's behavior depend on the Home app itself. AFAIK, Samsung's own Homescreen app did have such a feature, but I'm not sure with their current Homescreen app though.

@AndrewT. - I have now learned that the screen with all app icons is called App drawer. I could pull that name from the phone itself, and then I confirmed that in many sources online.

I think you can't create folders on app drawer(app drawer is a list of all installed apps). But, you can create custom group of app categories in launcher like poco launcher.(while in app drawer swipe to switch between categories )

Not sure about your specific phone, but what worked for several people is tapping the three dots on the top right of the App Drawer, then "Arrange apps", then drag one app onto another app. Dragging one onto another sometimes requires many attempts.


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Windows can't identify Samsung captivate glide
I've Samsung Captivate Glide (i927). When I try to connect the phone to the PC windows says USB Device unrecognized. I've installed the latest version of Samsung Kies, and also installed Samsung_USB_Driver_for_Mobile_Phones_v1.5.14.0 from the official Samsung site. Still I cannot connect my phone to the PC.
I tried to install the Samsung mobile composite driver manually also. It installed successfully but gives an error that the device cannot start code 10. And again the phone is detected as "Unknown device".
I've also tried to change the PDA USB mode in phoneutils by *#7284#, still no luck.
Can anyone tell me how to solve this problem? I'm using Windows-7 Ultimate 32-bit Desktop computer.

Finally got solution after 2 days of headache. Problem is my USB data cable. I've got original Samsung's USB data cable with phone but unfortunately it is not working. Though charging can done via this cable. I've tries few Chinese cables also but problem remains there. But as soon as I use my friend's original Samsung cable it working like a charm.
So any of you have this problem first thing to do is check from another usb cable. And importantly go for OEM's original cable.


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Enable a keyboard other than Google Keyboard via ADB
I have got 2 keyboards on my phone: Google Keyboard and AnySoftKeyboard. Google Keyboard is my primary keyboard. I want to enable AnySoftKeyboard as my primary keyboard via ADB (I use ADB because the 'Language and Input' subsetting crashes my Settings app for some reason). But the problem is that, although I enable it and it works while my phone is on, after a reboot it doesn't work and my primary keyboard becomes Google Keyboard again.
If I try to disable Google Keyboard so that AnySoftKeyboard has a hope of working, my System UI and Launcher crash at startup, making my phone go nuts (I can only unlock my phone and reboot it or shut it down).
However, because of past experience with this, even if Google Keyboard were uninstalled, a user keyboard app (unlike a system keyboard app) does not launch at startup (even when enabled via ADB), even if I go to an app like Messenger and try to type something (note: my system doesn't behave weirdly if I uninstall Google Keyboard).
So far I have used:
adb shell settings put secure default_input_method "mID of AnySoftKeyboard"
adb shell ime enable "mID of AnySoftKeyboard"

(just in case the first one doesn't work for some reason), then:
adb shell ime disable "mID of Google Keyboard"

This is when my phone had the problem with System UI and Launcher, in which case I re-enabled Google Keyboard (because it was a system app) with commands shown on this answer. Also, used
adb uninstall "AnySoftKeyboardPackageName"

to uninstall AnySoftKeyboard in case it was creating a problem.
I've also tried 'Languages and Input' sub-setting crashes Settings, need to enable it to install keyboard and it doesn't work. It executes the commands perfectly, the keyboard I want to enable works, but after a reboot, everything goes back to what was before I did any of this.
So, my question is, how do I make sure that, after a reboot, AnySoftKeyboard will both be a functioning and primary keyboard app? And why do my system UI and Launcher crash when I try to do a modification to Google Keyboard other than uninstalling it?
Phone: Acer V370
Android version: 4.2.2

Change Input Method without unlocking the phone? mentions the adb shell ime command you could try, e.g. adb shell ime list -s.

To make AnySoftKeyboard my main keyboard, I had to:

Turn it into a system app (with Link2SD)

Reboot as instructed

Put the following commands via ADB:
adb shell settings put secure default_input_method com.menny.android.anysoftkeyboard/.SoftKeyboard
adb shell ime enable com.menny.android.anysoftkeyboard/.SoftKeyboard

(I put both just to be sure, but I think putting only the first command will work fine)

Uninstall Google Keyboard (with Titanium Backup)

Reboot just in case anything had yet to be sorted out

And done.
The most important part was making it a system app because as a user app, it would either:

not be the primary keyboard after a reboot
flat-out refuse to function (even if it was the only keyboard on the device).


text:
'android' and 'emulator' commands not found
I have installed android-sdk-linux on my ubuntu 12.04 netbook and I see that the commands android (which opens the AVD Manager) and emulator (to which on appending the name of a specific AVD, the AVD boots) are not found! It suggested qemulator But that turned out to have nothing to do with the android-sdk-linux.
I do know how to boot it via eclipse, where you open the AVD list and then select an AVD and click Start and then Launch.
But I don't want to go through these many stages. Instead I would like Launch it using a single command line viz. the emulator command, which I found on the website developer.android.com. I followed installation instructions. Yet I didn't get success.
UPDATE: As our friend suggested, I updated the $PATH variable and had partial success. However there is still an error and I have to get that rectified. Here is what panned out.
aneesh@nb-14:~$ export PATH=$PATH:android-sdk-linux/tools
aneesh@nb-14:~$ emulator @Andreud
emulator: ERROR: This AVD's configuration is missing a kernel file!!

Have you setup your $PATH variable correspondingly (to include the Android Emulator's directories which hold those executables)?

Thanks very much! I updated the $PATH variable and updated the question also.

Superb! But placing the answer inside the question is suboptimal :) Would you like to convert it into an answer (you can answer your own question, and are even encouraged to do so) -- or do you prefer me doing that?

The Error stating that the AVD's config is missing a Kernel file is because when I checked the AVD Manager, the concerned AVD had a red cross-mark against it! Once I repaired this AVD I found that the error was eliminated!

Need to add emulator -"$ANDROID_INSTALLATION/Android/Sdk/emulator" to your $PATH variable.
after adding the path variable you will need to restart the terminal session.
and / or you can permanently add the path variable by editing the bashrc/profile file depending your distribution.


text:
Galaxy mini S5570 automatically creates screenshots
It makes screenshots on its own and saves them in the gallery. I delete them but it makes new screenshots.
I stopped an running app that says "screen capture" but it does it again. I can't delete it, it's not an installed app.
What can I do do permanently stop this nonsense?

I believe its being caused by a certain combination of buttons at the bottom of the screen. I haven't found a workaround, but here is something you can do to, at least not to store images (its not much, but something). It creates a directory "ScreenCaptures" to store images in; if you delete it, it will be simply recreated. So, instead, in the same directory, create a file with that name. Every time a screen is captured, it will complain that it cannot be stored, so at least you won't have to worry about deleting those images.

When you say "So, instead, in the same directory, create a file with that name," what is "that name"?

@dotVezz same name as a folder, "ScreenCaptures"


text:
SD card "damaged" after every reboot / power off
When I turn off my phone, next time it says SD card is damaged and all data is gone, I can only reformat it. The phone is "gionee iq275" (also known as "Fly" in Russia), Android version is 2.3.4. What can be the source of problem? How can I get rid of it? I know, the phone is crap, but at the moment just throwing it away and buying another is not a solution.

Not sure why that happened, but I got rid of the problem by making 2 things:

Performed full format of the SD card, and
Safely eject SD card before reboot of poweroff (not sure if it's necessary)

After that, I didn't see this problem again for now.
Update
That crappy phone sometimes damages SD card content regardless of whether the techniques written above are used... it seems to be a device-specific problem. So, my advice (if anyone else reads this) - don't buy "no-name" Chinese phones! :D

This is a problem for Samsung phones and Moto Gs as far as I have seen, so it's not restricted to certain brands. Format & safe eject does not work for me unfortunately.

Adding my answer, in case someone else is having similar problem, even after a decade of original answer to question.
One way of early prevention is, format SD card into exFAT. I never used my sd card as "internal" or RAM extension, so your usage could be different. exFAT SD cards no longer have issues, whenever my phone reboots(due to update or whatever reason).
I faced this issue in Nokia and Xiaomi devices, so I put blames on Android OS way of handling external SD cards(From Android 9.0 to 14.0).
In case of recovery, easeus recovery tool has SD card option, but not free/freemium.


text:
How to find files related to a process
I was using adb shell to have a peek at what's going on a Sony Xperia Z phone. I've noticed a few services (e.g. com.sonymobile.socialengine.plugins, com.google.android.youtube, etc.).
I'd like to know more about, like where would such a service live and what files it uses.
So far I've using find or other typical linux commands, but the phone isn't rooted so I'm a bit stuck.
Is there a way to do that ? If so, how ? If not, what are my options ?

That's a broad topic, and hard to answer in short -- as it involves many aspects. As DevOfZot already pointed out, apps store their "private data" below /data/data/<package_name> -- a place usually only accessible by the app itself and root. But there are some other places as well, where apps e.g. save their cached data, temporary data, downloads, and more.
Some good places to start your investigation include:

the file-system tag-wiki plus most frequented file-system questions, including questions like e.g.

Where in the file system are applications installed?
Where on the file system are SMS messages stored?

highest voted "processes" questions, with things like e.g.

how to find application that is opening proccesses
Is there a way to list all Intents and all processes associated with them?
How to find pid of Battery Service?
Why is Google Maps always running in the background?

the shell tag-wiki and its most frequented questions, like e.g.

How can I use shell commands and interact with the Linux system underneath?
How can I run a script on boot?
Where can I find documentation for shell commands?

As you can see, here at Android Enthusiasts (and on other stacks as well), tags are a good place when looking for general information:

From the navigation bar on top, follow the Tags link. On the page that leads you to, you can filter the pretty long list to find those tags which might be of interest to you.
Move your mouse over the tag-of-interest, and from the popup select "info". This brings you to the wiki of the corresponding tag, which often contains first-aid and other useful information.
From there, use the navigational links to discover most-frequented, highest-rated, and otherwise sorted questions using this tag.
You'll easily find your way from there, using further links -- be it "Amazon-style" links like "Questions tagged this were also tagged that", related questions (automatically selected by our friendly droids -- ahem, robots), or questions manually linked by users.

Enjoy your research! Btw: If you want to dig even deeper, a good book is Andrew Hoog's Android Forensics and Mobile Security. It not only explains file structures and how apps work, but also shows weeknesses, attack vectors, and more -- using good examples and a Linux VM :)

Wow, this is a very comprehensive response, thanks! (+1).

Yupp -- my idea was it might serve as index :) Btw: It was set up the very same way it describes: by following the tag links #D

Applications normally store their data in /data/data/com.foo.bar but you won't have access to that via adb on an unrooted device, by design.  I don't think there's a way around that without rooting the phone.


text:
Why are some USB chargers slower than others?
It seems with USB chargers for my android phone, not all are created equal.
The first pic is the official charger which came with my phone (galaxy nexus).  It charges quickly, from 0 to 100% in a couple of hours max.
The second pic is a cheapy I got on ebay to use at the office.  It works but it's slow as a wet week, can take 6+ hours to charge and if I use the phone while it's charging, it seems to drain faster than it's being charged.
The two chargers below seem to be the same spec (5V / 1A) and from my limited understanding that P = V*I they should provide the same power, right?
What else do I need to look for when buying a charger, and is there any way to tell in advance if it is going to be slow or fast (apart from testing them out)?

(click images for larger variant)
ps:  I'm aware that charging from a computer USB port can be much slower than using the wallwart, because the computer USB ports can sometimes be current-limited to 500 mA.

A related question to anyone who knows more about this than me: Is it true that the USB cable can have more or less "contacts"? I've heard that the cable needs an extra one or two contacts to be able to charge at full speed (i.e. sending extra power as well as data). Could be the cable that is the bottleneck rather than the actual power plug.

@bigbadonk420 - Yes, there are more or less contacts, but they don't have anything to do with charging speed.  Micro USB connectors have a 5th pin called ID used in USB-on-the-go to determine which device is supposed to act as the host.  USB 3.0 adds 5/7 new pins (2 differential pairs for SuperSpeed, a signal ground for those, and on the Powered-B connector, a reverse power pin (allowing the host to draw power from the device), and a ground for that new power pin).

Do not forget that P = V*I (1) can also be rewritten as P = R*i^2 (2) and P = V^2/R (3). Let's say that C is the charge of battery, C = P*t (4), so with (3) and (4) we have C = t*V^2/R (5) => t = R*C/V^2 (6). R is the resistance of cable (thin wires are more resistant, so time to charge will be longer); V is the voltage given - more voltage, less time; if you are using those 'xing-ling'-generic-power-adapters, they would rectifies AC network voltage improperly, so effective voltage given would be less than original power adapter voltage and time would be larger...

E.g. I had a LG phone that had a good cable I use since now. Newer phones I bought (Samsung) comes with thinner cables, so I saw that charging with other cables than the LG one result in more time to obtain 100% of battery charge. One time, I bought another cable (from those Chinese ones) and using it phone discharged instead of charged. That Chinese cable was longer (2m), so resistance R = r*L/A that depends on length of cable L was bigger than other cables...

Lies, damned lies, and equipment specs.  I can print up a lovely sticker that says it'll output 1000A.  Doesn't mean it'll output that.
It's significantly cheaper to make a low-power supply than it is to make a high-power power supply.  Making the latter means you need a bigger transformer (with heavier windings), larger capacitor(s), larger inductor(s) and higher current rectifier(s), all of which add up to more money.  If you're trying to make stuff on the cheap and aren't worried about pesky things like ethics, you'll go with the lower end components and massage the specs (by testing at low temperatures, etc.  This is especially common with computer power supplies which specify output at 25C, even though they would actually operate at ~40C unless you're using them inside a refrigerator), use theoretical values rather than actually testing the product (saving money on QA), or just outright lie about the specs, the latter of which is probably the case with this charger, for reasons below.
One big red warning light that your charger is substandard is that the CE mark (which is used to indicate conformance to EU standards) is fake.  The shape of the letters and their spacing is wrong.  A real CE mark should have the letters each forming a half-and-a-bit circle and should link up if you continue the arc, as shown below.  A cursory glance at the mark on your charger shows it looks nothing like this.

The CCC mark (indicating compliance to Chinese standards) is also fake.
Other warnings signs include having no manufacturer listed and improper capitalization (should be mA, not MA, unless they're claiming is can supply a billion amps.).
In essence, to determine if a charger is likely to be substandard, apply the same thoughts as you would for determining whether a product is counterfeit.  The only real difference between a substandard product and most counterfeits is whether a manufacturer's label is forged or not.

It's definitely cheaper to construct adapters from cheap parts that may not actually meet the stated specifications. It's also cheaper to construct an adapter and ship it without testing to be sure whether it meets the specs.

Nice details about the CE mark.

Aside from the actual power provided, there's another variable: Whether the device RECOGNIZES that the charger is capable of putting out the rated amps.
Devices have some different strategies for recognizing what rating a charger has. Now when connected to a computer, it's easy - the numbers come across during USB enumeration. But when connecting to a dumb charger, it's harder, and you don't want to try to draw too much, as that will cause the charger's over-current protection to kick in and cut it off.
I know that Apple uses a specific set of resistors in their charges to produce specific voltages on the USB data lines. Their devices then look for those voltages and take them to mean that they can draw some larger amount of current.
The problem with this is that there don't seem to be a lot of standards on this detection - different devices seem to do different things.
I'd guess that your cheapo-charger doesn't do whatever the galaxy nexus requires to recognize that the charger is capable of 1 amp, so it doesn't try to charge at the higher rate.

Actually, now there is a standard — USB Battery Charging spec available here. In particular, a Dedicated Charging Port must have D+ and D- lines shorted for detection, and the device is allowed to draw up to 1.5 A from such port, while the charger output voltage during operation must not fall lower than 2.0 V.

Same as @SergeyVlasov. The USB charging standard has been around for quite a while, every charger you get either follows it, or the standard that iphone uses to ensure you buy their chargers as often as possible. They are different and a charger can not be complaint with both. If the device is "iPhone compatible"(or whatever their term for it is) then it wont be USB compatible and your phone will barely trickle charge from it.

@Kortuk - The Apple thing isn't in the charger.  It's the cable that has the resistors in it.  If you've got the right cable, all quality chargers are interchangeable.

@Compro01 this does not match my knowledge of how it is implemented, but are you possibly talking about the new design cable?

It's not just "USB charging spec vs Apple spec".  There are several other configurations as well.  See the datasheet for the http://www.ti.com/lit/gpn/tps2511, which tries to interface with all of them, and http://www.righto.com/2012/10/a-dozen-usb-chargers-in-lab-apple-is.html, which reverse-engineers several.

Just like resistors, chargers have error margins, it's just not written on them, simply because it should be negligible in the case of known brands. Your phone will not even charge if the charger is deviating a lot from the designated voltage. It's not even supposed to harm your phone because modern phones have fail safe measures in them. Now if the charger is having the right voltage, the speed of charging is dependent on the amount of current it passes. And here is where the problem lies with cheap chargers. Cheap components affect the amount of current passing through them.

If smartphone is taking longer with cheapy charger for full charge, it means that the cheapy is giving less power. There's no exception or loophole with that. Grab a multimeter and measure the output by your own.
In this case, the printed specs (5V/1A) may simply be wrong or there may be other things like cable, connector etc which are screwing the output.

There can be one or two components to a charger; either you have a detachable USB cable or you don't. If you do, this might be caused by the cable, which means the printed specs could be 100 % correct. Both chargers look like they have detachable USB cables.

In addition to @bigbadonk420, if the device does not have data lines shorted your phone should only draw 100mA.

@Kortuk Not applicable here. Mind it, device is charging faster with one charger..

@SachinShekhar it is if they use a 1.8A usb spec charger and try to charge an iphone or vice versa.

Even 10A charger will not fast that fast because Android recognized your charger as 500mah.
Workaround
https://dangerousthings.com/shop/android-fast-charge-usb-cable/
Or by shorting DATA+ and DATA-

Why should Android do that? 500 mA is the specification for USB 2.0. USB 3.0 can deliver 900 mA. And using a wall plug, 2.000 mA are not an exception. So your "because" stands very questionable. Can you provide any source for that statement? Moreover: Shorting DATA+ and DATA- sounds like a very dangerous idea to me, and might harm your device. What your linked cable does is simply "faking" A/C mode by letting the device think it's connected to a wall plug. Read the description there. The question is just comparing different wall plugs, so this shouldn't apply.


text:
Grouping of permissions
The topic of permissions appears to be a rabbit hole.
I am an Android beginner, and I am trying to enter it and not die trying.
Apparently, the list of an App's permissions in the Play Store description is not a one-to-one mapping with the actual permissions an app is using.
It's just a high level description in layman's terms. So is the description of a permission shown to the user when asking to grant a revocable permission. The actual permissions are in the manifest file.
So we have:

A list of layman's-terms permissions.
A list of OS permissions.

Notably, both are organized in groups.
At least grouping #2 appears to be a "partition" (i.e., each permission belongs to exactly one group), is grouping #1 also such?
Question:
Is that mapping documented anywhere?
Note: The layman's terms description may help at one point, but it may make things a little obscure at the same time...
Related

https://developer.android.com/reference/android/Manifest.permission_group
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/17371326/what-is-the-use-of-permission-group-in-android?answertab=votes#tab-top
Permissions categories... Do they have any practical implication?
List of all actions protected by given permission
Better description of permissions
Permissions for Photos/Media/Files vs. Storage
Restricting app permissions
Application Permissions

The permission grouping has been introduced years ago. Not sure if there is still some site online describing it. Also keep in mind that some permissions are not shown at al like INTERNET permission. Considering how may questions you already have asked about the install time permissions I don't want to know how many you will ask when you discover that there are additionally a whole bunch of run-time only permissions...

I'm not sure if I understand correctly what you mean by "permission groups". Being the developer of PMX, I've been using getAllPermissionGroups and related APIs for years. I don't think PermissionGroupInfo is something to get very serious about; it's just a small list of not very meaningful / helpful names defined in AOSP or third party apps' manifest files.

On a normal device more than 90% permissions belong to group UNDEFINED. Just run adb shell pm list permission-groups and pm list permissions -g to see. If you wan to learn about Android permissions, in my opinion you can safely ignore permission groups. Go for individual permissions.

@Robert - So far that number is 6... Let's see what I can learn, with all exceptions and undocumented feturas about permissions.

@IrfanLatif - This or This - TL;DR is what I mean by list of groups #1 (that only shows the groups relevant to each app, not the complete list). For list #2, I already gave the link to Izzy's site.
Does this clarify your "I'm not sure if I understand correctly..."?

Yes it does. I commented on it already.


text:
Reliable information on permissions required
Whenever I look for an app in Play Store, the description states the list of required permissions.

Is that list (taken from the Manifest?) up to what the developer declares, or is it automatically generated in some way?

In other words, can that list be not representative of what actually happens?

If so, is there an alternative way to get a reliable such list?

Have you read the link in beeshyams comment on one of your previous questions? https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/242692/permissions-categories-do-they-have-any-practical-implication The linked post answers more or less your question. For the rest feel free to check the Android developer documentation on permissions

@Robert - I just entered the site (and I actually had done it before), but I did not read it in full. Thanks for the (refreshed) pointer.

@Robert - My question #1 is a YES-or-NO question, and I don't see it answered in the link... did I miss it?
(Besides, I guess a YES/NO posted here would be very much aligned with the spirit of SE).
Plus, question #2 is also YES/NO (with extra info also useful).

The permission list shown to the user bases on the data in AndroidManifest.xml, which has to be built by the developer and also is extended automatically if the app uses certain libraries. But that is irrelevant for you as Android enforces the permissions, which means if the developer forgot to ad a permission to AndroidManifest.xml the app will fail to use methods that require this permission.

@Robert - I put together an answer based on your comment. Would you mind correcting it if I misunderstood anything?

List of app's permissions in the Play Store description is not a one-to-one mapping with the actual permissions an app is using. It's just a high level description in layman's terms. So is the description of a permission shown to the user when asking to grant a revocable permission. The actual permissions are in the manifest file. But technically speaking, only manifest permissions are not a comprehensive list of an app's privileges. There are other ways to analyze and control what an app can do. URI permissions (for storage access) and AppOps are two examples.

@IrfanLatif - Still more to learn. A few questions:

Would you mind posting as an answer?
I tried to understand the comment/answer by Robert, then rephrase it in my answer in a more obvious way for beginners like me. Would you mind pointing out whether that answer is accurate, where it is wrong, etc.? I usually find that, for beginners (and for not-so-much as well), questions of the type YES/NO help a lot... and yet the answers often do not state that clearly.
I posted a separate follow-up question here.

Is that list up to what the developer declares?
Yes. That list is in AndroidManifest.xml, and it is edited by hand by the developer.
Is it automatically generated in some way?
No. Part of it is not, which implies that, overall, no.
Can that list be not representative of what actually happens?
Yes, but only for "false positives". I.e., a permission listed in AndroidManifest.xml, but not actually used by the code, will be granted by the OS to the app (with no use).
"False negatives" would not happen. I.e., a permission not listed in AndroidManifest.xml, but required by the code, will not be granted by the OS to the app. So it will probably not perform as intended.
TL;DR
The permission list shown to the user, e.g. under View details

bases on the data in file AndroidManifest.xml included in each apk installer.
That file contains a list of required permissions, which is composed of:

A hand-edited part by the developer.
An automatically added part from the list of permissions required by each linked libraries. (Each of these lists follow "recursively" the same criteria here).

The OS will give the App the permissions in this list, and nothing else.

The permission list shown to the user on installation time bases on the data in AndroidManifest.xml. Apps like App Inspector can display what apps request what permission.
Permissions in AndroidManifest.xml have to be added by the developer. But Android development systems also all libraries to define permissions and if the app includes the library the permissions are automatically added to AndroidManifest.xml when the developer builds the app.
But from user perspective it is irrelevant how the permissions are added to AndroidManifest.xml as Android enforces the permissions. This means if the developer forgot to add a permission to AndroidManifest.xml the app will fail to use methods that require this permission.


text:
Permissions for Photos/Media/Files vs. Storage
I have seen apps requiring permission for

Photos/Media/Files

read the contents of your USB storage
access USB storage filesystem
modify or delete the contents of your USB storage

Storage

read the contents of your USB storage
modify or delete the contents of your USB storage

This "grouping" somewhat puzzles me.
Questions:

Is the grouping meaningful for practical purposes?
Where is the specification of the container-group given? (I am not a developer, but a pointer might help as a "prospective trainee").
Why does this grouping seem to not match this (under Permission Groups).

Other specific Questions:

What is the difference, e.g., between:

Photos/Media/Files -> read the contents of your USB storage

Storage -> read the contents of your USB storage
?

What is the difference between:

Photos/Media/Files -> read the contents of your USB storage +
Photos/Media/Files -> modify or delete the contents of your USB storage

Photos/Media/Files -> access USB storage filesystem
?

What Android version are you talking about? Since Android 11/12 access permissions for shared storage have been replaced by more fine granular permissions. https://developer.android.com/about/versions/11/privacy/storage

@Robert - I have Android 11. does it help in providing a specific answer to the question?

@Robert while you're absolutely correct, what Sancho describes is how it's presented to the user on the corresponding websites. // Sancho: that "rabbit hole", yeah… I have no idea why it's displayed twice, but your list of 5 is basically just 3 permissions: READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE, WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE – and MOUNT_UNMOUNT_FILESYSTEMS (access USB storage filesystem).

@Izzy to me the phrases sound like SAF access (URI permission) vs filesystem access (android.permission.READ/WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE). A screenshot of both UIs will make it more clear.

@IrfanLatif that would make sense for the grouping; so I need to put back the request I've edited out of my previous comment: I'd need the APK of such an app to verify. Both descriptions are identical to the letter, which is a quite bad practice (wouldn't be the first of this kind) if they shall mean different things. Why would it say "USB storage" when it means SAF? Doesn't match up. For SAF, as far as I know you don't need to request a permission (please correct me if I'm wrong).

@Izzy for SAF the user is asked to grant the permission (a dialog is shown), but it's not a manifest permission. The developer can persist the granted URI permission or may ask the user again next time it needs to access the storage. There are some restrictions though, pretty well explained in the documentation: https://developer.android.com/training/data-storage/shared/documents-files#grant-access-directory. A USB storage device can be fully accessed using SAF though, which seems to be OP's case. But it's not clear.

@Izzy - I just entered your rabbit hole. Let me try rephrasing your comment about Question #4... "The difference is NONE, they are the same permission". Is that correct?
Plus, READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE and WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE are useless without MOUNT_UNMOUNT_FILESYSTEMS, is that correct?

Yes to the two duplicates, no to the other question: MOUNT_UNMOUNT_FILESYSTEMS is not required to access already mounted file systems – and the "average app" should not need this permission. Since around Android 5 it's recommended anyway to use SAF (Storage Access Framework) anyway, where no Manifest-Permission is needed for but the user can decide more granular which directories an app can access. A known disadvantage of that is that it's much slower, which the user only would notice when accessing many files at once ("batch operations").


text:
Restricting app permissions
If the specification for a given app states that a given permission is required, e.g., Noise Meter requires control vibration:

Is there a way to instruct Android to not give the permission to the app, once installed? (perhaps at the expense of a malfunctioning app).
Does this depend on which permission we are talking about? (perhaps network access permission can be restricted, e.g., and other permissions can't).
Can this be applied at the "Category" level? In each app description in Play I have seen permissions "grouped" by category... I still do not know if that categorization has any effect on what can or cannot be done, or if it is just for convenience of reading, developing, etc.

Related:

Is there any way to block permissions on apps?

Is your device rooted?

@beeshyams - No.

Try Pmx developed by Irfan that works better with root or with adb without root // see help //As you rightly guessed all permissions cannot be restricted this way e.g Internet for which you have separate solutions like Firewall

@beeshyams - I will digest your answer... In the meantime, it seems that e.g. network access can be restricted by means of a separate app, but not from within OS or affected-app configuration, right?

Right. Also point3, you have to deal with each permission on its own, can't club at category level

@beeshyams - Great. I am learning about Android, and concerned about privacy... Now posted as a specific question on its own https://android.stackexchange.com/questions/242692/permissions-categories-do-they-have-any-practical-implication


text:
SMS sender ID does not identify inbound SMS numbers with (9)
I live in Argentina.
Whenever I receive a phone call from +54 11 xxxx-xxxx and I have that number associated with Roger in my contacts, Roger is identified.
But if I don't pick up for whatever reason, I get an SMS reporting the missed call.
The number which originates the SMS is reported as +54 9 11 xxxx-xxxx, and Roger is not identified.
If I add +54 9 11 xxxx-xxxx as a number for Roger, the SMS ID is correctly updated, which confirms the SMS app has access to my contacts. I shouldn't need replicating the number for all my contacts.
Currently using Android 11, Samsung S10e.

This was working fine in my previous Android 8, Samsung J7 prime, prior to my Smart Switch.

See details below.
How can I fix this?
After trying this I realized the problem was the extra 9.
I didn't try syncing numbers stored in the phone with my Google account as here (and I am not sure my problem is the same as that other). SMS ID should not rely on Google, and I didn't need that with Android 8. I guess the OS (or the app?) should take care of that.
(related)

More details
How this was working before the phone switch
I was using a Samsung J7 prime with Android 8, with the same sim card and mobile provider as I use now.
I am right now checking in my old phone a message that I received, with number +54 9 11 xxxx-xxxx, and SMS ID is correct.
The same message, in my new phone (transferred via Smart Switch) is not SMS-IDentified.
How are phone numbers built
Phone numbers are built as +(Country) (Area) (Number) as usual, with a possible extra 9 after the country code, or a possible extra 15 after the area code.
The historical reasons for those extra numbers, and when were they mandatory (calling from abroad/within Argentina, phone call/SMS, calling from mobile/landline, calling to mobile/landline, etc.) are a separate issue. These rules kept confusing people, in particular foreigners. Nowadays networks are smart enough, the rules are mostly (I wouldn't dare saying 100%) not needed. You could also use +(Country) (Area) (No.) from within Argentina; before, that was not allowed, 0(Area) (No.) was needed from within Argentina. I am not certain, but I think even (Area) (No.) works. This is similar to what happens in other countries.
Related: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_numbers_in_Argentina#Inbound_SMS
So if I call using +54 9 11 xxxx-xxxx, it will likely work well, the same as if I use  +54 11 xxxx-xxxx or 011 xxxx-xxxx.
54: Argentina
9: Prefix for mobile numbers
11: Buenos Aires
xxxx-xxxx: phone number
Then there is the issue of Caller / SMS ID for inbound calls and messages.

I would contact your mobile network provider. If a person is calling in with one number then this number should also be used for the missed-call-SMS (which is generated by your MNO). So if you see two different numbers then this is bad, even if for historical reasons both numbers are practically identical if you would try to call them.

@Robert - It might be the case that the MNO is handling the phone numbers. But I am certain the phone/OS/app has its part, see my edited OP, under How this was working before the phone switch.
And I heard of no one here with this problem, so I guess there should be a much simpler solution than going through the thorns of a MNO.


text:
Cannot select "Start now" on a dialog when using app to do screen capture on Marshmallow
I just upgraded my new Moto G3 to Marshmallow and noticed that both of my screen capture apps (AZ Screen Recorder and Lollipop Screen Recorder) no longer worked. I kept getting stuck at one dialog asking for permission to capture the screen.

Cancel still works, but it wouldn't let me select Start Now at all.

Your issue seems similar to this issue. This usually happens when there are apps that overlay your screen. Check this post to determine which apps, and try to disable/kill it.

I have no idea which ones to disable though. Some in that list I need.

You can try disable the permission of the apps that you install & recognize first and left one of the recorder enabled, then try using it. The feature is not critical, meaning that disabling the permission won't break your phone. However.. I might be mislead by the similar issue; it might not caused by  screen overlay, which I don't have any clue right now...

I figured that LuxLite was causing the issue. Disabling its access to drawing over apps temporarily allowed me to clear the dialog and get it working.

Can you explain how to disable LuxLite, thanks.

Sure! Go to settings, search for draw, and click on the option that says "Draw over other Apps", scroll to the application you want to disable draw access for (Lux Lite in this case,) click on the application and deselect the switch for the permission.
That's how to do it.

You can also disable Lux by tapping the power button icon in its notification. Or, you can go to Lux's Settings > Advanced and uncheck Enable Lux. Both of these methods have the same effect as revoking the permission, just with less steps

@Andy possibly. I never thought of that...

Its very simple brothers.. you cannot click "start now" or
 if u trying to install any 3rd party application you cannot click "install" on moto g4 device .. its because you all people enabled "filter applications" like "blue filter"
Please disable that and enjoy

I get what u mean, but a reword would be nice (Kids, He's saying at you can't press start while a screen filter or dimmer is enabled.)

I'm guessing the apps don't implement the new Marshmallow's permissions at runtime correctly.
Try to give those two apps all the permissions yourself:
Settings -> Apps -> (click app name) -> Permissions -> click any unchecked permission.
If all the permissions are already checked and you still face this problem, I bet you need to wait for an update; you could try meanwhile to contact the developer and report the issue.

This answers a secondary issue about permission at runtime. However, the real issue is, there's seemingly a running screen overlay that prevents critical dialog to be confirmed (cannot tap "Start Now")

@AndrewT. from the information in the question, I'm just guessing. That dialog shown in the picture is the app dialog (not the Marshmallow's native permission dialog), so I bet the Start Now button gets clicked, but at that point the code assumes the permission to be active, while maybe is disabled. Therefore my answer. I'm guessing here, but doing as I suggest could tell us I'm right or wrong in my guess. I don't think anything prevent Start Now to be tapped, just the consequences of the tap are ignored by the app - I think.

That dialog is actually Marshmallow's native permission dialog (I have tested it on Android 6.0.1) for screen capture. In fact, I checked the app on permission manager (just now), all of the permissions are already enabled, so this answer won't actually solve the issue...

I don't think that dialog is Marshmallow's native permission dialog, as that can't be customized [1].
With "Marshmallow's native permission dialog" I mean the one which prompts when you call ActivityCompat.requestPermissions():
"Note: When your app calls requestPermissions(), the system shows a standard dialog box to the user. Your app cannot configure or alter that dialog box." [2]

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/33266328/how-can-i-customize-permission-dialog-in-android
http://developer.android.com/training/permissions/requesting.html

"all of the permissions are already enabled, so this answer won't actually solve the issue" -> if so, then my guess is wrong, and my answer is useless. +1

All of the permissions are assigned in settings, I don't believe it to be the issue.

This is mostly due to permission management. My suggestion is to download access management app and see whether the screen recording app has the right permission. Or root the phone. I have the same problem as you and solved it by rooting.

Simple....
Switch off your phone
Go to recovery mode by pressing power button + volume down
Fine 'clear cache/partition' by voume keys
Select yes by power key
Now simply reboot your phone...
Tadaa...! Problem is solved

authors: Сергей Шевров


text:
Run downloaded shell command without root?
My phone is a Galaxy S3, not rooted.  I have "ES File Explorer" and "Terminal Emulator" installed.
I downloaded an Android build of 'wget', intending to execute it from the Terminal Emulator app.  The file currently exists in
/storage/sdcard0/Download (which is an internal partition, not a physical SD card) as:
-rw-rw-r-- root sdcard_rw 241974 2016-03-11 wget

./wget gives Permission denied.  chmod o+x wget gives "Bad mode"; this is apparently because Android's chmod only accepts octal digits; chmod 665 wget gives "Operation not permitted".  I can copy the file with "cp", so the filesystem is writable.
Other Q&A's here give several possible reasons for chmod failing on Android.  One is SD cards formatted with FAT which do not support permission bits; but as I say this is not actually an SD card. Another is the filesystem being mounted with "noexec".  My Android/Linux knowledge is way too lacking to check such things.
Is Android blocking me from executing wget by design? Is there a way to execute it without rooting my phone?

Use the sh command before invoking your script. See here: Android Enthusiasts Shell Script Permissions

@Chungzuwalla : If you want the wget command without rooting, you might be intersted by this busybox version of wget.

Thanks @AaronGillion, I tried using sh but since wget is a binary it just gives a syntax error.  It seems what @MatijaNalis wrote below about this is correct.

Copy it to the folder of your terminal application and then you can run it.

Yes, this is by design.  You can't execute binaries from the SD card without system or superuser privileges (and remounting it without the noexec option) because otherwise apps could just download and execute malicious code at will.  In older versions of Android the SD card also did not have emulated permissions so chmod would naturally fail.
Some devices/older versions of Android might allow execution from /data/local/tmp/, so you could try putting it there.  Otherwise, you'll probably need root.

Thanks! I had expected that it was the app permissions system that controlled what an app could do, so downloading and executing code would be fine if it didn't require any privileges above what the app already has.  Anyway I don't have /local at all, or at least I can't see it.  I think the structure of UN*X filesystems is going to remain a mystery to me for a long while yet.

Apps can execute their own binaries, though. Since u installed the terminal app, any binary of this app can be executed. Therefor, copy the binary into the app folder of the terminal app and you can run it from there. I tried it, it works.

@TJJ That's clever!

But yes, to my understanding it will be limited to the permissions of the 'parent' app, i.e. the terminal app. It requests internet permission, so wget will work. More sophisticated stuff might not. Other option is to write your own apk with all the permissions needed (afaik Terminal Emulator is open source on github).

Android, just as Linux, prevents any user but root, to change the permission bits of any file not owned by such user. That said, chmod is ineffective, unless you have root privileges.
By the way, even if you had such privileges, you wouldn't have been able to change permissions, as long as the target path is /storage/sdcard0 or /storage/emulated/0. This depends upon a security policy, which is implemented in the form of the FUSE filesystem, and can be circumvented by moving to /data/media/0 or /data/media/emulated/0, and chmoding the file from this position. Please notice that this procedure will let you execute a script only if you launch it from one of the abovementioned locations.
Lastly, it should be noted that the Android port of chmod does not support symbolic editing of the flags (+rwx and so on), so you'll be forced to edit them via their corresponding octal values. You'll also do need root privileges, in order to be able to access /data/media. Trying to cd to such directory by using user privileges results in a Permission denied error.

I think this is where I get really confused. So when I downloaded the wget binary (using some browser, can't remember which one now) it was saved as owned by root.  If I copy it with cp in Terminal Emulator, the copy is also owned by root. I can delete the copy. But the Terminal Emulator shell is not a root shell. There's plenty about this that confuses me. But that's a whole other question...

@Chungzuwalla Copying a file is an operation that's generally allowed, provided that the file to copy has not been locked (like the /etc/shadow on Linux). Changing permissions, though, is a dangerous operation, since, if perpetrated by some untrusted user, can forbid the access to almost any file (chmod 000).

first, to make file executable, you should do chmod 775 wget (and not 665)
but, you can only change modes of file if you are it its owner (or root). In your case, owner is root (and group sdcard_rw, as indicated by your ls -l), so only root can change permissions. As you are not root (you can check with id command, but as you say you haven't got a rooted device, so you can't use su to become root) you cannot change its permissions.
Also, modes can only be changed if filesystem containing file supports UN*X permissions. Your /storage/sdcard0/Download is probably FAT, which doesn't support it (you can check filesystem type with cat /proc/mounts)

Having said all that, if the file was shell script, you could execute it even with missing x mode with sh /storage/sdcard0/Download/script.
But if it is ELF binary (as it is the case with your wget), you are probably out of luck on Android (on desktop GNU/Linux system, you can execute ELF binaries indirectly via dynamic linker /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2 /mnt/Download/wget, but I don't think Android allow the same with its /system/bin/linker - I could be wrong on that one, though)


text:
Can I navigate to a specific URL in Samsung Internet Browser instead of doing a Google search?
Using Samsung Internet 11.1.2.2 on Android 8.1.0.
Whenever I type an URL in the top bar, it performs a Google search with that parameter. The worst thing is that in some cases, the target URL is not in the list of the search results. Thus, I cannot go to the intended URL.
Is there any solution for this, so I can visit the target URL in Samsung Internet Browser?

You can simply disable the automatic searching for entered values in the address bar:
Open Settings -> Search engine and disable "Suggest websites and search terms"

Afterwards if you enter a valid DNS name like exampleabc.com you will get directly to the page (in this case a generated error page as the domain does not exist).
If you just enter some search terms like holiday a Google search will be performed.

Tested and it works

A workaround:

Create a "phantom" group in WhatsApp, where you are the only member (add another person and then remove him/her).
Send the URL to that group.
Or you can send the URL to any other contact, if that is not a problem for you and the other.
Click on the URL in WhatsApp.

It will open the browser and navigate to the URL.
Plus, you can save the bookmark now.

What does your answer uses WhatsApp? This app was not mentioned in your question, hence from my perspective your answer does not make sense to me.

@Robert - The question does not require use of WhatsApp, but it does not preclude it either.
The answer shows a method that, using WhatsApp, leads to the intended objective.
I used it and it worked.
I would not understand what do you find strange about this.


text:
Can an app bypass notification settings in Settings > Notifications > App notifications?
I have a Samsung S21 with Android 14, with Personal and Work profiles.
It keeps issuing (annoying) notification sounds.
I cannot identify which apps are responsible for that, so I cannot customize them.
I will ask several isolated questions so as to not mix-up.
I went to
Settings > Notifications > App notifications > Three dots > Show system apps.
Then I set up all apps in one of the following states:

<Allow notifications: Yes> + <Alerts: Silent>.
Many apps.
<Allow notifications: Yes, but fixed, not selectable by the user> + <Alerts: Silent>.
A few apps.
E.g., Android Setup, Android System.
<Allow notifications: No> + <Alerts: Silent>.
In this case I guess the second setting is irrelevant.
Many apps.
<Allow notifications: No>.
No further settings are provided, with a legend "All notifications from this app are blocked".
A few apps.
E.g., Android Auto, Arts & Culture.
<Allow notifications: Yes> + <Alerts: Allow sound and vibration>.
Meet, Zoom. Teams in Work profile.
<Allow notifications: Yes, but fixed, not selectable by the user> + <Alerts: Allow sound and vibration>.
Call, Call & text on other devices, Call settings, Carrier communications, Clock, Find My Mobile, Phone, Phone calls, Phone services, Wi-Fi Calling, Wireless emergency alerts, .

I guess that only apps set to 5,6 can issue notification sounds.
Is this correct?
Can an app set to 1-4 bypass notification settings?
E.g., WhatsApp or others that have In-app notification setting.
EDIT:
The issue of how to see notification history, which is a separate question (very relevant here) is dealt with in
Notification history does not seem to show all notifications. Is this correct? How to see them all?

Have you checked notification history? https://android.stackexchange.com/q/171570/2241

@Robert - Yes. With strange (and negative) results, see this.


text:
How to save Facebook and Skype information to Google contacts?
I've looked around this site and in spite of what I read I can't figure out the following:
How do I save my merged contact information into a Google contact?
For instance, I have a friend F who has a phone number Fp a mail address Fm, a Skype username Fs and and Facebook username Ff. Although these data are merged into a single F contact on android, I cannot see Fs and Ff in F's Google contact.
How can I really merge the data so it all shows into Google accounts?

Yes you can, as far as Facebook you need to use an external agent. Here is what I mean:
Because Facebook does not work with Google very well you have to sign up for Yahoo! Mail.
In the contacts option you will be able to import your contacts from Facebook. Once you do that you can then export them as a spreadsheet and then once again import them into Google Contacts using the import feature.
Skype would be different as you would have to class their Skype username as a note rather than a phone number or email, you would have to do that manually.

Thanks. It seems though the answer should be "No you can't but there is a workaround..."   Do I understand you well saying the issue is a kind of embargo on Facebook and Skype by Google? If so are there alternate, third-party, contact databases I could use, which would collect all contact information?

Yeah sorry about that. I did some more research and it turns out that although not listed, Google Contacts would let you add your friends skype name under the "Internet Call" category. Interestingly you are also able to create your own category which you could name "Skype" if you wish. These can be found once you click the "Add" button on your contact. You will still however have to add your Skype details manually. Hope this helps :)

No, Google doesn't have an embargo, facebook has an embargo, and makes it nearly impossible to extract friend's data. (Same with skype, but I think that's just poor desgin on skype's part).  The data that can be extracted, yahoo makes it easier than any other service.


text:
Remote icon on Galaxy S6 Edge
I suddenly have a new strange symbol on my S6 Edge screen and have no idea what it is but if I touch it, it locks my phone up. The only way I can get it unlocked is by swiping the edge. I'm able to move it around but it appeared while away from and charging my phone so I wasn't accidentally playing around with settings or anything. It appears like a remote perhaps.
What is it?
Edit: I'm with Bell, using version 5.1.1 and have attached an enlarged a screenshot (it's the same size as a Messenger Chat Head).

Thank you for your replies. I always have Hotspot off, I double checked to be sure and it is off. It did randomly disappear for a few hours and then reappeared again for a time.

Based from a thread on Android Central, it's an icon from Peel Smart Remote app.
uestraven recommended to disable the app to remove it.

[...]. I just figured it out. It's Peel Smart Remote app. You have to disable it.

It seems the icon was added on the latest update as IAmSixNine wrote,

I updated the Peel Smart Remote app on my GS6 and after I rebooted the phone, it showed up on mine as well. Pretty annoying if you ask me that they did that. I don't and have never used the app and for them to update the app and then force that on me is pretty lame.

Screenshot on Galaxy Note 4, courtesy of Realityhurts82

Interesting. Can you share the methodology you used to pin-point the app? I guess I'm using archaic methods. :-)

@Firelord I googled "samsung galaxy s6 remote icon" and the first result was a thread on AndroidCentral, from there, the second reply linked to another thread on AndroidCentral


text:
Can Nexus devices be SIM locked?
I have Nexus 4 from Fido (Canadian provider). I want to use with another provider, but I don't know if it's locked by Fido.
I read this discussion and see opposite points of view:

NEXUS devices are never locked, period.

but:

Indeed, all Fido phones are locked to Fido.

Which is true? Can Nexus phone be locked?

For your case, posted by Fido's rep,

I wish to clarify something. All phones sold by Fido are locked with the exception of Nexus phones.

But for general case, apparently, yes, Nexus devices can be SIM locked. These articles proved that even Nexus 6 (which can be considered as quite new at the time of writing) on AT&T are SIM locked.

Extreme Tech

The uproar truly started when it was confirmed that the AT&T Nexus 6 is SIM locked to that carrier. This is the only Nexus phone that’s ever been SIM locked (the Galaxy Nexus LTE wasn’t locked, it just didn’t have the hardware for other carriers).
...
That SIM lock and the tethering check are a bit trickier — these are both deeply ingrained in the core of the device.... The SIM lock, which keeps the phone from working on other networks, is included in the baseband software. Again, there’s no way around that without major hackery.

Android Police

It appears that the carrier's Nexus 6 variant is SIM-locked, won't let you tether without verifying your subscription status, and has AT&T's suite of ringtones as well.
...
The SIM lock is stored independent of the ROM, somewhere that factory images don't touch. Presently, the only way to get rid of it is to get the unlock code for your device, which can be obtained by AT&T after your contract is fulfilled or the device is paid in full (assuming you bought it on a payment plan). If that doesn't work for you, there is also the option of purchasing the code from a 3rd party.

Also, a user manual from Vodafone for Galaxy Nexus, a forum thread by Verizon user and XDA forum proved that Galaxy Nexus could be SIM locked too.


text:
CWM Superuser on HTC Droid Incredible
I am trying to install ClockworkMod's Superuser on an HTC Droid Incredible running an older leaked Gingerbread build from Verizon labled TMartin GingerInc. I keep getting the following error:There was an error installing Superuser. Please send a log of the error to the developer..I cannot, however, find a log to send. ChainsDD Superuser and SuperSU lock up often.

Pretty sure you should only have one superuser running at a time. You aren't trying to run more than one at a time are you?

@Zooks64: No, I plan on removing my current Superuser once this one is installed.

I believe you have to remove it BEFORE installing another one.

@Zooks64: Hmm...Didn't know that. Will try removing normal su first. Sounds reasonable, since neither the normal install nor the recovery install worked.

Well, after accidentaly deleting my su binary, I downloaded and flashed the zip from http://download.clockworkmod.com/superuser/superuser.zip.


text:
How to get the Enter (Return) key in Messaging (MMS) app - Jelly Bean
I have JellyBean 4.2 and my friend also has the same.
I have been fond of using the "Enter" or "return" key while typing messages. I like paragraphs in messages. But I have a "Smiley" Button.
My friend however has the enter key. See the Screen shot:

Screenshot (click image for larger variant)
How to get the Enter button like in the screen shot?

I'd start with examining the settings of the Messaging app to see if anything looks relevant.

I have drilled down my phone for all possible settings. Let alone be that of Messaging App :)

Fair enough. :-) Which phones have you and your friend got? And are you both using the stock keyboard?

I am using stock kb of Jelly Bean. I don't know about my friend. Both have a Galaxy S. Both have custom ROMs as well, hence the jelly bean

If you are using CyanogenMod (or a derivative of it), you can enable the enter key under Messaging -> Menu -> Settings -> Soft Keyboard Type -> Show the Enter Key

Sadly, the Soft Keyboard Type option is missing from recent CyanogenMod builds.

I updated my ROM to a CM variant (SlimBean to be specific) and found this in the settings

This worked for me. Thanks to bassmadrigal's comment.

Sadly, this option is missing from recent cyanogenmod builds.

press the shift key and see the change in the icon for the smiley. It changes to the enter key.

This works on Google Keyboard in KitKat 4.4.4.

this works. if you cannot see it at first you must switch to English lang first and then try pressing shift above number switch key.

This should really be the recognized answer. Conformed with Google Keyboard and Messenger on Cyanogen OS 12.1

Doesn't work on Jellybean. I seriously hope whatever marketing dipshit thought this up has lost their job by now.

You can use newline in Android Jelly Bean while texting too.
While typing hold shift key the smiley icon will change to newline icon then move your finger to that newline button, it gives me newline in my text message.
Just make sure that holding shift and moving finger to that newline button will be done very fast and quick otherwise the button will do some other operation like going to execute "previous" action.

Messaging -> Menu -> Settings -> Soft Keyboard Type -> Show the Enter Key

Go to GO Keyboard Settings - under 'Input' select 'More..' - select 'Smiley Key Setting' - select 'Off'.  Done!

This needs a preamble: "If you're using GO Keyboard, ..."

Alternatively, replace the stock text/messaging app with something like "Textra" from the play store. This will bring back the return key as standard.


text:
Two Asus Transformer TF300s, same JB version, different skin
A friend has two Transformer TF300 tablets, both upgraded OTA to the (apparent) same JB 4.2.1 version, but one has tablet-style notifications (lower right corner) with the Home, Back, and Recent apps buttons left justified on the bottom, and the other has notifications on the top (like a phone), with the back, home, and recent buttons centered at the bottom.
Is there a setting that controls the notification style, or is there some non-obvious difference in the software versions?

Asus provides two launchers in their 4.2.1 rom - they differ as you descibed in your question. The one with the notifications in the lower right is the same one as used in their 4.1 rom and the one with the notifications at the top is the vanilla Android 4.2 launcher.
You can switch between them at will by opening settings and then navigating to Device -> Launcher (it requires a reboot to switch).


text:
What Android versions have captive wifi detection?
A captive Wi-Fi or captive portal being a Wi-Fi network that redirects all websites to a page, usually with a form to log in, enter a code, or accept some T&Cs.
My samsung-nexus-10 can detect when I've connected to a network with this behaviour, and brings up a notification to tell me, but my old htc-desire can't. When was this feature introduced?

As best as I can tell on GrepCode, functionality relating to walled gardens (captive portals) was added to WifiWatchdogStateMachine.java in 4.0.1. I can't find it listed in the Android API reference to confirm exactly when it was added, but that would seem to match with your Nexus 10 having the feature but not your HTC Desire.

My HTC Wildfire S has this notification on 2.3.5...


text:
Is it possible to show "all calls" on my Samsung Galaxy S?
Under phone -> logs -> menu key -> view by there are options for all logs, dialled calls, missed calls, received calls, sent messages and received messages.
Is it possible to show "all calls" instead?
Is this more of a feature request than an answerable question?

There's an "all calls" option in "Call History" on my phone. (Running 2.2 but on a HTC with their UI, which may be different, as pointed out below.)
When I hit "view", the option buttons are:

All Calls
Incoming Calls
Outgoing calls
Missed calls

Is this what you're after, or have I mis-interpreted your question?

I'm not sure what phone you've got, but it sounds like you don't have a Samsung? It sounds like your one doesn't have Samsung's TouchWiz interface, but possibly has a different interface, like HTC's Sense?

You are correct, I didn't take that into account. I have a Desire HD with HTC sense.


text:
Galaxy Y gps chipset model
I'm trying to find the manufacturer /  model of gps chipset used in my galaxy Y.
Can anyone help me?

Broadcom didn't specify it, it could be any from this list, search for the GPS category. Galaxy Y uses the Broadcom BCM21553 which is ARM11. Based on this, I conclude it uses the BCM4751 GPS module.
You can also try this USSD codes that might reveal some information.


text:
Razr Maxx HD, How to wipe data with broken screen
My screen is totally destroyed, it's black and unresponsive. The phone turns on just fine, though. I just got my new phone and I have to send this one back now.
I want to wipe the phone before I send it back, but I'm not sure how. I don't care too much about sending back a rooted phone, it seems Asurion doesn't really care about that from what I've read, but I don't want my personal data on the phone when I send it in.
What are my options to wipe the phone without a screen? I've already read a lot of threads on other forums and here on the subject, but everyone seems to say to wipe through ADB shell. Well, I can see the phone in ADB, but I am unable to enter SU through ADB shell. I assume it's because the screen is locked, and I have no way to unlock it. Others have also said to wipe through fastboot in ADB, but I am seeing conflicting recommendations and I'm not sure how to proceed. I'm not that proficient with ABD, so I want to make sure I don't mess this up.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

You can obtain the adb and fastboot utilities as part of the Android Software Development Kit (or separately from third parties, but watch out for Trojan binaries). If you install the SDK, you will need to install the Platform Tools and (if using Windows) the USB Driver for Windows.
Once you have them, from whatever source, this is what you will do:

Reboot the phone to the bootloader (fastboot):
adb reboot bootloader

adb may not work if the phone hasn't previously been placed in USB Debugging mode. In this case, boot the phone to fastboot mode by first powering it off, then powering it on by holding all three of the Power, Volume Up and Volume Down keys at the same time for two seconds, then releasing all three keys, then touching Volume Down twice, then Volume Up once.
Check to see if the phone is in fastboot mode. If it doesn't show anything, wait a few seconds and try again:
fastboot devices

Wipe the user data/cache:
fastboot -w

Ok, I did exactly what you said.  userdata is erased.  Is that the same as a factory reset? It said it erased cache, so does that mean everything I could possibly want erased is gone?  Thanks so much for the info.  I know it was simple, but it was very helpful.  Thanks so much.

Yes, fastboot -w erases both user data and cache, which is the same as the wipe/factory reset. That covers all of your data except for the SD card, which you'll have to place into another device or computer if you want to erase it.

Great, thanks so much.  I almost had to leave the card in because the it broke right on the sd card slot.  I was finally able to pry the card out and get it in my new phone.  So, I'm all set!

I've a SG S2 with the display broken, and with that keystrokes I cannot enter into Fastboot! :(

@DareDevil73 That's because the Galaxy S II is not a RAZR MAXX HD. Didn't you see the question title?


text:
Mild mechanical sound when using the camera
I have a Samsung S10e, with android 11.
Whenever I use the camera, I hear a very mild sound that appears as if it were produced by an actual mechanical displacement of parts, not coming from the speaker.
It is similar to the (old) point-and-shoot cameras when autofocusing.

Is that possible?
If so, is there any way of confirming this?
If the sound is "mechanical", is that normal/expected, or is it a sign of something wrong (even if perhaps not serious)? (see link below)

Notes:

Shutter sound and Vibration feedback are set to Off.

Sounds are produced, e.g., when I:

activate the Camera app
exit the Camera app
open settings in the camera app (with the cog)
exit settings in the camera app
change mode (photo, video, more, etc.)

Sounds are not produced when I take pictures

If I shake the phone I hear a mild noise as well (not exactly the same). It is louder if I shake it up and down, than if I shake it left-right. Perhaps related to the OIS, but not sure...

Some people noticed similar clicks here, here and here, not sure it is the same. Not sure if the S10e is expected to make that noise.

This warns about upcoming failure.

I confirm I could see a sort of a shutter opening and closing (but not fully) whenever the click is heard.
I am not sure if it is "likely the aperature of the adjustable lens adjusting for the current light in the shot." (VerbumVeritum, Samsung Care Ambassador), or the OIS as linked in the OP, or...
Hopefully it does not precede failure.


text:
Unable to install ROM with adb sideload or other methods on LG G3 d855
I have an LG G3 (d855) phone on which I had Cyanogenmod 14 and which I wanted to upgrade to LineageOS.
I booted to recovery, wiped everything and tried using adb sideload to load the image, but it failed at 47% with cannot verify whole file signature and cannot load volume /misc errors.
I verified the md5sum of the image, tried the other images available and also an AOKP image, and the symptoms are always the same.
I don't seem to have access to another way of loading an image on the phone, I was not able to enter download mode (I only get either a black screen or a battery picture), and the recovery mode seems to accept adb connections so I cannot push an image on it (I get a adb: error: connect failed: device unauthorized. This adb server's $ADB_VENDOR_KEYS is not set error). And of course having wiped the system, I cannot do anything from here.
Edit : I've been able to start the phone in download mode by using a different USB cable. However, I cannot find a tool on Linux to upload an image to it. Some sites say that heimdall should support it but it seems they are misleading as heimdall itself only claims to support Samsung devices.

Do you have TWRP installed? Can't you just use it's MTP mode to copy the ROM and Gapps to internal storage and flash from there?

No, I only have the Cyanogenmod recovery and it doesn't have many features, all of which I already tried.

So I was finaly able to solve my problem :

Apparently the failure of adb sideload at exactly 47% is a known bug on TWRP, so I would assume that it's the same bug bitting me on Cyanogen recovery.
Anyway, if the recovery doesn't allow to install a ROM, there is the download mode (volume UP and plug in an USB cable).
If download mode doesn't work, try it with another USB cable (such as the one that came with the phone)
Have a Windows install available either physically or in a VM as LG couldn't bother supporting other OSes.
Follow this tutorial to reinstall the original LG ROM, but at step 7 tick the "Board DL" box as not to get stuck on "Factory Reset Status 2" such as explained in this reddit thread (doesn't seem to be a problem for everyone).
Reroot the phone and reinstall a ROM that isn't full of LG bloatware.

(Note for self : next time buy a device that hasn't been designed to work against it's owner)


text:
Is there a shell command to open Ethernet settings?
To open the Wi-Fi settings, one can use the following command:
 # am start -n com.android.settings/.Settings\$AdvancedWifiSettingsActivity

Is there a similar command to open the Ethernet settings as following?

@AaronGillion  I added a screenshot per your request.

Woah, that's awesome. What device is this??

@AaronGillion It is just a generic tablet.  At least many tablets support Ethernet. One could plug in a USB-to-Ethernet adapter to enable Ethernet.

@Hong Since you're asking, I assume that am start -n com.android.settings/.Settings\$EthernetSettingsActivity does not work, correct?

@DeathMaskSalesman I thought I tried it, or something similar, and it did not work. I tried it again a moment ago, and it worked.   Could you turn your comment as the answer, so I can accept it.  I was looking at this page:https://github.com/Mirkoddd/Settings.apk/tree/master/smali/com/android/settings, but could not find anything related to Ethernet.  Where can I find all the possible settings activities?

@Hong I included the method I used in the answer below. Since its output is far from being refined, you may wish to perform further research and improve my answer with your findings.

The way to launch the Ethernet Activity of the Settings, is to issue:
am start -n com.android.settings/.Settings\$EthernetSettingsActivity

in a terminal.
By the way, the method to obtain an unrefined list of all the activities in an app, is to extract such data directly from the AndroidManifest.xml. Luckily, we can accomplish this with the following terminal commands:
path=$(pm path com.android.settings)
path=${path#p*:}
aapt d xmltree $path AndroidManifest.xml | grep Settings\$. > /sdcard/SettingsActivities.txt

Now, the first line assigns to the variable path the path where to find the Settings apk. This is useful if you need to include this snippet in a script, and you want to make it portable for various Android flavors.
Line 2 sanitizes the path variable, by removing the "package:" prefix set by pm path, thus making it usable for the third line.
Line 3 does the real job: it dumps the AndroidManifest.xml of the app indicated in the path variable. It also filters the output, in order to consider only the lines which contain "Settings$", and then outputs the result, saving it to a file with an arbitrary name (here SettingsActivities.txt), for further examination.

Thanks a lot for the extraordinary elucidation!  I tried those commands, but got /system/bin/sh: aapt: not found.

Yeah, your device may be one of those that doesn't ship aapt by default. You'll be able to address this issue by downloading the first aapt from http://www.izzysoft.de/ftp/local/android/ , unpack it, and install it on the System partition by following the info provided in the readme.md file (by the way, that site belongs to Izzy, famed Android SE moderator).

Thanks a lot!  I am all set.  Since I may do this for different devices, I pulled settings.apk to my computer and used Android SDK's aapt to extract the information based on your tip.

"There is no such activity in standard Android"