Samsung Smart Device
Visitors walk past a Samsung Galaxy Note advertisement boardReuters

A new CyanogenMod-based Android 5.0.1 Lollipop CM12 custom ROM has been made available to Samsung's first ever flagship phablet Galaxy Note GT-N7000 model.

This new custom ROM is a CyanogenMod CM12 series NightOwl version and has been developed by a recognized XDA Developer forum member by the moniker "bauner". Other contributors include TouchLeclouds and DroidTwe4kz.

It is 259.1MB in size and this custom ROM is based on the AOSP (Android Open Source Project) 5.0.1 Lollipop.

This is an experimental Beta-1 CM12 build (unstable), so some issues are yet to be fixed. We advise our readers go through the whole tutorial article first before going ahead with the custom ROM installation.

Features of CyanogenMod [Unofficial] Android 5.0.1 Lollipop NightOwl CM12 Beta-1 custom ROM which are said to be functional Samsung Galaxy Note (GT-N7000):

  • sensors
  • adb
  • boot
  • wifi
  • Bluetooth
  • telephony
  • display
  • touchscreen
  • stock apps
  • shutdown
  • sound
  • internal sd
  • external sdcard
  • aosp keyboard (to get keyboard working go into
  • settings/language & input/current keyboard and switch the
  • slider by hardware show input method)
  • camera (video recording in 720p and 1080p is broken)
  • gallery
  • audio player
  • all hardware buttons
  • root
  • cwm 6 recovery
  • video playback (in apps like youtube is working without problems. In gallery it is unstable but you can use mx player (disable hw decoders and enable sw decoder in settings))
  • gps (thx to lirokoa for the commit to fix it)

Issue that is yet to be fixed:

  • Charging animation when device is switched off.

Prerequisites (things to remember before installing Custom ROM)

  • This new Android 5.0.1 custom firmware has to be installed on the Samsung Galaxy Note (GT-N7000 with dual-core 1.4 GHz Cortex A9) model only; if tried on other devices, it might get bricked [To check your device model: Go to Settings >> About phone >> model number]
  • Make sure the device is rooted before going forward for custom ROM installation.
  • Installation of custom ROM requires clearing of memory in the smartphone, so make sure to back all the data by installing Clockwork Mod (CWM) Recovery/ TWRP in the smartphone.
  • Users make sure they have installed USB drivers on the PC, or else your phone (Samsung Galaxy Note N7000) smartphone will not be recognized by the computer.
  • Make sure your device has more than 80 percent battery, or else there is chance of smartphone getting temporarily bricked if the installation process is interrupted in the mid-way.
  • Though installing custom ROM improves the device's performance and UI experiences, it makes the company warranty void and they will no longer be liable to provide updates in future [users can restore warranty by flashing the device with stock-ROM].

[Disclaimer:This procedure is very technical and should be performed by a person with sound knowledge of rooting (or manual software installation) Android devices. If the step-by-step installation process is not followed properly, there are chances of the smartphone getting bricked or being permanently irreparable. International Business Times, India Edition cannot be held responsible for any damage or claims from readers if the procedure does not yield the required results or if the smartphone is bricked. Hence, users are advised to proceed with caution.]

Tutorial: Step-by-step installation Guide for CyanogenMod [Unofficial] Android 5.0.1 Lollipop NightOwl Beta-1 CM12 Custom ROM on Samsung Galaxy Note (GT-N7000)-

Step 1: Download CyanogenMod [Unofficial] Android 5.0.1 Lollipop NightOwl Beta-1 CM12 Custom ROM (HERE) and Google Apps (HERE) in to your PC.

Step 2: Connect Samsung Galaxy Note (GT-N7000) to PC via USB cord.

[Note: Before plugging the phone to the computer, be sure that you have installed USB driver software, if not, click HERE to download the firmware]

Step 3: Place Android 5.0.1 custom ROM zip file into the phone's SD card memory. [Note: Users are advised to paste the .zip file in SD card root, not in any other folder.]

[Note: Before users' begin installing the custom software, they must be sure that the device must have rooted and has installed ClockworkMod Recovery/TWRP tool.]

Step 4: Turn off the device and disconnect from the PC.

Step 5: Perform the regular Recovery Mode sortie by press holding 'Volume (up)', 'Home' and 'Power' buttons.

Step 6: After entering the RECOVERY mode, clear the phone memory, by selecting 'wipe data/factory reset'

[Note: use 'Volume' keys to navigate and 'Power' button to select options, while operating under Recovery Mode]

Step 7: Clear the cache memory by choosing 'wipe cache partition'

Step 8: Now go back to ClockworkMod recovery and select 'advanced' and tap 'wipe dalvik cache' [Note: This step is optional, but many recommend this procedure so that users don't face boot loops or any other errors in the middle of custom ROM installation]

Step 9: Come back to main recovery screen and then tap 'install zip from SD card'

Step 10: Tap 'choose zip from sdcard' and go to Android 5.0.1 Lollipop ROM .zip file in SD card and enter the installation process. Repeat the same procedure to install Google Apps.

[Note: use 'Volume' keys to navigate and 'Power' button to select options]

Step 11: Once done with the installation process, navigate to '+++++Go Back+++++' and re-start the device by opting 'reboot system now' seen in the recovery menu.

Now, your device (Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000) will take a few minutes to complete the booting process.

Users then head to Settings >> select About phone to confirm the installation of CyanogenMod [Unofficial] Android 5.0.1 Lollipop NightOwl Beta-1 CM12 Custom ROM.

[Credits: Recognized XDA Developer forum members- bauner, TouchLeclouds, DroidTwe4kz ]