Questions before root and install ION

[Crashdamage]

I'm getting ready to root my phone. I've run Linux since 2001 so I'm not too worried, I can do this. But...my G1 is my only phone, no land line, and I also depend on it for work. So it's gotta be reliable and I've gotta get this right the first time. I also want to maintain compatibility with as many of the apps I now use as possible. I'm definitely keeping my G1 'til I can get a cheap upgrade so I want to install a version of Android I can run for months at least, maybe for 16 months 'til the end of my contract. IOW, I'm not rooting because I want to keep trying the latest and greatest, reflashing a new rom every week or so. I don't have that kind of spare time or a phone I can afford to play around on. No, I'm rooting for:

1. More space, moving caches & apps to the card.
2. More speed, including maybe resetting the CPU from 384 to it's full 528.
3. More screen customization, particularly gettin' rid of that fugly white bar across the top, which you gotta have root to do. I really hate that thing...rooted phones look soooo much cleaner without it.

Been doing a lot of reading, and I'm very tempted to install Cyanogen v3.4 for all it's extra and cutting-edge features. But all things considered, I think the fastest, most compatible and reliable version for my purposes is probably the Google ION build, and from reading posts apparently the revision1 version is more stable and trouble-free than revision 2.

I found several good root 'n mod tutorials. The one I'll probably follow is this: http://cbryant68.posterous.com/root-...ogle-exclusive since it's specific to what I'm doing. I've downloaded everything I could think I might even possibly need (15 files in all) to install either ION or Cyanogen v3.4 (if ION is a bust) or for recovery to stock configuration, including:

ion-sapphire-signed.zip (from the above tutorial)
ionr1-signed.zip (the revision 1 rom)

I also ordered a 16G class 6 MicroSD card to replace my 8G class 4 so apps-on-SD run as quick as possible. I'll partition it, of course.

So I've bookmarked tutorials, downloaded everything I need and the card is on the way - I'm almost set. My questions are:

1. Which rom should I use? Are they actually the same, at least for all practical purposes?
2. I use MyBackupPro, but never needed to restore anything and searches haven't found an answer, so pardon the dumb question, but does it restore everything, including all the shortcuts in desktop folders, etc. Does it backup Open Home, or only the original Home stuff?
3. If I don't or can't use Open Home for themes (remember changing the friggin' white bar?) are there any themes I can install on ION? If so, where can I get them, and how are they installed?

Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to be very clear, 'cause like I said, this has gotta go right the first time. Thanks for any suggestions.

[ahugo68]

I'm getting ready to root my phone. I've run Linux since 2001 so I'm not too worried, I can do this. But...my G1 is my only phone, no land line, and I also depend on it for work. So it's gotta be reliable and I've gotta get this right the first time. I also want to maintain compatibility with as many of the apps I now use as possible. I'm definitely keeping my G1 'til I can get a cheap upgrade so I want to install a version of Android I can run for months at least, maybe for 16 months 'til the end of my contract. IOW, I'm not rooting because I want to keep trying the latest and greatest, reflashing a new rom every week or so. I don't have that kind of spare time or a phone I can afford to play around on. No, I'm rooting for:

1. More space, moving caches & apps to the card.
2. More speed, including maybe resetting the CPU from 384 to it's full 528.
3. More screen customization, particularly gettin' rid of that fugly white bar across the top, which you gotta have root to do. I really hate that thing...rooted phones look soooo much cleaner without it.

Been doing a lot of reading, and I'm very tempted to install Cyanogen v3.4 for all it's extra and cutting-edge features. But all things considered, I think the fastest, most compatible and reliable version for my purposes is probably the Google ION build, and from reading posts apparently the revision1 version is more stable and trouble-free than revision 2.

I found several good root 'n mod tutorials. The one I'll probably follow is this: http://cbryant68.posterous.com/root-...ogle-exclusive since it's specific to what I'm doing. I've downloaded everything I could think I might even possibly need (15 files in all) to install either ION or Cyanogen v3.4 (if ION is a bust) or for recovery to stock configuration, including:

ion-sapphire-signed.zip (from the above tutorial)
ionr1-signed.zip (the revision 1 rom)

I also ordered a 16G class 6 MicroSD card to replace my 8G class 4 so apps-on-SD run as quick as possible. I'll partition it, of course.

So I've bookmarked tutorials, downloaded everything I need and the card is on the way - I'm almost set. My questions are:

1. Which rom should I use? Are they actually the same, at least for all practical purposes?
2. I use MyBackupPro, but never needed to restore anything and searches haven't found an answer, so pardon the dumb question, but does it restore everything, including all the shortcuts in desktop folders, etc. Does it backup Open Home, or only the original Home stuff?
3. If I don't or can't use Open Home for themes (remember changing the friggin' white bar?) are there any themes I can install on ION? If so, where can I get them, and how are they installed?

Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to be very clear, 'cause like I said, this has gotta go right the first time. Thanks for any suggestions.

1. I perfer cyaogens 3.4. It is quick and efficent. Roms are all a matter of personal prefrence.
2. I have my backup pro. As far as bookmarks and contacts it worked great, but when I did a whip I lost them. But all your paifd apps are easy to redownload.
3. I like the hero theme v 1.2

I would give you the links but I am on my g1 and don't have them. Good luck.