CyanogenMod 5.0.7 Eclair is here!  In a time of big Android news, it’s good that the community that started it all, is not totally forgotten.  The HTC Dream/G1 has been the main DEV phone for a long time, it was the first phone to get rooted, the first custom ROMs were created for this phone.  It’s the original Android phone, but more recently the Nexus One has taken over as the DEVs main choice for development.

Steve Kondik, or better known as Cyanogen, is the man that made custom Android ROMs famous.  With all the great work he does, he has not forgotten about the phone that put him on the map.  A few weeks ago, news broke that he finally got a successful Eclair ROM running on the G1 and myTouch 3G.  For a while there was a big issue with incompatible drivers, but with the release of CyanogenMod v5.0.7, we no longer had a video playback problem.

After 7 developmental builds of the CyanogenMod 5.0.7 for the G1, the final stable release has made its way to XDA and the rest of the Android hacking community.  The final version was released this morning, amidst all the Froyo news and other Google headlines.  Personally I have following and flashing all of the test builds, and there really isn’t anything lacking.  The ROM is fast, stable and everything else you come to expect from a CyanogenMod release.

What’s NOT included that you’d find on a Nexus One:
* Launcher2 (too clunky for these devices)
* Stock Live Wallpapers (LWP support is there, but may not work with all LWP apps and/or performance may be bad)
* Facebook (install from the Market, contact sync works perfect, at least on Sapphire)
* Google Voice (install from Market, push notify works perfect)
* Gallery3D (too much of a memory hog)

What’s included:
* Everything that goes with Eclair
* 3D, video, camera, camcorder, BT, WiFi, etc are all of course working

CyanogenMod extras:
* Can be used with or without Google applications
* Kernel 2.6.33.4 with Pershoot’s clock mods (no OC by default), tethering support, Compcache, VPN/tun, and other modules (cifs, nfs, aufs, fuse)
* New Apps2SD method implemented mostly by Chris Soyars.
* Built in USB tether
* Graphical enhancements, #boobs, and excellent wallpapers by Prash and SatanR1
* Includes BusyBox, htop, nano, powertop, openvpn, bash, irssi, and all engineering commandline utilities
* FLAC audio support from Kenny Root
* Phone enhancements from Cytown
* Contacts enhancements from Wysie
* MMS enhancements from, well, everyone (see changelog)
* Perform zipalign-on-install of applications
* DeskClock tweaks- longer autosilence and “require unlock” option
* Massive APN list
* All available locales are included thanks to PsychoI3oy
* 360-degree auto-orientation by Optedoblivion and Elanthis (enable in settings)
* OpenVPN integration thanks to James Bottomley
* Music app can respond to long-press on the volume buttons (from Metalhead)
* Many other bugfixes and tweaks from AOSP contributors
* Tons of work on the build system by Koush and Chris Soyars
* Big thanks to Zinx for debugging some really difficult issues! He really deserves most of the credit for getting this thing working so well.

Remember you will need a rooted HTC Dream/G1 or myTouch 3G/HTC Sapphirewith the latest recovery image. Also for the G1’s you need to have the DangerSPL or better installed.  To avoid any errors, I suggest a full system wipe, even if you are upgrading from a previous version of CyanogenMod.  It’s not always a requirement, but it’s something I recommend always.  Now download and add the latest build (5.0.7-DS) to the root of your microSDcard, and flash away.  If you want Google Apps, just flash right on top of the base ROM.  Reboot and enjoy!

If you want the full Eclair experience you should head over to either the Cyanogenmod Forum, or XDA for full instructions, downloads and details on everything that is Cyanogen!  Remember to thank this guy for all the hard work and time he has continually put into the Android community.

[via CyanogenMod.com]