How to flash the AoCP custom ROM for the Galaxy Nexus I515

AoCP ROM, which stands for the Android Open Collective Project, is a combination of different ROMs and features. Now available for the Verizon Galaxy Nexus SCH-I515, this ROM is based on CyanogenMod 10 and AOKP with a lot of different modifications and tweaks added on top. It's a very customized and meaty custom ROM that offers a solid performance.

It's definitely worth checking out despite the bugs and issues. The developer has noted that the ROM currently causes the phone to randomly reboot, but that the said issue can be temporarily fixed by increasing the minimum CPU clock speed to 432. There are also known issues with the MMS quick reply settings, the camera's panoramic mode, and widgets sometimes disappearing from the homescreen.

This guide will teach you how to flash the AoCP custom ROM for the Galaxy Nexus I515.

Warning

The instructions in this guide are intended for use with the Verizon Galaxy Nexus, model number I515. Applying these instructions on another device or model may produce undesired outcomes.
The information in this guide is provided for instructional and educational purposes only. There is no guarantee that these instructions will work under your specific and unique circumstances.
Use these instructions at your own risk. We shall not hold any responsibility or liability for whatever happens to you or your device arising from your use of the info in this guide.
Read and understand the whole guide first before actually performing the instructions.

Requirements

Verizon Galaxy Nexus with an unlocked bootloader and ClockworkMod Recovery installed.
- For pointers, check out our guide on how to unlock the Verizon Galaxy Nexus' bootloader and flash a custom recovery using the Galaxy Nexus Toolkit
Download the following files to your computer:
- AoCP ROM for the Verizon Galaxy Nexus (aocp_toro_Sep-09-12.zip, 178 MB)
- GApps (Google Apps) package for the Verizon Galaxy Nexus (gapps-jb-20120726-signed.zip, 83.1 MB)
Make sure your device's battery still has at least 70% power. You don't want the device to shut down in the middle of the procedure.
Backup all personal data on your phone to make sure you have a copy of your personal data (e.g., contacts, SMS, MMS, Internet settings, Wi-Fi passwords, and the like) in case the procedure in this guide erases such data.
- For backup tips, check our guides on how to sync your data to the cloud and how to create local backups of your mobile data.

Instructions

Copy the AoCP ROM and GApps package to your phone's internal SD card.
Turn off the phone.
Boot into ClockworkMod Recovery. To do so, press and hold down the Power, Volume Up, and Volume Down buttons to enter Fastboot Mode. Then, using the Volume buttons, navigate to the Recovery mode option, then select it using the Power button.
Create a NANDroid backup of your existing ROM. To perform a backup, select Backup and Restore > Backup.
Go back to main recovery menu after backup is complete.
Select Wipe data/factory reset and confirm the action on the next screen.
Select Wipe cache partition and confirm the action on the next screen.
Go to the main menu and select Advanced. From there, select Wipe Dalvik cache and confirm the action on the next screen.
Go to Mounts and Storage and select Format /system.
Select Install ZIP from SD card > Choose ZIP from SD card. Select the ROM's ZIP file and confirm that you want to install it.
Repeat step 10 and install the GApps package to your phone.
Select Reboot system now to restart your phone into the new ROM.