Not too long ago, people went gaga over Samsung's newest phone, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 GT-N7100. The same thing still holds true today, with more and more people drawn to the phone's style, processing power, display, and features. Because of the phone's popularity, the developer community has released numerous ROMs, mods, and hacks for the superphone.

An unofficial CyanogenMod 10 (CM10) ROM has been ported to the Galaxy Note 2, thanks to XDA Developers members Dexter_nlb and imilka. The ROM is still undergoing further development and, as stated by the developers, there are some issues while receiving calls using the Bluetooth headset. The regular speaker/mic doesn't seem to work with calls and the camera is buggy. In a few days or so, hopefully, workarounds may be provided by the developers.

This guide shows you how to flash CyanogenMod 10 for the Galaxy Note 2 N7100 (unofficial).

Warning

• The instructions in this guide are intended for use with the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, model number GT-N7100. 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

• A Samsung Galaxy Note 2 with ClockworkMod Recovery installed. For pointers, check our guides:
  • Root and ClockworkMod Recovery for the Galaxy Note 2
  • Root and ClockworkMod Recovery for Galaxy Note 2 N7100 using an all-in-one toolkit
• Your phone's USB cable.
• Download the following files to your computer:
  • Unofficial CM10 ROM package (cm-10-20121105-build3-n7100-imilka.zip, MD5 Sum: c9a08a8829d699c8fb2abafb2401ed21)
  • GApps (Google Apps) package (gapps-jb-20121011-signed.zip, md5sum: 4e9e7ec3c22b0b3471bd05d62b8a659d)
• Make sure that your phone's battery is charged up to 75% or more to avoid interruptions during the process.
• 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

1. Copy the CyanogenMod 10 ROM package and the GApps package to your phone's internal SD card.
2. Switch your phone off.
3. Boot into ClockworkMod Recovery. To do this, press and hold down the Home, Volume Up, and Power buttons together until the screen turns on.
   • NOTE: You can use the Volume keys to navigate and the Power button to select an item or option in recovery.
4. Make a NANDroid backup of your current ROM. To create a backup, go to Backup and Restore and select Backup.
5. Select Wipe data/ Factory reset and confirm the action on the next screen.
6. Select Install ZIP from SD Card.
7. Select Choose ZIP from SD Card and navigate to the cm-10-20121105-build3-n7100-imilka.zip file. Select the file and confirm the action on the next screen to start installing the ROM on your phone.
8. After installing the ROM, install the GApps package in the same manner as in steps 6 and 7.
9. Once installation of the GApps package is done, select Go back and select Reboot system now. This will reboot your phone to the newly installed ROM.

Great job! You have successfully installed an unofficial port of CyanogenMod 10 on your Galaxy Note 2. How does CM10 feel on your device? Let us know by leaving a comment below.