With how varied peoples' tastes are, it's difficult for XDA Developers to make the perfect ROM blend that will please everyone. You might like a certain feature while another pocket of the Internet would rather shun it. The crDroid ROM by XDA Developers member Cristiano Matos, however, gives users a choice in how they install the ROM.

Thanks to AROMA Installer built into crDroid, you can choose 7 paths of installation. The first three steps will let you install the full crDroid ROM customized to your tastes while the remaining steps allow you to install or uninstall anything you don't like. It's up to you if you want to get maximum performance or maximum battery life.

The crDroid ROM is based on Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean XXELLA, and has SuperSu and Busybox 1.20.2. It's also been zipaligned and deodexed; comes with some transparent widgets for AccuWeather, FM Radio, and Music Player; has updated Gmail and Google Play Store APKs; includes a new Google status bar notification icon; comes with a fully working Multi Window Control; and has a new battery charging animation.

There are a few bugs in crDroid, however. The AC!D Engine broke boot and camera sounds. Soft keys may cause things in TouchWiz to be out of frame, but Apex and Nova Launchers will work better. AOSP Browser force closes can be fixed by cleaning the app cache, and PhotoSphere works properly if you set your language to English-US.

This guide shows you how to flash crDroid ROM for the Galaxy S3 I9300.

Warning

• The instructions in this guide are intended for use with the Samsung Galaxy S3, model number GT-I9300. 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

• Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-I9300 with ClockworkMod Touch Recovery installed.  For help, see these:
  • How to root and install ClockworkMod Recovery on the Galaxy S3 I9300
  • How to flash ClockworkMod Touch Recovery for the Galaxy S3 I9300
• Download crDroid v10 AROMA XXELLA (crDroid-v10-XXELLA-Aroma.zip, md5sum: adb17427d8518a9993edf7f5f28472bd) to your computer.
  • Main Link
  • Mirror 1
  • Mirror 2
• OPTIONAL: Also download these files for preventing the Sudden Death bug:
  • XXELLA bootloader file (Bootloader_XXELLA_Odin.tar, 1.0 MB).
  • Odin v3.04 (Odin_v3.04_Files.zip, 468.1 kB).
• 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

Flashing crDroid ROM

1. Copy the crDroid ROM file to your Galaxy S3′s internal SD card.
2. Turn off your Galaxy S3.
3. Boot into Recovery Mode by holding down the Volume Up, Home, and Power buttons.
4. Make a NANDroid Backup by selecting Backup and Restore > Backup.
5. Select Wipe Data/Factory Reset > Yes.
6. Select Install ZIP from SD card > Choose ZIP from SD card > select the crDroid ROM file > Yes.
7. The AROMA Installer will walk you through the installation process.
8. If AROMA Installer freezes, hold down the Power button until your device reboots and try again.

Avoiding the Sudden Death Bug

These next steps are optional but recommended.

1. Extract the contents of the Odin v3.04 ZIP file to your computer to get Odin3_v3.04.exe.
2. Turn off your Galaxy S3.
3. Boot into Download Mode by pressing and holding down the Home, Volume Down, and Power buttons. Press the Volume Up button to continue into Download Mode.
4. On your computer, double-click the Odin3_v3.04.exe file to launch it.
5. Connect your phone to your computer using the USB cable. You should see an “ADDED!” message in the message box in the lower left of the Odin window.
6. Click on the PDA button and select the Bootloader_XXELLA_Odin.tar file.
7. Make sure that Auto Reboot and F. Reset Time are ticked in Odin. Do not touch anything else.
8. Click on Start in Odin to begin flashing the XXELLA bootloader to your Galaxy S3.
9. Your phone should reboot. You can unplug your device when you see the Samsung logo and when you see a “PASSED” message in Odin.

Your Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-I9300 is now running the crDroid ROM. What do you think of the ROM? Let us know by leaving a comment below.