Some Interesting Android build.prop Parameters

The /system/build.prop file on Android devices contains parameters that control various functions and information on the device. Here are some that are of interest. Note: to make changes to this file, your phone must be rooted.

Increase the VM heap size, probably not a good idea on low end phones with limited memory:
dalvik.vm.heapsize=48m

Draw the UI using the GPU instead of the CPU
debug.sf.hw=1

Decrease dial out delay
ro.telephony.call_ring.delay=0

Increase scrolling responsiveness
windowsmgr.max_events_per_sec=180

Increase scan time for wifi APs (saves battery)
wifi.supplicant_scan_interval=120

Save battery
pm.sleep_mode=1
ro.ril.disable.power.collapse=0

Disable debugging icon on statusbar
persist.adb.notify=0

Disable boot animation for faster boot
debug.sf.nobootanimation=1

Force launcher into memory
ro.HOME_APP_ADJ=1

Prefix "3g" on lock screen
ro.ril.enable.3g.prefix=1

Some of these didn't work on my LG Vortex or had no noticeable effect. Specifically,
dalvik.vm.heapsize=48m (I have limited RAM so I didn't try it)
ro.telephony.call_ring.delay=0 (I had no need to try this one either)
ro.ril.enable.3g.prefix=1


If the parameters are not in the build.prop file, just add them. You must reboot the device for the changes to take effect. 

Rooting my LG Vortex Android 2.2.2

[Boring Disclaimer] - Rooting your phone voids your warranty and can potentially kill it. I take no responsibility for anything that happens to your phone by following the steps below. Use at your own risk.

I've debated rooting my LG Vortex for a while. I don't really need root access, but I don't like being locked out of something that I own. I finally decided to do it and the following are the steps I took.

-Download Gingerbreak 1.2 and put it on your phone
-On your phone, go to Settings->Applications and enable "Unknown Sources"

-Go to Settings->Applications->Development and enable "USB Debugging"

-Using a file manager (I use ES File Explorer from the Market), browse to the Gingerbreak file and click it to install it
-From your Application list, run Gingerbreak and select "Root device"

-When Gingerbreak succeeds, the phone will reboot
-Check your application list for Superuser. If it's installed, then you have root access.

Gingerbreak takes a while to run, but, according to it's site, not longer than 10 minutes. The first time I tried, I let it run for about 13 minutes before I aborted. I rebooted my phone and tried again. This time Gingerbreak ran about 8 minutes before it succeeded and then restarted my phone.

That's it! Now maybe I'll try some custom ROMs. If anyone knows of some good ROMs to try, please let me know! I would love to try CyanogenMod but it isn't currently available for the Vortex. :(