CM9 Nightlies Add Lock Screen Shortcuts and a Theme Chooser
Archive note. This story reflects what was known when it was first covered. Prices, availability and carrier offers are historical. For the current picture, start with the topic guides.
Who the post was written for
The author described being a casual ROM flasher: someone who knows enough to enjoy flashing but does not dig into theming or deodexed ROMs. The routine was to watch the nightly builds page, read the changelog when a new build appeared, and then install it.
How the lock screen shortcuts worked
On the shortcut screen, you drag to the position you want to change and pick from a list of shortcuts, which depends on what is installed. Each entry can be either a plain application or an activity.
- An application shortcut simply opens the app.
- An activity is a specific command inside an app, which makes the list longer and more complicated.
As an example, the author found a “PostActivity” for Google+, which opens a new post directly. The idea is that you can keep things simple or go deeper if you know what you are doing.
Theme chooser
The same update included the beginning of the theme chooser, which lets users change the look of the system.
Risks
Some nightly builds may still cause instability, however well they are checked. Flashing a ROM is at your own risk. This page does not link to downloads, and CyanogenMod is no longer active, so this is history.
Frequently asked questions
What is an activity shortcut?
It is a specific action within an app, such as starting a new post, instead of just opening the app.
Why was a built-in lock screen valued?
It saved installing another third-party app for the same job.
Are nightlies safe?
Not always. They are snapshots of ongoing work and can be unstable.