Mamma Mia!! Just a few days after the XXLP1 ICS firmware leaked out for the Galaxy Note, we have a brand new custom ROM  based on the same firmware available for you to flash on your Notes. It’s called MIDNOTE ROM, and comes from Italian developer maxicet of XDA forums. The ROM, as mentioned above, has been cooked using the LP1 base, and includes some tweaks and changes, is pre-rooted, includes CWM recovery, and comes sans all of the Chinese elements which may have been there in the base firmware. Read on, to see how you can get Midnote ROM installed on your Note.

Warning!

Read everything carefully and thoroughly. The methods and procedures discussed here are considered risky and you should not attempt anything if you don’t know completely what it is. If any damage occurs to you or your device, we won’t be held liable — you only will be responsible, you’ve been warned!

Compatibility!

This guide is applicable only for the samsung Galaxy Note GT-N7000. Check your phone’s version in Settings – About Phone. It has to be GT-N7000 for this procedure to be compatible with your phone. If it’s not GT-N7000, please do not try this.

ROM Info

Developer: maxicet 

Pre-Installation Requirements/Tips

  1. Rooted Galaxy Note with Clockworkmod Recovery installed
  2. This procedure will wipe all your apps, data and settings (but it will NOT touch your SD card, so don’t worry about those). Backup your Apps and important data — bookmarks,contacts, SMS, APNs (internet settings), etc. This Android backup guide would help you.
  3. Make sure the battery is sufficiently charged. At least 50% is recommended.

How to Install Midnote ROM on your Galaxy Note

  1. Download the following files from the official development pageto your  PC.
    • PCAbyss 3.9 kernel     Filename: AbyssNotekernel39OriginalLogo.zip  |   Size: 5.5 MB
    • Midnote ROM       Filename: MIDNOTE2.0_ICS_NEW.zip  |   Size: 482 MB
    • Gapps 7.1 Package    Filename: gappsv7.1.zip  |   Size: 26.5  MB
  2. Transfer all 3 files to the internal SDcard on your Note, via USB cable
  3. Power off the phone, and reboot into Clockworkmod Recovery
  4. Perform a Nandroid Backup of your existing ROM, so that you can always restore it from recovery if something does not work out with this ROM. To perform a backup, in CWM, select Backup and Restore –> On the next screen, Select Backup again.
  5. Now scroll to “Install zip from sdcard” and select it.  Next Select  “Choose zip from sdcard”. Scroll to the “AbyssNotekernel39OriginalLogo.zip” file you transferred in Step 2 and select it. This will install the Abyss kernel
  6. Once the kernel installation is complete, Select Reboot Recovery. This will make your Note reboot back into recovery mode
  7. Now select Wipe data/factory reset, and on the next screen Select Yes-Wipe Data
  8. Next scroll to “Install zip from sdcard” and select it.  Next Select  “Choose zip from sdcard”. Scroll to the “MIDNOTE2.0_ICS_NEW.zip” file you transferred in Step 2 and select it. This will start installation of the Midnote ROM
  9. Once the installation is complete, Repeat the above step, but this time select the gappsv7.1.zip file you transferred in Step 2.
  10. Once the Gapps package has been flashed,  go back to the main menu and select Wipe Cache Partition, and then Yes-Wipe cache.
  11. After cache partition wipe is completed, select advanced and then Select Wipe Dalvik Cache » Yes-Wipe Dalvik
  12. After the wipe is complete, select Go Back and then Reboot System.
  13. That’s it. Once you reboot, you should be running the Midnote ICS ROM based on the latest LP1 leaked Ice Cream Sandwich firmware.

Visit the official development page linked above, to check for updates and bugfixes, Try out the new ROM, and share your thoughts about the Ice Cream Sandwich experience, with us in comments below.