At long last, MIUI 4 ROM has been made available for the Galaxy Note, courtesy of XDA Senior Member Gerrett who has made an unofficial port of the ROM based on CM9. Based on Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0, MIUI ROM comes with a unique interface, with other features such as themes support, a custom “apps drawer-less” home launcher, customizable status bar, inbuilt backup and restore, and more. MIUI is specially suited for massive screens like the Galaxy Note’s, on which it simply looks amazing.

Known Issues: MIUI 4 for the Galaxy Note is based on CM9 which is under development, so there are some issues in the ROM and may have some bugs. The major list of issues as of 4th June 2012 is given below, and the most current list of issues can be seen → here.

  • no HDMI
  • no tethering
  • no FM Workaround: use Spirit FM App
  • no sdcard on miui apps or usb connection Workaround: use ICS SD Binder via Aroma Installer
  • USB OTG doesn’t work
  • /emmc and /sdcard are swapped compared to all other CM devices – This is why the “internal” SD card in CWM is actually the external
  • Volume does not always restore properly when a notification comes and headphones are plugged in

NOTE, Please Read: Since this is an AOSP based ROM, some features like 3G video calling will be unavailable as those are only possible on stock Samsung ROMs (video calls using 3rd party apps like Skype will work fine though). Also, if you use Swype as your preferred keyboard, you will need to download the beta version from beta.swype.com as Swype is also not included in the ROM.

Read on to find out how you can flash MIUI ROM on your Galaxy Note.

Compatibility

This ROM and the guide below are compatible only and only with Galaxy Note, model number N7000. It’s not compatible with any other device. Check your device’s model number in: Settings » About phone.

Warning!

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 your device, we won’t be held liable.

How to Install MIUI ROM on Galaxy Note

Part I: Download ROM

  1. This procedure will wipe all your apps, data and settings (but it will NOT touch your SD cards, 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.
    Important! Don’t forget to at least make a backup of your APN settings, which you can restore later if your data connection does not work after installing the ROM. Use the backup guide to find out how.
  2. Download the latest version of MIUI ROM from the official development page.
  3. Copy the two zip file downloaded in step 2 to the internal SD card on the phone.

PART II: Flashing Safe Kernel

  1. It’s important you’ve the proper drivers for the phone installed. If you have installed Samsung’s Kies software, you already have the drivers, so download them only if you haven’t installed Kies.
    Download links: 32 bit (x86) Windows  |   64-bit (x64) Windows
  2. Download CF-Root kernel from the original download page → here.
    Filename: CF-Root-SGN_XX_OXA_LC1-v5.3-CWM5.zip
  3. Unzip the downloaded file once. You will get a .tar file – CF-Root-SGN_XX_OXA_LC1-v5.3-CWM5.tar.
    DO NOT extract the .tar file (this might show up as a zip file as well, but do not extract it). You need to flash the .tar file using Odin to gain root access and install ClockWorkMod Recovery (CWM) alongside. (If you’re getting a zImage file, it means you’ve extracted the .tar file too! — and that’s not a right thing to do. Use 7-zip to extract.)
  4. Download Odin 1.85 from → here.
    Filename: Odin 1.85.zip | Size: 199 KB
  5. Extract the contents of the Odin 1.85.zip file to a folder.
  6. Disconnect your phone if it’s connected to PC, then switch it off.
  7. Now, put the Galaxy Note in Download Mode — press and hold these keys together: Volume Down + Home + Power. A Warning! screen will come up; press Volume Up key to continue to enter Download Mode.
  8. Open Odin — double-click the Odin3 v1.85.exe that you got after extracting the file Odin 1.85.zip.
  9. In ODIN, click on the PDA button, then select the CF-Root-SGN_XX_OXA_LC1-v5.3-CWM5.tar file obtained in step 3.
  10. Important! Do not make any other changes in Odin except selecting the required file as given in step 9. Leave all other options as they are.
  11. Connect your phone to PC now. You should get the message “Added!” under Odin’s message box in the bottom left.
    If you don’t get this message, then probably there is a problem with drivers. Make sure you’ve proper drivers installed (check step 1). Also, uninstall Kies from the Control Panel as well (this will leave the drivers on the computer but remove Kies which can interfere with the procedure).
  12. Now, hit the START button to start flashing of CF-Root kernel on your Galaxy Note. When the flashing is complete, your phone will automatically reboot — and when you see the Samsung logo, you can safely unplug the cable. Plus, you’ll get a PASS (with green background) message in the left-most box at the very top of the Odin. What to do if Odin gets stuck: If ODIN gets stuck and doesn’t seem to be doing anything, or you get a FAIL message (with red background) in ODIN, disconnect the phone from the PC, close ODIN, remove battery, re-insert it, turn phone on in Download mode again, and do the procedure again from Step 8.
  13. When the phone is rebooting after the kernel flashing is complete, remove the battery on the Note, re-insert it, but DO NOT turn it on yet. Go to the next part of the guide.

Part III: Installing the ROM

  1. Boot into ClockworkMod recovery. To do so, make sure the phone is off, then press and hold the Volume Up + Home (Center) + Power keys together until the screen turns on, then let them go. The phone will boot into ClockworkMod recovery in a few seconds.
    In recovery, use the Volume buttons to navigate and the power button to select items.
  2. Select wipe data/factory reset, then select Yes on next screen to confirm. Wait a while till the data wipe is complete.
  3. Select install zip from sdcard, then select choose zip from sdcard. Scroll to the ROM file on the sdcard and select it. Confirm installation by selecting Yes – Install ______.zip on the next screen.
  4. After a few seconds, the graphical installer will come up. Here, follow the on-screen instructions to install the ROM.
  5. After the installation is complete, select Finish to finish installation and reboot the phone. If the phone doesn’t reboot, select Go back then select reboot system now to reboot the phone manually and boot up into MIUI ROM. The first boot will take some time, up to 5 minutes, so be patient.

Congratulations, MIUI ROM based on Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0 is now installed on your Galaxy Note. Visit the official development page for more info and to get the latest updates on the ROM. Share your thoughts on the ROM in the comments.

Check out CM9 ROM for the Galaxy Note → here and AOKP ROM → here. Also, in case you don’t like MIUI ROM, you can flash the stock XXLC1 Gingerbread ROM on your phone by following the guide → here, or the stock Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0 firmware XXLPY → here.