At long last, Cyanogenmod 9 aka CM9 has arrived on the Galaxy Note. Based on Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0, CM9 brings you a fast and smooth ICS experience, along with many customization options. Samsung is taking their sweet time in bringing out a stable and official ICS ROM for the Note, but with CM9 here, the wait for the official ICS firmware just got a lot more bearable.

Keep in mind that CM9 is in the experimental stages, so there may be unexpected bugs and issues present in the ROM. Also, the ROM is only for the international Galaxy Note, so don’t try it on the AT&T Galaxy Note.

Before you proceed, read the full list of issues on the ROM here: CM9 Known Issues. Then read on to find out how you can install CM9 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 CM9 on Galaxy Note

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. Make sure you have Clockworkmod recovery (CWM) installed on the phone.
3. Download the latest version of the CM9 ROM from the original development page.
4. Download the Google Apps package. This will install apps like Market, Gmail, etc. which are not present in the ROM by default.
   Download Link  |  Filename: gapps-ics-20120422-signed.zip
5. Copy the two zip files downloaded in step 3 and 4 to the SD card on the phone.
6. Turn off your phone, then boot into Clockworkmod recovery (CWM). In recovery, use the Volume buttons to navigate and the power button to select.
7. Select wipe data/factory reset, then select Yes on next screen to confirm. Wait a while till the data wipe is complete.
8. Select install zip from sdcard, then select choose zip from sdcard. Scroll to the ROM file on the sdcard and select it.
9. Confirm installation by selecting Yes – Install ______.zip on the next screen. The ROM will now start installing.
10. After installation is complete, go back to the main recovery menu.
11. Now, repeat step 8, but this time, select the gapps-ics-20120422-signed.zip file. Select Yes on next screen to confirm installation of the Google apps package.
12. After the installation is complete, select Go back then select reboot system now to reboot the phone and boot up into CM9. The first boot will take some time, up to 5 minutes, so be patient.

That’s it. CM9 is now installed on your Galaxy Note, based on Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0. Visit the development page for more info and to get the latest updates on the ROM. Share your thoughts on the ROM in the comments.

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