My prior experience with Android build stability in the past versions stock CyanogenMod had never been good. Time and experience has shown that the kernel is lacking ‘long legs’ or endurance. After 3 days of operation, the network radio will giving no 3G or worse an RIL lock with signal at all. At times I have encountered app lock up, again after 3 days. All this time I have use 3rd party kernel for the 3rd party build until .. .. ..
The new version of Android 4.4, KitKat rolled out. This time the kernel is much more stable. On a branch of the CM code, an Android build compiled by XDA Developer Markox89, I clocked 5 to 7 days of uptime. This is with some babying, eg not tapping too many times on the icon to launch an app, recovering from deep sleep etc.
I was wondering, since I have not been running the official CM in a long time, why not take it for a test drive. Using the 22 Jun nightly to benchmark both versions, I started with official CM first on 25 Jun night. The free RAM level so far has been going up and down the whole day. When the phone is idled long enough, it goes above 200MB. This is an indication of effective memory housekeeping at work. Now to ‘stretch the leg’s to 3 days.
Update 29 Jun
After a very smooth 3 day run, I forgot to put the phone on the charger. Overnight the battery got drained off and there goes my test. It was very good, uneventful run. Once or twice the radio needs to be babied to get 3G or 3G+. There was a time the screen refused to wakeup, I managed to revive it by pulsing the power button at ~ 1beat /second. Now for a second run.
Update 7 Jul
After several rounds of 3 day testing, I conclude that for 22 Jun nightly, CM stock version won hands down. I was so impressed that I changed to 7 Jul nightly to fix a call waiting bug.