Database Develop

[Q] 1.1.0 vs Froyo

I've seen some comparison made in threads, but most are partial, and while I've looked into Froyo quite a bit, and even made a hack at it, I haven't come to fully understand why I should. So I thought it might be helpful to have a Pro/Con differentiation between the two; why did you go through the effort to Froyo? Why didn't you? I know some have gone Froyo and then back to Eclair. I'll try to edit this post into a list once we have some good comparisons thrown out here.
Alright, after playing with the latest Froyo and looking at this thread so far, the tentative list for newbz0rz to consider is here.
The List:
Froyo 6.6
+Flash (!)
+Higher Benchmark scores, possibly faster in certain ways
+Higher compatibility with certain apps
+Potentially more configurable
+Cut and paste
+JIT compiler (potentially increases speed)
+Launchers behave properly (i.e. add shortcuts)
+Text-to-Speech
-Choppy Flash (!)
-More effort and time (lots more) to setup equivalently capable features
-Higher risk of Nook destruction (although still low)
-Higher risk of lots of work rescuing Nook from the grave/brickyard
-No Nook Color features (i.e. B&N apps, in store access, reader, magazines, etc)
-Buggy-ish sometimes (Unstable) :-(
*-Different users seem to report very different experiences; thus, we'll just call Froyo Inconsistent
-Ignores internal 5GB storage
-Ugly notification bar mis-sizing
1.1.0 Rooted
+Stability (Consistency in a stable experience, compared to Froyo)
+Some claim smoother overall
+B&N "experience" (FWIW)
+magazines, built-in reader for those who prefer it (hint: Aldiko is better)
+Status/Notification bar at bottom with back/menu keys
-Ye Olde Android 2.1
*-No JIT
*-No Flash
-Incompatible with shiny new 2.2+ apps (not very many of those, but still)
-Possibly slower, benchmarks lower
-Dialogs don't display correctly due to B&N system configuration
-Many alternative keyboards don't work properly
-No Cut and Paste
*Evernote was a dealbreaker for me, oddly enough. I use it all the time. Also, 6.6 Froyo broke my ADB somehow, and was a huge pain for very little gain. Gotta love Nandroid. 1.1.0 rooted does 95% of what I want, while Froyo does the 5% it can't do and breaks another 10% of what already worked. But that's just me. I can wait for CM7/ a more stable Froyo before I get flash. Honestly, what flash content do I want to watch on my tablet that I cant use my netbook/desktop for? I'll stop asking questions I don't want the answer to.

The biggest plus for froyo for me was flash content. The negative is Thai it is not as smooth as 1.1.

haven't tried 1.1 yet, but froyo+launcherPro+dolphin browser is as smooth as a phone. also, plus flash content

It really comes down to this:
Rooted 1.1.0 is for people who want to have the basic(older, no flash) tablet expirence, on a platorm which runs well and requires little to no cmd-line/linux/etc. knowledge.
Rooted 1.1.0 OC'ed to .950/1.0/1.1ghz only requires a couple hours of development forum reading, a little bravery, and a NC that can handle it.
Nookie Froyo 6.6 OC'ed to 1.0/1.1ghz ON SD CARD again, only forces you to read the respective threads(twice) and have an available micro SD card(at least class-4 4gb). This is a good method to start out with because if you mess it up, just reflash the SD card.
Nookie Froyo 6.6 OC'ed 1.1ghz INSTALLED TO EMMC is not over-the-top hard. It just requires a lot of dedicated hours understanding what exactly the flash images are doing to your device. Being comforable while working in cmd-prompt/linux/android-system is a must. Acceptance of the fact that, doing so *can* break your $250 toy.

knaries2000 said:
The biggest plus for froyo for me was flash content. The negative is Thai it is not as smooth as 1.1.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
agreed Flash was upsetting otherwise i would of kept it as 1.1 right now i dual boot w/ 66 and 1.1 but using froyo i really only go back to read my magazine subscriptions, and i like the back and menu softkeys setup on the bottom in teh 1.1 not so much in froyo

woot1524 said:
It really comes down to this:
Nookie Froyo 6.6 OC'ed 1.1ghz INSTALLED TO EMMC is not over-the-top hard. It just requires a lot of dedicated hours understanding what exactly the flash images are doing to your device. Being comforable while working in cmd-prompt/linux/android-system is a must. Acceptance of the fact that, doing so *can* break your $250 toy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've yet to see anyone break their $250 doing so. (In fact I don't see how it could break it). Also it doesn't require being fluent in any of those. Can you copy and paste? Okay well then youre set. Also, with people posting builds coming preinstalled with needed apps makes even using the command prompt almost uneeded (the only thing that needs to be pushed is the market).
The real downside to froyo is the lack of the B&N soft-keys on the bottom, meaning there isn't always a back and menu button on screen.
To Sum:
Froyo = Lack of softkeys permanetly there
Eclair = Slower, Lack of Flash

I tried NF for a little bit. I still have the card sitting somewhere.
For some reason, I don't feel the need to get Froyo on here until I can easily flash it like any other Android device.

I seem to remember there were certain compatibility issues along with slower benchmark results on Froyo. Is this no longer true?

vapor63 said:
I seem to remember there were certain compatibility issues along with slower benchmark results on Froyo. Is this no longer true?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not that I know of. Froyo Quadrant scores are a full 400 or so points above eclair.

I've got rooted/OC'd 1.1Ghz 1.1 on mine.
I don't feel the need to go to Froyo.
Once Honeycomb is perfected, though, I am SOOOOOOOO there.

MattJ951 said:
I've yet to see anyone break their $250 doing so. (In fact I don't see how it could break it). Also it doesn't require being fluent in any of those. Can you copy and paste? Okay well then youre set. Also, with people posting builds coming preinstalled with needed apps makes even using the command prompt almost uneeded (the only thing that needs to be pushed is the market).
The real downside to froyo is the lack of the B&N soft-keys on the bottom, meaning there isn't always a back and menu button on screen.
To Sum:
Froyo = Lack of softkeys permanetly there
Eclair = Slower, Lack of Flash
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True, the chances of bricking the nook color are remote. But as you can see from the dev threads, even they have warnings. Because the odds dramaticaly increase when one starts messing with system and boot mounts, or over-clocking the hardware.
The reason why I stressed the understanding of what exactly your doing, when you flash the emmc or uImage, is there are many conflicting/confusing instructions involved If you take things verbatum from threads. I just don't think it's something a novice user should try at the moment. Especialy with the loss of the abilty to do a CWM recovery(I know about the sd images and swaping the cards out to do a backup, others don't, nor have more than one sd card)
Froyo does infact have Back and Menu buttons in the status bar.
you just need to push a couple files found in this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=932631
The real problem with nookie Froyo is that it's still not a daily driver. It's buggy(to an extent), it's always being updated(annoying, but part of the fun), and frankly 1.1.0 just runs better.

I am surprised that nobody bothered to mention that with Froyo, currently, you lose the ability to veiw kids picture books, newspapers, and magazines. If you care about any of that stuff, you have to stay with 1.1.0

waiting for guys at Cyanogen to release the nightlies for NC

i tried froyo last night since you can now flash through recovery.
it was a painless install but then i had to get adb running to install gapps and sdcard fix.
after running it for awhile it isn't bad but still not as smooth as 2.1. not sure why people are posting that its faster as it is not. it's little more choppy overall and has hardware acceleration problems when playing movies. as some have mentioned it is annoying not having the navigation buttons without the nook bottom bar.
i am also just waiting for cm7 and i'll say goodbye to eclair forever. it was a breeze restoring back to stock through recovery and will probably try the next update of froyo now that I know what I'm doing.

jblues1969 said:
I've got rooted/OC'd 1.1Ghz 1.1 on mine.
I don't feel the need to go to Froyo.
Once Honeycomb is perfected, though, I am SOOOOOOOO there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is my exact standpoint.
If a Honeycomb (That isn't just the SDK preview) is made for the NC, I will be downloading it.

So we've got a working list running for reference; I'm sure some people have more to add? This kind of thing would have saved me a lot of time a few months ago, let alone now with the increase in crazy options.

Thanks for this list, its awesome. It helps address the questions.
I am ofcourse going to try froyo since its so easy to do so but I wanted to help decide what was going to be my daily driver, etc.
CM7 is built on 2.3 AOSP right? I am excited to read above that nightlies are coming soon?!?!?

woot1524 said:
True, the chances of bricking the nook color are remote. But as you can see from the dev threads, even they have warnings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The warning are there as a just in case. These roms won't short out any circuits (short of the Overclocking one) and are just standard warnings. Since the NC boots to the SD card first it shouldn't be bricked. In fact if you wish to claim it can brick it then I can equally make a claim nooter will.
woot1524 said:
(I know about the sd images and swaping the cards out to do a backup, others don't, nor have more than one sd card)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't need more than one sd card. I only have one and have successfully recovered when I was trying to do some edits myself.
woot1524 said:
Froyo does infact have Back and Menu buttons in the status bar.
you just need to push a couple files found in this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=932631
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is actually glitchy and if you read the developer even stated it himself later on. He said instead of releasing a custom ROM to fix the problems he'll just release the source code in case anyone really wants them
woot1524 said:
The real problem with nookie Froyo is that it's still not a daily driver. It's buggy(to an extent), it's always being updated(annoying, but part of the fun), and frankly 1.1.0 just runs better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eclair is buggy to an extent as well and on the issue of which runs better we'll have to agree to disagree since we can only have it based on opinion. Froyo has higher quadrant scores, and runs much smoother for me. As for compatability I'll test evernote later, but I dont know of any apps I've tested that don't work in froyo but do in eclair, while theres quite a few 2.2 exclusive apps that obviously won't work in eclair. But for those who can't get apps to work in 2.2 that did in 2.1 might be worth more than those 2.2 exclusives
In the end I would suggest just dual-booting Froyo and Eclair. Theres a simple download over the developers forum's that allows this. You just put it on an sd card, then type one line on your nook and you can test both of them and decide for yourself, while always having one for backup

How is the 1.1 g?

I feel quite the opposite, I think the B&N 2.1 experience is horrible.
B&N 2.1
- Dialogs don't display right due to B&N system configuration
- Keyboards don't work properly and if the keyboard does not have the settings in the UI there is now way to configure it due to B&N config
- No Cut and Paste. The work around are horrible.
- Default B&N Apps are horrible by far the worst apps in every field.
- System settings are non standard and accessing app configurations is very difficult.
- No JIT compiler causes apps to run slower.
- Launchers do not work properly because of missing
- No Text-to-speech.
- Random reboots multiple times a day.
- Games are sluggish, basic games are just fine.
Froyo 2.2 (0.5.8)
+ JIT compiler
+ Can get the nook 4 android app (which I think is better than their stock reader)
+ Cut-n-paste
+ Text-to-speech
+ More Stable( reboots on me twice a week)
+ Default Android back end so configuring keyboard apps and other apps is possible.
+ Launchers behave properly.
+ Access to more Market apps.
+ Game experience is much smoother(thanks to the JIT).
What bugs do you see on the Froyo that you don't see on the Stock nook. If anything I've seen more issues running stock nook than foryo?

[Q] Honeycomb Froyo or Stock?

Ive done a little bit of searching and cant seem to find a thread about this (im sure there is one but i cant find it) so my question is which of the three do you like? i know there are pros and cons to all of them but i dont really know what to go with. any suggestions?

Dragracekid said:
Ive done a little bit of searching and cant seem to find a thread about this (im sure there is one but i cant find it) so my question is which of the three do you like? i know there are pros and cons to all of them but i dont really know what to go with. any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me, rooted stock was definitely the easiest. It's the easiest to get working. For me' froyo was still not completely usable as it doesn't include Gapps and it's kinda funky getting them on there. Then nothing really works on honeycomb (and by that I mean downloaded apps) so if you just want to browse the interwebs that's the one for you. Froyo is if you want everything Android offers, but you better know what you"re doing. So IMO stock is the easiest and the prettiest, with honeycomb being second, and Froyo being third.

I can't speak to Froyo, but I've got the HC v04 preview running on eMMC (not SD card), and for me it is very stable.
I've got access to the market, apps seem to install fine (haven't had one fail yet, but I hear some do), and B&N works great.
Even better, the kernal included in the package I used was already OC'd to 1.1Mhz, and I'm consistently getting 1,500 to 1,600 on Quadrant.
Much better performance than I was getting on my stock Nook.
It's not perfect, and I've had to do a few tweaks (found on this site) in order to get the market working, and adhock wireless networks to show up...but for me the total install was really smooth.
The only problem I currently have is that I cannot get applications to transfer from eMMC to my SD card, so I'm running out of space to install more apps.
No way would I go back to stock...what I've got now works really well for everyday use, and will only get netter once Honeycomb goes GA.
If you do decide to "upgrade" your stock Nook, just remember that it's not a "sure deal", and that there are no guarantees things will work. While I haven't had to do so, I understand that restoring your Nook to stock is a bit of a chore, so make sure you read the "back to stock" threads before you decide to modify your Nook.
If you do decide to go with either Froyo or HC...just remember to follow instructions exactly!

DeadlyDa said:
I can't speak to Froyo, but I've got the HC v04 preview running on eMMC (not SD card), and for me it is very stable.
I've got access to the market, apps seem to install fine (haven't had one fail yet, but I hear some do), and B&N works great.
Even better, the kernal included in the package I used was already OC'd to 1.1Mhz, and I'm consistently getting 1,500 to 1,600 on Quadrant.
Much better performance than I was getting on my stock Nook.
It's not perfect, and I've had to do a few tweaks (found on this site) in order to get the market working, and adhock wireless networks to show up...but for me the total install was really smooth.
The only problem I currently have is that I cannot get applications to transfer from eMMC to my SD card, so I'm running out of space to install more apps.
No way would I go back to stock...what I've got now works really well for everyday use, and will only get netter once Honeycomb goes GA.
If you do decide to "upgrade" your stock Nook, just remember that it's not a "sure deal", and that there are no guarantees things will work. While I haven't had to do so, I understand that restoring your Nook to stock is a bit of a chore, so make sure you read the "back to stock" threads before you decide to modify your Nook.
If you do decide to go with either Froyo or HC...just remember to follow instructions exactly!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yo, deadly, chill down a bit...nook is very hard to brick and destroy..
Since OP is here, on XDA, I suppose he knows enough to continue...
It is not so hard, trust me, pick one and try, you can start witk stock rooted...Then you will find annoying the way apps are starting, or eclair itself...So, you go and try froyo (on emmc, ofcourse), which is the closest thing to phone froyo feeling, and you'll use it happily until...One day you decide to try something new, and that would be HC...

DeadlyDa said:
I can't speak to Froyo, but I've got the HC v04 preview running on eMMC (not SD card), and for me it is very stable.
I've got access to the market, apps seem to install fine (haven't had one fail yet, but I hear some do), and B&N works great.
Even better, the kernal included in the package I used was already OC'd to 1.1Mhz, and I'm consistently getting 1,500 to 1,600 on Quadrant.
Much better performance than I was getting on my stock Nook.
It's not perfect, and I've had to do a few tweaks (found on this site) in order to get the market working, and adhock wireless networks to show up...but for me the total install was really smooth.
The only problem I currently have is that I cannot get applications to transfer from eMMC to my SD card, so I'm running out of space to install more apps.
No way would I go back to stock...what I've got now works really well for everyday use, and will only get netter once Honeycomb goes GA.
If you do decide to "upgrade" your stock Nook, just remember that it's not a "sure deal", and that there are no guarantees things will work. While I haven't had to do so, I understand that restoring your Nook to stock is a bit of a chore, so make sure you read the "back to stock" threads before you decide to modify your Nook.
If you do decide to go with either Froyo or HC...just remember to follow instructions exactly!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Out of curiosity, what do you mean that B&N works great? Are you just talking about the Nook app from the market, or the stock B&N apps that come with the Nook when you first get it. I was under the assumption that those would be lost with any install of Honeycomb or Froyo, which has kept me from making that jump.

im leaning toward HC cuz i dont mind difficult because i enjoy doing this kind of stuff but my worry is widgets and a few apps has anyone used circle launcher or gbcoid or gameboid or any other emulator on this?
edit: also any luck on videos working? like rockplayer or yxplayer?

Rockplayer works well , NESoid works well, gonnna try pSX tonight.
Honey 4 on emmc.
@deadly read thru the emmc thread, the answer is there. Root explorer change permissions.

Dragracekid said:
im leaning toward HC cuz i dont mind difficult because i enjoy doing this kind of stuff but my worry is widgets and a few apps has anyone used circle launcher or gbcoid or gameboid or any other emulator on this?
edit: also any luck on videos working? like rockplayer or yxplayer?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as I know none of the alternate builds currently support hardware-accelerated video playback, so your only real option for smooth fullscreen video is the (rooted or not) B&N Nook image. If anyone has gotten this working on a different build please let us know.
Honeycomb has a few issues, for example accelerometer input being rotated 90% in some games, and occasionally tiny hard-to-read onscreen text since it's configured for a non-native pixel density to fit the 1280x800 UI on the Nook's smaller screen. It's fun for testing and ok as a daily environment if your important apps all happen to work, but you should expect things to break.

By "B&N works great", I meant that I'm running the B&N reader from the market. Personally I like it better than the stock Nook reader.
@djurkash: As you say, "It's not so hard...", I was up and running in an hour or so. Sorry if you felt I was trying to scare anyone away. I really like what I've got...but I have also noted a bit of "HC mania", and not everyone bothers to RTFM. If someone reads through this site, and feels comfortable with the process...I hope they go for it! I'm glad I did.
@jonrobertd: I'd read through the emmc thread, and didn't see anything that addressed moving apps. I just went back through and searched on "Root Explorer" and "permissions", but didn't see anything that looked like it would help. I'm probably missing something obvious, but any assistance you could offer would be greatly appreciated (I do have Root Explorer installed and working).

jonrobertd said:
Rockplayer works well , NESoid works well, gonnna try pSX tonight.
Honey 4 on emmc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@jonrobertd, I just tried Rockplayer on HC v4 off SD (not overclocked), it runs at 12-15fps according to its built-in counter for original size, a bit slower for fullscreen video ([email protected], baseline H264 from Handbrake). Is that significantly better with the overclocked version? Currently it's usable but looks noticeably jerky. Of course, dual-booting to use the stock player would be a fallback option.

I have only had my nook now for 4 days so I am in no way going to put down any build. But from a new users opinion I have installed and messed with all three releases (stock rooted) (froyo) (honeycomb) And I LOVED honeycomb.
I was happy with it for a short time though due to no flash. Youtube app was a no go and the web youtube worked but was whacky.
I then went back to stock rooted and put on ADW ex. Everything just works! I am completely happy with stock running ADW until honeycomb gets more refined.
And I cant wait for that to happen because it looks very nice and is a much better user experience on the nook.

Rockplayer is much better off of eMMC and overclocked. As to running HC off SD I
can see it being slower, as the card speeds can vary.
For root explorer, I am using version 2.13.3 it works to give R/W permissions. (PM me if needed)
Apps installing to SD, use the following:
Also I follow Samuelhaff's advice and change the permissions on newsf_msdos on the /system/bin and now almost all applications install with few fails. I did it a risky way though, since I don't have ADB access I just rightclicked the file with Root Explorer, chose permissions and click in all 9 boxes, worked for me but it may be risky.
Doing this gave the me option to move to SD. I have ADB working, was just on the nook so I did it with R.E. and it worked.
If you need any more help pm me or ask here.

I have used all three (rooted stock, Nookie Froyo, and Honeycomb v4), and I am currently using a dual boot setup with stock on eMMC and NF on a microSD card. I am using rookie1's awesome multi-u-boot which allows me to choose to boot from either the SD or the eMMC at startup by pressing the home button. Stock is good for daily use, and NF is good for more cutting-edge stuff (Flash being one example). I'll probably use Honeycomb once the biggest bugs are ironed out, which will probably be after HC goes AOSP. In any case, the Nook Color has three great operating systems that you can choose from. It can't hurt to try, even if you decide to burn to eMMC instead of running off an SDcard the Nook Color is [very] hard to brick.

I just installed Sam's custom HC for emmc last night and I have to say that this is my favorite of the three options. It runs much smoother than I expected. Overall, I was not a big fan of froyo, the performance for the most part was great but I always had touch issues and keyboard lag.
1.) Sam's custom HC v4
2.) Rooted Stock 1.1
3.) Nookie Froyo emmc

I like the stock rom better, easier to root too. I've tried the HC on SD works fine but harder to setup for new nookies

i went ahead and went with HC last night and it is great so smooth and so clean the lock screen alone is just so nice, although i wish it had flash and rock player plays really choppy on my .avi anime but thats ok i can watch it on my phone. thanx guys for all you help and suggestions anyone that wants to post suggestions please do im sure there are people just like me looking for the awnsers this topic can provide

I've had my NC for a few weeks now am itching to try Froyo or Honeycomb. Something that is important to me though is the Readtome childrens books. My 3 year old really likes them. Does the market B&N appt work with these books? If not, is there a way to still use them on either Froyo or Hobeycomb (HC preferred)?
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

As far as I can tell the Read To Me books only work on the app on the NC. But that's no reason not to try Froyo or HC. Just try one of the SD image versions. That's what I've been doing. Booting off SD doesn't affect whatever you have loaded on the internal memory. Going back to the B&N stock ROM is just as simple as powering down your NC, popping out the bootable SD card, popping back in your regular SD card (if you have one) and powering the NC back on.

fugitoid said:
As far as I can tell the Read To Me books only work on the app on the NC. But that's no reason not to try Froyo or HC. Just try one of the SD image versions. That's what I've been doing. Booting off SD doesn't affect whatever you have loaded on the internal memory. Going back to the B&N stock ROM is just as simple as powering down your NC, popping out the bootable SD card, popping back in your regular SD card (if you have one) and powering the NC back on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did not know you can do that with the SD card. Im going to see about doing that when I get home. Thanks.
Sent from my Samsung Captivate running Phoenix

New to NC, not to technology. Advice needed.

Forgive me for the intrusion, but I have a question for you all. Looking at the various threads and screen shots, it appears that most are using a rooted nook rather than honeycomb or froyo; is this accurate?
My story:
I was in Best-buy the other day shopping tablets (Xoom, Galaxy, iPad, etc) and someone was walking by and said "Hey, save money, get a NC." Of course I was like, what? I'm no stranger to Linux, servers, and basic programming but tablets and android is uncharted territory for me. So, after this guy did some basic explaining I was like "half price, and near limitless customization? Yeah thats for me!"
So here I am, been browsing this website for a few days trying to decide how I should go about 'unlocking' my NC. Do I use some sort of root kit to just unlock the 'stock' system? Do I use 'Froyo' on a SD card? What about this honeycomb thing, should I use that?
Like I said, it appears from screenshots most people are still using the basic NC system, that has maybe just been rooted to run apps and such from the market? I'm sorry for sounding dumb, I'm really not, just not sure what route is best for me, or the best choice. I am a fast learner, I just don't want to spend weeks learning something only to realize I was learning the wrong thing for what I need.
What I've gathered so far:
Stock rooted NC - will do fine for most users. Launcher Pro, Pandora, YouTube, browsing, games, gmail, etc. What about GPS? Google Maps?
Froyo - Same as above, some cosmetic differences, bells and whistles only advantage?
Honeycomb - Culmination of the previous two lists?
Insight welcome please?
Signed,
Work in progress.

It may be a little over half the price... But the Nook color is half the speed of the Motorola Xoom. So if you really have the money, I would return the nook color and just get a xoom, you'll be happier with it. If you're looking for just something to surf the net, and play a few games or programs, then the NC is a decent choice.
I use CM7 nightlys. CM7 is in my opinion the best rom, it allows bluetooth support and flash. It can be overclocked to 1190mhz. And has a lot of options for customizations.
HC is limited to a preview sdk build until google decides to let others have the final source, which could be a while... (Motorola Xoom comes with it installed)
Froyo is limited in a lot of regards, and CM7 is far better and offers a lot more support for programs and hardware. That said... Some people feel Froyo is better than CM7, but they're essentially the same underlining OS.

Individuals requirements vary, but since you asked I will give my two cents:
CyanogenMod 7
While it is currently not released as "stable" but only nightly builds, the nightlies are extremely good. Phiremod is based on the nightlies and adds some nice stuff, but is also slightly behind since the nightly has to be released before it can be customized.
The latest is CM7 nightly 32 right now (http://download.cyanogenmod.com/?type=nightly&device=encore) but it changes almost every day.
A Video Test build was just released that has YouTube working in all its glory (? Did I really type that?) so the video issues should be a thing of the past in a few days. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=960537
The same dev has an overclock kernel which gets the cpu up to 1100mhz and adds the interactive governor- http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=925451
And another guy took a great idea and ran with it: adding Tablet Tweaks to CM
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1002000
I generally run the latest nightly with an oc kernel but now that the Tablet Tweaks has made so much progress, my routine is like this:
Flash latest nightly
Flash Tablet Tweaks
Flash OC kernel
Don't let the "nightly" status of CM7 put you off too much- the CyanogenMod team are perfectionists and won't call a rom Stable until it is PERFECT.
Right now the nightlies are better than any fresh install of Windows I have ever seen, for example....

I wouldn't go to honeycomb as a permanent solution now - it is reasonably good but still experimental with problems running full tablet applications.
I'm using Froyo but will switch over to CM7 shortly. At one point, froyo was more stable (two weeks back - things change fast) with working video and flash. CM7 has come along quickly and its time to move on. Having said that - both of these require some fiddling to get working properly. This is not a no-frustration experience - if you are comfortable with sorting out linux-like issues it won't be too bad. Fun if you like tinkering with gadgets.
Rooted stock is stable, adds the open android market to the the stock B&N experience which includes a very nice reader. If you upgrade beyond stock you will lose the reader which has some desireable features like "borrowing a book" in the store, magazines and newspapers. Not working on froyo, cm7, or hc.
I'd agree that cm7 is probably the best compromise at this point - at least for me. You will still be flashing gapps and wondering where certain apps or wallpapers are in the market.
Xoom or galaxy tab actually work (largely) without customization today. Closer to an ipad experience in that it works out of the box. Nook color can largely replicate those functions but you'll do a little work setting it up.
Peter

I would not trade the NC for the Xoom just because the Xoom is so ridiculously overpriced IMO. Personally, I would go with stock rooted. If you find that you are wanting to do something with it that you cannot do on stock rooted, then look for something else like Nookie Froyo or Honeycomb (which is still a little half baked on the NC IMO).

Wonderful advice and well said. Thank you much for everyone's time, I above anyone else know how precious every second is.
'Sorting out linux and tinkering' is exactly on point, I've been doing that very thing for about 12 years now. I like to consider myself an avid enthusiast rather than full throttle geek. Anyway, I think I'll study the route of stock rooted and further my knowledge on full flash before taking that plunge.
That being said, one more question and I'll let you all get back to more important things. I should be right in assuming just follow the steps in this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=872490 or the v3.* thread to fully root the stock NC and have google apps, market, etc up and running? From what I've read, this auto-nooter has pretty much all of it built in already; Gmail, Market, root-kit etc.
PS: Wonderful site, very informative.
Signed,
Work in Progress.

LarcenQ said:
Stock rooted NC - will do fine for most users. Launcher Pro, Pandora, YouTube, browsing, games, gmail, etc. What about GPS? Google Maps?
Froyo - Same as above, some cosmetic differences, bells and whistles only advantage?
Honeycomb - Culmination of the previous two lists?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm in your same boat (I recently started with Nookie Froyo on SD so I can leave the Nook alone, but am just learning what else needs to be done to fix some buggy behavior.)
One thing to understand is that there are multiple versions of Android. The Nook Color still ships with Android 2.1 (Eclair). They are supposed to be pushing out 2.2 (Froyo) in a few days. The Cyanogenmod (CM7) people are using 2.3 (Gingerbread). And the NookieFroyo folks are of course using 2.2. I have no idea what Phiremod is. As expected, the later versions of Android tend to have more features/work better.
The 3.0 version of Android, Honeycomb, is still the most experimental and apparently doesn't work that well with the Nook Color yet. Worse, Google has decided to hold back the latest source code of this "open source" project for now, meaning that only the Xoom can run the thing. But it's the only Android version with true tablet support.
As to GPS,the Nook Color does NOT have a GPS chip, so regardless of Android version you can get GPS coordinates only by rough calculation based on a WiFi database or by tethering to a GPS device or GPS-equipped cell phone.

xdabr said:
I have no idea what Phiremod is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Phiremod is based on CM7 nightlies with some very nice customizations.

Yup -- Xoom overpriced. Unless you've a burning desire to be on the cutting edge, I'd go with the Nook Color and wait out the pricing on Android tablets. They are bound to come down.
Also, a couple of key points:
Barnes & Noble is theoretically going to push an upgrade sometime in April that will include Flash capability and some sort of Market. No details on the market. However if they're smart there will be a host of apps available that we all know will run on the Nook (because we've rooted and downloaded them). This new stock configuration may be all that a lot of people want or need.
If you are determined, however, remember that this forum is like a big toy store and can be confusing. You can run stock internally and dual boot into a fast SD card to run virtually any other configuration. Or, you can flash the internal rom and run most of these variation on the OS internally.
Here's the relevant point: When booting, the Nook Color looks first at the SD drive. That's very cool, because it allows us to do a whole bunch of fun stuff.
I'm currently running rooted stock internally and CM7 (the version with working Bluetooth) off a SD card. Truth be told I typically boot into CM7 because it works so well -- even for reading B&N Nook books. I use a little variation that allows hard key dual booting. There is a brandy new release of CM7 that resolves some video issues and I'll update to that.
However, the CM7 releases do not include the Google stuff, including the Market, so you have to load those via ADB (Android Development Bridge) which means setting up your computer with an Android development environment -- something very doable and free, but it takes some time to get it all working right.
The holy grail is probably Honeycomb, the Android version specifically designed with tablets in mind. There is a development version of Honeycomb that actually works pretty well, but it's not fully fleshed out just yet. I've got it running on a separate SD and it's very cool, but lacks some functionality. Once it's fully developed that will be my daily OS for sure.
One of my wants and needs is to be able to use an external folding keyboard. The only version floating around right now that supports the Nook's built-in Bluetooth (unused by B&N) is a release of CM7 -- and it works. I can use the nifty Freedom Pro keyboard and it's really pretty good -- no excessive lag.
Hopefully that's enough to get you going. I'd say -- given the overwhelming wealth of information on this forum -- keep your Nook stock until after B&N pushes the update. In the meantime, get a good fast SD card and use that to mess with your pick of Android versions offered here. Pick just one and than tunnel down into the forum to work with it at first.
Happy Nooking!

robedney said:
I'm currently running rooted stock internally and CM7 (the version with working Bluetooth) off a SD card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you! I wanted to try this CM7 tonight when I got home, however, I do not want to wipe/tamper with my onboard nook, and everything I've read about CM7 you have to install on internal memory. Is there a link to the instructions on booting CM7 from the sd card?
Thanks in advance!
Signed,
Getting somewhere.

Yup -- I'll track it down. Stay tuned.

Here's a thread that sets up a SD card to run CM7 with working Bluetooth. Read the whole thread before you start (some good simple instructions are in there):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=989637
Be aware that Google stuff and the Market are not included -- you'll have to install those via ADB (and there are full instructions on how to set up and do that on this forum.

Or -- a newer option that looks pretty cool (and avoids having to use ADB to get the Market):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1000957
I think I'll try this on a spare SD card and see how it all works out.

There are hardware differences to consider too.
NC is 7 inch screen, vs 10 inch for XOOM and some other tablet.
Then size and weight.
Also NC doesn't have cameras, the others may have one or two...
And NC doesn't have mic, although bluetooth headset may work.
I am happy with my NC for its price and what I need.

robedney said:
Here's a thread that sets up a SD card to run CM7 with working Bluetooth. Read the whole thread before you start (some good simple instructions are in there):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=989637
Be aware that Google stuff and the Market are not included -- you'll have to install those via ADB (and there are full instructions on how to set up and do that on this forum.
Or -- a newer option that looks pretty cool (and avoids having to use ADB to get the Market):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1000957
I think I'll try this on a spare SD card and see how it all works out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Much obliged! I'll give this a try tonight once I get home from work. God I love mature people instead of 'scr3w yu n00b!'.
Signed,
Getting there.

Just make your of which Stock ROM you have (1.0.0, 1.0.1, 1.1.0). Each Nooter is made specifically for each ROM.
Also, as far as Gapps is concerned, there is no need to use ADB. All of it can be installed easily via ClockworkRecovery. ADB stuff is fun, but not needed to get full blown CM7 w/gapps and everything else.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/archive/index.php/t-1000957.html
just used this for a SD bootable CM7. I'm running rooted 2.1 for daily use and testing out the different options via SD bootable builds. fyi, this also allows the install of google apps without ADB.

HI,
One question for you:
What do you want to use the Nook for mainly?
Toy/Playing/learning/Android Apps/Web/eBooks... CM7 (Nightlies)
eBook reader mainly... Perhaps stock rooted.
Lots of video/Flash? Not sure which, perhaps Froyo. CM7 soon.
Require bluetooth? CM7
One immediate advantage for rooting is access to other eBook reader
applications, such as Kindle.
Don't forget to look at/select a soft button approach that you like,
Android is expecting more than the one button at the bottom. I like
Button Savior from the market, but there are a variety of other solutions.
It is handy to have a bunch of SDcards on hand too, I never seem to have
enough of them. Don't forget that when you move to an internal memory
version of, say, Cyanogenmod7, that you need a SD card for data too.
Good luck, the NC is a fun toy!
Peter

envygreen said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/archive/index.php/t-1000957.html
just used this for a SD bootable CM7. I'm running rooted 2.1 for daily use and testing out the different options via SD bootable builds. fyi, this also allows the install of google apps without ADB.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We're in dire need of a single (maintained) collection of all these pre-built SD card images -- is there such a posting?
Hunting through the forum is not as much fun as it seems.
EDIT: Looks like there's a list of ROMs at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=872003

DOH!
Read post carefully BEFORE replying!
lol

Android Newby

Alright so I have a Nook color and desperatley would like to try the Android OS on it. But I have never really toyed around with it on anything before....but it really intrigues me.
What kernel works best?? I saw another thread about wi-fi issues is this prevelant??
Thanks so much!

Well, you are running Android -- that's what Barnes and Noble uses. The downside is that they've limited it, so you can't do things like get apps from the Android Market.
The easiest first step is to root your NC using the latest version of Autonooter (search the forum). Prior to doing that, you need to make sure your Nook Color is running the latest official update from B&N (check the B&N website under Nook Color/Support). Autonooter (with a big thanks to those who contribute to it) is a quick and simple way to get going.
That will give you full access to the version of Android on the Nook (2.1 if I recall), as well as the Market apps. Play with that for awhile, then start exploring the other Android versions -- which you can run off of a SD card as a separate OS to make sure they work for you (then flash to rom is you want to).
Right now I'd vote for CM7 with working Bluetooth as the most useful OS available on this forum. The latest version also fixes video issues. Another version of CM7 is Phiremod, nicely packaged with some additions (CM7 is still in development -- so Phiremod won't typically use the latest CM7 version, which is OK).
Most of all, learn to use the search function on this forum -- it will save you lots of time!

As far as performance...is the Nook comparable to many tablets?

I agree that autonooter is the best first step. Use a launcher to get a 'feel" for android and if you're happy don't go any further. If you feel you want the "full" experience, than I also agree that CM7 is the way to go. Also, installing CM7 is pretty easy if you follow the guild on the Nook Color wiki via http://www.cyanogenmod.com/devices/nook-color
nooker22 said:
As far as performance...is the Nook comparable to many tablets?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This isn't an easy question to answer because it's about half the performance of the Xoom and new Galaxy Tabs that are coming out, but there is nothing that pushes the hardware yet. For an early adopter of android tablets, I think the nook is perfect because it preforms great and the price tag cannot be beat!
Compared to other non-official tablets, it out preforms them in some ways, specifically the screen. THe nook uses the best (I think?) type of touch screen and offers a great viewing angle.

Autonooter 3 -- something is definitely wrong.
Used auto-nooter 3 on our 1.1 NC. Computer runs slackware. md5sum was correct. Burned it to a Patriot class 10 8GB microSD card. Inserted the card, plugged in the USB. After the android showed up NOTHING happened as described in http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=942424.
There was no "sign in" at the Android welcome screen to skip.
No "location services"
Wandered around logging into youtube and gmail. Youtube has both a user name and a user gmail account. Tried both.
Gmail account(s) refused to sync.
Market opened, and we attempted to download several free apps --
Got some sort of 'downloading' message, but nothing ever did. Progress meter, if that's what it was, showed no movement at all.
More...
Restored it and tried again. Twice. Slightly different results, but NEVER able to download from the Market.
It's obvious that SOMETHING is wrong, I just have no idea what it might be.
I'm ready, willing and able to follow instructions, but when what I see bears no relationship to the instructions given I have problems.
I hope it's obvious to somebody what I'm doing wrong, because I'm stumped.

Bev999 said:
Used auto-nooter 3 on our 1.1 NC.
I hope it's obvious to somebody what I'm doing wrong, because I'm stumped.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used Autonooter 3.0 and it worked for me. Check your wifi. If it shows connecting/disconnecting, it's a wifi problem - especially if the download progessing bar is not moving. See my note in wifi http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=11458921&postcount=1

[Q] Need some recommendations...

Hi all,
My wife just got a Nook Color for Christmas and I'm itching to root it. Both of our OG evos are rooted and I'm fairly competent with customizing the ever living crap out of them (I'm running MIUI and love it).
I'm looking for suggestions for a cool but most importantly STABLE setup for her nook color. I see there aren't as many options as the Evo, and the rooting process seems a bit more involved, but I'm sure I can figure that part out.
I already ran the 1.41 update and read all of the basic steps for root. She doesn't want to lose the B&N functionality (not sure why), so is my best bet just to root it with a bootable SD without loading CWM recovery? Using manualnooter that would just leave her with the B&N functions but would also install an alternate launcher and allow her to install android market and 3rd party apps, correct?
I've done quite a bit of reading up but I just want to get some opinions...she's afraid I'm going to "mess it up" like I've done to my evo quite a few times, but its never been anything a clean wipe can't fix so I don't see the issue haha.
Thanks everyone!

Your best bet is CM7.1 on a SD card. Just make sure that's an SanDisk Class 4 card, otherwise the performance will be quite miserable. Just grep the CM7.1 zip, the latest gapps-gb zip and greens sd installer and do it. You will be done in 15 min and you will never go back. I got my NC also for x-mas and used CM7.1 on a SD card for 2 days before I installed it on the internal memory (emmc).

ss12108 said:
[...] I already ran the 1.41 update and read all of the basic steps for root. She doesn't want to lose the B&N functionality (not sure why), so is my best bet just to root it with a bootable SD without loading CWM recovery?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've rooted 1.4.1 on my Nook Color and blocked further updates. It's provides what I refer to as the "B&N Walled Garden (with a gate)". It's straight B&N in terms of functionality, and all the B&N functions (subscriptions, Conde Nast mags and enhanced books,free read-in-store) work fine. If she intends to use any of the B&N content, it's a nice experience. If she doesn't, then, frankly, you can do a lot more a lot more easily with Cyanogenmod loaded on it.
Using manualnooter that would just leave her with the B&N functions but would also install an alternate launcher and allow her to install android market and 3rd party apps, correct?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you root the B&N software, yes.
Alternately, you could load Cyanogenmod either internally on eMMC (replacing B&N), or externally, in a dual-boot SD configuration, which would let you leave the BN setup stock or rooted. The two remain completely separate from each other.
I've done quite a bit of reading up but I just want to get some opinions...she's afraid I'm going to "mess it up" like I've done to my evo quite a few times, but its never been anything a clean wipe can't fix so I don't see the issue haha.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The NC is pretty bullet-proof. If you decide to root B&N firmware, be sure to block automatic OTA updates, or it will self-destruct when they push an update, and it will be your fault, buster!
I've rooted my wife's new Nook Tablet, and she's quite enamored with it. Adding functionality from the Market has been a big plus, and I've got her music synchronized with our Google TV setup as well.

Thanks both of you. I went the route of booting CM7 from the SD card and it was actually really easy and runs pretty flawlessly. Unfortunately my wife is a pain and doesn't seem to appreciate how much better it is so she just sticks with the stock stuff 99% of the time haha. I might have to get my own now just out of principle!
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

You can always add a few Market apps to her mostly-stock setup with the Nook Color App Manager. I used it to add a few apps to my wife's rooted Nook Tablet. If I hadn't told her, she'd have thought those were stock apps.
But yeah, definitely get your own!

bobstro said:
I've rooted 1.4.1 on my Nook Color and blocked further updates.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you block updates? I've seen several mentions about doing this but nothing definitive. Thanks!

zogg44 said:
How did you block updates? I've seen several mentions about doing this but nothing definitive. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I edited devicemanager.db using SQLite. Open devicemanager.db and change registry->com.bn.device.fota.mode from "auto" to "manual".
That's all I've done, and no further OTA updates. There are more involved methods, but this seems to work.