Database Develop

Lock an app in landscape

I was wondering if there was a way to lock apps in landscape mode? For instance, maps. When using maps to navigate I like the phone to be in landscape but it will jump between portrait and landscape with the slightest movement of my leg (the phone is sitting on my leg while I drive) and it gets pretty annoying while trying to follow directions.

I wish.
Apps don't have to be written to be in whatever view. So it can't be forced.
And I've always wanted a root permission that could force apps in landscape but it's never happened.

Icebergxx said:
I wish.
Apps don't have to be written to be in whatever view. So it can't be forced.
And I've always wanted a root permission that could force apps in landscape but it's never happened.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look what I found.
"Also, apps that use the accelerometer directly to reorient themselves sometimes compete with the system doing the same thing, with odd results. And finally, some apps that use the accelerometer to detect things like shaking motions and that don't lock their orientation to portrait or landscape, often end up flipping back and forth between orientations. This can be irritating to the user. (You can lock your app's orientation to portrait or landscape using the 'android:screenOrientation' attribute in your AndroidManifest.xml.)"

1) Open the keyboard. There, stuck in landscape.
2) Hack the XML.

lbcoder said:
1) Open the keyboard. There, stuck in landscape.
2) Hack the XML.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The OP doesn't have a keyboard to open (MT3G), so option 1 is out.

This is the DREAM forum. It is therefore, a perfectly valid answer.
For questions about MAGIC, he should go to the MAGIC forum.

lbcoder said:
1) Open the keyboard. There, stuck in landscape.
2) Hack the XML.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Option (2) actually isn't difficult.

[APP] Orientation Switch

Simple app will switch Nook (any device actually) from/to landscape mode. Will not work with Stock B&N Apps.
Upcoming feature - if installed with my mod will use force orient feature to switch ANY app to landscape.

tried it but had no luck with it. worked on my phone though. Im using launcherpro. is there some setting i need to enable for it to work?

IT doesn't work for me too ;(
Sent from my NOOK using xda premium

It basically switch Nook into landscape and it should persist until another app explicitly will not request portrait orientation, I'm using LauncherPro as well and it switches fine.
But stock reader manually changes orientation to the portrait, does it changes orientation of LauncherPro?

Ok, fixed it. You need to go to
launcherPro setting ->behaviour settings -> enable auto-rotation.
Behaviour settings is the 4th option.

Great App ! worked in my Simple Touch. =)
Thanks

hi
Ive rotted my nook with SalsichaNooter and in Nook touch tolls app theres an option to bind orientation cahnge to that book icon button in left upper corner.
1.open Nook Touch Tools
2.select "B&N buttons"
3.select "'reading now' button action" and choose "orientation" (so You can change orientation with one click by clicking that book icon in upper left corner)

Soea said:
hi
Ive rotted my nook with SalsichaNooter and in Nook touch tolls app theres an option to bind orientation cahnge to that book icon button in left upper corner.
1.open Nook Touch Tools
2.select "B&N buttons"
3.select "'reading now' button action" and choose "orientation" (so You can change orientation with one click by clicking that book icon in upper left corner)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
great hint
works also on mine (1.1.0 rooted with touchnooter)

I have it when I hold the N button, it is simple but it works great!

I think it could be nifty to add an option to automatically disable landscape mode when going into screensaver.

imachine said:
I think it could be nifty to add an option to automatically disable landscape mode when going into screensaver.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totaly agree, this would be awesome
I love this app!!! Thx a lot!
But I can't find the button-changer in the nook colour tools.
1.open Nook Touch Tools
2.select "B&N buttons"
3.select "'reading now' button action" and choose "orientation" (so You can change orientation with one click by clicking that book icon in upper left corner)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
rooted with: MinimalTouch 1.1beta5

A different solution is the one that I posted that will display your screensaver in whichever orientation fits best,
unless it is square, in which case it will fit it with the current orientation and overfilling the screen.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1611028
I will be redoing this as an easier script some time.
I should probably hack the keyguard so that it uses the current orientation.

Thanks - great app.

Is it possible to force orientation change with 1.2.1 fw?

Usually orientation choice is best handled on a per-app basis.
Applications can either accept an orientation or request portrait or landscape.
Hmmm, it might be interesting to hook a gyro sensor into a Nook.
My latest experimental reader has a setting for portrait/landscape.

Renate NST said:
Usually orientation choice is best handled on a per-app basis.
Applications can either accept an orientation or request portrait or landscape.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But some app doesn't rotate even when i set it to autorotate/system. Also when i'm in landscape and the screensaver comes and turn the nook on again, it goes back to portrait for me.

skyli91 said:
But some apps don't rotate...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's because they explicitly state orientation in AndroidManifest.xml:
Code:
<activity android:screenOrientation="portrait" ...
... or in the code for the Activity:
Code:
setRequestedOrientation(ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_PORTRAIT);
Often these apps don't have multiple or versatile layouts.
They also don't have the code for adjusting to orientation changes.
In any case, forcing an activity to display in an orientation for which it's not designed doesn't usually work out well.
A good case in point is forcing the B&N stock reader to do landscape mode.

Rotate control from notifications:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.devasque.rotationlocker
I currently use version: Rotation Locker,1.4,com.devasque.rotationlocker
Widgets:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nl.fameit.rotate
I currently use version: Rotate,4.8.2,nl.fameit.rotate

wozhere said:
Rotate control from notifications:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.devasque.rotationlocker
I currently use version: Rotation Locker,1.4,com.devasque.rotationlocker
Widgets:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nl.fameit.rotate
I currently use version: Rotate,4.8.2,nl.fameit.rotate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you! Rotation control forces it! With Orientation switch app, i can't use it for example in play store. With forcing rotation with rotate control, it works! (although using it is one more long tap to work). The best app would be Orientation Switch with forcing rotation

skyli91 said:
Thank you! Rotation control forces it! With Orientation switch app, i can't use it for example in play store. With forcing rotation with rotate control, it works! (although using it is one more long tap to work). The best app would be Orientation Switch with forcing rotation
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me, Rotation Locker teamed with Tasker has been the winning ticket. Even the recalcitrant Opera Mobile can be tamed automatically by the combination. And Tasker can also start wireless and stop it on exit (as well as returning the screen to portrait) so I don't have to think about it.

[Q] Russian keyboard

Any chance I could get Russian (Cyrillic) keyboard on my rooted Kindle Fire HD?

vadimus123 said:
Any chance I could get Russian (Cyrillic) keyboard on my rooted Kindle Fire HD?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is very easy. If you install Morelocale2 app, you will get Russian keyboard automaticly. But you wan't be able to switch it to English and back automatic ly. Or you can install any keyboard you want to system/app folder and use nook tools to switch keyboards.

Melodycd said:
This is very easy. If you install Morelocale2 app, you will get Russian keyboard automaticly. But you wan't be able to switch it to English and back automatic ly. Or you can install any keyboard you want to system/app folder and use nook tools to switch keyboards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for you response. I successfully installed Morelocale2 app and now I have UI in Russian. However, standard keyboard still shows only English characters even with Nook Tools showing keyboard language as 'Russian'
As for installing additional keyboard - any recommendations here? This is my first Android device so I don't have too much knowledge of it.I tried to install what was claimed to be a standard ICS keyboard but it kept crashing every few seconds...

Touchpal has a Russian language pack that will change your keyboard's layout to the Cyrillic lettering. And you can easily change between layouts on the fly without closing the keyboard.

soupmagnet said:
Touchpal has a Russian language pack that will change your keyboard's layout to the Cyrillic lettering. And you can easily change between layouts on the fly without closing the keyboard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This still does not work. Once I put "TouchPal_Keyboard_4.8.apk" into system/app, reboot and switch to it from Nook Tools I'm getting popup message "Touchpal Keyboard stopped" every 5 seconds and that's it.

Did you try to copy files from data/data/app.name/lib to the system/lib?
Sent from my KFHD

timurg said:
Did you try to copy files from data/data/app.name/lib to the system/lib?
Sent from my KFHD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Folder /data/data/com.cootek.smartinputv5/lib is empty

In my case, for Smart Keyboard Pro, full sequence looks like this:
1. install SKP;
2. copy apk to system/app;
3. change permissions to wr-r-r;
4. copy files from data/data/com.smartkeyboard/lib to system/lib;
5. reboot device;
6. choose SKP in Nook Color tools as a default;
7. profit)
Unexpected outcome: after I've selected the Russian layout as an option in SKP, in Nook color tools appears choice to mark the “Russian Amazon Keyboard“ as a default. In opposite to third party keyboards native amazon keyboard is not overlaid by navigational panel in landscape orientation. The obvious minus- there is no prediction dictionary for Russian.
Sent from my KFHD rooted

timurg said:
In my case, for Smart Keyboard Pro, full sequence looks like this:
1. install SKP;
2. copy apk to system/app;
3. change permissions to wr-r-r;
4. copy files from data/data/com.smartkeyboard/lib to system/lib;
5. reboot device;
6. choose SKP in Nook Color tools as a default;
7. profit)
Unexpected outcome: after I've selected the Russian layout as an option in SKP, in Nook color tools appears choice to mark the “Russian Amazon Keyboard“ as a default. In opposite to third party keyboards native amazon keyboard is not overlaid by navigational panel in landscape orientation. The obvious minus- there is no prediction dictionary for Russian.
Sent from my KFHD rooted
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I will try SKP tomorrow. Also, about #3 (permission change) - I noticed that Touchpal apk I copied into system/apps has rw-rw-rw. Should I remove writing permissions "group" and "other" or I can leave them as they are?

Sure, you have to remove write for other two groups, this is the point. Try it with your keyboard. it may help.
Sent from my KFHD rooted

timurg said:
Sure, you have to remove write for other two groups, this is the point. Try it with your keyboard. it may help.
Sent from my KFHD rooted
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just changed permissions for Touchpal apk in system/app - still same behavior.

So now restart your device, and install keyboard One more time. It should work now. I had the same problems with swype keyboard.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium

Melodycd said:
So now restart your device, and install keyboard One more time. It should work now. I had the same problems with swype keyboard.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Finally, I was able to get it working. It looks like it did not install properly first time - that's why 'lib' folder was empty. After I re-installed Touchpal I've got several files there. I copied them into /system/lib and after reboot I was able to switch to Touchpal keyboard with Nook Tools.
After that I realized that to be able to switch to Russian Touchpal needs to download Russian language pack and it always fails to do it from it's settings page. However, when I manually downloaded it from CooTek site and installed I've got Russian keyboard working!
The only question I have left is about keyboard itself. When I switch to landscape mode by rotating my Kindle the keyboard correctly changes its location staying on the bottom of screen, But, it does not extend it's width keeping it exactly same as in portrait mode.Is it normal or there is a setting somewhere I'm missing?
Anyway, thanks everyone for your help.

That is definitely not normal.

soupmagnet said:
That is definitely not normal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is how all keyboards work on our KFHD, except stock Amazon keyboard. I think those keyboards doesn't support 'hidding' navigation bar and use all screen width to display the keyboard. As i understand, keyboards from market should be updated to work properly. I don't know any device, where navigation bar is popping up and then hide...

Still stock Amazon's keyboard is the best. Is it possible to modify keyboard apk to add language change button? How hard is it? I am sure that this kind of modified Amazon's keyboard would be very helpfull for all not US users... Just if somebody know the thread where we can ask for such modification, point me please! :laugh:

I‘m using space bar to toggle between layouts. I unistalled all third party keboards and Amazon one works like a charm for me.
Sent from my KFHD rooted

timurg said:
I‘m using space bar to toggle between layouts. I unistalled all third party keboards and Amazon one works like a charm for me.
Sent from my KFHD rooted
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did try your method, but it didn't work for me. I did install keyboard pro, but after that, long press in Amazon's keyboard give me an option to change keyboards, but not the language. As for now I have 4 keyboards installed.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium

Try this one - in Nook Color Tools chose “all settings“ and the first option (without name) provide screen were you can choose different layouts.
Sent from my KFHD rooted

timurg said:
Try this one - in Nook Color Tools chose “all settings“ and the first option (without name) provide screen were you can choose different layouts.
Sent from my KFHD rooted
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow! That's even better! Thanks a lot!

[launcher] AppDrawer (MIUI App Drawer)

I recently rooted my NST with NookManager, and was looking to run a "stealth" root under stock. I used the Nook Touch Mod Manager to change the LONG PRESS on the 'n' button to launch THIS. After some fiddling with the options, it pops up a single 5 x 8 grid of apps on a white background with black text. You can long press on an app to hide it. Simple and fast.
I'll be happy to post a screenshot if I can figure out how to take one! :cyclops:

This is the best app for a rooted NSTG No need to fiddle with different launchers, it just works as an extension to the B&N homescreen. Thanks for the tip!
johnseeking said:
I recently rooted my NST with NookManager, and was looking to run a "stealth" root under stock. I used the Nook Touch Mod Manager to change the LONG PRESS on the 'n' button to launch THIS. After some fiddling with the options, it pops up a single 5 x 8 grid of apps on a white background with black text. You can long press on an app to hide it. Simple and fast.
I'll be happy to post a screenshot if I can figure out how to take one! :cyclops:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

johnseeking said:
I recently rooted my NST with NookManager, and was looking to run a "stealth" root under stock. I used the Nook Touch Mod Manager to change the LONG PRESS on the 'n' button to launch THIS. After some fiddling with the options, it pops up a single 5 x 8 grid of apps on a white background with black text. You can long press on an app to hide it. Simple and fast.
I'll be happy to post a screenshot if I can figure out how to take one! :cyclops:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pardon my ignorance, but how exactly do you 'fiddle with the options'? The app opens in fullscreen mode, and i can't find the way to get the status bar to show up, tried everything...
my nook simple touch rooted with nook manager, so relaunch is the shell(or whatever it's called) from which i run app drawer...
Thanks!

nnbveh said:
Pardon my ignorance, but how exactly do you 'fiddle with the options'? The app opens in fullscreen mode, and i can't find the way to get the status bar to show up, tried everything...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had this issue with another app and here is what I did:
Temporarily assign the "Menu" function to one of the hardware keys using NookTouchModManager (unless you have it set up that way already for other purposes--I keep a long-press on one button this way just in case).
When you launch your app you will now have a way to access menu functions even though it is running full-screen. In my case I was able to change the settings on my app so it would *not* run full-screen by default, but that is probably not what you want in this instance. After you have made your adjustments, you can change the hardware key back to its default, although I think keeping both a "Back" and "Menu" option around is not a bad idea.

VERY late reply...
I use an app called Button Savior which lets you add a set of software buttons which expand or collapse when you touch an assigned target point on your screen. (I have mine set to a long press in the lower left corner, and since I bought the pro version I can customize my target to be invisible.) That way I can always get to a menu button if I need one.
Don't have my NST with me, so I can't tall you what version I'm running, but I'm pretty sure it's the current version on Google Play.

I came across this old post and thought I'd look up the app to see what it was like. I've attached a copy below.
This is not actually a "launcher" despite what the thread title says. It is plain-and-simple an App Drawer. But as the OP said, it can provide almost a "stealth" modification of the NST. To me it seems ideal for the person who says "I only want to root so I can run app x--I don't want a lot of stuff on it."
There are a few hurdles to get to that point, so here is a brief outline of steps to get it working:
1. Root with NookManager (update it first if you're rooting FW 1.2.2)
2. Install the app along with a good file manager like ES File Explorer which will give you root access when you need it (ReLaunch can't).
3. Use Nook Touch Mod Manager to assign a button press (maybe a long-press?) to the MIUI app. You can use one of the hardware buttons or (less "stealth") one of the QuickNav buttons you don't use like Social, or Shop or Search.
4. Temporarily assign one of the hardware buttons to "Menu". This is needed because the MIUI app opens in full screen by default and you can't get at the settings without the Menu button.
5. Run the MIUI app and configure as you want (there is an option not to hide the status bar). Once you have the appearance you are after note that you can long-press on an app to (among other things) hide it from the drawer or even uninstall it. I suggest you uninstall ReLaunch.
6. Go back to Nook Touch Mod Manager and remove the temporary "Menu" button assignment.
And you're good! Your NST still looks and works like its old self but you're one button-press away from accessing any apps you may want to install. And you have a decent file manager

ReLaunch 1.4 (repost)

Can someone kindly repost the APK of ReLaunch 1.4?
The links on the original post are dead now.
Thanks!

marcoNST said:
Can someone kindly repost the APK of ReLaunch 1.4?
The links on the original post are dead now.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There seem to be at least 3 ReLaunch forks. The original ends at 1.3.8 (the easiest one to find--Google is your friend). There is then the sequence you are asking about, moving from 1.4 to now 1.4.8. I've attached 1.4.8 below. Don't know anything about it. The source is the Russian The-eBook.org forum and the original ReLaunch thread. Going back from the end of the thread, all earlier versions (all dropbox links) seem to not be available, just like 1.4.
Then there is ReLaunchX which supposedly takes up where the original 1.3.8 left off and renumbers the newer versions starting again with 1.0 (now at 2.x). The GitHub for ReLaunchX is here: https://github.com/Leszek111/ReLaunchX and the app is available on F-Droid: https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.gacode.relaunchx/
You have many choices!
Edit: one more choice. Member @digixmax offers 1.4.3 here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=72246935&postcount=42

Thank you so much @nmyshkin !
You are a star

nmyshkin said:
There seem to be at least 3 ReLaunch forks. The original ends at 1.3.8 (the easiest one to find--Google is your friend). There is then the sequence you are asking about, moving from 1.4 to now 1.4.8. I've attached 1.4.8 below. Don't know anything about it. The source is the Russian The-eBook.org forum and the original ReLaunch thread. Going back from the end of the thread, all earlier versions (all dropbox links) seem to not be available, just like 1.4.
Then there is ReLaunchX which supposedly takes up where the original 1.3.8 left off and renumbers the newer versions starting again with 1.0 (now at 2.x). The GitHub for ReLaunchX is here: https://github.com/Leszek111/ReLaunchX and the app is available on F-Droid: https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.gacode.relaunchx/
You have many choices!
Edit: one more choice. Member @digixmax offers 1.4.3 here: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=72246935&postcount=42
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
marcoNST said:
Thank you so much @nmyshkin !
You are a star
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just rooted using NM and I am using the default system. ReLaunch seems to have a very barebones interface, and I wish I could do certain things (the two main ones is to toggle visibility of the statusbar at will (making any application full screen) using some button or button combination, and the other is to change orientation.
What benefits are there to using a new version?
Thanks!

Winston S. said:
I just rooted using NM and I am using the default system. ReLaunch seems to have a very barebones interface, and I wish I could do certain things (the two main ones is to toggle visibility of the statusbar at will (making any application full screen) using some button or button combination, and the other is to change orientation.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think you can exercise much control over the visibility of the status bar--at least not in Android 2.1. App developers either choose full-screen as the default display mode or give a programmed option which regulates the size of the window in which the app is viewed (essentially covering the status bar). I'd like to be wrong about that and I'll keep looking around a little, but I am not hopeful.
Screen orientation is easily regulated with an app. Probably the best one for the NST is Rotation Locker (there's a copy attached to this post: https://forum.xda-developers.com/nook-touch/themes-apps/app-reading-button-menu-t3815212).
You could theoretically assign a hardware button to the app. All it does is bring up a small menu (Portrait, Landscape, Auto). A simple tap on your choice makes the change, but a long-press sets up a background service that forces the change, even when apps want to resist. You'll see a notification that the service is running. You really need this for the NST because it does not much care for being in landscape mode and many apps will try to escape back into portrait with only a single tap on landscape.
Unfortunately the app suffers from a problem common to many in that it was not designed with e-ink devices in mind. Colors were used in the menu system and they are such that you don't see anything but the menu boxes! I've given you the correct order above, from top to bottom in the menu. A better and more general solution is to slightly darken the background color on all NST menus. This makes most of the offending "invisible" menu choices at least somewhat visible. The change is effected by replacing about 30 images in framework-res.apk. Two sets of images were prepared by someone on the Russian e-book forum. One is lighter and the other darker, but both are darker than the originals. I use the lighter ones.
Alternatively, if you don't expect to be running a lot of apps with potentially unreadable settings or menus but you would like a simple orientation toggle to assign to a hardware button, I could probably just extract that portion from my Reading Now menu app and assemble it as a stand-alone. It still relies on the Rotation Locker app, but you'd never see or interact with the menu, just press a hardware button.

nmyshkin said:
I don't think you can exercise much control over the visibility of the status bar--at least not in Android 2.1. App developers either choose full-screen as the default display mode or give a programmed option which regulates the size of the window in which the app is viewed (essentially covering the status bar). I'd like to be wrong about that and I'll keep looking around a little, but I am not hopeful.
Screen orientation is easily regulated with an app. Probably the best one for the NST is Rotation Locker (there's a copy attached to this post: https://forum.xda-developers.com/nook-touch/themes-apps/app-reading-button-menu-t3815212).
You could theoretically assign a hardware button to the app. All it does is bring up a small menu (Portrait, Landscape, Auto). A simple tap on your choice makes the change, but a long-press sets up a background service that forces the change, even when apps want to resist. You'll see a notification that the service is running. You really need this for the NST because it does not much care for being in landscape mode and many apps will try to escape back into portrait with only a single tap on landscape.
Unfortunately the app suffers from a problem common to many in that it was not designed with e-ink devices in mind. Colors were used in the menu system and they are such that you don't see anything but the menu boxes! I've given you the correct order above, from top to bottom in the menu. A better and more general solution is to slightly darken the background color on all NST menus. This makes most of the offending "invisible" menu choices at least somewhat visible. The change is effected by replacing about 30 images in framework-res.apk. Two sets of images were prepared by someone on the Russian e-book forum. One is lighter and the other darker, but both are darker than the originals. I use the lighter ones.
Alternatively, if you don't expect to be running a lot of apps with potentially unreadable settings or menus but you would like a simple orientation toggle to assign to a hardware button, I could probably just extract that portion from my Reading Now menu app and assemble it as a stand-alone. It still relies on the Rotation Locker app, but you'd never see or interact with the menu, just press a hardware button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are correct about the status bar visibility, I think there is nothing you can do about it if any specific app forces that setting. There is a configuration setting for ReLaunch to not show the status bar, but even then PocketBook Reader will display it.
For the orientation right now I am resorting to starting APV PDF Viewer (which I have set to landscape,) and then starting PocketBook Reader. Because PocketBook doesn't force a specific setting, it will continue on Landscape until I go out and something else changes orientation to Portrait. Rotation Locker seems like the perfect solution to somewhat streamline orientation selection a bit more. Also, I think I'll manage by knowing which selection to press and not care about the lack of visibility of its menu.
Thank you for your kind offer to assemble that menu app with the toggle built in, but I'd hate you to spend time doing that. Instead, I'll investigate more and go through all the posts you have already provided! :good: