Database Develop

[Q] Keeping NC from calling home and/or updating

I'm guessing there's a utility, or utilities, running on the Nook that does things like auto updating the firmware, seeing what books are in your library, what page you're reading, other usage stats, etc.. Has there been any work to disable these spies?
Although I mainly wanted the Nook as a tablet, I'd like to buy a few books, and use it to view a few (Legally owned) PDF files. But if B&N is going to mess with my rooting, or decide something isn't legal, or otherwise decide to remove things off my Nook (Remember the Kindle and 1984?), or spam me based on what I'm reading, I'd rather wipe all B&N software from the device, and just have an Android tablet.
BTW, if the above sounds like a complaint, it's aimed at B&N, not the developers here, for which I am most thankful for all their awesome work!

Since there hasn't been an update yet, nobody is sure if the methods used by other devices will work or not. I believe there are a few threads in the development forum that talk about possible ways of preventing it from auto updating, but they haven't been tested yet to see if they work.
Do some looking in the dev forum or do a search and I"m sure you'll find what I'm talking about. It's a standard method of preventing Android from updating, but no telling if it will work.
Edit:
Here is the thread I was referring to:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=860480&highlight=update

Thanks for the response. I checked the link, and was surprised Android has the auto-update functionality built in. Do you know anything about possible spy applications? Has anyone checked it's internet activity? Any strange processes?

What do you mean it hasn't updated. The day you first powered it on and connected to the internet you got an update, at least mine did.
I imagine you could use wireshark and then turn on your radio and see where the nook goes first. It could have a schedule so maybe completely restore the device and then see the first addresses or urls it goes too on it's own. Once you get that then it's just a matter of entering those urls in the host file with an unresolvable address.

I probably will use Wireshark, when I get my nook (Christmas present). I just didn't want to reinvent the wheel, and be all prepared when I finally get it. I'm surprised there isn't more interest in privacy with the nook.

Mine didn't update when I got it. It's version 1.0.0, and until you set up wifi there is no way for it to get an update. Also, there isn't a way to check for updates. The original Nook had an option to check for updates, not with the NC.

Nook Color 1.1 Confirmed for January

Looks like 1.1 is confirmed for January and will allow you to sideload apps on the NC in development mode. Not certain when Froyo 2.2 will be available, probably when they launch the store front in Q1, maybe it's in 1.1?
connect.nookdeveloper.com/t5/General-Discussion/Nook-Color-Rooting/td-p/901
Also mention of sideloading apps.
connect.nookdeveloper.com/t5/General-Discussion/Can-you-test-your-apps-on-a-real-hardware-now/m-p/47#M18
Good news!
Josh

I guess I'm the grinch who steals the joy from this news...we can already sideload (heck we have a working Market), and based on the original post I seriously doubt Froyo is coming for the ride with the 1.1 update. I think Froyo is much bigger news, and will get it's own announcement.
Not sure what development mode adds, since rooted users already have the goodies. Tell me I missed something...
-Matt

If that is all they added in the update ill be disappointed. Sounds like all they are gonna do is enable adb. Which is easy enough to enable anyways.
Send from my NookColor

Of course it's not big news here!!! You have to consider that it is for those who haven't rooted their unit. You knew it was coming, so why all the negativity?
Cheers,
kev

No negativity here. I probably should have added a few smiles and winks to make it clear that I was (mostly) teasing (i.e,. the grinch comment). I'm a pretty happy owner, and will gobble up whatever news I can find. I think recent developments with Bluetooth and Nookie Froyo are definitely things to celebrate. Maybe 1.1 has something special that we don't see yet.
-Matt

Yeah, apart from froyo, most of the news from B&N will likely not be as exciting as anything from the developers here.
I am curious what this 1.1 update means for the integrity of my currently nootered NC. Should I be concerned when B&N pushes this update my way?
Kev

It's good news to see sideloading for those that do not wish to root..
-CC

Question regarding upcoming Froyo update (packed with v1.1, or otherwise):
If B&N officially updates to 2.2, they open up development mode for app sideloading, and they also allow for the unrestricted use of normal Froyo home screens (and launchers?), will there be any reason remaining to actually "root" the device at that point?
Or, is B&N talking about a severely restricted "development mode" when they say they're going to open it up?
I'm confused...
(I'm new to Android rooting, so please forgive me if this is a dumb question...)

I haven't rooted... yet. Holding out to see what happens w/ 1.1. I'd prefer not to root and just get some basic apps on the device and not lose access to the B&N store. If I can side load a few key apps w/ 1.1, that will hold me off until the B&N Market place is launched Q1. Otherwise I will most likely root.

Am I missing something? I didn't see them say January anywhere in those threads. All I saw was them saying Q1 of 2011.
And this quote makes it sound like the update won't be useful to the average user.
"Within NOOKcolor 1.1 update, we have added "Developer Mode". This enabled approved 3rd party developers to use the Android SDK to test and develop applications on their NOOKcolor devices."
Approved 3rd Party Develepors. Sounds like the only people side loading apps may be those that are approved by B&N.

supersoulfly said:
"Within NOOKcolor 1.1 update, we have added "Developer Mode". This enabled approved 3rd party developers to use the Android SDK to test and develop applications on their NOOKcolor devices."
Approved 3rd Party Develepors. Sounds like the only people side loading apps may be those that are approved by B&N.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And us.
12345678

I must have missed it but where in that thread is there any mention or confirmation that 1.1 is this month?
I see nothing of the sort.

In regards to January, it looks like Ted_Patrick went back and edited his original response.
Re: Nook Color Rooting[ Edited ] 01-05-2011 10:24 AM - last edited on 01-05-2011 07:12 PM
It originally read:
"Within NOOKcolor 1.1. update(January), we have added...."
Now other responses on the subject of 1.1 by him have an "official" response of
"We cannot comment on OS update features or framework support at this time. When we have information to share, we will be very clear and set expectations clearly."
Looks like he may of spilled the beans a bit or been more forth coming w/ info than B&N liked.

jwigginton said:
I haven't rooted... yet. Holding out to see what happens w/ 1.1. I'd prefer not to root and just get some basic apps on the device and not lose access to the B&N store. If I can side load a few key apps w/ 1.1, that will hold me off until the B&N Market place is launched Q1. Otherwise I will most likely root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know who's been scaring you with witchcraft and vodoo, but here are a few facts:
(1) Rooting is very easy. If you're the kind of person who is OK with opening a command prompt and doing things like "listing directories" and "renaming/moving files" it's quick and painless. It also takes less than 5 minutes (probably about 2) to take your device back to stock.
(2) Rooting does very little to the device. The key is that it allows the user to change system files, something that B&N would prefer we didn't do. Several users root their NookColor (NC) and then scratch their heads because they see no obvious change.
(3) Package mods like autonooter only make a few system changes (aside from the several nice system apps they add), in particular, they allow you to sideload apps. Once you do that, you can reorganize the way your NC looks and performs, so that it handles like a vanilla Android device.
(4) Most importantly, ROOTING DOES VIRTUALLY NOTHING TO CHANGE THE B&N INTERFACE. All--I repeat--ALL the things your NC does out of the box, it still does after rooting. Same eReader. Same storefront. Same file browser. Same everything. And I'm all but certain the NC doesn't phone home and complain that it's been rooted. And if it did--since the bootloader isn't locked--I seriously doubt B&N would try to deny you a service. (The more likely scenario is that an OTA update would try to remove root.)
EDIT: several rooted users have lost access to 1-hour free reading in-store (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=860830). So it's not true that nothing is lost. Sorry for overgeneralizing.
I can all but guarantee you that you'll be disappointed by the B&N store. I predict it will have very few developers, and very few "good" free apps. A better way of saying it is this: within 1 or 2 weeks of the B&N app store launching, most users will look at the Android Market, and say "Forget it, I want apps from the Market, not B&N."
-Matt

gadgetrants said:
I don't know who's been scaring you with witchcraft and vodoo, but here are a few facts:
(1) Rooting is very easy. If you're the kind of person who is OK with opening a command prompt and doing things like "listing directories" and "renaming/moving files" it's quick and painless. It also takes less than 5 minutes (probably about 2) to take your device back to stock.
(2) Rooting does very little to the device. The key is that it allows the user to change system files, something that B&N would prefer we didn't do. Several users root their NookColor (NC) and then scratch their heads because they see no obvious change.
(3) Package mods like autonooter only make a few system changes (aside from the several nice system apps they add), in particular, they allow you to sideload apps. Once you do that, you can reorganize the way your NC looks and performs, so that it handles like a vanilla Android device.
(4) Most importantly, ROOTING DOES VIRTUALLY NOTHING TO CHANGE THE B&N INTERFACE. All--I repeat--ALL the things your NC does out of the box, it still does after rooting. Same eReader. Same storefront. Same file browser. Same everything. And I'm all but certain the NC doesn't phone home and complain that it's been rooted. And if it did--since the bootloader isn't locked--I seriously doubt B&N would try to deny you a service. (The more likely scenario
is that an OTA update would try to remove root.)
I can all but guarantee you that you'll be disappointed by the B&N store. I predict it will have very few developers, and very few "good" free apps. A better way of saying it is this: within 1 or 2 weeks of the B&N app store launching, most users will look at the Android Market, and say "Forget it, I want apps from the Market, not B&N."
-Matt
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Still, if you aren't comfortable then don't root. Things can still go wrong. Things can be fixed but you have to have the patience and not freak out when your device goes into a bootloop or just freezes, which I'm not saying it will but there is always that chance.

lopezpm said:
Still, if you aren't comfortable then don't root. Things can still go wrong. Things can be fixed but you have to have the patience and not freak out when your device goes into a bootloop or just freezes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You know, I'm sorry for taking a bull-in-the-china-shop approach. Clearly I would never make it at a technical help desk. You're absolutely right and I should have noted that there's a minimum comfort level...the subtle comment about "OK with command-line editing" probably didn't get the point across.
-Matt

Not everything it does out of the box works after rooting...
gadgetrants said:
I don't know who's been scaring you with witchcraft and vodoo, but here are a few facts:
(1) Rooting is very easy. If you're the kind of person who is OK with opening a command prompt and doing things like "listing directories" and "renaming/moving files" it's quick and painless. It also takes less than 5 minutes (probably about 2) to take your device back to stock.
(2) Rooting does very little to the device. The key is that it allows the user to change system files, something that B&N would prefer we didn't do. Several users root their NookColor (NC) and then scratch their heads because they see no obvious change.
(3) Package mods like autonooter only make a few system changes (aside from the several nice system apps they add), in particular, they allow you to sideload apps. Once you do that, you can reorganize the way your NC looks and performs, so that it handles like a vanilla Android device.
(4) Most importantly, ROOTING DOES VIRTUALLY NOTHING TO CHANGE THE B&N INTERFACE. All--I repeat--ALL the things your NC does out of the box, it still does after rooting. Same eReader. Same storefront. Same file browser. Same everything. And I'm all but certain the NC doesn't phone home and complain that it's been rooted. And if it did--since the bootloader isn't locked--I seriously doubt B&N would try to deny you a service. (The more likely scenario
is that an OTA update would try to remove root.)
I can all but guarantee you that you'll be disappointed by the B&N store. I predict it will have very few developers, and very few "good" free apps. A better way of saying it is this: within 1 or 2 weeks of the B&N app store launching, most users will look at the Android Market, and say "Forget it, I want apps from the Market, not B&N."
-Matt
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The entire reason I have waited to root at this point is the loss of the 1 hour free reading in store, and the instore promotions. None of these are available after you root.
It also seems as if only a couple of people are actively trying to address this, so I continue to wait to root.

rlkelley said:
The entire reason I have waited to root at this point is the loss of the 1 hour free reading in store, and the instore promotions. None of these are available after you root.
It also seems as if only a couple of people are actively trying to address this, so I continue to wait to root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the pointer. Didn't know that (will revise my post). My wife may kill me.
I read the first 4 pages of the thread (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=860830), then skipped to the last. My naive impression is it affecting about 6 out of 10 owners. There are definitely several who are rooted, and not having a problem. I can totally understand not wanting to take the risk.
-Matt

notinterested said:
I must have missed it but where in that thread is there any mention or confirmation that 1.1 is this month?
I see nothing of the sort.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He tweeted about January as well (@__ted__):
"A serious bug in WiFi, a memory leak in browser, and overall tune-ups. 1.1 is coming up later in Jan! "

It was my understanding that you could not buy from the B&N store via your B&N account post-rooting. I'm not sure if I would be authorized to read the books I've purchased due to DRM on them. I've purchased some expensive reference books and don't want to lose access to them, or access to buy more.
I'm also uncertain these things work post-root:
Sharing, Quotes, etc
Lending books.
I'm may root at some point, very comfortable technically. No fear of rooting, just my preference at this point. If I had a microsd and reader, I'd probably done it by now just to experiment.
From reading through the threads, in regards to loading all the "extra stuff" it seems like a lot of... this works, but you need to go an change this or that, change the pixel density to display properly, youtube working, not working, gmail contacts syncing not syncing, this works, but.... you need to use this and then edit this, etc... maybe not everyone's user experience, but defintely some.
So to me, the device is working fine and not having to fiddle with anything to get it working properly. I know myself and if I root, I'll be loading launchers, applications, troubleshooting why this or that doesn't work properly and sounds a bit time consuming and hacking around a bit. I'm not looking for a new "hobby" of figuring out how to get things to run properly and smoothly as I expect from a finished product. I'm using a e-reader and would like some extra social, productivity, and games to pass the time.
Rooting, not rooting... not wrong, just different.

Nook android app on rooted Nook Color

Has anyone been able to run the Nook Android Application on a rooted Nook Color?
When I try to run it, it just exists immediately.

Why would you want to run the android app, when you already have the nook.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App

Nookie Froyo can and from what I've been told works fine, therefore the app works on the screen and such, but for some reason no it doesn't work properly in the B&N ROM.

I have the same experience, that is, immediate exit.
Why run it on the NookColor??
Because the Market app is just better.
Page turning is more like a page turn, the interface is better......
Tried killing native processes and it still won’t work..
No, ideas. I guess I’ll wait for Froyo.

moemoney12 said:
Why would you want to run the android app, when you already have the nook.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I knew someone was going to ask that.
Easy - once you add about 2700 books, the library app on the nookColor shows 0 books. You can still search, but you can no longer browse. (That's using up 2.5GB of space - so just about half).
I have 0 faith that B&N will fix this, so I was thinking perhaps that the android app would not have this limitation.

Whoa....have you reported this bug?
If that's the case i have no doubt it WILL be fixed. Has anyone duplicated this issue with that many books?

cabbieBot said:
Whoa....have you reported this bug?
If that's the case i have no doubt it WILL be fixed. Has anyone duplicated this issue with that many books?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really hope you are right, but I wonder where you get your optimism.
E-mail technical support @ Barnes and Noble is non-existent. So far, the suggestions have ranged form hard resetting the device, to telling me how I can unarchive my books. So I gave up on that.
I called in a few times, and managed to get to the next level up of support, but can't seem to get them to file a bug report in their system. Previous companies I worked for, we would gladly file a bug report and give the customer the #. Not here.
As you can imagine, 2700 books might be considered an edge case - but not for long - especially given that the Nook reads PDFs, etc. 2700 is not all that much.
There's a post here: http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com...ks-in-Library/m-p/770718/highlight/true#M3277 which shows another user concurring. I have seen others with the same issue as well...

Two things.
First, another valid reason to utilize the android app is the ability to use multiple accounts. I personally use three accounts on B&N, and it is super annoying that I have to wipe my account just to read my other books.
Second, if this is a real bug present in the stock Barnes and Noble library, they will fix it. The original NOOK has had five updates to fix bugs and add features, and Barnes and Noble will continue this with the NOOKcolor. The main reason they chose the android OS as opposed to creating their own ( a la kindle or sony) was the easiness of OTA updates.

Two things.
First, another valid reason to utilize the android app is the ability to use multiple accounts. I personally use three accounts on B&N, and it is super annoying that I have to wipe my account just to read my other books.
Second, if this is a real bug present in the stock Barnes and Noble library, they will fix it. The original NOOK has had five updates to fix bugs and add features, and Barnes and Noble will continue this with the NOOKcolor. The main reason they chose the android OS as opposed to creating their own ( a la kindle or sony) was the easiness of OTA updates.

Also, the reason I am looking for it, is the ability to read holding the nook landscape, it is more confortable to me that way.

I prefer the Phone version of the UI in the Nook App and would like my CM7 NC to look the same as some of the button in the tablet version are hard to hit for some reason (especially 'go to shop', 'settings', etc).
I installed the APK that my phone downloaded but the app knows it's a tablet and converts to that. Anyone know how to make it look more like the phone version?

A few questions about NOOKcolor with Froyo and/or Honeycomb

Okay, I picked up a NOOKcolor last week as my entry into both tablets and Android. I was thinking about waiting for the iPad2 but decided that a 1024x600, 7" Android tablet for 1/2-1/3 the price of an iPad was WAY too hard to pass up, especially given that I don't know yet how much I'll actually use a tablet (I think I'll end up using it a ton after a week of ownership, though!).
The first thing I did was upgrade to B&N 1.1 and then root that, and that went very smoothly. I played with that a bit and then decided to try our Nookie Froyo, and that also went relatively well. On the positive side Froyo gave me access to my corporate calendar, cut/copy/paste, and newer versions of the major apps, but on the negative side wifi seemed pretty flaky (mostly related to sleep/resume) and I couldn't figure out how to use the NOOKcolor's richer reader app with magazine, newspaper, and childrens' book support. As a result I ended up going back to the rooted stock version. However, I hate that I've lost corporate calendar access, and for the life of me I can't figure out how to set up a proxy server for when I'm on my corporate wifi.
After a week of playing with this thing, I have three major questions. If these are already clearly answered elsewhere please just say so (ideally with a pointer to the existing answer).
1) I'd like to have both the NOOKcolor reader (vs. the NOOK app on the market) and things that are offered by Froyo (and higher), e.g., corporate calendar. Is that possible? Can I add the Froyo versions of the mail/calendar/contacts apps to 2.1, or conversely can I add the B&N reader to Froyo/Honeycomb?
2) It's just amazing to me that Android doesn't support proxy configuration as a first-class option! Is this something that's been added in Honeycomb? If not, does the custom kernel in Nookie Froyo/Honeycomb support iptables so that I could use one of the proxy configuration tools out there? If so, can someone recommend a tool that's worked for them?
3) How much of a difference does overclocking make in day-to-day use. I'm not talking about benchmark test numbers or a slightly smoother framerate in Angry Birds. I'm talking about using the normal apps like the browser, email clients, and just navigating around in launchers and such. Is it a big enough difference (and a safe enough change) that it's worth doing, or is it more about bragging rights?
Thanks much for all the amazing work folks have done for this device!

BN v1.4.2

1.4.2 is out. Not sure about differences (prep for Hulu, maybe?), but it did an OTA update to my system yesterday. MN 5.02.12 worked like a charm. Just passing along the word.
--Morgan
Sent from my BNRV200 using XDA App

stormerider said:
1.4.2 is out. Not sure about differences (prep for Hulu, maybe?), but it did an OTA update to my system yesterday. MN 5.02.12 worked like a charm. Just passing along the word.
--Morgan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There was a post at the B&N forums that suggested that:
JW63 wrote:
Just got off a chat and was told that Hulu is available with the new 1.4.2 update which was just released today.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't know anything about the credibility of the poster as an inside source (it was a first post), but if HuluPlus has been mostly targeting Gingerbread and up, then some system extensions in the NC to support HuluPlus would seem a reasonable explanation why they couldn't roll out the HuluPlus app with the 1.4.1 update.
They also fixed a white on white menu glitch that seemed to have troubled some people, and a bug introduced in the mail app in 1.4.1 that reloaded emails that had been deleted locally ... but if it really does provide support for HuluPlus, that would be the big bang part of the release.
If this is coming then they'll announce it when the Hulu Plus is added to the app market, since announcing it with the update when its not bundled into the update would cause excessive confusion among the broader user base.

I assume it's still Froyo.

votinh said:
I assume it's still Froyo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's what I'm assuming ~ some people have already got their OTA installs, and nothing as dramatic as a change to Gingerbread has been mentioned. I'd assume if they were going to move it to Gingerbread, they would have done it with the 1.4.1 update.
If the various Nook media tablets had about 7% market share in Q4 2012, that's getting big enough for B&N to get custom builds from Hulu. But if Hulu is porting from a Gingerbread codebase built for the Nook Tablet(s), the development team might be requesting a bit of extra system support from the FroYo Nook Color kernal to make the port easier.
If B&N is positioning the Nook Color as the "color ereader+plus" it originally imagined it to be, and leaving the "budget media tablet+ereader" market segment that independent devs discovered for them to the NT line ...
... Nook Comics and Nook Magazines are the two big checkboxes to have on the color ereader side, and Netflix and HuluPlus are the two major "+plus" checkboxes to tick. And while they got Hulu to commit in public to supporting the NC, the only real timeframe commitment I ever saw was 2012.
So the claim that 1.4.2 includes system additions in support of HuluPlus is certainly plausible ... but its from a first time poster at the B&N boards, so I dunno if its from a credible source.

Market does not work after 1.4.2/Reroot
I got the OTA update, and then re-rooted with manual nooter 5.02.12. Before the OTA, Market was working great. Now I have VERY limited visibility. Can't see most apps and games.
Is there a fix for this? Or do I need to do the unroot/reroot dance of unhappiness?

If you already re-rooted... clear data and cache for market and google framework.

MAntonio said:
I got the OTA update, and then re-rooted with manual nooter 5.02.12. Before the OTA, Market was working great. Now I have VERY limited visibility. Can't see most apps and games.
Is there a fix for this? Or do I need to do the unroot/reroot dance of unhappiness?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try updating with 5.02.19.....working great for me.

I could not install this 1.4.2 update. I tried to update my NC by putting the zip file in the memory through USB connection but nothing happened. I have been using Racks' uSD dual boot method and the CM7 & CM9 work great. I did remove the uSD when I attempt the update. I wonder if there is some changes to the Nook that blocked the update (and Nook apps installation) even I am using the uSD approach. I guess I'll have to leave it at 1.2 as I use it mostly with CM7/CM9 anyway.

Or you could follow these directions

I actually found an easier way to clean install back stock system software from another forum. I may do that if I ever need to go back to Nook (e.g. to obtain warranty service). For now, CM7 serves me well. I can even access my Nook books in CM7. So there is no urgent need to revert it back.