Related
Honeycomb on Nook is awesome, the work done here is impressive. Congratulations!
I want to try it out, giving a Nook Honeycomb, and use it instead of a Moto Xoom (it's impressive, but I doesn't need the big screen, HDMI, cameras, dual-core CPU...)
what I need is a small tablet so that I can:
# browse and read news etc.
# use Gmail
# watch a few videos (YouTube or files)
# maybe read e-books (Kindle, B&N)
# run various small apps (maybe some games) - from Android Market
And I want:
# 6" or 7" display
# low weight
# long battery life
# WiFi
# 3G through a Bluetooth connection to my phone
# and low cost
Thats not an 800 USD Xoom for that. But a Nook with HoneyComb!
I'm not a developer but a relatively technical user, so I'm not afraid of buying a Nook and try out some stuff.
But I have som questions and would like some input. I may have misunderstood things and I apologize for stupid questions.
First decisions/questions:
1; what is eMMC? I can see that I should choose between SD or EmmC, so this is probably a fairly basic decision.
2; I gather I need to choose which port of Honeycomb to use. Right? (I have listed a few below).
3; it appears to be possible to either boot Android Honeycomb from the SD-card. Does that mean I can use the Nook as it was delivered if the SD card isn't present?
4; Is there any other basic decisions I need to take?
There's lots of posts here, and I've been reading back and forth, and from what I see this is what I need:
# get a Nook
# get a microSD card. Is there any recommendations?
# get a Honeycomb image/build. Could be:
-http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=936995 by deeper-blue
-http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=925451 by dalingrin
-http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=954902 by phiredrop
# overclock the Nook to 1 or 1.1 GHz
# Disabling B&N OTA updates (or is this done automatically?)
# Dualboot?
# Installing various apps
# Network using Bluetooth - how?
Is this too deep water for me or should I plunge in?!
I personally think that you should dive in. Now first emmc is the name of the nooks internal memory.
I would recommend buying one and first using a micro SD to boot honeycomb and decide if you want to run it. It's a great port and great os but its not prime time yet on the nook.. I use it only, and even with its faults it is too 'tablet friendly' for me to switch.
YouTube is tricky at best. Ill let someone with more experience post about it. In my experience it's not real reliable for some reason
Sent from one of those missing Droids
I love my nook color, and it has a bright future. But u mentioned you wanted 3g and Bluetooth. Those are not available as of yet on nook color. I'm not sure if it has those internal components or not.
But it is a very capable device. Mine is setup comparable to the galaxy tab I would say, after rooting it and adding a custom rom.
Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk
Thanks for the answers so far!
I can live without 3G/BlueTooth.
And I can live without YouTube. That will probably fixed along the way.
Is the current Honeycomb builds based on a prerelease SDK or is considered a final release?
Caspar07 said:
Thanks for the answers so far!
I can live without 3G/BlueTooth.
And I can live without YouTube. That will probably fixed along the way.
Is the current Honeycomb builds based on a prerelease SDK or is considered a final release?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can't use bluetooth for data, but you could certainly tether your nook to your smartphone. That's what I plan to do when I find myself without a wireless connection.
EDIT: Oh and you could visit the actual youtube website if you have flash installed (on a 2.2 or higher ROM).
Definately dive in. Buy a few microSD cards. Start by rooting the stock firmware and play with a launcher and the market. It's the most stable.
Install Honeycomb on an SD card and boot it. It's not bad but will be much improved in the next few weeks.
No bluetooth yet but you can wifi tether to your phone if your phone supports it.
BanditRider said:
Start by rooting the stock firmware and play with a launcher and the market. It's the most stable.
Install Honeycomb on an SD card and boot it. It's not bad but will be much improved in the next few weeks.
No bluetooth yet but you can wifi tether to your phone if your phone supports it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"Rooting stock firmware"?
Does that mean sort of copying the firmware, so You can restore later?
Again: good replies, much appreciated
To get you started.
At $250, the Nook Color sucks as an eReader. But as an android tablet, its the best purchase you could make. Nothing else comes close. Some notes on your comments.
1. The Nook Color(NC) has a boot priority to the microSD card, making it nearly impossible to 'brick.' I'd reccommend having two sd cards. A good class 10 one for your daily use, and a cheap 1gb one to keep a copy of clockwork recovery for quick repairs.
2. The bluetooth doesn't work, even though the device has the hardware. At this point, there is no speculation of it working in the forseeable future. HOWEVER, it works great using the WiFi hotspot on my HTC evo.
3. The device will run android 2.1 (eclair), 2.2 (froyo), 2.3 (gingerbread), and 3.0 (Honeycomb). All four have their issues. I've tested them all thoroughly, and prefer the standard 2.1 (also called stock NC) build for its stability. Feel free to try them all.
IF YOU SHOULD BUY ONE:
Instructions to root
Instructions to build a recovery SD card
Instructions on how to make root stock NC work well for you
Remember these links. They'll save you the hours of time I lost.
YouTube and Flash work perfectly for me on the 2.2 phiremod beta2 rom. I would say it is pretty stable. But if one is new to root they should just get used to rooting first. We are also over at androidtablets if you need help http://www.androidtablets.net/forum/nook/
The above link for rooting seems broken. Here is the NookDevs links http://nookdevs.com/NookColor_Rooting *edit nevermind it's working sorry
Thank you
I've not yet done any recover steps after auto nootering a few weeks ago. This is going to help me go do these steps this weekend.
Tethering is going to be something i need come summer vacation where there's no connection any place, i have the MOTO Droid, and PDANet, so i'll try that some day soon, see if it holds up.
admiralnorman said:
At $250, the Nook Color sucks as an eReader. But as an android tablet, its the best purchase you could make. Nothing else comes close. Some notes on your comments.
1. The Nook Color(NC) has a boot priority to the microSD card, making it nearly impossible to 'brick.' I'd reccommend having two sd cards. A good class 10 one for your daily use, and a cheap 1gb one to keep a copy of clockwork recovery for quick repairs.
2. The bluetooth doesn't work, even though the device has the hardware. At this point, there is no speculation of it working in the forseeable future. HOWEVER, it works great using the WiFi hotspot on my HTC evo.
3. The device will run android 2.1 (eclair), 2.2 (froyo), 2.3 (gingerbread), and 3.0 (Honeycomb). All four have their issues. I've tested them all thoroughly, and prefer the standard 2.1 (also called stock NC) build for its stability. Feel free to try them all.
IF YOU SHOULD BUY ONE:
Instructions to root
Instructions to build a recovery SD card
Instructions on how to make root stock NC work well for you
Remember these links. They'll save you the hours of time I lost.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to use an Adhoc method to tether droid to autonootered nook I believe. It doesn't work as is right off the bat with a 2.1 nook color and droid1.
Caspar07 said:
....But I have som questions and would like some input. I may have misunderstood things and I apologize for stupid questions.
First decisions/questions:
1; what is eMMC? I can see that I should choose between SD or EmmC, so this is probably a fairly basic decision.
2; I gather I need to choose which port of Honeycomb to use. Right? (I have listed a few below).
3; it appears to be possible to either boot Android Honeycomb from the SD-card. Does that mean I can use the Nook as it was delivered if the SD card isn't present?
4; Is there any other basic decisions I need to take?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was in the same boat... wanted a tablet to do pretty much what you are looking for... after reading the threads here, I got a Nookcolor...
1.. eMMC is the Nook's internal memory, where its current/stock B&N OS and apps are stored and run from. If you wanted to use a "custom rom" like Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, you could install it to eMMC, overwriting the stock B&N stuff... BUT you don't have to.
2. Right now, the honeycomb ports out there are based on the Pre-Release SDK (software dev kit), and made to work on an actual device, i.e. the NookColor. Because of this, it has some limits and bugs. The best HC Ports will come once HC goes AOSP (hopefully soon since the XOOM, which uses HC, is now for sale).
3. The NookColor is setup to try and boot from MicroSD card first, and if no OS on MicroSD, then boot off the eMMC. So, you could load up a card with another OS, play with it, and NOT TOUCH the stock B&N stuff... just pop the card in when you want to boot the other OS, and pop it out when you want to go "stock" (that is what I'm doing now).
This also means you can make up a MicroSD card strictly for the purpose of recovering/reloading the OS on your NookColor if something goes wrong when trying to install an alternate OS to the eMMC. (i.e. helps you "unbrick" your device).
Note: when getting a MicroSD card to boot an alternate OS from, its generally better to get a higher class card as they are usually faster (means the OS runs faster/smoother). But some of the lessor known brands often don't live up to their class ratings. And there have been issues with some people getting certain Class 10 (fastest) 16gig cards, so you'll have to do some home work, searching and reading the threads to decide on which card to buy.
4. You have many choices to make. Do you want to run stock B&N os/firmware (Eclair/2.1) as is out of the box? Do you want to root the stock OS and add your own apps? Do you want to try one of the Froyo (2.2), Gingerbread (2.3, the CM7 builds) or Honeycomb (3.0) ports and do you want to run them from MicroSD (slower) or eMMC (faster)?
While Wifi works with each Froyo and HC build I've tried, Bluetooth doesn't work with any of them.
Each port of Froyo, Gingerbread and HC has its own positives and negatives, so you have to investigate and figure out which one works best for you as a daily driver.
Me, I left the stock B&N NookColor OS and Apps untouched, and loaded up one MicroSD (Sandisk 8G class4) with Froyo following this thread -> http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=922324
And I loaded up another MicroSD card using the HC Preview v4, but it didn't meet my needs, so I'm waiting on the AOSP of HC to try again.
admiralnorman said:
...
3. The device will run android 2.1 (eclair), 2.2 (froyo), 2.3 (gingerbread), and 3.0 (Honeycomb). All four have their issues. I've tested them all thoroughly, and prefer the standard 2.1 (also called stock NC) build for its stability. Feel free to try them all.
....
Remember these links. They'll save you the hours of time I lost.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great help - thanks.
Still one question:
Is lack of stability in Honeycomb due to the fact that it's still early and very new, or is it due to incompatible hardware?
This is getting increasingly interesting
Caspar07 said:
Great help - thanks.
Still one question:
Is lack of stability in Honeycomb due to the fact that it's still early and very new, or is it due to incompatible hardware?
This is getting increasingly interesting
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really. Its kind of a developer's platform. So its made to run on a generic android device. As the programmer type people around here play with it, it gets better and better.
Sent from my HTC Evo 4g using XDA App
KidJoe said:
I was in the same boat... wanted a tablet to do pretty much what you are looking for... after reading the threads here, I got a Nookcolor...
...
And I loaded up another MicroSD card using the HC Preview v4, but it didn't meet my needs, so I'm waiting on the AOSP of HC to try again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the lengthy answer. That was a helpful explanation.
Caspar07 said:
Great help - thanks.
Still one question:
Is lack of stability in Honeycomb due to the fact that it's still early and very new, or is it due to incompatible hardware?
This is getting increasingly interesting
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The devs currently do not have the Honeycomb source. What exists now has been pieced together from the emulator and is glitchy. Once they have the source (which should be soon as the XOOM is out now) we should begin to see improvements in HC roms.
Also, please recognize that not everyone has stability issues. I've been running the initial version of Sam's "flashable" Deeper Bulue image for 2 weeks, and don't have any stability issues.
It really depends on what apps you want to run. I have market working fine, with lots of apps downloaded. I did the ADHOC tweak early on, and can connect to wireless networks pretty much at will.
I read quite a bit, and spend a lot of "nook time" using it as an eReadr. I've worked my way through a number of books using the B&B Reader, Kindle, and Aldiko without any issues.
It's not a "production" image, but for me it works well.
admiralnorman said:
The bluetooth doesn't work, even though the device has the hardware. At this point, there is no speculation of it working in the forseeable future. HOWEVER, it works great using the WiFi hotspot on my HTC evo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just got an execuse to buy myself a new gadget - a HTC Evo or similar
"Is the Nook Color the right Android tablet for me?"
I think the easiest way to answer this question is by how much you enjoy tinkering with things. If you want a tablet that "just works" then you'll want a Xoom or Galaxy Tab. But if you love playing and learning about how your gadgets work 'under the hood' then the Nook Color will be the best gadget purchase you've made in awhile.
I've honestly spent more time "getting it to work perfectly" than I have actually using it, but I've loved every minute of it. I won't lie, Java and/or Linux experience is a big plus, but by no means necessary.
admiralnorman said:
At $250, the Nook Color sucks as an eReader. But as an android tablet, its the best purchase you could make. Nothing else comes close.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just bought a Nook Color about a half hour ago and this post made me feel so much better about it. I've been debating it for some time and decided to take the plunge. I was worried that I might be late to the game but it has only been out for like 3 months.
Can anyone point me in the direction of Honeycomb for the NC? EDIT: Unless someone recommends a better ROM for now?
By the way, my name is Raj and I'll be spending lots of time here!
Hi all, i know this is a far fetched qustion but i am hoping this is possible or hackable at least is there anyway for me to boot any android os into a laptop g.b h.c or ics that would be amazing..??!!!
Yes its possible. I didnt pay much attention to it but Asus posted something about it on facebook a few weeks back. They had a working version of Android on certain laptop models that people could try out but it was limited to few models. I think you had to make a partition or make a boot disk/usb to do so though. ill try n google for it.
Edit: Found this - http://www.android-x86.org/download Only works for some laptops/netbooks though
yeah i found this yesterday i have a amd and gigabyte m.b. and not one worked almost got it but failed!! thanks man!!!
you could also install and run ICS in virtual box. Works like a charm.
Sent from my Xoom using xda premium
i could never get it to work dude i guess i just don't have the right version or something i am not sure what one i need.. would like a netbook with ics on it
Saw a Video of The Razr with ICS using webtop on youtube. It seems smoother and it looks alot like ics now. I guess u can always wait until Bionic gets ics and u find a cheap lapdock o.o
there's always Android virtual emulator SDK if you don't mind the speed lol
What type of settings should be used when setting up VirtualBox for Android?
Also, there's many different downloads available of the Android ISO, they seem to be designed for different chipsets... can VirtualBox accomodate all of them?
For example, for the 4.0 RC1 there's one for AMD Brazos, one for ASUS Laptops, ASUS Eee PCs, etcetera.
This may not be the right place to ask all these questions... but if the answer is simple it'd be appreciated!
I don't know if anyone has found this one yet, but I know that I will give my Ubuntu a nice overhaul look.
http://www.addictivetips.com/ubuntu...he-android-ics-4-0-look-with-ice-cream-shell/
dude that's awesome might have to give it a try !!
I will be getting a TouchPad in the next few days for around 100$, and I was wondering what kind of stuff I should look into if I just simply refuse to use it stock.
I have plenty of experience with Android Roms, and have done quite a number on my Nook Color, Milestone X (The non-Verizon Droid X), and my old HTC Hero.
But after browsing these forums and sub-forums a bit, I realized that there are just so many different choices when it comes to what your TouchPad is running.
I have seen Ubuntu and many different versions of linux, android, windows, and even just enhancing webOS.
What are the best choices and resources to get stared with? So I don't turn my new tablet into a cutting board.
LOL Cutting board...Nice
As far as Android is concerned we have CM9...which is pretty awesome...most nightlies are very stable...they have all the main mods and features....then we have AOKP, which is a kang on CM9 and we have other similar roms..most of them are kanged from CM9....There is ClassicNerd rom, which is not kanged from CM9, its faster but less features...
You can find most stuff related to Android or ubuntu dev here or rootzwiki...
WebOS enhancement can found here http://forums.webosnation.com/
Thanks, Viny.
Do you think you could point me in the direction of where I can get this "HP Doctor" thing explained?
grizzbud said:
Thanks, Viny.
Do you think you could point me in the direction of where I can get this "HP Doctor" thing explained?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Buddy, for all the tweaks and mods for Webos, read this guide it has links to webOS doctor and easy instructions on how to use it..
I'm pretty curious about the Touchpad too. They're not as cheap here in europe, but I found a 32GB model for 260 Euros. I've fallen in love with the glossy black surfaces already and I'm dying to get my hands on one.
Is it a good idea? I'm dying to try out WebOS but at the same time, wanting to experience Android on a tablet. So this sounds like a perfect device.
What functionality do I gain if I load CM9 onto it as well? Can I attach external storage devices or a mouse via USB?
GigiAUT said:
I'm pretty curious about the Touchpad too. They're not as cheap here in europe, but I found a 32GB model for 260 Euros. I've fallen in love with the glossy black surfaces already and I'm dying to get my hands on one.
Is it a good idea? I'm dying to try out WebOS but at the same time, wanting to experience Android on a tablet. So this sounds like a perfect device.
What functionality do I gain if I load CM9 onto it as well? Can I attach external storage devices or a mouse via USB?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
with CM9/android, you get whole lot f functionality man. CM9/ICS on touchpad has most of the functionality except camera..and some audio issues...Once you go android, u might not go back to webos....
I highly recommend AOKP and ArchLinuxARM.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
What's the difference between AOKP and CM 9? I've installed CM9 and I'm pretty amazed so far. Just the problem with the much, webcam, and some, sound issues but otherwise, I love it.
Sent from my cm_tenderloin using Tapatalk 2
I keep thinking, we'll have convergence on the Bionic. On stock, it already had convergence, but with hardware acceleration and a stable build, we could get performance similar to that of a Chromebook in a Phone. In addition, we can dual boot, so we have Android AND Ubuntu. Is anyone else excited about it, or is it just me who's a fan of convergence?
Convergence could be very cool
I would love to see Ubuntu on any phone. The Ubuntu Edge idea looks awesome, but I think having the ability to use my Android phone and then run Ubuntu by connecting to a tv or monitor would make my phone even more useful.
Someone smarter than me should make it happen!
ifly85 said:
having the ability to use my Android phone and then run Ubuntu by connecting to a tv or monitor would make my phone even more useful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gingerbread on the Bionic did this, with webtop (2.0?). The original/stock build was quite clunky and slow, but a very cool idea. Some people even stripped the build down, added in the rest of the arm build of Ubuntu, set up swap partitions, and ended up with amazing and ideal setups.
I would love to see this idea come back around in android devices. Alas, chroot with vnc is the closest to that dream at the moment.
sent from a Bionic
I've noticed that some new people are still trickling in to the Bionic scene, and stumble over old/outdated guides, ROMs, root methods, etc. So I figured I'd post up a refresher on the current state of things. Hopefully this is more helpful than spamful.
(this is the first time I'm writing one of these posts, so please judge hard
TLDR tips:
HDMI can only be used on Stock based ROMs, or alternatively in AOSP ROMs by installing the JBX-kernel.
You must use Linux, or a Virtual Machine running Linux (easy method) to root JB (though there is apparently one other way using safe root).
ROMs that predate the JB update won't boot on JB firmware.
Bootstrap will (soft) brick a Bionic on JB firmware.
The Bionic is locked, we use "SafeStrap" as our recovery to install ROMs, flash zips, etc.
Downgrading below JB is not (yet) possible. Maybe one day, but I don't cross fingers.
House of Moto is your (soft) brick buster, RSD alternative for clean wipes, upgrade tool to JB from ICS/GB.
Firmwares / Moto updates / Android Versions
There have been just a few official updates from Moto for the Bionic, and none have been reversible (excluding some ICS leaks). The current most updated official version is moto-98.72.22 on android-4.1.2 or Jelly Bean. Updating to JB will cause removal of any previous root access.
A much easier way to update is to use the House of Moto; it'll perform a FDR and optionally wipe your SD card, but it is the easier/more thorough/recommended update path.
Current official update : cdma_targa_9.8.2O-72_VZW-22_cfc.xml.zip
md5sum : 1481ac6035682b732f76a621a36a9153
Info about other firmwares/updates/OTAs (.905, .2233, .232, .246 FXZs)
The Bionic has had a number of updates, some official and some leaked. There was a security change during its course of history, and because of it we are not able to downgrade the firmware after a certain point.
You may find some threads lingering around about old updates and OTAs. Here is a bit of info about them, in chronological order (or at least to the best of my knowledge).
GB
Blur_Version.5.9.902.XT875.Verizon.en.US FXZ
Blur_Version.5.9.905.XT875.Verizon.en.US.zip OTA
ICS leaks
232
235
238
6.7.242
6.7.244
ICS
Blur_Version.6.7.246.XT875.Verizon.en.US FXZ
JB
Blur_Version.98.72.22.XT875.Verizon.en.US FXZ
twinkyz1979 outlines which versions can downgrade back to 905 and below here.
Basically, there was a change in some security code between the leaked firmwares .232 and .235. Before this change, the Bionic was able to jump back and forth from 902 to 232 and between. Once the Bionic is updated to 235, it is not able to go back down any more, and can only go up on each firmware.
Root
A thread here detailing the easy method, using a VM by marty45714
Thread describing the Linux-only method, for native *nix users
As of this post, there is only one root method for Bionics on the official JB firmware. The method requires a Linux installation, and uses a samba share exploit. There is NO way to get around this requirement, though it is possible to run a Virtual Machine on top of Windows to achieve this.
An alternative way to root may be to use "safe root". I am unfamiliar to this method and haven't tried it myself. A youtube video shows the process. I haven't come across any threads detailing any further (feel free to tip me if you find any).
Recovery / Safestrap
You can get it from Hashcode's website.
We used to have a tool around called Bootstrap, but it does not work with the current JB update so please do not try it on JB. It will cause a (soft) brick and other messes.
Safestrap is a work around for our locked bootloaders. Once you install it, you have the option to make up to 4 "safe" slots to flash ROMs to. It's comparable to dual-booting. Although it is possible to flash ROMs over your stock/"unsafe" slot, it's unnecessary and dangerous (in my opinion, of course).
The slots reside on your internal-SD, and can each have your choice of 2/3/4 GB in size of a Data partition (for app installs).
ROMs
This section can sort of be divided into 2 subsections; Blur/stock based ROMs and Kexec/AOSP ROMs
Kexec ROMs do not (yet)can now support HDMI (not docks?) with the help from a kernel. Webtop is not found on these ROMs.
Kexec ROMs can be more or less stable than Stock ROMs, but usually contain more experimental and reversed code.
As far as loading pre JB Kexec ROMs onto a JB Bionic, I've never wondered about that until this moment. If anyone knows, please let me know.
-----
Stock ROMs cannot be updated/based on a version of android that Moto has not updated us to (nothing greater than 4.1.2 JB as of this post).
Stock ROMs are pretty likely to be your stable ROMs, being mostly based on moto's code and not so much including experimental code.
There are still some GB/ICS stock ROMs that are floating around, and these cannot be loaded onto a Bionic that is updated to JB.
Stock ROMs can use the HDMI port and docks.
Kernels
A third-party kernel can be loaded with some AOSP ROMs to add/change features. A project called JBX-kernel is being developed by dtrail1 for 4.4 ROMs and is aimed primarily at low power consumption, while having options for performance as well.
House of Moto
A guide written by bigv5150 (Windows/Linux/Mac)
It is posted in the droid ultra forums, but can apply to the Bionic. The root method (if still included) will not work on JB Bionic.
A very handy tool, put together by SamuriHL. If you find yourself stuck with a non-booting Bionic, this is your next step. It is also handy for completely wiping your Bionic (think FDR but for all partitions in the phone) (this wipe will erase root).
If you need to use this tool, you're expected to read all the instruction before downloading, reading the instruction again before launching it, and reading the instruction while using it just in case. You can mess some things up using this tool, and you can clean some big messes with it as well. Pretty much every question about using it has been asked and answered already. Tread carefully my friend
Verizon alternatives
I haven't played in this area yet, but I may be soon.
So far I've seen people use their Bionics on pageplus, cricket, T-mobile, and I've seen efforts for getting on Boost mobile and at&t. But I don't know much about this.
Some helpful links :
Patch to fully enable GSM on Verizon CDMA Android phones
Thanks to bedwa for the tip
If any thread or download links become dead, let me know. I have found many alternates, made copies, and have backed up and stored most Bionic related material I've come across, except for most ROMs.
I thought I'd list some ROMs here, divided by their status (Stock vs Kexec). These are (semi) current, and you should be able to find these and load them up on any Bionic updated to stock JB :
Stock based
RAGING BIONIC
Blurry
Call of Droid
FlyingJelly
Gameblur
Revolution-Unleashed
Kexec
Cyanogenmod
Cool Blu
Eclipse v5
LiquidSmooth
CyanFox
Avatar
PACman
CarbonRom
Mokee OpenSource
Gummy
AOKP
Thanks to KenanAlcorn for the tips
Basically, if you see "Stock / moto / no gapps needed" then its a Stock based ROM. (webtop, docks, hdmi)
If you see "Gapps / CM / AOSP / AOKP / Kexec " or an android version number > 4.1.2 then it's a Kexec ROM. (no webtop, docks, hdmi).
I'd be happy to add links, if they would be helpful to any one. Though I don't want to upset anybody. Some ROMs are released exclusively on some forums, in order to keep a hold on issue tracking and other such things. If you see this, I'd be glad to link to any ROMs with permissions.
Great post for the bionic noob!
Sent from my KK DROID BIONIC using my fingers
Thanks for this, I'm sure it will help out a lot of bionic beginners. A few KEXEC ROMs you could add to that list are Mokee OpenSource, Gummy, and AOKP.
chrisp6825 said:
Verizon alternatives
I haven't played in this area yet, but I may be soon.
So far I've seen people use their Bionics on pageplus, cricket, T-mobile, and I've seen efforts for getting on Boost mobile and at&t. But I don't know much about this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As long as things are done right, running it on AT&T is no issues whatsoever.
You follow the instructions in the Q&A section (Root, NV edit and Prop Edits) I have been using CM 11 with no issues, tethering the whole 9 yards.
I Flash this zip Here. This Zip is GOLD.
Thanks for this! Great post
XT875 Running CyanFox
Thanks! I recently reset my computer and lost all of the settings I had when I first rooted my Bionic. This is a great thread to help if that were to happen again!
This will sound weird, but I'm one of the guys that NEVER got the official JB firmware from Verizon. And I'm running SlimKat just fine through Safestrap ROM slots, and my last official firmware is the official ICS release.
Right now I have 3 slots
Stock = Technically Icarus HD, but it's still based on stock
Slot 1 = My "daily driver" Cyanogen MOD 10, NOT the latest (I think I'm still on 10.1.2 when they're up to 10.2.1 already)
Slot 2 = SlimKat, not the latest either, I think it's a beta from February 2014.
I switch among them "at will" via Safestrap, and I got SlimKat pretty dialed in now.
So if people are having problems upgrading to JB... Or problems with firmware after JB OTA, perhaps they shouldn't do it, and just live with the previous firmware? What are the potential problems?
kschang said:
So if people are having problems upgrading to JB... Or problems with firmware after JB OTA, perhaps they shouldn't do it, and just live with the previous firmware? What are the potential problems?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as I can tell, there are no true benefits to upgrading to JB, as opposed to staying on ICS. Any benefits can easily be found in a CM based ROM (now are fairly stable, even on 11/Kk).
But just to clarify, once you begin the JB upgrade process, you most likely cannot abort or undo it. You risk a great chance of messing the flashing process up and potentially bricking.
If the upgrade completes, you most certainly cannot go back to ICS (as of yet).
(All in regards to the official moto upgrades, JB, ICS, etc)
Sent from my XT875 using Tapatalk 2
Yeah, that's what I figured. Since I'm KEXEC'ing SlimKat I see no reason to do the official JB upgrade at all. My ROM at the time was to customized to run the FXZ upgrade.
There are a few things to note:
1) Only stock based ROMs have dock support... ANY dock support. That includes HD dock, Nav Dock, clock/desk dock, etc.
HashCode said NavDock was on the todo list for CM10 for MONTHS... until Bionic fell off the scope. So I guess that's our "last best hope".
You can work around the Nav Dock by having in-car bluetooth autorun the car mode app. Not as convenient, but tolerable.
2) Only stock based ROMs have WebTop support... if any one still use that.
CM11 NavDock DOES work
kschang said:
...
1) Only stock based ROMs have dock support... ANY dock support. That includes HD dock, Nav Dock, clock/desk dock, etc.
HashCode said NavDock was on the todo list for CM10 for MONTHS... until Bionic fell off the scope. So I guess that's our "last best hope".
You can work around the Nav Dock by having in-car bluetooth autorun the car mode app. Not as convenient, but tolerable.
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There was a commit back around 04/08/2014 that enabled USB analog dock audio for OMAP4; there was another dock-related OMAP4 commit on 04/06/2014 as well. Since the 04/09/2014 nightly build on CM11, my Moto NavDock works - the phone automatically recognizes NavDock insertion and opens my chosen car mode app (I use IBolt as my dock screen software), and closes out from it upon removal. Audio via the dock's split USB cable functions as well. The phone successfully recognizes and sets car mode (seen in notifications), but you need a program installed to handle car mode, as otherwise it does nothing.
Shakkuras said:
There was a commit back around 04/08/2014 that enabled USB analog dock audio for OMAP4; there was another dock-related OMAP4 commit on 04/06/2014 as well. Since the 04/09/2014 nightly build on CM11, my Moto NavDock works - the phone automatically recognizes NavDock insertion and opens my chosen car mode app (I use IBolt as my dock screen software), and closes out from it upon removal. Audio via the dock's split USB cable functions as well. The phone successfully recognizes and sets car mode (seen in notifications), but you need a program installed to handle car mode, as otherwise it does nothing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I noticed that the 4/15 nightly of SlimKat does this too. May have to revise my statement.
A couple notes on hardware...
1) It is possible to replace the trim piece (that metalic looking cover on top that goes around the screen and buttons, has the Verizon logo), you can often find it on Amazon or eBay, but it's a pretty involved process as it uses a trimmed sheet adhesive. Probably not worth the effort, just put a case on it.
2) I got the Diztronic case that fits the extended battery. Fits like a glove, cheap (about $10) feels grippy and pliant, doesn't add too much bulk (still fits into docks).
3) You can get super-extended battery that's even bigger than the BX8 extended battery, but those often requires its own battery back, and thus no longer fit into docks. If you have no docks this doesn't affect you much, except those super-sized setup are too big to fit into belt cases and such, so you'll have to carry the phone naked, and the battery backs often comes with bad tolerance problems. I bought one and I had to sand down a lot of areas to get it to fit properly.
4) If you have the extended battery, your best option for belt case is... wait for it... a Mophie Juicepack Belt Case for iPhone 5, available at most Best Buys for $29.95. It's designed for iPhone 5 with the extended battery case by Mophie, but it fits the Bionic quite well. Your other option is order one of those (p)leather cases off Amazon. There's one that has the clip AND two belt loops for under $10, and it fits surprisingly well.
5) The best car dock is still the Moto NavDock.
Very useful to me,thanks a lot.
从我的 XT875 上通过 xda-developers.com 发送 powered by appyet.com
Just wanted to note, I've moved much of my focus to a new device (moto x), and won't be paying full attention to the Bionic development anymore.
I do still have the device and am planning to use for a project in the future, although it's battery is seriously shot (wont hold a charge for more than 7 hours, even with screen off the whole time).
I still checkout the various forums I used to frequent over the years, but I know that will become less and less over time.
If anyone spots any out-dated info in this thread, please feel free to post here or PM me to let me know, and I'll update the original posts. I'm glad this thread was able to help a few people, and I hope it continues to help long after activity dies and info is buried.
Live long Bionic scene, the most helpful/entertaining/surprising phone group I've been a part of. lol
chrisp6825 said:
Just wanted to note, I've moved much of my focus to a new device (moto x), and won't be paying full attention to the Bionic development anymore.
I do still have the device and am planning to use for a project in the future, although it's battery is seriously shot (wont hold a charge for more than 7 hours, even with screen off the whole time).
I still checkout the various forums I used to frequent over the years, but I know that will become less and less over time.
If anyone spots any out-dated info in this thread, please feel free to post here or PM me to let me know, and I'll update the original posts. I'm glad this thread was able to help a few people, and I hope it continues to help long after activity dies and info is buried.
Live long Bionic scene, the most helpful/entertaining/surprising phone group I've been a part of. lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks again for doing this, you may be moving to greater things but your legacy lives in the Bionic forums :good:
Confirm Alt Root Method
Root
A thread here detailing the easy method, using a VM by marty45714
Thread describing the Linux-only method, for native *nix users
As of this post, there is only one root method for Bionics on the official JB firmware. The method requires a Linux installation, and uses a samba share exploit. There is NO way to get around this requirement, though it is possible to run a Virtual Machine on top of Windows to achieve this.
An alternative way to root may be to use "safe root". I am unfamiliar to this method and haven't tried it myself. A youtube video shows the process. I haven't come across any threads detailing any further (feel free to tip me if you find any).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just wanted to confirm that the second method in the Rootjunky YouTube video above does work as advertised. Much simpler than setting up a Linux VM. Thanks for all of the info.
I think towelroot was also reported to work. IIRC, it is for Android 4.4.2 and lower.
edit: ok, maybe not - I just tried it on one. (unless there is a modstring you can enter in the app in the place you enter those to get it working on this phone)
there was a time when I felt like I knew all there was to know about the Bionic...3 phones later, i don't remember so much about the early days. I have a bionic on .905 (as to preserve the original web top). I probably have to keep it on crap software, which is ok. I want the appropriate version of Eclipse (for that many moons ago, i think 6/2012) os I can at least have a custom rom that supports web top/hdmi dock/car dock/wireless charging. i honestly just found out today that the bionic works with it...and picked up the back for $5 on ebay. :0 anyway, My question that i do not remember the answer to is what versions of safestrap can i use and stay on .905 . the newest one (1/2015) would be awesome, but somehow, i doubt that works. I don't want to make the only Bionic i still have on GB a sacrificial experiment, but at the time i left it on .905, i had 3 bionics and there was a reason i didn't upgrade safestrap. i just can't find and don't remember why. anyone have a copy of Eclipse? thank you!!
kitcostantino said:
there was a time when I felt like I knew all there was to know about the Bionic...3 phones later, i don't remember so much about the early days. I have a bionic on .905 (as to preserve the original web top). I probably have to keep it on crap software, which is ok. I want the appropriate version of Eclipse (for that many moons ago, i think 6/2012) os I can at least have a custom rom that supports web top/hdmi dock/car dock/wireless charging. i honestly just found out today that the bionic works with it...and picked up the back for $5 on ebay. :0 anyway, My question that i do not remember the answer to is what versions of safestrap can i use and stay on .905 . the newest one (1/2015) would be awesome, but somehow, i doubt that works. I don't want to make the only Bionic i still have on GB a sacrificial experiment, but at the time i left it on .905, i had 3 bionics and there was a reason i didn't upgrade safestrap. i just can't find and don't remember why. anyone have a copy of Eclipse? thank you!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Newest safestrap has to have jellybean kernel don't flash it, stay on the 3. X that your on, no need to update I miss webtop2 so bad
Sent from my Z970 using XDA Free mobile app