Database Develop

[Q] Kindle 2 Rooting and Roms

Hello!
So, I'm not really a noob to this, just to this account and posting on the site. Therefore, I am blocked out of the Dev section, which is the only one REALLY for the Kindle 2.
Anyways, I have a question or questions!
I have been a long time android user and loved to modify my phone and try out the tons of new ROMs out there and always have the latest software running.
At work for xmas we had a raffle and I won a Kindle Fire running OS version 10.2.4. Now, I never really touched anything Kindle or any related things so I was out of the loop. I looked some stuff up and surmised that I have a Kindle Fire 2, which is fairly new. I also seemed to find that the Kindle Fire series runs modified android, can be rooted, and the Original Fire has some ROMs for it.
Now, when it comes to the Kindle 2 things seem to be a little confusing.
As far as I can tell, you can root the device, with Qemu method, and install and run android apps? I could not find anything on getting a recovery on the system, and thus, no ROMs. Is this basically true?
If so, is there any news on headway for making this available? I want to work on getting JB or something that is true android running on the Fire but if we don't have much of any progress, then I will just wait.
Thanks!

It seems as though you and I have similar problems. I do have a Kindle 2 and I'm fairly happy with the the actual hardware but I'm not at all satisfied with Amazon's spammy OS. I'm hoping that I can either root it and download something like Go Launcher Ex to get an android style launcher or simply replace the current os with a viable ROM.
Unlike the OP, my experience with this type of thing is very limited and I'm having trouble understanding some of the jargon being used on many of the guides that have been provided on this subject. If anyone would be willing to walk me through this process, I'd really appreciate it. Oh, and my current version is 10.1.1.

Fire comparison

Hi everyone, first time poster, though I have used the forums for a while. Apologies if this isn't the place for this question, but I couldn't find a better spot. I rooted my first-generation Fire (remember those?) a while ago and installed CM10 to get a more up-to-date version of Android than what came with the Fire, but the hardware is a little too old to run it well (just starting the Kindle book app can take close to a minute). I want to get the newest Fire 7 and put CM on it, and I was wondering how it compares with other "budget" tablets currently available, such as the Nexus 7, Zenpad S 8.0, or Galaxy Tab. Does it run comparably well, or is it really "bogged down"?

I didn't have much time with it hands-on, but I rooted and installed custom ROMs on a couple of them and they worked fairly well, no annoying stutters or lag. I gave one to my brother and he says it's working really well, himself having previously owned a 1st-gen Fire. If you still would like to squeeze something out of that one, I'd recommend going with Hashcode's AOSP 4.3 ROM, it always seemed much smoother to me than CM ROMs for that device.
Edit: Here's a link: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2377629

hullflyer said:
Hi everyone, first time poster, though I have used the forums for a while. Apologies if this isn't the place for this question, but I couldn't find a better spot. I rooted my first-generation Fire (remember those?) a while ago and installed CM10 to get a more up-to-date version of Android than what came with the Fire, but the hardware is a little too old to run it well (just starting the Kindle book app can take close to a minute). I want to get the newest Fire 7 and put CM on it, and I was wondering how it compares with other "budget" tablets currently available, such as the Nexus 7, Zenpad S 8.0, or Galaxy Tab. Does it run comparably well, or is it really "bogged down"?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does the job, it's been quite fun to mess around with if they were the same price I'd go with the Nexus 7 despite the lack of sd but given it was less than a third of the price I could get an N7 for it's a bargain.
Galaxy tabs do feel bogged down to me, feel sluggish whenever I use my parents but suspect screen is noticeably better on those and the zenpad which I've never seen anywhere.

Thanks so much for the advice, both of you. I got a new Fire, put CM 12.1 on it (thanks to these forums, I knew to check the version before letting it on the wifi, and was able to prevent it from updating to 5.1.1) , and it is running great. I think I already tried Hashcode's AOSP 4.3, Duchman, and wasn't able to use it well (same issue - incredible slowness), but I might take another crack at it now that I have the new Fire.

Android isn't the same what it used to be and it's boring modding it now.

Hey All!
I've been a user at xda since 2009 (I lost my old account's password). And I was deeply in love with it and all the people.
MY EXCITING XDA EXPERIENCE-
1) Galaxy Y
I got here when I bought my first Android device Samsung Galaxy Y (S3560)*(Totoro) in 2010 when I was 11 and in 8th grade. It has Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread. But I wasn't happy as most games like Temple Run and Subway Surfers didn't run on it due to it being Armv6.
And somehow, I found a youtube video which linked to xda where it explained if I rooted and upgraded my device, it would've got m running all my favorite apps! I was happy and then I learnt upgrading and all. I never knew that there was a fake ICS Update with build.prop modded on it and believed it to be original
It wasn't easy. I ended up bricking my device and crying all night unable to fix it. My dad took it to Samsung and they repaired it and warned me never to do this again or it will get spoiled forever. I got **** scared and never touched it for another 6 months until curiosity struck me when I got a notification of an ICS Mod (I still didn't read the log and thought it to be real). And I ended up bricking it again. I was so scared. Later I found out Odin. Yup. Odin was literally an angel that saved my life and boom! I had my original device back! I tried thrice and then got the ICS mod! It looked so cool that I used to stare at my phone for days without doing anything. Later I installed an unstable CM9 which was original but didn't have Bluetooth, WiFi, Mobile Network, Brightness, Sound, and Playstore working. It was useless. I got to know that Broadcomm didn't release the drivers and needed large donation to do so. I never got to know about it.
I ended up trying hard to install GTA, etc on it but everything failed.
2) Blackberry Playbook
Now this wasn't on xda I believe when I got it. My father bought it as a gift in 8th grade. It had almost nothing except NFS Undercover. I heard that you could install Android on BB Playbook by rooting it and all once it has OS ver. 2.0.4 or 2.0.6. But I already upgraded it to 2.1.x. Now I felt like breaking my head because there was no going back.
3) MOTO G (XT1033) (Falcon)
This was my first google device and I was so happy to get it because it was super mod friendly. I got it after my 10th board exams in 2014 and I loved it through and through. Suddenly upgrading from 2.3.6 (Galaxy Y) to 4.4.4 with a bigger screen and armv7 processor was heaven! I enjoyed it a lot and loved it! It was like a treasure for me. I had to slap myself 4 times when it came to me through Flipkart online shipment. And I installed tons of mods on it. i loved it. Especially the android 5.0 part.
4) MOTO G4 Plus (XT1064) (I dont even know it's developer name)
I got it when I completed my 12th grade
Now comes the boring part. The phone was capable of multitasking, etc but it was still boring. This is the only device that I haven't unlocked the bootloader yet. Why?
NOW COMES MY POINT ABOUT ANDROID BECOMING BORING -
The phone Moto G4 had everything I needed. 32 GB, great camera, great RAM, great processor and only 208.30$. Great deal. It's still with me and I'm in College B. Tech. 1st year doing Electrical Engineering. But I've lost the excitement of modding and rooting. Have I grown up? Newer versions of Android do not interest me. I remember waking up till midnight 3 to watch the unveiling of android 5.0! Loved it but now it's all done. BORED!
Maybe because we have everything that we need in android.
And I do not know what more can be added to android to make it interesting. CyanogenMod used to excite me with its features but I don't feel like I need them now. Everything seems so changed.
Do you guys think it i common to feel like this? Or I'm a special snowflake who is a boring person....

Dude even I have left flashing ROMs. I have HTC Desire. Even I feel that rooting, modding, theming android is waste of time. I am not happy with stock ROM, but now I also dont want to go back and start the flashing game and install CM. Got tired of this. I have also lost interest in Android versions. They nowadays are pretty much same eg: Lolipop=Marshmallow=Nougat (90% are same).

Mr.KM said:
Dude even I have left flashing ROMs. I have HTC Desire. Even I feel that rooting, modding, theming android is waste of time. I am not happy with stock ROM, but now I also dont want to go back and start the flashing game and install CM. Got tired of this. I have also lost interest in Android versions. They nowadays are pretty much same eg: Lolipop=Marshmallow=Nougat (90% are same).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So did ICS = JB = KK.
You cannot expect radical changes in open source software such Android or Linux distros . They need some time to settle in. Although the UI is pretty much the same with different versions of Android, under-the-hood, the features are pretty exciting :laugh: . I used to have a mindset that Lollipop == Marshmallow, but the native Google API support for Fingerprint was darn exciting. before Android M, OEMs used to have their own APIs for fingerprint support, but when Google introduced the FP API, you can now authenticate purchases using your FP rather than entering that darn password. You just need to save your FP once and it used to work everywhere. The Doze feature in Android M was awesome, although it can be achieved in L using apps, it was a big reason for me to uninstall 'Boosting apps' from my friend's phone. Now the doze feature got even better in android N.
The reason why '90% of the code are the same' is because it is an Open source and is an update, not a complete rewrite of the code.
That '90%' is the 'Android part' and the remaining '10%' is the 'update part'.
Fun fact: Human gene is 98% similar to Gorilla gene. That 2% difference makes us humans .

T.Ru said:
So did ICS = JB = KK.
You cannot expect radical changes in open source software such Android or Linux distros . They need some time to settle in. Although the UI is pretty much the same with different versions of Android, under-the-hood, the features are pretty exciting :laugh: . I used to have a mindset that Lollipop == Marshmallow, but the native Google API support for Fingerprint was darn exciting. before Android M, OEMs used to have their own APIs for fingerprint support, but when Google introduced the FP API, you can now authenticate purchases using your FP rather than entering that darn password. You just need to save your FP once and it used to work everywhere. The Doze feature in Android M was awesome, although it can be achieved in L using apps, it was a big reason for me to uninstall 'Boosting apps' from my friend's phone. Now the doze feature got even better in android N.
The reason why '90% of the code are the same' is because it is an Open source and is an update, not a complete rewrite of the code.
That '90%' is the 'Android part' and the remaining '10%' is the 'update part'.
Fun fact: Human gene is 98% similar to Gorilla gene. That 2% difference makes us humans .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That made a lot of sense though! But I don't give a damn about FP and wallet (I've never done online purchases). I feel my interest towards games going down as I'm growing up as well.( It's so boring to grow up )
Anyways, I hope Google changes the UI in the next update. Never felt so bored. And most of the CM themes are pretty old and not innovative. You'll get bored after 2 days of installing themes and will want to revert back.
I really do hope Google changes the UI. I'm desperate for some new UI now. Not 1 or 2 apps but the whole thing like it was from KK to Lollipop and GB to ICS! Yummy!

[email protected] said:
That made a lot of sense though! But I don't give a damn about FP and wallet (I've never done online purchases). I feel my interest towards games going down as I'm growing up as well.( It's so boring to grow up )
Anyways, I hope Google changes the UI in the next update. Never felt so bored. And most of the CM themes are pretty old and not innovative. You'll get bored after 2 days of installing themes and will want to revert back.
I really do hope Google changes the UI. I'm desperate for some new UI now. Not 1 or 2 apps but the whole thing like it was from KK to Lollipop and GB to ICS! Yummy!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can feel you, the urge, passion or whatever-you-call-it for modding have definitely come down. I don't know if it is because of the age or is modding is becoming easier and easier. Back then was the days of CWM and CM10 while Paranoid Android was for the elite devices. Now you can find modding easier than ever, everything is just a few clicks away. You can find each and every ROMs for each and every device, which made the whole fun of modding only for the end results rather than the sheer fun of the process of modding.
I remember when I got my first Android device, a tablet with Allwinner A13 chipset with a single core processor and 512 MB RAM. Before I got that tablet I was using Nokia N70 and Nokia E71, both based on Symbian S60 OS. I learned a lot about 'hacking the phone' (it's just like rooting but allows you to install apps not signed by Nokia) app signature, app installation and modifying the system partition. So when I got my tablet, modding it came to me naturally. It was a device totally off the RADAR of android devices, but fortunately, it came with a pure AOSP version of Android without any manufacturer modifications in it which made it a tad bit easier for me to mod that tablet. I discovered rooting, apps to bypass in-app purchase called as 'Freedom' (Lucky patcher got this feature long after freedom was released), Xposed modules and Game guardian. All these mods and apps let me enjoy my device without getting bored. But it was not enough for me, then I came to know about custom ROMs, there is no custom ROM available for my device, I did vague searches on Google and got links to some 5 ROMs made specifically for my chipset (not my device). I tried all of 'em but they had a lot of bugs etc. So I went back to the stock firmware by doing a fastboot flash. At the same time I also discovered ADB, I still remember when my little brother entered the wrong pattern more than 40 times, and when there was no other way, I used ADB to disable screen lock and factory reset my device. I did the same for two of my friends.
And that's how I came to learn a lot about Android.
BTW,
Now look at any kind of Android modding, there is some kind of 'one-tap' app available. Take, for example, Enabling Google Assistant on non-pixel devices, you have to edit your build.prop manually but there are 5+ apps available on Play store that does the same thing. There is no hard work involved, and the end result will always be underwhelming unless you yourself mod your system.
One of the best thread I came across recently was enabling Pixel's Round icons on other 7.1 devices. It requires you to decompile and recompile your framework.res file. Now that's what I call as real modding. Although the result is minor and can be easily achieved by installing a third party app and applying a custom icon pack, the sheer feeling of accomplishment you get by modding is just unparallel.
And one last thing,
The best modification you do for your phone is getting back the new features of the new Android version in your current Android version.
A thousand thanks to Xposed and N-ify
Thanks for reading till the end, signing off -Thiru

T.Ru said:
I can feel you, the urge, passion or whatever-you-call-it for modding have definitely come down. I don't know if it is because of the age or is modding is becoming easier and easier. Back then was the days of CWM and CM10 while Paranoid Android was for the elite devices. Now you can find modding easier than ever, everything is just a few clicks away. You can find each and every ROMs for each and every device, which made the whole fun of modding only for the end results rather than the sheer fun of the process of modding.
I remember when I got my first Android device, a tablet with Allwinner A13 chipset with a single core processor and 512 MB RAM. Before I got that tablet I was using Nokia N70 and Nokia E71, both based on Symbian S60 OS. I learned a lot about 'hacking the phone' (it's just like rooting but allows you to install apps not signed by Nokia) app signature, app installation and modifying the system partition. So when I got my tablet, modding it came to me naturally. It was a device totally off the RADAR of android devices, but fortunately, it came with a pure AOSP version of Android without any manufacturer modifications in it which made it a tad bit easier for me to mod that tablet. I discovered rooting, apps to bypass in-app purchase called as 'Freedom' (Lucky patcher got this feature long after freedom was released), Xposed modules and Game guardian. All these mods and apps let me enjoy my device without getting bored. But it was not enough for me, then I came to know about custom ROMs, there is no custom ROM available for my device, I did vague searches on Google and got links to some 5 ROMs made specifically for my chipset (not my device). I tried all of 'em but they had a lot of bugs etc. So I went back to the stock firmware by doing a fastboot flash. At the same time I also discovered ADB, I still remember when my little brother entered the wrong pattern more than 40 times, and when there was no other way, I used ADB to disable screen lock and factory reset my device. I did the same for two of my friends.
And that's how I came to learn a lot about Android.
BTW,
Now look at any kind of Android modding, there is some kind of 'one-tap' app available. Take, for example, Enabling Google Assistant on non-pixel devices, you have to edit your build.prop manually but there are 5+ apps available on Play store that does the same thing. There is no hard work involved, and the end result will always be underwhelming unless you yourself mod your system.
One of the best thread I came across recently was enabling Pixel's Round icons on other 7.1 devices. It requires you to decompile and recompile your framework.res file. Now that's what I call as real modding. Although the result is minor and can be easily achieved by installing a third party app and applying a custom icon pack, the sheer feeling of accomplishment you get by modding is just unparallel.
And one last thing,
The best modification you do for your phone is getting back the new features of the new Android version in your current Android version.
A thousand thanks to Xposed and N-ify
Thanks for reading till the end, signing off -Thiru
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mate, you've got an excellent point. Modding is not modding anymore. It's one touch and boom! You get CyanogenMod. It used to be fun to try and use CWM and get the result but now.... It's too easy. That's what's made it boring. Also, I'll try a few mods later. You actually motivated me! Thanks.
-Yash

It got so boring. Now as an adult I just want something that works. Ip7
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What to do? unopened Fire 7 (2015)

Looking for input/opinions- thanks in advance!
I bought a Fire during one of the Christmastime sales a few years ago and never did anything with it. The box is still in shipping plastic.
I'd like to have an Android tablet for surfing and a few simple games (think sudoku, solitaire, word games).
I watch a lot of youtube videos, so being able to do that is a must.
Also, getting onto my google play account would be nice, hence the Android request.
Seems that Amazon has fallen out with Google of late and taken out much of the cross-connections from the Amazon interface. Is that right?
Not afraid of rooting things- been doing it since OG Droid days.
I'm not really sold on becoming a netizen of the Amazon fabric. I don't have any sort of Prime membership or use any of their services, outside of buying stuff.
I appreciate any and all responses!

phonetool said:
Looking for input/opinions- thanks in advance!
I bought a Fire during one of the Christmastime sales a few years ago and never did anything with it. The box is still in shipping plastic.
I'd like to have an Android tablet for surfing and a few simple games (think sudoku, solitaire, word games).
I watch a lot of youtube videos, so being able to do that is a must.
Also, getting onto my google play account would be nice, hence the Android request.
Seems that Amazon has fallen out with Google of late and taken out much of the cross-connections from the Amazon interface. Is that right?
Not afraid of rooting things- been doing it since OG Droid days.
I'm not really sold on becoming a netizen of the Amazon fabric. I don't have any sort of Prime membership or use any of their services, outside of buying stuff.
I appreciate any and all responses!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Given your description there is a good chance the device has the original 5.x bootloader which means a custom lollipop based ROM (Fire Nexus or Lineage 12.1) can be easily installed and maintained. Both are stable and feature complete. There is no reason to boot FireOS...ever. Doing so may yield an unrootable device that can not be rooted or accommodate a custom ROM. Once FireOS has been banished the device has no affiliation with Amazon other than the name on the back.
Keep in mind the device is strictly entry level: 1 GB RAM, 8 GB User Storage (5 GB usable), 600x1024 low-res panel, etc. Almost any modern phone (and most burner varients) will run circles around a 5th gen Fire.
I'm happy to provide an outline of the steps required which are not lengthy/hard if you remain somewhat skilled in tethered operations and have familiarity with terms such as ADB, Fastboot, GApps, SuperSU and TWRP. You'll also need a suitable Windows host, be comfortable working with file systems and the Windows command prompt. That said, I prefer not to invest the time if the device will remain drawered or sold given its limited capabilities. A simple ask before responding.

Davey126 said:
Given your description there is a good chance the device has the original 5.x bootloader which means a custom lollipop based ROM (Fire Nexus or Lineage 12.1) can be easily installed and maintained. Both are stable and feature complete. There is no reason to boot FireOS...ever. Doing so may yield an unrootable device that can not be rooted or accommodate a custom ROM. Once FireOS has been banished the device has no affiliation with Amazon other than the name on the back.
Keep in mind the device is strictly entry level: 1 GB RAM, 8 GB User Storage (5 GB usable), 600x1024 low-res panel, etc. Almost any modern phone (and most burner varients) will run circles around a 5th gen Fire.
I'm happy to provide an outline of the steps required which are not lengthy/hard if you remain somewhat skilled in tethered operations and have familiarity with terms such as ADB, Fastboot, GApps, SuperSU and TWRP. You'll also need a suitable Windows host, be comfortable working with file systems and the Windows command prompt. That said, I prefer not to invest the time if the device will remain drawered or sold given its limited capabilities. A simple ask before responding.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks very much for the info and offer!
I would like to try to put one of those two on the device.
I'm away from home this week, so cannot attempt anything just yet.
My Windows machine is a Samsung UMPC running Win7, otherwise I have a Raspberry Pi that does daily work. It does have ADB, but I haven't used it successfully (couldn't figure out the proper command structure on linux).
I'll do some reading this week on what's needed for the effort.
Thanks again!

Old forum user is back.

Hi,
I spent many happy hours on this forum but I've been away from it for years. Today I charged up and took another look at my 2011 HP-Touchpad (a lucky firesale customer). Here's the spec page:
Android version: 4.1.2
Kernel version: 2.6.35-palm-tenderloin
CPU: ARMv7 Processor rev 2 (v7i)
CyanogenMod version: 10-20130304-EXPERIMENTAL
-tenderloin-FOR_LIMITED_TESTING_ONLY_CAM
Build date: Sun Mar 3 18:10:18 CST 2013
Also, I am rooted and want to remain so.
I'd like to get back into updating and am looking for help or links to help me do this.
Anyone have any ideas. Also, does anyone remember me? Thanks
Paul

nypaulie said:
Hi,
I spent many happy hours on this forum but I've been away from it for years. Today I charged up and took another look at my 2011 HP-Touchpad (a lucky firesale customer). Here's the spec page:
(trimmed.....)
Also, I am rooted and want to remain so.
I'd like to get back into updating and am looking for help or links to help me do this.
Anyone have any ideas. Also, does anyone remember me? Thanks
Paul
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Boy you have some catching up to do for sure.
I would if I were you start off by reviewing RolandDeschain79's tut's and go-by's. some of the very best IMO.
Take a glance just about your post here, Roland's How-To's are stickied.
Then the first thing you'll need is jcsullins TP Toolbox.
Prepare to Scorch Earth the tablet and then you'll need to decide which rom to go with. I removed WebOS from all of mine.
In my collection of tablets, my two daily drivers are still running Milaq's KK rom, on another I've got Milaq's Lineage11 running, then on one I've got Evervolv 6.x running, on another EV's 7.1.x. I haven't jumped on 8.x yet.
I like to think that I've gotten some good value and bang for my buck from these. They've held up very well compared to some of the other devices that I have gathering dust in a drawer.
Just wish there was a hack to add some more RAM to them...
_Dan

Re: Boy you have some catching up to do for sure.
middle_road said:
Boy you have some catching up to do for sure.
I would if I were you start off by reviewing RolandDeschain79's tut's and go-by's. some of the very best IMO.
Take a glance just about your post here, Roland's How-To's are stickied.
Then the first thing you'll need is jcsullins TP Toolbox.
Prepare to Scorch Earth the tablet and then you'll need to decide which rom to go with. I removed WebOS from all of mine.
In my collection of tablets, my two daily drivers are still running Milaq's KK rom, on another I've got Milaq's Lineage11 running, then on one I've got Evervolv 6.x running, on another EV's 7.1.x. I haven't jumped on 8.x yet.
I like to think that I've gotten some good value and bang for my buck from these. They've held up very well compared to some of the other devices that I have gathering dust in a drawer.
Just wish there was a hack to add some more RAM to them...
_Dan
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Dan!
So you were able to get more than 1 HP-Touchpad? I was working for B&N at the time so I was in on the firesale info from the start and got the 32GB model. You are right about needing even more mem than that. I'm assuming you know about the moving to SDCard option? If not let me know for help. I did not have a workable playstore app so i reloaded the gapps for my OS and solved that prob. I tried loading some apps and had the insufficient (funds) memory error so that's when I relearned the move to SDCard trick. I STILL can't install the Root Explorer app tho - says something about incompatibility. It says it is paid for and I used to use this when I last had the TP running. Any ideas? I can still get at my files using a USB connection tho. BTW, I hate Windows so I've been a Linux lover for many years, incidentally I just turned 80 May 27th. Once I settle in (been away for a coupla weeks) I will revisit my old friends' Sullens & Deschains posts. Thanks for this pointer. Babbling now so I will shoot this along. Again, thanks. BTW I didn't get an email reminder about your post and I check my mail several times daily - I will look into my settings here.
Paul
I put in an incorrect email address so I fixed it.... tests OK now.

The first one I had I received from a friend who had bought it along with a desktop PC during the fire sale.
Her daughter didn't want it cause it wasn't an iPad.
System board failed after several years so I bought a busted up one off of eBay and swapped out the parts.
Other three were also purchased off of eBay. 'Bricked', 'Won't Power Up', 'FOr Parts or Repair' type of listings. cheap-cheap.
Fourth was a friend's which they'd left on the tombstone too long and the battery expanded, cracked the case up.