Develop Bugs

OS 4.6.1 vs 3.6.8(unlocked GSM 32gig)

Fire OS 4.6.1 on unlocked GSM 32gig Fire Phone
Notable changes,
Finally we have native wallpaper support
Different slightly improved lock screen notifications
Smart dialer
Ability to switch default SMS/MMS and Keyboard apps
New Dev. Options
Ability to force quit and(or) Disable bloatware apps
Widgets seem to be working well
More detailed settings for Low Motion/Dynamic perspective(specifically for lockscreen, homescreen, and maps)
Google maps is now seemingly 100% functional
Ability to toggle switch cellular data(2g,3g,LTE)
Google Play and GAPPs still working well
Also we now have a bluetooth keyboard config. in our settings
New Emoticons
Status bar is semi-transparent and looks really nice despite lack of persistent icon notifications
Addition of print services pack(HP, Canon, Epson)
Updated Sounds and Notifications settings(
Things that sadly remained the same
No status bar notifications
Cannot individually clear calls or messages from carousel
Still not native android
Notifications seem hit and miss as usual
No Graphical updates or graphical setting in stock message or dialer apps
Camera seems to be the same and I'm still having having better luck with the google camera
App drawer functions the same(new options in app info though)
Overall function of the O.S. seems to improve a lot. Smooth scrolling through the carousel, less if not no lag at all on sleep/wake, and just all in all more pleasing to look at.
I updated manually by downloading the .bin and moving it to the home folder and searching for update with wifi/data off, and because of that I am unsure if the new att bloatware apps were part of the update due to my carrier or if they were packaged inside the update bin which was a shocking 1.3gb. Even though I am fairly certain that those apps are my fault in the first place I feel the need to warn that the U.S. att .bin file could have that affect and unlocked users may want to wait for the OTA just to play it safe. There is however a great guide on here explaining the process and linking quite a few files(for those who can't wait).
**This did work for me however if it does not work for you I am not at fault, sideload at your own risk**
Feel free to add what you find I know I missed a few things but since there is no apparent changelog from amazon I figured I'd try to compile a small unofficial changelog of sorts.
Tried Towelroot Its been hung at the towelroot screen with a highlighted "make it rain" button for about ten mins... I'm going to leave it running for a while and see if anything happens but I'm assuming its still a no go.
I've seen issues regarding call audio, google services and a few other things but I personally haven't been able to recreate them and fortunately haven't had them in the first place.

Camera seems faster in taking photos for me. Also there is an auto HDR setting, before it was either on or off.

buhloon said:
Camera seems faster in taking photos for me. Also there is an auto HDR setting, before it was either on or off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didnt notice that but in my opinion so far the google cam seems to just take better pictures in general
Sent from my SD4930UR using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

matsnackson said:
I didnt notice that but in my opinion so far the google cam seems to just take better pictures in general
Sent from my SD4930UR using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, matsnackson do you think that is better to install (sideload) the Google-Camera APP, and used it instead of the default Amazon Camera APP?
Could you please, let us know what differences or improvements do you have noticed, if you use the Google Camara APP instead of the Amazon one?

Notable changes
- Chooseable colors for mail accounts and calendars, but there aren't too much colors to choose to.
Things that sadly remained the same
- Shared Google calendars won't show up in the/any calendar app, that's very very annoying

Still can't connect to my LG g Watch

Android Wear or Google now not working
hungrymr2 said:
Still can't connect to my LG g Watch
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I second your opinion as I have not been able to conect my LG G watch to Fire phone with 4.6.1.
Also sideloding Google play services and play store worked fine for few minutes after which the play services auto updates when I install google search and now from Playstore.
After this any sideloaded google apps start hanging with white screen and circle clock running. Uninstall and install after factory resets also did not help.

ulises.rodriguez said:
So, matsnackson do you think that is better to install (sideload) the Google-Camera APP, and used it instead of the default Amazon Camera APP?
Could you please, let us know what differences or improvements do you have noticed, if you use the Google Camara APP instead of the Amazon one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
s.raghuveer said:
I second your opinion as I have not been able to conect my LG G watch to Fire phone with 4.6.1.
Also sideloding Google play services and play store worked fine for few minutes after which the play services auto updates when I install google search and now from Playstore.
After this any sideloaded google apps start hanging with white screen and circle clock running. Uninstall and install after factory resets also did not help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been using the stock camera app for a few days and it seems to be better than I first thought but I still prefer the google camera app, but at this point it seems to be my personal preference... I really just feel more comfortable with the google camera app.(long time nexus user)
I have seen quite a few people with the google play issues and I tried removing then reloading google services and google play but i havent had any issues the only advice i can give is to remove and try again making sure to pay close attention to the order you install the packages(there is a specific order, and a few great guides on here)

The LG watch seems to be common issue as well but I don’t have one to test with, I'll look into buying one and see what I can do. Until then the only advice I have is to unpair the watch and your phone and reboot before attemting to repair the two. Good luck and sorry.

s.raghuveer said:
I second your opinion as I have not been able to conect my LG G watch to Fire phone with 4.6.1.
Also sideloding Google play services and play store worked fine for few minutes after which the play services auto updates when I install google search and now from Playstore.
After this any sideloaded google apps start hanging with white screen and circle clock running. Uninstall and install after factory resets also did not help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll third this. I feel like Amazon is intentionally crippling Google services, and I've already ordered a replacement phone.
These are services that run fine on what, 99% of Android phones?

tzenrick said:
I'll third this. I feel like Amazon is intentionally crippling Google services, and I've already ordered a replacement phone.
These are services that run fine on what, 99% of Android phones?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly I don't think this is intentionally being done by either side, we run an outdated version of android so naturally were going to see at least a few compatibility issues, have you tried a factory reset and full reload of play services in order? Also be patient with 4.6.1 from everything I've read its not technically official on the unlocked phones yet.
Sent from my SD4930UR using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Download Notification
Download in Notification bar now shows Pause/Resume & Cancel options.

TansDeva said:
Download in Notification bar now shows Pause/Resume & Cancel options.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't download too much on here so I hadn't even noticed thanks for adding in though
I did want to add in as well that my battery life seems much better than before I actually forgot to charge this for two days and still had 30%( I disabled low motion setting and don't use auto brightness, but none the less that's a great battery life)
Sent from my SD4930UR using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

I'm looking forward to the update. I feel changing your keyboard is a few months late, but I'd be happy to finally have swiftkey back. I'm running an unlocked Fire Phone with 3.6.8. Amazon doesn't even acknowledge a new update on their Fire Phone update page. Perhaps it's in some sort of beta as they harvest data before making it official?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201531560

LilLowEK said:
I'm looking forward to the update. I feel changing your keyboard is a few months late, but I'd be happy to finally have swiftkey back. I'm running an unlocked Fire Phone with 3.6.8. Amazon doesn't even acknowledge a new update on their Fire Phone update page. Perhaps it's in some sort of beta as they harvest data before making it official?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201531560
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That was cleared up in the OTA thread this is unofficial at this point those who have it either got lucky or manually installed it, I personally used the at&t bin file even though I have the unlocked 32gig.
Sent from my SD4930UR using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Working Widgets?
matsnackson said:
Fire OS 4.6.1 on unlocked GSM 32gig Fire Phone
Notable changes,
...
Widgets seem to be working well
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which launcher did you use? I tried it on Nova Launcher and Aviate and it still gives me the same error message as before

Smart Dialer? I don't see it.
matsnackson said:
Fire OS 4.6.1 on unlocked GSM 32gig Fire Phone
Notable changes,
Finally we have native wallpaper support
Different slightly improved lock screen notifications
Smart dialer
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't see smart dialer. I had one in my MOTO-X.

downloaded the us version of 4.6 and guess what? Andriod wear is back. Now I can finally put my lg watch to use.

Guys,
I got my Fire Phone unlocked updated to new 4.6.1 but after the update I am unable to see the Maps icon. I am currently in Australia but the phone is an unlocked US version. Do I reset or is it something Amazon has done?

Disable the home button completely - is that possible?

Hi. I´m on a rooted AFTV with 5.2.1.1 and I like to permanently block the home button. Is that possible through pm disable [something]?
I accidently press it a lot and the position on the remote is just so annoying. If disabling isn´t possible, is it remap-able, e.g. to pause?
I know I can use firestarter to open other apps with the Action, but not to do nothing, as far as I know.
Thank you for your suggestions.

Use FIrestarter and this app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.thehellomaker.helloworldtoast
That is, if you are still on a firmeware version, where Firestarter works.
On later versions Amazon specifically prevented all apps from changing button behavior, so you would have to override this with an Xposed module like "Xposed Additions" which also can change button behavior. But that specific module interferes with the way bluetooth controllers works, so its not the be all and end all of solutions. But that module would work as well.
---------- Post added at 09:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:02 PM ----------
Just saw that you updated to a far too recent firmware version for firestarter to work. Shot yourself in the foot there.

Thank you for the suggestion. Although firestarter doesn't work anymore on 5.2.1.1., it should be possible to re-enable it, as far as I read, with root, by pm disabling the amazon blacklist. Or what was the other fork called, firestopper?
But about my problem: after starting and closing hello world, will the amazon start menu not come up nevertheless?
My intention is to stay in kodi.
Getting exposed to work on later firmware version would be a dream. I don't want to miss it from my mobile with android 4.3.
I didn't know if it would work on the aftv, so if it does, that's what i'll try. thanks.

No - because amazon also modified adbd so no apps are able to read analyze the log an see when a key is pressed. I could be wrong (take this as a byline, because I never tested it), but I remember that this was part of why I cursed the aftvnews product blogger for propagating the "amazon f*cking you is so fine and eazy" myth - after he went with "great news!" on the amazon starting to put a blacklist service in Android to serve their needs only news beat.
The Xposed module should work regardless though. (Again, untested, because like most people that understood what was going on, I stayed on 5.0.5 -)

Thanks for your answer. It took me some time to notice it.
After installing xposed with the modules HDXPosed 1.3 and RBoxFire TVMods 1.4
and #pm disable pm disable com.amazon.tv.nimh (that is the amazon blacklist ("not in my house") app),
I installed firestopper. (I would have installed firestarter, but that is now called AppStarter, lacks home detection, and the older versions are not available anymore.)
With rbox firetv module activated, firestarter menu comes up after boot and home always jumps back to firestarter. Autostart app after boot works.
Without the module, autostart app works, but home button jumps back to aftv start menu, never to firestarter.
But you are right, no matter what I set in firestarter as actions for home or home button doubleklick, it is ignored.
Another question: Is there also a shutdown command for the box or just reboot?
edit: I guess not! I tried #su -c 'setprop sys.powerctl shutdown' and that just reboots again.
Next: I'll check the modules you suggested. ...
Xposed Additions 3.6.3 doesn't recognize any keystrokes.
But GravityBox [LP] does. xD -> it's possible to set action for long press home, e.g. open kodi, or force close apps with long press return, but it misses an action for simple press home.

santamanga said:
T
With rbox firetv module activated, firestarter menu comes up after boot and home always jumps back to firestarter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What happens if you put a nonexistant app in key_bindings.xml? I haven't tried this because it's pretty dangerous to disable home, IMHO. (how will you get out of locked up apps?)

Xposed Addons 3.6.3 works, just tested it myself. (On 5.0.5)
- You have to have the PRO version (license key) installed (Also you have to have the play store installed on the Fire TV for it to work (licensing). (Puchase it on an Android Smartphone, then sideload it to the FIre TV, if you cant find it in the Play Sore on the Fire TV - it works).
- You have to have Gamepad/Joystick Enabled in the Allow external Devices Setting menu.
(Don't touch the Keyboard entry there, in case you need a fallback.)
After that you can configure all keys on the remote to your liking. There is a disable option that works on its own btw - so you don't need to map the hello world app (allthough you could).
To tie up all loose ends, it turns out that Firestarter also always lets the initial home press "slip through" (which then opens the AFTV Launcher) - even on 5.0.5 and with the adb lookup enabled. So Xposed Addons is the only working solution I know of so far.

xenyz said:
What happens if you put a nonexistant app in key_bindings.xml? I haven't tried this because it's pretty dangerous to disable home, IMHO. (how will you get out of locked up apps?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
key_bindings.xml seems to be ignored. If sth locks up, it doesn´t matter. I would just open a terminal via adb and kill it.

harlekinwashere said:
Xposed Addons 3.6.3 works, just tested it myself. (On 5.0.5)... . So Xposed Addons is the only working solution I know of so far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your extensive testing. Yes, of course I didn´t test the pro Version and yet I haven´t installed playstore, but will when I find sparetime.
But as I wrote, Gravity Box xposed module works as well.

Its always good to reduce complexity. Also - if Gravity Box doesn't interfere with BT Gamepad mappings (or lets say because there is a chance, that it doesn't), I'll give it a try myself, one of those days... So thanks for sharing.

Amazon ads removal - Moto G5

XDA has announced amazon will be removing the ads on their phones via an app update and will also be bumping the price up 20$ for prime discounted phones... link below
Amazon ADS removal apk is now available, link is middle of the page, enjoy!!
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/help/cu...TF8&nodeId=202040870&utm_content=buffer75d66/ Original post below from amazon as of 2/6/2018
4. Why am I still seeing lockscreen offers and ads on my Prime Exclusive Phone?
A February 2018 update to the Amazon Offers app disables lockscreen offers and ads on Prime Exclusive Phones. If you continue to see lockscreen offers and ads, please make sure you have connected your Prime Exclusive Phone to Wi-Fi and updated the Amazon Offers app. Learn more about updating your Prime Exclusive Phone. If you have completed these actions and continue to see lockscreen offers and ads after February 2018, please contact customer service for assistance.
OP Below
Thanks krison1 (links are embedded now) for the step by step guide to removing ads, confirmed by some users in this thread :good:
step 1 download fastboot
step 2 moto drivers
step 3 tap on build number tell u see developer (settings/about phone)
step 4 enable usb debugging (settings/developer options)
step 5 extract n open cmd in fastboot dir (alt+d type "cmd")
step 6 in cmd type "adb shell"
step 7 type or c/p "pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.amazon.phoenix"
reboot phone
done
ads come back if factory reset or install back "amazon offers"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Just gave it a go, and the app seems to make it though Step 1/3 but it gets stuck on Step 2 so I'm assuming it doesn't work.
Edit: It removed the ads from showing up using Macrodroid. However there is a consistent Macrodroid notification.

Aeosgames said:
Just gave it a go, and the app seems to make it though Step 1/3 but it gets stuck on Step 2 so I'm assuming it doesn't work.
Edit: It removed the ads from showing up using Macrodroid. However there is a consistent Macrodroid notification.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did this a week ago, it's been working well. Macrodroid had an option to disable their logo too. Go into Macrodroid, settings, Notification Bar options, Force Hide Icon.

zoocircle said:
I did this a week ago, it's been working well. Macrodroid had an option to disable their logo too. Go into Macrodroid, settings, Notification Bar options, Force Hide Icon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem with that is that it shows full screen ads without the notification there and you can't clear those.. So I have to keep the Macrodroid notification consistent

Aeosgames said:
Just gave it a go, and the app seems to make it though Step 1/3 but it gets stuck on Step 2 so I'm assuming it doesn't work.
Edit: It removed the ads from showing up using Macrodroid. However there is a consistent Macrodroid notification.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aeosgames said:
The problem with that is that it shows full screen ads without the notification there and you can't clear those.. So I have to keep the Macrodroid notification consistent
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh ya, you're correct. I forgot about that because I've had my Weather app always have a notification on the lock screen.

Update: When messing around the Macros I found a way that you can hide the persistent Macrodroid notification along with Amazon Ads.
Videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCUhxGFJ8g0
So basically I added another 'Clear Notification' to MacroDroid in Macro 1,
and in Macro 2, I checked the override Macro creation box.
After that I went to MacroDroid Notification settings and checked to Force Hide the notification.
So basically now when I turn off the phone screen, I wait a few seconds and if I peek at the current running notifications using the Moto "Glance screen", you will see the MacroDroid notification, but as soon as I power on the screen, the MacroDroid notification as well as the Amazon AD dissapears and I am left with my background.

Anyone can explain why do I have such a lag after switching the phone on? Seems like it leaves some locking screen/widget/program (you can see that it shows time if you scroll down notification bar) and disappears only in several settings

Anyone tried of these methods to boot into recovery without unlocking bootloader? like fastboot boot recovery.img?

Alternative solutions?
drago10029 said:
This guide does not need root and uses macrodroid to cover up ads with something more useful. Was made for the Moto G4 but I don't see why it won't work here also LINK TO GUIDE
Check it out if you have an amazon version and report back!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used Tasker with Notification Listener and achieved the same result. Sometimes, there is a lag so the ad may appear but it's gone before unlocking. Also, the persistent notification from Tasker removes the need to create a fake notification to prevent full-screen ads.
On a related note, has anyone tried using ADB commands to disable/remove the Amazon Offers app? I want to try it but don't know the necessary commands.

liquidops said:
I used Tasker with Notification Listener and achieved the same result. Sometimes, there is a lag so the ad may appear but it's gone before unlocking. Also, the persistent notification from Tasker removes the need to create a fake notification to prevent full-screen ads.
On a related note, has anyone tried using ADB commands to disable/remove the Amazon Offers app? I want to try it but don't know the necessary commands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No haven't tried ADB or recovery. But if someone wants to try it go for it and please come back with results.

liquidops said:
I used Tasker with Notification Listener and achieved the same result. Sometimes, there is a lag so the ad may appear but it's gone before unlocking. Also, the persistent notification from Tasker removes the need to create a fake notification to prevent full-screen ads.
On a related note, has anyone tried using ADB commands to disable/remove the Amazon Offers app? I want to try it but don't know the necessary commands.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Can you share your details of how you set your Tasker to remove ads? I use Macrodorid but as i stated earlier sometimes it takes seconds to unlock that is totally inconvenient
2. do you mean this?
Code:
adb shell pm hide com.amazon.phoenix
Unfortunately this does not work ((
Code:
Error: java.lang.SecurityException: Neither user 2000 nor current process has android.permission.MANAGE_USERS.
but of course you can try it yourself...
BTW, there is one more solution for removing ads. If anyone can check - that would be good

UltraMaks said:
1. Can you share your details of how you set your Tasker to remove ads? I use Macrodorid but as i stated earlier sometimes it takes seconds to unlock that is totally inconvenient
2. do you mean this?
Code:
adb shell pm hide com.amazon.phoenix
Unfortunately this does not work ((
Code:
Error: java.lang.SecurityException: Neither user 2000 nor current process has android.permission.MANAGE_USERS.
but of course you can try it yourself...
BTW, there is one more solution for removing ads. If anyone can check - that would be good
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) To get Tasker to work correctly, I downloaded Notification Listener from here. Once both are installed, in Tasker under the Profile tab, I created an event that gets triggered when the display is on. The task that gets linked to this profile will launch the Notification Listener plugin. Then, I configured the listener to clear notifications based on the app name Amazon Offers (case sensitive).
2) Thanks for trying. It looks like we can't run this command without root.

liquidops said:
1) To get Tasker to work correctly, I downloaded Notification Listener from here. Once both are installed, in Tasker under the Profile tab, I created an event that gets triggered when the display is on. The task that gets linked to this profile will launch the Notification Listener plugin. Then, I configured the listener to clear notifications based on the app name Amazon Offers (case sensitive).
2) Thanks for trying. It looks like we can't run this command without root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Have you tried Macrodroid? Just wonder about comparison between Tasker and Macrodroid
2. Well if we have root, we would just delete Amazon Offers from the phone and that's it. This adb solution was meant to hide even without root, and id did work for G4 phones. Initially But then it seems to me they have closed this possibility with some update. And also for G5 phones from the very beginning
When I was thinking about possible solutions one idea came to my mind. What if we try to flash Amazon phones with stock Moto G5 firmware? Will it give any error (because of locked bootloader and probably different hashes of the Amazon and Stock Moto firmwares)? Any thoughts?

Best Buy price matches if you don't want those ads.

JoRocker said:
Best Buy price matches if you don't want those ads.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, what do you mean?

UltraMaks said:
Sorry, what do you mean?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I mean if u go to best buy and show them the prime deal they'll match it. I just did it 2 days ago. I'd post the photo of receipt as proof, but XDA won't let me attach it. Then you'll have then ad free version for $239
Best Buy G5 Plus Price Match https://imgur.com/gallery/iRLD3

JoRocker said:
I mean if u go to best buy and show them the prime deal they'll match it. I just did it 2 days ago. I'd post the photo of receipt as proof, but XDA won't let me attach it. Then you'll have then ad free version for $239
Best Buy G5 Plus Price Match https://imgur.com/gallery/iRLD3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We do not have such shops in my country

Best buy didn't let me price match the Amazon ad variant because they said that variant isn't eligible compared with their variant. And using NotiEDA combined with Macrodroid seemed to go the trick.

Sooooo theres a permanent way to get rid of them and not have to use an app for it. I just found it on the Moto G subreddit.
I literally just did it. It DID get rid of all the amazon ads, which is less running in the background too!!
I'm using the 64gb Moto G5 plus amazon variant. It also gets rid of the need for a second finger print for the lock screen. You don't need to do it twice to get to the home screen anymore, just once like a non ad version!!!!
It's the top post in the subreddit right now. I can't link it, some bot won't let me
EDIT: I will put the instructions
Moderator Edit:
The solution has already been covered here:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-g4/how-to/to-remove-amazon-ads-moto-g4-running-t3614090
Edit2: the above is the one who found it but the one who posted it to the subreddit that this forum wouldn't let me link to are one in the same. I did mention the thread so sorry if anyone thinks I didn't give proper credit.

YOU MADE MY DAY!!!! AWESOME! THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
I confirm that this operation removed my ads also
I think this should be pinned to OP somehow!

Themes / Apps / Mods [Anxious] OOS v502, Companion v346, True Silent v2, Verizon PU v16

These modules are made for personal use. If you have an issue it is likely on your end. It's like running OOS 10.5ish w/ OOS 11/Pixel 4 Pixel 5/9 Pro/server side features via a whole lot of sed. The "thoroughness" of this OP is to minimize the need for back and forth between us. All OOS 11-11.2.* should be supported. Remains to be seen what changes with Color OS based OOS.
Anxious OOS v502 features:
(Template - Magisk module installer)
Android 12.1 Emojis, Blurs, Immersive Navbar, Nova Launcher w/ Google Feed, Pixel 5 features (device personalization services, flags, google phone framework, overlays), Premier Tier, 9 Pro Camera
Anxious OOS Companion v346 features:
(Template - MMT-Ex 1.6)
Anxious Kernel Script - Infinite Pills, Infinite Alcohol | Gboard - Faster Voice Typing, Google Lens, M2 (telescoping gif, tenor autocomplete, trending search), No Spacebar Branding, Ogg Opus Encoder, Pill Shape, Pixel Props, SODA, Tenor V2 * Languages (autocomplete, trending term, suggested search term), Tflite (emoji predicition, main word predicition, triggering model), Translate Dictation | Google Duo - In Call Effects w/o FPS Cap, Message Captions, Opus FEC, Outgoing Call Camera Switch, Restrict Low Bandwidth Logging, Video Processing-Sink, VP9 Hardware, 720p (for most things) | Google Phone - Duo Handover, STIR/SHAKEN (carrier/os support required), VVM (all carriers) | Google Photos - Cache Aware Video, Jpeg Backup Quality 100%, New Video Editor Backend/Frontend w/ Export Frame
True Silent v2 features:
(Template - MMT-Ex 1.6)
Silent .ogg file for notifications. Useful for apps like Facebook Messenger that don't respect notification channels properly. Seperate module so less reselecting when debugging anxious module. Also doesn't need to be uninstalled with OTAs.
Verizon Plus Ultra v16 features:
(Template - MMT-Ex 1.6)
Fixes for using Verizon on the 7 Pro.​
All feature lists are constantly changing. Not everything is listed. Because sometimes the modules put you front in line for a/b server testing of literally anything Google.
The embedded links for some features are just links to what I consider to be a good enough explainaiton of the feature.
Google is your friend, I am not.​
Support:
Basically none. This is made for my personal use. If you don't follow the instructions, you'll probably end up in a non-boot/bootloop.
What I'm Using:
Kernel - Kirisakura 1.3.9 R
Magisk - Stable
Rom - 11.0.4.1.GM21AA (7 Pro)
Do not use Open Beta/AOSP/LOS/etc... with my modules.
There are no special instructions for updating, unless stated otherwise in a release post. The below install instructions are not meant to be followed for updating.
Prerequisites:
You need "Busybox for Android NDK" and I strongly recommend "Cross Compiled Binaries" with sed installed to /system/bin. They are on the magisk module repo.
How to install:
1. Read entire OP. Reread entire OP. Do it again.
2. Install "Overlay Mount Fix". Skip to next step, if it fails to install.
3. Uninstall Google Framework/Phone, and/or Nova Companion apk, if any/all are installed. Go to the Play Store listing for Device Personalization Services and click uninstall, if it's available. Reboot, if you uninstalled any modules. There are probably other modules you should uninstall. But that's your problem, not mine.
4. Install "AnxiousOOS_v*.zip". (Magisk Manager only)
5. Reboot.
6. Install Google Phone as user app, you can use apk from companion module, from apkmirror, or clear Play Store data and then it should be offered by the play store.
7. Clear Play Store data if you didn't in step 6. Then update apps that now have an update in the Play Store.
8. Set up Device Personalization Services, Google Phone, i.e. grant all permissions (including "Draw over other apps" and "Modify system settings"), set as default phone app, spam app (search "spam" in settings), open app and set up available features. Don't forget to check all Settings>Apps and notifications>Special app access and check all of them for the aforementioned apps + Google apps (hit overflow menu and show system).
9. Install "AnxiousOOSCompanion_v*.zip". (Magisk Manager only)
10. Reboot.
11. Clear Play Store data
12. You profit.
13. Donate.
14. I profit.
15. Install Verizon specific module. Reboot. Reset APN defaults (search "sim" in settings, 1st suggestion>sim 1>access point names>overflow menu), if using Verizon module.
16. Call Screen/Hold For Me.
17. 100% jpeg quality.
Download(s) faq:
Q: Can you provide a mirror?
A: No.
Q: Why?
A: Mega is very mobile friendly and collects no metrics, I can't even track the number of downloads!
Changelog:
Will be available on each release post. I will not compile a changelog in one post.
Magisk:
Don't use anything older than the latest stable magisk.
Tips/Troubleshooting:
You should check "Settings>
Security & lock screen>Google Play system update" for an update. My modules might enable being on the latest. Might not.
If any app is reported as unsupported in the Play Store then clear the Play Store's data. It should work after that but a reboot might be needed sometimes.
Google has the ability to break pretty much anything with server side updates.
Clean installs of roms will probably have better outcomes, if it didn't work.
The app that live caption exists in, is called "Device Personalization Services". If it's not available you need to manually enable the service. I recommend this app manager. While you're at it you should enable all activities, providers, receivers, services. I also suggest using App Ops and Shizuku (required for App Ops functionality). All the linked apps also make debugging/troubleshooting easier.
Random:
You should read the Magisk documentation and MMT-Ex wiki.

Thank you

A lot has changed compared to the old instructions, so I'll gradually update the OP to reflect helpful FAQ, improved instructions, etc...

I also may have figured out how to get the latest Google Play system update. But that's unconfirmed. Since I don't have (or want) testers.

Welcome back! I'm glad to see you back on here hope that whatever you had going on in your life was resolved.

ImjustSaiyan92 said:
Welcome back! I'm glad to see you back on here hope that whatever you had going on in your life was resolved.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At least 10 years off till a refutable research facility would even consider injecting my retina with stem cells. And I won't have a diagnosis on my lung nodules for months or longer. But it would be the slowest growing metastatic colon to lung cancer my oncologist has ever seen but I currently have my bets on a benign inflammatory condition or pulmonary fibrosis as a result of chemotherapy. Haven't found a bookie to take my bets, yet...
But now I can be hella rude to people who don't read with the two eyes they have because I essentially have one eye lol.

Thanks for this, finally.
What is soda, pills and alcohol about?

twoxa said:
Thanks for this, finally.
What is soda, pills and alcohol about?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Speech on device API and utter nonsense (it's also a song, that is absolutely appropriate to post on the family friendly environment of XDA)

I installed it the way it was explained .. but what was to change .. did not see change ..

douglasmietto said:
I installed it the way it was explained .. but what was to change .. did not see change ..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then you did it wrong.

TotallyAnxious said:
Then you did it wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm just not using the Kirisakura kernel ..

douglasmietto said:
I'm just not using the Kirisakura kernel ..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or following the instructions.
You're not going to get any helpful support from me with one sentence posts that demonstrate you didn't follow instructions lol.
There are many "it"s you must install. And not everything is in the OP because I shouldn't have to tell users on a developer forum that something like a Terminal app is required when I say modules are needed as prerequisites that require a Terminal app for set up of those prerequisites.
The kernel has absolutely no effect on making this work or not. And you thinking so demonstrates the "learning curve" for my instructions are to difficult for you.
You're going to waste your time if you're gonna spend time trying to get the right kernel for something that doesn't need a right kernel.

yes it was installed .. what changed the alarm clock .. changed the calculator and install the google phone from the play store ... so you mean it is not a simple magisk module? have other necessary settings through a terminal to work correctly?

douglasmietto said:
yes it was installed .. what changed the alarm clock .. changed the calculator and install the google phone from the play store ... so you mean it is not a simple magisk module? have other necessary settings through a terminal to work correctly?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm saying you can't even read my OP with two eyes, and I have one eye...
I will not be responding to you anymore.

TotallyAnxious said:
I'm saying you can't even read my OP with two eyes, and I have one eye...
I will not be responding to you anymore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I followed exactly all the steps of the op .. and I noticed that the rom got a little faster .. I'm sorry if I asked any stupid questions .. I didn't want to cause you any trouble

douglasmietto said:
I followed exactly all the steps of the op .. and I noticed that the rom got a little faster .. I'm sorry if I asked any stupid questions .. I didn't want to cause you any trouble
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you expected some drastic visual changes this isn't it haha
So far so good here, nice having working voicemail in Google phone app.

"& "Cross Compiled Binaries" with the bare minimum of sed installed to /system/bin. They are on the magisk module repo."
Can you elaborate here? What's sed? And why they should be installed?

Installed it, everything was working except one snag, my settings was FCing everytime I tried to go to the app section.
It's something on my end most likely as I am using Bliss (which is different than your rom,) and it probably isn't compatible.
Love the work regardless and again I'm glad to see you back!

ImjustSaiyan92 said:
Installed it, everything was working except one snag, my settings was FCing everytime I tried to go to the app section.
It's something on my end most likely as I am using Bliss (which is different than your rom,) and it probably isn't compatible.
Love the work regardless and again I'm glad to see you back!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the kind of user I like.

douglasmietto said:
calm friend .. i don't know why so much stress if you're nervous go fishing to relax .. if you don't want to answer questions about your work, just don't post to the XDA group.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why are you on a developer forum asking to be spoon fed information?

[NST/G] Salvaging CM 11

First, the tease.
Note: This video was prepared before I thought about/tested Aldiko Classic as a replacement (and improvement) for Overdrive. See post #2 for more information.
Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any damage that might result to your device by improperly using the files I have provided. Do not charge your device while reading in the bathtub. Do not use your device as a projectile. Read safely.
I've been working with the abandoned sdcard-based CM 11 ROM for a couple of months now, trying to see if anything could be done with it. Having never tried it back in 2015 when @kfazz was actively working on it, I wasn't sure what to expect, but having worked with an 8 gb Nook Tablet ("only" 512 mb RAM) for a long time and with various resource-hungry ROMs, I wasn't expecting much.
First, two myths to dispel:
1. It will NOT "burn" spots in your display. Trust me, if it hasn't done anything to mine in the endless hours I've spent swearing at it, it won't hurt yours.
2. It does NOT leave your stock internal storage entirely alone, but the change is minimal. An "Android" folder is placed in /media and a few apps may store a little data there.
Here's a short list of issues I found, in no particular order. Some are just annoying and can be addressed peripherally. Others are more granular in nature and are beyond anything I could fix. It may now be impossible to address the issues directly if this post is any indication. Of course, the Cyanogenmod folks have moved on to Lineage so the build components may not be accessible any longer.
1. it is sloooooow
2. it is not nice to look at (all Themes I tried destabilized the ROM--so live with it)
3. it does not understand the whole screen off/sleep/wake routine
4. it doesn't really seem to understand the whole e-ink thing
5. it drains battery power like a Black Hole app has been installed
6. it is a nuisance to swap out the sdcard to boot this ROM
7. it is a little unstable....
8. booting into TWRP can be very frustrating
9. the shutdown screen is a crapshoot (all white, the current display, a garbled mess, etc.)
I could go on, but as I worked with the ROM my perspective changed repeatedly until I finally realized that rather than complaining about what it could not or would not do, it would be more helpful to see if it could be used to do something that the stock NST no longer could. For example, NoRefresh doesn't work on the CM 11 ROM but it works wonderfully on the stock NST. There is some issue with screen overlays in KitKat and they are used in the NoRefresh app. Also, there is no USB Host in the CM 11 ROM, although this was mentioned early in the original postings. But USB Host (and Audio) works famously on the NST. Etc. So perhaps the real issues should be:
1. Is there any reason to run the CM 11 ROM?
2. If CM 11 is not fit to be a daily driver, could it be possible to go back and forth between stock and CM 11 easily?
Also, the two ROMs share a common partition: /media (called sdcard1 on the CM 11 ROM). This means files can be shared between them. So I can use a more modern browser (but not very modern....) on the CM 11 ROM to download a PDF of the newspaper (something Opera Mobile cannot negotiate on the stock ROM), move the file to the shared partition, then reboot into the stock ROM and read the file using EBookDroid with NoRefresh Or, I can download an app using the Yalp Store (which should run on the NST but does not), move the file to the shared partition, reboot and install the app on the stock ROM (if it runs on Android 2.1).
What I've done
I have worked mainly with build 2 of the CM 11 ROM. Initially I found build 3 to be markedly less stable, but it may be worth it to revisit my work at some point now that I'm not going to be trying truly crazy stuff. These are the changes I have made:
1. Removed Calendar and Calendar Storage. If you want a local calendar, you can extract the apps from the original build 2 ROM zip or any other CM 11 ROM.
2. Removed Sound Recorder (duh)
3. Removed Trebuchet launcher. It's just hopeless for the NST display.
4. Removed a bunch of Wallpaper and Theme stuff. Face it, plain white (included) is best for the wallpaper.
5. Removed Bluetooth app (duh)
6. Replaced the broken Gallery
7. Restored People (contacts) for local use (load in a .vcf file)
8. Restored the stock AOSP Email app
9. Added a custom boot splash screen (whoopee!)
10. Added ADW Launcher to replace Trebuchet
11. Added AdAway
12. Added the Yalp Store (fork)
13. Added a re-themed RotationLocker (you can actually read the options!!!)
14. Added the updated kernal files and recovery files suggested in the original thread
15. Added the Boot Nook OS app (this, with a companion app for the stock NST allows a form of "dual boot")
16. Added the Screensaver app (this works--mostly--like on the stock NST)
17. Added an NLP app for Location, if turned on
18. Enlarged the /userdata partition to 1 gb
19. Slightly edited build.prop so apps that try to ID the NST can succeed
And, of course, I've combed through the settings for both the ROM and launcher, trying to minimize animations, kill background processes, etc. Anything to calm the OS down.
I have prepared two sdcard image files (see downloads section below). Unlike the images in the original post, these are installed and pre-configured so they are ready to try as soon as you write them. Of course you may not agree with all my settings/tweaks, and are free to take my work as a starting point. I'm hoping that this post may revive some interest in this ROM and people with more knowledge than I will run with it, or at least offer a few more tips and tweaks.
"Dual Boot"
I looked at this issue for a long time. In the development work on the Nook Color someone eventually produced a mod to enable booting to either internal or sdcard ROMs by holding down the "n" button during boot for one of the options. Eventually someone else came up with a boot menu. These innovations involved u-boot and kernals. This is arcana to me, way beyond my pay grade. I did make a desultory binary comparison of some files and eventually gave up. Then one day an outside-the-box idea came to me. What would happen if the device could not boot from the sdcard for some reason? The answer is: it would boot from the internal stuff. A quick renaming of u-boot.bin on the sdcard confirmed this. So, how to rename this file going from either ROM? Coming from the stock ROM it's easy because the "boot" partition of the sdcard is a FAT32 partition and the only part of the card the stock ROM can see. Then just add a reboot command. Done.
Coming from the CM 11 ROM it is more complicated because the "boot" partition is invisible. With the help of @Renate NST I was able to sort out a series of shell commands which mount the "boot" partition, rename the file (I finally settled on renaming MLO rather than u-boot.bin), and execute a reboot. So a different but simple app for each ROM and you can go back and forth without shutting down and swapping cards. The added advantage is that you can put the NST to bed on the stock ROM where it will not use so much power, rather than shutting it down entirely.
Setting up "dual boot" requires a little work if you want to maintain your existing stock files on the sdcard. Here are the steps:
1. Copy the contents of the regular sdcard you use in your NST to a PC.
2. Insert the CM 11 sdcard you have prepared by burning one of the two images I supplied into the card reader of your PC.
3. Start MiniTool Partition Wizard.
4. Identify the sdcard in MiniTool Partition Wizard. You will see that there are four partitions. The "boot" partition is the first and active one. Right-click on this partition and select "Extend". When the dialog appears, drag the sizing indicator all the way to the right (i.e., use up all the unallocated space).
5. When you've got all the changes set up, be sure to hit "apply" so that it all really happens.
6. Close MiniTool Partition Wizard.
The card is now fully accessible to the stock ROM except for the three hidden CM 11 ROM partitions, /system, /cache, and /userdata. Copy the contents of your regular sdcard that you previously saved on your PC onto the newly adjusted CM 11 card. Voila!
The only drawback (besides the loss of about 2 gb of space) is that the files in the "boot" partition will be visible when you use a file manager from the stock ROM. I use ES File Explorer on my stock NST and it allows me to hide files and folders I don't need to access and don't want to look at. Otherwise, you just need to ignore them (and certainly don't delete them!).
Oh, and you need to install the "Boot CM 11" app on your stock NST (download section below). This is a Tasker-generated app. If you already have one of my other Tasker-generated apps or have previously installed GApps, you don't need the two Google maps library files included in the zip and can delete them. If you do need them, copy the two files into the locations shown below (remember, these are for the stock NST--the CM 11 ROM already has these files):
/system/etc/permissions/com.google.android.maps.xml
/system/framework/com.google.android.maps.jar
Set permissions for both files to rw-r--r-- and reboot. Without these files resident, the app will not install.
Apps
I went pretty much nuts at the beginning of my work, installing all kinds of stuff. A lot didn't work. This ROM is not a panacea for all the issues surrounding the aging (but beloved) NST and certainly not the place for fancy screen tricks and cute widgets. There just isn't enough RAM. There are other issues, but that is the big one. I recognize all the signs from my work with the RAM-poor 8 gb Nook Tablet. Of course, the processor is also slow. And there are display issues with the e-ink that some apps just can't get past, not to mention a rather odd screen size and aspect ratio. Here's what I learned:
Stock apps
The stock apps I left on the ROM all work "OK". I don't much care for the File Manager because there is no simple way to get out of it and contrast seems unneccessarily poor, but ES File Explorer (the 3.x series) runs more slowly and gets confused about the emulated and internal storage. It also interacts poorly with the package installer, taking a very long time to install apps. Email works fine and easily adds Gmail accounts. Others might require a little more work. Of all the system apps, the Browser is the most impacted in performance by the device and ROM limitations. I have found this to be true with all the ROMs I have worked with on the Nook Tablet. For KitKat the problems are exacerbated by the outdated Webview. Some sites (like XDA!) cannot display properly. Form input and even response to touching "buttons" is just really awful. If you are patient and don't madly tap over and over to get the attention of the device, you can use the stock Browser, but it is prone to freezing and crashing. That said, it can do some surprising things. For example if you are signed in to Google (painful in itself), it is able to display your full calendar (the only way to see it on the non-microG version), but it takes a long time. I left the app on the ROM, but you could remove it. I use it to access the newspaper, but only to get to the point where I can download a PDF, not to actually try and read it in the Browser. If the stock Browser has any other saving grace it is that the page-up and page-down commands (lower two hardware buttons) move the display. This compensates somewhat for the lack of NoRefresh and the rather overenthusiastic swipe-scroll response of the ROM.
I tried oh-so-many other browsers. I can't begin to count. The performance of most all was dismal. In the end, I settled on Opera Mini (but not the version that runs on the stock NST). I'm not a big fan of Opera Mini. There are many sites it can't display, but this version, which includes an ad-blocker, works really well with library OverDrive sites (yes, you read that correctly!) and generally sails through forms and interactive screens. Unfortunately it does not respond to the page-up/down commands.
Other user apps
I tried all the typical readers before I realized that was just stupid. Most work very well, although you need to up the version on a few to achieve full-screen reading, and the readers with bookcover screensaver actions need modifying to find the correct folder. I did this successfully with the current PlayStore version of AlReader but had less success with CoolReader. The FBReader version for the NST cannot display full screen, but the ICS version (available from the FBReader website) works well and can run the PDF plugin (presumably the DJVU as well). No version of Kindle runs well--if at all. The closest thing is Kindle Lite 1.9, but it is quite slow and cannot read local .mobi files. The right version of OverDrive runs reasonably well once the book is loaded. If you want to run OverDrive, be sure to look at the second post in this thread. News apps were possible but just really, really slow. Any app that needs to assemble a complicated Webview is a problem--this includes the in-app library browser of OverDrive. And then there is the issue with GSF (Google Services Framework). We don't really run into this with the stock ROM because all of our apps are so old. But with KitKat you begin to get apps that refuse to run or run poorly because you don't have GApps installed. Even the NPR News app....
So let's talk Google. First, NO GApps. Never. No. Just no. The ROM, as configured, runs with about 60-90 mb of free RAM (at least according to the information shown in Settings), a little more if you forego Email. In an extended moment of folly, just to see, I did struggle with GApps, after enlarging the /system partition on the card. It took two days, much searching on-line, and many words that do not come from children's books, but I did get a pico GApps package installed. That left about 30 mb of free RAM and absolutely nothing would work. I knew that would be the result from my work with the 8 gb Nook Tablet, but I just wanted to say, authoritatively, NO.
However...my work with the Nook Tablet also eventually led me to microG. Could that even work on this ROM? The short answer is yes. I have successfully enabled signature spoofing (but only for microG) and installed and configured microG.
microG, at its most basic level, spoofs the signature of GSF that many apps look for. At that level of service it adds very little overhead to the system. The next step up is adding an actual Google account. This does increase system activity but only a little if you don't go crazy with things. With an account you can run some Google apps like Books and Drive, assuming you can find versions that will work.
I've identified working versions of Google Play Books and Google Drive (included in the apps download below), but I don't guarantee they will work forever. Even after I thought I had found a good version of Google Play Books I got an email from Google saying they were going to stop supporting that version "soon". So I tried a few more recent versions and found another. No emails so far...
You could theoretically run the PlayStore at this level of microG, but it just won't work on this device. Google insists on updating it and while a Jellybean version might run quite well, it won't be around long and then after the automatic update it will be a useless burden on the system. Fortunately, the fork of the Yalp Store (which should run on the NST but does not) works well on the CM 11 ROM, although not with a generic Yalp Store account. I opened a Google account just for this purpose when I started working with the 8 gb Nook Tablet and this is the only thing I use the account for. I suggest you do something similar, just in case. This will give you PlayStore access, although you will not be able to purchase apps. If you select the microG version be sure to take a look at post #3 below.
That's about it. I tried a Crossword app, and a few other oddities, but in the end I still feel that running things on this ROM that function perfectly well (or better) on the stock ROM does not make a lot of sense. It should be all about the stuff you otherwise could not do--within reason
Lastly, a word about my Screensaver app. I've attempted to "solve" or work around a number of issues using this app. The screen off/sleep/unlock cycle only works "correctly" when the device is plugged in (AC or USB). Otherwise, waking the device requires a tap on the power button followed by a press of the "n" button. Perhaps that's a "feature". When I finally understood the situation I tried to figure out how to work around it. Eventually I hit on the idea of spoofing the battery state at "screen off" if the device is not charging. So the app monitors the screen and when it detects the screen-off state it tells the system that wireless charging has begun (if there is not already charging happening). Then the app pushes an image to the screen (which would otherwise be either black or the last current display--at random). Tasker (which I used to create the app) cannot overlay the nav bar so you will still see that. That means screensaver images are about 600x752 rather than 600x800. This generally works quite well, but there are two issues I have not been able to solve. Sometimes the first screen off goes to black. After that it all works fine. Also, pushing the image to the screen seems to reset the lock timer. So if your timeout is set to 5 minutes, the screen remains unlocked for roughly another 5 minutes after the image is displayed. During this time a simple swipe across the image in any direction will clear the screensaver (and reset the battery state). Otherwise, after lock, a press of the "n" button, followed by a swipe over the image will both unlock and clear the image (and reset the battery state). I tried sending a lock code myself after the image was displayed but that always resulted in a black screen. You can change the screensaver folder as long as you place your images in a folder inside /storage/emulated/0/Screensavers. If there is more than one image in the folder you select, the app will cycle through them, just like on the stock NST.
As a hopeful afterthought I also tried to address the random shutdown image. A careful reading of the original thread indicates this is supposed to be a white screen. The developer admitted this was subject to perfect timing, racing against the clock before parts of the system shut down. I attempted to force a blocking overlay onto the screen when shutdown is detected. A blocking overlay cannot cover either the status bar or nav bar, but at least you could tell the device is off. When it worked. For the time being I have removed this feature because it's almost as random as the native ROM itself. I'll keep picking at it, but I'm out of ideas at the present.
Getting going
1. Download one of the two images below, choosing whether you want the simple version or the one with microG installed. Each image is just over 2 gb so you will need at least a 4 gb sdcard to burn, probably larger if you plan to run "dual boot". I generally use 16 gb cards with most of my devices (a few have 32 gb cards), but that's probably overkill for the NST.
2. Use Win32DiskImager or similar to burn the image you downloaded to the card.
3. If you intend to run "dual boot", follow the directions above to extend the "boot" partition over the unallocated section of the card and copy your existing stock ROM sdcard files to the card. You will also need to install the "Boot CM 11" app on your stock NST (the companion app is already on the CM 11 ROM).
4. Shut down your NST, insert the CM 11 card and power up. The device will boot into CM 11 in three "stages": a splash screen, a white screen, a black screen. A very few apps have been pre-installed and some general configuration has been done. The rest is up to you!
Note: you don't have to be concerned about the hardware information like serial number, MAC address, etc. When the CM 11 ROM boots it apparently reads these from the internal storage. I tried this by switching my working cards to another NST and found that the values were correct for the currently running device.
TWRP
Remember the disclaimer at the beginning? That bit about not using your device as a projectile? That is about TWRP. Works great if you can get to it. From power off, or on reboot, press and hold the two lower hardware buttons as soon as you see the splash screen. Count to ten (not too slow, not too fast....) and then release the buttons. If you are successful, the boot process will briefly pass into the white screen and then TWRP. If you have an NSTG, the light will come on at some point (but that may not mean ultimate success). I've looked at this quite a bit to see if there could be a way to construct a simple app to force a reboot into TWRP without the button business. Just before posting all this I took another look through the original thread and there was the answer staring me in the face. But it's not a good answer. I have put together a small app to "force" a reboot into TWRP. It does this by mounting "boot", renaming boot.scr to boot.scr.bak, making a copy of twrp.scr named "boot.scr" and rebooting. This has a better success rate than the traditional method (at least for me), but it does occasionally hang at the splash screen (which is what the button method does for me about 80% of the time). In the two installations I have tried it failed on the first try, perhaps because of the delay in obtaining SU permission. Then it was fine. More importantly, the device is going to keep booting into TWRP unless you undo what the app did before you leave TWRP. It's lame, I know. The directions are given in the dialog box called up by the app. I did not include this app with the images because it really is just barely a "fix". If you want to give it a try, you can get it from the downloads section below.
If you want to flash any zips place them in /media on the stock NST, then mount /media when you enter TWRP.
If you want to make a backup it's tricky. This version of TWRP is coded to see only "internal" storage. But that's not what you might think. It's the sdcard, but only part of it. Despite having loads of free space on my sdcard it keeps showing me "569 mb" or similar. That is obviously not enough space for a 2+ gb backup, although of course the actual file contents are less than that. I believe this space measurement is the free space in the /userdata partition since backups appear in /storage/emulated/0/TWRP/BACKUPS/<serial_number>. So one approach is to enlarge this partition enough to accommodate a full backup. But that makes an image painfully large to download. My idea so far has been to make one or two backups, depending on how much is in userdata. So maybe system+cache, and userdata. Or, if there is enough space, all three at once. After each, I reboot and copy off the file to my PC, then delete it on the device. I successfully did a two part backup and then restored it, system+cache first, then after a reboot, userdata. This worked. The "boot" partition is easy enough to backup manually because your PC can see all of it.
"This was all a waste of my time. How can I recover my sdcard?"
Insert the card into the card reader of your PC and copy off the files from the stock ROM to restore to a clean card. Start MiniTool Partition Wizard. Identify the sdcard and right click on the three partitions: /system, /cache, /userdata, and delete them. Apply. This leaves only the active "boot" partition and some "unallocated space". Right-click on this partition and Extend it over the freed up space. Apply. You should now have a single space equivalent to the size of the card in a single partition. At this point the card can be reformatted with Windows or something like SDFormatter.
Downloads
NST_CM11.img (2 gb)
NST_CM11_microG.img (2 gb)
Boot_CM11.zip (for the stock NST)
Boot_TWRP.apk
CM11_Apps.zip

OverDrive (and Aldiko)
I was originally thinking about making another video but I am still recovering from the drama/trauma of making and posting my first YouTube video...so maybe later. Or not.
One of the things that first made me look at the CM 11 ROM was the potential promise of OverDrive. I've always thought the abandonment of the NST was one of the unkindest cuts. Unfortunately this is not a story with a totally happy ending. You can use the CM 11 ROM to run a version of OverDrive and you can checkout books from your library, but you have to go about it just right or it will drive you into hurling your device across the room. And then there is the issue with the actual book loading time, as seen in the infamous video in the first post. I can't do anything about the latter, but I have developed a method for checking out books that is actually pretty painless. Here is a step-by-step description of the process. YMMV.
0. You need to authorize the OverDrive app with your Adobe ID. If you're doing a lot of experimentation, be careful with this. I eventually used up my account allotment by carelessly uninstalling versions that did not work properly without first de-authorizing them. When I appealed to Adobe to reset my count (as I had read I should) I got a string of people who had no idea what I was talking about and apparently had no comprehension of the English language. I eventually just gave up on my old account and opened a new one.
1. Navigate to your library OverDrive website using Opera Mini. Sign in with whatever information you normally use (library card number, OverDrive account, etc.). DO NOT attempt to use the OverDrive app to search for your library and browse it. That way madness lies.
2. Find a book you want and go through the usual steps to check it out, eventually ending with the "Download EPUB". Some sites use pop-ups or overlays for the checkout process. Occasionally these end up "off the screen", i.e., you need to scroll back to the top to see them. After the first time you'll know better what to expect.
3. The download of the .acsm file is very quick and you'll see the notification appear briefly. DO NOT EXIT OPERA MINI AT THIS POINT! This will cause the notification to disappear. Although the activity picker *should* open OverDrive when the .acsm file is selected in the File Manager, it does NOT. Instead, pull down the notification window and tap on the "Download Complete".
4. OverDrive opens and the book is downloaded.
The process is similar if you select a Kindle (.mobi) format book, except there is no download. Instead you need to head over to Amazon.com and arrange for delivery of the book to your device (the stock NST). This is totally doable with Opera Mini. On my device I have added both my local library OverDrive site and the device and content management section of Amazon.com to the Speed Dial and also as shortcuts on my home screen. ADW Launcher allows you to edit both the text and icon for a shortcut (double tap on the icon to edit) or any other icon, for that matter, so you can dress things up how you like.
Aldiko
As I was wrapping up the materials for the first post a few of my little grey cells whispered "aldiko" to me. Duh! I had forgotten about that particular reader app with the ability to download Adobe DRM books. The old version that "runs" on the stock NST can't do that anymore, but could a new one...?
Here's what I have found out so far. I downloaded and installed the final version of what is now called "Aldiko Classic" from the Yalp Store. First run is a little cranky (true of many apps) but it settles down. After authorizing it with my Adobe ID I tried the actual in-app library browser. This was actually almost bearable, certainly much faster than OverDrive which is hopeless. I eventually completed a checkout completely inside the app and fulfilled the book. It would probably be easier starting with Opera Mini, although I'm not sure how the .acsm file would be handled. I still need to test that. The good news is that the book opened and displayed in a timely manner, just about like any of the other non-OverDrive readers I had tried before.
The bad news is that there was a mysterious notation on the library OverDrive site which I had never seen before. Something about my device no longer being able to access digital content after 10/30/2020. There was a link but the in-app browser refused to follow it.
Edit: here is a sequence that works for me with Aldiko using Opera Mini
1. Navigate to your library OverDrive site using Opera Mini and sign in.
2. Select a book to download.
3. When the .acsm file has downloaded you can exit Opera Mini.
4. Using the File Manager, go to the Download folder and tap on the .acsm file. The activity picker will show Aldiko as one option. Tick the "always" (or whatever) option and select "Open".
5. Aldiko begins downloading the book and places it on the bookshelf. It may have trouble opening it the first time, but that could just have been a hiccup on mine. Otherwise, a very smooth and satisfactory process.
This might be a better option than OverDrive. It certainly opens the books quickly.
Edit-Edit: I tracked down the mysterious message. It's not good. Basically people with custom ROMs (or even just ROMs that for some reason do not receive updates) are being shafted unless they have some way to do a TLS 1.2 update. Remember that? Thought it was done? Apparently the folks at OverDrive disagree. I'm guessing you don't see the message in Opera Mini because it is actually Opera's up-to-date servers that are accessing the website. So it may remain possible to download the .acsm file but it's a guess whether Aldiko will be able to fulfill the book. The rather fussy and technical message suggests that OverDrive apps on devices not updated will not be able to fulfill books. Time will tell.
An update on DRM books with Aldiko.
As of mid-November 2020, I have still been able to fulfill Adobe DRM books from the library using Aldiko as described in post #2. So either Adobe is a little behind the curve (not hard to believe...) or else the security chops of this ROM are sufficient for them--for now.

microG (and Calendar)
If you're not familiar with microG, here is a quick run-down.
If you just don't want to have any trouble with apps that use GSF, you can use the CM 11 image with microG installed. You don't need to do anything else.
If you want to run a Google app like Books or Drive, you will need to add a Google account. This can be done through the microG settings app or via the CM 11 Settings app. The process is slow and keyboard response is temperamental, so be prepared. You will also need to enable Google device registration in the microG settings app.
Calendar Edit: 9-30-22: This no longer works. Calendar is, in fact broken.
Never say never. I was pretty sure this was broken, although I thought it once worked. It turns out I was right on both accounts. More importantly, the version of microG which worked with Calendar still appears to work overall, but there is a catch. Here's what you need to do:
1. The existing com.google.android.gms........apk needs to be replaced with com.google.android.gms-19420020.apk
2. Calendar.apk needs to be added back to /system/app (permissions: rw-r--r--)
3. GoogleCalendarSyncAdapter.apk needs to be added to /system/app (permissions: rw-r--r--)
4. CalendarProvider.apk needs to be added back to /system/priv-app (permissions: rw-r--r--)
5. Reboot
The catch: you must add the Google account while trying to start Calendar. This will happen automatically when you try to open Calendar. Adding the account in this way makes it work for everything on the device. Adding it as described above makes Calendar ignore the account. Go figure.
If there is any interest in Calendar, I can put together a zip package to download the needed files.

Discoveries
7-13-22
1. Alternative launcher: Simple E-ink Launcher is just what it says. I came across it while reading about the alternative firmware developed for the Nook Glowlight series. This launcher is part of the package. Very spartan. Nice if you only have a few apps. See image below.
2. General purpose reader: Yeah, I remember what I said, but I was surprised at just how well Koreader performed on the ROM--once you change one setting.
The setting in question has to do with "flash-back" (i.e.,visual cue that you touched something). The ROM does not like this setting at all, but if you can live without it, it all works great. Image attached below shows how I have those particular settings (found from gear-->screen-->E-ink settings).

support!

Thank you for posting. I was trying to see if I could refresh my nook without glowlight, and got here. suprised that someone is working on it after all these years. All the best!

Hyped as **** for this!

This is awesome! It runs well on my Nook Simple Touch with Glowlight from a 16gb micro SD card. There are a few issues but I can live with most, however one is quite annoying. The issue I have is that I can't charge my Nook while in Android 4.4. If I boot it to the original OS (version 1.2.2) then it charges fine. The other major issue is that the battery percentage reported in Android 4.4 does not match the one shown in the stock OS at all. The stock OS reported 6% battery while the Nook OS said 16%. These issues are both seemingly random since sometimes it does work. It will say it's plugged in but not charging in the battery section of settings in Android 4.4 and I can always tell by the LED light. If it's not charging but should be, it will be green, if it's charging when it should be then it's yellow. It does work sometimes but requires some rebooting and messing with things to get it to be functional. Otherwise I love it! My nook also has a brand new battery and does last a long time, though it would be cool to see battery life improved in Android 4.4.

ELECTROHAXZ said:
The issue I have is that I can't charge my Nook while in Android 4.4. If I boot it to the original OS (version 1.2.2) then it charges fine. The other major issue is that the battery percentage reported in Android 4.4 does not match the one shown in the stock OS at all. The stock OS reported 6% battery while the Nook OS said 16%. These issues are both seemingly random since sometimes it does work. It will say it's plugged in but not charging in the battery section of settings in Android 4.4 and I can always tell by the LED light. If it's not charging but should be, it will be green, if it's charging when it should be then it's yellow. It does work sometimes but requires some rebooting and messing with things to get it to be functional.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately the power/charging/sleep/screensaver are all tangled up together. With the screensaver app I made the way it is supposed to work may not always be the way it works. But you can humor it. Try this:
Only plug in to charge with the screensaver dismissed (i.e., before the device has gone to sleep). Before disconnecting from charge, dismiss the screensaver. This seems to be the biggest stumbling block as the ROM wants to change the way the "n" button works if it's in a sleep cycle. The screensaver app is trying to work around that, but there is this grey area of charging when asleep. Try it and see if that helps (you'd need to do a fresh boot, though, if the device shows charging when it is not plugged in before you adopt this regimen).
This may also clear up the battery % discrepancy you are seeing between stock and CM11. I haven't had a chance to run mine long enough today to check on that, but I don't remember seeing the problem during the original shakedown. If I see that later today, I'll report back. (you can expect to see minor differences depending on how close the percentage is to changing when you go from one OS to the other as the boot process does gobble up some electrons)
Edit: I ran my NST on the CM11 ROM for most of the day, doing some charging and some cleanup here and there of things that had changed since I last booted it up. Everything was fine as long as I observed the sequence described above for charging and unplugging. The battery indicator on the CM11 ROM showed 85% when I booted back into the stock ROM. There it showed 84%. Probably the squirrely behavior you observed was tied to the bolluxed charging indicator/screensaver issue. It's just touchy and if you want to use it you need to learn its foibles for the best overall experience.

nmyshkin said:
Unfortunately the power/charging/sleep/screensaver are all tangled up together. With the screensaver app I made the way it is supposed to work may not always be the way it works. But you can humor it. Try this:
Only plug in to charge with the screensaver dismissed (i.e., before the device has gone to sleep). Before disconnecting from charge, dismiss the screensaver. This seems to be the biggest stumbling block as the ROM wants to change the way the "n" button works if it's in a sleep cycle. The screensaver app is trying to work around that, but there is this grey area of charging when asleep. Try it and see if that helps (you'd need to do a fresh boot, though, if the device shows charging when it is not plugged in before you adopt this regimen).
This may also clear up the battery % discrepancy you are seeing between stock and CM11. I haven't had a chance to run mine long enough today to check on that, but I don't remember seeing the problem during the original shakedown. If I see that later today, I'll report back. (you can expect to see minor differences depending on how close the percentage is to changing when you go from one OS to the other as the boot process does gobble up some electrons)
Edit: I ran my NST on the CM11 ROM for most of the day, doing some charging and some cleanup here and there of things that had changed since I last booted it up. Everything was fine as long as I observed the sequence described above for charging and unplugging. The battery indicator on the CM11 ROM showed 85% when I booted back into the stock ROM. There it showed 84%. Probably the squirrely behavior you observed was tied to the bolluxed charging indicator/screensaver issue. It's just touchy and if you want to use it you need to learn its foibles for the best overall experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to know. If it's an issue I will try that. I have since discovered that a much easier solution to get things in sync is just to reboot the thing. Frankly that seems a lot easier than the whole thing you said about when to charge and lock/unlock so that's what I've been doing. I just hope it actually is charging when the OS is making the charging LED green and saying not charging despite it being less than 100%. Guess I can find that out with my USB power meter. Thanks for the response!