Develop Bugs

[APP] AudioBoost 2.4 - support and feedback

CREDITS:
My work is ONLY the application, it was intended for my personal use, but I figured that it could be useful to someone else, until supercurio doesn't come out with something better (and I hope he will).
So the HARD PART of the work, like finding out how to tweak the volume limit using alsa, etc. was done by supercurio and we should all thank him a lot for all his work!
Thanks also to RyanZA for creating the z4root application, very very useful!
PREREQUISITES:
1. Your phone must be ROOTED!
ATTENTION FOR FROYO!!:
With froyo official updates, it is NO LONGER possible to flash custom update.zip!! If you want to leave your phone unrooted, however, there is a simple way to achive this:
1. Download from the market the free application "z4root" from our beloved RyanZA! (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=833953)
2. Use the z4root application to get root privileges
3. Now open audioboost and choose "NORMAL INSTALL"
4. Now or whenever you feel like it, if you want, you can just open z4root again and *unroot* your device. After that, you can even erase z4root and continue using audioboost without problems until next firmware upgrade...the app won't leave any trace and it won't be noticeable that your phone has been rooted.
If you liked this approach, you can also donate to RyanZA for the wonderful app he's created!
INSTALLATION:
If you had previously a beta version installed, please uninstall it before trying the release 1.0.
If you don't have already installed alsa, the app will check your installation when you launch it, and eventually it will ask you to install alsa. Please do so.
FEATURES:
- Headphones, speaker and microphone tweaking!
- I optimized the code a lot, so now it is very low on resource usage, even with a 1-second refresh rate!
- You can leave it in background all day without noticing any lag or anything!
- Now with some sort of icon.
- Signed.
UPDATED 1.1:
- When clicking exit button it will clean up better.
- Cleaned up a bit the Settings activity, and added preview of next feature (statusbar notifications).
- Changed Info activity a bit.
UPDATED 1.2:
- Fixed a bug that prevented the app to work properly!
UPDATED 1.3:
- GLOBAL REFRESH! Now the refresh time and enabling/disabling is under Settings and works for ALL controls (headphones, speaker and mic).
- Fixed (hopefully) problems with ALSA INSTALLATION, plus now a progress dialog is displayed (just for you to know that is working and for me when posting problems - I hope not - you can say "stuck at x%"...)
- Fixed QUIT bug. Now when you click the exit button it should really exit and not show up in background even with task killer. PLEASE DO NOT KILL THE APP, use the exit button!!!
- Now menu has icons!
- Plus a lot of things that you may not notice, but are very useful for overall speed and low system resource impact! The code has been changed A LOT, let me tell ya!
...Well hope everything works just fine! Please post feedback on mic functioning with these new features!
UPDATED 1.4.1:
- Just fixed a little thing which prevented the correct alsa installation, nothing definitive as I'm looking to manage every single possible error scenario...
UPDATED 2.0:
- Works even on unrooted phones
- Alsa installation takes now a split second! You MUST do that even if you used version 1.x (permissions changed...)
- Audio-boosting feature is a service that can be backgrounded
- Statusbar notification
- Start on phone boot
- Refresh rate in milliseconds...you can have values lower than 1 second, default is 500ms...obviously greater values = worst experience = better performance....your call!
- New app logo...hope you like it!
- A lot of other improvements that I'm not remembering right now!
UPDATED 2.1:
- Fixed lagging issues (OMG java Timer class implementation on android sucks badly!!!)
- Dropped "always active" option in settings (not very user-friendly/intuitive)
- Added little dialog when hitting menu/Quit that asks if you want to background the app or close it for good (more user-friendly for my taste)
Regarding *lagging* issues: of course, if you keep like 2-3 milliseconds refresh it WILL lag indeed! That depends on use-cases:
- I, for instance, use my app when listening to music while driving. In that circumstance, I have no problem occupying resources because I'm not actually using my phone apart from playing music. If an email comes in though, I'd *hate* to have to wait 10 seconds to boost volume again, so I keep 100-200ms. When I exit the car, I click "disable" and close audioboost.
- Someone who is listening to music while using the phone intensively should use a higher refresh.
I think that with 2000ms refresh, version 2.1 shouldn't lag even all-day long. Even with lower values it should be fine...you should find your preferred setting by yourselves!
UPDATE 2.2 - 2.3 - 2.4:
- Fixed some bugs.
- Improved froyo compatibility.
- Mounts /system as rw during install.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO RATE/COMMENT THE APP IN THE MARKET, THANK YOU EVERYBODY
- OLD:
Ok...let's explain a bit. Yesterday evening I wanted to know if it existed a tweak to boost the audio volume coming from the headphones. I think that there is some sort of European law or something like that which limits the volume that headphones can produce. This is probably a good thing to avoid hearing problems with *headphones*, but in my situation it sucks badly! Yes, because I use my phone as a music source in my car, and my car hifi is not powerful enough to let me hear my music at the level I like...
However...I was addressed at this thread, from post #300 on...
Well, I read the thread (and I STRONGLY ADVISE you do the same before downloading anything from my post), but I didn't like very much the limitations of that tweak. It works alright, but it seems to me that an sh script is not the more comfortable way to go on a mobile phone. If you think differently from me, feel free to keep using the script method, without posting useless comments.
So I created a tiny little (horrible I must say) application which kinda does basically the same thing as the script, but in a (from my point of view) much cooler way! It is very ugly, but it's my first android application and I bought the phone just 2 weeks ago...
How does this work? Very simple: there is a textbox in which you can enter the desired amp level, an enable button and a disable one. You should enter the value you prefer (default is 62), then click enable button. You should now leave the app RUNNING in background. When you are finished using the tweak you can tap the disable button to return to the default (of the firmware) settings.
Basically what the application does is it creates a 2-seconds timer which calls everytime the alsamixer (a little better than using an infinite loop as in the script...) with the desired settings. It doesn't seem to impact the battery life too much from my little testing, but please post any feedback on this point.

Thank you! This is useful

what is the default and what are the ranges it supports thanks

The default is 56 (and that's the value it puts when you click the disable button). The range varies from 0 to 63, but from 0 to 35 it's the same low level. It's all written on the supercurio's post I mentioned!

thanks works ok.. you dont have to keep it running the setting does not go back to default unless you unplug and replug in the headphone.. also this is only for headphone boost not for speaker..
finally 2 secs seems like overkill every 10-30 sec would be ok to0.. maybe you could make that user seteable.. also an exit button would be nice since i start it set the level higher and kill it..as long as i dont unplug headphones it stays so i would like to exit without going to task killer..
thanks agian.

lgkahn said:
thanks works ok.. you dont have to keep it running the setting does not go back to default unless you unplug and replug in the headphone.. also this is only for headphone boost not for speaker..
finally 2 secs seems like overkill every 10-30 sec would be ok to0.. maybe you could make that user seteable.. also an exit button would be nice since i start it set the level higher and kill it..as long as i dont unplug headphones it stays so i would like to exit without going to task killer..
thanks agian.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll look into those suggestions after dinner, thanks! However, I don't see why you should kill it...I mean, it's like 20kb of app...I don't think it occupies that much ram...
The point of the app is that when you unplug the headphone and replug it after 2sec it bumps volume again...if you kill it becomes useless...

carlocb said:
I'll look into those suggestions after dinner, thanks! However, I don't see why you should kill it...I mean, it's like 20kb of app...I don't think it occupies that much ram...
The point of the app is that when you unplug the headphone and replug it after 2sec it bumps volume again...if you kill it becomes useless...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it is not the memory footprint i dont like anything running starting up every so often and checking status.. not sure what it does to battery or cpu usage.. especially in not necessary... maybe a widget added to the app with a picture that changes showing boost when on and when you click toggles on or off.. and you only need to open the actuall app for settings..
if you can bundle this with the other app so you dont have to manually install and untar on you card. you could probably charge a couple of bucks for it in the store... but more most people the manual install and untar of the other app is slightly complicated.

lgkahn said:
it is not the memory footprint i dont like anything running starting up every so often and checking status.. not sure what it does to battery or cpu usage.. especially in not necessary... maybe a widget added to the app with a picture that changes showing boost when on and when you click toggles on or off.. and you only need to open the actuall app for settings..
if you can bundle this with the other app so you dont have to manually install and untar on you card. you could probably charge a couple of bucks for it in the store... but more most people the manual install and untar of the other app is slightly complicated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well that of the widget is a GREAT idea! I'll look into it, but I can't promise anything, because as I said it's the first time I develop anything for a mobile phone, I just read two or three tutorials on android developing this morning and the actual coding part was like a couple of hours of work. Add to that the fact that it's been 4 years since last time I wrote software (let alone java, which was the first language I learned, but I never used it for real developing) and now I'm doing with very different things in my life! Of course I will try to upgrade and make a better app, as this one is horrible...if people are interested I'll do it, but it'll take some time!

carlocb said:
Well that of the widget is a GREAT idea! I'll look into it, but I can't promise anything, because as I said it's the first time I develop anything for a mobile phone, I just read two or three tutorials on android developing this morning and the actual coding part was like a couple of hours of work. Add to that the fact that it's been 4 years since last time I wrote software (let alone java, which was the first language I learned, but I never used it for real developing) and now I'm doing with very different things in my life! Of course I will try to upgrade and make a better app, as this one is horrible...if people are interested I'll do it, but it'll take some time!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sure your work will make a lot of people happy.
Thanks for your time Carlo.

Grande Carlo!
Ti consiglierei di salvare il livello di output dell'ultima sessione in modo tale che uno non lo debba reinserire. Ma quanta batteria consuma questa applicazione?
Altro piccolo consiglio: inserisci un terzo pulsante per poter disattivare l'applicazione senza ripristinare a 56 il volume, in modo tale da non dover avere la tua app in background ma poter comunque utilizzare il volume al max
Great idea Carlo!
I'd suggest to modify a few things in your app:
1)Try to insert a third button for closing the service without resetting the volume to the normal one, also because it is enough to unplug the headphones to change it.
2)Can you modify save the latest used volume? This way the next time you open the app you do not have to change it again.
Buona fortuna! Grande idea!

OK...if you look in the first post I updated the app a bit, implementing some of the requests...
It's very important that you uninstall the old one before installing the new one.
It's still early alpha version however, I have in mind a couple of interesting things if I'm able to implement them...
Stay tuned!

2. The refresh rate is in *seconds* and the default is 2. Feel free to experiment with other values, but remember that it's not only the unplugging of headphones cable which causes the volume value to reset. This happens also when you receive a notification (such as an incoming call, message or email), or when there is a 2 seconds or longer pause (such as you just pause the player for a moment). So...imho it's not useful to keep the refresh rate higher then 10 seconds or so...but as always, try various combinations and let me know! The most important thing should be to watch the impact of this setting on battery life...
Also...if you put 0 here as a value, the timer won't start at all. Basically this means that it's just like invoking the shell command...so any notification and the volume won't come back up!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
strange i didnt experience this in my tests pausing both audible player and ambling book player for more than 2 secs.. the volume didnt reset...
will have to experiement more

ok more info you are correct pausing does setting values back to default..
also one bug.. quite does not seem to totaly quit the app.. it does exist but if you run adavance task killer a process is still showing up as running in the task list.. but anyway i have set it to 10 secs . and it seems to work fine.. no lag while using other apps.

mobile terminal emulator ? allright, couldnt find a tutorial on using adb. can i download a mobile terminal straight to my sgs?

swatsqad said:
mobile terminal emulator ? allright, couldnt find a tutorial on using adb. can i download a mobile terminal straight to my sgs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
as long as you have root and busybox you can download the terminal emulator from the market and run the tar command in the first post.
i did it this way on the bus this morning

swatsqad said:
mobile terminal emulator ? allright, couldnt find a tutorial on using adb. can i download a mobile terminal straight to my sgs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=7239659&postcount=3 This is for you!
I like the new version, now maybe you could add a simple image as logo!
Anyway sometimes the app crashes. I think I am unlucky!

help?
$ cd /
cd /
$ busybox tar zxvf /sdcard/alsa-utils-binaries.tar.gz.zip
busybox tar zxvf /sdcard/alsa-utils-binaries.tar.gz.zip
tar: invalid option -- z
BusyBox v1.18.0.git (2010-08-11 01:17:17 CDT) multi-call binary.
Usage: tar -[cxtvO] [-X FILE] [-f TARFILE] [-C DIR] [FILE]...
Create, extract, or list files from a tar file
Operation:
c Create
x Extract
t List
Options:
f Name of TARFILE ('-' for stdin/out)
C Change to DIR before operation
v Verbose
O Extract to stdout
h Follow symlinks
exclude File to exclude
X File with names to exclude
T File with names to include

Yes some busybox versions don't have tar with gzip support. If u installed the busy box fix from titanium backup u can just run the command thru tar instead.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

I dont get it ;/ ..
. So what do i do? OAllready spent 4+hrs on this

Download Busybox by Stericson from the market and that app will let you install the latest Busybox - then that command will work.
cheers
swatsqad said:
I dont get it ;/ ..
. So what do i do? OAllready spent 4+hrs on this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

[Q] keep apps active

Hi out there
I don't know if I am the only one with this "problem":
I always was wondering, why no (max 1 or 2) apps are active. Finding out by having a look on the stock widget which shows the active/running apps. Wondering why SGW always starts at the main page (weather information) when returning form reading an article at News & Weather-app. Or why I always have to restart opera when receiving or reading an whatsapp in between.
Mostly I'm using the home button.
Problem now is, that I want to upload some photos to synology disc station. I am using the synology app browsing to the desired folder. While selecting the picture to be uploaded SGW switches to picturegalery in order to choose the file. Hitting the file (selecting) SGW returns to initial screen from synology app where you have to give credentials. So the operation is broken and you have to start again and again unable to upload anything. Same when I use webbrowser.
I guess that SGW kills the synology task while in galery. Same that SGW kills News & Weather while reading article. And so on.
Any solution???
I'm running stock rom 2.3.6, rooted, with V6 supercharger at level 6.
Thanks in advance
holydiver

V6 SC will kill apps in RAM.....to recover for active apps!!
Long press on Home key should bring up list of 6 apps by default.....and you should be able to return to any app.
It works for me, even with Tapatalk....I will leave....Tap Home key....do something else on phone....then long press Home.....be back in a sec!!!! .....
I'm baaack!!!!!
Just checked my Gmail and returned here by long press Home and selecting Tapatalk....brought me straight back where I left off.....
That is my experience!!!
level 6??
Sent from my GT-I8150 using Tapatalk

long press on home button brings up the last 6 used apps. Does that mean they are still in RAM?
Why does the widget tell me there are no active apps?
Maybe its an bug (sorry feature ) from the synology app!?
holydiver

holydiver said:
long press on home button brings up the last 6 used apps. Does that mean they are still in RAM?
Why does the widget tell me there are no active apps?
Maybe its an bug (sorry feature ) from the synology app!?
holydiver
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It all depends if there is ram available.... if not, they will not be in RAM.....but you should get back to where you were in App.
Android is not Windows.....see this:
http://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/android
4. Task Management Android multi-tasks differently to a desktop OS such as Windows. This is to make better use of a phone's limited resources such as memory and battery. The part of an Android app that you generally open up and deal with (the graphical user interface, or 'Activities') don't multitask. If you press Home and open something else, the app you leave is frozen in memory and stops getting CPU time. Most apps on Android work this way, unfortunately including the stock browser which won't continue updating when you are away from it. Some apps use special threads of execution called 'Services' which always run in the background but don't interact with the screen. Start playing a song in the music player (or start a streaming radio app like Last FM) and hit Home to go do something else. The player interface (which may include a CPU-hungry equalizer visualization) freezes and won't do anything until you switch back into it. But the thread playing the music keeps running and your music keeps playing. Start playing a game and then hit Home. The game freezes and sits in RAM but doesn't take any CPU. You may read and respond to a text message then hold Home and select the game from the popup (or even open it from a shortcut in the launcher/on your desktop!). The game will resume from where it was. Start playing a game and then hit Home (again). The game freezes and sits in RAM. You can now open the browser and load a big webpage so that the phone runs out of RAM, forcing Android to dump your game from RAM. Later you hit Home to switch back into your game but it will restarts fresh, as though you weren't running it before. A variation on that last one: Some apps periodically save your state so they can return you to that instead of sending you right back to the beginning.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also, not sure which version of V6 you are using..... this article is slightly outdated, but worth a read.
http://yagyagaire.blogspot.com/2011/10/v6-super-charger-complete-memory.html?m=1
Sent from my GT-I8150 using Tapatalk

[DATABASE] Best Root Apps

THIS IS THE ORIGINAL THREAD.
IF YOU FIND ANY DUPLICATE THREADS WITHOUT PROPER CREDITS FOR ME, PLEASE REPORT.
I SHALL TAKE THE NECESSARY ACTION ​
Most of you might be very much familiar with the rooting procedure. Its the process of giving yourself superuser permissions (ex - administrator in windows xp ).
If you are using a custom rom, then there is no need to specifically root your phone. But if you are using stock roms, then there is a guide to root in the forums.
Once rooted, you can now take your own decisions for your device which include improving system performance or flashing custom roms using cwm recovery or using any of these below listed apps. Use it wisely, as playing with your device performance can have damaging effects.
I AM NOT AT ALL RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE DONE TO YOUR DEVICE BY YOU.
Moving on, many of the rooted-on-stock and custom rom users might already know most of these apps and their uses, so this thread is for the begginers who have just rooted their devices.
Further, most of these apps are available in the playstore (mostly paid, but if you want the cracked versions, you can find them in the internet.
So here are some of the apps that might be usefull for you. I will also update this apps list as soon as, I find more usefull apps.
HIT THANKS IF YOU LIKE THIS THREAD.
Titanium Backup -
Losing all the apps on your device accidentally or while flashing custom rom is a bad feeling. Re-downloading every app is a painstaking work so fortunately for root users, Titanium Backup provides the solution. Titanium Backup is a powerful backup utility which stores your apps, app data, and system data on your SD card for safekeeping. Titanium Backup can also painlessly remove, freeze-unfreeze any app, including system apps. This app can be configured to run its tasks on a schedule, and the $3.99 donate version allows you to set up multiple schedules for the various combinations of backups it is capable of performing.
ROM Manager -
ROM Manager allows you to flash almost any ZIP to your phone, whether it be a kernel, ROM, app package, or even initiate a nandroid backup.
adbWireless -
adbWireless does exactly what its name implies, all without the need for a USB cable. There really isn’t much to say as the app is, quite literally, a big red button that you can push to enable/disable wireless ADB connection. There’s also a widget for those times when you’re too lazy to fire up the full application. Its available on the playstore for free.
Move2SD Enabler / Install manager -
Move2SD Enabler or Install manager, allow users to move any app to the SD card. Like adbWireless, it’s as simple as pressing a button. It’s free and both the the apps are available in the playstore. Although scripts like s2e and link2sd etc are there its sometimes convinient to use apps like these.
Market Autoupdate Bulk Toggle -
Another simple yet incredibly useful root-only app:
Market Autoupdate Bulk Toggle. This is an app that takes the Market’s auto-update feature to a whole new level:
Pressing "Autoupdate On" does exactly what you’d expect: it turns on auto-update for all of your installed apps. That’s it – you’ll never have to confront that pesky "Allow automatic updating" option in the Market again. The only caveat is that the program only enables automatic updates for apps that are already installed and won’t apply to those installed in the future – for those, you’ll have to rerun Market Autoupdate Bulk Toggle and press "Autoupdate On" again. Unsurprisingly, you’ll still have to push the "Update" button yourself when an app receives a manual update (which only happens when its permissions change – not a frequent occurrence). Although this feature is present in the playstore, all those who like using the old market this surely comes in handy. It’s free and available on the playstore.
Theft Aware -
Theft Aware, while considerably more complex than the other items on the list, is an Android security app unlike any other. With it, you can remotely track your phone if it gets lost or stolen, wipe it, call it and spy on the thief, and much more. Its free and available on the playstore.
DroidWall Android Firewall -
It will make sure apps on your phone don’t unnecessarily waste your limited data plan without your knowledge. The app’s main feature is turning off EDGE or 3G or WiFi access for any application, thus allowing you to restrict which apps can access the network. In addition to saving bandwidth, DroidWall can be used for security – just lock down a suspicious app to make sure it doesn’t try to unnecessarily encroach your privacy. As an added bonus, a log of what goes on is included. And its open source
Button Savior -
This is an similar to virtual buttons bar app, but with a slightly different and better UI. Button Savior might be worth a look.
Samba Filesharing -
Samba file sharing is the bomb. It turns your phone into an smb server and puts your sd card on your desktop when you’re on a wifi network. It allows you to share files between your phone and pc over WiFi as a Windows shared folder. With this free app, you can wirelessly copy files to/from your Android device via the same drag-and-drop interface you use when your handset is plugged into your computer with a standard USB cable. Even the security freaks have a reason to celebrate –
Samba offers customizable username and password options in addition to letting users choose a Windows workgroup name and a device network (NETBIOS) name.
Juice Defender and Ultimate Juice Defender -
Juice Defender is a battery conservation app. It uses various triggers, rules, and timers to control how often your device utilizes 3G/EDGE APN’s and wifi. These data connections are the number one drainers of battery life when your phone is idle, so Juice Defender allows you to decide when, where, and how often you want them to be active. Ultimate Juice ( paid version of Juice Defender) must be installed over an existing copy of Juice Defender, which unlocks a few additional capabilities for users with root permissions. It also provides some extra goodies for root users including the ability to adjust CPU clock speeds on the run to conserve battery, which requires root permissions.
ES File explorer -
This an application for exploring your phone’s directories.
For developers, its usefulness is self-explanatory. For the average user, it certainly is a solid file explorer with a better interface especially, ES file exp. One more unique feature of these file explorers is the ability to modify permissions settings on files or folders. It comes packed with some solid features apart from the conventional file viewing. Its completely free and is available in the market.
Root explorer -
Similar to any other file explorer app in the market. But its specialty is that, it can crawl deep into the deepest corners of android and modify them like the elusive dalvik cache to sd. Its a paid app available in the market.
Cachemate -
CacheMate is cache cleaner app like no other cache cleaning app does it. Two, CacheMate can clear certain data from the device. This was/is extremely tedious to accomplish and linux does not handle this. Three, CacheMate clears cache from the SD card. While you can go and do this yourself, CacheMate does it all for you just by a simple tap on screen.
Sixaxis Controllerer -
Sixaxis Controller allows you to connect a PS3 controller to your phone, giving you the ability to have a full gaming experience on your handset. You grab Sixaxis Controller form the Market for $1.62.
Wireless Tether -
Wireless Tether remains the best way to utilize your phone as a WiFi or Bluetooth (PAN) hotspot. Its free and its open source. Available in playstore. But, it is certainly a battery killer so use it while charging the device.*
Shark For Root -
It’s essentially a stripped down version of WireShark. It’s a particularly geeky app to have, but for developers or those of us obsessed with monitoring where our traffic is going its a great app. Shark monitors all network activity on your device (presumably from all interfaces) and outputs a .pcap file by consrving quite an amount of battery when compared to other apps in the playstore. So use it and know the difference yourself.
MarketEnabler -
One of the most frequent excuses for piracy has to be "The app isn’t available in my country" or "Google doesn’t allow paid apps where I live." No longer!
MarketEnabler makes your Android phone believe it’s on another carrier – perhaps even one in another country. For example, a Swede could use this app to access Google Books, which is, by official terms, available exclusively in the US, right ? So use it and let the downloading begin !
SD Maid -
SD Maid frees up space on your phone’s SD card by cleansing it of "corpses in the basement," or unnecessary data left behind by apps no longer installed on your phone. It works with all roms currently on the forums. Use it and know the difference.
AutoKiller Memory Optimizer -
Hate using scripts like V6 supercharger ?
Then is THE app for you.
It tweaks your phone just like the V6, to run smoothly. It kills all the idle process running in the background and saves a lot of battery. You can choose various OOM values for all the apps like foreground, visible, empty etc. Donators are also able to choose alternate presets, enter Chuck Norris mode, and enjoy an ad-free experience. Its available in the playstore for free, worth a try.
LCDDensity -
It changes the font of your phone, virtually everything. This is not a resolution changer (lol) , as I have seen many comments in playstore. It simply changes the depth and space of your phone. Using the app is very easy – simply adjust the slider or click on one of the big rectangular buttons to alter the density, then click ‘Apply’ to restart your device and see the changes in effect. Of course, the smaller the font, the harder it is to press onscreen objects; the larger the font, the more screen space goes to waste.
Keyboard Manager -
When it comes to landscape keyboards, it’d be hard to top what HTC has going with Sense UI. If it’s portrait input you’re after, however, Swype is the cream of the crop. So how can you decide ? Should you manually change your input method each and every time you switch orientations, or type exclusively in one
position? As it turns out, you won’t have to partake in either of those practices; downloading Keyboard Manager will suffice. The app is simple:
Allow users to use one keyboard in portrait mode and another when they turn their phone on its side.
Live dmesg boot and live logcat boot -
You won't have any words, to being shown the real dmesg (kernel debug) or logcat (Android debug) log every time your phone boots up ? So this is an app for all those dev's out there who are crazy about logs.
Screencast Video Recorder -
Taking a lot of screenshots and "videos" of apps and games is a habit to you ? Then Screencast is your go-to app, especially for the latter. If you ever find yourself in need of a way to record what’s happening on-screen, look no further than Screencast. The app costs $4, but there is a demo available so you can give it a shot before you buy.
Game On -
It not only allows users to backup and restore game data, but download and share game progress over the Game On network. Yeah, you read right – share. Game. Data. Maybe you’re stuck on a particular part of a game. Perhaps you just don’t feel like playing through all the boring crap (Gta 3) and want to jump straight into the good stuff. It doesn’t matter the reason you want to progress in a game – Game On is the solution. Game On costs a buck in the playstore. So give it a try and happy gaming !
Chainfire 3D-
With this app you can play all the HD games on your phone. It comes with various visual gameplay options. Its a paid app and is available in the playstore. Do give it a try.
WiFi Protector -
WiFi Protector is a security app that protects your device from Wi-Fi sniffing attacks. It’ll detect and prevent ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) attacks, like DoS (Denial of Service) and MitM (Man in the Middle). Unlike most of the other apps in the roundup, this one actually offers a little bit of functionality for non-rooted users too. It can even defend your phone against WiFiKill, an app that can eject basically any user off of a Wi-Fi network with the tap of a button. Its a paid app available on the playstore.
Undelete -
This one is sure to save many people a lot of heartache. We’ve all mistakenly
deleted files before, potentially losing them forever. The next time that happens, though, Undelete is here to save the day by scanning your device’s SD Card, finding all the deleted files, and, in most cases, restoring these files. The app is free in the playstore, so there’s no excuse to ever lose another file.
Reboot Control-
Reboot Control does 4 things, and 4 things only:
It allows you to reboot, recovery boot, wipe handset or bootloader boot with a single tap. The real usefulness of QuickBoot is in the ability to make home screen widgets for these functions, so they’re always at your fingertips. Since, almost all the custom roms these days use this as a built-in function so this app can be usefull for the stock users.
AdFree -
Blocks data access to a list of sites that store ads. Speeds up browsing experience as the ads aren’t downloaded along with the site and even blocks many ads from displaying in many of the ad supported apps.
Virtual Button Bar -
If your phone's buttons are about to fall off or something has happened and your buttons no longer work, then this app can save you a lot of time and trouble. Its entire purpose is to provide on-screen emulation of the dedicated hardware
buttons on most Android devices. The app offers various customizable features, such as user-definable buttons and positions, lockscreen animations, the ability to change various hardware button actions (volume, camera, etc) and a few
aesthetic variations such as transparency and button size. Virtual Button Bar is $1.63, but there is fully-functional trial available, as well in the playstore.
Call Blocker -
If you have specific numbers that you want to be blocked each time they call, then there’s a good chance you’ve turned to apps that automate this process. There is one problems with that, though:
Most apps still let your phone ring at least once. That’s where Root Call Blocker rises above the rest. Root Call Blocker detects incoming calls at the system level, so it can block them much more efficiently. In fact, it’s so efficient that it blocks the call before your phone even rings, so you’re completely unaware that the offending caller has tried to contact you in the first place. The app offers
many other features as well, such as call logs, multiple rejection methods, multiple profiles, caller grouping, SMS auto-replies, and much more. This app is not free, but there is also a trial version so you can give it a try before dropping any money.
SetCpu / NoFrills -
These apps let you control the speed of operation of your phone. They come with all the latest governers and I/O schedulers, though some roms governers are rom specific. Also, an Overclock kernel is required to use this app.
LBE Privacy Guard -
This is probably one of the best privacy guards that are ever seen apart from the pdroid patch by Yagya. Its functionality is akin to that of a software firewall, with some elements of Windows UAC thrown in. LBE sits in the background and “listens” to your apps as they request various permissions and then provides you a notice with options to either grant or deny access.
Dual Mount SD Widget -
The inability to mount your SD card to both your phone and PC at the same
time can be quite annoying, as you can’t access any of the information or apps that reside on your SD card when your device is mounted to your computer. Dual Mount SD Card is a simple and practical solution to this problem, as it allows you to access your SD card from phone and PC alike while it’s mounted. In order for this app to function properly, you must first disable Android’s auto-mount option, using the widget instead. This available on the playstore.
Hexamob Recovery Pro -
If you’ve ever accidentally deleted any data from your phone, then Hexamob Recovery Pro is here to save the day. Hexamob Recovery Pro is a data recovery tool designed to grab deleted files from either the SD card or internal storage of your Android phone. It supports the FAT file system, and offers the ability to scan the media for specific files types, including audio, video, images etc.
Total Commander -
Total Commander is a feature packed dual-pane file manager for Android, based off of the popular Windows file manager of the same name. It really is the only file manager that you’ll ever need. Most of the CM7 roms come cooked with it, in case you are using stock this will come in real handy.
Mobile ODIN Pro -
Flashing your firmwares the mobile way. Very handy and very useful thanks to ChainFire for this awesome app
Thread Link
Call Master -
It’s probably the best call and text firewall in the playstore. It can control dozens of variables in countless situations – everything from blocking certain numbers during certain times of day, sending specific numbers to voicemail, to auto-hang ups etc.
avast! Mobile Security -
Last, but certainly not least is avast! Mobile Security – an app that every rooted user should have installed. I know what you’re thinking – an antivirus app? Really? Yes, really. This app is different than the rest of the anti-virus applications in the Market, because it is also the best anti-theft solution of any app. (The other features of the app are top-notch, as well, but the anti-theft functionality is its only root function). Why is its anti-theft so good? Because
it used to be Theft Aware , an app that is listed above. TA was bought out buy avast! and incorporated into its Mobile Security app. The best part is that the root function of the app wasn’t altered in any way – avast’s anti-theft setup is identical to Theft Aware in every way but with a wonderfull UI – it’s simple and intuitive, and when it’s finished, you can rest assured that if your device is ever lost or stolen it’s as protected as it can be.
avast! Mobile Security is free and if you only choose to install one app from this roundup, I suggest that this is the one.
Battery Callibration
If you have a regular habit of changing roms ? Then this is the right app for you.
Its a battery calibration app. It wipes all the battery stats/data from your phone and will make your phone ready to produce some fresh new stats. In this way your battery will last longer as it is always recommended to calibrate the battery after flashing a new rom. Its a free app and is available in the playstore.
BusyBox Installer
Did you ever feel, where can I get a old version of busybox ? This is a common query while using the V6 Supercharger, since it recommends a busybox 1.18.2 or higher version. So ever come across an app that requires an older version of busybox ? Then this is right app to turn for. Its a free app and many versions are available in the playstore so, choose wisely
Script Manager
"THE" app for applying "ANY" script for your phone. It can help create terminal widgets for apps that aren't available for that app, by simple taps of the screen. SM widgets is another add-on for this app so you can use its full power.
For a guide to create terminal widgets, you can check this out :
Click Here
It can also help tweak your phones performance by applying scripts like V6, kickass, 3G booster etc. A must have app for any dev or tweaker. It can serve as a decent root explorer for an average user. Its available in the playstore for free.
Root Uninstaller
Annoyed by the fact that you can't remove those useless system apps ? No more ! This is that app, that removes all the useless apps from your phone. It can also freeze user apps, backup them, delete them, unfreeze them, move them sd card etc. Its a powerful to have and sometimes may come in handy some times. Its a free app available in the playstore.
Easy Tether
Too lazy to go into settings>wireless and networks>tethering>usb tether ??
Then this is your go to app. Its a one-click tethering app for your phone so that you can use it to browse on your laptop or desktop. Its a free app available in the playstore.
ScreenShot UX
A screenshot app that has all the cool features like shake to capture your screen. Its fully functional trial is available in the playstore. Use it and feel the app before investing in it
Screenshot ER
Another screenshot app. Its a completely free app in the playstore unlike any other in the playstore. As it is free, there has to be some way to chop our legs. . So that drawback is a 6-sec delay after taking every screenshot. Though if u buy it, you can reduce that delay to 1-sec. Some of its features are, screenshot preview ( various views for previews ) , shake SS, on-screen button, notification capture etc. Use it and the know the difference yourself.
Z Screen Recorder
Probably the only app to give some competition to screencast app. Its a similar app compared to the screencast video recorder. It simply has two big buttons, when the app is opened. It simply records whatever is happening on the screen and saves the video to your sd directly. It has fully functional demo in the playstore. Try it before buying it.
SD Booster
The dev of this app claims it to increase the external memories speed upto 40 times than before. You can set this app to work from boot. If you don't believe me or the dev, just use any of the benchmark tools and see the proof your self. Its a tiny-free app available on the playstore. Do try it
SD Speed Increase
Originally developed by our xda member '"brainmaster". Its a similar app to SD Booster. The app has similar results to that of its competitor in terms of write/read speeds in any benchmark apps. Its also a tiny-free app available in the playstore.
System Tuner Pro
The most complete android system utility app/tool. It does all activities like backing-up your apps, task killer, logcat reader, terminal emulator, memory controls, freeze/unfreeze apps, activity recorder, system tweaker etc. Use it and you'll know the difference yourself. You can also setup widgets and notification indicators to any of these function and monitor your phone with real ease. Its a free app available in the playstore.
Tasker
If you have a habit of forgetting things ? Then this is the BEST app available in the whole playstore. Then only drawback of this app is, YOU. lol, yeah coz if you forget to set the tasker to do its task, then you are actually limiting its function. So moving on, Tasker is powerful app that has triggers which can make you remember the mildest things through its alarm and etc functions, 200+ built-in actions , task completion, scene/icon/design your own task according to yourself. So what are you waiting for ? OH wait, have you forgotten what you were doing ? Then first download this app.
Its a paid app available in the play store.
Font Changer Root
Moving on, this allows you to change fonts. You might be asking, Why root for a puny font changer app ? The answer is, it changes fonts. Yes it changes fonts of virtually anything, even the keyboard you use. According to the dev, it creates a buck-up of your default font in-case something happens. While removing this app, make sure that you restore setting of your default font. In case you forgot, just restore your nandroid back-up. Its a free app in the playstore and a donate version is also available in case you like the app.
AnTuTu CPU Master
AnTuTu CPU Master is a tool for changing CPU/GPU speed. Its similar to SetCpu or no-frills. It slightly has better UI. You can overclock your device for faster performance or slow down by reducing the clock frequency. Its a tiny-free app available in the playstore.
Faster Fix
Speed up your fix of your current location using your phone's GPS. Here is the link to the trick/hack used in addition to this app : Enjoy
Click Here
Webkey
Using this app you can now control your phone from any browser. Yeah, you heard me right ! With this app you can send screenshots, control another phone, download-upload files, get gps location, read-write sms, export-import contacts-sms-call logs, terminal emulator etc.. So what are you waiting for ? Go ahead and try this app as its a free app available in the playstore
Root Checker
This tiny-free app DOES NOT REQUIRE ROOT. Then why on the list ? As the name implies, it simply checks your su-binary and verifies that your phone is properly rooted or not. So this app is helpful for beginners who rooted their stock recently and lets you check whether you have followed the procedure correctly or not. Its available in the playstore for free.
Spare Parts
This is a very handy app to have. It currently works only on custom roms and CM7. It a tool to control all your hidden interface changes in your custom rom. Going through setting for even changing even the screenlock can be painful, So this app save that time and energy easily. It also allows you to change the screen transition type and its speeds, wifi sleep policy, useage statistics etc. Its a free app and is available in the playstore.
Swapper
It lets you create, add and manage swap memory file without a swap partition on SD card. Reconfigure the app if you changed your swap size. This tiny app is free and its available in the playstore.
DroidTweaker Root
A small All-in-one app for your rooted phone. It also can mount the system partition as read-write for development purposes and also can clear dalvik cache directly by the tap of a button. Its presently in beta stage but its working fine for me. This tiny app is free and its available in the playstore.
CREDITS
1. Android Central for some apps
2. Me for the rest
3. You for being cooperative
4. XDA for giving a place to learn and share
5. Google for Android !

reserved post for updates
In the following days, i will upload some screenshots along with play store links.
thank you for cooperation.

one more please if u dont mind..

this too sorry

Hi nice thread. I dont have thus phone but really useful thread anyway.
I noticed your going to be adding sone screenshots and Play Store links.
Why not take a look at my thread to take a look at the layout there mate.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=32881372
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

Nick Fury said:
Hi nice thread. I dont have thus phone but really useful thread anyway.
I noticed your going to be adding sone screenshots and Play Store links.
Why not take a look at my thread to take a look at the layout there mate.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=32881372
Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
really nice thread ya sure will make this thread in the same layout as urs.
thanx

MOD EDIT: DO NOT QUOTE LONG OP
excellent tutorial
thanks

please unquote the OP... it takes ages to scroll down !

Android_United said:
please unquote the OP... it takes ages to scroll down !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes please. That's annoying
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda premium

chainfire 3d ?
I see you posted chainfire 3d. Question is with the stock rom rooted is it safe to install the cf3d drivers. Just want to make sure before I end up with a blank screen and no way to factory reset this phone.
Anyone done this already succesfully ?
I really want to be able to play Shadowgun Deadzone but it closes when I open the app and says loading it closes while loading.

thanks for the time and dedication

Never realized Avast had extra features for root users until reading this thread. Thanks!

thanks
im new to rooting so thatnks for this list!

War Eagle!
Sent from my LG-E97x using xda app-developers app

Jank4AU said:
War Eagle!
Sent from my LG-E97x using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's all about The U!
____
Sent from my LG Original Gangsta

I belong to the O2X community....saw your excellent list....nice and simple explanations
Thought I will suggest you to include "greenify" app which allows the apps running in the background to be used only when it is active. This way it is contributing to precious battery life.
this is available in play store or free and paid version.
Thanks my friend

Love it!
Awesome list! Thank you The Alchemist for posting this, using most of these on my Blaze! Agree with SREEPRAJAY about Greenify, amazing app, everyone should have it!

ok will update with that app along with some more..

Nice when I am new in root.

AdAway
I thing there in the best rooted apps is missing AdAway.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2190753
App blocking all adds in apps.

[Q] Android OS killing apps

HI. I posed this in an ubuntu apps forum but thought I'd post it here as it is a question that may be of more general interest. One of the gripes I (and many others) have with android is that it can kill processes that are put in background whether you like it or not. For example I might be editing a file using Polaris, put it background, only to come back an hour or so later to find that the changes are lost and I have to restart the app (so always save changes before putting in background!). On the other hand, several times I have put ubuntu (using the linux on android app) in background overnight only to find that when I return to it, it is still running and if fact the ubuntu screen saver is running! Further, the VNC app Jump, which is used to connect to ubuntu, had actually been killed by android OS, but restarting it brought me to where I had left off in ubuntu. So why is it that the android OS does not kill ubuntu when I run it? Is it because I am using terminal emulator? Note, Terminal emulator is another app that is not killed by android OS because it uses what is called an android "service". Anyways, it would be great if one could prevent selected apps from being killed as I would like to be the one that decides this - not a task manager. Please do feel free to chime in with your thoughts!

Sounds like the apps that arnt being killed off have super user permissions which have a "pass" on being auto killed. I guess android autokills apps because ppl who just throw every app into the background complain that the phone is slowing down and is garbage, when essentially they dont know how to use the phone and instead of hearing complaints about the phone slowing down, they added that feature. If ur rooted u might be able to add some permissions to the app ur using so it gets that "pass" aswell.
I would feel bad if i was walking away from an important document that i working on for more than 5 mins and didnt save it before i left.
Best of luck and report back whatever you figure out.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using XDA Premium HD app

Just a brief follow-up in case anyone is interested... I thought I'd try starting up polaris from a terminal just to see if that would somehow protect it from that merciless android OS (as ubuntu, which is run from a terminal, dodges the android OS bullet), I fired up polaris using
am start -a android.intent.action.MAIN -n com.infraware.polarisoffice4/.OfficeHomeActivity
Unfortunately it eventually was killed by OS when, after putting it in background, I tried uninstalling a selected app (which I could repeat). As usual, terminal and ubuntu always survived the process! Again, just curious as to whether, as a user, it is possible to prevent the OS from killing selected apps.

[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!