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OUTDATED[Guide] Setting up/using adb/fastboot-unlock, flash custom recovery & root

OUTDATED[Guide] Setting up/using adb/fastboot-unlock, flash custom recovery & root
Below is a great guide to rooting, from several sources, (mostly taken from pingvinen's "An Idiot's Guide to Flashing the Xoom" and a guide by publicanimal. and I hope it helps. You can find the links to all of the files referenced below in the Xoom Heaven thread (thanks StrifeSoldierVII!)[/I]
(New thread in General Section by Jack207407 will have all the updated links for flashing
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1443110
One Stop For ROM's, MOD's, and Root Wifi-Only and 3G/4G Models)
"What you need to do can be encompassed in these following short steps (will be detailed later on) in the following order. Each step is required before you can proceed to the next one. However, make sure that you are very very careful and don't try to take any shortcuts. That may soft-brick your device, and you may have a difficult time to explain that to your wife ... You have been warned.
HERE'S THE USUAL DISCLAIMER--I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY HARM THAT MAY COME TO YOUR DEVICE IF YOU FOLLOW ANY PART OF THIS GUIDE--ANY RISK IS ON THE USER!
I strongly recommend you to read the entire guide before trying. In fact, read it twice to ensure that you have understood everything. If there is weird stuff that you don't understand, don't hesitate to ask. The reason for me writing this down is that I like to document what I have learned. This is to me an excellent way to ensure that I will remember what I just did. Another reason was that I could not find a single thread that encompassed all steps required. There are many different threads, but no one (that I could find) that really guides you from start to goal. So enjoy and good luck!
I would like to thank LandMaster and cam30era for helping out with advice during my initial trail-and-error session. I soft-bricked my device once and had big problems to get by point 4.3 (avoid overwriting of CWM), but with their encouragement I finally succeeded.
Just a note before we begin: the different Xoom. Models that are able to use this guide are the following:
MZ600 - stingray_cdma - Motorola US 3g Xoom (technically this device is stingray as well, but I will be using stingray_cdma as the two devices have incompatible software)
MZ601 - utms_everest - Motorola EU 3g Xoom
MZ602 - stingray - Motorola US 4g Xoom
MZ604 - wingray - Motorola Wifi Xoom
(thanks solarnz!)
___________
Overview of the 6 required steps
1. Install Motorola USB drivers for your computers (for USB connectivity) 2. Install Java SDK and Android SDK tools (for adb and fastboot commands) 3. Unlock the device for flashing (allowing replacement of recovery and boot images) 4. Install a modified recovery image (ClockWorkMod recovery for Android) 5. Root the device (Allow r/w access to the device filesystem) 6. Flash a kernel that supports overclocking etc.
Steps 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 require that you download install, image and zip files needed for the flashing.
All this was performed on a Windows PC. Windows 7, Mac and Linux users will probably have to do some steps differently.
1.0 Install the latest Motorola USB drivers
The installation file can be found at: http://developer.motorola.com/docstools/USB_Drivers/
1.1 Install the drivers and ensure that your Xoom is recognized by the computer
2.0 Installation of development software
Android SDK and Java SDK need to be installed. You can find the installation kits here.
http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html In case you can't find fastboot.exe, look for it here (thanks to jerrycycle): http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=19546334&postcount=5
Update: you could also just install the adb fastboot pack here:http://www.android.net/forum/downloads.php?do=file&id=67
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html
2.1 Install them as any other software, making an Android SDK folder on C/.
2.2 Make sure that all the files you need are in the Platform Tools folder (fastboot, recovery image file and so on). Copy any files in the Tools folder to the Platform Tools folder if necessary. Note: If the Android SDK complains that the Java Dev Kit can't be found, just press Back and then Next again. Wierd, but that seems to do the trick ... go figure.
(Warning: Never put any zip files in your Platform Tools folder. Flashing zip files through fastboot will cause very serious problems. Zip files must be flashed from the external micro SD card through CWM recovery on the Xoom...we'll get to that later.)
2.3 Test that ADB and FASTBOOT works. You should open a command window by right clicking in your Platform Tools folder where all of your files are, plug in your Xoom to your computer with your Motorola cable (it may not work with a generic cable) and write 'adb devices'. Your Xoom should now be listed. Did your device not show up? Make sure that you have USB debugging enabled in Settings/Applications/Development on your Xoom.
Optional: Those that want to be able to access adb from any where on their computer, here's a tip from scsa20: "For windows, if you go into System Properties and choose Advanced, then Environment Variables..., you'll be able to edit the Path variable under System variables, just add the path to where adb and fastboot is located (separated with a semi-colon ().
Here's what my Path variable looks like:
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Windows Live;C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Windows Live;C:\Program Files (x86)\NVIDIA Corporation\PhysX\Common;%SystemRoot%\system32;%Sy stemRoot%;%SystemRoot%\System32\Wbem;%SYSTEMROOT%\ System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\;C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Live\Shared;c:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Binn\;c:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Binn\;c:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\DTS\Binn\;C:\android-sdk-windows\tools;C:\android-sdk-windows\platform-tools;C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Acronis\SnapAPI\
It's long but do you see the android stuff there at the end?"
Update: xda poster Mandelbrot Benoit suggests an alternate adb setup, here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=18072572&postcount=50
If your windows computer doesn't see your Xoom, consider this (Originally Posted by AngryBulleteyeTruth):
When the xoom does not show up on PC it may be the problem of.... windows media player!
Xoom uses drivers of WMP to communicate with PC. If someone does not have the newest WMP drivers it will not show up and you can see xoom device in the devices tab on PC having an exclamation mark.
So the solution is to download and install Windows Media Player 11. It has worked for me.
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OK. Now that you are set up, it's Showtime! Take a deep breath...
3. Unlocking the device for flashing
This step will effectively erase the internal storage, including all your apps and settings. Use whatever backup you want to secure important data before you start. (It will also void your warranty, so you still have time to go back.)
3.1 Power up and start the Xoom.
3.2 Ensure that your device is fully recognized by the computer. A good sign is that the 'Portable device' dialog is activated on Windows when your Xoom has booted. The Xoom should also be seen in 'Computer'. If not, go back to step 2 and double check your USB drivers.
3.3 Use the command 'adb reboot bootloader' to go into Flash mode.
3.4 Use the command 'fastboot oem unlock'. This will trigger a dialog on your Xoom. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the unlocking. I repeat, this *will* do a factory reset and all data will be lost!
3.5 Once unlocked, the Xoom will restart and work as normal. Don't bother to do any setup at this time, just make sure that USB debbuging is checked in settings, and now go on to step 4
4. Install recovery image (CWM) UPDATED 4/19/12
If you haven't done it already, download the recovery image file and save it to your computer in the Platform Tools folder.
(Download the recovery image from this link: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1604014 only the img file flashed through fastboot Remember, never try to flash a zip file through fastboot!)
Important: At this time, make sure you have a good (known to be working) microsd card in your sdcard slot in your Xoom. Reboot the Xoom with the sdcard in the slot to make sure it's mounted.
4.1 Boot into flash mode with 'adb reboot bootloader.'
4.2 Install your downloaded recovery image: 'fastboot flash recovery eos-recovery-r6.img' or whatever is the exact name of the recovery img file you are flashing.
4.3 Enter CWM recovery with the procedure below.
4.4 Restart the device with 'fastboot reboot'. Timing is essential here, so be alert when the device restarts, or you will have to redo section 4.
4.5 Once the Motorola logotype is shown, start counting to 3. At 3, press the Volume Down button. This should result in the text 'Android Recovery' in the top left corner. If it does not work (if you see Starting Fastboot Protocol), experiment with the timing (see below).
4.6 When 'Android Recovery' is shown press the Volume Up button. This should invoke the CWM recovery menu. If that works, then congratulations for getting this far!
Here is a potential pitfall. If you are unable to enter CWM *before* the device boots into Honeycomb, then the newly installed recovery image will be overwritten by the system default recovery. Just repeat steps 4.1 through 4.6 if that happens.
UPDATE(12/28/11) Since putting this guide together, Motorola has issued a number of Over-the-Air (OTA) updates that have complicated the process of flashing the Clockawork Mod recovery, so if you have accepted any OTA updates, please read the following, which describes each step (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=26009191#post26008083) (Thanks to Landorin.)
(If you have root and want to remove these files, remove or rename /system/etc/install-recovery.sh with something like root explorer. You can then flash your custom recovery through fastboot again.)
For those of you that get stuck with some error like 'device not recognized' poster Madjinj gives the following advice:
1) Be sure that you have your adb folder in the root of C drive directly and be sure that you are in adb folder in command prompt program (CMD in Windows machines) i.e by typing "cd c:\XXX" where XXX is the name of adb folder in your machine.
2) Be sure that you type "adb reboot bootloader" in comand prompt to activate adb program. if the problem persists, try typing "fastboot reboot" then after reboot type "adb reboot bootloader" in command prompt program.
3) Use the USB cable that came with your Xoom (some cables are not good in flashing for unknown reason..!!
4) make sure that you activate USB debugging mode.
5.0. Rooting the Xoom
The Universal Xoom Root zip file from solarnz is located here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1242241
5.1 You need to transfer the Universal Xoom Root zip file to a working external micro SD card. You can do this on a computer or cell phone, but the Universal Xoom Root zip file must be located in the root directory of the micro SD card.
5.2 Insert the now prepared SD card in the Xoom.
5.3 Boot into recovery (as described in 4.3). Navigate using the volume buttons and press the power button to select the active option.
5.4 Select 'Install ZIP from sd card.'
5.5 Select 'Choose ZIP.'
5.6 Navigate to the ROOT zip file with the Volume buttons and select it with the Power button. Confirm that you want to install it.
5.7 Everything should indicate success, so back out to the main CWM menu and reboot the device.
5.8 From Android Market, install any app requiring root and start it. If the rooting was successful, then the app should request superuser permission and you should be able to grant it without any problems.
6. Flashing a new rom or kernel...(e.g. Tiamat Moray Rom and/or Odachi Kernel). Look in the Xoom Heaven thread or in the Development section of this form for all of these files.
6.1 This step is identical to 5, but swap out the ROOT zip for the ROM or KERNEL zip. For simplicity, you may want to prepare the micro SD card with both zip files at the same time in step 5.1..."
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This is still one of the best explanations of how to use adb and fastboot to unlock and root the Xoom and install a custom recovery, etc, and doesn't deserve to buries on back pages of this forum. Hopefully, the step-by-step nature of this guide will help those of you that have limited experience with this kind of tinkering.
Oh, and please feel free to correct any errors or omissions. As I said, it came from several sources and needed to somewhat updated.

Thank you, just bought my xoom yesterday and was confused on the steps to take!
This has made it as clear as possible for me and will follow your instructions to the letter tonight.
Sent from my MZ604 using xda premium

fastyan said:
Thank you, just bought my xoom yesterday and was confused on the steps to take!
This has made it as clear as possible for me and will follow your instructions to the letter tonight.
Sent from my MZ604 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good luck! Let us know how you make out and if anything needs to be clarified.

think im doing something wrong as unlocked fine but when i go to install the recovery file it keeps coming up cannot load? any ideas where im going wrong?
been at it 3 hours now lol and losing the will to live im sure its gona be something simples

fastyan said:
think im doing something wrong as unlocked fine but when i go to install the recovery file it keeps coming up cannot load? any ideas where im going wrong?
been at it 3 hours now lol and losing the will to live im sure its gona be something simples
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check to make sure that your file download is good, and that you are typing it's name correctly. Better yet, you could rename the file "recovery.img" and that will make it very easy to get it right.

On the sd card?I thought we had to put it into sdk platform tools? I have put it and renamed it onto my sd card but what is the command to flash recovery from sd card?
Also noticed once I have done "adb reboot bootloader" my computer doesn't see the XOOM properly, is in can't see it in my computer but does make a noise when I connect and disconnect is this correct? Debugging is on.
Sent from my MZ604 using xda premium

fastyan said:
On the sd card?I thought we had to put it into sdk platform tools? I have put it and renamed it onto my sd card but what is the command to flash recovery from sd card?
Also noticed once I have done "adb reboot bootloader" my computer doesn't see the XOOM properly, is in can't see it in my computer but does make a noise when I connect and disconnect is this correct? Debugging is on.
Sent from my MZ604 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you're in the bootloader, you won't be able to access the SD Card or anything of that sort and adb won't work, in stead, when you're in the bootloader, you're switching over to fastboot. I'm sure if you type in fastboot devices you'll see your xoom listed.

Thank you for the reply and that's one thing sorted but any idea why its telling me "cannot load recovery"? I have tried renaming it and downloaded the recovery file 4 times incase that was wrong but still no joy :-(
I have done this all before on my phone and never had a problem so I must be missing something but f$*@ed if I know what?
Thanks again for your help though.
Sent from my Desire HD using xda premium

Just had a thought. Could it be that the XOOM hasn't actually unlocked, would that cause it to not load? Is there any way to check if its unlocked successfully? Although I did try it twice before?
Sent from my MZ604 using xda premium

Once you got it in the bootloader, you gotta make sure you do fastboot oem unlock, press volume down then up, press volume down again then up again, and let it format and reboot.
If it's already unlocked, you'd get a message telling you so (generally).
Then when you go to flash the recovery, make sure that the recovery image is in the folder where fastboot is and type in fastboot flash recovery recovery.img (if I remember the syntax that is, I'm at work and don't feel like scrolling up or going into the root guide to confirm xD ).

fastyan said:
On the sd card?I thought we had to put it into sdk platform tools? I have put it and renamed it onto my sd card but what is the command to flash recovery from sd card?
Also noticed once I have done "adb reboot bootloader" my computer doesn't see the XOOM properly, is in can't see it in my computer but does make a noise when I connect and disconnect is this correct? Debugging is on.
Sent from my MZ604 using xda premium[/QUOTE
No, sorry, I was trying to respond. when I was tired and distracted.I totally miswrote. Of course the cwm recovery img goes in the platform tools...thank goodness you guys are out there to catch mistakes!
So, I don't know if you had any progress, but not successfully unlocking would surely stop you in your tracks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

okantomi said:
No, sorry, I was trying to respond. when I was tired and distracted.I totally miswrote.Oof course the cwm recovery img.. goes in the platform tools...thank goodness you guys are out there to catch mistakes!
So, I don't know if you had any progress, but not successfully unlocking would surely stop you in your tracks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With the way I have my system setup, I can run adb and fastboot wherever I am

No, sorry, I was trying to respond. when I was tired and distracted.I totally miswrote. Of course the cwm recovery img goes in the platform tools...thank goodness you guys are out there to catch mistakes!
So, I don't know if you had any progress, but not successfully unlocking would surely stop you in your tracks.
No progress yet as im at work but when I get home I will start the process from scratch again and see how I get on and will keep you posted.

scsa20 said:
With the way I have my system setup, I can run adb and fastboot wherever I am
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Care to share???
That would be helpful to many, I'm sure. We could add it to the guide, along with anything else you can think of.

fastyan said:
No, sorry, I was trying to respond. when I was tired and distracted.I totally miswrote. Of course the cwm recovery img goes in the platform tools...thank goodness you guys are out there to catch mistakes!
So, I don't know if you had any progress, but not successfully unlocking would surely stop you in your tracks.
No progress yet as im at work but when I get home I will start the process from scratch again and see how I get on and will keep you posted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If, as you follow this guide, you find any explanations that are not clear or if you think of a step to take or something else that might improve the guide, please post it and we can add it in. It's been almost 6 months since I've unlocked and at least a couple of months since I've had to use adb, so I'm sure I've forgotten some things. Those of you whose experience is fresh can give really good advice. That's how this guide was originally written, by pingvinen, right after he had gone through a grueling rooting process.

okantomi said:
Care to share???
That would be helpful to many, I'm sure. We could add it to the guide, along with anything else you can think of.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For windows, if you go into System Properties and choose Advanced, then Environment Variables..., you'll be able to edit the Path variable under System variables, just add the path to where adb and fastboot is located (separated with a semi-colon (;)).
Here's what my Path variable looks like:
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Windows Live;C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Windows Live;C:\Program Files (x86)\NVIDIA Corporation\PhysX\Common;%SystemRoot%\system32;%SystemRoot%;%SystemRoot%\System32\Wbem;%SYSTEMROOT%\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\;C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Live\Shared;c:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Binn\;c:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Binn\;c:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\DTS\Binn\;C:\android-sdk-windows\tools;C:\android-sdk-windows\platform-tools;C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Acronis\SnapAPI\
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's long but hey, see where the android stuff is near the end?

@Okantomi:
We all have learned some things from trial & error (eg.the sk cannot detect java dev kit)
i could only flash recovery after renaming it to recovery(do not forget to add.img in cmd while flashing).also the official motorola name recovery as same.
after downloading sdk and updating to platform tools i have kept a zip in safe location so that i do not need to download again platform tools if i install sdk fresh
initially knowledge was scattered now it is at one place.
right now testing steady hawkin's kernel and new recovery
btw good signature pic.

Ok so another night has gone and still can't get recovery on!! Tried re unlocking the XOOM and every time it comes up with "cannot load recovery.img" I tried installing everything on my laptop and went right from the start and getting exactly the same thing!
Starting to think im never gonna get this sorted now :-( just feels like the XOOM isn't unlocking? Every time I go through the unlocking process it never states that its already unlocked? Is there any way I can check that it is unlocked?
Please help im losing the will to live now lol
Sent from my MZ604 using xda premium

I would say to send it to me and I can take a wack at it but I don't think you want to wait that long to simply root it.
Let me ask you, are you getting any sort of error messages when you do fastboot flash recovery recovery.img? If so, what's that error message?

scsa20 said:
I would say to send it to me and I can take a wack at it but I don't think you want to wait that long to simply root it.
Let me ask you, are you getting any sort of error messages when you do fastboot flash recovery recovery.img? If so, what's that error message?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not getting any error message it just says "cannot load recovery.img"
I have tried with and without the .img and always the same?
Tried going through the whole process again on my laptop incase I had missed something but exactly the same.
When I unlock it I follow the onscreen instructions and at the end it says its complete before it reboots. Then I turn on usb debugging again and reboot bootloader all ok but won't let me load the new recovery?
Normally I would just say it wasn't meant to be and leave as it is but I wont be beaten on this so I'm purposely not installing anything on it till its done. Any ideas apart from bringing it round yours lol ;-)
Sent from my Desire HD using xda premium

[HOWTO] Backup and Restore the System Software

The recently posted rooting method for the KFHD has been great for owners to get started on modifying the device to suit their own tastes. However, I've been a little concerned about everybody jumping in without a safety net in place. There are numerous ways that this device can get bricked. Not to put all of you into a panic, but just getting an eventual OTA update from Amazon might put some of these rooted KFHDs in jeopardy. With no custom recovery on the horizon, I think it's important to have some backup/restore plan to get these devices booting again.
Overview
This backup plan involves making raw data clones of all critical storage partitions required to boot the device. These backup archives can then be stored somewhere off the device. In case of some critical failure that prevents the device from booting normally, these archives can be used to get the device booting normally again. The restore procedure requires the use of fastboot to write the backup archives back to their proper partitions. The use of fastboot requires a working bootloader, so the device will need to boot to the bootloader's bootlogo at a minimum. If the device has a broken bootloader, this guide will not be helpful. There's currently no working procedure for repairing a broken bootloader on the 2nd generation Kindle Fire devices.
To be clear, this guide is not a backup/restore plan for your data. This is strictly for backing up the system software while in a bootable state and recovering it if some modification bricks the device. This procedure has been tested on a KFHD with system software version 7.1.1. Although I have not tested it, I'm nearly certain it will work just fine on version 7.1.5. If the KF2 has the same partition layout as the KFHD, there's no reason why it shouldn't work for that device as well. Check the post on KFHD partitions for details.
Warning: Everything below is inherently dangerous and can potentially brick your device if they are not executed properly. I have tested various aspects to the best of my ability, but you assume all responsibility for performing any of these steps.
Backup
Attached is a small shell script written to do the following…
Make a "kindlebackups" directory in /sdcard (if necessary) and make it user read/writeable.
Create gzipped backup archives of partitions 1 through 11. This includes all partitions except /cache and /data.
Make all archive files user read/writeable.
The entire backup (stock) takes up approximately 550 MB, so be sure to have at least that much available in /sdcard. Root privileges are required for the script to run properly. The best time to use this script is after step two of the published rooting procedure. That's after the second reboot of the process when the device boots up in emulation mode and allows root access for the first time. At this point, the system partition is completely stock and has not been exposed to any modifications. Even if you are past this point, the backups will still be useful for any bootable state that allows root privileges.
Download the script, unzip and place it into your current working directory where you still have access to adb, then run the following adb commands to copy the script to the Kindle Fire and prepare it to be executed...
Code:
adb push backup.sh /data/local/backup.sh
adb shell chmod 777 /data/local/backup.sh
If the device is in the process of being rooted and it has just finished rebooting for the second time...
Code:
adb shell /data/local/backup.sh
If the device has already been rooted and the su binary is available on the system...
Code:
adb shell su -c "/data/local/backup.sh"
The entire process should take approximately 5 minutes. Once the script has completed the backup, access the Kindle Fire's storage area from your computer, then copy the contents of the "kindlebackups" folder to it. The "kindlebackups" folder may be deleted after transferring to your computer.
Restore
To begin the restore procedure, the device must be put into fastboot mode. My factory cable did the job for me, so I have not explored the possibility of changing bootmodes. I developed this guide on a borrowed KFHD and I do not intend to risk the device more than necessary. Unless someone comes forward with a procedure to change bootmodes into and out of fastboot mode, I'm going to say that a factory cable is required for the time being. Besides, based on my experience with the original Kindle Fire, a broken system almost always means there is no way to change the bootmode through it. Since this procedure will very likely be used on a device that cannot boot completely or otherwise has a bad system, a factory cable will probably be the only way into fastboot mode. If you plan to root or modify your system software, invest in a factory cable.
Use the factory cable (with the device turned off, plug into the device, then the computer) to get to fastboot mode. If successful, a "fastboot" logo will take the place of the original "kindle fire" logo.
Decompress the gzipped archive to be flashed… Linux users have gunzip, Mac OS X users also have gunzip and a built-in GUI utility, and Windows users can use 7-zip. The archive must be decompressed before flashing. Skipping this step will brick your device.
Flash the image file(s) back to the device. In most cases, the device will just have to get a working system partition flashed back to it, but the others are available if they are needed. To flash the system partition...
Code:
fastboot -i 0x1949 flash system system.img
- Optionally erase the cache and/or userdata partitions if the contents of either interfere with the operation of the system software. The system will rebuild them on reboot…
Code:
fastboot -i 0x1949 erase cache
fastboot -i 0x1949 erase userdata
Once the process is complete, long-press the power button (~20 seconds) until it powers down, unplug the factory cable, and power the device back up.
Good luck.

Thanks kinfauns. I appreciate everything you did for the original kindle fire. This should help a lot of people.
Sent from my Kindle Fire

My kindles /system directory is already screwed. Do you have a system.img file I can use?
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

When i boot my kindle fire hd to fastboot (by factory cable) and connect it to pc, pc can't recognize kindle, it don't have driver for it.

Could anybody post his clean backup here? Screwed my kindle, want go back to stock. Backup is only way.

Copying kindlebackup folder
Thanks for the script - the backup procedure was smooth -
I couldnt find the kindlebackups folder while browsing through my PC and for others like me who wonder how to take these out of your KFHD, here is a simple way - I used a program called Wondershare MObilego (Manage SDcard option under more tools) Backing up was a cakewalk.
I have no affiliation to this tool maker - Just sharing a way that helped a n00b like me. (First rooting experience)

Thanks for the efforts!
BTW, will a backup from a clean device work for other devices instead of the same one which the backup was created from? Just wondering if people who have already fiddled around their root devices can get a fresh start.

vuhai6 said:
When i boot my kindle fire hd to fastboot (by factory cable) and connect it to pc, pc can't recognize kindle, it don't have driver for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know if anybody has packaged the device drivers set up for this device. If nothing else, you can get the device driver installer in the "Kindle Fire Utility" for the original KF and use that. You just have to change the PID from 0006 to 0007 before installing it and should work. Refer to this post if you still have problems...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=23747671&postcount=2
for device driver information. Again, written for the original KF, but the process for installing device drivers is the same. Only the PID is slightly different and that should get edited in the INF before installation.
ceebu said:
Thanks for the script - the backup procedure was smooth -
I couldnt find the kindlebackups folder while browsing through my PC and for others like me who wonder how to take these out of your KFHD, here is a simple way - I used a program called Wondershare MObilego (Manage SDcard option under more tools) Backing up was a cakewalk.
I have no affiliation to this tool maker - Just sharing a way that helped a n00b like me. (First rooting experience)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad to hear it worked out for you. I am not familiar with that program, but the KFHD should connect automatically to a Windows device as external storage... does it not?
dreamcryer said:
Thanks for the efforts!
BTW, will a backup from a clean device work for other devices instead of the same one which the backup was created from? Just wondering if people who have already fiddled around their root devices can get a fresh start.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have not tested this and don't have a way to do so. I have some concerns about it, but I'm sure someone desperate enough will jump in and try it out. I know it's too late for some, but my suggestion is for everybody to make a backup if you can and not rely on someone else to give you archives after the fact. It's better to have your own backups.

Not recognized
My kindle is also not recognized when plugged in

kinfauns said:
I don't know if anybody has packaged the device drivers set up for this device. If nothing else, you can get the device driver installer in the "Kindle Fire Utility" for the original KF and use that. You just have to change the PID from 0006 to 0007 before installing it and should work. Refer to this post if you still have problems...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=23747671&postcount=2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But pc don't recognize as Kindle, it as Tate-PVT-08 (sorry, i use mac cho screenshot, but windows too)

vuhai6 said:
But pc don't recognize as Kindle, it as Tate-PVT-08 (sorry, i use mac cho screenshot, but windows too)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know that the vendor id is correct.
Sent from my Kindle Fire

kinfauns said:
Glad to hear it worked out for you. I am not familiar with that program, but the KFHD should connect automatically to a Windows device as external storage... does it not?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was only able to see the contents of /sdcard using windows...
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app

cesdev89 said:
My kindle is also not recognized when plugged in
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then you're first going to have problems getting root privileges. You need to get adb working before you attempt any part of rooting or backing up with this procedure.
vuhai6 said:
But pc don't recognize as Kindle, it as Tate-PVT-08 (sorry, i use mac cho screenshot, but windows too)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the correct "product" reported by the KFHD. This and the product ID (0007) are the only differences between the KFHD and the original when it comes to installing the device drivers on Windows.
ceebu said:
I was only able to see the contents of /sdcard using windows...
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
/data/media and /sdcard are essentially the same thing (see the second post in this thread for an explanation of why this is the case). You should have seen kindlebackups in that directory.

kinfauns said:
You should have seen kindlebackups in that directory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For some reason I didn't see it there, on hindsight I guess I panicked a bit (n00b) and fell back to the solution I already had.. (been using mobilego to manage my sgs2)..
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium

kinfauns said:
I don't know if anybody has packaged the device drivers set up for this device. If nothing else, you can get the device driver installer in the "Kindle Fire Utility" for the original KF and use that. You just have to change the PID from 0006 to 0007 before installing it and should work. Refer to this post if you still have problems...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=23747671&postcount=2
for device driver information. Again, written for the original KF, but the process for installing device drivers is the same. Only the PID is slightly different and that should get edited in the INF before installation.
Glad to hear it worked out for you. I am not familiar with that program, but the KFHD should connect automatically to a Windows device as external storage... does it not?
I have not tested this and don't have a way to do so. I have some concerns about it, but I'm sure someone desperate enough will jump in and try it out. I know it's too late for some, but my suggestion is for everybody to make a backup if you can and not rely on someone else to give you archives after the fact. It's better to have your own backups.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm ready to try

Didn't show at first
Kindlebackups showed up in root browser right away, but didn't show on PC until I rebooted KF2. So now should
I decompress and put in folder containing ADB?

Yuretz said:
Could anybody post his clean backup here? Screwed my kindle, want go back to stock. Backup is only way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got the same situation, could anyone kindly help to provide a backup?

Same here ... just need the system image ... Please

I'd appreciate it if everybody would refrain from making this a "beg for a system image" thread.
strat6 said:
Kindlebackups showed up in root browser right away, but didn't show on PC until I rebooted KF2. So now should
I decompress and put in folder containing ADB?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can put the the images wherever you want, but you'll need to specify the path to the file. For example, if you are using Windows and put the kindlebackups directory on C:, you just need to modify the command to...
Code:
fastboot -i 0x1949 flash system C:\kindlebackups\system.img

Thank you for posting how to do this. It opens a lot of doors with at least a little security.
I made a backup earlier without a problem, then went ahead and made myself a factory cable(easy to do and worked great- old asus usb cable, 1k resistor, soldering iron, shrink tape and voila!). I feel much better about doing any mods to this device now knowing I can just flash my backup.

[USER Tips] HD/HD+ Stock Root User Tips from LeapinLar

When I originally bought the Nook HD+, I made several futile attempts to get ADB working so I could sideload apps to it. I was so frustrated that I was ready to give up and return it. But I finally got it going and with the help of a few smart users here was able to get it rooted and installing apps directly on the device. So, to save some other users the same frustration I had, I thought I would outline what I did to make this device hum.
Update 12/27/2012: A lot has changed since I first created this tips thread. I am updating it to the latest information. Most of the steps below are not necessary anymore since I now have a new thread here which lets you do these things easily with a special version of ClockworkMod (CWM) recovery for the HD and HDplus. And the text here has been modified to reflect that and include the HD.
Update 11/02/2013: Since B&N has included the gapps and Play Store in version 2.1.0 and above and since verygreen developed the new boot.img that removes B&N /system file protection scheme and I updated my HD/HD+ CWM thread to account for those changes, I decided to give this thread an update. I have added comments to the sections in italics below where necessary
If you have questions or comments on this post, reply to this thread. Please do not send me private messages or emails. By posting in the forums others get a chance to help you and if I answer your question in the forum, others can see my response and it may help them too.
1. Setting up ADB
ADB is very useful for many things but you do NOT need ADB to root anymore. Look at my thread referenced above to use CWM to root.
Also, rather than use ADB via USB, it is much easier to use a Wireless ADB app available in the Play Store.
If you want to know how to set up ADB with USB, click on the "show content" button below.
The first thing you need to do is get ADB working on your PC so that it can connect with the HD+. The instructions to do that is on B&N's own site here. (But you really don't have to do all that, see below). To make it easier for XDA users, I have attached to this post the drivers downloaded from B&N site. Download and unzip that file to your PC.
To install the drivers, do the following (I tested this on Windows XP and Windows 7):
1. On your HD+ go to settings, device information, developer options, and make sure check "Enable ADB" is not checked.
2. Plug in the device to the PC with the USB cable. MTP should install.
3. Unplug the device, go to settings again and check 'Enable ADB'. Plug back in.
4. New devices will try to install. When they do, work your way through the options until you get to the choice "include this location in search" (the terminology is a little different in Win7) and browse to the location you unzipped the driver files above. Continue and the driver should install. In Windows 7 just one device will pop up. On Windows XP, two may. (Edit: If you are having trouble with this step, go to the B&N link I have above and read and follow section 4.6 of that guide. You can skip section 4.6.2 since you unzipped those drivers earlier. But do all of the remaining steps in section 4.6).
5. An "Android Composite ADB Interface" will install. If the computer says it needs to reboot to finish. Do it.
6. If, when it starts back up, and after installing ADB below, it does not work, you may need to go the Device Manager and look to see if "Android Composite ADB Interface" device has a yellow exclamation point by it. If it does, update the driver with the B&N driver again.
7. Create a file named adb_usb.ini and put 0x2080 in it with no line feed or carriage return. Go to \documents and settings\ and open your users folder and create a folder named .android and put that file in it.
8. I have attached a file named adb.rar below. Just unrar the adb.rar file. There will be three files there that you can put in a directory (any name you want).
9. Open a command prompt and cd to wherever you copied those adb files. If you set your path to that directory, you can have the prompt set for any directory, like where your apks are stored. Type 'adb devices'. It should go through some commands ending with a list of devices connected. The serial number of your HD+ should be listed. You can now run ADB commands.
2. Sideloading Apps
Once Unknown Sources is activated by my CWM zip above, you do not really need to install apps this way anymore.
Once you have ADB connected to your HD/HD+, it is very easy to sideload install apps. Just have your command prompt set to the location that you have your apk's stored and type "adb install xxx.apk", where xxx.apk is the name of your app. It is best to name the apk to something simple with no underlines or special characters in the name. It does not matter what you name it, the real name is inside the apk. The app should install. I would start with a launcher app since sideloaded apps cannot be seen in the stock launcher. Then I would install AnyCut which I have attached to this post. This app allows you to put the Home command on your launcher's home screen so that after you make your launcher default, you can get back to the B&N home page. There is a trick mentioned in the B&N guide referenced above that lets the stock app drawer see your sideloaded apps. On the Apps screen, hold the volume up button while you press the "Apps" word at the top of the screen for 2-3 seconds. An "Extras" screen will pop up showing all of the sideloaded apps. You have to do this every time you want to see it.
3. Rooting the HD/HD+
Rooting is now very easy using CWM in the referenced thread above. If you want to use the older manual method, click on the "show content" button below. But be warned these older methods no longer work on version 2.0.5 or newer.
Verygreen came up with the original scheme to root the HD+. But it had a problem. The HD+ checks on boot to see if /system has changed, and if it has, it will not boot. It tries this 8 times and on the last time the "8 failed boot" procedure kicks in and your device is wiped clean (including your storage space) and the factory ROM is re-installed. He later modified it to survive a reboot. Someone0 developed another scheme where he can root without modifying /system directly. So the next time it boots, it boots normally. See his thread here.
ONCE YOU HAVE ROOT, DO NOTHING THAT MODIFIES /SYSTEM OR IT WILL NOT BOOT AND END UP RESETING ITSELF. Also do not install anything that installs to /system, like busybox, AdFree and a few other apps. Ignore this warning with Universal Root rev3 or higher.
4. Setting OTA (Over the Air) Updates from B&N to Manual
When you first register the HD/HD+ it will automatically update itself to the latest version. To protect yourself against further updates that might jeopardize your ability to root or add other mods, you should try to block further automatic updates. But it seems that making this mod is no longer effective, B&N updates anyway.
Again, I have a CWM zip that will do this for you in the referenced thread above. If you want to see how to do it manually, click on the "show content" button below.
EDIT: (2/22/13) I have a new way to block OTA that seems to work so far. Another user (thanks greenya!) discovered this and I have come up with a way to implement it. I use the app AdAway to put my own black list of sites to not allow access to. If you want to try this, you must be rooted. Get AdAway either on the 1mobile.com market or at its developer's site (http://code.google.com/p/ad-away/). Before you do anything go to its preferences and change the target hosts file to /data/data/hosts. That way it will not reset the device. Then go to "Your Lists". Add this site to the black list: su.barnesandnoble.com. Then go to the main menu and select "Download files and apply ad blocking". It will ask you if you want to add a symlink, say yes. (If you installed the new boot.img from verygreen or flashed my latest version of Universal Root (rev3 or higher), you do not need to worry about adaway resetting your device. Just install it normally.)
It does not seem to block any B&N shopping or downloading apps or books. I installed this on my 2.0.5 and purposely tried to update and it says it needs the update but pushing download does nothing. Then I unblocked it and pushed download and it started to download immediately. So it does work.
Basically the same method used on the Nook Color and Nook Tablet should work on the HD+. It requires that you edit a database file and that requires root access. I use the paid Speed Software's SQLite Editor. You need to use the latest version (2.0.1). I could not get my older version to get root access.
So here is a description on how to do it with SQLite Editor. Open the app and it should get granted superuser access. Then browse with it to /data/data/com.bn.devicemanager/databases. There should be a file there named "devicemanager.db". Open that with SQLite Editor. There should be a list down the left side, one being "registry". Click on that. A table opens up that looks like a spread sheet. On line 6 is com.bn.device.fota.mode. Scroll across till you see the value column. It should say auto. Edit that to manual. Save the database and you are done.
This worked on the other Nooks, so should work here. See the post below for another automatic method.
5. Setting Up Installing from Unknown Sources
I also have a CWM zip that will do this for you in the referenced thread above. If you want to see how to do it manually, click on the "show content" button below.
You can toggle the unknown sources using the same method as I used for blocking OTA. Just look for the database in /data/data/com.android.providers.settings/databases. The database is settings.db. Open secure and line 4 - install_non_market_apps and change the value to 1.
6. Setting up Google Play Store and Google Apps
I also have a CWM zip that will do this for you in the referenced thread above. If you want to see how to do it manually, click on the "show content" button below. If you have stock version 2.1.0 or higher you do not need to flash my zip. Play store is included in the ROM.
Someone0 has a post on how to add Google Play Store is here. And he now has it so you can install the entire Gapps package, including Play Store. Again, you must be rooted first.
7. Setting LCD Density
If you are like me, you hate the tiny fonts on these high resolution devices. You can change the default lcd density to help with that. The default lcd density for the HD/HD+ is 240. I changed it to 300 and everything works fine on the HD+ and fonts are a little larger. But you cannot modify build.prop on /system to do that. It will cause the device to reset itself since you are modifying /system. To get around that, create a file in /data named local.prop. Add the following line to that text file:
qemu.sf.lcd_density=300
Then reboot and your new density is set. You need to be rooted to do this on the device.
I found that changing the density on the HD made the SystemUI app crash. If you want larger fonts for the HD, I recommend you use the tip in the next section.
8. Larger System Fonts
If you don't want to set your LCD density higher but you still want larger fonts, a user (Windsor1959) just passed on this tip. Go to the B&N app store and install the free app Go Read. Once that is installed, open it and use the menu to go to accessibility settings. There is an option for larger system fonts. It works great. Thanks Windsor1959.
I also just discovered that there is another hidden setting that lets you set the system fonts from small, normal, large and huge. To get to these settings you need a third party launcher like zeam or adw and the AnyCut app I attached below. On the launcher screen long press and select shortcut. Select AnyCut from the list. Within AnyCut select activity and scroll down to fonts. Select that and a fonts shortcut will appear on the launcher screen. Open that and you can select the font size.
9. Data structures on the HD/HD+
For those of you used to having two separate partitions for data and media files, B&N has used a different scheme for the HD/HD+. They make one very large /data partition ranging from 5GB to 28GB depending on which device you have. Then they create a folder in /data (/data/media) and, using the sdcard fuse feature, link it permanently to /sdcard. So that means it is one big dynamic space for both /data and /sdcard, sharing the free space. /data is considered root and /sdcard is not.
They named it /sdcard because a lot of third party apps expect there to be an sdcard on the system and won't run unless there is one. That creates a little bit of a terminology problem for us Nook Color users. We are used to having /sdcard be an external SD. And on top of that, if we do add an external SD, it is mounted as /ext_sdcard under /mnt and that is hard for some apps to see. And when you connect your device to your PC with MTP, internal media (sdcard) is called 'internal memory' and the SD (ext_sdcard) is called 'SD card'. I think B&N did this with the expectation that users would not be rooted and be able to see that stuff under the hood.
Since sdcard is really just a part of /data, it is formatted as ext4 instead of FAT32 like the Nook Color media partition was. That means you can store a single file larger than 4GB, which is the limit for FAT32. Most external SD cards are formatted FAT32 so they are also limited to a single file size of 4GB. But it makes them directly readable by your Windows based PC. When you first put a new external SD in the HD/HD+, it asks you if you want to reformat it so you can more easily store your media files. If you say yes, it will format it to ExFAT, a new flash drive format that supports larger file sizes. That's good for your media files since you can have very large files on it. But it could be bad if you want to take the card out and put it in your Windows XP PC because XP cannot read it without an update patch from Microsoft. If you have Vista or higher, ExFAT can be read natively.
When you do a factory reset (clear /data) your media directory (/sdcard) is wiped out too.
Also, the B&N media, books, magazines, etc., are stored in /data/nookmedia, which is root.
10. White on White Text for Some Apps
One of the annoying issues with using some third party apps is the HD/HD+ displays some dialogue boxes with white text on a white background so that the text is unreadable. Someone0 and I developed a patch that can repair this. I have a zip in my CWM thread referenced above to repair the HD+ and HD. (Also since stock version 2.1.0, B&N has dramatically changed the color scheme so that the white-on-white issue is no longer the problem it used to be, I have discontinued providing white-on-white mods for version 2.1.0 and above.) If you want to see how to do it manually, click on the "show content" button below.
Someone0 and I have been working on this and have found a solution. It requires a modification to the framework-res.apk on /system. And the mod works very well. The problem is that the apk is on /system and must be symlinked using our symlink trick we use on /system files when we need to modify them. That is easy to do, but this particular apk is very critical to your system. If you do not get it installed properly, it will lock up the device and you either need to reset it completely or repair with ADB.
If you are tech savvy enough you could modify your own apk and install it. In the colors.xml file in the values section of the de-compiled apk, are two settings that need to be changed, "background_light" and "background_holo_light" need to be changed to "ffcfcfcf". The color choice was a compromise between making the text dark enough to be seen against a white background and bright enough to make things like menus show in the grey backgrounds. Re-compile and put the apk in /data, delete the apk in /system and symlink to the one in /data. The problem with doing it manually while running is as soon as you delete the apk, things go bonkers. And you cannot add the new symlink until the original apk is deleted. If you start messing with this mod, be sure to have ADB enabled so if it locks up and gets stuck on booting, you can access things with ADB and hopefully repair it. When I did my system manually, I copied the modded apk to /data with root explorer, used root explorer to set /system to read/write, then used ADB to delete the apk in /system and create the symlink. If you mess up, it will boot, but get stuck at the 99% level. Hopefully if you left ADB enabled, you can use ADB to repair whatever is wrong.
11. Implementing Userinit.d
Userinit.d can be used to run specialized scripts as part of the boot process. The HD/HD+ does not implement userinit.d, but it can be modified to allow it. And these scripts can be used to customize the performance of the device, like modify fonts, change colors, add symbolic links, modify drives, set CPU speeds and tweaks, etc.
I have implemented userinit.d in the new Universal Root zip in my referenced CWM thread above. (The latest version no longer uses it).
The scripts are usually named with numbers at the beginning and no extension. Examples would be the scripts from CM7 init.d which are: 00banner, 01sysctl, 03firstboot, 05mountsd and others. They are executed in the order of the numbers. They are plain text files that have as the first line:
#!/system/bin/sh
Then they have script commands in text format.
The beauty of these scripts on the HD/HD+ is you put them in /data instead of /system which would reset your device. Put the script files in a new folder named /data/local/userinit.d. Set the script file permissions to execute.
There are examples of userinit.d scripts out there if you search for init.d scripts on XDA or the web. Some will work on the HD/HD+ and some won't. I have a great example in the next section.
12. Swapping "sdcard" and "ext_sdcard"
I now also have this modification as a flashable zip in my CWM thread linked above. No need for root with that one.
As explained in section 9 above, the internal media is named "sdcard" so that apps can store their files there. Some users would like them stored on their external SD. I have a userinit script that will swap "sdcard" and "ext_sdcard" so that apps will store their files on the external SD. The external SD will show as "sdcard" and the internal media will show as "ext_sdcard". And it shows swapped using MTP also. It can be a little confusing since we cannot control the names, but they are swapped. If you don't have an external SD plugged in, both sdcard and ext_sdcard will show the internal media.
To swap the drives, make sure userint.d is implemented, then download the attached file, 11SDswap.rar, and extract it and put the file in /data/local/userinit.d. Set the permissions of the file to execute in all three boxes. On the next reboot, they will be swapped. To return to normal, just remove the file and reboot.
13. Skipping OOBE (Out of Box Experience)
Skipping OOBE is when you want to skip the registration step when you first start your device or after a reset. Not registering means that you will not be able to buy books or apps from B&N or, if you already have an account, have access to already purchased items. Your name will show as TEST (which can't be changed). And, if you set up wifi, the device will still check for updates and if found, update.
So if you don't want to register, or that device is already registered to someone else and you can't, just skip OOBE. There are instructions for the Nook Color here. They still work for the HD/HD+.
14. Back Up Your Stock ROM Installation with CWM v6.0.2.8 for Nook HDplus and v6.0.2.7 for the HD
Now you can backup your stock installation with my bootable CWM (ClockworkMod) recovery SDs. That way you can restore if you make a mistake and change /system so the device starts to reset itself. Just catch it before the reset completes, insert the card and restore and you will be back to OK.
You can do anything with these CWM SDs you normally would do with CWM, (nandroid backup, wipe system, data, cache, dalvik-cache, fix permissions, etc).
One of the nice features is you can wipe /data without it wiping your internal media at /data/media. So, if you want to reset, just wipe /data and your media files are still left intact. And when you do a nandroid backup, it can be placed either on internal media or your external card. The nandroid backup feature backs up /boot, /system, /cache and /data (without the media folder). So if you want the media folder backed up you must do it manually from within stock. And when you restore, you can selectively restore any partition. So if you mess up /system by putting something there that causes a reset, just selectively restore /system.
EDIT (5/22/13) - There is a new procedure brought to my attention by another user (thanks fanoush) which lets you make the CWM SD without burning the image. It seems the OMAP4 devices are a little more liberal on the booting requirements than previous OMAP devices. This makes it easier to install on any size SD. Go to my HD/HD+ CWM thread linked in my signature and look at item 1a. There are instructions and files there.
The versions attached below are under 120 MB so they can be put on any size SD. It burns very quickly. But there is no room there for any backups. After burning the SD you can use partitioning software (like Mini-Tool Partition Wizard or EaseUS Partition Manager, both free) to expand it to the full size of your SD card if you want so there would be plenty of room for backups. But be sure to only expand the back end of the partition, being careful not to touch the beginning.
I also now have a 4GB versions for both the HD and HDplus attached to the CWM thread referenced above.
To make the SD, download the version for your device and extract the file. It should be a 120MB .img file. Burn (write) that image file to your SD card using Win32diskimager in Windows. In Linux or OSX (Mac) use the "dd" command.
To use Win32DiskImager, find it on the web (here, it's free) and install it on your Windows PC. Open it (be sure to run it as administrator) and select the drive (device) that has your card reader with your SD inserted. Then in the image file box put the location where you have the extracted img file. Then when everything is set right, click on the write button. A warning will pop up asking if you want to proceed. When you have verified that you are going to write to the correct device, click on Yes. (One user overwrote their external USB hard drive by not verifying first). With the small version it should burn fairly rapidly. If you get an error message about access denied, it means you are looking at the drive with Windows Explorer. Close Windows Explorer and try again. In fact, it is a good idea to close all unnecessary windows when burning, even your browser.
Insert the SD into your powered off Nook HD/HD+ and power on. It should boot to CWM with the label v6.0.2.8 for HD+ stock. The HD version just says v6.0.2.7 for Stock. You can tell it is booting properly if the cyanoboot logo shows up after the Nook logo shows for a few seconds. If the Nook logo stays there and starts changing, it means it is booting to stock. Hard power off by holding the power button for several seconds. Try again.
Manipulate the controls with volume up/down for cursor, n key to activate and power key for back.
15. Modifying System Files on the HD/HD+
Ordinarily you cannot modify system files on these devices because they will detect the change and reset themselves back to factory stock, wiping out all your data at the same time. But there is a safe way to do it if you are rooted.
If you have installed my new Universal Root rev3 or higher or installed verygreen's boot.img, the below procedure is no longer necessary, just modify the files directly.
The HD/HD+ has a manifest file included in the boot files that has a listing of each file that is supposed to be in /system and a checksum of each file. On boot, it reads the files in /system and makes sure each file that is there is on the list and matches the checksum. It ignores directories, symlinks and missing files. If one is added or has the wrong checksum, it stops and tries to boot again. If it reboots 8 times in a row without completing the boot, the automatic reset feature kicks in and your device is formatted and the factory ROM is reinstalled.
So you can see that missing files are OK and symlinks are OK. So if you want to modify a system file, first copy it to /data somewhere, delete the original, and make a symlink in /system to replace the deleted file. The symlink points to the file copied to /data. But be careful, some files, like framework-res.apk, are being used all the time and if you delete it, even temporarily, the system goes crazy.
The scheme that someone0 and I use is to mimic /system under /data/su so that the structures are the same to avoid confusion. For example, if you wanted to modify build.prop, it would be copied to /data/su/system/build.prop and the symlink would point there. Since build.prop is not used very often, it is safe to now modify it however you want. But be careful, some settings there are vital, like hardware rotation. Mess with that and things will go all wonky on the next reboot.
Here are the specific commands to make this happen using build.prop as an example:
1. Use your root file manager to copy /system/build.prop to /data/su/system/build.prop. Set the file's permissions to match the original.
2. Delete /system/build.prop also using your root file manager
3. Set up Terminal Emulator. Start the program and type su enter. After you allow superuser access, the prompt turns to #
4. Type the following command at the # prompt (without the quotes):
"mount -o remount,rw /system"
5. Then this command:
"ln -s /data/su/system/build.prop /system/build.prop"
(That first letter is a lower case L)
6. Then this command:
"mount -o remount,ro /system"
You are done. You can now modify build.prop in /data any way you want and the system will not reset.
But before you do this mod or any other system file mod, I recommend you have backed up your system using CWM as described in the previous section. That way if you did not get it right somehow and it starts to reset, you can insert your CWM card to stop the rebooting and selectively restore /system and try again.
One side benefit of doing this build.prop mod is if B&N tries to update you in the future, it will fail because it cannot verify your build.prop because it is missing. And, in my experience, it does not try again.
16. Nook HD/HD+ internal partition structure and backups
The partition structure for the HD/HD+ is the same and is as follows:
Code:
P# Name Size Type
1 xloader 128K Fastboot Image
2 bootloader 256K Fastboot Image
3 recovery 15MB Fastboot Image
4 boot 16MB Fastboot Image
5 rom 48MB vfat
6 bootdata 48MB vfat
7 factory 448MB ext4
8 system 672MB ext4
9 cache 464MB ext4
10 data varies ext4
There is a simple process to make image backups of your internal partitions. Most people will never have to use the backups, but there is one critical partition that holds vital device specific information that was created at manufacture that is probably wise for you to back up. The process requires that you have either Terminal Emulator installed or ADB set up. And it can be done either in rooted stock or CM10/CM10.1. In Terminal Emulator or ADB Shell in superuser mode, type the following command:
dd if=/dev/block/mmcblk0p7 of=/mnt/sdcard/factory.img
This will make an image of your partition 7 that has that vital information. It also has a copy of the factory.zip file used to reset your device should you need to. If you want to back up the rest of your partitions, just change the p# and file name in the above commands to match the listing above. Partition 10 is quite large so should not be backed up using this method.
To restore a partition, just reverse the information following the if= and of= statements in the command. The information stored in partitions 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8 is specific to the ROM version you were running when you made the backup, so restoring them to another version is probably not a good idea (and if you do, restore all 5 of them together). Only do it if it is a last resort. And of course you should not restore HD partitions to the HD+ and vice versa.

Enable Unknown Sources and Blocking Auto OTA made easy (updated 12/3)
Instead of making a new thread, I have decide to make the tips that already available, but hard to use and make it simple.
So, what is it? This little thing will set Enable install from Unknown Sources and change the auto update to manual update for Nook HD ROM. I keep hearing how people are saying they have hard time making these changes so, I make it pretty dead simple. It's as simple as I can make. If you are looking at the timeline, root first, then this, and then gapps after. I now make them all so simple that it take me like 15mins to do all those 3 things from scratch. Originally I grab the sqlite3 from one of the app, which I guess I shouldn't have. Now I replace it w/ the one from CM9, which I guess is okay. And smaller size too.
If you were using verygreen version of root, try running this first.
Code:
adb shell su -c "/data/su/busybox chown shell.shell /data/su"
Pre-Requisite:
ADB and root.
NEW Instruction:
download the settings_new.zip in the attachment and save it somewhere.
unzip it.
run install.bat (for windows)
OLD Instructions:
download the settings_old.zip in the attachment and save it somewhere.
unzip it.
run install.bat (it basically just upload settings.sh and sqlite3 and change their permission, if you are on linux just do that instead)
adb shell
su
/data/su/settings.sh
*** OLD TEXT ***
While it's true that we should put heavy emphasis on not touching /system and that is not just manual works, but also any app with root access. You could be installing something like busybox via goole play store and screw everything up. That said, we are not touching /system at the moment because we lack the knowledge of that the nook is doing during boot process. I have been able to get asomething like AdAway to work which actually creating a sym link from /system/etc/hosts to /data/data/hosts file. I been doing this under the assumption that mounting and sym link are ok in the /system. But I would be worried too if there is a lot of those.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Lost and Confused
I tried following the instructions on the B&N’s website, but I do not see ‘Android Composite ADB Interface’ or even ‘Android Phone’ within the Device Manager of Windows. I now have ‘BNTV600’ and ‘NOOK’ under Device Manager/Portable Devices. I think this is for the big leagues and I may mess something up. Probably going to wait until there is a YouTube video guide showing step by step on how to successfully root the Nook HD+.
Many thanks to ‘leapinlar’ for the help.

cybersonic_ca said:
I tried following the instructions on the B&N’s website, but I do not see ‘Android Composite ADB Interface’ or even ‘Android Phone’ within the Device Manager of Windows. I now have ‘BNTV600’ and ‘NOOK’ under Device Manager/Portable Devices. I think this is for the big leagues and I may mess something up. Probably going to wait until there is a YouTube video guide showing step by step on how to successfully root the Nook HD+.
Many thanks to ‘leapinlar’ for the help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you read my description above, it says to update the driver for BNTV600.

No longer able to access internal & external memory on the Nook
leapinlar said:
If you read my description above, it says to update the driver for BNTV600.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is what I did:
1. Plugged my Nook HD+ to my computer (ADB enabled)
2. Device Manager / BNTV600 / Update Driver Software / Browse my computer for driver software / Usb_driver_r04-windows folder / OK
3. Clicked on ‘Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer’
4. MTP USB Device appeared so I clicked on ‘Have Disk’
5. Browsed ‘android_winsub’ and clicked Open and OK
6. Android Composite ADB Interface appeared so I clicked ‘Next’
7. Message, ‘Windows can’t verify the publisher of this driver software’
8. Install this driver software anyway
9. Rebooted my computer
10. When the Nook is connected to the computer (ADB not enabled)
a. The Nook shows up as a G: drive and ‘MyNOOK Setup’ is the only file in it
b. Clicking on the ‘MyNOOK Setup’ brings me to a message:
• Welcome to MyNOOK Setup.
• MyNOOK Setup is a one-time installation that will allow you to tranfer your personal files to your NOOK.
• Transferable files include, but are not limited to: photos, music, videos, EPUB, PDF and Microsoft Office files.
• Note: Copyright protected files are not transferable
• To install, go to .... can't post link since im a noob
• For more information, visit ..... can't post link since im a noob
c. MyNOOKSetup.dmg appears when I click on the first link
11. When the Nook is connected to the computer (ADB enabled)
a. AutoPlay ‘BNTV600’ constantly appears.
12. I cannot access the internal or external memory on the Nook for both #10 & #11,
13. Running ‘makeroot.bat’ in the cmd for both #10 & #11 does not work either.
14. Device Manager / NOOK (BNTV600 no longer exist)

Follow my instructions to install the drivers and use my driver file from my first post. Go to device manager and delete any those three drivers you installed earlier, composite, mtp, etc. Then just do the bntv600.
Sent from my Nook HD+ using Tapatalk

Cool but....
...I am having a slight problem. I can not download your attached file usb_driver_r04-windows-Modded-for-HD.zip :/ everytime I do my computer which is running windows xp is telling me there is nothing there. Can you please help me thank you

Possible driver conflict with Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 Plus
leapinlar said:
Follow my instructions to install the drivers and use my driver file from my first post. Go to device manager and delete any those three drivers you installed earlier, composite, mtp, etc. Then just do the bntv600.
Sent from my Nook HD+ using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I followed your instructions and I successfully installed the driver you provided in your zip but the following actions occur after computer reboots.
When ADB is disabled
• NOOK (G Drive appears in My Computer
When ADB is enabled
• NO NOOK (G Drive in My Computer
• BNTV600 AutoPlay windows constantly pops up
I forgot to say that I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 Plus installed in this computer. The following items are what I see in Device Manager:
• Portable Devices / NOOK
• SAMSUNG Android Phone / Android Composite ADB Interface
I tried deleting all the drivers and repeat your instructions but the SAMSUNG Android Phone / Android Composite ADB Interface keeps appearing.

Dopey32 said:
...I am having a slight problem. I can not download your attached file usb_driver_r04-windows-Modded-for-HD.zip :/ everytime I do my computer which is running windows xp is telling me there is nothing there. Can you please help me thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know what to tell you. I just tried again with windows XP and it downloaded fine. Just keep trying. And watch where windows puts it.

cybersonic_ca said:
I followed your instructions and I successfully installed the driver you provided in your zip but the following actions occur after computer reboots.
When ADB is disabled
•NOOK (G Drive appears in My Computer
When ADB is enabled
•NO NOOK (G Drive in My Computer
•BNTV600 AutoPlay windows constantly pops up
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I experienced a lot of the same symptoms.
The Nook G: is for Mac users that do not have MTP. It is so they can get the drivers they need. Notice the .dmsg (sp ?) is for them. That will only go away when you get MTP working or switch to enabled adb.
I was most concerned with getting the adb interface working, so I just ignored the MTP issues until later. In fact I temporarily disabled it so it would not keep popping up during adb.
After I got everything sideloaded and rooted, I tackled the MTP issue. With adb unchecked, I went to USB devices and uninstalled the USB mass storage device (which was the Nook G). Then it recognized MTP.
Sent from my Nook HD+ using Tapatalk

I think it's safe to say that what we(me and other who got all the stuff out seperately) did so far aren't anything very dangerous. We havn't touch any other partition or boot loader. Unless you mess them up yourself since now you have root, then the worst it could happen is a full factory reset or you can force yourself to factory reset it.

okay got a little farther
I have installed the drivers and my nook is having the same symptoms as cybersonic_ca. Now I am trying to figure out how to utilize the command prompt, i type in adb devices and it responds with 'adb' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.
please help, i am trying to root my nook and HD+ but i feel i must be forgetting something. I am sorry if i am very bothersome but i can not figure out what is going on

All these tips also help with the HD. Thanks so much!
Sent from my Nook HD using xda premium

Dopey32 said:
I have installed the drivers and my nook is having the same symptoms as cybersonic_ca. Now I am trying to figure out how to utilize the command prompt, i type in adb devices and it responds with 'adb' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.
please help, i am trying to root my nook and HD+ but i feel i must be forgetting something. I am sorry if i am very bothersome but i can not figure out what is going on
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then you have either not installed the Android SDK (Software Development Kit) on your PC (which includes adb) per the B&N instructions or your path variable is not set to include where you installed it.
Sent from my Nook HD+ using Tapatalk

Dopey32 said:
I have installed the drivers and my nook is having the same symptoms as cybersonic_ca. Now I am trying to figure out how to utilize the command prompt, i type in adb devices and it responds with 'adb' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.
please help, i am trying to root my nook and HD+ but i feel i must be forgetting something. I am sorry if i am very bothersome but i can not figure out what is going on
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you can't follow or understand the instructions about adding the path to adb in the environment path you can always just cd "/to the directory adb is installed/" and run adb directly from there. easy way is to just drag the folder into the command prompt window. it'll save a bit of typing - only works if you're not running cmd as admin.

You said you modded the drivers from B&N? What did you change? Just curious...

So, instead of making another thread, since this is a tips thread, I'll just post it here.
Just in case you are not familiar with a factory reset on the Nook HD+, there are two kind of factory resets. The one that you perform yourself, which is actually not a full factory reset and the one that Nook get pissed and do the full one.
A factory reset that you perform yourself, whether from the GUI or button combination will basically clean the partition /data while a full blown one will basically restore other partition such as /system.
Why do I bring this up, because as we know, we are not perfect. I make mistake and so do other. Sometime instead of trying to re-trace the step and fix our mistake, it's easier to just reset everything. Well, since we can't just do a full blown factory reset our self, at least not very easy, we can at least force the Nook to do it for us.
So, if you felt like I did something wrong, and I don't know which step to take next, I make a little tool for you to start over. You can see the attachment, reset.zip in there, there are 3 files. You only have to run reset.bat if you need a linux version, maybe you can beg the OP to do it for you. If you exam the package, you can see that this is very similar to the original root method which force itself to factory reset, so this is basically a modified version of that. Obviously you still required ADB. Well, on the other hand, if you never get ADB working in the first place, you probably can't mess up that bad that you need this tool in the first place.
Let me make it clear, this tool WILL RESET EVERYTHING. It also REBOOT MANY TIMES. And expect the whole process to take about 10 minutes.

dbh369 said:
You said you modded the drivers from B&N? What did you change? Just curious...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually modified a generic driver by putting the Nook HD+ device id in it. I was not able to download the B&N driver so I don't know if it needed modifying or not.
Sent from my Nook HD+ using Tapatalk

cybersonic_ca said:
I followed your instructions and I successfully installed the driver you provided in your zip but the following actions occur after computer reboots.
When ADB is disabled
• NOOK (G Drive appears in My Computer
When ADB is enabled
• NO NOOK (G Drive in My Computer
• BNTV600 AutoPlay windows constantly pops up
I forgot to say that I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 Plus installed in this computer. The following items are what I see in Device Manager:
• Portable Devices / NOOK
• SAMSUNG Android Phone / Android Composite ADB Interface
I tried deleting all the drivers and repeat your instructions but the SAMSUNG Android Phone / Android Composite ADB Interface keeps appearing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am having the same problem as Cybersonc_ca. I did everything according to the nook developer website and when I enable ADB on my nook hd+, it does not show my BNTV600 under portable devices but I DO have Android Phone >> Android Composite ADB Interface.
If I go to command prompt, how can I make it so that it checks that folder as well?
I apologize for such noob questions. Thank you.

sayw0rd said:
I am having the same problem as Cybersonc_ca. I did everything according to the nook developer website and when I enable ADB on my nook hd+, it does not show my BNTV600 under portable devices but I DO have Android Phone >> Android Composite ADB Interface.
If I go to command prompt, how can I make it so that it checks that folder as well?
I apologize for such noob questions. Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go to command prompt and type 'adb devices' and see if you have any. And the looking for bntv600 was for getting the composite to show. You have that.
Sent from my Nook HD+ using Tapatalk

Guide for SBK1 Install of [Win32/64][Dual Boot] Tubuntu for x3Maniac Thread

This guide was written to provide more specific information for installation instructions than the OP below.
The Tubuntu installer application will not install the updated kernels for SBK1 devices and the manual procedure in post #2 will tell you what you need to do.
OP for Tubutnu by x3maniac
1. Download the newest “tubuntu v0.x.x” without Prime (system.img) or Ubuntu.img as it is written in the OP.
a. This download contains the application, boot.img file, and basic kernels available at the time of this guide needed for installation. There will be updates for kernels specific to an Ubuntu image as the developer is able to work on them. Check for new downloads and posts.
b. The download also contains drivers and installation for APX mode located using the “Other” tab in the application.
c. This download does NOT contain the Linux operating system nor the Android ROM.​2. Extract all the files in “tubuntu v0.x.x” to a Tubuntu folder wherever you wish. 7-Zip is the zip program of choice but any others should work fine.
3. Download Prime ROM [stock hc w/ root](system.img)
a. This download is the system.img that contains a root enabled Android ROM.​4. Extract the system.img file from this download.
a. Copy this file to the \images directory. The images directory is a sub folder of the TF-101 Ubuntu Installer application that you extracted in step 2.​5. Download the Ubuntu image of your choice.
a. Currently there are 2 Lubuntu downloads. Read the bullets and determine which one you want.​6. Extract the image file of this download and place it in the \images directory. Rename this file to ubuntu.img.
7. Open the TF-101 Ubuntu Installer application.
8. Connect your usb cable to the TF-101 and the computer.
a. Shut down the tablet.​9. Enter APX mode by holding the volume up button first, then hold the power button until you hear the usb sound from the computer.
a. Your screen will be black and the TF-101 Ubuntu Installer application will light up green and say APX Detected if you correctly entered APX mode.​10. Change the dropdown to SBK 1 located directly below the green APX Detected text.
11. Click on the Flash tab.
a. Select Android/Ubuntu and then hit Flash.
b. Android is the primary boot option here.​12. You will see an install log in the right of the application. Mine takes about 15 minutes or so but you will know you are finished when you see the Android ROM load as well as the red text APX NOT Detected (in case your screen is off when you come back).
13. Proceed with setting up Android. DO NOT reboot or power off before the initial Android set up is complete.
14. Once completed and you wish to enter Lubuntu, power off the TF-101 and hold down volume down first and then power. You will see your screen say hit volume up in 5 seconds for recovery. Hit volume up within 5 seconds and it should boot your Linux graphical desktop environment.

Instructions for installing new kernels for SBK1.
1. In your Tubuntu installation directories, locate transformer.bct and bootloader.bin.
a. Copy these 2 files to the \bins directory of the Tubuntu installation application.​2. Download the updated kernel from the OP.
a. Extract the .img file into the \bins directory of the installation application. You do not need to rename it because the command you enter in step 3 part b indicates the name of the kernel file.​3. Open a command prompt to the directory of \bins for the Tubuntu installer application.
a. Type this command and hit enter: wheelie -1 -o 0x300d8011 --bl bootloader.bin -c transformer.bct
b. Type this command and hit enter: nvflash -r --download 6 whatever_the_kernel_filename_is.img
c. The filename is the name of the kernel you extracted and copied into the \bins directory. This name can really be anything so long as the command you enter reflects that filename.​4. After the copy completes you will be back at the command prompt.
a. Type this command and hit enter: nvflash -r --go​5. Your tablet will reboot after the nvflash mode is exited and depending on your configuration it will boot to Android. Boot to Linux now.
6. Download the supplemental kernel file to the root of your filesystem That is the / directory.
a. Open terminal and type this and press enter: sudo wget http://novaspirit.com/tubuntu/kernel_sup.tar.gz /
b. Then type this command and press enter: sudo tar zxvf /kernel_sup.tar.gz
c. This supplemental is installing modules and drivers to the appropriate locations.
d. Reboot.​7. Please understand names of files especially the kernels and updates will change periodically. The commands and methods of extracting have not changed at this point so substitute the appropriate filename and you should be good to go.

For SBK1 devices, the installation of a custom Android ROM using recovery is very similar to updating the kernel instructions in the post above.
Instructions for installing custom ROM's for SBK1 with Lubuntu installed.
1. In your Tubuntu installation directories, locate transformer.bct and bootloader.bin.
a. Copy these 2 files to the \bins directory of the Tubuntu installation application.​3. Copy the file cwrrecovery.img to the \bins folder.
a. You should be able to substitute a newer recovery file than what comes with the Tubuntu installation application.​2. Download the zip file of the custom Android ROM you wish to install.
a. Copy it to either your Internal SD card or External SD card. Depending on the recovery version you flash you may not be able to use your Internal SD card.​3. Open a command prompt to the directory of \bins for the Tubuntu installer application.
a. Type this command and hit enter: wheelie -1 -o 0x300d8011 --bl bootloader.bin -c transformer.bct
b. Type this command and hit enter: nvflash -r --download 5 cwrrecovery(orwhateverfilenameyourrecoveryis).img
c. The filename cwrrecovery.img is the name of the recovery that comes with the installer application. Please substitute appropriately if you are going to flash a different recovery application. You can also use TWRP just use the appropriate .img file name.​4. After the copy completes you will be back at the command prompt.
a. Type this command and hit enter: nvflash -r --go​5. Your tablet will reboot after the nvflash mode is exited and depending on your configuration it will boot to Android.
a. Now you want to boot to the Android recovery. Do that by powering off the tablet and booting like normal into recovery mode. This should be volume down and power. Hit volume up when prompted to do so. Flash your ROM according to the ROM owner's instructions. I recommend to complete your ROM's installation set up before proceeding to step 6.​6. You must now flash your Tubuntu Linux kernel back or you will not be able to boot into Linux. Follow the instructions again from the \bins directory using the command prompt and putting your tablet back into APX mode which is volume up and the power button until the Tubutnu installation application shows green for APX Detected.
a. Type this command and hit enter: wheelie -1 -o 0x300d8011 --bl bootloader.bin -c transformer.bct
b. Type this command and hit enter: nvflash -r --download 5 whatever_the_kernel_filename_is.img
c. Type this command and hit enter: nvflash -r --go​7. You should now be back into your Android ROM again. From here simply power off and boot into recovery using volume down and power. Then hit volume up when it says to on the screen. If Linux boots without issue then you have successfully reinstalled your kernel.

I did exactly what's in the post. With Tubuntu 0.4.7, Prime ROM, Lubuntu V1.1-rc1 (12.10) and the *updated kernel 12/10/2012* (without supplements)
But after Android initial boot, I reboot but it doesn't finish booting Android. It stops here:
http://i50.tinypic.com/2zswdw3.jpg
Anything I can do to fix this? Android does boot properly, but Lubuntu doesn't
If anyone knows how to fix this with only Ubuntu (and without Android) then that is fine too..
TomTcom said:
This guide was written to provide more specific information for newcomers.
The Tubuntu installer application will not install the updated kernels for SBK1 devices and the manual procedure in post #2 will tell you what you need to do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

sainthout said:
I did exactly what's in the post. With Tubuntu 0.4.7, Prime ROM, Lubuntu V1.1-rc1 (12.10) and the *updated kernel 12/10/2012* (without supplements)
But after Android initial boot, I reboot but it doesn't finish booting Android. It stops here:
http://i50.tinypic.com/2zswdw3.jpg
Anything I can do to fix this? Android does boot properly, but Lubuntu doesn't
If anyone knows how to fix this with only Ubuntu (and without Android) then that is fine too..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
0.4.7 fixes the issue with sbk1 and you don't have to do it with these instructions anymore.
However I did try the newer kernel and got stuck at the same spot you did using my instructions just before the 0.4.7 was uploaded. Go to the original thread and post the issue there.

Thanks for the quick reply! Will post the issues

Outdated Thread But Valid Information
This thread is now outdated. X3Maniac has updated his Tubuntu installation application (0.4.7) to fix the issues with installing kernels and recoveries for SBK1 devices.
The information in this thread is still valid for behind the scenes and you can still use the wheelie and nvflash as standalone items if you wish to do something with your device outside the scope of the main thread.
Thanks for all the thanks from users!

Found a bug with 0.4.7. It's possible the tab may not reboot into Prime automatically with this version. When the dev has time it will get updated. If it doesn't reboot and the Tubuntu application says everything is done, manually hold power and let it reboot to Prime to finish installation.

question..
TomTcom said:
This guide was written to provide more specific information for newcomers.
The Tubuntu installer application will not install the updated kernels for SBK1 devices and the manual procedure in post #2 will tell you what you need to do.
1. Download the newest “tubuntu v0.x.x” without Prime (system.img) or Ubuntu.img as it is written in the OP.
a. This download contains the application, boot.img file, and basic kernels available at the time of this guide needed for installation. There will be updates for kernels specific to an Ubuntu image as the developer is able to work on them. Check for new downloads and posts.
b. The download also contains drivers and installation for APX mode located using the “Other” tab in the application.
c. This download does NOT contain the Linux operating system nor the Android ROM.​2. Extract all the files in “tubuntu v0.x.x” to a Tubuntu folder wherever you wish. 7-Zip is the zip program of choice but any others should work fine.
3. Download Prime ROM [stock hc w/ root](system.img)
a. This download is the system.img that contains a root enabled Android ROM.​4. Extract the system.img file from this download.
a. Copy this file to the \images directory. The images directory is a sub folder of the TF-101 Ubuntu Installer application that you extracted in step 2.​5. Download the Ubuntu image of your choice.
a. Currently there are 2 Lubuntu downloads. Read the bullets and determine which one you want.​6. Extract the image file of this download and place it in the \images directory. Rename this file to ubuntu.img.
7. Open the TF-101 Ubuntu Installer application.
8. Connect your usb cable to the TF-101 and the computer.
a. Shut down the tablet.​9. Enter APX mode by holding the volume up button first, then hold the power button until you hear the usb sound from the computer.
a. Your screen will be black and the TF-101 Ubuntu Installer application will light up green and say APX Detected if you correctly entered APX mode.​10. Change the dropdown to SBK 1 located directly below the green APX Detected text.
11. Click on the Flash tab.
a. Select Android/Ubuntu and then hit Flash.
b. Android is the primary boot option here.​12. You will see an install log in the right of the application. Mine takes about 15 minutes or so but you will know you are finished when you see the Android ROM load as well as the red text APX NOT Detected (in case your screen is off when you come back).
13. Proceed with setting up Android. DO NOT reboot or power off before the initial Android set up is complete.
14. Once completed and you wish to enter Lubuntu, power off the TF-101 and hold down volume down first and then power. You will see your screen say hit volume up in 5 seconds for recovery. Hit volume up within 5 seconds and it should boot your Linux graphical desktop environment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i just succeeded dual booting into ubunto.the prime rom just booted...can i install eos jb rom and still dual boot to ubuntu? thanks in advanced

Yes you can. You will need an updated recovery .img file that supports jb. You temporarily flash the new recovery boot into it then install the new rom. See my post on installing updated android roms. Its the third one I think.

oh sorry for the silly question,,i got it now thanks a lot.. nice job

Hi there,
First off, thanks for the tutorial and hard work!
I've been able to successfully install Lubuntu v1.2 and Lubuntu V1.1-rc1 but I've run into issues with both that I'm hoping you can help me with.
When I installed v1.2, my wireless adapter didn't work and I wasn't able to copy any files (kept saying I was out of space, probably a mounting issue).
When I installed v1.1-rc1, things seemed to work well (wireless worked) but when I tried to upgrade the kernel to 3.1 following the instructions, my mouse pad stopped working and so did my wireless adapter again. I saw that there is a way to fix the mouse pad but it seemed to require an internet connection. Any idea what I did wrong or how to fix the wireless on either v1.2 or on v1.1-rc1 with the 3.1 kernel?
Thanks!

You're welcome.
To solve the space issue, open terminal and execute this command: sudo resize2fs /dev/mmcblk0p8
The wireless adapter isn't working because the 3.1 kernel is not stable. Do Not Use It.
Get this from the OP:
Kernels
#470 Controlling your CPU for stability
Stable kernels (use with care for OC version)
[extreme]
2.6.36 - [cpu 1.6 ghz] [gpu 400mhz] - download
benchmarks - blowfish score 30
glxgear - 70 fps
Then get the supplement from the OP:
kernel supplement - 2.6.36.4-1210.zip
extract and copy the kernel suppliment to /lib/modules/

TomTcom said:
You're welcome.
To solve the space issue, open terminal and execute this command: sudo resize2fs /dev/mmcblk0p8
The wireless adapter isn't working because the 3.1 kernel is not stable. Do Not Use It.
Get this from the OP:
Kernels
#470 Controlling your CPU for stability
Stable kernels (use with care for OC version)
[extreme]
2.6.36 - [cpu 1.6 ghz] [gpu 400mhz] - download
benchmarks - blowfish score 30
glxgear - 70 fps
Then get the supplement from the OP:
kernel supplement - 2.6.36.4-1210.zip
extract and copy the kernel suppliment to /lib/modules/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome, works like a charm. Thanks again!

Not sure if I'm the only one experiencing this, but every now and again whenever i click anywhere it thinks I'm trying to move a file (shows the little file icon when I move the mouse). Is this a known bug or just something in my settings I need to change?
Thanks!
---------- Post added at 12:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:19 PM ----------
I also just found that my sound stopped working. It was working before when I used the instructions from the original post (using alsamixer) but I guess somewhere along the way of me messing around I broke it. Here is the error output when I try to play an mp3 in mplayer:
Code:
==========================================================================
Requested audio codec family [mpg123] (afm=mpg123) not available.
Enable it at compilation.
Opening audio decoder: [ffmpeg] FFmpeg/libavcodec audio decoders
AUDIO: 44100 Hz, 2 ch, floatle, 128.0 kbit/4.54% (ratio: 16000->352800)
Selected audio codec: [ffmp3float] afm: ffmpeg (FFmpeg MPEG layer-3 audio)
==========================================================================
Assertion 'pthread_mutex_unlock(&m->mutex) == 0' failed at pulsecore/mutex-posix.c:108, function pa_mutex_unlock(). Aborting.
MPlayer interrupted by signal 6 in module: ao2_init
I've tried searching for a solution but still no luck. I've also tried other players and they don't work either. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

Treizy said:
Not sure if I'm the only one experiencing this, but every now and again whenever i click anywhere it thinks I'm trying to move a file (shows the little file icon when I move the mouse). Is this a known bug or just something in my settings I need to change?
Thanks!
---------- Post added at 12:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:19 PM ----------
I also just found that my sound stopped working. It was working before when I used the instructions from the original post (using alsamixer) but I guess somewhere along the way of me messing around I broke it. Here is the error output when I try to play an mp3 in mplayer:
Code:
==========================================================================
Requested audio codec family [mpg123] (afm=mpg123) not available.
Enable it at compilation.
Opening audio decoder: [ffmpeg] FFmpeg/libavcodec audio decoders
AUDIO: 44100 Hz, 2 ch, floatle, 128.0 kbit/4.54% (ratio: 16000->352800)
Selected audio codec: [ffmp3float] afm: ffmpeg (FFmpeg MPEG layer-3 audio)
==========================================================================
Assertion 'pthread_mutex_unlock(&m->mutex) == 0' failed at pulsecore/mutex-posix.c:108, function pa_mutex_unlock(). Aborting.
MPlayer interrupted by signal 6 in module: ao2_init
I've tried searching for a solution but still no luck. I've also tried other players and they don't work either. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See KingZaks post for sound settings. It's in the op and his signature.
The clicking shouldn't do that every time. Did you extract the supplemental zip and are you using the 1.2-1.6ghz kernels?

Hmm, I'm thinking of installing fresh to see if things get fixed. Is there a way to do that without touching the Android partition? I don't want to have to reflash EOS and what not. Do I just not include the Prime img in the images folder?
Thanks!

A Terribly Confused Noob!
Hello:
I am terribly confused and I hope that someone can help me to understand a few things! I am sorry if I don't understand all the links but they seem to go round and round. Right no I have no less that 25 tabs open trying to figure out the first step.
So, to my first question (probably the first of many): This guide was written to help "newcomers", of which I am definitely one. But, right under that statement comes the statement "The Tubuntu installer application will not install the updated kernels for SBK1 devices and the manual procedure in post #2 will tell you what you need to do." Does that mean I'm actually supposed to start at Post #2? But Post #2 assumes I already have "Tubuntu installation directories", which I don't have so I can't locate the two files.
I am attempting to be a user of Ubuntu on my Transformer, not a developer - I take my hat off to all of you that have put your Transformers in harm's way developing the techniques and software that I want to use, but the instructions are terribly confusing for someone not familiar with all of the terms!
Any help would be most appreciated and I thank you in advance.
Sparky

TheArtfulDodger said:
Hello:
I am terribly confused and I hope that someone can help me to understand a few things! I am sorry if I don't understand all the links but they seem to go round and round. Right no I have no less that 25 tabs open trying to figure out the first step.
So, to my first question (probably the first of many): This guide was written to help "newcomers", of which I am definitely one. But, right under that statement comes the statement "The Tubuntu installer application will not install the updated kernels for SBK1 devices and the manual procedure in post #2 will tell you what you need to do." Does that mean I'm actually supposed to start at Post #2? But Post #2 assumes I already have "Tubuntu installation directories", which I don't have so I can't locate the two files.
I am attempting to be a user of Ubuntu on my Transformer, not a developer - I take my hat off to all of you that have put your Transformers in harm's way developing the techniques and software that I want to use, but the instructions are terribly confusing for someone not familiar with all of the terms!
Any help would be most appreciated and I thank you in advance.
Sparky
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey Sparky, there's no more active development on this just so you are aware. That means you can make your own images for newer Linux builds if you wish but things such as hardware acceleration and kernels will not be updated.
In step 1 of my guide you are going to the OP link by the dev who made the Windows based Tubuntu application.
Go to where you see these links:
tubuntu v0.4.7 [1mb] Executable ONLY - download v0.4.2b and replace the tubuntu.exe with this one
download v0.4.7 (jan, 3 2013)
tubuntu v0.4.6beta [1mb] Executable ONLY - download v0.4.2b and replace the tubuntu.exe with this one
download v0.4.6b (dec, 10 2012)
tubuntu v0.4.2beta [78mb] without Prime(system.img) or ubuntu.img
download v0.4.2b (dec, 7 2012)
tubuntu v0.3alpha [57mb] without Prime(system.img) or ubuntu.img
download v0.3a
Prime ROM[stock hc w/ root](system.img)
download
Download tubuntu v0.4.2beta (78mb).
Download tubuntu v0.4.7 (1mb).
Extract the files to whatever location on your Windows machine.
The 1mb file is a replacement of tubuntu.exe file. So just copy/paste and overwrite that file on your Windows machine.
Do you know how to put your tablet in APX mode? If not, you open tubuntu.exe (you might need .net 4.0 Microsoft framework to run the tubuntu.exe). With the tablet off and usb connected to your windows machine, hold volume up and power. The application tubuntu.exe should have a green indicator that it's connected. Change the dropdown to sbk1.
From there you can choose how you want to flash, such as android as the default boot and linux as the secondary boot.

Ignore.

trying to bring my brothers A500 to life in 2019

Hey together,
I really hope someone out there is still using a A500 Tablet and may be able to help me fix a weird issue i encounter on every ROM i tried so far.
I installed the ROMs mentioned in this Thread: https://forum.xda-developers.com/iconia-a500/general/2018-a500-upgrade-threaddownloads-to-t3832293
And all of them come with the Same Problem for me.
If i try to open the Google PlayStore or something else that wants me to login into a Google Account it just says: "There was a problem communicating with Google Servers" "Try again later"
anyone knows of this issue ? All the fixes several Google searches gave me did not help to fix that issue for me on any of the ROMs.
help would be highly appreciated
kind regards
Finn

Hi,
have you read the tips? It says:
"- Google play will not work right if you do not format your data partition to f2fs. (You can do this in recovery)"
Have you tried it?

Matra-PB said:
Hi,
have you read the tips? It says:
"- Google play will not work right if you do not format your data partition to f2fs. (You can do this in recovery)"
Have you tried it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That may not be the problem I've hear a lot of people are having this problem. But it's a good place to start if he hasn't tried it yet.

Success story upgrading A500 in 2019 July
finneus_ said:
Hey together,
I really hope someone out there is still using a A500 Tablet and may be able to help me fix a weird issue i encounter on every ROM i tried so far.
I installed the ROMs mentioned in this Thread: https://forum.xda-developers.com/iconia-a500/general/2018-a500-upgrade-threaddownloads-to-t3832293
And all of them come with the Same Problem for me.
If i try to open the Google PlayStore or something else that wants me to login into a Google Account it just says: "There was a problem communicating with Google Servers" "Try again later"
anyone knows of this issue ? All the fixes several Google searches gave me did not help to fix that issue for me on any of the ROMs.
help would be highly appreciated
kind regards
Finn
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First my thanks to the forum key members for providing answers to queries and to all the key contributors of SW/ROMS in this forum. I followed the procedures from this forum to Flash / upgrade my Acer Iconia A500 on 4.0.3 ICS that was sitting in a trunk for the last few years. Summary of steps I tried out.
STEP 1: Install the Acer device drivers listed in the links in this forum on your Laptop/Computer even if by default your Windows 10 OS (assuming you are on Win10 like me) is able to recognize the A500 connected to the USB port.
USB_Acer_1.00.0524_A30HA31HA32H_A.ZIP
STEP 2: ROOTING the Acer A500.
1. The tablet should be already upgraded to stock ICS for A50x (or stock ICS A10x/A510 for other tablets).
2. On a tablet: "Settings" -> "Applications" -> "Development" -> "USB debugging" switch ON. If you do not see this menu, then click 7 times of the Android Build No. listed under settings and come back to the menu above to enable USB Debugging.
3. Connect the tablet to the computer (Before connection it is recommended to update the driver for a tablet from here: A10x, A50x, A510).
4. Since most of the discussions regarding flashing A500 were from 2011, the earlier Gingerbreak method for rooting did not work.
I downloaded the following file from this forum to root my tablet.
ICS_rooting_A10x_A5xx.zip
5. Open the directory with the unpacked archive. Execute file: for windows - runit-win.bat; for Linux - runit-linux.sh.
The root is received!
Note: The McAfee Antivirus software started tagging a file 'mempodroid' within this ZIP file Tools folder as a virus or malicious file. This rooting method uses the 'mempodroid' exploit which is detected as a VIRUS by McAfee and Qurantined. So restore from Qurantine and check list of files are still present in the folder. If not verify 8+8 files in folders again.
As per inputs in this forum, I restored the files quarantined and then suppressed McAfee SW for the duration of my upgrade activities on my laptop and was able to successfully extract all the files in the ZIP file to a local folder on the laptop. This ZIP file has adb and fastboot - two key programs useful for rooting your A500 apart from SU or superuser base file used in step 2. The file to run is the BAT file runit-win.bat if you are on windows. At the end of this step your tablet should be rooted. You may check by installing the RootCheck app from Google Playstore.
Step1a: Install a File Manager app from the Google playstore. This will help you extract the CPU ID and convert it with the SBK tool to get the SBK number/string. important steps SBK tool was available in file - SBCalc_v1.1.ZIP available in this forum.
STEP 2b: SUPERUSER and SUPERSU installation
1. Install SuperUser.apk first.. (IMP - Its available in this forum. Its like a base version for superSU to install over. If you do not install SuperUser.apk, then each time you try installing SuperSU, you would get an error message about a SU file being incompatible.)
2. Then install an older version of SuperSU downloaded from the website - filename -> eu.chainfire.supersu_v2.65-265.ZIP . Newer versions will not work. U got to install an older version as new version seems to be a paid SW.
3. Next Open SuperSU app on your tablet and let it update itself a couple of times each time opening and closing the app after the upgrade.
4. Remove SuperUser.apk file as now its no longer needed.
5. Now that you have ROOT access and SuperUSer access
6. Install Titanium Backup. File name in this forum- update-recovery-TWRP-rev2.0-beta4.ZIP . This will help you to flash/upgrade ROM software on your tablet.
Twrp 2.8:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/e7wpny5f39vw3pc/update-recovery-TWRP-rev2.0-beta4.zip/file
Compressed Archive (.ZIP)
File size: 4.91MB
Uploaded: 2018-08-14 21:40:26
https://www.mediafire.com/download/e7wpny5f39vw3pc
STEP 3: Install an Unlocked Bootloader i.e. unlocked bootloader Skrillax v9 - file name in this forum BabSector.rar or A500-Bootloader-Nvflash.ZIP
Once you have reached this step, you now have the basic tools needed for the final ROM upgrade of the tablet.
I did get error message after the reboots that happened after Unlocking the Bootloader. Someting about a LNX partition not being okay or some such msg. Each time I just WIPED the Cache and selected similar options to wipe System, Data, User, Dhelvic cache (spelling incorrect) etc. Since you have not installed the final OS or ROM for your tablet yet, no harm in deleting these partition data. Actually its recommended to wipe, format in f2f formats etc. all of which is possible using the TWRP Recovery software you installed in step 2. Choose Recovery menu option each time the tablet boots or gives errors.... using the volume rocket and power buttons. More info -> Go through this thread and install unlocked bootloader.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1622425
Flashing Bootloader Steps
-------------------------
1. generate your SBK from cpuid
2. put tab in APX by holding reset (small pinhole bottom right side)
and pushing power for 3-4 sec. - then release reset approx 1 sec. later
the screen should be blank and power button should be lit - plug in USB to PC.
2. Run A501 A.bat - when finished reboot tab to recovery (win 7 and under
right click on A501 A.bat and select Run as Administrator)
3. run Recovery(power and volume-) ->WIPE -> "Advanced wipe ->System (only)and swipe to wipe.
4. unplug USB and reboot tab to APX
5. plug in USB afer it is in APX mode -> Run A501 B.bat (win 7 and under
right click on A501 B.bat and select Run as Administrator)
Bootloader unlock tutorial
--------------------------
Step 1: Get your cpuid - https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1624645
Step 2: Convert it into an SBK - https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1810618
Step 3: Download the A500 drivers
- http://www.mediafire.com/file/pde8rojv1t8gnif/USB_Acer_1.00.0524_A30H_A31H_A32H_A500_A501.zip/file
Step 4: Download the files to install the bootloader
- http://www.mediafire.com/file/o7m2ouwo6zuod4d/A500-Bootloader-Nvflash.zip/file
Step 5: Follow the instructions in "how to.txt"
Step 6: Download a rom and flash in twrp
This tutorial is based of
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2450119 thread so big thanks to KaijiKun .
Bootloader unlock files:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/o7m2ouwo6zuod4d/A500-Bootloader-Nvflash.zip/file
STEP 4. Downloaded file omni-4.4.4-20150210-a500-IconiaHD.ZIP as I was not sure version omni 5.1.1 was as stable as Omni4.4.4 reading all the threads in this forum.
First rename the downloaded OMNIROM file as update.zip .
OmniRom 4.4.4
http://www.mediafire.com/file/ghd72j3g618kk9g/OMNIROM-5.1.1-Tegraowners_ROM_v13t2.zip/file
File size: 244.66MB
Uploaded: 2015-04-05 17:40:14
STEP 5: Install another tool adb_fast.ZIP. This tool is also available in this forum.
Note:You need to copy the update.zip file to your computers folder where this tool adb_fast is installed. In mine it was C:\Program files (x86)\Minimal ADB and Fastboot folder. This adb_fast file creates an application shortcut on your computer desktop. Clicking on the short cut launches adb and fast boot programs I mentioned at the beginning.
STEP 6: Copy the file to the SD card (16GB) of your tablet.
Run the adb_fast tool from your desktop shortcut. This will open a Command Prompt type black screen window where you can enter the code as given below. Note you may need to see how your SD card is listed in a file manager in your computer
Code:
adb push update.zip /mnt/sdcard/update.zip --- NOTE: this creates mnt folder on internal storage and I had to then move the file using TWRP recovery tool installed in step 2, to the SD card.
adb push < ------- is the push command.
rom.zip < ------- is the name of the Rom zip file.
/sdcard < ------- is the location your pushing the Rom to.
E.) Reboot tablet with Power+Down Arrow i.e. This will start the Upgrade process for the tablet to OMNIROM 4.4.4
-- Power Button + UP VOLUME pressed... then release Power button after LED lights.
-- System will boot to commmand prompt
STEP 7: Install GAPPS using pico gapps short version and Wipe Data/Factory reset ----------------?>and wipe cache partition?
Reboot after 1st reboot
G.) https://opengapps.org/ to install a minimal version of Google Apps on the tablet.
File name -> pa_gapps-modular-mini-4.4.4-20150410-signed.ZIP
Root tablet again and install SuperSU if you need it
other info.
You can use TWRP to flash the OmniROM on the tablet or you can use the following in worst case senario to do the same.
Code:
fastboot devices
fastboot flash update.zip -- check if syntax is ok from threads in this forum
fastboot reboot-bootloader
copied below from other threads ---->
I find that a large amount of complaints in developer threads are due to people not properly wiping before a flash.
Of course there is times when a 'dirty' flash is fine, but if you're ever not sure, wipe as cleanly as possible.
fastboot allows for about the cleanest of wipes by the way. And each partition can be done separately too.
Code:
fastboot erase system
fastboot erase data
fastboot erase cache
can all be done individually, but to do these all in one command
Code:
fastboot erase system -w
If possible I recommend to do these steps before flashing a ROM, and now that you know you can do this all within fastboot mode i suggest to try it out, its quick and painless!
Don't forget to wipe your kernel too! (fastboot erase boot)
~Important~ If your device uses an emulated SD card (as in no removable micro SD but an SD partition on phone)
Then be careful wiping data/userdata as this will erase all contents of internal SD - you are forewarned!
ADB= Android Debugging Bridge (ADB)
[TOOL]Minimal ADB and Fastboot [2-9-18]
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2317790&page=12
First a short explanation:
Fastboot, like ADB, is a tool to communicate from PC to Android phone. There are times when it is a must to use, and times when it is just helpful.
ADB is used within your recovery or within your OS, but when you are in bootloader mode and need to communicate with your phone then you need fastboot.
And you may ask why would i ever need this?
Well many reasons. Main one is knowledge, learning the ins and outs of fastboot, like learning ADB, can get you out of many jams.
And if you want to unlock your bootloader this is done through fastboot. Granted HTC's unlock is... well crap, but for a Nexus this is how its done.
One other reason I have to stress is learning for safety reasons, This is about the safest way possible to flash firmware to your phone (ie Radio, Hboot, Recovery)
Lastly you may want to know the limitations,
There are many of course, this isnt JTAG, it will not resurrect a hard brick, but it often save peoples phones from 'soft bricks' and lots of time when know how and when to use it.
Think of fastboot as the program that takes over when ADB cant be used, it works with firmware more than software.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1624645&page=3
GUIDES
---------------
Civs Guide to flashing the bootloader http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1622425
Walkthrough using APXFLASH tool at Step 6 http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1624645&page=2
From Civato's OP of The Guide: nvFlashToolPackages
Skrilax_CZ bootloader thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1619913 and should be "required reading" for anyone mucking about in their tabs internals!!!!
Rollback to HC
jazzyjames guide http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1516012
Iconia Root http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1138228 /gingerbreak: For returning to Honeycomb
----------------
To get my CPUID, I have followed the steps below:
Open yr file explorer, esfile explorer is a great one....navigate to:
/sys/firmware/fuse/acer_cpuid - add a zero to the front!
To get CPUID get a Root browser of some sort and go to sys/firmware/fuse/acer_cpu_id
convert my CPUID into SBK?
--------------------------
https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1055354&page=6
What Does Root Give Me?
1. Full control over your system
2. Ability to alter system files. You can replace many parts of the "Android Core" with this including:
o Themes
o Core apps (maps, calendar, clock etc)
o Recovery image
o Bootloader
o Toolbox (linux binary that lets you execute simple linux commands like "ls") can be replaced with Busybox (slightly better option)
o Boot images
o Add linux binaries
3. Run special apps that need more control over the system
o SuperUser (lets you approve or deny the use of root access to any program)
o Task Manager For Root (Lets you kill apps that you otherwise could not kill)
Tether apps (like the one found at [android-wifi-tether.googlecode.com])
4. Backup your system
o You can make a folder on your SDCARD and backup all of your .APK files to your SDCARD (helps if an author decides to "upgrade" you to a version that requires you to pay to use the version you just had)
5. Relocate your (browser/maps/market) cache to your /sdcard
6. Relocate your installed applications to your /sdcard
7. Reboot your phone from the terminal app easily (su <enter> reboot <enter>)
Turn the rotation lock off.
-------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY - Regardless of version, rooting is the same... next
** Unlock the bootloader.
** Fastboot flash a Custom Recovery (TWRP).
** Download to the Tablet, Chainfire's SuperSU root updater .zip
** Boot into the previously fastboot flashed Custom Recovery, and flash the SuperSU updater .zip.
** Reboot - you're rooted.
-------------------------------------------------------
PS. I tried to maintain a log in Notepad during my upgrade. Unfortunately did not write detailed instructions and link to required files. Above is a summary of what worked for me.

Can not root
sukasis said:
First my thanks to the forum key members for providing answers to queries and to all the key contributors of SW/ROMS in this forum. I followed the procedures from this forum to Flash / upgrade my Acer Iconia A500 on 4.0.3 ICS that was sitting in a trunk for the last few years. Summary of steps I tried out.
STEP 1: Install the Acer device drivers listed in the links in this forum on your Laptop/Computer even if by default your Windows 10 OS (assuming you are on Win10 like me) is able to recognize the A500 connected to the USB port.
USB_Acer_1.00.0524_A30HA31HA32H_A.ZIP
STEP 2: ROOTING the Acer A500.
1. The tablet should be already upgraded to stock ICS for A50x (or stock ICS A10x/A510 for other tablets).
2. On a tablet: "Settings" -> "Applications" -> "Development" -> "USB debugging" switch ON. If you do not see this menu, then click 7 times of the Android Build No. listed under settings and come back to the menu above to enable USB Debugging.
3. Connect the tablet to the computer (Before connection it is recommended to update the driver for a tablet from here: A10x, A50x, A510).
4. Since most of the discussions regarding flashing A500 were from 2011, the earlier Gingerbreak method for rooting did not work.
I downloaded the following file from this forum to root my tablet.
ICS_rooting_A10x_A5xx.zip
5. Open the directory with the unpacked archive. Execute file: for windows - runit-win.bat; for Linux - runit-linux.sh.
The root is received!
Note: The McAfee Antivirus software started tagging a file 'mempodroid' within this ZIP file Tools folder as a virus or malicious file. This rooting method uses the 'mempodroid' exploit which is detected as a VIRUS by McAfee and Qurantined. So restore from Qurantine and check list of files are still present in the folder. If not verify 8+8 files in folders again.
As per inputs in this forum, I restored the files quarantined and then suppressed McAfee SW for the duration of my upgrade activities on my laptop and was able to successfully extract all the files in the ZIP file to a local folder on the laptop. This ZIP file has adb and fastboot - two key programs useful for rooting your A500 apart from SU or superuser base file used in step 2. The file to run is the BAT file runit-win.bat if you are on windows. At the end of this step your tablet should be rooted. You may check by installing the RootCheck app from Google Playstore.
......
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi sukasis, i was unable to root the tablet. I download all and run the runit.win.bat (trying normal, as admin, and open a cmd as admin and then navigate to the bat to execute).
- It say device connected
- Then push 7 files correctly
- Executing of the main script. (it freeze here a lot of time)
Then error: protocol fault (no status)
The file "su" isn't created
Not getting root!
I try in USB 3.0 and 2.0 same error.
I have windows 10.
I uncheck the Debugging mode and it's bring another error, so i believe the connection is good because in debug mode can push files.
I don't know whate else i can do.