Database Users

[Q] Looking for help with root after update to 1.4.1

I am far from an expert with this stuff, but since I can read and follow basic instructions, I was able to root the Nook Color (from stock 1.3) that I got several months ago. But, now I had the 1.4.1 update pushed through and root is been broken.
The thing is that I am happy with everything that is there, and I don't feel like I need to get the market back because all of the apps I have loaded before work, I just can't get to them. The "home screen" (sorry if that isn't the right word) I had been using only loads when I start up, and now when I press "n" it takes me back to the B&N stock home screen. Is there a way I can change this so I can make it go back to the screen I had been using with root, instead of having to restart everytime I want to get to it? Or, will I have to go through the trouble of re-rooting and reloading all of my apps?
I hope my question makes sense and I thank you for taking the time with someone who is not an expert on this stuff...

I've posted a howto with everything I know about rooting 1.4.1. The community here at XDA is fantastic, and they've made doing this much easier.
The key to happy rooting is to disable automatic OTA updates. There are instructions for doing this in the howto. Don't update until you're sure root and 3rd party apps are available.
If you're really happy with it the way it is, and just want a way to get to the Android launcher, you can install Button Savior, Virtual Button Bar or something equivalent to give you the Android buttons on-screen along one edge, including a Home key. Be sure to set the Android launcher you use as your default home.
Alternately, you could use Folder Organizer and put a shortcut to your launcher in the Notifications group and turn on that feature.
Of course, now you need to figure out HOW to load one of these! Sideloading should work.

[Q] Want to move or "eliminate" the home icons

My biggest actual usability issue with Nexus 7 is the home icons. It's too easy to swipe them during game play, especially annoying when you are trying to keep the kids busy. I'd like a mod with 2 options:
1. Drag it to the top (or the side?)
2. Even better, Make it go away until the table is "sleeped" and restarted.
Is there an simple option/rom that does these 2 simple things without tons of stuff I don't care about (that affect updates, etc)? If not, which mods do you recommend and feel good about that can at least do this?
Thanks

I'm not understanding what you're asking. How can you swipe away home screen icons when you are playing a game that takes up the whole screen? Using an alternate launcher from the market, like Apex launcher, will allow you to lock the desktop so that no changes can be made until you unlock it again.

When I play a full screen game I don't want to have any OS home/etc icons that can be swiped accidently. I just want to have to exit through a menu, or sleep the device (tap the power button) and wake it up again so the icons return (since not all games have an exit feature). Locking my home screen or desktop does me no good when I am in a game. I'll give apex a try, but it looks to me like it doesn't do what I want. I'm satisfied with the stock environment except for the one issue I describe. How many times have you accidently left a game?

easily_confused said:
When I play a full screen game I don't want to have any OS home/etc icons that can be swiped accidently. I just want to have to exit through a menu, or sleep the device (tap the power button) and wake it up again so the icons return (since not all games have an exit feature). Locking my home screen or desktop does me no good when I am in a game. I'll give apex a try, but it looks to me like it doesn't do what I want. I'm satisfied with the stock environment except for the one issue I describe. How many times have you accidently left a game?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would say the best way to do what you're trying to do is to flash Paranoid Android or another ROM that offers what is called "expanded desktop mode".
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1800268
Basically "expanded desktop mode" is exactly what you are asking for. When you briefly hold down the power button in Paranoid Android (and this works in any app) a menu pops up that allows you to select "expanded desktop mode" which makes the navigation bar disappear. The navigation bar will reappear when you briefly hold down the power button again and select "expanded desktop mode again".
This feature may be part of other ROMs based on cyanogenmod but I'm not 100% sure. Maybe another member with more knowledge can weigh in on this.
Sent from my Paranoid Nexus 7

I used paranoid android on my htc sensation. It is a cool Rom with a lot of features!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

Extended Desktop Mode will certainly do the job. But, I don't really want a major desktop redo (I know, that attitude isn't in the spirit of the great things the developers do here). Is there anyway to just install an extended desktop app?
It doesn't even need to be an extended desktop (the screen space isn't a big issue), Just a disabled home bar would do the trick.
Anyway to make a rom with just that feature? (I have some programming skills) Not sure where to start though. Just trying for a minimalist solution.
Thanks for helping. It's really appreciated. I learn a little more every day about what is happening here.

[Q] How to fix anoyances with Note 3/Touchwiz

I'm have slight buyers remorse, but I have a few more days till I can't return it for a full refund. I hoping to find out if any of the issue I have with the Note 3 or more accurately touchwiz will be able to be solved. I'm coming from a history of running customs ROMS on my galaxy S1 and galaxy S2, most of the time cyaogenmod. Lucky I find touchwiz has improved but here are my over all gripes:
Can't change the vibration pattern for notifications, most importantly text messages and emails. You can create customs patterns but they are only for calls. This is my biggest problem right now. And the fact that clearing a message from the notification bar doesn't mark it as read is annoying.
I would love on screen buttons, with this much screen restate it's a great phone for on screen buttons, I also find getting low enough to press the capacitive buttons with my thumb and still holding the phone a bit difficult and I think I would have no trouble if there was on screen buttons. - SoftKey Enabler, requires root- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fatedevgroup.softkeyenabler&feature=search_result
Home buttons wakes the phone - Fixable by mod or wanam http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2477150
Double home press open magazine - Settings in Magazine, gesture disable can be done by freezing magazine in titanium
Replace S Voice with google voice. - Freeze with titanium then use double tap to get to google voice
Remove all toggles from notification area, have all the toggles in the toggle pane
Remove the persitant icons from the task bar (blocking mode, smart stay, NFC)
All logs in phone log - fixable with app - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.samsung.log.converter.ics
I really got used and liked the pop up/quick message window option that cyaogenmod had. I would like that along with the removal of chat bubbles.
I also liked black/Holo design, I sure this can and will come some how. Also we'll see how kitkat ends up looking...
How likely is it that my gripes with touchwiz can be fixed, yet still stay on touchwiz framework due to not wanting to lose functionality? I am aware it will require root and most likely a custom ROM, but if I was able to start out with just some modifications to stock rom, that might be a good start. I might find out but 1-4 are my biggest complaints. I love the note 3's hardware, but I'm hoping the roms/touchwiz won't push me toward the nexus 5....
One additional question, all these model numbers are confusing as hell. I have the N900W8, will that hinder my ability to use custom roms? Is it an equivalent to another model number? (X-Note is the only roms I've seen so far the explicitly says its compatible with the 900W8)
Answer:
odeccacccp said:
Since Canadian users can flash T-Mobile and N9005 ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2497263
All suggestions welcome.
Edited with solutions in blue. I haven't tried them yet

If you open Magazine and hit menu, then choose Settings, you can turn the double home press off from in there.
The swipe from the bottom gesture can't be disabled short of doing something like freezing Magazine with Titanium Backup.

bnevets27 said:
I'm have slight buyers remorse, but I have a few more days till I can't return it for a full refund. I hoping to find out if any of the issue I have with the Note 3 or more accurately touchwiz will be able to be solved. I'm coming from a history of running customs ROMS on my galaxy S1 and galaxy S2, most of the time cyaogenmod. Lucky I find touchwiz has improved but here are my over all gripes:
I would love on screen buttons, with this much screen restate it's a great phone for on screen buttons, I also find getting low enough to press the capacitive buttons with my thumb and still holding the phone a bit difficult and I think I would have no trouble if there was on screen buttons
Can't change the vibration pattern for notifications, most importantly text messages and emails. You can create customs patterns but they are only for calls.
Home buttons wakes the phone - I did read somewhere this was able to be disabled
Double home press open magazine
Replace S Voice with google voice.
Remove all toggles from notification area, have all the toggles in the toggle pane
Remove the persitant icons from the task bar (blocking mode, smart stay, NFC)
All logs in phone log - fixable with app, easiest one yet.
How likely is it that my gripes with touchwiz can be fixed, yet still stay on touchwiz framework due to not wanting to lose functionality? I am aware it will require root and most likely a custom ROM, but if I was able to start out with just some modifications to stock rom, that might be a good start. I might find out but 1-4 are my biggest complaints. I love the note 3's hardware, but I'm hoping the roms/touchwiz won't push me toward the nexus 5....
One additional question, all these model numbers are confusing as hell. I have the N900W8, will that hinder my ability to use custom roms? Is it an equivalent to another model number? (X-Note is the only roms I've seen so far the explicitly says its compatible with the 900W8)
All suggestions welcome.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
would love to know the solutions to this list as well!

wilflare said:
would love to know the solutions to this list as well!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A fwlew of these things are easily fixed with xposed wanam module. You need to be rooted though. As for Google voice, freeze svoice (maybe you can just clear defaults, but I froze it) then when you double tap home, you'll be given options in what you want that to do.

bnevets27 said:
I would love on screen buttons, with this much screen restate it's a great phone for on screen buttons, I also find getting low enough to press the capacitive buttons with my thumb and still holding the phone a bit difficult and I think I would have no trouble if there was on screen buttons
Remove all toggles from notification area, have all the toggles in the toggle pane
All logs in phone log - fixable with app, easiest one yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
looking how to change these. hmm

One hand use

Hi!
I'd like to know if anybody actually uses Samsung's features in order to help using the phone with one hand?
I myself make only use of the (not convincingly thought through) gesture which allows me to shrink the screen.
The assistant menu:
quite customisable, but much too big and slow for my taste.
Side key panel:
the other way round, quite comfortable to use, but nearly no customisation at all.
All in all I'd say lots of options, but not really thought through. What do you think?

Like you, I find the side key panel quite useful- eliminates the thumb stretching for the "back" button.
One handed input is also turned on & is mildly helpful for the dialer. Seemed to help a bit with continuous input on the keyboard as well, but ended up switching back to the stock Google keyboard I've grown so accustomed to.
Long pressing the recents key to bring up menus is also nice, though not specific to the Note 4.

Sometimes I use the shrink screen function that's when I'm to lazy to move my other hand haha
Sent from my SM-N910F using XDA Free mobile app

It's not just laziness. Sometimes you really need to do other things with your other hand (old school multi-tasking).

Holmegaard said:
Like you, I find the side key panel quite useful- eliminates the thumb stretching for the "back" button.
One handed input is also turned on & is mildly helpful for the dialer. Seemed to help a bit with continuous input on the keyboard as well, but ended up switching back to the stock Google keyboard I've grown so accustomed to.
Long pressing the recents key to bring up menus is also nice, though not specific to the Note 4.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with everything you said. Still: I'm not too convinced from what the side key panel offers. If you could customise the side key panel the same way as the assistant menu, I'd totally go for it.

macmobile said:
I agree with everything you said. Still: I'm not too convinced from what the side key panel offers. If you could customise the side key panel the same way as the assistant menu, I'd totally go for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I seem to remember that there should be an app that mimics the one you can find in Ios. Anyway, there are several very good apps I use for 'one handed mode':
- button savior non root (you can find in in the google play store) which gives you back, home, recent, screen lock and lets you start both the dialer and the camera;
- lmt launcher (see at xda) which works very well if you are rooted and lacks some little features if you are not. You just have to remove tue superuser permission from the manifest file (which you can do with apk permission remover) and turn on accessibility and it'll work almost as a charm. I mean, it does not only allow you to mimic the hardware keys, it can start any app and any activity which does not require root. If you are rooted, it can do virtually anything;
- as a good replacement of lmt launcher, you can test pie control by Coolace (always in the google play store).
I mostly keep the note 4 in my left hand (though I am right handed) just because my 2 years experience with the note 2 has got me accustomed to writing with my right hand, while keeping the smartphone with the left one... so that I currently feel uncomfortable while holding the note with my dominant hand So, I feel the need to have virtual keys on the right side, since reaching the back button on the right side is not so easy (though my hands are normally sized) and the above mentioned apps are the most useful I have found.

Funny, you actually named some very important apps I already use on my phone except for the lmt launcher. Could be that I thought there isn't anything to gain from if you're not rooted. Going to give it a try though. Thank you! Still I don't get it, why Samsung's Touchwiz doesn't offer better solutions? They could do it so easily.

No doubt macmobile, some customization options would be nice. The big phone trend isn't going away, so I'm hoping that more options for easing one-handed use are in the pipeline. Samsung would do well to lead the way, given their investment in the "phablet" space.

macmobile said:
Funny, you actually named some very important apps I already use on my phone except for the lmt launcher. Could be that I thought there isn't anything to gain from if you're not rooted. Going to give it a try though. Thank you! Still I don't get it, why Samsung's Touchwiz doesn't offer better solutions? They could do it so easily.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I rooted every single phone or tablet before buying a Note 4 and now, though I miss the fun of flashing rom and mods, I think this phone has too many sensors which wouldn't be supported by an AOSP rom, while custom touchwiz roms aren't worth for me to give up to knox. Not much for the warranty loss, but more for the loss of the knox enviroment itself. So, since I don't want to root, I have got to look for work-arounds and I think there are many good apps.
Back on topic, imho Samsung has so far designed the best implementation for one hand usage, though it could be better. If you look at the nexus 6, it's just a big phone and the Iphone itself is just a (good) 5.5" phone which doesn't pay particular attention to single hand usage.
I agree with you both that phablets are very likely here to stay and that the current UI for single hand usage is at very early stage.

I just received the Note 4 with lollipop pre installed.
The one-handed operation (that I was using woth my note 3) has disappeared from settings!!!!!
WHY????
how to get it back?

Settings/Display and Wallpaper/One-handed operation

Samsung screwed one thing about One handed operation: there is no separate setting for dialing keyboard and QWERTY keyboard, just like it was on my previous Note II.
I wish I could set smaller dialpad, but retain full QWERTY, which is not the option any more.
When set one handed operation ON, samsung keyboard is just too small to me.

Disable S-Pen "Screenshot tool"

Hi everyone. I have 4.4.4 (kitkat) on my old Note 3. I like using the application "Squid" to take notes and sign PDF forms. Since downgrading to kitkat, (I call it an upgrade) I can no longer use the side button of the S-Pen as an eraser tool, like I did in marshmallow.
Instead, I get this screenshot type thing that comes up, after a crop type swipe thing, I really don't even know what it's called, I can't seem to find it on the list in Titanium Backup either. I really would like to totally uninstall this feature. It interferes with use of my S-Pen.
I tried all the settings in the world and, yes, looked it up on Google with no glimpse of hope. I think it may be called Smart Select, or Image Clip? I'm really not even sure.
Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

mpelley92 said:
Hi everyone. I have 4.4.4 (kitkat) on my old Note 3. I like using the application "Squid" to take notes and sign PDF forms. Since downgrading to kitkat, (I call it an upgrade) I can no longer use the side button of the S-Pen as an eraser tool, like I did in marshmallow.
Instead, I get this screenshot type thing that comes up, after a crop type swipe thing, I really don't even know what it's called, I can't seem to find it on the list in Titanium Backup either. I really would like to totally uninstall this feature. It interferes with use of my S-Pen.
I tried all the settings in the world and, yes, looked it up on Google with no glimpse of hope. I think it may be called Smart Select, or Image Clip? I'm really not even sure.
Does anyone know what I'm talking about?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I imagine the ROM you had previously (marshmallow) was not Touchwiz based, correct? (Resurrection Remix, Lineage, etc...)
To disable the pop up you get upon pushing the button, I'd search in the options menu and look for "Air Command" in Advanced Features somewhere, may be even listed under "S Pen"

ShaDisNX255 said:
I imagine the ROM you had previously (marshmallow) was not Touchwiz based, correct? (Resurrection Remix, Lineage, etc...)
To disable the pop up you get upon pushing the button, I'd search in the options menu and look for "Air Command" in Advanced Features somewhere, may be even listed under "S Pen"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not it. I don't mind Air Command, as it does not interfere with any other app. This selection screenshot tool, the one you get when you hold the side button and move it around, is the one I want to get rid of. I never had it on MM, so it must only be a KK thing.