Database Users

[Q] Differences between the Nooters & more questions

Good Morning!
I'm getting the Nook Simple Touch by the next week and I'm preparing for the big arrive. I'm trying to find the differences between the various forms of rooting but I couldn't find it.
Also, does any of these have the ability of changing the shutdown image right out-of-the-box, as described in here?
Thank you

The Newest and fastest nooter is TorimuNooter. TorimuNooter newest update kills the infamous "battry drain" dilemma.

mods please remove this post.

Help?
Which is the newest and fastest? I heard that torimunooter saves your battery better than touchnooter, minimaltouch, or salchianooter is that true?

TorimuNooter
Use TorimuNooter

hitman484 said:
Which is the newest and fastest? I heard that torimunooter saves your battery better than touchnooter, minimaltouch, or salchianooter is that true?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It underclocks the CPU so it uses less power, but with how much I use my Nook and the type of stuff I do, I don't really notice it. Or maybe it'd be going do 50% instead of 30%. I'll have to run some actual tests on my Nook.
Torimu.Joji said:
Use TorimuNooter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Saying yes if fine, but you're kind of advertising at this point. :/

nunocasteleira said:
Good Morning!
I'm getting the Nook Simple Touch by the next week and I'm preparing for the big arrive. I'm trying to find the differences between the various forms of rooting but I couldn't find it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are some, keep reading.
nunocasteleira said:
Also, does any of these have the ability of changing the shutdown image right out-of-the-box, as described in here?
Thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, no one has added that functionality yet, suggest it to Tori, maybe he will, if people are interested ^^.
I don’t want to sound harsh or anything.
I'd personally recommend, at this time, using two methods:
Touchnooter and Minimal Touch.
Why?
Well ToriNooter, is Salchichanooter with different apps, a repack, it actually doesn’t bring anything new to the rooting method, or helps to resolve the problems that the process had, it issues other problems, yes, with apps, but not the rooting process.
Market search doesn’t work in market, it works using another app, and of course, there is the thing of modifying the system files while the system is running, which may lead to the corruption of some databases and making the market not usable (sometimes, as what happens with all the Nooters, not with the MinimalTouch).
The TouchNooter just installs the base system files for Gapps to work, Root, and a launcher, but on the latest version it is trying to address the issues of market not searching (changing the Vending.apk) and the Market not working (the 1 day waiting), and of course is the original automated method, but still, for me, has the problem of modifying system files while the system is loaded.
MinimalTouch, has different versions and packs you can use, all with different functionalities, read my post: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1346748
But for me, the real change on this method is that it modifies system files without the system running, so databases won’t become corrupt when changing critical files, Market search works as intended, and Market works 100% of time and for 100% of the people.
It addresses all the original issues on the latest Nooters, the problem, is that it is a bit more complex to install, instead of burning and inserting just the SD, you must burn CWM on the SDcard then copy two zip files, flash one, reboot, flash another, not hard, but still, a few steps extra.
If you have problems with any other of the Nooters, you should try this method (MinimalTouch) ^^.
This is just my opinion, what you use is up to you, after saying all this, dont get me wrong, ToriNooter is also a valid option which has nice and usefull apps

TorimuNooter cause of the battery efficiency
EDIT : nvm this. i just got my nook and was trying to root it and so had no idea what i was doing. So i first tried installing the new touchnooter 2.xx and i think it was broken?(or since i was a newbie didnt know how to fix it).So i was watching this one guy root his nook and after i rooted mine it looked nothing like it. i had no android home screen but it showed the button saviour app which didnt work. Then i tried Tomirunooter and everything went well. But now since i understand more about rooting, how it works and a little android debugging. I would now prefer the new Touchnooter but i am too lazy to go over the whole process again(the wole weekend i was workin on rooting my nook). Besides Tomirunooter is just a repack of the apps available and wasnt a very good repack either(no offence). Some of the apps were broken(aldiko) and i had many apps i never wanted. The sad thing was it was read only so i coudnt uninstall them and didnt know about ES file explorer either.
TL;DR : Changed opinion. go for touchnooter instead. install ALL THE APPS after

Wiltuz said:
TorimuNooter cause of the battery efficiency
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean? Are you saying that TorimuNooter is Causing the battery problems?

Anyways each version has it's advantages and disadvantages:
MinimalNooter - If you're willing to use CWM Minimal Nooter is available and is easily one of the most customizable of all the Nooters with different packages ranging from the most basic of roots "Minimal" to a full root package with Gapps XorZone's Mods etc.
Advantages
Clear Instructions, lots of information, can be a little confusing/overwhelming.
More Customizable with multiple packages
Lowest chance of FS corruption due to CWM use
No One Day Market Wait
No extra Apps to fix Market Search
Disadvantages
More steps to get to root through using CWM (Not just pop it in wait and done)
TouchNooter - TouchNooter was the original Nooter for Nook Simple Touch using the original Methods used on it's sibling the Nook Color. It installs a few mods and the basics to make it as customizable as a person needs you can drop apps in or remove them without having any real technical know how.
Advantages
Customizable with most extra apps in /data/app
Lower chance of FS corruption due to new TouchNooter methods
No extra Apps to fix Market Search
Clear Instructions that go step by step through each requirement
Disadvantages
One Day Wait to get Market Working
eded333 said:
The TouchNooter just installs the base system files for Gapps to work, Root, and a launcher, but on the latest version it is trying to address the issues of market not searching (changing the Vending.apk) and the Market not working (the 1 day waiting), and of course is the original automated method, but still, for me, has the problem of modifying system files while the system is loaded.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The newer versions of TouchNooter don't actually run while the filesystem is loaded, they run before the system is up and kills the system before it's fully loaded. I'll update to CWM here in the near future, I just haven't had the time with school and other things going on in the real world.
TorimuNooter - TorimuNooter isn't the fastest just the newest it conveniently wraps up a CPU App to underclock a device while from the looks of it tossing all the apps it includes with it into /system making it easily the least customizable of the Nooters.
Advantages
Underclocks CPU
Disadvantages
Disorganized unclear instructions in first post
More Apps included with device means more bloat - Installed to /data means less space for apps or books in the long run without uninstall bloat first
Broken Search forcing use of another app to fix it
Unzipped Files for longer download times
Torimu.Joji said:
The Newest and fastest nooter is TorimuNooter. TorimuNooter newest update kills the infamous "battry drain" dilemma.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
TorimuNooter isn't anymore efficient battery wise than TouchNooter or MinimalNooter. It just uses an app to underclock the CPU. This method has been noted here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=20069231&postcount=4 as a way to save battery and it's been noted on multiple devices long before the existence of TorimuNooter. The fact that it contains more apps which will run and no way to uninstall apps that a user may not want installed on their devices makes it less efficient.
There are numerous apps which can all be obtained freely and legally that will all underclock the NST if you take the time to install them and properly configure them:
SetCPU - Free to all XDA Users though $2.99 through market.
AnTuTu CPU Master (Free) - Available Free through the market included in TorimuNooter

That is not true. In the newest version, I moved the apks to /nooter/data/app/, thus making them deletable. I have removed Orweb AND Orbot. And it is more battery efficient! The reason it is more efficient is because of CpuMasterFree!

Torimu.Joji said:
That is not true. In the newest version, I moved the apks to /nooter/data/app/, thus making them deletable. I have removed Orweb AND Orbot. And it is more battery efficient! The reason it is more efficient is because of CpuMasterFree!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's been updated now.
At the time of the writing of that post your original post was still showing Orbweb and Orbot as part of the installed apps. There were still multiple complaints in some of the latest posts about being unable to uninstall apps. You were still using SalsichaNooter as a base for work.
Also CPU Master Free doesn't make it more battery efficient if you counter act it with bloat. It most definitely doesn't make it 75% more efficient than all other roots.

GabrialDestruir said:
Anyways each version has it's advantages and disadvantages:
TorimuNooter - TorimuNooter isn't the fastest just the newest it conveniently wraps up a CPU App to underclock a device while from the looks of it tossing all the apps it includes with it into /system making it easily the least customizable of the Nooters.
Advantages
Underclocks CPU
Disadvantages
Disorganized unclear instructions in first post
More Apps included with device means more bloat - Installed to /data means less space for apps or books in the long run without uninstall bloat first
Broken Search forcing use of another app to fix it.
TorimuNooter isn't anymore efficient battery wise than TouchNooter or MinimalNooter. It just uses an app to underclock the CPU. This method has been noted here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=20069231&postcount=4 as a way to save battery and it's been noted on multiple devices long before the existence of TorimuNooter. The fact that it contains more apps which will run and no way to uninstall apps that a user may not want installed on their devices makes it less efficient.
There are numerous apps which can all be obtained freely and legally that will all underclock the NST if you take the time to install them and properly configure them:
SetCPU - Free to all XDA Users though $2.99 through market.
AnTuTu CPU Master (Free) - Available Free through the market included in TorimuNooter
MinimalNooter - If you're willing to use CWM Minimal Nooter is available and is easily one of the most customizable of all the Nooters with different packages ranging from the most basic of roots "Minimal" to a full root package with Gapps XorZone's Mods etc.
Advantages
Clear Instructions, lots of information, can be a little confusing/overwhelming.
More Customizable with multiple packages
Lowest chance of FS corruption due to CWM use
No One Day Market Wait
No extra Apps to fix Market Search
Disadvantages
More steps to get to root through using CWM (Not just pop it in wait and done)
TouchNooter - TouchNooter was the original Nooter for Nook Simple Touch using the original Methods used on it's sibling the Nook Color. It installs a few mods and the basics to make it as customizable as a person needs you can drop apps in or remove them without having any real technical know how.
Advantages
Customizable with most extra apps in /data/app
Lower chance of FS corruption due to new TouchNooter methods
No extra Apps to fix Market Search
Clear Instructions that go step by step through each requirement
Disadvantages
One Day Wait to get Market Working
The newer versions of TouchNooter don't actually run while the filesystem is loaded, they run before the system is up and kills the system before it's fully loaded. I'll update to CWM here in the near future, I just haven't had the time with school and other things going on in the real world.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent explanation, thanks ^^

I'm a newb to all this, but I didn't and don't want some big package dumped on my Nook.
I just booted an SD with a bootable image (I forget which, the "Rooted Forever" one) and stuck a new uRamdisk in. I ADB installed Button Savior, ADW Launcher, Opera Mobile and K9 email. That's about all I need.

[ROM] MIUI 2.3.30 (GB 2.3.7) English ROM + TWRP Recovery for Google Nexus One

Please Read Everything Carefully as some info is crucial to getting your old phone functioning well!
Update:::: August 16, 2015 ::::::::::
STAGEFRIGHT BUG:
This bug has been blown way out of proportion and it is not something anyone should be extremely worried about. There are no patches for gingerbread as of yet, and I cannot patch it since I do not have the CM source. However, you can copy from /system/build.prop and open the file in Notepad++ and then search for "stage" and change the "true" to "false" -without quotes. While this is not a fix, it will still offer some protection. Do not download apk files from places you do not trust and you should be ok. For now you can also do the following :
1) In MMS App, Turn off Auto-Retrieve. If your Carrier converts your voice mails to text, you will no longer be getting those. The app will then provide a download button for you to download the message instead. You can simply call your voice mail and listen to the message and download it if you think its important.
2) Remove the stock browser - do not use it to sign into anything.
3) Use Firefox as your default browser. It will be slower but safer. Type about:config > Search for Stagefright > Set stagefright.disabled to True
4) FIREWALL : Use AFWall+ to block Apps making unneeded connections to places you don't trust. It starts in Whitelist mode. Change it Blacklist mode. Be careful, and understand how to use this. LINK https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=dev.ukanth.ufirewall&hl=en
6) In an effort to save RAM and unnecessary background Operation, I have included ForceStop Prevent Running. Do not update this past version 0.15. Updates after this do not work well on Gingerbread. Preventing Google Play Store is ok, Play Services is optional (You will lose all sync except Contacts and Calendar but no unnecessary background syncing.[/I]
7) GApps package now Included. It is Stock Gingerbread Gapps with Google Play Store updated to version 5.1.11. Please note that the latest Google Play Store works Fine but it is slower. If you want to block it from Updating, BEFORE connecting to Wifi, IF the APK is called com.android.vending.apk THEN create a new directory in /data/app called com.android.vending-1.apk, so it is always 1 number higher than what is installed. Also, if you do Update, MOVE the update to System parition or you will have 2 copies of it. Then delete its Dalvik cache and reboot
Update :::: June 18, 2015 ::::::::::::::New Goody : Added Modded K9-Email for Gingerbread to list of Software - It is open source, and a good way to check "Hotmail/Outlook" using Imap. Imap functions in Outlook are limited but the program works. I have removed the Ugly K9 dog Icon and replaced it with a real Email icon to make it look more appealing
Updated ::: June 12, 2015 ::::::::::::: New Goody : Attached Adaway for Gingerbread - Disclaimer: I support ads in some apps that do so reasonably, but some apps are out of control with Permissions and blowing up your screen with constant Ads, this behavior is unacceptable so I have included AdAway here. It is the user's Right and choice to do as they please on a carrier/contract free ROM, however it is not my responsibility what you may do with this ROM. This ROM still contains most of the original components of the Original ROM and I may remove outdated functions or add new functions in the future
This is MIUI 2.3.30 Gingerbread version 2.3.7 U.S. English Rom
I have now added various changes to this ROM. No more Security Certificate issues. No more Email / IMAP issues -K9 Mail, Exchange and Google accounts should sync without issues now
Xposed For Gingerbread + Prevent Running + Security Fixes are now attached below for convenience
Partitioning your SDCard is absolutely recommended or you will not have enough Internal Space to have Google Apps - Internal Space should only store Dalvik Cache - Please see details
1) 30 Step Headset Volume Configuration - works great with Volume Limiter
2) Security Certificates updated. Bad and Outdated ones Removed. see GuardianProject. This ROM is more secure. I also highly recommend using Firefox and OperaMini. I have also attached CACERTS.BKS - Remove the .TXT Extension - Already included in the ROM but can be used in other Gingerbread devices!
3) Nexus Pie boot animation
4) Misc changes - Gps locks fast when using GPS apps like Mapfactor Navigator, CPU Sleep works during trackball wake/notify feature, country codes in dialer corrected, Correct APN and Carrier name will show.
Recommended Software
I recommend you download this: Volume Limiter by Captain Neoguri - March 26, 2014
Caution: Nexus One hardware has a bug where upon using this app when adjusting volume outputs in max volume which can be dangerous for your ears, Please do not wear your headset when doing volume adjustments. I recommend a volume of upto 16 in this app for headset max volume.
Recommended : Xposed Framework for Gingerbread :::::: Download Below
Once you install it, Update it, and Install the Following :
1) Fake ID Fix
2) Master Key Multi Fix
3) MasterKeyFix GB
These are all Security Patches for Gingerbread. I have taken the Courtesy to attach them in this thread.
I recommend Google Play Store no later than 5.1.11 as the latest versions seem to have some kind of DPI related bug and will Force close constantly. Google Play Services can however be updated to 7.5.73-034 - I have tested it and it is working perfectly fine
Launcher : I am now recommending Holo Launcher from the Playstore. It saves RAM and it is much more Functional than the Stock launcher. When I have time, I will entirely remove the Stock Launcher and put Holo Launcher in the ROM or until I get permission from its author
Call Blocking Call blocking feature is built into the ROM, however it is like most call blockers which simply hide the blocked call but it still goes through. A solution to this is to use this app. Root Call Blocker : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fahrbot.apps.rootcallblocker.beta&hl=en
It will take about 5 minutes to set up and will allow you to kill a call after 1 ring and it will not go into your voice mail. So the Spam caller will have no idea whether its a dead number or to even bother calling back. Usually "Dead Rings" make the automated telemarketing calls stop because the computer dialer that is making the call keeps getting dead air and it keeps showing in their call logs. So it becomes their problem, you will simply never see the call coming until 1 day you decide to go in your blocker's call log. So if you have a pesky caller, use this app.
Radio / Baseband Software
http://wiki.cyanogenmod.org/w/Passion_Info
If your 3G does not work, Please check your 3G Network's supported Frequency with your Nexus One 3G Supported Frequency. There were 2 models of this phone released in Canada. This is not due to MIUI and downloading any Radio software will NOT fix this because it is by design.
You need version 5.08.00.04 if you are not using a Korean Nexus One. Download it, then Extract the Radio.img file from the zip.
1) You need to have ADB Fastboot and ADB Enabled on your phone. You can download a small ADB Version here.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2588979
There are also other places to get ADB, But just know there is no need to download Gigantic SDK Kit from Google. You only need the basic ADB with Fastboot.
2) Press Volume Down, Then Press Power and Start your phone in Bootloader Mode. Then select Fastboot. Make sure your phone is now in Fastboot mode, it should say it at the top of all the choices.
3) Go to where you ADB folder is and hit Shift + Right Click = Open Command Window Here.
4) Now Plug your USB cable into your phone and type in Command Prompt this - fastboot devices. You should see your Phone listed. If you do not, go back and check everything.
5) Copy that Radio.img file from the Zip you extracted into your ADB Folder and then type
fastboot flash radio radio.img
It should take about 30 seconds.
Use the instructions here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=698721 to push it to your phone.
Now you are done.
How To Increase Internal Storage using Data2SD. This puts Apps(apk) AND Data onto your SD EXT Partition so you have more free Internal memory on the internal /Data partition
MIUI comes with something called A2SD+ which is turned off by Default.
1) Go into TWRP Recovery. Create EXT-4 Partition. You will lose all data, so before doing this, its a good idea to backup.
Create an EXT partition size you are comfortable with and depending on your needs.
2) SWAP SPACE 0. You do not need it.
When it is done. Your SD Card now has a FAT partition and an EXT Partition. You can reformat your FAT to FAT32 in Windows if you would like and give it a name.
Then get this Script. MAKE SURE YOU READ EVERYTHING in the Following Threads.
This is Ungaze Data2SD Script. Script is now Attached at the bottom of this post
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1378568
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1661892
Get the Data2SD Script and copy it to your SDCard FAT32 partition. Reboot your phone a couple times after flashing MIUI. Wipe Dalvik, Wipe Cache, Then Flash Ungaze D2SD from Recovery.
Follow directions in those threads and you should see an increase in Internal Storage Space in MIUI
You can delete the Contents of /mnt/asec/d2sd/data/app/* and /mnt/asec/d2sd/data/data/* from your Device Root which is "/" after this otherwise you will have 2 copies of the same app. You should only have Dalvik-Cache in this location as it links to your Internal Memory Data partition. Make a backup first to your SD Card incase something goes wrong by copying those APKs, then simply Delete them. Your Device System Partition will have System Apps, Data partition will have Dalvik Cache and your SD Card's EXT Partition will have the rest of the Apps and their Data.
ETC INFO
You will Need ROOT Access for almost everything if you want to make changes so make sure you have SuperUser Access Turned ON in MIUI.
Search for ADAWAY which creates a HOSTS file in your /System/etc Directory, which helps to block ads. I prefer using only open source apps or apps with Ads that do not Annoy.
Use ES File Explorer
And now you can install (or Uninstall) all the Pesky large size Google Apps. I personally stay away from ANY Google App I do not absolutely Need. I remove apps like
Google Search
Google Talk (Hangouts)
and Other Google crap.
MIUI has the basics of what you need. But you can Remove the MIUI Accounts etc because you won't be needing it.
And Anything Pesky that I cannot trust. Make sure you Backup in Recovery first before Uninstalling System Apps.
You can use an app called Disable Service from the PlayStore to disable Individual Services in an app incase you don't want certain services loading up. This should help conserve memory and cpu cycles if needed and also to disable functionalities in Apps that are otherwise impossible to disable. Link Below
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cn.wq.disableservice&hl=en
The idea is to keep it SIMPLE and functional.
Last but not least, Thanks to everyone at XDA for making things like this possible. Without this community, we would not be able to do the things we can to bring enjoyment and functionality to our devices. Thanks to everyone who finds a solution and posts it with details for everyone to understand. I hope this culture keeps growing stronger.
Don't forget to say Thanks
That's it Folks! Bring out your old Nexus One. It will be fast, and serve its purpose as a phone first. And YES, Even your mom will now be able to use it. Enjoy!
ROM DOWNLOAD:
Download MIUI-Android-2.3.30-Gingerbread-NexusOne

Thanks for your time and for sharing this with us... Maybe some of us knows these stuff but in the KK 4.4.4 era, there always is someone who want to use the Sexy Nexy as a fully functional phone and use an eye candy ROM and more user friendly than CM 7.2.
For recovery I recommend 4Ext Recovery
Regards!

Obsy said:
Thanks for your time and for sharing this with us... Maybe some of us knows these stuff but in the KK 4.4.4 era, there always is someone who want to use the Sexy Nexy as a fully functional phone and use an eye candy ROM and more user friendly than CM 7.2.
For recovery I recommend 4Ext Recovery
Regards!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, no problem! Yes 4Ext is a good recovery if you are on Blackrose and change your hboot partitions etc. My Guide is for those who don't want to mess with that and the TWRP Recovery is working flawless. I will mess around with Blackrose to increase internal Memory because one thing I find after bootloader unlock is the initial boot process is what takes the longest! MIUI Itself boots in less than half the time it takes for the intial boot. (Nexus X multi colored Logo with gray colored open lock at the bottom)
I am still not quite sure if the trouble of using Blackrose just to cut down my Cache partition to 50mb is worth the time and trouble because the phone is running fine. And I am also not sure if Blackrose will work with twrp. I will need to read more on this.

Thanks.
I completely agree with this OP. This is best rom you can use on the nexus one, I've played around with all sorts of roms and versions including the most recent KitKat iterations and non of them are smooth in comparison with a solid gingerbread rom. But this rom is particularly good because it still makes the Nexus One feel fresh.

daaac said:
I completely agree with this OP. This is best rom you can use on the nexus one, I've played around with all sorts of roms and versions including the most recent KitKat iterations and non of them are smooth in comparison with a solid gingerbread rom. But this rom is particularly good because it still makes the Nexus One feel fresh.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Daaac, you are right. When I pull out this old Phone, people ask me where did I get it? And how nice it looks. When I tell them its over 4 years old, they seem surprised. What google still does not seem to realize is that when it comes to Phones, people look at both the Phone hardware AND its Software that's running on it. Android is terribly ugly and MIUI is the closest you can get to getting some kind of Organized option structure even though it lacks some power user features, it is still better than scrolling through endless Cyanogenmod Gingerbread options. Not the fault of Cyanogenmod, but I blame Google for the terrible User Interface of Android. Google seems to hire Amateurs to design their User Interface and then market it as Simplicity. In my opinion, Apple runs circles around Android when it comes to Fluidity but ofcourse we know why we stick to Android, for things an iOs user can only dream of, specially on older devices. This MIUI ROM comes closest to make your Nexus One a daily usable phone with very few annoyances, however it is stable, never crashes, and looks good.

Thanks for your guide, very nice to read your step by step, good as I didn't update nexus one since 1 year ago and I don't remember all steps.
Thanks!!

You are most certainly welcomed Sir! If you ever have any questions, feel free to ask me.
danibus said:
Thanks for your guide, very nice to read your step by step, good as I didn't update nexus one since 1 year ago and I don't remember all steps.
Thanks!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Thank you very much for taking the time to cook such a nice ROM for Nexus one. I hadn't installed any custom ROM on my device until some days ago. It is really awesome. Considering that Nexus one is an old device I do not expect to be any update for this ROM, but in case there was one I would appreciate it if you could post the link.

You need to see the first post for that to happen.
miui_nexus1 said:
Thank you very much for taking the time to cook such a nice ROM for Nexus one. I hadn't installed any custom ROM on my device until some days ago. It is really awesome. Considering that Nexus one is an old device I do not expect to be any update for this ROM, but in case there was one I would appreciate it if you could post the link.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Thanks for your quick reply. I am well aware of your updates to the ROM. I especially love the Nexus pie and appreciate the security updates.
ocd_amp said:
You need to see the first post for that to happen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

More security fixes!! I can't believe my eyes. Thanks a ton!

Hola launcher
I have tried Hola launcher (e.g. with chromatic theme), and its icons are similar to MIUI icons in contrast with Hola launcher (which is similar to latest Android versions).
P.s. I am just testing . I don't know if this launcher will drain the battery fast or not.

That launcher will slow down your system, and constantly try to download ads. It also takes up a LOT of RAM. The idea here to make the device run FAST consuming as little resources as possible. On a fresh boot, my N1 RAM usage is at 95MB, and after 28 Hours, it is 144MB. With other processes that are important Cached. My Dialer starts and makes calls upto 3 seconds faster than my Galaxy 3 on Lollipop.
All this can be achieved by disabling Google Play Services and Google Play Store from starting on boot (unless you have apps that you are always using and depend constantly on them) - I don't use apps that heavily depend on Google Play Services, and if I do, I start the service and the app, then I press the "back" key and exit Google Play Services. - Xposed Framework module attached to prevent Apps from running helps.
Battery life is great, easily lasts 2-3 days with minor screen time / talk time - Heavy usage can last a full day. This is all on a 2010 phone with an old battery. My Nexus One puts most people's dual core modern phones to shame when it comes to speed
miui_nexus1 said:
I have tried Hola launcher (e.g. with chromatic theme), and its icons are similar to MIUI icons in contrast with Hola launcher (which is similar to latest Android versions).
P.s. I am just testing . I don't know if this launcher will drain the battery fast or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

That is fantastic battery life and speed you have!
I have got some questions and appreciate your help (Please forgive my newbie questions and such a long post)
1) When I want to run PHONE and MESSAGING applications on “Holo launcher” it gives this error message: "This activity cannot be launched". Although stock MIUI icons for these applications work fine.
2) I partitioned my memory card using ClockworkMod recovery and I dedicated 2 Gb’s of my 16 Gb class 10 microSD card (I haven’t had any problem with this recovery so far but if you think it may be incompatible with your ROM or cause issues please let me know and I will replace it). After flashing Ungaze Data2SD I see an increase in the internal memory . To be honest I didn’t completely understand the rest of the instructions so I do not know whether I have done it right or not.
"You can delete the Contents of /mnt/asec/d2sd/data/app/* and /mnt/asec/d2sd/data/data/* from your Device Root which is "/" after this otherwise you will have 2 copies of the same app. You should only have Dalvik-Cache in this location as it links to your Internal Memory Data partition. Make a backup first to your SD Card in case something goes wrong by copying those APKs, then simply Delete them. Your Device System Partition will have System Apps, Data partition will have Dalvik Cache and your SD Card's EXT Partition will have the rest of the Apps and their Data."
This is what I did:
I used “adb shell” to access the contents of those two locations and deleted their contents. As I said before I didn’t understand the rest of the instructions and I assumed it has been done correctly!! Then I installed my apps normally but I do not know whether they have been copied to the internal memory or the memory card. (I have downloaded apk’s of all apps I use from "apps.evozi. /apk-downloader/" or "apk4fun" and I have installed them using package manager).
My main question is what do I do after cleaning up those two locations and how do I install the apps so they will be copied to the memory Card’s Ext partition.
You should only have Dalvik-Cache in this location (What location exactly?)
Your Device System Partition will have System Apps (/system?)
Data partition will have Dalvik Cache (/data?)
SD Card's EXT Partition (/sd-ext?) If I am right as I have “adb” installed on my windows, it doesn’t show me the contents of this folder naturally. I have Ubuntu Linux too but “adb” is not installed on it.
Thanks a lot for your time!

1) Remove Holo Launcher icons and drag and drop Phone and Messaging icon from Drawer into the Dock at the bottom.
2) Use TWRP recovery.
3) /Data partition is EXT2 partition on your SDCard. Apps+Data (app data) will be there.
4) /mnt/asec/d2sd will be the "other" data partition (the original data partition) which is where your Dalvik cache will be.
5) Apps will be installed where their manifest suggests - Most apps will be installed to /Data on your EXT and their Dalvik Cache will be on the Internal parition /mnt/asec/d2sd/Dalvik-Cache
6) Use ES File Explorer - give it Root permissions - make sure Superuser permissions is set to On and inside ES Explorer you give Root access R/W - you can view all partions there
7) Use DiskInfo to see all your partitions
miui_nexus1 said:
That is fantastic battery life and speed you have!
I have got some questions and appreciate your help (Please forgive my newbie questions and such a long post)
1) When I want to run PHONE and MESSAGING applications on “Holo launcher” it gives this error message: "This activity cannot be launched". Although stock MIUI icons for these applications work fine.
2) I partitioned my memory card using ClockworkMod recovery and I dedicated 2 Gb’s of my 16 Gb class 10 microSD card (I haven’t had any problem with this recovery so far but if you think it may be incompatible with your ROM or cause issues please let me know and I will replace it). After flashing Ungaze Data2SD I see an increase in the internal memory . To be honest I didn’t completely understand the rest of the instructions so I do not know whether I have done it right or not.
"You can delete the Contents of /mnt/asec/d2sd/data/app/* and /mnt/asec/d2sd/data/data/* from your Device Root which is "/" after this otherwise you will have 2 copies of the same app. You should only have Dalvik-Cache in this location as it links to your Internal Memory Data partition. Make a backup first to your SD Card in case something goes wrong by copying those APKs, then simply Delete them. Your Device System Partition will have System Apps, Data partition will have Dalvik Cache and your SD Card's EXT Partition will have the rest of the Apps and their Data."
This is what I did:
I used “adb shell” to access the contents of those two locations and deleted their contents. As I said before I didn’t understand the rest of the instructions and I assumed it has been done correctly!! Then I installed my apps normally but I do not know whether they have been copied to the internal memory or the memory card. (I have downloaded apk’s of all apps I use from "apps.evozi. /apk-downloader/" or "apk4fun" and I have installed them using package manager).
My main question is what do I do after cleaning up those two locations and how do I install the apps so they will be copied to the memory Card’s Ext partition.
You should only have Dalvik-Cache in this location (What location exactly?)
Your Device System Partition will have System Apps (/system?)
Data partition will have Dalvik Cache (/data?)
SD Card's EXT Partition (/sd-ext?) If I am right as I have “adb” installed on my windows, it doesn’t show me the contents of this folder naturally. I have Ubuntu Linux too but “adb” is not installed on it.
Thanks a lot for your time!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Thanks a lot for the complete information. Holo launcher and Prevent running are really great. Now only 94 Mb of RAM is used . I expect to have better battery life too. I will report that after some days of using this configuration.

miui_nexus1 said:
Thanks a lot for the complete information. Holo launcher and Prevent running are really great. Now only 94 Mb of RAM is used . I expect to have better battery life too. I will report that after some days of using this configuration.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh lord, might be joining the N1 family due to recent corrupt internal data/EMMC failures on the Sensation and One Mini. Hoping to get a daily ROM and stable service from AT&T. Any critical updates/preventions prior to dusting off 2 years of being shelved and lending to 3 people (aka TANK N1).
Excited to see activity and will give this a shot when I get home. Thanks for posting!

Thanks for posting about Stagefright bug. It seems to be a hell of a bug. I have done all of them except the first one. Could you elaborate on how to edit build.prop?
By the way just a small thing: there is an extra "r" in
3) Use Firefox. Type about:config > Search for Stragefright > Set stagefright.disabled to True
Thanks again.

You're welcome. Enjoy!
lfe.zaius said:
Oh lord, might be joining the N1 family due to recent corrupt internal data/EMMC failures on the Sensation and One Mini. Hoping to get a daily ROM and stable service from AT&T. Any critical updates/preventions prior to dusting off 2 years of being shelved and lending to 3 people (aka TANK N1).
Excited to see activity and will give this a shot when I get home. Thanks for posting!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You edit build.prop either right on the phone using a text editor, or if you're like me, do it on the computer with Notepad++. It's a text based file. Oh yes, that was a spelling error. Fixed.
miui_nexus1 said:
Thanks for posting about Stagefright bug. It seems to be a hell of a bug. I have done all of them except the first one. Could you elaborate on how to edit build.prop?
By the way just a small thing: there is an extra "r" in
3) Use Firefox. Type about:config > Search for Stragefright > Set stagefright.disabled to True
Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I have opened it using ES file explorer (ES Note editor) on my device but when I want to save it it shows an error:"Error occurred when trying to save the file. It will not be saved.". I have granted Superuser access to ES file explorer but I cannot find a way to give the specified permissions you have mentioned in the post. I would appreciate your help.

Fixing issues for Shield Tablet wifi version (may work for LTE too)

After some hit and miss experiments the following method seems to solve many of the issues that I was facing with my new Shield Tablet.
Following these steps may fix:
- Lags/Slowdowns after long use or waking the tablet
- Wifi issue
- Compatibility issue (All games I play and Apps I use are working fine)
- Heat up while playing graphic intensive games (None here after testing for 2 hours gameplay of Trine 2, just normal heat nothing Alarming)
- Battery drain (May not be a huge difference )
These are the ones I noticed maybe you'll get more out of it.
If you follow these steps correctly, everything should go smoothly without (hopefully) any Bricks.
Steps:
1. Download the latest OTA update for your device
2. After updating when the device restarts, Do a factory reset
3. Now root your device using this easy method by Kwongger: http://forum.xda-developers.com/shi...root-guide-shield-shield-tablet-root-t2852724
4. Install this custom recovery by joshuabg (I used the 9/14/14 Build): http://forum.xda-developers.com/shi.../philz-recovery-shield-tablet-wxnawf-t2864515
5. Install Seeder by LCIS: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lcis.seeder&hl=en
6. Run Seeder and check all 3 options and select "Moderate" profile > Press the OFF button to turn it ON
7. Now install all the apps you want (e.g Xposed Framework with Gravitybox KK is working fine here is 2.6.1 stable: http://dl.xposed.info/modules/de.robv.android.xposed.installer_v32_de4f0d.apk)
8. Boot into recovery and clear cache and dalvic cache, after that boot to system
9. Now install LagFix (fstrim) Free by Grilled Monkey: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.grilledmonkey.lagfix&hl=en_GB
10. Run LagFix > Select "LAGFIX" Tab on top > Check all 3 options (/system, /data, /cache) > Press Run!
11. Now restart your Tablet
12. Enjoy !!! - Hope this helps...
Edit - Ok so this by Vegas217 may also work: http://forum.xda-developers.com/shield-tablet/general/wi-fi-android-os-battery-drain-t2902827

This is exactly what I have done and have had 0 issues with this tablet.

what should this do with wifi?
That's the only problem i've got.

miqcea3 said:
what should this do with wifi?
That's the only problem i've got.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The latest ota fixes wifi to some extent

Fixed most things for me, but chrome still lags like crazy.

technoviking said:
Fixed most things for me, but chrome still lags like crazy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, chrome is the only problem left for me everything else is pretty much fine cant say great though...

Hoping that Chrome will improve when the Nexus 9 comes out with a terga K1.

I think it will get better with android L

Sarge29490 said:
The latest ota fixes wifi to some extent
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And screwed it up more for others. That is the problem with trying to fix weak wifi design with firmware. The problem is displaced and helps for some and makes it worse for others.
The LTE model is no better with wifi and has additonal drain issues due to the telephony function not exactly designed well.

This helps speed up Chrome for me.
http://www.androidauthority.com/chrome-android-scroll-lagging-363080/

This is what I have done since my htc one x days. Also have you tried any of the super tweaks eg v6 supercharge, this will also give you gains in other areas not just in entropy. Give ago!

Try atlas browser, it's a load quicker and some nice features. Obviously lacks sync with desktop chrome though.
Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

I got a 32 gb lte by nvidia when I had an RMA for 16 gb wifi because it was getting cracked edges, followed the same steps as my original post and I am having no issues now even chrome is running completely fine, finally some progress and now I am getting more than my money's worth

For me making this process make my Wi-Fi very slow and when downloading and app from the play store its pop up and error so I turn off Seder and all went back to normal, I turn off the app from shield controller and turn off the stock camera and deleted the currepted jpf files from the app camera and all the problems are gone finally download the Google camera app.
Sent from my SHIELD Tablet using XDA Free mobile app

Lifesaver
Thanks Sarge. You saved my bacon. This is like a whole new device.

Does this still apply on lollipop?

Thnks for the awesome post had no reason to root my shield till now applied all the tips except that lag fix fstrim doesn't work I am running the latest lollipop update on my shield I still love the tablet and the gaming on the go pee pretty okay but I use this at school as well and lag was bugging me but now lag seems better only been using it for a few hours now we'll see what time tells thanks again for the tips!!!!

Sarge29490 said:
After some hit and miss experiments the following method seems to solve many of the issues that I was facing with my new Shield Tablet.
Following these steps may fix:
- Lags/Slowdowns after long use or waking the tablet
- Wifi issue
- Compatibility issue (All games I play and Apps I use are working fine)
- Heat up while playing graphic intensive games (None here after testing for 2 hours gameplay of Trine 2, just normal heat nothing Alarming)
- Battery drain (May not be a huge difference )
These are the ones I noticed maybe you'll get more out of it.
If you follow these steps correctly, everything should go smoothly without (hopefully) any Bricks.
Steps:
1. Download the latest OTA update for your device
2. After updating when the device restarts, Do a factory reset
3. Now root your device using this easy method by Kwongger: http://forum.xda-developers.com/shi...root-guide-shield-shield-tablet-root-t2852724
4. Install this custom recovery by joshuabg (I used the 9/14/14 Build): http://forum.xda-developers.com/shi.../philz-recovery-shield-tablet-wxnawf-t2864515
5. Install Seeder by LCIS: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lcis.seeder&hl=en
6. Run Seeder and check all 3 options and select "Moderate" profile > Press the OFF button to turn it ON
7. Now install all the apps you want (e.g Xposed Framework with Gravitybox KK is working fine here is 2.6.1 stable: http://dl.xposed.info/modules/de.robv.android.xposed.installer_v32_de4f0d.apk)
8. Boot into recovery and clear cache and dalvic cache, after that boot to system
9. Now install LagFix (fstrim) Free by Grilled Monkey: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.grilledmonkey.lagfix&hl=en_GB
10. Run LagFix > Select "LAGFIX" Tab on top > Check all 3 options (/system, /data, /cache) > Press Run!
11. Now restart your Tablet
12. Enjoy !!! - Hope this helps...
Edit - Ok so this by Vegas217 may also work: http://forum.xda-developers.com/shield-tablet/general/wi-fi-android-os-battery-drain-t2902827
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, does this fix wifi issues on 5.1.1 ?

Slowwwwwwwww........

Stock 2012 N7. Nothing for on board storage taking up space other than minimal apps. Use it mainly for streaming. I keeps the apps updated and restart frequently. Is it just that it's old? It seems after the last update back in late 2014 the tablet has been extremely slow and there's nothing I can do to help.
I don't really want to buy another tablet since I like the size and usability of the N7, and all I really want it for is streaming video. But, it's almost unusable with the lag.
Any suggestions?

1.) Keep at least 4GB of storage free
2.) Do fstrim regularily, especially when installing / updating apps or writing much data to the storage
3.) Enable developer options and set max. background processed to 4
4.) disable journalling on /cache and /data
5.) use one of the MM roms
I had problems with my device, too, but since I am using 6..0.1 there is almost no lag, at least for the things I am doing with my tablet, e.g. browsing a bit, reading / writing messages / ...

Use ParrotMod and your tablet will be much faster then: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3300416

Thank you both for the replies. I will try these on my N7. It really has become almost useless with the lag.

The Facebook app will put this tablet to its death, make sure to not have it installed. Turn off any unnecessary account syncs in settings. After doing these, I can actually use my tablet. Because of hardware limitations, it won't be as snappy as the latest tabs out there, but applying the aforementioned steps will make your Nexus useable again.
Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk

Which android version are you running?
I find it unusable with 5.0 and above. Go back to 4.4 and it is quite snappy.

ykphuah said:
Which android version are you running?
I find it unusable with 5.0 and above. Go back to 4.4 and it is quite snappy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or, better: install both an Android 6 ROM and ParrotMod. The new ROM alone will not help, at least it did not with my device.

Hi! I had the same problem in my nexus 7 32 GB, it seems that the memory chips on these tablets go bad after 2 or 3 years of use, and is very noticeable with old versions of lollipop (5.1.1 seems to be the fastest). I did the following:
-flash TWRP
-format /data and /cache to F2FS
-install Cyanogenmod 12 (snapshot)
-install openGaps pico version (the smallest one)
-flash parrotmod
this worked fine for a few weeks, after that, my data started to corrupt, and I was not able to do a TWRP backup, so I got back to EXT4 (the original, but slower, filesystem). so, this is my setup now:
-/data and /cache back to ext4
-Cyanogenmod 13 (unoficial)
-openGapps core apps only (aroma variant, at installer do not select any aditional apps)
-disable journaling in /data and /cache
-fstrim set to auto everyday
-parrotmod
this resulted in a stable and usable tablet.

[DISCUSSION]Best ROM Currently 11/2018

Best ROM Currently (11/2018)
Look at the date above. This is for current, relevant info. I'm looking for people's opinions on the best ROMs right now. Things to consider: speed & functionality, & whatever else you think is important. There aren't many options at all these days.
Please chime in & let's get this debate going!

I'll go first. I plan on updating this post as I try more. BTW the big reason I created this thread is to save people time. I spent at least a week now trying to get a functional & fast (or at least usable) ROM. ICS, which is the last ver of Android the manufacturer supports, is just too old to consider an option, in my opinion. So I tried https://forum.xda-developers.com/eee-pad-transformer/development/rom-t3318496 last & it's just way too slow for me. I did the bigwheelie partition increase, but honestly I don't think that's necessary for most of us (& it took me a long time!). & It takes forever to read each thread & hundreds of posts inside them to get up to date regarding these ROMs...just to find out something doesn't work. People often aren't nice about repeat questions & expect you to read through hundreds of pages...Im the opposite! I want to save you time & give you an up to date summary of ROM options & what to expect. I also found out the hard way that Google Play doesn't work on tduros Marshmallow ROM. Not his fault, darn Google. BUT there's MicroG as an alternative.
So there you have my first review:
KatKiss KatchMellow is waaaay to slow for me. Gapps doesn't work (tablet will keep restarting), but MicroG is a Google Play alternative.
I'll try out older ROMs next to see if speed gets any better & report back...
UPDATE:
I exhaustively tried getting microg to work on both KatKiss KatchMellow & Lollipop, but finally gave up. I'm sure its possible, but I ran out of time & patience.
I did however end up with a pretty fast solution: KatKiss Lollipop with Fdroid for my app store, and via that I installed DavCal (to tie into my Google Calendars) & Simple Calendar that displayed this. Many apps I wanted worked. Some not but I found an alternative. MX player plays videos fine & theres a million audio apps. Id recommend this.

Thank you for this. I also came here to find the best and fastest ROM but was overwhelmed by the number of comments to sift through. I have KatKiss 6.0.1 with playstore but no other Google apps. It's a bit slow. I'm gonna try KatKiss Lollipop with FDroid.

If anybody finds a solution to have google play store and no constant bootloping.... I've tried Katkiss 6.01, 5 and now went down to Omnirom kitkat 4.4 they all reboot constantly with google play store

I'm using Tims katsmallow. Gapps is an absolute no-go. I tried microg and ended up with the same bootloop/reboot after installing YouTube. I'm currently using no gapps and f-droid. It works fine, and functional. I want to use the chromecast, and that's not functional. I have seen some reference to CM or even lineage existing for the 101. I can't track it down though. I'm going to dig into that next, maybe even compile a build of lineage if it ever existed.

Reverse-anastomosis said:
I'm using Tims katsmallow. Gapps is an absolute no-go. I tried microg and ended up with the same bootloop/reboot after installing YouTube. I'm currently using no gapps and f-droid. It works fine, and functional. I want to use the chromecast, and that's not functional. I have seen some reference to CM or even lineage existing for the 101. I can't track it down though. I'm going to dig into that next, maybe even compile a build of lineage if it ever existed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We never had lineage. I think the newest CM was all the way back to 10.3. Our TWRP is now very outdated and that may cause problems flashing any newer ROMs

Yeah, I find references to lineage, but it appears that it never was built. I found CM 10.2, and am considering flashing it...but I'm fairly sure it won't be any better than Tims latest build. It would be nice if we could convince him to do one last build for us, but it seems fairly clear that he is done.

4xxxxL said:
If anybody finds a solution to have google play store and no constant bootloping.... I've tried Katkiss 6.01, 5 and now went down to Omnirom kitkat 4.4 they all reboot constantly with google play store
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Reverse-anastomosis said:
I'm using Tims katsmallow. Gapps is an absolute no-go. I tried microg and ended up with the same bootloop/reboot after installing YouTube. I'm currently using no gapps and f-droid. It works fine, and functional...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, inspired by your comments I undusted my old TF101 and brought it back to life.
Objective: To have a working tablet for my children to play.
Restrictions: Tablet must be responsive and easy to use. Ads should be eradicated or reduced to a minimum. Tablet must not auto-reboot nor crash.
Initial state: Rooted tablet with TWRP recovery and Timduru's Marsmallow (random reboot problem) ROM installed. Linux computer with adb tools installed. A microSD (FAT32) holding every zip file I needed to flash.
Procedure:
Step 1. I've wiped everything (system, dalvik, cachè), all, using TWRP.
Step 2. Kind of followed Jan's guide at KCORE.ORG. (Read it here).
------ I did install Timduru's last Android 6 (a.k.a. Marshamallow) ROM (v34 from 2017). (Available here).
------ I skipped Super SU 2.52 from Timduru's (not sure whether it was a good idea or not).
------ I did not install any gapps.
------ Flashed F-droid (NanoDroid-fdorid and NanoDroid-patcher zips. I used the latest I found, 20.3.2018208). It was actually Nanolx's NanoDroid (Available here). It might be important to mention that when I selected Timduru's ROM to be flashed using TWRP, it asked me whether I wanted to add more zips to the flashing process; so I added both NanoDroid files to the queue (but skipped Super Su because I didn't want it to be flashed).
It took some time to finish the flashing process. Once it did I wiped dalvik and cachè, and rebooted.
----- Tablet booted just fine. When it finished I immediately rebooted to recovery (TWRP).
----- Then I flashed the last Super Su version I could find (v2.82-201705271822). The official site didn't provide a valid download so I used google to find an alternate source for it. (Remember to checksum everything before installing to avoid errors or malware -Trojans, virus, etc.-)
----- Once Super Su was flashed I rebooted (didn't wipe anything this time). It rebooted a couple of times until it was idle. I then ran Super Su app to check if it was Ok. It was. Then fixed some settings like language (Spanish, in my case), time zone (Mexico City) and location (changed to 'high accuracy' from 'device only'). And then connected to the Internet.
----- I ran F-droid and disabled all repositories but microG. Forced repositories update and installed microG Services Core and microG Service Framework Proxy.
---- Then I re-enabled the F-droid repository, forced it to update and upgraded microG (for me it was available).
---- Installed the recomended backends:
---- ++ UnifiedNlp (no GAPPS).
---- ++ MozillaNlpBackend (I didn't want the one from Apple as Jan did).
---- ++ NominatimNlpBackend
---- ++ WiFi Location Service (I don't know if this was necessary but I installed it anyway).
---- ++ Local GSM Location (I think this wasn't necessary because the tablet doesn't have GSM nor any other cellular SIM, but I installed it anyway to cover all my bases).
---- Patched the ROM to allow signature spoofing. (Check Jan's article about this). The second and third patch weren't applied because the files were already patched but I followed every step there to the end.
---- Followed Jan's article at sections "Configuring microG Services" and "Reinstall Google Play Store"
Step 3. I took the opportunity to install and run the AdBlocker script from this thread. In my case there was no pdf but the script file. I downloaded the raw text file and created a file named adblocker. Used the adb shell to ran it. I needed to remount the system partition in order to move the script to /system/bin. (A google search can help here if you don't know how to do it). Short version: it installed and ran Ok.
Step 4. On my first attempt (second, third, and maybe fourth actually), I installed apps from the Google Store. Eventually I ended with the reboot loop again. So in the end I opted for downloading the apk files of the apps I wanted to install (from apkpure.com) and did it manually (actually I used a for loop and adb in bash, but it counts as manually).
Step 5. That was it. Tested some apps and gave the tablet to my little monsters for further testing. The kids have been very happy playing around with the old tablet.
Additional considerations:
1. In my case I installed an app blocker so the children won't mess with anything important, microG settings and F-droid included.
2. I didn't install Google Play Games nor any games that depended on it. So the idea of me using the tablet to play was abandoned.
3. There are some apps that the old TF101's hardware cannot handle, so I uninstalled them as they crashed at start up.
Conclusion: TF101 is old but with this workaround it might live to fight more battles. Kids apps are simple, but they run (some Ok, some a bit slow). My kids learn and have fun with the old tablet, so mission accomplished!
Further considerations and remarks:
1. Updating apps is not a concern for me unless they stop running. If they run they do stay, otherwise I will check them manually and then decide.
2. No Google account was registered in the tablet. Store is there, but it is not used.
3. I installed some other apps aside from the children's ones, like the app locker, a file manager and things alike.
Good luck.
EDIT: Updated to Super Su SR5 (highly recommended) and added suhide-lite.
EDIT: Reboots restarted eventually. The solution was not installing microG nor Google apps, and therefore no store at all. I installed my kids' apps manually using adb. I also omitted Youtube kids. Tablet has been working fine for almost a week now.

Katkiss Kitkat with no gapps. Smooth like butter.
Workaround is to first flash with gapps, reboot and go through first time setup (skip wifi), then reboot into twrp, wipe system and flash without gapps, then reboot.
Reason is first time setup wont work without gapps for kk.
My detailed instructions in the timduru mm thread (kk was closed)

Yes. I can confirm (after multiple back and forth flashing) that Katkiss works perfectly w/o gapps.
Now w/o gapps how does one get the apps to install?
Edit : Looks like yalp store is the answer

aaranddeeman said:
Yes. I can confirm (after multiple back and forth flashing) that Katkiss works perfectly w/o gapps.
Now w/o gapps how does one get the apps to install?
Edit : Looks like yalp store is the answer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can look for your app's .apk file (e.g., apkpure.com), download it and use adb to install it.

I'm using katschmallow, no gapps. It has been very stable for a couple of months. I have microg installed, and a lot of apps from yalp are working OK. YouTube seems to be the culprit in making it bootloop. I've been using newpipe instead.

Works without gaps
Reverse-anastomosis said:
I'm using katschmallow, no gapps. It has been very stable for a couple of months. I have microg installed, and a lot of apps from yalp are working OK. YouTube seems to be the culprit in making it bootloop. I've been using newpipe instead.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried it as well and works well. I installed rom with the latest gapps (Jan 19th) and it has nice feature that you can disable "autoupdate apps" from upper right corner "three dots". Actually it was quite stable even with the gapps as long as you don't allow autoupdates.
Of course those apps, which are requiring Google play support won't work (mainly google made).
But many apps don't work with TF101 if you load the latest version so I found older versions from uptodown.com site as well other sites have old versions if you just search those.
Here are some apps and working versions. (some never might work as well but I did not have time to try furher)
Dropbox 18.2.2
Firefox 51.0.3
Uptodown 3.18
Chrome 49.0.2 (you need this if you want use your google account)
Mega 3.2.6.2.6
Spotify 8.4.0.534
OneDrive 4.12
Surprise was that the latest version of MS Outlook mail/calendar works

JaTun2 said:
I tried it as well and works well. I installed rom with the latest gapps (Jan 19th) and it has nice feature that you can disable "autoupdate apps" from upper right corner "three dots". Actually it was quite stable even with the gapps as long as you don't allow autoupdates.
Of course those apps, which are requiring Google play support won't work (mainly google made).
But many apps don't work with TF101 if you load the latest version so I found older versions from uptodown.com site as well other sites have old versions if you just search those.
Here are some apps and working versions. (some never might work as well but I did not have time to try furher)
Dropbox 18.2.2
Firefox 51.0.3
Uptodown 3.18
Chrome 49.0.2 (you need this if you want use your google account)
Mega 3.2.6.2.6
Spotify 8.4.0.534
OneDrive 4.12
Surprise was that the latest version of MS Outlook mail/calendar works
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Click to collapse
Do you guys happen to know how I can root my TF101? I have two and I want to see what my best options are to get this thing to work with youtube. Please let me know if these two tablets are still worth the trouble.
I have spent countless hours chasing my tail as ASUS SYNC isn't even online anymore and all the exe files aren't made for windows 10. I have two, I am a college student and I would like a tablet to play Youtube when I am eating, as I don't have a tv in the dinning room/table.
Thanks in advance.

I have not been able to get YouTube working on mine. I have katschmallow without gapps, and use newpipe for YouTube. Anything Google service related seems to boot loop the tablet.

Reverse-anastomosis said:
I have not been able to get YouTube working on mine. I have katschmallow without gapps, and use newpipe for YouTube. Anything Google service related seems to boot loop the tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the quick reply. I guess I'll use it as a paper weight. On the plus side, I use my TF101s as a camera for the apt when I leave for school breaks, via Alfred. The video quality sucks, but at least it still has a little functionality.

It's not quite paperweight territory, but without support from Timduru it's becoming more and more crippled. I'm thankful for all of the years of service it has given.

baylin said:
Do you guys happen to know how I can root my TF101? I have two and I want to see what my best options are to get this thing to work with youtube. Please let me know if these two tablets are still worth the trouble.
I have spent countless hours chasing my tail as ASUS SYNC isn't even online anymore and all the exe files aren't made for windows 10. I have two, I am a college student and I would like a tablet to play Youtube when I am eating, as I don't have a tv in the dinning room/table.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This link goes to a thread with a linux and windows method that could work for you.
Best of lucks
---------- Post added at 08:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:53 PM ----------
Reverse-anastomosis said:
I have not been able to get YouTube working on mine. I have katschmallow without gapps, and use newpipe for YouTube. Anything Google service related seems to boot loop the tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should try OGYoutube instead, it depends on microG. You can use your google account and you will also get rid of the ads.
Look for the apks at apkmirror (ogyoutube and microG for OGYT)

Update for anyone still using this device. I discovered that . apk files can be installed from the terminal emulator. I was using katschmallow without gapps but kept getting random reboots. I went back to KK, and it is blazing fast. No reboots so far. Anyway, when you flash KK without gapps, there is no good way to install apps. I placed the apps that I wanted to install on the external SD, and installed in terminal as follows.
su
cd extSdCard
ls
pm install packagename.apk
Edit:Firefox 51.0 still works on this device on KK and is the minimum version for adbock plus.

Hello sirs
from your post I assume that best ROM il KAT KISS MM without Google Gapps.
I already have this configuration, but too many apks ( I use APTOIDE like market) do not works.
I would like to try a ROM based on original Firmware ( ANDROID REVOLUTION HD 3.6) . do you know if Google works with original FW ?
thanks