Database Users

[Q] New member/ Droid Owner - I can has help!?

Ok so I picked up my Droid X about a month ago and haven't been able to put this thing down, I never thought about rooting it because it did everything I needed/wanted it to do, then one day I log into my car forum and all the OT guys are posting cool print screen's of their phones. I was intrigued, so I rooted my phone and have been trying to figure out a few things but I'm not really up on the terminology and/or logic behind doing certain things. I would greatly appreciate any help in regards to explaining the following:
1) Rooting - Takes off restrictions on the phone so that developer apps can be installed... Is there more to this or is that pretty much it?
2) Flashing - I see this term often but I'm not sure what it is exactly, I tried installing a theme once and the directions said to flash something somewhere and looked at it the same way my dog looks at me while I'm working out at home.. lol
3) ROM - !?
4) apk's - What are they, what do they do, and how do you install them!?
5) Installing themes - I'm thinking has to do with all of the above...
6) Locating and moving downloaded content...
7) How do all of these things tie together? I'm completely clueless as to what does what on the phone and would like to become as knowledgeable as I was when the iPhone first came out and I figured out how to jailbreak/unlock it...
As a reward for your time and effort I leave you Final Fantasy VII fan's with a cool wallpaper I found at work today.. Thanks for any/all input and again, your time is most appreciated!!

Initial GT3 said:
Ok so I picked up my Droid X about a month ago and haven't been able to put this thing down, I never thought about rooting it because it did everything I needed/wanted it to do, then one day I log into my car forum and all the OT guys are posting cool print screen's of their phones. I was intrigued, so I rooted my phone and have been trying to figure out a few things but I'm not really up on the terminology and/or logic behind doing certain things. I would greatly appreciate any help in regards to explaining the following:
1) Rooting - Takes off restrictions on the phone so that developer apps can be installed... Is there more to this or is that pretty much it?
2) Flashing - I see this term often but I'm not sure what it is exactly, I tried installing a theme once and the directions said to flash something somewhere and looked at it the same way my dog looks at me while I'm working out at home.. lol
3) ROM - !?
4) apk's - What are they, what do they do, and how do you install them!?
5) Installing themes - I'm thinking has to do with all of the above...
6) Locating and moving downloaded content...
7) How do all of these things tie together? I'm completely clueless as to what does what on the phone and would like to become as knowledgeable as I was when the iPhone first came out and I figured out how to jailbreak/unlock it...
As a reward for your time and effort I leave you Final Fantasy VII fan's with a cool wallpaper I found at work today.. Thanks for any/all input and again, your time is most appreciated!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First off- that is a lot to bite off as an opener. lol. I have to get in a minute- plus I am a newb as well but here a couple of things...
1) You sound pretty on track. Root gives you access to more options with your phone. It also voids your warranty.
2) Flashing. A term used loosely. Normally it is used in conjunction with "flashing a rom". It simply means to install something (basically).
3) Rom. It is the image (not in the photo-graphical sense) that is embedded/burned on your phones hard drive with all the information of your operating system. For instance: you are on the stock 2.2 ota "rom". But you could "flash" the new "AOSP rom" that was just released. That means you would be removing the factory image that came on your phone and replacing it with a modified image. Theme's and .apk's -those are not "burned" into the phone. If you do a factory reset- those will be wiped. The rom image stays put. If you flash from 2.2 ota to AOSP and then did a factory reset- you would not return to the original state your phone came from Motorola bc that image is completely removed and replaced by the new image you flash. Instead you would return to a clean AOSP.
4) .apk's - .apk is simply the name of the file extension used for android applications. I came from Windows Mobile and they were called .cabs. So any app can be referred to as an .apk. You can download an apk from XDA, place it on your sdcard, tap the file, and i think you will be prompted with "do you want to install" (some where along those lines). There is a setting in the "Settings" that allows you to install 3rd party (non-market) .apk's.
5)Installing themes. This refers to modifying the images (and this time I do mean in the graphic sense) of certain .apk's and other whatchamajiggies. You can install a simple theme that just changes your lockscreen, or you can install a huge theme that changes almost every part of every image so the entire phone looks similar. Here is the tricky part about using themes- your phone has to be deodexed.
deodexed. When you get your phone all of the system files come with a few different parts to them. One of those parts is an odexed file. Apparently the theme building types do not like working with these files so they run this process called de-odexing in which all of the system files are somehow manipulated in a way where they no longer need their odex file. So you end up "de-odexed". There is a program called "xultimate 2.2" that enables regular folk like you and me to deodex our phones. I tried running it yesterday and it errored out on me. So I used another method that worked fine. There are some threads on here about deodexing- if you want themes you will have to do it.
6) locating and moving downloaded content. When you have root you can get Root Explorer from the market. I am sure there are other good file exploreres- but I can't speak to them- I use Root Explorer. As far as locating downloaded content- whenever I download something from my phone, it always (normally) goes to /sdcard/downloads. If it is not there, I guess you just do a search for it. If you want to move it- long press the item, copy, move.
And you will need to google "ADB" (android device bridge). Many of these activities will require the use of ADB. You plug in your phone through USB (make sure phone settings are set to "USB debugging") and... well there is just way to much on this one. Google this one and you will find a lot of stuff- or search it here on XDA
have a great weekend. got to go.

TouchNooter 1.6.24 for 1.1

which uRamdisk to Replace into touchnooter-1.6.24 to make it work on 1.1 is not clear (there are 2 of them).
The answer is ONLY /nooter/boot/uRamdisk (don't touch the one in the root)
with this configuration (and the framework.jar) i got it to work on the first boot, no need to make the 3 boots sequence.
concluding (starting from an 1.1 virgin system):
download touchnooter-1-6-24.zip
extract touchnooter-1-6-24.img
download one of those uRamdisk
download framework.jar
replace ONLY /nooter/boot/uRamdisk in touchnooter-1-6-24.img
replace framework.jar in touchnooter-1-6-24.img
write touchnooter-1-6-24.img on the SD
just 1 boot as usual to the android welcome page,
then remove the SD,
reboot,
double skip as usual
NookColorTools - disable and re-enable non market apps (uncheck and check it again),
Youtube (error 401),
Gmail
and finally...
Market (install at least 1 application with this version, search doesn't work)
now (after you have installed 1 app) eventually replace Vending.apk with this to enable search
i also putted this inside my touchnooter, the 2 .jar into the framework directory and the apk into the app but this shouldn't be necessary...
this is how it worked for me, enjoy
Since i don't have enough posts for development forum, i will post this here, may be someone can move it to the right place, i'm not used to spam, but this 10 posts rule seems to encourage new users to spam 10 posts around...
move it here if you can

I think what you are addressing is exactly apeine's problem:
changed both uramdisk ... Booted with SD in and it either locks up or goes to regular nook (on 12 tries, 10 lock ups and 2 going to regular nook)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Incidentally, how long did it take to boot and work on the first try? With 1.0.1 firmware I rooted three nooks and left it for over 30 minutes on the first one without success. Then on the other two I was impatient and gave it two boots. So I never let 1.1.0 go on that long before rebooting since I assumed it was going nowhere.

Kralik said:
I think what you are addressing is exactly apeine's problem:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, that's why i wrote this, i cannot reply in the development section because i have too few posts on the forum
Kralik said:
Incidentally, how long did it take to boot and work on the first try? With 1.0.1 firmware I rooted three nooks and left it for over 30 minutes on the first one without success. Then on the other two I was impatient and gave it two boots. So I never let 1.1.0 go on that long before rebooting since I assumed it was going nowhere.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my case it took slightly longer than a normal boot, no freeze at all, just about 1-2 minute on "Rooted Forever", then some time, may be 1-2 minutes on the nook dots screen with the dots moving (they never froze) and then the android guy page, no more than 4-5 minutes globally.
Anyway when i used touchnooter on 1.0.1 the first time, i had to reboot 2 times as you reported, same problem, more or less, may be the freezing at boot is something which happens, but not regularly

thank you for the description!
so if i understood correctly, there's no drawback with this method, everything works as it was before upgrade to 1.1.0, including the Market?
what about the installed apps, especially the non-free ones? (I've purchased OrientationControl)
can I simply download it from Market again, or should I backup the APK file and copy it back after upgrade/root?

glezmen said:
thank you for the description!
so if i understood correctly, there's no drawback with this method, everything works as it was before upgrade to 1.1.0, including the Market?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, my nook behave exactly as with 1.0.1
glezmen said:
what about the installed apps, especially the non-free ones? (I've purchased OrientationControl)
can I simply download it from Market again, or should I backup the APK file and copy it back after upgrade/root?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No idea, never bought an app, just free ones, but to keep an .apk backup is always a safe choice
about orientation... i remember Orientation Switch and this (just in case someone wanted rotation for free)

glezmen said:
what about the installed apps, especially the non-free ones? (I've purchased OrientationControl)
can I simply download it from Market again, or should I backup the APK file and copy it back after upgrade/root?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can re-install purchased apps from Market whenever you want.

Celebom said:
about orientation... i remember Orientation Switch and this (just in case someone wanted rotation for free)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for the hint, I will have a look on it (especially if i can't download the app again for free )
btw 1 EUR was not a big pain (I tried ADW launcher and rotation before, but it was not really convenient)

As long as you have market working with your prior GMail account, you should have no problem redownloading both your free and paid apps.

Thanks. Worked like a charm.
I first installed Astro File Manager, which is the second one in the list under the "Productivity" -> "Top Free". This allows me to install Vending.apk (Market where the search function works), and then follow it with Titanium Backup.
Using Titanium Backup re-installed all the apps from my previous backup, plus installed the XorZone's NookTouchTools for 1.1 (jars are different from 1.0.1).
I'm not sure what the significant difference is between the firmwares, but I understanding that the screen refresh is a bit quicker, and that the battery report is more accurate (previously batt reading would fluctuate when first turned on).
As for the firmware upgrade.... my STR just did not want to download the upgrade, even though I set the screensaver to 1 hour. There could be several reason why this didn't work, such that I don't live in US, or the process of rooting had modified something (even thought I factory reset it).
In the end I just connected it using USB, and loaded it into the root directory of the my STR (a simply file copy in Windows XP). Then the upgrade started a minute after the copy.

Thanks for your guide! I've just finished rooting my 1.1 Nook Simple Touch firmware
Remember everybody :
ONLY REPLACE URAMDISK IN NOOTER/BOOT/ (OF TOUCHNOOTER .IMG FILE)

uRamdisk mirror?
Hello, guess I shouldn't have started without all the downloads but I assumed they would be somewhere? any alternative downloads for uRamdisk_rooted because all the links are broken.
Thanks

I want to root my nook simple touch - what works TODAY?
Hi all.
I find this thread interesting and helpful. I have noted that a lot of the information here, on nook developers, or in two articles I read (one in lifehacker.com and the other in Que Publishing) all contain help that includes links to files that are either not there or I can't find.
Can someone point me to a current simple solution that will allow me to root my nook and toggle between the original home screen and the better Android one?
Thanks in advance!

Halfhoff said:
Hi all.
I find this thread interesting and helpful. I have noted that a lot of the information here, on nook developers, or in two articles I read (one in lifehacker.com and the other in Que Publishing) all contain help that includes links to files that are either not there or I can't find.
Can someone point me to a current simple solution that will allow me to root my nook and toggle between the original home screen and the better Android one?
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ButtonSaviour should have been installed with the Root, so just look for a transparent(translucent?) arrow button thing on the right screen, near the middle. It might be hard to hit it. The Home button on that will be like hitting the Home button on a normal Android device, and when you press the Quick Nav button, the home on that will lead to the B&N home unless you used Xor's mods to change what it leads to.

broken link..........
+1
All the links that I find on the internet for the uRamdisk_rooted file appear broken also...

Markey1979 said:
All the links that I find on the internet for the uRamdisk_rooted file appear broken also...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
uRamdisk, rooted, adb wireless, fixed init, 1.1 and 1.1.2
http://code.google.com/p/nst-recovery/downloads/detail?name=uRamdisk_wireless_adb_init_1.1_1.1.2.zip
uRamdisk, rooted, adb usb, fixed init, 1.1 and 1.1.2
http://code.google.com/p/nst-recovery/downloads/detail?name=uRamdisk_usb_adb_init_1.1_1.1.2.zip

[Q] Rooting newer Nook version: how to know which software?

I have a Nook Simple Touch Glowlight with software verion 1.1.5. All the information that I've been able to Google is for 1.1.2, in fact that is the version that I still see on the B&N website.
I _think_ that I have found a suitable way to root the device with Nooter but I would like to know how to confirm that in fact this is the right project for my software version. I'm sorry that I cannot post a link to the Nooter project, but I have less than 10 posts.
Thanks.

There are at least two methods that work with the Glowworm.
You should not use any method until after you have
- made a noogie disk
- booted from it
- backed up your device
- restored that backup to a test disk (a 2 gig or larger microSD card, for instance) and confirmed that the test results in a disk that has 8 partitions.
Many people have made the backup but not tested it; when they tried to restore, they did bad to fatal things to their devices. A very common failure on restore seems to be only getting one partition restored and blowing out the other partitions.
I don't know if the stuff that eded is working on has come to fruition yet - he was looking at building a tool that could detect whether it was run on an NST or NSTG and root appropriately to the device.
The two routes I know work are:
- glownooter, the nooter project tool, includes Google apps and market support
- tinynoot, pasted together from various tools, gives you minimal root without google apps and with amazon appstore. Will work with either NST or NSTG because it's approach is so minimalist.

Thanks, roustabout! I will be sure to test the backups before I install anything else, then. Good to know!
In any case, what I am most concerned about is getting the right version of the rooting software for my device. I see that Nook devices have different firmware and that certain tools only work with certain firmware versions. I see no mention of my firmware version in any tools' websites, hence my apprehension.

hence the value of a backup
I saw your request on that and I think one of the issues here is that so many folks use Windows exclusively, and the backup process is so easy on linux that trying to tell people how to do it in Windows is like jabbing yourself in the eye with a stick, given that linux is free, vmware player is free, and linux can be installed and used for this job entirely in vmware player. On the other side of the coin, if you know nothing of linux, even using dd correctly will be a challenge since there's a pretty steep learning curve behind setting up a new OS successfully just to be able to get backups off an 80-130 dollar device.
In your case: as of now, there is only one firmware release for the glowlight. This is why the folks with the tools aren't mentioning it, aside from 'this is for a glowlight.'

I didn't mention it, but I also use Linux at home (Kubuntu, like Ubuntu but with a better UI). So many people are now using Ubuntu that I find it surprising that the instructions even bother mentioning the OSes for which the operation is as difficult as you say. I remember when doing things in Linux was hard and Windows was easy, and at that time Linux was hardly ever mentioned!
In your case: as of now, there is only one firmware release for the glowlight. This is why the folks with the tools aren't mentioning it, aside from 'this is for a glowlight.'
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did not realize that the 1.1.5 release is glowlight-only. Great, thanks, I'm on to hacking this thing!

ok, so for you the backup process is:
- make the noogie disk
- put it into your device
- power cycle your device
- when it boots to "rooted forever," connect the USB cable to your linux box
- once the linux box mounts the NSTG as storage, pay attention to which device it is mounting it at. Assuming it's sdX:
- backup with dd if=/dev/sdX of=backup.img bs=1M
When that's done, disconnect your NSTG, throw media of some sort, larger than 2G, onto your box and test your restore with
dd if=backup.img of=/dev/sdY bs=1M
Once that's done, do an
fdisk /dev/sdY
and a
p to print the partition table.
You should have 8 partitions (and your backup.img file should be just under 2 gig.)
Hack away; if you ever need to restore, you can just drop the virgin image back on.
I take a snapshot like this of my device every so often since remembering how I got to whatever config I liked is harder than just backing it up.

Thanks for the backup instructions, the idea of testing it on a DVD-ROM looks to save quite a bit of trouble with the actual device..
I rooted with this terrific guide:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1675706
The process was simple. I do have an issue where I need to install a Hebrew font but ES File Manager doesn't seem to see the root folders. I'm having a hard time googling my way out of this one, bu all the other little issues were fairly simple.
One issue that I will mention that was hard to solve was the inability to perform searches in the Market. This page helped me resolve that issue:
blog.the-ebook-reader . com/2011/07/15/rooted-nook-touch-fixing-market-search-and-other-tips-and-tricks-video/

I just figured out that the file manager has to have Root permissions enabled. I've enabled it and added some fonts to /system/fonts but I still cannot get Hebrew text to display on this device. All I get are the typical rectangles instead of characters. Any ideas about how to proceed?
Thanks.

Restore Nook 1.1.2
roustabout said:
Many people have made the backup but not tested it; when they tried to restore, they did bad to fatal things to their devices. A very common failure on restore .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. I made this exact same mistake yesterday and I ended up with a bad backup.
2. My Nook Simple Touch (1.1.2) is now not working because I wiped ALL the partitions before attempted to restore the backup (which I didnt know was bad at the time)
3. Please help me restore the Nook back to factory or any working state. Are there any restorable backup images that can be downloaded online?
p.s. I have tried touchnooter and installed touchformatv2 but all I get now is a Read Forever load screen.
Please Please Help Me Im so sad (I know this is down to carelessness on my part but I really need help)

bubblewrapper said:
1. I made this exact same mistake yesterday and I ended up with a bad backup.
2. My Nook Simple Touch (1.1.2) is now not working because I wiped ALL the partitions before attempted to restore the backup (which I didnt know was bad at the time)
3. Please help me restore the Nook back to factory or any working state. Are there any restorable backup images that can be downloaded online?
p.s. I have tried touchnooter and installed touchformatv2 but all I get now is a Read Forever load screen.
Please Please Help Me Im so sad (I know this is down to carelessness on my part but I really need help)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Few people who will be knowledgeable will find your post buried here under this thread. i suggest that you simply start a new thread with a good descriptive title so that the gurus will find it.

Not sure how to get hebrew working. One assumes that in addition to the characters, you need it to right to left? If it's the latter, I know there was a thread discussing doing this with Arabic, and I'm not sure how that turned out. You can also google around for folks looking at this on, I think, mobilereads.

roustabout said:
Not sure how to get hebrew working. One assumes that in addition to the characters, you need it to right to left? If it's the latter, I know there was a thread discussing doing this with Arabic, and I'm not sure how that turned out. You can also google around for folks looking at this on, I think, mobilereads.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, I think that I just need the fonts (or at least that would be a great first step). I put fonts with Hebrew glyphs in /system/fonts (using ES File Explorer in Root mode) but even after a restart it does not find the fonts (i.e. Hebrew text still shows as rectangles). I will fight with it some more in the coming days, if I don't succeed I will start a new, concise thread on the topic. There are plenty of Google posts on the subject, but all of the ones that I have seen (not Nook-specific) suggest that dropping the fonts is /system/fonts should be enough. Perhaps it is a permissions issue, I'll see if I can SSH into the device to see permissions.

dotancohen said:
I have a Nook Simple Touch Glowlight with software verion 1.1.5. All the information that I've been able to Google is for 1.1.2, in fact that is the version that I still see on the B&N website.
I _think_ that I have found a suitable way to root the device with Nooter but I would like to know how to confirm that in fact this is the right project for my software version. I'm sorry that I cannot post a link to the Nooter project, but I have less than 10 posts.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry that I am so slow to respond, but I think this is the information you need to root a Nook with Glow on version 1.1.5
It uses Glownooter
http://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/20...using-glownooter-includes-googles-app-market/
and this is the backup routine
http://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/20...-and-restore-nook-glow-and-nook-simple-touch/

ladykayaker said:
Sorry that I am so slow to respond,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you! You don't need to apologize for taking time to respond, you are under no obligation! But I very much do appreciate your assistance and am happy to wait patiently! You will notice that I usually google issues first to try to save us both the time!
I think this is the information you need to root a Nook with Glow on version 1.1.5
It uses Glownooter
http://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/20...using-glownooter-includes-googles-app-market/
and this is the backup routine
http://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/20...-and-restore-nook-glow-and-nook-simple-touch/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you. It seems that those posts are Windows-centric summerizations of information found here at XDA-developers. The root is pretty much the process that I used, but from the guide right here which has Linux directions as well.
By the way, the-ebook-reader site is often not responding for me. Is it just for me, or does everyone have trouble with that site?
Thanks!

version 1.2.0
UK glowlight ships with 1.2.0. Use tinynooter to root this. You may have issues installing apps atm though but you will get the browser at least.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1961835

Thanks, Loney. In fact, I got this Glowlight in the US, and it reports that it has software verion 1.1.5. But the information will be good for others who might google this thread!

[Q] Nexus 7: A Beginners Quest!

Hi guys!
I bought a Nexus 7 a few days ago, This is my first Android device, my first tablet and my first attempt at rooting anything. so I was hoping for some help from the experienced folks because frankly i don't know what I'm doing I was hoping you could help me with a sort of beginners guide for rooting, like what i should look out for, whats the safest and easiest toolkit, rom, kernel to use. I know i have so much to learn from you guys and I've been reading some of the threads and im starting to get a bit of it already just asking for a step by step of what i should do im mainly going to use my tablet for torrents, games, and some light photo editing and lots of comics! so how do i start? hope to hear from you guys soon THANKS IN ADVANCE!

For rooting the tablet ..its safe ,the important thing is to follow the instructions .so to root it you can use one of the toolkits in the development section,I preferred wugfresh toolkit more ..but its up to you the other one is also good ... Here's a video which explains the root procedure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI0_ylxyrWA&feature=youtube_gdata_player
btw update your phone before rooting it
And for flashing Roms there are a lots of guides on how to do it..just use Google
If you got stuck in any boot loops just use the toolkit you first used, to restore to stock or restore with a nandroid backup
Most important thing when you root. before touching a file ..do a nandroid backup in recovery to always stay safe ..
That's it enjoy the forums
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium

BigJoey010 said:
For rooting the tablet ..its safe ,the important thing is to follow the instructions .so to root it you can use one of the toolkits in the development section,I preferred wugfresh toolkit more ..but its up to you the other one is also good ... Here's a video which explains the root procedure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI0_ylxyrWA&feature=youtube_gdata_player
btw update your phone before rooting it
And for flashing Roms there are a lots of guides on how to do it..just use Google
If you got stuck in any boot loops just use the toolkit you first used, to restore to stock or restore with a nandroid backup
Most important thing when you root. before touching a file ..do a nandroid backup in recovery to always stay safe ..
That's it enjoy the forums
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well said, but here are some more tips: DO NOT PANIC!! when something goes wrong, which is likely, as you are a newbie to rooting, one thing you must not do is panic. calm down and troubleshoot, what did i do wrong? how do i fix it? and according to my experience, whenever a door slams shut behind you, a new window opens. if one method doesn't work, try another method.
also, read through the entire procedure list before start doing the steps. make sure you understand what is required and how to do it before accidentally doing something stupid. believe me, its happened to me b4, not a pleasant experience when you realise you dont actually meet the criteria to install something. btw, here is a list of common names given to the nexus 7: Nexus 7 (duh!), N7, grouper (wifi only) Tilapia (wifi+3g)
good luck rooting!

Read through the stickied threads and try to understand them. It won't happen right away though; your head will probably spin the first couple of times through.
There is really no "overnight" learning curve to this stuff - even if you are an old hand with Linux/Unix.
BTW, it is important to point something out: There should be no reason for you to feel like you should be in a hurry to root. The N7 is a fantastic device, even when used in a pure stock experience.. You are not going to be missing out by not rooting immediately. Spend some time with your device getting used to the Android way of doing things, and start reading XDA with a relaxed frame of mind. There is plenty of time. It would be different if you have lots of prior Android experience - but you said it - this is your first Android device.
OK, rooting. To try and keep you safe while you are a noob, I'll give this recommendation:
If you see the word "flash" (verb) near the word "bootloader", RUN AWAY!.
The most dangerous thing you can do to an N7 is mess around with the bootloader. You can turn your device into a useless object by getting things wrong, and it is a little bit rare that you need to flash a bootloader anyway. You have been warned.
So, make sure you know the difference between bootloader and "boot partition".
Most Android devices have a single flash memory chip in them which is divided up into a number of partitions. There are 5 principal partitions and about the same number of less frequently used partitions:
THE 5 PRINCIPAL ANDROID PARTITIONS:
(B) boot - a raw blob of binary data containing a "kernel" and a "ramdisk"
(B) recovery - another raw blob of binary data containing a "kernel" and a "ramdisk"
(F) system - The "ROM" part of Android - all the factory (or customized) software, used read-only
(F) data - User data and customizations. A "factory reset" simply erases all the files here
(F) cache - a scratch area used for downloading files and other maintenance operations
B = binary, bootable
F = Filesystem
Now, the two bootable partitions - boot and recovery - are very similar in structure, but extremely different in purpose. (In fact, in stock devices, they both use a private copy of the same kernel) The "boot" partition can produce a UI (User Interface) after it starts up only in conjunction with healthy /system and /data filesystems containing the Android software. But the "recovery" partition can produce a minimal UI even if the /data and /system filesystems are completely empty of files; so it (the recovery boot) is used to do all maintenance operations - including things like installing new /system software or erasing all user data.
So, and Android "rooter" will usually replace the very minimal (and locked-down-security) stock recovery partition with a "custom recovery" that is more friendly, and the vast amount of the "flashing" operations will take place using this custom recovery.
When people talk about "ROMs", they generally mean only TWO of those five partitions mentioned above: the "boot" partition and the "system" partition. When a "ROM" is flashed using the system partition, the usual procedure is:
- The rooter makes a full Nandroid backup.
- The rooter performs a "factory reset" procedure which erases the /data*** and /cache filesystems
- The rooter then "flashes a ROM", which puts in place a new boot partition, erases the /system partition, and then re-populates the /system partition with changed Android system software.
Upon booting an Android phone/tablet after this procedure, the device will behave as if it just came from the factory - but now with a different custom version of Android software. Note that this means that all the things you customized in the previous ROM - wallpapers, settings, home screen app icons, widgets, market apps downloaded, etc - will all be gone. So, folks that make a habit of hopping from ROM to ROM generally have some tricks up their sleeves for making the re-customization of a freshly-installed ROM a little less tedious. (Things like using custom launchers that allow you to save homescreen customizations, apps to restore previously-used market apps & their data, etc, etc, etc)
*** there is some funny business with Android devices that have no removable SDcard storage devices such as the Nexus 7 - the user's "SD card" is emulated, and the files that are stored there are actually stored in the /data filesystem. So, custom recoveries usually have a "factory reset" procedure which deletes all files in /data while scrupulously avoiding erasing things in this /sdcard area ( == /data/media ). This allows you to keep things safe from wiping (pictures, music, ROM files, backups) while still installing a fresh and un-initialized ROM. Note that the stock recovery in the N7 does not do this - when you use the "factory reset" of the stock recovery, EVERYTHING in /data gets erased - everything!
While you are reading about Android, here are some questions/searches to look up that concern rooting activities... have fun!
- What is the difference between grouper/tilapia (or nakasi/nakasig )?
- What does it mean to "install a new launcher" or "install a new home app"?
- What is Android fastboot used for?
- What is the Android ADB (Android Device Bridge) program used for?
- What is the difference between a boot image and a bootloader?
- How do I go about making a Nandroid Backup?
- What are the Carbon and Titanium Backup apps for? What can they do?
- What file browsers on the market are "root aware"?
- What Android settings can be saved by the Google Play Store, and automatically restored into a new ROM?
- Is there a difference between the "Superuser" and "SuperSU" root kits?
- What are the special Hardware Button Combinations used by the Nexus 7?
- What is the Google Android SDK?
- What custom recoveries are available for the Nexus 7?
- How many unique operating modes does the Nexus 7 bootloader display? What are they called?
- What is a MD5 signature? How can it help me stay out of trouble?
- What does soft-booting a bootable image with fastboot do?
- How many (Windows PC) drivers are needed to use ADB (with both the custom recovery and also the regular OS) and fastboot (with the bootloader), 2 or 3?
- Suppose I soft-brick my N7 - how will I transfer files to and from the N7 in this situation?
- What is the difference between adb push/pull and adb sideload?
- What does "sideloading an app" mean?
- Is an Android ".apk" file the same thing as a .zip file, or different?
- In what folder in /data are market apps (.apk files) found? Same question for /system and system apps (.apk files)?
- How do I enable the developer options on my N7 tablet?
- What are the limitations of MTP or PTP file transfer modes?
- Where does the custom recovery tool store backups?
- Are the Android tools "adb" and "fastboot" available for Mac or Linux?
- What are the limitations of the Google Factory Images for the Nexus 7? How are they installed?
- I have a problem using the recovery. Where is the log file stored?
- What is the big stumbling block involved in unlocking the N7 bootloader?
- What operations can you perform using fastboot and the bootloader which you can not do any other way?
OK, that's enough for now.

Thanks Everyone!
bftb0 said:
Read through the stickied threads and try to understand them. It won't happen right away though; your head will probably spin the first couple of times through.
There is really no "overnight" learning curve to this stuff - even if you are an old hand with Linux/Unix.
BTW, it is important to point something out: There should be no reason for you to feel like you should be in a hurry to root. The N7 is a fantastic device, even when used in a pure stock experience.. You are not going to be missing out by not rooting immediately. Spend some time with your device getting used to the Android way of doing things, and start reading XDA with a relaxed frame of mind. There is plenty of time. It would be different if you have lots of prior Android experience - but you said it - this is your first Android device..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do appreciate everyones input! yeah i think ill make do with the stock for a couple weeks while i study up on rooting and firmwares. well the main reason i wanted to root was for the games, as much as i want to buy the games i like, i dont have the means to

This is great. Wish I had been fortunate enough to have such great help when I first started.
And the most important rule is the one about reading before you root or flash. This will save you some heartache down the road.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app

How's rooting related to games ? You mean overclocking ?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium

BigJoey010 said:
How's rooting related to games ? You mean overclocking ?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sad to say i will have to torrent my games as much as i wanna pay and support the game devs i already blew all my money on steam and buying the N7. ive read somewhere that if u are using the the stock version and you try to run a torrented game it automatically shuts down

No it doesn't ...i be downloaded tons of games(torrents) and I'm on stock and they are working normally
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium

UrbabBear said:
sad to say i will have to torrent my games as much as i wanna pay and support the game devs i already blew all my money on steam and buying the N7. ive read somewhere that if u are using the the stock version and you try to run a torrented game it automatically shuts down
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All the help you were given....then you bring this up.
I doubt further help will come your way as pirating software is very much frowned upon at xda.
Sent from my cell phone telephone....

kj2112 said:
All the help you were given....then you bring this up.
I doubt further help will come your way as pirating software is very much frowned upon at xda.
Sent from my cell phone telephone....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i never really liked pirating software...believe me im a huge fan of steam and i practically buy alll my games legit for the pc.. since steam wallet codes are available at a local store here.. okay i promise i wont pirate and ill try to look for the means to buy from the google store , the thing is i dont have a credit card... and i dont know if google has have something equivalent to steam wallet cards for the google play store.. i could borrow a cc and pay for it.. but is the google play store a safe place to purchase ? i nkow some people disputing alot of charges from google play to everyone, i meant no disprespect.. i was thinking along the lines of test the game if there is no lite version, then when i can i will buy the game :< im still new to the whole tablet arena and im gonna need all the help that i can get

UrbabBear said:
i never really liked pirating software...believe me im a huge fan of steam and i practically buy alll my games legit for the pc.. since steam wallet codes are available at a local store here.. okay i promise i wont pirate and ill try to look for the means to buy from the google store , the thing is i dont have a credit card... and i dont know if google has have something equivalent to steam wallet cards for the google play store.. i could borrow a cc and pay for it.. but is the google play store a safe place to purchase ? i nkow some people disputing alot of charges from google play to everyone, i meant no disprespect.. i was thinking along the lines of test the game if there is no lite version, then when i can i will buy the game :< im still new to the whole tablet arena and im gonna need all the help that i can get
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
a good way to get started is to get yourself a prepaid credit card from 7eleven and use that for purchases from the play store.

Billchen0014 said:
a good way to get started is to get yourself a prepaid credit card from 7eleven and use that for purchases from the play store.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
as much as that service would be convenient its not available in my country thanks! i hope somebody brings it here ... i found a workaround already now just a matter of saving up for the good apps! so in the mean time lite versions here i come!

UrbabBear said:
as much as that service would be convenient its not available in my country thanks! i hope somebody brings it here ... i found a workaround already now just a matter of saving up for the good apps! so in the mean time lite versions here i come!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://play.google.com/about/giftcards/ use this to see if any retailers near you sell.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium

Hey guys, what do you think are the most basic and necessary apps that i should get ? running on stock
, ive checked some and go a file manager

If you think you are going to root down the road...
If you think there is a good chance that you are going to root down the road, I would suggest unlocking the bootloader in the near future. You'll need to do this and it wipes everything on the tablet. Even if you don't root, there's isn't any major downside to having the bootloader unlocked and you can always relock it later.
It's better to do that before you've put a lot of time into customizing your tablet to perfection and then have to redo it all.

Install CyanogenMod 12.1 on Barnes & Noble Nook HD or Nook HD+ in Five Easy Steps

Want to try Nougat on your Nook HD+ or HD?
Installing Nougat has never been easier. Procedure described in post 239 of this thread.
Development for unofficial CM-12.1 for Nook HD and Nook HD+ has ceased.
The author @amaces has moved on to Marshmallow (Android 6), and the zip files for these progressive releases are what you now see at the collaboration link. If you wish to install CM-12.1 look instead through the pages of his "obsolete" folder for "cm-12.1-20151018" and "twrp-2.8.7.4" final releases. CWM should install these properly but later versions are likely to fail due to deficiencies in the CWM recovery utility.
Better yet try the latest Marshmallow and TWRP versions. For this you must create a new bootable microSD card using these files provided by @belfastraven and the downloaded zip files "cm_hummingbird-ota-MHC19Q.160407.zip" and "twrp-3.0.1-0-hummingbird.zip". These versions may advance by the time you happen to do this. The procedure is the same as described in the .pdf guide for CM-12.1, except with the new files.
And use a current GApps file for the ARM platform, Android 6.0 from http://opengapps.org/.
This is a detailed tutorial for beginners. Seasoned users may find it overly verbose.
My toy box contains some Nook HD and Nook HD+ tablets, and I recently became aware of CyanogenMod. I studied about it for a while and finally tried a CM-12.1 installation. It was successful, and I was so impressed by the improvements that I told some Nook-owning friends about it. They quickly decided to do likewise and asked for instructions.
My friends and I are all retirees, so we have seven Saturdays a week to spend as we wish. I decided to spend a few of mine re-writing my notes into an instruction manual. As of today, September 25, 2015, there are eleven formerly stock Nook tablets whose beginner-owners have followed the instruction and successfully installed CM-12.1. Several of these are being regularly updated as revisions are released. No bricks have been cast so far.
During the study period I spent a lot of time on xda developers pages, and it eventually occurred to me that there might be other beginners who could make good use of Nook-specific instructions. So I am pleased to offer this manual to anyone interested, and hope it will save you some time and trouble.
The procedure uses the technique and boot files by @leapinlar. The ROM and TWRP zip files used are those created by @amaces. Profound thanks to these experts for their diligent work and generosity.
Below is a synopsis of the instructions. The complete PDF document is attached to this post.
This document will guide you through the steps of installing a pure modern version of the Android operating system on your Nook HD or Nook HD+ tablet. The installation is done from a bootable microSD card using the ClockWorkMod recovery utility to install the contents of zip files. This straightforward method does not require ADB or rooting the Nook. The result is CM-12.1 installed with basic Google apps and your choice of TWRP or CWM for your resident recovery utility.
There's room for improvement.
If I could learn how to create a bootable microSD that would boot to TWRP instead of CWM the procedure could be reduced to four easy steps. I have found no help for this, and my own attempts have all failed. I would be most grateful for any help so I can update the instructions.

This is brilliant!

Where was this three days ago ? I really could have used this when I finally got around to fixing my dead Nook HD+ with spare parts from an ebayed broken on, and decided to finally go for broke on EMMC (after SD Boot killed the device twice on me while charging overnight.) Not a fun initial teardown to pull out that mainboard, but manageable with a good deal of care.
My own fumbling around led me to using verygreen's external recovery image here (Note, they are the Initial sdcard Images located at the very top) as recommended by amaces writing it to the SDcard using Win32DiskImager for a bootable sdcard (On Windows 10 here). Then using that, I went and installed amaces' TWRP and CM12.1 onto the Nook HD+ followed by finding a set of gapps to install as well.
I missed the backup/wipe parts of your guide, sadly. Though I do have a stock copy laying about, and my device has been out of warranty for a while by now. I just didn't think of doing the wipe (though looking back, the broken one I took the mainboard from and its EMMC already had that done). Further, I was lost seeing that "Root" fix note and ended up hitting yes. Fortunately, it doesn't appear to have done anything for my tablet.
In the end? I got my Nook HD+ up and running using amaces' CM12.1 ... even if in a manner that may make those more experience wince at my errors. Still, its nice to have my large tablet for reading and watching videos once more rather then needing to spend a couple hundred dollars on a decent large tablet. Gaming isn't up to par (older games still does decently), but its an old device and not exactly what I wanted it for anyways.
I just wish I held off a couple more days so I had this guide to help me through this. Still, for anyone that comes after I hope your efforts help them.

Thank you for taking your time and writing such a useful guide. I am currently on cm11 m12. Are there any noticeable difference between 12.1 and cm11? Is the update from cm11 to 12.1 the same as from stock to 12.1?

Holy crap that is awesome. Looks like I picked the perfect day to upgrade the kids YouTube machine from 4.4
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using XDA Free mobile app

Thank you for taking the time to put together this extremely easy to follow guide! It helped me breath new life into my Nook!

Thanks so much for writing up a document us older folks can handle. (and say hello to Sequim for me!)
:good:
Cheers.

This looks like exactly what I need. I've finally reached the point of frustration with my Nook HD+ that I'm ready to go through with a reflash. Thanks so much for providing this great resource.
But, one question. You advise not modifying the user interface after flashing CM 12.1 to the device. This is because the ROM is still under development, and making chages of that sort will make upgrading to newer images more difficult. In principle, I understand this. But is this a permanent condition?
In other words, I suppose development on CM 12.1 will go on until interest in it is lost and the project goes moribund. No one can predict when that will happen, but if things go as they have for the past couple of decades, this project is likely to be abandoned sooner rather than later. So is there some projected point when the project reaches stability and when users can make interface changes without worry of having problems upgrading? Or is the inadvisability of making such personalization modifications a permanent condition?

i got it installed simple enough but cant seem to login to my google account, it just tells me something went wrong and wont sign in, any ideas what i can do?

I used this manual to put CM 12.1 on my Nook HD+ and it worked great. What a wonderful resource you've provided.
A couple of minor issues I encountered are as follows. The directions in step 5e call for rebooting the system, but the menu I encountered did not correspond precisely to the description, What is described in step 5e is a two-step process, first slecting "reboot," then "power off." However, when I tapped the "reboot" button, there was no subsequent option to power off; the device simply rebooted. That didn't prove to be much of an issue since, realizing the Nook would be trying to boot from the SD card, I simply quickly removed it in a very early stage of the boot process.
Another minor issue is that the file system is kind of strange, with the backed up data being located under /storage/emulated, with a couple of symlinks in other locations to that same directory. It's kind of puzzling to find my way around the system. That said, so far everything works and all my previous data seems to have been preserved.
As far as improvements to the guide, you might want to add the additional directive that developer options can be gained by going to Settings > About table and tapping on "build number" seven times. I wanted to change the hostname on the new installation, and I needed developer options to do that. I don't know how many retirees are going to want to do things like that but, age wise, I'm not too far away from that category, and I needed that. So, maybe something you could add at the end of your nice manual.
As to booting directly into TWRP, I found an img file at twrp.me under /devices/barnesnoblenookhdplus.html. It looks like directives there are for writing it to the internal recovery partition, but I don't see why it could not be written to an sd card by slightly adapting those same directives. I'm new enough to this to not quite understand whether the recovery image would answer to your issue, but it's something you might want to consider.
All in all, you've provided a nice resource with this guide. It worked well for me on a first try, so it's something I'd definitely recommend to others.

Question about step 3b from the manual (Backup the existing system and data to the microSD card). Let's say this is a brand new Nook HD+ that contains no data or configuration that the user wishes to preserve: can that step just be skipped in such a case?
I'm asking because my current Nook HD+ has a pretty badly cracked screen and I'm thinking of replacing the unit with another Nook HD+. Doing this upgrade to CycanogenMod has got me thinking more seriously about getting a unit with an intact screen. If I end up replacing the unit, there will be no data or configuration on the replacement unit that I'll be wanting to preserve.

wayover13 said:
Question about step 3b from the manual (Backup the existing system and data to the microSD card). Let's say this is a brand new Nook HD+ that contains no data or configuration that the user wishes to preserve: can that step just be skipped in such a case?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It wouldn't hurt to have a backup of Stock, imo. Further, its useful habit to get into as you upgrade to any new image that is released and not loose everything. If only to allow you to reset to the default state and try again.

wayover13 said:
But, one question. You advise not modifying the user interface after flashing CM 12.1 to the device. This is because the ROM is still under development, and making chages of that sort will make upgrading to newer images more difficult. In principle, I understand this. But is this a permanent condition?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm a bit lazy when it comes to installing incremental releases, so I prefer to do simple "dirty installs". This means re-flashing without wiping the old installation, which can be done in seconds with no consequences.
But a dirty install will probably fail if you have made user-interface changes, even if you try to reverse out those changes before flashing. You can still install revisions anytime you wish, but you must do the wipes first. This means you will have to go through the setup procedure all over again, which takes a lot longer than a dirty install.
CM-12.1 for our Nooks should eventually be offered among the official nightly releases, and hopefully a milestone release now and then. I might consider UI tweaks after installing one of these, then settle down for a long quite period of no more updates.
If a stable CM-12.1 ever happens, we'll all be installing CM-13 by then.

wayover13 said:
The directions in step 5e call for rebooting the system, but the menu I encountered did not correspond precisely to the description, What is described in step 5e is a two-step process, first slecting "reboot," then "power off." However, when I tapped the "reboot" button, there was no subsequent option to power off; the device simply rebooted.
Another minor issue is that the file system is kind of strange, with the backed up data being located under /storage/emulated, with a couple of symlinks in other locations to that same directory. It's kind of puzzling to find my way around the system. That said, so far everything works and all my previous data seems to have been preserved.
As far as improvements to the guide, you might want to add the additional directive that developer options can be gained by going to Settings > About table and tapping on "build number" seven times. I wanted to change the hostname on the new installation, and I needed developer options to do that.
As to booting directly into TWRP, I found an img file at twrp.me under /devices/barnesnoblenookhdplus.html. It looks like directives there are for writing it to the internal recovery partition, but I don't see why it could not be written to an sd card by slightly adapting those same directives. I'm new enough to this to not quite understand whether the recovery image would answer to your issue, but it's something you might want to consider.
All in all, you've provided a nice resource with this guide. It worked well for me on a first try, so it's something I'd definitely recommend to others.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too was puzzled a few times. There are two "Reboot" buttons: One in the TWRP entry menu and the other is deeper in where the flash process ends. The one in the entry menu will present a Reboot menu with includes a Power Off button. Use the tablets move-back triangle below the screen to navigate back to the entry menu.
I think you refer to the stock backup made by CWM before flashing CM-12.1. My stock Nooks were under-used with no data worth recovering, so I never looked into this. If you'd care to share any details about your findings it might be helpful so some subsequent readers.
This one is covered on Page 15 (actually sheet 17 including cover page and Table of Contents) under the heading Reboot to Recovery.
Once TWRP is installed its pretty easy to use it to install a newer version of it. But getting the boot files prepared on a microSD to boot to this image turned out to be more complicated than my very limited experience could manage (I'm a retired orchardist). The CM-12.1 installation procedure would be greatly improved if I can make this work, but I really need some professional help to make this happen. I keep hoping for a knowledgeable person to come forward.
Thank you very much. There are so many helpful members on this forum, and it is gratifying that I've been able to make a tiny contribution.

zspeciman said:
Thank you for taking your time and writing such a useful guide. I am currently on cm11 m12. Are there any noticeable difference between 12.1 and cm11? Is the update from cm11 to 12.1 the same as from stock to 12.1?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried CM-11 briefly on one of my Nooks before I became aware of CM-12.1, so I can tell you there is a huge difference. The move is from Android 4.4 to Android 5.1. And in my opinion all of this huge difference is for the better.
If you use the instructions, you can follow them exactly to move from CM-11 to CM-12.1. You are going to wipe the existing installation entirely, so it matters not what it is.

siccoblue said:
i got it installed simple enough but cant seem to login to my google account, it just tells me something went wrong and wont sign in, any ideas what i can do?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been pondering this, but nothing has yet come to mind. I'm presuming you did the full wipe before starting the install.
Which GApps did you install? If, for example, you chose one of the more sophisticated packages (tk_gapps or open_gapps) you would have had to defer installing it until Step 5. If so, and if you were distracted for a while and forgot to install it, I suspect the setup process would not offer an opportunity to log in to your Google account. This is probably not your issue since you were able to attempt a login.
Were you replacing the stock Android? Any other clues you can offer?

I managed to fix it, I had to completely wipe everything as opposed to just a normal reformat and it fixed the issue, but I actually have another problem now, I'm trying to do this on my second nook and when I attempt to flash twrp, cwm recovery now throws me an error on both my tablets, along the lines of "cannot install recovery this was designed for ovation and you are on ." it says that the device is . and won't let me flash it, any ideas?

PeteInSequim said:
I'm a bit lazy when it comes to installing incremental releases, so I prefer to do simple "dirty installs". This means re-flashing without wiping the old installation, which can be done in seconds with no consequences.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I understand vaguely what you're talking about here, but I'm pretty new to flashing Android devices and find myself wanting to know more. Is there some link you can point me to that explains in greater detail about dirty versus other types of installations? What I'm most interested in learning is how much configuration is too much to permit a dirty install. For example, the tablet is of little use to me if I can't install certain apps on it; will installing apps, for example, obviate the possibility of the sort of dirty install you're speking of?
PeteInSequim said:
But a dirty install will probably fail if you have made user-interface changes, even if you try to reverse out those changes before flashing. You can still install revisions anytime you wish, but you must do the wipes first. This means you will have to go through the setup procedure all over again, which takes a lot longer than a dirty install.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For example, I want a battery percentage monitor in the taskbar. If I enable that, is that the sort of user interface change after which I will be unable to do a dirty install? How about deleting what I would call desktop icons and/or adding others from newly-installed apps? Is that the sort of user interface change that will cause me to be unable to do a dirty install? If so, it seems like I would need to become a sort of beta tester in order to retain the possibility of doing further dirty installs, rather than using my Nook for my everyday needs.
PeteInSequim said:
CM-12.1 for our Nooks should eventually be offered among the official nightly releases, and hopefully a milestone release now and then. I might consider UI tweaks after installing one of these, then settle down for a long quite period of no more updates.
If a stable CM-12.1 ever happens, we'll all be installing CM-13 by then.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm obviously not too well versed in CynaogenMod/Android development. I wasn't aware that CM-12.1 was at such an early stage of development. Let me see if I'm, understanding correctly: is the CM-12.x series tracking Lollipop, while the projected CM-13 will track Marshmallow (Marshmallow being, as I understand it, the next Android release)?
I've obvioulsy got a lot to learn on this front.
---------- Post added at 11:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:55 PM ----------
PeteInSequim said:
I too was puzzled a few times. There are two "Reboot" buttons: One in the TWRP entry menu and the other is deeper in where the flash process ends. The one in the entry menu will present a Reboot menu with includes a Power Off button. Use the tablets move-back triangle below the screen to navigate back to the entry menu.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, on a second attempt I realized I needed to hit the move-back trinagle to get to the reboot button to which the manual was referring. Thanks for the clarification.
PeteInSequim said:
This one is covered on Page 15 (actually sheet 17 including cover page and Table of Contents) under the heading Reboot to Recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're right. I should have kept reading
On my second try, I realized I'd noted another discrepancy in the manual, one that occurs between steps 5a and 5b. After step 5a (successfully booting to TWRP by holding the power and home buttons down for the correct interval) I actually get an "Unmodified System Partition" screen. There, I have the option of either keeping the system partition read-only, or swiping another option to allow modifications. It is only after either tapping the read-only item or swiping the allow modifications item that I get a subsequent screen where I can tap the Install button (step 5b).
PeteInSequim said:
Once TWRP is installed its pretty easy to use it to install a newer version of it. But getting the boot files prepared on a microSD to boot to this image turned out to be more complicated than my very limited experience could manage (I'm a retired orchardist). The CM-12.1 installation procedure would be greatly improved if I can make this work, but I really need some professional help to make this happen. I keep hoping for a knowledgeable person to come forward.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a fair amount of experience writing image files to disks/partitions. Does it seem like that's what's needed? I also know how to mount an image file as a looped file system in order to, for example, copy files from it. That's something like what was done with the unrar'ing of CWM and copying files over to the SD card. If any of that experience sounds helpful, I could probably conduct some experiments to see if I could succeed at this. I'm just not sure what the TWRP image file I found is: is it a bootable image? If so, I'm not sure copying files from it to a bootable partition, like you instructed to do for CWM, would work. Writing a bootable image to an SD card should, on the other hand, cause that SD card to become a bootable medium.
In any case, as I said, I could conduct some experiments if it seems like any of my suggestions would be helpful. I'm not really any kind of professional either, btw. I got into computing when I undertook, at a later stage of life, some graduate studies in the humanities, during which I developed the crazy notion that I could somehow gain the upper hand over the machines. That attempt ended in failure, but I have kept up my doomed insurgence and learned some things along the way.

siccoblue said:
I managed to fix it, I had to completely wipe everything as opposed to just a normal reformat and it fixed the issue, but I actually have another problem now, I'm trying to do this on my second nook and when I attempt to flash twrp, cwm recovery now throws me an error on both my tablets, along the lines of "cannot install recovery this was designed for ovation and you are on ." it says that the device is . and won't let me flash it, any ideas?
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Well, sounds like the zip file you're attempting to flash is mismatched to your model Nook. "designed for ovation" means the zip file is intended for the 9-inch Nook HD+. Are you trying to install on hummingbird, which is the 7-inch Nook HD?

I understand vaguely what you're talking about here, but I'm pretty new to flashing Android devices and find myself wanting to know more. Is there some link you can point me to that explains in greater detail about dirty versus other types of installations? What I'm most interested in learning is how much configuration is too much to permit a dirty install. For example, the tablet is of little use to me if I can't install certain apps on it; will installing apps, for example, obviate the possibility of the sort of dirty install you're speking of?
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The best explanation I can offer is on page 17 of the instructions. Basically if flashing an incremental CM-12.1 revision a dirty install is fine (no need to wipe the system partition) UNLESS you have altered the user interface with things like theme, colors, wallpaper, boot animation, sounds, etc. If you have, you must wipe both the Data and System partitions.
Or if you are installing an OS version for which the existing one is not a close relative. The most outrageous example of this would be re-installing the old stock Barnes & Noble Android in place of your CM-12.1. Review the information on pages 16 and 17, and I think you'll get a good handle on this.
I've been called to dinner; will address your other questions after that.