MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - The Ermine "Tweaks" Thread (Gapps, Ermine Bugs, and More)

kennyminot · 06-08-2011, 11:16 AM

I noticed some of the information about tweaking Ermine has started to become splintered and lost in the interwebs. Therefore, I'm consolidating the information to this thread, which I'll update as soon as new information becomes available. In addition, I've added a list about the known bugs in Ermine, so we can work together to come up with some solutions to these problems.

(For those of you who know me, the truth is I'm still procrastinating on my dissertation.)

If you aren't familiar with some of the language on this thread, I recommend checking out emusan's glossary. Also, he offers this helpful piece of advice: "If you don't know what one of the terms means you should likely do some more research about what you are doing before proceeding. When developing on a device like this (especially without warranty or official support), it can be very risky." Finally, if you're not familiar with what "rooting" means, you might want to check out this thread.

VERY IMPORTANT: Make sure you backup any sensitive files before messing around with your device. If you completely wreck your system, instructions for restoring it to its factory state can be found here. In some cases, you might have trouble reverting back to Dingo because the update will reboot after only about thirty seconds. If you are having these problems, you might want to try darkgrue's fix.

Installing Ermine and Rooting your Device

Step 1. Download the Ermine update files.

Step 2. Install the Ermine update. Before you get started, just be aware that you are taking some risk, although most users think it's worth it. While this might seem obvious, make sure you install the appropriate update file. You will mess things up if you install the Pocket Edge update on the full-sized Edge.

Step 3. Download z4root and root your device. Most of the tweaks on this thread require you to gain root access, which is a mostly safe procedure that gives you more control over your operating system. After you launch z4root, select the "permanent root" option. The program should do the rest of the work.

Step 4. Invest some money in Titanium Backup and Root Explorer. Trust me: they're worth it.

Gapps

1. Install the Golden Allmine Update - While installing this update will wipe your device, it will provide you with access to Gapps and the Google Market. Just a warning: do not try to install this on the original, full-sized eDGe. The update is only for the Pocket eDGe and will therefore brick your device.

2. Enabling the Android Market with a Rooted Phone - If you have the larger Entourage eDGe, you might want to try this procedure. It requires that you have a rooted Android phone with Titanium Backup.

3. Enabling Gapps without a Rooted Phone - While you currently can't get the market to work without using one of the above methods, you can at least enable some of the other gapps. Once you get the applications installed, you need to setup your Google account through the YouTube application. If you have some problems syncing your account, try emusan's method on this thread. Finally, if this all seems like too much of a hassle, consider using the built-in Froyo Mail application to skip the entire process.

Build.prop Tweaks

wifi.supplicant_scan_interval = 90
windowsmgr.max_events_per_sec=60
ro.sf.lcd_density=120

For more information about these changes, check out yugami's posts.

Ermine Bugs

1. Hibernation Issues - Some people have problems with Ermine locking up when coming out of hibernation. This issue doesn't appear to affect all devices. At the moment, we're speculating that the eDGe was built with a variety of different hardware chips, which is a tactic that companies occasionally use to keep down prices. Right now, there is no fix for the problem, although some users have been trying to develop a workaround. If you have any suggestions, jump over to that thread.

2. The White Screen of Death (WSOD) - Many users have reported that the LCD screen will occasionally flash white when they awaken the device from hibernation. In certain rare cases, the white screen never goes away, even after the person does a hard reset. If you have this problem, most likely your device is hosed. My best advice is to let it sit for a few hours and then try it again. The problem appears to be a hardware issue relating to the ribbon cable that goes through the hinge.

3. Low Battery Life - Some people have complained about the battery life in comparison to other tablets. Fortunately, bunodosoma discovered that the phone and telephony applications might have been causing the problem. Seeing how they are not actually used by the eDGe, you can disable them by going to your system/apps folder in Root Explorer and renaming phone.apk and telephony.apk (my recommendation would be changing them to phone.old and telephony.old, just in case you need to restore them for some reason in the future). The device might lock up after you rename the phone.apk, but everything should work find after a hard restart. Currently, users are estimating this tweak might improve battery life by almost 2 hours. I'd be interested in hearing your experiences with it.

4. Moving Apps to SDCard - Not fixed, but you can find a workaround here. In addition, you might have problems installing some apps because they attempt to automatically install the sdcard. If you have such difficulties, you have one of two options. First, you can switch the sdcard and internal memory by following the third step of these instructions. Then, you can simply unplug your sdcard and try to install. Alternatively, you might try manually unmounting your internal memory through the terminal. In order to do this, you need to first root your device. Then, open up the "dev tools" application and select the "terminal emulator." Then, type "su" and hit enter. Afterwards, type "umount /sdcard" and try to install your program. I'm not sure if this will work, but it's worth a shot.

5. E-ink PDF Annotation - Limited underlining capabilities in portrait mode, doesn't work in landscape mode. Currently, best option is to download Repligo or ezPDF Reader.

6. Lack of Lock Code on Startup - For some reason, the Entourage developers decided it would be smart to have a $450 device with no lock code, for they have purposely disabled this feature. Luckily, you can work around this problem. One route is to download MySettings. Once you boot up the application, it has a "PIN" options in the upper-right corner, which allows you to turn on the lock screen. Alternatively, you can simply use the shortcut feature of Launcher Pro. (If you haven't installed Launcher Pro, I highly recommend it. I personally believe it is the best launcher for Android devices). Essentially, what you do is press and hold on a blank space on the homescreen. Then, you will receive an "Add to Home Screen" dialog box, and you should select "Shortcuts" from the menu. Next, you want to go down to "Activities." You will get a massive list of options. You need to open up "Settings" and choose the option that says "com.android.settings.ChooseLockGeneric" in small letters. Finally, you just select this new icon on your screen. While this method is a little more complicated, I think it's the better option, mostly because you'll save $.99 on purchasing the otherwise worthless MySettings app.

Application Problems

1. Netflix doesn't work. If you are interested in playing around with it, check out this thread.

2. Adobe Flash doesn't play video. You can install it, but you need to download version 10.1.61.68.

3. The browser doesn't automatically open *.txt files. Javese has edited the apk file so Android will ask you whether you want to open *.txt files in the browser. This might be useful because you can use the browser's print-to-eink feature to open e-books that come in *.txt format.

4. Unfortunately, most games work slow as molasses. While the community is not exactly sure of the exact problem, it is most likely a combination of poorly written video drivers and a strange processor without the necessary graphics abilities. However, you can get a few games to work. Angry Birds works perfectly fine once you disable the background. In addition, Angry Birds Rio and some other apps seem to work after installing Chainfire 3D. Alas, Fruit Ninja is still too slow to be playable.

5. Limited options for dumping items from the LCD to the e-ink side. The browser allows you to copy over websites, but if you're working in a different application, you're out of luck. Fortunately, javese has written an app that allows you to essentially do a screen capture and send that information over to the e-ink screen. I haven't personally tried it, but other users have given it their seal of approval.

****************

If you have any suggestions about things to add, just let me know, and I'll update the thread.

Edited:

6/8/2011 to include Mark Rehorst's instructions for enabling your Google account.
6/10/2011 to include yugami's build.prop tweaks.
6/14/2011 to reflect suggested fixes for games and sdcard problems. Also included instructions for rooting the device.
6/30/2011 to includes instructions for initializing lock code.
7/13/2011 to include bunodosoma's battery life tweak.
7/14/2011 to include Ermine update instructions.
7/16/2011 to include darkgrue's Dingo fix and javese's updated browser.apk.
7/19/2011 to include MasterTec's update download links.
7/26/2011 to include javese's lcd2eink application.
7/29/2011 to streamline the Ermine update instructions; also added info on WSOD and hibernation issues.
9/12/2011 to get rid of links to Entourage website.
1/29/2012 to include Allmine update and root explanation.

06-08-2011, 11:16 AM	#1
kennyminot Groupie Posts: 183 Karma: 90022 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Louisville, KY Device: HTC EVO View 4G, HTC Wildfire S, Asus T91MT	The Ermine "Tweaks" Thread (Gapps, Ermine Bugs, and More) I noticed some of the information about tweaking Ermine has started to become splintered and lost in the interwebs. Therefore, I'm consolidating the information to this thread, which I'll update as soon as new information becomes available. In addition, I've added a list about the known bugs in Ermine, so we can work together to come up with some solutions to these problems. (For those of you who know me, the truth is I'm still procrastinating on my dissertation.) If you aren't familiar with some of the language on this thread, I recommend checking out emusan's glossary. Also, he offers this helpful piece of advice: "If you don't know what one of the terms means you should likely do some more research about what you are doing before proceeding. When developing on a device like this (especially without warranty or official support), it can be very risky." Finally, if you're not familiar with what "rooting" means, you might want to check out this thread. VERY IMPORTANT: Make sure you backup any sensitive files before messing around with your device. If you completely wreck your system, instructions for restoring it to its factory state can be found here. In some cases, you might have trouble reverting back to Dingo because the update will reboot after only about thirty seconds. If you are having these problems, you might want to try darkgrue's fix. Installing Ermine and Rooting your Device Step 1. Download the Ermine update files. Step 2. Install the Ermine update. Before you get started, just be aware that you are taking some risk, although most users think it's worth it. While this might seem obvious, make sure you install the appropriate update file. You will mess things up if you install the Pocket Edge update on the full-sized Edge. Step 3. Download z4root and root your device. Most of the tweaks on this thread require you to gain root access, which is a mostly safe procedure that gives you more control over your operating system. After you launch z4root, select the "permanent root" option. The program should do the rest of the work. Step 4. Invest some money in Titanium Backup and Root Explorer. Trust me: they're worth it. Gapps 1. Install the Golden Allmine Update - While installing this update will wipe your device, it will provide you with access to Gapps and the Google Market. Just a warning: do not try to install this on the original, full-sized eDGe. The update is only for the Pocket eDGe and will therefore brick your device. 2. Enabling the Android Market with a Rooted Phone - If you have the larger Entourage eDGe, you might want to try this procedure. It requires that you have a rooted Android phone with Titanium Backup. 3. Enabling Gapps without a Rooted Phone - While you currently can't get the market to work without using one of the above methods, you can at least enable some of the other gapps. Once you get the applications installed, you need to setup your Google account through the YouTube application. If you have some problems syncing your account, try emusan's method on this thread. Finally, if this all seems like too much of a hassle, consider using the built-in Froyo Mail application to skip the entire process. Build.prop Tweaks wifi.supplicant_scan_interval = 90 windowsmgr.max_events_per_sec=60 ro.sf.lcd_density=120 For more information about these changes, check out yugami's posts. Ermine Bugs 1. Hibernation Issues - Some people have problems with Ermine locking up when coming out of hibernation. This issue doesn't appear to affect all devices. At the moment, we're speculating that the eDGe was built with a variety of different hardware chips, which is a tactic that companies occasionally use to keep down prices. Right now, there is no fix for the problem, although some users have been trying to develop a workaround. If you have any suggestions, jump over to that thread. 2. The White Screen of Death (WSOD) - Many users have reported that the LCD screen will occasionally flash white when they awaken the device from hibernation. In certain rare cases, the white screen never goes away, even after the person does a hard reset. If you have this problem, most likely your device is hosed. My best advice is to let it sit for a few hours and then try it again. The problem appears to be a hardware issue relating to the ribbon cable that goes through the hinge. 3. Low Battery Life - Some people have complained about the battery life in comparison to other tablets. Fortunately, bunodosoma discovered that the phone and telephony applications might have been causing the problem. Seeing how they are not actually used by the eDGe, you can disable them by going to your system/apps folder in Root Explorer and renaming phone.apk and telephony.apk (my recommendation would be changing them to phone.old and telephony.old, just in case you need to restore them for some reason in the future). The device might lock up after you rename the phone.apk, but everything should work find after a hard restart. Currently, users are estimating this tweak might improve battery life by almost 2 hours. I'd be interested in hearing your experiences with it. 4. Moving Apps to SDCard - Not fixed, but you can find a workaround here. In addition, you might have problems installing some apps because they attempt to automatically install the sdcard. If you have such difficulties, you have one of two options. First, you can switch the sdcard and internal memory by following the third step of these instructions. Then, you can simply unplug your sdcard and try to install. Alternatively, you might try manually unmounting your internal memory through the terminal. In order to do this, you need to first root your device. Then, open up the "dev tools" application and select the "terminal emulator." Then, type "su" and hit enter. Afterwards, type "umount /sdcard" and try to install your program. I'm not sure if this will work, but it's worth a shot. 5. E-ink PDF Annotation - Limited underlining capabilities in portrait mode, doesn't work in landscape mode. Currently, best option is to download Repligo or ezPDF Reader. 6. Lack of Lock Code on Startup - For some reason, the Entourage developers decided it would be smart to have a $450 device with no lock code, for they have purposely disabled this feature. Luckily, you can work around this problem. One route is to download MySettings. Once you boot up the application, it has a "PIN" options in the upper-right corner, which allows you to turn on the lock screen. Alternatively, you can simply use the shortcut feature of Launcher Pro. (If you haven't installed Launcher Pro, I highly recommend it. I personally believe it is the best launcher for Android devices). Essentially, what you do is press and hold on a blank space on the homescreen. Then, you will receive an "Add to Home Screen" dialog box, and you should select "Shortcuts" from the menu. Next, you want to go down to "Activities." You will get a massive list of options. You need to open up "Settings" and choose the option that says "com.android.settings.ChooseLockGeneric" in small letters. Finally, you just select this new icon on your screen. While this method is a little more complicated, I think it's the better option, mostly because you'll save $.99 on purchasing the otherwise worthless MySettings app. Application Problems 1. Netflix doesn't work. If you are interested in playing around with it, check out this thread. 2. Adobe Flash doesn't play video. You can install it, but you need to download version 10.1.61.68. 3. The browser doesn't automatically open .txt files. Javese has edited the apk file so Android will ask you whether you want to open .txt files in the browser. This might be useful because you can use the browser's print-to-eink feature to open e-books that come in .txt format. 4. Unfortunately, most games work slow as molasses. While the community is not exactly sure of the exact problem, it is most likely a combination of poorly written video drivers and a strange processor without the necessary graphics abilities. However, you can get a few games to work. Angry Birds works perfectly fine once you disable the background. In addition, Angry Birds Rio and some other apps seem to work after installing Chainfire 3D. Alas, Fruit Ninja is still too slow to be playable. 5. Limited options for dumping items from the LCD to the e-ink side. The browser allows you to copy over websites, but if you're working in a different application, you're out of luck. Fortunately, javese has written an app that allows you to essentially do a screen capture and send that information over to the e-ink screen. I haven't personally tried it, but other users have given it their seal of approval. *************** If you have any suggestions about things to add, just let me know, and I'll update the thread. Edited: 6/8/2011 to include Mark Rehorst's instructions for enabling your Google account. 6/10/2011 to include yugami's build.prop tweaks. 6/14/2011 to reflect suggested fixes for games and sdcard problems. Also included instructions for rooting the device. 6/30/2011 to includes instructions for initializing lock code. 7/13/2011 to include bunodosoma's battery life tweak. 7/14/2011 to include Ermine update instructions. 7/16/2011 to include darkgrue's Dingo fix and javese's updated browser.apk. 7/19/2011 to include MasterTec's update download links. 7/26/2011 to include javese's lcd2eink application. 7/29/2011 to streamline the Ermine update instructions; also added info on WSOD and hibernation issues. 9/12/2011 to get rid of links to Entourage website. 1/29/2012 to include Allmine update and root explanation. Last edited by kennyminot; 01-29-2012 at 12:44 PM.