Onyx Boox AfterGlow 2 Released with Android 4.2 and HD E Ink Screen

[NicolasR]

Originally Posted by ereader25

OK so someone responded to me this is the info for the firmware that comes with the version sold by Amazon:

Kernel Version: 3.0.36+
Build Number:
1.6.5-artatech 2014-11-22_17-17 c285e86

Unfortunately I can't find anywhere to download it, anyone have a backup copy they could link?

Latest firmware for C67ML (aka AfterGlow 2) is here: http://www.onyx-international.com/in...pport/firmware, but if you didn't manage to install it, something must have been broken by your root operations...

[ArtaTechPoland]

Originally Posted by NicolasR

Latest firmware for C67ML (aka AfterGlow 2) is here: http://www.onyx-international.com/in...pport/firmware, but if you didn't manage to install it, something must have been broken by your root operations...

No, C67ML is not as same as AfterGlow 2 with Google Play. By installing different software you lose your warranty.

[Orphee]

Hi!
I have just received a AfterGlow 2, and there are some things I don't understand with it:

- Have you been able to change the font, using the default "OnyxReader" software? (I'm reading an epub with NO font embedded, and NO font-face specified in the CSS). Changing font doesn't work at all, this function seems totally buggy.

- In OnyxReader, what is the menu at the bottom left? When I touch it, it says "Interactive mode, Normal, Cancel"... What is the use of this?

- Still in OnyxReader, at the bottom right, there is white rectangle, what is this thing used for? It doen't react when I touch it...

This OnyxReader software seems to be in early development, but sadly, it is the default reader, and as a first impression, it is a little bit disappointing...

[NicolasR]

Originally Posted by ArtaTechPoland

No, C67ML is not as same as AfterGlow 2 with Google Play. By installing different software you lose your warranty.

Sorry, my mistake. I thought that, because C67ML is written on the back on the device and in the About screens.

[ereader25]

Originally Posted by ArtaTechPoland

No, C67ML is not as same as AfterGlow 2 with Google Play. By installing different software you lose your warranty.

Artatech, I see you have posted the firmware for your other products (Afterglow 1, Lynx, m96, ETC) on your website:

https://onyx-boox.com/support/firmware-android/

Is there a reason you do not post the correct firmware for Afterglow 2 as well? Could you please add this firmware here for restoring? I think this Android e-ink tablet has huge potential and I would like to be able to recommend this to many people, so please help me out!

Thanks!

[ereader25]

Originally Posted by NicolasR

Latest firmware for C67ML (aka AfterGlow 2) is here: http://www.onyx-international.com/in...pport/firmware, but if you didn't manage to install it, something must have been broken by your root operations...

I tried this already and it outputs that:
failed -
assert(getprop("ro.product.device") == "C67ML" ||
getprop("ro.build.product") == "C67ML");

I dunno perhaps the device says it is Artatech C67ML rather than just C67ML (it shows as Artatech C67ML on my computer when I connect it.

I did notice that if you look through the update.zip file from onyx-international and go to /META-INF/com/google/android/updater-script you can find those very lines. I imagine simply deleting them would allow me to install this firmware package. I'm just not sure if that's a good idea, hah. Maybe there are some minor differences in how Artatech's is configured vs the regular C67ML? Any ideas if that is a good or bad idea?

If they continue to ignore my emails and phone calls to their support department requesting assistance then maybe I will just have to try it and hope for the best.


The other thing that could maybe work is if anyone here could upload an rkimage (rk chip). Stealing from Nalor's advice you can create an image this way:

Basically it's quite easy - here are the basic steps for the backup of the firmware:
download Tool from here (http://www.freaktab.com/showthread.p...ndroidTool-2-3) and umcompress it
connect a micro-usb cable to an USB2.0 (not an USB3.0 port to be on the safe side) on your computer
and switch your reader into loader mode:
# power off reader
# press and hold 'back' button below display
# plug in usb cable (while you hold the button)
# wait a couple of sec
# release button
>> device should be in loader mode!
(in case your device is booting now it didn't work - basically it should switch to 'loader' mode - so please repeat the procedure with another button until you succeed - eventually it's the button 'page back' button instead of the 'back' button )
windows should ask you for a driver - you find the correct driver in the folder of the tool package (in case you're using windows 8.1 it's a little bit more complicated - please take a look at this post) - and in case you're not asked please check your windows device manager, search for the unknown device and install the driver manually
download the rkdumper utility (http://forum.xda-developers.com/gene...mware-t2915363) and uncompress it
start a command prompt as administrator
change to the directory of the uncompressed rkdumper
create a dump with the command 'rkdumper /log dump'

In case you're using windows 8.1 (as I do) I want to share a few more details with that I've discovered today:
# as mentioned in the link above with the solution to the driver problem you need VID, PID and REV to create the correct key in the windows registry
# when you start the rkdumper tool with command 'rkdumper scan' it will show a list of all discovered usb devices - including your device and you can get at least VID and PID here.
# in my case windows automatically created the registry-folder in the registry - all I had to do was to find it and insert the DWORD 'SkipBOSDescriptorQuery ' with value 1 in the correct key. to check if windows also created the key for you can use the VID and PID

However, I think it will literally copy all the data exactly as is from your device and create an image you could flash back if you ever ran into problems (as I have had!). But you wouldn't want to do this if your device had any personal information in it, like if it were logged into your email or other services that required usernames and passwords.

So, if anyone has a stock version of the Afterglow 2, or would be willing to reset to stock in order to make a back up, I would super appreciate it if they wouldn't mind sharing the img file with me!

Edit - here's a tool for those on Linux: http://www.cnx-software.com/2013/11/...ware-in-linux/

[ereader25]

The other funny thing is the device is totally functional except for the launcher (albeit everything is in Polish). As in, when I plug it into USB port it pops up the prompt to ask if I want to connect as storage or not. If I'm fast the time between when I click OK to the error prompt that OnyxLauncher has stopped, then I can hit the status bar at the top and adjust the brightness, connect to wifi, etc.

If I could just install another launcher that would be great! Unfortunately I can't get the ADB to connect except for in recovery mode, and then it is locked to only accepting the "sideload" command to send over the update package.

Is there some combination of hardware buttons I can use in order to put the device into debug or ADB mode? I know you can tap the build model a bunch on the settings screen to do this, but I can't navigate there as the menu and home buttons on the launcher screen aren't functional.

[ereader25]

Originally Posted by Orphee

Hi!
I have just received a AfterGlow 2, and there are some things I don't understand with it:

- Have you been able to change the font, using the default "OnyxReader" software? (I'm reading an epub with NO font embedded, and NO font-face specified in the CSS). Changing font doesn't work at all, this function seems totally buggy.

- In OnyxReader, what is the menu at the bottom left? When I touch it, it says "Interactive mode, Normal, Cancel"... What is the use of this?

- Still in OnyxReader, at the bottom right, there is white rectangle, what is this thing used for? It doen't react when I touch it...

This OnyxReader software seems to be in early development, but sadly, it is the default reader, and as a first impression, it is a little bit disappointing...

I would recommend you install a custom launcher - ie ADW, Nova, Lightning, etc. They do not require root priveleges. That will launch you into a more default android home screen and you can use any app you want for your reading, I recommend PageTurner, though the hardware buttons are not yet supported to turn page, it's still really great and the developer is very responsive to the community. ezPDF is great for handling PDF files. You can get Calibre Companion to allow for seamless wireless sync of your media library which updates the metadata to reflect your main database.

[ArtaTechPoland]

Originally Posted by ereader25

Artatech, I see you have posted the firmware for your other products (Afterglow 1, Lynx, m96, ETC) on your website:

https://onyx-boox.com/support/firmware-android/

Is there a reason you do not post the correct firmware for Afterglow 2 as well? Could you please add this firmware here for restoring? I think this Android e-ink tablet has huge potential and I would like to be able to recommend this to many people, so please help me out!

Thanks!

We are going to post updates, when we are ready to put it on OTA. No worries!

[Orphee]

Originally Posted by ereader25

I would recommend you install a custom launcher - ie ADW, Nova, Lightning, etc. They do not require root priveleges. That will launch you into a more default android home screen and you can use any app you want for your reading, I recommend PageTurner, though the hardware buttons are not yet supported to turn page, it's still really great and the developer is very responsive to the community. ezPDF is great for handling PDF files. You can get Calibre Companion to allow for seamless wireless sync of your media library which updates the metadata to reflect your main database.

No need to install a custom launcher: I like the Afterglow's one. And you can choose your reading app from it, with a long touch on the book you want, so it's OK for me.
My complaint is really about the OnyxReader app itself.

[Marseille]

Originally Posted by ereader25

Hello all, I just purchased the Afterglow 2 through Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Onyx-AfterGlow...ds=afterglow+2), I'm glad to see it has Prime shipping and is fulfilled by Amazon so I have the benefit of their customer support.

I'm almost glad it's not in stock at Amazon. I've got some credit to burn there and it'd be really tough not to grab this if it was there.

Edit: A couple popped up since I posted this, I just grabbed one. As I feared, it was too hard to resist. If this had a speaker and were smaller, it'd be nearly perfect, but even as is, it's a very compelling offering for me. Just in case eink doesn't end up producing Ara screens or Ara doesn't survive, this will do nicely.

[Hrafn]

Originally Posted by Marseille

Edit: A couple popped up since I posted this, I just grabbed one. As I feared, it was too hard to resist. If this had a speaker and were smaller, it'd be nearly perfect, but even as is, it's a very compelling offering for me. Just in case eink doesn't end up producing Ara screens or Ara doesn't survive, this will do nicely.

How suitable do you think Project Ara will be for eReading? Even their (only as yet promised) largest frame (91 × 164 × 9.7 mm, essentially a 'phablet') is narrower than most 6" readers. They are also designed to have sufficient space for multiple modules, as opposed to being as slim and light as possible (which is preferable in a portable eReader).

[Marseille]

I'm not well catered to in the current market, so my opinion may not resonate well here. For starters, I find current eReaders to be far too big. I put up with it right now, but I don't appreciate the size. For a decade I read on PDAs and smartphones with LCDs and never touched eInk in part because I preferred a smaller reader.

Further, one of my favorite all time devices for reading was super, super chunky. It was HTC's Touch Pro2, a landscape tilting slider QWERTY most popularly described in blog reviews as a 'brick'. I loved it as a phone and even more as a reader. If the screen weren't so awful and the chipset could run modern readerware, I'd still prefer it. That said, Ara is surprisingly thin considering its versatility. I don't have the assembled dimensions at hand, but last time I read them I was impressed. As to weight, you can pick your own modules and tailor it to your comfort. If you want longer battery life and don't mind the heft, you can go that route. If you prefer light, you can build it that way.

I suspect Ara will eventually spawn more endos than the original three, but mostly I see it as suitable for bringing eReading to people who aren't already being served well in the current market, rather than competing with more standard devices.

[ereader25]

Is there any way to pull up a "recent apps" or app switcher screen to see what is running in the background, and switch to one of the other apps, or kill all the background tasks? Normally in android I get to this by long-pressing the home button, but on the Afterglow 2 there is no physical home button, and the home icon in the top left of the screen does not work that way.

[shagguar]

Originally Posted by ereader25

Is there any way to pull up a "recent apps" or app switcher screen to see what is running in the background, and switch to one of the other apps, or kill all the background tasks? Normally in android I get to this by long-pressing the home button, but on the Afterglow 2 there is no physical home button, and the home icon in the top left of the screen does not work that way.

I did not install it, but i think "recent apps" may be suitable with "Button Savior"