New "Mars" device from Likebook?

[goban]

Originally Posted by azw409

It had about 80% charge so I proceeded to connect it to the internet and it then did a firmware update and restarted in Chinese again. It took a little hunting around to find the Android settings to get it back into English. I enabled the Google Services and after a quite a while and a restart the Play Store appeared - I noticed the installation package was in the /sdcard directory ready for install.

Hi, azw409
Can you please share the firmware you got? Maybe put on google drive or somewhere to let us download?
As I know, Mars have different version but they share same hardware.
I guess I could use the fireware to update my Mars.
Thank you anyway!

[downeaster59]

Originally Posted by romevi

I was told the same earlier this week. They informed me they'll send me a manual installation this week, whatever that means. I'll update when I learn more.

In their reply I received a PDF of instructions, so I was assuming I'd get some firmware via email.

Thanks for the update. I haven't heard from the seller yet - so I may email them to ask about it.

[azw409]

Do you not have the GooglePlayStore*.rar in /sdcard/ ?

[Sonofrobot]

Originally Posted by goban

Hi, azw409
Can you please share the firmware you got? Maybe put on google drive or somewhere to let us download?
As I know, Mars have different version but they share same hardware.
I guess I could use the fireware to update my Mars.
Thank you anyway!

I assume he's referring to the OTA update and not something he manually flashed.

As an update to the "first batch" devices issue-
I sent mine back to the Amazon seller, they "fixed it" (read: flashed a different firmware I'm sure) and sent it back to me the same day. It's set for delivery today.

So, if all goes according to plan, I should have my Mars today with Play Store installed.

Will update later!

[Sylph]

Originally Posted by romevi

It's a PDF, but it's the same as what's in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIkQPkNmgSA

The PDF comprises pictures of the Mars with red circles over the buttons we're supposed to press, and one-sentence instructions. We early adopters presumably would have to follow them if and when we get the manual firmware upgrade.

Pretty sure there's been a miscommunication then with your seller. Those instructions (which I already linked earlier in the thread as evidence people who don't have a device with the "Google Framework" option are screwed) will only work on a device with firmwire which allows using Google Play in the first place, just those devices don't come with it enabled, and those instructions cover how to enable it.

They certainly do not tell you how to flash new firmware, trust me. That would be done at the minimum by either connecting over USB and using a proprietary application, probably from the command line, or, copying the firmware into a special directory and using some obscure sequence of actions to reboot the device into a hidden developer mode, which would allow flashing firmware.

I do find it exceptionally unlikely at this point that Boyue will release that information, as it would enable custom firmware to be developed that much more easily, which they evidently don't like the sound of. Which is a terrible shame, it's not like they're selling a ye olde PSP where you can flash CFW and run pirated games off the memory card (which happened, unsurprisingly, to be much faster than the UMD drive, so there was a strong incentive, even if you had a legal copy of a disk, to rip it and run CFW).

(Also it was possible with a simple frequently shared application to convert any PS1 game ISO into a file that would work with the CFW edited official PS1 emulator on PSPs, allowing you to play literally any PS1 game on your PSP, instead of choosing from Sony's own expensive and seriously small selection.)

Ah, I loved my PSP.

[Sonofrobot]

Boyue has released firmware for past devices so we will most likely see firmware as well as flashing tools for the Mars released in the future as well. I've no idea why they're keeping a lock on it for now but it definitely sucks for those of us that ordered early and got stuck with devices that were missing key features. It seems it can be fixed by sending it back to the seller but that's a PITA obviously.

[downeaster59]

Originally Posted by azw409

Do you not have the GooglePlayStore*.rar in /sdcard/ ?

No. Those of us who bought the Mars before late September do not have Play Store or Framework, in any form.

I still want Boyue to enable auto-refresh on third-party apps, but Google Play would be nice as well.

[welcomyou]

Hi all, I connect LMars to an OTG with a wired mouse, but it didn't work. (This OTG and wire mouse works fine on other android device). How to make it work?

[jkrzok]

I bought my early release, no google play device from the Amazon seller. I've just asked for a refund due to the google play issue and am waiting for the response.

I really have no problem side-loading apps. I have Moon Reader pro, calibre companion, etc running just fine. My concern is that without the previous update any subsequent updates will be unavailable to me; I don't see Boyue running two series of updates for this device.

[crane3]

The Google play store is a 'problem' only because of google's mandate that devices must be 'certified' as I read it in another thread & google's announcement. The cost of certification is supposed to be $10,000 per model & supposed to 'make the device more safe' when using the play store.

It explains the problem I had with the Resurrection rom on my Tab Pro; even tho the RR rom was over 1 yr old, it worked until early this year; then I switched to the Lineage rom as I felt the the RR was a dead rom as being over 1 yr & no fixes.

Also google dictates that the updates to any app on play store will have to target andoid 8, oreo, or later beginning in Nov 1, 2018. The compliance means that apps like Calibre Companion will not be able to pass the file path/name to another app but must make a copy of the file to another app. e.g. CC will be sandboxed like what ios does on ipad & android will be less useful for what the users want.

I was not planning to have play store update/mess-up my copy of Calibre Companion or Moon+Reader pro so play store does not matter to me.

[downeaster59]

My device has had an OTA update since I received it, so not having Google Play won't prevent us from getting future updates. The updates may not contain GP anyway.

If what crane3 reports is true, then maybe I don't want Google Play on my Mars, either! Google's November 1 decision will also harm any user who has a pre-Oreo Android device. I would expect many people to squawk loudly after that date. Nice post-Halloween gift, Google. Trick or treat, indeed.

In the meantime, I'll stick with the latest version of Calibre Companion, Moon+Reader, and my other Android apps that will still work fine on a Marshmallow device. I have what I want, sideloaded and working fine.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by crane3

The Google play store is a 'problem' only because of google's mandate that devices must be 'certified' as I read it in another thread & google's announcement. The cost of certification is supposed to be $10,000 per model & supposed to 'make the device more safe' when using the play store.

It explains the problem I had with the Resurrection rom on my Tab Pro; even tho the RR rom was over 1 yr old, it worked until early this year; then I switched to the Lineage rom as I felt the the RR was a dead rom as being over 1 yr & no fixes.

Also google dictates that the updates to any app on play store will have to target andoid 8, oreo, or later beginning in Nov 1, 2018. The compliance means that apps like Calibre Companion will not be able to pass the file path/name to another app but must make a copy of the file to another app. e.g. CC will be sandboxed like what ios does on ipad & android will be less useful for what the users want.

I was not planning to have play store update/mess-up my copy of Calibre Companion or Moon+Reader pro so play store does not matter to me.

How can the play store mess up any app already on your device? I have auto update turned off on all my devices.

[romevi]

Originally Posted by Sylph

Pretty sure there's been a miscommunication then with your seller. Those instructions (which I already linked earlier in the thread as evidence people who don't have a device with the "Google Framework" option are screwed) will only work on a device with firmwire which allows using Google Play in the first place, just those devices don't come with it enabled, and those instructions cover how to enable it.

They certainly do not tell you how to flash new firmware, trust me. That would be done at the minimum by either connecting over USB and using a proprietary application, probably from the command line, or, copying the firmware into a special directory and using some obscure sequence of actions to reboot the device into a hidden developer mode, which would allow flashing firmware.

I do find it exceptionally unlikely at this point that Boyue will release that information, as it would enable custom firmware to be developed that much more easily, which they evidently don't like the sound of. Which is a terrible shame, it's not like they're selling a ye olde PSP where you can flash CFW and run pirated games off the memory card (which happened, unsurprisingly, to be much faster than the UMD drive, so there was a strong incentive, even if you had a legal copy of a disk, to rip it and run CFW).

(Also it was possible with a simple frequently shared application to convert any PS1 game ISO into a file that would work with the CFW edited official PS1 emulator on PSPs, allowing you to play literally any PS1 game on your PSP, instead of choosing from Sony's own expensive and seriously small selection.)

Ah, I loved my PSP.

Not sure what your side note on PS1 emulation was in regards to ereaders, but to play it on an eink display is absolute torture. To play it on anything but original hardware is sanctimonious!

[welcomyou]

Originally Posted by welcomyou

Hi all, I connect LMars to an OTG with a wired mouse, but it didn't work. (This OTG and wire mouse works fine on other android device). How to make it work?

The seller on Aliexpress told me that the likebook mars doesnt support OTG.

[azw409]

I've installed Google Now Launcher which has a black background and I've added a widgets for Moon Reader last read and WiFi on/off. So now I have a completely Boyue free UI and everything works great. No more books readed