Boyue T63/Shine update (sort of)

[Hrafn]

Originally Posted by Geenween

At this point, I'm hoping for Energy-sistem to adapt their version of the Bouye T63 as they did with the previous models and bring them in the European market.

Speaking as somebody on the opposite side of the world from Europe, normally I'd have little interest in the "European market" (direct from China is closer/cheaper), however as somebody who speaks a European language, a version that isn't focused purely at an Asian market/language seems like a good idea.

[eMole]

These Boyue devices still cannot be considered proper reading devices. Sure you can hack them, try to install this and that, but out of the box reading support is very low.

More is needed to reach and satisfy a (book reading) market, unless you position them for Android geeks.

[Hrafn]

Finally got a response back on my question to the Banggood retailer on what firmware their T63/JDReads will be running:

Hi, This is a special version, it can support multiple languages. Best regards

I'm not sure that this is particularly helpful, but at least means that they are explicitly aware that the stock JDRead firmware does not support English. What/how good this "special version" is, is anybody's guess.

[flawlessx92]

Ive been tempting to buy an android e ink device. At the moment torn out between Onyx Boox t68 carta2 (300ppi with audio jack) and this new boyue t63 (without audio jack). What do u guys think?

Also does anybody know about onyx kepler pro price and possible release date for international buyer?

Currently i own a kobo glo hd.

[Hrafn]

Originally Posted by flawlessx92

Ive been tempting to buy an android e ink device. At the moment torn out between Onyx Boox t68 carta2 (300ppi with audio jack) and this new boyue t63 (without audio jack). What do u guys think?

Also does anybody know about onyx kepler pro price and possible release date for international buyer?

Currently i own a kobo glo hd.

A few points:

1. The T68 is 265ppi not 300 ppi, and is 6.8" unlike the T63/K-Pro's 6"
2. If you are after a 300ppi eReader you might also like to consider the O-B C67 Carta 2.
3. An advantage that the T68 & C67-Carta2 have over the T63 and K-Pro is that the former two are relatively mature products (the T63, as yet, lacks an official multi-language firmware and the K-Pro lacks a back-button).
4. The advantage that both the T63 and K-Pro have over the T68 & C67-Carta2 is that they both have a flush bezel (no more dust collecting in edges and corners).
5. The K-Pro can be purchased from the Netherlands retailer, for Euro 198, which sells internationally.

[qariwa55]

Originally Posted by plus

T63 is available, but only as a branded version. The T63HD-JD comes with a Chinese-only JD launcher app. No app-store, no adb, no language or timezone setting, no remount.
"Westerners" need to customize system.img to make it usable.

Spoiler:

* Backup NAND and single parts using RkAndroidTool

count@address
0x00002000@0x00002000(misc)
0x00004000@0x00004000(kernel)
0x00008000@0x00008000(boot)
0x00010000@0x00010000(recovery)
0x00020000@0x00020000(backup)
0x00040000@0x00040000(cache)
0x00200000@0x00080000(userdata)
0x00002000@0x00280000(kpanic)
0x00100000@0x00282000(system)

* Install TWRP using RkAndroid Tool
* Install SuperSu using TWRP
* Alter build.prop:

ro.product.locale.language=en
ro.product.locale.region=GB
persist.sys.language=en
persist.sys.country=GB
persist.sys.timezone=Europe/Paris
persist.service.adb.enable=1
persist.service.debuggable=1
persist.sys.usb.config=mass_storage,adb

* Copy Settings*.apk, Settings*.odex, SystemUI.*, *IME*, HTML* from an Energy Sistem Pro HD Image's /system/app/ to yours
* Delete all fonts in /system/fonts/ and copy contents from Pro HD (Hyphenations)
* Same with dictionaries
* Install favourite launcher, RkApkinstaller and Button Savior, optional market, browser
* Factory reset
* Install reader app, filemanager, feedreader,... of choice

more or less...
Attachment 150123
Mine's in German language now.

I bought it for the hardware specs, 146 €. It feels solid, have no long-time experience yet.

Well, I made the mistake of buying a JRead (Boyue) T63. I see that you were able to customize it for "Westerners", but I cannot figure out how. Where do I even get the right RKAndroidTool? I assume I am supposed to use update-China-T63HD-JD-46.img. And then how do I get the build.prop and alter it accordingly? I have searched these forums looking for instructions I can follow, but was not successful finding them. (I would have been able to use adb, but as you suggest, this machine has been locked and so adb is not available.) If you (or anybody) can point me to instructions and the appropriate tools, I would really appreciate it.

[eMole]

Whatever you do, first save the out-of-the box firmware. You may need it to restore your device after a failed firmware upgrade. The procedure can be found somewhere in the Android Developers section here. There's even a video for it.

(Scenario: I have a T61B clone. I can flash every Boyue T61B firmware on it, but afterwards I have to write over the first two partitions from the original factory firmware, or the touchscreen won't work.)

[plus]

Originally Posted by qariwa55

Well, I made the mistake of buying a JRead (Boyue) T63. I see that you were able to customize it for "Westerners", but I cannot figure out how. Where do I even get the right RKAndroidTool?

Hi qariwa!

this thread is where I got the tools from. I followed method 2B in a virtual machine and mounted the ext4 image on linux for some steps.

I wonder if a system backup of my T63 could be restored on your device. It is internationalized. ADB is enabled, SuperSU and F-Droid market are installed. Boyue's Launcher2 was pretty unstable and replaced by ADW.

How to install my T63HD-JD backup:

1. PC: Prepare system: Windows drivers and tools
2. PC: Create a full T63 backup (like here)
3. PC: Download and install TWRP Recovery for Boyue T63

Spoiler:

You'll need to reboot your device into bootloader mode. Press and hold all hardware buttons for 7+3 seconds.

Similar screenshot:

(from here), except that the recovery checkbox is checked and the path points to your downloaded T63 TWRP recovery image. Address should be 0x00010000.

4. PC: Download my T63HD-JD system (mirror) and extract the archive to your SD card
5. T63: Reboot to TWRP recovery: press and hold power+next for 7+3 seconds
6. TWRP: Backup all partitions to external SD
7. TWRP: Wipe/Factory Reset
8. TWRP: Restore from external SD, select the downloaded system
9. T63: Reboot

First recommended steps are timezone (UTC+2), language (en-us), wifi and wallpaper settings. ADW's animations can be turned off. Coolreader is on F-Droid market, sideloading and adb are enabled, Google Playstore can be found here.

Please let me know if it works

[qariwa55]

Originally Posted by plus

Hi qariwa!

this thread is where I got the tools from. I followed method 2B in a virtual machine and mounted the ext4 image on linux for some steps.

I wonder if a system backup of my T63 could be restored on your device. It is internationalized. ADB is enabled, SuperSU and F-Droid market are installed. Boyue's Launcher2 was pretty unstable and replaced by ADW.

How to install my T63HD-JD backup:


First recommended steps are timezone (UTC+2), language (en-us), wifi and wallpaper settings. ADW's animations can be turned off. Coolreader is on F-Droid market, sideloading and adb are enabled, Google Playstore can be found here.

Please let me know if it works

Thanks for all the instructions, but I cannot figure out how to get into bootloader mode, which is necessary for dumping/backing up the factory image file. I read that I am supposed to press the next button and the power button on simultaneously for like 7 seconds. But all I get is a triangle with an exclamation point. I have tried to attach the file.

Maybe I need to get developer options? But I cannot get that to work either.

[plus]

I use to keep the USB cable connected, press and hold all three hardware buttons until Rk Tools show the message "Found One LOADER Device" at the bottom - like on this pic:


Don't worry if the screen on your device seems stuck, bootloader has nothing to display.

[edit]
This triangle you mentioned is Boyue's locked down recovery mode. Next+power is how you'll enter TWRP recovery after its installation.
Bootloader mode requires prev+next+power to be pressed simultaneously at power on.

[qariwa55]

Nope, that isn't working either. Maybe it is because I am using Mac OS with wine. When I hold all 3 hardware buttons together, with Rk Tools open and the USB cable connected, it does not boot at all, but the reset button does stay red. And I don't get the ""Found One LOADER Device" " message.

I guess I will have to try this on windows. Maybe wine is not good enough.

[plus]

Wine would not even let you install drivers for the first step. I used Windows 8 in a KVM and handed over the USB controller.

Using Linux, this would be so much easier (debian example):

1.) # apt-get update && apt-get install -y adb rkflashkit
2.) # rkflashkit backup @misc misc.img backup @kernel kernel.img \
backup @boot boot.img backup @recovery recovery.img \
backup @backup backup.img backup @cache cache.img \
backup @system system.img \
backup @userdata userdata.img backup @kpanic kpanic.img
3.) # rkflashkit flash @recovery TWRP_recovery_JDRead_T63_v1.img

But I have no idea about rockchip tools on OS X.

[update]

Maybe this one?
https://sourceforge.net/projects/rkf...flashtool-6.0/

Power off your T63 (power button for 7 seconds), connect the USB cable, press prev+next+power for at least 3 seconds. Check if your T63 is in bootloader mode:

# rkflashtool p

Then backup all partitions:

# rkflashtool r misc >misc.img
rkflashtool r kernel >kernel.img
rkflashtool r boot >boot.img
rkflashtool r recovery >recovery.img
rkflashtool r backup >backup.img
rkflashtool r userdata >userdata.img
rkflashtool r kpanic >kpanic.img
rkflashtool r system >system.img

And flash TWRP recovery:

# rkflashtool w recovery <TWRP_recovery_JDRead_T63_v1.img

[downeaster59]

Well, I decided to take a chance and so I pre-ordered the T63 from Banggood. They expect it to ship on or around 6 November. I can report on my experiences when it arrives.

Edit on 19 October: Surprise, surprise! I just got an email from Banggood telling me that my T63 has been shipped. Based on past experience, I should have it in about two weeks.

[qariwa55]

Originally Posted by plus

Wine would not even let you install drivers for the first step. I used Windows 8 in a KVM and handed over the USB controller.

Using Linux, this would be so much easier (debian example):

1.) # apt-get update && apt-get install -y adb rkflashkit
2.) # rkflashkit backup @misc misc.img backup @kernel kernel.img \
backup @boot boot.img backup @recovery recovery.img \
backup @backup backup.img backup @cache cache.img \
backup @system system.img \
backup @userdata userdata.img backup @kpanic kpanic.img
3.) # rkflashkit flash @recovery TWRP_recovery_JDRead_T63_v1.img

But I have no idea about rockchip tools on OS X.

[update]

Maybe this one?
https://sourceforge.net/projects/rkf...flashtool-6.0/

Power off your T63 (power button for 7 seconds), connect the USB cable, press prev+next+power for at least 3 seconds. Check if your T63 is in bootloader mode:

# rkflashtool p

Then backup all partitions:

# rkflashtool r misc >misc.img
rkflashtool r kernel >kernel.img
rkflashtool r boot >boot.img
rkflashtool r recovery >recovery.img
rkflashtool r backup >backup.img
rkflashtool r userdata >userdata.img
rkflashtool r kpanic >kpanic.img
rkflashtool r system >system.img

And flash TWRP recovery:

# rkflashtool w recovery <TWRP_recovery_JDRead_T63_v1.img

Thanks for the further help. I managed to use the rkflashtool to back up my system and to flash TWRP recovery. I then followed all the steps from your previous post on 10-14-2016. So now I have the multilingual system up and running!

But I cannot do much. adb does NOT seem to work properly. When I type

adb remount

I get the following error message:

remount failed: Operation not permitted

And when I tried:

adb push gapp/GoogleCalendarSyncAdapter.apk /system/app/

I got: Read-only file system

In the meantime, I am trying to get a refund on my product. I bought it on the AliExpress marketplace from a small supplier, which claimed that they were selling me a multilingual version. The supplier has not wanted to accept a return, saying that there was no such thing as a Chinese only version. I disputed that and AliExpress has ruled in my favor. The supplier is still stubbornly trying to avoid me returning it, so they told me to follow these instructions from the manufacturer, presumably Boyue:

1. Unzip the wire brush tool
2. Shutdown state, hold down the right flip key, insert the USB interface, about 5 seconds after you can let go. Then open the device management manually install the driver (driver in Rockusbv3.7), need to point to the XX XX system. X64 is 64-bit, X86 is 32-bit. For example, 64-bit WIN7 system, it is necessary to point to Rockusbv3.7 / x64 / win7.
3. Open the line brush tool RKBatchTool folder inside the point RKBatchTool, see inside shows green, that can brush machine. ROM package (need to extract ah), point repair can be.
PS: If the driver is installed, but RKBatchTool does not show green, it is because your USB interface is 3.0 reasons. There are two solutions, 1, replaced 2.0 interface. 2. Open the RKBatchTool directory under the config (a gear icon ini),
turn up:
LOGFLAG = TRUE
# SUPPORTLOWUSB = TRUE, the scan supports full speed usb device, default only supports high speed usb device
SUPPORTLOWUSB =
Change this line to:
SUPPORTLOWUSB = TRUE

This looks like a translation from Google Translate, and I cannot make any sense out of it. "plus", can you or anybody else figure out what it means?

[Hrafn]

qariwa55:

You may wish to take this up with Boyue directly at sales@szboeye.com.

I've previously queried them about retailers purporting to sell multi-lingual T63s, especially the Banggood dealer and their "special version" of the firmware, and their most recent response was:

We will check it and let you know a litter later. The firmware should be from our company only