Android on Kobo: "Tips and Apps"

[embryo]

I'm using my Kobo Glo as an Android e-Ink reader and I think is SUPER.
I'm creating this thread to put together all the "Tips and Apps" that I (subjectively) find interesting and can use, that are scattered through this "Android on Glo" thread.

- Installing (?) Android on Kobo -

1. Get your SD card Image

Spoiler:

__________ Touch __________

[MarekGibek's] For a Touch image, mirrors here. This image works on Touch N905C. For the N905B model check this.
[angor00's] Another Touch image here.
[MarekGibek's] For both the Touch and the Glo you can find the same images here.
[angor00's] This Touch image is for Dual Boot.
[MarekGibek's] Newer image (mirrors here) for Touch with 'improved reading mode' (not for Dual boot).

__________ Glo __________

[MarekGibek's] For a Glo image, here.
[angor00's] This Glo image is for Dual Boot.
[MarekGibek's]+++ This is a modified version of Marek's Glo Image.
Updated: Kobo Rotate App, AlReader, TotalCommander, Moon+ Reader.
Added: Auto Mount, FBReader, ES Explorer, Display Brightness, BatteryOverlayPercent.
More e-Ink friendly settings. You can uninstall the Tolino app and still connect Glo with a computer.
There is a Stand-alone and a Dual-boot version. The Dualboot version has also the "Back" button (Light) fix.
[MarekGibek's] Newer image for Glo with 'improved reading mode' (not for Dual boot).

__________ AuraHD __________

[phj's] For the AuraHD you can find one here, but it seems there is a problem with the DATA partition.
[phj's] I uploaded another image here, with fixed DATA.
[angor00's] This AuraHD image is for Dual Boot.
[angor00's] A different image for the AuraHD (for dual boot) with new kernel from angor00 with instructions to create it yourself. Some mirrors here. Its in Russian. For changing the language, check this post.

2. Read some instructions here.

Spoiler:

I'm presuming you have Windows.

Download the working Android image from this post: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...&postcount=151

Get image writer from here: http://www.vconsole.com/client/?page=page&id=29

Insert blank SD card into card reader and put Android image to your card. If your card is bigger than 2GB, you can expand partition which is Fat32 to fill all your card space with this program: http://www.partitionwizard.com/free-...n-manager.html

Switch off your Kobo Glo and open it as per instructions from here: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...48&postcount=2

Remove SD card from KoboGlo and put it into safe place. Insert there your SD card with Android image into KoboGlo.

Switch on your Kobo Glo.

If you do not like blinking LED, switch it off as per instructions from here: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...&postcount=167

To connect AndroKoboGlo to PC you will need a driver - get it from here: http://translate.google.com/translat...-play-32350%2F
Follow the instruction from step 8

For driver installation in Windows 8 fxp33 advised to do the following:
click the : 2_vendor_id.bat before doing 3_install_su.bat

Note 1: Alreader which comes with the Android image above is outdated, newest one you can get from here: http://alreader.com/download.php?file=AlReader.apk

Note 2: You need Tolino reader to connect to PC, so before uninstalling it, as embryo advised get program "Auto Mount Your SD Card". After that you can uninstall Tolino reader.

Xtra Note: I couldn't make "Image writer" to work on WinXP, so I used RMPrepUSB. Its a bit overkill, but anyways ...

- Dual Boot Nickel - Android -

For the AuraHD the instructions are here. The links for the Glo and Touch files are at the comments.

Spoiler:

The first thing you need to download the SD card image with Android for AuraHD, Glo, or Touch. To create a SD card from this image you need Flash Drive Image Writer and at least 8GB miсroSD card. You can use micro SD card up to 32GB, you only need to move the last two partitions to the end of the card and extend the first partition. After you create the card you'll need to delete the folder .kobo from the created SD card.

Now you are ready to install the patch that lets you run Android from the external SD. First we create a backup internal SD card. You need to install this patch (fix-udev-tgz.zip), otherwise the device won't see the external card, which will be used to save the backup. Connect your device to your computer through USB and unzip fix-udev-tgz.zip to the folder named .kobo which is located on the device. Next you need to safely unmount and disconnect the device from the computer. Then the device will be upgrading and rebooting. Creating a backup is a long process, it took me about 15 minutes. Now you have to download the main patch for AuraHD, Glo and Touch. Connect your device to your computer through USB and unzip dualboot-android-******.zip to the folder named .kobo which is located on the device. Next you need to safely unmount and disconnect the device from the computer. Then the device will be upgrading and rebooting. During the upgrade will be created backup, so be prepared for a long wait.

After the device will reboot you will be able to choose which system to boot. If you press the backlight button when the device turns on then Android will boot from the external SD card which was created earlier. If backlight button isn't pressed the standard firmware will boot from the internal SD.

Note: You can modify your existing Android image for Glo, to use it as extSD for Dual boot, by adding (and replacing) the files of the attached "Android System.dualboot.tar.bz2".The fix for the "Back" button is included.

- The Tips -
_____________
Scripts:

Spoiler:

Kill the blue LED blinking

#!/system/bin/sh
ioctl -d /dev/ntx_io 127 0

Kill the Screen LEDS

#!/system/bin/sh
echo 0 > /sys/class/backlight/mxc_msp430_fl.0/brightness

Both must be run as root (SU - SuperUser)
You can use Script Manager. Instructions here, or here.

Misc

Spoiler:

- Update the kobo rotate touch utility from this post. I don't know if the image has the latest version in it.

- I replaced the launcher of the image with LauncherPro

-You can then use the Power Control Widget to toggle WiFi On-Off and 10-50-100-Auto Brightness levels.

- I didn't create a Google Market account.
For downloading the apps from the Play Store, I use this page.

- Connect with Calibre instructions, here.

- If you want to change the pictures shown on sleep, shut down, low battery, etc., you can easily edit the MsgE6.apk with the APK Multi-Tool and replace it in /System/Apps/ with ES File Explorer

- The Apps -
_____________
Readers

Spoiler:

FBReader I'm also attaching a modified current apk that uses a 'light' theme (looks better on eInk).
AlReader and an eInk optimized version.
Cool Reader
Moon+ Reader
Orion Viewer (Pdf & Djvu)
EBookDroid The best reader for scanned PDFs. This version is the last that supports "our" Android. In All Settings>Performance Settings>"MuPDF internal storage size" I use 16 to avoid low memory crashes.
OverDrive Media Console More than 27,000 libraries worldwide offer titles via this App (Its a reader too)
Calibre Companion This is not a reader and not free, but if you find it, its very handy. It can read all your library's books (with tag grouping etc.) and open a book with any of the readers installed in the system.
Amazon Kindle 3.2.0.35 (e-Ink friendly) Never installed it, but maybe someone wants it ...

Dictionaries

Spoiler:

Aard Dictionary Get dictionaries from here. Offline Wiktionary, Wikipedia and Wikiquote!
ColorDict Dictionary Get some dictionaries from here and from many other places (StarDict compatible).

Misc

Spoiler:

Auto Mount Your SD Card, so you can uninstall Tolino reader if you like.
Button Savior (Root)
Display brightness It control (and closes) the screen light.
Battery Overlay Percent
Script Manager for scripts.
ES File Explorer File Manager In root mode you can modify system files (Total Commander can't [Update: from version 2.04 and on, it can do it also]).
Titanium Backup
Screenshot
Dropbox
Kobo Glo Utility to set Light button as BACK button and disable the LED blinking (Info here)

Many thanks to all the people that made this real.

[zufre]

Ummm, cannot access to the Android image, too much traffic, Dropbox says ...

[embryo]

Originally Posted by zufre

Ummm, cannot access to the Android image, too much traffic, Dropbox says ...

I uploaded the Glo image here.
I updated the first post.

If some body has the Touch image uploaded somewhere, please post the link, to add it to the first post.

[xiel]

how is the battery consumption with the android ? Does it drain faster or approximately the same as kobo OS?

[embryo]

Originally Posted by xiel

how is the battery consumption with the android ? Does it drain faster or approximately the same as kobo OS?

Its difficult to compare the two systems, because in the original OS you can not do as many thing as with Android.

If you have the Android system well configured, and only read books, then I think its comparable.

[zufre]

Originally Posted by embryo

I uploaded the Glo image here.
I updated the first post.

If some body has the Touch image uploaded somewhere, please post the link, to add it to the first post.

Regards.

[boysingh]

Originally Posted by embryo

I uploaded the Glo image here.
I updated the first post.

If some body has the Touch image uploaded somewhere, please post the link, to add it to the first post.

It seems to work fine, there are some ads though and kinda hard to download, but I have it now..haha, Thanks!

[embryo]

There are mirrors for all the images now.
First post updated.

Try to avoid MarekGibek's dropbox if possible.
There were some problems with his account.

[PremaEbooks]

Hi embryo!!

First of all: thank you for all the info concerning porting Android to Kobo.

I've tested, but I get an "error" message everytime I try to run SmartLauncher.
As you can see in the pics I have the option to click "next", but when I do, a pop-up window force me to start the system again. But... no matter how many times I try I can't seem to manage to get rid of this window...

Any clue on what is happening?

Thanks in advance!!!

[embryo]

Originally Posted by PremaEbooks

I've tested, but I get an "error" message everytime I try to run SmartLauncher.
As you can see in the pics I have the option to click "next", but when I do, a pop-up window force me to start the system again. But... no matter how many times I try I can't seem to manage to get rid of this window...

What Kobo do you have?
I've used only the Glo, and there was never a "Fast Wizard" running.
The first thing I saw when I booted Android for the first time, was the desktop of SmartLauncher, already running.
How did you get to the "Fast Wizard"?

[PremaEbooks]

Originally Posted by embryo

What Kobo do you have?
I've used only the Glo, and there was never a "Fast Wizard" running.
The first thing I saw when I booted Android for the first time, was the desktop of SmartLauncher, already running.
How did you get to the "Fast Wizard"?

Kobo Aura HD.

The first time, it showed a pop-up window which let me choose starting with Tolino or SmartLauncher... but no matter the option chosen it always crashes.

I'll try to make some pics of those screen steps for you to see...

Strange???

I even could see Tolino running...

[embryo]

Originally Posted by PremaEbooks

Kobo Aura HD.

The first time, it showed a pop-up window which let me choose starting with Tolino or SmartLauncher... but no matter the option chosen it always crashes.

Hmm..
I thought so.
Because the Touch and the Glo images are almost the same.

Unfortunately I can't help you with AuraHD because I don't own one, but you can try and ask (or PM) phj that made the original image here.

[PremaEbooks]

Originally Posted by embryo

Hmm..
I thought so.
Because the Touch and the Glo images are almost the same.

Unfortunately I can't help you with AuraHD because I don't own one, but you can try and ask (or PM) phj that made the original image here.

Thank you very much.

[embryo]

Originally Posted by PremaEbooks

Thank you very much.

You can also check out the image for the AuraHD I uploaded here.
I deleted the tolino app from system (it didn't work anyway) so you are not presented with a choice of launchers at the first boot.
I also resized the storage space to 2.5Gb

Hope it works ...

[zufre]

My Kobo Glo works in Android now, thank you for your help.
I cannot use the Kobo rotate apk. After activating it the screen rotates allright but every touch area of the app remains in the position it would be in portrait mode.

Tried a task killer but it didn't work. I got an error message in German and go back to the home page.
I wonder which comic app will rotate the screen OK... Perfect Viewer rotates the screen but the touch points are still in portrait mode so when you get a menu you have to devine where it would be in portrait mode...
Regards.