I have this rooted and installed CyanogenMod 11 via safestrap v4.
I live in Minneapolis and we have citywide roaming through USI Wireless. I just signed up, but I can't see the usi wireless signal, even at the antenna. The answer from them is its a 5ghz signal, so maybe my tablet does not support it.
The 3rd gen is listed as Dual band, dual antenna (MIMO+HT40) 802.11a/b/g/n. I never learned much about WiFi specs, just enjoy it, but based on a Google search doesn't this tablet support 5ghz? Do I need ac?
Thanks.
Raymodjp said:
I have this rooted and installed CyanogenMod 11 via safestrap v4.
I live in Minneapolis and we have citywide roaming through USI Wireless. I just signed up, but I can't see the usi wireless signal, even at the antenna. The answer from them is its a 5ghz signal, so maybe my tablet does not support it.
The 3rd gen is listed as Dual band, dual antenna (MIMO+HT40) 802.11a/b/g/n. I never learned much about WiFi specs, just enjoy it, but based on a Google search doesn't this tablet support 5ghz? Do I need ac?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The tablet does support WiFi in the 5GHz band; I have used it successfully in congested areas. I'm running Fire Nexus on an unlocked device. So it's likely CM 11 or Safestrap that is hampering 5GHz access assuming the signal reaches your location. Can you see the 5GHz signal from your mobile or other wireless device?
Davey126 said:
The tablet does support WiFi in the 5GHz band; I have used it successfully in congested areas. I'm running Fire Nexus on an unlocked device. So it's likely CM 11 or Safestrap that is hampering 5GHz access assuming the signal reaches your location. Can you see the 5GHz signal from your mobile or other wireless device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have seen the signals on this tablet, but I am not sure if I saw them after started running CyanogenMod. USI Wireless tech support told me they were transitioning to 5 GHz, so that just confused the issue. I couldn't confirm that I had seen one of the 5ghz signals. I wondered if CyanogenMod was the problem, but assumed not when I didn't see it mentioned in the discussions.
Now that I know the tablet definitely supports 5ghz, I can probably figure out a resolution. I updated CyanogenMod yesterday, but that didn't help. I was contemplating trying nexus, but was holding off because it looks like I have to go back to the amazon os before installing nexus. I need to really look at all the steps, I don't want to brick.
Forgot one thing I was thinking about. Would I be able to flash the nexus 4.0.5 and its gapps over my cm11 via safestrap? That way I could test the WiFi before trying to do the more complicated steps for getting the newer version of nexus.
EDIT: I was able to successfully flash Nexus 4.0.5, and it fixed the issue! I can see and connect to the 5ghz signal. Thanks for saying it might be cyanogenmod, because I was thinking that probably wasn't the problem.
Raymodjp said:
Forgot one thing I was thinking about. Would I be able to flash the nexus 4.0.5 and its gapps over my cm11 via safestrap? That way I could test the WiFi before trying to do the more complicated steps for getting the newer version of nexus.
EDIT: I was able to successfully flash Nexus 4.0.5, and it fixed the issue! I can see and connect to the 5ghz signal. Thanks for saying it might be cyanogenmod, because I was thinking that probably wasn't the problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nexus 4.0.5 is stable and fully functional but lacks a few key features (eg: location services support) and regular updates. Upgrading to Fire Nexus can be a bit of a pain given the FireOS 4.5.5.1 (note the trailing '1') prerequisite which is the only means for installing the updated kernel Fire Nexus requires. In your shoes I might stick with 4.0.5 for a while to make sure it meets your needs.
BTW - assume you are familiar with Safestrap v4 best practices:
- everything happens in the STOCK slot
- never create or populate secondary slots (special exceptions noted)
- best to create full backups before flashing anything
- never restore backups from secondary slots to the stock slot
- always keep a rom zip on the device for emergency recovery
- reread above line (really important with Safestrap v4)
- never access or execute actions from the stock recovery menu with Safestrap v4 installed - especially a 'Factory Reset'
Davey126 said:
Nexus 4.0.5 is stable and fully functional but lacks a few key features (eg: location services support) and regular updates. Upgrading to Fire Nexus can be a bit of a pain given the FireOS 4.5.5.1 (note the trailing '1') prerequisite which is the only means for installing the updated kernel Fire Nexus requires. In your shoes I might stick with 4.0.5 for a while to make sure it meets your needs.
BTW - assume you are familiar with Safestrap v4 best practices:
- everything happens in the STOCK slot
- never create or populate secondary slots (special exceptions noted)
- best to create full backups before flashing anything
- never restore backups from secondary slots to the stock slot
- always keep a rom zip on the device for emergency recovery
- reread above line (really important with Safestrap v4)
- never access or execute actions from the stock recovery menu with Safestrap v4 installed - especially a 'Factory Reset'
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have been pouring over several threads, but it never hurts to see those warnings again. It's not something to take lightly unless you want a bricked tablet.
Your comment about location services answers a problem i ran into with 4.0.5. my 7 year old had a fit because she has been playing Pokemon Go on my tablet, but with Nexus I get the "not compatible" message from Google play. Now I know why. Looks like I might have to take the plunge for the new Nexus rom.
I safestrapped this tablet about 3 months ago and backed it up, but I imagine it's wishful thinking that I could just restore the saved Amazon os via safestrap? Otherwise I need to flash 4.5.2 (the version that can then update to 4.5.5.1 after I uninstall safestrap), then reroot, (3 months ago I had to use KingoRoot instead of KingRoot) reinstall safestrap, and flash the new Nexus and supersu. I will triple-check that, it's just off the top of my head. Any warnings, instructions or suggestions appreciated. Esp. After I saw at least one user have problem with 4.5.2 updating. I am waiting and reading at least another day.
EDIT: After reading the thread again, the thing I'm not sure about is uninstalling safestrap. After wiping and flashing 4.5.2, I reboot and then will I still see safestrap? I just don't know what it will look like going back to Amazon OS, so not sure how to uninstall safestrap.
Raymodjp said:
I have been pouring over several threads, but it never hurts to see those warnings again. It's not something to take lightly unless you want a bricked tablet.
Your comment about location services answers a problem i ran into with 4.0.5. my 7 year old had a fit because she has been playing Pokemon Go on my tablet, but with Nexus I get the "not compatible" message from Google play. Now I know why. Looks like I might have to take the plunge for the new Nexus rom.
I safestrapped this tablet about 3 months ago and backed it up, but I imagine it's wishful thinking that I could just restore the saved Amazon os via safestrap? Otherwise I need to flash 4.5.2 (the version that can then update to 4.5.5.1 after I uninstall safestrap), then reroot, (3 months ago I had to use KingoRoot instead of KingRoot) reinstall safestrap, and flash the new Nexus and supersu. I will triple-check that, it's just off the top of my head. Any warnings, instructions or suggestions appreciated. Esp. After I saw at least one user have problem with 4.5.2 updating. I am waiting and reading at least another day.
EDIT: After reading the thread again, the thing I'm not sure about is uninstalling safestrap. After wiping and flashing 4.5.2, I reboot and then will I still see safestrap? I just don't know what it will look like going back to Amazon OS, so not sure how to uninstall safestrap.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hang tight - not ignoring this post. Got a few irons in the fire. Look for a follow-up edit later today.
No hurry, I am still reading. Thinking now that I need to boot 4.5.2, stop updates, and remove the safestrap apk. just been so long since I did anything in the Amazon environment so I would need to play around with it.
Realizing now I should have posted this in one of the existing threads, but thought I just had a quick question about 5ghz, not flashing several ROMs.
Raymodjp said:
No hurry, I am still reading. Thinking now that I need to boot 4.5.2, stop updates, and remove the safestrap apk. just been so long since I did anything in the Amazon environment so I would need to play around with it.
Realizing now I should have posted this in one of the existing threads, but thought I just had a quick question about 5ghz, not flashing several ROMs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for for your patience. Let's continue in this thread for now given where the conversation stands. Suggest the following course of action:
- verify a known good copy of cm11 or Nexus 4.0.5 (not Fire Nexus) zip is resident on the device, preferably located in the root of sdcard folder
- backup your current rom/apps/data if needed
- locate and attempt to restore your previous 4.5.2 backup
- once restored uninstall Safestrap v4 recovery using the app which should be resident in restored FireOS image
- remove OTA update block (rename the file back to otacerts.zip)
- verify network connectivity (WiFi on and connected)
- reboot and check for updates; device should attempt a 4.5.5.1 refresh within a few hours...usually much quicker
Post back results, questions and issues/problems.
Davey126 said:
Thanks for for your patience. Let's continue in this thread for now given where the conversation stands. Suggest the following course of action:
- verify a known good copy of cm11 or Nexus 4.0.5 (not Fire Nexus) zip is resident on the device, preferably located in the root of sdcard folder
- backup your current rom/apps/data if needed
- locate and attempt to restore your previous 4.5.2 backup
- once restored uninstall Safestrap v4 recovery using the app which should be resident in restored FireOS image
- remove OTA update block (rename the file back to otacerts.zip)
- verify network connectivity (WiFi on and connected)
- reboot and check for updates; device should attempt a 4.5.5.1 refresh within a few hours...usually much quicker
Post back results, questions and issues/problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, I have sucessfully flashed Fire Nexus ROM! Turns out I couldnt find a usable backup, but I was able to flash 4.5.2 and supersu with no problems. After updates I had to reroot with kingroot, but everything went very smoothly. Keeping my patience while it loaded 3 updates was probably the hardest part. I have my 5ghz WiFi and my daughter has her pokemon go. Now its time for me to go poke around Nexus. Thanks!
Related
Rooted my 8.9 on version 14.3.1. In order to get prime music I was considering un-rooting, letting it update to 14.3.2.4 and re-rooting. Has anyone done this?
Any risk or downside? Is there another way to get prime music?
rootnooby said:
Rooted my 8.9 on version 14.3.1. In order to get prime music I was considering un-rooting, letting it update to 14.3.2.4 and re-rooting. Has anyone done this?
Any risk or downside? Is there another way to get prime music?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have an 8.9 HDX. I unrooted mine and upgraded to get Prime music and then used towel root to re-root and installed xposed. Had no issues and then I also unrooted and installed the latest update to get better wifi. However there is a rumor going around that a their is an exploit to unlock the bootloader that does not work on the latest update. Since I do not care about a unlocked bootloader I upgraded to latest firmware and re-rooted with towel root and reinstalled xposed and updated su binaries. I have had no issues and all google and amazon services work without a problem. Also, I had to leave mine connected to wifi after the firmware upgrade to get the prime music installed. I believe on mine it installed around 4 hours later.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/kindle-fire-hdx/general/warning-update-to-13-3-2-4-t2802320
BroncoAG said:
I have an 8.9 HDX. I unrooted mine and upgraded to get Prime music and then used towel root to re-root and installed xposed. Had no issues and then I also unrooted and installed the latest update to get better wifi. However there is a rumor going around that a their is an exploit to unlock the bootloader that does not work on the latest update. Since I do not care about a unlocked bootloader I upgraded to latest firmware and re-rooted with towel root and reinstalled xposed and updated su binaries. I have had no issues and all google and amazon services work without a problem. Also, I had to leave mine connected to wifi after the firmware upgrade to get the prime music installed. I believe on mine it installed around 4 hours later.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/kindle-fire-hdx/general/warning-update-to-13-3-2-4-t2802320
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I am in a similar position to you I don't have much interest in custom roms. Can you outline the steps you used to Un-root? Did you Uninstall exposed first and then use super su to clean up and un root? I want to make sure I get the steps correct.
All I did was root, install gapps, xposed, and play store.
rootnooby said:
Thanks. I am in a similar position to you I don't have much interest in custom roms. Can you outline the steps you used to Un-root? Did you Uninstall exposed first and then use super su to clean up and un root? I want to make sure I get the steps correct.
All I did was root, install gapps, xposed, and play store.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know if this is the correct way but this is what I did. I just ran the system update and installed the latest firmware. After the install the HDX is unrooted. I then ran towel root. After the reboot I ran xposed and reinstalled the framework and modules and then rebooted. After that I ran supersu and updated the binaries. Everything worked for me after that. I did not have to uninstall anything. Hope this helps.
I did not reroot until after I had verified Prime Music was installed. You can either open the music store and will look different and have Prime Music on it or go to manage applications and look at the icon. If the Amazon music icon is green it is the old version if it is orange it is the new version with Prime Music.
BroncoAG said:
I don't know if this is the correct way but this is what I did. I just ran the system update and installed the latest firmware. After the install the HDX is unrooted. I then ran towel root. After the reboot I ran xposed and reinstalled the framework and modules and then rebooted. After that I ran supersu and updated the binaries. Everything worked for me after that. I did not have to uninstall anything. Hope this helps.
I did not reroot until after I had verified Prime Music was installed. You can either open the music store and will look different and have Prime Music on it or go to manage applications and look at the icon. If the Amazon music icon is green it is the old version if it is orange it is the new version with Prime Music.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All worked well for me. Thanks for taking the time to respond to my post. All the best to you.
I am thinking of unrooting, what about SafeStrap? Does anything need to be done first for that?
wave_sailor said:
I am thinking of unrooting, what about SafeStrap? Does anything need to be done first for that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why do you want to unroot/upgrade when you could, with a bit of work, install a different ROM which would offer all the goodness of generic Android (think google play store access) along with all prime benefits.
If you still want to 'upgrade' fire OS no need to unroot. Upgrade will handle that nicely. I would dump Safestrap. Just asking for trouble with that in the mix.
It is possible to brick with safestrap, so go back to oem rom, and uninstall it before doing anything or you could be looking for trouble.
Whoa, help me understand. I thought installing a custom rom would cause you to lose all the benefit of having a prime membership. Am I wrong about that? I could still get prime movies and download to my device? I could still download a free book per month through the middle lenders library? What rom would you recommend? I am rooted 14.3.2.6 currently and gapps no longer work since the Google play services upgrade.
rootnooby said:
Whoa, help me understand. I thought installing a custom rom would cause you to lose all the benefit of having a prime membership. Am I wrong about that? I could still get prime movies and download to my device? I could still download a free book per month through the middle lenders library? What rom would you recommend? I am rooted 14.3.2.6 currently and gapps no longer work since the Google play services upgrade.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Many prime benefits are available on non-FireOS devices including:
- prime video (streaming only; can't download content)
- prime music (full functionality including download)
- Kindle books/magazines (but can't loan/lend; no freebies)
- all non-electronic services (eg: free shipping)
I have great luck with the Nexus variants by @ggow. I also use CM11 on an older Fire tablet; no complaints. However, Nexus remains my favorite.
With 14.3.2.6 you have several paths:
- rollback to 14.3.2.3, unlock bootloader, install TWRP and then flash Nexus or CM (runs natively)
- upgrade to 14.4.5.2, root, install Safestrap v4 and then flash either Nexus or CM. However, once you upgrade you can no longer unlock your bootloader which carries other benefits including the ability to run custom roms natively and more robust recovery capabilities should something go wrong.
- remain on 14.3.2.6, install Safestrap v3 and then flash Nexus v1 to a secondary slot. This option gives you the best of both worlds as you can boot into FireOS (for prime content) or Nexus (for for access to all things Google). However, both roms are Jelly Bean based which is two generations back from Lollipop.
The first path is preferred but more complex. The last is easiest (and least risky) but is an older solution with aging roms. The middle choice is primarily targeted at newer devices that can not roll back or unlock the bootloader (plus reduces your future options). You'll need to decide which is best for you.
Thank you for all the good information. A couple questions. The last option seems like the most interesting to me right now since I will be able to use all the Amazon features and have a better ROM where all the google services will work. However, I'm having a couple issues right now that I'm concerned about. The first is that Amazon music crashes. The second is that I installed GAPPS and the recent update of Google Play services has caused many small issues. Given this, should I factory reset first so I have a clean slate with 14.3.2.6? I want to be sure that a reset won't brick my device. I can root with the toolkit and install safestrap from there.
Also, does the last option work if I were to upgrade to 14.3.2.8? My understanding is that this firmware fixed some bugs in 14.3.2.6.
Thanks again for you input.
Davey126 said:
Many prime benefits are available on non-FireOS devices including:
- prime video (streaming only; can't download content)
- prime music (full functionality including download)
- Kindle books/magazines (but can't loan/lend; no freebies)
- all non-electronic services (eg: free shipping)
I have great luck with the Nexus variants by @ggow. I also use CM11 on an older Fire tablet; no complaints. However, Nexus remains my favorite.
With 14.3.2.6 you have several paths:
- rollback to 14.3.2.3, unlock bootloader, install TWRP and then flash Nexus or CM (runs natively)
- upgrade to 14.4.5.2, root, install Safestrap v4 and then flash either Nexus or CM. However, once you upgrade you can no longer unlock your bootloader which carries other benefits including the ability to run custom roms natively and more robust recovery capabilities should something go wrong.
- remain on 14.3.2.6, install Safestrap v3 and then flash Nexus v1 to a secondary slot. This option gives you the best of both worlds as you can boot into FireOS (for prime content) or Nexus (for for access to all things Google). However, both roms are Jelly Bean based which is two generations back from Lollipop.
The first path is preferred but more complex. The last is easiest (and least risky) but is an older solution with aging roms. The middle choice is primarily targeted at newer devices that can not roll back or unlock the bootloader (plus reduces your future options). You'll need to decide which is best for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
rootnooby said:
Thank you for all the good information. A couple questions. The last option seems like the most interesting to me right now since I will be able to use all the Amazon features and have a better ROM where all the google services will work. However, I'm having a couple issues right now that I'm concerned about. The first is that Amazon music crashes. The second is that I installed GAPPS and the recent update of Google Play services has caused many small issues. Given this, should I factory reset first so I have a clean slate with 14.3.2.6? I want to be sure that a reset won't brick my device. I can root with the toolkit and install safestrap from there.
Also, does the last option work if I were to upgrade to 14.3.2.8? My understanding is that this firmware fixed some bugs in 14.3.2.6.
Thanks again for you input.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Safestrap v3 does work under 14.3.2.8. However, upgrading beyond 14.3.2.6 eliminates the possibility of unlocking your device's bootloader at a future time. While that may not seem like a big deal now you may ultimately regret the decision.
Factory resets always carry the risk of disabling your device...more so if rooted. You have limited recovery options if that happens with a locked bootloader. Unless the issues with 3.2.6 are severe I wouldn't change anything. Once Safestrap is installed you have some additional options that may prove beneficial in fixing up FireOS.
Cautions:
- make sure you snag the correct version of Safestrap (here). Apollo v3.75.
- ditto for Nexus (here). Safestrap-apollo-nexus-rom-v1.0.1.zip
- get familiar with Safestrap before flashing anything. It is very easy to overwrite the stock slot containing FireOS if you're not careful.
- Nexus goes in slot #1 which you will need to create in advance.
Do you homework (read the relevant threads) before acting. Go slow and know exactly what is expected from each step. Stop and ask questions as needed or if you run into trouble. Don't panic, do a factory reset or take other rash actions. Sounds scary but it only is if you go in blind.
Good luck.
Just to add another small piece to the discussion, the only thing that does not work on nexus or cm, is the prime lending library and some (most?) Kindle comics.
Davey126 said:
Safestrap v3 does work under 14.3.2.8. However, upgrading beyond 14.3.2.6 eliminates the possibility of unlocking your device's bootloader at a future time. While that may not seem like a big deal now you may ultimately regret the decision.
Factory resets always carry the risk of disabling your device...more so if rooted. You have limited recovery options if that happens with a locked bootloader. Unless the issues with 3.2.6 are severe I wouldn't change anything. Once Safestrap is installed you have some additional options that may prove beneficial in fixing up FireOS.
Cautions:
- make sure you snag the correct version of Safestrap (here). Apollo v3.75.
- ditto for Nexus (here). Safestrap-apollo-nexus-rom-v1.0.1.zip
- get familiar with Safestrap before flashing anything. It is very easy to overwrite the stock slot containing FireOS if you're not careful.
- Nexus goes in slot #1 which you will need to create in advance.
Do you homework (read the relevant threads) before acting. Go slow and know exactly what is expected from each step. Stop and ask questions as needed or if you run into trouble. Don't panic, do a factory reset or take other rash actions. Sounds scary but it only is if you go in blind.
Good luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The main issue I have with 14.3.2.6 right now is with Amazon music. It constantly crashes. Hopefully that can be fixed because I do use it regularly. I won't upgrade to version 14.3.2.8 for now. I agree that I may regret it later. I'll follow your instructions and let you know how it goes. Thanks for the links to the proper files.
rootnooby said:
The main issue I have with 14.3.2.6 right now is with Amazon music. It constantly crashes. Hopefully that can be fixed because I do use it regularly. I won't upgrade to version 14.3.2.8 for now. I agree that I may regret it later. I'll follow your instructions and let you know how it goes. Thanks for the links to the proper files.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Once you have Safestrap v3 and Nexus installed you can try to 'repair' FireOS in the stock slot. Safestrap v3 has some limited recovery options should something go wrong; you don't have those now making repair attempts risky. I can provide additional detail when ready. That said, you may find Amazon Music works fine in Nexus.
Davey126 said:
Once you have Safestrap v3 and Nexus installed you can try to 'repair' FireOS in the stock slot. Safestrap v3 has some limited recovery options should something go wrong; you don't have those now making repair attempts risky. I can provide additional detail when ready. That said, you may find Amazon Music works fine in Nexus.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I now have safestrap and the nexus rom installed in slot 1. Seems to work well. I'd like to try to repair my stock 14.3.2.6 rom. Any insight you can provide slyly be great. Thank you.
rootnooby said:
I now have safestrap and the nexus rom installed in slot 1. Seems to work well. I'd like to try to repair my stock 14.3.2.6 rom. Any insight you can provide slyly be great. Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for the delayed response. The process is actually quite simple and reasonably safe given you have Nexus to fall back on should something go wrong. See this post for FireOS images that can be Flashed from within Safestrap. Make sure you grab the correct one for your device. Then flash to the stock slot (verify you have toggled back to stock in Safestrap or you will overwrite the currently selected slot which is likely Nexus). The 14.3.2.6 image is rooted with OTA blocked. However, being a belt and suspenders type I would fire up HDX toolkit and block OTA again before enabling WiFi - just to make sure. You definitely do not want to take an update while Safestrap v3 is installed.
Post back if you have any questions.
---------- Post added at 11:27 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:23 AM ----------
rootnooby said:
I now have safestrap and the nexus rom installed in slot 1. Seems to work well. I'd like to try to repair my stock 14.3.2.6 rom. Any insight you can provide slyly be great. Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for the delayed response. The process is actually quite simple and reasonably safe given you have Nexus to fall back on should something go wrong. See this post for FireOS images that can be Flashed from within Safestrap. Make sure you grab the correct one for your device. Then flash to the stock slot (verify you have toggled back to stock in Safestrap or you will overwrite the currently selected slot which is likely Nexus). The 14.3.2.6 image is rooted with OTA blocked. However, being a belt and suspenders type I would fire up HDX toolkit and block OTA again before enabling WiFi - just to make sure. You definitely do not want to take an update while Safestrap v3 is installed.
If Amazon Music still crashes after the update then you can try uninstalling/reinstalling the app. You may need some additional tools to accomplish this as FireOS will likely resist attempts to remove preinstalled or 'system' apps.
Post back if you have any questions.
Davey126 said:
Sorry for the delayed response. The process is actually quite simple and reasonably safe given you have Nexus to fall back on should something go wrong. See this post for FireOS images that can be Flashed from within Safestrap. Make sure you grab the correct one for your device. Then flash to the stock slot (verify you have toggled back to stock in Safestrap or you will overwrite the currently selected slot which is likely Nexus). The 14.3.2.6 image is rooted with OTA blocked. However, being a belt and suspenders type I would fire up HDX toolkit and block OTA again before enabling WiFi - just to make sure. You definitely do not want to take an update while Safestrap v3 is installed.
Post back if you have any questions.
---------- Post added at 11:27 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:23 AM ----------
Sorry for the delayed response. The process is actually quite simple and reasonably safe given you have Nexus to fall back on should something go wrong. See this post for FireOS images that can be Flashed from within Safestrap. Make sure you grab the correct one for your device. Then flash to the stock slot (verify you have toggled back to stock in Safestrap or you will overwrite the currently selected slot which is likely Nexus). The 14.3.2.6 image is rooted with OTA blocked. However, being a belt and suspenders type I would fire up HDX toolkit and block OTA again before enabling WiFi - just to make sure. You definitely do not want to take an update while Safestrap v3 is installed.
If Amazon Music still crashes after the update then you can try uninstalling/reinstalling the app. You may need some additional tools to accomplish this as FireOS will likely resist attempts to remove preinstalled or 'system' apps.
Post back if you have any questions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you. I was able to reinstall 14.3.2.6 in the stock partition. Worked well. Also, I uninstalled updates for Amazon music. During the process, the older version was put installed. I was able to open that and play music, however, prime music features were not available. I found the latest APK for amazon music with prime and downloaded it. All it working now, including prime music. Thanks again.
Ha! Spoke too soon! Worked for about 30 minutes. Crashing again
rootnooby said:
Ha! Spoke too soon! Worked for about 30 minutes. Crashing again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
rootnooby said:
Thank you. I was able to reinstall 14.3.2.6 in the stock partition. Worked well. Also, I uninstalled updates for Amazon music. During the process, the older version was put installed. I was able to open that and play music, however, prime music features were not available. I found the latest APK for amazon music with prime and downloaded it. All it working now, including prime music. Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With root you can attempt a complete uninstall/reinstall which may prove to be more stable. Download/sideload CCleaner which supports this capability in an easy-to-digest UI. There are more advanced tools/techniques if removal proves stubborn.
Q&A for [APOLLO/RECOVERY LOCKED] Safestrap Recovery v3.72/v3.75 [B02 2014-07-03]
Some developers prefer that questions remain separate from their main development thread to help keep things organized. Placing your question within this thread will increase its chances of being answered by a member of the community or by the developer.
Before posting, please use the forum search and read through the discussion thread for [APOLLO/RECOVERY LOCKED] Safestrap Recovery v3.72/v3.75 [B02 2014-07-03]. If you can't find an answer, post it here, being sure to give as much information as possible (firmware version, steps to reproduce, logcat if available) so that you can get help.
Thanks for understanding and for helping to keep XDA neat and tidy!
Fire HDX 8.9 vs Kindle Fire HDX 8.9
Okay, so I have noticed that Hashcode built this for both the 7" and 8.9" versions of the Kindle Fire HDX, but does the 8.9" version here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2612772
Does this support the 3rd generation Fire HDX 8.9" version? I noticed that the download links say it supports systems earlier than 14.3.2.1 and later than 14.3.2.1, but does it support the newer Fire HDX 8.9" system 4.1.1? Judging from what I have researched, I believe that there isn't much difference between 14.3.2.1 and 4.1.1. Has anyone tried to root or install CM on this newest version of the HDX 8.9 yet?
Thanks in advance.
WickdWzrd said:
Okay, so I have noticed that Hashcode built this for both the 7" and 8.9" versions of the Kindle Fire HDX, but does the 8.9" version here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2612772
Does this support the 3rd generation Fire HDX 8.9" version? I noticed that the download links say it supports systems earlier than 14.3.2.1 and later than 14.3.2.1, but does it support the newer Fire HDX 8.9" system 4.1.1? Judging from what I have researched, I believe that there isn't much difference between 14.3.2.1 and 4.1.1. Has anyone tried to root or install CM on this newest version of the HDX 8.9 yet?
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it's not possible to mod FireOS 4 in any way.
Safestrap apk for Kindle Fire HDX 14.3.2.3.2
Hi I'm trying to install safestrap on my kfhdx, but all the links in the forums seem to be broken. Any suggestions on where I can find this download? Thanks a lot
j1mbo83 said:
Hi I'm trying to install safestrap on my kfhdx, but all the links in the forums seem to be broken. Any suggestions on where I can find this download? Thanks a lot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Available here.
Although I'm not sure why you want to install safestrap as the firmware version you are running (self reported as 14.3.2.3.2) permits flashing 'native' twrp which is far more robust. From there you can flash CM11 or Nexus 2.0.5. With a bit of work you can also unlock your bootloader which opens the door to CM12 and Nexus 4.x. None of these roms work with safestrap.
Safestrap is a primary used by those who cannot flash 'native' twrp (most newer Kindles) and/or if you wish to toggle between Fire OS and Nexus 1.01. Those are the only roms that work with safestrap. Also note you must take steps to block OTA while using Safestrap or risk bricking your device. At present the only method that works reliably is HDX toolkit.
Thanks for the reply, I'm obviously new to this but I've rooted my Kindle, installed Google play, but recently Google has been forcing updates of play services and I'm afraid to mess with anything else until I can either unlock bootloader it install custom recovery, if you could point me in the right direction on how to do this I'd appreciate it. Didn't know I could install twrp. Any directions in layman's terms would help, thanks.
j1mbo83 said:
Thanks for the reply, I'm obviously new to this but I've rooted my Kindle, installed Google play, but recently Google has been forcing updates of play services and I'm afraid to mess with anything else until I can either unlock bootloader it install custom recovery, if you could point me in the right direction on how to do this I'd appreciate it. Didn't know I could install twrp. Any directions in layman's terms would help, thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Installing a custom recovery (twrp) is straight forward given your version of Fire OS. Please confirm you really are on v14.3.2.3.2 and OTA (over-the-air) updates have been blocked and if so, via which method. Did you roll your device back from a higher firmware version? Sorry for all the questions - want to make sure the foundation is solid before taking next steps.
Outline to install custom recovery:
- side load Flashify (here). You can also find/install this from Play Store if working on your device.
- download custom twrp (here); you want Apollo v2.8.6.0
- use Flashify to backup your current recovery (don't skip this step)
- use Flashify to flash (install) the twrp recovery image previously downloaded. You must use this image; don't go downloading/flashing a generic version!
When complete you device will reboot back into Fire OS as if nothing changed. You can verify twrp was correctly installed by powering down and then restarting by pressing power + vol-up. Release the power button when the grey Kindle logo appears; release the vol-up button a few seconds alter. After a few moments a blue logo should appear and you will enter twrp recovery. Have a look around but don't change anything. Reboot you device and post back for further instructions (actually information on next steps; where the fun begins!) .
Be aware that any type of flashing can render your device unusable. The steps outlined above are relatively safe if you follow directions carefully and double check each action before executing. Ask questions in advance; don't panic and start doing unscripted stuff if something goes wrong.
I am running v14.3.2.3.2, I rooted the kindle and blocked OTA updates using hdx toolkit. I did this maybe about 7 months ago and never rolled back. Will these directions still work for me?
j1mbo83 said:
I am running v14.3.2.3.2, I rooted the kindle and blocked OTA updates using hdx toolkit. I did this maybe about 7 months ago and never rolled back. Will these directions still work for me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks good. Just go slow and double check each step. Once twrp is installed and confirmed working you can then flash either the Nexus or CM11 rom which will give you unfettered access to the Play store and all the goodness of a 'generic' android device. Effectively your Kindle looses its identity as an Amazon tablet. Nexus (what I use) has proven rock solid but is getting a bit long in the tooth. CM11 is based on KitKat and only has a minor issues with bluetooth, LTE and occasionally wifi. Most users of this rom are quite happy and can easily work around the issues.
Prior to flashing a new rom you should make a complete backup of your current system in twrp and then store that image on another device. Also keep in mind that once you flash twrp it is very difficult to restore your device to full 'stock'. Assume a one way trip.
Edit: Forgot to mention LTE. At present none of the roms support LTE but that will likely change in the near future. If you have an LTE enabled tablet you'll have to decide if that or play store access is more important.
Thanks. Ok I installed flashify, then followed your link to download and install twrp and it has a note at the top that says to unlock boot loader. I don't think it is unlocked. How do I check this? And if it isn't, how would I go about unlocking it?
---------- Post added at 09:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:11 PM ----------
Ok I successfully installed twrp, created a backup, and saved it to another device. Ready for the next step. Thanks for all your help.
Congrats. If you are asking how to know if you are unlocked, chances are good it is locked. You do not need to unlock the bootloader, but it is highly recommended as once successfully unlocked it is another failsafe, and opens up other roms (like cm 12). To unlock it, I suggest grabbing Draxie's automated (slightly) script from the original dev section. Know that the act of unlocking the bootloader is difficult, and will require you to learn more about your device, but it does pay off in the end.
j1mbo83 said:
Thanks. Ok I installed flashify, then followed your link to download and install twrp and it has a note at the top that says to unlock boot loader. I don't think it is unlocked. How do I check this? And if it isn't, how would I go about unlocking it?
---------- Post added at 09:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:11 PM ----------
Ok I successfully installed twrp, created a backup, and saved it to another device. Ready for the next step. Thanks for all your help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Congrats!! See post from lekofraggle (here) which I fully agree with. However, I think you can defer the bootloader unlock for a little while recognizing that it provides an important failsafe should you bork your device and is a prerequisite for some roms (eg: CM12).
Next step involves flashing a rom of your choice. Recognize all aps/data will be wiped; you'll be starting clean. However, anything previously purchased in the play store can be downloaded again assuming you use the same credentials when setting up accounts on the 'new' rom.
Choices:
- Nexus 2.0.5: JellyBean based, rock solid, near AOSP (unmodified Android). Info/links here.
- CM11: KitKat based, popular across numerous Android devices with useful extensions baked in. Some minor BT/WiFi flakiness on HDX devices. Info/links here.
Both roms can also be downloaded using the ROMs tab at the top of this page. Don't go trying anything else. You want HDX Nexus or CM11-Apollo. Magic Beans will also work but carries no significant advantage over the other two and hasn't see much development in recent months.
All ROMs can be flashed from twrp. Be sure to make a backup of your current environment first. Use caution in twrp if you are new to the tool; it's easy to mess things up including a full brick of your device.
I recommend you start with Nexus. It's a great rom that will serve you well; an upgrade (KitKat) is in the works and should be released in the not-too-distant future. CM11 is also a fine choice and offers greater compatibility with some of the more recent app releases. Both are further customizable via Xposed Framework but that's another discussion.
Ok thanks, I downloaded the zips, now I have just one more question (I know, I have a lot...). Do I need to wipe my system before installing new Rom?
j1mbo83 said:
Ok thanks, I downloaded the zips, now I have just one more question (I know, I have a lot...). Do I need to wipe my system before installing new Rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Keep asking! Lots of devices have died in the hands of ignorant users (not intended to be an insult...were are all ignorant until educated).
In theory you do not need to wipe the device but there have been scattered reports of strange behaviors after performing a 'dirty' flash. My recommendation is to perform a factory reset (under wipe) from within twrp. This will clear data, cache and dalvik while leaving system and internal storage intact. If you opt for an "advanced wipe" select the previous 3 plus system; leave internal storage alone. Do not format or repair; just asking for trouble.
As always make a backup before proceeding and store a copy of that off-device. Short term keep a copy on the device along with the rom image just in case you have to redo something and can't connect via tether. Rare but it does happen.
Hi,
I´m on 14.1.3.0 firmware with my HDX 8.9 LTE. I rooted the device. Installed Nova Launcher, Xposed Framework, HDX Module, Safestrap, a.s.o.
Now I´m on it to clean up the device from all "kindle" and "amazon" soft. Has anyone an idea which system apps have to be on the device that i can use my services from google (gmail, calender, sync, a.s.o.). Maybe there is a list of it?
The best for me is an Gapps Rom for 14.1.3.0, but i don´t think this is available here?
Cheers
maluc said:
Hi,
I´m on 14.1.3.0 firmware with my HDX 8.9 LTE. I rooted the device. Installed Nova Launcher, Xposed Framework, HDX Module, Safestrap, a.s.o.
Now I´m on it to clean up the device from all "kindle" and "amazon" soft. Has anyone an idea which system apps have to be on the device that i can use my services from google (gmail, calender, sync, a.s.o.). Maybe there is a list of it?
The best for me is an Gapps Rom for 14.1.3.0, but i don´t think this is available here?
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are playing with fire removing amazon apps from stock os. Before nexus and other roms came along I ran with a configuration similar to yours (no safestrap) and identified various amazon components that were annoying and/or aggressively ran in the background consuming resources. Many could be frozen but there were often unforeseen consequences. I had a couple scares with bootlooping and failure to boot that I was fortunate to recover from. Many 'kindle' components are baked into Fire OS and can't be easily removed/disabled.
My suggestion is to install a different rom. Nexus is very stable and gives a clean android experience. CM11/12 are great as well. Given you are on 1.3.0 I would suggest ditching Safestrap in favor of native twrp opening many more doors and, perhaps most importantly, a solid path to recovery should things go wrong. Although this is probably obvious, all remnants of Fire OS are removed with a different rom (aside from low level stuff you don't care about).
As a bonus you don't have to mess around with intalling Gapps with any of the roms currently available; it's already built in
Thanks for your really forthcoming infos. On Nexus i haven't got support for my mobile Internet (3g/LTE), right?
When i install CM11/12 i need to upgrade from 3.1.0 to 3.2.3 but i habe absolutely no idea how? I do habe a stock 3.2.3 but this is a .bin file - how do i flash this? Or can i flash the New Rom.ZIP in twrp anyway?
maluc said:
Thanks for your really forthcoming infos. On Nexus i haven't got support for my mobile Internet (3g/LTE), right?
When i install CM11/12 i need to upgrade from 3.1.0 to 3.2.3 but i habe absolutely no idea how? I do habe a stock 3.2.3 but this is a .bin file - how do i flash this? Or can i flash the New Rom.ZIP in twrp anyway?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To the best of my knowledge there is no explicit mobile support with nexus. If you need reliable 3g/lte then your best bet is to stick with stock until confirmed working 100% in CM11/12.
The 3.2.3 bootloader update posted here is flashable from within twrp or using a utility like flashify. However, I believe it assumes twrp (or cwm) is your primary recovery. I have no idea if it would work using flashify with stock recovery and safestrap. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable can comment on this. You might want to send a PM to ggow.
Set the 3.2.3 .bin file aside for now; you don't need it.
Last I knew (from this post) you had safestrap installed. Is that still the case? You really want to get safestrap out of the picture unless there is a good reason for retaining it. Make sure you know the correct procedure for uninstalling safestrap and restoring your preferred rom.
If you already have twrp installed *and* known good backup of your current system then you could move forward with the 3.2.3 bootloader update and then install CM11 which I believe works with a locked bootloader (recognizing it may not fully support 3g/lte). I believe the current CM12 builds do required an unlocked bootloader. You can unlock but it is not always a straight forward process.
removed safestrap, backed up my device and flashed Nexus. Works perfect...only LTE is Missing
I think I try CM11 next. Thanks for your support!
maluc said:
removed safestrap, backed up my device and flashed Nexus. Works perfect...only LTE is Missing
I think I try CM11 next. Thanks for your support!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's an "unofficial" release of Nexus in the original thread with LTE compiled and it works quite well, alternatively CM11 LTE works great (on my Apollo) i'm sending and receiving SMS, haven't really tried calls yet but have used Facebook messenger to make and receive VOIP calls
EDIT: My bad, it's actually on Magic Beanz http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=59043532&postcount=73 which I would recommend over Nexus anyway (as long as you can get TWRP going).
Hello,
I'm hoping that someone can help me out with this.
Last December i bought a Fire HDX 7 (Thor). I immediatley followed the procedure to install Safestrap and the Thor Nexus ROM v2.0.1. Shortly after that my device got lost. Just last week I found it because my parents moved. After this I started looking around the internet to check if there are any 5.0 or 5.1 ROMs available. I found out they are indeed available.
What I want to do now is get rid of Safestrap, unlock the bootloader and install TWRP to be able to flash new ROMs. I want to start using TWRP because I'm used to working with TWRP.
The problem is that I can't seem to find a way to get this done, despite searching for it on this page for several hours. Can anyone help me on the right track? Would be very much appreciated.
Timmetjuh said:
Hello,
I'm hoping that someone can help me out with this.
Last December i bought a Fire HDX 7 (Thor). I immediatley followed the procedure to install Safestrap and the Thor Nexus ROM v2.0.1. Shortly after that my device got lost. Just last week I found it because my parents moved. After this I started looking around the internet to check if there are any 5.0 or 5.1 ROMs available. I found out they are indeed available.
What I want to do now is get rid of Safestrap, unlock the bootloader and install TWRP to be able to flash new ROMs. I want to start using TWRP because I'm used to working with TWRP.
The problem is that I can't seem to find a way to get this done, despite searching for it on this page for several hours. Can anyone help me on the right track? Would be very much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your options are determined by the current version of Amazon firmware installed on your device. I assume you retained Fire OS in the base slot. Boot into that and poke around settings until you find the version number (should be 13.x.x plus some other gibberish). Post what you find and we'll go from there.
Caution: You should disable wifi immediately after booting into Fire OS to prevent an automatic update from Amazon from spoiling your day. At minimum an update will limit future options. I can also brick your device depending on firmware level and other previous mods (including safestrap). Disabling wifi in Nexus is not sufficient as the two roms operate independently.
Davey126 said:
Your options are determined by the current version of Amazon firmware installed on your device. I assume you retained Fire OS in the base slot. Boot into that and poke around settings until you find the version number (should be 13.x.x plus some other gibberish). Post what you find and we'll go from there.
Caution: You should disable wifi immediately after booting into Fire OS to prevent an automatic update from Amazon from spoiling your day. At minimum an update will limit future options. I can also brick your device depending on firmware level and other previous mods (including safestrap). Disabling wifi in Nexus is not sufficient as the two roms operate independently.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could it be that I somehow deleted the Fire OS back then? Don't really remeber what I did exactly..
Timmetjuh said:
Could it be that I somehow deleted the Fire OS back then? Don't really remeber what I did exactly..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Quite possibly. Enjoy Nexus; it's a good rom. Alternatively, follow the directions to see if you still have Fire OS installed. If at/below v3.2.6 then Lollipop is possible albeit with a lot of work and significant risk to your device. Otherwise you are limited to Fire OS and Nexus.
Seriously, if you don't recall what you did and can't figure out how start Safestrap in recovery mode be happy with what you have. There are no step-by-step guides. You have to read (a lot) and be prepared for numerous setbacks including an unrecoverable brick of your now working Kindle.
Davey126 said:
Quite possibly. Enjoy Nexus; it's a good rom. Alternatively, follow the directions to see if you still have Fire OS installed. If at/below v3.2.6 then Lollipop is possible albeit with a lot of work and significant risk to your device. Otherwise you are limited to Fire OS and Nexus.
Seriously, if you don't recall what you did and can't figure out how start Safestrap in recovery mode be happy with what you have. There are no step-by-step guides. You have to read (a lot) and be prepared for numerous setbacks including an unrecoverable brick of your now working Kindle.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for my late response.. I just started Safestrap and can only find 1 ROM slot, the Stock ROM slot which probably means that I deleted the original OS.
I did find some files on my laptop that brought some memories back. What I did back then is downgrade the original software to version 13.3.2.6 and than to 13.3.1.0. Does this create any new possibilities?
I just managed to create a new ROM slot and succesfully installed stock 13.3.2.6 on it, so now running on Nexus ROM and stock 13.3.2.6.
Timmetjuh said:
Sorry for my late response.. I just started Safestrap and can only find 1 ROM slot, the Stock ROM slot which probably means that I deleted the original OS.
I did find some files on my laptop that brought some memories back. What I did back then is downgrade the original software to version 13.3.2.6 and than to 13.3.1.0. Does this create any new possibilities?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Timmetjuh said:
I just managed to create a new ROM slot and succesfully installed stock 13.3.2.6 on it, so now running on Nexus ROM and stock 13.3.2.6.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Warning: Do NOT allow Fire OS to auto-update. Doing so will likely brick your device. Short term the best way to prevent this is to only boot into Nexus. If necessary I can walk you through blocking OTA. Seriously - stay out of Fire OS for now.
I am no Safestrap expert but I believe the rom in the 'base' slot becomes the default when you uninstall Safestrap. So you may have some shuffling to do. Another concern is whether removing/reinstalling Fire OS will impact the ability to recognize the OS once Safetrap is gone. You need a functioning version of Fire OS (and recovery) to follow the 'standard' rollback/update/flash procedures.
However, there may be a shortcut. If 13.3.1.0 was the base rom just prior to installing Nexus and wiping out Fire OS you then should be able to flash twrp without further prep. That would give you access to both Nexus variants and CM11. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to determine the bootloader version which is the component that really matters. It should match the last version of Fire OS that was natively installed before you overwrite it with Nexus.
Unfortunately, the recent install of 13.3.2.6 into a safestrap slot complicates matters. I believe installs within Safestrap leaves the bootloader untouched. But I can't be sure. A misstep can leave your device in an unrecoverable condition; don't go experimenting.
Let's see which recovery you have installed. Power down the device then restart holding power + vol-up. When the grey Kindle logo appears release the power key; vol-up can be released a few seconds later. What happens after the grey logo disappears?
Davey126 said:
Warning: Do NOT allow Fire OS to auto-update. Doing so will likely brick your device. Short term the best way to prevent this is to only boot into Nexus. If necessary I can walk you through blocking OTA. Seriously - stay out of Fire OS for now.
I am no Safestrap expert but I believe the rom in the 'base' slot becomes the default when you uninstall Safestrap. So you may have some shuffling to do. Another concern is whether removing/reinstalling Fire OS will impact the ability to recognize the OS once Safetrap is gone. You need a functioning version of Fire OS (and recovery) to follow the 'standard' rollback/update/flash procedures.
However, there may be a shortcut. If 13.3.1.0 was the base rom just prior to installing Nexus and wiping out Fire OS you then should be able to flash twrp without further prep. That would give you access to both Nexus variants and CM11. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to determine the bootloader version which is the component that really matters. It should match the last version of Fire OS that was natively installed before you overwrite it with Nexus.
Unfortunately, the recent install of 13.3.2.6 into a safestrap slot complicates matters. I believe installs within Safestrap leaves the bootloader untouched. But I can't be sure. A misstep can leave your device in an unrecoverable condition; don't go experimenting.
Let's see which recovery you have installed. Power down the device then restart holding power + vol-up. When the grey Kindle logo appears release the power key; vol-up can be released a few seconds later. What happens after the grey logo disappears?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see the following:
Kindle Fire System Recovery
Your Kindle doesn't seem to be able to boot. Resetting your device to Factory defaults may help you to fix this issue.
Then I get the options to Reboot or to reset to Factory Default.
Oh, the Fire OS is not connected to any networks so it won't be able to update.
Timmetjuh said:
I see the following:
Kindle Fire System Recovery
Your Kindle doesn't seem to be able to boot. Resetting your device to Factory defaults may help you to fix this issue.
Then I get the options to Reboot or to reset to Factory Default.
Oh, the Fire OS is not connected to any networks so it won't be able to update.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok - a working stock recovery. That's good.
I am conflicted on next steps. The scripted approach would have you uninstall Safestrap (assuming Fire OS had remained in slot 0), rollback to 3.1.0 and then install twrp. However, since slot 0 now contains Nexus I do not feel removing Safestrap is wise. Nor to I think reinstalling Fire OS in the base slow will yield a functioning system once Safestrap is gone.
The 'shortcut' would have you flash twrp recovery (via adb or Flashify) since your bootloader *should*_be at the right level due to a previous 3.1.0 rollback. However, if that is not correct you will end up with a borked recovery which is difficult to rectify.
In your shoes I would probably do nothing given the device is fully functional. The developer of the Nexus rom is working on a KitKat 'upgrade' which is close to being released; a Safestrap variant will hopefully follow. There's no shame in running Nexus. Upgrade to v4.4, add a few Xposed modules and you have fully supported, near AOSP environment that's only lacking a few eye candy elements from Lollipop.
Davey126 said:
Ok - a working stock recovery. That's good.
I am conflicted on next steps. The scripted approach would have you uninstall Safestrap (assuming Fire OS had remained in slot 0), rollback to 3.1.0 and then install twrp. However, since slot 0 now contains Nexus I do not feel removing Safestrap is wise. Nor to I think reinstalling Fire OS in the base slow will yield a functioning system once Safestrap is gone.
The 'shortcut' would have you flash twrp recovery (via adb or Flashify) since your bootloader *should*_be at the right level due to a previous 3.1.0 rollback. However, if that is not correct you will end up with a borked recovery which is difficult to rectify.
In your shoes I would probably do nothing given the device is fully functional. The developer of the Nexus rom is working on a KitKat 'upgrade' which is close to being released; a Safestrap variant will hopefully follow. There's no shame in running Nexus. Upgrade to v4.4, add a few Xposed modules and you have fully supported, near AOSP environment that's only lacking a few eye candy elements from Lollipop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not that I don't like the Nexus ROM, I just like to experiment with these things..
So I just installed TWRP with Flashify (started Flashify from NEXUS) and now I seem stuck at the grey Kindle fire logo. I'm just going to leave it alone for a few hours, hopefully it boots later today.
Davey126 said:
Ok - a working stock recovery. That's good.
I am conflicted on next steps. The scripted approach would have you uninstall Safestrap (assuming Fire OS had remained in slot 0), rollback to 3.1.0 and then install twrp. However, since slot 0 now contains Nexus I do not feel removing Safestrap is wise. Nor to I think reinstalling Fire OS in the base slow will yield a functioning system once Safestrap is gone.
The 'shortcut' would have you flash twrp recovery (via adb or Flashify) since your bootloader *should*_be at the right level due to a previous 3.1.0 rollback. However, if that is not correct you will end up with a borked recovery which is difficult to rectify.
In your shoes I would probably do nothing given the device is fully functional. The developer of the Nexus rom is working on a KitKat 'upgrade' which is close to being released; a Safestrap variant will hopefully follow. There's no shame in running Nexus. Upgrade to v4.4, add a few Xposed modules and you have fully supported, near AOSP environment that's only lacking a few eye candy elements from Lollipop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It still boots after a very long time, however I don't know if I get the possibility to enter recovery because it takes several hours to boot. Any more ideas?
Timmetjuh said:
It still boots after a very long time, however I don't know if I get the possibility to enter recovery because it takes several hours to boot. Any more ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Power down device and attempt to enter recovery by pressing power + vol-up. Release the power button after the grey logo appears; vol-up can be released after a few seconds. What happens next? Likely one of the following (good -> bad):
- blue screen followed by twrp recovery
- stock recovery with only two options: factory reset and reboot
- continuation of grey kindle logo
Davey126 said:
Power down device and attempt to enter recovery by pressing power + vol-up. Release the power button after the grey logo appears; vol-up can be released after a few seconds. What happens next? Likely one of the following (good -> bad):
- blue screen followed by twrp recovery
- stock recovery with only two options: factory reset and reboot
- continuation of grey kindle logo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm stuck at the grey Kindle logo..
Did it! Managed to flash the stock bootloader, rollback and install TWRP. Now ready to flash CM11. Thanks for you help!
Timmetjuh said:
Did it! Managed to flash the stock bootloader, rollback and install TWRP. Now ready to flash CM11. Thanks for you help!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Congrats! Had a bad feeling after your earlier post; glad that was misplaced. Enjoy CM11 and all the goodness that comes from a liberated HDX.
At some point you should consider unlocking the bootloader. That will provide an important fail safe should things go wrong and opens the door to newer roms. Unlike previous flashes there is little/no risk in unlocking. It will either work or not with no adverse consequences. Unlocking can be a frustrating ride as the process involves multiple steps in unfamiliar territory but ultimately the benefits outweigh the effort IMO. Nothing that needs to be tackled right away but keep it on your radar ... especially if you plan to experiment with other roms.
Unlock bootloader
Hello davey,
I am also interested in getting from safestrap v4 to an unlocked bootloader in order to use a lollipop ROM. My 3rd gen hdx 7 started on 4.5.5 so I did OTA rollback to 3.2.8, upgraded to 4.5.2, then rooted and safestrapped. Unfortunately I lost my stock ROM, but I current have both CM11 and HDZ nexus v4 on 2 different ROM slots. What would be my best way to proceed? From my research so far, it would appear I need to flash hdx nexus 2.0, then flash rollback image to get to modified 3.2.4, and from there 3.1.0 stock update with will allow me to use python method to unlock BL. Is this all correct?
Thanks in advance for your guidance
slothdabski said:
Hello davey,
I am also interested in getting from safestrap v4 to an unlocked bootloader in order to use a lollipop ROM. My 3rd gen hdx 7 started on 4.5.5 so I did OTA rollback to 3.2.8, upgraded to 4.5.2, then rooted and safestrapped. Unfortunately I lost my stock ROM, but I current have both CM11 and HDZ nexus v4 on 2 different ROM slots. What would be my best way to proceed? From my research so far, it would appear I need to flash hdx nexus 2.0, then flash rollback image to get to modified 3.2.4, and from there 3.1.0 stock update with will allow me to use python method to unlock BL. Is this all correct?
Thanks in advance for your guidance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No. You can NOT unlock the bootloader! You can NOT downgrade to 3.2.4 and then further to 3.1.0/3.2.3.2! DON'T attempt to do so, you will brick your HDX!
Your only available option is to stay on 4.5.2 and use Safestrap v4 with either Nexus and/or CM11.
slothdabski said:
Hello davey,
I am also interested in getting from safestrap v4 to an unlocked bootloader in order to use a lollipop ROM. My 3rd gen hdx 7 started on 4.5.5 so I did OTA rollback to 3.2.8, upgraded to 4.5.2, then rooted and safestrapped. Unfortunately I lost my stock ROM, but I current have both CM11 and HDZ nexus v4 on 2 different ROM slots. What would be my best way to proceed? From my research so far, it would appear I need to flash hdx nexus 2.0, then flash rollback image to get to modified 3.2.4, and from there 3.1.0 stock update with will allow me to use python method to unlock BL. Is this all correct?
Thanks in advance for your guidance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, you can not unlock your bootloader. Amazon introduced anti-rollback protection that will hard brick the device if rolled back below 3.2.8. Sorry, mate.
Davey126 said:
Unfortunately, you can not unlock your bootloader. Amazon introduced anti-rollback protection that will hard brick the device if rolled back below 3.2.8. Sorry, mate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Davey, you have been very helpful replying to me in another thread also. My reason for seeking a ROM other, than Nexus v4 or CM11, is the kitkat bluetooth tether/VPN bug documented at code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=62714 (sorry for no direct link, xda won't let me post them yet). A "work around" is to establish a wifi connection, even if it doesnt have internet access. This, for whatever reason, allows kitkat to forward the packets to apps on the kindle. I probably could get away with plugging in an old access point at work to enable the sharing sharing of my phones data connection with my safestrap kitkit kindle, but this isn't practical outside of my workplace.
FYI, I cant share my phone's connection via wifi because its an ATT note 4 with lollipop, a locked bootloader, and no permaroot available. I doubt there's a way to tether between 2 android devices via microUSB; but i'd be open to that too!
Thanks again for your wisdom and expertise!
slothdabski said:
Thanks Davey, you have been very helpful replying to me in another thread also. My reason for seeking a ROM other, than Nexus v4 or CM11, is the kitkat bluetooth tether/VPN bug documented at code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=62714 (sorry for no direct link, xda won't let me post them yet). A "work around" is to establish a wifi connection, even if it doesnt have internet access. This, for whatever reason, allows kitkat to forward the packets to apps on the kindle. I probably could get away with plugging in an old access point at work to enable the sharing sharing of my phones data connection with my safestrap kitkit kindle, but this isn't practical outside of my workplace.
FYI, I cant share my phone's connection via wifi because its an ATT note 4 with lollipop, a locked bootloader, and no permaroot available. I doubt there's a way to tether between 2 android devices via microUSB; but i'd be open to that too!
Thanks again for your wisdom and expertise!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually just got it working by running the following as SU in terminal emaulator
# ip route add default dev tun0 scope link
Not sure yet if I have to do this every time I tether, but if so, i think i can just make a script to execute automatically?
Hi all,
I've been reading a fair bit, but I'm still not quite certain what the best path is for me with my device.
Current state: I did the rollback from 4.5.2 to 13.3.2.8_user_328003120. I installed Safestrap 3.75 and GGOW's excellent Nexus v1.0.1.
Kindle ROM is sitting in STOCK slot, and Nexus 1.0.1 is in Slot 1. It is rooted. I have not installed the OTA block, but the device is in airplane mode.
I have no data that I'm interested in preserving.
What I'd like to do is get the device to a point where I can install GGOW's newer version of Nexus ROM, and/or the CM series of ROMs. The tablet is used primarily for gaming, and some of the newer games won't run on the older version of Nexus ROM anymore.
SO - it seems to me that I have to go to a newer version of Safestrap (v4) to make this happen. Is this so? If that is so, what's the correct upgrade/migration path to make this happen? Again - I'm not worried about losing all of my data, but I would like to avoid brick, and (ideally), it would be nice to have good recovery options for the future.
Thanks for any help you can provide me!
CanadaDave77 said:
Hi all,
I've been reading a fair bit, but I'm still not quite certain what the best path is for me with my device.
Current state: I did the rollback from 4.5.2 to 13.3.2.8_user_328003120. I installed Safestrap 3.75 and GGOW's excellent Nexus v1.0.1.
Kindle ROM is sitting in STOCK slot, and Nexus 1.0.1 is in Slot 1. It is rooted. I have not installed the OTA block, but the device is in airplane mode.
I have no data that I'm interested in preserving.
What I'd like to do is get the device to a point where I can install GGOW's newer version of Nexus ROM, and/or the CM series of ROMs. The tablet is used primarily for gaming, and some of the newer games won't run on the older version of Nexus ROM anymore.
SO - it seems to me that I have to go to a newer version of Safestrap (v4) to make this happen. Is this so? If that is so, what's the correct upgrade/migration path to make this happen? Again - I'm not worried about losing all of my data, but I would like to avoid brick, and (ideally), it would be nice to have good recovery options for the future.
Thanks for any help you can provide me!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You best (really only path) is to upgrade to 4.5.2, root (use Kingroot), install Safestrap v4 and then flash either Nexus v4 or CM11 to the STOCK slot (not a secondary slot as was recommended with Safestrap v3). This will overwrite FireOS but it can be restored from the backup you create or from a 'custom' build of 4.5.2 if you forget/loose the all important backup.
Safestrap v4 provides a modest improvement in recovery options - but it is not nearly as robust as 'native' TWRP or fastboot with an unlocked bootloader (neither are options for you). You can still brick your device with a simple mistake or by going 'off script'. Many folks have gained a false sense of confidence with Safestrap installed. Think of SS v4 as an enabler for CM11 or Nexus v4, not a recovery or multi-boot tool.
Note CM12 and SlimLP can NOT be flashed under Safestrap v4. Only the two KitKat roms referenced above (or a custom version of FireOS should you want to return to stock).
My suggestion is your read through the Safestrap v4 thread (300+ posts!) to expand your knowledge of the process and become familiar with individual procedures. Look for excellent posts from @Cl4ncy and other experienced contributors. When you are ready to take the plunge post a succinct outline of the steps you plan to follow. Any 'gotchas' will quickly be identified by a member of the community.
Got it - thanks.
I've been through about half of that thread so far. The process is a bit long, so I'd like to break it up into a few chunks if I could.
Here's what I'm thinking my "cookbook" would look like to start. Note that I don't have any data that I wish to preserve at all in either the 3.2.8 FireOS or the Nexus ROM 1.0.1. Also note that my current state is that I have 3.2.8 in the stock slot and the Nexus ROM in Slot 1.
1) Ensure I'm in airplane mode (which I am)
2) Download the 4.5.2 stock rom here and put it in the root /sdcard.
3) Boot up 3.2.8 from the stock slot, go into "check for updates" and it should appear there.
4) Allow the update to take effect.
5) Boot into the 4.5.2 OS, ensuring that airplane mode is still on.
6) Uninstall Safestrap 3.75 by going into the "settings" area and uninstalling the package.
7) Reboot - this will take me into 4.5.2 in a "clean" state.
I think the biggest question is the uninstallation of Safestrap. I'm feeling like I might be doing that in the wrong order?
My next steps (and the second chunk of the cookbook) would be to root 4.5.2 using Kingroot, install the new version of Safestrap, back up 4.5.2 to a file on my PC, move 4.5.2 to one of the other ROM slots and install the new Nexus ROM in the stock slot, but I want to make sure I'm taking this slowly so not to brick the device, so I don't want to tackle that until the cookbook is done.
I know it's not of a ton of value compared to the work you do here, Davey, but once I'm done, I'll post the tutorial for everyone who is in my situation in a "clean" format once this is all done and working well so that people have a good starting point. I know a lot of people did the 3.2.8 rollback for Nexus 1.0.1, so they may be in a similar state.
Excellent post here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=61531925&postcount=52
Does my process look correct so far?
CanadaDave77 said:
Got it - thanks.
I've been through about half of that thread so far. The process is a bit long, so I'd like to break it up into a few chunks if I could.
Here's what I'm thinking my "cookbook" would look like to start. Note that I don't have any data that I wish to preserve at all in either the 3.2.8 FireOS or the Nexus ROM 1.0.1. Also note that my current state is that I have 3.2.8 in the stock slot and the Nexus ROM in Slot 1.
1) Ensure I'm in airplane mode (which I am)
2) Download the 4.5.2 upgrade file from here and put it in the root /sdcard.
3) Boot up 3.2.8 from the stock slot, go into "check for updates" and it should appear there.
4) Allow the update to take effect.
5) Boot into the 4.5.2 OS, ensuring that airplane mode is still on.
6) Uninstall Safestrap 3.75 by going into the "settings" area and uninstalling the package.
7) Reboot - this will take me into 4.5.2 in a "clean" state.
My next steps (and the second chunk of the cookbook) would be to root 4.5.2 using Kingroot, install the new version of Safestrap, back up 4.5.2 to a file on my PC, move 4.5.2 to one of the other ROM slots and install the new Nexus ROM in the stock slot, but I want to make sure I'm taking this slowly so not to brick the device, so I don't want to tackle that until the cookbook is done.
I know it's not of a ton of value compared to the work you do here, Davey, but once I'm done, I'll post the tutorial for everyone who is in my situation in a "clean" format once this is all done and working well so that people have a good starting point. I know a lot of people did the 3.2.8 rollback for Nexus 1.0.1, so they may be in a similar state.
Does my process look correct so far?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Almost (good detail/research!). Thoughts:
- You should remove all secondary slots and uninstall Safestrap recovery prior to upgrading to FireOS v4. SS v3 will not function properly under FireOS v4; results are unpredictable. Be sure to boot into FireOS v3 at least once prior to cleaning house to insure it remains functional. Then return to SS recovery, backup one or both slots (as a precaution should something go wrong) as space permits and then delete all secondary slots. Reboot to FireOS and uninstall Safestrap recovery via the SS app. Then uninstall SS v3 itself (keep a copy of the apk if possible). The above reflect a very conservative path; you may choose to skip/consolidate some steps. Just be sure Safestrap v3 recovery is not installed prior to upgrading to FireOS v4.
- Do not preform any type of 'wipe' or 'factory reset' in Safestrap v3. Not needed and potentially dangerous.
- Download any apks you may need immediately after upgrading before going to 4.5.2. Suggest Kingroot, ES File Explorer and SuperSU (latter as a precaution). Leave all in internal storage (root of SDCARD) which should remain untouched during the upgrade.
- After upgrading to 4.5.2 (with airplane mode engaged) perform the following steps: enable USB debug (settings menu), root with Kingroot, block OTA, install Safestrap v4, boot into SS recovery, take a backup of the stock slot, reboot into 4.5.2 and copy backup directory/contents to your PC. I'll leave it as an exercise to research the details behind those steps.
- Kingroot requires a brief network connection (less than 30 sec). Be aware Amazon may attempt to push an OTA update while connected to the network. Be sure to reenable airplane mode after Kingroot finishes and whack the partially downloaded OTA file if needed.
BTW - not trying to make things difficult; I feel there is significant value in the suggested 'homework' assignment as it will build your confidence, reduce the chance of mistakes (some of which can have dire consequences) and facilitate self-help should something go wrong.
Thanks for the props; what I 'do' simply reflects a regurgitation of info gleaned from others. They are the ones who make all this possible (@ggow in particular). That said, I am sure many will appreciate a 'how to' guide should you decide to publish.
LOL - I certainly didn't think you were trying to make things difficult by suggesting the homework! I want the device to work after I'm done monkeying around with it - and, honestly, it's a matter of pride to feel like I can at least partially feed myself.
Ironically, it took your help to help me feed myself... so, thanks.
Anyway - I've had some very good success! I'm now updated to 4.5.2, Kingrooted, ES File Explorer, Safestrap 4.01 installed, and a backup has been run.
What I did see was that it was trying to download an update during the Kingroot process, and that got to 80%. I'd like to kill that update file before I proceed any further, just in case wireless somehow gets turned back on. I don't see the file in the root of /sdcard, though - do you know where that file goes?
CanadaDave77 said:
LOL - I certainly didn't think you were trying to make things difficult by suggesting the homework! I want the device to work after I'm done monkeying around with it - and, honestly, it's a matter of pride to feel like I can at least partially feed myself.
Ironically, it took your help to help me feed myself... so, thanks.
Anyway - I've had some very good success! I'm now updated to 4.5.2, Kingrooted, ES File Explorer, Safestrap 4.01 installed, and a backup has been run.
What I did see was that it was trying to download an update during the Kingroot process, and that got to 80%. I'd like to kill that update file before I proceed any further, just in case wireless somehow gets turned back on. I don't see the file in the root of /sdcard, though - do you know where that file goes?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Congrats on progress to date! You're through the tough hurdles and almost ready for some real fun.
OTA updates are written to the root of sdcard. The partial may have been deleted when the connection severed.
Thoughts:
- The partial OTA, if present, will likely be large. Do a deep search for .bin in ES File Explorer. Make sure 'show hidden files' is enabled.
- You can block further OTA updates in FireOS v4 by renaming DeviceSoftwareOTA.apk to DeviceSoftwareOTA.bak
- There is no need for the above action if you intend to immediately flash cm11 or Nexus v4 to the stock slot in Safestrap which replaces FireOS and associated ota mechanisms.