Regarding ADB over Network
This is a cool and unique feature that CM9 recently added and I kanged for my ROM. It allows you to do natively what used to require a separate app.
By checking 'Android debugging' and 'ADB over Network' in the Developer options, you can now use adb commands without having to plug your phone in (so long as you're on the same local network as the phone).
First, you'll need to find your device's IP address, which is in Settings->About Phone->Status.
Then, on the computer with adb, just type in the following (we'll use my device's IP as an example, 192.168.1.132)
adb connect 192.168.1.132:5555
After it successfully connects, you can use any adb command as if it were physically connected to your computer.
An important note: if you flash a custom kernel, it may disable this feature. That's because it requires adding a few lines to the init.rc file in the kernel's ramdisk. Please point your favorite kernel developer to the following link to get ADB over Network working on their kernel:
Advanced Themeing for Apex 2.0 RC3
I've uploaded a mini guide on how to do advanced themeing for ApeX 2.0 RC3, that is, making .xml edits to the framework and systemui apks, without interfering with existing mods.
Take a look if you're interested. Download guide here.
Apex 602 Test 2
Alright, I've fixed the bluetooth bug, but at the cost of the AOSP dialer/contacts combo. I've restored the Blur dialer and contacts, and with those, some other blur helper apks.
This includes 3 account adding helpers, corporate, email, and yahoo. THESE DON'T WORK. Add your email accounts via the Email app itself. These shortcuts just need to be there or the Blur contacts app FC's.
I've also compiled a new Launcher2 from the 'SuperAOSP' ROM for Nexus S. You can find the post here. This Launcher2 is much faster than the stock one, and adds a customizeable dock and orientation based rotation. Give me your feedback (I am mostly expecting positive!).
Finally, updated Market, Terminal Emulator, Superuser, and File Manager, keeping their signatures intact (so you can update them!).
What's the cost? Perhaps you will need to wipe your data and cache because of incompatible system data (due to the dialer change). Please test/confirm this for me. Good news is you can (as always) restore just your apps and app data (no system data) using TiBu.
7cf8002b1f435674baf7a68b35326e37 *Fabolous_ApeX_2-0-0_602_Test2.zip
ApeX 602 Test 2 Droid X
516535671b151a98991f582ece456c16 *Fabolous_ApeX_2-0-0_602_Test2-D2.zip
Apex 602 Test2-D2 Droid 2
Wipe data/cache and install if coming from Test 1 or another 602 ROM. If any other ROM, follow instructions here.
Detailed Instructions to update to .602
Sorry for being terse last night with the instructions, I was hoping a lot of people had already moved to .602, but it seems a lot of you are still on .596 (and Apex!)
Unfortunately, there's no way directly to .602 from .596, and in extension, Apex RC2 (I tried making a file to go from .596 to .602, but the new baseband will NOT flash unless coming from .340 -- unavoidable).
If you own the TBH app, your life is easier: Download the .340 AIO (all in one), and the .602 AIO. You can boot into recovery, factory reset, flash the .340 AIO, then the .602 AIO, then Apex 602 test all consecutively and you should be good.
But I imagine a lot of you don't own the TBH app, so you will have to do the following:
1. (Optional) Make a backup if you are on Apex RC2 (you will be able to advance restore your data after installing pre-RC3)
2. SBF back to .340 (remember to wipe data and cache or you will be stuck at the boot screen). Instructions and files here.
3. Root Froyo with z4root, bootstrap recovery with D2 bootstrap recovery.
4. Now, update to .602 using the 2-step (not the stock file!) process outlined at MDW here. No need to wipe anything yet.
5. After booting into .602, reboot back into bootstrap recovery, do a factory reset, and flash Apex 602 test. Reboot into Apex.
6. (Optional) - make a backup of your fresh, working Apex 602 (to restore if the following step messes stuff up)
7. (Optional) - advanced restore your data from Apex RC2
Well, as you can see, that's quite a few steps (took me around 25 minutes to do), but I've been hearing that the new baseband is pretty good, and the new kernel seems to perform well in my testing.
Apex 2.0 pre-RC3 (based on .602)
UPDATE: Please flash this hotfix to add additional accounts via Settings apk. It will also let you see battery usage through the about phone menu. Link (don't wipe anything)
No, I didn't abandon Apex, but I did take a little break that turned out to be an extended leave. Been a little busy, but I'm finally done moving into the new place and we just so happened to get a new 2.3.3 OTA (.602), so I've updated Apex to the new base.
Here's what this file is: it is RC2, but updated to the .602 base. No new features have been added, neither of the two major bugs have been fixed (bluetooth call volume, individual contact custom ringtones). There are a few minor updates though:
- I included the newest market apk
- I updated the superuser apk, and su binary
- Included the true AOSP lockscreen (not themed Blur sliders). This should not have that stuttering animation the Blur sliders had.
- More aesthetically pleasing boot animation (thanks plowerdotnet). Should fade green also, so it doesn't do that stupid cut-off thing.
Here's what you'll need to have to install this file:
- Did the .602 update (2-part) from .340
- So you have the .13P baseband
- And the tkwp86@ca25rhe81 #2 kernel
If you need detailed instructions, click here.
Coming from stock .602 (Blur) will require a full data wipe, but if you're coming from Apex RC2, you may be able to do an advanced restore of your data. Please test this and let me know if you run into any issues!
Also, if you run into any other bugs, be sure to leave them in the comments here. I'll look into them (after I attempt to fix BT and ringtones).
c434f54328d936a5b9e85d309a027023 *Fabolous_ApeX_2-0-0_602_Test.zip
And here are my plans moving forward:
RC3 release: once I got at least bluetooth call volume working (and hopefully custom ringtones too), Apex will get bumped up to RC2.
Final: then I will add glittery features such as toolbox, supercharger script, imoseyon kernel governors, etc.
Apex 2.0 Beta 2
Well, the OTA is finally out (.596) and I've updated Apex to use the new base. A few things are new:
- AOSP Dialer is working
- AOSP Contacts are working
- Basically all Blur is removed (except 'My Accounts' and 'Setup')
- No longer requires 2 parts
If you were following my progress on Twitter, you also saw that I got the AOSP lockscreen to work, however, there is a caveat. Last time, I required 2 parts because certain apps would not flash initially (themed Settings, Downloads, etc.). Well, we've figured that one out, but now the AOSP lockscreen is a similar issue (it doesn't take at first flash). This is not an .apk, but rather a .jar file, and signing it (the solution to the .apk problem) doesn't work for .jars.
So, while I will make the AOSP lockscreen available as a separate flash, it has the same rules as before: don't flash until you've booted into Apex once before. If you wipe data (factory reset) or restore a backup, you need to reflash Apex while still in recovery, or else suffer the bootloop.
Other than that one little quirk, everything else seems to be working great.
- You must be on .596 already, and have the correct baseband and kernel as shown above
- Use Droid 2 Bootstrap, enter recovery, wipe data/cache, dalvik cache
- Install the ROM
- Reboot (do not install AOSP lockscreen now)
AOSP Lockscreen Instructions
- You must have booted into Apex at least once
- Reboot recovery, wipe cache, wipe dalvik cache
- Install the AOSP Lockscreen file
- Reboot (this will take ~3 mins b/c of cache wipe)
LINKS
Apex 2.0 Beta 2: http://bit.ly/kaBQAQ
AOSP Lockscreen Mod: http://bit.ly/jMWwQ1 (Don't download this, it breaks search in apps i.e market, browser, etc)
MD5 checksums
f68758571a2364844690a83c660a27d2 Fabolous_ApeX_2-0_Beta2.zip
bd51a6610e2ffdfaa2279beb00516119 Fabolous_ApeX_2-0_AOSP_LS.zip
Apple TV: $99 HTPC
I recently purchased an Apple TV because my old HTPC decided to die. I learned that there was a full XBMC port for the Apple TV (2nd gen) available capable of hardware accelerating HD video in a variety of formats, and at $99, it was too good of a deal to pass.
I gotta say, it's turned out to work great, and with the proper instructions, it takes less than an hour to set up (though it took me much longer).
There are really only three steps:
- Update software and jailbreak
- Install XBMC (and other optional software)
- Set up file sharing on your network (to stream files off your PC/NAS/etc)
Step 1: Jailbreak the Apple TV
There are plenty of different methods to jailbreak, but I recommend seas0npass. It downloads the latest firmware, patches it, and flashes it for you. You can download it for Mac/PC here.
Run the app, download the firmware. It will patch it for you. When it's done, you need to connect the Apple TV in DFU mode (a lot easier than on an iPod touch, I promise). Connect the ATV over USB only, then press and hold the MENU and PLAY buttons down for 7 seconds. Once seas0npass detects DFU mode, it will launch iTunes to flash the patched firmware and jailbreak the ATV. If there is an error, you will need to manually find the patched IPSW file (in your home directory if using OS X).
Once that's all done and you connect your ATV to your TV, there should now be a seas0npass menu there. If so, you've successfully jailbroken your Apple TV!
Step 2: Install XBMC (and optional software)
Now, if you're familiar with Debian/Ubuntu, the following steps will be very, very familiar to you. We are going to install XBMC using dpkg (you can get it via apt-get as well, but that is the latest stable release, and we need to use the semi-nightly release). So first, we must SSH into the Apple TV.
We can find the IP of the ATV from the main menu (frontrow) by going all the way to settings, general settings, network. Once you have the IP, you can SSH into your ATV (in Windows, use a client like Putty). Replace AppleTV.local with the IP address of your ATV.
ssh root@AppleTV.local
default password: alpine
Now, the latest nightly build of XBMC will be located here. We need the file called latest_atv2.deb. We must use the nightly build because the stable build does not do hardware acceleration on iOS 4.3 just yet. So, in our SSH window:
wget http://hadm.net/~keith/xbmc_atv2/latest_atv2.deb
dpkg -i latest_atv2.deb
While we're at it, you may want to also install the bluetooth stack so that you can pair a keyboard the the ATV (makes YouTube much easier as text entry with the remote is a pain in the ass). We can do that by entering the following in our SSH window:
apt-get install ch.ringwald.keyboard-atv
apt-get install org.tomcool.btstack-ui
reboot
After the reboot, you should now have an XBMC option in your frontrow, as well as a 'Custom Settings' option at the very bottom of the Settings menu of your frontrow, from where you can pair your bluetooth keyboard.
Congratulations, you've installed XBMC on your Apple TV. Now, we just need to set up sharing on the computer where you keep your movies so that the ATV can stream it to your HDTV.
Set up filesharing:
Now, there are way too many ways this can be done, but in my case (and likely yours), you have a Windows machine that has your media files on it. Setting up sharing is as simple as right clicking the folder (or drive) you want to share, going to properties, then sharing, and hit the share button. You can set up what users have what permissions.
Then, in XMBC, all you need to do is add a SMB (Windows share) in your video sources. You can navigate your workgroup with the remote until you find it. Enter your credentials to log into your share. If you have it password protected, I suggest saving the password. Repeat for all your media sources.
When you're done, you should be able to stream your media from your computer to the ATV! Note, 720p and 1080p files require a lot of bandwidth. N mode is preferred if using wireless, though G may be sufficient. If using ethernet, you'll be fine.
Additional Notes:
While simple, these steps should get your XBMC setup on your ATV up and running and streaming from your computer. There are additional things, such as enabling DTS and AC3 passthrough that can be done (actually within the system settings of XBMC if your receiver supports it).
The Motorola bluetooth keyboard (for Xoom, Atrix dock, etc) works just fine with ATV, and makes navigation much simpler and enjoyable than that little Apple remote.
If you have some other questions, feel free to post in the comments below and I'll try to answer them to the best of my abilities.
Apex Alpha Bug Reports
Latest Versions
DX: Alpha 2
D2: Alpha 2
We can report and discuss bugs found in the Apex 2.0 Alpha releases here. Just a few ground rules first:
- Make sure you're on the latest alpha version for your device before you report a bug. It may have been fixed!
- Please state which device you're using (DX or D2). It's very difficult for me to test for the D2 as I don't have one, so I'll be relying on others to help me.
- If you can, please try to list the steps needed to recreate the bug. Otherwise, I may not be able to recreate it on my own device.
- Read the list of known bugs below. These will be updated as progress has been made on them.
Known Bugs:
- Clicking on phone numbers in Browser or Maps launches dialer, but does not copy number
- Battery history in Spare Parts causes it to FC
- AOSP Camera only goes up to 5MP (DX bug only)
- Doing a factory reset after installing themefix OR installing themefix directly after installing ROM results in missing Settings and Downloads apps.
- MusicMod does not hook into lockscreen music controls
- Not all apps are themed, and some button presses are still blue
Not Bugs:
- Plugging into charger causes phone to reboot -- Uninstall Bump (this was caused by the latest update to the APP)
- Both AOSP and Blur cameras are in there right now because the AOSP camera only does 5MP. When it does 8MP, I will remove the Blur camera.
A more detailed explanation of the Quadrant cheat
Achieved with "poweroverwhelming" cheat code
You may have seen me post this picture on Twitter. No, Apex doesn't make your phone hardware any more powerful, but it does include a sneaky trick to "cheat" the Quadrant benchmark. The weakness of the Quadrant benchmark is the I/O portion, where it runs some reads and write, and measures how quickly those are done, calculating the I/O score.
Normally, this is done on your /data partition, which is an accurate representation of your phone's filesystem and speed. The benchmark is good. A higher score generally indicates better filesystem performance, which leads to real world benefits like faster application loading.
However, it can also be easily manipulated to yield obscenely high, inaccurate speeds. The way this is achieved is by mounting Quadrant's application data (usually on /data) on to a temporary file storage partition instead. The tmpfs is stored in memory, and thus is much faster (RAM is faster than NAND, but of course, volatile). Quadrant then runs the I/O tests on this much faster filesystem, resulting in a much higher I/O score, inflating your overall score.
So does this mean Quadrant is a bad benchmark? Not really. But if you have intentions of deceit, Quadrant is more than willing to be your accomplice.
And just for even more laughs, here's what I get on my Nexus S using the same cheat.
Oh, and I almost forgot, here're the contents of the actual script. This is the command necessary to mount the tmpfs. There're two lines because there're two versions of Quadrant, which is also why you see an error each time you run poweroverwhelming. I'll probably clean that up for the final release.
#!/system/bin/sh mount -o rw -t tmpfs tmpfs /data/data/com.aurorasoftworks.quadrant.ui.standard mount -o rw -t tmpfs tmpfs /data/data/com.aurorasoftworks.quadrant.ui.advanced
Got my WordPress back up!
And lost my old database, so all the old posts and stuff are gone, but that's not too awful.
Trying out a new look too. Sticking with Disqus for comments, as that seems to drastically lower the amount of garbage spam comments.
Anyways, I don't blog, so like before, this is where I'll just have a consolidated list of my downloads and some other random stuff.
Let's hope that my server holds its own when Apex 2.0 is actually released, instead of dying again. I have a feeling it'll be ok. Justin (kejar31) has already brought a lot of traffic with his Tesla Coil ROM. Little did he know, I was using him to beta test my server (lol, j/k!).
Fab’s Musings
- @Antob125 normal, lol.
(about 29 minutes ago) - @trophynuts oh that was me in my weekend car!
(about 49 minutes ago) - @trophynuts I don't like that one bit.
(about 1 hour ago) - Oh yeah, beat Diablo III.
(about 2 hours ago) - @adamthecashew oof
(about 8 hours ago)
Recent Posts
- Regarding ADB over Network
- Advanced Themeing for Apex 2.0 RC3
- Apex 602 Test 2
- Detailed Instructions to update to .602
- Apex 2.0 pre-RC3 (based on .602)
Archives
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