Android Tablet.... From Hell~~~ 8[

Hey all,

I've got a bit of a weird problem, that's had me going mental for a few days now. I'm not sure if anyone here would know, but I've tried almost every android forum and am desperate lol.

and let me also include, I am completely clueless when it comes to Android OS/Tablets and all that, But is it really this hard?!

I recently purchased a very cheap Chinese Android Tablet for around $80AUD, so I wasn't expecting a great lot out of it, but it doesn't appear that bad to be honest.

It has an AMR9 processor at about 660mhz it says on the box, 256mb ram, 8gbnand, gravity sensor, resistive touch screen (yech), gps, and doesnt look shocking.

It's a Ployer Momo2. In other words, in the android world, it doesn't exist. :^/

Here's the website for it: www.ployer.cn...

Now the problem that has been driving me nuts, and I'm sorry for the longivity of all this so the

tl;dr

I have no Android Market access. To get this I need to root the tablet. To do this I need to dump a rooted rom.

Every guide I read tells me I need root access to do this.

I cannot get root access as it is a CRAMFS File System, which is Read Only. It's a compressed file, which holds the image of the system.

It's an RK2818 running froyo1.0 which I think is android 2.2.1.

Damn it, I had hoped when I started this post, it would come out clearer, but it's as muddy here as it is in my head after days of this...

Someone have any idea about this device? Or have any experience with a cramfs image and getting root onto it?

reply to post by Ha`la`tha


I wish you the best of luck. Try z4root.

Can't you just download SuperUser apk and install via memory card?

I had a similar problem with my o2 Joggler.. In the end I just downloaded the apk's I wanted and installed with a file explorer.

reply to post by Ha`la`tha


Hi there,
I rooted my desire hd and it's not all that hard just needed to read a lot.
took me about an hour.

I don't know if you tried THIS site, if not it's to go to site for all of your rooting needs.

See if you find a tablet like yours or find the same if it's on there.

Look for app's called clockwork mod, Visionary+ etc.

I wish a could help you any further.

I have a motorolla ATRIX and so far I haven't had any trouble. Only downside is it won't let me download anything while on the 3G network. A minor issue because in Canada bandwidth is expensive as hell. So the lower I keep it the better.

The upside is it completely replaced my laptop in terms of computing and the amount of stuff I can do with it.

If you cannot download from the market have you tried connecting it to wifi?

Try this link.
www.slatedroid.com...

Originally posted by madmangunradio
reply to post by Ha`la`tha

 

I wish you the best of luck. Try z4root.

I've tried that every way from sunday. Tried the latest which works with Froyo, but as I have a cramfs system which is a compressed file and read only, I cannot change system files to gain perm root.

Temp root appears to fail, it crashes back to the home screen and is then slower than usable and requires a physical reset.

I downloaded rageagainstthecage-arm5.bin which is what z4root is based on, and ran it manually. Waited for it to Fork 1060 childs or something, and as listed in the steps, the terminal locks up, so I force close it.

To test root, open terminal again, and see a # instead of a $. However, the terminal now, refuses to open. Cannot reinstall it as it complains it is not installed after this, and a hard reboot brings back the terminal access, but undoes the temporary root access, IF I even get it.

I tried various z4root versions... none work.

I am not even sure if I can replace the cramfs system with the default android system, which I can then remount as rw. If I cannot, then I need to update the tablet with a new system.img that includes root access and super user. I think.

Ugh, I think the problem is I've become so inundated with potential problems that I do not know enough about, that I'm seeing one huge brick wall when really, all I need is the right direction to take and it should all fall into place.

I am getting so many mixed half working bits for various devices it's really confusing! I am also 45% balder now.

8[

lol thanks tho.

Originally posted by UKWO1Phot
Can't you just download SuperUser apk and install via memory card?

I had a similar problem with my o2 Joggler.. In the end I just downloaded the apk's I wanted and installed with a file explorer.

It's interesting, I've tried so much with this, I have actually managed to get su and get the ninja icon in the apps, and even installed root explorer.

But none of it rekons the device is rooted, and a terminal still shows $. I know I have no user access as I cannot even ping google.com.au from the terminal, as it is a disallowed process.

So while I can install the bits, the guts is still not playing.

OR I'm missing something so simple... I probably am, which is why Im fanning out feelers hoping someone has had the same deal with cramfs - this I believe is the hurdle I need to overcome, how to deal with that..

I know there are images out there for the rk2818 arm9 tablets, but I'm not sure if I didn't apply the crc correctly for the rockchip images to it because placing this in the root of the sdcard, it says it has found an invalid image update, should I delete it.

I do the above only to determine IF the process would work. I would have said no, until I know more, but even that doesnt appear to work as expected.

man, I've used computers my entire lfe, I feel like my old man using a vcr right now.

Originally posted by OnlyLove
reply to post by Ha`la`tha

 

Hi there,
I rooted my desire hd and it's not all that hard just needed to read a lot.
took me about an hour.

I don't know if you tried THIS site, if not it's to go to site for all of your rooting needs.

See if you find a tablet like yours or find the same if it's on there.

Look for app's called clockwork mod, Visionary+ etc.

I wish a could help you any further.

Been all over there, one of the reasons I ended up posting here - seeing the same posts over and over from google, using different search queries... oh man, I'm going to punch someone from the Netherlands, as I've read his post 5 times I'm sure.

And the irony is I've received more replies here than on any of the android forums.

Bit like the ubuntu forums, you find your exact same issue from 2 years ago, and someone says "Oh never mind, fixed it.. close the thread plox." and you wanna scream!

Every guide I've read tells me I need root to install a mod.

OR there is an elabourate method involving holding down the X button, or the power and volume up and using the dpad to navigate the bootloader/recovery menu when turning it on.

I dont have any buttons that affect the device cursor. The only way I can even get into recovery mode is to use the android sdk to ADB reboot recovery, and then it sits there with a menu that I cannot use !!!!!

I've emailed the man factures twice now, lo, I'm going to have fun making a very expensive frisbee...

Ahh but as it's morning and the first coffee of the day is starting to take affect, I will not let this bugger defeat me.

I've not heard of visionary+ however, so I'll keep at it!!

Thanks!

Originally posted by metaldemon2000
I have a motorolla ATRIX and so far I haven't had any trouble. Only downside is it won't let me download anything while on the 3G network. A minor issue because in Canada bandwidth is expensive as hell. So the lower I keep it the better.

The upside is it completely replaced my laptop in terms of computing and the amount of stuff I can do with it.

If you cannot download from the market have you tried connecting it to wifi?

Ahh I'm using wifi with my home router by default, the device has an option to use a 3G usb stick, but I don't really need to have two internet accounts when there are public access points I can sneak onto

But thats interesting, I'd read that some people were unable to access the android market using Wifi and were forced to using their provider, which as you say, can tax your quota... seems silly really, when I should jsut be able to download the apk file. Especially if it's free, I mean, all refusing me access to the market because my tablet is not an approved device, or whatever their reasoning is, means I won't be buying apps from people.

Dont really trust 3'rd party apk sites however, but I have no choice at the moment.

This, for me, would be a perfect device for what I want to do. It has great video quality, audio is fine, image quality is better than I expected, and while not capacative I'm getting quite used to the touch screen...

So, I will not let this beat me... I may end up homeless and begging for root access on the tablet in 15 years after I've had a break down.. you'll find me in an alley way.. "it cant be this hard... it cant be this hard... 15 years... "

Cheers!

Originally posted by madmangunradio
Try this link.
www.slatedroid.com...

I have got this tablet with a order at a bussiness company here in the Netherlands, it was for free if you order for an xxx amount.

Been all over there, one of the reasons I ended up posting here - seeing the same posts over and over from google, using different search queries... oh man, I'm going to punch someone from the Netherlands, as I've read his post 5 times I'm sure.

Sorry man, I've infected you with that guys post. Haha but if nothing else that highlites my dilemma, I've been hitting the exact same info over and over..

Oh man.. Haha that made my morning however, thanks heaps!!

hahaha

Just thought I'd update the thread, and NOT be one of those guys who comes back to say "Ahh fixed. Thanks kbye." and leaves...

You wouldnt believe it, that damn Netherland guy was it. I read that thread over and over the first few times, and nothing made sense. But reviewing this morning, I saw things I hadnt before.

Still, nothing goes to plan.

The tablet itself, for anyone who may want to know, will not let update.img install via copying to the sdcard and unmounting. It's continually the invalid firmware. Why I habe no idea.

I had taken a copy of the tablets system folder from adb using flash_image, to copy my entire mtdblock4 (system, as it's encrypted aparrently, so I need to grab it live) and a copy of mtdblock5 to make update.img with the rest of the device.

I use afptool.exe (for the rk2808 - the 2818 version has no unpack option) to unpack the update.img into it's own folder. It populates this with scripts, default settings (English not chinese by default, Yay!) and an Image folder with the img files of the tablet in there.

This just opens up the img file to add system.img back into later.

Load the system.img I made from the tablet, not the one in the new Image folder, into newtuxtools and in there I can add, remove any apps I want and indeed it is where I have added vender.apk and it's dependencies, superuser.apk and su. I already had busybox.

Saving the image, it tells me I need to update the crc or it will fail to flash. So I do. rkcrc system.img systemupdate.img or something, keep the system.img a a backup, and rename the systemupdate.img to system.img and copy this into the update/Image folder overwriting the existing one.

I then afptool.exe (for the rk2818 - has the correct crc) to repack the Update folder into the update.img file.

BUT HOW DO YOU PUT IT ON THE DEVICE? It wont let me via sdcard, even with proper crc's.

Hrmm, RK2818 BatchUpdater you say... It loads the update.img file, populates the dates and boot.img areas, and setting the tablet into update mode (I assume it is) by holding the esc button while powering on with the USB cable connected to the PC, and RK2818 BatchUpdater should see the device and tell you by lighting #1 yellow.

I assume this is where people continually say you need the proper drivers, windows found these without issue, and it's never not been detected, so I have no idea there if that happens to anyone.

So we hit Upgrade. It goes through the motions counting up to 100% for pushing the image, and then 100% for verifying the image.....

AND FAILS.

WTF???

Tablet reboots, and restarts, goes into recovery moide, and updates it's files, reboots, starts the process of booting, and when we get to the Home screen (amazingly) all the chinese apps are gone, apps I wanted are there and to my surprise, it seems to have worked despite the error.?

Luck or fluke, or god is simply waiting for me to not suspect when he'll throw a spanner royally into the works...

Ok, did I get root? Did I get Market? Not the first try

I had already downloaded a n update.img previously that had Market and Root setup, but had no idea what to do.

So I simply copied the system.img files, applied the crc and repacked, pushed it over and viola!

It's an Archos image for the same hardware, and I have root and market access. I only wish I knew where I had got it from, as this leaves me with blanks should I need to revisit this thread at a later date... but knowing the process now...

Who said it was hard...

going to have my 99th birthday now, not bad for someone in their 40's. oO

* and that ends ha'la'tha's very too long dont wanna read thread. But no other bugger did it, for utter newbs like me.


edit, i wonder should I try android 2.3 now? lol..

reply to post by Ha`la`tha


Hi Ha ka tha

I have the same device as you but called epad ployer V7V (I believe was the former name). As you said the device quality is quite good and most important, does exactly what I was expecting. In my case the androi market was installed and was working well. Nevertheless since some weeks I have noticed that my searches in the market gives me 0 results each time. I started suspecting some app error so I started to check how to repair/install the market again. Then I read this forum.

Your post is very interesting but I have some questions you can maybe answer.

Did you tried any of the firmware upgrades from the manufacturer website? is in chinese but google translate works on it www.ployer.com.cn...

As I am really a newbie in the android OS, what was preventing your device to be rooted? I understood the fs is crypted?

If I would like to root my device, what process/method you suggest me?

thanks for helping!

best regards