yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Android General] donaldta:
I have the Asteroid Smart and I really do like the unit. The head unit does have certain quirks because it is running on Android 2.3.7 (Gingerbread - API 10), so it is missing out on certain improvements, like Google Maps works up to 6.14.4 version. It also has a few quirks with the stock multimedia apps also found with other head units. The one thing it does have over the Chinese head units is the CK5050 Bluetooth module which allows it to pair more than just a smartphone and is not limited in functionality to just the stock apps

I'd say the unit is stable if you run it stock or at least the apps available from the Asteroid Market. However, when you start adding third-party software from other sources, the stability starts to vary depending on what you have installed. I've noticed some software or actions will cause the OS to reboot more than others.

As for community support, I hate to say it but I'm pretty much it for all Android Headunits. I'm not the only one but I seem to be the most vocal and vigilant about responding to questions. I do try lend a helping hand with what I can answering questions for Parrot Asteroid, Sensus Connected Touch (Parrot OEM), AN-21, S100/150, the Ouku and quite a bit others that don't get much traffic.

As far as being discontinued soon, it is possible because it using a three year old Texas Instruments OMAP3630 processor. But, curiously it has similar specifications (albeit closer to the Asteroid Tablet) to the Volvo's Sensus Connected Touch which is made by Parrot OEM group. That deal was made public late last year. So, it seems there still is a little bit of life left in the unit. If anything, I consider it as a good development platform for the Sensus Connected Touch. Afterall, it is only Android Head unit to have a client USB port with ADB access attached to it.

However, Parrot OEM's group did show a new version called the "Parrot SOCA" which is supposed to be running Android 4.4 with a dual core "Dual Core Parrot P7 processor. Not sure whom the OEM of the chip actual is, but I suspect that its based on nVidia Tegra dual core chip. However, I have no idea if this will make a lateral move to the consumer products, like with the Asteroid Smart/Tablet for the Sensus Connected Touch.
[Android General] m.a.c.:
donaldta - Thank you for your detailed reply. It gives me a lot to think about.
[Android General] tbd@immigrantsong.de:
I also tried several of these units, but the Asterid Smart is the only one that made it into the car. I wanted a unit that would come as close as possible to a true tablet or smartphone experience. This means the ability to install a reasonable mix of apps, allow customizing the interface to match the car AND meet my usability expectations. Of course, he ability to connect to the car diagnostics through an OBD-adapter was an absolute must. On the other hand, why would anyone looking for an Android head unit be as heavily focussd on iPhone-compatibility as most of the Chinese units advertise?

The Asteroid Smart was the unit easiest to root, provided the most thought-through user interface customizing (things like text / button size, etc. Android 2.3.7 may not be the most up-to-date, but it was the version that really got Android underway and is very stable. Only real issues I have are FM reception sensitivity, boot time and sometimes distorted text-to-speech from TomTom.

Mind you though, I do recommend customizing the unit, which means rooting it and installing Google Play as first steps. I would wish that the scene for these units was greater, so that we could get more developers engaged.
[Android General] ansvlug:
You could get a permanent marker and carefully draw the guidelines? :D
[Android General] StalkS:
Care to XPose yourself!?!?

I finally did it 1622 posts over 163 pages phew!!!

Firstly a big thank you to everyone who contributed to the thread almost all of it has been useful to me and the setup of my ASTEROID Tablet & having read it all all I think I finally have something worthy to contribute – way back near the beginning of this thread someone asked if the XPosed Framework would work with our rooted GB devices – The answer at the time (pre July 2013) was ‘No’ but a dev called liudongmia has managed to back-port the framework to Gingerbread and I can confirm that it works extremely well with my ASTEROID Tablet!

For those of you unfamiliar with the XPosed Frame work you can find more information here in the original thread Here:

What does it mean for us rooted ASTEROID users?! – Well at the moment the Gingerbread modules are a bit limited but that does not mean we cannot work on a few ourselves....Customization galore could be just around the corner? The most useful module for me so far is “App Settings” which allows you to

set specific DPI’s on a per app basis

– You can also

set orientation on a per app basis

as well!! Very handy, and an alternative to some of the applications previously mentioned throughout the thread. There is also a Market spoofer type module but I am yet to test.

Read up and grab all the GB related files HERE . MAKE SURE YOU ONLY INSTALL THE XposedGBInstaller LISTED IN THE LINK ABOVE and not the full installer!! (Common sense warning - Read up and use at your own risk!!)

I Hope this is of some use to people and it might be a good tool to have for some specific problems that have come up.

All the best

StalkS

The next part of my install the dreaded UNIKA (Yes …even though I have the Tablet wireless remote).
[Android General] donaldta:
There was one other thing I forgot to mention. The contact / dialer for the Asteroid Smart uses the standard Android contact container. So, if you wanted to sync it with Google Contacts all you need to do is install Google Contact Sync Adapter. On the Chinese units, they use a proprietary flat file to store their contacts for the Android system and so far nobody has been able to use it with third-party other programs that would normally use the standard Android contact container.
[Android General] quacka:
Got one of these babies coming in the post.

I just got a few questions.

1. Was thinking of rooting the unit and installing play store on it but I cannot find a straight forward instructions and the necessary files to do this. Can I just side load apps like google maps, tomtom Australia and torque pro via the USB port? Is that what most of you are doing?

2. I've read that you can only play videos off the SD card. Is there another app you can install that will play videos off the USB drive?

3. How do I access the file system to modify things such as /etc/whitelist.xml? Do I use putty over wifi with the car turn on for this?
[Android General] donaldta:
You can use this archive/batch file to root and setup your Asteroid Smart. There's more information about it in the Volvo SCT thread. And yes, you can "just" sideload apps if you don't want to root it.

You can use any app to play videos from any folder and external media are mounted as folders.

If you use the archive/batch file above to set it up, I included a couple of scripts to help you, "remount.sh" an "rewhitelist.sh". The "remount.sh" script will help you remount the system filesystem via "remount.sh system-rw". The "rewhitelist.sh" will update the whitelist.xml file and append packages that you had installed which weren't already on the list.
[Android General] arshavir:
[MENTION=5389783]donaldta[/MENTION]

I have installed unika as you suggested (V1 - pin 19, GND - pin 20, V2 - not connected (but in documentations says that if not used it must be grounded). So I programmed UNIKA everything works except SEEK +/-, what can be a reason?

In programming mode I pressed in following order (Vol-, Vol+, Seek-, Seek+, Mode (long press)). (MODE B)

SOLVED: Uninstalled one of music player and now SEEKS works too:)

Many thanks to donaldta.

P.S. Parrot Asteroid Smart updated UNIKA to ver. 29 (Is that latest for 2.1.5 ROM?)

And what is mean Discreet mode??
[Android General] donaldta:
Yes, that is the latest for the firmware provided by Parrot with firmware 2.1.5 on the Asteroid Smart. There is a more recent version by Paser (the oem of the Unika) at their website. Unfortunately, according to Parrot, you'll need to contact a dealer with an update tool to use it.

I'm not sure. What is the context and is it spelled correctly?
[Android General] donaldta:
I don't believe that is relative to the Unika with the Asteroid. Maybe for the MKi or RKi series? If I were to guess it is "mute". Though you never know when the French translates their own language into the English.
[Android General] quacka:
[MENTION=5389783]donaldta[/MENTION]

Thanks so much for that. Just to confirm that I just use the script and everything should work right? seems like that script has all the neccesary files needed. I don't need to use the manual instructions in the Volvo SCT thread?

Looks like a very useful set of script :)

Now how to make my AP have enough range to reach where my car park.
[Android General] donaldta:
You're welcome. Maybe not "everything" the batch file takes care of the basics; root, google play and google framework, and the two shell scripts which makes it easier. The manual instructions on the Volvo page isn't necessary unless you don't have a Windows computer to work with, but you may want to search for the specifics for the scripts and possible arguments in that thread.
[Android General] quacka:
On another topic.

Anyone managed to get DAB+ or DVB-T working on this unit?
[Android General] melog69:
Has anybody found a working version of Pandora, the latest version keeps force closing on me, and I tried version 4.4 but I keep having the same results
[Android General] donaldta:
I have Pandora 5.1.1, the most current version, working on mine.
[Android General] nojkepop:
Pandora only works via WIFI. If your connected via bluetooth tethering it force closes every time. I have found that when I start my car at home and it connects to my home WIFI I can open Pandora. Once Pandora is open I simply drive away and the Asteroid Smart automatically switches to bluetooth tethering once WIFI is out of range. Pandora continues to work once the app is open. It has something to do with Pandora not recognizing the bluetooth tethering on the Asteroid Smart during launch. I emailed Pandora about it because I am a paid subscriber. They basically said they don't support rooted devices or devices not approved to run their app. With the newer versions I have found that it will sometimes still force close on WIFI but if you just attempt to open it again it will work. Another thing I noticed is the new version constantly opens the Alarm feature thing which is extremely annoying...
[Android General] PCDesmond:
Steering Wheel Controls and apps

Anyone know of a way to stop apps from overriding the steering wheel controls? In the mornings on the way to work, I usually listen to the FM radio, and when I hit the ch+ button to switch stations, Google Play Music automatically starts up. Just curious if anyone knows a work around for it.

On the same topic, is there any easy way to get icons on the home screen that can kill apps so I can get my FM radio sound back. I feel like the only way to do it now is to kill the Google Play Music app in the settings in order for me to get the audio from the FM radio playing again.

Thanks
[Android General] donaldta:
Yep, that's how Parrot decided to how their stock media player to handle losing the audio focus. You can do a few things to work around the issue...

Uninstall 3rd Party Media Applications

Use automation software to disable/enable package "pm [disable|enable] {package.name} as necessary."

Patch the 3rd party APKs to remove the OnKey listeners for Media Key Events
[Android General] quacka:
[MENTION=5389783]donaldta[/MENTION]

I Keep trying to connect to the Parrot using adb. It refuses to connect via USB or Ethernet

Pinging 192.168.18.43 with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 192.168.18.43: bytes=32 time=16ms TTL=64

C:\PARROT\bin>adb.exe connect 192.168.18.43

unable to connect to 192.168.18.43:5555

Tried USB and your scrit and it also doesn't connect as well. I have enable USB debug mode. Seems via USB their is an unknown device call OMAP-3/4 under device manager. Do I meant to install a driver for this?
[Android General] djbros:
hey

it looks good, ill get one, :D
[Android General] donaldta:
Yes, go ahead and install the Android Developer's Toolkit. It comes with the "Composite Android Debug Bridge" drivers which you'd use to replace the "OMAP-3/4" device found. Once you do then you can connect your computer to the microUSB port on the back of the Parrot Asteroid Smart.
[Android General] quacka:
It still didn't want to detect it.

Forcing it to use the composite driver from sdk\extras\google\usb_driver seemed to do the trick :)

Any how comes I cannot connect to it via IP address?
[Android General] donaldta:
You cannot connect via IP address because on the Asteroid Smart, the ADB daemon defaults to USB. You'll need to use "stop adbd; setprop service.adb.tcp.port 5555; start adbd" in order to use it over WiFi. However, you need to be root in order to get it to work.
[Android General] quacka:
I have rooted my device already.

Do I just type that series of commands from 8 - Android Debug Bridge Shell?

---------- Post added at 11:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:11 PM ----------

Ideally i would like to have it on TCIP at all times to save me from plugging a laptop in the back each time to program it.
[Android General] K_Hismoom:
I assume adding the line

service.adb.tcp.port=5555

to the build.prop file, which is normally found in /system, should be sufficient, but I don't have access to my Smart right now to test this.
[Android General] donaldta:
This is true but I do not recommend anyone doing this. The first problem is editing the build.prop file and leaving an invalid character or setting can cause an Android device to go into a bootloop or even brick it. Another concern is that this gives WiFi permanent access to ADB, which increases the possibility of getting hacked while the head unit is on.

A better solution is to use automation software, like Tasker or locale. Then you can program it to only run the commands, "stop adbd; setprop service.adb.tcp.port 5555; start adbd" as root when connected to specific WiFi SSID(s). This would eliminate the need to edit the build.prop and reduce the likelihood of allowing unauthorized shell access to your Android device.
[Android General] K_Hismoom:
True, that is a much better solution.
[Android General] quacka:
Thanks guys. I used tasker and it worked perfectly :)

Another question is google maps. How do I install this?

Seems like the current version that is on the play store isn't compatible with this device.
[Android General] K_Hismoom:
The current version of Google Maps needs Android 4.x and won't run on our Gingerbread (2.3.7) powered Smart.

Search for Google Maps version 6.x, ideally version 6.14.4 (thanks to [MENTION=5389783]donaldta[/MENTION] for pointing this out).
[Android General] donaldta:
The here is a link to the Google Maps 6.14.4 APK. Additionally, you can also install Google Streetview and Google Voice Search to get the maximum Google Maps experience possible with Gingerbread.
[Android General] arshavir:
How to update UNIKA to version 36.

1. Download Firmware from paser.it - http://www.paser.it/down.php?download_id=638

2. Rename the file to Unika_36.fwp

3. Re-mount /system as R/W.

4. Copy the file to the folder system/PaserFirmware/

5. Delete the old file Unika_29.fwp

6. Go to the menu "Steering Wheel Control" under the Settings.

7. Turn on the advanced settings, click on the stripes to the left and choose the advanced settings from the top, the bottom line appear "update UNIKA"

8. Disable control with steering.

9. Run the update.

Wait until the update process is completed, then the reboot device, re-activate support Steering wheel control and use.

USE ON YOUR OWN RISK (This info is from Russian Forum 4PDA.ru)
[Android General] donaldta:
Thanks, though you might consider adding a line between two and three to remount the system as read-write. As it is not always obvious, and will have people asking why they get errors when trying.
[Android General] zeusakatkm:
Hello!

I have recently encountered a problem my Asteroid Smart. As of yesterday, the unit turns on just fine as always, and maintains the time, but the screen has become unresponsive to touch. Any ideas? As it is now, it is relatively useless.

Any help is greatly appreciate, Thanks!

-James
[Android General] tbd@immigrantsong.de:
What is the benefit of the new version? I believe I need to reprogram the resistive codes after the update.
[Android General] donaldta:
Just reboot it. Sometimes this happens when /system/xbin/ck5050 file isn't started. If you don't have an external keyboard connected then you can use the pinhole reset next to the SD Card slot behind the "security key".

Take a look at my post, "How to apply the new Unika "Hybrid" update?", on the Parrot forums.
[Android General] zeusakatkm:
I have rebooted it several times actually, and used the pinhole reset button with no luck. I went as far as to disconnect the car battery for a few minutes also.
[Android General] donaldta:
You might have corrupted the ROM. Try using the most current firmware image with a brutal factory reset as described earlier in this thread.
[Android General] zeusakatkm:
After much trial and error, it seems the touchscreen has died.
[Android General] donaldta:
That's too bad. Contact Parrot technical support via phone or email to arrange a replacement.
[Android General] jonnyjett:
1. I installed Kii keyboard, but the Japanese keyboard stays as the default, even after making the Kii Keyboard the default. How can I make the Kii keyboard the default?

2. When using Waze and it's up onscreen, and I press the volume on the bottom-left corner, the volume slider does not come up. It only comes up if Waze is not showing on screen. How do I solve that issue?

3. Newest firmware v2.1.5 made my unit unstable: Unit was unstable on 2.1.1. with random re-boots and unstable start-ups. Upgraded to 2.1.2 and it ran 95% perfectly. Upgraded to 2.1.5 (skipped 2.1.4) and it's not as unstable as 2.1.1, but it still has problems at startup or resume. Sometimes at startup it will display Parrot Asteroid 3 times before getting to the desktop screen with icons. Sometimes when resuming within 5 minutes after the ignition has been turned off the unit doesn't resume but reboots completely. Suggestions?
[Android General] donaldta:
I got annoyed with the Asian keyboards, so I just deleted OpenWnn.apk and PinyinIME.apk from /system/app directory. Although, in retrospect I probably could have disabled them by using "pm disable {package.name}".

Close Waze. It has an OnKey listener that is preventing the volume dialog box from showing up.

It never happens if you perform a factory reset and do not install any extra programs. So, I find this is a problem occurs with certain apps installed. The only way to troubleshoot it is by connecting your computer to the microUSB port in the back and using the Android Developer Kit to monitor the logcat messages while booting. Then you can address the issue on a per application basis but usually its cause by an third-party APK that fails to be responsive during the boot process while Android catalogs the APKs installed.
[Android General] Psy87:
Any ideas on connecting this remote?

http://www.carid.com/universal-stereos/axxess-remote-steering-wheel-control-7589948.html
[Android General] donaldta:
Not possible. The RF controller that comes with it is not compatible with the Asteroid Smart. You can use the Stalk counterpart though with a few caveats which I explaned in "adding steering wheel control where not present" thread on the Parrot forums.
[Android General] quacka:
Does anyone know how I can:

1. Adjust the font size of the Audio file browser for the default audio player? Its too big and i can barely see the whole file name in flat file browser.

2. Make the Navigation bar on the left auto hide? I tried installing ADM launcher but it doesn't seem to go away like I hope.

3. Instead of doing mount -o bind /tmp/udev/dev/.mnt/sda1 /sdcard/external, is there a way to unmount it and mount it to /mnt/usb* using tasker?
[Android General] donaldta:
You'd have to decompile the respective apk and make adjustment to it. If you're asking this question though, I'm guessing its beyond your technical abilities.

It can't be hidden programmatically, as it is put on the screen graphically from the underlying Linux OS. That's why you'll see those buttons even before Android begins to load. You can rename or delete the /system/xbin/parrotVTK file and it won't appear. However, it will also disable the functionality of the touchscreen.

Yes, when you create your task you'd run the necessary command lines as a Script: Run Shell action. You'll have to make sure to run it as root. Since the root directory is mounted as read-only to create the usb directory, you'll have to remount it as read-write before creating the directory or subdirectories. Then you umount and mount it as you'd like.
[Android General] arshavir:
Today I first time tried to play video on my unit with VLC player from Asteroid Market, Video is 360p, but it plays on VLC with glitches (pixelated video), is that normal? or I need to do some tricks, and what alternative player you will advice?

P.S. Tried to play FLAC, and it plays:)
[Android General] donaldta:
The VLC player on the Asteroid Market isn't taking advantage of the OMX libraries for the Ti3630. You're better off using MX Player from Google Play.
[Android General] jonnyjett:
I've also read that you can delete APKs via Titanium Backup, but I'm assuming that all of these methods are only available if rooted?
[Android General] donaldta:
That's correct. Don't be afraid of rooting the Asteroid Smart. It is one of the easiest and safest Android devices to root. Also, if you use SuperSU you can manage the access to root.
[Android General] jonnyjett:
OK, I do have more time on my hands these days, so I'll seriously take a look at the process. I'm getting tired of sideloading :eek:
[Android General] donaldta:
Not really much to look up. Just sideload Framaroot run the app and root it with "Gimli". Adding Google Play and Google Service Framework is a little harder only because of the version compatibility. I created an archive / batch file that includes the correct APKs that will facilitate rooting and installation process of the necessary APKs. It is linked in Post #1626 if you're interested.
[Android General] jonnyjett:
AWESOME! Thanks a lot for your help! :good:
[Android General] jonnyjett:
Well rooting was certainly easy. But deleting the 2 aforementioned APKs haven't been. I've tried using both Titanium Backup and ES Explorer and neither have been able to delete them because they're "system files". Renaming them hasn't worked either. Is there another program that I can use to delete/rename them with?
[Android General] donaldta:
Are you sure that you didn't forget to remount the system partition as read-write? If you enable root explorer in Es File Explorer and hold down the words "Root Explorer" you'll get a pop-up which with the "Mount R/W" option. This will remount the partition as read-write allowing you to make changes to files and directories beneath the /system directory.
[Android General] jonnyjett:
Awesome, that did it. Thanks again!
[Android General] joehanratty:
Parrot Astroid Smart in 2007 Charger

What year Charger, Crutchfield says it don't fit a 2007 Charger
[Android General] arshavir:
Hi, I downloaded m3u file from my email (to Download folder on SD card), but after reboot that file is removed, why? Everytime I need to download again...