yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] BLuFeNiX:
You can if you like. Eventually I'll want to make a separate post so I can include newer versions of CWM, as well as stock flashable zips and what not.

Your device needs to be in FEL mode. You can make this happen by using a specially formatted SD card. Read about it here: http://linux-sunxi.org/FEL

The file you want to write to the SD card is here: fel-sdboot.sunxi

Be sure to backup the SD card first, since the data will be gone.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] dsulliii:
Download mode...

johncro13, you haven't posted a recent status. Did BLuFeNix''s "FEL" info help you?

Did you do the normal "kick me into download mode" that this device needs to work with LiveSuit?

Here's what I do:

1) Make sure your A700 is turned off. (Do NOT have the micro-USB end plugged into your A700 at this time, that is for later.)

2) Start LiveSuit on your computer. (The COMPUTER end of your USB cable should be plugged into ONLY your computer at this stage.)

3) Select the ROM that you want to flash to your A700.

4) Hold down the Vol button on your device (I usually hold it down Vol-, not Vol+, but I believe that this device does not matter which.)

5) While holding down Vol, plug the micro-USB end of the cable into your A700. Keep holding down the Vol button.

6) While still holding down the Vol button, WITH the USB cable now connected between your computer and your A700, press and release the A700's Power button 10 times, and wait for a second to a few.

7) The LiveSuit program will detect your A700 going into download mode and begin prompting you for what to do.

8) Follow LiveSuit's recommendations, including formatting. It will take less than 5 minutes.

*** IF *** you don't get the LiveSuit prompting after step #6 as described in step #7, it means that you don't have the ADB-USB drivers for the A700 installed into your Windows. The easiest way to do that is to run each of the three other ".exe" driver install programs that are in your LiveSuit directory. ONE of those properly installs the needed driver to make LiveSuit detect your A700. *** EndIF ***
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] johncro13:
My laptop dual-boots Windows 8 and Linux Mint. I've been trying to figure this out for a couple hours now. I got frustrated and got pizza and a beer. I'll follow your directions when I get back home and let you know if it worked.

Edit. FINALLY got the device into download mode, though there is no indication on the device whatsoever. Also, I deleted all drivers from the Device manager and used the driver from the LiveSuit UsbDriver folder. I had to reboot the laptop more times than I ever have! I just booted the tablet. It has a very pretty splash screen and my favorite boot loading image.Honestly, I think I like ICS better. Looking good, guys! Thanks bunches!
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] johncro13:
Task at hand!

Anyway! If we're looking to build from CM10, maybe this will help:

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2343531

Thanks again, guys!
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] dsulliii:
Yeah, with the A700 there is no indication at all that it's in download mode. You have to totally rely on LiveSuit letting you know that it connected. I'm thrilled that you got it working. I, too, liked the ICS really well. It's just that after I got to playing around with it, I missed the fact that it was no-longer the little machine that I bought. From where you are right now, it's EXTREMELY easy to get back to stock. (As long as you've installed the new CWMrecovery). Just copy all those NANDx files to an SD card, start up CWMrecovery, mount the SD card, then dd them all to their corresponding partitions. Takes no-more than a half hour and you can paste all 10 lines into an ADB shell screen and go watch TV.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] johncro13:
I take it back...

I am back to a previous issue. Although I'm quite happy with ICS, it doesn't seem too happy with me.

I went through the motions: connected wifi, linked my google account, downloaded the essentials in play store... Then came the force-closes again, and, finally, random reboot.

Upon reboot, all the installed apps were gone and the insufficient space issue returned. Re-boot into CWM recovery, clear dalvik, boot to system, and no change. I'm convinced it's corrupt memory. Could I be right?
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] dsulliii:
Well, BLu's partition-modified ICS was very nice to me, so I never experienced what you are. So maybe you could be right. If you're going to take it back, though, dd all of the original partitions back, including NANDG which will replace CWM recovery with the stock Android recovery. (Could be something wired loose too, but either way...)
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] BLuFeNiX:
I have seen this, but I have not yet tested it on my device. I plan to do so in the next few days, hopefully tomorrow. I'll post here with results. Thanks for the reminder.

Bad memory can behave unpredictably. I have never experienced a force close or sudden reboot on my A700. It is possible that you have a bad memory chip. If it's not much trouble, I would suggest taking it back to micro center and getting it exchanged. Just make sure it's not being caused by an app that you installed!
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] johncro13:
Know what? Forget it! The tablet will go as far as stock splash-screen and hang there. More than sufficient a reason for me to exchange it. Off to Micro-center!
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] BLuFeNiX:
Yep, sounds reason enough to me.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] BLuFeNiX:
Similarities with Azpen A701

Something I noticed in the A700's bootloader build.prop:

ro.product.model=A701

I wonder if we can use certain things from the A701 to help us get a custom ROM. Maybe an unlocked bootloader? An unlocked bootloader would allow us to run recovery images without flashing (and not risk bricking the device by flashing). I already tried the "standard" bootloader unlock method (fastboot oem unlock), but it returned an error. I'll report back if I find more stuff.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] BLuFeNiX:
new CWM build

Hey guys,

I've made a new CWM build.

Changes:

* corrected internal and external sdcard mount points (previously, the external sdcard was being mounted at /emmc, which is just wrong. The new mount points are /sdcard and /external_sd)
* added more partitions under "mounts and storage" (in case anyone wants to mount them or format them)

Download here: CWM Recovery Test 5

This is a non-essential update (no problems will occur if you continue to use the old build). Flash using the normal dd method.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] comstar:
Thanks Blu . Since you have the second post in the thread do you want to set up a description and link there?

I still will update the first post when I get some time with anything else relevant. Been spending some time with the family.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] dsulliii:
Thanks again!

I updated mine. Looks awesome. Thanks! :highfive:
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] BLuFeNiX:
I hadn't considered using the 2nd post in the thread. Good idea. I'm also going to be moving things around in my dropbox, so the old links will be dead. I'll put the new links in the updated 2nd post.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] dsulliii:
Good enough to buy quite a few.

These things are AWESOME, especially for the price.

I bought my first one that we were playing around with. Then I had my friend buy two, one for himself and one for his fiance. And then my wife and I bought four more for Christmas gifts.

Micro Center did good. I hope that Azpen support gets all their files made available for the A700 soon. Unlike their site says, the A701 files don't work for it. Interesting that BLuFeNiX discovered the internal reference in the code to the A701 though. Anxious to see where all this leads.

:good:
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] BLuFeNiX:
post #2 updated!

I have updated post #2 with a bunch of information from all over this thread. Pleas let me know if I missed anything, or if you have any suggestions!
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Chuckachu:
Quick question from a newb. If I install the recovery mod will that affect the base a700 not reading its internal vs external sd card issues?
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] dsulliii:
No. The recovery ROM functions apart and separate from the JellyBean OS.

---------- Post added at 08:14 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:12 AM ----------

Describe what app you're having trouble with. You might need to try a different app such as Antek Explorer Ex instead.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Chuckachu:
Ah so I would have to upload a custom os to fix that then. Thanks.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] dsulliii:
No, the stock Jelly Bean works for me using Antek and Root Explorer.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Overlord Pain:
Is the nandroid backup function working in this recovery?
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] BLuFeNiX:
What problem are you having, exactly? Are you saying that you can't access the SD card?

Yes, backup and restore works just fine.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Chuckachu:
I'm finding that when the os sends something to sdcard its sending it to the second partion or internal storage not the external sdcard
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] dsulliii:
Chuckachu, I would like to try to duplicate your problem with my device. Could you please be specific as to what app you are using to perform what function. I would like to follow your steps. Thanks!

-- David
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Chuckachu:
Well the app that gives me the most trouble is the transformers legends game. BUT even when I have the OS send apps to SDCARD they don't actually go there just move from partition a (nand flash: 4gb) to partition b (now after install the recovery file from this thread is labeled internal storage)
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] dsulliii:
Well, I can't address the transformers legends game, so I'll have to bow-out of the subject based on that. But I can certainly continue to pursue it if you provide an example of how to duplicate the "even when I have the OS send apps to SDCARD" on my own device. When you are having "the OS send apps", I need to try to do it the same way that you are. You are using an app of some sort, and I want to try to do the same thing exactly the same way you are. Can you tell me how to "have the OS send apps to SDCARD"? I'll be thrilled to help if I can duplicate that step the way that you are.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Chuckachu:
96598388

Actually I'm just using the option from system settings->Apps-> any non system app (lets say facebook) then Move to SD Card. But when its says its down the 32G sd card shows no data only it shows up in the second partition Internal storage.

I'm assuming there is a pointer somewhere that is saying that the second partition is the SDCARD target...but I'd have no idea how to fix that.

Ah found the problem. Via File Manager Internal Storage is mounted in the os as sdcard, while the external is extsd. Hmmm.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] dsulliii:
AH! Much easier to work with. Actually, that's just an Android function, and it's a little confusing if you've not run into it before. The move apps to SDCARD doesn't move them to EXTSD. It has always moved them to SDCARD.

The A700 has a built-in SDCARD like most Android devices do. If you don't move apps to SDCARD, they reside in "internal storage". If you move them, part of the app moves to the internal SDCARD (which is not the same as internal storage). But Android does not move the apps to the external-sdcard. This has nothing to do with the A700 at all, it's just an Android thing.

There are ways to do what you want to do, but it's not the Android norm. I will bow-out at this time now that I know we're not dealing with a problem with the A700 or with BLuFeNiX's mods.

Go ahead and check out some ways of doing it. You can read one that I found at http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2319888.

Here's another good reference. This one has a link to a video that is informative as well.

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2309780

Keep in mind that /sdcard is the built-in internal sdcard, and extsd (or external-sd or anything similar with "ext") is your own external sd card. Therein can lie some confusion. And, like I said, it's just an Android thing.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] BLuFeNiX:
Very nicely explained. :good:
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] johncro13:
That internal / external SD thing is an issue I came across when I have the Moment a thousand years ago. I think that was my first Android phone.

Anyway, I got a new tablet, and I already have recovery test 5 and the ICS stock. It's running like butter! I talked to some of the guys at Microcenter, and they said they were getting a lot of returns for similar reasons. It's a very cheaply made tablet, so the memory issues can be expected.

I'm really very interested in the CM10 alpha port, so I think I'm going to save my images and give it a whirl! I'm going to need some help, no doubt, so I'll check back later. Thanks again for all your help!
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] dsulliii:
Awesome.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] BLuFeNiX:
status quo

I contacted Azpen via email requesting the source code used to build android for the A700. They are legally required to release it to me, as per the GPL, but it is not uncommon for companies to drag their feet, so this could take a long time (months), or we might get lucky. Once I have the source code, I can begin building CyanogenMod for the A700. I have never done this for any android device, so don't get your hopes up.

Also, I'm in the process of making CWM flashable zips, as well as a "return to stock" flashable zip. These will probably not work in stock recovery (due to stock recovery needing to have correctly signed zips, which I don't have the private key for), so you will need CWM installed to use them.

No release schedule for any of this, as I am working on it a bit here and there. If anyone has any suggestions for cool stuff they've seen on other devices, let me know and I'll see if it can be done for ours.

:D
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] dsulliii:
Some day I'm going to grow up to be just like you. (Just a bit of levity due to the admiration that I have for what you're doing, and because I hope to be able to some day.) I am, however, TRYING to piece this together. This has been great for me. The details are still a bit cloudy, but there seems to be enough reference material available on the Internet, combined with the comparisons of what you've done compared to what you started with. Very cool, indeed.

I'm still hoping that Azpen updates their support page with LEGITIMATE A700 stuff soon.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] BLuFeNiX:
Thank you, that's very flattering. I'm sure there are some things I could take away from you as well. I may seem to have it all together, but I'm only 21, so I have much to learn! Thank you for your support and kind words. People like you are the reason I contribute to communities like this. :)
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] dsulliii:
Hey Blu....

"a13_livesuit_img_with_a700_partition_values.zip" is a zip file... which isn't a PC compressed file that an ".img" can be extracted out of. Is it an SD-card (also a recovery-rom) flashable image then? (I can't open it in Windows to extract an .img file).

I ask because in all of the flashing that I've been doing using LiveSuit, I have always used .img files. I do not know if LiveSuit can flash .zips. If it can, then I don't mind posting my ignorance here just so that future users will know for sure whether or not it makes a difference if they're using an .img or a .zip.

-- David
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] BLuFeNiX:
The file should be extractable (it's a standard zip file). Have you tried right-clicking and selecting "extract all"? The .img file should be inside. Also, dropbox is having some issues today, so it's possible that the download was corrupted or something.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] dsulliii:
Okay, hopefully that's all. I tried downloading it several times and am getting three abnormalities. 1) EVERYTIME I try, I have to wait quite a while before I am presented with a "save as" prompt. 2) Sometimes I get a "download failure". 3) The other times, it downloads INSTANTLY with no-way that it could possibly be 32Mb even though the file size states that it is.

When I try the right-click "extract all", I get a "The compressed (zipped) folder is empty" error.

So that clarifies that issue -- I hope dropbox gets corrected soon. And does it also answer that LiveSuit must be an .img file? Or since I've presented the question, do you know if LiveSuit can also use .zip files? To my knowledge, it cannot. I haven't found a statement one way or another, but I've only performed a few searches since I'm at work right now.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] BLuFeNiX:
I don't think Livesuit can use zip files, but it can't hurt to try. It will just tell you "invalid image" or something like that if it doesn't like it.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] absamide:
A700 vs A701

I picked a few of these up at the Denver Micro Center recently and have been watching your progress with great interest. Very well done guys.

Also I got an e-mail back from Azpen when I asked about the differences between the A701 and the A700. They responded saying that the A700 was one custom made for Micro center and that the hardware between them should be identical. They indicated that the only real difference may be which particular applications may come on the default image.

With the issues Dsuiii has had with flashing the other .img files though makes me think that there might be slightly more different than I was told, but I figured I would pass along the information I was provided in case there is some work already done for the A701 out there that we might be able to use as a base.

Alex.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] dsulliii:
Thanks Alex. Good to hear that you're a neighbor.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] ften:
(This is maybe a little off the current topic, but it says General Info in the title of the thread :p )

Has anyone tested the micro USB to HDMI yet?

I've tested the OTG features with a keyboard and USB drive and they perfect, but my micro USB to HDMI cable is broken, so I couldn't test it.

Also this thread convinced me to buy one, who doesn't love a tablet with root and powered USB Host out of the box. Thanks and keep up the awesome work.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] dsulliii:
I have a micro HDMI cable, but the specifications on the box don't mention HDMI capability, so no, I haven't. If I can a little later, I will. But I don't think you'll want to get your hopes up because it's a USB port, not an HDMI port. Even though it's micro.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] ften:
I was referring to HDMI through Micro USB, MHL. The manual refers to hooking up HDMI to the tablet on a few different pages.

Edit: Actually just read the FAQ included on the tablet, which says all tablets might not contain HDMI ports so, I think the manual might be generically referring to HDMI and HD cables and not referring to the micro USB as being MHL capable.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] BLuFeNiX:
flashable zips!

I have updated post #2 to include flashable zips for installing CWM, as well as an image and flashable zip for stock recovery. The flashable zips will only work if you are already running some kind of custom recovery.

I have also added MD5 hashes for the recovery files, so everyone can make sure they were downloaded/transferred correctly.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] BLuFeNiX:
The A700 is an Allwinner a13 rev b chipset, where the A701 is an Allwinner a10 chipset. The a10 supports HDMI and other things that the a13 does not. If I were to guess, I'd say that the a13 could run a10 software, but not the other way around. If this is true, it's good news for us. I am currently trying to get hold of the source code for one of these devices, but whomever I talk to seems uninterested in helping me. Azpen literally told me to "disassemble a tablet to get board manufacturer info" and then talk to the board manufacturer.

As for flashing with Livesuit, the A701 image (and most other images) is designed to only work with the target hardware. If Livesuit detects that the hardware is too different, it will refuse to flash the image (even if the flash might have been successful).
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] absamide:
I am not sure which chip is in each, but I do know that the A701 from Azpen does not have an HDMI port on the tablet. I don't know if it was just not wired, or what.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] thedarkfreak:
A701 has different recovery.fstab

Dunno about the hardware, but I own an A701 myself. Stumbling across this topic helped me immensely in trying to figure out the system layout. I got the boot and recovery images pulled from it separately, and found something interesting:

# mount point	fstype	device	device2

/boot	emmc	/dev/block/nandc
/system	ext4	/dev/block/nandd
/data	ext4	/dev/block/nande
/misc	emmc	/dev/block/nandf
/recovery	ext4	/dev/block/nandg
/cache	ext4	/dev/block/nandh
/sdcard	vfat	/dev/block/mmcblk0p1	/dev/block/nandj

It doesn't have the entries for the bootloader or env. Those partitions DO exist on the A701, though.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] BLuFeNiX:
I think I was mistaken. They may both be A13 chips. I'm not sure where I got the A10 info.

---------- Post added at 05:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:23 PM ----------

These partitions exist but are not listed in the fstab. You can see them if you execute:

cat /proc/partitions
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] thedarkfreak:
I know they exist. I'm just curious why they don't show up in the recovery fstab.

Also, for those wondering earlier if the A701 could do HDMI output, it says on the Azpen website that it doesn't. They confirm that the A701 can't output to HDMI.

EDIT: Nevermind about the recovery.fstab thing. I flashed my A701 to the Jellybean 4.2 update that's available for it, and figured out how to root it. After that, I dumped the recovery again, and the /bootloader and /env lines exist there.
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] dsulliii:
I wonder why LiveSuit fails about 5% into trying to flash the A701 ROM that Azpen has listed that's SUPPOSED to work for both?

Yeah... that was rhetorical. <grin>

:confused:
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] absamide:
Yeah, that is the type of thing that makes me wonder about how accurate their information of "They are the same machine" is. If it is both the same hardware it shouldn't matter which image we install unless they have the different sized partitions like you had earlier. This is also assuming that the LiveSuite doesn't configure that as it loads as per the direction of the image it is loading.

BLuFeNiX would probably know better of other things that could be stopping the image. I guess there might be a line in the file that says "hardware=A701" and if it reads the current machine as being "hardware=A700" then it fails, but if that was the case I would like to hope it gave a message saying "Installing on wrong hardware" or something.

Alex
[Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] BLuFeNiX:
I believe livesuit images contain authentication keys that must match the device's key. If we knew where the key was stored, we might be able to change it and force the flash to happen. I have been meaning to look into this, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

The key is supposed to be the same for all sunxi devices. The A700 is sunxi. I am not sure about the A701 (but I think is). This also begs the question: Can device manufacturers/retailers change these device keys?

Of course, the keys might match, and some other safety/compatibility check may be failing.