[Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet] nmyshkin:
Updated 2-16-23

Issues and Apps

Every custom (and stock) ROM has some issues. This one seems to have very few and they are easily addressed.

1. The stock browser is "broken", at least to the extent that it cannot save bookmarks.

Here's a fix for the bookmark issue. Use a root file manager to navigate to /system/app/BookmarkProvider. In that folder you will find an apk file of the same name. Tap to install (actually update, I guess). Then reboot.

A good alternative browser that works well with this ROM is Via.

2. The stock launcher is pretty basic. After a lot of fooling around with display and font size in Settings I found no combination that significantly affected the rather large (for my taste) icon size without otherwise distorting the display in some way.

I ended up restoring the display to defaults and installing Nova Launcher.

3. There's no Gallery?! Yep. For awhile I was using a Gallery from my old CM 10.2.1 install, but it didn't work very well. Then I discovered that @theportal2 had worked up a Lineage Gallery app with the necessary libraries for install on other ROMs. It works great and includes a ton of features, even photo editing. You can get it here: https://xdaforums.com/android/apps-games/app-lineage-os-gallery-apk-photo-editing-t3664460

4. The MTP file transfer setting in Settings>Developer options>Networking>Select USB Configuration is not effective and selecting it in Settings seems to encourage the MTP host to whine with system messages occasionally.

Leave setting on "charging" (default) and when you connect via USB, use the pull-down notification to select MTP transfer for that session.

Better yet, you can

disable

the MTP Host app with no apparent repercussions. Just go into Settings>Apps (show system) and disable it. I was sort of surprised that this had no effect on file transfer protocol.

5. The swipe-to-unlock screen is tenacious and its use may result in repetitive motion injury.

OK, so maybe this is a "feature?". If you touch anywhere on the swipe-to-unlock screen the little "Swipe to unlock" bounces up from the bottom. With that visible, the screen swipes effortlessly. Who knew?

6. The system throws up two notifications when you connect to USB (if you have debugging enabled). Just a minor annoyance. If you don't like seeing those two "N"s either, you can see just one (for the connection type: charge, transfer, etc.) with a simple addition to /system/build.prop:

persist.adb.notify=0

7. Some apps can't write to the SD card (as portable storage). Kodi is an example, I'm sorry to say. I've tried many "solutions" to this problem but the only one that worked for me is to edit /data/system/packages.xml, adding the permission for each specific app you want. This is a long file and I recommend off-loading a copy and editing with something like Notepad++. After locating the app you want in the xml file, add this line anywhere between the <perms> and </perms> tags:

<item name="android.permission.WRITE_MEDIA_STORAGE" granted="true" flags="0" />

Replace the file on the device with the edited version and reboot. This change will be overwritten if the app updates, so you might want to keep that in mind.

8. I am partial to the version of ES File Explorer which is attached to the first post. It's not too bloated and works well with the device, the package installer, etc.

9. Generally speaking I would gravitate toward older versions of apps which may be easier on the system. As an example, I'm using version 1.8.6 of MX Player, long before all the streaming nonsense took over. TuneIn Radio and Pandora are so old they will run on Android 2.1! Sometimes enough is just right.

Apps that don't work

1. The NPR News app currently in the PlayStore at this writing crashes repeatedly just after starting.

Version 2.6.1 works fine. Interestingly, when the PlayStore version installs, the icon background color is black. On another Nook Tablet (HD) running CM 11, the same version installs with a white icon background and runs fine. Version 2.6.1 also installs on this AOSP ROM with a white icon background. Hmm.

Xposed

Oh yes, even

I

eventually missed a feature or two from my last CM install :) The good news is that the Nougat version of Xposed runs well on this ROM, at least to the extent of using Gravity Box (I just had to have the extended power menu back.....)

Alternative apps for microG

I've included some of the more common ones (Contacts, Calendar, Email) in the previous post. If you've set up Location service you might want Maps. I've not had much luck with newer versions of Maps on my various devices. Too greedy for system resources. But I have found an older version of the app which still runs, includes Places, and allows you to cache map areas which do not expire.

YouTube is another real resource hog. I'm not a big YouTube fan, but there are times when I want something and a browser like Via or the stock one is so-so (it works, but you have to be patient). I looked around and decided NewPipe would meet most of my needs. It's not perfect. The full-screen player crashes on all the custom ROMs I've tried. However, you can set it to use an external player (like MX Player) and that works fine with full screen. I really like the ability to download videos (or just the audio) in a recognizable format--and even to the SD card!

And don't forget the Aurora Store (F-Droid) for PlayStore access.