yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Jumbo100:
Okay , you've installed Nova Launcher 6.2.19 and it appears to be working ... and that's good.

However, before we move on, we have to fix your "Brain Fart" when thinking about Fire Launcher and the FTB app launcher "workarounds".

You've made FTB mods on your other devices which were running pre-f/w 7.3.2.2 (November, 2021) which allowed for ADB disabling of Fire Launcher (and most other Amazon apps) and simply installing Nova Launcher as the default app Launcher. But that all changed with f/w 7.3.2.2 ... Amazon "system protected" Fire Launcher so that it cannot be disabled and will always be active. See OP #1.

That's the genesis of the FTB launcher workaround processes. Fire Launcher will always be the the primary/default launcher and any other third-party app launcher will always be secondary. The Custom Launcher workarounds are the process that FTB implements to "hijack" Home Button calls to Fire Launcher and redirects them to the secondary/alternative launcher.

That's where Automate and Custom Navbar et al are required. All the FTB workaround mechanics are hidden from the user and shouldn't require any user intervention. In effect you are running TWO launchers in tandem.

Which bring us back to your current situation with f/w 7.3.3.0 . Forget about trying to "fix" Fire Launcher. Your stuck with it ; it won't go away but we can "work around" it.. That's your "Brain Fart".

Back to troubleshooting.

We're going though this whole exercise with Nova 6.2.19 because you are having problems with some older app that is incompatible with new Nova versions. Is that the situation?

When you install apps on Fire tablets, they will always be installed on Fire Launcher home page. But they will also be installed on Nova Launcher. If you open the Nova app drawer (the small karet ^ near the bottom of home screen) you can "drag and drop) apps as required to populate the Nova home page. Do not try and move apps icons between Fire Launcher and Nova Launcher; that won't work. Any app you install will show up in both launchers. Look at the screenshots ; GMail icon is on both launchers without having to do anything.

What I suggest now is to try and install the app that you sat ay can only work on Nova 6.2.19 and see if it is stable on the current setup. If it works, we can move on and try to get the FTB alternative launcher protocols to work.

One step at a time, lad.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] DB126:
@Jumbo100 - patience of an angel :)
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Jumbo100:
“We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another.”

― Luciano De Crescenzo
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Eiion:
A few issues/bugs to report:

1. For multiple versions the app isn't updating automatically anymore at startup.

2. Neither Netflix nur Disney+ can be updated via Hybrid Apps.

Hybrid app error:

Going via settings and "Check for Updates" to trigger the update process manually produces

"No updates was found , it appears you have the latest version."

Which clearly I don't.

Using an (apparently already discontinued) Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus.

EDIT:

Downlaoded v35.0

Tried updating Netflix and Disney once again and again got

Any ideas for a fix? Watching Disney is the primary use of the app so this not working... big bummer. Hence any suggestion is welcome.

EDIT 2:

Tried installing both apps again - this time it worked. Phew.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] blaacksheep:
I believe the built-in updater may be in limbo at the moment. Datastream has been working on changing the delivery method of Toolbox to a single file application, like the newest Linux versions. I don't think he's gotten around to making the updater work with the new system yet. I do believe that if a new version gets released, he will post a notification in Toolbox itself that it's available. In the meantime, just check back here regularly for any updates. The OP gets changed to reflect the current Windows version and download links.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] johnny2trayz:
So im just getting stuck at "Waiting for rethink dns to launch". not sure what to do
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] johnny2trayz:
And the custom launcher just kept forcing the screen to turn on and off so im just factory resetting.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] blaacksheep:
Hi, and welcome to XDA!

If you're starting over, go slowly and just do the custom launcher first. Then when you put in RethinkDNS, leave the DNS settings alone. The combination of RethinkDNS adjusting your DNS settings and the Toolbox DNS settings under Modify System Settings > Networking could lead to no DNS resolver. Also, don't run one of the "debloat" scripts. They disable features you will need to complete your setup. Save that for after you have everything working. Many problems occur because of over-zealousness. You can always run Toolbox again and modify more things after you've verified it's working. :)
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] bibikalka:
All of a sudden my Fire Max 11 started to close a bunch of applications that worked well before. The apps would close right after they opened. I figured it's related to Google Play Services since I do have Amazon updates disabled. I could not clear Play Services storage - it'd just loop back.

I downloaded Play Services Info app, got the exact version, downloaded it from apkmirror. Tried to install on top - worked, so this validated the apk signature.

Uninstalled Play Services, then installed the downloaded apk - things are working again, and silky smooth performance which was becoming worse and worse over time.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] jhford:
OK. @Jumbo100. I did another factory reset and I installed Google Services with FTB. I also installed Nova 6.2.19.apk and the Gmail app. However, I tried to install the Gmail widget which didn't throw an error message, but it's nowhere. What did I screw up this time?

Thanks
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Jumbo100:
TL;DR

f/w 7.3.2.9 DOES NOT support app widgets natively, regardless of app launcher version, web browser version or software app version.

@jhford you've done nothing wrong ... the fault is with Amazon. Widgets (and shortcuts) have not been natively supported on your device since f/w 7.3.2.2 (November, 2021). Your other tablet is working with your expectations since is probably stall running f/w prior to 7.3.2.2 . As always, you can't rollback/revert installed f/w to an earlier version.

What has thrown us off the track was your insistence of installing Nova 6.2.19 to revive a favourite app widget. The app widget you want so badly will never work on your device as currently setup; no amount of "fiddling" will ever resurrect it. That's why installing newer Nova 7/8 didn't make any difference. Installing older versions of the app probably wouldn't help either.

To illustrate, you've installed current Gmail app for Android and it should be working per normal, but there are no available app widgets (such as Compose and Inbox); they're there as sub-apps in the main app (as on your phone) , but they are not natively available to your Fire tablet.; it's just not accessible by FireOS.

So to save yourself any further anguish, look for another app that fits your needs without using widgets or switch to a "full Android" device.

Sorry to disappoint. ☹️
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] jhford:
Although I don't remember which f/w I was running when my HD 8 Plus was as near to pure Android as I could make it, perhaps Amazon slipped in a f/w update which screwed everything up. So, based on your post, but maybe I should buy a used HD 8 Plus running 7.3.2.1 or earlier and use FTB to prevent Amazon from updating it again, if that's possible. Do you agree? And where do you think i should look other than eBay? And is f/w version 7.3.2.1 the optimal version for my purposes?

Thinks again
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Jumbo100:
Absolutely ... pre-f/w 7.3.2.2 was the "Golden Age" of FTB mods. Totally amenable to ADB mods with no need for cumbersome "workaround" processes which use up precious system resources and are tedious to install/maintain.

Finding any Fire tablet running pre-f/w 7.3.2.2 OOTB is like winning the lottery, although we still get reports of finds in warehouses in obscure markets. LOL.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] DB126:
You are fighting a loosing battle. Suggest looking at similar units from Onn (Walmart) or other 'value' brands that ship without all of the limitations imposed by Amazon.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] blaacksheep:
A little off-topic, but I just bought a $20 ONN Google TV box from Walmart to replace my Firestick which was getting a bit tiresome. It's cheaper, runs 4k video, allows you to replace the launcher, is "vanilla" Android, and just a great value. If you buy one online, get the latest model which says "Google TV". The older model says "Android TV" and isn't as good, but is the same price and the boxes look almost identical. Just don't buy one of those $30 Chinese brands with all the supposed features and 4GB RAM. They come with malware pre-installed and it's almost impossible to remove. The key is get a Google Certified device.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Datastream33:
Greetings!

Good catches my friend!

A lot goes into putting out updates and there's just some things that slip under the cracks. I've been mainly releasing new updates through the OP and kept forgetting to ensure the Updater sees them. That's my bad. It should now see V35. :D

Like the Updater, the Hybrid Apps tool is another instance of me being forgetful. The Netflix app and Disney app require manually pulling the apks from the appstore so I often forget to update them.

As for the two errors encountered in the Hybrid Apps tool, it seems the first is related to an incorrectly downloaded APK, and the second being that you likely had a newer version of the app installed then the version of the app the Toolbox was trying to install.

I'm sorry about the issues you've experienced, and thank you so much for the report!
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Eiion:
No need to apologize - you're doing great work.

No, the apps couldn't have been newer as I only ever update them via toolbox once the apps stop working and promt me to update.

So rather than the installed apps being newer I can only assume that this is one of the instances where you forgot to update the two hybrid apps (how about a release checklist? 🙈) and the version it tried to install was the one already on the device. But that's just me guessing.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Datastream33:
Thanks so much for the kind words! :D

Ah, you're 100% correct about the same version being installed. That actually makes more sense.

A checklist, now that's actually not a bad idea! Thanks man!

🤠
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Datastream33:
Oh good idea!

Luckily though, I had an older Fire Stick HD first gen laying around that was on an exploitable firmware. Got TWRP running on it and removed the Amazon bloat. Not a a bad deal! But, if that thing wasn't rooted... yeah I'd go for an Onn as well.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Datastream33:
Yeah, I miss the "Golden Age" so much. :(
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Mo Ichido:
New issue here. Found another Kindle in our fleet that hat OTA updates enabled. I'm trying to get around that with RethinkDNS again, but the part of the process where Kindle Fire Toolbox says "Waiting for RethinkDNS to launch" just goes indefinitely. The RethinkDNS app doesn't appear to be installed either.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] blaacksheep:
I'm not sure the RethinkDNS subtool was completely vetted due to a number of people having the same issue with it.

RethinkDNS can be downloaded and installed directly from the Playstore or Aurora. The configuration instructions can be found in the first link in my signature below. You only need to block the 4 apps listed and leave everything else alone. Mess with the DNS or firewall settings at your own risk - it's not needed and can be detrimental to your connectivity. :)
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Mo Ichido:
Understood about the DNS, but I need to disable OTA updates and the firmware won't allow me to disable them without it.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] blaacksheep:
All I was saying is you can install RethinkDNS manually from the Playstore and follow the directions in my signature to configure it to do just that. If you're concerned about turning on your wifi before installing/configuring RethinkDNS, just grab it with your computer or phone from F-droid.org or your favorite alternative app site and sideload it to your tablet. :)

It seems to be difficult to find. If you are unable to find it yourself, here's a link to it from F-droid.org.

https://f-droid.org/repo/com.celzero.bravedns_45.apk

(F-droid is a trusted FOSS site.) (y)
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Jumbo100:
Also download directly from RethinkDNS official website:

Downloads | Rethink

3B+ Android users deserve access to a safer and open Internet. RethinkDNS is a private, secure, and fast DNS resolver with custom rules, blocklists, and analytics that lets you block websites temporarily with time-based rules, or permanently through 190+ pre-defined blocklists...

rethinkdns.com
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Mo Ichido:
Thanks! I realized that I had installed Rethink on a couple of other tablets without knowing there were other steps to take. If I did that, or failed to turn off wi-fi first before making the appropriate block rules, is that going to cause issues or make the changes ineffective?
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] blaacksheep:
If it wasn't configured properly by Toolbox automated install or you manually installed it, it will need to be configured and started to do anything. If you failed to turn off wifi beforehand, you're probably running the latest firmware now. If so, all is not lost. Newer firmware usually makes things more difficult to circumvent, but also means better compatibility with Google Services and some apps/features work better with new firmware too.

You have to find the level of firmware that supports what you wish to use the tablet for, without making you jump through too many hoops to get rid of certain Amazon annoyances like the default launcher. This especially applies to FireOS 8.

If you are on a regular (non "+" model), you only have 2 GB memory so the workarounds needed to replace the launcher are taxing on the system and will limit what can be run. If you have a "+" model, you have 3 GB of RAM so it's not so much of a problem.

Avoid trying to make it do too much. It will frustrate you. Just try to stay to simple apps that don't run in the background and you'll be fine. :)
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] adtamez:
Hello, I am having problems setting Nova Launcher as a custom Launcher through the Automate method on FTB.

I just bought and Amazon Fire Tablet 10 (2023). OS 8.3.2.4

When I use FTB v35.0 it installed Automate app, but then an pop up inside the Automate app shows up stating: "Failed to read flow".

1. So what i did was to download FTB version 34.0 portable.

2. From here i grab the flow file on my pc and transferred it to the tablet. So I manually installed the flow in automate by importing it within the app.

3. Now I can see the Shortcut launcher flow on the left side inside the app, and i have clicked to allow the 2 privileges on the right side.

4. When I click start, I get an error on the log stating: "java.lang.ilegalstateException: Accessibility service not running"

5. So i went to the tablet settings and under Accessibility/Services I turned on Automate app

The problem still presists.

So I also manually installed Launcher Invoker flow, when i click start i get the same log error as with Shortcut Launcher flow: "java.lang.ilegalstateException: Accessibility service not running"

Questions:

A. What am i missing? What can i do?

B. I already turned on accessibility for Automate, so why is this happening?

C. Why is it that in any version of FTB (35, 34 and 32) i get the same pop up error in automate app of: Failed to read flow" and it does not import the flow automatically.

D. Is it possbile that the flow needs to be updated for this OS version?

Please help. Thank you
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] blaacksheep:
The scripts for installing the Automate app, the needed flow, and the custom launcher are NOT tolerant of unexpected user interruption and will fail if you tap on something before you are asked to do so. That is likely the source of the problem. They aren't written to handle a botched install either so you either have to do a bunch of things to correct it enough to run again, or just reset the tablet and don't do anything until told to do so by the program. The second option sounds like your best bet at this point. (y)
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] adtamez:
I actually didn't touch or did anything without following the instructions of FTB. I have use it many times before without a glitch on older tablets.

I'll reset it and try again. Question: should i do this step first after resetting or can I follow the startup guide? I believe this is done several step after other configurations made by FTB

And just for my peace of mind, the flow should be compatible for this OS version, correct?

Thank you!
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] adtamez:
I just reset it and did only the step to install custom launcher. Same issue. In the step were FTB wants to install the flow, a pop up comes up on the tablet stating "Failed to read flow"

What else can i do?

UPDATE: Without doing anything else,

1. i manually import the flow, then clicked start and now there are no errors.

2. However, nothing happens, clicking the button does not takes me to Nova, ti goes to fire launcher.

3. So i restarted the tablet to see if that helps but instead now I got the same error as before when the flow starts "java.lang.ilegalstateException: Accessibility service not running"

What am i missing? Any other ideas?
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] jhford:
@Jumbo100. Without using FTB, I have successfully androidized my HD 8 Plus 7.3.2.9 to 98%+ of it's state before I borked it But this time I used Nova 8.x. The only thing that needs work is the Nova Nav Bar; the middle button doesn't work. So, I'm also using One Button Navigation temporarily. Any ideas?
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] blaacksheep:
I've never followed the "tutorial" and always just done the steps in the order that seemed logical to me. I have a pre-7.3.2.2 tablet so I start with disable OTA and automatic updates, follow with custom launcher, then I manually disable some Amazon apps, and so on.

The flow is the same regardless of tablet version. :)
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Jumbo100:
Nice to see that you've got your tablet back to "normal".

As discussed often, Fire Laucher with f/w 7.3.2.9 cannot be disabled, and will always be the default app launcher . So tapping the Home Button when your in Nova Launcher 8.x will always open/reopen to Fire Launcher. It's not that the Home Button is "broken" in Nova Launcher; it's behaving normally as Fire Launcher.

This is the whole crux of the FTB app launcher "workarounds" . The FTB mod processes like Custom Navbar redirect calls to the Home Button to open Nova Launcher. As you've experienced, these mods involve Automate and all that it entails.

This is where you've always stumbled. If you can live with One Button Navigation, IMHO, I think that you've accomplished most of what you want.

" Don't Worry, Be Happy " - Bobby McFerrin (1988) 😃
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] blaacksheep:
Okay, launch Automate and tap the hamburger (menu) icon in the upper left. Tap Settings and scroll down about a page and make sure that "Run on system startup" is checked. Tap the back arrow in the upper left and then tap the Launcher Invoker flow. Make sure all the boxes are checked under "Privileges". Close Automate and open "Settings > Accessibilty. Scroll to the bottom and make sure Automate is On. Close that and go back to Automate and start the Launcher Invoker flow by tapping the flow and tapping "Start".

Now I believe if you use Toolbox and reinstall your custom launcher right over the top it should recognize everything is downloaded and installed and it should make your custom home button and activate it.

I hope this works for you. 🤞
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Datastream33:
Greetings!

Just tested the import on my FireOS 8 device and encountered the same issues. Looking into it further, it seems both problems are related to Android 11 exclusively.

Question B: The issues here seem to stem from the Android functionality of the "Pause app activity if unused" feature. If the accessibility service isn't used, then the OS will disable it. In the case of Automate, the service is only used when needed, which leads to the OS eventually disabling it automatically. Doing some digging into it, I couldn't find a way to disable the feature using ADB, but it can be disabled htrough the Settings app. Open the Settings app, tap "App & Notifications", then tap "See All XX Apps", tap "Automate" then tap "Permissions". Now scroll all the way to the bottom, and uncheck the "Remove permissions if app isn't used" option. If the option isn't there then I guess all you can do is ensure battery optimizations are disabled, and avoid battery saver mode (can disable all services when enabled) and see if that works.

Question C also stems from Android 11. When automate is installed, and granted permissions, it's only granted access to "media" (so the basic directories: DCIM, Downloads, Documents, etc) and not "all files and media". Because the Toolbox pushes the flo to the root of the internal storage, this leads to Automate failing to read the flow because it can't access the flo file to read it. So a workaround to this is to instead push the flo file to "/data/local/tmp" which can be read by Automate without requiring any additional permissions and is completely backwards compatible with pervious versions of Android.

Hope you're having a great day so far! :D
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] blaacksheep:
Wow, that was a thorough dissection of the problem. I'm glad you were here to set us straight. :) I hadn't even considered that it was a FireOS 8 tablet with the new file restrictions and different permissions. I only mentioned what had worked in the past for FireOS 7.

Thanks and have a great rest of your week! 🎯
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Datastream33:
That's just my best guesses on the manner. Could be wrong on what's causing the accessibility service to become disabled.

Hey, we all appreciate your help! You're killing it out here! :D

Thanks and hope you have a good one too!
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] adtamez:
correct, the only wat to install the flow is by manually importing it to automate from the root of the sd card folder.

I did everything you are mentioning of disabling battery optimization and remove permissions but the problem still persist. Was anybody successful to install custom launch through automate on OS 8? If not, any other alternatives to make it working even if it not the ideal solution?
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] MrHatchi87:
Not gonna read 737 pages, but has there been any luck with flashing this tablet to pure ASOP/Vanilla Android?
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Jumbo100:
depends
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] jhford:
Hmm. So, do you think I should uninstall Nova 8.x and reinstall it with FTB > Other and Automate? Also, I forgot to mention that I'm running DNS66 and Rethink DNS.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] Jumbo100:
If you like your setup with Nova 8, no need to uninstall/reinstall with FTB.
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] DB126:
lol - that post will garner lots of love
[Fire HD 8 and HD 10 Android Development] DB126:
By your own account it's 98% 'good'. Why fluck with it and risk another melt down? Wish my own life hit that mark