yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[TouchPad General] smithylovestouchpad:
I guess I have one more question based on this statement of yours, " It is the same as removing features from any Device or the OS in Desktop. The only thing for the user to do is flash a file in TWRP Recovery and in less than 30 seconds the ROM is reduced."

So if I understand this correctly, I can flash this zip on my existing installation to remove unwanted and obsolete features and apps and flash another zip to put them back? What about a custom zip that only takes out those apps and features I want to take out?

Smithy
[TouchPad General] DoubleStuff:
Hello SmithyLovesTouchpad, now don't take this the wrong way I am not trying to be snarky but the last couple weeks I also have been learning how to create flashable zips right here on XDA forum, and one of the better links to learn the script language which is called "edify" is right here...edify

So I believe with your hardware knowledge, you can learn how to create a custom flashable zip to take out the apps and features you want out. Of course HP_TOUCHPAD is doing us a great service of creating his version, but this knowledge is open to all people willing to put in the time to read and learn!!!

Some tips I have learned is use an editor that puts UNIX newlines on your script other

wise you will get "ERROR 6", so I use something called VIM, but I heard Notepad++ works good

too. And download the free software called 7-Zip to create your zips from the standard directory structure.

A good way to start is to download some of HP_TOUCHPAD's previous flashable zips like the one he installs Sullins TPTB into the boot directory, unzip his zip and look at the files he put in and the key is to look at the file called updater-script in the directory \META-INF\com\google\android and look at the syntax and the flow. What I did was edit it with my VIM editor, then re-zip it using 7-Zip and re-flash it, and your on your way to learning!! Use his general structure to create your own zips, taking out the files you dont need and editing updater-script, then re-zipping it.
[TouchPad General] smithylovestouchpad:
I appreciate your input and suggestions DS. Only one problem, as I pointed out to HPTP previously, I'm a hardware not a software kind of guy. I never have studied or written programs, scripts, spreadsheets or data bases. I know what basic, extended basic, c++ and other programming languages are, but I have never written one line of code. I am more than happy to try out what HPTP does, I'm just asking how he decides on which features and apps he considers obsolete or unwanted. I have two TP's, one running Sullin's CM11 and his modified files and one running straight Sullin's CM11. I haven't taken a stopwatch out, but I can honestly say I don't see any huge improvement in one over the other. One firm conclusion I did come to, Pie no matter how it is configured is missing too many features that I depend on in CM11 on a TouchPad. It has nothing to do with his files and configuring the TP. BTW, I did make one attempt to read up on creating a zip to install an .apk I have, because I could not get Pie to allow it to be installed the normal way. It should have been a straight forward process, but I could not get it to work. So much for me and zip files.

But thanks for the pep talk.

Smithy
[TouchPad General] smithylovestouchpad:
Anyone heard from HPTP? He has not been on any XDA forum since July 25th.

Smithy
[TouchPad General] HP_TOUCHPAD:
I was busy testing the new HpTp Universal Optimize Settings and ROM Reducer.

Click HERE for the ROM Reducer Guide

The guide has been updated with the greatly improved settings, the Tablet has never work this great not even with WebOS.

To flash the new settings:

1. In Android clear the cache of any internet related App, like youtube or any browser and then reboot.

2. In TWRP Recovery Wipe Dalvik / Art Cache and Cache, flash the desired CPU frequency
[TouchPad General] smithylovestouchpad:
I went and looked at your new Rom Reducer thread. What would be very informative would be some before and after screen shots showing the difference in additional memory made available. Or even a video showing how a TP works before applying Rom Reducer and how it works after being applied. How much space is needed on system/media for all these uninstalled apps?

Smithy
[TouchPad General] HP_TOUCHPAD:
There is no extra space need it as the Apps gets move from system/app to system/media. The size of the /system partition stays the same after flashing ROM_Reducer. It will only get smaller if the user decides to flash Remove_ROM_Reducer_Apps_Backup.

I will post video and screenshots of Android Pie installed as follow:

1. ROM

2.HpTp_Universal

3.ROM_Reducer

4.Open Gapps Variant Super

That is the maximum test for the Tablet, if anything is possible with that setup then it will perform better with older ROMs.
[TouchPad General] smithylovestouchpad:
Yeah, now I see what you are doing. You are moving all those files out of their respective folders so when Android boots, they cannot be found and cannot be used, reducing the number of apps running in memory. Very slick. So I have downloaded the necessary files and just want to use TWRP to wipe and flash the new files. I remember you said which parts to wipe using TWRP, but can't remember which boxes to put a check. I think it was

/system, /data and /cache. Please refresh my memory.

Thanks, Smithy
[TouchPad General] HP_TOUCHPAD:
To rebuilt the Apps runtime or a refresh.

The partitions to Wipe are:

( The first two from top )

Dalvik /Art Cache

Cache

Never Wipe Data to flash any new settings (It will removed everything) is like a factory reset.
[TouchPad General] smithylovestouchpad:
Be careful folks! I now have a useless TouchPad. Here are the basics. Backed up from TWRP 3.2.1 and copied backup to PC. Started from scratch. Did the Wipe all and create Android. Installed Sullin's CM11, 1782 universal with swap, Rom Reducer, Gapps and SuperSU. Rebooted TP fromTWRP and waited for everything to install and settle down. Did all the usual configuring for first time use, setup WiFi, Google account and stuff. Been playing around with it for a couple of days now. Had to move a couple of .apk's back so I could use contacts, desktop clock and a couple of other things. Experienced a few spontaneous reboots, no big deal. After two days of playing around, I decided that this setup was not for me. So I made a backup from TWRP to establish the file structure for that and copied the backup I made back to that directory. Rebooted to TWRP and tapped on restore and selected the backup. It started for about 10 seconds, saying that it wiped /boot and when it tried to flash /boot from the backup, said that it failed to flash. I started over and attempted to restore again and got the same error. Nothing left to do but reboot to /system and see what happens and now I am looking at triangle with an exclamation point in it and www.palm/ROM below that. I'm not bricked so to speak, but I no longer have a boot loader, so the tablet is useless.

I would strongly recommend that if you decide to go back to your old setup, DO NOT try to restore your backup. Reflash everything. I now have a nice paperweight.

Smithy.
[TouchPad General] HP_TOUCHPAD:
It is best to practice using TWRP to back up and restore, which it works perfectly and the backup can be restore to any Touchpad, follow my guide.

How-to-backup-restore-using-twrp-copy-to-any-Touchpad

Thanks for sharing your experience, but I assure you everything is perfectly fine. Now that you have tested ROM_Reducer, figure out how to Master TWRP backup and restore. I will be posting very soon the Universal_Authority guide to really take total control of the Tablet and yes if you do something wrong you will need to restore.
[TouchPad General] DoubleStuff:
Smithy I sorry to hear of your loss, worse yet that is the exact setup I have on my two extra Touchpads, JC Sullins 4.4, with 1782 Universal with Swap, ROM_Reducer, Gapps Pico and SuperSu.

Yes I always heard of the famous "Triangle with exclamation point" but never knew anybody personally who fell into it. I will now call it the Bermuda Triangle.

Can we ask why you did not like your setup?

Do you know what happened 'technically' to get your Touchpad in this state of "Bermuda Triangle"?

Do you think its because of these new settings and swap? Remember HP_TOUCHPAD said that

Lollipop and KitKat do not really play well with swap, so he knocked it down to 10% with new settings.

Maybe HP_TOUCHPAD will have answers for you and a fix, because he said these HP TOUCHPADS are unbreakable, unbrickable, unbelievable, and Gorb3's HP TOUCHPAD is afraid of nothing!!

P.S. just read HP_TOUCHPAD's response, isn't that ironic, that the thread I created in 2017 will help you out of this mess, as per the suggestion. Smithy let this be a lesson to you, quit horsing around with these HP TOUCHPADS, somebodies liable to get their eye poked out! LOL, if your not careful you name will change from SmithyLovesTouchpad to SmithyLOVESiPAD! LOL
[TouchPad General] HP_TOUCHPAD:
There is story behind that thread from 2017 of using the command to load uImage using novacom:

novacom boot mem:// <

The HP TP is the perfect TOY Tablet, do anything you want with it, do it with no fear yes wipe out everything even the /boot partition. It can easily be restore, just do it and learn.

Click HERE for HP_Touchpad_Boot_Symbols_Meaning
[TouchPad General] smithylovestouchpad:
Nope, no large USB symbol when I hold home, power and the part of the volume button closest to the home button, if that is what you are referring to the right volume button. When I hold the three down, the tablet recycles to a dark screen(off?), then a quick flash of the HP symbol in a circle and then the triangle with the exclamation point. If I hold power, the left volume and home, the tablet just turns off.

Looks like my mistake was letting TWRP flash /boot. When you select to backup a TouchPad, /boot is one of the volumes selected automatically to be backed up. Normally, it's no big deal if TWRP restores /boot. With this funky setup, guess it is. My bad, I forgot to deselect the check mark for /boot. Maybe HPTP needs to more prominently warn users in multiple places in both his threads about not restoring /boot?

[MENTION=451895]HPT[/MENTION]P, YOU don't need to school me on how to use TWRP! I've been using it for years and your process deviates from the norm drastically! One small warning on the OP just may not be enough! I now have a "BRICK" that is not recoverable. WebOS Recovery(big USB symbol) cannot be brought up, so there is nothing that can be done to put TWRP back on this TouchPad.

Smithy

And BTW, your guide is defective. "It is best to practice using TWRP to back up and restore, which it works perfectly and the backup can be restore to any Touchpad, follow my guide."

No where in that guide do you warn anyone about not flashing /boot. You might want to fix that.
[TouchPad General] DoubleStuff:
Hello HP_TOUCHPAD and SMITHY,

Like I said in my last post I have 2 different KITKAT setups everything the same except one has the new HpTp Universal Settings and ROM_Reducer. And as you see from the pics below it buys me a maximum of 118 MG, but that varies during the day. And running my "now famous" test of playing "Run Race 3D", and in the background playing a podcast from the internet of the app called "CastBox" I can now play about up to 80% of my skill level and win most matches. 100% skill level is determined when I play "Run Race 3D" without any other apps, and internet turned off.

So HP_TOUCHPAD has brought this device a long way in 2019.

Here is an my estimate of how its improved just shooting from the hip:

1) with JC Sullins KitKat w/o swap, and original settings. I could not play RunRace 3D it was too sluggish. Man would rarely jump on screen touch. 15% skill level.

2) with JC Sullins KitKat w/swap and the old optimized settings. I could play 65% skill level. Screen was fairly responsive and man would jump some of the time.

3) with JC Sullins KitKat w/swap and the new HpTp optimized settings. I can play 80% skill level. Screen was usually responsive and man would jump most of the time.

See pics below of RAM improvement.
[TouchPad General] smithylovestouchpad:
Doesn't do my BRICK any good. :(
[TouchPad General] DoubleStuff:
Hello Smithy I was just joking with you last post, but seriously I was going to bring this up in the past but I also have tried what I like calling the "3 finger salute" in trying to get my Touchpads to the large USB symbol, but I could not do it.....but luckily mine is not "bricked" so I was just able to reboot and press WebOS recovery. But maybe this "3 finger salute" just works when it was a WebOS HP Touchpad. We

will see how HP_TOUCHPAD responds. Believe me we are going to get your touchpad up and running again, or your name is not SmithyLovesTouchpad!!!
[TouchPad General] HP_TOUCHPAD:
Thank you for your mistakes [MENTION=9896613]smithylovestouchpad[/MENTION] !

You have unlock another secret of the un-brickable HP TOUCHPAD !

As I always say, helping is learning and this is another experience for the book.

I always try to replicate the issue and try to solve it and there is nothing more important that dealing with the issue yourself.

I got a Tablet, boot it into TWRP, mount /boot and delete it everything from it.

Reboot it and the "Bermuda Triangle" came up.

I tried the power + volume + home, it was not getting into the USB symbol. Some times is hard to get it.

But during testing I have learned to always give it a try, you never know.

With the " Bermuda Triangle" on the screen, I connected the Tablet to PC with the novacom driver installed.

Extracted the TWRP boot image from the zip, rename it uImage.TWRP

use the novacom to load it to the Tablet's Memory as follow:

novacom boot mem:// <uImage.TWRP

It worked ! TWRP loaded into the Tablet.

Conclusion, when the "Bermuda Triangle" comes up on the screen, the Tablet is in the same state as of the USB Symbol ( WebOS Recovery ).

The only thing that needs to be done is use DoubleStuff file and it will load my Automatic_Wipe_All, and the Tablet will be restore to its Factory conditions with a fresh /boot partition!

One more time the Tablet is UN - BRICKABLE !
[TouchPad General] smithylovestouchpad:
I know a kid when I see one. :p

"Believe me we are going to get your touchpad up and running again, or your name is not SmithyLovesTouchpad!!!" CUTE!!

---------- Post added at 01:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:52 AM ----------

Good work [MENTION=451895]HPT[/MENTION]P!!! But remember what I said previously, I'm a hardware kind of guy. You have been doing this stuff so much it is second nature to you. To me it's just "Greek" if you know that expression. I'll be happy to try moving uimage.TWRP to my TP, but you are going to have to explain in exact step by step instructions how to do it. I have novacom installed on my laptop. So if it is just matter of using one of the files in that folder to move the uImage, tell me the steps. Once I get uImage.TWRP moved to the TP, how do I get it to run? Like I said, step by step instructions.

Thanks,Smithy
[TouchPad General] DoubleStuff:
Un-brickable, Un-breakable, Un-believable. Thats is one for the books HP_TOUCHPAD, one for the books. And it took alot of courage for you to put it in the same state as Smithy and potentially "brick" you tablet. But by your courage another Touchpad lives!!
[TouchPad General] HP_TOUCHPAD:
Yes there is more RAM available with the HpTp settings. I am able to play Run Race 3D using PIE with the PICO Super that is the Maximum any device can have install and the game plays perfect (with WiFI off ) the Adds kills it.

Once I am done with the new guide on how to control everything on the Tablet then I will post videos to show what can be done with the new set up. Is all about the RAM that is why I posted the ROM_Reducer to get some more and also why I recommend not to install any monitoring App as it takes RAM away.
[TouchPad General] HP_TOUCHPAD:
Here goes again, go to the DoubleStuff guide, posted previously.

Download his file, connect the Tablet to the PC, do as his instructions and it will load the Automatic_Wipe_All.

The only thing you have to do, is plug the Tablet to PC and load the file. Do not try to make something very easy, into a complicated Task.
[TouchPad General] HP_TOUCHPAD:
I have done the impossible to brick the Tablet and I gave up. Made changes to the Kernel and ran it with mini voltage of 25000 at 10 mhz. Used the maximum voltage possible to fried the CPU, but it gets hot and reboots. It just refuse to die!

For my testing I had to create the worse case scenario and that is wipe everything off. It was part of creating the Automatic_Wipe_All. As long as the user has nocacom driver install on PC the Tablet can be reset.
[TouchPad General] smithylovestouchpad:
OK, DS, I downloaded your new zip. I extracted the two files, TPTB_WipeAll_TWRP_v02_win.bat and uImage.WIPE and placed them in the same folder that contains novacom. When I execute the .bat I get a message, cannot connect to server. If I try HPTP's suggestion to run novacom so I can enter the following command, novacom boot mem:// <uImage.TWRP, as soon as I run novacom, I get "cannot connect to server and the novacom window closes. One, how do I get novacom to communicate with the TouchPad? Two, do I need to do what HPTP suggests before running your batch file? Doesn't Automatic_Wipe_All_and_Create_Android_with _Swap install TWRP along with setting up the partitions?

Smithy
[TouchPad General] smithylovestouchpad:
I just went and took a second look at my Palm,Inc folder. I have the original TPTB install batch file and TPTB v42, TWRP temp install batch file and uImage.twrp and your two files. I've inserted a snapshot. If you want to see what is inside the other folders I can do that too. I have also included what happens when I run your batch file.

Smithy
[TouchPad General] HP_TOUCHPAD:
On a PC with novacom drivers install.

Download:

Click HERE for Automatic_Wipe_All_and_Create_Android_with_Swap_Partition.zip

Extract the boot.img to the novacom folder and rename it:

uImage.WIPE

It can be rename anything after the uImage. (any name you want)

The Tablet must be ON with the Triangle or USB Symbol on the screen.

Connect tablet to PC.

Open a command prompt or terminal window in the directory of novacom and enter the following:

novacom boot mem:// <uImage.WIPE

The boot image will be loaded into Memory and the Automatic_Wipe_All will be loaded and create everything, TWRP 3.2.1 will be flash into the /boot menu.

The Tablet is ready to install any ROM.
[TouchPad General] DoubleStuff:
The instructions say download and extract, and place both files in the same directory as your working tptb_v42_win.bat on your PC. Do you have Novacom in that directory too? Usually Novacom is in a separate directory.

Funny you get message "Cannot connect to server" that error message is not even in my bat file.

You only have to follow instructions in the OP, Automatic_Wipe_ALL.... will get run when you press

1, when you have the MAIN MENU up and running.
[TouchPad General] smithylovestouchpad:
Check what I posted after you sent this.
[TouchPad General] DoubleStuff:
It looks like its not finding novacom.exe file I set the PATH to

%ProgramFiles%\Palm, Inc; %PATH%

Which means its looking for novacom.exe in C:\Program Files\Palm, Inc

Is that the path of the screenshots you gave me, because I dont see the path in the screenshot.

if you "cd" to the directory where your novacom.exe resides and type novacom -l

it should not give an error. For example if I bring up a black command window:

cd C:\program files\Palm, Inc

novacom -l

It gives no error.
[TouchPad General] smithylovestouchpad:
Here is what happened when I tried this.
[TouchPad General] smithylovestouchpad:
Now we are getting a bit over my head. I understand what effect a path statement can have. How do I check or set the path like what you showed: %ProgramFiles%\Palm, Inc; %PATH%

Do I open a terminal , navigate to the Palm,inc folder, run %ProgramFiles%\Palm, Inc; %PATH% and then run this command:

novacom boot mem:// <uImage.WIPE
[TouchPad General] HP_TOUCHPAD:
Navigate to the folder that the downloaded uImage.WIPE is located and open a Command Window.

The window will show the path of the location you are in, then enter the:

novacom boot mem:// <uImage.WIPE
[TouchPad General] DoubleStuff:
Even though your setup looks different than mine, you have everything in one folder, it should work.

But it seems its not connecting to novacom, seems like you get the same error when running the

command as suggested by HP_TOUCHPAD, I have to run now, but I am sure its something simple

and you will have your Touchpad up and running in no time. Good Luck, I will check this thread in a couple hours. Make sure the plug is plugged in good, one time I plugged it in but not firmly and was getting similar errors.
[TouchPad General] smithylovestouchpad:
I apologize, I do not understand what you mean Navigate to the folder that the downloaded uImage.WIPE is located and open a Command window means. What am I navigating with? I know how to open a CMD window. I just don't know what you mean by navigate to.
[TouchPad General] HP_TOUCHPAD:
Using file explored open a command window in the location of the file. Attached is an example, I am using Linux.
[TouchPad General] smithylovestouchpad:
OK, using Windows File Explorer, I navigate to the Palm, Inc folder and right click the mouse. The options menu that opens does not give me a selection to open a command window. I can't get a screen shot of that box or use Snipping Tool. The box closes when I try to get a screen shot of that box.

---------- Post added at 03:27 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:15 AM ----------

By any chance do you have the novacomd installation files. I could try reinstalling that. I have even tried a different USB cable.

---------- Post added at 03:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:27 AM ----------

Did I mention that I opened a cmd window and navigated to the Palm, Inc folder. Entered a Dir command and can see all the files in the folder. I try running the batch file to do the wipe/TWRP install and get the failed to connect to server. I tried to enter the command you suggested:

novacom boot mem:// <uImage.WIPE and same message. You would think that if I am sitting right in the Palm, Inc folder when I run those commands that it should work.
[TouchPad General] HP_TOUCHPAD:
All Windows version may offer the option differently, it also can be added to open command prompt anywhere, but we are not going to play with Windows now.

When you open a command prompt look at the location and copy the uImage.WIPE there, then use the command to load novacom boot mem:// <uImage.WIPE.

In theory it should work no matter where the location of the file is, but it must be executed in the same folder where uImage.Wipe is.

Another possible and easy option, do you load the Toolbox from your PC?

The installation of the novacom driver is fine, you were running the program, that is why it showed, can not connect to server.
[TouchPad General] smithylovestouchpad:
Well, turns out the PC I was using would not run novacom. I had tried different USB cables, different USB ports and all the suggestions both of you made. I thought to myself, well, I've tried everything except a different computer. I just happened to have another laptop with novacom installed and as soon as I switched to it, novacom worked. So we learned some stuff to do and not to do. I would suggest some more prominent warnings about not restoring /boot if you decide to restore a backup that you make. Make this statement in the OP larger and in bright red text: Important, "do not restore the /boot partition" just like you did with this warning, "Do NOT use the ToolBox to Resize or Repair Android Volumes."

Thanks to both of you for all the suggestions. Who would have thought that the PC was the issue. Maybe reinstalling Novacom would fix that issue, but I have long since deleted those install files. Glad a had a backup PC handy and thought to try it.

And my name is still Smithy. :p