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How do I root the Dell Streak 5?
I have a Dell Mini 5 (the original Streak).  As in the title, how can I root this device?

Disclaimer: "Safe" does not mean nothing can go wrong, particularly if you don't follow the instructions exactly.  I make no guarantees, and you take the risks of rooting upon yourself.  See this post for general rooting guidelines and an index of other devices for which we have rooting guides.

If you have the original Android 1.6 Donut firmware on your device, upgrade it to 2.1 or higher.  The official update page should bring you from 1.6 (or 2.1) to 2.2.
The Easiest Method (Still Safe) — 2.1 Eclair, 2.2 Froyo
The easiest method is with Gingerbreak.  (The 2.3.3 update patched the vulnerability used in Gingerbreak, so if you have Gingerbread then see the next section.)

On the device, go to Settings -> Applications and make sure Unknown sources and USB Debugging (under Development) are checked.
Download the Gingerbreak app via your PC and put it on the device's SD card, or use the browser on the device.
Install a file browser like Explorer since it appears the Streak doesn't come with one.
Navigate to the Gingerbreak .apk, install it, and run it to root your device.  You're done!

The Safest Method (Still Easy) — 2.2 Froyo, 2.3 Gingerbread
You can attempt to root via other vulnerabilities but the safest method is probably to replace the stock recovery with StreakMod and flash the SuperUser package through it, bypassing the need for hacks.  This might work for 2.1, but I haven't tested it.
(Wondering why this is safe?  The Streak replaces the recovery with stock on boot.  If you screw it up, it will fix itself!)

Install the Android SDK on Windows.  (You can use Linux, but then you have to locate the fastboot package put out by HTC at one point since it's not bundled with the SDK for Linux.)
Download StreakMod and extract recovery.img from the .zip file to somewhere easily accessible, say C:\recovery.img.
Download the SuperUser package and put it on the device's SD card.
Connect the phone to your PC via USB and put it into Fastboot Mode.

The easiest way is through adb on the command line (adjust the path if needed):
cd C:\Program Files\Android\android-sdk\platform-tools
adb reboot bootloader

Alternatively, turn off the phone and then turn it on while holding the Camera button.  When you reach a white screen, release the Camera button.  When it loads, tap the FastBoot text button in the top right corner of the screen.
You should see FASTBOOT_MODE in the bottom left of the screen when it's ready.

From the command line (adjust the paths if needed):
cd C:\Program Files\Android\android-sdk\tools
fastboot flash recovery C:\recovery.img

The device should show Download RECOVERY Done! when complete.
Continuing from the command line, enter fastboot reboot and immediately hold down both volume buttons on the device until you reach Recovery Mode.
If the device boots, go back to step 4!  The custom recovery has been overwritten with stock by the init scripts; you need to get into StreakMod before this happens.
Using the volume buttons, scroll down to 2. Software upgrade via Update.pkg on SD Card and select it by clicking the Camera button.  This will take you to StreakMod Recovery.
Using the same buttons as in the previous step, select apply sdcard:update.zip, then choose zip from sdcard.  Select Superuser.zip from wherever you put it (e.g., download/).  Choose Yes - Install Superuser.zip and let it install. Then back out (using the Back touch button) and hit reboot system now.  You're done!
If you want to keep StreakMod Recovery, use your new root powers to rename /system/etc/install-recovery.sh to something else like install-recovery.bak, then repeat steps 4-6a above.  Note that stock recovery can be downloaded and flashed just like StreakMod, so there's not much to worry about if you decide to do this.

@cookie #9 has nothing to do with root.  If you can do anything that requires root, you know you're still rooted!  You could also install SuperUser from the Market or try something like Root Checker.

I think in step six you can just type fastboot reboot recovery instead of pressing buttons.


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Why is my HTC Incredible's WiFi so slow?
I have a Droid Incredible rooted with Cyanogen 7.
When I use my network wi fi (on cable modem) the download speed is about 400kb/s, using SpeedTest.net's Droid app. When I test with my Virgin MObile LG Optimus V I get 8.5 Mb/s.
I've turned off bluetooth (which I hear uses the same radio as wi fi).

Do you see the same performance on other WiFi networks?

OK, this is embarrassing but I'll leave it here for posterity anyway.
Tried another network and got slightly better performance (probably b/c the hotspot had weak signal strength).
After more investigation I realized that it was connecting to my network then disconnecting. Turns out the password was wrong, but rather than actually telling me that, it just connected and then a few seconds later (after I'd left that screen) it disconnects.

source: Stack Exchange

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

sort: votes


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How to identify the latest version of brut map
I use Brut maps as:

This map is for the country that cant use navigation on google map. It has been hacked and can be used by any country now.

I am currently using version 6.0.3 from here.
Do you know if there is a place to find out about the latest release? I'm not sure if the version I'm using is the latest one.

It looks like the author tries to keep the version of his app in sync with the version of the actual Google Maps app.  As of this writing, the official Google Maps app is version 6.1.0 which was released on January 10th 2012.  It usually takes the developer several days to adapt the changes.  The thread you linked seems to be active, so the newest version will most likely be posted there when it's ready.

Well I was searching for a better way if it existed. Looks like there isn't. I'll wait for few more days before accepting this answer :)

all_licenses: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/


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How can I get Tasker to set my Google Chat Status?
I'd like my Google Chat status to update by task; specifically '@Work' and '@Home', on the obvious criteria. Is there a plugin or script that will allow me to set the status in a task? With additional work, could I do it via something like SL4A and trigger it from Tasker? I'd prefer to avoid a graft like this as a plugin would be more efficient, but it's better than nothing.

I found a plugin! When I first looked, I didn't realize Locale plugins were compatible with Tasker. The plugin is called "Locale GTalk Plug-in" by Billy Francisco. I have a Galaxy Nexus with ICS, and it appears to be working fine; my status was set properly by a Task.
There is a nearly identically named app, "Locale GTalk Plug-in Free" by Willem Stoker; reviews warned it includes Air Push advertising, so I did not install or test it.

Billy updated his plug in; you can now use %Variables in the text box for setting your status!


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htc wildfire s after update to 2.3.5 - cannot install any app
After updating my wildfire s phone to android version 2.3.5 I cannot install any application or update existing ones. Downloading icon appears for 1 sec and instantly disappears - for some reason apps wont download.
Friend of mine has very same problem with his wildfire s, so it looks like not an accident with my phone but real reproducable issue.
Does anyone managed to fix it without factory data reset?
Thanks

I had the same problem, tried cleaning cache and data with no result.
So I went in settings > applications > manage apps > all, picked the download manager and "uninstalled the updates". It told me the app would reset to factory settings, and when I started the phone again, it was running marketplace 3.4.4 and I managed to update and install apps normally after that.
Disclaimer: I only tried that because I planed to do a factory reset if I broke everything. I don't guarantee the results.

Thanks, Meri. Your solution works! It's a pity new Download Manager is so buggy, because I also have issues with old one - very ofter it downloads application but they won't install, have to redownload several times to get app installed.

Glad I could help. As for the apps not installing, I wish I knew how to fix that, it's a problem I encountered too.


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What does the "modify/delete USB storage contents" permission really mean?
What does the modify/delete USB storage contents permission really mean? Does it grant access for the application to read, modify and write all the data on my USB storage? Maybe it is this only limited to a subset of that data (e.g. only data written by the application itself)? Or does it mean something else entirely?

If you are familiar with the concepts of read and write permissions on various PC platforms, that is pretty much the same as what is going on here. You are giving the application write access to your "external storage" Which could be an SD card, or some storage space that comes with your device.
That permission indicates that the application is able to create, modify, or delete any files that reside on the SD card (or the non-removable storage space that the the OS treats most like an SD card).
So it could download a file from online and manually save it to your SD card.
It could generate its own image, text, audio etc.. file and save it to your SD card.
It could delete any file on your SD card.
It could find a file that already exists on your SD (even one with nothing to do with the app) and make changes to it.

It means that an application can read/write to the entire contents of your sdcard. Even if the application does not have this permission it will still be able to read from the contents of the sdcard. Giving it modify/write permissions will allow the application to create, edit, or delete files.
99.9% of the time this is so the application can do things like save data to the sdcard. For example this could be images from wallpaper app, or if the app is used to backup your sms messages for you, or even a podcast app needs to save the mp3 file to the sdcard.
There has been some "fuss" lately about ios having access to your pictures and other data on the device. You have to remember that these devices are not Phones, they are computers that make phone calls. It is no different if I install an application on Windows/Linux/OSX, the application will have access to every file on the system that I have access to.
If you don't trust an application to install it on your PC, you wouldn't install it. You should use the same thoughts with your Phone, but keep in mind that you may have even more personal information on the Phone then you would on your PC.

Re iOS photos issue: Android does it too

@MartinTapankov Every computer does this. It's not a backdoor, it's already in the house. Especially sdcards, FAT32 offers no security protection, that is why the OS has the modify/delete permission in android to at least require apps to request this before it lets them modify the sdcard. which is more then any other OS does.

Each application has a specific storage folder. But, some folders are public, like the Pictures, Music and Ringtones folders.
So, basically an application can write/delete files from a public folder and from it's own folder.
Take a look at this link for further details: http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/data/data-storage.html#SavingSharedFiles

The application should be able to write/delete anywhere on the external storage. FAT32 doesn't implement any kind of file permissions (and that's what external storage devices invariably use) so there's no way to restrict access to specific folders/files. It's good design to use your application's storage folder, but you definitely don't have to.

Although FAT32 does not have permission system, there is no reason that the OS (Android/Linux) OS cannot implement a sandbox shim around the file system access to ensure that apps only can access an authorized portion of the file system. It blows me away that Google did not implement something like this as its really quite simple to do for systems developers.

@Timothy It did: according to Android API reference this permission is not required to access application-specific directories.

SD card is an adoptable storage and can be mapped as internal storage (https://source.android.com/devices/storage/adoptable), but USB is a portable storage and only be treated as external storage , thus require different permission treatment

all_licenses: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


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Locked screen shows track name
Recently my Galaxy S7 started to show last track's name when the phone is locked. Even if the music player is turned off. How do I turn it off?
Edit
Looks like track information comes from any app: music player, Spotify, YouTube, chrome. Whichever app plays music/video last - it leaves a name on my lock screen.

Did you try clearing the music app data in the settings?

I have no idea how to do it

Settings > Applications > Applications Manager then find the music app, touch it then select Storage > Clear data

I have updated the question - probably it is system setting, not a setting of a single app

What about the launcher? Is this the default launcher?

Yes, everything is default.

Settings > Notifications > Don't Show
Blocks VLC, FBReader TTS, etc for Android 6, so probably similar on a Samsung ROM.


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Logitech unifying receiver, Chrome plugin work on android?
I lost my antenna for my Logitech keyboard and mouse. I decided to buy a Logitech Unifying Receiver. But I can't find any drivers for it for Android except the Chrome plugin.
I don't understand, is the driver running from Chrome (on android) or is it for Chrome OS only?
I have a Android 6.0 for my TV box.
To reiterate, can I install the driver in Android Chrome and pair my mouse and keyboard to my TV box that way?
Thanks in advance.

I belive your keyboard and mouse are plug 'n' play so you don't need to install any driver on your device, just plug into it the Unifying reciever.

the mouse and keyboard are plug n play but I need to pair them with this receiver (all bough separately ). And for that I need the drivers.

Oh, I see. Sorry, I missed that information. But I think if you want to pair your keyboard and mouse with the new reciever you should use a computer due to the pairing procedure requires the Logitech Unifying Software but it's not available for Android.

That's true but there is a program for Chrome https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/logitech-unifying-for-chr/agpmgihmmmfkbhckmciedmhincdggomo/reviews?hl=en . And I'm wondering if that can solve my problem

Yeah, it's a program for Chrome Desktop not for Chrome Android. You can't use plugins from Chrome Store on Chrome Android.


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Can't update or uninstall built-in Whatsapp
I have an iBall Slide 3G 7334i tab which has a built-in Whatsapp v.2.9.5196 which has provision to Force Stop and Disable but not Uninstall. I can't either uninstall or update and the message:

"Your phone date is inaccurate.Adjust your clock and try again"

keeps on coming.
I have searched all over and I can't get the remedy.

You have to uninstall and reinstall latest version of WhatsApp. It will fix your issue.
Since your phone have built-in WhatsApp Application(system app) you can't normally uninstall your App.
Try to uninstall using Debloater which helps to remove a built-in App without root.
After uninstalling try to install a latest version of WhatsApp APK file from here
Source


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Odin error : NAND Write Start!! FAIL! (Auth) can't flash stock rom SM-G530H
Can't complete the Stock ROM flash on my galaxy grand prime SM-G530H. The following error is shown inside the Odin message box.
<ID:0/010> Added!!
<ID:0/010> Odin v.3 engine (ID:10)..
<ID:0/010> File analysis..
<ID:0/010> SetupConnection..
<ID:0/010> Initialzation..
<ID:0/010> Get PIT for mapping..
<ID:0/010> Firmware update start..
<ID:0/010> aboot.mbn
<ID:0/010> NAND Write Start!!
<ID:0/010> FAIL! (Auth)
<OSM> All threads completed. (succeed 0 / failed 1)

I hope the problem is with the NAND Write Start!! part.
I tried with three of the stock ROMs and getting the same result. What should I do to overcome this problem?

Comment threads really aren't great for this kind of interactive debugging, so I've moved the conversation to chat. Please come back and write up an answer when you've solved the problem between you.

I'm pretty sure you're in Recovery mode. Put your device in Download mode (turn your device off, press and hold volume down and home buttons, then press and hold the power button until the download warning appears, then volume up to continue, connect USB and run Odin) to flash with Odin.
Putting your phone in Recovery mode is done the same way except volume up is pressed with the home key instead of volume down.


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OnePlus One - How to enable USB Debugging with broken TWRP
My device is Oneplus One, I installed Android 7.0 on it, then I installed OxygenOS 3.1.3. Then I thought to get back to CyanogenMod 13.0 with SultanXDA 3.4.0 kernel.
I've got bootloop, but I still don't know why.
I've noticed that my TWRP version was 3.0.3.2 (by Tugopower) so I wanted to reinstall it using the original TWRP recovery 3.0.2.0 image.
I installed TWRP successfully and pressed Reboot -> Recovery but after that I can't get access to TWRP anymore.
Fastboot says that USB Debugging is disabled.
How can I enable USB Debugging in this situation?

You don't need debugging mode to flash. You must boot in bootloader (Fastboot mode) and flash the files.
This tutorial explains clearly the whole process. You need the second method since you are not able to boot in recovery mode.


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How to delete gReader stored RSS feeds from Phone memory manually
I was just fiddling with gReader when I noticed that by default the application saves the feeds to the phone memory. So I immediately changed that to SD card memory. However, on doing this all the existing feeds were lost and I had to do a resync. I have a feeling the app didn't delete the existing feeds from the phone memory. Any idea how I can delete those feeds from Phone memory manually?

I would suspect you shouldn't be able to do this without clearing the app data unless you have root.

This question appears to be off-topic because the Google Reader app and service are no longer available.

From your Home Screen go to Menu -> Settings -> Applications -> Manage Applications and find gReader.  Then click the Clear Cache and Clear Data button.  This may lead to you having to sign back in but it will synch with your feeds so you won't really lose anything.


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How to check from where FWUpdate will check for updates?
I bought a Samsung Note 3 from a non-carrier, and I am using it with a SIM from one of the cheap national carriers. I would like to know from where FWUpdate is checking and downloading updates. Is it getting the information from the carrier? From the default Samsung repo? Possibly from a repo as configured by the store that sold it? How can one check from which repository is the Note checking for and downloading updates?
Note that my goal is not "How can I get the update faster", but rather I'm actually trying to prevent the system from finding and installing the update. After installing Dcentral 1 I see that FWUpdate is trying to update itself at least once per day.

There is no pre-configured repository for the phone to check.
In order to avoid their servers being over-flooded with download requests, Google along with manufacturers and carriers employ what is called a "staged roll-out."  Once they initiate the roll-out for a given region, a specially crafted message that contains the actual download location of the firmware image is sent to the eligible phones.
The carrier, manufacturer, and Google can all initiate such messages. It depends on where you originally purchased the phone who will be responsible for the updates.  This is driven by the phone's model number.  Carrier-branded phones will most likely get the notifications from the carrier, otherwise the manufacturer will handle the upgrade roll-out.  Upgrades for Nexus and Google Play edition lines are handled by Google themselves, usually without manufacturer or carrier intervention (with a rare exception of Verizon Galaxy Nexus model.)
Technically, it's possible to intercept such messages and extract the actual URI of the firmware file for manual download and installation, but you will be dependent on others to do that, if your device has not yet been made eligible for the upgrade.
After a while, when the initial rush of upgrades is over, the manufacturer will usually host the firmware images on their own sites for anyone to download.  It can take a while though.

Thank you. You address the question from the perspective of "How can I get the update faster", which is terrific, but I'm actually trying to prevent the system from finding and installing the update.

@dotancohen I see. That want clear from the question.


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Calander events shifting days
In September I added 26 calendar events, one every other Saturday, to set personal goals. Each calendar entry is a separate event, I am not using the Recurring Event feature. I've noticed that some goals are shifting a few days into the future.

The events from 29 November to 13 December have shifted two days forward: instead of being on a Saturday they appear on the Monday two days later.
The events from 27 December to 10 January have shifted five days forward: instead of being on a Saturday they appear on the Thursday five days later.
The events from 24 January to 7 March have shifted eight days forward: instead of being on a Saturday they appear on the Sunday eight days later.
The events from 21 March to 4 April have shifted eleven days forward: instead of being on a Saturday they appear on the Wednesday eleven days later.

And so on, the gaps get larger further into the future.
The only other event that I have added so far out is a recurring event every Tuesday, which is not affected (i.e. has not shifted). I do not cross time zones with this device, and the day shifting does not correlate with any Day Light Savings Time shifts. This is a work phone with a lock screen: my children nor anybody else has access to the device nor to the Google account with which it is associated to. I have very few apps installed on the device, such as Anki and Firefox. I do not have any social media apps, such as Facebook, on the device.
This is on a Samsung Note 3 on Android 4.4.
More information: This is using the stock Google calendar application, with the calendar stored and synced with my Google account 'dotancohen'. As these are the only entries in the 'dotancohen' calendar that far in advance, I do not know if the other entries would have be affected. I do have other calendars which are shown in the Google calendar application, connected to other Google accounts (such as my work account) are not affected. All the affected entries we added one at a time by hand on the device, i.e. I long-clicked the calendar in Month mode and manually added each entry. For that particular calendar (the 'dotancohen' Google account) I have never opened the calendar on another device.

You need to provide some more information to get better answers: Is the shift applied to only those 26 entries, or all entries are affected by the shift? How are you adding the calendar entries? Which calendar app you're using? What calendar is this i.e. Google Calendar, Exchange, etc? Have you tried adding entries via other method, say from website, or desktop?

@Parrhesiastes: Thank you, I have added the information that you requested to the question body.

Thanks. Maybe some more information will shed some light.  Have you tried adding an entry via Google Calendar website, say from desktop? If that is not affected, then the problem is most likely related to the timezone conflict i.e., default timezone of google calendar vs timezone of mobile. However, if an entry via Google Calendar website is also affected then it is best to report the issue to Google support.

The calendar and the device are configured with the same timezone.

This sure sounds like a bug. Do report it: Slide in the panel from the left side of the screen, tap "Help & feedback", then tap "Feedback".

This has happened to me on my Samsung Note 4 just recently under similar circumstances. I don't cross timezone and it had nothing to do with a time change because none happened. I'm also using Lollipop 5.0.1 so it doesn't appear to be an OS issue.
Mine was in the Google Calendar, not the phone's default one also. It did seem that it shifted after I synchronized the calendars with Google. It only happened to the event I had sat as reoccurring on an 'every other' setting.
I'm guessing it may be a bug in the synchronization system trying to figure the days when having sat them with a 'every other whatever' type setting.
I fixed this error by editing the event (selecting ALL events) then moving it back to the correct Saturday and editing the occurrence to 'every second Saturday of the month' as it was and it seemed to correct all of them when synchronized.

I don't know if this can explain the events shifting multiple days, but here is information directly from Google Calendar Support

Time zones can be complicated, and sometimes this complexity can affect your Calendar events. Here are some of the details about how time zone changes throughout the world can affect you, and what you can do to resolve common issues.
Why time zones are not that simple
Here are some reasons why timezone changes can be quite complicated:

Every year, a lot of countries switch between Standard Time (ST) and Daylight Saving Time (DST), and, unfortunately, they don’t do it at the same time. For example, in 2011, Europe switched back from DST to ST on Oct 30, while the continental U.S. switched on Nov 6. This means that the standard 5 hours difference between New York and London was 4 hours between Oct 30 and Nov 6.
Every year, several countries decide to change their time zones or DST rules entirely. Recent examples include Russia, Chile, Belarus, and Egypt. Moscow used to be UTC+3 in the winter and UTC+4 during the summer, but when Russia decided to stay away from DST as of November 2011, Moscow became UTC+4 all year round.

To minimize potential disruptions of these changes, Google Calendar relies on UTC time (Coordinated Universal Time, previously known as Greenwich Mean Time or GMT) -- a single “true” time -- to help avoid conflicts in all locations.
Whenever you create an event, Calendar converts it from your time zone to UTC time, using currently known conversion rules. By using one universal time for all events, Calendar can keep all of your guests’ calendars consistent regardless of which time zones they're in. When we display the event on your calendar, it is converted from UTC to appear in your own time zone.
Let’s look once more into the Russian example. If you in March 2011 created an event for Nov 2011 at 17:00 MSK, then according to rules we knew in March, we would store it as 14:00 UTC. After the switch happened in Russia, Google Calendar takes the new rule and converts this event to 18:00 MSK. Luckily, all participants and rooms that you booked are still available for this meeting.

One way you can test if it is in fact a timezone issue is to add "all day events" if those also shift, then there is something else happening. All day events are based on just the date, so they do not rely on timezones at all.

Thank you Ryan. In fact, the events in question are all-day events.

And you are using the Google Calendar, not the Samsung Calendar that comes installed on Touchwiz? If you are using the calendar that comes installed on your device (the touchwiz one) there might be a bug in their calendar that is messing up the timezone for all-day-events.

It looks like you are correct: this is the Samsung Calendar, not the Google Calendar that you link to. However this does not seem to be a timezone issue as the events are shifted by many days, sometimes even weeks.


text:
Install Ginger Yoshi 1.4 on HTC Magic 32a, which radio do I need?
My HTC Magic 32a is actually running CyanogenMod 6.1 and I'd like to switch to latest GingerYoshi 1.4 with GingerBread.
I have SPL 1.33.2010
radio 3.22.20.17
The reason I want to change is because with my sim card, cmmod seems to have problems while everything was fine when I was running Original 1.5+Sense (with radio 6.35).
Now the question, in this xda thread about installing GingerYoshi 1.4, they say:

if you are on 32a new radio then download the ginger yoshi 32a new radio just flash 32a new radio

What do they mean by "new radio", can I just flash back to 1.5+Sense+6.35 with RUU and then directly flash GingerYoshi over new 6.35 radio (I believe the phone would work somewhat better with a newer radio, specially regarding problems with my sim)?
Thanks

I know normally the radio is irrelevant to the rest of the ROM, but I also know the Magic is strange ... hopefully someone knowledgable comes by.

As someone who used to own a Magic 32b (until it was stolen) I remember the pain of all the subtle hardware differences and subtle oddities in those models...

I now have GingerYoshi 1.5 running on my HTC Magic 32a, so I'll answer my own question and explain how it went.
As for the radio 6.35, answer is YES, you can use it with the GingerYoshi for 32a new radio.
Here is how I swithed from 2.2.1 CM6.1 radio 3.22 to 2.3.5 GingerYoshi 1.5 radio 6.35
1) I reverted my HTC magic back to the stock rom 1.5 + sense, this to simply revert to the new 6.35 radio.
I did the update by connecting the phone to usb and running the RUU
RUU_Sapphire_HTC_Europe_3.05.401.1_test_signed_NoDriver.exe
2) Then I had to reinstall a recovery, as we have radio 6.35 we need a Hero recovery, that is amonRa 1.6.2 for hero (the 1.7.0 wont work with magic)
3) I flashed 1.76.2007 SPL
At this point only thing left is to flash GingerYoshi.
From recovery, do a full wipe.
(I didn't care about having an ext partition, so I left my sdcard untouched)
4) Flashing "ginger yoshi 1.5 new radio 32a.zip" from recovery
following install procedure, answering the questions in order:
- no ext
- zeam launcher
- no swap on ext
- big density
REBOOT:
new HTC logo with hiding bugdroid
Enjoy GingerYoshi 1.5 and Android 2.3.5, so far everything seems to be working fine, and no more troubles with my simcard. Quadrant now gives 387 instead of 299 with CM6.1 :-)

In the first post on that thread, on the line right below where they tell you to flash the new radio, there is a link to the bug tracker, follow that and there's a list of "General Questions". The "32a" section of those questions is:

32a
Q: Can I use the new 6.35 radio?
  A: NO!! it says so in the ROM's OP,
  you should be using the old 3.22 radio, and the 1.33.2009 or 1.33.2010
  SPL.
Q: What kernel should I use?
  A: this one...

So it looks like that's the radio kernel that you need to use?
Also at the bottom of that first post it has this line:

ginger yoshi download folder all roms inside as well as kernels and
  add on http://www.mediafire.com/?cabub1g3y37gj

You'll notice that folder has a file in it called "Ginger yoshi 1.4 new radio 32a.zip "

The problem is that in the download folder, there are two versions of Ginger yoshi, one named "Ginger yoshi 1.4 fix 32a/b.zip" and one named "Ginger yoshi 1.4 new radio 32a.zip" my guess would be that the former is for 3.22 radios, and the later for 'new radio', but this is confusing, what do they mean by 'new radio' if this is not 6.35?

Does it go into the descriptions of the files elsewhere in that thread? I know it's a long thread but as those files date from August, you can skip forward that far ta least.


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Cannot synchronize contacts on Huawei Honor 8
I just acquired the new Huawei Honor 8 from China (international version), but I have a few issues with the contacts. When I synchronize the contacts from my Microsoft account, I only retrieve 16 contacts in my list (whereas I have 300+ contacts). I checked the parameters, they are not hidden, it just managed to synchronize only 16 contacts.
I decided to migrate my Microsoft account contacts to my Google account, so I can try to synchronize the Google contacts on my phone. Once I managed to do it on the Google website from my computer, I found a bad surprise in the contact app : there is no option to synchronize Google contacts. HiCloud, Outlook, Facebook messenger, Linkedin, Skype and WeChat are the only options here. Have I missed something ? Do I need an extra app to do this ?
I'm wondering if this issue could be related to the Chinese ROM shipped on my phone, would you recommend to install a new ROM ?
Edit : I have installed "Google sync contacts" by directly downloading the APK. Now i can see the Google account in the list of the synchronized accounts in the contact app. But, after having double checked that the synchronization is activated for this account and a reboot, still 0 contact from Google in the list.

On your device there is any Google relevant application? My guess is you have to install on your phone Google services like Google Play, Framework and so.

I have the Play Store, Youtube and Gmail so I think the Google services & framework are OK. I have also installed an extra apk, see my edit

Then check your Google account sync settings in Settings -> Accounts -> Google, make sure Contacts are selected.

It is selected, this was what I meant by saying "having double checked that the synchronization is activated"

I'm also on Chinese version (FRD-AL00).
I have exactly the same problem with contacts. Did you manage to have it working?
Alex

Yes, strangely you have to initiate the synchronization from the Outlook app.  Go to Parameters > select your account > toggle the contacts synchronization.

Hi, looks like you've found the solution by yourself, which is great! Consider posting it as a proper answer since self-answering is not only allowed but even encouraged. Thanks!

You have to go on the app list look for Google sync contactstrust the app and give the app access to contacts, after a restart you will have access to your google contacts.

I had the same issue with my Honor Note 8 Chinese version (EDI-AL10). I tried a few things, including installing Google Contacts Sync, Services, and Framework. Nothing fixed the issue until I noticed that Google Contacts Sync didn't have system permission to access contacts, once I enabled that and restarted all my contacts showed up.

Struggled for ages with this (Huawei P9) - in the end it was donlaoding and installing the right version of google contacts sync apk that worked;
http://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/google-contacts-sync/google-contacts-sync-6-0-1-release/google-contacts-sync-6-0-1-android-apk-download/


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My LG LEON battery dead?
I was charging my LG LEON and it suddenly turned off with a 0 percentage of battery, then when i tried connecting it to the charger it didn't wanna charge. I tried with five different chargers and plugs but it still doesn't wanna charge.  My company is T-Mobile, i called and they told me to take the battery out for 10-15 seconds and to put it on again to see what happens, but it did not work. What should i do?

What does your screen display when you plug the charger in.

it does not display anything.. but when take the charger off and i try to turn it on it says 0 percentage of battery.

There are 2 things that could be at fault here.

The battery as been damaged or has simply reached the end of its usable life. You can bringing it to a professional to be replaced if it is internal or buy a replacement and put it in youeslef if it is removable.
More probable based on your description, the battery charger inside the phone has broken. Inside (almost) all electronics, there is a separate chip to control the charging cycle. This chip can break just like any other piece of your phone, which makes the phone unable to charge the battery and, depending on the internals, unable to report the correct battery percentage. Your battery may have been almost dead when it suddenly shut off. I had a Dell laptop reach its final day like this, so it isn't as ludicrous as you'd imagine. If this is the case, the phone is beyond reasonable repair and will have to be replaced.

If the battery is easily replaceable, do that first. If that doesn't help, your phone is done.


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I it necessary to SIM unlock my Samsung Galaxy S2 to use a custom ROM?
I want to upgrade my Galaxy S II to Android 2.3.5, and my provider only has 2.3.3. So I have to use a ROM from samfirmware.com. Do I have to SIM unlock my phone before installing one of these ROMs? Do I have to root it?

The Galaxy S2 has an unlocked bootloader, which means you can install any rom on it, rooting is not mandatory, some roms have root privileges, some don't.

Also, it's not necessary to SIM unlock. This is separate from the bootloader being unlocked.


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How to test suspected hardware on Android
I have a problem with my HTC Sensation that I think is either due to problems with the electronics that interfaces to the battery or a memory problem. Basically the phone turns off spontaneously by itself every now and then. Very often - as far as I can see - when the CPU is running 100% (and hence there are a big battery drain)... Turning on the phone again can easily take 2-3 turns before it is running stable (until next time). It seems to be starting first time though if connected to power...
If this occurred on a Windows PC, I would first download a hardware test/diagnostics application and see whether this could find anything...
...but for all the usual security reasons, the Android platform is way more closed than the PC/Windows platform and I suspect that it is not so easy to install a diagnostics app to test the hardware.
So... how do you go about this then? Short of using a full-blown hardware analyser, which I don't have access to :-)
[Note that I have rooted my device and don't mind flashing a new ROM if needed...]

Are you running some app/widget that you recently installed (cpu 100%) is a dead give-away  to some process that is hogging it up? Try uninstalling that recently installed app and see how it fares. Another question, are you using stock ROM?

There's something else that's is hinting at me... you say "Turning on the phone again can easily take 2-3 turns before it is running stable (until next time). It seems to be starting first time though if connected to power..." That looks suspiciously like either an over-clocked kernel that is running a bit too high or there is a bug in the kernel.. just saying :)

@t0mm13b I'm using http://www.virtuousrom.com/p/inquisition.html - and they state "Stock kernel, not overclocked". So my guess still is a hardware problem in the battery interface. Though, I would love to be proved wrong!

Best to take it back to the carrier's shop to get it checked out or get someone who's an electronic whiz to open it up and check it out for you... If it comes down to that diagnosis and having to return to the carrier's shop, you may have to revert to Stock ROM so not to raise their suspicion and their refusal to test it because it has a rom other than stock on it :) More than likely you suspect right about the battery interface somewhere... :)

Just something caught my eye on the linky to virtuousrom's inquisition site.. the picture of the handset with the logo, states 'OC up to 1.5Ghz' which implies either the description is wrong or there is indeed overclocking in there somewhere?! Unable to confirm :)

StabilityTest is a stress-testing tool for android devices with error
  reporting.

Tried StabilityTest today for 30 minutes... No problems...


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2 GB RAM or 3 GB RAM, does it really matter?
I am thinking to buy the new Xiaomi Redmi 3S phones that got recently launched in India. This is going to be my first Android phone. Now the phone comes with two variants, Redmi 3S with 2 GB RAM and Redmi 3 S prime with 3 GB RAM, both with Qualcomm® Snapdragon 430
64-bit, octa-core processor and other specifications are identical except the prime version comes with a finger print sensor.
I am a light user, that is, I am not going to play games or watching movies or will use lots of apps. I want the phone for general day-to-day use.
Does it really matter to have 3 GB RAM over 2 GB RAM, giving my using conditions? Will it be OK with 2 GB provided I am a light user? Does it really matter to have more RAM? Is it going to give problems with newer versions of Android?

@AndyYan yes I want to use it for 2-3 years, so what are the issues here for long term use?

Check my separate answer.

Simply because the following facts: You'll start using more apps which may consume more memory, Trends show that new devices are launched with RAM above 3 gigs now; thus your device may stand a bit low among others.

I have a Samsung Galaxy Alpha, it has 2GB RAM. Majority of the time it's perfect without any lags, but once in a while I'm using the google maps turn by turn navigation and listening to spotify at the same time, it slightly becomes laggy, but it'll be OK after some time. Though with the current trends of Apps I don't think after 2 years my phone is will be still the same. Every app update makes it use more resources.

@FaridNouriNeshat The fact that it becomes a bit laggy in that condition doesn't imply that you don't have enough RAM. RAM is not the only parameter at play. Did you check that in that particular situation your device is actually using all the RAM? The lags could be due to other issues.

@Bakuriu It could be for something else, but my RAM is nearly full at those times when normally there's like 300MB left.

Key aspect here light user who

Doesn't play games
Doesn't watch movies
Doesn't use many apps
Uses only for day to day to use

If the usage pattern continues to be same for next few years. answer is no, it doesn't make a difference
While the other answer has pointed out valid instances of certain apps occupying more RAM as as time rolls, IMO it is not very pertinent given that you are not multi tasking , But if you are using RAM hoggers like Facebook which nearly takes up 0.5 GB of RAM, it may result in sluggish performance if another hungry app is opened up
How much RAM does a phone need? gives an interesting take on current trend of high RAM phones and also mentions that Google’s official minimum spec for a 64-bit phone (that’s pretty much every phone these days) is 832 MB RAM, so, you are left with one GB of RAM for apps, even if Android  OS is updated to 64 bit) and you retain your 2 GB RAM device - pretty much future proof !
Edit: Your chosen device OS is 32 bit and occupies 512 MB of RAM and if it is 64 bit  it would require 832 MB of RAM , ( as per table it is dependent on screen size and pixel density- large in your case and pixel density  is less than 300 dpi ). This size is only for the OS , radio (modem) is extra, which is not much anyway. Source : Page 56 of android Compatibility Definition
Bottom line, for your use, it shouldn't matter, since EMUI 7.0 occupies  0.5 GB and you are still left with 1.5 GB, which is plenty. Even if EMUI is upgraded, I doubt it would make a substantial difference

Sure hope his "light" is light enough. I'm conceived as a "light" user by people around me but I use many RAM hog apps that people use, just sparingly and shutting them when not needed.

Also, emphasis on "Google": their vision does not cover so far as MIUI goes, sadly. Even when not in use, MIUI takes up a huge chunk RAM too, sometimes leaving ~1.3GB on a 4GB RAM device.

true- answer is by his usage specifically

@undo : first part of 832 MB is in the linked article; second part is to explain that if OP sticks with 2 GB device, he still has 1 GB (actually 1.3 GB) left, which is enough and that was what i was emphasising- thanks

@undo- you are right and since I couldn't locate the Google source for that, to err on the safer side, I took it as only OS- good point :)

@undo- found the document and linked it- it is only OS.  thanks for prodding me to search more

Could you elaborate on since the pixel density is 300 dpi? It looks like a complete non sequitur to me... sure more pixels means that applications will probably have to need more ram to draw on the screen and the same is true for the kernel, but I don't think there is any easy way to compare how much RAM usage changes based on the dpi on the OS, since this will also depend on what the user is doing etc.

@Bakuriu: I am not sure what the relation is (food for another question) but the linked document mentions it as based on dpi  and screen size.  Not sure how it accounts for usage, say gaming Vs reading a PDF document

Not now, but if you plan to use it for >1 year then you need to give it a bit more consideration.
Historically, Android OS updates does not increase RAM usage by much, as far as my observation goes. As of now free RAM at boot time stands at 1~1.3GB for a 720p device with 2GB RAM, lightweight ROM and no Google Apps.
The problem is with third-party apps. As their functions grow they tend to use much more RAM than at the time of release. For example, WeChat typically takes 100~200MB right now. Even if you use few, they will increase usage over time and eat up what remains little by little.
Rewind to 2013: Moto G was a really decent midranger at that time, and 1GB is just enough back then, but multitasking proves to be a burden for it now, with only <500MB remaining at boot and each app taking their share. With no more than 10 third-party apps the auto-killing mechanism will kick in, eliminating background apps, giving a bad experience.
Add MIUI (notorious RAM hog) to the mix, and you have my opinion.

Ok with a higher RAM my phone will do it fine after 2-3 years of use right?

2 years I reckon yes, 3 years - not so much, Snapdragon 430 and MIUI (whatever version it'll be at) will be the bottleneck by then, unless you only use the phone for light tasks like browsing and music. Battery will also be quite worn out.

So I guess I need a change of phone in every 2 years from now on. :p Thanks for your answer.

Or just invest in a more high-end phone (OnePlus 3 seems to be a wise choice right now) so that it lasts a bit longer. Whatever you choose, don't expect smartphones to last as long as feature phones :)

Ya I know smartphones don't last long like feature phones.


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How do I prevent notifications from certain app from being dismissed?
So, going on the opposite side of the majority of people: there are apps whose notifications I don't want to be able do dismiss.
For example, I use Samsung Health and Daylio to keep track of my sleeping habits and my moods and activities, and they both give me notifications for when to go open the app to record something.
Because of muscle memory, what happens is, I open the notification bar and click the Clear All on immediately, resulting in me forgetting to open it later to make that record.
Reminder apps are simply not working with me.
Is there any way I can configure notifications for being undismissable? I wanted them to clear only if I clicked them, or if I did the thing it was expecting me to do.
Device Information:

Model# SM-G950FD (Galaxy S8 flat)
Android 7.0

This app claims to store notifications so that you can read them later . Another app I use is in this answer. Your ask of preventing dismissal would  need root as you are attempting to change system behaviour (if such a solution exists)

If the notifications you get can be guessed by you even after accidental deletion, you can think of automation that prompts you that you had a notification from xyz app and that notification stays till you physically clear it. In addition that Notification from automation app can be clicked to to launch xyz app. If you want to check wait the notification was (in case you can't guess) you can see from one of the apps mentioned above. Lot of work but then it can't be helped

Possible dupe: Create a persistent notification out of a non-persistent one.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


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Failed to verify whole-file signature while rooting on Moto 2G XT1064
First question on here. I've seen others with this verification problem but I couldn't find an answer for the Moto 2G XT1064 specifically. I've gone through all the prior steps, unlocking the bootloader, setting USB debugging to true, installed Moto 2G drivers and android drivers, and so forth. (However, the "OEM unlock" developer option doesn't exist on my Marshmallow 6.0).
Anyways, whenever I try to flash/install SuperSu.zip, I keep getting this error:
verifying update package...
E:failed to verify whole-file signature
E:signature verification failed
installation aborted.

It doesn't matter which SuperSu version I flash, 2.68 or 2.65. It still gets that error. I don't know how to get past the verification failure. Anyone have any clue? Thank you!
EDIT: I use titan-24.11.10-BR-boot.img

What's your current recovery? Post pics of your bootloader and recovery.

Try to get a custom recovery and try to flash it again...

Your on Marshmallow, you need to do some extra steps...
First, install TWRP 3.0 or higher, or be able to boot it one time, and you need to have SuperSU 2.76 or 2.78 (even #'s are stable versions) on the device.
Start TWRP, go to Advanced - Terminal and enter
echo SYSTEMLESS=true>>/data/.supersu and press ENTER
Then exit and go back to home and Install SuperSU normally.

Sorry, Android noob. I installed the boot image, but how exactly do I "start" TWRP? Load recovery mode on my Moto 2G, or run a command prompt on my computer?

@CreativiTimothy Insulting me won't help you root your phone. The answer is you put the current TWRP img file on your PC in the fastboot directory, to start TWRP you can enter fastboot boot twrp.img or you can flash it with fastboot flash recovery twrp.img and then start it from the bootloader. (replace "twrp.img" with the name of your actual twrp image file)

????? I said I was an Android noob, not you. That's why I asked noobish questions like how to start TWRP. Okay, I see. Let me try that

@CreativiTimothy Sorry, I took your comment incorrectly and misunderstood your intent.

Okay, I installed the TWRP. How do I go to Advanced - Terminal? Is that on the computer CMD or on the Moto 2G?

@CreativiTimothy You start TWRP... if you flashed it, power off and enter the bootloader, then start recovery, this should start TWRP. In TWRP, press the Advanced button, then press the Terminal button. Once the terminal is open enter the command EXACTLY as shown in my answer. Then exit the terminal and press the Home button. Press Install and select the SuperSU zip file and flash it, you should notice a message about a systemless install occuring, once it completes reboot and enjoy your rooted device.

There isn't an advanced button. There is "Reboot system now" "Reboot to bootloader" and a couple other options, but not advanced. I'm not sure what you're referring to

Let us continue this discussion in chat.

@CreativiTimothy Did you get it working? I posted in chat but you didn't respond... If you're not in a chat room SA doesn't notify of you new messages unless you turn on Desktop Notifications in the chat room.

Sorry, late reply. I just replied to the chatroom


text:
How to automatically lock the screen or something when the Wi-fi disconnects?
I think this would be useful if you're entering data into a form, but you don't want to accidentally press "submit" when there's no Internet, causing you to have to re-enter everything.
Also, it would be nice for macros. Say you have a macro doing something on an app that requires Internet. When the Internet fails, the macro goes haywire by clicking on random stuff it's not supposed to click. It would be best to lock the screen in that case.
I have Android 4.4.2. I do not have cellular data on this phone.

Tasker / MacroDroid should be able to do this.

Define wifi cut off. Wifi enabled but not connected or Wifi disabled?

I assume you really meant "checking if the device is connected to the internet" since there's also a possibility to use mobile data when the WiFi fails, or the device is still connected to the WiFi but not connected to the internet.

@ReddyLutonadio Yes I mean when Internet cuts off in general, but the phone has no data, so just Wi-Fi disconnected

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know if there's any comparable method similar to this but for Android (i.e., examining browser header/POST data)?  It would also resolve the OP's problem, while also circumventing potentially annoying scenarios, e.g., experiencing intermittent connection loss while trying to use their phone.

On a separate note, would enabling this setting help mitigate OP's issue?  Or the "Keep Mobile data turned on" setting also found in developer options?

Using Macrodroid:

From the drawer, select variable and create a global variable of type boolean. Set it to false and save.
Create a macro. On the Triggers tab, on the Connectivity section, select Wifi Enable.
On the Actions tab, on the Conditions/Loops section, select Repeat actions, then "While condition repeat". On the Condition, go to the Connectivity section, select Wifi State, then Wifi is connected to, finally select Any network.
On the Actions tab, on the Macrodroid specific section, select "Wait Before Next Action", set a time (I set it at 1mn).
On the Actions tab, on the Connectivity section, select Connectivity check. Enter a website that the macro will keep checking if there is an internet connection to it or not. Set the timeout. Click the + and add a variable.
On the Actions tab, on the Conditions/Loops section, select "If clause", under Macrodroid specific, select Macrodroid variable and choose the variable created on the previous section. Set its value to False.
On the Actions tab, on the Screen section, select "Screen On/Off", choose Screen Off.
On the Constraints tab, under the Screen and Speaker section, select "Screen On/Off", choose Screen On.
Give the macro a name and save it.

The macro will look like the image below. Click the up and down arrows on the Actions section, to be able to move the actions up or down.
Click the 3-dot on the top right and select Test Macro.

Explanation: When the macro starts, it checks if Wifi enabled and the device is connected to any network. It waits for a certain time before checking if there is a connection to the website enter in step 5. If after the set timeout in step 5 there is no connection, the screen will be switched off.
The delay in step 4 also serves as a fail-safe mechanism when you switch the screen on again to allow for example to disable the macro.
Note: To see the Conditions/Loops section under the Actions tab, the macro must be saved. Then when opened for an edit, the section will be visible.

This is awesome! I haven't gotten it to run yet because I can't find the "conditions/loops" section. There doesn't seem to be one. I tried looking for similar words but no luck. Trying to find it. Is it on the full version only maybe?

@CreativiTimothy Save the macro, then edit it. The Conditions/Loops section will appear under the Actions tab

Nevermind, I found it. You have to save the macro first, and then you can add conditionals to it, or maybe I just suck at using the interface. Testing now and got it worked. You're a life savior!

I was thinking of a suggestion. If we add the 1 min delay outside of the while/do loop, would it be better since it will be checking WiFi connected as fast as possible? I think the 1 min delay would act as a fail-safe mechanism when your Internet turns back on and off super fast.

I have not tested it with the delay outside the loop. But I did without the delay and it was too fast for my liking that is why I introduced a delay. Test your suggestion about the delay outside the loop. Also try increasing/decreasing the timeout of the website.


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Ffmpeg on non-rooted Android?
I've set several places where I can get a ffmpeg binary for Android, but I cannot seem to run it. I use the . command to run shell scripts, but not ffmpeg. Is there any way at all I can run ffmpeg without rooting my device? (chmod-ing it is not allowed.)
I've downloaded a binary before, and attempted to run it, but I was unable to do so because it was not marked as executable. I was not allowed to chmod it and received the following error: Unable to chmod file: operation not permitted.

You should edit your question and describe more details about what you have tried (commands, directories, binaries) and the problems you were facing.

Use adb to move the binary into /data/local/tmp and set appropriate permissions on that file using adb and then attempt to run binary.

I received error: permission denied.


text:
Cannot install ffmpeg with Termux
Why do I get a   404  Not Found [IP: 104.18.36.234 80] after attempting to install ffmpeg?
 # apt-install ffmpeg
    Reading package lists...
    Building dependency tree...
    Reading state information...
    The following additional packages will be installed:
      libbz2 libopus libx264 xvidcore
    The following NEW packages will be installed:
      ffmpeg libbz2 libopus libx264 xvidcore
    0 upgraded, 5 newly installed, 0 to remove and 2 not upgraded.
    Need to get 5595 kB/6094 kB of archives.
    After this operation, 19.3 MB of additional disk space will be used.
    Do you want to continue? [Y/n] Err:1 http://termux.net stable/main arm ffmpeg arm 3.1.3-1
      404  Not Found [IP: 104.18.36.234 80]

The ip can be reached with ping and with a browser (link)
It is written Direct IP access not allowed is displayed on the page but that is normal since only apt from Termux may be allowed.

Termux requires frequent update: apt update


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Cannot root HTC One
I am following this tutorial to root my HTC One M7:
I fill the form htcdev.com as described to get the file Unlock_code.bin sent by mail.
However, when entering in FASTBOOT mode
# fastboot flash unlocktoken Unlock_code.bin

I have a positive output on my terminal (see below) but nothing happens on my phone: I am still in the boot menu:

whereas I should get a screen with a message "Unlock bootloader?" directly after entering the command:

Where am I wrong and how to access this menu?
Terminal output
# fastboot flash unlocktoken Unlock_code.bin
target reported max download size of 1514139648 bytes
sending ‘unlocktoken’ (0 KB)…
OKAY [ 0.141s]
writing ‘unlocktoken’…
(bootloader) unlock token check successfully
OKAY [ 0.004s]
finished. total time: 0.145s

Fastboot Version
# fastboot getvar all
(bootloader) version: 0.5
(bootloader) version-bootloader: 1.61.0000
(bootloader) version-baseband: 4T.35.3218.16
(bootloader) version-cpld: None
(bootloader) version-microp: None
(bootloader) version-main: ##########
(bootloader) version-misc: PVT SHIP S-ON
(bootloader) serialno: ############
(bootloader) imei: #############
(bootloader) meid: 00000000000000
(bootloader) product: m7_ul
(bootloader) platform: HBOOT-8064
(bootloader) modelid: #########
(bootloader) cidnum: #########
(bootloader) battery-status: good
(bootloader) battery-voltage: 4254mV
(bootloader) partition-layout: Generic
(bootloader) security: on
(bootloader) build-mode: SHIP
(bootloader) boot-mode: FASTBOOT
(bootloader) commitno-bootloader: ##########
(bootloader) hbootpreupdate: 11
(bootloader) gencheckpt: 0
all: Done!
finished. total time: 0.041s

This menu appears when you hit enter, I have no idea why nothing is happening to you.... Dumb question: Do you have the unlock token within the Fastboot folder?

Thank you for your help! No, the unlock token is in ~/Downloads and I am using fastboot installed with apt-get install fastboot on Linux. I should definelty try Windows.


text:
Which precise commands allow me to send a mail locally with Termux
Which precise commands allows me to send a mail locally
I would be able to do it with mutt but how do I start a SMTP server?


text:
Screen issue on Asus Transformer Prime TF201?
Sometimes when using the Asus Transformer Prime TF201, I see some artifacts or static occuring along the left side of the screen as pictured below. It kind of looks like a white barcode. It is running the latest version of Android 4.0.3 the "Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime TF201 Firmware: V9.4.2.28" this tablet has not been unlocked, yet...

Asus Transformer Prime TF201 screen distortion (click image to enlarge)
Happens most often when viewing web pages in Chrome, etc. It does not happen all the time. Any ideas what might be causing this? Software, hardware, anyone else ever seen anything like this?
Is this a hardware aka warranty issue?

I've seen  this on occasion on mine.  It seems to be a software issue, triggered by certain usage patterns.   This post on XDA-developers has some info on how you may be able to trigger it.   That community seems to be hoping that the 4.1 Jelly Bean update will include a cure.

Have not been able to reproduce the effect since posting the question, even after following the steps noted.

This does kind of lean towards the side that its just a software issue, Phew!!!


text:
WiFi Tethering not working when using security
I have a rooted Galaxy SII (not branded, from Germany) running CyanogenMod 10.
I can't connect to my tethering network when I'm using security (WPA / WPA2-PSK). With an open network, it works just fine, but obviously, that's not what I'd prefer.
Can anyone give me a hint on how to fix this?

Might I ask why this was edited? The greetings I can understand, but why did you remove two tags?

I'm not the one that do the edit but device tags should only be used for device-specific issues. As for rooting tag, your question is not specifically about rooting.

It seems tethering on SGS2 on CM10 is currently broken, according to Entropy512 on xda developer:

CM10 supports tethering, however WPA/WPA2 tethering was broken on devices with bcmdhd wifi until I fixed it earlier this week. Some devices may not have the fix enabled yet (It has to be enabled on a per-device basis, since the "fix" will break devices that don't need it.)

So, is this going to be fixed in the next version? Or what does he mean by "fixing it"?

no idea, you'll have to ask Entropy512 for that


text:
Remove bloatware on Galaxy S2 - what are my options?
My phone is a Samsung Galaxy S2 flashed with stock ROM - ICS v4.0.3, carrier is Virgin Mobile (model #GT-I9100M). There is some bloatware installed by Samsung, which causes minor problems, such as

being listed in the apps list, so it takes more time to find the app I need
asking for updates every now and then.

I've read on the internet - there are several ways to solve the problem with bloatware, but I am not sure which one addresses both of my concerns. All of them require rooting - so I booted into recovery mode and tried to proceed according to this article: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1501719. I got the error "failed to mount /sdcard", googling for it resulted in some vague answers. I believe this is showstopper - so I cannot do anything about bloatware without rooting - please correct me if I am wrong.
Supposing I managed to root the phone somehow, there are couple options:

remove bloatware (many apps on the market can do it, even for free).
freeze bloatware (something I can do, for example, using Titanium Backup).

What's freezing? Does it remove the app from everywhere, like it never existed? How stable is it, i.e. can any action cause them to accidently unfreeze? What are the risks associated with going along each path? Will I be able to upgrade my ROM, when the new version comes out (ICS 4.0.4 and then Jelly Bean - 4.1.1)?
Do I need to backup my phone and what are best ways to do it? Just so I can restore if something happens, without paying for the fancy features I don't need. There are a lot of backup solutions out there, my main concern is reliability and, for some of them, it suffered in the latest versions and people started complaining in the reviews.

A backup never is a bad idea, so right after you get root access, you should:

Do a full NANDroid backup (which creates images of your partitions, so you always can revert to this state by simply restoring them)
Use Titanium Backup to make a full backup of all your apps and their settings (so you can re-install a selection when needed)

Freezing does not remove anything, and it is fully revertible. I always recommend to first freeze a single app, then check for potential side-effects, and only remove it if there were none. Titanium Backup even offers to create a homescreen shortcut to freeze/unfreeze an app (like a toggle: If frozen, the app gets unfrozen and vice-versa), which is nice for apps you rarely use but which always annoy you (for me, this is Google Maps, which I need maybe 2-3 times a year but is running permanently in background -- so I freeze it when not needed, and simply unfreeze it when I need it).
Basically, freezing an app simply hides it away from all activities. I'm not sure how that works technically, but I compare it with the "execution flag" of a Unix/Linux binary: If not set, the binary does not get executed. So no background services or any other activities from this app, though it is still installed.
In short: Freezing is the safe variant, as it easily can be undone. It also doesn't touch the apps data. Removing an app is final: without a backup available, it's simply gone, including its data.

Additional ressources you might want to look up for this topic:

Unistall a system app without root?
How can I uninstall applications that are locked by phone vendor?
How to Remove / Disable the Bloatware Apps in the HTC One X
Bye-bye, bloatware: Disable system apps in Android Ice Cream Sandwich

Thanks, Izzy - you seem to be the only one hanging in here on android.stackexchange. I managed to remove all Samsung apps in question without rooting, so hopefully they will no longer bother me with updates. Some garbage apps needed "uninstall updates", for Disable button to appear, and some cannot be disabled at all, although I don't believe they are critical. Still, a good workaround - 100% safe and covered with warranty.

Glad I could help! And I'm not the only one around here, just happened to be the first :D


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Nandroid backup of Emulator instance?
Is it possible to use Nandroid to backup an AVD instance?

should be, but why not just use the built in snapshot system?

An AVD instance can be backed up, found in hidden directory called .android/avd..

Because I would extract the system.img of the Nandroid backup and use it to create other AVD instances based on that backup.
If I use the snapshot function I am not sure I can create new virtual devices with different HW and the same system image.

I've been looking into the .android/avd/ folder, but I didn't actually find any system.img file. Am I missing something?

The system images system.img are located in the android SDK install directory under system-images/android-<platform-version>/<platform-type>.
Once you create the AVD, in the %USERPROFILE%/.android/avd/<AVD_NAME>.avd you will find the img files for /sdcard/ and /data/, but /system and such are loaded from the SDK path mentioned above.
In order to create an AVD you must install the system images from the SDK manager.

Ok, thanks for this clarification.
Anyway I still don't get how I could for example install one application in the emulator, save its current state (the system state, i.e. the system.img file, I guess) and use it to create a new AVD.
With the system.img I could just put it in one of the android-sdk/platforms/android-XX/images folders, and create a new AVD with that platform to have an exact system replication...

you would basically copy the sdcard.img and userdata.img between the instances of the AVD.

Ok, I got where I was wrong. I was trying to backup the system.img file with Nandroid, while I actually needed the userdata-qemu.img file and I can easily grab it in the AVD folder. Thanks for your help.


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Are there any issues if buying a Samsung Galaxy S3 without memory?
If I buy a phone without memory or minimal memory, can I change to a memory card that I buy somewhere else? I was thinking of a class 10 32gb or 64gb.
Are there any concerns with doing it this way?

Are you talking about removable storage (microSDXC)? It's not required, and it's expandable up to 64GB.
Without removable storage, you will be using the built-in storage which can be either 16GB or 32GB.
Source

I was thinking of the internal storage then. Should I be buying a phone with a Class 10 storage and when I reach the extent of 16GB or 32Gb, then invest in an external 64Gb? I am upgrading from my $50 nokia so the leap is huge.

On this page at the bottom is some customization before buying. The memory dropdown appears to be internal memory then. http://www.techrific.com.au/product_info.php?products_id=3694

Thank you for the help. I understand things now. The selection I am talking about must be external.


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Which ffmpeg command allow me to record sound?
ffmpeg can be installed through termux by installing the package mpv:
$ apt-get install mpv

Now, on linux, I record sound with the command
 ffmpeg -f alsa -ac 2 -i plughw:0,0 recording.mp3

This commnand does not work on android for me. What would be the right -f flag argument?
What is the ffmpeg command to record sound from the terminal on android?


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Unable to run fastboot commands: < waiting for device >
I want to unlock my Nexus 5. I cannot run any fastboot command however: the device is not detected. What I did:

Press VolumeDown+rightButton until arriving to this screen

Plug the phone
Run the following commands

though I appear to be in fastboot mode
# apt-get install fastboot
# fastboot oem unlock
< waiting for device >

Nothing is disaplaye after the last line.
PS: I am using Ubuntu 16.04

If that's your device in the screenshot (rather than an image taken from elsewhere) then it looks like it's already unlocked. That could explain why it doesn't show anything.

@bmdixon It should, no matter it is unlocked or locked. otherwise how do you do if you want to relock it?

This is 6 months late, but adding sudo to the fastboot cammands solved the problem for me

You probably don't have USB drivers installed. Download them and install, everything should work now.

Download them from here
Download Galaxy Nexus drivers here

Power on the device
Go to Settings > Developers Options > USB Debugging then enable it.
Connect the device to the computer, drivers should be installed
Open a terminal and check if the phone is detected: adb devices (Windows)
You should get some hex numbers as output
Then reboot to the bootloader: adb reboot-bootloader
Then check if the device is detected in Fastboot: fastboot devices
Finally proceed with the Unlocking process: fastboot oem unlock or fastboot flash unlock if the previous doesn't work.

PS: Seems like you use a Linux system, I'm not familiar with Linux. You should use Linux commands.

You write "You probably don't have USB drivers installed" <--  I have an OPPO A9(maybe same as OPPO A5) phone, I think it can't get to a boot loader.. I understand that maybe fastboot commands require that one is in the bootloader.  I can do adb devices, so I think my USB  related adb drivers are fine.

Did you try booting into the bootloader with ADB?

It's an OOPPO A9 2020..  When I do adb reboot bootloader it just restarts the phone into the system, it doesn't go to the bootloader.  If I do power-voldown, and start it then it  still doesn't go to the bootloader, it goes to a recovery called ColorOS

Well, if I'm not wrong, you need to Volume up + Power to enter bootloader mode. Did you try it already?

Oh and there should be a parameter that you need to enable, located in the Developpers Options settings: Check if OEM Unlocking is present and enabled.

@es oh that OEM unlocking option is done... that is required for adb devices to work, so that adb devices doesn't show "unauthorized device".  I did that. adb devices is fine. So that's not it.  it's fastboot commands that won't work. And adb reboot bootloader that isn't working.

Nope, OEM Unlock is for the bootloader unlocking. To unable ADB you just need to enable USB Debugging. I'm afraid your device might not have been shipped with the ability to access the bootloader, many chinese devices are built that way

thanks, I see from .. https://support.honeywellaidc.com/s/article/How-to-fix-adb-devices-shows-unauthorized-device     the unauthorized is because you need to pick  "Revoke USB debugging authorizations".  I suppose  that gets rid of the "unauthorized" message from adb devices .  Still anyhow, yeah chinese device, can't access bootloader!


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How to calculate/verify SHA-256-Digest from META-INF/*.SF file?
I'm trying to manually verify an APK file in the way Android would do when such file is installed in some old system (<7). I have one problem I can't really solve.
They say the following:

As you can see, the signature file contains digest entries for the
  archive's files that look similar to the digest-value entries in the
  manifest. However, while the digest values in the manifest are
  computed from the files themselves, the digest values in the signature
  file are computed from the corresponding entries in the manifest.

So in this case, we have an example entry from the META-INF/MANIFEST.MF file, which is the following one:
Name: FingerprintProtocol.proto
SHA-256-Digest: WQ9R/MGV5m9Dye4Jtl3MiLRmX2RPoEPeinb3me7wnAU=

Now we take the corresponding entry from the META-INF/*.SF file, which looks like this:
Name: FingerprintProtocol.proto
SHA-256-Digest: fWL5eppUj0x6UVdPqHusFkpDbXpq7P0sqchfublqEnA=

The question is: How was fWL5eppUj0x6UVdPqHusFkpDbXpq7P0sqchfublqEnA calculated?

You are trying to verify the APK using the old and outdated JAR signature (aka APK signature scheme v1). This type of signature is outdated for Android as there are some attack scenarios in which a file exists multiple times inside the APK/ZIP file.
Therefore when verifying a APK files you should better rely on the APK signature scheme v2/v3 if present in the APK file.
The current verification process is documented here: APK signature verification process
The Android SDK comes with a tool called apksigner.jar (can also be used as library in own Java programs) that allows to to verify an APK files using the most recent available method.
For more details on apksigner and how to use it see this answer:
https://android.stackexchange.com/a/218161/2241

It looks like the section includes some white spaces and not only the text. The whole code that should be hashed is the following:


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Why does blocking of incomming connections via AFWall cut off the network connection?
There are couple of Android firewall apps in the wild, for instance AFWall. It manages iptables rules. Usually for client devices, admins set the default policy for the INPUT chain to block, but when I set that policy for the chain, the network connection breaks. What's the cause of such behavior? Shouldn't it just block incoming connection from the network to the phone? Is it secure to leave the accept policy for the INPUT chain, and hence to allow any device in the network to connect to the device unconditionally?

Blocking everything in INPUT chain? It doesn't make sense. At least allow connections with --state ESTABLISHED,RELATED to get reply back for outgoing connections.

Even if you only transmit data in outgoing direction using TCP, the TCP protocol requires to send status messages in both directions e.g. to acknowledge received packages or request packages that have been lost on in transmission. Therefore if you block all incoming traffic you also destroy the functionality of TCP. You could then ony use unreliable UDP protocol for sending data.

@IrfanLatif I didn't say to block everything, I said to set the default policy of the INPUT chain to block. You have rules, at least they should be added via AFWall, to allow apps to receive connections including the ESTABLISHED ones. So only the phone was able to initiate connections. But try to set the INPUT policy to block, and you won't be able to even send a ping to remote server from your phone, which is really weird,

And are you sure that the default rules created by Android framework are not blocking your connections: https://android.googlesource.com/platform/system/netd/+/refs/tags/android-11.0.0_r1/server/Controllers.cpp

@IrfanLatif, I don't know, that's why I'm asking. In AFWall, I allowed some example app to be able to connect to the WiFi -- this works well. In the AFWall settings, there's an option to set the default chains policy. When I set the default policy of INPUT to DROP, the example app is unable to connect to the internet. When I checked the rules in iptables, I can clearly see some packets are hitting the default INPUT chain policy (ACCEPT), and I wanted to prevent that. Every linux client I use has this policy set to DROP in INPUT (for security) and they work well.

I think I found it. Basically there's no filtering rules set in the INPUT. There's only bw_INPUT and fw_INPUT custom chains. The first one is for bandwidth control (limit LTE), and fw_INPUT is empty. No other rules in the INPUT. So when I set the default INPUT policy to DROP, it  blocks any connection. So it looks like the ESTABLISHED rule should be added. It's weird it's not there by default. What worries me even more, Android devices has no FW at all...

Being behind a NAT or CGNAT gateway is in itself a protection, though not of a firewall grade. Mobile phones aren't very likely to be accessible from internet: https://android.stackexchange.com/a/205807/218526, but on a local WiFi network they are exposed to local hosts.

I know, but it should not allow any incoming connection to the device.


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Galaxy S5 charging slowly despite 'AC' and 2A charger
I have replaced the battery in my Galaxy S5 with a genuine Samsung (or at least, a very, very good fake!). It's now becoming quite noticeable how slow it charges - when plugged into a Nexus 7 2A charger (I have lost the Samsung original), using a USB ammeter, I can see it drawing around 0.5-0.7A. The ammeter does not seem to interfere, as I also have a mains power meter that shows less than 5 watts being drawn from the wall without the ammeter. My understanding is that the data pins in a charger USB socket are bridged to indicate the phone can draw more current, and the phone recognises it's connected to 'AC' in the battery screen, but it doesn't seem to be pulling the maximum available from the charger. I've tried a combination of different USB cables and some other USB power supplies without much difference in charge rates. I do have a good collection of apps installed, but my understanding is that if an app was draining the battery almost as fast as it was charging, the phone would still pull more power from the mains.
Is there anything else I can check, or am I just going to have to lump it? The phone is running stock Android 6.0 with all current Samsung updates.
Possibly related, but I also have the Qi wireless charger kit with the S View cover. Although the pad also demands a 2A charger, I've only seen the pad draw 0.8A from the adapter, and I know some power is lost in the pad, so I'd be surprised if half that was reaching the phone. I know Qi is slower and less efficient than plugging in directly, but this does seem excessive.

Your understanding and measurements are logical and I can't say why your battery should charge slower compared to the earlier one
One thing you may try is to backup your device and flash latest stock ROM or custom ROM which has a kernel that permits higher rate of charging
If that's a lot of work, change the USB cable to a thicker one. See my answer here for details
(I am not affiliated with the product but a happy user. I keep buying those when on discount and gift to friends. All have uniformly attested to better charging rate)
Edit : It could be a faulty USB port too. You could try getting that replaced

Qi charging is known to be inefficient and depends even on how you place your device on pad. Not having used it, can't say from experience. I don't think it is related to your main problem and it is better asked as a separate question

USB port could be the culprit as well. Added that to answer


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Lollipop - Google Play Services is murdering my battery when roaming
I'm on vacation in America, and ever since I got here, my Samsung Galaxy S5 running stock Lollipop (no updates pending) has been burning through its battery at about 1% per minute (with the screen off). The phone gets crazy-hot to the touch (chassis, not battery) and the culprit is Google Play Services according to the Battery screen.
I've looked up some advice articles that recommend disabling GPS (I switched Locations off completely), uninstalling recent apps (done, and then some) and uninstalling updates to Play Services itself (which I can't do on my Samsung device, all the buttons are greyed out).
The phone was working okay when I left the UK. When I landed and switched flight mode off, the device was utterly unusable for 5 minutes straight. I ended up disabling background data sync to get some kind of stability. However, it still gets to the point that the keyboard lags some seconds behind my taps, and swipe is totally unusable.
I'm struggling to work out exactly what's causing this, because switching off features only seems to buy me a short reprieve. I've never seen battery life this bad back home, but equally, I've never seen a phone annihilate its battery like this while roaming. What else can I try?
(I should mention that my plan from the UK allows me to use my data allowance when roaming, so this is not costing me any money)
Edit: upon returning to the UK, my battery life appears to have returned to normal. Something about being out of the country was causing the CPU to go crazy.


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Barcode Scanner not working correctly on Galaxy S II
I got my Samsung GS II just recently and I was wondering if the problem I'm experiencing comes from my phone or is a common problem among GS II users.
Once I turn on the Barcode Scanner I'm able to scan QR codes correctly, but when I try to scan a barcode, it rarely works.
If I try to focus the bardcode for a couple of minutes it will work sometimes and scan the code. The camera seems to struggle to scan the barcode, from the looks of it.
Everything else on the phone is working fine so far so I doubt at first that it's an harware problem.
Does anyone know how to overcome this?
EDIT:
Barcode Scanner seems to be able to scan some barcodes if I can scan the code for about 30 seconds or more. This should be done almost instantly when the camera gets a clear vision of the barcode but it seems to take the phone quite some time to lock it down.
Any ideas people?

What app are you using to scan barcodes, have you tried using a different one? I find Google Goggles picks them up in seconds without any fuss.

I'm using Barcode Scanner and I also tested with Google Goggles. It works once the photo of the code is taken. But on my previous smartphone I could easily use Barcode scanner to scan barcodes without any hassle or need of another software.

After spending the whole week searching for this issue and testing different settings and tricks recommended by users from other forums, I have finally found the culprits.
It seems that the least mark of your fingertips on the lens of your phone's camera will make it less sensitive to QR codes and Barcodes in general.
That and also not having AutoFocus On.
Things I did that helped:

Clean the camera lens with a soft cloth to remove fingerprints or other marks
Turn on AutoFocus On your camera, if it's not On
Try setting camera Action to Macro, this seemed to make it recognize codes faster.

I hope these tips can help others as it helped me.
Edit:
Also check this Forum for more tips on this matter.

@Al Everett, you're welcome. I've edited my post with a link to one of the forums where I found the tips.


text:
My Optimus X2 was missing its custom android
While I was waiting for my new LJ Optimus X2 (P999) mobile I watched a couple of youtube reviews and it always came with extra features to android. But my phone is pretty much vanila android. Is it because of my carrier? Videotron in Quebec.
Features I am missing: From what I could see in videos there was a different keyboard more like the one from Ios. Also some features like taping the side of the phone to move the cursor around. Holding a icon and tilting the phone left and right to move it around. Pretty sure it had extra features everywhere. Also a lot more options in settings then vanilla android.

What features are you missing?

@Onik updated my question!

As far as I know (not from US/CA) the P999 is a T-Mobile G2X device with vanilla Android, whereas P990 is LG Optimus 2x. The specs are mostly similar but there are certain differences, such as the OS customization. Maybe a custom ROM will bring the functionality to the G2X as well.

I learned of the P999 while getting my phone. The reviews I was checking where all talking about the Optimus X2 wich is 100% what I have.

Looking at the website you posted I have a LG phone. Not T-Mobile.

Ok, then I'd suggest either flashing a stock ROM (some info here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1127849) or taking the phone to a repair shop to get flashed under warranty if you'd prefer not to do it yourself.I can't really help with flashing since I've never dealt with LG phones.

Oh well just got home and looked around on the net. My provider sells this phone as a LG Optimus X2. But looking in the about my phone info I see LG-P999. So I guess I do have a P999.


text:
Organizing bookmarks between Desktop and Android
I am  trying to manage my bookmarks both on my desktop and on my Android smartphone. My needs are as follows:

I should be able to retrieve my bookmarks wherever I am, for instance on a PC I do not own
there should be an Android client (obviously)
there should be an easy way to add a bookmark from Firefox, for instance a bookmarklet

Do you have any suggestions on how to do this?

Andrea, please note that questions like Can you suggest an app that does X? are off topic on our site (see our [FAQ] for details).

Sorry, I did not know. Feel free to close the question, if that does not match your policies - I assumed it would be a rather standard question and did not check the policy beforehand

I would have recommended Xmarks, but it's not yet available for Firefox mobile. Wait for it. :)

@Andrea the name of our site may invite such questions (same for development issues which are also off topic) -- but "Android Enthusiasts but not developers and is-there-an-app and marketing and..." would be too long a name :) So we give friendly hints if one happens to place an OT question the first time. For ignorants who continue posting OT, we have other words reserved ;) In your case, it was just a friendly hint. Trick is to phrase it in a way we cannot complain: "How can I manage bookmars in a way compatible with Firefox..." would do it in your case (<- hint! ;)

@Izzy Thank you, I have edited the question. I hope it is more suitable now :-)

Fine with me now (maybe rephrase the title as well?). I meanwhile compiled an answer for you. Though it's not a bookmark manager in the classical way, this way you could manage bookmarks and notes, and even more. Hope you like it.

Though it's in no way a classical bookmark manager, you could combine a few things:
WikiMind note is an editor with Wiki-Syntax support. So you can embed links and even structures easily (pictures as well)1. It stores all the data files on your SDCard, so they are easily accessible with other tools.

This fact (files on SDCard) you can put to use with FolderSync. As the screenshot2 shows, FolderSync supports a lot of cloud services: Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, Ubuntu One... It can also sync with local resources at home (e.g. Samba/Windows shares), or any FTP server, just to name a few examples. This way you can easily use your notes on multiple devices.
For usage on your desktop computer, there would be WikiMind desktop and (even better) ZimWiki.
Further readings: S. W. Black: Writing tools for phone (Android) and desktop (Windows)

It is a little convoluted, but it may be a nice way to do this!

Admitted, not the "clean and easy" way. But as a side-effect you can do many other things with it: edit your documents (not just bookmarks), sync your other files (not just the wiki ones, but also e.g. photos, music files)... you get the idea. And I personally like things flexible. Already installed this combination to my tablet -- just did not yet find the time to play with it...

Firefox can do this without any add-ons. It's called Firefox Sync and all you need is Firefox on your PC and Firefox on your smartphone, then follow these steps to set it up:

Introduction
How do I set up Firefox Sync?
How do I add a device to Firefox Sync?

You can put your bookmarks in the Unsorted Bookmarks folder if you don't want to see them in your bookmarks toolbar. You can use tags there, too.

The problem is that I do not want to use the browser bookmarks. I put a lot of sutff in the browser bookmarks that I do not want to manage, and a lot of stuff in the managed bookmarks that I do not want to clutter my bookmarks menu. Moreover, I would not be able to use this feature when working on someone else's computer. I am looking for something like a cloud service. It should not be anything fancy, all I need is a simpel crud application with tagging, and an Android client.

Also, this would need me to use Firefox on Android, which is not the case (I mainly use Boat Browser)

@Andrea The clutter problem sounds like it could be easily solved with folders. And I use Firefox Portable to use my browser, settings and bookmarks on other computers, which works well.

Thank you for the suggestion, but using portable apps is out of the way. I may as well have a text file with the urls and put that one on a pendrive, if I happen to have one with me, which most of the time is not the case. Also, using portable apps becomes complicated when you have to switch operating systems (I use Linux, but many of my friends run Windows or Mac)


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Adding (and exporting) tags to pictures
I am trying to find a way to organize picture metadata in my Android phone. By default, it adds location and time data, so that the photos are easily searchable on the phone. I can also tag people and the software recognizes faces and suggests people name.
Unfortunately, it seems that both people name and location data are not available when I donwload the photos on my computer. The metadata should be written in the photos in EXIF, IPTC and/or XMP format, so that other tools on my computer will recognize them.
Also, I can only tag people when the software recognizes that there is a face, and many photos of people are not correctly recognize as such.
Is there some way I can tag and organize pictures, storing the metadata correctly in the photos themselves?

I read in the FAQ. "Basically, what problem (with your Android device) are you trying to solve?" Well, I am trying to solve the problem of tagging photos and exporting metadata. I am not asking for a recommendation in the sense that there are many options available and I am looking for the best one. I am asking how to perform a specific task, possibly with the use of existing apps

I have removed the explicit request for an application. Really, it is not about recommendations. It is about a specific task to be completed on Android. If that requires installing some third party application, so be it

OK, that's a possibility (I've removed my close-vote ;) Still, SR might be the better place asking for an app. I'm not aware of any built-in feature that could be used here – but there are some apps dealing with EXIF tags, though I'm not sure how far they cover your needs. // For now: Shall we delete above comments for a cleanup?

Is there some application that can help me tag and organize pictures,
  storing the metadata correctly in the photos themselves?

I do not know any android app that can do this.
But maybe you can help implementing this feature
Unfortunately the android internal media database/media scanner does not support "tags" for photos
so an android app has to implement the tag scanning/management on its own.
I also donot know a ready to use android java library that can write jpg iptc-tag infos.
currently i am thinking about adding tag-support to https://github.com/k3b/AndroFotoFinder/
using a pc generated csv file to transfer tags
For details see https://github.com/k3b/AndroFotoFinder/issues/25
[Update 2016-11-09]
Implementation is under way using a seperate xmp - sidecar file for every jpg to store the iptc-tags.
There is much work ahead for this hobby project.
On the pc side you have to use an exiftools based batchfile to transfer between non-android-standard-jpg-fields and xmp-sidecarfile/csv
[Update 2016-11-09]
Implementation is done :-) with tag write support in jpg-exif or external xmp file


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Update Galaxy Tab's Android by internet
Can I update my Galaxy Tab's Android version by internet?
EDIT:
When googling, I found some solutions for updating Android on Galaxy Tab, using connection to PC and special programs. But I know, that HTC devices ("Desire", for example) can update its Android by internet connection (Wi-Fi or 3G). The matter is, I can't find such option on my Tab.
Current Android version is 2.2

You need to be way more specific.  What version of Android do you have now?  Are you trying to download an update?  From your PC or on your phone?  Over WiFi or the cell data network?  Are you trying to update a device remotely?

@Matthew, see my edit, please.

Great, much better.  I don't have a Tab but lots of Android phones have a way to check for updates in Settings -> About phone, have you looked there?  It might not work because that's normally for OTA updates and I'm assuming the carriers aren't pushing out updates for tablets.

There is no any "Update" option in About menu :(

I think that Samsung started using OTA updates on Gingerbread, i.e. since 2.3, so you'd have to update to this either via Kies or Odin before you can update the firmware without a PC. After that, the availability depends on your carrier if the firmware is branded or Samsung if it's a nonbranded version.


text:
Does Skype video work on a Samsung Galaxy 10.1?
Can Skype be used for video calling on a Samsung Galaxy 10.1?
I have been googling, but the results are not clear, for example, the official Skype Blog says that Skype 2.1 supports the Samsung Galaxy Tab, but it is not clear if this means that it works with both the 7" and 10.1" versions.
Update: as of early 2012, Skype does work on most Android tablets.

Possible duplicate: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/1331/what-is-the-deal-with-skype-on-android

@al-everet that question is less specific, and still doesn't have the answer.

There is an answer there with a list of the current devices that can run Skype. Rather than pepper the site with dozens of questions like "Does Skype run on (Device X)" we'd prefer to have a canonical question like "What devices does Skype run on".

@Al-Everett Are you referring to the answer that I posted? If so, please note that it is the same information linked to in my answer above, and it does not answer the question because "Samsung Galaxy Tab" is on the list, without reference to model.

You seem to have a lot invested in proving me "wrong". I posted the link because the two questions cover similar ground and I wanted to see if anyone agreed. Obviously I'm not entirely convince they are duplicates because, as a Moderator, if I thought that I just would have closed the question. I suggested it might be a duplicate; you've offered your reasons for why you think it isn't. Leave it at that.

The official Skype app currently does not support video on NVIDIA Tegra 2 chipsets, according to their FAQ:

* This specifically does not include some tablets that use the Tegra 2 chipset (e.g. Android tablets and Motorola Atrix do not support video calling).

From what I read on various forums, a test version that does work on Honeycomb tablets sporting Tegra 2 has been seen floating around in Youtube videos, so it should be coming to official channels shortly.

is it possible to obtain one of the test versions? Any ideas on how long 'shortly' is?

I haven't seen one yet, but chances are it will appear on XDA first.

You have go into the settings then enable video calling.

Confirmed, Skype video calling works on Tab 10.1 after this.


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Cyanogen: add homescreen shortcut to Notifications
I'm using Cyanogen 7 on an HTC Wildfire.
I find swiping the top of the screen to get into Notifications a bit hit and miss, and too tiring : )
Is there some way to get a notifications shortcut onto the homescreen (or the menu for the homescreen).
For example, the Sense ROM had a shortcut to notifications in the homescreen menu, and that was pretty handy.

If you're using the default version of ADW Launcher that comes with CyanogenMod 7 then you can add a shortcut to your homescreen fairly easily. Long press on an empty space on one of your home screens and then select Launcher Actions->Open/close notifications to add the shortcut.
On older versions of ADW you can also do this, but you have to use a "custom shortcut" instead. Specifically, you long press on an empty space and then select Custom shortcut. Then on the dialog that appears you press the Pick your activity button and select Launcher Actions->Open/close notifications.
I'm not aware of any way to make it appear in the homescreen menu, unfortunately. It's one of the only features I miss from Sense.


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Is there any reason not lock the CPU frequency to the minimum while the screen is off?
To save battery, I have created a "screen off" profile with SetCPU that locks the CPU frequency to the minimum while the screen is turned off. Could this have any negative side effects on apps that run in the background?

There will only be problems if you rely on background services to do processor intensive tasks.  For example, on an older Android phone, music running in the background would skip when the CPU was set at a low enough clock rate.
So to answer your question, only if it's noticeable to you.

See also: http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/777/why-does-my-phone-peg-the-cpu-every-time-i-wake-it-up