The future of Flash - Microsoft Surface

I know there is a lot of gripe about the White list of what websites are allowed to use flash. I don't have a lot of knowledge on the topic so I wanted to fish around a bit for some information and pose some questions.
-Is it always going to be like this? Is it likely that they will release someway for users to control their own flash preferences?
-Is it likely that a 3rd party will release something that will allow a setting like this?
- [Edit] If more support for Flash is to be forthcoming, what would one expect the timeline to be? How long would it take? [I know this will mostly be speculation ]
- [EDIT] if firefox or chrome were developed for it, would they have to run off of the whitelist as well?
-As someone who hasn't touched windows 8 full, does the full OS have a similar flash limitation?
Also if this is the wrong place for this I am terribly sorry and will move the thread where ever it goes.

adashofrainbow said:
I know there is a lot of gripe about the White list of what websites are allowed to use flash. I don't have a lot of knowledge on the topic so I wanted to fish around a bit for some information and pose some questions.
-Is it always going to be like this? Is it likely that they will release someway for users to control their own flash preferences?
-Is it likely that a 3rd party will release something that will allow a setting like this?
-As someone who hasn't touched windows 8 full, does the full OS have a similar flash limitation?
Also if this is the wrong place for this I am terribly sorry and will move the thread where ever it goes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello
I don't think it will always be like this. I think someone may create a tool that automatically adds websites or simplify the process for us. Or we may even have a list that the community creates and we could possibly set our browser to auto download the list via options or script or 3rd party software. That being said, I do not think full windows will have the same flash limitation..at least not in desktop mode, because they can install whatever windows app they choose. It's an awesome device nonetheless.

equisbox said:
Hello
I don't think it will always be like this. I think someone may create a tool that automatically adds websites or simplify the process for us. Or we may even have a list that the community creates and we could possibly set our browser to auto download the list via options or script or 3rd party software. That being said, I do not think full windows will have the same flash limitation..at least not in desktop mode, because they can install whatever windows app they choose. It's an awesome device nonetheless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no doubt that I am enjoying my new toy. However I really enjoy certain facebook games, like Marvel Avenger's and Draw something, but unfortunately the flash support of Facebook doesn't extend to these. I got this to replace my laptop, it's unfortunate that I can't play these on the go any more. I suppose a time line for flash support would be another question I have.

laptop replacement...I think the surface pro is probably a better option for laptop replacement than the RT. Unless of course you only do light amount of things on your laptop, and do not care about not being able to install 'regular' windows applications such as Photoshop. Even then you could remote desktop into your PC and use those applications, Some people have reported very good results using remote desktop on the surface, but I have yet to try it or myself. Don't get me wrong though, the surface RT is a very powerful device and a lot better then android and ipad as far as productivity IMO. We are just little behind on the number of applications, and even then you could argue that most android and apple apps are useless. Nonetheless, the do have us beat by the numbers. We get a real high quality app right out the box - Office.
I was at a crossroads before I purchased my Surface. I love androids and I couldn't decide between RT or android tablet. I played with the Surface and I feel in love, Whereas the android tablet would have been just like having a bigger phone. There's not much I could do in an Android tablet that I couldn't do on my Samsung Galaxy S3.
I also though I wanted the Surface PRO at first, but upon further research, I came to the conclusion that RT was the right choice. I wanted a Tablet that can do light PC related tasks, not a full mini laptop - I have a DELL XPS 15 and multiple desktops for any 'serious' work I may need to do. The pro will probably get HOT and windy and noisy due to the fans as well. I think a lot of people who purchase the pro may end up returning it and getting a RT because I do not think the PRO will functions completely like a tablet. I may be wrong but I guess only time will tell.
I love this thing.

To answer some questions:
Win8 (x86/x64) includes the whitelist in its iecompatdata.xml file, but doesn't "respect" it (i.e. all Flash sites work).
While an official tool to control Flash usage is quite possible, don't hold your breath. A few unofficial tools already exist, but tend to be a bit limited and/or cumbersome to use (I'm working on an improved one myself).
A Windows Store app, even if it could get approved, probably wouldn't work for most people; the relevant file is outside the app sandbox, so the user would have to manually grant permission to access it.
For Facebook games (or other places where an external video is embedded manually), try adding the domain of the Flash file itself (usually found in an OBJECT tag, with an extension like ".flv"). For example, if the Flash file comes from "http://flash.facebook-games.com/IMaedAGaem/flashgame.flv", you should try adding "facebook-games.com" to the whitelist. You can try using my old scripts (working on updates for them) for this, although I can't promise they'll work in that case (haven't ever tried). The link is in my signature.

GoodDayToDie said:
To answer some questions:
Win8 (x86/x64) includes the whitelist in its iecompatdata.xml file, but doesn't "respect" it (i.e. all Flash sites work).
While an official tool to control Flash usage is quite possible, don't hold your breath. A few unofficial tools already exist, but tend to be a bit limited and/or cumbersome to use (I'm working on an improved one myself).
A Windows Store app, even if it could get approved, probably wouldn't work for most people; the relevant file is outside the app sandbox, so the user would have to manually grant permission to access it.
For Facebook games (or other places where an external video is embedded manually), try adding the domain of the Flash file itself (usually found in an OBJECT tag, with an extension like ".flv"). For example, if the Flash file comes from "http://flash.facebook-games.com/IMaedAGaem/flashgame.flv", you should try adding "facebook-games.com" to the whitelist. You can try using my old scripts (working on updates for them) for this, although I can't promise they'll work in that case (haven't ever tried). The link is in my signature.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So what's the real hope? That more websites get whitelisted?

adashofrainbow said:
So what's the real hope? That more websites get whitelisted?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That, or that Microsoft discontinue the whitelist

you do understand that you can easily add to the whitelist yourself right?

mmian said:
you do understand that you can easily add to the whitelist yourself right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, but it would be nice to not have to. And I'm not always 100% successful

Related

Marketplace "copy protection" cracked

I will not do anything with this, or publish how. But you can be assured the "warez" guys from that one site will figure this out within a day or so as well...
As most of you will know I am a software developer by trade, with some commercial offerings from my company.
And then there was Marketplace. For commercial devs, something nice to have. But if you have followed the news, the piracy protection for commercial developers is not much to speak of. See this document http://download.microsoft.com/downl...tplace for Mobile Anti-Piracy White Paper.pdf.
I will refrain from quoting the obvious mistakes in this document, if you give this thing a read, you will notice them soon enough. What it all comes down to is that there is no copy protection, not even at the advanced level, at least if they implement it in the way I interpret from reading that document.
So today I started up Marketplace and it worked. Hurrah. The current level of protection is making sure the CAB files are deleted upon install - which is obviously not a way to protect anything - but even this, I thought, should easily be circumventable.
Now, because I wanted to see how fast it could be done, I went with a hunch instead of doing any investigation. And that hunch worked like charm. It took me less than five minutes to circumvent this "protection", and get the ability to save the CABs the MarketPlace app downloads to a different folder. As the CAB file is the same for every downloader, you could just give this CAB you payed for out to all your friends.
Obviously I will not disclose the method, because that would be working against other commercial developers, and ultimately myself. It's just to let you know how ridiculously easy it is, and to give fair warning to those looking to sell apps on the Marketplace.
So, the moral of the story is... WTF MICROSOFT?
I know firsthand there is no such thing as perfect copy protection, but this is just plain ridiculous.
What we really need is for apps to be able to use our own copy protection schemes... you know, like the good web-based app stores out there.
EDIT: l3v5y has also succeeded in doing something similar, and it seems the WMPowerUser admin also found another easy way to do it... Yay, and it ain't even out yet!
Not even 12 hours after launch...that's pretty quick
Oh noes.... that's not good!
Imagine Microsoft reads this and decides to offset tomorrow's Marketplace launch...
Or even worse, Microsoft launches the Marketplace but developers decide not to submit their apps because they're concerned that their apps get pirated.
Thats what happens when devices aren't locked down.
That sounds bad, but it's really no different to how things are today. Perhaps there are some apps that have more security than either nothing or a serial key, but none that I use have anything more sophisticated.
Even as a developer myself, I'd easily take this over some DRMfest.
So, if I'm reading this correctly, when you buy something from marketplace it's not tied into your username with a password like most apps? Instead, you just buy it and it installs the app, but doesn't give you a cab? Yeah, I don't think it's that hard to work around that and get a cab for yourself. Some of the cheaper apps at Handango are like that. Can you re-download an app onto a new device or if you have to hard reset, and is it free or do you need to buy download protection like form Handango?
Good, copy protection pisses me off, all it does is piss of the genuine users. We have to deal with codes and activation to be legit, while people getting it free, just click here and there, copy a code here and huzah.
Copy protection doesnt work, someone will always find a way around it. Unless its linked to a windows live profile/xbox live profile. Which I can see probably happening when they bring out Zune on mobile phones, which sounds like it might be sooner rather than later!
I did something like this earlier... MS haven't quite got security done yet, though my guess is the iPhone is no better...
I'm really surprised by the lack of any drm; what's the point of signing in w/ one's Windows Live account? The easiest thing to do is to associate valid applications w/ one's Window's Live account. That's what itunes does for music at least (I don't know about apps as I don't have an iphone/ipod touch). Of course, what would happen is that an internet connection of some form is needed when the application is first installed, which could become inconvenient.
The truth of the matter is that the percentage or ratio of people who would bother to do this is pretty small. Most WinMo usersbarely even know how to setup e-mail not to mention install a cab file.
Most of the people in this forum already know how and where to get cracked apps or warez if they wanted too. I don't see this so called "flaw" as being an issue to MS or developers.
Must admit that I find it a bit worrying that your not able to make a backup of the applications you buy by taking a copy of the cab file somewhere safe.
After having sent back 4 HTC phones (two different models) in the last 10 months, and having an SD die on me I'd really like to know that I have a backup of anything I've paid for.
Can anyone confirm if its possible to reinstall something you've paid for through the Marketplace app if it gets removed from your phone, or you get another phone? ie if you log into Marketplace with the same Lice ID does it show apps that you've bought but which aren't on the phone your connected with?
If I look at an app that I have installed through Marketplace there is no install button anymore and Marketplace tells me that it is installed... so no obvious way to get the application back...
Not enough free apps on the UK store for me to mess about with really (have installed Shazam trial but don't want to risk uninstaling it just to see what happens).
-FM
fatmonk said:
Must admit that I find it a bit worrying that your not able to make a backup of the applications you buy by taking a copy of the cab file somewhere safe.
After having sent back 4 HTC phones (two different models) in the last 10 months, and having an SD die on me I'd really like to know that I have a backup of anything I've paid for.
Can anyone confirm if its possible to reinstall something you've paid for through the Marketplace app if it gets removed from your phone, or you get another phone? ie if you log into Marketplace with the same Lice ID does it show apps that you've bought but which aren't on the phone your connected with?
If I look at an app that I have installed through Marketplace there is no install button anymore and Marketplace tells me that it is installed... so no obvious way to get the application back...
Not enough free apps on the UK store for me to mess about with really (have installed Shazam trial but don't want to risk uninstaling it just to see what happens).
-FM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
looks like it keeps track of all apps you purchased.
ow well, I guess it's a matter of time when there will be sites that point to all the cabs available on upload sites and stuff. Just like those sites exists for iphone/ipod (appulo.us for example)
I guess that's what happens when people see that there a lot of apps available on other country stores..
what do you think...
double post
thedicemaster said:
looks like it keeps track of all apps you purchased.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi dicemaster,
How did you try this? Uninstalling and reinstalling on the same phone or another phone? Or the same phone after a hard reboot / content erase?
I'm just interested to know from what state you can get back to your purchased applicationsand whether is purely your windows live id that connects you to your purchases or if there is some device specific stuff checked as well.
Cheers,
FM
Is there anything to stop Software Authors implementing (or continuing to use) their normal Serial number protection systems?
Looking at the Market Place, there are obviously some of the Big Names we all know and love, and I don't see why they would remove protection systems they have in place already, unless it was a MarketPlace requirement.
Personally, I can't say I'm at all impressed with the MarketPlace implementation - it heralds back to the early days of PocketPC. Maybe they're going for lowest common denominator hardware support, but frankly even the relatively poor Android marketplace on Hero is massively better. And the Appstore even more so. And I think Cydia tops most of them!
Let's hope that the MarketPlace at least drives prices down.
V
I am assuming it's more difficult then just going to \Windows\AppMgr\Install folder while the installer is running and copy the CAB file to another location. This is how I get the CAB files from PC only installers.
I personally use SKTracker a lot. I take a snapshot before, and then during the install and see what has changed. That generally tells me right where any install files/CABs are that I need to grab.
vijay555 said:
Is there anything to stop Software Authors implementing (or continuing to use) their normal Serial number protection systems?
Looking at the Market Place, there are obviously some of the Big Names we all know and love, and I don't see why they would remove protection systems they have in place already, unless it was a MarketPlace requirement.
Personally, I can't say I'm at all impressed with the MarketPlace implementation - it heralds back to the early days of PocketPC. Maybe they're going for lowest common denominator hardware support, but frankly even the relatively poor Android marketplace on Hero is massively better. And the Appstore even more so. And I think Cydia tops most of them!
Let's hope that the MarketPlace at least drives prices down.
V
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Microsoft does not support your own serial systems. There is no information you can compare runtime vs purchases either, so you can't roll your own. Well ok, you DO actually have device ID information you could use, but that way purchasers can only run the application on the phone they actually bought it on. It is not clear how 're-download' information will be transmitted. If that also transmits a device id, then it is possible to roll your own, though it would be pretty nasty.
zim2323 said:
I am assuming it's more difficult then just going to \Windows\AppMgr\Install folder while the installer is running and copy the CAB file to another location. This is how I get the CAB files from PC only installers.
I personally use SKTracker a lot. I take a snapshot before, and then during the install and see what has changed. That generally tells me right where any install files/CABs are that I need to grab.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you go to C:\Program Files\Microsoft ActiveSync on your PC, you'll probably find an archive of many things that you installed over active sync.
SK Tools is a good way to re-pack any installed programs into cabs. I would guess that it works with programs from Market Place.
good find bud..i sent it to engadget for ya
http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/08/dev-finds-windows-marketplace-drm-severely-lacking-easily-circu/

Saw Windows Phone 7 in person!

Hi guys, today I saw Nokia WP7 Lumia 800, before myself.
No doubt WP7 looked Beautiful. I mean Android is far better in definition of smartphone, for e.g. True multitasking, etc. but I never found Android OS beautiful.
I had Android in my hand (CM7 with complete ICS look, also ICS status bar), and my friend had WP7, and WP7 looked amazingly beautiful.
Personally I would love an OS which is beautiful, since I look at it (the OS), and I'm not a huge app user. Also I'm not a user who does not need apps running in background. Here are the apps that I use on Android (only these apps)----
1) App Lock - Prevent unauthorized access for any person to any of my apps (Very useful)
2) Calculus Tools
3) Handy Calc
4) Concise Offline Dictionary (Very useful)
5) Moon Reader (epub reader ebook reader) (Very Very useful)
6) MX Player (Very useful, plays any video format)
7) Opera Mini & Opera Mobile (Very useful, saves data cost)
8) USB Tunnel (Reverse Tether, very useful)
So, I want to ask, are these apps ( or there replacement apps )are available on WP7 market, or WP8 market???
I'm looking forward to buy WP8 in future. Please reply if you know these apps or replacement apps are available for WP7 orWP8?
Also, Windows is major PC OS, and I'll always have Windows ( Mac never ), and Windows PC has many software, so there is great possibility that WP8 will see many new apps in market, ( WP8 ports of the PC softwares ). Also looking for full integration with my PC. ( like iOS and MAC).
Posting in the wp7 section night help more as these are wp7 apps you're looking for and only they know
Anyway, depending on your handset i would wait for jellybean to see how it is before you think about switching. For me however I'll never switch. And btw you should try the real ics.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Thanks
shockem said:
Posting in the wp7 section night help more as these are wp7 apps you're looking for and only they know
Anyway, depending on your handset i would wait for jellybean to see how it is before you think about switching. For me however I'll never switch. And btw you should try the real ics.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for not putting heat on me. unlike some YouTube users who would have said something like,
' Are you crazy', or ' Goodbye forever' etc.
CM9 for my device has camera bug. So ICS is never for my phone.
Played with it previously. It's clean but it's so locked down I could never deal with it. It's even worse than iOS in terms of customization right now. For someone who just wants something straightfoward though it's a good device. I really think Nokia could have done a slightly better job on the hardware though.
That said, there are already multiple threads on this so this one may get locked.
I don't know man.
I like the fact that with android, once you get tired of a ROM, you can just find another one that looks nice or satisfies that craving for a "different" phone without spending a lot of money.
But if it floats your boat, make the switch
1) No. And unlikely to happen. You can lock the phone, but not individual apps.
2) Probably. A quick Marketplace search for 'calculus' returns a number of results.
3) As above.
4) As above.
5) As above.
6) Nope. There's new video features in WP8, but we don't know details yet.
7) Nope. IE10 on WP8 uses similar technology though.
8) I'm not sure what this does? I'm guessing it allows the phone to connect to the internet over a USB cable or Bluetooth? I which case, no. You're also unlikely to see this one appear.
So... basically 7 is no good to you and 8 will only work for you if you're willing to accept some compromises. More of your boxes might get ticked as time goes by; I'm not sure what the app development limits are regarding points 1, 6, 7 and 8.
satchef1 said:
1) No. And unlikely to happen. You can lock the phone, but not individual apps.
2) Probably. A quick Marketplace search for 'calculus' returns a number of results.
3) As above.
4) As above.
5) As above.
6) Nope. There's new video features in WP8, but we don't know details yet.
7) Nope. IE10 on WP8 uses similar technology though.
8) I'm not sure what this does? I'm guessing it allows the phone to connect to the internet over a USB cable or Bluetooth? I which case, no. You're also unlikely to see this one appear.
So... basically 7 is no good to you and 8 will only work for you if you're willing to accept some compromises. More of your boxes might get ticked as time goes by; I'm not sure what the app development limits are regarding points 1, 6, 7 and 8.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. Your reply was good, and to the point. Like it.
MissionImprobable said:
Played with it previously. It's clean but it's so locked down I could never deal with it. It's even worse than iOS in terms of customization right now. For someone who just wants something straightfoward though it's a good device. I really think Nokia could have done a slightly better job on the hardware though.
That said, there are already multiple threads on this so this one may get locked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, WP7 customization is very less at this moment. WP8 has reduced some limitations on OEMs and allowed customization on some places like Start Screen.
Waiting for WP8 review.
Android doesn't have true multi-tasking. And neither does WP7. At least till mango according to this article: http://www.pcworld.com/businesscent...e_7_day_21_mango_does_multitaskingmostly.html
The only true multitasking I've heard about on a mobile platform (Save for the full-fledged PC OSes) is QNX which runs on the Playbook. Also, Windows Mobile which ran on pocket PC has true multitasking.

[Q] Some Stupid Questions/Gripes About Android OS

I've used an Android tablet for about a year now, and although I've put in a lot of time to make it useful and controllable, it still has a lot of troubling mysteries. I have a few questions for developer types that hopefully will help shed some light on things:
1. Why don't applications feature a "Close" button? In both Windows and GNU/Linux with a GUI, you get a neat little "X" at the top right of the window. Usually, when you click this, the application terminates. Is that so much to ask for on Android? The means of closing apps on Android seem to be entirely up to the devs and there doesn't appear to be a standard way at all. Some of the apps I've used on Android don't have any way to close them whatsoever, with the exception of killing them from a task manager or the "Manage Apps" section of settings.
2. Why do many of these programs suddenly and mysteriously start running entirely on their own? It's terribly frustrating for me to kill an app and in a half an hour find it there on the task manager list again, running without my having asked for it to do so. Where is this controlled? If there is some sort of task scheduler making this happen, why can't I easily see a list of scheduled tasks and choose which ones to run or not to run?
3. For programs that *are* running in the background (the ones I *want* to have running), why is it that they usually don't have some sort of taskbar icon to indicate at a glance that they are still running?
4. Why can't I see everything that's loading when the tablet starts? I guess I'm asking to see a logcat screen instead of a splash screen. GNU/Linux distros don't usually hide everything from the end user, so why isn't it optional on an Android tablet? Even in custom ROMS all I get are neat looking splash screens, not a terminal interface on boot.
5. Why doesn't a decent firewall application yet exist for Android? All I seem to be able to find are really coarse ones like Droidwall, where it's an all or nothing proposition (allow/block). I'd like to be able to control protocols, ports, zones and individual IP addresses and ranges like a good firewall on Windows or GNU/Linux allows. I am constantly under suspicion that someone is doing something on my tablet without my even being aware of it.
6. Why are permissions for applications so difficult to control? Maybe I don't want some stupid game getting a look at my contacts list. I realize I can just uninstall the game, but so many apps seem to tap into stuff that they shouldn't be allowed to, I feel like some sort of permissions control should be a default standard thing in Android. Instead all there seems to be are a couple of apps on the market that may or may not work.
7. Do any of you developers feel dissatisfied about the state of Android, and does Google take your feedback seriously?
8. Are there any forks of the Android OS that don't rely on Google for anything? I'm not 100 percent sure about the difference between a GNU and an Apache license. How much of the OS is closed-source? Is it enough to prevent a true, fully open-sourced Android-based OS from being made?
Sorry if any of these questions sound stupid, but even though Android is supposed to be more open than iOS, it's still not open enough for my tastes. I actually feel safer using Windows than Android, and that's just not how it should be. Am I alone in this feeling?
Ok. I would honestly say you should have gone with a Windows tablet if you want all those... It's not a computer. It's a mobile device running a mobile os. It's not gonna be a full blown computer.
McMick said:
I've used an Android tablet for about a year now, and although I've put in a lot of time to make it useful and controllable, it still has a lot of troubling mysteries. I have a few questions for developer types that hopefully will help shed some light on things:
1. Why don't applications feature a "Close" button? In both Windows and GNU/Linux with a GUI, you get a neat little "X" at the top right of the window. Usually, when you click this, the application terminates. Is that so much to ask for on Android? The means of closing apps on Android seem to be entirely up to the devs and there doesn't appear to be a standard way at all. Some of the apps I've used on Android don't have any way to close them whatsoever, with the exception of killing them from a task manager or the "Manage Apps" section of settings.
2. Why do many of these programs suddenly and mysteriously start running entirely on their own? It's terribly frustrating for me to kill an app and in a half an hour find it there on the task manager list again, running without my having asked for it to do so. Where is this controlled? If there is some sort of task scheduler making this happen, why can't I easily see a list of scheduled tasks and choose which ones to run or not to run?
3. For programs that *are* running in the background (the ones I *want* to have running), why is it that they usually don't have some sort of taskbar icon to indicate at a glance that they are still running?
4. Why can't I see everything that's loading when the tablet starts? I guess I'm asking to see a logcat screen instead of a splash screen. GNU/Linux distros don't usually hide everything from the end user, so why isn't it optional on an Android tablet? Even in custom ROMS all I get are neat looking splash screens, not a terminal interface on boot.
5. Why doesn't a decent firewall application yet exist for Android? All I seem to be able to find are really coarse ones like Droidwall, where it's an all or nothing proposition (allow/block). I'd like to be able to control protocols, ports, zones and individual IP addresses and ranges like a good firewall on Windows or GNU/Linux allows. I am constantly under suspicion that someone is doing something on my tablet without my even being aware of it.
6. Why are permissions for applications so difficult to control? Maybe I don't want some stupid game getting a look at my contacts list. I realize I can just uninstall the game, but so many apps seem to tap into stuff that they shouldn't be allowed to, I feel like some sort of permissions control should be a default standard thing in Android. Instead all there seems to be are a couple of apps on the market that may or may not work.
7. Do any of you developers feel dissatisfied about the state of Android, and does Google take your feedback seriously?
8. Are there any forks of the Android OS that don't rely on Google for anything? I'm not 100 percent sure about the difference between a GNU and an Apache license. How much of the OS is closed-source? Is it enough to prevent a true, fully open-sourced Android-based OS from being made?
Sorry if any of these questions sound stupid, but even though Android is supposed to be more open than iOS, it's still not open enough for my tastes. I actually feel safer using Windows than Android, and that's just not how it should be. Am I alone in this feeling?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Well, its a mobile OS and it would be rather annoying to have a close button on every (even most) apps. No mobile OS has had a close button
2. That's an app problem, the developer either wanted the app to do that for some function, or they made some mistake in creating causing that to happen.
3. There would be too many apps, and I doubt people want extra notifications in the status bar just informing them what's running. For example, my friends Stratosphere has a status notif whenever WiFi is connected, and it annoys the crap out of me whenever I use it.
4. Probably, because people don't care... remember Android (like WP and iOS) are supposed to appeal to consumers as a phone for "facebook, games, and internet," and if the splashscreen/bootanimation was a logcat, people would just go "wut?" Also, as smartphones get faster and faster, so does bootup time. And there wouldn't be enough time to read what's on the logcat before it fully boots and you're at the lockscreen
5. Ask the devs.
6. Once again, dev thing. They are entitled to putting whatever permission they want, and Google isn't going to stop them. Just think about it though, most people don't care about permissions. iOS doesn't display them (even though they are there) and people download apps like there's no tomorrow anyway.
7. I read somewhere that the main designer of Android was "40% complete" at ICS. It gets me excited at what's next to come, since 4.0+ is already pretty amazing.
8. I'm too retarded to understand this question
Sent from my DROID2 using xda premium
As gagdude said for 1-7.
8. There's the Chinese Aliyun OS which looks and feels a lot like Android but doesn't rely on Google - but I would't try it. You could try Ubuntu Linux if your device supports it.
Android needs to be like apple with updates time to close source this already and just have one phone already
Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
Reopened, but if it gets unproviding and or heads Off Topic, well then I will readdress this thread.....
Thank you and you can Thank user: Syncopath
gagdude said:
No mobile OS has had a close button
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wrong, PocketPC 2002, which I used for 10 years on my HTC Wallaby, had a close button for every application.
@McMick, many of your points struck a chord with me and I have often asked myself the same things since migrating to Android from Pocket PC 2002 on my HTC Wallaby. Certainly points 1, 3, 7 and 8.
Since I jumped from PPC 2002 to Android 2.3.6 I've had the same thoughts. And I was for instance surprised to see that only now (Galaxy Note 2) are the very first steps being taken towards multiple windows.
I agree with point 4 too. On a PC (Linux or Windows) you can choose whether you see what's starting (BIOS and OS boot) or prefer a reassuring animation.
5. I have Avast!Mobile Security which has what is reckoned to be one of the best firewalls for Android, but even that only has, as you say, block or allow (individually for WiFi, 3G and mobile network).
6. The trouble with limiting permissions for apps is that if they can't get the access they want, they won't work. Personally I use the app Privacy Blocker which works around that by feeding the apps you choose not to allow to snoop nonsense information.
However it's not enough just to stand on the sidelines and issue one's wishes to "the developers". The point and the spirit of XDA-developers is that we can all start modifying things if we want to. So instead of saying "Why can't I" the thing to do is to start reading and learning and seeing if you might not after all just be able to ... do something yourself when it comes to your device.
Every Android developer does what appeals to them, which is why there is such a wonderful diversity of ROMs and apps for Android, particularly here on XDA.
So get stuck in and start trying to change things on your own device for a start. On point 5 for instance, you do see a logcat screen when you boot into recovery mode, so perhaps there's a way to display that when booting. If you do get started on modifications in the directions you indicate, I shall certainly follow progress with interest.
Thanks to BigJoe2675.
syncopath said:
Wrong, PocketPC 2002, which I used for 10 years on my HTC Wallaby,
However it's not enough just to stand on the sidelines and issue one's wishes to "the developers". The point and the spirit of XDA-developers is that we can all start modifying things if we want to. So instead of saying "Why can't I" the thing to do is to start reading and learning and seeing if you might not after all just be able to ... do something yourself when it comes to your device.
Every Android developer does what appeals to them, which is why there is such a wonderful diversity of ROMs and apps for Android, particularly here on XDA.
So get stuck in and start trying to change things on your own device for a start. On point 5 for instance, you do see a logcat screen when you boot into recovery mode, so perhaps there's a way to display that when booting. If you do get started on modifications in the directions you indicate, I shall certainly follow progress with interest.
Thanks to BigJoe2675.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
---------------------------
PocketPC 2002, which I used for 10 years :crying::crying: sorry for this....
syncopath said:
Wrong, PocketPC 2002, which I used for 10 years on my HTC Wallaby, had a close button for every application.
@McMick, many of your points struck a chord with me and I have often asked myself the same things since migrating to Android from Pocket PC 2002 on my HTC Wallaby. Certainly points 1, 3, 7 and 8.
Since I jumped from PPC 2002 to Android 2.3.6 I've had the same thoughts. And I was for instance surprised to see that only now (Galaxy Note 2) are the very first steps being taken towards multiple windows.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, but I wasn't born in 2002.
Lol jk I was, but I wasn't "born" to technology back then. I got my first phone only 3 years ago or so... and that just makes it seem that close buttons are now obsolete (on Mobile OSes, at least
Sent from my DROID2 using xda premium
gagdude said:
OK, but I wasn't born in 2002.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL as I believe they say these days. I forgive you instantly! I am amazed by your over 1000 posts in about 4 months.
McMick said:
4. Why can't I see everything that's loading when the tablet starts? I guess I'm asking to see a logcat screen instead of a splash screen. GNU/Linux distros don't usually hide everything from the end user, so why isn't it optional on an Android tablet? Even in custom ROMS all I get are neat looking splash screens, not a terminal interface on boot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The app [root] live logcat by the one and only Chainfire [/hyperbole] should fix this. There are free and paid versions. Something to check out if you're rooted. Please let us know of the results. Added on edit: from Google Play.
syncopath said:
LOL as I believe they say these days. I forgive you instantly! I am amazed by your over 1000 posts in about 4 months.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh no that just means I'm a loser and I spend too much time on xda
Sent from my DROID2 using xda premium
@bigjoe,
bigjoe2675 said:
PocketPC 2002, which I used for 10 years :crying::crying: sorry for this....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't quite understand this message, probably due to my inability to correctly interpret emoticons (reverse autism?). Anyway, thanks for re-opening this one because I
think what is being discussed here is worthwhile. Given the pressure of spammer-threat I think the OP should respond soon (or anyone else). Otherwise it will be understandable if you close the thread if you prefer.
bigjoe2675 said:
Reopened, but if it gets unproviding and or heads Off Topic, well then I will readdress this thread.....
Thank you and you can Thank user:
Syncopath
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I understand your priorities as moderator. This is of course a thread near the "top" of XDA and as such will far more readily attract spammers and other lowlife than further down in the more comfortable device threads where I am more used to posting. So you will want to quickly close any thread that seems to be becoming stale. Right?
@gagdude
gagdude said:
Oh no that just means I'm a loser and I spend too much time on xda
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think so, over 200 thanks didn't come from nowhere!
This is off subject having prob w/ no boot sound for boot anim
Sent from my Huawei-H867G using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

[HACK] Flash on Any Website in IE10 Metro Browser [WIN 8 & WIN RT]

Dear all,
As we all know Windows RT/8's IE Metro browser has limited flash support based on a whitelist. However a lot of sites are not (yet) whitelisted and hence do not work as desired. So I did some digging in the whitelist mechanism and found a way to hack it.
Be sure to follow the following steps in respective order:
Open Desktop IE10 type ALT --> Tools --> Compatibility View settings. Now UNCHECK the last checkmark which says: "Download updated compatibility list from Microsoft". If you have done this, you will be able to locally change the whitelist without getting overridden.
WARNING: If this checkbox is checked IE will override your custom whitelist back to default on each rebout, so be sure to uncheck it..
The whitelist is named "iecompatdata.xml" and is located in this path (copy + paste in File Explorer or IE10)
Code:
%HOMEPATH%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\IECompatData\
(Alternatively open File Explorer and search in C:\ for "iecompatdata")
As suggested by danchar4, you can open and edit this file directly with Notepad by pressing WIN + R and type:
Code:
notepad "%HOMEPATH%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\IECompatData\iecompatdata.xml"
All whitelisted flash enabled websites are located in this file inbetween the following tags:
Code:
<Flash>
[...]
<domain>zumiez.com</domain>
<domain>zynga.com</domain>
</Flash>
To add a website to the whitelist, all you do is add your desired website inside these tags as follows:
Code:
<domain>YOURDESIREDDOMAIN.COM</domain>
Add as many websites as you desire...
Now we are almost done, one last task is to delete browsing histroy. Open IE10 Metro and click WIN+I (to open settings) --> Internet Options —> Delete browsing history
And you are all set and done. Flash is now enabled in IE10 Metro for the websites you have added to the whitelist!
Of course as with any hack, attempt only at your own risk. I am not responsible in case faulty behaviour occurs... That said, it should be fine
Kind regards,
Marvin
Trouble shooting + faq
TROUBLE SHOOTING + FAQ
I tried to do these steps but it does not work on www.website.com...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the flash content is embedded as an iframe, be sure to also add the domain of the source of the flash content. E.g. be sure to also add the website where the iframe links to to the whitelisted sources, this is what will eventually determine whether flash will be activated or not for this website.
Does this method work for www.website.com?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If 'website.com' uses a standard flash plugin (e.g. if you can view the flash content on a normal desktop with just the standard adobe flash player plugin) it will work with this method. All this method does is activating the built in flash plugin for any website you have added to the whitelist.
I can not find the file "iecompatdata.xml"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you can't find this file be sure to enable "show hidden files", this folder will show up now. Alternatively you can find it by searching C:\ for the query "iecompatdata", the file will now show up.
I have added www.website.com to the whitelist, but it does not work!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Be sure to delete your browsing history and refresh the page. If it does not work now, please be sure to check if you have added the website correctly (e.g. within <domain> tags).
After I have rebooted my computer, I have lost my custom whitelist!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Make sure you have UNCHECKED the last checkmark in "Compatibility View settings" which says: "Download updated compatibility list from Microsoft". If you have done this, you will be able to locally change the whitelist without IE overriding it automatically.
Marvin_S said:
After more thorough testing, I found that a domain with a wildcard will not work i.e.
Code:
<domain>*.com</domain>
Does not allow flash to work on all .com sites... so this solution is out of the window, unless somebody knows if a wildcard in this list is supplied differently. I could not find anything in the documentation regarding the use of wildcards in this list, so most likely its not supported.
Alternatively, we could create some kind of "community" maintained whitelist, where anybody can just add any website and we will then point IE10 to download a whitelist from this community maintained source (instead of from Microsoft).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks so much for this work. I remember u from ur past work on wp7/7.5 on here. Thanks again. I almost called MS lite to return my surface because of this stupidity. Are they like apple or what? Trying to decide what u can do and what u can't is a v.stupid idea and whoever decided this at MS should be fired. If I wanted a prison garden, I'd buy an iPad.
---------- Post added at 12:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:34 PM ----------
Now if I can find an easy way to block the ads ill be really happy. These ads are so invading. I didn't realize how much firefox with adblock was until I had to us IE for the last 3 days. quite annoying as it makes content loading so slow.
xirsteon said:
Thanks so much for this work. I remember u from ur past work on wp7/7.5 on here. Thanks again. I almost called MS lite to return my surface because of this stupidity. Are they like apple or what? Trying to decide what u can do and what u can't is a v.stupid idea and whoever decided this at MS should be fired. If I wanted a prison garden, I'd buy an iPad.
---------- Post added at 12:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:34 PM ----------
Now if I can find an easy way to block the ads ill be really happy. These ads are so invading. I didn't realize how much firefox with adblock was until I had to us IE for the last 3 days. quite annoying as it makes content loading so slow.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your welcome. Glad it was helpful, yes I have been less active due to obligations at the univerisity. If we find a better solution we will let you know.
Some kind of adblocker is also integrated in Internet Explorer. Go to Manage add-ons and then to Tracking Protection. Now download a couple of adblock lists. It is not as good as chrome/ff, but it gets the job done for the most part!
And take some time to get used to your new machine, its a beautiful device and only yet people are starting to explore it and develop for it. It will for sure be a highly demanded device and will most likely reach a lot of developer/hacker interest.
xirsteon said:
Are they like apple or what? Trying to decide what u can do and what u can't is a v.stupid idea and whoever decided this at MS should be fired. If I wanted a prison garden, I'd buy an iPad
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The restriction against other browsers is equally disturbing.
See here: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-57431236-92/microsoft-bans-firefox-on-arm-based-windows-mozilla-says/
Even Google, who loves to push their own brand name through Chrome, saw the wisdom of allowing the customer freedom.
Lets not forget what, in large part, created Android's success - people jumped ship from Apple because they saw Android as an OS that allowed the consumer as much or as little customization as you want - you want it simple - they present a good out of box experience - you want something more, you can make changes.
We don't need two walled gardens.
Eh, that's just the restriction against third-party desktop apps. Mozilla even acknowledges that they could build a Windows Store app, and in fact they're apparently doing that (http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-57376421-264/coming-in-2012-firefox-for-windows-8s-metro/)... just for some reason they're doing it only for x86. Since Store apps, even for RT, are allowed to use native C/C++ and the compiler supports building them for ARM, I'm really not sure why they don't just recompile it for RT. Yeah, their JavaScript JIT would need to be changed, but they already have a JIT for ARM don't they? That's equally relevant for Firefox on RT in the Desktop or in "Metro" anyhow, so it would be a stupid thing to complain about. In any case, they could just fall back to interpreted JS.
Installed Chrome Browser
GoodDayToDie said:
Eh, that's just the restriction against third-party desktop apps. Mozilla even acknowledges that they could build a Windows Store app, and in fact they're apparently doing that (http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-57376421-264/coming-in-2012-firefox-for-windows-8s-metro/)... just for some reason they're doing it only for x86. Since Store apps, even for RT, are allowed to use native C/C++ and the compiler supports building them for ARM, I'm really not sure why they don't just recompile it for RT. Yeah, their JavaScript JIT would need to be changed, but they already have a JIT for ARM don't they? That's equally relevant for Firefox on RT in the Desktop or in "Metro" anyhow, so it would be a stupid thing to complain about. In any case, they could just fall back to interpreted JS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not sure if this adds anything to the discussion. I don't own a Windows RT machine, but I was in Office Depot the other day looking at their devices. They had a Samsung ATIV Smart PC on display. So, I messed around with if for a while. I had read that other browsers were forbidden on the RT. I thought, I wonder if Google Chrome will run? So I installed it off the internet and it worked.
My question is this: Is it just the MS RT the locks itself down? Why did the Samsung allow me to D/L and install Chrome?
davehries said:
My question is this: Is it just the MS RT the locks itself down? Why did the Samsung allow me to D/L and install Chrome?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the software restrictions should be the same, the other limitation is that you can't just download x86 software and install it on the RT because x86 doesn't run on ARM processors, are you absolutely certain you were on an ATIV tab running Windows RT or just a samsung tablet running Windows 8 with an x86 processor? If it was already possible to install chrome on Windows RT it'd be all over the internet.
davehries said:
I am not sure if this adds anything to the discussion. I don't own a Windows RT machine, but I was in Office Depot the other day looking at their devices. They had a Samsung ATIV Smart PC on display. So, I messed around with if for a while. I had read that other browsers were forbidden on the RT. I thought, I wonder if Google Chrome will run? So I installed it off the internet and it worked.
My question is this: Is it just the MS RT the locks itself down? Why did the Samsung allow me to D/L and install Chrome?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it's the samsung smart PC running on x86 hardware? (clovertrail or i5) if it is, then it's running full windows 8 and you can install any legacy apps (like chrome/ff) to your hearts content.
not to go off topic too much, but as to the earlier comment about freedom and choice being the reason android gained so much marketshare so fast. it has more to do with the combination of cheap handsets and carrier penetration, at a time when the iphone was locked to one network in the US and blackberry was slowly falling out of the consumer mindshare. yes, people like us who frequent xda might have moved to it because of the openness of the platform, but the mainstream market really doesn't care about that.
Guys, we are wandering too far off topic. I appreciate the discussion, but please let it be (somehow) related to ways of enabling flash on IE10 on Win RT and 8. The limitations of Windows RT are better to be discussed in appropriate threads
Did anybody do an experiment with this compatibility list? Or tried to deactivate it in its entire? A systems admin or IT pro might no some more details on this?
Marvin_S said:
Guys, we are wandering too far off topic. I appreciate the discussion, but please let it be (somehow) related to ways of enabling flash on IE10 on Win RT and 8. The limitations of Windows RT are better to be discussed in appropriate threads
Did anybody do an experiment with this compatibility list? Or tried to deactivate it in its entire? A systems admin or IT pro might no some more details on this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I added several websites and it worked fine. I'm a bit bummed as I think MS will find a way to over write the xml file in a masquerade windows update. As far as deactivation is concerned, I thought about making a backup of the xml file, and completely deleting the original to see if it works at all. What do u think?
xirsteon said:
I added several websites and it worked fine. I'm a bit bummed as I think MS will find a way to over write the xml file in a masquerade windows update. As far as deactivation is concerned, I thought about making a backup of the xml file, and completely deleting the original to see if it works at all. What do u think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It might work, but I assume it will just deactivate compatibility view in its entire and hence disable flash for all sites. But its worth the try Let me know if it works!
Marvin_S said:
It might work, but I assume it will just deactivate compatibility view in its entire and hence disable flash for all sites. But its worth the try Let me know if it works!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I created a local account to test this. Backup the file and deleted the original. All the blacklisted sites didn't work. So its not 100% possible yet but I bet there's a reg option or even a security policy (secpol.msc) that will turn this check off completely. Perhaps a bit of poke around will yield some insights. I looked in secpol and didn't find anything. So that leaves the registry up for grabs unless they're pulling that wp hidden / reg lock down thing.
xirsteon said:
Well I created a local account to test this. Backup the file and deleted the original. All the blacklisted sites didn't work. So its not 100% possible yet but I bet there's a reg option or even a security policy (secpol.msc) that will turn this check off completely. Perhaps a bit of poke around will yield some insights. I looked in secpol and didn't find anything. So that leaves the registry up for grabs unless they're pulling that wp hidden / reg lock down thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i bet its hidden, since if you want to add a developer website to test flash on you will have to create a reg key in a non existing folder in the ie registry settings called FLASH, so I guess thats the hidden folder. But I wonder if it is possible to somehow trace these folders. I personally dont know anything about the entire mechanism behind the comapibility view. I just discovered it by accident by figuring out where the whitelist was located. So far it seems that it does not take wildcards for domains and also shutting down the list in its entire does not seem to work. We can try to add a 'blank' domain but I doubt it will work.
Doesn't work for me
I am doing just as instructed. I do not know why it doesn't for me. I tried movie2k.to and myp2p, ibliz. None of them work
Marvin_S said:
It might work, but I assume it will just deactivate compatibility view in its entire and hence disable flash for all sites. But its worth the try Let me know if it works!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
More likely is that it will download the default list, or the current list. I don't really see compatibility view as an issue. What you are getting is the ability to use the major Flash-enabled sites without any of the ad sites, built-in as opposed to using third-party solutions.
mechmouni said:
I am doing just as instructed. I do not know why it doesn't for me. I tried movie2k.to and myp2p, ibliz. None of them work
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Make sure you follow each step correctly. It has been tested and confirmed working by lots of people, on both Windows RT and Windows 8. Make sure you delete browsing history.
Marvin_S said:
Alternatively, we could create some kind of "community" maintained whitelist, where anybody can just add any website and we will then point IE10 to download a whitelist from this community maintained source (instead of from Microsoft).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here you can add sites: http://minecraft.digiex.org/flash/
And here is the list itself: http://minecraft.digiex.org/flash/iecompatviewlist.xml
Working with Nuduaa on a auto downloader script to autoupdate it every now and then on the surface.
jessenic said:
Here you can add sites: http://minecraft.digiex.org/flash/
And here is the list itself: http://minecraft.digiex.org/flash/iecompatviewlist.xml
Working with Nuduaa on a auto downloader script to autoupdate it every now and then on the surface.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome! Now I just have to wait for MS to ship me a damn Surface
If it is done (and there is some automation) I will add it to the first post!
Thank you for maintaining the list. This is great guys... good work!
Does anybody know if Windows RT allows the creation of custom extensions?
help
I am following the steps yet I can't find the place in c drive as described on my surface.

Ok....i give...need some solid information.

I have googled and searched my fingertips to the bone. Whenever i ask a technical question, i get answers from the clueless and the blind. I am beginning to hate this game.
So here we go. Stock android 4.4.2 ....rooted. How do you control which apps autostart and load in the background? Right now I have been trying to kill the Music app. Nothing works. It always restarts. So that means there is a sticky setting in some file somewhere in the system that needs to be edited that more than likely can not properrly be controlled from the childish controls android offers. In windows this is controlled in the registry and the startup process. Where is this in android? Why does no one share this information?
Yes i know it's dangerous. Yes i know not to putts around in the operating system. But if youre rooted, give us the data to control things.
So i await a learned response that probaly only one of the "developers" can answer. Because it sure as s€£%t ain't out there to be found.
Signed, royally frustrated
I'm reminded of that saying "You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." Not sure why your posts are so charged but many seasoned developers and posters aren't going to engage in conversation with someone who uses condesending and self righteous tones.
I've never seen detailed posting of how it works, nor do I care to know, but by installing Greenify you can effectively control what you wish to control. Greenify allows you to hibernate applications keeping them asleep until manually called.
Some applications have associated services that are used by other parts of the system or other applications and therefore stay loaded to provide that service. If you also install Xposed Framework it will allow Greenify to inject itself further to keep applications that you choose to hibernate from being called upon by other applications (facebook for example has services that often get called upon by other applications for various reasons and so it can be hard to keep hibernated).
Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk
muzzy996 said:
I'm reminded of that saying "You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." Not sure why your posts are so charged but many seasoned developers and posters aren't going to engage in conversation with someone who uses condesending and self righteous tones.
I've never seen detailed posting of how it works, nor do I care to know, but by installing Greenify you can effectively control what you wish to control. Greenify allows you to hibernate applications keeping them asleep until manually called.
Some applications have associated services that are used by other parts of the system or other applications and therefore stay loaded to provide that service. If you also install Xposed Framework it will allow Greenify to inject itself further to keep applications that you choose to hibernate from being called upon by other applications (facebook for example has services that often get called upon by other applications for various reasons and so it can be hard to keep hibernated).
Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am sorry. I did not intentionally want to come off as charged or spraying vinegar. Quite the opposite. But I have found, after reading tons of post, that we are living in the land of the blind and hardly anyone with sight is actually participating or for that matter even providing a modicum of usefull data. Beginning to think that I don't blame them.
It seems, after deep searching and research that children are actually in charge. What other explanation can you give for an operating system that is struggling with "basic" features found in DOS or windows 3.1 from 20 years ago. Similar to the slow evolution of linux, itself which only now, barely, is win xp like in its features after decades as a skeletal nightmare to load and setup.
You may not have caught the news a few months ago, but Samsung was floating the idea of abandoning android for a flavored and skinned version of linux for future devices, both phones and tablets.p, starting with the China market.
Tell me that Microsoft did not head that off by providing reciprocal licensing to Samsung for windows 10 to abandoning linux. Would not be suprised if we start seeing win10 handsets in the near future here.
Once android looses support from major manufacturers, then it is DEAD.
Read every other post and you will see the lament about the quality of google store apps.
So when I ask a specific, technical question requiring a precise answer.....which requires actual proframming skill.....which has yet to appear...you can see how the lack of response to that colors the situation.
If I offended anyone, I apologize. I get excited sometimes. Repeatedly slamming ones head against the wall, figuratively tends to make you anxious.
At this rate, my raw participation on these boards may be curtailed if I continue with this sense of useless effort.
Sorry to make anyone upset. You can let the kids back in the room. I think there is ice cream.
Have you considered freezing the processes you want to prevent from running with Titanium Backup?
ShadowLea said:
Have you considered freezing the processes you want to prevent from running with Titanium Backup?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Titanium backup would work. The other option since you are rooted is to just remove the offending music app. I don't mind the samsung music app, but I don't find it absolutely necessary either. You could also uninstall the updates and force stop the app. That should also keep it from starting.
Another option that I haven't looked at completely but might work is the app "tasker" that lets you assign certain apps to start only when you want them too. So you could have the music app start only when you tap on media files. But I haven't tried this myself.
The problem currently with asking technical questions about the note pro is that it's a low selling device from 2014 so it just doesn't get much action on the forums anymore. It's a bummer for such a great device but that's how it is.
mjkurke said:
Titanium backup would work. The other option since you are rooted is to just remove the offending music app. I don't mind the samsung music app, but I don't find it absolutely necessary either. You could also uninstall the updates and force stop the app. That should also keep it from starting.
Another option that I haven't looked at completely but might work is the app "tasker" that lets you assign certain apps to start only when you want them too. So you could have the music app start only when you tap on media files. But I haven't tried this myself.
The problem currently with asking technical questions about the note pro is that it's a low selling device from 2014 so it just doesn't get much action on the forums anymore. It's a bummer for such a great device but that's how it is.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Low selling are not the words. More like abandoned. Samsung has moved away. My questions where android specific. "Freezing" apps, using a convoluted set of more apps to control unwanted apps, ridiculous. It is all ridiculous. Either root gives control or it does not.
I want full control, what runs, what doesn't, what runs in the background. Is that not why we root? So a comprehensive list of whats what WOULD RREEEAAAALLLLYYY HELP.
I am alone in the wilderness screaming at the trees demanding to know why it rains.
Do you understand?
Options like freezing in Titanium or using Greenify have already been addressed. Tasker is good for starting things but not so good at keeping things killed, not the proper tool to use for the job of keeping apps from loading.
My strategy:
1) Freeze anything that's safe to freeze that I know I'll never use in Titanium first. That way they never pre-cache into memory.
2) Greenify applications that I rarely use so that they don't pre-cache, taking care not to greenify applications that need to stay loaded to operate properly (like email clients, weather apps or messaging apps).
In the end on a clean boot my application/precache list is full of my commonly used apps. I worry not about how much free RAM I have, as long as the list of apps in RAM/cache is populated with the stuff that I commonly use.
NOW, all of that said if you're looking for something that works like windows startup manager then installing Xposed Framework and then BootManager is the way to go. I've done this in the past but find that employing freezing and greenify is good enough for my own needs so I've stopped.
globalsearch said:
Low selling are not the words. More like abandoned. Samsung has moved away. My questions where android specific. "Freezing" apps, using a convoluted set of more apps to control unwanted apps, ridiculous. It is all ridiculous. Either root gives control or it does not.
I want full control, what runs, what doesn't, what runs in the background. Is that not why we root? So a comprehensive list of whats what WOULD RREEEAAAALLLLYYY HELP.
I am alone in the wilderness screaming at the trees demanding to know why it rains.
Do you understand?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am starting to suspect you have greatly misunderstood the meaning of root access. From what it sounds like, you seem to think it miraculously gives you access to settings and functions that non-rooted users can't see. Which is why you can't seem to get the answers you seek.
There is no such thing as a root-menu. Android does not have that functionality build into its GUI.
Root access simply means administrator access to the system's root directories. Hence the word Root.
You will always need additional apps and software to root access to change functionality. Titanium Backup, Xposed, SuperUser/SuperSU, etcetera.
If you want those options in the system, you'll need a customROM.
ShadowLea said:
Root access simply means administrator access to the system's root directories. Hence the word Root.
You will always need additional apps and software to root access to change functionality. Titanium Backup, Xposed, SuperUser/SuperSU, etcetera.
If you want those options in the system, you'll need a customROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right and even with a custom ROM you can't run away from using 3rd party utilities to make the tweaks. Custom is usually a good start though as they are typically debloated. Civato's is good for lightly modified stock with xposed baked in.
Sent from my SM-N910T3 using Tapatalk
Now we are getting somewhere. So what you have all told me is that stock android, even when rooted, is still a sandbox with all kinds of limitations to customization. Even with apps to tweak some of it.
This is the nail in the coffin for me and android then. Im not in the least interested in all those custom roms where there is always some shortcoming or lack of support for a feature that does not work properly.
Thanks all. I am done.
globalsearch said:
Now we are getting somewhere. So what you have all told me is that stock android, even when rooted, is still a sandbox with all kinds of limitations to customization. Even with apps to tweak some of it.
This is the nail in the coffin for me and android then. Im not in the least interested in all those custom roms where there is always some shortcoming or lack of support for a feature that does not work properly.
Thanks all. I am done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
for what its worth I do have your answer, better late than never right?
anyways android is built on a linux kernal and normally access to the linux command line does not come pre-installed to keep normal people from messing up their system.
so you will need to download a terminal emulator app if you don't already have one if you plan to do this from android. (Alternatively you can do it from the android debug bridge while connected to a computer if preferred)
First you will want to get the package name for the app you want to disable.
you can do this with a root file browser app by going to system / Data / App and then finding the package you want to disable.
however since it sounds like you want to do this manually we will go over the terminal process:
open a terminal window.
type: su
Hit: enter
the terminal will ask you for root access, go ahead and grant it.
to list the android packages type: pm list packages
hit: enter
This will show a list of the installed packages (Apps)
find the ones you want to disable.
now type: pm disable insertpackagename
hit: enter
for example to disable youtube type: pm disable com.google.android.youtube
Hit: Enter
that's it.
you will likely want to restart your launcher or even just restart the tablet afterwards as most launchers don't constantly poll for disabled apps so it will need a refresh.
also you probably already realise this so I apologise if its redundant but make sure you know what you are disabling
as with any linux environment disabling system packages and packages that another application is dependant on can cause trouble.
firefly6240 said:
for what its worth I do have your answer, better late than never right?
anyways android is built on a linux kernal and normally access to the linux command line does not come pre-installed to keep normal people from messing up their system.
so you will need to download a terminal emulator app if you don't already have one if you plan to do this from android. (Alternatively you can do it from the android debug bridge while connected to a computer if preferred)
First you will want to get the package name for the app you want to disable.
you can do this with a root file browser app by going to system / Data / App and then finding the package you want to disable.
however since it sounds like you want to do this manually we will go over the terminal process:
open a terminal window.
type: su
Hit: enter
the terminal will ask you for root access, go ahead and grant it.
to list the android packages type: pm list packages
hit: enter
This will show a list of the installed packages (Apps)
find the ones you want to disable.
now type: pm disable insertpackagename
hit: enter
for example to disable youtube type: pm disable com.google.android.youtube
Hit: Enter
that's it.
you will likely want to restart your launcher or even just restart the tablet afterwards as most launchers don't constantly poll for disabled apps so it will need a refresh.
also you probably already realise this so I apologise if its redundant but make sure you know what you are disabling
as with any linux environment disabling system packages and packages that another application is dependant on can cause trouble.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Finally. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
globalsearch said:
Low selling are not the words. More like abandoned. Samsung has moved away. My questions where android specific. "Freezing" apps, using a convoluted set of more apps to control unwanted apps, ridiculous. It is all ridiculous. Either root gives control or it does not.
I want full control, what runs, what doesn't, what runs in the background. Is that not why we root? So a comprehensive list of whats what WOULD RREEEAAAALLLLYYY HELP.
I am alone in the wilderness screaming at the trees demanding to know why it rains.
Do you understand?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just thought I would clarify a bit here, I know how confusing it can be coming from windows, I made the switch myself not so many years ago and had a lot of the same questions.
to explain root, the closest comparison I have imperfect as it may be is that root access is similar to windows admin access.
the noticeable difference in a lot of cases is what comes pre-installed.
for example in windows if you have an admin account it automatically unlocks access to the command prompt which was already pre-installed.
in android root access gives you the option to use a terminal but often one is not pre-installed, in fact even a file manager is often not included.
this is actually not a limitation of android so much as a limitation put in place by the specific device manufacturer as to what comes pre-installed.
for example a lot of cheap android tablets running google AOSP (Android open source Project) code actually do come with terminal apps and in some cases even come pre-loaded with root access.
in comparison a lot of more well known devices do not come with this pre-loaded to prevent people from breaking things. (For a windows comparison, its hard to delete the system32 folder without admin access, a file browser and command prompt right?)
As far as samsung abandonment, its a bit trickier there.
Basically what you would normally be used to is the Microsoft scenario.
1. Microsoft - Microsoft makes the OS but it runs on hardware made by others.
a. hardware issues go to the hardware manufacturer for as long as they support it.
b. OS updates are handled by Microsoft, they have more or less full control of the OS as it is closed source.
2. the Samsung Scenario - The hardware is made by the manufacturer, the bootloaders are locked, the OS is made by Google and then tweaked by the manufacturer.
a. all official updates come through the manufacturer (In this case Samsung) after google releases the open source code, samsung then alters it as they like and then they release an update.
b. Samsung is the sole support for the hardware and software as google no longer supports the software for the most part after its been altered.
c. it takes a lot of time and work for samsung to develop an update and push it out and then deal with all of the issues that come with updating the OS.
d. its often easier to leave a device that comparatively very few people bought on an OS that they knew was usable rather than spend all the time and money updating it and dealing with all of the related issues.
With that in mind this tablet has been out for about 2 years now which is a huge amount of time for this type of hardware.
All that being said Samsung very recently released the update to android 5.1.1 for this tablet
so it is definitely not abandoned yet, in fact its had more attention than even other devices by the same manufacturer but I suspect 5.1.1 will be the last official update we see.
if you have one of the note variants with an unlockable bootloader as well as a bit of time on your hands I would very much recommend trying a custom rom if you are worried about samsung abandonment.
you may have to try several different ones though, as you'll find a mix of roms that may seem almost half baked, more alpha release style but are cutting edge (I like those ones myself) to roms that are even more stable than the original.
My apologies if some of this is redundant information, I just thought I would throw in my two cents in case it helps
Two points . . for what its worth . . 1) the use of package manager's disable command effectively does the same thing that freezing in Titanium does, the main difference being that you're using a GUI to do it (there can be differences in how the apps are flagged though and using the pm command means not having to rely on yet another app); 2) disabling/freezing means you'll be unable to ever launch said application unless you enable the app again manually (using the package manager PM commands or Titanium).
Main reason in my initial response I didn't go straight to freezing/disabling apps is because that approach isn't exactly the same thing as managing startup in the context of the example given about managing what apps start up on boot in Windows (i.e. msconfig command and unchecking startup options). When someone takes an app out of startup in Windows the software isn't permanently disabled (unavailable) it is merely prevented from preloading when the system is started. So . . in reference to the music app referred to in the original post, if the goal is to be able to use the stock music app but just not have it load itself into memory on its own then the solution isnt disabling it or freezing it, its to hibernate it with something like Greenify or prevent it from starting using something like Boot Manager and Xposed Framework.
Firefly6240 got exactly what I was asking for. Freezing and hybernating, et al, is not total control. When i kill an app and i want it gone. I want it gone. Example, the google music, google books and google films. I gave stopped, killed even "uninstalled" in Purify and in Kingroot. On random reboot, the buggers are back. Fireflys solution is ceasars thumbs down. Wonderful. He understood the TOTAL control I was looking for.
Also, i loaded android terminal to run the commands.
By the way, Knox and EML are next on my list.
Thanks again firefly6420
globalsearch said:
Firefly6240 got exactly what I was asking for. Freezing and hybernating, et al, is not total control. When i kill an app and i want it gone. I want it gone. Example, the google music, google books and google films. I gave stopped, killed even "uninstalled" in Purify and in Kingroot. On random reboot, the buggers are back. Fireflys solution is ceasars thumbs down. Wonderful. He understood the TOTAL control I was looking for.
Also, i loaded android terminal to run the commands.
By the way, Knox and EML are next on my list.
Thanks again firefly6420
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK good, then I misunderstood the question. Hibernation has its place, it's just not what you wanted, you wanted complete uninstallation basically.
Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk
like it or not, OEMs, even Google cannot just give the public ready-made controls to such things because the way a lot of (non-essential but) pre-installed apps are designed they depends on other apps being present and/or running.
AppOps was a classic example cuz once ppl found it and made public how to take advantage, a lot of dependant apps and services were affected and people called in to their OEMs complaining of broken phones when it was simply tinkered permissions.
there is no mobile OS more robust than android. all have their forms of depth, appeal, features and restrictions but none embrace admin access & leaving open the ability to do it more than android (just need the carrier and sometimes OEM to leave the bootloader the hell alone lol)
if you want a smartphone with admin privileges out-of-the-box and full control of all system services etc, I would recommend an Ubuntu phone. they're about a year into commercial availability which is still kinda fringe but stable and will lack certain major perks of owning either iOS (yuck!) or Android. there is a couple Ubuntu/android dual boot phones out there too, and that comes with the issue of storage space after holding 2 OS's
in another year or 2 Ubuntu phones should be more plentiful and bring over some popular apps and active development but I don't anticipate seeing it take off quite like other mobile OS's cuz when it comes to feeding the masses, more options and less restrictions can have the same effect as asking an 80 year old to put in an address on your navigation in the car while you're on the highway. it's a learning curve simple to some that seems too simple not to understand but can be bad for business.
I think android and iOS beat this problem initially because when they started, there weren't any other well-established alternatives. BlackBerry and some fringe PDAs were about it...
Note pro 12.2
I was/am dealing with the Note Pro 12.2 specifically. Not other handsets. This device is coming up on two years and support has been waning. When I bought it all was well. Less than a few months later the damned KitKat update came and suddenly I found myself without proper access to the external sd card, that had worked perfectly when i purchased the unit. I was furious. Especially when we where being told that it was for our own good and google was pushing internal memory over external. Damn them. I bought samsung BECAUSE it had the sd slot. And when Samsung did not provide the fix to the platform.xml file I was livid. 5.01 came out and Samsung destoyed support for most external blue tooth keyboards. And so it goes, one stupid blunder after another. Their updates destroyed my workflow.
So yes, damned right I want full control of my device, because they have shown they have NO regard for our needs and DO NOT ADDRESS our concerns. Just buy our stuff and shut up. Well in this case, i was sold a product that they later incapacitated.
I can not abide with that. I tried so hard not to root, for a year and a half. I shut off automatic updates on EVERYTHING because even updates from google play would sometimes destroy a goid priducy. I started saving apks from versions of apps that worked. I stayed stock 4.4.2 because everything worked but the sd write. How many threads do we have here where people upgraded to marshmellow and then begged to get back to kitkat? Last week after reading thread after thread of problems and convoluted fixes and a gazillion rom versions each of which has its own imperfections and then reading that the new samsung tablet was released windows 10. I knew it was over.
At that moment the decision was inevitable. I rooted and IMMEDIATELY fixed the sd write issue. And i unrooted. Two days of random reboots and i roited again, this time to take the bull by the hirns and control this thing. I became increasingly frustrated with the lack of displayed technical knowledge here at xda and the tons pf advice from also clueless posters. I tried everything. Even got scolded by an admin who has been here less time than me. (Follow the rules, follow the rules...don't you dare to ask the important questions)
Not till the reply from firefly6240. Now he knows something. And he shared a little with me. Which i greatly appreciated. I have a direction now. And the tweaks I have done have increased my battery tije, the screen reojse time and overall improvement of the environment. All on 4.4.2.
I still have some minor issues, but google and android code monkeys WILL NO LONGER CONTROL MY DEVICE, MY PROPERTY.
It is time people take control of the ELECTRONIC items which we purchase with OUR hard earned money and stop letting manufacturers turn those devices into nothing more than sales portals to make more money and deny us control or the ability to JUST SAY NO.

Categories

Resources