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Greetings,
I have looked at information on the internet (including this forum) with regards to loading different a different OS onto the TF101. There is a lot of information on how to do it, but very little explaining how satisfactory the result is.
Here is my situation:
I have ordered a refurbished TF101 + Dock for under $400 delivered. This is covered by a 12-Month warranty.
My plan was to use this device primarily as a work-oriented device. I am studying law and am required to take excessive notes, apply for clerkships, and write fully referenced (NB: footnoted) essays.
I only have 2gb per month of mobile data which means I spend a lot of time at various educational institutions. I also work mobile pretty often (train ride into city, etc). Essentially I'll be using this primarily as a netbook with an awesome battery life
While the TF101 seems like an perfect device for someone with my lifestyle, the lack of any android app which allows for footnoting is unforgivable. The decision to dual-boot ubuntu is a logical solution.
Onto my questions:
1. Is there any issue setting up dualboot on a TF101 from a bootable USB drive on a windows based OS?
2. How does ubuntu run on the TF101 in terms of productivity? I have read about what functions are supported; but I'm wondering how it all works in practice. It doesn't seem like anyone has turned their TF101 into an ultrabook with a killer battery life and tablet functionality.
3. I have read that bricking is always reversible. Is this the case? I don't plan on deviating from instructions from xda. I understand that there is always a risk, I just want to know my chances.
4. Does it matter whether HC or ICS is loaded on this tablet when it arrives? Are there any steps I should take to update the OS before dual-booting
5. Are there any drawbacks to clocking to 1.4Ghz? Does this affect battery life and if so, to what extent?
6. Is there a lite version of ubuntu I could dual-boot on my TF101 to improve performance/work efficiency? If so, how would this change the instructions listed: http://forum.xda-developers.com/wik..._an_Asus_EEEPad_Transformer#Installing_Ubuntu. Would installing a lite version be necessary? Could the TF101 handle full office applications running a full version of ubuntu without increasing the clock speed? I'm just trying to get a sense of how sharp the TF101 feels running programs on ubuntu.
7. Are there any other things I should consider to optimise my TF101 to perform at the level I indicated?
Thanks for bearing with me. If it seems like I've bought the wrong device, I just find it amazing that I could have a low-spec ultrabook and a tablet with a battery life better than both for under $400. I figure I can boot android for tablet use (calendar, browsing, reading) and ubuntu when I need to get some serious office-type work done
Thanks again for reading.
Let me try to address these one at a time to help you out with your purchase, also glad to see you pick the TF It's a wonderful tablet.
"This is covered by a 12-Month warranty." - If you install Ubuntu, root or otherwise, it will almost Surely void this warranty, so be careful as it is refurbished, inspect carefully and make sure it isn't a lemon (bad tablet).
"the lack of any android app which allows for footnoting is unforgivable" - Quickoffice seems to support this, although it is $20 -- link.
1. A bootable USB stick setup on windows WILL NOT work on the tf, you must use the Android Debug Bridge to install it on the tf. Instructions in link below.
2. It works, but not like desktop ubuntu, as the ARM processor doesn't support 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit applications. So WINE WILL NOT work, AT ALL.
Read what will and will not work here.
3. This is heavily dependant on the version of your tablet, older (b60 or lower) devices have sbkv1 and therefore support NVFlash, which means you can always (unless you.. microwaved your tablet or something..) restore a brick. If you have a newer (most b70s and all b80s and up) sbkv2 tablet like mine, it will not work. If you follow instructions carefully when messing with your device though it's pretty hard to COMPLETELY brick it, although all user data can be at risk.
NOTE! If you have a tablet with sbkv2 you Can Not install Ubuntu on it with the installer. I won't say At All, as there is probably a way, but it would be very hard.
4. You would probably want to update to ICS first, Asus provides this update through ota updates pushed to the transformer or off of their website. It is a smoother experience. Or you could root and flash a custom ROM, (even smoother! ) Also see #5
5. If you want to overclock to 1.4 Ghz you Must Root and flash a custom rom and Kernel (important) that supports overclocking, and may not be able to use ubuntu at the same time as it seems to overwrite the recovery slot (correct me if I'm wrong someone). It does affect battery life by a noticeable amount, (roughly 20% would be my guess) and you really shouldn't need to OC if you're just word processing though. The tf is a pretty fast tablet xD I overclock mine to 1.2 for general use and gaming.
6. Searched, and not that I could find, sorry :/
7. Yes, flash a custom Rom and Kernel, there are many to choose from! The ones I use work great and are in my signature. ARHD Rom and TastyMehIcs kernel. It's all up too you though.
In conclusion I think you would be better off using android as the Ubuntu is pretty limited, quickoffice should be fine. Go ahead and optimize it though, and if you have a sbkv1 tablet you can try it out!
ToD
Edit: You could also look into remote desktop to computer to word process, but that would lock you to your 3g wifi speed and be non-native. -shrugs- Splashtop HD is pretty fast on a home n+ wifi network.
Thanks!
Thanks for your response - it changes everything!
"the lack of any android app which allows for footnoting is unforgivable" - Quickoffice seems to support this, although it is $20 -- link.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually spent quite a while looking around for android apps with full office functionality. Like quickoffice, I found that numerous apps supported viewing footnotes, but none which actually allowed for their creation.
The only solution I've found for footnote creation via android is google docs desktop view, but it's really barely functional at best on android.
I'd also like to use freeware when possible.
1. A bootable USB stick setup on windows WILL NOT work on the tf, you must use the Android Debug Bridge to install it on the tf. Instructions in link below.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, I've never actually installed linux on my computer, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it
2. It works, but not like desktop ubuntu, as the ARM processor doesn't support 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit applications. So WINE WILL NOT work, AT ALL.
Read what will and will not work here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think this will be a problem. For what I'll use the tablet for, it seems like I'll have plenty of office, video, and utility applications that run natively on ubuntu.
3. This is heavily dependant on the version of your tablet, older (b60 or lower) devices have sbkv1 and therefore support NVFlash, which means you can always (unless you.. microwaved your tablet or something..) restore a brick. If you have a newer (most b70s and all b80s and up) sbkv2 tablet like mine, it will not work. If you follow instructions carefully when messing with your device though it's pretty hard to COMPLETELY brick it, although all user data can be at risk.
NOTE! If you have a tablet with sbkv2 you Can Not install Ubuntu on it with the installer. I won't say At All, as there is probably a way, but it would be very hard.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a problem; I've determined the item in the mail is an sbkv2.
This link http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1345049 says I can still root the sbkv2. Are there any implications that would prevent me from dual-booting ubuntu?
Otherwise, you've convinced me that clocking would be unnecessary. I really would like to dual-boot ubuntu eventually however for the flexibility (and freeware-ness) of the applications.
For instance, I might download a video clip or pdf, need to unzip it and then find it needs a weird codec to play.
I'm not really a fan of "apps" on mobile devices. I find that they are generally very limiting: they use too much processing power for what they are, they often have an unreasonable price-tag/bloatware, and they are designed for small mobile devices, so the interface lacks functionality.
For example; none of the android office apps support footnote creation. Only some support viewing. Clearly the hardware of the TF101 would allow it to footnote easily, so I feel like I should have the ability to use this hardware to achieve the functionality of a netbook
That said, I'm keen to use the whole android/mobile app interface when I've separated the tablet from the dock and recline to watch youtube or check my emails
Alright, I'll look into it more as to getting Ubuntu on a sbkv2, as I'd want to do it too, but for now, assume no as I've looked into it before and no cigar.. I believe there is a chroot method but that is slow buggy non-native etc so it's probably not what you're looking for. Using desktop view in Dolphin Browser HD is actually about the same as pc browsing, just tested on google docs. Or you could always type out your docs on the tablet then get on a pc/desktop view and add footnotes later. (roundabout, I know x.x)
Rooting the sbkv2 and romming is easy, but sadly Nvflash doesn't work at all till ASUS unlocks the bootloader or someone cracks it.
"I'm not really a fan of "apps" on mobile devices. I find that they are generally very limiting: they use too much processing power for what they are, they often have an unreasonable price-tag/bloatware, and they are designed for small mobile devices, so the interface lacks functionality. "
The way android works helps to manage processing power very well, so you shouldn't be worried about a smooth experience if you root rom and optimize. As for the design most major apps have an HD version specifically for tablets, and many are free (if you can get past ads or use a blocker ) Any other questions/concerns?
Thing O Doom said:
Any other questions/concerns?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At this point I'm only really trying to figure out whether there is a way to dual-boot ubuntu. I have more reading to do, but my current reading suggests that it's possible - just not sure how accessible the process is to someone like me.
Law here allows us to return an unopened product within 7 days of purchase, so I will have to weigh up whether I can reasonably expect a way to run ubuntu in the future, and whether I should just have fun with android in the meantime.
I'll be happy to keep it if I thought there'd be a way to run ubuntu (or asus releases the key) sometime in the next couple of months. Otherwise I've just spent $400 on something that my current (old, heavy, 1hr battery) laptop does better.
EDIT: Remote desktop isn't a possibility due to my lack of internet.
2ND EDIT: I've made a bit of a mistake: the model no is TF101-1B180A, but as far as I know it is skbv1 (fingers crossed) which means I can use the PRIME installer. I guess I shall find out tomorrow morning!
Thanks again for the help!
What you really need to find out is the serial number - If it's B60 or lower it is sbkv1, if it's B70 it could be either (mine is a b70 but is sbkv2, my friends is a sbkv1, we both got it in best buy on the same day ) The ubuntu help and installer thread in the dev forum can help you if you have sbkv1, I can help walk you through everything if you'd like too. Asus is 'planning' to release the bootloader, which will happen eventually as people continue to pester them, and there is a way I'm sure.
Just an F.Y.I it is possible to install Ubuntu on an SBK2 device followinf the instructions in this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1537566
As for the speed of it, it is not great(I did the mount-loop install on the internal storage which is at least faster than installing on an sdcard). I havn't tried overclocking yet to see if that helpls. Also a number of things do not work at all/ need some tweaking to work.
how about tethering from wifi from your phone and using something like splashtop?
I have a TF101G so the internet issue is a bit less troublesome.
That guide you linked seems a bit roundabout, but I'll try it out and if it works TYSM xD Thanks. ^^
It is layed out pretty well in the third post. I used the Dual-boot with loopmounted image option and just followed the instructions in that post. Just make sure you have rooted and installed cwm recovery.
Also I am not sure if the android kernels linked in the post are ics or hc ones, but if you upgrade to ics there are a couple kernels available in the dev section.
Theres an app called ubuntu installer, it isn't native but may work about the same, also testing now.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA
Thing O Doom said:
Theres an app called ubuntu installer, it isn't native but may work about the same, also testing now.
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wouldn't bother with that, it is far too slow to be useful in my experience.
EDIT: deleted because it sounds negative. Basically I'll need to try to return/sell this if I can't get ubuntu working because android cannot do what I need it to.
As I pointed out previously it doesn't matter if you have an sbkv2 device as far as installing Ubuntu is concerned.
Just follow the instructions here after rooting the device.
It is not perfect though, there are a few bugs and as far as I know no one has got hardware graphical acceleration working yet so you can't watch videos. I think sound isn't working yet either.
Also don't expect the same programs you would find in windows or even linux normally as many programs have yet to be ported to arm based linux.
Nairbly said:
As I pointed out previously it doesn't matter if you have an sbkv2 device as far as installing Ubuntu is concerned.
Just follow the instructions here after rooting the device.
It is not perfect though, there are a few bugs and as far as I know no one has got hardware graphical acceleration working yet so you can't watch videos. I think sound isn't working yet either.
Also don't expect the same programs you would find in windows or even linux normally as many programs have yet to be ported to arm based linux.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the instructions.
I NEED this device to be able to perform full word procesing as a minimum. I also want to be able to have multiple windows open so I can actually see what I'm writing, and I would like to be able to see what I'm typing as I type it instead of a second later. I need to be able to use keyboard shortcuts and select text easily. Lastly, I need to be able to streamline the OS so it can run quickly.
If a TF101 with ubuntu dual-booted is unable to accomplih this, somebody please tell me now.
umfortunately I have:
Chip UIP: 0x42890884140b097
SBkv2
Now looking up instuctions to root SBKv2
Nairbly said:
As I pointed out previously it doesn't matter if you have an sbkv2 device as far as installing Ubuntu is concerned.
Just follow the instructions here after rooting the device.
It is not perfect though, there are a few bugs and as far as I know no one has got hardware graphical acceleration working yet so you can't watch videos. I think sound isn't working yet either.
Also don't expect the same programs you would find in windows or even linux normally as many programs have yet to be ported to arm based linux.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nairby,
You didn't mention how to root an SKBv2. Would you use the Universal root toolkit 7.1 found here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1185104 ?
If its on ICS: Vipermod option 1.
If it's on HC, root with the razorclaw tool by downgrading the firmware then flash an ics rom. Very easy and no computer required.
Thing O Doom said:
If it's on HC, root with the razorclaw tool by downgrading the firmware then flash an ics rom. Very easy and no computer required.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I receive the message "this device lacks the needed file (bad luck)" after insalling
So when I noticed my Shield downloaded the 4.4 update, and went over the notes in it, I was like I better come to XDA and see if this is for me or not.
CLEARLY being an emulation junkie I need to stick with my beloved 4.3.
What I need to know is if there are any safeguards I can take to stop my shield from updating to 4.4 accidentally / automatically, seeing as the files are already on it waiting to be updated?
Edwii said:
So when I noticed my Shield downloaded the 4.4 update, and went over the notes in it, I was like I better come to XDA and see if this is for me or not.
CLEARLY being an emulation junkie I need to stick with my beloved 4.3.
What I need to know is if there are any safeguards I can take to stop my shield from updating to 4.4 accidentally / automatically, seeing as the files are already on it waiting to be updated?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Long press the OTA notification, select app info, Uncheck the box that says show notifications. (Or go into apps and find Google services Framework, and disable it that way)
The Shield will not Automatically update on it's own regardless, but now you won't ever see the notification.
If you ever want to update just go into settings, about, Update.
There are other ways but I'm not sure if they will work with the Shield/Have not tried them.
You can also install the Gamepad Mapper, and new Tegra Zone. just grab these APKs and install them normally. This way you have the improved gamepad mapper, and remote streaming when you want it. The new Tegrazone app doesn't replace the old one, so you can still use the HQ old Tegrazone app. The Nvidia button will also only open the old app, I used Gravity box to set up the Y button to open the new Tegrazone app with a long press, and that works perfect.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2-JgUT2G-9vQjRha2JXVFBKdE0/edit?usp=sharing - TegraZone
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2-JgUT2G-9vakM2Z1M3bmQzQjg/edit?usp=sharing - Gamepad Mapper
The same thing happened to me. Since I use the Shield for emulators and some Android games (no interest with streaming PC games on a 5" display), I have no need for 4.4. Especially since emulators are reported to play slower and most of all, external writing for 3rd party apps has been killed by Goople (not spelling error).
The only catch here is the 464 MB update will still be taking up flash storage, since already downloaded. Added: Mine is still on 4.2, as was out of box when bought from Best Buy last week.
CDeviant said:
Long press the OTA notification, select app settings, disable notifications from the app that pops up. (Google services I think)
The Shield will not Automatically update on it's own regardless, but now you won't ever see the notification.
If you ever want to update just go into settings, about, Update.
There are other ways but I'm not sure if they will work with the Shield/Have not tried them.
You can also install the Gamepad Mapper, and new Tegra Zone. just grab these APKs and install them normally. This way you have the improved gamepad mapper, and remote streaming when you want it. The new Tegrazone app doesn't replace the old one, so you can still use the HQ old Tegrazone app. The Nvidia button will also only open the old app, I used Gravity box to set up the Y button to open the new Tegrazone app with a long press, and that works perfect.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2-JgUT2G-9vQjRha2JXVFBKdE0/edit?usp=sharing - TegraZone
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2-JgUT2G-9vakM2Z1M3bmQzQjg/edit?usp=sharing - Gamepad Mapper
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the reply, Some really handy information here for avoiding the update but getting the goods out of it.
I do have three follow up questions :
1. I want to really confirm what you are saying, that "the shield will not update on it's own" I've had my shield since July/13, I could swear that it's updated itself with out me pushing a button, like even the last update before kitkat, I really thought it updated on it's own. LIke if I shut the shield off, it wont force the update?
2. I have a 64gb sd card so it's not really a big deal that i lost 400megs of internal data doesn't seem like a big deal to me.
But I do wonder, there must be a way to delete those update files some how?
a. I've avoided rooting my shield mostly cause I'm lazy, never done it before, and it seems like it adds complications, should I?
3. About your work around suggestions;
a. What's the difference between the old tegrazone and new one?
b. Do I need to map a button for the new tegrazone or can I just open it like any other app?
c. What is the "remote streaming"? I mean I know about how I can stream from my PC to the shield at home, is this a feature that is new that lets me stream from like, wifi at a coffee shop or something?
4. This may be a better question for some where else, but as of right now the only real reason i'm avoiding the update is because of emulator performance. But from what I can tell there are a lot of negative things about this update.
What are the other pros and cons about the latest update? (I heard something about it effect the useability of my SD card among other things?)
I dont know if theyre in the same spot as other android devices but check the /data/fota folder for the new update files. If its there do me a huge favor please and copy the file and upload it. If you have a slow connect could u grab a couple files from it for me i need to check something.
Edwii said:
Thank you for the reply, Some really handy information here for avoiding the update but getting the goods out of it.
I do have three follow up questions :
1. I want to really confirm what you are saying, that "the shield will not update on it's own" I've had my shield since July/13, I could swear that it's updated itself with out me pushing a button, like even the last update before kitkat, I really thought it updated on it's own. LIke if I shut the shield off, it wont force the update?
2. I have a 64gb sd card so it's not really a big deal that i lost 400megs of internal data doesn't seem like a big deal to me.
But I do wonder, there must be a way to delete those update files some how?
a. I've avoided rooting my shield mostly cause I'm lazy, never done it before, and it seems like it adds complications, should I?
3. About your work around suggestions;
a. What's the difference between the old tegrazone and new one?
b. Do I need to map a button for the new tegrazone or can I just open it like any other app?
c. What is the "remote streaming"? I mean I know about how I can stream from my PC to the shield at home, is this a feature that is new that lets me stream from like, wifi at a coffee shop or something?
4. This may be a better question for some where else, but as of right now the only real reason i'm avoiding the update is because of emulator performance. But from what I can tell there are a lot of negative things about this update.
What are the other pros and cons about the latest update? (I heard something about it effect the useability of my SD card among other things?)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. I've rebooted/power off my Shield many times, no problems. I think I've had it on 4.3 since 4/16 it's never updated on it's own, but I do have CWM (custom recovery)
2. The only way around that is unlocking the bootloader and rooting. It's a simple process, getting the environment to use ADB and getting the drivers to all work properly is key, and the hardest part. the process goes: Unlock bootloader > Flash custom recovery (CWM) > Flash root package with CWM.
3. a. Better ui, and streaming options, but lower quality video, and sound lag when streaming. Remote streaming. - New TegraZone
b. No, you can open it like any other app.
c. Exactly, it lets you stream your games away from home, and it's not bad.
4. Really the only cons I see in 4.4 are the SD restrictions, and the worse performance/battery life, everything else is great! The overall polish of Kitkat is really nice, probably my biggest pro is the immersive status bar. Being able to pull the status bar down while streaming a game is really nice (or anywhere fullscreen really)
If you do end up rooting/unlocking your shield, I recommend eventually installing the Xposed Installer and getting Gravity box, there's a lot of useful tweaks in there. :good:
Seems if the main focus is Android and emulator games, stay away from 4.4, but if main focus is PC gaming, 4.4 is the way to go. The stutter that happens due to the random throttle issues with emulators and control input ruins the emulators for me. If I had not been used to them playing smooth on my other devices and the Shield as is, perhaps I would not be as bothered. The difference though is very noticeable to me. Even NES and PCE games stutter/lag. Not good cricket!
If there is an Nvidia update that fixes this issue, I will consider starting from scratch with unlocking and then rooting to remove external write restrictions. Right now, the performance issue does not warrant the effort or free time wasted starting over again.
hexitnow said:
I dont know if theyre in the same spot as other android devices but check the /data/fota folder for the new update files. If its there do me a huge favor please and copy the file and upload it. If you have a slow connect could u grab a couple files from it for me i need to check something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Need to be rooted to access. Of course. Drat.
I would like the 4.3 update. I guess I was a week too late buying this.
4.4 No lag for me in any emulators other than some rooms in reicast. Arcade is mint. I spend a lot of time with cps2 and neo geo games. If you're having speed issues in 4.4 try a better emulator. Haven't had any speed issues with retro arch.
Sent from my LG-D959 using Tapatalk
Sess said:
4.4 No lag for me in any emulators other than some rooms in reicast. Arcade is mint. I spend a lot of time with cps2 and neo geo games. If you're having speed issues in 4.4 try a better emulator. Haven't had any speed issues with retro arch.
Sent from my LG-D959 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"A better emulator"
That just isn't really the problem though, these same emulators were perfect before.
If you have them both, please try Castlevania Aria of Sorrow on GBA.emu
It's unplayable on 4.4, but perfect on later android versions, even with 0 frameskip and hq2x rendering. Now on the other hand, the My Boy! emulator seems to work nearly as well on both android versions and I played through Tomba with FPse partly with 4.3, and finishing it on 4.4, I noticed very little difference. So not all emulators have taken a hit, but it's there even in the system.. and don't get me started on battery life.
Basically I'm kinda agreeing with you. But, there is some issue either with Android 4.4, or whatever Nvidia did.
A little more on Topic. Ever since I disabled the notification from Google Services, and deleted the update from the cache partition, It hasn't downloaded again! It's been 2 days since I did that, and It's had plenty of times to download an OTA. (reboots, sleep with wifi on, etc.) It might download if you go to the update settings, so watch out.
Well I'm glad that I checked out XDA before I purchased a shield. I was looking for emulators, some android gaming, and for sure PC streaming since I have a powerful rig. I'll wait until Nvidia gets this stuff sorted. I planned to root and unlock so I'm not too worried about the external storage issues.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
CDeviant said:
"A better emulator"
That just isn't really the problem though, these same emulators were perfect before.
If you have them both, please try Castlevania Aria of Sorrow on GBA.emu
It's unplayable on 4.4, but perfect on later android versions, even with 0 frameskip and hq2x rendering. Now on the other hand, the My Boy! emulator seems to work nearly as well on both android versions and I played through Tomba with FPse partly with 4.3, and finishing it on 4.4, I noticed very little difference. So not all emulators have taken a hit, but it's there even in the system.. and don't get me started on battery life.
Basically I'm kinda agreeing with you. But, there is some issue either with Android 4.4, or whatever Nvidia did.
A little more on Topic. Ever since I disabled the notification from Google Services, and deleted the update from the cache partition, It hasn't downloaded again! It's been 2 days since I did that, and It's had plenty of times to download an OTA. (reboots, sleep with wifi on, etc.) It might download if you go to the update settings, so watch out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless you are a gamer/emulator fan, you probably will not notice as much, but we do. Smooth with 4.2 to stuttery with 4.4 is not an option IMO, so 4.4 is not happening- unless there is an update to fix it
People refer to Retroarch, but compared to the other dedicated emulators, it does not have the same level of features (nor perform as good with some). Also, the lack of individual system defined directories for the different roms is a major pain. :silly:
Hi all,
As you may assume, I'm the owner of an ASUS TF300TG, since summer'12. During this time, I kept the device updated only with official ROMs. This leads to have currently Android 4.2.1 with what I consider low performance. This pushes me to think on a new ROM, maybe KatKiss with Lollipop or Marshmallow, or even Xubuntu.
The things that take me back from this are the following:
1. I use this device to connect to my company's network. The policy for connecting to such network is no root and no jailbreak. Would it be possible to install a rom without root? I assume so, indeed xubuntu should be recognized as Linux PC.
2. I'm not a programmer, but not only a user. I have installed several PC (window and linux), and flashed once a mobile phone. I'm able to open a command line window and write some commands. But I started to read the xubuntu post, and I wasn't able to follow the messages (at least, the first pages). Is there any place to follow the detailed steps to install a new rom?
3. I would consider a pitty to loose the 3G functionality. Here, I find some kind of contradictions.
a) http://forum.xda-developers.com/transformer-tf300t/accessories/tf300tg-rom-3g-t3270011
Here it's said that asus hasn't released the source code for the 3G module.
b) http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2190847
But there's also the xubuntu post, that is stated (if I understood it properly), that 3G module is working. This totally misleads me...
4. After all this, will the effort worth it? I mean, I don't know if the performance improvement will be enough to make up the risk of loosing functionality (or even make it as usable as a brick). I saw some videos over Marshmallow, and it totally encourages me (have to further consider three topics above); I don't find some over xubuntu, and I don't see them so promising...
Thank you in advance for your time reading and answering. I expect your coments [emoji1]
Enviado desde mi ASUS Transformer Pad TF300TG mediante Tapatalk
After more than 150 reads, and no reply, I asked myself what went wrong. I realized that a post with title "Update for TF300TG" that maybe most users would open the post only to check if the there's any update they would like to know. That's the reason why I edited the title into something that avoid misleading.
If this is not the reason not to answer, please let me know.
Regards.
Update TF300TG?
I think you answered your own question in #1. You need it for work, unchanged.
If you were to do anything in the way of changing your ROM, even to xubuntu, then your TF300 would need to be rooted.
Your Asus is old and slow. Nothing you can do will change that.
Maybe you need to get something new and much faster and use it for work.
Then you will still have your TF300 to play with and learn how to root and change roms...
just my opinion,,,, Bob
YMMV but not many custom TF300 ROMs actually lead to a performance gain in the long term (although most may seem very fluid on first few uses). Mostly what they provide is a way to run a more recent Android version on the aging TF300. Gray-Beard phrased this painfully well. It's old and there's nothing you can do to change that.
At the end of the day, Cromi-Xenogenesis 5.4 may just be the best TF300 ROM around. It's great, but make no mistake: this also is just Android 4.2.1
I must say this company policy of "no root, no JB" is absolutely ridiculous. Not only do I doubt this to be verifiable from network perspective, but is the infrastructure THAT insecure that your machine-local EP may pose a security threat to the extent that such a policy is pertinent? And if there IS a BYOD mechanism in place, what happens if you have a windows machine with local admin? Is that also a big no-no? I mean ,God forbid you should have EP on your own bloody device....
On the other hand, xubuntu (or most other linux) isn't that great on TF300, you won't be able to run recent Xorg due to limited ABI support of NVidia's closed-source Tegra3 drivers (thanks NVidia!), probably won't be able to use kernels beyond 3.1.10 (if you do then pls show me how) and the whole thing is just not that stable.
chemizt said:
YMMV but not many custom TF300 ROMs actually lead to a performance gain in the long term (although most may seem very fluid on first few uses). Mostly what they provide is a way to run a more recent Android version on the aging TF300. Gray-Beard phrased this painfully well. It's old and there's nothing you can do to change that.
At the end of the day, Cromi-Xenogenesis 5.4 may just be the best TF300 ROM around. It's great, but make no mistake: this also is just Android 4.2.1
I must say this company policy of "no root, no JB" is absolutely ridiculous. Not only do I doubt this to be verifiable from network perspective, but is the infrastructure THAT insecure that your machine-local EP may pose a security threat to the extent that such a policy is pertinent? And if there IS a BYOD mechanism in place, what happens if you have a windows machine with local admin? Is that also a big no-no? I mean ,God forbid you should have EP on your own bloody device....
On the other hand, xubuntu (or most other linux) isn't that great on TF300, you won't be able to run recent Xorg due to limited ABI support of NVidia's closed-source Tegra3 drivers (thanks NVidia!), probably won't be able to use kernels beyond 3.1.10 (if you do then pls show me how) and the whole thing is just not that stable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will share my experience.
I'm on the Cromi-Xenogenesis 5.4, with standard configuration I got a flawless system at the begging, but after few months I got a laggy device, so then I made a full wipe then I reinstalled everything from the scratch. I did it two times in 2 years.
The last time, before I was willing the third wipe, during first days of January 2016, I tried to make some change in the config with Kernel Adiutor and Developer option.
In kernel Adiutor:
- Governor CPU: perfomance
- Internal Memory => Scheduler: cfq
In Developer option:
- disable animation: Window animation scale, Transition animation scale and Animator duration scale
- force rendering on GPU.
Other important suggestions could be:
- use stock browser
- use Nova launcher
- use Twlight for night use (it's a red filter for screen)
- use Swifteky and reduce the keyboard dimension
- use Adaway to remove useless banner
- kill autostart app (like Amazon, Aliexpress, Weather app... etc)
Now maybe my little guide it's useless, but I have a usable tablet still in 2016 for Web, Gmail, little editing of documents, Telegram, Imgur, Youtube (maybe it has little problem here) and Netflix.
I tried KatKiss 6.x (don't remember the exact version number) for TF300T without 3G, then installed "ppp widget 2" (or "ppp widget 3"?) from Google Play and started 3g manually from this application (widget). Android will not automatically switch from Wi-Fi internet to 3G internet (as like in stock), you must switch it manually. Some bugs discovered, for example, I could connect 3G and disconnect only once, when I want to connect 3G again, I had to reboot. device. Maybe will work on some other firmwares?
I see there are several custom marshmallow ROMs for the Nvidia Shield Portable. I'm thinking of upgrading as I'm sick of always having to move my apps around and not being able to update them. Adoptable storage solves that issue.
The ones I've found are:
CM: https://forum.xda-developers.com/nv...t/rom-cyanogenmod-12-shield-portable-t3042192
LineageOS: https://forum.xda-developers.com/nvidia-shield/development/rom-lineageos-shield-portable-t3562831
RR: https://forum.xda-developers.com/nvidia-shield/development/resurrection-remix-t3465740
Which of these is the most stable and supported? It appears CM or LineageOS.
Are any shield features supported on these? Such as (in order of importance):
Console mode
Controller
Gamestreaming (using official app, not moonlight)
Gamepad mapper
Thanks!
I'm running CM13 for the same reason, adoptable storage. Controller works but most shield specific stuff does not and other apps are needed. Let me know which one you end up on. Haven't booted mine for a while and thinking of wiping it again.
LineageOS is the continuation of CyanogenMod, I wouldn't use the cm builds anymore. And wow, somehow I missed RR getting released, need to go take a look at it sometime.
As for feature support (should apply to all custom ROMs, but I can't be 100% sure about RR):
Console mode: Yes, works fine.
Controller: Built-in works, wireless does not. Been working on the wireless support for years. I can make them pair and work, but there's no user friendly way to do so yet. See the end of the shield apps thread in the tablet section for more info.
Game stream official: No, does not work. As far as I can tell, support for the tegra 4 was completely removed from the M version of the shield hub streaming. As such, I cannot fix it. Moonlight does work, I am told. Don't use streaming myself as I don't have windows.
Gamepad mapper: This is virtually impossible to port from stock. Tincore is the alternative, but is a pain to set up.
Thanks for the informative response! Sounds like LineageOS is the way to go. If I decide I'm going to keep my portable I'll probably flash LineageOS (I'm debating selling it as I bought a GPD Win, but it's found a use as an Android TV system for my wife... so I'm debating keeping it or selling it and buying a cheap chinese system).
I've posted an atv build or two in my cm thread. Working on making atv work better in lineage right now. Been having troubles the last couple weeks, but have a couple more devs looking at the problems now. Once those settle down, I'll run another build for roth. It worked really well for the short time I had it installed. Might even end up my normal install once the kinks get worked out. But if you're interested in atv, I am working on it. If you want a really nice dedicated atv system, the shield android tv is amazing. For kodi, retroarch, etc, etc. A bit pricy, but totally worth it for the features.
Thanks, I'll look into it, but it's just a kitchen TV machine. All she really uses it for is CrunchyRoll and YouTube (hence why a cheap chinese system would be perfect).
Steel01 said:
LineageOS is the continuation of CyanogenMod, I wouldn't use the cm builds anymore. And wow, somehow I missed RR getting released, need to go take a look at it sometime.
As for feature support (should apply to all custom ROMs, but I can't be 100% sure about RR):
Console mode: Yes, works fine.
Controller: Built-in works, wireless does not. Been working on the wireless support for years. I can make them pair and work, but there's no user friendly way to do so yet. See the end of the shield apps thread in the tablet section for more info.
Game stream official: No, does not work. As far as I can tell, support for the tegra 4 was completely removed from the M version of the shield hub streaming. As such, I cannot fix it. Moonlight does work, I am told. Don't use streaming myself as I don't have windows.
Gamepad mapper: This is virtually impossible to port from stock. Tincore is the alternative, but is a pain to set up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for doing all this work! As you saw based on the other threads, I am using LineageOS now. I haven't fully tested everything yet, but so far things are mostly working well.
Hello, great forum!
Joined specifically to ask these questions. I did use "search" here for a while before registering but, never found a clear-cut answer.
So, can I turn my fire 8hd into a regular android tab? Is it possible to COMPLETELY wipe the amazon os and run a normal launcher?
-I never registered device to prime, I followed a guide to add google stuff and nova launcher but, I hate hitting the home button and seeing the amazon home flash before going to nova. It is updated to 5.60. I've been reading some of the threads for hijacking the os (so many versions!) and it just made me even more confused.
Any and all help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
Hi, at the moment there is no other OS for these tablets but you can use Launcher Hijack V3 with nova launcher, this should get rid of the flickering of fire OS showing and at least give the appearance of a normal android tablet.
abacabie said:
Hi, at the moment there is no other OS for these tablets but you can use Launcher Hijack V3 with nova launcher, this should get rid of the flickering of fire OS showing and at least give the appearance of a normal android tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply!
Yup, I had installed Hijack v3 when I added everything else but I still see the amazon home flicker briefly.
Next questions would be, have previous version been successfully completed in removing all the amazon stuff and making it a normal android tablet?
If so, is there a general feeling around here that this will be possible in the future with 5.60?
What steps should I take now to block future updates in hopes of making this a normal tablet?
The older Kindle HD (from 2012) can do this, as they've managed to run custom recovery on it. A custom recovery (TWRP or similar) is the first step to being able to actually replace the OS, and as far as I know only the older HD model had that available. Without it, you're stuck with Fire OS for the foreseeable future.
My old 2012 KFHD ran Android 6 Marshmallow for nearly the last 2 years until the charging port starting going haywire, and in an attempt to repair it I accidentally bricked it.
I was going to get another one to replace it, but decided to spend a little more on a more recent edition, the last generation (2016) HD 8. Why? Because as much as I like stock Android, I actually lost access to high definition content in Netflix and Amazon Video streaming services, since it was no longer recognized as a certified device for that. Uncertified devices only get access to lower resolution video, which begs the question- why have an HD tablet for low res video?
Turns out I use my laptop more for work, and this is just a reading/video/casual gaming device for me. The new version is a little faster and has more RAM, and those things work fine if not better in the original Fire OS, so I'm OK with that.
I came here actually wondering if any progress had been made in custom roms/recoveries for the HD8, but this thread confirms what I already figured. If you want a Kindle that you can remove and replace the OS, you need to go back some generations and get an older one.