Kogan Agora Tablet (TCC8803 based)

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This is a continuation of the generic TCC8803 thread at http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1119778

IMPORTANT - THERE IS A SYSTEM APP CALLED FWTOOL. DO NOT USE IT TO FLASH FIRMWARE OR YOU MAY END UP BRICKING YOUR TOUCHSCREEN. ALSO DO NOT FLASH ANY VERSION OF lk.rom OR YOU WILL BRICK YOUR TABLET.

To install clockworkmod

Download EM73-8K-recovery-signed.zip below. Rename it to update.zip and copy it to the root of your SD card.
With your tablet already turned off, press and hold down the Back button and then press the power on button while still holding down the Back button. This will open stock Recovery.
Use the buttons on the top of your tablet to navigate your way through recovery and to select menu items (menu = down, back = returns to previous menu, home = selects option).
Navigate to apply update.zip & follow the instructions. Reboot.
To use clockworkmod just press and hold down the Back button while powering up your tablet. Navigate the menu via the buttons (menu = down, back = returns to previous menu, home = selects option).
To make a Nandroid (clockworkmod) backup boot into clockworkmod recovery & navigate down to Backup then follow the instructions.

To root your tablet ** please see comment at end of post before continuing past this point

+++Make a full Nandroid (clockworkmod) backup before attempting this+++
Download & unzip Superoneclick from http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=803682 - NB you may need to turn off any antivirus program on your PC to allow downloading & use of Superoneclick.
Download & unzip the relevant Drivers folder (32 or 64 bit) from link below then connect your (powered on) tablet to your PC & point Device Manager to your unzipped drivers folder when it is looking for drivers.
Make sure USB debugging is allowed on your tablet (Settings -> Development -> USB debugging)
Right-click on Superoneclick.exe, select Run as administrator then click on the Root button. It will take 2 or 3 minutes for your device to be rooted.
This procedure has worked for my own tablet but I accept no responsibility if you end up bricking your device!

Another way to root your tablet is at http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1119778

To stop battery drain & prevent screen from waking every few minutes - **only for original Kogan ROM**

(with thanks to hallokitty for this fix)
This happens because the tablet keeps looking for the 3G signal it cannot ever receive. To fix this, go to System/app using Root Explorer from the Market, delete (or rename) phone.apk and TelephonyProvider.apk. You will immediately start getting errors but just use the reset button at the back of the tablet and when you reboot the problem has been solved. If you ever want to restore these apk's (e.g. if you want to use a 3G modem) just flash the phone+telephony zip file below using clockwork mod.

Clockworkmod rescue backups

I've done a factory reset & wipe of my tablet & made clockworkmod backups which I've linked to below. Make sure you do a full Nandroid backup before applying any of these. Unzip the file & place it in the appropriate Nandroid folder on your SD card (/clockworkmod/backup/), don't try to flash the zip file using CWM! These are a slightly slimmed down versions of the ROMs - for the Kogan ROM I've removed phone.apk, telephony.apk, Email, Facebook, Twitter, FW tool (dangerous to have), ES Explorer, Live Wallpapers and ES task manager. I've upgraded Spare Parts to Spare Parts + and added Astro File Manager as a user app. I had removed most of these things from my ROM before I was ever asked to make this backup so if you want to reinstall them you can get them from the Market or flash the relevant apk's into the system/app folder using CWM. The ROM is still rooted. You will need to do a factory reset & wipe the Data partition & Dalvik cache with CWM prior to doing this. If you want to use a 3G modem you will need to flash the "phone + telephony.zip" file listed below with clockworkmod.


Kogan firmware clockworkmod rescue backup: http://www.mediafire.com/?izfedrz97iowi34

**If you're really lazy you can combine rooting the tablet, removing unnecessary system apps & applying the screen wake fix by installing clockworkmod then restoring the rescue backup (NB make sure you make your own Nandroid backup first!!!).

CM7 runs extremely well on the Kogan except for HDMI out & Camera which don't work yet. You will also need to install Gmail & Youtube apps from the Market if you want them. Make sure you do a full CWM/Nandroid backup before trying this as I had problems with an unresponsive touchscreen after flashing the most recent CM7 ROM. For more info head here.

Tips & Tricks

MoboPlayer is a good video player, particularly for its ability to let you change the volume & screen brightness by swiping up & down directly on the video you are watching. The volume softkeys on the Kogan are not visible if any app is in fullscreen mode.
Titanium Backup may not show all installed apps or any system apps. To fix this go to Titanium Backup's Preferences and tick "Force use system Busybox" and "Force use system SQlite".

OK mine has arrived lets see what we can do

Originally Posted by flipside101

OK mine has arrived lets see what we can do

Lucky you - they're really dragging their heels with mine. Can you upload the kernel & we can see about getting clockworkmod for it?

How do you rate it as a tablet? Is the keyboard OK? - some people have said it's a bit carp.

I got mine today. It's going back as soon as I can get Kogan to respond.
Turns itself on & off at random, poor quality screen, sound, responsiveness.
Touchscreen activates itself without being touched.
What was I thinking? I guess you get what you pay for.
Now if only I could get them to reply to an email.......

Ok i have to agree you get what you pay for so i had low exectations. Its no flyer,tab,transformer but then it was a 1/4 of the cost. Yes the screen has issues (partly i think due to the screen protecter and battery life is poor though ive had this on for about 2 hrs now and its about 2/3rds down.

All in all im happy though going to live with it for a bit and i reserve the right to change my mind.

Wil right more when i have aproper keyboard

yeh i get the same problem with the screen comming on and off randomly.. i wish i could stop that =P (would save the 3 hour battery life i have to 4 hours!)

you get what you pay for =P but i thought the screen was quite good considering.

did you try the recovery yet?

how nice would it be to port oxygen to the kogan haha

Originally Posted by wlee2

yeh i get the same problem with the screen comming on and off randomly.. i wish i could stop that =P (would save the 3 hour battery life i have to 4 hours!)

you get what you pay for =P but i thought the screen was quite good considering.

did you try the recovery yet?

how nice would it be to port oxygen to the kogan haha

The screen keeps coming on as the OS is looking for a 3G signal all the time. If you switch it to airplane mode it should stop happening. Or use http://www.appbrain.com/app/airplane...d.airplanemode . Or you could even try adjusting the settings to use 2G only.

I can't adjust to 2g only on mine - it's greyed out.

Yes, I've put it back to factory setting a few times, but it's no better.

The switching on/off isn't the main problem (though it has used 30% of the batter life in 8 hours during the night).

The main issue is the touchscreen simply activating itself. If i go into a menu of any kind, it sometimes selects something for me. It happens too often to just ignore it.

Sounds like a faulty screen :( - let us know how you get on returning it! If mine turns out to be rubbish when it arrives my Plan B is this one http://mp4nation.net/catalog/index.p...roducts_id=496

well im having the random on issues (thanks for the airplane mode idea ill give it a tray) but the screen activations are not a problem.

@dwl99 that mp4nation link is the same as the kogan (a rebranded em73) so its likely to have the same niggles i think