Motoactv

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simx

Senior Member
Oct 16, 2005
61
7
bricking the Motoactv

Hi everybody, do I understand from the talks going on this thread that you can't brick your Motoactv at all ? I mean is there a possibility to permanently damage it through these mods?
Also is there any detailed guide for rooting it that is designed for an unexperienced users?
thanks
 

Jay4255

Senior Member
Jan 7, 2012
131
107
League City, TX
As long as you create a backup of the system partition, you can not brick the device. You can always flash the system.img back and wipe the userdata and cache to restore the device. At the moment, the only guide I know of is CMW's.

I have been working on a Detailed guide with pictures that uses my batch file, but it's not finished. Below is the basic steps to rooting with my batch file.

Download My MotoACTV zip and extract it
Double Click Windows.bat
Choose Restore (Option 2)
Put watch in Fastboot Mode (Power Off, Hold Start & Power 3 seconds)
Choose Flash Custom Boot (Option 1)
Wait for reboot
Download SuperOneClick and extract it
Change Exploit to zergRush and click on Root
If the right pane freezes for awhile, unplug the USB cable and plug it back in
It should say Done and reboot
Wait for reboot
On my batch file, Return to the Main Menu (Option 9)
Choose Backup (Option 1)
Choose Backup System.img and Userdata.img (Option 3)
Wait for it to finish
Return to Main Menu (Option 9)
Choose Mods (Option 3)
Install a Launcher (Option 1 or Option 2)
Replace PackageInstaller.apk (Option 3)
Remap Buttons (Option 5)
Device will reboot, you should now be rooted with a custom launcher and able to install APKs without using ADB, and buttons should be remapped to the option you chose.

Personal Recommendations
- Install AnyCut/BetterCut Create a new shortcut to "LaunchActivity". When opened, this will bring up the stock Workout Menu, press the Back arrow to return to the default MotoACTV menu. Press the button you remapped to home to easily return to the launcher you installed.

- Install WidgetLocker Lockscreen. Remove all default items. Place Lockscreen Clock (under widgets) on one side, ICS launcher on other. Shows battery %, time, and looks great with Honeycomb Launcher.

- Install DropBox/Box.net. At the moment, we don't have a working Android Market. Easiest way to Install APKs is download them on phone from market, navigate to /data/app long press on downloaded APK, choose DropBox/Box.net. Then download on MotoACTV from DropBox/Box.net

- Install Amazon Market. After replacing the stock PackageInstaller.apk, Amazon market works flawlessly.
 

NORCALkID

Senior Member
Jun 23, 2011
826
243
Hi everybody, do I understand from the talks going on this thread that you can't brick your Motoactv at all ? I mean is there a possibility to permanently damage it through these mods?
Also is there any detailed guide for rooting it that is designed for an unexperienced users?
thanks

For a really good picture on how to do this i would suggest you read this entire thread. It has really good information on mistakes we have made and things we did to correct them also some where in the middle of this thread some one posted a more detailed guide.

Hopefully we can manage to get our own thead so we can organize things better

Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
 
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washeightz

New member
Jan 13, 2012
2
0
16Gb version

I just got mine yesterday and it has newest firmware 56.78, it is 16gb, and as far as i know cmw said it only works for 8gb, does anyone who is not a noob with one post know of a way to make this work on the 16gb with the newest firmware, and i want to keep my operating system like cmw did but also have the option to switch to honeycomb, etc...
 

simx

Senior Member
Oct 16, 2005
61
7
Motoactv rooting

Jay4255, thanks for your reply, as for your personal recommendations, sorry if it is a dumb question, where should I install these apps from?, I come from an Iphone background, thats why I'm not familiar with the Android world.
thanks again to everybody helped
 

wayneone

New member
Dec 12, 2007
2
0
how to use button savior and anycut?

need help to get the factory launcher.

tried both button savior and anycut to use the factory actv launcher/apps but not working.

anycut- selected Activity, Workout Launcher (tried others as well), ok, and it says Shortcut created, however shortcut doesnt show up in Zeam nor Honeycomb.

anycut home edition - couldnt find the new shortcut button nor scroll the home page

Button Savior- where is the launcher switch setting?
 

atmandk

Member
Apr 18, 2009
16
3
anycut- selected Activity, Workout Launcher (tried others as well), ok, and it says Shortcut created, however shortcut doesnt show up in Zeam nor Honeycomb.

With anycut, you don't want to run the application directly. Instead, create a shortcut on the desktop, and then select anycut, then follow as normally and it will create the shortcut on the desktop.
 
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Jay4255

Senior Member
Jan 7, 2012
131
107
League City, TX
I just got mine yesterday and it has newest firmware 56.78, it is 16gb, and as far as i know cmw said it only works for 8gb, does anyone who is not a noob with one post know of a way to make this work on the 16gb with the newest firmware, and i want to keep my operating system like cmw did but also have the option to switch to honeycomb, etc...

That's some pretty big talk coming from someone with only one post. Check back to earlier pages of the forum and PM some of the other people who have rooted the 16g version. Or hop in the IRC, it's usually pretty active after work hours.

Jay4255, thanks for your reply, as for your personal recommendations, sorry if it is a dumb question, where should I install these apps from?, I come from an Iphone background, thats why I'm not familiar with the Android world.
thanks again to everybody helped

The simpliest way would probably just be to Google them. However, you can also install the Android SDK, or trade your iPhone for a real phone lol.
 
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fiestah

New member
Jan 13, 2012
2
4
My MotoACTV Experience

Hey Jay,

Just want to pop on by to say thanks for your scripts. I run on a Mac and haven't been having any problem with the scripts running in Parallels.

There are quite a few helpful people in these forums so if any of you are having any problems, you just need to ask. I just wished there were more people actively sharing what they've done with their MotoACTV after they've got confortable with rooting and playing around with it. Also would like to dig a little deeper to see what actually works and doesn't.

Once again, Jay, thank you for all your help and quick tutorials within this thread. I really hope we can have a forum to further increase development and the productivity on this little guy.

I know some people like the Original Launcher, or at least they want to keep it for now. I dont know why the first time i ran through the script it kaboshed the original MotoACTV launcher. Anyhow after playing around it and restoring here's where I am comfortably (hope this helps some of you). This is more of a log for myself as well.

Current Setup in Brief
I've rooted my MotoACTV and installed the GOLauncher with a whole wad of GOWidgets such as facebook, email, twitter, calendar, switches. Also installed AnyCut to create custom shortcuts and Button Savior because I didnt want to remap the start button. As per Jay, I've installed Dropbox to simplify the installation of APKs without having to boot-in-to-parallels-every-single-time. In addition to those apps to customize the UI. I've installed Words with Friends, Angry Birds, Waze, Netflix and Firefox just for fun.

CURRENT INSTALLED APKs - (Descriptions)

Launcher(s)
  • MotoACTV Launcher - Original MotoACTV Launcher
  • GOLauncher - Highly Customizable/Themeable Launcher w/ tons of widgets available

Widgets
  • GOCalendar - An event-able calendar widget for the homescreen
  • GOFacebook - Facebook widget
  • GOTwitter - Twitter widget
  • GOEmail - Email widgets, supports multiple accounts
  • GOSwitch - Switch toggle widget

Customizations
  • AnyCut - Create Custom Shortcuts. (Mapped Advanced WiFi Network Settings for connecting to custom / new WiFi Networks on the go)
  • Button Savior - Soft Home/Back/Menu Buttons
  • Terminal Emulator - For quick terminal hacks

Other APKs
  • Dropbox - Sync files and Install APKs wirelessly
  • Firefox - Web Browser / Synced with Desktop Version
  • Waze - Turn-by-Turn GPS navigation w/TTS
  • Netflix - Stream movies on the go
  • Angry Birds - Staple 'i've done it' app
  • Words with Friends - Scrabble like game on the go
  • Skype - Free calls, currently it just gets stuck at 'Signing In..' :(


WORKFLOW

1. Root the MotoACTV as per Powers88's nice little writeup on page 12 of this thread.

2. Download Jay4255's awesome script MotoACTV Easy Modder Script.

3. Backup System and User Data via Easy Modder Script. (Backup [1] > Backup System and Userdata [3])

4. Install GOLauncher and Dropbox using the Easy Modder Script (Mods [3] > Install Custom APK [4]).

GOLauncher has pretty awesome page / app drawer transitions as well. Dropbox lets you install APKs in your sleep.

5. Replace PackageInstaller.apk (Mods [3] > Replace PackageInstaller [3])

6. Map [Music ] Button as [Home] Button -> Set default action for Music/Home button as GoLauncher.

7. Install AnyCut through Dropbox.

(Sign up for Dropbox account, Install dropbox on your PC. Sign into Dropbox on your PC and MotoACTV. Any file you put into the Dropbox folders on your PC/Mac would be accessible on your MotoACTV. Open up APK files in Dropbox on your MotoACTV to install APKs)

8. Create shortcut to advanced WiFi Settings with AnyCut.

I'm such a retard. Going through AnyCut (Hold empty position on home screen, create Shortcut > Any Cut > Activity > [option]), I noticed that there were about 34 different [Settings] options all named [Settings]. So it was a bit of trial and error to figure out which one does what. I mapped out all 34 setting options on a spreadsheet and forgot to save it. Anyways, the one you want to map would be the second [Settings] option from the top as this one allows you to manage and add WiFi networks.

9. Install Button Savior APK so that I can have access to the [menu] button when and as needed.

10. Here on out I installed all the other APKs as needed. Waze is an interesting one as it does crowd sourced Turn-by-Turn GPS navigation with Text to Speech. It worked out pretty well when I needed to find a starbucks.

MOTOACTV LAUNCHER
I've noticed that for some reason, when my MotoACTV starts up it goes straight into GOLauncher, when I try to run the MotoACTV Launcher from the app drawer, it just goes through the MotoACTV Launcher intro then quits (which a lot of you guys are seeing). To jump start the MotoACTV Launcher, since I didn't map the Start button. When I hit the start button, it launchers the MotoACTV "Workout" screen. I hit the [back] button once to get out into the MotoACTV Launcher.

Since I've mapped the [Music] button as the [Home] button, to get back to GOLauncher, all I have to do is hit the [Music] button. I've also set swipe gestures on the GOLauncher dock to get back to MotoACTV as well. I can choose to either use the Start Button > Back Button combo or swipe the GOLauncher dock to get back to the MotoACTV Launcher and it's beautiful?! watch face.

INSTALL TO SD CARD
You'll find that you will run out of space on the data partition pretty quickly. To fix this you might want to install some of your apps onto the SD Card partition instead. You would need to go to command prompt and navigate to the ADB folder included in Jay's awesome Easy Modder Script then run the following command:

adb shell pm setInstallLocation 2

if you want to revert to installing it on the data partition simply use the following command:

adb shell pm setInstallLocation 0


UNINSTALLING APKs
Is your device getting a bit bloated through trying out the possibility of the MotoACTV? With AnyCut, you can create an Activity Shortcut to [Manage Applications] to manage your applications. (Thanks Jay) :)


There's just so much you can do with this guy. But it's a shame that Bluetooth Notifications and caller ID only works Motorola phones. I'll update my post if I find anything else that might of interest to others.
 

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washeightz

New member
Jan 13, 2012
2
0
That's some pretty big talk coming from someone with only one post. Check back to earlier pages of the forum and PM some of the other people who have rooted the 16g version. Or hop in the IRC, it's usually pretty active after work hours.



The simpliest way would probably just be to Google them. However, you can also install the Android SDK, or trade your iPhone for a real phone lol.

I did check the earlier pages, the 16gb has not been explained, cmw says it only works on the 8gb so far, and i sent him an e mail...
 
Last edited:

nosit1

Senior Member
May 19, 2010
905
108
Arizona
The root isn't an issue of being a 8GB or 16gb, it's the boot image. But I have heard reports of it working.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk
 

dragon_76

Senior Member
Apr 21, 2007
618
100
Chicago, IL
As per Jay, I've installed Dropbox to simplify the installation of APKs without having to boot-in-to-parallels-every-single-time...

There's just so much you can do with this guy. But it's a shame that Bluetooth Notifications and caller ID only works Motorola phones..

Not to brag but I was the one who first suggested using DropBox instead of adb push to transfer/install APKs...

Mac OS has the Android Developer Kit (including adb)...I have a Mac and I have never needed parallels to do anything with an android device.

Notifications /semi-work/ if you also have an android phone. There is a hacked APK to get bluetooth working on any android device but it only sends the Weather and you only get them through the default launcher's notifications.

I mainly use mine as a watch and for Google Music through the cloud along with a few games (angry birds!) however I love the pre-cache maps option and how I can just look at my wrist instead of grabbing for my phone when I am driving.

Cheers!
-M
Xda member since 2007
 

bakalesko

New member
Jan 14, 2012
1
0
Hello everyone, I`m new here and i have motoactv from a week and I wanted to root my motoactv and after several hours I success, but I was erased all origin files by my mistake and for my luck i had made a backup I with several hours I managed to give back me motoactv to default. When I was root the motoactv i put 2 launchers, but the both were crashed frequent.
I have a question: Can i put 1 (or 2) Launcher and in the same time to save the stock Launcher and Moto apps?
And another one: From where i should download the apps, because i didn`t see any android market after rooting? And how should i install them?

Thanks for your help and sorry for me bad english, but I`m from Bulgaria and still practice it!
 

Jay4255

Senior Member
Jan 7, 2012
131
107
League City, TX
Not to brag but I was the one who first suggested using DropBox instead of adb push to transfer/install APKs...

Yes, you may have been the first one to suggest it in this thread, but using DropBox/Box.net or any other could-based sync app is not a new idea by any means. It's been awhile since I've seen you post, people don't usually check the first couple pages. They probably just see my name more often than yours.
 
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  • 10
    CWMR ported

    Hello,

    I have ported CWMR 5.0.2.7 to the Motoactv (F100) device.

    actvcmwr.png


    Code:
    #include <std_disclaimer.h>
    /*
    * Your warranty is now void.
    *
    * I am not responsible for bricked devices, dead SD cards,
    * thermonuclear war, or you getting fired because the alarm app failed. Please
    * do some research if you have any concerns about features included in this ROM
    * before flashing it! YOU are choosing to make these modifications, and if
    * you point the finger at me for messing up your device, I will laugh at you.
    */

    The procedure for this is as follows. You MUST have working adb knowledge to use this and you must be able to restore using the available tool should any problems arise. This is considered an ALPHA release that may need additional work. I did not have access to the device during the port so all testing was done through TheEndGame7. THERE MAY BE ISSUES, you are warned.

    1) Download this file: CWMR5x_F100_recoveryA.img
    2) adb push CWMR5x_F100_recoveryA.img /data/local/
    3) adb shell (become root)
    4) dd if=/data/local/CWMR5x_F100_recoveryA.img of=/dev/block/mmcblk1p13
    5) exit adb from the device
    6) adb reboot recovery (you should be in CWMR now)


    The source for the device config is here. Please feel free to go wild with development on this because I do not have the device and likely won't be contributing much more except bug fixes. If you use this source, please give credit where it's due.

    NOTE: there are missing images(known). This is because the ramdisk is EXTREMELY finicky on this device and it WILL NOT BOOT past 3.66mb in size. I trimmed out things that weren't needed in order to make this work. The basic functionality you need should be there. adb is also not functioning properly yet within recovery.

    ramdisk config:
    https://github.com/utkanos/android_motorola_F100_initrd

    device config:
    https://github.com/utkanos/android_device_motorola_F100


    credits:
    koush for cwmr.
    TheEndGame7 for being my testing guinea pig.
    hashcode for some helpful insight.
    9
    MotoACTV Easy Modder v0.1

    Post removed, see below.
    8
    Well, it was a *****, but here is build 2, moving to Beta at this point in 'Moto red' by request of TEG.

    ayu6vRFV


    There is 1 lingering issue: usb support in recovery. It is a bastard, going to really have to tear this thing apart to debug why. Right now, recovery can backup, restore, wipe, flash roms, etc. All the stuff you're used to working, now does. I fixed images by shrinking the kernel to fit more stuff in here. You should no longer get any weird image errors. I bumped you up to 5.0.2.8 source as well.

    Flash this file the same as before via adb and dd.
    CWMR5x_F100_recoveryB.img

    adb push CWMR5x_F100_recoveryB.img /data/local/
    adb shell
    # dd if=/data/local/CWMR5x_F100_recoveryB.img of=/dev/block/mmcblk1p13
    # exit
    adb reboot recovery

    Some additional notes I'd like to share that might help you as you mess with this device now that I've played with one.

    1) NEVER use adb reboot bootloader for any reason. You get stuck in a ****tily programmed loop of hell. The way out of this loop is by following these instructions:

    a) hold START, POWER, VOL UP, VOL DOWN together for 10 seconds at least. You should see the screen flicker on and off twice.
    b) plug in the USB cable to turn device on
    c) you should boot back to rom, if not, do it again. It's touchy.

    2) The 'soft' reset is done by START + POWER for 5 seconds.

    Enjoy. Source is updated. This will likely be the last update unless I get adb working.

    Credits: koush for cwmr
    TheEndGame7 for providing a device
    ClearD for files
    8
    Attached is the latest copy of my MotoACTV Easy Modder v1.0. This is a MAJOR upgrade! Adds numerous features and completely revises how backups are stored on the computer. Need to use 7zip to extract it, wouldn't let me upload that big of a .zip file.

    To make this version see your old backups, open your IMGs folder, make a new folder (no spaces), drag all your old .img files into it.

    ChangeLog:
    v1.0 Updated 1/16/12
    - Redesigned GUI
    - Integrated SuperOneClick (Very basic at the moment)
    - Backup (Boot, Recovery, System, Cache, Userdata, All)
    - Restore (Boot, Recovery, System, Cache, Userdata, All)
    - Added more Button Remaps (21 configurations)
    - Run Custom ADB commands
    - Run Custom Fastboot commands

    v0.8 Updated 1/12/12
    - Fixed a few errors
    - Made ADB pause until a device is detected before continuing
    - New method of button remapping (DELETE "Keypads" folder from previous version)
    - Cleaned code

    v0.6 Updated 01/09/12
    - Backup
    - Now supports multiple images
    - Restore / Flash
    - Flash Custom Boot.img
    - Implemented Userdata Restore
    - Implemented System and Userdata Restore
    - Mods
    - Install Custom APKs
    - Tools
    - Remount filesystem as Read/Write
    - Modified "Clean '/system/app'"

    v0.1 Initial Release
    - Backup (System.img and Userdata.img)
    - Restore (System.img and Userdata.img)
    - Remap Buttons (7 different configurations)
    - Install Launcher (Honeycomb and Zeam)
    - Replace Stock PackageInstaller.apk with one from CyanogenMod
    - Remove MotoCRAP (Strip '/system/app')
    - Restart MotoACTV
    - Stop ADB (Enables MotoSync and Mass Storage)

    Future Plans:
    - Market Installer
    - Port scripts to *nix and Mac

    Screenshots:
    http://xdaforums.com/album.php?albumid=5789

    Download:
    Newer version posted later in thread. Page 55.
    7
    Working on an All-in-One batch file with an easy to use menu to try and make the alleviate some problems people are having so that the IRC can be used more for development progress and creative ideas rather than support.

    Features:
    - Backup (system.img and userdata.img)
    - Restore (system.img and userdata.img)
    - Install Launcher (Honeycomb and Zeam)
    - Replace PackageInstaller.apk
    - Remap Buttons (7 configurations)
    - Restart
    - Stop ADB (Enables MotoSync and Mass Storage)

    Attached are a few screenshots. Let me know if there is anything else I should include.