[APP] AppStarter v4.0 | AppDrawer and Kodi / SPMC Updater for Amazon FireTV
- Thread starter sphinx02
- Start date
OK I'll have to roll back to 3.9,anyone got a DL link for version 3.9 please
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Any chance of a download link for 3.2.3, as I like it to boot to the app draw with all side loaded apps
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Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA-Developers mobile app
I like to keep it handy as I still use it too... [emoji106]
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_SucTiYNqlhcUwybVJpR2ZnbWc/view?usp=drivesdk
Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
Perhaps I misunderstood. I love the app, but did I miss a setting that allows return into Appstarter instead of Amazon Main Menu when I press the home button?
Spookymyo
Senior Member
Awesome!
Without home button detection and autostart, the new version (AppStarter) is useless.
I've also sifted through some of this epic thread trying to figure out if this app will work with my new Amazon Fire TV 4k running 5.0.4
Basically I want to run Kodi off a home screen launcher... WILL THIS WORK?
UPDATE: I was having a problem with the Github page not displaying and instead just getting Chrome's sad face error page... This turned out to be an issue with Chrome and using Safari I connected no problem.
Basically I want to run Kodi off a home screen launcher... WILL THIS WORK?
UPDATE: I was having a problem with the Github page not displaying and instead just getting Chrome's sad face error page... This turned out to be an issue with Chrome and using Safari I connected no problem.
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Try reboot. Hold down power, volume up and down until it gives you an option to reboot.
Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
@sphinx02 Thanks for all your work so far.
Kind of understood when FireStarter went AppStarter. There where to many unknowns regarding blackout app list by Amazon. I though by now AppStarter would be in the Amazon FTV store since it got rid of everything they wanted. But after all this months I am hopping that there can be a fork version of AppStarter that brings back the same functionalities that the old FireStarter had. Since it looks like Amazon is done messing with Apps.
The functionalities I am talking about are:
Auto-Start
Button Detection for going back to AppStarter. Be it HOME or some other button.
Other button detection shortcuts too.
Done thru ADB like before.
Now I know all this options are still possible since Mouse Toggle for Fire TV (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fluxii.android.mousetoggleforfiretv / http://android.fluxii.com/mousetoggle/) quickly regained all of their ADB functionality (AutoStart/ADB button monitoring) with a quick update back when Amazon took the internal ADB away.
Another good thing that Mouse Toggle for Fire TV has is the way it can monetize itself by being in the Google AppStore as an installer app that sideloads the actual APK to FTV devices. I am not saying you should charge for it but it should be another donation option. But even if this app became a paid app. It is well worth a buck or more to have more timely updates & new functionalities.
Even with the the UI changes on the latest ROM's. AppStarter/FireStarter are the best & easiest way to do apps on a FTV. Some folks even stop updating their Rooted & Non-Rooted FTV devices depending if FireStarter could run on the next FW version or not.
I hope @sphinx02 or some other developer/coder can take the mantle & contact the Mouse Toggle for Fire TV developer(s) to help create an updated Starter App with all the old & maybe even some expanded functions for everybody.
I would be willing to contact the Mouse Toggle for Fire TV developer(s) if any developer/coder wants to dust off the AppStarter/FireStarter code. PM me if that is the case.
Kind of understood when FireStarter went AppStarter. There where to many unknowns regarding blackout app list by Amazon. I though by now AppStarter would be in the Amazon FTV store since it got rid of everything they wanted. But after all this months I am hopping that there can be a fork version of AppStarter that brings back the same functionalities that the old FireStarter had. Since it looks like Amazon is done messing with Apps.
The functionalities I am talking about are:
Auto-Start
Button Detection for going back to AppStarter. Be it HOME or some other button.
Other button detection shortcuts too.
Done thru ADB like before.
Now I know all this options are still possible since Mouse Toggle for Fire TV (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fluxii.android.mousetoggleforfiretv / http://android.fluxii.com/mousetoggle/) quickly regained all of their ADB functionality (AutoStart/ADB button monitoring) with a quick update back when Amazon took the internal ADB away.
Another good thing that Mouse Toggle for Fire TV has is the way it can monetize itself by being in the Google AppStore as an installer app that sideloads the actual APK to FTV devices. I am not saying you should charge for it but it should be another donation option. But even if this app became a paid app. It is well worth a buck or more to have more timely updates & new functionalities.
Even with the the UI changes on the latest ROM's. AppStarter/FireStarter are the best & easiest way to do apps on a FTV. Some folks even stop updating their Rooted & Non-Rooted FTV devices depending if FireStarter could run on the next FW version or not.
I hope @sphinx02 or some other developer/coder can take the mantle & contact the Mouse Toggle for Fire TV developer(s) to help create an updated Starter App with all the old & maybe even some expanded functions for everybody.
I would be willing to contact the Mouse Toggle for Fire TV developer(s) if any developer/coder wants to dust off the AppStarter/FireStarter code. PM me if that is the case.
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Edit: Even though it is true that scanner detects a Trojan I could not find it with any other tool.
https://apkscan.nviso.be/report/show/5f4b1ade35ddf7f6d893cdc77f501e1b
Trojan: Bkav Android.Trojan.Banker.Asacub.cc.38C0
Keyword: fire starter, firestarter, fire starter apk, firestarter apk, apk scan
**** see my edit above, probably a false positive **** TROJAN DETECTED!!!! DON'T INSTALL THIS APK!!!
https://apkscan.nviso.be/report/show/5f4b1ade35ddf7f6d893cdc77f501e1b
Trojan: Bkav Android.Trojan.Banker.Asacub.cc.38C0
Keyword: fire starter, firestarter, fire starter apk, firestarter apk, apk scan
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Wtf are you talking about? There's no Trojan. Get a life. It's simply version 3.2.3 that I downloaded last year and put in my Google Drive to share with others.
Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
I'm not screwin with you upload it to the scanner yourself. I took the time to download this apk to a second system and I was able to repeat the above results, however, I did upload it to a second scanner in which case it passed but I picked the second apk scanner at random. It wouldn't be uncommon to have a false positive but it isn't normal for such an old build so I prefer to find the sources and recompile.
https://apkscan.nviso.be/report/show/5f4b1ade35ddf7f6d893cdc77f501e1b
https://andrototal.org/sample/98671c048544352e97c8264ee14bac0666a9e8bd643dd9d038a86d5345800fd6
Going to see if I can get the sources and build them. I noticed the ones I've found so far are all Java which is my flavor
Sorry again about the whole false alarm on the FireStopper.apk .. I recompiled from one of the forks if anyone needs this old unusable program now. (Doesn't work with latest Fire TV OS, doesn't run at all)
This is Sphinx02 program I have done nothing besides change the name to OnMeKnee and the package name, to something completely different the de belu bla bla bla
https://mega.nz/#!IItzEKAB!06aRothbXsbLcjw7igUPsLltsgfqW37DKU172SUK8S8
I noticed that someone new Forked AppStarter from Github! It was 1106 forks when I downloaded the source from one of the forks, now it is 1107 (I didn't fork it)
Here's a way to see "forks" for large numbers
https://github.com/sphinx02/AppStarter/network/members
Here's where I took the specific source that I recompiled
https://github.com/1970jason
I meant to use this repository but I couldn't find it again til later: https://github.com/semitop7/FireStarter
Offer to help the forker: Hey forker!, if you need help hit me up I'm trying to learn FireTV and I need a project.
This is Sphinx02 program I have done nothing besides change the name to OnMeKnee and the package name, to something completely different the de belu bla bla bla
https://mega.nz/#!IItzEKAB!06aRothbXsbLcjw7igUPsLltsgfqW37DKU172SUK8S8
I noticed that someone new Forked AppStarter from Github! It was 1106 forks when I downloaded the source from one of the forks, now it is 1107 (I didn't fork it)
Here's a way to see "forks" for large numbers
https://github.com/sphinx02/AppStarter/network/members
Here's where I took the specific source that I recompiled
https://github.com/1970jason
I meant to use this repository but I couldn't find it again til later: https://github.com/semitop7/FireStarter
Offer to help the forker: Hey forker!, if you need help hit me up I'm trying to learn FireTV and I need a project.
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I was just curious if I have a rooted Fire TV Gen 1, will FireStopper work on it with the home button launching and everything?
-J
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AppStarter
AppStarter: An AppDrawer and Kodi / SPMC Updater for Amazon FireTV:
This App is Open-Source, visit AppStarter on GitHub: https://github.com/sphinx02/AppStarter
- Lists all user-installed apps including sideloaded / adb installed apps.
- Apps can be easily sorted / ordered by settings-button or click-drag-and-drop (long-click to start drag-and-drop).
- Apps can be hidden from app drawer (see settings).
- Kodi and SPMC can be installed and updated directly out of AppStarter (see Updates section).
- Possibility to change the time of no action the FireTV waits to go to sleep.
- Possibility to import / export settings.
- Show system and device informations like Android-Version, Build-Version, Hostname, WiFi- / WLAN Name (SSID), IP Adress and Uptime.
- Automatic update mechanism.
- __No root required!__
Reviews / Articles:
- Just google for "AppStarter FireTV"
Install AppStarter:
Easy installation in less than 5 minutes with only the FireTV
https://github.com/sphinx02/AppStarter/wiki/Install-AppStarter-and-Kodi-(only-FireTV-needed)
Standard installation via ADB
- If you don't know how to sideload/install apps via ADB, read a tutorial (e.g. this one)
- Download latest AppStarter APK and sideload/install with adb:
- adb install -r AppStarter_v4.0.apk
- Enjoy..
- TO UPDATE APP: Simply use the integrated updater mechanism.
Why using it:
- AppStarter provides a nice possiblity to show all user installed Apps.
- AppStarter provides an Updater for Kodi and SMPC which allows to keep these two Apps up to date in a very convinient way.
Changelog:
v4.0
- Renamed App to AppStarter
- Renamed package to de.belu.appstarter
- Removed home button observation as not needed anymore
v3.2.3
- Added SPMC updater (possibility to install and update SPMC).
- Added simplified chinese translation (thx lostindark).
v3.2.2
- Fixed wrong app start of apps using the leanback-lib (e.g. MagineTV)
- Updated translations
v3.2.1
- Fixed "parse packet error" for Kodi updates
- Added setting to decide which Kodi version is installed / updated (stable, beta / rc, nightly)
v3.2
- Added possiblity to install / update Kodi (see Updates section). Thank you very much attilaszasz for your contribution!
- Made "Background for App Names" a bit brighter. Thanks semitop7 for your contribution!
- Added semi-transparent background for system, updates and settings section if the "Background for App Names" setting is enabled. Thanks semitop7 for your contribution!
v3.1.1
- Fixed flashing screen / start app problems (disabled JumpbackWatchdog for FireOS5).
- Updated translations
v3.1
- Added setting to show background for app names in the app drawer (helps to read app names when wallpaper is used).
- Added setting to hide left selection bar when on the main screen (app drawer).
- Fixed backup (export/import) settings feature for FireOS5.
- Updated russian and ukranian translations (thanks sem_top7 and Kramar111).
v3.0
- Optimized ADB connection mechansims for FireOS5. Should now work without disable + enable ADB after reboots. Still no parallel ADB connections possible.
- Added shortcut to ADB settings in AppStarter settings.
- Added first try of completely new detecting home-button clicks without adb (which is also used as Fallback after 3 failed ADB connects). The new non-ADB observation of the home-button works only if you are on the original Amazon FireTV Home screen. This means if you are in any other App like Kodi, you have to click the home button once to get to the Amazon FireTV Home screen and then you can single or double click the home-button to perform the action desired. In practice that means, you can also add one home button click if you are in another app. If you are for example in Kodi, you can do a double-click to the home-button to perform the single click operation and according to this you can do a triple click to perform the double click action. Sorry for this strange behaviour but due to technical limitations of Android, there is no other possibility without ADB at the moment.
- Removed restart-option and replaced it with notification how to restart with the remote.
- Better handling of the jumback-detection -> fixes some unnessecary jumpbacks especially when the click-action is "- No Action -" or "FireTV Home". You can again safely use the jumpback detection (e.g. with default of 5000ms)!
- Option to start click-action apps with FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK -> Previous instances of the App are cleared before start (e.g. AppStarter then starts always on the first icon which is useful for some people with programmable remote's).
- Everything only tested with FireOS4 on FireTV and with FireOS5 Developer Preview on FireTV-Stick. I am not yet able to test on a FireTV2 with the real FireOS5.
v2.7.2
- Show device uptime and boot time in system tab
- Back button returns to main app view if on another tab
- Removed Go-To-Sleep functionality, as it is anyway possible via long-press home-button. The existing implementation was not reliable enough and made some problems under specific circumstances.
v2.7.1
- Added russian and ukranian translations (any other language contributions are welcome). Thx to XDA user sem_top7 for the translations!
- Fixed bug in file selector (no image files found in root-folder)
- Fixed (hopefully) bug in manual language selection which sometimes lead to a mixed language
v2.7
- Little redesign of the GUI
- Added date & time information at top
- Made the app-icons a little bit smaller (5 apps per row and still big enough)
- Added customizable icon-size in settings
- Added possibility to export / import settings
- Added more informations to the system-tab
- Added possibility to modify the time of no action till the FireTV goes to sleep
- Added possibility to go directly to sleep from AppStarter (little hack, setting the time-to-sleep to a very short value and set it back after wake-up)
- NOTES:
- Be carefull with the go-to-sleep feature, only tested it on FireTV not on FireTV-Stick. Advanced users give me feedback if it works please
. - The setting of the general time of no action till FireTV goes to sleep is safe to use. It is a default Android-Setting which can be edited by apps (I don't understand why Amazon isn't giving us this feature..).
v2.6
- Custom wallpaper via settings (JPG / PNG cropped to fit screen)
- Renamed "All Apps" to "Apps" and "Infos" to "System"
- Added WiFi name to System-Tab
- Added possibility to reboot FireTV to System-Tab
- Added FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK and FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK to startup-action (perhaps helps some people reporting weird colors when starting Kodi as startup-action)
- NOTES:
- Tried to add sleep-button to bring FireTV to sleep-mode but it seems as this is not possible without root, if anyone knows anything else, please report...
- Settings ex-/import and more themeable GUI are still on my TODO.
- Check out settings-button: Added menu for apps to move app (same than long-click) or to open app-specific settings
- Items in the left selection bar are now also clickable with a mouse
- Added german translation and manual setting of the current language
- Spelling corrections
- Apps are not started with FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK which lets app resume their last activity.
- Replaced some icons / made some visual optimizations
- For timing settings, now the correct inputtype is used (number only keyboard is displayed).
- Adjusted default-timings (only for fresh installations).
- Minor fixes.
- Implemented jumpback prevention watchdog which prevents amazon home from coming to the foreground after click-actions (configurable in settings). Thanks XDA user harlekinrains for this idea.
- Removed now unnessecary action-delay setting.
- Added FireTV settings application to apps-list. Thanks XDA user fsi09 for this idea.
- Some code cleanup / optimization.
- Fixed ugly bug in settings (kind of endless loop), which caused huge cpu-load and weird behaviour of settings storage.
- Fixed bug when sysapp were set visible and apps were reordered, sysapps were not hided again on settings change.
- Allow greater double-click interval and action delay (up to 1000ms).
- Added adjustable double-click interval and action-delay
- Reordered settings
- When going to app-drawer, first icon is automatically focused (configurable in settings)
- Update service (able to update itself)
- Fixed problems on FireTV-Stick (which by default has multiple local adb-devices), thanks to harlekinrains for logcat-infos
- Added AppStarter version to info view
- Real Home-Button detection, even double-home-button-clicks are captured
- Completely new GUI with settings and additional Infos
- Completely configurable actions
- Hide-App feature
Screenshots:
.55Okay guys, here's the deal:
I still haven't heard back from @sphinx02 yet, I'm sure he's busy with other things. I decided to post the patched APK for users with a few caveats:
- This is an unofficial test build. It worked for myself and a few others
- I changed the version number to a previous version, and auto-update worked and installed the official build of 3.2.3 alongside the patched version. This means that when @sphinx02 releases a new official build, this build will install his. You will need to manually remove this version through Settings -> Applications -> Manage Installed Applications.
- Previous settings will not be preserved because the package name is different from the official release.
- All changes are posted to github in my fork here: https://github.com/jkchr1s/FireStarter
- Fallback home press detection does NOT work. You must use the ADB method in settings. This means, if you install this apk over adb, you must disconnect adb then go in to settings, system, developer options, and disable adb then re-enable adb. After this has completed, you should be able to launch FireStarter and untick and retick the box for ADB detection.
- This build will only work on FireOS 5. I had to change the minimum sdk to build it on my machine, so I'm not sure it will run on older versions of FireOS.
- I intentionally left the version number the same so that the in-app updater will not try to install the official Amazon blocked version 3.2.3.
- Home button double-press is now overridden by FireOS. If you figure out a workaround, please share it!
- Make sure to thank @sphinx02 for this awesome app! I've been using it for a long time on a daily basis, and very much appreciate his work!
So, since the built-in updater successfully installs official versions, attached is the working build to get you by until @sphinx02 can release a proper update.
Enjoy.23v3
Big update. I have still no own FireTV2 with the real FireOS5 but there is one on the way to me. For now I tried to work with the Develooper Preview of FireOS5 on my FireTV-Stick. I optimized the ADB-Observation and created as an alternative a completely new non-ADB home-button detection with some disadvantages. Please read the changelog carefully and let me know if the features are working as described on your FireTVs, FireTV-Sticks and FireTV2s
v3
- Optimized ADB connection mechansims for FireOS5. Should now work without disable + enable ADB after reboots. Still no parallel ADB connections possible.
- Added shortcut to ADB settings in settings.
- Added first try of completely new detecting home-button clicks without adb (which is also used as Fallback after 3 failed ADB connects). The new non-ADB observation of the home-button works only if you are on the original Amazon FireTV Home screen. This means if you are in any other App like Kodi, you have to click the home button once to get to the Amazon FireTV Home screen and then you can single or double click the home-button to perform the action desired. In practice that means, you can also add one home button click if you are in another app. If you are for example in Kodi, you can do a double-click to the home-button to perform the single click operation and according to this you can do a triple click to perform the double click action. Sorry for this strange behaviour but due to technical limitations of Android, there is no other possibility without ADB at the moment.
- Removed restart-option and replaced it with notification how to restart with the remote.
- Better handling of the jumback-detection -> fixes some unnessecary jumpbacks especially when the click-action is "- No Action -" or "FireTV Home". You can again safely use the jumpback detection (e.g. with default of 5000ms)!
- Option to start click-action apps with FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TASK -> Previous instances of the App are cleared before start (e.g. the App then starts always on the first icon which is useful for some people with programmable remote's).
- Everything only tested with FireOS4 on FireTV and with FireOS5 Developer Preview on FireTV-Stick. I am not yet able to test on a FireTV2 with the real FireOS5.
21AppStarter
Dear Community,
a lot of time has passed now since my last update and I guess many of you are already on any other Fork. I really like they way jkchr1s and some others are helping to keep the open source project alive. After Amazon changed a lot since the first days of the Amazon FireTV, I decided to change the App also. As it is now possible to start any sideloaded Apps from the recents menu and to open an App overview with a double click to the home button, the whole home button observation is not needed anymore.
I decided to put the still useful things of the App into the focus and to start clean with a new name: AppStarter is an AppDrawer and Kodi / SPMC installer and updater. I hope you can understand my decision and I also hope that you follow me with AppStarter like you did it previously. Please let me know if there is anything that can make AppStarter more useful!
Best regards
Lukas aka sphinx02
AppStarter v4.0
- Renamed App to AppStarter
- Renamed package to de.belu.appstarter
- Removed home button observation as not needed anymore
19v3.1
Again an update which fixes the settings export on FireOS5 and adds two new features. Thank you all for your feedback and help!
v3.1
- Added setting to show background for app names in the app drawer (helps to read app names when wallpaper is used).
- Added setting to hide left selection bar when on the main screen (app drawer).
- Fixed backup (export/import) settings feature for FireOS5.
- Updated russian and ukranian translations (thanks sem_top7 and Kramar111).
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