Install CyanogenMod 12.1 on Barnes & Noble Nook HD or Nook HD+ in Five Easy Steps

[PeteInSequim]

Want to try Nougat on your Nook HD+ or HD?
Installing Nougat has never been easier. Procedure described in post 239 of this thread.

Development for unofficial CM-12.1 for Nook HD and Nook HD+ has ceased.
The author @amaces has moved on to Marshmallow (Android 6), and the zip files for these progressive releases are what you now see at the collaboration link. If you wish to install CM-12.1 look instead through the pages of his "obsolete" folder for "cm-12.1-20151018" and "twrp-2.8.7.4" final releases. CWM should install these properly but later versions are likely to fail due to deficiencies in the CWM recovery utility.

Better yet try the latest Marshmallow and TWRP versions. For this you must create a new bootable microSD card using these files provided by @belfastraven and the downloaded zip files "cm_hummingbird-ota-MHC19Q.160407.zip" and "twrp-3.0.1-0-hummingbird.zip". These versions may advance by the time you happen to do this. The procedure is the same as described in the .pdf guide for CM-12.1, except with the new files.

And use a current GApps file for the ARM platform, Android 6.0 from http://opengapps.org/.


This is a detailed tutorial for beginners. Seasoned users may find it overly verbose.

My toy box contains some Nook HD and Nook HD+ tablets, and I recently became aware of CyanogenMod. I studied about it for a while and finally tried a CM-12.1 installation. It was successful, and I was so impressed by the improvements that I told some Nook-owning friends about it. They quickly decided to do likewise and asked for instructions.

My friends and I are all retirees, so we have seven Saturdays a week to spend as we wish. I decided to spend a few of mine re-writing my notes into an instruction manual. As of today, September 25, 2015, there are eleven formerly stock Nook tablets whose beginner-owners have followed the instruction and successfully installed CM-12.1. Several of these are being regularly updated as revisions are released. No bricks have been cast so far.

During the study period I spent a lot of time on xda developers pages, and it eventually occurred to me that there might be other beginners who could make good use of Nook-specific instructions. So I am pleased to offer this manual to anyone interested, and hope it will save you some time and trouble.

The procedure uses the technique and boot files by @leapinlar. The ROM and TWRP zip files used are those created by @amaces. Profound thanks to these experts for their diligent work and generosity.

Below is a synopsis of the instructions. The complete PDF document is attached to this post.

This document will guide you through the steps of installing a pure modern version of the Android operating system on your Nook HD or Nook HD+ tablet. The installation is done from a bootable microSD card using the ClockWorkMod recovery utility to install the contents of zip files. This straightforward method does not require ADB or rooting the Nook. The result is CM-12.1 installed with basic Google apps and your choice of TWRP or CWM for your resident recovery utility.

There's room for improvement.
If I could learn how to create a bootable microSD that would boot to TWRP instead of CWM the procedure could be reduced to four easy steps. I have found no help for this, and my own attempts have all failed. I would be most grateful for any help so I can update the instructions.

 

[Oldskoollondon]

This is brilliant!

 

[MLieBennett]

Where was this three days ago ? I really could have used this when I finally got around to fixing my dead Nook HD+ with spare parts from an ebayed broken on, and decided to finally go for broke on EMMC (after SD Boot killed the device twice on me while charging overnight.) Not a fun initial teardown to pull out that mainboard, but manageable with a good deal of care.

My own fumbling around led me to using verygreen's external recovery image here (Note, they are the Initial sdcard Images located at the very top) as recommended by amaces writing it to the SDcard using Win32DiskImager for a bootable sdcard (On Windows 10 here). Then using that, I went and installed amaces' TWRP and CM12.1 onto the Nook HD+ followed by finding a set of gapps to install as well.

I missed the backup/wipe parts of your guide, sadly. Though I do have a stock copy laying about, and my device has been out of warranty for a while by now. I just didn't think of doing the wipe (though looking back, the broken one I took the mainboard from and its EMMC already had that done). Further, I was lost seeing that "Root" fix note and ended up hitting yes. Fortunately, it doesn't appear to have done anything for my tablet.

In the end? I got my Nook HD+ up and running using amaces' CM12.1 ... even if in a manner that may make those more experience wince at my errors. Still, its nice to have my large tablet for reading and watching videos once more rather then needing to spend a couple hundred dollars on a decent large tablet. Gaming isn't up to par (older games still does decently), but its an old device and not exactly what I wanted it for anyways.

I just wish I held off a couple more days so I had this guide to help me through this. Still, for anyone that comes after I hope your efforts help them.

 

[zspeciman]

Thank you for taking your time and writing such a useful guide. I am currently on cm11 m12. Are there any noticeable difference between 12.1 and cm11? Is the update from cm11 to 12.1 the same as from stock to 12.1?

 

[quarlow]

Holy crap that is awesome. Looks like I picked the perfect day to upgrade the kids YouTube machine from 4.4

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using XDA Free mobile app

 

[Zeromph]

Thank you for taking the time to put together this extremely easy to follow guide! It helped me breath new life into my Nook!

 

[hereusethis]

Thanks so much for writing up a document us older folks can handle. (and say hello to Sequim for me!)

:good:

Cheers.

 

[wayover13]

This looks like exactly what I need. I've finally reached the point of frustration with my Nook HD+ that I'm ready to go through with a reflash. Thanks so much for providing this great resource.

But, one question. You advise not modifying the user interface after flashing CM 12.1 to the device. This is because the ROM is still under development, and making chages of that sort will make upgrading to newer images more difficult. In principle, I understand this. But is this a permanent condition?

In other words, I suppose development on CM 12.1 will go on until interest in it is lost and the project goes moribund. No one can predict when that will happen, but if things go as they have for the past couple of decades, this project is likely to be abandoned sooner rather than later. So is there some projected point when the project reaches stability and when users can make interface changes without worry of having problems upgrading? Or is the inadvisability of making such personalization modifications a permanent condition?

 

[siccoblue]

i got it installed simple enough but cant seem to login to my google account, it just tells me something went wrong and wont sign in, any ideas what i can do?

 

[wayover13]

I used this manual to put CM 12.1 on my Nook HD+ and it worked great. What a wonderful resource you've provided.

A couple of minor issues I encountered are as follows. The directions in step 5e call for rebooting the system, but the menu I encountered did not correspond precisely to the description, What is described in step 5e is a two-step process, first slecting "reboot," then "power off." However, when I tapped the "reboot" button, there was no subsequent option to power off; the device simply rebooted. That didn't prove to be much of an issue since, realizing the Nook would be trying to boot from the SD card, I simply quickly removed it in a very early stage of the boot process.

Another minor issue is that the file system is kind of strange, with the backed up data being located under /storage/emulated, with a couple of symlinks in other locations to that same directory. It's kind of puzzling to find my way around the system. That said, so far everything works and all my previous data seems to have been preserved.

As far as improvements to the guide, you might want to add the additional directive that developer options can be gained by going to Settings > About table and tapping on "build number" seven times. I wanted to change the hostname on the new installation, and I needed developer options to do that. I don't know how many retirees are going to want to do things like that but, age wise, I'm not too far away from that category, and I needed that. So, maybe something you could add at the end of your nice manual.

As to booting directly into TWRP, I found an img file at twrp.me under /devices/barnesnoblenookhdplus.html. It looks like directives there are for writing it to the internal recovery partition, but I don't see why it could not be written to an sd card by slightly adapting those same directives. I'm new enough to this to not quite understand whether the recovery image would answer to your issue, but it's something you might want to consider.

All in all, you've provided a nice resource with this guide. It worked well for me on a first try, so it's something I'd definitely recommend to others.

 

[wayover13]

Question about step 3b from the manual (Backup the existing system and data to the microSD card). Let's say this is a brand new Nook HD+ that contains no data or configuration that the user wishes to preserve: can that step just be skipped in such a case?

I'm asking because my current Nook HD+ has a pretty badly cracked screen and I'm thinking of replacing the unit with another Nook HD+. Doing this upgrade to CycanogenMod has got me thinking more seriously about getting a unit with an intact screen. If I end up replacing the unit, there will be no data or configuration on the replacement unit that I'll be wanting to preserve.

 

[MLieBennett]

Question about step 3b from the manual (Backup the existing system and data to the microSD card). Let's say this is a brand new Nook HD+ that contains no data or configuration that the user wishes to preserve: can that step just be skipped in such a case?

It wouldn't hurt to have a backup of Stock, imo. Further, its useful habit to get into as you upgrade to any new image that is released and not loose everything. If only to allow you to reset to the default state and try again.

 

[PeteInSequim]

But, one question. You advise not modifying the user interface after flashing CM 12.1 to the device. This is because the ROM is still under development, and making chages of that sort will make upgrading to newer images more difficult. In principle, I understand this. But is this a permanent condition?

I'm a bit lazy when it comes to installing incremental releases, so I prefer to do simple "dirty installs". This means re-flashing without wiping the old installation, which can be done in seconds with no consequences.

But a dirty install will probably fail if you have made user-interface changes, even if you try to reverse out those changes before flashing. You can still install revisions anytime you wish, but you must do the wipes first. This means you will have to go through the setup procedure all over again, which takes a lot longer than a dirty install.

CM-12.1 for our Nooks should eventually be offered among the official nightly releases, and hopefully a milestone release now and then. I might consider UI tweaks after installing one of these, then settle down for a long quite period of no more updates.

If a stable CM-12.1 ever happens, we'll all be installing CM-13 by then.

 

[PeteInSequim]

1. The directions in step 5e call for rebooting the system, but the menu I encountered did not correspond precisely to the description, What is described in step 5e is a two-step process, first slecting "reboot," then "power off." However, when I tapped the "reboot" button, there was no subsequent option to power off; the device simply rebooted.
   
2. Another minor issue is that the file system is kind of strange, with the backed up data being located under /storage/emulated, with a couple of symlinks in other locations to that same directory. It's kind of puzzling to find my way around the system. That said, so far everything works and all my previous data seems to have been preserved.
   
3. As far as improvements to the guide, you might want to add the additional directive that developer options can be gained by going to Settings > About table and tapping on "build number" seven times. I wanted to change the hostname on the new installation, and I needed developer options to do that.
   
4. As to booting directly into TWRP, I found an img file at twrp.me under /devices/barnesnoblenookhdplus.html. It looks like directives there are for writing it to the internal recovery partition, but I don't see why it could not be written to an sd card by slightly adapting those same directives. I'm new enough to this to not quite understand whether the recovery image would answer to your issue, but it's something you might want to consider.
   
5. All in all, you've provided a nice resource with this guide. It worked well for me on a first try, so it's something I'd definitely recommend to others.

1. I too was puzzled a few times. There are two "Reboot" buttons: One in the TWRP entry menu and the other is deeper in where the flash process ends. The one in the entry menu will present a Reboot menu with includes a Power Off button. Use the tablets move-back triangle below the screen to navigate back to the entry menu.
   
2. I think you refer to the stock backup made by CWM before flashing CM-12.1. My stock Nooks were under-used with no data worth recovering, so I never looked into this. If you'd care to share any details about your findings it might be helpful so some subsequent readers.
   
3. This one is covered on Page 15 (actually sheet 17 including cover page and Table of Contents) under the heading Reboot to Recovery.
   
4. Once TWRP is installed its pretty easy to use it to install a newer version of it. But getting the boot files prepared on a microSD to boot to this image turned out to be more complicated than my very limited experience could manage (I'm a retired orchardist). The CM-12.1 installation procedure would be greatly improved if I can make this work, but I really need some professional help to make this happen. I keep hoping for a knowledgeable person to come forward.
   
5. Thank you very much. There are so many helpful members on this forum, and it is gratifying that I've been able to make a tiny contribution.

 

[PeteInSequim]

Thank you for taking your time and writing such a useful guide. I am currently on cm11 m12. Are there any noticeable difference between 12.1 and cm11? Is the update from cm11 to 12.1 the same as from stock to 12.1?

I tried CM-11 briefly on one of my Nooks before I became aware of CM-12.1, so I can tell you there is a huge difference. The move is from Android 4.4 to Android 5.1. And in my opinion all of this huge difference is for the better.

If you use the instructions, you can follow them exactly to move from CM-11 to CM-12.1. You are going to wipe the existing installation entirely, so it matters not what it is.

 

[PeteInSequim]

i got it installed simple enough but cant seem to login to my google account, it just tells me something went wrong and wont sign in, any ideas what i can do?

I've been pondering this, but nothing has yet come to mind. I'm presuming you did the full wipe before starting the install.

Which GApps did you install? If, for example, you chose one of the more sophisticated packages (tk_gapps or open_gapps) you would have had to defer installing it until Step 5. If so, and if you were distracted for a while and forgot to install it, I suspect the setup process would not offer an opportunity to log in to your Google account. This is probably not your issue since you were able to attempt a login.

Were you replacing the stock Android? Any other clues you can offer?

 

[siccoblue]

I managed to fix it, I had to completely wipe everything as opposed to just a normal reformat and it fixed the issue, but I actually have another problem now, I'm trying to do this on my second nook and when I attempt to flash twrp, cwm recovery now throws me an error on both my tablets, along the lines of "cannot install recovery this was designed for ovation and you are on ." it says that the device is . and won't let me flash it, any ideas?

 

[wayover13]

I'm a bit lazy when it comes to installing incremental releases, so I prefer to do simple "dirty installs". This means re-flashing without wiping the old installation, which can be done in seconds with no consequences.

I understand vaguely what you're talking about here, but I'm pretty new to flashing Android devices and find myself wanting to know more. Is there some link you can point me to that explains in greater detail about dirty versus other types of installations? What I'm most interested in learning is how much configuration is too much to permit a dirty install. For example, the tablet is of little use to me if I can't install certain apps on it; will installing apps, for example, obviate the possibility of the sort of dirty install you're speking of?

But a dirty install will probably fail if you have made user-interface changes, even if you try to reverse out those changes before flashing. You can still install revisions anytime you wish, but you must do the wipes first. This means you will have to go through the setup procedure all over again, which takes a lot longer than a dirty install.

For example, I want a battery percentage monitor in the taskbar. If I enable that, is that the sort of user interface change after which I will be unable to do a dirty install? How about deleting what I would call desktop icons and/or adding others from newly-installed apps? Is that the sort of user interface change that will cause me to be unable to do a dirty install? If so, it seems like I would need to become a sort of beta tester in order to retain the possibility of doing further dirty installs, rather than using my Nook for my everyday needs.

CM-12.1 for our Nooks should eventually be offered among the official nightly releases, and hopefully a milestone release now and then. I might consider UI tweaks after installing one of these, then settle down for a long quite period of no more updates.

If a stable CM-12.1 ever happens, we'll all be installing CM-13 by then.

I'm obviously not too well versed in CynaogenMod/Android development. I wasn't aware that CM-12.1 was at such an early stage of development. Let me see if I'm, understanding correctly: is the CM-12.x series tracking Lollipop, while the projected CM-13 will track Marshmallow (Marshmallow being, as I understand it, the next Android release)?

I've obvioulsy got a lot to learn on this front.

---------- Post added at 11:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:55 PM ----------

I too was puzzled a few times. There are two "Reboot" buttons: One in the TWRP entry menu and the other is deeper in where the flash process ends. The one in the entry menu will present a Reboot menu with includes a Power Off button. Use the tablets move-back triangle below the screen to navigate back to the entry menu.

Yes, on a second attempt I realized I needed to hit the move-back trinagle to get to the reboot button to which the manual was referring. Thanks for the clarification.

This one is covered on Page 15 (actually sheet 17 including cover page and Table of Contents) under the heading Reboot to Recovery.

You're right. I should have kept reading

On my second try, I realized I'd noted another discrepancy in the manual, one that occurs between steps 5a and 5b. After step 5a (successfully booting to TWRP by holding the power and home buttons down for the correct interval) I actually get an "Unmodified System Partition" screen. There, I have the option of either keeping the system partition read-only, or swiping another option to allow modifications. It is only after either tapping the read-only item or swiping the allow modifications item that I get a subsequent screen where I can tap the Install button (step 5b).

Once TWRP is installed its pretty easy to use it to install a newer version of it. But getting the boot files prepared on a microSD to boot to this image turned out to be more complicated than my very limited experience could manage (I'm a retired orchardist). The CM-12.1 installation procedure would be greatly improved if I can make this work, but I really need some professional help to make this happen. I keep hoping for a knowledgeable person to come forward.

I have a fair amount of experience writing image files to disks/partitions. Does it seem like that's what's needed? I also know how to mount an image file as a looped file system in order to, for example, copy files from it. That's something like what was done with the unrar'ing of CWM and copying files over to the SD card. If any of that experience sounds helpful, I could probably conduct some experiments to see if I could succeed at this. I'm just not sure what the TWRP image file I found is: is it a bootable image? If so, I'm not sure copying files from it to a bootable partition, like you instructed to do for CWM, would work. Writing a bootable image to an SD card should, on the other hand, cause that SD card to become a bootable medium.

In any case, as I said, I could conduct some experiments if it seems like any of my suggestions would be helpful. I'm not really any kind of professional either, btw. I got into computing when I undertook, at a later stage of life, some graduate studies in the humanities, during which I developed the crazy notion that I could somehow gain the upper hand over the machines. That attempt ended in failure, but I have kept up my doomed insurgence and learned some things along the way.

 

[PeteInSequim]

I managed to fix it, I had to completely wipe everything as opposed to just a normal reformat and it fixed the issue, but I actually have another problem now, I'm trying to do this on my second nook and when I attempt to flash twrp, cwm recovery now throws me an error on both my tablets, along the lines of "cannot install recovery this was designed for ovation and you are on ." it says that the device is . and won't let me flash it, any ideas?

Well, sounds like the zip file you're attempting to flash is mismatched to your model Nook. "designed for ovation" means the zip file is intended for the 9-inch Nook HD+. Are you trying to install on hummingbird, which is the 7-inch Nook HD?

 

[PeteInSequim]

I understand vaguely what you're talking about here, but I'm pretty new to flashing Android devices and find myself wanting to know more. Is there some link you can point me to that explains in greater detail about dirty versus other types of installations? What I'm most interested in learning is how much configuration is too much to permit a dirty install. For example, the tablet is of little use to me if I can't install certain apps on it; will installing apps, for example, obviate the possibility of the sort of dirty install you're speking of?

The best explanation I can offer is on page 17 of the instructions. Basically if flashing an incremental CM-12.1 revision a dirty install is fine (no need to wipe the system partition) UNLESS you have altered the user interface with things like theme, colors, wallpaper, boot animation, sounds, etc. If you have, you must wipe both the Data and System partitions.

Or if you are installing an OS version for which the existing one is not a close relative. The most outrageous example of this would be re-installing the old stock Barnes & Noble Android in place of your CM-12.1. Review the information on pages 16 and 17, and I think you'll get a good handle on this.

I've been called to dinner; will address your other questions after that.