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

[PeteInSequim]

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.

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)?

If I had to guess (and in this case I do) I'd declare that altering the battery percentage monitor is not a UI alteration that would impede a dirty install. Its just the manifestation of a setting, not replacement of a default UI element with a different one. Similarly the desktop icons you mention are replications of the solidly-defined ones in the apps presentation.

Again this is a guess that I cannot substantiate with any hard facts that I've found. If you try a dirty install after messing with these things, please let us know how it goes.

 

[PeteInSequim]

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'm doing a lot of guessing this evening, and my mention of CM-13 was yet another guess. But its probably a pretty good guess. Since Marshmallow is now the top of the heap from upstream, there's not likely to be much higher order CM-12 stuff on the way.

 

[PeteInSequim]

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).

On page 16 of the instructions are some factoids about TWRP. Under the heading Keep the read-only status is a brief mention of this, and a recommendation to keep the read-only status. There's also a link to the developer's page that goes into detail about this.

It has been my observation that this screen appears on the first opening of TWRP, then never again.

 

[PeteInSequim]

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.

The issue that stumped me when trying to prepare a microSD that boots to TWRP was making the installer to move the TWRP image file into position. I think this page is the genesis of the booting techniques that apply here, but I just don't have the smarts to make it work. Maybe someday I'll work on this more seriously, but meanwhile I've started some hot new projects that need my attention a lot more.

If you do tinker with making a bootable microSD for TWRP, please keep me posted on your results.

One more thing: I just ran across this about dirty flashing, which you might find informative.

 

[siccoblue]

Nope it's ovation, I've two of the same hd+ got it working on the first, attempted the second and got thrown that error, flashed the first back to cwm recovery and tried formatting and reflashing twrp and got thrown that error on the first one as well, tried re downloading the zip remaking the SD and nothing, can't seem to get it working

 

[PeteInSequim]

Nope it's ovation, I've two of the same hd+ got it working on the first, attempted the second and got thrown that error, flashed the first back to cwm recovery and tried formatting and reflashing twrp and got thrown that error on the first one as well, tried re downloading the zip remaking the SD and nothing, can't seem to get it working

Its not clear to me from your explanation exactly what steps were taken. It sounds like you installed successfully on #1 HD+, but not successfully on #2 HD+.
Then you used CWM recovery for something; was it to restore your previous OS?. Did you reboot to the microSD card and use that CWM? What do you mean by "tried formatting and reflashing twrp", e.g. what did you format? I can't think of anything that should need to be formatted.

Could you mention the individual steps, each with some more detail?

 

[fullboogie]

One heck of an instruction manual, my friend. I wish there had been something this easy when I first modded my HD+, but to be honest, all the slogging through threads actually made me understand what to do and why I needed to do it.

 

[PeteInSequim]

Thank you. This was my first ROM experience and as you said, it was quite intimidating. But also quite gratifying after all the discovered bits and pieces fall into place and it works. To quote the immortal words of Hannibal Smith (the A team, an old TV series): "I love it when a plan comes together".

 

[dbrons]

Just installed this. I had 10.1 and it was good but had a couple errors I would sometimes get. This 12.1 so far seems great. Simplified and very smooth running. I like the interface, browser, launcher much better than what I had in 10.1

Thank you very much- it was pretty simple, only issue I had was getting the card formatted and getting it to boot up. I tried a few times and got it
Dave

 

[zenlifexxa]

Thanks so mush for the tutorial! I followed the tutorial had everything done in ~=15 minutes.
Everything works great!
One question. I backed up my nook + using the Titanium backup.
How do I root this device? Thanks again!

 

[br0adband]

Excellent write-up, done in the style I do myself when explaining things meaning more info than most people care about or want because I don't want 'em coming back at me saying "YOU DIDN'T TELL ME THAT..."

Used that method and those files to make two Nook HDs current with CM12.1 in about 15 mins total time for both of 'em. And yes it does pretty much breathe new life into the Nook HD with snappier performance from Lollipop.

Great work, PeteInSequim, and don't ever let anybody telling you "you're too wordy, you could have explained it much easier without all the excess verbiage..." - instead tell 'em to stuff it and stop being so inattentive.

 

[PeteInSequim]

Thanks so mush for the tutorial! I followed the tutorial had everything done in ~=15 minutes.
Everything works great!
One question. I backed up my nook + using the Titanium backup.
How do I root this device? Thanks again!

I'm happy you found it helpful.

I'm sorry I don't have foolproof rooting instructions for you. A few releases ago there was a setting in Developer Options that made root access really simple. But this disappeared after the 20150906 build and I haven't seen it return yet.

The unofficial releases are still in a state of flux. Each release offers some improvements as far as I can tell, but until things stabilize a bit I'm limiting my usage to just ordinary stuff.

 

[kenryandub]

Does not power off

Great ROm and instructions Thanks

Very fast and clean, wifi speed much stronger now

I installed ROM and Pico Gapps, installed a few general apps, gmail, youtube etc

However

When i shut down the Nook , it restarts, this happens, with the power lead in use or unplugged

Any ideas please ?

 

[dbrons]

hmmm, I'll be interested as well. After checking I see mine is restarting too.
But yes, otherwise running great.
Dave

 

[PeteInSequim]

Great ROm and instructions Thanks

Very fast and clean, wifi speed much stronger now

I installed ROM and Pico Gapps, installed a few general apps, gmail, youtube etc

However

When i shut down the Nook , it restarts, this happens, with the power lead in use or unplugged

Any ideas please ?

This is a very common problem which, it seems, no one has a solution for. In my case it happens in about 60 % of the shutdowns, but there are a few Nook owners who don't experience it at all.

The work-around of course is to press and hold the power button when you see the reboot starting, which will force a shut down that stays.

I think this phenomenon is not closely related to CM-12.1. I've seen it with CM-11, and I've seen reports of this behavior on various stock Android devices. Once I experienced it after a shutdown from TWRP that had been directly booted from power up; CM-12.1 had not even been launched.

Although I have no trustworthy statics yet, a shutdown after heavy exercise, such as a viewing Netflix video, seems more likely to stick than one after just a few minutes of browsing.

There is one thing I've noticed in a few cases after a forced a shutdown: If left unused for a few days, the Nook's battery has become fully depleted. It doesn't happen every time, but when it does a charging session is needed before it can be restarted. I've started powering up daily to check the battery state, but have not yet caught it in the act of a power-off discharge.

 

[kenryandub]

This is a very common problem which, it seems, no one has a solution for. In my case it happens in about 60 % of the shutdowns, but there are a few Nook owners who don't experience it at all.

The work-around of course is to press and hold the power button when you see the reboot starting, which will force a shut down that stays.

I think this phenomenon is not closely related to CM-12.1. I've seen it with CM-11, and I've seen reports of this behavior on various stock Android devices. Once I experienced it after a shutdown from TWRP that had been directly booted from power up; CM-12.1 had not even been launched.

Although I have no trustworthy statics yet, a shutdown after heavy exercise, such as a viewing Netflix video, seems more likely to stick than one after just a few minutes of browsing.

There is one thing I've noticed in a few cases after a forced a shutdown: If left unused for a few days, the Nook's battery has become fully depleted. It doesn't happen every time, but when it does a charging session is needed before it can be restarted. I've started powering up daily to check the battery state, but have not yet caught it in the act of a power-off discharge.

Hi Thanks for coming back to me..

I think I may have got lucky with the auto power up issue; :good:

I booted into TWRP, (I dont have the nook in front of me), but AFAIR , I went into one of the TWRP options, which started to do someting in cmd line , since then no auto power on issues.

I have one other question please, where do I look for the latest Nook Version of CM12.1 ( I know these ROMS change / improve ) as time goes on. I used the hyperlink in your excellent PDF, to download the ROM , and can see that the ROM is current, but of course if a few weeks/monts, there will be an updated version (I am using the 9 inch Nook HD Plus)

 

[zspeciman]

kenryandub, I also have the power up issues. Always had it cm11 m12 and now on 12.1. Please post how you got to the twrp options to address this problem, I would like to duplicate it, perhaps that will solve that issue.

 

[PeteInSequim]

I have one other question please, where do I look for the latest Nook Version of CM12.1 ( I know these ROMS change / improve ) as time goes on. I used the hyperlink in your excellent PDF, to download the ROM , and can see that the ROM is current, but of course if a few weeks/monts, there will be an updated version (I am using the 9 inch Nook HD Plus)

CyanogenMod.org has not yet released an official CM-12.1 ROM for our Nooks. The download site you used is actually a collaboration point for research into CM-12.1 done by our very own xda member @amaces. You will always find his most recent release there. Right now the 20151012 build is offered.

Be aware that these unofficial releases for NookHD and NookHD+ are replaced every few days as @amaces probes deeply into the workings of CM-12.1. An occasional release will be a step backward, but for the most part each is an improvement over the ancestors.

I suggest that you keep an eye on the thread that documents these developments. It is colossal; post count is 1,192 right now. I always start at the end and browse backwards to see the latest entries. If you see some exciting comments about a big improvement, then download and try that version. Otherwise just wait a while and something exciting will soon appear.

 

[barrykw]

Hi, I've made my SD card which boots ok but when I try to backup to external SD card I get a message "Can't mount backup path" Any ideas please

 

[PeteInSequim]

Sorry, nothing comes to mind right now. Did you try removing & re-inserting the card and boot again?
What is the capacity of your microSD card, and is the single partition occupying this capacity?