[WINDOWS/LINUX][TOOL]Fire Toolbox V32.2
- Thread starter Datastream33
- Start date
Thanks, trying it now. I tried to grab it after it downloaded it, but it must be something wrong on my end the file downloads as 0kb.I just edited my previous post.
Your download works as much as I can extract it and put the exe in my folder, but running it just runs the toolbox saying it's 30.3 but the google services downloads still say the links seem broken and don't work.
I'm not sure what's going on but I'm in no rush and I'm sure you have better things to do. I dont mind waiting till something official comes out.
I've tried turning off my pihole and other network protections, no difference.
There have been ongoing problems with getting Google Services running. They keep changing their servers and we keep chasing them.
Were you successful in your update? (Is the folder now named "Fire Toolbox V30.3" ?) If so, I could send you just the Google files to put in your .../bin/GoogleServices folder. Then it could update. You'd have to be running a compatible version to FireHD10 (2019) though. If you have an older version running FireOS 5 or a newer version running FireOS 8 , you'll need different files. PM me if you want to proceed down this rabbit hole and we'll give it a go.
Edit: Scratch that. I don't have the current Google Services files needed because I installed this so long ago and the app has been updated so many times. If you need Google Services sooner than Datastream can update, then you'll have to do it manually and use a site like apkpure.com to retrieve the needed Google files for your tablet.
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According to that, Toolbox will start once the drivers are installed. I have started toolbox and can get to the main menu but the program background is white as well as the lettering. I can see the buttons if I hover over them but that is about it that I can accomplish since I can't really see what is there.
Looks like FTB installed correctly with the appropriate Windows 7 ADB/USB drivers, so the problem likely is in the way your Windows 7 setup is displaying FTB themes. There's a new "dark mode" in FTB v30.x but not much help if you can't access it.
It's been a long while since I've used Windows 7 and I can't recall the routines needed to change display settings. Sorry. May also be a related to outdated/incompatible Windows 7 display drivers.
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I've been trying to figure out what would make Windows behave that way. What version of Windows are you running? If it's 7, open control panel, click System and Security, click System. On the left, click Advanced system settings, in the Performance pane click Settings, scroll to the bottom of the list-box and verify that "Use visual styles on windows and buttons" is marked. (Picture below.) If using another version of Windows, the same applies, but the setting may be in a different place. The important thing is to make sure it's checked.
Thank you. at least I know what might be the problem now.
I've been trying to figure out what would make Windows behave that way. What version of Windows are you running? If it's 7, open control panel, click System and Security, click System. On the left, click Advanced system settings, in the Performance pane click Settings, scroll to the bottom of the list-box and verify that "Use visual styles on windows and buttons" is marked. (Picture below.) If using another version of Windows, the same applies, but the setting may be in a different place. The important thing is to make sure it's checked.
View attachment 5869705
The box was checked when I went to look.
Well, it was a thought.
The only other thought I have is to create a new account on your computer, and then install Toolbox in that new account without modifying ANY of the default settings in the new account. Something just says to me that you modified some default setting and that modification wasn't thought of when Toolbox was written. That's the easiest way to check out that theory.
Sorry, thought I responded to this yesterday...There have been ongoing problems with getting Google Services running. They keep changing their servers and we keep chasing them.
Were you successful in your update? (Is the folder now named "Fire Toolbox V30.3" ?) If so, I could send you just the Google files to put in your .../bin/GoogleServices folder. Then it could update. You'd have to be running a compatible version to FireHD10 (2019) though. If you have an older version running FireOS 5 or a newer version running FireOS 8 , you'll need different files. PM me if you want to proceed down this rabbit hole and we'll give it a go.
Edit: Scratch that. I don't have the current Google Services files needed because I installed this so long ago and the app has been updated so many times. If you need Google Services sooner than Datastream can update, then you'll have to do it manually and use a site like apkpure.com to retrieve the needed Google files for your tablet.
No, it was not successful. The app was not renamed and the patch did not replace the existing exe. I have the services downloaded already as that is what I was going to do but when I saw the update that said it should be fixed I thought I would try to get the update first.
Again, I appreciate the help, if I get to it before it gets updated and I have issues I'll let you know. Thanks.
Well, it was a thought.
The only other thought I have is to create a new account on your computer, and then install Toolbox in that new account without modifying ANY of the default settings in the new account. Something just says to me that you modified some default setting and that modification wasn't thought of when Toolbox was written. That's the easiest way to check out that theory.
I was able to fix it after all. For some reason the "standard" theme in FTB had an issue. I was able to figure out how to change the theme and all is well now.
Do you happen to have a reference to which version of YtK needs to be installed for that one to work? That's the main app I buy these tablets for lol.
Be aware:
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Been using FTB for years with older fire tablets. Never had anything to contribute before this though.
Not an overly helpful tip, but might help some of you. I currently am using a golden age HD 10 plus that I haven't screwed up yet. I primarily use it for the larger form factor (vs phone) when sitting watching TV to browse the web, check e-mail, respond to texts, etc. The fact that I couldn't get notifications from google apps was driving me nuts. I'd hear the notification on my phone across the room, but then have to pick up the AFT and check each app to find out which one caused the notification. Just stupid (-oh, btw, why do google calendar notifcations work but not text or gmail? grrr...)
I use a Fire Stick for watching TV and found something called Notifications for Fire TV. You load the app on your phone (from play store), and install the app on the firestick (from appstore). When your phone gets a notification, a little box pops up on the TV to let you know which app got the notification. It's free to try and you can unlock total functionality for a modest fee (like getting the first line of an e-mail or text and getting rid of ads). You can set it up to work on any/all fire tv's connected to the same network. I haven't noticed any major battery drain on the phone with it running in the background, and the app has been mostly set-it-and-forget-it and stable.
Not the solution to notifications that I was hoping for, but better than nothing for my use. Hopefully this helps some of you as well
Not an overly helpful tip, but might help some of you. I currently am using a golden age HD 10 plus that I haven't screwed up yet. I primarily use it for the larger form factor (vs phone) when sitting watching TV to browse the web, check e-mail, respond to texts, etc. The fact that I couldn't get notifications from google apps was driving me nuts. I'd hear the notification on my phone across the room, but then have to pick up the AFT and check each app to find out which one caused the notification. Just stupid (-oh, btw, why do google calendar notifcations work but not text or gmail? grrr...)
I use a Fire Stick for watching TV and found something called Notifications for Fire TV. You load the app on your phone (from play store), and install the app on the firestick (from appstore). When your phone gets a notification, a little box pops up on the TV to let you know which app got the notification. It's free to try and you can unlock total functionality for a modest fee (like getting the first line of an e-mail or text and getting rid of ads). You can set it up to work on any/all fire tv's connected to the same network. I haven't noticed any major battery drain on the phone with it running in the background, and the app has been mostly set-it-and-forget-it and stable.
Not the solution to notifications that I was hoping for, but better than nothing for my use. Hopefully this helps some of you as well
Hi all. I have a 5th gen fire 7 that I bought back in 2015. I remember using Kingroot and FireFlash to root it and install a custom ROM back in the day. It's on Android 5.1. It still boots up fine, but I'm looking to update to a newer ROM. I came across this tool, but when I connect my tablet, I get an error that says google Ford is not supported. However, I've seen multiple replies in this thread that Ford should be supported.
Any thoughts? Is it throwing an error because I'm already running a custom ROM? Any help would be much appreciated. I'm just trying to get to Android 7.1 so that I can run some newer apps. Thanks.
Any thoughts? Is it throwing an error because I'm already running a custom ROM? Any help would be much appreciated. I'm just trying to get to Android 7.1 so that I can run some newer apps. Thanks.
Hate to even ask...but i installed the script and granted permissions, but automate won't run nova launcher. The flow from the community worked (easy launcher), but was super slow, so I was trying to get your flow working. In the logs I see: no activity found to handle intent...so it seems it doesn't know what launcher I'm using?
Oh, and I tried @blaacksheep 's thing of using media record instead of play button to no avail.
I got bold and tried editing the flow to just set the launcher variable to
"com.teslacoilsw.launcher" ... But that didn't seems to do it either
Thanks in advance
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Hate to even ask...but i installed the script and granted permissions, but automate won't run nova launcher. The flow from the community worked (easy launcher), but was super slow, so I was trying to get your flow working. In the logs I see: no activity found to handle intent...so it seems it doesn't know what launcher I'm using?
Oh, and I tried @blaacksheep 's thing of using media record instead of play button to no avail.
I got bold and tried editing the flow to just set the launcher variable to
"com.teslacoilsw.launcher" ... But that didn't seems to do it either
Thanks in advance
Getting Automate to launch another launcher (other than Fire's launcher) is a 2 part process. The first part is to replace the Home button with one of our making that isn't locked into Fire Launcher. The second part is setting up Automate to read that button press and direct it towards our preferred launcher. If you don't have both parts, it will fail.
The script in Custom Navbar Key does the first part. That's why if it fails to work as expected you have to run an ADB command to get your home key back. The second part is an interactive portion that must be followed exactly to give all required permissions to Automate.
For me, it worked the first time, but then I had been playing around with those aspects already when Datastream33 added that method. I assure you it can work, and work well enough that it doesn't detract from the user experience. You just have to start fresh and follow ALL the on-screen instructions.
Thanks @blaacksheep , I probably didnt give the whole story. I installed the TB way back and I never got rid of the home key because I'm on 7.3.3.whaterver. ( Just found your post on using ReThinkDNS instead of DNS666, which has never worked for me - so thanks for that too!) For the home key, i was using the method that used the app "one button navigation" . However, I was tired of how it blocked the bottom of the screen and didn't rotate properly, so I came back to this thread to see if there was anything new and I stumbled over the Automate script posted by @Datastream33 and your comments about it. Seemed easy enough. ( I did NOT try to re-run FTB because I don't run windows day-to-day and so doing things on the tablet or via ADB is preferred) I got rid of "one button navigation" and installed Automate ( and got all the permissions right after a second try ) and then imported the "Launcher Invoker[3]" script. In it's stock form, it did nothing and I got that error mentioned above, which seemed to indicate that it didn't know what my launcher was ( Nova7 ). From there i tried changing the media key, and then got even more brave and replaced the step that set the launcher variable with a new one that hard coded it as "com.teslacoilsw.launcher". that removed the error in the log, but the flow still failed to do anything. As proof Automate is setup correctly, I was able to enable the flow posted in the community "amazon fire tablet - Easy Home Launcher" and it works - but there is a solid 5 second delay before it swaps to Nova from Fire launcher which didn't work for me. It seemed @Datastream33 's script was better, but for some reason it isn't working.Getting Automate to launch another launcher (other than Fire's launcher) is a 2 part process. The first part is to replace the Home button with one of our making that isn't locked into Fire Launcher. The second part is setting up Automate to read that button press and direct it towards our preferred launcher. If you don't have both parts, it will fail.
The script in Custom Navbar Key does the first part. That's why if it fails to work as expected you have to run an ADB command to get your home key back. The second part is an interactive portion that must be followed exactly to give all required permissions to Automate.
For me, it worked the first time, but then I had been playing around with those aspects already when Datastream33 added that method. I assure you it can work, and work well enough that it doesn't detract from the user experience. You just have to start fresh and follow ALL the on-screen instructions.
i wasn't sure if you were implying something else had to happen for the Automate script to work - but restoring the home key couldn't be it, because i never got rid of it in the first place.
I guess I just need to suck it up and install the newest TB and try using that.
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3Hey @Datastream33
Heads-up for FTB device ident
New Fire HD10 13th Gen 2023 just released
Model : KFTUWI
Code name TBD33## SPAM/WAREZ ALERT ##
This is NOT an official Fire Toolbox website:
Fire Toolbox - Download Free (Latest Version)
Free Fire Toolbox Download For you Windows PC...www.firetoolbox.org
Only download Fire Toolbox software from links in OP#1 to avoid possible spam/warez !3
Yep - Max 11
FireOS 8.3.2 is unrelated to FTB other than the restrictions imposed by the OS. The former addresses most (if not all) recently introduced FireOS incompatibilities with Google Play Services, the underlying reason why many Google and various 3rd party apps that depend on GPS were misbehaving. The latter facilitates tweaks to FireOS that are not supported by the native UI. FTB is an excellent tool for those unfamiliar with ADB and general programming.
In short, if you want your device to reliably work with apps that utilize GPS upgrade to FireOS 8.3.2.x. If your world is defined by the launcher UX then stick with whatever version you're on today.3
Greetings!
Not much has changed in V32.2.
Just updated the pointer for the download links to obtain them from Rentry instead of Pastebin. The device detection code was also updated to ensure FireOS 8.3.1.5 isn't marked as "restricted" when it shouldn't be. Not too many changes this time around... been mainly focused on the Linux port. -
375
Fire Toolbox V32.2
All-In-One Toolbox for Fire Tablets!
The Fire Toolbox is a collection of useful ADB (Android Debug Bridge) tweaks that can be applied to Amazon's Fire Tablets. The Toolbox project aims to help users fully customize and unlock the full potential of their tablets by putting all the power into their hands.The Toolbox doesn't touch the system partition meaning all changes made can be reversed either through the tools/subtools themselves or through a factory reset. This means the Toolbox does NOT void your warranty.
View attachment 5469557
Device Name: Generation:Amazon Fire Max 11 (2023) 13Amazon Fire 7 (2022) 12Amazon Fire 10/10+ (2021) 11Amazon Fire 8/8+ (2020) 10Amazon Fire 10 (2019) 9Amazon Fire 7 (2019) 9Amazon Fire 8 (2018) 8Amazon Fire 10 (2017) 7Amazon Fire 8 (2017) 7Amazon Fire 7 (2017) 7Amazon Fire HD8 (2016) 6Amazon Fire HD10 (2015) 5Amazon Fire HD8 (2015) 5Amazon Fire HD7 (2015) 5Amazon Fire HD7 (2014) 4Amazon Fire HD6 (2014) 4
In this forum, you may hear the word "generation" being used when talking about Fire Tablets. Just know that "generation" effectively means the same as "what year was the tablet manufactured?". This may seem confusing and as a result a reference table has been provided for you below.
Getting the Toolbox up and running with your tablet is surprisingly a very easy procedure. The only thing required is for you to enable Developer Options and ADB on your tablet. So, without further ado, let's get started.
At this point, please read the section below, and make sure to follow the correct guide that is made for your tablet on how to set up the device so it works with the Toolbox.
FIRE HD 7, 8, 10 (2018 - 2023) Guide:Before purchasing the tablet:- Make sure you uncheck the "Link device to your Amazon account to simplify setup" box before Adding to Cart. (See this screenshot, credits go to @ancientrael)
if the box remains checked, your tablet will automatically update to the latest version of FireOS the second it auto-connects to your wifi.
Booting the tablet for the first time:- Wait for your tablet to fully boot up for the first time (may take a few seconds to minutes).
- When it boots, it will ask you for the language you'd like the OS to use. Select your prefered language.
- Tapping the blue arrow at the bottom of the screen, you'll be asked to connect to a WIFI network.
- Select ANY network from the list (even if you don't know the password).
- Once it asks for the password, tap the "Cancel" button and it will take you to the previous screen with the Wifi networks.
- At the bottom of the screen, you should now see a "Skip Setup" button, go ahead and tap that.
- It will now ask if you're sure you want to skip fire setup. Just tap "Skip" once more.
- You should immeditely be thrown into Fire Launcher. You're now ready to enable USB/ADB Debugging.
Enabling USB Debugging:- Turn on your tablet and go to Settings > Device Options > About Fire Tablet and tap on the Serial Number until you unlock Developer Options.
- Press the back button and find the new Developer Options and toggle it on.
- Scroll down till you find USB Debugging and enable it.
Setting up the drivers:If you are on Windows 10 or Windows 11 you do NOT need to following this guide because Windows will setup the needed drivers by default automatically. All you need to do is plug your tablet in and Windows will take care of the rest. Please wait until these drivers are fully installed before laucnhing the Toolbox for the first time. - Download the latest version of the Toolbox from the Downloads section of this page and install it onto your PC.
- Plug your tablet into the computer, and Windows will start installing the MTP drivers. It will also attempt to install the ADB driver but will fail. (This is normal and to be expected)
- Launch the Toolbox, and it should detect your Windows version and inform you that further driver setup is required. It will then ask you if you'd like the Toolbox to download and install the drivers.
- Click the "Yes" button, wait for the download to finish and follow the driver setup. If this for some reason doesn't work, please follow this guide to manually install the drivers.
- At this point, If drivers are setup properly... the Toolbox will inform you that the "device isn't authorized. Please authorize your device now."
- On your tablet, you should see a new prompt asking if you want to Allow USB Debugging and should show the computer's RSA key fingerprint. Tick the box that says "Always allow from the computer" and hit ok.
That's it, the Toolbox should recognize your tablet and will take you to the main menu. Enjoy!
FIRE HD 6, 7, 8, 10 (2014 - 2017) Guide:Before purchasing the tablet:- Make sure you uncheck the "Link device to your Amazon account to simplify setup" box before Adding to Cart. (See this screenshot, credits go to @ancientrael)
if the box remains checked, your tablet will automatically update to the latest version of FireOS the second it auto-connects to your wifi.
Booting the tablet for the first time:- Wait for your tablet to fully boot up for the first time (may take a few seconds to minutes).
- When it boots, it will ask you for the language you'd like the OS to use. Select your prefered language.
- Tapping the blue arrow at the bottom of the screen, you'll be asked to connect to a WIFI network.
- Select ANY network from the list (even if you don't know the password).
- Once it asks for the password, tap the "Cancel" button and it will take you to the previous screen with the Wifi networks.
- At the bottom of the screen, you should now see a "Skip Setup" button, go ahead and tap that.
- It will now ask if you're sure you want to skip fire setup. Just tap "Skip" once more.
- You should immeditely be thrown into Fire Launcher. You're now ready to enable ADB Debugging.
Enabling ADB Debugging:- Turn on your tablet and go to Settings > Device Options and tap on the Serial Number until you unlock Developer Options.
- Find the new Developer Options and toggle it on.
- Scroll down till you find ADB Debugging and enable it.
Setting up the drivers:If you are on Windows 10 or Windows 11 you do NOT need to following this guide because Windows will setup the needed drivers by default automatically. All you need to do is plug your tablet in and Windows will take care of the rest. Please wait until these drivers are fully installed before laucnhing the Toolbox for the first time. - Download the latest version of the Toolbox from the Downloads section of this page and install it onto your PC.
- Plug your tablet into the computer, and Windows will start installing the MTP drivers. It will also attempt to install the ADB driver but will fail. (This is normal and to be expected)
- Launch the Toolbox, and it should detect your Windows version and inform you that further driver setup is required. It will then ask you if you'd like the Toolbox to download and install the drivers.
- Click the "Yes" button, wait for the download to finish and follow the driver setup. If this for some reason doesn't work, please follow this guide to manually install the drivers.
- At this point, If drivers are setup properly... the Toolbox will inform you that the "device isn't authorized. Please authorize your device now."
- On your tablet, you should see a new prompt asking if you want to Allow USB Debugging and should show the computer's RSA key fingerprint. Tick the box that says "Always allow from the computer" and hit ok.
That's it, the Toolbox should recognize your tablet and will take you to the main menu. Enjoy!
• ADB Shell - Spawn a Unix shell that can be used to communicate with the device and execute commands.• Custom Launcher - Replace Fire Launcher with a custom launcher.• Enable Widget Support - Enable widgets on supported launchers.• Custom Sounds - Set custom sounds for notifications, lock/unlock events, low battery, and more!• Density Modifier - Change the value of pixels per inch to either decrease or increase resolution.• Restore Default Density - Restore the factory default density.• Google Assistant - Replace Amazon Alexa with Google Assistant.• Google Services - Install Google Services and the Play Store.• Google Services (Manage)• Add/Remove Google Accounts• Clear Data/Cache for Play Services• Uninstall Play Services• Hybrid Apps - Sideload Amazon Appstore apps without having the Appstore enabled.• Keyboard and Input - Manage other input methods and install custom keyboards.• Lockscreen Wallpaper - Replace the lockscreen's wallpaper with a custom one. • Manage Amazon Apps - Manage the Amazon apps installed on your tablet.• Hide/disable Amazon Apps - Hide and Disable Amazon apps through presets or manually select apps.• Restore Amazon Apps - Completely restore every Amazon app or manually select apps to restore.• Modify System Settings - • Power Options - Reboot, shutdown, reboot into recovery, or reboot the tablet into bootloader mode.• Parental Controls Hide - Installs a service that auto-dismisses messages from Parental Controls.• Privacy Controls - Disable telemetry collection of app usage data, interest based ads, etc. • Push and Pull• Push - Transfer files from your computer to your tablet.• Pull - Retrieve files from your tablet and transfer them to your computer.• Remove Lockscreen Ads - Remove ads from the lockscreen.• Screen Capturing - Record the device's screen, or capture a screenshot.• Sideload Apps - Install APKs from sources outside of the Amazon Appstore.• System Backup • Backup - Create a backup of the current system configuration.• Restore - Restore system configuration from a previously created backup.• User Management (8th gen and above)• Create a User - Create a new user.• Delete a User - Delete a toolbox created user.• Switch Users - Switch the current user to a different Toolbox created user.• YouTube Clients - Install third-party Youtube clients.
Windows:
VersionInstaller (.exe)Portable (.zip)Update PostVirusTotalV32.0DownloadPostLinkV31.0DownloadPostLinkV30.2DownloadPostLinkV30.1DownloadPostLinkV30.0DownloadPostLinkV29.0DownloadPostLinkV28.9DownloadDownloadPostLinkV27.0DownloadPostLinkV26.1DownloadPostLinkV25.2PostLinkV24.0DownloadPostLink*Halloween EditionDownload*Bug FixLinkV23.0DownloadPostLinkV22.0DownloadPostLinkV21.0DownloadPostLinkV20.0DownloadPostLinkV19.0DownloadPostLinkV18.0DownloadPostLinkV17.0DownloadPostLinkV16.0PostLinkv15.0PostLinkV13.0PostLinkV12.0PostLinkV11.1PostLinkV11.0PostLinkV10.2PostLinkV10.1PostLinkV10.0PostLinkV9.2PostLinkV9.1PostLinkV9.0PostLinkV8.2PostLinkV8.1PostLinkV7.2.1DownloadPostLinkV7.1PostLinkV7.0PostLinkV6.56PostLinkV6.55PostLinkV6.54DownloadPostLink
*Linux:
VersionPython VersionInstallerUpdate PostVirusTotalV3.0 (Beta)3.10.xPostLinkV3.0 (Beta)3.11.xPostLink
NOTICE: You must obtain the correct version for your installed Python version. Run "python3 -V" in the Terminal to get the installed python version for your distro.
* While in Beta, I'd like to heavy push the installer so that we can get it to stable along with the Toolbox. So, for now, the only download option will be the installer. Once the Toolbox and the Installer are both stable a portable option will be available. However, if you really need a portable version please PM me and I'll send you the link.
Other Downloads:
ResourceResource LinkApplicable ToolsCustom Navigation Bar IconsNavigation Bar ModifierToolbox ChangelogsN/A
If you like my work and would like to support me feel free to Donate. Thank you!74
The Toolbox is being marked as a virus?This is likely because the Toolbox (and it's installer) aren't signed with a software license. This freaks Windows out because it sees that there is no publisher, and as a result it displays a warning (smartscreen). In addition, some anti-viruses might also flag the Toolbox as a virus simply because the build is relatively new and there is no record of it in the anti-viruses database, resulting in a false positve.As always, I take your security and privacy VERY seriously! If you do not feel safe with installing the Toolbox due to virus concerns, I respect and support your decision. It is always up to the user and their judgment!32I'd also like to take the time to acknowledge today as a very special day for this project! Today marks the 3RD YEAR anniversary of the project!!!
It seems like only yesterday, that the first version of the Toolbox was released! It's just crazy to think that it all started in 2019, as a very simple batch file program designed solemnly to remove lock screen ads, and has grown into what it is today! If you're interested in what started it all, I'd highly recommend checking out this post. It dives a little more into the Toolbox's background and it's beginnings!
I just wanted to THANK YOU all from the bottom of my heart for making the last 3 years so memorable! If it wasn't for the amazing support and this wonderful community, the project would've died a long time ago! You guys are the fuel that feeds the Toolbox's development!
Through this project, I've gotten to meet some wonderful people that I'd consider to be good friends:
@Davy49, @Tailborn, @Falcon342, @blaacksheep, and of course you (the one reading this)!
So, where does the Toolbox go from here? Well, I suppose the next step would be to bring the Toolbox to more platforms! Currently, the Toolbox is being ported to other platforms using the Python programming language, and PySimpleGUI. I've also been asked if the Toolbox Python port will ever become open-source, and I think the answer is most likely yes. Big things are planned for the Toolbox this year, and I hope you'll join me on this journey!
HERE'S TO THE TOOLBOX'S 3RD YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!
28Last edited 9-30-2022
A lot has changed since I first posted this. Toolbox has been updated to v29.0 and now has a new method of replacing the Fire Launcher, DNS66 is only a delaying tactic and doesn't stop updates in all cases, and the Lockscreen Ad removal process in the old FTB v9.2 still works to remove the ads. I leave the post up, but understand that it's just for reference as a starting point for you to explore these things.
What to do about F/W v. 7.3.2.2
So your Fire tablet has the latest firmware update on it (v7.3.2.2) and Fire Toolbox won't do what it's supposed to. All is not lost. I've collected some workarounds that will keep Amazon at bay. The three main problems are:
1) You can't stop Automatic updates.
2) You can't get rid of the lockscreen ads.
3) You hate the Amazon Launcher, but Amazon won't let you change it permanently.
Once those three problems are addressed, you pretty much have your tablet back. The Toolbox will still work for all the other things you want modify. First, get your tablet set up with Toolbox, install Google Services, and install the launcher you want. (Make sure to select "Enable Widget Support".) We'll take care of the Amazon Launcher later. So let's get started with the 3 main problems.
1) Automatic updates.
This method is far from perfect and has sometimes allowed updates to somehow slip by. The only other way to do this that I know is to use an app blocking firewall and block the update apps. I chose this method because it doesn't require a 'training period' to train the app on what to block and what to let through. Also, if you've already got lockscreen ads in your tablet's cache, this will not remove them. This method must be in place before you first connect to WiFi for the lockscreen ad blocking to work.
We need to stop the tablet from contacting Amazon to update it's firmware. We can no longer disable the service that does this, BUT, we can interfere with it's ability to contact the server from which it gets its updates. On a computer, we would modify the hosts file and block the addresses of the update servers. On an Android device, we need root access to do that, but there is an alternate way of adding things to the hosts file - with a VPN. We'll use a free and open source ad blocking VPN app to do this. The app is called DNS66 and it's available through F-Droid. You need to make sure this is always running to be protected from updates.Luckily, android has a feature to assist us in this. It's called "Always On VPN" and we need another app to access the hidden setting for this. We'll use "Activity Launcher" to get to this setting. Activity Launcher is available from Google's Play Store.
It turns out that using Activity Launcher to change this hidden setting does nothing more than give you an extra notification that your VPN is off. It doesn't stop traffic, so it's useless. Besides, my tablet has taken to turning the "Always On VPN" setting back off every time I boot. (Thanks Amazon!) Activity Launcher is still useful for finding settings that Amazon doesn't see fit to include. It also makes desktop shortcuts to those settings if you wish.
Download DNS66 to your computer from f-droid.org or from the attached file, copy it to your tablet and install it.Also go to the Play Store and install Activity Launcher.Finally, get the Amzn_Blcklist.txt that's attached to this post and copy that to your tablet. The blocklist file must remain on your tablet, so put it somewhere where it won't get deleted. I suggest in the root of your internal storage. (/storage/emulated/0)
Open DNS66. There are a couple settings that must be changed. On the Start tab, turn on "Watch Connection". (All 3 switches should now be on.)
Now go to the Hosts tab. Tap the "+" in the lower-right. Under Title, type "Amazon Blocklist". Tap the paper clip on the next line. Navigate to the Amzn_Blocklist.txt file you downloaded earlier and select it. Now tap "Done" in the upper-right. You should now have the first and last entry on the displayed list selected.
Now go to the Apps tab. Turn on "Show System Apps". Tap the gear under the Show System Apps switch and select "No Apps". All the switches below that should now be off.
You can optionally set your own DNS servers on the next screen if you'd like. I like to turn on Custom DNS Servers, deselect the German ones that are pre-selected, and then turn on the last two servers (CloudFlare).
This can also be done with Toolbox making this step unnecessary. Now go back to the Start tab. Tap "Start". It will notify you that it wants to connect to a VPN. Tap Yes or OK and allow it.
Quick note: Do not use the Toolbox DNS changer in Modify System Settings AND the DNS66 Custom DNS setting together. This will cause connectivity to fail. I use DNS66 and not Toolbox's DNS changer. Having the Custom DNS Servers set ins DNS66, and using the Toolbox DNS changer simultaneously caused me hours of grief trying to figure out why Google couldn't connect!
Now Launch Activity Launcher. Tap the magnifying glass in the upper-right. Enter "VPN". One setting should appear called "VPN". Tap it. Tap the gear on the end of the DNS66 line. Turn on Always-on VPN. Turning on the other switch makes Google Services think you are disconnected, so leave that one off. Step one accomplished.
Notes:
DNS66 takes several seconds before it gets started when you first boot, so it is possible that the tablet will make a DNS query for the update server or the lockscreen ad server before it loads. Best practice is to turn off WiFi before you power down or reboot.
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2) Lockscreen Ads.
Toolbox v29.0 now takes care of lockscreen ads!
It turns out, that blocking those update servers also blocks your tablet from getting any lockscreen
ads! No further action is needed. I stopped investigating this because I chose to disable the lockscreen completely. If you want to do that, you can do it in Toolbox, or in Activity Launcher that you just installed. Launch Activity Launcher. Tap the magnifying glass. Type in "screenlock". Now tap the last item (.password.ScreenLockSuggestionActivity). Select None and you're done.
Notes:
It has come to my attention that when disabling your PIN, it may still ask you for a PIN by Parental Controls for some settings or activities. I would suggest if you're going to disable your PIN, to first set it to something simple like 0000, reboot it, and then disable the PIN. That way you'll know what PIN you set if it suddenly asks you next month for your PIN.
Another way to disable lockscreen ads is detailedHere.
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3) Amazon Launcher.
New: Toolbox v29 has remediated most of the difficulties in replacing the launcher. Always check that you have the latest version of Toolbox. I'll leave the rest of the post up to inspire ideas.
The latest version of Toolbox (v 28.1) has a new tool called 'Custom Navbar Key'. This method uses Automate to automatically replace the Home button every time you reboot. It works rather nicely. I leave this section posted for completeness and to facilitate experimentation on other choices.
The way we're going to get rid of the Amazon Launcher is by not calling it! We're going to replace the Home button with another button that we can map to any launcher we'd like. This isn't a perfect solution, but it is FREE. If you're willing to spend a couple bucks, you can purchase a more configurable gesture navigation app with more features, but this is FREE, so maybe you can accept it's shortcomings. I'll keep this post updated with other navbar replacements that people suggest.
Go to the Play Store. Get and install "One Button Navigation". Launch it. It will want you to turn on Accessability Service for it. Follow the on-screen instructions and turn on "One Button Navigation Bar". You'll see your new nav button at the bottom of the screen. I like to adjust the width down to a dot, like the button it's replacing, but that's up to you. I also like to make the background black and the botton bright yellow so that I'm reminded it's running. Set up the background and button colors as you like them. Yeah, I know the ads in this are obtrusive, but you'll never see them once it's set up. Also DNS66 will block the ads if you install that first.
Next tap the Action tab. Tap "Single Click". Scroll down and select "Launch Application...". Select the launcher that you installed with Toolbox here. In my case, it was Nova 7. (Google updated the Nova version that Toolbox installed.) Now you can set any other actions you'd like for the new button.
I didn't want anything additional, so I made the gestures similar to the original buttons. This is all up to you. You can reverse them or set additional functionality to the button. I ended up with a new navbar that covers the original navbar (the one with the home button that brings up the Amazon Launcher). I now have a button that when pressed, takes me to my launcher. When I swipe it left, it goes back a screen. When I swipe it right, it shows the recents. I spent a lot of time with other navbar replacements and this is the minimalist replacement that works best for me. YMMV. Before someone complains that it doesn't work in landscape mode, I'm not the developer. You should rate it and leave a comment for him! This is the best I could find that does what I want for FREE.
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I'll edit this post with your suggestions for better solutions to these problems and keep a list of navbar replacements that people suggest at the end so you can find what works best for you.
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Some Suggested Navigation Bar replacements:
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One Button Navigation Bar by Nu-Kob (PlayStore)
Pie Control by coolAce (PlayStore)
Simple Control by coolAce (PlayStore)
DNS66 is available from F-Droid.org (dated March 26, 2021)
Activity Launcher is available from APKMirror.com (dated March 21,2022)21What's going on, guys?
I sincerely hope everyone is doing good, and having a wonderful December so far!
Today marks the release of V26.0 of the Toolbox! So, without further ado... let's take a look at what this release has to offer!
Welcome, Welcome, Welcome... Screen!
You know, every time I run a build for the first time I go through the Theme Selector, then the Tour, and then the Welcome Screen. I just think to myself "this is just a mess" - so in this update I thought I'd focus on improving it and making it better. I started by re-designing the Welcome Screen and doing my best to link all three tools into something that looked visually appealing. Now, in a tabbed interface you'll find the Setup Tour in the very first tab, Theme Selection (with a new UI) in the second, Installation Management in the third, and finally in the fourth the Changelog.
Now let's talk specifically about the Installation Management tool. This bad boy now has the ability to read installations from directories other than the default (localappdata\Datastream). So, if you've got your installations in a custom location, and you'd like to manage them, it's now possible to point the path to that location. This should help make managing installations a lot easier!
Custom Launchers on FireOS 7.3.2.2
As some of you may know, I bit the bullet and updated my tablet to the latest version of FireOS... to the dreaded 7.3.2.2. This update, from what I heard, caused the Custom Launcher and disabling OTAs tools to no longer function and after updating, I soon discovered that it was indeed the case. I then tried everything I could think and well really didn't turn up any valuable workarounds... until I tried the method we'd been using on older gen devices... and it worked! Of course, just like on the older gens, it has the drawback of being removed every time the device is rebooted. However, it's the only method I could find, so it's better than nothing, right?
Anyway, while coding it in I decided to take the liberty of also clean up the code, and the UI a bit. What's cool is the tool will now read what generation your tablet is, and display what methods are available to use. You'll also find that the initial method selection UI is a lot more usable compared to its previous iteration.
Change the Timeout for the Display?
Ah, the latest addition to the General group in the Modify System Settings tool. This subtool not only allows you to alter the timeout to traditional values, but also allows you to set a custom timeout. Want your screen to sleep after 24 hours of inactivity? This one's for you folks who want to extend the timeout as much as you can. Just be careful, it may cause a burn-in if your tablet's screen remains on the same screen for too long!
Let's Talk Linux Port Stuff
I guess the point of this section is to ask you guys if you're ok with updates to the VB version being slowed down, so I can focus more on the port? I'd also like to address a common question I get asked about it being open-source. Right now, I'm planning on it being closed-source for now. However, I am planning on making it open-source when I feel like the time is right. Please be patient! So, let's get back to the original question... are you guy's ok if I shift primary focus to the port?
Wait, that's not everything! If you're interested in everything that's changed... please take a look at the changelog below:
Ready to download V26.0? Head on over to the Download's section of the OP. By the way, because of some directory changes to the bin folder... the update will not show up in the Updater. It must be installed via the Installer or extracted from the Portable release.
Ok, my favorite part about of these release posts... sharing appreciation for you awesome folks! I just wanted to say I'm so blessed to be a part of the wonderful community over here on XDA. You guys are incredible people and in fact... this is perhaps the one place I've been on that I don't see negativity or people bullying one another. You guys are just AMAZING and I wanted to let you know that I appreciate everyone's support! Furthermore, you guys are what keep this project going, and it wouldn't be where it is today without you guys! So please pat yourself on the back - you deserve it!
Also, I'd like to place the limelight on my good friends @blaacksheep, and of course @Falcon342. I just can't express how much I appreciate all you've done for this thread! I haven't had the time to get on here because of work and when I come on the forum I see you guys helping out and answering questions. I really do appreciate the time and effort you two have put into being so freaking helpful! However, I've got to be honest, I'm extremely sad because I feel like I'm not doing enough. I'm sure you guys would like a little help (I'm gonna try harder to be more active on here when I can to hopefully help you guys out). Anyway, thank you guys again!! I really do appreciate it!!!!
Also, don't think I forgot about you donators! I just want to say I'm so honored that you'd donate your hard-earned cash. Sometimes I feel like I don't deserve it. Guys and gals, THANK YOU so much for donating! I really do appreciate every penny!
This year has flown by and Christmas is right around the corner, so I just wanted to say MERRY CHRISTMAS and I hope you all had a remarkable 2021! Let's hope 2022 is an even better year!
Well, that's all I've got for now! Have a good one, guys, and until next time... Peace!
- Make sure you uncheck the "Link device to your Amazon account to simplify setup" box before Adding to Cart. (See this screenshot, credits go to @ancientrael)
