Nook Simple Touch/Rooting

From nookDevs

Warning: nookDevs.com is not liable if you screw up during the root process. Nookdevs didn't even develop this process, it is a community product of many hands. Warning: This will probably (probably = actually) void your warranty, nookDevs.com is not liable for that either in any way shape or form. Warning: Make sure you read the FULL page BEFORE starting anything to confirm you know what you are getting into! Warning: By following the instructions below you release nookDevs and all related parties from any and all liability and damages as a result of this process. We can help you if you run into problems but we help at OUR discretion. Before you come to IRC asking for help, please make sure you've done every teeny tiny step and you've done the whole thing at least twice.

To start the rooting process please scroll down...

Part of the Nook Simple Touch portal

What The Root Is

The current rooting process will:

• Enable you to install apps on the Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch using ADB (the android loader from the Android SDK. )

If you use the TouchNooter variation, it will also:

• Install su and Superuser.apk
• Install Busybox
• Enable Non-Market Installs
• Install Email.apk
• Install Calendar and Calculator.
• Install and Enable the Android Market, Gmail, Youtube
• Auto Install Apps (automatically install apps that you drop into the sdcards /data/app folder via USB)
• Install Button Savior.

How To Do It

Pre-requisites

• You need a B&N Nook Simple Touch (which we will call N2E)

  Before rooting, you need to complete BN's registration process, you may not be able to link your N2E to your BN account to buy books after rooting. Do Not Proceed with Rooting unless the Nook is Registered, You will not be prompted to register with BN once you have completed the Root Process.

• You need a 128 MB or higher microSD card that you are willing to completely erase. ( Note: It's recommended you use a Class 6 microSD card as a lower grade card may have issues. )
• You need access to a computer.
  • the computer must be able to read and write a microSD card.
  • the computer must have a working USB port to talk to the nook.
• You need a working wifi connection for the N2E.
• You must have a Gmail/YouTube linked Account. IF you used a Gmail account for B&N Registration you should use that one for this process. If you don't have a Gmail account, go get one (http://mail.google.com/mail/signup). You need it for this process even if you never use it again in your life.
• You must have a program to write disk images, either dd (Linux or Mac) or Win32DiskImager (Windows) software (details below).

This process can be done from a Linux, Windows or Mac machine.

Note: You should use a dedicated USB card reader or a SD card adapter. Devices with integrated card readers (cameras, smartphones, the Nook itself) will generally not work - they are unable to modify the partition table correctly, and the SD card will not boot. A very few devices will work for this, if yours did, count yourself lucky. Walmart sells USB sd readers for under $10.

Unlike Linux and Mac, Windows does not include 'dd' so you will want to install win32DiskImager for writing the image to the microSD. Simply download the zip to a folder and run Win32DiskImager.exe. No installation is required.

Steps

1. You need to decide whether you want to update to 1.0.1 or 1.1 first, There are two versions. If you would like to upgrade to 1.1 before rooting, please download it from this link.
   • Don't assume that a newly purchased N2E will not have the 1.1 upgrade already installed. Check Settings->Device Info->About Your Nook Simple Touch'
   • To install the update, place the zip file in the root folder of your Nook Simple Touch. Ensure its name has not been changed (nook_1_1_update.zip). Then eject the Nook and put it to sleep. It should then update itself.
   •   for 1.0.0 or 1.0.1   Download GabrialDestruir's TouchNooter 1.6.24 file 24 Jun 2011.
   •   for 1.1   Download GabrialDestruir's TouchNooter 2.1.31 file 31 Jan 2012.

1. Unzip it using your favorite unzipper.
   • The resulting img file will be larger than 65,000 kb.
2. Write the microSD card image:

For Windows users:

• Run Win32DiskImage.exe
• Click the folder button and navigate to select the img file you just unzipped.
• Click on the disk drive letter label on the right, and choose the letter that corresponds to your SD card.
• Press Write. When it finishes, press Exit.
  • WARNING: This will completely erase your microSD card. Be sure to back it up!

After you have burned the uSD card

1. 

   
   View the contents of the SD card on your computer. You should see contents similar to those in the imge to the right. If you don't, you did something wrong... please review the prerequisites and the steps and try again.
2. Remove the microSD card from your computer.
3. Run the TouchNooter on your Nook Touch using the uSD card you just burned.
   • Shut the device down completely. Make sure the USB cable is unplugged hold the power button down until prompted and choose power off.
   • Insert the microSD card into the Nook Touch.
   • Turn the Nook Touch on.
   • The Nook Touch will boot the microSD Follow the directions on screen..
     • The Nook Touch should boot normally.
     • That was the hard part, now to the simple stuff.
     • Upon boot unlock your screen.
     • Tap the Android
     • At the Android Welcome Screen skip "Sign In"
     • Enable Location Services when given the option.
     • Connect to Wifi and launch Youtube from ADW App Drawer.
     • Click the Menu button (On top at the right, next to the time.).
     • Select "My Channel" and Login using your Gmail Account (ensure the XXX@Gmail.com format to link)
     • Exit Youtube and Launch Gmail.
     • Sync your Gmail Account and Exit. (If it fails to sync that is fine - it will do so later on if you give it a few minutes)
     • Open up Market and Accept Terms and Service.
       • You may have to wait a day for it to work properly, YMMV.
     • If you made it this far your nook should be successfully Rooted. Go Download an App to make sure.
     • Enable Non-Market Installs by running the NookColor Tools App.
     • Choose an App. If the install hangs without downloading, try turning the N2E off (with power held for 3+ seconds), then on again. Go back into Marketplace and cancel the download, then restart it and it will work fine.

Followup

Enable Market

To actually enable the Market using TouchNooter, you have to finish the process on the Nook Simple Touch itself. Note: Be sure that before you begin the root process above, you signed in & registered the device with B&N.

If you would like to use a Google Apps account, you can follow the variation of this procedure in NookColor Using a Google Apps Account.

1. • Unlock the N2E.
   • At the Android Welcome Screen tap the robot.
   • Skip "Learn how to use your device"
   • Skip "Set up your Google Account"
   • Select both boxes for "Use Google Location" and click Next (Send anonymous data to Google check box may be optional)
   • Tap the white Nav Arrow > settings > Wireless & verify that you are connected to WiFi
     • (The Nav arrow is the white up arrow in the middle of the notifications bar at the bottom of your screen.)
   • When prompted for the Home app, you're given the options of Home or ADW Laucher. You can choose either as long as ButtonSavior is running.
   • Tap the Home Button > ADW App Drawer > Youtube & accept the ToS
   • Tap the menu & select "My Channel", then Add account & add your linked Google Account
     • When you log in, put in your entire gmail address, it must be of the form xxx@gmail.com. Nothing else works. We really mean this.
   • Tap the Home Button > ADW App Drawer > Launch Gmail
   • In Gmail, tap menu > accounts > chose your account (may be optional)
   • Then menu > Refresh. Wait for sync. It takes a minute. You should see your Inbox. (If it fails to sync that is fine.)
   • Open up Market and Accept Terms and Service. You should be able to see market apps & download & install directly from the Market.
     • If Market doesn't work you may have to "Wait a Day" before it does.

If not everything shows in Market There have been reports that it may take as long as 30 hours to see all apps in Market rather than a restricted set after performing this update. To date there is no absolute proof one way or the other.

If things didn't work

If your Market does not work, wait a day, if is still does not work you will need to Flash back to clean stock ROM and start completely over with rooting the Nook Simple Touch and then come DIRECTLY here to attempt these steps again.

If and only if you have attempted this twice, at least once after a complete flash back to stock, then come to the IRC channel and ask for help.

Simple way to return to factory settings

Followed this from http://factory-reset.com/wiki/Nook_Simple_Touch

Very simple and worked like a charm.

"To do a full recovery, power it down and then power it up right after it starts coming up, press both the left and right lower buttons on the face of the nook touch, hold them down for several seconds during the start up and it’ll prompt you for a system wipe."

If YouTube fails to start

After the rooting is done and market is enabled, Youtube may now flake out on you when you try to run it. That's no big deal.

You can fix it by downloading Titanium backup from the market and using it to clear the Youtube user data, or you can manually clear the Youtube data. Another alternative is reinstalling the app, but there have been reports of difficulty getting it to reinstall, so it's suggested you clear the data instead using the following. Type carefully!

• adb shell
• rm -fR /data/data/com.google.android.youtube/*

If the rm command fails, try prefixing it with busybox; ie: busybox rm

(Instead of installing adb, you can also install the "Terminal Emulator" app from the market, and type this 'busybox rm' command in that way. You'll have to 'su' first.)

When this is done, Youtube should work again. Don't attempt to login to Youtube or it will break again, but it should work to search and view videos. It's reported that it sometimes breaks itself again later, so you may have to repeat the steps above. If it happens often, you might download GScript from the Market and have it execute the rm line above, then run the script whenever Youtube is broken again.

Format Nooter MicroSD Card

Once you've Nootered your device, you probably want to reformat your card back to its normal filesystem and capacity so you can use it in your Nook.

1. Power down your Nook Color by holding the Power button for 3+ seconds and Power Off when prompted
2. When it's off, remove the MicroSD Card
3. Power the Nook Color back on
4. When it's booted, re-insert the MicroSD card
5. Go to Settings, Device Information, SD Card
6. Unmount the SD Card if it's mounted
7. Format SD card

ADB Access

At this point, the Nook Simple Touch firmware has been modified to enable ADB connections. Please note the Nook Simple Touch is newer than ADB so you will need to update the ADB INI file before ADB can detect it. Details are explained in the USB ADB guide. You do not need to use adb to install software or manipulate the N2E unless you want to. The following is completely optional.

Follow the instructions in the USB ADB setup guide to prepare your computer for sideloading apps to Nook Simple Touch.

adb install {package.apk}