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--- doc:appunti:hardware:arnova_7h_g3 [2013/12/26 08:47] – [Installing Whatsapp (and People, Maps, etc.)] niccolo
+++ doc:appunti:hardware:arnova_7h_g3 [2013/12/26 15:56] (current) – [Arnova 7h G3] niccolo
@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
   * Two internal storages: 1 Gb + 2 Gb
   * RAM: 354 Mb
+== Pros ==
+  * Price
+  * Device is rooted out of the box
+  * Google Play is present
+== Cons ==
+  * Poor display quality
+  * Performances
+  * Not all the Google applications are installable. With some tricks you can install People (Contacts), Maps, etc.
+  * Only front camera
+  * Poor audio
+  * No vibration
 ===== Installing applications =====
-The first releases of Arnova tablet did not include Google Play (the Android apps market), they have the **AppsLib** app instead, which have about the same functionalities: browse available apps (selected by Arnova), install, update, purchase, etc. This model instead has **Google Play** out of the box, with **AppsLib** too: this is a little confusing, but definitely good.
+The first releases of Arnova tablet did not include //Google Play// (the Android market), they have **AppsLib** instead, which have about the same functionalities: browse available apps (selected by Arnova), install, update, purchase, etc. This model instead has **Google Play** out of the box, with **AppsLib** too: this is a little confusing, but definitely good.
-==== Installing Whatsapp (and People, Maps, etc.) ====
+==== Installing Whatsapp ====
 One of the first goal for this tablet was to **install Whatsapp**, I supposed to be an easy thask, bu I was wrong! First of all Whatsapp **is supposed to be not installable into a WiFi-only tablet**. I think that a SIM is a prerequisite, so searching for Whatsapp into Google Play simply fails.
@@ Line 19: / Line 34: @@
 Several users report that is not possibile to use the same WhatsApp account (telephone number) on two different devices, they say that when you use a device the other gets disconnected from the service and you have to re-register via an SMS confirmation code.
-Now the problem is the address book! The Arnova **is missing People** (the default contacts manager by Google)! In fact the Arnova is missing several Android apps which we are used to have: **People, Maps, GMail, Calendar**, etc. If you think that you can just browse the Google Play and install you are wrong, that apps are just not there.
+FIXME When the tablet switch to stand-by (screen goes off), WhatsApp does not receive messages! It is not clear if this behaviour is configurable.
+==== Installing Google apps: People (contacts manager), Maps, etc. ====
+Now the problem is the address book! The Arnova **is missing People** (the default contacts manager by Google)! In fact the Arnova is missing several Android apps which we are used to have: **People, Maps, GMail, Calendar, etc**. If you think that you can just browse the Google Play and install them, you are wrong, that apps are just not there.
+I find a quite confusing way to install that apps. My goal is to install as little packages as possible and to have some degree of control on what I am doing. I had to install the **ArcTools** app, a special tool for installing Google Play (formerly Android Market) and Google Applications (Youtube, Maps, ...) on Archos or Arnova tablets.
+Some hacking knowledge is required, here are the steps.
-I find a quite confusing way to install that apps. My goal is to install as little package as possible and to have some degree of control on what I am doing. Some hacking knowledge is required, here are the steps.
   - Install some file manager with remote transfer capabilities. I choosed [[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.estrongs.android.pop|ES File Explorer]] which has an integrated FTP server.
-  - Install the **ArcTools** app. This is a special tool for Arnova tablets, it does not exists on the Google Play, you can install it from the AppsLib application (but you are required to register and pay a little fee), or you can download it from the [[http://www.arctablet.com/blog/downloads/tools/arctools/com.arctablet.arctools.apk/|www.arctablet.com]] blog (where you need to register, but payment is not mandatory). I downloaded the com.arctablet.arctools.apk file using the PC, then transferred it to the tablet and installed from the file manager.
+  - Install the **ArcTools** app, it does not exists on the Google Play, you can install it from the AppsLib application (but you are required to register and pay a little fee), or you can download it from the [[http://www.arctablet.com/blog/downloads/tools/arctools/com.arctablet.arctools.apk/|www.arctablet.com]] blog (where you need to register, but payment is not mandatory). I downloaded the **com.arctablet.arctools.apk** file using the PC, then transferred it to the tablet and installed from the file manager.
-  - Run the **ArcTools** apps, from the //Installer Apps// menu select the **Arnova 7 G3 Google Play Store and Apps Install** package and download it, but **do not install it**. This is because the package contains apps that you may not want and definitely contains some that are already installed in my tablet (eg. the Google Play).
+  - Run the **ArcTools** apps, from the //Installer Apps// menu select the **Arnova 7 G3 Google Play Store and Apps Install** package and download it, but **do not install it** (do not click the //Install apps// button). This is because the package contains apps that you may not want and definitely contains some that are already installed in my tablet (eg. the Google Play). **NOTE**: if the www.arctablet.com site is down, you cannot run the ArcTools program and download packages. Here it is a copy of the archive {{.:arnova:gapps-arnova7g3-install.zip|gapps-arnova7g3-install.zip}}.
-  - Using a file transfer utility, copy the **''/sdcard/arctools01.zip''** archive (this is the boundle downloaded by ArcTools) from the tablet to a PC.
+  - Copy from the tablet to a PC the **''/sdcard/arctools01.zip''** archive (this is the boundle downloaded by ArcTools).
-  - Extract from the archive the packages you need: you find a ''gapps-arnova7g3.tar'' archive into the zip. I picked **Contacts.apk** and **GoogleMaps.apk** files from ''/system/app/'' directory.
+  - Extract from the zip the files you need. You find a ''gapps-arnova7g3.tar'' archive into the zip, I picked **Contacts.apk** and **GoogleMaps.apk** files from ''/system/app/'' directory.
+  - Copy the apk files back to the tablet and istall them using the file manager.
+FIXME Extracting, copying and installing the apk I was not able to start the Street view application. May be some other files are required to be copied into the ''/system/framework'' or ''/system/etc/permission'' directories, see the ''arctools-run-script-1.sh'' script contained into the zip archive. By the way, Street does not run also if installed directly from the Google Play.
+===== Rooted out of the box =====
+The device is rooted out of the box: just install a terminal emulator like [[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jackpal.androidterm|this one]] and execute **''su''** into the shell. Also **busybox** is already installed.
+How to remount the /system directory with read/write permission:
+<code>
+mount -o remount,rw /system
+</code>
+To copy some files you need to invoke busybox instead of cp:
+<code>
+/system/bin/busybox cp /sdcard/Download/com.google.android.maps.xml /system/etc/permissions
+</code>