New Users Start Here: Viewsonic gTablet Tips and Tweaks

[pbrauer]

As we have done in the other areas, I am going to start a sticky here specific for the Viewsonic gTablet:

Installing Clockwork, Rooting and First ROM Flash

This is the easiest and most straightforward place to start for this:
http://www.androidtablets.net/forum...rkmod-custom-rom-flash-player-market-fix.html
alternately
CM/Root/Flash and Market (source: xda-developers.com)

Note that this still refers to the TnT Lite 2.2 ROM, you can substitute other ROMs here to start, but follow ALL directions fully. I still recommend that you start with 2.2 as it is very stable and tried and true. Once you go through all these steps reflashing takes about 5-10 minutes after downloading whatever ROM you want.

After following these steps you will have a rooted device with Clockwork and the TnT ROM that will make your device usable. Also, make sure that you go with CM .08.

Before you get too frustrated, if you look at the bottom of that post, all of the files you need to get started are available from links right there.


Restore to factory settings - FULL RESET

In the event you need to reset your device to factory settings, such as you want to start over or return the device. Here is the link for that:
GTab Recovery Firmware

Using Clockwork
How do I boot into Clockworkmod?
With the device completely off (and not asleep/suspended), press the + volume button and the power button until the device turns on. If it is successfully booting into Clockworkmod, you will see a message at the top left of the screen saying booting recovery image.

How do I perform a wipe data/factory reset?
With Clockworkmod, select the third option in the menu "wipe data/factory reset" and press the Home key (second button down on the right side of the gTablet in landscape view). Then, confirm wipe by selecting "Yes - wipe data/factory reset" and press the Home key again.

How do I clear the cache?
With Clockworkmod, select the fourth option in the menu "wipe cache partition" and press the Home key (second button down on the right side of the gTablet in landscape view). Then, confirm wipe by selecting "Yes - Wipe Cache" and press the Home key again.

Custom Wallpaper Creation
Using whatever image editing software you like, create your image at 1024 x 600. Remember that if you're making wallpaper, when using the G-Tab in portrait mode (vertically) will make the wallpaper shrink and there will be black bars on top and below the image. Best image size: 1024 x 1024, just keep the cropping in mind.

Setting up ADB, and why you would want to do this
ADB (Android Debug Bridge) is the basic building block for Android Development, and it allows you to control things on your tablet directly from your PC. Sometimes just having this setup will save you from changes or problems that have arisen on your tablet.

The following link: ADB for GTab will provide everything you will need to get setup, instructions, downloads and other useful links.

Quick Tips - Good to Know items
- Format your USB and microUSB cards and devices in your PC as FAT32. Your Android will thank you!
- If you have a device that is Black Screened or does not appear to be bootable, plug it back in, hold the power button for 10 seconds. For some reason, this seems to work
- If you are bothered by the fingerprints on your screen, look in this forum for the RainX thread, which covers using this. Cuts smudges down by 90%
- Yes, your device is the same form factor as the ZPad or Malata 10" Tablet, and accessories for those devices work for you!


-thanks to the folks at xda-developers.com and tegratab.com for source materials!

 

[dnjpowell]

This is great! I have had to learn as I go being a total noob to tablets & android. Figuring out how things work has been trial and error. Like having to format my thumb drive in Fat32 so that my tablet can read what's on it. Who woulda thunk??! Lol

 

[pbrauer]

Glad it helped!

 

[tmetcalfe]

This was an incredible help getting my gtablet rooted. I am loving Vegan 5.1.

 

[pbrauer]

Glad this is getting used, i just added a new section called Quick Tips and Good to Know!

Cheers,
P

 

[cbinks]

Picked up Gtab at office depot last night, updated rom to tnt lite 2.2. Didnt care much for it, went to vegan latest build, like this rom.

Does anyone have this rom and the forum app for this site, anytime i login with the forum app i get force closes. I can browse the forum fine when i am not logged in.

Overall i am very impressed with the tablet.

 

[pbrauer]

Sorry about the force close, I have yet to get this running on any of my tablets so I feel your pain there.

Also, the NEW TnT-Harmony ROM is actually pretty darn good. I flashed over to that from VEGAn 5 last Thursday and really am liking it.

 

[fragilio]

If you don't mind my asking, what do you like about the new TnT Harmony? (Link please).

First and foremost this tablet is amazing. For anyone who doesn't have one, the capacitive screen is very responsive, the battery life is exceptional, and the overall construction is very good.

Yes, yes, it's well documented how horrible the software interface is on the stock device, but..with a ROM..WOW! It's a very impressive piece of engineering, I have yet to see anything from the shanzai market that makes me even think about leaving my g-tab.

-f

 

[pbrauer]

Here is the link: G_Harmonyv1.2.zip

The TnT-Harmony ROM includes only a few of the interface cues from the Stock Touch-n-Tap, but they picked the right ones to keep, settings, email and calendar. Aside from that they dumped most of the rest of it. Then they added in the Frame-rate tweaks to the ROM so the screen is sharper and faster, they picked up the various optimized pieces and consolidated them, and added a bit of Gingerbread goodness where they could.

It is faster, smoother and more stable all around.

Here is the list of specific tweaks:
*Stock TnT Launcher was removed.
*ADW Launcher
*Stock Google Launcher
*All included system apks were stripped down and then optimized(Making this ROM very fast)
*2.6.32.9 Kernel
*Framerate Tweak(Thanks Dexter_nlb)
*Tnt Enchacment Pack
*Gingerbread Elements
*Gingerbread keyboard with working voice search
*build.prop had already been edited for the market.
*MusicMod Music player
*Miui Music app
*Spare Parts(turn the window and transitions to fast)
*Changed the screen animations
*Miren Browser(Miui style browser)
*Dancing Android Boot Screen

For the market:
For the market, go to Settings->Appilcations->System Appilcations and Clear the Cache for the Market and Force Close it. Then go down to Google Services Framework and clear data and then Force close it. Then go to the market and you should get the force close. Reboot and you'll be up and running

 

[fragilio]

Wow, looks appealing. Any good screen captures floating around?

 

[pbrauer]

there are some over at Forum.x d a-developers.com

 

[cbinks]

I will give tnt harmony a whirl soon, my only other tablet is the S7 and forum app works well on it, so i thought it was me or ROM!

Sent from my sdk using Android Tablet Forum App

 

[cypherdtraitor]

Howdy, its cypher and I just got my Gtab. I new from the specs it would be superior to other products. What suprised me was how good the stock software turned out to be (after the update of course.)

3 things:

1.) Thanks for staying on top of all the hacks and stuff, I would never be able to keep on top of this stuff without all of your help.

2.) For new users: There is a lot less to worry aboutwith hacking now, viewsonic has put a copy of their ROM out that you can restore a bricked device from.

3.) That RainX thing is Bad to the A _ _. I need to pick some up from Orielly's.

 

[JackedNY]

I havent decided yet what rom I want to use, but the vegan interests me the most for some reason. What I d like to know is if I can continue to use the same applications with vegan, such as the stock video player, which I like very much?

 

[JackedNY]

I just purchased the GTablet this saturday. At first, I was very uncertain about whether I wanted to keep it, but decided to keep hacking away just to see what I could do. I have clockwork installed and various roms are ready to go, but I m stilling working with the stock vanilla rom now. What I have found is that using a different launcher, like HeLauncher, has helped a lot. And I think some of the stock applications are great, including the video player and the camera apk. VLC remote crashes for some reason, but I can live with that. I have android market but it isnt fully functioning. Flash still doesn't work either, but I m pretty certain that will get a fix from Viewsonic in the near future. If anyone has a favorite rom, I d like to hear about it. Thanks.