SYTAB10ST Root access and Google Apps/Market

Compu_Guy

Member
Nov 26, 2011
58
19
Hello All!

I figured I would let everyone know my current adventure.

So I picked up two Sylvania SYTAB10ST 10" Magni tabs from Shopko for Black Friday for $129. I'm guessing that these are pretty new, since I can't find much online for them. Everything seems to revolve around the SYTAB10MT.

All in all, the tablet isn't too bad. I would really like one of the fancy smancy ones, but right now the price was right.

There are a handful of things that are annoyances that I'm working on correcting and that is where this post is coming from. After loading the tab and finding out that the Android Market isn't install, that was a big bummer. The SlideME market place is fair, but doesn't seem to have a lot of the apps that I want on it. I've loaded the Amazon Appstore, but everytime I try to download a free app, it pops up a saying that there is a problem with my payment method, even though everything is setup correctly. I'm going to have to contact Amazon about this. My guess is because it is a tablet.

Before going any further into my details though, I do want to let everyone know that root access is available and easy! To get root access, I had to load Universal Androot v.1.6.2 beta 5. Loading this is a little tricky, as this tab doesn't have a USB port to connect to your computer. What I ended up doing was downloading it on my computer and copying the apk over to my SD card. Then in the SlideME market, they have X File Manager that I used to browse to the card and just load the APK. This is also how I had to load my other apps that aren't on the SlideME market. I either put the on the computer or downloaded them on my phone and used Astro to back them up. All of the apps that I have tried are working just fine under this method. After loading Androot, I tried doing the soft root, but that failed. So, I went ahead and took the plunge and did the hard root. This one worked! I also loaded on Root Checker and sure enough, I have root access. I then reset the tab and the root access is still there.

Next, I want to load Gmail and the Android Market. I've been looking at the post here and trying to figure out how to get the Android Market on, but have a few hiccups. Gmail, on this tab, is not available. On the other Sylvania tabs, the directions show that you can add it though the Add Application link. On this guy, Gmail isn't on the list. I did download the latest Google Apps pack from Cyanogen, the hiccup here is how do I load these? I'm used to having Recovery on my phone where I can just flash the zip file. Here I don't have that luxury. Any thoughts on where to go next with this?

After getting the Google Apps loaded, then I want to try the Market, which from what I can tell, if Gmail is working, then the market should work pretty smooth as well. We'll see.

If anyone has any thoughts on how to get the Google Apps loaded then let me know.

Thanks!
 

cfrockit

Senior Member
Dec 26, 2010
627
191
Hello All!

I figured I would let everyone know my current adventure.

So I picked up two Sylvania SYTAB10ST 10" Magni tabs from Shopko for Black Friday for $129. I'm guessing that these are pretty new, since I can't find much online for them. Everything seems to revolve around the SYTAB10MT.

Welcome to the forum! lorenii is an advanced SYTAB10MT user who replied to this post - http://www.androidtablets.net/forum/sylvania-tablets/27046-sytab10st-info.html?highlight=SYTAB10ST


Just a different version of the SYTAB10MT. We have yet to figure out who makes them. The 'look' like Flytouch 3 or SuperPads, but they are different inside and you will brick your tablet if you try to flash the ROM. The are more closely related to the ICan 10" inside, but still a little different.
You'll find more info on the ICan 10" on this site spread across a few forums.
 

dazoe

Member
Nov 26, 2011
25
12
I got one of these also. I've been messing around with it quite a bit. My amazon appstore works just fine. I'd suggest you check you payment method, your CC might have expired or something. Androot's soft root option works as well but always fails on first attempt, but second works. As for the google apps pack with out a recovery to flash the zip you have to do it manually. IE: open the zip and copy the files into the correct locations. I HAVE NOT DONE THIS YET. I am trying to figure out the factory restore/bootloader keys first to figure out if i can recover it in case of messing up the system partition. I tried the the "touchscreen"+"menu"+"power" but that's a no go. The menu button does do something though. Holding the menu button stops the boot at the infoTMIC screen for a LONG (60 seconds or so) time then it reboots.
As for the tablet it's self, I'm not that impressed, With a 1ghz processor and 512MB ram i thought it'd be able to as much as my phone can. BUT simple things lag like crazy. And it seems like the touchscreen has a delay on initial "touch".
Netflix works, but is unwatchable. Video plays slow and audio plays normal.
Youtube plays fine. has some glitches when going in and out of "fullscreen"

I can't wait to get market and a replacement home screen i think it will make it much better. I'd love to get CM7 on this thing to see how it does.


Oh one more thing. The upgrade system thing. Every time i check for updates it always has one, i download it and let it flash but it's always the same version. Did it about 10 times now. Anyone else having this issue?
 

cfrockit

Senior Member
Dec 26, 2010
627
191
Oh one more thing. The upgrade system thing. Every time i check for updates it always has one, i download it and let it flash but it's always the same version. Did it about 10 times now. Anyone else having this issue?
Yes, it is a known problem that the automatic update process does NOT work.

Posted under Automatic Update process in http://www.androidtablets.net/forum...resources-synet7lp-sytabex7-disgo-6000-a.html.

REQUEST - Would a SYTAB10ST user post the build.prop and provide the Hardware Id "hwver" for investigation?
 
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cfrockit

Senior Member
Dec 26, 2010
627
191
hwver:11.6.8.2
build.prop: sytab10st - Pastebin.com
Thanks, going to push it and ask for the Setting.apk to investigate the update process. This led to the discovery of a manual update process. The update file might be saved to /local as system.ius where it is expanded before burning. The file is then deleted. The process can be interrupted by pushing the reset button once the download completes but before the file is expanded and burned. It this manner the file can be captured and copied and posted for investigation.

Using known information it probably is issuing the following GET command -

Code:
http://dg-support2a.com/sysup.php?data=[B]11.6.8.2[/B]&vcode=[B]2[/B]

This returns the following text string that includes the current version "100" followed by the pipe symbol "|" then the download url.

Code:
[URL="http://dg-support2a.com/update/11.6.8.2/SYTABEX7-2_Android_395266.ius"]100|http://dg-support2a.com/update/11.6.8.2/SYTABEX7-2_Android_395266.ius[/URL]

Of course the makes no sense, but nothing related the the update file have yet that the file name is SYTABEX7-2 if this is for another device. What is most confusing is the numerical string in the file name "395266"? Wondering what it references.

Also, based on the build.prop "ro.versioncode=2" sending the version as 2 when the update server responds with a url for anything below 100 it will always think it needs an update. That's is the definitive answer to your specific question.

CAUTION - Using the incorrect update file can cause irreparable damage "brick" the tablet.
 
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cfrockit

Senior Member
Dec 26, 2010
627
191
SYTABEX7-2_Android_395266.ius

Wrap Information:
Code:
Company: sylvania
Board: error
FileNum: 11.6.8.2.21.1
Size 65 MB

Image List:
RD (170 KB)
RD_ (4477 KB)
LK (2347 KB)
ADR_AS (59742.5 KB)

Unusual NO U0 "u-boot.nand.bin image and includes RD_ (Is this a backup/recovery Ramdisk image?) What is the purpose?

More sloppy programming a seen in a snippet of the DeviceInfoSettings.smali resources decoded from the Settings.apk with android-apktool - A tool for reengineering Android apk files.
.

Code:
    .line 64
    const-string v8, "device_model"

    const-string v9, "SYNET7LP"
 
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cfrockit

Senior Member
Dec 26, 2010
627
191
I just "captured" the update that the device downloads.. It is the same as the ius at


Compared the md5sums

Yes, based on the build.prop "ro.versioncode=2" the Update Check is sending the version as 2 and the update server responds with a url for anything below 100. Therefore, it will always think it needs an update. That's is the definitive answer to your specific question.

Caution - If you want to stop this behavior manually edit the build.prop "ro.versioncode" to something higher that 100 say 200 and it will stop responding an update is available. Messing with the build.prop can brick the tablet if messed up. Also, you'll have to manually check if a new version is available occasionally but not many updates after the initial have ever been posted for Sylvania tablets.
 
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cfrockit

Senior Member
Dec 26, 2010
627
191
The SYTAB10ST system.img is a packed EXT3 filesystem. Using HTC Android Kitchen 0.177 - by dsixda (xda-developers.com) to unpack the image yields -


Code:
Working folder information 

 Android OS version             : 2.2
 Device                         : mid
 Model                          : MID
 ROM Name                       : FRF85B
 Rooted (Superuser.apk + su)    : NO
 Rooted (unsecured boot.img)    : UNKNOWN
 BusyBox installed              : YES
 BusyBox run-parts support      : NO
 Apps2SD (Apps to EXT) enabled  : NO
 /data/app enabled              : NO
 Custom boot animation allowed  : NO
 Nano text editor installed     : NO
 Bash shell support             : NO
 /system/framework is deodexed  : YES
 /system/app is deodexed        : YES
 radio.img found                : NO
 ROM will wipe all data         : NO

Again, interesting Model noted as MID.
 

Compu_Guy

Member
Nov 26, 2011
58
19
Well, I was able to get Gmail working by following the posts here http://www.androidtablets.net/forum/sylvania-tablets/17577-installing-real-market.html. This also got the market installed. It opens fine and I can browser around, but for some reason, it isn't letting me download anything. The only thing that I didn't do from this article is copy over the other GoogleServicesFramework. I'm sure that is part of the reason. I'm trying to do that now, but for some reason Root Explorer can't mount system and RW anymore.

That was one funny thing when I first installed Root Explorer. I had already done the hard root from my previous post and I couldn't mount system as RW. I then unrooted and did a soft root as mentioned by doing it twice and then it let me mount system fine. After restarting, I didn't have root access anymore, and neither the soft root or hard root is letting me mount system as RW anymore. Once I can get that mounted, then I will copy over the newer GoogleServicesFramework and see where that goes.

UPDATE: ES File Explorer works a lot better than Root Explorer on this. I did try to copy over the GoogleServicesFramework and it keeps failing. I also tried to just install it and that fails too.

UPDATE 2: Okay, so I did a Factory reset and started over. This allowed me to actually copy over the GoogleServicesFramework file, but when I try to install it, it fails. I left it as is, restarted the tablet and tried to load the Market and Gmail, and it wouldn't load. I then loaded the old one that came with the tablet and it installed correctly, then Gmail and the Market loaded. Now they are asking for a Google account. I load my info and it says that it can't get a reliable connection to the servers. Hmm...
 
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Compu_Guy

Member
Nov 26, 2011
58
19
Success!!!!!!!!

I got it working! Okay. Here are steps that I did. I've run the update a couple of times (since it has a bug) to erase the tablet and start over and each time the steps works great. I downloaded most of what I needed from this page: http://www.androidtablets.net/forum/sylvania-tablets/17577-installing-real-market.html

1) Installed Universal Androot 1.6.2 - beta 5. Use this to Root your tablet. You usually have to hit it a couple times to get it to work right.
2) Install ES File Explorer. This worked better for me then RootExplorer. Once you load ES File Explorer, in its settings, there is an option to run it as a Root Explorer and mount the file system and RW. Do this and you are golden.
3) I copied Gmail.apk, MarketUpdater.apk, and Vending.apk to /system/app
4) Once these are copied over, I ran them in the same order as above and installed them.
5) Next, I installed Google Reader. Weird huh? Once this is installed, you can then load the tablet settings and go under Accounts & Sync, choose Add account, and now you have a Google option. Use this to load your Google account.
6) Run Gmail! There might be a permission deal that pops up asking you to give Gmail permission to your Google account. Watch out for this.
7) Run the Market!
8) The Market will scan your device and find what you already have loaded. It will automatically update Gmail as well. I have seen where this shows it is downloading two copies, but really it is only one. I have also had to cancel the download once and try it again, but it works.
9) The Market will show there is an update for YouTube. DO NOT DO THIS UPDATE! If you do, YouTube will no longer work.
10) Sit back and enjoy!!! I haven't tried any paid apps (I usually don't), but all of the free ones that I've tried so far work great!
 

jatke

Member
Nov 26, 2011
17
3
Worked for me as well with one exception - neither ES File Explorer or RootExplorer were allowing the option to mount /system as read/write. So, after getting Root with Androot 1.6.2b5, in a terminal I used...
Code:
su
mount -o remount,rw /dev/null /system
...to make /system R/W. After copying and installing Gmail.apk, MarketUpdater.apk, and Vending.apk to /system/app with RootExplorer. I went back to terminal and used...
Code:
mount -o remount,ro /dev/null /system
to make /system read/only again.
 

Compu_Guy

Member
Nov 26, 2011
58
19
Hey jatke - Glad to hear that it worked for you!

I have found one caveat. I searched the Market for Pandora and it wasn't there. I remember reading on another thread about needing to edit some files and set your location to something like en-US and that fixed their problem with this, so I need to find that thread to see what needs to be done, but all in all it has worked great for me!
 
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