[ZeroTech]

-Start with factory Edition BPDN
- insert SD card into PC

-Travel to http://www.pandigital.net/android
-Choose your model BPDN or WPDN & download the firmware to your SD card.  ("make a backup copy")

Direct DL
BPDN- http://pandigital.s3...aris_update.dat
WPDN- http://www.pandigita...ENG_6410POP.zip

- insert SDcard with the new firmware into the powered down PDN.
- Hold the volume up key + the power button until you see the update screen begin.

once the PDN loads you will have the new Android platform OS/UI

*Stay on your PDN & connect to a WiFi Connection*

Travel to http://www.freewarelovers.com/android/app/apps-installer to download the AppsInstaller or:
Direct DL
http://www.freewarel...aller_0.2.1.apk

After the AppsInstaller is downloaded to your PDN, in the Downloads menu you can simply choose to install the program.

Now you can install Apps from your SD card !!! ;D

*I will update this with links for compatible apps n such as i test them*
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Android Open Firmware Notes

The BPDN does not have the "Menu" & "Back" buttons as usual android devices do. Pandigital has bypassed this by using the Power & Vol+ buttons in their place.

I downloaded the AppInstaller online & now i can't find the Download list again to install my app. Open the stock internet browser app "Browser" with the browser open: choose settings/ More/ Downloads.  this takes you into your downloads page & you can now select the app from the list you wish to install & you will get the option to install that particular app.

Solid white screen after boot: Press either the power or the Vol+ button. "This is a glitch between the desktop & the android software. It is a android menu that requires you to press either "back" or "menu" to proceed" (seems to be random in frequency)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Apps Notes

TuneIn Radio: Fantastic app, it runs great.

Aldiko "E-reader": So far works well and has alot of resources. one possibly avoidable glitch. The reader screen in either orientation is sadly a bit to large for the monitor & text is hidden by the main menu that is always at the bottom.

Skyfire "web browser" This is the PC internet experience on your android device. Ver 2.0 - 2.3 work. 2.3 is a beta & seems to have some issues, i would recommend the previous version.
*Currently this app is the only way I have found to watch online videos*

Solitaire: only Solitaire & Forty Thieves are playable because of not being able to deal.  still fun for the 2 games that work =)

Connect4  board game, works great!

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
User submitted apps

ACV (Droid Comic Viewer):

AndWeather!:

ES File Explorer:

PlaysVideo:

[Mark Adams]

I'm moving this out of the modding subforum, which is for physical alterations and putting it in the main PDN forum where it will help more folks out there.  Nice work, great to see such initiative by a new member. Welcome to Slatdroid.

[makers72]

How long does it take to load? mine has been going forever but i guess i should be use to it lol

[taylorcolemiller]

Can the BDPN support the NOOK android app?

[ZeroTech]

TY I was hoping to help as many as possible that are stuck with one of these as i am, lol  ;D

updating to the open android firmware didn't take very long for me it was less than 10 minutes.
in several of the posts i have read & in the manuals etc.. descriptions of how long to hold the buttons vary. some say 3 seconds others say 5 second.  just hold both buttons until you see the DOS screen.  "same with turning on & off, don't stress about how long"

I will update the OP about a glitch after posting if I still can after the move, lol 

about nook yes, no & maybe

Yes: originally it has & runs this app
No:  It either didn't install or it wouldn't run after install. I would have to do it again to say for sure. " I have done say many lately."
Maybe: I believe this has to do with the lack of Market & connection to B&N. "Nook is a B&N app" so like every other app & firmware produced in partnership with B&N is locked down pretty bad or depends on having something else.  >

Aldiko works great, & has many sources for getting books, about 20 minutes after it was installed I had a library. 1st stop I got all E.A.Poe books "My fav author"  8)
I experienced a glitch in Aldiko last night. because of this i will have to uninstall & reinstall. it causes the whole monitor the go into sleep. the only way out is to hold the power button until it ask's you if you wanna shut it down (click the home button to get back to desktop)
I may have caused this glitch playing in Aldiko Settings menu. "I turned Aldiko brightness all the way down" not the monitor brightness.

The android firmware provided isn't the most stable platform, it really was just thrown together.

[exscentric]

Nook 2.4.1 works on my open platform nicely.  The previous version did not.

[cocho]

If I have installed using the previous instructions from the Beginner's thread....can I install this over it?  Does this one have the Market and GE?

[MTrethowan]

I have the Barebones Android from Pandigital installed. I also downloaded AppsInstaller as recommended and it is in the downloads folder. However, I can't find the "Downloads menu" on this version. As I recall, the Canadian version did have an app installer and I may reinstall that version unless someone knows how I might access the Downloads Menu.

[jackbox]

Quote

Can the BDPN support the NOOK android app?

It is not PD's fault Nook doesn't work. The Nook app is one of the most bloated and badly written Android apps out there. Kindle works on everything 1.6 up because Google did a great job on it.

[user22]

Hi, I'm new here but I have been browsing the forum all this week since I received a Novel for Christmas. Want to say nice post ZeroTech. I wish you could have posted it earlier so things would have been easier for me, lol, but I already ended up figuring it out myself and have been running the Open Platform kit on my BPDN for a few days now.

If you don't mind me adding to your list of working apps...the ones I am currently running are:
ACV (Droid Comic Viewer)
Aldiko
AndWeather!
ES File Explorer
PlaysVideo

As for your notes, I haven't experienced the "Solid white screen after boot" but I do have a problem with freezing after boot. Have you had this at all? When I power on the Novel it starts up and loads the home screen then freezes right there and my only option is to hold the power button until it shuts down then try again. It usually takes me about 2-3 tries at that until it will function properly.

[ZeroTech]

Quote

I have the Barebones Android from Pandigital installed. I also downloaded AppsInstaller as recommended and it is in the downloads folder. However, I can't find the "Downloads menu" on this version. As I recall, the Canadian version did have an app installer and I may reinstall that version unless someone knows how I might access the Downloads Menu.

2 ways:  as soon as you download the appinstaller.apk from an online source it brings up the black & white downloads page & shows the current download.  after it is downloaded  click the apps name in the download list & it will give you the install option.

alternatively if you closed your download page:

open the stock browser app, then hit the settings button on bottom right menu bar
choose the "More" button, then select "Downloads" this will show your DL list & you can install from there.

The open platform does come with a app installer, but it is part of the original browser app & only installs from online sources or things downloaded to the PDN's memory. *Nothing from the SD card*

umm let me sum this up a bit.

there are 2 SD cards in the PDN.  one that is external that you can easily remove & one that is internal that is not easily removed.

everything that you download from the web is stored on the internal SD card & can only be viewed by the original internet browser or another app called ESFile.

The external SD card is the main SD card & the location that is referred to by any app that looks for a SD location. *this will also be your main location for storing apps that you want to install unless they are downloaded from online, then they are stored on your internal SD card*

[ZeroTech]

Quote

Hi, I'm new here but I have been browsing the forum all this week since I received a Novel for Christmas. Want to say nice post ZeroTech. I wish you could have posted it earlier so things would have been easier for me, lol, but I already ended up figuring it out myself and have been running the Open Platform kit on my BPDN for a few days now.

If you don't mind me adding to your list of working apps...the ones I am currently running are:
ACV (Droid Comic Viewer)
Aldiko
AndWeather!
ES File Explorer
PlaysVideo

As for your notes, I haven't experienced the "Solid white screen after boot" but I do have a problem with freezing after boot. Have you had this at all? When I power on the Novel it starts up and loads the home screen then freezes right there and my only option is to hold the power button until it shuts down then try again. It usually takes me about 2-3 tries at that until it will function properly.

I added your app suggestions to a new area in OP called User submitted apps =)

i have experienced some freeze/lockups but none right after boot. mostly my lockups have been because of other apps that i have tried.

Mainly Aldiko, Skyfire & any game that requires flash or is too much for the BPDN and its gimped hardware & software has caused some lockups for me, but nothing a reboot & app uninstall couldn't remedy.

[ZeroTech]

Quote

Nook 2.4.1 works on my open platform nicely.  The previous version did not.

Are you using the WPDN or the BPDN?

[user22]

Quote

I added your app suggestions to a new area in OP called User submitted apps =)

i have experienced some freeze/lockups but none right after boot. mostly my lockups have been because of other apps that i have tried.

Mainly Aldiko, Skyfire & any game that requires flash or is too much for the BPDN and its gimped hardware & software has caused some lockups for me, but nothing a reboot & app uninstall couldn't remedy.

Right on. I also installed Open Home today if you want to add that to the list as well. I've been playing around with it for a few hours and so far so good.

And I think I solved my freeze/lockup after boot problem. I simply went into settings, disabled the automatic orientation rotating and haven't had a freeze since then. Sucks that I can't switch the orientation anymore, but that's a small price to pay to actually be able to use the device.

So I'm having a pretty good time with my BPDN now. My only complaint currently with the Open Platform kit is that big white menu bar at the bottom. It seems to be permanently there overlapping anything that's on the screen. Even when reading my books/comics the bar is down there covering up the bottom of the page. It would be nice if there was a way to set that thing to Auto-Hide or something.

[MTrethowan]

Thanks ZeroTech,
Mine is the BPDN and the internal memory, if it is micro SD would be behind a sheild that is soldered to the board (inaccessibly without unsoldering.) This PDN is for prototyping any way, so I'm not concerned about that. As an electronics tech and design engineer, the first thing I do is open the package and have a look.  ;)
When the software downloaded, I never got the install screen but it did make it to the SD card. It just may be that the BPDN glitched at that point and not made it that far.

[user22]

Quote

When the software downloaded, I never got the install screen but it did make it to the SD card. It just may be that the BPDN glitched at that point and not made it that far.

It doesn't automatically take you to the install screen. You have to tap on the completed download and it will then ask you if you would like to install. If you haven't cleared your download history then the app should still be listed there waiting for you to install it. Just follow ZeroTech's instructions for accessing the Downloads list via the Browser.

[MTrethowan]

Thanks user22. I already passed that point when I flashed a different version from Preston McNair.
http://reconwireless...pdate-download/
It's not a brick yet, but I am trying. ;D

[bullwing]

Thanks, some folks at mobile read sent me over here for modding instructions. There seems to be a lot of knowledgeable folks here.

[lepa71]

Hi.

I know I'm suppose to remove microSD card before installing OP, but what happens if you wouldn't?

Any body.

Thanks

[Mark Adams]

Quote

Hi.

I know I'm suppose to remove microSD card before installing OP, but what happens if you wouldn't?

Any body.

Thanks

This is a thread about the BLACK OP, hence "B"PDN in the title.  Not the same thing as removing the internal card for the White one at all.  If you've got a white one, there is a flashable recovery file you can flash first before flashing the OP which makes removing the card unnecessary,  I think Jackbox made it for his OP mod of the White PDN.  Go look for it, and read the doggone wiki and the gift of knowledge will be yours.