(How To) CM7 Bootable SD

[boot]

I'm going to read the whole thread before I do anything so I don't know if these have already been answered, but I have some questions right away if someone could help me out:

The original thread mentions that this will work on any size card, down to 1 or 2 gig, so I'm assuming you're still storing apps and things on your Nook? Edit: Someone explained the partitions, and one is used like a normal card (from what I understand). So EVERYTHING is stored on the card, correct? Apps and all? If so, what size is a good sized card, so you don't have to worry about space? We want books/apps/music, etc.

When you take out the card, is the Nook back to normal? This doesn't void the warrantee (not that I ever use them) or risk messing the whole thing up? The "risk messing the whole thing up" is the only part of this question I haven't seen an answer to. From what I read (I'm around p18 so far) it doesn't void it and goes back to normal...

Do you put new apps onto your computer, then the Nook, or do you go to the app store right on the Nook?

I'll probably have more questions as I read, but is there anything else I should know right away?

Edit: Question about this:

Its much faster than I am and if B&N don't have good apps, it will get the full root.

Sent from my NookColor using Android Tablet Forum

So by booting with this you still don't get access to apps from the Google Play/Android Market store?

 

[boot]

Okay, got off work and bought an SD card and I'm stuck. Win32 Disk Imager won't let me select a drive, so I can't write the img to the card.

Edit: It recognized my USB drive when I plugged it in, but it won't see my micro SD card?

 

[boot]

Switched computers and got it to read, BUT (why can't things work right the first time?) new problem.

6. Power down Nook and insert SD Card.
7. Power on Nook and wait for CM7 boot program to run.
8. Program will say install finished “It is safe to power off now” but wait until the screen goes blank.

It never said that, it just went through a lot of text (program running, I assume) and then went black. Shut itself off. So when I turn it on again it goes straight to normal Nook. Reboot did the same. What happened and how can I make it work correctly?

 

[J515OP]

Hi boot, it sounds like you are close and all on your own I think the script may have changed a little and some of the later posts say the same as you that the screen goes black. Ok, so once it is powered off and then back on it should boot into the card. So just to make sure you put the CM7 zip file and Google apps zip file on the sd card without unzipping them or putting them in any folder on the card right? And you didn't see any errors when it ran through the code?

Please try putting the card in the card reader hooked to your pc and let us know what you see on it. It should be a small partition around 100-250MB in size with only 4 or 5 files in it. These should say things like uboot. It is ok for the card to appear much small than its actual size when it boots into the CM7 it will see all the remainging free space on the card.

EDIT: If you pc asks you to format the card when you try and see what is on it say NO.

JP

 

[boot]

When I put it in the computer it wants me to format it. If I go to properties from outside, it's got 0 free space and 0 used.

I only unzipped the one that was specified. No errors that I saw, though I glanced away a few times. It acts like a normal SD card now in the Nook, nothing like the first time.

 

[J515OP]

When you look at it in the Nook what files does it show? Nothing and no size?

 

[boot]

On the Nook it shows:

B&N Downloads
LOST.DIR
MLO
My Files
u-boot.bin
uImage
uRamdisk
uRecImg
uRecRam

 

[J515OP]

That is good. Does it show a size for the card? If you didn't resize the partition after burning the image with win32 and before placing the two zip files on here it might not be large enough to run the whole script which is why it isn't booting when it is done. I don't think it shows any errors in that case either but the partition is just a little to small for it to run all the way.

 

[boot]

The bar showing how full the card was before I took it out of the computer was red after adding the two zip files, but I didn't think anything of it since it didn't say it didn't have enough room. Should I format it and try resizing? If so, how do I resize/to what size do I resize it?

Edit: It shows 107 MB free of 116 MB on the Nook.

 

[J515OP]

Here is the bad news. You should probably start over at this point.

The good news is you have already had a trial run and know the basic steps.

1. While booted into the Nook go to Settings>about>SD card and choose unmount. Then choose format card and say yes. now you have a factory fresh SD card to start with.
2. Not sure how you are then accessing the SD card but if it is through a card reader on the pc directly, power down and remove the card. Tehn put it in your pc card reader. (If you are using the usb cable and leaving it in the Nook then just plug into the pc.)
3. Once you see the sd card in My computer on the PC open win32disk imager. Right click on the program and select Run as Administrator if you have the option.
4. Choose the unzipped file to burn to the SD card.
5. Once the image is done writing, use easeus partition manager to resize the boot partition to 250MB. (There is an alternate method for this step if you don't want to resize but I think resize is easier for some)
6. Right click on the CM7 zip file and choose copy. Then in My Computer right click the SD card and choose paste. Make sure the file is named according to post 1.
7. Right click on Google Apps zip and choose copy. Then in My Computer right click on the SD card and choose paste. Make sure the file is named according to post 1.
8. Make sure the Nook is powered down. (If using a usb connection to the PC safely eject first then power down).
9. Insert card and power on.
10 Watch script run and power down if it doesn't do it for you.
11. Boot back up and you should be in CM7.

 

[boot]

Alright, I'll do that now. Thanks so much for your help, I appreciate it!

Edit: Everything seems to be working great! It kind of skipped over the google apps because I guess it wasn't done with other setup stuff, but that's not an issue really since everything is in the app store anyway.

 

[J515OP]

Alright, I'll do that now. Thanks so much for your help, I appreciate it!

Edit: Everything seems to be working great! It kind of skipped over the google apps because I guess it wasn't done with other setup stuff, but that's not an issue really since everything is in the app store anyway.

All right! Don't forget to go to Amazon and get their App store too! A free app a day here http://www.androidtablets.net/forum/nook-color-apps-games/11344-free-amazon-app-day.html.

 

[boot]

Awesome, thanks! Is there a specific way I should transfer ebooks in pdf form? If I'm in Digital Editions I can transfer to either the Nook or the card, so I dragged it to the card and it was there, but it didn't want to read. It said to delete and redownload it... They're the only ones now that won't just download right from the Nook itself.

 

[J515OP]

Hmm, they should work you may need to add a reader app that handles PDF files to the new setup.

 

[boot]

Something I maybe should have asked first, haha: This is completely legal, right? I was trying to explain what I was doing with the SD card, and the first reaction I got was, "Oh, it's like downloading things illegally." But as far as I understand, it's legal because Android is open source, right? It's the having a whole tablet software on a card that's getting them. I think they feel like it's the same thing as pirating a movie or CD, and they don't believe me when I say it's not.