Rooting
From nookDevs
- Warning: nookDevs.com is not liable if you screw up during the root process. kthxbai
- Warning: This will probably (probably = actually) void your warranty, nookDevs.com is not liable for that either in any way shape or form.
- Warning: What you are about to do should only be undertaken by a competent person, not your pet monkey Guenter, even if he has a small hat (Futurama)
- Warning: Make sure you read the FULL page BEFORE starting anything to confirm you know what you are getting into!
- Warning: By following the instructions below you release nookDevs and all related parties from any and all liability and damages as a result of this process. We can help you if you run into problems but we help at OUR discretion.
To start the rooting process please scroll down...
Contents |
THIS METHOD IS DEPRECATED. UNLESS YOU REALLY KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING, USE SOFTROOT INSTEAD
Looking to root your nook? You have come to the right place!
Not sure what this is about or why you'd do it? Read more on benefits and disadvantages of rooting and why rooting matters.
Requirements
- microSD(HC) card adapter
- Small screwdriver
- 45 minutes
- Fingernails or a sharp knife or a cell-phone disassembling tool
- A Linux/Unix based computer
- Android SDK
Instructions
Part 1: Opening up the nook
- Turn off nook.
- Take off the back cover of the nook.
- Remove the battery.
- Remove the user microSD card if there is one.
- Unscrew all screws. Dont lose them. There is a hole in the bottom left with white in it. That is also a screw. Unscrew that.
- There are a bunch of tabs around the sides of the nook that release the white bezel. Once released you will need to unseal the glue.
-
- Congrats you are 25 percent there!
-
- There are two black tabs on the sides of the nook where the page turn buttons are. Push those back to unlock them.
- You should be at the board now. Find the OS microSD card.
- Remove it.
Part 2: Modifying the files
Place the microSD card in a adapter, then into a computer
-
Warning: THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP! YOU MUST DO THIS OR RISK BRICKING THE nook IF ROOT IS DONE INCORRECTLY!
- dd if=/dev/PATHTODISK of=system.img
Save this image in a safe place however: DO NOT SHARE THIS WITH ANYONE, AT ANY TIME, FOR ANY REASON!
This includes a LOT of personal info and also includes Barnes and Noble trade secrets which you could get sued for if caught. So once again, DON'T DO IT!
- Mount it as ext3 read-write (sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /media/disk, replacing values as needed).
- Open the file init.rc as sudo (sudo nano init.rc).
- Find the line that starts talking about adbd.
- Replace the first occurance of the word "disabled" with "enabled".
-
- 50 percent done!
-
- Unmount it (sudo umount /media/disk, replacing values as needed).
- Eject SD card from computer.
Part 3: Closing the nook back up
- Put SD card back into nook.
- Close nook up (reverse the disassembling instructions).
- Turn nook on.
Part 4: The shell
- Now, on a computer again, download the Android SDK
- Open a terminal
-
- cd to the android folder
- cd tools
- ./adb connect IP_OF_NOOK:5555
- ./adb shell
-
If you want to disable updates from B&N run:
-
- mv /system/etc/security/otacerts.zip /system/etc/security/otacerts.zip.bak
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE ROOTED YOUR nook. Have fun, be safe, and...
Notes
Android Debug Bridge (adb) is a versatile tool lets you manage the state of an emulator instance or Android-powered device. Full documentation and list of commands available in adb can be found here.