[bishshoy]

Hello friends, i have a few questions. the pb is not natively running android. and sideloading apk (converted to bar) apps wud launch the app in qnx launcher. and further not all apk apps are working. i desparately require some android apps to run in the pb, but they are refusing to do that. so i guess i hv to go for rooting.

nw the question is, does rooting ensures that all apk apps will be able to run as smoothly as if it is running on an android system ?

will they be still running in qnx launcher ?

[byul]

No it won't ensure that it will run smoothly as it is running on an android system.

[diegonei]

Yes, they will still be sandboxed in the loader.

And if you're on 2.0.1, say good bye to the idea of rooting. It can no longer be done.

[bishshoy]

So there is no way I can get an android app working on the pb unless the developer wishes?

[bishshoy]

If apps still run in the launcher, and don't work smoothly then what's the advantage we get by rooting our pb and voiding its warranty?

[jeroen_13]

Only if Rim updates the 'support library' for the android player, and supports 'creating library files' then all the app will work ! But the PB current only supports Android 2.3.3

[diegonei]

If apps still run in the launcher, and don't work smoothly then what's the advantage we get by rooting our pb and voiding its warranty?

Well, you can't root anymore on the current OS.

Not much came out of that anyway when it comes to functionality.

Don't fool yourself, it never promised native support for Android either. It was just access to the Android Market.

[Snuupy]

Well, you can root anymore on the current OS.

can't*** FTFY

[bishshoy]

so why dont hackers work on a better qnx launcher, rather than trying for new methods to root. i wish they wud release a good android emulator app that wud be able to play all android apps irrespective of the constraints that blackberry imposed on the qnx launcher. comon hackers, do something about it. its becoming really difficult to play with the playbook, with dull android app support . look at ios, and the apps. they are cool, uber cool and so pleasing to fiddle with and BB apps are just compared to them.

[sexyboy31]

good e reader apps work well heres the link its not flawless but i dont have many problems with there apps at all

Good e-Reader Android App Store - Playbook Android App Store - Get the Latest Apps for Playbook, Kobo Vox, Kindle Fire and More

[Wright_PC]

so why dont hackers work on a better qnx launcher, rather than trying for new methods to root. i wish they wud release a good android emulator app that wud be able to play all android apps irrespective of the constraints that blackberry imposed on the qnx launcher. comon hackers, do something about it. its becoming really difficult to play with the playbook, with dull android app support . look at ios, and the apps. they are cool, uber cool and so pleasing to fiddle with and BB apps are just compared to them.

A better launcher won't help. Some android apps require access to functions underneath the android layer to the operating system layer. The playbook doesn't run the same operating system as other Android devices so the android apps which rely on the low level functions will probably never work on the playbook.

[bishshoy]

A better launcher won't help. Some android apps require access to functions underneath the android layer to the operating system layer. The playbook doesn't run the same operating system as other Android devices so the android apps which rely on the low level functions will probably never work on the playbook.

A better launcher will atleast expand the number of android apps that will work in the pb after conversion. or perhaps a totally new android emulator can get those low level function converted to something that qnx can understand, just like running mac on an amd pc via vmware.

[samab]

(1) It is NOT an emulator when you have the source code of the original thing. Google released the source code for the Dalvik VM and RIM ported it to QNX. Whether the Dalvik VM is running on top of the linux kernel or running on top of the QNX kernel --- it is the same thing. Saying the Playbook is not running Android natively is like saying Android phones are not running Android natively --- complete BS.

(2) Better launcher doesn't help to expand the number of android apps. If an android app doesn't work on the Playbook, it is because these apps need to use native LINUX stuff --- and the Playbook isn't running on linux.

(3) You the end-user doesn't have access to the apps source code.

(4) It is MASSIVELY easier to port ios apps to the Playbook then porting an android app.
Fishlabs didn't complain about how Playbook's android player doesn't run native linux codes so they can't convert or port the android version Galaxy on Fire 2 HD to the Playbook --- because it only took them one day to port the ios version to the Playbook.

Entering Premium-Space: Galaxy on Fire 2 HD blazes onto the PlayBook » Galaxy on Fire 2 HD, Sci-Fi Shooter, Space Trader, 3D Action Game, RIM, Research In Motion, BlackBerry, App World, Playbook, Tablet, Release, Launch, 2012 » iPhone, iPad & Smartph

(5) You need an intel i7 with a massive amount of RAM to run vmware smoothly.

[bishshoy]

do we have a tool to convert ios apps to bar just like hatax method ? if not why dont hackers invent one such tool ?

[samab]

You CANNOT convert or port anything that has native linux or native ios elements WITHOUT the source code of the original app. You have to dress like a ninja and sneak into their offices to steal the source code first.

[bishshoy]

there is nothing called CANNOT in softwares. but i'll admit it is tough enough to port anything without source codes.

[samab]

Porting BY DEFINITION requires the original source code.

[TheScionicMan]

do we have a tool to convert ios apps to bar just like hatax method ? if not why dont hackers invent one such tool ?

Just because the Android OS has more holes in it than swiss cheese, doesn't mean that all phone OSes are the same....

[GreyGhostRos]

do we have a tool to convert ios apps to bar just like hatax method ? if not why dont hackers invent one such tool ?

1. Android applications work on Playbook cos RIM created a port of the Dalvik VM (which is why some apps that use the Android Natve SDK will not work)..
2. Porting Dalvik was possible cos its source code is available.. (I think even iOS has a similar port - Alien Dalvik it was called i think)
3. This is not possible with iOS
4. So converting iOS apps to Playbook doesn't seem like a reality.. Unless you want to do something like WINE (provides Windows APIs to run windows apps on Linux).. Highly unlikely with amount of work it will be..
5. However if the original developer / opensource project wishes to do so.. truly porting iOS apps (iOS uses Objective C if i'm not mistaken) to Playbook (Uses C/ C++ in NDK) will be easier than Android apps (Dalvik is a modified reimplementation of JVM)..

And as for the original question:
Rooting is most likely not going to do any good with increasing the App player compatibility or stability for Android apps..

[samab]

Today's article about Pirate Wings available for the Playbook is another example of iOS port to the Playbook --- even mistakenly including the iphone reference.

http://crackberry.com/pirate-wings-n...berry-playbook

The fact is that the "android player" in the Playbook is for very simple android apps that run entirely within the Dalvik VM --- and those android apps will run perfectly on the Playbook.

If you found some android app that you cannot sideload, it is because that this particular android app uses native linux stuff. These 3rd party developers cannot live on android revenue alone --- so they have to make an iOS version for the iphone/ipad.

Guess what? Both Galaxy on Fire 2 HD and Pirate Wings are available on both iOS and Android --- and it is massively easier to port the iOS version of these games to the Playbook than trying to port using the Android version.

Therefore for these 3rd party developers --- there is no point of asking RIM to spend massive manpower to make the Playbook's "android player" to run native linux codes.

[bishshoy]

Okay. This might be insane. But still I want to ask. On our pc, we can load any os if we have the correct device drivers for the hardware, written to work for that os. And our PlayBook runs on some hardware, whose drivers for the Android os are available because many devices runs on similar specs (correct me if I am wrong). So, why can't we install the entire android os from scratch, just like we format our pc and install windows. Or maybe dual boot. I bet if tomorrow Google buys blackberry, and decides to have android on the PlayBook, then there WILL be an android for the PlayBook. It is not impossible. An active hacker community called the OSX86, have successfully cracked the mac kernel and made device drivers for many other hardware for which apple didn't develop one. The result was that now every pc can run mac, even amd processors which don't support the same instruction set as Intel processors does. I definitely believe it's possible for ANY device including the PlayBook.

[samab]

If Google buys RIM, Google can do anything --- including modifying the Playbook bootloader so that the Playbook can boot anything.

Your OSX86 example --- by the time you managed to collect all the drivers (and most of them are proprietary), people are already on their 3rd tablet (especially when Apple is releasing one a year).

It is always theoretically possible to do this and that --- but we are talking about short attention span hackers who play with stuff for 6 months and then ebaying old stuff so that they can buy new gadgets. They are not going to spend 2 years trying to hack a Playbook bootloader.

[bishshoy]

No that's not right. Experienced hackers can crack just about anything within a month, unless the protection is encrypted by a 128 bit key. SKIDROW, RELOADED, RAZOR1911, etc are famous for cracking stuffs within weeks, but they are a hacking group with unknown but large number of hackers. For one hacker to do the entire job would definitely require more time. And about the third tablet idea, let me tell you that not many people is rich enough to buy three tablets a year. I have bought my first tablet a month ago and would keep it for the next three years. So android support for us would be a boon. Even, RIM has more than 50% of PlayBooks stock at Canada being unsold. Android for PlayBook would definitely help them increase their sales at the current low price. Who knows, the one to do this might be awarded by rim or be appointed as the cheif of the programming department of rim.

[samab]

Experienced hackers would be hacking something else.

People can't even get xda developers --- the premier android hacking people --- to create a playbook forum on their website. That's the amount of interest for hacking the Playbook's bootloader to load android on it.

[xsacha]

No that's not right. Experienced hackers can crack just about anything within a month, unless the protection is encrypted by a 128 bit key.

It is.


<10 char>