[ ROM ] Cube U9GT5 Rooted firmware from 97R (2013/01/08) - Forum

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[ ROM ] Cube U9GT5 Rooted firmware from 97R (2013/01/08)

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admin

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2013/01/17 - 20:17

Just another update in our quest of a better firmware for the Cube U9GT5 and compatible tablets (Chuwi V99, Visture V4HD, Yuandao N90 FHD, Hyundai Play X900)

This new firmware comes from a stock firmware of a 97R tablet and is dated 2013/01/08, I've done quick tests and I found performance a little better in HD mode than latest Hyundai Play X900 firmware from 2013/01/09. This firmware is probably one of the fastest we have so far.

Build information:

Linux Kernel: Linux version 3.0.8+ (root@xingyu-desktop) (gcc version 4.4.3 (GCC) ) #213 SMP PREEMPT Tue Jan 8 20:36:37 CST 2013

Android build: rk30sdk/rk30sdk/rk30sdk:4.1.1/97R/20130108.094407:eng/release-keys

Custom firmware features:

- root with latest SuperSU 0.99 (free version)

- writable /system partition

- removed most Chinese and unnecessary applications

- increased space for application (/data partition) to 2 Gb

- Google Play Store fixes so more application are visible/compatible

Download: kasty-cube_u9gt5-based_97r_20130108-41-rooted.zip

For Cube U9GT5, should also work on compatible tablets: Chuwi V99, Visture V4HD, Yuandao N90 FHD, Hyundai Play X900

Use Rockchip Batch Tool version 1.5 to flash the firmware, use Restore button.

Please report any problem with this firmware.

The following users say thank you to admin for this useful post:

ctmd, philjg66, Spidermuzhik, Iguana

If you like our web site, applications and firmwares, feel free to support our site. Donations are used to pay the bills for our server hosting costs, development tools and purchase new tablets to support.

mcschweg

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2013/01/17 - 22:35

Thank you! I will try your version as well! I ran stock 0108 already and found, that there was no improvement in HD mode since December but maybe they did a little bugixing...

the user

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2013/01/18 - 19:04

Hi! I'm new here. I'm really interested in buying one of these Rockchip retina tablets and I'm wondering if anyone would be kind enough to do a video of using it with this more optimised firmware in HD mode (browsing, reading pdfs etc - just to get a general feel of its performance during such usage). I would be really grateful if someone did a short 'hands on' video of this firmware

hydrandt

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2013/01/18 - 22:46

Pardon me, how to switch the tablet to the rescue mode? Does anything appear on the screen?

Actually I thought that one of the holes on the top is RESET, but it is mic (or at least it is labeled mic), I hope I haven't destroyed it while putting stuff inside By the way, if that is mic, what is the hole on the other side?

I'm really keen to try this firmware, with the original one apps are force closing all the time (adobe reader, browser, ...), sometimes keyboard won't come up...annoying as hell.

Anybody flashed the firmware from Linux (ubuntu, whatever), or do I need to be at a windows pc to do it?

Cheers, Lukas

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2013/01/18 - 22:52

the user said
Hi! I'm new here. I'm really interested in buying one of these Rockchip retina tablets and I'm wondering if anyone would be kind enough to do a video of using it with this more optimised firmware in HD mode (browsing, reading pdfs etc - just to get a general feel of its performance during such usage). I would be really grateful if someone did a short 'hands on' video of this firmware

I am planning to do a review video of the tablet running in HD testing some apps etc...

Before making that video, I'll be waiting a few more weeks to see if manufacturers can still improve their firmwares. Latest releases are better and the tablet is almost usable, but it's far from perfect in HD mode.

Cheers.

admin

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2013/01/18 - 22:57

hydrandt said
Pardon me, how to switch the tablet to the rescue mode? Does anything appear on the screen?

Actually I thought that one of the holes on the top is RESET, but it is mic (or at least it is labeled mic), I hope I haven't destroyed it while putting stuff inside By the way, if that is mic, what is the hole on the other side?

I'm really keen to try this firmware, with the original one apps are force closing all the time (adobe reader, browser, ...), sometimes keyboard won't come up...annoying as hell.

Anybody flashed the firmware from Linux (ubuntu, whatever), or do I need to be at a windows pc to do it?

Cheers, Lukas

I don't have my Cube with me, but on top of my head, I don't think it has a RESET pinhole.

To enable flashing mode, you need to push and hold the Volume+ button, plug the USB cable and the Power cable, the tablet should enter in flash mode.

I'd recommend that you first start with flashing under Windows with RKBatchtool and maybe switch to Linux with rkflashtool when everything is fine under Windows Wink

Cheers.

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hydrandt

mcschweg

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2013/01/18 - 23:06

admin said

hydrandt said
Pardon me, how to switch the tablet to the rescue mode? Does anything appear on the screen?

Actually I thought that one of the holes on the top is RESET, but it is mic (or at least it is labeled mic), I hope I haven't destroyed it while putting stuff inside By the way, if that is mic, what is the hole on the other side?

I'm really keen to try this firmware, with the original one apps are force closing all the time (adobe reader, browser, ...), sometimes keyboard won't come up...annoying as hell.

Anybody flashed the firmware from Linux (ubuntu, whatever), or do I need to be at a windows pc to do it?

Cheers, Lukas

I don't have my Cube with me, but on top of my head, I don't think it has a RESET pinhole.

To enable flashing mode, you need to push and hold the Volume+ button, plug the USB cable and the Power cable, the tablet should enter in flash mode.

I'd recommend that you first start with flashing under Windows with RKBatchtool and maybe switch to Linux with rkflashtool when everything is fine under Windows

Cheers.

DANGER! WARNING! The Cube and clone-retinas have NO reset-pinhole!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Behind the hole is the microphone membrane that does not like being pinched. Beware, or your Skype-sessions will get one-directional!

The only and ever functionning RESET-method of the chuwi and also of the N90NFD is the long-press-power-button for 10 looong seconds.

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admin

hydrandt

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2013/01/20 - 13:39

For mcschweg: Thanks for assuring. You pretty scared me, I immediately tested the mic...fortunately it survived:)

For admin: Thanks for instructions how to put it into the flashing mode. I succeeded flashing with WinXP in VirtualBox, the USB pass-through works pretty well, but you need to install an add-on which provides better USB support (it asks you to install it when you try to enable USB 2 support in virtual machine settings).

This firmware is so much better than the stock one. HD mode became usable for me. I read texts in Chinese, and with Chinese characters you can tell whether you're in HD or normal mode very easily. Wifi still pretty unstable, but my router has really bad antenna. And multitasking still not as good as it is on my old Desire Z, apps keep closing and it takes time before they come back when switching. Especially it is annoying with browser, mostly it needs to reload the opened page when switching back from another app. Is there anything that can be done about this? I guess this is free RAM problem, are there too many background services running?

When I run htop (search for htop in market, there is an app that brings many useful linux command line tools), the memory is 701MB from 802MB used (after some time using, it is not fresh start). Used as follows:

- 7.5% com.android.systemui

- 7.2% system_server

- 6.0% com.spartacusrex.spartacuside (the IDE environment where I run terminal and htop)

- 4.6% com.google.android.apps.maps:GoogleLocationService - I haven't run maps yet, maybe this will disappear when I disable the location services in settings?

- 4.5% com.google.android.apps.maps:LocationFriendService - maybe the same as above

- 4.4% com.google.android.apps.maps

- 4.4% com.dropbox.android

- 4.4% com.google.process.gapps

- 4.2% com.google.android.apps.maps:FriendService

- 3.9% com.android.chrome

- 3.9% de.tsorn.FullScreen (a program I use for hiding the status bar)

- 3.5% com.google.android.gsf.login

- 3.5% com.android.phone - maybe this is useless?

- 3.4% com.android.smspush - and this as well?

- and few more system apps with less then 1% used memory (and a zygote process with 3.2%)

the user

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2013/01/20 - 21:37

admin said

the user said
Hi! I'm new here. I'm really interested in buying one of these Rockchip retina tablets and I'm wondering if anyone would be kind enough to do a video of using it with this more optimised firmware in HD mode (browsing, reading pdfs etc - just to get a general feel of its performance during such usage). I would be really grateful if someone did a short 'hands on' video of this firmware

I am planning to do a review video of the tablet running in HD testing some apps etc...

Before making that video, I'll be waiting a few more weeks to see if manufacturers can still improve their firmwares. Latest releases are better and the tablet is almost usable, but it's far from perfect in HD mode.

Cheers.

Great :] Looking forward to it. It would be awesome if they made HD mode smooth. I've got a little question regarding the Mali GPU. Does the GPU throttle down during 2D use or does it always stay at the same frequency? If it does throttle down and 2D clocks are simply too low for smooth rendering in HD mode, maybe it would be possible to raise them to gain some performance and smooth out the experience.

FrancoisCZ

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2013/01/20 - 21:43

I think you are right - it's something with modes/frequency. In HD, 2D games are smooth, but scrolling on desktop or in browsers is annoying..

buzzbuzz68

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2013/01/21 - 13:22

I think the most important improvement needed for the firmware of these tablets is removing the memory leak. It's the thing that really makes performance look worse than it is. With a freshly started tablet I find performance in HD very workable and acceptable. It only after using it for a while when degadation starts because of the lack of memory. But I'm not keeping my breath for this to be fixed. As far as I know the SoC isn't designed to handle the resolution of the screen, so I think they build a work-around that is flawed. But we'll see. For me, I'm starting to look at a Nexus 10.

vdings

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2013/01/22 - 03:15

The memory problem has been identified we are in the process of testing work around over at slatedroid. The more we test the closer we are to solving the issue.

buzzbuzz68

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2013/01/22 - 07:58

I've been following Darkrick almost from the start and I'm running his 4/4a combo. Is this the thread you're referring to?

I also use the the advanced memory manager tool they advise, and it gives some help. But what is needed is a real fix to remove the memoryleak to make this tablet good. It would have been best to have 2GB of memory for this device, but hey

This doesn't mean I don't like this device, but I would really like a stable device.

hydrandt

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2013/01/24 - 16:50

Every time I reset the device / use a new firmware, I can see just a few apps in the play store (your device is not compatible with this version). Later, somehow I manage to make all the apps appear. But I still dont know HOW I do it, and I'm rather unsuccessful now. Any idea?

patron

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2013/01/31 - 11:14

Hi guys

here ukrainian guys says they solved memory leak problem

Part1 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o07WO9Xx5I

Part2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkjwwPlAzig

Part3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkdx89oEq9w

Part4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P44z7gg5wkQ