AndroidTutorials

How to install Android 2.2 (Froyo) on the Nook Color

This guest article was submitted by Aaron Orquia.

Nook-color-froyo (1) With all the buzz about what a great Android tablet the Nook Color can be, I am sure some of you are itching to try it out for yourselves.

The process of getting Froyo running on the device is still somewhat complicated, but if you can follow directions then you should be fine. Please note that the process will overwrite the internal memory, removing Barnes & Noble's software. And although nothing should happen to your device, please keep in mind that anything you do to your Nook Color is done at your own risk and that we aren't responsible for any damage.

Got a Froyo-hungry Nook Color, computer, microSD card (2GB or more), and a bit of impulsiveness? Then let's begin!

Root your Nook Color

The first thing you need to do to install Froyo is to root your Nook. There isn't a one-click solution for this right now, so there are a few steps to this process.

1. Downgrade your Nook’s software to version to 1.0.1 by connecting the device to your computer, downloading this .zip file, and putting it (still zipped) in the root directory of your Nook. Make sure your Nook's battery is at least 20% charged, then unplug it. The update should begin automatically; if it doesn't, rebooting the Nook should do the trick.

2. Confirm that your Nook is running 1.0.1 via Extras > Settings.

3. Download Auto-Nooter from the xda-developers forum on your computer. Unzip it to get the .img file.

  • In Windows, download WinImage and use the "Restore Virtual Hard Disk" option to write the .img file to your microSD card.
  • In Linux, write the file using dd. For example: dd if=/home/aaron/auto-nooter-2-12-25.img of=/dev/sdb

4. Turn off your Nook, insert the microSD card into your Nook, and plug in the Nook's power connector.

5. Wait until the Nook reboots itself. When I rooted my Nook, the screen didn't display anything during the rooting process. Don't panic if this happens to you. Just be patient, leave it alone, and everything should be fine.

6. Celebrate! Your Nook is now rooted. If you wish to use the device as it is, where you can install apps but don’t have Froyo, stop reading this and go back to xda-developers to finish setup. If you want to rid yourself of B&N's software and install Froyo, then let's move on.

Install Froyo on your Nook Color

Until a flashable .zip is available, there are two ways to get Froyo running on your Nook.

  • Boot it off the microSD card.
  • Install it to the Nook Color's internal memory.

Booting off the microSD card is easier, so let's start with that.

1. Download the Nookie Froyo ROM (via nookDevs) and write it to your microSD card:

  • In Windows, download WinImage and use the "Restore Virtual Hard Disk" option to write the .img file to your microSD card.
  • In Linux, write the file using dd. For example: dd if=/home/aaron/auto-nooter-2-12-25.img of=/dev/sdb

2. When inserted in your Nook Color, this card should boot Nookie Froyo. If you want Android to recognize the empty space on the card, make all empty space into a FAT32 partition using gparted.

Installing to internal memory is for more advanced users and requires ADB. Don't do this if you don't know what you're doing; stick with booting off the microSD card for now.

1. Download and extract the Nook Color boot.rar and data.rar files.

2. Place the extracted files in a directory of your choosing. Navigate to that directory in a terminal and connect the Nook to your computer. Make sure USB debugging is enabled, and then start ADB.

3. Enter the following commands, one by one, pressing enter after each line break.

adb push boot.img /sdcard
adb push system.img /sdcard
adb shell
cd sdcard
dd if=boot.img of=/dev/block/mmcblk0p1
dd if=system.img of=/dev/block/mmcblk1p5
adb reboot

4. When the Nook Color reboots, grab a spoon and dig into Froyo!

Nook-color-froyo (2)

If you encounter problems during installation, check the xda-developers forum for help or leave a comment here and I'll do my best to help. Otherwise, enjoy your liberated Android tablet.

This guest article was submitted by Aaron Orquia.

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Jenn K. Lee

Jenn K. Lee is the founder of Pocketables. She loves gadgets the way most women love shoes and purses. The pieces in her tech wardrobe that go with everything are currently the Samsung Galaxy Note II, Sony Tablet P, and Nexus 7, but there are still a couple of vintage UMPCs/MIDs in the back of her closet.

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