Root [HOW-TO] Download and Install CM7 to Run Off SD Card

[koopakid08]

Grab the installer image here:
http://crimea.edu/~green/nook/generic-sdcard-v1.3.img.gz
it's a ~9M image that would unpack into ~130M disk image.

Write the image on your SD card. I tested with 2G, 4G and 8G cards and all worked.
Any uSD card of 1G or bigger in size should work if it is recognized by your nook.
Write on Windows by using WinImage (Make sure to run as administrator) or Win32 disk imager and on Linux/MacOS X by using dd (to the entire device, not one of the partitions. The device name should not have any numbers at the end. The command is something like dd if=/somewhere/generic-sdcard.img of=/dev/sdX bs=1024k)

After done with writing, eject and then re-insert the uSD card into your computer.

Download CM7.1 stable here

Put the file to the SD card (there is only one partition). Don't change the name of the file and DO NOT unzip.

unmount the uSD card and insert it into the nook.
Boot from this SD card. It'll boot and will update you on progress.
When it's done, it'll power off.

That's it, you now have CM7 on your SD card.

How to install market and gapps:
After you have booted into the CM7 on SD card for the first time and set up wifi access (important!)
Go to Latest Version - CyanogenMod Wiki and at the end there is a table with various google apps versions. Get the one suitable for your cyanogen version (CM7 is the latest for now). The file is named gapps-....zip
shutdown your nook and take the SD card out, insert it into your computer.
Copy the gapps-... file to the SD card on the first partition (titled boot) without changing the file name.
Insert the uSD card back into the NOOK and boot into "Recovery mode" by booting normally into Android, then from desktop hold the power key until a poweroff menu appears, In the poweroff menu choose "reboot", in the next menu choose "recovery" and press "OK". The nook would reboot straight into recovery.

Easy method to install gapps
Install samuelhalff's Nook Color UMS ([APP][02/26] Nook Color USB Mass Storage utility - Mount any partition to your PC - xda-developers)
Open Nook Color UMS (Select mount sd (1) first partition)
Click Confirm
Use USB cable to connect NC to PC
Your NC should show up as a hard drive with the boot directory visible
Download gapps and place the .zip file into the boot directory
Select unmount in Nook Color UMS
Click confirm
Remove NC from cable
Hold power button down and select reboot, then recovery
gapps will install after reboot and then NC will shut down
Hold power button to reboot and gapps will be installed


How to update CM7 without taking out SD card.

Install samuelhalff's Nook Color UMS ([APP][02/26] Nook Color USB Mass Storage utility - Mount any partition to your PC - xda-developers)
Open Nook Color UMS (Select mount sd (1) first partition)
Click Confirm
Use USB cable to connect NC to PC
Your NC should show up as a hard drive with the boot directory visible
Download nightly and place the .zip file into the boot directory
Select unmount in Nook Color UMS
Click confirm
Remove NC from cable
Hold power button down and select reboot, then recovery
Nightly will install after reboot and then NC will shut down
Hold power button to reboot and nightly will be installed

How to update to a new build:
put the new build you want to try on the first partition. (the name must be update-cm-*.zip or cm_encore_full*.zip or just update-*.zip)
Boot from the SDcard in the recovery mode (see above) and the new snapshot would be installed.
The partition layout would be preserved, filesystems are NOT reformatted, so your data should be safe.

If you have a problem
Try Formating the SD card and instead of using the writing option in winimage (make sure to run winimage as administrator) use the restore virtual hard disk image on physical drive option. Also try using Win32 Disk Imager.

Best SD card for the job
The best SD card for running android is a class 4 sandisk micoSD. To learn more about why it is MUCH better than other SD cards read here
Edited from a thread at XDA.

Installer Image Mirrors
generic-sdcard-v1.3.img.gz
https://spideroak.com/browse/share/cd_share/nook_color


If you get stuck you can read over the original thread here

 

[steveo41733]

When it comes to the step of putting cm7 on the sd card , do you just put the zip file there or do you need to unzip it on to the sd card?

 

[colchiro]

Download a CM build...

Put the file to the SD card (there is only one partition). Don't change the name of the file.

Sounds to me like you leave the zip as-is.

 

[steveo41733]

Would someone mind directing me to the correct link for the gapps file needed to install google apps on the bootable sd card? the one in the OP does not work.

Thanks for any help,
Steve S.

 

[koopakid08]

Would someone mind directing me to the correct link for the gapps file needed to install google apps on the bootable sd card? the one in the OP does not work.

Thanks for any help,
Steve S.

The whole link didn't work or just the gapps you downloaded? Did you try the mirror? What version of CM7 are you using?

 

[steveo41733]

The whole link didn't work or just the gapps you downloaded? Did you try the mirror? What version of CM7 are you using?

It downloaded just fine, but when I put the card back into the nook and went into recovery nothing happened, I am using the stable version of cm7 for the nook.

Thanks

 

[koopakid08]

It downloaded just fine, but when I put the card back into the nook and went into recovery nothing happened, I am using the stable version of cm7 for the nook.

Thanks

Are you sure you put it on the first partition?

 

[steveo41733]

I put it on the root of the SD card, I didnt see any partitions, what do they look like? (hope that wasnt a stupid question)

 

[koopakid08]

I put it on the root of the SD card, I didnt see any partitions, what do they look like? (hope that wasnt a stupid question)

Try this:

Install samuelhalff's Nook Color UMS ([APP][02/26] Nook Color USB Mass Storage utility - Mount any partition to your PC - xda-developers)
Open Nook Color UMS (Select mount sd (1) first partition)
Click Confirm
Use USB cable to connect NC to PC
Your NC should show up as a hard drive with the boot directory visible
Download gapps and place the .zip file into the boot directory
Select unmount in Nook Color UMS
Click confirm
Remove NC from cable
Hold power button down and select reboot, then recovery
gapps will install after reboot and then NC will shut down
Hold power button to reboot and gapps will be installed

 

[steveo41733]

Try this:

Install samuelhalff's Nook Color UMS ([APP][02/26] Nook Color USB Mass Storage utility - Mount any partition to your PC - xda-developers)
Open Nook Color UMS (Select mount sd (1) first partition)
Click Confirm
Use USB cable to connect NC to PC
Your NC should show up as a hard drive with the boot directory visible
Download gapps and place the .zip file into the boot directory
Select unmount in Nook Color UMS
Click confirm
Remove NC from cable
Hold power button down and select reboot, then recovery
gapps will install after reboot and then NC will shut down
Hold power button to reboot and gapps will be installed

I will try this when I get home tonight, Thank you.

 

[irishdiva]

Try this:

Install samuelhalff's Nook Color UMS ([APP][02/26] Nook Color USB Mass Storage utility - Mount any partition to your PC - xda-developers)
Open Nook Color UMS (Select mount sd (1) first partition)
Click Confirm
Use USB cable to connect NC to PC
Your NC should show up as a hard drive with the boot directory visible
Download gapps and place the .zip file into the boot directory
Select unmount in Nook Color UMS
Click confirm
Remove NC from cable
Hold power button down and select reboot, then recovery
gapps will install after reboot and then NC will shut down
Hold power button to reboot and gapps will be installed

Hi - DL this to Nook Color. Followed the instructions; it showed up as BOOT in 'my computer'; when I opened it there was no separate boot directory. The zip file is in there, but after following the rest of the instructions, gapps didn't install. Thanks for any tips!

 

[koopakid08]

Hi - DL this to Nook Color. Followed the instructions; it showed up as BOOT in 'my computer'; when I opened it there was no separate boot directory. The zip file is in there, but after following the rest of the instructions, gapps didn't install. Thanks for any tips!

You set up CM7 prior to trying to install gapps correct?

 

[irishdiva]

You set up CM7 prior to trying to install gapps correct?

Yes, and CM7 works great.

I followed the instructions above and it doesn't boot into recovery.

When I put the microSD card into the reader and put into my laptop, the card has the name boot, and when I open it it has the gapps zip file and the image files from when I put CM7 on and ran it.

I've not been able at all to boot into recovery mode, either by holding down the N and power button, or via the shut down menu.

When I try holding down the power button and N, it just boots CM7 normal, and when I try via the shut down menu, it boots normally.

Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[irishdiva]

Followed the above instructions again; this is what I saw :

Boot
>gapps zip file
when I click the arrow next to the zip file, I see this:
>Meta-Inf
>com
>google
android
>System
app (when I click this folder there are a bunch of .apk files such as marketupdater.apk and setupwizard.apl
>etc
>permissions
framework
com.google.android.maps is what is in the framework folder
lib
libvoicesearch.so

I know this may be a lot more information than you needed but I figured it couldn't hurt!

 

[androidwiz 101]

Hey how do you get ur Google apps on cm7 on Droid x and sync it?

 

[koopakid08]

Followed the above instructions again; this is what I saw :

Boot
>gapps zip file
when I click the arrow next to the zip file, I see this:
>Meta-Inf
>com
>google
android
>System
app (when I click this folder there are a bunch of .apk files such as marketupdater.apk and setupwizard.apl
>etc
>permissions
framework
com.google.android.maps is what is in the framework folder
lib
libvoicesearch.so

I know this may be a lot more information than you needed but I figured it couldn't hurt!

Are you using CM7 version 7.0.3?

 

[koopakid08]

Hey how do you get ur Google apps on cm7 on Droid x and sync it?

I'm not quite sure what your asking. Are you trying to get gapps on a droid x? This is a guide for nook color. I do not know if you can even run off an SD card on droid x. You might want to ask your question over in the droid x forum

 

[irishdiva]

Are you using CM7 version 7.0.3?

yes I am. Pulled it from here

CyanogenMod Mirror Network - Powered by TDRevolution

 

[koopakid08]

yes I am. Pulled it from here

CyanogenMod Mirror Network - Powered by TDRevolution

Ok people have had issues getting into recovery with 7.0.3. You can do one of two things. Redo everything but instead of using the 1.3 installer image use this one 1.2.1. 1.3 has issues with the recovery in 7.0.3. Or you can either use a nightly or the latest RC. That is available here. I would recommend using the latest RC just because of improvements such as deep sleep.

 

[irishdiva]

Ok people have had issues getting into recovery with 7.0.3. You can do one of two things. Redo everything but instead of using the 1.3 installer image use this one 1.2.1. 1.3 has issues with the recovery in 7.0.3. Or you can either use a nightly or the latest RC. That is available here. I would recommend using the latest RC just because of improvements such as deep sleep.

great - thanks. Now for a dumb question do I copy it onto the SD card (when placed into my computer) then pop the card into my NC and reboot? And then download gapps again?

Thanks for the help!

 

[koopakid08]

great - thanks. Now for a dumb question do I copy it onto the SD card (when placed into my computer) then pop the card into my NC and reboot?

Thanks for the help!

Are you trying to upgrade to the RC? I belive that for it to work your going to have to format your SD card and redo it. Due to the way that the installer sets it all up on the first boot. Sorry about that.

 

[colchiro]

One more reason to hate sdcard installs.

 

[irishdiva]

Are you trying to upgrade to the RC? I belive that for it to work your going to have to format your SD card and redo it. Due to the way that the installer sets it all up on the first boot. Sorry about that.

I'd rather reformat the SD card than take a chance on bricking it. The reformat, using the RC you recommended, and now all is great. I've got all my apps downloading now. Thanks for all your help!

 

[koopakid08]

I'd rather reformat the SD card than take a chance on bricking it. The reformat, using the RC you recommended, and now all is great. I've got all my apps downloading now. Thanks for all your help!

Glad to be of help to you.

 

[cindylee60]

thanks for these instructions, they worked great! My only issue is that I can't seem to access all the space on the card.

When I look at it with MiniTool Partition wizard, it sees all the partitions including the 13 gigs of unused space, but when I just look at the sd cards properties with Windows, it sees much less and I can't load more then a few photos.

I'd like to put some movies on there.

Did I miss something?

Edited to add: Okay, I've found I can access it fine if I use the USB cable to plug in the NC when it's booted to CM7....just not if it's booted to B&N or just in the card reader. Weird, but okay.

thanks