Can't install since newest Amazon Update (5.0.5.1)

[drwggm]

I got pushed an Amazon update this morning, and I can't get FireStarter to install at all. Had it working well until the newest update (5.0.5.1), but all traces of it seem wiped from my FTV2. Have tried both methods (ES Explorer and adb).

When running the last step, adb gives:

Starting: Intent { cmp=de.belu.firestarter/.gui.MainActivity }
Error type 3
Error: Activity class {de.belu.firestarter/de.belu.firestarter.gui.MainActivity} does not exist.

[nathanchantrell]

Exactly the same here on an FTV Stick, worked prior to today's update which has removed it. Have also tried reinstall via ES and adb, both methods say successfully installed but app does not appear in applications and launching via adb gives the same error as above.

[solrosenberg1]

I am having the same issue. I checked in es explorer and it shows firestarter in apps. it just won't run. Obviously amazon blocked it. Super lame.

[irn-bru]

Confirmed here too.

I have found a way to get it reinstalled though. Using adb, I uninstalled the apk 'de.belu.firestarter' (you can choose to keep the settings). Then I rebooted FireTV and reinstalled firestarter again once it's booted up. Firestarter now appears in your Settings>Applications>Manage Installed Applications.

NOTE: If you reboot your FireTV, you WILL lose Firestarter again.

EDIT: By the way, you lose the double click home button feature in this latest update. When using the double click home, it now opens up your Recent Items menu.

[sphinx02]

Can not yet confirm as none of my 3 devices has already received the 5.0.5.1 update.

If your reports are true, this is a really unfair measure by Amazon. The question is: what is the trigger for the uninstallation of the App. Either it is a special characteristic or functionality which is triggering the uninstallation or they really start to blacklist Apps on the FireTV. If this is really true I do not want to think of which App is the next one being placed on their blacklist .. Kodi?, SPMC??

On one side the new built-in double-click home-button feature kind of replaces a part of the App but on the other side this step by Amazon drastically restricts the possibilities the user have on the FireTV and will in future lead to more rooted / jailbreaked FireTV's.

As soon as one of my devices has received the 5.0.5.1 update, I will further investigate and see what I can do. But this time this really sucks as it seems to be a measure targeted especially against this App.

[drwggm]

Thanks for looking into it when you are able to. Let me know if I can be any help testing, etc.

[propagandi]

Double clicking the home button now takes me to the Amazon Your Apps Library screen on the Fire TV.

[JazzyJeffaz]

Since the update I notice that non Amazon apps show up on the recent list and on the app list on the main page.

[delaware1999]

I have the same problem. The update is not comming on every Device.
on 9 Devices I didnt got it. and on 1 Device he installed it himself. It looks like you can install the Firestarter but its not in the App List anymore and doesnt show up ! I hope you find a solution.

[irn-bru]

A little further piece of information just in case it helps you. I left Kodi running overnight as I always do. Woke up this morning and everything was fine and nothing appeared at fault. Pressed the home button on my remote to take me to -- what I thought would be -- the FireStarter main menu but instead, it took me to the Amazon home screen. I wondered where FireStarter had gone so clicked on the icon in the Recent menu. FireStarter didn't open! I got this message:

"Cannot Open App. The installed version of FireStarter cannot be opened. Please check for an available update on your library."

Now, things had been running fine since I managed to reinstall FireStarter the first time (my post above) but this time, the Fire TV HAD NOT rebooted and it has still managed to stop the functioning of FireStarter. Does this mean that the Fire TV is doing some sort of interval checkup to see if FireStarter is installed and if it is, it disables it? Weird.

I have managed again to reinstall FireStarter and it's working ok. I will check to see if this happens again either today or overnight.

[TampaBauGuy]

All of the Amazon Fire TV boxes being sold directly from Amazon site will arrive with the new update once you install FireStarter & reboot the system, the system will update & remove FireStarter. It did it on all of the 5 boxes I received from Amazon on 04-02-16. Even if you master reset the box to factory original FireStarter will not stay after reboot.

[Kdog65]

The new FTV firmware introduces an amazon native double-click function that takes you to your apps library which is probably behind the firestarter removal. It also introduces the ability to see sideloaded apps in recents which is a pretty cool enhancement. With the new recents functionality I'm starting to wonder why I would need firestarter anymore.

[TheZoker]

@Kdog65 The kodi updater is awesome as well as the possibility to sort the apps manually. That are two important features of fs!

[Kdog65]

Agreed, I'm sure they will get it fixed.

sent from my google nexus 5
On Apr 4, 2016 1:12 PM, "Florian Gareis" notifications@github.com wrote:

@Kdog65 https://github.com/Kdog65 The kodi updater is awesome as well
as the possibility to sort the apps manually. That are two important
features of fs!

—
You are receiving this because you were mentioned.
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
#50 (comment)

[rainman74]

FireStarter als Komplett-Ersatz unter 5.0.5, man müsste dazu nur die wesentlichen "Fire TV Einstellungen" in FireStarter selbst abbilden oder aufrufen können (z.B. WLAN-Settings) :-)

1 pm hide com.amazon.tv.launcher ("Fire TV Einstellungen" lassen sich dann leider in FireStarter nicht mehr öffnen, das ADB-Menü geht aber)
2 pm hide com.amazon.device.software.ota
3 pm hide DeviceSoftwareOTAContracts.apk
4 pm hide DeviceSoftwareOTAIdleOverride.apk

@sphinx02: hast Du ein Idee wie man an die "Fire TV Einstellungen" kommen kann mit deaktiviertem amazon.tv.launcher? Oder wie wäre es eine standard Settings.apk in FireStarter zu includieren?

[nathanchantrell]

Same as @irn-bru, I did the uninstall-reboot-reinstall method on one of my FTV Sticks and it worked initially, left it powered on overnight as usual but have come back to try it again tonight and get the "Cannot Open App. The installed version of FireStarter cannot be opened. " etc. message so it definitely isn't only checking on boot.

[bammylus]

The update just got pushed through on my Fire Tv box which disabled FireStarter just like the rest of you guys. Seems like FireStarter is being BLACKLISTED because I just installed AGK LAUNCHER and It works, but compared to FireStarter it just doesn't stack up. Guess I'll be using it for now until FireStarter is back.

[jkchr1s]

@sphinx02 if you rename the package name (I tested with de.belu.firestopper) it appears to persist across reboots. However, home button detection no longer works (adb was removed from /system/bin, fallback method does not work).

See log output: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=66197586&postcount=524

[jkchr1s]

Submitted PR with working build on FireOS 5.0.5.1. See #52

[meliton]

If Amazon looks at the package name to determine whether to blacklist it or not, can a random package name generator be used on install or by the end user before installing?

[baddog814]

Hay just a thought but don't we own the hardware, and therefor have the right to install what we want on the stick.

[jkchr1s]

The app is being blacklisted from /system/priv-app/com.amazon.tv.settings.apk. The service name is com.amazon.tv.settings.tv.AppDisableService.

There are currently two blacklisted apps:

com.altusapps.firedtvlauncher
de.belu.firestarter

So the good news is that they are hard coded, and a firmware update is required to update the list. The bad news, obviously, is that de.belu.firestarter is on the list.

Looks like we have a cat-and-mouse game on our hands...

[meliton]

So, maybe refactor the installation to be in the com.amazon.whatever directory since the system/etc/whitelist.json file, they have com\.amazon\.* so anything in the com.amazon location would get whitelisted. #53

[jkchr1s]

That might work, but it's just as likely that they would be more exact on package names next update. That won't be a permanent solution either.

[meliton]

I'm thinking everyone can use the current code that's out there and then refactor under a name that they make up so it is not publicly disclosed. Amazon would be hitting only the known targets and all the unknown targets would still stay running.

[esaba]

Any idea what the purpose of /system/etc/whitelist.json is? It contains a strange assortment of apps.

{
"packages": [
"com.sega.sonic4ep2",
"com.retrobomb.expendablerearmed",
"com.sega.sonic4epi",
"com.sega.jetsetradioasia",
"tunein.player",
"com.gameloft.android.AMAZ.GloftA7AS",
"com.FDGEntertainment.BeyondYnth",
"com.gameresort.sz2amazon",
"com.inxile.BardTale",
"beril.mootor.gmc",
"com.gotv.crackle.handset",
"com.pandora.android.gtv",
"com.revision3.android.revision3",
"com.showtime.showtimeanytime",
"com.vevo.vevoamazontv",
"com.southwindsgames.ac",
"com.southwindsgames.am2m",
"com.bigfishgames.depthsofbetrayalamznfree",
"com.zynga.livepoker",
"com.naturalmotion.myhorse",
"com.mediocre.sprinkle.amazon",
"jp.co.sega.vtc.OneApk",
"com.sanriodigital.amazon.helloKittyGarden",
"com.gosub60.BigWinSlots",
"com.hulu.plus",
"com.espn.gtv",
"com.clearchannel.iheartradio.tv",
"com.bloomberg.btva",
"com.liquidentertainment.papergalaxydeluxe",
"se.fatshark.hamiltonfree",
"air.com.kickbackgames.meleeman",
"air.com.kickbackgames.recursion",
"com.amazon.avidity.yolanda",
"com.vectorunit.redvixen"
],
"patterns": [
"com.amazon.*"
]
}

[xcsrz]

How about creating an install app/script that either creates a random string for the application ID or asks the user to provide their own? Thus defeating the cat and mouse game before it really gets going.

I don't do much android development myself, but since the APK is just a zip file - can the app ID be edited from the extracted zip and then the contents be rezipped? The goal being to eliminate or reduce the dependencies from the installer app.

[pquerner]

Probably not. You had to do this to every source file aswell, and they're compiled and therefore not possible to do "on the fly". I could be wrong tho.

[shirkads]

Blacklisting appnames is a comically poor idea... why not self evidently to all?

Can the app provide an option for user to provide the new package name? so functions break less?

All of the Amazon Fire TV boxes being sold directly from Amazon site will arrive with the new update

My understanding is that updates only happen once internets access is provided.

.

The anti"piracy" frippery of some android roms is easily overcome with an Xposed plugin

[shirkads]

applying anticracking against amazon