CyanogenMod 7 (Gingerbread) on the Kindle Fire

4Jan/120

CyanogenMod 7 (Gingerbread) on the Kindle Fire

My New Kindle Fire (click for bigger image)

I was thrilled when I got a Kindle Fire for Christmas! Of course, after modding the heck out of my Samsung Captivate with custom ROMs and, when it was finally available, CyanogenMod 7 (CM7), I knew that I wasn't going to be happy with the Kindle Fire's stock firmware from Amazon. I had been watching the XDA-Developer's forum eagerly for any word on the Kindle Fire development. Fortunately, unlike the Nook Tablet's locked down bootloaders, the Kindle Fire was fairly easy for developers to mod, and CM7 is available in an almost fully functional state! Here's a review.

What is CM7?

CyanogenMod 7 is, quite simply, Google's own source for the Android operating system. Version 7 is the Gingerbread 2.3.x version of firmware. Brilliant developers take this blank slate, and work together to fix issues and release improvements while keeping as close to the stock Android experience as possible. (Almost) every single night, a new version is released with that day's fixes.

The advantages are obvious: a clean, refined stock Android experience without the bloatware from the carriers, free for you to truly customize your phone or tablet the way that you want to.

So how well does it run on the Kindle Fire?

It runs great! I am running the version whistestop compiled here at XDA-Developers. Everything is smooth, fast, and just as expected. I've installed all my favorite apps, from my GoLauncher (which looks great!) to MailDroid to Flickie Wallpapers with rotation. Even the scary proof of concept Droidsheep that hijacks Facebook sessions at wifi hotspots (only to show my friends, I promise!) works beautifully.

GoLauncher and apps on my CM7 Kindle Fire (Click for bigger image)

I find CM7 is best paired with intersectRaven's Kindle Fire kernel which includes optimizations to the wifi driver for better wireless, and the ability to overclock the CPU to 1.2Ghz! I've done this, and my Kindle Fire absolutely flies, multitasking with ease. The battery life with the overclock is still superb as well.

Any bugs?

First off, the Amazon Cloud Player does not work. Any music or movies bought from Amazon on your cloud drive will not be accessible. If this is a deal breaker, I highly suggest uploading all of your music with the Google Music Manager to Google's cloud. I have an iTunes library, and the Music Manager imported all of my music flawlessly, playlists and all, with truly no effort on my part. Then the music can easily be accessed through the Music app from the Market.

Kindle books, of course, can still be read through the Kindle app.

The screen with CM7 installed could definitely use a software-based color overhaul. The screen looks great on the stock Kindle Fire, but the lack of tuning is clear on the very grey screen after CM7 is installed. Others don't seem bothered by it, though, and it's truly not that bad; I'm just spoiled after coming from the Samsung Captivate with the godsend Voodoo Color that allows configuring the screen to exactly what you think looks best.

Some apps do not like the fact that the Kindle Fire does not have an IMEI (notably the XDA app). This can potentially be fixed with DizzyDen's IMEI generator, but currently the application does not work well with the Kindle Fire. I've been talking with him to get a fix.

Finally, the CM7 reports the Kindle Fire as discharging when it is plugged into a low-power USB power source such as a phone charger or into the computer. The Kindle Fire still charges slowly, though, so it's not a serious issue.

The future of Cyanogenmod on the Kindle Fire

CM9 (Ice Cream Sandwhich 4.0.x) is already ported in early stages to the Kindle Fire. It's got some serious bugs with audio and video, touch screen, CPU clocks, and wifi. In time, however, it will be very stable and bring the benefits of more tablet optimization and a faster, smoother experience.

My future? I'm waiting for CM9 to be stable. That, and asking for this nice looking case.