[hdmkv]

To get KODI on home screen w/o root, do the following, assuming you already have KODI or SPMC installed:

1. Install ikono TV app (you can do Classic TV as well, but ikono TV is better; my instructions apply to it)
   
2. Sideload Llama app on to your Fire TV
   
3. Use Llama to have ikono TV launch KODI or SPMC. See here
   
4. Grab these icons (I sized them), or make your own (must be named, sized as I did). Place them in the same folder where you run ADB from
   
5. Start ADB on your computer and connect to your FTV, then execute each of the two commands below
   
6. Reboot FTV by simultaneously holding down the “Select” and “Play” buttons on the remote for a few seconds. When you're back on home screen, you should see KODI on home screen, under recent apps
   

Code:

adb push preview_3eca9c1441bdda309721085f2148e42807ef4f9d058a381748cb974bf9c112bc.png /sdcard/.imagecache/com.amazon.venezia/org.ikonotv.smarttv/B00NEJS7ZO

adb push thumbnail_f589f49e84a15d36c1fb602c76bce0789c8d6b3913b857c0edff0a91cfecaf23.png /sdcard/.imagecache/com.amazon.venezia/org.ikonotv.smarttv/B00NEJS7ZO

[TwistedisAGod]

FYI you need to follow the setup guides at aftvnews.com. U need to block the update. Amazon will prob continue shipping them as is for a while.

[BVMays]

I bought one on eBay tonight still in plastic. Seller said he bought it a month ago so I'm sure I can still root it. Thanks guys.

[canadave]

I'm confused. One guy says to get Kodi on the home screen without root, "just download it from the app store". Another guy says there's a complicated six-step procedure to get Kodi on the home screen without root. Which is it?

[Ned Scott]

There's multiple methods, so both could be considered accurate. It depends on how exactly you want things to appear, etc. There's at least 4 different ways to get access to Kodi that is easier than the default dev method for sideloaded apps, and each has its pros and cons, and each can be tweaked (custom icons, various behaviors, etc).

For example, FiredTV is a single sideloaded app that, once open, will monitor the home button and open itself with a simplified app launcher that exposes Kodi right away, rather than tucked back in the dev options. This is great because you can customize what other apps are shown and not shown, and it's a great way to also access Amazon Prime, since Amazon Prime doesn't seem to work if launched from Kodi (no idea why, other apps work fine).

On the other hand, if you want Kodi itself to open as soon as the home button is pressed, there's Llama which is a multi-use app that triggers actions based on certain events. In this case, the home button being pressed will trigger Kodi being launched.

You can also use Llama to open Kodi if you open some other app, like a Trojan horse.

You can also replace the default Amazon app grid by sideloading Amazon's tablet/phone app store app, which will then show sideloaded apps along with normal apps.

There's some other methods as well, I think.

[olga_nova]

can you root 51.1.4.0_user_514006420

[Calum]

There's multiple methods, so both could be considered accurate. It depends on how exactly you want things to appear, etc. There's at least 4 different ways to get access to Kodi that is easier than the default dev method for sideloaded apps, and each has its pros and cons, and each can be tweaked (custom icons, various behaviors, etc).

For example, FiredTV is a single sideloaded app that, once open, will monitor the home button and open itself with a simplified app launcher that exposes Kodi right away, rather than tucked back in the dev options. This is great because you can customize what other apps are shown and not shown, and it's a great way to also access Amazon Prime, since Amazon Prime doesn't seem to work if launched from Kodi (no idea why, other apps work fine).

On the other hand, if you want Kodi itself to open as soon as the home button is pressed, there's Llama which is a multi-use app that triggers actions based on certain events. In this case, the home button being pressed will trigger Kodi being launched.

You can also use Llama to open Kodi if you open some other app, like a Trojan horse.

You can also replace the default Amazon app grid by sideloading Amazon's tablet/phone app store app, which will then show sideloaded apps along with normal apps.

There's some other methods as well, I think.

I had no idea that many options existed for this. Gives me something to think about, thanks.

[canadave]

To provide another data point answer for the OP question, I just received a FireTV that I ordered from Amazon on December 1 to ship to New York City (my parents then re-shipped it to me in Canada). It arrived loaded with firmware 51.1.0.2, which is rootable.

[lennie paz]

I'm looking to get a FTV tomorrow from BB. Is there anything on the box that will let me know if it's a rootable FTV?

[speedracerx0509]

To get KODI on home screen w/o root, do the following, assuming you already have KODI or SPMC installed:

1. Install ikono TV app (you can do Classic TV as well, but ikono TV is better; my instructions apply to it)
   
2. Sideload Llama app on to your Fire TV
   
3. Use Llama to have ikono TV launch KODI or SPMC. See here
   
4. Grab these icons (I sized them), or make your own (must be named, sized as I did). Place them in the same folder where you run ADB from
   
5. Start ADB on your computer and connect to your FTV, then execute each of the two commands below
   
6. Reboot FTV by simultaneously holding down the “Select” and “Play” buttons on the remote for a few seconds. When you're back on home screen, you should see KODI on home screen, under recent apps
   

Code:

adb push preview_3eca9c1441bdda309721085f2148e42807ef4f9d058a381748cb974bf9c112bc.png /sdcard/.imagecache/com.amazon.venezia/org.ikonotv.smarttv/B00NEJS7ZO

adb push thumbnail_f589f49e84a15d36c1fb602c76bce0789c8d6b3913b857c0edff0a91cfecaf23.png /sdcard/.imagecache/com.amazon.venezia/org.ikonotv.smarttv/B00NEJS7ZO

I set this up several months ago on two of my rooted fire tv's with great success. Then all of a sudden yesterday, the ikono tv icon is back. I changed it back to xbmc via adb and then a few mins later, it goes right back to ikono. Any ideas?

Anyone have the command to switch the classic tv icon to xbmc instead of ikono??