Kodi is an incredible open source media center enjoyed by millions across countless devices. But did you know you can supercharge your Kodi experience with customized "forks" to run multiple versions and setups on one device? Keep reading as we dive into the insider world of Kodi forks!
Chances are you already use and love Kodi for organizing your personal media libraries and streaming endless entertainment options. Let‘s start with an overview of Kodi‘s open source origins and evolution over nearly 20 years of community development.
The Open Source Evolution of Kodi Over Nearly 20 Years
Kodi began way back in 2002 as the Xbox Media Center (XBMC) software for modifying Xbox consoles into home media hubs. The nonprofit XBMC Foundation was formed to manage the open source project with a worldwide volunteer developer community.
Over the next decade, XBMC changed names to XBMC Media Center as it expanded device support beyond Xbox. In 2014, XBMC finally rebranded as Kodi to reflect broader device and platform support.
Today, Kodi runs on everything from Windows and Linux PCs to smartphones, Fire TV, Raspberry Pi, and more. The Kodi ecosystem now includes skins, scripts, plugins and all kinds of addons for personalized media centers.
Throughout its long evolution, Kodi has stuck to open source ideals. Its codebase is entirely free and transparent for the community to build upon. This has cultivated an active ecosystem beyond the core Kodi team.
Now let‘s look at how "forking" fits into this open source landscape…
Forking Explained – Duplicating Code to Create Distinct Software
The open source licenses used by projects like Kodi permit anyone to freely modify, share and reuse their code. This allows developers to "fork" projects by copying the code to independently release their own custom versions.
When a project is forked, the new "child" software diverges down its own evolutionary path from the original "parent". The child can add new features or make radical changes since they develop independently.
Kodi‘s permissive licensing means many community forks exist. This allows custom media center distros optimized for different uses like gaming or streaming.
TROYPOINT Emerges by Forking Kodi for Fire TV Optimization
TROYPOINT started as a blog sharing tech tips and tutorials back in 2014. Fast forward a few years, and popular Kodi blogger Troy co-founded TROYPOINT to make quality streaming simple for everyone.
The TROYPOINT team recognized limitations using Kodi on low-powered streaming devices like Fire TV Sticks. They decided to leverage Kodi‘s open source license to directly fork and enhance Kodi specifically for the Fire TV platform.
The TROYPOINT Kodi forks customize Kodi‘s interface and settings for the best Fire TV performance. Additional tweaks like boosted memory allocation provide a smooth experience on limited hardware.
Today, TROYPOINT hosts multiple Kodi forks available exclusively through their Fire TV toolbox for all devices. Their Kodi optimizations and simplified fork install process has won over many fans worldwide.
Next, let‘s look at the key benefits of running forked Kodi instances side-by-side on one device…
Why Fork Kodi? Multiple Instances Unlock Major Benefits
TROYPOINT‘s customized Kodi forks enable power user features not possible within a single Kodi install. Here are the top perks of stacking multiple forked Kodi versions on one device:
Test New Releases Risk-Free
Install a Kodi fork to safely test bleeding-edge nightly builds or alpha releases. If anything breaks, you can easily revert to your stable mainline Kodi.
- Over 53% of Kodi power users maintain extra instances for early access testing.
Preserve Your Preferred Setup
Keep your finely tuned Kodi setup with preferred skins, curated addons, and custom configs intact. Spin up different forks to experiment without disrupting your production media center.
Resurrect Incompatible Addons
Fork back to an older Kodi version if your must-have addons become deprecated. Old forks keep abandoned addons alive long after Kodi drops support.
Isolate Regional or Niche Addons
Curate forks with addons tailored for a specific country or language. This avoids cluttering your mainstream Kodi with rarely used niche addons.
Showcase Kodi Skins and Builds
Set up beautifully configured demo forks to highlight your favorite third-party Kodi builds and skins without impacting everyday use.
Learn Kodi Risk-Free
Learning the ins and outs of Kodi? Spin up disposable forks to fearlessly tweak any setting and try different configs as you master Kodi.
Downgrade for Underpowered Hardware
Older Kodi forks like v18 are optimized to run smoothly on Fire TV Sticks or aging devices. Downgrade for better performance on limited hardware.
There are clearly many great reasons to embrace the fork side! Next, let‘s see which devices are compatible with TROYPOINT‘s stacked Kodi forks.
Wide Device Compatibility
A major benefit of TROYPOINT‘s Kodi forks is broad device compatibility:
- Fire TV models including Firestick, Fire TV Cube, Fire TV Edition smart TVs, etc.
- Android TVs and boxes like Nvidia Shield, Xiaomi Mi Box, Tivo Stream 4K
- Android mobile devices including Amazon Fire tablets
- Windows, Mac and Linux computers
- Raspberry Pi
- NVIDIA Jetson and other SBCs
Essentially any hardware capable of running mainline Kodi can also utilize TROYPOINT‘s Kodi forks. The forks install and function like full independent Kodi releases.
Now let‘s walk through getting TROYPOINT‘s exclusive Kodi forks installed on your compatible device…
Getting TROYPOINT‘s Kodi Forks – Step-by-Step
TROYPOINT kindly hosts their finely tuned Kodi forks for anyone to freely install. Here‘s how to get your hands on these enhanced forked Kodi versions:
Install Downloader App
First, install the Downloader app from your device‘s app store or directly from TROYPOINT‘s toolbox. This app manages installation:
Enable Downloader to install third-party apps if prompted.
Access TROYPOINT Toolbox
Once Downloader is installed, open it and enter the special toolbox code 250931 to access TROYPOINT‘s toolbox:
This will reveal TROYPOINT‘s treasure trove of apps and tools. Look for the "Kodi Forks by TROYPOINT" section.
Download Desired Fork
Browse TROYPOINT‘s available Kodi forks to decide which version you want. Select your desired fork and tap Download to grab it:
The fork will download just like any app installer.
Install Your Kodi Fork
Once the download completes, tap Install to actually install your selected Kodi fork.
The fork will install standalone like a separate app. You‘ll now have an independent customized Kodi instance ready to configure!
Next, let‘s look at getting your new Kodi fork set up just the way you like…
Configuring and Customizing Your Kodi Fork
After installing your TROYPOINT Kodi fork, launch it to begin setup just like vanilla Kodi:
- Select your preferred skin and language
- Configure media library sources
- Import existing databases
- Set up UPnP sharing options
- Enable additional services like MySql
Run through the full onboarding flow prompting your preferences. Be sure to use a different Kodi username than any existing installs to keep your fork completely isolated.
Once setup completes, you‘ll have a fresh Kodi fork ready to customize! Here are some popular ways to personalize your fork:
- Install addons like Exodus Redux, The Crew, Seren, etc.
- Import local XML backups of third-party builds
- Set up digital media scrapers and sources
- Integrate Live TV via PVR client and XMLTV
- Access network media libraries on NAS drives
- Add video and music streaming sources
Take time to carefully configure each Kodi fork for its intended purpose. Customize regional forks with country-specific addons. Deck out demo forks to highlight skins. Install risky addons on disposable test forks.
Get to know all of Kodi‘s incredible media management capabilities as you personalize your forks!
Kodi Fork Version Overview
TROYPOINT currently provides the following Kodi fork options via their toolbox:
| Fork Version | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Kodi 20.2 | Latest features & updates | Leading-edge bugs |
| Kodi 19.5 | Very stable | No recent improvements |
| Kodi 18.9 | Supports outdated addons | Severely outdated |
Let‘s quickly compare what each fork offers…
Kodi 20.2 Fork
This fork provides the newest Kodi Matrix release. It includes the latest features and improvements with frequent maintenance updates.
However, being leading-edge means you may experience bugs or compatibility issues. Some addons won‘t support Kodi 20+ yet. Use this fork to trial the Kodi bleeding edge.
Kodi 19.5 Fork
This fork provides one of the last Kodi v19 "Leia" releases before the jump to Kodi 20. It lacks newer features but provides maximum stability and compatibility.
Almost all third-party addons still work flawlessly in Kodi 19. Use this fork if you require proven reliability without upgrading yet.
Kodi 18.9 Fork
This fork goes back to one of the final Kodi 18 "Oreo" releases. It enables very outdated addons and Kodi v17 & 18 only builds to still function.
However, Kodi 18 is extremely antiquated at this point. You‘ll miss out on years of improvements and encounter more bugs. Only use this fork if you absolutely require old build compatibility.
Evaluate your needs and choose the optimal fork version accordingly!
Pro Fork Tips and Best Practices
Here are some expert tips for smooth fork setup and avoiding pitfalls:
- Give each installed fork a unique labeled name to keep them straight
- Use different usernames for each forked Kodi instance
- Change skins between forks to quickly distinguish versions
- Backup each customized fork separately in case you need to reinstall
- Check version compatibility before upgrading or downgrading forks
- Fully exit Kodi rather than sleep to prevent profile issues
- Factory reset devices before installing multiple Kodi forks to avoid conflicts
- Use ADB shell commands to completely wipe Kodi data when needed
Following best practices will keep your forked Kodi installations separate and performant.
Take time to properly configure and optimize each one for its intended purpose. Test new releases, preserve old builds, install risky addons, and more without limitation!
Expand Your Kodi Horizons with Forks
Kodi forks open up incredible possibilities that can seriously enhance your media center experience. While tricky to setup in the past, TROYPOINT makes deploying multiple optimized Kodi versions on one device easy.
Take your Kodi skills and setups to the next level with these expert forks! Discover what‘s possible by unleashing the true open source power of Kodi.
Now that you know the ins and outs of Kodi forks, it‘s time to build your perfect customized media center. From the whole TROYPOINT team, thank you and enjoy!
