[SOLVED] Mecool M8S Pro L : Is there any way of forcing the OS to switch back and forth from landscape to portrait display?

[r3dcat]

I am running the games "pinball arcade" and "zen pinball" on my Mecool M8S Pro L but by default they both run in landscape view.
Both of these games are much better run/played in portrait mode with the monitor/tv rotated accordingly.
Is there any way of forcing the OS to switch back and forth from landscape to portrait mode/display?

Additional Note: You also come across the occasional app/game that will only run in portrait mode so if your locked in landscape it fails to run/load

[Doktor-X]

Try this

https://android.gadgethacks.com/how-to/control-screen-rotation-for-individual-android-apps-no-root-needed-0176590/

[r3dcat]

I actually found a pretty easy fix for this although it bloody took me a while to find the info and test it properly

@Doktor-X I tried a whole bunch of those "rotation control" type apps from the play store but none of them worked until I found a workaround/hack of sorts.

Basically you need root access to do a small text edit to a system file ............ root -> system -> build.prop

In build.prop you just need to change "persist.sys.app.rotation=force_land" to "persist.sys.app.rotation=force_port"

Then reboot and install one of the play store apps like "rotation control" and you have full control of your screens orientation as we should have had in the first place!
"pinball arcade" and "zen pinball" are awesome in full screen portrait mode it was well worth stuffing about to get this sorted

@Magendanz Is this a change maybe that should be made to the Mecool M8S Pro L custom roms on here?

IMPORTANT NOTE: Make sure you have recovery like TWRP installed and you do a backup. A typo or stuff up with the edit of build.prop will result in a boot loop that will force you to do a full recovery. And I know cause i was silly enough to do just that on the bright side I now know how to jumper the non existent reset switch on our boards to force recovery menu woo hoo

[r3dcat]

UPDATE: A better fix as suggested by tomtom99 is to completely remove/delete the "persist.sys.app.rotation=force_land" line rather than force_port. I have tested this and after deleting the line using a "rotation control" app will work. I still have not found any "rotation control" app that will work without making this edit/delete in build.prop

UPDATE: According to Magendanz "I'm now setting "persist.sys.app.rotation=original", which I believe is also the default." so his custom roms should have this entry from now on and I can confirm "persist.sys.app.rotation=original" works and allows screen rotation