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I want to make my own rom based on the cyanogen rom. I want to add a few apps and remove a few that already exist.
I have tried using the adb but it wont uninstall the ones I dont want.
I would like to mod a rom before I flash it, Is there a how to for this?
Thanks,
Dubstar_04
I dont think there's a how-to, but I can type a quick one in a jiffy;
Tools;
A computer (Windows PC in this example)
7zip (google it)
The rom you wish to modify.
Either JRE or JDK (so you can run java apps) (google it)
JF's testsign.jar (google it)
Method:
Install 7zip in your computer. Also install the Java runtimes so you can run java apps through the console (ahem, command prompt).
Unzip (if it's not already) your testsign.jar and place it somewhere easy on your HDD (C:\, for example, doesn't get easier than that). Also place the rom you wish to modify in the same folder.
Open the update.zip file (or whatever it's called) with 7zip (you can do this by either using the command dialog (right click) and selecting 7-zip > Open Archive, or by going right-click > Open With > Choose Default Program and select "Always open with this program" with 7zip FM (file manager)).
Once it's open, navigate to the folder system/app and remove in there any apks you don't want in there (for example, I always remove VoiceSearch.apk, VoiceDialer.apk, SystemUpdater.apk, Talk.apk, and when available, SpareParts.apk, com.mp3.amazon.apk, and a few others). That is basically the uninstall process. If you have the apks for the apps you wish to install, you can drag them into the 7z windows at this point too (if you have hboot spl, you have a lot of space in system, so dumping them here is safe). If you don't have the apks, but you have them installed in your phone, you can use adb to get them. Just make a folder in your desktop called app (or whatever you wish) and run adb with your working directory in the desktop (C:\users\myname\desktop). The adb command would be: adb pull data/app app. This will place all the contents of downloaded apps (free ones) inside the app folder in your desktop as apks. I don't know that there's anything you can do at this point about paid apps.
Anyway, once you're done deleting and adding apks to your zip. Close the 7zip window (it saves the changes automatically, you should have kept the window open through the whole process).
Open up the command prompt again, and change your working directory to C:\ (usually cd ../..), then, if you placed all like I told you to, you can just run; java testsign updatenamewhateveritis.zip
Ofcourse, replace updatenamewhateveritisi.zip with the name of the update, but I recomend renaming it to update.zip beforehand so you don't have to type a lot.
After it's done signing, the rom is ready to flash.
Good lucks to you
Wow...Good explanation.
I have few questions.
-Do i need the jar sign thing?
-Can I create a flasheable update.zip to "add/remove" apps to a fresh flashed rom? (I mean, flash a custom rom and then apply update.zip which can add and remove apk ), or do you recommend to modify the zipped rom instead of creating a update.zip ?
Many thanks
Depending on your recovery you can just toggle on/off if you need a signed zip or not. This is a very old thread and I imagine it was much harder to push apps into /system back then or to remove /system apps for that matter. With root access there are many apps you can do this with now, or with adb or terminal emulator
What is your purpose for this by the way? I feel there may be easier ways to accomplish what you're after
Sent from my GT-I9100 using xda premium
Thanks for answer
Yeah...it's and old thread, but actually it saved me to post a similar topic thread again :good:
My purpose? Not developing anything nor cooking rom. I just found at http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/wiki/Barebones that i can safely uninstall apks that i don't use. So i uninstalled some of then, and i was thinking, in case of reinstalling the rom or flashing a new version of it, how to erase the unusefull apks(for me at least) in one step.
I think the easiest way is removing them from the zipped rom before flashing.
What do you think?
yes you can unzip and rome .apks, but then you will have to sign it unless your recovery allows unsigned zipps. why not flash the rom as is, remove all the unwanted, add what you like, then make a nandroid copy of the way you like it. this can then be flashed whenever
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium
Oh...the sign thing!
Anyway, there are few useless apks, so i think i can do it manually after flashing rom.
Hey. I'd like to know what nandroid is...
I use CWM recovery to backup/restore data/rom and I use Titanium Backup for the applications. So what the **** is nandroid. I mean, is an apk? Is a boot tool? And what can i do with it?
Thanks a lot dude!
it is the backup you make in your recovery, you will make either a nandroid backup or bart backup. depending how it is done it will be an exact copy of your rom, apps, call log, etc. any thing stored to you phone @ that "recovery" point
it gets its name from nand (the nand flash memory) and android, some recoveries may just call it a backup
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium
If you're like me, you probably have installed a new ROM at least once a week. I usually use Titanium Backup to restore all my Apps, but it takes quite a long time since I use a lot of Apps. Also, if you don't have the Pro version of Titanium Backup, you will need to click through the Install button for every App you want to install.
This program is a simple way to fix that. What it does is it injects you Apps as part of the ROM when you install a new ROM. This way, as soon as you install your ROM, your Apps will already be installed as part of the ROM.
I have only tried this with the latest Team Whiskey Onyx ROM, but it should work with most, if not all ROMs.
Also, not all Apps can be installed this way, especially if you try to include the data. YMMV.
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare your computer
1. Install Java JRE and SDK.
2. Install 7-Zip. It can be found here: http://www.7-zip.org/
3. Download Testsign.jar. It can be found here: http://www.robmcghee.com/android/creating-an-android-update-zip-package/. Download the file "Testsign.zip" and extract it. Testsign.jar should be in there. You will need this later.
4. Set up your windows Path Environment.
a. Go to your Control Panel and open "System."
b. For Windows 7, you will need to click on "Advanced System Settings."
c. Go to the "Advanced" tab.
d. Click on the "Environment Variables" button.
e. Under "System Variables" find "Path." Select it and click on the "Edit" button.
f. A window should pop up a field for "Variable value." In there, you will want to add your 7-Zip and Java SDK bin path. At the end of "Variable value," add (without the quotes)
";C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre6\bin;C:\Program Files\7-Zip"
It might be slightly different for you if you're not using a 64-bit Windows. Basically, this step is to allow you to run the Java and 7-Zip command-line tools from anywhere in your system.
5. Reboot your computer.
6. Test to make sure you can run the Java tools and 7-Zip tools. Do this by running "cmd." A command-line prompt should appear. In there, type "java" and hit enter. The usage info for running java should appear. Now type "7z" and hit enter. The usage info for 7-Zip should appear. Your computer is now set up to run my batch file.
Prepare your Apps
WARNING: Not all Apps work using this method, and not all data can be restored using this method. If it doesn't work, you can restore it using Titanium Backup and it should work fine. Once you find that a certain App doesn't work, you should probably remove it from your App/Data folder (read below) so it doesn't install next time using this method.
1. Get all your APKs and data. The easiest way I know how to do this is by using Titanium Backup to make a backup of all my Apps.
2. Use Titanium Backup and back up your Apps.
3. Inside your SD Card, you should have a TitaniumBackup folder. All your Apps and data are in here. Every App you have backed up in Titanium should have 3 files. A .properties file, a apk.gz file, and a tar.gz file. The apk.gz file will contain your APK. The tar.gz file will contain your data. You can extract these files using something like WinRAR.
4. Extract your APKs and put them in a folder called "data\app". Extract your App's data and put them in a folder called "data\data". Your "data\data" should look something like this "data\data\com.appname".
5. Once this is complete, you can use this APK/data set for any future ROMs.
Create your ROM with your Apps
1. Put AppToROM.bat, testsign.jar, your data folder, and your ROM's zip into the same folder.
2. Drag your ROM's zip onto AppToROM.bat.
3. The batch file will now start creating your new ROM for you. It will do the following steps:
a. Extract your ROM.
b. Copy your data to the extracted ROM folder.
c. Zip everything back up.
d. Sign the new Zip.
4. When everything is done, you should have a "NewROM.zip" file. Use this new Zip file to install your ROM like you normally would.
Disclaimer:
I take no responsibility for any harm that this may do to your device. All of the tools here, except the bat file, I did not write. I just created a bat file that puts all the tools together to make it easier to install your Apps after installing a new ROM.
or you could just open your update.zip and place your apks in system/app re-zip and flash. Done this multiple times and it works. just need to keep a copy of your apks on your computer. ill try this method tonight. thanks
If you put it into "system/app" it will install it as a System app, and I believe you can't uninstall it regularly (kind of like how you can't install the bloatware). You will need to use Titanium Backup to uninstall it.
Also, I remember reading that some people were not able to install the ROMs after zipping it up because it's not signed.
This script is very simple. It basically just unzips the ROM, copies over your apps, zips back the ROM, and then signs it. Once you have your Windows set up, you can just drag and drop the ROM to the .bat file and it'll do all that for you.
Is this useless? Maybe. But, the same could be said for something like RyanZA's OCLF. You can sit there, type in all the commands to convert to EXT2, wait for it to convert, and reboot, or you can just run OCLF (which is basically just running a script for the conversion, to put it simply).
blackerwater said:
or you could just open your update.zip and place your apks in system/app re-zip and flash.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why not just put them into data/app instead?
or you could just...
Or you could just download a pro version of titanium backup so that it can restore all your apps without you needing to click. There are plenty to be found online. The latest version, the better, as it would be more stable with froyo
So doing things this way... since it will be signed, i can also take other things out form other roms that i like and toss them in this rom??
I have titanium paid version. Just run it and it does everything
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Dude it's called WinRAR. Open up the zip. Drop your apps into the data/app folder.
Then flash it. Simple.
Want certain apps to stay even after hard resetting? put them in system/app
This tool is completely unnecessary.
That's really a good idea. I like the method very much, it give me more free time to do some other things when flashing...Thanks !
Anderdroid said:
Dude it's called WinRAR. Open up the zip. Drop your apps into the data/app folder.
Then flash it. Simple.
Want certain apps to stay even after hard resetting? put them in system/app
This tool is completely unnecessary.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ditto. This seems way more complicated then the method I've been using. You say it's simple that there are like 20 steps.
yeah and CWM has the option to toggle signature verification.. so you can flash unsigned apps on the vibrant.. but if you use 7zip it doesnt mess with the sig...
epakrat75 said:
Why not just put them into data/app instead?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or that should work. And as for signing problems I us ubuntu and ive never had that happen but I guess with windows anything is possible.
Sent from my vibrant
Etrnaly said:
If you put it into "system/app" it will install it as a System app, and I believe you can't uninstall it regularly (kind of like how you can't install the bloatware). You will need to use Titanium Backup to uninstall it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
$adb shell
$su
#rm /system/app/CrappyBloatwareAppOfChoice.apk
Done.
No need for titanium.
Sorry for the noob question
Anderdroid said:
Dude it's called WinRAR. Open up the zip. Drop your apps into the data/app folder.
Then flash it. Simple.
Want certain apps to stay even after hard resetting? put them in system/app
This tool is completely unnecessary.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you say your apps do you mean your .apks thanks
hi guys i am running cm7.2 nightly on my captivate and i want to create an odin flashable firmware of cm7.2 rom on windows xp for backup purpose please give me a full tutorial on doing this
I believe it isn't possible. I was asking around for ICS and from what i gathered it isn't.
Two things you could do.
1.download the newest nightly that you want to base it on.
2. Use Root Explorer and EXTRACT ALL.
3. Then go to the extracted folder for the nightly, and delete out the SYSTEM folder.
4.Now MAKE SURE you have your phone set up EXACTLY how you want it to look like. Reboot the phone once that is done.
5. Now with root explorer navigate to /system and long press on the system folder. Choose COPY
6. Navigate to the extracted folder (which should be like sdcard/speedsoftware/extracted OR something like that) and go into the folder where you deleted out SYSTEM folder earlier. Now long press and choose PASTE.
7. Back out until your back at the extracted folder name, long press on it and choose RENAME. Pick the name you want it to be. (I usually use something like: CM7.2RockRattRedRemixThemed02-10-2012).
8.Long press on the name again and choose ZIP THIS FOLDER.
9. GO TO ZIPPED FOLDER.
10. Move the zipped folder to your sdcard, reboot to recovery and flash it to make sure it works.
11. If it worked just copy or or move that .zip file to your computer for backup.
Or I can upload the one I have created so you can see it and test it out. I have made some other changes so it is partially already themed, has the theme chooser. apk File I use instead of the stock theme chooser .apks that come with the original cm7. I use zip themer to set up certain things so they are automatically themed when just flashing the build i created. Hope this helps you get an idea of a pretty bazsic way of making your own cwm flashable cm7 rom already personalized. Oh I also delete of some of the apps that come in cm7 and just put my own personal apps into the system folder so I already have them built in.
Sent From My KickAss ATT SGS2 SPORTING CM7
RockRatt said:
Two things you could do.
1.download the newest nightly that you want to base it on.
2. Use Root Explorer and EXTRACT ALL.
3. Then go to the extracted folder for the nightly, and delete out the SYSTEM folder.
4.Now MAKE SURE you have your phone set up EXACTLY how you want it to look like. Reboot the phone once that is done.
5. Now with root explorer navigate to /system and long press on the system folder. Choose COPY
6. Navigate to the extracted folder (which should be like sdcard/speedsoftware/extracted OR something like that) and go into the folder where you deleted out SYSTEM folder earlier. Now long press and choose PASTE.
7. Back out until your back at the extracted folder name, long press on it and choose RENAME. Pick the name you want it to be. (I usually use something like: CM7.2RockRattRedRemixThemed02-10-2012).
8.Long press on the name again and choose ZIP THIS FOLDER.
9. GO TO ZIPPED FOLDER.
10. Move the zipped folder to your sdcard, reboot to recovery and flash it to make sure it works.
11. If it worked just copy or or move that .zip file to your computer for backup
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for your effort and reply but i want to create odin flashable fw not cwm, i know how to create cwm flashable rom, but anyway thanks for your reply
You could DD'ing a back up of all partitions and then tar'ing it, then flashing it in ODIN
Aren't the partition blocks different on AOSP?
Yess, but you can look them up then dd them, and DL the pit with heimdall, and create an ODIN FW flasher
Boot.img vs zImage. Way around?
decompile the boot.img and grab the zImage from the decompiled boot.img
b-eock said:
You could DD'ing a back up of all partitions and then tar'ing it, then flashing it in ODIN
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
can you please tell me step by step tutorial, i also dont know about dd'ing and do not use heimdal so cannot create pit file
I found this site on how to root my Touchpad:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1390829
and this one on how to install CM onto it:
http://chrisbryson.blogspot.com/2013/09/how-to-install-android-on-hp-touchpad.html
But nothing mentions when/how to install CWM (or one of the ones listed below) as shown on the CM nightly page found below
-PhilZ Clockworkmod 6.0.4.7 (non-touch)(will backup and restore in both cwm and twrp format)
-Milaq's ClockworkMod 6.0.5.4
-Flintman's TWRP
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2592909
At what place would I flash the Recovery?
To install android you will create a folder on the touchpad called cminstall.
This folder contains the three files needed to install android - moboot, cwm and whichever version of android you prefer. Optionally you can flash gapps from this folder too.
There are much better tutorials on the web and this site than the ones you quote - the first is irrelevant to installng android, and there are better ones here on xda than the second.
Also the recoveries you mention are for installing kitkat which requires repartitioning of the file system. Prob best to stick to JB for now
Cheers
chris5s said:
To install android you will create a folder on the touchpad called cminstall.
This folder contains the three files needed to install android - moboot, cwm and whichever version of android you prefer. Optionally you can flash gapps from this folder too.
There are much better tutorials on the web and this site than the ones you quote - the first is irrelevant to installng android, and there are better ones here on xda than the second.
Also the recoveries you mention are for installing kitkat which requires repartitioning of the file system. Prob best to stick to JB for now
Cheers
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I found a tutorial here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2147284
But when I attempt to extract the Acme Installer - I downloaded ACMEInstaller5M - but when I try to extract with 7Zip to the Nova Directory it keeps giving me an error?
You don't need to extract the acmeinstaller file, just place it in Program Files/Palm, Inc, open up a terminal window and enter in the command to run it.
Of course, you do this after you have set up your cminstall folder on the touchpad.
A word of advice - I find it useful to have 2 copies of the rom you want to flash - one in the cminstall folder, and one in the root folder of the touchpad. This is because sometimes the flashing process with acme can be a bit funny, and it automatically deletes the files in cminstall once its done. I've flashed a couple of touchpads with acme and Android hasn't installed properly, so having a backup somewhere else on the touchpad is useful.
Cheers
jo15765 said:
I found a tutorial here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2147284
But when I attempt to extract the Acme Installer - I downloaded ACMEInstaller5M - but when I try to extract with 7Zip to the Nova Directory it keeps giving me an error?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's been awhile since I have had to use acme but I believe it is a jar file so either use a different browser to download or change the file extension from (.zip to .jar).
Unfortunately I am not at my PC but can check later if someone else is unable to confirm this.
sstar said:
It's been awhile since I have had to use acme but I believe it is a jar file so either use a different browser to download or change the file extension from (.zip to .jar).
Unfortunately I am not at my PC but can check later if someone else is unable to confirm this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its not a .jar or .zip, use as is...
Cheers
I tried to install the DragonXia Kernel but I can't open .zip files. I have tried to redownload it, and I could open it on my computer so the .zip is not corrupt. I get a message saying "This file is too big to be open inside this device" (this can't be right as it is 12.8MB) . I can't open any other .zips either. I am running CM 14.1 with stock kernel. Any help would be appreciated. :good:
Same issues,try another file manager in google play store,it's work..btw why you need open kernel dragonxia? Just flash in twrp
hi
install 7 zipper on google play store
inspect or install?
No need to open a zip file if it's for installation.
as stated in the first answer to this thread
If you want to manage your zip archives (and the rest of the stuff inside your device) try this app, available here in the xda-verse: https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1523691&nocache=1
Give a big Thanks to the dev (and maybe something else also...