Related
Say I download an *.apk file from some site or I get one from a friend, could it potentially harm my phone, cost me money etc.? Basically what I'm wondering is, when I install an app it generally says what the app has/wants access to, is this "warning" coded by the programmer to tell the user what it's accessing or is it determined automatically by built in functions? I don't want to install and app that has access to stuff that I'm not aware of.
Regards,
B
Edit: On a second note. Say I do download some harmful application, would uninstalling it solve the problem or could there be remaining harmful files still at work? The whole Android OS is sorta worrying me...bad experiences with Windows is making me cautious.
if you can think of it
there can always be a chance of happening
yes, a malicious hacker could do something like that
yes, a pissed programmer might including something like that into their apps to stop people from sharing their apps without buying it
yes, the apk might be legit but might have been corrupted some how
yes, you might be able to uninstall if lucky
but worse case scenario if i were a malicious hacker i wouldn't code a way to uninstall the app, instead i'll probably code a way to lock the user out of all access forcing you to Flash the phone from scratch
You didn't really answer my one major question, or maybe you did but I didn't understand. Are the services that the app is able to access programmed or are they determined by a function?
Well when installing I've resorted to checking a few things:
1) Make sure the app that I've downloaded is the same size as the one in the market (for equivalent versions...obviously)
2) Compare the system permissions when installing with those found at www.androlib.com
This way seems pretty safe to me. If the size is the same and the permissions are the same...you can be quite (not 100%) certain that they are legit/the same.
Ok heres the deal. Apps have 2 types of access.
1. Standard permissions
So if u don't do adb-install (where u dont see an app's permissions), then market / copy to sdcard and install from there u'll see the permission screen. An app cannot do something w/o permissions. If an uninstaller is askin for email permissions u know somethings wrong.
2. Root
Most dangerous. An app will ask u for 0 standard android api permissions. But when u run it, u will be asked for a superuser allow/deny request. From their its up to you. An app could do anything behind the scenes from tht point.
So read reviews/ user comments before trying root apps. Standard apps, just look over the permissions thts all.
FYI : The permissions are read by android, they're not user defined. Any permissions will always show up when installing it using the native package manager.
To be honest I wouldn't advise downloading an .apk from a non-trusted source. If its on the market, you're near certainly ok, and if its from a trusted developer (say from these boards, or some other similar dev portal) then again, you are likely to be ok. In the second case, you are unlikely to be getting a finished app if you get a straight apk from boards, because when they are finished or at least solid, they go to the app store anyway, so harm in that case is more likely to be of the force close variety rather than bricked variety.
Outside of that, I can't see why you would get an apk from a friend rather than downloading it yourself, simply because that way it makes certain you get a clean, non-corrupted version. If apps don't show up in the market for you, its mostly because your device can't run them, in which case, again, force close.
Uninstalling it is possibly too late. All smartphones suffer this issue though.
As mentioned, if you get the files from market though, you are likely to be safe..
Also, not all melicious programs are obvious..
Daneshm90 said:
Ok heres the deal. Apps have 2 types of access.
1. Standard permissions
So if u don't do adb-install (where u dont see an app's permissions), then market / copy to sdcard and install from there u'll see the permission screen. An app cannot do something w/o permissions. If an uninstaller is askin for email permissions u know somethings wrong.
2. Root
Most dangerous. An app will ask u for 0 standard android api permissions. But when u run it, u will be asked for a superuser allow/deny request. From their its up to you. An app could do anything behind the scenes from tht point.
So read reviews/ user comments before trying root apps. Standard apps, just look over the permissions thts all.
FYI : The permissions are read by android, they're not user defined. Any permissions will always show up when installing it using the native package manager.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
EXACTLY what I was looking for. Thank you.
Btw, just because security on App store says an app can do stuff like make phone calls etc, doesn't mean it's malicious.
A few people were misled by an article that stated that apps with such extreme permissions were malicious, but it's untrue. It isn't always the case, but if an app uses functionality you don't believe it should, it's possible it is dodgy
andrewluecke said:
Btw, just because security on App store says an app can do stuff like make phone calls etc, doesn't mean it's malicious.
A few people were misled by an article that stated that apps with such extreme permissions were malicious, but it's untrue. It isn't always the case, but if an app uses functionality you don't believe it should, it's possible it is dodgy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aye, I know. Thanks for the advice. I've actually been comparing any app I download off the internet to the actual ones on the market (size and permissions).
Hi everyone im a noob member to the site but have read some interesting threads before membership but as usual joining when i have a problem that needs some of your help
I have had a .apk file download to my htc desire running 2.2.2. I was browsing pics of the fake kind when it started downloading. i did see some letters and numbers before the file ext. It is not an official .apk that im sure off. I have searched for it on my phone but cannot find it to delete .
can anyone help please
After hooking up htc to my pc by usb lead, I have managed to locate the file by searching. It was in the download folder, I deleted it via the pc and then did a factory reset on htc.
Would this get rid of it safely
Development dropped in favor of Liberation.
Only difference between Nothing Special 1.3 and Liberation 1.0 is that Google Car Home has been replaced by the stock HTC Car Panel. This is to remove "holes" left by the removal of a stock app. Also, this no longer conflicts with my intent of having a stock ROM minus carrier bloat/restrictions. Google Car Home can be added by the user if they so choose.
Great job. All the stock roms seem to be outdated.
SX Reapz!
Looks nice. Is there any benefit, though, over RUUing, adb shell, and then using rm to delete CityID etc?
pianoplayer said:
Looks nice. Is there any benefit, though, over RUUing, adb shell, and then using rm to delete CityID etc?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A few.
Apply this ROM is faster than using the RUU, re-rooting, and then manually deleting the programs you want. On the plus side, the slower method lets you delete any program YOU want, rather than being a one-size fits all type deal.
I'm using a memory/task killing teak offered by the Android Kitchen that is a bit more aggressive in memory conservation. This should give a slight performance boost over the RUU.
So really, it's more of a convenience than using the RUU. Many people who flash ROMs don't even know how to remove programs via ADB.
what kind of feed back are you looking for, there is more bloat but that is kinda user preference I remove almost everything and leave just the apps, kinda like the magnoila desenseitize but i do it manually bucause that wont flash for me on the stock rom
so far so good, can you post the list of addons i see carhome which is a good move
tjamscad said:
what kind of feed back are you looking for, there is more bloat but that is kinda user preference I remove almost everything and leave just the apps, kinda like the magnoila desenseitize but i do it manually bucause that wont flash for me on the stock rom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just wanted to make sure that I didn't screw anything up. Everyone has a different definition of "bloat." I decided to leave whatever HTC/Google apps came with the phone, and removed Verizon's additional bloat. Removing HTC's apps and cause minor stability issues that the casual user won't want to deal with. Those who know how to manually remove the apps tend to know how to deal with the minor issues that crop up.
tjamscad said:
so far so good, can you post the list of addons i see carhome which is a good move
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had Car Home listed under removed apps as the replacement for HTC Car Panel. I've copied it under features as well as per your suggestion. Otherwise, that's pretty much it.
If you want to further remove apps, a very simple way to do so is to unzip the package, delete the APKs under /system/app that you don't want, re-zip using a program like 7-ZIP (free), then flash it.
You can also do this to package ring tones in the /system/media folder so that they are stored in /system, don't take up user space, and will work correctly even when the device is USB mounted or just booting up.
do i use rom manager/ clockwork to flash this rom???
ahjdmarchi said:
do i use rom manager/ clockwork to flash this rom???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't use ROM Manager, so I couldn't tell you how to use it in that way. I just download and flash via Clockwork Recovery.
i have used clockwork and rom manager both work just fine
how do you feel about removing the HTCSetupWizzard.apk I find it to be bothersome when i have install a new rom and that pops up. I am not tring to be a jerk just throwing things out there. its your rom
VZW backup assistant, vzw 3g hot spot
tjamscad said:
how do you feel about removing the HTCSetupWizzard.apk I find it to be bothersome when i have install a new rom and that pops up. I am not tring to be a jerk just throwing things out there. its your rom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're absolutely not being a jerk. Like I said, no ROM will make everyone happy. Any user is free to modify the zip and delete the APKs (and corresponding odex files) from the /system/app folder prior to flashing.
HTCSetupWizard only pops up when data is wiped. On the "stable" release, if you just do a flash over, (same on any future upgrades) it won't pop up.
tjamscad said:
VZW backup assistant, vzw 3g hot spot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Deleting VZW backup assistant causes a "hole" in HTC's setup wizard. The point of this ROM was to maintain the user experience while deleting unused bloat. Also, this ROM pre-dates both Google's backup option as well as HTC's Sense.com option, so VZWBackup is a decent free alternative.
The 3G Hotspot option isn't made by Verizon, it's an HTC app (it's the same app on their unlocked phones). Some people, for whatever reason, will pay for tethering. They need this app to do so and it's not replaceable via the Android/VCAST markets. Also, there's a way to use this app to tether for free, essentially disabling the aspect that reports to Verizon. However, due to questionably legality, I can't detail how that works here.
However, I see your points, and I'll look at it more when I get back from my business trip.
Looking for a good "stock" ROM to replace Virtuous which seems to have been abandoned.
Any first hand experiences with this ROM? I'm starting to think the silence is a good thing (no problems).
I run it with Lou's #8 and it's running absolutely flawlessly. No complaints.
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
Installed this last night and so far it has been awesome! Very Snappy too.
Titanium seems to be broken, telling me it doesn't have root/BusyBox (even though I granted it root permissions), but I don't think it's the ROM since everything else that uses root works (Root explorer, ROM Manager, etc). Not a big deal since I can just use AppBrain, although a little more work involved there.
This is just what I was hoping for! Thanks.
craighwk said:
Installed this last night and so far it has been awesome! Very Snappy too.
Titanium seems to be broken, telling me it doesn't have root/BusyBox (even though I granted it root permissions), but I don't think it's the ROM since everything else that uses root works (Root explorer, ROM Manager, etc). Not a big deal since I can just use AppBrain, although a little more work involved there.
This is just what I was hoping for! Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At the bottom of titanium click "Problems?" And it will fix that problem by downloading busybox. Hope it helps.
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
all good no problems, when do you consider it stable? Not sure you could do anything else to it with out loosing the stock start over feel.
THis is just what i've been looking for, im not too crazy for those roms with 5h!tty mods and ugly colors, just wanted a stock without the bload, just google and HTC stuff and this one seems to offer that.
So nothing got broken in the process of removing the bloat right? will work just like the stock minus the bloat?
Would LOVE to get a ROM like this but with Sense 2.0 in it, now that would be awesome!
Great to always have a copy of this on your SD card. As a backup rom, for those of us who forget to nandroid sometimes
I didn't spot any thread around here covering the topic of debloating stock sony firmware. Not that it would be cluttered like other manufacturers firmware, but theres still room for improvement
Is there a guide somewhere or a list of all apk safe to disable/remove (provided root acces) on sony firmwares? Similar to a Samsung Galaxy S2 related guide here or another very exhaustive one here (<- preferred).
I'm from the X10i & the Arc forums, I use this as a guide
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1089470
Good Luck
* If you want to delete a app by Root-Explorer, don't update it by Playstore first before removing it. (Facebook)
* Some apps can be removed by Settings - Apps etc.
Sent from my LT30p using xda Hotline
Well on tx stock, I got the following apps disabled. ;/
my phone is running fine. From start up to everyday use.
This all depends on what functions you use for the phone. Deleting apps stops their functionality, so you always reduce the functions of the phone when deleting apps. It is persona l preference on which apps you want to delete.
However, there are plenty of apps that are "safe" to delete and still keep your phone working as a phone. The best way I have found of doing this is not by following other peoples list but by using Titanium Backup to "freeze" apps and then test the phone to see if it still works the way I want it. Then I could delete the app. If I ost some functionality I would defrost the app and no harm is done.
gregbradley said:
This all depends on what functions you use for the phone. Deleting apps stops their functionality, so you always reduce the functions of the phone when deleting apps. It is persona l preference on which apps you want to delete.
However, there are plenty of apps that are "safe" to delete and still keep your phone working as a phone. The best way I have found of doing this is not by following other peoples list but by using Titanium Backup to "freeze" apps and then test the phone to see if it still works the way I want it. Then I could delete the app. If I ost some functionality I would defrost the app and no harm is done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What Greg says is right, but to add to it:
Apps that you can "disable" will not effect the functionality of the phone, you will just lose the function of the app in question.
Secondly, if you are using titanium back up to freeze system apps, and you are not sure what the app you are freezing does you might stop your system from working, so before you freeze anything you are unsure of, take a full backup first so you can restore it if your system becomes unstable.
Please post your results in this thread for others to learn from.
There is also a system app cleaner in flashtool, although I have not used it with the T yet.
Sent from my LT30p using xda app-developers app
gregbradley said:
Deleting apps stops their functionality, so you always reduce the functions of the phone when deleting apps. It is personal preference on which apps you want to delete. *snip* However, there are plenty of apps that are "safe" to delete
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As for the first part of your post, I'm fully aware of. In fact thats the reason why I'd like to have some of useless stuff removed (numerous FB clients/apps/agents for example) But thanks for putting it here as other users might not be aware of the possible issues.
The part in bold is of most interest to me. I'm totally not an Android novice, I know most crucial system packages. Derping around in relatively pure Android releases like AOSP and CM10 and reading the same package names over and over again gives a feel what is Android related and what is vendor specific. For Sammy/Touchwiz I know which package does what, but with Sony I'm new and dont know which files are safe to remove without breaking the system. Hence this thread.
[email protected] said:
What Greg says is right, but to add to it: *snip*
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Click to collapse
Of course same as above. I do not use TiB though, I use an app called System App Remover. I know TiB very vell of course, but then, who doesn't But again, I'm not interested in getting informations what removing or freezing apk's means in general, I'm interested in which are essential to Sonys UI and will break the system if removed.
I'll have a look at the link provided to the Arc/X10 forums.
Gesendet von meinem ASUS Transformer Pad TF300TG mit Tapatalk 2
LitoNi said:
Well on tx stock, I got the following apps disabled. ;/
my phone is running fine. From start up to everyday use.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yesterday I found out that disabeling Setup Guide resulted in me losing all APN settings and the phone refused to (automatically) recreate them. They got recreated without any fuzz after enabeling the setup wizard and running it. I'll eventually try to recreate this as I fight with myself if this connected or if I coincidentally hit a time where my network decided to derp on me.
schaggo said:
Yesterday I found out that disabeling Setup Guide resulted in me losing all APN settings and the phone refused to (automatically) recreate them. They got recreated without any fuzz after enabeling the setup wizard and running it. I'll eventually try to recreate this as I fight with myself if this connected or if I coincidentally hit a time where my network decided to derp on me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not sure whats that got to do with it, Setup guide is one of the first apps i delte. Unless this an app from your carrier that loads the apn settings...mine are downloaded automatically from vodafone.
Hey,
Has anyone ever looked into how the Whatsapp Backup is stored? It can be used after reinstalling the app, but not after hard resetting/flashing/etc. So it should be stored on the phone, but not the normal isolated storage of the app since I can reinstall it and use the backup then.
Is there special access necessary or could other apps also access (and modify/export) this backup? I'm asking this because I hope to find a way to make a backup that really is useful, I almost only write via whatsapp because SMS cost way more than internet here. Thanks!
why do you think whatsapp isnt useing isolated storage? shure it is, but you still cant access it - unless you have a interopt unlocked device
the reason you can restore, is that the app id stays the same.. you could try to deploy an older (uncrypted) whatsapp xap to your phone, if the app id still stays the same (and im not shure it does! actually i think it doesnt..) you would gain access... again, thats total theory! i havent tryed this, and it has propably the potential to mess up your backup...
maybe GoodDayToDie has some more info about the app-id thing.. i'll also do a quick research
tfBullet said:
why do you think whatsapp isnt useing isolated storage? shure it is, but you still cant access it - unless you have a interopt unlocked device
the reason you can restore, is that the app id stays the same.. you could try to deploy an older (uncrypted) whatsapp xap to your phone, if the app id still stays the same (and im not shure it does! actually i think it doesnt..) you would gain access... again, thats total theory! i havent tryed this, and it has propably the potential to mess up your backup...
maybe GoodDayToDie has some more info about the app-id thing.. i'll also do a quick research
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply! I din't know files in the isolated storage keep being there after you uninstall the app..
I tried deploying an old Version (1.4) of Whatsapp and it replaced the current one, so it should use the same app id. I didn't find anything in the isolated storage, but the backup is still there when I reinstall it from the store. I'll try launching the deployed app first now.
have you checked out the IsolatedStorageSettings?
Let me have a quick look where this thing is on my harddrive... when i find it, i'll be able to tell you where / how it saves the backup
tfBullet said:
have you checked out the IsolatedStorageSettings?
Let me have a quick look where this thing is on my harddrive... when i find it, i'll be able to tell you where / how it saves the backup
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, I have no real clue how to do that, the only thing I can is deploying apps and watching their isolated storage thanks!!
they used "messages.sdf" & "contacts.sdf" before, but then at some version they started to migrate this files into a database.. not shure where it gets stored, or if you can access it with simply browsing the IsoStoreage... ill make a quick test project to test out how or if we could access it..
EDIT: actually i was talking **** the .sdf files are already databases, and the data still resides there... and forgot to mention: even if you couldn't see the database files, you should see the user-picture thumbnails that reside in "cphotos/" + some-sha1-hashed-userinfo...
IsoStore is cleared when an app is uninstalled. So far as I know, this is instant, as part of the app removal process, although I suppose I haven't actually checked that. However, apps can (and many do) implement a backup situation to cover this use case by using a unique identifier that survives a re-install. There are several places such IDs can come from. Since the one you have survives app installs but *not* OS reflashing (even though you presumably sign on with the same Live ID afterward), I'm guessing it's a value that uniquely identifies your OS install and is randomly generated the first time the OS boots. Re-flashing counts as a new install, I guess.
I'd have to investigate further to be sure. There could be other mechanics at play, such as the OS keeping the data around for a short time in case you re-install the app, or the app storing its data in some other (off-phone) location. It's not storing it in some special folder within the phone, though; there's nowhere else it could!
Backup history with Whatapp on Android. Then check the backup file on:
/sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases/msgstore.db.crypt
Or
/data/data/com.whatsapp/databases/msgstore.db and wa.db (root)
Coweri said:
Backup history with Whatapp on Android. Then check the backup file on:
/sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases/msgstore.db.crypt
Or
/data/data/com.whatsapp/databases/msgstore.db and wa.db (root)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, but this is Windows Phone, not android..
@GoodDayToDie so, there is no simple way like deploying an app with the same ID and trying to access the backup with it?
Since the data would have been deleted when the old app was removed (and since you can't sideload an app with the same Product ID as an existing Store app), no, that won't work (well, it didn't in WP7; I guess you could try again here; some things are somewhat less secure now than before).
th0mas96 said:
GoodDayToDie so, there is no simple way like deploying an app with the same ID and trying to access the backup with it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait for a interop-unlock... thats the way to go in this case.
Until then, you can send your conversations to yourself by mail (option form the context menue)
GoodDayToDie said:
IsoStore is cleared when an app is uninstalled. So far as I know, this is instant, as part of the app removal process, although I suppose I haven't actually checked that. However, apps can (and many do) implement a backup situation to cover this use case by using a unique identifier that survives a re-install. There are several places such IDs can come from. Since the one you have survives app installs but *not* OS reflashing (even though you presumably sign on with the same Live ID afterward), I'm guessing it's a value that uniquely identifies your OS install and is randomly generated the first time the OS boots. Re-flashing counts as a new install, I guess.
I'd have to investigate further to be sure. There could be other mechanics at play, such as the OS keeping the data around for a short time in case you re-install the app, or the app storing its data in some other (off-phone) location. It's not storing it in some special folder within the phone, though; there's nowhere else it could!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GoodDayToDie, any news about this Whatsapp backup feature in Windows Phone? Is it possible to utilize this feature as an "ordinary" developer?
I would have to reverse engineer the app to see how its backup feature works. The most likely explanation - that it's storing the backup "in the cloud" using the device ID (which resets when you do a hard reset, I think) - is easily possible for any app so long as you provide the storage space...
GoodDayToDie said:
I would have to reverse engineer the app to see how its backup feature works. The most likely explanation - that it's storing the backup "in the cloud" using the device ID (which resets when you do a hard reset, I think) - is easily possible for any app so long as you provide the storage space...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That could be an explanation. But then the Whatsapp developers could easily offer a full backup, as on other platforms, linked to the phone number or something. Then you could restore the messages even after a phone exchange. But who knows what's in their heads ...
GoodDayToDie said:
I would have to reverse engineer the app to see how its backup feature works. The most likely explanation - that it's storing the backup "in the cloud" using the device ID (which resets when you do a hard reset, I think) - is easily possible for any app so long as you provide the storage space...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope, it doesn't seem to be online.. it backups pretty big chats extremely fast with 2 bars of GPRS, so it can't be via internet.. it even backups without connection at all. That's the weird thing.. how are apps even allowed to store files that keep being there after an uninstall?
There are a couple really sneaky ways you could do that; one that comes to mind is creating a fake "image" or "ringtone" or similar, serializing the data to it, and then looking for it the "first" time the app is run after installing. However, I'm definitely more curious now. There are folders which apps can request permissions to write to, but usually that's a trick limited to "second-party" apps (OEMs, etc.) and prohibited for third parties.
I've already looked into the code, as far as i can tell there is no online backup feature. it just stores the conversations in a database.
And to answer yout question schluff: no there is absolutley no way the usual developera to utilize this.
btw: @GoodDayToDie could you provide us the newest WhatsApp XAP (2.11.312.0)?
When I get the chance to extract it of my computer, yeah. It's really hard to get full FS access working these days, so I'm looking into other ways to access the install folders and storage of other Apps.
here you go
edit: I've changed nothing, so it's the whole install folder in this zip file
Thanks for the extraction! Obviously, I can't do anything with it
However, if anyone is interested in this too, in the following versions it seems to backup to the SD card, at least @Nazwzil8 reported so at twitter: https://twitter.com/Nawzil8/status/410486248156172288 he reported a lot about whatsapp, he seems a legit beta tester.
I have a Moto X with Republic Wireless 4.2.2 and am wondering how I automate the following...
Anytime I shoot a video or take a picture on the phone I would like to have the phone automatically make a copy of the file to a different (specific) directory on the phone for backup purposes. I would also like to know if I can do this without rooting. I'm pretty sure I can make a script or something to do it, I just don't know how I would have it act upon seeing a new file created. Also I would prefer it operate in the background without any notifications.
Thanks
EntityPacket said:
I have a Moto X with Republic Wireless 4.2.2 and am wondering how I automate the following...
Anytime I shoot a video or take a picture on the phone I would like to have the phone automatically make a copy of the file to a different (specific) directory on the phone for backup purposes. I would also like to know if I can do this without rooting. I'm pretty sure I can make a script or something to do it, I just don't know how I would have it act upon seeing a new file created. Also I would prefer it operate in the background without any notifications.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure how to do that but you can always backup to google +. It won't share the images unless you ask it to. I've found it quite useful for a phone that only has 16gb of storage.
brian Marshall said:
I'm not sure how to do that but you can always backup to google +. It won't share the images unless you ask it to. I've found it quite useful for a phone that only has 16gb of storage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This. I'm not sure having two copies of an image or video on the same device gives you any real redundancy. However letting them sync with G+ gives you a reliable backup.
Why would you backup the same image or video onto the same device? All you're doing is using more storage, of which is limited.
Thanks guys but I want to do what I said specifically. Nothing more, nothing less. The automated part is optional. I would be fine with having to hit an icon to kick off the process.
EntityPacket said:
Thanks guys but I want to do what I said specifically. Nothing more, nothing less. The automated part is optional. I would be fine with having to hit an icon to kick off the process.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you can use rsync to do this. Android doesn't come with it, but you can install it by following instructions here: http://linux.wxs.ro/2011/08/05/rsync-your-android/. There's probably also apps in the play store that provide rsync.
'rsync -a --delete /src/ /dest/' will keep the directory /dest/ in sync with /src/
create a shell script with that in it, and you should be able to schedule it using tasker, or there are apps out there to create icons for shell scripts.
Thanks that's more what I'm looking for. Would that require rooting the phone?
Yeah....I don't get it. 2 sets of the same pics on the same drive is no fail safe at all. If you have a problem where you can't access the regular gallery stored pics, I doubt you'll be accessing the other folder either. Seems pointless?
Are you sure what you want to do is really what your trying to do?
Flashing roms or whatever won't wipe your pics by accident. And if for some strange reason your pics get wiped, chances are your backup pics will get wiped at the same time, since they are both on sd card.
Plus you'll have 2 sets in your gallery. Unless they are put in a backup apps file....which again...will be wiped along with your pics if something happens to your sd card folder.
Makes no sense.
Sent from my XT1058 using Tapatalk
EntityPacket said:
Thanks that's more what I'm looking for. Would that require rooting the phone?
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The instructions indicate that you should copy it to /system/xbin/ and set the permissions to allow execute access. In order to be able to write to that directory you will need root.
In order to execute the command, you will not need root access. Assuming you're copying to someplace you have write access to.
I haven't tried this, but there's a "busybox non-root app" in the play store that contains rsync. You should be able to install that, and then you'll have access to rsync.
Look at bittorrent sync. You set it up to back up a specific folder or folders on your phone and using torrent technology, you can have it back up to your PC. I use it for exactly this purpose. All my photos of my kids and videos are automatically backed up to an external hard drive.