Back in Eclair, all market apps are stored in their original apk files in system/app, so it's relatively easy to retrieve those apk files.
However, after upgrading to Froyo, the apps are stored in a different format, and in various different locations.
I am not trying to distribute apk files illegally, but if I want to theme an application, I will need to get a copy of the original apk file. (Like the transparent theme for LaunchPro widgets). (Metamorph doesn't work for market apps).
So my question is, how can this be done on a froyo platform?
Download android mate, find the app you want, then long press on app and press details.
It will tell you all the info about it including its location
~Webstar1
That solves the mystery. Many thanks.
Okay. I don't have a lot of knowledge on developing/tinkering on Android, but I think I've figured out how to integrate apps into the ROM (updates of system apps and/or downloaded apps). I used:
A stock cricKet 2.2.1 ROM, rooted (of course) w/Universal Androot
Root Explorer, and
ROM Manager (more on this later)
First thing is first, I did a TI backup; don't want to lose anything
I then opened Root Explorer
Mounted R/W, and
did a search for .apk.
Notice that the only directories the actual .apk files for INSTALLED apps should appear in (outside the SD card) are:
/cache
/data/app
/data/app-private (possibly)
/data/FLEX/app
/system/app
Ignore the following:
/cache
/data/FLEX/app
Now, you may already know this, but the system apps you're looking for are located in the /system/app directory, and downloaded apps (for the updated system apps) are located the /data/app directories that aren't being currently ignored (if you're following my instructions). Based on icon, filename, and common sense, I found which .apk files were the updates of already existing system apps (IE Market, Google Maps, Voice Search, etc.) in the /data/app directory, and the corresponding system app they updated in the /system/app directory. I then:
Copied the filename of the system app I was going to replace (rename copy all)
Moved over to the /data/app directory
Located the corresponding updated app
Renamed it what its corresponding system app was renamed (rename, delete existing name, paste)
Hit the 'move' option
Navigated to the /system/app directory
Deleted original system app (you may want to backup this file beforehand)
Pasted the updated system app
Within 30 seconds or so, you should get a (blah.blah.blah has unexpectedly shut down force close/report) popup. Just hit force close and you should be fine (Google Maps seemed to be a recurring FC). If you try to open the app before rebooting, it will force close on you. When you're finished, open ROM Manager. I know you're thinking 'This app is no good on the ZIO'; so stop. Hit 'Fix Permissions'. The reason for this is that it fixes a few rare force close issues. I don't know the mechanics of it, but it works, so I don't question it. Listen to the notification you'll see and reboot your phone after it finishes fixing the permissions. Now go into settings and manage applications, and you'll see that you can no longer uninstall whatever apps you moved to the /system/app directory.
FYI Renaming .apk files doesn't seem to make a bit of difference either way.
(Forgive my horrible perspective descriptions: I/you)
I haven't tested it yet, but I believe unrooting the device should make any apps moved to the /system/app directory that require root access would become non-functional (right?). The reason this thread is a question is that I'm wondering if i did this correctly, and if so, I want to find out if unrooting and factory resetting my phone would somehow delete the apps in the /system/app directory that weren't included in the stock ROM. (I'm not really willing to do that yet; I still have to download the SDK to my new computer so I can do a NANDROID backup.) Any help answering these from a more experienced developer would be great.
If you want to incorporate apps into a rom, the apps have to be free or you must get consent from the developer to include in your rom
Sent from my Zio using XDA Premium App
Only if it is a Public rom. Even free app developers should be credited in a public rom
Mattix724 said:
If you want to incorporate apps into a rom, the apps have to be free or you must get consent from the developer to include in your rom
Sent from my Zio using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm operating under the assumption that you're using Google developed updates of system apps. I suppose I should have said something to that extent up top.
[UPDATE]
Okay, so I did a NAND and then factory reset my phone. Killed everything not in the /system/app directory. I'm sure you knew that would happen, but I guess I'm posting for the noobs. Easier to find, I guess.
Hi,
I've tried to integrate some apps using Titanium Backup but it stuch at 0% for more than 5mins so I cancelled the process. Is it normal that it was that slow? Does Titanium generate odex files too?
I've tried integrating updates for GoogleMaps, StreetView and Youtube using a recovery mode and ADB on my linux machine.
After the backup system data I've deleted original apk and odex files from /system/app/ and moved newer versions from /data/app/ to /system/app/.
I renamed the files from com.google.android.blah.blah.apk to old names (ie. Maps.apk, etc). I haven't generated the odex files.
Rebooted the phone (HTC Desire, 2.2, Orange UK) and these apps were not available. I couldn't run either GoogleMaps or Youtube. They weren't on the "All apps" list, but still were in the system app manager/uninstaller, but couldn't uninstall them as they were in system obviously.
Tried to clear Dalvik cache but no difference.
Then I've copied them with my user backed apk files (it went to /data/app and installed the newest versions) and all is fine - could launch them as usual.
Now using "adb push" method I copied my old system versions of these apps in the /system/app/ and all if fine. I could updated them to newer versions, but this obviously went to /data/app/, so didn't free the phone memory.
Any idea why integrated apps were not visible in the system?
Perhaps I shall just delete the old system apps and copy the ones from /data/app/ without renaming...
Much appreciate it.
Greg
edit:
All went fine now. Just deleted old files in the /system/app and moved newer version without renaming to from /data/app
use titanium backup and choose integrate updates into rom for the app
I don't want to pay for TB premium. I'm poor.
Sent from my Zio using XDA App
TB integrating not working on some phone (including mine) anyway.
After My market was automatically Updated to the 3.x version,
I wanted to get rid of it, and reinstall my Stock Market (Ver 2)
However It didnt happen as the new market was in Data\app
not system\app
so i deleted the vending file from Data\app
but it didnt recover my previous market.
So I deleted the Com.vending folder from data\data\
as well.
Now i dont have either of the versions working, I cant make a factory reset either as some threads suggest.
How can I get my Market back ?
Thanks !
my dad uses the sgh-td49 model samsung galaxy tab and when trying to install an app, saw he didn't have space. he's not extremely tech savvy and went to delete all of the files listed under "my files" which unfortunately included the root files.
he has a few apps that he's paid for and doesn't want to lose through factory reset, and while i've tried to copy them to the sd, some don't have the function enabled. is there any way to restore the root files without resetting the tab altogether and losing data?
Copy any left over media files and images to External SD.
Copy your contacts and SMS through free apps available in market.[Search in Google Play]
Your Apps purchased under Google Play will remain in the same Google account.
So do a complete factory reset.
Register ur tab under same Google account and open Google Play and download ur previously bought apps.
I know, I should have a backup, I'm an idiot. I manually deleted the Google App planning to just reinstall it with the store version so I could hibernate it with Greenify.
I reinstalled it and everything except Hotword detection from any screen works.
I still have a backup of the system files, but I don't know how to properly reinstall them.
Here's the files I backed up:
com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox.apk
com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox.odex
com.google.android.googlequicksearchbox.zip
extra_secondary_data.zip
info.txt
I've just done a factory reset, and the Google App was gone after resetting. This leads me to believe that the necessary files Android uses to restore Apps have been deleted.
General question: Where are these files stored and what do they look like? Would it be possible to manually move the necessary files back there (I still have the backups) and do another factory reset so they properly reinstall?
Could anyone with a Tab S2 maybe look for the necessary files and where they are located in the /system folder and maybe reupload them for me so I can place them back where they belong?
Help would be much appreciated.
Try copy them to a self named map in /system/app
Give proper permission and reboot
Thanks a lot for your help. Apparently I have lost my backup files. Do you or does anybody else have the correct files so I can put them back into the system folder? I'm so close to getting this thing to work.
In case anyone ever encounters a similar problem, I fixed it by downloading the stock-ROM from sammobile.com (you have to register to download but it's worth it) and flashing the md5 with ODIN (tried Flashify before, but somehow that didn't work).
Just follow this tutorial but use your stock ROM from Sammobile instead. http://www.theandroidsoul.com/samsung-galaxy-tab-s2-root-sm-t810-sm-t710-sm-t715-84217/
You'll lose root access but I guess you could just redo the tutorial with the autoroot file and you should be back to normal.
Thanks for your help everybody!