Does anyone know if there is any way to install an app that would be a system app as just a normal app?
Only on way to find out
Sent from my SGH-I897 using XDA Premium App
I don't think so, /system/app is usually mounted r/o. You'd have to use adb or root explorer to get into that directory with r/w permissions.
BlackSideburns said:
Does anyone know if there is any way to install an app that would be a system app as just a normal app?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To the best of my knowledge, it's possible. Whether it's well advised, that's another story altogether.
If you're wanting to try it, you could do this:
1. Reboot into recovery and use the adb command "adb pull /system/app/appname.apk" to make a backup copy of the .apk file.
2. Reboot and use TiBu to uninstall the system app (or just use adb while still in recovery to do this. The commands would be adb root, adb shell, cd /system/app, rm -i appname.apk, exit.
3. Once the app is uninstalled from the system, just copy your backup (from wherever your adb folder is located) over to your phone and reinstall it. At this point, I would assume it would behave like any other non-system installed app.
Again, I can't guarantee this would work, and it's likely to cause FC's (or worse). But yes, in theory, I believe you could do it. Maybe someone more knowledgeable could verify this?
Related
Ok, so I just bought my first game from the market and my concern is that I will lose the game because of the amount of times i flash and wipe my phone with new firmwares.
I want to ensure I can back it up properly and would like confirmation if I am doing it right.
Since I can't do a adb pull in the app-private folder, I went into the terminal of my phone and copied the apk from the app-private to the app folder.
I then did a adb pull /data/app/filename.apk file.
So if I wipe and flash my phone and all that jazz, can I merely do a adb push /data/app/filename.apk and then copy it from the terminal in the app-private folder?
or is it more complexe than that?
You do realize that no matter how many times you wipe you can just go back into the market and download again for free?
There are methods of copying and moving files around, but I'm sure most of the developers that make these apps really don't want to talk about it.
flixxx said:
Ok, so I just bought my first game from the market and my concern is that I will lose the game because of the amount of times i flash and wipe my phone with new firmwares.
I want to ensure I can back it up properly and would like confirmation if I am doing it right.
Since I can't do a adb pull in the app-private folder, I went into the terminal of my phone and copied the apk from the app-private to the app folder.
I then did a adb pull /data/app/filename.apk file.
So if I wipe and flash my phone and all that jazz, can I merely do a adb push /data/app/filename.apk and then copy it from the terminal in the app-private folder?
or is it more complexe than that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can wipe as many times as you want. You wont lose your paid apps. They stay in the market as purchased forever and ever. This isnt some crap like EA and their BS DRM limit to 5 installs per owner.
Edit: Even if the dev pulls the app from the market that you have purchased. It will still be available to download for you at anytime. Only time it will vanish is if the dev refunds you at his request.
beautiful
so many new roms to try.
ok so i did my flashing and all and as you all said I was able to redownload robo defense.... but all my saved content is GONE!
So to prevent this in the future, where do the profiles get saved? is there a folder or file? I have managed to backup that zip file that comes with robo defense but it didn't do the trick.
flixxx said:
ok so i did my flashing and all and as you all said I was able to redownload robo defense.... but all my saved content is GONE!
So to prevent this in the future, where do the profiles get saved? is there a folder or file? I have managed to backup that zip file that comes with robo defense but it didn't do the trick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Application Data is stored in /data/data/{packagename}/
jashsu said:
Application Data is stored in /data/data/{packagename}/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Beautiful! thanks a lot.
flixxx said:
ok, so i just bought my first game from the market and my concern is that i will lose the game because of the amount of times i flash and wipe my phone with new firmwares.
I want to ensure i can back it up properly and would like confirmation if i am doing it right.
Since i can't do a adb pull in the app-private folder, i went into the terminal of my phone and copied the apk from the app-private to the app folder.
I then did a adb pull /data/app/filename.apk file.
So if i wipe and flash my phone and all that jazz, can i merely do a adb push /data/app/filename.apk and then copy it from the terminal in the app-private folder?
Or is it more complexe than that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i dont know how i did it but one of my paid apps i do have back-up on my sdcard...the one i have is the snes.apk..in i paid $2.99 for it
Terminal
su
cp /data/app-private /sdcard/ -rf
done.
lbcoder said:
Terminal
su
cp /data/app-private /sdcard/ -rf
done.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so what i have to do in terminal cause it tell me not found...more details plz
Do you have apps2sd ?
issue
wel i am having a big issue. i recently flashed my phone. once i installed the cyanogen apk. my market data was one. luckily i downloaded backup for root users. now the problem i am having is when i get to the apps that have backed up as a zip file, how do i install them. extracting leaves me with folders that i cant use. and changing the file extension to .apk doesnt cut it either as it comes back and says installation failed. any clues guys?
To back up private apps
Use Adb pull system/sd/app-private/filename <directory on desktop>
*this is if you have apps to sd
[email protected] said:
Use Adb pull system/sd/app-private/filename <directory on desktop>
*this is if you have apps to sd
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
speaking of apps2sd, how does it work exactly?
does it create a link from /data/ to /system/sd or are they seperate folders entirely?
I ask because when i go delete a file from /data/app, it gets deleted from /system/sd/app so i figured there is a link to the SD card, but then when i do a ls -F in /data folder, the app does not seem to be a symbolic link.
Hi.
I´ve tried to backup a couple of paid apps. Astro tells me the apps are private and won´t backup. On Mybackup Pro the apps are not even on the app list.
Is it even possible to make a backup of a paid app ?
Filgaliel said:
Hi.
I´ve tried to backup a couple of paid apps. Astro tells me the apps are private and won´t backup. On Mybackup Pro the apps are not even on the app list.
Is it even possible to make a backup of a paid app ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your paid apps get deleted, the market will still show them as having been purchased. All you need to do is re-download them.
Wow, I forgot posting this..
The problem is that I paid for a couple of apps while running an Android 2.0 ROM. Now i´m running a hero 1.5 based ROM some of the apps I paid for don´t show up in market.
Did you try to back them up with "Backup for Root"? It should backup every apk without bothering you with protected ones, I think.
Otherwise you can backup all your apps with a single command using adb (I personally do it that way) :
assuming you want to put them in the same folder as Astro...
adb shell cp -r -f /data/app/*.* /sdcard/backups/apps
Hope this helps
Edit : I forgot that the protected apps were put in the app-private folder so to have all apps you have to do two commands, here is the second one
adb shell cp -r -f /data/app-private/*.* /sdcard/backups/apps
I'll try both methods. Thanks a bunch.
swissp said:
Did you try to back them up with "Backup for Root"? It should backup every apk without bothering you with protected ones, I think.
Otherwise you can backup all your apps with a single command using adb (I personally do it that way) :
assuming you want to put them in the same folder as Astro...
adb shell cp -r -f -p /data/app/*.* /sdcard/backups/apps
Hope this helps
Edit : I forgot that the protected apps were put in the app-private folder so to have all apps you have to do two commands, here is the second one
adb shell cp -r -f -p /data/app-private/*.* /sdcard/backups/apps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SwissP
Must the phone be rooted to execute this ? I'm running a Droid on 2.0.1 - TIA
swissp said:
Did you try to back them up with "Backup for Root"? It should backup every apk without bothering you with protected ones, I think.
Otherwise you can backup all your apps with a single command using adb (I personally do it that way) :
assuming you want to put them in the same folder as Astro...
adb shell cp -r -f -p /data/app/*.* /sdcard/backups/apps
Hope this helps
Edit : I forgot that the protected apps were put in the app-private folder so to have all apps you have to do two commands, here is the second one
adb shell cp -r -f -p /data/app-private/*.* /sdcard/backups/apps
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried the adb method and after i type out the "adb shell cp -r -f -p /data/app-private/*.* /sdcard/backups/apps"...it says multiple values entered or something along those lines and gives me a list of option with the definition of each -r -f etc. I dont know if that is supposed to happen and if it is...whats the next step.
As well i tried the backup for root users and i had one paid app "crystallight" that i was experimenting with...the crystallight app was backed up as a .zip while majority of the other apps were .apk...
How can i reinstall the crystallight on to my phone...i tried the restore function in backup for root users and nothing happens.
I also tried the method as stated here: http://theandroidsite.com/2009/11/2...ns-for-root-users/comment-page-1/#comment-517
And i get errors with this method too.
I have a HTC Hero rooted and running firmware 1.5
Thanks in advance
Sorry I forgot this thread.
Yes, you will need root as I think you wouldn't be able to access the content of the /data folder without it.
I just tested and found that you cannot use the -p parameter with the app-private folder (I don't think it's needed for the app folder either so you can remove it on both adb commands), sorry for that. I don't know what could be the problem on the Hero though. It should work the same.
About the app in .zip, I'd just try to rename it to .apk and install as usual
Filgaliel said:
The problem is that I paid for a couple of apps while running an Android 2.0 ROM. Now i´m running a hero 1.5 based ROM some of the apps I paid for don´t show up in market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the app require 2.0 (or more likely 1.6) as a minimum OS level then they are not going to show up, or work, if you are now running 1.5. Your phone tells the Market what version of OS you are running, and the Market filters the available apps, based on that.
Titanium Backup
You can use Titanium backup on the market, if your phone is rooted and has SQLite and busybox, to backup/restore all of your apps, and market data for them - just search for it.
But, I dont know how to recover paid apps without buying them again, unless you use this.
Hope this helps.
HunteronX said:
You can use Titanium backup on the market, if your phone is rooted and has SQLite and busybox, to backup/restore all of your apps, and market data for them - just search for it.
But, I dont know how to recover paid apps without buying them again, unless you use this.
Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
what is and how do you know if you have SQlite? is it an app?
Filgaliel said:
Hi.
I´ve tried to backup a couple of paid apps. Astro tells me the apps are private and won´t backup. On Mybackup Pro the apps are not even on the app list.
Is it even possible to make a backup of a paid app ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Titanium backup will work for all paid apps. I just tryed it myself. It makes it nice....
bjtheone said:
If the app require 2.0 (or more likely 1.6) as a minimum OS level then they are not going to show up, or work, if you are now running 1.5. Your phone tells the Market what version of OS you are running, and the Market filters the available apps, based on that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, based on your explanation, the above is exactly why you cannot see them in the market. Apps are filtered by version. Even if you have the apps backed up, it doesn't mean you can run the 2.0 apps on 1.5.
SQLite
DeSim said:
what is and how do you know if you have SQlite? is it an app?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you open titanium backup and it says YES to SQLite on the opening screen, then its in your rom. I think SQLite is for queries and databases, but is not an apk, but a system binary - sorry if i'm wrong.
When I try to delete a stock app using adb a failure line pops up at the end..when i use astro and go to system/apps and try to manually deleting the apk's a "error deleting files message pops up"..please help so I can free up space on my phone..help in advance it greatly appreciated
Sent from hero running FROYO
allenmkelso said:
When I try to delete a stock app using adb a failure line pops up at the end..when i use astro and go to system/apps and try to manually deleting the apk's a "error deleting files message pops up"..please help so I can free up space on my phone..help in advance it greatly appreciated
Sent from hero running FROYO
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Switch it to R/W.
Can use root explorer to do this
Sent from my Zen-Rom Hero!
if using adb make sure you type:
Code:
adb remount
Try titanium back up it might work look for it on the market
Root-Hack-Mod-Always™
Either you need a file explorer than can mount the system as R/W, such as root explorer or do
adb remount
adb shell rm /system/app/xxxx.apk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The system has to be read/write to delete the apps found in /system/app
kyouko said:
if using adb make sure you type:
Code:
adb remount
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What he said.
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App
Just use titanium back up I've yet to meet an app that it can't uninstall warning some system apps should not b removed read carefully on wich ones u can safely remove as it can throw ur system off
Root-Hack-Mod-Always™
allenmkelso said:
When I try to delete a stock app using adb a failure line pops up at the end..when i use astro and go to system/apps and try to manually deleting the apk's a "error deleting files message pops up"..please help so I can free up space on my phone..help in advance it greatly appreciated
Sent from hero running FROYO
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use root explorer, but you should also make sure you remount if you're attempting to do this with adb
THANKS TO ALL..it out of nowhere let me delete them using the android terminal must of been a typo.. ALL LOVE FOR THE ANDROID COMMUNITY
Sent from hero running FROYO
I use QtADB. Very simple, very effective, works great, removes ANY stock apps/widgets and so on.
No need to use cmd or adb lines or anything. It's just like Windows add/remove programs.
So a while back I used a 1-Click root app. Don't recall which one. Then flashed CM6. Lately I've been noticing some permissions issues.
It started when I attempted to install the new Car Home from the market and couldn't. I tried using RootExplorer to unistall the old version with no luck. I've given it SU permissions but still no dice.
Today I tried to install the new YouTube app from the market but got the same results.
So I tried through ADB and can't navigate to /system/app.
# cd /system/app -- gives "cd: can't cd to /system/app"
# su cd /system/app -- gives "Permission denied"
I've also tried fix_permissions in the terminal with no luck. (I remember this from the G1 days. don't know if it is still used)
Anyone know what could be going on?
I'm not concerned about my warranty any more so I suppose I could unlock my bootloader if anyone thinks rooting the official way would help.
Thanks for your time.
Are you mounting Root Explorer in R/W?
Edit: I had probs mounting my Root Explorer into R/W, and eventually found out I had a bad version of busybox...
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
danger-rat said:
Are you mounting Root Explorer in R/W?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow I feel dumb. I was forgetting to mount in R/W. Got the old apps uninstalled. Still can't get the new apps installed.. Oh well I never use either of them anyway.
BTW any reason I couldn't cd to /system/app in ADB? Probably something else stupid.
Just confirm that the apps are removed (my busybox issue sometimes made it appear like the apps were gone, but when I looked again, they were back).
Did you reboot after removing?
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
To upgrade system apps:
1. Uninstall the old version using Root Explorer or Titanium Backup (I've found Titanium to be easier).
2. Reboot.
3. Install the new system app from the Market.
Dude,
Did you not read the OP? He's having trouble uninstalling with Root Explorer... how does telling him to uninstall with Root Explorer help?
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
danger-rat said:
Dude,
Did you not read the OP? He's having trouble uninstalling with Root Explorer... how does telling him to uninstall with Root Explorer help?
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dude,
I read the op. I also read the followup where he figured out he had to remount in rw mode. I was attempting to offer the procedure that works 100% of the time for upgrading system apps.
Fair enough...
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
I did Google and searched in this forum
Once i have rooted my device i wanted delete some stuff rename some stuff and intall some new apk's. I chose ADB and my device does get listed when i search using ADB devices and i granted SU(Super user) permissions. and I can isntall 3rd party apps without any issues.
i was try to push the nosecurity.email.apk to my phone when ever I tried to mount or delete overwrite or push a file i get permission denied or read only file or some kinda message which means that i can do what I'm trying to do.
3. now i want to replace my existing email.apk with the provided here
I was able to rename existing apk using Super Manger but i have to install the modified email.apk using ADB and now i'm stuck. I cant figure out how to install this apk using ADB or any other way.
i get SU permissions using Super manager and i have some root required tools like Busty Box Titanium backup........
????????
what can be done to resolve issues with ADB
jhogal1 said:
I did Google and searched in this forum
Once i have rooted my device i wanted delete some stuff rename some stuff and intall some new apk's. I chose ADB and my device does get listed when i search using ADB devices and i granted SU(Super user) permissions. and I can isntall 3rd party apps without any issues.
i was try to push the nosecurity.email.apk to my phone when ever I tried to mount or delete overwrite or push a file i get permission denied or read only file or some kinda message which means that i can do what I'm trying to do.
3. now i want to replace my existing email.apk with the provided here
I was able to rename existing apk using Super Manger but i have to install the modified email.apk using ADB and now i'm stuck. I cant figure out how to install this apk using ADB or any other way.
i get SU permissions using Super manager and i have some root required tools like Busty Box Titanium backup........
????????
what can be done to resolve issues with ADB
what is alternative way to install APPS(system apps not 3rd part apps) besides ADB and Side load wonder machine
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The way that I switch out keyboards (smart keyboard or swype which are system apps) is to use root explorer (paid app) and drop the .apk into the system/app folder after mounting it as read/write.
It may take a reboot for them to take effect.
There are other file system apps that will get you into the root directory that are free.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA Premium App
Frank the Funkasaurus Rex said:
The way that I switch out keyboards (smart keyboard or swype which are system apps) is to use root explorer (paid app) and drop the .apk into the system/app folder after mounting it as read/write.
It may take a reboot for them to take effect.
There are other file system apps that will get you into the root directory that are free.
thanks for your reply
the issue is i can get to monut my device in RW mode atll ADB dosent allow me to that, the real issue for me is with ADB. once i have ADB working withh kinda acess i can write/rename/copy files
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
jhogal1 said:
I did Google and searched in this forum
Once i have rooted my device i wanted delete some stuff rename some stuff and intall some new apk's. I chose ADB and my device does get listed when i search using ADB devices and i granted SU(Super user) permissions. and I can isntall 3rd party apps without any issues.
i was try to push the nosecurity.email.apk to my phone when ever I tried to mount or delete overwrite or push a file i get permission denied or read only file or some kinda message which means that i can do what I'm trying to do.
3. now i want to replace my existing email.apk with the provided here
I was able to rename existing apk using Super Manger but i have to install the modified email.apk using ADB and now i'm stuck. I cant figure out how to install this apk using ADB or any other way.
i get SU permissions using Super manager and i have some root required tools like Busty Box Titanium backup........
????????
what can be done to resolve issues with ADB
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try this: Reboot to recovery, make sure your /system is mounted, and then plug in your usb.
After you've done that, in adb, type "adb root", and then try doing what you need to do.
Could try using Droid explorer to push the apk to phone, get root explorer to open files and change permissions. If adb isn't working for you, have you checked your environmental variables path? Something like c:/android-sdk/platform-tools etc. Also remember USB debugging enable. Remember when asking your phone for root priviledges to type in SU
Sent from SGS Captivate CM7 or MIUI with Escapist orTKGlitch using XDA premium app.