Database Develop

Edit roms before flash

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

Standalone apk installer with adb

I made a little file where u can drag'n'drop files u want to install on ur phone.
No need of any settings.
When your phone is allready "adb ready" you dont need to have anything running.
Just take the apk File and drag on the exe and it will install. thats all.
perhaps i'll add more features soon. i made it for myself, to install the apk's faster after a full-wipe i made.
In Windows7 and Vista, it needs Admin rights (so it asks when starting) and AFTER its done, it gives an error. But it works how it should!
so don't worry
PS: Doubleclicking it won't do anything! Its Drag'n'Drop only!!

Another one by me
copy and paste the following into a file and save it on your desktop as install.bat (or whatever you fancy)
@echo off
adb install %1
pause
Then drag and drop files onto it, or associate apk files with install.bat and double click an apk file and will install to your phone.

htcmagic said:
copy and paste the following into a file and save it on your desktop as install.bat (or whatever you fancy)
@echo off
adb install %1
pause
Then drag and drop files onto it, or associate apk files with install.bat and double click an apk file and will install to your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do u want to say with ur post?
Did i made any question? i think not, so what r u explaining and for WHO??
It's just what i made in my "tool".
Made little bigger better Tool with 5 Options now
if anyone wants it, its at the bottom.
Now u can install apks, uninstall non-stock apks, push and pull files to & from /system/app/ and reboot ur phone.
ahhh, and not it wont make any errors or need for "admin rights" when starting the tool.
Works like a charm and now it has an Sketched android in it ! Yeehaaa

your program (the install part) doesnt really work. it doesnt install. i found that making the batch file was better.

hmm ok, thats weird. for me the new tool works perfekt.
And it IS a batchfile, i just merged the needed files from adb and the .bat file to one exe file. thats all.
do u get any error when trying to install ?
You do drag and drop the file to the exe and choose install apk, right?

Geeze, are people these days so lazy that they can't move their hand off the mouse? Just type the command!!!! Its easy... "adb install {file.apk}".
You know, back in the dark ages of not very long ago, NOBODY had a mouse. Or drag and drop. EVERYTHING was on the keyboard and involved typing commands.

If you guys want and you are running Windows, check out our app. www.androidmanager.net ... we added feature for installing apk-s by double-clicking few days ago

Instructions to create and load EVO splash screen

I know there are other methods out there for achieving the same thing. And I have touched on a few "after thoughts" in the actual process of loading the image to the phone. If these can be confirmed, please feel free to update these instructions. After browsing many, many pages in forum after forum I was unsuccessful in finding anything detailed enough from start to finish. So I decided to write this up!
These instructions work for anyone who rooted using the "UnrEVOked" method such as that given at HTCEvoHacks.com. I have not tested these instructions with any other root method out there.
With a bit of practice, this method can be mastered and done in about 20 minutes (depending on how long you spend creating your splash image in PhotoShop)
For the sake of these instructions, all references and instructions dealing with PhotoShop are assuming you are using PhotoShop CS5. Commands may be slightly different on older versions of PhotoShop, so it may take a few extra clicks to find what you're looking for.
1. You can download custom boot images from the web, or create your own in PhotoShop using ANY sort of photo, graphics, text, or combination. You MUST make sure that the image size is set as the same for the EVO's screen resolution (480x800). For this reason, I would double check any image file you try to use prior to converting it for use with your phone.
2. Open your image file in Photoshop and make whatever tweaks or enhancements you like. Remember to "flatten" the image prior to saving it out if you have multiple layers in your file. You can use the next step to re-size the image first if you like, but depending on your current settings in PS it should not matter.
3. Right click the file window (the one that contains your image) and set the "Image Size" settings to a width of 480, and the height to 800. These measurements MUST be in pixels as well. If you have the "Constrain Proportions" box checked, you may not be able to tweak these individually without affecting the other. So uncheck that box and change the size settings. Click ok to close the box and the image will re-size within Photoshop.
4. After you have finished creating your custom image, flattening the image, and resizing it to fit on your phone's screen, it is time to save the file. Navigate to the "file" menu and click "save as". Here, you can choose where to save it, name it, and choose the file format. It's probably easier to go ahead and save it as "splash" now, so that you wont have to rename it later. Either way, this file MUST be named "splash" when we are in the final stages. Save it as the "BMP" format, and you will get a pop-up window for the BMP options. "File Format" should be set to Windows... and choose the depth option of 24 Bit. The "compress" and "Flip row order" boxes should be unchecked, and you do not need to go into any advanced settings. Once you have saved the file, You can close PhotoShop.
Now the File needs to be converted from the BMP format into an IMG file. This is so that the boot loader in your phone will see it when you flash it to your phone.
There are a few conversion tools out there, but I have found Splash Screen Creator to be the EASIEST way to convert the file with a few clicks.
The link to download this small program is here... http://www.addictivetips.com/?attachment_id=43073 ... and it is FREE!!! (I did not create this program)
1. Download the .zip package from the link above.
2. Extract the files. I found that creating a folder on my desktop to secure these files (and these files only) to be less of a headache.
3. After you have extracted the files, you are ready to convert your "splash.bmp" file. You MUST move this file into the same directory that you unzipped the Splash Screen Creator to. It will only find the bmp file in the same directory, which is why having its own folder is easier. Move your "splash.bmp" file to the same folder and open "RUN THIS ONE". This will open the program in a command prompt.
4. Choose option 1 to convert your existing .bmp file into the required .img file. The next option will ask if you would like to flash the file to your phone. This option is not necessary for these instructions, but I have read of others being successful. You can try this option, but if it fails, go on to the remaining steps.
5. Go ahead and close the program by pressing another key to exit. You should see your new "Splash.img" file in this same directory. Rename this as "splash1.img"
Now that I think of it, naming the BMP file to "splash1" prior to converting to the .img format may solve the error when trying to flash the file to the phone
within Splash Screen Creator. The img file MUST be name "splash1" prior to updating it in the boot loader in the next steps so it makes sense that the program would come up with an error at this point. I have not tested this theory at this time, but you are welcome to. If someone does test this, please update these instructions
to save from many unnecessary steps below!
Your next steps require access to your original "PC36IMG.zip" file that you used during your root process. If you do not have your original "PC36IMG.zip" file, you
can try to download one here... http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=8913849&postcount=156 ... I have not tested this file yet, but worth a shot if you dont have it.
1. Make a COPY of your "PC36IMG.zip" file and move it to your directory where you have worked with the custom splash files. This saves from getting confused between files and flashing the wrong one to your phone. You're also making a copy so that your original "PC36IMG.zip" file is NOT altered.
2. DO NOT unzip the file! Simply drag your "splash1.img" file over to your zipped "PC36IMG.zip" folder and copy it in there. If you get a prompt to overwrite an existing "splash" file, go ahead. Afterall, you are working with a copy of the PC36IMG.zip.
3. After you have added the "splash1.img" file into the "PC36IMG.zip" folder, you can now move the zipped folder over to your sd card. Make sure that it is the ONLY copy on your sd card, and that you have not placed it in any other directories. BOOT LOADER WILL NOT FIND IT IF IT IS IN ANOTHER FOLDER!!!
4. AT THIS POINT YOU WANT TO BE SURE YOU HAVE BACKED UP YOUR ROM!!!! YOU WILL LOSE YOUR CURRENT ROM AND DATA AFTER THE NEXT STEP!!!!
5. Reboot the phone into Boot loader by holding the volume down button and pressing power. The boot loader will find your "PC36IMG.zip" and ask you if you want to update. Press the volume up button to say YES! Grab a coffee, chug a beer, or take a piss, cause this step takes a few minutes.
6. Once the boot loader has finished it's update, reboot your phone. it will now display your new custom splash screen!!! (but you're not done yet)
Because you updated your "PC36IMG.zip" files in the boot loader, you have in effect re-flashed the stock rom (rooted of course) back to your phone.
Allow a few minutes for your phone to boot up, log into your g-mail account (so that you have access to the market), and download Rom Manager (or your favorite backup manager), and restore back to your rom!
Like I said before, I have only done this on the HTC EVO that has been rooted using UnrEVOked through the process explained on HTCEVOHacks.com. I have no idea if this process will work with other configurations, and I accept no responsibility for the outcome of your actions!!!!

cool bro thanks

Thanks very helpful

[script] Generic, fully automated Deodexer (OS X, Linux... Cygwin)

This is a script that I made for my own use awhile ago because I couldn't find an OS X deodexer. I recently modified it for use with Linux, and if you're on Windows and have Cygwin, well, it works with that too.
What is it:
It's a generic deodexer, for any ROM, and theoretically for any recent phone. What do I mean by theoretically? Well, the Atrix is my first and only Android so far, but I expect to be able to use it when I get others It should work with any phone that has all its framework in /system/framework and all its apps in /system/app. Any phone that doesn't have that doesn't qualify.
How does it do it:
It uses the phone's own BOOTCLASSPATH and patches together any additional necessary dependencies from /system/framework. It then uses the phone's own files to create the deodexed frameworks and apps (via JesusFreke's baksmali/smali). All the other deodexers I've seen use canned files that have been created ahead of time, or require you to specify the proper dependencies for your phone. This is fully automated and requires almost no intervention on your part. This means you don't have to go looking for "the right" deodexed files for the new stock ROM you just flashed, or know anything about dependencies. All it asks for is Super User permission at the very start (which you need to allow and check "remember", because it will need it later).
When will it be done:
In about a half hour from when you start. At least that's how long it takes on my Core2Duo 2.53Ghz, 4GB RAM MB Pro. There are 250+ files to decompile and recompile. It's a lengthy process.
Prerequisites:
1. You must be rooted with Super User installed.
2. USB Debugging must be turned on on your phone. Settings > Applications > Development > USB Debugging.
3. You need Java on your computer, and it has to be in your path (you can test by opening a terminal (or cmd for win) and typing 'java' on the command line. If you see help for that command, you're good).
There are 3 scripts:
1. deodex.sh: This is the main deodexer script. Run this to deodex a ROM for the first time. It will do its thing, and once it tells you it's rebooting, you should be deodexed.
2. postcompile.sh: If you restore to a non-deodexed state somehow and you have run deodex.sh previously on the same ROM, you can use this to skip the lengthy compiling and just deodex with the files you already created (they will be in framework.out and app.out on your computer).
3. restore.sh: Use this to return your phone to an odexed state. Obviously, you have to have used deodex.sh to deodex first.
After running deodex.sh, you may want to zip up and save framework.out, app.out, and the system folder in the deodex folder. These contain the deodexed files and your original files for the current ROM. If you ever want to use the restore or postcompile scripts, you need these.

please help
line 15: ./bin/osx/adb: No such file or directory
Error in previous command above line 18.
Exiting.
logout

cyrux said:
please help
line 15: ./bin/osx/adb: No such file or directory
Error in previous command above line 18.
Exiting.
logout
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting, either it's saying you have no /data/tmp folder on your phone, or you're missing ./bin/predeodex.sh.
Are you able to check if your phone has a /data/tmp folder? Also, a step I forgot in the OP. Do you have USB Debugging turned on?
*edit* Okay, so I downloaded my zip from here just to be sure, and tested only the section you're having trouble on by making it quit out right after the part you error'd out on. I've verified that predeodex.sh is working, so /data/tmp must be missing on your phone?

Transfer system files to external SD card?

My motherboard is toast, I bought a broken phone on ebay and switched out the motherboards but it isnt working. Phone works fine but wont recognize sim card or connect to network. Its just a camera/wifi device atm. So anyway..... I can still get the old motherboard to kinda work enough to play with it, the home buttons dont work or the power button and sometimes freezes up. Is there a way I can put the old motherboard in the phone and copy the system files to the external sd card or computer, then wipe the new motherboard and copy the files from the old mb to the new mb? I believe I have tried everything else but if anyone has any suggestions Im all ears
Thanks!

The easiest way would probably be to take the motherboard you're wanting to pull stuff from, hook it up (in the phone), and via USB in ADB do something like this:
adb pull / \backup
That would create a folder at the top level of your C: drive with all the contents of the phone on it. You could then move all of that to the new motherboard.
(That would probably be something like:
adb push \backup /
but I'm not 100% sure on that. You may have to do a more one-by-one procedure.)

when I try to push the backup I get this message....
failed to copy '\backup/acct/uid/0/task' to 'acct/uid/0/task' : Operation not permitted
Sooooo what did I do wrong??
Also I couldnt find where it saved the backup on my computer.
Ok, found the backup folder on my c: drive but what do I do with it now?

Bump cause I still havent figured this out Seems like I dont have the correct permissions in adb.

poprocksncoke said:
when I try to push the backup I get this message....
failed to copy '\backup/acct/uid/0/task' to 'acct/uid/0/task' : Operation not permitted
Sooooo what did I do wrong??
Also I couldnt find where it saved the backup on my computer.
Ok, found the backup folder on my c: drive but what do I do with it now?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you typed in your backup like what you wrote above (\backup/acct/uid/0/task), it's likely that you're running into an error because you flipped your slashes midway through.
The backup folder needs to be in the platform-tools folder of the ADB installation, as that's where ADB pushes from.
Once you have that, reboot into recovery mode. This may not be 100% necessary, but I usually find that pushes work better from there as the file system is (usually) read-write.
Then, try this:
adb push \backup /
(You may have to switch the slash before the word backup so it reads /backup, I'm not 100% sure.)
If that doesn't work, drag an individual folder out of the backup folder to the main platform-tools folder and type:
adb push /acct \
You'll have to repeat that for each folder, but it should work.
If all that fails, you can try to make a CWM flashable zip file. I don't know exactly what the procedure is for doing this, but I would guess that the answer exists somewhere on this site.

jmtheiss said:
If you typed in your backup like what you wrote above (\backup/acct/uid/0/task), it's likely that you're running into an error because you flipped your slashes midway through.
The backup folder needs to be in the platform-tools folder of the ADB installation, as that's where ADB pushes from.
Once you have that, reboot into recovery mode. This may not be 100% necessary, but I usually find that pushes work better from there as the file system is (usually) read-write.
Then, try this:
adb push \backup /
(You may have to switch the slash before the word backup so it reads /backup, I'm not 100% sure.)
If that doesn't work, drag an individual folder out of the backup folder to the main platform-tools folder and type:
adb push /acct \
You'll have to repeat that for each folder, but it should work.
If all that fails, you can try to make a CWM flashable zip file. I don't know exactly what the procedure is for doing this, but I would guess that the answer exists somewhere on this site.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually what I typed was adb push \backup / then it gave me that error. It stored the backup folder on my c: drive, I will move it to the tools folder and see if that works. Going to go search on how to make a CWM flashable zip file now. Maybe i'll give that a shot too. Thanks for your help.

So If I am getting this correctly, I take the custom ROM I have flashed to my phone and then I can add my system files to to the system folder in the ROM I can then flash the ROM again and it will install all my files?

In theory, yes, that should work. All the CWM update file does is write the files inside of it to the folders that the updater-script file tells it to.
Again, this should work IN THEORY.

poprocksncoke said:
So If I am getting this correctly, I take the custom ROM I have flashed to my phone and then I can add my system files to to the system folder in the ROM I can then flash the ROM again and it will install all my files?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, I tried this and put the .zip on my sdcard and ran it from recovery. Got an error that I didnt have enough space. Any suggestions?