Let me explain what I mean by "casual". I've come to find that I always end up removing stuff from custom ROMs that I don't like/don't use and end up with something much much better.
With NFX's permission (should he give it) I'd like to make a custom ROM based on my slimmed down approach, one that left me with tons of free space, lots of free RAM, great battery life, and smooth operation. I'm looking at the ROM right now, and I'm wondering; is there anything special I need to know about adding my own apks to be preinstalled with the ROM? I'd like to add Fancy Widget and LauncherPro since I stopped using the Sense Launcher. My ideal setup is one where the app is recognized by the market so that it can be updated as and when needed. Also, what can I do to ensure that LauncherPro is the default launcher?
I'd love to get into this. I'm not big on code editing but have no issue with doing so when needed, can anyone nudge me in the right direction?
Update #1: My first attempt failed . I was using Nfinite's Odexed NFX Rom. I tried to just change around the apps in the data/app/ folder. Also attempted to delete all the HTC Sense Widgets beforehand. (I do this after install, but I wanted to do it before.) Should I not be working with an odexed ROM, and is there some sort of signature process that I need to be using?
Pretty sure you need deodexed.
CM6 Android 2.2.1 Froyo Darchstar
Radio 2.42.01.04.27
*Bite me Sprint!
Search for avabox on these forums. It has the zip signing tool to make the zip flashable after editing it. And many other helpful tools
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App
davec1234 said:
Pretty sure you need deodexed.
CM6 Android 2.2.1 Froyo Darchstar
Radio 2.42.01.04.27
*Bite me Sprint!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
danaff37 said:
Search for avabox on these forums. It has the zip signing tool to make the zip flashable after editing it. And many other helpful tools
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks guys! I'll give this a shot and see what happens
LiquidSolstice said:
Let me explain what I mean by "casual". I've come to find that I always end up removing stuff from custom ROMs that I don't like/don't use and end up with something much much better.
With NFX's permission (should he give it) I'd like to make a custom ROM based on my slimmed down approach, one that left me with tons of free space, lots of free RAM, great battery life, and smooth operation. I'm looking at the ROM right now, and I'm wondering; is there anything special I need to know about adding my own apks to be preinstalled with the ROM? I'd like to add Fancy Widget and LauncherPro since I stopped using the Sense Launcher. My ideal setup is one where the app is recognized by the market so that it can be updated as and when needed. Also, what can I do to ensure that LauncherPro is the default launcher?
I'd love to get into this. I'm not big on code editing but have no issue with doing so when needed, can anyone nudge me in the right direction?
Update #1: My first attempt failed . I was using Nfinite's Odexed NFX Rom. I tried to just change around the apps in the data/app/ folder. Also attempted to delete all the HTC Sense Widgets beforehand. (I do this after install, but I wanted to do it before.) Should I not be working with an odexed ROM, and is there some sort of signature process that I need to be using?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like some else said you'll need the deodexed rom. Also if your altering the rom for personal purposes there is no need to ask nfinite... if you post the rom then you'll need to ask and give props.
Next you need some kind of rom manager tools so that you can sign and zip align your apk and have a flashable after you make your changes. maybe read threw the rom cooking guide on the hero wiki page also.
You most definitely what an odexed ROM. Its been a while since I messed with it, but i think you will want to place apps you want updated in /data/app. As for the default launcher, it should ask which one you want as default when you first boot into the ROM.
unCoRrUpTeD said:
You most definitely what an odexed ROM. Its been a while since I messed with it, but i think you will want to place apps you want updated in /data/app. As for the default launcher, it should ask which one you want as default when you first boot into the ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@[email protected] Confusion. A few people above have said I need deodexed?
The only problem you will run into with odexed vs deodexed is changes to any jar files within an apk on system. Only really applies to framework level edits. Things like removing haptic or rotary lock screen or battery percentage mods, etc.
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App
LiquidSolstice said:
@[email protected] Confusion. A few people above have said I need deodexed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I meant to type deodexed. I was so tired and doing ten things at once. Didn't even reread what I was posting.
danaff37 said:
The only problem you will run into with odexed vs deodexed is changes to any jar files within an apk on system. Only really applies to framework level edits. Things like removing haptic or rotary lock screen or battery percentage mods, etc.
Sent from my HERO200 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah. Nah, the only thing I'd love to experiment with is to swap out images and png files. The functionality of the ROM and its inner workings are fine . Assuming that I can remove all the HTC widgets and a few of the apps I won't be using (using LP, so Sense Widgets are unneeded), and that I can set a default launcher, and perhaps mess around with all the status bar icons/button images, that's all I want to do
LiquidSolstice said:
@[email protected] Confusion. A few people above have said I need deodexed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You will need deodexed
You can always re-Odex it afterwards.
I assume you've realized this, as you have a stable odexed ROM out, but I'm putting it up for reference's sake. Don't want someone reading the thread and getting the wrong idea.
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.
How to customize Nothing Special (Peanut) BEFORE you flash:
Materials
Windows - 7-ZIP
Linux - nothing
Mac OS X - nothing (note, I have not done this on Mac OS X, so I cannot support this OS)
Steps
Download the above mentioned file(s) for Windows. You can use a different archive manager if you'd like, but my guide is based on using 7-ZIP.
On your desktop, create a folder named "Test." You can name it whatever you want, but I'll be referring to it as "Test" in this guide. If you are new at this, you need to follow the guide to the letter.
Find your downloaded "Nothing Special (Peanut) ROM" and extract it to the Test folder. The easiest way to do this on Windows is to open the ROM, highlight all of the folders/files (CTRL-A), copy (CTRL-C), then open the Test folder and paste (CTRL-V). Give it a minute to extract the contents.
Once you complete step three, modify the ROM to your hearts content (see details below). Once complete, proceed to step five.
Open the Test folder and highlight everything (CTRL-A). Right click and select "Add to Archive." This will open 7-ZIP's archive manager. On Linux or Mac OS X, just right-click (or equivalent) and select "Compress."
In the options menu that comes up, leave everything at default except the following. The filename should be Test.zip (change Test to whatever you want). Archive format should be zip. Compression level should be ultra. That's it.
Once done, you can copy this zip to your SD card and flash as normal. Keep in mind that I am not responsible for any changes that you made in this ROM, so make sure you Nandroid BEFORE you flash.
Specific customizations for the above method:
Ringtones - While the ROM is unzipped, open the test folder and look for /system/media/audio. Within this folder you'll see several more folders (Ringtones, Alarms, Notifications). Any should files you put here will show up in the system when you go to change your ringtone (or whatever corresponds to the folder). The benefits to this modification include; no storage space used up in internal, phone, or SD storage; ringtone works even if SD is USB mounted, no errors when the SD card corrupts or is in use. The ringtones (alarms/notifications) are stored in a partition that does NOT count towards your file storage
Modify Status Bar - Don't like the crap (IE, the E911 location icon or the clock) in the status bar? Change it! Go to THIS THREAD, download the status bar you want, and then use it to replace the services.jar file found in /system/framework. Don't have to worry about flashing it separately!
Add the 3-in-1 reboot menu - Want a 3-in-1 reboot menu without flashing separately? Go to THIS POST and download the file. Extract the file from /system/framework, and use it to replace the same file in /system/framework from your ROM. When your ROM is zipped and flashed, you'll have the 3-in-1 reboot menu by default!
Add the Evo camera - Go to THIS POST and download the file that I attached. Go to your Test folder and navigate to /system/app/. Use the downloaded apk to replace the one already there.
Add/Remove apps you don't want - Navigate to /system/app, and remove any APK files that you don't want. If you don't know what app it is, do NOT remove it. WARNING: You do this at your own risk! Not all apps are safe to remove! You can also place other APKs in here. Generally not recommend as then they take up space in /system/app and /data/data, which can slow boot time when too crowded.
Modify Bootup Animation/Sound - Navigate to the /system/customize/resource/ folder. In there, you will see two files; VZW_bootanimation.zip an VZW_Droid.mp3. These files are the bootup animation and "Droid" noise. Simply delete the MP3 if you want a silent bootup. It really is that easy. Replace the ZIP File with another zipped animation (must give it the same name) to replace the animation with one of your own. NOTE: Make sure you verify compatibility. If unsure, don't do it.
WARNING about Smooth Sense Icons - Do NOT follow the above instructions with any mod, such as Smooth Sense icons, that replace framework.apk. Doing so will cause you to have a boot loop. This must be flashed manually and separately
Modifications: A note about the below medications. They may or may not flash with your recovery. If you see *(recovery) after a mod, it means that I have personally verified that it works. For outdated mods, I will, over time, convert them to Clockwork Mod 3.x. If you want to see a mod listed here, PM me so that I can add it. Posting it in the thread won't always catch my attention.
Smooth Sense Icons w/white battery indicator - Thanks goes out to jercik for the mod and squintz for the port and white text change. This collection of icons makes Sense look much nicer.* (2.5.0.5, 2.5.1.2)
Status Bar tweaks - Thanks goes to pardonmyfreedom - collection of mods allows you to change what icons show up in your status bar (IE, clock, battery meter, E911 location icon, etc.)* (2.5.0.5, 2.5.1.2)
3-in-1 Reboot Menu - Thanks goes to snq - When you hold the power button, beneath the shut down icon you'll have a reboot option. This gives you three more choice; normal, boot-loader (HBOOT), recovery. * (2.5.0.5, 2.5.1.2)
Evo Camera - Provided by various sources, this camera is the same as the Incredible camera, but has an on-screen button for those who hate using the track-pad. * (2.5.0.5, 2.5.1.2)
Kernels: If you see a * (approved), it means that I have personally tested the kernel(s) at the provided link with this ROM. In theory, any Sense kernel should work on this ROM. If you have a favorite kernel, PM me the link and description so that I can add it.
Heyitslou's custom kernels -customized versions of the stock kernel, these kernels offer excellent stability, battery life, and real world performance, but won't win any synthetic benchmark comparisons. I use #8 and HIGHLY recommend it. All credit to the linked thread author.* (approved)
What is the difference between peanut and plain? Maybe I need to read the discription of both again. Either way, thanks for your hard work friend.
[DINC]|[CM7]|[SLAYHER#27]
I've been on CM forever. Might be kinda nice to go back to stock-ish and mess around with it a bit. Thanks man!
wildstang83 said:
What is the difference between peanut and plain? Maybe I need to read the discription of both again. Either way, thanks for your hard work friend.
[DINC]|[CM7]|[SLAYHER#27]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, read the OP for "Nothing Special (plain)," the link is at the bottom of the OP here. Basically, plain is odexed, and cannot take mods, etc. It is simply stock with crapware eliminated and one or two very minor tweaks. It's for those who don't want to stray far from stock, and are content with their ROM as is.
Peanut is deodexed, and can therefore be modded. You can flash other themes, kernels, etc. and build it any way you want from stock, instead of from other ROM builders' vision of what "stock" should be.
All credit to Jason for a very nice job doing something that was long overdue. Not planning on running it myself, but flashed plain on my daughter's Incredible and I don't think I'll have to provide any more tech support to her from here on in.
Plain or Peanut is now more up-to-date than Virtuous, which was formerly the best "first step" for anybody exploring ROM's.
hgoldner did a great job of summing up the differences, so I'm going to add a bit more technical bits to it.
When a ROM is odexed, as the stock ROM is, it means that the key apps (anything made by HTC) are divided up into two parts; an APK file and an ODEX file. When you first load an odexed ROM, all of the APK files copy over to the /data/data/ folder for installation. The ODEX files remain in /system/app/ and are used like libraries on your desktop.
On a deodexed ROM, the ODEX and APK files are combined into one APK. So, when these APKs are copied to /data/data/, they take up more space. This is a key reason why the first bootup of a deodexed ROM takes so much longer than an odexed equivalent, as more data is being copied over. Also, this is why Plain has 722MB available to the user (more than any other ROM I'm aware of, even edging out the stock ROM, which is 710), while Peanut has 676MB available to the user.
An odexed ROM is harder to modify and is not compatible with modifications made for deodexed ROMs. So, only run Plain if you want a stock ROM, without bloat, and with more space available for apps. Run Peanut if you can live with less space, but want a choice in what addons are run.
I'll be adding more addons to this thread almost daily. I'll make it as easy as possible to customize this ROM the way you want it.
jaykresge said:
On a deodexed ROM, the ODEX and APK files are combined into one APK. So, when these APKs are copied to /data/data/, they take up more space. This is a key reason why the first bootup of a deodexed ROM takes so much longer than an odexed equivalent, as more data is being copied over. Also, this is why Plain has 722MB available to the user (more than any other ROM I'm aware of, even edging out the stock ROM, which is 710), while Peanut has 676MB available to the user.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow. Didn't know that myself. This would strongly suggest that odexed ROM's have a less likelihood of filling up the \data\data 150mb partition, and therefore would be less likely to produce the "low memory space" warning. Yes?
hgoldner said:
Wow. Didn't know that myself. This would strongly suggest that odexed ROM's have a less likelihood of filling up the \data\data 150mb partition, and therefore would be less likely to produce the "low memory space" warning. Yes?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly You get roughly 50MB extra from being odexed, depending on the ROM. In the case of Nothing Special, deodexing takes away 46MB from /data/data/. I've tried to keep it somewhat clean though, as most other custom ROMs use up a little more space than this.
This is what virtuous was supposed to be. Virtuous' definition of "essential fixes" is a little flawed to me. Perfect stock ROM. Thanks.
EDIT: In my opinion this is what virtuous should have been. Virtuous' definition of "essential fixes" is a little flawed to me. Perfect stock ROM. Thanks.
BerkleyJ said:
This is what virtuous was supposed to be. Virtuous' definition of "essential fixes" is a little flawed to me. Perfect stock ROM. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
RMK did a great job on Virtuous. I'm a mere hack compared to him as a ROM developer. I think Virtuous is what is was meant to be, but he's just moved on to the G2.
My ROMs are merely another alternative.
Updated the FAQ with two notes to help explain the difference between Plain/Peanut (they're the top two Q/As). Will start adding the addons tomorrow. For now, flash the ROM and your favorite kernel, then setup to your heart's content. Starting tomorrow the flashaholics should be happy (and no, you won't be losing any data between flashes, they're just patches)
BerkleyJ said:
This is what virtuous was supposed to be. Virtuous' definition of "essential fixes" is a little flawed to me. Perfect stock ROM. Thanks.
EDIT: In my opinion this is what virtuous should have been. Virtuous' definition of "essential fixes" is a little flawed to me. Perfect stock ROM. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just wanted to add clarification. I respect RMK, but I was also a bit disappointed in Virtuous. I tried to talk to him in private and requested permission to make some changes to Virtuous (such as updating his outdated Sense apps), but he seems to have moved on to the G2.
So, I'm disappointed with how Virtuous has come out, but respect RMK as a developer. I wish that I had his talent.
Although I may not flash this I do appreciate the work you've put into it. I do think this is awesome. And again thanks guys for the rundown on the difference between the two. Now I know a little bit more about the odex and deodexed stuff. Thanks.
[DINC]|[CM7]|[SLAYHER#27]
Well, im runnin it with ziggys bfs no havs, and its great! Zero issues, may just stay here until gb sense hits. I do wonder, if there is an ota, how woukd that affect this rom?
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
jaykresge said:
The second post will be used for custom addons. I encourage others to share what they're using (and how they got it to work if a workaround was needed) so that we can build up an addon collection for this ROM.
For now I'm using Peanut with;
Lou's #8 kernel
Sexy Sense Icons (w/white battery charge number)
no location (removes the E911 location icon from status bar)
3-in-1 reboot menu
Evo camera (for the on-screen button)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where did you get the evo camera?
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
donnyp1 said:
I do wonder, if there is an ota, how woukd that affect this rom?
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't edit the build.prop, do it may prompt you for an update, but not actually allow you to update. If there is an update, I'll make the same changes to that ROM that I make to this one.
donnyp1 said:
Where did you get the evo camera?
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll add links later today, but for now, I've attached the camera.
Does anyone use statusbar pull down toggles? if so what do you use?
josh0426 said:
Does anyone use statusbar pull down toggles? if so what do you use?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Status Bar Settings 1.2 from the market. Works very well.
Thanks fer clock, how do you install? Failed thru rm
Sent from my ADR6300 using XDA App
paintguy said:
Status Bar Settings 1.2 from the market. Works very well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I found this one, it feels a little more integrated into the OS. Its from Virtuous Rom. Here is a screenshot of pulldown.
Hi, I would like to modify the Slimwizz 5 ROM for personal use. I want to remove some apps and add some stock ones that are missing and needed for me. I would also like to change the theme that was introduced (the background in settings and other places that were changed).so that it looks identical to stock.
Can someone advise me on how to do this? I am guessing it isn't enough to extract the zip file and delete, replace apps and then just to rezip it.
So any help with removing the apps, then adding apps and finally changing it to phone UI and changing the background in settings would be much appreciated.
XxPixX said:
Hi, I would like to modify the Slimwizz 5 ROM for personal use. I want to remove some apps and add some stock ones that are missing and needed for me. I would also like to change the theme that was introduced (the background in settings and other places that were changed).so that it looks identical to stock.
Can someone advise me on how to do this? I am guessing it isn't enough to extract the zip file and delete, replace apps and then just to rezip it.
So any help with removing the apps, then adding apps and finally changing it to phone UI and changing the background in settings would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that you need new rom :laugh:
did you try alliance v1
you can flash it without google and samsung apps, then after installation you can restore every system (samsung/google) apps that you need, this way you can have a rom that suit your needs
also you can flash stock theme from Alliance OTA
and a lot of modification through Alliance control
you cant find better rom
XxPixX said:
Hi, I would like to modify the Slimwizz 5 ROM for personal use. I want to remove some apps and add some stock ones that are missing and needed for me. I would also like to change the theme that was introduced (the background in settings and other places that were changed).so that it looks identical to stock.
Can someone advise me on how to do this? I am guessing it isn't enough to extract the zip file and delete, replace apps and then just to rezip it.
So any help with removing the apps, then adding apps and finally changing it to phone UI and changing the background in settings would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Learn how to cook your own Custom Rom. Good start is dsixda's kitchen. I still make my Roms with it.
Thanks very much,will read some guides and what one can do and then I will try and make something with dsixda's kitchen for the note
Is anyone aware of a System UI mod to add battery percentage to the indicator for the First, without the need to install a secondary app?
Thank you. --Larry
amphi66 said:
Is anyone aware of a System UI mod to add battery percentage to the indicator for the First, without the need to install a secondary app?
Thank you. --Larry
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A quick update:
Found the Notification Toggle app from the Play Store which does a very good job. Along with a large selection of some easy to use pull-down switches in the Notification Bar is a battery icon showing %. Actually very nice.
However, not being exactly what I was looking for I tried to use the OG Battery Icon Mod from XDA with my (mostly) stock (Odexed) ROM. It was unsuccessful.
Thinking it might be a problem with the Odexed ROM, I flashed CWM Recovery to replace my previous TWRP Recovery (for some reason the DeOdexed ROM des not flash with TWRP) and then flashed JMZ's DeOdexed v1.08 ROM. Unfortunately, I ended up the same failure when running the OGBattery Mod Tool (the tool was unable to download the systemui.apk).
Therefore, so far I am unable to make the UI modification, but am pleased to find the Notification Toggle App -- and with some help from Titanium Backup my phone is back where I wanted it, now running a DeOdexed ROM. I went back to TWRP Recovery. I have CWM on my A500 tablet, but TWRP just seems easier on the First.
--Larry
amphi66 said:
A quick update:
Found the Notification Toggle app from the Play Store which does a very good job. Along with a large selection of some easy to use pull-down switches in the Notification Bar is a battery icon showing %. Actually very nice.
However, not being exactly what I was looking for I tried to use the OG Battery Icon Mod from XDA with my (mostly) stock (Odexed) ROM. It was unsuccessful.
Thinking it might be a problem with the Odexed ROM, I flashed CWM Recovery to replace my previous TWRP Recovery (for some reason the DeOdexed ROM des not flash with TWRP) and then flashed JMZ's DeOdexed v1.08 ROM. Unfortunately, I ended up the same failure when running the OGBattery Mod Tool (the tool was unable to download the systemui.apk).
Therefore, so far I am unable to make the UI modification, but am pleased to find the Notification Toggle App -- and with some help from Titanium Backup my phone is back where I wanted it, now running a DeOdexed ROM. I went back to TWRP Recovery. I have CWM on my A500 tablet, but TWRP just seems easier on the First.
--Larry
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can use UOT kitchen. Just Google it. If you feel adventurous you can download my sense ROM and pull the diff battery mods I have there and push them to your device. All you need is systemui.apk. but this will only work if you are on a deodex ro.
Sent from my manta using Tapatalk 2
jmz said:
You can use UOT kitchen. Just Google it. If you feel adventurous you can download my sense ROM and pull the diff battery mods I have there and push them to your device. All you need is systemui.apk. but this will only work if you are on a deodex ro.
Sent from my manta using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Feeling adventurous, I downloaded your sense ROM & extracted it. In systemui.apk I see there are two (apparently duplicated) res folders and the sub-folders/files in res are also duplicated. Is this an error in the build or necessary as place-holders of sone kind. I thought I might try to replace the res folder in the deodexed ROM with this one, but it concerned me.
amphi66 said:
Feeling adventurous, I downloaded your sense ROM & extracted it. In systemui.apk I see there are two (apparently duplicated) res folders and the sub-folders/files in res are also duplicated. Is this an error in the build or necessary as place-holders of sone kind. I thought I might try to replace the res folder in the deodexed ROM with this one, but it concerned me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know what you mean. Can you screenshot it?
Sent from my HTC first using Tapatalk 2
jmz said:
I don't know what you mean. Can you screenshot it?
Sent from my HTC first using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the response. I couldn't figure out how to attach here, so I posted a screenshot of the extracted systemui.apk from your Sense ROM at dev-host: http://d-h.st/VOr
Note that there are duplicate res folders. Also, in the res folders many of the sub-folders and: files also have duplicates, prompting my question. --Larry
amphi66 said:
Thank you for the response. I couldn't figure out how to attach here, so I posted a screenshot of the extracted systemui.apk from your Sense ROM at dev-host: http://d-h.st/VOr
Note that there are duplicate res folders. Also, in the res folders many of the sub-folders and: files also have duplicates, prompting my question. --Larry
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@jmk : After the confusion (to me) I tried a couple of more things:
1. Replaced systemui.apk in stock ROM with the systemui.apk from your Sense ROM. That did give me a Sense horizontal battery with %, but was too small to see. I was hoping for the percent circle.
2. I used UOT Kitchen to attempt to make the modifcation, but Kitchen returned a SHTF error, so no results yet.
Success!
I loaded & set up JMZ's Sense ROM with the icons I wanted, then copied systemUI.apk to the sdcard. After restoring my "stock" ROM I renamed the systemUI.apk in /system, then copied the one from the sdcard to /system & reset the permissions. I now have my desired battery icons!
@ jMZ: Thank you for the guidance. --Larry