Root [AT&T] Hide the virtual HOME softkey?

[SkinJob]

Is there a relatively easy way to permanently hide just the HOME virtual softkey on android JB? Or failing that, disable it? Mr. Google only has information on hiding ALL virtual softkeys!

I have a GS3 on a MIUI 4.2.2 ROM (I dont want to change ROMs). I am referring to the virtual softkey on the touchscreen, not the capacitive key at the bottom of the phone. The phone already has a hard HOME key so I dont need the virtual one, which duplicates it. I know that "172" controls the hw HOME key, so I tried remming out "102" in every file I could find it in (keypad_8960.kl, Generic.kl, sec_key.kl, sec_touchkey.kl, cyttsp-i2c.kl). It had no effect on anything.

 

[mrhomiec]

some custom ROMs have an "Expanded Desktop" mode you can toggle between. not sure if MIUI has that too. but it would be something to look into. and also this would hide all of the on-screen buttons.

i've personally just stayed away from custom ROMs that use on-screen buttons when our phones have their own off-screen buttons.

 

[SkinJob]

Well I know that you can hide all the softkeys with some ROMs.. that's why I specificed I do not want to change ROMs. So that option is out for me, plus the fact that I only want the virtual HOME softkey gone, not the other three.

Yes, my GS3 has is own virtual buttons... but its a poor design. I keep pressing them when I don't mean to. I got tired of that very quickly, and since I can't modify the phone to install hardware butttons, the on-screen virtual buttons help in that respect.