Root Changing APK's in system app in rom, before flashing

[Caeadas]

I'm sure its probably simple, but I've not had much luck finding the answer through google searching. Whats the best way to change out an APK in the system/app file before flashing it? for instance if i wanted to change the music player out with another one, or if i wanted to add more apps to the rom.

Everything i've found has been changing stuff while on the phone, and for me, its much easier to manipulate stuff on a computer than the phone.

 

[clyde4210]

Download the apk and place it in the app folder remembering to remove the one you are replacing.

Open the rom you're using
Open system folder
Open app folder
Done.

 

[Caeadas]

Hmm... well after trying to find the APK's for the programs on my phone (i couldn't), trying to extract them out of CWM backups (no luck), trying to move them to the SD card to copy them (still no luck), trying to install ADB to maybe pull them that way (totally lost), and basically banging my head for an hour, I just installed the rom normally. I may be an idiot, but I know when I'm out of my skill level

 

[str8stryk3r]

You should be able to get it each of the way you tried. Here's the way I was doing it before. Make a CWM backup. Extract that from the SDcard to your computer. Now depending on the apps you are trying to move over they are gonna be in either system.ext4>>system>>app, or sd-ext.ext4>>sd-ext. Just extract the ones you want to your desktop. Then I made a copy of the CTMod.zip and added the apk's to the appropriate places along with my edited apk's for theming and boot animations ect...

Here's a link to Qtadb. It's a tool with a graphical interface that has adb shell and other useful stuff
[APP] QtADB Easy ADB, File Manager, Apps etc - xda-developers

Also you can use this for your APK's I can't remember where I downloaded it from at all so I'll upload it. I didn't create this program and take no credit for it whatsoever.
APK Installer.zip

Hope this is kinda helpful

 

[clyde4210]

take the rom folder that's on your computer open it.

now we a system folder, open that

now we see a lot of folders

Open the first one says app. Open App Folder.

There are the apks that get installed when you install the rom.

 

[Caeadas]

Make a CWM backup. Extract that from the SDcard to your computer. Now depending on the apps you are trying to move over they are gonna be in either system.ext4>>system>>app, or sd-ext.ext4>>sd-ext.
Here's a link to Qtadb. It's a tool with a graphical interface that has adb shell and other useful stuff
[APP] QtADB Easy ADB, File Manager, Apps etc - xda-developers

I think i was on the right track, I couldn't find the SD-ext partition anywhere on my phone to access the /data, so I opened the CWM backup tar. There were APKs, but the ones in the main folder were named like "com.maxmpz.poweramp.apk" and the ones in the system/app were named com.maxmpz.poweramp-1.apk", but the ones in the CTmod was named like "musicplayer.apk" and "contacts.apk" so i wasn't sure if it was what i was looking for.

So then i tried using QTadb, since command line stuff is far over my head. I quit when it asked me to browse to some ADB files i had no clue about. I searched around in the SDK files but i couldn't figure out where it was.

Its all good now, i just need to study up more before i go messing around in things i have no business messing with.

 

[Caeadas]

take the rom folder that's on your computer open it.

now we a system folder, open that

now we see a lot of folders

Open the first one says app. Open App Folder.

There are the apks that get installed when you install the rom.

Yeah, i've gotten that far. My main concern was with deodexing and zipaligning, or signing zips, or anything else like that. I know those things exist, but I didn't know if they were involved with what i wanted to do.

 

[Bloodawn]

I think i was on the right track, I couldn't find the SD-ext partition anywhere on my phone to access the /data, so I opened the CWM backup tar. There were APKs, but the ones in the main folder were named like "com.maxmpz.poweramp.apk" and the ones in the system/app were named com.maxmpz.poweramp-1.apk", but the ones in the CTmod was named like "musicplayer.apk" and "contacts.apk" so i wasn't sure if it was what i was looking for.

So then i tried using QTadb, since command line stuff is far over my head. I quit when it asked me to browse to some ADB files i had no clue about. I searched around in the SDK files but i couldn't figure out where it was.

Its all good now, i just need to study up more before i go messing around in things i have no business messing with.

any app you download from the market will be named something like com.something.something.apk. you can rename them to what you want tho.

 

[str8stryk3r]

So then i tried using QTadb, since command line stuff is far over my head. I quit when it asked me to browse to some ADB files i had no clue about. I searched around in the SDK files but i couldn't figure out where it was.

Its all good now, i just need to study up more before i go messing around in things i have no business messing with.

Oh, hmm. I had to put some adb drivers in the root of my hard drive. That might have been what it was referring to. I can't remember off the top of my head. I just try crap out and trial and error usually works itself out. I'm learning the stuff as I go though so it works out.

 

[Caeadas]

Round two, Me vs. CTmod 3.5. I tried again, but failed miserably and I'm not sure what i did wrong.

First, I made a fresh backup of my phone and pulled the APKs out of the SD-ext. I then made a copy of CTmod and extracted it all using 7-Zip. I went into system/app, deleted MIUImusic and keyboard.apk, and added the apks i pulled from my backup. I then re-zipped the customized CTmod using "Add to CTmod.zip" in 7-zip, put it on my phone, and attempted to flash. It immediately aborted installation. I tried it several times, then eventually used my unmodified copy of CTmod 3.5, and that one ran as usual.

I had to completely extract CTmod because 7-zip wouldn't let me put the APKs into the rom while it was zipped up, my guess is thats where I'm missing something. Either that or I've hit something I don't know anything about. I'm gonna install apps normally for now, and attempt again the next time i have to flash.

 

[Bloodawn]

Round two, Me vs. CTmod 3.5. I tried again, but failed miserably and I'm not sure what i did wrong.

First, I made a fresh backup of my phone and pulled the APKs out of the SD-ext. I then made a copy of CTmod and extracted it all using 7-Zip. I went into system/app, deleted MIUImusic and keyboard.apk, and added the apks i pulled from my backup. I then re-zipped the customized CTmod using "Add to CTmod.zip" in 7-zip, put it on my phone, and attempted to flash. It immediately aborted installation. I tried it several times, then eventually used my unmodified copy of CTmod 3.5, and that one ran as usual.

I had to completely extract CTmod because 7-zip wouldn't let me put the APKs into the rom while it was zipped up, my guess is thats where I'm missing something. Either that or I've hit something I don't know anything about. I'm gonna install apps normally for now, and attempt again the next time i have to flash.

don't unzip CTMod when you add things to it, just drag your files into the correct folder inside the zip. you can delete things straight from the zip too.

If it wouldn't let you do that before then you were doing something wrong, just dragging and dropping files works.

 

[Caeadas]

don't unzip CTMod when you add things to it, just drag your files into the correct folder inside the zip. you can delete things straight from the zip too.

If it wouldn't let you do that before then you were doing something wrong, just dragging and dropping files works.

I tried that, but when I would try to drag and drop, 7-zip wouldn't do anything. If i tried the "Add" button, it would tell me the operation was not supported. It let me delete stuff, but not add to it.

I guess i'll download Winrar and see what happens.

Edit: Just as a test, I made an empty folder and put it in several different zip files I have, and it worked fine using 7-zip. So i tried pulling the apk's from my backup and putting them in CTmod again, and it worked fine as well. (I blame sunspots for my earlier difficulties...)

I guess i'll try backing up my current downloaded apps with TB and flash a new modified CTmod.

 

[Caeadas]

Attempt number 17... or something like that...

Switched out my apks in the rom finally. Apparantly when you drag and drop several files in 7-zip, it pops up a confirmation dialog behind the 7-zip window, without bothering to make any effort to inform you its there. I sat there for a full minute thinking the program was locked up, until i tried to switch between chrome and 7-zip, and the dialog appeared. Damn sunspots

Anyways, the rom installed fine, but once i got booted up, Swype started force closing every few seconds, and since it was my only keyboard, i couldn't do anything. Poweramp also force closed once. Back to regular CTmod for me.

Off-topic, Google really needs to come up with a better way of showing purchased apps in the play store. It takes forever to install stuff the way it is now, especially when you forget to change koumakernel to data mode and install everything to internal, then have to do it again.

 

[Bloodawn]

Attempt number 17... or something like that...

Switched out my apks in the rom finally. Apparantly when you drag and drop several files in 7-zip, it pops up a confirmation dialog behind the 7-zip window, without bothering to make any effort to inform you its there. I sat there for a full minute thinking the program was locked up, until i tried to switch between chrome and 7-zip, and the dialog appeared. Damn sunspots

Anyways, the rom installed fine, but once i got booted up, Swype started force closing every few seconds, and since it was my only keyboard, i couldn't do anything. Poweramp also force closed once. Back to regular CTmod for me.

Off-topic, Google really needs to come up with a better way of showing purchased apps in the play store. It takes forever to install stuff the way it is now, especially when you forget to change koumakernel to data mode and install everything to internal, then have to do it again.

the swype in the removed apps zip works

 

[Caeadas]

the swype in the removed apps zip works

I didn't even think about that one... Its been so long since my phone has been "stock" I forgot it used to have Swype. Oh well, I've already got everything installed fresh from market, and Swype beta from their website. I'm good to go for another two weeks, when CTmod updates again.