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Root Two questions: modifying .apk & root access on PC?

The111

The111

Member
My phone is not rooted yet. I just got it, first Android phone... taking my time.

Question 1:

I got the Open Home .apk, and while I like most features of Open Home, I don't like the icons it uses. I'd rather use the default Android icons. And I can't figure out how... there are no "default Android icon packs" out there. So I got clever. I opened my .apk with WinRar on a PC, found all the new icons I didn't like, and replaced them with the standard icons (which I cleverly extracted from the Android SDK).

However, I guess I wasn't so clever, because the new modified .apk won't install. I guess the creator of the .apk put in a protection of some sort to not let it install if it's been modified? Way over my head at this point...

Question 2:

If I root my phone, will I be able to access the root structure from PC over USB link? I was thinking, maybe the modified Open Home .apk won't install, but if I were able to get into the already installed default Open Home, and then replace the icons, maybe I'd have more success that way.

Thanks!
 
The111 said:
My phone is not rooted yet. I just got it, first Android phone... taking my time.

Question 1:

I got the Open Home .apk, and while I like most features of Open Home, I don't like the icons it uses. I'd rather use the default Android icons. And I can't figure out how... there are no "default Android icon packs" out there. So I got clever. I opened my .apk with WinRar on a PC, found all the new icons I didn't like, and replaced them with the standard icons (which I cleverly extracted from the Android SDK).

However, I guess I wasn't so clever, because the new modified .apk won't install. I guess the creator of the .apk put in a protection of some sort to not let it install if it's been modified? Way over my head at this point...

Question 2:

If I root my phone, will I be able to access the root structure from PC over USB link? I was thinking, maybe the modified Open Home .apk won't install, but if I were able to get into the already installed default Open Home, and then replace the icons, maybe I'd have more success that way.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

1. You're going to have to re-sign 3rd party apps (for system apps, what you did would work without having to do anything else), but for 3rd party applications, you're going to have to use Stericson's autosign (google for it). It's easy to use. Unfortunately, when you do that, if there are updates to the apk, then you probably won't be notified of them, because you're signed differently than the original... but for programs that have been around a while, or for programs that won't change, it's not a bad thing (I modded a couple of toggle widgets (bluetooth, wifi, etc) to my own design).

2. You can access the apk's installed, but you can't edit them while they're installed... you'll have to pull them and push them back while on the PC.
 
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