[Advice/Reference/Guide] The Definitive APK Modding & Theming Thread... [12/08/13]
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XperienceD said:
This is why I love Virtuous Ten, as you can install multiple resources.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
jacknb1ack said:
wow, i didnt know there is tools like that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After reading jacknb1ack's comment I felt compelled to re-write this whole thread to accommodate for the various PC Programs that you use to do all of your apk modding which can and do make things a hell of a lot quicker. I've wrote this as something I would have liked to have come across when I first joined because I know there is a lot to take in, and hearing you need to decompile, edit this or that xml, recompile, sign etc etc etc can be off putting for some especially if you struggle to get a program or apktool setup to begin with.
Knowing how to use command prompts will be beneficial in the long run so I've wrote a detailed guide below which covers it from start to finish along with how to Sign and Zipalign your apks, pulling them from the computer and so on. I've also covered some Theming basics with links to everything you're ever going to need, which will be extra handy if you're just getting started.
Minimum Requirements:
A Rooted Phone.
Java SE Runtime Environment
Java SE Development Kit
Any of the apk modifying methods below.
7-Zip or WinRar
Theming Requirements:
Notepad++
Photoshop, GIMP or any other image editing software.
Patience. :silly:
To avoid any java not found issues you need to set up the PATH for it in Environment Variables, you can find a short Guide on how to HERE. This is how mine looks...
Code:
[B]C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre6\bin;[/B]
I would advise that you also install the Android SDK but if you don't want to you can download this APK_Mod.zip that you can extract to a folder and place it anywhere you want on your Computer (I recommend C:\APK_Mod) and run any adb, apktool, zipalign or signing command prompts from it. You can find a more detailed guide for this method below.
But first off all here are some of the most common Programs that you can use to modify and theme your apks, and I'll start with one of the best...
Virtuous Ten Studio (VTS)
Virtuous Ten Studio (VTS) is the ultimate solution for the modification of android applications.
This program allows you to manage entire Android projects within an easy to use and familiar environment.
The intended group of users covers anyone from a themer over ROM devs up to the smali gods known for their awesome mods of existing apks.
The modifcation of smali code is one of the biggest features in VTS. You can easily decompile, edit and recompile any apk or jar file.
However, the application is not limited to smali files. You can edit almost any file found inside an apk or jar.
Virtuous Ten Studio is also the official successor to the highly important M10Tools released last year by the Virtuous Team.
You can easily edit any m10 file from Sense apps in order to resize or change them.
Additionally VTS brings support for un- and repacking of boot images (boot.img), a job that previously required a cygwin installation with the dsixda kitchen.
Since VTS' own implementation is a native windows solution, which means you don't need dsixda or cygwin anymore.
VTS has been designed to run on Windows, has been in development for nearly two years and has gone through many stages of testing.
Today VTS is a highly respected full blown Android IDE (Integrated Develoment Environment) suited for all your reverse engineering tasks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- www.virtuous-ten-studio.com
AndroidSuite 2013
AndroidSuite 2013 what it does
Decodes and encodes Dex files
Decodes and encodes APK files (Previously bugged in APKManager)
Gives a console output
Flash boot.img (fastboot)
Flash update.zip (fastboot)
reboot/reboot fastboot mode
Sign unsigned apks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- (App) Androidsuite 2013 v117 (01/04/2013) Jelly Bean Support!
Tickle My Android 5.4
Tickle My Android, or TMA for short, is a command line tool for Windows that uses apktool to help you pull and decompile files from your Android phone or tablet.
But it can also:
change the battery icon,
change the WiFi icon,
change the signal icon,
change the emoticons,
change the notification toggles,
change the transparency of the statusbar (if the rom allows it),
add Ice-Cream Sandwich-style transitions
zipalign apk files,
sign new apk files,
sign recompiled apk files in the same way as the original,
deodex apk and jar files,
backup personal data and transfer to a brand new device,
resize and change boot animations,
change fonts,
add sounds from other devices,
create backup-generating flashable zip files
..and now comes in Portuguese and French!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- [TOOL]Tickle My Android 5.4 - DE/RECOMPILE APPS, CHANGE ICONS...AND MORE!!!!
ApkManager V6.1
1. Based on ApkManager 4.9 by Daneshm90 (Big thanks to him)
2. Updated Apktool V1.5.2 by iBotPeaches & Brut.Alll
3. Updated Aapt v0.2
4. Default compression level set to “0?
5. 512Mo as default allowed heap size
6. 3 ready for use fake frameworks : “other\wanam1.apk”… (for Lidroid framework editing)
7. Add a “Decompile all files” feature (option 25)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- wanamlite.com
Command Prompt Editing
Basically this is just manually doing what all of the programs above need to do in order to decompile, recompile, sign and zipalign apks so it's worth knowing how to modify apks this way for occasions when the above programs for whatever reason gives you issues.
Use Linux or a Mac?
See the following threads for more information on using apktool on other Operating Systems...
APK Manager for Mac OS X
[Linux][UTILITY][TOOL] APK Multi-Tool
[tutorial] decompiling,recompiling and signing in linux (27-01-2013)
How to install and use Apktool with Ubuntu
Getting APKs To Your PC
You have two options here...
1. Use a file manager on your Phone to copy and paste files to your SD, then connect to your PC and use Windows Explorer to copy and paste to your desired location.
2. ADB. Open a command prompt window in the ADB folder (see below) and type/copy the following command...
Code:
adb pull /system/app/ Original_apps
...which will pull the whole app folder to your computer and create a new folder called Original_apps, which you can then simply copy apps to the main folder ready to be modified (keep the Original_apps folder as a backup). Then do the same for your framework folder...
Code:
adb pull /system/framework/ Original_framework
...want to pull your Phones whole system...
Code:
adb pull /system/ Xperia_Z_System
...you can rename "Xperia_Z_System" to whatever you want.
Further Information: [WINDOWS][TUT]ADB tutorial, setting up ADB, usefull commands, collecting debug info.
This is a zip of the apktool folder I currently use - APK_Mod.zip - which as said above also contains the ADB files needed to pull and push apps from your Phone, or you can check out the following links...
[Tool] ADB Fileexplorer
[TOOL][WINDOWS] Android Apktool
Installing Resources
For apktool to work you need to install the resources needed by your apks for de and recompiling, and those resources are other apks, the first apk regardless of your Phones manufacturer is going to be your framework-res.apk. The second apk you need is dependent on the manufacturer so you need to check your framework folder for another apk such as twframework.apk or SemcGenericUXpres.apk, in some cases it might even be the SystemUI.apk but you would need to check if you have issues with the other two. Put those two apks in the APK_Mod folder to begin with then open a command prompt window. The easiest way for me is holding the shift key then right clicking the mouse and selecting Open command window here, but if you're not able to do that then click your Start button and search for Command Prompt, then open it. You then need to point it to the relevant folder, so type cd then copy and paste the location of the folder (cd C:\APK_Mod) and hit enter.
The install commands are...
Code:
[B]apktool if[/B] framework-res.apk
...and for the second...
Code:
[B]apktool if[/B] SemcGenericUXpres.apk
Decompiling
The command for decompiling is...
Code:
[B]apktool d[/B] framework-res.apk
...and so on for each individual apk you want to modify. A new folder will be created that is named after the apk you are modding, then you can edit xmls, smali files and .9png images. You'll notice that there are a lot more folders when you decompile an apk, that's normal as those folders are from the resources.arsc and where you'll find the xml files you may need to edit to make the changes you want.
Recompiling
When you've done editing it's time to recompile, using the command...
Code:
[B]apktool b[/B] -insert folder name-
...and if you've edited your files correctly then it should compile with no errors and create a folder named dist in the decompiled folder along with a new apk.
Signing
Before using the new apk you will need to sign it, to do this you need to extract (open the apk and simply drag and drop them to the dist folder) from the original apk the resources.arsc (only if you haven't changed anything in the values folder, the AndroidManifest.xml and META-INF folder (if it exists), then copy them into the new apk. In WinRar it will give you the option to choose the compression method, and it's vital that you choose Store as the compression method because if you don't then you WILL BOOT LOOP after restarting your Phone!
NOTE: If you have edited anything in the values folder then extract the resources.arsc from the new apk and copy (drag and drop) it back in the same manner described above.
Alternatively you can use the following command...
Code:
[B]java -jar signapk.jar testkey.x509.pem testkey.pk8[/B] framework-res.apk.apk framework-resS.apk
...notice the extra "S", the output name has to differ from the input name otherwise it will give an error, if done right it will create a new apk called framework-resS.apk, just remember to rename it back to the original before using it on your Phone.
Signing For The Play Store
If you plan on Publishing a Theme or any other app/apk to the Play Store then using the above method to sign your apks just wont work because you need to give it an individual signature that is unique to you, thankfully @AndroidGraphix has written a great guide that will show you how, it's a bit more fidgety than the above method but simple enough to follow...
AndroidGraphix said:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- Noobs guide to signing an APK with a Private Key
Zipaligning
DISADVANTAGES OF UNALIGNED APKs
Quite understandably, situation would be reserved for unaligned application packages. Resource reading would be slow and memory usage would be on the higher end of the spectrum. It would also depend on how many unaligned applications are present. For example, if less number of applications with an unaligned home application, you’d see slower application launch times. This is the best case scenario. For a worst case scenario, having a number of unaligned applications will result in the system repeatedly starting and killing processes, struggling with lags and huge battery drain.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- SOURCE
The command for zipaligning is...
Code:
[B]zipalign -v 4[/B] framework-res.apk ZAframework-res.apk
...notice the "ZA", again that can be anything you want so long as it differs from the original name, I use ZA for an obvious reason, and again don't forget to rename it before using on your Phone.
Getting apks back to your Phone
It's just a reversal of how you got them off your Phone to begin with, use a file explorer and put your apk on your SD Card, then move it to the Phones System folder and change it's permissions to rw-rw-r, then move and replace it with the original. Most apps should continue to work but if you change your framework-res or SystemUI you will most likely need to reboot. Or you can use adb to push and install them. Check the previous link for the commands.
If all the above has worked correctly you should now have your modified apk installed with the changes you've made displayed on your Phone.
Theming & Modifying
This is where the fun begins, once you've got setup to decompile your apks then obviously you're going to want to mod them, so here's a few pointers to clear up what seems like a daunting process to new comers...
To start with you'll probably just want to start with replacing images, so if that's all you want to do for now then here's a quick tip, you DON'T need to decompile or sign your apks!, simply edit and rename your replacment images on you computer, preferably using the same or similar dimensions then drag and drop them back into the right folders in the apk, always using Store as the compression method, but PLEASE NOTE; .9 pngs can be replaced in the same way, but if you want to edit them in Photoshop for example then you need DO need to decompile them.
A few things to note...
Smali code is real Developer territory, it's Matrix code to me , thankfully there's usually a guide to follow so you can simply copy and paste code without having to fully understand how it works, so don't fret about this.
.9pngs are simply png images with a 1 pixel border. You can edit anything within that border but anything on or over will give errors when building. Unless you're creating an image from scratch then you can leave the border as it is, it's that simple! Sure there's a bit more to .9png editing but you can find a few links below that go into more detail about .9s and how they work.
xmls are relatively simple and edited with Notepad++, much simpler to understand than smali and again, there's usually a guide to be found for most mods you may want to make yourself, but if you're feeling brave you can experiment with it when you have a basic understanding of how it works.
Restoring modified files if you mess up is easier and quicker with a CWM.zip, especially if you're modifying any framework apks! Just because an apk might build with no errors doesn't mean it won't give you any when installed to the Phone.
.9png Editing
I hope after reading this explanation you're left wondering what all the fuss is about, as it really is quite simple. I'll use the following two images, btn_default_pressed_holo.9 & status_bar_close_off.9 to illustrate the basic point of the borders...
Decompiled .9pngs:
Recompiled .9pngs:
Those borders control which part of the image is stretched, and we'll use Draw 9-patch which is for editing the borders of decompiled .9pngs and lets you see how the image, when stretched, will be displayed on the Phone. Notice that the borders are different sizes, well that's because I only want/need a certain part of the image to stretch to get the desired look on the Phone.
...in the image below the left side shows the stretched image and desired effect should look on the Phone and the right side shows how it would look if I had edited the borders incorrectly or used none at all...
You can get away by not using a border but you would need to edit your image to specific dimensions to accommodate for the stretching, for example it might look fine for a simple OK button but it might not look right if you used the same .9png for a screen press which stretches the whole length of the screen, so you're better off just using them to begin with, plus you'll more than likely get errors down the line while decompiling or recompiling your apk.
The use of the border is made even more clear when you add text to an image. For my status_bar_close_off.9 I've filled all four sides of the image (except for an empty pixel in all four corners as that is the max amount of border you can use) as I need it to stretch the image just how I've edited it...
...but if I used the same sized left side border as the btn_default_pressed_holo.9 then this is how it would look on the Phone...
...which is obviously not the look I'm trying to achieve, as the left side border is causing the image to stretch incorrectly.
So that's basically it, depending on the image you're editing you can usually leave the borders alone but if you create one from scratch then you might need to play about with them if your images doesn't look quite right when used on the Phone. Here's a few links that will assist you further, especially the batch editing...
How to edit .9.pngs
[TUTO] Create your 9.png !
[UTILITY][TOOL] 9patchPngSuite [Windows&Linux]
How to draw NinePatch images with Photoshop - .9.PNG
[TOOL][Multi-Platform][.9.png][ALL DPIs] Android Resizer Tool
[Tutorial][Commentary] How To Batch Edit .9PNG/PNG Images
Xposed Framework
rovo89 said:
In this thread, I'm presenting a framework which gives you the possibility to modify your ROM - without modifying any APK (developers) or flashing (users)!
...
Advantages:
No need to modify any APKs. This means:
No need to decompile, change things in smali, compile, sign, ...
It will work for odexed and deodexed ROMs.
Your mod is not bound to a specific version of the ROM. Unless there is a major change in the methods called for a certain functionality, your mod will continue to work even when you upgrade your ROM. Hell, it will probably even work with different ROMs.
Multiple mods can be installed at the same time, even if they change the same package. So you can use these battery icons and those quick toggles. Even hooking the same method twice is possible. Of course, this only works properly if the mods are not trying to do incompatible things.
It does its magic at runtime. That means you can implement options to let the user decide if they prefer the bikeshed to be painted in red or blue. Or you can have some extra logic for certain ROMs without building different mod versions.
It can be disabled easily without having to reflash.
It's open source.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- [FRAMEWORK ONLY!] Xposed - ROM modding without modifying APKs
[Guide] Porting XTheme themes
[Guide] Xposed Framework/TabletUI (Noob-Friendly)
[INDEX][WiP] List of APPs & MODs that use XPOSED Module
[MOD][XPOSED][4.0+] XThemeEngine beta5 - Theme engine for any rooted phone
CyanogenMod Theme Chooser
Annex1 said:
CM10.1-THEME_BOOK
Theme book was created by Annex and Ebs512. I've been asked alot of questions from how to get started? what do I need to get started? to What Graphics program do I use? etc. We made a real simple theme guide to help get you started. This is in Layman Terms.. Nothing fancy.
ONLY THING FANCY IS MY FLASH BOOK
YOU MUST HAVE A FLASH PLAYER INSTALLED TO VIEW THIS!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- [GUIDE] HOW TO THEME CM10.1 - Animated Book
[Tool] [Theme Creator] [CM/Avatar] Theme creator tool
[Tool] nhnt11's XML Generator Revived V2+Extended UPDATED!
[DEV/GUIDE]Creating APKs for use with TMobile Theme engine
[GUIDE] T-mobile theme engine for the faint at heart (non-linux users)
[1/30/2013] Mega 4.2.1 BlackBean Theme Template [XXHDPI/XHDPI/HDPI/TVDPI]
-·=»‡«=·-[JB][CM10] Theme Engine Template Updated To V4 [8-7-12][XHDPI/HDPI]-·=»‡«=·-
See a few post below for more...
thnaks
thank you so much
very hepful guide
looking for dis
Thank you so much,
This should be sticky!
Make a noob, into a senior user.
Sent from my Anzu using xda premium
Flashable Clockwork Mod (CWM) zip
ClockworkMod Recovery zips are used for flashing individual files to whole ROMS and can be a life saver if you push a badly edited apk to your Phone that results in a bootloop. There's also a few programs that can assist you with that too, but if all you're doing is replacing a few files all you really need is a template, then it's just a matter of creating the Phones folder setup in the zip which is simply creating folders: system\app - system\media\audio etc then dragging and dropping your files into it. A basic understanding of the updater script is essential, a ROM.zip will more than likely wipe your Phone whereas a Theme.zip may just replace files but it might delete some also.
See below for a CWM.zip Template but first some helpful links...
ERRORS encountered in CWM Recovery
[Tool]easy flasher v4 (ur own update.zip)
[TUT] [for NOOB] editing updater-script for noobs!
[TUTORIAL] Making Flashable ZIPs, EDIFY Script, ZIP Signing & Key Creation
[Utility-Tool][DEVandThemers]CWMflashpack.zipCreatorV1{TheCollective}w/EdifyScripting
This is my Theme_CMW_Template.zip which is set up so you can add your own files to the framework and apps folders in the main system location, but you can easily add other folders to it if you want to add things like fonts, tones or anything else, just remember to add folders within folders if that's where the files you want to include are such as tones, media\audio\alarms for example.
If you navigate to META-INF\com\google\android you will find the updater-script which controls how the zip works and the text you see when you run it in CWM. As this zip is just for basically over writing files you don't need to edit anything except for a few lines...
...this is how I've edited it for my Ice Green ResMods theme...
...so just edit it using Notepad++ to your liking.
When adding files to your zip add them using Normal as the Compression Method...
...and that's pretty much it. Remember to remove the text files I've added otherwise they will be flashed to your folders too.
Deodexing
The first thing I do when installing the latest firmware is Deodex it, mainly because having a deodexed ROM is easier to modify and you'll find a lot of the modifications that are are in the Themes And Apps sections require you to have a deodexed ROM. I use the dsixda's Android Kitchen to deodex and @pankaj88 has written a great guide here - [GUIDE] How to DEODEX stock ODEXED ROM using dsixda's kitchen - so you can do it yourself, or you can give the following tools a try.
philos64 said:
The differences between Odex and Deodex Files...
In Android file system, applications come in packages with the extension .apk. These application packages, or APKs contain certain .odex files whose supposed function is to save space The odexed file structure works well as an optimization tool. Since these .odex files contain preliminary load information about each system app, the OS knows what to expect when it’s booting up, and consequently, loads all these apps faster.
On the other hand, it also makes hacking those applications difficult because a part of the coding has already been extracted to another location before execution.
For instance, on a non-rooted device you’ll find
system/app/Phone.apk ===> as well as ===> system/app/Phone.odex
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- [GUIDE] - The differences between Odex and Deodex Files
[TOOL][WINDOWS]Universal Deodexer[ALL DEVICES!!]
abcdjdj said:
Hi everyone,
Alokbina and I have created a tool which allows users to very easily deodex apks from a rom. This tool is very useful for Rom developers too. For now only windows is supported but we will try our best to make the same tool for linux too and make the tool as user friendly as possible. And, please don't forget to thank alokbina too.
NOW EVEN ON XDA PORTAL - http://www.xda-developers.com/android/deodex-all-the-things-with-universal-deodexer/
Requirements:-
--->Java installed on your PC
--->system/framework folder from your rom
--->apks from that SAME ROM with the respective .odex file
--->Patience and a calm head (common sense included)
You can watch this video for setting up and using the tool -
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
[FIXED][UPDATE - V3][TOOL][WINDOWS]Universal Deodexer[ALL DEVICES!!]
adityaf said:
CARBONITE TOOL
Features
1)Deodex your stock ROM (android 2.x 3.x 4.x)
2)This tool automatically pull your apps from phone to PC
3)One click deodexer,
4)Just click Deodexer_from_phone
5)All apps and framework will be deodexed.
6)Automatically makes .zip file flash from CWM.
BUGS
Sometimes it does not deodex androidpolicy.jar just run script once again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
- [TOOL]CARBONITE TOOL [Dedeoxder tool][All devices]
And that's pretty much it, the only way you're really going to learn is by reading then putting into practice what you've read and picking stuff up along the way, fortunately this far into the history of Android there are numerous guides for numerous mods and tools to help with a variety of tasks and the following links are going to be a big help...
U.I Modding
Tutorial :- Changing App Icons
[TUTORIAL]How to Theme Your MMS
[How-to] Edit the "About Phone" display
How To Colorize Lock Screen Clock in Jellybean
[TUTORIAL] How to add various framework/Settings mods
[TUTORIAL] Where to find the colors for making a theme
[TUT][JB] HOW TO THEME SystemUI.apk for TOTALLY newbie!
[TUTORIAL][ICS][GB][JB]How to change Android's black background
Text...
Text Color Guide
[GUIDE][REF]Changing System Text Settings
Statusbar...
[MOD][TUT] Merge The WiFi And Signal Icons
[GUIDE][MOD][SYSTEMUI] How to add 0.0K/s meter on statusbar ICS/JB
[TUT] How To Center The Clock On The Statusbar..And Move Other Icons As Well!
[How-To]Removing Battery Percentage, Adding Toggles,Battery Circles to Statusbar
Misc...
Some Extra Theming and Moving the Power Widget Down
[HOWTO] Integrating/Adding applications to the settings menu
[GUIDE] How to get Transparent App Drawer [Launcher2.apk or Trebuchet.apk]
[GUIDE][Mods][All Devices]How to add/ Change Clocks to Analog/ Digital with Seconds
Various Tools...
[TOOL][BETA]Miui Theme Converter/Convert apk Themes!!!
[TOOL][JAVA]"The Rom Fumbler" aka "The Battery Icon Creator"[V29.0]
[TOOL]Boot Animation Factory-Create,Preview and Manage Boot Animations
Useful Links
findicons.com
colorschemer.com
[GUIDE] Tips for themers
Ultimate Online Theme Kitchen
[GUIDE] Want to learn how to theme?
[GUIDE] Smali coding guide for beginners
General Questions about Themes GO HERE!!!!!
[Guide] How to port themes to T-Mobile Theme Chooser
[Collection] ICON SETS | Over *750* different Icon Packs
[TOOL] Remote Theme Injector - theme your favorite paid apk
[TEMPLATE] Icon Packs/Themes for Apex, Nova, Holo, ADW, and more!!
[INFO] Custom framework-res.apk resources.arsc using vendor overlays
If you feel something more should be added to this thread please feel free to suggest it.
Credits & Thanks:
@_calum_
@Diamondback
@ebs512
@Rizal Lovins
@Ticklefish
@wanam
@rovo89
@Annex1
@ebs12
And not forgetting @iBotPeaches and @Brut.all for making it possible with - [UTIL][Feb 02 2013] Apktool v1.5.2 - a tool for reverse engineering apk files
one query
after i decompile the apk,i edit the my xmls in project folder....then what to do next?
EDIT:- I figured it out
abhisheak.bansal said:
one query
after i decompile the apk,i edit the my xmls in project folder....then what to do next?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Continue editing or recompile and test your changes.
Wow!! It should be sticky. Really usefull guide, it explain so much things... thanks again
Useful Guide, Thanks
soooo happy u came out with this
will u add how to make it a theme that someone else can flash?
keep up the good work
zainthesnipe said:
soooo happy u came out with this
will u add how to make it a theme that someone else can flash?
keep up the good work
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, glad to see it's helping some People, and I will add that yes.
zainthesnipe said:
will u add how to make it a theme that someone else can flash?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Done.
Could you make a short guide to show
how to zipalign using dsixda's Android Kitchen
When I select zipalign all...
It says no working folder found...
what does it mean...?
Kajendran said:
When I select zipalign all...
It says no working folder found...
what does it mean...?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You haven't set up the folder. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=5626300&postcount=3
Updated.
Thx For Guide:laugh:
when i try to install the resources i get this error:
Code:
'java' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.
i have java installed, what am i doing wrong?
Setup the path for it. See an "adb for noobs" guide for setting the path up.
Sent from my CM9'd Arc
XperienceD said:
Setup the path for it. See an "adb for noobs" guide for setting the path up.
Sent from my CM9'd Arc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i already did that, maybe i did it wrong, ill check again.
---------- Post added at 09:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:51 AM ----------
ok i did it wrong, now i fixed it and it still doesn't work
any ideas?
i just need to sign a zip
OverLo4d said:
any ideas?
i just need to sign a zip
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd remove Java then reinstall it, add your path then try again.
Related
Noobs guide to theming
Credit:
tommytomatoe For patiently walking me through the install/setup/how to process.
Glossary
How to PORT a theme to your ROM
Compiling APK's
How to make your compiled APK ready for a ZIP
How to install zipalign-Step by Step!
Running Zip Align in command prompt
If you've ever wanted to port a theme to your ROM or wanted to extract a clock or a MOD from one theme and move it over to your rom, then THIS THREAD IS FOR YOU!
What you'll need to download
1)7-ZIP http://www.7-zip.org/download.html
What this thread will not show you.
How to modify .9.png's. I have already made a thread just for .9.pngs located here:http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1140034
How to extract APK's from a theme based on your same ROM.
Once you've downloaded seven ZIP, download a theme that you would like to extract from and port it over to your rom. What I like to do is make three folders. Label them: Original, Modified and Stripped.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Original Folder-Put the downloaded ZIP in this folder along with any APK's you extract from the "Stripped Folder."
Modified Folder-Also put a copy of the APK's you extract from the Stripped folder here. You'll be placing all png's in this folder, so DO NOT EVER extract these apk's.
Stripped Folder-This is the folder you'll extract apk's in their full form. You do this by right clicking on the mouse, then select "extract."
After you've placed the ZIP into the "stripped folder", you'll want to right click on the zip>7-ZIP> and select "extract to folder /*.*/"
Click through in the folder until you find all the apk's. Usually this path works: /system/app/
You've found the APK's...now what?
Now that you've found the apk's you should the most common apk's themed are:
HtcDialer.apk-htc_pin_asset_pressed.png,htc_pin_asset_rest.png are the phone buttons
Phone.apk-phone_default_incall_300.pngx4 are the android guy you see when calling, phone_end_pressed.9.png,phone_end_rest.9.png are the end call buttons
SystemUI.apk-status_bar_close_on.9.png-Status bar close, statusbar_background.png- the top notification bar that holds the clock and battery, status_bar_item_background_normal.9.png-is the background for the status bar notifications,
Fusion.apk-Need m10editor to mod but holds the 3d clock, home screen and lockscreen rosie
Idlescreen_base.apk-Need m10editor to mod but holds the icons you see on the lockscreen along with their background
Mms.apk-message_conversation_others.9.png,message_conversation_me.9.png the text message graphics that holds the text. "Conversation bubbles"
Rosie.apk-Holds the menu icons you see when you press, "Menu"
The two other main APk's are:
com.htc.resources.apk
framework-res.apk
Both are located in system/framework folder
FIND your graphics and PORT
It's fairly simple to open up an APK. Just right click on the APK>Select Extract File to:>
Then you'll be able to view all the png's in that APK. Click and drag them to another folder so you don't get them confused with other png's in that folder you won't be using.
Copy all the png's you would like to port in their own folder. Here's an example of my personal setup for keeping track of PNG's and what folder they go into. Pretty simple.
Transferring the PNG's back into the APK that corresponds to your ROM.
You should now have organized all the PNG's you want in their folders and are ready to transfer these png's into an APK.
You should now download the EXACT ROM or THEME that you are on and extract the APK's for that theme. You do NOT need all of theme. You only need the ones you've modified. I put these APK's in the MODAPK folder.
Then right click on the APK you would like to transfer the png's to. Right click>7-Zip>Open Archive. Then click through until you get to the drawable-hdpi folder. Or the same folder you acquired the png's from the other apk.
This is what your screen should look like once you've right clicked on an APK> Selected 7-ZIP>Open Archive, you should see the following:
DRAG your PNG's into drawable-hdpi
Now, you'll want to select all the images that need to be ported and drag them into the drawable-hdpi folder.
You're 90% done. Copy these APK's to a zip and flash! If you do not know how to create a zip, find a theme that is based on your ROM. Do the same steps to open archive via 7-ZIP. Then delete whatever Apk's are in that ZIP that you're not going to use. (NOTE: You should leave at least one apk in the folder otherwise the folder will collapse.) Then just transfer your APK's into the zip. Make sure you transfer ONLY APK's that haven't been extracted!
Setting up APKTools & Decompiling APK's
This could have been started in another thread, but it goes hand in hand with theming. When you know how to decompile an APK you can edit the XML.
There are many reason why someone would want to edit XML. One example is to INVERT MMS. This is done by editing the XML within the Mms.apk.
I had a very difficult time setting this up but thanks to tommytomatoe he gave me a no brainer step by step guide to setting up apktools.
Requirements:
Download ApkTools here>>APKTOOLS
Okay. Here is what I recommend you do.
First, framework res apk is actually 1.apk not 2.apk...but my method will take care of that.
Place apktool.jar, apktool.bat, and aapt.exe in "C:\Windows". That is the correct folder. Find it by clicking on your my computer, then your harddrive "C" be default. A folder called Windows will be there.
Next test to see if it worked. Open cmd prompt and type "apktool". You should get a bunch of stuff.
Now. Make a folder on your desktop. Call it whatever you you like.
"cd" to it. I use Unix so I don't know windows paths...but here is how I do it. Type "cd", then space, and drag the folder into the prompt. You'll see it when you get there.
Inside your folder place the framework-res.apk and any apk you want to mod. If it is a sense rom also get com.htc.resources.apk.
Now. I assume you've successfully "cd" into the folder via cmd prompt. Now run "apktool if framework-res.apk" and "apktool if com.htc.resources.apk" pressing enter after each command.
What you just did was install 1.apk and 2.apk the correct way.
Now type the magic line: apktool d NAMEOFAPK.apk
For example..
apktool d framework-res.apk
That will decode framework res.
Let me know how it goes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
-tommytomatoe
Items to note about the above process:
1)You must use the framework-res.apk and com.htc.resources.apk from YOUR ROM. It contains "coding" for lack of a better word that apktools uses to encrypt..I guess, the apk's.
Other greats links that will help you Decompile apk's
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1133485
How to install APK Manager
I've started to use APKManager for Compiling APK's and also had trouble installing/setting up. Here's my how to guide to getting it done.
Download APK Manager here>>APKMANAGER
1)Once downloaded, unpack/unzip and place the apk_manager_4.9 in the same directory your ADB is located. Specifically, adb.exe. My directory is as follows:
C:\android-sdk-windows\platform-tools\apk_manager_4.9
If you don't have it installed in this directory, you will won't be able to compile Apk's.
Compiling APK's
After you decompile an APK for whatever reason such as editing an XML, you'll eventually need to compile it.
Open RUN by holding down the windows button and "R" then enter in cmd
The fastest way to get to your *.*.apk is to highlight and copy the explorer bar address,
then go into command prompt type:
cd
After cd, hit space, then right click on your mouse and paste.
You should now be in the directory of your APK.
Just to recap, to Decompile an apk, type apktool d *.*.apk in the command prompt. (Pictured Below)
You'll then see your decompiled apk folder. In this example, it's SystemUI
Compiling Command-Apktool
To compile the apk, go into command and type:
apktool b *.*.apk In this example, I'm using SystemUI.apk so...
apktool b SystemUI
Inside the decompiled SystemUI.apk folder you'll see a newly created folder called, "build" and "dist" (Pictured Below)
The dist folder contains your compiled apk that just needs signatures(META-INF) and zipalign to be ready. The build folder contains the compiled apk in a folder format. If you're just modifying a couple xml's then you can copy them from the build/apk/res/*.* and paste them into your apk using 7-zip. Just know, the values folder you see when the apk is decompiled will not be shown and many other folders may not be available as well. This is when you're going to have to use the apk from dist folder.
How to make your compiled APK ready
The compiled apk is found in the dist folder. You can't use it yet, because it needs the original META-INF folder(signatures) and AndroidManifest.xml.
The fastest way to get these is to go back to your apk. In this example, we'll use SystemUI.apk. More than likely the apk you're using has already been decompiled in the same directory. To prevent and over-write, put the apk in it's own directory and extract it. (Pictured below)
You should see the META-INF folder and AndroidManifest.xml in the apk you just extracted. (Pictured below)
I recommend you copy these to the dist folder containing your apk. You'll be dragging these into that apk using 7-zip. To do this, right click on the apk and select, "Open Archive", then drag your META-INF folder and AndroidManifest.xml into the open dialogue box. (Pictured Below)
Congrats! Your apk is now signed BUT IS NOT READY until zipaligned.
How to install zipalign
What you'll need first
Android-sdk located here>> http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html
ZIPalign reference Article tutorial information.
Once you've installed Android-SDK, go into the tools folder. My directory path is: C:\Program Files\Android\android-sdk\tools You're could be different.
What we're going to do is make it where you can use zipalign in any directory along with draw9patch while where there.
In the tools folder, copy zipalign.exe and draw9patch.bat. Place it in the c:\windows directory. NOTE: Any executable files you place in this folder you'll be able to access anywhere while running cmd prompt.
Running zipalign in command prompt
Now that you've installed zipalign in c:\windows we can access it from anywhere. Let's give it a test.
Go to your res folder which contains the newly signed apk in command prompt.Then type:
zipalign -fv 4 SystemUI.apk SystemUI-new.apk
After running you should have a new apk named: SystemUI-new.apk seen in my example below.
Congrats again. You now have a signed apk and have run it through zipalign. It's now ....finally ready to be put back into a zip file for flash or pushed via adb.
Verizon Banner
Great Work!
How would I change the verizon banner from the slide lockscreen?
Moyeto said:
Great Work!
How would I change the verizon banner from the slide lockscreen?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! You mean where it says Gingeritis 3D? I haven't a clue. That's a chingy question.
EDIT:
Your thumbnail is too small to read. Sorry.
Awesome work raider working on one now Ill update the progress
Hey man great guide. Works perfect. I am trying this on the Evo 3d.
Pretty impressed, good S***
Thanks for this awesome guide. This **** just works! =D
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
mayfield103 said:
Thanks for this awesome guide. This S$*$ just works! =D
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem. I'll try to continue adding to it so other soon to be Dev's are stumped on simple stuff. Most of this stuff only takes minutes to setup but hours to find out how and most threads only cover bits and pieces which can consume you for hours.
Yo raider, how would you go about removing the clock, battery and alarm clock from the status bar? I'm currently running gingervitis 3d, but I like to have this option or the know how too when changing to another ROM in the future.
sent from my Gingeritis 3D mecha using XDA Premium App
Hey raider my port is coming along nicely just a couple questions: when replacing some of the pngs in the phone apk it replaces them but puts them at the bottom of the list instead of the same place is that OK? And two when I replaced the bar in the drop down that has the clear notifications button on it nothing changed its still the stock bar is it in a different place.
I have no idea what's goin on? =D
great tutorial.
nice job raider! Keep it up We need more tutorials like this.
Just wanted to say thanks again for this
Go check out my port!!!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=16760544#post16760544
absolutzero1906 said:
Just wanted to say thanks again for this
Go check out my port!!!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=16760544#post16760544
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great job man. Understanding the porting process is the first thing anyone should learn if they want to start theming.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA Premium App
Nice additions rader. I'm glad to see you still adding to this(i need it... Lol) , maybe some more studying and I'll get the gingeitis port working right.
Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk
A brother wanted to say thanks for the help and for sharing the coldest theme for
Android. I hit your donation, and wanted to say thanks. I could only imagine all the hard work it takes. Good looking. I still have a lot of ?'s,lol....
tdk55 said:
A brother wanted to say thanks for the help and for sharing the coldest theme for
Android. I hit your donation, and wanted to say thanks. I could only imagine all the hard work it takes. Good looking. I still have a lot of ?'s,lol....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No Problem, and thanks for the donation!
hi guys...please help me to solve my problem HERE,my thumb just for u who can solving my problem
Wooow! Thanks bro... I'll try it
how to change background of settings menu?
some one please help me.
how to change the background of settings menu?it is black in color.i want to replace a image instead of black color. I am using the stock rom sense 3.5 in htc explorer.which apk should I edit? framework-res.apk or com.htc.resources.apk?
Hi guys, I'm back again with somewhat of a guide.
How to dissect, repackage, and flash a ROM to your satisfaction without a kitchen!
Don't let anyone else fool you. The awesome devs at XDA, one in particular dsixda have made making ROMs very easy with kitchens. But you don't need to go through the process of installing and using one to get a ROM the way you want it. If installing and working with a kitchen seems too cumbersome and/or hard, or you're tired of waiting for or asking your ROM chef to include/exclude/change a feature, then this guide is for you.
ROMs aren't scary things, they're actually quite simple in terms of structure. As long as they're built correctly from the get go, you will learn how to mod it to suit your needs.
Tools needed: (most of which will be included in this guide)
A base ROM (start with your favorite)
WinRAR (or any good archiver)
Notepad++ (Recommended or something that can handle files encoded in UNIX)
SignAPK/APK Manager/APKTOOL/smali/baksmali (optional/advanced)
Time
Patience
Common sense (can't stress this enough)
Step 0:
-Start with a clean working environment, such as a folder or partition dedicated to this task. Your desktop probably won't be very good if you have a lot of stuff on it already.
Step 1:
-Using the archiver of your choice, you will need to extract the ROM to the work environment you've set up in Step 0.
--Your final result will look something similar to this:
NOTE: I am using my ROM as a reference.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Most ROMs will follow this structure, with some utilizing the folders "sdcard" and possibly others, depending on how customized they are. But as long as you have the /system folder, you will be fine. It is where you will probably spend the majority of your modding time. Get a feel for how the folder structure is. Navigate through them (don't make any changes). This guide will focus mainly on removing and adding apps, the more advanced stuff such as editing text files (with the exception of build.prop) and apks may come later.
NOTE: Please keep the original archive, do not delete it after extracting.
Step 2:
Navigate to the /system folder, which again should look similar to this:
Step 3:
The first folder we'll focus on is app. This is one of the most important folders when customizing your ROM. It will look something like this:
This folder is important because it houses your 'system apps', which are included in your ROM and cannot be uninstalled by traditional means. Here you can remove or add your own apps you want to include as system apps. Remember that not all apps are capable of running as system apps--actually, apps that are placed in this folder receive a higher permission level than apps that are placed in /data/app, so use caution when adding your own here. I would also suggest creating a "removed" folder [in a different location] and move any apps you decide to take away to here so you'll have them in case you remove something that causes a side effect you weren't intending to cause. If you feel comfortable with your WinRAR or 7zip skills, most of the images in these apks can be simply overwritten (this is initially how themes are created, among other ways). Be careful not to overwrite any 9.pngs because they are a special format. You can simply explore (not extract) them with your favorite archive program and replace images as you find them, which will typically reside in the res/drawable and res/drawable-hdpi folders.
Step 4:
Next up is the bin folder. This folder is very tricky and I would advise caution against removing anything that's currently in here unless you get real familiar with the contents of this folder. It will look something like this:
Most ROMs will include all the necessary scripts you will need in this folder. However, it doesn't hurt to familiarize yourself with it. Scripts such as bash and even sometimes busybox, can be installed here. If you're working with a very stock ROM, and I mean stock as in the only thing that was changed is adding root, then it wouldn't hurt to add bash here, other than that, let's move on.
Step 5:
Here we have the customize folder. This folder is pretty important as well. It holds all of your first boot activities and pretty much sets your phone up after you've flashed and/or updated ROMs. It looks like this:
Things start to get more involved and interesting around here. You'll notice three sub-folders inside of here, which house various customization scripts. To be honest, I'm not even sure how many of these get ran, but I'm almost positive the ones labeled "default" do get ran. Here's where Notepad++ will finally start to come in handy! If you're looking to do quick editing, then you can open any one of these xml files in Notepad++ and poke around. (For advanced script editing, I would suggest looking at the appropriate Android documentation. I'll see if I can get a link to that up.)
NOTE: Be VERY careful of what you remove from these xml files, the syntax has to be perfect, otherwise the script won't get initialized. I would suggest copying everything you intend on editing to another folder of the same name, in a different location of course, so that you can have copies. True beginners should not attempt editing any files in here until you familiarize yourself with their syntax.
Folder structure:
-CID
--cidProfile1.xml: I don't think this file gets parsed. However, I do take the time to remove language settings that I will never use, just for my own OCD reasons.
--cidProfile2.xml: I don't think this file gets parsed. However, I do take the time to remove language settings that I will never use, just for my own OCD reasons.
--default.xml: Settings such as screen timeouts, IME language settings, etc gets parsed here. Nothing of too much importance. However, I do take the time to remove language settings that I will never use, just for my own OCD reasons.
-MNS
--default.xml: This is probably the single most important file in the customize folder. Here houses most, if not all the first boot settings that get parsed, such as widget placement, bookmarks, and a whole plethora of other settings. This is a very fun and interesting file to edit, but again i heavily caution you to edit this file if you're a beginner. One simple mistake can lead to nothing getting parsed here--a mistake I've made a few times because of incorrect syntax.
-resource: This is probably the second most important folder in the customize section. Here lies all of the thumbnails and wallpapers for Sense. If you are planning on removing Sense, you can safely remove all the files here with the exception of CCInfo.txt. You can also replace the images as well as boot/power down animations here.
Step 6:
Ah, the etc folder--you'll spend probably no more than five minutes in this folder unless you're truly advanced, which means this guide is probably meaningless to you. It houses a lot of useless epub (ereader) books and looks like this:
If you have time, you can definitely do some exploring of files in here with your favorite text editor (Notepad++) and see if anything is of significance. If you find something, please report back! So far, I don't think very much, if anyone takes advantage of the actual files in this folder (the folders are a different story)
Folder structure:
-bluetooth: nothing to see here. bluetooth configuration files. could be useful down the line.
-dhcpcd: looks like configuration files for dhcp/dns/internet. could be useful down the line.
--dhcpcd-hooks: same as above
-fakeserverxml: This folder looks strange, even has a strange name. I assume if you're removing Sense, this won't be needed either. I'm not even sure it's needed WITH Sense. Poking around revealed some configuration files for what appears to be HTC Hub and scenes, widgets, skins, and other things.
-firmware: I wouldn't touch anything in here unless you know exactly what you're doing.
-init.d: Finally, something that matters! A lot of ROM chefs make use of this folder because it initializes scripts in here upon system boot. You'll see various things in here from various ROMs including: zipaligning, overclocking, kernel stuff, apps2sd, and more. If you know what you're doing, you could even drop your on initialization scrips into this folder and have them boot with the system. Be careful what you do in this folder though. You want to make sure you are following the correct set of steps to either add or remove things. I would poke around with a text editor at those files to see any dependencies, etc.
-iproute2: Nothing here for the average user.
-permissions: If you're removing Sense, without any intent on having it return, remove the relevant files from this folder as well. Other than that, let's move on.
-ppp: Nothing here for the average user.
-security: Nothing here for the average user.
-slideshow: Safe to get rid of. Inside are pictures that Sense uses as a slideshow.
-soundimage: Nothing here for the average user. However, things in here look promising for sound enhancement!
-terminfo: Nothing here for the average user.
--l: Same as above
--u Same as above
-updatecmds: Nothing here for the average user.
-wifi: Nothing here for the average user. However, you may be able to replace the wpa_supplicant file with a modified one for WiFi improvements.
-wimax: Nothing here for the average user. However, the files in the sub-folders here may be used in the future to enhance or modify WiMAX.
--dhcp: Same.
--sequansd: Same.
Before we move on, if you're going to use any sort of adblocking, your preconfigured hosts file should go here. Downloading ad-free from the market will overwrite this file when updating hosts, but if you want to supply your ROM users with a hosts file already somewhat updated, you can place that here. Looking at the various .sh/txt/csv/cfg/* files in Notepad++ will show you some defaults you can change, if you're comfortable in your editing skills, take a look at some of them and see what you can do. Not even I have bothered to look through most of these.
Step 7:
In and out like a robbery for this folder, "fonts", which houses the default fonts that Android uses for various things. I like to replace the clocktopia (which is used on the aosp lockscreen as the clock font) with the honeycomb clock font. Other than that, fonts replaced in here must retain the Android naming structure:
Step 8:
The framework folder is very...sensitive aka dangerous. Deleting or modifying the wrong thing in here can render your system unbootable. Until you're more seasoned in modifying ROMs, I would steer clear of this folder. However, the framework-res.apk file can be used to modify a lot of images to change the look, or "theme" of your ROM. So again, if you feel comfortable, fire up that archive program and get to replacin', otherwise let's move on:
If you're anything like me (anal) then you will wanna remove anything from the framework folder that has anything to do with apps you've removed. For instance, there is a blockbuster file in here that you can safely remove if you've removed the blockbuster app. Again, be careful with what you modify or remove from here, because your system can quickly become unbootable which will leave you wondering what happened.
Step 9:
The lib folder, like the framework folder, is very sensitive aka dangerous. Deleting or modifying the wrong thing in here can render your system unbootable. Until you're seasoned in modifying ROMs, I would steer clear of this folder. However, there are a few things that can be done in here if you've deleted other apps:
Folder structure:
-bluez-plugin: nothing here for the average user.
-egl: nothing here for the average user.
-hw: nothing here for the average user.
-modules: This is where kernel modules for things like WiFi/WiMAX/TUN/CIFS/ETC go. If you are modifying a ROM, and are including a kernel, be sure to delete what's here, and add the modules that came with the kernel. Not doing so will more than likely make its associated parts not function. Example: Error starting WiFi can usually be traced to wrong modules in this folder after updating a kernel.
-plugins: This folder houses plugins for different preinstalled apps. For instance, the Adobe Flash plugin would be here, but if you remove Flash from your ROM (since you can get it from the market and may be more updated than what was included) you should remove its associated files. I wouldn't remove the flashlite plugin though.
-soundfx: nothing here for the average user.
The lib folder can be very overwhelming from the sheer number of files in here but the majority of them will have little of no value to the average user. BUT, you should definitely check here if you are removing any system apps for associated lib files. For instance, Swype is included on HTC's stock software, and if you remove it from the /system/app folder, you want to come here and remove its associated lib file. There won't be a lib file for every program you remove, but it's good to double check here afterward to make sure you get all traces of it gone.
Step 10:
The media folder, probably the easiest folder ever, and least time spent in here. This folder controls all the built in audio sounds such as notifications/ringtones/etc as well as any other media related files, like video clips, images that would indicate an animation, etc:
Folder structure:
-audio: parent folder for system sounds.
--alarms: self explanatory.
--notifications: self explanatory.
--ringtones: self explanatory
--ui: self explanatory
-GPU: nothing here for the average user. Not sure what it even is for.
-mms: nothing here for the average user. Not sure what it even is for.
-weather: This folder isn't really of any use, but it does contain weather animations that the HTC weather app uses. If by some reason you want to edit, replace, or modify those animations, here they are. I would suggest placing files of the same resolution in here.
Be sure to place the files you want in their respective folders, because they won't show up when you try and select them for things they aren't intended for. For instance, placing notification sounds in the ringtones folder will make them not show up when you go to choose a notification sound from within Android.
To be continued...
Now that this guide is progressing nicely, below you will find a list of items that I have removed or replaced. This list will be edited as I make further adjustments. For the sake of consistancy, I too am working with Freeza's rom FreEVO 3D 1.1, which can be downloaded from this same subforum. Please keep in mind that this list is based on my particular needs and is heavily dependent upon which custom rom you choose to modify.
-Here's what I've removed from /system/app
browser.apk
DCSStock.apk
DebugTool.apk
dms.apk
DockMode.apk
DSPManager.apk
EReader.apk
Flickr.apk
FriendStream.apk
GoogleQuickSearchBox.apk
HtcCarPanel.apk
HtcConnectedMedia.apk
HtcDirect.apk
HtcFacebook.apk
HtcFMRadio.apk
HtcGreader.apk
HtcHubSyncProvider.apk
HTCLivewallpaperStreak.apk
HtcMusic.apk
HtcMusicEnhancer.apk
HtcMusicMarkedItems.apk
HtcRecommends.apk
HtcRingtoneTrimmer.apk
HtcSoundRecorder.apk
HtcStreamPlayer.apk
HtcTwitter.apk
HTMLViewer.apk
JETCET_PRINT.apk
JETCET_PRINT_Resources.apk
LiveWallpapers.apk
LiveWallpapersPicker.apk
LMW.apk
MagicSmokeWallpapers.apk
Mail.apk
Mode10Wallpapers.apk
MyHTC.apk
picasapryramid.apk
PolarisOffice.apk
QuickLookup.apk
SetupWizrd.apk
SoundRecorder.apk
SprintZoneNC.apk
TrimIt.apk
VisualizationWallpapers.apk
VoiceDialer.apk
VpnServices.apk
Weather.apk
WeatherAgentService.apk
WeatherProvider.apk
WeatherSyncProvider.apk
WorldClock.apk
-Here's what I've removed from /system/customize/resource
hTC_bootanimation
hTC_downanimation
Sprint_bootanimation
Sprint_downanimation
-Here's what I've removed from /system/media:
-The entire /weather folder from /system/media .
-All unused ringtones (all but 2) from /system/media/audio/ringtones
-All unused notifications (all but 3) from /system/media/audio/notifications
-All unused alarms (all but 3) from /system/media/audio/alarms
I should also mention, not only can you remove these, you can also replace them with any .mp3 file you like. So in theory, you could remove every .mp3 from these folders and put your own .mp3 files in.
After removing all of the above contents from Freeza's rom, the flashable zip size has gone from 307MB to 168MB. This should just about conclude my list of removed .apk's and files from Freeza's rom. After a little more testing, I'll move the "to be tested" .apks into the list of safe to remove .apk's, and finally begin theming this thing
Congratulations on taking the first step towards customizing your rom. More information to follow as I further refine this rom. Happy flashing!
hockeyfamily737 said:
Nice tutorial. I'm sure lots of people will find it helpfull when it's finished.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You keep giving me good ideas lol
excellent! going to utilize this
Can't wait for this to evolve. I have been looking for a good place to start.
very cool, looking forward to this!
Thanks. About time for me to get into this)
Sent from my PG86100 using XDA Premium App
Thank you very much for this noobs like me will learn a lot
I'm gonna reserve my weekend to go through this once complete.
Thanks for your time and effort for the tutorial in advance.
Been waiting for a "how to" tutorial on this specifically.
looking forward to it..
Thanks...
Thank You! This will be awesome! Can't wait till its finished!
Post #2 has been updated with a quick little starting off point for those of you who are anxious to begin while Freeza's tutorial is still under construction. I will attempt to help Freeza with his guide and help to answer questions within the thread. However, this guide is completely Freeza's. Any information that I provide that might conflict with or contradict anything in the guide should be disregarded until such time as I can edit my posts.
I see that this is under the "EVO 3D" Section, But this seems like a general rom guide. Will it extend later into how to put only onto a EVO 3D? Curiosity is all.
edit;
As previously stated, this guide is a work in progress and it is aimed at the EVO 3D, but the general concept is the same across all Android devices. Please leave your feedback and thoughts for the dev.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ooops :|
Page Bookmarked ..
I am a Desire user and have been playing with ROMS for months adding stuff and changing stuff and i look forward to checking this out once its complete.
Very hectic day. HAven't forgotten about it. I'm working on the guide.
freeza said:
Very hectic day. HAven't forgotten about it. I'm working on the guide.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank You! looking forward to this!!!
Lol this is exactly how I learned... I've never used dsixda's kitchen, or any kitchen, in my life. Good guide man, I'm sure many will find this useful.
Hey it got featured!
lets dive into playing around with the framework-res.apk next!!!
gREAT JOB iM USING AUTOSIGN RIGHT NOW BUT WILL LOVE TO BE ABLE TO EXTRACT THE ROM AND REMOVE THE FILES THAT WILL BE JUST GREAT i HAVE TRIED TO EXTRACT ROM BUT COULDNT ZIP THE FILE BACK SO THAT IT COULD BE FLASHED
This is a guide on how to theme your galaxy ace.
If you do not have the basic knowledge of cmd and folders handling, don't try.
*Not for the faint-hearted*
1. Root is prerequisite. If you're using stock rom, you can obtain cf-root from here.
2. Install android sdk from here. Eclipse is optional. The essential stuff we need is the adb from the sdk.
3. Please make a backup using cwm in case you end up deleting or corrupting your phone.
4. Connect your phone to the pc.
5. Open cmd and type cd C:\android\tools . (Depends on where is your sdk tools folder)
6. type adb pull /system/app/SystemUI.apk (Status Bar Modding)
7. type adb pull /system/framework/framework-res.apk (Framework Modding)
8. type adb pull /system/framework/twframework-res.apk (Twframework)
9. Alright, now edit the .apk to .zip in your tools folder.
10. Open up the zip and replace the mdpi files inside with the one you prepared.
11. After all the changes, change the .zip back to .apk
12. Open cmd and type cd C:\android\tools . (Depends on where is your sdk tools folder)
13. type adb push SystemUI.apk /system/app/SystemUI.apk
14. type adb push framework-res.apk /system/framework/
15. type adb push twframework-res.apk /system/framework/
16. Reboot your phone.
17. Voilà! See the changes
Editing the images:
What are .9.png files?
I won't be using this type of image in this tutorial but I wanted to touch on it for users who want to edit these images.
A NinePatchDrawable graphic is a stretchable bitmap image, which Android will automatically resize to accommodate the contents of the View in which you have placed it as the background. An example use of a NinePatch is the backgrounds used by standard Android buttons — buttons must stretch to accommodate strings of various lengths. A NinePatch drawable is a standard PNG image that includes an extra 1-pixel-wide border. It must be saved with the extension .9.png in your project so it can be compiled when you build your project. This page has a nice explanation of what is required.
If you have decompiled the package (you should have if you followed the tutorial), you will see that the .9.png files have a 1 pixel transparent border with a few 100% black pixels around. You can modify them directly and the border will disappear when you compile the package again. If you haven't decompiled the package, you will see regular images, but modifying them will cause different problems as they will not stretch correctly and might cause incompatibility issues. Credits: Androidforum.
This method is used as some of us do not have ubuntu or linux, saving the trouble installing them.
Lol what about .9.pngs
it should needed to know how to prepare it
You should write in detail if you want to give tutorial
lol they should have the images prepared alr since they want to theme aint it. xD
Thanks man
great wor
Hatem2020 said:
Thanks man
great wor
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why are you reviving such an old thread?
And for thanks, there is a thanks button!
Please stop spamming!
___________XDA Premium__________
Don't be a noob. Be a newbie..!!
Details here.
____________________________________
well im not using sdk adb and others but i making a themes without that
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1850271
DEVELOPMENT STOPPED[Kitchen][10th June] GanGs_KiD Kitchen, one "double click" v5.1 !
I'll stop development for android forever therefore this project will stop here
and I do not allow the development of my Kitchen.
-----------------------------
(This Kitchen is for Samsung Galaxy SII "I9100", only new ICS Samsung ROMs)
-----------------------------
My Vision:
Don't wait for them to "Cook" it for you.....You can do it yourself with only one "double click".
What do you need before start using the Kitchen:
1- You must install the JRE (Java Runtime Environment) or JDK (Java Development Kit), which includes the JRE.
2- Your phone needs to have root.
3- Enable "USB debugging" in Settings at Developer options.
4- Enable the "Flight mode" to ensure there will be no interruption.
5- Connect your phone to the PC, now you can start.
How to use the Kitchen:
1- Download the latest version at the attachment and unzip it.
2- One "double click" on GanGs_KiD_Kitchen.bat.
3- Choose what you want to be performed.
4- For cleaning the script use GanGs_KiD_Kitchen_Cleaner.bat.
Useful information:
- The phone will reboot several times, do not do anything, and wait until the Kitchen shows to you it finished other than that please don't do anything.
- The Kitchen will never exit itself without any action from you, if that happen this means there is an error.
- Try to ignore the phone while the Kitchen works to not cause any issue, better to leave the screen off.
- You can do only deodex in case you have the files on your PC (paste your files to app & framework folders inside GanGs_KiD_Kitchen folder.
- To flash the CWM zip file you need to install the Busybox.
- Mods and Hacks is only for deodexed files.
- In case you want to use Push option you need to disable the Usb Mass Storage if you enabled it.
What can the Kitchen do:
- It can pull the files from the phone.
- It can install Busybox to the phone.
- It can deodex apk & jar files.
- It can push the deodexed files into the phone.
- It can do Mods for you .
- It can do everything above automatically.
- It can create CWM flashable zip files for the original "odex" and the deodexed files.
- It will zip-aligned the APK for you automatically.
Known Issues:
----------------
Attention: Do you have WinXP !!...Click Here
Updates and fixes:
---------------------
10th June 2012
v5.1:
- Fixing landscape mode for "Sense Recent App"
- New Mod "Disable Full Battery Notification" added.
- New Mod "Disable Low Battery Notification and Dialog" added.
- New Mod "Sliding Window Effect" added.
- Enhancing of "Decompile Apk Files" and make it also for Odex apk
- Rearrange the Kitchen interface so it will be easy for me to add more Mods
3ed June 2012
v5:
New Mod "Transparent Contact"
New section "Decompile-Compile Tools" gives you the ability of de/compile apk and jar files with Zipalign apk
New design for the kitchen interface with easy access for all options.
Fix a compatibility issue with new "JP" ROMs.
Rewriting of app deodexing method to include all apk with the double deodexing method...Now kitchen is 100% error free deodexing yeah
Rewriting of "Mods and Hacks" code to optimizing the Mod and yeah Mods now is 100% error free.
Merging the Kitchen_Cleaner and include it inside the kitchen
New option "How To Use The Kitchen." did not finish yet
Attentions added to almost all of the options so that no "newbie" will lost now.
Lots of improvements to the core of how the kitchen work...that i did forget to mention here.
13th May 2012
v4.7:
- New option added [Enable/Disable] for En/Dis Mass storage.
- New Mod "Disable The Increasing Ring" added.
- New Mod "Sense Recent App" added.
- Deodex option divided into two options.
- Fix some old bugs.
- re-write the Deodexing method and make it better for ICS ROMs.
- re-write all Mods to be compatible with "almost" all Cooked ROMs.
- Making the kitchen re-deodexing the file again in case of error.
- Small enhancing at pushing method.
7th May 2012
v4.2: Fix of the path space error. Now you can use the kitchen from anywhere
Error detection Increased "almost 100%"
6th May 2012
v4.1: Fix compatibility with "I9100DXLP9"
Remove two PAUSEs at Mods zip-aligned
Fix the ICS lockscreen for "I9100DXLP9"
2nd May 2012
Upgraded
New transformation from a Script to a Kitchen
v4.0: Creating a kitchen .
-----Adding these modifications and Hacks:
-----Mms."unlimited contacts,No Mms convert"
-----Battery Percentage.
-----Clock ICS blue color.
-----CRT-Off Effect.
-----ICS LockScreen.
-----4 Way Rotation also lockscreen included.
-----Transparent Status Bar.
-----SIP/VOIP.
19th April 2012
v3.6: Error detection included the script is 98% error free
Fix "cp: write error: No space left on device" error
Now the script is easy to follow "screen output optimized"
Update "GanGs_KiD_Deodexer_Cleaner.bat" to clean with your choice.
16th April 2012
v3.0: all new features, Pulling files from the phone, installing busybox, pushing the files to the phone, CWM zip files for odex and deodexed, and finally the best feature which is “do it all for you”.
9th April 2012
v2.0: Rewriting of the script and optimize it (before =6.22 MB now =3.05 MB)
Now the script will not messing with your original "app & framework" folders....they are safe now .
5th April 2012
v1.01: Fixing error at FactoryTest.apk
Kitchen tested on "I9100XWLP4", "I9100DXLP7", "I9100ZSLPF", "I9100XWLP7", "I9100XWLP8", "I9100DXLP9", "I9100JPLPC", "I9100XXLPW", "I9100XWLPF" and it worked find.
If you liked my work encourage me by small donation HERE .... and if you will not...please click Thanks button.
Guide:
Using the Kitchen Automatically:
- Connect your phone to the PC.
- Just choose option (1) Let the kitchen do it all for you.
Which will do every thing for you "pull,deodex,hacks,busybox, and push"
Using the Kitchen manually:
Method One:
- Connect your phone to the PC.
- Use option (2) for pulling the files...then choose what you want to do.
Method Two:
- Put app folder from your phone or your ROM to \GanGs_KiD_Kitchen_v4.0\GanGs_KiD_Kitchen\app folder.
- Put framework folder from your phone or your ROM to \GanGs_KiD_Kitchen_v4.0\GanGs_KiD_Kitchen\framework folder.
- Now start using the kitchen.
Choosing Your own Battery Icons:
By default there are 204 battery icons which are ICS original Icons.
You can change these icons by replacing what you want in \GanGs_KiD_Kitchen_v4.0\GanGs_KiD_Kitchen\icons_204_battery folder
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Transparent Contacts "Phone"
Thanks to these guys for their threads:
el_liberator "Translucent status bar Mod".
shayne77 "Battery Mod".
Darkside Agent "4 way and SIP Mod".
_JKay_ "ICS LockScreen Mod".
BigShix "Sense Recent App".
VAXXi "enable USB mass storage".
nguyenxuanhoa "Transparent Dialer".
Jokesy "landscape for Recent App".
Sboulema "Disable Full Battery Notification"
-:Extra Useful Instruction & Information:-
General Using of Kitchen Categories :
(General Kitchen Tools)======> For Odex ROMs.
(Mods and Hacks Tools)======> For Deodexed Files.
(Decompile-Compile Tools)====> For Deodexed Files also for Odex apk files.
(Enable-Disable Tools)=======> For All Samsung Devices.
Required Files For Kitchen Categories:
|General Kitchen Tools|
The Inputs Folders: GanGs_KiD_Kitchen\app Folder & GanGs_KiD_Kitchen\framework Folder
There are two ways to use this category :
First one: Use the "Pull" option which will copy the files into the "Input" Folders.
Second one: Manually copy your files into the "Input" Folders.
|Mods and Hacks Tools|
The Inputs Folders: Done_app Folder & Done_framework Folder.
There are two ways to use this category :
First one: Coming from Deodex's options which will copy the files into the "Input" Folders.
Second one: Manually copy your files into the "Input" Folders.
Required Files for Each Mod:
(Mms Mod)===================>Mms.apk
(Battery Percentage Mod)==========>SystemUI.apk
(Clock Color Mod)===============>SystemUI.apk
(CRT-Off Effect Mod)=============>framework-res.apk
(ICS LockScreen Mod)============>framework-res.apk & android.policy.jar
(4 Way Rotation Mod)============>framework-res.apk
(Transparent Status Bar Mod)=======>SystemUI.apk
(SIP-VOIP Mod)================>framework-res.apk
(Disable The Increasing Ring Mod)=====>Phone.apk
(Sense Recent App Mod)===========>framework-res.apk & SystemUI.apk
(Transparent Contact Background Mod)==>Contacts.apk
(Disable Full/Low Battery Notification)===>SystemUI.apk
(Sliding Window Effect)============>SystemUI.apk
|Decompile-Compile Tools|
The Inputs Folders: Input_apk_to_decompile Folder & Input_jar_to_decompile Folder.
There is one way to use this category :
First one: Manually copy your files into the "Input" Folders.
Attention: "Zipalign Apk Files" option will work only after using "Compile Apk Files" option.
I might try this sometime. I usually just use dsixda's kitchen, but this might be quicker.
Works perfect. Just tried it out on LPS. Thanks.
I will try this week-end, this take how many time to deodex? thanks.
xethor said:
I might try this sometime. I usually just use dsixda's kitchen, but this might be quicker.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope it will be faster
sileshnair said:
Works perfect. Just tried it out on LPS. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for testing it
sangosnip69 said:
I will try this week-end, this take how many time to deodex? thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did not count it realy but it takes about 20 min's or less
sangosnip69 said:
I will try this week-end, this take how many time to deodex? thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Took about 15 minutes, but i was in no hurry.
GanGs_KiD said:
This script is only for Samsung Galaxy SII "I9100" .... for now
Hello
This is my first "Script"
Don't wait for them to "deodex" it for you.....now you can do it by yourself with only one "double click"
Download the attachment file and unzip it
Now, open folder "GanGs_Kid_Tools", you will only care about these two folders (app & framework)
Copy the content of your ROM folder "app" into app folder and copy the content of your ROM folder "framework" into framework folder.
Finally, double click on "GanGs_Kid_Deodexer.bat" and wait until the CMD disappeared yah your files deodexed already .
You will find new two folder (Done_app & Done_framework)....Congrats !!
BTW if you don't want to clean and delete the APK&Odex&Jar files by your hand,use "GanGs_Kid_Deodexer_Cleaner.bat" it will clean it for you...master
About the Script:
It is for new ICS ROMs for S2 I9100, it will deodex the "APKs and JARs" files with only one "Double click" also it will zip-align the APK for you automatically.
Know Issue:
-------------
Updates and fixes:
---------------------
If you liked my work encourage me by small donationHERE .... Thanks M8
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent work! very happy with the results..
GanGs_KiD said:
Thank you for testing it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a question. What happens if the script fails to deodex an apk? Will it let us know?
Man this is awesome. How hard would it be for you to make this work on GB sammy roms?
Sent from my GT-I9100M using XDA
hello,
this is very good for beginner, it's even better if there is a software that aloud us to modify the Rom, such as removed app or adding app. what I mean here is we just load the Rom in the software, then we just click, click, and click..then done. we have our own custom rom.
thanks....
lonelime said:
hello,
this is very good for beginner, it's even better if there is a software that aloud us to modify the Rom, such as removed app or adding app. what I mean here is we just load the Rom in the software, then we just click, click, and click..then done. we have our own custom rom.
thanks....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can use dsixda kitchen for that. Just follow steps and you have your custom rom.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
just quick question. first im going to copy all files in app and framework folder and put it in their respective folders in your deodexer tool, if im going to implement this script, what state should my phone be in? is it in recovery? maybe im just missing some points here. can you clarify these things to me so that i can do this correctly. (actually my phone is GT-I9003, my sister has a GT-I9100, well it is a different phone to mine so i'm in the middle of learning/knowing GT-I9100).
thanks in advance.
sileshnair said:
You can use dsixda kitchen for that. Just follow steps and you have your custom rom.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for the tips... i will try it later...
erik07 said:
just quick question. first im going to copy all files in app and framework folder and put it in their respective folders in your deodexer tool, if im going to implement this script, what state should my phone be in? is it in recovery? maybe im just missing some points here. can you clarify these things to me so that i can do this correctly. (actually my phone is GT-I9003, my sister has a GT-I9100, well it is a different phone to mine so i'm in the middle of learning/knowing GT-I9100).
thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you may understand this wrong
This isnt for deodexing the files while they are on your phone, or if you have plugged your phone into the pc
You are copying the files FROM your phone TO your pc (via adb - recovery mode, root explorer, rom toolbox - normal booted mode etc) and deodexing there, once done, put back onto the phone
If you have an odexed rom already on your pc, just drop the files from that rom in to the deodexer, deodex and put them back. transfer the rom to your phone and flash
sileshnair said:
I have a question. What happens if the script fails to deodex an apk? Will it let us know?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For now...nothing will happen, the apk simply will not work on your S II
but I am trying now to make the script telling you exactly which files did not make it and will be excluded into seperate folder .
koodiifin said:
Man this is awesome. How hard would it be for you to make this work on GB sammy roms?
Sent from my GT-I9100M using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks m8, in fact there is already one for GB "xUltimate" and I were using it but with ICS Rom's it did not work, so i decided to make my own deodexer.
v1.01 now avaliable....it has some fixes
v2.00 is now avaliable.....better
I have the feeling that there are lots of downloads but few thanks and zero encouraging
By this way I think I will keep my upcoming tools for myself.
Thanks.
This would be my second public-released xposed module...
(A duplicate thread is also posted in the Android Themes Section, so user who are only interested in themes can also see this)
I did not expect that my WisdomSky Xploit would be a big hit.
I'm just an Amateur developer who just started delving into android development 3months ago and I didn't expect that much appreciation from my work... XD
But all of these would not be made possible if not because of sir @rovo89 and sir @Tungstwenty and their Xposed Framework, right? That's why I thank them a lot...
REQUIREMENTS
Xposed framework must be pre-installed before installing this.
What does the ResXploit do?
ResXploit has two parts:
the Removable part, terminal
and the main star, engine
The terminal is where you enter the commands(I'll discuss it later). These commands will then be interpreted by the engine and then passed to Xposed framework...
Flow:
TERMINAL >> ENGINE >> XPOSED FRAMEWORK
I have provided a variety of modules:
ResXploit (Terminal + Engine) (RECOMMENDED FOR NEWBIES)
ResXploit Terminal (Terminal Only)(DEPRECATED)
ResXploit Engine (Engine Only)
You might be wondering why I made one which has both terminal and engine... and other two which are separated...
ROM Chefs, Themers and some others would understand directly why...
All the commands are interpreted by the Engine right? so that would mean that once you have entered all the desired commands, the terminal will now end up as useless... so you will just delete so no one can touch the engine...
If you are a ROM Chef or a themer, you can theme all the apps you need to theme using ResXploit and then remove the terminal, so end-user interaction of the engine is prevented after you have released your ROMs to the world.
FOR NEWBIES!
I recommend you to use the ResXploit (Terminal + Engine)...
It is very smart..
I included 99% accurate error-checking system,
line numbering system,
and also Xposed module prioritization(which is first implemented on ResXploit for better module performance).
COMMANDS
We have four basic commands in the ResXploit, the apk, drawable, string, and boolean.
apk - A prerequisite command. This command is very vital whenever you using the ResXploit. This will define the target application by using the package name of the target application. You need to include this before you enter any command or else your command will not know which application is targeted and end up in lost island.
Code:
[B]format[/B]: [I]apk <package name>[/I]
[B]example[/B]: apk com.android.systemui
drawable(also drw) - The most often used command. The command which will change icons/images (png drawables) of an application. You can either overlay the existing image with your favorite color or completely replaced it with a .png image from your sdcard.
Code:
[B]format1[/B]: [I]drawable <target application's drawable name> <image path, no need to include /sdcard> <transparency, 0 to 255>[/I]
[B]example1[/B]: drawable status_bar_background bg.png 255
[B]format2[/B]: [I]drawable <target application's drawable name> <HEX RGB color code> <transparency, 0 to 255>[/I]
[B]example2[/B]: drawable status_bar_background #fff00ff 255
string(also str) - This command will change string(text) values of the application. The predefined string values are usually located in res/values/strings.xml of an application, but I guess they are not visible when you view the contents of an application using Archive managers like RootExplorer. But there is a way to identify them. I will include it later.
Code:
[B]format[/B]: [I]string <target application's string value holder name> <replacement string>[/I]
[B]example[/B]: string app_name My App
boolean(also bln) - This command will change boolean values of the application. The predefined boolean values are usually located in res/values/bools.xml of an application, but I guess they are not visible when you view the contents of an application using Archive managers like RootExplorer as well.
Code:
[B]format[/B]: [I]boolean <target application's boolean value holder name> <replacement boolean value, either [B]true[/B] or [B]false[/B] only>[/I]
[B]example[/B]: boolean allowNumberNotifications true
Some simple examples screenshots:
drawable and string commands in action
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
ResXploit UI screenshots:
If you find my ResXploit module interesting,
Please hit THANKS!!! XD:angel:
UPDATES & CHANGELOGS:
ResXploit Engine 1.0.8 - added support to framework-res(android).(latest)
ResXploit 1.0.8 - updated engine(1.0.8).(latest)
NOTICE: ResXploit is now an abandonware.
My flash drive where I stored the sources of my android projects was corrupted unexpectedly.
And also, my phone was broken. I have no device to use to re-write everything from scratch... Sorry...
Tutorial and samples
System Apps Package Names:
SystemUI - com.android.systemui
Settings - com.android.settings
Mms - com.android.mms
Contacts - com.android.contacts
Launcher - com.android.launcher
Gallery - com.android.gallery3d
File Explorer - com.android.qrdfileexplorer
Framework-res - android
Tip: If you want to find the package name of a specific application(not on the list), you can open Root Explorer(download it from googleplay) and then browse the apk you want to check, open it and choose "view". You can find AndroidMaifest.xml file inside. Open it then find the package="xxxxxxxxxxx". The words or group of words inside the quotations separated by a period is the package name of that application.
Note: ResXploit is far safer(in terms of error awareness) to use than the ResXploit terminal. If possible, only use ResXploit. In the simple tutorials below, please expect that I'm referring to ResXploit only.
Changing Statusbar background color
let's say color red...
Code:
#!/
apk com.android.systemui
drawable status_bar_background #ff0000 255
Changing Notifications Panel background color into transparent
Code:
#!/
apk com.android.systemui
drawable notification_panel_bg #000000 0
Changing Notifications Panel background with an image from sdcard
let's say that the png image is located in /sdcard/my_img.png
Code:
#!/
apk com.android.systemui
drawable notification_panel_bg my_img.png 255
You might be wondering where i'd get the target application's drawable filename?
Actually, you can just open the root explorer and view the files inside the apk of the target application. under the /res directory(folder), you can find a variety of subdirectories prefixed with [drawable, like drawable-hdpi,drawable-mdpi and so on... Basically, all images inside those folders are under the scope of drawable command in Resxploit. And if you want to target a certain image in the drawable folders, you just need to get the file name without the .png or .9.png. That's it!
Adding "comments"...
Comments in programming are human-readable additional information. If you want to put notes somewhere in your script, you can put "#" before your statement. When the terminal find a "#" before a statement, the terminal will ignore it and skip it. However if you will enter a non-command information and is not started withcl a "#", the terminal will ofcourse read it as command and then throws an error message.
Code:
#!/
# my comment. my comment. my comment
apk com.android.systemui
drawable status_bar_background #ff0000 255
# the terminal will skip the command below
# because it started with a "#"
#drawable oh_no #ff00ff 255
Defining working directory path of your images
If you want to start theming and you already have the images you want to use stored inside a single folder, then you can tell the terminal where these images are located so you don't need to enter the path redundantly.
You can define it on the very first line of ResXploit, after the "#!/" you can add the folder name or path to the folder.
let's say we have our images put in a folder in sdcard named my_images or /sdcard/my_images, then you can define it like this.
Code:
#!/my_images
#we can start theming now
drawable hello some_image.png 255
drawable world next_image.png 255
great work dude...noypi are very smart of course,,
Very interesting. I've been interested in theming for a while now but haven't gotten my feet wet. I'll be waiting for your tutorials. Great work mate!
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
Nice! I love to see Pinoys In-Action with the XDA community!
Will wait for the tutorial of yours repa!
@greedisgood99999 Please stop that bad-habit of quoting... It's quite irritating tropa...
Wait for the tutorial
Sent from my Xperia Mini Pro
So ... a scriptable general purpose module. This is a phenomenal idea. OK still requires digging into the apk but a whole lot easier than building a new module from scratch.
Mission: Get rid of Armv7 calls the FC apps on my old clunker (also need help buying a new phone--if I had it, would have reserved the edge already!). Google Now first tries to init the "off line" voice recognition engine. Minimum, want to simply disable this call. I use overlays to prevent other such calls. Maximal, to replace with the old "on line" voice recognition engine.
Capability in this yet?
Among the booleans?
what say you
Dovidhalevi said:
So ... a scriptable general purpose module. This is a phenomenal idea. OK still requires digging into the apk but a whole lot easier than building a new module from scratch.
Mission: Get rid of Armv7 calls the FC apps on my old clunker (also need help buying a new phone--if I had it, would have reserved the edge already!). Google Now first tries to init the "off line" voice recognition engine. Minimum, want to simply disable this call. I use overlays to prevent other such calls. Maximal, to replace with the old "on line" voice recognition engine.
Capability in this yet?
Among the booleans?
what say you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i don'think so... because ResXploit's scope is only the res or resource directory of the apk structure...
if a boolean value is defined in the res/values/bools.xml that will actually toggle controls then it would be great... but i think, in your case it is deeply hard-coded to work like that...
Framework.res?
Can you theme the framework.res using this?
package name is only 'android' no com. or anything..
EDIT: Tried and it seems to go through ok, but nothing seems to change. Rebooted several times, changed an image in my keyboard, checked it was ticked in Xposed framework, setup a folder in my internal storage, checked superuser granted access, pressed high priority in settings. Don't know
Here's a debug log (uploading tomorrow, pc occupied)
Will this work for non system apps? The unlock button on the PowerAmp lock screen drives me insane because it's the only thing I can't change and I absolutely hate green.
Metallijim said:
Can you theme the framework.res using this?
package name is only 'android' no com. or anything..
EDIT: Tried and it seems to go through ok, but nothing seems to change. Rebooted several times, changed an image in my keyboard, checked it was ticked in Xposed framework, setup a folder in my internal storage, checked superuser granted access, pressed high priority in settings. Don't know
Here's a debug log (uploading tomorrow, pc occupied)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm so sorry for that...
in exposed, framework-res(android) uses different method...
so i forgot to implement it fo support the framework-res...
thanks for your feed back. I'll add it up and upload it later...
Rokonacdc said:
Will this work for non system apps? The unlock button on the PowerAmp lock screen drives me insane because it's the only thing I can't change and I absolutely hate green.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ofcourse! it will work with non-system apps too... XD
This looks very promising, thank you for your work!!
here's a Debug
Here's my Debug log
Xperia Z 4.2.2, Images in internal storage, Xposed priority set low, all other xposed modules that I have installed disabled
Metallijim said:
Here's my Debug log
Xperia Z 4.2.2, Images in internal storage, Xposed priority set low, all other xposed modules that I have installed disabled
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sir l've already added support for framework-res, please check the changelogs for the download link...
Interesting, sounds like a concept similar to Ninjamorph.
A couple of quick questions:
Is this able to apply folders or just single png's?
Also do you need extract png's from apks in order to apply or does it extract and apply automatically?
:good:
dully79 said:
Interesting, sounds like a concept similar to Ninjamorph.
A couple of quick questions:
Is this able to apply folders or just single png's?
Also do you need extract png's from apks in order to apply or does it extract and apply automatically?
:good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unlike ninja morph, in resxploit, there is no permanent replacing of resources happened... which means you can deactivate, share, edit easily anytime....
Q: Is this able to apply folders or just single png's?
A: only single pngs... 1 drawable command = 1 png... but there is no limitation on how how many commands you can add
Q: Also do you need extract png's from apks in order to apply or does it extract and apply automatically?
A: As what I've added on the title, "No decompiling APKs"... it means, no decompiling or extracting is involved in the process as what Xposed Framework aimed. You just need to put the image to replace inside your sdcard and just add a command to tell the engine "to replace that with this"... there is no permanent replacing of resources happened here... the image is just move into the /data partition and will be just overlapped to the target resource so there will be an impression of replacing of resources
I didnt mean does it decompile/extract full apks. I meant can you pull an resource/image out of the apk to apply.
I know it overlays instead of permanently overwriting the original resource, similar to Icon themer and XTheme engine.
Ninjamorph/ Metamorph unzips apks into folders so you can navigate through them and choose what you want to apply.
Example:
Choose target resource/image to change.
Choose apk to pull resource/image from.
Navigate and choose resource/image (extract if applicable) to apply.
This would be good if it also done the same. Although you could just unzip with an on board app like Zarchiver.
Basically it would make it a new and improved Ninjamorph/ Metamorph (dont tell Stericson i said that)
No offense, but looking at it from newbies point of view, it seems like a bit of a drawn out process if you were wanting to change numerous items.
I know it's early days and I'm sure this would be greatly improved with a GUI, if you decide to add one.
Personally speaking, i think this has massive potential and could be something very special. I applaud you, i wish i had your talent.#
Thanks.
I tried clicking on the changelog link, it gave an error "Invalid Attachment specified. This can happen for a variety of reasons-- most likely because the thread or post you are trying to view has been moved or deleted. Please return to the forum home and browse for another similiar post."
Not sure if its the file attached to the post that is the updated one or if the actual update got deleted. Please help me here
phanitej said:
I tried clicking on the changelog link, it gave an error "Invalid Attachment specified. This can happen for a variety of reasons-- most likely because the thread or post you are trying to view has been moved or deleted. Please return to the forum home and browse for another similiar post."
Not sure if its the file attached to the post that is the updated one or if the actual update got deleted. Please help me here
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh sorry for that.. ill just upload it to a third party site and add the link...
thnx for reminding...
dully79 said:
I didnt mean does it decompile/extract full apks. I meant can you pull an resource/image out of the apk to apply.
I know it overlays instead of permanently overwriting the original resource, similar to Icon themer and XTheme engine.
Ninjamorph/ Metamorph unzips apks into folders so you can navigate through them and choose what you want to apply.
Example:
Choose target resource/image to change.
Choose apk to pull resource/image from.
Navigate and choose resource/image (extract if applicable) to apply.
This would be good if it also done the same. Although you could just unzip with an on board app like Zarchiver.
Basically it would make it a new and improved Ninjamorph/ Metamorph (dont tell Stericson i said that)
No offense, but looking at it from newbies point of view, it seems like a bit of a drawn out process if you were wanting to change numerous items.
I know it's early days and I'm sure this would be greatly improved with a GUI, if you decide to add one.
Personally speaking, i think this has massive potential and could be something very special. I applaud you, i wish i had your talent.#
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for the appreciation and to your suggestions...someone did suggest to me to add GUI...
I'm still a newbie in terms of androld... there's so much to learn first before I can fully implement whats on my mind...
My phone is also not that good for development... its so slow... XD
but if everything turns out good... then maybe I should reconsider...XD
WisdomSky said:
Oh sorry for that.. ill just upload it to a third party site and add the link...
thnx for reminding...
thanks for the appreciation and to your suggestions...someone did suggest to me to add GUI...
I'm still a newbie in terms of androld... there's so much to learn first before I can fully implement whats on my mind...
My phone is also not that good for development... its so slow... XD
but if everything turns out good... then maybe I should reconsider...XD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which phone do you use?