Seeking comprehensive tutorial on creating flashable zips - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I have googled this for days, and I cannot seem to find a solution.
I want to find a tutorial to create a flashable zip (for both CWM and TWRP), and I am looking for something that will describe the components, the Edify script, and anything else. I am somewhat familiar with this, but can't seem to create my own.
NOTE: I do not want to use a template, or any other "starting zip". If I want to add files or components to system (fonts, boot animation, or some other mod), I want to learn how to do it from scratch: as if all I have is 7-zip, a suitable text editor, and that is it.
I have modified zip files before by extracting/editing a document, and then re-zipping, but I never have just extracted the whole file and then re-zipped it and had it work successfully.
If I have to use a device specific binary, then I need to know where to find this.
I have been working/flashing zip files for 4 years and am frustrated that I always have to use some "automated tool" or someone's zip template to start with.
I appreciate any help in advance!
Syntropic

Related

[Q] how to replace files in a flashable zip

UOT zip aren't working. (it takes miserably long to try to combine all the different options) so i thought i was real clever trying to replace framework-res in a a theme download that does work. of course i got the "bad" error. i looked around, read something about unsigned files, got irritated, and quit searching for the answer.
how can i replace files in a flash-able zip?
i tried to simply open the zip in explorer and paste in a file.
if i can get past all these little small technical details i'll likely start putting together ports and original android themes for the atrix
bump?
anyone gotten UOT cook something usable?

[Q] Android Kitchen - by dsixda, HTC Amaze 4G

I want to use the android kitchen to turn our recently leaked ICS update into a rom. On Dsixda's thread, he states that we need to create a file in the kitchen's /tools/edify_defs folder with the properties of our phone, in the templates file, it is kind of unclear for me how to do this.
Can anyone help me create a file for the HTC Amaze 4G? Thanks
HuskyHamburger said:
I want to use the android kitchen to turn our recently leaked ICS update into a rom. On Dsixda's thread, he states that we need to create a file in the kitchen's /tools/edify_defs folder with the properties of our phone, in the templates file, it is kind of unclear for me how to do this.
Can anyone help me create a file for the HTC Amaze 4G? Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry if I am reviving a not quite old thread, but it came up when I was searching for the kitchen to download on my new windows install..
If you want to create a rom you don't really need the kitchen, it can do certain things to a rom- deodex, zipalign, install superuser and busybox, etc.. but within a few days of the leak all of that is available. You can pm a developer as I did and get permission to use their files rather than recreate the wheel.
First, just run the zip file thru the kitchen, don't do anything special with it- we have a superuser zip file you can/should just unpack into the final setup.
Find the updater-script and the binaries(in the same folder), this is what tells it what to install and where, fix permissions, install the files needed for SU(look in the superuser zip files updater script for details) etc..
If you want a deodexed rom you can ask to borrow the system/app directory from a rom that already has deodexed theirs. Literally, this is the best way to do it.
What the kitchen IS better for is pulling apart the kernel, putting it back together, unpacking apks.. it has built in scripts which can be a real time saver than typing in backsmali this, smali that-- simply put a file in a folder, type a number, and magically it all happens for you.. but you won't need ANY of that until you get into the advanced stuff.
I don't know if you were still trying to figure it out or not, but at the very least this may give someone who happened across this thread SOME sort of answer-- I get sick of finding more unanswered posts or posts where people reply with "you should search".. I've searched so much I my fingers should be bleeding.

[Q] Making / editing custom ROM's using Linux

I'm looking for a little bit of help with understanding something.
My ideal place to get to is to eventually provide the community here with custom roms and mods which everyone can enjoy on their devices, just like what all the greats devs do here day in day out.... but before I get there, I'm on a path of discovery. At the minute, I want to take a XDA dev's already pre worked ROM, go in to it and change a few things up.... edit the apps, maybe play with a few apks, change the ringtones etc, and then resign the ROM and flash it to my device.
I've been reading some great tutorials such as http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1801690 and http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1843506 which I am finding very helpful, however....
They seem to be geared towards someone working on a windows machine. I dont want to do it in Windows, I want to do it in Linux... I dont wish to use "CygWin" and I would rather do it manually than use a kitchen - I could easily follow these guides in Windows and achieve my stated aim of a slightly modified custom ROM, however, the overall goal here is to acquire knowledge, and enjoy the process as it goes along.
Now, my current understanding under Linux (Mint 13) is that I can download a recovery flashable Zip, go in to it, and just change up some of the files as I desire.... but then I get confused when it comes to repackaging the ROM prior to flashing it to my device. How would I go about doing this?
As a side note, when it seems that all development for these devices is done under Linux / Mac... why do all the newb guides steer you to Windows?
Are you asking how to rezip or how to recompile?
If you're asking about zipping up the folder, go here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1499885
If you're asking about recompiling, it should state how to do so on the page you got the apktool from.
Hi, thanks for your reply. I guess for now what I am asking is how to get the ROM back to a flashable zip file.
The I believe is that you need to have the ROM signed. The windows tutorials point you to a batch file script that does the signing and creates you an "update.zip" file. What id the alternative to this under linux?
Also, in the post you just provided a link to, someone says that you must also edit an update script to reflect the changes you made, such as any apks removed or added etc, where would I find this?
You need signapk.jar which I believe is included in the android sdk if not just Google and you can find it, once you have that you need a key to sign with, again Google for a testkey.
Then in your terminal you would run:
Code:
java -jar signapk.jar certificate.pem key.pk8 your-update.zip your-signed-update.zip
Sent from my PACman GT-I9100 using xda premium
Excellent, thank you very much.. will play with this later

Help a beginner with android kitchen

Hi! First of all i hope this is the right place to post. Otherwise point me in the right direction.
Now to my case.
Since the original kitchen thread is closed i hope i will have mercy to post my question here.
When I go through the different steps in terminal on my mac i get this messages:
Issue 1:
"Warning: No cache.img.ext4 found. You can unpack this file separatelyby running the plugin script in the kitchen's Advanced menu options.If your device doesn't use a CSC, then just ignore this message."
When i extract the zip file the kitchen makes, it says i should put its systems file in the system folder. But in there, there is already a folder named app, should i replace it or just add the csc zip contents to it? A little confused here.
Issue 2:
"1 issue(s) found. *Please review the update-script to ensure it is correct.Number of symlink conflicts resolved: 1NOTE: This device (m3) requires an updater-script"
"This script will convert your update-script into an updater-scriptand will also add the update-binary file.This option will also be given when you build your ROM, so it isnot necessary to convert your update-script now. *The kitchen is NOTcompatible with updater-scripts, so only a few options can be used*afterwards if you have an updater-script.Ensure you have an update-script under META-INF/com/google/androidof your working folder."
Just so i don't get it wrong. My Galaxy S3 I9305 requires me to change this to updateR? What about the update-binary? Stay as it is?
Thank you very much for any help. Really want to learn this. And i have googled this a lot so you guys are my last option on this matter.
Sent from my GT-I9305 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

[Q] How do I Customise My MX Android TV Firmware (Zip.File)

Hi guys im a noob to the forums and to rom customisation in general so im hoping someone can help me.
I have a generic MX dual core, and have been supplied a flash firmware and image from the supplier. This image is basic and does not contain all of the repos that i want, nor the apps that I require.
The image supplied is a zipfile and contains:
factory_update_param.aml
hd18d_mx4.zip
recovery.img
I am able to successfully restore my box with this image (so I know that the image is working fine).
Within the hd18d_mx4.zip there is:
Directotories: data, META-INF, recovery, system
files: boot.img, bootloaded.img, logo.img
I can see the all the system APK files within the system/app folder. The problem is when i try to add another APK file into this directory within the archive (in this case videomix.apk), I am not able to restore the image to the MX device.
Can anyone help me with a noobies guide to do this. I have read that the apk file has to be signed, and the zip file has to be signed also?? But im not quite sure what this means, nor how I go about doing it.
Any help or tutorials will be much appreciate. I have downloaded the APK-multi-tool but dont have a clue what I need to do
Look forward to your replies.
P.S. Im using a windows 64 bit machine and not Linux (if that makes any difference).
I'm facing the same thing, did you end up having luck with this?
If not is there anyone that can assist?

Categories

Resources