I have a few Android devices, and I'm trying to install some favorite apps (that I can't seem to get via Amazon Market or Google Market,) Facebook being one of those.
I was able to adb pull Facebook.apk from another tablet I have, however, it's ver 1.5.2. Tablet says that it is running 1.7.2. That means that, not only did the old app stay on the tablet after the Market updated Facebook, BUT the new app is either named differently, or installed in a completely different location (not /system/app nor SDCard - I checked.)
I was working with Redbox as well, and I simply could NOT figure out where it was installed on 2 other Android devices. It is ALSO NOT installed to the SDCard.
I can see both processes running (NOT app_xx processes, btw.) The Redbox app was com.redbox.android.activity and Facebook was com.facebook.katana.
I am seeking enlightenment!
Side-bar: I am wondering if these are NDK applications. Do NDK applications need to be re-compliled for each individual platform? Are they installed differently than SDK applications? (i.e. in different locations in the filesystem)
Tuleen Donai said:
I have a few Android devices, and I'm trying to install some favorite apps (that I can't seem to get via Amazon Market or Google Market,) Facebook being one of those.
I was able to adb pull Facebook.apk from another tablet I have, however, it's ver 1.5.2. Tablet says that it is running 1.7.2. That means that, not only did the old app stay on the tablet after the Market updated Facebook, BUT the new app is either named differently, or installed in a completely different location (not /system/app nor SDCard - I checked.)
I was working with Redbox as well, and I simply could NOT figure out where it was installed on 2 other Android devices. It is ALSO NOT installed to the SDCard.
I can see both processes running (NOT app_xx processes, btw.) The Redbox app was com.redbox.android.activity and Facebook was com.facebook.katana.
I am seeking enlightenment!
Side-bar: I am wondering if these are NDK applications. Do NDK applications need to be re-compliled for each individual platform? Are they installed differently than SDK applications? (i.e. in different locations in the filesystem)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use adb or Android Commander to find them here: /data/app. It is on the root file system. That's where most apps go that are installed from the Market and such.
you will preobably find the facebook app in /data/app you could also look for redbox in /data/app-private
Related
I found that [email protected]'s ROM had a good idea of adding WaveSecure to the system partition (preventing listing in the My Downloads part of market, and preventing uninstallation through normal means), but his version is slightly out of date now (latest version is 3.0.0.43)
As a result, I set about finding a means to install WaveSecure to ROM myself. Here are my findings for anyone interested in doing the same.
Install the latest version from the market (3.0.0.43 at this time). Now use adb pull to get it off the device onto your pc
Code:
adb pull /data/app/com.wsandroid.apk D:\com.wsandroid.apk
Now open Market back up from the menu, go to My Downloads, and choose Wavesecure Mobile Security Beta and uninstall it for just now (to get it off the data/A2SD location that normal apps are stored in) - thanks, my-space!
Then push the saved apk to the system partition after a remount (to make it read/write)
Code:
adb remount
Code:
adb push D:\com.wsandroid.apk /system/app/com.wsandroid.apk
Then set it all up as usual (will appear in apps list immediately)
and remount system as read only again
Code:
adb remount
And that seems to be it so far. Remember to change the D:\com.wsandroid.apk path to whatever you actually used.
Let me know if anyone finds any problems with this, but I've done it and, fingers crossed, it's worked OK for me.
Obviously, this is only for root users, and there are no guarantees for this.
Couple of questions that might need looked into -
- Do settings carry across after a wipe (as Paul claims Modaco's version does. I've never tried it so can't confirm)
- Is there any disadvantage to using this method? (I guess this is all Modaco's update.zip does, but I don't know)
you forgot to metion to uninstall wavesecure before it is pushed back into system....
my_space said:
you forgot to metion to uninstall wavesecure before it is pushed back into system....
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Click to collapse
Oops! Knew I'd forget something, as I always seem prone to do. Well spotted, and OP corrected.
Thanks
No worries I got a bit confused when i pushed it back onto the phone and was still in my downloads...
I've rooted my phone already but whenever i try to use the command adb remount I get "remount failed: operation not permitted". Suggestions?
I see more and more often, redundant threads.
What How-to will you post next time? How to change backlight settings?
You're pointlessly spamming the board.
I can't say i agree with the 'pointlessly spamming the board' comment, but i would have thought this would at least be better in the applications and themes subforum rather than in development.
Don't forget that an awful lot of android users (and more recently all HTC devices) are more and more 'newbs' and need stuff like this.
While this is good and provides info that people like that need (and myself cos i'm crap at adb and stuff like that so wouldn't have had a clue how to do this previously), maybe the development forum is not the best place for it....
I'm guessing one won't be notified via Market if there's an update available if you push an app to /system/app/, right?
usb0 said:
I'm guessing one won't be notified via Market if there's an update available if you push an app to /system/app/, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You won't be notified, correct
If anybody doesn't already know, WaveSecure have started hosting update.zip files. This means it's now easy to update your "baked-in" version of WaveSecure without much messing around.
https://www.wavesecure.com/installations/update.zip
Download the file, save it to your SD card, reboot into the recovery console and choose the option to apply an update.zip file.
Voila! Your version of WaveSecure will be updated to the very latest version
DJBenson said:
[...]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's really awesome! Thanks for the tip!
Just a question of curiosity: If I push an app to /system/app/ and then issue the rm-command to remove its apk, won't there be lying a bunch of files associated with the program and with absolutely no function, since the app itself is removed? How do I know the name of these files and where they are located for removal?
I'm a bit confused by that question. My understanding (which may be incorrect but from what I've seen of the "guts of a ROM" appears to be the case) is that the applications reside in the apk files, they are not extracted. If you list the content of any of the app folders (/system/app, /data/app or /data/app-private) then all you get is a bunch of apk files (and some odex files). So when you 'push' an apk to the phone, that application is then "installed", when you rm/remove an application, you do so by removing the apk.
if you remove the apk you have left something in /data/dalvik-cache. wiping the dalvik-cache every now and then helps reclaiming that space, though it is not much.
the app settings and data are stored in /data/data, you could delete the files manually by checking their names (no idea if/what convention the names follow), imho not worth the trouble as it is only a few kb.
odex files aren't created if you don't do in a PITA process manually. don't worry about them, don't touch them, then you're good. odex files are only for system apps.
I bought a used phone and it had WaveSecure already installed. I couldn't find it in the applications list to uninstall, so I did a factory reset on the phone. The application was still there and it still didn't show up in the applications list.
I have the Superuser Permissions application, so someone must have rooted it.
Is there any way to uninstall this?
motomeup said:
I bought a used phone and it had WaveSecure already installed. I couldn't find it in the applications list to uninstall, so I did a factory reset on the phone. The application was still there and it still didn't show up in the applications list.
I have the Superuser Permissions application, so someone must have rooted it.
Is there any way to uninstall this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
""Just (re)flash a ROM................""
I just noticed that WaveSecure now points to this post for instructions to install as system application, and I am not sure that the update.zip maintained with them is up-to-date.
However, you can now select to download the .apk directly to your PC thus eliminating the first Market step in this guide.
strife242 said:
I just noticed that WaveSecure now points to this post for instructions to install as system application, and I am not sure that the update.zip maintained with them is up-to-date.
However, you can now select to download the .apk directly to your PC thus eliminating the first Market step in this guide.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe it is kept up to date, as VillainROM kitchen uses it as a source for the WaveSecure app (fetched each night to keep it up-to-date).
I've certainly never had any problems with it.
Excellent guide Pulser,... I should really reinstall Wavesecure now Im not using a MoDacO Custom ROM. Nice one bruv.
Found this to be helpful.
https://www.wavesecure.com/blog/how-to-make-wavesecure-hard-reset-proof.aspx
I just did a search in the Market fro 'wavesecure' and two things popped up WaveSecure and WaveSecure UninstallProtection Add-on which needs to be uninstalled before WaveSecure and if the add-on is uninstalled it is supposed to lock the phone. (all this is in the description I have yet to try)
Does anyone have another android device with 2.x and Titanium so they can make a back up .apk?
I saw a video where a guy got it to work on a Gen8 tablet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydocE7s0s8s
I've googled this one...
Thank you for contacting NYTimes.com.
The Android NYTimes Reader is currently only available through the Android
market for devices and OS versions that have been explicitly approved by
Google to access copy-protected applications in the Market. Unfortunately at
this time there are no plans to distribute the installation package via
other channels.
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Click to collapse
I did a little investigating with this one. There are at present several obstacles to the NYTimes app working on the edge:
1. It is allegedly built for Android 2.0+
2. It's not available outside the market
3. Even obtained through a device with market access, the apk is a "Protected App" and therefore cannot be backed up via astro and exported in the usual workaround. (at least, not unless your phone is rooted)
4. Even then, many apps obtained through the market are linked to a goggle account (especially protected ones, even if free) and if somehow circumvented, they may cease functioning when the device that the apk is put onto (like the edge) does not match that account.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But he was running it...
with adb it is possible to extract
Is there a way to remove applications listed under Not Installed in My Apps on the Android Market?
No. It's been requested by hundreds of people but so far Google has done nothing.
Lists apps you've purchased but not currently installed. Why would you not want this?
Sent from my DROID X2 using xda premium
Amazon has this problem too.
I do note that the Amazon Market downloads the app when purchased, even if you do not install it.
Navigating to /data/media/Android/data/com.amazon.venezia/cache/ and deleting the APK doesn't change anything, although I am sure it will save some memory somewhere along the line. I deleted all older versions of apps and ones I didn't install.
The /data/media/ is also another shortcut to the /sdcard/ folder.
For convenience, it seems installed apps are in: /data/app/
You will find here the new Unreleased Gmail 4.2.apk - Thanks to Android Police for this news - AND ON PLAY STORE TOO - UPDATED 01 DEC 2012
The Gmail 4.2 APK is signed by Google, but with a different key than the one in the Play Store (we checked the signatures - they differ). One is probably the test key and the other the production key. For this reason, you can't simply install it as an update and therefore need to be rooted with the ability to mount the /system directory for writing in order to remove the existing Gmail APK.
Important: Once Google updates Gmail in the Play Store, you will want to revert this process or at the very least delete the Gmail 4.2 APK you installed here if you want to update it from the Play Store.
OK, let's get down to it. You'll probably need ADB installed on your computer (here's an easy way that doesn't require downloading the Android SDK). There is a chance that this might work without ADB by just removing the APKs mentioned below and installing the new one, but it didn't seem to work reliably for everyone. This should, though:
- Download Gmail 4.2 from the download link above.
- Rename it to Gmail2.apk (already renamed )
- Make a Nandroid backup in case something goes wrong (this is always a good thing to do before messing with your device).
- Remount /system for writing (via your favorite root-aware file explorer).
- Delete (or move if you want to save the APKs) all other versions of Gmail.
- Update: We've seen multiple successful reports of simply uninstalling Gmail using Titanium Backup or ROM Toolbox instead of performing this and the next step. If that works for you, go directly to step 7. If not, proceed below.
- Usually there are 2 or 3 copies. One will be in /system/app (that's the original Gmail that was pre-installed on the device) and there may be a few in /data/app (these are the updates installed from the Play Store). They'll be called "Gmail.apk," or "com.google.android.gm-[number].apk," An easy way to tell is to look for the Gmail icon.
- You may need to delete the .odex files matching the APKs in step 5 too, if you have them. Neither I nor Artem had to do this, but there are many different ROMs out there, and we're trying to cover all bases. Ignore this step and only come back to it if something doesn't work later.
- Reboot. Once you do, you should have no Gmail as far as Android is concerned.
- You can try to install the Gmail 4.2 APK you downloaded at this point by tapping it in your favorite file explorer (move the APK to your device first, of course). If that doesn't work, or if you prefer ADB, fire up a command line and type adb install Gmail2.apk.
If you get an error message, you probably didn't delete all copies of Gmail. If you don't feel like playing with ADB for Step 8, I've also gotten it to work by just copying the APK to /data/app, but that's not as fool proof as "ADB install".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gmail 4.2.apk - download link - MD5 Sum: 2e5dbfccea5fca470d1e669fc0f431ba - Size: 2.77 MB (2906222 bytes)
Source [androidpolice]
I just copied the apk to system/apps folder, installed it as normal and it worked for me
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
just uninstalled the old v. Gmail by Ultimate backup, and installed the v4.2, it works like a charm. thanks.
philos64 said:
You will find here the new Unreleased Gmail 4.2.apk - Thanks to Android Police for this news
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GMail 4.2.1 officially released.. you can install/update it from play store.. :good:
Just updated to the latest update and the it was really great to have pinch to zoom in mails, it gives fun to delete my mails using the Swype feature.
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2
Looks like ES File Explorer isn't available in the Amazon app store for the Fire Phone. I've tried downloading .apk's from elsewhere via silk to no avail (it looks like it is specifically not allowing *.apk's to download). There is the option to allow installing 3rd party apps, but not sure how to get the apk on the device. Anyone found a way yet?
Mine is still sitting on a UPS truck somewhere here in town, will have it soon. I sure hope we can at least get gMail and Chrome working otherwise I may return mine shortly after getting it.
Edit: oh crap, didn't realize YouTube will not work either.
adb sideloading works...
I was able to enable USB debugging by going into Settings > Device > Get Info About Your Fire and tapping the device name 5 times.
After that I following this guide ( https://developer.amazon.com/post/T...p-the-ADB-driver-for-Kindle-Fire-Devices.html ) to get the right Kindle adb driver installed.
From there I used the chrome apk found here ( http://www.thinkcomputers.org/how-to-install-google-chrome-on-the-amazon-kindle-fire-hd/ ) and did a "adb install chrome.apk"
So far, so good...
Awesome, wondering if google maps would work the the same.
gmail, youtube, etc have also been installed following this guide... http://www.gizmag.com/how-to-install-google-apps-kindle-fire-hd-hdx/30736/
Not sure about the stability yet, but I will report my findings...
Awesome, mine just arrived. I may leave it shrink wrapped for a couple more hours though.
I've been having difficulties getting my Windows 7 computer to detect the Fire Phone as a valid USB device. Windows tries to install drivers for it but always says drivers are not available. I just installed the android SDK and tried the Kindle drivers and the Google drivers, neither worked as well. I'm very frustrated at this point.
Ok, Windows 7 now sees my phone. I run the "N edition" and had to install many of the packages "N" excludes by default so it was an OS/Microsoft issue.
I just installed the basic four but the google framework crashes frequently while using google apps. The apps work but the framework crashing messages are annoying.
ES File Explorer
I had no issues with downloading this straight to my firephone then installing it. I did have to do some Google.fu to find the apk from a reliable source initialy but once on it is working as normal. If I can find the apk I used ill either upload it to my Google Drive and link or link straight to it if possible.
Es File Explorer
ES Fire Explorer is available for Fire phone. All you need to do is go to Amazon Appstore in your Fire and search for "ES File Explorer" and it will be there.
Yes, ES File Explorer is now on the Amazon App Store
I have installed it, along with many other apks I found on Google, such as Chrome, Instagram, uTorrent, Pandora and a bunch of games like Assassin's Creed Black Flag, Nova, GTA San Andreas and others.
So far everything is working fine. Ive had my Fire Phone for about a month now and it's really not a bad phone. It does everything I need it to.
The only issue I have noticed is that after I have been playing a high definition game for longer than 45 mins or so, the phone does start to get hot. But I just stop playing for a bit and it's fine.
Back to the original question though, yes ES File Explorer is now on the App store and working properly, and you can install just about any apk you can find.