Develop Bugs

How to add apk files into a rom

hey i want to add some files like htc clock.apk and calculator.apk to N.S.A rom, so how do i go about it. Any help
Thank you.

unzip the ROM, add them to the app folder and rezip it and then flash the ROM (making sure the recovery utility you're using allows non-signed ROMs)

i am using clockworkmod recovery, does it allow flashing unsigned rom??
Thanks

unquestioning

shoemeistah said:
unquestioning
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, what does that means.

Yes, you have to remove the signing checking option in it (under advanced or something, have a play about)

hey use Android kitchen to Modify the Rom as want
>you can add and remove apps
>you can create your own custom rom if want..!!
>And you can sign the modified ROM
READ THE INSTRUCTION YOU'LL GET TO KNOW
try it out works great here is the link:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=633246

harish.awe said:
hey use Android kitchen to Modify the Rom as want
>you can add and remove apps
>you can create your own custom rom if want..!!
>And you can sign the modified ROM
READ THE INSTRUCTION YOU'LL GET TO KNOW
try it out works great here is the link:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=633246
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's a LOT easier to just do it yourself...

?
does this work for the captivate

Don't know, go ask in the captivate forum and not the Desire one

Hi all, i'm a new user and i have some trouble adding .apk's into cooked roms.
In particular, i'm trying to add some .apk into /system/app of InsertCoin Gingerbread 1.0.5
I have unzipped the rom, add those apk's, zipped again but when i flash it from recovery it says "Can't Find Update Script".

Iryon said:
Hi all, i'm a new user and i have some trouble adding .apk's into cooked roms.
In particular, i'm trying to add some .apk into /system/app of InsertCoin Gingerbread 1.0.5
I have unzipped the rom, add those apk's, zipped again but when i flash it from recovery it says "Can't Find Update Script".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't(!) unzip the rom. Just open the archive using 7zip or winzip (or something like that; right-click zip and choose 'open archive'). Then just move apk to correct folder. If you're taking apk's from another rom, open that using 7zip as well. Then, drag the program from one rom to the other. When you're finished and want to flash the rom, make sure you've disabled 'signature verification' in recovery (it is an option in recovery).

Thank you, i was able to flash my first "modded" version with different boot/down animation, Teeter game (i love it) and Titanium Backup
The only thing i was not able to do was Root Explorer, i tried to put it in system/app and in data/app but when i flash rom it doesn't appear in the drawer.
Any suggestion?

Iryon said:
Thank you, i was able to flash my first "modded" version with different boot/down animation, Teeter game (i love it) and Titanium Backup
The only thing i was not able to do was Root Explorer, i tried to put it in system/app and in data/app but when i flash rom it doesn't appear in the drawer.
Any suggestion?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have been learning how to do this in the last few days and have had similar issues as you. I can get some to install fine and appear in the drawer but not all.
I have only been adding the apk's to system/app and not data/app. Should the apk's be added to one of these, both of them or another folder completely?
Can anyone help the two of us out?

I used apk swapper but all the apps are not working

[Q] My modified custom ROM

Being a newbie that is learning A LOT, my most recent question is:
If I have flashed a BYOR (midnight rom) then added the apk files that I wanted, is there a way of saving my modified ROM so that if I try something else and need to flash back, I can without reloading all of the apps from the zip files?

Make a backup in CWM before wiping, then restore it later when you want to switch back. That's all you can do as far as I know.

notmyepic said:
Being a newbie that is learning A LOT, my most recent question is:
If I have flashed a BYOR (midnight rom) then added the apk files that I wanted, is there a way of saving my modified ROM so that if I try something else and need to flash back, I can without reloading all of the apps from the zip files?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1st download Titanium Backup and save all your files on your and window information email etc etc . u hit menu then BATCH then back up all files and data ......
CWM ... got to restore n backup then select back up and let it work ..........
now after u check out the other Rom u go back into CWM .... RESTORE UR OLD FILE .... then download TITANIUM BACKUP and restore everything or just choose what you want NOTE: YOU CAN DO TITANIUM w the ROm IF U CHOOSE TO KEEP IT

Also, you can take applications from say the midNight v5 upgrade zip(use 7zip to open the zip file) navigate to system/app folder. Copy the apks from the upgrade zip to the same folder in the BYOR zip file; same for files in system/lib.
You can repeat that step for other apps you like from the midNight Extras folder.
If you ever have to flash fresh; then you'll have a rom zip pre-built with your apps and you wont have to flash each zip.
Absolutely utilize the backup in CWM .. that can save you butt ... before any theme, kernel or ROM install. That way if you hit a boot loop or freeze .. simply boot to recovery and restore your phone back to before that flash attempt.

Thanks everyone. When I get a chance I may try something different

I would download and install 7zip. make a backup copy of your midnight 5.0 byor zip incase you mess something up but not likely. right click on one of the rom zips and 7zip open archive. in that archive you opened there should be an sd card folder. open that and extract the midnight extras folder to your desktop (drag it to the desktop). open that archive up again and navigate to system/app. go into your midnight extras folder and copy all the apk's you want on your phone and paste them in the system/app folder. After this any time you flash this zip you will have all the apps you put in the system/apps folder and wont have to flash multiple zips for apps. this can be done for themes, boot animations, shutdown animations, fonts, pretty much anything you can flash as long as you know where to put them. ps always backup before flashing

I thought I read somewhere installing zip file with CWM, it needed the apk and another file (believe it was meta file)
Is this the case, or is the zip files with meta also for something bigger than just apks?

Install apps from recovery!!

guys how can i put a bunch of applications in a zip folder a flash it by recovery.Ive tried putting 3 apps in a zip folder and flshing it via recovery but it says failed..

I tried that a while ago on the g1 with mixed results.
You have to put them in the data/app/ folder the same way they appear on your phone. If you are feeling ambitious, you can also grab the corresponding folder in data/data. You'll have to look for the java package name, not the app name. Lastly, you have to adjust the updater-script in META-INF/com/google/android/ to mount and flash the data folder, not system and then clean out the extra cruft.
You might have to resign the zip or just toggle sig checks.
Other options include using recovery to restore the data partition, but this will be everything, not just your 3 favorite apps. Alternatively, you could write a script that runs from your PC while your phone is in recovery and use the "adb install" command. I think there are also apps that do that for you, such as Titanium backup.

Gee one thanks for the reply but can you plz reexplain "If you are feeling ambitious, you can also grab the corresponding folder in data/data. You'll have to look for the java package name, not the app name. Lastly, you have to adjust the updater-script in META-INF/com/google/android/ to mount and flash the data folder, not system and then clean out the extra cruft.
You might have to resign the zip or just toggle sig checks."

Your phone stores the app in data/app/some.java.name.here so if you use flash those files, your apps will be installed. The app itself stores settings, history, etc in data/data/some.java.name.here If you flash the corresponding folder in data/data, you'll also get all your settings and won't have to bother setting it all up from scratch.
If you use adb or a file explorer to poke around in your data/data and data/app folders, you'll see what I mean.
In order to get the zip to flash, you have to include "instructions" that tell the recovery what to do with the zip. Unzip one of the flashable roms and look in the META-INF/com/google/android folder. There should be two files there. You want to edit the updater-script so that it flashes your data. Most likely, it is set up to flash a custom rom to your system folder. You'll have to do some editing and some trial and error to figure it out, but if you are just flashing the data partition, most of the commands in updater-script will be superfluous.
Lastly, and this the part that everyone hates (second only to adding adb to your path), you either have to sign the zip with jarsigner, signapk, or something similar, or turn off signature checking in your recovery. Signing the zip is essentially adding a digital signature so that your phone knows that the zip is intact. Clockworkmod recovery will let you toggle the signature checks in one of the options- poke around and get familiar with your recovery. It's probably in there somewhere.
I think Titanium backup will let you freeze/unfreeze apps- you might want to consider it.

Thanks
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium

Did this work? Like to buy a beer for someone who wants to upload a zip with a file explorer all for a project I have that has no play store or file explorer on it. Thank you

[CWM][ALL] Base CWM zip packages - just add APPS!

Ok forum, so I got this idea: because a lot of people ask for CWM packages of this and that, why not let them create CWM flashable stuff without having to beg devs or other users to make them?
I think it saves them (yes, I am talking about YOU!) and us the trouble. So I created these two base CWM flashable zips to get everyone started:
Data_Skeleton.zip - Used for apps that you can uninstall afterwards.
System_Skeleton.zip - Used for anything that should be installed as a system app
Now, a short guide on how to use them:
1. Download the appropriate ZIP for what you plan to package. If you want to make a regular app package use Data_Skeleton.zip, for system apps, use System_Skeleton.zip.
2. Open the zip file with anything else other than Windows Explorer! Use 7zip, winzip, winrar or anything else, just not Explorer!
3. Look inside the zip! DO NOT DELETE ANYTHING! All you need to do is ADD STUFF!
4. Browse into the "data" or "system" zip folders, then down into the "app" folder inside.
5. After you get to the "app" folder, copy and paste the APKs you want to flash in the folder.
REMEMBER: do not DELETE anything! ADD APK files ONLY in the "app" folder.
6. Wait for the APK files you copy to get added to the archive.
7. Close the archive.
8. Rename and copy the archive to your SD card.
9. Boot into CWM and flash the copied zip file you just created.
10. Enjoy!!
Sooooo, quick 10-step process into cooking you own CWM Zips. You can do much more with them than flashing apps, but for general purpose usage, this should be enough!
Thanks and complaints go underneath.
PS: this idea was given to me by lambstone in a separate thread! Thanks a lot mate!!!
Peace,
C.

Nice thread, waiting for other..............

There's market apps that does this I.e apps2zip
Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk 2 Beta-2

Ayysr,
App2zip works well for this purpose, but only when it works. There are apps that can't be zipped correctly, mainly those that rely on libs, media and/or other files that can't be included automagically. Needless to say that some apps (mainly games and such) store data on the SD card.
All of this can be easily accomplished by copying the files in a zip file; also learning something about Android in the process, wouldn't you say?
Peace,
C.

cheatman said:
Ayysr,
App2zip works well for this purpose, but only when it works. There are apps that can't be zipped correctly, mainly those that rely on libs, media and/or other files that can't be included automagically. Needless to say that some apps (mainly games and such) store data on the SD card.
All of this can be easily accomplished by copying the files in a zip file; also learning something about Android in the process, wouldn't you say?
Peace,
C.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your right, I was not trying to deny your effort in any way
Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk 2 Beta-2

I actually wasn't expecting anyone to comment on this thread to begin with
The fact that you mentioned app2zip is perfect! I know the intent is not to deny my effort, in fact, I am happy new information surfaced because it's useful and appropriate.
Very few contribute to such posts with relevant info for others. I think this is the point: sharing insightful and relevant stuff with others. But judging by the number of thanks you have, you already know this very well already
So, thanks! And glad to have you in my thread
Peace,
C.

cheatman said:
I actually wasn't expecting anyone to comment on this thread to begin with
The fact that you mentioned app2zip is perfect! I know the intent is not to deny my effort, in fact, I am happy new information surfaced because it's useful and appropriate.
Very few contribute to such posts with relevant info for others. I think this is the point: sharing insightful and relevant stuff with others. But judging by the number of thanks you have, you already know this very well already
So, thanks! And glad to have you in my thread
Peace,
C.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
have trying to put 5 apk files on data/app exactly doing what it's in your post, then rename it to apk.zip, but when i'm trying flashing from cwm it's geting error
E:Can't open /sdcard/apk.zip
(bad)
Installation aborted
do I miss something??
edit: i'm using data_skeleton.zip

Make sure you don't extract the ZIP. Open it and add files. If you extract it, you get that error message (usually). That is a problem related to the unzip process in CWM, it's not very "compatible"
I have also re-upped the DATA CWM zip, maybe it got borked in the process. So download again from first post. It works on my tab. You can test it by just getting the zip and flashing it empty, like that.

cheatman said:
Make sure you don't extract the ZIP. Open it and add files. If you extract it, you get that error message (usually). That is a problem related to the unzip process in CWM, it's not very "compatible"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No dude, I do not extract the zip file, I do exzctly what you said in 1st post, just open it with winrar, look for Data-app, then adding apk files on app section/folder inside the zip files, i just try once again to make sure, and i just add 1 different apk file, but still not work, btw i always use this same method before when I' want to replace boot animation for ICS CM9 ROM and adding some apk file to ROM file, and it's always work.
cheatman said:
I have also re-upped the DATA CWM zip, maybe it got borked in the process. So download again from first post. It works on my tab. You can test it by just getting the zip and flashing it empty, like that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
will try this one..,
EDIT: have try your 2nd Data_skeleton.zip, it's work when flashing from cwm with or without add apk files, but not with previous zip file, thought the problem it's coming from your zip file..,

Glad the second one works!
Thanks for letting me know the first zip was borked!

Its a good thread man, makes creating flash able zips simple, you should also look into zipsigner2 on the play market
Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk 2 Beta-2

Thx for the great work!!
Does this one only works for apks?? say i would like to add some files to system/bin or system/lib what do i need to add??
Thx again

You need to create the appropriate folder structure on your PC/Laptop/Mac drive (system/bin or system/lib as per your example) and add it to the archive.
Do not create the folders directly inside the archive as they seem to get borked. Instead archive the folders after you create them locally. It also works if you extract the skeleton archive as an example, delete the "system" folder from inside it and add to the archive the system folder from your drive to replace the original one.
Sounds more complicated than it is. With these CWM Zips you can create any zip that changes either "/data/*" or "/system/*"
Anything, including full ROMs, libs, firmware etc (i.e. except kernel!) can go inside. Play with them. You can't mess your tab with them. Worst case, you need to flash again your ICS copy and factory reset...
Peace,
C.

yeah jejeje i just mess up i am trying to flash a sound driver for my phone (by the way it works in my live with walkman) but they are not working so.
but it is great because i was able to use your file to flash my phone it seems to be universal.
thx again for your work.

Is it possible for this to work for radio images?
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk 2 Beta-5

No, it can't be used for radio images.
First off, radio images need to be flashed (i.e. not copied to a folder as this script does) and secondly because as far as I know with the latest versions of CWM don't support this anymore.
The old zips used to flash radio don't seem to be supported anymore. I recently encountered this problem while flashing a friend's HTC Buzz/Wildfire. So, no, I have no idea how to flash radio using CWM anymore. You can flash using Odin, though...
Peace,
C.

cheatman said:
You need to create the appropriate folder structure on your PC/Laptop/Mac drive (system/bin or system/lib as per your example) and add it to the archive.
Do not create the folders directly inside the archive as they seem to get borked. Instead archive the folders after you create them locally. It also works if you extract the skeleton archive as an example, delete the "system" folder from inside it and add to the archive the system folder from your drive to replace the original one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, this explains how come my /system/app zips were coming out fine but my /system/framework were messed up, thanks for the explanation.
I wonder if it's possible for a small tutorial in how to add our own text to a zip when it's being flashed.

I guess I could reupload the zips without the intro section (stating my nickname and galaxy tab / version etc.) if I weren't so lazy...
The problem with changing the text is that although a tutorial can be made, it requires external tools and such, which would make this waaay to complicated and out of the scope of this thread.
For your purposes (I assume you are using some version of Windows), here's my advice: extract the Zip archive, look for the "updater-script" file, change it and make sure you run it through a "dos2unix" tool to convert CR/LFs. Then add it back to the archive.
To everyone else: if this doesn't work for you, just stick to adding apps to the zip. You should be safe, there's no need to edit any files anyway!
Peace,
C.

Great, apparently it was just that simple, worked great, <3

Dumb question - is this only for Galaxy tab? Or can I use it on my Captivate?

[Q] HTC Locations' App. on other Custom ROMs

Hi,
I need to install HTC's Locations app on any custom ROM (ie: MyOneV or CM9/CM10)
So any1 can help me with this ?
(i tried it though, by moving these files (from MyOneV5.0FX Removed apks) htclocation.apk,locationpicker.apk,locatiooninstaller.apk in System/app folder bt it didn't worked)

When you move those files to system app manually, you need to put right permission rw-r--r-- then reboot.
Or the simplest way is, open the Removed_Apks_RC5.x.zip with 7-zip (not extract), delete all apks that you don't need and leave those location files in zip.
Then flash the zip in recovery.
And these files will not work on a CM rom.

ckpv5 said:
When you move those files to system app manually, you need to put right permission rw-r--r-- then reboot.
Or the simplest way is, open the Removed_Apks_RC5.x.zip with 7-zip (not extract), delete all apks that you don't need and leave those location files in zip.
Then flash the zip in recovery.
And these files will not work on a CM rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
:good:
Thankz
I tried that too, by removing all apks from zip keeping the said three files & flash it in recovery, still it doesn't appeared in apps!
Though i'll try again may b missed something or some file..

I just tried it, it works.
Your filename looks different, attached here the files from the Removed_Apks_RC5.x.zip, I named it to location.zip. Flash in recovery.

It Worked: Thanx