[TRICK] How to avoid Google Play Service update - Galaxy Y GT-S5360 General

In /data/app folder make a new folder with name com.google.android.gms-1.apk
(to make the folder use a file manager app or the command "su" followed by "mkdir /data/app/com.google.android.gms-1.apk" with a Terminal Emulator app and Busybox installed.
NOTE: Making a new folder in /data partition require root permissions so the Andriod system must be rooted first)
That's it!
------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello everyone,
owners of smartphone with very limited internal storage, like Galaxy Y, will likely end up to be concerned of every single MB of free space lost; and the more the concern as the free space is getting closer to zero.
So there I am too.
I've put lot of effort to optimize the use of my Galaxy Y internal storage (/system, /data and /cache partitions all together) and I'm proud to have more than 50% of internal storage free and I like to have it that way for as long time as possibile.
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Yesterday I had a very bad surprise... I suddenly lost 55% (actually 55MB) of free space for some unknow reason
Later, it turned out that the reason was that the Google Play Service had been silently updated in the background without any notification.
Actually the footprint of newer version of Google Play Service has a huge increase of 28MB... almost +78%!
The new apk size is 15MB bigger and a system integration of the update not only might likely eats up all the free space available in the /system partition, but still will need to use additional 13MB in /data partition.
Uninstalling the update was just a matter of tapping one button... but then another background update would have happen soon after.
So, to prevent the update from happening again, I used the same kind of trick used to avoid the self update of Google Play Store, as explained here [TRICK] How to stop Google Play Store self update - easy!
That's all folks!
Bye!

What I used to do was uninstall the Google play services
Then open YouTube
It will say you have to install Google play services
Click the link to install it & it will allow you to download it from the playstore
You can then move or link it to sd card with link2sd
I prefer always having the latest versions of apps as they tend to eliminate bugs - yes it might be a larger file size but you can move or link the apk to sd

Thanks for the hint Marcus
I simply hate when my device is modified without my previous consent.
I want to be the one who decide what to update and when to update because each update might have a cost (in terms of storage space, in terms of data plan usage, in terms of risks of unexpected apps or system errors).
Furthermore I've put lot of effort to make my phone system configuration in such a way that it can still be fully functional even without SD (as in case of a SD failure) or with a brand new empty one; so I've put all the most important applications (Internet browser, Youtube, Google Play Store, Google Play Service, Shake Calc, QuickPic, Maps, GMail, QuickOffice, FM radio, Camera, Root Explorer, Tethering Widget, Terminal Emulator, Flashlight, VNC_Server, SSHDroid, VoipCheapGlobal and few others) in /system and /data partitions and there I want them to stay
All the best!

marcussmith2626 said:
What I used to do was uninstall the Google play services
Then open YouTube
It will say you have to install Google play services
Click the link to install it & it will allow you to download it from the playstore
You can then move or link it to sd card with link2sd
I prefer always having the latest versions of apps as they tend to eliminate bugs - yes it might be a larger file size but you can move or link the apk to sd
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
how to stop play services auto update???????????

What I found was that on my custom rom (cm 10.1.3) google play services was installed as /system/app/GmsCore.apk which was the version that I had installed when I flashed a gapps zip file right after I had initially installed the rom. If I only had this version installed then the play store app would not auto-update google play services. However as soon as I updated google play services from the play store manually it was installed as /data/app/com.google.android.gms-1.apk and as long as it was installed here the play store would auto-update it whenever it wanted without asking or informing me. I even tried doing chattr +i com.google.android.gms-1.apk as some other people have mentioned but then it would just install the new version as com.google.android.gms-2.apk, etc...
I clicked on "uninstall updates" for the google play services app and it removed the /data/app/com.google.android.gms-1.apk file and went back to not auto updating. The problem is that I wanted to use some google apps that would not work with the older /system/app/GmsCore.apk version but I wanted to install a slightly newer version but not have it get auto-updated.
So what I ended up doing was to get the slightly newer version and copy it to /system/app/GmsCore.apk. As long as there is no google services apk in /data/app/ it seems that it will not get auto-updated. This allows me to maintain control over when/if It ever gets updated.
Also note that I have applied a no self-update patch from lucky patcher to my google play store (v4.3.11). I don't know if this is also needed to prevent googleplay services from auto updating.
The reason that I do not want to use the recent (>=4.4) versions of google play services is that they now include a firmware updater service that was transferring a ton of data in the background for no reason as mentioned here. The slightly older version that I am now using (4.3.25) does not have this.
I could have just disabled the service but if it is allowed to auto-update itself then it is possible that it will just get re-enabled or some other battery draining/data using feature will get added.
I would rather maintain control over all the software that is installed on my device instead of allowing google to do whatever they want without asking or even informing me.
Basically if you have the google play store app installed on your phone it allows google to install whatever they want on your phone whenever they want without your consent or notification. (unless you do a lot of hacking to disable it)
This seems pretty crazy to me and I am not sure if most people realize this. Who owns your phone? Is it you or google?
Sorry about the rant...

Hi garbb,
thanks for posting your rant it provides some interesting infos on different scenario than mine which is stock rom with Google Play service installed in system folder.
I also like to express my agreement on the reasons you stated that had led you to find a way to stop the self auto update.
I guess that the patch you applied with lucky patcher is what prevents the auto update to work.
But basically the trick that I posted here should work on your system too as it actually prevent the update process to copy the new updated version of the app in the destination folder that is /data/app
If Google Play Service is been updated once already (so there's a apk in /system and one in /data/app) then the the latest installed version is already named com.google.android.gms-1.apk and placed in /data/app so the update process will name the new updated apk as com.google.android.gms-2.apk.
So, in order to make the update process to fail you just have to make a /data/app/com.google.android.gms-2.apk folder.
Or you might want to integrate to /system the updated version that you like to have (eventually by using link2SD or Titanium Backup), then make /data/app/com.google.android.gms-1.apk folder to make to fail future auto update attempts.

rahul54321 said:
how to stop play services auto update???????????
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Trick doesn't work.

Verrocio said:
Trick doesn't work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, it's possible that the trick doesn't work for you (there's also a chance that as for garbb user you have to change the folder name digit to something greater than 1) but that doesn't mean that it doesn't work for everyone.
For me it works and I proved it on a youtube video that shows how to use the same trick to make the Google Play Store update to fail.
It would be nice if you can provide some more infos on your smartphone OS and Google Play Service version, just for the record and to get some clues on why eventually the trick doesn't work for you.

halnovemila said:
Well, it's possible that the trick doesn't work for you (there's also a chance that as for garbb user you have to change the folder name digit to something greater than 1) but that doesn't mean that it doesn't work for everyone.
For me it works and I proved it on a youtube video that shows how to use the same trick to make the Google Play Store update to fail.
It would be nice if you can provide some more infos on your smartphone OS and Google Play Service version, just for the record and to get some clues on why eventually the trick doesn't work for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've tried both 5.0.89 and 6.1.88 (034) , nexus one, with latest euroskank rom from october. Also tried disable from play store on top of this "trick". The gms updates itself every time. I wouldn't mind it so much but it doesn't ask me and i want full control over whats happening on my device but still keep access to device manager.
edit: also tried with stock cm and marketupdater frozen on both, same result.

Verrocio said:
I've tried both 5.0.89 and 6.1.88 (034) , nexus one, with latest euroskank rom from october. Also tried disable from play store on top of this "trick". The gms updates itself every time. I wouldn't mind it so much but it doesn't ask me and i want full control over whats happening on my device but still keep access to device manager.
edit: also tried with stock cm and marketupdater frozen on both, same result.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I'm not really an expert on custom roms, and I never heard of euroskank so I did what I always do... a Google search
What I found is a site that provides cyanogenmod roms, so if that's the case we can wait for garbb and see if he has any good news that can be useful for you too Verrocio
In my case I'm using stock rom for Galaxy Y, and Google Play Service ver. 5.0.89 hasn't got an auto update anymore since I used the trick I posted above.

halnovemila said:
Well, I'm not really an expert on custom roms, and I never heard of euroskank so I did what I always do... a Google search
What I found is a site that provides cyanogenmod roms, so if that's the case we can wait for garbb and see if he has any good news that can be useful for you too Verrocio
In my case I'm using stock rom for Galaxy Y, and Google Play Service ver. 5.0.89 hasn't got an auto update anymore since I used the trick I posted above.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You may want to consider going to 6.1.88 since it was the last cleanup version in its "class" to include http>>s<< api support. (from what we can tell by the changelogs)
But the jury is still out on that.

Verrocio said:
You may want to consider going to 6.1.88 since it was the last cleanup version in its "class" to include http>>s<< api support. (from what we can tell by the changelogs)
But the jury is still out on that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, actually on devices as Galaxy Y with only 222MB storage space for system partition and only 190MB for data partition, apps footprints (use of storage space) is a concern and that's actually why I didn't like the update in first place as I stated in my 1st post here.
Moreover I don't really need much Google Play Services api(s) as I have only three apps that can't work properly if Google Play Service isn't available and I almost never use those apps so I even keep Google Play Service in "disabled" state (frozen) so it doesn't even use RAM and CPU for its many background services that I don't need.

halnovemila said:
Well, actually on devices as Galaxy Y with only 222MB storage space for system partition and only 190MB for data partition, apps footprints (use of storage space) is a concern and that's actually why I didn't like the update in first place as I stated in my 1st post here.
Moreover I don't really need much Google Play Services api(s) as I have only three apps that can't work properly if Google Play Service isn't available and I almost never use those apps so I even keep Google Play Service in "disabled" state (frozen) so it doesn't even use RAM and CPU for it's many background services that I don't need.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well the next two cleanup versions after are 6.5 and 6.7(which just came out last week). Both are more memory hoggy than 6.1.88
If you don't want to install it i might suggest keeping a archived copy of it around with system panel.
My device has limited re-sources same as yours so i FEEL YOUR PAlN.
EDIT: By the way i retried the folder trick with both -1 and -2 + disabled hopefully this time it sticks!

This is a very interesting topic to me. Subscribing. I currently have all google apps disabled or uninstalled and using exchange for calendar and contacts sync. No report yet on how well it works tho. I dont like googles tactics in keeping hold of my android so I hope to see more from this thread.

ElwOOd_CbGp said:
This is a very interesting topic to me. Subscribing. I currently have all google apps disabled or uninstalled and using exchange for calendar and contacts sync. No report yet on how well it works tho. I dont like googles tactics in keeping hold of my android so I hope to see more from this thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Elwood,
nice to see you are interested on the topic but I wonder what more you could find on this thread as it's just about a trick that makes to fail the automatic background updates of Google Play Service app.
I suppose the posts you'll find here will be somewhat like "Good! it works" or "too bad, it doesn't work"
My personal choice is to use the same trick for both Google Play Service and Google Play Store.
Then I usually keep Google Play Service "disabled/frozen", and I unfreeze it at the need.
I made a couple of Terminal Emulator app shortcuts so that with a single touch I can have the following commands executed
Freeze
Code:
clear ; pm disable com.google.android.gms ; echo ; echo Press any key to continue... ; read anykey ; exit
UnFreeze
Code:
clear ; pm enable com.google.android.gms ; echo ; echo Press any key to continue... ; read anykey ; exit
Those commands have to be executed as root so Terminal Emulator must have the "Initial command" preference set as
Code:
su ; exit

You'll cry after you read this
My Google Play Services app got a whopping internal memory of 114 MB!
Can i still updates apps if i do this TRICK? Not rooted tried with KingRoot but failed at least 3 times hence the name of my username/profile.
Was before but unrooted and uninstalled a few weeks earlier.

Failed Root Advocate said:
My Google Play Services app got a whopping internal memory of 114 MB!
Can i still updates apps if i do this TRICK? Not rooted tried with KingRoot but failed at least 3 times hence the name of my username/profile.
Was before but unrooted and uninstalled a few weeks earlier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry but as stated in the 1st post you need root priviliges in order to make a new folder in the internal memory /data partition.
Anyway the answer to your question is "yes"; you can still update all other apps because making the empty folder in /data/app that exactly matches the app package filename will make the update to fail only on that one app only.

Hello,
I've been searching for days to find out where GooglePlayServices apk located but failed. But i could not find it anywhere, even in /system/app/ folder and /system/pri-app/
Could you help me with this?
Thanks with best regards,

Cuong Phan said:
Hello,
I've been searching for days to find out where GooglePlayServices apk located but failed. But i could not find it anywhere, even in /system/app/ folder and /system/pri-app/
Could you help me with this?
Thanks with best regards,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
/system/priv-app/GmsCore

ElwOOd_CbGp said:
/system/priv-app/GmsCore
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gratefully thank you, you save my time. In Android 6.0, it is PrebuiltGmsCore.

Related

[TRICK] How to stop Google Play Store self update - easy!

In /data/app folder make a new folder with name com.android.vending-1.apk
(to make the folder use a file manager app or the command "su" followed by "mkdir /data/app/com.android.vending-1.apk" with a Terminal Emulator app and Busybox installed.
NOTE: Making a new folder in /data partition require root permissions so the Andriod system must be rooted first)
That's it!
Hello everyone,
owners of smartphone with very limited internal storage, like Galaxy Y, will likely end up to be concerned of every single MB of free space lost; and the more the concern as the free space is getting closer to zero.
So there I am too.
I've put lot of effort to optimize the use of my Galaxy Y internal storage (/system, /data and /cache partitions all together) and I'm proud to have more than 50% of internal storage free and I like to have it that way for as long time as possibile.
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One day, few weeks ago, I got very disappointed when I realized that I suddenly lost 15% (actually 15MB) of free space for some unknow reason
Later, it turned out that the reason was that the Google Play Store had been silently updated in the background without any notification.
Actually the footprint of newer version of Google Play Store is only 4MB bigger but as the previous version was installed in /system partition then the update process doesn't actually perform a replacement of the old installation with the new one, but it just add the newer app leaving the old installation untouched (that means leaving in place the old apk file along with its davilk-cache file) but marked as disabled.
Uninstalling the update (that in my opinion, for my needs and usage, was useless) was just a matter of tapping one button... but then another background update would have happen soon after.
So, as I didn't find any related option in Google Play Store settings, I immediately started a Google search to find a way to prevent/avoid/stop any further self update.
What I've found is only two solutions:
- one is about to freeze/disable the app that manage the update of Google Play Store; but this app doesn't longer exist or it's used as the latest Google Play Store app handle the self update by its own.
- the other one is to make a "dummy" file in /data/app that will make the installation of the update to fail as the required name for the new apk is already in use by the dummy file.
Unfortunately for those smartphones, like the Samsung Galaxy Y, where the /data partition is formatted RFS (Robust File System from Samsung; basically a FAT 16/32 based file system with a sort of journalling system on it) this solution doesn't work because RFS doesn't support the immutable file attribute and therefore the "chattr +i" command will fail.
If the dummy file isn't set as immutable then the installation task will be able to delete it and make the new apk in /data/app folder.
As an attempt to make the second solution, the "dummy file solution", to work with my Galaxy Y, I made the immutable dummy file in another partition then I created a link in /data/app pointing to that file.
But that didn't work... same as for the not immutable dummy file, the link can be deleted by the installation task that will then proceed till completion.
So what to try next?
From what I've read around seems that there's no solution; owners of Galaxy Y (that didn't reformat the /data partition with a Ext2/3/4) and other smartphone with RFS filesystem are simply out of luck.
True?
No! False!
I then remembered the days I used to make a autorun.inf folder in the root of my FAT32 formatted USB thumbdrive to prevent removable drive spreading viruses to make their own autorun.inf file in the thumbdrive.
So... why not to try the same trick to make the installation of the Google Play Store update to fail due to the impossibility to make it's own com.android.vending-1.apk file in /data/app folder?
Tried it...
and tested...
SUCCESS! :victory:
As a side note I want to point it out that this trick doesn't prevent the Google Play Store to try to self update and download the latest installer in the /cache folder.
Anyway I've observed that after the first failure of the update there are no further update attempts neither new downloads... at least for a while (maybe till next new version will be released?)
I don't know how long it takes, after the first update failure, for the downloaded apk in /cache folder to be automatically deleted... if ever; so I advise you to give a look at the /cache folder and manually delete it if still there.
That's all folks!
Bye!
Why don't you just integrate update to system with link2sd app
It will just replace the system app with the new update - you get the latest update and you not using any extra space with two versions of the app
Root required & restart after integrating (or it will force close)
That could be done, of course, but still there's a loss of 2MB of free space in /data and 2MB in /system due to the bigger footprint of the latest version.
Anyway is completely up to a personal choice if to upgrade or not.
The point here is that if someone doesn't want Google Play Store to self update now there's a known way to do so
Another way to do this is to did a modded play store apk here on XDA. A modded apk has been signed with a different key and therefore it cannot be updated by Google.
Uninstall any updates to the Play Store and put the modded apk in the system apps folder replacing the one on your phone, make a backup just in case. Reboot and you should have a play store that doesn't update.
Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk
good trick bro :highfive:
save quota internet
vin2m said:
good trick bro :highfive:
save quota internet
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
:highfive:
Thanks for the highfive bro
Anyway I'm afraid that, as I pointed out at the bottom of my 1st post, even if the trick makes the update to fail (same as per the immutable "dummy file" trick) but it doesn't prevent Google Play Store to download the newer version (9MB of data or more) for the upgrade attempt; so the Internet quota is still affected.
How to stop updating play store WITHOUT root .. I need to have 4.x.x. installed but it auto updates to 5.x.x how to stop it
(cannot root my phone)
thnx
I'm sorry but I'm afraid that without root privileges there's no way to avoid the self update of Google Play Store as this app is designed to self update and doesn't expose any option/settings that the user might use in order to disable that function.
So, as the self update can't be disabled by power of user account, it's required to operate at system level and therefore root privileges are needed.
halnovemila said:
I'm sorry but I'm afraid that without root privileges there's no way to avoid the self update of Google Play Store as this app is designed to self update and doesn't expose any option/settings that the user might use in order to disable that function.
So, as the self update can't be disabled by power of user account, it's required to operate at system level and therefore root privileges are needed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fuking google bas****ds are they ?
Wow, sneaky! This is obviously a far superior solution to my chattr method. Wish I'd thought of it!
this fix is no longer working it still forced the new version right after the commands
RemixedCat said:
this fix is no longer working it still forced the new version right after the commands
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi RemixedCat,
I've tried just now to install the latest version of GPS (6.0.5) and the installation fails with the usual "Out of space" error (as shown on the video I published) due to the presence of the empty dummy folder.
If the folder is removed the installation completes without errors.
So the trick still works.
If it doesn't work for you maybe your Android configuration is different from mine, or you made a mistake on following the given instruction.
In order to figure out why in your case the update still take places and then try to give you some advices, please tell us:
- what's the Android version running in your phone
- if it's rooted
- what's the GPS version installed
- if the GPS currently installed is an update or not
-if you want to keep the current update or not
- if the GPS currently installed is installed as System app or User app
- what's the apk filename of the currently installed GPS.
You might want to install Link2SD to check the informations related to the currently installed GPS.
LOL
Very funny... all the people that post here or on my video comments saying that the trick doesn't work, once they get an answer from me with few advices on how to make it to work, they almost never care to reply again.
Did my advices worked out so that the initial statement of "it doesn't work" has proved wrong? or they didn't even care to read my reply or to follow my advices or to give positive feedback in case they finally have been able to have the trick to work as supposed?
Only God knows
I'm having trouble with this as well. I have replaced my preloaded GPlay store apk under /system/priv-app/Phonesky with a 8.10.30 apk - and created folders in /data/app/ named "com.android.vending" "com.android.vending-1" "com.android.vending-2" and the same with .apk on the end of the file name. I used terminal emulator and the su command, and even tried chattr +i - but still, google Play Store silently updates itself after a while and I get a new "com.android.vending-3" folder with the new apk in it. I'm at my wits end at this point. I don't want any newer versions of the store because they cause horrible battery drain on my M7, whereas 8.10.30 gives me no trouble. But without the folder trick working, my only hope seems to be to use LuckyPatcher to try and disable autoupdating that way.
And I honestly am yet to see a download source for LuckyPatcher that looks the least bit trustworthy.
Aaren11 said:
I don't want any newer versions of the store because they cause horrible battery drain on my M7, whereas 8.10.30 gives me no trouble
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Aaren11
I don't know a single thing about M7, except that it's not a Galaxy Y phone and that for sure, according to what you said, the Android version running on your phone is different from the stock Galaxy Y Android version which is Gingerbread 2.3.1.
In Android 2.3.1 user apps apk file are stored in /data/app folder while in your case, according to your post, the app apk is stored in a subfolder of that path, so instead of /data/app/com.android.vending-1.apk you have /data/app/com.android.vending-1/<something_here>.apk
This changes the scenario quite much.
I did a bit of search on Google to figure out what's your Android version and what's the default apps apk store folder without having to ask to you and waiting for your reply.
What I found out is that M7 is an HTC made Android phone, and is running Android KitKat 4.4 or above.
According to what i've found in Android 4.4 the apps apk file path should be like this:
/data/app/com.android.vending-1/base.apk
where the apk file name is not <app_name>.apk but just base.apk.
Is that correct Aaren11?
Is the file name of the apk you found in /data/app/com.android.vending-3 folder, base.apk?
So, let's try to adjust the trick to match your system.
- First of all switch off your phone Wifi and uninstall the GPS update.
- Clean the /data/app folder from all the com.android.vending???? folders you previously made.
- Make this new empty foders /data/app/com.android.vending/base.apk and /data/app/com.android.vending-1/base.apk
- To try if the trick works, instead of waiting for the next auto update that you don't know when exactly is going to happen, go download the GPS apk, move it to your phone via bluetooth, or USB or SDcard and install it.
Btw my Google search didn't result in any GPS version above 6.0.5 which seems to me to be the latest so I really wonder how is possible your GPS version is 8.10.30 unless that's not the GPS version but another related number you read somewhere else.
Anyway you can download the latest GPS version APK from here http://www.androidapksfree.com/apk/google-play-store-apk-latest-version-download/
- Post here the outcome of the attempt.
If the trick works the apk installation should fail with a "out of space" error message.
Good luck!
Thanks for the reply halove,
Honestly I suspected that simply altering the tweak to fit the different file structure might work, but at the same time because every single post on this matter I've seen so far referenced the same set of folders with the .apk extension - I also was under the impression that their precise location was mandatory to the functioning of the fix. I'll try fitting with my current file structure and seeing if I have any success.
Just to answer some of your queries. The M7 runs up to Android 5.0.2, at least that's as far as HTC has deined to bless us with OTA's, anything beyond that requires a custom ROM.
And my google play services is indeeed 8.3.00, I was confusing it and my Play Store version of 5.10.30. Last I checked Play services only goes up to 8.4.89.
Yeah no luck there I'm afraid.
Doesn't matter how many 'com.android.vending' or 'com.google.android.gms' directories with 'base.apk's I make - there is always a new one created, and the update is installed. I went all the way up to 'com.android.vending-5' and it still persists creating a sixth directory and auto updating. Again, I'd have no problem with this, were it not for the fact that I get rediculously high cpu usage on anything above 5.10.30 and 8.1.14 - nevermind the inability to opt out of this update, or the rumours that Google keeps pushing new hidden features that I don't want collecting my personal information.
I've tried even intergrating the 5.10.30 / 8.1.14 apk's into /system/priv-app/ but neither copying the files directly out of /data/app/ and renaming them appropriatley, or using TiBu's 'intergrate to ROM' option seems to work.
I really am at my wits end here.
Hi Aaren11,
well, honestly I wasn't much confident the trick could work in your case (and in any Android 4.4 or above) because the failure would happen if in the folder the package installer is going to save the app apk file, there's already "something" (either a file or a folder) that already uses the same filename of the apk that has to be saved.
But given that the package installer makes a new empty folder where to store the apk, then there inside won't be anything that will interfere with the installer.
In earlier Android versions seems that the package installer doesn't recognize the existence of the dummy folder because, in order to chose the apk file name, the installer check only the existing FILES and there names, so it skip the folders... but when it's time to "write" the file, the presence of the folder with same name will make the installation to fail.
But in Android 4.4 for sure the package installer will check the folders name first, in order to chose the name of the folder that it will make to store the apk file inside.
So the dummy folder will be recognized and "skipped" by making a new empty folder with a different name.
So there's one last hope.
If in pre 4.4 Android the trick works because the installer check for existing files but not for existing folders, maybe in 4.4 the trick could work if the installer check ONLY for existing folders and NOT for existing files.
So here's the plan
Delete all the dummy folders you made.
In /data/app make a dummy file (a empty text file) and give it the name of the folder the installer will likely use (com.android.vending, com.android.vending-1).
If the installer won't recognize it, then likely it will fail when it will attempt to make the folder.
If it recognize it and will delete it first, then you have to make it undeletable by power of the "immutable" flag that you can set on the file using the chattr +i command; given that the /data partition is formatted with an Ext filesystem.
Once again... good luck!
halnovemila said:
Hi Aaren11,
Delete all the dummy folders you made.
In /data/app make a dummy file (a empty text file) and give it the name of the folder the installer will likely use (com.android.vending, com.android.vending-1).
If the installer won't recognize it, then likely it will fail when it will attempt to make the folder.
If it recognize it and will delete it first, then you have to make it undeletable by power of the "immutable" flag that you can set on the file using the chattr +i command; given that the /data partition is formatted with an Ext filesystem.
Once again... good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sadly, still no dice.
Even just using the installer apk for a more up to date version of Play Store, it simply creates a new folder, numerated after the files I've made. I created:
com.android.vending
com.android.vending-1
com.android.vending-2
As blank files without an extension. And the installer simply creates a 'com.android.vending-3' folder and installs there.
I'm going to try again with dummy base.apk files in the appropriate folders - but I doubt it'll work. The installer clearly seems capable of distinguishing dummy folders and files, and simply creating a new directory every time.
Edit: No luck with that route either. The installer still simply creates a new, sequential directory and installs to that. At this stage it looks like the only way to get out of either app auto updating silently would be to block that process from starting entirley, because simply trying to trick it with misleading directories clearly isn't going to work. I think I'm going to have to give lucky patcher another go. Thanks google -_ -
Aaren11 said:
The installer clearly seems capable of distinguishing dummy folders and files, and simply creating a new directory every time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah, I don't think the package installer cares about the files and folders it finds in /data/app, either real or dummy... what the installer does is just to check the existing filenames so to make a proper new one.
And the trick works only if the package installer can't "see" the dummy folder/file before its attempt to make the new folder/file.
So, seems that the package installer of Android 4.4 (and above) is a bit smarter than the one that comes with earlier versions.
I was wondering if there's a way to "hide" the dummy folder/file to the package installer so it will end up to make a new folder that will actually match the dummy filename incurring in a system error, and then the failure.
Unfortunately there's no such a "hidden" attribute to files/folders in Android OS.
Removing all the read,write,execute permissions on a file/folder doesn't prevent to list those file/folders along the rest of the directory content.
At this point I only wonder if the package installer might fail because the new folder name it has to make has a "split" number (-1,-2...) that exceed an internal limit.
So, let's say that package installer can handle names till two digits split (-99), what will happen if there's a dummy folder with name com.android.vending-99?
Will the installation fail? or the installer will go further and will make a com.android.vending-100 folder?
How about com.android.vending-999?
Can you try this?
Make dummy folders with name com.android.vending-9, com.android.vending-99,com.android.vending-999,com.android.vending-9999,com.android.vending-99999,com.android.vending-999999 and see what will happen once again

Can't Uninstall Apps from Play Store (and more frequent app update/install failures)

Hi there,
Recently I saw that I cannot uninstall apps from the Google Play store. Usually when viewing an app that is installed on my device, there are options for "open" or "uninstall".
The "uninstall" option is not present right now. I noticed this only a day ago (relative to the post date of this post)
The only major changes I know I have made to my device are that I moved a few apps to the "2nd partition" of the SD card via Link2SD, and I put a large amount of videos on the main partition of my SD card (though I don't know why this would affect Google Play not being able to uninstall stuff)
I have a rooted Tab S running stock (no custom ROMs), and I am running Lollipop and have disabled OTA updates
Any ideas?
I am in the same boat RE missing the uninstall option in Google Play Store. I even did a clean re-install of the ROM (IronRom 2.5) I'm using, with no success.
Hopefully the option reappears again soon. It's a pain to have to uninstall via settings.
EDIT: Also having the same issue on my old Motorola Xoom tablet that my daughter is now using - running OmniRom 4.4.4.
Have you done anything like moving apps using Link2SD or anything?
I think this could be a cause for this problem...
I recently uninstalled Link2SD from my device and since then the Uninstall option has come back in Google Play

Help Needed, Play Store Stops Working Everytime

As'slamu Allekum (Peace To You All)
I've got an Amazon Fire Phone 32GB and by seeing some tutorials i was enable to install play store in it, but after a day or two it stopped working, then i formated it and installed everything again, it worked fine for two days and after it again same happened, when i open play store it shows only white screen and nothing happens, no message, no errors, no caution, only a white screen, please help me out
Thanks In advance
Install Play Store as a system app, then use any file explorer with root access and go to: "/data/app" and create a new folder named "com.android.vending-1.apk. This will act as a placeholder to avoid auto updates until your problem is fixed.
Please provide more information about the GApps you have currently installed: write down the exact version number of the Play services, Play Store, Google account manager, etc. so it will be easier to locate the problem.
Please list also if you use any extended privacy tools or Xposed modules...

MTCD MicroG Install (Massive speed improvements)

So starting a new thread to collate all information regarding MicroG replacing google play services.
MTCD units running android lollipop are slow and sluggish due to google play services, you can either freeze/disable google play services and lose the ability to log in to maps and google now ect. Or you can go a bit further and replace it with MicroG.
https://microg.org/
More people need to test it and try out what does/does not work. My install wasn't super clean as I just figured it out as I went, so my "steps" are going to be a bit weird and if more people try/have better advice i'll amend as appropriate.
I installed from Malaysk's 10.8 rom.
I uninstalled all google apps I could find with titanium backup, google play services, google store, GmsCore, GoogleBackupTransport, GoogleFeedback, GoogleLoginService, GoogleOneTimeInitializer, GooglePartnerSetup, GoogleServicesFramework, Phonesky, SetupWizard and Velvet ect. You may not have all of these installed but if you have any of them, remove them.
I had issues removing google store and play services, I ended up having to freeze them with Titanium backup, rebooting, then uninstall, then rebooting.
Then you need to go into xposed and search for the module "FakeGApps by thermatk" , install it, activate it, reboot.
Now I installed f droid (https://f-droid.org/) and added the repo https://microg.org/fdroid/. Then installed the GmsCore, GsfProxy and FakeStore. Then rebooted.
Now it seemed to work-ish at this point. But if i tried to add a google account it got stuck at "please wait" loading. I then booted into recovery and whiped data/factory reset. Reinstalled gsfproxy and fake store, xposed FakeGApps ect, but when i tried to install GmsCore from f-droid, it never appeard for me to install. so I downloaded the latest PREVIEW RELEASE apk direct https://microg.org/download.html and installed that, rebooted and now it works perfectly.
The only issue i have found so far is google maps sometimes pops up saying "google maps isnt working do you want to close it?" when google maps is running fine so i just say no the once and all is ok. Based on this try the following steps to install.
These instructions assume you are using Malaysks lollipop rom!
1) use Titanium backup or root uninstaller ect to remove all google apps (GmsCore, GoogleBackupTransport, GoogleFeedback, GoogleLoginService, GoogleOneTimeInitializer, GooglePartnerSetup, GoogleServicesFramework, Phonesky, SetupWizard and Velvet ect)
2) reboot, ensure all google apps are removed (may need to freeze/disable any google apps not uninstalling first, then uninstalling)
2.5) Boot into recovery, delete all data/factory wipe option (you may be able to just wipe dalvik cache with a rooted app from the app store or similar instead, not tried, if anyone does let me know how it works.)
3) install FakeGApps by thermatk from xposed, activate, and reboot.
4) go to https://microg.org/download.html and download latest microG Services Core Preview release (not stable 0.2.4), microG Services Framework Proxy stable and microG Store (FakeStore release) stable.
5)Install the three apps, reboot.
6) Test if it works, try to go to settings -> accounts -> add account, add your google account and hopefully should all go ok.
There is a way to get the play store to work via blankstore, i have yet to try as I just use YALP store (https://f-droid.org/repo/com.github.yeriomin.yalpstore_12.apk) If you attempt to install blankstore let us know how it goes and how you did it.
Apps working:
Maps (works 100% with logged in account)
Google play music
Apps partially working
AutoMate (Works, and works really fast, except when go to the maps section, the map loads but is cut off at the top where the menu bar should be, then it has some issues displaying navigation fully and crashes when trying to manually set home/work locations in app. Needs more testing)
Apps not working:
Android Auto (wont get past first loading screen, may need to try alternative versions, needs more testing)
How to install Blankstore (working play store) Not tested!
Download blankstore apk
On Android 4.4 replace /system/app with /system/priv-app in the following instructions!
Installation instructions Requires Android 4.0.4+:
Remove old PlayStore/Market files if needed (using adb shell or as you like):
/system/app/Vending.apk
/system/app/Phonesky.apk
/system/app/com.android.vending.apk
/data/app/com.android.vending-*.apk
/data/data/com.android.vending (folder)
Copy new com.android.vending.apk to /system/app with permission 644 or rw-r--r--
Reboot
Generate an Android ID
Create an "Google Play Store for BlankStore"-Account via Settings/Accounts&Sync
Launch BlankStore from your Launcher.
To generate an android id:
On your PC:
Install Java (if not already done)
Download android-checkin-1.0.jar from here
On Windows: Download bla.bat into the same folder as android-checkin-1.0.jar and double click it
On Linux/OSX: Open a Terminal in the folder where android-checkin-1.0.jar is located and run
Code:
java -jar android-checkin-1.0.jar <email> <password>
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you check Google Play Music works ?
MicroG is a very effective tool as a means to not waste memory in google play services.
I have also experienced the problem of "Maps is not responding" like Dec64 said.
At this time, if Google MAP is running in the background, it stops automatically.
My experience does not stop automatically after Google MAP has been running for about 10 minutes.
By the way, this is an MTCD section but my unit is joying mtcb rk3188.
That is, the operation confirmation is obtained also with mtcb units.
Unfortunately I did not succeed in lollipop ROM(developed by Malaysk and Booroondooks)
Thank you Dec64 for creating a special thread.
I hope that you will be able to bring the experience of everyone and make the microG more stable on our car android.
RazGame said:
Can you check Google Play Music works ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Confirmed(even though I am a free trial)
Looks intereeting - Sounds complicated.
What if installation will fail? Alle google apps gone than.
Factory reset is not a good option. Re-install all apps incl. Tomtom with huge maps, aso...
At the moment i had deactivate google play services. The only thing thats missing to me is Mail support and Play store.
Quoted from Official site
"Store (Phonesky) is a frontend application providing access to the Google Play Store to download and update applications. Development is in early stage and there is no usable application yet."
makes2068 said:
Looks intereeting - Sounds complicated.
What if installation will fail? Alle google apps gone than.
Factory reset is not a good option. Re-install all apps incl. Tomtom with huge maps, aso...
At the moment i had deactivate google play services. The only thing thats missing to me is Mail support and Play store.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can download the apks from apkmirror or similar, or make backups of your current google apks. I think there is also packs of the gapps about for custom roms that aren't bundled with google services. At worst you reflash your rom.
Also just make a backup of your maps? That's what I did. Copy maps folder to SD card and back again.
For some users cutting google out by disabling google play services will be enough, but for other people who need/want to gain access to the entire android experience this is the only way i've found so far that comes close and enables a useable experience.
"Store (Phonesky) is a frontend application providing access to the Google Play Store to download and update applications. Development is in early stage and there is no usable application yet."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as I could tell from my little research, phonesky seems to be defunct old attempt, Blankstore is the useable open source play store. Or perhaps Phonesky is the newest version of Blankstore without a release, either way, Blankstore seems to be the only way to get Google Play Store.
Just spent 50 dollars for a 2GB upgrade, it solves all you problems
dude-nl said:
Just spent 50 dollars for a 2GB upgrade, it solves all you problems
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How ? Link ?
Sent from my Nexus 5X using XDA-Developers Legacy app
dude-nl said:
Just spent 50 dollars for a 2GB upgrade, it solves all you problems
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why spend $50 for 2GB when you can spend $40 for an easy PX5 swap? Check it out:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/an.../to-upgrade-mtcd-rk3188-5-1-1-to-px5-t3581741
Is it really that easy? Are alle boards and their connections the same so we can easily replace them?
Got an Erisin 3015. Will it work?
dongali said:
Why spend $50 for 2GB when you can spend $40 for an easy PX5 swap? Check it out:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/an.../to-upgrade-mtcd-rk3188-5-1-1-to-px5-t3581741
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would like to see pictures of the PX5 core board before buying one. I got to make sure it has the same connection terminals that my head unit has.
warata said:
Quoted from Official site
"Store (Phonesky) is a frontend application providing access to the Google Play Store to download and update applications. Development is in early stage and there is no usable application yet."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
dude-nl said:
Just spent 50 dollars for a 2GB upgrade, it solves all you problems
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends if an hour of your time is worth $50.
I do not think that memory expansion and microG are equivalent.
Will you buy memory again when Google Play services get more fat?
---------- Post added at 11:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:55 AM ----------
Today I challenged 511 ROM(Malaysk30_10_2016_MTCB) but I could not resolve "just a sec" isue again.
This problem does not occur in Kitkat ROM.And I gave up. Because it exceeds my ability.
I found that you can not use it unless you install at least microG servicecore and FakeStore(Or its equivalent apk).
Should be deleted
GmsCore(Google Play services)
GoogleBackupTransport
GoogleFeedback(Market Feedback Agent)
GoogleLoginService(Google Account Manager)
GoogleOneTimeInitializer
GooglePartnerSetup
GoogleServicesFramework
Phonesky(Google Play Store)
SetupWizard(I think that this is not included in the custom ROM)
Velvet(Google App)
I was able to get an account to sign in but Google Music says its unable to connect. Anyone run into this issue?
dongali said:
Why spend $50 for 2GB when you can spend $40 for an easy PX5 swap? Check it out:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/an.../to-upgrade-mtcd-rk3188-5-1-1-to-px5-t3581741
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Reading through the thread, I think this is only for headunits that are from HotAudio or MTCD-HA. I don't see any confirmation these would work with KDL or JY units. Mine is a JY unit so not sure it would work for people aside from those that have those particular units.
Will try the MicroG to see if that helps with the speed also.
Wout2426 said:
How ? Link ?
Sent from my Nexus 5X using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
https://forum.xda-developers.com/an...e-development/mtcb-c-d-2gb-ram-buy-2-t3512366
any new development on this??
Willing to donate if someone wants to take it up and make it work for MTCD units as intended.
masri1987 said:
any new development on this??
Willing to donate if someone wants to take it up and make it work for MTCD units as intended.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean? It does work as intended if you install it.
Only issues is microG isn't exactly the same as google play services so some apps that use certain elements of google play services will not run, nor ever run untill/if microG includes that level of API function or whatever is missing.

S5830: can I turn it into a satnav or have I killed it?

Hello, not sure this is the right section for this query; apologies if not.
I'll try to be as succinct as possible, and please bear in mind that I'm a total novice when it comes to pretty much everything technical.
I have an old S5830, unused for a number of years. I thought I might be able to install maps.me and/or osmand and use it as a satnav while cycling. Both these apps run offline and don't need a data connection.
I temporarily installed my current SIM to download maps.me, but insufficient internal storage. I tried rooting and using link2sd to move some of the bloatware, but couldn't get it to work.
As I had little to lose I then reset to factory, but that reverted to Google Market which wouldn't update to Play Store, so unable to download anything.
Next, following online instructions and assuming it would be more up to date, I installed a custom ROM ( TheUltimatum(V4.9)[-The’A’Factor].) and gapps-gb-20131214-signed to access Google Apps. That seemed to go alright, but again I'm stuck with Google Market and again it won't update to Play Store. I've tried using apk.s of the apps but they won't parse(?) so that hasn't worked. The impression I get is that the S5830 hardware is too old to run them; would that be right?
My ideal outcome would be to have it with the absolute minimal OS and no apps whatsoever save the maps. Failing that, can anyone advise me on what to do next, or is it a waste of time?
Thank you.

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