I tried to modify the LGSettings.apk with apktool (I copy the original file, edit and compile and the app finishes corrupted), also try with APK Editor using the XML editing option, but also without success (in end apk refuses to work), also already tried to give dalvik-cache after copy for system new LGSettings.apk .
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Hi all,
I tried to theme an apk (ie. SwitchPro), after some search I got ApkTool and Android-sign (osx droplet).
So to test if it worked I decompressed it using ApkTool and recompressed, then Signed.
During apk install it just says "App not installed".
What's wrong ?
Thanks
The problem i had was that the resulting .apk seemed a lot smaller than it should after recompileing with apktool. If you are just editing images i suggest extracting the images form the .apk. Then you edit as you like. Then open the original apk with WinRAR (or whatever you use) and simply add your edited images to the .apk file. Then install and it should work.
Hi there,
I am trying to learn all this theming and have started with the basics, the notification bar icons in framework-res.apk.
I can pull it from the phone, I can decompile it but I am having a challenge putting it all back together as I changed the number of images in a specific animation and then edited the XML file regarding that, but I think there must be other references to the files as now there are less files and the error log is saying it can't find the ones I removed (both the png's and the references in the one xml file) when trying to recompile.
Is there a master XML listing all the files expected or something.
many thanks in advance
David P
Let me guess you are using apktool?
What you need to do is take a clean version of the apk you want to edit. For arguments sake let's say you are editing framework-res.apk.
Decompile using apktool and make your edits to .xml files ONLY. Once done recompile using,
apktool b -f [foldername] framework-res.apk
Now this recompiled apk will probably not work. However the xml files will be properly recompiled. So now you extract the edited .xml files, add them to a clean unedited framework-res.apk (not a de and re copmpiled one) without extracting the .apk. Just add and replace the files using WinRar or whatever.
Also add your edited images to necessary folder in the clean .apk too. So the end result is a clean framework-res.apk that you have updated with your edited .xml files and edited images. This apk should function just fine!!
Sorry if this is a big mess but it makes sense to me and it works for me.
Thanks for the suggestion. I am not quite sure what I am using, I have tried ThemePro for windows and APKManager, both of which are just scripted batch files so I would need to check what they use to extract or decompile with.
So Basically, I decompile, edit the xml (while textual) then recompile so the XML's are binary again. Then pull the BINARY XML#'s from the APK and use those with all the appropriate files and folders which I then create a new clean APK from by zipping it and renaming to .apk, correct?
David P
ephumuris said:
Let me guess you are using apktool?
What you need to do is take a clean version of the apk you want to edit. For arguments sake let's say you are editing framework-res.apk.
Decompile using apktool and make your edits to .xml files ONLY. Once done recompile using,
apktool b -f [foldername] framework-res.apk
Now this recompiled apk will probably not work. However the xml files will be properly recompiled. So now you extract the edited .xml files, add them to a clean unedited framework-res.apk (not a de and re copmpiled one) without extracting the .apk. Just add and replace the files using WinRar or whatever.
Also add your edited images to necessary folder in the clean .apk too. So the end result is a clean framework-res.apk that you have updated with your edited .xml files and edited images. This apk should function just fine!!
Sorry if this is a big mess but it makes sense to me and it works for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A lot of thanks!!! I'm looking for an explanation like this, all that I try give me an unusable framework-res.apk and now I know why.
ephumuris said:
Now this recompiled apk will probably not work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Apktool creates "clean" apks as you name them. There is almost no difference between application built from sources or using apktool. And almost no logical difference between original apk and rebuilt one (for most apps, of course apktool doesn't support some of them).
If you are talking about system apps, then your problems are most probably related to incorrect way of installing resulting apk, not to it's structure. You can't reinstall system app easily and one of workarounds is to copy AndroidManifest.xml and META-INF from original file and push it to a device. Actually you did this using your method and I think this is the reason, why you think there is something wrong with apks built by apktool.
so I have started to edit xml files and so far I have used apk manager, but it often fails to complile the files afterwards, is there a better application out there to edit xml files ?
Hi,
I'm trying to make some changes to framework-res.apk.
I user APK Manager 4.9 to decompile the file, then made one trivial change to a XML file (changed one auto brightness related value).
I then compiled back to APK without signing and pushed to the phone in recovery mode the deleted Dalvik cache just to be on the safe side.
No matter how I play with it I always get FC from all the system apps immediately after the phone completes the boot process.
Some more information:
1. My original APK had directories like /res/drawable-hdpi-v4 while after decomplie they become res/drawable-hdpi (without the "v4")
2. After I recompile the "v4" directories are not created back and the generated APK contains the directories without the v4
3. If I use the "Reduce errors" feature of the APK manager complie option then I end up with APK that contains both the directories with v4 and those without.
4. I tried with the "reduce errors" option and without it (in which case I manually copied the signature directory into the APK) but got same FC.
5. It seems that once the FCs begin to happen they don't stop until a full nandroid restore. Even if I put the original framework.res.apk file I still get FCs after rebooting.
6. I'm using Revolution HD 2.0.11 ROM
7. The APK file I'm trying to modify was generated by the UOT kitchen.
Any idea what am I doing wrong?
No one knows?
erank said:
No one knows?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You dont need to decompile the framework to edit the files, heres the best way, take the the original framework-res.apk, and copy it to your pc, use 7zip to extract the .apk and extract any files you want to edit from the extracted framework, now go back to your original framework-res.apk and right click on it, find 7zip in the contex menu and click open, the contents of the apk will appear in a new window, now just drag and drop your edied files in the right directorys, once done, close 7zip, push the framework back to /system/framework/, wipe the dalvik cache and your done
AndroHero said:
You dont need to decompile the framework to edit the files, heres the best way, take the the original framework-res.apk, and copy it to your pc, use 7zip to extract the .apk and extract any files you want to edit from the extracted framework, now go back to your original framework-res.apk and right click on it, find 7zip in the contex menu and click open, the contents of the apk will appear in a new window, now just drag and drop your edied files in the right directorys, once done, close 7zip, push the framework back to /system/framework/, wipe the dalvik cache and your done
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The files I want to edit are XML files which are compiled to reasources.arsc, as far as I know 7zip can't extract those, it has to be decompiled.
erank said:
The files I want to edit are XML files which are compiled to reasources.arsc, as far as I know 7zip can't extract those, it has to be decompiled.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Too true, the only other thing you could try is to sign the .apk before pushing it....
Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk
AndroHero said:
Too true, the only other thing you could try is to sign the .apk before pushing it....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks AndroHero.
Everywhere I was looking they always say not to sign system APKs, but just to be sure I also tried signing it and not signing but copying the original META-INF directory - always got the same result - FC in all systems apps after boot.
I was looking to theming some of my apps & thought I'd start out simple. So I decomipiled my LGDownloadsUi.apk (pull from decompiled system.img) & copied the necessary framework files, installed them, and decompiled.
I looked in the res/values directory found the colors xml & changed the text color hex code.
Upon recompiling the values folder is not in the new apk. (Since it's a system app I need to copy the new xml from the newly compiled apk to the original to maintain the sig.) I tried simply deleting everything except for meta folder & moving everything over, but that result s in getting stuck in tmo splash screen. Am I missing something? Is editing the values xml files only viable in non system apk's? Do they get compiled into another file perhaps?
My device is a LG G3 D851 running MM 6.0
For decompiling I'm using the latest version of apktool.
Also I created a custom zip containing app & priv-app no framework, as my phone already has the framework files. Do I need to flash the same framework files from the decompiled system.img as well over my current ones? Thanks for any help.
TheLogicalGamer said:
I was looking to theming some of my apps & thought I'd start out simple. So I decomipiled my LGDownloadsUi.apk (pull from decompiled system.img) & copied the necessary framework files, installed them, and decompiled.
I looked in the res/values directory found the colors xml & changed the text color hex code.
Upon recompiling the values folder is not in the new apk. (Since it's a system app I need to copy the new xml from the newly compiled apk to the original to maintain the sig.) I tried simply deleting everything except for meta folder & moving everything over, but that result s in getting stuck in tmo splash screen. Am I missing something? Is editing the values xml files only viable in non system apk's? Do they get compiled into another file perhaps?
My device is a LG G3 D851 running MM 6.0
For decompiling I'm using the latest version of apktool.
Also I created a custom zip containing app & priv-app no framework, as my phone already has the framework files. Do I need to flash the same framework files from the decompiled system.img as well over my current ones? Thanks for any help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I discovered that you can edit those xml's build the apk, the copy android manifest.xml and meta folder into the build folder. Then rebuild the apk to avoid signature issues. Instead coping the edit xml's into the new apk.