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Changing Market App Icons

Hello,
I did some searching before posting this and have come up with little results that are working for me. I have been able to change my stock icon apps using the method on androidcentral (sorry, can not post links yet). However, trying the same thing with Free Market Apps, I have been unsuccessful.
I am able to get the com.*.*.apk file off of my phone, and can extract the res folder, but after editing and pushing the file back onto the phone, the application is "uninstalled." I believe that I have to sign the apk file again, which I've tried doing with no success.
What I do not understand, is the app Bettercut has the ability to change these Market App Icons, so I thought we should be able to do so as well. If anyone has any knowledge of how to do this, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks

Hey you
Change your graphics. Uninstall the app from your phone, put the edited .apk on your sd card and install it with astro (or another app that installs apk files). If you update from market you'll lose customizations.

Hiya.
Yeah, I tried that, but I keep getting unable to install. I do have non-market apps checked, but still no luck. I'm basically just editing the graphic from the com.*.*.apk file, opeing the com.*.*.apk file with 7zip, placing the new graphic in the res/drawable folder, closing 7zip, then I put the com.*.*.apk file onto my SD card (after uninstalling original app) then use astro to install. Doing this is not working. I thought I might have to sign the apk file, rename it or something. Not really sure at this point.

ccapasso said:
Hiya.
Yeah, I tried that, but I keep getting unable to install. I do have non-market apps checked, but still no luck. I'm basically just editing the graphic from the com.*.*.apk file, opeing the com.*.*.apk file with 7zip, placing the new graphic in the res/drawable folder, closing 7zip, then I put the com.*.*.apk file onto my SD card (after uninstalling original app) then use astro to install. Doing this is not working. I thought I might have to sign the apk file, rename it or something. Not really sure at this point.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got it to work by pushing the .apks back through adb and not using a File Manager. I changed a bunch of my Market icons without any problem. No fc's or install failures.

So say for example you were to change the Market Icon for Spare Parts. I assume you did the following:
Pulled com.androidapps.spare_parts.apk from /data/app
Edited the app_icon.png file within the res/drawable folder
Uninstalled Spare Parts
Pushed com.androidapps.spare_parts.apk back to /data/app
Or did you do it differently?
Thanks again for all the help on this. Not sure exactly what is going wrong on my end.

I never uninstalled the apk. I just drug a copy of the .apk to my computer, edited the image, and then pushed it back over the original one. Im in no way any kind of expert, but it worked when I did it.

Hmm. So are you going into /data/app and pulling the com.androidapps.spare_parts.apk (for example), editing, then pushing back w/ out signing or anything? I assume you are pushing back the same file, name exactly the same and everything.
So for example you would have pulled com.androidapps.spare_parts.apk from /data/app, edited the png within the apk file, then pushed com.androidapps.spare_parts.apk back to /data/app and it worked?
No rebooting, signing or anything?
I'm using Fresh 1.1 with MCK and again, do not have SD card partitioned for apps2sd yet.
Thanks again.

Yep, that's what I did. No updating, signing, nothin. I did reboot after I was all done. And I dont mess around with that apps2sd business either. So it should be the same.

gomorrah said:
I never uninstalled the apk. I just drug a copy of the .apk to my computer, edited the image, and then pushed it back over the original one. Im in no way any kind of expert, but it worked when I did it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow that worked pretty nicely! I was trying to change the little slide bar that moves as you change screens. I kept upzipping the file and modifying it, then rezipping and trying to reinstall. 7zip lets you modify the .apk with out opening it up...glad this subject came up and you answered this!

Ok. Step by step here is what I did just now:
1. adb pull /data/app/com.androidapps.spare_parts.apk C:\Users\Chris\Desktop
2. Used 7zip to open the apk file.
3. Moved my app_icon.png file into the res/drawable folder and overwrote the current one
4. adb push C:\Users\Chris\Desktop\com.androidapps.spare_parts.apk /data/app/
5. adb shell
6. reboot
Doing this did not work. It only made the icon on my home screen for Spare Parts go away, and the app is no longer listed as being installed. I can still see the file in my /data/app/ directory, but it is not installed or showing up anywhere.
Any ideas?

ccapasso said:
Ok. Step by step here is what I did just now:
1. adb pull /data/app/com.androidapps.spare_parts.apk C:\Users\Chris\Desktop
2. Used 7zip to open the apk file.
3. Moved my app_icon.png file into the res/drawable folder and overwrote the current one
4. adb push C:\Users\Chris\Desktop\com.androidapps.spare_parts.apk /data/app/
5. adb shell
6. reboot
Doing this did not work. It only made the icon on my home screen for Spare Parts go away, and the app is no longer listed as being installed. I can still see the file in my /data/app/ directory, but it is not installed or showing up anywhere.
Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try pulling the original icon and editing it. Just make it a solid black square. Then put it back in and push to the phone. Sounds like your new icon changes the filesize enough that it needs resigned.

Root Explorer not copying

Hi,
I tried to copy an API to /system/app, but when I did that, the screen just blinks, and the file is not pasted into the directory.
I had temp root, and had remounted R/W.
I eventually was able to do the copy by using ES Explorer, but not with RE itself.
Does anyone have any idea what might be wrong?
Thanks,
Jim

Don't know if this helps but... I recently tried to do some copying of files using AndRootFile, and RootExplorer. And like you they did not "take". I finally figured out that after I selected a file to copy, I would use the back arrow button to move to the target folder. This was the problem. When I used the Parent folder icon instead to move back out of the folder, and move to the destination folder without using the back arrow button. the file copied just fine. Hope this helps.

Reggie,
Thanks for the suggestion, but, no, I wasn't using the "back" to get to the /system/app directory. I was clicking on the parent dir, etc.
Jim

I also am having that problem. I tried both the back buttons and the parent directory. Ive tried factor data reset as well. I wander if it has anything to do with the update yesterday?

Until we/someone figures why, you can use root explorer to mount, then the built in es explorer to do the copy...
Jim

I've been doing some stuff w/command line, and I noticed that my stock Gtab doesn't have a native 'cp' command, so you have to use 'busybox cp' instead. I wonder if that's why the RE copy/paste doesn't work?
Jim

SOLVED - it was no native 'cp'
jimcpl said:
I've been doing some stuff w/command line, and I noticed that my stock Gtab doesn't have a native Cp command, so you have to use 'busybox cop's instead. I wonder if that's why the RE copynpasre doesn't work?
Jim
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
I just tried a test, where I created a softlink for 'busybox cp':
ln -s /system/bin/busybox /sbin/cp
I then was able to use RE to copy/paste into /system/app !
CAVEAT: I don't know if busybox is on Gtab by default...
Jim

At the command line us cp vs Cp. If you want to copy an entire directory, use cp -R /indirectory /outdirectory .

NMCBR600 said:
At the command line us cp vs Cp. If you want to copy an entire directory, use cp -R /indirectory /outdirectory .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
That was a typo on my part. The 'cp' command (lowercase c) was really missing in my Gtab .
I've been experimenting w/alternate keyboards, and keep making typos ...
Jim
P.S. I fixed the typos ...

jimcpl,
I was just working on putting Market onto my stock machine and I am having the exact same problem. So far as I can see I have set it up right and followed procedure -- but files just won't move.
Now that I have read y'all's comments, I will try again a time or two.
Rev

butchconner said:
jimcpl,
I was just working on putting Market onto my stock machine and I am having the exact same problem. So far as I can see I have set it up right and followed procedure -- but files just won't move.
Now that I have read y'all's comments, I will try again a time or two.
Rev
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
BTW, to create the softlink (using ln), you'll need to use adb shell. Or, you could use a terminal, if one's installed (kind of catch 22, since you'd need market to get a terminal).
Otherwise, what might work is:
- z4root to get root
- root explorer to make /system R/W
- kill then restart es file explorer and use that to copy the apks to /system/app
Jim

SIGH ... softlink doesn't survive a reboot
It looks like the softlink that I created disappears after a reboot... then RE can't copy again.
Sorry...
Jim

[Q] serendipity 7 - Camera

So, I just flashed the serendipity 7 ROM to my phone today, I love it. It's fast and doesn't drain the battery. Infused seem to drain the battery quickly.
Anyway, the power button to take a picture seemed to work this morning, now it doesn't. Is there some way to get it working again? I have installed lots of apps, but I don't think any of them mess with the camera. I installed the samsung quick office, music, clock and video player. (I downloaded the 4, not sure if I installed all of them.) I used the Android Sideload Wonder Machine, not sure if that is the source of the problem or not. Any help would be appreciated.

The power button doesn't work to take pictures in S7. I remember reading this somewhere and can verify it didn't work for me after flashing S7. What I did to get it working is:
(FIRST, make a nandroid backup just in case!!)
1. Using your favorite file explorer (Root Explorer for me), go to the system/app folder on your phone
2. Mount the directory as R/W.
3. Rename the camera.apk in this folder to something like camera.apk.bak
4. Find a copy of the Infused v2 ROM, unzip it, go to system/app, and copy that camera.apk.
5. Go back to the system/app folder on your phone, make sure it's still mounted as R/W, and paste the Infused camera.apk into the directory.
6. Change the permissions on the camera.apk to match the permissions of the original camera.apk.
7. Next, mount the system/app folder on your phone as R/O.
8. You may have to delete and remake any shortcuts to the camera app you have on your home screens.
This worked for me and has worked perfectly all day, but I've only used it for a day. I won't swear that it won't mess something up in the future. I have taken approx. 10 photos since changing this with no problems, but you never know. Make a nandroid backup just in case, and save the camera.apk.bak in case it does FUBAR something.
PS: I wrote this as if you're a total noob. If you're not, I apologize. Wasn't trying to be condescending, just thorough. lol

02ranger said:
The power button doesn't work to take pictures in S7. I remember reading this somewhere and can verify it didn't work for me after flashing S7. What I did to get it working is:
(FIRST, make a nandroid backup just in case!!)
1. Using your favorite file explorer (Root Explorer for me), go to the system/app folder on your phone
2. Mount the directory as R/W.
3. Rename the camera.apk in this folder to something like camera.apk.bak
4. Find a copy of the Infused v2 ROM, unzip it, go to system/app, and copy that camera.apk.
5. Go back to the system/app folder on your phone, make sure it's still mounted as R/W, and paste the Infused camera.apk into the directory.
6. Change the permissions on the camera.apk to match the permissions of the original camera.apk.
7. Next, mount the system/app folder on your phone as R/O.
8. You may have to delete and remake any shortcuts to the camera app you have on your home screens.
This worked for me and has worked perfectly all day, but I've only used it for a day. I won't swear that it won't mess something up in the future. I have taken approx. 10 photos since changing this with no problems, but you never know. Make a nandroid backup just in case, and save the camera.apk.bak in case it does FUBAR something.
PS: I wrote this as if you're a total noob. If you're not, I apologize. Wasn't trying to be condescending, just thorough. lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, your explanation makes sense, and I am a total newbc lol. I'll do it tonight. Thanks!
Sent from my SGH-I997 using Tapatalk

How do I change the permissions?
Sent from my SGH-I997 using Tapatalk

If you have root explorer just long press on the file. It should have an option for permissions. The folder that the app is in has to be mounted as R/W to be able to change the permissions. I don't know specifically how to do it in other file managers. If you don't have root explorer yet, it is definitely worth getting. It's the best file manager I've used.
The exact permissions you need to set are:
All 3 rows should have Read checked, only the "Owner" should have Write checked, and nobody should have Execute checked. Make sure the file is already pasted into the system/app folder before you try to change permissions.

02ranger said:
If you have root explorer just long press on the file. It should have an option for permissions. The folder that the app is in has to be mounted as R/W to be able to change the permissions. I don't know specifically how to do it in other file managers. If you don't have root explorer yet, it is definitely worth getting. It's the best file manager I've used.
The exact permissions you need to set are:
All 3 rows should have Read checked, only the "Owner" should have Write checked, and nobody should have Execute checked. Make sure the file is already pasted into the system/app folder before you try to change permissions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for all your help! It's working just fine. My icon disappeared automatically and I just had to bring it back to the front screen, no problem. Thanks!

steadly2004 said:
Thank you for all your help! It's working just fine. My icon disappeared automatically and I just had to bring it back to the front screen, no problem. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes sir. Happy I could help.

Is it true you lose front camera functionality and HDMI out with S7? :S

[Q] Can't delete Mms.odex, "No such file or directory"

I'm trying to use my new Sensation with the SIM from my Japanese iPhone, which requires replacing the stock Mms.apk with one that works with Softbank. That much I managed to do. Now when I try to open the Messaging app it crashes immediately, which is apparently normal and means I need to delete the old Mms.odex. But when I try, the command prompt window tells me:
rm failed for /system/app/Mms.odex, No such file or directory
I've made sure the folder isn't read-only (I managed to copy the new Mms.apk to it after all). Not sure what else could be going wrong. Thanks in advance for any help.

Its not a good idea to push files into the system directory of an odexed ROM like that. You usually need to push the appropriate .odex file with the .apk file.
Also could be a permissions problem. You need to make sure the permissions for the new file the are same as what's already in the directory.
Sent from my Sensation using Cyanogenmod

dr.m0x said:
Its not a good idea to push files into the system directory of an odexed ROM like that. You usually need to push the appropriate .odex file with the .apk file.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know it's not ideal, but this method seems to work just fine; I've read a bunch of Japanese blogs that explain this is how to get MMS working with Softbank, and people on forums elsewhere say it's worked for them.
dr.m0x said:
Also could be a permissions problem. You need to make sure the permissions for the new file the are same as what's already in the directory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do I do that? I'm pretty new to all this, two days ago I was Googling where to find my Sensation's settings menu

If you want to ensure the mms.apk has correct permissions you can simply run:
adb shell chmod 644 /system/app/mms.apk
This will set the correct permissions for apps in the /system/app folder, although its worth reading up on linux permissions to understand what the command is actually doing.

Permissions didn't help, but I've managed to track down another Mms.apk file that works well enough - messages don't integrate properly with HTC's Messaging app, but I can send and receive MMS. I'm going to keep looking for a better apk but at least this one functions!

[Q] HELP - no build.prop

I just applied Daoist's CWM stock ROM update (should still be rooted, right?). It came up first time.
Then, I modded my build prop (set dpi to 120 because I like it that way). But maybe I screwed up the file name in Root explorer, because now I'm in a boot loop and if I try ADB PULL /system/build.prop it says "file not found."
I can't get SU through adb, so can't push build.prop to /system. ADB remount returns an error. permission denied. Transformer won't boot, so I can't do anything from it.
I CAN get to cwm, and have been trying to create an update.zip that will just copy build.prop to /system, but everything I have tried quits with "install aborted" message.
What can I do?

restore a nand and dont try and **** with it again, lol. no but really, restore a nand and then copy your build. prop and make a flashable zip and place on your sd card in case it happens again, so you can just flash it in cwm.

Resolved..
Well, why go back when you can go forward?
I went ahead and installed the Prime ROM. Looks like it is eating all my currently installed apps.
Y'all should know, though, that if your system can't find a build.prop it won't start. You can ADB to it and have a rudimentary set of commands, but your ability to significantly alter anything in your file system will be prohibited.
Lesson learned.
glg

as a side note most editors in android rename system files when you change them to "nameoffileyouedited".bak so if you pull and rename that file that might have fixed your problem. also try lcd dencity changer from the market. its a little less hazordous

mrevankyle said:
as a side note most editors in android rename system files when you change them to "nameoffileyouedited".bak so if you pull and rename that file that might have fixed your problem. also try lcd dencity changer from the market. its a little less hazordous
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is true. I had backups. But without a build.prop, the virtual machine won't start. There is no way to do a file operation to replace the backup. At least none that I found. I had to flash the whole system.
glg