When I first got my G-tab I was baffled by all the instructions and the literally thousands of posts in the forum. Even now, I haven't been able to find exactly how (or why) I should update my kernel. That said, I have TNT Lite running and I love my g-tab. Exploring the possible uses and utilities on it provides hours of fun. Now - here is my question. I stumbled on some instructions for installing the ROM and I have used those same instructions to install several patches to the Rom. I see all this commentary on Clockwork, side loading, etc. and I wonder if I am missing something. Today I just installed the .25 patch for TNT-Lite. I downloaded the rar file, unzipped it on my PC to get the Recovery folder and the update.zip file. I plugged the g-tab into the pc and switched it to usb mode. Then I moved the old recover folder and update.zip to a folder (cautious me) and put the new ones in the root. I disconnected the usb and started the g-tab in recovery mode (holding the power and volume+ key. It rebooted, applied the patch and I was done. That seems simple enough. It would seem that this would work for switching roms, applying patches and probably even upgrading the kernel (If I knew where it was and why I should do it). Am I missing something? Everything seems to work.
Sounds like you got the basics ok.
The real main reason to update the kernal as i see it is to add things like driver support for devices like gps and g3, so on, also minor fixs. If your not using your gtab for anything like this you maybe happy to stay stock. But if you like myself like to use your gtab to surf with g3 or as a sweet gps, then thats what the kernal updates allow. Im sure others can correct me if ive got anything wrong or add to what ive said.
You got the basic steps right, but installing ClockWorkMod Recovery has a lot of benefits.
First, built in backup and recovery will save your skin if the gTab get "cranky".
Second, installing ROMs and/or updates saves you a few steps. From "tar" files (TnT-lite), extract the update.zip file to a folder (I created a folder named "xda", just an example) and name it after the version of ROM/update.
CWM will flash "*.zip" file. This way you can keep multiple ROMs/updates on the card and switch between them.
CWM lets you clear cache, wipe Data partition, clear Dalvik-cache (use caution there), fix permissions and so much more! It is a great tool.
Sent from my gTablet-TnT-Lite-4.2.5 using TapatalkPro
So now we peel back another layer
OK so now the question of multiple roms comes up. I am not clear about the role of the rom - can I switch roms and keep all of my apps and data intact? I'm thinking like changing style sheets on a web page - presentation is different but the underlying data is still the same? Is it that easy?
And... if I am doing that perhaps I need to "clear cache" or "wipe data partition" but although I like to investigate new things I'm not willing to just walk up and push the big red button without knowing what it is for. So why would I "clear" or "wipe" things?
I get the impression that I could switch between ROMs just like switching between browsers on a pc - today Chrome, tomorrow, Firefox and never Internet Exploder... Is that correct? It took me quite a while to get the market working and it still doesn't work optimally but I'd hate to undo all the work I've done getting the g-tab humming along by switching roms. Can I?
So - anyone care to expound on the structure and how it all hooks together? What parts can be swapped out and what parts form the foundation? I'd hate to brick the little guy in my ignorance.
One final note if you know and you answer - where did YOU learn about this. Is there a book somewhere to read?
Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.
The Need for A Wiki
I'm in the same boat as enigma. I'm not even sure what ROM is an acronym for, though I think it means operating system. A wiki would be a big help for many people. I bet people would be glad to contribute.
Well, I don't know about Android book, especially about "hacking android book" , but this (and others) forum has plenty of reading material and guides. Not to mention people (a lot more knowledgeable and experienced than me) who will offer advice and lend a hand. And Google search comes in handy too.
Switching ROMs is almost like switching the OS, or a flavor of. Very much like switching between Linux distributions; the base OS is the same, but the overlay changes the user experience. Some things do change deep down inside, that's why is advisable to clear data.
Android, like Linux which it is based on, uses separate partitions for different parts of the OS, like boot, recovery, data, cache and user data. Plenty of write ups and discussions on the web on that.
So when flashing a ROM, you'll rewrite boot and system. Your user apps and data/preferences pertaining to those apps are stored in data partition, and since you are changing the 'OS', the apps need to be recompiled for it. Backup apps, like Titanium Backup, come extremely handy here: backup and restore apps AND appdata with a few clicks.
Backups are stored on sdcard, which is a lot like Linux /home directory, and do not get wiped during flash. Also the CWM (sometimes called Nandroid) backups are also stored there. A backup-of-the-backup is always a good habit (copy of /sdcard to your PC for safekeep).
This is just a quick rundown, hopefully that answered some of the questions.
There is a world of information available out there in "ether-world", Google is your friend.
[EDIT]:
Some links:
http://android-dls.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page
http://lifehacker.com/#!5596108/how-to-choose-the-right-android-rom-for-you
and of course:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=841
(use the search on top of the screen)
Sent from my gTablet-TnT-Lite-4.2.5 using TapatalkPro
Doesn't my sticky on how to flash the roms help at all? I can try to make it clearer if you have suggestions.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=892090
TeamSpeed said:
Doesn't my sticky on how to flash the roms help at all? I can try to make it clearer if you have suggestions.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=892090
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, your Sticky is as clear as Florida sky.
I just installed Thumb Keyboard on my gTab last night and I guess I got carried away getting used to it!
Yes, I have found some very good step by steps (reflashed to vegan after reading that one). Step by steps are great but I 'd like to understand why I'm doing it. The market fix...I can follow the steps and it works but why? I wish I had time to research all these things but there are so many forums,so many posts to read! The explanation that did surface in this thread was great though. Thanks. I'll keep asking questions. There are a lot of smart people out there!
UPDATE/EDIT: September 12th, 2011 -
I am depreciating this thread and will no longer check on or support it. For more information on this topic:
See MT4GS Stock App Encyclopedia for information about the apps themselves.
See Bloater to make stock app removal easier then you could ever imagine it being.
UPDATE/EDIT: August 21st, 2011 -
Posts 19 through 25 are a summary and how-to of what we have learned about removing apps from the stock rooted rom so far. Skip ahead if you want, otherwise the thread is a good read all the way through.
Now that we have a working S-OFF/Root procedure, a lot of us want to kill some of the stuff that came pre-loaded on our phones.
Root is required, and performing a backup through Clockworkmod is a necessity as well. Both backup and restore actions have been tested and working in CWM 4.0.0.9.
I am not responsible for what happens to your device after removing these files, so make sure you make a CWM backup BEFORE you start mucking around with this.
Some other threads that have been dealing with this for this device are Here, Here and Here. I would like to thank the people who have contributed, and continue to do so in those threads. I made this one in "themes and apps", as I think that people in the future coming in will look here first and this may cut down future confusion and questions.
There are a couple of ways you can accomplish this, but i'll start with the (almost) longest way. See the bottom of the post for other options.
We will be using a file manager to accomplish this task, "File Expert", free from the Google market. (I recommend "Root Explorer", a paid app, but if you've come this far you should get it at some point).
You will need to hit options, choose more, then Mount. Select "Mount as Read Write" to be able to delete the files/folders.
Listed below are the apps and what you have to delete to remove them.
Archived to code tags to make the post smaller. The summaries I wrote out are full page further in the thread, so it's easier to see the whole process.
Themes:
Code:
Aubergine
/system/app/aubergine.apk
/data/data/com.tmobile.theme.aubergine
Brooklyn
/system/app/Brooklyn.apk
/data/data/com.tmobile.theme.brooklyn
Jazz
/system/app/Jazz.apk
/data/data/com.tmobile.theme.jazz
Retro
/system/app/Retro.apk
/data/data/com.tmobile.theme.retro
Spring
/system/app/Spring.apk
/data/data/com.tmobile.theme.spring
Live Wallpapers
/system/app/LiveWallpapers.apk
/system/app/LiveWallpapers.odex
/data/data/com.android.wallpaper
Magic Smoke Wallpapers
/system/app/MagicSmokeWallpapers.apk
/system/app/MagicSmokeWallpapers.odex
/data/data/com.android.magicsmoke
Music Visualization Wallpapers
/system/app/VisualizationWallpapers.apk
/system/app/VisualizationWallpapers.odex
/data/data/com.android.musicvis
Sense Live Wallpaper
/system/app/Mode10Wallpapers.apk
/system/app/Mode10Wallpapers.odex
/data/data/com.htc.android.wallpaper
Streak Live Wallpaper
/system/app/HTCLivewallpaperStreak.apk
/system/app/HTCLivewallpaperStreak.odex
/data/data/com.htc.livewallpaper.streak
Weather Live Wallpaper
/system/app/HtcWeatherWallpaper.apk
/system/app/HtcWeatherWallpaper.odex
/data/data/com.htc.WeatherWallpaper
Widgets:
Code:
HTC Widget Download Manager
/system/app/WidgetDownloadManager.apk
/system/app/WidgetDownloadManager.odex
/data/data/com.htc.wdm
Bookmark Widget
/system/app/htcbookmarkwidget3d.apk
/system/app/htcbookmarkwidget3d.odex
/data/data/com.htc.fusion.htcbookmarkwidget
Calculator Widget
/system/app/htcCalculatorWidget.apk
/system/app/htcCalculatorWidget.odex
/data/data/com.htc.android.fusion.calculator
Calendar Widget
/system/app/htccalendarwidgets3d.apk
/system/app/htccalendarwidgets3d.odex
/data/data/com.htc.htccalendarwidgets
Clock Widget
/system/app/htcclock3dwidget.apk
/system/app/htcclock3dwidget.odex
/data/data/com.htc.clock3dwidget
FM Radio Widget
/system/app/com.htc.FMRadioWidget.apk
/system/app/com.htc.FMRadioWidget.odex
/data/data/com.htc.FMRadioWidget
Friend Stream Widget
/system/app/com.htc.FriendStream3DWidget.apk
/system/app/com.htc.FriendStream3DWidget.odex
/data/data/com.htc.FriendStream3DWidget
Mail Widget
/system/app/htcmailwidgets3d.apk
/system/app/htcmailwidgets3d.odex
/data/data/com.htc.htcmailwidgets
Messages Widget
/system/app/com.htc.htcmsgwidgets3d.apk
/system/app/com.htc.htcmsgwidgets3d.odex
/data/data/com.htc.htcmsgwidgets3d
Music Widget
/system/app/com.htc.MusicWidget.apk
/system/app/com.htc.MusicWidget.odex
/data/data/com.htc.MusicWidget3D
Photo Widget
/system/app/HtcPhotoWidget.apk
/system/app/HtcPhotoWidget.odex
/data/data/com.htc.photowidget3d
Setup Widget
/system/app/HtcSetupWidget.apk
/system/app/HtcSetupWidget.odex
/data/data/com.htc.setupwidget
Sync Widget
/system/app/com.htc.Sync3Dwidget.apk
/system/app/com.htc.Sync3Dwidget.odex
/data/data/com.htc.Sync3DWidget
Tips for Home Widget
/system/app/HtcTipWidget.apk
/system/app/HtcTipWidget.odex
/data/data/com.htc.rosiewidgets.tip
Trends Widget
/system/app/com.htc.TrendsWidget.apk
/system/app/com.htc.TrendsWidget.odex
/data/data/com.htc.Trends3DWidget
Twitter Widget
/system/app/com.htc.Twitter3DWidget.apk
/system/app/com.htc.Twitter3DWidget.odex
/data/data/com.htc.Twitter3DWidget
Weather Widget
/system/app/HtcWeather3DWidget.apk
/system/app/HtcWeather3DWidget.odex
/data/data/com.htc.widget3d.weather
System-Type Apps:
Code:
App Sharing
/system/app/appsharing.apk
/system/app/appsharing.odex
/data/data/com.htc.appsharing
AppPack
/system/app/MallLite-4.0.92.apk
/data/data/com.tmobile.appack
Backup
/system/app/MobileBackup.apk
/data/data/com.voxmobile.sync.mobilebackup2
Calculator
/system/app/calculator.apk
/system/app/calculator.odex
/data/data/com.android.calculator2
Home Screen Tips
/system/app/Protips.apk
/system/app/Protips.odex
/data/data/com.android.protips
Setup
/system/app/HTCSetupWizard.apk
/system/app/HTCSetupWizard.odex
/data/data/com.htc.android.htcsetupwizard
Swype
/system/app/Swype.apk
/data/data/com.swype.android.inputmethod
T Mobile Device Carbon
/system/app/TmobileAndroidDeviceCarbon-c42-n123.apk
/data/data/com.zipwhip.devicecarbon.tmobile
T Mobile TV
/system/app/com.mobitv.client.tmobiletvhd
/data/data/com.mobitv.client.tmobiletvhd
Video Chat
/system/app/qik.apk
/data/data/com.qiktmobile.android
Apps:
Code:
Adobe Reader
/system/app/AdobeReader.apk
/data/data/com.adobe.reader
Bejeweled 2
/system/app/Bejeweled2_trust5.apk
/data/data/com.eamobile.bejeweled2_small
DT-Sync
/system/app/desktopPointer-signed-v6.apk
/data/data/com.doubletwist.desktopPointer
Facebook
/system/app/HtcFacebook.apk
/system/app/HtcFacebook.odex
/data/data/com.htc.socialnetwork.facebook
Flickr
/system/app/flickr.apk
/system/app/flickr.odex
/data/data/com.htc.socialnetwork.flickr
Friend Stream
/system/app/FriendStream.apk
/system/app/FriendStream.odex
/data/data/com.htc.friendstream
Media Room
/system/app/MediaRoom.apk
/system/app/MediaRoom.odex
/data/data/com.htc.MediaLauncher
Netflix
/system/app/netflix-17-release-android-marketplace-upgrade.apk
/data/data/com.netflix.mediaclient
Peep
/system/app/HtcTwitter.apk
/system/app/HtcTwitter.odex
/data/data/com.htc.htctwitter
PhotoGrid
/system/app/HtcPhotoGridWidget3D.apk
/system/app/HtcPhotoGridWidget3D.odex
/data/data/com.htc.rosiewidgets.photogridwidget3d
Polaris Office
/system/app/PolarisOffice.apk
/data/data/com.infraware.docmaster
Slacker Radio
/system/app/slackerradio.apk
/data/data/com.slacker.radio
Telenav GPS Navigator
/system/app/TMOUS_Navigator.apk
/data/data/com.telenav.app.android.telenav
Zinio Reader
/system/app/ZinioReader.v2.03.3312.Regular.apk
/data/data/com.zinio.mobile.android
ZS Provider
/system/app/ZinioSettingsProvider.v2.03.3198.TMobile.Smartphone.apk
/data/data/com.zinio.android.settings
I have removed all of these apps from my system, and it still runs fine. No problems.
You may get a crash report to send to HTC while removing some of these things (I denied it), but you can ignore it. You will get them it when removing themes for sure.
I don't see why using an app to remove these (like Absolute System) would be an issue - just make sure to go back and manually delete the .odex files, as such apps probably won't get them.
And, of course, you could always use a terminal emulator to (rm) remove the files/folders manually.
Also, for the more adventurous: (but it wasn't a problem)
Internet
/system/app/Browser.apk
/system/app/Browser.odex
/data/data/com.android.browser
(I replaced with "Opera Mobile" by Opera Software ASA - Free app)
Mail
/system/app/mail.apk
/system/app/mail.odex
/data/data/com.htc.android.mail
(Removing mail does not prevent GMAIL from working correctly)
Music
/system/app/HtcMusic.apk
/system/app/HtcMusic.odex
/data/data/com.htc.music
Music Enhancer
/system/app/HtcMusicEnhancer.apk
/system/app/HtcMusicEnhancer.odex
/data/data/com.htc.musicenhancer
(I replaced with "Android Music" by JRTStudio - Free app)
If anyone else finds things they can safely remove, please post it for others to play with.
Have fun!
deleted most of those and got
'uids on the system are inconsistent' every time on boot
careful...
Can you list which ones you removed to cause that?
Also, were you using a theme that you deleted?
CWM backup is vital when starting to mess with this - I haven't had to restore due to system issues.
I'd love to try to duplicate your problem on my phone to find a fix. Thanks!
I prefer not to actually delete apps in case I ever want to unroot (though this probably isn't that likely but still) and I understand that by doing so, those apps need to be present. if any of you are interested, there is a free app on the market that I discovered. just search "antek" in the market and it freezes whatever bloatware you have so that it no longer runs in the background and should you want to recover it, all you do is just "defrost" it and it runs exactly as it did before. I've saved loads of battery by using this.
I'm using a custom theme that wasn't deleted. I understand that I could get the cyanogenmod fix_permissions script to fix this, but haven't located it yet.
I stuck to your list before this happened except for swype and a few others.
Wasn't looking for help with the issue, just wanted to let you know it happened. Ofcourse I made a backup before and after.
fix_permissions didn't solve. Gonna restore and try again. Btw I didn't freeze first, I just deleted. Doubt that's the reason though.
Protricity said:
fix_permissions didn't solve. Gonna restore and try again. Btw I didn't freeze first, I just deleted. Doubt that's the reason though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry to hear that it's not working out so great for you. Glad to hear you did a backup first though.
It might be good to note, and I should have said it at the beginning, I did a fresh factory reset on my phone just before the S-OFF/Root procedure, and hadn't used any of the things I got rid of.
They were basically just deleted right off the phone before it got used.
Keep us updated on how it's going, and as info comes in i'll add what I can to help. Knowing what apps you got rid of specifically could narrow it down some, and what ones you used first might help as well.
Of course, restoring a backup eliminates the problem, and you may or may not be able to reproduce after - please let us know either way, and thanks for the input!
For our next trick, we're gonna dump HTC Sense.
Blue6IX said:
okay - sorry to post after myself but I got rid of kidzone.
First, I restored a CWM backup I made right after root/busybox installation.
So, my phone state is fresh S-OFF/Root with SU & busybox installed.
It may be important to note that I did a factory reset to my phone just before S-OFF/Root & had a freshly formatted MicroSD card.
I then installed ADW Launcher from the Market, and hit my "home" key. Selected "Use Default" and chose ADW Launcher.
Now my phone defaults to ADW as it's launcher.
I then installed "Absolute System" from the Market, and used it to remove "HTC Sense"
Closed out Absolute System, then scrolled between all 5 ADW desktop screens, powered down the phone, then powered up again. (*NOTE fastboot = off)
Booted fine, was able to ditch sense without issue, and KIDZONE IS GONE!
As always, make sure to do a fresh system backup before messing with anything like this, but Kidzone is linked to sense, and replacing sense with another launcher will remove it.
HTC Sense was the only app removed from the phone, and I haven't checked everything to make sure it works yet, but no HTC crash report to send, and no force close issues. (yet - to be determined)
I've been itching to ditch sense since I got the phone, and this was my first quick test at it. Works good so far.
Edit to add:
Checked the "personalize" option at the top of the "settings" list. This just brings you back to the main desktop, doesn't throw an error.
I knew this one thing would be messed up somehow after ditching sense, but the fact that it doesn't make a problem and just closes the menu is fine by me.
I'll spend the rest of the day testing out my phone without sense to see how it runs. I'll post back how it went tomorrow.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Quoted myself from the kidzone thread, I want to put the info for slimming down my phones apps here.
I'm going to see how the phone runs on just the free version of ADW for a day, then see about coming up with a procedure to remove apps and keep it all stable in the process.
Happy modding!
Protricity said:
fix_permissions didn't solve. Gonna restore and try again. Btw I didn't freeze first, I just deleted. Doubt that's the reason though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also, a thought. Boot to CWM and clear the dalvik cache.
I looked up some info on this since rooting the other day, and after uninstalling apps it's good to do to clear out the old app data. Something to consider - it might solve your problem.
Blue6IX said:
For our next trick, we're gonna dump HTC Sense
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does the camera app still work after you deleted sense? I wouldn't want to lose that..
I froze "T-mobile Name ID" and everything seems to be working fine.
You might also want to mention that you can temp-root your device, then freeze these apps, and they will stay frozen after reboot. Just, for anyone that doesn't want to perma-root their device right now (like me). It's not very stable to perma-root your device right now. Just read that if your MT4GS dies and your perma-rooted, you will either have to buy a new battery or find a way to charge your battery without your phone... some issue with the HBoot... So till thats fixed, and till i'm sure things are stable. I'll stick with my Temp-Root
nldroid said:
Does the camera app still work after you deleted sense? I wouldn't want to lose that..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The camera app still works, but I haven't used all the features.
I would assume this still does work completely, though, because this is only getting rid of the sense launcher, and not the underlying frameworks that power it. (which I hear the camera is dependent upon.)
A solid day of running ADW instead of sense as my launcher has been fine, i'll go play with the camera for a little while and get back to you with a more complete answer to this.
dansl said:
I froze "T-mobile Name ID" and everything seems to be working fine.
You might also want to mention that you can temp-root your device, then freeze these apps, and they will stay frozen after reboot. Just, for anyone that doesn't want to perma-root their device right now (like me). It's not very stable to perma-root your device right now. Just read that if your MT4GS dies and your perma-rooted, you will either have to buy a new battery or find a way to charge your battery without your phone... some issue with the HBoot... So till thats fixed, and till i'm sure things are stable. I'll stick with my Temp-Root
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This had to do with a charging issue using Clockworkmod 4.0.0.8 which is fixed with Clockworkmod 4.0.0.9.
I have personally run my battery to completely dead using CWM 4.0.0.9 and it charged up and booted fine.
Good to know that freezing apps stays after reboot on temp-root, that's an awesome find!
Also, just found this.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1150805
Post by rmk40, talking about freezing bloatware apps on the HTC Sensation. There are some apps ppl have frozen on there that are also on the MT4GS. I'm going to look through it now and will check back later.
The Notes app from:
/system/app/androidnotes.apk
Is that it, or is there more in the /data folder?
I think it may be /data/data/com.marigold.android.notes
and /data/data/com.marigold.android.notes/databases/notes
But I don't want to delete it without being fully sure, can someone verify this for me?
nldroid said:
Does the camera app still work after you deleted sense? I wouldn't want to lose that..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, the camera app works completely. I tested all the modes, and used all the different manual settings in the last option. Nothing was broken, it was all fine.
Removing just the sense launcher and replacing it with something else has no impact on the camera, and I would imagine anything else that requires sense frameworks. We should test anything before making that blanket statement, though, but consider camera.apk to be tested and working without the sense launcher.
dansl said:
Also, just found this.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1150805
Post by rmk40, talking about freezing bloatware apps on the HTC Sensation. There are some apps ppl have frozen on there that are also on the MT4GS. I'm going to look through it now and will check back later.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's awesome - while i'm busy re-inventing the wheel, way to pick up where someone else left off. I glanced through there quickly, but i'm kinda having fun figuring this out. I definitely look forward to hearing what you've learned browsing through, and i'll get there at some point.
Thanks clicked on that helpful post!
Sinfamy said:
The Notes app from:
/system/app/androidnotes.apk
Is that it, or is there more in the /data folder?
I think it may be /data/data/com.marigold.android.notes
and /data/data/com.marigold.android.notes/databases/notes
But I don't want to delete it without being fully sure, can someone verify this for me?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, you were right on. Delete the .apk in bold, then go delete the folder in bold. Once you delete the folder in /data/data, then your second line about the database in notes becomes moot, since it will have already been deleted.
Updated my list of stuff too (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=16683780).
One thing i found that I couldn't quite figure out what is was for, is the Com.Redbend.SWM-C app. I've read that it might be used for tracking/analytics or DRM content... i dont know, but I froze it, and everything seems to be working fine still! I read someone had issues with Youtube, but youtube has been working fine for me.
thank you for this thread and thanks to dansl too. I was able to remove sense and a lot of the htc bloatware, making the phone a lot better.
I don't know what doubleshotandroidzipgroup was that was running in the background, but i froze it and it seems fine...
So it seems like this thread has been helping people, in conjunction with the other threads on the different aspects of this subject. I don't deal with freezing apps, it always seemed cleaner to me to just get rid of them.
I know in some cases that's not possible, maybe for us maybe not. I've sure learned a lot from this project, and from what people have discovered by freezing apps.
I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has contributed towards what we've learned here.
I took the time to really work out what has to be done to remove the various things we discovered, and the next few posts reflect the contributions everyone has made to this project.
Also, i'm hoping that this road map we are making will cut the time down it takes for developers to introduce roms for our device. Having the locations, and user test data of what you can dump should take some of their headache away. This is one of the motivations behind my trying to lay this all out like this, making it easier not only for us to use now, but for developers to refer to later.
Enjoy, i've had fun with it so far!
There was an initial surge of testing what could or could not be removed from the phone right after we got root, which has mostly passed now. Most of the obvious "I can get rid of this" stuff has been figured out, and the rest of the things we can safely get rid of will take a closer look and involve a bit of head scratching to figure out.
Meantime, I felt like it was a good idea to summarize what we know a bit, and come up with a good procedure for removing stuff that was both simple and stable. You could (and I, as well as others, have) delete(d) this stuff all at once without issue, but i'm more comfortable with a more cautious approach - and I know others will be too.
To that end, i've taken the time to test this method a few times, re-engineer it, tweak things, change the order up a bit, and finally lay it out here. We all pretty much want to get the most out of our phones, and for almost all of us here the "extras" pre-installed on our phones get in the way of this.
This'll be fun, and pretty painless - so - ready to remove some bloat?
Setup 1: We're going to go backwards in time a few steps. The ideal situation here is:
00 - Backup all phone data to somewhere off the phone itself.
01 - Factory reset phone, power down.
02 - Remove microsd card, format in computer.
03 - re-insert microsd card in phone, power on.
04 - Set up your Gmail account, enable the Market on your phone.
05 - S-OFF (if necessary), installing CWM 4.0.0.9 and Rooting your phone.
06 - Installing Busybox and Root Checker, verifying that both root and busybox are obtained/available on your phone.
07 - Uninstalling Busybox installer, checking Busybox installation in Root Checker again, then uninstalling Root Checker.
08 - Power down your phone, and boot into recovery mode.
09 - Make a CWM backup of your system in recovery, then rebooting your phone.
10 - (optional, but recommended) Making a copy of the CWM backup to another place, like your computer.
If you did/do it this way then you can always restore to a clean CWM backup from right after you got Root & Busybox on your phone, in the cleanest ready state it can be.
Otherwise, do a CWM backup of your system now, before following the instructions laid out below to be able to restore your phone if something goes wrong.
I'll try and help anyone who needs it if something doesn't go right, but please understand you do this at your own risk and backups are your best friend!
Setup 2: Tools.
01 - Install Root Explorer.
+ Other file managers may work with varying degrees of success, and there are some free alternatives, but nothing that will do the job like Root Explorer. I highly recommend this app, and if you're going to be doing this kind of stuff on your phone you should probably pick it up. You at least need a file manager capable of read/write access to your system folders, and that can copy and delete.
02 - Install Absolute System Root Tools.
+ Again, there are probably free alternatives out there, but this program is pretty awesome and I recommend it. You should have an app that lets you uninstall system apps, and lets you clear their data before uninstalling. One thing to note, is that it won't delete the .odex files of installed apps, so you'll have to go back and get them manually with Root Explorer.
03 - Before performing any steps listed below, you should make backups of all the files you will delete. I list the locations of everything so you can navigate to it with Root Explorer and copy the files somewhere else, like your sdcard. I would also go so far as to say you should make a CWM backup before attempting each of the steps below, but i'm overly cautious when it comes to backups - that's up to you.
(You could end up making changes in files you aren't working in, without realizing it. A Nandroid backup is the only way to ensure you can restore those files if that should happen)
** - Use Absolute System to uninstall .apk files listed below, and it will also get the /data/data location as well. You will have to go back and get the .odex files manually. If you choose not to use an app to uninstall the .apk files listed below, I wrote out their full path location so you can use Root Explorer to delete them manually.
** - Changes made to /system/etc are mirrored in /etc as soon as you make them. All changes made in /system/ are mirrored in the main directory in any corresponding folders or files in real-time as you make them.
** - I recommend removing all widgets and shortcuts/folders or any other items that may be on your desktop before starting this process. You can always put back anything that survives later when you are done.
** - It might be a good idea to turn off GPS, Mobile Networks, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi before proceeding. Optional, but recommended.
Feel free to skip any apps you want to keep along the way, and you don't necessarily have to go in order, but it'll be cleaner that way. Part of the organization behind it is to make it easy for the user to remember what they are doing, and break it down into smaller blocks so you'll lose less progress if something goes wrong.
Now that we're past all that, lets get down to business.
Part 1: Stock themes and wallpapers.
00 - Make sure your phone is set to the "System" theme before continuing (default theme). Then take a picture with your camera, or get a picture you like on your phone. Set this as your background wallpaper.
01 - Using Absolute System, uninstall the stock themes:
-com.tmobile.theme.Aubergine
+ /system/app/Aubergine.apk
+ /data/data/com.tmobile.theme.Aubergine
-com.tmobile.theme.Brooklyn
+ /system/app/Brooklyn.apk
+ /data/data/com.tmobile.theme.Brooklyn
-com.tmobile.theme.Jazz
+ /system/app/Jazz.apk
+ /data/data/com.tmobile.theme.Jazz
-com.tmobile.theme.Retro
+ /system/app/Retro.apk
+ /data/data/com.tmobile.theme.Retro
-com.tmobile.theme.Spring
+ /system/app/Spring.apk
+ /data/data/com.tmobile.theme.Spring
02 - Using Absolute System, uninstall the stock live wallpapers:
-com.android.wallpaper (Android Live Wallpapers)
+ /system/app/LiveWallpapers.apk
+ /data/data/com.android.wallpaper
-com.htc.android.wallpaper (HTC Sense Live Wallpaper)
+ /system/app/Mode10Wallpapers.apk
+ /data/data/com.htc.android.wallpaper
-com.htc.android.image_wallpaper (HTC Slide Show Wallpaper)
+ /system/app/HtcImageWallpaper.apk
+ /data/data/com.htc.android.image_wallpaper
-com.android.magicsmoke (Magic Smoke Wallpapers)
+ /system/app/MagicSmokeWallpapers.apk
+ /data/data/com.android.magicsmoke
-com.android.musicvis (Music Visualization Wallpapers)
+ /system/app/VisualizationWallpapers.apk
+ /data/data/com.android.musicvis
-com.htc.livewallpaper.streak (Streak Live Wallpaper)
+ /system/app/HTCLivewallpaperStreak.apk
+ /data/data/com.htc.livewallpaper.streak
Okay, we are done with Absolute System for the moment.
Fire up Root Explorer, and go to:
03 - /system/app/ (delete the files: )
-HtcImageWallpaper.odex
-HTCLivewallpaperStreak.odex
-LiveWallpapers.odex
-MagicSmokeWallpapers.odex
-Mode10Wallpapers.odex
-VisualizationWallpapers.odex
Still in Root Explorer, now go to:
04 - /system/customize/resource/ (delete the files: )
-htc_wallpaper_01.jpg
-htc_wallpaper_01_lockscreen.jpg
-htc_wallpaper_02.jpg
-htc_wallpaper_03.jpg
-htc_wallpaper_04.jpg
-htc_wallpaper_05.jpg
-htc_wallpaper_06.jpg
-tmo_wallpaper_01.png
-tmo_wallpaper_02.png
-tmo_wallpaper_03.png
-tmo_wallpaper_04.png
-tmo_wallpaper_05.png
-tmo_wallpaper_06.png
-tmo_wallpaper_grid_preview_01.png
-tmo_wallpaper_grid_preview_02.png
-tmo_wallpaper_grid_preview_03.png
-tmo_wallpaper_grid_preview_04.png
-tmo_wallpaper_grid_preview_05.png
-tmo_wallpaper_grid_preview_06.png
-tmo_wallpaper_preview_01.png
-tmo_wallpaper_preview_01_land.png
-tmo_wallpaper_preview_02.png
-tmo_wallpaper_preview_02_land.png
-tmo_wallpaper_preview_03.png
-tmo_wallpaper_preview_03_land.png
-tmo_wallpaper_preview_04.png
-tmo_wallpaper_preview_04_land.png
-tmo_wallpaper_preview_05.png
-tmo_wallpaper_preview_05_land.png
-tmo_wallpaper_preview_06.png
-tmo_wallpaper_preview_06_land.png
-wallpaper.jpg
-wallpaper.png
Still in Root Explorer, last place to go is:
05 - /system/etc/ (delete folder: )
-slideshow
(These are all the sample images for the HTC slideshow live wallpaper.)
06 - Exit Root Explorer, Reboot your phone to recovery. In CWM choose advanced and then "Wipe Dalvik Cache". Hit back and then "Wipe Cache Partition". Reboot your phone. (It will take a little while longer to boot since you wiped your cache, but not much)
After booting back up and making sure everything still works:
07 - Reboot into recovery, make a CWM Nandroid backup of your system. Make sure to back this up somewhere off the phone too.
Congratulations! You now have a recovery image of your phone with all of the stock themes and wallpapers removed.