Database Info

convert visual SYS files to work with old style

How do you use sys files that are designed for visual kitchens with the non visual buildos? I tried moving all the folders into one directory and buildos finishes but the rom doesn't boot... anyone? thanks!

I dunno, but you'll need all of the dsm's to begin with. If you don't have them, you might as well not even try. There's a folder in the visual kitchens with dependencies; maybe those are the dsm's that are removed from the original packages. It's just a guess.
Why not just use the newer kitchens? Or, wait until Da_G finishes with all of his kitchen tools. I bet he'll have everything figured out.
Edit: Or, check this post. It will probably help you out.

Thanks for the info! Perhaps I should have also asked what the differences were! I will check that post. About newer kitchens.. I guess I am old-fashioned. I will have to convert one day but it's like I am with cars, I require a standard transmission - one day I will have to give in a drive automatic ...

raidzero said:
Thanks for the info! Perhaps I should have also asked what the differences were! I will check that post. About newer kitchens.. I guess I am old-fashioned. I will have to convert one day but it's like I am with cars, I require a standard transmission - one day I will have to give in a drive automatic ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Automatic sucks, don't go there, lol.
I started out with the older style kitchens and was reluctant to change, but it's really not that hard. You'll need to convert your packages, but there's a simple tool for doing it put together by Kraize. The kitchen itself works better; I used to have the older style one crash all the time. Just suck it up and do it.

more and more kitchens are showing up as visual. I have groove rom 5 kitchen but just could not figure it out, my rom would not boot. maybe I will swap my question around and learn to convert old style kitchens to new. I do kinda like the no duplicate file error... and the nbh's they produce do seem to be smaller. not sure though as I have never made a rom that will boot!

Dont Install Facebook Tab!!

Ive just installed it and soft resetted my phone!! then sense wouldnt launch!!
The thoughts of having to hard reset my phone saw dawned on me!! but lucky the same person who made facebook tab made a install program to wipe it off. . .see even if you remove it from programs it doesnt actaully remove at all. .
if anyone has a sure fire way to make this tab work as I would like to have it on there please reply!!!

What do you expect? The author clearly stated, that this is a not 100% working release which might cause bugs. And he is not responsible for that !!! Stop flaming on devs randomly if you dont know what you are doing. Read this:
Warnings etc
Modifying manila means various levels of messing around with the files on the device so, as with most of the mods on here, back-up often and be prepared to screw it up and hard-rest your device. All the changes explained here may or may-not work on your particular device/version of manila or perhaps it's just not going to happen today.
Known Issues
May not work on manila 2.5.1921xxxx or lower - use very basic alternative (see FAQ)!
All-In-One cab - please view install instructions (post#3) regarding un-install and sense not starting.
Why is the install so complicated?
The install is complicated since the tab control file contains references to each available tab on your device. Every ROM has a different combination of tabs available and so this file is different for each ROM. If you install a copy of the Tab Control file which includes tabs which aren't on your device, manila will not work, if you install one which doesn't include all the tabs on your device, those tabs won't be available any more.
Install has been improved via cab file, johncmolyneux's exe, will use the existing tab control file and inserts the correct code for you. The cab will also backup the file so you can uninstall the cab and restore your tabs by replacing the tab control file with the original.
And by the way: Im quiet sure you either have Sense 1921 or didnt disable Sense during the uninstall procedure which is a MUST when it comes to Sense-Mods...
Show a little more respect to the people delivering such great things.
Greets

It works fine for me...everytime.
And no, screaming like a headless chicken doesn't help anyone.

Agree, works fine on my phone. It is a really great addition to Sense. Now all we need is a Sense RSS reader.......

Maybe the the OP is just new to using Sense. Just an advice to OP, installing any program or especially mods has its risks. And I dont think its the devs fault if a particular mod/program they create doesn't work for you

I guess nothing created are stable, my phone also sometimes crashes, anyway it is good to backup so that we able to revert once 'broken'

All the time the same...
The beginners will do the most complicated things at all. Own cab manipulation, manila hacking and phone destroying. And then crying and calling the OP is the bad man. Guys with a posting level under 300 have to learn, normally .
OK there are enough people with coding skills, but that is not normal and manila asks a lot of skill sometimes. So wait, read, learn and do tings with smaller skills needed. We all have done this and it was sometimes a very hard reset way..
..and please the OP is also a human with stress, pation and it is done in his free time. you have NO RIGHTS for support at all. You can ask friendly...

[Q] replacing allways all files from one apk?

Hi,
just one short noob question.
If a got a mod that changes some files and another one changing different files but in the same *.apk - i.e framework-res.apk - existing one is completly overwritten by installing second *.apk?
And the only way is to pull existing one from phone and replacing new files inside manually?
Thanks + Greets
idephili

Hi,
i thought answer were quite easier...
I come from windows 6.5 and there it is possible to change single manila files per cab-installation.
On android it looks for me that only the whole apk is substitued, so differents mods replace each other.
Some hints please.
Greets
idephili

Yes, the whole apk is substituted. The only way to "merge" apk's is to flash in recovery instead of installing or pushing. Editing apk's are simple tho. I guess the hardest part would be figuring out what part changes what you are looking for.

Thanks.
Does this mean: creating two update.zip´s with 2 different i.e. systemUI.apk will merge? And is it the point "apply update from sd-card" or just "install zip from sd-card"?
I made some mods for my own but are still not skilled in creating these update.zip-files, using the push method.
For me it´s equal, i know the changements but for publishing them it´s difficult. People want to keep their just made changes. But when it works in this "merging-way" i´ll start skilling..;-)
Greets
idephili

Upon further thinking, I don't believe that merging apk's is possible. Especially for system app simply from the way android views apk's. They are actually zips so they wouldn't be able to transfer info from one over to another without unzipping, merging, zipping, signing, and installing. Didn't mean to get your hopes up but if you would like to try, you would install zip from sd card. Apply zip from sd card assumes you have an update.zip in the root of ur sd. Most mods are pretty easy to spot and manually merge into what you want. I know its a lil frustrating but hey, it'll be worth it right? I'm not an android expert by any means but id like to help u if u need it.

Thank you.
The point ís that i can´t believe that android seems to be in this point more impractical than WindowsMobile 6.5 where can change every single by cab-install.
On android it looks like that u have to merge different mods - referring to the same apk - for your own cause only complete replacement is possible.
Greets
idephili

Yeah, makes me kind of miss Windows Mobile. I can always fire up my HD2 I guess. It kinda sucks that you can't merge, but who knows? Maybe someone will come up with an app to do so in some fashion. Until then, you may use ninjamorph on your phone and edit apks like that. I know it doesn't really solve the problem entirely but if you are away from a computer and need to edit still, that will be your best bet. You can even sign the zip if you have to with signapktic. This was a really good question by the way. I'm surprised no one has come up with a solution as far as I know.

I hope you haven't abandoned this thread and check back. I have a solution to your problem. I had it on my phone the whole time too. Its name is Metamorph. It will allow you to have your apk. And then replace only select files within it without overwriting other changes. I'm so sorry for making you think it wasn't possible. It came to me at lunch that that's the reason metamorph was created in the first place. Hope this helps you.

Hi,
i put a bit of metamorph to pc.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1232479
Greets
idephili

Launcher/Navbar, dock Whatever you call it

I've been rooted for about 3 months. I like flashing and changing what I can to try and get the most out of my phone. My issue is this. Many of the new roms have the updated launcher which is all good but the new navbar is so big and goofy looking compared to the old one (of course in my opinion) is there a way to make a flashable zip of the old 3 "button", grey navbar? Or do I just have to get used to the new one. Can post pics if I'm being unclear
Just wondering if I'm the only one who feels this way about the newer launchers?

Diesel321 said:
I've been rooted for about 3 months. I like flashing and changing what I can to try and get the most out of my phone. My issue is this. Many of the new roms have the updated launcher which is all good but the new navbar is so big and goofy looking compared to the old one (of course in my opinion) is there a way to make a flashable zip of the old 3 "button", grey navbar? Or do I just have to get used to the new one. Can post pics if I'm being unclear
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The uot kitchen might have what you need?

thanks i just havent had time to go look and see if i can cook that myself... There wouldnt be some good books i could pick up to learn about doing my own dev work would there? Ive got ideas but not any know how on how to get them past the idea phase Thanks

No luck in the kitchen. i dont know why i dislie it so much but it really does keep me from using alot of roms

You would need to edit the 9.PNG files in framework-res.apk. this can be done with the kitchen and other tools running in the proper linux environment.

Please elaborate. Still somewhat of a noob. Thank you though

I looked all over the kitchens sight for a way to contact the people who run it to ask them but I couldn't find it. BUT I was playing Dead Island at the time so my attention was divided. Zombies with guns. What the hell?

Here is a method that may work with just using the kitchen. First you want to take an old 2.1 Rom and make a working folder in kitchen. Then take whatever Rom you are going to use and create a working folder for that one as well. It will ask if you want to back up your other working folder, select yes. You should end up with 2 working folders. What you could do is take the 9.PNG files out of the sense 2.1 rom. They are in system/framework/framework-res.apk. you will have to extract the folder then open the same folder in the Rom you want to use and extract that as well. See what the names of the matching files are and change the name of the 2.1 files to match the files in the Rom you want to use. Once you do that replace them with the 2.1 files. Compress the folder and rename the .zip to .apk. After that proceed with step 99 to build Rom and flash. If it does not work then you will have to use apk manager, which you will have to study up on because it requires a lot more dependancies than the kitchen does. I recommend installing ubuntu to do all this in. I have never swapped 9.PNG files so I am not sure if it will work. This does work with normal .PNG files though. So it is worth a shot.

WOW that sounds complicated. But being as curios and eager to learn as i am i will give it a shot. I assume you mean installijng ubuntu on my netbook so ill figure that out throug google or something, ill try to find some lit on this subject before trying so i can read up on it Thank you so much for your help. None of my friends that i personally know are into this so the only people that i can talk to about it is online friends. Its always easier having someone next to you versus trying to message and post back and forth, Thanks though your the ****

Just swapping .9 will work as long as the dementions are the same. If the themer changed them you will bootloop.
Here is some advice. Grab your favorite theme zip and unzip it with 7zip. Then unzip the apks and look around to get comfortable with the folder layout and image names. The hit up the apk multitool thread and read up on it. Except for the sdk and Java it is all in there. Everything a Modders needs short of the kitchen.

So by what Zelendel says, I don't need to use the kitchen and ubuntu??? It's really complicated to install and I've o.ly got Windows 7 starter on my netbook.

You guys are awesome though. I really appreciate all the help

http://theunlockr.com/2010/03/26/ho...om-for-android-part-1-setting-up-the-kitchen/
Hey buddie I might to late on this one but just in case lol
HTC Inspire

Thanks man I will use that video. I watched the beginning earlier to check out the ubuntu install. Thanks man

Ok I had to go to HTC.com before posting to double check but I just looked at all the new phones and they all have the navbar that I'm trying to keep around. So my question is where did the one that is in all the newer ROMs cone from? I had initially though HTC changed it AMD that's why we were seeing them on all the Roms we love to flash but if the new phones don't have it why does is end up even on a port from another phone that "completely stock, out of the box" have the smaller navbar that I seem to like so much.
Anywho I finally go ubuntu installed in my Virtual Box so I've got to wait till I get off work today to start playing with it. Hope it works. Thank you everyone for the advice and help. I will let you know how it works out. I'm sure it won't be that easy and ill have more questions though. THANKS

They are from unofficial releases that devs got their hands on.

I may be in over my head a nit but I'm still going to try. In ubuntu every time I shut the machine down instead of saving the current state when I open it again it tells me to upgrade the BIOS. I can't find any info on that particular problem. I'm also having issues with the java install. I install it and it seems to go just fine but when I try to verify it says command not found.

Request for a Tutorial on comparing two ROM's

Is there anyone out there who has the knowledge on how to tweak/make ROM's willing to do a quick (I don't know if that is realistic) tutorial on just how to compare to different ROM's? For instance a video or a step-by-step process on how to take one ROM (let's say the Stock ROM of the Droid Charge Gingerbread version) and compare this to a heavily modded ROM (let's say Infinity ROM or Humble)... I'm curious just how the devs do this; many have advised to start here to see how ROM's work, what's different and where the location of different parts are.... Please help thanks..
My initial thread

Hmm good question. Sure most will point you to several links to read different threads. Each Rom depending on what they change are usually an effort by several people. Thats were credit to certain people are given. Some start with a stock ROM and do some tweaks but alot of theme work. Guess thats why you are asking. Think there is so much going on in the back round with what we dont see it would be hard to compare, such as lines of code etc... Dont know if that is the correct answer but figured I would try.

I know, the reason I'm asking is because I've been given advice to start here and the names of programs needed, but I'm not learned enough to use the programs the correct way yet... Figured I'd ask-whats the harm?
Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA App

Programs:
Linux if you want to extract files from factoryfs.rfs files
7zip or File-roller (or other archive utility)
apktool (or smali/baksmali)
diff (win-diff or kdiff3 also works, can also use git)
Notepad++ or gEdit
andriod-sdk with platform-tools (for adb)
Any dependencies of the above
After that, it's as "simple" as de-compiling various files (with apktool/baksmali) and comparing them. Then use a text editor to add/remove things that you want/don't want from the de-compiled files, or swap out images. After the changes are made, recompile and test. It is a very time consuming process, especially if you run into issues, as problems aren't always easy to track. Logcat will definitely become your friend.

andrewjt19 said:
I know, the reason I'm asking is because I've been given advice to start here and the names of programs needed, but I'm not learned enough to use the programs the correct way yet... Figured I'd ask-whats the harm?
Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You came to the game kind of late. There're so many roms/kernels etc..and the history of them. It will take you months to catch up. I suggest that we would provide you the most current one and it's new/just release you can read up on it. When you look at a rom, alway start on the first page, this is where developer will provide details/description about what has changed for the rom. I would recommend the most current, stable, fast and it's a new release. The TweakStock Rom. This rom when you're using with Go Launcher (Go launcher set to smooth and with some animation, will give you the fluid of Iphone 4S. Start from thread one and see what dev has taken a stock rom and upgraded/tweaked up until today. Good luck. If any question you can post here and we will try our best to help out.

Thanks fellas, I appreciate the advice and I will let you know how I do. One problem I kept running into was in this procedure:
1. Opened kdiff
2.file browse rom a (stock gb in this case) both files still in .tar.md5 format
3. File browse rom b (humble or infinity)
4. Open/compare
5.force close
Second attempt removed .md5, left
.tar, same problem.
Third attempt unpacked and zipped, repeated steps 1-5. Force close.
Fourth attempt, tried to open just the .rfs files and repeated steps 1-5. this time I got a bunch of symbols... laid it to rest...........
So based upon the replies so far, I can see that I was trying to oversimplify a whole; each file must be extracted and browsed individually.
Sent from my SCH-I510 using XDA App