Database Info

Modding a ROM

Hello, I need some help.
I want to make my own custom ROM for my Yarvik TAB467 with Android v4.0.4. Well, I have the ROM but,
1. I do not know how to extract the ROM's .img file (WINRAR, 7zip or other apps like Daemon TOOLS won't work);
2. I do not know how to decompile SystemUI.apk after extracting the ROM, then edit it and then recompiling back to apk
3. After I am done, how do I convert the extracted files back to .img?
Please tell me how to do this in the safest way so I won't brick my tablet Dx
Thanks in advance
EDIT: all I want to edit is the NavBar's color and giving it a Galaxy Tab look by the way. Or just the color.

909alex909 said:
Hello, I need some help.
I want to make my own custom ROM for my Yarvik TAB467 with Android v4.0.4. Well, I have the ROM but,
1. I do not know how to extract the ROM's .img file (WINRAR, 7zip or other apps like Daemon TOOLS won't work);
2. I do not know how to decompile SystemUI.apk after extracting the ROM, then edit it and then recompiling back to apk
3. After I am done, how do I convert the extracted files back to .img?
Please tell me how to do this in the safest way so I won't brick my tablet Dx
Thanks in advance
EDIT: all I want to edit is the NavBar's color and giving it a Galaxy Tab look by the way. Or just the color.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
.img files are in yaffs file format use some scripts or Yaffs Explorer from Market
also to decompile .apk files use APK_Manager
mods to framework possible due to UOTKitchen

[Guide]Create Custom ROMs | Modify Apks

Hello xda.
This is a Guide to help anyone who wishes to create custom ROMs. This Guide aims to be as complete as possible, and will give all information related to creating a custom ROM... editing apks, adding or removing apps, de-odexing apps, and so on.
Al suggestions to improve upon this guide are welcome.
0. Pre-requisites
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Credits to...
1. puppet13th... My mentor, teacher, and a great friend.
2. Wanman... ApkTool for ICS
3. langthang... For a great Guide on Creating Update Script
4. lokeshsaini94... For lots of help
Downloads
You need to Download the following...
1. Apk Tool [link(ICS)|link(GB)]... A tool for De-Compiling apks
2. 7 zip [link]... A tool for un-compressing any sort of compressed file
3. ROM signer [link]... Restores the signing of the ROM zip file, which is messed up while uncompressing
4. Any Image Resizer​
Setting up your PC
You need to do the following...
1. Create a folder (preferably in Desktop, and name it "Android")
2. Create Sub-Folders by the names "Base ROM" and "Custom ROM". Also make Sub Folders by the name...
a. ApkTool... Extract contents of ApkTool Here
b. Signer... Extract Autosigner here​
I. Let's get our Base ROM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You need to get the base ROM in the ./Desktop/Base ROM folder. It is also recommended that you flash the Base ROM into your phone, as it will help in testing the mods, as you make them.
The process of getting the base ROM will depend on the scenario your situation fits in, from amongst the following...
1. You want an already made Custom ROM as your Base... Download the ROM [willl come in .zip folder], and extract it in /Desktop/Android/Base ROM folder
2. You want to base your ROM on a stock firmware, which came in an ftf package... Use the following tool to extract the files from the ftf file.
3. You want to base your ROM on a stock firmware, which is instaled on your phone...
Take a back up of the ROM using ClockWork Mod, and copy the back up files (from /sdcard/clockworkmod/backup), somewhere to your computer. Then, using this tool, extract the files to /Destktop/Android/Base ROM
Copy the following folders from /system of your phone using Root Browser
/app
/bin
/etc
/fonts
/framework
/lib
/media
/semc
/usr
/xbin
build.prop​
4. You want to base your ROM on a stock firmware, that comes as a ready to flash .zip file on the internet... Download the ROM, and extract it in /Desktop/Android/Base ROM folder
After completion, the Base ROM will have the following Folder Structure
Desktop
Android
Base ROM
META-INF [only if you got your base from another Custom ROM][/INDENT][/INDENT][/INDENT]
system
apps
bin
etc
.
.
.
data [may be]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
*ScreenShots*
Copy the contents of Base ROM folder to Custom ROM folder.
We now have the foundation of our ROM laid out in front of us, inviting us to show our creativity.
II. Let's work on the Base ROM... Creation of the Custom ROM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A. Apks Make up the Android System...
We will now work, only on the /Desktop/Android/Custom ROM Folder
1. Look into the /system/apps...
You will find apk files which will be raninging frm 100 to 200 in number. Err, half or more are known as "Crapware". You need to remove files which are useless, that's a very important step to enhance performance of your final ROM. Look into your device's forums, to get the list of Safe-To-Remove appks from the respective firmware. In case your base is an already built custom ROM, you will have to remove lesser or none of the files.
2. Here, you can add your desired files as well, keeping compaitability in mind.
3 [Optional]. On a .txt file, keep a record of all the apps your removed or added, as it will help in troubleshooting at a later stage.​
B. Implementing Already-Built-MODs in your ROM...
1. Download any Mod you want to keep in your ROM [Make sure your device, and the Base ROM is compaitable]
2. Extract the zip file and you will get a system folder.
3. Copy the files from the system folder to /Custom ROM/sytem, making sure the files go into the folders they came from.
That is, all apk files from /system/apps folder of the Mod should go to /Custom ROM/system/app folder, and so on...​
C. Changing the Interface... Let's Mess with SystemUI[nterface].apk
Go to /system/app and copy SystemUI.apk to
/Desktop/Android/ApkTool/place-apk-here-for-modding
Working with ApkTool
The link provided in this post is of an easy to use software called ApkTool.
1. Double Click on the Script.bat file to open up the software.
*Screenshot*
2. Decompress the SystemUI.apk using option '9'.
Wait for the process to complete
3. Go to /Projects, and you will find a folder called SystemUI.
Open the /SystemUI.apk/res/drawable folders and you will find lots and lots of .png files
*Screenshot*
4. Look into the files carfully.
Bingo, they correspond to the various system elements of the SystemUI of the Base ROM.
5. Open any file you want to edit, edit it, and save in the original location, replacing the original un-edited file. [On a temporary notepad file, note which all files you edit]
Note: You will notce that there are .png files for, say the Battery Icon. You will find that there are files for each state of the Battery Icon. So if you intend to edit the Battery Icon, you need to edit all the files corresonding to each of the states.
5.A. A common exaple of such editing is making the elements of a Gingerbread SystemUI.apk look like ICS SystemUI.apk. For this get hands on any ICS SystemUI.apk and extract both the files in seprate locations, and then copy the files from the ICS SystemUI folder to GB SystemUI folder. However, here you must make sure that the names of the files coming from ICS SystemUI are changed to corresponding values of the GingerBread SystemUI.apk. Here, also ensure that the new files, which replace the original files, have the same dimensions as the original files. If not use any image resizing tool.
*Screenshot*
6. If you want to edit some values in the .xml files, carry on. Edit the files as you wish, and replace the original files. Once you are done with the editing...
7. Open the Script.bat file and run command 11. [Say NO when it asks if the file is a system file]You will have a new SystemUI.apk file called unsignedSystemUI.apk in /place-apk-here-for-modding folder.
Go and fill your pockets with some cookies from the kitchen. Start having them.
8. Keep the temporary notepad file on one side and open the unsignedSystemUI.apk with 7zip, and open the original SystemUI.apk using 7zip besides it.
*Screenshot*
9. Drag and extract the files you edited to a temporary folder.
10. Drag the extracted files to the SystemUI.apk, replacing the older files, making sure all the edited files go to the proper place. [That's why I asked to keep a note of which all files were edited].
*Screenshot*
11. If you edited some .xml files, then you MIGHT need to copy the resources.acrc file at the root of the unsignedSystemUI.apk file to the root of the original SystemUI.apk file.
Once done, the original SystemUI.apk has now become a modded SystemUI.apk, with your creativity embedded into it. Time to test the SystemUI.apk.
12. Using Quick ADB, push the edited SystemUI.apk to your phone.
*Screenshot*
13. Re-boot your phone and you shoud see the changes you made in the UI. .
In case it gives force close message, you messed up somewhere. So you will have to push the original SystemUI.apk [from /Base ROM/system/apps folder], and try to mod the file from scratch again.
14. Copy the sucessfully modded SystemUI.apk from /Apktool/place-apk-here-for-modding folder to /Custom ROM/system/app folder, replacing the older file.​
D. Changing the Interface... Editing other .apks
1. As earlier, copy the apk you want to edit from /Custom ROM/System/app to /Apktool/**** folder, and perform the modification to optain a new modded .apk file.
2. Test this file if you wish, by pushing it using Qucik ADB.
3. If the modded file wrks, copy this new file to /Custom ROM/System/app and replace the original file​
E. Changing the Interface... Editing the font
1. Take your desired font.ttf file and rename it as DroidSans.ttf..
2. Go to the folder system/fonts/
3. Now, replace the file DroidSans.ttf with your desired DoridSans.ttf...
4. To change the lock screen clock font...replace the Clocktopia.ttf with your desired one (rename first)...​
If you did a good job in the above steps, the /Custom ROM folder should be having the contents of a wonderful ROM in making.
Here, I will like to mention that, if you want to upload your custom ROM on the internet and share it, you must ensure that you did lots of hard work in the above steps. There's no point making a custom ROM without modifying lots of files and adding lots of tweaks.
Just make sure that you do so much of modding that, say, your Gingerbread ROM looks like Jellybean, or say, your ROM made for Galaxy Y works as smooth as an SIII.
III. Compiling the Custom ROM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A. If you got your base ROM as in [1 or 4] in step I above
1. Copy the META-INF folder from /Base ROM to /Desktop/Android/Custom ROM
2. Rename the Custom ROM folder to whatever-you-want-your-ROM-to-be-called.
3. Add the Folder to a zip file using 7zip.
4. Take this zip file to /Desktop/Android/Signer folder and run sign.bat.​
X. The new zip file called Update.zip is your ROM.
Copy this file to the SD Card of your phone, format /system, /data, /cache using CWM and flash your .zip file. And enjoy your custom ROM.
B. If you got your base ROM as in [2 or 3] in step I above... Creating your own Update script
Read the following Tutorial. [link]
Once you are done, try the ROM on your phone. Share it if you feel it's great. And hit Thanks Button.

Reserved

Reserved2

nice guide!

thanks for the tutorial.

Nice guide, continue finish it.:good:

Awesome
Adds some more tutorial please:thumbup:
Thanks for your work
Inviato dal mio GT-N7000 con Tapatalk 2

Please also add link to original thread....
Btw .. Nice guide....
In 1. Looking into system apps... you should delete .apk as well as .odex files when you want to remove an app... Like browser.apk and browser.odex... Many peoples won't delete them....
Sent from my GT-S7500 using xda premium

Thanks for this nice guide. :highfive:
Please add the placeholder *Screenshot* s :good:

beautiful
Thanks a lot for this beautiful guide. Loved it

i tried it ............
i followed the guide n tried editin my custom rom technoduos on sgy duos GT-s6102
all i did was extract the rom using CWM and then added removed some apps at /system/apps
no other tweaks just addin n removin apps dats all then compressed it n signed it
then wen i flashed it on my set it worked (yayyyyyyy)
but there were some problems the apps which i del were gone but the ones i added were not there ..........
also wen i flashed the rom again the apps which were del were back how is it possible i made sure i had del em
plz help

thank you very much for your tutorials are very helpful to me

nice guide! thx

Nice Guide...
Thanks for the hard work to track down all this information and publish for us.
Thanks

Thanks... im gonna give this a whirl
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

R: [Guide]Create Custom ROMs | Modify Apks
Very useful giude thanks ; )
Inviato dal mio GT-N7100 con Tapatalk 2

:Good:
Sent from my potato oO

thanks

[Tutorial][Guide] How to make a CWM flashable zip

Tutorial on [how to] make a flashable zip 
Credits:
Special Thanks to google.com for teaching me  and rishik999 for sample.zip
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
REQUIREMENTS
- Any file that you want to replace or add to your phone;
- An existing (base) cwm flashable zip file. - I've attached one below;
- 7-zip, Winrar or any program which can open and modify zip files .
STEPS:
DIRECTORY STRUCTURE:
(1) Download and place the base.zip (attached below) anywhere on your desktop;
(2) Right-click on it and open the archive with 7zip, winrar ... [DO NOT extract]
Now you should see two folders: one called "system" and one called "META-INF".
1. Let's start with the "system" one, so open it:
In there, will go all files that what you want to add or replace to the system. So let's say for example that you want to replace the bootanimation.
Make a "New Floder"
-Rename its as "media" (make sure its aint in CAPS nor with in quotation marks)
-drag those two new empty folders into the /system/ folder of the 7-zip opened archive
-now simply drop the two files in their respective place: the bootanimation.zip file should go in '/system/media' folder
.. If you have more files to add, just follow the logic above; I'm sure you get the idea by now.. :silly:
Hints
/system/app - all the system apps (SystemUI.apk etc)
/system/framework/ -framework-res.apk,android.policy.jar
/system/media - bootanimation.zip
/system/lib - libraries (*.so)
2. The other folder included in the opened archive is named "META-INF" and all the file in it should be left unchanged.
Now,just place the zip into your sd card! & try your luck  Of course it will work 
That's it !
Hihihihi...damn easy na ???
Common friend ..dont be a noob ..be a newbiee !!
HIT THANXXX !!
NOTE: Always backup your existing system file that you are going to replace by the patch(zip).

Here is the sample.zip which u can use to make any sort of flashable zip file

Deleted : Solved

kk9999gada said:
Where are Credits?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2nd line

Deleted : Solved

Edit : Done

thanks
i will try... :laugh:

Thanks, I will try it

Thanks will tryyy...
Sent from my Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro(SK17i) using Tapatalk 2

How to make a flashable zip of a recovery.img?
Sent from my GT-S7500 using Tapatalk 2

video recorder problem
hello, I use the camera fix for CM10.1.
It works awesome but the video recorder cannot work after fixing.
Before fixing, I use both stock camera and camera jb+.
Video recorder can wok on camera jb+ then.
But it cannot work after flashing fixing camera jar via cwm!
How should I do ?

Warning:No file context!
Does this sentence "Warning:No file context" might affect the phone recovery????

Thumbs Up Bro !!
You made my day !!
learned something new...

Really nice thread.
I wanna ask that i want to edit my build. Prop file. So in case if anything goes wrong can i flash the original one via this method or it will work only for apps.
Because i once had modified it but stucked at bootloop. So i don't want it to happen again.

coolsid. said:
Really nice thread.
I wanna ask that i want to edit my build. Prop file. So in case if anything goes wrong can i flash the original one via this method or it will work only for apps.
Because i once had modified it but stucked at bootloop. So i don't want it to happen again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It'working for every single file that's in the android os...i allways backup in a flashing zip the original files that i am tryng to change/mod
Sent from my GT-S7500

HEY BUDDY YOU SAID THAT..
Make a "New Floder"
-Rename its as "media" (make sure its aint in CAPS nor with in quotation marks)
-drag those 'two new' empty folders into the /system/ folder of the 7-zip opened archive
-now simply drop the "two files" in their respective place: the bootanimation.zip file should go in '/system/media' folder
this includes what are the two folders and the two files. Sorry but i could figure out only one. I Want To Make a zip file using your method but don't want to take any risk.

Changing the zombie art of a CUSTOM ROM

First of all, what is "zombie art"..??
>>> It is that image that is displayed by your phone when you tap the android version in Settings/About phone
This guide is meant for all Cyanogenmod roms ie. CM7,CM9,CM10,CM10.
What you need..??
1>> your zipped custom rom
2>> WinRAR (for zipping and unzipping roms)
3>> some degree of carefulness.
4>> Working Brain.
First of all please take a nandroid backup of your current rom incase anything goes wrong. I m nt responsible for it.
Steps:
1) unzip your rom into a folder. Name it anything that you like.
2) navigate to system/framework/ and copy the framework-res.apk file to another folder.
3) change the extension from .apk to .zip
4) extract this framework-res.zip file into a folder.
5) inside the extracted folder, navigate to res/drawable-nodpi
6) inside this folder you will find many files. but here we will only deal with platlogo.png
7) Replace this .png file with the one you like but be sure that its name remains "platlogo.png". you can find the .png files for ics and jellybean
in the attachments.
8) Now zip the files (the framework-res.zip) but with the changes made and name it the same ie "framework-res.zip".
9) change the extension of this zipped file to .apk
10) place it back in the system/framework/ directory .
11) zip the rom folders using WinRAR.
12) when you flash this zip file which that was edited this way, you will have the desired image when you tap on Android version in
Settings>About phone
13)please note that you can replace the original platlogo.png with any image file: provided you rename your desired file as platlogo.png.
If you have a .jpeg image, the edit it using Paint or any image editor and save the file as .png one.
PLEASE HIT THE THANKS BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE IF I HELPED.
MY DEVICE>> Motorola defy plus

shubhu2604 said:
First of all, what is "zombie art"..??
>>> It is that image that is displayed by your phone when you tap the android version in Settings/About phone
This guide is meant for all Cyanogenmod roms ie. CM7,CM9,CM10,CM10.
What you need..??
1>> your zipped custom rom
2>> WinRAR (for zipping and unzipping roms)
3>> some degree of carefulness.
4>> Working Brain.
First of all please take a nandroid backup of your current rom incase anything goes wrong. I m nt responsible for it.
Steps:
1) unzip your rom into a folder. Name it anything that you like.
2) navigate to system/framework/ and copy the framework-res.apk file to another folder.
3) change the extension from .apk to .zip
4) extract this framework-res.zip file into a folder.
5) inside the extracted folder, navigate to res/drawable-nodpi
6) inside this folder you will find many files. but here we will only deal with platlogo.png
7) Replace this .png file with the one you like but be sure that its name remains "platlogo.png". you can find the .png files for ics and jellybean
in the attachments.
8) Now zip the files (the framework-res.zip) but with the changes made and name it the same ie "framework-res.zip".
9) change the extension of this zipped file to .apk
10) place it back in the system/framework/ directory .
11) zip the rom folders using WinRAR.
12) when you flash this zip file which that was edited this way, you will have the desired image when you tap on Android version in
Settings>About phone
13)please note that you can replace the original platlogo.png with any image file: provided you rename your desired file as platlogo.png.
If you have a .jpeg image, the edit it using Paint or any image editor and save the file as .png one.
PLEASE HIT THE THANKS BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE IF I HELPED.
MY DEVICE>> Motorola defy plus
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a pop up shown after I tap the image, how can I change the op up text ?

leezhijiang said:
There is a pop up shown after I tap the image, how can I change the op up text ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
follow this link n tou will find how to change the text
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1883003

[TOOL] Apktool : decompile and recompile apk on android

decompile and recompile apk or even extract android boot.img/recovery.img on your android phone using this tool
This tool might come in handy is for all respected devs,modders and themers of our device
How to's :
First Download the package apktool4.4_armhf.zip from
https://code.google.com/p/apktool/downloads/detail?name=apktool4.4_armhf.zip&can=2&q=
Extract archive to /sdcard or if you want Better read write speed use the cache/data folder set permission to rwrr
Install Apktool4.x.apk
Now open the app from app drawer.
And
Make the most out of it !
For boot.img and recovery.img
Copy your boot.img to sdcard or /cache/yourfolder(for fast processing)
Single click boot.img select "extract"You will see new file named "kernel" and new folder "ramdisk"
if extracted properly no error will show up.
You can edit files in ramdisk folder.after editing touch ramdisk and select "repack" you can make the new boot.img which is named as new.img. For recovery.img it's the same way.
Hope this helped

NIKHILALWAYZ said:
decompile and recompile apk or even extract android boot.img/recovery.img on your android phone using this tool
This tool might come in handy is for all respected devs,modders and themers of our device
How to's :
First Download the package apktool4.4_armhf.zip from
https://code.google.com/p/apktool/downloads/detail?name=apktool4.4_armhf.zip&can=2&q=
Extract archive to /sdcard or if you want Better read write speed use the cache/data folder set permission to rwrr
Install Apktool4.x.apk
Now open the app from app drawer.
And
Make the most out of it !
For boot.img and recovery.img
Copy your boot.img to sdcard or /cache/yourfolder(for fast processing)
Single click boot.img select "extract"You will see new file named "kernel" and new folder "ramdisk"
if extracted properly no error will show up.
You can edit files in ramdisk folder.after editing touch ramdisk and select "repack" you can make the new boot.img which is named as new.img. For recovery.img it's the same way.
Hope this helped
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
first thnk u sir for ur tutorial i am mtk user. i put my boot.img into system folder and extracted i got this msg:-
"1250 1 records in
1250 1 records out
2247 blocks". and following folders are created there 1)ramdisk
2)kernal
3)ramdisk.cpio.gz (this file also get created) is it ok? should i go ahead?

prajul1123 said:
first thnk u sir for ur tutorial i am mtk user. i put my boot.img into system folder and extracted i got this msg:-
"1250 1 records in
1250 1 records out
2247 blocks". and following folders are created there 1)ramdisk
2)kernal
3)ramdisk.cpio.gz (this file also get created) is it ok? should i go ahead?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes:good: ,for more info search on xda about decompiling and tools for editing.

I want to make a duplicate apk by using apktool 4.6 for phone.
example wechat.apk to wechat01.apk
And to install both on same device..
PLEASE PROVIDE TUTORIAL FOR DOING IT...
THANKS

Nit Patel said:
I want to make a duplicate apk by using apktool 4.6 for phone.
example wechat.apk to wechat01.apk
And to install both on same device..
PLEASE PROVIDE TUTORIAL FOR DOING IT...
THANKS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First,you will have to change the entire framework of the app (sorry,i have no idea how to do that) and secondly, both apps won't work in using the same device because of the android ID. i know to how to edit text/pictures/icons /fonts etc of an app..but no idea relating permissions management , so if you have any questions regarding that feel free to ask