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Hi all,
has anyone been able to do this? Following the guide here, no longer works for Android N. The phone boots, but ignores all changes to system. How do I modify both build.prop and hosts? It seems that there are now possibly two system partitions?
Thanks!
Same issue on Nexus 5X
No answer on this? How is it that nobody else seems to be having this issue?
What I've done
It looks to me like everyone has moved to systemless and the /system partition cannot be adequately modified in this way anymore.
Maybe this will help others:
I was modifying the system directory for two reasons: 1. modify /system/etc/hosts to remove ads and modifying build.prop to increase lcd.density. I found that here are the alternatives for each:
Removing Ads
Using something similar to AdAway_systemless_hosts_v2.zip (google it for a copy) and modifying the hosts file in that zip file to be the one I use (and rezipping, deploying on the Android device). This basically mounts over /system/etc/hosts with a custom hosts file instead of actually modifying the system specific hosts file which is no longer writable.
The alternative is to use Netguard which routes non https network traffic through a private VPN where you can block ads according to a hosts file. This seems to work OK, but I have noticed that websites seem to take longer to load.
Modifying lcd.density
You can use the same trick as AdAway_systemless_hosts_v2.zip uses, but modify it to also mount a modified copy of build.prop. Alternatively just use the Android N Display settings that are small (what I did anyhow).
I have been able to edit build.prop and still maintain systemless root.
Sent from my Nexus 6P using XDA-Developers mobile app
I was able to modify my system partition; by installing busy box to /su/xbin and running "su busybox mount -o rw,remount system" (no quotes) in material terminal with root
ArminasAnarion said:
I was able to modify my system partition; by installing busy box to /su/xbin and running "su busybox mount -o rw,remount system" (no quotes) in material terminal with root
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you been able to do this with simply fastboot boot <twrp-image>, mounting system in rw mode and modifying it? I did that as I didn't want to root the phone, and while it looks like it did the write, it does not affect the system partition that is used by the phone after boot. I think there are two system partitions, and twrp mounts only one in rw mode. It does seem like it may be possible to do what you say using adb though after the phone is fully booted up. I'll try that!
dontblinkwatchout said:
Have you been able to do this with simply fastboot boot <twrp-image>, mounting system in rw mode and modifying it? I did that as I didn't want to root the phone, and while it looks like it did the write, it does not affect the system partition that is used by the phone after boot. I think there are two system partitions, and twrp mounts only one in rw mode. It does seem like it may be possible to do what you say using adb though after the phone is fully booted up. I'll try that!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the same problem. I don't want to root but I do make a few changes to my /system partition through adb in recovery such as the hosts file and some font files (namely the Emoji font file). I had modified stock boot image to not enforce encryption. I would boot back up into the system and couldn't see any changes made. The only thing I found that worked was installing a custom kernel (I use ElementalX). After that, changes I made to /system in TWRP were reflected in the OS. I don't know enough about kernel development to understand why on (mostly) stock kernel my changes couldn't be seen but on a custom one they were.
I never had this "problem" prior to Nougat.
Same issue here. Something has changed with how this is handled in Nougat.
I don't want to root just to overwrite the hosts file...
I'll keep debugging but my capability in this is definitely limited!
I use a similar approach as described in the OP's linked guide except I use my own recovery image that I compiled as an engineering build from source, and I am also experiencing the same behavior. Modifying the hosts file seems to have no impact on the system though the changes persist. Comparing the host file I installed and the host file from the latest Nexus 5X image with 'ls -lZ' the SELinux info looks to be the same. The only information that appears to differ is the modified date and one additional line in the file itself for testing. I thought I was doing something wrong with my hosts file, even though I have been using this approach since Android 6.0. However, I agree, it appears that changes to system are being ignored. Further, changing the system partition no longer shows the red warning at boot about the system being corrupted.
---------- Post added at 09:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:38 PM ----------
DanRyb;68654939 I would boot back up into the system and couldn't see any changes made.[/QUOTE said:
Oooh. You're right. Neither /etc/hosts or /system/etc/hosts is modified in the booted OS after I modify it from live image, but the change is retained when I reboot into live image and mount system. Hmm, so either:
1) Need to figure out where the the system files are being loaded from and modify them from live image if possible
2) Use a mechanism similar to what dontblinkwatchout described AdAway is using of having a custom mount setup (have to reverse engineer AdAway I guess to see what it's doing)
3) ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's absolutely no way to modify or mount system partition r+w unless you disable dm-verity
Enviado desde mi Nexus 6P mediante Tapatalk
alexiuss said:
There's absolutely no way to modify or mount system partition r+w unless you disable dm-verity
Enviado desde mi Nexus 6P mediante Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
dm-verity has been around since Android 4.4. Are you saying there is something new around this in Android 7.0?
You can modify the system partition by compiling an engineering build of Android and booting it, then mounting the system partition and modifying it. I've been doing this to update the hosts file since Android 6.0 for every OTA update (since more recently OTA updates bomb out unless you reflash the clean "uncorrupted" system.img first). Changing the system image before Android 7.0 did result in an extra screen with a red warning about a corrupted something or other (I'm sure because dm-verity checking failed). Regardless, you can still change the system partition, the information just no longer seems to be used, which is a bit perplexing to me atm.
crashenx said:
dm-verity has been around since Android 4.4. Are you saying there is something new around this in Android 7.0?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android 7.0 introduced redundant bits for reed solomon forward error correction into the system and vendor partitions and code in the kernel to perform the error correction.
Your changes are being written to emmc but when you boot with 7.0 kernel with dm-verity enabled your changes are being treated as data corruption and on-the-fly error corrected back to original.
You can see your changes if you boot into twrp because it has dm-verity disabled. However if you boot into android with dm-verity enabled it will look like original image again even though your changes are technically still there.
It took me a day to figure out what was really going on because i initially had no idea they added this feature to Android N.
The simple way to disable dm-verity is to install SuperSU, but you can also accomplish the same patching your own kernel, installing pre-patched kernel, installing custom kernel, etc.
sfhub said:
Android 7.0 introduced redundant bits for reed solomon forward error correction into the system and vendor partitions and code in the kernel to perform the error correction.
Your changes are being written to emmc but when you boot with 7.0 kernel with dm-verity enabled your changes are being treated as data corruption and on-the-fly error corrected back to original.
You can see your changes if you boot into twrp because it has dm-verity disabled. However if you boot into android with dm-verity enabled it will look like original image again even though your changes are technically still there.
It took me a day to figure out what was really going on because i initially had no idea they added this feature to Android N.
The simple way to disable dm-verity is to install SuperSU, but you can also accomplish the same patching your own kernel, installing pre-patched kernel, installing custom kernel, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's good info and makes total sense. Thanks! Pretty neat actually, just a bummer for me.
Yeah so SuperSU path is not really one I want to pursue. I could learn how to update the dm-verity shas used for verification. That'd probably be the most secure, but it's gonna be a PITA I bet. I imagine I'd need to compile my own image similar to how I made my live image and update a few things. Might have to deal with encryption which is probably an even bigger headache. Also, I bet it would break OTA and have to reflash to update, though that's true now.
I'm really curious what AdAway is doing. Maybe I should pursue reverse engineering that.
I really appreciate you pointing us in the right direction.
I am glad found this thread..willing to assist here without permanent root..
Ericarthurc said:
I was able to modify my system partition; by installing busy box to /su/xbin and running "su busybox mount -o rw,remount system" (no quotes) in material terminal with root
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was trying to create a /system/xbin/post-boot but couldn't remount /system, and so I added busybox to the front of my command. I am not using adb so I cut that part off. Thanks a lot!
Hi everyone
Every time i'm moving an app to system, it just disappears (using lucky patcher). When I look the app up in es file explorer, I see it is in system but I can't interact with it. Also the app has the green andoid logo, not the logo from the app itself.
Does anyone know how to fix this?
Ps: I know I don't do anything wrong because it worked fine on my htc m8.
Thanks
I had that issue when converting Cerberus into a system app. Problem might be that that the app is 2 times present.
To check for that, load a terminal emulator and execute:
su
find /system /data -name *APPNAME*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After a year since the release, the ZTE Blade Zmax is finally able to be rooted . I want to know, what have you guys done so far with your rooted devices? Any custom tweaks, used a cheat engine, etc? Have you looked into any custom ROMs that may possibly work for this phone? Comment below what you have done so far. Me personally, I tweaked my battery a lot and did a little modification to my kernel. With both magisk and xposed, I have been able to do a lot so far, but I want to do more. That is why I am curious to know cool things that you guys have done so far.
Removed SO much bloat, did the usual magisk modules, used SystemUI Tuner to make some visual changes in the statusbar, and noticed how heavily ZTE modified the system all the way down to the weather app. Currently looking into decompiling and recompiling the systemui to remove the annoying top left carrier wasn't successful in the first attempt so going at it again.
JasonSec said:
Removed SO much bloat, did the usual magisk modules, used SystemUI Tuner to make some visual changes in the statusbar, and noticed how heavily ZTE modified the system all the way down to the weather app. Currently looking into decompiling and recompiling the systemui to remove the annoying top left carrier wasn't successful in the first attempt so going at it again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. What type of bloatware did you remove? ANy app specific used for that? For the last couple of days, I have been trying to change the boot animation. After may methods and attempts, it serves as no avail, so likewise to you, we both have things we are trying to accomplish. Hopefully, all goes well. Keep me updated on your status.
evtoofly said:
Interesting. What type of bloatware did you remove? ANy app specific used for that? For the last couple of days, I have been trying to change the boot animation. After may methods and attempts, it serves as no avail, so likewise to you, we both have things we are trying to accomplish. Hopefully, all goes well. Keep me updated on your status.
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Click to collapse
Facebook, metrozone, chrome, few other I can't remember. No app just deleted them from /system/(priv-)app via recovery.
For the bootanimation I found a megathread under Android customization, grabbed the zip for the animation I wanted, rebooted to recovery, setenforce 0 via adb, renamed the old bootanimation.zip to old.zip just in case, then pushed the zip to /system/media and rebooted.
JasonSec said:
Facebook, metrozone, chrome, few other I can't remember. No app just deleted them from /system/(priv-)app via recovery.
For the bootanimation I found a megathread under Android customization, grabbed the zip for the animation I wanted, rebooted to recovery, setenforce 0 via adb, renamed the old bootanimation.zip to old.zip just in case, then pushed the zip to /system/media and rebooted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im going to try that, hopefully, it works. Why did you remove chrome though? Do you find other browsers better? I personally have good experience with chrome. Im trying to do as much tweaks as possible with the device itself, but I done so much already, Im confused on what else there is to do
Update: Bootanimations only work with soft reboots. Im looking for a way to have my custom boot when I hard reboot my phone.
evtoofly said:
Im going to try that, hopefully, it works. Why did you remove chrome though? Do you find other browsers better? I personally have good experience with chrome. Im trying to do as much tweaks as possible with the device itself, but I done so much already, Im confused on what else there is to do
Update: Bootanimations only work with soft reboots. Im looking for a way to have my custom boot when I hard reboot my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I find Via much faster and love the customization. Chrome removal that was less about bloat and more about something I'll never use and if I ever do decide to use it or Facebook again it's available in the play store.
Not sure what you mean about boot animations I believe they're loaded and appear each time the system is booted regardless of hard/soft boot (assuming you're not going to recovery mode obviously)
JasonSec said:
I find Via much faster and love the customization. Chrome removal that was less about bloat and more about something I'll never use and if I ever do decide to use it or Facebook again it's available in the play store.
Not sure what you mean about boot animations I believe they're loaded and appear each time the system is booted regardless of hard/soft boot (assuming you're not going to recovery mode obviously)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I use the app quick reboot that allows me to boot into recovery, quick restart, or full restart,etc. When I quick reboot, it will show my custom boot animation I downloaded, but when I full reboot, it shows the default metropcs screen which is annoying in my opinion. Maybe because I set my phone in permissive mode using Terminal and not adb
Well anyway, I'm still going to try and fix this because I hard reboot my phone a lot and I just dont wanna see that metro pcs screen anymore. Also, am I the only blade user whose power button does not know how to function I am really about to take this phone apart because my power button seems impossible to work unless I hold it a certain way, and its been like this for a while and I just dont understand why.
Ive spent over a year trying to make a gps spoofing app work on this phone.
Root really didnt help but twrp did.
Moved the app from /data/app to /system/priv-app
then I chmodded the folder and base.apk to 777
additionally I chowned the folder and base.apk to root:root
xxMoon said:
Ive spent over a year trying to make a gps spoofing app work on this phone.
Root really didnt help but twrp did.
Moved the app from /data/app to /system/priv-app
then I chmodded the folder and base.apk to 777
additionally I chowned the folder and base.apk to root:root
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
interesting, I was just thinking about using gps spoof. Did you end up successful in it
Yup
xxMoon said:
Ive spent over a year trying to make a gps spoofing app work on this phone.
Root really didnt help but twrp did.
Moved the app from /data/app to /system/priv-app
then I chmodded the folder and base.apk to 777
additionally I chowned the folder and base.apk to root:root
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bro! Not sure if you read the post I made on the other thread, but actually one of my reasons for rooting was achieving a "working" Spoofing method.
Rooting and moving app to system kind of works, but there it a better way and actually works great on this phone.
Just download Smali Patcher 0.0.4.2 from this thread https://forum.xda-developers.com/apps/magisk/module-smali-patcher-0-7-t3680053 (Thx to F0mey)) and follow the ADB method (Options 1 and 4),
then just flash the generated magisk module,
install your prefered spoofing app (Im using Ninja's) - **Remember to clone**
set as Mock Location
Everything unchecked on Spoof App (I just leave the distance info one on Ninja's app)
Enjoy!
BlazeMz3 said:
Bro! Not sure if you read the post I made on the other thread, but actually one of my reasons for rooting was achieving a "working" Spoofing method.
Rooting and moving app to system kind of works, but there it a better way and actually works great on this phone.
Just download Smali Patcher 0.0.4.2 from this thread https://forum.xda-developers.com/apps/magisk/module-smali-patcher-0-7-t3680053 (Thx to F0mey)) and follow the ADB method (Options 1 and 4),
then just flash the generated magisk module,
install your prefered spoofing app (Im using Ninja's) - **Remember to clone**
set as Mock Location
Everything unchecked on Spoof App (I just leave the distance info one on Ninja's app)
Enjoy!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
im going to try this. Question, what were your reasons for spoofing? Why did you want to achieve this with root?
xxMoon said:
Ive spent over a year trying to make a gps spoofing app work on this phone.
Root really didnt help but twrp did.
Moved the app from /data/app to /system/priv-app
then I chmodded the folder and base.apk to 777
additionally I chowned the folder and base.apk to root:root
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello could you help me?
Guys might find this easier to use.
(EASY ROOT) Z982 via QFIL or TWRP B20_Modified SYSRW 4/8/19
Hi! I'm on rooted Android Pie and I've been trying to change some properties in build.prop in the vendor folder but it keeps on resetting every boot. Is there a way of stopping it from resetting? Thanks!
batuken said:
Hi! I'm on rooted Android Pie and I've been trying to change some properties in build.prop in the vendor folder but it keeps on resetting every boot. Is there a way of stopping it from resetting? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am going to assume you used magisk to root the phone, if so edit the build.prop files in the vendor folder as you have been and then check the below directory and make the same changes you made to the vendor folder there aswell.
If the changes you made in the vendor folder do not match up/are not the same in both locations then they will rest when you next boot the device. Which kinda sounds like your issue
/sbin/.magisk/mirror/system
Ash180287 said:
I am going to assume you used magisk to root the phone, if so edit the build.prop files in the vendor folder as you have been and then check the below directory and make the same changes you made to the vendor folder there aswell.
If the changes you made in the vendor folder do not match up/are not the same in both locations then they will rest when you next boot the device. Which kinda sounds like your issue
/sbin/.magisk/mirror/system
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the response. But as soon as after modifying the build.prop, it disappears. ?
batuken said:
Thanks for the response. But as soon as after modifying the build.prop, it disappears.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems that you need to see the init.rc and other boot initialization. Lots of properties are reset(initialized from the devices, roms, etc...) when it reboot. Some of them can be changed at the boot initialization.
wga0 said:
It seems that you need to see the init.rc and other boot initialization. Lots of properties are reset(initialized from the devices, roms, etc...) when it reboot. Some of them can be changed at the boot initialization.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have question mate. I was trying to set this to 0 in vendor/build.prop:
vendor.display.enable_default_color_mode=1
Could this be related to the Colors in Display being set to Cinematic Mode, etc. as default? 'Coz I noticed that in Android Pie, every time you boot up, the colors are very vivid, then suddenly becomes less vivid after locking the screen.
Hi , so apperntly the only way currently to modify system files of OnePlus 8 Pro is through flashing magisk modules , Tried using several file explorers but couldn't change permissions , tried via twrp but system won't be mounted , so my question is if there is a magisk module that someone made to mount r/w , if there is , I would like to get it , if there isn't , I would appreciate if anyone can create that for me , and please don't tell me to go to terminal and type commands because IT DOESN'T WORK, I don't know exactly what flashing magisk modules do but I figured out that it's the only way I can change system files , please help
Mounting system as R/W is impossible on stock software (OOS, OneUI etc).
This applies to all devices launched with Android 10, so, 7T/Pro and up.
https://source.android.com/devices/tech/ota/dynamic_partitions/implement
Your best shot is to create a module that 'modifies' the system systemless-ly.
Lossyx said:
Mounting system as R/W is impossible on stock software (OOS, OneUI etc).
This applies to all devices launched with Android 10, so, 7T/Pro and up.
https://source.android.com/devices/tech/ota/dynamic_partitions/implement
Your best shot is to create a module that 'modifies' the system systemless-ly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's literally the magisk module i'm asking for
ilan0098 said:
That's literally the magisk module i'm asking for
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Literally not. You asked for a module that could make system R/W.
Anyway good luck
As mentioned, no r/w module...
galaxys said:
As mentioned, no r/w module...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anyway such a module won't do any good IMHO. System/product/vendor partitions are combined into a single "super" partition.
The individual parts for /system, /vendor, /product are then mounted from there.
You will never be able to physically write on files in those partitions (if that is/was your intention).
However, you can write a Magisk module (easily) which replaces files with others (e.g. I replaced my /system/etc/hosts files with a version that has ad-blocked IP addresses). You can "delete" files by making them "empty" with a Magisk module (e.g. I have hidden the OnePlus phone/dialer/calculator/messages/notes apps in this way as I prefer the Google variants).
It's not that hard ... assuming you have a bit of Linux dev skills.
Can you be more specific about what exactly you want to do? Edit some file?
foobar66 said:
Anyway such a module won't do any good IMHO. System/product/vendor partitions are combined into a single "super" partition.
The individual parts for /system, /vendor, /product are then mounted from there.
You will never be able to physically write on files in those partitions (if that is/was your intention).
However, you can write a Magisk module (easily) which replaces files with others (e.g. I replaced my /system/etc/hosts files with a version that has ad-blocked IP addresses). You can "delete" files by making them "empty" with a Magisk module (e.g. I have hidden the OnePlus phone/dialer/calculator/messages/notes apps in this way as I prefer the Google variants).
It's not that hard ... assuming you have a bit of Linux dev skills.
Can you be more specific about what exactly you want to do? Edit some file?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also if I do want to edit a system file , I can't , it won't let me do that , the file I edited just won't save
foobar66 said:
Anyway such a module won't do any good IMHO. System/product/vendor partitions are combined into a single "super" partition.
The individual parts for /system, /vendor, /product are then mounted from there.
You will never be able to physically write on files in those partitions (if that is/was your intention).
However, you can write a Magisk module (easily) which replaces files with others (e.g. I replaced my /system/etc/hosts files with a version that has ad-blocked IP addresses). You can "delete" files by making them "empty" with a Magisk module (e.g. I have hidden the OnePlus phone/dialer/calculator/messages/notes apps in this way as I prefer the Google variants).
It's not that hard ... assuming you have a bit of Linux dev skills.
Can you be more specific about what exactly you want to do? Edit some file?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would very much like to edit the build.prop file, and let Adaway (F-droid) edit the hosts file to add its adblocking lists.
Are either of those things possible? Thanks!
R2-Brute said:
I would very much like to edit the build.prop file, and let Adaway (F-droid) edit the hosts file to add its adblocking lists.
Are either of those things possible? Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Enable systemless hosts in magisk manager and adaway will work. And for editing build prop, look up "resetprop", it's a magisk tool to modify build prop systemlessly.
Thank you so much! Adaway is up and running! I just got a new phone, and got so worried when it dawned on me that the System folder was locked down!
And I found "MagiskHide Props Config". Is it better or worse than Resetprop, or the same? "Props Config" has already flaked on me in the half hour I've been using it, but since a reinstall, it's working again.
I'm hoping it's just getting comfortable, but if you think Resetprop is more stable, please tell me.
And thanks again! Feeling good about technology.
I have ROOTED, rooted mean now you are Administrator of all in your phone. But live is not like a dream, I can't delete or modify anything in system folder on my rooted samsung phone, when using Z Archiver to delete empty and junk folder it says failed even sometimes it says Access Denied ( maybe the problem is here) converted RO->RW, tried through ES File it says in use or busy, Root Explorer is useless even if I adds write permission, but when using lucky patcher to uninstall & install and apps as system then it can creates or delete in systm app, which means there may be a way for me to modify it, if the trash can't be deleted then the system partition will be filled with garbage forever and can only get fatter. Who know how to solve it?
You have to patch super image to make everything r/w.
[GUIDE] How to make your System RW / Super R/W read/write-able
Welcome to the one and only, the original, universal SystemRW / SuperRW feat. MakeRW / ro2rw by lebigmac This script removes the read-only lock of all partitions embedded in the super partition of your stock firmware. This allows you to mount...
forum.xda-developers.com
in case someone still struggling with that
i wanted to copy trusted certificate ".0" file from storage to /system/etc/security/cacerts
i couldn't and tried to do the adb mount thing but i couldn't
anyway it worked when i tried MT manager ( i literally shocked ) its not in play store but you can find it online
if that didn't work i guess you have two option
1) open platform tools after enabling usb debugging and do "adb push /sdcard/yourfile /system/etc/security/cancerts
that will copy the file from sdcard to system/etc/security/cancerts
second option i didn't really tried but i saw it worked for some
is magisk module called "overlayfs" if you can't find it online i will attach it here
BUT before all that try MT manager .. idk how it really worked lol
Mazen550 said:
in case someone still struggling with that
i wanted to copy trusted certificate ".0" file from storage to /system/etc/security/cacerts
i couldn't and tried to do the adb mount thing but i couldn't
anyway it worked when i tried MT manager ( i literally shocked ) its not in play store but you can find it online
if that didn't work i guess you have two option
1) open platform tools after enabling usb debugging and do "adb push /sdcard/yourfile /system/etc/security/cancerts
that will copy the file from sdcard to system/etc/security/cancerts
second option i didn't really tried but i saw it worked for some
is magisk module called "overlayfs" if you can't find it online i will attach it here
BUT before all that try MT manager .. idk how it really worked lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i have installed overlay fs but i can edit only /system, /product and some files in /vendor and /system_ext, i have android 13 with one ui 5.1