Database Users

[Q] Couple of questions about ROM development

Hello!
First of all, thanks to all you repliers!
I'd really like to know a few things creating a ROM:
1. how can I create an update.zip starting from a system.img? (I know how to sign) In case can I simply install the img and then push /system changes, like root or busybox?
2. how can I install busybox manually? Can I create a script which does the job for me (i.e. busybox --install command at first boot then delete the script itself), avoiding me to write loads of symlinks?
3. when I've created an update.zip, is it easy to root the ROM? I mean, just push su and SuperUser.apk? Or I need a particular boot.img?
Thanks

elegos said:
Hello!
First of all, thanks to all you repliers!
I'd really like to know a few things creating a ROM:
1. how can I create an update.zip starting from a system.img? (I know how to sign) In case can I simply install the img and then push /system changes, like root or busybox?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Clockwork Recovery won't install system image files for some reason. You'll need to dump the yaffs2 filesystem then zip it up into the update.zip, then use an updater-script to set unix permissions (zip doesn't preserve these). Also, there's no need to sign the update.zip. It's only meaningful to the device's firmware if it is signed by the device's manufacturer.
elegos said:
Hello!
2. how can I install busybox manually? Can I create a script which does the job for me (i.e. busybox --install command at first boot then delete the script itself), avoiding me to write loads of symlinks?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Certainly. You can add a script and call it from updater-script during the install.
elegos said:
Hello!
3. when I've created an update.zip, is it easy to root the ROM? I mean, just push su and SuperUser.apk? Or I need a particular boot.img?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Boot image is irrelevant to a properly rooted system. Just adding SuperUser should be sufficient.

That's cool!
1. as of the system.img, I see there is a system folder too - is that just enought zipping it?
2. may you please tell me how to call a script within an edify updater-script please?
3. thanks

I don't understand. You have a system.img and a system folder? In what? What are you starting from? If you use a zipped system, you WILL need to set unix permissions, symlinks and modes as these are NOT preserved in a zip file.
As far as calling scripts, something like this:
run_program PACKAGE:installbusybox.sh

[UPDATE 22/08/12] ROM Cooking Guide (One Package)

This is how I made ROM, I'll try to write the steps as simple as I can. For advanced users only!
Update 22/08/11:
Revised packaging steps.
Update 13/08/11:
Removed unwanted method for ROM cooking.
Update 04/08/11:
Modified extract and repack ROM guide and added extracting system.rfs guide.
Things you need:
Base firmware
Archiver software (7zip recommended)
Any Linux environment to build ROM or Cygwin
APK Manager to optimize and decompile *.apk files
MagicISO (Optional) if you want to extract system.rfs
And the last thing is... You need enough experience in android world
So, here is the steps to cook a ROM:
Flash your phone with your desired base firmware
Make required modifications
Pull system.rfs from your phone by running this command on adb shell or Terminal Emulator:
Code:
dd if=/dev/stl12 of=/sdcard/system.rfs
Extract any *.tar.md5 files from your base firmware to your working folder with 7zip
Replace the current system.rfs with your modified one
EDIT: Pack your ROM by running this code via terminal or just pack it with 7zip/WinRAR as *.tar
Code:
tar -H ustar -c * >> ROMNAME.tar
change ROMNAME to your desired, well, ROM name.
Here is (yet) useful guide to modify your ROM.
Extract system files on system.rfs to make modding easier:
Extract PDA file (*.tar.md5) files with 7zip
Open system.rfs with MagicISO
To extract it, just drag and drop
NOTE: Never edit your ROM with MagicISO because the file permissions will be ignored, use MagicISO only for extracting files from system.rfs
Deodex, and Zipalign (optimize) your ROM apk files:
Ready to use deodex + root for KPN: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1196230
Ready to use deodex + root for KPH and other firmware: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1118048
Open APK Manager
To zipalign your apk files, in apk manager folder /place-apk-here-to-batch-optimize put your:
framework-res.apk, twframework-res.apk and all system apk
but not these:
AxT9IME, Calculator, Camera, Email, MMS, Phone, Screen Capture, Settings, Swype, Thinkdroid, Voice search
Choose Choose option 15
Then choose both (zp)
Let it run and done.
Now put back the apk files where they belong in the ROM.
How to put these apk files to my ROM? Copy these files to appropriate locations, such as /system/app to your ROM's /system/app, and etc.
Another handy modification guide:
Unpack and repack boot.img - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1173427
Convert firmware filesystem to ext4 - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1202049
Overscroll glow for any firmware - http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1215933"
Give thanks to all dev who made that possible!
If you have more guides to put here, please PM me.

Am I pertamax?
hehe..just kidding.
Nice Info....great share.

I would want the Fla.sh Rom :'(

Thats a gr8 share...Thank you...)

saiftheboss7 said:
I would want the Fla.sh Rom :'(
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sorry... once again, I'm sorry, I can't continue my ROM

Helpful thread man!
Thanks!

Great job taking your time to make this! Unfortunately, i dont even know the basics but now I know where to check when I do

fla.sh said:
sorry... once again, I'm sorry, I can't continue my ROM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey!
THX man, nice thread. Very useful!
Just PM to MOD, that they close you previous thread, a bout fla.sh.ROM. Or ppl just waiting it and asking.
CHEERS!

i think the most troublesome problem i encounter is to repack system.rfs. yes it can be mounted in magiciso, but howto repack/compile it back?

an0nym0us_ said:
i think the most troublesome problem i encounter is to repack system.rfs. yes it can be mounted in magiciso, but howto repack/compile it back?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just save it.

didnt work when i just save it. my device got bootloop

an0nym0us_ said:
didnt work when i just save it. my device got bootloop
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What modification you've added to your ROM? Maybe that modification causing the problem...

fla.sh said:
What modification you've added to your ROM? Maybe that modification causing the problem...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As Linux, MagicISO read RFS image as a FAT filesystem. File permissions can not be maintained. A better way but need linux:
1. Mount system.rfs as FAT and mount it to /tmp/rfs
2. Make ext4 image, and mount it to /tmp/system
3. Copy /tmp/rfs contents to /tmp/system
4. Make modification inside /tmp/system
5. Fix file permissions inside /tmp/system
6. Umount both image
7. Make ODIN flashable image, contains system.rfs (now in ext4 format) and CF-Root-S5830 boot and recovery image (for ext4 support)
8. Boot to Windows and flash your new firmware using ODIN.

ketut.kumajaya said:
As Linux, MagicISO read RFS image as a FAT filesystem. File permissions can not be maintained. A better way but need linux:
1. Mount system.rfs as FAT and mount it to /tmp/rfs
2. Make ext4 image, and mount it to /tmp/system
3. Copy /tmp/rfs contents to /tmp/system
4. Make modification inside /tmp/system
5. Fix file permissions inside /tmp/system
6. Umount both image
7. Make ODIN flashable image, contains system.rfs (now in ext4 format) and CF-Root-S5830 boot and recovery image (for ext4 support)
8. Boot to Windows and flash your new firmware using ODIN.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use this command to mount rfs:
Code:
mount -o loop system.rfs /some_dir
Can you share us the command?

now thats really informative. thanks

ROM unpacking and repacking gude has been corrected. Tested by me. If you have any problems, just ask here.
Thanks.

I think you should add the date of update in the title, so that everyone can know about the update...
BTW thanks for this amazing guide...
Love it!!!

After making changes to system.rfs, how to save it as .rfs again?

adiles said:
After making changes to system.rfs, how to save it as .rfs again?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please take look at the first page, it's updated, you know?

After I created md5 file and selected it in odin, it says "invalid image type" and "invalid model binary". How to solve that? After that I continued, skipped these errors and flashed, my phone stopped at boot screen with text "Galaxy ACE....". Plz help me

MyMind's Kernel Swap

MyMinds_Kernel_Swap
===================
Based on AnyKernel, but pretty much rebuilt in every way so that it will actually work. So, many thanks to Koush for the idea.
The Idea and What It Does...
=======================
Some but not all of this script has been snippets here and there from ArchiKitchen and DSIXDA Kitchen.
This has allowed me to formulate a zip as such without the need to technically build from scratch saving me LOADS OF HOURS.
It currently uses my static compiled mkbootimg, unmkbootimg, and mkbootfs binaries to allow editing, and rebuilding of the boot.img.
Some serious modifications were made to get this to work successfully with MUCH DEBUGGING. If you change something and it breaks another function then that is on you!
# IT IS CURRENTLY STABLE!
1. It will pull your current boot.img using dd.
2. It will search for the Android! header in the boot.img and remove the unnecessary junk before it if needed to.
3. It will split the boot.img in to the kernel and ramdisk.
4. It will unpack the contents inside the ramdisk.
5. It will modify the default.prop file giving you insecure ADB. If you already have it then this will not affect you.
6. It will modify the init.rc file to give support for init.d. If you already have it then this will not affect you.
7. It will write to sysinit and install-recovery.sh for the completion of init.d support. If already done, then this will not affect you.
8. It will make the init.d folder under /system/etc on your device with required permissions.
9. It will place an init.d script to test to see if init.d is fully working. If it works, you will find a file called, HAS_INIT, located in the /dev directory of your device.
10. It will swap out the original kernel with a new prebuilt kernel upon rebuilding the new boot.img
11. It will repack you a new ramdisk using mkbootfs to be applied to your new boot.img upon rebuilding it.
12. It will remove your old modules and push your new modules that came with your new prebuilt kernel.
13. It will write your new boot.img to your boot partition using dd.
14. Hopefully, more to come!
MAKE SURE YOU CHANGE...
=======================
"$BOOT_PARTITION" ACCORDING TO YOUR DEVICE BEFORE USING THIS SCRIPT!!!!!!
How to use it...
==============
1. Place your prebuilt kernel in the prebuilt folder and insure it is named, zImage.
2. Place kernel modules in the modules folder.
3. Zip, and flash in TWRP recovery.
If you have any suggestions then let me know. My ears are open to them.
https://github.com/ModdingMyMind/MyMinds_Kernel_Swap
Sent from my C525c using Tapatalk

[Guide] Unpack Update.app in phone

So there's threads about how to unpack UPDATE.APP on windows/PC/OS X so i decided why not do it on android too, this apps requires some additional tools to be downloaded just as OS X/Windows and linux needs as well. but process is otherwise similar. this tutorial doesn't need root!
NOTE THIS TUTORIAL isn't fully working on OREO on Huawei devices, it has some issues and i haven't found a workaround for it yet!​
Needed apps
Termux https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.termux
Recommended apps
Hacker keyboard
Needed files
https://github.com/atarii/split_updata.pl/blob/master/splitupdate
@Atarii 's modification of splitupdate to manually enter the partitions you want to unpack
The desired FW you wan't to unpack
Unpack process:
Download Termux
Open termux and type
termux-setup-storage This will allow termux to access your /sdcard
pkg install perl (this will install perl which the update.app process is using) once asked press y and enter.
copy the downloaded files to root of your SDCARD *We keep this simple*
Once copied type: cd storage
perl splitupdate UPDATE.APP partitionyouwanttoextract if everything goes well you should be good to go and having the selected files in a folder called output where selected files should be stored.
The unpack tutorial is done. But wait! If you want to browse the files you need to do one more thing or two.
Download android image kitchen
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.redlee90.imagekitchenforandroid
This will allow you to *unpack boot/recovery and convert system image (also vendor, product, cust and version)
*in order to unpack a boot or recovery file you'll need to remove all code using a hex edit file until you see ANDROID text. Else it won't unpack. You can unpack aosp images easily with this tool and modify what you want and repack to flash it on your device tested with twrp image for honor 8.
I would suggest to not unpack/repack boot using this tool since it'll cause problem.
There's a python script that works to unpack boot and recovery which can be found https://github.com/liudongmiao/bootimg/blob/master/bootimg.py
For this you'll need to install python.
pkg install python and hit y and enter
Now you just do as the splitupdate part where you extract the file.
Command to unpack
python bootimg.py --unpack-bootimg similar is for ramdisk but you replace bootimg with ramdisk.
To repack just simply python bootimg.py --repack-bootimg
Please note if you repack ramdisk the boot might not work (it's a while since I tested this) now this covers up how you unpack boot and extract update.app from phone.
Credits to @Atarii for telling how to unpack boot on phone and for his custom splipupdate script
Sent from my FRD-L09 using Tapatalk

Known Issues:
If you get Killed when trying to extract system.img this is most likely because the image size is too big, this isn't due to small space available i guess its due to all ram is being taken yet i can't tell.
i get permission issues. yeah this can happen sometimes try chmod +x or chmod 0777 with root, it might help.
when typing termux-setup-storage i get lots of errors and i'm on 8.0 EMUI
This is not your fault it's a bug caused by android i'd guess, or app isn't adopted completely for 8.0

How to create update zip for custom Rom 9.0 Pie ?

Hello, I have Rom 9.0 Pie NFE 2.2 loaded, I miss a few things in this Rom, I have to do everything by editing and replacing files in the system, it is time consuming, and it extends the reboot to 1 minute after modifying the files. So I would like to create an update zip file, so that immediately after flashing the rom, I immediately upload the update zip to add the application and replace other files. Please help

Basically you need this folder hierachy inside the update.zip:
Code:
├── META-INF
└── com
└── google
└── android
├── update-binary
└── updater-script
Beside META-INF you put all your desired files, that were needed.
Here is a tool that converts a simple shell script into a flashable update.zip:
[TOOL] Flashize: Turn Shell Scripts Into Flashable Recovery Zips
Flashize: Turn Shell Scripts Into Flashable Recovery Zips Highlights Automatically convert shell scripts to flashable zips with a single command. Don't mess with 'ui_print' crap: standard output and error streams will work just fine. Can...
forum.xda-developers.com

Unfortunately, I don't currently have a working computer, so is it possible to perform a zip update on a Samsung Phone ? One application file is to be added to system/priv-app/here and must have permissions, the rest of the files system/omc/, system/etc/, system/fonts are to be overwritten (substituted files).

Spartacus500 said:
Unfortunately, I don't currently have a working computer, so is it possible to perform a zip update on a Samsung Phone ? One application file is to be added to system/priv-app/here and must have permissions, the rest of the files system/omc/, system/etc/, system/fonts are to be overwritten (substituted files).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you download that tool to have a look on it? It's only bash script.

WoKoschekk said:
Did you download that tool to have a look on it? It's only bash script.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, but it's beyond me, you need a computer for this, mine is currently broken, so I won't do anything

A shell or a bash (advanced shell) script is written to be executed in a Linux environment like Android. Use Termux (Play Store version is outdated!) to execute the script.
To build a flashable zip you need some scripting skills to tell your zip what to do when it gets flashed.

I don't understand a bit why after flashing Rom 9.0 Pie NFE 2.2 clean the first boot takes about 10 minutes, but it is known because dalvik cache files are created in the data folder, but subsequent system reboots take about 15 seconds, then I upload Magisk 26.0 root and another reboot takes 15 seconds, and now it adds one application to the system/priv on the phone and the next reboot takes 1 minute if I upload modifications via TWRP zip file, the reboot time is unchanged, i.e. about 15 seconds, i.e. any interference on phone turned on by root Explorer causes that the system restart time is extended to 1 minute, and even more in some situations so the best solution would be right after flashing Rom 9.0 Pie NFE 2.2 'without reboot' to load the update zip file and only reboot the system so that you do not have to add, delete and replace files on the phone when it is turned on.

I'm still thinking if it would be possible right after uploading Rom 9.0 Pie NFE without rebooting to the system, add and replace the rest from the TWRP level, add the appropriate permissions, so time consuming and only then reboot the system.

Spartacus500 said:
I don't understand a bit why after flashing Rom 9.0 Pie NFE 2.2 clean the first boot takes about 10 minutes, but it is known because dalvik cache files are created in the data folder, but subsequent system reboots take about 15 seconds, then I upload Magisk 26.0 root and another reboot takes 15 seconds, and now it adds one application to the system/priv on the phone and the next reboot takes 1 minute
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
grab a logcat and a kernel.log right after the boot process is finished (with and without the application in /priv-app):
Code:
### create a system.log (logcat):
logcat -d > /sdcard/logcat.txt
### create a kernel.log:
dmesg -He > /sdcard/kernel.log
You'll find the logs in your internal storage.
BTW: Placing an app manually in /priv-app folder requires some additional steps.
Privileged Permission Allowlisting | Android Open Source Project
source.android.com
This is the privileged apps folder for apps with special permissions. Maybe it's better to store your app in /system/app.

Spartacus500 said:
I'm still thinking if it would be possible right after uploading Rom 9.0 Pie NFE without rebooting to the system, add and replace the rest from the TWRP level, add the appropriate permissions, so time consuming and only then reboot the system.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That shouldn't be a problem. Is this app in /priv-app a Magisk module or placed manually by yourself? If it's,a Magisk module then try to flash it directly via TWRP.

All permissions are in this Rom, only there is no application for them, generally it is about one KLMS Agent, this application cannot be installed from the apk level, because it is a system application. Also to replace are the build.prop files in system/build.prop permissions 0600 and system/vendor/build.prop permissions 0600.

WoKoschekk said:
That shouldn't be a problem. Is this app in /priv-app a Magisk module or placed manually by yourself? If it's,a Magisk module then try to flash it directly via TWRP.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, this is not a Magisk module, this file is intended to be permanently in the system, i.e. adding the file manually.

I have a question, I enter TWRP recovery mode, after copying overwriting the application to system/app and priv-app, do I have to give each new application permissions 0644 ?

@Spartacus500 Check the current permissions of each file with
ls -l.

I checked, in TWRP if it copies and overwrites files in the system, you need to grant permissions to folders 0755 and files 0644, build.prop 0600.

Spartacus500 said:
I checked, in TWRP if it copies and overwrites files in the system, you need to grant permissions to folders 0755 and files 0644, build.prop 0600.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try the flash.zip attached.
Put all your files for /system/* together in a folder "system" and keep the folder structure of your file system.
The flash script does...
...merge non-existing files to /system
...overwrite existing ones.
Example for your app + build.prop files:
Code:
system <<= folder for your ZIP
├── build.prop
├── priv-app
│ └── your_app
│ └── your_app.apk
└── vendor
└── build.prop
Your folder "system" should look like this. But feel free to add more files/folders.
The flash script sets permissions for the build.prop files to 0600. For all other files (like your app) the correct permissions will be set automatically.
Unpack my flash.zip and then create a new ZIP archive (no compression needed) with
"system" + "META-INF" + "busybox".