Database Users

[Q] Modifying Stock Keyboard

Hey all,
I was wondering whats the process to modify the stock multi-touch keyboard for the Droid 2? I was able to do it with the multi-touch keyboard that Punk.Kaos ported to the Eris, using some Windows batch files for extracting the apk source, compiling, signing, etc. I just can't remember for the life of me what that little program was called. Any ideas?
Thanks!

it would be nice since the space bar is soooo small i keep pressing . instead of space 70% of the times

Alright, I was able to get the program I was thinking of, it is called APK Manager. But the keyboard is a odex file... Which I don't know how to extract the XML files from... Yet.

I'd de-odex before you try to extract. It will be a lot easier. There's the method I used here.

What exactly is de-odex'ing? How will it affect my phone?

Deodexing just means that all of the stray .odex files will be put back into the correct .apk files this is done mostly for theme purposes in order to edit the services.jar file which has to be de-odexed before it can be edited. It won't corrupt anything if you do it right nothing should change on the outside the phone devs leave the .odex files out for loading reasons but nothing significant should change but you might experience a slightly slower boot up process but like I said nothing significant. Most ROM's now are de-odexed though.

So I deodexed my phone so I could work on the LatinIME.apk package. Using the APK-Manager for Linux, I was able to (0) pull the APK from my phone. Then I (9) decompiled the APK, edited the XML files as I wanted.
Now, from here I'm not entirely sure which direction to take. I tried running (13) Compile APK / Sign APK / Install APK, but I got an error saying something on how the signatures didn't match up. Then I tried running (3) ZIP APK (5) Zipalign APK then (8) ADB push, but now I don't even have the keyboard on my phone anymore.
How can I go about doing the correct way to compile my modified code and install it on my phone?
Here are the options I can do, if you're not familiar with APK Manager:
Code:
------------------Simple Tasks Such As Image Editing----------------------
0 Adb pull
1 Extract apk
2 Optimize images inside (Only if "Extract Apk" was selected)
3 Zip apk
4 Sign apk (Dont do this if its a system apk)
5 Zipalign apk (Do once apk is created/signed)
6 Install apk (Dont do this if system apk, do adb push)
7 Zip / Sign / Install apk (All in one step)
8 Adb push (Only for system apk)
-----------------Advanced Tasks Such As Code Editing-----------------------
9 Decompile apk
10 Compile apk
11 Sign apk
12 Install apk
13 Compile apk / Sign apk / Install apk (All in one step)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
14 Batch Optimize Apk (inside place-apk-here-to-batch-optimize only)
15 Sign an apk (inside place-apk-here-for-signing folder only)
16 Batch optimize ogg files (inside place-ogg-here only)
17 Quit
****************************************************************************

Anyone? I would love to get my stock keyboard back!
Sent from my DROID2 using XDA App

Walkthrough?

Can anyone give me a walkthrough on how to install readers hub on a US Sprint Tab? I just got the Tab and I have searched and searched the forums, but I cannot find a walkthrough, or a guide and I don't want to brick or mess up my tab. Here's what I have done so far;
1. I have downloaded the readers hub file and have extracted it. I tried to download the zinio file, but for some reason it wouldn't fully download saying the file is not supported or something of the sort. It was in .rar.
2. I installed Root explorer, apk installer, and Andro Zip.
3. I tried copying the extracted file to the system/apps folder, but it wont let me. Either the entire folder, or the apk files one by one. Can someone please tell me how to do this? I really want this app and I have been trying to find a guide for a couple of days now. Thanks.

apktool compiling problem

Hi,
I use apktool and have a problem.
I sucessful decompile apk and get direcrory with app name.
When compile this directory (without change) I get apk file.
But apk file cannot install on phone!
What I do wrong?
I just decompile and compile without change and apk cannot install...
Help..

atlantisu21 said:
Hi,
I use apktool and have a problem.
I sucessful decompile apk and get direcrory with app name.
When compile this directory (without change) I get apk file.
But apk file cannot install on phone!
What I do wrong?
I just decompile and compile without change and apk cannot install...
Help..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What apk is it?
Some .apk's just will not install. I had an apk that compiled 1MB smaller, without change. Its not a perfect system.

Name is not important, but original file size is 1,376 MB
and compiled file size now is 1,372 MB
Where is 4KB?

Well I only asked the name incase it was one I myself had issues with or someone else had.
Now I just think you're doing something suspicious by answering.like that
4KB not as bad as 1MB. But you're still losing size which will be why it won't install.
Can't help any more than that I'm afraid. Except to say I have seen the issue before and never resolved it
Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

Suspicious
I tried more apk without sucess..beacause I dont tell a name.
Actual apk is BeoGSP-6.apk and there I lost 18KB...
I dont understand this compiler!?
Is there any another compiler with more working chance?
Can I export resource to Eclipse and make apk from here?

There is also APK manager. its pretty similar as far as I can tell.

There's APK Manager or APK Multi Tool which I use and both do the job quite well. I need APK Multi to decompile ICS or newer APK's and I use APK Manager 4.9 to decompile the APK's from the oxygen ROM.
If it decompiles and recompiles without errors then the only thing you might need to do is sign the APK. It won't install if it's a non-system APK and you haven't signed it.
APK Manager 4.9 option 16 signs the APK's so I just use that and if there're no errors it will sign and install fine.

Thanx! Works with APK Manager. This is a great thing!
I signed apk and now work

[Q] General Questions About Modifications

Hi everyone, I am new to xda and relatively new to modifying my VZW LG G2. I am looking for some general information on making modifications to APKs as I am trying to change a few things on my phone's interface (rooted but running stock VS98011A 4.2.2 firmware with stock launcher). I am familiar with rooting, TWRP, flashing mods, Xposed modules, apktool, adb, and making basic changes to APKs. I have been able to use 7-Zip to modify images within system APKs to do things like change the app drawer icon and change the status bar icons to all white but for the most part that is the most I know about modifying APKs. I have used apktool to decompile a few APKs successfully (including loading framework files) but I am not really familiar with recompiling them (I always seem to get errors but the APK still builds successfully), signing them, etc.
Here are my general questions:
-Where do odex files play into decompiling and recompiling APKs and do I need any special tools to be able to deodex and decompile an APK, make changes to it then recompile and reodex it?
-Do system APKs need to be signed after being recompiled?
-What is the best tool to sign APKs?
-What are smali and baksmali and do I need them?
-When attempting to recompile a modified copy of LGSystemUI.apk using apktool, I get the messages "W: Could not find sources" and "aapt: warning: string 'sp_remote_info_NORMAL has no default translation in C:\Users\Sean\Desktop\LGSystemUI\res; found: [long list of languages]" but the APK still builds. Is this of concern? Does it have anything to do with the odex files or the framework files?
Sorry for the bombardment of questions. I have read several posts across multiple android forums and can't seem to figure all this out.
rooted VZW LG G2 VS980, stock firmware (4.2.2 VS98011A), stock launcher, running LG G2 Xposed module

bump

Developers/advice on signing system app for Yotaphone 2

I decompiled the YD_YotaphoneSDK.apk app and changed some of the settings in the classes.dex files so as to disable the full screen refresh (i.e change the backscreenmanager waveform mode to A2). I then recompiled the YD_YotaphoneSDK.apk app however when I attempt to install it on my YotaPhone it states 'Parse Error- There was a problem while parsing the package'.
Im pretty sure it needs to be resigned but cannot workout how, when i attempt to do so in android studio i get the following error: Error:Android Source Generator: [YD_YotaphoneSDK] Package is not specified in AndroidManifest.xml
Can anybody with some relevant experience give my some suggestions of how I can resign or enable this recompiled version of the APK to be installed on my yotaphone.
I have attached the edited apk file
Regards