I can not edit string.xml, why? (apkmanager 5.0) - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hello guys, I state that I am no expert.
When decompiling a apk with apkmagager I find the folder with values ​​in the file string.xml, when I go to compile it can not find the folder inside the folder keep values/ string.xml, why?
How do I edit the file string.xml?
Thanks to all
Sorry for the inconvenience

make sure when you decompile the SystemUI.apk you also put framework-res .apk in your apktool folder. Then in cmd type
apktool if framework-res .apk
apktool d SystemUI.apk
Accidentally sent from my Google Nexus S using XDA Premium

Related

apktool won't decompile

I'm trying to decompile a few apks for modifying the dialer on an ICS rom. When I go to decompile I get an empty folder and this error:
I: Baksmaling...
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.RuntimeException: bad magic value: 64 65 78 0a 30 33 36 00
at org.jf.dexlib.DexFile.<init>(DexFile.java:377)
at org.jf.dexlib.DexFile.<init>(DexFile.java:274)
at brut.androlib.src.SmaliDecoder.decode(SmaliDecoder.java:44)
at brut.androlib.src.SmaliDecoder.decode(SmaliDecoder.java:33)
at brut.androlib.Androlib.decodeSourcesSmali(Androlib.java:68)
at brut.androlib.ApkDecoder.decode(ApkDecoder.java:85)
at brut.apktool.Main.cmdDecode(Main.java:128)
at brut.apktool.Main.main(Main.java:65)
I'm using this ver: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=22845681
All I would like to do is edit a few xml files to change the color on text. Anyone have any idea on what the issue is? Could I just rename the apk to .zip and extract the files to be edited?
There's another you can edit APK's.
- Extract the apk
- Modify the files in the folder you get after extracting
- Right click on the original APK and open it with 7zip ( click on "open archive " )
- Drag the edited file from the folder to the original APK and overwrite it.
With this method you don't need to decompile and then recompile !
Sent from my GT-I9003 using xda premium
Use the proper one, not an auto tool. download the latest apktool and make sure you add the framework files needed
thanks! it turned out I needed to use a different jar file from here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=23483528 for the new ICS roms. So far so good but I'll definitely try the ways you mentioned. seems abit easier. appreciate the feedback.
New issue: when I try and compile it, all I get is a classes.dex file so I tried copying the files to the original apk with 7zip and whenever I flash the zip and try and access the dialer/phone app, i get an acore.process error and it force closes. All I did was edit some pngs and change some color values in a few xml's.
killerb777 said:
New issue: when I try and compile it, all I get is a classes.dex file so I tried copying the files to the original apk with 7zip and whenever I flash the zip and try and access the dialer/phone app, i get an acore.process error and it force closes. All I did was edit some pngs and change some color values in a few xml's.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never had a problem doing this method!
What I did was :
After changing the files and putting them on the original APK
I just replaced it with the original one by going in System/App
And rebooted!
It worked everytime!
Don't flash, just replace it!
But take a backup of the original one before you replace!

[Q] How can I recompile system apk using ONLY APKTool while keeping signature?

I don't want to use APK Multi-Tools or APK_Manager or whatever. I want to know exactly what those tools are doing in order to recompile the system apk while keeping the original signature.
What I initially did...
Code:
apktool d "%~dpnx1.apk" "%~dpnx1"
...modify files here...
apktool b "%~dpnx1" "%~dpnx1.apk"
But obviously that's unsigned. I need to sign it, but I want to use the original signature, which I'm guessing is the META-INF stuff, right?
So I attempted this...
Code:
apktool d "%~dpnx1.apk" "%~dpnx1"
7za x -o"%~dpnx1-signature" "%~dpnx1.apk" META-INF -r
...modify files here...
apktool b "%~dpnx1" "%~dpnx1.apk"
7za a -tzip "%~dpnx1.apk" "%~dpnx1-signature/*" -mx9
You'll notice I now use 7-Zip to pull out META-INF from the original APK and then insert it back into the recompiled one afterwards.
The only other thing I can think of would be to go with my first method, but then use 7-zip to pull out the compiled files from the unsigned apk and insert them into the signed apk. I haven't tried that yet, but it will be the next one I go with. Every time this fails, though, I have to do a nandroid restore, and it's getting a little frustrating, which is why I'm asking you folks.
--
edit: I got it all figured out.
For those interested, after running "apktool b" (to build/compile), ignore the output zip. Instead go into the source directory and there is now a build directory. In that is an apk directory. Simply add your changed files to the original untouched APK (if you modified any XML files, then replace resources.arsc; if you added anything to smali, then replace classes.dex; if you added any XML files, then you need to include those as well; for me, i copied resources.arsc, classes.dex, and one new XML file). I used the following command:
Code:
zip -9 ..\SystemUI.apk res\layout\status_bar.xml classes.dex resources.arsc
I use zip instead of 7za for cosmetic reasons. You can also use "7za a -tzip etc..." if you want.
hello i know how you feel well....i never did.
you keep a backup and a copy of your system apk and once you did your changes look in your copy and go to /res and delete the destinations you modded and putted them in the modded apk now look into your modded apk file in /res and take the files you deleted from the copy apk and move them to the copy apk and your all set.
if this didnt understand ill show you an awesome thread that will help you
sorry i didnt see your edited section

[Q] APK modding Deskclock - Please Help

So i have this Deskclock.apk and i want to add this.
No Problem with the ".xml" Files. I can edit them easily after i decompile the apk with the "apkTool". But where will i find the ".java" Files? After decompiling the apk i only see ".smali".
So i found out that the ".java" files are in "classes.dex" from the apk.
I use "dex2jar" to get a ".jar" File.
Then i use "jd-gui" to get ".java" Files.
So i can edit it and put the needed Strings in the .java files.
But how to put them back to a "classes.dex" File which i can put back to the apk??
I hope i get a bit help here.
You can use APKTool. It will automaticly extract all the classes (.dex), resources (.asrc), then it will convert binary XML to human-readable XML, and it will also dissassemble the classes for you.
Just tell APKTool to decode the APK into a directory, then modify what you want, and finally encode it back to an APK. That's all.
Important: APKTool dissassembles. It doesn't decompile. The generated code won't be Java source. But you should be able to read it, and even edit it if you're familiar with jasmin. If you want Java source, please go over the Manual way.
Sent from my VS910 4G using XDA
Thx...I know how to use APKTool but i need to put the ".java" Files back into the "classes.dex". Thats my Problem.
There's info on the process here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/10261147/converting-java-back-to-classes-dex
Essentially it looks like you need to compile the .java to .class files with javac and then create classes.dex with dx. Hope this link is helpful.

Modifying APKs on Lollipop

Hello everyone,
I hope I'm posting this to the right forum.
Up until Android 4.4 KitKat we were able to use apktool for decompiling an apk, making modifications and then recompiling it.
In case we were dealing with an ODEXed ROM, we could also use backsmali and various other tools to deodex before using apktool.
Now, in Lollipop, which uses ART, we get an APK file, but also a .odex file in a '/arm' subfolder.
From what I've read so far, that's not really an odex file, but rather an Android runtime .OAT file.
My question is - how does this affect our abilities to edit APKs?
Is it possible to "deodex" the OAT file to get an all-inclusive APK to use with apktool? If so, how?
After we rebuild the APK, can we just run it 'deodexed' or do we need to recreate an OAT file?
Any insight would be appreciated
purpleman2k said:
Hello everyone,
I hope I'm posting this to the right forum.
Up until Android 4.4 KitKat we were able to use apktool for decompiling an apk, making modifications and then recompiling it.
In case we were dealing with an ODEXed ROM, we could also use backsmali and various other tools to deodex before using apktool.
Now, in Lollipop, which uses ART, we get an APK file, but also a .odex file in a '/arm' subfolder.
From what I've read so far, that's not really an odex file, but rather an Android runtime .OAT file.
My question is - how does this affect our abilities to edit APKs?
Is it possible to "deodex" the OAT file to get an all-inclusive APK to use with apktool? If so, how?
After we rebuild the APK, can we just run it 'deodexed' or do we need to recreate an OAT file?
Any insight would be appreciated
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Files needed:
1. bootoat2dex.jar
2. Cygwin
3. APKTOOL
4. Java will need to be installed also
Install Cygwin and run it once so your userfolder is created, will be in c:/cygwin/home/<User Name>
Copy bootoat2dex.jar into this folder
Go to priv/app/SystemUI/arm/ and use 7zip to extract SystemUI.odex from the SystemUI.odex.xz file
Copy SystemUI.odex to your cygwin folder c:/cygwin/home/<User Name>/
Open cygwin and run the following command:
java -jar bootoat2dex.jar SystemUI.odex
This will output 2 folders dex and odex, if you look in the odex folder you should see SystemUI.odex.
Rename this file to classes.dex and drop it into the SystemUI.apk file
Follow the same instructions for the twframework-res.odex file also.
now copy the files SystemUI.apk, framework-res.apk and twframework-res.apk into you apktool folder and install framework ex. apktool if framework-res.apk, apktool if SystemUI.apk, apktool if twframework-res.apk
After the framework install you should be able to decompile SystemUI.apk, you should be able to do this with all the apk files.
C13v3r0n3 said:
Files needed:
1. bootoat2dex.jar
2. Cygwin
3. APKTOOL
4. Java will need to be installed also
Install Cygwin and run it once so your userfolder is created, will be in c:/cygwin/home/<User Name>
Copy bootoat2dex.jar into this folder
Go to priv/app/SystemUI/arm/ and use 7zip to extract SystemUI.odex from the SystemUI.odex.xz file
Copy SystemUI.odex to your cygwin folder c:/cygwin/home/<User Name>/
Open cygwin and run the following command:
java -jar bootoat2dex.jar SystemUI.odex
This will output 2 folders dex and odex, if you look in the odex folder you should see SystemUI.odex.
Rename this file to classes.dex and drop it into the SystemUI.apk file
Follow the same instructions for the twframework-res.odex file also.
now copy the files SystemUI.apk, framework-res.apk and twframework-res.apk into you apktool folder and install framework ex. apktool if framework-res.apk, apktool if SystemUI.apk, apktool if twframework-res.apk
After the framework install you should be able to decompile SystemUI.apk, you should be able to do this with all the apk files.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great info! Thanks! I have used oat2dex.py to extract the OAT file, baksmali'd, modified smali code, recompiled it but that's where I'm stuck. How do I get it back into the original OAT format for inclusion in an Odexed rom? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
P.S. I'm working with SystemUI.odex.
jermaine151 said:
Great info! Thanks! I have used oat2dex.py to extract the OAT file, baksmali'd, modified smali code, recompiled it but that's where I'm stuck. How do I get it back into the original OAT format for inclusion in an Odexed rom? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
P.S. I'm working with SystemUI.odex.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't been able to find anything that will take the files the other direction.

Edit xml file from existing apk / recompiling apk

Hey
I am currently struggeling at editing a xml file in an .apk that i got.
I've used this Jadx decompiler (wwwDOTjavadecompilersDOTcom) to decompile the apk, which gave me the following files and folders:
fs5.directuploadDOTnet/images/160129/ypnqz7xuDOTpng
All the files are human readable.
But how do I recompile it? Can I load it into the Android Studio?
fs5DOTdirectupload.net/images/160129/ho4vszubDOTpng
As you can see importing into android studio did not really work. The app couldn't be run.
Search for apktool here. It is what is used for decompiling and recompiling apks.

Categories

Resources