We have stock ROMs, aosp, omni, paranoid versions and more.
As we all know mobile phone manufactures like to include there own apps. Now porting them seems like a complicates process which in most cases seems unlikely to happen.
I open this topic to hopefully get a better understanding of how apks are put together. Here I have a few question to start with and hopefully we could find a way to make porting of apps easier in the future.
1.how does the the android framework affect the app?
2.what files in the apk check the framework if compatible?
3.which files in the apk rely on the androids framework to function?
4.What are the main files to edit in an apk?
I know many apps are different but there's obviously something which stops the from being able to work on other phones. If apps in play store can played on all phones then manufacturer software must be able too.
Hopefully together we can make it possible. I've opened this to get some ideas and views from different people and more experienced developers.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda app-developers app
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda app-developers app
adry1988 said:
We have stock ROMs, aosp, omni, paranoid versions and more.
As we all know mobile phone manufactures like to include there own apps. Now porting them seems like a complicates process which in most cases seems unlikely to happen.
I open this topic to hopefully get a better understanding of how apks are put together. Here I have a few question to start with and hopefully we could find a way to make porting of apps easier in the future.
1.how does the the android framework affect the app?
2.what files in the apk check the framework if compatible?
3.which files in the apk rely on the androids framework to function?
4.What are the main files to edit in an apk?
I know many apps are different but there's obviously something which stops the from being able to work on other phones. If apps in play store can played on all phones then manufacturer software must be able too.
Hopefully together we can make it possible. I've opened this to get some ideas and views from different people and more experienced developers.
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda app-developers app
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
framework-res.apk basically contains the
elements of the Graphical User Interface for the
phone. This file is available at /system/ framework/framework-res.apk. Poking in this file would mean changing the
complete look and feel of your device. Since it is
the main element of your screen, replacing it
directly by pushing it through ADB would lead to
soft-brick. Therefore, this apk should carefully be
modified and replaced using the recovery module of the phone.
Related
Recently rooted my phone with gingerbreak and installed gladiatrix and now I want to take advantage of the sideloading!
Does anyone know of a database or something that will give me a list of the non-market apps?
Search xda forum: http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=530
And Google.
And whatever site you can find them on.
Google up applanet and download the apk... i have a friend that loves it...i don't find myself in need for it.
Yeah there's no real "database" per say. Everything I have I've gotten from the app store ir the amazon app store which is amazing with their 1 free app per day deal. The only times I find myself using sideloading is when im installing an apk that I've backed up myself
thats just my 2 cents
sent from XDA mobile
thanks for the replys guys! I'm just a little new to the android platform. I didn't realize that a lot of people that create the awesome apps I want can put them in the android market...you just need root permissions to use them.
I had an iphone before this and once I jailbroke it, I had to use a completely different app database to get the "jailbreak apps," so that same thought process carried over.
tl;dr - Android > Apple
spitefulcheerio said:
thanks for the replys guys! I'm just a little new to the android platform. I didn't realize that a lot of people that create the awesome apps I want can put them in the android market...you just need root permissions to use them.
I had an iphone before this and once I jailbroke it, I had to use a completely different app database to get the "jailbreak apps," so that same thought process carried over.
tl;dr - Android > Apple
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No we don't have/need cydia on android. You can download apps directly on android through a web browser and use a file manager to instal it like you do it on a desktop computer. All you need is a side loading enabled phone.
Sent from my MB860 using XDA Premium App
I've got a simple question that perhaps somebody could answer. I know that there are some alternative markets available on the net...some of which look exactly like the android market. I was curious to know if there is some kinda open source project (or the like) for a custom alternative market.
The reason I ask is because it would come in great handy for my business. We have a few in-house apps that are currently distributed to managers as APKs via email. It would be great if we could have a central market for which managers can update our apps from as opposed to manually sending them out, at which point they must be installed manually.
I thought I saw something a while back about some type of market framework, but now I can't find any reference to it.
Any information on this subject would be greatly appreciated!
Sent from my HTC Magic using XDA App
I'm not sure that I've understood completely what you meant, but you can check out Handster or the new Facebook-based Market - ESDN.
I think he is thinking of an app that would allow him to distribute apks to "in-house" business phones.
There are lots of "market-like" apps out there - SlideME, Amazon Appstore, Handster, etc. I haven't seen or heard of any market software that is open-source, however.
Alrighty...I guess it was worth a shot. Though it would be pretty cool if something like that existed. Thanks for the replies guys.
PutterPlace said:
I've got a simple question that perhaps somebody could answer. I know that there are some alternative markets available on the net...some of which look exactly like the android market. I was curious to know if there is some kinda open source project (or the like) for a custom alternative market.
The reason I ask is because it would come in great handy for my business. We have a few in-house apps that are currently distributed to managers as APKs via email. It would be great if we could have a central market for which managers can update our apps from as opposed to manually sending them out, at which point they must be installed manually.
I thought I saw something a while back about some type of market framework, but now I can't find any reference to it.
Any information on this subject would be greatly appreciated!
Sent from my HTC Magic using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you wish, you can try this..
http://www.filesonic.com/file/1149960741
While that is an alternative market, it's not exactly what I was looking for. I'm looking for an open source alternative which would enable me to use my own repository.
I think my search has ended though...I came across an open source project call aptoide:aptoide.com
It does enable me to setup my own repository, and I think that's what I'll be going with.
Interesting... looks like I'll be adding a new element to my primary source server as well.
An alternative would be to use dropbox and allow your people to sideload the apps. The phones would have to be provisioned to do so, however.
AppBrain is real good.
Aptoid and apktor - google for them.
Aptoid.com have a php script to generate xml file for android clients, but somehow it did not work for me.
See aptoid.com server section.
Im thinking about python script, but i dont have any programming skills
Dude just go to blapkmarket.com
Thats it. Your problems are solved
Sent from my GT-I9003 using xda premium
Questions or Problems Should Not Be Posted in the Development Forum
Please Post in the Correct Forums
Moving to Q&A
I recently discovered (and published an app on) moborobo market. It looks interesting.
Another recent market I tried is opera market.
Hi there! I was curious as to the ROM developer workflow. I'm somewhat familiar with building AOSP for x86 VMs and have done some skinning and manipulating system apk's ... but I have some other questions:
1. What distinguishes a ROM package from other zip installers, I guess since it is *nix, everything's a file and most ZIPs then just have the files changed?
2. Jokersax makes mention of doing all development on the device itself... What this workflow, just doing a lot of nandroid backups then, or just replacing things on the fly and hoping for the best?
3. What options exist for adapting system level native code, perhaps I guess I'm asking if, for instance, the camera works with Blur stock SBFs, how could one go disassembling the functionality and deriving CM9 compatible packages? Are the drivers that tightly coupled with the UI elements? That would seem impossible to maintain, and say what you want about Motorola, I couldn't imagine this to be the case.
Thanks -ap
Sent from my MB855 using xda app-developers app
antipasto said:
Hi there! I was curious as to the ROM developer workflow. I'm somewhat familiar with building AOSP for x86 VMs and have done some skinning and manipulating system apk's ... but I have some other questions:
1. What distinguishes a ROM package from other zip installers, I guess since it is *nix, everything's a file and most ZIPs then just have the files changed?
2. Jokersax makes mention of doing all development on the device itself... What this workflow, just doing a lot of nandroid backups then, or just replacing things on the fly and hoping for the best?
3. What options exist for adapting system level native code, perhaps I guess I'm asking if, for instance, the camera works with Blur stock SBFs, how could one go disassembling the functionality and deriving CM9 compatible packages? Are the drivers that tightly coupled with the UI elements? That would seem impossible to maintain, and say what you want about Motorola, I couldn't imagine this to be the case.
Thanks -ap
Sent from my MB855 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) You are pretty much correct....and rom can be turned into a simple one file zip or vice versa
2) He actually uses the device along with a build machine. You can do some simple stuff on the device itself, but if you're going to get into decompiling jars or apks, you will need a bot or a PC.
3) Apktool (Linux/Windows) or Android Suite (Windows) will allow you to break down the apks like you are describing. I'm sure you can make a blur apk work with CM9 (obviously app developers on the Play market do manage to make both). I'm not very familiar with Blur/CM7, as I started work on ROMs after ICS had hit, and I really didn't see much real desire to do something that wasn't forward from where my phone was.
Mainly, you can do source work, which you are most likely familiar with the process of.
I do "port" work...taking the framework, apps and some other necessary functionality-related parts and making a new rom for my device with it.
If you are interested in the process, by all means get in touch with me via PM. We are in need of some people to help with a void that has been left by our team member Spleef taking on a second job.
Thank you so much for the extensive reply. I have about a kabillion personal projects, it would be perhaps interesting to ruminate some on the metadevelopment as it were, I do notice that the Cyanogen project seems to have a lot more ability to automate their workflows, it would be cool to try and get more people into those kinds of logistics to help out... Anyway, I'm trying to remain productive, I'm a long time lurker, and I can't bring myself to post unnecessarily to even get to the 10 posts I need to provide feedback in the development forums, but I'll try
I've been really inspired with the Clojure / Java community, especially "Leiningen" and things like Jenkins for continuous integration. Could be cool to try and think at this level, perhaps like a chrooted VM or something that enthusiasts could run to assist in build CPU times, or hell I dunno, this kind of thinking is all pie in the sky and is hell to set up possibly for little gain, although I'm encouraged that Bittorrent is being used a little more here and there perhaps to offload some of the hosting costs. FWIW I have used S3 in my own projects, and for various static sites I have, I've been hard pressed to pass 30 cents a month in hosting costs on S3, but this is all low traffic stuff and there's a lot of options out there with various kinds of advantages and disadvantages.
All in all, thank you all for your continued efforts, especially going into the later part of this year when JB will mature, and the possibility of ICS drivers being integrated. You guys rock!
Hello guys, I had an idea and wanted to discuss it with you people that you are definitely more experienced than me, I was wondering if it was possible to create a single apk which is the ROM, or this apk should include the bootanimation, and the launcher would be the apk (or rather a activity in it) ditto for SystemUI framework-res or for short, this apk should consist of the various components that make up a normal ROM, all in one file (except, I think for the folder META-INF because that is read, as far as I know, the default of any recovery, or should create a recovery made on purpose), the benefits would be many of the small size of the system, the speed, the "simplicity" of programming (think that should be programmed to a single apk with all the functions of a system and not to distribute all in many files), but then I came effettivamante doubt that this is not feasible, and so I wondered if you could do the same thing but only for apk (those contained in the app folder)
So what do you think?Is feasible?
No.
R: What do you think?
luxifr said:
No.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why?
UP!! someone might be a little more precise
---blacksoul--- said:
UP!! someone might be a little more precise
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't bump your own thread. Why on earth would we even want to do it? It would increase the size of the ROM, make it extremely hard to debug, and I'm not even sure how it could hypothetically work.
"Joining" all the system apps is certainly possible.
But:
-Seperate apps can be supported and updated better
-One APK with ALL THOSE THOUSENDS of Java code lines is VERY messy
-Compiling it would take long , very long - less attractive to developers
-I can think of much more, but it isn't of any use so I'll stop here.
Cy
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus running Android 4.2 JB
I'll add one other...
You'd still need an underlying file system since Android/Java are interpreted languages and require an interpreter to execute the code.
I have an idea for an app that is basically am anroid emulator. It doesn't emulate Android, it emulates free Android apps (can't do paid because that would be warez.) You can only use apps that you downloaded from the emulated play store (if possible)
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I am here to help and provide knowledge to help others with there problems/issues. If you do have a question don't be afraid to shoot me a PM and I will help you and put you in the right direction to the best of my ability and will get your problem and/or issue solved.
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We'd be using dalvik and java. One thing Ubuntu Touch has stayed away from.
Sent from my LG-LS970 using xda app-developers app
blmvxer said:
We'd be using dalvik and java. One thing Ubuntu Touch has stayed away from.
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Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alternatives could be there... But the idea is just a start.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
That would be nice!
Do you think it would be realistic for someone to create a computer application that would do most of the app-porting work for the developer?
My take on this...
'Murica said:
I have an idea for an app that is basically am anroid emulator. It doesn't emulate Android, it emulates free Android apps (can't do paid because that would be warez.) You can only use apps that you downloaded from the emulated play store (if possible)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am here to help and provide knowledge to help others with there problems/issues. If you do have a question don't be afraid to shoot me a PM and I will help you and put you in the right direction to the best of my ability and will get your problem and/or issue solved.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My take on this is that first off by the time we implement this is in everyone will be mostly using ART. The application can work by emulating a specific Android device with all it's hardware features.
Although we should support both ART and Dalvik for legacy reasons. Not all applications/games I have bought have been from Google Play, Humble Bundle for example allows you to download .APK files direct. I was thinking that we could implement a loading system where you could load the .APK files directly into the application for Dalvik/ART to run it. Also at some stage it should be able to emulate different processor architectures including Tegra and Snapdragon as some games are exclusive to these architectures.
Since the emulator would be set on hardware we could probably trick Google Play into thinking it was a specific and allow us to downloads apps and games direct without question. As well as sideloading.
For me I do want this because I have a feeling that I do still want to play my Android games and run my Android applications even when I am fully into Android. Most of the Android technologies are open, so I can't see any huge reason why this can't work out technically.
Sorry my ideas are all over the place, new things kept popping into my mind of how to do this. I don't feel confident about coding this, but I have a rough idea of how all the pieces would connect together.
I'd love to see this, but it sounds very complex to implement. I know I'd move to Ubuntu ridonkulously fast.