[Nazgulled]

Hi,

So, I'm trying to make my own custom ROM. Nothing too fancy, just a couple of simple and easy modifications to fit my needs but there's somethings I don't know how they work nor I understand them and I need some help. The only thing I was able to achieve as of yet was to remove some apps (I only tried to remove "Learn More" and QuickOffice to be honest-- but it worked). I just removed the .apk and .odex file directly from the .zip file, signed it and flashed it as usual. It worked fine.

Now, a few questions...

1) I also tried to add a few apps, just like in MCR, to the /data/app folder instead of /system/app. Actually, I just copied all of .apk files from MCR /data/app into my own (with same folder structure of course). But they didn't get installed... I know I'm missing something and I can almost bet it has something to do with the /META-INF/com/google/android/update-script file. I tried countless times to search for some guide, how-to or just a piece of documentation about this file but I can't find anything. I don't want to just change it and see if it works and then screw things up. Can anyone give me some hints about understanding this file? It has to do with the fact that my /data/apps weren't installed, right?

2) I don't use the Gmail app, just the HTC Mail one. Is it safe to delete Gmail.apk and GmailProvider.apk? I believe Gmail.apk will be fine, but the provider one, I guess it's used by the data synchronization thing. Maybe it's ok if I don't sync my mail (that's what I want actually) but maybe there's something else that I'm missing and the system will not work properly, somehow, without the GmailProvider.apk or is it safe to remove it?

3) When we first install a new ROM, starting clean, there's an introductory guide allowing to setup some things initially. One of those is the language. There is a bunch of languages, specially like English (A), English (, English © where the letters represent other languages. I don't need all that, I only need English (Portugal). Is there anyway I could remove the ones I don't want from the ROM or I would need to dig into the Android source for that?

3.1) How about adding my own language? Is there a way I could do that to my ROM?

NOTE: Funny thing, the Android system is localized on my country's language when I first start the device but as soon as I change it to English, I cannot change it back to Portuguese cause that option doesn't exist. How come the device is in Portuguese when I first start it up after flashing a new ROM? This also happens every time I swap the SIM card, but I can never select Portuguese language by myself. Why?

4) I noticed that after flashing my custom ROM, after booting the device for the first time, the mobile network was active. This is not good... For now I have 1 month free of mobile networking but that won't last forever. I don't want to waste money every time I'm trying a new ROM. Is there anyway to disable this thing from automatically starting up connected when I first boot?

For now that's it...

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[Geochelone]

I'd love to know how you repack MCR and sign it. There are certain things I would like to change, e.g. icons and unwanted apps.

Could you please point them to me pretty please?

[clarkEEE1]

Read this guide to learn how to sign update.zip sorry cant give a proper link but not at my pc but sure you no how to copy and paste lmao.

modmygphone.com/forums/showpost.php?p=42091&postcount=1

[Nazgulled]

Geochelone, on Nov 29 2009, 02:11, said:

I'd love to know how you repack MCR and sign it. There are certain things I would like to change, e.g. icons and unwanted apps.

Could you please point them to me pretty please?

Signing is the easy part, the problem is doing the other stuff... It seems I can't find much info on the subject :/

To sign an "update.zip" file I used the process described here:
http://forum.xda-dev...ad.php?t=551711

[kendon]

1 idk where the problem should be, usually everything from the /data/app folder inside the the update.zip gets copied to the phone, no need to change the update-script for that... works for me

2 just try it? i would expect it not to work without gmail.

3 don't know ether, but i'm sure there is general information on android localization out there, maybe you should check the android documentation for that.

3.1 same thing, but tbh that sounds like a more complex project.

note: no idea why, but have you tried the "custom locale" apps for switching it back?

4 that's a though one, given the nature of the os (android coming from google and being so "connected" to the internet i mean) i wouldn't suppose. but if you connect to your wifi during the first steps wizard that shouldn't be a problem afaik.

[Nazgulled]

kendon, on Nov 29 2009, 13:29, said:

1 idk where the problem should be, usually everything from the /data/app folder inside the the update.zip gets copied to the phone, no need to change the update-script for that... works for me

Weird, it didn't work for me...

But maybe there's a difference and that's why I mentioned the update-script. You are probably using modaco's .zip file and I'm using the generic one. There are some lines on the update-script, for both roms, that are formating the data folder. However, modaco's is doing it differently and maybe that's what makes it work.

kendon, on Nov 29 2009, 13:29, said:

2 just try it? i would expect it not to work without gmail.

I guess I'll have too...

kendon, on Nov 29 2009, 13:29, said:

3 don't know ether, but i'm sure there is general information on android localization out there, maybe you should check the android documentation for that.

That's a thought...

kendon, on Nov 29 2009, 13:29, said:

note: no idea why, but have you tried the "custom locale" apps for switching it back?

I don't really want it back, I was just wondering why cause it's weird, that's all.

kendon, on Nov 29 2009, 13:29, said:

4 that's a though one, given the nature of the os (android coming from google and being so "connected" to the internet i mean) i wouldn't suppose. but if you connect to your wifi during the first steps wizard that shouldn't be a problem afaik.

That's not possible. I either continue the first steps guide or cancel it, there's no way I can configure my wireless connection before the startup tutorial. And the mobile network automatically starts and I don't think this is acceptable. I guess the only thing for me to do is to boot the device without the SIM card...

[kendon]

Nazgulled, on Nov 29 2009, 20:55, said:

That's not possible. I either continue the first steps guide or cancel it, there's no way I can configure my wireless connection before the startup tutorial. And the mobile network automatically starts and I don't think this is acceptable. I guess the only thing for me to do is to boot the device without the SIM card...

strange, it asks me to set up a wifi con. as this might speed up the setup process.

[Nazgulled]

I'll have to try again and see what happens...

[Nazgulled]

kendon, on Nov 29 2009, 21:21, said:

strange, it asks me to set up a wifi con. as this might speed up the setup process.

I'm just testing this now and the first screen I get is to select the language I want to use (there's no way to cancel it) and the mobile connection is already active. After that I get an introduction to typing (I can skip it) and only then I'm asked if I want to setup wifi.

So, I'm wasting money to the carrier already...

There must be a way to turn this off by default :/

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