Custom ROM creation mentoring

[jtintle]

Re: Custom ROM creation mentoring

Good job Elektrik, keep up the good work. If you get a chance, can you do a step by step write up on how you got to this point.

Sent from my Polaroid 701c tablet running Cm10

[elektrik]

Good job Elektrik, keep up the good work. If you get a chance, can you do a step by step write up on how you got to this point.

Sent from my Polaroid 701c tablet running Cm10

Sure, as soon as I think about it-I was flailing quite a bit but I think I have the process down....

[900supersport]

Ya, no doubt! I do have a backup on my ironkey drive hehe.....

It's ext4

so from linux
use nautilus to open up the folder containing your system mount folder. As you mounted the system as root you may not be able to browse into it. if so
open a terminal and now enter

sudo nautilus {do not press enter}

now use the mouse to drag the system folder onto the terminal session and it should add the path after nautilus

click after this and press enter. Enter you password if required and explore the system folder. You should be able to drag bloat out of the system folder and drag any additions you want. To root it add superuser.apk to /system/app and the su binary to /system/xbin and you are rooted.

Finally you will need to make it a sparse image and find out how to flash it (flashboot?).

[elektrik]

so from linux
use nautilus to open up the folder containing your system mount folder. As you mounted the system as root you may not be able to browse into it. if so
open a terminal and now enter

sudo nautilus {do not press enter}

now use the mouse to drag the system folder onto the terminal session and it should add the path after nautilus

click after this and press enter. Enter you password if required and explore the system folder. You should be able to drag bloat out of the system folder and drag any additions you want. To root it add superuser.apk to /system/app and the su binary to /system/xbin and you are rooted.

Finally you will need to make it a sparse image and find out how to flash it (flashboot?).

Gotcha! Ok, so I'm working with the stock ROM and there are at least a few major issues with it:

1. it's only partially rooted (/system/ and /system/apps/ need to have permissions changed) which I'd like to fix.
2. No Google Play/Market. This one is trickier because there are two different ways to 'gain' market access listed in a different thread. What I would like to do is make sure Google Play is included by default (I'm naively assuming all I need to do is drop in and/or replace the googleservicesframework.apk and the market.apk with the correct permissions)?
3. there is a preinstall folder with random crap that I don't want (NY times, etc.). Is it simply a matter of deleting the ones I don't and inserting the ones I do to 'preinstall'? or do I even need this folder (aka dropping them in the /system/app folder instead)?
4. I'd like the ability to change the boot image (not the animation-I already know which file that is)...not sure how to do that/where to look.
5. The Build.prop file identifies the Polaroid tablet and I'd like to change that to something a little more 'mainstream' so we can install more market apps than what we're allowed...

To everyone else: Is there something else everyone would like to see included in the ROM? I'm going to attempt my first IMG to include #1 & 2 and remove all the preinstall apks for my own edification but I certainly could at least solve the top 3 problems quite easily...

[900supersport]

I'd suggest small steps. Can you confirm what you mean by partially rooted. Is it that the system is mounted read only? if so it may in part be due to the sparse image and you may need to research this.

1 remove some bloat, say the NY times apk
2 add an apk to the app folder and set the permissions as the other apks in the folder
3 possibly full root

now pack and flash (this may be a challenge or may be easy with the kitchen you have)

Once you have this you are ready to move on. Boot screen is in boot.img, you will need to work out how to unpack this to a folder, make your changes (learn about init.rc here and think about init.d support) and re-pack.

Take it steady and you will keep moving forwards.

[elektrik]

I'd suggest small steps. Can you confirm what you mean by partially rooted. Is it that the system is mounted read only? if so it may in part be due to the sparse image and you may need to research this.

1 remove some bloat, say the NY times apk
2 add an apk to the app folder and set the permissions as the other apks in the folder
3 possibly full root

now pack and flash (this may be a challenge or may be easy with the kitchen you have)

Once you have this you are ready to move on. Boot screen is in boot.img, you will need to work out how to unpack this to a folder, make your changes (learn about init.rc here and think about init.d support) and re-pack.

Take it steady and you will keep moving forwards.

Gotcha! Thanks for all your help for getting me this far. I'm sure I'm going to have more questions but I'll try not to bother you and/or burden the forums much further. is it ok if I add you as a friend so I can PM you questions?

[900supersport]

Gotcha! Thanks for all your help for getting me this far. I'm sure I'm going to have more questions but I'll try not to bother you and/or burden the forums much further. is it ok if I add you as a friend so I can PM you questions?

No problem with PM and friend etc.

These learning threads are what Freaktab is all about if it wasn't for threads like this and an rainy afternoon testing a rom with Bob separated by about 4000 miles I wouldn't be cooking ROMs and helping you now. I'd say post away with what you are achieving and where you are getting stuck. I can give some general help and others will chip in with more polaroid specific help.

[elektrik]

No problem with PM and friend etc.

These learning threads are what Freaktab is all about if it wasn't for threads like this and an rainy afternoon testing a rom with Bob separated by about 4000 miles I wouldn't be cooking ROMs and helping you now. I'd say post away with what you are achieving and where you are getting stuck. I can give some general help and others will chip in with more polaroid specific help.

Great! Thanks-it's much appreciated.

ok so onto my first mod question then-can I simply add the apk files I want to be installed in the /system/app folder (with the correct permissions) or do I need to put them in the preinstall folder?

[900supersport]

Great! Thanks-it's much appreciated.

ok so onto my first mod question then-can I simply add the apk files I want to be installed in the /system/app folder (with the correct permissions) or do I need to put them in the preinstall folder?

see 1 and 2 in post 35 (I think) but you should be able to. Not all apks can be system apks but if you are rooted and you have root explorer or equivalent you can always delete and try side loading etc.

[elektrik]

Once you have this you are ready to move on. Boot screen is in boot.img, you will need to work out how to unpack this to a folder, make your changes (learn about init.rc here and think about init.d support) and re-pack.

Take it steady and you will keep moving forwards.

Where can I learn about init.rc...? Here on www.freaktab.com? Where would I go about adding init.d support (or even verifying that that it's 'enabled')?

[900supersport]

Where can I learn about init.rc...? Here on www.freaktab.com? Where would I go about adding init.d support (or even verifying that that it's 'enabled')?

A few things to search on both here and google to point you in the right direction.

• init.rc
• busybox
• run-parts

There's lots to learn and it will take a while but it will be worth it.

[elektrik]

A few things to search on both here and google to point you in the right direction.

• init.rc
• busybox
• run-parts

There's lots to learn and it will take a while but it will be worth it.

Agreed-I'm interested in init.d support because of a certain tweak I found on XDA ("Pimp my ROM"). I noticed it talked about init.d support but I honestly have no clue whether the stock ROM has (or how I can even verify it has) init.d support.

[900supersport]

lets assume it does not have init.d support. Research it and you will find out how to see if you have it already. Forget pimp my rom for the moment (search this site,I'm not yet convinced), V6 supercharger may be worth a look and testing though.

[elektrik]

lets assume it does not have init.d support. Research it and you will find out how to see if you have it already. Forget pimp my rom for the moment (search this site,I'm not yet convinced), V6 supercharger may be worth a look and testing though.

Sounds good. I'll google init.d android and see what I can ferret out (feel free to point me to some web sites you find handy as well).

[elektrik]

Sounds good. I'll google init.d android and see what I can ferret out (feel free to point me to some web sites you find handy as well).

so, I'm at a loss about trying to create a sparse image (system.img) file. I've googled and as the name implies, I'm a little 'googly' hehe. I think I am suffering from information overload. I have the system.img output but I'm really struggling trying to figure out how to make it BACK INTO a system.img...... I've seen commands such as 'dd' this and 'tar' with sparse options....

Some help would be appreciated...