yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] AndroidFileHost:
I copied the vending.apk to the bst folder and modified the permissions. same with google service framework apk

make to sure restart bluestacks after installing and coping over the vending.apk. also dont install the vending.apk. it will do it on restart

the vending.apk it google play 3.4.7

Anyone know how we can crack into those .fs files in the ProgramData directory in windows for bluestacks

Note* im using adw launcher. The market doesnt show up in the default bluestacks launcher when its placed in the bst folder. unless its just me.

Woot! modifed registry and increased ram to 1gb

Also you can try and install gmail from a apk or search for in the different markets. Works great for me.
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] Drakkim:
I was having problems with the account setup telling me I had no data connection or that it could not establish a reliable connection to Google's servers. I resolved this by using an old YouTube installer (from one of the Nook Nooter packages) and set my account up there.

1. Install old YouTube.apk

2. Run YouTube

3. Hit the menu button, go to My Channel

4. Log in!

Afterward, Market/Play and Gmail picked up the account, but kept crashing with application errors. I uninstalled both, they automatically reinstalled and it worked perfectly from there!
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] TheManii:
I would expect ICS by RTM, but having only a single core is rather restrictive as even android apps are starting to become multithreaded as you cant buy a new single core device without it being a trailing edge device.

when I use ubuntu under vmware I expose all 4 cores as I mainly use it to build android related things, and the compiler is obviously heavily multithreaded. Unless you're running multiple VMs (and even then) you should expose as many cores as you can spare, the host will load balance them to a reasonable degree.

The assumption that it's only single core is that whatever app you run inside android to check your hardware states there's only one core available. When stressing it task manager shows that usually 2 cores are being used and ocassionally all 4 are (though that doesnt mean a great deal, as at least on my system it never hits 100% for any cores).

The fact that host fs is set to R/O except for the pictures library prob has to do with it still being a beta. I'm guessing their host-fs glue driver isnt deemed stable enough to be let loose on the rest of the system.
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] AndroidFileHost:
can always use the android 4.0 x86 iso and run it in vm or boot to it. not the same but its very likely that he will use 4.0 once the program gets out of beta.

Havent made any progress with root but was able to increase ram which was nice, change the mount points/what folder/drive it mounts. Also download a system info app and you can see a good bit info. Wish i could get into those fs files. to bad they arent just img files.
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] foganime:
RocketDock killer

Here's a quick C# app you can use to launch BlueStacks without the annoying pop-up dock.

I'll leave it to someone else if they want to add features or have the app minimize and iconify to the dock in place of the BlueStacks dock launcher.

Thanks for the tips, I also have Google Market on my BlueStacks VM now.
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] rocketero:
the dockkiller would be a good thing to have thou someone mentiones to rename the c:\%localappdata%\BlueStacks\RocketDock\RocketDock.exe and that did the trick for me.

I would like to anyone who had made Google Play v.3.5.15 work that place exactly what steps did, as myself and others are stuck on v.2.2.11 and if try to install a higher level than that we get market crash at every opening with message: "Application Failure Detected. Try Again".

I have installed v2.3.6, v3.4.4, v3.4.7 and v3.5.15 with not luck.

I started by:

* Stopping the GoogleServicesFramework and the Market with ES Task manager

* uninstalling Market through Settings>Applications>Manage Applications.

* uninstall OnetimeInitializer app.

* uninstall GoogleServicesFramework app

* uninstall Maps app

* uninstall Gmail app

* uninstall Vending.app

* uninstall Talk app

* uninstall Setup Wizard app

* reboot Bluestacks

After rebooting, I start installing the corresponding files related to a version, let's say v3.4.4

* install GoogleServicesFramework.apk

* install OneTimeInitializer.apk

* install SetupWizard.apk

* install Talk.apk

* install Vending.apk (this is more like the real market that appears listed on /system/app)

* install Gmail.apk

* install Maps.apk

* Then check on the /data/bst folder to have those exact apps copied from /system/app/ and add the GoogleContactsSyncAdapter.apk to the /data/bst, I don't install that app, just copy it from /system/app to /data/bst

* check the permissions on all /data/bst and they are: RWXRWXRWX. I have tried to change them to RW-RW-RW with Root Explorer, but after changing it it doesn't show any error, just closed the permission's window and once I check again the permission is still rwxrwxrws. I don't know if this is a critical point or not.

at this point if all the mentioned apps installed with not errors I proceed to:

* reboot Bluestacks

* open Market, it comes asking to add a user, and after adding at the end shows to ALLOW and at that point the spinning circle shows and never ends, so I close i if I can otherwise I go to task-manger and kill it.

* Now any attempt to open it fails with the message mentioned above:

"Application Failure Detected. Try Again"

Have this done it for almost 4-6 hrs and not luck.

So any-help here would be more than thankfulness.
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] TheManii:
If you installed them as normal apps, that might be part of the problem, what you should so is:

get them on your instance somehow

Download though browser

adb push

browse to them though /data/windowsdata

copy them to /data/bst

You should never allow any of those 3 to be installed as standard apps. After copying them to bst you might need to create/setup your account though settings -> accounts.

Also, it only symlinks a couple apks.

Gmail.apk

GoogleContactsSyncAdapter.apk

GoogleServicesFramework.apk

Maps.apk

Talk.apk

Vending.apk

Gmail, maps, and vending do not even need to be placed there as they're standard user-mode apps. Anything not listed wont do anything in bst as it's not a special folder, it's merely the target of the symlinks.

I dont know if you should even use the rest of the Gapps frameworks that arnt listed, as they likely wont even work unless they're in system\app.
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] AndroidFileHost:
I can confirm your directions are correct.

I just installed a fresh Bluestacks on my other computer. Steps to get play to work.

1. Install Root Explore (can be downloaded for free using bluestacks and typing in the app name)

2. Download the Vending.apk and Google Framework from this post.

3. Copy them to /data/bst

4. Give them these Permissions

Not 100% sure if those are what they should be at but they work for me and no issue at all.

5. Reboot Bluestacks

6. Download ADW Launcher if you havent

7. Find Google Play and sign in with your email and password.

You did it.

I also installed gmail and it works also. I installed it and did not do it by placing the apk in the bst folder. Seems to work either way now
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] atltrickster:
Mods, please delete this post. Does nothing to clarify the topics being discussed.
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] aDigitalPhantom:
LIES!

i have said this before, root.rs is a ext4 image and can be mounted in linux. in that image you will find an android folder containing a ramdisk.img and a system.sfs. you need to unsquashfs the system.sfs to get a system.img, again another ext4 image that can me mounted in linux. now that you have mounted system.img you can add or delete any thing you want to bluestacks like adding MarketUpdater.apk to /system. also you can delete the system.sfs from root.fs and replace it with system.img from the system.sfs.
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] TheManii:
Gotta wonder why they chose squashfs, as it's primary intent is to be an efficient fs for embedded devices (little ram, low I/O, low overhead).

Seems like they only used it to make it difficult to modify as you have to repack it to get a modifiable system\

ext4 images make sense by themself though, as NTFS and extx are completely oppisite when it comes to security/permissions.

Obviously the best for us (as in skilled users who can meaningly make modifications to the fs) would be to store it directly on the host fs.
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] spunker88:
Its pretty easy to throw together a batch file, something like this should do the trick. Copy it into notepad and save it with a .bat extension.
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] MedicalFlyer:
The BlueStacks team already released an executable that will kill off the Rocket Dock rubbish :-)
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] TheManii:
Could you link back to whereever they released that? I assume it was twitter or something as their website's just a single page for the time being.

Edit: Lol, that's silly: all it does is rename the entire RocketDock folder to RocketDock.bak, it's not much different from renaming/removing the exe
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] rocketero:
I just made a few comments on a couple of steps you did:

You really are a great savor, I had spent around 6 to 8 hours installing and uninstalling differences versions of Market/Google Play I could say around 12 or more times installs/uninstalls, and once I started your stepped process I got a black screen on step 5 after rebooting Bluestacks, but that made me take the decision to install it again as so many installs had messed up probably everything. At the initial screen when I was re-installing I selected 'Repair' with is almost the equivalent at install all over again. and after installing/repairing, the 10GB SDcard I had was converted to a 2GB but that was not a big deal I replaced it back with an empty 10GB SDcard.

After booting first time I did started the stepped process again and at this time I did got the Google Play 3.5.15 working, and to make sure I restarted again and I'm working with it at this moment without a crash/failure.

so I am great-full you posted your solution I am quite sure is gonna help others. The permissions 755 seems OK and holding.
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] MedicalFlyer:
I found it through their facebook page.

I'll dig through and update this post with the link.

https://getsatisfaction.com/bstk/to...he_bluestacks_dock_at_the_top_of_my_pc_screen

There's a good amount of support going on from them there. I had a problem launching BlueStacks originally due to something I had set with my soundcard.
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] TheManii:
Android doesnt ever use the X permission on anything with regards to apks,

every working apk you'll ever see that was installed properly (ie though flashing via a custom rec or though an app store or though adb) is:

always RW-R-R

data/app/*.apk: Owner/Group: 1000 - System

system/app/*.apk: Owner/group: 0 - Root

Only thing we cant change is the owner/group as the default SU binary blocks changing that
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] tenet420:
To view the .fs files rename then to .img then extract them using UniExtract. Then use the Windows command line tool unsquashfs.exe to extract /system from the squashed file. Then use mksquashfs.exe to repack it to a squash file, then something to repackage it to .img, then rename to .fs.
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] TheManii:
That sounds like even more work unless you already had those tools installed anyway, but to each his own
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] tenet421:
Sorry, I should have noted that this was in reply to the person who stated 'I wish we could get into the system.img'.
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] AndroidFileHost:
THanks thats just what i was looking for :)

way to much work for most people just wanting the market. Think easiest is how I and how most of us did it via root explore. But thanks for the post. Trying out the tool now.

---------- Post added at 09:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:54 PM ----------

Perfect! Thanks for the edits. Glad you got yours working to.
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] TheManii:
I was referring to this post, not yours:

The way you (as in tenet421) refered to it is about the simplest way to do it, though I think at that point you'd be better off repacking the final part as a plain ext4 container and modifying the ramdisk to directly boot it. (and that's exactly what the original method of rooting bstacks was).

If you repack it into a squashfs image, you cant modify it's contents without repacking it again.
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] AndroidFileHost:
File Downloads

I uploaded all the files I could think users will need at the moment to one of my servers.

http://www.androidfilehost.com/main/Misc/Bluestack/

Let me know if I have missed anything
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] tenet420:
@TheManii

By resquashing it before re-ext4ing it you can replace the original system.fs without any other edits to registry, init, etc.

Exactly right about the alpha rooting. This is what I'm working on for beta.

With the system.img unpacked we can repackage it with the su binaries and apk from the alpha. Because it emulates arm and runs x86 we need the same files that were pulled from the Android.x86 site and placed into the alpha.
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] AndroidFileHost:
playing with that now.

Im uploading the root.fs to the server. I added the the market per the instructions in the tutorial on the blog. Only thing you need to do is install the new vending.apk by right clicking the apk and opening with HD-ApkHandler.exe

Congrats newest market.

Maybe someone can download it and try it out on there setup. No other changes made to the system img. Wont post that until I make some more progress on root.
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] aDigitalPhantom:
you can use the beta system.img in the alpha with a few reg tweaks, and by replaceing the launcher, but it does not work very well
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] rocketero:
why those links to downloads files ask you to fill up surveys.
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] atltrickster:
The tutorial is great, but I agree with you on the links...talk about annoying. I've attached them to this post for anyone who wants them.
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] rocketero:
the article seems interesting, I wonder if that person already got root to /system

but the way this person accomplished the market is way out top of the roof for many users.

Besides xRepinsSporx just posted a few simple steps to follow and I got the G.P working.
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] atltrickster:
I did the same thing myself without any complications. Hopefully someone else can give you feedback on the modified root.fs you posted.

While making the modifications I also added the following lines to the end of the build.prop:

Still no SU access given the missing files from the alpha release but I do have BlueStacks showing up under adb devices consistently and shell access is available. You might need to restart the server first though.
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] redbaron2005:
Well it would seem that some of the old rooting methods for the older versions of BlueStacks does not seem to work on the latest version, I tried using this method to root the emulator and it seems that it broke it, all it does is get stuck on the loading screen, followed by the program crashing.

I have a feeling that changing a few things, such as the paths, and files might make it work. I'll let everyone know if I make a breakthrough. Has anyone else gotten any kind of root working yet?
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] rocketero:
so what all these means? did you edited build.prop why it was mounted with osfmount? is it possible to add su/busybox and superuser.apk while is mounted ? newbie here just discovering some new stuff.
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] atltrickster:
That's correct, I modified the build.prop while I had the system image mounted with OSFmount. Here is a breakdown of what the added lines do:

ro.secure=0 - automatically start with root when you run adb shell (assuming you have root)

ro.allow.mock.location=1 - allow fake location information to be passed to apps

ro.debuggable=1 - enable access to the device via adb

persist.service.adb.enable=1 -force enable adb access to the device

I actually copy and pasted these lines from an earlier comment in the thread so I can't take credit for knowing to do this to begin with. Still learning myself!!! Also the info as to what each one does I put together from searching Google just now...I assume the information is accurate.

Hope that helps.
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] rocketero:
I did also as a practice exercise what it was explained in that blog with osfmount and unsquash, but because I already have Google play working I just limited to push the binary su in /system/bin and superuser.apk in /system/app. I don't have much other changes to do to build.prop as I really don't know what can it be added or changed.

But the think pretty much keeps un-rooted, as there is not way to do command like adb remount or adb shell chmod 06755 /system/su that I was trying to do.

After the minor adding of files my Google Play is still working fine.

I also pushed the marketupdate.apk to /system/app to get Google Play Store updates in the future, but I don't know how it would play in /system Read Only.
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] adzrules:
Is there any way to download an .apk through BluStacks and then locate the /apk on disk to copy it to my phone????
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] dheeraj (dhlalit11):
you can download apk through bluestacks with the help of 1mobile market

then install es file explorer in bluestacks, with es file explorer create a backup of app you want in your phone

after creating backup use android commander and with it copy the backed up apk to hard drive

then from hard drive copy apk to phone and install
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] rocketero:
yes, the Bluestacks and your PC are connected through /data/windowsdata where you see all your PC hardrives, so you can download apk's from market/Google play and place them somewhere in your windows drives.

Other method I fing intresting is trough push/sync technology where the installation on your phone is done automatically, you install in your phone an apk called Bluestacks cloud connect and sync the apk's that you want from Bluestacks to your phone, or from your phone to your Bluestacks. It's done over the Internet or over WIFI. Here is a video on how bluestacks cloud connect works
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] adzrules:
Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, I don't have WIFI here and my 3g is beyond slow in my remote location, so that kills the bluestack cloud connect idea. Are the .apk files stored directly on disk then? Where is the data/windowsdata folder??

Argh, I'm such a n00b lol. Thanks anyway :)

---------- Post added at 12:37 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:19 PM ----------

Sorry for the random spamming of posts!

Figured it out. I thought you meant I had to navigate to that folder on my PC, but I obviously had to do it through es file explorer.

For anyone else who wants to do this, the .apk files are in the /data/app folder. Copy these (using the file explorer) to the /SDCARD/windows folder and then they are available for you to snatch :)

Thanks for the help guys! :D
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] dcooterfrog:
read a lot of stuff had some success. question

is there a keyboard short cut for the buttons.

esc = back

???= home (not home)

??? = menu

f8 = search

also what is needed to get contacts on the bluestack from Google. I have gmail and picasa synching. drop box too. easy to get stuff from phone to bleustacks

---------- Post added at 02:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:24 PM ----------

hey careful with search in root explorer from root. it will search you whole computer because the drives are mounted to bluestacks
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] ehab-subh:
Help to open (system.sfs)

hi i want help to open "system.sfs" in windows , i try 7Zip not working
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] AndroidFileHost:
Follow this guide:

droidhackings.blogspot.com/2012/03/installing-market-on-bluestacks-beta.html

You can find all the programs listed in the guide on my site since his download links are bogus. Also he didnt link you to the x64 bit version.

http://www.androidfilehost.com/main/Misc/Bluestack/

Let me know if I have missed anything

---------- Post added at 10:04 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:02 AM ----------

Yea i download the root.fs this morning to my computer here at work and no issues and have the market. So if people really wanted a easy way that can just download that and replace it on there computer and be good to go. Ill prob mess with the build prop and other tweaks/removing some of the bloat apps and post another file for download.

Should I create a new Thread for this new version. That way I can add all this stuff to the op about how to get the new market and other tweaks?
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] aDigitalPhantom:
ro.secure=0
ro.allow.mock.location=1
ro.debuggable=1
persist.service.adb.enable=1

those lines go in default.prop which is located in ramdisk.img in root.fs. and they are already there.
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] atltrickster:
Awesome, thanks for letting me know. While my experience with Android dates back to when I got a Google branded HTC Dream ADP, I still have a lot to learn when it comes to development. :)
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] rocketero:
Bluestacks cloud connect is an IP application meaning you can use it over WIFI or Internet networks. You have to install it on your phone/tablet in order to push/sync apk's from your phone/tablet to your Bluestacks, and also install it in your Bluestacks if you want to push apk's from Bluestacks to your phone/tablet. Then on your PC you login through http://channels.bluestacks.com/home/

with the credentials you got when you sign into this site and it will automatically give you a 9 digits code. I don't even have a cell/smartphone and I got that code, don't recall exactly how. then it will present you with 3 boxes and you place 3 digits in each box and then login and all your apk's that you have synced will show there in that webpage.

That way you can be located in a remote location and not having to worry about copying apk's in /data/windowsdata or /sdcard/windows and then transferring them to your phone. I am not sure yet how the whole SYNC works when you open the http://channels.bluestacks.com/home in both your PC and in your phone/tablet. I'll have to explore more that side. so I will review a bit more that tutorial video on how bluestacks cloud connect works, but basically I have installed so far apps from my tablet to Bluestacks.
[Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]] tenet421:
If you create a new thread please post a link here for easier access.

Thanks.