[Defy General] [] AL []:
Hi there,

Edit (2012-May-17): added flashable zips for TouchWiz style Calendar and semi-trans MMS.apk-no smiley. Details here: Calendar, MMS - please read before flashing.

- - -

I had some free time during the past holidays and I've put together the following. It's no dev work here and it is simply and basically -zipper's work like Epsylon3 would call it :)- and something to remind myself -and to share with you all- on what are most of my current tweaks on the

December 13th Defy+ nightly

that I'm currently using.

I was also surprised to see oldtimers here on XDA still asking the same old questions regarding how to replace system files and how to set their files permissions. So I figured, why not use what I've put together and make this a good practice session for that and to get people familiarized with all this? The more people in the know; the better it is for everyone -right?

So here's what I hope could be called a 'CM7 tweak guide' and as an added bonus, I've also included a (transparent) theme that I've spent quite some time modding.

Heads up warnings:

- The transparent statusbar tweak and the ICS screen animations are

nightly specific and won't work on any other CM7 builds

.

-> I've used post #2 below to make a guide on how to do this on any CM7 build... And see the aknowlegments section for the ICS screen animation patcher from DaxInfinty to get the transitions on other CM7 builds.

- Furthermore: the

Dec13th Defy+ nightly is mainly FOR RED LENS/DEFY+ USE ONLY as the camera will not work for green lens phones

.

- I've chosen this specific Defy+ nightly because there are still problems with all the newer ones (up to cm72-120109.2049-NIGHTLY-Defy+.zip here) regarding inverted picture in camera that cannot be fixed; so use this one

and not newer ones

for now.

But the other tweaks and my modded theme can also just be installed on any CM7 build and by green lens owners as well (you just won't get the transparent statusbar unless you follow post#2 below).

So here's my gift for you guys, I hope you enjoy!

/AL

If you follow this, here's what you'll get:

[*] A pretty damn good CM7-Defy+ build for red lens with:

[*] ICS' screen transition animations [before/after clip here];

[*] Latest update for security certificates;

[*] Properly working Camera/Videocam/zoom [again: for red lens Defy only];

[*] Proper libs to play GTA3 [I will not help you here on getting that game :p - but you might like to read this post];

[*] Proper libs for Voice Search and Google Translate;

[*] Script to zip align at boot;

[*] T9-style Dialer;

[*] Tap-to-snooze/swipe-to-dismiss [or stock] alarm style;

[*] Transparent statusbar and my MSGingerBlur-based theme with >150+ modded/replaced UI icons;

[*] Properly charging battery for Defy+ owners.

To get started, here's what you'll need download -as needed:

- 7-zip

- RootExplorer (RE) here on the Android Market;

- CM7 F.A.Q.: for 2ndinit, SuperoneClick, etc.

- CM7 and CM9 signed Kernels;

- Dec 13th CM7-Defy+ nightly ;

- Latest GingerBread Gapps .

Once that's done, extract my attached zip files to and place all the content (10 files plus my theme's apk) in a folder on your computer's desktop.

To begin, the following tweaks can be done directly to the nightly zip before the installation BECAUSE we are just replacing files with the same names here; this alleviate the need to further set files' permissions and Ownerships on the phone.

But first, play it safe: charge up your phone and make a nand backup of your current build [and of this nightly zip] and then Open [do not extract] the cm72-111213.0943-NIGHTLY-Defy+.zip archive with 7-Zip: by right-clicking on it and then 'Open archive'.

Navigate to the proper folder and replace these files with the ones from my AL's Pack zip by "drag-and-drop" (press "ok" on the replace file warning):

- DeskClock.apk in /system/app

- cacerts.bks in /system/etc/security

- Camera.apk in /system/app (!red lenses only!)

- Contacts.apk in /system/app

- libstagefright.so in /system/lib

- overlay.omap3.so in /system/lib/hw (!red lenses only!)

I just added a 2nd tweaks pack zip (to extract do not flash in recovery)...

- battd in system/bin <--

this is to fix the battery charging problem for Defy+ owners only

!

Close the nightly zip archive, move it to your phone [along with all the remaining files extracted from my zip and the optional downloaded signed Kernels and gapps] and go in custom recovery to install (flash) the usual way [Select ZIP from SD card option] the following:

- this modded nightly;

- the "Init-Speed-091711.zip";

- the "update-capez-ICS-mod-ac-patch.zip"; !

nightly specific: DO NOT install on another builds

!

and if needed:

- the CM9_Kernel-signed.zip IF you're moving to CM7-Defy+ from a Froyo-based rom.

- the latest CM7 Gapps;

--> Wipe cache and Dalvik cache and reboot your phone.

Once booted up..

Now here's the hard one...: we have

to replace the SystemUI.apk files onto your phone and set its proper permissions and ownerships

.

Like for all the other tweaks involving file replacement, play it safe again and make a backup copy of the original files by renaming their file extensions (for example: to Whatever.bak or as whatever.apk_vo).

The thing is that this file cannot be deleted before pasting another one to replace it. If it is deleted or renamed, it can render your system unusable; so

you've been warned

!

That can be done using adb, but I prefer to just do this on the phone itself using Terminal Emulator and RootExplorer as explained here.

So 1st, place my modded SystemUI.apk

on the root of your sd card [/sdcard/]

.

Open up Teminal Emulator from the app drawer and type the following:

su
cd /sdcard/
mount -o remount,rw /system/
cp -f SystemUI.apk /system/app

Again this SystemUI replacement for transparent statusbar will work on this nightly

ONLY

.

*** and be careful here ***: once you do this last step, the launcher might crash or you might even get into an "error loop"; if you do, long press the power button and try to reboot between 2 errors popups OR just pull the battery out and reboot.

If you did not get into an error loop or if you've already rebooted, your status bar might be gone now; don't freak out!

--> Go set the permissions/ownership of the new SystemUI.apk in /system/app/

WITH

Teminal Emulator

again:

su
cd /system/app
mount -o remount,rw /system/
chmod 644 SystemUI.apk
chown 0.0 SystemUI.apk

OR

Using

RootExplorer

, navigate to: /system/app, make the folder writable by clicking the top-right corner buton "Mount R/W" and long press on the SystemUI.apk to select "Permissions" and (scroll down for) "Change owner" entries to set all of their options

exactly like the other files in that folder

.

Exit RootExplorer or Terminal

- Install my theme: AL_Theme_v18.apk (you will need to allow non-market app installation) and switch to it with CM7 ThemeChooser.

- Go in the phone settings ADWLauncher_System Preferences and UNCHECK Wallpaper Hack

-->> the transparent statusbar will work on the default ADW Laucher; with GO Launcher, you'll have to check the "High Quality Drawing" in its Advanced settings [thanks matchung]; for other launchers you might need to use a live wallpaper or other specific tweaks for this to work and it is up to you to search for it..

- Reboot and Voilà!: you should now have a transparent statusbar with my theme!!

For VoiceSearch:

- Extract and manually add/replace the 2 files from the VoiceSearch.zip:

- VoiceSearch.apk in /system/app

- libvoicesearch.so in /system/lib

--> Set the files' respective permissions and ownerships (you should know how by now...) and reboot.

[sorry for this: the VoiceSearch.zip only contains the 2 files; I thought that I had a cwm recovery update zip for it but I don't...I might create one later]

- Install Google Translate from the Market.

- Run Clock from your app drawer and press Menu Button-->Settings-->Alarm Screen--> select: Moto Blur.

- Enjoy!!

If you don't; wipe all in custom recovery and restore your nand backup and don't forget to also flash the CM7_Kernel-signed.zip if you go back to vanilla CM7 or other Froyo-based ROMs.

Notes

:

-

Again

: the ICS transitions animations and the transparent statusbar tweaks are nightly dependent and will work only on the specified cm72-111213.0943-NIGHTLY-Defy+.zip - DO NOT install the update-capez-ICS-mod-ac-patch.zip or the new SystemUI.apk on other builds; it just won't work!

- These mods are all either optional, already in newer builds or might eventually get merged or trashed; this "guide" just was to share most of my current tweaks on that CM7-Defy+ build at this time (Jan 16th);

- I might add more tweaks later;

- I will not maintain this thread religiously and it is definitely NOT meant to be a helpdesk for all the problems you might have with CM7;

- I will not edit your SystemUI.apk (to have the transparent statusbar) or create the ICS transition patch for your specific build (see the link for a guide in the aknowlegments section for the ICS screen animation patcher from DaxInfinty and check post #2 for a guide on transparent statusbar);

- Commments, additional tweak recommendations and bugs RELATED to everything above are welcomed; otherwise, keep this thread clean please and don't spam or full-quote for no reason.

Tweaks that did not make it:

- Bravia Engine: no proof that it actual works and most likely missing libs and service from Sony to work - read this post

- GB 3D performance update; tried but Benchmarks showed no statistically relevant proof of improvement - read this post

Aknowledgements:

A 1000 Thanks go to:

Quarx, Epsylon3 and Maniac103 for all their hard and excellent work for our Defy phones: we really owe you guys.

twa_priv for his trick about the camera lib;

capez and especially DaxINFINITY for for ICS screen animation patcher;

Walter79 for tall his work on the MS2Ginger rom; where I discovered the zipalign tweak and the security certificate update;

kevin2516 for his excellent GingerBlurB theme;

Kurd_medico for his help on the statusbar transparency tweak ;

Fritolay for originally posting the kernel update zips;

duguschi for the Blur type Deskclock.apk;

Antony.ps for his excellent CM7's FAQs/guide;

jfl0wers for the zip align at boot script;

SpawNyK for posting a CM7 working version of VoiceSearch lib and app;

RockStar for their 10 years old -and still awesome- GTAIII;

Santa;

And Motorola for making the incredible Defy phones and for their [hopefully soon to be gone] locked boot loader: you guys saved us 100's of hard bricked Defy over the last year or so [mine would most probably be one of those] and tons of RIP Defy post s here on xda ;)

and who ever else I might have forgotten.