[General Paranoid Android Discussion] colin0998:
Common Q&A

COMMON QUESTIONS & ANSWERS (FAQ)

I'm getting a 'Status Error 6' when I try and install these GApps with CWM. What can I do to fix it?

It likely means you're using CWM v6.0.4.7 Recovery, which is NOT compatible with any of our GApps packages. If you update your recovery to a newer version of CWM (older versions should also work fine), you will be able to successfully install any of our GApps packages.

The problem is due to CWM v6.0.4.7 overwriting the installation script, thereby making it impossible for the installer to do its work. Thankfully, CWM realized the error in doing this and fixed the issue in newer versions. This 'bug' is only found in CWM v6.0.4.7, so even an older version should work, although upgrading your Recovery would be preferable to downgrading.

Also, since CWM is no longer being updated by its original developer (ClockWordMod), it is highly recommended to change to an actively supported Recovery, such as TWRP (TeamWin Recovery Project)

My GApps install failed with the message 'Insufficient storage space available in System partition'. My device has 16GB (or more) of storage available. How can this be?

Your ROM and GApps are installed in the system partition. The system partition is a separate, fixed-size, stand-alone partition of storage that varies in size by device. (READ HERE for a complete explanation of the Android File System Structure.) While today's newer devices often come with 1.5GB (or more) of storage in the system partition, most devices that are more than a year old have 1GB or less of system storage available. This, coupled with the fact that Google's applications have doubled in size in the past 18 months, means that your device may not be able to accommodate our larger GApps packages.

The reason you won't get this error message with other GApps packages is because our installers use a System Partition memory detection system to insure a successful installation and the ability to restore GApps after a ROM update. Most other GApps installers do no such checking and leave the responsibility on you to know if your device has sufficient space available. In addition, our installer will generate a detailed log that will show you exactly how the system space on your device is being used. You will find this log (pa_gapps_log.txt) in the same folder as the GApps zip file, after the installer has completed. Please refer to it for complete details.

You can choose to install a smaller GApps package or you may want to take advantage of our exclusive Advanced Features & Options and remove certain apps you do not use or need (Remember, you can always install these apps later from the Play Store).

If you would like further assistance, please post your pa_gapps_log.txt so we can best give you what options you may wish to consider

I received the message that 'Google Keyboard/Calendar/Camera/Email can only be installed during a Clean Install or as an update to an existing GApps Installation.' What does this mean?

Experience has shown us that users who install these applications FOR THE FIRST TIME during a 'Clean install' GApps installation almost never have issues or problems with these apps. However, there have been several reports of users experiencing FC's or other strange behavior when they have tried to install these apps later (with GApps), after their device has been set up.

To insure the best possible user experience, our GApps installer will only allow these applications to be installed FOR THE FIRST TIME as part of a 'Clean' install (data wiped) installation. Updates to an existing System (GApps) installation will also install fine, plus you can still freely update these apps from the Play Store and have the GApps installer update them later with the next GApps update.

A 'Clean' install consists of the following

:

Factory Reset (or manually wipe (format) Data partition - Internal Storage wipe is NOT necessary)

Manually wipe (format) your System partition

Flash your ROM

Flash GApps package

Flash any Addon Modules (optional)

Wipe the Dalvik & cache

Reboot

[HIGHLIGHT]NOTE:[/HIGHLIGHT] YOU WILL LOSE ALL OF YOUR DATA AND APPLICATION SETTINGS using this method. Be sure to do a nandroid backup prior in case you want to restore later.

I'm having problems with a GApps package. What information do you need to help me?

At a [HIGHLIGHT]MINIMUM[/HIGHLIGHT] you will need to post your pa_gapps_log.txt (Attach it to your post while logged in to XDA from a web browser - this will not work using Tapatalk). However, the best method to receive support would be to post your debug logs (pa_gapps_debug_logs.tar.gz), using the same method. You will find both of these logs in the same folder as the GApps zip file, after the installer has completed.

As with most support forums, the more information and work you do up front the better the feedback you're likely to receive. We're a friendly, supportive group, but if you're not willing to put any effort on your end, you'll likely receive nothing from the forum, either.

I'm having problems with Google Camera after installing Google Stock GApps (or GoogleCamera Addon). Please fix it!

While Google does say that Google Camera 'Works on phones and tablets running Android 4.4 and up', they clearly didn't intend to include every 4.4+ ROM on XDA. They likely meant this to include devices running stock or factory versions of Android 4.4.x with proper drivers and kernels. In addition, Photo Sphere and Panorama require a gyro sensor and Photo Sphere, Panorama, and Lens Blur require at least 1 GB RAM. And HDR+ is only available on the Nexus 5 and 6, according to the Play Store description

While even legacy devices are able to run KitKat with a custom ROM, many of these ROM's do not have properly updated KitKat drivers and/or kernels. Instead, they're using modded, patched, or hacked versions of older drivers and kernels. It's likely these situations that lead to problems and/or incompatibilities with Google's new camera app. This means that there's NOTHING the OP can do to fix this problem for you. Your only likely option is to NOT use the new Google Camera on your device or try installing it from the Play Store instead.

PA GApps packages are so big. Will I have any space left over for my stuff after I install?

PA GApps will use LESS of your device's available storage than using a 'bare bones' GApps and downloading the apps from the Play Store. This is because GApps are installed entirely in the System partition, leaving the Data (User) partition for your non-Google apps. Since the System partition is a fixed size, installing GApps here uses storage that would otherwise be left unused (and unavailable for other use).

Why are PA GApps packages so much larger than other GApps packages?

PA GApps are larger than other GApps packages for a couple of reasons:

The main reason is that all our GApps packages include the PROPER version of Google Play services for YOUR device. Instead of installing a generic, obsolete, or a potentially improper version, our installer detects the hardware dpi of your device and then installs the PROPER version of Google Play services that was intended for your device. This means that our GApps packages must include multiple versions, which significantly increases the size of our packages.

Google Stock GApps also includes Google Gallery for all supported Nexus Android 4.4 devices with a rear camera. Since Google Gallery is different for each device, that means our GApps has to include four separate Galleries. Only the correct Gallery for your device is installed, however.

Our Google Stock GApps include all of the Google Apps that come standard on a Google Nexus device. Since our intention is to enhance the Google Android experience, we don't think it makes sense to limit the apps included in our GApps package.

I'd like to switch to PA GApps from another GApps provider. What do I need to do?

PA GApps can only be installed on top of an existing PA GApps installation, OR after wiping your system partition. This is to prevent conflicts that could arise from switching GApps packages. If you use the method outlined below, you won't lose any of your data or application settings

In order to switch to PA GApps from another GApps provider or remove an Addon Module you're no longer using, you will need to (from Recovery - In the order listed):

Manually wipe (format) your System partition

Flash your ROM

Flash GApps package

Flash any Addon Modules (optional)

Wipe the Dalvik & cache

Reboot

[HIGHLIGHT]NOTE:[/HIGHLIGHT] You won't lose any of your data or application settings using this method. This method MUST be used when switching to PA GApps from another GApps provider.

Can I use these GApps to update the Google Apps on my Stock ROM?

The short answer is No. PA GApps have always been designed to be installed with custom Android AOSP based ROM's. If you're using a stock ROM, you should continue to only update your apps through the Google Play Store.

With the recent update to our GApps 2.0 installer, we added a system check to only allow GApps updates to an existing PA GApps installation. This change was made to prevent the possible existence of conflicting Google apps (from other sources) that might interfere with PA GApps after restarting your device. Since stock ROM's already come with GApps installed, this means the installer will not be able to perform an update install on stock ROM's.

Is it necessary to reinstall GApps and/or addon modules EVERY time I update my ROM?

Probably not. If your ROM supports addon.d backup functionality (most ROM's do - including PA), it's not necessary to install GApps with each ROM update - as long as you don't manually wipe the System partition. The backup script will backup your installed GApps (or Addon modules) and restore them after your ROM has been updated. However, it is a good idea to install an updated GApps from time to time as functionality may be added or improvements made.

What if an app is updated in the Play Store? Should I install the update or wait for a GApps update?

Go ahead and install the update. The next time you update GApps, Android automatically will remove the app you installed from the Play Store if the GApps version is the same or newer than the version you installed from the Play Store. Just be certain to wipe Dalvik and cache after flashing the updated GApps.

Can I install an updated GApps package without updating my ROM?

Certainly! Simply install the GApps package directly from Recovery and wipe Dalvik and cache after flashing the updated GApps.

How come you don't include {MyFavoriteApp} in PA GApps?

For an application to be included in PA GApps, it has to meet the following criteria:

It must be a Google App (GApps = Google Apps.)

It must be an application that comes standard on Google Nexus devices.

It must be a globally used app (not language or country specific)

There are a couple of apps I never use. Can I uninstall them?

Using our exclusive Advanced Features & Options, you can actually bypass the installation or remove any GApps installed application from your device. You could also choose to freeze / disable the app. This will prevent the app from using valuable system resources and leaves the unused app lying dormant in the System partition where it's not using any of your available storage. Plus, the app will remain disabled even after you update GApps.

How do I Freeze / Disable an app?

If you have Titanium Backup (highly recommended!) you can simply "Freeze" the app from the Backup/Restore screen. You can accomplish the same thing by going to Settings > Apps > {scroll to ALL} > {select app} > Disable.

Can I use Titanium Backup to integrate GApps updates into the ROM?

It is NOT recommended to use Titanium Backup to integrate GApps updates into the ROM. The reason is, using Titanium Backup to integrate GApps updates is going to be hit or miss, at best. That's because Titanium Backup does not integrate the supporting libraries (*.so files). Therefore, if an application update includes updated libraries, the integration will fail or fail to offer complete functionality. The reason it "seems" to work sometimes is that supporting libraries are often not updated when the application is updated. In those cases, the integration will work fine because the older libraries are the correct ones. If an application doesn't have supporting libraries then Titanium Backup integration works fine. However, our recommendation is to NOT use Integration.