[YotaPhone] SteadyQuad:
NOTE:

This post is/was only relevant for users of the original modded stock recovery for YP2. For the newer & better TWRP recovery for YotaPhone 2 installing unsigned packages such as Xposed framework is not an issue.

Please note that the Xposed version below is outdated, Xposed alpha 4 is available. See Xposed for Lollipop thread.

Old post content:

Not exactly a proper development thread, but posting it here anyway because of the relation with the modded recovery, ad the slightly technical angle.

Xposed framework for Lollipop allows you to install modules that tweak/change many aspects of Android. It's pretty powerful as it can hook into existing software and change it's functionality. The version referred to in this post is an alpha version.

Therefore:

Warning: I recommend you don't install this unless you're a nerd. It's not yet stable, and may cause trouble (such as boot-loops).

Also: by the time you read this there may be newer versions, so read the Xposed thread for updates.

Background

The modded recovery image allows to install software signed by either Yota Devices (such as ota update zips) or signed with testkeys, but it does not allow to flash UNsigned zips. Many flashable zips are signed with testkeys (like SuperSU) but rovo89's Xposed flashable zip for LP in the current 20150430 version are unsigned, so we can't flash them as-is.

Flashing it anyway:

There's two ways: the harder and slightly educational way (useful for e.g. when new Xposed versions are released) and the lazy but convenient way.

1) Signing the Xposed framework zip yourself:

You need:

- signapk.jar plus test key and certificate

Get SignApk.jar from somewhere (build it from AOSP source, or download a zip from this thread (I used zipaligner 1.2, linux). This zip contains other stuff, but we need testkey.pk8, testkey.x509.pem and signapk.jar

- Xposed framework zip for LP 5.0 (xposed-sdk21-arm-20150430.zip) from the official thread from here

- java environment (JDK or JRE)

To sign the file put all files in one dir (including xposed-sdk21-arm-20150430.zip) and run:

java -jar signapk.jar -w testkey.x509.pem testkey.pk8 xposed-sdk21-arm-20150430.zip xposed-sdk21-arm-20150430_signed.zip

You just created xposed-sdk21-arm-20150430_signed.zip that you can flash.

2) Using a pre-Signed zipfile:

I attached a testkey-signed version of rovo89's file xposed-sdk21-arm-20150430.zip to this post for convenience, so you can skip the steps above.

Steps to install the Xposed framework for LP

1) put device in fastboot/download mode and boot the modded recovery image (see recovery thread)

2) choose "apply update from ADB" from recovery menu

adb sideload <yourpath>/xposed-sdk21-arm-20150430_signed.zip

3) reboot

4) choose allow 'unknown sources' in settings->security

5) copy the file XposedInstaller_3.0-alpha2.apk to your phone (or scan the QR code on the Xposed page to download this file to your phone directly.

6) use a file manager (like ES File Explorer, or the built-in Cabinet) to browse to and open XposedInstaller_3.0-alpha2.apk and install it.

Now you can download Xposed modules through the Xposed Installer app. I tried GravityBox [LP] (make sure you select the right version!) to change the launcher grid to 5x5 instead of 4x4. After a reboot that worked. I'm not saying that using GravityBox is safe, they warn that it may cause trouble with non-standard ROM's (such as ours).

Please not that I can't/won't provide any support for Xposed itself, please see the relevant Xposed threads for that.

Credits:

rovo89, author of the Xposed Framework