[Android General] Oswald Boelcke:
Resurrection Remix "Nougat" v5.8.3 is now GApps-free

Thanks to the really powerful and easy to use NanoMod Magisk module by @Setialpha powered by Magisk by @topjohnwu I was able to create a GApps-free system on my Samsung GT-i9305 running Resurrection Remix RR-N-v5.8.3 by @rodman01 (RR-i9305 official thread). Excluding download times, the following complete procedure took me less than one hour this morning, and - if interested - I'd like to share the way I used with you.

However, before I continue I need to address my very best compliments to rodman01 for such a superb ROM, to topjohnwu for the systemless root as it was the basis for going GApps free, and to Setialpha for this fantastic module, which made it so easy and fast to achieve a GApps-free device. Three times :good::good::good: and thanks very much to all of you for excellent jobs well done!:)

As you certainly know RR doesn't come with signature spoofing by itself, which is a prerequisite to go GApps-free with the help of microG by @MaR-V-iN. Thanks very much to MaR-V-iN for allowing me/us to abandon Google from my/our devices. Without Google, not only privacy is much better protected, the device itself runs much smoother and faster. As long as Xposed was available i.e. up to Marshmellow, signature spoofing could be achieve for RR via a Xposed module but for Nougat, no Xposed available (yet???). For this reason I stayed on RR-M till I found Setialpha's thread as he provides an easy-to-use tool to achieve signature spoofing on RR-N as long as use use the Magisk su-binary. However, as mentioned in the OP there've been other tools available to get the spoofing but not as easy to use.

Before you continue to follow me through my procedure, I'd like you to thoroughly read the OPs of all linked threads with their invaluable information.

Download the following files via the links given in above mentioned threads and save them to your device (I used my external SD):

Latest Resurrection Remix RR-N-v5.8.x

Latest Magisk and the MagiskManager.apk (link to XDA-thread see above).

EDIT (2017-04-30): Latest NanoMod-microG NanoMod-6.1.20170421.zip and NanoMod-patcher NanoMod-patcher-6.1.20170421.zip from here. Please be aware that there are two additional, more specific NanoMod-zips available. Use them on your own descretion; I personally like all the functionalities that come with the "overall/general" NanoMod module. EDIT (2017-04-30): My device had really severe battery drainage with the "overall" module. Battery drainage with the microG-module is not a factor at all. And I personally realised that I don't have any need for the additional things comming with the overall module. Reported my battery drainage issue together with a logcat to the dev.

If desired - mapsapi.flashable.zip from here (you only need that if you're using applications that require Maps Library v1. You won't be able to install any of those apps (or restore a TB backup) before Maps Library v1 has been flashed). EDIT (2017-04-30): No requirement to do so. Maps v1 is coming with the NanoMod module. Just ensure that /data/.nanomod-setup shows nanomod.mapsv1=1 as described in the OP of the Nanomod-thread.

If you like (as I did) create an update.zip by Titanium Backup. I saved that on my external SD, too.

Boot into recovery (I'm using TWRP 3.0.2-1) and follow this procedure:

Before you continue to do anything, create a NANDROID backup of your running system!

Wipe dalvik, cache, system, data (I did not wipe internal data or external SD).

Flash RR-N-v5.8.x.

Flash Magiskzip.

Reboot into system (Remark: The initial reboot might take a while i.e. grab a coffee; all follow-on reboots are slightly longer during the initial boot phase probably due to the revised boot.img but after that phase boot is really fast).

Install the MagiskManager.apk and start it. At that point, MagiskManager stated that Magisk v12 is installed but no root available. Here, I simply re-started the phone and afterwards, MagiskManager also indicated root to be available.

Re-start into recovery.

Flash NanoMod (or the module you desire) and NanoMod-patcher. Do not flash mapsapi.flashable.zip, yet - at least didn't later on work for me.

Flashed my TB-update.zip

Reboot into system and commence to setup your device with the initial ROM configuration that enables you to proceed (e.g. WiFi/mobile data setup, location enabled (I used "high"/GPS & data), required permissions granted to the microG applications and the connected backends etc.)

At this point I went into the microG settings and conducted the first self test to see how many marks were checked and what I still missed. If a check mark regarding a lacking permission is missing, just tick on it, and a dialog is going to open to grant this permission (later with the backends, it might also be a statusbar notification). For me I wanted achieve first the "location ability" i.e. I didn't care yet about the Google Play Store.

I maintained in the microG settings and setup my backends. My settings for the backends can be retrieved from the screenshots. Please be aware that the download of a GSM Location Services´database can take a while (my phone still had one from end of March available).

Re-check if in the self-test all marks are ticked, now.

By use of the app "GPS Test", conducted such a test. This was an unbelievable experience as such many satellites were recognised immediately after the start of the app and granting of location permissions, and just after 3 - 5 seconds I had the first fix.

Re-started into TWRP.

Flashed mapsapi.flashable.zip

Rebooted into system.

In the ROM settings, created my Google account without any problems. Immediate connection to the respective Google servers; user account and password were accepted without any problems.

Opened Google Play Store from the app drawer. Play Store immediate connected to my account. Made the necessary modification to the play store settings, and as you can see on the screen shot, all my apps are shown including beta's and the purchased ones.

Continued to further setup my system, but microG was done at that point, and my system was GApps-free except for the play store.

Thanks again to rodman01, topjohnwu, Setialpha, and MaR-V-i!:):good:

EDIT (2017-06-10): Recommendation

In order to achieve after the clean flash of a ROM exactly the desired installation of microG (or anything else that is provided by one on the NanoMod modules, I suggest to create a so called ".nanomod-setup"-file with the values in accordance the OP of the NanoMod thread (see Alter Installation part) and your preferences. Although the OP mentions different possibilities, my personal pratice is to create this file once and have it on the extSD. I do the clean flash of the ROM and if required Magisk, and boot into system. I copy .nanomod-setup to /data, boot back into TWRP and flash my NanoMod-modules.

Mine e.g. looks like this:

nanomod.play=1
nanomod.reinstall=1
nanomod.mapsv1=1
nanomod.overlay=0

EDIT (2017-06-22): A few more details regarding the .nanomod-setup file are available in this post.

EDIT (2017-09-17): In case of "NLP issue", missing the bottom two tickmarks in the microG settings self-test or the unability to get a location from GSM cells/WiFi please check also post #48.

EDIT (2017-10-31): With the current version (v14.x) of Nanomod, installation is now even more easy. A setup-wizard to create the desired .nanomod-setup file is now available; it simply has to be flashed before any other Nanomod-zip is flashed. The new patcher can now be flashed immediately after flashing of the full module, the microG-module and/or the F-Droid-module; the patcher doesn't require a reboot into system anymore after the flash of the other modules. If Nanomod recognises Magisk Nanomod automatically gets installed as Magisk module unless you "tell" the setup-wizard differently.