How to make my app become system app?

Question

I want to make my app become system app programmatically. I managed to do it in my phone with root and busybox. any idea how achieve this without busybox?

Runtime.getRuntime().exec(new String[] { "su", "-c", "mount -o rw,remount -t yaffs2 /system; " +
                "cp `ls /data/app/xxx*` /system/app; " +
                "rm /data/app/xxx*; " +
                "mount -o ro,remount -t yaffs2 /system; " +
                "reboot" });

Beside this, I also faced another issue. If i switch back my app from system app > user app and reboot. Android system still recognize my app as system app even though the app already reside in /data/app.

I use code below to check whether my app is system app:

android.content.pm.ApplicationInfo.FLAG_SYSTEM

I think you can use the `cat` command without busybox. And i think it does the same as cp — Reed, Jan 06 '12 at 05:12
noticed that, what about "rm". is this busybox command or it come with default android? — Jason, Jan 06 '12 at 06:24
I think `rm` is busybox, but I'm not sure. You could use the adb shell on an emulator to find out. — Reed, Jan 06 '12 at 10:15

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Apr 30 '13 at 06:07

Refer the below code to move user app apk into system app apk in rooting device with the help of RootTools method .

    PackageInfo paramPackageInfo = null;
        try {
            paramPackageInfo = this.getPackageManager().getPackageInfo(
                    this.getPackageName(), 0);
        } catch (NameNotFoundException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }

        ApplicationInfo localApplicationInfo = paramPackageInfo.applicationInfo;

String str1 = "/system/app/" + localApplicationInfo.packageName
                + ".apk";
        String str2 = "busybox mv " + localApplicationInfo.sourceDir + " "
                + str1;

        RootTools.remount("/system", "rw");
        RootTools.remount("/mnt", "rw");

        CommandCapture command = new CommandCapture(0, str2,
                "busybox chmod 644 " + str1);

        try {
            RootTools.getShell(true).add(command).waitForFinish();
        } catch (InterruptedException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        } catch (IOException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        } catch (TimeoutException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        } catch (RootDeniedException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }

        RootTools.remount("/system", "ro");
        RootTools.remount("/mnt", "ro");

Necessary of Busybox and superuser app while use the above code in your application.

It's unlikely that your app will become a system app by just doing the above. You also need to adjust the AndroidManifest, to give the app the right UID. Then the correct SELinux context. In addition , new KK and L are probably using a different path for system apps... — not2qubit, Feb 12 '15 at 17:44

How to make my app become system app?

1 Answers1