Hunting down the Unicorn: APK signing

[johnny quest]

Ok, I've been on soo many websites and threads and I still can't find a way to change my apk file after remodifying it and trying to put back to my SD on my phone. It seems like its like a Unicorn, people say its out there and its possible, but I just haven't found it. Its like some big secret and nobody wants to give up that info.
Its so simple to change a apk to zip, but why is it so hard to change it back from zip to apk? I got a 58 page thread on this and still can't seem to get it right (java script not found, abd not found.....etc...) Is there an easy way to do this.
I've modded a theme and would like to install it back to my phone. How?

 

[Coolsaber57]

Ok, I've been on soo many websites and threads and I still can't find a way to change my apk file after remodifying it and trying to put back to my SD on my phone. It seems like its like a Unicorn, people say its out there and its possible, but I just haven't found it. Its like some big secret and nobody wants to give up that info.
Its so simple to change a apk to zip, but why is it so hard to change it back from zip to apk? I got a 58 page thread on this and still can't seem to get it right (java script not found, abd not found.....etc...) Is there an easy way to do this.
I've modded a theme and would like to install it back to my phone. How?

When you mod a theme, you don't really need to change it to .zip. The easiest way to do it is to open the .apk with 7zip, copy whatever images you want to modify to your computer, modify the images, then open the .apk with 7zip again and drag your newly modified images over into the correct folder.

If you're talking about modifying .xml files, well that's a different story. If you need to do that, look into APK Manager. You will have to use it to decode the .apk, then modify whatever, then use the program to recode and re-sign the .apk.

 

[johnny quest]

I tried what you said but it whenever I try to install it from my sd through Linda Manager it says " (whichever app)...not installed"

 

[johnny quest]

I'm using AvaboxV2 for signing my zip to apk and I keep getting this message "java.io.filenofoundexception" what does this mean? I have Java in my computer so why is it saying this? My friend did it on his computer and it worked. He's running XP I'm running W7 does that matter?

 

[Coolsaber57]

Are you modifying a market app or system app?

 

[johnny quest]

Are you modifying a market app or system app?

I believe its a market app. I unzipped a ADW theme and modifying it and would like to make it available to install on my Eris. I just don't know why its so complicated.

 

[ecsnead69]

Install APK manager from xda site. Its the BEST way to mod data and system apps... you will have to do some reading but after you learn how to use it, you will never use anything else!!