# [COMPLETE GUIDE] decompiling, theming, and recompiling JB SystemUI.apk [Jelly Bean]



## powerpoint45

If you are not having problems compiling SystemUI.apk with no problems then this is not for you

WARNING:
You should not attempt to do this on a device that does not have a recovery, because if something goes wrong you may have to reinstall your rom (not very likely though). You should probably back up SystemUI.apk You should also have some experience modding and some experience using Apktool and Linux.

INTRO: 
If your having problems modding SystemUI.apk on JB then this thread is just for you. I recently found out how to mod the Jelly Bean SystemUI. Jelly Bean has made it very difficult to mod. Yes it is still easy to replace images, but if you want to do some major changes to the UI such as a 100 percent battery mod or changing the status bar color then you will need to know exactly how to do it. For example, if you get the UI decompiled without errors and you recompile it without errors YOUR RECOMPILED SystemUI.apk WILL NOT WORK and your status bar will disappear etc... There is a special way to get everything working and I will show you how.

STEP 1:
LINUX>>
Before we start I recommend that you have File Roller: one of the most popular archive managers for Linux (Ubuntu comes with it). If your distribution uses a Debian package manager (most popular ones do) then all you have to do is go into the terminal and type: 


Code:


sudo apt-get install file-roller

Now you will have File Roller. You also will need java installed. Check if you have java by typing:


Code:


java

in the terminal. If you dont have java and your using a Debian package manager then type:


Code:


sudo apt-get install openjdk-6-jre

or download from the java website and install it.
WINDOWS>>
Before we start, you will need 7zip and java. Just search and you will find the programs to install

STEP 2:
Now we will install APKTOOL. You may already have it installed BUT your version will probably not work. I have ran around the internet for a modified apktool that wont give you errors (If you follow my directions). I came across a great thread. check it out and download all the tools their (dont forget aapt) http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1755243. If you are in Linux rename the jar file to apktool.jar and move the the jar plus aapt to /usr/local/bin. You will need root. If you are in Windows rename the jar to apktool.jar and move it and aapt to your WINDOWS directory. You also need zipalign http://powerpoint45.webs.com/android/zipalign(I think this one is only for linux so if ur on windows either test this one or get zipalign from android sdk)move it to your WINDOWS dir/bin dir. You need one more thing. It is from the apktool websitehttp://code.google.com/p/android-apktool/. According to your os download either apktool-install-linux-r04-brut1.tar.bz2 or apktool-install-windows-r04-brut1.tar.bz2. Extract the contents. You only need one file from the archive. In linux move apktool (not apktool.jar) to /usr/local/bin. In Windows move apktool.bat to your WINDOWS directory. Dont jump ahead and say "Now that I got apktool set up, I know what to do", because it gets a lot more difficult than you are used to using apktool.

STEP 3:
Now that you have apktool set up, you need to know how to mod SystemUI.apk. Get SystemUI.apk from /system/app within your device onto the computer. Now make a backup of SystemUI.apk on your computer because we will NEED it later. So you need two SystemUI.apk files on your computer. You could name one "backup" if you'd like. So now now we need to decompile the apk. Go into the terminal/cmd and cd/chdir into the directory you have SystemUI.apk. Now type 


Code:


apktool if SystemUI.apk

It will then install frameworkneeded.Then type:


Code:


apktool d SystemUI.apk

It will decompile the apk. It will take a bit of time for it to fully decompile. The decompiled code will be in a folder in your current directory called SystemUI. If It had errors decompiling, (IT WILL FOR MOST NEXTUS 7 ROMS) you will need to install framework manually. Download framework here:http://db.tt/Rpc6zskQ and place the two APK files into apktool framework folder (replace the old framework files). In Linux it is located at /home/yourusername/apktool/framework and in windows it is something like C:\\Documents And Settings\yourusername\apktool\framework. After that delete the SystemUI folder that was made by the bad decompiling proccess and repeat the decompile command.

STEP 4:
This is the part where you start modding. You can make many customizations to the UI this way as you probably know. I will just show you how to make a 100 percent battery mod. You need to go into the decompile folder (SystemUI) using a file manager, Then from SystemUI, go delete res/drawable/stat_sys_battery.xml and replace it with http://powerpoint45.webs.com/android/stat_sys_battery.xml (to download that file right click on link and click something like "save link as"). Now you need to move to a new directory: /res. In that folder you need to look through all the directories that start with the word drawable. For example drawable-mdpi. There is one directory that your device uses for images but you may not know which one. Your device might be MDPI but use drawable-sw600dp from the UI instead of drawable-mdpi. So if you dont know or you want to be safe then search through the drawable folders and if their are any battery icons then remember you will need to add 100 battery icons to each one of the folders with battery icons. The battery icons are the ones named something like stat_sys_battery_0.png. So if you need to add 100 icons they need to be named in numerical order from stat_sys_battery_0.png to stat_sys_battery_100.png. Dont worry though, you wont need to rename 100 icons. Their ar many battery mods online that you can get them from, but I have some images you can download: http://powerpoint45.webs.com/android/BATTERY_BLUE.tar.gz. Download it, extract it and copy all the images into all the drawable folders that contain battery icons. Now your ready for compiling; The step that is different than how we have always done it before Jelly Bean existed. keep in mind that some images can not be changed or edited at all durring this step because it will result with many errors durring compiling. You would have to add images to the archive after its compiled

STEP 5:
Like I said at the end of step 4, this step will be different than you have seen before. This is also the step where you will be using File Roller/7zip. To build the apk make sure you are in the terminal in the directory where SystemUI exists and type:


Code:


apktool b SystemUI almostdone.apk

almostdone.apk is the output file. Once it is done building you need to open the backup apk you made at the beginning with File Roller /7zip. Also open almostdone.apk with File Roller/7zip.* From inside the almostdone.apk drag resources.arsc and classes.dex to the root of backup.apk *and it will replace resources.arsc that is in the apk. You are almost done. From inside almostdone.apk drag the res folder into the backup apk(file roller sometimes has problems moving a whole folder so make sure that the size is updated and the edited images are moved). Now all you need to do is zipalign the apk. Lets say your backup apk is named backup.apk. Go into the terminal at the directory you are working
in and type


Code:


zipalign -v 4 backup.apk done.apk

This will optimize the apk. The output is done.apk.

STEP6:
Now you install the apk. Transfer done.apk to your device and rename it to SystemUI.apk. Now use a root browser or terminal app to replace the other SystemUI.apk on your system at /system/app. And make sure you give it the same permissions as all the other apk's in the system/app directory. Then reboot. Or you could make a flashable zip to install it.


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## Gunthermic

Wow. Nice write up. Except I have been decompiling and recompiling jb systemui with no issues at all. Not needing to drag out classes etc to maintain the org signature etc. I zipalign and have no issues. No fc's or such...

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Xparent Blue Tapatalk 2


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## powerpoint45

Ok, well lots of jb roms have compile issues and fc issues.thanks.


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## jellybellys

...or just build from source.


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## powerpoint45

True lol


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## pals0007

Thanks for this

Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Xparent Blue Tapatalk 2


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## powerpoint45

pals0007 said:


> Thanks for this
> 
> Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Xparent Blue Tapatalk 2


No problem


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## trter10

I LOVE YOU NO ****     
THANK YOU SO MUCH I WAS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO STUMPED


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## Phaze08

Ive been having some issues decompiling.....Whether I use apkmanager, apktool or a modified apktool that has all the systemui.apk's downloaded for you, I get the same error on decompiling. I build themes from source but I have to have something else to decompile as far as I know. Here's the errors....same errors no matter which tool I use....Any know? I use Linux.

I: Loading resource table...
I: Loaded.
I: Decoding AndroidManifest.xml with resources...
I: Loading resource table from file: /home/cody/apktool/framework/1.apk
I: Loaded.
I: Decoding file-resources...
I: Decoding values */* XMLs...
Exception in thread "main" brut.androlib.err.UndefinedResObject: resource spec: 0x010301e9
at brut.androlib.res.data.ResPackage.getResSpec(ResPackage.java:61)
at brut.androlib.res.data.ResTable.getResSpec(ResTable.java:57)
at brut.androlib.res.data.ResTable.getResSpec(ResTable.java:53)
at brut.androlib.res.data.value.ResReferenceValue.getReferent(ResReferenceValue.java:62)
at brut.androlib.res.data.value.ResReferenceValue.encodeAsResXml(ResReferenceValue.java:46)
at brut.androlib.res.data.value.ResScalarValue.encodeAsResXmlAttr(ResScalarValue.java:44)
at brut.androlib.res.data.value.ResStyleValue.serializeToResValuesXml(ResStyleValue.java:48)
at brut.androlib.res.AndrolibResources.generateValuesFile(AndrolibResources.java:342)
at brut.androlib.res.AndrolibResources.decode(AndrolibResources.java:174)
at brut.androlib.Androlib.decodeResourcesFull(Androlib.java:119)
at brut.androlib.ApkDecoder.decode(ApkDecoder.java:99)
at brut.apktool.Main.cmdDecode(Main.java:135)
at brut.apktool.Main.main(Main.java:70)


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