If anyone could point me to some information or guide about this I’d really appreciate that.
I think the official com.android.gsm and friends need to be uninstalled first. I’ve tried that with adb, console reports “success”, Google Play Services is no longer listed in Settings > Apps.
But… if I try to install MicroG via Fdroid or Droid-ify it goes through the install process, there’s no error, but MicroG Core is not shown as “installed”. If I try to install the apk with adb it says the currently installed version is newer than the one I’m trying to install?
microg.org seems to just assume you know how to install.
I read something about signature spoofing but I thought that was only for older devices.
Any insights / suggestions will be greatly appreciated.
Edit: I think this is the answer: https://xdaforums.com/t/guide-degoogle-any-device-and-install-microg.4058743/
When a ROM is compiled, the compiler follows the build file, which means it’ll build in dependencies related to the files bing compiled. So simply remove/replace has a high risk of not working, since dependencies are unique to each file/component.
There’s not really anything special here. This is how any software is built. Components have published APIs with which they interact with other components. The whole point of microG is that it emulates the same api as com.google.android.gms. I’m not expecting a 100% flawless implementation.
This is a bit messy - rooting is done to a running OS, and unrelated to flashing a stock ROM. Stock Roms, as far as I’ve seen typically have Google Services baked in. Just clarifying.
This just isn’t true, at least not in my case. I obtained a stock android ROM from samsung’s update server using bifrost. I then patched that ROM using Magisk and only then flashed it. So it’s patch then flash.
Running without Google Services makes a fast phone and a battery that lasts noticeably longer. You could try simply freezing the Google Services files with something like 3C Toolbox (once rooted, of course). I think 3C can actually uninstall the files, but that’s a good path to boot loop (ask me how I know 😁 ).
Even just freezing the files will often cause repetitive error notifications.
This doesn’t really seem sensible? Of course just freezing google services will cause errors. MicroG is designed to emulate google services and mitigate those errors.
This is exactly how rooting is done. “Root” is granting write access to the root directory of a running OS. It is utterly unrelated to flashing.
You may flash something to gain root access, or flash a pre-rooted image, but root is still a function of a running OS, it’s logically other same as Administrator rights in Windows.
As for how GServices being intricately tied into a compiled ROM, believe what you want - rip out the GServices files with 3C Toolbox, and you’ll find out exactly how tightly bound they are to the image. I’d be surprised if it doesn’t boot loop (I’ve done this myself, even simply freezing them can boot loop a device).
Because… Integrated dependencies. Android isn’t just “some other piece of software”, it’s an OS, like Linux and Windows (to be accurate, it’s a Linux Kernel with Android as both the API layer and shell). When Google-less Roms are compiled, they do so with none of the Google services dependences. Even those Roms, if you flash something like MicroG, if you then delete those files, you get a boot loop because it’s added those dependencies to the ROM.
Ask the folks at Lineage or DivestOS.
