GravityBox - all-in-one tweak box - Xposed module for devices running AOSP 4.4
Version 2.8.1 [KitKat]
READ THIS POST CAREFULLY BEFORE PROCEEDING ANY FURTHER
Hey!
After countless hours of coding and searching for proper entry points to inject code to incorporate fixes and mods, here it is:
GravityBox - a complex Xposed module targeted for devices running Android 4.4, which turns vanilla ROM into
feature-packed "non-flashing" custom ROM.
Originally, this module was designed for MTK6589 devices which lack custom ROMs built from source due to MediaTek closed-source policy.
Later on, it was adjusted to support other (non-MTK) devices running vanilla or close-to-vanilla AOSP ROMs.
Introduction
The app utilizes amazing Xposed framework coded by recognized
It provides interface for injecting code into any app, including system services allowing modifications of applications and system services at run-time. One of the biggest advantages of GravityBox is that it is not bound to any specific device. Actually, it should run on any device having vanilla Android 4.4 (ROM close enough to AOSP).
Feature highlight
--- CyanogenMod Pie controls
--- Expanded Desktop
--- Statusbar QuickSettings tile management with tile reordering
--- Lockscreen targets
--- Statusbar icon coloring
--- Statusbar Brightness Control
--- Statusbar icon colors
--- Additional QuickSettings tiles:
------- Sync on/off, WiFi AP on/off, GravityBox shortcut, Torch, Network mode (2G/3G/2G+3G switch), Sleep, QuickRecord,
QuickApp, GPS on/off, Ringer mode, Volume tile
--- Quick pulldown - switches to QuickSettings when status bar is pulled down near edges
--- Auto-switch to QuickSettings when there are no notifications
--- Center clock in statusbar
--- Battery indicator style
--- Navigation bar tweaks
--- Low battery warning policy
--- Disable LED flashing when battery low
--- Disable LED while charging
--- Advanced power-off menu (reboot, recovery)
--- Volume key cursor control
--- Skip tracks by volume key long-press while screen off (thanks to rovo89)
--- More volume levels for music stream
--- Option to control safe headset media volume
--- Button for clearing all recent tasks at once
--- CRT screen off animation
--- Minimal brightness setting
--- Autobrihtness levels adjustment
--- Lockscreen tweaks - show widgets maximized, lockscreen background style (color fill, custom image)
--- Lockscreen rotation
--- Hardware key actions - menu long-press/double-tap, back long-press, home long-press
--- Dithered Holo background
--- Option to use solid black Holo background
--- Expandable volume panel
--- Option to unlink ringtone and notifications volumes
--- Notification drawer style (background color, image for portait/landscape, transparency)
--- Button backlight modes (default, disabled, always on while screen is on)
... more to come
Compatibility
Some words about GB's main concept. One thing I didn't like about xposed modules was that it was always necessary to reboot a device after making a change to some option. Since GB's main concept was to turn MTK devices running stock ROM into something that's close enough to a feature-packed custom ROM, I had to take a decision - for it to be as much comfortable as possible and to really behave like a custom ROM, I had to design it to support most of the preference changes to be done on the fly without needing to reboot a device. While this sounds nice, it also brings couple of "drawbacks". For changes to be made on the fly, it is necessary to make some preparations when device starts. This means, even if you don't use the particular feature, the necessary preparation/modification is already there and is waiting for the user to come and change that option.
This means it is not possible to "completely deactivate" particular feature if it causes trouble on your device or if you installed GB because you want to use only one particular feature you can't find elsewhere.
This results in issues on ROMs/devices that have parts that are diverting from default Android implementation too much, or are running heavily modified custom ROMs.
If you experience weird issues after installing GB, even if you didn't activate a particular feature, it is not because of GB is broken, it is because it is not compatible with your ROM. It is very similar as if you installed ROM built from source for Nexus to some Xperia device - it won't work.
Next thing, GB is a complex module and is not suitable for 1 purpose scenario. This means, if you are running custom ROM built from source (CM, PAC, ...), and you are missing a certain feature, your best option is to go ask creators of those ROMs to implement those additional features. Supplementing missing features on well-known custom ROMs built from source by installing xposed modules (especially complex ones) is definitely not a good way to go and can cause more trouble than good.
And finally, the last. GB being a complex module, it shouldn't be combined with other complex modules often racing for the same goal. They can conflict/fight on the same playground and there's no way you can deterministically say which one's going to win.
They can even lose both.
So in summary:
- this module is designed to run on vanilla or close-to-vanilla Android 4.4 (AOSP)
- supports "Google devices" like Nexus, HTC One Google play edition, and others running vanilla Android 4.4
- Samsung Touchwiz, HTC Sense, MIUI, LeWa, etc. are NOT supported. It is not guaranteed this module will work on these at all so try at your own risk. This module is simply too complex to support all kind of ROM brands that were vastly modified by vendors.
- DO NOT USE WITH CUSTOM ROMS LIKE CM,AOSPA,ROOTBOX,AOKP,SLIM, OMNI AND THEIR OTHER CLONES... IT MAKES NO SENSE AND CAN CAUSE CONFLICTS AND UNEXPECTED BEHAVIOUR
- I will not implement any exceptions that will adapt this module to a specific custom ROM. Please, do understand, it is unmanageable.
- I will not provide any support for devices violating these compatibility rules
Prerequisites
To use this module, the following conditions must be met
- You have a device running Android 4.4 that's based on AOSP (vanilla or close-to-vanilla Android)
- ROM must be rooted (XposedInstaller requires root to be able to install framework into system)
- You have working custom recovery allowing you to make a backup before installing Xposed framework
GravityBox KitKat version has been developed and tested on Nexus 5
Installation
1) Backup your current ROM in custom recovery. I am serious. Don't skip this step.
2) Get the Xposed installer from Download section from Xposed official thread (the latest version is typically available at this link: http://sh.st/u4MY)
3) Install and run Xposed installer and follow the instructions to activate Xposed framework
4) Reboot. If device doesn't boot that means that the Xposed framework is not compatible with ROM you are currently
running. You don't need to continue with the next steps. You will have to restore your ROM from backup.
5) Download, GravityBox.apk attached at the end of this post, rename it to GravityBox.apk and install it
6) Make sure GravityBox app is installed to internal memory. If it was installed to phone storage or external storage,
move it to the internal memory, first
7) Run Xposed installer, go to Modules menu and activate GravityBox by checking the checkbox
8) Reboot
9) Launch GravityBox from app drawer or from Xposed installer and set options as desired
Version 2.8.1 [KitKat]
READ THIS POST CAREFULLY BEFORE PROCEEDING ANY FURTHER
Hey!
After countless hours of coding and searching for proper entry points to inject code to incorporate fixes and mods, here it is:
GravityBox - a complex Xposed module targeted for devices running Android 4.4, which turns vanilla ROM into
feature-packed "non-flashing" custom ROM.
Originally, this module was designed for MTK6589 devices which lack custom ROMs built from source due to MediaTek closed-source policy.
Later on, it was adjusted to support other (non-MTK) devices running vanilla or close-to-vanilla AOSP ROMs.
Introduction
The app utilizes amazing Xposed framework coded by recognized
It provides interface for injecting code into any app, including system services allowing modifications of applications and system services at run-time. One of the biggest advantages of GravityBox is that it is not bound to any specific device. Actually, it should run on any device having vanilla Android 4.4 (ROM close enough to AOSP).
Feature highlight
--- CyanogenMod Pie controls
--- Expanded Desktop
--- Statusbar QuickSettings tile management with tile reordering
--- Lockscreen targets
--- Statusbar icon coloring
--- Statusbar Brightness Control
--- Statusbar icon colors
--- Additional QuickSettings tiles:
------- Sync on/off, WiFi AP on/off, GravityBox shortcut, Torch, Network mode (2G/3G/2G+3G switch), Sleep, QuickRecord,
QuickApp, GPS on/off, Ringer mode, Volume tile
--- Quick pulldown - switches to QuickSettings when status bar is pulled down near edges
--- Auto-switch to QuickSettings when there are no notifications
--- Center clock in statusbar
--- Battery indicator style
--- Navigation bar tweaks
--- Low battery warning policy
--- Disable LED flashing when battery low
--- Disable LED while charging
--- Advanced power-off menu (reboot, recovery)
--- Volume key cursor control
--- Skip tracks by volume key long-press while screen off (thanks to rovo89)
--- More volume levels for music stream
--- Option to control safe headset media volume
--- Button for clearing all recent tasks at once
--- CRT screen off animation
--- Minimal brightness setting
--- Autobrihtness levels adjustment
--- Lockscreen tweaks - show widgets maximized, lockscreen background style (color fill, custom image)
--- Lockscreen rotation
--- Hardware key actions - menu long-press/double-tap, back long-press, home long-press
--- Dithered Holo background
--- Option to use solid black Holo background
--- Expandable volume panel
--- Option to unlink ringtone and notifications volumes
--- Notification drawer style (background color, image for portait/landscape, transparency)
--- Button backlight modes (default, disabled, always on while screen is on)
... more to come
Compatibility
Some words about GB's main concept. One thing I didn't like about xposed modules was that it was always necessary to reboot a device after making a change to some option. Since GB's main concept was to turn MTK devices running stock ROM into something that's close enough to a feature-packed custom ROM, I had to take a decision - for it to be as much comfortable as possible and to really behave like a custom ROM, I had to design it to support most of the preference changes to be done on the fly without needing to reboot a device. While this sounds nice, it also brings couple of "drawbacks". For changes to be made on the fly, it is necessary to make some preparations when device starts. This means, even if you don't use the particular feature, the necessary preparation/modification is already there and is waiting for the user to come and change that option.
This means it is not possible to "completely deactivate" particular feature if it causes trouble on your device or if you installed GB because you want to use only one particular feature you can't find elsewhere.
This results in issues on ROMs/devices that have parts that are diverting from default Android implementation too much, or are running heavily modified custom ROMs.
If you experience weird issues after installing GB, even if you didn't activate a particular feature, it is not because of GB is broken, it is because it is not compatible with your ROM. It is very similar as if you installed ROM built from source for Nexus to some Xperia device - it won't work.
Next thing, GB is a complex module and is not suitable for 1 purpose scenario. This means, if you are running custom ROM built from source (CM, PAC, ...), and you are missing a certain feature, your best option is to go ask creators of those ROMs to implement those additional features. Supplementing missing features on well-known custom ROMs built from source by installing xposed modules (especially complex ones) is definitely not a good way to go and can cause more trouble than good.
And finally, the last. GB being a complex module, it shouldn't be combined with other complex modules often racing for the same goal. They can conflict/fight on the same playground and there's no way you can deterministically say which one's going to win.
They can even lose both.
So in summary:
- this module is designed to run on vanilla or close-to-vanilla Android 4.4 (AOSP)
- supports "Google devices" like Nexus, HTC One Google play edition, and others running vanilla Android 4.4
- Samsung Touchwiz, HTC Sense, MIUI, LeWa, etc. are NOT supported. It is not guaranteed this module will work on these at all so try at your own risk. This module is simply too complex to support all kind of ROM brands that were vastly modified by vendors.
- DO NOT USE WITH CUSTOM ROMS LIKE CM,AOSPA,ROOTBOX,AOKP,SLIM, OMNI AND THEIR OTHER CLONES... IT MAKES NO SENSE AND CAN CAUSE CONFLICTS AND UNEXPECTED BEHAVIOUR
- I will not implement any exceptions that will adapt this module to a specific custom ROM. Please, do understand, it is unmanageable.
- I will not provide any support for devices violating these compatibility rules
Prerequisites
To use this module, the following conditions must be met
- You have a device running Android 4.4 that's based on AOSP (vanilla or close-to-vanilla Android)
- ROM must be rooted (XposedInstaller requires root to be able to install framework into system)
- You have working custom recovery allowing you to make a backup before installing Xposed framework
GravityBox KitKat version has been developed and tested on Nexus 5
Installation
1) Backup your current ROM in custom recovery. I am serious. Don't skip this step.
2) Get the Xposed installer from Download section from Xposed official thread (the latest version is typically available at this link: http://sh.st/u4MY)
3) Install and run Xposed installer and follow the instructions to activate Xposed framework
4) Reboot. If device doesn't boot that means that the Xposed framework is not compatible with ROM you are currently
running. You don't need to continue with the next steps. You will have to restore your ROM from backup.
5) Download, GravityBox.apk attached at the end of this post, rename it to GravityBox.apk and install it
6) Make sure GravityBox app is installed to internal memory. If it was installed to phone storage or external storage,
move it to the internal memory, first
7) Run Xposed installer, go to Modules menu and activate GravityBox by checking the checkbox
8) Reboot
9) Launch GravityBox from app drawer or from Xposed installer and set options as desired
