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How to install custom android app icons?

asked 2020-05-31 19:53:52 +0200

chrisrg gravatar image

updated 2020-06-01 22:38:02 +0200

I'm new to Sailfish os and this forum and finding it a bit of a learning curve, but slowly finding my way around!

I installed a custom icon for telegram foss after following the instructions in this thread . After restarting the device the new icon had replaced the android icon but after another restart the icon reverted to the original android icon. I've gone through the process a few times now and get the same behaviour. At the moment the only point where I think I may have diverged from the instructions is instead of 'restarting home' simply restarting the device, as I don't know specifically how to restart 'home'.

Can anyone help with this? The device is XA2 running Rokua.

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Strange. I have the same behavior with my XA2 on 3.2.1.20.
I guess all XA2 and X10 with newer Android layer are affected.

Restarting home can be done via console (developer mode) and

devel-su systemctl restart lipstick

Or by installing Jolla utilities from the store.

peterleinchen ( 2020-05-31 21:36:32 +0200 )edit
1

systemctl --user restart lipstick

elvarr ( 2020-05-31 21:52:55 +0200 )edit
1

Oh yes, thanks.
Forgot the --user session...

Or 'a bit shorter' ;)

devel-su systemctl-user restart lipstick

I am so used to do this as root!
But elvarr's command can be executed also as nemo.

peterleinchen ( 2020-05-31 22:14:55 +0200 )edit

Nevertheless the question is why are the icons overwritten on the second restart of lipstick?

peterleinchen ( 2020-05-31 22:20:14 +0200 )edit

Thank you for the useful info; I'll check out the utilities app for sure and the commands will be added to my small vocabulary. ;)

chrisrg ( 2020-05-31 22:24:50 +0200 )edit

3 Answers

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answered 2020-06-01 22:29:31 +0200

updated 2020-06-01 22:37:02 +0200

To make the icon stay you need to get root, then copy over your new icon to /var/lib/apkd/...
and then do

chattr +i /var/lib/apkd/*my_desired_new_icon*.png
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Thanks for engaging with this. I understand your solution but at this stage of my experience with the OS I'm hesitant to get root. For now.The experiment will continue...

chrisrg ( 2020-06-02 21:24:12 +0200 )edit

Understood.
But how did you manage to start at all, then?
The icons are inside a directory where you can only change with roo rights!

peterleinchen ( 2020-06-02 22:16:03 +0200 )edit

I get confused with discussions about root: rooting your phone etc. I don't know android. Actually, I used to dislike it without understanding it at all. Sudo I can just about deal with but I've come unstuck enough times to know bad things can happen if you don't fully understand what you are asking when pressing enter! So ok, looks like devel-su is root then, in which case the change attributes command you generously suggested did not work on my device. Just checking, but I'm assuming the asterisks in your command are there simply to indicate the part that needs replacing with the actual .png title?

chrisrg ( 2020-06-02 22:36:52 +0200 )edit

Yes.
devel-su is similar as su on full Linux, getting superuser rights.

And yes, of course the asterix masked part should be replaced with the name of icon.
What do you mean it did not work on your device?

You may check the attributes of that file with

lsattr
peterleinchen ( 2020-06-02 22:57:45 +0200 )edit
1

It's worked now. I tried again a couple of times after realising I had root once in developer mode (thank you for your advice). But to explain: First retry I did as before, that is: copy over the new icon, check the app drawer to see if it's there (no it isn't), restart lipstick, check app dwr again (it's there), restart device again, old icon back.

So, second retry: copy over new icon and then immediately change attributes with your command, Then restart lipstick (it's there), so after that restart the device a couple of times...and it's still there.

Nice one!! Thanks.

chrisrg ( 2020-06-02 23:18:07 +0200 )edit
1

answered 2020-06-03 10:55:22 +0200

molan gravatar image

Not a direct answer to your question, but you could use UI Themer with this Android app theme I made a while ago. Several F-Droid store apps are included as well and optionally you can also use Sailfish icon shapes as a background for non-themed Android icons.

VaiDroid Theme: https://openrepos.net/content/molan/vaidroid-icon-theme

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1

+1 for enhanced Sailfishfy icons. I have totally missed background shape functionality. Description doesn't seem to mention that. I'll try your pack later.

mSorvisto ( 2020-06-03 11:11:53 +0200 )edit
0

answered 2020-06-02 09:25:47 +0200

mSorvisto gravatar image

I use UI Themer and Sailfishfy icons with android apps. Icon pack randomize native icon backgrouds to android icons. UI Themer can refresh icon on intervals and you can do your own icon pack if you wish.

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Good to know and I'll hang on to the information. Thanks! But I have to say that I had decided at an early stage not to use Openrepos. Trying to keep it simple.

chrisrg ( 2020-06-02 21:28:03 +0200 )edit

You limit yourself much not using openrepos, selective.

peterleinchen ( 2020-06-02 22:13:34 +0200 )edit
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Asked: 2020-05-31 19:53:52 +0200

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Last updated: Jun 03 '20