Root Can I Remove Swype from the 2.3 ROM to try the Beta?

[scudder]

Heard that there is a new beta out for Swype (3.0) that I wanted to try but I'm on the new 2.3 Gingerbread ROM that comes with Swype pre-installed. Can I just uninstall the Swype apk (after a nandroid backup, of course) and then attempt to try the beta (worse comes to worse, reverting to my backup)??

I read in another post about removing Swype from the ROM that the following files should be removed:

/system/app/Swype.apk
/system/lib/libSwypeCore.so (if applicable)

Or is it as simple as uninstalling the apk via Titanium, as one would any other app??

THANKS!

 

[scudder]

Just did some reading and reviews of the new Swype beta. Some comments about some lag/delay and not being as fast as previous versions. And this beta also seems to be geared toward use on tablet:

Swype 3.0 beta Android keyboard adds support for tablets

Swype 3.0 for Android 3.0 Honeycomb BETA Review - SlashGear

In any case, for "edjumacation purposes" I'd still like to know the process for removing Swype that is built in to the 2.3 ROM

 

[ocnbrze]

well you can just freeze it or uninstall it in titanium backup.

 

[scudder]

well you can just freeze it or uninstall it in titanium backup.

I figured that was the case. Although I've uninstalled some system apps before, for some reason, I thought it might be inextricably intertwined with the ROM....? As I'm typing my thoughts out, I don't quite know why I thought that!

Do you think that merely freezing the app would allow me to use the Swype beta installer to download and install the beta?? I'll probably just backup and go ahead and try it a bit later but was wondering if a total uninstall of the apk might be better in this circumstance...??

 

[ocnbrze]

yep, the nice thing about freezing is that you can just unfreeze it if you have issues.

 

[novox77]

It's tied to the ROM in the sense that it's a system app and you can't uninstall it from the Android UI. But that's why you're rooted

Uninstalling an app is as simple as removing the apk or changing the extension to something else. I prefer renaming so I can put it back in case i need it...

A previous post specified the apk and library file you need to remove/rename. Once you do that, the app is as good as gone (if only uninstalling apps on Windows were that clean and easy!).

I suppose Titanium's freeze is doing the same thing in the background.... I just always prefer the fully manual way. Either way is fine.

 

[scudder]

A previous post specified the apk and library file you need to remove/rename. Once you do that, the app is as good as gone (if only uninstalling apps on Windows were that clean and easy!).

There is something for Windows that does that nice and clean and easy...it's called a MAC!!

 

[surfologist87]

there is something for windows that does that nice and clean and easy...it's called a mac!! :d



 

[scudder]

So , I went the route (root!!? HA!! ) of UNinstalling via Titanium rather than freezing. Did not even have to trouble myself with manually fussing with the /system/app/Swype.apk and /system/lib/libSwypeCore.so files...just the simply uninstall option in Titanium. Installed the Swype beta installer and then installed the Swype beta (version 3.5.xxxx)...so far working great! Some things different, some things the same with Swype...still seeing if I like it better than the 2.5.xxxx version I had...

 

[surfologist87]

So , I went the route (root!!? HA!! ) of UNinstalling via Titanium rather than freezing. Did not even have to trouble myself with manually fussing with the /system/app/Swype.apk and /system/lib/libSwypeCore.so files...just the simply uninstall option in Titanium. Installed the Swype beta installer and then installed the Swype beta (version 3.5.xxxx)...so far working great! Some things different, some things the same with Swype...still seeing if I like it better than the 2.5.xxxx version I had...

Let me know how you like it and if you think it is worth it. I stopped using swype after months of using it and im back on the gingerbread keyboard. I love swype, but have been getting fed up with a few things lately so i wanted to take a break and text normal

Also im trying to get used to typing again because i think there is no possible way to get swype on iOS haha

 

[scudder]

Let me know how you like it and if you think it is worth it. I stopped using swype after months of using it and im back on the gingerbread keyboard. I love swype, but have been getting fed up with a few things lately so i wanted to take a break and text normal

Also im trying to get used to typing again because i think there is no possible way to get swype on iOS haha

Preliminarily (I've only been playing a couple hours, here and there) it seems a we bit more accurate for me. I was having issues with VARIOUS words that were like 75/25 WRONG for me. For example, "or" was always, always either "our" or WEIRD crap like "outre"...?? That is even when I swype AROUND in a down-and-back-up loop to miss some letters. Now, "or" works for me! Also, "before" was always, always "brite" for me...that is better too!

The word choice window was conflicting with Gingerbread's new select-text pop as a problem CONFIRMED by Swype admins themselves (see my post http://androidforums.com/evo-4g-all...onflict-2-3-gingerbread-copy-paste-popup.html ) but now there is NO "word choice window." Instead there is a HORIZONTAL list of words like many other 3rd party keyboard options. Couple other things regarding capitalization seem helpful as well as how to add and remove words from the custom dictionary. But NO, STILL NO WAY to edit the "stock" Swype dictionary!!

I have some seen some comments that this latest version is "slow" but that observation depends upon how you use Swype. If you are WAITING to SEE the suggested words in what was the "word choice" window and what is now the horizontal list of words, there IS a delay for the suggested words to propagate. However, for me, if you pretty much swype without caring and just do it...which is actually the way that is suggeested by Swype itself...and then worry about any corrections at the end of your text, then the perceived "delay" waiting to see the word choices is a non-issue. But that's my use experience and opinion...

Worth a try again...especially if you have been away from it for awhile. At the moment, I'm NOT downgrading to the 2.5 Swype version.

 

[scudder]

So , I went the route (root!!? HA!! ) of UNinstalling via Titanium rather than freezing. Did not even have to trouble myself with manually fussing with the /system/app/Swype.apk and /system/lib/libSwypeCore.so files...just the simply uninstall option in Titanium.

Well I THOUGHT I could get away with the "simple uninstall" with Titanium but I'm getting force closes. It appears I have to remove this file:

system/lib/libSwypeCore.so

Can someone tell me how I can change permissions to do so? I can't get access to move or delete at the moment.

THANKS!

 

[evomattnc]

do you have terminal emulator or root explorer or es file explorer?

 

[scudder]

do you have terminal emulator or root explorer or es file explorer?

Neither, none, nor! But I'm willing to try any or all...

I have a Mac in case you were going to suggest hooking up the phone to my computer via USB. I have looked around the root of the phone but even through my computer I have not had the permissions/access in the past. I think, however, it might be simplier with the one, single file to try to do so with my phone itself. I think I'm going to move file rather than totally trash it.

So what are my choices with the 3 options you mentioned above??

THANKS!

 

[evomattnc]

to be honest I did not read the entire thread. Anyhow to mount your system as read write so you can alter the /system partition you can use either of those 3 apps. Are you comfortable with cmd in linux?

Terminal is free and the command to mount is something like this
mount -o remount, rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock4 /system

then you can use a file explorer of any type to edit /system

to remount do the same line except replace rw with ro
mount -o remount, ro -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock4 /system

you can also remove the app from terminal/adb if you know the name of the app and run a
rm blahblah.apk

to be fair explorers can handle this and its safer to just rename to .bak...we can do that in terminal too if you care to know...

Root explorer is not free but you can click mount rw and its ready

ES file explorer is free and you can go to its setting and allow root access and mount system rw from there and its ready

 

[scudder]

to be honest I did not read the entire thread. Anyhow to mount your system as read write so you can alter the /system partition you can use either of those 3 apps. Are you comfortable with cmd in linux?

Terminal is free and the command to mount is something like this
mount -o remount, rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock4 /system

then you can use a file explorer of any type to edit /system

to remount do the same line except replace rw with ro
mount -o remount, ro -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock4 /system

you can also remove the app from terminal/adb if you know the name of the app and run a
rm blahblah.apk

to be fair explorers can handle this and its safer to just rename to .bak...we can do that in terminal too if you care to know...

Root explorer is not free but you can click mount rw and its ready

ES file explorer is free and you can go to its setting and allow root access and mount system rw from there and its ready

Thanks for the reply...

I'm not comfortable with terminal...not that I'm scared, I'm just unfamiliar. Would like to play around one day but need some time to immerse myself. I understand the process of inputting the commands to turn on/off the read/write permissions and can follow what you wrote above (I think!!) but will probably wimp/virgin out and try the root or ES file explorer way. Just wanna get root access to rw for a moment to deal with that one file and be done. ONE DAY, I'll get into some terminal command stuff.

THANKS!! Wish me luck...

 

[scudder]

to be honest I did not read the entire thread. Anyhow to mount your system as read write so you can alter the /system partition you can use either of those 3 apps. Are you comfortable with cmd in linux?

Terminal is free and the command to mount is something like this
mount -o remount, rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock4 /system

then you can use a file explorer of any type to edit /system

to remount do the same line except replace rw with ro
mount -o remount, ro -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock4 /system

you can also remove the app from terminal/adb if you know the name of the app and run a
rm blahblah.apk

to be fair explorers can handle this and its safer to just rename to .bak...we can do that in terminal too if you care to know...

Root explorer is not free but you can click mount rw and its ready

ES file explorer is free and you can go to its setting and allow root access and mount system rw from there and its ready

I'm back...had a problem...0 for 2 actually so I thought I'd stop and ask some questions...

I downloaded and tried ES file explorer first. In the settings, I went to "root options" then "Root Explorer" and then I attempted to select "Mount File System" to mount the files I want to access ( /data /system) as writable. I got a message that "mount failed"...didn't work.

I then downloaded the terminal app and entered the first command you wrote above. It "seemed" that the command was accepted, HOWEVER, neither the directory of the file I wanted access to was changed to rw....that didn't work either.

Any idea why I'm having trouble mounting my card as writable?? Do I have so so something with my phone BEFORE attempts to change the permission to writable?? I'd rather try some of the free options before trying Root Explorer for a fee...especially since I'm not quite sure why I cannot mount the directory and file writable with the other methods... And I am not familiar with terminal/adb is...don't know what "adb" is...

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!

 

[evomattnc]

are you rooted?

When you open TiB does it grant root access? do you have busybox installed?

 

[evomattnc]

if you enter su in terminal and hit enter does it return #?

sorry you should have granted terminal su before running the mount command, my bad

 

[scudder]

if you enter su in terminal and hit enter does it return #?

sorry you should have granted terminal su before running the mount command, my bad

Just tried it...I DO get "#"...popup came to allow SuperUser access...I allowed and got the #.

Now try the commands you suggested to make writable??

 

[evomattnc]

Just tried it...I DO get "#"...popup came to allow SuperUser access...I allowed and got the #.

Now try the commands you suggested to make writable??

correct sir!

su
mount -o blah blah blah

if it works it will just return #

 

[scudder]

correct sir!

su
mount -o blah blah blah

if it works it will just return #

Forgive my super, duper technical terminology but after I mount writable, then return to read only with your commands do I need to/how do I "un-SU" my terminal to return my phone back to the way it was?? Is there one final command to "get out" of that SU resulting in "#" that you had me do first??

-------------
EDIT: tried and didn't work!

So I tried the above with the SU and then the mount command...didn't work! Wasn't able to change the permissions. Still listed as -r- in the file explorer apps. I tried my copy of Free Advanced File Manager and could not get access to the file. ES File Explorer still gives me an error that I cannot mount through its program either.

Sorry I'm being a pain...probably something simple...but not working for me for some reason...??

By the way is "-o" "minus - OH" or "minus - ZERO"?? I used and "OH"

 

[evomattnc]

Does titanium get super user permissions when you open it?

 

[scudder]

Does titanium get super user permissions when you open it?

Yes it does...I get SU permissions for all root-accessing apps. But I must tell you now with all the time you have spent helping me that I tried option #3 out of 3 and installed Root Explorer. THAT app has allowed me to change permissions and do what I needed to do with the file in system/lib. ocnbrze reminded me of the fact that with ES File Explorer, root access and ability to mount /system as writable is ONLY for certain ROMS, and NOT mine. I never did get terminal working for some reason...looked like the commands were accepted but permissions never changed. Root Explorer did work though.

THAT BEING SAID, I'm having a NEW issue, now that I have removed the Swype apk and the /system/lib swype related "... .so" file with FORCE CLOSES. Since the title of the thread here that I created might not draw attention to my new problem, I'm going to post my problem separately now...

Thanks to all for your help...perhaps I'll see you "on the other side" with my new thread post!