- Device
- LG Stylo
(tl;dr go to the large bold header to see my plan if the prologue gets long winded lol)
I'm about to start my most ambitious and probably craziest programming adventure yet, I'm actually scared I may not even finish it but want to at least see if theres as much interest in it as i think there will be. My question is primary to the modders, but its also to newbs especially interested in beginning/learning to mod. I will probably address this to a few forums but this is my first one that I decided to get active like this so I appreciate the opportunity to even address this. Input, ideas , or just telling me im nuts is appreciated lol
My background is in website design/administration, I've had a love for hacking into code since my early teens (36 now), and didn't really get into higher level languages for awhile, stuck to php/html/ etc, every once in awhile i'd get into a project using ajax/cURL and maybe a linux script or 2 every now and again. I mean I'd do some text based mods on old pc/dos games but so does everyone at some point I had my first taste of modding playing around with some flash chat script for my old site (my first ever decompile yay!), but really my first code orgasm was a modification to my old php/mysql chat client which after deciding it needed to be more integrated with not just my forum, but all the scripting function I built into my site. Working with some java servlets and some open source stuff I built my own instant messenger similar to yahoo messenger only for my members along with full integration of my important scripts on my site, and being it was a site to place sporting bets, online poker staking, and a small marketplace that was no small feat
Why am I even explaining all that? Mostly to say I bite off more then I can chew constantly, and want true opinion on my project im about to start, because I don't want to stop with a half done project, I see too many of those nowadays with this. So now my proposal....
My Idea
So here's the goal: I have just started in the brainstorming phase of an All in One true Android app and (v2 idea) ROM/kernel kitchen. The goal is to be able to have access to EVERY possible tool currently needed to modify those resources in one single product. The features would be:
Open source: Most important aspect to me of all. I plan on using and combining many open source libraries to build this product, and want the modder communities to be able to add/modify as they see fit. Even more so with google closing as much open source to their lines as they can, keeping these tools available and people interested in learning to mod excited to use an easy to start with tool, with all the horsepower for the advanced modders as well
Complete and up to date toolset: Every single product I've seen available has at least one if not both these issues: They have either important functions missing (disassemblers without edit function?!? wtf) or they are abandonware, great tools with old libraries that are not working as well as they should, mostly due to constant change in phone architecture (great example coming to my mind is Virtuous Ten Studio). Most are closed source with this problem so they died out (or open source with NO accessibility beyond command line leading to my next bullet...)
IDE with User/newb friendly GUI: Using a similar layout to Eclipse IDE (current idea atm) so all windows will be visible and have a usable workspace, with toast help messages (again long term planning there, decent documentation is secondary to having the whole toolset available).
Planned tools: I will be seeking out open source libraries for:
APK extraction: thru ADB or pulling the apk from apkpure or downloading from play ala apkfetch
APK decompression: Obv there
APK disassembly: Dex2jar, deodex, and baksmali, so files to arm (open source IDA substitute), NET unity dlls to il (dnspy), SWF decompiler for the odd flash files, OBB where available
Decrypting tools: need more input for this obv, but things like xor calculating, il2cpp, luac, etc
Editors: COMPLETE editors for hex and plaintext with full syntax highlighting in all languages, regex search replace functionality with tools to both help look up an opcode you are editing to help newbs understand the function, and instant (well as much as possible) compilers so you can write in java or c# and get the opcode translation to copy paste. Also XML editing for manifest, and newb quick functions like "remove ads/root checking/etc.
Asset editing/collecting: Allow apk unzipping without disassembly for image or sound editing for a quick drop back in without changing signature. Also full browsing of assets including unity assets in split files ala Unity Studio
Repacking apk: recompile the libraries, smali, zipalign, and sign apk while simultaniously making an unsigned apk prepatched ala Lucky Patcher license check workaround, saving a releasers time
File analysis: This could also be in planned tools but theres a couple specifics about this. Its for a couple of functions, A: Complete file reader to be able to examine hex code for crypto, and PE header reader/editor. I know thats controversial for a couple reasons but in general the tools available in a PE forensic tool like Detect it Easy are completely necessary imo, and short of making their own script no one is going to be 'repairing' those headers unless they know what they are doing manually making any controversy a moot point
Plug-in capability: This one (besides having all tools in one program) has got me the most pumped to do this. The plan I have is taking an idea from my old vbulletin forum software: I plan on going into most of the libraries and adding hooks to use at various logical breakpoint locations. This will allow any modder to easily inject their own code via plugins they create (and if this went like I would wish it too, be able to publicly release as well). I'm thinking improved logic for disassembly, theming, custom syntax, anything really.
I know that was an exhausting read, I appreciate it if you made it this far, but now you see why I'm saying I may be looking to make more headaches for myself then necessary. So if this got your attention at all, I would love any feedback including what I may have missed in my plans, if you have any interest in a product like this or not, if I sound crazy or if you have an interest in working with me further along the production timeline (I will have a github repository once I have some work done so forking and working alongside will be possible further down)
Thanks again for reading!
I'm about to start my most ambitious and probably craziest programming adventure yet, I'm actually scared I may not even finish it but want to at least see if theres as much interest in it as i think there will be. My question is primary to the modders, but its also to newbs especially interested in beginning/learning to mod. I will probably address this to a few forums but this is my first one that I decided to get active like this so I appreciate the opportunity to even address this. Input, ideas , or just telling me im nuts is appreciated lol
My background is in website design/administration, I've had a love for hacking into code since my early teens (36 now), and didn't really get into higher level languages for awhile, stuck to php/html/ etc, every once in awhile i'd get into a project using ajax/cURL and maybe a linux script or 2 every now and again. I mean I'd do some text based mods on old pc/dos games but so does everyone at some point I had my first taste of modding playing around with some flash chat script for my old site (my first ever decompile yay!), but really my first code orgasm was a modification to my old php/mysql chat client which after deciding it needed to be more integrated with not just my forum, but all the scripting function I built into my site. Working with some java servlets and some open source stuff I built my own instant messenger similar to yahoo messenger only for my members along with full integration of my important scripts on my site, and being it was a site to place sporting bets, online poker staking, and a small marketplace that was no small feat
Why am I even explaining all that? Mostly to say I bite off more then I can chew constantly, and want true opinion on my project im about to start, because I don't want to stop with a half done project, I see too many of those nowadays with this. So now my proposal....
My Idea
So here's the goal: I have just started in the brainstorming phase of an All in One true Android app and (v2 idea) ROM/kernel kitchen. The goal is to be able to have access to EVERY possible tool currently needed to modify those resources in one single product. The features would be:
Open source: Most important aspect to me of all. I plan on using and combining many open source libraries to build this product, and want the modder communities to be able to add/modify as they see fit. Even more so with google closing as much open source to their lines as they can, keeping these tools available and people interested in learning to mod excited to use an easy to start with tool, with all the horsepower for the advanced modders as well
Complete and up to date toolset: Every single product I've seen available has at least one if not both these issues: They have either important functions missing (disassemblers without edit function?!? wtf) or they are abandonware, great tools with old libraries that are not working as well as they should, mostly due to constant change in phone architecture (great example coming to my mind is Virtuous Ten Studio). Most are closed source with this problem so they died out (or open source with NO accessibility beyond command line leading to my next bullet...)
IDE with User/newb friendly GUI: Using a similar layout to Eclipse IDE (current idea atm) so all windows will be visible and have a usable workspace, with toast help messages (again long term planning there, decent documentation is secondary to having the whole toolset available).
Planned tools: I will be seeking out open source libraries for:
APK extraction: thru ADB or pulling the apk from apkpure or downloading from play ala apkfetch
APK decompression: Obv there
APK disassembly: Dex2jar, deodex, and baksmali, so files to arm (open source IDA substitute), NET unity dlls to il (dnspy), SWF decompiler for the odd flash files, OBB where available
Decrypting tools: need more input for this obv, but things like xor calculating, il2cpp, luac, etc
Editors: COMPLETE editors for hex and plaintext with full syntax highlighting in all languages, regex search replace functionality with tools to both help look up an opcode you are editing to help newbs understand the function, and instant (well as much as possible) compilers so you can write in java or c# and get the opcode translation to copy paste. Also XML editing for manifest, and newb quick functions like "remove ads/root checking/etc.
Asset editing/collecting: Allow apk unzipping without disassembly for image or sound editing for a quick drop back in without changing signature. Also full browsing of assets including unity assets in split files ala Unity Studio
Repacking apk: recompile the libraries, smali, zipalign, and sign apk while simultaniously making an unsigned apk prepatched ala Lucky Patcher license check workaround, saving a releasers time
File analysis: This could also be in planned tools but theres a couple specifics about this. Its for a couple of functions, A: Complete file reader to be able to examine hex code for crypto, and PE header reader/editor. I know thats controversial for a couple reasons but in general the tools available in a PE forensic tool like Detect it Easy are completely necessary imo, and short of making their own script no one is going to be 'repairing' those headers unless they know what they are doing manually making any controversy a moot point
Plug-in capability: This one (besides having all tools in one program) has got me the most pumped to do this. The plan I have is taking an idea from my old vbulletin forum software: I plan on going into most of the libraries and adding hooks to use at various logical breakpoint locations. This will allow any modder to easily inject their own code via plugins they create (and if this went like I would wish it too, be able to publicly release as well). I'm thinking improved logic for disassembly, theming, custom syntax, anything really.
I know that was an exhausting read, I appreciate it if you made it this far, but now you see why I'm saying I may be looking to make more headaches for myself then necessary. So if this got your attention at all, I would love any feedback including what I may have missed in my plans, if you have any interest in a product like this or not, if I sound crazy or if you have an interest in working with me further along the production timeline (I will have a github repository once I have some work done so forking and working alongside will be possible further down)
Thanks again for reading!