I installed it thru adb, but then I had to use lucky patcher to change it to a system app. And after all that the gallery plays video!
- Flip Phones
Alcatel TCL Flip 2 (T408DL)
ZTEGuy darn I thought that was it. I'll look into it again one day. Launcher3 needs fixes for higher resolution, allow up/down shortcuts, and of course adding apps.
I saw button mapper was paid to run a shell command. Was macro droid a free solution? Just trying to see if making my own app was still useful. The whole accessibility service and keeping the app from being killed seemed unreliable... My Linux app could run in a .rc as a service but wouldn't provide room for customization🙁
di2020 Wow, amazing deal & picked one up. Thanks! Tons have watched that item recently so I suspect these will become insanely popular soon.
Just to be clear, 3rd party apps can be installed the usual way by just enabling ADB and sending the apk over like the Classic? Does it need the launcher too? Sorry, it wasn't apparent in the github page if that's all that needs done.
sappypappy you will need to flash the modified boot image to root the phone to bypass the package installer protection. Then adb install works fine even before completing the magisk setup.
neutronscott Gotcha, thank you. And a patched boot imagine for a tiny flip is awesome. Host file ad blocking & filtering ftw! 🙂
neutronscott
free, but needs root.
neutronscott What is the point of Magisk here?
Flippy Do you mean you'd like app installs to work, but not root access? Why not have it all?
Like if I am doing this for a friend [just to remove browser and add apps] and I dont want him to mess around with root access, I can uninstall Magisk right away? its just for doing extra stuff, correct?
Flippy You'd want to flash back the stock boot.img to remove magisk and the ability to install packages. magisk cannot be removed on its own. A new boot.img would need to be made. It so far hasn't seemed useful. Either want both to have development of a ROM, or neither when a ROM is made for end users.
Search settings app https://filetransfer.io/data-package/PAQtKF9n#link
neutronscott I'd imagine if some could choose to install apks without flashing a modified root image, they'd go for it as rooting opens the device up to more/deeper attacks w malicious apps (esp w the nature of people just grabbing modified apks off the net for these). But if its the only way, so be it. 🙂
sappypappy The last sentence of you post is spot on! Although people like @lgexalter1 are posting firmwares with preinstalled apps that don't require any mod boot img
If you uninstalled chromium, here is a mod launcher and app drawer. To install app drawer, simply install as user. To install launcher you must first uninstall launcher3 then install this as a data app. To be safe you may want to backup stock launcher in case something goes wrong. You can also set button mapper to launch button mapper in case you have no launcher. But i don't think you will have issues.
https://filetransfer.io/data-package/pYh8KU4n#link
Biden2020prez I put neutronscott 's grab in /data/local/tmp and with the MacroDroid app created boot up as a trigger for:
cd /data/local/tmp
nohup /data/local/tmp/grab /dev/input/event1 &
and now on bootup Quickdial is remapped to toggle virtual mouse
dovwcom is it better or just another way?
sappypappy To unlock the Package Manager we set a SystemProperty during boot initialization using resetprop provided by magisk. The other way to do this is modifying the fairly big super image. This is because Android 11 doesn't read .rc files during the boot ramdisk.
Another option is building a binary like Magisk that only does that one thing. I don't see the utility to do this myself unfortunately.
after over 600 posts it gets a little confusing for somone that wasnt following the whole conversation. would it be possible that someone can come out with so to speak a "verdict" of what can be done and how?
neutronscott Thanks. Yeah, the workarounds would prob be worse than the boot img way. If it could be enabled via ADB somehow before each apk install, but I don't think that's possible.
lazertech that's what the wiki aimed to do. I welcome suggestions, or even a better place to put it where more can contribute... https://github.com/neutronscott/flip2/wiki
neutronscott thank you!
Biden2020prez NEC I thought it was better because after reboot toggling is a simple one press with Quickdial - but Quickdial is not very reachable and the nohup shell script sometimes stops and so it's both better and cleaner to use button mapper to set one trigger for enabling mouse and another to disable as suggested on this thread
I successfully paired and used a Bluetooth keyboard-mouse combo (it has a touchpad).
What's interesting to note, is that although it takes over the system mouse, meaning, if the mouse had already been activated, then the touchpad just controlled that cursor, it has a much broader range. Meaning, it can reach till the top of the screen.
Jumptoheaven yes, works beautiful with a bluetooth mouse.
dovwcom do i need to download a separate button mapper or will i be able to set it in macrodroid?
NEC You can set macro droid to launch mouse when you open certain apps, but i preferred the button thing.
NEC Biden2020prez when I used grab and the shell script for it I didn't need to use button mapper at all and I set bootup as the trigger for my script which was much more practical for me than using an app as a trigger - not using button mapper was initially an advantage because I couldn't get button mapper to work without installing a4f's Voice Assistant because there were missing accessibility settings without it so there's a potential bloat and battery hit if you're not interested in running the Voice Assistant otherwise (Edit: I now see that you can use @xxdeafgirl 's accessibility app (Google Drive link no longer available) with a-one 's permissions).
As above in practice I found the Quickdial solution difficult - especially when reaching to the back of the phone wasn't possible when it was mounted in my car to use for Waze. As far as using the Favorites star button with event2 in @neutronscott's script for whatever reason that would only toggle once and then not work any more for me.
I especially found the Change Resolution app to be a game changer in using apps on the phone (use with care - at one point I mistakenly set the resolution backwards and my phone became totally unusable with the default Launcher launcher3 constantly crashing even after reboots and uninstalling the resolution changer did not help at all - I only managed to eventually rescue my phone by using adb to set the screen resolution to a valid size) so that I use the notification area to switch between a default of 240x320 for phone calls and 321x428 for app use (including texting - for which I use Textra with Microsoft swiftkey - EDIT: MS swiftkey disables secret codes so removed it and at same time removed Textra also because it needed mouse toggling in middle of use - for me that's not worth the hassle) when I want to use the launcher list apps such as Waze and not only are some of the otherwise unavailable settings now reachable but the apps become much more usable - especially Waze and not to mention button mapper and Microsoft swiftkey the last of which I installed because I don't like kt9 especially not the limited version of it on the t408dl and without the screen resolution app MS swiftkey is otherwise completely unusable.
neutronscott thanks for your amazing work - suggestions for your wiki:
1) change resolution app which is a game changer for usability of Waze and many other apps. Create resolution of 321x428 in the app (take care to put 321 width first and then 428 - reversing it can break your phone which then needs to be rescued by setting a valid screen resolution with adb) and then use the notification area to toggle between the default (240x320 which can be reset from adb if accidentally overwritten in app to a non-working resolution) for phone calls and stock t408dl system apps and 321x428 for installed apps.
2) mouse toggle - edit: hat-tip NEC if not using pro version of button mapper then install MacroDroid app apk (from for example apkpure ), Jumptoheaven's modded button mapper, xxdeafgirl's accessibility app (Google Drive link no longer available) with a-one 's permissions and the change resolution app as described in 1) above and then after toggling resolution to 321x428 use MacroDroid to name (ex. Mouse On) and create an empty trigger (use search function for "empty" in triggers to locate) with action shell-script (again search function in actions for "shell" is your friend) of In button mapper map two button combinations (I used long-press settings put system keyboard_pointer_enable 1 and a second named trigger (ex. Mouse Off) an empty trigger (use search function for "empty" in triggers to locate) with action shell-script (again search function in actions for "shell" is your friend) of settings put system keyboard_pointer_enable 0.back-button edit: volume-up to activate mouse and double-click back-button edit: long-press volume-down to deactivate) to shortcuts to Macrodroid - for one choose the Mouse On script and for one choose the Mouse Off script Advanced and selected Root commands and entered for volume-up settings put system keyboard_pointer_enable 1 and for volume-down settings put system keyboard_pointer_enable 0.
3) useful and working apps list (subject to site and user acceptability)- my own list includes regular Waze (my biggest reason for getting this phone - to save the many 100s of dollars I would otherwise have to spend on a separate kosher Waze device and the recurring cost of an extra monthly plan), 1Weather, WhatsApp (which I use exclusively as a productivity tool and not for entertainment/time-wasting), regular Google Maps (can't sign in) all of which I use after toggling change screen resolution as in 1) above
4) Genymotion's scrcpy was extremely helpful in setting up and playing with this phone because it has a mouse that accesses the whole screen area, working scroll-up and mouse drag
5) lgexalter1 's tip of using the @xxdeafgirl LgListLauncher-xxdeafgirl.apk don't set as default home because you can't make calls. Set a shortcut key to it (such as left key) from Settings | Phone Settings | Key Shortcuts.
I noticed that there hasn't been much mention here of getting the t408dl from Total Wireless for only $29.99 plus one month's service (as low as $25) and then using a referral code to get 3 free months as described for a different phone on a4f - ldpt-bcfe and used that to get 8,000 points which buys an additional three months at $25 a month (slightly less on auto-pay) and since my existing family phone plans are all on Verizon pre-paid with loyalty discounts I am getting the phone carrier unlocked after 60 days and switching SIM cards from our current phones.
Biden2020prez is there any benefit over Genymotion's scrcpy beyond that it doesn't need a laptop/PC?
**CAN SOMEONE PLS MAKE A NEW THREAD WITH ALL THE END RESULTS IN A CLEAR FASION
including adb commands for uninstalling unwanted apps and a list of apps that can be installed with the commands to install them
breakingnews I know it's hard to follow but for the sake of full discussion we are in the middle of discussing this point - see lazertech 's post asking for same and neutronscott 's reply
breakingnews Follow the links on original post
dovwcom thanks for the suggestions I'll try to add some. I actually host a wiki I should have put it there so anyone can edit ...
My mouse binary was only a test so far. I figured existing apps would fill this void and it sounds like macro droid will be a staple in a ROM for a non-touch phone living in a touchscreen world. I do plan to extend my mouse service though and ideally it would be made a service in the ROM but with the option to use a key or integrate into other accessibility services to use their button triggers. My priority though has been modifying recovery so mods can be ran with .zip files instead of distributing large ROMs or needing Magisk, and also in hopes writing the super partition can be done in under 5 minutes instead of 35...
I think Launcher3 mods are next on the list. I want to unlock it to showing all apps.
neutronscott Two questions that I didn't see clearly answered either on the Wiki or on this thread:
1) What happens as is on a factory reset on your ROM?
2) Do you have the stock ROM?
dovwcom In the Rom I shared if you factory reset you just lose your personal information, all of the changes were made in system and are not affected by a factory reset.
dovwcom if you grant button mapper root it seems to work just by setting those commands as a shell no need to use macrodroid. just put the settings (under advanced) in a shell and it works great!
dovwcom What microsoft swiftkey? And maybe try goole messages app.
Biden2020prez The google messages app works well if you change the resolution
neutronscott Do you know why the mouse won't reach to the top of the screen when using the Dpad, whereas when using a Bluetooth mouse it will?
Jumptoheaven I think the mouse was only put in the settings so it launches with browser. Therefore it cant reach on top of browser Area. I think the area might be able to be edited, but it would be very hard.
Biden2020prez That's what I thought originally. But then why does it reach the top with a Bluetooth mouse?
Jumptoheaven the way browser turns on the mouse is by running command nec found. So when we run that command it has the same effect. But when you run a bluetooth mouse, there is something different happening, proof is that you cant use dpad to control it.
Or maybe the dpad is limited where it can move the mouse and a real mouse isn't.
Either way, its a good question, i don't have a full answer.
Biden2020prez Genymotion's scrcpy also has no limitations but that in itself doesn't obviously resolve your question of whether the difference is due to different implementations or whether it's due to a hardware limitation on dpad - would make a good shayla if it were Torah...
dovwcom that Is another league because it doesn't show a cursor on the rhone
Biden2020prez on the phone itself not but there is a cursor on the screen copy of the phone and it works everywhere on the screen
dovwcom Yes, but it uses adb to tap. Has no connection to the Built in cursor.
I am so dumb...
For macro droid Actions there is a device settings > system settings option. From there choose keyboard pointer enable in the dropdown, and it works without root! Yay!!