If the phone still has the factory ROM on it, I don't see any way of switching to MicroG, as play services are built in.
Generally you flash MicroG via adb.
Well, it was a carrier branded ROM. I've flashed rooted stock A13, so not really "factory" but I take your point in that it still has google services.
I've seen commenters in xda forums taking about this approach like it's no big thing.
Because GS are part of the ROM, I think it's likely to cause problems if you remove it.
That said, since you're not afraid to flash it, I'd root it, rip out the google services files, then flash whichever GApps package you want in there.
Should be interesting to see what problems arise (or don't).
Curious - what's your goal here?
Alternatively, flash a ROM that doesn't have Gservices like Lineage or DivestOS. Then flash GApps of choice.
Sure, look I don't know enough about this to contradict you but I'm not sure "GS are part of the ROM" is the whole story. The components in question like com.google.android.gms are just components, it's just that a lot of other components rely on them. If you remove them it's going to cause problems, but as I understand it the purpose of the microG suite is to mitigate those problems?
I'm not sure I really have a specific goal. It's a second / unused device so I'm just playing around with it really. I've always wanted to try Lineage but it's not directly supported and I think there's problems with the Camera amongst other things. I was reading on xda-forums someone said they rooted, installed stock android, then lsposed, and microG, and found the end result to be very pleasing, so I was just kinda following along with that to see where I end up.
I think in summary I'm interested to see what sort of experience is possible without any (minimal?) google services or apps.
I've updated the post since your first comment, I found a guide that I'm going to work through. I'll let you know.
When a ROM is compiled, the compiler follows the build file, which means it'll build in dependencies related to the files bing compiled. So simply remove/replace has a high risk of not working, since dependencies are unique to each file/component.
I was reading on xda-forums someone said they rooted, installed stock android, then lsposed, and microG, and found the end result to be very pleasing
This is a bit messy - rooting is done to a running OS, and unrelated to flashing a stock ROM. Stock Roms, as far as I've seen typically have Google Services baked in. Just clarifying.
I suppose they flashed a ROM without Google Services, rooted it, then flashed the Magisk Module Lsposed, and a version of GApps. I've done similar, lsposed (and its predecessor XPosed) provides a lot of customization capability.
Running without Google Services makes a fast phone and a battery that lasts noticeably longer. You could try simply freezing the Google Services files with something like 3C Toolbox (once rooted, of course). I think 3C can actually uninstall the files, but that's a good path to boot loop (ask me how I know 😁 ).
Even just freezing the files will often cause repetitive error notifications.
These problems are (I think) a result of the dependencies - like broadcasts that get configured for services during compile.
Give it a go - worst that happens is you reflash!
When a ROM is compiled, the compiler follows the build file, which means it’ll build in dependencies related to the files bing compiled. So simply remove/replace has a high risk of not working, since dependencies are unique to each file/component.
There's not really anything special here. This is how any software is built. Components have published APIs with which they interact with other components. The whole point of microG is that it emulates the same api as com.google.android.gms. I'm not expecting a 100% flawless implementation.
This is a bit messy - rooting is done to a running OS, and unrelated to flashing a stock ROM. Stock Roms, as far as I’ve seen typically have Google Services baked in. Just clarifying.
This just isn't true, at least not in my case. I obtained a stock android ROM from samsung's update server using bifrost. I then patched that ROM using Magisk and only then flashed it. So it's patch then flash.
Running without Google Services makes a fast phone and a battery that lasts noticeably longer. You could try simply freezing the Google Services files with something like 3C Toolbox (once rooted, of course). I think 3C can actually uninstall the files, but that’s a good path to boot loop (ask me how I know 😁 ).
Even just freezing the files will often cause repetitive error notifications.
This doesn't really seem sensible? Of course just freezing google services will cause errors. MicroG is designed to emulate google services and mitigate those errors.
This is exactly how rooting is done. "Root" is granting write access to the root directory of a running OS. It is utterly unrelated to flashing.
You may flash something to gain root access, or flash a pre-rooted image, but root is still a function of a running OS, it's logically other same as Administrator rights in Windows.
As for how GServices being intricately tied into a compiled ROM, believe what you want - rip out the GServices files with 3C Toolbox, and you'll find out exactly how tightly bound they are to the image. I'd be surprised if it doesn't boot loop (I've done this myself, even simply freezing them can boot loop a device).
Because... Integrated dependencies. Android isn't just "some other piece of software", it's an OS, like Linux and Windows (to be accurate, it's a Linux Kernel with Android as both the API layer and shell). When Google-less Roms are compiled, they do so with none of the Google services dependences. Even those Roms, if you flash something like MicroG, if you then delete those files, you get a boot loop because it's added those dependencies to the ROM.
Ask the folks at Lineage or DivestOS.
If your rooted with magisk try nikgaps. Also you could try installing LineageOS with GAPS
LineageOS support seemed pretty terrible for my device, an s20+.
I'll have a look at NikGapps, thanks!
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