Obtain apk files

aclifton314

This is a very basic question. I just installed anbox on my Oneplus One but... how do I obtain new apk files for the android apps? For instance, how do I get the apk file for Spotify?

Marathon2422

@aclifton314
apkmirror or here`s a bad word , google it

Ingo

I tend to pull the APKs off a second device that still runs android.

dobey

Or look into installing something like Aurora Store if you want apps from play store.

aclifton314

@Ingo Do you mind elaborating on how you pull the APKs off the second device?

Ingo

Found the place where I posted an example: https://forum.fairphone.com/t/ubports-16-04-updates-feature-tests/36656/90?u=ingo

Short summary:

connect the android phone with USB cable and USB debugging enabled
list all packages with adb shell pm list packages
get the full path for the package name you’re interested in: adb shell pm path com.example.someapp
pull the APK using the output of the last command: adb pull /data/app/com.example.someapp /path/to/desired/destination/com.example.someapp.apk

aclifton314

Awesome. Thank you!

Is there a certain place on the ubports phone I need to adb push the app? And to install it on the ubports phone, are these instructions sufficient ?(https://docs.ubports.com/en/latest/userguide/dailyuse/anbox.html)

EDIT:
I'm not sure which specific package I should pull as I see multiple ones:

$ adb shell pm path com.spotify.music
package:/data/app/com.spotify.music-1/base.apk
package:/data/app/com.spotify.music-1/split_config.armeabi_v7a.apk
package:/data/app/com.spotify.music-1/split_config.xhdpi.apk

So I tried the base package, did adb push base.apk /home/phablet/Downloads and then following the Anbox documentation (all commands entered from my PC with my ubports phone connected via USB):

adb shell
sudo mount -o rw,remount /
sudo apt update
adb install /home/phablet/Downloads/base.apk

but I get:

phablet@ubuntu-phablet:~$ adb install /home/phablet/Downloads/base.apk
adb install /home/phablet/Downloads/base.apk
* daemon not running. starting it now on port 5037 *
* daemon started successfully *
error: device offline
- waiting for device -

and it just hangs. Any thoughts?

Marathon2422

@aclifton314
does your device need to be authorised IE, an "allow " window clicked on ? . To Allow adb connection

aclifton314

@Marathon2422 I'm not sure. I just reflashed my OPO (ubports device) to start over. I got anbox reinstalled and adb installed on my OPO:

phablet@ubuntu-phablet:~$ adb devices
adb devices
* daemon not running. starting it now on port 5037 *
* daemon started successfully *
List of devices attached
emulator-5558   offline

phablet@ubuntu-phablet:~$

I can copy the spotify app from my android, to my PC, and push to the OPO (I put it in /home/phablet/Downloads as the instructions suggest).
on PC:

$ adb devices
List of devices attached
8a8165fa        device

$ adb push base.apk /home/phablet/Downloads
base.apk: 1 file pushed. 4.4 MB/s (16892152 bytes in 3.634s)

$ adb shell
phablet@ubuntu-phablet:~$ ls /home/phablet/Downloads
ls /home/phablet/Downloads
base.apk

So it seems I can push the apk, but I can't install it:

$ adb shell
phablet@ubuntu-phablet:~$ ls /home/phablet/Downloads
ls /home/phablet/Downloads
base.apk
phablet@ubuntu-phablet:~$

phablet@ubuntu-phablet:~$ sudo mount -o rw,remount /
sudo mount -o rw,remount /

phablet@ubuntu-phablet:~$ sudo apt update
sudo apt update
Ign:1 http://repo.ubports.com xenial InRelease
Hit:2 http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports xenial InRelease
Hit:3 http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports xenial-updates InRelease
Hit:4 http://ports.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-ports xenial-security InRelease
Hit:5 http://repo.ubports.com xenial Release
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
133 packages can be upgraded. Run 'apt list --upgradable' to see them.
phablet@ubuntu-phablet:~$ adb install /home/phablet/Downloads/base.apk
adb install /home/phablet/Downloads/base.apk
error: device offline
- waiting for device -

It just hangs. On the OPO I find:

phablet@ubuntu-phablet:~$ adb devices
adb devices
List of devices attached
emulator-5558   offline

Don't know if that is helpful or not. Maybe I am doing something wrong? I also don't know if base.apk is even the correct thing to try to install since there were two others choices when I did adb shell pm path com.spotify.music on my android device.

Ingo

IIRC when the adb command shows that the device is offline, try to start one of the pre-installed android apps. That should get it "online".

If that still doesn't work, there is an alternative method to install apps as described in https://forums.ubports.com/post/12491

aclifton314

@Ingo, thank you for the response. Naively, to start a preinstalled android app do I just tap it or is it better to start it with adb some how?

Ingo

Just tap it