Gapps Aroma Installation Guide: Easy Steps To Follow

GApps, or Google Apps, is an open-source project that automatically generates up-to-date Google Apps packages. The AROMA package is a graphical installer that allows users to select which applications to install. While AROMA is a good choice for those who want minimal Google apps, it is not stable and may not work on all devices.

How to use the AROMA installer to select desired apps

The AROMA installer is a ROM installer with full touchscreen capabilities for Android ROMs. It allows you to install Custom ROMs the way you want, giving you the possibility to customize the ROM installation. You can choose what Mods or applications you want to install together with the Custom ROM.

The AROMA installer is not an app or something you can install on your Android phone. It is a tool that people can use to install a Custom ROM.

• Boot into the custom recovery menu. (TWRP is highly recommended)
• Flash the AROMA installer zip file.
• Choose the desired apps from the AROMA installer interface.

The AROMA installer interface will present you with a list of apps that you can choose to install. Simply select the apps you want by ticking the checkbox next to each app.

Once you have made your selections, proceed with the installation process. The AROMA installer will then install the Custom ROM along with the desired apps you have chosen.

It is important to note that the AROMA installer is just a tool to facilitate the installation of Custom ROMs and apps. It does not provide any warranty or support for the functionality of the installed ROM or apps.

Additionally, it is always recommended to have a backup of your important data before proceeding with any Custom ROM or app installations using the AROMA installer.

By following these steps, you can utilize the AROMA installer to select and install your desired apps along with a Custom ROM of your choice.

How to use GAPPS-CONFIG to exclude apps

The gapps-config file allows you to customise your installation of Open GApps in several ways, including limiting which GApps are installed and which are removed.

To exclude specific apps from your installation, you will need to create a gapps-config file. This file must be named either .gapps-config (which takes precedence) or .gapps-config-DEVICENAME (or gapps-config-DEVICENAME.txt), where DEVICENAME is your specific device name. You can find your device name in the open_gapps_log.txt file or in the name of your ROM download.

The gapps-config file must be placed in the same folder as the Open GApps installer, or in the internal memory in the /persist/ folder on your device.

The file consists of one keyword per line. To exclude specific apps, you will need to add the keyword "Exclude" to your gapps-config file, followed by the names of the apps you wish to exclude. For example, if you want to exclude the Google Calendar app, your gapps-config file should include the line "Exclude CalendarGoogle".

You can also use the "Include" keyword to specify only the apps you want to be installed, and any apps not listed will be excluded.

In addition, you can remove any system app on your device by enclosing the name of the apk in parentheses inside your gapps-config file. For example, to remove the Spare Parts app, simply add "(SpareParts)" to your gapps-config file.

Please note that making changes to your gapps-config file can affect your device in significant ways, so it is recommended that you backup your device before proceeding.

How to manually delete apps from the zip file

To manually delete apps from a zip file, you will need to use a file manager with archive support. Here is a step-by-step guide:

• Open the Zip File: Use a file manager that supports zip files, such as Files by Google. Navigate to the folder containing the zip file, select it, and choose the option to unzip or extract the contents.
• Identify the App to Delete: Browse the extracted files and identify the specific app you want to delete. Make a note of the app's name and location within the extracted folder structure.
• Delete the App Files: Using the file manager, navigate to the location of the extracted files on your device. Find the app you want to delete and select it. You should now have the option to delete the app folder or individual files associated with that app.
• Modify the Zip File: If you want to modify the original zip file to exclude the app, you will need to use a tool that can edit zip files. Some advanced file managers may offer this functionality, or you can use a dedicated zip management tool. Extract the original zip file to a new folder, then delete the app files you identified earlier. Finally, compress the modified folder back into a zip file, overwriting the original if desired.

It's important to exercise caution when deleting or modifying files, especially system apps, as it can impact the stability of your device. Always make a backup of your data before proceeding, and ensure you have the necessary permissions to delete or modify the files in question.

Regarding the use of GApps Aroma, it is a graphical installer that allows you to choose which Google Apps to install on your device. GApps Aroma provides flexibility in selecting the desired apps, and it supports various Android versions and platforms. When using GApps Aroma, it is recommended to install it on a fresh system partition and ensure your device is rooted for full functionality.

How to use the backup script

The backup script is a feature of the AROMA Open GApps installer. It allows you to save your GApps installation choices so that you don't have to flash GApps every time you update your ROM.

• Boot into your custom recovery menu. TWRP is highly recommended.
• Flash the AROMA-LP-GAPPS.zip file.
• Choose your desired apps from the AROMA interface.
• After making your selections, you will be prompted to save your choices. Select "Save Choices" if you want to use the backup script.
• Your choices will be stored in the /sdcard/Open-GApps folder.
• The next time you update your ROM, you can load your previous choices by selecting "Load Previous Choices" during the AROMA installation process.

Note: If you want to stop the automatic installation/removal of GApps when you update your ROM, you will need to delete the backup scripts located at /system/addon.d/80-gapps.sh and /system/addon.d/81-remstock.sh, or simply wipe the system partition.

How to dirty flash LP-GAPPS over a previous LP-GAPPS package

When dirty flashing, your GAPPS should no longer be present, and if they are, they are ghost remnants of the previous build. Your data for your GAPPS will remain on a dirty flash, so you don't need to worry about setting things up again.

If you are using OpenGapps, flashing different packages on top of existing packages is fine. You would need to select all the apps that you want to have installed in Aroma, as the installer removes all before it adds.

However, Aroma installers have issues with many recoveries. You can use the full package with gapps-config, which is basically the same as Aroma but hands-off.

You normally don't need to re-flash GApps as most GApps installers will install an addon.d script that restores GApps automatically after flashing a new ROM that supports addon.d (LineageOS does so). If you are using Open GApps, you are on the safe side.

Frequently asked questions