mobile

This thread is about my findings experimenting with Xposed framework. My work is my own research, with information based on work of other members, especially @serajr , @moly82 and others. If I forgot to mention, just PM.

My work is based on Z3 D6603 stock firmware version .690 customized DE, locked bootloader.

Backgroud:
As many of you experienced, Xposed currently causes difficulties on 5.0.2 Lollipop. Xposed causes random bootloops, that are seemingly removed by debloating stock ROM and removing number of user and system APKs. However, root cause was not determined. My goal was to find out, which applications specifically cause incompatibility with Xposed.

My configuration:
Xperia Z3 D6603, firmware 23.1.A.0.690 Customized DE (provider 1&1)
SuperSU PRO 2.46
XZDR v. 2.8.11 Attempt 4
Xposed Alpha 2 - xposed-arm-20150308

Final finding:
Xposed bootloops are not caused by specific application, or combination of applications. All applications included in DE stock ROM, including but not limited to Google apps, Sony apps and provider specific apps were compatible with Xposed and caused no bootloops.

Xposed bootloops are caused by number of installed packages. In case of my ROM, if total number of packages registered (pm list packages)was greater than 329, system got into bootloop. That bootloop could be resolved by deleting ANY of applications, no matter wether user app, system or system privileged app. I am not sure, if this number varies depending on firmware version and hardware.

My testing:
I spent more than 10 hours to be sure that results I present are based on true observations.

First, I flashed prerooted .690 in recovery, wiped clean, and reflashed in Flashtool excluding system.
After initial boot, I have installed 2.8.11 XZDR and enabled byeselinux in xzdr.prop.

Then I have run script, removing following apps from the system:



Then I flashed xposed in recovery, wiped Dalvik & cache and installed Xposed installer & 20MP Superior auto module. Rebooted and ensured that 20MP module really makes 20MP pictures.

Then I started to restore removed apps (I removed apps by simply moving them into "/system/_backup/" directory to retain permissions) in groups of ten, rebooting twice after each restore (first reboot to allow ART to optimize apps, second to ensure all works) and reassured that xposed module still works.

After first bootloop I restarted in recovery and using adb started to remove last restored apps, until I could boot again.

Later I tried to remove and restore different combinations of system and user apps. It has no effect which applications I have removed or restored, as long as I kept number of packages on or below 329.

To ensure that my finding is true and no Sony app is causing problem, I have again flashed vanilla rooted Stock, reflashed xposed and installed 20MP superior auto module. This time, I left ROM as it is, did NOT remove any system app, and only removed following USER apps from /data/app:



Only user apps left in /data/app were NDR Utils and Xposed framework installer.

With this configuration xposed 20MP Superior Auto module worked without any problem.

I started to restore user apps back, and got bootloop after restoring one more application above 329 packages limit.

Later on I tried same with installing apps manually from apks, apps installing from Play store and simply copying apps into /data/app and /system/app and /system/priv-app.

Again and again system got immediatelly into bootloop on 330th package. I found that it has not been affected by size of the apk.

I also tried my hypothesis that it can have something to do with autostarted packages, but ven if I disabled autostart of all packages, situation did not changed. As a rule of thumb, when I installed or moved anything above 329 packages, bootloop.

So good news, there is no need to superheavily debloat and perhaps FCK system, just debloat really safe nonsense like Lifelog etc. Bad news is that number of apps in system is limited with Xposed.