issue with ADB commands on A17 GOS - is it just me or did things change from A16

134472

I asked a similar question on Reddit but there was zero insight to the problem at hand, just a bunch of typical Reddit people saying nothing has changed with ADB in A17 and I don't know what I'm doing.

I've been using ADB for a long time and I use it mostly to disable packages from my devices utilizing the command 'adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 <package name>'. Have had zero issues on stock Android or on GOS on both my P9P and P8a devices running this command anytime in the past. Fast forward to A17. I just fired up a factory reset P8a that was previously running A16 GOS. Installed updates and set up the device, now it's running the A17 version of GOS. Go to disable system packages via ADB as I always have and now receive a failure message that states only root can delete system apps. When I say system apps, I'm referring to apps such as: calendar, calculator, gallery, info, etc. I've always utilized this command to disable system apps in the past with 100% success rate. I tested this on a user installed app from F-Droid and it worked as expected and gave the 'success' message. What it won't do is uninstall system packages it appears.

So I ask again to people who have knoweledge on this matter, has A17 blocked the disabling of system applications via ADB because as far as I can tell, they have? Unless there is a new way of going about things?

Johnnyloans

Sounds like it's not possible after your tests on user and system packages. I wasn't aware of this change.

134472

Johnnyloans Yes, bummer if true.

134472

Well, here it is offically. Question is, what is the real reasoning behind this change?

https://github.com/GrapheneOS/platform_frameworks_base/commit/7c7b4faef83543b2a6d79a1aad52f8a1f2913e41

Fay_Wilmont

O, that's a surprising change... one step closer to MIUI/HyperOS 😬

Anyway, you mostly speak about disabling packages, but the command you use is for uninstalling. GrapheneOS are not a fan of users uninstalling system packages from what I've read in the past. E.g.:

Never use uninstall with system packages. It's needlessly dangerous and doesn't accomplish anything. Disabling them is dangerous enough already and will break things.

https://github.com/GrapheneOS/os-issue-tracker/issues/3915#issuecomment-2311048570

You can disable the ones which aren't required components. Uninstalling them would just be an illusion since they're in the OS images and there's no need to download them again. Marking them uninstalled in a profile via ADB doesn't accomplish anything more than disabling them, it just makes it needlessly harder to enable them again.

https://github.com/GrapheneOS/os-issue-tracker/issues/5103#issuecomment-2735006200

We'll have to switch to pm disable-user. Sadly, this means the apps will be listed in Settings > Apps > All apps > Disabled apps, cluttering the list of apps we do occasionally or frequently enable and use :'(

134472

Fay_Wilmont

Delete/Uninstall for --user 0 with that command. Package is not completely deleted from device. If I say delete, someone is going to argue and say I meant disable and vise versa.

I've uninstalled upwards of 20 system packages on each of probably 5 different GOS devices I've owned with no further issues. The GOS devs can 'suggest' all they want but uninstalling the following packages from --user 0 have zero negative effect on anything.

Ad Privacy, Basic Daydreams, Bookmark Provider, Calculator, Calendar, Calendar Storage, Carrier Communications, Clock, com.android.health.connect.backuprestore, com.android.providers.partnerbookmarks, Gallery, Health Connect, Info, Keyboard, Photo Screensavers, Private Space, Tags, Talkback, Webcam Service, Work Setup

They just dont want someone with zero knowledge of what they are doing to delete the wrong package and brick their phone then blame GOS for it. Have to have that fine print disclaimer.

134472

Or I should say uninstalling those packages have zero negative effect on MY use case. Your mileage may vary.

Fay_Wilmont

We can only speculate. I would be very interested to hear the reason for this change from @GrapheneOS. I'm not going to debate it, just curious, as I can't think of any security benefits this would provide, and usually they don't deviate from AOSP without a solid reason.

de0u

Fay_Wilmont I believe that commit was a Google commit.

wizoatk

de0u

The commit referenced above was a Google/AOSP change, flagged as EXEMPT BUGFIX.

other8026

Yeah, the change doesn't come from GrapheneOS and I doubt it'll be undone. GrapheneOS developers tend not to remove security improvements or fixes, which this seems to be.

Fay_Wilmont

O, it's a bugfix in AOSP? Thanks for clarifying guys, that's big. I've been using this functionality for years on every Android phone I've owned. Seems we can still disable instead of uninstall though, I hope that will be enough and OEM bundled spyware will not reactivate by itself (not a concern on GrapheneOS of course).

Does anyone here have access to the bugs the commit references?

https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/296534248
https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/422170772