AOSP Browser 4.2

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Turbotab

Senior Member
May 2, 2011
902
819
Anybody less than enchanted by Chrome in its current state? Well, now that the Nexus 4 has been rooted you can install AOSP browser, which is lovely and smooth:cowboy: The apk was extracted from a Nexus 7 AOSP 4.2 build, but it should work on the N4 as well.

Benefits = faster benchmarks and smoother scrolling.

> Must be rooted.

> Copy the browser.apk into the system/app folder

> With a root file explorer change the file permissions of the browser.apk to -rw-rw-r (you will see this represented as 664) If you don't do this, it won't install.

> You must rename the BrowserProviderProxy.apk & BrowserProviderProxy.odex otherwise the browser will force close, just add a 1 to the name e.g. 1BrowserProviderProxy.apk1 Do not delete them, if you still want to OTA update Android. Android checks for any changes to the system/app folder before performing an OTA, so you will have to delete the browser.apk and rename the two file back to stock, when it is OTA time.


MD5 Sum: cdc18db0cad812225d8412be4e27182b


Props to ScuzUK (Post #6) for highlighting a method of syncing bookmarks between Chrome Desktop.

Bookmark Sync apk.
http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=32558502&postcount=145
 

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sarni84

Senior Member
May 17, 2011
3,066
676
Levittown, PA
Does this one have the private browsing page too where there is no history? Incognito I think it's called. The browser apk I have does not have it. Also can some one upload the browser proxy apk and odex file for me I deleted mine like an ass. And I agree chrome blows!
 

Turbotab

Senior Member
May 2, 2011
902
819
Quite a bit slower than my stock Nexus 7 with the same ASOP browser 4.2, and even a blind crack-addicted donkey knows that the S4 Pro is more powerful than Tegra 3:laugh:

Your result 1801 ms (Nexus 4)

My Result 1443 ms (Nexus 7)


At the end of the day, Sunspider is an outdated benchmark and page load times and HTML 5 compliance are more important, but it is strange that the same SoC minus 2 cores in Windows Phone 8 can achieve sub 1000ms scores, it seems that Qualcomm have a lot of room to optimize their Javascript libraries for Jelly Bean 4.2.
 

mcnob

Senior Member
Aug 2, 2010
452
25
Suffolk
Done this with the bookmark sync fix and now settings in chrome (still use it occasionally) force closes.

Any ideas anyone?



Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
 

jameslfc5

Senior Member
Sep 27, 2009
1,690
193
This is such a better app! It the best mobile browser by far!

Text wrapping upon double tap is a god send too!

So much easier on the eye!

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
 

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Papa Smurf151

Senior Member
Feb 24, 2010
5,643
6,741
Atlanta
OK THREAD CLEANED

Now if you are gonna come in here and start a fight cause you prefer iOS to the superior android then prepare to be flamed by everyone. You are on an android forum.

BTW I have had one of your multiple accounts permabanned already. Wish to make that 2 in 24 hours. .
 

Turbotab

Senior Member
May 2, 2011
902
819
OK THREAD CLEANED

Now if you are gonna come in here and start a fight cause you prefer iOS to the superior android then prepare to be flamed by everyone. You are on an android forum.

BTW I have had one of your multiple accounts permabanned already. Wish to make that 2 in 24 hours. .

Thanks for keeping the thread on track, I though my counterpoints were quite good (ego!) It is shame I can't see them:), such is price for maintaining a healthy forum.

It would be good to have a sticky on XDA, where a truely knowledgeable developer or superuser could debunk a few of the common misconceptions about Android / Davlik / Java and its performance vs other platforms, it would make a good read, and set a bar for future Android vs iOS comparisons.
 

Bilhouse

Senior Member
Apr 14, 2011
427
67
Hi.

Is it not possible for someone just to put this up on Google Play as an app for everyone to download? I know someone has done so for the 4.2 keyboard with gesture typing. Just thinking if the same cant be done for this.

Thanks.
 

mintvilla

Senior Member
Jun 20, 2010
396
83
Hi.

Is it not possible for someone just to put this up on Google Play as an app for everyone to download? I know someone has done so for the 4.2 keyboard with gesture typing. Just thinking if the same cant be done for this.

Thanks.
I too would like this, this is the first android phone that i dont plan on rooting. I have only rooted to correct certains flaws in other phones (HTC desire not having enough internal memory ) or to to be on latest version of android and get rid of crappy skins (LG o2x, GS2,GS3)

However as certains apps now refuse access with root access, sky go (when its available for jellybean) and barclays banking apps, i would be missing out too much by rooting just for the sake of it, since i will have latest version of stock android as soon as anybody.

However i love the AOSP browser and thus would love to be able to use it without rooting, if anybody knows of a way?
 

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  • 68
    Anybody less than enchanted by Chrome in its current state? Well, now that the Nexus 4 has been rooted you can install AOSP browser, which is lovely and smooth:cowboy: The apk was extracted from a Nexus 7 AOSP 4.2 build, but it should work on the N4 as well.

    Benefits = faster benchmarks and smoother scrolling.

    > Must be rooted.

    > Copy the browser.apk into the system/app folder

    > With a root file explorer change the file permissions of the browser.apk to -rw-rw-r (you will see this represented as 664) If you don't do this, it won't install.

    > You must rename the BrowserProviderProxy.apk & BrowserProviderProxy.odex otherwise the browser will force close, just add a 1 to the name e.g. 1BrowserProviderProxy.apk1 Do not delete them, if you still want to OTA update Android. Android checks for any changes to the system/app folder before performing an OTA, so you will have to delete the browser.apk and rename the two file back to stock, when it is OTA time.


    MD5 Sum: cdc18db0cad812225d8412be4e27182b


    Props to ScuzUK (Post #6) for highlighting a method of syncing bookmarks between Chrome Desktop.

    Bookmark Sync apk.
    http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=32558502&postcount=145
    7
    OK THREAD CLEANED

    Now if you are gonna come in here and start a fight cause you prefer iOS to the superior android then prepare to be flamed by everyone. You are on an android forum.

    BTW I have had one of your multiple accounts permabanned already. Wish to make that 2 in 24 hours. .
    7
    Stock AOSP 4.2.2 Browser.apk without root

    Hi guys,

    So Chrome was really getting on my nerves (no full screen, blurry text, choppy scrolling), and was surprised with how well WebView's perform (i.e. using the platform's WebView, libwebcore.so). It looks like google's a ways away from actually fixing Chrome (it seems like the betas are one step forward two steps back). I want my Browser.apk darn it, and I don't want to have to root my phone.

    I already had JB AOSP repo synced, so I grabbed source for Browser and started hacking. Had to rename the bookmarks provider, and change a few other things to avoid conflicting with the System apps. The net result is that I've got a version of Browser.apk that installs just like a regular app.

    So this Browser.apk works fine, the only exception being that it has a separate bookmarks database from Chrome. I also haven't tested syncing or signing in with Google credentials. I've only tested this on a Nexus 4 running stock 4.2.2

    Personally, I'd be wary running random browser binaries from people off the internet. So I've posted the source GitHub, < hxxps:// github.com/profiterole/browser.apk > and you can feel free to diff with the AOSP code, to see that I'm not in ur browser stealin' ur credentials. :D

    Anyways let me know how it works for you.
    4
    Here is the AOSP Browser and Sync zip file CWM/TWRP for our lovely N4.............

    http://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=22979706399756462
    MD5: 35ca321c968cd0c61e92a4102fbafcbd
    4
    Just compiled the AOSP browser for my own use, could not reproduce any of the issues named lately in this thread, so I decided to share my APK, hopefully it will work as good for you as it did for me on my Nexus 4.

    You know the drill, move the browser.apk to system/app/ and check its permissions, rename two BrowserProviderProxy.apk/odex (if you have them) and reboot.

    As always, use at your own risk, nandroid before if you dont know what you are doing..