PixelExtraParts (PEP)

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A system customization package for Android ROMs built from source: a privileged settings app (org.pixel.customparts), runtime hooks via Pine injection, thermal profiles, source snapshot patches, and an external addon SDK.

How it works under the hood (architecture, hooks, settings, patcher, thermal, sepolicy) is a separate document: docs/PROJECT.md. This file covers integration and maintenance only.

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⚠️ Read first: mandatory steps

Skipping even one of these gets you "it built fine, but nothing works" or a build failure.

#	Step	If you skip it
1	Apply the source patches (how)	Every option is there but nothing changes (especially launcher). The build still succeeds — which is exactly what misleads you
2	Remove the stock thermal HAL from the vendor image (how)	HAL conflict → possible bootloop: the stock HAL can't read a custom config, and there is no fallback
3	Check sepolicy against your base (how)	neverallow ... violated by allow ... midway through the build
4	Set VENDOR_PATH and DEVICE_CODENAME before inherit-product device.mk (how)	PixelExtraParts requires VENDOR_PATH...
5	Run sync_tree.py only from the tree root (how)	Broken snapshots, junk in bakFiles

Quick self-check:

# from the Android source tree root:
python3 packages/apps/PixelExtraParts/patches/apply_patches.py --check   # patches in place?
grep -rn "android.hardware.thermal-service.pixel" device/<vendor>/<codename>/  # own HAL present, stock removed?

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1. Integration

# Clone STRICTLY into this path:
git clone https://github.com/leegarchat/PixelExtraParts.git packages/apps/PixelExtraParts

In your device/product makefile, before inherit-product:

DEVICE_CODENAME := shiba
VENDOR_PATH := vendor/google/shiba
# optional, if thermal_info_config.json is in a non-standard location:
# THERMAL_CUSTOM_JSON_PATH := vendor/.../thermal_info_config.json

$(call inherit-product, packages/apps/PixelExtraParts/device.mk)

Variable	Required	Purpose
DEVICE_CODENAME	Yes	Suffix for generated thermal config names
VENDOR_PATH	Yes	Locating thermal_info_config.json and copy rules; without it the build errors out
THERMAL_CUSTOM_JSON_PATH	No	Explicit path to thermal_info_config.json if autodetection fails

What device.mk does on its own:

• adds to PRODUCT_PACKAGES: the PixelCustomPartsSystem app, init.pixelextraparts.rc, PineInject, libpine, and 8 addons;
• allowlists artifact paths (system_ext/etc/pixelparts/addons/*.jar, system/framework/PineInject.jar, system/lib64/libpine.so, etc.);
• runs the thermal config generator and includes ThermalConfigCopyRules.mk;
• includes sepolicy/vendor and sepolicy/system_ext/{public,private}.

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2. Source patches

The app is just a remote control: the hooks live in patched frameworks/base, Settings, hardware/google/pixel/thermal, system/sepolicy, system/memory. About 27 files + 1 new one (DtwSystemService.java). All commands run from the tree root.

python3 packages/apps/PixelExtraParts/patches/apply_patches.py --list    # what exists
python3 packages/apps/PixelExtraParts/patches/apply_patches.py --check   # what is already applied (dry-run)
python3 packages/apps/PixelExtraParts/patches/apply_patches.py --apply   # apply everything
python3 packages/apps/PixelExtraParts/patches/apply_patches.py --apply --only frameworks/base/core/java/android/app/Activity.java

Rules:

• New files from patches/files/new/ are created automatically.
• If the tree drifted from the snapshot, the patcher stops with a Manual action required: ... hint instead of guessing. Port manually (files/modified/ vs files/original/, or patch -p1 < files/patches/...) and re-run. If unsure — show both files to an AI.
• A single patch can be excluded: --configure-bypass <patch-id> on|off (IDs are shown by --list); apply despite the exclusion with --apply-bypassed.
• After your own edits + a fresh sync_tree.py -s snapshot, refresh the checked-in files:

python3 packages/apps/PixelExtraParts/patches/sync_from_bakfiles.py --snapshot latest --prune

Patcher engine internals and the full target list — docs/PROJECT.md.

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3. Safe repo sync (sync_tree.py)

The script saves local changes into bakFiles/snapshots/, syncs the tree, and restores the changes. Run only from the tree root (paths resolve from CWD).

Command	What it does
sync_tree.py -s -j4	Deep scan + snapshot + repo sync + patch restore
sync_tree.py -s -d	Snapshot only, no sync
sync_tree.py -c	View/apply patches from snapshots
sync_tree.py -f	Force sync: snapshot + revert, patches are NOT applied back
sync_tree.py -r	Revert to HEAD with a snapshot, no sync
sync_tree.py -e	Scanner exclusions
-y	Non-interactive mode

Before the first -s, add your device tree, vendor tree, and private directories to exclusions (-e) — otherwise the scanner will pick up other people's changes. Example for Pixel 8 series: device/google/shiba, vendor/google/shiba (out and the project itself are excluded by default).

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4. Thermal: two requirements

1. Remove the stock thermal from the vendor image in your device tree and build the HAL from source (hardware/google/pixel/thermal):

PRODUCT_PACKAGES += android.hardware.thermal-service.pixel thermal_symlinks
PRODUCT_SOONG_NAMESPACES += hardware/google/pixel/thermal

Remove from the vendor image: android.hardware.thermal-service.pixel{.rc,.xml,}, pixel-thermal-symlinks.rc, thermal-budget-interface-ndk, thermal_symlinks.

Why so strict: the stock HAL crashes with a path-conversion error on a custom config, and there is no fallback — the system may fail to boot after a reboot. If you can't fix the device tree right now, temporarily cut the thermal pieces out of common/, device.mk, and init.pixelextraparts.rc.

2. The generator (ThermalConfigs/generate_thermal_configs.py) is invoked from device.mk automatically: it finds thermal_info_config.json via VENDOR_PATH (or THERMAL_CUSTOM_JSON_PATH), emits stock/soft/medium/hard/off variants for SOC and battery into configs/ + ThermalConfigCopyRules.mk. Do not commit generated files.

How thermal works internally (properties, init.rc, per-app profiles) — docs/PROJECT.md.

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5. Sepolicy

• device.mk includes sepolicy/{vendor,system_ext/*} on its own.
• The patches add exceptions to system/sepolicy/private/{domain,coredomain}.te (e.g. -system_app for sysfs_batteryinfo and sysfs_leds) plus device/lineage/sepolicy.

If the build fails with neverallow ... violated by allow ... — first run the PEP patch --check: the exception you need is most likely already in the patch set. Keep manual adjustments for your base in your own device tree, not in PEP. Full policy breakdown — docs/PROJECT.md.

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6. Build and update

lunch <target>
m PixelCustomPartsSystem PineInject libpine

• Manual update of the built APK on a device: ./pep_update.sh install / ./pep_update.sh uninstall (needs adb root, userdebug).
• OTA metadata for your own builds: OTA/gen.sh <path_to_zip>; release summary — OTA/update_ota_json.py.
• Android.bp targets, manifest, permissions — docs/PROJECT.md.

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7. FAQ

Built successfully, but options do nothing (icons, launcher...)

The patches are not applied. See section 2: --check, then --apply. Critical for the launcher (launcher_hooks + frameworks/base).

`neverallow ... violated by allow ...` midway through the build

First --check the PEP patches — the exception may already be in the patch set. If your base differs, port it in your own device tree (see section 5).

The patcher says `Manual action required`

The tree drifted from the snapshot. Apply the changes manually using the files/original/ → files/modified/ pair (or files/patches/....patch), then re-run --apply.

Boot problems after switching the thermal profile

Stock thermal HAL in the image. See section 4.

`repo sync` wiped my changes

Sync only via sync_tree.py -s from the tree root (see section 3). Revert without sync is -r.

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For developers

Short version; details — docs/PROJECT.md:

• New settings only via SettingsKeys/SettingsCompat (Settings.Global, _pine suffix; legacy _xposed is read-only). Don't hardcode keys.
• Visible text via common/res/ resources (+ translations in lang/).
• Don't commit generated thermal configs or local files.
• When touching the patcher/thermal scripts, validate JSON/XML/Python.
• command.txt and test.files/ are dev clutter, not for production.

License

Project code plus several Android/Pine integration artifacts — check upstream files and imported prebuilts before redistributing binaries outside your ROM workflow.