Name: AlterInstaller
Author: chenxiaolong

Overview

AlterInstaller, developed by renowned Android software engineer chenxiaolong, is a specialized root utility designed to spoof package manager provenance metadata on Android 12 and newer.

Modern Android applications increasingly enforce anti-sideloading checks. Financial applications, DRM-protected media players, and games query PackageManager.getInstallSourceInfo() to discover which app installed them. If the application was sideloaded via an APK installer rather than downloaded through Google Play (com.android.vending), the app may restrict features or refuse to launch. Additionally, on Android 14+, the OS enforces “Update Ownership” rules, tying an app’s update rights to a specific store.

AlterInstaller resolves both issues. By directly patching /data/system/packages.xml during early boot before Android’s system services start, it safely modifies package metadata without requiring invasive runtime memory hooks.

Prerequisites & Compatibility

Android Version: Android 12 and newer only. Android 11 and earlier releases lack the corresponding update ownership and installer separation fields and are unsupported.
Root Environment: Compatible with both Magisk and KernelSU.
Hookless Design: Requires no Zygisk, LSPosed, or Xposed frameworks.

There are no documented module conflicts.

Configuration & Usage

AlterInstaller reads its instructions from a simple JSON manifest placed in /data/local/tmp/:

Install AlterInstaller-*.zip in Magisk or KernelSU.

Using any root file manager or terminal, create /data/local/tmp/AlterInstaller.json:

su
cat << 'EOF' > /data/local/tmp/AlterInstaller.json
{
    "org.videolan.vlc": {
        "installer": "com.android.vending",
        "updateOwner": "com.looker.droidify"
    },
    "com.example.bankingapp": {
        "installer": "com.android.vending"
    }
}
EOF

Set appropriate read permissions (chmod 644 /data/local/tmp/AlterInstaller.json).
Reboot your device.
During early boot, AlterInstaller parses the JSON, modifies the matching package tags in /data/system/packages.xml, and writes an execution log.

Supported Properties

Key	Description	Example
`installer`	The package name reported as the installing source	`com.android.vending` (Google Play)
`updateOwner`	The package authorized to apply future updates	`com.looker.droidify` or `org.fdroid.fdroid`

Troubleshooting & Verification

Verifying Applied Changes: Check the output log immediately following a reboot:
```
cat /data/local/tmp/AlterInstaller.log
```
Querying Package Manager Directly: Verify how Android now reports the target application’s install source:
```
su -c "dumpsys package com.example.bankingapp | grep -E 'installerPackageName|initiatingPackageName'"
```
Changes Persisting After Uninstall: Because AlterInstaller writes valid tags directly to the persistent /data/system/packages.xml database file, modified package attributes persist even if the module is disabled or removed. To revert an app, remove its entry from AlterInstaller.json and reboot.