Gingerbread keyboard app

[Guest thegom]

I have an Orange SF (GEN1 & TFT) running Swedish Spring ROM (Android 2.2) and am generally content with it except for text editing which is a pain.

A search of the Internet revealed that the keyboard from Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) is available as an app. The pdf guide to Android 2.3 indicates that editing is much improved so I thought I’d try it. I down loaded it (Gingerbread_Keyboard.apk) and tried to install it.

I first got a message saying “This is a system application. Do you still want to replace it?” I selected “OK” and got a message saying “Installing” which was quickly followed by a message saying “Application not installed” - though no explanation why.

Searching around I found a version of the 2.3 keyboard (gbkb-en.apk) which had been renamed to allow installation alongside the normal Android keyboard. This installed OK so it must be a name conflict preventing Gingerbread_Keyboard.apk from installing. Although gbkb-en.apk installed OK editing doesn’t work in the way described in the Android 2.3 guide – it is just like in the earlier version; a pain.

Does anyone know if this is because the 2.3 keyboard isn’t fully compatible with the SF or am I missing some setting or other? (there is a setting “Touch to correct words” which doesn’t appear to have an effect whether selected or not)

[Guest Phoenix Silver]

I don't know if it works with Android 2.2

Have you tried a very long press in an edit line and choose your keyboard ?

[Guest Pelemane]

This should work with 2.2.

[Guest thegom]

I don't know if it works with Android 2.2

Have you tried a very long press in an edit line and choose your keyboard ?

Yes and I am given a choice between HTC_IME mod, Android keyboard and Gingerbread keyboard. See also my reply to Pelemane

[Guest thegom]

This should work with 2.2.

I suspect this one is the same as the first one I downloaded (Gingerbread_Keyboard.apk) from a different site. I don’t currently have a Google account so can’t download this one to be sure and at the moment the system isn’t letting me create an account. I will try again later.

I have been doing more investigation and find that both the stock Android keyboard installed with the Swedish Spring ROM and the newly installed Gingerbread keyboard identify themselves as Android keyboard version 2.3.1 but the Android keyboard is 304KB and the Gingerbread keyboard is 1.35MB. Some careful checking has shown they operate identically. I have looked in the pdf Guides to both Android 2.2 and Android 2.3 for the information on editing text and both these keyboards operate in the way described in the guide to Android 2.2

I can see only 2 possibilities:

(i) the Swedish Spring ROM (which is Android 2.2) has the 2.3 keyboard built in and that for some reason the more sophisticated editing facilities of 2.3 don’t work with the Orange SF.

(ii) in spite of them both identifying themselves as version 2.3.1 they are in fact the stock Android keyboard from Android 2.2

The key difference is that when editing text in 2.3 the cursor has an orange tab which allows the cursor to be dragged to a chosen position. Version 2.2 has no such tab. I have a friend with Android 2.3 on an HTC and that operates as per the 2.3 guide.

[Guest t0mm13b]

A search of the Internet revealed that the keyboard from Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) is available as an app. The pdf guide to Android 2.3 indicates that editing is much improved so I thought I’d try it. I down loaded it (Gingerbread_Keyboard.apk) and tried to install it.

I first got a message saying “This is a system application. Do you still want to replace it?” I selected “OK” and got a message saying “Installing” which was quickly followed by a message saying “Application not installed” - though no explanation why.

That is a standard system warning message - provided that the apk is clean and not littered with trojans/malware - you should be okie.

But it is strange to think that you got a message "Installing" followed by "Application not installed"?! Have you rebooted after that and checked and confirmed it is indeed there - if not - that is a red flag warning! :)

There is a legitimate "gingerbread keyboard" available on the app store that will work with 2.2 - the quotes around it is the search keywords in the marketplace :)

P.S: Why not go with upgrading to CM7 ROM and you have it all there? :)

Edited September 11, 2011 by t0mm13b

[Guest thegom]

That is a standard system warning message - provided that the apk is clean and not littered with trojans/malware - you should be okie.

But it is strange to think that you got a message "Installing" followed by "Application not installed"?! Have you rebooted after that and checked and confirmed it is indeed there - if not - that is a red flag warning! :)

There is a legitimate "gingerbread keyboard" available on the app store that will work with 2.2 - the quotes around it is the search keywords in the marketplace :)

P.S: Why not go with upgrading to CM7 ROM and you have it all there? :)

I think the failure to install was due to trying to install the same keyboard that was already there.

I will look at the CM7 route.