System Application Automatic Downgrades

[Dave Smith]

Hi all -

We have an embedded device running FroYo that is exhibiting some strange behavior with regards to installed versions of system applications.  We have added a couple applications to the ROM in /system/app that we also update OTA using the standard package installer Intent.

I'm fully aware that on startup, Android will always reinstall (i.e. overwrite) the currently installed package if the version in /system/app is equal to or greater than the installed version code (although I can't remember the exact point in the source where that occurs, if anyone knows that it would be helpful as well).  However, we have seen that periodically on a few units, when Android starts up it will revert to the version in /system/app even if the installed version is much newer.  This also does not happen on the next reboot after the install, the newer version is running for some time before a reboot where this overwrite occurs.

Are there any other cases (i.e. corrupt/unreadable APK file for the installed package, etc.) besides a version mismatch that the package manager would feel the need to automatically reinstall the /system/app version of the application?

Many thanks in advance,

Dave Smith

@devunwired