Loading a resource to a mutable bitmap

You'd better use RapidDecoder.

import rapid.decoder.BitmapDecoder;

Bitmap mBackground = BitmapDecoder.from(res, R.drawable.image)
        .mutable().decode();

Works for API level 8.

Use decodeResource(Resources res, int id, BitmapFactory.Options opts) and specify inMutable in the options.

http://developer.android.com/reference/android/graphics/BitmapFactory.html