I've been looking at the root folder using Astro and there are several files/folders. Can any be deleted, without causing any problem? I'm running out of space and am hoping some are just temporary files etc...
For example I've spotted the APK files are in \system\app. I never use the Peep or Teeter apps. Can I safely delete their APK files?
Thanks
p.s - I am using an unrooted HTC Desire.
bradavon said:
I've been looking at the root folder using Astro and there are several files/folders. Can any be deleted, without causing any problem? I'm running out of space and am hoping some are just temporary files etc...
For example I've spotted the APK files are in \system\app. I never use the Peep or Teeter apps. Can I safely delete their APK files?
Thanks
p.s - I am using an unrooted HTC Desire.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you cant delete them using astro, we only have write access to /system in recovery, use adb in recovery to delete them
edit, without root you cant delete anything lol
bradavon said:
For example I've spotted the APK files are in \system\app. I never use the Peep or Teeter apps. Can I safely delete their APK files?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In addition, deleting anything from /system won't actually gain you any more space for applications anyway due to the way that the filesystems are partitioned.
Regards,
Dave
Thanks guys. I take it you mean we've got write but not modify access to the \system folder? So we can write to existing files but not delete them.
I wasn't just asking about \system though but any files/folders in the Root folder. Are there any at all, that can be safely deleted? Or are you saying you cannot delete a thing without rooting?
Not that it sounds like it will make any difference, due to partitioning.
Thanks
Ok to put it as simple as possible:
- no you cant pretty much delete a thing apart from sd without root
- we cant do anything in the system partition while the system is booted due to the nand protection
- we can modify /system while in recovery (using adb)
- when you are running out of space it is on the /data partition, which have a fixed size so deleting from /system or anything else won't help
And at last my advice to you is to go root and install a2sd easy as pie and i've never had space problems since.
Thanks for the informative reply mortenmhp
I have just rooted my 2.1 Desire, trying to remove two of the mms.apk and one other mms file in the /system folder so I can install a different mms.apk, however when I try to do it, it says I dont have the proper permissions. Its rooted, I see the Super User icon in applications.
Any suggestions?
Please read a little before asking questions. It is commonly known, that we dont have full root access on the desire yet.
Due to the nand protection you cant edit the system partition while the system is bootet. You have to use a custom recovery image either via fakeflash or installed by unrevoked. Then you can edit the system partition by using adb commands.
Edit: which i also stated quite clearly 2 posts above yours several months ago
Is A2SD better than the Android 2.2 implementation? Which as far as I can tell just moves the APK (not apps/data) to the SD Card.
Thanks.
Well it is kinda off topic here but in my opinion yes it is better. I'm running a2sd+ atm. and you can make it move /data/data as well.
In froyo there have been some complications though when remountingSD after using it as mass storage. But you can read more about that elsewhere(i would provide a link but I'm writing from my phone)
So the conclusion must be that it is down to personal preferences
Thanks because the official implementation is something of a cop out. On WM you could run the entire App/Data etc... on an SD card.
Related
hi im using LeeDrOiD_V2.1a_A2SD , is there any way to force apps to be run from the system memory instead of the sdcard, as far as i can tell it automatically goes to the sdcard?
would prefer to use the system memory for security software such as wavesecure?
thanks
John
Yes to run it from the system partition so it can not be removed the regular way, you just have to move the apk file from /sd-ext/app/ to /system/app/
This can be done using adb commands when in recovery or by applying the s-off hack and use an app like root explorer.
thanks
the apk file was in the folder /system/sd/app
and root explorer let me enable r/w access in it, without enabling s-off
i'm hoping i did it right
:-0
thanks again
John
Well you might be able to do it this way without s-off but it is not actually on the system partition. It depends on what Rom you are using.
But are you able to uninstall it using the settings menu?
it still gives me the option to uninstall yes, but at this point i just wanted to get it running off the phones memory, rather than off the sd card
thanks
John
ok it turns out root explorer didn't copy them over, so i copied them over with adb commands , and wavesecure doesn't show up as uninstallable
ta
John
jcat00uk said:
ok it turns out root explorer didn't copy them over, so i copied them over with adb commands , and wavesecure doesn't show up as uninstallable
ta
John
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah, most of the programs out there (like root explorer) won't throw out an error if they can'y mount it as R/W... because HTC was clever enough to hide that it can't be mounted RW without S-off
Rooted using Unrevoked. Have Root Explorer installed and Titanium. I know the system apps are in the folder: System/Apps When using Root Explorer I don't have the options. To uninstall the apps bit I can delete them. However, after deleting them the programs are still there. Same thing happens when I try to do it with Titanium. Is there something I'm overlooking?
System Apps do not get installed/uninstalled. Deleting them is all you need to to. However, since it appears you are still running the stock ROM you need to make sure you delete the corresponding odex file too.
I only had the stock ROM for about a day before I rooted and installed a different ROM (which was deodexed). BUT, I recall reading that both files need to be deleted.
I suggest that instead of deleting the files place them in a backup folder just in case you might need them later on. As mentioned before you must move the APK and its associated ODEX file if it has one. Sprint applications tend to be updated so uninstall the updates then move the Sprint applications using the aforementioned method.
Sent from my HTC EVO 4G. EVOke (v.) - Summon into action or bring into existence, often as if by magic.
so i have to move the sprint apk files and odex files (if applicable) before I can delete them? I already tried deleting them w/o backing them up or changing their location but they keep coming back!
SantinoInc said:
so i have to move the sprint apk files and odex files (if applicable) before I can delete them? I already tried deleting them w/o backing them up or changing their location but they keep coming back!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you mounting the apps folder with "rw" privileges before deleting?
Yes, I am. I have no clue what I'm doing wrong. I swear to god these ****ing apps come right back after I reboot the phone. I delete them with Titanium and/or Root Explorer and after a little while they pop up again. I have no idea what is going on. I rooted with Unrevoked 3.21...maybe something didn't go right?
I also can't get BusyBox to install which is a major pain in da ass because so many apps need it
My Desire's ROM is full. I have rooted the phone and using root explorer to remove garbage from the ROM. There are many apps in /system/app. Each app has a .apk file and an .odex file. Is it safe to move the *.apk files to my sd card to save up space? Or are they needed to run the application?
Thanx
norad73 said:
My Desire's ROM is full. I have rooted the phone and using root explorer to remove garbage from the ROM. There are many apps in /system/app. Each app has a .apk file and an .odex file. Is it safe to move the *.apk files to my sd card to save up space? Or are they needed to run the application?
Thanx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Think you may need to read a fair few of the posts in the forum if you are asking is it safe to remove apk's.
A fair answer is yes and no.
Some you can some you can't.
Removing the wrong ones will cause havoc with your phone.
Why not try flashing one of the custom Roms on here.
Thanx Raze.
I believe that the operating system either *needs* or *doesent need* an apk file in the system/app folder for the app to function correctly.
My question is: Does android 2.2 *need* or *not need* the .apk file of an app to exist in the /system/app folder in order for the app to function correctly? Isnt the odex file enough?
Since apk's are package files, my impression was that maybe they are not needed after the app is installed.
deleted .apk file = uninstalled app
deleted important.apk file = havoc on your phone
norad73 said:
My Desire's ROM is full. I have rooted the phone and using root explorer to remove garbage from the ROM. There are many apps in /system/app. Each app has a .apk file and an .odex file. Is it safe to move the *.apk files to my sd card to save up space? Or are they needed to run the application?
Thanx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You won't get any advantage from that; freeing space on the system storage partition won't lead you to have more room for your apps on the internal storage of your device: those are two different partitions. If you want more space on the internal storage partition you should flash a custom, resized partition table (you need s-off, look on the related topic for the howto) and (if you didn't do that yet) partition your sd, so that you can use a2sd scripts to move your stuff there. That's the best you can do if you wanna have more room for your apps, everything else won't help much imo
norad73 said:
Thanx Raze.
I believe that the operating system either *needs* or *doesent need* an apk file in the system/app folder for the app to function correctly.
My question is: Does android 2.2 *need* or *not need* the .apk file of an app to exist in the /system/app folder in order for the app to function correctly? Isnt the odex file enough?
Since apk's are package files, my impression was that maybe they are not needed after the app is installed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My understanding (please correct me if i am wrong as i am so used to windows phone) is that the odex file is simply the integrity of the apk. lots of roms now are de-odexed so you can push or zip-flash a file into its place and it will still function. if the rom still has the odex files this is not possible as the phone will check the apk against the odex file and bootloop. The apk is the install package and the woking part of the file itself. Your best bet would be to flash a rom with A2SD installed in it. This accesses a fat3 partition on your sd card which the android os sees as extra internal space. I'm running LeeDroid 2.2d A2SD version. I have more apps installed now than when i was on a stock rom (motonav, psx4droid, angry birds, snesoid etc) and my phone still says i have 85mb or 52% of my space left
Thank you guys, now it is clear.
I keep getting a storage space low warning on my Desire, and I am trying to find out how to free up some space. My phone is rooted, my sd is partitioned, and most of my apps are installed on the SD with apps2sd.
Any apps still installed on the phone do not support installing on the SD. I have removed almost all apps and left only a very few that cannot be moved.
EDIT: Just realized that HTC Mail data was taking up 65mb of the phone memory.... deleted it and now my phone can breathe again
you are rooted? well if you use a2Ext you dont have to move your Apps to SD.
Moved to Q&A as not development.
Please do not post such questions in development.
Check those articles:
Safe to remove apks:
http://androidforums.com/droid-x-al...t-apps-apks-removable-non-removable-root.html
http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/index.php?title=Barebones
Custom MTD Partitions (resize data, system, and cache):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=806321
With android essentially being a Linux based operating system. Is there any apps to clean up the system folders.
For examplecon windows I would have thecregistry cleaner and ccleaner.
I'm not just thinking of a cache cleaner
Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk
What do you mean with "clean"? If you mean deleting system apps which you do not use and can be deleted, there are two ways.
First way, if you are s-off:
Use an explorer which has root rights, navigate to /system/app and delete.
Second way, if you are not s-off (you can also do this if you are s-off, of course):
http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/wiki/Barebones
On this linked you also find a nice table, which tells what you can delete and what not.
I hope this helps you.
no.
The system directory is read only so nothing can be left there.
I think a cache cleaner is about the best your going to get.
mercianary said:
no.
The system directory is read only so nothing can be left there.
I think a cache cleaner is about the best your going to get.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is not true. Just do some search, and you will see, you are wrong and I am right.
Sent from Oxygen with Transparent XDA App
Confused, where am I wrong???
There's an app on market called 1-click cleaner which might be of some help to you
Sent from my CM7.1 Desire using XDA App
mercianary said:
Confused, where am I wrong???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With adb or an explorer with root rights (only if one is s-off) you can mount the /system partition from r/o (read only) to r/w (read/write). In r/w you can delete apps from /system partition.
Sent from Oxygen with Transparent XDA App
MatDrOiD said:
With adb or an explorer with root rights (only if one is s-off) you can mount the /system partition from r/o (read only) to r/w (read/write). In r/w you can delete apps from /system partition.
Sent from Oxygen with Transparent XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't agree more, but as you said /system is ro, the op wants to use something similar to ccleaner or a regcleaner for windows to clean up the system directory of files that are no longer required or old logs or whatever, not just apps, since /system is ro there is nothing there to clean up.
There is no need for such a cleaner in android or linux, imho. Never read/heard why it should be.
Sent from Oxygen with Transparent XDA App
As I can see he is S-OFF (from signature) so he will be able to delete system files - if he wants to. Still this isn't recommended to be used by anyone, unless you know exactly what you are doing.
Anyway I don't think he was looking for a way to delete the files himself, but for an automate app that does the job.
As timmaaa said the application 1-Click Cleaner could be what you are looking for, even though it won't delete unnecessary files in system folder (if these even exist? ).
I don't know the ins and outs of it.. apparently it just clears unused cache etc.. its only a few MB at a time though
Sent from my CM7.1 Desire using XDA App
UsManyDead said:
it won't delete unnecessary files in system folder (if these even exist? ).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is none. The previous posters stated /system is ro. On the more practical side, files being created on /system, would hypotetically change the space available there, which is not the case as the ammount of space is always the same. Cache cleaner is the best you are going to get. Not that you need anything else. This ain't the Windowz.
I think 'SD Maid' from the market is what you are looking for
UsManyDead said:
As I can see he is S-OFF (from signature) so he will be able to delete system files - if he wants to. Still this isn't recommended to be used by anyone, unless you know exactly what you are doing.
Anyway I don't think he was looking for a way to delete the files himself, but for an automate app that does the job.
As timmaaa said the application 1-Click Cleaner could be what you are looking for, even though it won't delete unnecessary files in system folder (if these even exist? ).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is what I wanted, as I know /system is read only but when I use root explorer there are unnecessary files such as logs which I have been deleting without any hassle. Which the cache cleaners haven't picked up. Also not just in the system folder but the few others that can be accessed.
Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk
Probably I missed this question being answered somewhere, but I am tired of searching for it, so here it goes...
I decided not to root my device for now, and I am trying to get the most of it with stock limitations. Generally it is fine, but what bothers me most is the fact that i seem to be unable to write any files on phones internal memory. Is it so, that all / filesystem is inaccessible for write, or is there a dir where i could store some files i would like my phone to be able to access while sdcard is unmounted?
I may be wrong but thats the limitations of a "stock" phone,if you want access to the files you would have to root AFAI
That's exactly the impression I have, and I don't like the idea. I'm ex WM5/WM6 user, and I simply cannot understand why can't I have let's say /tmp/ dir just for myself...
banannq said:
That's exactly the impression I have, and I don't like the idea. I'm ex WM5/WM6 user, and I simply cannot understand why can't I have let's say /tmp/ dir just for myself...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any reason for not rooting then? there are plenty stock roms/alternatives out there.
I grown tired of constantly tweaking my previous htc smartphone, decided to keep this one stock at least for now. I know rooting is an open door I will not want to close
and also I think there's no rooting method for gingerbread so far, is there?
As much as I know a downgrade is involved,I know what you mean about tinkering with the phone!It gets obsessive at times
You should have access to /data/local or at the very least /data/local/tmp
That's where fiels get pushed for rooting.
-Nipqer
The problem is I cannot even open /data directory
How are you trying to access the /data folder?
Cause if its some file manager app, some of them will only read sdcard.
-Nipqer
I'm used fre3vo to get temproot on my device (Z, Android 2.3.3),
and after that called:
mount -o remount,rw -t ext3 /dev/block/mmcblk0p25 /system
i can write to /system, but after reboot or remount into readonly all my changes dissapearing. Should i need S-OFF on my device? Can i get S-OFF without rollback to v1.34 on temp rooted 2.42?
Yeah the emmc is write protected when you are s-on, so any changes to /system will dissappear on reboot.
Unfortunately you cannot get s-off without downgrading to 1.34.
-Nipqer
Nipqer said:
How are you trying to access the /data folder?
Cause if its some file manager app, some of them will only read sdcard.
-Nipqer
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Normaly I use total commander for android, but tried also ES File explorer, Linda manager, andexplorer... all of them basicaly let me view / folders (with exception of /data, /root, /cache etc) so i think it is filesystem condition rather than file manager fault...
banannq said:
Normaly I use total commander for android, but tried also ES File explorer, Linda manager, andexplorer... all of them basicaly let me view / folders (with exception of /data, /root, /cache etc) so i think it is filesystem condition rather than file manager fault...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
try root explorer. you can still view directories without root (the app will just tell you that it failed to request superuser access). I'm pretty sure everything under /data is r/w access by default. My phone is rooted so I can't verify whether or not you can write to that directory on stock (I'd assume you could as long as there's free space available) but I can definitely recall being able to look at all my directories on stock using root explorer.
sephiroth1439 said:
try root explorer. you can still view directories without root (the app will just tell you that it failed to request superuser access). I'm pretty sure everything under /data is r/w access by default. My phone is rooted so I can't verify whether or not you can write to that directory on stock (I'd assume you could as long as there's free space available) but I can definitely recall being able to look at all my directories on stock using root explorer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I guess it doesn't matter what software i use android simply locks me out of internal phone memory. It sucks, because phone was advertised as having over 1GB of internal storage space (no mention about it being inaccessible), and i can't even store ringtones on my device (have to use sdcard, and suffer side effect of it being unmounted at times). What a shame... with all the greatness, android sucks at very simple things
banannq said:
I guess it doesn't matter what software i use android simply locks me out of internal phone memory. It sucks, because phone was advertised as having over 1GB of internal storage space (no mention about it being inaccessible), and i can't even store ringtones on my device (have to use sdcard, and suffer side effect of it being unmounted at times). What a shame... with all the greatness, android sucks at very simple things
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't blame Android for your carrier locking down your device
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App