Develop Bugs

[Q] Question A2SD & OpenDesire 4.0.34

Hi,
I'm using OpenDesire 4.0.34 and have partitioned my sdcard to have 3 partitions:
1 - FAT32 14GB
2 - EXT3 512MB
3 - SWAP/CACHE 32MB
Now I have one question:
I have enabled the "Allow application moving" setting in Settings->CyanogenMod settings->Application settings and selected Install location: Internal the same screen.
My question is: I've installed a bunch of apps I often use and they used to leave me with only 19MB free in internal phone memory. Now it shows free internal memory around 120MB?! I've checked all the apps in the Manage applications and they are on the phone (at least it says so). I've mounted /sd-ext in recovery and all the apps are there...
Can anyone explain me what's goin' on here?
Thanks for your help!

Uhm... you do know that the partition of an ext3 sd-ext system is exactly to provide greater storage space for your applications, don't you?!

Guess not...
The /sd-ext is the mount point of my ext3 partition on the sd card?
Anyway, I didn't move any app to sd card (at least explicitily).

z7x8c9 said:
Guess not...
The /sd-ext is the mount point of my ext3 partition on the sd card?
Anyway, I didn't move any app to sd card (at least explicitily).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you use Ext3 partition youll get "A2SD+" and both your internal memory and your Ext3 partiton will become your new "internal" space on phone. So if the setting is set to "internal" the apps will go to ext3 and internal phone memory.
The internal phone memory counter however only show how much space you have on the internal phone memory where only small parts of the apps is installed.

I just removed my sdcard to see what would happen and all my apps are gone.
As such I assume they are all on the sdcard...
So when using the ext3 partition, how can I choose if an app is installed to the phone memory or to the sdcard? Is this possible at all?
Also, when I go to manage applications, I can "move to sd card" any app, but what does this do then?
I'm a bit confused...

Moved to Q&A as not development.
Please do not make new threads in development to ask questions

z7x8c9 said:
I just removed my sdcard to see what would happen and all my apps are gone.
As such I assume they are all on the sdcard...
So when using the ext3 partition, how can I choose if an app is installed to the phone memory or to the sdcard? Is this possible at all?
Also, when I go to manage applications, I can "move to sd card" any app, but what does this do then?
I'm a bit confused...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you are getting apps2sd confused with the native android move to sd function!!, when you create an ext partition and use a rom that supports apps2sd, the developer has used a script that point the device to the /sd-ext as the INTERNAL STORAGE location, where as if you use the move to sd function in android, the apk's are move to the Androidsecure folder in the root of your sd card, as aposed to being stored in /data/app

I think I've got it...
On an a2sd enabled rom, I'm not required to do anything in order to install apps on the sdcard.
The move to sdcard button is the native android method to move apps to the sdcard.
I got confused because in OpenDesire in the Settings->CyanogenMod settings->Application settings there is an option to allow application moving, but all this does is enable me to move any app to the .android_secure using the move to sdcard button. It's got nothing to do with a2sd, right?
Thanks for your help!

[Q] ROM full, even with app2sd; dalvikCache

So, you are thinking 'not again the *** apps2sd n00b question', but here I am
I did some research on XDA and the rest of the internet though, but nobody seems to have this problem.
I have a rooted Desire with DeFrost 6.0. With it, it is very easy to install your apps on the SD-card. I have only 8 apps on the ROM itself, but those are widgets and apps with notifications like Facebook (notifications don't work if they are installed on de sd-card is my experience).
The rest of my applications are installed on the sd-card (around 80 apps). But the problem is that all apps also have a piece of dalvikCache on the ROM as well. You all know that of course. For instance, I installed Documents To Go (5MB) on the sd-card. It also has 5MB dalvikCache on the ROM, so thats double the price .
Now if people ask here 'is it safe to move the cache to the sd-card', most of you say 'unless you want to show off how much empty space you have on your phone, I would just keep it on the phone'. But I do not have any free space.
With DiskUsage I can see that I have around 150 MB of data: 26MB system data, 15MB free space (and he is already nagging the telephone is running out of space), and more than 100MB of applications, with most of it is dalvikCache.
So is this normal? Is 80 apps really the max you can have?
My biggets app is by the way Documents To Go (5MB), and I had to delete it. So I don't have very big apps.
Just want to know how much apps you guys have
Thanks.

How have you forced the Dalvik Cache to stay on the phone memory and why/how have you copied your widgets on your phone memory?
PS: Do you use an EXT3 Partition or the Froyo legacy A2SD?

It's not unusual to move dalvik cache as well as the app. You will need root though, and then just partition your sd-card and install a rom with a2sd+. The only /data/data will take up space on the phone.

UpSpin said:
How have you forced the Dalvik Cache to stay on the phone memory and why/how have you copied your widgets on your phone memory?
PS: Do you use an EXT3 Partition or the Froyo legacy A2SD?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't do anything to force the cache to stay on de phone. But it's normal the dalvikCache is on the phone memory right?
I use defrost 6.0 and in it you can go to settings > applications > manage applicatons, an you can move all your apps to the sd-card. I'm not sure what kind of A2SD that is.
I move any applications with widgets to my phone memory, because otherwise widgets don't work anymore if you reboot your phone.
@mortenmhp: But also a lot of people do not recommend to move the dalvikcache. Is it safe to do?

you're confusing a few things:
APPS2SD:
There are two methods used at the moment.
The Froyo method, made by Google, which you use at the moment. It installs the app on the phone memory and is able to outsource a small amount of data to the FAT32 partition on your SD-card. It does create failures with apps that use widgets or run in the background.
The A2SD+ method, integrated in DeFroST and almost every other custom ROM. You have to create an EXT3 partition on your SD card (use ROM manager for this) and then reflash the rom. After that it gets activated automatically. All apps and also the dalvik cache gets moved on the EXT3 partition on your SD card. You don't have to and you shouldn't move any apps around afterwards with the Froyo A2SD described above. Only some small data gets stored by the apps itself on the internal phone memory.
Moving the dalvik cache is safe. Maybe you confuse it with SWAP? Which isn't necessary on the HTC Desire.

ok, this is a little confusing
I'm running defrost
let's suppose that I installed the firefox app.
the diskusage tool tells me that it takes 13,4 MB in internal memory.
in applications settings, I have the option to move the app to sd card.
When I do this, my available memory does not change (102 mb)
Does that mean that firefox was already on the sd card ?
In that case how do I know what eats up my data storage ?
Thanks for precisions ?

Do you use A2SD+ together with an EXT3 partition.
If so, every app you install will get installed on the EXT3 partition on your SD-card together with the Dalvik cache, instead of your internal phone memory. If you move this app with the Froyo A2SD tool to the SD card then you'll move the app from the EXT3 partition to your FAT32 partition, stupid.
However, every app, while running, creates some temporary data files. Those files remain on the internal phone memory. And maybe Firefox mobile creates some huge data files, but the main app is installed on the EXT3 partition, now, because you moved it with Froyo A2SD, a small part is installed on the EXT3 partition and some part, the moved on the FAT32 partition. The created data remains untouched.
I had 106 MB free internal memory. Then I installed Firefox and still had 106MB free. I started Firefox, 103 MB free.
Diskusage tells me Firefox needs 2.81MB internal memory. 2.81MB of this is data.
In the Android app settings android tells me Firefox occupies 16.19 MB, 13.38 MB for the app, 2.81 MB data.
So those 13.38 MB are located on the EXT3 partition. If I move Firefox now, parts of the 13.38 MB get moved from the SD card to the SD card.

Ah, I get it now. Thank you very much. I did everything you said, so it should be ok now. So there is no need anymore to move apps, with widgets for instance, to the memory of the phone?
Thanks!

If you use app2sd with the ext partition now, then no, you don't have to move any app or widget around, and you shouldn't.
With Quick System Info you can check how much free space is left on your ext partition.
Sent from my HTC Desire using XDA App

[Q] Moving apps to A2SD+

Hi,
I met with a small issue regarding apps not storing correctly in ext3 partition.
I flashed with DeFrost 6.0d yesterday night and used Titanium Backup to only backup apps.
After which, I used TB again to 'Move user apps to SDcard'. Which I think breaks it, and move to SD card as I took a look at my sdcard storage, it left with 0byte. Before that I still have around few hundred mb.
My question is, right now, how do I move those apps back to the ext3? My internal memory after flashed is 144mb, but after using TB to restore apps, it shot down to 30+mb.
As a result, I am now unable to also update the apps through Market. All it says was installed unsuccessfully. I tried to move one apps back to internal memory, and update and it was successful.
How do I also know whether apps is installed using A2SD+ or Froyo appstoSD?
Thanks!

If you have a nandroid backup, you can restore from it. However it looks llike ur sd card might have got corrupted (either ext3 partition or fat32 or both). If it does not work, format and re-partition the sd card, wipe and reflash the rom and install the apps again.
If you have the latest nandroid, just format and re-partition (after backing up) the sd and restore it.
Edit: if the froyo a2sd is being used, then the apps will be in the .android_secure folder in the root of ur sd card (fat32) (in an encrypted format)

Thanks for the reply.
I found out that if I move the apps back to Phone, I will be able to update the apps and also, my internal memory will not decrease (only by .xxmb).
Does that mean that while pushing back to phone, a2sd+ actually is working on the background and the apps is actually stored in ext3 instead of phone memory?
My .android_secure folder is emptied btw.

Trouble with MIUI Apps2sd+

I'm having trouble getting apps2sd+ to work on the MIUI rom. I've used rom manager to partition the card and when i go to sd settings its showing the partition as apps2sd+ but when i download apps it seems to be using the partiton and the phone memory? Also when i go on titanium backup it doesnt show the partition at all???

steslatt said:
I'm having trouble getting apps2sd+ to work on the MIUI rom. I've used rom manager to partition the card and when i go to sd settings its showing the partition as apps2sd+ but when i download apps it seems to be using the partiton and the phone memory? Also when i go on titanium backup it doesnt show the partition at all???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try using an app from the Android Marketplace called Quick System Info to check that is it working correctly. Your internal memory may still go down as only portions of the apps (i.e. data) you install are sent to the sd card's ext partition.

The partition worked but its saving all the app on the phone memory as well as the sd card

steslatt said:
The partition worked but its saving all the app on the phone memory as well as the sd card
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried clearing the Dalvik cache? Might help some.

Yes i've tried everything, wiped dalvik, factory reset, formated sd card again and partitioned it again. Going to try another rom now. Shame i quite liked the MIUI

steslatt said:
The partition worked but its saving all the app on the phone memory as well as the sd card
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats impossible, the way apps2sd works, it moves the /data/app/ directory to the SD-EXT... as masdroid explaned, the reason your internal storage is decreasing is apps2sd dosent move the data/data directory, this remains on the internal storage, some apps use a large amount of space in /data/data/ some use none at all. but from what i have read, your apps2sd is working pefectly

I am having the same issue. When I use 'File Manager', I see a folder sd-ext but there is nothing in there.
I've already went through Systems >> Settings >> Manage Applications and moved all my apps (the ones allowed) onto the SD. I don't know where or what folder it's actually being saved in though.
I used ROM Manager to partition the SD card. I even went through 'Terminal' to do the commands that would push it to the ext3 but I'm still not understanding what I'm doing wrong.
I'm on the latest version of MIUI. Can someone please help me?

The MIUI rom has a2sd desactivate by default, you have to put -> a2sd reinstall in a terminal then reboot and finish with -> a2sd cachesd
EDIT: First you have to write -> su

You need to turn it on yourself
Sorry for my bad English!!

anthack01 said:
The MIUI rom has a2sd desactivate by default, you have to put -> a2sd reinstall in a terminal then reboot and finish with -> a2sd cachesd
EDIT: First you have to write -> su
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi anthack01, thanks for the response. So that means any apps that I have moved to the SD already (based on the cupcake process) will have to be redownload again?
Also, if I upgrade to a newer version of MIUI, I would have to do this process via Terminal each and every time?

luvtommie said:
Hi anthack01, thanks for the response. So that means any apps that I have moved to the SD already (based on the cupcake process) will have to be redownload again?
Also, if I upgrade to a newer version of MIUI, I would have to do this process via Terminal each and every time?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
try miui d2ext version rom.......
m using it with 1gb card partitions n its showing 1gb internal memory .. so i can install lots of application with few hd games too.... if any problem u can pvt me.....

luvtommie said:
Hi anthack01, thanks for the response. So that means any apps that I have moved to the SD already (based on the cupcake process) will have to be redownload again?
Also, if I upgrade to a newer version of MIUI, I would have to do this process via Terminal each and every time?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The apps you moved to SD card (FAT32-partition) should be moved back on internal storage.
No, you don't have to do that (as far as I remember).

App2sd not working properly?

Ok, here's my situation:
Wildfire s A510e
S-ON
Android 2.3.3
This thing enabled
According to app2sd, i've got no more moveable apps, on my internal memory there are just 7 apps installed (Google Maps, Facebook, Vocal Search, Youtube, Gmail, Clock Widget, 3g Watchdog), but i've got just 6mb free (out of 150mb).
The thing is, browsing my internal memory (using for example Disk Usage, which i think is very user friendly), i found out that all the apps i've installed on the sd have a lot of data on the internal storage anyway.
For example, i've got Barcode Scanner installed on my SD, But it uses 545kb on my internal memory 600kb on the SD.
And another thing: when i browse to settings- applications - manage apps, i can see Barcode Scanner installed on the SD, but it says it uses 545kb (which is the amount of data in the internal memory).
So, is all this normal? 'cause otherwise i don't see the point in installing apps on the sd if they fill up the internal memory anyways.
Any idea? Any suggestion?
Thanks in advance!

I have soff, a rooted rom. Many apps installed ans 120mb or so free memory. I think ans soff device is more flexible to tweak.
Sent from my HTC Wildfire S using xda premium

Ok, found out that the data not bein moved is mainly davlik cache and .apk files.
Now, although I already know the answer... Is it impossible to move those files, without root privileges, right?
Damn, I want S-OFF.

That's right, you need root access in order to move any system file on the device to another location, such as a different partition or external card.
Sent from my HTC Wildfire S A510e using XDA App

Update:
I've unlocked and rooted my phone.
I've created a 1024mb ext4 partition and installed Link2SD.
Moving all the apps to the partition.
Still, i found .apk files and davlik cache in the primary partition.
Any help? I though with root all my space problems would be over easyly :S

I did a 1024mb partition and used data2sd, I don't have to move app myself, the internal memory show my 1,150 GB...
Maybe you should use data2sd :/
Sent from my HTC Wildfire S using XDA App

update to rom 2.3.5 will actually free up more memory even you don't have the unlock your phone. For stock app e.g. facebook, gmail; if you happened to update it, they are unable to be moved to the SD card and occupy much of the internal memory. You can always use app2sd to move the other application to the SD card to free your internal memory once you've updated from 2.3.3 to 2.3.5, I think the HTC people have made some improvement in their latest update with regards to the internal memory issue.
After the updating, I haven't yet unlock my phone (as there was no suitable RUU for my carrier), yet I have free memory of 40 Mb on a 2.3.5 rom Vs that of 15Mb on a 2.3.3 rom.

SavageButcher said:
Update:
I've unlocked and rooted my phone.
I've created a 1024mb ext4 partition and installed Link2SD.
Moving all the apps to the partition.
Still, i found .apk files and davlik cache in the primary partition.
Any help? I though with root all my space problems would be over easyly :S
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you do MOVE to SD or Link?
Move to SD is just using the built in Apps2SD support which still leaves parts of the APK, all the Dalvik Cache and Library files still on your internal Data partition.
Link is what you want... There are a few apps like Link2SD that, for obvious reasons, won't link.
You are not looking to use the Apps2SD function. Link.
Also you will see ALL the apps and Dalvik cache files listed on the Data partition still but if you look carefully they are sizeless as they are simply "links" or shortcuts if you like, to the real files on your secondard SD partition.
You will also still see the System APKS Dalvik cache files unless you integrate them into the system partition using something like Titanium Backup Pro. This is as it should be. System Dalvik will not move to an external partition.

If you're rooted and have a recovery, just install DT a2sd. Once your find the file, flash it, go to terminal emulator in the phone and type
Code:
su
A2sd reinstall
your phone will do a hot reboot. Then go back in and type
Code:
su
a2sd cachesd
There will bet another hot reboot and you're done. You'll still lose some internal memory as time goes by, but that's because the phone will store the apps cache on you're internal memory still.
Sent from my HTC_A510c using Tapatalk

d33ps1x said:
Did you do MOVE to SD or Link?
Move to SD is just using the built in Apps2SD support which still leaves parts of the APK, all the Dalvik Cache and Library files still on your internal Data partition.
Link is what you want... There are a few apps like Link2SD that, for obvious reasons, won't link.
You are not looking to use the Apps2SD function. Link.
Also you will see ALL the apps and Dalvik cache files listed on the Data partition still but if you look carefully they are sizeless as they are simply "links" or shortcuts if you like, to the real files on your secondard SD partition.
You will also still see the System APKS Dalvik cache files unless you integrate them into the system partition using something like Titanium Backup Pro. This is as it should be. System Dalvik will not move to an external partition.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks deepsix! That actually worked. (btw i realized that by myself just 30 secs after i wrote my previous post, i feel so noob for writing that, lol.)