Develop Bugs

[Q] How does APPS2SD *actually* work?

Hey guys,
Been searching on this for a whle and haven't found the info I'm looking for.
How does the custom APPS2D actually work? By that I mean, what is it really doing? I know it's copying the app(s) to the partitioned ext2/3/4 area of the sdcard, but how does it know *what* part of the app to move as it seems something is always left on the phone.
I'm currently running AdamG's OpenDesire 3.0.5 (nice) and thanks to the script provided by msdl28712 in this thread here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=748529, I can see that APPS2SD is saving me "188MB". Pretty nice.
But my internal memory is still going down. I started out at about 148MB I think. I'm currently at about 115MB free. Of course, that's fantastic - but it sort of suggests that, even though I've downloaded loads of apps to the sd card, they will always leave some footprint/config/data on the internal memory of various sizes (as I can see it on my info page).
So really, I am still quite limited in the number of apps I can store. Even though I gave myself a nice big 4gb ext4 partition, I'll still hit a limit because of the footprint data left behind on the phone's int memory even after "copying to SD".
Is this right or am I way off?

Although I have no Actual knowledge of what you ask I will say this. The phone needs to be able to function if there is a SD card installed or not and therefore it must have info about the apps installed in the phone memory. I would imagine its very similar to windows and the windows registry. The registry will always be stored on the windows (Phone) storage and the program resources can be anywhere. Therefore when you install an app there will always be a small amount of phone storage required to link to and handle the operations of that program.
All in my opinion.

Some apps, not all, I've found in multiple places on my Eris.
I found it strange that the market wasn't consistently placing them in both places ( actually, that's a good thing, cause it would eat double the space ), but that led me to believe that the developer who wrote whichever particular app that was being stored in 2 location, wrote it to store to additional "backup" location ...
For example, say you download an item from the Android market, and it puts it in the "data\app" folder location. Well, I'd also find another copy in the root of the "cache\" folder ....
The way I found this, was I wondering where the heck all my memory was going, especially since I'd recently installed/uninstalled some various music player apps, but the space wasn't being freed up. I went digging through various folders looking for items, and low and behold, started finding the duplicately stored APK files. I started removing them, and I've monitored that files contents on a regular basis since, which has helped.
- JB

What A2SD? A2SD+, A2SD Froyo?
Found a nice explanation on CM Wiki... can't find it now though...
but there's always short explanation by MIUI Au..if you wanna give it a tryy
http://www.miui-au.com/faq/a2sd/

johnrbrown1968 said:
Some apps, not all, I've found in multiple places on my Eris.
I found it strange that the market wasn't consistently placing them in both places ( actually, that's a good thing, cause it would eat double the space ), but that led me to believe that the developer who wrote whichever particular app that was being stored in 2 location, wrote it to store to additional "backup" location ...
For example, say you download an item from the Android market, and it puts it in the "data\app" folder location. Well, I'd also find another copy in the root of the "cache\" folder ....
The way I found this, was I wondering where the heck all my memory was going, especially since I'd recently installed/uninstalled some various music player apps, but the space wasn't being freed up. I went digging through various folders looking for items, and low and behold, started finding the duplicately stored APK files. I started removing them, and I've monitored that files contents on a regular basis since, which has helped.
- JB
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First of all you are answering a quite old thread(hint: 8th august)
Second to clarify no, the app is not installed to several locations.. The apk file in the cache is just the one, that the market downloads in order to install it(hint: cache) upon installation the file is placed in the /data/app folder or in case you are using a2sd/a2sd+ it will be placed in /sd-ext/app(the phone still think it is in /data/app, but it wont take up space on the /data partition)
After the installation the downloaded .apk file is sometimes left behind, but as the /cache partition have a fixed size, this won't take up any space for app installs(/data) when the space is needed on the cache partition for another download or something else, the file is eventually deleted.
edit: for people, who want to know the answer to OP, please search I and many others have wrote it over and over again in this very forum.

[Q] Any uses for /system folder? (Rooted Phone)

I've a strange question that might or might belong in the development thread, but figured since it's a question, I'll try here first.
I'm using a Stock DeOxed Rooted Rom on my EVO.
I recently installed a few more apps and saw this pesky little warning about low on space.
When I went into my "SystemPanel" app to see how much space was left exactly and noticed that my /data folder only had around 30megs out of it's 428M available.
Ok.. time to delete some apps I thought, but then I noticed that my /system folder (Where I presume pre-installed apps live) had almost 1/3 of it's space still available (115 out of 350megs available).
So I'm wondering.....
Is there some method that I can use to install Apps directly to this folder instead of the standard /data that apps appear to go to when installed?
Is it as simple as moving the APK file with Root Explorer, or are there some under the hood items in apps that prevent this sort of thing?
I've a few rather large apps that I cannot move to the SD card due to widget problems and the like but would be perfect for the system folder if I can find a way to move them there easily.
Thoughts?

DroidGnome said:
I've a strange question that might or might belong in the development thread, but figured since it's a question, I'll try here first.
I'm using a Stock DeOxed Rooted Rom on my EVO.
I recently installed a few more apps and saw this pesky little warning about low on space.
When I went into my "SystemPanel" app to see how much space was left exactly and noticed that my /data folder only had around 30megs out of it's 428M available.
Ok.. time to delete some apps I thought, but then I noticed that my /system folder (Where I presume pre-installed apps live) had almost 1/3 of it's space still available (115 out of 350megs available).
So I'm wondering.....
Is there some method that I can use to install Apps directly to this folder instead of the standard /data that apps appear to go to when installed?
Is it as simple as moving the APK file with Root Explorer, or are there some under the hood items in apps that prevent this sort of thing?
I've a few rather large apps that I cannot move to the SD card due to widget problems and the like but would be perfect for the system folder if I can find a way to move them there easily.
Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
/system/app is where system apps are kept. If I remember correctly, any app can be installed into there, but you have to do through flashing an update.zip if I'm remembering properly. You may be able to take the apk that's in /data/app for the app you want to move and move it to /system/app, but I'm not sure if that will work properly or not. Someone who cooks ROMs might know more.
Also, you can partition your sd card and use true apps2sd with most ROMs. Its a little bit of work and will shorten the life of your card, but that gives you a lot more room if you need it.

I don't know that there's a way to move user apps to system. It's very possible there is a way, I've just never seen any posts about it. Apps 2 SD is usually the way to go.
ps. 30 megs?!?! Geez, how many apps do you have?
Sent from my SUPERSONIC

Easy peasy
First, use a true apk backup tool to backup e apk files you want to move. Titanium backup will NOT work because it compresses and distorts, and we need true apk files. I recommend file manager by adao team. Just go to applications, check what you want, and hit backup. Next, get the apk files on your computer by mounting sd and copying files from backups folder. You will lose all app data, but what can you do? Next, adb push the files to system app folder while in recovery mode (just say so if you don't know how to do this and i will tell you) and reboot. Done. Tell me if it works well.
By the way, 30 megs???

Doesn't froyo install to the sdcard if you tell it to?
I thought a2sd was obsolete

You can put apps there after changing the folder's permissions but I wouldn't recommend it. Just not a good idea to put regular apps there.
Just install them to your SD card instead
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

go into the android app manager and go through all your programs and click on move to sd card...
they will all still occupy some space on your nand, but not nearly as much.

Thanks for the advice, I thought it might not be as easy as moving them, oh well, just seems a shame for there to be over 100 megs I cannot do anything with.
I already had moved all I could to the SD card prior to posting this, but thanks for that advice as well, I'm sure others forget they can do that with Froyo.
As for the 30 megs I had left.. we'll it's back up to about 70 free which should be plenty for a while. (Remember we only have about 420 to start with).
Some of the big ones which could not be moved to the SD card are:
Swype (Deleted, took over 17megs)
TouchDown (12 megs.. must keep for tasks sync sadly)
Google Maps update (7.6 megs)
Documents to go (8megs)
A few various games that cannot yet be moved to the SD card at around 5megs each..
The rest are just lots of little apps.. I'm sort of an app junkie You should have seen my old Palm Centro... it was amazing!
According to Titanium, I currently have 194 'User apps', though I think a few are simply widgets, icon packs and the like.

[Q] How can I run CopyProtect apps from SD, to save built in storage space??

Ok I'm sure most Slide owners have run into problems with space on the phone, luckily for most apps you can move them and run from the SD card (w/ 2.2).
However with other apps that i have paid for - "documents to go" and and a few others labeled as "copy protected", even as root, I cant seem to find a way to move the apps to SD and run them from the external storage. I have no interest in pirating apps... but the ones i have paid for i think i should be able to run them from wherever... and my slide is seriously running out of space... as once you get the dreaded "low space warning" certain google and other apps fail to work / sync properly...
Does anyone have any ideas suggestions to circumvent and RUN the "copy protected" apps from the SDcard (I dont care about backing up apps... just want to run the apps i paid for from the SD card)
Also I have noticed that some google apps that can be downloaded from the market (maps, etc) also cannot be moved to SD... Additionally i have found that when there is a new version of an app available the new app sometimes does not ' get rid of ' or ' replace ' the old app so even small apps can take up a lot of space unless apps are periodically un-installed and then reinstalled.. for instance last time i checked "opera MINI" app was taking up 10MB, (with cache cleaned etc...) but after uninstall and re-install of "Opera Mini" now its like 1.1MB...
But it would really help to figure out how to move & run my paid apps from the SD card...

steve_77 said:
Ok I'm sure most Slide owners have run into problems with space on the phone, luckily for most apps you can move them and run from the SD card (w/ 2.2).
However with other apps that i have paid for - "documents to go" and and a few others labeled as "copy protected", even as root, I cant seem to find a way to move the apps to SD and run them from the external storage. I have no interest in pirating apps... but the ones i have paid for i think i should be able to run them from wherever... and my slide is seriously running out of space... as once you get the dreaded "low space warning" certain google and other apps fail to work / sync properly...
Does anyone have any ideas suggestions to circumvent and RUN the "copy protected" apps from the SDcard (I dont care about backing up apps... just want to run the apps i paid for from the SD card)
Also I have noticed that some google apps that can be downloaded from the market (maps, etc) also cannot be moved to SD... Additionally i have found that when there is a new version of an app available the new app sometimes does not ' get rid of ' or ' replace ' the old app so even small apps can take up a lot of space unless apps are periodically un-installed and then reinstalled.. for instance last time i checked "opera MINI" app was taking up 10MB, (with cache cleaned etc...) but after uninstall and re-install of "Opera Mini" now its like 1.1MB...
But it would really help to figure out how to move & run my paid apps from the SD card...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look for Dark Tremors Apps2SD in the development section. This will create a partition on your SD card that will allow apps be be moved. Unlike the default Apps2SD in CM, this should allow those specific apps to be moved.

is there any new updates on how to do this i tried installing dark tremors - but could not get it to work.... has there been any progress in this area? Is there some special way to install/use dtapps2sd-2.7.5.3-beta04-signed.zip?

HEY dud have you ever tried data2ext, it partitions a space in your memory card to not only install apps2sd, but that extra data that is eating up your phone space. I do not know if this will fix your copy protected issue, but before my phone only had 150mb space MAX! (on CM7 by the way, wtf!?!?) after i did the data 2 ext, my phone has over 472mb of free space and i have well over 50-100 apps installed and it takes no more than 70mb! (and i dont even have all of my apps on sd yet, it is about 5 or 6 apps with well over 10mb-20mb still on the phone memory. search these forums and i promise you it is on here!!!
if this helps, would u mind hittin the thanks button

[problem] Convert2Ext4 issues

Hello,
I used this thread just the other day to install the convert2ext4 no_data_limit_dalvik_moved mod on my Droid Incredible with Cyanogenmod 7.2 on it, using CWM and following the steps. Everything seemed to work fine, except now I notice some inconsistencies and issues:
The ~150mb data/data definitely got moved into the bigger, 750mb internal storage partition, but the 150mb data/data doesn't seem to have been allotted appropriately, and the internal storage still shows 750mb and the move of the data filled up the remainder of the space I had available (I have since made more space, approx 90mb available atm). Also, when I run the "mount | grep ext4" command in the terminal, it displays the two lines as it should. Additionally, some of my apps had gone missing. They didn't show up in my app drawer or under installed apps, or any other app manager I used. I used the dalvik wipe zip from that same thread, and rebooted again. This time, different apps were missing, some that had been mia were back and others were gone.
I was getting force closes constantly before installing the mod, despite uninstalling 10+ apps in an effort to stop it, and the mod DID stop that issue.
I tried to search for anyone with a similar issue but had no luck. Any help would be appreciated!

Link2SD & CM11: Optimal Strategies

I am super-curious if & how anyone here is using Link2SD successfully with CM11 (on the Epic 4G, specifically).
I've tried scouring these forums, and the Internet in general, to figure out the best way to get this to work...
But everything that I've tried, it all seems to be working great, only up until the first time that the phone reboots, then it all goes to hell.
I am wondering if there are any extra steps to follow, specifically for the Epic 4G, or any particular pitfalls known to avoid?
That's why I wanted to ask here, specifically to Epic 4G users...
If you are getting Link2SD to work well with CM11, then please chime in here, and can you explain how you got it all set up and working well?
(I feel like this is the one last thing that if I could conquer it, then I could really continue to get a lot of life out of this phone... as it stands, it seems too risky to put much faith in Link2SD, because if the phone happens to spontaneously reboot while I'm out running around, then I'm screwed because so many apps just disappear, and then it's a pain to re-download, re-install, and re-setup each of them...)
Thanks in advance for any help,
AS

I am using Link2SD on my Epic 4G with CM11 with some success. I just did a reboot, and as usual lost any icons that had links created in Link2SD, so I go to the app locker & re-add them to my home screen. This is typical of what happens on a reboot for me. One thing I did notice is that it takes a minute or so for the deleted app icons to show up in the app locker again, so if you are reinstalling them, it may be a matter of waiting for them to show back up. Also on occasion(not this time), Link2SD will prompt me about a problem with the links and then prompt me to reinitiate the partition or something to that affect. Once I do that and it reboots, the app icons are still gone, so I just re-add them. Anyway, I know its not a perfect solution, but with this device its better than running out of RAM. One last thing, needless to say, I only create links for enough apps to free up enough RAM to keep my Epic working properly.

I've finally got a system going that seems to work for me, and so I thought I'd share some things.
I'm on CM11 (as of today, cm-11-20140602-NIGHTLY-epicmtd.zip) and I'm using Link2SD.
HERE'S A "GOTCHA" THAT HAD ME PULLING MY HAIR OUT FOR AT LEAST A DAY OR TWO:
Link2SD was having problems mounting the 2nd partition - it would just say "Mount script cannot be created." or something like that (not a very helpful error message), no matter how many times I rebooted and tried again. What I *finally* figured out (somehow), was that this error was being caused by /system being completely full. When I went and deleted a few things from /system (such as goofy wallpapers or that 'Apollo' app that I never use), then Link2SD was able to successfully create the script, and then I'd reboot and could use the 2nd partition successfully.
It's still a little aggravating that any reboot of the phone will cause all of my "Linked" apps to disappear - I've played with this until I am blue in the face, and have resigned myself to accepting that this is just "how it is" (?) - but I'm now using Titanium Backup as my workaround.
STEPS I TAKE WHEN THE PHONE REBOOTS:
1) Go into Link2Sd and make sure the 2nd partition is usable, otherwise recreate mount scripts (deleting wallpapers/Apollo if necessary)
2) Under Link2SD's "More" menu, perform the following:
a) Clean up the 2nd partition
b) Clean up the dalvik-cache
c) Clear all app caches
3) Restore apps from Titanium Backup
a) starting with Facebook app (the biggest hog) and then immediately go and make Facebook a "Linked" app again
b) restore a few more apps (to internal/phone), then go and shuffle those over to "Linked" apps via Link2SD
c) (repeat step 'b' until all apps are restored and "Linked" via Link2SD
^ This is the only way I've been able to get this to work for me... but now I can put about as many apps on the phone as I'll ever possibly need, and I have to say everything is running pretty smoothly now - but if anyone can see a better way, or how to improve what I'm doing, then I'm all ears... please let me (us) know.
Thanks!

Apex launcher doesn't lose the icons. I can free about 66MB of system space by swapping the launcher, deleting CM wallpapers, live wallpaper and Google keyboard.
I verified link2SD plus was not working properly but free link2SD works as advertised. For me, just installing the plus version will break the working functions of the free version. The free version scripts, links and launcher icons survive reboots. The plus version continually lost mount and wouldn't properly clean up the second partition and was not copying the lib files and placing them in the second partition.
Edit: per the developer's request, after verifying free link2SD was setup and surviving reboots, I added plus link2SD and rebooted: OK so far. Next I linked a file with plus version; OK until reboot. The application was not found except in directories. Dalvik cache cleanup finds the dex link and file in second partition as unneeded files. Had to manually delete all the files and links for the broken application and reinstall it. Also had to uninstall plus link2SD to properly link again. Sent the results back to developer.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk
Edit: 6/20/2014; link2SD 3.4.8 fixed the reboot issue for the link2SD Plus version for me. Sent email to developer to thank him for the fix.
See post #8.

Update on my last entry:
I emailed the link2SD developer and got a reply asking me to check the plus version again. In my reply back I linked him to this thread.
Another tip to add for nightly flashers that use link2SD and modify the zip prior to flashing: pull the mount script, 11link2SD, found at /system/etc/init.d and move it same location on zip before flashing. If retaining data, ie: dirty flashing; the mount securely retains your apps after flashing new nightly. Just checked with free version of link2SD: works.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

Arson Smith said:
I am super-curious if & how anyone here is using Link2SD successfully with CM11 (on the Epic 4G, specifically).
I've tried scouring these forums, and the Internet in general, to figure out the best way to get this to work...
But everything that I've tried, it all seems to be working great, only up until the first time that the phone reboots, then it all goes to hell.
I am wondering if there are any extra steps to follow, specifically for the Epic 4G, or any particular pitfalls known to avoid?
That's why I wanted to ask here, specifically to Epic 4G users...
If you are getting Link2SD to work well with CM11, then please chime in here, and can you explain how you got it all set up and working well?
(I feel like this is the one last thing that if I could conquer it, then I could really continue to get a lot of life out of this phone... as it stands, it seems too risky to put much faith in Link2SD, because if the phone happens to spontaneously reboot while I'm out running around, then I'm screwed because so many apps just disappear, and then it's a pain to re-download, re-install, and re-setup each of them...)
Thanks in advance for any help,
AS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using link2SD for all minus 16gb internal android device. Here is what i do in epic 4g, currently on CM11 20140523, use 20131209 gapps. I just write the part involved link2sd :
1. Buy atleast 16gb microSD and class 10 is a must, make 2nd partition (usually about 4gb - 6gb) as ext2 - ext4 (depends on the OS).
2. Device rooted, install titanium backup & root explorer 3.1.3 (make sure the root explorer working). Uninstall system apk (one of the launcher, whisper push, terminal emulator (I prefer use better terminal emulator, install as user app), CM filemanager, etc - still more that can be uninstalled for more space in system.
3. install link2SD, pick ext2 - ext4 (depends), dont restart yet. go to setting, uncheck everything then restart.
4. After back to launcher, open root explorer, go to root/data/, check app & dalvik-cache folder, press copy. Go to sdext2 folder, delete lost&found folder (usually there), and paste. So the app & dalvik-cache folder is there now (you could copy data/data folder too if you really want maximum extra space in internal, but in epic 4g i didn't copy data folder because it's enough space).
5. At the sdext2 folder, long press app folder, select "link to this folder", go to root/data/, press "create link" - "yes". Then go to sdext2 folder again, long press dalvik-cache folder, select "link to this folder", go to root/data/, press "create link" - "yes". Do the same if you copy data/data folder to sdext2 folder.
6. Reboot. Done. Then installing others app or restore with titanium backup.
I hope this is useful. Some Screenshot attached.

Hello
Thanks for that solution.
I`m searching for this solution since 1-2 weeks.
I had the same Problem on xcover 2 Link2SD.
Now it`s clear i have installt Link2SD and works perfect for just 3-4 days then i upgrade to Link2SD plus and then it happend like the Threat above.
I`m wondering that Lin2SD works perfectly on CM11 and if you go to Link2SD plus for money and this don`t work.
Free works perfectly and paid work not.
I have go back and everything its fine.
I hope the autor will fix the problem then i go back to plus.
Thank Thanks Thanks works fine!
regards marle.m

Good news! It appears the link2SD version 3.4.8 released today has a bug fix to survive reboots for linked apps when linking with link2SD plus version.
So far, I've only linked one app with plus version enabled and it survived one reboot. Then Ⓘ linked the data folder and rebooted again which also survived the reboot.
Looks like plus version is fully functional; I'll update if it fails some time later.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

Finally had a chance to sit down and mess with this...
Yeah! Success! Freeing up space in /system worked.
Next question...Will I have to remove the bloat prior to flashing from now on? ie no more CyanDelta easy flashing
Anyone have any Scripting-Fu to come up with an automated method of stripping out said bloat?
thx sno

Snoshrk said:
Finally had a chance to sit down and mess with this...
Yeah! Success! Freeing up space in /system worked.
Next question...Will I have to remove the bloat prior to flashing from now on? ie no more CyanDelta easy flashing
Anyone have any Scripting-Fu to come up with an automated method of stripping out said bloat?
thx sno
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was thinking the gapps could be modified at the updater-script to remove some system bloat. Then remove some bloat from that as well. Most remove their own bloat choices so maybe a diy tut would be more useful?
I agree, the script would make the nightly flashing easier.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

Just realized that if using Link2SD Plus to multi link all folders of an app to sdext2 after a clean install is still broken, if using intended method. Apps linked this way are missing after reboot.
Working on a safer suggested method that focuses more on removing apps from Gapps but also removing some other system apps after flashing a nightly that requires no modification of the nightly zip on a computer. Have to focus on linking only a minimum amount of apps with free Link2SD considered less risky to move, like larger stand alone apps, not needed tools.
I've got a working script and method that works but the risks to be avoided need to be detailed along with the tut to script and tool your own modified Gapps that minimizes the flash to flashing the nightly as-is and then flashing a custom Gapps that includes preferred launcher and restore methods.
Removing CMWallpapers, Apollo music and Trebuchet launcher. Substituting blacked out Google play. Replacing removed apps with Apex beta test launcher for test group, blacked out Pandora (these will be installed at /data partition where they can be easily uninstalled or updated) I use my own borrowed wallpaper.
Along with the removed bloat from Gapps, this frees a bit more than 40 MB of system space.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk

UPDATE: the latest version of Link2SD (3.5.2) has "fixed the bug that causes linked apps disappear on reboot when internal data is linked".
So... if you've also ponied up the buck or two for Link2SD Plus (as I have), then this finally works again like you'd always hoped it would.
I just loaded a bazillion apps back on the phone, and have been able to reboot multiple times without losing them.
The only time I "lost" them for a moment was after flashing to the latest CM11 nightly, but then doing the "Recreate mount scripts" and reboot brought them right back, with no other shenanigans necessary.
(Just wanted to let people know, because this is such a relief to me now....)
HURRAY!

OK I'm trying this again. Reboots are fine as long as I don't select quick or soft reboots; I lose mount, linked apps not installed.
Now need to try the clean install of nightly.

Snoshrk said:
Finally had a chance to sit down and mess with this...
Yeah! Success! Freeing up space in /system worked.
Next question...Will I have to remove the bloat prior to flashing from now on? ie no more CyanDelta easy flashing
Anyone have any Scripting-Fu to come up with an automated method of stripping out said bloat?
thx sno
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One possible solution:

more scripts to limit steps
Another possible solution (click link)