Database Users

Cleaning up after ROM juggling

I have gone between R012, FR006, and CM6.1 and have settled on FR006. I had darktremor on R012 and who knows whatever means on the other two (including App 2 SD v1.22 from AZSoft). I am sure I have one messy ext3 partition. When I set the partition up, I made a 1GB with a swap (don't recall the size). It seems that the 1GB was overkill. I'd like to reclaim some of that and use it elsewhere. This might be a good time to clean out the whole sd card.
Do CM6.1 and FR006 use that ext3 partition? Is there a way to clean it out besides reformatting? I don't mind reinstalling the apps after formatting and repartitioning the sd, I just don't know what I'll lose if I do. Do apps typically store data with the app install location or would everything be in /data or elsewhere in the Fat32. Of course I would back up the sd card (Fat23 portion of it) and do a Nandroid. Who wouldn't do those?

I thought this would get more replies. Not even a suggestion to use search?
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Use search.
Just kidding, I actually just did this on my phone last night, because I had folders all over the FAT32 portion of my SD card that were just leftovers from old apps, etc. I wanted to clear it all out and start fresh, so I did a nandroid backup, backed up the SD card and used Titanium Backup to save the few apps with data that I wanted.
Formatted the SD in Clockwork Recovery and just put my FR007 zip on there and wiped the phone and reinstalled. Everything seems to be working great.
I don't know if that's any help, but that's what I've got.

[n00b] Market APPs not installing -Try This-

There are a bunch of threads that have questions about Apps not installing in the market. My usual symptoms include the app being stuck in 'Starting Download" in the market while the notification bar says it downloading ok. This occurs in many roms too ASOP and Sense.
This fix I use it deleting the contents of .android_secure folder found on your SDCard. This fix works 100% for me.

I'm pretty sure that deletes any apps you've moved to the SD card.

I can't say thats the case. I have a couple of apps on my sd card (Angry Birds, Raging Thunder 2, etc) and my .android_secure is empty.
I checked by going into settings/applications/manage applications/on sd card. It reports 7 apps on SD. What I did then is checked the .android_secure folder using Root Explorer and it says its empty. Finally, I opened up Raging Thunder and was able to play the game successfully.
Where did you get this information? Looking at the folder structure, it looks like the data is stored in another location. I would like to know where though.

The directory appears empty from within an android based explorer, but if you mount the card on windows, you'll see a bunch of .asec files. For example, I have a 16MB com.rovio.angrybirds-1.asec file there. I think the reason it appears empty when you look on the phone is because it takes those files and mounts them, either hiding them as a side effect of that process or explicitly hiding them as a separate step. If you do a df from ADB or terminal (with the card mounted on the phone), you see a bunch of entries like this:
/dev/block/dm-69 16612 14484 2128 87% /mnt/asec/com.rovio.angrybirds-1
So there are files there, but it looks like they're hidden when the card is mounted. I'm not 100% sure what happens if you delete them (while the card is mounted on windows, not the phone), but I believe it would break the apps you've moved to the SD card when you remount the card on the phone.

Interesting info...i didn't know the files were hidden. Btw, do you have apps that don't install the first go around? This happens on numerous occasions with different roms
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Yeah, I've seen issues sometimes. You mention different roms -- are you using Titanium to reinstall apps and having issues the next time an update comes out on the market? I've been seeing that one lately. Usually the second time around it works. Not sure why. Of course, the market itself also goes out from time to time.
Your tip *does* apply when you're doing a hard reset/wipe data. .android_secure should be emptied after you've wiped data, as I believe those files are encrypted using a key on the data partition. However, I believe both CW (for sure) and Amon (I think) will wipe .android_secure when you wipe data, so that should be done for you. I did see situations before I was rooted when I reset somehow (maybe just through android's own factory reset) and the dir didn't clear out, but I think it will normally if you wipe through recovery. Other than after a data wipe though, I don't think you normally want to manually touch that directory.

Another method that has worked for me especially with Angry Birds is to unmount your SD card (via settings), install the program, and then remount your SD card. With this method however you have to repeat the procedure each time the program is updated.

APPS2SD and LINK2SD question.

Hello again, I need clarification with this subject...
I had a difficult time in rooting my android, thinking I failed. so for many times I rooted, installed xrecovery, then most importantly apps2sd. but I don't think it works, then I found all about Links2sd. I installed it, and each time after installing I always select the "link2sd" option, and I check the include davlik cache, but my phone memory is continually decreasing... is this normal or not? could there be a conflict with apps2sd and link2sd since I don't know if I have deleted apps2sd. sorry I'm an android newbie. Thanks..

Well... if you had app2sd link2sd would monit about it and asked you to uninstall it first.
If you don't know if your phone is rooted, look through apps - if you have a superuser app - you're rooted
As for link2sd working or not: connect your phone to the computer and open minitool partition wizard home. It will see your ext2 partition along with free and occupied space. If there are any apps on ext2 partition of your SD card - apps are installing there and the slight decrease of space is due to the existing shortcut files. Because you have created ext2 partition, haven't you?...

I did what you said and yes I found files on the other partition I created. but problem is, some files still go to the phone memory, for example the game app "ninjump" has 15mb installed on the phone memory while on links2sd it shows that it is linked to the sd card.
also, I tried removing the memory card, and when I turned on my x8 the programs were missing, so I suppose links2sd is working.
only problem is now is that some chunks are still installed to the phone memory. is there a way of totally redirecting everything to the sd card?

link2sd: Leave data files in Internal Memory, and you can choose the apps to SD
app2sd: Copy all data from the application to the SD, It's all automatic

nowonanx8 said:
I did what you said and yes I found files on the other partition I created. but problem is, some files still go to the phone memory, for example the game app "ninjump" has 15mb installed on the phone memory while on links2sd it shows that it is linked to the sd card.
also, I tried removing the memory card, and when I turned on my x8 the programs were missing, so I suppose links2sd is working.
only problem is now is that some chunks are still installed to the phone memory. is there a way of totally redirecting everything to the sd card?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, here's the deal - how many times did you install ninjump in the past? If more then once, and meanwhile you moved it to or from ext2 it might have (though the probability is very slight) that you have two apps - one in internal storage and one in ext2 storage.
So, navigate into ext2 partition (it's a folder in root directory - sdext or so) and look for this app. It might be hard, as names of linked apps are somewhat messed up, but there should be icons If there is no app on ext2, try switching it back to internal mode and then onto ext2 again - perhaps without linking dalvik cache.
chequebo1 said:
link2sd: Leave data files in Internal Memory, and you can choose the apps to SD
app2sd: Copy all data from the application to the SD, It's all automatic
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, that was sooooo relevant!

APP2SD
I having problem with the app2sd too..i dunno whether it works...This is what i had done..I had busybox, superuser, and xrecovery installed and rooted. But when come to partitioning the sd card, i partitioned it into 3 parts : FAt, ext2 and ext3...after that i installed the update.zip and custom zip of app2sd...the phone starts not recognizing the sd partition...anyone can help here??

I use titanium backup to see app2sd works or not. if a2sd decrease, so it work.
if internal still decrease, I guess some file or even some app just can't work with app2sd.
one question too, how or can I move games data from fat sdcard to ext2 partition? like gameloft data. I need my fat space for other file

Graveir said:
Ok, here's the deal - how many times did you install ninjump in the past? If more then once, and meanwhile you moved it to or from ext2 it might have (though the probability is very slight) that you have two apps - one in internal storage and one in ext2 storage.
So, navigate into ext2 partition (it's a folder in root directory - sdext or so) and look for this app. It might be hard, as names of linked apps are somewhat messed up, but there should be icons If there is no app on ext2, try switching it back to internal mode and then onto ext2 again - perhaps without linking dalvik cache.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried navigating to the ext2 partition using minitool partition wizard, and I indeed saw files that I have installed there. so do you mean that apps2sd is better than links2sd? thanks..

Well... I'm not saying anything is better, though I used both solutions in three different ways.
For stock SE ROM link2sd is better, since you only need to partition SD card into primary fat32 and primary ext2 - nothing more. Then you install an app and all works fine.
With custom ROM you cannot use link2sd, since they all have app2sd hack preinstalled (well, you can always modify files, but what for?). Problem occurs when you have this hack AND ext2 partition. The hack then moves automatically all your apps to ext2 memory along with dalvik cache if you install them in internal storage. If you install in external storage, the app goes to fat32 secure folder and dalvik cache remains in ext2. If you don't have any ext on custom ROM, dalvik cache is always in internal storage, while you can move any non-system app onto fat32 sd card.
The ext2 solution in custom ROMs may seem convinient, but for me it was not. When you use apps like phone locator, they should always dwell in internal memory, since SD card can be easily taken out, while deleting such an app from a remotely locked down phone would require flashing, otherwise the device is useless for the thief

Well actually both app2sd and link2sd are typically similliar. I've tried app2sd before and it still leave some files in internal memory. So will link2sd. But link2sd is much more easier to use because once your phone is rooted you just need to install it on your phone without going through the adb shell thing. Easy for newbie for sure. But you just have to manually link new installed applications and games. That's what differ link2sd with app2sd. Now I'm using link2sd. If you want to make sure, why don't you try those froyo phone. Try to use the app2sd stuff on those phone. They still install some applications on their internal as well although they have built in app2sd.
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A2SD/Low Storage Issue - HELP!!!

Can anyone explain to me why when I have a 1Gb Ext4 partition on my SD card with only 367Mb used I am getting Low Storage warning when restoring my apps (143 of them) through Titanium Backup onto a clean HardDroid2 CM7 build with A2SD flashed and confirmed working? When I check it states 199Mb used, 13Mb free but when I use Root Explorer to look into SD-Ext I have App, Private App, Data, Dalvik, etc and all of the app APKs appear to be in there. Am I missing something here? I had the same issue for the first time a couple of days ago when I reflashed Hyperdroid - never had it before, and always do full Task29/fresh MAGLDR/fresh CWM/CWM wipe wipe wipe/etc for each new ROM so SD Ext is always reformatted too. It's driving me nuts

when you install an app, the size of that app gets knocked off the available space, but gets restored when you reboot, so try installing a few, check eth remaining space, then reboot, see if the reported space changes. (Ive never tested it myself, just repeating something i read)_

..also using app2sd and my phone mem seems to decrease also.
When i look into /data and /sdext i see in both the app folder with all apps installed.
but the used space seems to be bigger on the sd-ext.
...when you install e.g. Angry birds with 20 mb you will notice that your internal storage will NOT decrease to that amount: thats the reason why the data folder is smaller than the sd ext.
Seems so that parts of the apps are stored on the phone mem although we ve got app2sd with an sd ext.
Once i tried to delete that data folder, but then all apps stopped working.
In twyeens rom you can move your apps to sd, there was a fix some months ago, so that all apps runs fine from it also e.g. angry birds.
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[Q] Memory & Cache cleaning in SD Query

I have a big question about clearing out my SD with unused application. Here is the scenario. I switch ROM from Floyo.025 to Froyobread 0.12. After flashing and wiping all data, i noticed that the apps i used before in my Froyo is still in my SD card. My questions are, how can i removed all those files from my SDcard? Should i reformat the SD Card or should i have to re install all that apps from my Floyo to make it work in Froyobread? If i reinstall apps and put it in my SD will it just overwrite the previous data or will it add a new folder again? I really dont know what to do to free space on my SD. I used Titanium backup to restore the apps but it just causes instability in my new Froyobread. I also try to backup the Floyo with xrecovery before i switched to FloyoBread but its not the same when i tried to Restore it, some apps are not functioning anymore. I want to delete all the unused apps and its data in my SD and start a new clean installation again.
A lil help guys. Thanks much. xoxo

last time i flashed a new rom i had the same issue but i just formatted the sd (i did it like in an automated way didnt think any other option as i thought its normal)
anyway the point is that i didnt encounter any problem after this

Hmm i was also thinking that, but i was so uneasy since there is some files i would like to be left in my sd like my openvpn settings, frameworks that should remains in SD root, my media's such as mp3's and images. Transfering it all over again is not a good idea to me since they are big files. I just wanted to removed those application that was installed in my last ROM or maybe if confirmed that if i reinstalled them they will just overwrite my previous datas of that specific apps in my SD.