Database Users

[Q] Should I format or partition my SD card?

I rooted my Aria using Unrevoked's one-click method, and flashed ATTN's FR008 ROM. I currently have only the factory 2GB sd card. I dl'd APPS2SD from the market and have moved the apps that are eligible to the SD card. There are still many apps that are still on the internal storage. My internal storage usually hovers around 100MB free; for right now anyway.
How low can the internal storage get before performance begins to degrade? Would it benefit me to dl ROM Manager? I am not too familiar with the pros/cons and/or procedures for partitioning the sd card.
Any help or advice is greatly appreciated! This is a great place for support and information and THANKS to all the dev's for all their hard work!!!

Perseids said:
I rooted my Aria using Unrevoked's one-click method, and flashed ATTN's FR008 ROM. I currently have only the factory 2GB sd card. I dl'd APPS2SD from the market and have moved the apps that are eligible to the SD card. There are still many apps that are still on the internal storage. My internal storage usually hovers around 100MB free; for right now anyway.
How low can the internal storage get before performance begins to degrade? Would it benefit me to dl ROM Manager? I am not too familiar with the pros/cons and/or procedures for partitioning the sd card.
Any help or advice is greatly appreciated! This is a great place for support and information and THANKS to all the dev's for all their hard work!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The internal storage you're seeing is strictly for apps and doesn't affect the operating system in any way. So no performance will ever be lost due to filling this up with as apps. To see "system"memory go menu> applications> running services. That's the one that affects performance.
Sent from my cm7 Aria using XDA App

What is the deal with EXT/2 and etc...?
I haven't figured out what the deal with the EXT partition is yet. I got a new 8GB card and was gonna put it in but was gonna wait til I understood all that first.
Should I Do a nandroid backup..
copy all contents of current SD card to pc...
Insert new card...
Format/Partition new card...
Copy previous backup of SD card to new card...
I'm just a little lost as to the advantage of the partition.
Any info. is greatly appreciated!

Noob question sorry, Is there a point where the memory in the device affects its performance? Like if too much of the internal memory is used will the phone run slower? Or what is the point of this apps to SD.

Using DT's A2SD method involving an ext2, 3, or 4 partition on the SD card moves every downloaded and installed app (minus system apps) onto the SD card. The A2SD provided with Froyo only allows apps that have been updated to work with A2SD would be able to move.
Moving all of your apps to the SD card is essentially the same as Cyanogen's setting to move all apps to the SD card. However, with the partition and DT's A2SD, it mounts the SD card's partition during the boot process which allows widgets and Facebook sync to be run off the SD card directly. (ie. Facebook sync will always stay synced no matter how many times you reboot, widgets will not have a "Problem Loading Widget" bar on your homescreen after you reboot)
With the normal A2SD, the apps on the SD card will load last after your phone has already booted up ("Preparing SD Card" in the notification bar).
Plus, you would be able to move your dalvik-cache (and app data --> experimental) to the SD card's partition also freeing up more internal memory.

Perseids said:
I haven't figured out what the deal with the EXT partition is yet. I got a new 8GB card and was gonna put it in but was gonna wait til I understood all that first.
Should I Do a nandroid backup..
copy all contents of current SD card to pc...
Insert new card...
Format/Partition new card...
Copy previous backup of SD card to new card...
I'm just a little lost as to the advantage of the partition.
Any info. is greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The above steps are correct. If you want an ext partition you can do that through rom manager (will wipe sd card so back up to pc).
Unless you plan to run the DT a2sd you don't need an extension partition. Froyo a2sd moves the apps to the fat32 partition, the main partition of your sd card, not an ext partition.
I personally recommend using DT a2sd.
Sent from my cm7 Aria using XDA App

vicmora5 said:
Noob question sorry, Is there a point where the memory in the device affects its performance? Like if too much of the internal memory is used will the phone run slower? Or what is the point of this apps to SD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you could fill your internal memory up to the point where there was no more room for apps to cache I suppose. But that's really it.
Sent from my cm7 Aria using XDA App

Success, but need more help
Okay, I got my sd card partioned (512MB EXT, 64MB swap). I dl'd and installed DT's A2SD and the best I can tell upon reboot A2SD moved apps to SD card. The only way I can tell is using DriveWatch.
I am using GOLauncher EX and now the flipping in the tray appears to be greatly affected by the app being on the SD card. Is there a way to move selected apps back to the phone?

No there isn't.
BTW you can check if your apps are on your SD card by typing
su
a2sd check
a2sd diskspace
In the terminal emulator

Perseids said:
Okay, I got my sd card partioned (512MB EXT, 64MB swap). I dl'd and installed DT's A2SD and the best I can tell upon reboot A2SD moved apps to SD card. The only way I can tell is using DriveWatch.
I am using GOLauncher EX and now the flipping in the tray appears to be greatly affected by the app being on the SD card. Is there a way to move selected apps back to the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What you can do is delete go launcher then unzip the rom you flashed and put the go launcher apk into the /system/app folder and rezip it. boot into recovery, wipe cache and dalvic (don't wipe data), and then reflash your rom. DT a2sd doesn't move apps on the /system partition. This is what I do with launcherpro.
EDIT: you can try just pulling the go launcher apk via ADB and then removing it from the /data/app folder and then pushing the pulled app to the /system/app folder. This would be easier but I've had apps that FC after using this method. Some work, some don't.
Sent from my cm7 Aria using XDA App

Great advice!. Seems there is always more than one way to skin a cat. I will give one of those methods a try.

[Q] App Install Location on Bootable CM7 SD Card?

Hey all - I'm running CM7.0.3 on emmc on my Nook, and I love it. I've recently purchased an additional Nook Color for my girlfriend. She isn't so tech savvy, so I rooted her device to give her access to the market, etc., but left the stock B&N ROM on the Nook. I bought a 4gig SD card and used the size-agnostic installer from these forums to make a bootable CM7 SD card for her, since I know she wants the Netflix app, among others, that will not run on the stock ROM. If I boot from the SD card in MY Nook, and install gapps and Netflix, will those apps be installed to the CM7 SD card? Or will they be installed to the internal memory of MY device and not work in hers? I'd like to be able to prep the SD card before I give it to her so she can pop it in her Nook and be off and running. Thanks!

For Netflix, as an App it would normally load to your Nook's internal memory. However, you can change a setting in CM7 to load it to the uSD and then it should do so; or you can move it over manually. Not sure about the Gapps stuff though, it might be the same.

Moved apps to SD Card, didn't free up space!

My NC was complaining that it was getting low on space. Lo and behold, the internal 1 GB partition was about full. I used Titanium Backup to move most of the apps to the SD card (100 apps). The NC thinks the apps are on the SD card (and I'm assuming they're actually there), but it didn't free up ANY space on the internal partition. It's like it moved the apps, but didn't delete the old files. Does anybody have any idea how I can actually free up this space? I can't move the files back from the SD card, because it says there's no room.

magicland said:
My NC was complaining that it was getting low on space. Lo and behold, the internal 1 GB partition was about full. I used Titanium Backup to move most of the apps to the SD card (100 apps). The NC thinks the apps are on the SD card (and I'm assuming they're actually there), but it didn't free up ANY space on the internal partition. It's like it moved the apps, but didn't delete the old files. Does anybody have any idea how I can actually free up this space? I can't move the files back from the SD card, because it says there's no room.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you go to the apps in settings does it still have the move to SD option?
Sent from space

koopakid08 said:
When you go to the apps in settings does it still have the move to SD option?
Sent from space
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it's got "Move to phone". It seems to have actually moved them, but doesn't seem to have removed the original files from the internal space. I've got Root Explorer, any idea where the original files would have been installed, so I can check if they're still there?
Was playing around with Root Explorer, and it seems all the files were in /data/app in the main memory, not on the SD card. I was able to delete from there, and free up space, but now the apps won't run (since they're obviously gone). Apparently it didn't actually move them to SD card, though the system thought it did. Didn't delete TB, so I can replace the apps, but I've got to find some way of actually moving them to the SD card, or making the nook partition bigger.

What happens when you use "move to SD" from the "manage apps" application?

Rather than mess around moving Apps to SD I'd recommend the repartition option. Moving to SD was necessary with phones which were tight on internal memory but that doesn't apply to the Nook. Also it is always difficult to choose which Apps to move because they will stop working temporarily if you USB mount the SD card.
The normal 1GB data partition can get tight with a lot of apps installed. The Nook has plenty of internal memory so I repartitioned to 2GB data which gives a generous area for apps and 4GB for some basic media (pictures, music, video) and leaves the SD card free primarily for extra media, backups etc.
Following gives a guide to repartitioning. Make sure you have apps backed up before doing this.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1094371

jaymtee said:
What happens when you use "move to SD" from the "manage apps" application?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That appears to actually move them. Not sure why titanium backup isn't. Managed to free up some space this way, but I think I'm going to repartition it, rather than have to shuffle stuff around to make room.

Can you simply just go to the applications setting and select move to sd card or does this cause problems? I did the veryGreen install of CM7 and also installed gapp but have not pulled my card back out or repartitioned it or anything since doing that. I have a 16GB card and want to get full use out of it but I like my apps and download a lot. Thanks.

[Q] Confused about internal storage and SD Card usage

Android newbie here. I just inherited a Nook Color, and was able to successfully flash over CM10.1 RC1 on it with the latest Google Apps, and everything seems to be working nicely. Being new to Android, and I guess in particular to the Nook Color, the internal storage partitions are a bit confusion. I flashed this Nook Color to have the "newer" partition configuration, 5GB data and 1GB media storage when the previous owner was starting to run low on app space. Now that I have it, the configuration seems to be the same (I guess CM10.1 doesn't touch partition configurations)...
That said, my problem lays with how storage is used. In the storage menu I see three types of storage, two internal and one sd card.
Internal Storage = Total space 5.09 GB (no option to unmount)
SD Card = Total Space 898 MB (option to unmount available)
Internal Storage = 791 MB (option to unmount available)
From what I understand, is that, the first Internal storage is where the OS sits and is allocated for apps and what not. The SD Card, is obviously my 1GB SD Card I used to flash CM10.1 RC1. The third item, the second internal storage listed, I believe is supposedly the media storage, for mp3s, documents, etc.
What confuses me is when I want to save photos from the browser or download files using either the web browser or accessing my Skydrive, they all require I have my SD Card inserted, even though I have that Internal Storage free? Removing my SD card will prompt apps to say "SD Card Required." Any way to use the internal memory instead of having to perpetually have an SD card in my Nook Color? Thanks!

Not with CM10.1. CM7 had an option to swap internal and external SDs, but it is missing in CM10.1. Best to just get a second SD to keep there all the time. That 791MB will disappear quickly anyway when you start downloading things. SDs are cheap and roomy. Many apps won't work without one.
Btw, you were right on your assumptions for everything.
Sent from my Nook HD+ running CM10.1 on emmc.

leapinlar said:
Not with CM10.1. CM7 had an option to swap internal and external SDs, but it is missing in CM10.1. Best to just get a second SD to keep there all the time. That 791MB will disappear quickly anyway when you start downloading things. SDs are cheap and roomy. Many apps won't work without one.
Btw, you were right on your assumptions for everything.
Sent from my Nook HD+ running CM10.1 on emmc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info. So since the media storage is pretty much being wasted space, I should just repartition the entire thing for OS and App installs (seems like by default Apps install to that partition and not the SD card)? I hope CM10.1 later on rectifies this. Things go nuts when I plug in the Nook Color and the SD card gets mounted and unmounted, forcing me to have to restart. I see things like multiple 2GiB files on the SD card even though the card is really only 1 GiB? Really weird.

SDreamer said:
Thanks for the info. So since the media storage is pretty much being wasted space, I should just repartition the entire thing for OS and App installs (seems like by default Apps install to that partition and not the SD card)? I hope CM10.1 later on rectifies this. Things go nuts when I plug in the Nook Color and the SD card gets mounted and unmounted, forcing me to have to restart. I see things like multiple 2GiB files on the SD card even though the card is really only 1 GiB? Really weird.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is not wasted, you can store things there if you want. And no, there is no reason to repartition farther than you already have. 5GB is huge for storing installed apps and their settings.
And you should get a relatively large SD (certainly 8GB or above) and leave it in the slot all the time. That is the way it is intended to be used. Then you will have no issues with removing the SD. That smaller SD should be burned as a bootable CWM SD and saved for future use. You WILL need it later.
Sent from my Nook HD+ running CM10.1 on emmc.

leapinlar said:
It is not wasted, you can store things there if you want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Leapinlar is, of course, right. Some apps can be told to use it, some can't. I use /emmc (now really /storage/sdcard0) for my music and podcasts.
If you stay one step behind the biggest SD cards, they're dirt cheap.

I ended up repartitioning mine to use the newer NC style 5GB for apps and 1GB for sdcard0... had some issues with my physical SD card not working on CM10.1 even though it works fine in the same NC on CM7 where it would show many times more GBs of used space than the size of the card, and eventually the files would go all corrupted, so I ended up having to get a nicer SD card. CM10.1 is picky about brand/speed of microSD you use.

Apps in internal memory or sd card?

Hi!
I see that some of the apps are in sd card (application manager -> sd card). But I didn't move thwm there.
1. How Android decides what apps where should be installed?
2. Are there any downsides installing apps to sd card? Except the fact that apps won't be available when sd card is removed.
3. Will progress of my games and settings of my apps will be saved in sd card after apps are reinstalled after factory reset?
Thanks!!

+1

1) by size. Don't know the exact but as an example if an app is bigger than 100mb then it is installed on the external sd.
2) The one you stated plus the fact that the internal memory is quite faster than the external card.
3) I think no. Except for apps that use an account or the internet for saves, you are gonna need an app like titanium backup to restore apps data.