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Hi All,
I need real help with ClockworkMod Recovery. I have been installing Android on HD2 using storage card (haret.exe) method. Then I moved to NAND without any problems.
But I am not able to understand ClockworkMod Recovery at all. I looked at lots of threads and also the main thread for ClockworkMod Recovery. I know how to install it. I have installed it on my phone. But for some reason I was stuck in the loop after installing the ROM {[22 JAN] -=MDJ's CyanogenMod 7 v. 2.6 [A2SD+][GRH78C][RMNET][Kernel: MDJ S10.4 OC]}. I did exactly same as the video tutorial says. My radios and HSPL is fine. Coz I am able to use the same ROM in NAND mode. But still in ClockworkMod Recovery mode the phone kept restarting and never got to the main screen.
I also do not know what ext2, ext3, ext4 partitions are. Do I need to make them before installing the ROM? Also on the main thread for ClockworkMod Recovery, it has 3 partition files. 250MB, 350MB and 450MB. I do not know what that is. Which one to use for which ROM and what are the differences between them?
What is the use of ClockworkMod Recovery if I have to flash this partitions every time I install new ROM?
Also can someone tell me what backing up the ROM means? Does it mean I can back up my current one and flash new one, and if I do not like the new one I can restore the old one in the same state (with my APPS and SETTINGS)?
Please please help me with ClockworkMod Recovery fundamentals. I would really appreciate it.
One more thing, I would not post a question if I haven't looked around enough for answers. As you can see I have been doing this from months, but only asked one question before and this is the second one. So please do not take me for someone who does not look around for answers. I do, its just that I did not find anything real good to explain me from the bottom. So please someone help me out.
Thanks in advance.
EXT partitions can be thought of as extended partitions on your SD card. They are used to "extend" your storage capacity. Some ROMS place some of the ROM files on the SD-EXT partition. This is done particularly for the EU HD2 where it has only half the storage on-board that the TMOUS HD2 does. If you are using a ROM that requires one you do have to create the partitions before installing/flashing the ROM.
The three different flash.cfg files on the CWM thread are files used to instruct DFT how to re-partition your on-board storage (NAND). There are several partitions, up to 16 at the moment. Some ROM's use 4 partitions, some use 6 or more. Typically, non-CWM ROM's use only 4 partitions (boot, system, data, cache), whereas CWM ROM's use those same ones as well as a miscellaneous and recovery partition.
The main reason for the different files is that some ROM's use more space for the system partition. The different flash.cfg files just simply allocate more or less space to the system partition.
You don't technically have to flash new partitions every time you flash a new ROM. As long as you know how to modify the ROM to work with your current partition setup it will work. Or, get ROM's that use the same type of partition layouts. Since the release of CWM, more ROM's are becoming available for installation via the ZIP deployment method in CWM, which means they ALL use the same partition (with exception of the system partition size) setup.
If you have a TMOUS HD2 with plenty of onboard storage it's easier to just create a larger system partition and never have to worry about repartitioning. That's what I did. I have a 450 MB system partition and every time I deploy a new CWM ZIP ROM I don't have to repartition anything.
You nailed it on the head about backing up via CWM. It backs up all your partitions (boot, system, cache, sd-ext, data, etc) and saves them to your SD card. That way you can flash a new ROM or do a hard reset. Then later if you want you can do a full restore and be exactly where you left off before doing so. That is, if you flash a ROM that has the same partition layout. If you flash a ROM with a different partition layout, the restore may or may not work until you repartition the same as the original ROM was when you flashed it.
The only issue with all this is that since there isn't a set standard yet for ROM's and their partition layouts any ROM chef can define their own partition scheme which can make for a hassle when trying different ROM's. I expect that at some point there will be a standard set of partitions that will be used between all different chefs to make things easier. CWM ROM deployments and updates are definitely the future of this and how all native Android devices are handled. I imagine that will become the case down the road for the HD2 as well.
Hopefully that clears it up for you a bit. Sorry about writing a novel...
Digital Outcast said:
EXT partitions can be thought of as extended partitions on your SD card. They are used to "extend" your storage capacity. Some ROMS place some of the ROM files on the SD-EXT partition. This is done particularly for the EU HD2 where it has only half the storage on-board that the TMOUS HD2 does. If you are using a ROM that requires one you do have to create the partitions before installing/flashing the ROM.
The three different flash.cfg files on the CWM thread are files used to instruct DFT how to re-partition your on-board storage (NAND). There are several partitions, up to 16 at the moment. Some ROM's use 4 partitions, some use 6 or more. Typically, non-CWM ROM's use only 4 partitions (boot, system, data, cache), whereas CWM ROM's use those same ones as well as a miscellaneous and recovery partition.
The main reason for the different files is that some ROM's use more space for the system partition. The different flash.cfg files just simply allocate more or less space to the system partition.
You don't technically have to flash new partitions every time you flash a new ROM. As long as you know how to modify the ROM to work with your current partition setup it will work. Or, get ROM's that use the same type of partition layouts. Since the release of CWM, more ROM's are becoming available for installation via the ZIP deployment method in CWM, which means they ALL use the same partition (with exception of the system partition size) setup.
If you have a TMOUS HD2 with plenty of onboard storage it's easier to just create a larger system partition and never have to worry about repartitioning. That's what I did. I have a 450 MB system partition and every time I deploy a new CWM ZIP ROM I don't have to repartition anything.
You nailed it on the head about backing up via CWM. It backs up all your partitions (boot, system, cache, sd-ext, data, etc) and saves them to your SD card. That way you can flash a new ROM or do a hard reset. Then later if you want you can do a full restore and be exactly where you left off before doing so. That is, if you flash a ROM that has the same partition layout. If you flash a ROM with a different partition layout, the restore may or may not work until you repartition the same as the original ROM was when you flashed it.
The only issue with all this is that since there isn't a set standard yet for ROM's and their partition layouts any ROM chef can define their own partition scheme which can make for a hassle when trying different ROM's. I expect that at some point there will be a standard set of partitions that will be used between all different chefs to make things easier. CWM ROM deployments and updates are definitely the future of this and how all native Android devices are handled. I imagine that will become the case down the road for the HD2 as well.
Hopefully that clears it up for you a bit. Sorry about writing a novel...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Amazing explanation. Thanks a lottt man. Just one more question, I have TMOUS HD2 abd I did the same thing as you said. 450MB of partition. And then tried to install the MDJ's CM7 ROM. I got the message saying the ROM is successfully installed. and then I rebooted my phone. But it kept rebooting itself. Any particular reason you know of?
jalshah05 said:
Amazing explanation. Thanks a lottt man. Just one more question, I have TMOUS HD2 abd I did the same thing as you said. 450MB of partition. And then tried to install the MDJ's CM7 ROM. I got the message saying the ROM is successfully installed. and then I rebooted my phone. But it kept rebooting itself. Any particular reason you know of?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is this using the 400 MB flash.cfg file from the CWM thread? The reason I ask is that I checked that flash.cfg file and the boot partition is flagged as the bootable partition. I'm not familiar with the CM7 ROM from MDJ, but is it set to deploy via CWM with a boot folder in the ZIP file?
Also, have you run logcat (if you're familiar with that) while the issue is happening to see what is going on?
To be very frank I did not understand what you just told me sir. Only thing I can tell for sure is I downloaded the .zip file from the thread at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=877777 . And I do not know what logcat is. I am sure you must be thinking that I am an idiot. Forgive me for my ignorance.
Google is your friend!
I'm a better one: http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/index.php?title=Logcat
Edit: very interesting read by the way, Digital Outcast. Much appreciated!
Digital Outcast said:
Is this using the 400 MB flash.cfg file from the CWM thread? The reason I ask is that I checked that flash.cfg file and the boot partition is flagged as the bootable partition. I'm not familiar with the CM7 ROM from MDJ, but is it set to deploy via CWM with a boot folder in the ZIP file?
Also, have you run logcat (if you're familiar with that) while the issue is happening to see what is going on?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lott Digital Outcast for this amazing explanation. I hope I can get the Recovery mode working. I will try some different roms and see what can be done. meanwhile if you get chance please explain me your response "Is this using the 400 MB flash.cfg file from the CWM thread? The reason I ask is that I checked that flash.cfg file and the boot partition is flagged as the bootable partition. I'm not familiar with the CM7 ROM from MDJ, but is it set to deploy via CWM with a boot folder in the ZIP file?
Also, have you run logcat (if you're familiar with that) while the issue is happening to see what is going on?"
Thanks a lott once again.
I recently flashed the new 4EXT Mod of ClockworkMod Recovery. The 4EXT Recovery is based off of Koush's CWM Recovery but offers additional power options, one of which is the ability to show the file system format your partitions are formatted in. To my surprise my system was formatted in the Ext 4 format and my data and cache partitions were formatted in Ext 3. The new 4EXT Recovery offers the option to convert the format without deleting any of the data. Your ROM will stay intact after the conversion. I selected that option and changed my data and cache partitions to ext 4 to match my system, rebooted, and notice quite an improvement in speed and smoothness in my current CM7 Nightly. After looking into it further I found out that the SuperwipeG2 that many of us have been flashing is formatting our partitions in the Ext 3 format. The reason only my system was formatted in ext 4 is because I used ClockworkMod Recovery the last time I did a full wipe to first flash the Superwipe, and then I immediately formatted system again with ClockworkMod Recovery. If you've used SuperwipeG2 to do a wipe, more than likely your system, data, and cache partitions are now Ext 3. You might want to check with your ROM developer to see if your ROM will run on the Ext 4 format. If its a CM7 based ROM, it will.
You can find more information about the Ext 4 format here.
Tsubus has since modified SuperwipeG2 so that it now formats the partitions into ext 4 when you flash it. I've used it and it also includes the EFS wipe. You can find it here. As I said, if there is no reason to wipe right now the new 4EXT Recovery can convert your partitions if you choose if they are in currently Ext 3. At the very least you can see what format they're currently in with 4EXT. I highly recommend it. You can always flash back to CWM Recovery if and when you choose. The partitions will remain Ext 4 once you choose to convert.
UPDATE: Several users have reported that checking partition information with Terminal Emulator is not reliable.
i just caught this issue this morning as well, all my partitions are in ext3, going to convert today. thanks for this post and the links to the new superwipe! +1
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium
Thanks for pointing this out. I have all of mine in ext3 right now and plan on converting to ext4 here in a minute.
if ive never used superwipe my partitions are still in EXT4?
nonione said:
if ive never used superwipe my partitions are still in EXT4?
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Click to collapse
Probably yes, but it wouldn't hurt to check. The new 4EXT Recovery will display your current partition status. Then you'll know for sure.
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium
So could someone clarify my understanding of this? If we are currently using ext3 we have 2 options to move to ex4 and keep CWM:
1) keep CWM, use the new superwipe+ext4, flash cm7
2) switch to 4ext recovery, convert fs to ext4, go back to CWM recovery
Alternatively, I would consider switching to 4EXT recovery permanently, but I am a bit reluctant to ditch CWM just because I'm so used to it. Is it worth the switch?
c00ller said:
So could someone clarify my understanding of this? If we are currently using ext3 we have 2 options to move to ex4 and keep CWM:
1) keep CWM, use the new superwipe+ext4, flash cm7
2) switch to 4ext recovery, convert fs to ext4, go back to CWM recovery
Alternatively, I would consider switching to 4EXT recovery permanently, but I am a bit reluctant to ditch CWM just because I'm so used to it. Is it worth the switch?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ClockworkMod is using the Ext 4 format. Its just that currently there is no way to tell what format your partitions are formatted in with CWM. If you flash the SuperWipeG2+ext4 from tsubus with CWM and don't ever use the original Superwipe and don't restore a backup, you're all set and done. BUT, if you restore a backup created by CWM that was partitioned at the time you created the backup in Ext 3, you'll be back to Ext 3 again. IE you've got to scrap all your old backups....all of us do if we want to stay with Ext 4. So, if you're willing to do a full wipe with the new SuperWipeG2+ext4 and CWM, you're good to go.
edit: yes to your number two. You can convert your Ext 3 partitions to Ext 4 with the new 4EXT Recovery and then go back to CWM. As I said above, after you do this you need to get rid of the original Superwipe and not restore old backups made in the Ext 3 format.
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium
I think I've just made the switch to 4EXT, it was very painless and I like the features of the recovery. Now I'm wondering, with the 4EXT recovery, do we still need the superwipeg2 zips (including the new, ext4 modified one)? Also, is there a thread with discussion about the SuperWipeG2+ext4.zip (i.e., where did you find the link to download it)?
c00ller said:
I think I've just made the switch to 4EXT, it was very painless and I like the features of the recovery. Now I'm wondering, with the 4EXT recovery, do we still need the superwipeg2 zips (including the new, ext4 modified one)? Also, is there a thread with discussion about the SuperWipeG2+ext4.zip (i.e., where did you find the link to download it)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use the new Superwipe just like you did and when you needed the old one. Tsubus modified it to format the partitions in ext 4. You can find his thread in the Development section. Its the CM7 ILWT thread. He modified the Superwipe right befor he went away for the weekend. The original link is in the OP of that thread. Be sure and hit his "thanks" button.
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium
Thanks very much for the info and links, Ed. I will make the switch and give you a proper 'thanks' later tonight.
Sent from my HTC Vision using XDA App
typing the following in terminal
Code:
mount
will tell you what filesystem types like ext2 ext3 ext4 etc, so u dont really need the other recovery to check if you're using ext3.
Code:
/dev/block/mmcblk0p25 [B]on /system type ext4 [/B](ro,relatime,barrier=1,data=ordered)
/dev/block/mmcblk0p26 [B]on /data type ext4 [/B](rw,nosuid,nodev,noatime,barrier=1,data=ordered,noauto_da_alloc)
/dev/block/mmcblk0p27 [B]on /cache type ext4 [/B](rw,nosuid,nodev,noatime,barrier=1,data=ordered)
/dev/block/mmcblk0p28 [B]on /devlog type ext4 [/B](rw,nosuid,nodev,noatime,barrier=1,data=ordered)
Still, I never even noticed that it was formatted as ext3 until i saw your post. Used the new superwipe and a fresh cm7 nightly. Everything flies now! Thanks for noticing the issue
Just checked via terminal emulator and mine are all in EXT4. Never used Superwipe before so I guess that's why.
sephiroth1439 said:
Still, I never even noticed that it was formatted as ext3 until i saw your post. Used the new superwipe and a fresh cm7 nightly. Everything flies now! Thanks for noticing the issue
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Glad it worked out for you.
sephiroth1439 said:
typing the following in terminal
Code:
mount
will tell you what filesystem types like ext2 ext3 ext4 etc, so u dont really need the other recovery to check if you're using ext3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
martonikaj said:
Just checked via terminal emulator and mine are all in EXT4. Never used Superwipe before so I guess that's why.
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Click to collapse
WARNING: Ptesmoke and Ditamae have reported that this method wasn't accurate for them. Results reported by terminal emulator didn't match the actual file system ext's when they booted into 4EXT Recovery. After converting they have both posted that they noticed an improvement in performance.
Strange... so I checked thru Terminal and all partitions were EXT4, but after flashing the 4EXT Recovery and booting into recovery I discovered that data and cache were in fact EXT3. Hmm... I'm converting now, at any rate. Thanks again, Ed.
Just to clarify...
So the original Superwipe changes our partitions to ext3, and the new Superwipe up above changes/keeps it at ext4.
If that is correct it seems like we should remove the other instances of the original Superwipe in the forum and switch everyone over to the new Superwipe. What does reformatting via CWM change the file system to?
Nospin said:
Just to clarify...
So the original Superwipe changes our partitions to ext3, and the new Superwipe up above changes/keeps it at ext4.
If that is correct it seems like we should remove the other instances of the original Superwipe in the forum and switch everyone over to the new Superwipe. What does reformatting via CWM change the file system to?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, the original Superwipe changes the partitions to Ext 3. I'm not sure if there are other ROMs out there doing the same thing. It depends on the scripting. Many ROMs are scripted to format the partitions first when you flash them. If users reading this thread take the information and post it to their ROM thread in the Development section of the forum that would help to get the news out to check to see if their partitions are formatted correctly.
Thanks OP! I used (my new friend) 4EXT Recovery and converted my data and cash partitions to ext4, got rid of my old SuperWipe and Dow loaded the new Superwipe.
CM7 does indeed seem smoother, and overall a bit faster.
Big thanks for the heads up!
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium
Also noticed the "eccentricity" of my /data and /cache being ext3, conversion to /ext4 was painless and the phone does seem to be running more smoothly.
(Then again, I utterly love this recovery--so powerful, and yet so simple to use )
Aaaand interestingly, at least if ROM Manager is any guide, they've finally pulled the 5.0.0.x "Seppuku Builds" of CWM. Which is nice, but 4EXT has sold me
I have a question that maybe someone in this thread could answer. As I said previously, I flashed the 4EXT Recovery last night and changed my data and cache from ext3 to ext4. Afterward, I noticed that my internal memory usage had decreased by approximately 70Mbs. Is this a result of less fragmentation? I'm assuming it's just a benefit of the way fourth extended filesystem works. Can anyone confirm this? Thanks in advance.
So I've been thinking about these questions for quite sometime now. Here goes:
1. Is it necessary to mount a partition before wiping/ formatting it? Like, should I mount /data before wiping data and /cache before wiping cache?
2. Is there ANY kernel which mounts Ext4 SD partition? I'm talking about kernels from which A2SD can be run. I've noticed it only mounts the partition when its Ext2/ 3. Has anyone got A2SD running with an Ext4 partition? Or is my Minitool partition outta date? xP
3. And finally, has anyone got DT A2SD (the newest version) to work on Savie's kernel?
Hope someone has answers to these. Thanks!
★ Sent from a Galaxy far far away... ★
Yes, I copied this, and there's nothin' you can do about it... :badpokerface:
1st answer - It is recommended as you may experience certain problems.
2nd answer - I suppose merruk kernel (2.0 and onwards) supports ext4. You can always check that thread.
3rd answer - I don't know!
1st answer- It is necessary because you can't eat a choclate without removing a wrapper...
You can't format your partitions without mounting them....
Others same as above
Edit: got a better example you can't format your pendrive without connecting it...
Globally recognised and certified NOOB
Well I've tried Merruk, Savie's, WhiteXP's and Repencis's. Whenever I format my partition to Ext4, it never mounts. Mounts only when it Ext3 /2. Anyway, thanks for the answers!
★ Sent from a Galaxy far far away... ★
Yes, I copied this, and there's nothin' you can do about it... :badpokerface:
1. Answered
2. SS in last post on my thread
3. Nope its still not work with a2sdDT
Hi all, not so sure if this is repeated question.
I am looking for a faster rom for my phone, wants it to be fast and saves battery. Could you guys provide suggestions?
My Nexus 4 is currently on:-
Rom: Paranoid Android 4.6-Beta6 (Unofficial release, found under development threads)
Kernel: 3.4.104-franco-Kernel-SaberMod-r213.2
File system: Full-F2FS (System, cache, data are in F2FS file system)
Thanks in advanced. ^^
Chroma+Quanta kernel, you can convert /data and /cache to f2fs if you want
voron00 said:
Chroma+Quanta kernel, you can convert /data and /cache to f2fs if you want
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will there be performance sacrifice as system partition not F2FS?
I would PM you later on how should I carry out the process. The last time I flashed, I got message prompting me to type a message to access locked storage, but it's actually due to it couldn't access as kernel doesn't support F2FS. Probably I didn't flash F2FS kernel after flashing rom.
ordinarystar said:
Will there be performance sacrifice as system partition not F2FS?
I would PM you later on how should I carry out the process. The last time I flashed, I got message prompting me to type a message to access locked storage, but it's actually due to it couldn't access as kernel doesn't support F2FS. Probably I didn't flash F2FS kernel after flashing rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no big improvement of using F2FS at all. And since /system is read only this is totally not need
And yes, you got storage locked because of kernel without F2FS support.
I was wondering that with TWRP 3.0, it is possible to convert the file system to f2fs. The performance in f2fs seems to be far greater when compared to ext4. Has anyone tried converting the x play to f2fs? If so, what all ROMs are compatible with it?
varounmirchi said:
I was wondering that with TWRP 3.0, it is possible to convert the file system to f2fs. The performance in f2fs seems to be far greater when compared to ext4. Has anyone tried converting the x play to f2fs? If so, what all ROMs are compatible with it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think it's possible to convert a filesystem to another, you'll probably need to format your partition in f2fs, so make a backup first.
Also, note that f2fs is designed to take advantage of nand-based storage. Have a look at http://www.xda-developers.com/f2fs-put-to-the-test-against-ext4/
claudineimatos said:
I don't think it's possible to convert a filesystem to another, you'll probably need to format your partition in f2fs, so make a backup first.
Also, note that f2fs is designed to take advantage of nand-based storage. Have a look at http://www.xda-developers.com/f2fs-put-to-the-test-against-ext4/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as I know, you do need to format in order to convert. I don't think any kind of conversion tool exists at this point, or may ever exist. I remember reading that there's only really a benefit to making the data partition f2fs (and perhaps the cache as well? I'm pretty tired atm so I can't confirm that.) If so, you should be able to format Data without reinstalling the ROM. Correct me if I'm mistaken!
Be aware that while f2fs is definitely faster, filesystems are relatively simple things that wind themselves into complex knots when put into action. So, despite f2fs being optimized for NAND, it hasn't been thoroughly tested the way EXT4 and others have. You could always run into some issues with data loss or other confusing bugs. Because of this, it's probably also safer to leave the System partition as EXT4, if you even can/would want to make it f2fs.
I'd also like to know if anyone has gotten f2fs working on the Moto X Play, @squid2 has f2fs driver updates listed in the changelog for his kernel, although it may also take support in the ROM to fully implement. Please let us know if you get it running! The performance is significantly faster, and it's also less wear-and-tear on the memory, if I understand correctly.
JohnHorus said:
As far as I know, you do need to format in order to convert. I don't think any kind of conversion tool exists at this point, or may ever exist. I remember reading that there's only really a benefit to making the data partition f2fs (and perhaps the cache as well? I'm pretty tired atm so I can't confirm that.) If so, you should be able to format Data without reinstalling the ROM. Correct me if I'm mistaken!
Be aware that while f2fs is definitely faster, filesystems are relatively simple things that wind themselves into complex knots when put into action. So, despite f2fs being optimized for NAND, it hasn't been thoroughly tested the way EXT4 and others have. You could always run into some issues with data loss or other confusing bugs. Because of this, it's probably also safer to leave the System partition as EXT4, if you even can/would want to make it f2fs.
I'd also like to know if anyone has gotten f2fs working on the Moto X Play, @squid2 has f2fs driver updates listed in the changelog for his kernel, although it may also take support in the ROM to fully implement. Please let us know if you get it running! The performance is significantly faster, and it's also less wear-and-tear on the memory, if I understand correctly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually TWRP allows to convert the file system to f2fs (yes by formatting it obviously). Its usually recommended to convert the /data and the /cache partitions for optimum results. I had a Yu Yuphoria before this, and I had converted the file system to f2fs, and the performance was whooping fast.
And I did see that @squid2 has mentioned f2fs support in his kernel (i guess it comes directly from CAF) but I wanted to know which ROMs do support it? So far I don't see "f2fs supported" mentioned in any of the ROMs for our device and thats why I am still on hold.
We're already using f2fs. Even the stock ROM uses f2fs for the userdata partition.
So can we use f2fs with your Kernel and CM13? Data and cache partitions?
squid2 said:
We're already using f2fs. Even the stock ROM uses f2fs for the userdata partition.
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Click to collapse
Cache shows up as ext4 in TWRP, for me at least. Would that benefit from switching to f2fs?
Edit: Tried formatting the cache as f2fs, no boots.
F2fs does use a log, but still, it took up 128MB of the cache partition, seems kinda weird unless the partition actually grows to accomodate that. Maybe I did something wrong, idk.