[PRJ] apps2sd discussion

[buzzman]

This is so over my head!!! I hope you can make it easier for us technically challenged!!!! Would love an idiot's guide to do this.

 

[pbrauer]

that is the next step once we get this validated as working. It will be written down and tested to be a step by step process just like the instructions for flashing. This is big!

 

[TechRemedy]

I will test this out as well...if it works, I'll try to put it all into an app or script to make it simpler.

 

[TechRemedy]

I would really hold off on mass communicating this until it has been thoroughly tested though!

 

[l_n]

Custom mtd partition layout
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=704560

Unpacking and repacking boot.img and recovery.img
http://android-dls.com/wiki/index.php?title=HOWTO:_Unpack,_Edit,_and_Re-Pack_Boot_Images

These may help. You'll need a hex to decimal converter to figure out the initial partition sizes. I know the kyros's layout already. It's mtd is 512MiB total. There's other fun stuff you can do with an unpacked image, as well.

 

[pvella]

Happy to be able to help. A couple of thoughts....

Ivy, in your steps you need to delete the old app directory to save space and clean up the .tar file. It could use busybox cp -a to preserve attributes.

For people with the internal card, does this need to change. Ivy and I do not have one. We nee someone to verify this works on the internal card.

Happy 2011 to everyone.

Sent from my Ideos S7 using Android Tablet Forum App

 

[ivyvisors]

Pvella,

Yeah I'm going to try to do that right now. and see how it goes.

btw the tar file isn't that big =)

~ivy

 

[ivyvisors]

btw you can mount over the top of the apps directory, the issue I had was while installing applications, I started running out of space on my data partition.

so a little more hacking is required

~ivy

 

[goodoane]

I used this after I manualy partitioned the internal sdcard:

#!/system/bin/sh

echo APP2SD

mount -o remount,rw -t yaffs2 /dev/block/mtdblock1 /system
mkdir /system/sd
chown system.system /system/sd
mount -t ext2 /dev/block//vold/179:2 /system/sd
mkdir /system/sd/app
chown system.system /system/sd/app
mkdir /system/sd/dalvik-cache
chown system.system /system/sd/dalvik-cache
cd /data/dalvik-cache
busybox * /system/sd/dalvik-cache
rm *
cd /data/app
busybox * /system/sd/app
rm *
cd /data
mount -o bind /system/sd/app /data/app
cd /data
mount -o bind /system/sd/dalvik-cache /data/dalvik-cache
cd /sdcard/app2sd
cat init-sd2.sh > /system/etc/init-sd2.sh && chmod 755 /system/etc/init-sd2.sh
cd /sdcard/app2sd
cat install-recovery.sh > /system/etc/install-recovery.sh && chmod 755 /system/etc/install-recovery.sh
df
echo Applications & Dalvik-cache have been transferred to sd card
echo phone resets on 20 seconds
sleep 20
reboot

and this:

#!/system/bin/sh
MYLOG=/data/install-recovery.log
echo "$(date) Starting install-recovery.sh" > $MYLOG
echo "$(date) Waiting SD to become ready..." >> $MYLOG
sleep 10
mount -t ext2 /dev/block/mmcblk0p2 /system/sd 1>>$MYLOG 2>>$MYLOG
mount -o bind /system/sd/app /data/app 1>>$MYLOG 2>>$MYLOG
mount -o bind /system/sd/dalvik-cache /data/dalvik-cache 1>>$MYLOG 2>>$MYLOG
mount >> $MYLOG
echo "$(date) Finishing install-recovery.sh" >> $MYLOG

 

[TechRemedy]

Does this process assume anything other than that the device is rooted? Does it require any additional apps to be installed? In other words, would it work if I rooted a brand new out of the box S7 and then followed this procedure?

 

[ivyvisors]

Just need to be rooted that's all.

but you'd need to make sure busy box is installed.

~Ivy

 

[pvella]

Anyone trying this, please be aware that you could lose all your applications and settings if it does not go right. I am just wondering if we should just move things initially and then have a clean up script later, in case things don't work out. Might save some people losing their apps.

BTW, you should always use some sort of Backup Utility.

 

[TechRemedy]

Just need to be rooted that's all.

but you'd need to make sure busy box is installed.

~Ivy

I might be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that all of the rooting utilities automatically install busybox...so, I think we're good there!

 

[pvella]

I didn't separately install it. I think it came with z4root. I reflashed because I did something wrong, the price of experimenting, and now it does not seem to run init.rc.

 

[pbrauer]

Just fyi, my experience is that the BusyBox installed when you load Titanium Backup is the most complete, and you can do a great backup with it.