[APP][ROOT] FolderMount - Link folders from internal SD to external to free space

madmack · Mar 15, 2013

Features of FolderMount:

Root is an absolute MUST. No root, no access to app.
Mount internal SD card folders to external SD folders.
Move content from internal to external when a pair is added. (Dialog prompt)
Support for Android 2.3 - 6.*.
Holo themed throughout and an intuitive GUI design.
It will check SDCARD mount status and remount if necessary.

Why would you need this app?

Today some apps store big files over the internal SD card (e.g. Games, Podcasts, Offline RSS feeds, Pictures, Offline navigation software). Typically users have a small internal sd card size (~16GB) while the external SD is a lot bigger (~32-64GB). Most of these apps don't have an option to use the external SD card to store data so they starve your internal SD card memory. I'm bringing this solution to fix this issue. In my case, I use this app to mount offline navigation software and some GameLoft games (NFS anyone?).

Doesn't this do the same thing as previous apps?

There are a few apps that already do this. However, my app differs in that:

a) Some of the existing apps aren't maintained anymore. FolderMount will be maintained by me as we go forward.
b) While most of the previous apps work properly in most cases, I found them not very intuitive to setup initially and were lacking some necessary "sanity checks" before linking folders. I intend to keep this app as intuitive and bug free as possible.
c) Support for Android 4.2.2! No app will currently do that for you, so here it is. (dev talk: this uses the debuggerd service trick to get it to work).

Users that buy the premium key will get:

Unlimited folder pairs (free version has a limit of 3).
Ability to mount any subfolder in the internal sdcard. (free version has restrictions on Android obb and data folders)
Get to see the folder sizes in root explorer
Support the developer and make him very happy

Mini how to

Click add to add a folder pair
Select a source directory that you want to move files from. This should be somewhere in your internal sdcard. Usually located at /mnt/sdcard
Select a destination directory that you want to move files to. This should be some folder in your external sdcard or OTG drive.
FolderMount will offer to move the files to the destination. Click yes.
After the moving process is done, click on the pin. If the pin is green, you're all set.
Note: The files will appear in both the source and destination after pinning them. This is normal as the files that you see in your internal sdcard are actually located on your external sdcard. This is how FolderMount "tricks" apps that don't have the ability to save explicitly to the external sdcard.

FAQ

Please do read the FAQ before asking questions in this thread. If your question is ignored, it is most likely because the answer to it already exists in the FAQ.

Note to users complaining about FM not working in KitKat with custom ROMs. Before asking any questions or complaining that FM does not work, have your kernel dev (or ROM cooker) look HERE

Screenshots:

Video tutorial(s):

1. by KiaTheKing

Translations:

Want to have FolderMount in your language? Help us by joining our crowdin project. More information here: http://www.devasque.com/foldermount/translations.html

Bug reports:

FolderMount version 2.2 and up support an integrated bug report and submission capability. Use the feature in the Settings menu to submit bug reports.

Changelog:

v2.9.11 (6/26/2016)

Broader compatibility with Samsung M devices

v2.9.9 (6/7/2016)

Added Android Marshmallow compatibility
Android M support for Moto devices (disable sdcardfs module)
Cosmetic changes to copy notification (no more white text on white BG)
Root dialog has a clear check mark (or x mark if root was not granted)
Destination is sometimes not there, FM doesn't ask you to move files back when you delete that pair
Ask permissions to write to external sdcard using Storage Access Framework. Copy operations should work now in Android M
Initial support for Samsung devices running android M. A patch will be offered to replace two files. If your /data partition is encrypted, you will lose all data on it! There is no way around that at the moment. Once you factory reset, FM should work fine and you'll have AOSP encryption which TWRP can decrypt
Migration to new Android M permission granting model. FM will ask you for permission only when it needs these permissions

Rest of changelog

Disclaimer: This app does not guarantee functionality in any way, shape, or form. It is not my responsibility if this app does not work, breaks your sdcard or eats your kittens. User discretion is advised.

anurag.dj2u · Mar 15, 2013

Nice app i believe but try it asap and come back with positive feedback ..

Thx fo developing thos kind of apps for us

Sent from my XT910 using Tapatalk 2

egingell · Mar 15, 2013

Creating a new entry only resulted in the "disappearance" of my files, they returned upon reboot which suggests that your command(s) are backward, and the app warned that Source was not empty when, in fact, it was and it "moved" no files, which interestingly had a progress bar, from Source to Destination, then bound them, at which point both Source and Destination showed no files (hence "disappearance" above) until reboot. The files were still in their original location.

gelhack · Mar 15, 2013

How about kicking off a media rescan after the folders are mounted?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

madmack · Mar 15, 2013

egingell said:
Creating a new entry only resulted in the "disappearance" of my files, they returned upon reboot which suggests that your command(s) are backward, and the app warned that Source was not empty when, in fact, it was and it "moved" no files, which interestingly had a progress bar, from Source to Destination, then bound them, at which point both Source and Destination showed no files (hence "disappearance" above) until reboot. The files were still in their original location.

if you've already mounted that source folder using any other means, un mount it first then use my app to bind it correctly.

Source (internal SD.. copying files FROM this).
Destination (external SD.. copying files TO this.. we'll eventually bind that folder to the source so it looks like the source is populated with the dest's files).

egingell · Mar 15, 2013

madmack said:
if you've already mounted that source folder using any other means, un mount it first then use my app to bind it correctly.

Source (internal SD.. copying files FROM this).
Destination (external SD.. copying files TO this.. we'll eventually bind that folder to the source so it looks like the source is populated with the dest's files).

Nope. Not the problem. Nothing is bound to anything on my phone.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA

madmack · Mar 15, 2013

egingell said:
Nope. Not the problem. Nothing is bound to anything on my phone.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA

got access to shell via adb?

if so run the following and paste the output :

Code:

mount
ls -la /your/source/folder

StephenC82 · Mar 15, 2013

Anyone tried to mount the obb folder? Doesn't work for me.
Love the app otherwise. Looking forward to the updates and to donate.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

egingell · Mar 15, 2013

madmack said:
got access to shell via adb?

if so run the following and paste the output :

Code:

mount ls -la /your/source/folder

It's fine, now. I was using the system's symlinks rather than their actual paths. Maybe check for that?

Does this remount on boot?

madmack · Mar 15, 2013

egingell said:
It's fine, now. I was using the system's symlinks rather than their actual paths. Maybe check for that?

Does this remount on boot?

not yet. no settings menu available so far :| It'll all happen in time.

rotaryheadrx7 · Mar 16, 2013

StephenC82 said:
Anyone tried to mount the obb folder? Doesn't work for me.
Love the app otherwise. Looking forward to the updates and to donate.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

obb did not work for me either.

xSoNiCcRaCkErSx · Mar 16, 2013

+1

Android/data and Android/obb do not work. Also the app shows a green pin and you can't unmount it. (even though its not mounted to begin with)

Besides that it works! I tried it with my TWRP backups folder and Pictures folder and it allows me to mount (green pin) and unmount (white pin) just fine! Awesome job on this madmack, I don't know what kind of magic is going on behind the scenes but you seemed to have solved the issues I have been plagued with these past 2 days. The only thing left is to get those 2 gaming folders going!

madmack · Mar 16, 2013

xSoNiCcRaCkErSx said:
+1

Android/data and Android/obb do not work. Also the app shows a green pin and you can't unmount it. (even though its not mounted to begin with)

Besides that it works! I tried it with my TWRP backups folder and Pictures folder and it allows me to mount (green pin) and unmount (white pin) just fine! Awesome job on this madmack, I don't know what kind of magic is going on behind the scenes but you seemed to have solved the issues I have been plagued with these past 2 days. The only thing left is to get those 2 gaming folders going!

I did extensive testing for subfolders in Android/data and they work fine on my phone. I successfully played NFS from data stored in extSdCard :good:

What folders in Android/data are you trying to mount? If you're trying to mount /data itself then this could explain why it shows the green pin. Try mounting subfolders individually and see if that works.

xSoNiCcRaCkErSx · Mar 16, 2013

madmack said:
I did extensive testing for subfolders in Android/data and they work fine on my phone. I successfully played NFS from data stored in extSdCard :good:

What folders in Android/data are you trying to mount? If you're trying to mount /data itself then this could explain why it shows the green pin. Try mounting subfolders individually and see if that works.

Yes, you are right! I was trying to bind the entire folder. Doh! I tried NFS:MW and Spiderman and they both worked great. The obb folder however, even binding directories as you stated, gives the same result as posted above.

madmack · Mar 16, 2013

xSoNiCcRaCkErSx said:
Yes, you are right! I was trying to bind the entire folder. Doh! I tried NFS:MW and Spiderman and they both worked great. The obb folder however, even binding directories as you stated, gives the same result as posted above.

awesome man :good:

I'm gonna look into that obb business later. Scary territory being that it's the "secure" and "protected" partition for private app data.

you guys got obb folders to mount correctly in 4.1 and in ICS/GB?

Colton127 · Mar 16, 2013

Doesn't work for me, Apps always request to re-download data when everything is mounted properly as far as I know. It's already fully downloaded onto my external SD card in a folder, where I mounted it at.

App is also very confusing and obviously not near finished.

GSIII running 4.2.2.

EDIT: The problem only occurs with folders in obb, I tried it with a test folder on my internal and my music folder on external and it worked fine. What could be the issue with obb?

xSoNiCcRaCkErSx · Mar 16, 2013

madmack said:
awesome man :good:

I'm gonna look into that obb business later. Scary territory being that it's the "secure" and "protected" partition for private app data.

you guys got obb folders to mount correctly in 4.1 and in ICS/GB?

Did not try in 4.1 ICS but in 4.1 (4.1.2 + 4.1.2) JB I had just those two folders (data and obb) linked via Directorybind with no issues. I figured as much. When I first started trying to find a way to have all my games without swapping out, I was at first trying to use GL to SD which worked but had it's issues so I sought out other methods. I was messing around with those folders and realized the system had some hold over them when I was trying to remake the folders (to do my own custom links). It was then I found Directorybind and it solved the issues I was having.

I don't know much about how those folders work or are implemented but I know in my struggles to find a solution to this problem I noticed there is a protected obb folder under /mnt/. I wonder what this is for.

kakyyabata · Mar 16, 2013

Perfect app but i have one problem when i press setting nothing happened im trying to makw the app work in boot start

Jp 4.1.2

Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

egingell · Mar 16, 2013

kakyyabata said:
Perfect app but i have one problem when i press setting nothing happened im trying to makw the app work in boot start

Jp 4.1.2

Sent from my GT-I9300 using xda premium

Read the OP.

madmack said:
Things to still do:

Make a settings menu !

Launch on boot.

Possibly unlock the file explorer to navigate to more folders than just internal/external sd.

Widget to toggle all mounts on and off (low priority).

Edit: Speaking of reading the OP: you probably don't need a widget, but you might want to handle when the phone is plugged into a computer and USB Storage is on.

smar · Mar 16, 2013

Write access to bound folder

Looks to be potentially a very useful app!

I'm on 4.2.2 (Carbon ROM), and binding folders to the external SD card seems to work fine for read access. However, I am not able to write to any of the bound folders. Is this a known limitation or is there some work around?

[APP][ROOT] FolderMount - Link folders from internal SD to external to free space

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