ROM Developers: Please switch to ext3 for a2sd!

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99% of the problems users are having with Apps2SD are caused by the unclean shutdown of the ext2 filesystem, because Android does not unmount it when rebooting or shutting down the system, and there are no tools on the device to fsck the filesystem on boot. Ext3 is journaled and this isn't an issue because the journal will simply replay on boot.

I'd like to put an end to this.

Attached is e2fsprogs (tune2fs, e2fsck, resize2fs, and mke2fs) built for Android/ARM. You should also use the "-t auto" mount option so that it's still backwards compatible with ext2.

To convert your ext2 to ext3, you can simply run "tune2fs -j /dev/block/mmcblk0p2" after you have these tools on your device, and reboot (assuming your ramdisk allows for mounting as "auto"). You should unmount and e2fsck the partition first, if it's not been checked for errors.

Step by step by neoobs

can we have a noob-friendly guide to this preferably through terminal.

Originally Posted by cyanogen

99% of the problems users are having with Apps2SD are caused by the unclean shutdown of the ext2 filesystem, because Android does not unmount it when rebooting or shutting down the system, and there are no tools on the device to fsck the filesystem on boot. Ext3 is journaled and this isn't an issue because the journal will simply replay on boot.

I'd like to put an end to this.

Attached is e2fsprogs (tune2fs, e2fsck, resize2fs, and mke2fs) built for Android/ARM. You should also use the "-t auto" mount option so that it's still backwards compatible with ext2.

To convert your ext2 to ext3, you can simply run "tune2fs -j /dev/block/mmcblk0p2" after you have these tools on your device, and reboot (assuming your ramdisk allows for mounting as "auto"). You should unmount and e2fsck the partition first, if it's not been checked for errors.

Will this work with ADP JF1.5?

Before I try it, let me get a few things straing. I have to put these files in the corresponding folders, reflash, then type type the commands from terminal on the phone? Or does this have to be done with adb?

Originally Posted by Beast84

Will this work with ADP JF1.5?

Before I try it, let me get a few things straing. I have to put these files in the corresponding folders, reflash, then type type the commands from terminal on the phone? Or does this have to be done with adb?

its already working for ADP. I have both my phones running on EXT3 and I havent found a problem. Its more reliable and I have gotten a Force Close or Wait screen with all the speed his build has.

Originally Posted by cyanogen

To convert your ext2 to ext3, you can simply run "tune2fs -j /dev/block/mmcblk0p2" after you have these tools on your device, and reboot (assuming your ramdisk allows for mounting as "auto"). You should unmount and e2fsck the partition first, if it's not been checked for errors.

Huh?
Can you explain this in English please?

Originally Posted by Henchman

Huh?
Can you explain this in English please?

I mainly intended this for other ROM makers, so they can incorporate these features into cooked ROMs.

So this basically means all of us with ext2 partitions will have to get a new card or is there anyways for us to convert to ext3?

Originally Posted by djdeviance

So this basically means all of us with ext2 partitions will have to get a new card or is there anyways for us to convert to ext3?

please re-read the first post.

"To convert your ext2 to ext3, you can simply run "tune2fs -j /dev/block/mmcblk0p2" ....

Originally Posted by pershoot

please re-read the first post.

"To convert your ext2 to ext3, you can simply run "tune2fs -j /dev/block/mmcblk0p2" ....

Yes I did read that and tried as well. Was unsuccessful that why I asked.

Premature SD failure from frequent journal commits?

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I wondered why this solution wasn't inplemented from the beginning. However, In one of the threads on A2SD, I read that moving /DATA/DATA to SD would negatively affect the longevity of the SD cards because of the frequent write/re-write cycles of files in that directory, particularly sqlite database commits . One contributor suggested that a using a journalled filesystem in this context would have a similar effect in that there would be repeated writes to the specific area of the SD where the journal is stored.

Any thoughts on this?