[MOD] [TWEAKS] Thunderbolt Mod for Smoothness, Performance & Battery improvements
Introduction -
This thread is intended to introduce Thunderbolt! Mod by @pikachu01 to Galaxy SIII users. (I did ask for and got Moderator permission due to perceived duplicate nature of the thread.)
First and foremost, here is the Original Thunderbolt thread. I do not take credit for the mod. All thanks go to @pikachu01.
Practically all the D2TMO/D2ATT/D2SPR/D2VZW users are using one version or other of Jelly Bean. So, although the original thread covers anything from Gingerbread to Jelly bean, I wish to provide a simple set for JB specific usage. Another reason for this thread is to explain what this mod does so that the average user understands what's going to happen and also be able to distinguish with other Mods. I have personally used this mod and given that I understand the underlying principle, I strongly recommend this mod.
Benefits -
I will try to explain as simply as possible what the mod does. This will help clarify for the first timers as well as experts.
Download & Installation -
I highly recommend taking a Nandroid backup before proceeding to flash this mod.
Download Link for the JellyBean Thunderbolt! Mod zip file download Link- JellyBean Version.
PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO THANKS @pikachu01 at his original thread here.
Reverting/Undoing ThunderBolt!
Introduction -
This thread is intended to introduce Thunderbolt! Mod by @pikachu01 to Galaxy SIII users. (I did ask for and got Moderator permission due to perceived duplicate nature of the thread.)
First and foremost, here is the Original Thunderbolt thread. I do not take credit for the mod. All thanks go to @pikachu01.
Practically all the D2TMO/D2ATT/D2SPR/D2VZW users are using one version or other of Jelly Bean. So, although the original thread covers anything from Gingerbread to Jelly bean, I wish to provide a simple set for JB specific usage. Another reason for this thread is to explain what this mod does so that the average user understands what's going to happen and also be able to distinguish with other Mods. I have personally used this mod and given that I understand the underlying principle, I strongly recommend this mod.
Benefits -
- Better performance through Linux kernel tweaks catered for Android OS and flash memory.
- Better battery life through usage of screenstate_scaling whereby it switches thresholds/VM tunables depending on your screen state.
- Better performance for database writes as fsync is not utilized any more.
- Better network throughput from TCP tweaks and 3G tweaks.
- Less RAM usage through zipaligning of all the apps.
- Reduced /dbdata, /data, /sdcard usage of *.db files and faster database access through defragmentation of sqlite db files (a lot of apps use Database to store data like Swype dictionaries, Game saves etc)
- Faster disk access through remount script (noatime, disable barrier etc)
I will try to explain as simply as possible what the mod does. This will help clarify for the first timers as well as experts.
- Partition Remount – Each Partition is Remounted with the Noatime option set. This will avoid a Write operation whenever Android reads from disc. Thus improving performance significantly.
- Optimizing SQLITE Database– SQLITE is a lightweight database used extensively in Android apps. Its the basis for saving application data and images. For each app, there is a separate instance. With significant write activity, the database gets fragmented and is not on consecutively arranged on the Flash storage. If this is optimized, read operations as well as write operations of every application will significantly boost. Thus improving overall smoothness. However, if you have a lot of applications and each application having lot of data in the database, (For ex. Games, TiBU or Social Media) optimization operation will take some time. Fortunately you don't have to do this frequently. Even once a week will do wonders.
- APK Re-Alignment – Each application comes packaged as APK or Android PacKage file. These are internally packaged as an archive. Within the archive, uncompressed data needs to be aligned with respect to beginning of the file. When aligned in this way, the files are read quicker and executed efficiently. This contributes to a smooth experience. Quiet a few apps on Google Play are not aligned when you install. This will eventually contribute to a sluggish and less than optimal experience. Aligning the files once a week will help avoid this. If you tend to install new apps frequently, you might be better off putting this file in init.d, so this will be executed at each boot.
- Network Parameter tweaking – In Build.prop, size values of buffers should be increased given higher RAM sizes on these phones. This tweak is pretty well known to most of the people on XDA.
- Scheduler Tweaking – This only applies to Kernels that implement CFS Scheduler. Users of KT747 Kernel can ignore this as that kernel does not implement CFS. For those who have it, tweaking the Scheduler parameters knowing the files are zipaligned, will render smoother experience.
I highly recommend taking a Nandroid backup before proceeding to flash this mod.
Download Link for the JellyBean Thunderbolt! Mod zip file download Link- JellyBean Version.
- Copy the zip file to your SD Card (internal or external).
- Install Script manager from Google Play Store. Also optionally install Terminal Emulator (Only needed to verify successful install).
- Flash the Thunderbolt! zip in Recovery and then reboot the device.
- If you experince Boot Loops, please flash the undo script or restore your Nandroid. Let me know.
- Open Script Manager.
- Launch S98screenstate_scaling as Root (The Skull icon). If it executes successfully, set it to run at Boot (The Wheel Icon).
NOTE - This script is not compatible with some Roms. Please test it to see if it works with your Rom before setting it to run at boot. - Launch S98system_tweak as Root (The Skull icon). If it executes successfully, set it to run at Boot (The Wheel Icon).
- Launch /etc/bolt_scripts/remountNexus4 as Root (The skull icon) and as Boot (The wheel icon).
Note - Given this re-mount is not for US versions of Galaxy S III, you may get errors on the subsequent screen. Ignore them and hit back button. - Launch /etc/bolt_scripts/sqlite_optimize as Root (The skull icon).
Note - This script can be used at anytime you want except at boot so do not set that way (the wheel icon) or from inside init.d. Given it's a very long running script, it will inordinately held up boot up process. - Launch /etc/bolt_scripts/s70darky_zipalign as Root (The skull icon).
Note - This script can be used anytime you want including as Boot (Wheel icon) or within init.d folder. If you copy it to init.d set its permission to rwx-rwx-rwx. Also note, this script is located under bolt_scripts since users with a large set of apps may experience quiet a bit of delay during boot up. - Launch /etc/bolt_scripts/CFS/S98CFS as Root (The skull icon) and as Boot (The wheel icon).
- Launch /etc/bolt_scripts/S98TCPbuffers as Root (The skull icon) and as Boot (The wheel icon).
- Launch S98screenstate_scaling as Root (The Skull icon). If it executes successfully, set it to run at Boot (The Wheel Icon).
PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO THANKS @pikachu01 at his original thread here.
Reverting/Undoing ThunderBolt!
- To revert ThunderBolt!, download the ThunderBolt! Restore.zip
- Do note that reflashing your ROM will remove ThunderBolt! as well.
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