[Script][A2SD]Darktremor 2.7.5.3 Beta 04 [Evo] (01/29/2011)

tkirton · Jul 2, 2010

Introducing...
Darktremor Apps2SD 2.7.5.3 Beta 04
Date of Release: January 29, 2011

Download Current Version

Instructions - Change Log - Commands - ROM List - Developer's Guide

Darktremor Apps2SD Fan Page ----

Darktremor Apps2SD Development Group

Are you installing Darktremor Apps2SD on your phone? Here are the instructions to help you: Facebook
Are you a developer wanting to include Darktremor Apps2SD in your latest ROM? Here is the Developer Guide: Facebook

Update on Beta 4
It seems I'm getting mixed results with these betas. I'm not sure why this is occurring, some people have been able to get this working right while others have had a hard time with it.

Currently, I'm rebuilding the entire program. This takes a while because I have to figure out how to pack all these options into the program but make it small enough to where it will run correctly.

I will say that some of the beta features are coming back out...one of them is the search for a partition code. I suspect that code may be leading me into issues with certain platforms, so I'm going back to the 2.7.5.2 method of mounting (mmcblk0p2 or mmcblk1p2).

Also, parts of the code will use Busybox Ash (the only code that won't will be starta2sd, which will still use Bash for the time being). The startup code will definitely use Busybox Ash.

Until then, here are the links to the the last two betas and the last official release:

Version 2.7.5.3 Beta 04 - http://www.darktremor.info/files/a2sd/dtapps2sd-2.7.5.3-beta04-signed.zip
Version 2.7.5.3 Beta 03 - http://www.darktremor.info/files/a2sd/dtapps2sd-2.7.5.3-beta03-signed.zip
Version 2.7.5.2-1 - http://www.darktremor.info/files/a2sd/dtapps2sd-2.7.5.2-1-signed.zip

And, if you want past versions, you can view the repository: ftp://dtuser:Darktremor1@ftp.darktremor.info (ignore the smiley face...that's XDA doing that.)

Beta 04 took longer than I expected to release. I have done major changes to the code:

1. New commands: convert-ext4 - This will convert your EXT3 partition into EXT4. Just a friendly reminder on this command: Not every rom supports EXT4, so it is possible to go into a boot loop if you switch roms. Use with caution.

2. Reworked convert-ext3 (convert-ext4 gets similar code)...now a flag file is set before the reboot (no conversion is done before the reboot). At load time, the conversion is performed. This takes longer in the reboot process and you may think your phone has locked up...wait about five minutes before doing anything with the phone.

3. Repair is rebuilt...now it uses existing commands to repair the setup (reinstall, remove, cachesd, cachepart, nocache, datasd, nodata). Definitely shrinks the code.

4. Added fix_permissions program to the package. This may help with Superuser issues when using the datasd feature. It is used in reinstall, remove, datasd and nodata.

5. a2sd install is back!!! Both a2sd install and a2sd reinstall do the exact same thing.

6. Dalvik heap code has been shrunk and now creates a file called dalvikheap. Actually, the code has been doing this all along (since about 2.7.5.2, I think), but I never put the code in to use the file.

7. Low Memory Killer code has also been shrunk and uses a file caled dtset_lowmem to set the low memory killer parameter.

8. Replaced Busybox PS function with Toolbox PS. The issue with Busybox PS is that it gives a false reading when I look for android.process.acore (which is the main program when the GUI starts up). If that is present, the program thinks you are trying to run Darktremor without any command line parameters. This was because Busybox would report the process was there when, in reality, it wasn't (validated this when my phone was boot looping.) Toolbox's PS reports the correct setting. This should fix the bootlooping issues some people are experiencing.

9. New commands: usedtbusybox and usedefaultbusybox - these commands may help in diagnosing issues that is may be related to the native Busybox on your rom. a2sd usedtbusybox will use the Busybox that is packaged with Darktremor. a2sd usedefaultbusybox will turn back on the scan behavior of the program introduced in Beta 03.

10. Support for Darktremor Apps2SD version 2.7 and earlier has been discontinued. To upgrade correctly from one of those versions, use version 2.7.5.3 Beta 03b or earlier.

11. Finally fixed stalled boot issues (or at least my tests with several roms says so.)

See the change log for additional details.

You will notice that if the program runs repair and finds a problem, it will correct the issue and reboot. You will see a second reboot when the dalvik-cache clears (this is to fix timing issues with CyanogenMod...I can't control that startup as well as I can other roms). This only happens if repair is ran or you flash a new rom (as repair will realign all data). If you are upgrading from a previous version of Darktremor, you should not see the reboots.

This is Darktremor Apps2SD, a multipurpose program that primarily allows a user to execute applications created for the Android OS on their Secure Digital card (with the proper setup...more on that later). But, Darktremor Apps2SD is all about stability. The goal is to be able for all users of the Android OS to be able to take advantage of a method to run their applications from a secure digital card.

But just because the Darktremor Apps2SD is all about stability, doesn't mean it isn't packed with features:

- Move applications (both free and paid) to the Secure Digital card.
- Move Dalvik Cache to run either from your Secure Digital card or from your cache partition and clears the cache on demand.
- Boot Loop Protection: prevents the phone from boot looping in the event the SD card could not be mounted.
- Dalvik JIT for faster performance on Roms which support it.
- User selectable sizes for the Dalvik heap sizes, allowing a user to freely optimize their system.
- Activate a swap partition on your SD card and sets how often the swap partition is utilized.
- Automatically fixes configuration issues.
- Users can check the free space on their SD card and check the installation to make sure all is setup correctly.
- Runs ZipAlign on demand...this makes your programs load faster.
- Built in help system for easy reference of commands.
- All features can also be reversed without repartitioning your Secure Digital card.
- New logging features assists in troubleshooting issues.
- Commands to set the Low Memory Killer feature at boot time. Great for those people who are the "set it and forget it" type.
- And more...

Darktremor Apps2SD is not the same as Froyo Apps2SD. Froyo Apps2SD creates a secure folder on the FAT32 section of your SD card (this is the section that you see when you mount your phone to your computer) and stores the programs there. This is nice as you don't have to do anything special with the phone, but it isn't backwards compatible with older versions of Android (Cupcake, Donut, Eclair) and, because of the way Froyo works, older programs not designed for Froyo will automatically stay on your internal storage (unless you install a program that forces the move to your SD card).

Darktremor Apps2SD takes a different approach. Based on the original CyanogenMod works, Darktremor Apps2SD uses symbolic linking to force Android into moving your applications to the SD card. Because Android will not allow anything to be ran from the FAT32 partition on your SD card (and, in Froyo, it will only allow you to run programs from a special folder), Darktremor utilizes filesystems called EXT2, EXT3 and EXT4. Each one of these filesystems is native to Linux (the operating system running Android), which allows you to run programs from them (same as, say, a computer running Ubuntu). This method is completely compatible with all versions of Android, including Froyo. In fact, you can run both the Darktremor Apps2SD and Froyo Apps2SD at the same time.

Check out the list of Roms that either have Darktremor Apps2SD installed or are compatible with Darktremor Apps2SD. Click on the link labeled ROM List at the top of this message.

tkirton · Jul 2, 2010

Darktremor Apps2SD Installation Instructions

For the list of people that helped me test this on the various roms that use or can use Darktremor Apps2SD and the changelog: http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=7034326&postcount=3

The installation instructions can be found here: http://xdaforums.com/showpost.php?p=7021325&postcount=2

If you want a list of commands for Apps2SD, type a2sd help.

tkirton · Jul 2, 2010

Reserved...

Jykinturah · Jul 2, 2010

Is there any chance we may have the option to store text messages on the SD card using a system similar to Apps2SD?

tkirton · Jul 2, 2010

That would probably be dependent on the program you use. I was experimenting on moving the /data/data folder to the SD card. Unfortunately, I wasn't successful with it retaining settings during the move.

I did take out the code that forces /data/data to stay on the data partition, so if you want to move the /data/data folder to, say, /system/sd/data, you can.

I have the option in Darktremor A2SD 2.7.5 Alpha (based on 2.7 Update 1. The current code is based on 2.7 Update 3r1), I will put it in again if you wish to experiment with it (though I will leave it undocumented until it is proven successful).
`

Jykinturah said:
Is there any chance we may have the option to store text messages on the SD card using a system similar to Apps2SD?

Jykinturah · Jul 2, 2010

tkirton said:
That would probably be dependent on the program you use. I was experimenting on moving the /data/data folder to the SD card. Unfortunately, I wasn't successful with it retaining settings during the move.

I did take out the code that forces /data/data to stay on the data partition, so if you want to move the /data/data folder to, say, /system/sd/data, you can.

I have the option in Darktremor A2SD 2.7.5 Alpha (based on 2.7 Update 1. The current code is based on 2.7 Update 3r1), I will put it in again if you wish to experiment with it (though I will leave it undocumented until it is proven successful).

To be honest, I am quite new with Android development. I think I will look at some documentation and such before I begin experimenting. Maybe I should do an adb pull of /data/data and look at the stuff there.

If you don't mind, I may request for it later.

tkirton · Jul 2, 2010

Sure. Not a problem.

Jykinturah said:
To be honest, I am quite new with Android development. I think I will look at some documentation and such before I begin experimenting. Maybe I should do an adb pull of /data/data and look at the stuff there.

If you don't mind, I may request for it later.

freeza · Jul 2, 2010

Hi, what is he best heap size to use?

Also, can I use apps2sd on the updated 1.47 rooted ROM based on the OTA simply by flashing?

tkirton · Jul 2, 2010

Normally on the Hero (the one I use), the heap size is 16mb (a2sd smallheap). DamageControl uses a heap size of 24mb (a2sd largeheap), which seems to make dalvik-cache runs faster. I included a 32mb heap setting (a2sd jumboheap) that I thought would be perfect for the added memory of the Evo.

Honestly, I'm not sure which one is better. I personally can't tell the difference between them. I would experiment between them and see...but I'm not sure you'll get a noticeable difference unless you clear your dalvik-cache.

As for running Apps2SD on the updated 1.47 rooted rom...if it is a stock rom, it won't run. This is because the stock rom by itself does not have the necessary components to launch any version of Apps2SD (CyanogenMod, Darktremor, DamageControl). Myself and another developer injected the Apps2SD functions in our stock rom and released it (it was just a stock rom...no other modifications was done). So, someone would have to inject the Apps2SD functions into the stock rom.

freeza said:
Hi, what is he best heap size to use?

Also, can I use apps2sd on the updated 1.47 rooted ROM based on the OTA simply by flashing?

dpilcher · Jul 2, 2010

Partition Size

Just received my 16G (C6) SD card and was wondering if anyone had recommendations for initial sizing of the partitions? Originally did a 50/50 split, but second guessing myself.

tkirton · Jul 3, 2010

I have 4GB, but that's a bit excessive. Try around 1-2GB for the ext and, depending if you want a swap partition, 32MB for swap. All the rest goes to FAT32.

dpilcher said:
Just received my 16G (C6) SD card and was wondering if anyone had recommendations for initial sizing of the partitions? Originally did a 50/50 split, but second guessing myself.

tkirton · Jul 3, 2010

Preview Fix 2 is out...more corrections to JIT (seems this one is hard to get my hands on).

dpilcher · Jul 4, 2010

tkirton said:
I have 4GB, but that's a bit excessive. Try around 1-2GB for the ext and, depending if you want a swap partition, 32MB for swap. All the rest goes to FAT32.

Thanks for the feedback. I moved to 3G, but will probably take that down to 1.5 (or almost 3 times the phone's internal system memory correct?) Don't think I will enable a swap, even though it's a C6 with protection elements on the card, don't want continual rw.

tkirton · Jul 4, 2010

I have swap on mine and I don't see any ill effects.

But you have an Evo, which has twice the memory of the Hero. You probably would benefit without a swap file.

dpilcher said:
Thanks for the feedback. I moved to 3G, but will probably take that down to 1.5 (or almost 3 times the phone's internal system memory correct?) Don't think I will enable a swap, even though it's a C6 with protection elements on the card, don't want continual rw.

tkirton · Jul 4, 2010

Guide to add Apps2SD to roms

I have added a guide on my main thread that shows you how to add Apps2SD support in roms that don't have it.

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=715116

tkirton · Jul 9, 2010

Bump...Preview Fix 4 is out (yes, I skipped PF3...Desire users got that one).

pastert33 · Jul 10, 2010

I'm trying to get apps2SD to work with the DC ROM and I'm not seeing this partition selection. When I click on partition, a menu opens up that says a lot about mount and unmount. Also says something about format boot, system, data,cache, sd card, sd-ext. Any help would be appreciated!

brownmc77 · Jul 10, 2010

tkirton said:
I have swap on mine and I don't see any ill effects.

But you have an Evo, which has twice the memory of the Hero. You probably would benefit without a swap file.

I know this is probley a stupid question but whats the benefit of this?speed? And if so, is it a big differnence? Thanks

tkirton · Jul 11, 2010

Are you trying to get Darktremor Apps2SD to work or the one already included with DamageControl.

If it is Darktremor, the GUI setup in DamageControl is not compatible. You need to use the commands via Terminal or adb shell. Type a2sd help for a list of commands and a description of what they do.

pastert33 said:
I'm trying to get apps2SD to work with the DC ROM and I'm not seeing this partition selection. When I click on partition, a menu opens up that says a lot about mount and unmount. Also says something about format boot, system, data,cache, sd card, sd-ext. Any help would be appreciated!

tkirton · Jul 11, 2010

The only benefit is that it will allow programs to stay in memory longer. It is a little faster, but not significant.

Most people don't even bother putting a swap partition.

Using a program like Autokiller, which adjusts the values of the built-in auto termination routine, would benefit you far better than swap.

brownmc77 said:
I know this is probley a stupid question but whats the benefit of this?speed? And if so, is it a big differnence? Thanks

[Script][A2SD]Darktremor 2.7.5.3 Beta 04 [Evo] (01/29/2011)

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