[MOD][TWRP][RECOVERY] Reclaim the whole free space of your system partition

Khaon · Feb 13, 2015

Hello,

many users complain that since lollipop their system partition size doesn't reflect the actual system of the block device. Therefore, they can not install some extra in this partition( busybox, big gapps packages,etc.).

This is due to the system image size specified when building the rom:
One of the parameter of your system partition(which has been hardcoded in some config file, I.e. BoardConfig) is its size, but if the block device(i.e. the part of your internal storage that will be mounted for the system partition)'s size that is mounted is larger than the system partition's size than you will loose some space.

TWRP has included this feature into their recovery from 2.8.7.0 and onwards ! You don't need to get my flashable package if you got a newer version than this.

Fortunately resize2fs executable allows to modify an ext2,ext3,ext4 partition size:

linux man page said:
The resize2fs program will resize ext2, ext3, or ext4 file systems. It can be used to enlarge or shrink an unmounted file system located on device. If the filesystem is mounted, it can be used to expand the size of the mounted filesystem, assuming the kernel supports on-line resizing. (As of this writing, the Linux 2.6 kernel supports on-line resize for filesystems mounted using ext3 only.).

This package simply resizes your system size to match the size of your block device size.
It does not alter your partitions table just reclaim the unmounted space.

Instructions:

Boot on a twrp 2.8.x.y TWRP recovery
flash the package

Download :

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9kxrJw-dzUmNG12QkdaU3R4Ujg/view

Credits :

@m11kkaa from whom I took the idea

CazeW · Feb 14, 2015

Lets see if I understood this correctly. Currently in Lollipop the system partition is smaller than the block where the partition resides? And if the partition size doesn't match the block size, you will loose the remaining space on the block? The remaining space on the block is not available to any other partition?

Khaon · Feb 14, 2015

That's correct. Your system partition is mounted with am 800 mb allocated space. Depending on your ROM ypou might loose some space.

Here I got 437 mb of free space .

Sent from my nexus 10

CazeW · Feb 14, 2015

Tried it and my system partition went from 643.7MB to 787.9MB in size on Lollipopalooza. That definetily helps with installing gapps as last time I had to leave off quite a few apps to get it to fit. So just to make sure, this extra space isn't taken from any other partition? It just made the system partition use the unallocated free space on the block?

lepa71 · Feb 14, 2015

Which app do you use to see partition sizes? How can I see what it is vs what it should be? Thanks.

Khaon · Feb 18, 2015

CazeW said:
Tried it and my system partition went from 643.7MB to 787.9MB in size on Lollipopalooza. That definetily helps with installing gapps as last time I had to leave off quite a few apps to get it to fit. So just to make sure, this extra space isn't taken from any other partition? It just made the system partition use the unallocated free space on the block?

Exactly.it corrects some internal ext4's variables that represents the size of fs to match the block's

lepa71 said:
Which app do you use to see partition sizes? How can I see what it is vs what it should be? Thanks.

There are plenty out there . I use fx embedded filesystem's analysis

tylerdurden83 · Feb 19, 2015

Excellent! I have one more question. As we know, modifying the system partition means that otas will fail. So if before I had to uninstall say Play Movies to make room for busybox, then I'd have had to reinstall it if I wanted to flash an OTA. With this method, the md5 signature of system isn't altered, and therefore otas wont fail, right?

Khaon · Feb 19, 2015

You are on aosp ?

tylerdurden83 · Feb 19, 2015

Khaon said:
You are on aosp ?

Stock factory image + root, uninstalled Play Movies to make room for busybox

lepa71 · Feb 19, 2015

Do I need to do anything?

Khaon · Feb 22, 2015

You used my mod right ?

Best way is either issue

df in a terminal console or install this app

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cls.partition

It will display the actual filesystem size .disk info display the size of your ssd

Sent from my nexus 10.

_Raziel666 · Feb 22, 2015

Khaon said:
You used my mod right ?

Best way is either issue

df in a terminal console or install this app

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cls.partition

It will display the actual filesystem size .disk info display the size of your ssd

Sent from my nexus 10.

Thank you very much for your mod.

I want to try it but I'm a little bit afraid. Do I lose any data? Will this affect the installation of other ROMs? I'm on stock now but I want to try some custom ROMs to decide. Do I have to use your mod every time I install a new ROM?

Thanks in advance!

Khaon · Feb 22, 2015

You won't loose any data it will adjust the size of ext4 fs to the actual physical size of your partition.

Flashing a new lollipop ROM flashes a new system image which specifies the image size.

Our device system image size is defined here https://github.com/CyanogenMod/android_device_samsung_manta/blob/cm-12.0/BoardConfig.mk#L64

685768704 is 654 megabyte but your mmcblk0p8 partition mounted on /system is 800 mb.

Until this is fixed. Will open a ticket to increase this value but there are maybe few reason google chose 654.

And yes you must reflash it each to flash

Sent from my nexus 10.

lepa71 · Feb 23, 2015

If you replying to my question then I didn't do anything. I'm asking I should do it.

Is this only for CM based roms?

Thanks

Khaon said:
You used my mod right ?

Best way is either issue

df in a terminal console or install this app

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cls.partition

It will display the actual filesystem size .disk info display the size of your ssd

Sent from my nexus 10.

Khaon · Feb 23, 2015

lepa71 said:
If you replying to my question then I didn't do anything. I'm asking I should do it.

Is this only for CM based roms?

Thanks

any roms

_Raziel666 · Feb 23, 2015

Khaon said:
any roms

I installed the app you said, but I didn't see any unclaimed space. Is your mod for stock ROM as well? I seem to have 644MB of space on the /system partition.

Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk

Khaon · Feb 23, 2015

_Raziel666 said:
I installed the app you said, but I didn't see any unclaimed space. Is your mod for stock ROM as well? I seem to have 644MB of space on the /system partition.

Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk

Well the maximum space you system partition can get is 800mb. The system of je partition number 8.

Thus you are looking space.

The resizes just fixes that

Read this post.

http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?p=59016220

Sent from my Xiaomi MI2s.

lepa71 · Feb 23, 2015

So mine shows 800 for system partition. Does this mean I don't have to do anything? Thanks

Khaon · Feb 23, 2015

Khaon said:
You used my mod right ?

Best way is either issue

df in a terminal console or install this app

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cls.partition

It will display the actual filesystem size .disk info display the size of your ssd

Sent from my nexus 10.

Don't use disk info but rather one of tje two over here.

Sent from my Xiaomi MI2s.

CazeW · Feb 23, 2015

lepa71 said:
So mine shows 800 for system partition. Does this mean I don't have to do anything? Thanks

Yes, if your system partition is already 800MB in size then you're already using the whole block.

[MOD][TWRP][RECOVERY] Reclaim the whole free space of your system partition

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