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

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

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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

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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.)

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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.

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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.

The advanced installer uses updater-script, the same method that Cyanogen uses for CyanogenMod.

The other script is the standard update-script, for compatibility with older recovery programs.

Other than that one difference, they are identical.

hi2u2 said:

what's the difference between the two installers?

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Bump...new version released: 2.7.5.2

Do you have a /data/dta2sd.log file? That would help me more than the log file you sent (the adb logcat is too late in the process for me to see what Darktremor is doing).

If you have the log file, send it to me at rtkirton@gmail.com and I'll see if I can find out what's going on.

EDIT: Jr33 may also be able to help out on this...he's got this working in two Motorola roms, so he may have to do something special with the rom to get the program to start. It may be a similar situation that I'm running into for the Samsung Galaxy S platforms.

jamezelle said:

why is it i have to run a2sd repair just to get this to boot otherwise it chokes out

http://pastie.org/1197625

rom: ported 2.2 sensui rom on droid1
using 512ext3 partition as mmcblk0p2 with the init.d startup method(same issue with the init.rc methed, not like that would matter)

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Apps will be moved automatically if the ROM supports A2SD+ or Apps2SD (Liberated should).

Not sure what you are meaning regarding "control". The move is pretty quick and happens at the start of the boot process. Technically, the user doesn't have control of the phone at this point.

duckredbeard said:

I am running Liberated R010. I have partitioned the class 4 sd card, in this order...6.5GB FAT 32, about 1GB Ext2, about 32MB Linux Swap. I have copied all of my old sd card into the 6.5GB partition. I'm wanting to stick this into the phone and let it do its thing. Will the apps be moved automatically? What control will I have during and after this big moment?

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No...no hotswapping. The EXT2 or EXT3 partition is mounted...you could corrupt it. You will need to reboot with the card as the mounting of the EXT2 / EXT3 partition happens during boot time.

duckredbeard said:

Do I need to reboot with the new card or can I do the unmounted hotswap?

Sent from my (liberated) HTC Liberty using XDA App

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Okay, try this:

From the adb shell, type a2sd reinstall.

The reason for this is that, if you were running Darktremor without the SD card partitioned, boot protection would activate and set the NoA2SD flag.

a2sd reinstall will clear the flag and move the apps to the SD card. That should fix your issue.

duckredbeard said:

I did tried as you recommended and nothing changed except for the size of the SD card. The partitioned card showed as 6.6GB, (instead of the full 8ishGB) but the internal memory stayed at 185MB. I used the live ubuntu method, 6.6GB fat 32, 1GB ext2, 32MB Linux. Partition session showed as successful.

Sent from my (liberated) HTC Liberty using XDA App

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So, you setup the SD card via Rom Manager and all is working, but it didn't work via Linux LiveCD, correct?

It could be the EXT2 partition. It works, but because there is no journaling, the partition is more susceptible to corruption.

You may try the LiveCD method again. This time, create a 1GB EXT3 partition and make sure you unmount the partition before removing it (force removal while it is mounted is a good way to corrupt an EXT2 partition...can also corrupt an EXT3 partition). Don't worry about going into Windows to validate...you can do that with your phone.

I don't know if there is another recovery available to you. I run GodSpeed (based on Amon_RA's recovery) on my Hero and Amon_RA on my Evo. I know the Amon_RA recovery will allow you to select your EXT2/EXT3 size.

duckredbeard said:

Now that I'm on a real keyboard, I can better explain what got me to this point. Some of this you've heard before.

I did Nandroid backup, then copied all of my SD to a safe place on my PC. Partitioned the new Class 4 SD card using Linux LiveCd, with about 6.5GB Fat32, 1GB Ext2, and 32MB Linux swap. It took a few tries, I'm not a Linux person. Once It was successful, I went back into windows and looked at the card size. It was indeed about 6.5GB.

Powered off the Aria and inserted the SD card, then powered on like normal. No obvious change, other than the SD being smaller. No change to the internal storage. Found the darktremor .zip file and copied it to the root of my SD using a card reader, reinserted the SD (with power off) and rebooted in recovery, applied your .zip. Phone rebooted fine, again no changes.

I again tried to partition the card using ROM Manager, which had previously been unsuccessful on the new card. After it had been Linux partitioned the one time, ROM Manager seemed to have worked. I'd rather have more than 512MB Ext2, though.

I am perilously close to full on my internal storage, so I'm eager to get this going. Thanks for your replies.

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Hmmm...works for both my Hero and Evo.

Which rom are you using? If you are using /dev/block/mmcblk1p3, it should work as it was introduced in this version.

I know this is going to sound stupid on my part, but are you sure swap has been working? The reason I ask is that earlier versions of CyanogenMod 6 Nightly Builds had the swap turned off in the kernel...of course, I didn't know that until I was working on another version of Darktremor (and I had already used three different versions of CyanogenMod prior to that).

hi2u2 said:

hey tkirton,

upon installing 2.7.5.2 and running 'a2sd check', I see that swap does not start now ('partition not present or no swap support').

I installed it by rebooting into recovery and flashing the zip, same way I have been doing up until now.

Any ideas?

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Try flashing this one first: http://www.darktremor.info/files/a2sd/dtapps2sd-2.7.5.1-adv-signed.zip

That is 2.7.5.1...the first release was bugged...this is release 2. I don't know which one does Liberated Rom have.

If that works, then jump up to 2.7.5.2. Make a backup so you can restore if something goes wrong.

duckredbeard said:

I never got any different result from any method I tried. Except that after one attempt my Tasker widgets had lost their icons. I've put a lot into Tasker lately, which may explain my internal storage getting full.

I shall reattempt the Linux and pay particular attention to the mount status. I will also go with Ext3 if it is not a conflict with darktremor. Will the phone's storage be shown in addition to my partition (185+1024)? If my ROM (Liberated Aria R010) has DT A2SD, should I still install from .zip?

Sent from my (liberated) HTC Liberty using XDA App

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