[HowTo] [for cooks] preload partition / how and why you should use it!

[shoey63]

A flashable zip with appropriate updater script might be the way to go for those on ROMS where preload is not utilized. .....

Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda app-developers app

 

[Adhityairvan]

Yeah thanks for the info now I can get more space on my system partition

 

[ardicli2000]

Sooo, basically; symlinking is like creating a shortcut for an app or folder in Windows....


And;
Is it possible to make a script to move /system/app folder to /preload/symlink/system/app and after that symlink those apps to /system/app.
So that we can get more space in our existing Roms without trying to move them to /data/app folder?

e.g:
copy_dir("/system/app", "/preload/symlink/system/app")
delete_recursive(/system/app")
symlink("/preload/symlink/system/app", "/system/app");


Is something like that possible??

 

[zai89]

is it posible to use this method on GB rom??

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[eybee1970]

is it posible to use this method on GB rom??

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

Yes

 

[qwert2099]

Searched all over the web for it. . thankz for the info

 

[ardicli2000]

Sooo, basically; symlinking is like creating a shortcut for an app or folder in Windows....


And;
Is it possible to make a script to move /system/app folder to /preload/symlink/system/app and after that symlink those apps to /system/app.
So that we can get more space in our existing Roms without trying to move them to /data/app folder?

e.g:
copy_dir("/system/app", "/preload/symlink/system/app")
delete_recursive(/system/app")
symlink("/preload/symlink/system/app", "/system/app");


Is something like that possible??

No reply??

 

[REVERSiN]

No reply??

AFAIK scripter doesn't duplicate files from a partition to another, only from a temp folder which in our cases its unpacked zip...

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[sam.crowther]

So I've got 493mb left on system on cm10.1 rom, is there any way to link the preload partition to say sdcard/data or sd-ext?

Sent from my CM-N7000

 

[ThaiDai]

So I've got 493mb left on system on cm10.1 rom, is there any way to link the preload partition to say sdcard/data or sd-ext?

Sent from my CM-N7000

Wow. Symlinking from /system/apps to /preload to /sdcard/data because of only 493 MB of free space.

 

[Gugelhupf]

So I've got 493mb left on system on cm10.1 rom, is there any way to link the preload partition to say sdcard/data or sd-ext?

Sent from my CM-N7000

There is a script in Utackas PA thread, that links Dalvik to preload. Did not tested it, but sounds promising, as it gives some more free space.

Edit: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=35393849

Cheers, Markus

 

[sam.crowther]

Wow. Symlinking from /system/apps to /preload to /sdcard/data because of only 493 MB of free space.

so after playing around with the dalvik2preload, which works, i tried editing it for a couple of others. nothing off sdcard will work, cos sd card isn't mounted till after boot.
I tried sdcard/kindle 2 preload

...

 

[jasonkhoo87]

can i view this partition using any root file manager?

 

[eybee1970]

can i view this partition using any root file manager?

yes

 

[MarcinXDA]

Some people report that system apps in preload causes random freezes, boot problems after crashes (freeze on "Samsung galaxy note" text).

What do you thing about this?

 

[rraaka]

Some people report that system apps in preload causes random freezes, boot problems after crashes (freeze on "Samsung galaxy note" text).

What do you thing about this?

but these symptoms were seen with lsa cwm deodexed roms too which didnt have apps in preload

methinks its a kernel thingy

 

[shoey63]

I hope you aren't casting aspersions on Philz kernels rraaka. They are pure stock with brickbug removed as you well know Plus amazing recovery of course

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[rraaka]

oopsydaisy shoey, i thought you were on holiday

ok, methinks its a STOCK kernel thingy

 

[zylor]

Can anyone help me?


[Q] Sweet-Rom V4 from /system/app to /preload?! [What am i doing wrong?]

:crying:

 

[fennectech]

I perfer to simply merge preload and system partitions with a modified .pit file makes thing simpler

Hi folks,

an other very short tutorial for the people (cooks), who do not know how to use the preload (hidden) partition and symlink system apps to it.

Some basics on preload-partition and why you should use it:

We have the so called 'hidden/preload partition' (mmcblk0p12) on our device. Besides the system partition with around 840 mb space, this hidden partition has additional 500 mb...this 500 mb were thought from sammy in the beginning mainly for their own crap like gamehub apps or learning hub and so on. But as system partition is on the edge right now with jelly bean they also use it for placing system apps inside --> the reason is that 840 mb in system is far to less for all files!

Usually most cooks just transfered system apps to data partition (located on your usb storage) to get out of this mess. This method with using hidden partition just gives great opportunity to keep your system partition smaller and you can transfer apps to it which you can not move to data! Your device will probably also perform faster with less space used inside system-partition. Our kernel dev Phil also made it possible now to backup/restore preload-partition within nandroid on his newer CWM-recoveries --> so now you can do a full backup/restore including this preload-partition....before it was not possible!

How to symlink system-apps to preload-partition:

just take the app 'Notepad++' (google for it) on your PC/Laptop, open it, create a new file and put the following inside ('nameofapp.apk' is just an example for any app you wanna symlink):

save and close as 'nameofapp.apk' --> this is the one to put inside /system/app to symlink to the original one you put inside /preload/symlink/system/app.

Now do this steps with every system app you wanna symlink...

This is the manual way to this, though I know scripts can be used to do these steps automatically... But this way you at least get a basic understanding how it works!

I won't tell you how to push apps to preload-partition inside CWM-flashable ROM in general, cause this is basic knowledge when you wanna cook a ROM - but you could download any ROM already using this method and look inside 'META-INF\com\google\android\updater-script' and you will know how to do this.