How Do I Easily Move Apps to External Micro SD card on the PMID701C?

[matt]

Thanks very much for this fix because I've been dying to learn how to do this and am ready to try it for myself. I do however have a couple of question:
1: what happens to the second "partition" in the internal memory once I've modified the vold.fstab file and rebooted? Is the internal memory now just one large parititon?
2. If there are still two partitions, and from reading this thread it sounds as though there will be, is the second one still accessible and if so, how?
3. If I already have apps on this second internal memory partition before I modify the vold.fstab file, once I reboot can I then simply use Titanium Pro to batch move them to my external sdcard the way you'd normally do without this pesky second partition? Or do I need to squeeze those apps back onto the first partition, do the mod, reboot and then move them to the external sd card? I see that at least one person has reported a problem with uisng Titanium to do this

Thanks - Gil Theissen

1 no the 2 drives swap position.

2 using a file manager, you can locate the drives in the mnt (mount) subdirectory of root (/). Instead of having a drive c: or d: the internal sd and external real sd are mapped to directories. This can be done in windows as well. To access these drives without a file manager, look for default storage options in settings in the applications you are using. If you can't type in a default such as mnt/extern_sd look for a choose list. Even a mnt option will work as you can pick the mapped drives from there.

3 I would either squeeze or uninstall all programs on the (fake) sd before swapping them in void.fstab then reinstall and move with app manager.

Now I'm using a 701c with gingerbread, hopefully this applies to your model and operating system. Let me know?

[giltheissen]

1 no the 2 drives swap position.

2 using a file manager, you can locate the drives in the mnt (mount) subdirectory of root (/). Instead of having a drive c: or d: the internal sd and external real sd are mapped to directories. This can be done in windows as well. To access these drives without a file manager, look for default storage options in settings in the applications you are using. If you can't type in a default such as mnt/extern_sd look for a choose list. Even a mnt option will work as you can pick the mapped drives from there.

3 I would either squeeze or uninstall all programs on the (fake) sd before swapping them in void.fstab then reinstall and move with app manager.

Now I'm using a 701c with gingerbread, hopefully this applies to your model and operating system. Let me know?

Thanks very much for the help. So by using Root Explorer, I'll still be able to see and access the second internal partition, I'll just look for it where i used to look for the external sd card? One more question: If things don't work the way I hope, can I just go back and re-edit the vold.fstab file back to the way it read originally and will this simply swap the drives back to the way they were originally with everything (hopefully) reverting back to the way it was?
Thanks - Gil Theissen

[matt]

Thanks very much for the help. So by using Root Explorer, I'll still be able to see and access the second internal partition, I'll just look for it where i used to look for the external sd card? One more question: If things don't work the way I hope, can I just go back and re-edit the vold.fstab file back to the way it read originally and will this simply swap the drives back to the way they were originally with everything (hopefully) reverting back to the way it was?
Thanks - Gil Theissen

I believe you are correct. I would use the fastest sd card you can find, say a class 10. Also, as referenced above, a portion of each program will remain in the primary 2g internal memory partition even after moving to the sd. Once the internal memory is filled you're done installing programs. It might even get sluggish before then as many programs leave terminate and stay resident code running in system memory. I prefer to backup all apps on install and uninstall the ones I seldom use reinstalling from backup when needed. I've got File Expert set to do this automatically. I've noticed the appstore getjar 1mobile and others all take between 5 and 15mb each so I only leave one installed. Works for me, anyhoo.

As far as reverting, as long as you 1st move or uninstall the programs off the card.

System memory_ 512 mb used to run programs. typically <>200 mb free after o /s overhead(mine anyway)
internal storage memory _4gb partitioned to 2g each internal & sd memory
external sd _ up to 32gb

Happy fun brave explore time yes.

Cancel, restate
All those lower case b 's should be upper for bytes not bits.

[jrm]

I think this talk is getting way too complicated. Link2sd does all the work behind the scenes. You just supply the partitioned card and tell L2sd to use it. Works on my old Froyo 2.2.2.
L2sd "links" apps [their term for 'move' to sd2], creates the new folder [/data/sd2] and puts links into /data/sd2 pointing to the new partition.
You telling means, in L2sd:
1. Filter User apps on Internal and choose Link.
2. Settings to Automatic for new apps.

I learned this from scratch by Googling/ reading the L2sd docs.

Rob

[matt]

I think this talk is getting way too complicated. Link2sd does all the work behind the scenes. You just supply the partitioned card and tell L2sd to use it. Works on my old Froyo 2.2.2.
L2sd "links" apps [their term for 'move' to sd2], creates the new folder [/data/sd2] and puts links into /data/sd2 pointing to the new partition.
You telling means, in L2sd:
1. Filter User apps on Internal and choose Link.
2. Settings to Automatic for new apps.

I learned this from scratch by Googling/ reading the L2sd docs.

Rob

Thanks. But I'm not trying link2sd again without a full and permanent root and superuser.apk
Update:now rooted with supersu.

The root methods on this board are temporary or require flashing a rooted rom as far as I can tell.
Update:the sun.init.rc method in the 1st sticky post 25 is permanent and survives reboot.

My previously mentioned problems may well be user error, if I learned by my mistakes I would be a genius!

Has anyone had success with a semi rooted polaroid & link2sd?

[renegade4dio]

WTF were they thinking?

WTF were they thinking when they set this up this way?

Now, I admit, I'm pretty darned noobish when it comes to Android, but it seems obvious to me that there is a "right" way for this to have been set up. That way all the apps and OS can do what they are supposed to because the Filesystem is set up in the standard way. Anyway, I set out to "fix" it tonight based on the ideas in this thread. As I prepared to execute, it became clear to me that I'd have to do it slightly differently than SingleDad did. I have a 32gb sd card, and my tablet is bursting with installed apps, 10gb mp3 audio, 15gb mp4 video, and 5gb in pdf books. I didn't want to have to "start over" or otherwise deal with all that installed stuff. What I did:

1) Full LiquidLimez "market fix", notably the full root portion, from elsewhere in this forum. (done previously)
2) install the latest google play over the fixed market. (also done previously, believed to be unnecessary)
3) copy /system/etc/vold.fstab to /mnt/extsd/vold.fstab
4) Connect USB to my comp.
5) copy all files from sdcard (the internal partition) to extsd (the actual sdcard)
6) make backup of vold.fstab (I just copied it to vold.fstab.bak)
7) edit vold.fstab, swapping BOTH refrences to extsd and sdcard (this is DIFFERENT than what SingleDad did. He only swapped the target and not the labels. I swaped the labels as well. I believe this may be the source of issues others had in earlier posts.) (I did this now so I could edit on the comp with a real keyboard)
8) disconnect from computer
9) copy the edited vold.fstab over the /system/etc/vold.fstab (I used a terminal shell and "su busybox cp /mnt/extsd/vold.fstab /system/etc/vold.fstab", but RootExplorer or other such app should produce identical results)
10) reboot the tablet
11) Enjoying the fully integrated access to my 32gb sd card. The OS's "move app to sdcard" now works as expected.

Left to figure out: How to repartition the internal nand so that /system and /data have 90% or so and /extsd has very little. As it stands, with /system and /data being undersized due to /extsd uslessly being assigned about half of the internal nand, I'm still pushing the available space on /data.

I know this part of this post really should be in another thread, but I'm posting it anyway: I am really looking forward to one of the really good hackers on here to cook up a good custom rom for this pmid701i x10. What I'd particularly like to see in a custom ROM:
1) Pre-rooted.
2) Google Play
3) this storage fix
4) a fix for the accelerometer axis issues. Some apps are aware enough to let you swap axis. Many are not. For example "Bubble Level" has x and y axis swapped, and is nearly useless because of it.
5) Any performance tweaks we can come up with. ICS is really a workout for this processor...

Tom

[matt]

Have you noticed any performance decrease in loading programs from the sd?
I wonder why there isn't a page file to increase system memory....

WTF would be a good name for a whole new thread describing this operating system.

Plenty more but off topic. Guess I'll go googling.

[renegade4dio]

Seems About the same.

Have you noticed any performance decrease in loading programs from the sd?
I wonder why there isn't a page file to increase system memory....

WTF would be a good name for a whole new thread describing this operating system.

Plenty more but off topic. Guess I'll go googling.

I'm using a class 10 sd card, and no, not noticably slower. I suspect it is slower, but I don't really feel it. It still feels sluggish just like before. ;P

Tom

[matt]

back from googleland

I'm using a class 10 sd card, and no, not noticably slower. I suspect it is slower, but I don't really feel it. It still feels sluggish just like before. ;P

Tom

Well, I was thinking that the old internal sd could be used for a swap file to pep up my pmid. Seems to be possible. But.

Found all I needed was an app called auto memory manager.(fish icon)

No more force closes or games bugging out or sluggish behavior so far!

The a6 supercharger in another thread is probably better but I'm unused to scripts.

I was using various task killers but the tasks kept reloading right after, uninstalling all task killers now. They're useless imo.
Pet peeve solved.


Peas out.

[tronmech]

How did you get the app? The play store calls it incompatible with any of my devices.

Sent from my HTC Vision using Tapatalk 2

[matt]

How did you get the app? The play store calls it incompatible with any of my devices.

Sent from my HTC Vision using Tapatalk 2

Downloaded from Blackmart Alpha, they don't check compatibility. I don't get any cracked stuff unless I'm trying before I buy. They don't push any slopdates either and aren't memory resident. Use at your own risk.

The amm program probably gives memory precedence to the phone but not seeing any problems without a phone installed.

This is just the first memory program I tried, search "android memory manager " for others and you'll find a6 supercharger
for gingerbread and ics, watchdog, etc.

I just wanted to do this with an app to revert easier, and not risk incompatibilities between scripts.

[renegade4dio]

Auto Memory Manager/Blackmart Alpha

Downloaded from Blackmart Alpha, they don't check compatibility. I don't get any cracked stuff unless I'm trying before I buy. They don't push any slopdates either and aren't memory resident. Use at your own risk.

Since my pmid701i was an "incompatible device" according to Google Play, I tracked down and installed Blackmart Alpha and then loaded AMM from there. My initial testing of AMM leads me to believe it's helping the sluggishness issues. I haven't had it pop up one of those constant "such and such app not responding. wait/kill?" dialog boxes, and they were near constant before. I am using "mild" settings.

Tom

[SingleDad]

I think this talk is getting way too complicated. Link2sd does all the work behind the scenes. You just supply the partitioned card and tell L2sd to use it. Works on my old Froyo 2.2.2.
L2sd "links" apps [their term for 'move' to sd2], creates the new folder [/data/sd2] and puts links into /data/sd2 pointing to the new partition.
You telling means, in L2sd:
1. Filter User apps on Internal and choose Link.
2. Settings to Automatic for new apps.

I learned this from scratch by Googling/ reading the L2sd docs.

Rob

Pretty much. Since starting this thread I returned the original PMID 701C I had (constantly spontaneously rebooted) and replaced it with a new one. When I set up the new one I just partitioned a MicroSD and installed the Link2SD app. Plenty of tutorials out there. It's still not a perfect solution but has worked well. There are issues, every once in a while I run into an app that refuses to run while linked to SD card but these are the exception.

[vendorz]

...

Once you've found that file simply long press it (hold down on it) until you see "Open With" and then choose "text editor"

You'll see a text file. In the 2nd paragraph you'll see two lines that say:

dev mount sdcard /mnt/sdcard auto
dev mount extsd /mnt/extsd auto

Highlight them and edit the lines to read:

dev mount sdcard /mnt/extsd auto
dev mount extsd /mnt/sdcard auto


4. Save and Reboot!
Press the menu button or tap menu and then select "Save and Exit".
(It should save the original file for you as a backup automatically when you save in case you screw anything up)

Turn off the tablet, make sure your external micro sd card is in the external sd slot and then reboot. (You need to reboot for the changes to the vold.fstab file to take effect)

5. Enjoy your tablet finally letting you put the things you want to put on your external sd card!

Bumpin Single Dad's explanation of how to access ext MicroSD as Internal Storage...

After a coupla false starts, your directions put me over the top!

[motorito]

Hi I'm going to try your method renegade4dio, on Yarvik tab264 running 4.0.4

Would you please explain more clearly to me what do you mean here
or even copy from vold.vstab how it should be writen.

7) edit vold.fstab, swapping BOTH refrences to extsd and sdcard (this is DIFFERENT than what SingleDad did. He only swapped the target and not the labels. I swaped the labels as well. I believe this may be the source of issues others had in earlier posts.) (I did this now so I could edit on the comp with a real keyboard)
Tom

These are original lines:
dev mount sdcard /mnt/sdcard auto
dev mount extsd /mnt/extsd auto

Thanks