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[New idea] - Faster virtual memory (virtual ram)

Hi,
I'm not a developer but I think my idea is great.
1. Using CACHE partition (80Mb) as virtual ram​
- I see that we are using swap ext partition to increase virtual ram, but access data speed of sdcard is not fast enough (for class2 or class4 sdcard),
- And I see that we have 80Mb free in cache partition which are only used when we use OTA update. But if we use a moded rom, why do we use OTA update ? access data speed of internal memory is really good, why don't we use cache partition as virtual ram ???
2. Runing faster with dalvik-cache on internal memory.​
- As you know, after install an application, we will have apk file in data/app or data/app-private and some odex file in dalvik-cache.
- If we only use app2sd with data/app and data/app-private, our application will run faster.

Is that even possible? if it is, its really a nice idea.

The only problem with this idea is that you'd be using NAND flash for your memory. NAND has a limited number of writes before it starts to degrade. You would be much better off using less expensive SD card storage for virtual memory (swap)

cursordroid said:
The only problem with this idea is that you'd be using NAND flash for your memory. NAND has a limited number of writes before it starts to degrade. You would be much better off using less expensive SD card storage for virtual memory (swap)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Translation: virtual memory would kill your onboard memory much faster than regularly, so it's better to use your SD card, which is cheaper / easier to replace.
At least that's what I got from it

[Q] A few questions regarding Partitioning SD Card.

1. Whats Ext 1, 2, 3, 4 etc....?
2. What's Swap Partition?
3. What exactly does App2SD and Data2SD allow me to do?
4. Is there any risk of partitioning the SD Card?
I will ask more as I remember after the above ones get answered....

Bump......

happy to help!
[email protected] said:
1. Whats Ext 1, 2, 3, 4 etc....?
2. What's Swap Partition?
3. What exactly does App2SD and Data2SD allow me to do?
4. Is there any risk of partitioning the SD Card?
I will ask more as I remember after the above ones get answered....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Answers:
1.
Ext 1 2 3 4 are Linux File systems namely extended file system 1 2 3 4
which has their own pros n cons
generally journaling file system is backward compatible and performance of higher system is better than previous one.
2.
Swap
It is again a type of file system used by system namely Linux which has function as same as Page File in Windows
for start: when RAM gets overloaded, system moves some unusable data to swap while working on complex computations.
Generally 2x the size of phone RAM is advised for SWAP partition
3.
App2SD and Data2SD allows u to move apps from system to SDcard which in-turn saves ur phone memory
4.
Virually there exists no risk in partitioning SD card while flashing ur ROM
format using trusted tools like MiniPartition 7 etc.
njoy n keep browsing xda

kaustubhvp said:
Answers:
1.
Ext 1 2 3 4 are Linux File systems namely extended file system 1 2 3 4
which has their own pros n cons
generally journaling file system is backward compatible and performance of higher system is better than previous one.
2.
Swap
It is again a type of file system used by system namely Linux which has function as same as Page File in Windows
for start: when RAM gets overloaded, system moves some unusable data to swap while working on complex computations.
Generally 2x the size of phone RAM is advised for SWAP partition
3.
App2SD and Data2SD allows u to move apps from system to SDcard which in-turn saves ur phone memory
4.
Virually there exists no risk in partitioning SD card while flashing ur ROM
format using trusted tools like MiniPartition 7 etc.
njoy n keep browsing xda
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok thanks for the info mate.....
Is there any difference between App2SD and Data2SD?

oops, figured out myself

Apps2sd put apps to your SD. Data 2sd put app files to sd card
Sent from my GT-I5800 using XDA App

How To: Make use of EXTERNAL_SD as a secondary storage partition - Translated

Every now and then .. many ppl are asking, how to use external_sd to store movies, big files, or big games cos of insufficient internal memory or simply not wanting to make use of internal phone memory.
This tutorial will help you to make use of your external_sd card as a secondary partition in your android device. Enabling you to move & link all your big applications, games including the huge data & cache to your external_sd. Perhaps, with the help of Link2sd app (after performing this operation), you might be able to directly install huge apps onto your ext_sd card.
Disclaimer
This information comes with no warranty! What you're going to do is completely at your own risk!
I shall not be held responsible for any damage to your hardware and/or device if you had chosen to follow the following steps. Cheers!!
Caution:
May degrade card's life.
Effect will be permanent
Tools Required:
A rooted android device
A windows operating computer
An external_sd card (8GB external_sd was used for this operation)
MiniTool Partition Wizard - Home Edition (Free) application
Link2sd app
Steps to follow:
Backup the ext_sd contents to computer to restore after the operation (ext_sd will be formatted during the operation).
Open up the "MiniTool Partition Wizard" aplication.
# if you're using Win7, then open as admin.
Select your new un-partitioned memory
- "create" partition
- give it a lable, then choose primary & fat32, size: 6.5gb
Select the other un-partitioned memory
- "create" partition again
- no lable required, choose primary & ext2, size: 600mb
# recommended at 600mb, more than this volume will be effecting card reading performance.
Select the other un-partitioned memory
- "create" partition again
- no lable required, choose primary & Linux Swap, size: 60mb
Close all un-ncessary applications and hit "Apply".
## it will take a while to process the changes
once completed, which was once an 8Gb will now be showing 6.5Gb (check its properties frm "my computer"), the remaining volume will be used by ext2 and Linux Swap
Restore all your backed up ext_sd files
Connect ext_sd card back to your device
Install Link2sd on yr device
Open up link2sd and select "ext2" as the second partition, and tap OK.
You'll be prompted to restart yr phone, please do so.
## Enjoy linking your unmovable apps and data to your external_sd.
Note: This tutorial was only performed once on a friend's device, galaxy mini, and it worked .. hopefully it works for you too.
Good Luck!!
This tutorial was translated from a YouTube video "Tutorial Link2SD Partition Manager Android Liquid Mini" by rumahchat
============================
Hit THANKS if this helped. :good:

HOW TO USE SWAPPER FOR XPeRia E-DS

Increase RAM using Swap File and Swap Partition
NOTE:
I spent hours updating my guides and I don't ask you to press that THANKS button, be kind enough not to copy my guides to other forums. I know some noobs want to make a name on other forum boards... but hey, that's not an excuse!
Thread featured on XDA Portal
POSTED MAY 29, 2012 AT 4:00 AM BY POORCOLLEGEGUY
WARNING: This mod may degrade SD card life.
What you need:
MiniTool Partition Wizard for SD Card Partitioning
A MicroSD HC 4GB or higher class 6 or class 10
MicroSD HC Card Adapter
A card reader (if your pc doesn't have card reader built in | USB Mount is not adviseable)
Swapper2 from Google Play Store [DOWNLOAD]
ADB Shell or terminal Emulator (to check if swap is activated)
Make sure you have BusyBox installed
Before we start, lets do some reading . . .
RAM
What is RAM
Random Access Memory (RAM) is temporary data storage that the CPU uses during calculations. The more RAM a device has, the more calculated results the CPU can store - which means less time the CPU has to do the same thing over and over again. In other words, the CPU can check RAM to see if it has already made a particular calculation in the recent past. If it has, it can use the pre-computed results instead of wasting processing time recomputing the same calculation. In short, more RAM means a more efficient (and faster) device.
SWAP
What is SWAP
Swap is, in short, virtual RAM. With swap, a small portion of the hard drive is set aside and used like RAM. The computer will attempt to keep as much information as possible in RAM until the RAM is full. At that point, the computer will begin moving inactive blocks of memory (called pages) to the hard disk, freeing up RAM for active processes. If one of the pages on the hard disk needs to be accessed again, it will be moved back into RAM, and a different inactive page in RAM will be moved onto the hard disk ('swapped'). The trade off is disks and SD cards are considerably slower than physical RAM, so when something needs to be swapped, there is a noticeable performance hit.
Unlike traditional swap, Android's Memory Manager kills inactive processes to free up memory. Android signals to the process, then the process will usually write out a small bit of specific information about its state (for example, Google Maps may write out the map view coordinates; Browser might write the URL of the page being viewed) and then the process exits. When you next access that application, it is restarted: the application is loaded from storage, and retrieves the state information that it saved when it last closed. In some applications, this makes it seem as if the application never closed at all. This is not much different from traditional swap, except that Android apps are specially programed to write out very specific information, making Android's Memory Manager more efficient that swap.
Step by Step Guide
How to create Swap Partition
Using MiniTool Partition Wizard
Plug in you MicroSD HC Card to your computer using the card adapter. (Do not use USB Mount)
Open MiniTool Partition Wizard and look for the card
Right Click on it and select Delete Partition
Click on Apply to Delete the Partition
Right Click on it again and select Create Partition
Set the partitions as follows:
1st partition:
Label: Android-SD
Create as: Primary
File System: Fat32
Partition size: as much as you want!
2nd partition:
Label: Android-EXT3 (2nd partition is for EXT which you can use for A2SD or Link2SD)
Create as: Primary
File System: EXT3 (be it a custom kernel or ROM with EXT4 support, use EXT3 still -play safe! )
Partition size: MIN: 256 MB MAX: 1024MB (1GB)
3rd partition:
Label: (do not put anything)
Create as: Primary
File System: Linux Swap
Partition size: MIN: 32MB MAX: 1024MB(1GB) RECOMMENDED: 256MB
After creating partitions, click Apply to apply changes.
Using ClockWorkMod
Reboot to Recovery
Go to Advanced and Debugging
Select partition SD card and select the partition size that delights you
How to use Swap
For us to be able to use swap file or swap partition, we need to use Swapper2 which you can get from Google Play.
Download and Install Swapper2 (of course)
After installing, open Swapper2 and navigate to Menu > Settings
Swapper preferences: (for kernels that doesn't have swap partition support)
Run swapper at startup (put a check)
Swap place: /sd card/swapfile.swp (you can place it in a folder if you don't like a messy sd card structure )
Swap size: MIN: 10 MB MAX: 256MB RECOMMENDED: 32MB (choose any)
Swapiness: RECOMMENDED: 10MB SYSTEM DEFAULT: 60MB MAX: 100MB (choose any)
Safe unmount (put a check)
Safe remount (put a check)
Advanced preferences: (for Kernels that supports swap partition only)
Use swap partition (put a check)
Swap partition: /dev/block/mmcblk1p2
After setting preferences, press back and tap on "ON" to turn on swap. Reboot afterwards
How can I tell if swap is running?
Go to the terminal emulator - or open adb shell - and run 'free'.
If it looks like this (with zeros in the swap line), you do not have swap:
If it looks like this (with anything other than zeros in the swap line), you do have swap:
NOTE:
You need to turn off swap before you mount SD via USB, if you don't you will not be able to mount sd as swapfile is active and set to read only which will deny request to mount USB Storage.
Get Swapper2 here:
Thanks to kalhimeo who attached the the apk file on this POST or click this ATTACHMENT LINK to download.

How to use swapper 2 app xperia e

Increase RAM using Swap File and Swap Partition
NOTE:
I spent hours updating my guides and I don't ask you to press that THANKS button, be kind enough not to copy my guides to other forums. I know some noobs want to make a name on other forum boards... but hey, that's not an excuse!
Thread featured on XDA Portal
POSTED MAY 29, 2012 AT 4:00 AM BY POORCOLLEGEGUY
WARNING: This mod may degrade SD card life.
What you need:
MiniTool Partition Wizard for SD Card Partitioning
A MicroSD HC 4GB or higher class 6 or class 10
MicroSD HC Card Adapter
A card reader (if your pc doesn't have card reader built in | USB Mount is not adviseable)
Swapper2 from Google Play Store [DOWNLOAD]
ADB Shell or terminal Emulator (to check if swap is activated)
Make sure you have BusyBox installed
Before we start, lets do some reading . . .
RAM
What is RAM
Random Access Memory (RAM) is temporary data storage that the CPU uses during calculations. The more RAM a device has, the more calculated results the CPU can store - which means less time the CPU has to do the same thing over and over again. In other words, the CPU can check RAM to see if it has already made a particular calculation in the recent past. If it has, it can use the pre-computed results instead of wasting processing time recomputing the same calculation. In short, more RAM means a more efficient (and faster) device.
SWAP
What is SWAP
Swap is, in short, virtual RAM. With swap, a small portion of the hard drive is set aside and used like RAM. The computer will attempt to keep as much information as possible in RAM until the RAM is full. At that point, the computer will begin moving inactive blocks of memory (called pages) to the hard disk, freeing up RAM for active processes. If one of the pages on the hard disk needs to be accessed again, it will be moved back into RAM, and a different inactive page in RAM will be moved onto the hard disk ('swapped'). The trade off is disks and SD cards are considerably slower than physical RAM, so when something needs to be swapped, there is a noticeable performance hit.
Unlike traditional swap, Android's Memory Manager kills inactive processes to free up memory. Android signals to the process, then the process will usually write out a small bit of specific information about its state (for example, Google Maps may write out the map view coordinates; Browser might write the URL of the page being viewed) and then the process exits. When you next access that application, it is restarted: the application is loaded from storage, and retrieves the state information that it saved when it last closed. In some applications, this makes it seem as if the application never closed at all. This is not much different from traditional swap, except that Android apps are specially programed to write out very specific information, making Android's Memory Manager more efficient that swap.
Step by Step Guide
How to create Swap Partition
Using MiniTool Partition Wizard
Plug in you MicroSD HC Card to your computer using the card adapter. (Do not use USB Mount)
Open MiniTool Partition Wizard and look for the card
Right Click on it and select Delete Partition
Click on Apply to Delete the Partition
Right Click on it again and select Create Partition
Set the partitions as follows:
1st partition:
Label: Android-SD
Create as: Primary
File System: Fat32
Partition size: as much as you want!
2nd partition:
Label: Android-EXT3 (2nd partition is for EXT which you can use for A2SD or Link2SD)
Create as: Primary
File System: EXT3 (be it a custom kernel or ROM with EXT4 support, use EXT3 still -play safe! )
Partition size: MIN: 256 MB MAX: 1024MB (1GB)
3rd partition:
Label: (do not put anything)
Create as: Primary
File System: Linux Swap
Partition size: MIN: 32MB MAX: 1024MB(1GB) RECOMMENDED: 256MB
After creating partitions, click Apply to apply changes.
Using ClockWorkMod
Reboot to Recovery
Go to Advanced and Debugging
Select partition SD card and select the partition size that delights you
How to use Swap
For us to be able to use swap file or swap partition, we need to use Swapper2 which you can get from Google Play.
Download and Install Swapper2 (of course)
After installing, open Swapper2 and navigate to Menu > Settings
Swapper preferences: (for kernels that doesn't have swap partition support)
Run swapper at startup (put a check)
Swap place: /sd card/swapfile.swp (you can place it in a folder if you don't like a messy sd card structure )
Swap size: MIN: 10 MB MAX: 256MB RECOMMENDED: 32MB (choose any)
Swapiness: RECOMMENDED: 10MB SYSTEM DEFAULT: 60MB MAX: 100MB (choose any)
Safe unmount (put a check)
Safe remount (put a check)
Advanced preferences: (for Kernels that supports swap partition only)
Use swap partition (put a check)
Swap partition: /dev/block/mmcblk1p2
After setting preferences, press back and tap on "ON" to turn on swap. Reboot afterwards
How can I tell if swap is running?
Go to the terminal emulator - or open adb shell - and run 'free'.
If it looks like this (with zeros in the swap line), you do not have swap:
If it looks like this (with anything other than zeros in the swap line), you do have swap:
NOTE:
You need to turn off swap before you mount SD via USB, if you don't you will not be able to mount sd as swapfile is active and set to read only which will deny request to mount USB Storage.
Get Swapper2 here:
Thanks to kalhimeo who attached the the apk file on this POST or click this ATTACHMENT LINK to download.