Database Info

Noob Dictionary

So I am stealing this from another forum, hopefully it will cut down on some of the repeated threads. Copy and pasted to reduce the strain on my brain and typing.
Stolen from the Sprint Hero board on AndroidForums.com - Props to PDragon for typing it all. I have slightly modififed.
ROM - Read Only Memory
While the term has changed a bit from it's original meaning, it's essentially computer memory that does not require power to store it's data (non-volitile). In the sense of a smartphone like the Hero, it's the Internal Memory where the OS is stored. From what I've gathered, the Internal Memory is just Flash Memory (a special type of ROM) partitioned into two parts, one for the OS and the rest for apps to use. So, the OS partition essentially is true ROM, unless you root the phone. The software that groups like xda-developers make available are called ROMs because they're a ROM Image.
For the Hero this size is 512MB.
SDcard is a larger capacity external Flash Memory card.
Recovery Rom - I would assume enough said, but. This is the recovery partition of the phone for when things go bad, typically how you will load your ROM packages, some times refered to as "Update.zip" files.
Vanilla Rom
All the fancy bells and whistles have been pulled out so that its as minimalist as possible, users can then build on this for their own custom setup.
RAM - Random Access Memory
This is where current processes that are running are stored and keep the data they need immediately available to them. This is the memory you see when you run any of the Task Managers showing you currently running apps and the available memory. It's a completely different part of the phone from the Internal Memory discussed above. Data stored in RAM requires constant power and does not survive a power cycle of the phone (volitile).
For the Hero this is 288MB.
Root
This is the term being thrown around for modifying a smartphone to put custom software on it that normally wouldn't be allowed through means included with the phone (Android Market or an .apk file for a non-Market app). "Root" is the common term chosen because, in a Unix environment, the "root" user has complete and total control of the entire operating system of the computer. So, "rooting" the phone means taking complete control over its operating system. This is usually done by means of finding a flaw somewhere in the phone's firmware to allow access to the restricted Internal Memory where the OS resides. You then install a custom ROM (see above) to let you use your phone from then on.
Android is a bit more unique than any of the previous smartphones in that you don't really need "approval" from a higher power (ex, the Apple store) to install an app that hasn't made it onto the Market. Just uncheck the box Settings -> Application settings -> Unknown sources and you're free to install any .apk file you wish. So Android phones are more like a regular computer in that you're free to install whatever software you want from whichever source you want. Just be careful of where you get apps from outside of official Market sources. Also like a regular computer, you could open yourself up to having your personal data stolen.
Rooting still gives some advantages for power users, but for normal or even intermediate users, you probably don't need to root the phone to enjoy it as much as you'd have needed to for previous smartphones.
For further discussion, please see our Developer Forums.
Tethering
This is the term used for using your phone as an Internet access point to allow an attached computer to access the Internet. It turns your phone into a mobile modem. Please don't discuss Tethering here. See the thread Does Tethering work? to discuss this further.
*Let me know if we should add other terms. Maybe a MOD can stickie this.*

but where are the guides

jtadeo said:
but where are the guides
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think all of the guides have been Stickied on the first page of the board. Do you need one in particular??

At the bottom of the main forum is a dictionary for anyone to use. I don't see the point in this unless it is made for lazy people that just want what they want now and can't take time to research.

tdavis42 said:
At the bottom of the main forum is a dictionary for anyone to use. I don't see the point in this unless it is made for lazy people that just want what they want now and can't take time to research.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you think we would have as many of the new user questions repeated over and over if they did take time and do the research? Think not... You must have some real faith in humanity if you think people won't take the easy way out if it is offered. Hence my copy and paste from another forum.

What was a SDcard? and I'm not understanding the concept or RAM....
hahaha, just joking..
Nice work, I'm sure this will come in handy for some folks!

for all other definitions check out : http://wiki.xda-developers.com/index.php?pagename=Glossary

N0J said:
What was a SDcard? and I'm not understanding the concept or RAM....
hahaha, just joking..
Nice work, I'm sure this will come in handy for some folks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not making fun of anyone, I have been there my self. But I have seen the above questions on other forums! lol.
I must say XDA members tend to be a little ahead of the learning curve.

Search Button!
jtadeo said:
but where are the guides
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Search button is your FRIEND!!!

Kcarpenter said:
I am not making fun of anyone, I have been there my self. But I have seen the above questions on other forums! lol.
I must say XDA members tend to be a little ahead of the learning curve.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol, yeah
xda is good
jjjjayd13 said:
Search button is your FRIEND!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
but the search button is terrible, lol
I've even seen a disclaimer on a mod's signature saying that it sucks and to use google, haha!

[Q] Roms and patches - is it this easy?

When I first got my G-tab I was baffled by all the instructions and the literally thousands of posts in the forum. Even now, I haven't been able to find exactly how (or why) I should update my kernel. That said, I have TNT Lite running and I love my g-tab. Exploring the possible uses and utilities on it provides hours of fun. Now - here is my question. I stumbled on some instructions for installing the ROM and I have used those same instructions to install several patches to the Rom. I see all this commentary on Clockwork, side loading, etc. and I wonder if I am missing something. Today I just installed the .25 patch for TNT-Lite. I downloaded the rar file, unzipped it on my PC to get the Recovery folder and the update.zip file. I plugged the g-tab into the pc and switched it to usb mode. Then I moved the old recover folder and update.zip to a folder (cautious me) and put the new ones in the root. I disconnected the usb and started the g-tab in recovery mode (holding the power and volume+ key. It rebooted, applied the patch and I was done. That seems simple enough. It would seem that this would work for switching roms, applying patches and probably even upgrading the kernel (If I knew where it was and why I should do it). Am I missing something? Everything seems to work.

Sounds like you got the basics ok.
The real main reason to update the kernal as i see it is to add things like driver support for devices like gps and g3, so on, also minor fixs. If your not using your gtab for anything like this you maybe happy to stay stock. But if you like myself like to use your gtab to surf with g3 or as a sweet gps, then thats what the kernal updates allow. Im sure others can correct me if ive got anything wrong or add to what ive said.

You got the basic steps right, but installing ClockWorkMod Recovery has a lot of benefits.
First, built in backup and recovery will save your skin if the gTab get "cranky".
Second, installing ROMs and/or updates saves you a few steps. From "tar" files (TnT-lite), extract the update.zip file to a folder (I created a folder named "xda", just an example) and name it after the version of ROM/update.
CWM will flash "*.zip" file. This way you can keep multiple ROMs/updates on the card and switch between them.
CWM lets you clear cache, wipe Data partition, clear Dalvik-cache (use caution there), fix permissions and so much more! It is a great tool.
Sent from my gTablet-TnT-Lite-4.2.5 using TapatalkPro

So now we peel back another layer
OK so now the question of multiple roms comes up. I am not clear about the role of the rom - can I switch roms and keep all of my apps and data intact? I'm thinking like changing style sheets on a web page - presentation is different but the underlying data is still the same? Is it that easy?
And... if I am doing that perhaps I need to "clear cache" or "wipe data partition" but although I like to investigate new things I'm not willing to just walk up and push the big red button without knowing what it is for. So why would I "clear" or "wipe" things?
I get the impression that I could switch between ROMs just like switching between browsers on a pc - today Chrome, tomorrow, Firefox and never Internet Exploder... Is that correct? It took me quite a while to get the market working and it still doesn't work optimally but I'd hate to undo all the work I've done getting the g-tab humming along by switching roms. Can I?
So - anyone care to expound on the structure and how it all hooks together? What parts can be swapped out and what parts form the foundation? I'd hate to brick the little guy in my ignorance.
One final note if you know and you answer - where did YOU learn about this. Is there a book somewhere to read?
Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.

The Need for A Wiki
I'm in the same boat as enigma. I'm not even sure what ROM is an acronym for, though I think it means operating system. A wiki would be a big help for many people. I bet people would be glad to contribute.

Well, I don't know about Android book, especially about "hacking android book" , but this (and others) forum has plenty of reading material and guides. Not to mention people (a lot more knowledgeable and experienced than me) who will offer advice and lend a hand. And Google search comes in handy too.
Switching ROMs is almost like switching the OS, or a flavor of. Very much like switching between Linux distributions; the base OS is the same, but the overlay changes the user experience. Some things do change deep down inside, that's why is advisable to clear data.
Android, like Linux which it is based on, uses separate partitions for different parts of the OS, like boot, recovery, data, cache and user data. Plenty of write ups and discussions on the web on that.
So when flashing a ROM, you'll rewrite boot and system. Your user apps and data/preferences pertaining to those apps are stored in data partition, and since you are changing the 'OS', the apps need to be recompiled for it. Backup apps, like Titanium Backup, come extremely handy here: backup and restore apps AND appdata with a few clicks.
Backups are stored on sdcard, which is a lot like Linux /home directory, and do not get wiped during flash. Also the CWM (sometimes called Nandroid) backups are also stored there. A backup-of-the-backup is always a good habit (copy of /sdcard to your PC for safekeep).
This is just a quick rundown, hopefully that answered some of the questions.
There is a world of information available out there in "ether-world", Google is your friend.
[EDIT]:
Some links:
http://android-dls.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page
http://lifehacker.com/#!5596108/how-to-choose-the-right-android-rom-for-you
and of course:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=841
(use the search on top of the screen)
Sent from my gTablet-TnT-Lite-4.2.5 using TapatalkPro

Doesn't my sticky on how to flash the roms help at all? I can try to make it clearer if you have suggestions.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=892090

TeamSpeed said:
Doesn't my sticky on how to flash the roms help at all? I can try to make it clearer if you have suggestions.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=892090
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, your Sticky is as clear as Florida sky.
I just installed Thumb Keyboard on my gTab last night and I guess I got carried away getting used to it!

Yes, I have found some very good step by steps (reflashed to vegan after reading that one). Step by steps are great but I 'd like to understand why I'm doing it. The market fix...I can follow the steps and it works but why? I wish I had time to research all these things but there are so many forums,so many posts to read! The explanation that did surface in this thread was great though. Thanks. I'll keep asking questions. There are a lot of smart people out there!

[Q] android App path

I have installed an Android Application which was developed by the friend of mine. It had installed on my Android phone (HTC G2, with Android 2.2). I need to locate the application forlders, and especially SQLite database which was created along with the application, because I need to copy it to my PC. I did seach on SD card but I did not found it, so I assume it must be on the device RAM, but I really don't know the structure and how the apps are organized. I might suspect the SQLites data filename, but that all I know at the moment.
Can somebody pint me to some utility which will allow to find the database, and the application path, and most of all to copy it to the PC ???
Thanks - Arthur

The database and any other "data" used by the app will be located in /data/data/ then inside a directory that corresponds to the app's package name. If we use the Kindle app as an example, the path to it's data would be: /data/data/com.amazon.kindle

unfortunately I checked this foldeor on RAM as well as SD and couldn't find it. device /data folder is empty, and SD gas some other stuff bot not this App.

aklisiewicz said:
unfortunately I checked this foldeor on RAM as well as SD and couldn't find it. device /data folder is empty, and SD gas some other stuff bot not this App.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I should have also said, you need to be rooted in order to see the contents of the /data directory. Without root access, it will be shown as empty because you do not have permission to view or modify. If your phone is rooted, you can use Root Explorer, Terminal Emulator, or adb to access /data and copy, modify, create, or delete files there.

Thank you for your time. That would explain why I do not see it.
OK, I have HTC G2 from T-Mobile, I think it has Android 2.2
Nothing was changed or updated on this phone since I bough it last fall. I'm not with T-Mobile anymore so I do not wat to mess up with the phone unless I'm really sure what am I doing. The only nice thing is that the phone is unlocked now. The reason I ask those questions is because I am working on some tool, which is a desktop program wchich supposed to sync SQLite data from device to the PC.
What I want to do is to connect the device through USB cable, then have it mapped is it normally does (i.e. drive H. Then access the SQLite file from the desktop application by opening the database through that link and syncing the records. Not sure but I hope this approach would work. If it cannot work that way then eventually I want to copy the SQLite dB file to the PC sync database and then copy it back to the device. I already have a desktop App which work on SQLite localy so now I want to access the device, having the same dB file residing on my android phone instead on my local HD.
What could be the reason that the installed APP doesn't want to move to SD ???
I would appreciate any suggestions...
What is required to root the phone? I've herd there are some risks. Besides I probably have to find some other solutions as none of the App users would want to root their devices (or have a knowledge how to do it).

aklisiewicz said:
Thank you for your time. That would explain why I do not see it.
OK, I have HTC G2 from T-Mobile, I think it has Android 2.2
Nothing was changed or updated on this phone since I bough it last fall. I'm not with T-Mobile anymore so I do not wat to mess up with the phone unless I'm really sure what am I doing. The only nice thing is that the phone is unlocked now. The reason I ask those questions is because I am working on some tool, which is a desktop program wchich supposed to sync SQLite data from device to the PC.
What I want to do is to connect the device through USB cable, then have it mapped is it normally does (i.e. drive H. Then access the SQLite file from the desktop application by opening the database through that link and syncing the records. Not sure but I hope this approach would work. If it cannot work that way then eventually I want to copy the SQLite dB file to the PC sync database and then copy it back to the device. I already have a desktop App which work on SQLite localy so now I want to access the device, having the same dB file residing on my android phone instead on my local HD.
What could be the reason that the installed APP doesn't want to move to SD ???
I would appreciate any suggestions...
What is required to root the phone? I've herd there are some risks. Besides I probably have to find some other solutions as none of the App users would want to root their devices (or have a knowledge how to do it).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Took me a bit to get back to you but figure better late than never...
Here is a good FAQ on rooting among other things specific to the G2(the US variant of the Desire Z). In order to root your G2, this guide looks to be good as he's simplified and automated a good bit of the process, should be safe, and seems to work. You'll need to install the two apps he mentions in step 1 and download the zip file he mentions in step 2 which is attached at the bottom of the post then just follow the instructions.
As for the database stuff, if you end up needing to access the /data directory you'll have to be rooted. Also, moving the app to the sdcard won't really help you with having access to the app's files. Froyo built-in App2SD just moves the apk file to a hidden directory on /sdcard (.android_secure) but the app data, cache and all that stuff will still be on internal memory. But to answer why the app won't move to the sd card, I'm guessing it's because the app itself must allow for it to be moved since by default, an app doesn't have this enabled unless the app dev gives it that ability.
To communicate with the phone, even with root access, you'll probably have to do so through adb commands or use an adb shell to be able to run shell commands on the phone. This would require adb be set up on the user's computer. If you want to play around with adb, there's a nice guide called ADB for Noobs that goes through setting it up and starting out using it. I can't say I've really done anything with SQLite databases on Android and certainly not then syncing it to a computer so I could be off-base or overlooking a workaround.

Thank you for your valuable information. You guys are really great help, and I appreciate your time. I will study the links provided.
In the meantime my main concern is to access SQLite database, as I need to get to the records, or at least be able to copy it back and forth between device an PC. I guess the database file would be something like MyDatabase.db , but I have no cule how to find it and copy it. As you have said it might be in some system protected directory. The main issue is that I will ne a solution which would work on every standard device (no the rooted one), so I need something very easy for the user to setup and follow. I have seen a utility that allow to manipulate SQLite records directly on device, but again thsi tools requires to root the phone (which I'm reluctant to do) because ot the above reasons. If you could help my to resove this I would be very graceful!
Arthur

aklisiewicz said:
Thank you for your valuable information. You guys are really great help, and I appreciate your time. I will study the links provided.
In the meantime my main concern is to access SQLite database, as I need to get to the records, or at least be able to copy it back and forth between device an PC. I guess the database file would be something like MyDatabase.db , but I have no cule how to find it and copy it. As you have said it might be in some system protected directory. The main issue is that I will ne a solution which would work on every standard device (no the rooted one), so I need something very easy for the user to setup and follow. I have seen a utility that allow to manipulate SQLite records directly on device, but again thsi tools requires to root the phone (which I'm reluctant to do) because ot the above reasons. If you could help my to resove this I would be very graceful!
Arthur
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unless there is some trick I don't know about you are going to have to be rooted to get access to the database. I found a couple links discussing this: here and here. The second link does mention that the app with the database you want to access could be written to store the database on the sdcard where it would then be accessible but that would be unsecure since anything could read/modify it there.

Thanks, looks like I have to do more research on my own. It is hard to believe for me that Google would not allow to access the same database from different Apps. I've seen there is a Java class ContentProvider which seems to allow that, so I will study this, perhaps it will help. Thank for you help.
Arthur

Safe List

Hi guys,
I noticed theres a few safe lists popping about but none of them are very concise. I was thinking we should compile a safe list of apps to remove and apps to move to sd.
For example, if we force it using TitaniumBackup, will it stop functioning? I will be performing a full root in the next few days and I will produce a list based. I also suggest we recommend a full Link2SD explanation as that is very important with this phone having such crap internal storage.

This thread should suffice. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1382321
The title says it all: Deletable Stock-Applications.
That list contains things that have been tested by freezing/removing, in other words, other people managed to rip apart their ROMs (and soft-brick them) so that you can have a list of safe to remove stock applications and widgets.
Creating 5 threads of safe lists of random apps that are not part of the stock ROM should not be part of the XDA forum (in my opinion); the stock ROM on the other hand is something which we all have/had/will have at some point and we have backups of it in various places, therefore backups can be shared. As per other market applications, there is no warranty for that and each user has the ability to create his own backups when and how he wants. I presume that the warning Titanium Backup pops when trying to freeze/delete an application is enough.
If you require more info about how to create backups using Titanium or CWM, please consult the search function or Google.

Alex C. said:
This thread should suffice. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1382321
The title says it all: Deletable Stock-Applications.
That list contains things that have been tested by freezing/removing, in other words, other people managed to rip apart their ROMs (and soft-brick them) so that you can have a list of safe to remove stock applications and widgets.
Creating 5 threads of safe lists of random apps that are not part of the stock ROM should not be part of the XDA forum (in my opinion); the stock ROM on the other hand is something which we all have/had/will have at some point and we have backups of it in various places, therefore backups can be shared. As per other market applications, there is no warranty for that and each user has the ability to create his own backups when and how he wants. I presume that the warning Titanium Backup pops when trying to freeze/delete an application is enough.
If you require more info about how to create backups using Titanium or CWM, please consult the search function or Google.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, you couldn't have been any more condescending if you'd tried. Regardless, I never mentioned anything about Market apps. TitaniumBackup (and other apps) have the ability to force System apps onto the SD card (by converting them to a user app) with mixed results. Freezing a system app, fine. Deleting a system app, fine. You know the end result, however forcing a system app to SD isn't deterministic.
That said, the link you provided is very clear and appears to be very useful.
Oh and by the way, telling someone to consult the search function or Google is a pretty stupid thing to say (despite the fact I regularly see arsey users say it on here). You cannot consult an inanimate object or service. You can refer to it, use it, operate it, reference it, try it... you can't consult it, as that implies that it's a consultant and as such inhabits properties shared by living organisms. Don't try and act like a clever **** when you don't understand the words you're typing.

skezza said:
Oh and by the way, telling someone to consult the search function or Google is a pretty stupid thing to say (despite the fact I regularly see arsey users say it on here). You cannot consult an inanimate object or service. You can refer to it, use it, operate it, reference it, try it... you can't consult it, as that implies that it's a consultant and as such inhabits properties shared by living organisms. Don't try and act like a clever **** when you don't understand the words you're typing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, I'm really sorry as I am not a native English speaker, but I used this as a reference and I thought to myself that it's correct. I'll email the guys and tell them the proper definition:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/consult
con·sult   [v. kuhn-suhlt; n. kon-suhlt, kuhn-suhlt] Show IPA
verb (used with object)
2.
to refer to for information: Consult your dictionary for the spelling of the word.
So the dictionary is not an inanimate object. I see..
But these guys are rookies at dictionaries..
Let me search the Cambridge page, oh yes, it's here:
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/consult?q=consult
consult
verb /kənˈsʌlt/
Definition
• [T] to get information or advice from a person, book, etc. with special knowledge on a particular subject
If the symptoms get worse, consult your doctor.
I'm not quite sure how to get there - I'd better consult a map.
Point taken. You're absolutely right. The map isn't an inanimate object. But first thing's first:
1. I did not insult you in any matter using offensive words or name calling, as you did above.
2. I pointed out a thread where you could openly speak about "moving internal stock applications to sd card" and the results of this.
3. If I did not make myself clear or my post seemed a bit out of tune, I don't care.

Dont be offended if Alex says something like go look for yourself, he's said it to me at least once! I didn't take it personally- what I did do was think, hmmm fair point I'll go look! (And now my cwm is up to date, thanks!!)
sent usin' tapatalk innit.

First things first, you still don't get it Alex but I'm not going to get into a grammar argument with you. I'll let bygones be bygones.
It's just unnecessary. If every douchebag turned round and said "use google", "the search engine is your friend", you'd never have any activity on this forum. You're not only being unnecessarily rude, you're slowing down the progress of those who want to gain information.

[Q] App Associations vs. ro.da1.enable?

Hi folks,
I've recently updated to the ICS RUU provided by HTC. I had problems changing the defaults in 'App Associations', untill I folowed the workaround provided here.
While searching for that solution I found a number of threads which advocate hacking the system/build.prop file, the method is spelt out here or here and using the results of this instead of the 'app associations' menu.
Just wondering if anyone has had any problems after changing "ro.da1.enable" or is it fairly reversable?
A lot of people who have done it seem to do so because WhatsApp links crash otherwise. Is there a benefit if you don't use WhatsApp?
I've done a fair bit of searching but haven't come accross any screen shots for what changing "ro.da1.enable" gives you. People say it gives what they had pre ICS but since they come from people using different ROMs I'm not sure what that means.
Does it have any implications I should be aware of when backing up or changing ROM?
Thanks in advance for any info!

Simple answer, it does enable the so called data tapping, which means a dedicated app is opened instead of i.e. the browser.

I'd say that the change has no further implications that I'm aware of and you don't need to consider any additional backup steps.
If your concerned about making any change, before making it ie editing the build.prop (in this case) make a copy so that you can revert it easily if you need and always take a full nandroid backup before making any change.
When changing ROMs the new ROM will come with its own build.prop file so the change may be undone.