App2SD - why can't entire apps move to SD? - Android Software/Hacking General [Developers Only]

With Froyo enabling Apps2SD feature, I've been moving my apps to my SD card slowly, those who support it anyway. I've noticed that not the entire app moves to the SD card. For example I downloaded Alchemy, which is more than 2MB in size.
When I moved it to SD card, it showed less than 1 MB had moved to the SD card! Why is that? Is moving entire apps technically impossible?

Some parts of the installation are always installed on the device. Services and other core parts of the app are still on the device to assure the app is not crashing if you remove the sd card (and some parts of the app are still running). Besides that when you insert the sd card into another device you can't use the app. Some kind of copy protection I guess. This said I thought it's the same like it was on Windows Mobile.

I see. Doesn't that mean the ROM bottleneck hasn't actually been removed? Still I suppose it's better than before. Too much of an app still resides on the phone as opposed to the SD card in my opinion - more than half in most cases.

root ?
i've read about the method that people used to use before froyo came out that involves rooting the phone.i guess that would not leave any traces on the phone storage ? i guess that the better option still ?

Related

Apps to SD questions (please)

Okay XDA tenured- please be gentle. I ve searched, but can not find specific answers to my questions. I ordered a 16gb class 6 (currently have class 2), but would appreciate information before making the changes.
1.) Is it possible to leave current apps on the device memory, then set up for apps to SD and then future apps will go to the card?
2) Based on question 1) if it works, when I update future apps on the device, I am guessing they would then uninstall from the device and then install to card?
3) Would it be best for performance to leave all cache on the device memory? Seems like the system would be faster then.
4) What is the meg space difference leaving all cache or moving it?
5) When changing over to apps to SD, is it not kind of like the same constrained system as an iPhone (Plenty of intitial space, but no ability for external storage)? Point being, if all the apps are on the card and you want to listen to or view media on a seperate card, you would not be able to, since the apps are on the "device" card. This is the whole point to my first question. Unless you can copy the app directory path on the card to another card and use as is- just like the card already installed too...
1: Yes, if you follow my tutorial, it has you copy the existing apps to the sd card and if you use my app, the checkbox tells it to do that as well.
2: No apps will be on your device. There's no way to have a hybrid here, it's either all apps on the sd card or none(not actually true but would be a pain in the ass to make symlinks for each app individually and I don't know of anyone who cared enough to actually try it)
3: I have all apps and caches on the sd card and it is running just as smoothly as normal(and with a class 2 sd card!) There might be some slowdown but it's imperceptible to me.
4: With the cache on device it'll vary depending on what apps you have and how often you use them. With everything moved the memory on the device seems to stay permanently at 72-73MB. That said, moving the normal cache(dalvik-cache seems to be ok) is pretty unstable and I wouldn't suggest it unless you really know what you're doing.
5: Yes, unfortunately this whole process relies on the system not knowing the apps are on the sd card so it's pretty strongly tied to one. That said, you could probably get away with different sd cards as long as they also have an ext2 partition with the app, app-private, etc. directories in it. You'd probably have to reboot when switching sd cards but it should be possible(interestingly you could use this to get different settings depending on what sd card you have in)
Thanks!
So basically we have an iPhone in regards to being stuck to device memory and no option for external storage beyond what is on the card.
I guess there are pros and cons to either set-up. App hounds would prefer apps2sd and media hounds may prefer leaving things alone.
If you are an app and media hound, you are kind of stuck juggling media from the card.
Yep. Although as I was talking about, you could theoretically move each app independently and set up symlinks in the /data/app directory for each app, pointing to where it is on the sd card and leave the ones you want on the phone as they are, but that doesn't sound particularly fun.

With apps to sd, is it possible to install certain apps on the phones memory?

With apps to sd, is it possible to install certain apps on the phones memory?
A) Wrong forum
B) Why would you want to?
But I suppose if you REALLY wanted to, it'd be as simple as ejecting your SD card (as long as phone doesn't freak out) and installing whatever you need, and then reinserting. I do believe that should work, or at least it has worked in the past.
rockdevourer said:
A) Wrong forum
B) Why would you want to?
But I suppose if you REALLY wanted to, it'd be as simple as ejecting your SD card (as long as phone doesn't freak out) and installing whatever you need, and then reinserting. I do believe that should work, or at least it has worked in the past.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pulling your SD card while your phone is still on is very stupid especially if your using Swap or Apps 2 SD and besides even if it did install on your phone's memory Apps 2 SD will automatically move it from the phones memory to your SD card.
just thought that some programs that run all the time may run more reliably from the internal memory vs external sd card.
sorry misread the question. if you have apps to sd... currently they are built into the roms to install on startup....so anytime you restart on one of these roms you will move the app you moved to internal to the sd. there maybe some command to protect it from the move but i'm not aware.
the answer to your question is : yes it possible with tmpfs
but
it won't change nothing
we are talking about what ? 1mb max app size ?
Pull then push to /system/app. Wrong forum.
What im.l0ltn said will work fine, but like others asked, why? You won't see much improvement unless you are using a low class sd. I have tried installing a few apps to internal memory but didn't see enough of a noticable performance boost. And if you are using a class 6 sd you will actually slow things down by putting them on internal mem. So you're better off leaving them on SD and saving the trouble of reinstalling every time you install a new rom. It gets to be more trouble than it's worth.

[Q] Treat sd card as internal memory?

I have been searching for some time and cant find a definite answer on the subject,
is there a way to make android believe your sd card is internal storage? i dont plan on needing to remove my sd card, once i have it in, theres no point in removing it. So is there a hack/mod to allow the OS to believe the sd card is internal storage?
i have a desire so the internal memory is pretty damn low, especially with new games coming out that require 400mb+ of memory, thats almost the full internal drive.
anyways. any information is appreciated thanks
Sounds like you're asking about apps2sd. Yes it is possible, though you'll need a rooted phone and a ROM which supports it.
alright, well i have googles fail of app2sd on android 2.2
but a rooted app2sd+ or other style of app2sd actually allows for the sd card to be treated as though it is internal storage? or i still need to install, and then move to external.
in other words i guess, is there a way to make the sd card be treated similary to how it is in windows phone 7, or is hte conventional install, them move, which would render games with 400mb+ impossible to be installed on phones like the desire and N1?
JimmyBanks said:
alright, well i have googles fail of app2sd on android 2.2
but a rooted app2sd+ or other style of app2sd actually allows for the sd card to be treated as though it is internal storage? or i still need to install, and then move to external.
in other words i guess, is there a way to make the sd card be treated similary to how it is in windows phone 7, or is hte conventional install, them move, which would render games with 400mb+ impossible to be installed on phones like the desire and N1?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know that with a custom ROM like Cyanogen there is a system option to install apps (in correlation with app2sd) as default to any location you choose, I have mine to install on External, so any new app's I download from the market are automatically installed to the External storage (SDcard).
So, yes?

SD Card - System Memory - Internal Memory !

Hi all,
I've got some questions regarding the phone's memory.
When I open the App Manager and I click on "Storage" it shows me that the phone has:
System Memory
Internal Memory
SD Card
Using the app "App 2 SD" my apps are transferred only from either System memory to Internal memory or vice-versa.
This App 2 SD seems not to send my apps to my EXTERNAL SD Card (where I have plenty of memory).
Could someone please explain the different between system and internal memory?
And, once and for all, how can I move/transfer ALL apps downloaded from the market to my EXTERNAL SD Card?
Can I do that manually? how?
Another app from the market? which one?
And how about the Gameloft games? is there any way to move them?
Another question is that after updating for the GB some apps seem to open themselves and they keep running on the background (i.e. Google Maps, LG Smart etc), is there anything that can be done to stop them to start?
Thanks in advance,
J
tourjefferson said:
Hi all,
I've got some questions regarding the phone's memory.
When I open the App Manager and I click on "Storage" it shows me that the phone has:
System Memory
Internal Memory
SD Card
Using the app "App 2 SD" my apps are transferred only from either System memory to Internal memory or vice-versa.
This App 2 SD seems not to send my apps to my EXTERNAL SD Card (where I have plenty of memory).
Could someone please explain the different between system and internal memory?
And, once and for all, how can I move/transfer ALL apps downloaded from the market to my EXTERNAL SD Card?
Can I do that manually? how?
Another app from the market? which one?
And how about the Gameloft games? is there any way to move them?
Another question is that after updating for the GB some apps seem to open themselves and they keep running on the background (i.e. Google Maps, LG Smart etc), is there anything that can be done to stop them to start?
Thanks in advance,
J
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
system memory is the memory reserved for the OS and its applications. Internal memory is the rest of the phones memory that is used to store anything else (included apps you move with app2sd)
To move gameloft games to the external sd there is a thread so look it up a bit.
As for apps running themselves it is the way android works. It keeps running apps it "thinks" you might use so when you actually use them the load a lot faster. No worries there as when your phone needs the extra memory (running an HD game for example) it shuts down all apps that are not necessary. If you still want to prevent them from running you can use a task manager to freeze them but you need root.
jimakos29 said:
system memory is the memory reserved for the OS and its applications. Internal memory is the rest of the phones memory that is used to store anything else (included apps you move with app2sd)
To move gameloft games to the external sd there is a thread so look it up a bit.
As for apps running themselves it is the way android works. It keeps running apps it "thinks" you might use so when you actually use them the load a lot faster. No worries there as when your phone needs the extra memory (running an HD game for example) it shuts down all apps that are not necessary. If you still want to prevent them from running you can use a task manager to freeze them but you need root.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, thanks for your reply.
I have seen the thread regarding Gameloft games, but if I'm not mistaken my phone need to be rooted, which I'm not planning to do any time soon. So that thread doesn't help me to get rid of the games from my internal memory.
Also, the App 2 SD app doesn't send the apps that I have in the internal memory to the external SD. It keeps sending the apps to(or from) internal and system memory.
So, I've got an empty external SD card that I can't transfer anything there even using an app that supposed to do that.
Is there anyway that I can move the apps manually?
Regarding the apps that keep running without need, that didn't happen when I had Froyo and it seems to me that running several apps on the background can cost my battery juice, so this is not so clever.
Apps did run in background on froyo as I rooted specifically to stop some but maybe they were not doing so when you checked as they stop in certain circumstances.
As for the sd thing you are right and it sucks but for some reason lg made it so when we choose install to sd it goes to internal sd card and I have yet to find way around this though for me its not a problem as I use my actual external sd card as storage for camera app and backups instead but the internal one will fit plenty of apps on.
Dave
Sent from my LG-P920 using Tapatalk
I noticed too my 32gb external card is not used by app2sd apps.
Now i swapped the cards in a configfile, and after restart i have 32gb internal sd and 8gb external so it is working.
I got this from the folloing thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1189701
But won't that mean that mess up apps or cause problems, for example if you click to format or unmount external sd wont it try doing that to the internal one?
Dave
Of course, you should not take out the sd or format it after the switch. If you format internal sd, it would in fact format the external sd. Flashing to a new rom wil just use the internal sd again. Just be carefull. You can copy data to your computer as backup before you try this.
I like this sofar, my downloads, photos, films and music is placed directly on the big sd now.
Peter
Pjedr said:
Of course, you should not take out the sd or format it after the switch. If you format internal sd, it would in fact format the external sd. Flashing to a new rom wil just use the internal sd again. Just be carefull. You can copy data to your computer as backup before you try this.
I like this sofar, my downloads, photos, films and music is placed directly on the big sd now.
Peter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All my photos films and music are on external sd already and I still have four gigabytes of the internal sd card free so will stick with things as they are rather than hack it though is nice to know it is possible
Dave
mistermentality said:
All my photos films and music are on external sd already and I still have four gigabytes of the internal sd card free so will stick with things as they are rather than hack it though is nice to know it is possible
Dave
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, but I don't have space lol
Anyway, found out that the problem with app running themselves on the background are worst than I first thought.
All kinds of apps seem to start themselves and keep running, that caused my phone to loose a 100% battery over the night!
Is anyone having this problem?
Are you sure its the apps? I had severe battery drain and had to calibrate it then let it die and recharge while off to sort it.
I also rooted and use gemini app manager to stop apps auto running.
Sent from my LG-P920 using Tapatalk
mistermentality said:
Are you sure its the apps? I had severe battery drain and had to calibrate it then let it die and recharge while off to sort it.
I also rooted and use gemini app manager to stop apps auto running.
Sent from my LG-P920 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm 99% sure that the problem are the apps running.
Before, with Froyo, I didn't have this problem (apps starting themselves) and the battery was just fine.
I've realised something recently though, when I was using the app "App 2 SD" I was sending some apps to my System Memory in order to free space on Internal Memory.
What I noticed was that the apps in the System memory were the ones starting up themselves, so I moved them back to internal memory and they seem not to be starting again.
I'm keeping an eye on it because it's weird, but it's been almost one full day and my battery is doing okay, or that is what least seems to appear on my screen.
Pjedr said:
I noticed too my 32gb external card is not used by app2sd apps.
Now i swapped the cards in a configfile, and after restart i have 32gb internal sd and 8gb external so it is working.
I got this from the folloing thread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1189701
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hi,
Which config file is this? Is this the config file for apps2sd or the vold.stab file? (I could no longer the thread in your link)
Thanks
I think apps auto running in background is the major bug in GB, and i also have this problem so you are not alone or the only one having this problem

External SD card access (move apps + apps writing to SD) in Lollipop and Marshmallows

With Lollipop, does the Z5 (without rooting):
allow apps to be moved to an external SD card?
allow apps to write to the external SD card?
With the Z3 and Kitkat, point 2 was possible with root, but I haven't figured out point 1, not even with root.
I read somewhere that Lollipop should allow (2), but it should depend on the implementation of each phone.
Also, do you know if these two points are supposed to change in any way with Marshmallows?
Yes to both. The Z3 does both too.
jeremy_inc said:
Yes to both. The Z3 does both too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mmm, my Z3 with Kitkat does neither without root. Are you sure the Z5 does?
In my Z3:
There is no 'move app to SD card' option.
As for getting apps to write to the external SD card, I only managed to achieve it with root (there's a way to modify write permission which you can only change if you are rooted). Before this change, for example, Titanium Backup couldn't write backups to the external sd card
Sorry, Z3 on Lollipop I meant
Well apps on SD Works on z5
Just like on z1. I don't know if all apps work this way but:
You have to go to your app menu and check those checkboxes under the SD card page
I believe it'll work the same on z3
For apps to write on SD card it's need to be implemented in the app
For example total commander does this:
Once you try moving to SD card it opens the default android dialog and chose SD card
Bare 2 things in mind:
1. The whole app wont be moved over. Some can still take a load of space up on main storage.
2. When you update an app the system moves the whole app back onto the main storage.
This was from my Xperia z3 experience on lollipop.
Sent from my E5563 using Tapatalk
JKWR said:
Bare 2 things in mind:
1. The whole app wont be moved over. Some can still take a load of space up on main storage.
2. When you update an app the system moves the whole app back onto the main storage.
This was from my Xperia z3 experience on lollipop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Does (2) apply to all apps, or does it depend on how the app was coded by the developers?
I'm thinking of apps where it makes sense to keep the app/engine separate from additional data required (as is the case for games, dictionaries, etc.).
It totally defies the purpose...
To be honest I only remember the biggest culprits which were the big apps, namely:
Ms Word, Excel, PowerPoint. (probably a gb there that you have to mess about with all the time as it seems they are updated at least once a week)
Nearly all Games like plants vs zombies 2, angry birds 2, rayman fiesta run, angry birds transformers, jetpack joyride.
So basically you have to make sure you always have 3-4gig free on your main mem to stop these regular updates from eating every last bit up or getting a long list of update messages saying canot install due to insufficient memory. It drive me nuts on the z3 16gb.
I may have to skip the z5 32gb main mem for this purpose as well. Im a heavy app/game user though so 32gb might be OK for you
Sent from my E5563 using Tapatalk
cdl2 said:
With Lollipop, does the Z5 (without rooting):
allow apps to be moved to an external SD card?
allow apps to write to the external SD card?
With the Z3 and Kitkat, point 2 was possible with root, but I haven't figured out point 1, not even with root.
I read somewhere that Lollipop should allow (2), but it should depend on the implementation of each phone.
Also, do you know if these two points are supposed to change in any way with Marshmallows?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1 - Yes - Go to Settings > Apps > Scroll right one to ON SD CARD tab > tick which app(s) you want moving to the SD card. Not everything is moved though, but enough. The Z3 on Lollipop is exactly the same.
2 - Unrooted, the rules are, as far as I can tell - System apps (like File Commander) have full access to the SD card, so can read and write to/from the SD card. If you install a 3rd party app, like another file manager from Play Store, it will not be able to write to the SD card as it is a user app. Certain 3rd party apps can write to the SD card, but their data is stored in a system sub folder on the SD card, and they are restricted to that location only. If you delete the app, the data is also deleted.
I used to use the SD Fix on KitKat, but I just rooted my Z3, and my File Manager can read/write the SD card. Not really sure how we are going to go with rooting Locked Bootloader Z5's yet, so we'll just have to see.
SD card access is changing again in Marshmallow, and should be better, going by what I've heard. You can now choose to treat your SD card as you do now, or as an 'extension' of your internal memory, but I think if you do choose to extend your internal memory, then it will be encrypted for use in that device only. If you don't use it as an extension, then I'm not yet sure what the permissions will be for general read/write access.
MickieH said:
1 - Yes - Go to Settings > Apps > Scroll right one to ON SD CARD tab > tick which app(s) you want moving to the SD card. Not everything is moved though, but enough. The Z3 on Lollipop is exactly the same.
2 - Unrooted, the rules are, as far as I can tell - System apps (like File Commander) have full access to the SD card, so can read and write to/from the SD card. If you install a 3rd party app, like another file manager from Play Store, it will not be able to write to the SD card as it is a user app. Certain 3rd party apps can write to the SD card, but their data is stored in a system sub folder on the SD card, and they are restricted to that location only. If you delete the app, the data is also deleted.
I used to use the SD Fix on KitKat, but I just rooted my Z3, and my File Manager can read/write the SD card. Not really sure how we are going to go with rooting Locked Bootloader Z5's yet, so we'll just have to see.
SD card access is changing again in Marshmallow, and should be better, going by what I've heard. You can now choose to treat your SD card as you do now, or as an 'extension' of your internal memory, but I think if you do choose to extend your internal memory, then it will be encrypted for use in that device only. If you don't use it as an extension, then I'm not yet sure what the permissions will be for general read/write access.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, fellows, has anyone solved the problem of writing to external SD cards on marshmallow?

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