Hey guys
Recently I've got a ZTE V970M (MT6577) phone and so far it's awesome. However, some people have been asking for a way to extend the /data partition because some games are heavy 'n stuff. That's alright.
There is a method which resizes the partitions by altering the MBR on the EMMC and that way the /data partition ends up with 2GB (from [email protected]) + 512MB (the assigned for /data), but I want to do something different, without having to edit the MBR that way. Dunno, it's fishy imo.
My idea was to format [email protected] (which comes in vfat) as ext4 and then editing init.rc and change the partition mount points from [email protected] to [email protected]
If I do that without formatting, the phone boots but it asks for an encryption key. Reading on the net, it's not asking for an encryption key, it's the fallback mode for when it can't mount the /data partition and then it believes it's encrypted, but it isn't.
If I format the [email protected] to ext4 (mke2fs -T ext4 /dev/block/mmcblk0p6), parted shows it's on ext4 and all that shiz, but the phone seems to disconnect itself from ADB once it finishes booting, and hangs in bootloop. Since I can't ADB it, I don't know wtf is going on with the phone. Something tells me I'm close to reaching the goal though.
Looking on the net I found this useful link -> http://blog.kangkang.org/index.php/archives/242 which talks about extending /data the way I want to do (for the Tegra2 one, but it shouldn't matter). However, Chinese isn't my main or secondary language (lol) and google translate does an horrible job at translating it.
So, anyone got ideas on how to extend such partition? I just want to swap the normal /data partition with the internal SDcard partition, so in theory if I format it to ext4 and swap the mount points it should work, it's just a swap, but why it isn't?
Any ideas are greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance!
- DARKGuy
I hate bumping but, nobody yet? I've seen this being done in other phones... any ideas?
I can't believe no one has an idea yet... come on, this is XDA... wtf is up?
Yeah, I wanna know this too. If formatting the EMMC on my Note1 to anything other that the FAT32 will help?
Prerequisites:
You need to be on the 10.6.1.14.10 bootloader
You need to know how to flash a recovery
Some background reading on f2fs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F2FS
Step 1:
Backup all your data off the tablet because it will get wiped!!
Step 2:
Install a recovery that supports conversion to the f2fs file system
You can use the official TWRP 2.8.x from here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/tra...overy-kang-twrp-tf700t-2-8-x-xarea51-t3049395
Do not use TWRP 2.8.5 - it has a bug with the f2fs conversion - or 2.8.6 for that matter. It has another bug: won't reboot to anything from recovery...
For Transformer users I would highly recommend to install @lj50036 TWRP Kang version from here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/tra...overy-kang-twrp-tf700t-2-8-x-xarea51-t3049395
His Kang TWRP allows you to format/convert/backup external partitions or entire cards which will come in very handy for data2sd or rom2sd users.
It even supports the dock SD!
Step 3
Flash your chosen recovery in fastboot and reboot.
Optional but recommened
Since you are at it anyway I would recommend you format your /data partition before you convert to f2fs. The TWRP build-in "Format data" option does a "a secure erase" which trims and wipes every single block. A great way to start with a fresh and clean data partition. This process takes time - could be upwards of 60 minutes - do not interrupt it!!! You find the option under the Wipe menu
Step 4:
Enter TWRP, choose Wipe > Advanced Wipe
To Convert INTERNAL /data to f2fs
Check the box for "data"
Tap "change or repair file system"
Tap "Change file system"
Tap "F2FS"
Swipe the button
DATA2SD/ROM2SD users only:
To Convert EXTERNAL /data to f2fs (with lj's Kang TWRP TF700T only - official TWRP does not support this)
Check the box for Ext/data
Proceed as above
Step 5
Go back to TWRP Home screen, and reflash your ROM - which you have stored somewhere you did NOT wipe with the preceding steps!! Like: your microSD
Notes:
With /data on f2fs you need to run your ROM with a kernel that supports that file system. Read the OP of your ROM thread
Convert ONLY /data to f2fs. Do NOT convert /system (or anything else for that matter)
If you forma /data back to ext4 for any reason it will take up to 90 minutes. Do not interrupt it!!!
DATA2SD/ROM2SD ONLY
If you have the official TWRP installed and do not want to flash lj's Kang TWRP, you can - as always - use the data2sd1.zip/rom2sd1zip to have TWRP act on your external partitions.
MINE ......
Cool!
berndblb said:
Convert EXTERNAL /data to f2fs (lj's Kang TWRP TF700T only)
Check the box for Ext/data
Proceed as above
5. Step
Go back to TWRP Home screen, and reflash your ROM - which you have stored somewhere you did NOT wipe with the preceding steps!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Convert EXTERNAL /data to f2fs
-- > ??? Is this a folder or a partition as stated in " post #2 Using GParted to setup a micro SD for ROM2SD or DATA2SD support"
reflash your ROM - which you have stored somewhere you did NOT wipe with the preceding steps!!
--> ??? It must be on external, I presume?
Where could it be located? If on external i suppose it is on:
--> ??? 14. FAT 32 : Size 16GB – this will be /dev/sdc1 in gparted and will be your sdcard for storage in Android
eRPeeX said:
Convert EXTERNAL /data to f2fs
-- > ??? Is this a folder or a partition as stated in " post #2 Using GParted to setup a micro SD for ROM2SD or DATA2SD support"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's the second partition if you are running data2sd/rom2sd
data2sd:
1. partition fat32 = your microSD storage
2. partition f2fs (or ext4) = /data
rom2sd
1. partition fat32 = microSD storage
2. partition f2fs or ext4 = /data
3. partition ext4 = /system
[*]reflash your ROM - which you have stored somewhere you did NOT wipe with the preceding steps!!
--> ??? It must be on external, I presume?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The fat32 partition on the microSD (or just plain microSD if you don't run data2sd/rom2sd) is probably the safest place, yes.
Where could it be located? If on external i suppose it is on:
--> ??? 14. FAT 32 : Size 16GB – this will be /dev/sdc1 in gparted and will be your sdcard for storage in Android
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes
berndblb said:
It's the second partition if you are running data2sd/rom2sd
data2sd:
1. partition fat32 = your microSD storage
2. partition f2fs (or ext4) = /data
rom2sd
1. partition fat32 = microSD storage
2. partition f2fs or ext4 = /data
3. partition ext4 = /system
The fat32 partition on the microSD (or just plain microSD if you don't run data2sd/rom2sd) is probably the safest place, yes.
Yes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So for f2fs you always need a Gparted formatted SD.
f2fs only on internal /Data is not possible?
Sure it is. Read step 4
I just only converted Internal /data to f2fs.
Flashed beta 4.
Seems to be possible to have f2fs only on internal.
eRPeeX said:
f2fs only on internal /Data is not possible?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
berndblb said:
Sure it is. Read step 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
eRPeeX said:
I just only converted Internal /data to f2fs.
Flashed beta 4.
Seems to be possible to have f2fs only on internal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where does it say you can't????????????????
Edit: Ahhh! I see where your thinking went off track. You thought you had to convert both internal and external data for f2fs to work, right?
Nope - external data only concerns data2sd/rom2sd users. Edited OP to make that clear - I hope.
berndblb said:
Where does it say you can't????????????????
Edit: Ahhh! I see where your thinking went off track. You thought you had to convert both internal and external data for f2fs to work, right?
Nope - external data only concerns data2sd/rom2sd users. Edited OP to make that clear - I hope.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you could read my mind.
Just thought I'd share my experience, in case someone else makes the same mistake I did ...
I put the card into my computer and ran gparted to create the partitions. I fiddled with it for a while, resizing partitions while trying to decide how much space to allocate to each and what format to use for /data. I ended up with what graphically looked like the right layout:
I---sdcard---II--------------data--------------II---system---I
The rom2sd install seemed to go fine (Crombi-kk at the time). However I couldn't get it to boot.
Turns out in my fiddling I managed to get the second two partition table entries switched - partition 1 was fine, partition 2 pointed to the rightmost block graphically, parition 3 pointed to the middle block. I don't really know whether it was the installer or TWRP that got confused, or if it installed ok but the boot got confused.
In any case, deleting the partitions and re-creating them in order worked.
I have Zombi-X on a TF700T. I picked the F2FS option during install but didn't realize I had to have the /data partition formatted to F2FS first. So I'd like to minimize my update time. Can you tell me if this is how to proceed?
I have TWRP 2.8.4.0 already installed,
When you say backup data do you mean do a TWRP backup of the system/data/boot or just the /data section?
Or do you mean copy files to an SD card or PC?
I would then do the "optional" format of the /data partition using the existing data format ext4.
Then choose Wipe > Advanced Wipe
Check the box for "data"
Tap "change or repair file system"
Tap "Change file system"
Tap "F2FS"
Swipe the button
"Go back to TWRP Home screen, and reflash your ROM"
Do I have to do this? I don't want to change anything, the original install had F2FS enabled?
If I do have to do it, do you mean TWRP "restore" the ROM backup (system/boot/data) or actually TWRP
"install" the ROM zip file?
Then I would TWRP "restore" the /data backup and the tablet would work like it did before the reformat or would I have to reinstall apps, photos etc.?
Thanks for your help.
The easiest would be if you nandroid system/boot/data to your microSD. You gotta have it off internal storage. Nothing in internal /data will survive a format.
Then do the formatting and convert to f2fs
Restore your nandroid
You may get a warning from TWRP that the nandroid is off a different file system but you can safely ignore it.
Now, I do not quite remember where in Aroma the f2fs option was, but I think it's on that page about data journaling... So I'm not sure what selecting that option in Aroma actually does and if it gets implemented when the preinit script finds an ext4 partition instead.
But you can try it. Just restore the nandroid, pay attention during boot and read the script under the penguins.
If then your nandroid doesn't run as expected, reflash the rom with the same options, then restore only data from the nandroid you made earlier (during restore just uncheck boot and system). That also would give you an identical installation to what you have now.
berndblb said:
The easiest would be if you nandroid system/boot/data to your microSD. You gotta have it off internal storage. Nothing in internal /data will survive a format.
Then do the formatting and convert to f2fs
Restore your nandroid
You may get a warning from TWRP that the nandroid is off a different file system but you can safely ignore it.
Now, I do not quite remember where in Aroma the f2fs option was, but I think it's on that page about data journaling... So I'm not sure what selecting that option in Aroma actually does and if it gets implemented when the preinit script finds an ext4 partition instead.
But you can try it. Just restore the nandroid, pay attention during boot and read the script under the penguins.
If then your nandroid doesn't run as expected, reflash the rom with the same options, then restore only data from the nandroid you made earlier (during restore just uncheck boot and system). That also would give you an identical installation to what you have now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Perfect, thanks. I will let you know my results. Might be a few days away.
IIRC the option is to turn on/off data journaling (one or two "l"s?) on ext2/3/4 partitions, with a final option of "f2fs user" where journalling is unnecessary. But it will not automatically format to f2fs in any case.
Hello. Yesterday I rebuilt my TF700 from the ground up. My intent was to get to Zombi-Rom with data2sd, to get a performant system. Here's what I did:
- started with twrp 2.8.6.x and Zombi-Rom beta 6, internal data, nice but laggy
- created two partitions on my samsung class 10 microSD card using gparted: 1. FAT32 at approx 4GB, 2. F2FS at approx 24GB
- flashed lj's kang twrp 2.8.6.1 recovery to replace 'standard' twrp 2.8.6.x
- formatted internal data using the kang twrp to f2fs (but it only took a second?) (I think this step was unnecessary, I meant to go to data2sd...)
- i *think* i formatted the new f2fs partition on the ext sdcard again using kang twrp, but don't recall. Rem: it was formatted f2fs by gparted already...I may have assumed I didn't need to do it again.
- flashed Zombi-Pop Android 5.1 beta 6, choosing the only kernel which has _that in the name
-- choosing f2fs
-- choosging data2sd (the ultimate goal of the exercise - get rid of TF700's awful lags/freezes)
-- choosing overclock (said it was required since _that kernel is selected)
-- choosing rest of default options
However I find performance is worse? I am sure I have done something wrong.
I have no data to protect or worry about tryig to restore. Before I do it all over again, do the steps above look correct, or am I making a mistake somewhere?
Thanks in advance.
Some people - me among them - have reported that data2sd doesn't work that well with ZOMBi-POP anymore. I do not get any performance improvement out of it with the same card that did well on other roms.
Could also be just your specific card - hard to tell.
I see no mistakes in your procedure but did you at any point do the secure erase the "Format Data" option provides? Read the "Optional but recommended" section in the OP.
Try different kernels. I like the Omni kernel best so far.
So my advice is: format internal data, then convert it to f2fs again, flash the rom with the omni kernel and all tweaks.
My TF700 runs very well with those options but it's still slower than my TF701 or my HTC M8 (there's actually no comparison to the latter..) and it always will be.
This is a what - almost 3 year old device now. These roms improve it by 300% but nothing will turn the TF700 into a smooth-as-silk-under-any-circumstances device....
berndblb said:
Some people - me among them - have reported that data2sd doesn't work that well with ZOMBi-POP anymore. I do not get any performance improvement out of it with the same card that did well on other roms.
Could also be just your specific card - hard to tell.
I see no mistakes in your procedure but did you at any point do the secure erase the "Format Data" option provides? Read the "Optional but recommended" section in the OP.
Try different kernels. I like the Omni kernel best so far.
So my advice is: format internal data, then convert it to f2fs again, flash the rom with the omni kernel and all tweaks.
My TF700 runs very well with those options but it's still slower than my TF701 or my HTC M8 (there's actually no comparison to the latter..) and it always will be.
This is a what - almost 3 year old device now. These roms improve it by 300% but nothing will turn the TF700 into a smooth-as-silk-under-any-circumstances device....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here Bernd - I see no improvements with data2sd anymore on zombi-pop.
I think we got internal running as sweet as can be
Bernd and dags,
thanks for the input, and again for all the great work to get it running the way you and your teammates have. Wish I had your know-how. At any rate I re-built it as originally posted and it's now working well. Backed that up and am trying it on internal today.
One more, maybe trivial question - the version of Nova Launcher says 'mod'. I can't install any other wallpaper with it. (I use Nova all the time, never seen this before.) Do you know if there something in the mod that makes it the default zombi-rom wallpaper or nothing?
I'm currently on AOSPExtended ROM(7.1.1) with it's stock kernel. I recently heard about f2fs system which is more faster and has increased life span of flash storage than current ext4 system.
Now I want to know whether this ROM and kernel are f2fs compatible, and how can I change my partitions to f2fs in detail without loosing my current data.
Thank you.
in previous iterations of android, only data partition was allowed to be in F2FS format (by default data partition is in F2FS format unless you have a GPE device). all the rest should be in ext4. some kernels allow cache to be in F2FS thats all. you can format some partitions to F2FS via TWRP recovery. however if any F2FS partition is unsupported you will endup in a bootloop.
Anyone tried F2FS with android 9?
Wondering how it performs in our phones and if it's reliable enough
I used to try it on my old Nexus 7... Memory flash on it was very slow and using f2fs the tablet performed really well.
In those days you needed a capable kernel and ROM to use f2fs in /system e /data partition