[Q] CM6.1, Chevy1 Kernel, Swap, and Memory Management - Motorola Droid and Milestone General

Sort of technical question, as this goes into CM6.1 and mem management.
I have the original Droid, Verizon. I had it rooted for a while and recently finally installed CM6.1 (stable release).
Issue 1: Free memory
I am having background services constantly killed by the system whenever ANY app is loaded, with exception of map and music. I thought CM6.1 would solve it but it did for only 2 days. Both DiskUsage and Settings / SD card and storage shows like 130 out of 262 available. Yet my services are STILL getting whacked left and right.
I opened terminal emulator and typed FREE... That says I have 5-10 MB available.
Now the overall situation... I am getting tired of the system killing my services, and I really don't have that many loaded. I got Titanium Backup, Clock Widget, Juice Defender, SeePU, Screebl pro, SetCPU widget, Vlingo (then there's TTS, Bluetooth, Google, and SwiftKey, but those are required).
Just checked again: say 130MB available out 262 (well, 256). however, FREE at terminal emulator right now is 4812.
Q1: Why would the free command show a completely different result from the system?
I can guess it was more of a "snapshot", but that's a pretty HUGE discrepancy.
So where is all that free memory going?
Issue 2: CompCache and Swap
I found references to CompCache and swap file. I know they are not helpful to later phones with 512MB, but it's probably helpful somewhat on my Droid with just 256MB of RAM.
I looked up CompCache and I know it's specific to kernel implementations. The Chevy kernel (1.1 GHz ULEV) I had loaded doesn't support CompCache. Or else Cyanogen would have displayed it.
So I downloaded Swapper (the one with the green icon). Created a 128MB swap file. Then I rebooted, and tried "free" at terminal... SWAP shows ZERO.
I thought it was a problem with the program, so I downloaded the OTHER Swapper program, Swapper 2. Tried that. Got "failed to create swap file -- swapon not implemented. "
Yet every reference I see for SWAP does not mention kernel at all. All the references I see just say run the app or type in these commands at busybox/terminal and voila, SWAP!
Q2: As CompCache is kernel dependent, is swap also kernel dependent?
Is there a chart where it shows which kernel is compatible with what?

Oops, answer my own questions...
A1: Yes, P3Droid kernel DOES support SWAP. Just put it in, and SWAPPER is working now. Dumb me.
A2: With SWAP enabled (swapper 2 defaults to 32MB), available memory still shows 130MB in (SD card and Storage) and "free" now shows 32-40MB free (main memory shows 5MB free).
(and yes, P3Droid kernel supports compcache too)
Sorry, answered my own questions. I'll probably do a few tests and which is more beneficial: compcache, swap, both, or neither.

First test... 32 MB swap not enough
The "memory available" isn't working or is reporting weird figures.
DiskUsage comfirms 130 MB available out of 256, but my services are still closing left and right.
Tried 32MB swap, delayed problems, but it still happened. I've bumped it up to 128MB swap... Sometimes the phone's slow as heck.
I think I'll have to try CompCache with no swap, and other tests.
Can someone recommend some test apps that will eat up a big chunk of memory?

Slight update
My apologies if this is an FAQ.
The "memory available" shown in ATK seem to be more accurately reflecting the numbers I get from the "free" command.
The "internal storage available" in "SD card and storage" under settings and "diskusage" aren't showing ANYTHING useful. it seem to be showing basically what's left after all the Move2SD was done.
Strangely, this only happened AFTER my CM6.1 update. Under the stock ROM, DiskUsage actually shows "System" taking up like 30+ MB in internal storage. Under CM6.1 there was no "system" taking up anything.
Is CM6.1 managing memory differently or interacting with DiskUsage differently?

DiskUsage measures the usage of storage on your phone/SD. This is akin to a hard drive on a PC.
"free" and "memory available" measures the available memory on your phone. This is the phone's RAM, which is a separate thing from storage.
The reason that your apps/services are being killed is because you do not have enough available memory (RAM) and has nothing to do with storage.

Got that, thanks. I guess I am just confused on the following:
1) DiskUsage and "settings / SDcard and Storage / Internal storage available" shows what's "left" in internal memory 'storage-wise', but not the "OS free mem". Right?
2) Then what is the "memory available" shown in ATK Froyo? (or SeePU?) Usually shows 30MB, up to 60MB if I kill a few things in ATK.
3) So far the most accurate mem count is the one provided by 'free' in Terminal. That number is consistently TINY (a few MB)
4) And what are the numbers shown at the bottom of the "Manage Services" screen? I know the numbers on the right (in the "green") are all the services added together. I am going to guess that the numbers on the LEFT (red) would be the system process (phone, and system?)
5) And how does this match up with the OOM/Lifecycle?
I was looking at the output from WatchDog Lite / Auto Memory Manager (under running processes) but the "memory used" in those readings seem to be way larger than it should be. Every app seem to be taking 12-20MB, and there shouldn't be memory available to load them all.
I guess I'm just trying to figure out where did all my memory went, since none of the numbers seem to add up to me.
(The overall problem is I'm trying to figure out why my background services keep getting killed by the system from, as you said, lack of memory. I already got rid of just about everything, even Flash, from my Droid)

Related

Low Memory Warnings

Just attempted to install the Adobe Air APK and I've received a warning that the phone doesn't have enough storage available.
I wouldn't say I have a load of apps installed, the "available storage" was showing at ~ 12mb free - it's now up to ~49mb after un-installing some apps and moving others to the SD card.
Question is though - how much application storage memory does the N1 actually have? I thought with froyo we gained a little more memory (can't quite remember whether that affected the application memory as well)
Checking over the installed apps list there's noting that stands out as huge - Flash 10 is the largest at 12mb.

Froyo FRF85B issues

So I just installed Froyo FRF85B and well, I have a couple issues. First off, the boot up now seems to take almost 10 minutes, second off, I went into Froyo with 50 megs free, and I came out with 50 megs free as well.
My understanding is Froyo should have freed up more memory for me. Anyone have any ideas?
Who told you Froyo would free up space? It might clear out your cache, but that's about it.
ATnTdude said:
Who told you Froyo would free up space? It might clear out your cache, but that's about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eclair didn't have access to the full 512 ram. The people who had installed prerelease Froyo reported more available internal ram. I also have more available running memory as well. Went from 30 megs to 250 megs of available application memory. Which is kind of useless if I can't install that much in programs.
naturefreak85 said:
So I just installed Froyo FRF85B and well, I have a couple issues. First off, the boot up now seems to take almost 10 minutes, second off, I went into Froyo with 50 megs free, and I came out with 50 megs free as well.
My understanding is Froyo should have freed up more memory for me. Anyone have any ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1st boot always takes a while
flybyme said:
1st boot always takes a while
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any viewpoint on the free memory? And it was the 2nd and 3rd boots that seemed to take forever.
naturefreak85 said:
Eclair didn't have access to the full 512 ram. The people who had installed prerelease Froyo reported more available internal ram. I also have more available running memory as well. Went from 30 megs to 250 megs of available application memory. Which is kind of useless if I can't install that much in programs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
get your terms right else you will confuse people. memory can be rom or ram
rom hasnt been changed. available ram has been increased. your rom is whats used for installing applications. ram has no effect on available storage
Problems!
I just got the T-mobile update to FRF85B but I am still having problems playing WAV files from an exchange account. Can someone please test theirs and see if they are able to listen to WAV files? I get the message:
"Sorry, the player does not support this type of audio file."
Btw, it worked fine on Android 2.1.
Also, whenever I get notifications, the pulse notification light is only flashing a white LED and not repeatedly.
astroblack said:
Also, whenever I get notifications, the pulse notification light is only flashing a white LED and not repeatedly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this is controlled by applications. froyo brings colored trackballs, but only if apps support it
I had trouble with swype saying that it's not compatible with my device. But got it to work after I re installed swype and rebooted.
flybyme said:
get your terms right else you will confuse people. memory can be rom or ram
rom hasnt been changed. available ram has been increased. your rom is whats used for installing applications. ram has no effect on available storage
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? ROM is where I install my applications? Are you sure? I install my applications in READ ONLY Memory? That would be wrong. The ROM is where the actual firmware is stored, not where applications are stored.
That's because it's EEPROM, that is, Electronically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory.
Just because it can be flashed with new data doesn't make it Random Access though.
ChronoReverse said:
That's because it's EEPROM, that is, Electronically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory.
Just because it can be flashed with new data doesn't make it Random Access though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right and that is used for the actual OS not for the application storage. When people put say Cyanogen on their devices it is using the ROM (as far as my understanding) the RAM is used for the application storage and the memory for running applications. My issue was resolved when I wiped out my device, gave me access to 180 MB and still left nearly 250 of memory for running applications.
From what I can tell the RAM is split between the program storage and the running application memory.
ok buddy. you know what your talking about....
naturefreak85 said:
Right and that is used for the actual OS not for the application storage. When people put say Cyanogen on their devices it is using the ROM (as far as my understanding) the RAM is used for the application storage and the memory for running applications. My issue was resolved when I wiped out my device, gave me access to 180 MB and still left nearly 250 of memory for running applications.
From what I can tell the RAM is split between the program storage and the running application memory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The RAM is the memory programs run in. RAM is volatile and will lose its contents when power is cut. You certainly don't lose your programs if you pull out your battery.
I shouldn't have said EEPROM actually. The Application Storage is actually flash-type memory, the same kind used in SD cards for instance.
So there are three basic parts: ROM, 512MB internal flash (+ external flash) and 512MB RAM. HOWEVER, it's possible part of the flash is used as the ROM.
ChronoReverse said:
The RAM is the memory programs run in. RAM is volatile and will lose its contents when power is cut. You certainly don't lose your programs if you pull out your battery.
I shouldn't have said EEPROM actually. The Application Storage is actually flash-type memory, the same kind used in SD cards for instance.
So there are three basic parts: ROM, 512MB internal flash (+ external flash) and 512MB RAM. HOWEVER, it's possible part of the flash is used as the ROM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
flash memory is still a type of EEPROM lol
@OP read these articles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ROM_image
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random_access_memory
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatile_memory
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-volatile_memory
naturefreak85 said:
Really? ROM is where I install my applications? Are you sure? I install my applications in READ ONLY Memory? That would be wrong. The ROM is where the actual firmware is stored, not where applications are stored.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes he is exactly right. the nexus has 512 mb of RAM and 512 mb of ROM. the 512 of ROM is where the OS, your installed apps, and user data all gets installed. the 512 mb of RAM is active memory that runs the apps. you cannot install apps to the RAM, it is volatile as said above. you sure can install apps to the 512 mb ROM though, and that is exactly the way the nexus works. any app you have installed to your phone goes on the 512 mb of ROM. the OS takes up some of that, so when you check in your settings, you only see like 180mb left or so on a fresh factory install with no apps yet installed. as you install apps, that amount goes down as you use it up.
flybyme said:
flash memory
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes but it works differently from traditional (or rather, the original) EEPROM so I wanted to distinguish it.
In short
RAM = the place where all processes running. OS will load the apps/programs to RAM before it can processed by CPU, and at this stage it called processes.
From 512MB RAM, typical N1's Froyo's stock kernel can access up to 394MB of RAM. Here is the dmesg ouput f
Code:
<6>[ 0.000000] Memory: 128MB 91MB 175MB = 394MB total
<5>[ 0.000000] Memory: 394360KB available (3936K code, 971K data, 120K init,
272384K highmem)
How many processes can be run at the same time are limited to the RAM availability.
ROM = the place where the apps/progs being stored. Same thing as we stored/installed programs/apps in hard disk drive.
in N1, "ROM" is just a flash memory, similar to usb thumb drive. The contents always available even if you powered your device down. Yeah, apps also can be stored into microSD card.
How many apps you can install are limited to how may free spaces left in your storage, ie, "ROM" and SD card.
Thank you.
I have frf85b for att version (using for vodcom in Tanzania) but my tether doesn't work. I can see the network and connect but no internet. I think its DNS problem because my computer can ping the internet but nothing past that.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
michaelbart0n said:
I have frf85b for att version (using for vodcom in Tanzania) but my tether doesn't work. I can see the network and connect but no internet. I think its DNS problem because my computer can ping the internet but nothing past that.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine was doing the same thing at first. Then I opened the browser on my phone to check that the 3G connection was working, and suddenly the computer had access too. It might have just been a coincidence...

[Q] internal memory usage list?

As many others have, I frequently run into a lack of internal memory on my nexus. I only ever have about 20 mb free. So today I decided to try and figure out what takes up all my internal mem.
I have a stock, non rooted phone running 83d.
I use apps 2sd and dolphin browser with cache on sd
I went to apps2sd and added up all the package sizes of the apps on my phone memory, came up to about 93mb. Yet I only have about 20mb free. That means about 70mb is being used up by other crap. Phone and contact storage is only 2mb each. So what is eating my memory and how can I find out? is there an app that'll chart out internal memory usage by app/file?
Disk Usage, from the market may help...
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
Imbalance said:
As many others have, I frequently run into a lack of internal memory on my nexus. I only ever have about 20 mb free. So today I decided to try and figure out what takes up all my internal mem.
I have a stock, non rooted phone running 83d.
I use apps 2sd and dolphin browser with cache on sd
I went to apps2sd and added up all the package sizes of the apps on my phone memory, came up to about 93mb. Yet I only have about 20mb free. That means about 70mb is being used up by other crap. Phone and contact storage is only 2mb each. So what is eating my memory and how can I find out? is there an app that'll chart out internal memory usage by app/file?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
93mb of apps is just for the actual app .apk file. app data takes a HUGE amount of space.
most things i've got left on the phone don't really have much associated data from the ones i've checked anyway. Still, can't believe there's no app to show internal mem usage. There's tons of them for the SDcard... Also, diskusage is only for sdcard. I'd still like an easy way to see what's taking up all my internal mem and decide if i want to uninstall it or clear the data or whatever.
As soon as you open diskusage, it asks if you wanna see internal or external...
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
I like this disk usage app,i find it interesting how the developer used the tap to com on the different layouts and how data is used

[Q] heating problem and internal storage

Problems with my N1 are continuous...
I really need your help guys...
If some of you read my topics, the most terrible problem I have had was that I lost signal and sometimes I have "only emergency call"...now this problem disappear, and it works fine...
but I can't understand if another problem is important or not!
I mean, my phone became hot...some times warm when I play, or using many many apps...and more I use it and more it became hot...but not so hot that i can be burned!
but yesterday I starting to worry about it, because I've done a 20 minutes call without 3G (only wifi ON but not connected because no hotspot was usable) and the phone became really hot, we are in summer and it was pleny annoying have it in hand...
Is it normal?
Can I monitor the temperature of the phone? how?
I hope that I don't have to give my phone to htc for warranty
Another 2 question:
Can i reinstall the radio rom? what is the lastes for nexus1?
Can some one explain me the problem of the internal storage? because I'm on cyanogen and I've activate the option that all app have to be installed on SD, but I've read that someone make an ext partition, someother use script with app2sd, other said that app2sd is old from froyo...
I didn't unsterst if I have to wipe and make this partition or not...
thanks a lot in adavance
Temperature:
Relax. Phones, and their CPU, get hot.
A2SD:
Read FAQ, question 9. Then read the thread it points you to. Then read some more threads, until you know what you want. It's not one answer, it's a matter of preference.
thanks how much space I have to reserve to ext4 partition?
Again, it's a matter of preference. If you see yourself loading a LOT of apps, and/or want to try MIUI or Sense-based custom ROMs, then you'll be good with 1GB EXT4. If you just want to move your apps but use stock or CM - 512MB EXT4 will be enough.
thanks jack
I have CM...but...i cannot understand:
1. what is the difference between DT, Data2ext e data2whathever
2. if I make an ext partition of 512Mb then all apps goes there? or it work like the internal memory so part of the apps goes in the ext partition and the other part in fat partiton?
3. what is better using Miui with integrated script? or CM + DT?
really really thanks a lot
I'll try to explain.
The OS isn't aware of the change, so it keeps acting just like it usually does - putting the apps either on internal memory or on internal+FAT (depends on your settings, app preferences, etc).
Each app consists of 3 parts:
1) The app itself.
2) The app's data (saves, logs, databases, etc).
3) The system's Dalvik-cache for the app (the environment which is running the app).
DT by default moves part 1 to EXT. Unlike Froyo default method, it moves the whole app to SD (which isn't always the case with default method), and allows this also for widgets etc (which isn't the case with default method). It can also move parts 2 and 3 to SD, but it isn't default and requires explicit user command to initiate. The common use is to move parts 1 and 3 to SD, and leave part 2 on internal NAND.
Data2ext and Data2whatever do essentially the same, but they're moving all 3 parts by default, AFAIK.
thanks a lot!
but if the whole app goes in the ext4 partition 1gb is really few I can't install offline navigator, games and really heavy size apps...
so maybe it's like the default froyo app, one part in the FAT partition and the other in the internal memory...
and with DT one part in the EXT4 and the huge part in the FAT and if it is like I said 512Mb or 1Gb is enough
Each big app - game, offline navigator etc - is by default programmed to use the FAT for the huge databases that it holds. When you download a Glu game, for example, it asks you if to save the data to internal memory or to the SD card. This is additional mechanism, that doesn't depend on the OS at all, and is completely app-specific. ALL the big apps have it, since they're all aware of the low internal storage in smaller/older devices.
I had quite an amount of apps installed on the Nexus, and never needed more than 512MB EXT4, using DT's A2SD with Dalvik2SD enabled (options 1 and 3 enabled from the previous post). I think 1GB should be more than enough for 99% of users.
thanks now it's clear...
I've installed everything...
after giving the a2sd cachesd command
i have to give also the a2sd datasd command? or it is unecessary?
EDIT:
Before I execute the a2sd cachesd the a2sd check working fine, now after the a2sd cachesd if I check I always have permission denied
no one ansewer but I have another problem...
I've installed the last CM 7.1 RC1
I've done a full wipe
installed CM
installed DT
installed gAPPS
everythings works fine but, I see in the Application Manager some app that doesn't appear in the launcher...
for example street view and google books...
I've try to flash again the zip via recovery but nothing change and I can't uninstall them -.-
(Streetview work via google maps however, but google books is a ghost app)
About cachesd and datasd - it's all about your preferences. My suggestion is - if you're light user, don't use any of them, if you're a heavy user - use cachesd (don't execute datasd).
Can't help you with Google books, sorry. Street View isn't considered a separate app, it's add-on for Maps, so it's not supposed to show, AFAIK.

[Q] "Insufficient Storage" Disabler/Fix

Firsty, I apologize for my poor forum skills.
I am wondering if any gems in the community know of an existing module that is capable of sort of, Removing, Fixing, or Disabling the service or data which notify's google play services that there is not enough storage on a device to install or update an app?
I am not sure if this is a protocol that is implemented in the Android OS or not because when I try to manually install an APK with low storage it is not possible and I get the "insufficient storage" notification.
I am not necessarily counting on a solution per say;
However seeing as how my device is rooted, I would very much like to experience the liberty and satisfaction of truly 'Taking Control' of my device.
To conclude my filibuster,
Is there a module or mod to trick or fool my device into thinking that I have enough storage to install or update an app? I am currently sitting at 420MB of storage and I am a music addict so my options are currently minimal... atleast until I eventually shoot up my photos to DropBox inevitably.
Thanks World!
& Happy Holidays!
- NeXusLeXus
Impossible, if you use all the memory reserve you will get in bootloop. or dont recieve sms and email messages
The critical storage is for SYSTEM things, not for install apps
Impossible remove Insufficient storage
My good old S2's default /data partition is 2 GB. On Gingerbread, the "insufficient storage" popped up at about 20 MB left. On Jellybean and KitKat as early as about 200 MB. Recently I repartitioned /data to 4 GB, thought that I will never see "insufficient storage" again. But meeeeep, now it pops up when there are 400 MB left. So Androids app installer wants to have about 10% of /data in reserve. The bigger the partition, the bigger the unusable space gets. Kinda gaga.
So what about an XPosed module that sets this free space limit to some lower limit? Enough for critical things, but small enough to not waste this much space.

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