Database Develop

[Q] making the external SD primary SD

I just got the OpX2 and 16 GB SD to use with it. I found out the hard way the phone can only uses the internal SD (5.5 GB). This makes the phone practically unusable! There is a setting to unmount the internal SD, but that also unmounts the external SD >:-(
I'm thinking: Root the device and mount the external SD as primary.
Has anybody tried this?
Update:
I started this thread because I was angry about my Spotify cache did not fit on the 5.5 GB internal SD. But Instead of mounting the cards differently, I figured well maintained Apps will gain support for this kind of internal/eternal storage so changing the mount points might disturb other apps, I hacked the Spotify apk to put the chache on the external SD card. The path to the eternal storage is hard-coded not a setting, anyways I changed it from /sdcard[/spoify2] to /sdcard/_ExternalSD[/spotify2].
Here is a link to the modified Spotify apk.

Yeah, I would like to know this too.

What exactly are the problem you think you have which makes it unusable ?

If you add a 32 gb SD card then it is seen as external SD card and you cannot use it to install applications on because the internal storage is mounted as "internal memory" and "SD card". That's the problem.

Well, it would need a kernel change first but it can be done:
First:
mount /dev/block/mmcblk0p9 to something other than /sdcard at boot
Then:
mount /<your mount point>/_ExternalSD at /sdcard
I think your SD card would have to have an EXT partition which is what would be used. And because of this there's little point.

ULJ said:
If you add a 32 gb SD card then it is seen as external SD card and you cannot use it to install applications on because the internal storage is mounted as "internal memory" and "SD card". That's the problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No that is not really a problem. You can never install applications on the SD card - no matter if its internal or external (unless you hack the phone)
On android phones, theres a dedicated apps partition where apps get installed, on most phones this partition is only a few hundred mb big (the Desire for instance only has 145mb), on the LG it is 1.45gb - besides this internal apps partition Android 2.2 has a function called "move to sd" which you can select for individual applications. This function only moves some part of the application to the SD card but still leaves some part of the application in the apps partition. Hov much you can move and if you can move anything at all depends on every individual application - some apps dont support this function, others only move little to the SD card, and then others again move a larger part to the SD card.
Its true that when using this function you are limited to the internal SD card which is an extra 5.5 gb - but the point is that this is plenty space for apps, because Android apps dont take up GB's of space. They are mostly very small (few kb or mb) and hundreds of these will easily fit inside the 1.45gb apps partition, except for a few 3d games which make take up an additional 1-300mb of gametextures being stored on the SD card.
But overall you have easily around 6gb for apps storage which is plenty of space for this particular purpose for almost anyone, no matter what use they have. It would normally mean allowing for hundreds of varied apps to be installed. Just dont fill up the internal SD card with other things like mediafiles (music, video etc.) - instead place these kind of files on the external SD card.
Talking about the phone being unusable because it "only" has around 6gb of apps space is a little silly. Sure if the only apps you want to install are 3d games and we imagine each of them taking up 200mb for textures - then you are limited to 30 games, or 60 games if each take up 100mb (unless some of them would allow the textures to be installed on the external SD card) - but how likely is that scenario ? And even if, it doesnt really make the phone "unusable" - then you would just prioritize and install the 20-40 most important ones. Noone "needs" to have 30-60 3d games installed at the same time on a phone. You cant even get 30 3d games of that size currently.

I don't have any interest in storing apps on the SD, I want apps that store things on SD to have enough space.
I might want to use Spotify (a music player streaming music from a remote server). This app has the possibility to cache music so you do not have to wast your battery on constantly streaming over 3G/wifi and also have it available where connection speeds are low or no connection is available, or if you are abroad.
All in all the standard music cache I had on my Desire HD (before it was stolen in Cambodia) will nott fit on the 5.5GB of internal SD and if I cut it down to fit, I will still have problems with other apps like map applications that also need a lot of storage. The phone camera also stores it's pictures on the internal SD.
There are just so many reasons why what LG has done is stupid. It's a top of the line phone, why on earth limit the external SD used by applications to 5.5GB when you otherwise could put in 32GB SD-card??

sorech said:
I don't have any interest in storing apps on the SD, I want apps that store things on SD to have enough space.
I might want to use Spotify (a music player streaming music from a remote server). This app has the possibility to cache music so you do not have to wast your battery on constantly streaming over 3G/wifi and also have it available where connection speeds are low or no connection is available, or if you are abroad.
All in all the standard music cache I had on my Desire HD (before it was stolen in Cambodia) will nott fit on the 5.5GB of internal SD and if I cut it down to fit, I will still have problems with other apps like map applications that also need a lot of storage. The phone camera also stores it's pictures on the internal SD.
There are just so many reasons why what LG has done is stupid. It's a top of the line phone, why on earth limit the external SD used by applications to 5.5GB when you otherwise could put in 32GB SD-card??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 I do agree. This phone is useless if you can't use its external SD like it works on HTC Desire etc.
It doesn't make sense that the phone support SD cards up to 32GB, but you can only use it as a backup space. Practically.
I also use Spotify with Offline function enabled. Then I have aprox 3000 songs stored, and my internal storage isn't big enough. Doh!
Sent from my talk i tapeten

spawndk said:
No that is not really a problem. You can never install applications on the SD card - no matter if its internal or external (unless you hack the phone)
On android phones, theres a dedicated apps partition where apps get installed, on most phones this partition is only a few hundred mb big (the Desire for instance only has 145mb), on the LG it is 1.45gb - besides this internal apps partition Android 2.2 has a function called "move to sd" which you can select for individual applications. This function only moves some part of the application to the SD card but still leaves some part of the application in the apps partition. Hov much you can move and if you can move anything at all depends on every individual application - some apps dont support this function, others only move little to the SD card, and then others again move a larger part to the SD card.
Its true that when using this function you are limited to the internal SD card which is an extra 5.5 gb - but the point is that this is plenty space for apps, because Android apps dont take up GB's of space. They are mostly very small (few kb or mb) and hundreds of these will easily fit inside the 1.45gb apps partition, except for a few 3d games which make take up an additional 1-300mb of gametextures being stored on the SD card.
But overall you have easily around 6gb for apps storage which is plenty of space for this particular purpose for almost anyone, no matter what use they have. It would normally mean allowing for hundreds of varied apps to be installed. Just dont fill up the internal SD card with other things like mediafiles (music, video etc.) - instead place these kind of files on the external SD card.
Talking about the phone being unusable because it "only" has around 6gb of apps space is a little silly. Sure if the only apps you want to install are 3d games and we imagine each of them taking up 200mb for textures - then you are limited to 30 games, or 60 games if each take up 100mb (unless some of them would allow the textures to be installed on the external SD card) - but how likely is that scenario ? And even if, it doesnt really make the phone "unusable" - then you would just prioritize and install the 20-40 most important ones. Noone "needs" to have 30-60 3d games installed at the same time on a phone. You cant even get 30 3d games of that size currently.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are correct in most of what you are saying. However, if one uses a GPS navigation application like the one from Sygic, then you cannot place the maps on the external sd card as they will not be viewable for the application. Only from the sd card (on 5.5 GB which is part of the internal built-on memory) is the maps viewable. Now, thats a problem!

Its not LG that is doing something wrong .
Its actually all the people that are making apps that are on the wrong end. When they made their apps they werent accounting for the fact that phones would have 2 SD cards and as such wrote their software rather "limited".
All you need to do is basically to get the app developers the notice that phones like the LG, and various other phones with both Internal and External SD are having storage issues with their app. And then hope your app will get adapted in such a way that it supports the option that you can select where to save your files .
Look at Titanium Backup for one, it fully supports the external SD. Astro does as well. Its all a matter of "proper" coding from the app developers. The second they adapt their code to support external SD the problem is solved.
SO as such this is not an LG related issue but more a app related issue

ah ok I understand
- the spotify and GPS navigation examples are certainly valid points, I agree in situations like that it is an issue.
But its an issue that wont be limited to the LG, several new models will be coming with some amount of limited internal SD storage.
Shouldent it be an issue that is delt with on application level by the app developers rather than on hardware level ? Like, isnt it just poor application development that the source placement of this cache, maps, textures or whatever isnt selectable by the user ?
A sollution might be to contact the developers of the apps in question and ask them to
make a selectable option in the App for where to store this - an option where the user can select either internal or external SD.
Edit: I see MeX_DK had the same thoughts as I did

I actually had that thought when I got my LG and looked up the issue at first, thinking I was supposed to have a choice and then found out it was an app issue and not a phone issue .
So just like you I thought it might be worthwhile to spread the word so that many people can open their mouths and let the world know of the problems to come

TB won't find my External..
MeX_DK said:
Its not LG that is doing something wrong .
Its actually all the people that are making apps that are on the wrong end. When they made their apps they werent accounting for the fact that phones would have 2 SD cards and as such wrote their software rather "limited".
All you need to do is basically to get the app developers the notice that phones like the LG, and various other phones with both Internal and External SD are having storage issues with their app. And then hope your app will get adapted in such a way that it supports the option that you can select where to save your files .
Look at Titanium Backup for one, it fully supports the external SD. Astro does as well. Its all a matter of "proper" coding from the app developers. The second they adapt their code to support external SD the problem is solved.
SO as such this is not an LG related issue but more a app related issue
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You wrote that Titanium Backup finds the external SD-card...does it ? It won't find my external....if you know why, please help
//K

See the following Image and you will see what I have done in order to get Titanium Backup to do to use my External.
Just a shame dropbox doesnt do the same >_<
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}

any usefull script plz? i have 1gb free.....TERRIBLE!

Go blame your app developers. ITS THEIR FAULT....
If you have an app that uses or is supposed to use a lot of space go bang on that developers door and ask him/her to please support external SD usage.

devel? it is way on long time....>D

adfaf
could any one tell me and write me a sript for boot?
mount -t vfat -r -w /dev/block/vold/179:17 /mnt/sdcard/
mount -t vfat -r -w /dev/block/vold/179:9 /mnt/sdcard/_ExternalSD

rulezzzor said:
could any one tell me and write me a sript for boot?
mount -t vfat -r -w /dev/block/vold/179:17 /mnt/sdcard/
mount -t vfat -r -w /dev/block/vold/179:9 /mnt/sdcard/_ExternalSD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'd have to do it in the kernel really. Swapping them after they've been mounted would be a bad idea.

yeah, any idea could anyone create a zip with update? it will be nice

[Q] How to set the primary sdcard folder

Is there a way to switch the sdcard / sdcard-ext folder names to make the external sdcard the primary one? Or is there any other way to set the primary sdcard?
Thanks!

I was disappointed to see the phone force you to use sdcard and then renamed my microsd card to sdcard-ext. It made it quite a bit of a hassle to restore programs or use the backup features of other apps.

I know its been done on some tablets running 2.3 (My old Viewsonic G Tab). On those you had to edit the vold.fstab to mount them the way you want.

I'd love to do this too. I made a lot of songs available offline in Spotify, synced some mp3s etc and it all ended up on the internal "sdcard", not my 32gb class 10 Patriot MicroSDHC (which works perfect with the D3).
The same goes for most apps.

If someone has experience doing that please tell us how to do, I'm not too experienced in such Linux filesystem things. THANKS!

+1 this is very annoying.
Sent from my DROID3 using xda premium

/etc/vold.fstab seems to be the right place to change it, like mentioned above. However I think the risks are little, I wouldn't be the first who tries out ... at least not before an SBF is available.
And I cannot fully assess what it means for future updates, if and how it has to be undone then. I'd rather recommend to live with this naming.

Thanks for explaining that und danke.

I'm more curious to see if we can remove the space allocated to "sdcard" and merge it back with the internal program storage, then when I drop my actual sd-card in, it mounts as "sdcard".
Possible? Or is that a rom only thing.

Does this link help?
Partitions for the x2

I'm afraid I'm not experienced enough to dare to try it ^^

Partitioning

The partitioning on the droid 4 is kinda annoying me. I really don't like mnt/sdcard being internal storage and my actual sd card being mnt/sdcard-ext. Will the have to be fixed with a rom, or can it be changed on stock somehow?
Sent from my DROID4 using XDA App

I was annoyed at that too until I understood the reasons behind it.
Here are the storage locations and what they are for:
/system
This is were the System ROM storage is
I don't recall the size on the original Droid, the size on the Droid 4 is 667MB.
/data
This is the internal memory for internal apps and data.
This is used on the Original Droid and the Droid 4.
On the Original Droid it's 300MB in size and on the Droid 4 it's 3.22GB in size.
/mnt/sdcard
On the Droid 4 this is a partition that is 8.59 GB in size.
By having the main storage for user data like Photos, Music, etc. be a separate partition you then have an internal storage place that you can mount on the computer via USB and organize via file managers.
Thus you don't need an external SD card for the Droid 4 like you did with the Original Droid to have 1GB+ storage space and the ability to mount it via USB to the computer.
The Droid 4 settings shows this partition as a "Media Area" referencing the usage of putting media like music, photos, videos, etc. on it.
On of the down side to this is features like MoveToSD put apps in this "Media Area" instead of the real SD card.
On the Original Droid this partition was not there so to keep compatibility with existing apps, it's mounted at /mnt/sdcard instead of say /mnt/MediaArea.
/mnt/sdcard-ext
This is where the real SD Card is due to the above path being used as a "Media Area".
I'm not sure weather the decision to make a "Media Area" was something Google did with Android 2.3.3 or if Motorola did it but I suspect it was something Google did with Android as from what I've read online other manufacturers do this too though it appears others use different mount points like Samsung apparently uses /mnt/sdcard/sd for the location of the real SD Card.
Motorola has an API for apps to get this path if they want to use the actual SD Card and all the built-in MotoBlur apps use this path.
So if you want to use an SD Card you need an app that supports getting the actual SD Card.
You probably can change the paths via updating the fstab file or creating a symlink but if want both paths that will just create problems.
If both /mnt/sdcard and /mnt/sdcard-ext are mounted then MotoBlur apps and apps using Motorola's API will expect the SD Card to be at /mnt/sdcard-ext so if you decided to switch the mount points around and have the real SD Card at /mnt/sdcard and the "Media Area" at /mnt/sdcard-ext then those apps would be storing data on the "Media Area" not the sdcard.
You could try to somehow change the fstab file to mount the real sdcard at /mnt/sdcard and replace /mnt/sdcard-ext with a symlink to /mnt/sdcard so all apps look at the real SD card but then you can not access the 8GB of storage in the "Media Area" partition.
So the safest thing to do is to just keep things the way they are and either:
1. Use the "Media Area" and no real SD Card (This is what I'm doing as the 8GB is enough space at the moment).
2. Tell applications that have the option to use the /mnt/sdcard-ext mount point when you want them to go to the real SD Card.
The MotoBlur apps like "My Gallery" support this, Titanium Backup knows about the two mount points and can be switched and File Management Apps usually let you pick the directory they display when you open them so you can set it to the /mnt/sdcard-ext mount point.
Justin

Is there any way to force the phone to use External memory?

This is my first phone with a lot of internal memory and I don't quite get how it uses it... Is there any way for the phone to use my external 16GB memory card instead of always using its own 8GB partition?

I second this question.
Though it may seem useless to do so, on the contrary I have a 32g ext SD card and would be fine ignoring the (confusing and my case redundant) internal SD card.
Or if not disable, maybe force apps/etc to default to the ext card?
Sent from my XT875 using xda premium

The question is does your app allow you the option to use your external memory. Not all apps are created equal and whether they allow you to use the external SD card is really up to the app developer. Its in the coding of the app that determines where the data is stored. Check your apps for that option and if there is none request it from the developer.

I believe there are ways to use the sd-ext for some kinds of data files used by large games, but the app must run on internal mem. I store all docs, downloads, pictures, music, videos, etc. on my external microsd card, but apps have to go on internal or they disappear or don't work. Search for 'apps2sd bionic' and you should find a way to store some game data externally.

raylgo said:
This is my first phone with a lot of internal memory and I don't quite get how it uses it... Is there any way for the phone to use my external 16GB memory card instead of always using its own 8GB partition?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did this when I had the atrix, and have also done it on my Bionic.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1404872

Ha! Didn't even think about messing with the fstab, thanks for that link. I'll be trying this shortly, and repost with results.
On a side note, I figured it shouldn't rely on the apps per say, considering a lot of phones don't have an internal "sdcard" (note: sdcard, not to be confused with regular internal app storage).
My opinion, naming the internal sdcard what it is was a seriously stupid idea. Should've followed suit with "app storage", how about "data storage"... just something not involving "card".
--
Cool, it worked awesome. Just had to swap files from one to the other to keep data in spots apps expected it to be.
Actually, I went ahead and disable the internal SD, and mounted the extsd in its place. Have been playing with mounting the extsd to both internal and external (resulted in only one mount point working), and also tried renaming the internals mount point to something like "internal_storage" (resulted in boot loop).
Be careful if playing with the mount points. The system doesn't like booting if it can't find something mounted to "sdcard", etc.
Something I'll be playing with and experimenting with. Any more info on editing these mount points would be very handy.
And lastly, sorry for hijacking your thread
Hope I didn't bother.
Sent from my XT875 using xda premium

[Q] sdcard0 vs extsdcard, want to move large data to extsdcard

Sigh, this is exactly what I was worried about when upgrading from my EVO 3D.
I noticed my new M8 has a sdcard0 and extsdcard folder. And of course, the apps and games which download hundreds of megs of data in order to run are downloading to the 24 gig internal sdcard0 mount point instead of the nearly empty 64gig extsdcard0 mountpoint. I really REALLY hate how so many Android phones seem to do this, why can't it just be partitioned as internal instead of faking a sdcard, thus making large apps install to internal with no option of installing to the actual external card?
Anyway, without rooting my phone, is there any way I can somehow set it so apps download and install their data to the actual SD card? The whole reason I didn't get the M7 was because I don't want my data to be stuck on the phone's internal memory in case anything happens, as well as to not waste internal memory space on several hundred megs or even gigs of data when I can use a large sdcard for that.

I believe u can go to manage apps and move apps to the sd card. Some may not be able to if it's not comparable but a lot of them should.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

aaron130 said:
I believe u can go to manage apps and move apps to the sd card. Some may not be able to if it's not comparable but a lot of them should.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried that, it only moves the app executable to the SD card, not the hundreds of megs of additional data it downloaded. The app management screen even tells me how much of this additional data is on the internal memory and how much of it is on the SD card (it's all on internal), but moving the app doesn't move the additional data to the SD card.

One would assume that the ext sd 's bus interface would be quick enough to not bog any app which would be using it. That being the case htc has no excuse for not having interchangeable symbolic mounting points between the two sd's. Ive physcally moved some of the data from app's (dcim, and random music ) directories to the extsd, and at least it unburdens the internal sd.
The apk resource fork in these systems could be processed better in android and it's sdk, or even the runtime.
F yes it sucks.