Database Develop

Understanding how to save your existing settings

I've been reading and reading on installing/flashing new ROMs. I'm truly hung up on 2 major areas.
1) I have downloaded all of the pertinent drivers, programs and ROMs I need. One thing I am having trouble understanding is where and how to save my existing setup. I have Titanium backup installed, however my backups are saved to the internal drive. This seems wrong due to the fact that ODIN wipes your system when installing a new ROM. I don't know if it works but I copied the file loaded in the internal drive and dragged to a folder on my computer. It is the Titanium backup folder from the phone. I have conflict with that because that's not a ROM.
2) Which of all the (2.2, 2.2.1, or 2.3 based) ROMs are THE MOST STABLE? I ask this because all of the ROMs I seem to look at have updates and many say Kernel ver etc. I kinda thought Phoenix ver 3.0 would be most stable due to it's time of existence but you can't find this any more, everything leeds you to ver. 3.5. This version show problems with different functions. This seems to be the norm with most ROMs out there. This is why I ask the poignant question.
I think, if I can solve these 2 problems, I will be ready to Flash away.

Installing a new ROM does not wipe your internal storage, it only wipes (usually) the /data, /dbdata, /system, and /cache partitions of your internal storage and not your personal files (/sdcard partition). Say you open the My Files app on your phone: everything you see there will not be deleted unless there is a line in the ROM install script to delete something, usually a lagfix folder or something that would cause complications with the installation of the ROM. The only thing that would wipe your personal internal storage is using master clear on odin (which deletes everything in the /sdcard partition), which is not a necessary step in installing any rom.
I'm currently using Serendipity with no problems, so it's pretty stable. Designgears' ROMs tend to be pretty stable, and even using the DocRambone's and Stefunel's romkitchen would produce a stable rom. I have not used any other roms recently, so I cannot speak to their stability.

[Q] Please answer this noob question

OK, I'm new to rooting and installing custom roms so bare with me here.
1. I've just installed CM6 on N1 and restore my backed up apps to SD card. Now if i install some other roms and restore these apps again. Will they like overlaps and take more space? Cuz we didn't format or touch sd card during installing new rom, only wipe stuffs from phone memory.
2. When i move apps to sd, these app still take some space in phone memory. Is there anyway to move everything completely. I take it doing this might crash these apps right? thankss
I just want to say that installing custom rom on android is a pain in the *&(*(&. There's various method, old and new scattered all over the internet.

Nurra said:
2. When i move apps to sd, these app still take some space in phone memory. Is there anyway to move everything completely. I take it doing this might crash these apps right? thankss
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
search for dark tremors a2sd

Read my signature.
Installing custom ROMs on Nexus is as easy as it gets.

Dont take this the wrong way but I've read the faq before i posted. Nothing in there.

No FAQ. In the Wiki there are guides for EVERYTHING, including approximate steps to install custom ROM.

Nurra said:
OK, I'm new to rooting and installing custom roms so bare with me here.
1. I've just installed CM6 on N1 and restore my backed up apps to SD card. Now if i install some other roms and restore these apps again. Will they like overlaps and take more space? Cuz we didn't format or touch sd card during installing new rom, only wipe stuffs from phone memory.
2. When i move apps to sd, these app still take some space in phone memory. Is there anyway to move everything completely. I take it doing this might crash these apps right? thankss
I just want to say that installing custom rom on android is a pain in the *&(*(&. There's various method, old and new scattered all over the internet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want to format your SD card, go for it...
As for moving apps to SD not moving all data, there's two types of this.
Apps2SD, or what Froyo employs, moves the apk and mounts it to make it available to the system. Makes it slower to boot, mount the SD card, and only some apps support it and it you force it (or devs make bad decisions in their manifest) it can break widgets or apps that need to run 24/7.
Apps2Ext, or what most custom ROMs make available (Darktremor) moves the apks entirely to an ext partition on the SD card and this works with all apps, widgets, etc.
In both cases, the app DATA is still on /data, as well as dalvik cache. So for me, 120 apps on my Nexus One is about the limit as I run out of space in data primarily from dalvik cache.
There are also ways to move dalvik cache to SD but there are performance hits.

[Q] ExistenZ Ultra 3.1.5

Did a search but could not find this issue and cannot post on dev thread for ROM so i posting here if wrong place i sorry.
OK the issue, after updating to 3.0 of ultra i cant update any apps as it keeps spitting out "Insufficient Storage Available" which is a crock of ..........as i have 1.57GB out of a total of 5.37GB available on internal plus external sd card with 12GB available but not relevant as apps on internal with 1.57GB available. Have updated to 3.1.5 but still the same and also unable to install any apps, yet i have less apps on it now than prior the 3.0 as i was generally running under a GB space before. Memory running at about 300MB out of 840MB
Any help or pointers or criticism for not searching far and wide enough to find a answer gracefully accepted
Churchnilled

Clear playstore datas in settings/apps/all
Also reboot a few times, wipe dalvik cache and cache.

No Joy
Thank you kind Sir for your superb roms and your help.
I did as you said but am still having the same problem.
Anything else i can try?

Have you made full wipe before installing eXistenZ??
Have you made backups via CWM Recovery before??
For example I have made a backup with CWM recovery which wasn't seen by other recoveries or system himself.
I had to install CWM recovery once again and only this one seen two backups which take me about more than 2GB internal storage.
After fresh install (with full wipes, also internal storage) fresh eXistenZ + 22 apps which I have installed after I have 4.05GB free space on internal storage and no problems with install anything.

Narrowing it down a bit
smogf said:
Have you made full wipe before installing eXistenZ??
Have you made backups via CWM Recovery before??
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Hi thank you for the reply,
I have not used CWM to create backup's i have only ever used Titanium but the issue is slightly different as the amount of free space is correct.
I think i have narrowed it down somewhat as i am able to install apps from Play store that have never been on the phone before the issue appears to be apps that are already on the phone can not be updated, i have uninstalled ones needing updating except for Chrome and NDR Utils as it wont allow me to uninstall them so i have frozen them for time being, i then rebooted and tried to reinstall them but even with them uninstalled it is still spitting out the "insufficient Storage" error
so my thinking is something is being left from uninstalling that is causing the issue as like i said above i can install anything else from Play store that has not been on phone before, for example i installed links2sd after it spat out the insufficient storage error for a previously installed app i tried installing again i have plenty of internal storage available for apps and it letting me install stuff that not been on phone before but wont let me update or reinstall stuff on or has been on phone before.
After doing some searching i found others having similar issues with different phones and roms etc but thus far all the solutions to those have not worked for me.
I know i could just easily wipe and start a fresh but to me thats defeating the object and takes so long even with all the backups etc, it just a real PITA to start afresh so i sooner search,read,beg,ask etc etc and exhaust every other avenue before admitting defeat and wiping.

Nandroid only pictures/music

Hi guys, I'm thinking about flashing Resurrection Remix on my OP3T.
Since I have about 6gb of music & pictures, I'd like to make a Nandroid backup of them, then flash RR, GApps and then the pictures and music.
So my question: Is it possible to take a nandroid backup (or similar backups using TWRP) of only selected folders, since copying to my PC takes much longer.
Thanks!

Pictures and music are typically saved on the internal storage, which doesn't get backed up by a nandroid. The internal storage is untouched during a ROM flash, and the pictures and music should remain. Internal storage would only be affected, if you specifically go into the TWRP "Advanced" Wipe options, and select to wipe internal storage. So just make sure you don't do that (the default wipe is normally all that is needed - cache, Dalvik and user data). Remember that TWRP backups are also saved on the internal storage, so it would be crazy for storage to be wiped as default during a ROM flash (you wouldn't have a way to retain any nandroids).
I would still suggest backing up your pics and music to your PC (just connect the phone, and copy and paste the files) before flashing a ROM; as things don't always go as they should, and it's always good to backup anything important to you, to an "off phone" location. Some folks may think this is a bit paranoid, but better safe than sorry, and IMO it's worth taking the extra few minutes.

redpoint73 said:
Pictures and music are typically saved on the internal storage, which doesn't get backed up by a nandroid. The internal storage is untouched during a ROM flash, and the pictures and music should remain. Internal storage would only be affected, if you specifically go into the TWRP "Advanced" Wipe options, and select to wipe internal storage. So just make sure you don't do that (the default wipe is normally all that is needed - cache, Dalvik and user data). Remember that TWRP backups are also saved on the internal storage, so it would be crazy for storage to be wiped as default during a ROM flash (you wouldn't have a way to retain any nandroids).
I would still suggest backing up your pics and music to your PC (just connect the phone, and copy and paste the files) before flashing a ROM; as things don't always go as they should, and it's always good to backup anything important to you, to an "off phone" location. Some folks may think this is a bit paranoid, but better safe than sorry, and IMO it's worth taking the extra few minutes.
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Ok thank you very much! Sometimes thinking over problems solves them really fast *facepalm*

t-to4st said:
Ok thank you very much! Sometimes thinking over problems solves them really fast *facepalm*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No worries. It's confusing to think about. I once saw a person post that nandroids include internal storage, and since that is where nandroids are saved, you actually get nandroids within nandroids. I had to respond that it doesn't work that way!

TWRP Quickie

I've been wanting to ask this question forever, but havent and just dealt with it. Never experimented either.
When using TWRP to flash a new rom do i have to wipe my internal storage? Does that really ruin the flash? Again, never tried it id just rather ask. Its annoying to transfer my music and large files. Every time i flash a new rom i wipe everything and have to move the 12 gigs of files i enjoy using on my phone pretty often. So if i dont have to wipe them out every time that would be awesome to know.

Nope.

OcazPrime said:
I've been wanting to ask this question forever, but havent and just dealt with it. Never experimented either.
When using TWRP to flash a new rom do i have to wipe my internal storage? Does that really ruin the flash? Again, never tried it id just rather ask. Its annoying to transfer my music and large files. Every time i flash a new rom i wipe everything and have to move the 12 gigs of files i enjoy using on my phone pretty often. So if i dont have to wipe them out every time that would be awesome to know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never wiped my internal storage when flashing a new rom

sakumaxp said:
I've never wiped my internal storage when flashing a new rom
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Click to collapse
+1 never wiped my internal storage

It's definitely not needed to wipe internal storage, nor do I recommend so; at least not every time. Some folks like to wipe it once in a while, to get rid of extraneous folders and files created by some custom ROMs, old (no longer used) apps, etc. Some folks might even do it frequently, but that is just their obsessiveness. But it's definitely not a requirement to do so.
I've flashed dozens and dozens (maybe hundreds) of ROMs on various Android devices over the years. I've never once wiped internal storage when doing so, that I can recall.
Think about it, on this device the internal storage is the only place TWRP can create a backup (since there is no removable SD slot). So if you made a backup before flashing a ROM (which I highly recommend), then wiped internal storage (to flash the ROM) you would be wiping out the backup you just made. Sure, you can copy a TWRP backup to your computer, than move it back to the phone after you wipe. But that is just a lot of hoops to jump through for little reason, and really not how the TWRP backup/restore feature is intended to be used.
If you look at the TWRP wipe screen, the default wipe just consists of user data (apps and settings ... /media is not touched), cache and Dalvik. And it says right there on the screen that most of the time, this is the only wipe you will need. It says that for a reason. Some folks may choose to go above and beyond, but that is just their choice (again, not a requirement).
On the other hand, it is good to routinely backup any files on your internal storage (that are important to you) to an off-phone location like your computer or cloud. Just in case something gets wipe unintentionally. But you can for the most part, save yourself the steps of wiping internal data and moving those files back to your phone every time you flash a ROM.