Hello All,
TLDR
Are there any CM based ROMs that are preconfigured to be loaded entierly onto an external SD? Any kernels/recoveries that have mount points modified for full external SD (not swap)? Any way to do this manually?
Longer Version
About two years ago my i9000 died to the failure of the internal memory. I tried all of the normal recovery procedures but nothing worked so I concluded it was toast and moved on. Recently I thought it would be a good backup phone in the event that found myself between sales of my main phone so I decided to revive it by loading the OS entirely on an external SD. This is a bit of a rabbit hole and finding information that actually worked was quite challenging. Almost all of the threads have to do with swapping internal/external cards to gain memory but I don't want to swap, I want everything on the external card.
Eventually I found build based on XXJVU (2.3.6) that was pre-configured to install (via ODIN) and run off of the external card directly. It works but it's dog slow. The problem is the 3e recovery won't flash anything that isn't signed so I can't move to a CM based rom. And, when I flash another kernel/recovery like speedmod, it's doesn't "know" about my unusual storage configuration so any further flashing fails.
At this point I'm open to any suggestions. Maybe the solution is simple and I'm doing something wrong. As far as I can tell, I need a CWM/TWRP based recovery that has it's mount points modified to the external SD card. I don't care to move all the way to KitKat, I'd be happy to get onto CM in basically any version. At some point along the way (4.2/4.3?) the mount point configuration moved out of vold.fstab and into the kernel which basically requires a kernel compiled specifically for this problem. If it's easier, I'd be happy to run the version just prior to this change so I can edit the mount points manually.
If anyone has suggestions or threads I should be reading that would be helpful. Just to be clear, I am currently using the phone, rooted with 2.3.6 and installed entirely on the external SD.
Thanks
Read this. I don't think there are any preconfigured CM based ROMs for external SD card installation.
Also this is a way to fix your broken internal memory. It might work.
Related
Please hear me out, as I know that this is not a typical dev forum question: As far as I can tell, I have an issue that seems to be affecting a good number of users. I was hoping that this thread might help someone in the Dev community figure out the problem.
I have a Canadian I9000M running Darkys ROM with NO lagfix and all tweaks but misc enabled. It has been running for 2 weeks without issue. I have multiple CWM backups on the internal SD card.
OK, here is what happened. This morning my phone was off and unresponsive, after removing and replacing the battery, the phone would boot up but the internal SD card would not mount in Android, giving the message "internal SD card damaged".
Tried to flash a whole bunch of backups, ROMs, kernals, etc. incl various Eclair and Froyo. Nothing will successfully boot except for my backup of Darky`s Froyo, and of course the internal SD is not available - as well as all my apps and settings. I was only able to boot the phone again when I flashed the Super Optimized Kernal and used CWM to restore my last backup.
I can`t mount the SD in any way - from within Android or CWM.
Here is the interesting part. CWM can still see my backups and restore them! So the internal SD is still functional to some degree, right?
Question: Can I move the CWM backups off the internal SD from within recovery mode? I tried playing with adb but couldn`t figure it out. I would like to avoid trying to reformat the internal SD before I can do this.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
***
OK, so it looks like because the SD card was getting flaky, adb was not behaving consistently. I was able to connect to the phone in recovery mode and pull the entire contents of the internal SD using adb pull.
Now, anyone have any ideas to get my SD card back in Android??? Reflashing ROMs with PIT doesn't seem to do it. I will try again...
John
From my understanding there are roms that can be flashed to the nand memory (wiping out the stock b&n crap), roms that can be burned to the emmc, and roms that can be burned to and booted from an SD card.
Provided I understand that right, ideally I want to have Gingerbread installed on the emmc and possibly either Nookie or the modified Eclair rom on the rom memory..
Am I understanding this correctly? Is this setup possible? If this is possible, could you then burn a THIRD rom to an SD card and also boot from that?
There is a thread somewhere with a script to change boot priorities and allowing you to boot into any OS, but I just want to ensure I fully understand how this thing works before I go attempting to flash 3 OS versions lol
This Nook is just my toy, I bought it the day I saw the honeycomb port so I just want to play around with different rom setups till honeycomb is stable and ready to be flashed the nand memory.
Thanks for any help to further my understanding, it's greatly appreciated.
My understanding is there is no nand on the nook which makes sense.
Roms that flash to emmc actually replace the stock rom image.
There are only two ways to install roms: to internal flash memory (EMC) and external flash memory (SD), so the answer is "no".
However, it should be possible with modified uRamdisk (or u-boot so it would run different init/init.rc, which would mount different partitions/subdirs) to have multiple roms on a single SD card.
ah ok I see...so the there is no rom/nand memory and the stock rom is stored of the emmc? So at most you could have one rom on the emmc and one on the external SD?
That makes alot more sense. Thanks for clarifying guys. I'm about to flash Honeycomb to the emmc, wish me luck ha
Hi, I'm new to the SGS after having used a ZTE Blade for a couple of years.
I've got this thing pretty much setup how I want. Running a stripped down CM10.1 nightly with hugemem enabled using the semaphore kernel.
I've swapped the internal and external SD cards by modifying vold.fstab. I needed to do this because I have games that download huge amounts of data to the sd card.
I also have more game apk's than can fit in the phones internal data so some of them are moved to the SD card. Here's where the problem lies.
Clockworkmod doesn't know that the internal and external SD cards are swapped. It has the internal and external labels the wrong way around on its backup and restore routines. Hardly a major problem, but what is a problem is that it's backing up an empty .android_secure folder from the internal SD card.
Is there anything I can do about? Some setting to swap internal and external cards in CWM? Or alternatively get the rom to use the internal sd card for .android_secure despite the sd cards being swapped?
It's not the end of the world because after restoring a rom I can just restore outdated and missing apps using Titanium. I'd just like my backup to be complete if it's possible to do!
Thanks.
Nice question mate, I haven't seen someone with that issue before, may be just because they are happy enough with their swapped memories and don't think about backups. I think that for now you have to use TB to backup your apps correctly and hopefully cwm team will fix that. Have you tried to reinstall recovery?
I only actually noticed it because after switching form the Blade (an ARMv6 phone) to the SGS (ARMv7) I gradually added a load of games to my phone that were now compatible and yet my backups were getting smaller! I noticed the android_secure backup file was 0 bytes and that's when I worked out what was happening - I was moving the bigger stuff to SD and it wasn't getting backed up.
As for re-installing recovery, I switched to the Semaphore kernel and it replaced the recovery with a different one which has the same problem as the CM10.1 version.
Ok, so that's not a solution. The worst part of the story is that folder .android_secure is harder accessible even than any system files and paths. If you find a way to open it you may copy all the apk.s to some safe directory and this way you have at least the installation data of your apps and you have just to reinstall them ( I realize it's not such an easy if they are >100). Better than search the net again or copy from pc. How much easier it would be if we just have to copy apk file of the app to/data/data or .android_secure instead of installing it to get it in your app drawer. XD
A google search found this: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=31148760&postcount=369
So they've at least thought about this scenario on the SGS2! I wonder if any of the SGS1 devs around here here have fixed this in their recovery without us knowing?
Cool dude, nice find. I think you loose nothing if you try that.
I'm not sure flashing recovery for another model is a good idea? On my last phone you couldn't even use recovery from a different software revision of the same phone hardware!
In any case, isn't recovery part of the kernel on the SGS? Flashing a kernel always seems to change it anyway. Which again, differs from what I'm used to.
I was more hoping this would prompt one of the devs to fix it or point me to one they'd already fixed in the past that I'm unaware of.
I've been looking all morning, but nobody can seem to answer my questions. I apologize if this has already been covered, or if this is the wrong location.
I've got a Motorola Droid Bionic & I was able to get CyanogenMod 10.1 installed by following their instructions:
http : // wiki. cyanogenmod. org/w/Install_CM_for_targa[/url]
I am BLOWN AWAY by the speed and polish of this ROM and am looking to make it permanent. However, I have some questions:
1. I'm currently using it SafeStrapp'ed (custom rom slot 1). When I create the ROM area, it takes away the space from the internal SD card. What is that space used for? App installs? (Currently its only 1,2, or 3GB choices)
2. If I use SafeStrap to replace the stock ROM, will the SafeStrap restore be able to put everything back? My phone is running the 4.1.2 build.
3. Will I be able to use TitaniumBackup to restore the older Camera app to see if that will make it work?
Steve.Cena said:
I've been looking all morning, but nobody can seem to answer my questions. I apologize if this has already been covered, or if this is the wrong location.
I've got a Motorola Droid Bionic & I was able to get CyanogenMod 10.1 installed by following their instructions:
http : // wiki. cyanogenmod. org/w/Install_CM_for_targa[/url]
I am BLOWN AWAY by the speed and polish of this ROM and am looking to make it permanent. However, I have some questions:
1. I'm currently using it SafeStrapp'ed (custom rom slot 1). When I create the ROM area, it takes away the space from the internal SD card. What is that space used for? App installs? (Currently its only 1,2, or 3GB choices)
2. If I use SafeStrap to replace the stock ROM, will the SafeStrap restore be able to put everything back? My phone is running the 4.1.2 build.
3. Will I be able to use TitaniumBackup to restore the older Camera app to see if that will make it work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Motorola had the great idea of taking the 16g of internal storage and dividing it in two; half for the opertating system, the other half formatted as a permanent SD card, and it functions as such. SafeStrap creates its slots in this internal SD card. When you connect your phone to the computer, you may have noticed that two drives/volumes are mounted. One is your external, one your internal SD card.
2. Not sure what you're asking. When you activate a different slot and flash a new rom to it, the phone is running off of that partition of the internal SD card. The stock rom is untouched. If you have different roms in different slots, the roms don't have anything to do with each other. If you're asking about wiping the stock rom, then you're looking for trouble.
3. I'm not sure if you can restore the old camera, but the new camera works wayyy better than the old one imho.
jethead102 said:
1. Motorola had the great idea of taking the 16g of internal storage and dividing it in two; half for the opertating syha, the other half formatted as a permanent SD card, and it functions as such. SafeStrap creates its slots in this internal SD card. When you connect your phone to the computer, you may have noticed that two drives/volumes are mounted. One is your external, one your internal SD card.
2. Not sure what you're asking. When you activate a different slot and flash a new rom to it, the phone is running off of that partition of the internal SD card. The stock rom is untouched. If you have different roms in different slots, the roms don't have anything to do with each other. If you're asking about wiping the stock rom, then you're looking for trouble.
3. I'm not sure if you can restore the old camera, but the new camera works wayyy better than the old one imho.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The camera works smoothly. More attractive than the stock camera, but the pictures are very grainy. And I've heard there are issues with video. I'm looking for the same solution on the same phone. Its a very nice ROM, except for the camera. I also like how well gsm functionality has been entergrated into settings. Makes it finally feel like the world phone it was built (not hacked) to be.
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR ANY HELP! I'm dead new with android and just got a Nook HD+ 32gb (groupon deal $130)
anyway, I've done a ton of reading on here and watched a bunch of youtube vids- i don't know if people use overlapping terminology that means the same things or what.. and also seems like theres a lot of opinions in the forums.
I want basically the full android experience and root access- like i said, never used any android, but i like toying around with these things. BUT i also really want a fully stable platform- don't want constant crashing or it reseting on me.
questions i have-
1)the CWM is the "program" (don't know the correct terminology) that basically gives me the access to back up and install new roms, root, etc? TWRP does the same thing- but i understand you don't use that?
2)If i have a BRAND NEW nook HD+ do i need to back it up before messing with it OR are the "stock rom" zips you provided just that?
2) with the SD card image, do i need to put a specific image on the specified sd card. i.e. 4gb SD gets a 4gb image? or is the image universal to whatever size SD card i get?
2a) What problems am i going to run into using my mac to make the SD card, if any? what program do i need to use?
4) when you back up through CWM where does it save it? to the SD card?
4a) this is where i was confused about the image, reading into some of the posts it led me to think the image file took up the entirety of the
SD card.
4b)So in the future i could just boot from the SD card and would have the option to flash the stock rom back on the HD+ if desired? and/or
go back to CM?
5) what is DUALBOOTING? and NANDROID? how do they tie into CWM and CM10. very confused about this.
6) any disadvantage to flashing the EMMC vs booting from SD card every time? I THINK i want to flash the emmc, i don't want to be tied to booting from the SD card everytime- if I'm understanding that correctly.
7)what is this "trim" lag problem? couldn't really figure out what people were talking about.
thanks a ton for any help you can give me- I'm sure you receive a lot of questions!
-Sonny
santinod15 said:
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR ANY HELP! I'm dead new with android and just got a Nook HD+ 32gb (groupon deal $130)
anyway, I've done a ton of reading on here and watched a bunch of youtube vids- i don't know if people use overlapping terminology that means the same things or what.. and also seems like theres a lot of opinions in the forums.
I want basically the full android experience and root access- like i said, never used any android, but i like toying around with these things. BUT i also really want a fully stable platform- don't want constant crashing or it reseting on me.
questions i have-
1)the CWM is the "program" (don't know the correct terminology) that basically gives me the access to back up and install new roms, root, etc? TWRP does the same thing- but i understand you don't use that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CWM (ClockworkMod) is a recovery program that allows you to do just what you said. TWRP is also a recovery, but uses the touch screen instead of hardware keys to control it.
2)If i have a BRAND NEW nook HD+ do i need to back it up before messing with it OR are the "stock rom" zips you provided just that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can either use the CWM backup tool to return your device to stock (including any data you have already created, like registration) or the plain stock zips I have will also return you to stock, but the way it was when you got it new before registering.
3) with the SD card image, do i need to put a specific image on the specified sd card. i.e. 4gb SD gets a 4gb image? or is the image universal to whatever size SD card i get?
3a) What problems am i going to run into using my mac to make the SD card, if any? what program do i need to use?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since you have a Mac, the best way to do it is the new procedure without burning an image. Since I don't have a Mac, I don't know the exact programs to use. I think SDFormatter comes in a Mac version. And I know there are lots of mac partitioning programs to set the first partition active. And using the procedure does use all of the SD, so it is best to use a relatively small one, 2-4GB.
4) when you back up through CWM where does it save it? to the SD card?
4a) this is where i was confused about the image, reading into some of the posts it led me to think the image file took up the entirety of the
SD card.
4b)So in the future i could just boot from the SD card and would have the option to flash the stock rom back on the HD+ if desired? and/or
go back to CM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It saves it either to the SD card or internal memory, you choose.
Yes it uses all of the SD if you use the new procedure. But you need that if you choose to backup to SD. A backup takes about 1.5GB.
And yes, save the SD for future use, like restoring backups or installing new ROMs.
5) what is DUALBOOTING? and NANDROID? how do they tie into CWM and CM10. very confused about this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dual booting means having one operating system on internal memory (also called emmc for Embedded MultiMedia Card) and one installed to a bootable SD. Most people that dual boot have stock on internal and CM on SD. They are separate and independent from each other.
Nandroid just means internal memory. So a nandroid backup means backing up whatever you have on internal memory.
6) any disadvantage to flashing the EMMC vs booting from SD card every time? I THINK i want to flash the emmc, i don't want to be tied to booting from the SD card everytime- if I'm understanding that correctly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The only advantage to booting to CM on SD is it leaves internal memory untouched for warranty reasons. The disadvantage is it runs slower and is less stable.
7)what is this "trim" lag problem? couldn't really figure out what people were talking about.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LAG is a complex issue to explain. If you are used to hard drives getting fragmented and slowing down your system, LAG is similar but a different mechanism with solid state flash drives. TRIM is a process to undo what causes LAG. But some of the solid state chips in these devices have a bug and when TRIM is run, it bricks the chip, making it unusable.
thanks a ton for any help you can give me- I'm sure you receive a lot of questions!
-Sonny
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
leapinlar said:
CWM (ClockworkMod) is a recovery program that allows you to do just what you said. TWRP is also a recovery, but uses the touch screen instead of hardware keys to control it.
You can either use the CWM backup tool to return your device to stock (including any data you have already created, like registration) or the plain stock zips I have will also return you to stock, but the way it was when you got it new before registering.
Since you have a Mac, the best way to do it is the new procedure without burning an image. Since I don't have a Mac, I don't know the exact programs to use. I think SDFormatter comes in a Mac version. And I know there are lots of mac partitioning programs to set the first partition active. And using the procedure does use all of the SD, so it is best to use a relatively small one, 2-4GB.
It saves it either to the SD card or internal memory, you choose.
Yes it uses all of the SD if you use the new procedure. But you need that if you choose to backup to SD. A backup takes about 1.5GB.
And yes, save the SD for future use, like restoring backups or installing new ROMs.
Dual booting means having one operating system on internal memory (also called emmc for Embedded MultiMedia Card) and one installed to a bootable SD. Most people that dual boot have stock on internal and CM on SD. They are separate and independent from each other.
Nandroid just means internal memory. So a nandroid backup means backing up whatever you have on internal memory.
The only advantage to booting to CM on SD is it leaves internal memory untouched for warranty reasons. The disadvantage is it runs slower and is less stable.
LAG is a complex issue to explain. If you are used to hard drives getting fragmented and slowing down your system, LAG is similar but a different mechanism with solid state flash drives. TRIM is a process to undo what causes LAG. But some of the solid state chips in these devices have a bug and when TRIM is run, it bricks the chip, making it unusable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
THANK YOU.. so much answered for me