Database Develop

Having problems with ext3 for months now... help :(

Hey xda!
I keep losing my ext3 partition with all my apps every few boots.
It actually usually happens after I have trouble installing/uninstalling apps, which send my phone into softboot mania. A hard reboot usually fixes the app install problem, but every so often unmounts the ext3, which I then have to reïnstall.
Over the past months I've been moving dalvik around, flashing new ROMs, full wipes all the time, checking ext3 for errors, using different software to format re-partition,... The problem is that these issues are non-persistent and so very hard to check if it's fixed. So every time I have to reboot I'll clench my heart and full on rage when I lose ext again
So today after partitioning my SD card again and doing a full wipe, only to lose my ext3 again after hours of setting my phone back up it dawned on me... could this be my recovery??
I'm on CWM 5.0.2.0
It served me well for like a year until I got into the whole A2SD thing...
Problem is I wanna go back to AmonRA now (think that was my first recovery) but Mod Manager won't let me anymore. And I don't have adb anymore, nor the knowledge of how I rooted and did all of that stuff 2 years ago (scatterbrain).
So... Any thoughts on this, is my recovery the issue here? And can I flash AmonRA without having to go through adb and all that?
tl;dr
My ext3 is ****ed (sporadically), I THINK recovery is to blame. I suck at adb, how to flash AmonRA?
Any help will be greatly appreciated!

Yeah...quit using CW around version 3 due to the exact same BS...I found I had to actually repartion the whole SD card several times and even lost my backups once...
AmonRA was good but the newest greatest and most amazing recovery inho is 4EXT! http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1291970 it has been the best recovery I have used bar none and the developer is awesome with support if needed!

Thanks for responding so quick, you did not lie about the awesomeness of 4ext!
I'm having a blast tinkering with the recovery control settings
Since we're in the same boat, maybe you can be of advice.. Would upgrading to ext4 do me any good? Any upsides to it?
When I got into A2SD, ext4 was too new and considered to be "DANGEROUS EXPERIMENTS" xD

EXT4 is the stock filesystem for all new Android phones.

Jack_R1 said:
EXT4 is the stock filesystem for all new Android phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh ok, so it would be ridiculous for me to get it now, thanks for clarifying
For the record, this issue has (as it seems for now) been resolved by flashing AmonRA and wiping -> repartitioning the card with that.

While AmonRA was great I found many advanced features in 4EXT. For instance you can go from ext3 to ext4 and back again with just the push of a button. EXT4 is a more efficient file system and most ROM's nowadays should support it...if not just switch back to ext3. Also 4ext will check for filesystem errors on your SD card and also check partition alignment. If you use 4ext to partition it will ensure proper partition alignment which the other recoveries don't do....

While I was impressed with ext4 features and all, I tend to go with stability over advanced features. Which is why I'm on Amon_RA's recovery, and also why I'm on an OTA build ROM, so ext4 support is ruled out for me. I want my phone just to have all the functionality I need, and have maximum reliability so I can always depend on it.
In the ext4 thread there's a good example of why I will mostly choose stability over extended functionality

Galloway said:
While AmonRA was great I found many advanced features in 4EXT. For instance you can go from ext3 to ext4 and back again with just the push of a button. EXT4 is a more efficient file system and most ROM's nowadays should support it...if not just switch back to ext3. Also 4ext will check for filesystem errors on your SD card and also check partition alignment. If you use 4ext to partition it will ensure proper partition alignment which the other recoveries don't do....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I confirm 4EXT is the best recovery (using it for few months now without any pbs) and ext4 partitions are reliable now! Don't hesitate.

Stuck on LG screen when using EXT4 ROMs

Hi all,
I dont know if this is hardware related since my LG 2x is a white one which is made in Oct 2011 as LG may change the hardware a little to prevent support in EXT4.
Anyway, here is my problem...
Anytime I flash my 2x with ANY EXT4 ROM or kernel (eg: Topogigi v2.0, Thanatos2X v4.2, NeoBlaze EXT4 kernel etc...) I cannot boot my phone pass the LG logo screen. (This is without the progress bar at the bottom of the LG logo).
The phone is stuck there forever unless I pull the battery and reflash the ROM with backtoext3.zip and an EXT3 ROM. All EXT3 ROM work 100%, like LG's Stock, Modaco GR5, Slick2X, BlazingDragon2.1 and CM7 etc.
So I am wondering if it is my phone that is causing this problem or whether I am missing something along the way.
I would love to try EXT4 ROM thus any help/suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

Hello!
1st it isn's your phones hardware. LG isn't preventing anyone from using EXT4 - this is solely in the software implementation.
…and CM7 isn’t a “EXT3” ROM. CM7 supports any ext (2/3/4 doesn’t matter).
The kernel or some messed up installation script is most probably the culprit…
When installing a new ROM you should always:
Format /system and /cache and then wipe dalvik – this way you get a clean system but you don’t lose your user data! Afterwards install ROM and gapps if needed/not includes in rom and then the kernel if needed + scripts.
Good working combo should be topogigi/thanatos and horsepower kernel.

Verify that /cache is reformated, certain version of backtoext3 don't reformat /cache.
CM7 is an ext4 ROM (last time I used it it was...months ago), but perhaps it's just a 'remount as ext4' and not a native fresh ext4 formatting..
So basic things: format all partitions in CWM: /system /cache /data, erase Dalvik. Then to be sure backtoext3.
There are no reason to not be able to use ext4 as it is only a matter of kernel driver and partition format = software and not hardware.

Thanks for the info.
I forgot to mentioned in my 1st post that I always wipe system, cache and dalvik cache before flashing all the ROM I mentioned before.
I checked again and yes, CM7.2 is EXT4, so my title of my post is not correct.
Anyhow, I just tried to flash the Kernel 'ironkrnL32-20111214h1547' over my working CM7.2 ROM; however, the same thing happened. After the flash, the booting will be stuck at the LG logo screen and does not move past that point.
Moreover, I have also tried the Topogigi ROM w/ SP merged (just 1 file) and it did not boot past the LG logo point as well.
I am really out of ideas now.

I had same issue before, what I do is after I flash, I let it load for 10 mins, and of course its stuck on booting, take out the battery and sd card and put back battery only, after that, it loads. I don't know why but it works for my phone so it might work for you.

[Q] The wisdom of formatting the system partition

I'm getting ready to update my old ParanoidAndroid (with CWM v5.5.0.4) with the CarbonRom.
I've backed up all kinds of logs, settings, and data that I think I may want to restore with the new rom.
I've also made a CWM backup (although of course I hope not to use it).
My question is - should I format the system partition (from CWM, Mounts & Storage option) before flashing the new rom?
I've seen people say emphatically that to get a clean install you need to do this.
Yet I've seen other's write just as insistently that you should NOT format the system partition. Do they say this because it is too dangerous? If I format the system partition and then for some reason the new rom won't load, does that mean my CWM is wiped out, making it difficult to recover?
I think I do want the system format because I don't want a bunch of old files hanging around ... but I want to make sure this is not too dangerous.
I've also seen others who recommended also formating the boot partition. Is there any value in that? Sounds even more dangerous ... no?
~Paul

pmennen said:
I'm getting ready to update my old ParanoidAndroid (with CWM v5.5.0.4) with the CarbonRom.
I've backed up all kinds of logs, settings, and data that I think I may want to restore with the new rom.
I've also made a CWM backup (although of course I hope not to use it).
My question is - should I format the system partition (from CWM, Mounts & Storage option) before flashing the new rom?
I've seen people say emphatically that to get a clean install you need to do this.
Yet I've seen other's write just as insistently that you should NOT format the system partition. Do they say this because it is too dangerous? If I format the system partition and then for some reason the new rom won't load, does that mean my CWM is wiped out, making it difficult to recover?
I think I do want the system format because I don't want a bunch of old files hanging around ... but I want to make sure this is not too dangerous.
I've also seen others who recommended also formating the boot partition. Is there any value in that? Sounds even more dangerous ... no?
~Paul
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can format system,data, internal storage and cache without any worries if you are on PA rom read install instructions in carbon rom thread after or before.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk

How to decrypt 7.1.2

Hello, I'm currently using Dirty Unicorns October build.
I want to try some Oreo ROMs, but thing is they do not work well with encrypted devices.
So, I wanna ask how do I decrypt my phone?
The guides that I have seen are very old (for Lollipop). Are these guides still applicable to 7.1.2?

Yes, the guides are still applicable. However, it also depends upon the ROM. None of the Android 8.x ROMs I tried had any issues with encrypted storage.

Backup your internal storage to another device. Using TWRP wipe everything including internal storage and format data. Install ROM that does not force encryption. Copy your data back.

This is correct as far as it goes. What is simply required is a kernel that did not force encryption, not really a full ROM. If you wipe user data before install a "no force encrypt" kernel and then reboot, the user data partition will be encrypted again. You really should flash the kernel (or ROM with a kernel that doesn't force encrypt) first, then format user data. Of course backing up every thing on the user data partition (internal storage) should be done 1st.

How to prevent data/internal storage encryption after ROM switch?

Yesterday i flashed xiome eu stable ROM from weekly beta but couldn't boot as all my data was encrypted with strange random folder name. I had to format data to boot into ROM. I am using orange fox kwrnel 11.0. How can i prevent this from happen in future when flashing other ROM?

shoeseat said:
Yesterday i flashed xiome eu stable ROM from weekly beta but couldn't boot as all my data was encrypted with strange random folder name. I had to format data to boot into ROM. I am using orange fox kwrnel 11.0. How can i prevent this from happen in future when flashing other ROM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When switching ROM you have to Format Data in TWRP. Not just because of strange folder names but to avoid all kinds of troubles. New ROM will encrypt Data and Internal storage, you will have protection and everything will properly work as originally
New TWRP versions know how to read encryption, when booting to TWRP you will have to enter your Android Pin/Pattern (same as when you boot to Android or you use to unlock the screem in Android) and TWRP will then also work properly
That's the price of switching ROMs. Backup your Data to PC, backup things (WA and so) to Google and cloud, etc, and restore upon installing the new ROM (btw, I use also Mi Cloud and it restores automatically my apps and other things)
Otherwise, you had to Forrmat Data originally and flash DFE = Disable Forced Encryption (I never used, old school from the times when TWRP did not know to work with encrypted Data and Internal storage) with all your ROMs to prevent them to encrypt. However, you would have no protection then (in Android and TWRP).
Furthermore, after switching the ROM, you could expect then various troubles since new ROM trying to work with settings saved by the old ROM.
Hence, you would still have to Wipe Data upon that ROM switch - therefore, what do you get then by avoiding formatting and proper encryption to automatically happen when booting to the newly installed ROM

Thanks for the explanation but this encryption of data and formatting data partition was never the problem in my past devicea like nexus 5 and oneplus 3 roms. I freely flashed many roms in those devices without formatting my internal storage. Wiping data and system were the only thing i did in past to flash new rom. Is this the xiome phones only restriction?
Also if i have to backup all my data in PC Everytime i want to switch to new rom then it's very troublesome and time consuming aa i have 200GB of data in my internal storage. Isn't their any easy way to flash ROMS without entirely formatting my personal data?

shoeseat said:
Thanks for the explanation but this encryption of data and formatting data partition was never the problem in my past devicea like nexus 5 and oneplus 3 roms. I freely flashed many roms in those devices without formatting my internal storage. Wiping data and system were the only thing i did in past to flash new rom. Is this the xiome phones only restriction?
Also if i have to backup all my data in PC Everytime i want to switch to new rom then it's very troublesome and time consuming aa i have 200GB of data in my internal storage. Isn't their any easy way to flash ROMS without entirely formatting my personal data?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Things change with the evolution of Android. In the old times rooting was simple, just run King(o) root and then flash CM recovery by flashify, and flash the ROM you wanted - but it doesn't apply anymore

zgfg said:
When switching ROM you have to Format Data in TWRP. Not just because of strange folder names but to avoid all kinds of troubles. New ROM will encrypt Data and Internal storage, you will have protection and everything will properly work as originally
New TWRP versions know how to read encryption, when booting to TWRP you will have to enter your Android Pin/Pattern (same as when you boot to Android or you use to unlock the screem in Android) and TWRP will then also work properly
That's the price of switching ROMs. Backup your Data to PC, backup things (WA and so) to Google and cloud, etc, and restore upon installing the new ROM (btw, I use also Mi Cloud and it restores automatically my apps and other things)
Otherwise, you had to Forrmat Data originally and flash DFE = Disable Forced Encryption (I never used, old school from the times when TWRP did not know to work with encrypted Data and Internal storage) with all your ROMs to prevent them to encrypt. However, you would have no protection then (in Android and TWRP).
Furthermore, after switching the ROM, you could expect then various troubles since new ROM trying to work with settings saved by the old ROM.
Hence, you would still have to Wipe Data upon that ROM switch - therefore, what do you get then by avoiding formatting and proper encryption to automatically happen when booting to the newly installed ROM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you point here but i have been using decrypted storage since i go this phone..Mostly i delete my android folder and other folder which might be created by rom itself after flashing any rom with dfe and never had any issue on new roms.