Not sure if you all are familiar with this app, I haven't seen anyone speak upon it on XDA yet, so just thought I'd share my experience with it.
http://www.androlib.com/android.application.com-lim-android-automemman-wBjq.aspx
IMO, this app is pretty cool. Very simple and easy to use, although it doesn't come with detailed instructions on how to use, so I felt the need to explain a little bit about it:
Tired of lags to and from Dialer/Contacts/Call Log?
Have you ever pressed the call button to dial a number/contact and nothing happens for 10 to 15 seconds then finally the call goes through and starts to ring?
Ever went back to home screen after fooling around with an app, or web surfing the browser only to find that a widget or two is missing or is not loading/refreshing properly?
Gmail not syncing daily as it usually does?
Market taking forever to load up the downloads page or lagging connection with G-talk to promptly start the download/updates you started?
Well these are the memory/background/content provider situations that need to stay snappy if nothing else does, agree?
Then this app may or may not be the answer to all of your problems.
For me it was. First and foremost, it is a FREE app, yay! (at least to my current knowledge, unless developer has changed it)
*FYI* This app does require root permissions, so if you are not rooted this will be of no use to you.
After installing, when first opening the app, super permissions should pop up, just check the always box and press allow for root access. Close the app, then re-open.
Now, there are 4 options you may choose, DEFAULT< CUSTOM< MILD< AGGRESSIVE
Default settings will be what you see on first use, those are the default Android memory settings for your G1
Custom- self explanatory, you move the bars of each memory category according to how you prefer- *Note* the amount shown is not exact memory, it is a threshold, basically a set amount not to exceed, Your phone will automatically choose how much to use according to how much it needs, but its limitations will be set by the threshold you choose. Go ahead and make your adjustments, then click the custom button, this will save these settings. So the next time you want to re-enter those settings, just hit the custom button, and it will restore.
Mild- Simply a preset application setting
Aggressive- Another preset app setting
You choose what works best for you, I would suggest playing around with different settings until you have achieved a memory usage that gives you the most improvement, *Note* Do note mistake this as a speed app, it only controls memory, so don't expect some super fast change, but if you set it up properly, and memory is being managed to the best case scenario of your usage, speed will increase, believe me.
Start with the presets, see how they work throughout the day, if you notice no difference, or worst than it already was, change it to something else.
Personally, my best experience has been with the Aggressive preset. Its been the most effective for my phone, however; this won't be the case for everyone. Aggressive basically raises the threshold for background data(widgets,home, cache, etc.) And content provider (google apps, settings, G-talk and stuff) And Empty application- this means, IMO, the amount of free memory sitting around available, for soon to come data or apps that you might open later, I.E.- multi-tasking, Call screen, new mms or sms
It also lowers the threshold of the foreground and running apps, so that they don't suck up so much memory the phone lags before it can open other things in memory. Get it? But as I stated, different people will have different preferences.
If you haven't already, try it out! If you don't like it, or don't need it...maybe results won't change things enough for you to have any use for it, you can always uninstall, and it won't harm any memory or data on your phone.
Also, regardless of threshold settings, if you open or use more memory than threshold limits, it will not break or crash you phone causing reboots or anything like that. So don't worry. The app does not prevent you from doing anything on your phone, it simply manages it according to your use.
I hope this comes in handy for someone, as it has been more than useful for me on a daily basis. You can find more information via market or the link above.
Don't take offence to this, but any "speedup" you think you are getting from it is entirely a function of the placebo effect.
There is no advantage to forcing memory to remain "free", and in fact, doing something like this will actually make the phone SLOWER than it would otherwise be.
Android has a VERY well thought out memory management system. It keeps a record of processes running and their priorities. In the event that more memory is required for a higher priority application, it will automatically select some other application to kill off in order to get that.
What this does is it ensures that you ALWAYS have the memory FULLY utilized, which means optimal performance under every circumstance.
An unfortunate trap that you are falling into is the traditional view of memory -- for example on a DESKTOP system, you don't have anything killing off unused processes, which means that every program you open will use up more memory, so the more FREE memory you have, the more new programs you can open before it starts swapping, and therefore you aim to always have a big chunk of free memory because more free memory means more applications can be open.
Android doesn't work like this!!!
What you are doing is forcing a memory utilization threshold on the thing. This has the same effect as simply reducing the total memory available on the device. That means that important applications are *MORE LIKELY TO GET KILLED OFF*.... which has exactly the OPPOSITE effect from what you seem to be after, which is to ensure that these important applications are NOT killed off.
I could be wrong, but I believe the intent of this is to allow the Android internal memory manager to be tweaked so that certain applications/processes have a higher priority and remain in memory and those that you deem as "less important" are removed first.
Here is a thread on the Hero forum about it:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=622666
Also, here is another App that does the same thing... only it will allow the settings to persist through a reboot...
http://www.androlib.com/android.application.com-rs-autokiller-wEwp.aspx
With this App, I do not notice an increase in free (meaning useless) memory... I do notice that key processes that I deem important are still running on CM 4.2.14.1... Even after running many of the ~160 apps I have, including games...
Individual results may vary... Nobody runs the same exact configuration and apps on their G1...
L8r
@Ibcoder
That means that important applications are *MORE LIKELY TO GET KILLED OFF*.... which has exactly the OPPOSITE effect from what you seem to be after, which is to ensure that these important applications are NOT killed off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But it doesn't do that, the threshold simply states a measurable amount of reserve...but not a limitation. Theres a difference. Limits and thresholds are not the same, So what you are saying is not how the app works. All apps open in memory remain in memory, of course you still have to use kill switches and task managers to control unwanted memory hogs, but the app basically controls the memory in use, thats all Im saying, so if that memory is being divided properly, responsive times will increase, I know android had its own setting of doing this, hence the word *DEFAULT*...that is what the app is for, if you don't want to let Android control your memory usage, the app gives you the option to customize it
Also, here is another App that does the same thing... only it will allow the settings to persist through a reboot...
http://www.androlib.com/android.application.com-rs-autokiller-wEwp.aspx
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cool app! Thanks for the link, never seen this one.
But wouldn't auto kill be the same as all the other task managers and explorer apps? Its made to kill off unwanted apps, processes, and background services to free memory right? Well, I have plenty of those, and they all work quite fine.
The app I am discussing above is not a killer, its only a manager, it just gives the proper amount of memory to the category you specify to be more important memory users, thus for saving wasted memory. It doesn't specifically kill off or make memory, just manages it.
thanx though, I will try that out.
I recently saw this new app in the Market, but was unsure what advantage it will have on performance, if any. I'll pay attention to this thread to see where the discussion leads on it's usefulness (or potential lack thereof).
TeeJay3800 said:
I recently saw this new app in the Market, but was unsure what advantage it will have on performance, if any. I'll pay attention to this thread to see where the discussion leads on it's usefulness (or potential lack thereof).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, and I don't blame ya, that's how I test everything on xda, roms,apps, hacks, you name it....but only after I review enough good responses (preferably 3)
But on the contrary, there have been times that something was reviewed poorly, but after my own experience turned out to be great! You'll see that a lot in the android market as well, great apps with two star/3 star ratings all because some asshole didn't know how to use it, LoL
Try it dude, you got nothing to lose...won't break ya phone, but if ya want to play safe nandroid your current stuff first.
Klyentel said:
Cool app! Thanks for the link, never seen this one.
But wouldn't auto kill be the same as all the other task managers and explorer apps? Its made to kill off unwanted apps, processes, and background services to free memory right? Well, I have plenty of those, and they all work quite fine.
The app I am discussing above is not a killer, its only a manager, it just gives the proper amount of memory to the category you specify to be more important memory users, thus for saving wasted memory. It doesn't specifically kill off or make memory, just manages it.
thanx though, I will try that out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as I know, they are pretty much the same... The XDA thread I mentioned above has both the Dev of the App you posted and the Dev of the App I posted... They both created one at around the same time... One with sliders and one with fields... The only difference I think is that AutoKiller uses a service to write the settings on a reboot...
Still playing with this to see if it makes any real difference... I know if I set the values too aggressive, then the browser reloads every time I come back to it...
I know if I set the values too aggressive, then the browser reloads every time I come back to it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah that has happened to me too.
The linux kernel keeps a buffer cache of recently used files in RAM. So whenever an application wants to access something on the flash, instead of going to the flash file system, it can just get it from the file buffer cache in RAM, a significant speed increase.
If the RAM is currently being taken up by unused android apps, then that leaves less room for the buffer cache, so in theory, by killing off unused android apps more quickly, that will allow the linux kernel to allocate more space for the buffer cache and thus speeding up the system.
Am I way off here?
Dave
lbcoder said:
Don't take offence to this, but any "speedup" you think you are getting from it is entirely a function of the placebo effect.
There is no advantage to forcing memory to remain "free", and in fact, doing something like this will actually make the phone SLOWER than it would otherwise be.
Android has a VERY well thought out memory management system. It keeps a record of processes running and their priorities. In the event that more memory is required for a higher priority application, it will automatically select some other application to kill off in order to get that.
What this does is it ensures that you ALWAYS have the memory FULLY utilized, which means optimal performance under every circumstance.
An unfortunate trap that you are falling into is the traditional view of memory -- for example on a DESKTOP system, you don't have anything killing off unused processes, which means that every program you open will use up more memory, so the more FREE memory you have, the more new programs you can open before it starts swapping, and therefore you aim to always have a big chunk of free memory because more free memory means more applications can be open.
Android doesn't work like this!!!
What you are doing is forcing a memory utilization threshold on the thing. This has the same effect as simply reducing the total memory available on the device. That means that important applications are *MORE LIKELY TO GET KILLED OFF*.... which has exactly the OPPOSITE effect from what you seem to be after, which is to ensure that these important applications are NOT killed off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
@dwang-agreed, as I stated @lbcoder, what he is saying is that the app holds everything in memory which slows down system, but it does not do that, and he implied that I stated it limited use of apps, which is incorrect, it does not operate as a limiter, or a kill switch, only a manager. Sort of like, organizing processes by priority based upon setting of threshold tolerance. Of course killing off unwanted apps and processes have to be done manually, via kill widgets or file explorers, When I first posted about this app I assumed that concept to be in mind of the reader....sadly I was wrong. I guess everything around here has to be put in perspective as if the reader knows nothing...sort of like an "101 handbook for Dummies" type thing.
What you are suggesting is incorrect, contrary to the product description, and quite frankly, impossible.
And you can't read.
There is no "I" in lbcoder.
Klyentel said:
@Ibcoder
But it doesn't do that, the threshold simply states a measurable amount of reserve...but not a limitation. Theres a difference. Limits and thresholds are not the same, So what you are saying is not how the app works. All apps open in memory remain in memory, of course you still have to use kill switches and task managers to control unwanted memory hogs, but the app basically controls the memory in use, thats all Im saying, so if that memory is being divided properly, responsive times will increase, I know android had its own setting of doing this, hence the word *DEFAULT*...that is what the app is for, if you don't want to let Android control your memory usage, the app gives you the option to customize it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lbcoder said:
What you are suggesting is incorrect, contrary to the product description, and quite frankly, impossible.
And you can't read.
There is no "I" in lbcoder.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First and foremost buddy, I quite frankly don't give a dam how you spell your name with an "I" or an "L"
Secondly, what I am stating is not incorrect, and is possible, because I have the app, use it everyday, and does exactly what I said it does via OP. Thank you very much. If you disagree, then don't download the app. Simple as that.
or heres a better idea create one of your own. I will be more than happy to try it if you feel you can do better, but don't downsize the quality of this one, straying other users away from trying it, as it may be as useful to them as it is me. Got it?
Now get ya DREAM on...(with android that is )
and leave me alone.
Looking for a very simple photo sorting app, to help me sort large volumes of photos into neat categories. Basically, it would feature a normal image browser that lets me slide left and right to change pictures (one photo at a time, full screen display), but it would also have a simple overlay on the bottom or side with 4-6 user created categories and a delete button. Touching the category would move that photo to the folder associated with the category simply with no confirmation, and automatically move to the next image. If delete is pressed, the file is deleted (Or moved to a temporary "trash can" type folder that is emptied upon user request or at the end of the sorting session) and the next picture is displayed. The idea here is to use very quick, single touch commands with no extra confirmation steps. To accommodate a larger amount of sort categories, they could be tree based. IE, a Sports category button could open 4 or 5 Specific sports related categories.
Also, if a photo is moved to a category folder with a duplicate name, both images should be displayed side by side with very basic file information (perhaps simply the image resolution), for simple verification of duplicates, an option of which file to keep and which to delete if they are duplicates (the resolution information helps you select the best quality one to keep), and the option to append a few random characters to the filename if they are not duplicates, and continue with the file move operation.
All of this needs to be simple and fast - other apps exist for this type of categorization, but it involves far too much slow navigation through menus and unnecessary confirmation steps. What I desire is for 95% of this process to be simply tapping the category, next image comes up, tap category, next image, don't like this one - tap delete, next image comes up.. etc. etc. The only time I get a popup is when a duplicate filename is found. I don't know how fast the files can actually be moved to the category folders, and hopefully that would be handled in the background without slowing down the sorting process. If it would significantly impact performance, perhaps instead of actually moving the files - it just makes a log of what needs to be moved, then every 500 or 1000 pictures you could press the "make it so" button, and it processes the log of needed file moves.
If anyone if familiar with the PC image sorting app called Sortpics - I'm basically looking for something similar, though with a touch interface and for an android tablet so that I can load up my tablet with a bunch of unorganized photos, and organize them while I'm lazing in the recliner or on the go.
Posting this in the Xoom forum because I have a xoom, and I know there are a lot of very talented app developers here who have already come up with some fantastic apps for my xoom!
So after some great help by gregbradley and others, I have a rooted T and now have an OTA 195 update.
However I have a couple of questions (apart from my continued quest to find a way to get the phone to save camera output in less compressed fashion.
1) Is it usual for mediaserver to be the 2nd great drain on battery after the screen and ahead of android system?
(there appear to be many web discussions on this, but I could not find a definitive answer. Mine has always been like this even before I tinkered with it, or before I put the sim in (I didn't put the sim in until after I had rooted and updated. I do not have an SD card in there yet (64Gb on order) and I have not added any new pics or movies to the stock provided ones.
2) Can you change where apps are installed? Can this be changed for Google Play apps (like xda) Is the default to install to "phone memory" rather than "internal storage". Given that "phone memory" is only ~ 2Gb, it would be good to install to "internal storage"
3) Are apps on the home screens (eg Walkman) always running, even when not in use (the walkman example is the app 4x1 icons wide and has basic controls on it)?
Many thanks as always!
icstm
some clarification I should have added yesterday...
1) quite simply I would be keen to know what type of apps call on the mediaserver process
2) I know that from the "apps" in settings" some apps can be moved, but that appears limited and no default can be set
3) when I say apps, I mean widgets and the like, not the simply shortcut icons
icstm said:
some clarification I should have added yesterday...
1) quite simply I would be keen to know what type of apps call on the mediaserver process
2) I know that from the "apps" in settings" some apps can be moved, but that appears limited and no default can be set
3) when I say apps, I mean widgets and the like, not the simply shortcut icons
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) Anything that needs to scan the sdcards for contents will call on the media server. After a fresh flash many apps will be collating their cache so the mediaserver may have a high battery drain, you should never worry about battery drain untill you have run a ROm for at least 3-4 days to let it settle
2) Yes, use apps such as link2sd or app2sd, free in the market. However I have not yet felt the need to do this with a 16gb internal memory
3) Thos e widgets are just shortcuts, e.g. I have a weather app set to refresh every 2 hours...it will be woring in the background whether or not the homescreen widget is on the homescreen or not.
However, do not worry about task killers, since android 2.1 the best task killer is the one that comes with the OS. The only other exception is if you install init.d scripts and supercharge scripts etc, but you may want to leave that for a bit and get used to the phone first.
So I am on the xda app, much better way to view the site than mobile browser .
However, I cannot see what you wrote when I reply.
But it relates to your last point on making customisations. And not just keyboard which prefers US spellings over UK ones .
I am thinking of tinkering with the OS files as I am very upset with the compression of photos. So I am keen by what you say just below number 3.
Sent from my LT30p using xda app-developers app
AW: [Q] Couple of days in - a couple of Qs...
Change your keyboard or even better your whole phone to UK in language and keyboard setting and it'll propose BE instead of USE.
Greg is correct, the media server goes nuts the first two to three days after (re)flashing or taking up a device. You can improve the situation by keeping your folder structure clean and neat and trash out left over files, old garbage and file system junk.
Thanks for your posts in both threads.
As for mediaserver, yes all is quiet now.
Not sure about which system files to delete at this stage, but I sure do keep a neat folder structure for my content.
Im starting this thread for discussions around how to get the most out of using a Note 4 and Samsung Gear VR..
I, like many, decided not to jump on new phone models that Samsung tried to limit their Gear VR to, in order for marketing purposes. They realized removing removable battery and SD card slot, IR , was a bad marketing decision far after many screamed / yelled about the idea and also purposely dropped Note 4 support.
Let's come up with ideas for improving performance, extend the time before over heating and software conflicts. :good:
Discussions about most effective Kernel , overclock/under clock settings, app conflicts, improve performance / reduce over heating, etc..
I'll start by saying I have noticed a major improvement in functionality and performance over the last 3-4 months since they finally improved and cleaned up the Android Oculus code some.
My current Specs/config;
TEKXodus N4 URv7 Elite Edition Rom Android 5.1.1, Emotion r23- on T-mobile -Samsung Galaxy Note 4 ( SM-N910T3 )
Overclocking w/ profiles using Kernel Auditor , extra heat sink mod attempt using Heatsink compound, Aluminum foil and minimal tape. (will post this w/ pics if requested)
New 2015 Gear VR modded to work on Note 4
Things I have done and have gotten performance improvement/time before overheating.
I first started out adding a fan on the Gear VR cover, and still had over heating issues and it was noisy. I then moved to using Freezer Gel packs. This turned out to be a simpler more effective solution for me.
Things I do by default;
I use [All-IN-ONE Toolbox] to un-select all unnecessary app (I INSTALLED) that by default are set to AutoStart. I check this periodically since majority of apps feel their apps should do this.
I use [OS Monitor] to take a look "under the cover" and see all demanding services running in background. (Sort by CPU usage, and then by Ram usage) If there is something I installed in that catagory, I either uninstall it, take it out of AutoStart or long click on item and lower the priority.
I also use [SD Booster] to increase the read / write cache (1024) for storage. (Using 64Gb class 10 Micro SD)
Turn on do not disturb in Oculus mode
I have also used Kernel Auditor to change the model in Build prop Editor (ro.product.model) to a Note 5 (SM-N920T), so in Oculus Store I am not limited to what software I can get because I am using a Note 4.
Apps I am considering removing and breaking habit of using because of resources it's consuming;
Go Launcher , Go SMS (always running in background)
I know many will argue that AnTuTu is not a good benchmark, well if you know something better / please post.
{I run this test, as if I prepped for using the Oculus, close all running apps & clean cache for example}
Attached are my [CURRENT] AnTuTu v6.0.1 scores;
Left before overclock 53416 , right Overclocked 65150 using Kernel Auditor [Emotion Performance] Profile settings..
Please post yours if better...
Actually, I just now tried the Emotion Battery profile and used V-Time for 25minutes with no fan or Gel packs
I have heard that its best to under clock the CPU (to lessen the overheat issue) and over clock the GPU - Seems like it would be good to have a Samsung Gear settings Kernel Auditor profile. One that underclocks CPU, overclock GPU, raises temperature threshold, change model, etc.. .. Any volunteers ?
We could then assign [TASKER] or something to run profile when Oculus is launched and turn back to power saver mode when not connected.
If you have an old underpowered Android that you can't root for your gaming phone, you may find your phone incapable of even a moderately acceptable performance on games where it meets or even exceeds the standards set by the developer or the play store.
I myself ended up like this when my phone broke. Unfortunately, not every phone has a robust interface for maximizing performance. The inability to root just exacerbates the problem. All that leaves is apps to maximize performance. Luckily they don't have to be modern or over the counter.
So there are 3 basic areas we need to target to get the most out of our phone:
1.CPU/RAM. This is a fairly obvious one but requires much more intensive monitoring to control on older phones. We need more stringent control over background apps and processes.
2.ROM empty storage. While task managers may be not recommended on more modern phones, a paging/swap file that isn't large enough yet takes up most, if not all, of your unused ROM storage means we need apps closed out of the backgrounds whenther they're using active processors or not
3.Graphics properties: The older phones have less comprehensive settings especially the more off the big name phone brands you go. We need apps to tweak the graphics in ways we can't to make sure they're using enough resources in the right spots to handle what we're asking our phone to do
After much testing, I have found a combination of 3 over the counter apps that for me released the largest amount of storage, RAM and CPU.
The first app on my list is all in one toolbox cleaner. It's a free app with some ads. I would say the majority of the add-ons aren't necessary as there are things that cover them better further down the list.
It's on the list for 2 reasons, firstly is how it can edit programs that boot on startup. This feature is split into 2 parts, user and system. Disabling everything in both tabs here releases lots of memory. The ability to stop system apps is hard to come by and then they'd likely just restart once you did, but if they never start...
The 2nd function this app has that is of note is the ability to work in conjunction with the option in developer mode to force apps on external to move your apps from your phone memory to SD card clearing up much needed space in your phone's memory. This is very important. With minimal ROM space keeping our apps elsewhere gives us the ability to not have to limit our ability to have the apps we want available.
Now the 2nd app on the list is avast cleanup, CCleaner is practically the same app. I know in modern phones task managers are deprecated, but in an older phone they are practically necessary for any high performance modern apps.
The 2 features worth noting are the deep cleaning and hibernate options. The deep cleaning removes the hidden caches of apps, and the hibernate option closes apps and keeps them from rebooting. Yet another small tweak in memory and storage space. Now these features are subscription only in current versions of these apps. However, you can go to an APK download site and download version 5.0 of avast cleanup and the features are not subscription specific in that version. It may be there are still later versions of CCleaner and avast cleanup that offer these features subscription free. I tested a myriad of avast versions before I started jumping back to bigger version groupings as a way to save so it may not be the latest version but it's the latest major version without subscription. And let's be honest here, any phone old enough to need this article is of an old enough model to be covered by this old app version.
It's worth mentioning at this point that
it's very important to also turn off automatic app updates and uninstall any updates to any system apps you don't use since their updates take up way too much space. Both of the above apps can help you with this.
Finally we have game booster 4x. The ultra boost mode is the ticket here. Have to watch an ad to activate it without purchase but it forces your game to meet the criteria you set up with the gfx tool config.
So there are the 3 apps that make for the best gaming on old android phones in my opinion.
A few notes:
I find the best order to use these is to:
disable all boot items,
move all apps to sd,
task manager and close all,
start game booster,
restart the phone,
start avast cleanup,
quick clean,
boost, hibernate everything but game booster and the game you want to play
Then task manager from avast cleanup to the game booster (since you can even hibernate your launcher and avast shut all the other apps left open down outside the game booster as you enter it (plus it's fun to close your launcher with your task manager)).
I wouldn't use the boost button in the game booster since it can unhibernate apps sometimes.
Set your graphics parameters with the gfx config tool, enable all the options, especially ultra boost. Add your game to the list and launch.
If you still run into problems there are ways to uninstall preloaded system bloat apps through cleaning software too.
So that's pretty much the extent of what I've found to maximize old outdated phones. If you have suggestions or alternatives go ahead and post them!
I will also add that these apps are ad promoted software with subscription or paid options. There may be more robust alternatives with more options combined into one app through paid optimization software. I can't speak for those.