Apps to SD card

[Guest juniperz]

I have a grey Blade with OLED, am new to Android, have added ClockworkMod Recovery already and will go to Froyo when Paul has done a little more cooking.

In the meantime, I have installed a few apps and hit memory restrictions already, which makes me think I need to consider A2SD or App2SD (or something).

I have a new 8GB SD card which I am about to load with the current stock SD card contents, so it makes sense to prepare myself. I could follow these instructions for A2SD at villainrom.co.uk, use GParted to create a primary FAT32 partition (6GB?) followed by the balance as primary EXT2.

Is this the best way to go?

Am I correct to think that App2SD does not require root, but A2SD does?

I would like to run unrooted most of the time (I have Universal Androot installed).

And how does Android 2.1 / 2.2 fit into this? I thought 2.2 gave some kind of App-to-SD functionality - does that mean the above apps are only needed for 2.1? Or is it limited in native 2.2 and I should plan to improve on this.

Phew! Glad I got that off my chest!

Last question - Does to "nandroid" mean to perform a backup in ClockworkMod Recovery?

TIA

[Guest Acathla-]

I have a grey Blade with OLED, am new to Android, have added ClockworkMod Recovery already and will go to Froyo when Paul has done a little more cooking.

In the meantime, I have installed a few apps and hit memory restrictions already, which makes me think I need to consider A2SD or App2SD (or something).

I have a new 8GB SD card which I am about to load with the current stock SD card contents, so it makes sense to prepare myself. I could follow these instructions for A2SD at villainrom.co.uk, use GParted to create a primary FAT32 partition (6GB?) followed by the balance as primary EXT2.

Is this the best way to go?

Am I correct to think that App2SD does not require root, but A2SD does?

I would like to run unrooted most of the time (I have Universal Androot installed).

And how does Android 2.1 / 2.2 fit into this? I thought 2.2 gave some kind of App-to-SD functionality - does that mean the above apps are only needed for 2.1? Or is it limited in native 2.2 and I should plan to improve on this.

Phew! Glad I got that off my chest!

Last question - Does to "nandroid" mean to perform a backup in ClockworkMod Recovery?

TIA

OK I'll try answer some of the above:

2.2 Froyo Contains an official form of Apps 2 SD allowing you to move a lot of the internal app storage to SD - But only for apps that have it enabled.

A2SD or the 'hack' Apps 2 SD basically redirects the application storage folders on internal memory to external folders on SD (Once you are partitioned correctly) and yes you need 'root' to set it up and run it. If you want to use this you need to be rooted and have your SD card partitioned as per the link. (Just a FYI there is a newer version of Darktremor Apps2SD [2.7.5.2] on XDA).

Nandroid means to perform a FULL phone image to enable you to restore if any changes you make screws something up.

[Guest juniperz]

OK I'll try answer some of the above:

2.2 Froyo Contains an official form of Apps 2 SD allowing you to move a lot of the internal app storage to SD - But only for apps that have it enabled.

A2SD or the 'hack' Apps 2 SD basically redirects the application storage folders on internal memory to external folders on SD (Once you are partitioned correctly) and yes you need 'root' to set it up and run it. If you want to use this you need to be rooted and have your SD card partitioned as per the link. (Just a FYI there is a newer version of Darktremor Apps2SD [2.7.5.2] on XDA).

Nandroid means to perform a FULL phone image to enable you to restore if any changes you make screws something up.

Thanks Acathla-

So if using the just Released a3 from Paul, this will have A2SD and if any apps are moved to SD and then unroot, it is all going to go horribly wrong...

And that fullimage backup is the one performed in ClockworkMod Recovery.

a3 downloading... :-)

[Guest Acathla-]

Can't answer your question on a3 as I'm still on the stock ROM.

Yes the nandroid backup is performed in ClockworkMod Recovery.

[Guest nicksoph]

I have a new 8GB SD card which I am about to load with the current stock SD card contents, so it makes sense to prepare myself. I could follow these instructions for A2SD at villainrom.co.uk, use GParted to create a primary FAT32 partition (6GB?) followed by the balance as primary EXT2.

TIA

have a look at your cards current sector size and when you reformat your fat partition use the same size as it came with.

2 gb seems too large

Im not certain of the dalvik cache size but I suspect its less then 50mb

How many apps are youlikely to use - what sort of size is that likely to be is an important question

It is unlikely that any data will be stored on the ext partition

And note ext2 not ext 3 should be used and your card should be a t least class4 or have that speed in use

Edited December 6, 2010 by nicksoph

[Guest juniperz]

have a look at your cards current sector size and when you reformat your fat partition use the same size as it came with.

2 gb seems too large

Im not certain of the dalvik cache size but I suspect its less then 50mb

How many apps are youlikely to use - what sort of size is that likely to be is an important question

It is unlikely that any data will be stored on the ext partition

And note ext2 not ext 3 should be used and your card should be a t least class4 or have that speed in use

Thanks. I have already created the 2nd partition as EXT2 - will just have gone with GPartEds's defaults.

Can't see from Win7 properties what the current sector size of the 2GB card is though - it is just saying "FAT".

To answer your How many apps question - only been using the Blade for a week, so it's had to tell. But it did tell me I was out of memory yesterday. Probably need to uninstall the odd keyboard! I seem to have 5 choices at the moment! (I think I prefer Swype).

[Guest StevenHarperUK]

For ANY 2.2 ROM if you have a Rooted ROM you can force any APP to SD with the following APP

http://www.appbrain.com/app/move2sd-enable...installlocation

However dont move stuff like Live wallpapers and Widgets or they don't start properly on boot

[Guest Bella101uk]

I've just used the file explorer and I don't seem to have anything on my Sd card and some of the applications just sit there saying they are waiting for the SD card to come available.

If I revert back to the 1.04 software update will it also re-write the SD card?

If not is there a kind soul out there who can provide me with an image of the sd card in zip format?

cheers all