Technical Question

[Guest mankian]

I am really trying to get my head around creation of filesystems. I want to be able to manage my partitions a little better, as most ROMs do a file-system conversion on installation. I prefer when switching ROMs to have a pure remove/re-make fresh.

Sort of similar to Diskpart in Windows. I want to clean, then re-create.

Now, the code I currently have, which I think does this is below. It should re-create /system /data and /cache as a completely clean EXT4 filesystems.

PLEASE correct me if I am wrong!! I am not a linux expert and I am guessing a bit!

ui_print("Formatting / Converting to EXT4");

ui_print("System Partition...");

run_program("/sbin/mke2fs", "/dev/block/mmcblk0p1");

show_progress(0.030000, 0);

run_program("/sbin/tune2fs", "-O", "extents,uninit_bg,dir_index", "/dev/block/mmcblk0p1");

show_progress(0.030000, 0);

run_program("/sbin/e2fsck", "-fpD", "/dev/block/mmcblk0p1");

show_progress(0.030000, 0);

run_program("/sbin/tune2fs", "-o", "journal_data_writeback", "/dev/block/mmcblk0p1");

show_progress(0.030000, 0);


ui_print("Cache Partition...");

unmount("/cache");

run_program("/sbin/mke2fs", "/dev/block/mmcblk0p2");

show_progress(0.030000, 0);

run_program("/sbin/tune2fs", "-O", "extents,uninit_bg,dir_index", "/dev/block/mmcblk0p2");

show_progress(0.030000, 0);

run_program("/sbin/e2fsck", "-fpD", "/dev/block/mmcblk0p2");

show_progress(0.030000, 0);

run_program("/sbin/tune2fs", "-o", "journal_data_writeback", "/dev/block/mmcblk0p2");

show_progress(0.030000, 0);


ui_print("Data Partition...");

run_program("/sbin/mke2fs", "/dev/block/mmcblk0p8");

show_progress(0.030000, 0);

run_program("/sbin/tune2fs", "-O", "extents,uninit_bg,dir_index", "/dev/block/mmcblk0p8");

show_progress(0.030000, 0);

run_program("/sbin/e2fsck", "-fpD", "/dev/block/mmcblk0p8");

show_progress(0.030000, 0);

run_program("/sbin/tune2fs", "-o", "journal_data_writeback", "/dev/block/mmcblk0p8");

show_progress(0.030000, 0);

The bit that concerns me the most is the 'CACHE' partition. I have opted to try and make it exactly the same way as /system and /data. However in Topogigi's ROM the /CACHE partition is created differently, using a command I have no idea about! and looks to me like it doesn't even reference /mmcblk0p2 ! I was hoping someone technical could explain why Topogigi's is created a different way, and if or not the way I am doing it is wrong. (From Topogigi's ClockworkMod Script:)

run_program("/sbin/mkfs.ext2", "-O", "^ext_attr,^has_journal,^huge_file", "-L", "CACHE", "-b", "4096", "-m", "0", "-F");

Sorry its a messy post! Cheers though if you can help

[Guest mankian]

actually i think i might have found the error of my ways... but please post any comments

[Guest Rusty!]

This is my .zip that converts data and cache to EXT4: http://www.mediafire.com/?th9kmie9kvank7r

[Guest mankian]

Thanks for the post. I think I have perfected my zip now... Although it seems CM barely uses the /cache partition anyway....

[Guest orlox]

what would be interesting is to merge mmcblk0p9 with p8.

That way we would have numerous space for apps and no need for a2sd. I have tryed and failed. Is anyone interested to share that project with me?

[Guest mankian]

What is on Partition 9? The internal SD card?

I think it would be easy to do using NVFlash. The hard part would be getting a Kernel to use it correctly (I cant edit Kernels unfortunatly!)

[Guest orlox]

hm? My thought was that after the partioning i wouldnt have to do anything else because it would be the same partition but just bigger. At least in linux wont make any difference... How can you do it with nvflash? Ill check it.

Here is an interesting post http://tosh-ac100.wetpaint.com/page/Repartition+Internal+Storage

Edited October 9, 2011 by orlox

[Guest Rusty!]

what would be interesting is to merge mmcblk0p9 with p8.

That way we would have numerous space for apps and no need for a2sd. I have tryed and failed. Is anyone interested to share that project with me?

Eh? In what world is 1.5GB for apps not enough, especially with the native A2SD?

[Guest mankian]

I would never use more than 1.25GB so I wouldnt try it. I just noticed there is a cfg file with nvflash that holds the partition information. I guess a modification to this would do what Orlox wanted but I guess there is still a chance of bricking!! I mentioned about the Kernel before as it might try to mount /sdcard (or /mnt/emmc for CM people) to the /dev/block/mmcblk0p9 partition - which would no longer exist.

[Guest mankian]

Update: I have done this using NVFLASH. It works and my phone is not bricked.

I do not need that much data. So I just increased my data to 2GB, I also increased my cache partition (a lot) and recovery partition (a little).

I still have 3.8GB of Internal Memory card.

I am happy to guide anyone through doing this but I would not recommend the complete removal of Internal Memory card.