New Firmware

[shanyel]

can someone post the firmware in a different download link?
thanks,

 

[Xenon]

I got it via google, one of the first few links works:

I7500XXIK4.zip - Google Search

 

[shanyel]

thanks man!! Google all around me and didn't think about it... LOL

 

[Meh]

Any idea when this will be available for O2 UK users?

 

[bitxboi]

looks like there is a bit of more free RAM after updating to IK4

 

[Andronix]

if u use browser a lot and hate nonstop reloading of web pages, you need at least 70MB more RAM to be reload free. Choices are either use swap or buy phone with 288 or more RAM. Compcache won't help there.

I noticed more fluid kinetic scrolling in all apps.

 

[bitxboi]

use swap? Is that possible in stock firmware?

 

[RellikZephyr]

use swap? Is that possible in stock firmware?

+1

RellikZephyr

 

[pegasus21]

Probably not unless someone rebuilds the kernel with swap support.

 

[Andronix]

yep, it's possible. but it would be easier with galaxo.

 

[nightcrow]

I

 

[bitxboi]

yep, it's possible. but it would be easier with galaxo.

now I'm lost. I thought swap and compcache were the same thing

 

[kam187]

Both are a method of swap.

Compcache = using part of the RAM as a virtual COMPRESSED swapfile
Swap = Using the harddrive (or flash in our case) as a cache.

In galaxo its configured to use compcache as swap, and then compcache is swapped out to flash if you need even more. That sounds clever because its like having a ram swap which should be faster, and then flash swap as a backup. However because compcache is compressed, it uses CPU to decompress the RAM. This can have an impact on performance.

You would think it wouldnt have a huge impact, but because it messes with the scheduler, it steals cpu cycles away from the running process in anticipation of swap that needs to be read out, even if ultimatly it didnt need to be. This is why compcache on galaxo can feel laggy.

Straight swap can be used by using the swapon command in galaxo. You might also be able to turn on compcache and set its swapsize to 0 to acheive the same. In both cases u need a SWAP partition on your external flash card (use the recovery to do that for you)

 

[Rastaman-FB]

Can you refer me to one firmware update that did come with a changelog?

nope

i just have a contact in o2 so i can find out whats changed but this update is not listed or released by o2

 

[thedeli]

are these little updates coming from Samsung? or are they operator based updates?

 

[informale]

Looks like they've fixed the camera button issue (some may remember it caused a profound battery drain when half-pressed).

Here's my clue. On II5 I used camera button to prevent the phone from dimming and switching off the screen when I was reading something for a long time. On IK4 half-pressing camera button makes no effect. Half-press only seems to be registered as a key press when the camera is on.

 

[screaminbug]

Straight swap can be used by using the swapon command in galaxo.

Hi kam. Glad to see you're still with us.

How can I check if swap is really active? I did format external SD to make swap partition (using recovery 4.3) and did swapon -a

swapon did not report any errors. That means it's ok?

Thanks.

 

[kam187]

Check out this thread

http://androidforums.com/samsung-i7500/17804-enabling-sd-swap-galaxo.html

 

[screaminbug]

Thanks, kam.

It wasn't on, after all. Now it is and now my galaxy works almost like it has more real RAM. Much, much faster switching between applications / loading than before. And yes, 32MB is not enough. At one point the swap usage went well above 32MB (around 80-90).

I've tried it with 32MB first and naturally, when that was used, everything became sluggish again, I guess because GC was running about being busy with his costly business killing processes and freeing memory. Then I pumped it up to 128MB which I believe should be enough.

And I don't have some super-fast sd card. I don't even know what class it is but I remember it was very cheap when I bought it -- few years ago.

All I know is that if it wasn't for you guys, this phone would probably be asking itself if it could fly when it realized it was being thrown out of a window of a very very tall building, a long time ago.

 

[Andronix]

hehe, glad you found another phone with swap enabled. .

you can put swapon command at the end of /
system/bin/rc to apply it automatically at reboot.

 

[benner]

Sorry for asking the same question again, but those folks that are talking about swap, are you running this new update with Galaxo or are you just running the update as is?

 

[informale]

Sorry for asking the same question again, but those folks that are talking about swap, are you running this new update with Galaxo or are you just running the update as is?

This update (IK4) is a firmware. Galaxo/GalaxHero is also a firmware (based on II5). You cannot have both firmwares installed the same time. So people are either running IK4 or Galaxo/GalaxHero (or some may be running bare II5).

 

[benner]

And we can enable swap in any firmware, just as long as we have rooted the phone, is that right?

 

[Andronix]

no, requirement is custom kernel with swap enabled. easiest way to get that kernel is update to galaxo1.1 from ii5.

 

[informale]

I wonder if anyone tried applying that separate Galaxo kernel to the stock II5. Or is it not the full kernel, but just a patch with/without gpu and VNC keyboard fix?