Root Link2SD and you (a tutorial)

[MacFett]

Warning: Do not link the market to SD using Link2SD.
I recently went back to my backup of my stock OS and I had moved virtually everything to SD using Link2SD, as such I have no market, no file explorer, nothing of any use. If I had the market I could download all of my apps again and get the phone working easily. If something were to happen to your SD card or one of the partitions you'd be in the same boat I am. The space recovered from moving the market isn't worth it. Just leave it where it is.

Since I can never find the tutorial I wrote, I am starting it's own thread.

I decided to give Link2sd one more try now that I have an 8gb sd card and I have read about the dalvik-cache that says in the internal memory after you move an app to sd.

I currently have over 100 apps (probably about 120) and 108mb of free space of internal memory. I decided to do a mini-tutorial to hopefully help anyone that wasn't getting Link2sd going.

• Root your phone, I suggest this guide. [How-To] Root the LG Optimus V - Android Forums
• Backup everything on the SD card, I suggest using Titanium Backup. Make sure there is a backup not on the SD card (like on your hard drive)
• Connect your Optimus V to your computer and mount the SD card.
• Resize the partition, I used Minitool Partition Wizard, leave 1-2gb of free space.
• Create a new FAT32 partition with the free space, mark it as primary.
• Disconnect your Optimus V and reboot it.
• Download and install Link2sd if you have not done so already.
• Run Link2sd, it will tell you it needs to reboot to mount the second partition.
• Run Link2sd, it will list all apps it can move and tell you which ones are currently on the SD. It can't do anything with the apps on the SD already.
• Inside Link2sd select an app to link to your sd.
  • If your app is on your internal memory select Create Link.
  • If your app is on the SD card select Manage. This will take you to the stock app management screen. Move the app back to the phone.
  • Hit the back button to go back to Link2sd and now you can select Create Link.

After a few apps chances are your internal memory will be full. Go back to the main screen of Link2sd, open the menu and select More and then Quick Reboot. Once the phone has rebooted go back into Link2sd and open the menu and select Storage Info. Your internal Memory should be full of huge tracts of memory now.

 

[MacFett]

I also wrote this post to help with the preparation of the uSD. It isn't really in tutorial format, I'll get around to that sometime.

I started with my 2gb uSD and formatted it FAT32, apply.
Click move/resize partition and shrink the partition until there is ~512megs of free space. Click ok.

I now have my FAT32 partition and my unallocated disk space. Click on the grey bar, the unallocated space and click create partition. You'll get the warning that windows won't be able to read it blah blah blah. Hit OK. Now you'll have the window to set it as primary or logical. You want Primary. Then set the file system as FAT32 and make sure all of the free space is used. Click OK and you'll be back at the main window.

Click the apply button on the top, it is a big check mark. The Apply PEnding Operations Window will come up and show you of your progress. Then hopefully you'll get the All Operations Performed Successfully window.

If you are going to use a 2gb uSD you should use the smaller partition (~500mb) for your Link2SD partition and the larger (~1500mb partition) for your main uSD. I would personally recommend buying at least an 8gb uSD however.

 

[benslgdroid]

I followed your steps and got to 90mb free space, added allot of apps and am down to 70mn. Why am I still losing space?

 

[MacFett]

I followed your steps and got to 90mb free space, added allot of apps and am down to 70mn. Why am I still losing space?

Because the links take space on the internal memory. I currently have 57.43mb of space internal. Depending what I have installed I up to 90mb.

 

[benslgdroid]

I found apps that didn't have library files made some and I re linked the library files and it freed allot. Also it doesn't seem to link the data. I have some apps that have big data files. But after linking the library files I went up to 106mb. I have about 100 user apps installed now.

 

[Anamacha]

I noticed that Link2SD requires some sort of partition on the SD card. I didn't know how to do this, but I was in my Xionia Recovery CWMA 1.2518.4 earlier and noticed that it can partition the card. Is this the same sort of partition, and is that how I would create it?


thanks

 

[AmishFury]

yes but... xionia formats the 2nd partition as ext

stock rom/kernel does not support it... you need to get custom or reformat the partition as FAT (or just partition the card on a PC and make sure both partitions are FAT to begin with)

 

[daluvamann]

installed darktremor app2sd and a2sdgui and works much better than link2sd... plus does it automatically rather than having to individually link apps to sd... also moves dalvik cache...

 

[MacFett]

You only have to move apps that were installed before Link2SD or Apps that automatically install to uSD. Anything that installs to the phone's internal memory automagically gets linked after install.

 

[benslgdroid]

Found after flashing a new rom you need to go back into mini tool partition and reformat it to get link to work again or you will get a script error and it will not mint the partition.

 

[jsthrower]

Mac When you make the new 2GB partition and make it the primary... then windows will no longer see the rest of your card when you mount it right. So you can no longer add files with your windows computer to your sdcard? Also what did you name the partition?

 

[jsthrower]

The reviews say (darktremor app2sd and a2sdgui ) it always runs and is a battery hog..???

 

[MacFett]

You want to format the card so it has one partition first. Then add the 2nd primary partition, it is this 2nd primary partition that won't be seen by windows. I can still copy files via USB to my phone or I can take the uSD out and transfer via SD drive.

If you are unsure about any of this make sure that you are using a new uSD or have a comeplete backup available in case you have to format it.

 

[jsthrower]

I repartitioned the existing 16 GB card with all my existing apps and media with my easeus partition program by freeing up 2gb at the end of the card ,then creating a new primary fat 32 partition (did not name it). (I was thinking I could only have 1 primary partition...then I noticed my c drive has 3.) All programs I wanted to move and related files are now on the new partition. Looks like 2gb will be enough now that I have moved my apps and checked the remaining space on the new partition. Link2sd freed 30 MB of space on my internal memory. I only moved around 20 apps. Everything seems to work just as fast and I'm booting to the right partition when I connect to my computer. I have officially finished what I needed done. Thank you all that gave me advice.

 

[jsthrower]

Mac...You were absolutely right about Link2SD...Before I rooted and installed the program I only had 36 meg on my internal memory left with most of my downloaded market apps (30) already moved to the sdcard. After installing Link2sd and linking all parts of those same (30) apps I was at 71 meg. I have since loaded another 40-45 apps letting Link2SD install them to the sdcard by default. I still have 63 meg of internal memory. I can't believe the difference it makes. The phone boot time is a little longer especially after installing new apps the first boot...but for what you gain it's well worth the extra 60 seconds from time to time, since I only reboot the phone when I load new apps. I haven't seen any real difference in the speed of the apps and haven't experienced any crashes either. In fact my longest waits on this phone is generally using the 3G network. Even if I decide one day to dump the phone service this is now one kick butt music/app player. Thanks for putting the thread out there.

 

[MacFett]

Welcome. And as benslgdroid stated, after you move an app that doesn't have library files and go back you'll find that many do have library files and you can link those as well.

You can sort by largest lib size. (menu -> sort -> lib size) then link all of the libraries at once (menu -> multi-select -> select all the ones with large libs (Yes that is you Netflix!) -> menu -> create link
Then check all 3 options and press ok.
There is also a select all button instead of just linking those with big libs.

I've found that even when I don't run netflix if I link it's libs I can free up 5-10megs sometimes. Transformers G1 game was doing the same thing. I uninstalled it thinking it was my G1 sound board. I need to get my titanium back up of it out because that is a fun little game.

 

[jsthrower]

Thanks for pointing out benslgdroid's statement...I had it set up to do all files to sdcard by default but I guess it didn't ..I just chose the top 8 apps with large libs and went from 63 meg back up to 72meg...GREAT TIP!!!

 

[benslgdroid]

Every time you reboot it will move lib files back to phone at random so check after every reboot. I have not been able to figure out what causes this.

 

[MacFett]

Every time you reboot it will move lib files back to phone at random so check after every reboot. I have not been able to figure out what causes this.

Maybe it is something we need to ask the dev, it could be a short coming of the app or the os itself. If it is the app it may be fixable. I just did a reboot and before the reboot I had 48% internal memory free, after the reboot I have 44% free. A 4% loss isn't as bad as I expected after reading this.

After relinking everything via multi-select -> select all I have 45% free. So it didn't seem to effect me much. When I did the reboot I used the quick boot within link2sd rather than power down and back on or power+volume^ so that could have effected it as well.

 

[benslgdroid]

He has a thread but when I flashed I lost my bookmarks.

Edit: I located the thread on xda and left a comment. Now just waiting on a response.

 

[smankins]

I found apps that didn't have library files made some and I re linked the library files and it freed allot. Also it doesn't seem to link the data. I have some apps that have big data files. But after linking the library files I went up to 106mb. I have about 100 user apps installed now.

Thanks for this tip - I have been using Link2SD for a while but have not gone back to look at previously linked apps. I freed up ~60 MB by doing this!

 

[MacFett]

Thanks for this tip - I have been using Link2SD for a while but have not gone back to look at previously linked apps. I freed up ~60 MB by doing this!

If you look up a few posts I explain how to link all of your libs at once if you haven't figured it out yourself.

 

[birdgofly]

So my phone sometimes randomly crashes and then when I try to reboot it gets stuck on the boot screen.. sometimes I can just keep taking out the battery and trying to reboot until it works again. This last time I downloaded a couple of apps and it crashed, and now it gets stuck on the boot screen and won't load at all unless I take the memory card out, and then everything is all screwed up cause I have link2sd, and I don't know what's wrong or how to fix it! Anyone here know what it could be? Like.. is it a link2sd thing, or maybe some reaction btw link2sd and my rom? Maybe my sd card is a POS? Any suggestions or information would be appreciated! Thank you

LG Optimus V
Rooted; Harmonia rom (1.3?)
SD card partitioned, both FAT32
almost everything linked w/ link2sd

If there is any other important information you need to know please ask!

 

[smankins]

The only thing I can offer is that I have used Link2SD for a few months or longer and don't experience those scenarios. I have had the phone reboot itself in the past but I don't feel it was due to Link2SD. I would be more inclined to try changing your ROM and see if that fixes some or all of the problems.

 

[benslgdroid]

So my phone sometimes randomly crashes and then when I try to reboot it gets stuck on the boot screen.. sometimes I can just keep taking out the battery and trying to reboot until it works again. This last time I downloaded a couple of apps and it crashed, and now it gets stuck on the boot screen and won't load at all unless I take the memory card out, and then everything is all screwed up cause I have link2sd, and I don't know what's wrong or how to fix it! Anyone here know what it could be? Like.. is it a link2sd thing, or maybe some reaction btw link2sd and my rom? Maybe my sd card is a POS? Any suggestions or information would be appreciated! Thank you

LG Optimus V
Rooted; Harmonia rom (1.3?)
SD card partitioned, both FAT32
almost everything linked w/ link2sd

If there is any other important information you need to know please ask!

Backup all your apps and reflash also update to 1.3.1 or 1.5. I had that exact combination with no issues. You will need to reformat your partition on your desktop since the recoveries don't do fat32 which makes no sense. If after a fresh format flash and make sure harmonia is up to date it still gives you issues it may be a faulty card since link2sd and harmonia are both very stable.