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Root Am I the only one that can't find a fast launcher?

S

shadowdude777

Android Expert
Hey guys, I've noticed lately that the only reason I keep hopping from ROM to ROM is because I'm still looking for a ROM that doesn't take 15 seconds to redraw LauncherPro or ADW when I hit Home. Why does this happen? What can I do about it? I've tried the following, all to no avail:

1) Moving launcher to /system/app
2) Checking off "keep in memory"
3) Checking off settings in ROMs like CM and UD that also claim to keep the launcher in memory
4) This Terminal Emulator command I found on LauncherPro's forums a while ago from someone that made a thread about it here

Why can't I avoid these dreaded redraws? Am I missing something obvious, or is this just how it is on the Droid 1? Thanks in advance, guys.
 
Yes, that's how it is in the Droid 1. The fact that no third-party launcher or ROM resolves the problem points to a fundamental issue in FroYo, and that's just what it is.

In addition to your list of fixes, I have three more to add that helped a LOT (for LauncherPro).

1) Reduce app memory use as much as possible by removing unused apps, putting all apps that you can onto SD, and clearing cache frequently.

2) Within LaunchrPro Preferences -> Advanced Settings -> Memory usage:
UNCHECK "use homescreen caches"

3) Perhaps most importantly, under LauncherPro behavior settings, UNCHECK "Enable Auto-Rotation" A lot of the "slow icon refresh" issues come from the ability to rotate the home screens, which the stock launcher does NOT do. This creates a huge mess with memory.

Every one of your apps that can do a screen rotation will still have that ability. Only the home screen rotation will be disabled, but who cares? Turning off home screen rotation helps a LOT. In fact, many have noted that the problem is much worse when going into landscape mode within an app, and backing out to the homescreen, which allows auto-rotation. If you disable the auto-rotation, you will have the problem a lot less often.

Finally, reboot more often if the problem persists. That's a crappy solution, but better than nothing. Neall
 
SO many people have this issue across ALL roms, all themes, all launchers, all swap file utilities, minimal widgets on screen, reducing apps on SD card, blah blah. So many people have their theories, like ndoren, that work for some and not others. I do not believe your gonna find the fix. if you do.. thousands want to know the answer. Search Google, everyone b****** about this issue on all forums and no one persons fix works for everyone... I have tried many

Swapper files
Moving apps to and from SD card
reducing widgets on screen
reducing apps on your home screen that are on SD card
free up internal memory
EVERY possible LP setting combo
the local.prop fix
cleaning caches

nothing fully works. period.
 
ndoren said:
Yes, that's how it is in the Droid 1. The fact that no third-party launcher or ROM resolves the problem points to a fundamental issue in FroYo, and that's just what it is.

In addition to your list of fixes, I have three more to add that helped a LOT (for LauncherPro).

1) Reduce app memory use as much as possible by removing unused apps, putting all apps that you can onto SD, and clearing cache frequently.

2) Within LaunchrPro Preferences -> Advanced Settings -> Memory usage:
UNCHECK "use homescreen caches"

3) Perhaps most importantly, under LauncherPro behavior settings, UNCHECK "Enable Auto-Rotation" A lot of the "slow icon refresh" issues come from the ability to rotate the home screens, which the stock launcher does NOT do. This creates a huge mess with memory.

Every one of your apps that can do a screen rotation will still have that ability. Only the home screen rotation will be disabled, but who cares? Turning off home screen rotation helps a LOT. In fact, many have noted that the problem is much worse when going into landscape mode within an app, and backing out to the homescreen, which allows auto-rotation. If you disable the auto-rotation, you will have the problem a lot less often.

Finally, reboot more often if the problem persists. That's a crappy solution, but better than nothing. Neall
Click to expand...

I've done all of these. :(

Well, except for using apps2sd, but does that really matter? I think this is an issue with not enough RAM, and moving apps to the SD card frees up flash memory.

Interesting that the general consensus is that it's not just me, though. But seriously, you'd think someone would have a solution by now. Fede did mention that he is planning to rewrite LauncherPro with original code instead of the current method of modifying the stock launcher. Maybe that'll make our Droids happier.
 
I have downloaded LauncherPro, it shows installed in the market but I don't see it in my drawer with all of my other programs. Also, I only have 3 screens. Any suggestions?
 
It's there, but not in your drawer. Go to the market and download the free app called "home switcher" which will let you launch your default home launcher or instead LauncherPro, and from there you can make either your default. Once you are in LauncherPro, there is a preference setting for the number of screens. Neall
 
huh? I dont use, or ever heard of, having to have "home switcher" to initiate LP. that app is not needed. funny that you talk about getting rid of apps and making room, then recommend dl'ing an app that is totally not needed?

to use LP - all that happens is the next time you do a home type action, like press the home button - the Droid will ask via a pop-up if you want to use the stock launcher or LP to complete the action. you just select LP to always be your launcher and now your using LP from then on out. at that time, that is when you arrange your home screens and make all of your desired settings in LP as once you pick LP as your launcher, you will loose all the home screen setups you had in the old stock launcher.
 
ms2sf said:
I have downloaded LauncherPro, it shows installed in the market but I don't see it in my drawer with all of my other programs. Also, I only have 3 screens. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

because you have not selected LP to be your "launcher" and the phone still thinks your using the stock launcher.

see my explanation above this on how to initiate the selection process.
 
ndoren said:
Yes, that's how it is in the Droid 1. The fact that no third-party launcher or ROM resolves the problem points to a fundamental issue in FroYo, and that's just what it is.

In addition to your list of fixes, I have three more to add that helped a LOT (for LauncherPro).

1) Reduce app memory use as much as possible by removing unused apps, putting all apps that you can onto SD, and clearing cache frequently.

2) Within LaunchrPro Preferences -> Advanced Settings -> Memory usage:
UNCHECK "use homescreen caches"

3) Perhaps most importantly, under LauncherPro behavior settings, UNCHECK "Enable Auto-Rotation" A lot of the "slow icon refresh" issues come from the ability to rotate the home screens, which the stock launcher does NOT do. This creates a huge mess with memory.

Every one of your apps that can do a screen rotation will still have that ability. Only the home screen rotation will be disabled, but who cares? Turning off home screen rotation helps a LOT. In fact, many have noted that the problem is much worse when going into landscape mode within an app, and backing out to the homescreen, which allows auto-rotation. If you disable the auto-rotation, you will have the problem a lot less often.

Finally, reboot more often if the problem persists. That's a crappy solution, but better than nothing. Neall
Click to expand...

The local.prop fix seems to help me a lot.

If you use ADW or LauncherPro and if after using your browser, email or any other apps for awhile, then if you press the 'HOME' button, if it takes forever to redraw your home screen, and you are sick of that HORRIBLE LAG, then try this: In a terminal, type su and enter. Then type echo ro.HOME_APP_ADJ=1 >> /data/local.prop and enter. Then reboot. Now evaluate whether or not this fixes your lag. If you want to undo what this command does, simply remove that toggle from: /data/local.prop
Click to expand...
 
I've seen a gazillion of these threads and it seems that most don't understand that the problem is memory (a few of you have mentioned it).

Right now, the launcher is just like any other app and plays by the same rules. If its not at the front, the system can kill it in low memory situations. Low memory situations happen a lot after running for a while on the Droid. Rebooting works for a while because it frees memory.

There is currently no API that allows the launcher to stay in memory, so what they do is make themselves "important" so the system will not kill them even when they are hidden. Even with that, Android can opt to kill it when memory is tight.

CM 6.1 has an option that behaves similar to what's described in clintiepoo's link (no prop file changes necessary). It keeps what it thinks is the "home" app around until it has no choice but to kill it in order to keep the app the user is interacting with in memory. For me, it has worked great. The downside is that keeping the home app in memory restricts multitasking (there is always a tradeoff but I'm willing to deal with this one). While it works really well, it isn't the silver bullet and I have had times where home is gone when I go back to it, but very few nowadays.

Here is a little tidbit that most don't even realize. Google introduced a little feature in froyo that uses memory to improve performance. It's name is the JIT and as the system runs it consumes more memory (up to a maximum... rebooting restarts the process). I've turned it off via CM config because I don't notice any real world advantages with it on.
 
local.prop didnt work for me 1 bit.

Funny thing there is, LP has a setting to leave the app in memory, so it seems kind of a double dip.

I tried the LP setting.. nope
I tried the LP setting + local.prop .. nope
I tried the local.prop only.. nope

BTW, LP was awesome on this issue until the 0.8.1 update.. that brought the redraw, home screen lag issue back. and in the LP forums, many confirm this.
 
Lock-N-Load said:
local.prop didnt work for me 1 bit.

Funny thing there is, LP has a setting to leave the app in memory, so it seems kind of a double dip.

I tried the LP setting.. nope
I tried the LP setting + local.prop .. nope
I tried the local.prop only.. nope

BTW, LP was awesome on this issue until the 0.8.1 update.. that brought the redraw, home screen lag issue back. and in the LP forums, many confirm this.
Click to expand...

Don't be a hater Lock-N-Load... :P just messing around.

It seems like some phones are more susceptible than others to this. Like has been said, the real issue is there just isn't enough memory available to keep the launcher and everything else in memory. There are several half-baked workarounds, but no perfect solution. Your mileage will vary with these, but for my money the local.prop is the best solution I have tried.
 
local.prop is the command-line fix I mentioned that I tried in the OP that was also useless. I wasn't aware CM6.1 was out, but I'll flash it tomorrow sometime and see if that setting does anything. Though I doubt it will. An "always-on" API definitely needs to be implemented soon. Come on, Gingerbread. :(
 
Lock-N-Load said:
huh? I dont use, or ever heard of, having to have "home switcher" to initiate LP. that app is not needed. funny that you talk about getting rid of apps and making room, then recommend dl'ing an app that is totally not needed?
Click to expand...

I switch between several different launchers. "Home switcher" allows for easy switching between multiple launchers, and you can temporarily fire one up without changing defaults. It's not a big app, and certainly not necessary, but just a convenient way to switch between them. So.. go easy on me :)
 
Yeah, I hate that too. The best workaround for me has been Zeam launcher. No frills, does exactly what I want it to.
 
cyanogen 6.0 (or the new release candidates), install launcher pro, uninstall adw. I never have homescreen redraws
 
shizzy1427 said:
cyanogen 6.0 (or the new release candidates), install launcher pro, uninstall adw. I never have homescreen redraws
Click to expand...

I used to run CM6 (SetCPU at 400-800 interactive), and installed LP and uninstalled ADW and pretty much every apk I didn't need, and still got redraws.

@leftystrat: I will try out this launcher you're talking about. When my refurb gets here, that is. I miss my Droid. :(
 
leftystrat said:
Yeah, I hate that too. The best workaround for me has been Zeam launcher. No frills, does exactly what I want it to.
Click to expand...

Yep I agree. Zeam seems to work very well. Really can't compare to the other two big launchers but still does the job without redraws. Zeam starting to grow on me since I never have to wait anymore for my screen to populate anymore..
 
I dont think I've ever seen a re-draw using BB 0.5/LPro, but I only have 3 homescreens, and I'm minimalist on widgets.
 
I find that turning off "keep in memory" and 3d app drawer makes it very use able. I'm running LFY at 800mhz and it takes at most, one to two seconds to load my home screens.
 
Eckyx said:
I dont think I've ever seen a re-draw using BB 0.5/LPro, but I only have 3 homescreens, and I'm minimalist on widgets.
Click to expand...

I only have 3 home screens, 3 widgets.. I get them

claytronmeans said:
I find that turning off "keep in memory" and 3d app drawer makes it very use able. I'm running LFY at 800mhz and it takes at most, one to two seconds to load my home screens.
Click to expand...

no 3D app drawer? come on, then your losing part of the whole enjoyment of an advanced 3rd party launcher :) IMHO, that 3D drawer has 0 to do with the issue. Frankly, I rarely go into my app drawer and the redraws more come from going from a memory intensive app - like the browser - back to a home screen. and of all the 50 threads on different web sites I have read on this topic, this is the first anyone has ever mentioned the 3D effect as a possible culprit
 
Lock-N-Load said:
I only have 3 home screens, 3 widgets.. I get them
Click to expand...

I used to have 2 screens and 6 widgets. I narrowed it down to 1 screen and 3 widgets and I still get them! So yeah, if I get them, it's pretty much impossible not to. :rolleyes:

I'd love to try out Zeam but I want a feature to back up your homescreen settings first. I absolutely hate re-making all of my folders every other week when I change ROMs. :D
 
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