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Root SD partitioning

Havoc40

Havoc40

Well-Known Member
I just received my Patriot 16gb class 10 card today. I was going to try to set up a2sd. I followed xda's directions so far. I'm using clockworkmod v2.6.0.1. I've successfully partitioned it, but I don't seem to have an option to "select sd: ext2 to ext3" all I get is ext size, and swap size options. Am I missing something here?
 
I think CW might just partition it using ext3 to begin with. That particular ext2 to ext3 option is for RA. You can redo it using RA to be sure, if you like. Nice card choice, by the way ;).
 
I'll have to thank you for the advice on the patriot card. I followed your advice 2 someone else in a previous thread. I didn't have much time to go further last night but just went into terminal emulator and typed in, a2sd install. It went through everything then on the last part of the list it says " [x] SD card not mounted. Cannot reinstall applications to SD card". Now I must admit I'm lost, I've been searching but coming up empty.
 
Something definitely didn't go right there. I suspect you'll need to just flash RA and repartition your card with that. In any case, let's figure out the current state of your card and a2sd setup before doing that. There are a few diagnostic tools included with a2sd. The one that we'll get the most information out of here is a2sd check. Do you have adb installed on your computer? The reason I ask is because the output from a2sd check is very long, and it would be impractical for me to ask you to type any of it out here. With adb, you could open a shell on your computer, then copy and paste the output. It will also work with quicksshd running on your phone, and an ssh client on your computer. If you don't have any of that set up, or you simply don't know what it even means, we can do something else that will work just as well. If you *do* have adb installed, do this:

adb shell
su
a2sd check

Paste the output in a reply, here. If you don't have adb set up, run this from the terminal emulator on the phone:

su
a2sd check > /sdcard/a2sd_check.out

That will put a file on your sdcard called a2sd_check.out, which will contain the entire output of the file. Copy that file to your computer, then either attach it here, or just open it, and copy and paste the contents. Once that is done, we can take it from there.
 
I don't have adb installed so I tried through terminal. It created the file on my sd, but I couldn't open it through my computer? I'm a mechanical engineer, not a computer guy. I draw on CAD and work on a computer daily with just enough knowledge to be dangerous. Let me look for adb, install it, and post back here. Thanks for the help akazabam!
 
Adb is part of the android sdk. You'd have to install the jdk and the android sdk. It might be more work than it's worth if you've never do it just for this. I do recommend you look into it at some point. Anyway, did you try copying the file to your computer? Make the extension .txt and then try opening it. Or just attach it here, and I'll figure it out.
 
Ok, I managed to get the file opened from terminal.


[ ] GREP: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] REBOOT: Using ROM Busybox.
[!] FDISK: Using Darktremor Busybox.
[ ] CAT: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] MKDIR: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] RMDIR: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] CHMOD: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] MOUNT: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] UMOUNT: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] CP: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] RM: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] MV: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] LN: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] MORE: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] MKNOD: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] AWK: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] SLEEP: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] SYNC: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] TEE: Using ROM Busybox.
__ _____
| \ |
| | |
|__/ | Darktremor Apps2SD 2.7.5.3 Beta 4a (2011-01-30)

[-] Checkpoint 1: Check for SD Card Fix and Implement.
[-] Checkpoint 2: Run Dalvik Heap Program (if exists).
[-] Checkpoint 3: Run Set Low Memory Killer Program (if exists).
[-] Checkpoint 4: Determine Mount Point.
[-] Checkpoint 5: Set Parameter Variables.
[ ] GetProp Command = /system/bin/toolbox getprop
[ ] SetProp Command = /system/bin/toolbox setprop
[ ] Mount Point = /system/sd
[-] Checkpoint 6: Insert CyanogenMod patch.
[ ] Symlinking /cache/dalvik-cache to /data/dalvik-cache
[-] Checkpoint 7: Complete Dalvik Cache Move (if applicable).
[-] Checkpoint 8: Resetting Dalvik Cache Partition
[-] Checkpoint 9: Switching Davlik Cache to Cache Partition (if applicable)
[-] Checkpoint 10: Checking for existence of command parameter
[-] Checkpoint 11: Check for a2sd help command
[-] Checkpoint 12: Check for a2sd check command
[ ] Starting Apps2SD Check Program.

Darktremor 2.7.5.3 Beta 4a Apps2SD Status Report
===================================================================================
Legend:
[*]=Setting is correct
[!]=Setting is correct, but not optimal.
[X]=Setting is incorrect and needs to be fixed or option is not available.
===================================================================================
Block Device - [X] Not Found
- [X] SD card cannot mount
 
Well that didn't get very far, did it. Type the following from the terminal, and tell me what you see:

ls -l /dev/block/ | grep mmcblk0p2

No matter the case, I think you should flash RA, reboot into recovery, then partition and format your card that way. I believe you have the instructions for how to do it with RA, correct? Also, it looks like a2sd didn't get far at all, so I assume you have no problems with your apps right now, correct? Just to be safe, once you've partitioned your card with RA, run the a2sd check command again, so we can verify that nothing is screwed up before you try to actually move your apps.
 
Ok, sorry. One more ignorant question. To get the special key for pipe in terminal, what is "ball"
 
I'm using the stock keyboard from Mikfroyo's ROM. I don't have an option on the keyboard for pipe, but when hitting menu in terminal it says special keys. It gives me a menu saying hit ball and key, under that gives me a list which Ball 5: | (pipe). Maybe just this particular emulator I got from the market? Anyway I'm in the process of flashing RA, I tried flashing a .img through the terminal but wouldn't let me? So I'm trying it with a PC36IMG.zip
 
Ok, I flashed RA and partitioned the SD card as well as changed ext2 to ext3. As soon as it rebooted I went into terminal and did the a2sd check, same results as before.
 
when mine did this the only fix was completely formatting the card with easus partition manager, wiping out the TWO partitions I had created and starting from absolute scratch with a freshly, fully formatted full 16 gb card

put the card back in the phone. formatted with the phone. set up the partition in ra

all went well from there
 
Yep, I think you're probably going to have to do something like that. Likely, it got confused with the first partition attempt.
 
Well it looks like it's time for a beer run, then I'll have at it. Thanks again for the help I'm learning quick, what I don't know I find intriguing and dive in head first. I'll post back later on when I finish everything. Also, should I download Root Explorer instead of using one of the free terminal emulators?
 
Ok, I'll probably download Root Explorer anyway since I hear it mentioned so much on the forums. What TE would you recommend to download? I have the one from Jack Palevich on the market, but I'd like to be able to use characters such as *pipe* easily from the keyboard. Instead of trying to decipher yet another tech language (Ball?) to use it.
 
That terminal emulator is fine. It's the one I use. The ability to use certain characters has nothing to do with the terminal emulator. It depends on what keyboard you use. I'm using swype, for example, and I have no problem typing a pipe.
 
Well, no luck. I installed easus and deleted everything, recreated the FAT32 file then formatted it. Got back into RA and partitioned. Still getting the same exact thing as before...

[ ] GREP: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] REBOOT: Using ROM Busybox.
[!] FDISK: Using Darktremor Busybox.
[ ] CAT: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] MKDIR: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] RMDIR: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] CHMOD: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] MOUNT: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] UMOUNT: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] CP: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] RM: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] MV: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] LN: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] MORE: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] MKNOD: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] AWK: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] SLEEP: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] SYNC: Using ROM Busybox.
[ ] TEE: Using ROM Busybox.
__ _____
| \ |
| | |
|__/ | Darktremor Apps2SD 2.7.5.3 Beta 4a (2011-01-30)

[-] Checkpoint 1: Check for SD Card Fix and Implement.
[-] Checkpoint 2: Run Dalvik Heap Program (if exists).
[-] Checkpoint 3: Run Set Low Memory Killer Program (if exists).
[-] Checkpoint 4: Determine Mount Point.
[-] Checkpoint 5: Set Parameter Variables.
[ ] GetProp Command = /system/bin/toolbox getprop
[ ] SetProp Command = /system/bin/toolbox setprop
[ ] Mount Point = /system/sd
[-] Checkpoint 6: Insert CyanogenMod patch.
[-] Checkpoint 7: Complete Dalvik Cache Move (if applicable).
[-] Checkpoint 8: Resetting Dalvik Cache Partition
[-] Checkpoint 9: Switching Davlik Cache to Cache Partition (if applicable)
[-] Checkpoint 10: Checking for existence of command parameter
[-] Checkpoint 11: Check for a2sd help command
[-] Checkpoint 12: Check for a2sd check command
[ ] Starting Apps2SD Check Program.

Darktremor 2.7.5.3 Beta 4a Apps2SD Status Report
===================================================================================
Legend:
[*]=Setting is correct
[!]=Setting is correct, but not optimal.
[X]=Setting is incorrect and needs to be fixed or option is not available.
===================================================================================
Block Device - [X] Not Found
- [X] SD card cannot mount



After doing what akazabam suggested earlier <ls -l /dev/block/ | grep mmcblk0p2> this is what I see brw------ 1 root root 179, 2 Feb
 
it is my understanding that Akazabam meant that the terminal emulator you were using was fine, and that the problem lies with your keyboard. I also see the &quot;ball 5&quot; in TE, but switching my keyboard to swype allows the use of | (pipe) fine. Just switch to swype (if you have it) and then Symbol, and it's the alt character for "4". And to risk sounding like a newb, what's the reason behind partitioning the SD card?
 
Partitioning the sdcard with an ext3 partition is used for a2sd, which will move all your apps to the sdcard.

Havoc, can you do the same thing you did before, and redirect the ls output to a file, so I can see exactly what it says?

ls -l /dev/block|grep mmcblk0p2 > /sdcard/ls_block.txt

Copy the ls_block.txt file from the sdcard to your computer, and paste the output here. Note that this is a really inefficient way of getting output from the terminal to here, but it's at least effective when you don't have a remote terminal set up.

Other than that, can you browse the fat32 partition of the card without issues? I'd say you obviously can as I've been having your put stuff there.
 
I tried that, but when I opened up the file on the computer, it's a white screen. It's opening it up in wordpad. I really appreciate your help as obviously this problem has gone well above my capabilities. It does seem like I have full access to my sd, before getting back on here I put my music/pictures on to see if my phone would recognize it, and it did.
 
I put spaces between the pipe like the last command on the 1st attempt. Here it is below.

brw------- 1 root root 179, 2 Feb 24 23:14 mmcblk0p2
 
Well, at least it knows there's a partition, so that's something. You tried exactly what Mr. Ed suggested? I'm sure we can figure this out. I'll need to look into it some more in the morning.
 
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