[panengineer]

Pioneer4x4, on 26 February 2012 - 04:31 PM, said:

What tool do you use, and what settings and what file format? I am very familiar with Handbrake. (It is encoding a Blu Ray to input into iTunes for my Apple TV at the moment)

As for the locking the sd card, I mainly meant as a test. If it could work that way, then there would be better chance of patching the OS to either do it, or at least ignore what you did.
I would be fine if we could just get that done. Partition and format the card however you want, and keep the Novel from mucking with it!

Anyvideo Converter

Customized mp4 movie
Video Codec mpeg4
Frame Size 640X480
Video Bitrate 768
Video Framerate 25
Audio Codec aac
Audio Bitrate 128
Sample Rate 44100
Audio Channel 2
A/V Sync Basic

It won't muck with it until you do a reboot, so if you can find something to re-format it while it is in the Novel with it on, then you should be able to test it. However, I'm not sure the FW can read and write to whatever you format you make on the secondary partition. Just try installing an app and see if it winds up in the partition.

This post has been edited by panengineer: 26 February 2012 - 05:07 PM

[momcat1]

Pioneer4x4, on 26 February 2012 - 11:11 AM, said:

Thanks!
1 - Did you get out of space warnings with the 4GB or the 8GB (or both?)
2 - What files are on the 2 partitions on each card?

I have seen in the first partition (0) the list of subfolders with things like ".adobe-digital editions" "eBook), and on the second partion (1) a list of .apk files.

With my 32GB card, I only get the partition with the folders, and the .apk files never get on the 2nd partition. Hence after flash, the default shortcuts do not work since the apps aren't there.
My daughter has an 8GB card that I will "borrow" and test as well.
With the 4GB (2 X 2GB-FAT16 Partitions) it created the .apk files the same as what the factory 1GB (2X512MB FAT16) did.

Also, with the partitions it auto creates on the 32GB card, I cannot even format the 2nd partition as FAT32. I tried various steps of changing partition type, and recreating it.

I get the same space warnings using a 4 GB internal as I do with the 8. In the case of the 4, that would be 2 - 2 GB partitions. One partition just has .apk's in it, the other has the folders you expect to see i.e. Adobe Digital Editions, download, ebooks, etc.

I had no problem creating 2 - 4 GB FAT16 partitions, using Minitool.

I started experimenting with different size internal cards because the first one I had used was a 2 GB, giving me 2 - 1 GB partitions, and I was getting the same out of memory problems with that. It seems to me that for whatever reason, it really didn't matter what size internal card I used.

I reflashed mine today after reading in one of the threads about the possibility of more than one version being present from past flashes. After getting the bulk of my apps reinstalled, Titanium reports the following from a fresh boot:

System ROM 209 MB, 65.0 MB free
Internal 197 MB, 105 MB free
SD Card 4.03 GB, 1.95 GB free (using a 4 GB external card)
Titanium also states that I now have 78 apps installed. Before the flash there were 86. I did leave a few out this time around because their functions were extraneous to my needs. BTW, somewhere else on Slatedroid I had seen the simple instructions for recovering your apps after a reflash. Although I ahd carefully made and updated backups in titanium before the reflash, but several of the recovery batches produced errors or else did nothing. So I was only able to batch recover 10 apps. The rest had to be done singly.

System settings reports:

Internal storage 3.47 Gb available
SD storage 3.76 GB total, 1.82 GB available

I'm a little reluctant at this point to try something that would trigger the not enough memory error again. It started when I tried to install Bejeweled 2 from Amazon Apps. I've since given up for several reasons:

1)I can't come to terms with always having the Amazon App connected online any time I want to play a game I installed from them.
2) I have strong suspicions of bloatware on the part of EA. The Bejeweled 2 installation file for Android is over 45 MB. When you consider that Bejeweled 2 for PC is around 10 MB, it makes no sense. I take offense any time a vendor thinks they can load other apps in addition to the one I bought.
3) I had previously installed EA Scrabble and did find EA bloatware on my Novel after the fact, that I never agreed to.

If I hadn't gotten involved in trying to resolve the memory problems, I had planned on waiting for a firmware upgrade that would have gone past 2.1, so I could take advantage of installing from the external. I really like using my Novel daily for reading and browsing.

[Pioneer4x4]

momcat1, on 26 February 2012 - 10:05 PM, said:

I get the same space warnings using a 4 GB internal as I do with the 8. In the case of the 4, that would be 2 - 2 GB partitions. One partition just has .apk's in it, the other has the folders you expect to see i.e. Adobe Digital Editions, download, ebooks, etc.

I had no problem creating 2 - 4 GB FAT16 partitions, using Minitool.

I started experimenting with different size internal cards because the first one I had used was a 2 GB, giving me 2 - 1 GB partitions, and I was getting the same out of memory problems with that. It seems to me that for whatever reason, it really didn't matter what size internal card I used.

I reflashed mine today after reading in one of the threads about the possibility of more than one version being present from past flashes. After getting the bulk of my apps reinstalled, Titanium reports the following from a fresh boot:

System ROM 209 MB, 65.0 MB free
Internal 197 MB, 105 MB free
SD Card 4.03 GB, 1.95 GB free (using a 4 GB external card)
Titanium also states that I now have 78 apps installed. Before the flash there were 86. I did leave a few out this time around because their functions were extraneous to my needs. BTW, somewhere else on Slatedroid I had seen the simple instructions for recovering your apps after a reflash. Although I ahd carefully made and updated backups in titanium before the reflash, but several of the recovery batches produced errors or else did nothing. So I was only able to batch recover 10 apps. The rest had to be done singly.

System settings reports:

Internal storage 3.47 Gb available
SD storage 3.76 GB total, 1.82 GB available

I'm a little reluctant at this point to try something that would trigger the not enough memory error again. It started when I tried to install Bejeweled 2 from Amazon Apps. I've since given up for several reasons:

1)I can't come to terms with always having the Amazon App connected online any time I want to play a game I installed from them.
2) I have strong suspicions of bloatware on the part of EA. The Bejeweled 2 installation file for Android is over 45 MB. When you consider that Bejeweled 2 for PC is around 10 MB, it makes no sense. I take offense any time a vendor thinks they can load other apps in addition to the one I bought.
3) I had previously installed EA Scrabble and did find EA bloatware on my Novel after the fact, that I never agreed to.

If I hadn't gotten involved in trying to resolve the memory problems, I had planned on waiting for a firmware upgrade that would have gone past 2.1, so I could take advantage of installing from the external. I really like using my Novel daily for reading and browsing.

Which card was in at the time? (4GB or 8GB)
This line "Internal 197 MB, 105 MB free" is troubling to me. It has to be the limiting factor on app installs.
But this line "Internal storage 3.47 Gb available" (if you have the 4GB, it must be seeing all of it somehow, if 8GB, then which half is is reporting?)
I assume you have the 8GB in, if so, could you repeat it with the 4GB?
Or can you tell me what app/process you used to create/view that info?
I ordered a 8GB card for the heck of it via eBay for $5 shipped, and will try with it when it comes.

[Pioneer4x4]

I just thought of something. Has anyone tried installing a couple hundred meg of apps to the original card with Kewlguy's installed?
maybe it doesn't work at all, and the bigger cards have nothing to do with it? (this other than the 32GB issue with empty partition)

[momcat1]

Pioneer4x4, on 27 February 2012 - 06:38 AM, said:

Which card was in at the time? (4GB or 8GB)
This line "Internal 197 MB, 105 MB free" is troubling to me. It has to be the limiting factor on app installs.
But this line "Internal storage 3.47 Gb available" (if you have the 4GB, it must be seeing all of it somehow, if 8GB, then which half is is reporting?)
I assume you have the 8GB in, if so, could you repeat it with the 4GB?
Or can you tell me what app/process you used to create/view that info?
I ordered a 8GB card for the heck of it via eBay for $5 shipped, and will try with it when it comes.

OK, with the 4 GB internal

Titanium reports
System ROM 209 MB, 65.0 MB free
Internal 197 MB, 99.2 MB free
SD 4.03 GB, 1.94 GB free
123 Alps

System reports
Total space 3.76 GB
SD available 1.81 GB
Internal available 1.88 GB

This is with the same 4 GB external, I didn't reinstall anything, so the internal is as I last used it.

[panengineer]

Pioneer4x4, on 27 February 2012 - 07:13 AM, said:

I just thought of something. Has anyone tried installing a couple hundred meg of apps to the original card with Kewlguy's installed?
maybe it doesn't work at all, and the bigger cards have nothing to do with it? (this other than the 32GB issue with empty partition)

Didn't you see the apps in the partition on 4 gb cards and not see the apps in the partition on larger than 4 gb cards?

I haven't installed but a 2 gb internal card and haven't had a problem putting whatever apps I wanted on so far. I had 3 pages of apps at one time, but since re-dong my whole system about a month ago, I only have about a page of apps at this time.

Pandigital later sold the white novel in black clothing with a 2 gb internal card, and some of the other black novels came with 4 gb internal cards I believe, but of couse they are running entirely different firmware.

I think if the apps are getting installed there and run, and the storage is reported as about helf the internal card, then you can assume you can fill it up with apps. However, if you want to install a whole lot of apps and test it with the 4 gb card, please report back your findings.

[Pioneer4x4]

I haven't had much time, but my 8GB card came in. I installed it, and re-flashed. The default apps worked.
So I assumed that it created 2 4GB FAT16 partitions and confirmed that FAT16 would work. BUT, I put the card in my PC and it had 2 FAT32 PARTITIONS! It had folders and the .apk files in correct partitions. So now I am confused why the 32 won't work, maybe cluster size or something odd. I still need to test the 8GB to be sure, but it seems fine.
AND Momcat1 reported out of space with 4Gb and 8GB cards.

[panengineer]

Pioneer4x4, on 01 March 2012 - 06:12 AM, said:

I haven't had much time, but my 8GB card came in. I installed it, and re-flashed. The default apps worked.
So I assumed that it created 2 4GB FAT16 partitions and confirmed that FAT16 would work. BUT, I put the card in my PC and it had 2 FAT32 PARTITIONS! It had folders and the .apk files in correct partitions. So now I am confused why the 32 won't work, maybe cluster size or something odd. I still need to test the 8GB to be sure, but it seems fine.
AND Momcat1 reported out of space with 4Gb and 8GB cards.

Are you trying all of these flashes with stock SH20 3/2 FW?

[Pioneer4x4]

panengineer, on 01 March 2012 - 08:05 PM, said:

Are you trying all of these flashes with stock SH20 3/2 FW?

No I tried with both stock and kewlguy's. Typically just kewlguy's though, if it doesn't work there I don't want it, and will not just run on stock anyway.
But most of the testing I did with the 32 and the 4 cards were multiple times with both FWs. I have installed some more apps and it seems to be writing to internal sd card's second partition. Basically all of the files that show up in ES File Explorer under "data\app" are what is on that partition. I will have a lot more time to putz with it this weekend. I may try copying partitions from the 8GB card to the 32GB card and see if I expand them. I will check the cluster size on them first, and try to mimic that.

[panengineer]

Pioneer4x4, on 02 March 2012 - 07:17 PM, said:

No I tried with both stock and kewlguy's. Typically just kewlguy's though, if it doesn't work there I don't want it, and will not just run on stock anyway.
But most of the testing I did with the 32 and the 4 cards were multiple times with both FWs. I have installed some more apps and it seems to be writing to internal sd card's second partition. Basically all of the files that show up in ES File Explorer under "data\app" are what is on that partition. I will have a lot more time to putz with it this weekend. I may try copying partitions from the 8GB card to the 32GB card and see if I expand them. I will check the cluster size on them first, and try to mimic that.

Kewlguy's FW is just the 3/2 stock with all of the enhancements that got put on slatedroid over the months. All of them can be applied one at a time on top of the stock FW from flashes in his SD card enhancement thread via flashable files or applied via adb. I was just wondering if something might have got changed in his FW file that wasn't in stock since you said you got Fat16 partitions one time and Fat32 partitions another time.

[Pioneer4x4]

panengineer, on 02 March 2012 - 07:27 PM, said:

Kewlguy's FW is just the 3/2 stock with all of the enhancements that got put on slatedroid over the months. All of them can be applied one at a time on top of the stock FW from flashes in his SD card enhancement thread via flashable files or applied via adb. I was just wondering if something might have got changed in his FW file that wasn't in stock since you said you got Fat16 partitions one time and Fat32 partitions another time.

I don't think I said I ever got FAT16 then FAT32 from the same card, if I did, that was an error.
Here is what I get every time on these cards.
1GB 2xFAT16 works (Factory card, it better!)
4GB 2xFAT16 works
8GB 2xFAT32 works
32GB 2xFAT32 does not work, second partition will not format, nothing gets written to it.

[panengineer]

Pioneer4x4, on 03 March 2012 - 07:18 AM, said:

I don't think I said I ever got FAT16 then FAT32 from the same card, if I did, that was an error.
Here is what I get every time on these cards.
1GB 2xFAT16 works (Factory card, it better!)
4GB 2xFAT16 works
8GB 2xFAT32 works
32GB 2xFAT32 does not work, second partition will not format, nothing gets written to it.

I never said that either. You could have used stock FW when you flashed the 8 gb card and Kewlguy FW when you flashed the 32 gb card.

And even if you recreate and format that 2nd partition on the 32 gb card with another software it doesn't work?

[Pioneer4x4]

panengineer, on 03 March 2012 - 04:37 PM, said:

And even if you recreate and format that 2nd partition on the 32 gb card with another software it doesn't work?

If I don't re-create the partition, other software "acts" like it is formatting and then formatted, but when I refresh, it shows unformated again.
If I recreate the partition, it will format, but the Novel mucks it up again.

BTW, I got an app called "DiskUsage" and it directly shows what is in all of the partions on both cards, and free space.
With a 8GB Internal and a 4GB External, it currently shows

"App Storage" 254MB (Currently with ONLY 90MB free) <-- This must be the source of all our app install space issues.
"\PD_Novel" 3789MB (Currently with TONS free)
"\data\app" 3788MB (Currently with TONS free)
"\SD_Card" 3925MB (Currently with TONS free)

When you look at each partition, it shows you what is in there based on space used.
The "App Storage mapps to the "Data" partition! And I have about ½ of my apps installed there. (Not intentionally!)

SO I now Ass-u-me that is where the problem is. That is where we are running out of space, even with large cards.

We need to either move apps from "App Storage" to "\data\app" or force them to install there in the first place.

p.s. this is all independant of the 32 not working...

This post has been edited by Pioneer4x4: 04 March 2012 - 09:45 AM

[panengineer]

Pioneer4x4, on 04 March 2012 - 09:44 AM, said:

If I don't re-create the partition, other software "acts" like it is formatting and then formatted, but when I refresh, it shows unformated again.
If I recreate the partition, it will format, but the Novel mucks it up again.

BTW, I got an app called "DiskUsage" and it directly shows what is in all of the partions on both cards, and free space.
With a 8GB Internal and a 4GB External, it currently shows

"App Storage" 254MB (Currently with ONLY 90MB free) <-- This must be the source of all our app install space issues.
"\PD_Novel" 3789MB (Currently with TONS free)
"\data\app" 3788MB (Currently with TONS free)
"\SD_Card" 3925MB (Currently with TONS free)

When you look at each partition, it shows you what is in there based on space used.
The "App Storage mapps to the "Data" partition! And I have about ½ of my apps installed there. (Not intentionally!)

SO I now Ass-u-me that is where the problem is. That is where we are running out of space, even with large cards.

We need to either move apps from "App Storage" to "\data\app" or force them to install there in the first place.

p.s. this is all independant of the 32 not working...

That information confuses me, so you are running out of memory for apps even on the 8 gb card because your apps are going to app storage, which I believe is internal memory, instead of onto the data\app partition where they are suppose to go in SH20 firmware?

I have no problems with a 2 gb internal card running out of application storage. As far as I know installed apps are going to data\app, but I haven't really felt the need to install something to look as I haven't experienced any problems.

[Pioneer4x4]

panengineer, on 04 March 2012 - 10:40 AM, said:

That information confuses me, so you are running out of memory for apps even on the 8 gb card because your apps are going to app storage, which I believe is internal memory, instead of onto the data\app partition where they are suppose to go in SH20 firmware?

I have no problems with a 2 gb internal card running out of application storage. As far as I know installed apps are going to data\app, but I haven't really felt the need to install something to look as I haven't experienced any problems.

Hmm, they all seem to be duplicate listings.
ALmost like only the .apk file is in \data\app, and there is Data and .apk in the "App Storage". So the "App Storage" is actually taking up more space.
If you get a chance try out DiskUsage app and see if you see the same thing.

[panengineer]

Pioneer4x4, on 04 March 2012 - 11:57 AM, said:

Hmm, they all seem to be duplicate listings.
ALmost like only the .apk file is in \data\app, and there is Data and .apk in the "App Storage". So the "App Storage" is actually taking up more space.
If you get a chance try out DiskUsage app and see if you see the same thing.

Try searching for something on that. I believe I read where someone mentioned something about duplicate app files in another post. Leave it up to Pandigital to really muck things up with the storage card and app space. If I get some time to waste away, I might look at what I have. But since I don't know how to change it since I'm not a developer, my only recourse would likely be to an S10 based FW, but I think the apps would be limited to installing to the memory there.

[momcat1]

Pioneer4x4, on 04 March 2012 - 09:44 AM, said:

If I don't re-create the partition, other software "acts" like it is formatting and then formatted, but when I refresh, it shows unformated again.
If I recreate the partition, it will format, but the Novel mucks it up again.

BTW, I got an app called "DiskUsage" and it directly shows what is in all of the partions on both cards, and free space.
With a 8GB Internal and a 4GB External, it currently shows

"App Storage" 254MB (Currently with ONLY 90MB free) <-- This must be the source of all our app install space issues.
"\PD_Novel" 3789MB (Currently with TONS free)
"\data\app" 3788MB (Currently with TONS free)
"\SD_Card" 3925MB (Currently with TONS free)

When you look at each partition, it shows you what is in there based on space used.
The "App Storage mapps to the "Data" partition! And I have about ½ of my apps installed there. (Not intentionally!)

SO I now Ass-u-me that is where the problem is. That is where we are running out of space, even with large cards.

We need to either move apps from "App Storage" to "\data\app" or force them to install there in the first place.

p.s. this is all independant of the 32 not working...

That's what I was getting at, too. So there must be some line in configuration that's directing it to do this. So, all those others threads that explained the internal memory was such a simple thing, were not correct. I'm not a Linux guru, only play a little, but maybe one of our resident gurus can find it.

[Pioneer4x4]

momcat1, on 04 March 2012 - 06:36 PM, said:

That's what I was getting at, too. So there must be some line in configuration that's directing it to do this. So, all those others threads that explained the internal memory was such a simple thing, were not correct. I'm not a Linux guru, only play a little, but maybe one of our resident gurus can find it.

This is getting interesting and frustrating to me. I may even start over again with the factory 1GB card and see if the same thing happens.