[namko]

DISCLAIMER: Although there is very low probability of any sort of damage by this patch, incorrectly modifying your system may render your tablet unusable. PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK.

This patch allows fully automatic mounting of NTFS (and FAT) formatted external drives, by modifying the volume daemon (vold) for android (without breaking OTG). NOTE that NTFS volumes are mounted read-only. Also, I haven't been able to get the NTFS-3G driver working yet (if it works it will allow both reads and writes).

The "NTFS Automount.zip" contains two files, one is "vold" which is to be copied over to /system/bin/vold (first stop the existing vold using "stop vold" on ADB). The second file is "ntfs.ko" which is the NTFS driver and should be placed in /system/utmodules or /system/modules, whichever directory exists, depepnding on the ROM you are using. This vold app should work with all new ROMs (i.e. ROMS having new kernels). If for some reason it doesn't work, try the older vold by weeds2000 (on XDA).

The source code can be found in "Vold Source.zip".

Credits:
Well, it began with this thread which mentioned of a module to get NTFS working (manual mounting). The NTFS module used here (with the debugging information stripped to reduce size) is by Lubo. The vold modification is based from weeds2000's source code (from XDA). Thank you guys.

View attachment NTFS Automount.zip
View attachment Vold Source.zip

 

[namko]

Instructions for building the source code:

• Download the Android source code (atleast upto Gingerbread 2.3). Complete instructions for downloading the entire source code can be found here.
• Copy over the new "vold" folder over the existing one (replacing existing files).
• Build vold. Follow the usual sequence for building Android except for the last make command (use mm to build some projects not everything):
  

  . build/envsetup.sh<br />
  lunch full-userdebug<br />
  mm vold

These instructions might work for other components (you may have to select a different target using lunch or make a new target) and other versions of Android (just get the "correct" version).

 

[namko]

Request sticky.

 

[Dave.S]

Hello namko,

Pinned as requested, and I would suggest that you add a warning and disclaimer so users, once again, be very careful making modification.

Dave,

 

[namko]

Thank you. I have noted your comment on the Tsunami thread as well.

 

[10109090]

many many thanks

 

[Acrobat]

for us that have never used ADB, would you be willing to share instructions on how to stop vold?

thanks!

 

[namko]

First use this command to backup existing vold:

adb shell cp vold vold_old

One of these set of commands should work:

adb shell stop vold<br />
adb push vold /system/bin<br />
adb push ntfs.ko /system/utmodules<br />
adb reboot<br />

adb shell stop vold<br />
adb push vold /system/bin<br />
adb push ntfs.ko /system/modules<br />
adb reboot

Rebooting is necessary; otherwise vold may not work properly.
If you want to revert to old vold use this:

adb shell stop vold<br />
adb shell mv /system/bin/vold_old /system/bin/vold<br />
adb reboot<br />

 

[steev]

Good work namko.

Would you mind if I include this in the next Alldro2? (You'll get credit of course)
I think it is better than the app I was using before.

 

[Acrobat]

Good work namko.

Would you mind if I include this in the next Alldro2? (You'll get credit of course)
I think it is better than the app I was using before.

Ooh I would love it if this feature was built into your ROM!

Sent from: This ROM isn't the only thing I've flashed today...

 

[steev]

Ooh I would love it if this feature was built into your ROM!

Sent from: This ROM isn't the only thing I've flashed today...

For those who need NTFS support, I'm curious to know what you use it for and if write support is important?

I'm guessing most people just want to load media files from a NTFS hard drive and write support isn't that important, but I could be wrong.

 

[namko]

Yes, steev you can include it. In fact the purpose for making it was for it to be included in ROMs.

PS I too mostly use NTFS for read-only purposes (as you said, media is one of them). And I prefer this particular RO driver because (I believe) it's a 2G kernel-space driver (it does have limited write functionality) and better performance than the user-space 3G driver (the one that comes with fuse.ko)

 

[Loonix]

The current 'vold' is sadly incompatible with symbeans 2.3.7 and its custom roms.
If i use it i can access neither the internal nor the external SD card.

 

[namko]

No idea why it's incompatible... maybe Symbean could integrate the NTFS functionality from the source code of this vold into his 2.3.7 ROM? This vold was build from a 2.3 release.

 

[sumanx]

Loonix said

The current 'vold' is sadly incompatible with symbeans 2.3.7 and its custom roms.
If i use it i can access neither the internal nor the external SD card.

I am facing the same problem on GingerIce 1.2 . I followed the same instructions, but neither internal SD not external SD cards work. They refuse to mount. They are not even recognised in the Settings. So I tried to restore it back. Instead of renaming the original vold, and backing it up, I overwrote(since I had vold from the original ROM). I tried to push vold(from the original ROM) to /system/bin and then rebooting, but that didn't work. Please help..

P.S. I have the camera fix utscript file in the internal sd card and can't flash from the external sd card!! So, it is absolutely essential that I can access the sd card. Also, the notification bar has disappeared

. So, cannot even try to access SD Card from Computer (since I cannot enable USB Storage)!!!!!!

 

[Alex Lo]

thank you very much

 

[drsooraj]

The current 'vold' is sadly incompatible with symbeans 2.3.7 and its custom roms.
If i use it i can access neither the internal nor the external SD card.

yes .. i too tried on ginger ice..it now not detecting internal and external sd..
The alldro2 1.4 rom did mount my ntfs external hardrive 500 gb out of the box..!!

 

[namko]

The vold app is picked up from Android 2.3 sources; newer ones may be different to cause trouble.
This issue is on Symbean's Android 2.3.7 release as well. I must add that Alldro2 too uses the same vold and NTFS modules posted here; it integrates them.
So, all I can say is that it works; but is incompatible with some firmwares. I'll look into this later.

 

[drsooraj]

@namko
yes..thats okay bro..no hurry for a fix on ntfs....please continue ur current work on the new kernel..patiently waiting for an alpha image release

 

[steev]

Hey Namko,

My A10 tablet has a vold that supports NTFS and Exfat (both rw)

I think this is the source code if you want to check it out:
https://github.com/allwinnerwk/platform_system_vold

And here are the files pulled from my tablet (untested on C8):
http://minus.com/myJabvE4a/1f