[Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

i have found a 10MB file in root FS (im pretty sure it is)

/usr/lib/microb-engine/libxul.so
microB engine file??


also a file thats 17MB!!
usr/lib/locale/locale-archive



im gonna try moving them to /home/opt/ and make symlinks
see how i go, done it with another file libQtUi...... (got 3MB back doing this)
i was around 90% RFS used !!!!!!!! :eek:

moving 3 files i went from 90% used to 81% used
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.
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Re: MicroB - NOT optimised?? N900
 

Plz do that and report back... so I can do it too... btw the symlink code is: ls -s path/file.type /opt/path/file.type?

Re: MicroB - NOT optimised?? N900
 

the word is unoptified, and keeping that file at rootfs probably gives noticeable speed increase versus slow 32gb partition.

Re: MicroB - NOT optimised?? N900
 

im symlinking using ssh over wifi with pc (however you put it)

thanks.

not sure if im correct with this.......

anyone know what folder(s) need to be as empty as possible

Re: MicroB - NOT optimised?? N900
 

according to Desktop Command Widget

i had 87% used after moving libqt.....

moved other 2 files, rebooted now i have 81% used.....

not 100% sure if its from what i did, but i did install lots of games today which filled my rfs to 100%, then i started symlinking files, now i have 81% used :D

oh, and moving/symlinking the files didnt break my device and i didnt notice any delays in loading in the OS or microB......................

Re: MicroB - NOT optimised?? N900
 

Ironically, you made your thread title true (MicroB not optimized) by making your intended thread title not true (MicroB not optified). :D

I'll change it for you, though.

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

I personally freed around 40-50 MB by moving /var/lib/apt, /var/lib/dpkg and /var/cache/apt out of the way (move them to /home and make symbolic links).

Details here

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

if you do what ive done plus the above you'll get even more space

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

Yes, no problem.

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

question: you need the empty space for what?

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

to keep root fs from getting full, which im guessing will improve device performance ??????

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

I didn't even notice that my rootfs was full, no affect to device performance.

and there are better ways to keep rootfs from getting full, for example not install all unoptified apps at the same time to device.

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

did this and went from 81% to 65% free!!!!!!!

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

whats the point of having a $700 (give or take) powerful mobile computer with 32GB of on board storage with all the features and functions it has (and will have) if you cant USE it?????

why????????????

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

because you don't understand a thing about things you are talking now.

I am no psychiatric but I'd still say you are neurotic about rootfs's free space.

e: and why you don't want to use your million times faster 256mb storage at all?

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

im no psychiatrist either but i'd still say you are neurotic about something also, as you've clearly had a problem with me ever since i started posting in the maemo talk threads. or, are you just that way generally??

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

haha :D

"you dont like me" -card.

e: and just to be clear: I've criticized your plagiates etc, the problem has been you with your "open source means i can copypaste everything I want and act that I have done it myself" -attitude. sorry, it's my fault I dont understand that you can bend the rules and good manners as much you want.

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

E.g: you needed at least 45 MB of free rootfs for the last PR1.1 firmware upgrade OTA. That is one reason for me to keep my roots always under 80%, and maybe f2thak thinks the same thing.

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

just what i thought.......


you are exactly like a boy a went to school with, who as it turned out was very similar to me personality wise. at the start we were arch enemies but after a year or so, we were good mates.... :rolleyes:

edit: and ive never acted as ive done those things myself, i was merely sharing - and in turn - learning new things.......:p

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

one can always choose not to install stuff from dev, and in any way one must remove dev & testing stuff before SSU update in order to get the update installed with app manager.

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

Why do you have to remove them before FOTA?
I've never done that, I prefer have a definitive solution for having free space on rootfs.

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

in order to resolve conflicts that dev & testing packages cause to updates.

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

True for dev, but I've never found a conflict with a testing app.
And I've never installed a dev app as well! :D

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

To anyone thinking this thread is a "solution" to space on rootfs:

1. There's a reason things are where they are, be it for system speed or other considerations. If you do these mods, at the very least you'll be unable to successfully receive OTA updates and will need to manually install, then reconfigure the changes again. Or worse could happen.

2. There's a reason software is still in extras-devel and not moved to at least extras-testing. Not being optified for Maemo 5 is just one of them. For instance, like ossipena said, they may cause other problems like dependency resolution, particularly when updating. Anything from devel should only be used by those willing and able to fix their device when devel stuff breaks it.

3. If you have a space problem on rootfs, the only real solution is to uninstall the stuff using it up or, if you're really good, optify the offending software yourself.

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

That's why I've never installed any of the devel apps and I've never optified somewhat myself (except for non-system apps and the boot video).

Thanks Crashdamage for pointing out all these things.

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

i do see your point, but i always start fresh when new (major) updates come out anyway.............:rolleyes:

each to their own

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

Is there a way to find out which app was installed from -devel or -testing repository?

Is there a way to find out how much rootfs is used by a package/app when you already have it installed?

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

There are several ways to do that from X-Term, but what I suggest to you is using Storage Usage and its packages scan feature.

Just install it from the Extras repository and use the packages scan, you will immediately know what are the not-optified packages (red packages) and how much they occupy in your rootfs.

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

Not that I know of, no. The metadata around installed apps doesn't seem to include the originating repository.

You can use StorageUsage as I've explained here. There's also a number of perl scripts around to do this sort of thing - the ones I modified and use can be found here - there's some documentation in the zip file.

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

whoah!

I had to check the top of the page after that one. I thought I may have fallen into an iphone forum there for a minute...

Busting the "manufacturer knows best" attitude is half of what this forum is all about, isn't it?

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

Let's not burn straw people. Being allowed to do something and it being a good idea are two different things. He didn't say not to do it, he just pointed out (rightfully) that a lot of consideration has been made by the developers of which files should go on the much faster root flash memory.

I apparently wasn't clear enough in my joke back on page one that in fixing his "optification" problem, he was breaking the "optimization" solution. The unwillingness of the OP to recognize the hints led to the argument with ossipena, who could have been more specific as Crashdamage finally was, but was saying the same thing between the lines.

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

You can copy the /usr-folder to eMMC and use it instead of the one on the NAND (with mount --bind for example). Only some files are needed to boot, so don't delete the one on the NAND. Booting is a bit slower, but you won't feel any difference in general speed of the device. There is a usefull thread: "Repartition the internal drive" which contains very good instructions from Ruskie...

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

very very interesting post!
really thanks to all.
just a dubt: better way is uninstall all apps coming from extra dev&test (red packages in Storage Usage) or "Repartition the internal drive" as says mankir?

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

First of all, not all red packages are non-optified. The app sets in red all files that are not in /home/opt which is wrong. OpenTTD, e.g., has files set in non-opt locations, but the actual files are symlinked if you take the time to look carefully.

Second of all, the solutions you mention are not equivalent. Uninstalling stuff you don't really need is by the book, repartitioning breaks the compatibility with all other devices and might require you to -say- reflash the device to get a system update or break something in unforseen ways. One is for people who already know the answer. I hate to say this because other people were more helpful to me than I am to you, but repartitioning is a but like the root account. If you have to ask, you shouldn't be there doing stuff.

Thirdly, there is one heck of a difference between theory and practice. In theory, one should be able to install all apps ever built, because the root is not used and the install can be expanded, symlinked, heck, even mounted off-site via internet, storing apps on a PC. In practice, however, even optified apps have SOME data on the root, for performance reasons, not-that-much-anyway reasons, etc. If you ran out of space, you are either overdoing it or installed some bad, bad apps. If you don't feel like getting dirt all over you, perhaps a bit of a wait would do one good.

Finally, apps could depend on libs that are not optimized, versions that are obscure, etc. Not all sizes are apparent. E.g. Google Latitude is some 600K, but pulls several libs only it uses up to 6 MB and then the Qt4-webkit that is 17MB unoptimified, at a peak total of 24MB or so. Perhaps a single app could give you more back than all these experiments.

I'm hovering over 37 MB free with no effort. Estimates are around 60 with no risk (disable repositories, relocate non-critical files like boot screens, themes, slimming down apps like MC - BTW, did you know that the 6 MB MC can be slimmed down to 500K minus help files and localization?).

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

So you aren't nostalgic about the N800 and N810, where we could totally stop worrying about running out of space at all, and now everyone is talking about how they can save a few meg this way or that? You think maybe everyone was crazy back then?

I am pretty much stunned about this new situation and very surprised. I check my rootfs after practically every new program I install. I didn't have to do that with earlier tablets.

Re: [Maemo 5] Experiment: optifying MicroB
 

i've got mine slimmed down to 0K by uninstalling it. the terminal is all i need. :)