Instead of moving all applications to SD card with app2sd, I want to move only selected applications.
Because I don't want to move my launcher, soft keyboard and dialer application to SD and make them unavaliable on boot if my SD card has problem or not inserted.
In order to resolve this I developed an application called Link2SD.
The idea behind is same, linking to SD card's second partition but differs in two ways.
One, instead of linking /data/app folder (that means moving all applications), you can select the applications that you want to move.
Two, it's an application which means has a user interface. You can manage your applications, create or remove links with just few clicks.
It also provides native apps2sd features on Android 2.2 and higher. Plus, it can move any non-protected user apps to SD card (force move), with batch moving capability.
That feature uses Android's standard SD-card installation feature and does not require a second partition. It can break some apps if they are not meant to be moved to the SD card (Such as Widgets).
Features:
- Create and remove link for apk, dex and lib files of the applications you select
- Automatically link newly installed apps
- Move any user apps to SD even though the app does not support moving to SD (for Android 2.2 and higher)
- Shows the apps that support moving to SD with native apps2sd (for Android 2.2 and higher)
- Set the default install location of the apps; auto, internal, or external (for Android 2.2 and higher)
- Batch link, unlink, reinstall, uninstall, "move to SD", "move to phone" functions (multi-select mode)
- Uninstall system applications
- Freeze and un-freeze system and users applications
- Convert system apps into user apps
- Convert user apps into system apps
- Integrate "Updated" system apps into system (ROM)
- Clear data and cache of the application
- Clear all apps cache at once (1-tap cache cleaner without being root)
- List applications, show detailed size information and link status
- Sort and filter applications
- Search applications by name
- Display available space information of internal storage, SD card and SD card 2nd partition
What you need for linking applications:
- root permission
- a second partition on your SD card. You should have two partitions on SD card and both should be primary
The first FAT partition is your standard SD card storage. The second partition is used for application files and can be ext2, ext3, ext4 or FAT32.
ext4 is the latest ext format but several ROMs have issues with it while fewer have issues with ext3 and ext2. FAT works on all ROMs.
I use free "MiniTool Partition Wizard Home Edition" (windows application) for this.
You can create the second partition without repartitioning, formatting or deleting your existing partition with this tool. Connect your SD card to PC with a card reader or phone itself and make it visible as a drive. Open Minitool select this drive and resize down FAT partition, you will see an unallocated area at the end of the card. Create ext2, ext3 or FAT32 partition in that area (create as primary, not logical), click apply. Unplug from the PC and reboot the phone. (To be on the safe side backup your SD card data before starting)[/LIST]- That's all. Just install Link2SD, it will do all necessary. No need to copy files or run scripts.*
* Some phones lack the ext2, ext3 or ext4 file system support and you may get mount errors like "no such device", "invalid argument". These phones need a matching ext2.ko or ext3.ko modules and even some additional modules to be able to mount.
Using FAT32 on the second partition will eleminate such problems, because FAT32 is supported on all phones.
How it works:
Link2SD mounts the second partition of your SD card as /data/sdext2 and makes OS mounts it at boot time.
When you select an application and press "Create Link" button you can select which files of the application will be linked and moved to SD card. Apk, dex and lib files can be moved and you can select all three or any two of three or even only one of them.
Depending on what you select, Link2SD moves apk file, dalvik-cache (.dex) file and lib files (.so) to SD card's second partition and creates symbolic links in original directories.
Note: On Android 1.6 and 2.1, shortcut and the widget of the app should be re-added to homescreen if you move the apk file.
Can I remove the links and put application files back to phone?
Yes, just click on application that is linked and press "Remove Link" button. You can select which files of the application will be unlinked and moved back to internal storage.
Then, Link2SD removes the symbolic links and moves the files you selected to original directories.
What happens if I uninstall or update a linked application?
If you uninstall a linked application apk, dex and lib files will be automatically deleted from the SD card by Link2SD.
If you update a linked application new apk, dex and lib files will be placed in the internal memory at first and then they will be automatically relinked by Link2SD in the background.
You don't have to manually relink after updating applications.
Note: Since the app is linked again, On Android 1.6 and 2.1, shortcut and the widget of the app should be re-added to homescreen if the apk file is linked
Some points
- System applications should not be linked to SD card. Link2SD does not allow these applications to be linked.
- When you connect your phone to PC as mass storage, Android unmounts FAT partition but the second partition remains mounted. Therefore linked applications are not affected and can be run without problems.
- Link2SD does not move application's private data directory; it moves apk, dex (dalvik-cache) and lib files.
Link2SD is avaliable in the following languages
English, Turkish, German, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Portuguese Brazilian, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Thai, Ukrainian, Japanese, Chinese Traditional, Chinese Simplified, French, Arabic, Bulgarian, Czec, Serbian, Indonesian, Dutch, Vietnamese, Greek, Slovenian.
If you want to help in translating Link2SD into other languages please send me an email.
DISCLAIMER: It is made available for use at your own risk with no warranty of any kind.
It's avaliable on Google Play, search for "Link2SD".
For more info and FAQ see the following site.
http://www.link2sd.info
UPDATE:
2.0.4
- fixed relink lib bug introduced in 2.0.3
- added Catalan and Macedonian translations
- updated some translations
2.0.3
- fixed force close at startup on some devices
- updated translations
2.0.2
- fixed bug in obtaining root access on some devices
- updated translations
2.0.1
- added the ability to convert system apps into user apps
- added the ability to convert user apps into system apps
- added "Updated" mark to show if the app has been install as an update to a system (built-in) app
- added "Updated" filter option
- added the ability to integrate "Updated" system apps into system
- fixed freeze/unfreeze bug on some ICS devices
- improved ICS compatibility
- optimized link/unlink/move operations and speed improvements
- some fixes and UI tweaks
1.9.13
- added an option to change language in application settings
- fixed bug in "Storage info" that displays incorrect values if the partition is >1GB on some devices
1.9.12
- changed a2sd checking
1.9.11
- fixed "Mount warning" issue on some devices that do not have operational init scripts to mount 2nd partition at boot, e.g. new Samsung Gingerbread roms
** if you have this problem run "Recreate mount scripts" from the menu after installing the new version of Link2SD
- added Basque translation
- some fixes and tweaks
1.9.10
- fixed some issues on Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
- added Greek and Slovenian translations
- updated some translations
- some minor fixes and tweaks
1.9.9
- fixed bug in recognizing the second partition on some devices
- updated some translations
1.9.8
- fixed bug in setting install location option
- updated some translations
1.9.7
- moved filter and sort functions from menu to title bar
- added an indicator icon which shows the apps that can be moved to SD with native apps2sd (a small icon in upper right corner, for Android 2.2 and higher)
- added "Movable" filter option which lists the apps that support moving to SD with native apps2sd (for Android 2.2 and higher)
- added "Clear data" to clear user data from the app
- added "Clear cache" to clear the app cache
- added "Cache size" sort option
- added ability to clear cache on all apps at once
- added "View in Market" for applications
- added an option to turn "auto link notification" off
- added Dutch, Serbian, Indonesian, Vietnamese translation
- fixed bug in recognizing the 2nd partition on some devices
- updated some translations
- some minor fixes and tweaks
1.9.6
- added Japanese, Chinese Simplified, French, Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech translation
- updated some translations
- added "Translation Credits" to the About page
1.9.5
- fixed freeze/unfreeze bug on some devices
- added Chinese Traditional, German, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Portuguese Brazilian, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Thai, Ukrainian translation
- added an option to use English language instead of system language
1.9.4
- added ability to freeze and unfreeze the user and system applications
- added "Frozen" filter option
- added ability to search applications by name, activated from the menu or search button
- some minor fixes and tweaks
1.9.3
- added "Recreate mount scripts" menu to recreate mount scripts manually when you change fs type or rom
- fixed bugs in "Quick reboot" and setting "Install location" on some devices
- some minor fixes and tweaks
1.9.2:
- added "Dex size" and "Total size" sort options
- some bugfixes
1.9.1:
- fixed FC on some devices
1.9.0:
- added native apps2sd function with batch capability (for Android 2.2 and higher)
** moves any user apps to SD even though the app does not support moving to SD
- added option to set the default install location of the apps; auto, internal, or external (for Android 2.2 and higher)
- added workaround for Roms that do not have install-recovery.sh and init.d scripts to mount 2nd partition at boot, e.g. new Samsung GB roms
** mounts after system finishes booting and you need to perform 'Quick reboot'
- new and safer 'Quick reboot' method
- added context menu to app list (activated on a long press)
- added option for automatic relinking of library files at boot
- added "on SD card" and "on internal" filter options
- added applications count to the title
- some UI changes
1.8.0
- changed the method for determining external storage to support devices that have more than one external storage (MMC and SD)
- added ability to uninstall system applications
- added batch (multi-select) reinstalling
- added batch (multi-select) uninstalling
- added "Relink library files" menu which relinks all the lib files that get unlinked after reboot
- removed "Market Fix" menu
- added "fast scroll thumb" option to quickly scroll through the app list
- added "Data size" to sort options
- some bugfixes
1.7.0
- added batch linking and unlinking (multi-select mode)
- some bugfixes
1.6.2
- fixed force close on application startup on some devices
1.6.1
- added horizontal screen orientation support
- added "Link dalvik-cache files" menu back
- improved loading and scrolling performance of the app list
- added cache size to app list
- fixed "Storage Info" bug on Android 2.3
- better CM7 support
Known issue:
* library files get unlinked after reboot on Android 2.3 and sometimes on 2.1 and 2.2. (PackageManager unpacks all native libraries from the apk files at boot)
1.6.0
- added option to link library (.so) files along with apk and dex files
- added automatic linking option for the new installed apps
- added ability to link/unlink apk, dex and lib files separately
- added '->' linked indicator to Apk, Dex and Lib labels
- added lib file size and link status information
- added lib size to sort options
- some bugfixes
1.5.5
- changed link creation, reboot is not required on Android 1.6 and 2.1 anymore
1.5.4
- added notification to status bar for automatic re-linking after app update
- added "reboot required" notification to status bar after linking app on Android 1.6 and 2.1
- some bugfixes
1.5.3
- changed menu name from "Quick Restart" to "Quick Reboot"
1.5.2
- added "Quick Restart" menu, cuts boot time
- added "Clean up the dalvik-cache" menu
- added "Clean up the 2nd partition" menu
- added ability to link updated system apps (that are located in /data/app)
- optimized refreshing of the app list after linking
- changed App2sd checking
- added support in detecting and mounting the second partition for some roms
- some bugfixes
1.5.1
- fixed background message
1.5.0
- added ext3, ext4 and FAT32 support for the second partition of SD card
- added refresh menu
- added "Not Linked" filter option
- changed App2sd checking
- added support in linking protected (/data/app-private) apps
- added support in detecting and mounting the second partition for some roms
- some bugfixes
1.4.2
- disabled automatic Market status fix after linking
1.4.1
- added option to link dalvik-cache (.dex) files along with apk files
- added automatic re-linking after app upgrade
- added automatic deleting from SD card after app uninstall
- added "Reinstall" button
- added "Link dalvik-cache files" menu which links dex files of all existing linked applications all at once
- added automatic Market status fix after linking
- better froyo support
- added dex file size and link status information
1.3.1
- added support in detecting and mounting ext2 partition for some roms
- some minor bugfixes
1.3.0
- added uninstall feature which deletes apk file also from ext2 for linked apps
- added launch and manage buttons
- added detailed size information of applications
- added support in detecting and mounting ext2 partition for some roms
- some minor bugfixes
1.2.1
- added info message to show which applications have been repaired after "Market Fix"
1.2.0
- added "Market Fix" feature to repair missing Market applications
- added support in detecting and mounting ext2 partition for some roms
- removed "ext2 found" info message at startup
- some minor bugfixes
1.0.5
- added support for some roms which install-recovery.sh is not operational
- added ext2.ko module installation on boot (if exists) for Motorola phones
1.0.4
- changed mount method at startup to be much safer
- some minor bugfixes
1.0.3
- initial release
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