What is the purpose of folder /data/local? - Android Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

Hi all!
I was browsing the /data folder, looking for what the hell does eat up all my 420Mb on the Xperia Arc S partition.
I found that the folder /data/local contains copies of some *.apk files that also exists on /system/app with the exact same size!
Anyone know the purpose of this folder and if I can safely delete the apks inside it safely, without affecting their usage?
It is occupying 60Mb of space,,
Thanks!

/system/app - contains system apps
/data/app - contains user apps
/data/local - ? On my device, the /data/local folder is empty, save for 2 folders: download and tmp
Backup, erase. Don't like it? Restore.

post-mortem said:
/system/app - contains system apps
/data/app - contains user apps
/data/local - ? On my device, the /data/local folder is empty, save for 2 folders: download and tmp
Backup, erase. Don't like it? Restore.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the suggestion.
I have done this and so far no harm has come to the apps that were on /data/local.
If anything unusual happens I will restore with cwm.
I just got 60 Mb back on /data partition!

Related

[Q] Need detailed help to change application icons

It has been asked before... and I think I have the hang of some of it... BUT...
I have been modifying some of my app icons via xRecovery. The method I used was via 7zip and replaced the iconfiles through there... I have been using [FW 2.1.1.A.0.6] Black HTC Theme for X8/X10mini/pro ~XRECOVERY~ [UPDATE:11.03.2011] and the enclosed "app-update.zip" via xRecovery.
Now to my questions!
1: Where do I find my installed apps (apk´s) on the internal storage? I use RootExplorer and was thinking about copying apk´s to the memorycard and then transfer to my PC, modify them there
2: Can I use the "app-update.zip" method to all selected apps? For example... the App-update.zip" contains "SemcContacts.apk" and it workes fine to change this way... but can I just put "handcent.apk" or "Ndrive.apk" in the same "app-update.zip" without any problems?
I hope I have explained so you guys can understand what I´m talking about...
Best regards
Manneman, Sweden
1: "/system/app" and "/data/app"
2: if you do it with 7zip yeah it will work if you give them the same name and place in the app-update.zip
example you want to replace "com.blablabla.hey" in direction /data/app
you need to name the app "com.blablabla.hey" and in the app-update.zip it need to be placed in the dir /data/app
Hmmm... Ok, I found the *apk´s under "system/app"... no worries there. I just replace the png "CalendarProvider.apk" that represents the icon. via 7zip. After that I implement it with "app-update.zip"
"app-update.zip" contains two folders... META-INF and system. The system-folder contains the folder app witch has some apk´s... That these apk´s is coming from "system/app" on the internal storage I understand. So in order to install modified apk from "data/app" I have to create a folder in my apps-update that is named data/apps with my modified apk´s?
So in the end my "apps-update" will look like this:
apps-update.zip containing Folders META_INF, system and data coresponding to the apk´s I have changed...
All this will be done with 7zip without extracting anything....
Manneman32 said:
Hmmm... Ok, I found the *apk´s under "system/app"... no worries there. I just replace the png "CalendarProvider.apk" that represents the icon. via 7zip. After that I implement it with "app-update.zip"
"app-update.zip" contains two folders... META-INF and system. The system-folder contains the folder app witch has some apk´s... That these apk´s is coming from "system/app" on the internal storage I understand. So in order to install modified apk from "data/app" I have to create a folder in my apps-update that is named data/apps with my modified apk´s?
So in the end my "apps-update" will look like this:
apps-update.zip containing Folders META_INF, system and data coresponding to the apk´s I have changed...
All this will be done with 7zip without extracting anything....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yup your right BUT!
in META_INF if you click through all maps that are in there you will end up with a file called update-script
drag it on you desktop
open it with wordpad(!)
search this line "copy_dir PACKAGE:system SYSTEM:"
and paste this underneath it
"copy_dir PACKAGE:data DATA:"
without the quotes ofc
owain94 said:
yup your right BUT!
in META_INF if you click through all maps that are in there you will end up with a file called update-script
drag it on you desktop
open it with wordpad(!)
search this line "copy_dir PACKAGE:system SYSTEM:"
and paste this underneath it
"copy_dir PACKAGE:data DATA:"
without the quotes ofc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awww...sweet. That was just what I needed to hear. I was sure that something like that had to be added!
BTW... the modified apk´s will overwrite the original ones, right? No backup-crap (like Windows) is made by the Xrecovery installation?
Thanx!!!
Worked like a charm!!!
Thank you for all the help!!!
Well...I take that back...
I just replaced the iconfiles with my modded ones... the same name and size as the original. Everything done within 7zip...
All the apk´s within the "system"-folder worked fine... bur the ones within the "data"-folder uninstalled instead. In Appbrain the are still installed but in the drawer the are gone. I had a couple of them as shortcuts on my homescreen and the I get the message that thay are not present on my system.
Thank god it was only a couple of apk´s i modded so I reinstalled them via Market.
I added the line as You described but something must have happened?
// Manneman

[Q] CWM script on /data/data folder

Do you guys know of any problems that I may encounter if I use a CWM script to change some settings that are stored in the /data/data folder? I have created a script that copies over some XML files to the shared_prefs folders belonging to the jkay and system settings apps. Do these programs store an MD5 hash of these files like many of the games do?

How can i read/write to apps shared_prefs files within my app?

I want to add a feature to my app so i can backup so that the user can backup certain shared_prefs files of other apps (located in data/data/package,name/shared_prefs). I dont want to modify them, just backup and overwrite.
My app has root privileges.
Ive tried this a few times but i cant get it to work, im just getting a file not found error when uploading. I realised that its because the files dont have read permission to just anybody.
So what can i do to get around this?
Ive tried mounting data/ as read/write but that didnt work or i did it wrong.
Thanks
You have to chown the files properly. Apps owners are usually number like app_100, app_101, etc. Some files in data/data are system owned so its easy, when you copy files to your sdcard they lose ownership so it has to be fixed when they get put back in data/data.
smokin1337 said:
You have to chown the files properly. Apps owners are usually number like app_100, app_101, etc. Some files in data/data are system owned so its easy, when you copy files to your sdcard they lose ownership so it has to be fixed when they get put back in data/data.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But i can copy other files from the data/data/package/name/files directory. Are you sure i cant link to it like that?
And i dont know what chown is :/ little help please?
edit: just looked into chown a bit, i know a little of what it does but have no idea how to use it. Cant i get what i would write using an example file?

where to place apps in custom rom

Hello Guys,
I am trying to make/edit my first custom rom (forgive my noob mistakes). As base i am using the Oxygen rom. This rom has all his apps stored in system/app. I inserted an launcher(hololauncher), keyboard(custom htcime) and gallery(quickpick) apk in this folder, but after the rom is flashed these apps are causing fc's and the gallery app isnt even flashed.
I know that not every apk can be placed in the system/app folder, but how can i ensure that these apps will install correctly during flashing.
Depends on apps.
The most common mistake is forgetting to set the permissions to rw-r-r.
Also some apps need their lib files (usually end in .so) in a specific location, like quickpic that can't be turned into a system app just by putting it in system/app address.
Edit: you can ensure these apps are installed correctly by testing.
1 install them normally and convert them to system apps.
2 write down where each of their parts end up (some will always need stuff in data/app or something similar.
4 use a root explorer or adb to copy those files to your pc.
5 modify the flashable zip. Add the files you just copied and modify the updater-script to make sure those files get flashed to the correct location (you might need to include mount data commands if any of the files flash to data/)
6 test!
Some apps might require actual edition by decompiling them, but the above should work for most.
dxppxd said:
Depends on apps.
The most common mistake is forgetting to set the permissions to rw-r-r.
Also some apps need their lib files (usually end in .so) in a specific location, like quickpic that can't be turned into a system app just by putting it in system/app address.
Edit: you can ensure these apps are installed correctly by testing.
1 install them normally and convert them to system apps.
2 write down where each of their parts end up (some will always need stuff in data/app or something similar.
4 use a root explorer or adb to copy those files to your pc.
5 modify the flashable zip. Add the files you just copied and modify the updater-script to make sure those files get flashed to the correct location (you might need to include mount data commands if any of the files flash to data/)
6 test!
Some apps might require actual edition by decompiling them, but the above should work for most.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How can I convert it to a system app when it already is installed normally ?
I also saw the option to make a data/app folder, isn't that easier ?
(Take in consideration that I don't use kitchen or adb tools, just winrar and notepadcc )
Sent from my HTC Desire using xda app-developers app
Not talking about adb and kitchen.
there are many app managing apps out there (titanium backup, link2sd) that can convert apps to system apps.
The updater script is in META-INF of the flashable zip (can be edited with notepad).
You only need a rooted device to see where the apps keep their data and copy those files.
dxppxd said:
Not talking about adb and kitchen.
there are many app managing apps out there (titanium backup, link2sd) that can convert apps to system apps.
The updater script is in META-INF of the flashable zip (can be edited with notepad).
You only need a rooted device to see where the apps keep their data and copy those files.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok that is clear, thanks. What do you think about data/app. Will this work ?
Sent from my HTC Desire using xda app-developers app
winesh said:
Ok that is clear, thanks. What do you think about data/app. Will this work ?
Sent from my HTC Desire using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, flashing to data app is an option, but if a data wipe or factory reset is applied after flashing the rom (to correct a bootloop for example), those apps are gone.

[Q] how to/should i add folders to backup scripts in addon.d

i want to save some custom apps that i have moved to system when i install CM updates. so i want to add them to a script in addon.d
these app folders seem to have the apk and an empty lib folder. adding the apk seems easy, but how exactly do i tell the script to also backup the 'lib' folder and restore it?
thanks.

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