Resize Partitions - Sony Xperia M4 Aqua

Hello,
my phone is an E2303. The only problem for me with this phone is the limited memory.
I have rooted the phone the way explained in http://forum.xda-developers.com/m4-a.../root-t3421932
With Root Explorer, i removed a lot of stuff in /system. Now 1,66 GB are used and 810 MB are free.
usderdata and system partitions ( sgdisk --print /dev/block/mmcblk0 )
Nr Name Start Stop Size type
29 userdata 1449984 10043391 4.1 GIB 8300
30 system 10043392 15269375 2.5 GIB 8300
My idea:
- use TWRP to backup userdata and system partions
- delete both partitions
- create userdata with 4.6 GIB
- create system with 2 GIB
- format both partitions with make_extfs4
- restore both partitions with TWRP
I know that as a consequence, i'm not able to flash updates.
Do you think, that this would work ?
===[ Update 5.12.2016 ]===
Yes !
I've attatched my scripts to this initial post. Howto follows ...

---

i can tell you that something similar worked on lg g2 mini (d610/d618)
that phone have a cache partition with 1gb of unused storage, so a developer resized to reduce this to 100mb, you can find this on L90 or g2 mini forum

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did you try it yet?

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try and give info

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resize partitions Script
Hello,
i've startet coding a shell script:
------------------------------------------------------------
#!/bin/bash
MMC=/dev/block/mmcblk0
NEW_FREE_SEC=65536 # 32 mbyte in sectors
if [ $(id -u) -ne 0 ]; then
echo "Only root is allowed"
exit
fi
mount | grep "$MMC" > /dev/null
RC=$?
if [ $RC -eq 1 ]; then
echo "system not mounted. mounting now"
mount /system
RC=$?
echo $RC
fi
FREE_MB=$(df -P -m /system/ | grep 'mmcblk0p30' | awk '{print $4}')
FREE_KB=$(df -Pk /system/ | grep 'mmcblk0p30' | awk '{print $4}')
FREE_SEC=$(df -P -B 512 /system/ | grep 'mmcblk0p30' | awk '{print $4}')
echo "Your system partion has $FREE_MB mbyte free ( kbyte = $FREE_KB ; sectors = $FREE_SEC)"
DATA_FS=$(sgdisk --print $MMC | awk ' $1 == "29" { print $2}')
DATA_LS=$(sgdisk --print $MMC | awk ' $1 == "29" { print $3}')
SYS_FS=$(sgdisk --print $MMC | awk ' $1 == "30" { print $2}')
SYS_LS=$(sgdisk --print $MMC | awk ' $1 == "30" { print $3}')
echo "Data partition first sector: $DATA_FS"
echo "Data partition last sector: $DATA_LS"
echo "System partition first sector: $SYS_FS"
echo "System partition last sector: $SYS_LS"
let NEW_DATA_LS=$DATA_LS+$FREE_SEC-$NEW_FREE_SEC
let NEW_SYS_FS=$NEW_DATA_LS+1
echo "Data partion NEW last sector: $NEW_DATA_LS"
echo "System partion NEW first sector: $NEW_SYS_FS"
-------------------------------
Output:
/external_sd # . resize_partions
Your system partion has 839 mbyte free ( kbyte = 859392 ; sectors = 1718784)
Data partition first sector: 1449984
Data partition last sector: 10043391
System partition first sector: 10043392
System partition last sector: 15269375
Data partion NEW last sector: 11696639
System partion NEW first sector: 11696640
-------------------------------
Next things to code would be:
- Backup both partitions to SD-card using "tar" ( tar cpf ...)
- unmount partitions
- delete partitions ( sdisk $MMC --delete 30 )
- create partitions with new sector boundaries ( sgdisk $MMC --new 30:11696640:15269375 )
- change partition type ( sgdisk $MMC -t 30:8300)
- change name ( sgdisk $MMC --change-name 30:"system")
- create ext4 partion ( make_ext4fs -L system /dev/block/mmcblk0p30)
- mount
- restore partions ( tar xpf ..)
Do i need special options for make_ext4fs ?
But the question is: would this work ??? What, if i bootloop my device ?

---

klarseher said:
Hello,
i've startet coding a shell script:
------------------------------------------------------------
#!/bin/bash
MMC=/dev/block/mmcblk0
NEW_FREE_SEC=65536 # 32 mbyte in sectors
if [ $(id -u) -ne 0 ]; then
echo "Only root is allowed"
exit
fi
mount | grep "$MMC" > /dev/null
RC=$?
if [ $RC -eq 1 ]; then
echo "system not mounted. mounting now"
mount /system
RC=$?
echo $RC
fi
FREE_MB=$(df -P -m /system/ | grep 'mmcblk0p30' | awk '{print $4}')
FREE_KB=$(df -Pk /system/ | grep 'mmcblk0p30' | awk '{print $4}')
FREE_SEC=$(df -P -B 512 /system/ | grep 'mmcblk0p30' | awk '{print $4}')
echo "Your system partion has $FREE_MB mbyte free ( kbyte = $FREE_KB ; sectors = $FREE_SEC)"
DATA_FS=$(sgdisk --print $MMC | awk ' $1 == "29" { print $2}')
DATA_LS=$(sgdisk --print $MMC | awk ' $1 == "29" { print $3}')
SYS_FS=$(sgdisk --print $MMC | awk ' $1 == "30" { print $2}')
SYS_LS=$(sgdisk --print $MMC | awk ' $1 == "30" { print $3}')
echo "Data partition first sector: $DATA_FS"
echo "Data partition last sector: $DATA_LS"
echo "System partition first sector: $SYS_FS"
echo "System partition last sector: $SYS_LS"
let NEW_DATA_LS=$DATA_LS+$FREE_SEC-$NEW_FREE_SEC
let NEW_SYS_FS=$NEW_DATA_LS+1
echo "Data partion NEW last sector: $NEW_DATA_LS"
echo "System partion NEW first sector: $NEW_SYS_FS"
-------------------------------
Output:
/external_sd # . resize_partions
Your system partion has 839 mbyte free ( kbyte = 859392 ; sectors = 1718784)
Data partition first sector: 1449984
Data partition last sector: 10043391
System partition first sector: 10043392
System partition last sector: 15269375
Data partion NEW last sector: 11696639
System partion NEW first sector: 11696640
-------------------------------
Next things to code would be:
- Backup both partitions to SD-card using "tar" ( tar cpf ...)
- unmount partitions
- delete partitions ( sdisk $MMC --delete 30 )
- create partitions with new sector boundaries ( sgdisk $MMC --new 30:11696640:15269375 )
- change partition type ( sgdisk $MMC -t 30:8300)
- change name ( sgdisk $MMC --change-name 30:"system")
- create ext4 partion ( make_ext4fs -L system /dev/block/mmcblk0p30)
- mount
- restore partions ( tar xpf ..)
Do i need special options for make_ext4fs ?
But the question is: would this work ??? What, if i bootloop my device ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
try and give info

---

Flashing stock with Flashtool should restore official partition table.

---

bootloop now ...
ch3mn3y said:
Flashing stock with Flashtool should restore official partition table.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As a first step, I have only risized the system partition. The files were backuped with "tar cpf" and restored with "tar xpf" in the recreated partition.
I could see the files in the partion, but the phone does not startup "normal".
I had to use the hidden off button near the SD-slot to power off the phone. Flashing didn't resolved the problem. There is an error while writing system.sin - probably because the partition is to small.
Maybe i have to downgrade flashtool, as mentioned in http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=62751375&postcount=3 ???
Next step would be to "unbrick" my phone. With original system partition, i will only backup and restore the content, to see, if "tar" is able to do the job. Second try with TWRP Backup.

---

Hello,
I could be wrong, but I think your bootloop problem would probably comes from some sort of SONY extra protection layer.
This additional security system is called RIC and prevents you from freely modifying the system partition at runtime by blocking r/w mount of the system partition.
There is also a default Android security that checks the system partition against a hardcoded hash on boot, to prevent system partition modification (maybe partition size is part of the check operation...).
So you may try to disable the first protection (look at Z5 tutorial) and/or look for a way to bypass the boot check (not sure if possible).
Regards.

---

system parttion successfull shrinked
Okay, i finally shrinked my system partition and the phone will boot up normal.
The process is a little bit complicated.
You have to create a TWRP backup of your debloated system partition.
Check, if this backup is working ! So rm -rf everything in system and restore from backup.
Next, delete partition with sgdisk and create smaler one ( my script from 1st post will do the calculation for 1st sector )
Change name of partion to "system".
Create ext4 fileystem on parttion ( TWRP will also format - don't know if realy needed )
Reboot into TWRP an try to restore - maybe reboot some times into TWRP and check parttions
To recover with flashtool in case you didn't manage to get it to work - delete system partition and flash "partition.sin" and "system.sin"
In the next step, i will increase data partition
Code:
/system # df -h .
Filesystem Size Used Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/block/mmcblk0p30
1.6G 1.6G 4.9M 100% /system
/system # sgdisk --print /dev/block/mmcblk0 | tail -10
21 393216 475135 40.0 MiB FFFF FOTAKernel
22 475136 475151 8.0 KiB FFFF ssd
23 475152 475215 32.0 KiB FFFF DDR
24 475216 476239 512.0 KiB FFFF config
25 476240 509007 16.0 MiB 8300 LTALabel
26 516096 532479 8.0 MiB 8300 apps_log
27 532480 1040383 248.0 MiB 8300 oem
28 1040384 1449983 200.0 MiB 8300 cache
29 1449984 10043391 4.1 GiB 8300 userdata
30 11702880 15269375 1.7 GiB 8300 system
/system #

---

klarseher said:
Okay, i finally shrinked my system partition and the phone will boot up normal.
The process is a little bit complicated.
You have to create a TWRP backup of your debloated system partition.
Check, if this backup is working ! So rm -rf everything in system and restore from backup.
Next, delete partition with sgdisk and create smaler one ( my script from 1st post will do the calculation for 1st sector )
Change name of partion to "system".
Create ext4 fileystem on parttion ( TWRP will also format - don't know if realy needed )
Reboot into TWRP an try to restore - maybe reboot some times into TWRP and check parttions
To recover with flashtool in case you didn't manage to get it to work - delete system partition and flash "partition.sin" and "system.sin"
In the next step, i will increase data partition
Code:
/system # df -h .
Filesystem Size Used Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/block/mmcblk0p30
1.6G 1.6G 4.9M 100% /system
/system # sgdisk --print /dev/block/mmcblk0 | tail -10
21 393216 475135 40.0 MiB FFFF FOTAKernel
22 475136 475151 8.0 KiB FFFF ssd
23 475152 475215 32.0 KiB FFFF DDR
24 475216 476239 512.0 KiB FFFF config
25 476240 509007 16.0 MiB 8300 LTALabel
26 516096 532479 8.0 MiB 8300 apps_log
27 532480 1040383 248.0 MiB 8300 oem
28 1040384 1449983 200.0 MiB 8300 cache
29 1449984 10043391 4.1 GiB 8300 userdata
30 11702880 15269375 1.7 GiB 8300 system
/system #
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
give flashable zip

---

Increasing userdata worked the same way. Backup userdata with TWRP, delete partition 29, create partition 29 with new last sector. Restore with TWRP.
( I've lost adoptive storage in this step - but this is okay, because adoptive storage is to slow for me )
Now userdata on my phone has 4.9 GIB.
To do the same, you have to read and understand.
There is no flashable zip - you will resize your partitions after removing unused stuff from system partition. You have to deal with sgdisk on the TWRP cmdline ( adb shell)

---

klarseher said:
Hello,
my phone is an E2303. The only problem for me with this phone is the limited memory.
I have rooted the phone the way explained in http://forum.xda-developers.com/m4-a.../root-t3421932
With Root Explorer, i removed a lot of stuff in /system. Now 1,66 GB are used and 810 MB are free.
usderdata and system partitions ( sgdisk --print /dev/block/mmcblk0 )
Nr Name Start Stop Size type
29 userdata 1449984 10043391 4.1 GIB 8300
30 system 10043392 15269375 2.5 GIB 8300
My idea:
- use TWRP to backup userdata and system partions
- delete both partitions
- create userdata with 4.6 GIB
- create system with 2 GIB
- format both partitions with make_extfs4
- restore both partitions with TWRP
I know that as a consequence, i'm not able to flash updates.
Do you think, that this would work ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you remove or delete any system app the folder & ink may get deleted but odex file of original stock rom remains in odex folder as squashed this way you can free up at least 200 to 300 mb.
I have tested it on LP.
& As per my assumption the squashed odexes got nothing to do with selinux as it only load images from squashed folder.

---

rebuild odex.system.sqsh
Hello,
I rebuild odex.system.sqsh - the size has been reduced from 275MByte to 151MByte.
but, my current linux distribution does not support selinux
So, i have to repeat with another linux distribution and replace odex.system.sqsh in /system folder.
maybe next weekend ...

---

howto
klarseher said:
Hello,
I rebuild odex.system.sqsh - the size has been reduced from 275MByte to 151MByte.
but, my current linux distribution does not support selinux
So, i have to repeat with another linux distribution and replace odex.system.sqsh in /system folder.
maybe next weekend ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The solution:
- install CentOS 7 in VirtualBox
Get odex.system.sqsh from phone ( Phone in TWRP Mode):
adb pull /system/odex.system.sqsh .
Copy odex.system.sqsh to CentOS ( via shared folder)
As root:
- yum install squashfs-tools
- unsquashfs odex.system.sqsh # you got a lot of warnings, because unsquashfs is not allowed to access selinux attributes
- rm -rf squashfs-root # remove for next try
- grep unsquashfs /var/log/audit/audit.log | audit2allow -M mypol
- semodule -i mypol.pp
- unsquashfs odex.system.sqsh
Now, remove unused stuff inside squashfs-root folder
mksquashfs squashfs-root/ odex.system-new.sqsh -comp xz -noI -noF -noX -no-fragments -no-duplicates
---
In TWRP -adb shell:
cd /system
touch dummy
chcon --reference=system.odex.sqsh dummy
rm system.odex.sqsh
# Copy from pc with
adb put odex.system-new.sqh /system/
Back in adb shell:
mv odex.system-new.sqh odex.system.sqh
chcon --reference=dummy system.odex.sqsh
---
The cleanaup in squashfs-root depends on you debloating. I have build my delete script on file lists from /system before and after removing unwanted apps. ( diff before/after | grep '\.odex$')
As a final step, i shrinked my system partion to 1.5 GB ( from original 2.5) and increased /data to 5.1 GB.

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Very cool and great job! Maybe try making a step by step tutorial during your free time? Could benefit us all

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partitions in DiskInfo
See layout of /data and /system partitions on my phone

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klarseher said:
See layout of /data and /system partitions on my phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very cool and great job!
Please making a step by step tutorial for all !!! Thanks !

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manhquyet90 said:
Very cool and great job!
Please making a step by step tutorial for all !!! Thanks !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks !
Boot phone into TWRP
1. create a backup of your system partition with TWRP
2. "adb shell" to your phone (still booted in TWRP) and create a filelist from system partion on your SD card ( "mount /system ; find /system -type f > /external_sd/system_filelist.lst" - unsure about path to your SD-card )
( we need filelist later for odex "cleanup" )
3. "debloat" your system partition - there are some threads in this forum about removing stuff from /system - i could not help you with this task !
Boot phone into TWRP
4. "adb shell" to your phone. Come back with the output of "mount /system ; df -k /system" and "sgdisk --print /dev/block/mmcblk0"
( I will calculate the new first sector for the system partition depending on your free space )
Then, we do the next step together !
Kind regards

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klarseher said:
Thanks !
Boot phone into TWRP
1. create a backup of your system partition with TWRP
2. "adb shell" to your phone (still booted in TWRP) and create a filelist from system partion on your SD card ( "mount /system ; find /system -type f > /external_sd/system_filelist.lst" - unsure about path to your SD-card )
( we need filelist later for odex "cleanup" )
3. "debloat" your system partition - there are some threads in this forum about removing stuff from /system - i could not help you with this task !
Boot phone into TWRP
4. "adb shell" to your phone. Come back with the output of "mount /system ; df -k /system" and "sgdisk --print /dev/block/mmcblk0"
( I will calculate the new first sector for the system partition depending on your free space )
Then, we do the next step together !
Kind regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Code:
Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
C:\Users\MQ>adb devices
List of devices attached
* daemon not running. starting it now on port 5037 *
* daemon started successfully *
YT911B19A1 recovery
C:\Users\MQ>adb shell
~ # ←[6nmount /system
~ # ←[6nfind /system -type f > /external_sd/system_filelist.lst
~ # ←[6nmount /system
mount: mounting /dev/block/mmcblk0p30 on /system failed: Device or resource busy
~ # ←[6ndf -k /system
Filesystem 1K-blocks Used Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/block/mmcblk0p30
2531076 2448068 66624 97% /system
~ # ←[6nsgdisk --print /dev/block/mmcblk0
CANNOT LINK EXECUTABLE: cannot locate symbol "__register_atfork" referenced by "
sgdisk"...
page record for 0x7f91ab0010 was not found (block_size=64)
~ # ←[6n