HOW-TO: Get around the application space limit on your Touch

[swedishviking]

HOW-TO: Get around the application space limit your Touch:

NOTE: This guide assumes you have jailbreaked your iPod touch and installed the necessary Unix binaries, either manually or by using some sort of semi-automated/automated jailbreak method.

WARNING: Although this seems to work just as intended, it's not been tested for more than a number of hours, meaning that it's entirely possible it could somehow break in the future. Therefore, only do this at your own risk! (Although the risk of it bricking your iPod touch is very low, since you'll most likely keep SSH access even if screwing up)

1.
SSH into your iPod touch using the SSH client of your choice; I recommend putty, which you can download at http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/

2.
Move your applications folder to the /private/var folder by typing the following:

mv /Applications /private/var/Applications

3.
Change directory to / by typing

cd /

4.
Create a symbolic link to the Applications folders new location:

ln -s /private/var/Applications Applications

5.
Type the following to get a directory list of /, so we can make sure the symbolic link was created correctly:

ls -la

In the list that comes up, you should have an entry similar to this one:

lrwxr-xr-x 1 root admin 25 Oct 12 22:31 Applications -> /private/var/Applications

6. Alright, seems like it worked.. Now all you have to do is reboot your iPod touch! Do that now.

7. To further make sure it's working correctly for you, enter the Installer app and check the available space at the bottom. It should be higher than it was previously, as you've moved away all space-intensive apps. Try installing an app larger than 1MB (MobileChat for example) to see that the amount of available space stays the same.

8. Done! Install away!

[Rhosfelt]

Has anyone tried this...does it work?

[tuenn]

Has anyone tried this...does it work?

Works!
Shows 43,70MB available, but it doesn't change when I install apps, so I can install unlimited apps.

[keirnna]

Don't try to do this from the touch with the built in terminal. I just made an ibrick.

[kinchee87]

Don't try to do this from the touch with the built in terminal. I just made an ibrick.
Of course! You're moving the applications on your Touch else where. I'm sure you can still SSH and complete the remaining steps.

[keirnna]

Of course! You're moving the applications on your Touch else where. I'm sure you can still SSH and complete the remaining steps.

I've managed to fix it.

[Charliekid21]

tyvm!!!
u finallly solved all of my problems and know i am going to get all the apps i can haha im getting a few dictionarys right now

[swedishviking]

Glad to hear it's working well for everyone.. the risk is pretty minimal to be honest but if you're unsure, you can do a backup of the App folder first..

Type

cp -Rp /Applications /private/var/Applications.backup

To restore if something went wrong, type

rm /Applications /private/var/Applications

to remove the symlink and the copied Apps folder.. then

mv /private/var/Applications.backup /Applications

to restore the backuped Applications folder.

[Tres]

It's working fine for me, never thought of using a symlink to get around this problem. Good idea.

[yacoub]

awesome, thank you!!

[shoefly]

Oh, very nice! Cheers.

[Rapmastac1]

I can confirm that this works! Thanks for the hack, I mean, er uh... modification that is!

[haiggy]

woot thanks

[jepaz]

Its been like more that 24hrs now, any problem encountered for those who tried this tip?

[keirnna]

Nope, after the small issue I had when first trying it I have had no issues.

[ken987]

Thank you!
Now...will this affect how I install future applications manually?
For example:
The install of the new Summerboard. This is now manual. So do I still follow those directions or do I have to look for a new private folder that was created due to this process.
Thanks.

[keirnna]

Thank you!
Now...will this affect how I install future applications manually?
For example:
The install of the new Summerboard. This is now manual. So do I still follow those directions or do I have to look for a new private folder that was created due to this process.
Thanks.

This is one of the joys of unix. Just follow the instructions as posted. The symbolic link to your applications directory at /Applications will work as advertised. No need to do anything special.

[Arisian]

http://www.touchdev.net/wiki/MoreSpaceForApplications

[yacoub]

Hmm, someone should post this method to that wiki page. It's easier to understand than what's currently there.

[jepaz]

Ok, I took the plunge and use Symbolic Link. IMHO, instructions from Touchdev is more precise. But thanks to this thread, at least I got to know the tip.

[swedishviking]

Ok, I took the plunge and use Symbolic Link. IMHO, instructions from Touchdev is more precise. But thanks to this thread, at least I got to know the tip.

More precise? Mine isn't exactly hard to understand or do y'know, it's even shorter than the Touchdev one.. ;) Just a few commands to execute and you're done. Doesn't even require reading, just executing the commands through putty.

I could even have shortened my version to just half the amount of steps but wanted to explain a litte more with each step.

[yacoub]

Ok, I took the plunge and use Symbolic Link. IMHO, instructions from Touchdev is more precise. But thanks to this thread, at least I got to know the tip.

more precise maybe but harder to understand unless you've used a unix prompt before.

[Shanesan]

Easy as heck. Literally copy and paste. Awesome job.

[adamman41]

does this alter how the folders r gonna be setup in sftp after i do this? this is all doe by just simply sshing and copy and pasting every step right? but mainly does this alter how my folders are setup in sftp? or change anything else like that?

[swedishviking]

does this alter how the folders r gonna be setup in sftp after i do this? this is all doe by just simply sshing and copy and pasting every step right? but mainly does this alter how my folders are setup in sftp? or change anything else like that?

Not really no.. You'd access the Applications folder as you normally do.

[jmack549]

I'm getting an error that says mv not found.

[WildPalms]

Nice job swedishviking, very elegant ;)

[Phil A.]

I'm getting an error that says mv not found.

You'll need to install the BSD Subsystem. To install this, first install community sources then it should appear on the list of available packages

[tonybeyondo]

Thanks for the tutorial! Does anyone know if installing massive amounts of apps will affect performance of the core feature set (mail, safari, music, etc...)? :D:apple:

[animefx]

I understand how to follow your instructions but could you explain whats actually happening here?

Someone mentioned that its "moving?" where are your applications moving to? If they are being moved off the iPod Touch then how are you still using them? I'm not sure I follow whats actually happening here, or how this is solving a problem?

[RobotBanana]

I understand how to follow your instructions but could you explain whats actually happening here?

Someone mentioned that its "moving?" where are your applications moving to? If they are being moved off the iPod Touch then how are you still using them? I'm not sure I follow whats actually happening here, or how this is solving a problem?

In terms as simple as I can think of, here's what you're doing:

The Touch is basically split into 2 "drives." You have a 300mb "drive" that stores the filesystem, a.k.a the operating system of the iPod. Then you have the 8GB/16GB "drive" that holds all of your music, movies, pictures, etc. Filling the 300mb part would be BAD. It would probably cause a whole bunch of problems with your iPod. So to solve this problem, you move all of your applications to the 8GB/16GB "drive." Then you create something called a symlink, which basically tricks your iPod into believing that your applications are on the 300mb part where they should be, when really they're on the 8/16GB part. Due to the way the symlink works, you won't notice any difference other than the increased amount of space for your applications. Whenever something tries to access your applications on the 300mb part (which really don't exist there anymore), it's redirected to your applications on the 8/16GB part. Therefore you can still follow installation instructions for other programs as normal, without having to worry about the fact that your applications are in a spot other than the default.

[lupka]

worked great. thanks a lot.

[bwanac]

thank you kind sir... nice simple way of keeping this dirty 3rd party apps away from the all important core files... :D

[Rapmastac1]

I don't know if this is directly related or not, but since I have done this, my wi-fi isn't working correctly. I haven't been able to install any more programs in my installer app. I don't know what would cause the sudden cease in Wi-Fi operation...

[peejay82]

Hi guys. Tried this method, but I'm getting the following error:

# mv /Applications /private/var/Applications
mv: reading `/Applications/Installer.app/InstallerPlugin.webplugin/InstallerPlugin': Invalid argument

Anyone know how I could get round this problem? Greatly appreciated.

[Cleverboy]

FYI, this tip should also work if you want to set your Apple TV's Media folder to a network share. Caveat haxeur in any case.

~ CB

[blaakmambaa]

hi,
do we need to be "on" with the wifi?
or only the usb plug?

i'am trying to do it but nothing happens (with the osx 10.4.10 via terminal)
it seems it doesn't see my pod

i entered ssh -l root ip.adresss of my pod

before the code...

so o thought the ipod ip changed and i tried to use a ftp util. for checking the connection :
no connection

(got no wifi where i am now to check my ip)


could someone help me plz?

[Arisian]

ok, heres the deal with this. If you have the native iphone and ipod apps in the same folder that you sym linked all your applications are probably crashing, esp. ones that are web dependant. I moved the ipod apps back to the root /applications/ folder and sym linked to another folder in /private/var with all the 3rd party stuff and nothing has crashed...

a few people on the dev team have notice this as well.

Arisian

[kinchee87]

hi,
do we need to be "on" with the wifi?
or only the usb plug?

i'am trying to do it but nothing happens (with the osx 10.4.10 via terminal)
it seems it doesn't see my pod

i entered ssh -l root ip.adresss of my pod

before the code...

so o thought the ipod ip changed and i tried to use a ftp util. for checking the connection :
no connection

(got no wifi where i am now to check my ip)


could someone help me plz?
Your ipod needs to be connected to a network. This is inferred by the need to type in the ip address of the ipod.

[madmaxmedia]

ok, heres the deal with this. If you have the native iphone and ipod apps in the same folder that you sym linked all your applications are probably crashing, esp. ones that are web dependant. I moved the ipod apps back to the root /applications/ folder and sym linked to another folder in /private/var with all the 3rd party stuff and nothing has crashed...

a few people on the dev team have notice this as well.

Arisian

Thanks for the info. So it sounds like I should create the simlink, then only move over the 3rd party apps?

What if I create the simlink only, that would be fine too right? (I don't have too many extra apps installed yet.)

I kinda know what's going on with the various commands, but not enough to know what to type myself. Any specific tips/commands would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[CrockettGTO]

I tried this and it works great however, I believe it is causing some problems when trying to install updates through the installer. I am wondering if it the update default path is looking in the native folder and not seeing the redirect.
Trying to install the BSD Subsystem update and am getting a package download failed error. Also when SSH new themes to the following location /var/root/Library/SummerBoard/Themes/ it will not use the theme wallpaper tried to enable and disable theme wallpaper

Edit: Found it: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=374093&highlight=BSD+Subsystem+update

[PowerFullMac]

Bit of a n00b question but: I just installed the new version of Installer.app and it dosent have the thing at the bottom saying how much space I have left, so im wondering if the Installer done this process automatically when I updated?

[kinchee87]

Reading the list of known issues from Installer.app, "Free space check/display is missing"

[CrockettGTO]

Is there a way to "go back" to original state prior to doing this mod without restoring and starting the jailbreak process again?

[mickey9801]

Besides of installing Apps, I'd also installed PHP, Python, Perl and Ruby in my iPod touch. But these all are installed in /opt/iphone directory so they still use up all my system disk space. It is an good idea for me to move /opt/iphone directory to /private/var like we have done with /Applications ?

[PowerFullMac]

Reading the list of known issues from Installer.app, "Free space check/display is missing"

OK, thanks, seems I have some _sym folders though?

[Arisian]

Besides of installing Apps, I'd also installed PHP, Python, Perl and Ruby in my iPod touch. But these all are installed in /opt/iphone directory so they still use up all my system disk space. It is an good idea for me to move /opt/iphone directory to /private/var like we have done with /Applications ?


i wouldnt put it in the applications folder on /private/var. Create a new folder called /util/ or something like that and symlink that to your root /applications/ folder

[mickey9801]

i wouldnt put it in the applications folder on /private/var. Create a new folder called /util/ or something like that and symlink that to your root /applications/ folder

Oh I think my message was too short that make you confuse. I have made a opt directory in /private/var and mv the /opt/iphone directory to there. Therefore the new path of the moved directory is /private/var/opt/iphone.

What I concern is someone in other forum said that moving any file in opt directory out may cause system unstable (i.e. moving opt files from 300MB sector to 16GB sector) . Is that true? If so, why?

[Arisian]

Oh I think my message was too short that make you confuse. I have made a opt directory in /private/var and mv the /opt/iphone directory to there. Therefore the new path of the moved directory is /private/var/opt/iphone.

What I concern is someone in other forum said that moving any opt's file outside opt directory may cause system become unstable. Is that true? If so, why?


You can keep your opt files in the orig opt directory and sym link everything else. I wouldnt move that folder based off of what other people have said i guess.

[mmfy]

HOW-TO:



1.
SSH into your iPod touch using the SSH client of your choice; I recommend putty, which you can download at http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/



Is there a recommended SSH client for Mac OSX or is it built in already??

[PkennethV]

Is there a recommended SSH client for Mac OSX or is it built in already??

CyberDuck works well.

[keirnna]

Is there a recommended SSH client for Mac OSX or is it built in already??

SSH is already built into the system and can be used via the Terminal. Do a man ssh and scp if you have any questions. If you want GUI SSH love then I recommend Fugu. It is free, easy-to-use and straight forward.

[grandeabc]

I tried this and it works great however, I believe it is causing some problems when trying to install updates through the installer. I am wondering if it the update default path is looking in the native folder and not seeing the redirect.
Trying to install the BSD Subsystem update and am getting a package download failed error. Also when SSH new themes to the following location /var/root/Library/SummerBoard/Themes/ it will not use the theme wallpaper tried to enable and disable theme wallpaper

Edit: Found it: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=374093&highlight=BSD+Subsystem+update
I got the same error when trying to installig the BSD Subsystem, but then I tried once agian, some hours later and I could. Try again, and maybe you can install it.

[luca104]

I did it with mobile terminal, it works wel! Only the first time I tried to move the Applications folder not all the apps had enough permissions. This resulted into a Applications folder with 50% of the apps in it. The dock was empty etc:D. Eventually I was lucky that Terminal wasn't set right. So I chmodded the files and did the rest of the Apps manually. The removed the empty Applications folder and made the link. In the first case I wasn't able to make the link, because there was allready a directory called Applications. So people please chmod your files in the Application folder first! Thanks after all

[864646]

can somone plz help me

i got into putty and typed in the mv/Applications.... thing
then it said zsh...couldnt move the file
then i tried again and it then said mv-not .....
and now when i rebooted my touch the circle spiny thing keeps spinning
how can i fix this without restoring it??

[CrockettGTO]

can somone plz help me

i got into putty and typed in the mv/Applications.... thing
then it said zsh...couldnt move the file
then i tried again and it then said mv-not .....
and now when i rebooted my touch the circle spiny thing keeps spinning
how can i fix this without restoring it??

Do you have the BSD subsystem installed from the installer

[864646]

Do you have the BSD subsystem installed from the installer

ya

where is the application's folder originally
wat is the path??

i just found out i have an applications folder in my applications folder
(if that helps)

[864646]

is there way to do this but on an ipod that was jailbroken with touchfree??

[keirnna]

So I upgraded to 1.1.2 and I am having a very hard time trying to reverse this hack to get my iPod to do something other than the spinning refresh circle of death. Any advice?

[MargeSimpson]

is this possible to do via WinSCP at all?
I am not good with Putty command promptsl...:(

[Digital.Ark]

There is a variation on this solution floating around, where you only move the 3rd party apps to a /Widgets folder, then simlink back to the /Applications folder.

I've searched and searched for a tutorial or guide on how to do this one, which would allow you to toggle the 3rd party apps on and off with a command-line tool fairly easily.

I'm still learning, but pretty sure I could work it out, if someone could tell me:

Does the /Widgets folder already exist somewhere, or are we creating it ourselves, and where?

Also, has anyone compiled a list of the 3rd party apps that do not like to be moved? Labrynth is one. Trying to save myself a little trial-and-error time.

I've got lots of other questions, but I'll hunt around and post them individually in the appropriate threads.

I find the community that has sprung up around the iPhone and iPod Touch is actually more amazing than the little devices themselves. They are very cool. But the jailbreak, 3rd party apps, and solutions like this one are just so much cooler.

To think before my iPod, I got excited about mt-daapd on a NAS device, and DD-WRT on a router. Talk about unlocking the potential of a device! I'm checking my email on something that ought to just have been a wide-screen video iPod.

[illweather]

Just got the warning about running out of space, so now i want to transfer 3rd party apps to another folder/directory using cyberduck on my mac. So, first of all, does this method work with 1.1.2? And will i run into problems in the future when i try to update or sync?

[hecks]

I'd recommend just symlinking the Fonts folder to start with. That really gives a *lot* of free space, enough to keep your Apps where they are. I have 102 MB free on the system partition at the moment. :)

[illweather]

Sorry for the dumb question, but I'm not sure where I type in all these commands. I use Cyberduck on my Mac, and am familiar with moving files around to different directories, but I have no idea how one enters commands while in Cyberduck. Any help? Or do you not actually enter these while in Cyberduck?

Thanks in advance

[illweather]

Anyone?

[madmaxmedia]

Just use Terminal, you might not be able to do it in Cyberduck (I have no idea).

Fire up Terminal, then enter the following command to connect to your Touch-

ssh -l root your.ipods.ip.address

It should ask you for your password. After that, you can enter the commands to tweak your apps location.

[PkennethV]

I'd recommend just symlinking the Fonts folder to start with. That really gives a *lot* of free space, enough to keep your Apps where they are. I have 102 MB free on the system partition at the moment. :)

Can someone please tell me the exact commands for this? Sorry I'm noob with the terminal:o

[illweather]

Just use Terminal, you might not be able to do it in Cyberduck (I have no idea).

Fire up Terminal, then enter the following command to connect to your Touch-

ssh -l root your.ipods.ip.address

It should ask you for your password. After that, you can enter the commands to tweak your apps location.

Okay, well I ended up entering the commands using Terminal on my Touch. It worked, though I only moved the Fonts folder. Wasn't too sure about moving the Apps (as far as future problems that might arise), so I just stuck to the Fonts. However, i have still gotten a few messages warning about lack of space, saying that I should delete Pictures, Movies, and/or Music. It's weird, cause I don't get it if I download a huge file through installer (tested this downloading Apollo, then deleted it later), yet it comes up more frequently when installing small SMB themes.

Thanks for the help though.

[bdsmyth]

Excellent!. I had been getting application space warnings on my Touch and this saved me. I was nervous about doing it, but after reading through the entire thread (and a few others) thought it was worth the risk. I followed the instructions on the first post without any problems using Terminal on my Macintosh.

Great Thread!!!!

[andybno1]

thanks for the guide my problem is I followed this step by step but when I done the last thing to list things I never got a line similar to this

lrwxr-xr-x 1 root admin 25 Oct 12 22:31 Applications -> /private/var/Applications

is there a way to check if this has completed?

[hartmanjames]

I successfully moved my applications to the private/var/ location and created the symlink.

I am pretty sure that the original Applications folder is still in it's original spot so I need to delete that particular folder. I don't know where that is however. Can anyone give me the actual path of the folder that I need to delete? I would really appreciate it.

[mrgreen4242]

I successfully moved my applications to the private/var/ location and created the symlink.

I am pretty sure that the original Applications folder is still in it's original spot so I need to delete that particular folder. I don't know where that is however. Can anyone give me the actual path of the folder that I need to delete? I would really appreciate it.

If you MOVED it (as per the directions in this thread), it's not there anymore. Since you created a symlink with the name of the old folder deleting it will delete either that link or the target directory (not sure how symlinks work in that regard).

[hartmanjames]

If you MOVED it (as per the directions in this thread), it's not there anymore. Since you created a symlink with the name of the old folder deleting it will delete either that link or the target directory (not sure how symlinks work in that regard).

Agreed, how silly of me. The amount of space that I have available, even after moving fonts as well, just doesn't seem to be that much ( 125Mb free out of 300Mb). Any suggestions?

[8gigaPodTouch]

and when i restore again my iPod should the original capacity/size will back to normal? tnx. btw it works! ;)

[Slip]

Thank you very much
Literally 10 minutes before I read this thread I had gotten my first space limit warning in Installer
Thanks once again

[dedaelus]

I'm pretty sure I've gone and screwed this up. I ran the commands, but did not think about what effect the MobileFinder would have. Now when I go into the Finder and click on an app to run, it sends me to a screen with only folders for Library and Media along with a root.zip file. The applications I have on my springboard still work fine, but I cannot open them or other apps through the finder. Unfortunately, this includes Preferences -- so I am not sure how to get my IP address to view what's going on through Cyberduck. Crap.

So... what did I do and how do I fix it? Is it a matter of changing some settings in MobileFinder or going back through Terminal, or do I have to do a restore?

How embarrassing.

[dedaelus]

still looking for a way to fix the above. I'm holding out hope that this is fixable since the apps still located on the springboard are accessible.

[OrangeCuse44]

you can just guess the IP address until it connects. Im using a Netgear router and my iPods IP address is always 192.168.1.x. The x has been replaced by numbers 1-7 so far. Its worth a shot.

[delude]

I'm still wondering whether to do this or not. I read on the TouchDev wiki that if you try to sync your ipod with a different iTunes library or somerhting then it will totally mess your iPod up. Is this true? Are there any other downsides?

[OrangeCuse44]

Can anyone confirm the steps on the first page still work as advertised? I need to free up space and am wondering if i copy and paste those commands everything will work out. Also, if i do it, will this affect my NES roms because their location will change?

[Slip]

Can anyone confirm the steps on the first page still work as advertised? I need to free up space and am wondering if i copy and paste those commands everything will work out. Also, if i do it, will this affect my NES roms because their location will change?

Well I ran this after being a little sceptical and it still works so that's good. As for NES ROMs I only installed these after doing the method so I cant comment but they work for me.

[delude]

Slip, did you ever get my PM?

Also, what program are you guys using to SSH into your iPod?

[delude]

Aww man! I tried to do this and whilst half way through the commands my PC didn't recognize the '/' button, so the whole thing got screwed up and the Applications folder was moved to 'private/varApplications' . Anyway, all of my icons have gone, and I can't SSH back in as I don't know the IP address. I'm trying to restore but all iTunes is aying is 'Contacting the iPod software update server'
:(

EDIT: Sorry for the double post, I am used to a Vbulletin forum where you cannot use th edit button. Sorry! Anyway, Woohoo! I restored my iPod and everything worked a charm. So happy now that I can fit all my apps on.

[dedaelus]

Ok, I got my IP address figured out and was able to get in thru Cyberduck, which means I will be able to get in thru Terminal.

Now... what the hell do I do??

Here is what my file structure looks like:

at /private/var:
Applications
cron
db
(etc...)

private/var/Applications includes all of my applications but not MobileFinder. MobileFinder is located at private/var/root/library:

at /private/var/root:
Library
Media
root.zip

Then private/var/root/MobileFinder includes an Applications folder with an arrow (assuming this is the symlink?) and all of the folders for the applications.

So... what now? Any clues on what to move and where?

[hecks]

So... what now? Any clues on what to move and where?

The instructions are on the first page of this thread. Isn't that method working for you?

Btw, to get root access with MobileFinder (i.e. to be able navigate all the way up to the top directory) you need to allow access to system files in the MobileFinder settings.

To be honest, there's no real point moving the Applications folder anyway, as you'll get far more free space by moving the Fonts folder, and without any of the potential problems.

[OrangeCuse44]

I havent done it yet, but you just connect via terminal and paste in the commands on the first page.

[dedaelus]

No, the problem is that I DID follow the instructions on the first page but I think that the fact that I have MobileFinder screwed the process up. Now when I open the Finder to get to the apps not available on the springboard, I am sent into a loop between the apps list (with the icons) and the root folder.

So my question has been... now that I have followed the commands on the first post and gotten myself into this bind, what are my options for setting things right and accessing my applications?

Would a restore still be successful after moving the Apps folder? At this point I am fine with just going back to the beginning and starting fresh.

[OrangeCuse44]

To be honest, there's no real point moving the Applications folder anyway, as you'll get far more free space by moving the Fonts folder, and without any of the potential problems.

I would rather do this. As I have no prior experience with executing commands do you think you could post the commands to move the fonts folder? Thanks man.

[delude]

Surely if you reinstall mobile finder it would solve the problem?

Orangecuse, that is exactly what I thought. I have never used SFTP or SSH and didn't have a clue what I was doing. I found my IP under the Wifi settings, so logged into Putty (the recommended program that is mentioned in the first thread) with 'root' as the username and 'alpine' as the password, and entered the commands. I knew that alpine was the password as it is defaulted in OpenSSH, I have also read the root is the user.

I messed up the first time, but did a fresh restore and everything is dandy now, no real limitation to your springboard and apps. I'm much happier now :D

[OrangeCuse44]

Delude, I have been SSHing into my touch via Cyberduck. I understand the connection process and what I'm doing within the program but what I'm trying to figure out is the commands to move only the Fonts folder rather than the the apps folder as someone has mentioned earlier in the thread. So, in short im just looking for the commands to execute the move of the Fonts folder.

[delude]

Ah, I apologise for not readin it right. Just out of interest, why would you only move the fonts folder and not Applications? Would you not prefer loads more space for apps? I am aware the fonts take up quite a bit of room but you still wont be as free as if the Applications folder was moved to the main drive. Thats my personal opinion anyway, as then the 300mb system file drive would have free space for the OS and the system, allowing everything to run better.

[OrangeCuse44]

The fonts will give me plenty of free space without the risk of losing and/or messing up my apps. On second thought, the commands on the first page, are they to back up your applications to your computers HD in case that does happen?

[delude]

The ones further down seem to be, yes. (Without looking at them again due to lazyness but trying to remember)

[Slip]

The fonts will give me plenty of free space without the risk of losing and/or messing up my apps. On second thought, the commands on the first page, are they to back up your applications to your computers HD in case that does happen?

The commands on the first page, the ones that the OP posted, are to move all of the applications on your Touch to the Media section where there is more room and then create a shortcut so that the applications think that they're in the Apps section when actually there in the larger Media pool. It does not make a backup of the apps so you would have to do this manually by (I guess) copying the apps to your PC with Cyberduck. ;)

[OrangeCuse44]

Glad to hear it's working well for everyone.. the risk is pretty minimal to be honest but if you're unsure, you can do a backup of the App folder first..

Type

cp -Rp /Applications /private/var/Applications.backup

To restore if something went wrong, type

rm /Applications /private/var/Applications

to remove the symlink and the copied Apps folder.. then

mv /private/var/Applications.backup /Applications

to restore the backuped Applications folder.

This is the supposed backup im referring to. Does this backup your apps to your mac automatically?

[dedaelus]

Surely if you reinstall mobile finder it would solve the problem?


I would definitely try that if I knew how to run the Installer. This goes back to my originally posted problem (at the top of the page) of not being able to run applications through MobileFinder because I am now sent into a loop of seeing the list of applications (in /var/Applications) and then being directed to a directory containing the Library and Media folders, along with root.zip file in the ~ directory.

So... this goes back to my original question of wtf to do now. How do I get an application that is not on my springboard (Installer is not) to run and how do I fix what I have screwed up?

[delude]

Ah, sorry, again I didn't read the full problem before answering. I'm am still very new to this but will have a think...

[hecks]

I would definitely try that if I knew how to run the Installer. This goes back to my originally posted problem (at the top of the page) of not being able to run applications through MobileFinder because I am now sent into a loop of seeing the list of applications (in /var/Applications) and then being directed to a directory containing the Library and Media folders, along with root.zip file in the ~ directory.

So... this goes back to my original question of wtf to do now. How do I get an application that is not on my springboard (Installer is not) to run and how do I fix what I have screwed up?

Did Installer disappear or something? It should be installed automatically in the Applications folder when you jailbreak. Any executable app in that folder should appear on Springboard.

Finder problem: not a problem if you can run it at all. Go into Settings in MobileFinder and toggle access to System files to be able to browse everywhere ('Up' button). If you can't find what you're looking for after that, it just isn't on your iPod.

Anyway, to answer your earlier question about how to symlink the Fonts folder, either SSH into your iPod or use VT-100 Terminal on the iPod itself and type:

cd /
mkdir /private/var/Fonts
cp -Rp /System/Library/Fonts/* /private/var/Fonts/
mv /System/Library/Fonts /System/Library/Fonts.backup && ln -s /private/var/Fonts/ /System/Library/Fonts
mv /System/Library/Fonts.backup /private/var/Fonts.backup

This will free up more room than the Applications folder ever will. I have 100 MB free space on the system drive after moving only the Fonts folder. The rest is taken up with OS stuff that is best not to f**k around with.

[dedaelus]

Did Installer disappear or something? It should be installed automatically in the Applications folder when you jailbreak. Any executable app in that folder should appear on Springboard.

Finder problem: not a problem if you can run it at all. Go into Settings in MobileFinder and toggle access to System files to be able to browse everywhere ('Up' button). If you can't find what you're looking for after that, it just isn't on your iPod.

thank you thank you thank you. I toggled the system files access and now I can at least run the apps through Finder. I was not able to run Installer initially (after moving the Apps folder with MobileFinder installed) because of the loop I was thrown into. But now with the system files access changed, I can run all my Apps. Installer was not on the springboard because I am using Finder for my infrequently used apps.

next question, then: If I uninstall MobileFinder, this should restore all of my applications back to the springboard, right? Or will this somehow mess up my access because the Apps folder was moved? I am now nervous to do any more experimenting without checking with someone first. I was hoping to switch to using the Categories app instead of Finder, but now that I'm back to being able to access my applications I really don't want to ruin that.

[hecks]

Finder is just the equivalent of Windows Explorer. It's presence or absence has nothing to do with what other Applications are installed on your iPod. So uninstalling it will have no effect at all.

Btw, for what I think should be obvious reasons, you *should not* move the Applications folder using MobileFinder.

I'm still unclear about some aspects of your situation. How did you 'remove' Installer from Springboard? Did you use Customize to hide it? If so, you should be able to just unhide it. Really if there's one application you should always keep accessible from Springboard, it should be Installer ...

[Slip]

This is the supposed backup im referring to. Does this backup your apps to your mac automatically?

Ah, no. What he's basically saying is that even if the chances of fu**ing up are slim, you can make yourself a backup on your own accord. The commands he posted are the ones to move the Applications. :)

[dedaelus]

I'm still unclear about some aspects of your situation. How did you 'remove' Installer from Springboard? Did you use Customize to hide it? If so, you should be able to just unhide it. Really if there's one application you should always keep accessible from Springboard, it should be Installer ...

I used the wrong terminology, I guess... yes, the Installer was hidden using Customizer since I want as uncluttered a springboard as possible. However, I am unhiding it immediately since I see now how stupid that was. Damn my minimalism. I misspoke also in my last post when I wondered if uninstalling Finder would restore the apps back to the springboard... this of course would be the domain of Customizer.

[OrangeCuse44]

Ah, no. What he's basically saying is that even if the chances of fu**ing up are slim, you can make yourself a backup on your own accord. The commands he posted are the ones to move the Applications. :)

Right, where is the backup stored is what Im asking?

[hecks]

I used the wrong terminology, I guess... yes, the Installer was hidden using Customizer since I want as uncluttered a springboard as possible. However, I am unhiding it immediately since I see now how stupid that was. Damn my minimalism. I misspoke also in my last post when I wondered if uninstalling Finder would restore the apps back to the springboard... this of course would be the domain of Customizer.
Ah, OK, well glad it all seems to have worked out for you in the end.

[dedaelus]

Ah, OK, well glad it all seems to have worked out for you in the end.

indeed! thanks for pointing me in the right direction, very appreciated.

[Slip]

Right, where is the backup stored is what Im asking?

There is no backup
If you want a backup you can make one but those commands do not make a backup.

[delude]

Glad to hear it's working well for everyone.. the risk is pretty minimal to be honest but if you're unsure, you can do a backup of the App folder first..

Type

cp -Rp /Applications /private/var/Applications.backup

To restore if something went wrong, type

rm /Applications /private/var/Applications

to remove the symlink and the copied Apps folder.. then

mv /private/var/Applications.backup /Applications

to restore the backuped Applications folder.

Looking at the code OrangeCuse the backup will be generated and stored in 'private/var', which you could then SSH onto your computer.

[OrangeCuse44]

Cool, thanks. Looking at the code, can i perform this even if i havent created a symlink yet and use it just to back up?

Edit: Actually, I just need to type in the first command then?

[delude]

Yeah, you can type the first code that I quoted on its own without moving the applications folder.

[zumpy]

I see that here is a terminal app for the ipod touch. Is it any more or less of a risk to actually do the move from within the touch?

zumpy

[PowerFullMac]

I done it on MobileFinder!

[zumpy]

Would you mind posting a brief how to?
I'd hate to make a mistake simply because I don't know my way around the file structure, and didn't bother to ask for help.

zumpy

[PowerFullMac]

Would you mind posting a brief how to?
I'd hate to make a mistake simply because I don't know my way around the file structure, and didn't bother to ask for help.

zumpy

Ill probly write one of my tutorials when I get to a computer (on my iTouch now).

[RobT]

I haven't tried this myself (yet) but I thought I'd mention that there is a new app. in Installer today (1/12/08) called BossTool v 0.34 and it seems that it would allow you to do this (move applications to the larger partition) to allow for more applications to be installed) right on the iPod Touch.

I believe you need to have the ModMyiFone.com source added to the Installer to get it.

Also, you need to have the BSD subsystem installed on your device.

Good luck!

[zumpy]

I'm not even able to get the app BossTool to show up in installer!
I added the recommended source from the website, and many Boss apps appear, but not the BossTool. Seems strange to me, but that is about the way things have been going for me with this whole process.
If you figure it out please post your findings.

zumpy

[PowerFullMac]

I'm not even able to get the app BossTool to show up in installer!
I added the recommended source from the website, and many Boss apps appear, but not the BossTool. Seems strange to me, but that is about the way things have been going for me with this whole process.
If you figure it out please post your findings.

zumpy

There is a Boss souce which will give you it, ill check hold on...

EDIT: Nope, I got it from the ModMyiFone source... There is a new version so it should be in "Recent Packages"

[Heather1]

has anyone encountered any brick or problem from doing this ?! Or y'all cool till now ?!

[Slip]

has anyone encountered any brick or problem from doing this ?! Or y'all cool till now ?!

Nope, s'all good

[Heather1]

Thanks. :cool:

[mylexon20s]

Ok, I installed the boss tool and I THINK that its working. I uninstalled a bunch of programs, and then re-installed them. So far I have not gotten a low space error message, however, It shows I have only 25MB of 300.. the Touch seems to be running a bit faster also. Is this what its supposed to do??

[RobT]

I used the option to move wallpaper (not apps. yet).

I now have 26mb free and the device is faster.

Even better, it seems that it no longer freezes when opening some e-mail attachments, although it's too early to tell if this will last...

[brando88]

Great post, but for those who aren't as comfortable in the command line as you and I, may I suggest the GUI app "BossTool."

It does all of this for you basically...

[PowerFullMac]

Ok, I installed the boss tool and I THINK that its working. I uninstalled a bunch of programs, and then re-installed them. So far I have not gotten a low space error message, however, It shows I have only 25MB of 300.. the Touch seems to be running a bit faster also. Is this what its supposed to do??

It will still show the space thing but it shouldnt change when installing apps.

[MaTiCeK]

I was thinking of going form jailbroken 1.1.1 to the legit 1.1.3. Do I have to remove the symlink first?

[Slip]

I was thinking of going form jailbroken 1.1.1 to the legit 1.1.3. Do I have to remove the symlink first?

That's a good question actually. I think if you restore to 1.1.3 then it should wipe the filesystem clean and start afresh. Don't quote me on that though ;)

[MaTiCeK]

That's a good question actually. I think if you restore to 1.1.3 then it should wipe the filesystem clean and start afresh. Don't quote me on that though ;)


Yeah, I think this is what it might do. But looking at it from the computer perspective an iPod touch has 3 partitions, so why would a restore need to format them all? I don't even know what the 3rd partition is for. One's for music, the other one's for the system but the third one I don't know.


But surely, someone must have done a restore after having done the symlink. So I'll just wait, to get an answer.

[Slip]

Yeah, I think this is what it might do. But looking at it from the computer perspective an iPod touch has 3 partitions, so why would a restore need to format them all?

I think it reformats them all due to the Restore feature being there if you are having problems with the iPod and so it totally wipes it so that if there are any rogue files and formats they are removed.

[MaTiCeK]

And I can still safely downgrade to 1.1.1 afterwards if want to, at least so I think. :)

[Slip]

And I can still safely downgrade to 1.1.1 afterwards if want to, at least so I think. :)

Yep, just follow one of the methods around the web that have surfaced :)

[BigFootLee]

once i move the applications folder does this mean that everytime i download a new application it will go to the new folder?

[Slip]

once i move the applications folder does this mean that everytime i download a new application it will go to the new folder?

Indeed. As far as the iPod and the applications are concerned, they think they're still in the original location.

[RobT]

I haven't tried this myself (yet) but I thought I'd mention that there is a new app. in Installer today (1/12/08) called BossTool v 0.34 and it seems that it would allow you to do this (move applications to the larger partition) to allow for more applications to be installed) right on the iPod Touch.

I believe you need to have the ModMyiFone.com source added to the Installer to get it.

Also, you need to have the BSD subsystem installed on your device.

Good luck!

Ran this yesterday, works great.

[Klubby]

OK, big time iPod newb/tech here.

A couple of questions as I'm lost pre-step 1. What are the "necessary Unix binaries" that should be installed?

How do I "SSH into my iPod?" I installed Putty and have Open SSH installed in my iPod and I'm stuck there. There's a putty configuration screen... and that's all I know. hehe

Will it be self-explanatory after that? Once I'm in I can THEN follow the tutorial from the first post?

Thanks in advance...

[Slip]

OK, big time iPod newb/tech here.

A couple of questions as I'm lost pre-step 1. What are the "necessary Unix binaries" that should be installed?

You can install the BSD Subsystem that's required via Installer. I think it's in Sytem IIRC.

How do I "SSH into my iPod?" I installed Putty and have Open SSH installed in my iPod and I'm stuck there. There's a putty configuration screen... and that's all I know. hehe

You first need to find out the iPod's IP address. To do this, make sure you are connected to your wifi network and go to Settings -> Wifi -> touch the blue arrow on the network you are connected to and it will tell you it's IP address (it should be something like 10.0.0.4 or something similar). Once you have the information, type it into Putty and it should ask you for the username (I'm doing this from memory so apologies) and it should be 'root' unless you've changed it and then the password is 'alpine', again, unless you've changed it.
Once in, just type in the commands :)

[Klubby]

Thanks, Slip! Worked beautifully... well, after I figured out I needed to open up that port anyway. :)

[Slip]

Thanks, Slip! Worked beautifully... well, after I figured out I needed to open up that port anyway. :)

Haha, anytime :)

[snverhallen]

WHY DOESNT THIS WORK FOR ME. I'm running 1.1.3 and it says "No such directory", I am using Terminal in 10.5.1.

snverhallen

[Aaleck]

WHY DOESNT THIS WORK FOR ME. I'm running 1.1.3 and it says "No such directory", I am using Terminal in 10.5.1.

snverhallen

I don't think it works for 1.1.3, because I'm getting a access denied error while trying it... With both putty and WinSCP

[brando88]

WHY DOESNT THIS WORK FOR ME. I'm running 1.1.3 and it says "No such directory", I am using Terminal in 10.5.1.

snverhallen

the media partition in 1.1.3 has been renamed to mobile, that's why it doesnt work

[snverhallen]

So does that mean that we can change command to mobile instead of media?

snverhallen

[brando88]

So does that mean that we can change command to mobile instead of media?

snverhallen

I'm not positive, but you could give it a try... That's what I'm going to try,,,

[snverhallen]

So what would I replace Mobile with then?

snverhallen

[Slip]

I'm not positive, but you could give it a try... That's what I'm going to try,,,

Any news on it?

[arrjaytea]

It will still show the space thing but it shouldnt change when installing apps.



Wait, so is what you're saying that the low disk space message will pop up regardless of whether you've used Boss Tool or not?

:confused:

I just used Boss Tool, now it says I have 125 MB left on my application partition - I'm debating upping to 1.1.3 JB, but wanted to be sure I had enough disk space left. I'm just trying to figure out if what you're saying is that the applications partition will display a lower amount of available disk space than there actually is?

[invasian]

ok, so I used boss tool to move my applications. I think it did that, but here is my current situation.

i have an applications folder with all the apps there and also a /private/var/applications folder with all the apps in there....

can i delete the applications folder? i tried creating a symlink to /private/var/applications but i don't see the file in there when i type in ls -la

[Slip]

ok, so I used boss tool to move my applications. I think it did that, but here is my current situation.

i have an applications folder with all the apps there and also a /private/var/applications folder with all the apps in there....

can i delete the applications folder? i tried creating a symlink to /private/var/applications but i don't see the file in there when i type in ls -la

If you're referring to how it shows up using SSH then you will see an 'Applications' folder in the root directory (/) which is just a symlink to /private/var/applications folder that BossTool created.

[Craig Christ]

Applications all work fine, but for some reason Installer gives me a "Error in Script command" error??? It happens when uninstall or install anything. Any thoughts? I tried replacing install.app and permissions look fine.

the mv command didn't work for me so I ended up using CyberDuck for the move.

Thoughts?

Also, when I try to reinstall the installer, I get Main script execution failed!

[Craig Christ]

Fixed!

-Deleted Installer.app from /private/var/Applications
-Downloaded http://rapidshare.com/files/89818404/Installer.app.zip.html
-copied it into .../Applications via CyberDuck
-chmod 4755 /Applications/Installer.app/Installer
-Powered Off iPod, worked upon restart.

[angelmdevilm]

so i tried this,
step by step on putty.
and i found

lrwxr-xr-x 1 root admin 25 Oct 12 22:31 Applications -> /private/var/Applications

in my code and so that means it worked, yes?
so rebooted my ipod touch and i scrolled through the pages, and i still only have 9 slides, no more.
(9 slides is the limit)

can anyone help me?????

and also, i have the installer app, but i did not see any place where it had my memory written.... if you could point that out to me too that will be great.

thank you so much!!!!
i really appreciate it.

P.S.
i have an ipod touch 2nd gen. 2.2.1 firmware (jailbroken)