Disk Space Problem

[Ironhorz]

I had no trouble doing it with Terminal in Mac OS X. Here's a primer for those who consider themselves callow newbies (as we all once were). I've purposely written this so pedantically that it will absolutely offend the wise and experienced among us. Again, this isn't for them. (So, if you consider yourself to be wizened and devirginized, then please spare yourself much anguish and skip this post.)

Ok, if you're a total novice and don't mind being addressed like a first-grader (and only if), then this one's for you:

1) Presumably you have a jailbroken iPhone with some third-party applications installed. (Otherwise you wouldn't be running out of applications space which necessitates your reading these instructions.) However, if you've not yet installed OpenSSH on your iPhone, then do it now. One easy way to install OpenSSH is via Installer.app on your iPhone.

2) Make sure the Mac and the iPhone are connected to the same wireless router.

3) Get the iPhone's IP address. You can obtain it this way: Tap the iPhone's "Settings" icon. Then tap "Wi-Fi." Then tap the right-facing blue arrow located adjacent to your wireless access point's name. Note the top line titled "IP Address." Jot that down. For the rest of this tutorial when you see this -- XXXXXXXXXX -- you should substitute your IP address (both the numbers and the periods, which looks something like this: 192.168.11.4).

4) Now, on the Mac, launch the "Terminal" app (it's in the Utilities folder inside your Applications folder... i.e., /Applications/Utilities/Terminal). At the cursor in Terminal, type the following string and then press return (remembering again that you should substitute your iPhone's IP address instead of XXXXXXXXXX):
ssh root@XXXXXXXXXX
(In other words, your typed string should look something like: ssh [email protected])

5) Terminal on your Mac should now prompt you for a password. If you're running iPhone firmware 1.0.2 then the password is Dottie (with a capital D). More likely, though, you're running iPhone firmware 1.1.1, so the password is Alpine (with a capital A). Carefully type the proper password and press return.

6) If this was the first time you've accessed your iPhone via SSH or FTP (technically, SFTP), then you'll see a bunch of machinations like "generating your keys for the first time" or the like. Don't worry. You'll soon be presented with the Number Sign character (#) which is what we're looking for and signifies a successful iPhone access via SSH. If this wasn't the first time you've accessed your iPhone this way, then you got the # character right after entering the proper password.

7) Ok, now you should be looking at a blank # on a line by itself in Terminal. Here's where the real work begins. Type (or just copy and paste) the following into Terminal on your Mac and press return:
mv /Applications /private/var/Applications
Note a few things. First, this is the string that moves your Applications folder to more spacious environs. Second, you shouldn't let your iPhone go to sleep at this point. Third, note that NOTHING will happen for awhile in Terminal while that big iPhone Applications folder is moved to its new location. When it's complete, you'll see another # character on a line by itself in Terminal on your Mac.

8) Next, type this into Terminal on your Mac and press return:
cd /
Note that this UNIX command you just typed simply changes the directory ("cd") to the top of the iPhone's disk.

9) You should see another # right away. Next type this (or copy and paste it) into Terminal on your Mac and press return:
ln -s /private/var/Applications Applications
Note that this creates the symbolic link (UNIX-speak for what Mac people call "an alias") so that the iPhone "sees" its Applications folder in its proper place even though it's really been moved.

10) Now you should see the # command again. Technically, you are DONE at this point, but we're going to do something to ensure that what we hoped would happen did in fact actually happen. So type the following into the Terminal on the Mac and press return:
ls -la

11) Wow, a big directory listing just spilled out. The fourth line (or thereabouts) from the top should look something like this (so YOU DON'T TYPE THIS as it should be somewhere in there):
lrwxr-xr-x 1 root admin 25 Nov 15 06:34 Applications -> /private/var/Applications
Note the word "Applications" with the little arrow (->) that points to where the Applications folder now really lives. Voila. If it's there (and it should be), you are done.

12) Type the word exit and then press return in your Terminal on the Mac. It should say that your connection is now closed.

13) Reboot your iPhone now by pressing the Home button as well as the power button (on the top right of your iPhone) at the same time for several seconds until you see the big red arrow and "slide to power off" phrase. Go ahead and "slide to power off," then wait about 5 seconds, then press that power button again (iPhone, top right). You're all set (hopefully).

14) Done. Enjoy not worrying about running out of space for your iPhone applications anymore.

Randy

P.S. If you're on Windows, presumably you can substitute the "Putty" program referenced earlier in this thread everywhere I've mentioned the Mac's "Terminal" program.

Thanks so much for this comprehensive step by step for newbies, ME!! I just copied and pasted all of the commands and it's worked with no problems at all. I tried this last night and had to restore my phone back to 1.1.1 and then ran into the Oktoprep problem but after a day all is back to normal but BETTER!

Is there somewhere I could go to try to learn a bit more about using terminal? I've got a wopping 2 weeks experience with mac and I can't get enough of it right now. I LOVE this thing compared to my PC!!

[KingRedmer]

It seems like everyones is getting this real easy, but I've done it twice and had to restore my phone. After rebooting my phone, it shows no icons on my home screen, then shows the processing circle thingy, then flashes the apple startup icon, and loops this over and over again. I really don't know what I did wrong, and any help would be appreciated...

Also, I haven't actually restored it the second time yet, if that matters.

[sabir415]

After I transfer all the files to /var/root am i supposed to go and delete the old files? because i noticed that the applications successfully moved to /var/root/ROOT_Applications but i still see that the same applications are still in original /Applications folder..

[Tomer]

So, you ahve to have WiFi ?
is there a way to do it without wifi?

[mkurasz]

KingRedmer

You have to modify ur fstab to allow execute permissions on the 2nd partition.
remove noexec from /etc/fstab
install BSD subsystem
without this your phone can't get the permission to open ur apps, thats why u keep crashing...
-------------------------------------------------------------------
sabir

thats because its like a "shortcut" when u browse to ?Applications/ its actually taking you to var/root/root_applications

not to be mean but dont do things like this if you cant understand what its actually doing... its just a symlink pretty much like a shortcut...

[techgirl]

Can I just say... I don't what is different in your guide, but this hack is finally working on my phone! Thanks! It seems to be something with the placement of the Applications folder. They are both (the incorrect one and yours) under var, but one seemed to be hanging somewhere, I don't know, but as my phone had to be reset five times, anyone whose phone was messing up from this hack, can definitely us yours! Thanks man!

[alexblanchard2]

Thank you, worked for me aswell. After following the tutorial above I had two copies of the Applications folder, one in the Root and one in Media - however if I deleted something from root it also deleted the same file/folder from media - I now realise that the folder in Root that seemed to contain all of the original apps was actually just a link to the new folder.

Please do not make the same mistake as I did - before following instructions use Term-vt100 on iphone (install via Installer.app) to check how much disk space is being used on the ' disk0s1 ' - by typing ' df ' and then pressing return. Once you have followed the above tutorial the number will decrease slightly (depending on how many apps you have installed - for myself about 30mb). If this number decreases it is likely all has gone well.

Note - learn your phones file structure and what should and should not appear in certain places - this will be valuble throughout your iPhone hacking life.

[miltieIV2]

You need to ssh into the iPhone over WiFi, fix /etc/fstab to remove noexec, recursively copy /Applications over to the media file system, remove the original Applications directory, put in a sym link, and reboot.

$ ssh root@my_iphone_wifi_ip_address
# cd /
# vi etc/fstab
(remove ",noexec" if needed; save and exit)
# cp -rp Applications private/var
# rm -rf Applications
# ln -f private/var/Applications
# reboot

sheesh

[Geil]

Hi

I tried using the WinSCP method but cannot get it to work and here are my notes:
- iphone 1.0.2 upgraded to 1.1.1, jailbroken and unlocked
- tried editing fstab but there is no "noexec" entry right from the start, instead looks exactly like the final desired outcome so I left it as is
- tried using WinSCP to move Applications folder to var/root/*.* folder but error popping up cannot be ignored to allow it to proceed???
- instead copied Applications folder to desktop and copied back into private/var/root folder instead
- instead of deleting Applications folder from root I renamed to Applicationss
- created Applications link in the root folder tried both /var/root/Applications and /private/var/root/Applications
- after iphone reboot homepage looks fine but none of the buttons actually work! not even the docked ones e.g. phone, mail, safari, ipod. Some of them actually "darken" when pressed but thats it... I can actually darken several in parallel
- revert by deleting link and renaming original folder back and after reset all is fine and I am none the smarter

btw a few more questions and observations:
- user. memory in Sysinfo indicates free or used memory?
- Previous installer version showed a virgin iphone to have 130M free but Sysinfo now only shows Memory Size and Phys Memory to be 116M
- I am being prompted to remove pics and vids to free up space as I am supposidly running out of memory
- based on what I copied out the Applications folder uses 26M only
- my iphone crashes and resets a lot nowadays mainly when using Mobile RSS, is it I am loading too many feeds with pics and use up all memory or is it just unstable app? It seems like it crashes no matter how many or few actual entries I have

Any help to clarify what I am missing is greatly appreciated

[jotaerrege]

I did all that and my memory available is still 2.1 gb.. and i dont have any songs, pics... on my iphone..What should i do? Restore it and jailbreak again?! By the way ... im on 1.1.2
thanks

[DarkMirc]

well i for one am new to iphone and ipod and my first impressions are OH GOD what a farce just to get something sorted i agree a simple app to install to the media section would make life easier and the iphone more popular for the idiots like me. I have read a lot of thread over the last couple of weeks and some are very anoying just to get something simple to work there are always 3 or 4 steps to get things to work.

For intance getting a ringtone on iphone surely someone is good enough to make an app either for pc or iphone to upload it and convert it to necessary file and correct place to put it.

also the same for installing apps to the media section so we dont run out of space, a simple request install app options NORMAL OR TO MEDIA SECTION

I for one am getting fed up of the of doing multiple things to get something working i am not technical minded in software and would contribute to an easier way to install apps to media part of iphone. come on guys surely we need to make thing easier not complicated.

[jarthurs1981]

For all you guys that can't SSH, theres an app. on the bigboss repository in installer called bosstool that will do this for you. It also moves your wallpapers to the media partition. Hopes this helps.

[elbello]

For all you guys that can't SSH, theres an app. on the bigboss repository in installer called bosstool that will do this for you. It also moves your wallpapers to the media partition. Hopes this helps.

I dont know about this bosstool, I used it and when I searched my phone on iphonebroswer, it didn't remove the original applications folder, it only copied the folder over to another location. I'm not a tech or anything, but doesn't that defeat the purpose of moving it in the first place?
Also, I tried to test to see if the apps on my springboard were coming from the old applications folder or the new one set up by deleting an app from iphonebrowser and when I restarted my phone, the folder was deleted from both folders. I don't know how that happened. Anyone has better luck? Should I just use Terminal to do all this?
What happens when I install new apps, will it put it in that new folder or will it install on the original Applications folder again?

[brettt]

i think you missed the point. a simlink=a link. they were the same folder.

I dont know about this bosstool, I used it and when I searched my phone on iphonebroswer, it didn't remove the original applications folder, it only copied the folder over to another location. I'm not a tech or anything, but doesn't that defeat the purpose of moving it in the first place?
Also, I tried to test to see if the apps on my springboard were coming from the old applications folder or the new one set up by deleting an app from iphonebrowser and when I restarted my phone, the folder was deleted from both folders. I don't know how that happened. Anyone has better luck? Should I just use Terminal to do all this?
What happens when I install new apps, will it put it in that new folder or will it install on the original Applications folder again?

[meisterlumpi]

- Sometimes, especially when you copy your app folder to your computer first and then back to the phone's media partition file permissions are set back to wrx-r-r, where the first letters indicate the permissions for the owner the 2nd set the ones for the user and the last ones for the group, or everybody...
when that happens you won't be able to execute apps on your phone anymore, because you dont have the permission to do so. so go to your applications folder via ssh or mobilefinder or however you like and open the ***.app folder of the app that wont start. then look for a file that is called like the app itself (it should have no extension). right klick that file and set its permissions (CHMOD) so everyone can execute it (set CHMOD to 755).
(if you use a mac with fetch it's right klick -> information)

- and i think there is no other way to do this except via wlan.

- my two cents..
I think some people don't realise how much work it is to write an app like that, even if you have a lot of experience. Especially if there already is an easy way to do things, why should someone spend countless hours to programm an app that does the same thing.. for no money!
btw it is a nice feeling if you accomplished something by yourself, especially if it doesn't work right away

[jarthurs1981]

I think you guys need to do a lot more reading. When I first started I read and read and then I understood. You can't just say duh, I don't know, You need to read and understand first!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When you move you're apps to save space you have 2 folders but only one is real! You have a real folder and a fake folder (symb. link) the fake folder is there but it doesn't take up any memory, it's just a link to your REAL apps. Just cause your new doesn't give you an excuse, I was new and I learned, You guys should try it. READ READ READ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BigBoss]

Can someone develop a new app that moves the app directory over to the the media stuff so that we can get more disck space for those of us that dont understand winscp or putty or anything

A simple app that can do this for us to free disk space would be great

BossTool does this. I have had that ability implemented for over 8 weeks. Get it from my installer here: http://sleepers.net/iphonerepo - note it also fixes your fstab if needed and will move walllpaper and ringtones too. You should move wallpaper and ringtones first and make sure that it freed up disk space before attempting applications.

[clincoln]

On the point where you have to move the applications folder and you get an error message nothing happens for me, if you click on any of the buttons other than abort it just cancels the operations. There is no Ignore button, can you help.