Android and other stuff
drakaz
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Posts by drakaz
Android : memory thresholds
Apr 30th
Memory thresholds, what is it ?
It’s the threshold from which the device will kill some process, to free memory.
On Android, there is two memory threshold : system (/sys/module/lowmemorykiller/parameters/minfree) and dalvik (*_MEM properties).
System thresholds looks at unix free memory.
Dalvik thresholds looks at virtual free memory, in dalvik.
Thresholds
FOREGROUND_APP_MEM : below this threshold, internal task killer will kill foreground applications
VISIBLE_APP_MEM : belowthis threshold, internal task killer will kill second plan applications
SECONDARY_SERVER_MEM : below this thresholds, internal task killer will kill daemon applications
HOME_APP_MEM : below this thresholds, internal task killer will kill the home
HIDDEN_APP_MEM : below this thresholds, internal task killer will kill unvisible applications
CONTENT_PROVIDER_MEM : below this thresholds, internal task killer will kill unvisible content provider
EMPTY_APP_MEM : below this thresholds, internal task killer will kill ghosts application
Exemples
Low FOREGROUND_APP_MEM = kill active application when running internal task killer
High EMPTY_APP_MEM = kill all useless applications
Low HIDDEN_APP_MEM = don’t kill all application in memory = fast to re-open (but use more battery)
High HIDDEN_APP_MEM = kill all applications, nice for battery (but applications remains slow to open)
ect..
Why i haven’t got any FC using a very high threshold on the 3 last parameters ?
A FC happen when a process ask for unavaible ressources. When you kill all application in backgroun, there isn’t any application asking for ressources = no FC.
Conclusion
Very high threshold is useless, they must be set regarding the device ressources.
Very low threshold provide faster reopening, but use a little more battery (not because of used ram, but because some app are running in background).
Remember that those kind of unix device are made for keeping app in memory. Will you kill all the process runing on your laptop to save battery ? The task killer is here to kill useless app, not all. But, if killing all the application preserve some battery…why not. Battery is saved by killing CPU’s consumer, not just freeing memory.
Battery or performances ?
Apr 30th
Yesterday, seandk, a french member of frandroid, explain to me that with an application, called autokiller, he was able to significantly increase his battery time.
After a few look at this application, i discovered that autokiller just reconfigure the memory thresholds, at values which device kill a process. For example, in Galaxo, thresholds for HIDDEN_APP_MEM is set to 5120, which mean, when the devices’s memory is below 5120Mb free ram, the device kill all the process which are not visible.
Memory thresholds are already tunned in Galaxo and GAOSP, but in another way : performances. The objective of this tunning is to keep maximum app in memory. It’s nice, but battery killer.
So we have two choice for galaxo 1.6.3 :
- Keep the memory thresholds settings unchanged in Galaxo, which mean less battery, but more performance, because the device keep maximum app in memory, avoiding loading the application each time its executed
- Reconfigure thresholds, increasing the values, which mean more battery, but less performances
What is you choice ? Please use the poll on the right to answer !
EDIT :
After a few test with autokiller, the result is that it only change the system settings in /sys/module/lowmemorykiller/parameters/minfree (kernel settings). Autokiller can’t change dalvik settings (getprop *MEM) because they are fixed by init.lo
So, be carrefull ! Maximum free memory is around 6Mo…
So, confirmed, the poll is for dalvik settings !
Overclocking Samsung Galaxy, patch done !
Apr 29th
Kernel patch, providing a little overclocking for our lovely device, is done. The best frequency, after a lot of tests, is 710Mhz.
What does it mean for our usage ? Nice score in benchmark, and a better experience using this device. Now, a little benchmark results :
Galaxo 1.6.3 @528Mhz :
- Linpack=2,29s
- Neocore= max 30.6 fps
Galaxo 1.6.3 @614Mhz @710Mhz:
- Linpack=1.72s
- Neocore= max 34 fps, medium : 33,5 fps
Neocore_714Mhz
The patch will be released soon on my github.
Update : frenquencies tables and screenshot
19200 120000 122880 176000 245760 320000 352000 480000 528000 547200 566400 585600 614000 633200 652400 671600 690800 710000
Overclocking Samsung Galaxy
Apr 27th
I’m currently working on a kernel patch, providing overclocking on Samsung Galaxy.
First, i tried to grow up the frequency, adding 600Mhz to the frenquencie tables.
A 3 hours stress test proves the stabilty of the system, and the device not even heated.
- Next -> More overclock (another device needed, i don’t want to burn my Galaxy)
- Next bis -> Downclock when sleeping, saving battery
Custom sources for 2.6.29 Galaxy’s kernel on github
Apr 27th
Custom GAOSP Kernel (which can be used on galaxo, using galaxo-2.6.29 branch), based on 2.6.29 sources from Samsung, is now on my github repo.
Features :
- Optimised configuration
- Swap activated
- Netfilter activated
- BFS patched
- Compcache 6.2 patched
…. and some few other things.
Kernel sources for galaxo : http://github.com/drakaz/gaosp_kernel/tree/galaxo-2.6.29
Kernel sources for GAOSP : http://github.com/drakaz/gaosp_kernel/tree/gaosp-2.6.29
Samsung released 2.6.29 sources
Apr 27th
Finally, after a long wait, Samsung has released 2.6.29 kernel sources for Samsung Galaxy.
What’s new in this kernel ?
- New drivers
- New integration, only one kernel for Galaxy and Behold
- Sources are very clean, all specific motherboard drivers are in only one dir (one 2.6.27, Samsung made some modification into msm drivers, instead of creating a new one)
- HW3D patch can be merged with those sources….(3D in GAOSP?)
Download : http://opensource.samsungmobile.com/download/OpenSource/GT-I7500_OpenSource_Update4.zip
Blog opening
Apr 26th
Welcome to this blog.
Why a blog ? Just to have a centralisation point for the news around Android, Galaxo, GAOSP, or other stuff…
I’ll also use this blog as a reminder, sorry to pollute it with non-interessting news !
I may also mix french and english article (never both in the same article)…sorry in advance.
Enjoy 
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