Solution to App Catalog Installation Limit

Based on rwhitby's findings that temporarily moving /var/usr/palm/applications will allow installing apps from the App Catalog, here's a permanent way to keep the apps on (much larger) /media/internal by using links. This will permanently save space on /var.

It's unfortunate that Palm has not resolved the issue in the 1.2 update. This is a workaround that could work long term, also saving space on /var, but this needs support by the homebrew community to add in the homebrew installer apps.

Solution

- create a dir mkdir /media/internal/.apps

- create a script to move apps to new home and create link

vi /usr/bin/mvapp

---

#!/bin/sh

# someone reported that this would only work if APP=/var/usr/palm/application/$1, but try this first
APP=$1
# can change destination to anything you want
DEST=/media/internal/.apps
ORG=/var/usr/palm/applications

cd $ORG

if [ -d $DEST ]
then
echo "Directory exists..."
else
mkdir $DEST
fi

if [ -h $APP ]
then
echo "Link already exists for... ${APP}"
exit
fi

if [ -d $APP ]
then
echo "Moving $APP to $DEST..."
else
echo "Not a valid application directory."
echo "Usage: mvapp com.org.appname "
exit
fi

mount -o remount,rw /

cd $ORG
echo "Size of /var/usr/palm/applications before move... "
du -sh .

# move over to USB drive
cp -r $ORG/$APP $DEST
if [ $? != 0 ]
then
echo "Copy failed. Leaving app in $ORG."
exit
fi

rm -r $ORG/$APP

# create the link
ln -s $DEST/$APP $ORG/$APP


# rescan luna in case it's needed
luna-send -n 1 palm://com.palm.applicationManager/rescan {}

echo "$APP moved and linked."
echo "Size of $ORG after move... "
du -sh .

---

chmod 777 /usr/bin/mvapp

To use, find the largest apps in /var/usr/palm/applications... du -s /var/usr/palm/applications |sort -n

It shows the largest apps last... IE....
6720 com.accuweather.palm
6720 net.likeme
6816 com.goodrec.app.goodfood
7232 com.apps.forwebos.ahs
7456 com.citysearch.mobile
8352 com.apnews.webos
8512 com.fandango.app.fandango
8672 com.palm.app.musicplayerremix
10304 com.shortcovers.palm.pre
10432 com.fusioncreativestudios.deadman
10656 com.ulocate.app.where
To move com.ulocate.app.where, use the script...

mvapp com.ulocate.app.where

It should now work in the new location thanks to the link. Test each app to make sure it works before doing another. I don't recommend looping the script to do every app in the dir or to link the entire app dir. File attributes are lost on the move, which some apps may need. You need to test each app after a move.

If you have issues with an app, remove it and reinstall through the respective app catalog or homebrew installer app.

Proposal

Would like to propose that PreWare, WebOS Quick Install and other Pre installer apps provide an option to move any app in /var to the /media fs and create a link per the code above. Also provide option to move back. Could make a backup retaining file attributes using tar and restore that way.

Risks, Issues, Dependencies

- File attributes of linux fs are not copied over to fat fs. May not work with apps that rely on file attributes.