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
mount -o remount,rw /
cd /var/usr/palm/applications echo "Size of /var/usr/palm/applications before move... " du -sh .
cp -r /var/usr/palm/applications/$1 /media/internal/apps rm -r /var/usr/palm/applications/$1 ln -s /media/internal/apps/$1 /var/usr/palm/applications/$1
echo "$1 moved and linked." echo "Size of /var/usr/palm/applications 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.