What is f2fs?
If you need more information, Google it 😉
Is it worth to use f2fs on S3 Mini?
Which ROMs supports f2fs?
- CyanogenMod 12.0 version 20150131 or newer
- CyanogenMod 11.0 version 20140612 or newer, with setup during installation: version 20140820 or newer
- OmniROM 4.4 version 20140614 or newer
- Carbon 4.4 version 20140614 or newer
- Android Open Kang Project 4.4 version 20140620 or newer
- SlimROM 4.4 version 20140630 or newer
- AOSPA 4.4 version 20140814 or newer, with setup during installation: version 20140821 or newer
- CyanogenMod 10.2 version 20140617 or newer
What partition can I format as f2fs?
Will I lose my current data?
/data partition (recommended)
In future we are planing scripts which will able you to make migration without loosing /data, but it would need a lot of time, so we cannot say when.
If you aren’t worried about ADB, you can learn how to make migration without loosing data using it here.
You can also backup your applications with their data with 3rd part software. Remember to push your valuable files from Internal storage to your PC if you select this method!
If you don’t know ADB and don’t want to use 3rd part software, you will lose all your data, including contacts, messages, applications, their data, even files on internal storage, like photos! Don’t forget to push your valuable files from your Internal storage to your PC then!
Don’t worry about external SDcard – nothing is being removed from it!
/cache partition (recommended)
I want to use f2fs. How do do this?
- Install latest software that support f2fs from our download page.
- Install latest TWRP recovery from our download page.
- Reboot to recovery.
- Go to Wipe -> Advanced Wipe.
- Select /data or /cache (one partition at time, if you wish to use f2fs on both partitions, you will need to do it later in this way) and select Repair or change filesystem.
- Select Change filesystem.
- Select f2fs.
- Slide to agree for formatting selected partitions.
- Done. Now reboot and your phone will boot with f2fs formatted /data.
If you want to go back to ext4, follow steps above, just in step 7. select ext4 instead of f2fs ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Author: NovaFusion
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If I backup data before switching to f2fs and after I’ve done, I restore the backup, will the f2fs be still there or it comes back to ext4?
+1
Back to ext4. The backup is indeed like a .iso file of a partition on your phone internal memory.
Ok so clean install, after that. No problem
No, if you backup using Titanium Backup for example then you can restore apps data.
Yeah, but what about other files resident in /data?
I think just copying them by filemanager and copying them back after format change wouldn’t work, would it`?
Maybe rsync?
Could rsync work while the OS is running at all?
That’s what i was thinking, but then again f2fs is a whole image so even tho we restore our backup it will migrate to it’s compatible resource which is the ext4 and may suffer loss of data. This is where im scared x(
I had the same problem, it seems to be bug with “tar” large file support >2GB
To avoid that error, data.tar file must be <2GB.
If already deleted your /data partition then its needed to "repair" the data.tar
For that i needed to split it to two files.
There is multiple ways to do this but i used PC as intermediary so first transfer data.tar to PC:
adb pull /external_sd/data.tar C:\data.tar
Then made two copies of data.tar and deleted half data from one and exactly another half from other tar so both were less than 2GB. (used 7zip in windows)
Put data back to phone:
adb push C:\data1.tar /external_sd/data1.tar
adb push C:\data2.tar /external_sd/data2.tar
wipe /data partition again, restart recovery
And do step 12. which is now slightly modified:
cd /external_sd && tar -xvf data1.tar -C /data/ && tar -xvf data2.tar -C /data/ && cd /data && mv data backupf2fs && rm -r media && cd backupf2fs && mv * ../ && cd .. && rm -r backupf2fs
reboot recovery
install latest soft again
wipe dalvik
To avoid this problem the data.tar should be already generated less than <2GB or splitted.
This comment was meant to be under “Backup: ext4 -> f2fs”
as some have error:
“Error: tar: seek failure: Value too large for defined data type”
Another tip: when you split the tar, make sure you preserve permissions (default when you use tar as super user). e.g.:
$ sudo tar -xvf data.tar
$ sudo tar -cvf data_media.tar data/media
(the sudo implies -p –same-owner, which is important)
Lenny face!!! <3
Heya. Just wanted to say, I think most of us would be more than okay if you focused your efforts on a script to safely migrate to f2fs from ext4 instead of on regular groundbreaking releases. If this can become accessible to the average user, that will be groundbreaking in itself. Just a thought.
Keep up the awesome work!
i cant see f2fs, its not shown on the screen
Hi, thanks for all your effort, I know this may be a dumb question but, does the sd card also gets wiped or just the phone memory??
just internal storage gets wiped.
Done. And now, how do I know if I’m using f2fs? is all the same, I do not see any difference.
It is good that you “see” no difference. Everything is supposed to work as it always did. What should change is that your apps should run faster as the file system should be more efficient with flash memory.
Please let us know if the phone is quicker or if it makes no difference between.
Start in TWRP
=> “Wipe”
=> “Advanced Wipe”
=> select Partition
=> “Repair or Change File System”
=> look: “Current file system:”
=> go back and restart
Can i use f2fs on stock ROM? or need a compatible kernel for this?
only for android 4.4.x +
Compatible kernel, ROM and system automount scripts 🙂
Is carbon 4.4.3 fully supported? B’coz i didnt see it in the changelog. soo , it’s either they forgot, or still now fully supported? please let me know Asap. Thanks 🙂
*still NOT fully supported. sry..
How to instal with CWM recovery? (v6.0.2.7)
Y use CWM? Dude use TWRP.
Well you can flash CWM using Odin. But u have 2 download Odin’s , odin package not the recovery. But if u have a previous vr.of CWM, u can also still flash the latest CWM using ur current CWM.
Stand me if i am incorrect.
Oh and, what if i backup only the Data file. And then when i want to restore, ill just migrate to ext4 again.. and then restore my backup. Would this method work?
Well, this is probably a dumb question, but I’m quite a begginer on this Rom changing thing, but what if I do a backup using Titanium Backup before migrate to f2fs and then, after migrating, return the apps from the previous backup, would it work?
Hi..I did everything like you said…But now TWRP said that it is unable to mount internal storage…How can i solve that? thanks
Don’t We have to reinstall gapps?
+1
Most of the answers are in the Tutorial.
Please read carefully before asking… 😉
After a day of use f2ps, I see no difference in performance from my phone. Basically, everything is as before, performance or speed of apps, etc, all the same. The only difference I see is that with f2ps the phone is much more unstable. The system locks a lot, and almost always have to take the battery out to restart it. Sometimes the phone gets very hot. With ext4, never had problems like these. So today I will go back to ext4. I think it’s more stable and performance is the same. Anyway, congratulations for all the excellent work they do every day. Sorry for my bad english, im from Portugal.
Can anybody tell me the difference betwwen ext4 and f2fs? Is it really worth to move on to f2fs?
Thanks before 🙂
Is this possible only for /data partitio?
[…] full f2fs support – the best filesystem for Android (tutorial here!) […]
When I tap change/repair filesystem. It says “Invalid file selection”
Please help me
yoni says:
June 14, 2014 at 7:31 am
guys if you have problems with installing the latest twrp recovery then use this method. i promise it works!! 😀
1) download the recovery version of twrp from this site
2) extract the zip file and copy the recovery.img to your internal storage
3) download an app called rashr from the google play store
4) open it and grant superuser
5) go to flash recovery>other from storage>select the recovery.img
6) hit yes please. it will flash the recovery(should take a few seconds)
7) you now have the latest recovery without any md5 errors.
[…] full f2fs support – the best filesystem for Android (tutorial here!) […]
when i tap Repair/Change filesystem:
i got an error saying: Invalid Partition selection. Can someone help me?
the same for me
so the next is /system or /sdcard0 ?
[…] full f2fs support – the best filesystem for Android (tutorial here!) […]
found the solution: dont select cache + data, just cache or data AND Internal storage (since that’s part of data)
somehow TWRP can’t reformat more than one partition at a time
Thanks bro!
Can I format f2fs /system ??
google play service error after changing file system from ext4 to f2fs on s3 mini .. im using the latest carbon rom update .. please help!!
thnx
because it is not compatible with carbon rom
Hi sir I tried cache partition changing to f2fs and done it correctly the problem is I am stock at the boot animation what shud I do
can move system to f2fs ?
Hi im having a problem I had change my cache partition into f2fs and its ok says in the twrp but the thing is when reboot inti system I got at boot animation screen for half and hour and still doesnt go through plss I need help what shall I do
Ive done changing my data partitiin into f2fs and it work well than I tried the cache partition and went well but when I reboot my phone I got stock at boot animatiin screen
I know you said that only /cache and /data are supported as f2fs, but I was wandering about sdcard1… should it be the less problematic partition (being only an accessory to the system)? Can it be formatted in f2fs or should it be fat?
Hi, where I can find (control) what kind of file system I am using? Thx, P.
I read on xda another day that ext4 read operations are faster than f2fs. At least based on the device they tested. You can see here: http://www.xda-developers.com/android/f2fs-put-to-the-test-against-ext4/
Base on that, it really worth to make the system partition f2fs?
[…] full f2fs support – the best filesystem for Android (tutorial here!) […]
How can I check if the partitions are correctly changed in f2fs?
[…] full f2fs support – the best filesystem for Android (tutorial here!) […]
hi I don’t know if it will be OK to post this one here.. but im starting to get confused :3 I have my mini in carbon 4.4.3 and I’ve tried to install link2sd.. it works fine. the only problem I’m having is that whenever I’m checking the storage info.. it just only show the internal and SD/emulated… I just want to make sure that this days now, that’s how it works… bec on my previous phone, I’m still able to see the external storage although I have internal storage.. pls do help me figure put this thing :3 tnx..
I have no option for f2fs in advanced format (s3mini)
also /system partition is still ext4 (according to TWRP) after upgrade to 20140623
used rom: cm11.0_golden.nova.20140623
used recovery: NovaFusion’s TWRP Recovery v2.7.1.0
installed latest TWRP 2.7.1.0 again and now a have f2fs as an option
pregunto….que diferencia hay entre una y la otra-?? especificamente en que…
[…] full f2fs support – the best filesystem for Android (tutorial here!) […]
I did everything and it worked so far. But when I look up the system partion in twrp it still says ext4.
Do I manually have to change the file system to f2fs?
I can’t find this archive f2fs on the downloads.
everyone have any problems with f2fs on /cache and /data? i used f2fs on /system so far and i don’t have problem.
If I flash the rom with odin, all partitions will be formatted in f2fs?
I can’t seem to find f2fs on the downloads page
ha.. sorry ignore my comment.. haha
I just flashed latest release with odin and system partitions remain in ext4.
How to format all partitions to f2fs?
Should i use twrp to format all partitions one at a time to f2fs including system, thus rendering the phone useless without OS and then reflash with odin?
I just flashed latest CM11 with odin and system partitions remain to ext4.
Should i use twrp to reformat all partition to f2fs and then reflash with odin?
OmniROM running with ext4s. After changing partitions to f2fs with TWRP and reboot I got stuck at boot screen for more than half an hour and doesn’t go on. Anyone can help me with this issue?
[…] full f2fs support – the best filesystem for Android (tutorial here!) […]
[…] full f2fs support – the best filesystem for Android (tutorial here!) […]
I’m new, just a question, my cellphone gonna be faster????. Thanks
I just flashed the new TWRP release for S3 Mini from here, made a TWRP-backup of my /data partition as ext4, went through your new CM11 installer and chose f2fs.
All methods to restore and maintain the new file system were unsuccessful due to various resons (ADB driver probs when in recovery, Android not recognizing symlinks when i use adb backup…) so I used my previously created TWRP backup to restore my /data back to how it was before.
The amazing thing is, that TWRP recognized the different filesystems of backup and acutal partition and restored my data while remaining the new f2fs filesystem.
If you are able to reproduce this, you could post this here 😉
Hi friends…i have a problem..the key back,menu , and option …i dont can use it…these dont function …pñease helpme
How can i use f2fs on the /system partition? /data and /cache works fine. but how can i change /system from ext to f2fs??? thnx!
Sry…I know it’s not th eright place but I could’n find good info’s on the net so… I ask here where we’r all interested in S3-mini. What about overclocking/undervolting? Has anybody some good link/infos about it? Ty very much!
Great job ’bout the ROM…I just installed with f2fs and it seems already faster…hope it’ll remain stable but I’m trustful! Keep-up! Thx again!
hallo, I formatted \system as f2fs and after reboot samsung s3 mini can’t boot up
Try a fresh install with Recovery, the new installer allows you to format all partitions neede (/system /data /cache) in f2fs, you have just to confirm all options already thicked. I had same problem cause I formatted first…and I solved this way. GL! 🙂
I followed all instruction to migrate ext4/f2fs without loosing data with ADB. In the very end ADB seemed to ask something (can I post a screenshot somehow?!) which I ignored. The phone works fine but I did loose data and I still have my data.tar file. How can I try to restore my datas with the data.tar file without having to go through the whole process? Thx in advance!
Please, help me, i formatted \system \cache and \data, and after reboot samsung s3 mini can’t turn on, what i can do? HELP ME
Hi! It happened to me as well. I guess you already tried a fresh install. Did you install it through Odin or Recovery? Whatever it is try the other way, if you flashed it with Odin try with Recovery. Can you boot into TWRP? You should check a number of things and try again. If you want skype me: webwiller
GoodLuck! 😉
Take the battery out, connect your S3 Mini with USB to PC. Prepare ODIN for new Firmware installation, install the battery again, Press VOL- & HOME & POWER Buttons combination, use VOL+ if you see warning and start immediately firmware download with ODIN.
Just an experience I made a few days ago: according to the tutorial I booted TWRP and formatted cache and data to f2fs (system already was f2fs). Then installed the new CARBON ROM and in the installer (very nice feature!) I decided to format data and cache (again) to f2fs. Then installed CARBON, performed full wipe and installed GApps. Booting up gave me an error that “Encryption was interrupted” and “Factory reset is required”. Rebooted two times incl. factory reset but always the before-mentioned error message appeared.
I booted then into TWRP, flashed CARBON again (and again I formatted data and cache to f2fs) and immediate reboot after flashing. Worked fine! Then flashed GApps and now CARBON is running on f2fs.
Hello guys. Is it normal that it wants a lot of time to start after the procedure?
Thank you
Hello,
I tried to format the SD external card and it was formatted to f2fs.
However, Android wasn’t able to mount it unless it formats it to vfat file system.
Can f2fs be used on SD cards?
(My ROM is SlimKat 4.4.4)
Yes, I just made it working:
take a look at the file /data/local/userinit.sh. This script is called by an init script at boot time
I slightly modified it to work:
#!/system/bin/sh
REALMNT=/mnt/extSdCard
umount “$REALMNT” 2>/dev/null
mount -t f2fs /dev/block/mmcblk1p1 “$REALMNT”
when i try to reboot from TWRP i get: your device does not appear to be rooted install supersu now
no matter what option I try the phone hangs on samsung s3 mini text and the OS doesn’t boot(probably)
+1
Hi, is it possible,that you make cm12 for my lg g2 f2fs compatible?
I am with CM 11 latest. I am more than happy with it. Now for changing the file system, do I need to start all over again flashing? Or just I can change the file system. I have nandroid, helium and Titanium back ups. Thanks in advance
[…] f2fs filesystem support […]
I have an issue with CM12 Lolipop (20150210) for S3Mini
I can format /system to f2fs, but after installing CM12 (20150210) by TWRP i get back to ext4.
During installation there is no option to choose f2fs or ext4
No issue with /cache and /data
one comment
during installation I got in terminal:
detected filesystem f2fs for /dev/block/mmcblk0p22
detected filesystem ext4 for /dev/block/mmcblk0p22
after installation I have got ext4 as for /system
Yup, it still reverts to ext4 during install here too with CM12-11-02-2015. This will be changed soon I’m guessing.
I have The same issue
Same here …
I have the same problem
same issue:
Partitioned /system to f2fs
adb sideload cm12.1..20150404.zip
$ detected filesystem f2fs for /dev/block/mccblk0p22
$ detected filesystem ext4 for /dev/block/mccblk0p22
In a functioning phone, how to check the file system that is in use?
Pardon me for asking, but I can do this with the partition /system? or can’t you? does not work?
[…] f2fs filesystem support […]
Hi,
I can format /system to f2fs by TWRP (great tool!), but on installing CM 5.1 it format /system back to ext4
Device: Samsung Galaxy S3 mini
TWRP: Team Vin Recovery Project v2.8.0.0
CM: cm12.1_golden.nova.20150427.zip
Log:
Installing /…/cm12.1_golden.nova.20150427.zip
Checking for MD5 file…
Skipping MD5 check: no MD5 file found
detected filesystem f2fs for /dev/block/mmcblk0p22
detected filesystem ext4 for /dev/block/mmcblk0p22
Any Idea?
Thanks
same for me.
with cm12.1_golden.nova.20150606.zip
same tor me with 20150701 CarbonLP 5.1.1
Hi, I want to use AFWall+. I have installed it from F-Droid and it requires root access. It is enabled as device administrator, but it still does not work. What can I do?
Thanks
Oh Sorry. wrong Thread
TWRP 2.8, first time install of 12.1
If you format everything on f2fs
then /system reverts back to ext4…
I need to wait for an update? thanks
I really want to try it out because I heard it makes your phone faster, and my s3 mini (with cyanogenmod 11.0) is getting pretty slow sometimes. But I see here in the forums people are having many issues with it, and since I’m not an expert at such coding stuff etc (I can do everything for cyanogenmod with a guide, but that’s it. If something goes wrong, idk what to do), I’m scared that this will waste my phone.
Can anyone tell me what it really does, and whether the guide at the top of this page is 100% complete or not?
Thanks
[…] f2fs filesystem support […]
[…] f2fs filesystem support […]
Actually, I have discovered that the Novafusion driver package does not partition the whole system to ext4 but only one directory. (I don’t which from memory but you see it while TWRP is working) I’m assuming this directory contains the ext4 sensitive files while the rest of the system can run on f2fs
[…] full f2fs support – the best filesystem for Android (tutorial here!) […]
Is possibile format sistem partition to f2fs?
Work In i8200 s3 mini ve versión??
Still, System cant be formated in f2fs. After formating it in twrp, system wont start. After formating and installing, odin and recovery method change system to ext4 again. Does it have to be like that?
I can’t flash cm12 on my s3 mini because of this
warning no file_contexts detected filesystem ext4 for /dev/block/mmcblk0p22
What should I do?
Does it work on galaxy s2 as well? I can see the option to change to f2fs in twrp but I read that the kernel must be f2fs compatible or the phone hardbricks.
Actually under TWRP most backup file are not full partition images but are just tar.gz archives (or just tar archives when not compressed). In fact the only difference between a TWRP backup of an ext4 partition and a f2fs partition is the filename of the backed up files. To change the system and cache partitions from ext4 to f2fs:
1. Backup the system and cache partitions.
2. Change the ‘.ext4.’ part of the *.win file filenames to ‘.f2fs.’.
3. Either:
* Disable MD5 checks and delete the .md5 file for good measure or,
* Change the ‘.ext4.’ part of the *.md5 files to ‘.f2fs.’ and edit the filenames inside those files.
3. And restore.
Make sure you have a proper, separate backup before doing any of this!!
This won’t work on the data partition, as currently TWRP won’t reformat it during backup restore. (I’m not sure if this is meant to be a bug or a feature.) As a result taking a backup of an ext4 formatted data partition, reformatting it as f2fs and then restoring it will not return the partition to ext4 but keep it as f2fs. The /data partition will be intact but the internal device storage which will be walloped.
(I’m using Novafusion’s TWRP v2.8.0.0)
I changed /system do f2fs and then installed cm12.1 ROM. However, after the installation, /system returns to ext4. What am I doing wrong?
same problem – anybody help???
How to get root access for titanium backup after flashing this rom?
background: coming from 4.4.4 with root I want to live without play store from now on…
so I have made a TWRP-full-backup (just in case something goes wrong) and also a backup with TitaniumBackup (all apps, system…); both on sd-card.
Now I want to flash ne new custom rom, get root for TB and restore some tools, calendar, sms and so on.
But I’m stuck at getting root:
I’v tried http://download.chainfire.eu/supersu-stable which get’s me to “UPDATE-SuperSU-v2.65-20151226141550.zip” –> in TWRP it reporting “Boot Image: not found, aborting”
any help is appreciated
sry! wrong tab 😉
I’ll post this to the ROM-tread
Iam using s3 mini.. N iam try to cm12 n cm12.1 .. After iam repair partitions /system /data /chache .. System partitiom back to ext4 format after install ROM .. Please guide me