[Upgrading, Modifying and Unlocking] FromUndaChz:
Want to move apps to /system/apps directory!!

Edit problem solved easily using titanium backup pro.

I have a Wildfire S MARVELC Virgin Mobile US.

The Wildfire has some pretty limited space for apps (150mb)

I have ROOTED / S-OFF

I've installed a more or less complete version of gingerbread exactly like what came on the phone, but without all the bloatware and some preinstalled apps like Superuser for rooted phones.

Since my phone has been lifted free of its dead-weight in the System ROM partition, I now have 67.6 MB free there. I only have 28.3 MB free on the Internal Apps memory.

I saw a tutorial in the DEV forums for partitioning the MTD partitions in the phone to allocate space in whatever way a ROOT user sees fit.

Link: http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1233340

My first question is:

Does anybody think it would be safe to try the tutorial for the Wildfire on my Wildfire S? My thinking is that the procedure should be the same thing, but I may be terribly mistaken in saying that.

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Another, safer alternative seems to be to use ES file explorer with ROOT permissions to manually place the .apk files into the /system/app/ directory and then reboot and VOILA the program should be on the ROM partition and ready for use!

I used the guide below to do what I have described above.

"The easiest way, at least for me, to get an app into /system/app is to use Root Explorer to copy the apk into /system/app.

To do this:

In Root Explorer, copy the apk file you want to put in /system/app

Navigate to the /system/app directory

Tap the Mount R/W button on the top right

Tap Paste

Scroll down to the pasted apk, long press on it and select Permissions (you'll see 9 check boxes when you do this)

Check the Read and Write buttons for User, and only the Read boxes next to Group and Others, then tap OK (once you're done, the read/write permissions under the app name should be the same as all the other apps listed (rw-r--r--))

Reboot."

I followed the directions to the "T" to relocate a copy (akp) of "Ice_Cream_Sandwich_Keyboard.apk" from my SD card to /system/app directory.

This was after doing a proper uninstall (from Settings > Manage Applications) of my old ice cream sandwich keyboard from /data/app to avoid conflicts of course, I verified a full removal by visually checking in the directory and rebooting the phone prior to placing the new apk into the /system/apps directory.

After successfully moving the apk to the ROM partition and setting the permissions properly, I rebooted.

I now had a new icon for Ice Cream Sandwich Keyboard, wahoo!

I click the icon, and tell my phone to use it as the default.

Next thing I know "Force Quit" message for the keyboard keeps popping up every five seconds or so until I switch the default keyboard back to the stock one.

So my next question is:

Am I doing something wrong following the guide to moving apps to the ROM partition using a file manager with ROOT permissions, or might something else be going on here?

I know the file moved from the SD card to the proper /system/app directory, and following a reboot I was able to get an icon and launch from it - but after that it started tweaking out.

It would be AMAZING if I could get this figured out because I would go from borderline hating my device due to lack of storage to LOVING it because I love everything else about it...

Thanks in advance for any help! Also, if there is a better place to post this that anybody knows of, I'm open for suggestions!