[fixed] Impossible to store maps on ext. SD card: access d.

[still no access]

Why ooooh why have you subjected your users to this horrible work around for sd card saving when it does not work ?

Why cant this be built in so the user does not have to try and figure out how to get maps to store on the sd card. Try as i may to follow your confusing instructions, i have had to uninstall the app and go elsewhere untill it is sorted. Samsung s4 and samsung tab 3 8.0 both on 4.4.2.

[Psyberia-Support]

There are no such "workaround" or anything. The application uses Android's main storage to save the maps (which is located in the internal device memory on Android 4.4).
Then, for people that do not want to use this default location, there is a setting allowing to choose any other location.
What is difficult to understand?

Note that using the external SD card is no more necessarily a good idea on Android 4.4, since all data stored by the application is automatically deleted by Android when you remove the application, so users can loose all saved landmarks, tracks and stored maps if they don't make a backup on a PC. We have made the choice not to use the external SD card by default anymore. But still, you can change that from the apps settings.

Now, if you have an issue, please describe it so we can try to fix it.

[Guest]

So, to sum up users can no longer store maps (in aplinequest) on the extSDcard for offline use, unlike viewranger, backcountry, qaia and most other navigation apps ?

On the choices, SD card(in my case 32 gb) comes up with: Devicepath:/storage/extSdcard/ and Application path:/storage/extSDCard/alpinequest(there is also duplicate choices with read only after them). Choosing the above SD Card option does not save maps to the external sd card.

So, if we cant save to EXT card why is the choice still there and if we can why does it not work.

steve.

[Psyberia-Support]

I'm sorry but I'm a bit tired to explain again and again the same thing... Everything is explained in the links given below.
But I'll try again.

AlpineQuest, like ANY other applications on Android 4.4, can no longer save data on the external SD card, except for one particular folder per application, which depends on the name of the application. For AlpineQuest (full version), this folder is "[/storage/extSdCard]/Android/data/psyberia.alpinequest.full/".

So, unfortunately, the folder that was previously used by default by the application ("/storage/extSDCard/alpinequest") can no longer be used.

Concerning your last question, the answer is just from the previous post:
"Then, for people that do not want to use this default location, there is a setting allowing to choose any other location."

So from the AlpineQuest settings, search for the storage device that uses "[/storage/extSdCard]/Android/data/psyberia.alpinequest.full/" as storage.
It should be the "SD Card" one that is not read-only. If you don't find this option, you can still write this path in the custom field.
Be sure to restart the application for the change to take effect.

Finally, note that we suffer from this new behavior like anyone, we just try to make the best so users can have all choices among what's possible to do.

[Guest]

That "workaround" does not work, that is what i am trying to say. No file is created on the external s/d card by your app...even if i type the full /storage/extSdCard]/Android/data/psyberia.alpinequest.full/ into the top entry point(just below where it says storage device. And i get a message telling me that i have no memory card present. As i said, there is an option (without read only) but its the old /storage/extSDCard/alpinequest.

Still long winded, and as i said the other apps have overcome this anomaly with android.

steve.

[Guest]

Ok, i have now completed the task...this is how....

didnt use android at all to create the folder, just widows usb linked to tablet.

in windows explorer, go down into the Android/data folder. In this folder click new then folder and name it psyberia.alpinequest.full(no / or any other nonsense)

Make sure you exit properly, not just pressing the off button. You need to exit properly..very important.

Back in storage device, you should now see the correct storage option, with no read only.

I think i deserve a medal

[Psyberia-Support]

That's a good news!
Thanks for the feedback.

[Christian]

Hi!
I read the whole thread hopeing to find a solution, but unsuccesfully. I used Alpinequest for some months and succesfully saved maps for offline on SDCard on Android 4.4, even in the "deprecated" alpinequest folder.
Some days ago my Asus Fonepad 7 updated to 4.4.2 and immediately Alpinequest started giving exceptions and errors.

Summarizing: maps fail saving for offline. The save process runs but with 100% errors on every tile and the error detail reports "StorageWriteError".

I'm currently saving in "/storage/MicroSD/Android/data/psyberia.alpinequest.full/" (which I also created manually using Wiondows as suggested, manually deleting every previous existing folder) on 32GB SDCard, wich in the Setting panel is NOT reported as "read only" and is selectable.
"Funny" thing: Alpinequest succeeded saving offline maps once (some hundreds MB data!), as I was trying again and again different settings, and it happened using the alpinequest folder on SDCard. It worked once, after that it always failed and could not even read the saved offline data anymore. The SDCard is not buggy since I have 70% of Apps running and saving on it with success.

I'm getting an exception even while saving a "Maps preset" (sorry but I'm using the italian version and ignore the english term for it), unfortunately it disappears too soon and I can only notice it's something concernig IO. BUT the preset is saved correctly, anyway.

I guess there's something in the file IO management in Android 4.4.2 that put Alpinequest in confusion. The only thing that changed between a PERFECT working App, saving everything perfectly, and the current buggy behavior is the OS version.

Please help.
Thanks.

[Guest]

Update: the IO error while saving "Map presets" is a FileNotFoundException on cache/custom_maps_sets.fav on the SDCard "psyberia.alpinequest.full" folder. Open File failed E NO ENT (no such file or directory).
Browsing using windows that folder is empty, indeed.
And - unlike I said before - the preset is not saved: it was visible just until the app was running.

[Psyberia-Support]

Hi,

The "Map presets" and storage issue is the same one, it appears that the application cannot write anything on your SD card (map presets are saved in a file like the stored maps).

Since you seem to have checked everything, I'll try to sum up what we have:
- Android 4.4.2 not rooted (otherwise you shouldn't have this issue);
- Last Full AlpineQuest version (1.4.17b) from Google Play;
- In the application settings, under 'Storage device' ('Dispositivo di memorizzazione'), you shoud have:
- the device (read-only);
- the internal memory (8 or 16 or 32GB on the Fonepad 7), with an application storage as 'xxx/alpinequest/', not read-only;
- the SD Card (32 GB), with an application storage as 'xxx/alpinequest/', read-only;
- the SD Card (32 GB) again, with an application storage as 'xxx/Android/data/psyberia.alpinequest.full/', not read-only;

And when you select 'xxx/Android/data/psyberia.alpinequest.full/', and restart the application, the application still fails to store maps and save sets.
Can you confirm all this?
Can you also try to use the internal memory, and restart the application, and check if you can save sets?

Let me know

[Christian]

Hi,

It's all correct except the following: under "Dispositivo di memorizzazione" (storage device) I have:
1. The device Read Only
2. The Internal Storage (4GB) with /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/psyberia.alpinequest.full path not read only
3. The Internal Storage (4GB) with /storage/emulated/0/alpinequest path not read only
4. The SD card with storage/MicroSD/Android/data/psyberia.alpinequest.full path NOT read only
5. The SD card with storage/MicroSD/alpinequest path NOT read only

And even if all paths are reported as NOT read only I still get the save errors.

And yes, if I use internal memory (number 2 in the above list) I can save sets and cache maps for offline usage.

But meanwhile I made further tests and situation evolved. Today I used the SD Card with storage/MicroSD/Android/data/psyberia.alpinequest.full path (number 4 in the above list) and the App worked! I succesfully saved both cached maps and maps sets on SD Card.
What changed? I didn't create the "psyberia.alpinequest.full" folder inside "Android/data/" path using Windows, but I created it using the Android file manager. So when I created the app folder using Windows via USB connection the app reported NOT read only but failed anyway, when I created the app folder using the internal file manager things worked fine, even quitting and restarting the app. I wonder if this difference is pertinent. Unfortunately, when I shut down and restarted the Tablet the save problems returned and no cached map was retrieved anymore. It worked until the OS was up, with the shutdown the situation turned back to the buggy behaviour. Nevertheless the SD storage locations are currently still listed as NOT read only. I also checked the folders on MicroSD and they're still there, with the cache files inside and DRW rights on the folders...

So sad.
I'm going to use the application for a two-day hiking, so I'll temporarily save maps on internal storage (but it's >700MB of <4GB available...), but after that I can make further tests and follow your suggestions, if any.

The strange thing is that before updating to 4.2.2 everything worked fine without making particular settings!

Thanks for your support... I was so satisfied with your app before upadting!
Christian

[Christian]

Update.
Some additional information after further testing. I guess I'm going near the heart of the problem.
When the application is unable to read from or to store into the SD Card app path (the number 4 in previous list) I succesfully bypassed the problem unmounting the SD Card and reinserting it. At least it worked twice when I tried it.
So it seems the problem could be in some kind of uncomplete or buggy interface between the 4.2.2 OS file system and the app(s?). When the mess happens, the SD Card it's not exactly unavailable, in fact I can browse its filesystem and Alpinequest itself lists the SD storage as availble and NOT read only. But nevertheless it seems that the SD Card is somehow unusable by Alpinequest, both for storing and for reading cache files.
Unmounting and reinserting the SD card maybe reset the correct functionality. Maybe. I hope it's not a coincidence
This is what I gathered from ongoing testing. I hope this can be a valid and enduring workaround and will let you know if it persists.

Do you suggest something about the whole situation? Maybe some in-app workaround applies?

Thanks.

[Psyberia-Support]

Thanks for the update.
Just to be sure, do you have Android 4.4.2 or 4.2.2 ? (you mentioned 4.2.2 in your last posts)

[Christian]

It's 4.4.2, sorry!

So, this is what I can summarize as a workaround for the issue on my Fonepad 7 on Android 4.4.2

- Create the psyberia.alpinequest.full folder under /Android/data/ in SD Card using the Android File Manager
- Once that is done, the corresponding storage location should be listed as NOT read only in Settings panel and saving/reading offline maps and maps sets should work, at least till the tablet is running.
- If, after shutting down and restarting the tablet, the save/read problem persists, quit Alpinequest, unmount the SD card, extract it and reinsert it. Then launch Alpinequest and things should go fine as far as the OS is up.

Quite annoying, but that worked for me thus far, at least. I tried the "unmount" workaround three times and always worked.

I hope a complete in-app solution can be implemented... if it's not just a 4.4.2 Asus issue.
I'll perform more tests during next days and I'll give you updates if I'll notice something new, anyway if you have some suggestion or tests to be performed please let me know.

Thanks.

[Psyberia-Support]

Ok great.
I've made few improvements in the storage of data for Android 4.4. The application will now use the folder '.../psyberia.alpinequest.full/files/' instead of 'psyberia.alpinequest.full/'.
I think it may be the problem and could solve your issue. I'll make an update soon since you should not be the only one impacted.

But, it would be great if you could try this new version before the official release just to check. If you agree, please contact me by email (contact[at]psyberia[dot]net) so I can send you the new version and an free activation key. It won't take long.
Let me know