iPhone Performance PDF Print E-mail
Written by David   
Monday, 04 January 2010 03:26

One of the things that has always bugged me about my jailbroken iPhone is that it isn't as responsive as it used to be. I thought about it for a while and realized that the iPhone is running on a Max OSX operating system and that operating systems, for the most part, use virtual memory in addition to RAM to run programs.

After a little research (and lots of backing up of data on my phone) I found a solution that seems to work. In reality it's a multi-part solution that involves manipulating the virtual memory in the phone to allow nearly 80MB of memory versus 30MB and removing some of the services that the phone doesn't really need.

Instructions for first part (the virtual memory hack) can be read here: (Please note that I found these instructions and did not write them. Also, I'm not responsible for anything that may or may not happen to your phone. Use this guide at your own risk.)

  • Download the .plist here: com.apple.dynamic_pager.plist
  • SSH into your iPhone and place the .plist in /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/
  • REBOOT your iPhone (turn power off, then back on)
  • Enjoy.

In order to use this hack, you'll need a program for your computer called iPhoneBrowser. Click here to download iPhoneBrowser.

Now keep in mind that my phone is jailbroken. I'm not entirely sure that it HAS to be jailbroken, but it can't hurt, right?

If your phone is jailbroken and you have SBSettings installed. Be sure to run the "Free Memory" function in SBSettings to see the fruit of your labor.

Now. Part 2 of this process is a bit more intense and not for the faint-of-heart. Again, I'm getting this information from somewhere else, so, again, I'm not going to take responsibility for anything that happens to your phone.

Let's continue:

NOTE! It is STRONGLY recommended that you make a backup of all the files being modified in this tutorial. These are system files, and removing the wrong one could potentially result in a restore if backups are not made.

It is also recommended that you have MobileFinder or iFile installed, in case you need to restore your backups but are unable to SSH into your device for some reason. I am not responsible for any damage caused to your device by this tutorial. Follow this tutorial at your own risk. Not all results will be the same for all users, so don't blame me if you still can't run Bochs at a decent speed after following this tutorial.

Before we start, you need to understand what a daemon is if you don't already. Wikipedia has an excellent explanation:

Quote:
In Unix and other computer multitasking operating systems, a daemon is a computer program that runs in the background, rather than under the direct control of a user; they are usually initiated as background processes.
So what does this mean? This means that when your iPhone or iPod is turned on, it loads a bunch of background processes (54, to be exact) that allow it to do various things, like connect to the Internet and receive calls. Since these processes are in the background, they take up a sizable amount of your device's available RAM, and because they're system processes, they can't be killed with SBSettings or MemTool. The good news is that some of these daemons are completely unnecessary (for most people), and you can simply delete them and regain the RAM they were taking up.

First, SSH into your device and navigate to /System/Library. Find the LaunchDaemons folder and download the entire thing to your desktop. Rename the original to something like "LaunchDaemons.old" or "LaunchDaemons.original" so that you have an easily retrievable backup if something should go wrong. (It is HIGHLY recommended that you make this backup.) Make any changes you want to the copy on your desktop and then simply reupload to your device when you're done. Be sure that the copy doesn't overwrite theoriginal , and also be sure that the permissions of the LaunchDaemons folder are set to 755. Failure to ensure correct permissions will result in your device freezing at theApple logo. Once the copy is reuploaded, reboot your device and notice your newfound speed.

To disable a daemon, simply delete the corresponding .plist file.

Safe Daemons - These can be deleted by any user, with no adverse effects on the device.
com.apple.DumpPanic.plist - Dumps crashes for evaluation by Apple.
com.apple.ReportCrash.(Different Things).plist - There are 5 of these daemons, and they collect data about what caused a crash, what programs were running at the time, etc.
com.apple.CrashHouseKeeping.plist - Also deals with crashes.
com.apple.aslmanager.plist - This daemon manages system logs.
com.apple.syslogd.plist - Logs system events.
com.apple.powerlog.plist - This is used to monitor any incompatibilities with 3rd party chargers.
com.apple.stackshot.server.plist - This daemon's function is currently unknown, but removing it has no adverse effects on one's device. Some more information can be found here, although the page is quite technical and isn't very useful to an end-user.
com.apple.tcpdump.server.plist - This daemon is apparently used to dump traffic on a network (Source), but I don't know what that means, exactly. Removing this daemon has no adverse effects on one's device.
com.apple.iqagent.plist - This daemon's function is currently unknown, but removing it has no adverse effects on one's device.
com.apple.mobile.profile_janitor.plist - This daemon's function is currently unknown, but removing it has no adverse effects on one's device.
com.apple.chud.chum.plist - This daemon is thought to relate to Apple's CHUD (Computer Hardware Understanding Developer) tools. Removing this daemon will have no adverse effects on your device, unless you are a developer.
com.apple.chud.pilotfish.plist - This daemon is also thought to relate to Apple's CHUD tools. Removing this daemon will have no adverse effects on your device, unless you are a developer.

Conditional Daemons - These daemons can be disabled by certain users who have no need for some features of their device.
com.apple.AddressBook.plist - If removed, Contacts in the Phone application will load slightly slower. Disable this if you don't care about that.
com.apple.accessoryd.plist - If removed, disables accessories like FM radio transmitters, iPhone docks, and AV cables. Accessories will be able to charge your device, but that is all they will be able to do. Remove this if you don't use any of these accessories.
com.apple.apsd.plist - If removed, Push Notifications will no longer work. Disable this if you don't use Push Notifications.
com.apple.dataaccess.dataaccessd.plist - If removed, contacts will no longer sync via Exchange or Google Sync. Disable this if you don't use those services.
com.apple.datamigrator.plist - Used to transfer contacts from SIM card to phone. iPod touch users can delete this.
com.apple.racoon.plist - Used for Virtual Private Networks. Disable this daemon if you do not use any VPNs.
com.apple.MobileInternetSharing.plist - Used for Internet Tethering. Disable this if you have an iPod touch or if you aren't interested in tethering.
com.apple.aggregated.plist - It is believed that this performs some function related to Audio-In. If you have an iPod touch and do not intend to use Audio-In, disable this.iPhone users should leave this alone.
com.apple.AOSNotification.plist - This daemon deals with MobileMe syncing. If you do not use the MobileMe service, you can disable this.
com.apple.AdminLite.plist - This daemon tries to return control of your device to you if it thinks that you are waiting for a lengthly process to respond. It does this by force-quitting the process, so if you're tired of your apps crashing and you would rather wait a few seconds for them to finish what they're doing, disable this daemon.

Manual-Edit Daemons - These daemons should not be fully disabled, but should be edited so that they are disabled when they are not needed.
com.apple.itunesstored.plist - Open the plist file in a text editor and change this:
Code:
<key>SuccessfulExit</key>
<false/>
to this:
Code:
<key>SuccessfulExit</key>
<true/>
Now this daemon will go away when it's not needed. If you're having trouble editing the .plist on your computer, edit it using iFile on your device.

Caution-Required Daemons - The functions of these daemons are currently unknown, but based on their names or their code they could be important. Disable at your own risk.
com.apple.daily.plist - Nothing is currently known about this daemon, except that it is programmed to perform a certain function once a day.

Leave-Alone Daemons - These daemons are crucial to the operation of your device and should not be modified in any way.
com.apple.mobile.Lockdown.plist - Deals with SIM authorization and other important things.
com.apple.fairplayd.plist - This checks the DRM on your legitimately-acquired music and apps.
com.apple.installd.plist - Deals with app installation.
com.apple.BTServer.plist - If this daemon is disabled, your device will become extremely slow and unresponsive.
com.apple.configd+pm.plist - Deals with system configuration.
com.apple.configd-pm.plist - Also deals with system configuration.
com.apple.gmmd.plist - A debugging service for your device.
com.apple.mDNSResponder.plist - DNS. Disable this, and your Internet is completely gone.
com.apple.CommCenter.plist - Deals with making/receiving calls, etc. iPod touch users should still leave this alone.
com.apple.locationd.plist - Deals with GPS and location.
com.apple.mediaserverd.plist - Plays your music and videos.
com.apple.graphicsservices.sample.plist - Displays album artwork.
com.apple.usbptpd.plist - Allows your device to connect to your computer and charge.

Jailbreak Daemons - These are daemons installed by jailbreak applications.
com.bigboss.sbsettingsd.plist - Related to SBSettings. I would suggest leaving it alone.
com.imalc.insomnia.plist - Used to keep Insomnia running through resprings and reboots. If you don't want it to do that, disable this.
com.mxweas.MxT2d.plist - The daemon that allows MxTube to download videos in the background. If disabled, the application will need to be reinstalled; however, if you don't use MxTube and are too lazy to uninstall it, you can disable this daemon.
com.saurik.Cydia.Startup.plist - It's believed that this daemon deals with the AutoInstall trick for installing .deb files. If you don't know what that is and you don't use it, you can disable this daemon.
org.nodomain.scrobbled.plist - The Scrobbler daemon. Disable this if you don't want your music scrobbled anymore.

NOTE! If this tutorial does not specifically mention that a certain daemon is safe to remove, leave it alone. Better safe than sorry.
 

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