TinFS

TinFS Is Not File System

A clean, logical file hierarchy for Android that actually makes sense.

⚠️ Work in Progress - Currently in concept/planning stage

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The Problem

Android's filesystem is chaos:

/ (root)
├── [30+ confusing directories]
├── acct/ apex/ bin@ bootstrap-apex/ bugreports@ cache/
├── config/ d@ data/ data_mirror/ debug_ramdisk/ dev/
├── init@ linkerconfig/ metadata/ mnt/ odm/ odm_dlkm/
├── oem/ postinstall/ proc/ product/ sdcard@ storage/
├── sys/ system/ system_dlkm/ system_ext/ tmp/
├── vendor/ vendor_dlkm/ lost+found/
└── ...nobody knows what half of these are

App data scattered everywhere:

com.telegram.messenger lives in:
├── /data/app/~~random~~/com.telegram.messenger/     (APK)
├── /data/data/com.telegram.messenger/                (app data)
├── /sdcard/Android/data/com.telegram.messenger/      (primary storage)
└── /sdcard/Android/obb/com.telegram.messenger/       (game files)

User files mixed with garbage:

/sdcard/
├── DCIM/
├── Download/
├── Android/ (technical junk)
├── .thumbnails/ (junk)
├── [random app folders everywhere]
└── ...good luck finding your files

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The Solution

TinFS reorganizes everything using symlinks - without breaking compatibility:

New Clean Structure

/
├── system/          # System partition (untouched)
├── vendor/          # Vendor partition (untouched)
├── data/            # Data partition (untouched)
├── proc/            # Virtual FS (untouched)
├── sys/             # Virtual FS (untouched)
├── dev/             # Virtual FS (untouched)
│
├── app/             # ← NEW: All applications
│   ├── sys/         #    System apps (symlinks to /system/app, /vendor/app)
│   └── user/        #    User apps - EVERYTHING in one place
│       └── com.telegram.messenger/
│           ├── apk/      → real data (moved from /data/app)
│           ├── data/     → real data (moved from /data/data)
│           ├── storage/  → real data (moved from /sdcard/Android/data)
│           └── obb/      → real data (moved from /sdcard/Android/obb)
│
├── home/            # ← NEW: User files
│   └── user/
│       ├── downloads/
│       ├── photos/
│       ├── music/
│       ├── videos/
│       └── documents/
│
├── cache/           # ← NEW: All cache
│   └── system/      → system cache
│
└── legacy/          # ← NEW: Old paths (symlinks for compatibility)
    ├── data/
    ├── storage/
    └── [symlinks to maintain compatibility]

How Data is Organized

Before TinFS:

• APK: /data/app/com.telegram.messenger/
• Data: /data/data/com.telegram.messenger/
• Storage: /sdcard/Android/data/com.telegram.messenger/
• OBB: /sdcard/Android/obb/com.telegram.messenger/

After TinFS:

/app/user/com.telegram.messenger/
├── apk/      (real data here)
├── data/     (real data here)
├── storage/  (real data here)
└── obb/      (real data here)

Old paths become symlinks:

/data/data/com.telegram.messenger/ → /app/user/com.telegram.messenger/data/
/data/app/com.telegram.messenger/  → /app/user/com.telegram.messenger/apk/

Apps work normally, users see clean structure! ✨

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How It Works

TinFS doesn't modify the filesystem or Android code.

Instead:

1. Real data lives in new clean structure (/app/user/, /home/user/)
2. Old Android paths become symlinks to new locations
3. Apps access data through symlinks → everything works
4. Users see clean, logical organization

This Is Not FS - it's a symlink layer providing a clean interface over the existing mess.

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About Root Directory

Q: Won't root still have many symlinks?

A: Yes, for compatibility. But:

• Regular users never browse root - they use file managers that open /home/user/
• Power users understand why symlinks exist (compatibility)
• Developers work with clean /app/user/ structure

The important thing: your data is organized cleanly, even if root has legacy symlinks.

Future versions may include:

• File manager modifications to hide legacy paths
• UI-level hiding of compatibility layer

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Installation

🚧 Not ready yet - still in planning/design phase

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Contributing

This is early stage! Feedback and ideas welcome.

How to help:

• Open issues with suggestions
• Test on your device (when ready)
• Report compatibility problems
• Contribute to documentation

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FAQ

Q: Will this break my apps? A: No. Apps use old paths which are symlinked to new structure. Everything works.

Q: Can I uninstall? A: Yes. Remove symlinks, move data back. (We'll provide an uninstaller)

Q: Does this work with OTA updates? A: Not tested yet. Likely needs reinstallation after major updates.

Q: Why not just patch Android? A: This works on ANY ROM without recompiling. Much more accessible.

Q: What about SELinux? A: Symlinks inherit correct security contexts. Should work fine.

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License

GNU General Public License v3.0

This code stays free forever. If you use it, share your improvements.

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Author

Created by sayavc

Conceived in a bathtub, born from frustration with Android's filesystem chaos.

Inspired by the elegance of Unix FHS and the philosophy of GNU.