Will you implement automatic task killing in a future release?
No. It does not work. See Why Automatic Task Killing is a Bad Idea.

Do I need to kill apps to keep free memory available?
Absolutely not. Certain older mobile platforms which were capable of multitasking did a poor job of it. This is not the case with Android, whose application infrastructure was designed with multitasking in mind.

Will the SystemPanel monitoring service drain my battery?
Everything that runs on your phone will drain your battery. The SystemPanel monitoring service has been designed to use as little battery power as possible. When running on battery power, the monitoring service will activate about every 15 minutes to do a quick survey of the running processes on your phone, and record how much CPU they have used over that interval. The monitoring service should have a fairly negligible effect on battery life, but like any application running in the background on your phone, there will be some effect. With a well-written app, it simply won't be enough to notice.

What system permissions does SystemPanel use, and why?
SystemPanel requires a number of system permissions. Both free and paid versions share the same codebase, and specify the same permission set (even though some could be omitted for the free version). The permissions are as follows:

• Automatically Start at Boot: Required to start monitor service at boot (only when specified in preferences).
• Directly Install Applications: Required by Installer feature to request that Android install or uninstall an application.
• Modify/Delete SD Card Contents: Required to archive installed applications to the SD Card / Internal Storage
• Read Phone State and Identity: Required to retrieve telephony information, displayed to user in Device Information / Network
• Restart Other Applications: Required to terminate running tasks.
• Retrieve Running Applications: Required for task management application listings.
• View Network State, View Wi-Fi State, Full Internet Access: Required to retrieve information about connected Wi-Fi network and display network bandwidth consumption.

How is memory measured, and why does it not report the same values as (insert name of app here)?
Memory values are retrieved from Linux's underlying "/proc" pseudo-filesystem and in some cases from querying Android APIs.

• Total free memory is retrieved from the Android API known as ActivityManager.MemoryInfo
• Total system memory is retrieved from the Linux pseudo-file "/proc/meminfo".
• Per-appilcation memory usage is retrieved from "/proc/PID/stat" and "/proc/PID/statm" pseudo-files.
• An application's "effective memory usage" is calculated by subtracting its shared memory from its total memory. "Shared" memory is memory that is shared between multiple applications, and is included within the total memory number. Thus, if one were to exit only a single app, the effective memory would be the amount of memory freed.

How is CPU frequency measured, and why does it not report correct values on certain custom ROMS?
CPU frequency is measured by querying the Android pseudo-files "/sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_???_freq" and/or "/sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/stats/time_in_state" (on later model devices). Some custom ROMs do not provide this information.

Why do new apps appear after terminating apps (e.g., by pressing end all)?
Android will preload applications when extra memory is available. These applications should not cause the battery to be diminished.

I can't use the Installer to install apps on my AT&T handset.
At the present time, AT&T locks down its Android handsets to prevent them from being able to install applications by any means other than directly downloading them from the Android market. Contact AT&T customer service if you disagree with their policy. There is nothing developers can do to resolve this problem except to refund your purchase. AT&T has since announced they will discontinue this policy, newer devices may no longer have this issue (and updating the firmware on your device may also cure the issue).

Can I use SystemPanel with a custom Android build / ROM / firmware / rooted device?
Yes, but please be aware that certain custom ROMs may not provide support for all features of SystemPanel. Custom ROMs generally do not have the level of quality control as factory ROMs. If you encounter an issue with a custom ROM, we're happy to take a look at it, but more likely than not it will be an issue with the ROM. In such a case, you may request a refund.

What versions of Android are supported?
SystemPanel requires at least Android 1.5 (Cupcake). All versions thereafter are supported, including Eclair (2.0-2.1) Froyo (2.2), Gingerbread (2.3), and Honeycomb (3.x).

Why does the second core of my dual-core phone appear gray in the system monitor?
Some dual-core phones will turn off their second core entirely when it is not needed in order to conserve battery power. The second core will appear gray when it is shut down. If you'd like to see both cores working, try rapidly scrolling the screen up and down with your finger. The added graphics rendering load may cause the second core to come online for a moment.