What is system partition? How its size is fixed? Can it be resized? I have rooted LG P500 (Optimus One) running stock 2.3.3. I recently updated to unofficial CM10 (Android 4.1) and observed few serious issues.

I observed that Google's My Location service was not working. Many apps like My tracks, Endomondo etc which were compatible with other phones with 4.1 were said incompatible. All microphone related apps were not working.

After several hours of breaking my head, I understood that my /system partition was absolutely full. It had only 4kb of free space out of 190MB total capacity. With my investigation I found that few files were not copied to the /system partition during the ROM installation and Gapps installation.  Many troubles are the result of such missing files.

My questions:


/system partition: it is 190MB in total size. Who or how it was fixed as 190MB?
Can the size of partition be increased? I tried a tool but did not help. After all the process completed without any errors, I still see no change in the size.  Are there any other ways to do it?
Hephappy, a ROM developer had commented in XDA page as "No space: P500 has 190MB for system partition." and hence he withdraws the plan of developing JB ROM for P500. Is it then a hardware limitation?


After all these issues, I switched back to my stock 2.3.3 and I still see my /system partition as 190MB but with lot of free space.  Does this mean that 190MB is sort of hardware size/limitation?

If it is so, then this would be one of the serious factors that are to be considered while buying the phone as the hardware in other means can accommodate the needs of JB except the /system partition size, which is a real shame.



Update:
Few screenshots carrying frequently asked info taken in CM10 ROM:

Free internal storage = 47Mb:

 

/system partition size = 190Mb.
Ext2 partition on SD card created to create symbol link for few apps that cant be moved to SD card:
Who or how it was fixed as 190MB? 
  


The manufacturers decided that. They probably expected that that size would be sufficient during the expected time they will continue official support for the phone.


  
  Can the size of partition be increased?
  


If you're rooted and installed custom boot loader, yes partitions can be resized, although not in a way that will satisfy everyone since it takes space away from internal memory and many people also have exhausted their internal space; it involves a lot of work to test and debug and since P500 has very little internal memory as well, at some point developers had to decide that it's just not worth the effort.


  I tried a tool but did not help. After all the process completed without any errors, I still see no change in the size. Are there any other ways to do it?


What did you try?


  
  Hephappy, a ROM developer had commented in XDA page as "No space: P500 has 190MB for system partition." and hence he withdraws the plan of developing JB ROM for P500. Is it then a hardware limitation?
  


Pretty much. All newer phones comes with much larger internal memory, you should consider an upgrade if you really wanted JB.