Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

That's just warning, everything was copied.

Hmm, yes. I still don't have dualboot on N800 since I also bought card which currently doesn't work but I've read about something related. Check maemo mailing lists. Someone had opposite problem when booted from flash. He noticed that if he mounts ext2 partiton from mmc card and attaches USB it is unmounted too together with first FAT one. Looks like IT2007 tries to unmount all partitions on the card and probably if it fails, usb storage doesn't work. Someone pointed him to the script that does the unmounting. It needs to be modified to either skip ex2 partition used for booting or changed back to unmount just the FAT one as it was in IT2006.

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

Thanks fanoush, I will check out maemo and have a look on the system to find this script. I have hope, again ;)
I also hope that your card arrives soon...I do fear buggy cards, right now....

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

found today when searching for something else
http://maemo.org/pipermail/maemo-use...ry/003431.html

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

I have been booting from my MMC on my 770 for a long time now. But the question arises for me now that I'm about to receive my N800 with its two card slots: Will I have the option to boot from either of the card slot locations, or am I restricted to the internal one? And carrying this query a bit further: can I boot from both? The basis of this last query is whether there is the possiblity of having separate operating systems employing different window mangagers, one on each of the memory cards and opting which one to load with a further hacked opening menu (similar to what is possible with Grub)?

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

Booting from a different slot is just a matter of specifying a different device in the bootmenu config file. You can boot from whatever slot/partition you like.

Larry

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

Larry: Thanks for your quick response, which is both interesting and reassuring. But now (naturally) I have a few follow-up questions.

1) Regarding modifying the bootmenu.config file, I've gone into my "bootmenu.sh" file in my "initfs_flasher" directory on my 770 (both in flash and mmc) and as an experiement commented-out menu items which I thought superfluous. However, when rebooting, the initial menu came up with the same original selections. My commented-out "deletions" hadn't apparently taken hold.

2) In following Fanoush's current wiki on booting from the mmc, how do I designate which of the two N800 card slots I want to act upon in that particular execution of his hack? Once I've gotten operating systems on cards in both slots, then it's my understanding from what you say that I can then appropriately add them to the bootmenu config file (which I today have not been able to modify successfully on my 770). Thanks and regards, Jim

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

Make sure you have the latest version of the bootmenu and only edit the bootmenu.config. Previously you only edited the script itself which was a little risky since you could potentially create an error in the script, stopping everything from booting.

It's just a matter of specifying whichever mounted partition you want as the destination. You'll need to manually mount the partition of course, but then you use that directory you mounted to as the destination for the rsync or tar command (preferably using GNU tar since fonts get garbled in Opera otherwise). Hope this makes sense as I haven't checked the wiki in a while.

Larry

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

Larry, on your answer to my question 1), I believe that I do have the latest version of the bootmenu. Where do I find the bootmenu.config if the bootmenu.sh was not the one I should have been modifying? On my question 2), on further thought I believe that it's not relevant which memory card slot I designate in copying/installing the flash operating system onto a card as I can perform the operation in whichever card slot Fanoush's wiki affects and then when I've installed on two cards using the same slot, I can then put one of the cards into the other slot and modify the bootmenu to give me the choice of either to boot from. Is this clear, and correct? Thanks again, Jim

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

Well, try to download recent version of the flasher, there is README and example configurations, that may answer your questions.

Now you can have optional bootmenu.conf along with bootmenu.sh. Real versions which are used while booting reside in /mnt/initfs. Either you can create it in flasher directory and reflash or edit directly in /mnt/initfs (which may produce disk full errors on N770 if you do it multiple times, check the README)

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

Fanoush: As I only a few days ago downloaded and am using your latest flasher, and the README and sample bootmenu files are there,I'm satisfied that I'm OK in that regard. Also, now that you've pointed me to the directory where the bootmenu.conf file resides -- I couldn't locate it -- as opposed to the bootmenu.sh file, I think I will opt to go the route of modifying that rather than reflashing. This is anyway only experimentation on my 770 until my N800 arrives. Thanks and best regards, Jim

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

Fanoush: You are right (of course). The /mnt/initfs diectory was full. I have also (belatedly, of course) read the README file, and from what I have now learned I believe that, again, "discretion being the better part of valor," I'll not proceed any further with my experimentation in this regard with the 770. I take it that there is insufficient space in the /mnt/initfs directory for me to configure my own bootmenu.conf file to use in place of the bootmenu.sh file that's currently there. I am even more eagerly now looking forward to receipt of my N800, which I have regretted having to purchase. Regards, Jim

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

Also the README is not clear about it, for customization you need to copy example to file named bootmenu.conf
and then edit it to your liking (i.e add your own ID and other parameters). The ID you choose can be used as root device for cal-tool or nokia flasher so it is preselected as default choice.

initfs flashing script searches for bootmenu.conf in current directory. If found it asks you if it should be added to final initfs image.

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

Yes if you opted to not to remove extra stuff. But still you can prepare the file and let the flasher script include it in final image. That way it should fit even when not removing the extra stuff. You just can't modify it later (without reflashing initfs again). If extra stuff it removed (and it really is not so important and you can get it back from backup image or original firmware) then you can edit it directly in /mnt/initfs couple of times. With editing bootmenu.sh inplace (which is much larger) I think I did it like 5 times until I saw error and got the file truncated, bootmenu.conf is smaller so it should be better. I can no longer test this limit since I enlarged initfs partition and shrinked rootfs in some experiment and don't know how to get back to smaller size. I like bigger initfs partition but cannot test this 'initfs almost full' situation with n770 properly anymore.

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

Fanoush: Thanks for the excellent advice in this matter, which I will be following up on. Two other matters:

1) Your README has a slight but possibly misleading typographical error:

ROOT DEVICE

"root device can be set either by linux flasher on PC over USB cable"

Shouldn't that "on" be "or"?

2) In your instructions for booting from MMC, you state:

"The first time I tried this on my N800 it led to continuous reboots 30-90 seconds after booting. Trying it a second time on a clean install (directly after flashing and erasing everything already on the device) worked fine."

Does this mean that you don't recommend installing various applications on the flash operating system (i.e., kbdd, fbreader) prior to copying it to the MMC, which would be a means of saving having to reinstall such applications second times in both (or more) operating systems?

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

Yea I wanted to ask the same question... I am sort of experiencing the same issue... So that means I am going to need to reflash my device and recopy my fs...

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

I also try to install applications and I was unable to it keept giving me errors... I am going to try a fresh install later today..

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

no, linux flasher runs on the PC and uses USB cable to communicate with the tablet. Second option is cal-tool which runs directly on the tablet. Is using 'on' OK in this context or is using 'in' or something else better?
In fact this sentence is not mine. This is Wiki, anyone can edit it including you. You can click 'Get Info' link on wiki page and then select versions and click 'Diff' to see who added what.

I haven't seen this issue on my device yet so I guess it is safe to clone the system anytime (and I do it like this). If the system boots OK from flash it should in theory boot also from mmc if the copy is exact (i.e. no mistake is made while cloning). This theory works for me on N770 both with IT2006 and also IT2007 (hacker edition) which is made from N800 firmware. I still don't have big card for my N800 so I'm not sure how cloned system works on real device. There may be differences due to two mmc slots (which is not same as N770 with IT2007).

I know some people reported this reboots after cloning but it can still be some mistake when doing it. Or it can be also some specific installed application which does this. I guess Canola does some funny things with the device but I never installed it so I don't know for sure. Maybe it is related to scanning mmc cards for media files after boot.

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

Fanoush: You've provided us with lots of good information to think about, and act on as appropriate

1) "Is using 'on' OK in this context or is using 'in' or something else better?"

Thanks for the clarification here. Now that I understand it better, I believe that the issue does not concern whether "on", "or" or "in" would be better, but rather the use of the word "either." I assumed that you meant "or" because of the "either." Am I making myself sufficiently clear here?

2) "I haven't seen this issue on my device yet so I guess it is safe to clone the system anytime.... If the system boots OK from flash it should in theory boot also from mmc if the copy is exact (i.e. no mistake is made while cloning).... There may be differences due to two mmc slots...."

As you haven't had opportunity yet to pursue this issue of a large card and the N800's two slots, I will be experimenting with all this when I get my N800 and report back to you and the forum, and no doubt also seek further advice. From what I can make out from your README, I could possibly also have multi "distros" on just one card (if big enough) and boot to each of their separate ext2 partitions from your boot menu, and wouldn't even need to effect this with separate cards. Anyway, much to consider. Thanks again. Regards, Jim

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

There is "or" . The full sentence is
"root device can be set either by linux flasher on PC over USB cable <step how to do it> or directly on device via cal-tool command <step how to do it>"
Maybe it is just too long and complex for one sentence.

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

Fanoush: I've looked again at the README file and discovered the reason for my confusion regarding use of the word "either." You quote the sentence as:

"root device can be set either by linux flasher on PC over USB cable <step how to do it> or directly on device via cal-tool command <step how to do it>"

The fact that the <step how to do it> instructions occur on separate lines caused me to not read the ROOT DEVICE instruction as an intregal sentence. Sorry.

Also, presumably while you were sleeping last night (and I have to assume that you do sleep, though it's not always apparent from your prompt responses on the forum), I did try out your clarified instructions for copying the "bootmenu.conf.n770.example" file to "bootmenu.conf," which I then customized and reflashed, and the whole process worked fine on my 770. It was quite easy. Thanks again.

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

Guys, how can I flash a new image to my initfs on SD card and not on internal flash? Now, that the new firmware is out I want to flash only my SD card to test the new firmware, first. Flasher-3.0 has some options I guess could accomplish that: -set-root-device maybe? With this flag I can choose whether to boot from mmc or flash, independent of the bootloader. But actually, I have no idea :D

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

It is not possible. Was already asked and answered (maybe even it this thread). Reason is - you only have rootfs part on your SD/MMC card. bootloader,kernel and initfs is still in your flash.

In theory you can extract just the rootfs from the firmware and copy it to card but you'll miss changes in other parts of newer firmware (bootloader,kernel and initfs) and the result may not boot at all. In some special versions it can work (2006.39 and 2006.49 on N770 is sufficiently similar and work) but generally no.

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

Fanoush: You may recall that earlier in this thread I queried you regarding the following quote from your Wiki on booting from MMC:

"The first time I tried this on my N800 it led to continuous reboots 30-90 seconds after booting. Trying it a second time on a clean install (directly after flashing and erasing everything already on the device) worked fine."

You subsequently informed me that this was not your cautionary observation but that of some later contributor to the Wiki.

I have now received my N800, loaded it up with all sorts of applications, books, etc., then following your Wiki attempted to transfer the whole kit-and-kaboodle to MMC2 – with complete success! (It was a process which I had already successfully implemented on several occasions with my 770.) The only divergence I had to make from your detailed instructions – and that was in a direction you anticipated might be necessary, which it was, to wit: “Altering the command involving N800 requires loading mbcache.ko before ext2.ko. Modules may be in some other folder than "current". Just look for it.” I was able to find it nearby and all then went well.

When I did all this on my N800, I had 2GB cards in both the internal and exterior slots. The card that was effected in the operation turned out to be the one in the internal slot. Now I need to ask what simple modifications to your Wiki instructions are required to do the same thing with the card in the external slot (which I believe is designated as mmc12)?

Specifically I need to know how to modify the following commands:

# apt-get install e2fsprogs
# umount /media/mmc1
# umount /media/mmc2 (for N800 only!)
# sfdisk /dev/mmcblk0
/dev/mmcblk0p1:1,15000,6
/dev/mmcblk0p2:15001,,
/dev/mmcblk0p3:
/dev/mmcblk0p4:

# mkdosfs /dev/mmcblk0p1
# shutdown -r now

# mke2fs /dev/mmcblk0p2
# shutdown -r now

# insmod /mnt/initfs/lib/modules/current/ext2.ko (preceded by the deviation I cite above)
# mount /dev/mmcblk0p2 /media/mmc2

This has proved to be a relatively easy and satisfying process and my earlier modifying of the bootmenu.config file, in follow-up to your instructions, also worked well. Anyway, again, many thanks. Jim

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

Please let me know if you can install any new software from your back up?!?
I did manage to make a exact copy of my OS before with all the applications installed... But When I boot to the back up I try to install new software and it failed.... I replicated the issue 3 Times... Can you try it and see if you can install new applications.

Thank You.

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

In response to your query, I have just installed Vim using the Application Manager on my MMC2 back-up with no problem at all. This seems to be working just as successfully as my similar MMC2 back-ups on my 770. I regret I can offer no insight to your difficulties, but hopefully some other member(s) of the forum can. Good luck. Jim

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

Is ok I am not looking for a solution I just wanted to see what you did different and it seems to me there is nothing different.... I have a fresh tar that I am using and is working perfect for OPEN-ROX ;)

Thank You.

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

fanoush is there going to be a update for for the new kernel?
TIA :)
Sorry I had to ask :P

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

Updated for 3.2007.10-7.

Yesterday I got 4GB card for my N800 so I have finally tried it too. I cloned older N800 firmware to mmc and then upgraded flash to latest one and updated bootmenu. Both systems boot now. Also experienced 'keys not working in menu' situation with older firmware. Now I cannot make it in newer one. Let's hope it is gone.

One nasty thing (at least in older firmware) is the 'metalayer-crawler' process which indexes mmc cards after each boot. This slows booting and make device less responsive couple of minutes after each boot (I have ~700MB of MP3 files on first FAT partiton). Maybe this background scanning also causes reboot issue some people reported. I hope it can be disabled somehow and run it only if I really add some new media files to my card.

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

Fanoush, I added "exit 0" to the second line in metalayer crawler, alternately you only need to remove /etc/rc2.d/S99metalayer-crawler0

If you want to run it to actually index your files you can run

/etc/init.d/metalayer-crawler0 start

and

/etc/init.d/metalayer-crawler0 stop

to stop it. I agree there should be a setting in the media player to force a index when you update your file.

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

Thanks! :)

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

Hi Fanoush

Thanks for the update. Sorry what do you mean "cannot make it in newer one" Do you mean it doesn't matter now if you touch the keys on booting, the menu will always work the new firmware? Or is there a new problem?

Cheers
Rich

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

I fix the no key issue by setting it to "ask"

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

Yes, works fine now. I can't make it to fail. Either it is gone or I was just lucky so far. Which keys triggered it, all ones? Tried some and it works.

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

Now I got bitten by this too. Workaround is to edit file
/usr/sbin/osso-mmc-umount.sh (as already mentioned here http://www.internettablettalk.com/fo...&postcount=123 )
and change one line 'umount $mp 2> /dev/null' in this loop
to be
Which means skip unmounting root filesystem. If you don't write to same filesystem (i.e the active linux partition) over usb, it is safe. Most probably you just want to write to first FAT partition anyway.

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

Hey, I was just about also to raise this issue with you, as I've also just experienced the problem, with my immediate quick-and-dirty go-around being to boot from flash in order to access the internal card's fat16 partition rather than from MMC2. I'll certainly now implement your fix.

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

Fanoush: As an experiment, I removed my bootable MMC2 card from the internal card slot and put it into the external slot and tried to boot from there using the bootmenu.config file which I'd copied from your bootmenu.config sample. But my N800 wouldn't boot from that slot. Is there a further modification I need to make to my bootmenu.config file, or is there something intrinsic to the configuration of the flash operating system on my MMC2 card which would only let it boot from the internal slot? I do want eventually to be able to also boot from the external slot. Is this actually possible?

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

This is some bug/feature of linux kernel. At boot time it assigns first nonempty slot as mmcblk0. This means that if you have only card in external slot then the 'first/internal' boot item works. If you have both card slots filled and the one to boot in in the external slot then use the 'second/external' item (not tried but I suppose it will work).

Most probably it is a real bug since when the system is booted naming of the slots is corrected i.e. when you boot from card in external slot named (wrongly) at boot time mmcblk0 the result printed by df is that you booted from mmcblk0p2 and have first FAT partition mounted called mmcblk1p1. But both partitions are on the same card :-) I guess it is just cosmetic issue but maybe it can confuse some parts of the system so the best is to avoid booting from external card when internal slot is empty.

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

Fanoush: To clarify what I did: Having switched the cards, putting the bootable one in the external slot (and the unconfigured one in the internal slot), when the boot menu came up I chose the MMC12 item (which I'd adapted from your sample bootmenu.config), and it didn't work. If I were to partition the unconfigured card, following your wiki instructions, but change the MMC2 designation to MMC12 (and possibly the MMC1 to MMC11), could that make it work? (Of course, I'm way out of my depth here!) Regards, Jim

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

Fanoush: I GOT IT TO WORK! I rechecked my bootmenu.conf file in /mnt/initfs and noted that I had inadvertently retained an ext3 designation from your example file when I adapted it. I changed that (second) designation to ext2, put my bootable card once again in the external slot, the unconfigured card in the internal slot, then when booting up I chose the external menu item, and it booted fine. Sorry to have troubled you. Now, when I format the unconfigured card, I'll do it from the internal slot, then switch it to the external slot when the configuration is entirely finished. I'm assuming that I'm not going to be able to configure it in the external slot (unless I leave the internal slot empty???). Thanks again, Jim.

Re: Booting from MMC on N800 Now Available!!
 

It's my second week of owning the N800 and as much as l have grown to love it, I was a bit reluctant to try the bootmenu procedure because I haven't used Linux in so many years. After flashing the N800 with the latest OS that came out over the weekend, I finally spent some time last night to get it to boot from mmc. I used a Sandisk Ultra II 2GB card and followed the instructions. It took a while but it worked like a charm after the reboot. Now I have more than 1GB of free memory to use and it boots up fast! Faster than from flash as I remembered. The Sandisk Ultra II is not the fastest card around (I think around 60X or a bit more than that) and it's already giving me pretty impressive performance. I can imagine how it would be like using a 150X card. :)