Re: Introducing ubiboot N9 (multiboot OS loader)
 

right now i have sillyboot on my device for NITDroid and its working, I wanted to transition over to ubiboot, is there an easy way to install this without any reflashing? I would like to try a few different kernels and the device I am used to in my N900 but i got this phone off ebay and have loved it ever since, any guidance would be very appreciated, I am just a bit confused. Thanks again for keeping this project going and giving all us N9 users fresh with all these great tools

Re: Introducing ubiboot N9 (multiboot OS loader)
 

Install ubiboot as usual.
Ubiboot runs /sbin/preinit_harmattan or preinit_nitdroid, skipping over sillyboot (custom /sbin/preinit).

Re: Introducing ubiboot N9 (multiboot OS loader)
 

so my device is ready? im sorry for bothering you I just dont want to make my device unbootable, how would i go upon removing sillyboot and swapping to ubiboot? thanks again, I will need to do lots of research on where to put kernels and what to edit to make it boot different kernels and OS's thanks for the patience and sorry again

Re: Introducing ubiboot N9 (multiboot OS loader)
 

@plourde, you do not need to remove sillyboot at all, sillyboot and ubiboot operate at different boot phases.

How sillyboot works:

• boot loader starts up the flashed kernel just as usual
• last part of kernel startup is call to /sbin/preinit which does number of things before launching up /sbin/init
• sillyboot is a modification of /sbin/preinit which allows starting up different init, based on user selection

How ubiboot works:

• boot loader starts up the ubiboot kernel instead of device kernel
• ubiboot runs a self-contained linux minidistro which has many things, including the boot menu selection
• based on user selection, ubiboot loads up the next level kernel and set sup the correct boot environment.
  a) for Harmattan, it prepares kernel to run /sbin/preinit_harmattan from mmcblk0p2.
  b) for Nitdroid, it prepares kernel to run /sbin/preinit_nitdroid from mmcblk0p2.
  c) for Nemo, it prepares kernel to run /sbin/init from mmcblk0p4.
  d) for Firefox, it prepares kernel to run /sbin/preinit_firefox from mmcblk0p2.
  e) and so on...
• last thing what happens, is that ubiboot executes the loaded 2nd level kernel, which goes on and starts the prepared preinit/init file.

So, now you understand that when you use ubiboot, your sillyboot will never be run at all, the modified /sbin/preinit that is sillyboot is sidestepped totally.

To install ubiboot, this is the simple list of things what to do:
1.) copy the file ubiboot.conf to your /home/userMyDocs/boot/ directory
2.) copy the cpio archive to your /home/user/MyDocs/boot/ directory
3.) copy your kernels to /boot/ directory
4.) copy the preinits to /sbin/ directory
5.) flash the ubiboot kernel

That's it. And remember to check that ubiboot.conf has the correct list of kernels that you copied to /boot/

There are dozens of things you could do differently but this is the basic setup.

@juiceme before install ubiboot would't it be an idea or needed to establish ext4 (or 2,3) partition to avoid the limitation of 4GB for operating systems etc. and make effective use of space on a 16GB?
I have used 3GB before ubiboot with only one (Openmode) kernel?

Re: Introducing ubiboot N9 (multiboot OS loader)
 

Do you mean, to change your mmcblk0p1 from vfat to some better FS?
The 4G limitation is only for files on vfat, not filesystems. Or are you talking about a case where you have a loop-mounted filesystem on a file on your vfat partition, something like EasyDebian?
In that case, yes, it's better to change the vfat to something else, like exfat or ext4fs.

Re: Introducing ubiboot N9 (multiboot OS loader)
 

I'm thinking of doing this:
http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=86662

and this http://talk.maemo.org/showpost.php?p...3&postcount=28

I will wait for nitdroid support ext2 etc format, before formating MyDocs

but seem not much news

Re: Introducing ubiboot N9 (multiboot OS loader)
 

What about Nemo etc don't support ext 2 etc. either?

Re: Introducing ubiboot N9 (multiboot OS loader)
 

Well, that mostly concerns if you want to mount your MyDocs to some windows-computer.
If you only use Linux, or if you never export your USB drives you can just format your mmcblk0p1 as ext4fs, it will work like that, no problems.

This has no effect to ubiboot, of course, excepting the fact that people normally put ubiboot configuration files in MyDocs/boot/ directory as that is the default location.
(but as well you could put them in mmcblk0p2:/boot/, it does not matter :D)