[Depreciated] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

NOTE:
This version has been depreciated due not restoring correctly in a number of N900s. If yours has been tested and worked, it will continue to work. If not, or you don't know, go with my (incompatible) new version, which is "safer" and should restore on all N900s.

The new topic is Here: http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=63975

---------------------
Since before I got my N900 a couple weeks ago, I've been trying to figure out a way to backup and restore a full OS image on the N900.
With a PC, you can use a program like Norton Ghost, or any number of free alternatives, and make a full image of everything you have. You screw the OS up, all you have to do is take your backup image, wait a couple hours for it to load, and you have everything back to how it was before.

With the N900, all you have is a "settings backup" tool(which also keeps a list of installed programs). If you have custom applications or settings -not- backed up... Good luck.

Until now.

I have created an application which allows you to make full backups of the RootFS(OS), and OptFS(extra programs), and then restore said backups. These backups(at least the RootFS ones) are also compatible with Nokia's Flasher utility, so you can restore directly, if you manage to make your N900 not even boot.
Do note that this is a bootloader-based application(backup not possible with the full OS running), so you have to reboot the N900 to use it.

Screenshots:

Main screen:
http://robbiethe1st.afraid.org/Backu...2647-small.JPG

Backup menu - screen 1:
http://robbiethe1st.afraid.org/Backu...2648-small.JPG

Backup menu - screen 2:
http://robbiethe1st.afraid.org/Backu...2649-small.JPG

Backup menu - in progress:
http://robbiethe1st.afraid.org/Backu...2650-small.JPG

Features:
-Runs at bootmenu-level; this allows RootFS to be unmounted and backed up.
-Backup full images of RootFS and OptFS
-RootFS Images compatible with Flasher
-Restore images, either or both
-Checksum of all images on backup and restore
-Save files to MyDocs or SD card
-No command knowledge needed

Extra features:
-Terminal access for fixing stuff(advanced)
-FSCK ability
-Extended USB Mass Storage mode that exposes OptFS.


How to install:
Install 'backupmenu' from 'extras-devel'
Or download it manually here:
http://maemo.org/packages/view/backupmenu/

Manual:
1. Install 'bootmenu-n900' from the extras-devel repository.
2. Download BackupMenu.item and copy it to "/etc/bootmenu.d/" on your N900(requires root).



How to use:
Reboot the N900 with the keyboard open.

So, to NOT use it, reboot with the keyboard closed(DrWilken) .

Multiboot:
As I have been asked about 4 times in this thread, when I already posted the answer on the second page...
Will Multiboot work with my script?
I just took a look at it - it probably -won't-, at least not by copying it into /etc/multiboot.d/.
You can -probably- get it to work the same by:
1. at the boot prompt, press C for console.
2. type "/path/to/BackupMenu.item"
If that doesn't work, make sure its marked as executable by running:
"chmod +x /path/to/BackupMenu.item".

Now, someone well versed in writing item files for MultiBoot -might- be able to convince it to drop to a shell and then excecute it, but I can't do it.

Either way, go ahead and experiment - Though the latter is fairly unlikely.
Let me know if you make it work, and how you did it.

Notes:
I have, occasionally, run into restore errors when restoring the RootFS. If things are majorly F'ed up(and I have done it a lot), sometimes it won't restore to a bootable condition.
In these cases, you need to:
1. Using the Flasher, flash the PR1.2 FIASCO image("flasher-3.5 -F *imagename*.img -f")
2. With the N900 still in flashing mode, flash your RootFS image with the flasher("flasher-3.5 -r rootfs-image.img -f")
This has solved the problem in all cases.

Bugs:
Sometimes the alt/ctrl/shift keys don't activate in terminal mode. I've found that selecting them all and then deselecting them all(press each button 3 times) seems to more or less fix the problem. - Perhaps fixed in 0.31 Build 2

Checksum issue - I didn't think about how I was piping the ID of the process. Fixed in 0.30.
Trying to read/write to mounted FS - Fixed in 0.26

Problems:
If you have problems, post on this topic. Do not email me!

Changelog: (Current version: 0.31)
0.31 - Added limited Terminal functionality.
0.30 - Complete fix of Checksum system, it works right now.
0.29 - Tried to fix (nonworking) USB Networking; still not quite right. May be on PC side though, but I doubt it.
0.28 - More tweaks to the checksum system - still not quite working right.
0.27 - Minor graphical/statistical glitches.
0.26 - Major patches/fixes, do not use anything older than this.
0.25 - First released version

Theory of operation:
-- Ignore this if you aren't planning on messing with my code for your own non-standard setup --
My program is an ASH/BusyBox script run by the Bootloader application in bootloader-n900.
As it is a shell script, it should be fairly immune to custom kernels and setups; so long as BusyBox and the various executables are still accessible, it ought to still work.
If you are attempting to use your own special or custom bootloader-script, you should be able to make it work with mine by:
1. making sure it gets run and not mine by default(change the name of it to something "earlier" than "BackupMenu.item").
2. calling my script when you want it using ". /etc/bootloader.d/BackupMenu.item"
This should allow you to setup a menu of your own that allows you to boot multiple OSes, or other stuff and still having my script usable for backups.



Alpha test:
Current post: http://talk.maemo.org/showpost.php?p...&postcount=207


Suggestions, Comments, CC welcome!

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

Thanks, I waited an application like this since I have my N900.
I will try it soon :)

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

Awesome Robbie!

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

Ok, I played with it a bit (only backup, not restore), some suggestions:
-Make the app easier to use with non-QWERTY keyboards (read the config from Maemo or don't use Q,W,A,Z,M,Y keys. )
-Fix the time from the backup file's name and attribute, this is important if you do multiple backups since the backups are named by the date
-Add an option to verify the backup file's integrity by compairing data with the real FS

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

Fair enough; Would you mind linking me to that config(or a list of the separate keyboards)?

Fixed in version 0.26. I thought I had fixed it earlier; seems I needed to have "hwclock -s" later on in my script.

Thats actually a very good idea.
It takes some extra time(~30 seconds for rootFS backup, a few minutes for OptFS), but it should let you know that things are good(or not).

BTW, I think I fixed the backup/restore problem - It seems that the rootfs/optfs were already mounted by the time my script gets run.
So... copying/restoring onto mounted FS - not exactly a good idea.
Fixed in 0.26. (I ran umount for both, and checked to make sure they actually -were- unmounted).

New version uploaded to the same location as the old one.

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

I SAID THIS ! :P XD

And I WANTED THIS A LOT !

http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=52925

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

It was actually a different post that gave me the idea, but yea - it seems like this was definitely needed.

I'm actually surprised no one else made one first - I'm no expert at this stuff, and it wasn't all that hard for me...

Anyway, after reading the topic, yea, I can understand the problems you had(not working right after restore).

With my tool, worst case, restore RootFS via the Flasher, reboot into my tool, and restore the OptFS via that(no way to restore OptFS via Flasher).


BTW, can anyone(who preferably hasn't put much personal info on their N900):
1. Make a backup of RootFS and OptFS with my tool.
2. stick both files into a .tar.gz or .zip file.
3. Upload a copy to megaupload or another host
4. PM me the link.

I want to try restoring a unique and different backup; make sure it works fully and properly.

Thanks,

-Rob

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

Wherever you took the idea... you're GREAT ! :p

But i had e doubt... are you sure that che folder where to put BackupMenu.item is /etc/bootloader.d/ ? o.O
I have only a bootmenu.d and i've always used that for the bootmenu program .. :confused:

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

<_< >_> Erm... Yea.
Fixed.

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

XD great XD

Another problem.... i've put the .item file in the folder... but when i boot with the keyboard opened .. it appears only the nokia logo... nothing else :(
It's very strange because, some minutes ago, with the file mer.item, the bootmenu appeared with no problem...

Then i've erased it and i've put backupmenu.item... and nothing happens :(

whyyy? T_T

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

This is fantastic!

Is this compatible with whatever (Maemo) kernels are installed?

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

I have Titan kernel and no problem. I think that it is compatible with any kernel ATM.

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

Has anyone tested this with the updated bootloader package, used with the NITDroid project called multiboot?

hoggerz

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

very nice script, thank you very much`robbiethe1st ;)
but if i try other features (usb network, ssh server..) i don´t get a network connection. i don´t know if its on my device or a bug. can someone confirm this problem?
another question: did anyone perform a successful restore of rootfs?

regards

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

could this be used as to get people with dual boot OS like maemo and android or meego (Any combination) with little effort? having it all set up?

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

Sounds like there's an error in the code - Make sure that you -save- my file(right-click, save-as) versus opening it and then saving it, or copy-pasting the contents into a file.
Just get a new copy from my link in the first post, try again. If its still giving you trouble, let me know.

It shouldn't matter; Its a shell-script, so as long as the OS actually -works-, it ought to run fine no matter what.

Just so you know, I started out with the stock kernel, but am now using Titan's kernel for OCing. No changes needed, no worries.


I think its a bug - I'm not entirely sure how USB networking works, so while I added the features that were in RescueMenu, I didn't really mess with or test it.
I assume it should work now(Ver. 0.30), but it will probably require the N900 to be configured for USB network beforehand in the OS.
It should be possible to do it in my script, but I don't really know how.
The code that I'm using for enabling it can be found in function "connUSBNet()", at line #87.

I know I have a few times in testing, but I haven't had a situation where I totally borked the OS and was able to recover it -without- the aid of the flasher-utility. However, I haven't had an opportunity to do this since version 0.25, and I fixed a few recovery-related problems since then.
Even so, it means that you should still be able to use it, but if you think you need to recover - make sure you have a PC handy just in case.


I'm not entirely sure what your asking, but I think the answer is no.
If you mean running a copy of Maemo off your SD card or somesuch, then probably. But it's only intended for backing up and restoring your maemo partitions, and really doesn't have anything to do with other OSs.
However, it should be compatible with custom configurations, though you may have to edit the "save locations" at the top of the script(say if your main eMMC data partition was #4 instead of #1 like it is now).

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

i hope your boot menu work with Nitdroid dual boot

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

I just took a look at it - it probably -won't-, at least not by copying it into /etc/multiboot.d/.
You can -probably- get it to work the same by:
1. at the boot prompt, press C for console.
2. type "/path/to/BackupMenu.item"
If that doesn't work, make sure its marked as executable by running:
"chmod +x /path/to/BackupMenu.item".

Now, someone well versed in writing item files for MultiBoot -might- be able to convince it to drop to a shell and then excecute it, but I can't do it.

Either way, go ahead and experiment - Though the latter is fairly unlikely.

-Rob

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

ill have a quick look at gettign this going on MultiBoot for ya :)

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

Do you plan to release this nice script to extras-devel which makes it easier to stay up2date and to install it?

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

Actually, yes. But I'm not entirely sure how to make it a package - especially since all it is is a file that needs to be copied to a certain location. I've seen a couple of tutorials, but they were all vague and talked about setting compile options etc for the (source) code inside...

Can one of you nice people show me a quick way to do it?

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

Perfect :)
Now it work :D
But i have a question ... Where the kernel is allocated? In the rootfs?? Or somewhere in some chip? o.O

I'm going to flash my n900 (with Titan kernel) with the fiasco image...infact i want to try to restore e backup just made through your script... But flashing with the fiasco image even the kernel should be flashed...

And, if it isn't allocated in the rootfs, i think there should be some problems restoring the system with the backup created with the script... because the system "thinks" to have the power kernel .. there are configuration files and even some files that serve to deinstall the kernel...

So how it works? o.o

PS: excuse me for my english .. :(

Edit: infact the kernel can be flashed even with the maemo-flasher... so i think it isn't in the root.... :/
How can we solve it? I have to deinstall the kernel e do the backup again?

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

actually i don´t believe that this is the correct way (flasher -r "raw rootfs image" from PC) for recovering rootfs.

i tested the szenario on my device and my test ended up with a bricked rootfs. so i did some research and found that the correct format of flashing rootfs in this case (=from PC) is ubifs!
conclusion: i have to convert the raw image into ubifs format for successful flashing of rootfs via PC according to this post
can anyone confirm this conclusion or post his success story including all steps (flasher -r..)?

greets

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

This is a small italian tutorial that i've googletranslated :)
I don't know if it can be useful :confused:

http://translate.google.it/translate...56&sl=it&tl=en

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

No, its in the rootfs all right. Its just that the flasher lets you -also- copy certain things over, not only the whole FIASCO image.

Did you try flashing back to PR1.2, -then- using your root image, like it says in the first post:
(I think there's some bit that isn't copied - look at all the different things that flashing PR1.2 does.

Also, remember - the RootFS image -is- a Ubifs image - as its a direct, bit-for-bit copy of the RootFS, which uses Ubifs.
By "raw", I meant "not inside a zip archive, etc".

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

sorry I'm a noob in this case how I can swap this script / item to desktop.d ??

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

I don't know what you mean.
If you are asking if you can make a desktop icon(etc.) of it, the answer is no. You can't run it from inside Maemo.
You have to reboot to use it, so it can actually copy/restore without problems.
(Note: Theoretically, you could probably run it from inside maemo, but the screen would not display, and if you managed to get through all the menu-trees blind, you would end up finding that Backup would not work right, and Restore would crash the system).

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

Bit of an update: I finally figured out how to deb-ify my script! Now you can install it via a .deb package.

I also applied to be able to upload to extras-devel, so hopefully in a couple of days it will be up there, for your easy-update pleasure.

Edit:
Gees, this stuff's complicated. I got access to Extras-Devel, but now I need a .changes file, and apparently I can't upload the .deb file I made using this howto...

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

Robbie. I am running into conflicts between bootmenu-n900 and multiboot (for NIT). Do you know if your app is compatible with multiboot?

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

Quote, page 2 #18:

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

What about trying to use the easy way?
http://maemo.org/packages/view/python2.5-py2deb/

Don't forget to fix the bucktracker issue:
http://wiki.maemo.org/Py2deb

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

Thanks a lot, Helmuth!
I thought that that tool was for building Python apps only... but it seems to work for mine also!

I'm now in the repo! http://maemo.org/packages/view/backupmenu/
Note: Wait for the 0.30-2 version. 0.30-1 has the 'bootmenu-n900' dependency incorrectly marked as 'bootloader-n900'.

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

No problem at all. :) Don't forget the thanks button. ;)

This is only a small contribution to help you with your fantastic project. With my few linux skills I'm at the moment even to afraid to test your program on my Device and continue to try staying patient enought until some more people has responsed that it works without problems. But I wanted something like this from the early beginning. A full backup and if something is gone wrong put the image back. YEAH! My Mobile Computer in the pocket. :rolleyes:

Good luck at the maemo programming contest. I will vote for your application. :D

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

Just tried(through flasher) , very good... only thing it didn't restore was titans kernel(I couldn't get any clock speeds above 600)

still saved me about 2 / 2.5 hours of installing app and modding, Thank you

Going to try bootmenu restore now...

Edit: btw can optfs be done through flasher or just through your menu?

Edit2: had a few probs with that, i'll stick to flashing through flasher for now

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

Hm, this is interesting - You had it in the backup? And it didn't carry past a reflash to 1.2 then restore? What did(does) uname -a state?

I don't think its possible to flash OptFS through the flasher, which was why I implemented it in my menu.

Can you elaborate? I can't improve it if I don't have error reports...

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

Thanks for that! Do you know how (and if) it is possible to use this together with Multiboot 0.2.5 (which I installed for Nitdroid)?

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

Several people have asked this, and I have posted my response on pages 2 & 3.
I've added my response to my first post also.

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

Update! I've just uploaded version 0.31-2!
This version has a 'terminal' module on it - which mostly works.
Its still being worked on, but it should be usable.
Try it out, tell me what you think.

edit:
And give me some BUG REPORTS!
I need feedback of -any- sort!

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

I made a backup of rootfs and optfs to be stored on eMMC. All went well. No problems at all. All done with BM 0.31-2.

My optfs was 4000+ Mb which means it showed 200% when it was done. I have repartitioned the size of my /home.. which might explain why ;)

Re: [Announce] BackupMenu - Backup & restore OS images(+ other features)
 

If i want to extract the rootfs on my Ubuntu machine. How do i do? I understand it is DD. But whatever i try don't work.

I thought it would be something like this.. but it wasn't