maemo.org - Talk - HOW TO: Personalize Boot Menu, Increase Chances of Recovering Lost NIT

(UPDATE: I think that if you follow qwerty12's instructions for rotating screen AFTER you follow this guide, this will undo bootmenu personalization. So if you want rotation--and why wouldn't you!--do that first. Then follow the directions included herein. But if you do install rotation after you follow this guide, you can fix everything by reinstalling Penguinbait's bootmenu, and then picking up from this guide at step 10 as root and from within directory /home/user/MyDocs/.documents/initfs_flasher)

Follow this guide and you will have a personalized startup boot menu that can increase your chances that a lost tablet makes its way back to you. Add to this an activated device lock, and your chances improve further still.

I am a linux noob and probably always will be. Because of my linux limitations, I reflashed my device and followed my instructions from scratch, to make sure they work. They do. Still, ONE WRONG MOVE--ESPECIALLY AT STEPS 6-8, AND YOU COULD DO SERIOUS DAMAGE. AS ALWAYS, ANYTHING YOU DO WITH THE INFORMATION FROM THIS FORUM IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. BE CAREFUL. That said, these instructions should work like a charm.

Many thanks go to Penguinbait for his bootmenu installer, Fanoush for the initfs flasher, and bunanson for his good cheer and helpful tips via private messages. When it comes to anything interesting or useful found in what follows, they deserve the thanks. I'm just the messanger.

OK, let's get started.

1. Install easyroot (if you don't already have a way to . Get it here (scroll down).

2. Install Penguinbait's bootmenu (if you don't already have one).

3. Reboot. (I'm not sure if this is necessary. If someone more knowledgable says it's not, I'll amend the guide.) Upon reboot you'll hear Penguinbait's favorite confirmation sound. If you don't like this, later you can remove it by:

Code:

root

rm -rf /root/.linus/linus.wav

4. Save fanoush's initfs_flasher to the documents folder on your tablet's flash memory (*not* a memory card).

5. Open xterm. Enter the following (hitting return after each line).

Code:

root

cd /home/user/MyDocs/.documents/

tar zxvf initfs_flasher.tgz

cd initfs_flasher

mv bootmenu.conf.n8x0.example bootmenu.conf

6. Now you will edit the file you just named "bootmenu.conf." You will do this using a built-in text editor called vi. DO NOT EDIT with MSWORD, Notepad, wordpad, etc. Enter the following in Xterm.

Code:

vi bootmenu.conf

You will now be looking at the content of the bootmenu.conf file. To edit this file, you type the letter "i" WITHOUT HITTING RETURN AFTER TYPING IT.

You are now in insert mode, and must be super careful not to make a wrong move.

7. Now you choose what personal information you wish to have presented on the bootmenu. If you are already dual booting, then you'll know what line(s) you want/can edit. If you are not dual booting, then you will probably be okay editing any of the following lines.

Using the dpad or the arrows on your BT/USB keyboard, scroll down. You will eventually see three chunks of code, beginning, respectively, with

Code:

"MENU_2_NAME="..."



MENU_3_NAME="..."



MENU_4_NAME="..."

You can replace the text you see between the quotation marks with your desired text. DO NOT--I repeat--DO NOT mess with the text on the lines beginning with

Code:

MENU_1_NAME="..."

Code:

MENU_5_NAME="..."

I am not sure of the maximum number of characters, but I can tell you that "If found, please return to lm22@lm2lm2lm2lm2lm2l.net" was too long, and jumbled things up on the bootmenu. So I have gone with "RETURN TO: [my email address]" between the quotation marks on the MENU_2 line, and "RETURN TO: [my phone number]" on the MENU_3 line. I recommend keeping the text to a minimum, as you probably don't want to go through this process a second time.

8. Once you have CAREFULLY edited (ONLY!) the text between the quotation marks on (any of) the three allowable lines, hit the Esc(ape) button. Then enter

Code:

:wq

hitting return after the "q". This will write your changes to the bootmenu.conf file. DO NOT DO THIS UNLESS YOU ARE SURE YOU DID NOT MAKE A MISTAKE. IF YOU THINK YOU MIGHT HAVE MADE A MISTAKE, HIT ESC, THEN ENTER ":q!" and hit return. This exits without saving the changes you made.

You are now ready to flash the initfs with the flasher you already downloaded.

9. Close all applications (except Xterm), and disconnect from internet.

10. Now enter

Code:

./initfs_flash

You will now be asked a series of questions. Answer thusly:

Code:

Are you sure to continue? -- y

Create backup of current intifs? -- y

[you may be asked now to press enter to continue; so press enter.]

Remove unneeded extra stuff? -- y

install telnet? -- y

install ssh server? -- y

bootmenu.conf found, do you want to add? -- y

ready for flashing this image? -- y

And then press enter to reboot the device when prompted.

11. Upon reboot, you should see your personalized bootmenu. If the text you entered is too long and jumbles the screen, choose option 1 (Boot from internal flash), and repeat the steps above for editing the bootmenu and then flashing the initfs, but this time enter fewer characters.

12. Now the only thing left to do--and this is optional--is go to Control Panels and set a device lock code. Yes, it is sometimes annoying to have to enter the code after leaving the tablet alone for an hour, but it provides extra protection in case of loss. Then, if you lose your tablet, anyone who finds it and tries to boot it up (either by hitting cancel at the lock screen, shutting down, and booting up again; or else removing the battery and then booting up), will be presented with your personalized screen, and then if they choose to boot from flash (or sd card, if you've cloned), they'll just run into the device lock screen. This may induce them to just call the frickin' number or email the frickin' email address they get at bootmenu. At least then they might get a reward...

Of course, nothing would stop a finder from just flashing the tablet and erasing all your hard work. But the chances of their knowing how to do this are slim. Anyway, you will have at least increased your chances of recovery (and learned a little about linux to boot(menu)!).