Thanks endsormeans and reinob!

Ah yes, explain what I want to do. That would have been a good first step, I guess. 1-3 = background. 4=what I want to do.

1) The N900 is my actual phone, so I'm scared to death to blow it up.

2) My level of expertise is, maybe, advanced beginner. Maybe. I run Debian on my main computer. I'm comfortable editing config files or working with the CLI if --if!-- I have a step-by-step to follow.

3) I bought a Tizen phone in an attempt to rejoin the modern world. It's hopeless. Can't recommend it for anyone (no repositories, almost no usable packages, Here maps is nice). But it does mean I have a spare phone, so now I want to do a brain transplant on my dear N900.

4) The reason I want kernel-power is so I can do wifi-tethering. That's all, really. I'd like to be sure everything else I have still runs, especially GPS Track Logger widget, epub reader (Dorian), phone, camera. That relates to reinob's PS which, yes, I used to know how to do but I really need a refresher.

I see checking my installed packages that I have uboot-pr13 installed. ?? I don't see multiboot in the list. How do I check for sure?

My big problem is that it's been 3 or 4 years since I've played with the inner workings of the N900 and I've forgotten what little I knew.

Okay. So, tl;dr. I don't seem to have multiboot. I don't really need U-boot if I just want to run one kernel. I can install kernel-power from extras-testing.

I should figure out how to do the stuff in your PS (!).

How about the crucial packages working under kernel-power? Are the chances good? Or iffy?