if you are reflashing it:

what are the specs of the computer you are flashing from? windows xp, windows vista or 7, linux?

If you have to flash then try from a different computer.

do not use any backups, start installing everything from scratch. thats what i would after reading everything you've done so far.

make sure u are using the correct image to flash from.

did you check what version firmware you got before flashing?

I think BlessN900 is obsolete or conflicts with stuff (maybe the new Fcam). I know I removed my copy.

If you reflash the N900 and then restore your backup and the problem comes back, try doing the same again but not restoring your backup. Then add the programs that you intend to use one by one. Don't eat everything all in one gulp! It may help you find the culprit.

Are you sure the tech support really replaced your device instead of just reflashing your original one like how you have to keep doing now as a temporary fix?

Fellow N900 users: Thank you for your replies.

It seems that the consensus is that I should start carefully installing software one-by-one and see which one might be causing the problem. I reluctantly conclude that this is the necessary course of action, since it does involve being unable to use the N900 properly until, gradually, all the software I need is present. I guess I would need, at a minimum, "vim" and "rsync" although "OpenSSH client" and "grsync" follow closely.

Since the presence of any offending software may not immediately trigger the problem, there will need to be a lot of trial-and-error and, basically, I won't be able to use the N900 as a phone. I'm going to leave the SIM card out since Nokia, in its Nfinite wisdom, decided that I must take out the battery in order to take out/put in the SIM card (who thought *that* one up?), and I don't want to trigger a reboot every time I make a change.

I'll also try to find a non-magnetic holster, but right now the one I have is the only usable one.

@myeyegooogles, who said: "what are the specs of the computer you are flashing from? windows xp, windows vista or 7, linux?"
I have used both Linux (Kubuntu 10.04) and Windows (XP) to flash the N900 firmware+eMMC.

@fromthehill, who said: "why did you reflash your device just after you bought it?"
I reflashed the device mainly to install Maemo PR1.2; it came with the old version of firmware (I could tell by the apps list screen).
Also, recall that this error had already occurred twice without me flashing anything: it happened in the first two N900's that I had bought. With the 3rd device I concluded that it needed flashing and I didn't want to waste time fooling around.

@gryedouge, who said: "In case you need to talk to cpitchford. http://discussions.europe.nokia.com/...user-id/130480"
Thanks for the info.

@un-named_user, who said: "Magnets near the N900 are known to wake up the device from sleep and mount/unmount the SD card."
Holy cow, that is scary.

@geneven, who said: "I think BlessN900 is obsolete or conflicts with stuff (maybe the new Fcam). I know I removed my copy."
I do not have BlessN900 installed. I tried to install it once; immediately afterward, it said "You have to reboot to complete the installation." When I rebooted, I got the "Forever Dots" error. That one time the error may or may not have been due to BlessN900; however, I reflashed firmware+eMMC to get rid of the problem, so the other umpteen times I got the error it was not due to BlessN900.

@TiagoTiago, who said: "Are you sure the tech support really replaced your device instead of just reflashing your original one like how you have to keep doing now as a temporary fix?"
There has been no tech support involved in this. You seem to imply that I brought the device to tech support who didn't really fix it; that's not true. I bought a new device from the store and opened the fresh seal. When I returned that device, I got another sealed N900 box off the shelf. After I returned that one, eventually a third sealed N900 was delivered to me by post. There are 3 different N900 devices involved.

I've also posted here hoping that someone at Nokia can help:
http://discussions.europe.nokia.com/...le/td-p/738018

I have just discovered the above Nokia board (thanks, gryedouge!). Reading it, I see that many people have had varying problems, and it is not unusual to find someone with a unique problem that no one else has had. While I take no joy in others' problems, it makes me feel vindicated after a bunch of N900 fans told me on IRC #maemo that there must be something wrong with me because no one else has ever encountered my problem before. A few choice impolite replies come to mind but I will voluntarily censor myself. :P Thanks again for all of you who have taken me seriously.

Okay, I solved the problem. This is what I would consider a bug in Maemo, although I guess the workaround is pretty straightforward. Anyway, thanks for all the encouragement from all those who offered positive comments. Thank goodness! Now I can start relying on my N900 again. Now to make all those iPhone4 users jealous.

I am characterizing the problem, hoping to submit a bug report for Maemo.

I'm just waiting for someone to say, "Well, THAT's not a bug to be fixed, that's just your fault for inducing an unstable situation! Of COURSE that one-line text file created in your home directory, where by default there is no such text file, would alter the behaviour of one of the pieces of software present by default in your N900, so that it becomes unusable unless you reflash the firmware and eMMC!"

Bonus points if you can name the text file, and the already-present piece of software which is affected by this text file.

Okay, I'm going to post this to make sure I don't forget even though I haven't finished fully characterizing the bug yet.

The software in question which is present by default is the shell (ash/BusyBox), and the file in question is "~/.profile", which affects the behaviour of the shell. It's a standard config file which is executed by most shells if present. Mine contained the one line "source ~/MyDocs/myprofile", which would then execute the file ~/MyDocs/myprofile that contained a number of aliases that made it easier to use the command-line.

It turns out that the shell is not just invoked when I run the Terminal, but also on boot-up. But on boot-up, the RAM disk MyDocs is not yet mounted, so the file ~/MyDocs/myprofile does not yet exist. Unfortunately, this results in an error which renders the N900 unusable.

The workaround is to make sure ~/.profile will work even when MyDocs does not exist, or not to use ~/.profile at all.

Subtle trap... especially for Maemo4 users transferring their existing .profile from an N8x0 to N900. Fortunately I didn't use MyDocs there... thanks for the reminder !

damn I got exactly the same issue with you now!

I tinkered with .bash_profile and after one reboot it entered forever dot. It is indeed a subtle trap!!

My question is, does anyone know a way to remove the .profile file without flashing the device??

For the record, I never did find a way other than reflashing. I got really good at backing up the device and reflashing. Sorry to hear that you're having the same problem.

Having said that, I want to make sure I understand correctly: you fiddled with ~/.bash_profile? Or just plain ~/.profile? I would think your device does NOT call ~/.bash_profile on startup since it's actually starting up ash (busybox).

I hope what it is is that you actually named your file ~/.profile. I hope it's NOT that your file was called ~/.bash_profile and ash went and executed it anyway. :P Actually, if I recall correctly, bash doesn't execute ~/.bash_profile, either; it's ~/.bashrc, ~/.login, ~/.logout, and ~/.profile.