Notices

Basically you need a way to mount the rotfs from any other system running.
But that first takes some time to install.
Meego http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php...ht=ubifs+meego or
Ubuntu http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php...t=ubifs+ubuntu or
Rescue OS http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php...t=ubifs+ubuntu installs surely have the capabilities to extract the rootfs ubifs file system to check the fs. , but quite frankly, never played with that one.

I am not sure that Nitdroid gaot all the capabilities to runall the commands from the Terminal.

Sorry if I'm showing ignorance, but could you elaborate more on what he would be trying to achieve here? What you mean by "extract the ubifs to check the fs" part? As said, it may be my ignorance, but I fail to see what exactly he is going to extract (dd won't work on root ubifs, AIUI), and how to check it (no fsck.ubi in existence AFAIK, as ubifs is immune to logical filesystem damage by design).

BTW, in case you meant simply "make a backup of files", I'm afraid the same error will stop his copying operation, just like while tarring. Excluding problematic path from command (be it tar, cp, or whatever) sounds like only option for me.

/Estel

// Edit

As for files for checking root for physical (bad sectors/blocks) damage, I have no knowledge about them (although I suspect that there are things for checking that particular memory type for physical correctness), but i'm pretty sure that neither RescueOS, Meego, nor Ubuntu contains them by default (fixme?).

please recently my n900 went blind...it started suddenly and i thought it was software related bcos it shows d nokia logo n den starts showin funny colours. After i reflashd, it stil remaind dsame. I found out it was a hardware problem afer usin TV out cable...nw ma problem is i wanna restore but since d fone is blind, i need screenshots to knw d keys to press or a way to veiw d screen....i wish backupmenu culd show on d tv screen.....u guys shuld tink bout doin dat. Thnks. Screenshots please

Given that, just exactly what screenshots do you imagine would help? Talking about restore seems, well vague, given that backupmenu and anything non-stock likely is not on your phone now. Unless you meant something other than reflash or need to specify what you mean by restore....

And if the screen remains blank after a reflash, you likely have little point in restoring, unless.... (fill-in-here-your-goals)....

wot i mean is dis....after reflash, i reinstalled backupmenu n multiboot. D phone screen isnt totally blank...it just shows funny colours. Wen i boot d fone wit d keyboard open n press 2, it boots backupmenu. The thing is from al d backupmenu screenshots i'v seen n 4rm my memory, i knw pressing w enables mass storage, pressin b wil do the backup, pressin t after pressin b wil do a total backup n so on. I also knw pressin r wil do a restore but dats al i knw n dats y i need screenshots for a restore process. Thnks

I du nt andrstnd 1 werd!

simply put, i'm tryin 2 restore my backup wit a blank screen

I have started writing down the key sequences, but then uboot stopped working (need to search this, as the initial screen loads but then fails to bring up BackupMenu option). Will try again.

To save time, is your backup on sd card, as knowing that will allow me to write the precise command chain?

The big point about your writing: we don't do that here, as folk find it irritating. Each to their own perhaps, but forums have different styles.

@speedonwilliam,
First, I also find you writing style both irritating and hard to follow. Second, what do you want to do with your phone, even if you manage to restore it from the backup? Without a working screen, it is as good as useless anyway.

In any case, here is the list of screens from my BackupMenu. Not all of it may be applicable to you if you don't have an SD card.

First screen (provided you don't have anything else installed).
This screen times out in 30 seconds and boots the first option unless you press up/down or a number. When I pressed down to stop the timeout and take down these options, it timed out anyway and switched off.

Second screen (provided you selected BackupMenu in the first screen):
The Create a backup menu:
Any backup option gives another menu:
Obviously your "free space" numbers may differ.

Pressing 'x' at this point does not take you one step back as one would expect but back to the main menu. If you are backing up both RootFS and OptFS, this screen is presented twice: first for RootFS and second for OptFS (so you can backup each of them to a different destination). Once the backup is complete, pressing any key brings you back to the main menu.

The Restore a backup in the main menu gives:
Any restore option gives:
Pressing 'p' or 'q' brings up a list of files in the systemBackups folder on the selected medium. The list contains ALL the files in that folder with the extension .tar, ordered alphabetically. That means, it does NOT discriminate between rootfs and optfs backups, which means you have to be extremely careful at this point and not restore from the wrong backup. The list is presented as options a), b), c) etc, for all the .tar files in that folder. I have not yet tried it with more than 6 files, so I do not know what happens if you exceed the size of the screen or a number of letters in the alphabet. If you are restoring both RootFS and OptFS, this sub-menu and the list of files are presented twice.

Pressing the space bar in the list of files brings you back to the main menu. There is no way out of the restore options menu other than 'x' to reboot or proceed to the list of files menu and pressing space.

The Extras Functions menu brings:

@pichlo: I know there is a thanks button but you're a trooper....