I made a copy of a good intFlash boot on an SD.

I like to have more apps installed when doing SDboot and would like to tailor/modified and reverse clone this particular SDboot to intFlash. I deleted a couple of apps to make the file about 550 Mb and reverse cloned back to intFlash. Unfortunately, even 550 Mb, after compression, was still a little bit too large for the tablet's 256 Mb space, the reverse clone 'overflowed' the intFlash, and the tablet would not boot. It dutifully showed the bootup menu, and if chose option to boot from intFlash, it crashed and went back to the bootmenu. If chose SDboot, mmc1boot or mmc2boot, it then booted up and worked without a glitch. Interesting. Interesting from a user's point of view. Even though the tablet is 'braindead', failed to bootup, if a bootmenu already installed and the bootmenu sector remained intact, it can rise from ash with SDboot.

Now, my tablet showed bootmenu and only bootup with SDboot, but the intFlash boot is hosted. Remember I made a good copy of the intFlash boot at the beginning, right? I did a reverse clone using this good backup, which has less apps installed and size 520MB, and cloned back to the intFlash and now all is well, it boots and works, no need to reflash or start from ground zero!

What is this all about?

Nothing.

Just to show, if you have a good backup, SDboot, and with installed bootmenu, even if you goof up the intFlash (mtdblock4), either installed wrong package, or wrote some bad codes, och, you still have a good chance of resurrect the tablet without resort to flashing.

bun

There's a bit of confusion here on my end.

I used cfdisk to partition my internal SD on an N810. I created 3 partitions: a Fat16 partition of 200mb, a linux partition of 1680mb, and a swap partition of 131mb. Running the script (to copy external to internal, option 4) creates all sorts of errors because cfdisk titled the linux partition mmcblk0p3, not mmcblk0p2.

I suppose I will go in to the script and change the appropriate references by hand, which is easy enough, just change all references to mmcblk0p2 to mmcblk0p3 I just thought I'd let you all know.

It appears this happens when you create your partitions in this order: FAT16, then swap, then the linux partition last. I have no idea why, since the linux swap space I place at the end of the disk, and calling it logical gives it the mmcblk0p5 partition. Such is the way of convoluted linux shell.

...and, because I have a few mental problems, it is nearly IMPOSSIBLE for me to remember this naming scheme, so I'll post it for 'tards like me to refer to:

Internal SD =
mmc2
mmcblk0

External SD =
mmc1
mmcblk1

Now how does that make any sense? More convoluted linux maddddddnesssssss

(I feel a bit like Alice, slipping down the rabbit hole)

Some outstanding findings in this thread and a good guide for a newbie (both N810 & Linux) like me.. However I have a few queries before I take the plunge and i hope you friends would help me..

I have a N810 thats running 'dual' boot.. I used Pb's Console tool for cloning. The stock OS (Diablo 2008.43-7) is running on the internal flash and I have cloned the same to a partition on the external MMC.

The external MMC is a 8GB card and I have partitioned it into 2 equal halves of 4GB each ( ext3 partitions). First partition has the cloned OS to which I have added all the extra apps I wanted . The internal MMC(2GB) and the 2nd partition(4 GB) of the external MMC are my data storage areas. With all the applications installed, I find myself booting straight into the cloned OS area more often and I have spent a lot of time customizing it

With this setup, I would like to have a back up of my customized OS ( external MMC - 1st Partition) on to another MMC, so that I can use the new MMC if my existing one fails for some reason.

So this is what I am trying to do:

A. Copy existing customized OS from external MMC partition( 4 GB size - 760 MB in use) >> Internal SD (2GB)
B. Back up the customized OS image from internal SD >> new external MMC ( for backup purposes)

I would like to know, if the following will work and simple indicators on how to achieve this:

• Copying/Cloning from a bigger size partition ( 4 GB - 760 MB in use) to a 2GB internal SD
• In Step B above, is there a way to use a 16GB MMC, with one more extra partition to have another version of customized OS for Japanese Input( With MaemoCJK I seem to loose the std.onscreen keyboard and I am forced to use the matchbox kb )

Also there are quite a few versions of the clone.txt from nhanquy/bun here and not sure which one to use in my case as narrated above...

Sorry this is lengthy post and I appreciate your time to read/respond..

TiA
- Shin

@gogol: You are 100% correct. I only use ext2. and ext3 and above will have to be customized manually as you have done. Thanks.

@shin: In your situation, you only interest in copy between mmc1 and mmc2, I would recommend cpxxwf.txt from thread #6. Once you get it working, I would make a button using personal menu,
(you already did, change cpxxwf.txt to cpxxwf.sh and chmod +x etc)

command to execute: ./cpxxwf.sh
and check run in terminal and run as root, and pick a symbol.

This script requires ext2 partition already available and will clone between mmc1 and mmc2 at will. As implied, this clones only the OS, will leave the data part, FAT16, intact.
From now on, you just have to the button, you get a fresh copy! I have used it more than 60 times in the last 2 weeks when I am testing progs. It works just like the restore program in MSwindow$.

Regarding the size of the partition, mmc1 and mmc2 does NOT have to be exact, and source smaller than target is also NOT necessary. I have successfully clones between 520 MB and 800 MB with very little programs. Just my guess, as long as the data is under 500 MB, even if you copy the 500 MB to the 800 MB partition initially, when later copy the 800MB OS back to 520 MB with no difficulty. Play with it and see what you think.

**** Be careful with mmc1 and mmc2. There is a bug in N810 to switch mmc1 vs mmc2. The patch to correct the bug is a little over my head. Good luck,

bun

Ok tried this....Personal Menu complains that it can't run as root (rootsh installed) and fails

thanks

Tried to make it run under xterm 1st, once you are sure then go personal menu to set it up.

My personal menu setting:

Name of the menu... blank
command to execute ./cp12wf.sh
DBUS service name blank
and check Run in terminal, Run as root
and select an icon

done.

I think your problem is not with personal menu setting, it is with ./cpxxwf.sh has not been set up correctly.

These scripts works, ONLY up to 5.2008.43-7, between mmc1 and mmc2 and reverse cloning, i.e., clone from sd to flash, I am using them at least weekly, if not daily. Everytime I see some app, install and try, dont like it, I would revert back by copying from my 'other' mmc/SD or from intFlash. If I like the app, I would then copy to my backup. This way, my N8x0 is keep improving as it is being used

Feel free to learn and use them, it is a good tool. It wont damage anything as it does NOT do partitions. You have to have partitions ready for it to run. And it only modify your OS partitions, and leave your fat partitions intact.

Again, it does NOT work with the community fix, 5.2010.16-1, ... yet .


bun

Thanks for checking into this

Any idea why it doesn't work with the CommunitySSU?

Sno

I have NOT looked at it yet, I suspect it is due to a file name change which the script would NOT be able to locate. I did upgrade to community SSU, on my N800, it works but the menu is all gone, ..., dont have time to play with it, I just recopy the old OS back, no sweat. That is the whole idea about full backup, right?

bun