Is there a way to mount the internal drive on the PC somehow, so I can repartition it?

I'd like to increase the root partition to at least 10 gig, so that I can install full SDK stuff in root.

Anyone done it, I'm trying to think of how to accomplish this.

As a work around I'm leaning towards a temporary solution in the form of linking /usr to the MicroSD card and that way it wouldn't fill up, doing it on a live system is tricky however, plus it seems the card doesn't get automounted on boot if it's not FAT.

Tried disabling the autogeneration of /etc/fstab from /etc/event.d/rcS-late and putting in the SD card, but it doesn't get mounted on boot...

Hmm, I don't really get it... So you want to install the SDK itself on the N900 device? Are you sure that you have gcc and other needed stuff around for the ARMEL architecture?

Yeah, it's all in the repositories already. You can install it via apt-get after enabling the SDK repository, but it'll fail midway through, since logically it fills up the root.

The question is how to free up space / repartition, to enable it to install.

1) Don't install the SDK rootstrap in the root partition or you'll brick your device (unbrick with a reflash).
2) The root filesystem is on a separate chip and cannot be repartitioned.

Create a chroot and unpack the rootstrap there instead.

I don't know what you mean by rootstrap. But basically installing the hildon headers etc fills up the root. If it wouldn't fill it up why would some headers and dev stuff brick anything?

The chroot is interesting, that'll work for dev, since it's not needed for normal ops.

I'm trying to think quickly: if I bind mount dev proc etc, will I be able to chroot and apt-get install stuff? I should if I have a good root, OK that's what you mean by rootstrap Where can I download a good rootstrap? An identical rootfs with the clean N900 flash would be good.

Surely there is a better way to chroot for testing on the real N900 than installing the SDK? Is the SDK even designed to be used in this manner?

Speaking of repartitioning though, has anyone tried deleting /home/user/MyDocs and just having a large /home partition instead? That would be useful for me as I am happy to only mount the SD card vfat and keep all internal memory ext3.

Also, is there any reason its using ext3 not ext4?

I just need space, it's a design flaw in my mind if you got 32 Gig and they're wasted on some FAT space. You should be able to install any deb you wish, if it's a properly built package in the repositories, what's the problem? Especially with the headers, you should be able to have these installed on your device.

Can't you just plug it in in USB mode (not booted into the operating system) and use gparted on the computer? I can't do it myself since I don't have the n900 yet.

No, to plug it in in USB mode, it needs to be booted. I tried just to make sure.

And as has been said here, if it's on a different chip and can't be repartitioned no luck.

I'm gonna try to create an ext3 system on /dev/mmcblk0p1 and then check if it's mounted at boot and relink /usr there.

That might work...