Upgrading firmware & keeping applications
 

Since there's no such thing as a stupid question...

How do people handle firmware upgrades, stored data, and installed applications? Does flashing to the new OS erase all these, or is it like installing a new kernel (that leaves /etc/ and /usr/bin and especially /home relatively unscathed?

I would hate to think that every time Nokia releases a new firmware I have to re-install my apps (and re-enter my google calendar paths. SHUDDER.)

Thanks,

Scott

Re: Upgrading firmware & keeping applications
 

Just use the backup utilities, it will save your data and restore your apps.

Re: Upgrading firmware & keeping applications
 

It's a shame it isn't what they said they were going to do though. Do they still have plans for updates that don't require a full wipe? At the moment the app restorer can't tell the difference between apps installed from a repo and apps that were installed from deb.

Re: Upgrading firmware & keeping applications
 

The plan as published is that the NEXT major update will allow incremental upgrades.

Re: Upgrading firmware & keeping applications
 

OS2009 then? Fair enough.

Re: Upgrading firmware & keeping applications
 

Except most of the repositories are bogged down with the new release, so if you manage to get 2008, you won't be able to recover your programs for a while.

Re: Upgrading firmware & keeping applications
 

I keep all .deb files on a memory card, that way I can just do something like:
dpkg -EG -i *.deb

Applications installed via repositories can be copied (or moved, to clear up internal flash memory) from /var/cache/apt/archives/

Re: Upgrading firmware & keeping applications
 

That is just such a cool idea I can not even begin to tell you. However, when I go to /var/cache/apt/archives/ there isn't anything in there. there is a file named Lock and an empty folder called partial. (yes, ls -all) I have installed a number of programs via repositories and this would have been a great way to rebuild after a reflash. Am I maybe looking in the wrong /var/cache/apt/archives/ or something?

-John

Re: Upgrading firmware & keeping applications
 

That's definitely where they are on mine (OS2008 Beta), try installing some small app via repository and see if a .deb pops up?

Maybe they get removed automatically at some point to save space.

Re: Upgrading firmware & keeping applications
 

Ahh, therein lies the problem I believe. I am not on 2008 yet. It must be a OS2008 thing. Oh well, I was hoping to use this to go to OS2008 and if necessary back to 2007. it is funny that the directory structure would be the same if it isn't used on 2007. Oh well, I will poke around and see what I can find.

Thanks!

-John

Re: Upgrading firmware & keeping applications
 

Ok, having done a find -name *.deb at root, the only files I found were the .debs in my install folder on MMC2. it appears that OS2007 does NOT store the install files at least not as .deb.

On to the next idea...


-John

Re: Upgrading firmware & keeping applications
 

I'm pretty sure OS2007 dumps them there too by default, what does "apt-config dump | grep Cache"

say?

Mine shows:
Dir::Cache "var/cache/apt/";
Dir::Cache::archives "archives/";

Re: Upgrading firmware & keeping applications
 

Nokia-N800-39:/# apt-config dump | grep Cache
-sh: apt-config: not found

Mine can not find the apt-config executable. Now that is odd..


-John

Re: Upgrading firmware & keeping applications
 

I just looked at an old backup of my OS2007 install, and apt-config isn't there either, but there was a bunch of crap in /var/cache/apt/archives

Did you try installing something today via repository and checking /var/cache/apt/archives immediately after downloading?

It has to store em some place! I just think they're being nuked at some point afterwards.

Re: Upgrading firmware & keeping applications
 

also i have os2008(release) and i have nothing into /var/cache/apt/archives
i've see that ONLY apps installed via "apt-get install" go there, other installed via
application manager does not.

Re: Upgrading firmware & keeping applications
 

You have to enable Redpillmode, then you'll get a new checkbox called "Clear apt cache" in your Programmanager's options dialog. I think this might be the solution.

Re: Upgrading firmware & keeping applications
 

Yeah I think you've got it, I almost exclusively use apt-get install from the command line, forgot about that whole application manager thing :)

Re: Upgrading firmware & keeping applications
 

The clean way to get the list of installed package and transfer the list to another machine and install this list is with this:
dpkg --get-selections > list.txt

then to sync the list on another device:
dpkg --set-selections < list.txt

Yes, in theory it's as easy as this

:)

Re: Upgrading firmware & keeping applications
 

this lists ALL applications installed not only the one i've installed...
any way to get only applications i've installed and then download only
all the needed packages on disk ?

thanks :)

Re: Upgrading firmware & keeping applications
 

If anyone finds the dpkg logfile, it would be easy to do; based on the date.
Otherwise, application installed by user=application currently installed - application initially installed.
Now you have to know which ones were initially installed...

What's the problem with getting the full list?

Re: Upgrading firmware & keeping applications
 

Yup, that should be it in my case, according to 'the manual':

After activating the red pill mode, the following additional settings are available in "Tools > Settings".

*

Clean apt cache

If activated, the equivalent of "apt-get clean" is performed after every install or update. (This is the behavior for blue-pill mode.)

Which as I just went into red pill mode and checked, this was turned on (which I turned off) and I will now install something and see if it sticks which I am sure it will.

Thanks!

-John

Re: Upgrading firmware & keeping applications
 

So the dpkg --set-selections < list.txt command will install (or attempt to install) everything in the list as it parses it? It would be simple enough for me to pare down this list to just the things I want installed.

Where and how would it try to find the packages?

-John

Re: Upgrading firmware & keeping applications
 

Reviving this thread to see if anyone has answers to the above question.

Re: Upgrading firmware & keeping applications
 

It will download them from internet...


I repeat one single sentence:

The mentionned method is the way to transpose an installation from one PC to another. For upgrades it's a bit more complicated. If transitions are not thought, then it probably won't work..

Needs to be tested.