jyro2179 | # 41 | 2009-12-23, 17:40 | Report

Hi Stskeep,

I tried to get this working on n900 but no luck. I installed bootmenu deb you have linked above. Then rebooted n900 with keyboard slid out. But the device booted as before. I guess I was supposed to see some boot menu at this point. (I also tried with keyboard slid in, but same result).

One thing I noticed is my version of getbootstate is little older than you mentioned above.

Mine is Version: 1.0.34+0m5

Could that be the reason? Is it necessary to have 1.0.35?

Stskeeps | # 42 | 2009-12-23, 18:16 | Report

Yes, you need to upgrade to 42-11 (PR1.0) or it won't patch. You also need to install it with the Install bootmenu icon.

filipx | # 43 | 2009-12-28, 02:03 | Report

Hi,
I have successfully installed the bootloader on n900 and can choose which os to load on boot with keyboard out.
My next question is how to I go about loading Android on the SD card?
I found this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQzkBondAMk
and http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=585948).
but really no clue (totally noob) how to get this working on the SD card.

Many Thanks!

bdogg64 | # 44 | 2009-12-28, 22:49 | Report

I have this loaded and working on my n900 as well, but I'm sure booting Maemo from an sd card isn't as simple as coping the root filesystem to the card. Are there any samples out there as adding bootmenu items?

fanoush | # 45 | 2009-12-29, 00:05 | Report

Quick and dirty way:

- install bootmenu deb mentioned above (dpkg -i + clicking install bootmenu icon)
- rename /bootmenu.conf to something else (no need to make items then, there are hardcoded ones)

- repartition microsd to have at least two partitions, format second one as ext2 (beware of https://bugs.maemo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2747 , for me microsd is /dev/mmcblk1 after N900 boots but mmcblk0 at boot time)

- clone root filesystem to this partition like this

- now (optionally but preferably) disable /home mounting in mmc system and copy /home to mmc too

vi /initrd/etc/event.d/rcS-late
comment line
# /bin/mount /home || echo "Failed to mount /home partition."

and when you are at editing it you can add "umount /mnt/initfs" there to unmount previous ubifs root (possibly saves some RAM)

now reboot with keyboard open and select boot from external card partition 2, ext2


--bind mounts to /floppy are there to omit copying /proc /sys... for root system and /home/user/MyDocs for /home

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Last edited by fanoush; 2010-01-04 at 11:46.

Stskeeps | # 46 | 2009-12-29, 06:49 | Report

This worked for you? I had a similar approach but with rsync and I had a stall in startup-pin-query where it never moved on, so am curious

fanoush | # 47 | 2009-12-29, 09:21 | Report

Yes but I'm not using it as a phone, will try to put some SIM in and retry.

EDIT: oh, forgot that I reflashed to PR1.1 yesterday so I no longer have 42-11 and cannot flash back (or so they say). The nearest I can try this evening is to boot old rootfs with new kernel and new cmt firmware. And then of course with newer OS cloned to third partition.

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Last edited by fanoush; 2009-12-29 at 11:18.

fanoush | # 48 | 2009-12-30, 22:24 | Report

OK, cloned newer system to third microsd partition as described above, put SIM with pin code in and I can confirm that:

- old rootfs (42-11) boots fine from second partition including entering SIM pin code and appears to work fine (with newer kernel, bootloader etc)
- new rootfs (51-1) boots fine from third partition including entering pin code too

- new rootfs was somehow clever with system locale and SIM (operator? location?), I had english as default before cloning but with SIM in it did some additional post boot initialization and changed my locale to Czech

bdogg64 | # 49 | 2009-12-30, 23:33 | Report

If possible, can you say what kernel the newest firmware is running?

fanoush | # 50 | 2009-12-31, 08:04 | Report

oh, sorry, by new I mean just new build possibly with some bug fixes