On what firmware version are you? PR1.1? I would recommend an upgrade to 1.3.1 if that is the case.

I'm sure I'm on PR 1.3 but is there anyway to be certain? I recall update the PR when I first got my N900.

Settings > About

Version: 21.2011.38 should be PR1.3.1

@GreyZeppelin, did you rebooted? Do you have multiboot installed?

Good question pali! That just came to my mind when I read yesterday's posts e-mail, but you were faster.
I would also ask if possibly u-boot installed?
Boot with keyboard open or check via dpkg -l | grep boot

multiboot is program which flashing some kernel when device is booted. so it can remove flashed kernel.

u-boot only loading kernel from device (emmc, sd card), so when you flash kernel, u-boot is deleted and nobody will not overwrite it.

in output from GreyZeppelin we can see that kernel-power *was* flashed into nand.

Yep, you are right from your point of view.
But I believ you are not using multiboot, right?
And I experienced that having once flashed a u-boot combined kernel, I could flash other Maemo kernels (with multiboot, so on device flashing) and u-boot was still available.
That was my reason to ask for u-boot too.

But if flashed kernel via USB, u-boot was gone and also having flashed another kernel like nitdroid or nemo erased u-boot. If you have a bit time to explain why this behaves differently?

@peterleinchen,

U-boot can (for now only be installed in the kernel partition. Meaning the kernel proper has to be piggybacked on U-boot.

Multiboot flashes kernels. If the flashed kernel already contains U-boot, then you obviously continue to have U-boot.

So when you say "I could flash other Maemo kernels (with multiboot) and u-boot was still available" it means either you told multiboot to flash a kernel that itself included U-boot, or (unlikely) multiboot is doing some behind-the-scenes magic to append the kernel to an existing U-boot if found. Very unlikely.

Sounds like vodoo, eh?
But exactly these are my experiences.
I flashed once a ....
oh wait
... gimme me a few minutes!


Oh, I really feel like the most foolish noob
Please excuse me for spreading nonsense.
I just rechecked that again and flashing standard omap kernel also vanishes u-boot (I had that the other way round in mind).
I will try to explain briefly:
I had multiboot with KP47 and I made a u-boot combined KP47 kernel. I added a new item for multiboot with foollowing entries:
ITEM_NAME="Maemo kernel-power 2.6.28.10-power47u-boot"
ITEM_KERNEL="2.6.28.10-power47u-boot"
ITEM_MODULES="ext3"
The experienced user will directly see my mistake.
Kernel name is/was of course "2.6.28.10-power47" for both of my kernels.
So my u-boot combined image did not really boot (kernel name different to given name), but I had to let multiboot start my old PK47 item. And the u-boot remained. Therefore I stated above, as I really thought u-boot had overcome the 'multiboot flash' (which indeed did not happen at all because of same kernel name).
When I changed to KP50 and edited my (multiboot) /sbin/preinit to get framebuffer and rescue console support, I analysed a bit more detailed that code and found my mistake.
I made that change:
(okay could also just have renamed ITEM_KERNEL) and then it worked/booted correctly. Of course still going back to plain KP will require flashing omap (nitdroid, ...) and then plain KP kernel, as uname -r is same. But mainly I use u-boot now (thanks pali).

I hope someone understood my "palaver".
And again:
Sorry.

-- the most embarassing point is I knew that already, but somehow my FIFO stack head overflow

I checked and it's 21.2011.38-1.

I reboot, turn off, still the same imap.

So it is installed?