N9/N950 Rescue CD

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 This unofficial guide recommends downloads from untrusted third party servers. Nobody knows who hosts the content and whether the software has not been altered (e.g. spyware). Use at your very own risk.


Rescue CD for N9/N950 allows you to access your phone when you have just changed some files and your device doesn't boot. For example when you've just uploaded new preint script and something went wrong.

There is a way to access whole file system of your device, but sadly not on Windows. If you happen to be on Windows or don't have a flasher for your distribution then you can use this Debian Live CD.

Contents

[edit] Usage

  1. Download the Debian Live CD with flasher and rescue images (rescue9-binary-hybrid.iso).
  2. Boot with a "Live" option.
  3. Open user's home.
  4. Go to n9-rescue directory.
  5. Open info.txt and follow steps described.

Note that you can find a Terminal in Accessories.

Also note that Rescue 9 should mount both MyDocs and rootfs automatically. Just remember to unmount both before you unplug the USB cable (you can use the eject button in the file manager).

MD5 checksum for rescue9-binary-hybrid.iso:
e891d25480a8a93fbfc4ad01c8330c23

[edit] Source

The source for Debian Live CD is livecd9-config.7z.

To use above to build your own CD you must use Debian.

  1. Install build tools: apt-get install live-build
  2. If you want to make fully customized CD you should install other helper packages: apt-get install live-manual live-config live-helper
  3. To build a CD go into the directory which contains "config" and run: lb build

Note that you will need about 8 GiB of free space for building iso!

Tips:

  1. To add .deb files copy them into "config/chroot_local-packages".
  2. To tell live builder you to download and install packages add names to "config/chroot_local-packageslists/mycustompackages.list".
  3. To add extra files to root use: "config/chroot_local-includes" (etc/skel is special in that it will add files to user's home).
  4. There are many versions of instructions for Debian Live and they might be very misleading. In different versions of Live they changed folder and variable names and even behavior of some. Be sure to use manual installed.

[edit] Credits

The instructions on the CD were based on this wiki page: http://wiki.meego.com/N950/Fixing_MALF_state

[edit] Full content of info.txt

(info.txt contains MediaWiki formatted text)

This CD already contains all files that should be needed to access a dead (non-bootable) N9/N950.

This means you already have:

1. Bootloader kernel (vmlinuz-2.6.32.20112201-11.2-adaptation-n950-bootloader) - don't worry it's fine for N9 too.

2. Rescue tools (initrd.img-rescue-2.6.32.20112201-11.2-n950).

3. Flasher (already installed).


[edit] Accessing your device

Note! As with all flashing - be carefull and DO NOT UNPLUG YOUR PHONE unless you've finished. Unplugging your device while it is being used (or mounted) may damage your phone.

1. Unplug the usb cable from your phone (if it is plugged in).

2. Turn your phone off (if it is e.g. stuck on your boot screen then press power button for about 10 s).

3. Load the provided kernel and tools using flasher: 

  $> sudo flasher --load -k vmlinuz-2.6.32.20112201-11.2-adaptation-n950-bootloader -n initrd.img-rescue-2.6.32.20112201-11.2-n950 --boot

It should stop waiting for an USB device

4. Insert the usb cable to your computer and then to your phone.

5. Wait about minute until a new USB mass storage device appears on the host. 

  You should now have three partitions:
  * /dev/sdX1 with is MyDocs,
  * /dev/sdX2 which is MeeGo 1.2 Harmattan root file system (rootfs),
  * /dev/sdX3 which is the MeeGo 1.2 Harmattan home directory.

6. Find exact partition's names found on your Nokia N9/N950. You can use fdisk or GParted. 

  $> fdisk -l

7. Mount rootfs somewhere e.g.: 

  $> sudo mkdir /mnt/n9
  $> sudo mount /dev/sdb2 /mnt/n9


Now you can go to the directory of your device (/mnt/n9) and do what you need.

Note! Remeber not to unplug the device until all it's file system are properly unmounted (see next section).


[edit] Unplugging your device

Assuming you've finished fixing your files or whatever do the following.

1. Unmount the manually mounted rootfs (in step 7 above). 

  $> sudo umount /mnt/n9

2. List all mounted file systems to make sure no other N9 partitions were mounted by your OS automatically: 

  $> mount

3. If you'll notice any N9 file systems on the list unmount them with (they might be in media directory too): 

  $> sudo umount /mnt/XXXXX

4. When ready unplug the usb cable from your phone.

[edit] Credits

The instructions were based on this wiki page: http://wiki.meego.com/N950/Fixing_MALF_state

Special thanks for Coderus for pointing me to that :-).

Retrieved from "http://bugs.maemo.org/N9/N950_Rescue_CD"