Other Nokia N900 GNU mobile phone tips

Nokia N900, available since November 2009 is the first GNU mobile phone running a Maemo GNU/Linux distribution.

It however suffers from a poor desing whereby the / root is only 200 Mb, therefore you can end up filling it etc. That's where the need to reflash the device comes in.

To fully reflash the device, if it is completely bricked:

1. wget -c http://tablets-dev.nokia.com/maemo-dev-env-downloads.php?f=maemo_flasher-3.5_2.5.2.2_i386.deb

2. wget -c http://tablets-dev.nokia.com/nokia_N900.php?f=RX-51_2009SE_1.2009.41-1.VANILLA_PR_EMMC_MR0_ARM.bin

3. wget -c http://tablets-dev.nokia.com/nokia_N900.php?f=RX-51_2009SE_1.2009.42-11_PR_COMBINED_MR0_ARM.bin

4. Extract flasher-3.5 from maemo_flasher-3.5_2.5.2.2_i386.deb.
5. Unplug the N900 from the USB PC cable.
6. Completely turn it off, not having it connected to a charger, so it powers down.

7. # ./flasher-3.5 -F RX-51_2009SE_1.2009.41-1.VANILLA_PR_EMMC_MR0_ARM.bin -f -R

8. You will see:

flasher v2.5.2 (Oct 21 2009)

 Image 'mmc', size 241163 kB
	Version RX-51_2009SE_1.2009.41-1.VANILLA
 Suitable USB device not found, waiting.

1. Plug the USB PC cable into the phone. It'll start flashing. It'll flash in around a minute. Then it'll reboot.
2. It will not boot, turn it off completely again and disconnect from the USB cable.

3. # ./flasher-3.5 -F RX-51_2009SE_1.2009.42-11_PR_COMBINED_MR0_ARM.bin -f -R

4. You will see:

flasher v2.5.2 (Oct 21 2009)

 SW version in image: RX-51_2009SE_1.2009.42-11_PR_MR0
 Image 'kernel', size 1700 kB
 	Version 2.6.28-20094102.3+0m5
 Image 'rootfs', size 149376 kB
 	Version RX-51_2009SE_1.2009.42-11_PR_MR0
 Image 'cmt-2nd', size 81408 bytes
 	Version 8.2.2009.34.3-2+0m5
 Image 'cmt-algo', size 519808 bytes
 	Version 8.2.2009.34.3-2+0m5
 Image 'cmt-mcusw', size 5786 kB
 	Version 8.2.2009.34.3-2+0m5
 Image '2nd', size 14720 bytes
 	Valid for RX-51: 2217, 2218, 2219, 2220, 2120
 	Version 1.4.13+0m5
 Image 'xloader', size 14848 bytes
 	Valid for RX-51: 2217, 2218, 2219, 2220, 2120
 	Version 1.4.13+0m5
 Image 'secondary', size 109440 bytes
 	Valid for RX-51: 2217, 2218, 2219, 2220, 2120
 	Version 1.4.13+0m5
 Image '2nd', size 14720 bytes
 	Valid for RX-51: 2101, 2102, 2103
 	Version 1.4.13+0m5
 Image 'xloader', size 14848 bytes
 	Valid for RX-51: 2101, 2102, 2103
 	Version 1.4.13+0m5
 Image 'secondary', size 109440 bytes
 	Valid for RX-51: 2101, 2102, 2103
 	Version 1.4.13+0m5
 Image '2nd', size 14720 bytes
 	Valid for RX-51: 2104, 2105, 2106, 2107, 2108, 2109,
  2110, 2111, 2112, 2113, 2114, 2115, 2116, 2117, 2118, 2119
 	Version 1.4.13+0m5
 Image 'xloader', size 14848 bytes
 	Valid for RX-51: 2104, 2105, 2106, 2107, 2108, 2109,
  2110, 2111, 2112, 2113, 2114, 2115, 2116, 2117, 2118, 2119
 	Version 1.4.13+0m5
 Image 'secondary', size 109440 bytes
 	Valid for RX-51: 2104, 2105, 2106, 2107, 2108, 2109,
  2110, 2111, 2112, 2113, 2114, 2115, 2116, 2117, 2118, 2119
 	Version 1.4.13+0m5
 Image '2nd', size 14720 bytes
 	Valid for RX-51: 2201, 2202, 2203, 2204, 2205, 2206,
  2207, 2208, 2209, 2210, 2211, 2212, 2213, 2214, 2215, 2216
 	Version 1.4.13+0m5
 Image 'xloader', size 14848 bytes
 	Valid for RX-51: 2201, 2202, 2203, 2204, 2205, 2206,
  2207, 2208, 2209, 2210, 2211, 2212, 2213, 2214, 2215, 2216
 	Version 1.4.13+0m5
 Image 'secondary', size 109440 bytes
 	Valid for RX-51: 2201, 2202, 2203, 2204, 2205, 2206,
  2207, 2208, 2209, 2210, 2211, 2212, 2213, 2214, 2215, 2216
 	Version 1.4.13+0m5
 Suitable USB device not found, waiting.

1. Connect the phone with the USB cable, it'll flash. After that it'll reboot.

Now your Nokia N900 should be unbricked. Sometimes you can do just the second flash. If the phone is completely hosed though, you must flash the first step also, otherwise the device will stay bricked.