Complete Backup - How To Make...?

[kajkaj]

Given a brand new GP2X, how is one going to make a "total backup"?
(I would like to be able to revert to square one when I or some program bugger up everything.)

What needs to be backed up? And how is it done? Any cables needed? etc...

 

[JaqMs]

I'm not sure about this but can't you just copy and paste everything from your SD Card to your PC?

 

[TelcoLou]

I periodically copy the SD card to a folder called "GP2x".

(It's not as complex as it sounds)

 

[kevcal]

Unless you want to copy the nand as well?
Be nice to be able to do a linux 'dd' image of all gp2x partitions..

 

[Drifter]

Unless you want to copy the nand as well?

Isn't this what the firmware images are?

All that would be missing is the U-Boot bit and if that's gone there's not much you can do to restore without a JTAG cable I think - someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[kajkaj]

I wasn't counting the SD as part of the GP2X - I know how to copy from an SD... ;-)

I meant "the system", the built-in memory, nand, or what it is called.
Whatever is not nailed or glued on as good, oldfashioned hardware! (Eg. what can be destroyed by software.)

Can this be backed up - and how?

 

[Orkie]

You shouldn't need to. If something goes wrong, you reflash the firmware.

 

[kajkaj]

Ok, thanks.

That takes care of everything - except the bootloader, right?

 

[___]

exactly. If the bootloader (uboot) is gone, there is only the jtag cable to save your system. You can flash a complete firmware and uboot with a jtag cable if everything is gone, otherwise, uboot should be still in place and you can just reflash the normal way. no need to backup.

 

[kajkaj]

exactly. If the bootloader (uboot) is gone, there is only the jtag cable to save your system. You can flash a complete firmware and uboot with a jtag cable if everything is gone, otherwise, uboot should be still in place and you can just reflash the normal way. no need to backup.

Ah, uboot - learned a new term! ;-) Thanks.

And found a howto on jtags: GP32 JTAG Adapter

Last question: Judging from this I assume that removing/destroying uboot is not something that happens easily or frequently? Being able to flash from SD should save the day most of the time, right?

And what is the easy way to backup the GP2X changes one makes (I guess the Linux configurations/changes/etc)?
Am I asking how to backup the filesystem on the GP2X?

 

[Drifter]

Last question: Judging from this I assume that removing/destroying uboot is not something that happens easily or frequently? Being able to flash from SD should save the day most of the time, right?

And what is the easy way to backup the GP2X changes one makes (I guess the Linux configurations/changes/etc)?
Am I asking how to backup the filesystem on the GP2X?

Flashig the NAND from the SD should be enough on firmware v2+ because you would have to hold down START and SELECT to start it off (previous versions would sometimes flash automagicaly and trash the bootloader by mistake). In the unlikely event of the bootlader going down then you (or a friend) would use a JTAG cable and the appropriate software to flash the NAND from another PC.

If you want to be able to 'reconstruct' your GP2X after flashing the NAND I can think of two ways:
1. Keep a log of all the changes you make and a copy of and patches or scripts you run. You would then retrace your steps after flashing a fresh system to the NAND.
2. Use an archiving tool to copy the entire NAND to a file in a way that you can put it back after. You would do this every once in a while or before doing something which may brake the unit.

For solution '2' I'd suggest something like 'tar' and 'gzip' (the 'dd' command mentioned above would do the job too but is not for the faint hearted) but I'm not sure that either of them are part of the tool-set on the GP2X as is. There was a thread which listed the commands available on the GP2X a while ago but I can't find it at the mo'.

Anyone out there with a GP2X to hand to confirm if something like:

tar -czf /mnt/sd/gp2ximage.tar.gz /etc /bin /sbin /lib /usr /mnt/nand

would work?

I may give this a go over the weekend and report back - if 'tar' is not a available we may be able to run it from the SD as a '.gpu'. May make a nice utility at some point? Devs?