userdata.img, backup.img

[meddem]

Hello,

i noticed in the rom flash tool from Finless that there is a option to flash at the same time a userdata.img and backup.img.

with those images you can flash the rom with all the apps installed and changes all there, or do i understand it wrong?

i tried to get those using adb and cat, but for the userdata it responds that the file is too large.
i used the tut on this site

https://sites.google.com/site/tweakradje/android/rockchip-device

is there an other way to get the images?

can someone help?

meddem

[meddem]

i am trying to learn how those things work...
ok i manage to backup all the partitions except user using adb dd commands. for the user partition the backup couldnt complete, because my usbdisk has only 8gb and there is not enough place for the backup. i managed to back up the sdcard on the pc using adb pull command.

i am using the finless rom 1.6. i did some changes in /system folder (inkl initd), so i assume those are saved in the system partition.

as i understand i can use those images to clone my setup on a new but same device.
which is the best method to do this? it is safe to flash the images using finless rom tool, (choosing the imgs i backed up, inkl userdata and backup)?
or is it better to restore it using adb commands?

What is the backup partition for? i couldnt find any info about that.

Thanks

[Iharambr]

i noticed in the rom flash tool from Finless that there is a option to flash at the same time a userdata.img and backup.img.

Give a link please.

[Finless]

Don't use backup.img as this is suppose to be a copy of the ROM only. It doesn't do anything. But yes your procedure to backup userdata will work. Just put it in the ROM folder and check the box for it and it will flash it.

One word of caution. When backing up userdata remember it is a live file system so sometimes the DD command will make a bad userdata.img because while it was copying some files were changed by the system. So make sure when you back up the device has been sitting with no activity for a while. Turning off wifi might help too.

Bob

[Iharambr]

Don't use backup.img as this is suppose to be a copy of the ROM only. It doesn't do anything. But yes your procedure to backup userdata will work. Just put it in the ROM folder and check the box for it and it will flash it.

One word of caution. When backing up userdata remember it is a live file system so sometimes the DD command will make a bad userdata.img because while it was copying some files were changed by the system. So make sure when you back up the device has been sitting with no activity for a while. Turning off wifi might help too.

Bob

Thank you very much.

[meddem]

OK thanks Bob for the explanation. It seems that I have to back up the partitions again, as I was using the wireless adb.
Is my assumption correct about the system IMG? I changed some files in /system( eg in /system/etc, system/usr/). I can then back the system partition and flash it againg after nand erase to have the changes back. And to have everything restored I should also restore the userdata.IMG and the user partition(sdcard). Am I correct?

Again thanks for the info

[Finless]

OK thanks Bob for the explanation. It seems that I have to back up the partitions again, as I was using the wireless adb.
Is my assumption correct about the system IMG? I changed some files in /system( eg in /system/etc, system/usr/). I can then back the system partition and flash it againg after nand erase to have the changes back. And to have everything restored I should also restore the userdata.IMG and the user partition(sdcard). Am I correct?

Again thanks for the info

Your assumption is correct about system.img

Bob

[meddem]

I try it and it worked. Well the half part of it. The changes of the /system are restored, but the user data probably not. Maybe I did a bad IMG file by using Wi-Fi. Also the settings are not restored, are those in misc partition?