[Semma2]

As discussed earlier in the thread, it's perfectly possible to make an image or custom doctor of your phone.

Can you point out the post? I'd be happy to make a simple snapshot that I could restore to the same device, but I didn't see anything quite that simple.

[Preemptive]

It's post two: http://forums.webosnation.com/webos-...ml#post3432663
But this thread isn't about that, so to learn more you'll have to search the forums. I'll check back and see if I have any links. Imaging the device is possible, but then I assume it needs to be packaged to install on a 'clean' device like a doctor. (meta-doctor) For this you'll need a Linux system.

Note that if I thought the process was simple, I'd link to those instructions. You need to understand the Linux command system and having made the image, know how to restore it to a phone. Those who can do that don't need this thread.

The idea here is in the event of data loss, you have a backup. In the event of a crash, you doctor the phone, then add the data to bring things up to date. The apps and techniques should be usable by the average user.

There remains the possibility of a replacement / alternative to the automatic profile back up. The items here are hopefully a usable work-around if or until such a service is built. I'm afraid the thread for that option has not had updates for some weeks.

[Preemptive]

Can anyone supply an updated guide to bypassing 1 x devices? I don't have any.

[Grabber5.0]

The bypass procedure is still the same. Just remove all references to using the patch afterward to log in to a profile. (I was up all night, so maybe I missed something)

-- Sent from my Palm Veer using Forums

[Preemptive]

I came across this, which is still there (for now):
HP webOS : Download & Run the Data Transfer Assistant (DTA)
It's worth downloading this stuff - a handy tool for one-time data transfer to a webOS device. Useful for restoring data.

[Preemptive]

Just thought I'd add some notes on reset/doctoring. I asked some questions here and got this reply from Grabber5.0:

A reset is the same as erase all apps and data, but not USB. Does not affect patches, but it does erase the installed package list, so Preware won't report them as patched/installed. Emergency patch recovery or AUSMT recovery may help, but doctor is the most reliable.

Erase options are in the device info app. They are:

• Erase apps and data (not USB)
• Erase USB (I assume not the apps and data)
• Full Erase (combines the above options)
• Secure Full erase - presumably a few passes to prevent any data recovery.

I assume the full erase options leave a functional device, which suggests either a built in back up image (seems unlikely) or that the OS files are left intact. As we are all busily applying patches to add features or fix things it seems the Doctor is the best bet to ensure an entirely clean install. It's always possible that a dodgy patch is causing problems and after a reset, the patches become effectively invisible - storing up possible future conflicts!

So if merely starting afresh, just doctor (or Erase USB first if you want to wipe the USB partition.) If selling a device, Secure Erase followed by a doctor seems best. A kind seller might then bypass activation for the new owner.

[Preemptive]

Still missing:

Solution to restore wifi profiles, as the save&restore script to do this does not seem to restore on my new device even when directly restarting after restore and having wifi off at restore.

Some months later...

Looking at this page: Application:MetaDoctor - WebOS Internals
It seems wifi profiles can be meta-doctored on to a device, but you have to extract the original file

3. Copy the prefsDB.sl file off of your phone from the var/preferences/com.palm.wifi/

I've found this file on my Pre3 & wifi TP using Internalz Pro. Can anyone confirm for other devices? I assume it could just be copied back or transferred to a new device.

[tylla]

Some months later...

Looking at this page: Application:MetaDoctor - WebOS Internals
It seems wifi profiles can be meta-doctored on to a device, but you have to extract the original file


I've found this file on my Pre3 & wifi TP using Internalz Pro. Can anyone confirm for other devices? I assume it could just be copied back or transferred to a new device.

I once tried to create a meta doctor with the WiFi profile data, but after doctoring it didn't appeared in the list of known AP's.
Maybe I did something wrong, I don't know.
After that failed trial I didn't put too much time to investigate it, but I'm using that same meta doctor image since that time (for now some 3-4 times), but the profiles never appeared.
It would be fun to find out what has gone wrong, but I lack time and knowledge for this.

Oh yeah, it was Pre3 RAW and AT&T.

[UI Designer]

The browser is listed under Web in save/restore.. Does that not cover the bookmarks? (I've not really tested it - I think they are part of the profile backup, so up until now it hasn't really been needed) ...

... I tested it this evening on Laingman's phone that I'm working on, and I don't know what it restored, but it didn't include history or bookmarks. Perhaps it was just cookies (I did see that in the notes during save).

Bookmarks and history are fairly simple collections in the database, so it should not be that difficult to perform a backup and restore, outside of the permission issue. I know Impostah has the power to export lists of things, but I don't know that it has an import capability (it may well, but I have not explored the possibility).

Any updates on a way to save and restore Web browser's bookmarks?
I tried using the Save/Restore app and got the same results as you where my bookmarks were not restore, which is sad.

[Herrie]

You can use "luna-send -n 1 -a com.palm.app.browser palm://com.palm.db/find '{"query":{"from":"com.palm.browserbookmarks:1", "incDel":true}}' >> /media/internal/bookmarks.json" to export the browser bookmarks to a file called bookmarks.json in /media/internal (USB drive).

You can then import this again on the new device.

[UI Designer]

You can use

luna-send -n 1 -a com.palm.app.browser palm://com.palm.db/find '{"query":{"from":"com.palm.browserbookmarks:1", "incDel":true}}' >> /media/internal/bookmarks.json

to export the browser bookmarks to a file called bookmarks.json in /media/internal (USB drive).

You can then import this again on the new device.

Thank you, Herrie, for your quick and very useful reply! The export works! It also includes a visitCount so I can see which bookmarks I use most often.

I am not clear on how to import the bookmarks, though, unless it's manually one at a time. Can you give some more details on this part please? Thanks!

[Herrie]

Thank you, Herrie, for your quick and very useful reply!

I am not clear on how to import the bookmarks, unless it's manually one at a time. Can you give some more details on this part? Thanks!

It depends a bit on the number of bookmarks. Let me dig a bit. I remember Grabber 5.0 made something for Communities a while ago

Found it:

http://forums.webosnation.com/hp-tou...ml#post3416954

Basically you would need to modify it so it reads something along these lines (where YOURBOOKMARKDATA is the contents of the JSON file). You might needs to play around a bit, but that should work in theory.

luna-send -n 1 -a com.palm.app.browser palm://com.palm.db/put '{"objects":[
{"_kind":"com.palm.browserbookmarks:1","_sync":true,"items":[
YOURBOOKMARKDATA
]
}
]}'

[Grabber5.0]

You can use "luna-send -n 1 -a com.palm.app.browser palm://com.palm.db/find '{"query":{"from":"com.palm.browserbookmarks:1", "incDel":true}}' >> /media/internal/bookmarks.json" to export the browser bookmarks to a file called bookmarks.json in /media/internal (USB drive).

You can then import this again on the new device.

Based on my recollection of the incDel parameter, I'm not sure you'd want to set it to true, as I think it would include deleted bookmarks. Easy enough to test I suppose.

[Grabber5.0]

It depends a bit on the number of bookmarks. Let me dig a bit. I remember Grabber 5.0 made something for Communities a while ago

Found it:

http://forums.webosnation.com/hp-tou...ml#post3416954

Basically you would need to modify it so it reads something along these lines (where YOURBOOKMARKDATA is the contents of the JSON file). You might needs to play around a bit, but that should work in theory.

I had forgotten about this. One thing I remember I ran into is the max length of a command, so I had to limit the number of records I imported. I think (but I'm not positive) that a merge might make it safe to break them up if there are too many to import in one command. I'd test in the emulator or a testing device first.

[Alibamboo]

As my old veer is slowly but surly dying, I have to switch to an other one I just bought on ebay. I would like to continue to use some my installed apps. Would be nice to transfer the text-messages to the new one, but I can live without them.

Everything else (contacts, calender, mails) are stored with google, so there's no need to to transfer these data, right?

Can somebody give me an *****-proof description which steps I have to take?

Thanks a lot!

[Preemptive]

Export your text and instant messages [webOS 2.0+] | webOS Nation

I don't know about transferring back - you'd probably have to do some command line stuff similar to what's discussed further up this page.

As long as you have a copy, do you really need to take up memory on your new phone with old sms messages? I suppose you could always store the text file in the USB area for reference...

[Grabber5.0]

I have successfully (mostly) imported text messages before, but it was not very refined and certain characters caused issues, so some did not load. I didn't do this on a device, but there is no reason it should work differently than it did in the emulator. I intend to write a true import utility at some point, but it's a long way off. Honestly, for performance reasons, a separate messaging history viewer might be better. As long as you keep the exported files, they will (hopefully) be usable by the import. If I'm not mistaken though, I think I modified the export app, or I exported them a different way. I hope I took good notes. :|

[Preemptive]

Misj' has a command line solution for creating a file of wifi profiles:
http://forums.webosnation.com/webos-...ml#post3447492

I've added it to the list. Note that the passwords are outputted as plain text and store them carefully.

[Preemptive]

Is this any use?
A Qt GUI for rsync: https://www.qtdtools.de/page.php?too...tdSync&lang=en

I guess it might work on TP and Pre3 (... & Veer?). Not a solution for anything earlier as it would require the Qt 5 port.

[mazzinia]

nice finding