# How to copy/backup a Linux image (uImage) from Wi-i.MX51 to a host PC or an SDcard?

**URL:** <https://forums.digi.com/t/how-to-copy-backup-a-linux-image-uimage-from-wi-i-mx51-to-a-host-pc-or-an-sdcard/12431>\
**Category:** Linux\
**Tags:** imx51\
**Created:** [January 23, 2014, 12:05am UTC](https://forums.digi.com/t/how-to-copy-backup-a-linux-image-uimage-from-wi-i-mx51-to-a-host-pc-or-an-sdcard/12431 "2014-01-23T00:05:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![panvadee\_at\_ausrobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@panvadee\_at\_ausrobot](https://forums.digi.com/u/panvadee_at_ausrobot)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2014, 12:05am UTC](https://forums.digi.com/t/how-to-copy-backup-a-linux-image-uimage-from-wi-i-mx51-to-a-host-pc-or-an-sdcard/12431/1 "2014-01-23T00:05:52Z")

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I am not using DEL. Can we do it using Digi uboot command or something?

Thanks,  
Panvadee

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**Author:** ![LeonidM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@LeonidM](https://forums.digi.com/u/LeonidM)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 3:05pm UTC](https://forums.digi.com/t/how-to-copy-backup-a-linux-image-uimage-from-wi-i-mx51-to-a-host-pc-or-an-sdcard/12431/2 "2014-01-30T15:05:51Z")

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If you running linux on the module you can dump any partition to a file:

# cat /dev/mtdX \> imageX.img

Where X is a partition number from flpart. so du dum kernel do:

# cat /dev/mtd2 \> image2.img

then ftp image2.img in to your host - this is basically your uImage file

To see if you can do it from u-boot check uboot manual here  
[U-Boot Reference Manual](http://ftp1.digi.com/support/documentation/90001129_B.pdf) but saving it to a file might be tricky if possible at all. reverse engineering is not intention of u-boot. Why do you want to read kernel in to a file?

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**Author:** ![panvadee\_at\_ausrobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@panvadee\_at\_ausrobot](https://forums.digi.com/u/panvadee_at_ausrobot)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2014, 4:09pm UTC](https://forums.digi.com/t/how-to-copy-backup-a-linux-image-uimage-from-wi-i-mx51-to-a-host-pc-or-an-sdcard/12431/3 "2014-01-30T16:09:29Z")

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I have looked in the U-boot Reference Manual. There is a command to update u-boot, but no command for taking it out.

I have a board that working well, but not sure what version or how it built (I am using Timesys Factory). Before I wipe it and try the new uImage, I would like to back it up, just in case the new one doesn’t work.

I will try your suggestion and will let you know how it goes.

Thanks,

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**Author:** ![LeonidM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@LeonidM](https://forums.digi.com/u/LeonidM)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2014, 10:19am UTC](https://forums.digi.com/t/how-to-copy-backup-a-linux-image-uimage-from-wi-i-mx51-to-a-host-pc-or-an-sdcard/12431/4 "2014-02-07T10:19:48Z")

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when it boots it should have date/time stamp and version info. and if it boots then indeed you should be able to save partition to file from userspace.