Nokia announced on Tuesday they plan to release Maemo 1.2 (version 10.2010.19-1) over-the-air to users this week, but instead of waiting, you can do it manually right now. The catch is that it’ll erase everything you’ve installed or stored in your device. Read on for the guide if you’re still interested.

Detailed instructions for flashing updates are available at the Maemo.org community wiki, but I’ll point out just the important things you need to get Maemo 1.2 on your Nokia N900. This requires entering text commands. I followed the instructions for Windows, but guides for other platforms are also available in the wiki.

• Download and install the latest version of Maemo Flasher
• Download the latest firmware .BIN file. It is called PR 1.2 version 10.2010.19-1.
• Download the latest Vanilla version of the eMMC content for Nokia N900. It is called eMMC content 10.2010.13-2.
• Place both files in the same folder as the installed Flasher app from step 1.
• Ensure the battery is at least half full. Unplug charger cable and switch off the device.
• Open the Command Prompt (Start then Run or Windows Logo key + R) and type cmd then press Enter.
• Change the directory to the Flasher’s path. You can do this with the cd command. cd .. takes you out of the current folder, while cd nameoffolder gets you inside of that folder.
• Hold the u key on the device keyboard and connect the USB cable at the same time
• Run the following command: flasher-3.5.exe -F RX-51_2009SE_10.2010.19-1.002_PR_COMBINED_002_ARM.bin -f
• Hint: pressing the tab button after the first few letters, autocompletes commands or file names.
• If done correctly, it should say flashed successfully after a few minutes.
• Without unplugging the phone, run the next command: flasher-3.5.exe -F RX-51_2009SE_10.2010.13-2.VANILLA_PR_EMMC_MR0_ARM.bin -f -R
• It should also say flashed successfully after a minute or two.
• That’s it! The Nokia N900 will reboot with a fresh firmware.

Details of what’s new on Maemo 1.2 and the bugs fixed are described in the Maemo wiki. New features include portrait browsing, option not to automatically add contacts when replying to emails, Ovi Maps UI update, customizable menu icons, and more. New games are also expected to show up in the Ovi store this week. We’ll keep our eyes open.

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