ah ok, thanks. I missed that you had a complete command there with all the endian and cleanmarker parameters and stuff (which is what I was unsure of).

ok, that answers my question as to when they put in the partition searching, but I'm still curious what the limitations are re: first partition (even if it's a moot point now ).

I'm probably going to try your init.fs again, but I'm trying to make a couple bootable backups I can test on an SD card first in case something goes wrong again.

So, did this thread die? Is there no easy way to backup and restore? something for the average user...

This is a FAQ and should be added to a Wiki when someone provides a clear answer. I don't worry about it myself, and am willing to accept smoke and ashes from my tablet from time to time. Starting over from nothing has its benefits.