The problem seems to start in a misconception of what a maemo fremantle device is and how it works

>> it's not a phone, it's a palmtop << or somesuch the original Nokia advertisment which is pretty much to the point.

N900 is a SingleBoardComputer like raspberry pi or a zillion others, and runs a pretty standard linux. there's no "ROM" to "dump ", but there's for example ssh-server that offers access with root permissions to shell and vie sftp for data transfer from (and usually to) literally every storage existing on the device. You however WILL have to install ssh-server for that - I don't see where from that requirement to >>Most important thing is that I don't install anything to the device<< arises, what's wrong with installing ssh-server for example? You could access it even from a windows PC with putty or the like

cheers
jOERG