Update paths
From OLPC
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This is on how to update your laptop's operating system; it may cause third party applications to become uninstalled (such as Opera and Adobe Flash). However, applications installed as Activities should continue to work. If you simply want to update the XO's firmware, see Upgrading Firmware.
[edit] Users
Update paths for users:
- With internet connectivity (if your internet works) - Keeps changes made to your laptop
- Without internet connectivity - Wipes all changes to your laptop
It would be a good idea to plug in your laptop, so as to minimize hassle if your laptop loses power. However, it is not required, and the update process can safely be interrupted and redone later.
[edit] With Internet Connectivity (faster update)
- Main article: olpc-update
olpc-update is designed to work with even the worst internet connections, and will do no harm if it is interrupted during download. If you don't like your new software update, you can revert to the older version by holding down the O key on the game pad (between the right speaker and the power button) when you next turn the laptop on.
To manually upgrade your machine when a new version is released:
- Plug the XO into an electrical outlet
- Connect to the internet. If you are upgrading because you have a WPA hotspot at home, you might want to go to a Public Hotspot to connect to the internet for an online upgrade, such as a T-Mobile hotspot or a local libary.
Firewall note: olpc-upgrade requires outgoing TCP PORT:873 to be unfiltered by the hotspot's firewall. In otherwords if the laptop has functional-access to the internet but olpc-upgrade returns the message "I don't think you're connected to the internet." check the hotspot's firewall is not blocking the outgoing TCP Port 873. - Open the Terminal Activity
or a console and type the following (press the Enter key after it):
From build 703 or later use the sudo command as described here. For earlier builds, see the note below.
sudo olpc-update build-number
For example:
sudo olpc-update 708
Where
- build-number is the number of the build to be updated to.
Note: sudo does not work with some builds which require a password until you become "root". You can become "root" by pressing the "#_" icon at the top of the terminal screen. In builds earlier than 703 you may need to type "su -l" (note it's lower case "L" not the number "1") and then "olpc-update build-number" instead.
- The latest stable build is Build 711 (rel. notes) (2008-08-19)
- Note that in builds 700 and above, you must install activities separately. See Update.1 Software Release Notes for details. In 8.2-series builds, you can use the software update control panel to do this.
If the update program successfully connects to the update server some messages should display
Downloading contents of build build-number
Updating to version hash xxxx
Making clean /versions/updates/...
Trying irsync_pristine update from rsync://updates.laptop.org/build-build-number
- Cleaning tree.
- Fetching contents.
- Performing incremental rsync.
Verifying update.
Installing update in /versions/{pristine,run}/xxxx
Where xxxx is a version-specific number.
This process may take more than thirty minutes. When the process is complete, you need to reboot, unless you supplied the -r option to olpc-update.
When the XO restarts the update will be complete.
The update mechanism preserves the build from which you ran the updater as an "alternate" image from which you can boot. To swap the "primary" and "alternate" images, hold the 'O' gamepad key during boot.
Note
- When upgrading from build number 656 to 703, the upgrade may fail due to random rsync errors, for example "rsync error: error in rsync protocol data stream (code 12) at io.c(824) [receive r=2.6.9]" and "rsync error: some files could not be transferred (code 23) at main.c(1385) [receiver=2.6.9]". In that case, the following command, in place of "olpc-update 703" above, has allowed the upgrade to complete successfully:
sudo olpc-update -f 703
[edit] Off-line (big download)
- Main article: Secure Upgrade
0. Before performing the upgrade, please note that EVERYTHING previously created will be deleted!
1. Read Release Notes! for your target release.
Activities must be installed separately.
2. You need a formatted USB flash drive that is larger than 325 MB, and it is better that you format it before copying any files over.
3. To install build 703 (Release 8.1.0) download the following two files from the Internet and put them on the USB flash drive:
http://download.laptop.org/xo-1/os/official/703/jffs2/fs.zip
http://download.laptop.org/xo-1/os/official/703/jffs2/os703.img
To install build 708 (Release 8.1.1) download the following two files from the Internet and put them on the USB flash drive:
http://download.laptop.org/xo-1/os/official/708/jffs2/fs.zip
http://download.laptop.org/xo-1/os/official/708/jffs2/os708.img
- To download those files, plug the USB flash drive into another computer that is connected to the Internet. Right-click (Ctrl-click for Mac) on each of the above two URLs in the browser and choose "Save Target As" ("Save Link As" for Firefox). Save both files to the USB flash drive. Eject/Remove the USB flash drive, and unplug it.
The first file is about 209KiB, and the second file is quite large (about 324 MiB), which might take a while to download.
After you have finished this step, there should be two files on the USB flash drive, the fs.zip file, and the img file.
4. Make sure the XO laptop is OFF. Make sure that the battery is installed, and that you have external (AC) power plugged in as well. Plug in the USB flash drive, and do not unplug it until instructed.
5. With the USB flash drive inserted, power up the laptop while holding down ALL four game buttons on the right side of screen (the four buttons above the power button, and they are marked with O, V, X, and square). Please be sure to press all of them firmly; use two thumbs if that helps.
6. When the screen says 'release the game key to continue', release all four buttons.
7. You will see arrays of colored grids running on the screen. We are now re-writing the laptop with the new operating system.
8. Once done with re-writing, the laptop will reboot itself.
9. Next, the laptop may update the firmware, if necessary, and reboot itself. It will insist on being plugged in and having a battery present if it needs to update the firmware. (You don't have to do anything; just watch.)
10. After you're done with the update, the laptop will boot to the prompt for your preferred user name. You can now remove the USB flash drive, and it is no longer needed.
[edit] Install activities
No activities are included in some versions of the OLPC software. Follow these instructions to install basic activities on release 8.1.0 and 8.1.1.
- Power off the XO
- Remove the "fs.zip" file from your flash drive.
- Download the activity pack and unzip it to the flash drive (NOT a subdirectory).
- Insert the USB flash drive and boot the XO. It will display text on a black screen as the activities are installed, after which it will power off.
- Remove the USB flash drive.
[edit] Verify your update
12. Go to the Terminal activity (click on the taskbar icon 
)
- The screen should say something like [olpc@xo-05-2D-2F ~]$
- The numbers don't matter, but be sure that you type things after the $ sign.
14. Type the following to check which version you XO is running:
cat /etc/issue
15. Press the Enter key
16. If the screen says something that begins with
OLPC build 703
then we are one step closer to finishing the upgrade process!
17. Go to Home view and mouse over the XO guy in the center.
18. Select the "Shutdown" option to power off the machine. Now you should be able to power it up as usual, with build 703.
[edit] Developers
[edit] Determine the state of your laptop
This is about determining which way to re-flash a laptop, which deletes all data on the laptop. To upgrade without re-flashing, use olpc-update.
Action: Boot your laptop
If...
- Your laptop gives you the option to get to the ok prompt by pressing escape
- Your laptop is insecure, and you can use the Clean-install_procedure for developers.
- Your laptop shows pretty boot, meaning you have no option to get to the ok prompt, and you see an XO with dots going around it
- Your laptop is activated, and you can use the Secure upgrade
- Your laptop shows an XO with a red blinking usb key icon below it, and then a blinking wi-fi icon.
- Your laptop is not activated.
- If you want to Activate or Pre-Activate your laptop, see Activation and Developer Keys and/or Pre-Activate an XO, and then follow Secure upgrade
- If you want to leave your laptop de-activated but need to upgrade before shipping it, you can use De-Activated Upgrade
