Test Config Notes
Builds & Infrastructure
OLPC-Update
This is about how to use sandboxed (differential) updates, this might change in the future.
On builds older than 613, you should flash update to get the most recent versions of the required software. Autoreinstallation image
To use the olpc-update script to upgrade (or to downgrade!),:
First, run
- rsync rsync://updates.laptop.org | sort
# rsync rsync://updates.laptop.org | sort build-612 build-616 build-617 build-debian build-debian-big build-frs build-joyride-53 build-joyride-56 build-joyride-58 build-joyride-59 build-joyride-66 build-joyride-67 build-joyride-68 build-joyride-76 build-meshtest build-meshtest-47 build-meshtest-56 build-meshtest-73 build-meshtest-74
To find the builds available, and make sure that you are connected to the server. Then, run
- olpc-update <build-no>
where <build-no> is the number of the build (e.g. 610, 588) to which you would like to move, e.g.,
olpc-update 617
or
olpc-update joyride-74
or
olpc-update meshtest-74
Finally, 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 bootup.
Fixing XO clock Data
From build 641 on (maybe earlier), if you have a good internet connection you can set the date/time by typing:
ntpdate time.nist.gov
Some pre-test machines (C4s at the moment) don't have valid manufacturing data. This isn't too much of a problem, but they also have clocks which are set to crazy values, which is. To fix this, boot with the X key pressed and press Esc when prompted to get an OFW prompt. At the 'ok' prompt type:
clock-node @ iselect decimal 00 40 16 14 09 2007 set-time
The numbers here are the time and date: second, minute, hour, day, month, year. You can substitute the current time and date if you like, but the machine will activate correctly as long as it has a somewhat-sane date. You can use the date above, for example.
Customizing a NAND image
Internationalization Testing
- OLPC Keyboard layouts
- Testing localization
- Checking the Layout configuration
- Localization utilities (Olpc-utils)
Firmware Notes
Boot Process (as of q2d03)
To check your firmware version:
cat /ofw/openprom/model
Kernel changelog analysis
At http://dev.laptop.org/~bert/joyride-pkgs.html is the joyride changelog. In it you'll see the version of the kernel.
The kernel was last changed in joyride build #258, and the new version of the kernel is kernel.i586 0:2.6.22-20071111.5.olpc.c1d02f5e6853b99
You can find that information for _any_ kernel by running 'uname -r'.
That 'c1d02f5e6853b99' uniquely identifies the version of the kernel.
You can look it up in git (or gitweb) and see the changelog for
precisely that kernel:
http://dev.laptop.org/git?p=olpc-2.6;a=log;h=c1d02f5e6853b99
From that page, you should fairly easily be able to work out whether the patch you're interested in is included or not.
Sugar & Activities
XO Files
- List of .xo files (usually most updated ones).
- See also: {{OBX xobundle}} which will categorize all references to bundles (the category name needs to be determined)
Check Which Activity Version you have
- Open the /usr/share/activities/{activity_name}.activity/activity.info file
- Check the activity_version setting
Turning Suspend/Resume or screen saver off
Note: suspend/resume code was included in joyride 258. If you have anything other than a C2 or ECO'd machine, it is fairly likely that going through the cycles will cause the laptop to freeze, reboot itself, etc.
To turn this feature off:
- For one boot (till the laptop is rebooted):
- As root, type:
/sbin/service ohmd stop
- For all reboots:
- As root, type:
rpm -e ohm
- More recently, you can turn off suspend/resume by typing: touch /etc/ohm/inhibit-suspend
- Turn off the screen saver: xset dpms force off from the developer's terminal.
Control Panel
Keyboard Shortcuts
Wireless & Network
Connectivity to Apple Extreme
- Goto: http://www.corecoding.com/utilities/wep2hex.php and convert the password into a hex phrase.
- Click on the AP in the neighborhood mesh view
- Choose Hex input for the key; and choose 'shared' key instead of 'open'.
- You should be able to associate and authenticate now.
Testing of Different Connection Configurations
Test the Network and Mesh Details
- Step by step testing to examine your connectivity and network status. Run this linux script to view an overview of these results.
Modify the Mesh Discovery Sequence
You can put the following values in /etc/NetworkManager/mesh-start
- school-mpp
- infra
- xo-mpp
- local
These will control where the mesh device starts. Since the mesh device is the first device that gets picked at startup, this affects the immediate connection search of the laptop.
Remember, the current automatic connection cycle is this. You can jump to a specific step in this cycle by putting the string above into mesh-start.
/* Steps: * * 1. For each channel in [1, 6, 11]: * a. try DHCP * b. if DHCP times out, try next channel * c. if DHCP response includes a non-link-local IP address, * then CONNECTED/DONE * * 2. Try last successful AP connection * a. if success then CONNECTED/DONE * * 3. For each channel in [1, 6, 11] * a. try DHCP * b. if DHCP times out, try next channel * c. if DHCP response includes a link-local IP address, * then acquire autoip address and apply DHCP settings (except for * IP address), CONNECTED/DONE * * 4. Jump to channel 1 * a. acquire autoip address, CONNECTED/DONE */
Update the wireless firmware
- First check what version you are running with: ethtool -i eth0
- Next download the latest Libertas firmware, [1], and unzip it with: tar xzf <filename>
- Move, delete or rename the 'usb8388.bin' file that is currently being used in /lib/firmware/'
- Copy the new 'usb8388.bin' file from where you unzipped it into /lib/firmware/' (if the .bin file has a name other than usb8388, change it to usb8388.bin)
- Reboot; then check the version with: ethtool -i eth0
Turn your XO into a sniffer
- Install tcpdump ('yum install tcpdump' will probably do it)
killall NetworkManager
(is this really necessary?)echo ${TRAFFIC_MASK} > /sys/class/net/msh0/device/libertas_rtap
ifconfig rtap0 up
tcpdump -i rtap0 -w outputfile.dump
- when you done capturing traffic type ctrl-c
TRAFFIC_MASK bits:
- Data frames: 0x1
- Mgmt frames but beacons: 0x2
- Beacons: 0x4
Capturing wireless data
Instructions for capturing wireless data can be found here.
Turn on MPP Capability
As of build 570, automatic MPP (mesh portal) is turned off. If you want to turn it on, log in as root (either from the VT with Ctl+Alt+F1 or 'su -' from the Dev Console in sugar), and do:
/sbin/chkconfig --level 345 NetworkManagerDispatcher on /sbin/service NetworkManagerDispatcher start
Next time you reboot (or the next time you click on an AP) the mesh portal will come back on.
Mesh and WDS
Some information on issues related to bad interactions between Linksys wireless routers and the XO can be found here.
Setting up Jabber server
Security
Activation and Developer Keys
To learn about activation and developer's keys and how to un-secure a laptop, see Activation And Developer Keys.
Turning on/off Activity Isolation (containerization)
In Update.1 (build 630+), isolation is enabled.
TO TURN OFF ISOLATION:
rm /etc/olpc-security && reboot
TO RE-ENABLE ISOLATION:
touch /etc/olpc-security && reboot
In earlier joyride builds, to play with activity containerization, you should:
- rainbow-daemon
- touch /etc/olpc-security
- restart sugar (e.g. type Ctrl-Alt-Erase)
- try out various activities; perhaps examine the output of rainbow-daemon
- rm /etc/olpc-security
- restart sugar
Note: it is important that rainbow-daemon be running when Sugar restarts. Therefore, rainbow-daemon should be started either on a virtual terminal (i.e. after htting Ctrl-Alt-F1 [F1 is the mesh-key]) or over SSH.
Please direct questions and comments to me: --Michael Stone 13:02, 17 September 2007 (EDT)
Logs
Turn on All logs
- Enable Telepathy log files
- Copy the /home/olpc/.xsession-example to /home/olpc/.xsession and modify the file to turn on whatever logging you want
- see: .xsession file
- Restarting X will take the changes into effect.
- (ctrl + alt + backspace) when in the home view will do this.
To turn on full kernel logging
- cd /boot
- modify olpc.fth
- add ignore_loglevel inside quotations
Get Version info
- OS version: open a virtual terminal (ctrl-alt-mesh)
- OFW version: cat /ofw/openprom/model(better) or cat /ofw/ec-name
- Wireless firmware: in a virtual terminal type 'ethtool -i eth0'
- Boot2 version: cat /proc/bus/usb/devices | grep 1286
Misc
Reformat a bad USB drive
MAC:
- Insert the USB into your mac
- Open Disk Utility (which you can find in the applications/utilities directory)
- Click on '967.5 MB USB 2.0...', the usb disk on the left.
- Click on the Partition tab
- Click on Partition to reformat the USB (this erases everything on the stick)
Basic Linux Commands
- cd : change directory (e.g. cd {path to directory}
- pwd : print working directory (tells you what your current directory is)
- ls : lists all in the directory
- ls -al : lists everything in directory, including hidden directories
- nano : change a file (e.g. nano {path to file}) If the file is in the working directory, then you only need to type the file name.
- cp : copy (e.g. cp {path to file} {path to destination})
- -r : recursive (makes any command recursive, e.g. cp -r will copy the entire directory)
- rm : remove (e.g. rm {path to file})
- mount : mount a usb device (e.g. mount /media/{usb_stick_name} (usb sticks are in the /media directory)
- umount : unmount a usb device
- halt -p : shutdown
- wget : get file from web (e.g. wget {url_to_file}
- unzip : will unzip a file (use with .xo)
- ifconfig :shows network connections (enter command in root)