User:DancesWithCars/XO1.5SprintFeedback
XO1.5SprintFeedback danceswithcars 15:17, 30 March 2010 (UTC)
Arrived Late
Around 1.30 pm on Saturday after a very full week (3 exhibitors show room floor days + 2 hours commuting each way) at FOSE showing XOs to government types, most which had not seen an OLPC XO-1 much less an XO 1.5.
So didn't get the overview. My bad...
Toolchain issues
No gen ssh keys for launchpad access, and no laptop to use.
My personal G1G1 XO 1 is broken. I've not gotten an XO 1.5 and it's currently unavailable...
Seems like the toolchains chosen for these sprints are not what I'd hope. Flossmanuals.net is far from a layout engine compared to M$ Adobe InDesign or even scribus. Or latex... But no one agreed. So for ClassActs, didn't do layout much with tools that would not work for me...
bzr used on this one. The ACC computers didn't
have it installed. Asked host with root privileges to install it.
Might be good to learn other tools, and socially/ a sprint / meeting would be a good place to be exposed to new ways of doing things, but teaching an old dog new tricks...
Sugar on Ubuntu?
ACC lab is Ubuntu based. Unlike Fedora, there isn't a yum install sugar* to pull down the sugar emulator XO like software on the Ubuntu. Maybe that needs some work?
(Later thought I had an old Fedora 10 live on a stick, might have booted over to that, but hindsight is 20/20.)
sugar-jhbuild might have been another option...
Catchup
Rather brain dead, so moving very slow.
Spent much time catching up on my own.
Through the conference call. "I'll see what makes sense to do", after other people reported what they were doing with a 3/4 day head start, I was still not ready.
Eventually found the list email announcing the event and that included links to stuff...
ACC layout and openetherpad cryptic link, from behind me across the room on smartboard projector, would not have gotten it...
Left 1.5 hours early the first day to previous commitments, I have difficulty with the long schedules of sprints, as disability limits my energy, distractions and noise (headphones help, in Gallaudet, there were carrols outside the main mosh pit room), and end up more sick, one way or another plus 2+ hours commuting time...
So options are don't participate? Or intended to suffer for some unknown harrassing like reason? (Unfortunately that is what it feels like to me)
Or Advocate for Inclusion...
Intended Audience
Who is the intended audience of the document?
Kids? Then should be in kid language...
Example Opening an XO is what I call "Adult Proof"... Most kids seem to get it intutively, adults usually need help...
Simplify to something like
"When Facing XO (O Head above X body) on a table or on your lap,
"Ears Up" to open"
(they are computer ears for electrical listening, the sound microphone for human listening is elsewhere)
Kids may not be able to read, so writing documentation
for non readers is a little pointless, IMO.
More graphics. More fun. Less jargon or define it in a glossary...
Apparently sprint people think the intended audience
is what I'd call loners (people who got G1G1 machines
in the USA and elsewhere that need some way
of learning how to use it...
I was told kids in schools will have teachers, other students, etc...
XO Classic = Sugar
As the new stuff (Gnome desktop interface) and new hardare XO 1.5 come out there needs to be a distinction between the versions. Both hardware and software. And then the combinations thereof. New software build on the XO-1. Old software build doesn't work on Via XO-1.5. Sugar Desktop on new XO 1.5...
The analogy to New Coke and Coke Classic
plus Mac Finder 6-7 (now MacOS 9, which some
still use) to BSD Unix based Mac OS X and
Aqua interface and Mac Classic dawned upon
me, through the night, and quickly presented the idea
on Sunday morning to the crowd that still needed coffee,
but no one seemed to like it...
Organizing Activities
There is a long list of activites, and they are not ordered at all.
Maybe graphics / beginner Activities (Speak, Record, Maze, Paint, TamTamMini, etc)
Intermediate (Browse?, Write, etc...)
Advanced (Programming Scratch, Etoys, Log, Terminal, Settings Update?)
And creating a path for people to learn based on our experience with new people exposed to the XO. Each may choose a different path but making a road map for new users (grpahical but like the XO 1.75, XO 3.0 development roadmaps), instead of just dumping them into the deep end, i.e. into a dictionary listing of Activities...
Labeling Steps and Numbered documetation Sections? 1.2.1 etc... In PDF it makes sense, and breaking on the screenshots, pagifying it clearer. Web and print do not match, but might help for clarity.
Really liked the screenshot graphical map, and it could be built upon for a graphical view of how to tutor someone on the XO...
QuickStart
The pdf version of the XO Start document is > 100 pages, just a simplified version for quick reference and overview for updating would help.
Key Graphics: All In One
So All keys labeled in graphics titles on a main page.
Simple Quick graphical overview...
Activity Animation
From the Main Home Page XO booted up Screen mouse over the activity, show Activity Icon, get a brief description of what it is, what it's called, who might want to use it.
This organizes and simplifies the user getting started document, IMO...
Sunday Lunch
Pizza is not my thing. Causes heart disease long term, and recently saw a family member die of heart failure, so not going that direction, despite community opposition...
Luckily, there was a Farmers Market just starting up on the way in the Sunday AM, so went and got some Sweet Bread, apples, and yogurt cups (handwritten initials CH ~= Cherry but Chocolate, so donated to the ACC)
Offered Grace's Apple Sauce Cherry Raisin sweet bread to others, some really liked it, most didn't try it.
Learned about Lava Cake (partially uncooked chocolate muffin size things), from Dominos, and saw the Colbert ? report on Dominos new pizza, wonder what he would do reviewing the XO-1 and XO-1.5???
But that would be sacrilege...
Graphics
Many keys are not implemented on the XO, and the graphics could be changed to a red dot, circle, or do a not connected electrical symbol on the lines, making it clearer up front.
XO Mesh
Mesh animation still on the laptop.org site looks interesting...
But seems like the 802.11s mesh is not going forward, to the XO 1.5 "It's dead!" which is bad, IMO.
That was one thing the FOSE people liked, or wanted shown.
Wonder why?
Maybe someone else pick it up and use it for emergency broadcast in schools (particularly in USA like VA Tech, or lack of infrastructure alterting students to some emergency, or just passing messages/ broadcasts...)
Much experience and some issues with large amounts of nodes, but a move forward. 1.5 million XO laptops currently have it, probably the largest 802.11s (incomplete to standard) implementation...
Boot with USB networking Stops???
Booting with the USB ethernet in, at home on an XO 1.0 w/ 802 build, plus with cable modem USB on stock XO 1.5 and later with an XO 1.5 at ACC, seemed to have the boot stop XO comes up, but no dots...
Luke tried replicating it on an XO 1.5 with new build kernel (116?) and it didn't. So maybe a kernel version thing...?
Booting with messages (right gamepad button?) might help in seeing what it's doing, basically a non pretty (graphical) boot.
Some fsck or other things possible. Wondering if it thinks a USB is a boot device partition instead...
XO on Bike
Saw another guy's solution for an XO on bike. Carabiners through the XO handle holes, a counterweighted bag, which seems a little loose to me, I'm thinking a U bar and more secure connection, but good to talk with other people and think a little more out of the box...
XO Roomba
When discussing remote controlling a Tribot and use a virtual world for learning environment, also shown a little roomba (vaccuming) robot with XO controlling from the web. Interesting...
Seems lke most stuff has already been done, but won't stop me from trying. As houses are built, wheels already invented, but if you havent' built one, don't have one, why not learn. Most stuff is replicating things already done (artists say everything has already been done, but they are known to be fatalistic and sometimes rather depressing.)
Troubleshooting Section
Opened my big mouth, and got assigned to help on the Troubleshooting section.
So looking at it...
Overall, it looks like a FAQ, and unordered. Some giving back type questions, they could be organized and ordered better, IMO.
XO Color Change
Q: "How do I change the colors of my XO?"
This question seems to be answered with the software response in the Settings. But some people hardware mod the case to change the colors on the backing. See elsewhere on the wiki for that...
Battery Bad.
Most troubleshooting guides would actually tell you when the battery is bad (Replace Battery), and with more time elapsed since the XO-1 release, more people will be experiencing it, afaict.
Having the official documenttion let you know when the battery is going to need to be replaced (Gnome on this regular laptop says battery broken only charging 46% or so on boot).
Not sure the power management on the new XO 1.5, because I don't have an XO 1.5, just tried others briefly.
Giving Back Blurb
Emailed this to add for the end of the Started document.
Giving Back to the Community
There are several ways of contributing monetarily to OLPC, but this section is about giving back technical information, sharing it in the community, and evangelizing XOs.
The OLPC/ XO and SugarLabs are part of a community. As people learn the ways to use the XO, what the philosophy and experience is, some will want to change and report bugs, enhancements, and show others how the XO works.
ClassActs ( FlossManuals.net/ClassActs ?) contains a description of how the XOs are implemented across the world. OLPCorps also gives back in implementing the system across the world.
Joining the Support Gang and answering questions, working on documentation and participating in Users Groups, trade shows, "evangelizing" in schools and with Parent Teachers Associations and community groups may get the message of the XO out into a larger audience.
Many people may have not seen an XO in person, so showing someone who hasn't seen the XO, may be the best way of sharing the experience.
Overall
Attended for a bit (total wall clock time maybe 1.25 days?), wasn't very productive and don't seem to fit into the club, (which some seem to enjoy..., sad, and disappointing) most contributions were not accepted ("We are trying to keep it small", so adding things not considered), or considered out of the scope of the sprint, though a good idea (one positive) which I didn't really know what the scope was, and didn't want to interrupt some appearing working in deep thought, missed that part, and/or punished for taking care of myself?... (maybe just my depresson and loss talking, but there might be some group dynamics and others' ownership/ responsibility possibilities) so went on to other personal weekend commitments and left before the storm cold front came about 3.30? pm, but got caught in it after the next personal event going til 8.30 pm, and very dangerous in the rain with sweat from helmet pad stinging in my eyes, and drenched, fogged up (new bifocals) glasses, but still alive to complain about it...
Luckily, no XOs nor regular laptops, were harmed in the heavy rain, as left them back home, broken G1G1 & library demo one...
Such is the life of the poor and disabled, which I am, and most in the USA/ Club are not...