Clean-install procedure for 8.2

This page provides parallel instructions for installing both signed builds (official or candidate releases) and unsigned development builds for Friends in Testing.

Note that a clean install will reflash your XO; everything you created will be deleted. See olpc-update for an update mechanism that preserves some data.

What version is available?

You need to identify the "build" to which you want to update your system. The latest stable system software release is

13.2.11 || 2020-01-29

Most users should update to that build.

For 2008 G1G1 users, the 8.2.0 release notes offer the most concise instructions for restoring the factory configuration.

All releases currently available are listed on the Release notes page. Before upgrading to any release, read its release notes carefully.

Other builds

There are later builds in various stages of development, see OS images for more background. These are likely to be unstable and you will probably need to request a developer key to install them.

Official releases and candidate builds

  For the general public

for new users
illustrated guide to updating using a USB stick

You'll need a USB storage device such as a flash drive, with a capacity of 500 MB or higher. It should be formatted as FAT or FAT32, and only contain one partition. Most ordinary USB flash drives are set up this way, except "U3" flash drives which may not work. Remove U3 with uninstall software from http://www.u3.com/uninstall or http://u3uninstall.s3.amazonaws.com/U3Uninstall.exe

1. Attach the USB storage device to your local (NOT the XO!) computer.
2. Perform a clean (Full, not Quick!) format of the USB storage device.
3. Download the OS image named someversion.img (e.g. os767.img) and its signatures file named fs.zip to the USB storage device. These are compressed files, but DO NOT open them — in your browser click the right mouse button over the link and choose "Save Link/Target As...".
   • You can download official OS images from subdirectories of http://download.laptop.org/xo-1/os/official/
   • For release 8.2.0 only, you can download a special OS image that also contains a set of activities from http://download.laptop.org/xo-1/custom/g1g1/gg-767-4/
4. Your USB storage device should now contain two files (in the root) named something like: os767.img and fs.zip.
5. Unmount the USB storage device and disconnect it from your computer when it is safe to do so.
6. Plug your XO laptop into an electrical outlet and make sure the battery is locked in place.
7. Shutdown the XO.
8. 

   Power & Game buttons for B2 and older XOs. B3 and newer have "O" at the top and "✓" (check) at the right.
   Connect the USB storage device to the XO Laptop and power up while holding all the four game keys. (this is VERY important!)
9. Release the game keys when the XO asks you to. The XO will take a few minutes to rewrite its memory with the new OS image.
10. Reboot the XO. If the new build includes newer firmware, then your XO will reboot twice. When the XO restarts the update will be complete.
11. Check that you have the correct build:
    • Follow How to check the OS and firmware versions.
    • Verify that the build number matches build number of the image file you downloaded, e.g. "Update.1 708, firmware Q2D16" for en708-1.
12. You will then need to install activities.

Development builds

  For Developers

• Read OS images and its table of releases to choose an appropriate build.
  • Other OS images can be found at joyride build stream (e.g. joyride-2230) and from many other sources.
• Download the OS image (e.g. Template:Official-img-link) and its CRC file (e.g. Template:Official-crc-link) to your local computer.
  • Important: DO NOT open these links just by clicking on them.
  • If your computer runs MS Windows, click your right mouse button on the link and choose "Save Link Target As".
  • If you are using a Mac, use Safari for the downloads and hold down the control key when you click on the link and choose "Download linked file as..."
  • Firefox will also work, use "Save Link As...").
• Prepare a clean (Full (not Quick!) formatted) USB flash drive.
• Get a developer key for your XO laptop and save it as develop.sig in a folder security on the USB flash drive.
• Copy the OS image files onto the USB flash drive,
  • the files should be next to the security folder and not in it.
  • your USB flash drive should now contain two files named, for example, osos860.img and osos860.crc (and possibly the /security directory).
• Unmount the USB flash drive and disconnect it from your computer when it is safe to do so.
• Shutdown the XO laptop.
• Insert the USB flash drive into the XO laptop and power up to the "ok" prompt, (see Ok for how),
• Install the image by typing

 probe-usb copy-nand disk:\osNNN.img

where osNNN.img is the file you downloaded (e.g. os2230.img, or en708-1.img).

• Press Enter, then wait while your machine reflashes.
• When the "ok" prompt returns, reboot the machine by typing:

 bye

Note: This procedure can be used for builds signed with the OLPC key. If it is used for builds signed with other keys, it is necessary to disable security otherwise the developer key will need to be in the USB for every boot.