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= '''Ten Most Frequently Asked Questions''' =
<div style="font-size:85%">
# [[#Can I give or get an XO laptop?|Can I give or get an XO laptop?]]
__TOC__
# [[#How_do_I_get_started.3F_Where_are_the_manual_and_best_learning_materials.3F|How do I get started? Where are the manual and best learning materials?]]
</div>
# [[#What's the latest software release?|What's the latest software release?]]
===Where do I get Support?===
# [[#How can I obtain 100+ laptops? Enlist my entire school?|How can I obtain 100+ laptops? Enlist my entire school?]]
# [[#Does my laptop come with a hand crank? Solar panels? Can the XO be used Off Grid?|Does my laptop come with a hand crank? Solar panels? Can the XO be used Off Grid?]]
# [[#How do I save or retrieve files from a USB drive or SD (Secure Digital) card?|How do I save or retrieve files from a USB drive or SD (Secure Digital) card?]]
# [[#How can I access the Internet?|How can I access the Internet?]]
# [[#How do I change my_XO.27s Nickname.3F The color of my XO Person.27s icon.3F|How do I change my XO's Nickname? The color of my XO person's icon?]]
# [[#Why does my screen not turn on?|Why does my screen not turn on?]]
# [http://blog.laptop.org/2011/01/08/keyboardtouchpad-freeze-and-fix/ Why are my touchpad and keyboard freezing?]


= FAQ Knowledge Base =
Click <b>[[Support]]</b> for an extensive list of documentation, live chat support, interactive web forums, regional user groups, and repair options.


Please consider joining one of the many One Laptop per Child (OLPC) [[Support#Community.2FLive_Support|communities]] created as a result of the Give1Get1 laptop program. XO laptops are now arriving across the US and soon Canada!


<div style="font-size:100%">
== Getting started ==
__TOC__
===How do I get started? Where is the manual?===
</div>

The laptop design rationale is to encourage kids to discover/learn things by themselves, rather than giving them a fixed set of instructions. However, you can learn about your new XO laptop with our Getting Started guide, which is found here: http://laptop.org/start. A printable [http://laptop.org/en/laptop/start/getting_started_3.pdf PDF version] (17.5MB, be patient downloading!) is also now available.

Many volunteers are also working on a [[Simplified User Guide]] -- please check back soon for more updates.

===What are the functions of all the keys on the keyboard?===

The XO [http://laptop.org/en/laptop/start/keyboard.shtml keyboard] has a number of special keys and keycap symbols:

* the '''Esc''' key has a white × inside a black circle ([[Image:Esc.png]]);
* the '''Frame''' key has an open rectangle on it (☐);
* the '''F1''' key is the same as the Neighborhood view key ([[Image:Mesh key f1 small.png]]);
* the '''F2''' key is the same as the Friends view key ([[Image:Friends key f2 small.png]]);
* the '''F3''' key is the same as the Home view key ([[Image:Home key f3 small.png]]);
* the '''F4''' key is the same as the Activity view key ([[Image:Activity key f4 small.png]]);
* the '''Delete''' key is the same as Fn-Erase.

More details can be found on the [[Keyboard Shortcuts]] page.

===Can I attach an external keyboard or mouse?===

Most USB keyboards and mice work fine. However, avoid "PalmPilot keyboards," as these use IR (infrared), and "wireless keyboards," as these use Bluetooth -- neither of which are supported on the XO laptop.

===Is there a Caps Lock?===

There is no Caps Lock key. However, in a future software release, there will be a way to create Caps Lock behavior in the [[Write]] activity.

===Is there a stylus for the touchpad?===

The touchpad is designed to work with a stylus across the full width of the three panels. (Only the center panel is sensitive to your finger.) A stylus does not ship with the laptop.

Currently, there are no activities that use the stylus. However, in a future software release, the Paint Activity (formerly known as Draw) will work with a stylus.

===Why is my touchpad jumpy?===

There are two known issues:

===== The pointer jumps to the bottom-right corner of the screen =====

This can happen right after you touch the touchpad. Rebooting often helps. We are testing a fix that should resolve this problem in the next software release, which we expect to be downloadable in early 2008. Until that is available, a standard USB mouse can be used to get around the problem.

===== The pointer moves around by itself =====

Instead of reliably following your finger, the pointer can move around on its own, sometimes when a hand is close to it. This means that your laptop may need to be recalibrated. Automatic recalibration occurs every few minutes.

You can fix this problem by rebooting your laptop (turn off your laptop and restart it). After you restart your laptop, do not touch the touchpad for a few minutes. Automatic recalibration may fix the problem.

If restarting your XO doesn't work, please try the [[Recalibrating Touchpad|recalibration]] procedure (the four-finger salute):

<ol>
<li> Press the following three keys at one time: the upper left, upper right, and lower right of the keyboard.
<li> Press the fourth key (the lower left) last, and then release all keys.
</ol>

If the four-finger salute doesn't fix the problem, shut down the laptop and remove all power sources (power adapter and battery) from the laptop for 10 seconds. Add the power sources back to the laptop (reinsert battery and plug in power adapter) and power the laptop back on. Do not touch the touchpad while the laptop is powering up.

===Why is there no windowing system?===

The XO laptop uses a new graphical interface, called [[Sugar]],
designed for young children.

You can explore the Sugar interface in our Getting Started guide:
http://laptop.org/en/laptop/start/homeview.shtml

Note the "Frame key" [[Image:Key_frame.jpg|40px]] at the top-right corner of your keyboard,
which toggles the presence of the Frame on and off the screen. (The Frame
is the black border around the screen that holds the activity taskbar,
clipboard, buddy list, etc.)
http://laptop.org/en/laptop/start/keyboard.shtml

You call restart Sugar by pressing the Ctrl-Alt-Erase keys simultaenously.

===How do I access a Linux command prompt?===

For a Linux command prompt, run the "[[Terminal]] Activity" [[Image:Activity-terminal.svg|35px]]. This is a pre-installed program found in the Activities taskbar at the bottom of your [http://laptop.org/laptop/start/homeview.shtml Home View]. You may need to scroll through the Activities taskbar (at the bottom of your screen) to find the [[Image:Activity-terminal.svg|35px]] icon.

Another way to bring up the Linux command prompt is by pressing the Ctrl+Alt+Neighborhood keys at the same time. The Neighborhood key is represented by a circle with 8 small dots [[Image:Mesh key f1 small.png]].

At the prompt, type "root" for username and (generally) leave the password blank and press return. BEWARE: As user "root" you now have full control to destroy all software!

Note: You can find [[Keyboard Shortcuts]] and [http://laptop.org/laptop/start/keyboard.shtml the keyboard illustrated here].

===How do I change my machine's Nickname?===

Launch the Terminal activity from the [http://www.laptop.org/laptop/start/homeview.shtml Home View] as described in the section above. A summary follows: scroll through the Activity taskbar (along the bottom of your screen) to the right by pressing on the [[Image:Frame-scroll-right.gif|35px]] button on the bottom right of the Frame. When you find the Terminal icon [[Image:Activity-terminal.svg|35px]], press it once to launch the Terminal activity.

At the Terminal's text-based command prompt, type the following just for kicks:
sugar-control-panel (press "Enter")
sugar-control-panel -l (press "Enter" to list parameters)

To change the nickname on the machine type:
sugar-control-panel -s nick "My New Nickname" (hit "Enter")

Bonus: a few [[Sugar Control Panel|extra tips on running sugar-control-panel]].

===How do I change the colors of my XO figure (on my home view)?===

To change the color of the XO symbol at the center of your [http://www.laptop.org/laptop/start/homeview.shtml Home View], launch the Terminal activity as described in the section [[#How do I access a Linux command prompt?|How do I access a Linux command prompt]]. A summary follows: scroll through the Activity taskbar (along the bottom of your screen) to the right by pressing on the [[Image:Frame-scroll-right.gif|35px]] button on the bottom right of the Frame. When you find the Terminal icon [[Image:Activity-terminal.svg|35px]], press it once to launch the Terminal activity. The login is "root"; a password is generally not needed so you can press return.

At the prompt, type just one of the following example commands:
sugar-control-panel -s color green purple medium dark (press "Enter")
sugar-control-panel -s color blue yellow medium light (press "Enter")

The first color you specify will apply to the XO figure's outline.<br>
The second color will apply to the XO figure's internal color.<br>
The 2 light/medium/dark values that follow the colors are optional. They specify the darkness of the outline and internal color respectively. To ensure that the color scheme you choose is readable when the display is in monochrome mode, the outline and internal light/medium/dark values can not be the same. If you try to make them the same, they will be silently set to be different.<br>
For further help, type:
sugar-control-panel -h color (press "Enter")


Restart [[Sugar]] by pressing these 3 keys at once: Ctrl-Alt-Erase.

Bonus: a few [[Sugar Control Panel|extra tips on running sugar-control-panel]].

===Can I print from the XO laptop?===

For the first shipment of XOs from December 2007, there is no printer support available. However, documents can be saved to a USB flash drive and printed from another computer. Instructions on how to save and retrieve documents to the USB drive can be found in the section: [[#How do I save or retrieve files from a USB drive?|How do I save or retrieve files from a USB drive?]]

To summarize, insert the USB drive in one of three USB slots on the XO laptop; copy your document from the Journal to the USB drive; insert the USB drive into another computer, and print.

Software to enable printing will be added sometime in 2008 with a software upgrade that supports the standard CUPS / IPP protocols.

Note: In the developing world, paper is a precious resource, so children store their work on their laptops rather than print it out.

===What does "Register" (in Home view) do?===

"Register" is for children that are connecting to a [[School_Server|School Server]], and serves no function for [[G1G1]] recipients.

===How do I update my laptop?===

The laptop can be manually updated over the Internet, using the procedures outlined in the [[olpc-update]] article.

Laptops running a stable build will automatically be updated shortly after each new stable release. EG. here are some of the [http://dev.laptop.org/milestone/Update.1 expected features of Update.1] targetted for late January 2008.

===How do I begin to write programs for the XO laptop?===

You can find information on how to create your own programs for the XO on this [[Getting started programming]] wiki page.

== Connectivity and the Internet ==
===How can I access the Internet?===

First, you must have wireless(*) Internet nearby; second, verify the network name (SSID) and its password, if it has one; and third, carefully follow the instructions found at: http://laptop.org/laptop/start/connecting.shtml

As of December 2007, WPA security is not supported on the XO laptop. If you are a knowledgeable Linux user, you can find instructions here to access the Internet with WPA security by [[WPA Manual Setting|manually setting up WPA]]. It may be best for less experienced users to wait for the next stable XO software release, which should be available by the end of December 2007. If you absolutely need WPA now, you can get it by performing an [[Activated Upgrade]] to a testing version, but in the process you will lose all data on your laptop.

(*) See below for [[#Can I use a wired Ethernet connection?|Wired Ethernet]]. If a wireline network is important to you, you should use a USB-to-Ethernet adaptor.

Note: XO laptops were intentionally designed for children in developing nations, where it is faster and less expensive to bring wireless connections, rather than a traditional telecom infrastructure.

===How do I connect to an Apple Access Point?===

There are two kinds of Apple Access points: WEP and WPA. If you have WEP:

# Go to: http://www.corecoding.com/utilities/wep2hex.php and convert your password into a hex phrase.
# Click on the Access Point in the neighborhood mesh view.
# Choose Hex input for the key; and choose "shared" key instead of "open".
# Enter your hex phrase.
# You should be able to associate to and authenticate a connection to an Apple Access point.

If you have WPA, you should note that WPA is not working from the User Interface in build 650. There are manual instructions at [[WPA Manual Setting]] with discussion [[Talk:Support_FAQ#Apple_Access_Point_Connection|here]] and [[Talk:WPA_Manual_Setting|here]].

===How do I connect with Verizon FIOS?===

The symptom is that the XO does not see the wireless access point reliably cannot connect.

Resolution: The router must be set up to use one channel exclusively ( 1-11) rather than rotate the channel selection

===Are there access points that don't work with XO?===

The XO Laptop is primarily designed to network with other XO Laptops using the mesh network, but the XO is also wifi capable.

The OLPC Support Team has been gathering notes and configuration tips for various Wireless Access Point (WAP) connectivity.

We are actively working to resolve minor compatibility issues with various Wireless Access points. Some access points that have reported problems with XOs:

* BelkinPreN
* Linksys WRT54GX2

You may experience a problem with other laptops connecting to one of these access points when you start up the XO.

Please email technical support if you are having connection difficulties. And please help update our wiki if you have a successful wifi connection.

A complete matrix of [[Wireless Access Point Compatibility]] is being updated by the support community.

===How do [[Give1Get1]] donors access their free year of T-Mobile wireless Internet?===

Give1Get1 donors can activate their T-Mobile offer here: http://laptopgiving.org/pin

You'll need the reference number and email address you originally used to place your Give1Get1 order. (The reference number is marked "PO:" on the FedEx shipping label that came on the box of your XO laptop. If you have not received it yet, please wait until it arrives.)

Verify that both are correct and, if you are still having problems, send email to: "service AT laptopgiving.org"

Note: T-Mobile does not provide access in your home; instead you need to go to (or be near) a business with a T-Mobile hotspot! Details on accessing T-Mobile hotspots across the US are [http://laptopgiving.org/en/t-mobile-hotspot.php here].

===Is there an email program?===

You can use the [[Gmail|Gmail activity]] to access your email, if you have a @gmail.com account; or you can simply use [[Browse]] to access most any web-based email program.

=== Can I use a wired Ethernet connection? ===

Yes, you can connect to a wired Internet connection; use a [[USB ethernet adaptors|USB-to-Ethernet]] adapter.

===How do I find my wireless MAC address and IP address?===

1. Start the "Terminal" activity from the Frame; instructions can be found [[#How do I access a Linux command prompt|here.]] You may have to scroll the icons along the bottom of the Frame to the right (by clicking on the [[Image:Frame-scroll-right.gif|35px]] button at the right of the Activities taskbar) to find the [[Image:Activity-terminal.svg|35px]] icon; it is labeled "Terminal".

2. Type the following (and then press the "Enter" key):

/sbin/ifconfig -a

3. Find the hardware MAC address in the first line marked "eth0". Save this address.

4. Connect your XO laptop to a wireless network; your IP address can be found in the line right after that.

===XO Connects to Wi-Fi Access Point but no Browse or search ===

Symptom: I can connect, but I cannot browse/search any pages.

Most likely, the XO has failed to receive DNS information from your internet access point. If this is the case, you would be able to access the Internet for sites named directly with IP
addresses but not their common names. In other words, [http://209.85.133.18/ http://209.85.133.18/] would work but [http://www.google.com/ http://www.google.com/] would not.

Verify what the XO has received (from the Internet access point) for DNS information by using the Browse activity and looking at this URL:

file://localhost/etc/resolv.conf

This page should show the IP address of the DNS server assigned by the Internet access point. If there isn't an IP address on this page, or if the IP address assigned is wrong, this would account for the behavior you're seeing.

If there is no IP address, or the address is wrong, you'll need to determine why the Internet access point is failing to supply one, but this is likely to be misconfiguration of the access point.

===What information is needed to help diagnose wireless problems?===

If you are experiencing problems with wireless connectivity, here is a list of information that you should provide your friends and OLPC community, so they can help you in the diagnosis of the wireless problems.

1. The software build on your XO. Please see this [[How to check the OS and firmware versions]] page to find your software build.

2. The access point/router brand, model, version, and firmware version (ideally).

3. The security configuration of your wireless home system. Most access points will be open (security disabled) by defualt. If you configured it to use cryptography (WEP, WPA, WPA2, etc) you should gather this information.

4. The description of the problem.

Other useful information you should consider adding to your description:

* Do you see the wifi Access Point in the mesh view?
* Have you previously successfully connected to this Access Point from an XO?
* Can you connect to the Access Point from another non-XO laptop?
* Is the Access Point displayed as protected (a lock badge appears), or as open in the mesh view? Is it consistent to the Access Point's configuration?
* When you click on the Access Point circle does it:<br>
** start blinking and after some time stop, without connecting? (no external white circle)
** prompt for a window with:
*** a menu for "Encryption type" only
*** a menu for "Key type" and another for "Association Type"
* In case you have a protected Access Point what happens after you type in a passphase or a key?
** It immediately returns and empty dialog window
** Nothing happens when I click OK
** The window disappears, the Access Point's circle starts blinking and after some time, the windows is displayed again.
** The window disappears, the Access Point's circle starts blinking and after some time nothing happens (no connectivity - no white external circle)

===What common wireless symptoms do users report?===

1. I cannot associate to an Access Point from the mesh view. (The symptom is usually a flashing circle icon where the rim of the circle never turns white—this indicates the XO is trying to connect, but the connection fails.)

2 - I associate but I have no connectivity; or I cannot access the Internet from the
browser in my XO.

3 - I cannot connect to my Access Point since it has a hidden SSID/ESSID (network name) (see: [[Ask_OLPC_a_Question/New#manually_adding_a_wireless_network]])

===What is the difference between a key and a passphrase?===

When you try to connect to a secured (encrypted) network your XO has to send an encryption key to the access point. This key is derived from the passphrase you chose when you configured your access point (and also from the ESSID, if you are using WPA).

So, the passphase is the long password that is relatively easy to remember while the key looks like a random sequence of characters. The lenght of the key varies depending on the type of security and it is usually represented in its Hex form, meaning that it will be formed by a sequence of digits and letters from A to F.

Here is one example, for WEP:
* Key length: 128 bits
* PassPhrase: MyPassPhrase
* Resuting Hex Key (26 characters long): 381E966F1EAE4140F83D30C201
* Converted using: http://www.corecoding.com/utilities/wep2hex.php

Here is another example, for WPA-PSK:
* Key length: 256 bits
* PassPhrase: MyPassPhrase
* ESSID: MyEssid
* Resulting key (64 characters long): c3044f3fbd077e236d12f0b1f9d7761e0e6de266783d843d76edf1da3131bff6
* Converted using: http://www.xs4all.nl/~rjoris/wpapsk.html

===How can I enable proxy settings?===

The software build on the Give1Get1 shipped in December 2007 (Build 650) does not support a user interface to change the web browser by proxy settings. There is an [http://dev.laptop.org/ticket/2910 outstanding bug (#2910)] on this.

===What exactly is a mesh network?===

A mesh network allows nearby XO laptops to talk to one another directly (wirelessly) without the need for a traditional Internet Service Provider.

This feature makes very rural deployments (say, Nigeria) practical; there isn't much need for dedicated network hardware. The laptops do the heavy lifting, rather than the traditional hierarchical network of hubs/switches/routers.

Try the mesh demo here, to see [http://laptop.org/laptop/hardware/ how a mesh can connect to the Internet].

===How do I disable wireless when flying?===

* Launch the [[Terminal]] activity as described in the section [[#How do I access a Linux command prompt?|How do I access a Linux command prompt]]. A summary follows: scroll through the Activity taskbar (along the bottom of your screen) to the right by pressing on the [[Image:Frame-scroll-right.gif|35px]] button on the bottom right of the Frame. When you find the Terminal icon [[Image:Activity-terminal.svg|35px]], press it once to launch the Terminal activity.

* Run [[Sugar Control Panel]]; type the following (and then hit the "Enter" key):

sugar-control-panel -s radio off

* For advanced users: another way to disable wireless is to use [[Airplane mode]].

* Wireless will be restored the next time the XO laptop is rebooted, regardless of the method used to disable wireless connectivity.

===How do I disable automatic connection to my Access Point?===

If you want to remove any "memory" of connecting to a particular access point, launch the Terminal activity as described in the section [[#How do I access a Linux command prompt?|How do I access a Linux command prompt]]. A summary follows: scroll through the Activity taskbar (along the bottom of your screen) to the right by pressing on the [[Image:Frame-scroll-right.gif|35px]] button on the bottom right of the Frame. When you find the Terminal icon [[Image:Activity-terminal.svg|35px]], press it once to launch the Terminal activity.

Delete the network manager config file by typing:

rm /home/olpc/.sugar/default/nm/networks.cfg (press "Enter")

Restart your XO laptop, or restart Sugar by pressing the Ctrl+Alt+Erase keys at the same time; your laptop will NOT automatically try to connect to the "known" access point.

== [[Give1Get1]]: Shipment & Donor Services ==
''Note: all Give1Get1 "customer service" questions need to be directed to Donor Services at 800-201-7144, open Monday to Friday 9am - 8pm Eastern time&mdash;or email "service at laptopgiving.org".''

===When will my laptop ship? ===

Give1Get1 holiday shipping/delivery time estimates are [http://laptopgiving.org/en/shipping-information.php here].<br>

=== What is OLPC's tax exempt info? ===

Our US tax-exempt EIN (Employer ID Number) is towards the bottom of the [http://laptopgiving.org/en/faq.php Give1Get1 Donor Services FAQ].<br>

=== What is the warranty info? RMA process? ===

Our [http://laptopgiving.org/en/warranty.php 30-day Warranty] is described in the [http://laptopgiving.org/en/terms-and-conditions.php Terms & Conditions]. For returns, apply for a Return Merchandise Authorization by following our [http://laptopgiving.org/en/return-merchandise.php RMA process].

All Give1Get1 "customer service" questions need to be directed to Donor Services. You can contact Donor Services by calling 800-201-7144 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, or email "service at laptopgiving.org".

===What if my Give1Get1 laptop was lost or stolen in transit?===

File a lost or stolen package claim immediately with FedEx by calling 800-GO-FEDEX. They will work with you and the credit card company to find the problem.

===Does my laptop come with a hand crank? Solar panels?===

The Give1Get1 laptop does not ship with any human powered device or solar panel. These devices are designed to support the XO laptops shipping to developing countries. Future peripheral availability is discussed on the [[Product News]] page.

'''Solar panels''': The manufacturer of the solar panels may make them available to the US, Canada, and beyond in 2008.

===How can I donate 100+ laptops?===

Contact "givemany AT laptop.org" or call 800-379-7017. Basic cost/quantity details are [http://laptopfoundation.org/en/participate/givemany.shtml here]. For government inquiries only, contact "countries AT laptop.org"

For smaller international rollouts, please work with others on the [http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/grassroots grassroots] mailing list.

== Activities and software ==

Questions regarding a specific activity should be directed to the [[Activities|author(s)]] of the activity.

===How do I download and run Activities? (programs)===

There are many [http://www.laptop.org/laptop/start/activities.shtml Activities] the community has developed for download. From the Browser activity on the XO laptop, go to [[Activities]] and click on the .xo file within to download the activity to your laptop's Journal. Open the [http://www.laptop.org/laptop/start/journal.shtml Journal], and click on the Activity to install and run.

All activities on the laptop have been developed in the open-source community by volunteers. OLPC encourages all laptop owners to contribute to this effort.

===How do I close an Activity? (program)===

Most activities have an "Activity" tab with a close button ([[Image:Quit.gif|25px]]) found at the top right of the display; select the close tab and press to close the activity.

For most activities, the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl-q or Ctrl-Esc can also close the activity (Esc is the [[Image:Esc.png|25px]] key).

Alternatively, return to the [http://www.laptop.org/laptop/start/homeview.shtml Home view] by pressing the "Home" key ([[Image:Home key f3 small.png|25px]]). Hover the cursor over the activity icon to bring up a menu; press "Stop" to end the activity.

===Is Internet required, or are [[Activities]] included?===

The XO laptop does not require Internet access to be used. The XO laptop comes with more than 20 Activities (programs) and [[Activities|many more]] are freely downloadable. See this page for a quick introduction to [http://www.laptop.org/en/laptop/start/activities.shtml introduction to pre-loaded Activities] on the XO laptop. Start any of these Activities from the Activity taskbar at the bottom of the [http://www.laptop.org/en/laptop/start/homeview.shtml Home View].

===I can't find the icon for Read Activity. How do I read PDF files?===

The Read activity does not have an icon; it automatically loads when you click on a .pdf file, either through the web browser (Browse activity) or from a USB stick (Journal activity).

===How do I bookmark a website and browse it later?===

# Open the Browse activity and go to the website you'd like to bookmark.
# Click the star (☆) in the upper-right corner to bookmark the website.
# Close (Stop) the Browse activity.
# Open your Journal activity.
# Click on the Browse icon at the very top of the list entries; this is a record of the Browse activity in which you just made a bookmark. You will be taken to the ''detailed view'' of the entry.
# For later reference, rename the session by typing in the field just to the right of the Browse icon; it should say "Browse Activity", but you can rename it to refer to your bookmark.
# Click the "Resume" icon at the upper-right corner.
# The Browse activity starts again and takes you to the bookmarked page.

A shortcut would be to resume the Browse activity associated with this bookmark without going to the detail view: just click on the "Resume" icon on the far right of the Browse entry that you have renamed (in Step 6) above in the primary Journal view.

===How do I learn the XO software environment?===

One Laptop per Child's XO software environment uses the [[Sugar]] graphical user interface on top of the Linux operating system. This environment is new and different from traditional PCs and Macs. We hope you will not only "learn by doing" at http://laptop.org/start, but also seek out others to collaborate with you in the learning process&mdash;taking the initiative to join/form users groups both [[Getting involved in OLPC|online]] and in the [[Regional community groups|real world]]. If there are other ways we can promote OLPC's worldwide learning community, please let us know.

===How do I take a screenshot?===

Press Alt+1 at the same time. Go to the [[Journal]]. The screenshot should be the first item in the Journal. You can copy the screenshot to the clipboard, and open it with the [[Browse]], [[Paint]], or [[Etoys]] activity.

===How do I install Adobe Flash?===

The latest version of Adobe Flash can be installed throught the terminal activity, [[Adobe Flash|Complete directions are here]]

===Where can we find a list of all keyboard shortcuts?===

Here is a list: [[Keyboard_Shortcuts]]

== Using files and the filesystem ==
===How do I save a file?===

Files are saved automatically in the [http://www.laptop.org/laptop/start/journal.shtml Journal]. Access the Journal from the [http://www.laptop.org/laptop/start/homeview.shtml Home View]. Select the notebook icon just below the XO character to open the Journal and find the activity or file you need.

For more information about the Journal, see [[OLPC Human Interface Guidelines/The Laptop Experience/The Journal]].

===How do I save or retrieve files from a USB drive?===

Insert the USB drive in one of three USB ports on the side of the [[http://www.laptop.org/en/laptop/start/externalports.shtml|display]] of the laptop.

Go to the [http://www.laptop.org/laptop/start/journal.shtml Journal] view, which you can access from the [http://www.laptop.org/laptop/start/homeview.shtml Home View]. Select the notebook icon just below the XO character to open the Journal.

The USB icon appears in the lower left corner of the display.

To save a file from the Journal to the USB drive, move the curser over the Journal item and drag it to the USB icon.

To retrieve a file from the USB drive, press on the USB icon first, drag the item from the USB drive to the journal icon.

If you are Linux-inclined, the USB drive's filesystem is automatically mounted under /media.

===How do I delete a file?===

Go to the [http://www.laptop.org/laptop/start/journal.shtml Journal] view, which you can access from the [http://www.laptop.org/laptop/start/homeview.shtml Home View]. Select the notebook icon just below the XO character to open the Journal.

Find the file to be deleted by scrolling up and down the list.
Move the curser over the file to be deleted and press to select and open a preview of the file.

Press the minus sign at the top of the screen to delete the file.

===How do I play sound files?===

To play sound files like MP3's, try the [[Helix media activity|Watch and Listen]] activity, a Media Player based on the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helix_project Helix] project. Check for supported codecs you may need to download, if you require proprietary formats.

== Language, keyboard, and display ==
=== What languages are supported? ===

We support the following keyboard layouts: [[OLPC Keyboard layouts#US International keyboard|English (US international)]], [[OLPC Argentina Keyboard|Spanish (Argentine)]], [[OLPC Brasil Keyboard|Portuguese (Brazilian)]], [[OLPC Ethiopia Keyboard|Amharic (Ethiopian)]], [[OLPC Libya Keyboard|Arabic (Libyan)]], [[OLPC Nigeria Keyboard|West African (Nigerian)]], [[OLPC Rwanda Keyboard|French (Rwanda)]], [[OLPC Thailand Keyboard|Thai]], [[Urdu Keyboard|Urdu]], [[Cyrillic Keyboard|Cyrillic]], [[OLPC Turkey Keyboard|Turkish]], [[OLPC Nepal Keyboard|Nepali]], [[Devanagari Keyboard|Devanagari]], [[OLPC Mongolian Keyboard|Mongolian]], [[OLPC Kazakh Keyboard|Kazakh]], [[Uzbek Keyboard|Uzbek]], [[Pashto Keyboard|Pashto]], and [[Dari Keyboard|Dari]].

To see what languages are ''currently'' supported, go to [[Manufacturing Data#Keyboards]].

You can also click on the link to each language to find out how to configure the keyboard layout. For activity localization, see [[Sugar_Control_Panel#Languages|Sugar Control Panel]]. '''However, please be advised that some configurations may cause the machine to behave abnormally ([http://dev.laptop.org/ticket/5559 #5559]).'''

If the characters do not display correctly, you might need to install language-specific font(s). Drop the ttf file into /usr/share/fonts and rerun fc-cache.

===How can I type Unicode (non-English) characters?===

Many common characters can be typed directly as well by using the AltGr key in combination with other keys. For example, on the US keyboard:
:AltGr+c to type cedilla (ç);
:AltGr+n to type n with a tilde (ñ);
:a followed by AltGr+4 to type a with an accent acute (á);
:e followed by AltGr+3 to type e with an accent grave (è).

Many (but not all) activities also let you enter Unicode directly: Hold down the Ctrl+Shift keys while you type u followed by the 4-digit [http://www.unicode.org/charts/ code point] for the character you want, e.g., Ctrl+Shift+u03A9 to type the Greek capital letter Omega (Ω). (You need to hold the Ctrl and Shift keys while you type all five characters.)
<!-- http://www.unicode.org/charts/Unicode is a broken link! (chihyu)-->

== Other software ==
=== Can I install [[Adobe Flash]] Player? ===
Give1Get1 XO laptops come with an open source flash player, [[Gnash]]. Flash files are not played by default when a website is opened; you need to click on the flash window to load flash.

Install Adobe Flash, which plays a larger variety of Flash pages, by following the instructions on our [[Adobe Flash]] page. After installation, you need to click on flash windows to open websites with flash.

===Can I install Sun's Java? Other commercial software?===

Installing Sun's Java might work but is NOT supported by OLPC&mdash;see this summary of [[RestrictedFormats|Restricted Formats]].

===Can I load Microsoft Windows or my own software onto the XO laptop?===

Currently, Microsoft Windows cannot be loaded on the XO laptop. The XO laptop has a GNU/Linux based Operating System and features its own programs that are specifically designed for children. There are thousands of software developers around the world currently developing content for the XO. For more information, visit [[Activities]].

===Can I read Microsoft Word or Excel documents on my XO laptop?===

You may open the Browse activity and use [http://docs.google.com/ Google Docs] to read Word and Excel documents. Also consider the [[Write]] activity to open Word documents.

===Can I install AOL dialup software, or AIM?===

AOL dialup software is not actively supported on the XO laptop. AOL Instant Messenger is also not supported by OLPC. The best way to use the AIM network or other chat networks is to use the free online service [http://meebo.com Meebo] within [[Browse]].

If you're technically-oriented and eager for a challenge, explore Googling "AOL Linux" if you also own a USB modem, and if you're willing to seriously explore this installation process, at your own risk.

Similarly, for AOL Instant Messenger, we regret it's similarly not supported by OLPC. While there are probably ways to install it (in Terminal mode, using your XO laptop's underlying Red Hat/Fedora operating system) you will need to be technically very savvy, and research others' past Linux work here.

===What antivirus & firewall security software is available?===

Out of the box, your XO laptop is "safer than" your PC -- threats to Linux are rare.

Advanced users may be interested in Linux's free open source antivirus (ClamAV) and firewall (iptables) software, but these are NOT supported by OLPC.

Note: There are few software/services that listen for connections from the Internet (Avahi mdns, ssh), which helps limit your risks.

===How can I protect my children from objectionable content?===

If you would not allow your children to have access to a PC, then carefully consider giving them
access to an XO laptop. If you feel reasonably safe with a PC, then you can feel reasonably safe with the XO.

The best thing you can do to keep your children safe is to participate in their education.
For example, explain to them the kinds of threats they may encounter online and appropriate behavior, don't give out personal information such as an address, phone number, etc. over the Internet.

Finally, there are possible 3rd party solutions, such as http://DansGuardian.org, emerging as part of One Laptop per Child's Uruguay rollout. OLPC is also exploring options for future client-side filtering.

== Power, suspending and Hardware ==

===What kinds of power sources can I use with the XO laptop?===
See also [[#Does my laptop come with a hand crank? Solar panels?|Does my laptop come with a hand crank? Solar panels?]]

In addition to plugging the laptop into an electrical outlet (110-240 volts AC), the XO laptop can take a DC input ranging from 11 volts to 40 volts, a range that’s far more flexible than most portable devices. The XO laptop is remarkably energy efficient, using only 5-10 percent of the average wattage of a standard laptop. For formal specifications, see [[Hardware specification|Hardware specifications]].

===My XO laptop won't power on===

Carefully read the power/battery issues at: http://laptop.org/start/troubleshooting.shtml

Ensure the battery is properly inserted and the power adapter is plugged into the XO laptop and the electrical outlet.

If both the battery and power lights are on (just below your screen, to the right),

<gallery>
Image:Power-button.jpg|Power button
</gallery>

and the laptop won't start when the power button is pushed, this may indicate a minor problem with the embedded controller (EC). Remove all power sources (take the [http://www.laptop.org/en/laptop/start/battery.shtml battery] out and remove the power adapter; wait 10 seconds to allow it to reset; and power up your XO laptop. Confirm your laptop turns on and boots. If your XO laptop does not turn on or boot, it may be damaged.

If your XO laptop was damaged on receipt, call Donor Services at 800-201-7144 within 30 days, to exchange it or email them at "service at laptopgiving.org". They are open Monday to Friday 9am - 8pm Eastern time. For warranty information, check the Give1Get1 program's [http://laptopgiving.org/en/terms-and-conditions.php Terms & Conditions], along with the [http://laptopgiving.org/en/faq.php Donor Services FAQ].

===How do I power off the XO laptop?===

From the [http://www.laptop.org/laptop/start/homeview.shtml Home View], move the pointer over the XO symbol at the center of your screen, and press "Shutdown."

Or depress the power button briefly until the green power light goes off.

<gallery>
Image:Power-button.jpg|Power button
</gallery>

===How long does the battery last?===

Battery life is approximately 3 to 6 hours, depending on which Activities are used. Battery life may be increased to 10 hours or longer with the next software release, expected in late January 2008.

===How do I put an XO laptop to sleep?===

The sleep feature is not enabled in software provided on XOs shipped in the December 2007 Give1Get1 program. A software upgrade early in 2008 will support suspend/resume sleep features, for [[#How_long_does_the_battery_last.3F|much improved battery life]].

===How much memory/disk is built in?===

The XO laptop has 256MB of dynamic RAM memory, as well as 1024MB (1GB) of flash memory.

Note: The flash memory acts as the hard disk. Original specifications are outlined [http://laptop.org/laptop/hardware/specs.shtml here].

== Troubleshooting (Advanced) & Repair ==
=== My XO laptop won't play sound ===

If there is no sound when you boot the XO laptop; or you are unable to record voice from the [http://www.laptop.org/en/laptop/start/activities.shtml#record Record] activity, you may have a broken component—like the speaker. If you confirm sound is completely broken, call or email Donor Services at 800-201-7144, open Monday to Friday 9am - 8pm Eastern time—or email "service at laptopgiving.org".

===What's the latest on the current software release? (Build 650)===

Details of software "Build 650", which shipped on all Give1Get1 laptops in December 2007, are found in the [[General Release Notes]]. (This software environment includes the operating system and all built-in applications.)

===How can I restore my Give1Get1 XO to its factory configuration?===

Try the recover process: hold the 'O' game pad key during boot. This should boot from an alternate "disk image" (the one shipped with the machine).

Second, <b>for advanced users only—be prepared to lose all data—</b> try [[Activated Upgrade#Upgrade_the_Activated_Laptop|upgrading the activated laptop]] to re-flash its entire "disk image" including its operating system and Activities.

If you see a "Bad hash at eblock #0" message while performing these "Activated Upgrade" steps, this indicates your image on the USB key is bad. Download the image again, or try a different USB key.


{{:Support FAQ/G1G1 Donor Inquiries}}
===How do I obtain replacement parts, EG. batteries and chargers? Repair?===


{{:Support FAQ/Getting Started, Laptop Settings}}
Replacement batteries and power cords (chargers) will be available in
early 2008. Check our [[Support#Maintenance.2FRepair_and_Community-Building|Maintenance/Repair]] pages for emerging post-Warranty options.


{{:Support FAQ/Keyboard, Languages}}
<b>Do NOT</b> remove the watch battery on the mother board if you disassemble your machine; prior to the Q2D07 version of firmware, this can result in the computer becoming unusable, due to a bug in our anti-theft firmware implementation. G1G1 systems do not have the anti-theft system enabled.


{{:Support FAQ/Internet, Connectivity, Email, Chat}}
===How do I set the date and time on my laptop?===


{{:Support FAQ/Mouse, Touchpad}}
You may set the date and time as follows:


{{:Support FAQ/File Access}}
<ol>


{{:Support FAQ/General Activity and Interface Questions}}
<li> Connect to the Internet. (For details, see [[#How can I access the Internet?|How can I access the Internet?]] )


{{:Support FAQ/Specific Activity Questions}}
<li> Open a Linux prompt. (For details, see [[#How do I access a Linux command prompt?|How do I access a Linux command prompt?]] Note that unless you are an advanced user, you should use the Terminal Activity button to open the prompt.)


{{:Support FAQ/Activity Development}}
<li> Log in as "root". Assuming you are using the Terminal Activity program, you can log in as root by typing "su" at the command prompt and pressing the Enter key. Note that as user "root" you have the ability to destroy all software on the XO, so you should end your session as soon as you successfully change the date and time.


{{:Support FAQ/Power Generation, Power Management, Battery Issues}}
<li> At the command prompt, enter the following string:<br>
<code>/usr/sbin/ntpdate time.nist.gov</code>


{{:Support FAQ/Software Update, Restore to Factory Default}}
<li> Press the Enter key. In response, if it successfully contacts this US government official time server, the system will output a line of data displaying the correct date and time.


{{:Support FAQ/Disk, Storage Device, Backing Up}}
<li> Click the X in the upper right corner of the screen to log out and close the Terminal Activity program.


{{:Support FAQ/Hardware Repairs, Returns}}
</ol>


[[Category:OLPC FAQ]]
(See also: [[Test_Config_Notes#Fixing_XO_clock_Data|Fixing_XO_clock_Data]])

Latest revision as of 15:44, 30 July 2013

Google translations: Afrikaans العربية azərbaycanca Bahasa Indonesia Bahasa Melayu беларуская বাংলা български català čeština Cymraeg dansk Deutsch eesti Ελληνικά English español Esperanto euskara فارسی français Gaeilge galego ગુજરાતી 한국어 עברית हिन्दी հայերեն hrvatski íslenska italiano ქართული ಕನ್ನಡ Kiswahili Kreyòl ayisyen Latina latviešu lietuvių magyar македонски Malti Nederlands 日本語 norsk polski português română русский shqip slovenčina slovenščina српски / srpski suomi svenska ไทย Tagalog தமிழ் తెలుగు Tiếng Việt Türkçe українська اردو ייִדיש 中文（中国大陆） 中文（臺灣）


  This page is monitored by the OLPC team.
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Ten Most Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Can I give or get an XO laptop?
  2. How do I get started? Where are the manual and best learning materials?
  3. What's the latest software release?
  4. How can I obtain 100+ laptops? Enlist my entire school?
  5. Does my laptop come with a hand crank? Solar panels? Can the XO be used Off Grid?
  6. How do I save or retrieve files from a USB drive or SD (Secure Digital) card?
  7. How can I access the Internet?
  8. How do I change my XO's Nickname? The color of my XO person's icon?
  9. Why does my screen not turn on?
  10. Why are my touchpad and keyboard freezing?

FAQ Knowledge Base

Donor Inquiries

Can I give or get an XO laptop?

While OLPC's Give One, Get One campaigns are no longer running since 2008, UnleashKids.org's volunteers will be running similar/smaller XO-1 and XO-4 Touch Laptop community kit distributions starting later this summer 2013.

Consider also the following alternatives:

  1. Buy an Android-based OLPC Tablet at Walmart USA, Target or Amazon starting Aug 1, 2013. Note this community volunteer-driven Support FAQ document upholds the global open education work around OLPC's original XO-1, XO-1.5, XO-1.75 and XO-4 Touch Laptops. The OLPC Tablet is very different, and does not work with the Sugar Learning Platform at this time. If you have purchased an OLPC Tablet, customer service occurs occurs via the store where you bought it, and tech support occurs via http://xotablet.com/support, Thanks!
  2. Participate in the OLPC project without an XO laptop using emulation eg. virtual machine images.
  3. Join or organize local grassroots groups so your community can become involved, and write to: volunteer @ laptop.org
  4. Apply for a free XO Laptop if you're creating a community project around Software Activities, Learning Content and/or Capacity-Building Know-How, sharing with kids around the world.
  5. Purchase a used XO Laptop on eBay or other websites.
  6. Borrow a laptop from a volunteer-run XO Laptop Lending Library.
  7. Make a donation to OLPC.
  8. Donate your old XO laptop to OLPC for Haiti or another community project.
  9. If you are working towards a larger-scale or governmental educational effort, please read "Buying XOs" before contacting <countries @ laptop.org>

Where did my "Give One" XO laptop go?

<imagemap> image:P1020317-1.JPG|340px rect 1 1 680 680 Ulaanbaatar desc none </imagemap> The generous G1G1 donors of North America have given of tens of thousands of XO laptops to children in developing countries, including these new XOers in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (Photo by Carla Gomez Monroy, Learning Consultant, OLPC, 17 Jan 2008) 11-1

About 10,000 XO laptops each were prepared for Haiti, Rwanda and Mongolia, expanding on the Mongolian deployment which began on a smaller scale in January 2008. Further details of the Give1Get1 program's matching donations (eg. Afghanistan and Cambodia anticipated) should be added here in future.

Official details are hard to come by in some cases. More broadly, here is a summary chart of OLPC's Deployments and a map of its overall deployment communities, with many photos/videos and blogs emerging so many years later.

Can I donate directly to OLPC and others helping XO laptop efforts?

Yes, you may donate here. Others directly supporting XO implementations may be supported here.

How can I donate my "Get One" XO?

Thank you very much for donating your XO laptop!

Please choose from this great list of independent projects and ship your laptop directly: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Donate_Your_Get_One

All of our volunteers are passionate about placing XOs where they will be used. OLPC cannot endorse any one recipient group.

You could also consider donating to local groups in your neighborhood, needy schools in your region, or even international programs.

Finally, we encourage you to re-donate your laptop through OLPC so that we can send it to an active school or research project that needs laptops or spare parts. Volunteers do their best to repair, refurbish and update your XO even if it is broken, and pass it along to a contributor who will greatly appreciate it!

Unfortunately, OLPC is unable to provide donation receipts for tax purposes. Thank you for taking the time to send us your XO!

How can I obtain 100+ laptops? Enlist my entire school?

If you are working towards a larger-scale or governmental educational effort, please read "Buying XOs" before contacting <countries @ laptop.org>

For smaller rollouts, please invest in getting to know others in your area by posting to our community map! Also study this great informal list of community deployment resources. Preparation is crucial--strongly consider joining our community support team and collaborating with local groups. While OLPC doesn't have a formal mechanism for setting up smaller trials, immediate peer feedback on school pilot projects is often available in our Live Chat (IRC) channels such as #olpc-help and #olpc. Once you have a thoughtful plan and team in place, you can contact community support volunteers at volunteer @ laptop.org, who'd be happy sharing their own similar experiences.

We strongly encourage everyone to join our Unleash Kids mailing list if you can help review or co-mentor others' independent projects & sustainable grassroots planning!

Such innovative projects demonstrating clear community deliverables (software, hardware, learning content, etc) may be eligible for free XO Laptops through our Contributors Program.

What Microsoft agreement was announced on May 15th 2008?

In May 2008, OLPC announced that Microsoft was purchasing a limited number of machines for their Unlimited Potential program to run Windows XP for pilot programs. However, OLPC does not currently offer Microsoft Windows to Give1Get1 participants. The XO laptop features the Linux operating system and the Sugar learning environment, including software specifically designed for children and the XO. Microsoft Word™ documents can be opened directly using some of the software and content created by thousands of volunteers around the world.

For more information on the Microsoft announcement, see the Microsoft FAQ summary answers.

What is OLPC's tax exempt info?

One Laptop per Child Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization in the USA.

Our EIN (Employer ID Number) is: 20-5471780.

If you make a donation and your company has a matching gift program, please see if they would be willing to match your gift to us.

Where is my "Get One" XO laptop from 2007?

If you believe you ordered an XO laptop between Nov 12, 2007 and Dec 31, 2007, and have yet to receive it -- please email help @ laptop.org with:

  1. your 10-digit reference number (order number)
  2. the exact amount you paid
  3. the exact date you ordered or paid
  4. your original email address used to place your order
  5. the precise spelling of the person's name who ordered
  6. your up-to-date US or Canadian shipping address (sorry PO Boxes don't work!)
  7. your daytime/evening phone number(s)

Thanks!

Historical Information: the G1G1 Fulfillment Information page outlines some past problems with the Give1Get1 shipping and ordering process, dating from back in late 2007 and early 2008, which have now been resolved.


Getting Started, Laptop Settings

Where do I get support?

Click Support.Laptop.Org for

  • an extensive list of documentation
  • live chat support
  • interactive web forums
  • regional user groups
  • repair options

Please consider joining an One Laptop per Child (OLPC) real-live community!

How do I get started? Where are the manual and best learning materials?

Figuring out the XO in Mongolia

OLPC encourages kids to discover/learn things by themselves (Constructionism), as well as to conserve our forests.

Balancing these goals, volunteers have created many great manuals, similar to the Help Activity Activity-help.svg (included by default in recent releases). Versions of this 240-page manual are available online or in downloadable format(4.7MB), or purchased in book form ($17).

The "XO Laptop in the Classroom" book by Sdenka Salas in Peru is excellent in both the original Spanish (6.7MB) and in English (5.5MB). This 100+ page book is highly recommended for teachers. See also this colorful 48-page Uruguayan guide (2.5MB) and new 31-page Spanish starter guide (15MB). Additionally, there are excellent websites, manual and teacher topic guides for the OLPC Peru deployment. An auto-translated Spanish manual and hand-translated Spanish manual are also underway. For other resources from deployments across Latin America and other Spanish speaking contributors, see Recursos en espanol and the new P+F FAQ.

A French translation was released in June 2009.

For earlier versions (2007/2008 software), consider upgrading to the latest stable release! Otherwise, learn here about your XO laptop and what it can do, or download the older Getting Started Guide pdf (17.5MB), or for a snappy introduction to the earlier software, see the volunteer-created Simplified user guide.

You too can help enhance our many community manuals such as our "Class Acts" story archive!

Can I print from the XO laptop?

For the first shipment of XOs in December 2007, there was no built-in Printer Support.

Documents can be saved to a USB drive or SD card and printed from another computer. Click on the general steps for saving a document here.

How do I access a Linux command prompt?

For a Linux command prompt, run the "Terminal Activity".

What does "Register" (in Home view) do?

"Register" allows children to connect to a School Server, and serves no function for G1G1 XOs that are not used in a school with a "school server."

See School Identity Manager for more explanation. After a child uses the Register function once at his/her school, this line disappears from the Home view.

Why is there no windowing system? How do I learn the XO Sugar Environment?

One Laptop per Child's XO software environment uses the Sugar graphical user interface on top of the Linux operating system. This environment is new and different from traditional PCs and Macs. We hope you will not only "learn by doing", but also seek out others to collaborate with you in the learning process— taking the initiative to join/form users groups both online and in the real world. If you have ideas for other ways we can promote OLPC's worldwide learning community, please let us know.

How do I change my XO's Nickname? The color of my XO Person's icon?

If you are hopefully running a recent software release, you should hover your cursor over your home view XO Person and click on the Control Panel option. Click on "About Me" and change your nickname and color as you see fit (to see more color options, click on the colored XO person). Any changes on this page will require you to restart your computer.

If, however, you are running our older 2007/2008 software nicknames and other options can be changed using the Terminal Activity's text-based Sugar Control Panel.

The hardware XO Person's colors are selected at random to keep costs down for kids in the 3rd World and help them distinguish their own XO Laptop! Of course, you can change your colors with your own materials if you very carefully follow these disassembly instructions.

How do I set the date, time and timezone on my laptop?

If you are hopefully running a recent software release, you should hover your cursor over your home view XO man and click on the Control Panel option. Click on "Date and Time" and change your timezone as you see fit (UTC is Greenwich Mean Time). Any changes on this page will require you to restart your computer.

If, however, you are running our older 2007/2008 software date and time can be changed using the Terminal Activity's text-based Sugar Control Panel. You may set the date and time as follows:

  1. Connect to the Internet. (For details, see How can I access the Internet? )
  2. Open a Linux prompt. (For details, see How do I access a Linux command prompt? Note: unless you are an advanced user, you should use the Terminal Activity button to open the prompt.)
  3. Login as "root". Assuming you are using the Terminal Activity program, you can login as root by typing "su -" at the command prompt and pressing the Enter key. Note that as user "root" you have the ability to destroy all software on the XO, so you should end your session as soon as you successfully change the date and time.
  4. At the command prompt, enter the following commands:
    /usr/sbin/ntpdate time.nist.gov
    /usr/sbin/hwclock --systohc
  5. Press the Enter key after each command. In response to the ntpdate command, if it successfully contacts this US government official time server, the system will output a line of data displaying the correct date and time.
  6. Click the "Stop" icon Quit.gif at the upper right corner of the screen to log out and close the Terminal Activity program.

How do I disable the bootup sound?

Turn the volume down while the laptop is booting (i.e. before getting into Sugar).

Keyboard, Languages

What are the functions of all the keys on the keyboard?

The XO Keyboard has a number of special keys and keycap symbols. See Keyboard Shortcuts.

Can I type languages other than English?

Yes, you can enter letters from non-English languages.

Can I switch my keyboard to Dvorak layout?

Yes, please see Switching to Dvorak.

Internet, Connectivity, Email, Chat

How can I access the Internet?

The XO Laptop Manual has a helpful chapter:

When using Sugar, see Connecting to the Internet page on the Sugar Labs Wiki.

When using Gnome, click on the network icon on the top right of the screen and select your wireless network.

Our Wifi Troubleshooting Guide provides tips to connect to different access points, including a February 2014 fix for a bug that prevented XOs from using wireless, particularly with many XO-1s nearby.

For setting up a wireless network for XO laptops, see Wifi Connectivity.

I am on Google, but the browser then tells me "search failed"!

When the Browse activity is launched, it displays a page with a Google logo and a search box. This page is stored locally in the XO, and it does not indicate that the XO is connected to the Internet. Please check How can I access the Internet for how to connect to the Internet.

Can I use a wired Ethernet connection?

Yes, you can connect to a wired Internet connection by using a USB-to-Ethernet adapter.

Note: XO laptops were intentionally designed for children in developing nations where it is faster and less expensive to introduce wireless connections, rather than a traditional telecom infrastructure.

How do I disable wireless when flying?

Right-click over the XO icon in the centre of the screen, then select My Settings, then Network, and untick the Radio box.

Can XO laptops share an Internet connection?

Yes, XO laptops can share an internet connection using a wireless network if an access point or school server is available.

No, XO laptops cannot share an internet connection from one XO to the other.

What exactly is a mesh network?

An ad-hoc network is a feature of Sugar that allows nearby XO laptops to collaborate among themselves without needing internet service.

The mesh network was a feature of XO-1 laptops that did the same, but also allowed the laptop to act as a relay for other laptops. This feature made very small rural deployments practical. The idea was that the laptops do the heavy lifting, rather than the traditional hierarchy of equipment. It was never fully built, but the laptop to laptop sharing remains.

Is there an email program?

If you have a gmail account, you can use the Gmail activity to access your email.

For other e-mail accounts, you can use Browse to access web-based email programs.

Can I install Other software, like Flash, Java, AIM, MSN Messenger, or Skype?

Most Other software is not supported by OLPC. Some software is Free and Open Source Software and supported by its own User Community. Other software does not meet the OLPC standard of Software Freedom.

Still, there are community efforts to enable popular packages like Skype calling on the XO. Proceed at your own risk, making sure to set the sound device in the options menu, if you follow the unsupported installation instructions. For video with sound, follow the 'gstfakevideo' instructions at the bottom of that page.


File Access

How do I save a file?

The XO automatically saves your work in the Journal Activity, accessed from the Home View(in either generation of XO) or in the Frame(in the newest Release 8.2.0). Click the notebook icon Journal-icon.pngjust below the XO character or in the Frame to open the Journal and find the activity or file you need.

For more information about the Journal, see OLPC Human Interface Guidelines/The Laptop Experience/The Journal.

How do I load a file on the disk into the Browser?

Open the Browse activity. In a window in the middle of the top of the Browser page you will see the words OLPC Library. Click on that and you will see the url: file:///home/olpc/.library_pages/search/bundle__index.html in the window and the contents of the file: .library_pages/search/bundle_index.html will be loaded in the browser. If you replace that filename in the window with the name of the file you want to load, and have it display, let us say: file:///home/olpc/upload-file.html and click on the window the file upload-file.html will be loaded from your home directory into the Browser.

How do I save or retrieve files from a USB drive or SD (Secure Digital) card?

Please see the complete instructions for using a USB Drive (sometimes known as a flash drive or USB key).

How do I delete a file?

Go to the Journal view, which you can access from the Home Viewor in the Frame. Select the notebook icon Journal-icon.png to open the Journal.

Find the file to be deleted by scrolling up and down the list.

On newer software releases since 2008's Release 8.2.0, hover your cursor over the icon for that file, and choose the erase option.

On versions prior to 2008's Release 8.2.0, move the cursor over the file to be deleted and press to select and open a preview of the file. Press the minus sign at the top of the screen to delete the file.

How do I play sound files?

New instructions for getting MP3 audio to work in Sugar and Gnome were published in April 2011. (MP3 playing does not work out of the box since this format has some remaining legal/patent issues)

In release 8.1.0 and later builds, Browse can play Ogg audio and video files using the Totem plugin. The Etoys activity can play MP3 and Ogg files. After finding such a file in the Journal, click the far right icon (a square in a gray disc) to start Etoys or Browse to play it.

To play sound files, you can also try the Watch and Listen activity, a Media Player based on the Helix project. When on the Journal entry for a sound file, click in the middle of the entry, to show the details. On that page, hover the mouse over the square-in-disc icon in the upper right corner of the screen. It should say "Resume", and list the possible activities that you can resume this file with. Click on Watch&Listen. Check for supported codecs you may need to download, if you require proprietary formats.

General Activity/Interface Questions

How do I close an Activity (program)?

Most activities have an "Activity" tab with a close button Quit.gif found at the top right of the display; select the close tab and press to close the activity.

For most activities, the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl-q or Ctrl-Esc can also close the activity (Esc is the Esc.png key).

Alternatively, return to the Home view by pressing the "Home" key Home key f3 small.png. Hover the cursor over the activity icon to bring up a menu; press "Stop" to end the activity. One the newest Release 8.2.0 you can engage the Frame by pressing the open box key in the top right-hand corner and hover your cursor over the icon in the Frame and press "Stop" to the end the activity.

How do I download and run Activities (programs)?

There are many Activities the community has developed for download. From the Browser activity on the XO laptop, go to Activities and click on the .xo file within to download and install the activity to your laptop. When it is finished installing, click OK. Press the Home key Home key f3 small.png to see the icon.

Locate the icon in the ring on the home page. You can also click on "Show In Journal" and click the "Start" button (the one with the arrow in it) in the Frame.

In versions older than Release 8.2.0 (2008) scroll the taskbar to the right (by clicking on the arrow ) until you see the icon for the activity; click on it to start.

All activities on the laptop have been developed in the open-source community by volunteers. OLPC encourages all laptop owners to contribute to this effort.

Is Internet required, or are Activities included?

The XO laptop does not require Internet access to be used. The XO laptop comes with more than 20 Activities (programs) and many more are freely downloadable. See this page for a quick introduction to introduction to pre-loaded Activities on the XO laptop.

After working properly for a while, activities won't load

There was a known bug in build 650 (around 2008) which can result in activities working fine the first few times they are loaded; but on subsequent boots, the activities may not load.

To fix, please install the latest OS build.

How do I use the Camera?

The Camera can be used with the Record Activity.

How do I take a screenshot?

Press Alt-1 at the same time. Go to the Journal. The screenshot should be the first item in the Journal. You can then copy the screenshot to the clipboard and open it with the Browse, Paint, or Etoys activity, or drag it onto an inserted USB flash drive for transporting it to another computer.

This quick screenshot hack also makes it easier to capture and upload multiple screenshots to a web server.

Specific Activity Questions

If you are interested in a particular activity, you may go to Activities and click on the link right next to the activity icon. This will point you to the documentation of the activity, which is maintained by the author(s).

Read: I can't find the icon for Read Activity. How do I read PDF files?

The Read activity icon automatically loads when you click on a .pdf file, either through the web browser (Browse Activity) or from a USB stick (Journal Activity). If it does not show up on your Home view and you would like it: First, look in the Activity List (from Home view click the List view icon in the top right corner of the screen. Scroll down the list until you see the Read Activity. Highlight the star next to it, and click the Favorites view. The icon will now show up on the Home view. If Read does not appear in the Activity list, then you can download it from the Sugar Activity page here: http://activities.sugarlabs.org/en-US/sugar/addon/4028

Browse: How do I bookmark a website and browse it later?

Click the star (☆) in the upper-right corner to bookmark the website. The website will be saved in the Journal Activity for future use.

Browse: How can I protect my children from objectionable content?

If you would not allow your children to have access to the Internet from a PC, then carefully consider giving them access to the Internet with the XO laptop. If you feel reasonably safe accessing the Internet with a PC, then you can feel reasonably safe accessing the Internet with the XO.

The best thing you can do to keep your children safe is to participate in their education. For example, explain to them the kinds of threats they may encounter online and appropriate behavior, don't give out personal information such as an address, phone number, etc. over the Internet.

The ultimate responsibility for children's net-safety lies with the adults who are supervising them. Know where your child or student is online. Don't be afraid to pop in and have a look at what they are doing from time to time. Don't threaten... just be sure they know the dangers and that you really care about them and their safety. Encourage their use of sites you know are safe and have intrinsic value, especially those that are fun and encourage creative thinking.

Finally, there are possible 3rd party solutions, such as http://DansGuardian.org, emerging as part of One Laptop per Child's Uruguay rollout. OLPC is also exploring options for future client-side filtering.

Activity Development

How do I begin to write programs for the XO laptop?

You can find information on how to create your own programs for the XO at Getting started programming.

For those already familiar with both linux and python, the Activity tutorial is a step-by-step guide to building a Sugar activity.

More recently the Make Your Own Sugar Activities offers a great starter guide, alongside the tried and true Sugar Almanac and 2008's Activity Handbook.

Power Generation, Power Management, Battery Issues

Does my laptop come with a hand crank? Solar panels? Can the XO be used Off Grid?

The Get One XO does not ship with any human powered device or solar panel, which are designed to support the XO laptops shipped to developing countries.

Even without these accessories the XO is a Green Machine suitable for Off Grid and fluctuating power areas.

Future peripheral availability is discussed on the Product News page.

What kinds of power sources can I use with the XO laptop?

See also Does my laptop come with a hand crank? Solar panels? Can the XO be used Off Grid?

In addition to plugging the laptop into an electrical outlet (110-240 volts AC), the XO laptop can take a DC input ranging from 11 volts to 18 volts, a range that’s far more flexible than most portable devices. The XO laptop is remarkably energy efficient, generally using only 5-10 percent of the average wattage of a standard laptop.

See our overall discussion of Battery and power requirements. For more formal specs, see XO-1 Hardware specifications.

How long does the battery last?

Battery life is approximately 3 to 6 hours, depending on which Activities are used. Battery life may be increased to 10 hours or longer with future software release.

How do I power off the XO laptop?

From the Home View, move the pointer over the XO symbol at the center of your screen, and click "Shutdown."

Or press the power button twice if you have recent software, whereupon you will see a "stop sign" on the screen as a proper shutdown begins.

Holding the power button for 10 seconds is not recommended (until the green power light goes off) but is a measure of last resort.

  • Power button

    Power button

How do I put an XO laptop to sleep?

Releases since 8.2.0 in 2008/2009 should support suspend/resume sleep features for improved battery life.

The sleep feature was not enabled in early software provided on XOs shipped starting December 2007 during the first Give1Get1 program.

My XO laptop won't power on

Make sure you are powering up correctly: http://laptop.org/manual/XO_Starting.html

Carefully read the power/battery issues at: http://laptop.org/start/troubleshooting.shtml and Troubleshooting Guide

Ensure the battery is properly inserted and the power adapter is plugged into the XO laptop and the electrical outlet.

If both the battery and power lights are on (just below your screen, to the right),

  • Power button

    Power button

and the laptop won't start when the power button is pushed, this may indicate a minor problem with the embedded controller (EC). Remove all power sources (by taking the battery out and removing the power adapter), then wait 10 seconds to allow it to reset; and finally reconnect and power up your XO laptop. Confirm your laptop turns on and boots. If your XO laptop does not turn on or boot, it may be damaged.

If your XO laptop was damaged on receipt, contact Amazon.com within 30 days, to exchange it.

My XO won't power off: "Unexpected Signal 15"

When shutting down or restarting, if you see the "unexpected signal 15" error and your unit does not go to the pictogram warnings as expected, press the ctrl, alt and F4 keys at the same time. This will display a pictogram warning, and your unit will now shutdown or restart properly.

This is a known issue in release 8.2.0, see <trac>7531</trac> and <trac>7812</trac>.

Is my battery OK? Why does it say "discharging" when plugged in?

The majority of initial battery issues were not in fact hardware problems, but rather software problems. This is because December 2007's Build 650 had a couple bugs which commonly lead to false reporting in the Home view, as to the actual amount of battery life.

These software bugs (#4208, #4401) were largely fixed in late 2008, for the 8.2.x software releases.

If however your battery does not retain any charge at all, and you are within the 30-day Give1Get1 warranty, consider applying for an return/exchange.

Many non-BYD batteries can also be repaired, using the following Battery Troubleshooting Process.

But if it's a BYD battery (yellow label) and it won't charge then it's almost certainly the "charge balance" issue -- in which case, diagnostic and recovery info can be found here: XO LiFePO4 Recovery Procedure. (olpc-pwr-log is the successor to olpc-logbat for generating battery-diagnostic logs, and should be included in the 8.2.x release. Users of older builds should download and run olpc-pwr-log rather than olpc-logbat. Although much of the info is the same.)

Finally, note that new batteries are for sale for about $25, from spare parts vendors and some of the many community repair repairs.

Software Update, Restore to Factory Default

What's the latest software release?

The table on the right shows the latest software release for the OLPC XO.

 + Software 
XO
13.2.11 2020-01-29
XS
xs-0.7 2012-02-20


Be prepared to lose all data, and upgrade to latest release. Your XO-1 laptop from 2007/2008 will powerfully benefit, with almost a decade of software improvements, and the inclusion of the Gnome graphical user interface for older kids. The installation procedure is fast (less than 10 min, after you take the time to download the correct 2 files to most any USB memory stick) and will reflash your XO laptop's entire "disk image" including the Fedora 18 operating system and a modern Sugar Learning environment. Again, back up all critical files to a USB memory stick!

What were the past releases?

OLPC's Software Releases from 2007 to 2013 are compiled in this comprehensive table. These software environments include the operating system and built-in Sugar Activities.

What software release am I running?

Please see How to check the OS and firmware versions. We encourage you to upgrade to the latest software here.

How can I restore my Give1Get1 XO to its factory configuration?

Be prepared to lose all data, and install our latest release. Your XO-1 laptop from 2007/2008 will powerfully benefit, with almost a decade of software improvements. The procedure will reflash its entire "disk image" including the Fedora 18 operating system and a modern Sugar Learning environment.

The clean-install procedures above are strongly recommended. If however you have "upgraded" the software on your laptop, and things have gone wrong, you may try the recover process: power off your XO, press and hold the 'O' game pad key, then power-on. This should boot from an alternate "disk image" (the one shipped with the machine).

If you see a "Bad hash at eblock #0" message while performing a clean install, this indicates the image on the USB flash drive is bad. Download the image again, or try a different USB device. Avoid certain brands of USB flash drives that still have a few compatibility kinks we're working on.

How do I update/upgrade my laptop? Opt out?

The "factory" clean-install procedure above is strongly recommended. Currently two methods for Upgrading the XO are available: online and offline.

How do I install a custom suite of Activities on every XO in a small deployment?

Let's say you want to add a few Sugar Activities and make a new software build, that can be easily installed in-country on each XO laptop in a small deployment. In the past (Release 11.3.1 and other releases prior to 2012) this was as easy as dropping the Activities into the "bundles" folder of a USB Customization Stick.

However there's good news in 2013: James Cameron has provided a great new recipe for microdeployments. Please consider joining the Unleash Kids and Support Gang mailing lists if you want to work with other volunteers doing the same!

After I upgrade my XO it says "Invalid System Date" and won't reboot

If you did a clean install and saw the error message "Invalid System Date" right before your XO was unsuccessful in rebooting, you have one of two options.

The first option is to continue to try to reboot, sometimes leaving the machine for a while before trying again. Sometimes the problem resolves itself and boots up just fine, like nothing was amiss.

The second option is to look over the Fix Clock wiki and read through the problem and repair options there. This is a fairly technical process, and hopefully the first option above fixes the issue.

If you continue to struggle with this problem, email support at HELP @ LAPTOP.ORG

How do I recover from a "Disk Full" error?

There are some situations—such as recovering from the "Disk Full" error—that may require you to reflash your XO laptop.

How do I run unofficial/unsigned builds & firmware?

For the XO-1 laptop, download a "Developer Key". Please follow the semi-automated process outlined at Activation and Developer Keys. It has a 24-hour delay due to the antitheft system.

Note: XO-1.5, XO-1.75 and XO-4 laptops are almost all arrive from the factory unlocked, so there is no need a Developer Key.

Where do I get Support for Fedora?

While Linux Fedora is not itself supported by OLPC, outside of our Sugar learning environment, here are some great resources to check out including forums and irc-based Live Chat:

http://fedorafaq.org
http://fedoraforum.org
http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Communicate

Disk, Storage Device, Backing Up

How much memory/disk is built in?

The XO-1 laptop has 256MB of dynamic RAM memory, as well as 1024MB (1GB) of flash memory.

Note: The flash memory acts as the hard disk. Original specifications are outlined here.

How should I use the SD card slot?

The SD card slot is hidden on the edge of the unit under the power button. It is not intended for casual use, but intended for (semi)permanent augmentation of flash storage on the system. To try to keep water and dust out of the main unit, it has a rubber seal that makes it difficult to extract the SD card.

As a result, we recommend using the USB ports for casual transient storage expansion or moving files from computer to computer.

You can install the XO software on an SD card to provide much more space for files and programs. This is much easier with the F11 release than with earlier one. Here is a journal of how one user did so: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/User:SDGathman#Running_XO-1_from_an_SDHC_Card

How do I backup my XO?

See Backup.

Hardware Repairs, Returns

My XO laptop won't play sound

Go to our wiki page about troubleshooting any Sound issues you are experiencing with your XO unit.

Why does my screen not turn on?

Certain laptops from 2007 may become "bricked" in isolated circumstances. Please contact a mail-order community repair center and/or try to fix it yourself if you have "garage electronics" skills, using the correct serial adapter. Clean-installing all new software is a very good idea once debricking is complete.

Another possible reason your screen does not turn on: the video cable to your screen might have become loose or out-of-alignment: disassembly instructions may be useful if so.

IN GENERAL, those acquiring old XO laptops should work through this most comprehensive refurbishing & reuse checklist.

My screen has a couple discolored pixels

We regret that our warranty does not provide for replacement laptops in this case, where just a few pixels are imperfect, in keeping with One Laptop per Child's mission to build the best all-around low-cost laptop for the Developing World.

How do I test my keyboard for sticky/broken keys?

Test your keyboard by running the firmware diagnostics. See Cheat codes. Holding the rocker (button below the speaker) to the left, while powering on, will get you into these diagnostics. The keyboard diagnostic will come up pretty soon, if you exit various earlier diagnostics by hitting the Escape key (this requires you download a Developer Key if your XO is running recent software). This lets you see very easily what the computer is seeing as you press or release each key. Any "sticky" key would be visible in light blue on the screen as if a finger was still pressing it.

The touchpad and stylus area can also be tested in the same diagnostic.

Finally, if you've genuinely confirmed your keyboard is damaged, after multiple reboots -- check your warranty if you need to apply for a possible return.

You may also want to check out this interim workaround: Stuck keys.

Problems with sticky keys may also be a software problem. If you have recently upgraded your firmware, which may have happened automatically as part of an upgrade to a newer release, you may also have run into a known bug in firmware q2d09 that can be fixed by downgrading or upgrading the firmware.

What is the warranty?

The 2008 Give1Get1 program that ran from November 17 to December 31 required you to contact Amazon.com for all returns. Visit Amazon.com's Returns Center, where a restocking fee applied in certain situations -- see Amazon.com's Returns Policy for detail.

The earlier Give1Get1 program's 30-day Warranty from 2007 was described in its Terms & Conditions. To exchange your hardware, it required that you apply for a Return Merchandise Authorization, by following 2007's RMA process.

In either case: separate post-warranty parts & repair are available from several entrepreneurial community startups who are good friends of OLPC.

Does opening my laptop void the warranty?

Yes, but your warranty expires after 30 days anyway. In fact you may want to disassemble your own XO laptop to explore its components, AT YOUR OWN RISK—for example, the screen connector and keyboard internals are very easy to break!

Do NOT remove the watch battery on the motherboard if you disassemble your machine—prior to the Q2D07 version of firmware, this can result in the computer becoming "bricked" or unusable!

How do I obtain replacement parts, e.g. batteries and chargers? Repair?

Spare parts like replacement batteries, power cords (chargers), screens, touchpads and keyboards are available from this list of spare parts vendors.

Check our Maintenance/Repair pages for other post-Warranty options, most of which are run by volunteers.

If you have a torn or ripped keyboard and do not wish to replace it with a new one, you may want to try these simple instructions for an inexpensive do-it-yourself repair.

Note Give1Get1 systems do not have the anti-theft system fully enabled.

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