Manual Firmware Install

Note: Many firmware pages transclude this page to provide installation instructions, providing a version in place of VERSION_NUM; see e.g. OLPC Firmware q2e15.

Installation

When installing new firmware, you need a well-charged battery and the AC adapter must be plugged in. The firmware update code will not proceed otherwise.

Unsecured Machines

(Please note that most developer machines are "unsecured". To unsecure your machine, follow the instructions at Activation and Developer Keys.)

First download the firmware from http://dev.laptop.org/pub/firmware/VERSION_NUM/VERSION_NUM.rom.

You can download on another computer with the above link. To download on the XO, go to the terminal activity and type something like

cd /versions/boot/current/boot/
wget http://dev.laptop.org/pub/firmware/VERSION_NUM/VERSION_NUM.rom

If you want to use a USB or SD drive to store the firmware before installing, replace the first line above with:

cd /media/disk
mkdir boot
cd boot

Put the VERSION_NUM.rom file on the XO NAND FLASH filesystem in /versions/boot/current/boot/VERSION_NUM.rom, or on a USB key as /boot/VERSION_NUM.rom . Power cycle the system and press the Escape (top left key) to get to the ok prompt. Then type either:

 ok flash u:\boot\VERSION_NUM.rom   ( if the file is on a USB key )
          if you are copying the firmware from a Windows machine, 1)Make sure the USB key is formatted for FAT and not 
          FAT32, and 2)don't use a \boot directory.  Just u:\VERSION_NUM.rom 

or

 ok flash n:\boot\VERSION_NUM.rom   ( if the file is on the NAND FLASH filesystem )

or

 ok flash n:\boot-alt\VERSION_NUM.rom   ( if the file is on the NAND FLASH in the alternate boot filesystem )

or

 ok flash sd:\boot\VERSION_NUM.rom   ( if the file is on an SD card )

(Use the "dir" command if you need help finding the file.)

This will only work if the XO has a well-charged battery AND is plugged in. "AC not present" means you need to plug it in.

Secured Machines

Pre-mass-production machines were almost all unsecured. Secure-mode machines can only use flash firmware that has been signed. All mass-production machines had the latest signed firmware at the time of manufacture installed.

Upgrading firmware describes how to upgrade to a newer official (signed) firmware release.

See also

• Cheat codes for information about how game buttons control startup options.