Autoreinstallation image

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Automatic Reinstallation Image

Under construction: do not yet use

We've worked very hard to make it as easy as possible to update a machine in the field. Until network boot and update is available, this is as easy as it can get.

NOTE: this procedure creates a USB flash key or disk that when booted on an OLPC system, updates its BIOS and installs (OVERWRITES) an operating system image onto NAND flash. NEVER boot this USB flash key or disk unless you intend to update your system, which will entirely erase anything you had on the flash memory of the system.

System Update Procedure

Before you start: plug in your machine and ensure the battery is charged. It is important this process not be interrupted.

1. Download the file olpc191a.zip.
2. Unzip the files onto a sufficiently large USB flash key or disk drive (currently 256 megabytes is sufficient), creating a directory called "boot". If you drag and drop the files from the zip archive, you'll have to create the "boot" directory manually. All the files must be in the directory named "boot", for the automatic update to occur. Do not use a flash key or disk for which there have been any errors reported during unzipping: the files may (probably are) damaged. As a further safeguard, the OLPC OFW BIOS checks the integrity of any BIOS flash image before reflashing the BIOS.
3. Insert the USB flash key into the machine. Boot the machine.

You will see messages like those in the following section from the system as the system is updated. Note that errors in NAND flash are normal and that those are the system reporting the discovery of those bad blocks ensuring they will never be used.

The system will automatically poweroff.

If anything goes wrong DO NOT TURN OFF THE MACHINE but please get help from OLPC, preferably immediately on IRC or by email.

As a final step, to ensure the embedded controller has been reset, unplug the power supply, and remove the battery. After 10 seconds, reinsert the battery and boot the system. This may not actually be necessary, but we have not yet verified that the embedded controller is actually being reset. You are all done.

Transcript of System Update

Type any key to interrrupt startup
Erasing
0
Writing
f000

Updating firmware
Reading disk:\boot\q2a52.rom
Got firmware version: CL1  Q2A5a  Q2A
Checking integrity ...
SPI FLASH is type 13 - Spansion, Winbond, or ST
Merging existing manufacturing data
Erasing
0
Writing
ff000
...
Done
Checking existing OS image on NAND FLASH

Updating OS image on NAND FLASH
Erasing
1d00
Skipping bad block at 0xea000 = page 0x1d40 = eblock 0x75
4ec0
Skipping bad block at 0x2780000 = page 0x4f00 = eblock 0x13c
3ff40
Writing
57a
Done
Automatic power off in 5 seconds.
Please remove the USB disk.