Talk:Release notes/10.1.2

Add Mac-specific Instructions

Hi..

I suggest you incorporate some of the features of the old "No Fail" update, especially the Mac-specific instructions for downloading directly to the usb drive. -- Caryl

Thanks Caryl, but there's no need at this stage. Once 10.1.2 is released, we'll edit the "No Fail" update instructions to use the 10.1.2 links, and add XO-1.5 support. The installation instructions in the Release notes pages are for a different readership, and I'd prefer them to be succinct. I do think that some of the "No Fail" update steps could go into specific Wiki transcluded template pages, like "How to download a large file reliably on various operating systems". -- Quozl 01:56, 9 August 2010 (UTC)

Clarify Rename

Hi James,

I was going to do a simple edit to prevent the problems I had with the update, but the text is hidden in another place that I am told does not exist when I try to go there. So... here are my suggestions for small changes to the instructions for both the XO-1 and XO-1.5:

Where it says:

• Download os851.img.fs.zip,
• Save the file to the top directory of a USB memory stick,
• Rename the file to fs.zip,

Change the third line to:

• Download os851.img.fs.zip,
• Save the file to the top directory of a USB memory stick,
• Rename the file to fs.zip, (just fs.zip nothing else)

-- Caryl

We already seek to clarify the task step by asking you to check the file name on the USB stick after copying it. The text you propose seeks to clarify the same thing, again, so I'm not sure how effective it will be. I've added some other text instead; instructing people to remove the os851.img portion of the filename. Do you think that might have worked on you? -- Quozl 05:26, 17 August 2010 (UTC)

The problem arose because the Mac appended ".txt" to the file. So when you said to make it "fs.zip" I thought you were referring only to the end of the file name, not the entire name. So, I left the part that said "os851". The file came through as os850.img.fs.zip.txt on the Mac. The ".txt" should probably be dealt with too.

BTW... I am struggling to get the XO-1.5 version downloaded. I think maybe it is due to too many users on our isp. They have an antenna that covers many square miles in our valley. The other night I was able to do the XO-1 version straight through, starting very late at night. Last night that didn't work. I will try it in Terminal tonight. I'm off to town to teach the folks at Montana State University how to update the XO-1s and give them copies of the files.

-- Caryl

That is strange. I've tested on Mac OS X 10.6.4 with Safari 5.0 by using ctrl-click on the os851.img.fs.zip file, and after download it is certainly not changed in name. It is os851.img.fs.zip. There's no .txt. I know this appending of .txt happens with the .crc file, but that's not what the instructions are currently talking about. I can only guess that an older version of Mac OS X or Safari is responsible. For download struggles, I suggest you use the curl method, which restarts from where the previous attempt left off. There may be better download managers for Mac OS X, but I don't know what they are. -- Quozl 00:42, 18 August 2010 (UTC)

Terminology Bikeshedding

Everyone, it is not a memory stick (that's a Sony product!!), or a thumb drive or a pen drive or a key or whatever cute pet name you favor. The actual product name on all the packages, on Amazon, in Wikipedia, etc. is a USB flash drive. Please be consistent! (my pet peeve :-) ) -- skierpage 02:38, 26 August 2010 (UTC)

Please create a terminology page that we can link to. Please also ensure that we can link to it for USB storage devices that are spinning hard drives, since these are often used instead, which is why some references use "USB device". "Key" should be avoided since it is easily conflated with developer or activation keys. -- Quozl 08:43, 26 August 2010 (UTC)

Back in 2008 terminology was part of OLPC:Style_guide#Writing, which has a "Specific words" subsection that mentions "USB flash drive". I've never tried installing from a USB hard drive, there may be some limitations in the XO firmware. If either USB flash drive or USB hard drive works, then you can say "insert USB drive"; there's a page for USB drive. "USB device" includes lights, fans, chargers, etc., so I wouldn't use that term. -- skierpage 11:07, 26 August 2010 (UTC)

Thanks, but I've worked really hard to make sure that OpenFirmware on the XO has good support for large and small USB storage devices, if you've an actual problem then please report it. There are occasional problems due to substandard hardware, or unusual filesystem formats, but in the majority of cases it works fine. I'll take a look at adopting USB drive. -- Quozl 01:03, 27 August 2010 (UTC)

Changes since 8.2.1

Before launch, I think this should give a high-level overview of changes since 8.2.1, summarized under "Purpose" section and with more meat in "New features" section. Things like:

• Fedora 9 -> Fedora 11
• Sugar 0.82.1 to 0.84.16, new firmware
• addition of Gnome option

Later on when enumerating new features incorporate the changes in 10.1.0 and 10.1.1 rather than refer to them. -- skierpage 06:40, 26 August 2010 (UTC)

XO-1 users should check Software update's Activity group!

I think that if you upgrade an XO-1 to 10.1.2 (rather than reflashing it), then Software update may grab the larger XO-1.5 set of activities. This happened to me, I think because I had a ~olpc/Activities/.groups that contained http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Activities/G1G1 , and I think this means Software update uses http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Activities/G1G1/10.1 , the big list of activities intended for XO-1.5. (The process is explained at <http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Software_update#Activity_groups>).

If people agree and/or can reproduce , then I think the section for updating an XO-1 should caution:

XO-1 users who use olpc-update to upgrade to 10.1.2 may get the much larger set set of default activities intended for the XO-1.5 (which has more storage capacity). If you don't want these, when you first run My settings > Software update,

1. cancel the update
2. click "Modify activity groups"
3. If it shows "http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Activities/G1G1", click this, click [Remove]], then enter the group URL "http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Activities/G1G1Lite" (note Lite on the end) and Add this.

-- skierpage 06:40, 26 August 2010 (UTC)

Can't get to Software update without scrolling

You have to scroll sideways with in My Settings in order to access Language and Software update. -- skierpage 06:40, 26 August 2010 (UTC)