OLPC Firmware q2e13

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Withdrawn - Do not install this release. It breaks the touchpad on older builds

OLPC Firmware Release q2e13 - 2008-09-14

This firmware is proposed for inclusion into release 8.2.0

Changes since OLPC Firmware q2e12

Open Firmware is svn 882

• Geode VGA support - fixed chopped-up text in graphics-mode12.
• OLPC trac 7880 - fixed glitches in NAND partition support.
• OLPC trac 7867 - fix
• OLPC - extended the high-address v=p page directory area to include the frame buffer and other devices.

EC code is pq2e13

• Speed up the EC command processing code.
• Fix the watchdog timeouts that happen when dumping a large amount of data via ec commands
• Update the battery abnormal error codes and disambiguate code 0x06
• Reduce battery full taper current from 200mA to 100mA per BYD
• Clean up the SCI delivery states so we don't issue them spuriously
• Added 0xE? NiMH battery debugging codes back in so OFW can watch them
• Fix the AUTOWAK command to correctly set that it takes a single data value
• Fix a race that made the Auto Power up on reset quick working when some debug code was removed.
• Fix trac #7964. Typo in the board ID routine that screwed up the C3 id.
• Make the existing zero state IBF from an ill placed port 0x68 write not only print every 240 loops rather than constantly. This should help fix the slowness when the infinite IBF happens on LPC bus float.

Which Firmware Do You Have?

If your machine is not in secure mode, the firmware version is displayed in the startup banner, as in:

 OLPC C2, 256 MiB memory installed, S/N SHF7250024D
 OpenFirmware  CL1   Q2D16 Q2D
                     ^^^^^

If your machine is in secure mode, you can go to the Terminal activity and type

 cat /ofw/openprom/model

If your machine is in secure mode but the OS will not start, just go ahead and try to upgrade the firmware anyway. The procedure is safe and will not do anything if you already have up-to-date firmware.

Beginning with firmware Q2D08, you can see the firmware version in secure mode by powering up with the "check" game button held down.

Beginning with OS Build 690 (or less?) you can also go to the main screen, click on the little man and select "about this XO"

Installation

When installing new firmware, you must have a well-charged battery and the AC adapter plugged in. The firmware update code will not proceed otherwise. Possible error messages are:

error message	how to fix
AC not present	plug in the power cord, check the battery LED is on, then try again.
No external power	plug in the power cord, check the battery LED is on, then try again,
No battery	plug in the battery, check the latches, then try again, or try another battery,
Battery low	allow more time for the battery to charge, then try again, or try another battery.

Unsecured Laptop

This section is for unsecured laptops. Most XO-1.5 and XO-1.75 laptops are unsecured. Most developer XO laptops are unsecured. To unsecure your laptop, follow the instructions at Activation and Developer Keys.

You may install using either:

• a USB drive or SD card,
• the laptop's internal drive,
• a network.

Choose one.

Using a USB drive or SD card

• download the firmware from http://dev.laptop.org/pub/firmware/q2e13/q2e13.rom and save it to a USB drive or SD card,

• shutdown the laptop,

• check the battery is inserted and locked,

• check that the power cord is in place and the battery indicator is green,

• insert the USB drive or SD card,

• turn on the laptop, and get to the 'ok' prompt. See Ok for more detail. You should see:

ok

• if the downloaded file is on a USB drive, type:

 flash u:\q2e13.rom

• if the downloaded file is on an external SD card:

 flash sd:\boot\q2e13.rom

• wait for the laptop to reboot itself,

• remove the USB drive or SD card.

(Expert users may remove the USB drive after the message "Got firmware" ... at this stage the file has been read and closed.)

Using the laptop internal drive

An alternate method is to download the firmware file to the laptop internal drive and then install from the internal drive.

• start the laptop,

• connect to a wireless or wired network,

• start the Terminal Activity and type:

su
cd /versions/boot/current/boot/
wget http://dev.laptop.org/pub/firmware/q2e13/q2e13.rom

• shutdown the laptop,

• check the battery is inserted and locked,

• check that the power cord is in place and the battery indicator is green,

• turn on the laptop, and get to the 'ok' prompt. See Ok for more detail. You should see:

ok

• if the downloaded file is on an XO-1, type:

flash n:\boot\q2e13.rom

• if the file is on the internal SD card of an XO-1.5 or XO-1.75:

flash int:\boot\q2e13.rom

Using a network

You will need a compatible USB to ethernet adapter, or an open or WEP wireless access point, connected to the internet.

• shutdown the laptop,

• check the battery is inserted and locked,

• check that the power cord is in place and the battery indicator is green,

• turn on the laptop, and get to the 'ok' prompt. See Ok for more detail. You should see:

ok

• if using wireless, type the essid of the wireless network:

essid mynetwork

• if using a WPA wireless access point, type the WPA key for the network:

wpa passphrase

• type the flash command using the download link above, but change all slash characters so they are backwards, for example:

flash http:\\dev.laptop.org\pub\firmware\q2e13\q2e13.rom

Secured Laptop

Secured laptops can only use flash firmware that has been signed. All mass-production machines had the latest firmware at the time of manufacture.

Upgrading firmware describes how to upgrade to a newer signed firmware release.

See also

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