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 manually 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 shutdown.

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. You're all done.