Talk:Olpc-update

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Where the _bleep_ did my stuff go???

I just updated to 656, using the internet incremental update. Everything I installed on 653 is gone -- Java, Flash, XFCE, OpenOffice, a Java application, preference folders. You get the idea. However, all the space that they took up still seems used. I'm not back down to anything resembling a 300mb clean image.

So where's it hiding? Can it be recovered? If it can't be recovered, how do I reclaim the space?

IMO, there should be a big red warning on the update page about losing non-standard installs when updating. Better yet, why doesn't it respect what I've got on the machine, given that this is an incremental update that looks to be repeated fairly regularly as the base software evolves. After all, when I update from MacOS 10.4.10 to 10.4.11, all my non-Apple apps and data don't go away.

Rmyers 12:28, 1 February 2008 (EST)

Progress report

Ok, it appears my stuff is in a tree rooted at /versions/run/653. Given my limited linux experience, is there an easy way to 'mv' my stuff back into the main tree?

Rmyers 13:09, 1 February 2008 (EST)

Rmyers, during the update, anything in /home/olpc should of been left alone. However, any programs installed by 'root' in system folders will be 'removed' (essentially a 'clean' environment is created for the update). The suggestion method in the new environment, is re-installing all of those applications with the latest versions, to assure best compatibility with the newer OS.
Other than that, there are two options for you.
  • Hold down the (0) on the game pad, when you boot up. This will give your older environment back. (including the older OS).
  • Do a 'diff' between / and /versions/run/653, any difference you will need to determine one at a time, if you can apply to your current environment. You will then be able (as root) 'mv' or 'cp' them over. (not a task I enjoy, I assure you!)

As a developer, what I have done to minimize re-installing, is manually installing some of these applications (i.e. firefox) in /home/olpc and running them from there. Good luck. --ixo 03:09, 6 February 2008 (EST)

Feature Requests

A request from a non-programmer for olpc-update and olpc-update-rsync commands:

Provide a --list (-l?) option that shows all available builds (easier to remember)
Provide a --changelog (-c?) option that shows a builds changelog (olpc-update -c build-609)
Provide --help (-h) to explain its usage, and the above options

HoboPrimate 00:04, 5 October 2007 (EDT)

 Done. You'll need very recent pyvserver and rainbow RPMs to try 
 these out. Also, you'll need to convince cscott to put ChangeLogs 
 in the rsync modules. (Or volunteer to do so yourself). 
   -- Michael Stone 01:54, 5 October 2007 (EDT)


When I click latest release, I see no file named osXYZ.usb, I see one called osXYZ.img, osXYZ.toc, etc. but no .usb. What gives?

Simplification needed

Gosh, this page is meaty and full of great stuff. However, if we are going to send users to it, it needs to be much simpler. Pictures are not out of the question. Alternatively, if there's another page to send users to for this, this we need to link it prominently in eg Support_FAQ. (And the Stable_Upgrade page is not even as clear as this page is).

On a related note, (why) do you need to specify the branch to get ship.2-653 ? This is counter to the documentation on this page. Edit: 653 is in a stable tree, but may not be officially stable in some sense (650 is still on front page of Wiki). I'm seeing conflicting reports of upgrades (usb and olpc-update) to 653, some not booting without a dev key. Thanks, --Adricnet 02:23, 25 December 2007 (EST)

How to get current Build Number? Unsuccessful olpc-update

(I'm a retired developer, but almost no Linux or Unix expertise.) First, there must be some some command to retrieve what build is in the machine. olpc-update --version does not give a build. Second, I did run through the olpc-update -rv 653 apparently successfully, but it refused to reboot because I have no developer key. Do I have to have one to update manually? If so, how do I get one. Thanks, --Javerell 20:20, 28 January 2008 (EST)

You shouldn't need an developer key, however you can request one easily. To tell what version you have, type "cat /etc/issue" on the terminal. ffm 17:33, 29 January 2008 (EST)


Second user having the same problem, first with 656, then retried with 653. It wanted a developer key (havng verified). I'm a give one get one user. Thanks to the above, I have verified I'm on 650, and I want my machine to hook up through a WPA link to my router - hence my need for 653. So, pretty please - can someone clear down the 'developer only' flag on this release - otherwise no one can show G1G1 in use with a domestic router (as I want to do at a schools engineering day next week). 2nd Feb 2008 20:51 GMT (and yes, I'm the the UK!).

Keep getting error: "could not download update contents"

I've been trying

#olpc-update 653

for days now. All I get is

"Could not download update contents file from: rsync://updates.laptop.org/build-653/contents. I don't think you're connected to the internet."

I'm logged in as root (su -), I have a dev key, I can ping myself, my router, google, everybody as far as I can tell, *except* olpc-update!

Has a login step been left out? If the server is down pending changes to the build, please put a box to that effect somewhere, so we poor schmoes don't knock ourselves out trying to fix the unfixable.

Merge, re-organization, and page split

I 2nd, the proposal of a page merge with Stable Update (most of the information is already here).

Then, I also recommend looking at this current page and split it out into three pages with completely seperate content focus.

  1. Sugar update (General Public: How to go from current stable build to next stable build)
  2. olpc-update (General Public: Command Reference: The command and various options, examples)
  3. Sugar joyride (For Developers: Living on the edge differences between Stable,Ship,Update, and joyride builds)

I think the page currently mixes these concepts together 1) General public will have difficulty understanding what is needed, 2) Developers don't need to know about stable 'simple' upgrades, 3) there's more details and background missing which developers might want to know about the 'joyride build' stream.

This re-organization might even blend into several other pages, which duplicate this page information (presented in different incomplete forms). And a simple link back to one of the 3 pages above would suffice.

If this sounds like a good plan, who would be willing to assist me with the re-org? :-)

Thoughts? --ixo 02:37, 9 January 2008 (EST)


ERR: No space left on device

I am upgrading from 650 to 656. Connected to Internet. Several different attempts are made, but each ends with No space left on device. I have not done very much with the XO -- some web, some Tam Tam, -- really pretty minimal (my daughter is 2). Please advise.

EDIT: I tried a few more times and it went through. I think it was a server error. Feel free to delete this if it is not helpful to people.

== Same problem. My errors start with: Rsyncing: lib/modules/2.6.22-20071231.2. ... /kernel/sound/core/oss @ERROR: Unexpected server greeting: fakeroot, while creating message channels: No space left on device

I have tried several times with out luck. Tried deleting the few activities in the journal. Tried upgrading to 653 and then to 656 but couldn't get 653 to connect to the internet.