How to check the OS and firmware versions

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Overview

If you have Release 8.1.0 (AKA Update.1 AKA Build 703) or later you can determine which release you are running by looking under the

• 'XO main menu' (the menu that pops up when you put your cursor over the XO icon in the middle of the Home View), in the section called 'About XO'.

If you do not see the "About XO" option when you put your cursor over the XO icon in the middle of the Home View, you have a release older than 8.1.0. In that case you can find the release you are on by typing

• olpc-netstatus -i in the Terminal activity or Virtual Terminal

or by following the instructions below.

Step 1: Operating system (OS)

1. Type Ctrl-Alt-F2 (the F2 key is the same as the Group key )
2. Read the build number from the first line of text that appears in the console window

Sample transcript:

OLPC build 650 (stream ship.2: variant devel_jffs2)
kernel 2.6.22-20070919.2.olpc.0987654321abcdefabcedf on an i586
xo-05-29-BB login:

The OS build number in the above example is 650.

The Ctrl key has a solid diamond on it (♦); the Alt key has an open diamond on it (♢); . (See Keyboard Shortcuts for more details.)

Step 2: Firmware

su -l
olpc-bios-sig

or

su -l root not needed?
more /ofw/openprom/model

Sample transcript:

OLPC build 650 (stream ship.2: variant devel_jffs2)
kernel 2.6.22-20070919.2.olpc.0987654321abcdefabcedf on an i586
xo-05-29-BB login: root
-bash-3.2# olpc-bios-sig
CL1 Q2D07 Q2C
-bash-3.2# 

The firmware number in the above example is Q2D07 (on the fifth line).

Step 3: Returning to Sugar (normal)

Type Ctrl-Alt-F3 to return to the Sugar graphical display. (The F3 key is the same as the Home key ().)

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See the Checking the Layout configuration page for instructions on how to check other system settings.