Questions from New Users

Schoolchildren reportedly are able to discover how to use an XO without adult assistance, except for features that are not currently working correctly. For those who are having trouble, and in particular those who have run into bugs and unfinished features, help is available.

• If you have questions about how to use the software, please see the draft manual.
• If you are having technical problems, please see the Support page.

If the available documentation doesn't help, please post your questions here. Somebody is sure to answer.

These questions will become input to the documentation process. So even having trouble becomes a contribution to the success of the program.

Questions

Anything about the XO hardware or software that you can't figure out and is not documented.

• My WiFi network uses 64 bit WEP encoding. when I try to connect in Neighborhood, a pop up box asks for a 128 n\bit key. The 64 bit key is not accepted. Do I have to change the network? Is there a way to have the laptop accept 64 bit encoding?

• What about Anti-Virus software? Don't I need it? Is it already installed?

 Someone will probably replace this with a more "official" answer, but in a sense of humor let me say this.  By asking a question about anti-virus software, you are probably a Windows user.  This machine runs on the Linux OS.  People who run Linux instead of Windows don't usually run anti-virus software.  This concept may enlighten you to stop paying for poor software and open your mind to more secure, software with freedom.  Specifically, OLPC uses a variant of Red Hat's Desktop Linux called Fedora Core.  You can run the full blown Fedora Core, for little to no cost, on the same machine you currently run Windows and anti-vrus software.

• How can I set the correct time on this computer? And time zone, for that matter? I get that there wouldn't be a whole lot of config programs à la System Preferences on the Mac, but I would think there'd have to be something for this sort of basic configuration.blahedo 01:18, 18 December 2007 (EST)

There will be a control panel user interface available eventually. Until then, there is a command line application that can tweak various system settings, including time zone; see Sugar Control Panel. I'm not sure why it doesn't let you set the time as well... Perhaps it syncs with an internet server? —Joe 01:41, 18 December 2007 (EST)

• What exactly is a "mesh"? I don't really understand this concept- can someone explain it in lay terms?

• Using the Write application, I can save a file but I cannot find a way to open an existing file. For that matter, I cannot determine where (or even if) this file is saved. How does the file saving/opening work?

Issues

Bugs, unfinished features.

In the first-time user startup instructions - there is no mention of the inital User Name: entry required

• my experience was that after typing the child's name, the NEXT> button on screen did not work - it wasn't until I pressed the keyboard ENTER key that I got the system to actually start and bring up the UI.

The REGISTER feature never confirmed in any way what was registered - is this a central registration of the machine - or is this in a dynamic ad-hoc network?

Have not seen Wiki entries for the following:

• simple instructions for laoding new apps (Activities)
• re-imaging the system - where to get image and how to re-install OS
• how to install patches and upgrades tot he OS

[thank you]

WPA WiFi

From OLPC Ship.2 Software Release Notes

We continue to work on improving support for WPA encryption, and hope to have a better solution in our Update.1 release. In the meanwhile, WPA Manual Setting documents procedures for manual use of WPA encrypted access points.