IntroductionYou may have heard of the One Laptop per Child project. The project's goal is to deliver rugged, low-cost, energy efficient laptops to children in the developing world. The XO laptop is an educational tool designed to be put into the hands of every child. By using free and open source software and world-wide software development efforts, OLPC has championed XOs for delivery around the world in multiple languages.
In a classroom in Peru The XO runs free and open software, called Sugar, which allows anyone to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software. Many people contributing to OLPC believe that these freedoms are critical to fulfilling OLPC's educational goals.
After seeing stories about an affordable children's laptop or seeing pictures of a small computer in a child's hand, you may wonder about the XO's capabilities. But when you see this compact yet solid computer with its carrying handle and unique colors, you will realize the XO's great potential for children around the world. When you open the XO, you will see the high-resolution, easy-to-read screen that works even in direct sunlight. You can also flip the XO into a book reader mode. The XO is designed to take outdoors and it even survives the rough-and-tumble daily lives that children lead. We hope you learn more about the XO laptop by reading these pages, so that you can learn more with the XO laptop. On a hike in Thailand About One Laptop per Child
The mission for OLPC is simple yet compelling: To create educational opportunities for the world's poorest children by providing each child with a rugged, low-cost, energy efficient laptop with content and software designed for collaborative, joyful, and self-empowered learning. You can learn more about OLPC at http://laptop.org and http://wiki.laptop.org -- everyone is welcome to participate.
About Computers
The XO from OLPC What is a computer? A computer contains information and responds to instructions. Computers are used as tools to access and exchange information. They can be like a classroom or like a toy, and they offer a way to communicate with others. Because computers take instructions and may be programmed, a computer can be whatever you want it to be. Many people use computers to write, to perform mathematics, to create art, to play games, to record sound and images, to communicate with others, to read, and to learn. The uses of your XO are limited only by the Activities you use and your imagination.
What can your XO do? Your XO can store an entire library of written stories, videos, and pictures. It can make and play music. It contains Activities that you can use to learn math, play games, create pictures, and communicate with others. You interact with your XO using the touchpad, keyboard, microphone, or camera. How does it do it? Computers are built of component parts that work together to carry out tasks that you give to the computer by interacting with it. See wiki.laptop.org/go/Disassembly for pictures of the parts of the XO. You can use your XO to figure out how computers work by reading about computers and learning their basic functions, and then learning about hardware and software and how it all works. VolunteeringVolunteer contribution is central to the educational spirit of OLPC, and there are many different ways to volunteer for the project. Consult the sections below to learn how to become a volunteer, based on your interests and background. If learning matters to you, you will be welcome. To get involved directly, visit the web site http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Participate or email volunteer@laptop.org. Kids, siblings, and parentsThe XO is meant for the entire family to use, so one of the best ways to get involved is to learn as much as you can--that way you can help others to learn in turn. You can contribute to the wiki, a web site that anyone can edit, at http://wiki.laptop.org. Wiki contributors can share their knowledge and experience with the XO. To learn how to get started editing the wiki, go to http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Wiki_getting_started.
You can tell others about your projects and recruit others to join your efforts, and you might want to get involved in a regional group with other XO owners in your area. You can find many such vibrant communities at http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Regional_community_groups. Teachers, students, and educatorsThe OLPC project is an education project above all else, so the contributions of teachers, students, and educators are highly valued. You can contribute by testing, developing content, mentoring, or running group activities. You can start a University chapter of OLPC users--both formal informal clubs exist. Details may be found at wiki.laptop.org/go/University_program. You can try to meet with other teachers and students within your region, or look up pre-existing groups within the list of regional groups here: wiki.laptop.org/go/Regional_community_groups. Support GangIf you enjoy personally helping others, and the challenge of solving problems with learners worldwide, you would be a perfect fit for the Support Gang. The Support Gang works together answering all kinds of questions about the XO, peripherals, software, volunteering, deployment, organizational development, and any other questions OLPC donors and XO users ask. The Support Gang is an extremely friendly and supportive group, who come together from all around the world, and work together closely online. They also meet weekly with invited guest speakers by phone, and in person whenever possible. You can join the Support Gang at http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Support_Gang. Fellow volunteers and OLPC will help you get started and assist you in finding answers to difficult or unusual questions. Bilingual volunteers are especially welcome. DocumentationIf you would like to help others learn about the XO then you can help with the documentation. We have a dedicated team and we eagerly welcome new contributors! You don't need to be a expert on the technology to participate - you may wish to just spell check or check images. You may also be inspired to write a chapter or improve existing chapters. You can learn more on how to contribute by joining the OLPC Library mailing list http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/library and the FLOSS Manuals mailing list http://lists.flossmanuals.net/listinfo.cgi/discuss-flossmanuals.net. You may also want to look at the documentation tools at FLOSS Manuals : http://www.flossmanuals.net. TranslatorsOLPC is a world-wide program that tries to reach people in many countries, who speak many different languages. If you speak and write more than one language, you can help translate the wiki or the software. If you can help, please see http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Translation. Content creators, writers, artists, photographers, videographersEveryone is a creator: by creating and sharing something, you come to understand it better. Writing about the XO can also be one of the greatest contributions to helping others. Please consider offering your communications or media talents on the OLPC Wiki--whether by writing, designing, editing, storytelling, or simply organizing--anywhere within http://wiki.laptop.org. If you want to create art for the XO, you can join other artists at the Art Community page at http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Community:Art. You can upload photos to a worldwide archive at http://www.flickr.com/groups/olpc. One group of photos even shows those specially taken by XO laptops themselves, using the Record Activity. Hardware designers and testersThere are many ways to volunteer to assist with the hardware, from brainstorming about alternative power to developing peripherals to repairing XOs. You may want to develop peripherals for the XO that use its USB ports or other inputs, for health applications or beyond. One such way to get involved is found here: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Health. You can get involved with community repair centers or start your own, either as volunteers or as a business: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Repair_center_locations. You may want to work on power generation and firmware coding. To find out more about these types of hardware projects search for those keywords at http://wiki.laptop.org. SoftwareThe XO's software is designed to be malleable because we want the help of all the people in the world who are capable of writing free software to help other people learn. To get involved, you can:
In short: "patches are welcome". Local opportunitiesHelp create changes in the community you live in - as well as ones you'd like to visit. Start or join a grassroots group: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Regional_community_groups.
Getting StartedWelcome to XO-land! You are about to start on a wonderful adventure of exploration and learning. The cute little green and white machine in the box is the tool that will enable you to travel the world via the Internet, compose and play music, create works of art, do science experiments, take photos and videos, communicate with friends and family via e-mail, and even learn to do a little computer programming. But the XO represents a lot more than that. It is a symbol of your commitment to the education of the children of the world. OLPC is not a computer project, it is an education project. We hope you will proudly enjoy using your XO as children around the world do. Before you get started, please read through this guide so you will have an idea of what to expect. The first thing you need to do is carefully unpack your XO. Save everything! If you don't, you may accidentally throw away something important. Be sure to save the box, packing materials, and any paperwork that is in the box.
Before you use your XO for the first time, you should fully charge the battery. The Battery section later in this chapter shows you how to install the battery and connect the charger. While you wait for it to charge, read through the rest of this guide and see what you can do! Opening the XOYou can open, flip, and close the XO to position it in different ways. To open the XO
To flip the XOYou can switch the XO so that the screen lies flat and covers the keyboard. This lets you handle the gamepad buttons more easily or read electronic books (ebooks), using the arrow buttons to page forward and backward.
Features and PortsThe XO laptop has many built-in features. These include a camera, microphone, speakers and wireless antennae. In addition, the laptop allows for the attachment of other external devices. This is often done by plugging the devices into connectors (some are more commonly referred to as ports, jacks or slots).
Physical Features
Backlit screen The display functions in a full-color mode similar to other laptop displays and in an ultra-low-power, ultra-high-resolution, black-and-white mode that is readable in direct sunlight.
1, 2 - Built-in microphone There is both a built-in microphone (and an external microphone jack, which supports both AC and DC sources.) As a privacy measure, an LED above the microphone (1) lights up whenever the microphone is in use.
3, 8 - Built-in speakers Internal stereo speakers and an amplifier provide a way to play music, videos, and anything you have recorded yourself. There’s also a jack for external headphones or speakers.
4 - Game padTwo sets of four-direction cursor-control keys can be game controllers. Since they still function when the screen is folded down into e-book mode, the XO creates a self-contained game playing pad including a controller.
5 - Screen rotate button A button on the XO laptop’s display frame changes the orientation of the screen, so it can be viewed right-side-up from any direction.
6, 7 - Built-in camera The XO laptop has a built-in color camera, enabling still photography and video recording. As a privacy measure, an LED above the camera (6) lights up whenever the camera is on.
9 - Game buttons The game buttons can be used when the screen is folded down into e-book mode, creating a self-contained game player. The buttons are labeled with a circle, a square, a check, and an ×. These buttons are often used by Activities. For example, the circle button can be used as the shutter for the camera in the Record Activity.
10 - Power button, indicators From left to right: the battery-level indicator; the power indicator; and the power button.
Ports
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If you are unable to connect a computer to your router to do this, call your Internet Service Provider and ask them for assistance. They should be able to access your router remotely, get the needed information for you, and even make any needed changes.
Your wireless router settings may contain Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) or Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) for security protection. Find out which type of security it uses and the passphrase either by asking your ISP or by using the router's configuration pages.
Based on the type of security system being used (WPA or WEP), the Wireless Key type varies. For WPA, you use a Passphrase key (for example, "password", "tHisisAp4ssword"). For WEP, use either a Hex key (for example, "4f4c504321", usually all keys that consist of only of 0-9 and a-f) or its corresponding ASCII key ("OLPC!"). 40-bit Hex keys are 10 letters/numbers long, corresponding to 5 letter/number ASCII keys.
Common connectivity problems and solutions
Inability to connect with an Access Point from the Neighborhood View is the most commonly reported symptom. The symptom is usually a flashing circle icon where the access point circle icon never appears in the Frame or the circle's menu never contains "Connected." This flashing animation indicates the XO is trying to connect, but the lack of connection indicators tells you that it fails to connect. If this happens, try the troubleshooting suggestions just below.
Is the wifi hotspot dot visible in the Neighborhood View?
Go to the Neighborhood View and type the name of your SSID in the Seach box to highlight your access point. Each circle network icon represents a Service Set Identifier (SSID). On one of the icons in the Neighborhood View, you should see your Wi-Fi hotspot's network name.
If you cannot see the network name there may be a few reasons for this, so continue troubleshooting.
Is the name of the network a hidden SSID?
If your SSID/Network Name is set to be Hidden in the router configuration, it is not possible for the XO to connect to your wireless network through the Sugar User Interface.
You may connect manually by typing commands in the Terminal Activity. To do so, launch the Terminal Activity and type these commands:
su -l /sbin/iwconfig eth0 mode managed essid myhiddennetwork /sbin/dhclient eth0
As an explanation, the su command creates a root process. The iwconfig command connects to your hidden network (of course, substitute the name of your access point for the string myhiddennetwork in the above example). Finally, dhclient asks for an IP address from the access point.
Is your Wi-Fi router filtering connections based on a MAC Address?
You can prevent other computers from using your wireless router by configuring it to filter by MAC Address. A MAC Address is a unique address embedded in your computer's network adapter. While MAC address filtering is not a secure method of protecting a network, some routers use it, and it could prevent your XO from using that access point.
To fix a filtering problem, you can find the MAC Address and add it to the list of allowed computers that can connect with the wireless router.
To do so, launch the Terminal Activity and type these commands:
/sbin/ifconfig -a eth0
The MAC address is in the first line next to the HWAddr tag: and is in the form of "00:17:C4:XX:XX:XX"
In the WiFi router configuration for filtering, add the MAC Address you found with the ifconfig command.
Is your WiFi router configured to support 802.11b or 802.11g or both?
Read the documentation for your wireless router to determine how to configure it for 802.11g support, or to determine if it is using the 802.11g protocol. In this example, the Mode drop-down list is where you would look for protocol settings. It may not work to have both g and b modes as shown, so try different configurations to see if another configuration works.
Are the access point settings not in channels 1, 6, or 11?
Is your access point working on another channel that is not in 1, 6, or 11? For some older builds, the XO expects to find access points in one of these three channels, the three non-interfering channels available to 802.11g wireless protocol.
Try changing your access point to one of the three channels and check if you can associate your XO to it. Refer to your access point's documentation for information on changing the frequency channel that your access point broadcasts on. This image shows an example of the settings for a wireless router. The Channel field is where you change the frequency setting.
Why can't the XO Browse when connected?
Symptom: Your XO shows that your Internet connection is working, but you cannot browse or search any pages.
Most likely, the XO has failed to receive DNS information from your internet access point. If this is the case, you would be able to access the Internet for sites named directly with IP addresses but not their common names. In other words, http://209.85.133.18 would work but http://www.google.com would not.
Verify what the XO has received (from the Internet access point) for DNS information by using the Browse Activity and looking at this URL:
file://localhost/etc/resolv.conf
This page should show the IP address of the DNS server assigned by the Internet access point. If there isn't an IP address on this page, or if the IP address assigned is wrong, this would account for the behavior you're seeing.
If there is no IP address, or the address is wrong, you'll need to determine why the Internet access point is failing to supply one, but this is likely to be misconfiguration of the access point.
Connecting to the Internet without wireless access
If you cannot successfully or consistently connect to the Internet using Wi-Fi, you can use a USB-to-Ethernet connector to hook up to a wired connection rather than wireless. Examples of products that have worked for other users include the Linksys USB100M and the Zoltan Tech USB2.0 Fast Ethernet adapter, which cost about USD $10-$25.
If you want to connect to your XO wirelessly with a dial-up connection, you can do it with an older version of Apple's Airport Extreme (A1034). Apple no longer sells them, but they are available on the Internet for between $18 and $36. Be sure the one you get has a port for the phone line, and preferably, with a phone cord included. Directions for connecting with it are on the Wiki at http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Wifi_Connectivity#Apple_Airport.
Connecting while traveling
Your XO makes a wonderful traveling companion. You can connect to a wide variety of public WiFi sites often found in community centers and libraries, even in restaurants and hotels. All you will need to do is to obtain a correct password and log on according to the instructions above. Many places will not require a password to connect and the process will be even easier. Remember, however, that passwords provide an extra layer of internet security. Without them, you run a slightly higher risk of experiencing some type of Internet fraud.
External Hardware
Your XO has three USB ports that can be used to connect an external mouse, keyboard, storage devices, and possibly other hardware additions with appropriate support.
Connecting to the Internet without wireless access
You can use a USB to Ethernet connector for a wired connection to the Internet. Examples of products that work include the Linksys USB100M and the Zoltan Tech USB2.0 Fast Ethernet adapter, which cost about USD $10-$25. For a current list of USB Ethernet devices go to http://wiki.laptop.org/go/USB_ethernet_adaptors.
Which wireless devices may work well with my XO?
The hardware that provides the wireless connection can affect whether the XO laptop can connect either to the Mesh network or to the Internet.
A Wireless Access Point Compatibility table at wiki.laptop.org/go/Wireless_Access_Point_Compatibility gives some information about manufacturers of wireless hardware, the model number, and some notes about its compatibility.
Safety
Your XO laptop is checked for safety against the European Union's RoHS Directive, which ensures that it contains no hazardous or unsafe materials. Its NiMH batteries contain no toxic heavy metals.
Virus protection
As you may know, it is possible for some computers to be "infected" with a "virus" when connected to other computers. Viruses are programs that can copy themselves and often cause problems for the computer that runs them. The XO laptop cannot be easily infected by viruses, because of its unique security system that isolates each Activity. Currently you do not need to install separate anti-virus software or firewall software.
Internet safety
Please realize that the XO laptop is designed for easy-to-use wireless connection to the Internet and other networks. While the Internet lets you access lots of useful information and talk to lots of people, not all of the information or people are good and safe. You should be careful and ask your teacher or parent for help and protection while browsing on the Internet.
Parents and teachers, we recommend that you filter Internet content as appropriate for your school district or home, stay in touch with what your children and students are reading and finding on the Internet, and ask your Internet Service Provider for assistance with filtering what parts of the Internet your XO can access.
Caring for your XO
Although your XO is tough, try to keep it dry and clean. Here are some tips for taking care of it:
- Carry it carefully to avoid dropping it.
- Don't step on it or sit on it.
- If it gets dirty, wipe it with a damp cloth and dry it.
- Do not dip it into water. If it gets wet, such as from rain, let it dry completely before using it.
The XO laptop has no hard drive and only two internal cables. With care it can be dissassembled for repair. For added robustness, the XO's plastic walls are thicker than other laptops. Its green mesh network antennae give a better wireless connection than typical laptops. Plus, they double as external covers for the USB ports, which are protected internally as well. Internal bumpers protect the screen display by cushioning it.
Resetting to Factory Defaults
Warning: EVERYTHING on your XO will be deleted if you use a USB storage device and the following method to reflash your XO's flash memory.
With Internet connectivity, you can prepare yourself to reflash (restore) an XO to its factory-default settings. This procedure is called a "clean-install" and is described in more detail at http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Clean-install_procedure. (Software updates can be delivered by clean-installing or by other means.)
Clean-installing works by completely reformatting your XO with a software image stored on a USB storage device.
Before you begin
You will need:
- A USB storage device that has at least 1 GB of space free
- A computer with fast Internet access (this should allow you to download the required 300-400MB within about an hour)
Preparing your USB Storage Device
- Download the OS image and its "fs.zip" file to your local computer. These are compressed files, so DO NOT open them — instead, in your browser, visit the following two pages and follow their instructions:
- Copy the resulting files onto your clean (FAT or FAT32-formatted, not quick-formatted) USB storage device.
- Your USB storage device should now contain exactly two files named something like: enxxx-n.img and fs.zip. (On some operating systems, the ".img" and ".zip" extensions may be hidden.)
- These files should occupy a total of at least 300 MB of space.
- Unmount the USB storage device and disconnect it from your computer when it is safe to do so.
You have now prepared yourself to restore the factory-default settings which are current at this time.
Reinstalling your XO's Operating System
- Turn off your XO.
- Connect your prepared USB storage device to your XO.
Next, hold down all four gamepad keys above the power button, and then push the power button to turn the XO on. You will see a message that tells you to "Release the game key to continue". Do not continue until you see this message.
- Release the gamepad keys. The reflash process runs automatically; first you will see the XO arrange and color in a grid of boxes, then the XO will display "Rebooting in 10 seconds..." The XO will then restart with a clean image.
- Enter your name for your XO and then click Next.
- Click the XO icon to change the colors and then click Done.
- Optionally, connect your XO to the Internet, then use the Control Panel to download the latest Activities.
If something goes wrong
If you see a "Bad hash at eblock #0" message while reflashing your XO, then it means the image you copied to the USB storage device is corrupt. You should repeat the preparation steps, perhaps with a different USB storage device, and then retry the reinstallation step.
Advanced: Changing the XO's Operating System
After you become comfortable with the procedure for restoring your XO to its factory-default settings, you might decide to change, upgrade, downgrade, or altogether replace your XO's operating system. There are several ways to accomplish this goal, all of which are discussed at http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Change_your_OS. Some of these mechanisms (such as olpc-update and others) may be more bandwidth-efficient and easily undoable.
Maintaining your XO
Maintenance of the XO hardware involves updating the software and firmware and keeping the case in working order.
To update the Sugar software or Activities that run on the XO laptop, refer to the update information for software update at http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Olpc-update. You might want to update all the software on your XO laptop when a new version of the software is released. It takes about 30 minutes, and you can use the instructions there to install all new updates without losing any data. Refer to the "Latest Releases" section of http://wiki.laptop.org for the most recent version number and information about updates and reasons for updating.
Updating your XO to the latest firmware version
Typically separate Open Firmware (OFW) updates are not neccesary because the software will contain the needed firmware updates.
However, you can update the OFW by following the instructions on http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Upgrading_Firmware.
Repairs
Your XO is built and designed for repair work to be completed with only your hands and a screwdriver, and the case includes extra screws in case you need them.
For photos and step-by-step instructions on repairing your XO or putting replacement parts in, go to http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Repair.
Refer to http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Repair_center_locations to get to the most recent directory of repair centers, if you do not want to repair your XO yourself.
Recalibrating the touchpad
The XO touchpad does not offer a click mechanism like some touchpads. You must click the long button marked with an X to select something on the screen. Sometimes the touchpad seems to behave erratically or makes the cursor jump on the screen.
If the pointer is not following your finger on the touchpad, or if it jumps to the corners when you touch the touchpad, please try this recalibration procedure:
Hold down the three keys at one time: the upper left, upper right, and lower right of the keyboard and the fourth key, fn, the lower leftmost key, as the last one pressed, and then release them all.
If this doesn't help, try shutting down the laptop and removing the battery for ten seconds before restarting.
Finally, plug a standard USB mouse into your laptop to bypass the problem.
Checking for keys that stay down or appear stuck
Your XO must have a developer's key to do this keyboard test. Refer to http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Developer_key for more information about developer's keys.
- With the XO off, hold down the "check mark" game button (above the power button) while pushing the power button. After start up, the screen displays "Release the game keys to continue" and shows a text diagram of which key is pressed.
- Release the "check mark" game button.
- Next, after you see "Type the Esc key to interrupt automatic startup," press the escape key in the upper left hand corner of the keyboard layout (a circle with an x). The XO displays an ok prompt.
- At the ok prompt, type:
test keyboard
and press enter.
A blue keyboard map displays on the screen. - Press keys one at a time to see the keyboard map turn the key light blue.
If the display on screen shows a light blue key constantly, the keyboard has a problem with that particular key sticking. Refer to a repair center for full diagnosis and repair at http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Repair_center_locations. - Press the the escape key (circle with an x) again to exit the keyboard test.
- At the ok prompt, type reboot to restart.
Repairing damage to the keyboard
If your keyboard becomes damaged, normally it has to be replaced. Replacements are available through the repair centers. Information on spare parts and repair centers can be found at http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Repair_center_locations.
Restoring the software to factory defaults
If you want to completely wipe clean the XO, you can try upgrading the activated laptop to re-flash its entire "disk image" including both its operating system and its Activities. Refer to Resetting your XO for detailed instructions. Please be aware that ALL DATA WILL BE LOST.
Troubleshooting the internal XO hardware
The XO can give you information about possible repairs that are needed.
Start by pressing the power button for a second, and then answer the following questions.
Does the Power LED half-circle light up?
When the power button is pressed once, and the power LED doesn't turn on, first try resetting it.
To reset the XO, remove all power sources from the laptop:
- Take the battery out and remove the power adapter.
- Wait two minutes. This allows embedded hardware to lose all power and reset itself.
- Replace at least one source of power, either the battery or power adapter, and watch the power/battery LED while you do so.
The battery LED should flash orange momentarily (about a quarter of a second) when power is first reapplied. If you do not see this flash, you either have a motherboard hardware problem or faulty EC firmware installed. Contact a repair center for assistance.
If the power LED doesn't turn on or flash, but the laptop proceeds to illuminate the backlight and even start, the problem may be either the LEDs themselves or the power LED driver. The LEDs are in series, so if one fails they may both fail to light.
On rare occasions, the power button becomes stuck mechanically. In this case, the laptop does not detect the depression of the power button, and does not turn on. Ensure that the power button is moving freely by pressing it a few times.
If the battery LED flashed on restoration of power and the power button isn't stuck, and no other signs of life are detected, then you can't determine the reason for failure. Contact a repair center for assistance.
Does the display light up?
After starting the XO and viewing the power LED, the next visible feedback from the XO is that the display lights up. The LCD display should be initialized with white, then begin to show text or graphics. The backlight for the screen should be turned on, even if the backlight was previously turned off.
If this does not happen then the boot sequence may not be operating correctly. Next, look at the Microphone activity LED to see if it is lit. If the power LED and the microphone LED are both lit then a serious boot error has occurred and you should contact a repair center for assistance.
Can you hear the startup sound when the XO starts?
If the startup sound does not play, this usually indicates a problem that a repair center needs to fix.
Yes, the startup sound plays
If the display doesn't initialize, but the boot sound plays, then this is probably a problem with the display.
No, the XO boots normally, but no boot sound plays
If no boot sound is played, but the machine boots normally and has audio, it is possible that the default boot volume to has been changed to 0. While the boot sound is playing, you can adjust the volume using the volume adjust keys. This modified volume setting is saved and used for future boots. Try increasing the volume right after starting the laptop a few times, and see if the boot sound returns.
If no boot sound is played, and the machine boots normally but has no audio see http://wiki.laptop.org/go/XO_Troubleshooting_AV.
Does the display remains blank after starting up?
Sometimes the display is active (including backlight), but no text or graphics appear. This problem can be caused by removing the power to an XO while it is upgrading the firmware. You should contact a repair center for assistance.
Does the display say "Connect power to proceed"?
Sometimes a firmware update requires two sources of power, both a battery and a power adapter. If this is the problem, provide both sources of power and reboot. The XO should proceed with a firmware update and boot normally.Is the display is showing an XO icon only?
This means that the XO has started the startup process.
You can see much more information about your Open Firmware by holding the "check mark" game button (above the power button) after powering on. That makes Open Firmware display more detailed messages about what it is doing during the secure boot process (including early boot messages from the Linux kernel). The messages are in English only.
Is it showing an XO icon with a serial number and three icons below it?
If the laptop powers up, but stops when displaying the XO icon in the middle of the screen, followed by a serial number (e.g. CSN74902B22) and three icons (SD disk, USB disk, Network signal strength), it is looking for its activation lease. This should eventually print "Activation lease not found" at the top of the screen and power-off soon thereafter.
The solution is to re-activate the laptop. Obtain a copy of the lease (or a new lease) from your country activation manager, place it (named "lease.sig") in the top-level directory of a USB key and boot the laptop. See the "what to do with activation keys" section within: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Activation_and_Developer_Keys.
Is it showing an XO icon with a "sad face" above it?
This means that Open Firmware couldn't find a signed operating system on the internal flash memory. Firmware bootup also looks on USB memory sticks and SD cards for signed operating system software.
Try upgrading or re-installing the software: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Secure_Upgrade.
XO icon with a single dot below it?
If the XO powers up, but stops when just displaying the XO icon in the middle, with a single dot below it, it means that something was wrong when the Linux operating system started. When this happens, try upgrading or reinstalling the XO.
If this has happened to the same XO more than one time, consider a repair center for full diagnosis and repair at http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Repair_center_locations.
Getting Support
An entire community built this XO and everything on it, and we want to help you with it. OLPC has proven that volunteer-driven support works, often with far more heartfelt caring than any corporate help desk!
If you have any questions about the XO, ask a teacher for help, a friend, or search on the Internet. If you have a question about your XO, there is a very good chance it is already answered within our expanding Support FAQ / RTFM knowledge base:
Then look into the http://support.laptop.org web site's extensive helpful guidance for exploring and fixing your XO, allowing you to solve challenging issues right alongside others. Specifically, check out:
- Getting Started http://laptop.org/start
- Email Lists http://lists.laptop.org
- Live Chat http://forum.laptop.org/chat or http://wiki.laptop.org/go/IRC
- OLPC Community Wiki http://wiki.laptop.org
If you are still unable to find an answer online, please email help@laptop.org.
Finally, if you are satisfied with the hard work volunteers have brought you here, please consider giving back, by joining our dedicated community: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Support_Gang
Thanks!
Keyboard Shortcuts
You can use key presses instead of moving the pointer for some actions on the XO. This list shows the keys that you press at the same time to get the described results. Note: not all shortcuts will work in all Activities.
| Key combination
|
Description |
| ctrl + c (shift + ctrl + c in Terminal)
|
Copy the selection
|
| ctrl + v (shift + ctrl + v in Terminal)
|
Paste the selection
|
| ctrl + x (shift + ctrl + x in Terminal)
|
Cut the selection
|
| ctrl + u while using the Browse Activity
|
Launch the Write Activity and view the source code for the current web page
|
| alt + esc
|
Quit an Activity
|
| alt + tab
|
Cycle forward through running Activities
|
| shift + alt + tab
|
Cycle backward through running Activities
|
| alt + enter
|
Toggle full-screen mode
|
| alt + spacebar
|
Toggle tray visibility. This command may not work in all applications.
|
| alt + 1
|
Save a snapshot of the current screen into the Journal
|
| ctrl + alt + erase
|
Restart Sugar, the graphical interface for the XO
|
| fn + 1
|
Neighborhood View
|
| fn + 2
|
Group View
|
| fn + 3
|
Home View
|
| fn + 4
|
Activity View
|
| shift + alt + r
|
Rotate the display
|
| esc + Frame icon key + RightArrow + fn
(the four corners keys on the keyboard) |
Reset the touchpad if the pointer behaves strangely when you use the touchpad
|
| fn + spacebar
|
View source code system wide. This command may not work in all applications.
|
| fn + up arrow
|
Page Up
|
| fn + down arrow
|
Page Down
|
| fn + left arrow
|
Home
|
| fn + right arrow
|
End
|
| ctrl + brightness down
|
Backlight off - black&white mode
|
| ctrl + brightness up
|
Full brightness - color mode
|
| ctrl + volume down
|
Mute
|
| ctrl + volume up
|
Full volume
|
Hardware Specifications
Storage
Random access memory (RAM): 256 megabytes
Built-in Flash, instead of a traditional hard disk: 1 gigabyte
Expansion:
- 3 USB sockets (can be used with external or portable storage devices)
- 1 SD card slot, for multi-gigabyte Secure Digital cards
NOTE: With the wireless network, you can store additional files to your school's server or to other network storage locations.
Peripheral devices
- Built-in microphone
- Video and still picture camera: 640x480 pixels at 30 frames per second
Networking
The wireless networking capability supports the following standards:
- WiFi: 802.11b/g (2.4GHz)
- Mesh: 802.11s
Detailed Specification
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Hardware_specification
License
All chapters copyright of the authors (see below). Unless otherwise stated all chapters in this manual licensed with GNU General Public License version 2
This documentation is free documentation; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.This documentation is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.
You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this documentation; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
Authors
ABOUT COMPUTERS
© Anne Gentle 2008
Modifications:
adam hyde 2008
Charles McCarthy 2008
A Holt 2008
Janet Swisher 2008
Sandy Culver 2008
INTRODUCTION
© Walter Bender 2008
Modifications:
Anne Gentle 2008
Tom Boyle 2008
ABOUT OLPC
© Anne Gentle 2008
Modifications:
adam hyde 2008
A Holt 2008
Rob Mason 2008
Sandy Culver 2008
Tom Boyle 2008
POWERING OF YOUR LAPTOP
© Seth Woodworth 2008
Modifications:
Anne Gentle 2008
CARING FOR YOUR XO
© Anne Gentle 2008
Modifications:
adam hyde 2008
Janet Swisher 2008
Sandy Culver 2008
BATTERY CHARGING
© Anne Gentle 2008
Modifications:
adam hyde 2008
Charles McCarthy 2008
A Holt 2008
Janet Swisher 2008
Rob Mason 2008
Sandy Culver 2008
Seth Woodworth 2008
Tom Boyle 2008
CREDITS
© adam hyde 2006, 2007, 2008
NETWORKING HARDWARE
© Anne Gentle 2008
Modifications:
adam hyde 2008
Sandy Culver 2008
Tom Boyle 2008
STORAGE
© Anne Gentle 2008
Modifications:
adam hyde 2008
Brian Jordan 2008
Caryl Bigenho 2008
A Holt 2008
Sandy Culver 2008
Tom Boyle 2008
GETTING STARTED
© Caryl Bigenho 2008
Modifications:
adam hyde 2008
Anne Gentle 2008
Charles McCarthy 2008
A Holt 2008
Lisa Lewis 2008
Rob Mason 2008
Tom Boyle 2008
GETTING SUPPORT
© Anne Gentle 2008
Modifications:
adam hyde 2008
A Holt 2008
Sandy Culver 2008
Tom Boyle 2008
GIVE ME THE INTERNET
© Anne Gentle 2008
Modifications:
Brian Jordan 2008
Caryl Bigenho 2008
A Holt 2008
Janet Swisher 2008
Sandy Culver 2008
S Page 2008
Tom Boyle 2008
HARDWARE SPECIFICATIONS
© Anne Gentle 2008
Modifications:
adam hyde 2008
A Holt 2008
Janet Swisher 2008
HOW TO REFLASH
© Anne Gentle 2008
Modifications:
adam hyde 2008
Brian Jordan 2008
A Holt 2008
Michael Stone 2008
Mitch Bradley 2008
Tom Boyle 2008
HOW TO VOLUNTEER
© Anne Gentle 2008
Modifications:
adam hyde 2008
Caryl Bigenho 2008
Charles McCarthy 2008
A Holt 2008
Janet Swisher 2008
Michael Stone 2008
Rob Mason 2008
Sandy Culver 2008
Tom Boyle 2008
INTRODUCTION
© Anne Gentle 2006, 2008
Modifications:
adam hyde 2006, 2007, 2008
A Holt 2008
Luke Faraone 2008
Michael Stone 2008
Rob Mason 2008
Sandy Culver 2008
Seth Woodworth 2008
Tom Boyle 2008
KEYBOARD
© Seth Woodworth 2008
Modifications:
Anne Gentle 2008
Brian Jordan 2008
Tom Boyle 2008
KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
© Anne Gentle 2008
Modifications:
adam hyde 2008
Janet Swisher 2008
Janis Grinbergs 2008
Martin Dengler 2008
Rob Mason 2008
Tom Boyle 2008
MAINTENANCE
© adam hyde 2008
Modifications:
Anne Gentle 2008
A Holt 2008
Sandy Culver 2008
Tom Boyle 2008
OPENING THE XO
© adam hyde 2008
Modifications:
Anne Gentle 2008
Caryl Bigenho 2008
Janet Swisher 2008
S Page 2008
PORTS
© Seth Woodworth 2008
Modifications:
adam hyde 2008
Anne Gentle 2008
Brian Jordan 2008
Tom Boyle 2008
REPAIRING
© adam hyde 2008
Modifications:
Anne Gentle 2008
A Holt 2008
Sandy Culver 2008
Tom Boyle 2008
REPLACING
© adam hyde 2008
Modifications:
Anne Gentle 2008
Janet Swisher 2008
Lisa Lewis 2008
WIRELESS DEVICES
© adam hyde 2008
Modifications:
Anne Gentle 2008
SAFETY
© adam hyde 2008
Modifications:
Anne Gentle 2008
A Holt 2008
Janet Swisher 2008
SCREEN
© adam hyde 2008
Modifications:
Anne Gentle 2008
Caryl Bigenho 2008
STARTING THE XO
© adam hyde 2008
Modifications:
Anne Gentle 2008
Caryl Bigenho 2008
Charles McCarthy 2008
A Holt 2008
Janet Swisher 2008
Rob Mason 2008
Sandy Culver 2008
Tom Boyle 2008
TROUBLESHOOTING
© adam hyde 2008
Modifications:
Anne Gentle 2008
Brian Jordan 2008
Caryl Bigenho 2008
A Holt 2008
Sandy Culver 2008
Tom Boyle 2008
Free manuals for free software
General Public License
Version 2, June 1991
Copyright (C) 1989, 1991 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA
Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies
of this license document, but changing it is not allowed.
Preamble
The licenses for most software are designed to take away your freedom to share and change it. By contrast, the GNU General Public License is intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change free software--to make sure the software is free for all its users. This General Public License applies to most of the Free Software Foundation's software and to any other program whose authors commit to using it. (Some other Free Software Foundation software is covered by the GNU Lesser General Public License instead.) You can apply it to your programs, too.
When we speak of free software, we are referring to freedom, not price. Our General Public Licenses are designed to make sure that you have the freedom to distribute copies of free software (and charge for this service if you wish), that you receive source code or can get it if you want it, that you can change the software or use pieces of it in new free programs; and that you know you can do these things.
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The precise terms and conditions for copying, distribution and modification follow.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR COPYING, DISTRIBUTION AND MODIFICATION
0. This License applies to any program or other work which contains a notice placed by the copyright holder saying it may be distributed under the terms of this General Public License. The "Program", below, refers to any such program or work, and a "work based on the Program" means either the Program or any derivative work under copyright law: that is to say, a work containing the Program or a portion of it, either verbatim or with modifications and/or translated into another language. (Hereinafter, translation is included without limitation in the term "modification".) Each licensee is addressed as "you".
Activities other than copying, distribution and modification are not covered by this License; they are outside its scope. The act of running the Program is not restricted, and the output from the Program is covered only if its contents constitute a work based on the Program (independent of having been made by running the Program). Whether that is true depends on what the Program does.
1. You may copy and distribute verbatim copies of the Program's source code as you receive it, in any medium, provided that you conspicuously and appropriately publish on each copy an appropriate copyright notice and disclaimer of warranty; keep intact all the notices that refer to this License and to the absence of any warranty; and give any other recipients of the Program a copy of this License along with the Program.
You may charge a fee for the physical act of transferring a copy, and you may at your option offer warranty protection in exchange for a fee.
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These requirements apply to the modified work as a whole. If identifiable sections of that work are not derived from the Program, and can be reasonably considered independent and separate works in themselves, then this License, and its terms, do not apply to those sections when you distribute them as separate works. But when you distribute the same sections as part of a whole which is a work based on the Program, the distribution of the whole must be on the terms of this License, whose permissions for other licensees extend to the entire whole, and thus to each and every part regardless of who wrote it.
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In addition, mere aggregation of another work not based on the Program with the Program (or with a work based on the Program) on a volume of a storage or distribution medium does not bring the other work under the scope of this License.
3. You may copy and distribute the Program (or a work based on it, under Section 2) in object code or executable form under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above provided that you also do one of the following:
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The source code for a work means the preferred form of the work for making modifications to it. For an executable work, complete source code means all the source code for all modules it contains, plus any associated interface definition files, plus the scripts used to control compilation and installation of the executable. However, as a special exception, the source code distributed need not include anything that is normally distributed (in either source or binary form) with the major components (compiler, kernel, and so on) of the operating system on which the executable runs, unless that component itself accompanies the executable.
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This section is intended to make thoroughly clear what is believed to be a consequence of the rest of this License.
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NO WARRANTY
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END OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS