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[olpc_franco]

I just installed OX build 653.  I am posting this especially for those that are real beginners with the linux OS (like me).  This was easy to do.

The problem started with the unexplained disappearance of the journal application.  The OX booted to the desktop but the journal did not appear.  Any attempt to open any other application resulted in the application icon appearing but it would just blink and placing the cursor over it show that it was "Starting..."

Unfortunately I could have waited until hell froze over.

Thanks to rekvans from this forum who led me to the solution, I went to

http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Activated_Upgrade

and printed up the "Activate Upgrade."  From that I only needed to use the "Upgrade the Activated Laptop."

I got the new build (653) here:

http://download.laptop.org/xo-1/os/official/

I put the following files in the root of my pen drive:
os653.img
fs.zip

Next I shut down the OX and inserted the pen drive.

Next I started the boot and immediately pushed all four of the gaming buttons (the four on the right).

The screen told me to release the gaming button.  I let go of all four.

The OX looked at the pen drive for a valid .zip and found it and started to erase (?? build 650?).  A large grid appeared and each white box started to blacken as the erase progressed.

Then green began replacing the black boxes.  That did not cover the whole grid.

The OX rebooted.

It asked me for a name just as when I took it out of the box.

It asked me to select a color of my OX icon.

It then booted to the desktop just fine and it was like new.

To see your new build, use this command in the terminal screen:
cat /boot/olpc_build

[intelliot]

My XO shipped with build 650 and I'm running it right now. What changed between build 650 and build 653?

[Irish_Moss]

http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Test_Group_Release_Notes#Build_653.2C_Ship.2_Patch
Is a link to the current release notes, but it looks like that still applies to 650. 
653 is still pretty new.  Maybe they just haven't updated the notes yet.


I just found this:  http://dev.laptop.org/~bert/ship.2-pkgs.html
But I'm not sure that really means much to anyone outside of the devs.

[olpc_franco]

I, for one, don't know how build 653 differs from 650. I am a linux beginner... more of a beginner beginner.  I did the update to correct a "lost" journal, and it fixed my problem and I got some good experience in upgrading from a usb pen drive.

If anyone finds out, I hope they post a summary here for those of us who are not linux-educated enough to understand the explanations of experts.

[thf]

Hi...

BE CAREFUL with operating system updates. You can wind up very unhappy.

Like any computer, the XO's operating system has problems remaining to be solved. One of my XOs had a really bad case of the "jumpy cursor" problem and I was hoping an OS upgrade would help.

The XO has a built-in way to upgrade the operating system safely. It requires internet access.

In a terminal window, become the root user by entering:       
        su -l   
(that's lower-case letter L) then enter:
        olpc-update 653

That's all there is to it. The XO will contact the olpc mothership and download the code necessary to upgrade your operating system to the latest stable one (in this case, 653). It will verify and then install the software.

The "olpc-update" command will not install unstable OS builds (the developers don't make them available to it). Installing test and other "in-process" builds isn't a good idea unless you are comfortable in Linux and want to experiment/explore the "behind the scenes" environment and don't mind jumping through some hoops to fix what may become an inoperable computer.

Tom

[olpc_franco]

Of course, thf's warning and advice are good.  I cannot connect to the internet at home because I have WPA encryption on my wireless router.  I have obtained a slower B router and will try that with no encryption.  So I had to use the method I described to fix my XO.  I just couldn't go to bed without knowing I fixed the darn thing.  Didn't have to patience to go to a cafe the next day. 

Interestingly, at a cafe today the XO connected but the browser did not work.  Did not figure out why yet.

[olpc_franco]

thf, can you reinstall the original 650 with your command syntax or will it just get the latest?

[koaziji]

I just upgraded to 653, and as far as I can make out there are two ways to upgrade.

Using olpc update from terminal will preserve your data and setups.

Using a usb stick results in a clean install, which wipes out all your data. The olpc wiki calls it an activated upgrade, and suggests it for the upgrade to 653.
Look under the subhead "Before You Begin" on here.

In general, any os upgrade is cleaner and smoother with a fresh install. Of course you always have the issue of backing up your files, but all I did was save the two or three things that mattered to me on another usb stick.

BTW, 653 is the latest signed release, meaning olpc considers it ready for all users.

[Sieghard]

It looks like http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Olpc-update has been recently updated itself.  The "Simple manual upgrade" directions seem appropriate for most users.

[LaPaglia]

I just upgraded to 653, and as far as I can make out there are two ways to upgrade.

Using olpc update from terminal will preserve your data and setups.

Using a usb stick results in a clean install, which wipes out all your data. The olpc wiki calls it an activated upgrade, and suggests it for the upgrade to 653.
Look under the subhead "Before You Begin" on here.

In general, any os upgrade is cleaner and smoother with a fresh install. Of course you always have the issue of backing up your files, but all I did was save the two or three things that mattered to me on another usb stick.

BTW, 653 is the latest signed release, meaning olpc considers it ready for all users.

Well I did the OLPC-update 653 and it installed fine but all the prgs that I had installed line Mplayer, MC, aMSN, Kopete and others no longer work. I was under the impression that when installed this way you preserved all the stuff you had done. Obviously I was not correct. I can switch back to the 650 with the boot O trick and its all there. So I can still use the computer. IF I reinstall everything on the new update will that increase the storage space for the programs to double?


FYI, After playing with Build 653 for a few minutes I'm going back to the 650. The Frame doesn't go away half the time and that is enough of a reason for me to wait. Id still like to know if it was an error in my understanding. Perhaps only the Data is saved and the additional programs are not there. Now that I think of it that makes sense. At least the power up - Game key O gets me back to my other side. I think there is a way to replace the 653 in the other area with the original 650 too. Since it replaced the version I was not using I wonder if booting on my working 650 and then updating again will replace the 653 with the new unused 650?

[Carol]

It looks like http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Olpc-update has been recently updated itself.  The "Simple manual upgrade" directions seem appropriate for most users.

I think the page must have updated again; there's currently no topic "Simple manual upgrade".  I just used the USB stick method and it's as easy as everybody says.  It took fewer than 5 minutes for the XO to install the current stable build 653 from the time I booted it with the flash drive in the jack till the time it rebooted itself.  Then I waited and in a couple minutes it asked me for a name and asked me to choose my colors.  I also now have the frame issue LaPaglia mentions above. 

[olpc_franco]

I think Sieghard meant "Simple Online Upgrade," the title of the page that was linked in his post.

I haven't tried updating from Console, myself and  koaziji doesn't say he ever tested it, so... upgrader or restorer, read up on it before you do it.

Upgrading to newer builds are a fact of linux life if you want to stay up to date.  There is a very simple way to deal with the process of upgrading is, first of all, to understand what you are doing and how the machine is constructed.  Upgrading goes to the latest build, restoring replaces a corrupt or problem system with the same build number.

I use the usb drive method and I will deal with the complete wipe-out by documenting what changes I make in the os so that they can be duplicated in the new build.  These include any editing of system files to get the machine to do what I want and any files that have to be put in a certain place in order that programs can find them.  An example is a music codec.

I keep backups of all my favorite non-XO programs and all necessary codecs or lib files that my non-XO programs will need.

I install all my non-XO programs on usb drive(s).  This preserves all my hard work.  I run them from the external drive and I see no difference in performance and gives me an enormous amount of space to put programs.

My machine has 47% free space and I am sure I can free up more if I try to find stuff I installed and never deleted when reinstalled on the external drive... e.g., opera.

LaPaglia, I notice you have 21 posts, so I assume you are new.  A lot of folks have had the same surprise as you with upgrades, as well as myself.  I use methods that work for me.  You may have to work out your own or try tmethods used by others that have dealt with this issue already.

You will be seeing more new builds down the road, so you need a method for dealing with them now.  There is a lot of information in the forum on this subject and folks are helpful.

[LaPaglia]

<snip>
LaPaglia, I notice you have 21 posts, so I assume you are new.  A lot of folks have had the same surprise as you with upgrades, as well as myself.  I use methods that work for me.  You may have to work out your own or try tmethods used by others that have dealt with this issue already.

You will be seeing more new builds down the road, so you need a method for dealing with them now.  There is a lot of information in the forum on this subject and folks are helpful.

Well we all cant be as verbose as you are 

I already have a system in place. Lots of notes and the ability to type really fast on the XO keyboard.

[olpc_franco]

LaPaglia:

You're in business then...

As for the number of my posts, I am aiming for my fourth star and a new title

[sracer]

For myself, I'm finding that having Ubuntu/Xfce installed on a 2GB SD card and keeping the nandflash with as vanilla a Sugar setup as possible (only installed Opera), gives me the flexibility of tinkering and learning the "OLPC experience" AND using the XO as a more traditional laptop.

When new builds are released, I can install a new build with minimal fuss and should something go wonky I'll still have the Ubuntu boot option.