Puppy on "One Laptop Per Child" OLPC?

Using applications, configuring, problems
Message
Author
User avatar
mdd
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri 03 Jun 2005, 00:16

Re: for kids

#16 Post by mdd »

mdd wrote:
raffy wrote:It's designed for kids, so perhaps mimic one. :)

When demonstrating the live XO live CD today, I noticed that it can use multiple desktops (activities), but they get shown in the frontpage wheel. When moving the mouse to the borders, the control icons at the borders would show.

Pretty neat design, I should say. Maybe it's the processor horsepower that is needed for the user to enjoy its features.
I think the OLPC software really stinks. It seems a classic example of interface designers wanting to do something new, and throwing out all the lessons learned about gui design over the last 20 years.

I bought three, one for each of my kids for Christmas. They looked at the OLPC interface like it was something from Mars. After playing with it for a while (having to reboot it three times in an hour due to freezups), they all decided that it just wasn't worth the trouble.

I also had two spare eeePCs laying around, so I gave the two eldest the choice between the OLPC or the eeePC. The eee won hands down. It wasn't even close. Now the youngest is feeling cheated. I think that the only option to rescue the holiday for her is to get Puppy working on her OLPC. The first person to get it ported will have my, and my daughter's, undying gratitude.

--MDD
I'd be happy to send an OLPC to Barry, if that would help.

--MDD

raffy
Posts: 4798
Joined: Wed 25 May 2005, 12:20
Location: Manila

same here

#17 Post by raffy »

You just posted what I was thinking. :)

Barry Kauler Address: PO Box 359 Perenjori WA 6620 Australia

He is currently building Dingo (Puppy4) and including both the Intel Classmate and eeePC in the detection routine. If he gets an OPLC unit, that will be an excellent addition to his laboratory. See http://puppylinux.com/blog/

Now, when it comes to doing mesh networking, OLPC will then do mesh with the Classmate PCs (?). Only in the Puppy kennel... :D

ADDITIONS:

Puppy 2.14R with updated Xorg that can handle the AMD Geode CS5536 chip: http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=24574

My post about the possibility of booting Puppy in the OLPC:
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 434#151434

My fun experiment for the eee PC (WPA and microphone problems are still being solved at this moment): http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=24881
Puppy user since Oct 2004. Want FreeOffice? [url=http://puppylinux.info/topic/freeoffice-2012-sfs]Get the sfs (English only)[/url].

User avatar
BlackAdder
Posts: 385
Joined: Sun 22 May 2005, 23:29

One to Barry - would leave two

#18 Post by BlackAdder »

If you send one to Barry, that would leave you with a couple to experiment with. And you might like to try this until the arrival of a Puppy version that uses all the capability of the XO.
While waiting for the servers to finish churning last night, I put
together an UNOFFICIAL Debian "etch" 4.0 + XFCE4 build for the XO. It
includes Firefox, Thunderbird, a suite of development tools (python,
git, gcc, gdb, flex, bison, automake, autoconf, libtool), a music
player (XMMS), IRC client (irssi) and a graphical wireless AP
selector. The entire build takes up 250MB of flash. I optimized the
Firefox window layout to give you maximum screen estate, and
configured a number of keyboard shortcuts. Feedback welcome. Standard
disclaimer applies.


How to install
--------------

1. download the following two files to a USB stick:

<http://radian.org/~krstic/etch-xfce.tar>
<http://radian.org/~krstic/etch-xfce-home.tar>

2. get a developer key, disable security
3. boot the normal build, switch to tty1 (ctrl+alt+f1), become root
4. mount the USB key if not automounted; let's say it's mounted at /
media/KEY
4. # cd /versions/pristine; tar xf /media/KEY/etch-xfce.tar
5. # cd /home/olpc; tar xf /media/KEY/etch-xfce-home.tar
6. # cp -rl /versions/pristine/debian /versions/run/debian
7. # /usr/sbin/setattr -R --iunlink /versions/run/debian
8. # ln -s /versions/pristine/debian /versions/boot/alt
9. # sync
10. Power off the XO. Power on and immediately hold the 'O' game key
(right hand side of the screen.

Boot should now proceed to a blue-background login screen. Log in as
user 'olpc' with password 'olpc' -- that user has sudo access. Give
XFCE a bit of time to load, and voila! Use the keyboard shortcuts
below for some of the most useful options. Note that Firefox can take
up to 15-20s to load after you start it, and you won't see a progress
indication on the screen; that's expected. Also, you don't need to
hold the 'O' key to boot into Debian next time; it'll be the default.
Holding the key will get you back to the regular Sugar build.


Keyboard shortcuts
------------------

- Ctrl+alt+w -- wireless AP picker
- Ctrl+alt+t -- xterm (also alt+`)
- Ctrl+alt+f -- firefox
- Ctrl+alt+b -- thunderbird
- Ctrl+alt+x -- xmms

Enjoy,

--
Ivan Krsti? <krstic@solarsail.hcs.harvard.edu> | http://radian.org
Ivan Kristic is a member of the OLPC team, and the above is from a post to the OLPC developer list.

BTW, have you tried mesh networking your XO's? If you connect one to an ethernet router port, they can all access the web via the mesh (according to material about school servers).

A green (and white) with envy BlackAdder.

User avatar
BarryK
Puppy Master
Posts: 9392
Joined: Mon 09 May 2005, 09:23
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Contact:

#19 Post by BarryK »

Hey, have you seen my Classmate page:
http://www.puppylinux.com/baby-laptops/classmate.htm
[url]https://bkhome.org/news/[/url]

User avatar
Lobster
Official Crustacean
Posts: 15522
Joined: Wed 04 May 2005, 06:06
Location: Paradox Realm
Contact:

#20 Post by Lobster »

Seen It. Dugg it . . . awaiting T-shirt :)
http://digg.com/hardware/Puppy_Frolics_in_the_Classroom
Puppy Raspup 8.2Final 8)
Puppy Links Page http://www.smokey01.com/bruceb/puppy.html :D

PlatonicPimp
Posts: 34
Joined: Tue 26 Jun 2007, 21:56

#21 Post by PlatonicPimp »

Come on, I love Puppy, and I love my new XO. Don't make me choose between the two.

What, precisely, prevents us from booting puppy from a stick? Or even a external cdrom attached via USB?

From there, how do we enable the special hardware options of the XO? The built in camera, the Wireless mesh networking, the brightness adjusters? According to a thread I found here (http://olpcnews.com/forum/index.php?topic=592.0), it seems to be as simple in many cases as finding the proper command and binding it to the key, but I have to admit I'm not savvy enough to completely follow the conversation.

Then, we can worry about installing it to the hard drive.

I only know enough linux to grasp basic concepts and follow directions. I also know this will take a lot of experimenting on someone's part. Since no-one seems to be chomping at the bit to give it a go for the shear challenge of it, what incentive can I and others offer to see this get taken on? I will do whatever I can to assist on this project.
I am running Buddapup 4.00 on an Itronix gobook 1 with an intel 85 processer and 256 MB ram, and an old desktop who's stats I completely don't know. In both cases I boot from CD at all times. I'm desperately trying to get this to work on an OLPC.

raffy
Posts: 4798
Joined: Wed 25 May 2005, 12:20
Location: Manila

one answer

#22 Post by raffy »

I gave you one answer here. :oops:

Thanks for your enthusiasm - Happy New Year!
Puppy user since Oct 2004. Want FreeOffice? [url=http://puppylinux.info/topic/freeoffice-2012-sfs]Get the sfs (English only)[/url].

User avatar
mdd
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri 03 Jun 2005, 00:16

Re: same here

#23 Post by mdd »

raffy wrote:You just posted what I was thinking. :)

Barry Kauler Address: PO Box 359 Perenjori WA 6620 Australia

He is currently building Dingo (Puppy4) and including both the Intel Classmate and eeePC in the detection routine. If he gets an OPLC unit, that will be an excellent addition to his laboratory. See http://puppylinux.com/blog/
OK. I sent it out via Express Mail today. They said it would get there by about Jan 14th.

--MDD

PlatonicPimp
Posts: 34
Joined: Tue 26 Jun 2007, 21:56

#24 Post by PlatonicPimp »

Heh, "whatever I can" does not include shipping away a new laptop a week after I get it. It was far too great a financial outlay for me. Thank you mdd for doing what I could not and sending an XO to Barry. May your praises be sung.

As I posted in that other thread, user rkevans on the OLPCNews forums apparently is working towards this as well, perhaps efforts can be coordinated. http://olpcnews.com/forum/index.php?topic=574.0

I'll happily subject my XO to beta testing builds and the like. I can't think of much other than that. You are right, raffy, I'm enthusiastic but mostly useless. :oops:
I am running Buddapup 4.00 on an Itronix gobook 1 with an intel 85 processer and 256 MB ram, and an old desktop who's stats I completely don't know. In both cases I boot from CD at all times. I'm desperately trying to get this to work on an OLPC.

raffy
Posts: 4798
Joined: Wed 25 May 2005, 12:20
Location: Manila

?

#25 Post by raffy »

You are right, raffy
Huh - I've never said anything yet. :lol:
Puppy user since Oct 2004. Want FreeOffice? [url=http://puppylinux.info/topic/freeoffice-2012-sfs]Get the sfs (English only)[/url].

User avatar
BarryK
Puppy Master
Posts: 9392
Joined: Mon 09 May 2005, 09:23
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Contact:

Re: same here

#26 Post by BarryK »

mdd wrote:OK. I sent it out via Express Mail today. They said it would get there by about Jan 14th.
mdd, that's incredible! I guess from your post about all the baby laptops you own, you're not short of a dollar or two. But, anyway, if I get Puppy running on it, I'll send it back for your daughter to use.
[url]https://bkhome.org/news/[/url]

User avatar
mdd
Posts: 29
Joined: Fri 03 Jun 2005, 00:16

Re: same here

#27 Post by mdd »

BarryK wrote:
mdd wrote:OK. I sent it out via Express Mail today. They said it would get there by about Jan 14th.
mdd, that's incredible! I guess from your post about all the baby laptops you own, you're not short of a dollar or two. But, anyway, if I get Puppy running on it, I'll send it back for your daughter to use.
No need. I had three of them. Please keep it. With all you've done for us, it would be my pleasure.

--MDD

User avatar
Lobster
Official Crustacean
Posts: 15522
Joined: Wed 04 May 2005, 06:06
Location: Paradox Realm
Contact:

#28 Post by Lobster »

8) There you are in a developing country (not the poorest) and the schooling system provide books in the form of a little green laptop.

Now as geeks we might have preferences. Kids adapt to what they have. Sugar is sweet and the commercial arena is providing its own saccharine . . .

Those kids will experiement. Even a hint of a Puppy hiding in their laptop and they might be tempted . . .

Sugar uses Python, a great usable language (for kids and beginners)

Barry has done a 15 minute review of the OLPC laptop on his Blog. I hope in the future more time (yep I am still trying to compress more time into less space) will be available.

Given time everything changes (I read that on a cereal packet) 8)
Puppy Raspup 8.2Final 8)
Puppy Links Page http://www.smokey01.com/bruceb/puppy.html :D

cthisbear
Posts: 4422
Joined: Sun 29 Jan 2006, 22:07
Location: Sydney Australia

#29 Post by cthisbear »

mdd :
" OLPC donation received
January 18th, 2008

I would like to thank Mike (’mdd’ in the Puppy Forum) for sending me a OLPC XO laptop to get Puppy running on it. That is extremely generous, as Mike purchased it then sent it to me — actually, he bought 3, or was that 6 due to the buy-2 plan?. I have the green one: "


Good one Mike.

Chris

rrolsbe
Posts: 185
Joined: Wed 15 Nov 2006, 21:53

Re: One to Barry - would leave two

#30 Post by rrolsbe »

I followed the instruction to install Debian on my XO, It trys to boot but errors out before completion. Does this work on the XO's with the native 650 build? I believe Ivan had version 653.

While waiting for Puppy for the XO, might learn something using Debian.

I also want to thank mdd for the donation of one of his XO's. I was not that generous but I did make my second donation to Barry hoping he might port Puppy to the XO.

Regards
Ron
BlackAdder wrote:If you send one to Barry, that would leave you with a couple to experiment with. And you might like to try this until the arrival of a Puppy version that uses all the capability of the XO.
While waiting for the servers to finish churning last night, I put
together an UNOFFICIAL Debian "etch" 4.0 + XFCE4 build for the XO. It
includes Firefox, Thunderbird, a suite of development tools (python,
git, gcc, gdb, flex, bison, automake, autoconf, libtool), a music
player (XMMS), IRC client (irssi) and a graphical wireless AP
selector. The entire build takes up 250MB of flash. I optimized the
Firefox window layout to give you maximum screen estate, and
configured a number of keyboard shortcuts. Feedback welcome. Standard
disclaimer applies.


How to install
--------------

1. download the following two files to a USB stick:

<http://radian.org/~krstic/etch-xfce.tar>
<http://radian.org/~krstic/etch-xfce-home.tar>

2. get a developer key, disable security
3. boot the normal build, switch to tty1 (ctrl+alt+f1), become root
4. mount the USB key if not automounted; let's say it's mounted at /
media/KEY
4. # cd /versions/pristine; tar xf /media/KEY/etch-xfce.tar
5. # cd /home/olpc; tar xf /media/KEY/etch-xfce-home.tar
6. # cp -rl /versions/pristine/debian /versions/run/debian
7. # /usr/sbin/setattr -R --iunlink /versions/run/debian
8. # ln -s /versions/pristine/debian /versions/boot/alt
9. # sync
10. Power off the XO. Power on and immediately hold the 'O' game key
(right hand side of the screen.

Boot should now proceed to a blue-background login screen. Log in as
user 'olpc' with password 'olpc' -- that user has sudo access. Give
XFCE a bit of time to load, and voila! Use the keyboard shortcuts
below for some of the most useful options. Note that Firefox can take
up to 15-20s to load after you start it, and you won't see a progress
indication on the screen; that's expected. Also, you don't need to
hold the 'O' key to boot into Debian next time; it'll be the default.
Holding the key will get you back to the regular Sugar build.


Keyboard shortcuts
------------------

- Ctrl+alt+w -- wireless AP picker
- Ctrl+alt+t -- xterm (also alt+`)
- Ctrl+alt+f -- firefox
- Ctrl+alt+b -- thunderbird
- Ctrl+alt+x -- xmms

Enjoy,

--
Ivan Krsti? <krstic@solarsail.hcs.harvard.edu> | http://radian.org
Ivan Kristic is a member of the OLPC team, and the above is from a post to the OLPC developer list.

BTW, have you tried mesh networking your XO's? If you connect one to an ethernet router port, they can all access the web via the mesh (according to material about school servers).

A green (and white) with envy BlackAdder.

User avatar
BarryK
Puppy Master
Posts: 9392
Joined: Mon 09 May 2005, 09:23
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Contact:

#31 Post by BarryK »

rrolsbe,
Have you looked into whether the OLPC boots off an external USB drive? Maybe this has already been discussed, but I'm coming into this subject cold.
The Classmate was a pushover, as it is very conventional, an ordinary BIOS that I was able to configure to recognise external USB pen drive or CD drive.
[url]https://bkhome.org/news/[/url]

raffy
Posts: 4798
Joined: Wed 25 May 2005, 12:20
Location: Manila

OFW

#32 Post by raffy »

BlackAdder posted previously about the Open Firm Ware FAQ:
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/OFW_FAQ

rrolsbe
Posts: 185
Joined: Wed 15 Nov 2006, 21:53

Booting from external USB and SD Cards

#33 Post by rrolsbe »

Barry

You may have seen my post in this thread regarding running Debian on the XO. When I first scanned the instructions for doing so, I assumed Debian would be running from the USB stick; however, the USB stick is only being used to store the downloaded tar files that are ultimately transferred into the XO's internal NAND JFFS2 file system. Not sure why Ivan did not gzip the two tar files to reduce the file download time??

From what I have read online, I believe the XO is capable of booting from many external USB sources. The stickler is figuring out how to make it work with the non-standard OFW bios.

With X-Mas, the passing of my Step-Dad and work, I have not had much time to pursue booting other OSes on my XO.

Glad to hear you received your donated XO. I have only read about the new ASUS laptop, but from what I can deduce, the hardware on the XO has some unique features the ASUS doesn't have. The XO also makes a great bookreader for the same cash outlay as a Kindle.

Regards
Ron

PS.. I only use the XO keyboard and mouse pad when I am truly portable. An external keyboard and mouse work great. I have a very small external USB mouse and plan to buy a small folding keyboard. ALSO, load up the Opera Browser ported to the XO you will be glad you did!

User avatar
prehistoric
Posts: 1744
Joined: Tue 23 Oct 2007, 17:34

hacking OLPC

#34 Post by prehistoric »

This article was just slashdoted. http://www.geek.com/feature-hacking-the-xo-laptop/

PlatonicPimp
Posts: 34
Joined: Tue 26 Jun 2007, 21:56

#35 Post by PlatonicPimp »

Ubuntu has already been hacked to work on the XO, perhaps reading these or contacting their authors will assist.

http://www.freelikegnu.org/?p=21

Admittedly, I can't follow it myself, so I have no idea if it's useful to you.

http://olpcnews.com/forum/index.php?topic=1436.0

If I'm following what's going on there correctly, they've ported the special bits to the kernel, recompiled, and then shared the files so others can download their special modified kernel. Maybe that's all it takes?

And in those instances XO is decidedly booting from the USB. Some people have reported success booting from and SD card as well, but others have reported resounding, drive reformatting failure.
I am running Buddapup 4.00 on an Itronix gobook 1 with an intel 85 processer and 256 MB ram, and an old desktop who's stats I completely don't know. In both cases I boot from CD at all times. I'm desperately trying to get this to work on an OLPC.

Post Reply