[olpc-help] Recover process => Boot failed. Cause for RMA?

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your reply, Richard. The main points I wanted to understand were:
  1. Whether the "recover process" (power-on holding the O gamepad key) fails for every G1G1 laptop, or just mine
  2. Whether the failure is a problem requiring an RMA

I've decided that an RMA is not required. I'm comfortable with the upgrade process that you outlined in your answer. I've done it a couple of times...to build 653 and back to 650. But the "boot from alternate disk image" procedure always fails anyway. Apparently, my XO is just fine, and the alternate boot failure is irrelevant.

I did a bit of research in the wiki. I would be really grateful if some knowledgable person -- perhaps you, Richard :-) -- could comment on or confirm the following:

<speculation>
It seems, from this (http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Firmware_Security), that "boot from alternate disk image" (also known here (http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Support_FAQ#How_can_I_restore_my_Give1Get1_XO_to_its_factory_configuration.3F) as the "recover process") just uses a different directory. not some "hidden" memory containing a special image. Specifically:

> 
> the "primary" images are the files in /boot, and the "secondary" images are the files in /boot-alt, unless the "O" gamepad key is held down during boot, in which case the roles reverse: the primary files come from /boot-alt, and the secondary files come from /boot.
> 

Seeing this, I immediately went to the terminal to list the directories in root (/) with either build 650 or 653. Answer: there's no /boot-alt there (or anywhere, as a symbolic link or otherwise), just /boot. So, my speculation is that this "recover process" information is out-of-date and is not applicable to the G1G1 machines, and that holding down the "O" game key is bound to fail because the directory structure it expects isn't there.
What does work just fine is reflashing the entire NAND memory from a USB stick. 

Perhaps the way to wipe out unwanted OS changes without losing one's activity data is to save the /boot directory and its content, and restore it if necessary?
</speculation>

Nick Tindall

P.S. I fear this discussion might be getting off the topic of "Support Questions." If so, I'd be grateful for a redirect to a more appropriate forum.