[olpc-help] Various thoughts

[Andrew]

We are planning a pilot program in South Carolina, US

Here are a few questions I have compiled:

1) root passwords. The two sample laptops we have acquired thus far have a null string for the root password. Is this the default for each newly shipped unit? If so, is there any way possible to set root passwords en masse, automatically?  Or, perhaps, automated to SOME extent?

I have never heard of such a thing. Can a script (run with run privileges, i suppose), automatically (re)set the root password?

Ideally, of course, each unit should be assigned its own unique password - but how practical would it be to accomplish that, and then to implement it?  Tech support would always need to have a look-up table handy. Could one pull off such a procedure?

2) I have set up a DHCP server & internet gateway that works. However, when the XOs boot, they do not automatically try to obtain an IP address from the 172.18.0.1 ("school server").  

What is the best way to ensure automatic dhclient request?

Edit /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcf-eth0 to say "ONBOOT=yes" ?

Then, in case the server is down during boot, add a crontab to run every so often, which ensures we have an IP?

Or is there a "cleaner", better way?

3) how reliable are the batteries?  One of the two brand new XOs we got has a dead battery, a couple of weeks after it came in the mail.

4) Has anyone made a systemic attempt to assess the impact of the OLPC implementation upon academic progress, with the "control group" being the XO classrooms? In other words, such a study would have to be designed in advance, to be sure to collect all the relevant data from the very beginning.

5) Is it possible to use an external midi input device with the TamTam activity, to record the midi tracks? (a normal Midi keyboard)

6) insect infestation?  Has anyone reported pests such as roaches taking up residence in the XO?  I understand it is very tightly sealed.  (There have been pretty bad cases of infestation in take-home equipment in school programs in the past.)

thanks

Andrew