Modification of Public OLPC Software

[Jim Gettys]

On Mon, 2007-09-24 at 22:19 -0700, big one wrote:
> I often use Linux without any X-Windows, but only svgalib: mplayer, links 2.0 browser, mp3blaster, etc. On FreeDOS (Free Disk Operating System), I can use display, arachne, pppd etc.
> 
> Because OLPC is sold to general public using "Buy 2 Get 1" G1G1, is it possible to customize OLPC:
> 1. Disable internal Flash Drive, and boot from external USB hard disk / external CD-ROM drive.

Yes.  given a correct kernel on the external drive (see below).

> 2. Boot to console mode (svgalib).

Yes.

> 3. Install Fedora, Mandriva or other Linux/BSD distro, FreeDOS. Use TWM / IceWM windows manager.

Yes, but not all our Linux changes are upstream in the kernel.org linux
yet: you'll need to run a kernel configured from our source pool until
it is, which is likely quite a while before we're all done.

Directions are in the wiki for doing Fedora/Debian installs using our
kernel.

BSD have not done a port.

FreeDOS requires support in the firmware we no longer have; the support
was closed source, and unmaintainable for us.

You can use whatever window manager you want; I've run a full Gnome
environment.

                                     - Jim


> Is the above ideas possible?
> Thank you.
> 
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-- 
Jim Gettys
One Laptop Per Child