running pre-release images without signing

[John Gilmore]

Pia, 

> Am I able to make a pre-release signed image myself?

There is generally no reason to run "signed" images on your XO.
A stable, working unsigned image will run *just as well*.

The only thing a "signed" image can do is to be installed on a
lockdown machine that the user isn't free to upgrade.  But every XO
laptop user has the right to unlock their machine.  So if you want to
run any image of your choice, merely unlock the machines involved.
Get a "developer key" for each one, install it, and then run
"disable-security" on each one so it won't mysteriously re-lock itself
next time you reflash the OS.

It's utterly simple to always run XO's unlocked.  It makes them just
like any PC, like any Mac, like any other laptop, none of which demand
"signed" operating system software.  It would be simple for OLPC to
ship them unlocked.  The only reason people like you have troubles
like this is because OLPC defaults to sending out lockdown machines in
the trials (and claims that the countries demand lockdown machines in
the large contracts -- I have no way to verify the claim, and suspect
that the countries contract for this because OLPC offers it; there's
no lockdown offered in the competition, Intel Classmate or EEE PC).
No other computer you can buy (except for the iPhone) works this way.

	John