[OLPC Engineering] [Techteam] New F14-arm build os21

[Sridhar Dhanapalan]

On 31 August 2011 18:53, James Cameron <quozl at laptop.org> wrote:
> On Thu, Jul 21, 2011 at 08:22:42AM +1000, James Cameron wrote:
>> On Wed, Jul 20, 2011 at 06:40:55AM -0400, Martin Langhoff wrote:
>> > Once they learn that a particular key combination "finishes" runin
>> > earlier, accidents can happen with surprising frequency.
>>
>> How is the power button being prevented?
>>
>> If the problem is that an early termination is indistinguishable from a
>> test success, why not change runin accordingly?  I'm happy to do that if
>> needed.
>
> I didn't get an answer to my question.  This has come up ... Bert has
> noticed that Ctrl-Alt-Erase doesn't work any more.  #11202.  The
> installed base obviously got used to it.  Withdrawing a useful feature,
> even if undocumented, will cause an increase in support costs.
>
> So I've investigated the effect of Ctrl-Alt-Erase on runin.
>
> When manufacturing tag TS is set to RUNIN, runin-main will be run on
> boot, which will start the X server and execute runin-tests within it.
>
> On normal successful completion, the preserve function in runin-tests
> replaces /boot/olpc.fth with one that changes the TS tag to SHIP, in
> inject-tags.
>
> When the X server is terminated by Ctrl-Alt-Erase, runin-tests aborts
> immediately, and so the preserve function is not executed, and the
> system is then rebooted.  On the next boot, with TS still set to RUNIN,
> the tests are restarted.
>
> The same thing happens with a battery removal or power button hold.
>
> So, when you say that this key combination "finishes" runin earlier, can
> you explain your observations further?
>
> If this was the only justification for removing the feature, then I urge
> you to reconsider, and restore the feature.

We're currently evaluating 11.3.0, and I recently discovered that
Ctrl+Alt+Erase doesn't work on XO-1.5s.

This feature is used by teachers in the field, and by us in testing.
Its removal is a regression for us.

I've updated #11202.


Sridhar Dhanapalan
Engineering Manager
One Laptop per Child Australia