Non-Network Time Protocol for Haiti?

[Adam Holt]

In short, http://NTP.org - by - sneakernet, not carrier pigeon :>

On Sun, Mar 6, 2016 at 12:06 PM, Adam Holt <holt at laptop.org> wrote:

> Clarifs below~
>
> On Sun, Mar 6, 2016 at 11:51 AM, Adam Holt <holt at laptop.org> wrote:
>
>> In Haiti many teachers and kids would prefer the time was set correctly
>> on their XO-1 laptops, no matter if the time is off by a couple minutes.
>> So they could really use a script that creates the following
>> /boot/olpc.fth, writing it out to an attached USB stick:
>>
>> \ Open Firmware
>> select /rtc decimal 0 0 0 1 1 1804 set-time
>> \ Optionally unlock XO
>> disable-security
>>
>> Then the teacher/operator can walk around the room to fix all XO's clocks
>> (refreshing the USB time as often as she/he wants).  Of course not every
>> day can be Haitian Independence Day (Jan 1 1804!) so what the script should
>> really do is create a timestamp 1 minute into the future, filling out those
>> 6 numbers above correctly.
>>
>> The untrained operator (teacher typically) will then move the USB stick
>> to the XO(s) in need, to set their RTC's (real-time-clocks).  Some
>> ambitious teachers will want to do this every month/semester it appears, to
>> sanitize/harmonize all clocks in their classroom/school as much as possible!
>>
>> Any recommended approaches to getting the UX clean, so that such
>> untrained operator have a visual confirmation that the USB stick has been
>> updated with a proper time-stamp, and (perhaps just as important??) the
>> stick mounted+unmounted effortlessly without too much risk, when this USB
>> stick is recreated hundreds of times within 1 day?  A non-confusing command
>> line script can work, that says basically 2 things:
>>
>>    - PLEASE INSERT A USB STICK
>>    - USB STICK READY: REMOVE IT NOW!
>>
>> The less keyboard activity required from the teacher the better.  But I'm
>> tempted by command syntax as follows:
>>
>
> usb-timestamper <minute*s*-into-the-future>
>
>
>> Such that running "/bin/usb-timestamper 5" would create USB sticks
>> timestamped 5 minutes into the future.  The default should be 1 minute into
>> the future, so running "/bin/usb-timestamper" would be equivalent to
>> "/bin/usb-timestamper 1".
>>
>> Conclusion: am just looking for general suggestions from everyone as we
>> cook up something simple!
>>
>
> We do not want to rely on networking or mesh At All.  KISS (key it
> simple/stupid) at the firmware level allows the teacher/operator to move
> thru the classroom quite rapidly, fixing the time on each XO laptop as
> often as s/he wants.  2 examples scenarios, showing how this will be used:
>
>    1. Teacher/operator may choose to run "usb-timestamper 10" once as
>    s/he enters each classroom, if she wants to timestamp the USB stick 10min
>    into the future, and then apply this rapidly to all 50 XO's in a
>    classroom/lab over the coming 20minutes.  Works great ifs/he does not care
>    that the XO's clocks are off by +/- 10min!
>    2. Or if teacher/operator is perfectionist, then usb-timestamper
>    (interactive command-line program) can be left running on hir own XO laptop
>    that s/he carries around the room -- updating the USB stick repeatedly
>    while walking around the classroom -- such that each of that room's 50 XO
>    laptops has an almost-exact clock, accurate within a minute or so.
>
>
>>
>> in this case, as USB sticks are the most reliable and quick approach in
>> this case.
>>
>> Clarif: I will of course train the teacher/operator to set the clock
>> correctly on their own XO-1, which will typically be running OLPC OS 13.2.7
>> -- so that all these "offline-NTP sticks" are created based on a reasonably
>> accurate baseline timestamp :)
>>
>> --
>> Unsung Heroes of OLPC, interviewed live @ http://unleashkids.org !
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Unsung Heroes of OLPC, interviewed live @ http://unleashkids.org !
>
> --
> Unsung Heroes of OLPC, interviewed live @ http://unleashkids.org !
>
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