[Server-devel] [laptop.org #8321] Questions about XO mesh networking

John Watlington wad at laptop.org
Thu Mar 27 14:26:15 EDT 2008


On Mar 27, 2008, at 9:57 AM, Bryan Berry wrote:

>
> Matt, you will need to configure Jabber on the School server so  
> that the
> XO's are not running in mesh while they are at the school. You want  
> them
> to use a regular access point because 200 XO's all meshing in one  
> place
> will crash your network.

Too many people have two layers/features confused into one.
Let's please try to stop propagating this confusion.

Mesh networking happens at the link layer.   If you have an Active  
Antenna,
you are using mesh networking to talk to the server.  If you have no  
access
points, the laptops use mesh networking to talk to one another.

> Jabber emulates the mesh-functionality so kids can use the sharing
> features even though the mesh is effectively turned off when you use a
> regular wireless router.

Collaboration has nothing to do with the link layer mesh (unless it  
breaks it...)
Collaboration can either happen in an ad-hoc way (laptop to laptop) or
in a centralized manner (through an XMPP/Jabber server).

Ad-hoc collaboration between large number of laptops generates lots of
multicast traffic, which can be rough on a network, and it won't work  
unless
the laptops are on the same subnet.   Centralized collaboration works  
better
when you have lots of laptops, and it allows the laptops to be anywhere
(not just in the same subnet.)

> You set the Jabber server individually on each XO by doing the  
> following
> from the command line:
>
> sugar-control-panel -s jabber servername

You should run the identity manager on your server
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/School_Identity_Manager
and use "Register" from the Home UI screen.   It will
automatically set this, and also prepare both the server
and the laptop for eventual backup.

> Here is the wiki page on EJabber config, it's a bit complex
> http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Ejabberd_Configuration

That page, while useful, was rewritten by Morgan Collett.
The user friendly one is at:
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Installing_ejabberd

Cheers,
John




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