[IAEP] Testing SoaS at Waltham MA YMCA

[Caroline Meeks]

2 of the computers were boat anchors as far as I could tell and could not
boot into windows. I will confirm and then see if someone locally wants to
take them appart and try to fix them.

I unfortunately did not have the password to get into windows.  They are
getting me that for next time. The person I am working with did believe they
had network access from windows.

I brougth a Puppy CD with me, I've found Puppy is the most likely to boot a
machine.  I didn't use it this time though as I ran out of time and I wasn't
really sure where to start!  I can go back as soon as Tuesday, its only 15
minutes from both Walter and my houses. (its right in the middle!).

Keep the suggestions coming!!

Thanks,
Caroline

On Sat, Apr 4, 2009 at 6:52 PM, Carol Farlow Lerche <cafl at msbit.com> wrote:

> Welcome to the world of school computers.
>
> My suggestions:
>
> Take a blank formatted SOAS drive with you.  Take a (Fedora/Ubuntu) live cd
> with you.
>
> When testing, if the first soas boot fails, you should:
>
> Boot windows.  See if the windows boot has network access.  See if the
> cursor/mouse is working.
>
> See if you can read the soas stick having data (e.g. see the files.  Read
> some specific file).  See if you can write the soas stick with no data.
>
> If you can't do these things the machine is a boat anchor.
>
> If you can, see if you can boot the livecd.  gmail the dmesg output to
> yourself and the list ... more diagnosis will be possible.
>
> Any other suggestions from the more knowledgeable?
>
>
> On Sat, Apr 4, 2009 at 3:27 PM, Caroline Meeks <caroline at solutiongrove.com
> > wrote:
>
>> YMCA Computer Lab 4/4/09
>>
>> The Waltham YMCA is a community center with a room with 10 computers
>> pretty much all different.  We have been invited to present Sugar at Healthy
>> Kids Day on April 18th.
>>
>> I went today to test SoaS
>>
>> Overall Results
>>
>> Only one computer (#8) was able to run SoaS2
>>
>> Three computers ran SoaS1 = #2, #3, #4,
>>
>> No computers could connect to the internet or see any other Sugar machine.
>>
>> Here are my notes. It worries me that we are giving out SoaS2 at FOSSVT
>> yet it seems to have a much higher failure rate. It would be good if we
>> could figure out some of these bugs.
>>
>> Detailed Notes:
>>
>> Starting to the left of the door ordering computers clockwise.
>>
>>
>>  Computer 1 – Does not stay on regardless of USB – Broken Computer.
>>
>>
>>  Computer 2 – F8 for setup then you can boot from USB.
>>
>> SoaS2 Assuming Drive Cache write Through – No boot
>>
>> SoaS1 – Boots
>>
>>
>>  Computer 3
>>
>> Boots with CD helper on Soas2 but you can't see a curser for the mouse. I
>> can tell its there because I can get the frame to appear and disappear.
>>
>> SoaS1 Boots and you can see the curser arrow
>>
>> No internet access no one in neighborhood
>>
>> Del allowed me to change bios to boot from USB. Booting SoaS1
>>
>>
>>  Computer 4
>>
>> SoaS2 Assuming Drive Cache write Through – No boot
>>
>> SoaS1 – Boots, no internet access, no one in neighborhood.
>>
>>
>>  Computer 5
>>
>> Delete to enter setup.
>>
>> SoaS1 create symlink error.
>>
>>
>>  Computer 6
>>
>> Power button appears to be broken – Broken Computer
>>
>>
>>  Computer 7
>>
>> Started to boot from USB SosS2
>>
>> :: Denied BIOS AML access to invaldi pot 0x4d0+0x2
>>
>> SoaS1 Gets to blue line then
>>
>> EXT – Fs error device dm-0 ext3_journal_start_sb deteceted aborted journal
>> – inode 6609, block544159 and 54305
>>
>> Remounting filesystem read-only
>>
>> but does not boot
>>
>>
>>
>>  Computer 8
>>
>> Boots SoaS 2 from USB, no internet
>>
>> Used Del then changed the order of the hard drives
>>
>> Sound works
>>
>>
>>  Computer 9
>>
>> Used Del then changed the order of the hard drives
>>
>> SoaS2
>>
>> :: Denied BIOS AML access to invaldi port 0x4d0+0x1 (PICO)
>>
>> [sdb] Assuming drive cahce: write through
>>
>>
>>  SoaS1 – you must specify a file system type
>>
>>
>>  Computer 10
>>
>> SoaS2 with Boot helper - Canot find root file system
>>
>> Same error with SoaS1
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Caroline Meeks
>> Solution Grove
>> Caroline at SolutionGrove.com
>>
>> 617-500-3488 - Office
>> 505-213-3268 - Fax
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!)
>> IAEP at lists.sugarlabs.org
>> http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep
>>
>
>
>
> --
> "It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary
> depends upon his not understanding it." -- Upton Sinclair
>



-- 
Caroline Meeks
Solution Grove
Caroline at SolutionGrove.com

617-500-3488 - Office
505-213-3268 - Fax
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