Difference between revisions of "MacBuild PPC Checklist"

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This is the in-progress checklist for PPC desktop and laptops.  Please go to the discussion pagefor the in-progress Intel instructions.
 +
 
=OS X Triage=
 
=OS X Triage=
 
==Getting Started==
 
==Getting Started==
===Attach network cable and power supply===
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===Attach keyboard/mouse, monitor, network cable, and power cord (as necessary)===
 
----
 
----
 
===Install components for triage===
 
===Install components for triage===
*Install RAM in each available memory slot
 
*Install an AirPort/AirPort Extreme wireless card
 
  
You may need to install more parts than specifications require in order to test the system (e.g. you may need to install more RAM in a system than we'd actually need for building because we want to test all the RAM slots at once).  If that's the case, remember to remove any excess components after the triage is complete.
+
'''Only install tested components if working on a standard desktop system (PowerMacG4 and PowerMacG5); do not install tested components on hard-to-open systems'''
 +
*Install a tested/wiped HDD
 +
*Install the appropriate amount of tested RAM  
 +
*Install a tested battery if it is easily accessible
 +
*Install an AirPort/AirPort Extreme wireless card (depending on build specs) if not already present
 
----
 
----
 +
 
==Hardware Testing==
 
==Hardware Testing==
===Boot into OS X===
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There are a few different ways to boot into OS X in MacBuild.  Pick the appropriate option from the following, or ask an instructor for help.
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===Wipe the Hard Drive: ONLY COMPLETE THIS STEP IF YOU WERE NOT ABLE TO SWAP IN A WIPED HARD DRIVE===
====From an external FireWire HDD (for PPC systems)====
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If it isn't easy to replace the hard drive with one that is wiped we'll need to wipe the hard drive that is in the computer. This specifically applies to all Mac laptops and iMacG5s with iSight:
* Connect the OS X 10.4 FireWire HDD to the system
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* Boot to the network by starting the computer and holding down the '''N''' key.
* Connect the FireWire HDD to a power source
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* At the first boot prompt choose '''w''' (ltsp disk wiper).
* Make sure the FireWire HDD is turned on (there's a power switch on the back of the drive)
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* When the computer stops at a log-in prompt, change to alternate terminal 7 by selecting the '''control+alt+F7''' keys simultaneously. You may need to hold the '''FN''' key on laptops as well. Note: you may have to try these key combinations multiple times for them to take effect.
* Hold the ''Option'' key on the keyboard while system starts up to enter the Startup Manager
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* When you get the tty7 prompt, type <code>disktest</code> and select return. This should start the S.M.A.R.T. test.
* Select the FireWire drive from the Startup Manager to boot into OS X 10.4
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* Wait for confirmation of the HDD, then press enter.
====From an external USB HDD (for Intel systems)====
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* If the drive passes the S.M.A.R.T. test it will automatically start the badblocks test which will wipe the disk. If it fails the S.M.A.R.T test it will tell you to recycle the drive.
 +
 
 +
The badblocks test usually takes 4 or more hours to run.
 +
 
 +
NOTE: On a few macs, primarily iMac G5s, when you boot to the network and choose the '''w''' (ltsp disk wiper) option the machine will freeze with a white screen error. For these machines wipe the hard drive by using the OS X disk utility and the Zero Out Data option:
 +
* Boot to the external drive
 +
* open disk utility
 +
* select the internal drive in the left panel
 +
* select the erase tab
 +
* select Security Options and click the Zero Out Data option
 +
* click the erase button and confirm your choice
 +
----
 +
 
 +
===Reset the NVRAM and set the date===
 +
To reset the NVRAM we must first boot into Open Firmware. We do this by starting the computer and holding down the '''option-apple-O-F''' keys simultaneously. When the Open Firmware screen comes up look at the date. If the date is incorrect (most commonly the year is 1904) you can set the computer real time clock using the following command:
 +
 
 +
decimal dev rtc sec min hour day month year set-time
 +
 
 +
So to set the clock to 10 seconds past 11:15PM on December 31st, 2005, the command would be:
 +
 
 +
decimal dev rtc 10 15 23 31 12 2005 set-time
 +
 
 +
The Open Firmware prompt should type ok after this.
 +
 
 +
NOTE: if you want to set the clock to Greenwich Mean Time add 7 hours (during the summer - daylight savings time) or 8 hours during the winter to the local time.
 +
 
 +
To reset the NVRAM you can type the following commands in the specified order:
 +
*<code>reset-nvram</code>
 +
*<code>set-defaults</code>
 +
*<code>reset-all</code>
 +
 
 +
The system will reboot after the '''reset-all''' command is entered.
 +
----
 +
 
 +
===Booting into OS X===
 +
 
 +
'''From Network:'''
 +
* Connect ethernet cable from the wall to the system
 +
* Hold down the ''N'' key on the keyboard while the system starts up to enter the network boot screen.
 +
 
 +
'''From External HDD:'''
 
* Connect the OS X 10.5 USB HDD to the system
 
* Connect the OS X 10.5 USB HDD to the system
 
* Connect the USB HDD to a power source
 
* Connect the USB HDD to a power source
 
* Make sure the USB HDD is turned on (there's a power switch on the back of the drive)
 
* Make sure the USB HDD is turned on (there's a power switch on the back of the drive)
 
* Hold the ''Option'' key on the keyboard while system starts up to enter the Startup Manager
 
* Hold the ''Option'' key on the keyboard while system starts up to enter the Startup Manager
* Select the USB drive from the Startup Manager to boot into OS X 10.5
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* Select the USB drive (OS X Testing HDD) from the Startup Manager to boot into OS X
====From the network (for PPC systems)====
+
----
*Hold the '''n''' key as the system starts up
 
*Release the '''n''' key once a globe starts flashing on the screen
 
*Press the '''m''' key at the bootloader to boot into OS X 10.5
 
*Wait a few minutes while the OS loads
 
  
Regardless of which method you use, here are a few things to remember:
 
*Depending on the system's specifications, it may take a few minutes to boot into the OS
 
*If a system shows a '''black rectangle''' in the middle of the screen, complains about a '''kernel panic''', asks for a '''restart''', or does something other than load the OS, notify an instructor and set the system aside for troubleshooting
 
----
 
 
===Log into OS X===
 
===Log into OS X===
*The username is '''oem''', and the password is '''freegeek'''.
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*If a warning box appears while you are logging in, just click "ignore"
 
----
 
----
 +
 
===Confirm hardware===
 
===Confirm hardware===
*Click on the apple icon in the upper-left corner of the screen
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*Click on the System Profiler icon in the dock.
*Select the '''About This Mac''' option from the menu
 
*Click the '''More Info''' button to launch the ''System Profiler''
 
 
*Check the '''ATA''' and '''Memory''' sections of ''System Profiler'' to confirm that it matches what you've added to the system so far
 
*Check the '''ATA''' and '''Memory''' sections of ''System Profiler'' to confirm that it matches what you've added to the system so far
 
**If it fails to see the HDD or reports the amount of memory incorrectly, the system may have a bad logic board and end up getting recycled.  Ask an instructor for troubleshooting assistance
 
**If it fails to see the HDD or reports the amount of memory incorrectly, the system may have a bad logic board and end up getting recycled.  Ask an instructor for troubleshooting assistance
Line 46: Line 82:
 
----
 
----
  
===Test CD/DVD writing===
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===Test CD writing===
If you determined that the optical drive in the system can write CD-RWs or DVD-RWs, do the following:
+
If you determined that the optical drive in the system can write CD-RWs, do the following:
*To erase a rewritable disk
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*Erase a rewritable CD disk
** Open up '''Disk Utility''' (Click on the icon of the HDD you booted from that is on the desktop, and navigate to '''Applications -> Utilities'''.  '''Disk Utility''' will be in that folder.)
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** Insert a CD-RW disk
 +
** Open up '''Disk Utility''' (Click on the '''Disk Utility''' icon in the dock)
 
** Click on the optical drive on the left sidebar of the '''Disk Utility''' window
 
** Click on the optical drive on the left sidebar of the '''Disk Utility''' window
 
** Click on the ''Erase'' tab that comes up on the right side of the window
 
** Click on the ''Erase'' tab that comes up on the right side of the window
 
** Confirm that it will perform a quick erase, and click on the '''Erase''' button
 
** Confirm that it will perform a quick erase, and click on the '''Erase''' button
*To write to a blank rewritable disc
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** When the erasing is complete you'll get a dialog box. Choose '''Open Finder''' from the drop down menu and click OK. This will mount the disk on the desktop.
** Click on the icon of the HDD you booted from that is on the desktop, and navigate to '''Applications'''
+
 
** Drag and drop a random application onto the CD or DVD icon on the desktop
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*Write to a blank rewritable disk
** Double-click the CD or DVD icon on the desktop
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** Select the '''burnme.cdr''' file in the left panel of '''Disk Utility''' and click the '''Burn''' button at the top of Disk Utility.
** Click on the '''Burn''' button near the upper-right corner of the window
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** The disk should automatically eject when finished. If the disk icon still appears of the desktop, drag it into the trash. 
 +
** Leave Disk Utility open for the following step.
 +
----
 +
 
 +
===Erase the internal hard drive so that the Mac OSX installer will recognize it===
 +
** Select the hard drive in the left panel of '''Disk Utility'''
 +
** Choose the '''Erase''' tab
 +
** Clock on the '''Erase''' button at the lower right
 +
** Quit the disk Utility application
  
 
----
 
----
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*Click on the AirPort icon near the upper-right corner of the screen
 
*Click on the AirPort icon near the upper-right corner of the screen
 
*Check to see if the '''Freegeek''' wireless network shows up on the list
 
*Check to see if the '''Freegeek''' wireless network shows up on the list
*If you are netbooted, do NOT select a wireless network out of the list.  If you are booted from an external HDD, disconnect the wired network, select '''Freegeek''' from the list, open up a browser, and navigate to any web page.  If you see the Free Geek click-through page, it works.
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Disconnect the wired network, select '''Freegeek''' from the list, open up a browser, and navigate to any web page.  If you see the Free Geek click-through page, it works.
 
----
 
----
  
===Label the system===
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===Test the memory===
*Check off what worked and what didn't on a label, and attach the label to the system
+
NOTE: This test should only be run if you were not able to install all tested memory (in the case of laptops and iMac g4 internal memory).
----
+
*Open "rember" by clicking on the icon in the dock.
===Shut down and remove excess components===
+
*click ok, leave selected default settings, and run the test.
*Ask an instructor to confirm what, if anything, should be removed from the system
+
** The test should take 5-30 minutes depending on the amount of RAM and the speed of the processor. With large amounts of RAM (over 1.0 GB) it may take up to an hour.
 +
* If any memory fails the test, replace it with good tested memory
 
----
 
----
  
=Build=
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===Stress test the cpu===
==Before you begin==
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*Click on the cpu test icon in the dock
NOTE: This Build process is intended for PPC systems, but it can easily be adapted for Intel systems.  If you are working on an Intel system, ask your instructor for assistance.
+
*choose primenet as the test type and start test
==Getting Started==
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**This should take 3-10 minutes
===Attach network cable and power cord===
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*If this test fails, mark the printme sheet with the test results and sell the computer as-is, or recycle it - ask your instructor
 
----
 
----
===Clear the PRAM===
 
The parameter RAM, or PRAM for short, is used by Apple systems to store all sorts of settings.  Sometimes certain settings will prevent us from being able to successfully work on a system, so we should always reset the PRAM on systems we will be working on.
 
  
To reset the PRAM, hold the '''Option+Apple+p+r''' keys while the system is starting up.  Continue holding the keys until the system chimes three timesRelease the keys after the third chime is heard and shift quickly to the '''Option+Apple+o+f''' keys. If you don't hear any chimes at all, just hold the keys for a minute, and then shift to the '''Option+Apple+o+f''' keys.
+
===Stress test the gpu===
 +
*Set up the screen saver for the gpu test.
 +
**Under the Apple menu select '''System Preferences''' > '''Desktops and Screen Saver'''
 +
**Scroll down to the bottom and select '''GPULife'''
 +
**Select '''Options''', unclick '''limit framerate''' and click '''show framerate'''
 +
**Set '''Zoom''' to '''1''' and click '''OK'''
 +
*Drag your mouse arrow to the very bottom right-hand corner of the screen. 
 +
*A black screen should come up with lots of colorful moving dots which are being generated by the gpu.
 +
*Look for any artifacting (obvious glitches, lines, popping lights, cross hatching)Any artifacting points to gpu failure.
 +
*Also check to see that the frames per second number at the bottom left-hand of the screen stays consistent.   
 +
*If everything looks good after a minute or so, you can exit the screen by moving your mouse out of the corner.
 +
*If there are any gross artifacts, such as lines on the screen or a plaid screen, then note the defects on the printme sheet and sell the computer as-is or recycle it - ask your instructor. Occasional white pixels are OK.
 
----
 
----
 
+
===Test the iSight camera (if installed)===
===Set the system clock and NVRAM in Open Firmware===
+
*Double click on the OS X Testing HDD icon and then double click on Applications. Double click on the Photo Booth application to open it. If you can see yourself in the Photo Booth application the camera works.
While starting up, hold the '''Option+Apple+o+f''' keys. Release the keys when the Open Firmware prompt comes up.  In order to set the system clock in open firmware, you need to run a set of commands Open Firmware understands. The command you will be running uses the following syntax:
 
*<code>decimal dev rtc [seconds minutes hour day month year] set-time</code>
 
All values aside from the year should be two-digit numbers in 24-hour format.  The year should be a four-digit number.  Additionally, the clock needs to be set to UTC, so remember to add 7 hours to the current time if on regular time or 8 hours during Daylight Saving Time.  For example, to set the clock to 1:58 PM on September 18th, 2009, the command would be
 
*<code>decimal dev rtc 00 58 20 18 09 2009 set-time</code>
 
To reset the NVRAM type the following commands in the specified order:
 
*<code>reset-nvram</code>
 
*<code>set-defaults</code>
 
*<code>reset-all</code>
 
 
 
The system will reboot after the '''reset-all''' command is entered.
 
 
----
 
----
==Installation==
 
===Start the network installation and run badblocks if necessary===
 
To access this install, hold down the '''n''' key (for network) while the computer starts. As soon as the network icon starts blinking on the screen you may release the '''n''' key.
 
  
# At the first boot prompt enter an '''l''' (for linux). At the second boot prompt:
+
===Check The Battery (laptop only)===
#* Press ''return'' to default to installing the PPC version of Ubuntu 9.04.
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*Select the Coconut Battery icon from dock. Note the battery capacity (not the current charge) and remember that we will need to enter this value in the Notes portion of the printme sheet. For example: "according to Coconut Battery the battery has 67% of original capacity".
# The installation will stop at the keyboard selection. Accept the defaults (No or USA) for the next 3 screens and the installation will continue automatically.
+
===Test the Keyboard (laptop only)===
# If prompted to choose between wired and wireless network choose eth0 (wired)
+
*Double click on the OS X Testing HDD icon and then double click on Applications. Double click on the TextEdit application to open it. Test the keyboard by typing all numbers and letters and symbols, both lower case and upper case. Make sure that the keys all work correctly.
# When prompted for a hostname, delete the current entry and enter '''macbox''' in its place
+
*This test is for laptops only. We don't need to test desktop keyboards because they are tested in receiving.
# When prompted for HDd partitioning we need to make a decision.
 
#* If this is a computer that has had a wiped and tested hard drive installed, or if it successfully completed '''badblocks''', we can accept the default and let the installation proceed.
 
#* If this is a computer that came straight from Mac Eval or TARDIS, it needs to have the hard drive tested with '''badblocks'''. To do this we choose "Go Back" and then select "Execute a shell" from the menu. At the prompt, run the following:
 
#**<code>badblocks -wvvf -c1024 -e1 /dev/hda</code>
 
#* If that command fails, try
 
#**<code>badblocks -wvvf -c1024 -e1 /dev/sda</code>
 
#* It will take anywhere from 3 to 8 hours to run badblocks.
 
#** If there are any bad blocks we must replace the hard drive.
 
#** If there are no bad blocks, you can proceed with the installation. To do this type "exit" to leave the shell, select "Partition drives" from the list, choose "Guided Partitioning" when the partitioner starts and then accept the defaults and the rest of the installation will proceed automatically.
 
The remainder of the installation will take approximately 30 minutes and the computer will automatically reboot following the installation.
 
----
 
==Hardware/Software Testing==
 
===Start up Ubuntu===
 
* Log into the system using the username '''oem''' and password '''freegeek'''.
 
* If the system has problems starting up, refer to [http://wiki.freegeek.org/index.php/MacBuild_Desktop_Build#Special_Configurations the Special Configurations list]
 
----
 
===Set up the environment and verify hardware in the system===
 
* Add the Terminal to the panel so it can be launched quickly. You can do this by either dragging and dropping the terminal icon to the top panel, or, if you have a two-button mouse, by right-clicking on the terminal icon in the dropdown applications context menu and selecting '''Add this launcher to panel'''.
 
* Check to see if the splash screen has been enabled. To do this, run the following in a terminal:
 
**<code>sudo nano /etc/usplash.conf</code>
 
** If the splash screen has been configured to work already, you should see an entry that looks like this (the numbers may be different, but the syntax will be the same):
 
***<code>xres=1024 yres=768</code>
 
** If no entry is found, one must be added. To do so, do the following:
 
*** If you are working on a system with a built-in display, use the display's native resolution.
 
**** To determine a display's native resolution, click on '''System -> Preferences -> Display''' in the context menu (or '''System -> Preferences -> Monitors''', in some cases) and use the resolution provided there.  The resolution is usually correct, but ask an instructor if you have any doubts.
 
**** If you can't figure out your display's native resolution, just stick to the numbers used below
 
*** Add the appropriate resolution to the file in the following syntax:
 
****<code>xres=1024 yres=768</code>
 
*** Save the file and exit the editor
 
**** To save in ''nano'', press '''Ctrl+o'''.  ''nano'' will then ask you to confirm the file's name (it should stay as '''usplash.conf''').  Press the '''Enter''' or '''Return''' key to confirm.  If ''nano'' asks you for permission to overwrite the old file, say yes.
 
**** To exit ''nano'', press '''Ctrl+x'''. If you have already saved the file, ''nano'' will close.  If you have any unsaved changes, ''nano'' will ask you if you'd like to save your changes.  This dialog is essentially the same one you get when you press '''Ctrl+o'''.  ''nano'' will close once it receives your input.
 
*** Run the following in a terminal:
 
****<code>sudo update-initramfs -u</code>
 
* Verify the hardware in a system
 
** Run the following in a terminal:
 
***<code>sudo lshw</code>
 
****This runs a command called '''lshw''' (which stands for "list hardware")  The items to pay attention to are:
 
** Read through the output of the command and find:
 
***Amount of system memory
 
**** You should be able to find this under the '''memory''' heading in '''lshw'''.  If you installed the memory yourself, this readout should display the same amount of memory as what you installed.
 
**** Systems we build should have, at minimum, '''512 MB''' of RAM.  Ask your instructor to confirm that your system has the correct amount of memory installed.
 
***Type of optical drive
 
**** This can be found under the '''cdrom''' heading in '''lshw'''.
 
**** Systems we build should have, at minimum, a combo DVD reader/CD writer.  Refer to the [http://wiki.freegeek.org/index.php/MacBuild_Desktop_Build#Minimum_Specs minimum specification chart] on the Desktop Build section of the MacBuild wiki page for more detail.
 
***Presence of wireless card
 
**** This should be under one of the '''network''' headings.  You should look for an entry that mentions something about "Wireless interface" or "Broadcom".  If that exists, the system has a wireless card.
 
*This is a good time to shut down the system and install additional memory or a wireless card if they are missing. Ubuntu will not run well with 256MB of memory and will sometimes generate errors that don't occur when 512MB or more memory is installed.
 
* If you have a dual processor machine you may notice that the second processor (cpu1) has "DISABLED" listed after it in lshw. In order to enable the second processor run the following command:
 
**<code>sudo apt-get install linux-powerpc-smp</code>
 
 
----
 
----
  
===Test CD/DVD data and sound===
+
=Preparing Computer for End User=
# Insert, play, and eject a music CD
 
# If machine has a CD-RW or DVD-RW, use '''Brasero''' or '''K3b''' to erase a CD-RW disk, and create/burn a new data project.
 
#* In '''Brasero'''
 
#** To erase a disc, go to '''Tools -> Blank''' in '''Brasero''''s context menu
 
#** To burn a disc, click on the '''Data Project''' button, drag and drop a bunch of files from the Examples folder in the default user's home directory (you can pull up the current user's home directory by going to '''Places -> Home Folder''' via the context menu in the upper-left corner of the screen)
 
#* In '''K3b'''
 
#** To erase a disc, go to '''Tools -> Format/Erase rewritable disk''' in '''K3b''''s context menu
 
#** To burn a disc, go to '''File -> New Project -> New Data Project''' in '''K3b''''s context menu, drag and drop a bunch of files from the Examples folder in the default user's home directory (you can pull up the current user's home directory by going to '''Places -> Home Folder''' via the context menu in the upper-left corner of the screen)
 
# If machine has a DVD drive:
 
#* Insert a data DVD and inspect directory contents.  If you can see the files on a disc, it probably works.
 
----
 
  
===Check if WiFi works (if the system has a wireless card)===
+
===Generate "printme" report for system===
*Unplug the network cable
 
*Use Network Manager to find, and switch to, Free Geek's wireless network
 
*Open up a web browser and navigate to any page
 
*If the browser takes you to either the intended page or the Free Geek Wireless page, the wireless card works
 
* '''REMEMBER:''' Plug the network cable back in once you're done testing the wireless, as you'll need to be on the wired network for the '''printme''' process
 
  
 +
* In a terminal, type '''''printme'''''
 +
* Enter your volunteer ID in the Volunteer ID field
 +
* Job should be Builder
 +
* Type should be Apple or Apple Laptop
 +
* Choose whether the computer is covered or not (if it has an '''Uncovered Electronic Device''' sticker on it somewhere, it's NOT covered.  If it does NOT have a '''Uncovered Electronic Device''' sticker, it's covered)
 +
* Choose whether the computer is an FG-PDX system or not (if it has a '''FG-PDX''' sticker, it's covered.  If it does NOT have a '''FG-PDX''' sticker, it's NOT covered)
 +
* Notes should include the following information:
 +
** no OS installed
 +
** processor type and speed
 +
** Hard Drive size
 +
** memory size and speed
 +
** optical drive info
 +
** wireless card info
 +
** Battery test results for laptops
 +
*Print to HP LaserJet 4000 series (C344E7) which is located in Laptops. (This printer is referred to as Laptop when on an Ubuntu Operating system at Free Geek).
 
----
 
----
===Test the laptop battery===
 
To start the test:
 
# Make sure the battery is fully charged
 
# Insert an audio CD into the optical drive
 
# Launch audio player, play disc, set on repeat and mute the speaker.
 
# Open a terminal and run:
 
#* '''''batterytest'''''
 
# Disconnect the power supply
 
# Leave the system running until it powers off
 
  
To check the results:
+
===Prep system for the store===
# Open a terminal and run:
+
*Clean the system and remove any stickers from the previous owner
#* '''''batterytest'''''
+
*Add small Free Geek sticker to the system
# Record the results in the notes section of the "printme" report
+
*Bundle system with a power supply (if a laptop)
----
+
*Take the system to the store or place on storage shelf as appropriate.
===Generate "printme" report for system===
 
#Set up the printer by selecting System - Administration - Printing. When the printers window opens, select server and then settings and click on the top box (access printers shared by other computers). Close the printing window.
 
# In a terminal, type '''''printme'''''
 
#* Enter your volunteer ID in the Volunteer ID field
 
#* Job should be changed to Builder
 
#* Type should be changed to Apple
 
#* Choose whether the computer is covered or not (if it has an '''Uncovered Electronic Device''' sticker on it somewhere, it's NOT covered.  If it does NOT have a '''Uncovered Electronic Device''' sticker, it's covered)
 
#* Choose whether the computer is an FG-PDX system or not (if it has a '''FG-PDX''' sticker, it's covered.  If it does NOT have a '''FG-PDX''' sticker, it's NOT covered)
 
#* Notes should include the following information:
 
#** Any components that show up in lshw (modems, certain wireless cards) that aren't supported by Ubuntu should be listed
 
#** Any special issues the machine has
 
#** If WiFi or disc burning work in OS X but not in Ubuntu, note it here
 
# When asked where to print the report, select the printer '''Double'''.
 
 
----
 
----
  
===Power down the system, attach the printme sheet, and take to the store or place on storage shelf as appropriate.===
+
 
 +
[[Category:Macintosh Archive]]

Latest revision as of 18:41, 5 November 2013

This is the in-progress checklist for PPC desktop and laptops. Please go to the discussion pagefor the in-progress Intel instructions.

OS X Triage

Getting Started

Attach keyboard/mouse, monitor, network cable, and power cord (as necessary)


Install components for triage

Only install tested components if working on a standard desktop system (PowerMacG4 and PowerMacG5); do not install tested components on hard-to-open systems

  • Install a tested/wiped HDD
  • Install the appropriate amount of tested RAM
  • Install a tested battery if it is easily accessible
  • Install an AirPort/AirPort Extreme wireless card (depending on build specs) if not already present

Hardware Testing

Wipe the Hard Drive: ONLY COMPLETE THIS STEP IF YOU WERE NOT ABLE TO SWAP IN A WIPED HARD DRIVE

If it isn't easy to replace the hard drive with one that is wiped we'll need to wipe the hard drive that is in the computer. This specifically applies to all Mac laptops and iMacG5s with iSight:

  • Boot to the network by starting the computer and holding down the N key.
  • At the first boot prompt choose w (ltsp disk wiper).
  • When the computer stops at a log-in prompt, change to alternate terminal 7 by selecting the control+alt+F7 keys simultaneously. You may need to hold the FN key on laptops as well. Note: you may have to try these key combinations multiple times for them to take effect.
  • When you get the tty7 prompt, type disktest and select return. This should start the S.M.A.R.T. test.
  • Wait for confirmation of the HDD, then press enter.
  • If the drive passes the S.M.A.R.T. test it will automatically start the badblocks test which will wipe the disk. If it fails the S.M.A.R.T test it will tell you to recycle the drive.

The badblocks test usually takes 4 or more hours to run.

NOTE: On a few macs, primarily iMac G5s, when you boot to the network and choose the w (ltsp disk wiper) option the machine will freeze with a white screen error. For these machines wipe the hard drive by using the OS X disk utility and the Zero Out Data option:

  • Boot to the external drive
  • open disk utility
  • select the internal drive in the left panel
  • select the erase tab
  • select Security Options and click the Zero Out Data option
  • click the erase button and confirm your choice

Reset the NVRAM and set the date

To reset the NVRAM we must first boot into Open Firmware. We do this by starting the computer and holding down the option-apple-O-F keys simultaneously. When the Open Firmware screen comes up look at the date. If the date is incorrect (most commonly the year is 1904) you can set the computer real time clock using the following command:

decimal dev rtc sec min hour day month year set-time

So to set the clock to 10 seconds past 11:15PM on December 31st, 2005, the command would be:

decimal dev rtc 10 15 23 31 12 2005 set-time

The Open Firmware prompt should type ok after this.

NOTE: if you want to set the clock to Greenwich Mean Time add 7 hours (during the summer - daylight savings time) or 8 hours during the winter to the local time.

To reset the NVRAM you can type the following commands in the specified order:

  • reset-nvram
  • set-defaults
  • reset-all

The system will reboot after the reset-all command is entered.


Booting into OS X

From Network:

  • Connect ethernet cable from the wall to the system
  • Hold down the N key on the keyboard while the system starts up to enter the network boot screen.

From External HDD:

  • Connect the OS X 10.5 USB HDD to the system
  • Connect the USB HDD to a power source
  • Make sure the USB HDD is turned on (there's a power switch on the back of the drive)
  • Hold the Option key on the keyboard while system starts up to enter the Startup Manager
  • Select the USB drive (OS X Testing HDD) from the Startup Manager to boot into OS X

Log into OS X

  • If a warning box appears while you are logging in, just click "ignore"

Confirm hardware

  • Click on the System Profiler icon in the dock.
  • Check the ATA and Memory sections of System Profiler to confirm that it matches what you've added to the system so far
    • If it fails to see the HDD or reports the amount of memory incorrectly, the system may have a bad logic board and end up getting recycled. Ask an instructor for troubleshooting assistance
  • Check the Disc Burning section of System Profiler to see what the optical drive in the system can do

Test CD writing

If you determined that the optical drive in the system can write CD-RWs, do the following:

  • Erase a rewritable CD disk
    • Insert a CD-RW disk
    • Open up Disk Utility (Click on the Disk Utility icon in the dock)
    • Click on the optical drive on the left sidebar of the Disk Utility window
    • Click on the Erase tab that comes up on the right side of the window
    • Confirm that it will perform a quick erase, and click on the Erase button
    • When the erasing is complete you'll get a dialog box. Choose Open Finder from the drop down menu and click OK. This will mount the disk on the desktop.
  • Write to a blank rewritable disk
    • Select the burnme.cdr file in the left panel of Disk Utility and click the Burn button at the top of Disk Utility.
    • The disk should automatically eject when finished. If the disk icon still appears of the desktop, drag it into the trash.
    • Leave Disk Utility open for the following step.

Erase the internal hard drive so that the Mac OSX installer will recognize it

    • Select the hard drive in the left panel of Disk Utility
    • Choose the Erase tab
    • Clock on the Erase button at the lower right
    • Quit the disk Utility application

Check if WiFi works

  • Click on the AirPort icon near the upper-right corner of the screen
  • Check to see if the Freegeek wireless network shows up on the list

Disconnect the wired network, select Freegeek from the list, open up a browser, and navigate to any web page. If you see the Free Geek click-through page, it works.


Test the memory

NOTE: This test should only be run if you were not able to install all tested memory (in the case of laptops and iMac g4 internal memory).

  • Open "rember" by clicking on the icon in the dock.
  • click ok, leave selected default settings, and run the test.
    • The test should take 5-30 minutes depending on the amount of RAM and the speed of the processor. With large amounts of RAM (over 1.0 GB) it may take up to an hour.
  • If any memory fails the test, replace it with good tested memory

Stress test the cpu

  • Click on the cpu test icon in the dock
  • choose primenet as the test type and start test
    • This should take 3-10 minutes
  • If this test fails, mark the printme sheet with the test results and sell the computer as-is, or recycle it - ask your instructor

Stress test the gpu

  • Set up the screen saver for the gpu test.
    • Under the Apple menu select System Preferences > Desktops and Screen Saver
    • Scroll down to the bottom and select GPULife
    • Select Options, unclick limit framerate and click show framerate
    • Set Zoom to 1 and click OK
  • Drag your mouse arrow to the very bottom right-hand corner of the screen.
  • A black screen should come up with lots of colorful moving dots which are being generated by the gpu.
  • Look for any artifacting (obvious glitches, lines, popping lights, cross hatching). Any artifacting points to gpu failure.
  • Also check to see that the frames per second number at the bottom left-hand of the screen stays consistent.
  • If everything looks good after a minute or so, you can exit the screen by moving your mouse out of the corner.
  • If there are any gross artifacts, such as lines on the screen or a plaid screen, then note the defects on the printme sheet and sell the computer as-is or recycle it - ask your instructor. Occasional white pixels are OK.

Test the iSight camera (if installed)

  • Double click on the OS X Testing HDD icon and then double click on Applications. Double click on the Photo Booth application to open it. If you can see yourself in the Photo Booth application the camera works.

Check The Battery (laptop only)

  • Select the Coconut Battery icon from dock. Note the battery capacity (not the current charge) and remember that we will need to enter this value in the Notes portion of the printme sheet. For example: "according to Coconut Battery the battery has 67% of original capacity".

Test the Keyboard (laptop only)

  • Double click on the OS X Testing HDD icon and then double click on Applications. Double click on the TextEdit application to open it. Test the keyboard by typing all numbers and letters and symbols, both lower case and upper case. Make sure that the keys all work correctly.
  • This test is for laptops only. We don't need to test desktop keyboards because they are tested in receiving.

Preparing Computer for End User

Generate "printme" report for system

  • In a terminal, type printme
  • Enter your volunteer ID in the Volunteer ID field
  • Job should be Builder
  • Type should be Apple or Apple Laptop
  • Choose whether the computer is covered or not (if it has an Uncovered Electronic Device sticker on it somewhere, it's NOT covered. If it does NOT have a Uncovered Electronic Device sticker, it's covered)
  • Choose whether the computer is an FG-PDX system or not (if it has a FG-PDX sticker, it's covered. If it does NOT have a FG-PDX sticker, it's NOT covered)
  • Notes should include the following information:
    • no OS installed
    • processor type and speed
    • Hard Drive size
    • memory size and speed
    • optical drive info
    • wireless card info
    • Battery test results for laptops
  • Print to HP LaserJet 4000 series (C344E7) which is located in Laptops. (This printer is referred to as Laptop when on an Ubuntu Operating system at Free Geek).

Prep system for the store

  • Clean the system and remove any stickers from the previous owner
  • Add small Free Geek sticker to the system
  • Bundle system with a power supply (if a laptop)
  • Take the system to the store or place on storage shelf as appropriate.