Assembly checklist

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Work through every step as well as you can, and then ask a neighbor or your build instructor if you still have questions. Try and learn the reason for each of the steps: this knowledge will come in handy later when, inevitably, things aren't going as smoothly.

Use your resources! There are lots available to you - your neighbor, the Build assistants and instructors and, of course, the internet. You can access tips and troubleshooting ideas on our wiki (http://wiki.freegeek.org) under Build tips. Some of the information contained therein is in the blue Build binder. If you run into something really weird, Google may be your best bet.

Your Build instructor will check the shelves to figure out what type of boxes we need built. Check the white board to find out what type of box to build, then work your way down this checklist.

Supplies like cards, rails, hard drives, etc. can be found on the metal racks in the center of the build workshop. An assortment of common DDR and DDR2 memory is kept in a box on the west end of the metal racks.

BEFORE YOU POWER ON

Check what needs to be built on the white board

  • Head to the warehouse and scope out a system you would like to build.
  • Be sure to pay attention to the Green Light label. It will give you a lot of important information, like the type of video, if it did not POST, if the processor is Dual Core, etc. Make sure that the box you are about to Build is appropriate for its spec.
  • If everything looks good, Grab the system from the warehouse, take it back to your build station, and figure out how to pop it open.

Check capacitors

  • Visually inspect motherboard capacitors for bulges/leaks. If you find one, ask your instructor for a "Rejected" sticker.

Make sure that covers are available for open bays

  • Some cases require specific (proprietary) parts. If we don't have extras on hand, we unfortunately have to recycle them...
  • You can substitute a CD-ROM drive if no compatible bay cover is available.

Is there Microsoft Branding (Certificates of Authenticity)? Asset tags? (identifying the last owner)? Or branded hardware tags on the faceplate (identifying original components such as RAM, HDD, Optical Drive etc)?

  • If there are, remove them. DO NOT remove FG-PDX, "uncovered electronic device" Processor tags or Green Light stickers.

Clean and vacuum out box

  • There are vacuums available in the Big Black Bucket near the Build shelves. The most effective way to clean out a box is to use a paint brush to kick up the dust while vacuuming.

Test battery

  • Grab a voltmeter and set it to DCV=20. Place one wand on the battery itself and one wand on a metal part of the case. The battery passes if its voltage shows as 3.0 or greater.

Install RAM

  • For DDR, try speed 266 (PC2100) first. If that doesn't work, try higher numbers. Sometimes the BIOS will tell you the needed speed.
  • For DDR2, try speed 533 (PC3200) first. If that doesn't work, try other numbers. Sometimes the BIOS will tell you the needed speed.
    • NOTE: If the slots look like DDR but don't fit, they are probably DDR2.
    • NOTE: For both DDR and DDR2, usually they should be paired in dual channels for higher performance (i.e., 2 sticks of RAM used in specific slots). Make sure you try all combinations of slots if you are having trouble getting the system to recognize the RAM, and consult an Instructor if you're still having trouble.

Install video card if needed

  • You do not need to install a video card if there is functional onboard video.
  • Ask an instructor if you need a PCI-e card; AGP cards are available in the Build room.

Initial power on

  • See if expected memory value is displayed during POST or in BIOS.

Power down

Remove floppy drive if possible

  • Remove the floppy drive if you can find a matching face plate to cover it. If there are no covers available, you can leave the drive in, but make sure it is unplugged from the motherboard and power supply. Make sure the floppy drive (sometimes called Diskette) is disabled in BIOS and removed from the boot sequence if possible.

Check for onboard NIC ((Network Interface Card, or ethernet.)

  • If none can be found, install a network card.

Install hard drive

  • Get the appropriately sized (according to spec sheet) hard drive from the supply shelf, or from an instructor. Also check to see if you need an IDE or SATA hard drive and make sure you have the necessary cables and power connections.
  • Install the hard drive and attach it to the power supply and motherboard. If IDE, make sure the jumper is set to the Master position. (Ask an instructor for more info.)
  • You will need to ask an instructor for any hard drives higher than 120 GB.

Install sound card if needed

  • If there's onboard sound, there's no need to install a sound card.

Install CD/CDRW/DVD/DVD-RW Drive(s)

  • If there are already optical drives installed in your system, take a look at their face-plates to determine their capabilities. If the drives are within spec for the box you're building, confirm they're properly jumpered as Master/Slave, or just Master if there's only one drive. If the the drives are outside of spec, pull them out and sort them into the appropriate boxes on the Build shelves. Replace with appropriate drives as needed.

Cover open slots and bays

  • Make sure you have coverings for all spaces that will not be filled with a card or drive. Look at similar cases for examples of what case pieces may look like. Be sure that these are screwed in tight and test them by pushing on each with your finger. If a slot cover falls out while a computer is on it can short out the motherboard.

BOOT AND ENTER BIOS

Attach monitor, keyboard, mouse, network, sound and power cords

Enter BIOS setup

  • Turn on the computer. The keystroke to enter BIOS should be displayed on the flash screen, before bootup, as well as the Boot Menu key, if applicable. If no flash screen appears, you have to guess the BIOS keystroke. Delete, Escape, Enter, F1, F2, F9, F10, and F12 are typical. Get into BIOS, and write down both the BIOS and Boot Menu keystrokes; this info will come in handy later.

Check date and time Check date and time in BIOS and change to the correct time if needed.

Restore BIOS defaults

  • You might need to search around to find the BIOS values that need checking. While you search, enjoy the pleasure of learning about BIOS configuration!

Detect hard drive

  • Search BIOS to see if it is recognizing the hard drive.

Set boot order

  • It should be: 1st-CD-ROM; 2nd-Hard drive. If possible, disable all other boot devices such as floppy drive or network boot from the boot sequence.

Make sure USB ports are enabled.

Save and exit BIOS

  • The system should reboot to the Ubuntu operating system.

HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE TESTING

Login to the system

  • username will be Default User
  • password = freegeek

Run "basiccheck"

  • From a terminal, type "basiccheck" Read through each of the tests and verify that they pass.

Learn to install a program through the Graphical User Interface (GUI - the mouse)

  • The first place to look for software to add is in the Ubuntu Software Center (Applications>Ubuntu Software Center). This gives you access to the Ubuntu supported applications plus many others. Search for "k3b" and install it. K3b is a CD/DVD authoring program.

Learn to install a program through command line

  • Open up a terminal and type "sudo apt-get install gimp" and press "Enter." This will install the photo editing program called Gimp.

Play an audio CD

  • Do you hear what you expect? Is it loud enough to be heard easily? Repeat for each CD-ROM drive. Repeat for additional sound ports.

Read data CD

  • If your file browser sees files on the drive, the CD-ROM can read files. Repeat for each CD-ROM drive.

Read DVD

  • If your file browser sees the file, the DVD-ROM can read files. If you are prompted to search for suitable plugins or codecs, please do not do this! The test still passes. Repeat for each DVD-ROM drive.

Test CD Writing (CD-RW/combo drives only)

  • Insert a CD-RW disc into the drive and open Brasero Disc Burning (under Applications >> Sound & Video.) Select Data Project, click on the green +, then select examples.desktop and click Add. Click Burn in the lower right-hand corner. A new window will pop-up with a few options. If available, select Use burnproof and Burn the image directly without saving it to disc and click Burn. When the disc is done, verify that it contains the examples file by re-inserting the disc and seeing what pops up on the desktop.
  • Blank the disc using Brasero by selecting Tools >> Blank.

Test DVD Writing (DVD-RW drives only)

  • Insert a DVD-RW disc into the drive and in the Brasero file browser follow the same steps as above to burn a data project. When the disc is done, verify that it contains the examples file by re-inserting the disc and seeing what pops up on the desktop.
  • Blank the disc using Brasero by selecting Tools >> Blank.

Remove all CDs and DVDs from the drive(s)

Test USB ports

  • Plug in a USB mouse, see that the cursor moves and can interact with things. Repeat with all USB ports, including front ports, if any.

Test for booting from live CD

  • Place Ubuntu live CD in drive and restart the computer. The system should boot from the live CD. Allow it to boot to the first Ubuntu installation screen. If it got to an installation screen, it works. Eject the disc and hit CTRL+ALT+DEL to restart.

Run "printme" from terminal

  • From a terminal, type "printme". A form will appear in the Firefox browser. Check the white board for what should be recorded in the notes section, as well as anything that is special or unusual about the system, including how to get into BIOS (F2, etc).

Check in with Build Instructor

  • The Build Instructor will check the print me and edit it to sign it off.

Print the printme

  • Read the printme data and then click "Print. "Choose "Print to File" from the list of printers. Select "Desktop" as the folder to save it in. Name the file "Build Printme.ps" and click print.

Shut down system and place on proper shelf

  • Use software controls for the shutdown (either "sudo halt" or the System menu at the top). Place the system on the QC shelf in the Build room.

Clean up work area if it is your last build of the day

  • Please put all tools away, throw out any garbage or sticker remains, put screws in the appropriate bins, wrap cords around your keyboard and mouse and generally straighten up.
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