MacBuild PPC Checklist

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OS X Triage

Getting Started

  • Attach keyboard/mouse, monitor, network cable, and power cord (as necessary)
    • If you are building a Laptop, make sure to use the appropriate power supply.

Install components for triage

  • This step should only be completed if it is easy to open the system. Ignore this step on any difficult to open Mac system.:
    • Install a tested/wiped HDD
    • Install tested RAM in each available memory slot
    • Install a tested battery
  • If working on a system with a built-in display (Laptop, iMacG4, iMacG5):
    • Install tested RAM in each available memory slot
      • NOTE: certain models (iMac G4s in particular) use SODIMMs (laptop memory) instead of/in addition to standard desktop memory. Go ahead and use untested memory for the SODIMM slot, as we'll test that memory later in the process
    • Install a tested battery if it is easily accessible (if the system uses a 3.6v battery, it can be done while installing RAM)
    • Install an AirPort/AirPort Extreme wireless card if not already present
  • If working on an oddball system (e.g. Mac mini):
    • Ask an instructor for further direction

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.

Boot into OS X from an external USB 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 from the Startup Manager to boot into OS X 10.5

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.

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

This test should only be run if you were not able to install all tested 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
  • 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 or any other 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.

Ubuntu 10.04LTS Time!

(this is more of an outline at this point, more details to come)

wipe hard drive

  • Boot to i386 Ubuntu 10.04 desktop disk
  • When desktop appears, open a terminal and run badblocks

Install Ubuntu

  • When badblocks is succesfully completeted, close terminal and click on install icon
  • follow prompts and install ubuntu
  • after reboot, select System-> Hardware drivers and activate B43 wireless driver

Install software and run updates

  • Open System->Synaptic Program Manager and add the freegeek repository to the list of repositories.
  • sudo apt-get install freegeek-build-utils
  • run updates (may take 20-30 minutes)
  • reboot computer
  • Select System->Preferences->Screensaver and deselect the lock screen option

Hardware Testing in Ubuntu

Test the optical drive

  • test optical drive by blanking CD-RW and writing file to CD-RW.
  • Play audio CD

Test wireless (if wireless card is installed)

Test the battery (if system is a Laptop)

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:
    • Intel w/ Ubuntu installed
    • processor type and speed
    • memory size and speed
    • wireless card info
  • Print to HP LaserJet 5 (This printer is referred to as Classroom when on an Ubuntu Operating system at Free Geek) The listing for Laserjet 5 is for the build printer.

Prep system for the store

  • Shut down and remove excess components
    • Ask an instructor to confirm what, if anything, should be removed from the system (excess memory for example).
  • 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.
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