Build Instructor Guide

EB Multi

1. Ctl-Alt-T on a diskless terminal
2. env | grep -i ssh
3. ssh build@THE_IP_ADDRESS_FROM_THAT_COMMAND
4. password is the same as on every other system
5. mkbootfloppy
6. the default is fine

Paperwork

1. http://web.freegeek.org/deadtrees/
2. get build-qc.ps and save it
3. open a terminal (Ctl-Alt-T on a diskless terminal, terminal icon on freekbox)
4. ls (the file probably saved to your desktop, but check your current directory first, Desktop should be the only thing you see)
5. cd Desktop (hitting tab after cd D works)
6. ls (make sure the file saved correctly)
7. lpr -o raw -# 40 build-qc.ps

Buildteacher duties

--Camc 16:50, 2 October 2007 (PDT)

1. Before the shift begins:
   • Check the signup sheet at the front desk to see who's expected today, and note how many slots are open. Often people show up without a reservation and you should have some idea of how many stations are available.
   • Check the whiteboard for today's special instructions. Also check the numbers of the various types of machines that are fully built and that need QC and encourage builders to work on the more needed tasks.
   • Make sure supplies are available:
     1. RAM in steel cabinet. Replenish supplies from the Tardis
     2. Hard drives: See what's available in the steel cabinet, what's in the tub by the cloning machines (tub may be in the Tardis or otherwise misplaced). Fill tub with appropriate number of appropriately sized wiped drives from the Tardis, do imaging throughout the session as you get a chance, mark imaged drives with a red marker dot, place in steel cabinet.
     3. Make Build-QC sheets as needed. Make system numbers as needed. (See detailed instructions below).
     4. Button batteries if needed. Get them from Eval. Keeping them in neat piles rather than in a jumble greatly lessens the chance of shorting out a good battery. Beware the digital voltmeters; when their internal 9 volt battery dies, they give false positives such as reading 3.04v for a battery that is really only 2.61. The analogue voltmeters aren't accurate enough to decide between 2.97 and 3.03 but they are useful to compare readings with the digital voltmeters.

   Dave, Matteo, Martin are resources. Try not to abuse their good natures.

2. During the shift:
   • All paperwork is to be done in pencil
   • Greet people as they arrive, get their name, introduce yourself as their instructor.
     1. If a person is new to build, make sure they have done the command line class ("What's the difference between cp and mv?" is a fair test); a blank look means that they are really just starting pre-build and should go directly to part sorting.
     2. Persons starting their first QC should have their own personal record sheet available (get it at the front desk), and it should have part sorting, eval, and command line checked off. If at all possible, start the first QC with a very ordinary box that is unlikely to have interesting problems. Instruct that software shutdown is always to be used rather than the power switch or removal of the power cord. A box with known keystroke to enter BIOS, preferably noted on the build sheet, is good; we don't want a total puzzlement like this to be the student's first experience with build.
     3. Persons who have finished their QC's and are starting their first build need to be shown where to find boxes in the warehouse and what to look for in the boxes: no missing case parts, not exotic. Please have them record the BIOS entry key on the build sheet so that the beginning QC'er can find it, and record hardware details as build progresses for when support is needed in the future.
     4. During the session, keep an eye out for people, especially new ones, who look lost or troubled. Help gently. Try too, to make sure that people are going through the process (checklist and instructions on the sheets in the plastic protector envelopes) and not just drylabbing. Unless yu know the builder to be reliable, do check the box over carefully both for specs and cosmetically. Make sure that any Microsoft certification stickers are removed or obliterated.
3. At the end of the shift:
   • Start cleaning up for the next shift, perhaps 15 minutes in advance. This is especially important at the end of the morning session if there are no empty stations for any early arrivals for the afternoon shift, to minimize the chaos of two flows of builders moving in contrary directions. It's also important at the end of the afternoon shift to get the builders out on time so the staff can go home too.

How to print up new build-qc sheets

--Camc 17:39, 2 October 2007 (PDT)

1. Go to a diskless terminal. If you need to boot or reboot, you will be presented with an ebmulti type screen; choose the Diskless Terminal option (number 4 today, may be different tomorrow). When it comes up, you will need to log in (no user name -- just hit the Enter key), (no password either, but you do need to click on the "I understand" box when it tells you to be careful not to waste paper).
2. You should be presented with a web home page. Observe that the browser is not Firefox, and there are a few differences in where things are. Give the browser the url http://web.freegeek.org/deadtrees/ . You should find a column of various documents to select from; select build-qc.ps . You will be asked what to do; choose download to Desktop .(Actually, before you download you may wish to just preview the document to make sure that it's the right one and that both pages are there. But then don't neglect to go back and download to Desktop .
3. Open up a terminal window: Ctrl-Alt-t does it. Change directory to Desktop with cd Desktop . Check that you really have the file by doing a list with the long option ls -l . One of the files you see, and there may be only one or two, should be build-qc.ps with a length of 48906 (may be a little different when revised again).
4. Still in the terminal window, print a copy with lpr build-qc.ps This should print one copy on the duplex (2-sided) laser printer opposite the little kitchen. Check that it printed ok. Both sides!
5. If all's well, now you can arrow up to repeat the command and Enter to effect it for as many more copies as you wish. People who do much of this stuff will look up man lpr to see where to put the #10 in the command line to make 10 copies once instead of one copy 10 times.

How to make new system numbers

--Camc 17:39, 2 October 2007 (PDT)

1. Get your label paper and, if needed, a scissors to cut too-big labels into appropriate size pieces. (There is certainly some way to print out the numbers on to real correct size label paper, but one has to know where to find this paper, how to load it into the printer, how to select the proper paper tray, which printing template to tell lpr to use, and how to make lpr read your mind as to what you want. If you need 50 or fewer numbers, it's quicker to do them by hand)
2. Go to a diskless terminal. If you need to boot or reboot, you will be presented with an ebmulti type screen; choose the Diskless Terminal option (number 4 today, may be different tomorrow). When it comes up, you will need to log in (no user name -- just hit the Enter key), (no password either, but you do need to click on the "I understand" box when it tells you to be careful not to waste paper).
3. You should be presented with a web home page. Observe that the browser is not Firefox, and there are a few differences in where things are. Give the browser the url noonien/gizmo/clone.php . No http is needed, nor www. nor web. nor wiki. If you need a user name and password, use oso/jake. You should be at the cloner page.
4. You will be asked for two numbers: first, a number that has already been used (37000 will do, it's not critical), and second, the total number of new numbers you want (let's say 36, perhaps to use up a miscellaneous scrap of lable paper that was lying around). Then you tell the cloner to perform the cloning.
5. Now you will be presented with a list of 36 numbers beginning with the first available previously unused number (example: 382417 ... 382452). Write these numbers down on the label paper. Use up all the numbers you were given, and use no others.
6. If something goes wrong (for instance, a flakey keyboard gave you 3366 numbers) and you can't recover, inform someone who knows how to repair the system. Now.