User:Lynnae/Laptop Extended Build Guide
Build Guide Extended
1. Inspect the system
☐ Check the system for missing or damaged parts.
☐ Make repairs as directed by your instructor.
☐ Note any cosmetic damage or unresolved issues on the Keeper label.
Things to watch out for
Take a moment to look over the system while completing the steps above. Keep an eye out for physical problems, such as:
- Cracks in the case or bezel
- Missing battery or cover plates from the underside of the laptop
- Damage to the screen or hinges
- Damage to any of the ports or power jack
- Discoloration, scratches or marks on any surface
- Dirt, dust, cat hair and/or grime above and beyond what can be cleaned
2. Verify Keeper label information
The Keeper label is used to:
- Keep track of basic hardware information.
- Track the laptop through RAM testing (called memtest), battery testing, and the build process.
- Transfer notes about the laptop from builder to builder, and to the instructors.
Add any missing information to these fields:
☐ Laptop make and model
☐ CPU type and speed
☐ RAM size and type
If you need help
Follow the Evaluation guide for instructions on using the Hardware Detection Kit from the Free Geek network, or BIOS.
3. Install an imaged hard drive
☐ Use the laptop spec guide to figure out what size hard drive to install.
- Reference the whiteboard in the laptop buildroom, or
- Use the Laptop Specs (A-6) sheet in the Appendix.
☐ Figure out if you need a SATA or IDE hard drive, and ask your instructor for the drive. They may have you skip this step in some cases.
☐ Find caddy parts, adapters and screws as needed.
4. Check optical drive hardware
☐ Make sure an optical drive is installed if needed.
☐ Check the optical drive faceplate:
- DVD-RW drives are preferred; CD-RW/DVD-ROM drives are acceptable.
- Swap CD-ROM drives for a CD-RW/DVD-ROM or DVD-RW drive.
☐ Note the optical drive type on the Keeper label.
Tip
There are some optical drives available in the build room, sorted by brand. Ask your instructor if you are not able to find the drive you need.
5. Find an appropriate AC adapter
Requirements
For an AC adapter to power the device correctly, it must:
- Match the input voltage (V) of the laptop exactly.
- Match or exceed the recommended amperage (A).
- Have a plug that fits into the laptop snugly and provides power.
☐ Find the input voltage and amperage listed on the laptop. This may be printed on the back of the laptop, or on the chassis under the battery.
☐ Find an AC adapter that matches the voltage and amperage listed on the laptop. You will be looking in the output section printed on the AC adapter, which should look like this:
INPUT: 100-240V~1.9A
50/60Hz
OUTPUT: 16V ⎓ 4.5A
Tip
AC adapters are sorted in bins by voltage, amperage, and brand; the bins are color-coded by brand.
6. BIOS
☐ Boot into BIOS.
☐ Find the section for setting boot options. Set the following boot order:
First: Optical Drive Second: Hard Drive Third: Network Device (also called LAN, Onboard NIC, or PXE)
- Disable or ignore other devices.
☐ Verify that BIOS recognizes about the same amount of RAM as is marked on the Keeper label.
- BIOS may report slightly less RAM than the total amount installed. It should not be more than a couple hundred megabytes. The 'missing' RAM is being reserved by the system.
☐ Make sure that no BIOS or administrative passwords are set.
- If you encounter a start-up or BIOS password, check with your instructor or visit the Free Geek wiki for further guidance.
Background information
- BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System. It is made up of software stored on a chip installed on the motherboard, rather than the hard drive.
- Different companies manufacture BIOS firmware chips. This is why different computers can have very different-looking BIOS screens.
- BIOS is being replaced by something called "Extensible Firmware Interface", or EFI. You may encounter this on newer systems. Functionally, it will appear very similar to BIOS.
7. Configure networking
Requirements
All laptops sold or given away by Free Geek must have a working wired internet connection and must be able to browse to a website wirelessly.
Test wired internet connection
☐ Plug in an ethernet cable from the bench.
- Watch the desktop panel, top right corner. You should see a ↑↓ symbol appear.
☐ Open a web browser (Xubuntu 12.04 uses Firefox by default) and navigate to a website, such as http://www.freegeek.org
Troubleshooting tips
- Try a different cable. The workbench ethernet cables see a lot of use. If you do find a faulty cable, please notify an instructor so they can promptly replace it.
- Check to see if the up lights are flashing on the LAN port. No lights may indicate a failed port.
- Open a terminal and run
ifconfig. Have your instructor help you interpret the results.
Test wireless internet connection
☐ Test wireless
- Disconnect the ethernet cable.
- Click on the WiFi symbol to select the FreeGeek network.
- Load a website in Firefox. Pick a different site than you used for the wired networking test, such as
http://wiki.freegeek.org.
☐ If you run into issues, reference the Wireless Troubleshooting Guide (A-5) in the binder Appendix.
8. Run basiccheck
9. Test Optical Drive
Determine drive functions
All drives should have CD read and CD write functions (CD-RW) and DVD read (DVD-ROM) capabilities.
☐ Check the drive faceplate or Keeper Label to see if your drive has DVD read and write capabilities (DVD-R/W), or just DVD-ROM.
☐ Open a terminal and run /usr/lib/freegeek_show_cd_drives. You should see something like:
device: sr0 model: Optiarc_DVD+_-RW_AD-5540A supporting: cdrom, cdrw, dvd, dvdrw
☐ Make sure the drive functions listed on the optical drive faceplate match the Terminal output. If the functions listed do not match, ask your instructor for help.
CD and DVD read tests
☐ You will need two testing disks:
- CD-R or CD-ROM disk, such as an audio CD.
- Commercial video DVD (movie, television show, etc.)
☐ Insert your testing CD, and wait a few moments. A file manager window should pop up.
- Confirm that the operating system can read the files or audio on the disk.
- If the window does not appear, check for the disk in the Places menu.
☐ Repeat the test with a DVD.
- A media player should appear and the DVD should start to play. If it does not start then consult with your Instructor as this may indicate a problem with the DVD codec installation.
9. Test USB Ports
Requirements
Laptops should have at least two functioning USB ports.
☐ Note the number of USB ports on the system. Look for any physical damage, gunk, or oxidation around the ports.
☐ Use a USB mouse to test each port. Make sure you can move things around and switch between windows with the mouse cursor.
☐ If there is a broken port, make a note on the Keeper Label to be included in the printme notes, and cover the port with black electrical tape.
Note: Some ports may seem to work but are missing the internal plastic guide the protects the metal pins. These are considered damaged because the pins are unprotected and may short out, causing damage to the USB device or the laptop motherboard. Please point out any damaged ports to your instructor.
Troubleshooting tips
- Run the command
lsusbin a terminal to see if devices attached to each port are recognized by the operating system.- Check BIOS to make sure that all USB ports are enabled.
10. Test Input Devices
GIVE INSTRUCTIONS FROM NETWORK BOOT?
11. Run printme
☐ Open a Terminal window.
☐ Type printme and follow the onscreen instructions.
☐ Make sure to have your instructor sign off on the digital copy of your work.
☐ Print a copy of the Printme to the desktop 12.04 check
INSTRUCTIONS: example page like the keeper label example, with screenshot
12. Next steps
☐ Review the Keeper label:
- If battery or memory testing has not been done yet, start needed tests on the testing station. Instructions are in THE APPENDIX LINK RIGHT HERE.
- If there are still repairs or parts needed, check with your instructor.