[olpc-software] How fast does it take to write a system from a scratch?

[Christopher Blizzard]

Stephen J. Smoogen wrote:
> With these systems how long does it take to write 250MB of data onto
> the system? And are there any strawmen for how the laptop will be
> installed from say the teachers computer or the overworked IS
> technician who bicycles from village to village?

I don't know how many minutes we're talking about.  Probably not many. 
But the idea with this system is that it anyone has enough knowledge to 
re-install the system.  That means simple, simple, simple.  And keeping 
the OS stateless.

Here are a couple possible deployment scenarios:

o Someone has problems with their laptop.  They decide to try to 
re-install the operating system.  They borrow the USB key that the 
school has, puts it in the laptop and boots off of it.  It automatically 
replaces the OS without affecting the user data or the applications that 
are installed on the system.

o See above, except that LinuxBIOS lets us boot off the local wireless.

o Two students can connect their laptops together using a USB cable and 
the broken machine can be re-installed from his or her friend's laptop.

The basic idea is that the reinstall of the OS isn't scary, doesn't 
require questions and can be accomplished by anyone.  And that the apps 
don't really require administration.

--Chris