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Information for Labdooers (Volunteers)
Tags:
information
labdooer
In this guide you will find useful information for Labdooers (Labdoo users/volunteers), including information about how to sanitize laptops, how to package them ready for traveling, or general tricks and tips among others. While this document attempts to be comprehensive, if you have any questions that do not get answered in this guide, please post them directly in any of the Labdoo Teams and one member of the Labdoo community will provide an answer.
Collecting, Sanitizing and Delivering Laptops: Complete Step by Step Guide
Tags:
workflow
Step 1: Collecting Unused Laptops
Tags:
rescue
This section describes the first step, where you will learn how to collect unused laptops. Keep reading to discover how.
How to Find and Collect Unused Laptops
Tags:
rescue
laptop
The first step in the Labdoo process is to identify an unused laptop that can be repurposed for educational means. There are many different ways to identify and rescue laptops that are no longer used. Here are some ways to do so, among others:
Reach out to your relatives, some of your family members may have an unused laptop.
Ask your neighbors, it is also likely someone around you has one or more unused laptops.
Contact the IT department at the company you work for, in many cases laptops are unfortunately thrown away when they are replaced.
Make a post on your favorite social network asking your friends and contacts for unused laptops.
Get creative and come up with your own strategy to find unused laptops, odds are that you will succeed. After all, more than 500 million computers are retired every year all over the world!
Remember that Labdoo will only accept laptops that have at least 1GB of memory RAM and that actually work (the easiest way to check if it does is to turn on the laptop and see if it is running). Otherwise, the laptop would not be suitable for educational purposes and can't be accepted. Note also that even if the battery does not work, the laptop can still be used and accepted as a valid contribution, since it can be plugged in the power source as any other computer. Finally, it's important to make sure you also collect its AC adapter and power cord.
Once you have rescued one or more laptops, you can move on to the next section.
Tagging a Laptop
Tags:
tag
Once you have collected an unused laptop, you need to register it into the Labdoo platform so it can receive a Labdoo ID number. The laptop status gets to be updated when it transits into the next step of the Labdoo process via this unique Labdoo ID number. Users can use it to trace the progress of the laptop. It also helps the hub managers to plan for their resources.This provides transparency and accountability in the Labdoo process.
Please follow these simple steps below to tag a laptop:
If you haven't done so yet, start by creating your account in the Labdoo platform by following this link: https://www.labdoo.org/user/register
Click on the "Dootronics" menu that you will find at the top of the page and then click on the option "Tag it!". (Make sure you are logged into your Labdoo account to be able to access this page). Fill in the form with as much information about the laptop as you can, and then click on "Save".
All the questions ended with a "*" are required fields that you cannot leave blank. If you cannot find the serial number on the laptop, type "unknown" in the field.
If you are tagging the laptop on behalf of someone else, please fill in the field "Additional notification emails" with that person's email address so that they get email updates every time the laptop's state changes as it makes its way to a destination school.
After saving the form, it is very important to click on the link "Print tags". A new screen with the tags will show up. Print them and don't forget to attach them to the laptop to make sure it can be properly traced as it makes its path towards a project. See this diagram illustrating how the tags should be attached.
Figure 1. To tag a laptop, go to 'Dootronics' and click on the menu option 'Tag it!'.
Figure 2. Example of tagging procedure.
Step 2: Sanitizing a Laptop
Tags:
sanitations sanitize usb labtix
This section describes the second step, where you will learn how to sanitize a laptop and install the Labdoo's educational package. Keep reading by clicking on the menu below to discover how.
Creation of a Labtix Bootable USB
Tags:
labtix
bootable
usb
1. Download Labtix.iso
Start by downloading and installing the FileZilla FTP client application from this link: https://filezilla-project.org/
Then, open FileZilla and connect to the Labdoo FTP server using these parameters (see also Figure 1):
Host: sftp://ftp.labdoo.org (this link can only be open once in FileZilla)
User: labdoo
Password: labdoo
Port: 22
Figure 1. Use the parameters shown in this screenshot to connect to the Labdoo FTP server with FileZilla.
In the 'remote site' window of FileZilla, go to the folder /install-disk. In this folder, you will find the file Labtix.iso. Right-click on this file with your mouse and select the option 'Download'. That way the file Labtix.iso will be downloaded to your local computer.
2. Create a bootable USB with Labtix.iso
Download the Universal USB Installer from this link: https://www.pendrivelinux.com/universal-usb-installer-easy-as-1-2-3/
Run this application by double clicking on the downloaded file. You will see the following screen, where you will need to accept the license agreement:
Figure 2. Download and run the Universal USB Installer and accept the license agreement.
Next, insert a blank USB pendrive into one of the USB ports in your computer. We recommend to choose one with at least 2GB of storage. Note that all the data you had previously saved in the pendrive will be erased, so make sure to have a backup copy.
Then, fill in the fields in the next screen by using the parameters that appear in the next figure. As the screenshot shows, in the field Step 2 please select the Labtix.iso file previously downloaded and then select the corresponding USB pendrive in Step 3:
Figure 3. Use the parameters shown in this screenshot to create the bootable USB pendrive.
Continue by accepting every following screen as shown in the next figures:
Figure 4. Accept this screen.
Figure 5. Accept this screen as well.
That's it. Now you have a bootable USB pendrive with the Labtix ISO. Go to the next wiki page to continue with the sanitation process.
Downloading the Labdoo Images
Tags:
images
In this step, you will need an external hard drive where you will be downloading one or more Labdoo images from the Labdoo FTP server. We recommend choosing a hard drive with at least 100GB, although one with a larger capacity (e.g., 200GB, 500GB or 1TB) would be even better in case you wanted to download some of the larger images.
Start by connecting again to the Labdoo's FTP server using FileZilla (see the previous section for a description on how to do this).
Then, go to '/'. In this location, you will find multiple directories of the form XX_images, where XX indicates the language of the image. Each of these directories contains multiple images organized by size. For instance, inside the English images directory 'EN_English_images', you will find the directory 'PAE64_20_04_LTS_EN_160'. The name of this directory lets us know that we are facing a (PAE) 64-bit image based on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, with English as the default language and with a total of 160GB of educational content. The size of the file, 160GB in this case, corresponds to the minimum size that the hard drive must have in order to be able to store this image.
Make sure that, in the field 'Local site' , you select the external hard drive where you want to download the images.
Now go ahead and download the image that you are interested in. For instance, if you are interested in downloading the image 'PAE64_20_04_LTS_EN_160', the one we mentioned above, travel to the directory '/install-disk/EN_English_images/', right-click on the directory 'PAE64_20_04_LTS_EN_160' and select the option 'Download'. The image will be automatically downloaded to your external hard drive. Download as many images as you need, provided that you have enough space in your external hard drive. Note that the process of downloading one or more images could take a significant amount of time, depending on the speed of your connection.
Figure 1. Directory structure where you can find all the Labdoo images.
Installation of the Labdoo Image Using Labtix
Tags:
installation
Plug the Labtix Bootable pendrive into one of the USB ports of the computer that you want to sanitize. Start the computer and verify that the Labtix software boots correctly. If it does, the following screen will show up:
Figure 1. Initial Labtix screen when a computer is booted.
If you don't see the screen shown above, it most likely means that you need to modify the boot order to make sure the computer properly loads the Labtix software stored on the USB pendrive. In this case, please follow the instructions on this wiki page to change the boot order of the computer and ensure that the USB pendrive is selected as the first boot device. After doing this, reboot the computer and, if the screen shown in figure 1 finally appears, you will know that Labtix is correctly booted.
Upon reaching the screen in Figure 1, select the first option "antiX" and press enter. This will take you to the next screen:
Figure 2. Once in this view, double-click on the icon 'Labdoo installer'.
Note that in the upper-right corner of the screen you will see a summary of the key parameters extracted from the laptop. It includes the following information:
Vers: the version of the Labtix software that you are using. In Figure 2, this value is '1.01'.
CPU: the type of CPU (32-bit or 64-bit). In Figure 2, this value is '64 Bit'.
Boot: The name of the booting USB device where Labtix is running. In Figure 2, this value is 'sr0'.
RAM: The amount of memory in the laptop. In Figure 2, this value is '2703' MB.
Sdx: The name of the hard drive where the Labdoo image is to be installed and its size. In Figure 2, the name of the disk is 'sda' and it has '100GB' of storage.
In the screen shown in figure 2, make sure to enter the name of your computer's hard drive. This name is typically of the form Sdx (for instance, sda, sdb, sdc, etc.), but not necessarily; it depends on your computer. The actual name can be found in the 'Sdx' field located in the upper-right corner of the screen. For instance, in Figure 2, the name of the hard drive is 'sda'. To be sure that it is in fact the actual hard drive of your computer, you can double-click on the application GParted, which will show you all the drives attached to your computer.
Click on OK to go to the next screen:
Figure 3. Parameters needed to initiate the installation.
In this screen, you will need to specify the following parameters:
Shred: This option specifies the number of times the hard disk must be shredded prior to initiating the installation of the image. The operation of shredding consists in writing random zeros and ones everywhere in the hard drive to ensure any prior personal information is completely erased. Labdoo recommends setting this value to 3, so that three full shreds are carried out, ensuring that all existing information is erased.
Target disk: This corresponds to the name of the hard drive that you introduced in the previous screen (see Figure 2), which is the disk where the image will be installed.
Disk size: This field specifies the size of the chosen disk. This size will determine what image you can install, since you can't select an image larger than this value. For instance, in Figure 3, the size of the chosen disk (sda) is 100GB, so you need to make sure you don't install an image that is larger than 100GB.
Choose an image: In this step you will select the image to install. Click on this field, then select the option "Other...", and browse through the directory tree to select the image you want to install. In the directory tree, make sure you go to the external drive where you installed the images, and travel to the directory where you stored the image you want to use. Then, click "Open". This will populate the field "Choose an image": with the right path to your selected image. As mentioned in the previous parameter, make sure that the image you select is smaller than the size of the disk shown in the parameter "Disk size". By convention, the last value of the image name corresponds to its size. For instance, the image PAE64_20_04_LTS_EN_80 weighs 80GB, so you will need a disk with at least 80GB of storage.
Hostname:This field corresponds to the hostname that will be assigned to the computer after the image has been installed. By convention, please always choose a name of the form 'labdoo-XXXXXXXXX', where XXXXXXXXX is the 9-digit Labdoo ID of the computer you are sanitizing, which you had previously generated in the section 'Tagging a Laptop'.
After you have populated all the parameters above, click "OK" on all the following screens. Then the actual process of shredding and installation of the selected Labdoo image will initiate. Note that this process could take a while, even more than an hour, depending on the size of the disk and the size of the selected image.
Step 3: Delivering Laptops to a Project
Tags:
delivery
The third and last step is delivering the laptop you sanitized in the previous step to an educational project. To complete this process, do as follows:
First, check if there is an existing project near your location. You can see the full list of projects in this dashboard. If you find a project near your area, reach out to them directly by using the contact information you can find in that project's dashboard. Ask them if they need an additional laptop and if they would be willing to accept your contribution.
If you don't find any existing project near your location, try to find a school or a mentoring association nearby that works in the area of education. Some examples of valid organizations are: schools, associations working with refugees or, more in general, any organization that provides schooling or mentoring services to those who don't have access to education. If you find one, ask them if they need laptops and if they would be willing to accept your contribution. If the answer is yes, then reach out to the Labdoo team by filling in this form. A Labdoo volunteer will reach back to you and help you create this project.
Once you have completed any of the two steps above, you can now deliver the laptop to the chosen project. Finally, make sure to update the status of your laptop to S4 and assign it to the corresponding project. (If you don't know how to update the status of your laptop to S4, see this wiki page.)
Congratulations, if you have reached this point, by now you have already improved someone's life by providing them an education!
Additional Info on how to Sanitize a Laptop
Tags:
sanitize
laptop
shred
Sanitation Guide: Fast Restoration Method (Labtix)
Tags:
labtix
installation
installer
install
image
cloning
autodeploy
labtix 1
labtix 2
labtix1
labtix2
Labdoo recommends installing by cloning images with the free installation tool Labtix, developed by Labdoo helpers. As you could see in the video tutorial, there are numerous setting and selection options to adapt Labtix to your requirements.
Since Ubuntu version 20.04 LTS (April 2020), there are only 64 bit versions as hybrid images that can boot in both legacy and UEFI mode. To install current Ubuntu images, however, Labtix version 2 had to be adapted.
Labtix is regularly developed further. Please check our FTP server regularly for updates http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/install-disk/Labtix/.
32 bit versions of the images cannot be installed with Labtix 2 anymore. If you still want to work with the old 32 bit images you have to use Labtix 1. However, neither the 32 bit images nor the installation tool Labtix 1 will be maintained further. For the 32 bit Ubuntu versions the support of the developers has also expired. More about Labtix 1 on https://platform.labdoo.org/de/content/labtix-1-archive.
Version Ubuntu 20.04 LTS (64 Bit) Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Linux Mint 22 (based on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS)
Labtix 2
Labtix 3
Support Ubuntu bis 2025 2027 2029
Note for advanced users: Labtix has a persistence mode, i.e. you can make your own changes to Labtix and save them. You act as root user in fact. The password (only needed if you "get stuck" in the terminal when booting ) is "labdoo". But beware - as root you can destroy Labtix or bloat it by too many changes. Labtix fits on a CD when delivered. The tool ISO-snapshot also allows you to create a new ISO-file that takes over possible changes to the system.
Labtix comes with various tools and installation tools https://platform.labdoo.org/en/content/preinstalled-tools-labtix.
Most of them can be found directly on the desktop. You have to decide for yourself which tool suits you best:
You can find the installation tools directly in the context menu of zzzFM:
Labdoo installer for cloning the hybrid images that boot in legacy and UEFI mode,
Labdo legacy installer for a pure legacy installation if a device has problems booting a hybrid installation.
On the Labtix desktop you will find a Docs folder containing manuals in PDF format. However, we recommend that you first watch the individual steps and tools as a YouTube video tutorial.
Sometimes you have to select certain settings in the boot menu because of the hardware, e.g. with netbooks or Apple laptops often failsafe mode etc. Otherwise it can happen that Labtix does not boot, hangs at terminal level (the desktop does not appear) or the monitor remains dark.
Then try out the options in Failsafe Mode or Safe Video Mode. This is also explained in the above YouTube tutorial.
You can find all video tutorials on our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/LabdooDACH/playlists and on our FTP server http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/Public/videos/for-technicians/.
Labtix 2 Desktop
Labtix release information
Tags:
labtix
release
version
information
update
All Labtix versions can be downloaded from the FTP server
current version: http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/install-disk/
older version (archive): http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/archive/Labtix_former_releases/
Labtix 2 (from 2022)
Since its launch in 2017, Labtix has become the most popular installer and remover tool within the Labdoo project. Labtix Release 1 is based on a 32-bit Antix 17 (2017) kernel. Labtix 2 is based on a 64-bit Antix 21 (2021) kernel.
Don't put Labtix 1 too far away as this "old" version works well with "old" hardware. And the new Labtix version 2 fits the more modern your donated laptop is, which requires current drivers that are only available in 2. And cloning images of 22.04 LTS and higher Labtix 2 is mandatory.
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS introduced a new boot partition format (grub2 core.img). Labtix 1 and also older Clonezilla versions do not know this format and therefore cannot clone current images on Ubuntu 22.04 and higher! Please try whether Labtix 2 starts with a setting such as failsafe or safe graphics if there is a problem. Then there would be Parted Magic as another installation tool on the web. Or you would have to take Labtix 1 and an image based on 20.04 LTS.
However, we recommend using Labtix 2 by default as it comes with many improvements and features:
Labtix 2 is based on Antix 21 and is only available in a 64-bit version. There is no longer a 32-bit version (sorry). Users who require a 32-bit version must use the earlier Labtix 1.
The images provided by Labdoo on our FTP server can be processed with either Labtix 1 or Labtix 2.
You need for Labtix 2
At least one 2GB USB key (recommended) or DVD to install and run Labtix 2 on. It is not possible to install Labtix 2 on a CD or a 1GB stick (too small).
min. 1.5 - 2 GB RAM in the computer to be installed.l
Labdoo team has changed the user interface as little as possible, so you don't need long training. Some changes were mandatory, e.g. Labtix 2 comes with the file manager zzzFM (Fork of SpaceFM). And 4 years of software development have passed...
Standard installation from the context menu of zzzFM with the Labdoo installer which performs a legacy and UEFI bootable (hybrid) installation,
Legacy installation with the Labdoo legacy installer from the zzzFM context menu for devices that cannot boot with Labdoo's hybrid installations.
The images provided by Labdoo on our FTP server can be processed with Labtix 1 up to 20.04 LTS and with Labtix 2 from 22.04 LTS.
From summer 23, only Labtix 2 will allow you to install the new smaller BASIC images and the desired content at the same time. If installed otherwise, the content can be added in Labdoo using the script.
UEFI (only for technicians): The number of IT donations with UEFI will increase. Normally you turn off UEFI and Secure Boot in the BIOS and enable Legacy Boot. However, there may be reasons why this is not possible (e.g. BIOS locked by unknown password; no legacy support implemented, etc.). There was already a manual UEFI procedure in Labtix 1, in Labtix 2 it is now largely automated. Labtix shows which mode (Legacy or UEFI) was booted in and you select the appropriate installation script in the 2-click installer in the file manager. If you select the UEFI Sprit, this happens: On the installation medium, the folder /UEFI with the UEFI image must be in the top folder. This small UEFI image is automatically installed first, followed by the actual image you want. After the installation, the UUID of the 2nd partition is entered in the grub file so that the computer starts up correctly. Labdoo had to decide to either maintain 2 complete sets of images (UEFI and legacy), which would have taken a lot of time and storage space on our servers. Or to have only one set of images (legacy) with the above solution, which is still started correctly in connection with an upstream UEFI image. Sounds more complicated than it is, everything is set automatically during installation.
Improved user support and more tools available:
Remaining battery capacity: Labtix shows the percentage (%) of the remaining battery capacity (life cycle), e.g. 20% means that only ⅕ of the original battery capacity is available and a new battery should be considered.
Better support for SSDs
New driver for current hardware (graphics card, interfaces, LAN/WiFi etc.).
Additional tools: Speaker test, Live USB Maker, Avahi network scan, StressCPU (°C/°F check), DiskCheck and much more.
Images for Cloning:
A new set of images for cloning based on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS was made available and uploaded to our FTP server in mid-2022,
the 20.04 LTS based images are moved to the /archives directory on the FTP server,
The 18.04 LTS images need to be removed from the FTP server due to the capacity of the FTP server (those were the last images that could run on a 32-bit CPU; thus ending the 32-bit range for the Labdoo project) .
From summer 2023, only small “BASIC” images will be used for the respective languages. The content is then installed in Labtix by the installers. The large images that contain content will continue to be created for a while, but will be phased out in the long term.
Any image release can be processed with any Labtix release, fully compatible.
Labtix 1 (2017 - 2021)
Based on Antix 17 (2017) you get a complete set of refurbishment and installation tools. Labtix 1 runs on 32-bit and 64-bit CPUs. The drivers included in Labtix 1 work best on older hardware (approx. 2008 - 2018, difficult to define exactly, it's best to try it).
You need 1
for Labtix
At least one 2GB USB stick or CD to install and run Labtix 1 on.
1GB RAM.
Review of a donated laptop
Tags:
control
hardware
overview
stress
heat
cpu
overheating
gsmart
readout
hard drive
secure boot
bios
Looking through a donated laptop
In order to start Labtix or Labdoo, settings in the UEFI may need to be changed. UEFI has replaced the old BIOS system, but can usually still be used in the same way as the old BIOS interfaces.
UEFI Settings
On some laptops it is necessary to change UEFI settings:
BIOS settings
On some laptops it is necessary to change BIOS settings:
BIOS Settings Explanation
Secure Boot Must always be turned off (disabled). Sometimes an administrator password must be set in the UEFI to deactivate Secure Boot. The admin password can then be removed again. Labtix does not start in secure boot mode but shows secure boot mode in the boot menu. In rare cases, however, an externally installed Labdoo installation boots on a computer with Secure Boot activated.
Trusted Platform Module (TPM) TPM is a security chip that secures a computer. Ubuntu-Mate, which forms the basis for Labdoo images, is TPM certified. TPM should only be switched off if Labdoo does not boot.
UEFI Up to Ubuntu 20.04 LTS It is recommended to disable UEFI and enable Legacy/CSM. However, there is also a concept for a UEFI-based installation developed by Labdoo helpers for 20.04 LTS.
From Ubuntu 22.04 LTS a separate concept was developed for Ubuntu so that both UEFI and legacy/CSM installations are possible. Note: On some computers, Labtix starts and the image installation goes smoothly. But when you restart the laptop you get messages like "Invalid Partition table!" or similar and the laptop doesn't boot up. Then please set the UEFI mode or both (UEFI and Legacy) in the BIOS.
In very stubborn cases, the tool uses SuperGrub2Disk (https://www.supergrubdisk.org) to start Labdoo. The bootloader Grub can be reinstalled using the terminal command “sudo grub-install /dev/sda”. An internet connection is required to download the required files!
Turbo-Boost If Turbo Boost is activated, the processor may become significantly too hot when operated under load. In Labtix you can tell that under full load (e.g. with the Stress_Cpu tool) the clock frequency is in the 3Ghz range or higher. As a rule, the CPU temperature then rises well above 70 degrees, which can lead to long-term damage to the CPU. That's why it makes sense to switch off the turbo boost as a precaution. If the turbo boost cannot be deactivated or the temperature is still too high, the Cpupower-Gui tool in Labtix can temporarily help. In Labdoo, the maximum CPU frequency must be permanently limited using the script temperature_workaround.sh in the /scripts/temperature_workaround folder on the desktop!
Check the hardware with Labtix
System requirements (currently on https://www.labdoo.org/deu/en/faq#FAQ04)
min. 120 GB disk capacity,
min. 3 GB RAM, better 4 GB,
if the laptop is max. 12 years old, it should fit (usually with Windows 7 / 8 / etc. seal.
Does the donated device meet our minimum requirements (3-4 GB RAM, max. 12 years old, min Windows 7 or higher upon delivery)? https://www.labdoo.org/deu/en/faq#FAQ04
You should look through a donated computer before installing it. It makes no sense to give a laptop that overheats in cool regions to hot countries. Or if the hard drive is already "crumbling", how will it survive transport and operation in hot regions? That's why Labtix comes with useful tools for not only the hard drive, but also speakers, temperature curves under load, and much more. more to check.
Recommended hardware checks
Tool Check
GSmart / DiskCheck The “Disk_Check” icon on the desktop opens the GsmartControl tool. Checks the status of the target hard drive, usually “sda”. The more “red” notices or icons and the darker red they are, the sooner the hard drive should be replaced.
StressCpu / psensor The maximum temperature should be around 55 to 65°C under normal load, depending on the CPU/GPU type and the ambient temperature. To put load on the CPU, the "Stress CPU" script starts on the desktop (triggers "stress --cpu -8" in a terminal). Watch the temperature display of the CPU sensors in psensor. Stress CPU starts after 10 seconds and runs at full CPU load for 60 seconds in order not to damage the CPU and cooling system.
Under full load the temperatures often rise to over 70°C, less would be better. Many manufacturers specify an acceptable maximum temperature (CPU under full load) of 75° degrees. If temperatures rise to 80°C or higher under load, Stress CPU stops immediately to avoid damage to the processor and cooling system. Then the cooling system definitely needs to be revised (e.g. clean the fan or replace the cooler paste/cooling pads). An overheated cooling system can also be recognized by the fact that the copper-colored heat conductor has turned bluish.
Unscrew the cover from the fan area. Shine a lamp into it and check whether you can see the light clearly from outside through the fan. Then air can get through easily :) If not, the fan and ventilation system should be cleaned.
Sometimes it's enough to blow through the ventilation slots from the outside to the inside. The fan should be blocked with a nail or screwdriver so that it does not rotate. Additionally, dust flakes can be removed through the suction hole with a curved needle or soft brush.
If necessary. The thermal paste/film on the CPU cooler must be replaced.
On some devices with Intel i3/5/7 processors, it is helpful to switch off the "Intel Turbo Boost" (it can also be called something else on some devices!) in the BIOS/UEFI in order to get the temperature below 75° degrees during full load.
If the device is running in Turbo Boost mode and this cannot be switched off in the UEFI (recognizable by the fact that the clock frequency of the processor is in the 3 GHz range or higher), the clock frequency can be temporarily reduced using the Cpupower-Gui tool (in the top panel of Labtix). become. Values around 2.5 GHz have proven to be useful. After installing Labdoo, the maximum CPU frequency must be permanently limited in Labdoo using the temperature-workaround script.
Speaker Test Alternately checks the left and right speakers.
CD/DVD Test Play an audio CD using Audacious.
Preparation for installation with Labtix
Tags:
labtix
installation
preparation
If you already have a bootable CD or USB stick with the Labtix installation environment and Laboo Images for Cloning, you can skip this chapter.
Using the Labtix tool as a live CD/DVD or USB stick (recommended), Labdoo systems prepared by our helpers and equipped with learning content can be easily and quickly transferred ("cloned") to new computers , using so-called Images. As of Labtix 2.09 there are 4 BASIC images in 4 languages (English, Spanish, German, French). Depending on the language in the target country of the IT donation, you can select the language and upload additional learning content in other languages using control files. Local teams maintain additional images, e.g. in Catalan.
You need 2 things:
Labtix on a bootable medium: this can be a DVD (from Labtix 2.xx, from 2022) or a CD (Labtix 1.xx, 2017-2021) or a USB stick (recommended, 2 GB or larger) with which you can boot a computer into the Labtix environment.
External USB hard drive: for storing the Cloning Images and other learning content from our FTP server (Labdoo Hubs in Germany can be obtained from Labdoo.org e.V. Retrieve donated, pre-recorded boot media and USB hard drives.)
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Labtix: The Labdoo installation environment
In order to be able to install older and newer computers yourself with a license-free tool, Labdoo.org has put together a small solution based on the Linux version Antix, which we called Labtix (composed of Labdoo and Antix).
In Labtix you will find everything you need - for deleting old data on a donated computer, for quick and automated installation of finished systems. In addition, you will find many tools on Labtix to diagnose hardware and analyze and solve problems (CPU/processor, thermal problems (°C), detect damaged drives, battery status, etc.)
You could download the iso files for Labtix from the folder of our FTP server. You could check the correct download using checksums (MD5 or sha512).
Once you have downloaded the file, you can create a boot medium from the iso file (CD or USB stick). This is the boot medium with which you can start and prepare donated computers.
Create a boot medium (CD or USB stick) from the Labtix ISO
Next, convert the ISO file into a boot CD or USB boot stick (simple copying is not enough!). This can often be done with the file manager of the operating system you trust or with additional tools. Below you will find some suggestions. For more, consult the web (search for "create CD / USB stick iso" and your operating system).
Requirements for Labtix 2:
Installation on DVD possible, a simple CD is no longer sufficient
USB stick with at least 2 GB of storage space. If Labtix is to be expanded using the persistence mode, it may make sense to use a larger stick.
WINDOWS:
Install and start a program for creating start media, e.g. Rufus: https://github.com/pbatard/rufus/releases/download/v3.4/rufus-3.4p.exe or alternatives https://alternativeto.net/software/rufus/.
Start Rufus, select the USB device, click on the "Select" button, select the labtix.iso file, then click on Start.
LINUX:
In Labtix there is the tool Live USB Maker as well as the tool ISO-Snapshot with the help of which you can create an ISO file from the existing system (recommended).
At https://wiki.ubuntuusers.de/Brennprogramme/ you will find a range of Linux tools that you can use to burn CDs/DVDs, e.g. Xfburn or Brasero,
zto create bootable USB sticks: Unetbootin, boot media creator, Yumi, drive management etc. As a rule, every distro/desktop environment has a corresponding program installed
With dd, enter the following in the terminal: dd if=/Path/to/Labtix.iso of=/dev/target partition bs=1M
But beware: Persistence cannot be set up on USB sticks created with dd! Further details at : https://antixlinux.com/forum-archive/writing-antix-iso-image-on-usb-flas...
MAC OS:
The balenaEtcher tool at https://www.balena.io/etcher/ creates the boot medium in a simple way after installation: select the image file, specify the target drive and the medium is flashed.
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Labtix 2
https://youtu.be/oCJ84kMxjg4
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Labdoo Clone Images and additional learning content
You must download the images beforehand for cloning. Images are copies of a complete, pre-installed system. Linux has a great feature that other operating systems do not have. You can transfer a system from computer A to computer B - and it will run!
You can find these images online on our Labdoo FTP server http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/install-disk/.
You can download individual files via the browser by clicking on them with the right mouse button and then selecting "save link as".
However, this does not work for folders or for many files! These have to be downloaded individually and this is of course not convenient.
Simple methods for downloading multiple files for all common operating systems can be found at https://platform.labdoo.org/content/connecting-labdoo-ftp-server
Images sind groß und der Download dauert lange. Wenn ihr euch mit FTP-Clients auskennt, empfehlen wir daher sie direkt per FTP herunterzuladen (sftp, user labdoo und Passwort labdoo).
Labdoo BASIC Images for Cloning
Images and learning content have been decoupled since summer 2023. Previously, there were turnkey images, e.g. EN_40, EN_80, EN_160, EN_250 etc. Learning content was already pre-installed in these images, but this bloated the images, led to redundancy and long download times.
You can quickly download BASIC images with approx. 16 GB and then complete them with the desired content either during cloning with Labtix 2 or after rebooting. This is much faster, more flexible and saves time and resources.
In order to decide which image and which content is/are best for you, you would have to take the respective framework conditions into account:
The CPU/processor architecture of the computer you are currently working on (only 64-bit has been supported since 2018). Current images from 2020 are only available as 64-bit versions.
The language(s) in the target country for which you want to install.
The size of the hard disk in the computer to be refurbished. The size of the hard disk is displayed e.g. in the BIOS or after booting Labtix.
The name of a BASIC image on the FTP server says:
xx_04_LTS = Version on which Ubuntu is based, e.g. 22.04 LTS (older versions are in the archive)
There are standard directories for each available BASIC image and user language.
English (EN): http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/install-disk/EN_English_images/
German (DE): http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/install-disk/DE_German_images/
Spanish (ES): http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/install-disk/ES_Spanish_images/
French (FR): http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/install-disk/FR_French_images/
...and more to come.
Additional learning content
Additional learning content can be combined with the BASIC images. The content must be available locally on a local storage medium or on a local server. Downloading from the FTP server during installation is deliberately not supported (overloading the FTP server and taking a long time).
Either during installation with Labtix. content: none is preset in the mask. If you click on it, you will be redirected to the folder with prepared control files. The names provide information about the content and required disk size, e.g. EN_SW_250 installs English and Swahili content and requires a 250 GB disk.
Or after the installation process with the script installscript-content.sh, which can be found on the desktop in the /scripts folder. The process is the same as before, only you have to manually navigate to the folder with the control files for the content (usually on install-disk/wiki-archives/content_list
).
Preparation of the external USB hard drive (1+ TB)
The downloaded images are already unpacked and ready for immediate use. Copies them to an external hard drive or a local server. The USB disk must be formatted to store large files. For example, FAT32 is not possible because FAT32 can only handle files smaller than 4GB. NTFS is the recommended file system for an external hard drive.
Images and educational content
Tags:
image
content
learning content
New functions are available from Labtix 2. In recent years, Labtix has become the most used installation tool worldwide within the Labdoo project.
In keeping with this, Labdoo (Germany) has been providing "pre-assembled, ready-made" images for cloning on the FTP server in various languages and contents for years. And here success has created a bottleneck. Thousands of helpers are now downloading the freely available, free images from the FTP server. The infrastructure and bandwidth, kindly provided free of charge by the Polytechnica Barcelona data center, are being shared by more and more users and this leads to slow downloads.
We have therefore expanded our concept. 2.09 can now handle both "finished" images as before, but also the new BASIC images without content.
These "finished" images will soon be removed from the FTP server. You will then find BASIC images prepared in 4 languages.
The big advantage:
There are now only 4 small BASIC images each approx. 16 GB (DE, EN, ES, FR), which drastically reduces the upload and download volume. So far all images were around 500 GB...
How does it work?
There are now control files that tell Labtix what content to install where. This affects the Kiwix and browser-based archives, which were previously part of the "finished" images.
This means that content is not saved multiple times in images, but only once in the folder http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/install-disk/wiki-archive/ (you also need the subfolders here locally from the FTP server or ask for them via USB disk from your national hub representative).
This additional feature has other advantages. For example, you can create your own control files and quickly exchange them with each other, e.g. a file for reinstalling special content. Using a control file, it is also possible to install additional learning content in additional languages, e.g. the FR content for the EN_250 package.
The name of the control file specifies: 1. Language at the front refers to the BASIC image, i.e. for EN_250.txt = selects the image EN_BASIC, 250 refers to the recommended disk size of 250 GB. So everything as before. EN_FR_320.txt does the same thing, but also adds the French content, then needs 320 GB. By the way, FR_EN_250 matches the FR_BASIC image and installs EN content to it. In one case the system language when starting up is French, in the other case it is English.
What's the catch?
You need at least Labtix 2.09 (or higher) http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/install-disk/Labtix/ and the learning content http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/install-disk/wiki-archive/ .
An installation may take slightly longer. But you save a lot of time when downloading the images. If you have to install a lot of devices, you can save a local image you created yourself. Everything you need is included in Labtix.
Where can we find what?
Control files http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/install-disk/wiki-archive/control_files/
Content http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/install-disk/wiki-archive/
Current Labtix version http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/install-disk/Labtix/
Technical information:
Control files must be located locally on a data storage medium or server near the content folders with Kiwx, among others in the /content_files/ folder.
Only local content on USB drives or local servers is supported. Remote servers over the Internet are deliberately not usable.
The control files need a certain syntax. Please refer to the examples (blank lines between comments and content; #### before headings, ####2nd_lang, etc.).
If you want to use your own content, its archive name must match the name in the control file.
For content with a date in the name (e.g. for Kiwix) a wildcard (*) is possible. So you could always install Wikipedia with the control file, regardless of the version.
Content can be installed once during installation. Or later via installscript-content.sh in the scripts folder on the desktop.
We would be happy to hear your suggestions.
Connecting to the Labdoo FTP server
Tags:
sftp
ftp
rsync
filezilla
server
download
images
swish
ios
itransfer
browser
dateimanager
The Labdoo FTP server allows users to download files freely. Here are some simple methods on how you can connect to the FTP server. Choose the one that suits you best.
For security reasons, Labdoo does not allow unsecured FTP protocol, only secured SFTP protocol (no ftp, only sftp). And since fall 2023, rsync has no longer been offered for security reasons..
Note: Labdoo is not responsible for third-party software.
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1. Accessing the server through your browser
Open the URL http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/ in a browser and navigate via the links (Make sure the URL begins with “http://” and not “ftp://). Here you can download all files for free.
To download a file, click on a link with the right button of your mouse, then click "Save target as" (name can be different depending on your browser and opperating system).
This method's advantage is that you can access without a password, but on the other hand files can only be downloaded individually.
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2. Access data to connect to the FTP server
It is more convenient to connect your PC or server directly to the FTP server. Depending on your operating system there are several tools below. We created a user on the FTP server: labdoo with the password labdoo and read permissions (no write permissions), which is available to you for this purpose. If you need write permissions, please contact contact@Labdoo.org (EN) or Labdoo-DACH@Labdoo.org (DE).
Protocol = sftp (sftp is safer than ftp, so only sftp is available)
Server = sftp.labdoo.org
Username = labdoo
Password = labdoo
Path = /
sftp://labdoo:labdoo@sftp.labdoo.org
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3. Integrate into the file manager (Windows, Swish)
Windows does not offer its own way to connect the file manager to an FTP server via the sftp protocol. ftp would be possible, but we do not offer this for security reasons. However, you can use additional programs sftp, e.g. the Swish Add-on for the Windows file manager http://www.swish-sftp.org/(link is external) .
After installing Swish, you have to set up the access to the FTP-Server:
Login to the FTP server: Name - choose a name of your choice; server: sftp.labdoo.org; user: labdoo; path: /
Security key: Save and connect - key remains permanently on the PC until changed; Simply connect - key is only saved for this session and will be queried again next time
Enter the password labdoo, now you can use the FTP server like a drive on your PC.
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4. Filezilla
It is easy to connect your computer to the FTP server with special tools if you need to download massive files. The free FTP client Filezilla can be downloaded here https://filezilla-project.org/.. Also available for Apple (macOS) https://filezilla-project.org/download.php?platform=osx.
The start path can be set in the settings under Advanced --> Default directory on the server. Then you don't always have to click through the whole file system.
Enter the access data: Server - sftp://sftp.labdoo.org ; Username labdoo ; Password - labdoo ; Port - 22
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5. Linux
If you are using GNU/Linux, you can easily integrate the FTP server using the sftp protocol (secure FTP). Simply enter the path for the FTP folder → sftp://labdoo:labdoo@ftp.labdoo.org:/ in your favorite file manager.
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6. lftp
lftp is a free FTP client for Linux and other OS.
Install lftp under Linux using sudo apt install lftp.
Then you can mirror the /install-disk folder using the appropriate one-liner with lftp:
lftp -c "open http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/install-disk/ ;mirror --parallel=10 -n -e -O /path/to/install-disk"
The "-e" option ensures that files that no longer exist on the server are deleted from the local install disk. If this is not desired, simply leave out this option.
The entire command can be entered into the crontab using "sudo nano /etc/crontab" if regular mirroring is desired.
Read more https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/lftp
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7.Connecting Apple (macOS and iOS) using Filezilla or iTransfer to an FTP server
For Apple and (macOS ans iOS) you can install and use the free tools Filezilla or iTransfer.
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8.install-disk-maker.sh (Tool recommended by Labdoo)
You can download the tool for conveniently creating an installation disk (install disk) or a folder on a computer, server or NAS for Linux here. A download can be "clicked together" and saved as a download list for later repetitions. The download can only be limited to changed files, which saves download time.
http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/install-disk/Labtix/install-disk-maker.sh
(if necessary make it executable)
But it is also part of every BASIC image of Labdoo (on the desktop of the user labdoo in the scripts folder). This is how you can do it after installing it on Labdoo laptops
Note for technical helpers: The tool is based on wget. Downloaded files that no longer exist on the FTP server are not automatically deleted by install-disk-maker. Every now and then it's worth clearing up "file corpses".
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9. recommended folders or links
If you want you can mirror the whole FTP drive :) Maybe you should choose the content you really need? Here are some useful paths that might be of interest to you:
All data necessary for an installation: http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/install-disk/
English documents: http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/documents/english/
Graphics + logos: http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/documents/material/
If you have any questions send an e-mail to Labdoo Global Support team wall and a Labdooer will get back to you.
Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
install-disk-maker
Tags:
install-disk
install-disk-maker
Install Disk Maker [in preparation]
Labdoo's install disk is used to distribute Labdoo images and educational content in order to install Labdoo systems. Despite the name Install Disk, images and educational content do not necessarily have to be on a hard drive. Local folders or shares on the local network can also be used. The installation is usually carried out using the installation scripts in the zzFM file manager in Labtix. After installation, additional educational content can be installed from Labdoo using the installscript_content.sh script in the “Scripts” folder on the Labdoo desktop.
https://youtu.be/zc_vigNEthg
In order for the Labdoo installers to work correctly, the following folder structure must be ensured:
For Images:
/install-disk/DE_German_images/22.04_LTS_EN_Basic
/install-disk/EN_Englisch_images/22.04_LTS_DE_Basic etc.
For Kiwix-Dateien:
/install-disk/wiki-archive/kiwix/wikis/DE/Lerninhalt.zim
/install-disk/wiki-archive/kiwix/wikis/EN/Learning_content etc.
For Offline-Wikis:
/install-disk/wiki-archive/wikis/DE/beispiel.tar.gz
/install-disk/wiki-archive/wikis/EN/example.tar.gz etc.
For control files ( content_lists ) :
/install-disk/wiki-archive/content_list/DE_120.txt
/install-disk/wiki-archive/content_list/EN_FR_80.txt etc.
The Content_Lists play a special role (see below). They serve as control files and contain the information about which additional content (wikis and Kiwix files) will be installed during the installation with the installer scripts in Labtix or after the installation with installscript_content.sh in Labdoo. Many Content_Lists already exist on the server. The name contains the minimum size of the hard drives on the devices to be installed. With every download, the contents of the content_lists folder are updated!
It is still possible to use Clonezilla in Labtix to create your own Labdoo images with a lot of content and save them anywhere and clone them using the Labdoo installer in zzFM or with Clonezilla in Labtix.
The Install Disk Maker tool is used to easily create an install disk or a corresponding folder using selection menus. Images and content can be saved specifically in a correct folder structure.
The advantage is that the entire install disk no longer has to be downloaded from the Labdoo servers, thereby significantly reducing download times and server utilization. In addition, individual compilations can be created more easily, e.g. if Labdoo installations with bilingual content are required. Simply download the relevant content to the install disk, create a corresponding Content_List (see below) and you have created the possibility for an individual Labdoo installation.
The install disk maker downloads the desired files from the Labdoo server (http://ftp.labdoo.org/download/install-disk/). A password is not necessary for this.
Of course the computer must be connected to the Internet!!!
The possibilities of the install disk maker:
Reformat an empty hard drive and set it up as an install disk with content,
set up a folder, hard drive or local share as an install disk with content,
update an existing install disk or an existing install disk folder. The tool searches for existing files on the disk or in the folder and updates them if newer versions are available.
update an existing install disk (or install disk folder) using an existing download list or repeat a download using a download list if there is an interruption. A download list is created with each complete run of the tool and stored in the target directory with a time stamp. The download list is a pure text file with a list of the ftp addresses used. It can therefore also be edited manually.
In general, if folders/files already exist in the target folder, only newer versions or versions with a different size will be downloaded. This also helps enormously to reduce download times and relieve the load on the FTP server.
README
The install-disk-maker
The Install Disk Maker is a shell script with Yad as the frontend for the dialogs. It should run on all Debian-based systems. The dependencies are yad, wget and sed. If not available, these should be installed later if necessary. Simply copy the script to your computer, make it executable, double-click it and run it in the terminal when asked. The script is already integrated into Labtix and Labdoo. It is only available with English user guidance.
Starting the script:
In Labtix: Double-click on the corresponding icon on the desktop (from Labtix 2.10)
In Labdoo: /Desktop/Scripts/install-disk-maker.sh , logged in as user labdoo
After a short README, a selection list appears in which the further procedure is determined.
There are four options to choose from:
1 format and use an unmounted hard disk as target
2 choose or create and use a folder as target
3 update an existing install-disk(-folder)
4 update an install-disk(-folder) with an existing Downloadlist
Depending on your selection, you will be guided to your destination via self-explanatory dialogues. Only option 1 requires you to enter the sudo password in the terminal once under Labdoo.
Selection of the drive for the install disk. Often sda is your own system disk and sdb is the external drive; like in the screenshot. However, this can change depending on the configuration. Select disk
Entering the administrator password (sudo) Enter admin sudo password (only for some options)
Should a download list from a previous download be used. Or should a new list be “clicked together” individually for download. Select downlist or define new download
Mark the images to download by language
Selection of images to load in the language folder
Selection of wiki languages for browser-based content
Selection of wiki languages for Kiwix
Display of the selected content for confirmation
Display of the download and progress in the terminal
Display of the download and the download list
After closing the final “READY” dialog, the existing files and folders in the target folder or disk are displayed in the terminal. This is used to check the contents of the target folder or disk.
Pressing “Enter” in the terminal ends the script and the working folder is cleaned up.
While the script is running, it is possible to mount or unmount disks or shares using a file manager. It is not necessary to end the script.
If an external disk has been formatted, it must be removed from the device once after the script has ended and then reconnected in order to make it available to the system.
While the script is running, some auxiliary files are created in the working folder (or on the desktop in Labtix) which are deleted during the run. Some dialog windows allow you to abort the script and then delete these files. If the script hangs, for example because the connection to the server is interrupted, you can end it by closing the terminal in which the script is running. Some auxiliary files may be retained. To delete these, call the script again and end the "README" dialog with "Cancel". The work folder is cleaned up.
In rare cases, auxiliary files of the stream editor used sed with the name sed* appear in the working folder. These files cannot be edited, but disappear as soon as you close and reopen the file manager or restart the desktop in Labtix.
If you want to repeat the project, we recommend copying the resulting download list to a suitable location so that it is available at any time and/or can be passed on.
Building a control file (content_list)
The control files are pure text files that can be edited with any editor. Text processing is unsuitable for this!!!
Example EN_BS_80.txt (shortened):
=======================================================================
# Control file for automated post-installation of content, requires Labtix 2.09 or higher
# Control file for automated post-installation of content, requires Labtix 2.09 or higher
####lang_1
EN
# _80 = min. needed disk-size, 80 GB
####wikis_1
en-afristory.tar.gz
en-algebra2go.tar.gz
####kiwix_1
askubuntu.com_en_all_*.zim
ifixit_en_all_*.zim
wikibooks_en_all_maxi_*.zim
# Create new Firefox Tab for users labdoo and student to path labdoo/home/Public/wikis/EN (html file already exists in all Labdoo images)
####homepages_1
file:///home/labdoo/Public/wikis/EN/index-tutorials-en.html|file:///home/labdoo/Public/manuals/index-manuals.html|https://start.ubuntu-mate.org/|file:///home/labdoo/Public/wikis/EN/index-en.html
####lang_2
BS
# adds Bosnian content to an installation
# path /Public/kiwix/wikis
####wikis_2
####kiwix_2
phet_bs_*.zim
wikibooks_bs_all_maxi_*.zim
####homepages_2
file:///home/labdoo/Public/wikis/EN/index-tutorials-en.html|file:///home/labdoo/Public/manuals/index-manuals.html|https://start.ubuntu-mate.org/|file:///home/labdoo/Public/wikis/EN/index-en.html
======================================================================
It is important to adhere to the syntax of the tags (e.g. ####kiwix_2) so that the install scripts can evaluate the control file correctly. If you want to create your own control files, you will find many existing examples in the /install-disk/wiki-archive/content_list folder. These can be adapted to your own projects.
2 - Click Installation Method
Tags:
2-clicks
spacefm
filemanager
clone
cloning
image
Labtix 2
https://youtu.be/oCJ84kMxjg4
Sometimes the screen is very dark after booting and the screen cannot be brightened or darkened using the function keys. Then move the mouse to the upper left corner, if necessary "flying blind", click there and then tap on the arrow key to the right. Each time you press the arrow key, the monitor should get a little brighter.
Double-click to start the file manager zzzFM (Labtix 2).
Mount the drive on which the images for cloning are located.
For external USB drives: plug it in, the drive appears with a - in front of it, then click on the entry and the "-" becomes a "+".
Connect to the network, via LAN it is sufficient to plug in the LAN cable, for WLAN with Connman system tray, then open file manager zzzFM → in the input area (preset /home/labdoo/) den Enter the path to the server, e.g. smb://192.168.1.1/install-disk, if necessary enter the password in the terminal window. smb is the protocol required for Windows servers.
First it tries to establish a connection for the user guest, then for the user ladboo. Or you can enter a local user like this: smb://user@192.168.1.1/install-disk and then the password in the terminal window.
The drive / server is now mounted, i.e. the computer has access to it.
Open the folder with the images.
Right click on the folder containing the image to be installed.
Click the displayed functions list on
Labtix 2: labdoo-legacy-installer or labdoo-UEFI-installer (depending on system settings and boot)
in the next window
Labtix 2: Enter the path to the target disk, e.g. sda, nvmep1n or similar → set the number of delete runs,
optional: enter the host ID if you already know it (otherwise it can be changed after the restart)
The image will now being copied to the internal hard disk sda.
At the end GParted opens for control to display the finished partition on sda. The whole hard disk should be available. Close GParted. In rare cases the automatic adjustment of the partition does not work. Then it can be adjusted manually.
The window with the installation's confirmation will appear, confirm with "ok" and close.
The installation will be confirmed in the terminal, then close with ''Enter''.
The installation is complete. Labtix can be shut down with "Poweroff" or "Save Poweroff" and the computer can be restarted.
Select your BASIC-image
and content package Select your BASIC-image and content package
Select the
content package Select the content package
(Example) Content package chosen and
power off after installation activated
Installed tools for Labtix
Tags:
labtix
tools
Labtix comes with a number of useful tools preinstalled:
(partly smaller deviations between the Labtix versions possible)
Application Description
Arandr A tool for configuring the screen layout. Very useful when your device has the internal monitor removed and an external display is connected.
Audacious CD/DVD drive functionality test
Avahi network scanner scans the network (please connect first) and shows e.g. the path to a server or similar.
Backlight Brightness Sometimes the screen is too dark and cannot be made brighter with the keyboard (function keys). Then you can change the brightness with Backlight Brightness. Works most of the time, but not always.
battery-plugin in the panel gives you information about the status of the battery when you mouse over it. The plug-in can be activated with a right mouse click and "Battery Monitor Settings", if not already done.
Conky A tool for displaying system information on the desktop. The output window is in the upper right corner. The configuration file is in Labtix 1: /etc/conky/conky.conf, in Labtix 2: ~/conky.rc. In Labtix 2 with even more information, such as battery status, etc.
Firefox esr is the "enterprise version" of Firefox, which is not updated as often. For example, Firefox can be used during installation to research the web. It can also display pdf files. By default it doesn't collect cookies and doesn't store data to avoid bloating Labtix with unnecessary data in persistence mode.
Gparted a great tool for disk partitioning, file system repair and partition copying.
Gsmartcontrol /
DiskCheck a tool to read the S.M.A.R.T data from a hard drive to see if the hard drive is healthy. If yours is "red" in the registers, you should use a different hard drive.
Tip: If a Seagate disk shows thousands of reallocation reallocation events in the Attributes tab, the drive is not damaged. These hard drives have different firmware specifically for Lenovo computers that uses the memory bit for reallocation events for other purposes.
hard info gives you extensive information about the hardware and software of the computer.
ISO Snapshot a tool to create an ISO snapshot of the system. All changes to the system are saved in the snapshot. While running ISO snapshot, mark the directories NOT to be added to the snapshot, except for the "Desktop" directory which contains the .desktop files. You should move existing snapshots to a directory that you do not want to include in the snapshot. The snapshot is saved in /home/snapshot. If the snapshot is created on a non-persistent system (e.g. boots from CD-ROM), it should be saved on another device. If there is not enough disk space to save the snapshot, the save path can be e.g. to another USB stick. The snapshot can be installed to a USB stick using UNetbootin or burned to a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM using the IG Burn Tool plugin in SpaceFM.
Keyboard layout handler With the Keyboard Layout Handler on the right side of the panel you can change the keyboard layout with a left mouse click. To make a permanent change, right click and use the "Keyboard Layout Handler Settings". The top keyboard layout in the list is preassigned at startup. With a left mouse click you can go through the pre-installed keyboard layouts (German, US English, French, Spanish).
Live USB Maker (Labtix 2) to copy Labtix to other USB sticks.
Magnify Magnifier on/off
Onboard show/hide monitor keyboard.
SimpleScreenRecorder
(Labtix 2 only) Tool to record videos of the session, e.g. for training purposes.
Psensor A tool to control the temperatures of CPU, GPU and others.
SpaceFM (Labtix 1) /
zzzFM (Labtix 2) is a file manager for the usual file actions and for integrating external devices. It has plugins to e.g. mount shares and burn CDs or DVDs. SpaceFM/zzzFM is highly configurable and can be modified with additional plugins. The trash can is disabled to prevent accumulation of too much data in persistence mode. If required, the trash can can be added as a plugin. It should not be removed as it is part of the desktop environment!
Speaker Test Speaker test right / left.
UNetbootin (Labtix 1) a tool to create bootable USB sticks. Start Unetbootin, enable "Diskimage", select the ISO snapshot (should be in /home/snapshot) and select the target USB drive. The USB stick should be formatted with fat32 and it should be mounted (use SpaceFM for this). After installation on a thumbdrive, Gparted should be used to check if the boot flag is set correctly!
wipefs Fast deletion of the file system (but does not replace overwriting with random numbers).
Xfburn to burn Labtix from CDs/DVDs.
For more information, please use the man pages of the help function in the terminal (e.g. "man gparted" or
type "psensor --help" there and press (enter)) or use the Internet.
Desktop Settings:
The Labtix desktop environment is based on openbox with the additional lxpanel. If you right-click on the desktop, you can select "Desktop Settings" to make changes to the desktop. To install new program launchers on the desktop, copy them from /usr/share/applications to the desktop. To move icons on the desktop, use "Shift + Drag". Please note that in some cases SpaceFM moves the items out of the folder. If so, please copy it back.
Troubleshooting
Tags:
troubleshooting
labtix
labtix 2
We may need some tools for troubleshooting that make it easier for us to fix errors when installing or starting computers:
Labtix on a USB stick :-) ,
Labtix on USB stick, installed with "dd" with the Live USB Maker,
Labtix on DVD,
a finished standard Labdoo installation on a hard drive to test whether a device can / wants to boot with Labdoo,
a finished legacy Labdoo installation on a hard drive to test whether a device can / wants to boot with Labdoo legacy,
Super Grub 2 Disk (link) as a starting aid for Labtix or Labdoo,
Clonezilla-Live or Parted Magic to install if nothing else works,
Boot Repair Disk ( link ) to fix boot problems with Labdoo.
optional: USB adapter for SATA to be able to "plug in" a hard drive externally,
optional: USB hub for USB / USB-C slots if a laptop doesn't have enough slots
You don't have to create all of these tools directly. It is enough to create them when needed. But the more problem cases you have worked on, the more complete this tool collection becomes.
The easiest way can often be to install a hard drive with a finished Labdoo installation in a "problem" computer. This saves time and nerves!!!
Computer remains "dead":
When plugging in the power supply, the DC indicator light does not light up or the computer beeps:
Power supply defective or not suitable? Make sure you have the correct DC plug.
No RAM memory installed?
Battery deeply discharged? If possible, try starting without a battery or powering the computer for a while. Depending on the device, it can take a few minutes to an hour until the device is bootable!
UEFI not accessible:
Win 10 or 11 is started in installation mode and the UEFI is not accessible: remove the hard drive and delete it externally.
If Windows is already installed and boots to the login screen: Click the power icon, click the "Restart" option with Shift/Shift key >>"Advanced options">> "Troubleshoot" >> "UEFI settings" . In the UEFI then put the Labtix stick first in the boot settings, deactivate secureboot if necessary.
Common keys to get into UEFI: ESC, F1 (Lenovo), F2, F10, F12 (Dell), Del . Depending on the setting in the UEFI, the "Fn" key must be pressed at the same time.
Some devices (some Lenovo or Sony) have their own button to boot into UEFI, sometimes quite hidden. A search on the Internet can be informative.
If Labtix boots into the UEFI boot menu: Boot Rescue Menus >> Reboot into BIOS/UEFI Setup. Labtix may have to be booted via the computer's boot menu.
If you have one, try a Labtix DVD and boot into the UEFI using the Boot Rescue Menu (see above).
Boot into the UEFI boot menu with a Xubuntu USB Live stick. This contains the “UEFI Firmware Settings” option. Is also possible with some other *buntus. You may have to boot via the computer's boot menu.
Sometimes it helps to consistently remove all drives and don't overlook the SD card slot.
On some devices, removing the CMOS battery can force an error message from which access to the UEFI is often possible. Similarly, some devices have a reset button on the bottom that can be reached through a small hole.
Labtix does not boot into the Grub boot menu:
Secureboot switched off in UEFI?
USB boot not possible, e.g. by excluding USB boot in UEFI
Some devices only boot Labtix in UEFI mode, others only in legacy mode, so it makes sense to try it out. The same applies to the installed images.
"USB-always power on" activated in UEFI?
A common problem is the poor connectivity of some USB sticks in USB sockets. If you pull the stick approx. 1mm outwards, the stick may have better contact. If the LED on the stick (if present) lights up or flashes, the contact should be OK.
Use Labtix DVD?
Use Labtix on a stick installed in Labtix with the Live USB Maker with the "dd" option?
The device simply does not want to start with the bootloader used by Labtix or ignores it due to the computer firmware used (e.g. on some Acer laptops). If the device accepts the SuperGrub2Disk bootloader (from USB or CD), Labtix can be started using SuperGrub2Disk. https://www.supergrubdisk.org
If all else fails, you can install a hard drive in the device on which you have installed Labdoo.
If only Win 10 or 11 stubbornly boots, the only solution is to remove the hard drive to start Labtix and/or get into the UEFI. The hard drive should then be erased using an external USB adapter and checked for errors using DiskCheck in Labtix.
(for Labdoo Germany) ...and if all else fails, then send the IT donation to the central post office https://platform.labdoo.org/de/hub?h=119075
Labtix hangs when booting:
If Labtix hangs when booting, it is worth trying out the boot options “failsafe” (driver problems), “nomodeset” (graphics driver problems) or acpi=off (power management problems),
A network search with the computer type, "Linux" and "Boot options" can lead to success in special cases,
If the boot process hangs with the message "waiting for devs to be fully populated ..." you can cancel this process with Ctrl + C,
sometimes a device just won't boot with Labtix. Alternatively, an image can be installed with Parted Magix or Clonezilla Live. The content can then be installed from Labdoo.
There is always the option of installing a hard drive pre-installed with Labdoo.
Installation aborts:
Destination disk damaged? Check with check disk.
Contact to the install disk or the server used is not stable? Or files do not exist on the specified paths?
The Labdoo images use a block size of 4096 bytes. This can cause problems with a few SSDs/NVMEs. Unfortunately, the only solution is to replace the hard drive.
The target hard drive could be too small for the selected image and content.
In general you should carry out an installation with a freshly booted Labtix. If the installation scripts were aborted or hard drives or shares were added or deleted in Labtix, artifacts in the operating system may prevent the installation scripts from running correctly.
Some hard drives have write and/or read protection. The values in Disk-Check then look normal, but no partitions can be deleted or created. The only quick solution here is to replace the hard drive.
MacBooks:
Note: Labdoo Germany accepts MacBooks as IT donations. Labdoo Switzerland does not.
If Labtix does not boot (which is the rule), hold down the Alt key immediately after pressing the power button until a selection of bootable media appears.
The computer's NVRAM may need to be deleted first:
Power button, then hold down "Alt", "P", "Cmd", "R" at the same time for approx. 30 seconds,
In Labtix, pay attention to the clock frequency, if necessary limit it to approx. 2 Ghz with Cpupower-Gui to avoid overheating during the installation of Labdoo. Use the temperature_workaround in Labdoo!
MacBooks with the T2 chip are unfortunately not compatible with Labdoo. The same applies to the new MacBooks with ARM processors.
Labdoo does not boot:
Try booting via the computer's boot menu. Common keys: Esc, F9, F12 on tablets/convertibles Power + Vol"+" or Vol"-". If necessary, together with the Fn key.
Use Gparted in Labtix to check whether the installation on the hard drive looks correct:
Standard installation: grub2core.img, efi partition and Linux partition present and extended to the entire drive?
Legacy installation: Linux partition present and extended to the entire drive?
"Boot flag" and efi flag (standard installation only) set?
Check the hard drive again with Disk Check in Labtix. By deleting hard drives with "shred" when installing Labdoo, they can be damaged if they were already on the brink anyway.
The boot mode may need to be changed in UEFI. Sometimes Labtix only boots in UEFI mode on the same device, but Labdoo boots in Legacy or CMS mode or vice versa
Move Labdoo up in the boot order in the UEFI,
look in the boot menu of the computer to see whether the Labdoo installation appears there and whether it can be started from there,
Start Labdoo using Super Grub 2 Disk (https://www.supergrubdisk.org). Connect to the Internet. Open a terminal with "Ctrl" + "Alt" + "T" and reinstall the bootloader with the command "sudo grub-install". This may cause Labdoo's bootloader to be entered into the computer's firmware.
Start the computer with "Boot Repair Disk" ( link ), establish an internet connection and follow the instructions. Can solve one or two UEFI problems.
Get more messages:
In its default setting, Labdoo does not display the kernel boot messages during booting, but rather the Mate boot logo ("plymouth"). However, if booting or shutting down hangs or takes a long time, you can use the boot messages to diagnose possible sources of error.
To display the boot messages while Plymouth is displayed: press "ESC" + "F1"
If you want to show all messages:
After switching on, use the shift key to make Grub's boot menu visible. If necessary, try several times, the default time window is 3 seconds!
If you are in the boot menu and the first entry is activated, press the "E" key to enter editor mode.
Find the line with linux /boot/vmlinuz.... and replace quiet splash with noplymouth. The American keyboard layout applies!
Boot with F10.
The most recent boot messages can be used to search for errors on the Internet. When searching, always specify the device used.
The changed settings only apply once, so they have to be changed every time you boot.
When the computer boots into Labdoo, the "dmesg" command in the terminal displays the boot messages. Problems are usually displayed in red.
Secure boot activated and cannot be deactivated
Important note: Labtix does not boot with Secureboot!!! However, the Grub boot menu appears and the message “secureboot” appears at the bottom left. However, it is often possible to access the UEFI in order to deactivate Secureboot via the Boot Rescue Menus >> Reboot into BIOS/UEFI Setup entries.
On some computers, Secureboot can only be deactivated if an administrator password has previously been set in the UEFI.
There is a small trap with some Acer computers: if you deactivate Secureboot and set the boot mode to "UEFI", Secureboot is automatically activated again!
If the computer's UEFI is protected with an unknown password and Secureboot is activated, it is still worth trying to install. As a rule, all *buntus like Ubuntu Mate, the basis of the Labdoo images, can be installed easily with Secureboot.
Since Labdoo images are installed through cloning, the installation step in which the Ubuntu secureboot certificate is entered into the computer's firmware is no longer necessary. This means that, depending on the computer firmware or the secure boot settings, the computer is prevented from booting Labdoo. Nevertheless, it is worth a try to have the certificates subsequently entered into the firmware. Unfortunately, this doesn't always work.
Installation of Labdoo:
The quickest way to work is to install a hard drive pre-installed with Labdoo.
Does the computer still have to be installed, e.g. because of a soldered hard drive
Installation with Clonezilla in Parted Magic, then install contents in Labdoo.
If the Labdoo installation does not boot: see "Labdoo does not boot".
Once Labdoo has been made to boot (unfortunately this is not always possible), an update must be carried out:
Connect to the Internet and open a terminal with "Ctrl" + "Alt" + "T" and enter the following commands one after the other:
sudo apt update >>> check for updates,
sudo apt upgrade >>> run the updates.
If asked, answer yes and provide the Labdoo admin password.
During the update you should be asked whether you want to create a secureboot password. This must be answered in the affirmative and entered accordingly. Write on a piece of paper and keep it safe :-)) . It may be that if there are changes to the hardware (e.g. new WiFi card) the password will be requested!
Restart Labtix once, then enter sudo apt autoremove >>> in the terminal to remove unnecessary files.
For very inflexible devices:
Unfortunately, this type of installation is not trivial, which is why the procedure can only be outlined superficially. If you really want to give it a go, you'll have to search online from time to time to get further:
Install a hard drive pre-installed with Labdoo in the device,
Install Xubuntu on the device in parallel. During the installation, the kernel or its secure boot certificate is entered into the UEFI partition and the firmware of the computer.
In the corresponding window, select the option "Install Xubuntu alongside Ubuntu",
during Xubuntu installation, set the partition size for Xubuntu to approximately 12 Gb,
After installation, set the default boot entry of the Grub bootloader to the partition with Labdoo. Unfortunately it's not entirely trivial; it's best to use the Internet to find out,
After booting into Labdoo for the first time, update the system once as described above.
...and if nothing works, send the IT donation to the central post office... ;) (Labdoo Germany only)
Labtix boot setting and persistence
Tags:
persistence
custom boot
individual
setting
Labtix has two boot menus. Once the menu for legacy boot and the menu for UEFI boot. Whether you boot into the legacy or UEFI boot menu depends on the settings in the UEFI. On many devices, both options can be selected via the computer's boot menu.
Legacy boot menu from Labtix:
Set the desired options using the corresponding function keys (e.g. F2 for language or F4 for kernel boot options) and, if desired, set them up permanently with F8. A reset is possible at any time with F8 > Reset. Alternatively, you can also enter it directly in the “Boot Options” line. After the next reboot, the boot menu contains the menu entry "Custom..."
Labtix UEFI boot menu:
The UEFI boot menu contains the “Advanced Options” entry through which options can be set up and saved using submenus.
Persistence mode
In persistence mode, all your changes are saved, such as . Network connections, Firefox bookmarks, changes within the Labtix environment, etc. . Installing programs and saving files is also possible.
To do this, press F5 in the Labtix grub menu in legacy mode and select "persist_all",
then press F8 and select "save",
then you boot e.g. "antix-21 x64-base ...",
When asked for the rootfs persistence file, press "Enter" for the default size,
When asked for the homefs persistence file, press "Enter" for the default size,
If you are asked for the live USB swap file, select "n" for "no",
The question "Do you want to copy the files to the home persistence device?" answered with "y" for "yes",
The question "Please choose auto-save mode" answered with "2" for semi-automatic,
If you wanted to use changes via persistence, you should not boot toram and remove the stick, because then Labtix cannot save your changes when you shut down.
Using the ISO Snapshot and Live USB Maker tools in Labtix, a new bootable stick can be created that includes all changes. The Unetbootin we previously recommended for creating live USB sticks uses the fat32 file system, which limits the maximum persistence size to 4 GB. The Live USB Maker uses ext4 as the file system and therefore allows for greater persistence. If the Live USB stick was created with the dd program or the "dd" option of the Live USB Maker, it is not possible to permanently set up boot options and set up persistence. The corresponding options do not appear in the boot menus.l
Terminal commands
Tags:
labtix
command
terminal
shell
Helpful terminal commands
Even if, contrary to popular opinion, the use of a terminal in Linux is not absolutely necessary, it does offer some advantages. Terminal commands give you output faster than pushing the mouse. Terminal commands can be controlled and linked in a variety of ways using arguments and are therefore the method of choice for more complex problem solving.
To open a terminal, click on the icon at the bottom left of the bottom menu bar or press Ctrl + Alt + t on the keyboard.
If a command is refused with the note "permission denied" or root rights are required, type "sudo" before the command used, e.g. "sudo zzzfm"
For further information use the --help option e.g. "apt --help" or the man pages "man apt"
Application Description
acpi (-V) Information about the power system such as battery status, battery status, etc.
(sudo) apt Package manager
Application:
sudo apt update >> Creates the required package database
sudo apt install mousepad >> installs the program "mousepad" for example
Only useful in persistence mode. The device must be connected to the Internet.
dd Bit-accurate copying
Example:
dd /path/to/ISO /path/to/USB stick bs=1M >> bit-precise copying of an ISO file to a USB stick
eject -T ejects CDs or DVDs if the button on the drive is defective.
grep filters the output of commands
acpi -V | grep -i battery >> Show only the lines of acpi -V that contain the word "battery"