This document is intended as a manual for operations of the FAIR Computer Recycling Suite (FCRS) v/ 0.5. The text presumes an installed system with all serial ports and peripherals set up. The FCRS boot media should also be available on a floppy and/or CD-ROM. This is covered in the FCRS installation manual.
FAIR Computer Recycling Suite (FCRS) is a software package that facilitates large scale production of second hand computers into first class computers. This is done through testing the computer components, secure deletion of data, registering the computer with traceable IDs, mapping donors, and classifying the equipment. FCRS prepares a detailed report for each computer as well as collects the information in a searcheable database.
Menubar - The menubar is the top most menu. You will find the File, Edit, Add, Tools, Help menu items there.
Menu item - A menu item is part of a menu that when pressed opens a new list of items.
Toolbar - The toolsbar is the button bar under the menubar.
Desktop - A desktop is the area of the complete screen when in graphical mode. You will be presented with the Desktop after login.
Thin-Client - A Thin-Client is a network computer that uses a server to run most or all of its software. In this manner you can use old PCs as terminals with up to date software. FCRS uses the harddrives as the bootmedia when processing, but can also produce floppy disks.
Workstation - A workstation is a PC that can be used independantly. It must run up to date software locally, and not be dependant on any other computer equipement to function as a PC.
FCRS Server - The FCRS Server is the server containing and running FCRS.
FCRS GUI - FCRS Graphical User Interface. This is the window you are presented with when launching FCRS. See 2.2 Launching FCRS.
FCRS Client - FCRS Clients are the PCs that are connected to the FCRS Server through nullmodem serial cables and booted with the FCRS boot media.
Nullmodem cable - A nullmodem cable is a serial cable with two female RS232 COM connectors. These can be purchased in most computer stores.
Boot media - Boot media is the storeage media used to boot a computer. It can be Floppy disks, CDROMs, DVDs, USB Pen Drives, Hard disks, EPROMS or any other storage media that enables a computer to boot an operating system.
Secure data deletion - Secure data deletion is deletion done with certain patterns over the entire disk to ensure that no data can be found after deletion.
Serial COM ports - A Serial COM post is the male RS232 port usualy located in the back of the computer case. It has nine pins.
Donor - A donor is an organisation or individual that donates computer equipment.
Donor report - A donor report is a report listing all FCRS processed computers a donor has donated.
Menu navigation is described in levels: toplevelname->submenuname->subsubmenuname.
Menu items are always written in bold charachers.
See the FCRS installation manual.
FCRS is used to test and classify computers. FCRS has two computer classifications for first class computers: Workstation and Thin-Clients. Computers that do not meet requirements for these classifications are labeled as EE-Waste. The requirements for each class is configured in the setup. Each computer to be processed is connected to the FCRS system with a nullmodem cable (RS232 connector) and booted with the FCRS boot media. For server installation, see the FCRS Installation manual.
After installation you will want to power on the FCRS Server and start working with producing first class computers. To get started we have described the steps you must take.
When the FCRS server is powered on the system will present a graphical login screen.
Log on to the FCRS server with the username and password you set during the install or delivered by your systems administrator (See FCRS Installation Manual).
After login, you will see the desktop area. There is a toolbar at the bottom of the screen and a few icons on the desktop. To launch the FCRS user interface, click on the FCRS icon on the desktop area. You will now be represented with a graphical user interface. (See image).
At any time after you have launched FCRS (Section 2.2) you can configure FCRS. We differentiate between two types of configurations. Server Configuration and Session Setup.
Before using FCRS some global variables must be set. Computer classes determine how FCRS should classify computers, donors must be entered so they can be chosen for each session, and FCRS must know how many serial COM ports it can use.
FCRS can perform classification of computers based on user configurable RAM/CPU/HD thresholds. In the FCRS main window you can use the menu item Edit to set the thresholds. Click Edit->Computer-Classes in the FCRS GUI. This will open the Edit Computer Classes window.
In the Edit Computer Classes window you will be presented with two rows of fields. These two rows represent two of the classifications in FCRS: Workstation and Thin-Client. Workstations are computers that can function alone (standalone) with up to date software, while Thin-Clients are network computers that need a server to function with up to date software (See 1.3 Definitions).
Each classification has editable fields for CPU-speed, RAM-amount, and HD-size values. Have the requirements for your prefered operating system in mind when choosing the CPU/RAM/HD values. In addtion to the values set in these fields, a Thin-Client will always require a supported network interface card (NIC) to fullfill the requirements of the Thin-Client classification.
Donors are required to generate wipe receipts for donors.
To add a donor, clik on the menu item Add on the FCRS menu and choose Donor (Add->Donor). You will then open the Add New Donor window. Type the name of the new donor and click the Add button.
To remove a donor, click on the menu item Edit on the FCRS menu and choose Delete Donor (Edit->Delete-Donor). Select the donor from the drop-down list. Click the Delete button.
Server settings are set in the menu item Tools (Tools->Server-Settings). In the Server Settings window you can add new serial COM ports. If you have changed the hardware of the server by adding new serial COM ports (USB or PCI), you must configure the COM ports in the options dialog. You should select the number of USB2Serial ports and number of on-board and PCI serial ports and click Apply.
Before you start processing a batch of computers, you must set up the session by clicking the large Setup button on the toolbar. This will open the Session Setup window (se image below).
The Session Setup window gives the following options:
After launching FCRS, setting Server Configuration and Session Setup, you are ready to start processing PCs. Be sure you have configured FCRS. If unsure see 3. FCRS Configuration.
FCRS usage is based on sessions. A session is the action of running a cycle of clients on each serial COM port. The user will connect all the client computers to one serial COM port each, connect power to each client computer, and then boot them with the FCRS client boot media. The session starts when a new set of client computers have been connected and booted with FCRS Client boot media.
To start the FCRS process click on the 'Start' button on the FCRS interface after launching FCRS (See 2.2 for Launching FCRS). The window will now present a table where each row represents a serial COM port on the FCRS Server. If this is the first time you start FCRS the interface will look somewhat like the image below since no computer have connected to FCRS.
This FCRS server has 10 serial COM ports.
If a computer has connected through the serial COM port on a previous session the corresponding row will show the FCRS ID and other information.
Clicking the Pause button will suspend all processing and printing until the start button is clicked again.
Before starting a session with unprocessed computers, the session must be set up (See section 4. Session Setup).
Connect keyboard, power, VGA cables. Connect the nullmodem cable to a serial COM port on the FCRS Server and to a serial COM port on the FCRS Client.
Insert FCRS Client boot media (cdrom or floppy) and power up the computer. How to create the FCRS boot media is covered in the FCRS Installation Manual. (If boot problems see Troubleshooting) When the FCRS Client successfully boots the FCRS Client software will start registering the computer components. After registering components wiping will start and the FCRS GUI will show the current status of the Client. While the current computer is wiping one can hook up the next computer on an empty serial COM port.
If a Client is unable to boot or the Client is not able to run the FCRS Client media the Client should be manually set to EE-Waste. This is done by clicking in the computer-class column in the row representing the faulty Client computer and select EE-Waste in the drop-down menu. A manually added EE-Waste computer will show up in the computer archive as an EE-Waste entry.
To create wipe status reports for donors, click Tools->Extract-from-archive in the FCRS GUI. Choose your search criteria and clik the Apply button. A formatted table of computers/hard disks with donors and wipe results will appear. To print, press the printer button in the PDF viewer. Requires a properly configured printer (See FCRS Installation Manual).
If printing of hardware inventory is enabled, a report will be sent to a printer when the hardware detection is finished. It will also contain a line with the current computer class. Ie. Workstation, Thin client or EE-Waste. Note that the printing is done before the whole process is finished and if wiping and/or installation fails the values can change from ``Worstation'' or ``Thin Client'' to ``EE-Waste'' in the computer-archive.
Check the cables. Be sure that the sieral COM port is enabled in the BIOS. If it still fails, the serial COM port might be faulty. Manually set the computer as EE-Waste (See 5.5 Non bootable Clients).
In cases where the boot fails, or the existing operating system launches, check the BIOS settings. Be sure that the boot order in BIOS is FLOPPY -> CDROM -> HDD. If still unable to boot, try with a new FCRS Client boot floppy or try with a FCRS Client boot CDROM.
If a disk is faulty and wiping halted, the computer will be classified as EE-Waste.
If the installation of the etherboot driver failed, it is probably due too a missing driver (unsupported) and/or that the NIC is Token Ring.
An unexpected error occured. Probably due to faulty hardware. Try reprocess the computer or manually set the computer to EE-Waste (See 5.5. Non Booting Clients).
If the Client computer has a BIOS password set, the best is to call the donor and ask for the password. It is also possible to open up the computer and disconnect the CMOS battery for a few seconds, or use BIOS password recovery software.
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