Installing Ubuntu on a ThinkPad R60e

Overview

There are no particular problems installing Ubuntu Dapper (6.06.1) or Edgy Knot2 (6.10 alpha) on a R60e.

Partition and Boot

If the Windows and Service Partitions are to be retained then the Gnome Partition Editor can be used from the live cd to shrink the Windows partition (sda1). The IBM recovery partition is placed at the end of the HD disk. Note that the Recovery partion is not located on a cylinder boundary and is placed between 'unused' disk areas, 3MB in front and 7MB behind. These appear to contain the diagnostics programs and should not be moved or resized if the diagnostics and R&R programs are required.

To repartion: boot to Windows and immediately create a Rescue and Recover disk set.

If you have a USB HD you can also create a Recue and Recovery copy on that.

boot with Ubuntu live CD, use Gnome Partition editor to shrink the IBM_PRELOAD (sda1) partition.

reboot to Windows and let it run chkdsk

boot Ubuntu Live CD and install

The live CD will install GRUB to the MBR, this is ok, the installer will identify both IBM_PRELOAD and the service partition and provide boot options for both. Edit /boot/grub/menu.lst to add the hide and unhide lines (this will prevent Windows showing the Service Partition).

 # This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
 # on /dev/sda1
 title           Microsoft Windows XP Professional
 hide            (hd0,1)
 root            (hd0,0)
 savedefault
 makeactive
 chainloader     +1

 # This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
 # on /dev/sda2
 title         IBM/Lenovo Maintenance
 unhide        (hd0,1)
 root          (hd0,1)
 savedefault
 makeactive
 chainloader   +1

Kernel

The default kernel at install will be linux-image-386. Install Base System linux-image-686 for full support of the core-duo processor including SMP. You will also need Base System (restricted) linux-restricted-modules-686 as the Intel wireless card driver loads binary firmware.

For Edgy-Eft (6.10) the default kernel linux-image-generic will fully support SMP so installing a kernel should not be necessary.

Xorg.config for two screens

Intel 945GM The config options are described in the driver man page [$ man i810]. The following sections are for a configuration with the laptop screen as the primary display and an second display on the D-SUB15 analog VGA port. The second display is expected to be a flat panel or a data projector ('beamer').

   Section "Device"
   	Identifier	"Intel 945GM Internal LCD"
   	Driver		"i810"
   	BusID		"PCI:0:2:0"
   	Screen 0
   	Option 	"MonitorLayout" 	"CRT,LFP"
   EndSection

   Section "Device"
   	Identifier	"Intel 945GM External D-SUB15"
   	Driver		"i810"
   	BusID		"PCI:0:2:0"
   	Screen 1

   # some additional possibilities
   #	Option	"CheckLid" 	"no"
   # 	Option 	"Clone" 	"no"
   #	Option 	"CloneRefresh"	"60"
   # 	Option 	"FlipPrimary" 	"no"
   # 	Option  "DisplayInfo" 	"yes"
   #	Option 	"Rotate" 	"CCW"	
   EndSection

Resolution and timing

X and the graphics adaptor will detect an external screen if present and attempt to auto negotiate an appropriate resolution and refresh rate. It is unclear from the Xorg/XFree documentation how the useable video modes are selected/rejected but it appears that if a monitor is connected to the VGA connector the highest available VESA resolution will not be selected unless it has a refresh rate of 75Hz or more. As the optimum refresh rate for a flat panel display is usualy 60Hz, and often the highest (native) resolution only available at this rate, it may be necessary to set a mode line for best performance.

In the case of a data projector, these appear designed to accept inputs for resolutions and refresh rates far in excess of their native SVGA or XGA capabilities and automaticaly convert down, which may entail a loss of image quality. Thus, for these also, forcing a reasonable resolution and refresh rate is desirable.

The possible modes for a connected monitor can be discovered by looking at the X log file [sudo nano -w /etc/X11/xorg.conf] or by running xvidtune.

   Section "Modes"
   	Identifier 	"V75"
   	ModeLine "VGA 75"   31.50  640  656  720  840  480  481  484  500 
    	ModeLine "SVGA 75"  49.50  800  816  896 1056  600  601  604  625 
   	ModeLine "XGA 75"   78.80 1024 1040 1136 1312  768  769  772  800 
   	Modeline "SXGA 75" 135.00 1280 1296 1440 1688 1024 1025 1028 1066
   EndSection
   Section "Modes"
   	Identifier 	"V60"
   	Modeline "XGA 60"   65.00 1024 1048 1184 1344  768  771  777  806 
   	ModeLine "SXGA 60" 108.00 1280 1328 1440 1688 1024 1025 1028 1066
   	ModeLine "UXGA 60" 160.00 1600 1664 1856 2160 1200 1201 1204 1250 
   EndSection

The monitor Most recent monitors will supply X with data on available built in modes, and this will overide the HorizSync and VertRefresh values in the config file. However some projectors do not supply this information and fail to display unless the HorizSync and VertRefresh are configured.

   Section "Monitor"
   	Identifier	"LCD on D-SUB15"
   	Option		"DPMS"
   	HorizSync	31-75
   	VertRefresh 	60-75
    	UseModes 	"V60"
   	UseModes	"V75"
   EndSection

Screen

   Section "Screen"
   	Identifier	"External Screen"
   	Device		"Intel 945GM External D-SUB15"
   	Monitor		"LCD on D-SUB15"
   	DefaultDepth	24
   	SubSection "Display"
   		Depth		24
   #		Modes		"1024x768" "1280x1024" "1600x1200" "640x480" "600x800"
   		Modes 		"XGA 60" "SXGA 60" "UXGA 60" "VGA 75" "SVGA 75"
   	EndSubSection
   EndSection

   Section "Screen"
   	Identifier	"Laptop LCD"
   	Device		"Intel 945GM Internal LCD"
   	Monitor		"Lenovo 15in LCD"
   	DefaultDepth	24
   	SubSection "Display"
   		Depth		24
   		Modes		"1024x768"
   #		Virtual         1600 1200
   #		ViewPort 	0 0
   	EndSubSection
   EndSection

ServerLayout

   Section "ServerLayout"
   	Identifier	"Default Layout"
   	Screen		0 "Laptop LCD" Absolute 0 0
   	Screen		1 "External Screen" RightOf "Laptop LCD"
   #	Screen 		1 "External Screen" Absolute 1024 0
   	InputDevice	"Generic Keyboard"
   	InputDevice	"Configured Mouse"
   EndSection

Note that with this layout the mouse will move off the right hand edge of the laptop screen and make an entrance on the left of the external monitor. If you can't find the mouse it may be on the other screen, try moving it top left.

Sound

There is an option in the BIOS setup to disable the modem which seems a good idea if the modem is not needed. Do not do this, if the modem is disabled then sound will not work with Ubuntu (6.06 and Edgy knot2). (Sound does however work in WinXP with the modem disabled)

Mouse and TrackPoint

see How to configure the TrackPoint Note however that to modify sensitivity and scroll rate on R60e with Ubuntu 6.06 the commands are:

    # echo -n 96 > /sys/devices/platform/i8042/serio0/speed
    # echo -n 200 > /sys/devices/platform/i8042/serio0/sensitivity

This needs to be typed in a root window; using sudo gives a permission denied.

to be continued

Wireless [works]

Bluetooth [setup appears ok, untested due to lack of bluetooth device]

Suspend to Disk [seems to be working, some scrambling of text console display during restart but login window then appears, and all restored ok.]

Suspend to RAM [fn+F4 (sleep) appears to be same as fn+F2 (lock screen)] Switch wireless on/off [Fn+F5 working]

Modem [not used, but see above re sound]