Difference between revisions of "User:Piccobello"
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[http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/quickPath.do?quickPathEntry=2673CBU Lenovo page] | [http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/quickPath.do?quickPathEntry=2673CBU Lenovo page] | ||
| + | |||
| + | Update 2010: One of the reasons why I bought this machine was its supposed durability. After a few years I must say I am quite disappointed with it. I carried it around a lot, and the chassis started breacking in several points after only a few months. This is not really a problem as it's not falling apart. The real problem came more recently, in the last year or so. The machine started having some erratic behavior which I suppose to be related to some of the hardware failing: I often get kernel panics (machine freezes, caps lock blinking), and sometimes when I boot either the screen and/or the disk will not work: the led is on but nothing else happens. I still could not identify the problem though (any ideas?). | ||
==Breezy Installation issues== | ==Breezy Installation issues== | ||
| Line 89: | Line 91: | ||
action=/etc/acpi/hibernate.sh | action=/etc/acpi/hibernate.sh | ||
which is the real hibernate script. This solved the problem. | which is the real hibernate script. This solved the problem. | ||
| − | **This time the wireless switch works out of the box, but if I press volume keys kmilo decides that I also want to start kmix and change its master volume as well, together with {{path|/proc/acpi/ibm/volume}}. I found I can suppress this by pressing {{key|Shift}}. | + | **Sleep does not work any more. |
| − | **I decided to use an ACPI key combination to restart [[X]], as sometimes everything freezes, keybord included, but {{key|Fn}} key combinations as brightness, thinklight, still work. So I added a simple executable script {{path|/etc/acpi/killx.sh}}, simply executing | + | **This time the wireless switch works out of the box, but if I press volume keys kmilo decides that I also want to start kmix and change its master volume as well, together with {{path|/proc/acpi/ibm/volume}}. I found I can suppress this by pressing {{key|Shift}}. Solution: I found out that the keys were interpreted both by [[ibm-acpi|acpi]] and by [[X]]. I just undefined them in my [[User:Piccobello/Gutsy/Xmodmap|.Xmodmap]]. |
| + | **I decided to use an ACPI key combination to restart [[X]], as sometimes everything freezes, keybord included, but {{key|Fn}} key combinations as brightness, thinklight, still work. So I added a simple executable script {{path|/etc/acpi/killx.sh}}, simply executing killall Xorg, and changed the action in {{path|/etc/acpi/events/thinkpad-zoom}} to be | ||
action=/etc/acpi/killx.sh | action=/etc/acpi/killx.sh | ||
I also set the action in kmilo-thinkpad (Settings -> System Administration -> IBM Thinkpad Laptop). | I also set the action in kmilo-thinkpad (Settings -> System Administration -> IBM Thinkpad Laptop). | ||
| − | *For most other things I definitely noticed an improvement in stability, usability, etc. | + | For some reason this does not work... |
| + | *External monitor used to always work, now it only works if I start X after plugging it in. Also, | ||
| + | this [https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xorg/+bug/55646 bug] is present. I installed xvattr, | ||
| + | and I have to execute this line to show a movie in the external monitor: | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{cmduser|xvattr -a XV_CRTC -v 1}} | ||
| + | |||
| + | *For most other things I definitely noticed an improvement in stability, usability, etc. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Hardy upgrade== | ||
| + | |||
| + | Todo. All went well, now Sleep (suspend to RAM) works, everything else works out of the box except OSD, but the hotkeys work. | ||
==Configuration files (Dapper)== | ==Configuration files (Dapper)== | ||
| Line 103: | Line 117: | ||
==Configuration files (Gutsy)== | ==Configuration files (Gutsy)== | ||
| + | |||
| + | todo.. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Configuration files (Hardy)== | ||
todo.. | todo.. | ||
| Line 110: | Line 128: | ||
* How can I switch {{key|Fn}} and {{key|Ctrl}} keys? (I guess I can't as {{key|Fn}} combinations are interpreted by the BIOS) | * How can I switch {{key|Fn}} and {{key|Ctrl}} keys? (I guess I can't as {{key|Fn}} combinations are interpreted by the BIOS) | ||
| − | * {{key|Fn}}{{key|F7}} does not | + | * {{key|Fn}}{{key|F7}} does not work. This seems to be due to this [https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2000 bug] in [[Xorg]]. |
| + | |||
| + | * External monitor used to always work, now it only works if I start X after plugging it in. | ||
==Still untested== | ==Still untested== | ||
| − | * Irda | + | * Irda (worked in Dapper) |
* modem (recognized by restricted driver module in Gutsy) | * modem (recognized by restricted driver module in Gutsy) | ||
* IEEE 1394 | * IEEE 1394 | ||
* Parallel port | * Parallel port | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Post Scriptum== | ||
| + | |||
| + | My poor thinkpad is now dead. After a short but intensive life, it started experiencing kernel panics, probably caused by a fault in system board. RIP. | ||
Latest revision as of 14:14, 4 October 2011
Contents
My thinkpad
IBM ThinkPad X31 (2673-CBU), bought used, see why here.
Currently running: Kubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy).
Update 2010: One of the reasons why I bought this machine was its supposed durability. After a few years I must say I am quite disappointed with it. I carried it around a lot, and the chassis started breacking in several points after only a few months. This is not really a problem as it's not falling apart. The real problem came more recently, in the last year or so. The machine started having some erratic behavior which I suppose to be related to some of the hardware failing: I often get kernel panics (machine freezes, caps lock blinking), and sometimes when I boot either the screen and/or the disk will not work: the led is on but nothing else happens. I still could not identify the problem though (any ideas?).
Breezy Installation issues
I first installed Kubuntu 5.10 (Breezy). I wanted to keep Windoze, just in case I needed it (but I never use it ;) ), and keep the hidden protected area, and be able to reach it at startup, just in case I sell the laptop back at some point. My problem was that:
- GRUB has to be installed either in the MBR or in the first partition. As an alternative I could have used the NT boot loader, see here. Anyway, I wanted to keep Linux in front, as I plan to remove windoze completely, and the first part of the disk should be faster.
- Windows would only work being on the first partition (AFAIK)
- Putting GRUB in the MBR would overwrite the original setup/recovery tools (AFAIK - Note: if you do this, and later manage to start Windows, it will rewrite the MBR anyway)
My solution (DO IT AT YOUR OWN RISK):
- Create a new primary partition for Windows, at the end of the disk, before the rescue partition. Copy windows there.
- Modify windows' boot.ini:
$ diff /windows/boot.ini /windows/boot.ini~
3c3 < default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS --- > default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS 5c5 < multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect --- > multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
My current partition table according to fdisk:
Disk /dev/hda: 36.8 GB, 36825459200 bytes 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4477 cylinders Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System /dev/hda1 * 1 6 48163+ 83 Linux /dev/hda2 3651 4477 6642877+ b W95 FAT32 /dev/hda3 7 249 1951897+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris /dev/hda4 250 3650 27318532+ 5 Extended /dev/hda5 250 3650 27318501 83 Linux Partition table entries are not in disk order
NOTE!
My windows partition is a FAT32. This is because, after restoring it, AND BEFORE ever starting it, I renamed the file <windows-dir>/system32/convert.exe. I found this info somewhere on the net, see for example here: after install/restore, Windows filesystem is actually FAT32, and it's converted to NTFS only at the first run. This is useful as FAT is better supported by Linux.
Breezy Post-install configuration
- (I think I) modified interfaces to enable hotplugging the ethernet cable. Which is wrong anyway. I also had to add lines to dhcp on both the wireless (eth0, see below) and the ethernet (eth1). Dapper upgrade removed hotplug, and it's still working, so that was really useless.
- I enabled Fn + F5 creating file /etc/modprobe.d/ibm_acpi.modprobe with the following line:
options ibm_acpi hotkey=enable,0xff9f
- Modified my GRUB menu.lst. The Fn + F5 stopped working.. Finally I found out why looking at /usr/src/linux-source-2.6.12/Documentation/networking/README.ipw2100 in section rf_kill, and modified /etc/acpi/wireless.sh accordingly, see here. After Dapper upgrade I further cleaned up the script. Now the wireless is disabled at boot, which is what I wanted, and is switched with Fn + F5.
- I thought the built in wireless did not work, but in fact it does
- I had an hissing sound when on batteries. I found out it's actually related to screen brightness, see here.
Dapper upgrade
All went fine.
- This bug does not seem to present itself, and CPU scaling is still working fine.
- With xorg version 7.0 I managed to enable scrolling and keep functionality of mouse 2 button. See also How to configure the TrackPoint.
- Hibernation is now working. With Breezy, the system used to crash and reboot after resume.
- With ibm-acpi ver. 0.8-2 I can now use the experimental settings, adding option experimental=1 to /etc/modprobe.d/ibm_acpi.modprobe.
Gutsy Installation Issues
At first I tried to upgrade to Edgy. This was a disaster: apt-get got completely confused, grub messed up and at boot it could not find any of the kernel images on disk. As I was far back on the ubuntu release schedule anyway, I opted for plan B: fresh install of Gutsy. This went perfectly. I kept home partition and formatted the rest, which allowed me to keep most of the settings I had. Now I'm in the process of restoring previous tweaks.
- Sound did not work at first: I just had to turn on and pull up the PCM output in kmix.
- Fonts look uglier, dirty and fat.
- tty1-6 disappeared, clicking CtrlAltF1 just showed a blank screen. Found a solution here. In my case I had to unban and load radeonfb, and add vga=792 to the boot options. Now I have the ttys but the boot splash does not work, so I removed the splash boot option.
- Installed kmilo-legacy to recuperate the OSD and special button functions:
- replaced 0xffff8f with 0xffffff in /etc/modprobe.d/thinkpad_acpi.modprobe to enable FnF5 to FnF12
options thinkpad_acpi hotkey=enable,0xffffff experimental=1
- hibernate button did not work: edited /etc/acpi/events/ibm-hibernatebtn replacing line
action=/etc/acpi/hibernatebtn.sh
with
action=/etc/acpi/hibernate.sh
which is the real hibernate script. This solved the problem.
- Sleep does not work any more.
- This time the wireless switch works out of the box, but if I press volume keys kmilo decides that I also want to start kmix and change its master volume as well, together with /proc/acpi/ibm/volume. I found I can suppress this by pressing Shift. Solution: I found out that the keys were interpreted both by acpi and by X. I just undefined them in my .Xmodmap.
- I decided to use an ACPI key combination to restart X, as sometimes everything freezes, keybord included, but Fn key combinations as brightness, thinklight, still work. So I added a simple executable script /etc/acpi/killx.sh, simply executing killall Xorg, and changed the action in /etc/acpi/events/thinkpad-zoom to be
action=/etc/acpi/killx.sh
I also set the action in kmilo-thinkpad (Settings -> System Administration -> IBM Thinkpad Laptop). For some reason this does not work...
- External monitor used to always work, now it only works if I start X after plugging it in. Also,
this bug is present. I installed xvattr, and I have to execute this line to show a movie in the external monitor:
$ xvattr -a XV_CRTC -v 1
- For most other things I definitely noticed an improvement in stability, usability, etc.
Hardy upgrade
Todo. All went well, now Sleep (suspend to RAM) works, everything else works out of the box except OSD, but the hotkeys work.
Configuration files (Dapper)
- xorg.conf
- interfaces
- GRUB's menu.lst
- Windoze boot.ini
Configuration files (Gutsy)
todo..
Configuration files (Hardy)
todo..
Current issues
- How can I switch Fn and Ctrl keys? (I guess I can't as Fn combinations are interpreted by the BIOS)
- External monitor used to always work, now it only works if I start X after plugging it in.
Still untested
- Irda (worked in Dapper)
- modem (recognized by restricted driver module in Gutsy)
- IEEE 1394
- Parallel port
Post Scriptum
My poor thinkpad is now dead. After a short but intensive life, it started experiencing kernel panics, probably caused by a fault in system board. RIP.
