Installing Ubuntu 6.06 on a ThinkPad R60

Overview

This is based on an dualboot win/linux installation with the Ubuntu 6.06 CD, on a R60 with Core Duo T2400, 512MB, 80GB, 15", SXGA+, ATI X1400 128MB, DVD±R.

Stuff that works out of the box: USB, CD/DVD-burner, Network card, Sound, UltraNav(mouses), Volume buttons

Stuff that needs tweaking: Fingerprint reader

Untested: WiFi, Bluetooth, Firewire, Modem

Partition and boot

Normally the machines come preinstalled with Windows XP. Also note that there is a somewhat hidden 5GB FAT32 partition that contains the recovery files used to reinstall Windows. If you only wants Linux, then all this can just be deleted. If you wants too keep Windows for dualboot, you have to decide if you want to keep the recovery partition.

If you want to keep windows, it's wise to make recovery CDs. You can both make a backup-cd/dvd, and make disks that contain what's on the recovery partition (these disks can only be made once, and require 2 DVDs or 6 CDs). Start Windows, and run the ThinkVantage-programs for this.

Then boot with the Ubuntu-CD, start the installer and follow the simple guide until you reach the partition-question. If you want to keep Windows, select the option to do it manually. Now you will see the two Lenovo-created partitions. Resize the big partition with Windows on to the size you want. Then make a new partition for Ubuntu and a small swap partition. Complete the installer, and reboot into Windows. Chkdsk will start to scan C:\. It will probably correct some stuff, but hopefully Windows will start nicely afterwards.

Ubuntu will install the GRUB bootloader. At startup this will give you the choice of Linux and Windows, unless you got rid of the latter. It will also display a line with "Windows NT/2000/XP" if you kept the service partition. This is some sort of Windows based environiment where you can restore stuff. Find a GRUB-howto and edit /boot/grub/menu.lst to hide it in the list, if you want to. You probably also want to edit /etc/fstab and remove the line that mounts the service partition.

CPU/Kernel

The R60 has a Dual Core CPU, and the default kernel is only using one of the cores. Start Synaptic and find the most recent 686-kernel (either linux-image-2.6.xx-xx-686 or the linux-686-smp metapackage). Download and install it, then reboot. You will now get another choice on the bootmenu for the 686-kernel. Boot with that one, and make sure $ cat /proc/cpuinfo lists two processors.

Graphics

The R60 can either come with some onboard Intel graphics, or a X-series ATI-card. Atleast for the latter, you need to install drivers. ATI delivers proprietary binary-only drivers called fglrx, that you can install with apt/Synaptic. See this guide for that.