Install Ubuntu 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex) on a ThinkPad T400

T400

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Before Installation

Before you can start Ubuntu from CD or USB you have to change two BIOS settings:

• Change to Internal or ATI Graphics with Config --> Display --> Graphics Device --> [Integrated graphics] or [Discrete Graphics]
• Disable OS Detection for Switchable Graphics. Otherwise it will mysteriously switch back to Switchable Graphics.

Now you can boot you Live-CD, connect to Wireless Lan, and install the OS.

What works out of the box?

• Wireless (Intel 5300 ABGN)
  • Only tested G mode + WEP yet
• Intel driver for Integrated Graphics (Intel Integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD)
  • with 3D acceleration out-of-the-box
• ATI fglrx driver for Discrete Graphics (ATI Mobility Radeon 3470 graphics)
  • To enjoy 3D acceleration, you have to install the proprietary fglrx Driver. (for example with the jockey-gtk tool)
• Gigabit Lan
• Touchpoint and Trackpad
  • Including scroll at the right side of the pad by default.
• Optical drive
  • Not tested burning yet
• Sound card
  • To use your internal microphone you have to change to HDA Intel CONEXANT Analog (ALSA) in audio-settings.
• 7-in-1 card reader from Ricoh (MMC, Memory Stick, Mem Stick Pro, SD, SDHC, XD, XD Type H Memory)
  • Only tested SD cards.
• Control buttons/Hotkeys
  • Volume control buttons
  • Screen brightness control (but changing Brightness is a little bit diffuse. It's getting brighter but on maximum it changes to nearly lowest and get brighter again.)
  • Thinklight control
  • WLAN/BT/OFF toggle (Fn+F5 and mechanical toggle)
  • Media player control
• Some ACPI features
  • Battery status, power graphs and history (tested with an single 6-Cell battery)
  • Lid states and events

What needs some Tweaks?

ThinkVantage Button

Edit the file /usr/share/hotkey-setup/ibm.hk with adding this line:

setkeycodes e017 148 #thinkpad button

You have to restart, then you can add a command with the keyboard shortcuts menu.

What doesn't work at the moment?

• Integrated Fingerprint Reader

Not tested yet

• IBM Active Protection System
  • There is no patch for Kernel 2.6.27-7 at the moment (HDAPS, How to protect the harddisk through APS)

Suspend/Hibernate

Neither Suspend nor Hibernate work for me. They fell asleep, but waking up nearly never works. Maybe it works once... but i can't remember exactly.

Integrated Fingerprint Reader

Theres a new chipset build in, the "AuthenTec AES2810". So neither the thinkfinger nor the fprint Project support this Device at the moment.

lsusb
cmduser| Bus 002 Device 004: ID 08ff:2810 AuthenTec, Inc.