Installing Debian Wheezy on a ThinkPad W520
Installation
You should set the graphics mode as in the Video section below. The Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 need proprietary firmware, I therefore recommend to use an iso image with the propretary firmware.
Video
Three option are given in the BIOS: - Integrated (the integrated Intel card) - Discrete (the NVIDIA Quadro 2000M, in my case, or the NVIDIA Quadro 1000M) - NVIDIA Optimus ( use both card for more power efficient system)
To have VGA, Display Port and the usb 3.0 port on the back working the Nvidia card needs to be on. That leaves us two option: Discrete or Optimus. Optimus is not officially supported by Nvidia but the bumbleebee project offers partial support but for the w520 is not full support at the moment (impossible to use VGA and Display Port). Therefore the choice is to select Discrete. The next step is select drivers: nvidia vs nouveau. The nvidia are good but not free and the integration with the system not optimal. Nouveau offers 3d acceleration but is not as good as nvidia. In order to install nouveau 3d drivers you need to compile the kernel found here (or just the nouveau module) [1].The module update should be merged in 3.1 kernel.. Then you need to install libgl1-mesa-dri-experimental (7.11~0-2), the one from experimental repository. You can now test compiz and you will see all the effect working.
Networking
The Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 need proprietary firmware. Bluetooth works out of the box.
Webcam
The integrated webcam works out of the box.
Finger print reader
I have installed libfprint0, fprint-demo and libpam-fprint (from unstable).
The fprint-demo works fine but when I try to enroll a finger a get the following error:
"enroll failed with error -22"
I have already submitted the bug to the bug tracking sistem with the following ID: Bug#633633. If you encounter the same problem please add information to the bug.
