Installing Slackware/11.0 on a ThinkPad T42

As the name suggests, this page documents a start-to-finish installation of Slackware 11 on a thinkpad T42. This is a work-in-progress, so check the history page for mistakes I made (if you are that type).

System Information

Gathering system information is like mice storing away for winter.

CPU	Pentium M, 1.7 GHz
Monitor resolution	1400x1050
Graphics	ATI Mobility Radeon 9600
Network	Intel Pro/1000 MT Mobile Connection
	Intel Pro/Wireless 2200BG
CD/DVD	Matshita DVD-RAM UJ-812
PCMCIA	TI PCI-4520 Cardbus Controller
Sound	AD1981B(AC'97) (module snd-intel8x0 works on 2.4 kernel)
IR	IBM ThinkPad FastIR
HDD	Intel 82801DBM UATA-24CA for Fujitsu MHT2080AH

Installation proper

Grabbed a DVD install of Slackware 11 [1]. It failed to boot (maybe 2.4.33 kernel shipped doesn't recognize the drive?). Grabbed install CDs ibid. Sat through package selection process. Created a second user account (useradd).

Found out that sound is muted by default. Fix:

1. amixer set Master 70 unmute
2. amixer set PCM 70 unmute
3. amixer set CD 70 unmute
4. alsactl store

Installed all my favorite software, not worrying about how to make the wifi work for now or optimizing video performance.

Updating the Kernel

As you may know, the wifi driver is in the 2.6.4 or newer kernels. This necessitated more work on my part and while I was at it I may as well recompile some respectability into my kernel.

1. cd install-media/extras/linux-2.6.17.13
2. pkgtool
   1. no to kernel itself (I picked reiserfs and therefore need that initrd)
   2. yes to headers, modules, and source
3. cd /usr/src/linux yes, the symlink had been changed to 2.6
4. make menuconfig
   1. See options section, below.

Kernel Options

• Processor Family = Pentium M (scroll down)
• ACPI Options
  • CPUFreq driver = Intel Enhanced SpeedStep
    • ACPI Processor P-States = fall-back module
• IrDA
• Added reiserfs into the kernel to avoid messing with initrd

Recompile kernel overnight.

(make && make modules) ||  echo "poo-bear"

Install the thing.

make modules_install &&  make_install

realize that slackware is still using lilo, so install has just replaced vmlinuz. Copy original to unique name and symlink, then install new lilo menu.

cd /boot
cp /usr/src/linux/arch/i386/boot/bzImage vmlinuz-2.6.17.13-Farfrumlernen
rm vmlinuz
ln vmlinuz-2.6.17.13-Farfrumlernen vmlinuz
vi /etc/lilo.conf 
lilo
reboot # with fingers crossed

Make sure you add another image="vmlinuz.old" to the file just incase the worst should happen... And hey, why not add append = "acpi_sleep=s3_bios" from SUSE on T42 while you're at it! My system hung on bootup with my first try here because it couldn't mount some filesystems. I added the noauto option to appropriate drives in /etc/fstab and everything was peachy again.

Some Customization

Added suggested sections to /etc/modules.conf and /etc/modprobe.conf from Ipw2200, IrDA, and others.

/etc/modules.conf

alias irda0 nsc-ircc
options nsc-ircc dongle_id=0x09 io=0x2f8 irq=3 dma=3
options ipw2200 led=1

/etc/modprobe.conf

options ipw2200 disable=1

Followed instructions on How to configure acpid to create scripts in /etc/acpi.

Muse at all the time I could spend on making special keys work.

X11 Configuration

Additions:

• Option "DPMS" in Monitor section.